Work Text:
Annoyance was only one word to describe Ron’s mood as he trudged over the fallen leaves, resenting every crunch and crumble of the brush beneath his feet. It had been nearly three years since he set foot into a deep forest, aside from the comforting woods beside his parent’s home. It if were up to him, he’d go another three sodding years.
“Weasley, you’re wasting sunlight. Do hurry up,” his assigned partner, none other than Draco Malfoy, called over his shoulder in front of him. “And I must insist you cease on the dragging of your feet.”
Ron rolled his eyes and pursed his lips to the blond’s back. They had been walking for what felt like hours already, scanning trees and under piles of leaves and twigs for the list of magical items their Lead Auror had assigned them to find before noon the following day. The whole task reminded him too much of his time in the Forest of Dean. As the day went on, with only three of the five items captured, Ron was ready for a rest and a snack.
“Oy, Malfoy, think we could rest a bit?”
Draco halted at Ron’s words, swiveling back to face him. “Did you seriously not hear what I just said? We’re wasting sunlight. Lest you care to give up,” the blond git still held that same smug expression he did back in school, and it was all Ron could do not to punch the man in the nose. He sighed instead, trudging along their makeshift trail as he thought of all the food back at Headquarters they’d be missing tonight.
At least things between Draco and him were better. They were passed the rivalry, but not the jokes, both teetering on the edge of mockery towards the other. The both of them had entered auror training at roughly the same time, landing a training exercise together, as partners. A trend they quickly realized would continue as more advanced trainees shared their stories.
While Draco did little to hide his dislike of being paired with him for the overnight excursion, he was being decent and Ron was trying to remain civil in return. Already today he’d bitten back a number of insults- good ones, too that would make even Hermione smile.
A gift he wasn’t sure Draco appreciated as he kept marching them on without end.
Another hour passed with nothing more added to the sacks they carried. As they paused by a barely trickling stream, Ron’s stomach growled loudly. To his annoyance, his partner either hadn’t noticed with his pointy nose inches away from the detailed map or he was ignoring Ron altogether.
“Er- Draco,” Ron started, a chant of benicebenicebenice running through his mind. “We’ve only got two left to find. Think we could er- give it a rest now?”
Ron could physically see the vein in Draco’s forehead as he glared silently back at him. He knew the blond was chanting similar reminders to himself has he had been, trying hard to be civil - something he took note of. The way Draco’s nose scrunched on his face, causing a familiar scowl, but it wasn’t as harsh as their previous encounters. Draco was peering up at the sky, his hand pressed firmly over his eyes to shield from the sun.
“I suppose this is a decent enough place to set up camp for the night,” he set down his pack while Ron slouched in relief. “But we still need to map out our route for tomorrow. I refuse to be the last team to achieve this assignment.”
“Of course you do. Typical Malfoy. Merlin forbid you aren’t first in line to kiss the Ministry’s fat arse,” Ron immediately regretted his retort once he had said it, momentarily forgetting his mental reminder to be nice, and he slid his eyes over to see Draco’s reaction.
Ron’s mouth instinctively winced through clenched teeth when he peered at Draco’s less than approving glare.
“Forgive me, Weasley, for wanting to show my worth outright. Not everyone can hide behind the luxuries of a ‘fun-loving’ nature.”
“You mean to say no one can resist my charms,” Ron ran his hand through his hair in a playful manner, causing a Draco to groan outwardly as he tugged his wand and began to magically set up their camp.
The small appearing tent set to the side, its entrance facing the small pile of wood where Ron began to ignite a fire, accio’ing rocks as a barrier before the logs were set aflame, casting a warm glow over both of their persons and the light flapping fabric of the tent walls. The entire process took half the time the muggle way would have taken, not that either wizard in the party would know much about that, aside from the few times Ron would have to non magically gather wood and food when he had been on the run with Harry and Hermione and trying anything they could to remain under the radar.
“What now?” Draco’s drawl broke through the snapping sounds of the campfire, pulling Ron’s attention back to him.
“What do you mean?”
He blinked back in response, rolling his eyes. “What I mean, Ronald, is now we’ve eaten...like you asked. The tent is set up and ready for tonight. And now-” Draco gestured towards the sky that was only beginning to turn from blue to orange with the setting sun. “We’ve loads of time before we should call it a night and nothing to do.”
They both turned to look back at the fire but not before Ron caught a particular pout on his partner’s lips. As much as he was a pain when he was tired and hungry, Draco was a complete arse when he was bored. Ron thought back to the beginning days of camping the Forest of Dean and remembered the Muggle trick Hermione had taught them.
“We could tell ghost stories!”.
His excitement was met with a disapproving look, albeit softer than before. “Ghost stories?”
“Er- yeah! Hermione says when Muggles go camping they sit around the fire at night.” Ron gestured wildly between them to show they had already completed step one. “And then they hold a light under their faces like this,” he held his wand under his chin, catching a brief smile from Draco before adding, “And they tell the scariest stories they can to see who tells the best one!”
When the other wizard didn’t respond right away, he felt his own shoulders slump. Ron pocketed his wand in defeat and moved as if to leave the campfire when he heard Draco behind him.
“Fine, Weasley, but I get to go first. You should be used to that by now.” Draco was smirking, the crinkles around his eyes showing as it turned into a full length grin.
“Yeah well, mine will be better anyhow. So, you should be used to that by now.” The grin Ron returned was a nearly perfect mimic of the blond’s and the two chuckled as they each settled on either side of the small campfire.
Draco whispered a lumos , the way he held his wand under his chin made the lighting illuminate his sharp features eerily. In a hushed and haunting voice he wove a tale of a young boy visited by manic goblins who stole him away to a dark and twisted world where a goblin king demanded he perform impossible tasks. Ron listened eagerly, fully wrapped up in the story Draco was telling with better skill than he could have imagined.
There was something else, too, Ron noticed as Draco’s scary story went on. His partner and almost friend was overly animated with his tale, and blimey was it oddly fetching. How his light eyes would come to life when he voiced the cruel goblin king and the way his lips twisted as he acted the different characters. The longer Draco performed his very involved tale, the less Ron cared what happened to the poor kidnapped boy and the more he wanted to have an excuse to stare without end at the handsome wizard in front of him.
Handsome? That thought struck Ron and he blinked in surprise at it. Did he really think Draco bloody Malfoy was handsome?
Draco’s words faded from Ron’s ears then, replaced with a ringing as his revelation sunk in. Sure it was known to all Draco was deemed one of the top attractive wizards in their years, but Ron never thought he’d be one to agree. Did he?
His focus had drifted during his reverie, causing the storyteller to clear his throat. Once. Two times before Ron was able to shake off his thoughts. He caught the blond’s eyes then, and Draco scoffed.
“I’m going to assume my story merely scared you to the point of blanking out and not consider you had the audacity to actually ignore me.”
Ron responded with the twitch of his mouth, his fun lopsided grin displayed across his face. It was true, he did ignore the last part of Draco’s story, but not in the way the man thought.
“No way, mate! Heard every word! Blimey you sure shook me,” Ron’s playful and obvious faux shake in his tone caused Draco to breathe a laugh as he rolled his head back in an understanding nod and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Alright, Weasel. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Ron squared his shoulders, sitting upright and accepting Draco’s challenge. Clearing his throat overenthusiastically, and completely unnecessarily, he lit his lumos and began telling his own tale. Now, as a Gryffindor, there was no doubt Ron was brave, but his acts of the trait were often displayed in other ways. He’d been known to spook himself a time or two in the past, though his stubbornness would never admit it.
The story he spun began in present times about a boy, a blond boy, who was alone in the woods searching for special artifacts of ancient and special magics. Draco scoffed as Ron spun his story, interrupting him outright.
“You’re obviously making this up as you go along.”
“Am not!” Ron sized up the boy opposite him, but then quickly deflated his chest again, “okay maybe I am, but shut it and let me finish!”
Draco threw his hands up in response with raised brows before sitting with his back rested against his bag, crossing his legs at the ankles in front of him. Ron waited, apparently too long, because Draco extended his arm, motioning for him to continue. Clearing his throat again, Ron picked up where he left off.
The story was short, ending with the blond boy, who he called Ronco, arrived at a lake where the last magical item was located to complete the boy’s puzzle.
“Ronco dropped to his knees, slowly, carefully, edged his way to the water’s edge, then finally peering down into the water,” Ron paused dramatically, making sure he had Draco’s full attention, “when he did, the boy leapt back in a scream - AHHHHH! - for there in the ripples of the dark waters of the lake, he had seen… his reflection.”
Ron ended with a mock scared expression spread widely across his face, and threw himself back, half laying on the ground and whispered, “and it. Was. Terrifying.”
Draco, much to Ron’s relief, was laughing, his face lighting up between the fire’s rising flames and glowing against the ember sparks.
“And on that note, Weasley, I think we should get some sleep.” Draco rose and dusted the dirt from his pants.
“You’re not too scared to go to sleep? I’d understand if you were,” he lifted and bent his arms to rest on the back of his head, “I mean, just don’t look at your reflection and you should be fine.”
“Yes, Ronald, I got the reference. Very clever. Put out the fire and let’s get some sleep.”
Jumping up, Ron began to snuff out the flames as Draco disappeared inside their tent. He was busy putting out the fire, and didn’t realize how dark it truly was until he was alone in the dark, his eyes adjusting to the lack of golden light from his vision. He lifted his chin and began walking to the tent when, in the far distance, he heard a low howl. In response, Ron made a high pitched sound before picking up his pace, flinging the door to the tent back and rushing inside.
Draco was standing beside his bed, his shirt in his hands and noticeably not on his person. Ron, who was already breathless from the self inflicted scare outside, looked on, eyes a bit wider than they should have been. Draco’s expression was mere amusement, a smirk ghosting his lips as he slowly threw the shirt on over his head.
“Scared, Weasley?”
“What?” Ron was visually shaken, though he tried his damnedest to hide it. “What are you on about? Why would I be scar-”
“A thump in the night, perhaps?” Draco’s words cut through him with a deeper meaning he wasn’t entirely sure he intended to be there, but he didn’t miss it. Or was that his mind crossing meanings? Perhaps his own thoughts briefly wanted it to go there. “Go to bed.” Draco was laughing under his breath as he settled into his cot opposite Ron’s.
The tent fell silent as Ron followed suit, peering down at his still full day attire. He gulped, knowing he would have to change his clothes inside the tent. Going outside was definitely not an option. Picking up his drawstring red and gold plaid pants and white tee, he chanced a glance at the other man through the side of peripheral and sighed in relief to see him lying on his side, his back facing Ron.
With the coast clear, he began unzipping his pants and lowering them around his ankles, carefully but not gracefully stepping out of them altogether. It wasn’t until he had pulled his drawstring pants up to his waist that he caught Draco’s gaze. Ron slowed his movements subconsciously, nerves probably, and he pulled the shirt over his head.
“What?”
Draco shifted, his eyes showing no emotion as he settled in his bed.
“Don’t flatter yourself, I was merely turning over to get more comfortable.”
Ron felt something not dissimilar to disappointment as he climbed into the ready made cot and pulled the covers up, he too adjusting to get comfortable.
It was quiet again in the tent until Ron heard rustling on the other side and long, drawn out sigh.
“Get over here, Weasley.”
“What?”
“You heard me. We have a long trek ahead tomorrow and I won’t get any sleep if I keep hearing you wiggle about over there. And since you won’t admit that you’re scared- “
“I’m not,” Ron quickly interrupted. A point that might have worked if another breeze hitting the tent didn’t make him jump again, the sound of him moving making Malfoy sigh again.
“Right, not scared at all. Look, just come over here. One bed is large enough for the two of us and this way I can make sure you calm down enough to sleep.”
Ron felt his face and neck heat up before Malfoy even finished the sentence. The thought of sharing a bed with the blond made him embarrassed for more reasons than he was ready to think about. “Why would I share a bed with you?”
A whispered lumos lit up the tent again to reveal a rumbled and damningly attractive Draco Malfoy now sitting up and glaring back at him. “Didn’t you just say you used to share a bed with Hermione all the time? Back on the run? I’m only offering the same...as a friend.” Malfoy then gave him a sly look. “Unless my generous and innocent offer brings up other thoughts, Ronald .”
Damn. He remembered now the rumors that Draco had learned legilimency from his crazy Aunt Bellatrix during the way. Had he somehow caught on to his thoughts by the campfire?
“ ‘Course not!” Ron made a slight gagging sound as if it would somehow further prove that in no way had he thought anything of the sort.
“Then, shut it or come over here.”
Ron considered taking Draco up on his offer, his legs edging ever so slightly beneath the covers as if to leave the warmth of his own bed. But all his mind would allow was the image of embarrassment on his face if he followed through. He couldn’t have that; the last thing he needed was Malfoy to hold this over his head. He scooted deeper into his cot, bringing the covers just below his chin as he avoided the annoyingly taunting face of Draco.
“Have it your way then, Weasley,” Draco diminished the lumos from his wand and settled back into his own bed, his back to Ron as the wind howled again outside the thin layer of their tent, causing another jolt. “I suggest a sleeping draught to help you sleep if you refuse to comply with my offer.” Draco’s voice was muffled, almost hidden below the wind’s angry moan.
A sleeping draught . Ron mocked the words in his head as he clung to the blankets. His eyes, though he fought the urge, raked the lining of the tent’s walls. To his horror, long slender legs met the fabric, inching their way towards the door of their tent. A shrill, surprising even his own ears, escaped his lips, and he ducked beneath the covers again. A light emerged, barely able to seep its way through the fibers of the blanket’s fabric.
“Again, Weasley? Seriously?” The annoyed tone of Draco’s voice pierced the silence after Ron’s shriek subsided, save for a few remaining whimpers.
“Sp-spiders, Malfoy!” The light grew brighter as he heard Draco move to investigate.
“The tree branches , Ronald, are harmless I assure you. Honestly, how did you manage being outside before tonight? Better yet, how did Hermione and Harry manage to tolerate your blundering?”
Ouch. That hit Ron’s ego more than he wanted to admit. Draco’s question repeated inside his head, adding to the underlying crankiness he’d been feeling at having basically re-live the horcrux hunting only now with a wizard who made him feel as confused, intrigued and frustrated as Hermione ever had, darkened Ron’s thoughts. Of course he was being difficult. Hard to deal with. Wasn’t that what he was told before? First with Harry and Hermione and now with the one person he wanted to piss off the least, despite how he might have acted before.
To hide his embarrassment over once again looking foolish, he turned back to face away from Draco without another word, wishing hard with eyes forced close for the night to quickly end. Spiders and scary dreams be damned.
“Weasley?” Draco’s voice sounded different, and dare he say it, less mocking. “Ron? Hey! Look you’re alright, eh?”
“Yeah,” Ron issued before pulling his top cover up further to completely cover his face. He hoped Draco would get the message without getting too offended. It was a time in his life he’d rather like to forget. He didn’t blame Draco for the mockery. It was, after all, what they did, but he wasn’t himself then, he allowed a foreign inanimate thing take hold and turn his largest of insecurities into a weapon against the two of his most treasured friends. Draco had to understand. The ex-Slytherin was known for his attention to details; Ron hoped he caught them now.
The light went out again, Draco having thankfully given up and Ron sighed in relief.
Sleep didn’t come easy for him though, his mind betraying him once in the dark again by refusing to shut down, withholding the relaxation of dreams and slumber. He scoffed to himself, even his shadow mocked him: unable to join Draco in his bed from the sheer pinch of his pride, or was it … something else? Unable to close his eyes without seeing the blond’s face, or spiders, or the blond git being attacked by spiders, all of which caused a shudder down his spine.
He felt a sinking on the narrow mattress, the weight of something close to him making Ron freeze. Just as he was ready to let out the manliest of girlish squeals, which was only to be expected as he felt whatever was encroaching on his bed move nearer, he heard Draco’s voice again. This time much, much closer than before.
“ Hush. It’s just me.”
The other wizard laid down beside him, their bodies touching, only barely, in the small shared space.
Ron wanted to turn his head, wanted to ask him why the blond was now snuggled into his bed but he was afraid if he did, they would be in an even more intimate position than they already were. Having Draco so close to him, knowing his head now rested on the same pillow, made him think of how he’d watched the way his lips moved when telling the goblin story. Made him reflect on the way the other man’s features hit the light. But mostly, made him wonder why he himself was so enthralled by the sight.
“You know that doesn’t answer why you’re in my bed?” Ron’s voice was just above a whisper, but still cracked when he spoke, making him swallow audibly. He hoped Draco didn’t hear, but with them lying so closely now, there was no way he hadn’t.
Per usual, Draco swerved around the question. “Most would be honored to have me slither in. ”
Ron felt his spine stiffen more at the casual joke, one he’d told himself a time or two. But tonight, it was different, and of course, the other wizard noticed his freeze in movements. He felt a surprisingly warm hand smooth over his shoulder, the gentle movement making his thought even more confused as images of that hand touching a whole lot more of him flashed behind his still closed eyes.
“Don’t overthink it. I’m not,” Draco cleared his throat. “I- well I thought maybe I upset you or something earlier and with you already having trouble sleeping… this seemed a good enough thing to do. Go to sleep now, Weasley.”
He felt his mouth go dry, his mind racing to think of what to say next but as a minute of silence stretched into two, Ron heard a telltale difference in Draco’s breathing as his slumbered exhales tickled the back of his hair. Knowing he was asleep calmed Ron considerably. It meant he didn’t have to respond to the strangely kind gesture- yet.
Within minutes, he felt his own body relax and press back against the warmth behind him instinctively as Draco’s solid arm wrapped around his torso. There were no more spiders, or mocking shadows. It was just him in the arms of the man who seemed to melt his rising discomforts away.
Merlin what was he saying? He’s literally content snuggled up to Draco Malfoy. He really needed to sort out his priorities! Draco shifted closer to Ron, his face now resting fully on the back of Ron’s neck. With a smile ghosting his lips, he’d decided he could worry about sorting them out in the morning as he entwined his fingers with Draco’s.