"It's great about Ron, isn't it?" Harry asks as he walks into the kitchen to fix a snack for the toddlers twisting their way around the furniture in a game of tag.
His limbs all sport a dull but relentless ache. Keeping up with the children is like an Auror training session; it requires constant vigilance, responsiveness, and impressive reserves of stamina. The toddlers seem to have an endless supply of energy, much more than he remembers having at their age, and no ability to understand that others might not be as robust as they are.
If it weren't for their growling stomachs, he would still be out there, alternating between talking to Ron and running around after them.
"What? Oh. Yeah, it is," she replies absentmindedly.
He expected her to be more excited, but he's used to seeing her distracted with work, so he internally shrugs as he sets about cutting up cheese.
"Hey, did Ron say anything about Fred?"
At that, his head shoots up so he can stare at her. She looks more alert now, more present.
"No," he says, dragging the word out. "Why?"
"Good. We, uh, had a moment. We tried to act natural when Ron arrived, but he seemed to notice things weren't quite right."
Harry grins, noting the situation with Ron but deciding to deal with that later. "What kind of moment?"
"A 'we might have kissed if we hadn't been interrupted' kind of moment."
"See? I told you he liked you back."
He almost can't believe it when he sees the brush spread across her cheeks. Fourth year taught him that she really does care about dating and relationships as well as books, but he hasn't ever seen her so visibly affected by something this simple.
"Not the problem right now, Harry."
"The problem's Ron?"
"Kind of. I know I'm allowed to date, but the fact that it's Fred makes it hard, you know? If it were a random person he's never met, it would be different. But if things work out between me and Fred, he'll see it as me thinking Fred's better than him rather than as me just thinking Fred and I are more compatible."
"You don't have to – "
"I know I don't have to, Harry," she snaps, and he finally notices the hint of panic behind her eyes. "My dating life doesn't revolve around him anymore. But he's still my friend, and it's hard to do something that will hurt him."
"Whatever you decide, part of you is going to regret it," he says. "Choose the decision you'll regret the least, and don't look back. Which choice can you live with? Which will you most regret; hurting Ron or not exploring this with Fred?"
"I'm going to see where this thing goes with Fred."
"And don't look back."
"And don't look back," she repeats.
"What was the other issue?"
"Nothing you can help with. I'm just nervous, I guess. When we first got together, Ron was tentative, so I had to push past my own nerves. Fred is so confident in everything that I feel like I'm suddenly on the back foot. And I don't like it."
"You're right; I can't help. But do you know who probably could? Fred. If he knows about it, he'll know what to expect."
"I'll think about it," she says, but he can tell it's a dismissal.