Chapter Seven: Harry

'HARRY JAMES POTTER!'

Harry cringed. He'd done well to avoid this moment so far. It was final period on Monday, and Harry had decided to study in the common room until dinner. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had finally cornered him in the Gryffindor common room.

'You have some explaining to do!' Ron exclaimed angrily, grabbing Harry's shoulders and steering him to sit in an armchair by the fireplace.

'Don't hurt him, Ron!' Hermione scolded, but Ron didn't seem to hear her, his attention was fixed on Harry.

'What. The. Bloody. Hell. Happened. Yesterday?'

'Isn't it bloody obvious, Ronald?' Ginny snapped. Ron glared at his little sister.

'No one gets to break my little sisters' heart like that. Not even my so-called best friend.' Ron growled at Ginny.

'Who said Harry broke my heart?' Ginny demanded, getting in Ron's face with her eyes blazing.

'Ginny?' Harry asked quietly, when no one had said anything for a long minute. 'Did she…?' Harry didn't want to finish the question, but Ginny looked away from Ron at Harry. Her expression said it all, and Harry opened his arms to her invitingly. Her eyes filled with tears and she sat on Harry's lap, her legs dangling over the arm rest, and she buried her face in Harry's chest.

'Shhhh,' Harry soothed, brushing his fingers through her hair while she cried. Ron and Hermione watched on, dumbfounded.

'Harry,' Hermione started hesitantly, 'What's going on?'

Harry looked up at his two best friends. He knew he had to tell them about Malfoy, but he wasn't sure if he could. He didn't know if he could handle their rejection if they didn't accept….

Accept what? It's not like we're dating … we haven't even kissed yet.

'Ginny and I broke up at Christmas.' Harry finally said.

'What-?' Ron began to explode, but Hermione interrupted him, putting a firm hand on his upper arm and shushing him.

'Go on, Harry.' She said. Harry eyed Ron, who was angrily stomping back and forth from the door leading up the boy's dormitory, to the portrait hole.

'It was mutual,' Harry assured Hermione.

'More like I told you to get your arse into gear,' Ginny mumbled into Harry's shirt, making him laugh quietly.

'Yeah,' Harry agreed, sighing. 'Ginny realised we both had … feelings for other people. So Ginny told me to sod off and see if my feelings were returned.'

'Were they?' Hermione asked, breathless. Harry had to think.

Malfoy on his knees at Harry's feet, sucking his thumb. Malfoy cuddled next to him in the Prefect's bath. Malfoy blushing as Harry kissed the back of his hand.

'I'd say they were,' Ginny giggled, rearranging herself on Harry's lap.

'Oh, uh, I-' Harry stammered, lifting Ginny up slightly so he could rearrange himself and then pulling her back onto his lap. Ginny snuggled against him, sighing happily.

'YOU-' Ron seemed to be lost for words, standing and gaping at Harry like a fish out of water.

'THEN WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?' Ron gestured to Harry and Ginny on the armchair together.

'Harry makes me feel safe, like nothing can hurt me.' Ginny said calmly. 'Everyone needs someone like that in their life, Ronald, and it doesn't need to be the person they're snogging.' Ginny poked her tongue out at Ron, whose face was rapidly turning a violent shade of red.

'So, who ARE you snogging?' he finally demanded of Ginny. Harry felt the fight drain out of Ginny as she fell against him, crying silently again.

Ron's face was still purple, but he looked slightly ashamed of himself. Hermione was looking torn, stuck between amused at Ron and concerned for Ginny.

'Did Luna reject you?' Harry asked Ginny, quietly enough that Ron and Hermione wouldn't hear.

'N-n-n-n-no.' Ginny gulped, whispering back. 'She's dating someone, and he rejected me.'

'Who?' Harry asked, but Ginny just buried her face in Harry's chest again. Harry rubbed her back, trying to be as reassuring as he could.

The four of them sat in silence until it was nearly time to go down for dinner; by then Ginny had stopped crying, Ron and Hermione had had three whispered arguments out of Harry's earshot, and Harry's right leg was dead where Ginny had been sitting on it. After Harry had stretched and the feeling had returned to his leg, they made their way downstairs together.

They made it to the fourth floor when Ron seemed to explode.

'I just don't understand, Harry. What is going on between you and Malfoy?' he demanded, rounding on Harry and jabbing him in the chest.

'Nothing!' Harry insisted, holding his hands up in surrender.

'Bullshit!' Ron snarled. 'We all saw you yesterday morning! You hugged Malfoy! That's. Not. Nothing.' Ron growled, jabbing Harry's chest anew with every full stop.

'Ron, it's nothing. We aren't anything, we just…' Harry trailed off.

What are we? Are we even … friends?

Hermione, as always, seemed to understand before Ron.

'Ron, it's clearly something they haven't discussed, but Malfoy and Harry aren't fighting anymore. Isn't that a good thing?' Hermione tried to talk sense into the angry red head. 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wanted us separated by blood status, and Harry defeated him and now he's making peace with Slytherins. This is what we fought for.'

Making peace with Slytherins. Not making friends with them. Making peace. And possibly bruised knees.

Ron stared Harry down for a few more, very long moments. Finally, he dropped his hand, but he was still glaring at Harry.

'Have you fucked him?' Ron asked, taking everyone by surprise. Harry shrugged.

'Not … technically.'

'The thumb thing?' Ginny asked, poking her head around Ron's body. Harry nodded sheepishly. Ron glared between the two of them in confusion and frustration.

'What thumb thing?' he demanded.

'You took my advice in Potions, didn't you?' she demanded, a grin on her face.

'Worked like a charm,' Harry admitted.

'What thumb thing?' Ron's voice was rising, but they continued to ignore him, talking around him.

'Have you kissed him yet?' Ginny asked. Harry shook his head. Ron was turning red again.

'You tease!' Ginny winked. 'Works every time, glad you got to try it out.'

'WHAT THUMB THING?' Ron roared, scaring a bunch of Ravenclaws who had been walking by, into running away from him until they were down the next flight of stairs.

'You'll tell Hermione?' Harry asked Ginny, who nodded and turned to loop her arm through a very confused Hermione's and lead the older girl away. Harry glanced at Ron.

'You're in for a wild ride, mate.' Harry said, and continued his way to dinner.

Professor McGonagall was patiently standing on the first floor landing. She waved to Harry as he came down the stairs.

'Potter,' she greeted him with an affectionate smile when he was within earshot.

'Hello, Professor,' Harry said, wondering what was going on. He was sure he hadn't broken any school rules recently.

'Come to my office, please. Weasley's, Granger, you may continue to your dinner.' McGonagall said, leading Harry away from the staircase towards her office.

Once inside, Harry found Professor Dumbledore already inside.

'Hello, Harry,' Dumbledore greeted, his usual twinkle in his eye.

'Hello, Professor.' Harry smiled, still wondering what, in the name of Merlin's saggy balls, was going on.

'Potter, as you know, Draco Malfoy left the school to visit his mother at Saint Mungo's yesterday morning.' Dumbledore said, not continuing until Harry nodded. 'We received an owl from Narcissa Malfoy's healer, Healer Audrey, and it appears that young Malfoy has chosen to stay with his mother for one more night.' Dumbledore paused again.

'Oh,' Harry said, without thinking. His heart had sunk a little, it would be even longer before he got to see Malfoy again.

'It seems,' Dumbledore continued, 'That Mister Malfoy has requested you keep him company tonight, and you return to school together tomorrow morning.'

Harry could barely believe what he was hearing. He met Dumbledore's eyes, which were gazing at him over those half moon glasses with fondness, and turned to Professor McGonagall, who wore a similar expression.

'Can I go?' Harry asked. Both Professors smiled at him.

'We've arranged for you to Floo directly to Saint Mungo's from here,' McGonagall explained, gesturing to her fireplace. 'Then in the morning, you two will Floo return here. The Healer's know when to send you back.' McGonagall said.

'Thanks, Professor's,' Harry grinned widely, and he grabbed a fistful of the green powder in a pot atop the mantle, throwing it into the fire.

'St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries!'