Harry

As the group of wizards plodded up a quiet London street Harry had noticed that Ginny had seemed oddly distant. He couldn't blame her of course; he had let his anger get the better of him the night previous. Turning, he saw the redhead walking at a slow pace, thankfully not in conversation with Malfoy any longer. Waiting for her to catch up to where he was, he decided it was time to make his move.

"Hey erm Gin I wanted to apologise for last night, I shouldn't have yelled at you." Harry looked down at his feet against the concrete.

"No, you shouldn't have." She flicked her hair over her shoulder. "But I suppose I should've known you wouldn't like me being friendly to Draco. He's really not that bad you know." She elbowed Harry playfully against his arm.

He huffed, "yeah well, I just- it's complicated." Ginny nodded knowingly.

"You know if you need to talk about it I'm always around. I know Ron's not exactly the right person to talk about feelings with."

Harry chuckled, "yeah that was always more of Hermione's forte. And yeah I'd like that I think."

Ginny beamed at him and put her arm through his, "good and Harry I'm always on your side, you know that right." Harry felt his heart skip a beat, he turned to smile at her.

"Course I do." In that moment he almost thought he might take a chance and kiss her but reality soon set in. He was surrounded by her entire family and Malfoy for that matter, not to mention she was with Dean and didn't seem to show any signs of wanting to change that fact. Harry unlinked his arm from Ginny's. "So what's Charlie like?" He noted trying to change the subject.

"Oh! He's great, we only get to see him during the holidays really what with him living in Romania and all, but when he does come to visit it's always exciting. He said he remembers you from the Triwizard tournament, he really thought that Horntail would do you in."

"Yeah, I think I did too," Harry laughed, "I remember him working with the dragon handlers, only said a few words then but he seemed nice."

"Don't worry you'll love him. He's got an act for looking for danger, sort of like you." She giggled as Harry elbowed her.

The rest of the walk up to the portkey went by without much trouble, Harry maintained on keeping his conversation with Ginny focused on anything other than Malfoy or her current relationship situation. Ron was happy walking alone, being barely half awake following his mother. Whilst just in front of Harry and Ginny were the twins and Malfoy who actually seemed to be getting along contently much to Harry's annoyance.

As they reached a small alleyway, Mrs Weasley pointed towards a split open milk carton. "Here we are! He should be here any minute. For Goodness sake where is your father."

"He's right here!" With a jump, Mrs Weasley turned to see her husband, hand on hips having freshly apparated from the ministry.

"Goodness Arthur! You're just as bad as the twins."

"Sorry dear," he kissed his wife's cheek, "morning everyone!" he said far too cheerfully for that time of the day. There was a communal groan in response.

Suddenly, milk began to squirt from the split carton, nearly hitting Ron square in the face.

"Oh! Here we go!" Mrs Weasley said joyfully, grabbing her husband's hand in excitement.

The carton of milk suddenly burst into a bright white light in which a tall man with auburn hair stepped out of and into the cobbled street. The light faded. Harry looked at the man, he was vaguely similar to the boy he had recalled seeing in his fourth year, although now Charlie appeared much taller and displayed light stubble around his face.

"Charlie!" Ginny screamed, running up and hoisting the man into a giant hug. This was shortly followed by the rest of the Weasleys, leaving Draco and Harry awkwardly waiting behind the red headed circle.

"Oh Charlie look at you, you have at least three new scars since the last time I saw you, please be more careful" Mrs Weasley noted patting her son's cheek.

"I'm fine, honestly mum." Charlie's voice was soft like Ginny's, but with a low husky tone.

"Well let's get you home and get you fed!"

"I have missed your cooking." Charlie then looked up past his family to see both Harry and Malfoy waiting patiently.

"Harry!" Charlie beamed at him before engulfing him in a large hug, in shock Harry hadn't returned it straight away but the slowly put his arms around the oldest brother, partially thankful for the warm greeting.

"It's good to see you again," Harry noted as they broke the hug, Charlie was still smiling joyfully.

"You too! I was always disappointed I didn't get to talk to you after the first task. I swear that bloody dragon still holds a grudge you know." He chuckled.

"Wait it's still alive?" Ron asked from behind Charlie.

"Course it is, dragons live way longer than wizards," Charlie commented as Harry wondered at the thought of the Hungarian Horntail plotting its escape from Romania to take him down once and for all.

"You must be Draco right?"Harry looked up to see Charlie in front of Malfoy who was holding out his hand.

"Yes, a pleasure to meet you." The two shook hands.

"You too kid. You staying with us then?" Charlie asked.

"Just for the last few weeks of summer. That's not a problem is it?" Malfoy asked nervously.

"Course not. The more the merrier if you ask me." Charlie smiled at Malfoy putting everyone at ease. Harry even noticed himself feeling relived and he didn't quite understand why he cared that much.

Harry

A few days had passed since Charlie's arrival and Harry had to admit that Ginny had been completely right. The two of them had got on like a house on fire, sharing stories of their adventures and the dangers they'd faced. Harry had particularly enjoyed watching Charlie smile as he told one of his many stories about taming a dragon for the third time that week. He had found Charlie easy to talk to, perhaps it was the fact that he knew it wouldn't last so no matter how personal the thing he told him were, it wouldn't matter since he would be going to Romania again to be gone for months and likely to forget their conversations. He found reassurance in that somehow.

Despite his happiness, the presence of Draco Malfoy remained an issue for Harry, not particularly because of anything that had happened, in fact, they had both remained admirably civil to one another, but rather the growing friendship between Malfoy and Ginny had made him uncomfortable, angry even. His feelings for Ginny had not diminished as he had hoped they would, he wondered whether he could confide in Charlie as he knew Ron would not take too kindly to the topic.

"You alright Harry?" Charlie had just paused his Norwegian Ridgeback tale when he realised Harry was miles away in thought.

"Huh?" He looked back at Charlie's kind eyes.

"Lost you for a second. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter." Harry shook his head, still unsure of how much he should allow himself to tell Charlie.

"Harry, come on I can tell by the look in your eye something's nagging at you." Harry looked at his knees. "It's Malfoy, isn't it. I know you two used to not get along right."

"We still don't,"Harry noted too quickly, cursing himself for it.

"Alright, you don't. Is that what you're worried about."

Harry shrugged, "just don't like Ginny hanging out with him all the time is all." Charlie smiled sympathetically.

"Sounds a little selfish don't you think," Harry looked at him taken aback, "hey, I don't mean that in a bad way. I get it, but how would you feel if Ron wouldn't let you be friends with someone because he didn't like them."

"It's not the same thing!" Harry snapped.

"Why not?"

"It just isn't okay." He scratched the back of his head. "I like Ginny."

"I know you- oh you mean like…gotcha," Charlie's face dropped slightly, "You should probably let her know that."

"Why? she's dating someone else." Harry huffed.

"You should always tell someone how you feel. It's not your fault you feel the way you do, they can take that information however they like. At least you know you told them."

"You think?"

"Life's too short, especially for people who battle dragons." He smiled sadly.

"Thanks, Charlie. I'll talk to you later okay, I promised Ron a round of chess before supper."

With that, he left the handsome redhead and walked up the stairs past the portraits before stopping as he heard low whispers coming from Ginny's room. He knew it was wrong, but in that moment he couldn't quite help himself. Walking as quietly as he could, trying to not make a sound, he leaned his head against the bedroom door and listened intently.

"Draco I would never do that to you" Harry recognised the feminine whisper as Ginny's voice.

"If you tell anyone, especially him Ginny I swear to God," tell anyone what? What was Draco Malfoy hiding?

"I won't I promise."

Suddenly, there were footsteps heading towards the bedroom door, Harry quickly backed away and began to roleplay as if he had just walked up the stairs. Malfoy exited Ginny's bedroom.

"Potter." He nodded at Harry before walking past him, he watched him go before turning back to the bedroom where Ginny was standing, arms crossed.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey."

"You just gonna stand there or…?"

"Right, I'm gonna go play chess with Ron," Harry stated. Nodding, Ginny turned to close herself in her bedroom. "Wait!"

"What?"She asked.

"Can we talk?" He was desperate, hating how distant the last few days had made them.

"Suppose, come on." She gestured him into her room, closing the door behind them both.

"So what where you and Malfoy doing?"

"Oh for God's sake Harry don't start, he's my friend." She snapped at him in annoyance.

"I'm your friend too!"

"Doesn't seem like it! All you've done is avoid me since the day Charlie came back!" She yelled.

"Avoid you!? I've been trying to talk to you for ages but you always seem to be with him!" Harry hated that they were fighting because of Malfoy. Of all the things.

"His name is Draco and if you wanted to talk to me you could just ask." She put her hands on her hips and looked at the ground.

"Do you like him?" Ginny's eyes snapped up to look into his.

"Excuse me?"

"It's just you're always together so I just thought-" he decided to cut himself off before he said anything he'd regret.

"No of course not! He just likes to talk to me, plus I have a boyfriend remember," Harry glanced at his feet.

"Right yeah."

"Ron's probably waiting for you." She noted. Harry looked up in sadness.

"Are we okay?" He mumbled. Ginny sighed, looking defeated herself.

"Harry…" There was a pause, that was all the confirmation he needed.

"Right." With that, he turned to leave the room

"Harry wai-!" He slammed Ginny's bedroom door behind him, his head swirling. What had Malfoy said to her to put her against him? How could she even think that way. He marched without thought to the room where Malfoy was sleeping and swung the door wide open.

"Jesus Potter! You could at least knock!" Malfoy jumped up from sitting on his bed where he had been reading an old library book.

"What did you say to her you ferret!?"

"Well so much for being civil." Malfoy scoffed.

"You're the one putting my friends against me!"

"I'm not putting anyone against you, you idiot! I'm just making friends and your bloody fragile ego can't handle it!" Malfoy was facing him now, a few meters between them.

"Then why does Ginny hate me!?"

"She doesn't hate you, Jesus Christ," Malfoy huffed, "look Potter could you just quit yelling so we can talk like adults."

"Don't patronise me," Harry grumbled.

"Sorry, look I don't want to fight with you alright. I've had enough of it." Malfoy combed his hands through his hair.

"Then why are you and Gi-"

"Ginny is kind to me. That's all. I don't exactly have much of that around here in case you haven't noticed. And she doesn't hate you, she hates that you hate me so much that you won't spend time with her because of it." Malfoy looked at Harry who still glaring at him furiously. "You could just give me a chance you know? I might surprise you."

Harry scoffed, "why should I trust you?" Malfoy shrugged.

"I'm not asking you too. I'm just asking you right now if you wanna go play Quidditch or something?" Malfoy raised his eyebrows to look at Harry who was now visibly shocked.

"How do I know you won't shove me off my broom the first chance you get?"

"I guess that's just a chance you'll have to take, Potter," Malfoy smirked.

"Alright, you get one chance. For Ginny's sake."