From One Wizard to Another

"Oh bugger, this essay is impossible!" Harry Potter threw his quill down in frustration and continued to glare at the potions textbook in front of him.

Him and Ron had been working all afternoon, much to Ron's disappointment, who clearly expressed that he'd much rather be playing chess then writing an essay for "that greasy-haired git".

"You know what this means don't you?" Harry asked.

Ron looked up, knowing what Harry was thinking.

"Hermione," They said together.

"She won't help us, you know," Ron continued, "Not after the way we told her off this morning."

"You mean the way you told her off," Harry added.

"Its not my fault she hounds us to always do our work! We have Quidditch to think about! Then, when we ask her for help she brushes us off--us--her best friends, so she can go to the library and write to bloody Vicky Krum."

Harry watched as Ron crushed his quill in his hand, grinding the feathers between his fingers in anger. Yes, Ron had it bad. He didn't know that yet, but he had it bad.

"Well, then why don't you go down to the library and get her," Harry suggested.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you."

"Why don't you bloody go get her?"

"'Cause the walk back to the common room will give you plenty of time to apologize for being a git." Harry sat back and observed his best friend with an amused grin. This would be good.

Ron scowled at Harry, his face bright red, from the tips of his ears and creeping down his neck. He pushed himself up, scraping the chair against the flagstone floor and quickly left through the portrait hole.

When Ron got to the library he found Hermione at her usual table, scribbling away at a piece of parchment.

Probably for Bloody Viktor.

"Hermione?"

Hermione's head snapped up, when she saw who was addressing her, her eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

"Ronald," she said tersely before turning her attention back to her parchment.

"Harry and I were wondering if you'd come back to the Common Room, we could really use your help." Ron felt like he was walking on eggshells, which he seemed to be doing a lot lately when talking to Hermione.

Hermione's head shot back up and she glared at Ron menacingly. "Is that all I'm good for? Making sure you two do your work?"

Before Ron even had a chance to defend himself, Hermione gathered up her things and made for the door. "I have better things to do than baby sit you two." With that, she stormed out.

Ron stared after her and sighed in frustration. She was impossible. No matter what, he always seemed to make her mad, even when he didn't say anything at all.

He ran a hand through his ginger hair and plopped down in the seat Hermione had just occupied, not knowing that someone else had been watching all along.

"Well, well Weasley. Looks like you've put yourself in quite the fix."

Ron bit back a groan. Why now? Of all times, why now?

Merlin, just kill me now.

Ron looked to the table next to his and found Draco Malfoy, sneer and all, not a hair out of place.

"Malfoy, please, not today."

"Aww what's wrong Weasley? Granger got you in a funk?"

Ron's hand was itching for his wand. One simple hex and it would all be over. No one would ever know.

"Not that its any of your business," Ron seethed.

Draco stood up and was at Ron's table in two quick strides. Ron watched in amazement as Malfoy took the chair across from him and straddled it.

"Look Weasley, from one wizard to another I can relate, so I'm gonna help you out."

"Excuse me?"

"What are you deaf, dumb and blind? I'm going to help you out with Granger," Draco explained.

"Why?"

Draco sighed wondering the same thing but pulled himself closer to the table anyway.

"Don't ask questions, just listen before I come to my senses and change my mind."

Ron glanced around to see if anyone was watching, not that they would believe what they were seeing anyway. Was Draco Malfoy really offering him advice? Love advice?

Ron was beginning to think he had accidentally walked into an alternate dimension.

Hey, it could happen.

"Ok, first things first. Stop with the whole Viktor Krum thing. Its purely pathetic, not that I'm surprised by it, what, with your..." Draco trailed off when he noticed the glare he was receiving from Ron. He quickly cleared his throat and continued. "Right, well, anyway, it really is ridiculous, despite being a dead give away that you are completely jealous of the guy it also looks like your trying to control her, and, well, woman hate that."

Ron put a hand up to stop Draco. "Wait a second. What would make you think I even fancy Hermione in the first place?"

Draco scoffed. "Oh come off it Weasley, everyone in this entire bleeding castle knows you fancy Granger. Students and staff. Not to mention some extremely nosy ghosts and a gossipy poltergeist.

Ron opened his mouth to protest but found he had nothing to say. Surprisingly enough he figured that Draco was right, and nothing is scarier than realising that Draco Malfoy is right.

Draco noticed how dumbstruck Ron looked. "Don't look so surprised Weasley, surely you realised you fancy each other."

Ron looked at Draco for the first time since they had started talking. "Each other? You mean Hermione fancies me?"

Draco rolled his eyes. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"Look, Weasley, I know this could come off as a bit shocking, you know another woman being interested in you and all, but you and Granger fancy each other, bottom line. She wants you to trust her but still show you care. Help her out, but not control her. She wants a friend as well as a lover. Got it?"

Ron just continued to stare. Hermione fancy him? It almost seemed impossible that the same Hermione he had spent the passed 6 years endlessly bickering and fighting with could somehow be interested in him as more then a friend. What would Harry say? What if Harry already knows? No, surely not. He definitely would have said something. Right?

Draco snapped his fingers in Ron's face. "Snap out of it. You really had no idea did you? I guess I underestimated you Weasley, you really are a dim wit."

Ron looked up, and for the first time (and hopefully the last) laughed at Draco's comment.

"You know what Malfoy, for once, you and I totally agree."