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Ron backtracked to the notice board, shaking his head. This ridiculous bet was getting out of hand. The surface of the board was plastered with a massive sheet of parchment, burying all the departmental notices with the petty scoreboard on it.
It was currently a tie, and as he stood there staring at it, he wondered if it could be doctored. Probably not he gathered, hermione would have covered all bases to make sure Malfoy wouldn't tamper with the numbers on it.
Seamus ambled up to him, a steaming mug in hand. “Rumour has it that they have been dating for weeks and shagging for even longer, and are using this as a cover-up. Pretend that this is what pushed them into a relationship.”
Ron looked at the Auror, bewildered, “Troll off, if she were dating him, Harry and I would know, or at least Ginny would, and she definitely won't be able to keep it from Harry.”
The shorter wizard shrugged, “Both of them are good at hiding things, remember the case they were working on a few months back?” he waggled his eyebrows impishly, “My guess is that whatever this plan is, it began then.” He gestured to the board in general.
“No one knew what it was about except the two of them, and Kingsley — not even Harry, and he’s Head Auror.” Ron agreed, his mind rifling through the interactions between the two competing Aurors he had been privy to in the last few months. “Merlin’s Pants! You might actually be onto something, they have been unusually close, come to think of it.”
“Gentlemen, Galleon for your thoughts?” Theo Nott sidled up to them, robes barely hanging onto his shoulders, and with a suave stretch, slung an arm over the redhead’s shoulders.
Momentarily distracted, Ron breathed sharply through his nose, willing his skin not to match his hair, but the sly grin on Seamus’ face told him it was too late. He adjusted his stance to accommodate the slightly shorter, stockier wizard he was not secretly shagging.
Theo, bless him, Ron thought wryly, had already moved on, eyes on the glowing 17-17 on the noticeboard. “Does this luminous monstrosity have anything to do with the infamous bet I have heard of on the Ministry grapevine?”
Ron nodded, his voice ever so slightly higher as his boyfriend of sorts was tracing circles on his shoulder. “They have until the Ministry closes today. Whoever loses the bet, has to live with the winner, cooking and cleaning for them. Only, now I think cooking and cleaning might be euphemisms for something very…” he shuddered, “inappropriate.”
“I’d imagine so too.” Seamus winked, laughing as Ron gagged dramatically.
As they spoke, Draco and Hermione walked into the bullpen arms nearly stuck to the others’ as they argued voraciously. Noticing the three wizards huddled next to the notice board looking at them with raised brows and knowing grins, they jumped apart and stalked off in opposite directions.
Theo sniggered and Seamus howled, as Ron, shook his head slowly, comfortably leaning further into his not-partner, and said with a groan, “They are such insufferably stupid dorks.”