DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Chapter Three: And Night Settled In

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Harry's been isolating himself. Ron decides enough is enough - it's time to do something about it...

Author's notes: This concludes the Day cycle. Please do leave a review and tell me what you think!

The sky was darkening at a rapid pace, swirls of stormy grey and dark blue mixing as the rain whipped across the sky in ropy tendrils. Harry paced back and forth under a large tree at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, his hair and robes soaked, large drops of water sticking to his glasses, which were gradually steaming up from his body heat. The need to be alone kept getting stronger. Since Sirius had... Since last summer, he'd felt isolated somehow, out of contact with those around him. He couldn't stand the loneliness of crowds, of company - far better to be on his own. That way, his isolation was by choice, and that was something. At least that was what he told himself.

Besides, being around his friends hurt. That seemed to be the only thing he could feel these days - pain and hurt and loneliness. Just sitting next to Hermione at lunch was an ordeal. Whereas before he'd felt warmth and friendship, now those feelings seemed to have mutated. Something had twisted what was there into fear and pain - not of his friends, but for them, and for himself. Everyone he loved got hurt. Hermione and oh, God, Ron... Should he lose them, too - he couldn't bear it. He could prevent it, and he would. If keeping away from them would keep them safe...

A hand gripped his shoulder.

"Harry." Ron's voice, Ron's hand. Harry tensed.

"Harry, you have to stop this. You can't keep hiding from us."

"I'm not hiding." It wasn't true, and they both knew it.

"I know it hurts, Harry, but we want to help you - don't keep doing this, don't keep avoiding us!"

"I don't want you to help me!" Harry snapped. Ah, yes - anger was good. Well, not exactly good, but it was cathartic to vent his feelings, and being consumed by anger was better than drowning in pain. "I haven't asked for your 'help'! And you shouldn't want me to stop avoiding you!"

"And why is that?" Ron queried in a voice of forced calm. Harry wanted to scream. What was wrong with him, didn't he understand anything?

"Because you'll get hurt, you idiot!"

"We'll get hurt because we care about you, is that it?" Ron sounded like he was getting angry. As if he had anything to be angry about!

"Yes!"

"Well, we're not going to stop caring about you just because you've decided you want us to stay away and be 'safe', Harry. It doesn't work like that."

"Oh, it doesn't?" Harry spat.

"No, it doesn't!" came Ron's heated reply. "The people who love you, they - we don't - I don't care about the danger, Harry, I don't care if you want to keep us all safe, that does not entitle you to shut me out, and I won't let you!"

Harry stood motionless. Had Ron just said - did he mean -?

"Don't shut me out, Harry," Ron whispered, suddenly broken-voiced, pleading. "Please... Harry, please let me in!"

Harry turned slowly, facing Ron, looking up at him. His blue eyes were filled with pain and - something else - but that wasn't possible! Hope flared within Harry momentarily before his gut clenched and pain surged through him: it wasn't possible. He started to turn away, but Ron was quicker as he leaned forward and briefly pressed his lips against Harry's.

Harry froze.

"Don't shut me out, Harry. I can't bear it!"

Slowly, tentatively, Ron raised his hand to Harry's face and cupped his cheek, forcing Harry to look at him.

Harry saw the desperate hope and fear in Ron's eyes, and realised that he had the power to stop pain, to take it away - that he didn't always have to be the one who caused it. His stomach gave a lurch as he committed to taking a leap of faith.

Not breaking eye contact, he raised his own hand to Ron's face. Slowly, ever so slowly, he leaned in and heard Ron's gasp before he kissed him, gently and carefully, impossibly softly - and felt warm tears running down his face, flowing freely at last.

He could feel all his pain and hurt searing through him like fire, but it was a good, clean pain, like the drawing of poison from a wound, healing him, loosening the tight knot in his chest, lightening the burden on his shoulders.

And then Ron was kissing him back, carefully, tenderly, drawing away and coming back again, covering his face in light butterfly kisses and pulling him close...

"Don't ever shut me out again, Harry. Never again!" he whispered softly into Harry's ear. The feel of Ron's hot breath against his face, Ron's strong arms around him, Ron's soft lips against him... Another swift kiss almost sent Harry to his knees.

"Never again," he whispered back. "I promise."

He pulled away slightly, wanting to look at Ron. Those wonderfully blue eyes were shining, hope and love flaring brightly, pain washed away. Harry felt a jolt of electricity running through his body as their eyes met, and then he was caught against Ron, their mouths crushed together in a bruising kiss, claiming, promising, giving, sharing as the rain whipped around them and night settled in.