Chapter 14: A Whole New World

Draco gets tired of sitting around doing nothing. He knows consoling Ron will be worthless anymore. The issue needs to be resolved for real. He gets out of the car quickly, and slams the door behind him. The other two men watch him walk back into the bar, worried at what he might do next.

Draco walked into the bar, and stormed over to the location of Fred and Hermione. He smacks Fred upside the head. "Dumb arse."

Fred looks up, completely taken aback. "Oh, shit, Draco! This is…not what you think?"

Draco rolls his eyes. Hermione now also has her eyes up to watch Draco. "Oh, I am not the one you have to explain this to. Although, you're brother," Draco looked to Fred, before turning to Hermione, "And your husband…he is very distraught to what he saw."

Both their eyes widened, and they pulled apart quickly. Hermione was first to speak. "Damn it! Where is he?" She looked more shocked and sad than her choice of words conveyed. Draco pointed out the window to the car.

Fred and Hermione then stared at each other, and nodded. They knew they really did have to explain this now to Ronald. There was no other option left. They straightened out their clothes, and then proceeded out the door.

Draco rolled his eyes, and opted for one more drink. He was going to need it to deal with all of this madness. He ordered a martini from Hagrid. He bowed his head to the counter, so overwhelmed. The man beside him put a hand on his shoulder.

"Draco, are you okay?" A familiar voice was the one asking the question. Draco shook his head. The voice spoke again. "You have been through a lot. But, you are strong like your father. I know you can handle it."

The last comment made the voice ring clear. Draco lifted his head quickly, to find himself staring into the familiar dark-brown eyes. "Snape?"

-AT THE CAR-

"Come on, Harry. We need to talk to Ron. Please?" Hermione pleaded. Harry had gotten out of the car to confront them. As best as he could, still on the drunk side.

"No way. Hermione, how could you?" She flinched at Harry's words. Not that she could blame him.

"I need to talk to Ron. I can explain everything. Please?" She kept pleading with Harry.

"God, Hermione, are you even drunk?" Hermione looked down and shook her head. "So, you did this knowingly! Is this the first time?"

Hermione shook her head. Fred moved to put his arm around her comfortingly, but Harry shot him a damned dirty look. He quickly took his arm back, trying to ease things up as much as I could possibly handle. Nobody even noticed Ron roll down the window, listening and watching now.

"Are you serious? How could you do something so…horrendous? I thought we were the unbreakable trio! Remember? Best goddamn friends? Don't you know that? You lied to one of your BEST FRIENDS! Damn it, Hermione, what could you possibly have to say for yourself?"

Hermione looked up at Fred anxiously, but Harry wouldn't allow it. "No, no Hermione! I want to hear it from you! What gave YOU the instinct to betray your best friend?"

Hermione started off in a small voice. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. Everybody thought that Ronald and I were just perfect together. That, we had to end up together. I didn't want to disappoint everyone, so I gave him a chance. Then, I wanted to break it off with him, but I couldn't. I knew I had already gotten myself in too deep by accepting in the first place."

Harry now was shutting up, starting to contemplate the truth of her words. "I couldn't tell anyone the truth. Not one of my friends or family could understand. I thought I was going crazy. I was falling for the brother of my best friend. The best friend, in turn, that I was supposed to be committed to. I hadn't been able to even admit it to Fred, until the day of the battle of Hogwarts."

Harry stopped her. "Wait, you two started this that far back? The main battle at Hogwarts?" Hermione nodded, and Harry motioned for her to continue explaining.

"Fred was almost a goner that day. I was coming up a corridor, and saw that he was defenceless. There was a death eater above him, waiting to spew the curse of death. I cursed the death eater aside immediately, and saved him. Who, I found out, was just expecting that moment to be the forthcoming of his untimely death." Hermione stopped for a moment, needing to take a breath.

Harry was watching with the uttermost curiosity, and so was Ron. "I picked him up off the ground, and he joked about how he owed me one. Before I knew it, he kissed me. Repaying me in the most eloquent way. That night, we spent together. Thinking it was our last. We even admitted that we had strong feelings for each other. I know you hate to hear this, Harry, but it was perfect."

Harry was now quiet. It was harder to be harsh with Hermione with this now. "Why didn't you just tell Ron? He's your best friend. Surely, I mean, you could have talked over with him what was going on."

"Harry, think of if it was you in his shoes. Would you be able to be rational in his position, in that conversation. I couldn't tell him, because I couldn't hurt him. Just because I don't romantically love Ronald, doesn't mean I don't love him. I love him like I love you. You are my best friends, never disrepute that. I did what I thought could protect him from being hurt." Hermione looked away in strain.

"But, you could have told him before marrying him. Like, how terrible must it have been for you all? How much were you thinking that you wished it was Fred instead of him? God, Hermione, the honeymoon must have been a train wreck." Harry was still sorting things out.

"It was in some ways. That is the only time…physical aspects have been in the relationship of Ronald and myself. I cried after, and he said he wouldn't force me to do anything more. Anything again unless I wanted to. I cried in his arms until I fell asleep that night. Then, we spent the rest like a vacation. Seeing sights, taking bike rides, seeing movies-just a fantastic time. It felt normal and easy." Hermione smiled gently.

"If you and Fred were so in love, and wanted so bad to be together, why not just run away?" Harry asked contently.

"Because, then it would be a even more painful turn of events," Fred said gently.

"I don't know if I'd say that, wanker."

"Ronald," Hermione began with a gasp.

"You heard all of that?" Harry asked.

Ron nodded. Hermione looked down. So trodden with guilt. Ron walked over to her and smiled. "Damn it, Hermione. Only you."

Hermione looked up, baffled. "Excuse me?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Only you could make me so hurt I could slap you, and so thankful I could hug you. To give me both urges at the same time."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Are you serious? How are you not furious with me? How do you not have the complete and utter urge to yell at me? Tell me how much of a bitch I have been?"

Ron smiled wider. "Because you weren't. You spent all this time in pain. In suffering, trying to pretend for me. Trying to keep me happy. How could I hate you for trying to protect me?"

Hermione smiled weakly. "Do you think the urge to hug me is a large one?" Ron laughed, and gathered her up into his arms. He held her tightly to him, and tears streamed down her face.

"Thank you for trying so hard for me, Hermione." Hermione grasped him harder, before pulling away.

"Anything for you. You're my best friend, after all. Nothing will change that." Harry snickered. Hermione just rolled her eyes at Harry.

"Under other circumstances, I'd complain. But, since you two are best friends, I will just head in to me boyfriend. He will be my substitute best friend, while you two pan this out. I'll be back." Harry, with that, wandered off back into the bar."

Fred smiled precariously. "So, not mad at me either? Or, is she just getting special treatment as a best friend?" He winked at Ron, who jokingly scowled back at his older brother.

"Brother, same for you. You both went through hell trying to keep me happy. I am more grateful than I am angry. The vengeance though, comes as you have to explain this to mum." Ron smirked, and Fred laughed.

"Your on." Fred said, before gathering his little brother into a bear hug.

"Oh, and since you have more money…the divorce lawyers, could you handle that Hermione?" She rolled her eyes at Ron.

"Consider it done."

-IN THE BAR-

Harry walked in on Draco in a very intense conversation with a dark-haired man at the bar. At least he wasn't flirting with the man. Harry thought it looked more like angst that was strewn across Draco's face.

When Harry finally reached the bar, he stumbled back at the realization at who his boyfriend was talking to. "Holy hell, Snape? How is this even possible?"

Severus turned to Harry, a rare smile strewn across his face. "Hello Potter. Well, I just explained this all to your boyfriend here. I am actually proud you chose him over that Weasley brat. Would you like a recap? I think he could use a repeat, anyways." Both Harry and Draco nodded, as Harry seated himself in a circle of stools.

"Well, it is very complicated. I have had myself hiding out since the battle of Hogwarts. I didn't know when it would be safe to come out. I expected Narcissa to come get me when it was safe out there for me. Now, Draco has iterated the reason why she couldn't it was quite a shame. She was a wonderful woman. And, if she was here, I would have been out in the world again far before a few days ago."

Harry rose his eyebrow. "But, Snape, you were dead when I left you that day. How could Narcissa have possibly saved you?"

Severus snickered. "You can call me Severus now, we are all adults here. And, to all accounts, I have a large potential of being your father-in-law…" Draco rolled his eyes, finally letting a smile break onto his features. "Anyhow, I don't know how she did. All I remember was dying in your arms, and coming back alive in hers. When she hid me away, she said for me to take care of Lucius when I could. Then she left, and I spent years in a hideaway."

"So, we better get you back to Lucius, huh?" Harry said amusedly.

"Well, you would disappoint me greatly if you boys don't." Severus said playfully. The men all got off their stools, and headed to do what needed to be done.