Keep Your Enemies Closer

Chapter 7, Falling Apart

The walk towards the infirmary was quiet since no one was at school except Harry, Siris, Remus, and Hermione. Long hair, bound back into a low hanging ponytail, Ron turned towards the Chambers that had been Madam Pomfery's with a sigh. Hermione had taken over those chambers with relish as if she could soak up the original habitants knowledge that way.

Knocking on the door, Ron stuffed his hands into his pockets of the dark jeans he was wearing. His Gryffindor color's shirt stood bright against his tan skin and clung to his muscles, the fabric stretched out across his broad chest.

"Hermione, you in?"

"Come on inside!"

Hearing a large object fall and the sound of Hermione's frustrated squeak Ron pushed into the room quickly. Seeing a large box barely hovering above Hermione's head Ron dug out his wand and helped her move it onto the high shelf she was putting the box on.

"Thank you Ron."

"No problem Herm. Just be careful you don't hurt yourself."

Hermione smiled and moved to hug her friend. He was so much taller then her now that Hermione had to stand on tiptoe to hug him. She had finally gotten her hair to tame down and it fell down to the base of her back in sleek ringlets. Hermione's body was lithe and curved, no more baby fat on her cheeks. She had grown into a beautiful woman.

"What are you doing down here, Ron? I thought you were with your brothers."

Ron sighed and sat down in one of the high-bacchaichairs in Hermione's office as Hermione perched on the edge of her desk.

"They weren't happy about me kissing Draco. I sort of kicked them out."

"Oh Ron!"

Ron sighed aunchunched his shoulders at the patronizing tone Hermione had taken. The night after he had kissed Draco she had yelled at him for hours and Harry had finally told her to leave him alone.

"Don't worry Hermione. I don't think I'll be seeing him again anyway."

He looked so heartbroken and depressed that Hermione sat on the arms of the chair next to him and wrapped her arms around Ron's shoulders.

"Why not?"

"He's going into Auror training. I wont see him again."

Hermione sighed when Ron wrapped his arms around her waist and dropped his head into her shoulder.

"I'm sure it will work out, Ron."

Ron just shook his head and sighed. That tat together for a long time silently, both lost in their own thoughts. Hermione on how much she wished Ron wasn't gay. She was sure that he wouldn't have these problems if he were straight. It was bad enough that Harry was gay and openly so, but to have Ron follow Harry into homosexuality like it was some kind of disease rankled.

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"You'll find someone better, Ron. I'm sure of it."

When ioneione said that he would find someone better, she meant that he would find a girl. She refused to allow Ron to be gay and always tried to set him up with nice girls or even herself. Afterwards, Ron would yell at her but all she would say is that she did it because she loved him and it seemed that he could never stay mad at her.

"Anyone in?"

A cold voice from the doorway made Hermione spring back from Ron with a blush, making her look very guilty. Ron just let his chin fall into his chest and didn't look up to see who it was.

"What are you doing here?"

Hermione's voice was surprisingly harsh as if venom was dripping from her lips and she moved to block Ron's view of who was at the door.

"Get out of my way Granger, I didn't come here to be whined at by some mud-blood."

Ron snarled and stood up, ready to pound on the person who had insulted his friend. Moving around a suddenly protesting Hermione, he was surprised to see Draco leaning against the doorframe. His face was pale and drawn, eyes bloodshot, and his robes hung off of his body. When Ron loomed over him, Draco ducked his head and shivered, the feeling of the outrage and heat coming from the taller man's body making Draco ache to reach out and touch.

"What did you say, Malfoy? I think you should take that back."

"What weasel giving orders now?" Draco sneered but he kept his head bent, "Aren't we full of ourselves."

Ron grabbed the front of Draco's robes and pulled the overly skinny man closer to his chest, watching with grim satisfaction as Draco went obediently towards him. Sneer still pasted on his face Draco's eyes widened when Ron pushed his face very close to the pale former Slytherin's own.

"Do you really want to find out how full of myself I am?"

His vocomicoming out a quiet snarl, breath hot and spicy over Draco's face the blonde let his body fall limp against the taller man's. Hearing Hermione start to gibber on about how this was unseemly and that really it was fine, Draco dropped his eyes from Ron's.

"I apologize."

"Good."

Ron let go of Draco's robe and turned towards a silent Hermione. She was struck dumb at having Draco apologize to her‰ÛÒshe didn't' know what to say.

"A-apology excepted, Draco. T-thank you."

Draco sniffed and pressed closer to Ron's back sneering to himself at how pathetic he was. Sniveling an apology to the mud-blood just because the Gryffindor had told him to and submitting to him as if he were some woman.

Almost tipping over when Ron turned towards him again, Draco's thoughts flet tht the window then the taller man's muscled arms went around his waist. He had finally gotten high enough into his Auror training that he had some free time. The first person he had thought to see was Ron, wanting to be held and comforted after being beaten and starved during his training.

"Draco, what happened to you?"

"Ron are you sure you should do that? I mean he is a Malfoy."

Draco had been about to explain what happened and tell Ron why he was here, trying to be at least slightly honest with the tall former Gryffindor. Snarling at Hermione, he yanked himself out of the muscled arms that had felt so good around him. Stalking tos Hes Hermione with his old arrogance, he pushed right into her personal space.

"What is it to you Granger? Don't tell me you have the hots for Ronnie-poo over there. What? Can't accept the fact that he likes it up the ass instead of giving it to the kitty?"

Hermione paled and stepped back, one hand going to her throat and Draco sneered in triumph. Feeling a large hand grab him at the nape of his neck the sneer didn't leave his face but he did bend his head unconsciously in a submissive gesture.

"I think Draco and I are going to leave now. Tell Harry I'll see him tomorrow when you talk to him, okay?"

Ron steered Draco out of Hermione's office in an almost desperate attempt to put a stop to anymore fighting, his large hand still holding the nape of Draco's neck. Walking down the hallways towards his dorm, Ron was surprised at how oddly quiet the slender blonde was being, and how docile.

Entering his chambers, Ron let go of Draco to close his door, watching as the blonde wandered around his rooms. Visibly hunching and looking even more tired then he had in the infirmary. Draco finally walked towards where Ron was standing watching him with dark eyes, stepping so close that you wouldn't even be able to slip a piece of paper between them. He looked up at the taller man.

Pressing against Ron's chest and wrapping his arms around the red head's shoulders, Draco let his body collapse onto the taller man's. Catching Draco with a gasp and peering into almost dazed blue eyes, he picked the boneless body into his muscled arms and carried him into his bedroom.

"What happened to you, Draco?"

Gently laying the smaller man in his bed, Ron moved to get up and sit on the chair next to it. He was stopped by Draco's hand clenching into his shirt.

"Come back here, my weasel."

Sighing, Ron toed off his shoes, pulling Draco's off as well, and climbed into his bed next to the former Slytherin. Rol ove over on his back, Draco struggled out of his robes and threw his t-shirt off, leaving him in a pair of black slacks and his socks. Turning back onto his side next to Ron, Draco snuggled as close to his broad chest as he could manage.

"Don't ask any questions, okay Ron?"

Sighing Ron ran his hand down Draco's bare back gently, watching as the lithe muscles there rippled underneath his touch. Draco moaned and arched into Ron's hand, tilting his head up and licking at the junction between Ron's shoulder and neck. Snuggling down next to Ron, Draco closed his eyes and surrendered to exhaustion. As Draco slipped into sleep, Ron pulled the covers over them and curled the small blonde against his chest, wrapping his arms around Draco's small form and following him to sleep.