Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

Original A/N: Thanks to MaeSilverpaws1, who is beta-ing this story.

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Four

Get Away

"Come on Harry," Ron said, it had been a few days since Harry had told him about being a Horcrux. Harry had been trying hard to keep his mood cheerful whenever he was around his friend, trying to make things as normal as it had been before. Even though he was pretty sure that he was failing miserably at that, Harry appeared to be doing a lot better these last few days than he had since he gotten out of the hospital wing. Now that they were heading for Quidditch practice, he was a bit confused as to why Harry was dragging his feet.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Harry said.

"Harry, is …?" Ginny started to ask but Ron cut her off.

"What do you think Angelina is going to have us doing today," he asked and Ginny glared at him and he gave her a hard look back. "I'm hoping for a bit more of Keeper practices myself, the last time she was working more on the Beaters."

"Which didn't make much sense since Fred and George are doing great, even after the weeks of being off," Ginny said, seeming to get his silent message. They kept up the light chatter as they made their way down to the pitch, which Ron thought would have been better for his friend. However, by the end of the practice he realized that he should have gone about this a different way. Harry had flown well but he didn't have the normal ease and joy he usually seemed to show when flying.

"Hey mate," Ron said to Harry who was still standing on the pitch, even though the practice had finished several minutes ago. "What's wrong?"

"I missed the game against Hufflepuff," Harry said.

"Yeah," Ron said, "I told you about the match …"

"I remember, but I wasn't really thinking about Quidditch then," Harry said. "I'll never get to play against Cedric again …"

"Harry …" Ron started with a grave tone.

"Not what I meant," Harry said with a sad smile. "I just mean he's a seventh year. I was really looking forward to that match."

"Yeah … I know," Ron said.

Harry stared out at the pitch in a melancholy mood and Ron was having enough of this.

"That's it Harry, we're not going to keep going on like this," Ron exclaimed and Harry looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "We're going to have some effing fun tonight."

O

Ron didn't have to think much about what he was going to do; it was a simple recipe really. First he needed to talk Harry into the plan, which after he said 'come on Harry, what do you have to worry about' there were no more problems. Second, they needed to break a lot of rules and get out of the castle … which knowing the hidden passageways made it easy (they chose to take the Whomping Willow). Finally, they needed to get their hands on some alcohol, which wasn't very easy but eventually they found a partially empty bottle of Firewhiskey.

"Have you ever had this stuff?" Harry asked Ron as they hiked back to the Shirking Shack.

"Nah … not after watching Mum going off on Charlie … Merlin that wasn't pretty," Ron said making a face.

"So you're courting the wrath of Molly Weasley by doing this?"

"That's right mate, so we better have a good time," Ron chuckled. "How about you … have you ever …"

"Nope," Harry said, "never really needed any before … besides there are a few things I know that Sirius would punish me for, and this is definitely one of them … even though it's not like he never drunk underage."

"Bloody hypocrite," Ron snorted.

"Exactly," Harry smiled. "Do you think your m … er … parents are hypocrites, too?"

"Oh, absolutely," Ron laughed, taking another swig of the bottle before passing it back to Harry. The alcohol was now starting to feel like a warm buzz instead of the fiery feel he got after his fist drink. "There's no way that they didn't break the rules ... I just think it's part of being a parent to be strict about the underage alcohol issue."

"Bloody hypocrites," Harry said this time.

"Exactly," Ron laughed. "Of course I'll be just as bad as them … the trick is to make sure Hermione is as well."

"Hermione?" Harry said with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

Ron felt his ears warm up and was sure they were red, his face quickly followed as Harry started to laugh. "I sound like an effing pansy, don't I," he groaned and took another drink.

"Yeah, pretty much," Harry laughed, drinking more himself. "And I effing hate you for it."

"You want to be a pansy?"

"I want an effing girlfriend." Harry snapped back.

"Then get one," Ron rolled his eyes, "you could pretty much have your choice … well, unless you're still stuck on Cho …"

"Nah … not really," Harry said, "of course I still think she's hot … great arse …"

"Really?" Ron said questioningly, she was pretty of course, but he could never really see what Harry saw in her.

"Yeah, really," Harry said, "Don't look at me like that … it's not like I see what you do in Hermione."

"What do you mean … she's bloody gorgeous," Ron said a little surprised by that.

"Er … sure," Harry said and Ron glared at him, which just made Harry laugh, "bloody hell Ron, it's a good thing that we don't have the same taste in girls."

"That's true," Ron had to agree, but he still didn't understand how Harry couldn't see how amazing Hermione was. "So what's your problem … if you don't like Cho anymore, just ask someone else out?"

"Like it's that effing easy," Harry said. "Got to notice girls first …"

"You've effing notice Ginny," Ron snapped, and it was Harry's turn to turn bright red and started stammering a bunch of things that Ron couldn't really make sense of. "Shite … you mean you really have been checking her out."

"I … you … what?" Harry said still stammering. "You just said …"

"Yeah yeah, but I didn't think you would actually admit it," Ron complained.

"But you noticed …" Harry started, he still was rather red and he was obviously uncomfortable.

"Well I noticed you've been spending a lot of time with her, and sometimes when we're in the common room you're staring in her direct …"

"Bloody hell you noticed," Harry groaned and took another sip of the whiskey as if hoping that would make what he just heard go away.

"Are you going to tell her?" Ron asked.

"She's got a boyfriend," Harry said looking at Ron with narrowed eyes, "I thought you'd shout at me … tell me to stay away."

Ron actually laughed at that, "Well yeah, the thought had crossed my mind."

"Well obviously you didn't take it very seriously," Harry tried to glare at him, but he felt better hearing Ron laugh. If he was taking this so well maybe … no I can't think of that.

"Firewhiskey helps keep me in good spirits," Ron said. "Besides, I got a feeling that Gin would break up with anyone if she knew you liked her … she came to the hospital to check on you everyday … never went in, seem to think you didn't want visitors …"

"I didn't," Harry said, a goofy smile spreading across his face as he thought of Ginny coming to visit him. In a different circumstance he would probably have liked it if she came in and took care of him … no damnit stop thinking about that! "Why the hell are you pushing this so much Ron? Do you want me to start dating your sister?"

Ron shuddered seem to answer that question but when he spoke his word contradicted his action. "Personally, I'd like to think of Ginny as being happily single, but seeing as that's not going to effing happen, it would be better if it was you."

"Wow!" was all Harry could say.

"I trust you with my life, mate," Ron said, knowing he was getting sappy but he couldn't seem to stop himself from talking, damn whiskey. "Hell, I even trust you with Ginny's!"

"Wow," Harry repeated, still too stunned to think of something better to say.

Ron looked at him closely, "you're still not going to try to ask her out, are you?"

"I don't want to be the type of bloke that tries to steal another guy's girlfriend," Harry admitted, though it wasn't his only reason and with the look from Ron, he knew his friend figured him out. "Maybe it would be different if I didn't know I was going to die … or maybe it would be different if Gin was single … I don't want to mess with her head …"

"It's going to be bad no matter what, Harry," Ron said. "Everyone's going to be messed up. They're all going to hate me … because I knew …" he went on, but there was only one person he was really thinking about hating him. Hermione's expression, hurt and betrayed swam before him, and he knew it was only made worse because most of him didn't want her to know that Harry was a Horcrux, and have to deal with what was going to happen. Afterward she'll be pissed at him, but for right now she still gets to be happy and not have to constantly worry.

Harry watched his friend who had because rather quite after saying everyone was going to hate him. He felt horrible, telling Ron really put his friend in a hard place and he wish he had the strength to take his death sentence on his own. But the last few days, and especially this night, proved to him he couldn't. He needed Ron to cheer him up, to take his mind off his problems for as long as he can. Maybe Ron needed someone too … someone he could talk to …

"Ron … what's up with you and Hermione?" Harry asked.

"What?" Ron gasped, not sure where Harry's question was coming from.

"I've just been noticing since I've gotten back from the hospital that Hermione's been studying a lot," Harry said.

"It's the O.W.L's year, of course she's studying," Ron rolled his eyes.

"Well, yeah … but you haven't been going with her …"

Ron sighed, "Fine, you really want to hear the story. Here it is. The barmy effing woman told me she loves me …"

"Oh," Harry said, starting to feel embarrassed he brought this subject up, but Ron didn't stop in his story. He was going to tell Harry ever damn thing about it now.

"Which would have been bloody fine if she didn't tell me two seconds afterwards that I don't have to say it back if I'm not effing ready! Like I'm not effing ready to say it now!" Ron shouted the last part. "Of course this was effing hours before you went to the hospital so it was never the right bloody time to tell her this … not that she would effing let me anyways … and now it hard to talk to her about this because every time I effing …" he had to take a breath before finishing as his rant seemed to be going longer than he could handle, "… er … effing look at her I have to hide your secret and she effing knows when I'm hiding things … so yeah not helping …"

"Sorry," Harry sighed.

"Well that's not really the main problem," Ron said. "I feel like an effing prick for not saying it back …"

"But you do, right," Harry said.

"Love her?" Ron questioned and Harry nodded. "Of course I effing love her."

"Well just say it," Harry shrugged. "You know Hermione's one of the most stubborn people in the world, especially when she think she's right. And she's trying not to be too pushy … I'd guess …" Harry shook his head and laughed, "you two are impossible."

"Thanks a lot, Potter," Ron punched Harry in the arm.

"Don't be such a pansy and just tell her already," Harry said, still laughing, though he stopped after the second punch from Ron. "And bloody hell, stop doing that, it effing hurts."

"That's the point," Ron grinned at that, Harry was right, he just had to say it to her and make sure she knows he really means it. Harry was also right that he was acting like a wuss.

Ron and Harry keep drinking, changing the subject away from the girls they like and moving on to Quidditch, starting with their final match of the term and then going to their pro teams.