Work Text:
Everyone is given a choice of the paths and directions taken in life. Of course, some people were expected to hold certain standards. Being born into the Malfoy family, I had such standards. Instructed by my Father to hate all and any mud-bloods, never to have anything to do with any muggles period, and taught to be a lady from my Mother Narcissa. And ever since I could remember, every part of me wanted to be the image they wanted me and my Brother, Draco, to be.
The first few years of Hogwarts was easy. Sorted into Slytherin with ease, fitting into our places at the top in our house was simple. The classes, though some were harder than others, were passed. All the Slytherin girls wanted Draco, and all the Slytherin boys wanted me. But none of them held my attention, the gifts that would arrive to my door were mostly thrown out, or accepted with strained, fake smiles.
I wasn't a prude, I didn't think I was better than them. Just none of them were people I could ever see myself with. There were plenty of attractive boys in my house, boys like Blaise Zabini, or... well. It didn't matter. None of them captured my attention for long, no one in Slytherin. However... There was one boy who had my heart skip a beat. That made my cheeks turn pink, to make me sigh in longing... to make me hate my expectancy in life.
The flame headed, freckled face Weasley boy. Remembering the first time we met always made me wonder, what would have happened if I were born differently. If I was raised in a family who accepted Mud-bloods, and muggles, things that even thinking about would give me a lashing if I wanted to learn more about them.
We had been escorted into Hogwarts for the very first time. I was so distracted by the building and by nerves that for a moment I hadn't even noticed Draco talking to them. When I looked he was holding out his hand for Harry Potter to shake. But he didn't, and Draco then turned a nasty glare to Ron, something about him laughing at his name.
My brows furrowed, even then I could feel a pink blush on my cheeks when the Weasley boy looked from Draco to me. I stared down, hiding behind blond locks and swallowed nervously. Draco noticed and spat something mean, and then grabbed my shoulder and forced me to turn around. I could feel his eyes on me, but I refused to look up.
I still wasn't sure what had happened that day, or why a crush ha developed on the tall lanky boy, but all I knew is that I wanted to be with him. When I sat at the table in the Great Hall, and saw them at the Gryffindor table, smiling and laughing. I always felt jealousy burn in the pit of my stomach. I wanted that. Not only to be next to him, but to have friends. To care for someone, to be cared about.
***
Sighing, I stood up from the double potions with Slytherin and Gryffindor. The class had gone fine, but nearly twice I stumbled over an ingredient, nearly costing a grade for myself and my partner Pansy. I was sure she didn't like me much, but rather wanted to get closer to Draco and thought I was a good way of doing that. I was distracted with attempting to sneak glances to Ron and Harry, who sat next to each other, and partly worried that Pansy would catch on. I didn't want her to go to Draco and tell him, so for the last bit of the class I did my best to stay focused and not slip up.
"Are you okay Y/N?" Pansy had asked me, though her voice was snappy. I shrugged to her and forced a half smile, "Yeah I'm just tired today."
She nodded and left soon after, gathering her supplies and likely trailing after Draco's tail. I shook my head and sat back down. I didn't want to leave just yet, and I waited for everyone to leave the room. It was time for lunch after all, no one wanted to stay in a stuffy classroom. Not anyone but me, I wanted time to feel bad for myself and gather my mind enough to not have Draco drilling me for questions.
Leaning back against the old creaky chair, I let out a sigh. I closed my eyes, tilting my head up to look at the ceiling. I heard another creak and sat up quickly, jumping to my feet. Instinctively my hand went to my pocket, ready to grab my wand. However as soon as I saw who was standing there, I froze with wide eyes.
"Uhh... Hi." He said with that goofy look he always seemed to have on his face. A smile that seemed friendly was sent to me and I awkwardly dropped my arms to my sides. I could feel my face, a hot blush that made my ears burn. I cursed my pale skin, I must look like an absolute fool. I realized he was staring, and his smile was slipping away when I didn't say anything back.
"What are you doing here?" I asked the first thing that came to mind.
He looked confused a moment and then gave a one shoulder shrug, "I saw that you stayed behind and I.." He paused, looking rather uncertain. "I wanted to know if you were okay."
This took me by surprise and caused a fresh blush, even darker than the one before to flare over my skin. My heart leaped, he wanted to know I was okay? I assumed right away that he had hated me, associated me with my brother. "O-Oh," I stuttered and cleared my throat. "I'm fine, just wanted..." I searched my mind for a good excuse. "Just wanted to uhm." I picked up the potions book I had still on my desk, "Do a bit of extra studying before lunch, I nearly burnt Pansy's hands off today."
Ron chuckled, the grin on his face made my heart soar. I made him do that. He was laughing at something I said. I could feel a smile on my face and then he was staring. "What?" I asked him.
"Nothing, nothing." He said, taking a few steps closer until he was right before me. I couldn't help but shyly sit back against the desk behind me. "It's just that, you are so pretty when you smile. I don't see you do it often, why not?" He asked me.
The question hit me harder than I expected and my eyebrows knitted, "I smile sometimes." I disagreed.
Ron rose a brow at me and gave me another grin that had me take in a sharp breath of air, "None of them ever looked like this. Were they real?" He asked me. I didn't want to say anything back to that. A lot of my smiles perhaps were faked, or strained. Often the only 'jokes' that went on in Slytherin were people picking on others, or speaking of Muggleborn behind their backs... and then sometimes right to them. I always felt a little pang of guilt when I saw the hurt in peoples eyes, so I never joined in... but I never stopped it either.
"Why does it matter to you, Weasley?" I asked in a huff. Ron simply shook his head and leaned a little closer. "I don't mind it... but I like seeing you smile. Especially if I am the reason why."
"Ron," I whispered his name, looking into his eyes. I could do little else with just how close he was. "W...why are you doing this?" I asked him, breathless. We had hardly ever spoken, let alone be in the same room together by ourselves.
"Because I know that you aren't like your family. You care about other people, you care about Muggleborn witches and wizards," He spoke so softly it was almost hard for me to hear him. I swallowed nervously and shook my head, if Draco could hear this... he would go to our Father straight away. Maybe even got me taken home.
"You're wrong, I don't care about them. I am a Malfoy, the only thing I care about is purity. Muggleborn have no place in our world." I did my best to say, but even then my voice wavered.
Ron grinned again and I scowled, feeling hot with embarrassment. "What are you grinning at Weasley? Find something I said funny?"
He slowly shook his head, and his hand lifted. I could feel his fingers brush slowly over my cheek and my breath hitched. "You want to know why I know you aren't like them?" He asked me an when I nodded he continued, "You don't call them mud-bloods."
I froze and looked away, "It.. it's just a name. It doesn't matter what I call them." He laughed softly, a sound I found myself wanting to hear more of "If you say so." I felt his thumb caress over my bottom lip and brought my eyes back to meet his.
"I know you are a good person, Y/N. You aren't like them, and if I have to be the one to prove that to you... I will." He promised, and leaned forward. I felt the desk press against my rear as my eyes widened and his lips covered my own. They were so soft and warm, my heart nearly leaped from my chest. My very first kiss ever was going to Ron Weasley. The 'proud blood traitor' as my family would call him and his own.
For a moment, I decided to push them out of my mind. To forget about my family, and forget about the standards they held for me. My eyes closed, and I brought my arms up to ease around his shoulders, pressing my lips back into the kiss. I could feel him smile into it, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. He pulled me closer to him, and I obliged, squeezing my arms tighter as the shared moment deepened.
His lips parted and I felt his tongue along my bottom lip, almost immediately my mouth opened to him, and my own tongue caressed his in a passionate whirlwind of emotions and for that moment, there was nothing else. No Draco, no standards, nothing. Just us in a little dusty potions room. The red headed, freckled face boy that I had found myself falling for.
Even when the kiss broke, and we were left staring into each others eyes I didn't let those standards come back into my mind. Not even when he held my hand and walked me to the Great Hall, and when I felt all eyes on us I held my head high. I only briefly glanced towards Draco who looked at me stunned, but undeniably angry. I would deal with him eventually, come what may.
And finally, not even when Ron had brought me over to the Gryffindor table, and I was at first met with curious - hesitant glances. I gave them my best smile, and sat next to my flame headed boy. He smiled to me, and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. I felt the warmth spread from my heart, all over my body. I looked to Ron's friends and housemates and smiled even brighter,
"Hello. I am Y/N Malfoy. It is a pleasure to introduce myself to you lot."
This was the first step to me taking my life into my own hands. I was going to choose what road I walked with, and on that road with me, will be my Ron, and I would not have it any other way.