***Warning: This is SLASH.  You have been properly warned.  If this is not your thing, don't complain to me, just go read something else.  This is for Dean, and is my one and only slash fic.  Please be kind.

            He was slipping.  Ron could tell just by watching him go about his menial task of unpacking.  The new school year had barely begun, and already the redhead felt overwhelmed and under-equipped for the challenges ahead.

           He felt ashamed for even thinking such things, since he obviously had it better than some, but there it was.  Just by watching the other boy slowly pull his clothes and books out of his suitcase and unenthusiastically place them around the room, his confidence dropping to nothing.

            �Hey,� Ron finally said, when he could no longer bear to watch, �I�m gonna go find Hermione.�

            The other boy paused momentarily, a sock dangling in his hand, before nodding and getting back to his task.

            �See you later, Harry,� Ron said, disappearing out the door.

            As he made his way into the common room, he ran quite literally into the subject of his search.

            �How is he?� she asked, peering around him, as if she could assess Harry�s state of mind simply by looking in his general direction.

            �The same,� replied Ron, moving past her to plop down on the nearest couch.

            He closed his eyes and leaned back, trying to remember why he was supposed to be excited about the new year.  He opened his eyes again when he felt Hermione take a seat next to him.

            She looked around nervously before whispering, �he�s still getting over Sirius being gone.  It has to be hard for him, since there wasn�t even a body.�

            Ron looked at her, confused.

            She sighed, �generally, it�s harder for people to accept death when there isn�t any proof of it right in front of them.�

            �But there was proof,� Ron argued, �we all saw the curse.�

            �Harry is from a muggle family, Ron,� Hermione explained in the unintentionally condescending tone that he had grown accustomed to, �we can�t just take curses at face value in a situation like this.�

            Ron�s confusion was still apparent.

            �You wouldn�t understand.  You�re not from the same environment as Harry and I.�

            Ron frowned, deciding it would probably be easier to just assume she knew what she was talking about, and let it go.

            He spent the rest of the evening playing chess with Neville and trying to avoid Hermione�s gaze, knowing that she would somehow manage to talk him into checking on Harry, who hadn�t come out of the bedroom once.

            By the time he awoke the next morning, Ron was thoroughly depressed and dreading the first classes of his next to last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  His mood was as dark as it had ever been as he trudged down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

            He dropped heavily into an empty seat next to Hermione, willing her to not ask him about Harry.

            �Is Harry coming?� she asked, causing him to sigh and shake his head.

            He grabbed a nearby plate of food, not really caring what he was eating this morning.

            �I don�t know.  His bed curtains were closed when I left.�

            Hermione gave him an irritated look, �Ron, aren�t you at all worried about him?  He�s barely spoken in months.�

            Ron furrowed his brow, �of course I�m worried.  I don�t know what you expect me to do about it.�  He slammed his plate down harder than necessary, causing Neville to flinch as he tried to ignore the argument going on across the table from him.  �I can�t bring Sirius back,� Ron hissed at the irritated brunette.

            Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.  �Don�t be stupid.�

            Ron looked over to see Neville staring at something behind him, the already jumpy boy�s face unusually pale.

            Spinning around, Ron immediately knew that he was in trouble.

            Harry was standing behind him, looking between him and Hermione, as if he couldn�t decide who he was more furious with.

            Ron had barely begun to form an apology in his head, when his roommate fled from the room, resulting in curious glances and whispered conversations in his wake.  Ron turned to snap at Hermione, but she was already out of her seat, trailing after Harry, no doubt convinced that there was a logical solution to his problems that could be found in a book somewhere.

            The irritated redhead turned back to his meal, almost amused to see that Neville was doing his best to avoid his gaze.  Ron sighed and left the table, finding that he had no appetite for the first time ever.

            Just when he thought his morning couldn�t get any worse, he ran smack dab into his least favorite person in the world.

            �Watch where you�re going, Malfoy,� Ron said, regaining his balance and looking around the empty hallway warily, knowing Crabbe and Goyle could be hiding anywhere.

            The smaller blonde boy narrowed his eyes and fixed his slightly mussed hair.  �What�s the matter, Weasel, looking for your boyfriend?�

            Ron wasn�t sure if it was his mood or the lack of witnesses, but he did something that he had never done before.  He ignored Draco, choosing instead to walk off in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.  He didn�t linger to see the confusion and irritation on the blonde boy�s face.

            By the time the last class of the day rolled around, Ron�s mood had only slightly improved, mostly because he had been too distracted by his lessons to think about anything else.  Unfortunately, his last class was potions, and the prospect of dealing with Malfoy and Snape brought his mood right back down to despair.

            He took his seat beside Harry, who wasn�t ignoring him, but wasn�t exactly speaking to him either, and tried to keep himself from looking over at Hermione too much.  He couldn�t figure out if she was still mad at him, but she seemed to be in just as bad a mood as he was.

            He stopped his internal musings as soon as the dreaded Potions Master swept into the room, black robes billowing behind him.

            �This is my last year with many of you, and my patience is at its end,� Snape hissed at the class, directing the last bit toward Neville, who, for his part, wasn�t shaking as much as he usually did in Snape�s presence.

            Ron suppressed a snicker, but couldn�t help himself.  �Patience?� he whispered to Harry, who snorted quietly in response.

            Unfortunately, not quietly enough.

            �Fifty points from Gryffindor,� Snape snapped, staring directly at Harry.

            Ron�s mouth dropped open, but he didn�t say anything after Harry kicked him under the desk.

            Snape stared in their direction a moment longer, before continuing with his speech.

            *Brilliant,* Ron thought, glaring at Malfoy, who was blatantly smirking in his direction, *that really was patience for Snape.*

            Ron managed to get almost all the way through the rest of class without bringing the wrath of Snape down upon himself.  But Ron had resigned himself to the fact that nothing this year would be easy.

            As everyone was cleaning up after finding mixed success with their assignment, Ron overheard the deliberately loud Pansy Parkinson comment that it seemed to her that Black had gotten what he deserved.

            Ron felt Harry go rigid beside him, and saw Hermione�s hand fly up to cover her mouth.  Before he thought about what he was doing, he raised his wand and yelled the first curse that came to his mind.  It happened to be one that he had learned over the summer, and he felt immense satisfaction when it worked perfectly and Pansy�s already unattractive face was instantly covered in large boils.

            �Mr. Weasley!� Snape bellowed, stepping directly in front of him, eyes flashing, �two weeks detention beginning tonight after dinner.�

            Ron nodded, still fuming and not regretting his actions for one moment.

            �Mr. Malfoy,� Snape said, turning around, and causing the blonde boy to flinch, �escort Miss Parkinson to the infirmary.�

            Malfoy nodded and grabbed Pansy�s arm, dragging the hysterical girl out the door.  Ron was surprised to see that Malfoy had looked almost amused at Pansy�s hysterics, in between glares sent at him and Harry.

            Harry, for his part, seemed to be in a better mood, smiling at Ron as they left the classroom to drop off their books in Gryffindor Tower before continuing on to the Great Hall for dinner.

            The meal went smoothly, with no appearance by Parkinson, and Harry finally joining into the conversation.  Ron wasn�t even bothered that Hermione seemed to be doing her best to chew him out for his actions every chance she got.  Time for detention came faster than he expected, and he grudgingly made his way down to the dungeons.

            As he rounded the last corner before the potions classroom, he ran into a slightly smaller blonde boy, wearing wrinkled school robes and looking like the only person having a worse day than Ron himself.

            �Must you keep doing that?!� Malfoy snipped, regaining his balance and taking a step back.

            �Stuff it, Malfoy,� Ron replied, rolling his eyes, �it�s not my fault you�re too stupid to know where you�re going.�

            �This is a Slytherin hallway,� Draco retorted, one hand in his robes, undoubtedly holding his wand.

            �Where are your bodyguards?� Ron asked, absently holding onto his own wand.

            �None of your business,� Malfoy answered, stepping closer to Ron, trying to intimidate the larger boy into backing up.

            Just as Ron was about to reply, an intimidating man with a long blonde ponytail and a silver-topped cane stepped around the corner, followed by an irritated looking potions master.  Both men stopped to survey the scene before them.  The two boys each had a hand concealed in their robes and identical expressions of loathing on their faces.

            �Draco,� the blonde man said, stepping forward to grab his son, �our conversation isn�t over.�  He turned to Snape, �good evening Severus.�

            �Good evening, Lucius,� Snape replied, his face now unreadable.

            Lucius sneered at Ron, and, with a tap of his cane, dragged Draco down the hall after him.

            Ron watched them go, his surprise and slight confusion making him forget his entire purpose for being in the hallway.  He was quickly reminded when Snape cleared his throat.  The Potions Master, apparently not in the mood to supervise a lengthy detention, instructed him to clean the classroom and organize the supplies, then quickly disappeared into another door down the hall.  Ron watched him leave, still confused as to what he had just witnessed, and went about his task.

~-~-~-

            Ron awoke far too early the next morning to Harry shaking him.

            �Come on, wake up,� Harry said when Ron tried to bat his hands away.

            �Whu-� Ron replied, slowly pulling himself out of his pleasant dream state.

            Harry shook him one last time, �come on, I wanna go get in some flying time before breakfast.�

            Ron squinted up at his entirely too awake best friend, �I thought you weren�t allowed to fly again yet.  Mum told me it was still being debated or whatever.�

            �Litigated,� replied Harry, grinning, �but technically, I can�t fly on a broom.�

            Ron quirked a brow, but Harry just smiled at him.  Sighing, the redhead dragged himself out of bed.

            �Fine, but you owe me at least five chocolate frogs for this one.�

~-~-~-

            By the time they made it out to the equipment shed, Ron�s curiosity had gotten the better of him.  He asked Harry over and over what the big secret was, to no avail.

            He followed Harry into the small room, looking around at the brooms that lined the walls, all in various states of shabbiness.

            �You would think Dumbledore would buy some decent brooms,� he began, his voice trailing off as Harry grabbed the object leaning against the wall across from the door.

            �A shovel?� Ron asked, now completely baffled.

            Harry inspected said shovel, nodding as he found it to his liking.

            �Dumbledore made it for me,� he told Ron, handing it over for the other boy to look at, �it�s rigged to work like a broom.�

            Ron looked at him doubtfully.

            �A school broom, but at least I can get back in the air.�

            Ron nodded, smiling at his obviously excited friend, leading them out to the quidditch field.

            The two boys flew around for an hour, both laughing at the ridiculousness of a flying shovel.  Ron was in high spirits at seeing Harry finally lose the gloominess that had settled over him, if only temporarily.

            This was why Ron�s stomach did a flip-flop when he remembered what he had seen the night before.  Apparently, Malfoy hadn�t been lying when he said his father would get out of prison in no time.  The question was, why had Dumbledore allowed him in the school?  Ron sighed as he realized that a talk with Hermione was in order.  He had no idea how to break the news of Lucius Malfoy�s freedom to Harry.

            He was going over possible ways of working it into the conversation when they were both interrupted by none other than Draco Malfoy, himself.

            �Well, now I�ve seen everything,� Draco said, eyeing the shovel Harry was carrying with disgust, �I know you�re not the brightest wizard around, but that is not a broom.  Are you borrowing the only thing Weasley could afford?�

            Ron narrowed his eyes, �Sod off, Malfoy.�

            He looked over at Harry, who was simply staring at Draco, all of his previous happiness gone.

            �My father told me to tell you hello, Harry,� Draco said, ignoring Ron for the moment.

            Harry�s lip quirked up into a half-smile, �oh yeah?  Did you make a little visit to Azkaban?�

            Ron�s eyes shut as he inwardly cursed himself for not telling Harry the moment he saw Lucius.

            Draco laughed maliciously, �Oh, didn�t you know?  He got out.  In fact, I was with him yesterday when I ran into your little sidekick here snooping about the dungeons.�

            Draco looked smug, while Harry stared at Ron in shock.

            Ron opened his mouth to respond.  With what, he didn�t know, since everything Malfoy had said was true, but before he even got the chance, Harry ran off, disappearing around the school.

            �Oh, I�m sorry, did I say something wrong?� Malfoy asked sarcastically, his attention now fully on Ron, who was getting angrier by the second.

            Ron glared back at the smirking blonde, glancing around and seeing that he was indeed alone.

            �Where are your bodyguards, Malfoy?� Ron asked, knowing that it would make him angry, but also genuinely curious.

            Draco�s smirk instantly disappeared, �that�s none of your business, Weasel.�

            Ron, suddenly feeling more confident, took a step closer to the smaller boy, �what�s the matter, Malfoy, all your friends desert you?�

            Ron was surprised to see that that must have been closer to the truth than he expected when Draco clenched his fists and then went for his wand.  Ron�s hand shot to his wand and in seconds both boys were at a standoff, curses waiting on the tips of their tongues.

            �What makes you think I won�t curse that smug look right off your face?� Draco hissed, his wand pointed at Ron�s mouth.

            �If you do, you�ll actually get in trouble for it this time.  No one to protect you here.  No goons to agree with your story.�

            Draco flinched, still not lowering his wand.

            �The way I see it,� Ron continued, �your father got caught and made the whole wizarding world suddenly believe everything Harry had been saying all along.  You Know Who can�t have been happy about that.�

            Ron was amazed to see Draco becoming even paler than normal as he spoke.  Lowering his wand, Ron grinned at the now ghostly looking boy.

            �Run along now.�

            Draco blinked, continuing to hold his wand up for a moment, before dropping his arm, turning around, and walking slowly away.

            �Bloody hell,� Ron muttered to himself, �what is going on around here?�

            He grabbed his broom and headed back to the school.

~-~-~-

            �Luna wants us to start up DA again,� Hermione announced, taking a seat next to Ron at breakfast.

            Ron glanced over at her and shrugged, grabbing some food off of a nearby plate as it was passed to him by a sleepy looking Neville.

            Hermione turned to Harry, who was sitting on the other side of her, pushing his food around on his plate.  �What do you think, Harry?�

            �What difference will it make?� Harry mumbled.

            Hermione sighed and didn�t answer the question, instead grabbing her own food and beginning to eat.

            Ron tried to talk to Harry repeatedly throughout the day, but the sullen boy was ignoring him.  By the time detention began, Ron had a headache from being so tense all day and trying not to say anything to further anger Harry.

            When Ron entered the potions classroom, he couldn�t decide if he was amused or dismayed to see that Draco Malfoy was sitting in a seat at the back of the room, looking like he owned it.

            �What are you doing here, Malfoy?� Ron asked, taking a seat in the opposite corner.

            Draco sneered at Ron, �wouldn�t you like to know.�

            Ron�s retort died on his lips when Snape entered the room in his usual intimidating manner.

            �Well Mr. Weasley,� Snape said, standing behind his large desk and looking down his nose at the redheaded boy, �as much as I long to pass you off to Filch for the remainder of your detention, I have been advised to give you tasks here.�  His eyes narrowed and he stared down to Gryffindor for a long moment before continuing.  �Your assignment is the same as last time, along with two feet on why it is wrong to attack a Slytherin.�

            Inwardly, Ron rolled his eyes, while outwardly he simply nodded and began cleaning up the ingredients that were scattered about the shelves.

            He became so involved with his task that he was surprised to see Draco still in the same seat twenty minutes later, though Snape had left the room.

            He eyed Draco suspiciously, but said nothing when the blonde raised an inquiring eyebrow.  Ron spent the remainder of detention trying to block Draco out, who, in turn, seemed to be doing his best to get on his nerves.

            He was relieved when he finally finished his ridiculous essay.  He left it on Snape�s desk and exited the room without a word, still curious as to Draco�s mysterious presence.

            When he got back to the Gryffindor Common Room, Ron was surprised to find Hermione waiting for him.  He took a seat next to her on the sofa facing the fire.

            �I just wanted to let you know that you didn�t miss anything terribly important,� she said in a slightly haughty tone, obviously still angry with him for some reason or another.

            �Bloody hell,� Ron muttered, �I missed the meeting.�

            �Malfoy wasn�t there either,� Hermione responded.

            She turned to the side to fully face him.  �I know you had detention, but really Ron, if you can�t take your prefect duties seriously, maybe you should reconsider the position.�

            Ron�s mouth dropped open, anger building up inside him.  �I was doing what you asked me to- protecting Harry!�

            �I know that!� Hermione shouted back, not caring that they were in the middle of the Common Room, where anyone could walk in.  �I don�t know why you aren�t more concerned about Harry,� she said, sounding hurt.

            Ron sighed in frustration, �I am concerned about him.  That doesn�t mean I can do anything to help him.  He can�t just be fixed with something you can find in a book, Hermione.  I think we should just leave him alone for a while.�

            The brown haired girl looked as if she was going over his point of view in her head for a moment, before snapping out of it, narrowing her eyes.  �You�re wrong.�

            She stomped out of the room, leaving a few bewildered and one angry Gryffindor in her wake.

            Barely resisting the urge to hex everyone in the common room just for being there, Ron quickly escaped into the empty hallway.  He stormed through the school, not noticing where he was going, muttering to himself about pushy know-it-alls.  He didn�t notice that someone was in front of him until he practically knocked them over.  When he looked up, he regretted stopping himself as he saw a smirking Draco Malfoy.

            �Granger, I presume,� Draco said, leaning against the wall, one hand automatically hovering over his wand.

            �None of your business, Malfoy,� Ron replied, suddenly wishing he wasn�t a prefect just for a moment so that he could curse the smirk off Draco�s face without having to worry about how it would look.

            �Touchy, touchy,� Draco replied, still smirking.  �You know, I never did see what that Krum git saw in her.  Obviously blind, that one.�

            �Stuff it, Malfoy,� Ron said, his hand now gripping his own wand.  �Just because I�m angry with her doesn�t mean I won�t defend her.  She�s stubborn, not evil like some people.�

            The blonde boy snorted at this, but offered no objection.

            �Well Weasley,� he said instead, �I was on my way to do rounds before I was so rudely interrupted.�

            �You interrupted me!�

            Draco rolled his eyes, pushing past Ron and down the hall.  �Your existence interrupts me,� he said as he disappeared around the corner.

            Ron sighed, heading off in the opposite direction, in search of students out past curfew stupid enough to get caught and face his wrath.  They would be begging for the mercy of Snape tonight.

            An hour later, Ron was in much better spirits, having managed to catch three different couples in various states of foreplay.

            He rounded a corner on his way back to his common room, when he heard Draco�s voice float down the hall.  Ducking behind a nearby statue, he peered around it and down the hall, knowing he was eavesdropping, but not really caring.

            As soon as he heard the low dangerous voice of his potions professor, he knew it had been a good idea to hide.

            �Your father has instructed me to advise you to stay in the Slytherin dorms, but I would like to leave the choice up to you,� he heard Snape say, his back to Ron.

            �I would like to take a short break from the house, I believe,� Draco answered after a moment.

            He saw Snape nod once.  �You may remain here to compose yourself, but I recommend making a trip to the infirmary while I prepare a temporary residence for you,� Snape said, before sweeping off down the hall in the opposite direction as Ron�s hiding place.

            Ron waited where he was, expecting Draco to leave at any moment.

            After a few minutes, it was obvious that the blonde boy was not going anywhere, so Ron took a deep breath, wishing in vain for an invisibility cloak, and stepped out from behind the statue.  He walked down the hall toward Draco. 

            An insult died on his lips when the Slytherin looked up at him, revealing two black eyes and a split lip.

            �What happened?� Ron asked before he could stop himself.

            Draco sneered, �What�s it to you, Weasley?�

            Shrugging, Ron replied, �you look like you got in a fight with one of Hagrid�s pets and lost.�

            Draco made a snorting noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh to Ron.  Smiling a bit at that, Ron took a seat on the far end of the bench that Draco was currently occupying.

            �What are you doing?� asked Draco, casting a suspicious glance toward Ron.

            Ron shrugged, �I�m not one for kicking someone when they�re down.�

            Draco rolled his eyes.  �I don�t need your pity, Weasley.�

            �I don�t pity you,� Ron snapped, beginning to feel frustrated again.  �I don�t care if your housemates beat you to a bloody pulp.�

            �So why are you still here?�

            Ron studied the dejected boy sitting down the bench from him.

            �So your housemates did so this to you?� Ron confirmed.

            Draco didn�t answer.

            �Seems a bit muggle for them,� Ron muttered.

            Sighing, he scooted over and patted Draco on the leg in what he hoped was a halfway decently comforting way.  It seemed to have the opposite of the desired effect, however, when the Slytherin jumped out of his seat like he had been burned and turned on Ron, who had also jumped to his feet in surprise.

            �Don�t touch me!� Draco said, a little too loudly and desperately.

            Ron took a step back, the bench digging into the backs of his knees as his back hit the wall.

            Draco�s hands were balled into fists and he was noticeably shaking.  He studied the surprised redhead for a moment before leaning forward, stopping when his face was an inch from Ron�s.

            �Why are you here?� he repeated, unconsciously imitating Snape�s deadliest tone.

            �I don�t have anyone else to talk to,� Ron replied, not caring if Draco knew this, as long as it made him back up.

            All of the anger seemed to drain out of the Slytherin�s eyes, and he slowly took a step back, allowing Ron room to let out the shaky breath he had been holding in.

            �Yeah,� Draco said, sitting back down on the bench.

            Ron took his seat and the two students fell into silence, having established some sort of truce that Ron acknowledged, even as he failed to understand it.

*******************  

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2: ENLIGHTENMENT