Chapter 16
Disclaimer: I am making no money from this story. No, I am only using up time I should be using to study for final exams. However, aren't you glad I'm writing instead? Thanks to JKR for such lovely characters. Even more thanks for coming flat-out and saying no to Harry/Hermione and pointing out Ron/Hermione instead. Of course, anyone in their right minds would know anyway… Okay, I will desist from the rant.
A/N: Okay, sorry about last chapter being sort of sad. Hey, we can't have rainbows and smiley faces yet, can we? I alert you to another semi-depressing chapter, but after this one and next one, it picks up. I had to rework my outline for chapter eighteen, but I think you'll like this version better than the one I originally had planned. I digress, for this is only chapter sixteen…
Harry sat at a stool at the Leaky Cauldron. He felt alone. Of course, he'd felt alone for some time. Hermione had been off hiding in Egypt, Ron had been busy with all of his family, Lupin had married Tonks, and Ginny was well, not herself. So he was rather shocked when Ron Weasley himself plopped down at the bar next to him.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, rather gruffly.
"Not at all. How's it been?"
"I'm here to drink myself senseless. Does that tell you anything?"
"Yeah. It does. What happened?" Harry asked. Ron had just restored the friendship between them; if it had anything to do with Ginny, he knew this second chance for them was over.
"I met the kids."
"Oh." He should have said more, but he couldn't think of what to say.
"It was awful."
"Did you and Hermione have a row again?"
"Not really, no. She just started sobbing. For no reason at all. Women. I swear, estrogen must suck. Then the girls attacked me. Thought I was doing something to her. I had to get out of there." He looked up at the bartender. "Firewhiskey, please."
"Bad day, eh?" he asked sympathetically.
"The worst." Ron began gulping it down the minute the bartender sat it down in front of him.
Harry sighed. "Surely you said something, Ron."
"So this is all my fault, huh? Should have known. I came for a sympathetic ear, Harry. I can't talk to my family anymore."
"Yeah. I know. I'm sorry. Just tell me what happened."
The two friends were interrupted by the arrival by Remus Lupin. "Ron! What are you doing here?"
"It didn't go very well," Harry said, "meeting the kids."
"Oh. What happened?" He pulled up a chair on the other side of Ron. "Did you fight over custody or something?"
"No. That hasn't even been brought up yet. She just started going hysterical."
"Oh. I see. Nymphadora did that with me one time too. Hormones all worked up. Of course, she was pregnant. But you two were dealing with kids anyway. Women and kids—always a touchy subject."
"Well, I surely wouldn't know," Harry replied. "I think women are touchy enough on every subject."
"Well, she can bugger off if she thinks I'm going to just stand there and let my kids attack me. I thought she talked to them!"
"Ron, calm down," Remus advised. "I'll have Nymphadora talk to her. She probably needs a woman to understand."
"Since when do you call her Nymphadora?" Harry asked.
"Since forever," Ron replied.
"Yeah. I didn't like calling her by her surname when we were, well, not just friends. So I just started calling her by her first name. And she didn't correct me."
"That's love for you," Ron said. "That and getting her to live in that stupid muggle neighborhood."
"She loves it there. It's a win-win situation." He shook his head, obviously thinking about something that Harry and Ron did not wish to know the particulars of. Probably involving a night of spagettios and pieces of ass… "Well, I've got to run. I was just here to pick up a couple of drinks to go."
"Oh. Date night?" Harry asked.
"Yup." Remus smiled. "Catch up with you later, boys. I'll talk to Nymph about Hermione for you, Ron." And then he left.
"Hermione will be alright, Ron. Just give her time. I'm sure Tonks can talk some sense into her."
"Yeah. I guess." Ron tried to drown himself in alcohol.
Harry knew Ron desperately needed the subject matter to be changed. He grasped the only thing he knew would cheer Ron up. "Remember when you smoked the amazing bouncing ferret?"
Ron smiled. "Oh yeah. I always wanted to be the one to do it. I just never knew I had it in me."
Harry still remembered that day. None of the trio had ever expected Voldemort to have Draco defend one of the horcruxes, especially after his dismal performance in killing Dumbledore. Having Snape do it for him, the miserable coward.
Harry had turned and looked straight into the ferret-like face. "Hello, Potter. Can I help you?"
"Expel…"
"Protego!" Draco countered.
Harry looked around, knowing Hermione was near. Draco must have sensed it. "Where's your little mudblood, Potter?"
"None of your damn business, Malfoy. And she isn't my mudblood. She's my friend."
"Sure. So you're letting Weasel King have her, eh? I always knew you were a dirty coward."
Hermione came up behind Draco. "Expel…"
"CRUCIO!" he screamed, turning around. In the meantime, another Death Eater appeared and yelled "Crucio!" at Harry. Where's Ron, he wondered desperately, as the pain racked his body.
Suddenly, he spotted his best mate. But this was not your average everyday Ronald Weasley. Oh no. This was the royally pissed Ronald Weasley. Ron looked down at Hermione, and his face hardened. He pointed his wand at Draco.
Harry realized what Ron was going to do a split second before he called out "Avada Kedavra!"
Draco hit the ground like a ton of bricks. Ron then turned to the other Death Eater and disposed of him in the same manner.
Harry, though glad to be rescued, was scared shitless. He couldn't believe what his best mate had just done. Then he saw Ron rush towards Hermione. "Are you okay, Mione?"
Mione. Very interesting. So Ron had finally come to grips with feeling he had had ever since Viktor Krum and the Yule Ball. Very good.
"I'm better now. I can't believe you killed him, Ron. How awful."
Ron shrugged. "He killed Dumbledore, and he hurt you. Scum like that doesn't deserve to live to give us any more trouble."
Hermione just looked at Ron. "I guess you're right."
As she and Harry turned to leave, Ron looked down at Draco's body. Harry heard him mutter something that sounded a lot like "Looks like the Weasel king finally did win, huh Draco?"
"Anyone ever called you the Weasel king ever again, Ron?" Harry asked.
Ron shook his head. "Nope. I doubt anyone will either. Apparently I'm scary."
Harry couldn't blame anyone that thought that. That night his best mate had been far more than scary. He'd been completely mental.
A/N: Okay, there was the explanation of Draco's death for jwoods471. I hope she enjoyed it. Sorry about Remus randomly popping in, but he just keeps coming to visit me. He wants me to write his story. Besides, he made this chapter much happier than I originally planned for it to be. I warn you that next chapter will be a little like chapter thirteen, going off into left field. Sorry. It sets up the twins' romantic lives and explains many things. Please review, people! I'm tired of going on stats to see how many hits I have per chapter!