Harry and Ginny's shock decision to go travelling did not meet with the warmest of welcomes from the Weasley family. Since the idea had never even been mentioned before, it took everyone by surprise, and everyone was concerned that the pair had made a hasty decision. However, Harry and Ginny would not be swayed and despite numerous protestations they were adamant their trip would go ahead. As it was, they'd waited a few days before telling the family about their plans, and when they did get around to divulging their idea, everything was already in motion. Harry had officially quit Auror training, he'd withdrawn enough money from his Gringotts account to get them started and he'd arranged an international connection with the bank so he could withdraw more money as and when it was needed.
Harry and Ginny had also made plans to leave just days after telling their loved ones they were going, so everyone was still in shock when it came time to see the pair off on their travels. However, that didn't stop Molly from making a last-minute attempt to get the pair to stay. Not that it worked, and Molly was finally forced to accept that her youngest child and the boy she thought of as her eighth child were flying the nest.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Ron said with a sigh as he, Harry and their other best friend, Hermione Granger shared a final farewell while Ginny said a tearful goodbye to her parents.
"Not forever Ron, we will be back," Harry chuckled.
"And I hope you will keep in touch," Hermione added.
"Of course," Harry replied with a nod, although Hermione seriously doubted he would stick to his word. Chances were in a few months they would be lucky to hear from Harry and Ginny.
"I still can't believe you're doing this," Ron muttered. "Are you sure this is what you want to do? It's not too late to change your mind and stay here."
"This is what we want to do, Ron," Harry insisted firmly.
"Are you sure you've thought about everything you're giving up?" Hermione asked. Like everyone else the news had come as rather a shock to her, and she wasn't entirely convinced that Harry had thought through the consequences of his actions.
"I'm not giving up anything, I'm gaining some much-needed freedom," Harry replied. "I need to do this, Hermione. I need to take some time and just enjoy being me."
"You are giving up nearly a whole year's worth of Auror training," Ron pointed out. "In a few months, you would have been ready to start your second year."
"I can pick it back up when I come back if it's still what I want to do," Harry said with a shrug. "But I am sorry for leaving you, Ron. I know we said we would do this together, but I just have to go."
"Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine," Ron assured his friend. "In fact, I was thinking about talking to George while he was here and seeing if he had anything for me. I'm going to need a back-up when I flunk out of Auror training."
"Why would you…" Hermione began with a frown but was interrupted by Ginny loudly announcing it was time for her and Harry to leave.
Momentarily leaving her question for Ron to one side, Hermione joined in with the rest of the family wishing Harry and Ginny safe travels. However, the second Harry and Ginny had left, Arthur took Molly into the kitchen for a cup of tea to steady her nerves, and the rest of Ron's family dispersed Hermione turned back to Ron and demanded to know why he was so sure he was going to flunk out of Auror training.
"It's this damn Potions test," Ron explained. "I'm never going to get through it. You know how bad I was at Potions. How Slughorn decided I would have passed my N.E.W.T is beyond me."
"You can't let one little test derail you," Hermione argued. "You've worked so hard this year. You deserve this, Ron."
"I don't think that matters if I can't pass my Potions test," Ron remarked with a shrug.
"How about I help you?" Hermione offered with a bright smile. "In fact, I won't take no for an answer. I'll tutor you and together we will get you through this test."
"Thanks," Ron replied, forcing himself to smile at Hermione as she was so clearly thrilled with her idea.
As much as Ron appreciated her offer, he couldn't help but think that Hermione tutoring him was a disaster waiting to happen. Their time at Hogwarts had often been fraught with arguments, and most of those arguments had stemmed from their differing attitudes towards studying. As much as Ron had always appreciated the help Hermione had been willing to give him and Harry, he'd often struggled with her bossy nature. Since leaving school their relationship had improved immensely and Ron did not want to ruin their close bond by falling out over some stupid Potions homework, especially not now Harry was gone, and it was just the two of them. But nor did he want to hurt Hermione by spurning her kind offer of assistance. It looked like he would just have to find a way to deal with Hermione's help while not letting the situation blow up into an argument like it had done so many times at Hogwarts.
Adjusting to Auror training without Harry by his side was a slightly surreal experience for Ron as for so many years they'd been a partnership and had done almost everything together, or with Hermione. It was the first time he'd really had to strike out on his own without his two best friends at his side, and to be honest if it hadn't been for the Potions test looming ahead of him, he might have been able to enjoy it. But as it was his thoughts were swamped with the upcoming test, not to mention the thought of Hermione helping him.
As he settled down in the staff canteen at the Ministry, Ron pondered how he could get out of Hermione helping him study. However, several days had passed since her offer and he'd yet to think of a way to turn her down without hurting her feelings. Although his musings on how to handle things with Hermione were cut short when one of his fellow Auror trainees stopped by his table and asked to join him. And not just any other trainee, but Draco Malfoy.
Draco's inclusion in the training programme had been a result of the probation sentence the Ministry of Magic had imposed on him after the war, but he'd made it clear early on in the training that since he was going to train to be an Auror, he was going to stick with the job and prove to the Ministry and the public that his experiences in the war had changed him for the better. Although Ron had already come to see that, and he and Harry had both made their peace with the former Slytherin within weeks of starting training together. Since then they'd established a cordial relationship, but Ron wouldn't class Draco as a friend, and he'd never once asked to join him for lunch. However, since he had no issues with Draco these days, Ron was more than happy to allow him to join him.
"It's true then," Draco remarked as he settled into the seat opposite Ron. "Potter's gone."
"He went travelling with Ginny," Ron answered. Of course, Harry's absence hadn't gone unnoticed and he suspected it was the talk of the Ministry that The Boy Who Lived had left the country.
"Before finishing his first years training?" Draco queried with a slight frown. "Doesn't that mean he'd just thrown the last few months down the drain?"
"He can pick things back up when he comes back," Ron explained.
"Right from where he left off, or back at the beginning?" Draco asked. "Maybe if he'd waited a few months and taken his end of year exams, he might have been ready to pick up year two when he got back, but this way surely he's going to have to start from scratch."
"Honestly, I have no idea, and to be frank, I doubt Harry knows either," Ron admitted. "It was all rather last minute, and I don't really think he and Ginny thought it through properly. But they wouldn't listen and just had to do what they wanted."
"I suppose you could argue that life's too short not to do what you want," Draco mused.
"Maybe, but you could also argue that running off the way they have is only going to lead to problems when they return. By the time they come back all their friends will have settled into their adult lives, and they're going to be left starting over."
"I suppose that's true," Draco agreed with a nod. "Even if Potter comes back and completes his Auror training, he's never going to be as experienced as you. You're always going to be ahead of him on the career ladder."
"I have to make it through the training first, and right now that's not looking likely," Ron snorted, surprised at how easy Draco was to talk to and how natural it felt to be talking to him as he would have done with any of his other friends.
"Of course, you're going to pass the training. You know what you're doing, Weasley," Draco said casually, seeming not to notice that he'd given his one time enemy a compliment.
"I might be managing okay with the training, but I've still got this damn Potions test to pass," Ron explained. "Hermione said she would help me, but that is only going to lead to more problems."
"I would have thought Granger would have been the perfect tutor, from what I remember she excelled at Potions."
"She excelled at everything," Ron laughed. "But it's not her ability that's in doubt, it's if our friendship can withstand her tutoring me. The thing we argued about most in school was studying. I find her teaching methods a bit heavy handed. She can be rather bossy."
"You don't say," Draco gasped sarcastically. Even though he'd never known Hermione the same way Ron had known her in school, he knew she was bossy. Hell, all of Hogwarts knew she was bossy.
"With Harry gone, I don't want to damage our relationship," Ron confessed. "Hell, even if Harry's hadn't gone, I wouldn't have wanted to damage our friendship. She means too much to me to have us falling out over something as trivial as a test. Maybe I should just face the fact I'm never going to qualify to be an Auror."
"I could help you," Draco offered.
"You?" Ron spluttered, his mouth dropping open as he gazed at the blond in shock, wondering if he was an imposter. "You want to help me? Me? Ron Weasley? Your arch enemy?"
"Don't flatter yourself Weasley, you were never my arch enemy, merely an annoyance in my perfect life," Draco drawled with a slight smirk. "But as for the offer, I'm being serious. I will admit I might be a bit bossy, but surely not as much as Granger."
"No-one can be as bossy as Hermione," Ron muttered.
"Since we're not friends, you don't have to worry about is falling out and ruining our friendship," Draco continued. "I'm also pretty damn good at Potions, plus I've already taken my test, so I know what sort of thing you're going to come up against."
"And you really don't mind?" Ron checked, deciding that Draco's offer was too good to pass up on despite their history.
"I don't mind in the slightest," Draco replied. "I can help you with your Potions and you don't have to worry about your friendship with Granger coming under threat."
"Thanks Malfoy, I really appreciate this," Ron said with a genuine smile.
Maybe he didn't have to give up his dreams of becoming an Auror just yet. Maybe Draco could help him, and he could carry on down the path he'd set out on several months earlier with Harry by his side. Only now he would be alone and from here on out anything he achieved would be of his own making. Maybe this was a chance for him to become more than just Harry Potter's best friend.
