Can We Ever Be the Same Again?
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters in the Harry Potter series they belong to Jo Rowling. I am just a humble amateur writing who likes to play with her characters to relate my own situations and stories. Also you can if you want to imply slash from this story, but you don't have too.
Harry couldn't believe his ears. He was shocked. He couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breath. It was minutes later when his brain was able to engage that he began recovering from his shock, that Harry began replaying the scene that had just taken place in his mind's eye.
"Well after seven years it might be time for a break." Harry said jokingly.
"Oh, I meant forever. I'd be okay with forever." Said Ron with complete seriousness.
Seven years of friendship gone just like that. Gone with just one little phrase.
Harry walked numbly down the boy's staircase away from the dormitory where the fight had taken place and headed towards the Great Hall for dinner.
When he entered the Great Hall he realised how early he was and sat down and waited for his friends, mainly Draco, to arrive.
Harry had become friends with Draco during sixth year and as a result most of the house tensions had been abolished.
Harry picked at his food as he waited for his friends. He tried hard not to cry as he continued to replay the fight between Ron and himself. He was failing and had tears in his eyes when Hermione arrived and sat down across from him.
"What's wrong Harry?" she asked concerned.
Harry said nothing and continued to look down at his plate and hoped Hermione wouldn't notice his tears. When she looked away deciding not to press the matter further, Harry glanced behind him to see if Draco was entering the Great Hall.
The Hall slowly began to fill and more and more of Harry's friends began to sit down around him but there was still no sign of Draco. When Draco finally arrived there was only one seat still unoccupied at the table way at the far end.
Harry was finished pretending to eat and couldn't take the cheeriness of his friends nor could he pretend to care about their conversations.
Harry got up and walked down to the far end of the table, where Draco was talking genially to some of his new Gryffindor friends, and whispered tearfully in Draco's ear, "I'll be by the lake when you're done eating." He hoped that Draco would hear his need and would quickly come outside. Harry needed to talk to someone and the only one he wanted to talk to at the moment was Draco. Draco would understand, he had to or else Harry would explode from all the emotions swirling inside of him.
Harry slowly walked outside. It was the beginning of December; Harry's hair was being blown by the harsh winds and the biting cold as he sat on a rock at the edge of the lake. He was trying hard not to think about Ron so instead he thought, If Draco brings anyone but Hermione outside with him…. Please don't let him bring anyone but Hermione.
After about ten minutes of this mantra Harry heard footsteps behind him and then Draco's voice, "What happened?"
Harry glanced back and could see Hermione standing a ways off. Suddenly the story came gushing out of him. All the emotions he's been holding back came pouring forth. He told Draco of how he and Ron had been joking around in the room one minute and the next for no apparent reason Ron was telling him he didn't want to be friends anymore.
Draco listened patiently as Harry told his story. When Harry was finished Draco said as unemotionally as he could so as not to give Harry the wrong idea, "Harry, could we go inside? I'm really cold, it's freezing out here."
Harry looked up a little startled, "Um… yeah. I guess so." Harry stood up and slowly walked behind Draco and Hermione to the castle, he hoped he wouldn't have to go back to the Gryffindor Tower anytime soon. Luckily when they entered though the great doors into the Entrance Hall Hermione bid them goodnight. Draco turned and headed towards the dungeons away from the stairs. Harry followed him almost unconsciously; he barely noticed when Draco said the password to get into the Slytherin Common Room.
When they entered the seventh year boys' dormitory Harry sat down in a corner while Draco sat down at his desk. Harry thoughts raced, he thought about all the good times he'd had with Ron and how he thought they had been happy when they'd hung out together. He just didn't understand what had gone wrong or what he had done to make Ron so upset with him. As he was thinking he was unconsciously creeping closer and closer to Draco until he was sitting on the floor right beside him with his head resting on Draco 's knee.
Draco said nothing, just put his hand on Harry's head and began to stroke his hair as Harry's tears began soaking the knee of his trousers. He knew Harry didn't need words and possible lies of how everything was going to be okay. Draco was never good at comforting people, especially not with words, he'd never been taught how to do that; but he did have instinct and he knew at this moment what Harry needed right now was solid comfort. Someone that would just be there for him, someone who would let him cry and not judge him, not say a word about the fact that his trousers would probably be ruined from all the snot and tears soaking the knee. Draco knew that Harry just needed some to be there for him.
Draco just let Harry cry out all his tears and when Harry finally surfaced, wiped his eyes and calmed his breathing Draco did the only thing he could think to do without making the situation worse. He went back to his default of sarcasm and made Harry laugh.
Though Harry and Ron technically lived in the same room it felt like they might have well been on different continents. Their fight had only been a week before the Christmas Holidays and everyone was so caught up in last minute shopping and Christmas excitement that no one noticed and Harry and Ron found excuses to avoid contact with each other.
A few days before most everyone when home for the Holidays Harry found a letter on his desk from Ron. Harry was numb with disbelief as he read the letter. In it Ron had explained to Harry the he just couldn't take being his friend anymore. That every time Harry was around Ron it felt like a knife was being plunged into Ron's chest. Most of Ron's letter was centered on how Harry was behaving starting with when he started hanging out with Draco and how Harry had lost his morals. As Harry re-read the letter several times he started to get angry, he couldn't believe that not only had Ron gotten someone else to help him write the letter, but he had not even had the courage to tell Harry these things to his face he's just left it in a letter on his desk.
By the time the day to leave for Christmas Hols came around Harry was feeling less angry with Ron. He was hopeful that Ron would somehow, over Christmas, see how much he needed Harry and when they got back to school after break it would be like none of this had ever happened.
When Harry went to Diagon Alley to visit some of his fellow Gryffindors over break, he didn't realise Neville had invited Ron. When they saw each other there was a moment of tension and right as Harry was about to speak Ron turned away and left.
Harry spent many of his nights in his room in Grimauld Place thinking. Somehow every place he thought of was tainted, every thought brought up a memory. He knew he should forget Ron, but he was so used to Ron being a part of his life. It was like second nature to Harry to always have Ron by his side though thick and thin, Ron was like family. Harry just didn't understand. All he could was hope things would go back to normal.