A/N: Credit goes to Bramblerose4 and her fic on drabbles for Harry and Ron. Though this is purely a friendship fic. No slash. I don't own HP.
The Thestrals.
Harry and Ron walked down the pathaway to Hagrid's hut. They had been visiting Hermione up at the castle and thought Hagrid might be a tad happy to see them.
Harry saw them first. The great, skeletal creatures, grazing just behind Hagrid's hut. There was a young one, and he was tearing at an apple core before tossing it aside and turning its attention to a carcass of a squirrel.
"Harry, mate, what are those?" Ron asked, pointing to them. Harry didn't answer; he knew Ron would figure it out soon enough. But it broke Harry's heart. As much as the creatures were beautiful in their slightly eerie way, he had never wanted Ron to see the thestrals. Not because it wasn't just his secret anymore, but because it meant Ron had seen death.
But he didn't know what he had been expecting. Not after the Battle of Hogwarts, or after their whole year they spent camping.
It meant a tiny bit of Ron's innocence was gone. No matter how much life experience Ron got, he would always be innocent in Harry's eyes. He preferred it that way.