Take Me As I Am

Hooking Up

Seamus and Harry were left on their own, going through the things Harry bought at Hogsmeade. Draco and Ron spent their time cleaning cauldrons, glaring at each other from across the room. This gave both pairs the chance to bond closer than they were before.

Draco had finished a dozen cauldrons, ripping open a new pack of sponges. "My hands are gonna be destroyed at this rate!" He growled, scrubbing the bottom of a large silver pot that was thrown in with the rest.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Not like you've done anything useful with them!" He snapped, throwing a dirty cloth in Draco's direction.

"Oy!!!" Draco yelled, standing to his feet. "If you keep being an arsehole to me, I'll make you wish you never opened that big mouth of yours!!!"

"What are you gonna do??? Snape took our wands!" Ron stepped forward. "Big scary snake, without it's fangs!"

"Don't challenge me Weasle!!!" Draco warned loudly, putting down the cleaning supplies.

"You don't deserve to be with Harry! He's our hero! You're just an Ex Death Eater with a father who served Voldemort!" Ron spat, his face red with anger.

Draco could see this was all a defensive ploy to hide emotions. "What's your damage Weaslebee? I thought we talked about this! I apologized!"

"Stop calling me those names! It's Weasley! You think you're so entitled and smart but you're not! Money and status mean nothing!" Ron picked up a mop.

Draco saw this was going to turn into an ugly fight. "Please don't act this way, the war is over! I didn't do anything!"

"You let Death Eaters into the school! You ran instead of fighting with us! Your father is now the reason we have to worry about our safety!" Ron broke the head of the mop off with his knee.

Draco was starting to get nervous, Ron's magic was swelling. "Why are you so mad at me?! What my father does is no buisness of mine! If I didn't do what Voldemort asked of me I'd be dead! He threatened Death upon everyone I knew, including my parents!"

Ron stood motionless, angry and upset beyond reason. He had never been alone with Draco before, especially for this long. "Almost 8 years of frustration Malfoy! You bullied me and tortured me and my friends! And now you're shagging it up with my best friend!"

"Weasley I'm sorry! How many times do I have to apologize?!" Draco was becoming mentally exausted from the same issue swirling around in an angry blender of emotions. "What do I have to do??? What can I do to make you forget the past???"

Ron dropped the broken broom, clenching his fists tightly as he walked over to Draco.

Draco raised a brow, taking a few steps back. "Wait a minute! Let's talk okay?"

Ron rushed over, chest to chest with Draco. "You want to make it all go away?!" He roughly pushed Draco back with both hands.

Draco slammed into the wall, wincing from the strength of Ron's hands. "Stop it! I don't want to fight you!"

Ron pinned Draco to the wall. "What makes you think I'd let go of everything you've done to me and my friends?!"

Draco looked at Ron's face, horrified with the amount of hate he found. He lowered his head, his bangs covering his face. "Just beat me up and get it over with...I deserve it."