Harry's P.O.V.
"Harry James Potter! This is NOT a war scar!" Ginny thundered.
"Yes it is, Ginny, for the hundredth time, why don't you just believe me!" Harry threw back as he threw on his shirt.
"No wand could have caused that!" she said pointing at my right shoulder.
"Maybe a piece of wood or stone-"
"Do NOT try to tell me some flying projectile stabbed you and you kept fighting!"
"I wasn't always fightin-"
"Or Running, or Hiding, or WHATEVER and you don't even RECALL how it happened or when-"
"Gin! I don't know what you want me to say!"
"The TRUTH!" she hollered then stormed away. Harry sighed and collapsed on the bed they had shared less and less as of late. Harry didn't know what he was expecting when he proposed to Ginny, but constant fighting definitely wasn't what he had in mind.
He had already come to terms that he loved Ginny's family, not her. During war times it was so easy for him to confuse or blur the two, and it wasn't like Ginny was awful or anything. She's beautiful, witty, fiery, smart, a badass, and a Great Friend. Everyone wanted them to get together, so when he'd defeated Voldemort he proposed. She said yes, but they kept postponing the wedding, unlike Ron and Hermione, who were engaged for less than a year before they tied the knot. Now they lived happily and housed a disgruntled "savior" most nights.
Ginny had been home by herself so many nights she started redecorating. His own apartment was a stranger to him. Well, it was theirs technically, He hadn't wanted to go to Grimmauld Place after the battle was over...it still hurt too much. Ginny had been very understanding and they decided instead to split the cost of an apartment, which she had been able to do because of her position on the Holyhead Harpies. Yet he couldn't bring himself to care that the rooms were unrecognizable. Instead he got up and grabbed his prepacked overnight bag. When he went into the living room Ginny was sitting on the couch immersed in a book.
"Have a good night at Ron and Hermione's" she said blankly.
"Thanks" he mirrored her tone as he walked over to the fireplace and threw down a handful of floo powder.
"RON'S!" he shouted and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he stepped out into the room Ron and Hermione had given him. He stomped his foot three times to let them know he was there, then popped into the shower.
Ron's P.O.V.
"He's here AGAIN?!"
"Oh stop Ronald, you know they're having a hard time." Hermione tried to reason.
"Yeah Hermione, but there's a difference between a rough patch and practically living here for the past two years!"
"Oh stop, you pretend like you don't enjoy his company anymore."
"Of course I still enjoy his company, I just wish they'd break it off and find happiness already." I said as I set the table and poured the drinks. Hermione stopped stirring the pot.
"I do too, we just have to let them do it in there own ti-" she stopped talking as we heard footsteps on the stairs.
"You're just in time Harry, dinners ready." Hermione said as she magicked the stew into three bowls.
"It smells delicious Hermione." he said as he turned the corner.
"Flattery won't get you anywhere, what was it about this time?" Hermione asked and Ron was reminded just how much he loved her. Harry sighed as we all sat down.
"Just a stupid scar from the war I can't recall how I got." he said as he plopped down.
"Why's she mad about that?" I asked around a spoonful of stew, pointedly ignoring Hermione's 'don't-talk-with-your-mouth-full' glare.
"She doesn't believe I got it from the war." Harry said after he swallowed some stew. Hermione put her spoon down and wiped the corners of her mouth off with a napkin, then set that down as well.
"Well, let me see." she said. Harry plopped his spoon down in his stew which splattered everywhere. Hermione and I practically hit the ceiling. I turned to Harry only to see his face twisted in rage.
"Really Hermione! You too!" he shouted.
"Harry!" Hermione admonished in shock.
"I came here for some peace! Not more accusations!" he practically growled.
"Harry, mate, calm down. She wasn't accusing you of anything." I said highly confused. Harry normally didn't get his kickers in a twist over war stuff like this. "We all have scars, she was just trying to help, maybe it looks like one of the ones Hermione and I got. We were with you more often. We could give Ginny some peace of mind." Hermione smiled and nodded at me.
"Forget this, I'm going to go watch the news." Harry said and left to go to the living room, accioing a beer on his way out.
"Well that was strange." Hermione said as she resumed eating.
"You're telling me." I replied.
Harry's P.O.V.
I can't believe them, I thought to himself as I idly sipped at my New Castle. I flipped on the television and turned on the wizarding news; something I had worked hard on pushing to exist. After the war it had been clear something of this nature would be helpful instead of constantly having to wait for the paper every morning.
I knew Hermione and Ron would be suspicious, but I can't help it. It wasn't a war scar. About 50% of my scars both physical and mental weren't from the war. But they just simply weren't worth mentioning. Everyone wanted to move on from the past, from the pain. Not find out there was more they didn't even know existed, or at least to what extent it existed. So I've had a hard childhood, who cared? It's just not something I want to focus on, or anyone else for that matter, just like Voldemort, the Dursely's should stay dead to him.
Upon hearing footsteps I looked up to see Ron and Hermione silently joining me on the couch. I turned back to the TV hardly seeing or hearing anything going on, well, that was until a certain name flashed across the screen.
"Draco Malfoy, ex Death Eater found at muggle residence, number 4 Privet Dr. torturing and imprisoning muggles in their own hom-" the reporter was suddenly cut off as Malfoy pushed his way towards her.
"I DIDN'T TOUCH THEM! THEY CAPTURED AND TORTURED ME! YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE M-" his frantic plea was cut off as aurors pulled him away. The blood in Harry's veins froze and he sat up straight. In the background Harry could see the happy gleam in Vernon's eyes.
"That prick!" Ron cried. "After all you did for him! And that's how he repays you! Torturing muggles!
"Harry, isn't that the street you used to liv-" Hermione started but my soft voice cut her off.
"He's innocent."
"WHAT!" Hermione and Ron cried in unison. Ron quickly turned off the telly.
"Harry… I could let it go when you defended him the first time, I even understood. But this?...This is insane!"
"Ron's right Harry." Hermione said in a calmer voice. "You can't save everyone, it's not your job, the only one who could have saved Malfoy, is Malfoy."
"No, you guys don't understa-"
"Yes we do Harry! We get your need to save everyone, to help someone when your world is falling apart, but helping Malfoy won't help you and Ginny."
"What? Ron, no, that's not-"
"He's right Harry. You may be an auror but Malfoy isn't your problem."
"No, he's not Hermione but the Durselys are." Hermione and Ron froze. They knew Harry didn't like his family and this was the first time that he'd ever mentioned them since the order moved him.
"Harry-" Hermione started gently. "Just because you didn't get along well with the Durselys doesn't mean they'd physically hurt someone." She tried but it was no use.
"No Hermione, that's just the thing, I didn't just not get along well with the them." I stood up and started pacing, trying to figure out how to words this correctly. "Accio jacket." I finally decided to say and grabbed it with one hand.
"Har-" Ron tried as he stood.
"No, Ron...it's just...Malfoy wouldn't be the first wizard they'd...abused." I said quietly while looking at my feet. I could feel a light blush fill my cheeks as I heard two quick intakes of breath over my words.
"Harry?" Hermione asked gently, tears starting to fill her eyes as she remembered the cause of my earlier fight with Ginny.
"I've got...I got to go…" I said abruptly and quickly floo'd to the ministry.