Chapter 5
Harry found Draco leaning against a tree out by the lake.
"Hey Draco." Harry tried but got no answer. He then walked up and sat next no him and carefully he put his hand under the blonde boy's chins and turned his head so that he could see his face. When he saw the tears that had found their way down his cheeks he pulled him close for comfort.
~*~
Dumbledore's office
"This is something I normally would not do due to the respect of other people's privacy, but I do think it is the only way of making you understand Mr Weasley." Dumbledore said as he walked up to a paining none of them really had noticed before.
"Not many people know that I have this and I hope it will stay that way." He then said sternly as me mumbled a charm and the painting were replaced by a mirror. He then said something else as be tapped the glass of it with his wand but neither Ron nor Hermione could hear what it was.
"If you would please come up here Mr Weasley." He then said and Ron walked up so that he stood next to the Headmaster. When he looked into the mirror he did not se himself and the headmaster standing there, he saw Harry holding Draco down at the lake, but he couldn't only see them, he could also hear them.
"Don't listen to him, he will come around." Ron heard Harry say to Draco.
"No, he's right. What do I know about love? My mother barely hugged me; my father barely ever touched me. I can't remember one time, one single time that he said that he loved me. Instead they spoiled me rotten, I got everything I pointed at and some more."
Draco paused for a little while and collected his thoughts before he continued.
"When I was little my mother used to come in to me and say goodnight. Sometimes she used to kiss my forehead and at some exclusive nights she said that I would always be in her heart. I very much doubt that now. When I got bigger she stopped coming in to me, I was a big boy now and big boys didn't need their mothers saying goodnight to them.
"'Lucius sends his greetings.' That was the goodnight I used to get by my father at some rare occasions."
Ron saw the sad expression on Draco's face and he understood that he had hurt the blond Slytherin more than he could have imagined by saying what he said.
"I'm sorry for what I said up at Dumbledore's office, understand if you don't want to stay at my apartment for the rest of the summer."
"Listen, I know that my parents loved me but there is nothing that I remember of them. I can't remember one single time that someone at the Dursleys said that they loved me, let alone that they cared for me. I hardly know anything about love, but I do know that I love Ron and Hermione and I do know that I love you."
When Harry had said this he had been looking into the blondes eyes so that he could be sure that he would understand. When Ron saw this all his previously hate towards Malfoy disappeared, he knew that if Harry could trust someone like that then he also would trust that person. As he looked thorough the mirror he felt a soft hand slip into his. He looked to his side and saw Hermione standing next to him, he gave her a weak smile and then he looked back through the mirror. There he saw Harry plant a soft kiss upon Draco's lips who closed his eyes so savour the kiss.
"Let's go home." Harry then said and the two boys got up and began to walk back towards the headmaster's office.
When they got back everyone sat where they had before they left. Ron was fidgeting nervously and carefully he got up from his chair.
"Look, I'm sorry for what I said and, well I'm sorry, I was out of line there." He stumbled over the words as he got his apology out.
"Apology accepted." Draco then said.
"If Harry and Hermione are willingly to trust you then so am I." Ron said as he reached out his hand. Draco took it and shook it.
"Thank you Ron." Harry then said as he took some floo powder. "Let's go home." He then said and looked at Draco.
"Draco Malfoy's Apartment Diagon Alley!" Draco then shouted as he stepped into the flames. Harry followed shortly after.
"Wonder what happened to Weasley?"
"He probably fell over and hit his head on something very hard." Harry replied.
~*~
At the Burrow:
Ron stepped out of the fireplace at the Burrow. (He handled the floo network a lot better than Harry usually did.) Hermione and he had flooed out of Dumbledore's office just a few minutes after Harry and Draco. Dumbledore made them promise not to share what they had heard there today to any of their friends. Hermione had left first and, just as Ron was about to step into the fireplace, Dumbledore had looked at him and said; "If there is anything you mother would like to discuss with me you can tell her that I will be in my office all day."
After that Ron had flooed back home.
He made his way into the kitchen were his family sat and ate dinner. Bill and Charlie were visiting for a few days but Arthur was working and Percy was at his apartment in London so the table wasn't that crowded.
"Oh, there you are Ron!" His mother exclaimed as she waved her wand so that another plate flew to the table from the cupboards.
"We didn't know when you would be back so we started dinner without you, but don't worry there's enough food for you too." She continued.
The only seat available was the one next to Fred. He and George always sat at the end of the table and no one wanted to sit next to them only to have their forks turned into snakes or have their plate dancing and singing the Macarena. Their mother had made them promise not to pull any of their pranks at dinner, but as they had a record of not listening to any rules, made by thier mother or otherwise, no one expected them to actually keep to thier "promise".
Ron made and hesitant face as he slowly walked towards the empty seat.
"Come on little brother, you're big brother Fred won't hurt you!"
"That's a new one." Bill snorted.
"What? You don't trust me?" Fred asked trying to sound surprised.
"I wouldn't trust you in watching a snail." Bill responded.
"And what could go wrong in watching a snail? I mean it wouldn't exactly run away, now would it?"
"No, but knowing who you are and how you act, you'd probably transfigure the poor thing into something pink wearing a tutu."
"Oh, that is so unfair!" Fred said and did his best to look very hurt.
"Oh, we all know that is not unfair dear. Now sit down Ron and have dinner with the rest of us." Molly said and looked sternly at Fred.
"And if you try anything I will strip you of your wand."
"You wouldn't!"
"Try me." She said in her "don't mess with me 'cause I've raised seven children" voice.
Sighing, Ron sat down and began to eat with the rest of his family.
"So Ron, what did Dumbledore want?"
"Just talk a little." He said carefully, knowing how easy he let things slip sometimes.
"About what?"
"Things." Ron said as he shrugged his shoulders and took another fork-full of potatoes.
Molly only hmpfd about his answer, but she was a persistent women and was not about to give up yet.
"I highly doubt that he would call you there just to talk about the weather." She looked at him sceptically before she continued. "You're not in trouble are you? Because if you are, you won't even be able to..."
"Mom! I'm NOT in trouble."
"So then what did he want?" She asked again but this time she got no answer. "Was Harry there?" She then asked trying a different approach.
"Yeah, Hermione too."
"Oh, so it had something to do about Harry then?" Ron almost dropped his fork when she said this but he remained dead silent. He intended to keep himself that way, because if he opened his mouth again he knew he would let something slip.
Molly knew her son very well and she could read him like an open book. She now knew that the meeting with Dumbledore had been about Harry, or Ron wouldn't be so quiet about it, but she also knew that she wouldn't get any more information out of her son right now so she let the subject drop for a few minutes.
The dinner continued and Molly turned her attention towards her two older sons for awhile.
"When on earth are you going to let me cut that hair of yours, Bill?" Or "You know you should be more careful around those dragons, Charlie." Was heard several times. Ron got to eat his food undisturbed by his brothers Fred and George as neither Fred nor George dared to pull a prank, afraid of what their mother would do. But unfortunately they didn't stay quiet. First they discussed quidditch and asked Ron what he thought about some of their new products but then Fred asked;
"So how's Harry now?"
"Oh, I think he is fine, just a bit sore..." He quickly shut his mouth and bit his tongue hoping that his mother would have missed what he just had said, but being Ron Weasley he didn't have that luck.
"Sore? Why would he be feeling sore? He hasn't been hurt has he?"
Now Ron did drop his fork. He kept his mouth shut and said absolutely nothing while mentally cursing himself for not being able to keep his mouth shut. Now the whole table had gone quiet.
"Ron?" She paused for a few seconds, giving him some time to say something. "Ron, something has happened hasn't it?" But Ron kept silent, refusing to open his mouth. "Ronald Weasley answer me! Has something happened to Harry?" She raised her voice while saying this, she was now feeling very worried that something very bad had happened.
Ron swallowed and slowly he looked up at his mother knowing that now she wouldn't let the subject drop.
"Mom, please don't." He only said, hoping that she would get the message and not ask any more questions. There was such a sad look at his face and Molly immediately knew for sure that something very bad had happened.
"Oh god, what happened?" She said as her hand went up to cover her mouth.
Ron just continued looking at his mother, desperatly wanting to tell her what had happened but he didn't want to let the whole family know. That just wouldn't be right towards Harry.
"It's such a shame to sit in here when the weather is so good outside!" Charlie said understanding that the two of them needed to be alone. "Why don't we finish dinner outside?"
"That sounds like a good idea." Bill then said as he rose, getting his brothers silent message.
"Come on then, let's go outside." Charlie said as he waved his wand and levitated all plates but Ron's and their mother's outside. Ginny and the twins also rose and followed.
When they were alone Molly then again asked Ron what had happened, but this time her voice was soft and mellow.
"It was his uncle, he..." Ron paused for a few minutes and took a deep breath. "He abused him, quite badly, some days ago."
"Oh no." Molly only said as tears began to form in her eyes.
"Harry managed to petrify him and he gave Hedwig a message so that someone could come and get him."
"How bad was it?" his mother then asked.
"They didn't really tell, but by the look on Harry's face when Dumbledore told us what happened... I think it was pretty bad."
"He doesn't deserve that, he doesn't deserve that..." She softly repeated. After awhile she looked into her son's eyes again. "There's more, isn't it?" She then said.
"Sort of, but it isn't exactly bad news." Pause. "He hasn't been staying at Hogwarts while recouperating. He has been staying with someone else."
"Who?"
"Draco Malfoy." He only said waiting for her response.
"Malfoy?" She looked questioningly at her son, knowing that Dumbledore wouldn't let Harry stay with someone whom he didn't trust, but weren't Harry and Malfoy enemies? "And why would Harry want to stay with Malfoy, or why would Malfoy want Harry to stay with him?"
Now Ron did manage to hold his tongue and not tell his mother about Harry's and Draco's relationship.
"Apparently the two of them became friend at the end of last year. Dumbledore trusts him and so does Hermione."
"And you? Do you trust him?"
He was quiet for a few moments before answering.
"Yes. I do now."
"Very well then." She said with a thoughtful voice, looking out into empty space.
"I think I will go and have a talk with Dumbledore. Tell the others I will be back shortly." she said after awhile and rose from the table, leaving the kitchen.
"He said he would be at his office all day!" Ron shouted after her, remembering what Dumbledore had told him earlier.
Ron stared down into his plate and after awhile he waved his wand so that it flew to the sink and began to wash itself. A few minutes leter Bill carefully looked in to see if the coast was clear. When he saw that their mother had left, he felt it was safe and stepped back into the kitchen.
"Is everything alright?" Bill asked carefully.
"Yeah." Ron sighed.
"Where's mom?"
"She went to visit Dumbledore, said she would be back soon."
"Oh, okay."
No one asked Ron what he and his mother had talked about. They all knew that is was something touchy that had to do with Harry. Even Fred and George respected their little brother's need of privacy and they didn't pull any pranks on him that day. When their mother returned later from Dumbledore's she first went to talk with Ron.
"Ron, can I speak with you for a few minutes?" She said as she stepped into his room. He looked up from a quidditch book he was reading and nodded.
"I talked to Dumbledore and he assured me that Harry would not be going back to those relatives of his." She practically spat out the word "relatives" and Ron almost had to smile at the mental picture he got of his mother demanding Dumbledore not to return Harry to number four, Private Drive. "In fact, I offered to let him stay here for the rest of the summer. So could you please send him a letter asking if he and Draco Malfoy, if the boy wishes, would like to come and have dinner tomorrow evening?"
"Sure, I'll do it right away." Ron said and as his mother walked out of his room he fetched some parchment and wrote a letter to Harry, explaining to him that his mother knew and that she wanted them to come to dinner.
~*~ At Draco's apartment:
Harry and Draco were currently playing chess and Draco was loosing, badly. This was one thing he wasn't taking very good.
"I'm telling you there's something wrong with the pieces! When I look away they move to make things easier for you!" Draco said sourly.
"Oh just blame the pieces! You are such a bad loser." Harry laughed.
"No I'm not!" Draco responded defensive.
"Yeah, sure, whatever you think." As Harry had said this a bushy owl swept into the room and landed in front of Harry. With a hoot it dropped the letter in Harry's lap.
"Who's it from?" Draco asked curious.
"One of the Weasley's, It's their owl." He said as he opened the letter. Draco got up and sat down next to Harry so that he also could read the letter.
Hello Harry!
First of all, I'm very, very sorry! Hope you don't get mad, I really tried to keep my mouth shut but you know how my mom is! I mean it's absolutely hopeless, when she decides that she wants to know something, she will find it out. As a said before, or wrote, I really tried to keep my mouth shut, I mean I bit my tongue so hard it almost began to bleed, but anyway, she kept asking all these questions but I kept my mouth shut and finally she dropped the subject. But then when I began to relax Fred asked me how you were doing and I sort of slipped a little. I really am sorry, I honestly didn't mean to! I told him that you were fine but felt a little sore, or something like that. Of course she heard this and I couldn't lie to her and say it was nothing so I told her what had happened and that you have been staying with Malfoy. BUT I didn't tell her about you and him, just that you were friends, and I presume that you are more than just friends, right? She was a little sceptical about you staying with Malfoy but then I told her that Dumbledore, Hermione and I trusted him and she seemed quite okay with it.
Oh, Merlin I can't believe that! I actually wrote that I trust Draco Malfoy! Make sure you dont show him this letter will you? Anyway, no one else knows about this, the others left me and mum to talk undisturbed.
So now she wants you to come here for dinner tomorrow evening and Malfoy is welcome to if he so wishes. As you have probably figured out already, she is going to try to make you stay with us for the rest of the summer and if you don't want to I'll back you up mate, Merlin knows you'll need it!
So just send a reply note with the owl and let me know if and when you'll be coming tomorrow and if you will bring that boyfriend of yours. (You know that mom will come and drag you here if you turn this invitation down.)
Your friend with the biggest mouth, Ron
"He is right you know." Draco said seriously.
"About what?"
"That he has the biggest mouth." At this he got a light punch on the shoulder.
"I thought that he might have some trouble keeping this from Mrs Weasley, she really is persistent. Besides he did write that he's sorry."
"So you're going?" Draco asked curious.
"Yeah, I think that's for the best." Harry was silent for a few minutes. "You want to come?" He asked hopefully.
"I seriously doubt that they would like someone with the name Malfoy sitting at their table, eating dinner." Draco said a bit sad.
"She wouldn't invite you if you weren't welcome, besides it will be good opportunity for showing them that you are not your father."
"I don't know..." Draco said sceptically.
"It's just for awhile, we'll leave whenever you feel like it. Just see it as a free dinner."
"But what if-" Draco didn't get a chance in finishing his sentence because Harry interrupted him.
"Oh don't be such a wimp! What's the worst thing that could happen?"
"You mean with those twins present? I'll probably end up with hairy ears and life-long chicken-pox."
"Oh, come on you big wus!" When Harry had said this he got Draco's full attention.
"Wus? Are you calling me, Draco Donovan Malfoy a wus?" As Harry heard this he burst out laughing.
"What? What did I say?" Draco said surprisingly. But he got no answer from Harry, he was now bending over, clutching his stomach and tears running down his face.
"I fail to see exactly what is so hilarious." Draco then said beginning to feel irritated.
"I'm sorry, your name!" Harry managed to say between his laughing.
"I have never seen you react that way before when you have heard my name." Draco was now even more irritated.
"Your name is Donovan!" The raven haired boy then responded as he began to laugh yet again.
"So what?" He said loud.
"I'm sorry but it just sounds so funny."
"Ha, ha, ha how very hilarious!" Draco was now feeling very irritated. Harry noticed the irritation in his voice and sobered.
"I'm sorry, but I could never imagine you by the name Donovan." He said with a sincere look on his face but with his cheeks flustered after all the laughing.
"I don't like it very much either, but I didn't choose it!"
"I didn't mean to laugh like that but I couldn't help myself. I'm sorry, really I am." Harry said as he placed a kiss on the blond Slytherin's forehead in an apologising gesture.
"It means 'dark warrior' and it was my father who choose it. He probably thought it was appropriate for the Malfoy heir." Draco responded after a few seconds. Harry tightened his grip around him while hearing this.
"I didn't know. As I've said, I'm sorry."
"I know." Draco looked into Harry's eyes and leened forward to plant a light, sweet kiss upon his lips. "I really did mean it you know." Draco said as he caressed some of the black hair away from Harry's forehead.
"Mean what?"
"That I love you." Harry only smiled at this and then leened forward to kiss Draco.
"I love you to." He mumbled against the blonde's mouth as he gave him another kiss.
"Please come with me to the Weasley's. It would mean a lot to me. I want them to trust you." He said after while.
"I'll go with you."
"Oh, good! I'll write a reply note straight away!" Harry said, sounding like a fifth year old that just had got a lollypop.
~*~
End of another chapter!
I'm halfway through chapter six by now but it'll take me some time so write it 'cause I'm busy being sick. My best friend the toilet. God I hate this.
Harry found Draco leaning against a tree out by the lake.
"Hey Draco." Harry tried but got no answer. He then walked up and sat next no him and carefully he put his hand under the blonde boy's chins and turned his head so that he could see his face. When he saw the tears that had found their way down his cheeks he pulled him close for comfort.
~*~
Dumbledore's office
"This is something I normally would not do due to the respect of other people's privacy, but I do think it is the only way of making you understand Mr Weasley." Dumbledore said as he walked up to a paining none of them really had noticed before.
"Not many people know that I have this and I hope it will stay that way." He then said sternly as me mumbled a charm and the painting were replaced by a mirror. He then said something else as be tapped the glass of it with his wand but neither Ron nor Hermione could hear what it was.
"If you would please come up here Mr Weasley." He then said and Ron walked up so that he stood next to the Headmaster. When he looked into the mirror he did not se himself and the headmaster standing there, he saw Harry holding Draco down at the lake, but he couldn't only see them, he could also hear them.
"Don't listen to him, he will come around." Ron heard Harry say to Draco.
"No, he's right. What do I know about love? My mother barely hugged me; my father barely ever touched me. I can't remember one time, one single time that he said that he loved me. Instead they spoiled me rotten, I got everything I pointed at and some more."
Draco paused for a little while and collected his thoughts before he continued.
"When I was little my mother used to come in to me and say goodnight. Sometimes she used to kiss my forehead and at some exclusive nights she said that I would always be in her heart. I very much doubt that now. When I got bigger she stopped coming in to me, I was a big boy now and big boys didn't need their mothers saying goodnight to them.
"'Lucius sends his greetings.' That was the goodnight I used to get by my father at some rare occasions."
Ron saw the sad expression on Draco's face and he understood that he had hurt the blond Slytherin more than he could have imagined by saying what he said.
"I'm sorry for what I said up at Dumbledore's office, understand if you don't want to stay at my apartment for the rest of the summer."
"Listen, I know that my parents loved me but there is nothing that I remember of them. I can't remember one single time that someone at the Dursleys said that they loved me, let alone that they cared for me. I hardly know anything about love, but I do know that I love Ron and Hermione and I do know that I love you."
When Harry had said this he had been looking into the blondes eyes so that he could be sure that he would understand. When Ron saw this all his previously hate towards Malfoy disappeared, he knew that if Harry could trust someone like that then he also would trust that person. As he looked thorough the mirror he felt a soft hand slip into his. He looked to his side and saw Hermione standing next to him, he gave her a weak smile and then he looked back through the mirror. There he saw Harry plant a soft kiss upon Draco's lips who closed his eyes so savour the kiss.
"Let's go home." Harry then said and the two boys got up and began to walk back towards the headmaster's office.
When they got back everyone sat where they had before they left. Ron was fidgeting nervously and carefully he got up from his chair.
"Look, I'm sorry for what I said and, well I'm sorry, I was out of line there." He stumbled over the words as he got his apology out.
"Apology accepted." Draco then said.
"If Harry and Hermione are willingly to trust you then so am I." Ron said as he reached out his hand. Draco took it and shook it.
"Thank you Ron." Harry then said as he took some floo powder. "Let's go home." He then said and looked at Draco.
"Draco Malfoy's Apartment Diagon Alley!" Draco then shouted as he stepped into the flames. Harry followed shortly after.
"Wonder what happened to Weasley?"
"He probably fell over and hit his head on something very hard." Harry replied.
~*~
At the Burrow:
Ron stepped out of the fireplace at the Burrow. (He handled the floo network a lot better than Harry usually did.) Hermione and he had flooed out of Dumbledore's office just a few minutes after Harry and Draco. Dumbledore made them promise not to share what they had heard there today to any of their friends. Hermione had left first and, just as Ron was about to step into the fireplace, Dumbledore had looked at him and said; "If there is anything you mother would like to discuss with me you can tell her that I will be in my office all day."
After that Ron had flooed back home.
He made his way into the kitchen were his family sat and ate dinner. Bill and Charlie were visiting for a few days but Arthur was working and Percy was at his apartment in London so the table wasn't that crowded.
"Oh, there you are Ron!" His mother exclaimed as she waved her wand so that another plate flew to the table from the cupboards.
"We didn't know when you would be back so we started dinner without you, but don't worry there's enough food for you too." She continued.
The only seat available was the one next to Fred. He and George always sat at the end of the table and no one wanted to sit next to them only to have their forks turned into snakes or have their plate dancing and singing the Macarena. Their mother had made them promise not to pull any of their pranks at dinner, but as they had a record of not listening to any rules, made by thier mother or otherwise, no one expected them to actually keep to thier "promise".
Ron made and hesitant face as he slowly walked towards the empty seat.
"Come on little brother, you're big brother Fred won't hurt you!"
"That's a new one." Bill snorted.
"What? You don't trust me?" Fred asked trying to sound surprised.
"I wouldn't trust you in watching a snail." Bill responded.
"And what could go wrong in watching a snail? I mean it wouldn't exactly run away, now would it?"
"No, but knowing who you are and how you act, you'd probably transfigure the poor thing into something pink wearing a tutu."
"Oh, that is so unfair!" Fred said and did his best to look very hurt.
"Oh, we all know that is not unfair dear. Now sit down Ron and have dinner with the rest of us." Molly said and looked sternly at Fred.
"And if you try anything I will strip you of your wand."
"You wouldn't!"
"Try me." She said in her "don't mess with me 'cause I've raised seven children" voice.
Sighing, Ron sat down and began to eat with the rest of his family.
"So Ron, what did Dumbledore want?"
"Just talk a little." He said carefully, knowing how easy he let things slip sometimes.
"About what?"
"Things." Ron said as he shrugged his shoulders and took another fork-full of potatoes.
Molly only hmpfd about his answer, but she was a persistent women and was not about to give up yet.
"I highly doubt that he would call you there just to talk about the weather." She looked at him sceptically before she continued. "You're not in trouble are you? Because if you are, you won't even be able to..."
"Mom! I'm NOT in trouble."
"So then what did he want?" She asked again but this time she got no answer. "Was Harry there?" She then asked trying a different approach.
"Yeah, Hermione too."
"Oh, so it had something to do about Harry then?" Ron almost dropped his fork when she said this but he remained dead silent. He intended to keep himself that way, because if he opened his mouth again he knew he would let something slip.
Molly knew her son very well and she could read him like an open book. She now knew that the meeting with Dumbledore had been about Harry, or Ron wouldn't be so quiet about it, but she also knew that she wouldn't get any more information out of her son right now so she let the subject drop for a few minutes.
The dinner continued and Molly turned her attention towards her two older sons for awhile.
"When on earth are you going to let me cut that hair of yours, Bill?" Or "You know you should be more careful around those dragons, Charlie." Was heard several times. Ron got to eat his food undisturbed by his brothers Fred and George as neither Fred nor George dared to pull a prank, afraid of what their mother would do. But unfortunately they didn't stay quiet. First they discussed quidditch and asked Ron what he thought about some of their new products but then Fred asked;
"So how's Harry now?"
"Oh, I think he is fine, just a bit sore..." He quickly shut his mouth and bit his tongue hoping that his mother would have missed what he just had said, but being Ron Weasley he didn't have that luck.
"Sore? Why would he be feeling sore? He hasn't been hurt has he?"
Now Ron did drop his fork. He kept his mouth shut and said absolutely nothing while mentally cursing himself for not being able to keep his mouth shut. Now the whole table had gone quiet.
"Ron?" She paused for a few seconds, giving him some time to say something. "Ron, something has happened hasn't it?" But Ron kept silent, refusing to open his mouth. "Ronald Weasley answer me! Has something happened to Harry?" She raised her voice while saying this, she was now feeling very worried that something very bad had happened.
Ron swallowed and slowly he looked up at his mother knowing that now she wouldn't let the subject drop.
"Mom, please don't." He only said, hoping that she would get the message and not ask any more questions. There was such a sad look at his face and Molly immediately knew for sure that something very bad had happened.
"Oh god, what happened?" She said as her hand went up to cover her mouth.
Ron just continued looking at his mother, desperatly wanting to tell her what had happened but he didn't want to let the whole family know. That just wouldn't be right towards Harry.
"It's such a shame to sit in here when the weather is so good outside!" Charlie said understanding that the two of them needed to be alone. "Why don't we finish dinner outside?"
"That sounds like a good idea." Bill then said as he rose, getting his brothers silent message.
"Come on then, let's go outside." Charlie said as he waved his wand and levitated all plates but Ron's and their mother's outside. Ginny and the twins also rose and followed.
When they were alone Molly then again asked Ron what had happened, but this time her voice was soft and mellow.
"It was his uncle, he..." Ron paused for a few minutes and took a deep breath. "He abused him, quite badly, some days ago."
"Oh no." Molly only said as tears began to form in her eyes.
"Harry managed to petrify him and he gave Hedwig a message so that someone could come and get him."
"How bad was it?" his mother then asked.
"They didn't really tell, but by the look on Harry's face when Dumbledore told us what happened... I think it was pretty bad."
"He doesn't deserve that, he doesn't deserve that..." She softly repeated. After awhile she looked into her son's eyes again. "There's more, isn't it?" She then said.
"Sort of, but it isn't exactly bad news." Pause. "He hasn't been staying at Hogwarts while recouperating. He has been staying with someone else."
"Who?"
"Draco Malfoy." He only said waiting for her response.
"Malfoy?" She looked questioningly at her son, knowing that Dumbledore wouldn't let Harry stay with someone whom he didn't trust, but weren't Harry and Malfoy enemies? "And why would Harry want to stay with Malfoy, or why would Malfoy want Harry to stay with him?"
Now Ron did manage to hold his tongue and not tell his mother about Harry's and Draco's relationship.
"Apparently the two of them became friend at the end of last year. Dumbledore trusts him and so does Hermione."
"And you? Do you trust him?"
He was quiet for a few moments before answering.
"Yes. I do now."
"Very well then." She said with a thoughtful voice, looking out into empty space.
"I think I will go and have a talk with Dumbledore. Tell the others I will be back shortly." she said after awhile and rose from the table, leaving the kitchen.
"He said he would be at his office all day!" Ron shouted after her, remembering what Dumbledore had told him earlier.
Ron stared down into his plate and after awhile he waved his wand so that it flew to the sink and began to wash itself. A few minutes leter Bill carefully looked in to see if the coast was clear. When he saw that their mother had left, he felt it was safe and stepped back into the kitchen.
"Is everything alright?" Bill asked carefully.
"Yeah." Ron sighed.
"Where's mom?"
"She went to visit Dumbledore, said she would be back soon."
"Oh, okay."
No one asked Ron what he and his mother had talked about. They all knew that is was something touchy that had to do with Harry. Even Fred and George respected their little brother's need of privacy and they didn't pull any pranks on him that day. When their mother returned later from Dumbledore's she first went to talk with Ron.
"Ron, can I speak with you for a few minutes?" She said as she stepped into his room. He looked up from a quidditch book he was reading and nodded.
"I talked to Dumbledore and he assured me that Harry would not be going back to those relatives of his." She practically spat out the word "relatives" and Ron almost had to smile at the mental picture he got of his mother demanding Dumbledore not to return Harry to number four, Private Drive. "In fact, I offered to let him stay here for the rest of the summer. So could you please send him a letter asking if he and Draco Malfoy, if the boy wishes, would like to come and have dinner tomorrow evening?"
"Sure, I'll do it right away." Ron said and as his mother walked out of his room he fetched some parchment and wrote a letter to Harry, explaining to him that his mother knew and that she wanted them to come to dinner.
~*~ At Draco's apartment:
Harry and Draco were currently playing chess and Draco was loosing, badly. This was one thing he wasn't taking very good.
"I'm telling you there's something wrong with the pieces! When I look away they move to make things easier for you!" Draco said sourly.
"Oh just blame the pieces! You are such a bad loser." Harry laughed.
"No I'm not!" Draco responded defensive.
"Yeah, sure, whatever you think." As Harry had said this a bushy owl swept into the room and landed in front of Harry. With a hoot it dropped the letter in Harry's lap.
"Who's it from?" Draco asked curious.
"One of the Weasley's, It's their owl." He said as he opened the letter. Draco got up and sat down next to Harry so that he also could read the letter.
Hello Harry!
First of all, I'm very, very sorry! Hope you don't get mad, I really tried to keep my mouth shut but you know how my mom is! I mean it's absolutely hopeless, when she decides that she wants to know something, she will find it out. As a said before, or wrote, I really tried to keep my mouth shut, I mean I bit my tongue so hard it almost began to bleed, but anyway, she kept asking all these questions but I kept my mouth shut and finally she dropped the subject. But then when I began to relax Fred asked me how you were doing and I sort of slipped a little. I really am sorry, I honestly didn't mean to! I told him that you were fine but felt a little sore, or something like that. Of course she heard this and I couldn't lie to her and say it was nothing so I told her what had happened and that you have been staying with Malfoy. BUT I didn't tell her about you and him, just that you were friends, and I presume that you are more than just friends, right? She was a little sceptical about you staying with Malfoy but then I told her that Dumbledore, Hermione and I trusted him and she seemed quite okay with it.
Oh, Merlin I can't believe that! I actually wrote that I trust Draco Malfoy! Make sure you dont show him this letter will you? Anyway, no one else knows about this, the others left me and mum to talk undisturbed.
So now she wants you to come here for dinner tomorrow evening and Malfoy is welcome to if he so wishes. As you have probably figured out already, she is going to try to make you stay with us for the rest of the summer and if you don't want to I'll back you up mate, Merlin knows you'll need it!
So just send a reply note with the owl and let me know if and when you'll be coming tomorrow and if you will bring that boyfriend of yours. (You know that mom will come and drag you here if you turn this invitation down.)
Your friend with the biggest mouth, Ron
"He is right you know." Draco said seriously.
"About what?"
"That he has the biggest mouth." At this he got a light punch on the shoulder.
"I thought that he might have some trouble keeping this from Mrs Weasley, she really is persistent. Besides he did write that he's sorry."
"So you're going?" Draco asked curious.
"Yeah, I think that's for the best." Harry was silent for a few minutes. "You want to come?" He asked hopefully.
"I seriously doubt that they would like someone with the name Malfoy sitting at their table, eating dinner." Draco said a bit sad.
"She wouldn't invite you if you weren't welcome, besides it will be good opportunity for showing them that you are not your father."
"I don't know..." Draco said sceptically.
"It's just for awhile, we'll leave whenever you feel like it. Just see it as a free dinner."
"But what if-" Draco didn't get a chance in finishing his sentence because Harry interrupted him.
"Oh don't be such a wimp! What's the worst thing that could happen?"
"You mean with those twins present? I'll probably end up with hairy ears and life-long chicken-pox."
"Oh, come on you big wus!" When Harry had said this he got Draco's full attention.
"Wus? Are you calling me, Draco Donovan Malfoy a wus?" As Harry heard this he burst out laughing.
"What? What did I say?" Draco said surprisingly. But he got no answer from Harry, he was now bending over, clutching his stomach and tears running down his face.
"I fail to see exactly what is so hilarious." Draco then said beginning to feel irritated.
"I'm sorry, your name!" Harry managed to say between his laughing.
"I have never seen you react that way before when you have heard my name." Draco was now even more irritated.
"Your name is Donovan!" The raven haired boy then responded as he began to laugh yet again.
"So what?" He said loud.
"I'm sorry but it just sounds so funny."
"Ha, ha, ha how very hilarious!" Draco was now feeling very irritated. Harry noticed the irritation in his voice and sobered.
"I'm sorry, but I could never imagine you by the name Donovan." He said with a sincere look on his face but with his cheeks flustered after all the laughing.
"I don't like it very much either, but I didn't choose it!"
"I didn't mean to laugh like that but I couldn't help myself. I'm sorry, really I am." Harry said as he placed a kiss on the blond Slytherin's forehead in an apologising gesture.
"It means 'dark warrior' and it was my father who choose it. He probably thought it was appropriate for the Malfoy heir." Draco responded after a few seconds. Harry tightened his grip around him while hearing this.
"I didn't know. As I've said, I'm sorry."
"I know." Draco looked into Harry's eyes and leened forward to plant a light, sweet kiss upon his lips. "I really did mean it you know." Draco said as he caressed some of the black hair away from Harry's forehead.
"Mean what?"
"That I love you." Harry only smiled at this and then leened forward to kiss Draco.
"I love you to." He mumbled against the blonde's mouth as he gave him another kiss.
"Please come with me to the Weasley's. It would mean a lot to me. I want them to trust you." He said after while.
"I'll go with you."
"Oh, good! I'll write a reply note straight away!" Harry said, sounding like a fifth year old that just had got a lollypop.
~*~
End of another chapter!
I'm halfway through chapter six by now but it'll take me some time so write it 'cause I'm busy being sick. My best friend the toilet. God I hate this.