Chapter 19

"Harry!" Hermione squealed, throwing her arms around him tightly. "I knew you would be lonely, so I decided to drag Draco here and see if we could surprise you!"

"Surprise is an understatement," Harry laughed, running a hand through his messy hair after he had let go of Hermione. "Ron's been writing frequently, but you two practically disappeared off the radar. What happened?"

Draco cast Hermione an amused look.

"It's a long story," he said. "But we'll tell you if you're willing to listen."


"Wow," Harry said after Draco had finished relating the recent events. "And how is he related to you?"

Draco gulped. "We think he's my half-brother."

"And he got you arrested?" Harry asked dubiously.

They both nodded miserably.

"He got us arrested because he thought I was in league with Death Eaters," Draco emphasized nervously. "What'll happen when he finds out that we share a dad?"

"Don't worry about it for now," Hermione said, stroking his back. 'We have to kill Voldemort before we even think of doing anything about Luc. We have to prioritize, you know."

Draco looked skeptical. "You know, Luc is just as bad as Voldemort-"

"Shut up," Hermione laughed, shoving him. "You are so stupid. You're just jealous that I've known Luc longer than you."

"Hey," Harry said suddenly. "Isn't Luc the boy you dated after fifth year, over the summer?"

Hermione groaned, while Draco looked stricken.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said, quite upset. "Didn't you trust me not to kill him?"

"Thanks Harry," Hermione snapped. "No, Draco. I knew you'd get like this, all upset and jealous and shit. Don't be. Luc and I have been over for like a year now."

Draco still seemed upset. "But I don't understand-"

"I said the wrong thing," Harry said guiltily. "Sorry Hermione. It just kinda slipped out."

Hermione sighed. "Well, now that we're all caught up, Draco and I ought to go before your aunt and uncle get back. Where are they anyway?"

"Who knows," Harry said, suddenly dejected. "When did Dumbledore say I could come to Headquarters?"

"Your birthday," Draco replied automatically.

"Which reminds me," Hermione continued. "Headquarters is in a different place, since Voldemort found Grimmauld Place."

Harry nodded, tired. "Yeah, I figured it would be moved. I bet Sirius is happy about it."

"If it helps you any, Harry," Draco said quickly. "Sirius misses you dreadfully."

Harry smiled painfully. "I miss him too, and somehow, it feels so weird to think that he's back. He's been gone for a year, and I guess I got used to that empty spot at the back of my heart."

"I know," Hermione said, rubbing his back. "We all missed him too."


Hermione and Draco Apparated onto the doorstep of number 56 Knockturn Alley.

"Don't tell anyone we went to see Harry," she said strictly. "Because Dumbledore will doubtless not approve of it, I wouldn't blame him. Someone could have followed us, even though I did banish all traces of our presence."

"I see," Draco said briefly. "What if Harry tells Ron, and Ron gets mad at us for not telling him?"

"Harry won't tell," Hermione said assuredly. "He understands, and he knows that Ron would kill us for not bringing him along. Besides, Harry and Ron aren't getting along as well as they should."

"What's wrong?"

Hermione paused uncertainly. "Since you're friends with both of them, I'll tell you. Harry wants to see other people, but Ron's still obsessed with Harry. I'm not sure how it will work out without one of them hating the other."

"That's strange," Draco said. "They were so close last year."

"I know," Hermione said, her throat constricting painfully. "I have no idea what they're going to do."

"Harry doesn't seem like the type to waffle in his affections," Draco said suddenly. "I mean, he was obsessed with Cho Chang for most of fourth and fifth year."

"Yeah," Hermione said, opening the door. "I think he's bi-sexual, and he's confused. He thinks he should only like one gender, but then he has feelings for girls, and then for Ron. He needs time to sort out if Ron is the right person for him, or if there is someone else out there for him."

"Hey," someone called from the other side of the hall. They turned around to see Ginny poking her head out from behind a column. "Are you guys talking about Harry?"

"Yes," Hermione replied hesitantly. "Were you listening to us?"

Ginny nodded emphatically. "Yeah, I was. I want to talk to you guys about Ron."


Hermione sat down on the bed, and Ginny closed their bedroom door behind her. Draco took a chair by the desk, and Ginny sat down on the table.

"Okay, what's up with Ron?" she asked them. Draco cast Hermione a worried look, but Hermione ignored him, and launched into the story she had told Draco not minutes before.

"So, Harry doesn't like him like that anymore?" Ginny said slowly. "And he told Ron this?"

"Yup," Hermione replied. "That's what Ron told me."

"Weird," Ginny said. "Ron's been going out with this guy from Durmstrang for a month or so."

"What!" Hermione exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "That's not what he told me."

Draco frowned. "What the hell is going on here? I mean, it sounds like they're both seeing other people, and lying about it to each other."

"Yeah," Ginny said abruptly. "That would make sense, because last time I wrote Harry, he wrote back all distracted and stuff, like he wasn't really paying attention. Whoever it is, I bet they're hot."

"Harry would have told me," Hermione said, the hurt evident in her voice. "I trust him with everything, and I couldn't believe that he would do something like that to Ron, or to me."


A/N: Today is my birthday! At five o'clock this morning, I turned fifteen! Yay! Sorry I haven't updated in like a week, but I've been super busy...