Flaming Hot // Ron x y/n

prick

I woke up earlier than usual, wanting to get some studying in before breakfast. Ginny was out cold.

The castle, being made from stone, was incredibly cold. Especially with the lack of students roaming around. I reached in the wardrobe for the leather jacket I had been given at Christmas, I didn't wear it much but given that it was October, I could do with it.

The library wasn't as empty as expected, there were about ten students wandering around. I could also see a few people that had been up late studying and were now lying faces in their books, one of them was Luna.

"Y/n, isn't it?" I looked over to where the voice had come from, Cormac McClaggen.

"McClaggen." I nodded to him.

He didn't say anything at first, just stared at me. Then he looked over my shoulder and pulled a packet of cigarettes out, lighting one with the end of his wand.

"Rumour has it, you and Weasley split." He blew a cloud of smoke into the air and earned a few disgusted looks from a group of girls in the year above sitting further down the table.

"Not true, but what's it to you?" I frowned, I could have a good guess at who started the rumour but it was too early to get worked up.

"I was just trying to figure out who kept Granger." He shrugged, making me more confused.

"You know, you're both friends with her so she'd have to pick a side." He explained, I understood now but why wasn't he just going straight to her.

"Hermione?" I asked him simply, he nodded.

"You're not dumb, I know you." He tapped the side of his head.

"Well, I might be wrong but I think she's in one of those 'sort of' relationships. You know where there's 'sort of' feelings, and 'sort of' commitment but neither of them will do anything about it." I rolled my eyes. I think that's the best way to describe whatever the mess she had with Fred was.

"Right, so she is off-limits?" He pressed the cigarette to his lips and inhaled deeply, I could hear the group of girls muttering now.

"Flirt away, but don't expect anything... You know me?" I circled back to what he'd said earlier.

"I used to watch you. You notice everyone." He grinned, I shook my head taking out my potions book.

"Creep." I raised an eyebrow.

"Not like that, look, who's he?" Cormac pointed at a boy who was walking slowly out the door.

"Eddie Carmichael." I smiled, so did Cormac.

"You're not really her type, McClaggen." I changed the subject back to Hermione. He grinned.

"Then it's a challenge." He blew smoke in my face. I ignored him, reading the page carefully. I got distracted by the book and must have read for about fifteen minutes before I looked up and noticed Cormac was still there.

"Looking for something?" I asked though this was the most we've ever interacted with one another.

"There's nothing like looking if you want to find something." He quoted.

"That's from The Hobbit, isn't it? Maybe she will like you. What are you trying to find, then?" I closed my book and crossed my arms, for some reason I felt as though it was a necessity that I spoke with him.

"The key to Grangers' heart." He grinned at me again, stubbing his cigarette out on the table.

"Well I don't have it, maybe try Luna. Sleepwalking thief." I nodded over to her, at least I think it was her, long blonde curls only just covering a copy of The Quibbler. She was holding three wooly hats.

I remember her telling me, that she once woke up in the kitchens clasping eight wands and a string of Christmas lights.

"There you are!" Ron whisper yelled, coming through the door, I smiled at him.

"Trying to pick up 'mione again?" Ron asked McClaggen, hands on his hips.

"I was, yes." McClaggen grinned standing up and giving me a wink. He picked up his book from the table and left, nodding to me as he did.

"Bit of a prick, isn't he?" Ron sat down where he once was.

"I dunno, I quite like him." I shrugged.

"That's 'cos you're a bit of a prick too. What're you reading?" He glanced at my potions book.

"How do you read a potions book? Its just measurements and stirring." He frowned.

"I'm trying to get used to all of them, so that I don't have to pay as much attention and then I can focus on other things." I explained, opening the book. Ron sighed watching me read.

"I got up early to see if you wanted to come to Hogsmeade?" He cleared his throat but continued to talk quietly.

"I'll come but McGonagall wont let us leave until half nine." I looked at the clock, it was only twenty past eight.

"D'you want to come and get breakfast?" He asked before I even got to the end of the sentence. 

"Ron, I'm busy. Just come and get me when you've had your breakfast." I nodded to him, he shook his head.

"I'll just wait."

After about twenty minutes of listening to Ron hum, groan and mutter to himself as I read, I gave in and went to breakfast with him. I hadn't really gotten much from my early morning study session, at least not when Ron was there.

We past Dean on our way. He smiled warmly, I shook my head as a warning not to say anything yet.