Kiss Me Not || Drarry

Part 5

"How'd it go?" Ron asked as Harry came back into the common room.

"Well... he didn't hex my bollocks off." Harry huffed and dropped into an overstuffed armchair next to his friends. The room was entirely empty except for them.

Ron nodded slightly like had expected that, crossing his arms over his chest, "Spill it then."

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, smacking his arm.

"We can't help if he doesn't tell us what happened." Ron said, "and it's not like anything happened."

Harry winced, "Brutal, mate."

Ron shrugged, "It's Malfoy."

"You don't have to tell us anything," Hermione said, "In fact, you shouldn't feel obligated to try and win Malfoy over at all, just because of a- of a magical condition. Unless you want to, of course."

Harry scrubbed his hands through his hair. He absolutely wasn't going to tell them about his growing obsession with Malfoy's hair or beautiful hands. Instead, he told them an abbreviated version of their conversation.

"That's not too bad really," Hermione hazarded once he had finished. "You were able to talk for...a bit."

Ron was staring blankly at the empty chess board on the table in front of him, arms still firmly crossed.

"Ron?" Hermione asked.

Ron's brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing but didn't answer her.

Harry and Hermione exchanged a look.

Ron leaned forwards slowly and opened the box of chess pieces and took out the kings, setting them on opposite sides of the board, "The thing is, you and Malfoy used to be on equal ground," he tapped the white king and then the black king, "but the war has changed everything." He took out the two white castles and set them on either side of the black king, "So, he was raised a king, but has been dethroned," he slid the king back off the squares and took out a black pawn to put in its place, "You talked to him like an equal but he, being a prickly little tit, is very aware of the difference of what he is compared to what he used to be."

"So-?" Harry asked.

"You need to-" Ron paused his eyes narrowing, "he's in a position of weakness, you can't ask more from him." Ron stared at the board for a long moment and then reached into the box, pulling out a white pawn and setting it in front of the white king, "You need to offer him something, give him power over you, or at least equivalent power."

"Oh," Hermione's eyebrows rose and she laughed as she threw her arms around Ron hugging him enthusiastically, "You're right! You're entirely right!"

"Yeah?" Ron flushed faintly, looking pleased.

Harry's voice was edged with frustration, "Right about what?"

Hermione planted a kiss on Ron's cheek before pulling away. She cleared her throat dramatically, all business again, "You need to tell him something about yourself first. You asking him, he's probably thinking it's more like an interrogation than a genuine desire to get to know him. If you offer him something first he might be more open to talking with you."

Harry nodded, "I can do that. You think that will help?"

"Maybe?" Ron said with a bit of a shrug, putting the chess pieces away.

"You really want to keep doing this?" Hermione asked.

Harry felt himself flush faintly and ducked his head, "Yeah, I do."