Author's Notes: Wow, we're on chapter 33 already. I need to hurry up and finish editing the last bit of the story or we'll be at it before we know it. laughs Don't worry, I'll keep putting up a chapter a week. So don't worry. I'm considering doing a Christmas picture of Harry, Draco and Cassie for all my readers as a thank you for sticking with the story this long. I know it's early to think about Christmas, but if I don't start now, I'll never get anything done.

Chapter 33

The Transfiguration classroom was empty; McGonagall had left for a day trip to London that morning. Harry leaned against her desk, arms crossed, fixing a hard stern gaze on Ron. The red head sat on the table directly in front of him jiggling one leg anxiously. Neither spoke for several minutes each waiting for the other to start. Finally Ron got up.

"Harry, I'm sorry. I've been a jerk." He sighed and sat back down. "I just don't understand. It's like you've lead a secret life behind my back. I thought I knew you, but this...I wasn't expecting it."

"Nobody was." His friend replied quietly.

"Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. I'm having a hard time believing you and he are together. I can deal with the homosexuality, Merlin, I've been wondering about Bill for years." Ron shook his head hoping that he wasn't making matters worse. He couldn't stand to lose his best friend, not ever. "Malfoy's another matter. From everything I experienced he hated us."

Harry sighed. It was hard to explain how it happened because he wasn't sure himself. He and Draco had talked about it a couple times, but not at great length. Most of it stemmed from the brief conversation he and Draco had had while getting dressed that first day. Draco had elaborated a little bit on it since, but when it came to trying to explain it to someone who wasn't in the relationship, it was hard. Harry stared at Ron realizing that he wasn't sure he could manage properly. Besides, Ron hadn't taken the news about the relationship well to begin with; he worried that he might make matters worse. Still, for the sake of their friendship, he needed to try and Ron seemed willing to listen.

Draco had fantasized meeting the "famous Harry Potter" when he was little. Harry was this great hero to all of magic folk in Britain and Draco thought that great wizards like themselves should be friends and allies. When they finally did meet first year, Draco had found Harry very different than what he'd imagined. He'd wanted to be friends, but at that moment Harry had chosen Ron over him, which hurt. So he'd exacted revenge on them, but he'd never lost the hidden desire to be closer to Harry. It was buried so deep that he forgot about it consciously, but his subconscious never did. There it grew and altered into the love that Hathor's Kiss took advantage of.

Harry tried his best to explain this to Ron, who shook his head from time to time in disbelief. This time though, he listened to the full story before making a judgment.

"So he really did like you, but was too afraid to say anything because he was Slytherin and you were Gryffindor?"

Harry shook his head. That wasn't quite right. Sighing, Harry thought about it for a moment and tried again.

"He did and didn't," he said at last. "He hated you for being my friend and hated me for not being his. At the same time he had a crush on me and envied you for your closeness. I believe there were times he wanted nothing more than to be you."

Ron blinked. He couldn't believe that, but as he thought some of what Harry had said made sense. The attempt first year to show Harry that he was better off making friends with him stuck out in his mind. When Harry had said no, Draco had looked hurt. An eleven-year-old hadn't seen that, but a twenty-three-year-old now did.

"He hid it well," he said it at length.

"I know. He hid it as well as I hid mine. Except it's only been since fourth year, when he championed Cedric as the true Hogwarts Champion. I wanted nothing more than to join his campaign. I really didn't want to be Champion, Ron." Harry confessed dropping his arms to his sides.

"I know. That was a really bad year."

"The one after that wasn't much better to start off with."

"I came back, didn't I? I couldn't let Malfoy or his brutes pick on you like that. Neither could Natalie."

"Natalie came back because she loved you." Harry pointed out.

"Well, there was that too," Ron chuckled remembering their return to being Something. "Although, looking back, I remember you were getting really depressed while I was Nothing."

"You scared me when you disappeared." Harry said quietly. "I thought that I should've recognized the signs, that if I'd only tried harder to cheer you up or get you to do something other than sit in the dorm, maybe you wouldn't have become Nothing."

"It wasn't your fault," Ron murmured. "It was mine. I put myself in that state, but I didn't want to be responsible for putting you in that state. That's part of the reason I came back. I had friends and family that cared."

"You know what, Draco picked on me more when you were gone," Harry said thinking aloud. "I wonder if he was in some way trying to help me not be depressed?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't know."

"Love is an odd emotion. It sneaks up on you when you're not expecting it." The Auror dropped his hands to his side. "I don't want it to ruin our friendship, but I don't know where I stand with you anymore."

"Harry, we've been through worse. I'll live. I already told Cassie she could call me Uncle Ron. I'm not going anywhere I just needed to sort things out. I think I understand a little more. You're my friend, my best friend. I don't want to be shut out any more than you do." He got up and walked over to the man. "I don't promise miracles, but if you need a sympathetic ear I'm always here." Harry smiled.

"I may need that."

"With Malfoy, things are never smooth." Ron chuckled, feeling better. Harry sighed and shook his head. No they weren't, not even between friends. Draping his arm over the other man's shoulder, he smiled briefly before suggesting that they go see what terror Cassie was causing to Snape in their absence.