Chapter Thirteen

The Explanation

Harry looked into his best friend's eyes. He saw shock, betrayal and rage in them. It hurt to know that he was the one that had stirred up these feelings in his own best friend. He didn't know what to do. He only knew that Ron was furious with him. He also knew that this was not going to be easy to fix. Ron's face was turning purple from rage. He had to try to talk to Ron. That was the only way. "Ron-?"

"Don't speak to me. I can't talk to you right now. I can't even look at you right now. I need to leave." Ron looked daggers at Harry. If looks could kill, Harry would have been dead faster than someone hit with three doses of Avada Kadavra all at once.

"Please-?" Harry tried again, taking a step toward Ron.

Ron held up a hand, not only to stop Harry from advancing on him, but also to shut Harry up. "No. I cannot deal with you right now. I'll talk to you after dinner. Maybe. But for now, don't even come near me." With that, Ron stalked off toward the library. He was probably going to visit Hermione in the library. He's going to go and tell her about me and Dray, and she's going to know already. That's going to make him madder at me. Oh help. What am I going to do?

"Dray. What am I going to do? He hates me. Oh God. He hates me. He's my best friend and he hates me." Harry turned to Draco and started sobbing. Harry was crying so hard, he didn't notice Draco reach into his pocket and draw out the green velvet box. Nor did he realize when Draco tipped the thimble into his hand. He only vaguely registered the tug behind his navel, and only realized what Draco had done when the two boys flopped on Harry's bed. Harry looked up as Draco shoved the box back in his pocket.

"I figured you would be more comfortable here," said Draco quietly. The Slytherin whispered calming words to Harry as he pushed Harry back onto the pillows. After Harry was settled into the pillows, Draco began stroking the Gryffindor's hair, watching him break down into tears again.

"What am I going to do?" wailed Harry.

~*~*~*~

Draco stroked the mess of hair spread across his lap. He didn't know what to say to Harry. He knew that nothing he could say could make the pain go away, and it was killing him. He was always in control. He could always say or do something to change the outcome of things. But this. Draco knew he couldn't do a thing to change this.

"Dray, what am I going to do?" moaned Harry for the tenth time in the last five minutes. Draco saw that the Gryffindor had stopped crying. Probably no more tears left in him. Draco frowned. They had been sitting on Harry's bed the whole evening, even skipping dinner. Draco wasn't hungry, and apparently neither was Harry. Draco's heart was aching. He wanted to do something, anything. But he could do nothing. He just sat there and ran his slender fingers through black locks, trying to comfort his boyfriend.

"What do you usually do when you and Weas-Ron fight?" asked Draco. He forced himself to say Weasley's name properly, if only to make Harry feel better.

"We don't speak for weeks at a time, and use Hermione as a go-between. After a few weeks of moping on both our parts, then something happens that makes up for whatever it is we're fighting about, and it's all better again. It fucking sucks, though. I can't have him mad at me for Christmas. It's not right." Harry sniffled a bit. His eyes were closed, apparently relishing the touch of the Slytherin. Draco kept his hand in constant motion through Harry's hair.

"No, we can't have that. I'm not going to let him stay mad at you for Christmas. We'll figure something out." The boys lapsed into silence once more. Draco's heart went out to Harry. This pain wasn't fair for Harry to have to endure. But at the same time, Draco was jealous. Not jealous of the pain. No, jealous of the amazing friendship that Harry and Weasley obviously shared. He didn't have that. Crabbe and Goyle were mere acquaintances. They were Draco's cronies. Nothing more. The closest Draco had to Harry's relationship with Weasley was with Blaise. But it was nothing comparatively. Draco sighed.

"God, Dray! What the hell am I going to do without Ron? He's like a brother to me. I have no family but him and Hermione. He's my family, and I've just done something so horrible that I don't think that I'll ever have him back again. I- We should have told him." Harry started crying again. I guess he didn't cry himself out.

"Harry, things will turn out alright. I'm sure of it." Draco tried to sound optimistic.

"What if I lose him? I mean, no offense to you. I do love you, Dray, but it's totally different from how much I love Ron. He is my only family. I can't believe I'm going to lose my family again. I can't." cried Harry, sobbing and hiccoughing occasionally.

"You won't have to."

Draco's eyes flew to the doorway. His heart soared for Harry. He felt Harry's head lift off his legs.

"How long have you been standing there?" asked Harry.

"Long enough."

He watched as Harry jumped off the bed and ran to the door. He watched the dark-haired boy throw his arms around the figure at the door.

Draco smiled in relief, a single tear trickled down his cheek. He knew that blasted red hair anywhere. I never thought I would be happy to see Weasley. But thank Merlin!

~*~*~*~

Harry cried into the red-head's shoulder. He was so happy Ron had come to talk to him. But Ron unwrapped Harry's arms from his neck, putting them back at Harry's sides.

"Just because I'm standing here does not mean that I forgive you. At least not completely."

Harry nodded silently. He knew that things would not be alright with Ron right away. He knew better. But the fact that Ron was there was huge in Harry's opinion.

"I'll just go then, and give you two some privacy," said Draco, climbing off Harry's bed.

"No." said both Gryffindors. Harry stared at Ron, his eyebrows lost in his hairline. He doesn't want Dray to go? Oh shit, there won't be trouble, will there? Ron was staring back.

"I'm leaving. I don't want to be here while you two sort-" Draco couldn't finish his sentence. Ron put the Full Body-Bind on Draco. Harry was shocked.

"Ron!"

"I want to talk to both of you." Ron said simply. He looked down at the motionless-except-for-his-eyes Draco. "Are you going to stay without a fuss?" Harry supposed Ron saw the answer in Draco's eyes, and muttered the counter-curse.

Ron motioned for Draco to go back to his spot on Harry's bed. Ron grabbed Harry's arm and conducted him back to the bed. Draco hastily moved over to make space for the three of them. The two Gryffindors sat on the bed, Harry next to Draco, and Ron facing the couple. Draco's hand slipped into Harry's and Harry felt slightly relaxed.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Ron glared at Draco. And then he looked at Harry and his face softened. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly.

Harry took a deep breath. "Well, first off, I thought you would be furious with me. I was right on that one, wasn't I?" Ron nodded, throwing another glower at Draco.

Harry continued, "And second, we wanted to keep it quiet for a while. Draco hasn't told anyone yet... Well, not without a really good reason." Harry glanced at Draco, remembering their run-in with Snape earlier.

"You told Hermione," said Ron angrily.

"Not on purpose," said Harry. Harry explained to Ron what actually happened that day in the Three Broomsticks. Ron nodded in comprehension.

"Got it," said Ron. "But why wouldn't you tell in the first place? I mean, we're your best friends. Like you said before. We're family."

"Have you told your whole family about you and 'Mione yet?" asked Harry. Ron's stammering proved his point. "You don't always tell family everything, do you?"

"No," said Ron finally. "But still. I mean, seeing you and Malfoy snogging in the middle of the Entrance Hall isn't exactly the way I would have liked to find out!"

"I was going to tell Harry today that I wanted to let things out," said Draco. Harry's head whipped around to look at the Slytherin in surprise. Draco looked back at him. "I saw what it was doing to you to lie to Weasley. I didn't want to be the reason you hurt." Harry gave Draco's hand a squeeze as a thank-you.

Draco looked at Ron. "It's my fault he didn't tell you right away. I don't think the world is going to be very happy with our relationship, if you know what I mean. If Voldemort finds out-" Draco stopped. He obviously didn't notice the wince from Ron at the mention of the Dark Lord's name.

"What, are you saying that You-Know-Who's going to come at get Harry, just for being with you?" asked Ron incredulously.

"No. My father will come to get me and take me to Voldemort and-. Well, he'll be pissed, anyway. And you don't want to get on his bad side." said Draco. He stared at the comforter then, apparently extremely interested in the stitching.

"Oh." Ron gaped at Draco. Draco had all but said that his father was a Death Eater.

"I'll ask that you not question me on my family, though. As your father is in the Ministry, I can't exactly go spilling the beans, can I?" Draco looked up, a grim smile on his face.

"Right." Ron's mouth closed again. Then he looked at Harry. "Listen, I'm still a bit mad at you for not telling about you and Malfoy-"

"Draco," corrected Draco.

"What?!?"

"Please. Call me Draco," said Draco. Harry looked at Draco, surprised. He's asking Ron to call him by his first name? Okay, who is this man, and what has happened to Draco Malfoy? Harry looked at Ron, who had his mouth open so wide, Harry could have sworn he could see to Ron's toes.

"Oh come on, Weasley. Close your mouth. We are not a codfish." Harry sniggered quietly, covering it with a cough. Ron slowly closed his mouth.

Draco looked down at Harry's and his clasped hands. "Erm, Weasley?"

"Yeah?"

Draco took a deep breath. Harry could see there was something bugging him. Then Draco said, "IjustwantedtosaysorryforeverythingI'vedonetoyou."

"What?" asked Ron, wearing a face that was halfway between confusion and smugness. "Could you repeat that?"

Draco sent Ron the infamous Malfoy sneer. Ron smirked back. "I said, 'I just wanted to say sorry for everything I've done to you'," repeated Draco quietly.

"Thank you," said Ron. Draco looked back at his and Harry's hands. Harry heard a very faint "you're welcome" come from Draco.

"So you haven't told your thugs yet?" asked Ron.

"No." said Draco. "I haven't. They know I'm gay and they know I'm seeing someone, but nothing more."

"Hmm. You know, Harry, if Mal-Draco is right about Lucius Malfoy taking you two to Voldemort, we might think about telling someone." said Ron after some thought.

"Someone already knows." said Draco. Harry thought again of Snape and nodded.

"Alright then," said Ron, looking somewhat unsure. "Well. You two." Ron looked at them, sizing them up. He took in Harry leaning in to Draco, who had one arm draped round Harry's waist. Ron saw the tan and pale fingers intertwined. He shook his head, smiling slowly. "I never thought I would live to see the day when you two were civil to each other... Let alone seeing each other. Ha! And-" Ron's face spread into a grin that could have lit the whole castle. "You said you were sorry!" Ron laughed.

"Yeah, alright. Enough gloating. Just tell me one thing, Weasley," said Draco.

"What, Draco?" As an afterthought, Ron added "And call me Ron."

Draco brightened a little at this. "Are you still mad at my boyfriend?"

Ron flinched a bit at the word 'boyfriend,' but he smiled back at the couple. "No. I can't stay mad at family."

At that, Harry leaped across the bed and tackled Ron into the pillows in a bone-crushing hug.

"Although, if you keep doing this, Harry, I might have to!"

~*~TBC~*~