"Stupid Transfiguration." Ron groaned. They were on their way to Charms after their first class of the week. It was just Ron's luck that the class he found most challenging was the one his week always started with. "Why did everyone get it but me?"

"Not everyone got it." Hermione assured.

"Neville doesn't count." Ron said. The day had just started and Ron could already imagine nothing greater than dinner and a bed.

"That's mean." Hermione scolded.

"Sorry." Ron grumbled. He noted that a group of three Hufflepuffs passing them in the hallway looked equally as enthusiastic about this day as Ron himself. Moving past them, he spotted Malfoy at the end of the hallway, heading their direction. When he spotted them too, he stopped abruptly, his eyes widened, and he pulled Crabbe and Goyle backwards to find another hallway.

"That was weird." Harry frowned.

"Yeah." Ron said awkwardly. "Weird. Malfoy is weird." Hermione elbowed him. Harry gave them a confused look but being as oblivious as ever, Harry let it go.

#

"Have you noticed that Malfoy hasn't fought with us the whole week?" Harry said a week later. They were sat in the common room, working on their potions essay. At least Ron and Hermione did. Harry was apparently absent-minded.

"Hmm..." Ron just hummed. He still did not know how to deal with his new found knowledge.

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Hermione said, not looking up from her parchment.

"Hmm..." Harry hummed, neither affirming nor denying. This made Ron and Hermione look up in sync. "What?"

"You don't seem too..."

"Pleased." Hermione finished.

"I am!" Harry quickly assured. "I am. It's just... weird, isn't it? I've never noticed what an... essential part of my days fighting with Malfoy was. I kinda... Miss it?"

"You miss Malfoy?" Ron looked alarmed.

Harry shrugged. "Weird, isn't it? I've never thought I would."

"That is weird." Ron said.

Harry and Ron turned back to their essays, but Hermione continued watching Harry thoughtfully. "Why... Do you think you miss it?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know."

"But he stopped terrorizing all of us." Hermione said. "Shouldn't you be happy?"

"I am." Harry said. "Kind of. No, I am. Nevermind. Forget I mentioned it."

Ron and Hermione exchanged meaningful looks. Was there a possibility...

#

"Mate, what are you doing?" Ron hissed. Harry's cauldron was bubbling with a grey thick liquid which was certainly not how it was supposed to look. Even Ron, who was not particularly good at potions, saw that Harry had added way too many grand nutshells. And he was stirring into the wrong direction.

Ron bit his lip anxiously as he saw Snape wandering into their direction. Harry did not look at Ron nor did he seem bothered by Snape's arrival. Harry seemed absent-minded as the teacher's scolded him for his bad performance, but according to Snape, it was nothing new that Harry did not understand the "fine and precise art of creating a potion of any complexity".

Ron looked at where he saw Harry glancing at, and spotted Malfoy. He seemed to be the only one who did not pay attention to Snape's outburst the least. He paid close attention to his own potion, added ingredients and stirred with precise timing.

Ron celebrated internally since his threat seemed to work. Any other day Malfoy would have made Snape's scolding worse with laughter and mean words that the Professor did not appear to hear.

Snape Evanesco-ed Harry's potion and told him he got zero points for that. Ron gave Harry a sympathetic look before he noticed his own potion was turning more dark blue that it was supposed to and tried to save it by stirring three times clockwise.

After the potions lesson was Transfiguration and Ron wished it was lunchtime already. "Let's take that way." Harry said and went to the opposite direction than where they were supposed to go.

"Uuh, Harry. We have Transfiguration." Ron said, looking at Hermione in confusion. She just shrugged and hurried after Harry, so Ron followed. "Where are we going?"

"Just go outside for five minutes. Need fresh air." Harry said.

"Alright." Ron said as they passed a few Slytherins. He did not pay much attention to them, but as he looked back over his shoulder, he spotted Malfoy among them. Pleased, Ron noted that the blonde did not take any notice of them.

Since they only had ten minutes until the next lesson, they did not stay out for long. On the way back, the Slytherin clique still stood where they had passed them the first time. Harry fell back behind Ron and Hermione a little.

"Hey!" Ron turned around quickly, seeing Crabbe glaring at Harry who was slightly turned to them and Malfoy a step behind them.

"Crabbe." Malfoy held his friend back from jumping on Harry.

"What is happening?" Ron asked Hermione. "Did Harry just bump into Malfoy for no reason, and Malfoy is not retaliating?"

"I'm surprised you got that much, Ronald." Hermione said.

"What?" Before Ron could complain about Hermione kind of calling him stupid, Harry came after them. He looked over his shoulder where Ron could see the Slytherin group carrying on like before. "What's wrong, mate?" Ron asked Harry as they started to hurry along the corridors since they were about to be late for Transfiguration. "What happened there?"

"Nothing." Harry said quickly. They did not have any chance to discuss the events further. They had reached the classroom.

#

It was Thursday and Ron was already in weekend mood. Especially since the midday spring sun was shining lovelily through the treetops onto the clearing where they were about to have Care of Magical Creatures. The Gryffindors and Slytherins of the fifth year were slowly strolling in, waiting for Hagrid.

"I hope there are no peas for lunch today." Hermione said. Peas were probably the only healthy food she did not like.

"You can give them to me." There was yet a food to be found that Ronald Weasley did not eat.

"We're going to smash Slytherin in the next game." Harry said loudly and Ron and Hermione looked at him startled.

"I also believe in our team but you don't have to yell." Ron said. "What's with the sudden change of subject?"

"Slytherin will not stand a chance against us." Harry said loudly and Ron looked at Hermione, bewildered. She made a small gesture towards the tree where a few Slytherins had arrived, among them, unsurprisingly, Malfoy. "They're all untalented anyway."

"Harry!" Ron hissed as he saw a few Slytherins look at him angrily. Malfoy looked unbothered though.

"What's your problem, huh?" Zabini, a Slytherin, approached Harry angrily. "Think just because your Gryffindor's little golden boy you can't be touched?"

"We're sorry, Blaise, isn't it?" Hermione stood between Zabini's pointed wand and Harry. "He doesn't mean it."

"Zabini!" Hagrid appeared between the trees. He carried a box. "Put your wand down immediately or you will be reported to the headmaster."

Seething, Blaise put away his wand and stood with the Slytherins.

#

"Harry's acting really weird recently, don't you think?" Ron said quietly the next day when he and Hermione were sitting in the library. Harry was having Quidditch practice so he was not joining their study session.

"You think?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah." Ron said. "You know yesterday at Care of Magical Creatures?"

"I know he's acting weird. It's called sarcasm." Hermione said.

"Oh..." Ron blushed. "But honestly, what was that all about? It's like he was looking for a fight. That reminds me. The other day when he just bumped into Malfoy without reason? Same thing."

"Why... do you think he's doing that?" Hermione asked carefully which made Ron look at her closely.

"You already know, don't you?" Ron asked sceptically.

"Not really, no." Hermione said. "But I have my ideas."

"Tell me." Ron urged.

"I don't know if I should be the one to tell you." Hermione said.

"Oh, come on." Ron said. "The one time I want you to tell me your huge pile of knowledge you keep it to yourself?" Hermione stayed quiet and read in her potions book. Ron huffed and looked down at his own book. "Why haven't you scolded Harry about stepping up his game in Potions yet?" Ron complained. "You tell me all the time. Harry was much worse than me the last two lessons."

"Because I don't think he's doing it because he's bad at potions." Hermione said.

"Why else would he do it?" Ron grumbled. Hermione did not answer.