To call it a great flood would have been deceiving. There was nothing great about the flood that drowned out the Slytherin dungeons, in Ron Weasley's opinion. Sure, the potion's classroom was underwater, but that just meant that Snape was sharing a classroom with Professor Burbage, which did not seem to agree with the old teacher. And sure, there was no way for the whole of Slytherin house to get to their dorms unless they sprouted gills, which was hilarious until the temporary solution to the problem was proposed.

It was in their fourth year of school, the grounds already bustling with the fact that the Triwizard cup had come to Hogwarts and two other schools worth of students were filling the halls. Too many students were in the school already and so when the giant lake squid suddenly decided to crack open the lower regions of the dungeons and expand her home, there were not many choices for where to put the displaced Slytherins.

Ron had always liked Dumbledore, even before he had come to the school, the boy had been told of the wondrously brilliant man that would one day be his headmaster, but during dinner, when the old coot informed the students of his plan, Ron hated that man… or in the very least, highly questioned his sanity.

As the whole of the school was already striving to create ties of friendship between the young witches and wizards of the three different nations, Dumbledore saw it fit that perhaps the students of Hogwarts also try to establish more unity as a school and between the houses. Names would be drawn and one student from each house would be paired with one student from each of the other houses.

Ron stared dumbly along with most of the other children, then the cries of protest drew him from his stupor. The whole of the great hall sounded as if it would rebel against their headmaster. But the old man silenced them with a simple wave of his hand and the shouts grew faint until all that could be heard were the hisses of disapproval from the Slytherin table.

"I know that this will be a great experience for all of us, to learn and grow together." The old man said, leaning forward on his little podium that he always seemed to have for such speeches. "But if we can welcome in strangers from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons with such kindness, surly the same generosity and brotherhood can be extended to a Hufflepuff, a Ravenclaw, a Gryffindor, or a Slytherin." He turned his ever twinkling eyes from table to table in turn. "It will only be for a week or so until the dungeons can be swamped clean and put back together. And by the end of your time together I expect that you will all be somewhat glad of this chance to grow closer to one another."

"Can he do this?" Harry whispered to his friends, and he was not the only one. All food was forgotten as the children all began to talk loudly amongst themselves, arguing, complaining, and theorizing as to where they might go.

"He is the Headmaster." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Besides, he has to put the extra students somewhere."

"But mixing us up like this?" Ron was looking from table to table, trying to decide who the worst roommates could be.

"Well, you couldn't expect him to just put the Slytherins outside in tents."

"Why not?" Ron asked with a grin. "I would."

"Well, you're not Headmaster." Hermione stood, grabbing one last butter scone from the table. "I'm going to see who I've been put with. Hopefully someone who appreciates studying as much as I do."

"No one could like it as much as her," Ron grumbled and was rewarded with a small smile from Harry.

"Come on, Ron. Filtch is handing out room assignments. Let's get this over with," the boy wonder said with his smile still in place.

Ron glumly got up from the table and followed Harry. He did not know how his friends were taking it all so well. This was horrible. He could not think of a worse thing that could happen to them. He stood near the back of the crowd, waiting for his name to be called. He always hated having a name at the end of the alphabet. Harry was given room 16-b in the Ravenclaw tower, but instead of rushing off to see who else might be in that room he stayed behind to wait with Ron.

"Weasley, Ronald." The grounds keeper practically snarled as he looked down his long nose at the smattering of students that remained at the tail end of the alphabet. "Gryffindor, 8-c."

"Ron, that's just down the hall from our old room." Harry clapped his friend on the back, as if to comfort him.

"Brilliant. So I have to drag my trunk down the hall." Nothing could cheer him up.

"At least you don't have to drag it up a tower." Harry started walking and Ron followed on his heels, still sulking. "Come on. Let's get our stuff."

"This is such a bloody rotten deal." He grumbled and made his way to his old room.

The common room was full of rowdy Gryffindors (most annoyed to have to be leaving their rooms) and a cluster of students from other houses who had made their way up the tower quicker than others.

Ron joined Harry in their room to throw all of his stuff into his battered old trunk and drag it down the hall. Harry followed, helping to shove Ron's things along, though the ginger had a feeling his mate was only helping so that he could see who would be in the new room. Justin Finch-Fletchley was setting his stuff down beside the window and smiled at the boys. He awkwardly straightened his Hufflepuff tie and cleared his throat. "I thought it was only one person from each house in a room."

"It is," Harry smiled back awkwardly. "I was just helping Ron move some things."

"Well that's a relief, Potter." Draco's contemptuous voice came from behind the two Gryffindors. "Having to be in this ruddy tower is already an outrage. If I had to share it with you I might just have to leave the school."

Ron whirled around to see the smug little blonde standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his narrow chest. "Keep moving, Malfoy."

"This is my new room, Wezlebee. I suggest you move." A sneer flitted over his thin lips.

Ron felt his face redden with anger and he turned to Harry. "I can't share a room with him, Harry."

"You can do it, Ron." Harry patted his back encouragingly. "It's just for the week."

"You're smiling." Ron accused in a tense whisper. His friend was actually smiling at his miserable fate.

"Sorry, I'm just so glad it's not me."

"Some friend you are." Ron grumbled, even if he didn't mean it. If their situation had been reversed and Harry was the unfortunate one to be bunked with Draco, Ron would have been relieved too… but he would have hidden it a bit better.

"You'll be alright." Harry reassured.

Ron sighed, watching as Malfoy claimed his bed, and had two houselfs settle his trunk and other things in. "Bloody hell, this is going to be a long week," he muttered to himself, not knowing at the time that that first night would be far from the worst.

Harry left them to go find his own room and Ron found himself alone with his new roommates. He did his best to ignore Draco and try and have a civil conversation with Justin and their Ravenclaw addition, Michael Corner, talking about the Girls from Beauxbatons and what a rotten deal all the Hogwarts students had with having to change rooms.

Unfortunately for them, Draco was not the sort who was accustomed to being ignored and without his normal battalion of cronies at his side, he seemed to feel a need to speak up a little extra and make sure that everyone knew he was still there. It was all 'my father' this, and 'mudbloods' that, and some 'I don't see why us Slytherins should have to share a room with you idiots.' It wasn't long before Ron had had quite enough.

"Can it, Malfoy." He finally yelled (much to the surprise, but amusement of the other boys).

The boy's pale cheeks flushed darkly. "Don't you dare talk to me like that or-"

"Or what? You'll tell your Father? That pompous arse isn't going to do a thing. So just shut up, all right? No one wants to hear you anyways." He knew that he should keep his mouth quiet, the first night together was not the time to set the young Slytherin off, it could only make things worse latter on. But Ron was getting tired and he hadn't finished his dinner and he really just hated Draco.

"No one talks to me like that, Weasley."

"Well I just did, so deal with it, you prat."

Malfoy was sputtering; seemingly at a loss for words and Ron felt so victorious in what he thought had been an easy victory. But the silence from Draco had not come from surrender, but rage, and as the small blonde leapt from his bead to punch Ronald in the nose, the boy was reminded of their first year at Hogwarts and the tussle the two of them had had during a quidditch match. Their new roommates proved smart enough to not get between the two boys as they shouted and flailed at each other, but somehow a prefect still found them and pulled them apart.

They were both sent to madam Pomphry and they weren't the only ones with bloodied noses and blackened eyes from the changing of rooms. Ron sat sullenly, holding his red and moist sleeve to his nose and pointedly did not look at where Draco had gone to seat himself in the hospital wing. But even not looking around it was obvious where the Slytherin had gone, somewhere he sat in the big room with people who would show him pity for his mussed hair, ripped tie, and split lip as he loudly complained about how a whole group of Gryffindors had jumped him and tried to rob him.

Madam Pomphry checked Ron over, told him to clean his face and go back to bed. Ron looked at the old and stern woman with pleading eyes. "Can't you say I'm too hurt to go back or something?" He pleaded in a whisper. "Say I got a bum leg or summthin' and I can't make it up the stairs."

"Mr. Weasley, I've got at least twenty other foolish boys to deal with tonight. I suggest you make nice with whomever you are sharing a room with or learn to ignore them until the end of the week." And with that she moved onto the next bed and the next bruised up student.

Ron glumly marched himself back to his new room. 'Ignore Malfoy' she had said, her stupid advice rung in his ears even when he climbed beneath his blankets and tried to go to sleep. He might as well try to ignore the fact that water was wet or that Snape was going to assign extra homework until his mood improved. He knew that there would be no avoiding the situation, but he promised himself as he drifted off to sleep that he would do his best to ignore the complete jerk that was Draco Malfoy and at least until dawn he found himself to be quite successful.