summary: 3rd year ron blames hermione for scabbers dissapearance, but you ended up finding the rat and giving it back to ron, now he can’t keep his eyes off of you (I kinda imagine a hufflepuff reader but it never mentions a house)
warnings: none ig
a/n: I'm so sorry that I've been gone for so long, I just literally no idea what to write abt, like I was DYING to write something, couldn’t think of anything, but I’m currently rereading POA and thought of this, it’s not much but it’ll do. not done with the book btw so if I get anything wrote, sorry
Harry thought this was the end of Ron and Hermione’s friendship. Hermione refused to believe all evidence pointed to Crookshanks, her cat. And both of them refused to apologize.
Y/n was in the kitchen one day, helping out the house elves when she heard a faint squeak coming from one of the dirty pots. Brows furrowed in confusion, she hesitantly walked over to the pots, and looked to find a grey rat, with thin hair and a missing finger eating leftover rice pudding.
The rat struggled a bit when Y/n picked him up, she knew she couldn’t keep the rat in the kitchen, so she placed it in her pocket until she left the kitchen.
She ran to her common room, and made a little bed out of her dirty laundry for the rat, and placed it on the “bed”, the rat snuggled himself, let out a big sigh and shut his eyes. Y/n pet the rat on the top of his head.
Y/n had spent plenty of time with the rat, and ended up naming him Derek, spent hours in the library trying to fix his thinning fur, although, nothing seemed to work, she still cared for him the same.
Everything seems swell until, an orange, mangy cat strolled right past Y/n and Derek, and the rat hopped out of Y/n’s hands and ran at the speed of lightning. “Derek! Derek, no!” Y/n yelled out, and ran after Derek.
Y/n had ran all the way to Hagrid’s Hut. She panted, and knocked at the door furiously. “Hagrid!” The door swung open, and Hagrid looked miserable. She planned to question him later, and asked instead, “Hagrid, my rat just ran away. Have you seen him?” He let her in, and it turns out that there was three Gryffindor students looking sad as well. “Sorry, Y/n. I haven’t seen a rat anywhere.” the gamekeeper says.
Her eyes glanced down to the floor, looking around to find little Derek, and there he was, behind Hagrid’s giant foot. “Ah ha! There he is.” She kneeled down to grab him.
“Hey that’s Scabbers!” Says the red-headed boy. “You found him.” Y/n gave him a look. “Scabbers? This is Derek. Found him a few weeks ago.” He nodded happily. “Yeah, Scabbers ran away a few weeks ago.”
Y/n realized that the story lined up, she made Scabbers face her and said, “Well I guess this is goodbye Derek.” She pet Scabbers’ little head and hesitantly handed it to the boy and walked out.
A few days later, Ron had seen Y/n everywhere. The Great Hall, during class changes, the library, and classes. Although, Scabbers wasn't who he though he was, Ron admired Y/n for taking care of a lost rat and making him feel loved. Ron admired Y/n’s good-naturedness and realized how pure her heart was.
Harry and Hermione were constantly teasing him for his wandering eyes. Ron had denied it, but neither of them were convinced.
It wasn’t until the very last day at school that they met again.
“Oof!” They said as they bumped into each other. Y/n smiled at him, and Ron looked nervous. “Hi.” She greeted, and he did the same. “How’s ‘Scabbers’?” She rolled her eyes playfully. Ron chuckled but looked down. “I-uhh lost him again?” He said, although it sounded more like a question. She eyed him before deciding not to question him. “Damn, I liked that rat too.” They chuckled once more before looking at each other awkwardly.
“I never got your name.” Ron says quickly. “Y/n. Yours?”
“Ron.” She grins at him. “Well, I’ll see you next year, Ron.” She begins to walk away from him. “Uh- WAIT! Uhh, I mean, uhh...” She turns back around to Ron, who’s face was as red as his hair. She walks closer to him. Ron looks down at her, and he can’t help but stutter.
“Is there something else you’d like to say to me, Ron?” She smirks. Ron seemed to think she knew what was happening. “I would like to get to know you more.” He spits out. She nods. “So would I.” She says. “We can meet up before the last feast of the year. Can you meet me by the kitchen’s painting?”
