Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J K Rowling, I make nothing from this.

The Burrow

Harry knocked on the front door of the Burrow a week after Christmas. Lucius had apperated him to the village of Ottery St Catchpole and he had walked up from there. Lucius had then remained in the village waiting for when Harry was ready to leave, as he had no desires to see the Weasleys.

Harry would have gone to Hogwarts, but Draco had informed him that Ron had left with his parents after the wedding and Hermione had accompanied them. Ginny had opted to remain at Hogwarts with Neville.

"Harry dear, how lovely to see you, do come in," Molly Weasley exclaimed as she opened the door. She ushered him inside and before he knew it, he was sat at the kitchen table with Bill and Fleur, with a steaming mug of tea in his hands.

"So what brings you here Harry?" Bill asked.

Harry looked at the couple, wondering how far Ron and Hermione's prejudices had spread; did the rest of the Weasley family feel the same way as their son? The twins had made their feelings clear and he knew he could count on them. "I was hoping to see Ron and Hermione, I was told they were here, and I was hoping to have a word with them."

"Oh that's wonderful," Molly gushed. "Ron's not been the same since your falling out. I'll just go let them know you are here." She bustled out of the room to wherever Ron was.

Something must have shown on his face at Mrs Weasley's words as Bill's next statement surprised him. "There wasn't a falling out, was there?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I know my brother. With him coming home last summer saying you had fallen out with him and Hermione because they went with you to the department of mysteries when you had told them not to, sounded pretty suspicious. It didn't sound like you from the stories I've heard, from Ron and the twins, about your past adventures. There was also the look on your face when mum said what she did."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "He said that did he? Well if you must know, there wasn't a falling out, by me anyway. The two of them were practically ignoring me following the events at the ministry. If I was going to be angry with anyone it would have been Ginny, Luna and Neville; those were the ones I told not to come with me. It's like fourth year again, with them ignoring me, but at least then I knew why Ron was jealous."

Bill patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure things will work themselves out. You will be coming to Fleur's and my wedding in the summer won't you?" He added abruptly changing the subject.

"You're getting married?"

"Oui 'arry. Bill proposed over ze summer. Gabrielle will look forward to seeing you again." Fleur spoke up. "Don't let ze others get to you 'arry, you'll always be welcome."

Harry smiled and was about to reply when Molly came back into the room. "They're up in Ron's room dear, if you want to go up."

Something about the way she spoke made Harry wonder if things had been said between mother and son. He drained the rest of his tea, "Thanks Mrs Weasley," and stood to go upstairs.

He knocked on the door before entering Ron's room. Ron was sat on his bed leaning up against the wall, Hermione was curled up beside him. From their dishevelled looks, Harry guessed what Molly had walked in on.

"So you finally decided to show your face, huh?" Ron sneered. "What do you want?"

Harry took out the newspaper containing Rita Skeeter's article that had come out a few days ago and threw it at the couple. "I want to know why? What have I done to deserve something like this? And don't try and deny you weren't behind it, you're the one, Hermione, who had Skeeter hanging by a thread, holding her abilities in blackmail."

"We believed the wizarding world deserved to know what their Saviour was like; associating with the Slytherins, dancing with Lucius Malfoy and even kissing Draco Malfoy. What were we supposed to think?" Hermione reasoned. "The Harry Potter we knew would never have acted like this."

"Do you really think the wizarding world cares if I'm friends with the Slytherins, so long as I'm not killing and torturing people. It just goes to show that I'm attempting to fix the discord present in the world at this time." Harry replied. "What I don't get is what I have done to you to cause you to hate me so. This goes back before the incident with Draco; you were ignoring me following the events at the ministry."

"Harry, we weren't ignoring you," Hermione reasoned. "We were just giving you some space, you had just lost Sirius and defeated Voldemort, you needed some time to yourself."

Harry did not know if having two personalities was a good or bad thing; a curse or a blessing. To Christopher they had said they had thought Lucius had done something to Harry causing him to change. To Harry they said it was because he needed time to grieve. "Ok, I can accept that while I was in the hospital wing, but what about when I left? Neville and Luna would talk to me, why not you? Then I never heard from you at all over the summer, at least Fred and George wrote on my birthday."

"You can be completely ungrateful sometimes Harry, you think that now you've defeated Voldemort you should be given all the attention. Most of us have lives to be getting on with." Ron snarled at him.

"Whatever Ron, I thought friends stuck together through anything, and supported one another. Obviously I was wrong about you Ronald, then again after fourth year what else could I expect. And if you must know Hermione, the Harry Potter you knew grew up; maybe you should do the same." He turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him.

"Thanks for the tea Mrs Weasley, I have to be going now, someone's waiting for me."

Mrs Weasley gathered him into a hug, "You know you are always welcome Harry, whatever's going on between you and Ron."

"Thanks Mrs Weasley," he said as he was released. She patted his shoulder as he turned to leave.

He was halfway across the garden when Bill called out to him. "Wait Harry, I'll walk you down, don't want anything happening to you."

Harry smiled at the man. "I don't mind, it's nice to have a Weasley actually talk to me."

Bill sighed, "You know we would never hold anything against you, no matter what Ron has said. If you like I can kick some sense into him."

Harry laughed, but then turned serious. "You would hold nothing against me, even if I told you I was Snape's son?" Harry knew he was taking a risk telling Bill this, but if he did then maybe there was hope for Ron and Hermione. If at least one Weasley knew the truth then maybe they could get through to them.

He could feel Bill looking at him, trying to figure out if it was a joke or not. If it had been Fred and George, they would have thought it a hilarious joke. Percy would have taken it as an elaborate hoax, believing it as much as he had believed Voldemort was back following the triwizard tournament. He had no idea what Bill and Charlie were like with regards to their personalities, but from what he knew of them, he hoped they were rational.

"I know my family has had trouble with Slytherins in the past, but I worked with Severus for the order, and if it were me I would be honoured to be his son."

"I am," Harry started before going on to explain about his mother's letter and everything that had happened since.

Bill was pensive as he looked at Harry, "That would explain why you are so close to the Malfoys. Severus and Lucius go way back."

Harry kept silent, not wanting to go into detail how close he was with the Malfoys, and why he was. "It's stupid, Hermione's been the one getting us to try for inter-house unity, and now I have the opportunity, she just throws it back in my face."

"Don't worry Harry, they'll come around. I'll have a word with them; see if I can get them to understand."

Harry smiled at him, "Thanks Bill, but I don't want to make things difficult between you all."

"Now why would you make things difficult?" A voice asked from behind them. "I thought you just liked to make things impossible. Good afternoon Mr Weasley."

They both turned around to see Lucius standing there.

"Mr Malfoy," Bill inclined his head towards the man. "Harry's just being modest. He doesn't make things difficult; my brother manages that on his own."

"How did it go?" Lucius asked Harry who just shrugged. "Never mind, you have other friends, and once they realise the truth they'll come running back to you." He slipped an arm around Harry's shoulders, "We'll go now and we can go out somewhere this evening to celebrate the New Year. Thank you for seeing Harry down William."

Bill smiled, "Not a problem Mr Malfoy. I'll make sure you get an invitation for the wedding Harry, for you and your family, bye," and with that Bill turned and walked back up the hill towards the Burrow.

Lucius waited until Bill had disappeared before apperating them out.