Harry awoke the next day at half past eight to find Ron and Adrien passed out in the common room. As he stood there shaking his head at the pair of them, someone approached him from behind.
"I see someone else has a drunken friend," Kit said, making Harry jump.
"He's not always like this," he said, defending Ron. "This is the first time –"
"You've ever seen him like this," Kit finished. "If he really is in love with this Hermione girl, then he'll have been drunk before over her."
Harry turned to look at her. "You really think so?"
Kit sighed. "I know so," she replied sadly, turning her gaze back to her friends. "I thought he looked familiar when we met on the train."
"What do you mean?"
Kit sighed heavily. "Let's go down to breakfast and I'll tell you the whole story."
It was ten o'clock before Ron and Adrien made their hung-over appearance in the Great Hall. It had taken Kit this long to tell her story, and the news unfortunately put Harry in a very miserable mood.
"I would never do something like that," Harry told Kit as Ron fell into the seat next to Kit.
Kit sighed, poking at her now cold eggs. "Neither would I," she said, "but this isn't our lives we're talking about. It's their choice."
"What's whose choice?" Adrien asked, sipping her orange juice.
"Nothing, it doesn't matter," Kit snapped. Adrien looked hurt and ashamed.
"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, throwing up her hands in defeat. "But you know why I do it."
Kit gave Adrien a dark look. "I know what makes you do it; I just don't know why you keep doing it, knowing the consequences of it."
Adrien hung her head. "What am I supposed to do?"
"If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times, Nava," Kit said scathingly. Adrien frowned at the disliked nickname. "Al-Anon was supposed to help you. That is, if you had gone to any of the meetings."
"Well, I'm sorry, Nixie," she retorted, causing Kit to frown in displeasure, "but that wasn't the way I wanted to fix it."
Kit stood up. "Well, you're doing a fine job of fixing it now!" She stormed out of the Great Hall, leaving Adrien speechless and on the verge of tears.
"Don't worry about her," Ron consoled Adrien, "she'll get over it."
"No, Ron, she won't," Adrien sobbed. "I have to go fix it."
"But –" Ron said, trying to make her stay, but it was too late. Adrien ran out of the hall just as Kit had done.
Ron cast a bewildered glace at Harry, and it deepened as Harry was looking very upset.
"What's wrong?"
Harry glared at him. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
Ron's stomach twisted uncomfortably. "What do you mean?" he asked, hoping Harry wasn't talking about the summer.
"You know what I'm talking about," Harry replied quietly, concern and frustration etched all over his face.
"I knew you'd be disappointed."
"I'm more disappointed that you wouldn't tell me," Harry said, hurt in his voice.
"I didn't want to worry you."
"I'm more worried now! What if something happened to you?"
Ron looked at him. He was surprised either of them had not began crying yet. It was then that Ron noticed the dark circles under his best friend's eyes.
"Did you sleep last night?" he asked.
"How could I?" Harry said, starting to choke up. "I cried until I fell asleep, which was sometime in the morning. I was scared you were going to die of alcohol poisoning."
Ron was shocked. He knew Harry and he were best friends, but didn't think he would be that worried.
"I – I didn't mean to –"
"I know," Harry sighed, regaining his composure. Although his voice still shook, the tears were not threatening to break through. "Kit told me this morning that you've been drinking ever since Hermione was kidnapped."
Ron hung his head. "I didn't want you to find out this way."
Harry's sad look was now taken over by an angry one. "No, you'd rather not tell me at all."
Ron looked up. "No," he said breathlessly, "no, not – not at –"
"Would rather drown yourself in alcohol than tell your best friend what you felt."
"No," Ron gasped, tears pouring down his face.
Harry, hurt and betrayed, got up to leave. Ron grabbed the sleeve of his oversized sweater and pulled Harry back down.
"Don't leave me," he gasped, tears still pouring down his now red cheeks. "Help me."
Harry froze and looked down at his friend. Never before had he seen Ron look so vulnerable. At that moment, he silently vowed to do everything he could to get Ron the aid he needed.
"C'mon," he said, pulling Ron to his feet, "let's get you some help."
Together they walked out of the hall, Ron muttering "Thank you, thank you so much," under his breath.
The next days were a flurry of activity for the friends. Kit explained to Harry what Al-Anon was, and then proceeded to contact one of the officials for the next meeting time. Luckily for them, they could come in the next day for counselling. The tricky part was going to be persuading Ron and Adrien to go.
"Just for this one," Kit pleaded to Adrien over lunch.
"No," she replied stubbornly, pushing the peas on her plate around aimlessly. "It didn't work the first time, so why would it work now?"
"Don't you have something important in your life to do it for?" Kit asked. Adrien looked at her confused.
"If you mean Ron –"
"No, not Ron," Kit said, exasperated, "your family."
"Oh," said Adrien, looking down at her plate in shame. "They don't even know, so –"
"So why put them through that misery when they find out? Why not just quit?"
"Because it's too hard," Adrien said, her face contorting in fury.
"Then just come to this one, maybe it'll be different."
Kit's tone of voice caused Adrien look up from her plate. "Why would it be different this time?"
"Because you would know someone there this time."
"Oh, well, I guess I'll go then."
Kit beamed.
Just down the table, Harry sat with Ron in an intense argument.
"Why not? You need it, don't you?" Harry asked, throwing down his fork in frustration.
"Well, yeah I need it," Ron huffed, pushing around his potatoes rather violently. "But I'm not going to take advice from a bunch of Muggles."
Harry sighed. "Of course we have to go to muggles! If any of the wizarding press catch wind that I'm going to an Al-Anon meeting with a friend, your mum is going to murder me."
"What do you mean by that? Are you saying that you're going to –?"
"Come with you? Of course! You don't honestly think I'd make you do this on your own, do you?" Harry asked. When Ron did not respond, Harry leant towards him and added, "You're my best friend. I'll do anything I can to help you kick this addiction."
Ron finally looked up. "Thanks," he said simply, returning to his cold potatoes. "When are we going?"
"Tomorrow."
Ron's jaw dropped. "Tomorrow?" he repeated, "Are you off your rocker?"
"No," Harry said, stony faced, "I'm getting you the help you need before I have to see you fall apart."
"Alright, I'm in."
Harry grinned. He looked down the table to where Kit was sitting with Adrien. She caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry knew tomorrow would only bring another battle, but he was ready for it.
The next day dawned dark and gloomy. It seemed to match Ron's mood perfectly. Both he and Adrien were dreading the meeting. Ron more so than Adrien, which was a downfall, as Adrien would only go if Ron went as well.
At ten o'clock, Kit announced that they should go. Adrien got up, as did Harry. Ron, however, stayed firmly seated.
"C'mon, Ron," Harry said, somewhat threateningly.
Ron sighed. "I'm not done my breakfast yet."
"Then hurry up," Kit said impatiently, "we'll wait for you in the entrance hall."
As Harry and Kit exited the great hall, Adrien sat down again. Ron looked up at her.
"You better go, you know," he said.
"So should you," she said, looking him right in the eyes. "I said I would only go if you went."
"You said yourself it didn't help," Ron retorted.
"I lied," she replied. "Something else I need to stop doing."
Ron didn't say anything, so Adrien continued. "Harry will never forgive you if you don't do this. Just humour him. And me," she said, standing up.
Ron put down his fork. "Well, when you put it like that –"
"Admit it," she laughed, leading him into the entrance hall, "I'm always right."
"Sure you are," he mumbled. She hit him playfully in the arm.
Neither noticed Harry and Kit join hands as they proceeded to the meeting.
After an hour of the meeting, Kit and Harry took a break, as Adrien and Ron were deep in counselling and very comfortable. They decided to go grab a coffee from the nearest coffee house.
"I'm buying," Harry said, leading her into the cramped café.
"Thanks, 'cause I'm broke," Kit laughed.
Harry however, was all of a sudden aware that they were in a muggle café. He only had wizard money on him. However, he had a plan.
He approached the counter as Kit went to find a table.
"What can I get you?" the hostess asked cheerfully.
"Two cappuccinos," he said, "but only if you know about someone I'm looking for."
"And who would that be," the girl asked, keen to help her attractive customer.
"I'm looking for Dumbledore," he said quietly, leaning forward and casually running his fingers through his hair to show the lightning bolt scar on his forward.
The girl behind the counter leaned forward. "Well, Mr. Potter," she said slyly, "chances are you aren't looking for Dumbledore. What can I do for you?"
"I don't have any muggle money," he replied. "Any way you can do something with what I have?"
The girl smiled. "You have no idea how many wizards we get through here. Two caps are three sickles."
Harry smiled as he pulled out the money. She took it and dropped it in a different till. She poured the drinks and handed them to Harry.
"Have a nice day, Mr. Potter."
"You too," he smiled, and joined Kit at the table.
"What took you so long?" she asked, sipping her cappuccino slowly, not taking her eyes off of Harry's face.
"I had no muggle notes, but thankfully the girl was a witch."
"Really?" Kit asked, taking advantage of her time alone with Harry.
"Yeah," Harry said, taking a sip from his own drink. "Apparently they get a lot of us around here."
"Thank goodness," she said, still looking at him over the rim of his cup.
"Yeah," Harry said looking up, and almost immediately getting lost in her golden eyes. She blushed as Harry became temporarily speechless.
"Cat got your tongue?" she asked sassily.
It was Harry's turn to blush. "Apparently," he said, not taking his eyes off her. "Say," he said suddenly, "what are you doing on the second?"
"Going to a wedding with you," she said, smiling at him.
"I thought so," he said.
They sat in silence for the rest of their break. As Harry and Kit stepped into the street, he reached for her hand, and they walked back to the building like that, looking forward to the days that were to come.