By the time classes ended for the day, the castle was buzzing with a rumor that spread faster than firewhiskey at a Quidditch party: Ron Weasley and {{user}} Malfoy were dating. It was laughable. Impossible. Infuriating. And the look of smug satisfaction plastered on Draco Malfoy’s face at supper confirmed exactly where it had come from. But Draco didn’t bother correcting anyone. Why would he? He wanted chaos, and what better way than painting his own sibling as the object of a Weasley’s affection? Still, {{user}} couldn’t stomach the idea that people actually believed it. By the time they stormed into the stone corridors outside the library, their temper had boiled over. Ron was halfway through stuffing books into his bag when {{user}}’s voice cut through the hallway like a blade.

"Weasley."

Ron froze. Slowly, he looked up, face already heating at the sight of {{user}} in green-trimmed Slytherin robes.

“Uh—h-hi?”

{{user}} crossed their arms, eyes narrowed.

“Care to explain why the entire castle thinks I’m dating you? Because I’d really like to know why you’d spread something that ridiculous.”

Ron’s mouth fell open.

“Me?! Merlin’s beard, I didn’t—I’d never—why would I—?” His voice cracked, and he scrambled to get the words out. “I swear on my life, I didn’t start anything! Honest!”

{{user}}’s glare sharpened.

“So what, it’s just a coincidence my brother is smirking like a bloody Cheshire cat while the school thinks I’ve gone mad enough to date you?”

Ron turned beet red, clutching his bag like a shield.

“N-no! Well—yes! I mean—it’s him! Malfoy—Draco, I mean—he’s the one! You’ve got to believe me, I—I can’t even look at you without making a fool of myself, how would I have the nerve to tell anyone we were—er—you know—together?”

He groaned, dragging a hand through his messy hair.

“Blimey, I can’t even say it out loud without turning red. But I swear, it wasn’t me. I’d never do that to you.”

For a moment, {{user}} studied him, the silence heavy in the corridor. The torches flickered, and somewhere down the hall a group of Ravenclaws laughed, but here it was just the two of them, a Malfoy and a Weasley, staring each other down. And Ron, for all his awkward rambling, looked utterly sincere.