Stand Strong

By: Kryptonite

A/N: Fourth chapter, yay. I've finally gotten around to coping and pasting this. I'm going to say this one last and final time, here goes: I do not own Harry Potter or the Harry Potter universe. This story is officially AU after the events of the Fifth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Enjoy.

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The Burrow- 10:30

" Harry?"

" Yeah Ginny?"

" Do you still hate Draco." Knowing how he was supposed to answer, Harry turned with a smile.

" Of course not," rang from his mouth with false enthusiasm. At a look from Ginny he sighed and said, " I don't hate him. Not really. Just habit after years of being at each other's throats. He's not all bad, didn't get the death mark."

" Thanks Harry. Ron still threatens to strangle him and not simply because we're seeing each other." A distinctly male voice chimed in from the direction of the fireplace.

" It's because I'm so handsome and filthy rich."

" Draco!" Ginny cried happily before launching herself at her boyfriend. He laughed and hugged her tightly.

" Hello Virginia. Miss me?" Draco was one of the few people who Harry had ever heard call Ginny 'Virginia' on a regular basis.

" Of course. Miss me?"

" Definitely. Hello Potter."

" Malfoy." Harry inclined his head and folded his copy of the Daily Prophet back up and set it on the table. He stood up and stuck out his hand to shake Draco's.

" Long time no see. How has life been treating you?"

" I opened my own business and it's really doing quite well. You?"

" Quidditch. I'm planning on joining the Ministry though. I figure another year and then I'll move on."

" Sounds like a plan. Do you know what you're going to do in the Ministry? Of course you'll have your choice of jobs after defeating the Dark Lord four years ago."

" Yeah." Harry muttered, eyes darkening at the memory.

" Uh Draco, come here." Ginny dragged him off, muttering to him about how they didn't mention That Day around Harry. Shaking his head, Harry picked up his dishes and went to sit them in the sink.

" Hello Harry. Are you going anywhere today?" Hermione asked, shuffling in for the second time that morning.

" Nope. I told Mrs. Weasley that I'd help Mr. Weasley clean out the shed. She threatened to dump everything in the trash so we get to go through and see what exactly he wants to keep." Harry laughed at the way Mr. Weasley had almost pleaded to keep his 'muggle oddities'.

" That'll be fun." Hermione chuckled, knowing how Arthur Weasley got when it came to his contraptions in the shed.

" Sure it will be. Are you apparating to Hogwarts tonight or tomorrow?"

" Tomorrow. I figure I came Friday night after getting all my work done, I don't need to be back until tomorrow."

After graduation, Hermione had been offered a position as a student aide to McGonagall but soon took over the position of History of Magic from Professor Binns. All the students who had him agreed that she was a much better teacher.

" How is school going?"

" Dumbledore came up with another idea to kick off this years Yule Ball." Harry winced in remembrance of the ball's he had gone to after his fourth year.

" Is it as bad as past years?" One year it had been a salute to safety precautions. The whole time little imps would run around and spout off safety rules such as 'Don't play with matches' and 'Stop, drop and roll'. It quite wrecked the mood for all those couples who had been looking for a 'romantic' setting.

" Worse."

" How can it be worse?"

" Coupling."

" Coupling?"

" We have to dress up as famous muggle or wizard couples from history."

" What's so bad about that?"

" We draw who we have to dress up as from the sorting hat. Then we have to find our partners right before the ball starts. No warning and no way to change."

Harry winced again. " Okay, that is worse."

" I just hope I don't have to see Trelawny kiss Severus ever, ever again." Hermione shuddered at the memory of the two Professors at last years' ball.

" Yeah, that would be pretty bad. It'd be worse if Snape kissed her back." It had been funny enough when Snape had been visibly trying to push himself away but the image of him reciprocating the kiss came unbidden to Hermione's mind.

" Don't make me think about things like that." Harry grinned sheepishly.

" Sorry."

" It's okay."

" I'll see you later. I should probably go find Mr. Weasley." Harry pushed away from the table and started to walk out the door.

" Harry?" Hermione called after him.

" Yeah?" He paused and looked back at one of his best friends.

" You have to tell them." He looked at the floor.

" I will. Just… not now."