What are you?

Partners

"For, of course, hate is an earthly word. But, if we were to strip down blind passion, would the line not fade?"

   Ron didn't like defence against the dark arts. It was dumb, he knew that. He knew if he told anyone that they would say something along the lines of "are you mad?" Or, "what has come over you Ron?" And, it wasn't just the fact that Snape was teaching the sixth year students, it was the fear associated with the class.

  The mystery, the unbridled force for chaos that funds the need for the class in the first place. To put it plainly, it scared him. "I heard we're doing the bogart again, isn't it ridikkulus? I can't remember." Someone said, causing Ron's palms to sweat and his legs to quiver.

   He couldn't deal with another ten foot tall spider, he just couldn't. "Is it true?" Harry said, turning to him, his glasses falling ever-so-slightly down his nose. "What?" Ron was caught off guard, distracted as he so frequently had been.

  "The bogart thing,"
     "Oh, hell if I know I-"
            "Language Ronald," Hermoine piped, tossing her hair out of her eyes.
"They've got it completely wrong, we aren't fighting a bogart." She said, earning a breath of relief from ron, "thank Merlin," he whispered to himself. "However, we do have a project, something rather big I've heard." She said, and she couldn't help but eye Ron like a lost puppy.

  He liked her, he thought. She was good, and pretty, and he was jealous when she was with someone else. He had butterflies, monarchs specifically. Fluttering about aimlessly when he was around her. That had to account for something, right?

  "Fantastic. That's the last thing I need," Harry said, pointing at his scar, which just barely poked out from the line of his hair. "You're telling me, I feel like I'm knee-deep in past work for potions. I'm starting to think Snape hates me more than you."  Ron said, with that usual wide-eye, frown-framed face that he made.

   As he said those words, Draco came walking through the aisle, crashing into him as if he had pureposely pretended that he wasn't there. "Excuse me, Weasley, some people are trying to get through." He said, staring at him with nothing but disdain. He stood there for a few seconds, just staring at him, then walked off. "Git," he said under his breath, inaudible enough that Malfoy had missed it. Oh, how he loathed him.

   He wanted nothing more then to punch him across his smug face. To make him feel the pain that he had caused others. But alas, that wasn't possible, seeing as Ron was both a pacifist and not at all skilled in fighting (he was vaguely certain that Malfoy would beat him to a pulp, after all he was taller than him). "Bloody Malfoy," Harry said, watching him as he took a seat next to Pansy at the back of class.

  "I hate him," Ron leered, burying his face in his hands. "Yes, well, doesn't everyone? I can't think of anyone outside of slytherin who genuinely appreciates his presence." Hermoine chimed in, looking up from the seemingly endless stack of books on her desk. "Good one," Harry said, a smile spread amongst his face.

  However, it dropped upon hearing the sound of a door opening and seeing a dark-clad figure walk into the room. Snape looked about the class a few times, swaying like a raven. Then, feeling comfortable with everyone who was there, he took his spot in front of his desk. "Hello," he said, in his  typical nasally and distant voice. The room was dead silent, and Ron thought it was a bit cliche, but you definitely could have heard a pin drop. Hell, you could've heard a dust bunny drop.

  "As some of you have have heard, we have project." No one made a sound, but Ron was sure that everyone was internally groaning. "For this assignment, you must first research a creature that would fit within the dark arts curriculum." He looked around, everyone was still, dead-panned to infinity. "Next, you will venture to both find and attain the creature."

  At this, the bubble of silence was broken, and a few people even had the nerve to go "how is that even possible?"
      "Once you have completed this you are to compile a detailed, ten page essay on how the creature is both vital and important within the defence against the dark arts." Everyone groaned, and Ron swore that he heard Malfoy say, "is he serious?"
    "Finally you will complete a presentation, using your creature, your findings, and your essay." Hermoine's hand shot up almost instantly.

  "Yes, Miss Granger," he said, lacking any and all enthusiasm. "Sir, isn't this a bit inhumane? What do you intend on us doing with these creatures, after having taken them out of their natural habitat? Also-
    "After the presentation all of the creatures will be freed and brought back to where they were taken from. And, before you ask, the nessecary accommodations will be made for the creatures, so they will live comfortably while they are here."
    

  "Thank you, sir" she said, settling back into her seat. "Now," he said, "this project will be done in groups of two, no more, no less. If I see any exchanges or cheating of any kind, you will receive a failing grade for the project." He pulled a peice of parchment from his desk, unrolling it as if it were a set of ancient egyptian scrolls. "I have chosen partners for each of, which I shall read now . . ." Ron turned out for that bit, that was, until his name was mentioned. "

  Potter with Granger, lovegood with Longbottom, and finally, Malfoy, you will work with Weasley."
    "WHAT?" They shouted simultaneously, standing up in their chairs without a seconds notice. "I can't work with him!" Ron shouted, turning to look at Malfoy with disgust.  

   "Bloody likewise," he said, giving a look towards Snape that was somewhere along the lines of pleading. "Descisons are final, you both may sit down." They both did as he asked, neither wanting to get chewed out by Snape. "I expect all of you to use the remaining time in class to meet with your partners and begin to formulate a plan."
     "My life's over," Ron whimpered to Harry, cupping his hand over his mouth so Snape couldn't hear.

  "It's not that terrible," he said, clearly lying.
    "Not terrible? Have you SEEN who I'm working with? I don't think I'll be coming out of this alive."
    "Yeah, you're right, it is pretty bad."
         
   "See! You're lucky! You get to work with Hermoine, and I have to work with the git of all bloody gits. Merlin save me." He buried his head in his arms, refuses to acknowledge the fact that people were moving seats to sit with their partner.

    "This is actually perfect, you can spy on him. See if he says or does anything incriminating." Harry said, starting to stand up. "Like?"
     "I don't know, things like his father, or V-" Ron looked petrified, "you know who," he said.

  "Yeah, I geuss," Ron replied, still mortified at the idea of working with the one and only, Draco Malfoy.
    "I would go before Snape yells, good luck,"
        "Ha, yeah, luck."

Lucky me, he thought to himself bitterly.