Versions// Ron Weasley X Reader

Twenty Three

Draco got out of last class of the day shortly after I did, so I hurried up to the seventh floor to beat him. I got into the Room of Requirement, found a nearby chair, and waited. I was here purely based off intuition. He might not come to the Room of Requirement very often anymore, but this was my best chance. There was no way he'd let me confront him anywhere else. I had to take him by surprise. 

I drummed my fingers on my thighs and peered at the loudly ticking cuckoo clock cast aside on the floor. I don't think it was even showing the right time anymore, but each time it ticked I kept waiting for it to chime.

A loud noise like sandpaper on rocks erupted from in front of me. I shot out of my seat and took a few steps back. The large door formed out of the wall in front of me, and before long, it creaked open. Draco stepped into the room, heavily breathing, eyes down. I waited for him to look up, but he shut the door behind him and kept his eyes on the floor as he sank down to his knees.

Before he could embarrass himself, I took a deep breath and interrupted. "Malfoy," I spoke into the silence. He was obviously startled, and jumped to his feet. When he saw it was me, he flared his nostrils. "Before you curse me again, we need to talk."

He carefully walked further away from me, as if he were a crow circling and I was a dead body. He licked his teeth and straightened as he walked. "Alright then. Talk."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't want to duel. Just, sit down, or something," he eyed my suspiciously for a moment, so I added, "it's about Hermione."

At that, he raised his eyebrows. I sat down on my chair and he compromised by leaning against an old desk. He turned his chin up a bit, inviting me to speak.

"I fancied Hermione for a long time. That, and the fact it was with YOU, made it difficult to see her kissing someone else." He looked me up and down with his eyes, but otherwise said nothing. "But I don't feel that way about her anymore. I want her to have something special. Something real." Malfoy sneered a bit at that but I kept speaking.

"Malfoy, I still think you're a git. You don't have a very impressive moral track record. I don't see what Hermione could see in you, or how you two even started up."

"You almost done?" Malfoy asked rhetorically, pushing off the desk and taking a step towards me.

"Yeah, hold on," I said, holding out my hands. "Obviously, you know that's how I feel about you. And Ron, and all Hermione's friends. So, you left when we caught you. You did exactly what I expected you to do, and you knew that."

I stood up. "She didn't like how you reacted. She dumped you because you hurt me. And yeah, that was a right dick move." 

"I never meant for your brain to get scrambled up. I was aiming to just throw you out the door." Malfoy said, sticking his hands in his pockets. He kept his eyes on me while he said it, but I could almost... Almost hear a twang of regret in his voice.

"Yeah, very likely. Anyway, when Hermione did that, I thought it was just her being a good friend. And it was, it showed that she cared about me," this time, I took a step toward him and lowered my voice, "But it also showed how she could stick up for herself. You messed up, and she dumped you for it, and you can pretend not to care. You can hide how you feel about a muggleborn, but I know you want her back. Because you're still standing here."

Malfoy turned away. "You don't know the first thing about me, Y/L/N." He grumbled.

"I know a few. I know that Hermione is the first person whose ever really got you to open up and be vulnerable. I know that Hermione thinks so highly of you when you're not acting like a dick. She cares about you, and you care about her." I said in one breath. 

Malfoy glanced at me. "Well, it's done now, isn't it? What's it matter?"

I walked over and stood right in front of him. "She did something for me by breaking it off with you. Now I'm doing something for her. I know she wants to see you again. It's been months, and she's still upset, I can see it. Talk to her, apologize, don't fuck it up again."

Malfoy swallowed and clenched his jaw. "I come here everyday. Every day since term started. She hasn't. If what you're saying is true, she would've been here."

I shook my head. "She would've if she thought her friends would be okay with it. She didn't want to betray me." I chewed on those words for a moment. The whole reason Hermione let go of someone she really cared about was for me. 

"Then tell her she won't be betraying you. Don't see why's its taken you so long to do that." Malfoy said, mostly to himself.

I looked him in the eye. I considered that for a moment before giving him a small smirk. "Wait here."