Whimsy007: Harry only seems the least maladjusted, there hasn't been much about him from his point of view yet. Hermione made her excuses for Ron, besides how do you know Ben made no connections? He's hardly the kind of guy who would create conflict with someone he has just met.
All the weasleys being there was inconsistency on my part, I originally killed Charlie but when I went to write this chapter I thought it had been bill for some reason. From this moment forth it shall be……..bill, 'cos that'll be easier to correct :D
2005
Ron turned away from Harry's questioning, accusing gaze, he stared down at his own knee's, which were pulled up under his chin as he mumbled incoherently about him and Hermione and….that was all Harry could make out.
"you what?"
his forehead was creased with questioning.
"I"…
although most of Ron's face was pale his ears and cheek's were begging to obtain a violently red hue.
Harry was still shooting him a look that could have killed.
"I"…he picked at his trouser's..
"we were an item".
Harry's knuckle's were white
"how long for?"
"a couple of months"…
Ron's reply was barely audible, he was now staring at Harry's chest, which rose as he filled it with an angry lungful of air, rather than his face.
Suddenly Harry was standing up and leaning over Ron, towering, for once, over the taller boy, his face filled with rage.
"why didn't you tell me?"
Ron was almost afraid of his friend, amazed at the hurt and almost vicious anger in his voice.
"Im sorry Harry, we…I…didn't think" the red head was almost crying "It was secret" he finished off, knowing it was completely lame even as the words left his mouth.
2008
Ron patted vainly at his hair as he reached out a fist to knock on the door of his family home, he needn't have bothered extending his arm said door was yanked open before the fist had even landed.
"Ron!"
his little sister flung her arms around the tall, grinning man so hard she almost bowled him over.
"heya gin"
he extracted himself from her embrace.
"how you doing?"
she ignored his question, dragging him in to the crowded living room were his family greeted him with shouts, not that he noticed, he was staring wide eyed at the man who had just been deposited next to him by his mother.
"Harry?"
the name was barely above a whisper but the man nodded.
"hi Ron"
Ron was still taking in his old friend, shock evident in his face as he looked the man up and down, absorbed the trainers, jeans and black T-shirt he was wearing, his clean shaven face, shockingly green eyes and messy dark hair and punched him square in the jaw.