Skinny Love - Ron Weasley

Chapter 3

"I spent the summer devising a whole new Quidditch program. We are gonna train earlier, harder, and longer." Alex yawns tiredly as she walks between the twins fighting hard to stay awake as she had stayed up for hours the night before doing last minute homework from the summer.

"What- I don't believe it! Where do you think you're goin', Flint?" Oliver asks as they meet the Slytherin team half way across the courtyard.

"Quidditch practice." Flint says simply with a shrug.

Alex steps forward, "Wood booked the pitch for today."

"I didn't ask you, runt."

Her mouth opens in shock but before she can pounce at him Katie grabs her arm, "Like she said, I booked the pitch for today."

"Easy, Wood. I've got a note."

Oliver sighs as he begins to read the note, Hermione and Ron make their way over, looking at their friend, who glares at the Slytherin Captain, with concern, "I, Professor Severus Snape, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker." You've got a new Seeker. Who?"

The green robed team part as the pale blonde second year stalks his way through, "Malfoy?" Alex scoffs.

"That's right. And that's not all that new this year." The teams show off their new brooms making everyone's eyes widen.

"Those are Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones! How did you get those?" Ron asks with a dropped jaw.

Marcus grins, "A gift from Draco's father."

"You mean a bribe from Draco's father?" Ales questions crossing her arms over her chest as Katie and Oliver keep a hand each on her shoulder trying to stop her from punching the other team.

"You see Weasley, unlike some, my father can afford the best."

Hermione huffs and clenches her jaw, "At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got it on pure talent."

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood!"

Alex gapes at him and grips her wand tightly as she attempts to lunge forward only to be stopped by Wood and Bell. "What are you going to do? Call your father? Oh, wait-"

"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy. Eat slugs!" Ron's spell ricochets off of Malfoy and back onto him knocking him over.

As the Gryffindor team rush to him to help him up the Slytherin team erupts into laughter making Alex scowl at them before turning back to her red headed friend, "You're so stupid sometimes, Ronald."

~~~~~

"Wo, this calls for a specialist's equipment. Nothin' to do but wait'll it stops, I'm afraid."

Alex turns her nose up in disgust as she awkwardly pats Ron's back and turns away from him as he opens his mouth allowing another slug to fall out.

"Better out than in," Hagrid says in his usual cheerily voice, "Who's Ron tryin' to curse, anyway?"

"Malfoy," Harry says rolling his eyes, "He made fun of Alex for having no dad, and well, he called Hermione... um, well, I don't- I don't know exactly what it means.

Alex huffs angrily, "He called her a Mudblood."

Hagrid gasps, "He did not!"

Harry looks between them all with furrowed brows, "What's a Mudblood?"

Hermione sighs and looks down avoiding everyone's eye, "It means "dirty blood." Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born. Someone with non-magic parents. Someone like me. It's not a term one usually hears in civilized conversation."

"See, the thing is, Harry, there're some wizards, like the Malfoy family, who think they're better'n everyone else because they're what people call "pure blood."

Alex sighs, "Granny says it's why Uncle Al and Chris were attacked, because Chris is a muggleborn and Alex is a Half-Blood."

"That's horrible!"

"It's disgusting." Ron says before spewing up another slug.

"And it's codswallop, to boot. "Dirty blood." Why, there isn't a wizard alive today that's not half blood or less. More ter the point, they've yet to think of a spell that our Hermione can' do. Come here... Don't you think on it, Hermione. Don't you think on it for one minute... eh?"

Hermione smiles at the Half-Giant as Alex gives her a side hug, leaning away from Ron who belches again.