Usual Disclaimer: Unfortunately this world and its wonderful inhabitants do not belong to me, they belong to J. K. Rowling, I'm just borrowing them. I am making no money from this it is purely for the enjoyment of those few who choose to read it. Thanks J. K. for lending me your ready made world of magic.
A/N: Thanks as usual to all my reviewers, namely: fancyfantasyfairy, Casey Katemera, SeparatriX, allexandrya, Andromeda Summer, Darbanana, Rei the Genki-Chan, Arwen Urodumiel, Isis-mystic, Wolfwitch, SiLvErFaTeD, spunky slytherin, Malfoy's Kitten, DiamondOnTheInside, Fallen Angel, laura, Draco Spanks Harry, tamachan444, Nichole08, The-Magnificent-Fuzzy, SpazMcG7, Veneficus, Artistic-Extasy (No I haven't read them but I might now that you've mentioned them:-P ) and Siriusly Black2 (Don't mind the name at all but bribery! tut tut ;-P ).
Chapter 22 - Things go a Little Sour
Harry stirred sleepily, barely registering the commotion and the fact that his bedroom door had just been flung open while he was still snuggled nicely in bed with his head on Draco's softly rising and falling chest. His eyes flew open however as he heard Ron yell.
"What the buggering Hell!"
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Ron had barely made it to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him before he threw up violently. His thoughts refused to organise, refused to register what he had just witnessed.
"Ron?" Hermione questioned worriedly through the bathroom door as his stomach began to heave again.
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"Shit." Draco cursed, pulling his clothes on as quickly as humanly possible as Harry done similarly.
"Not good." Harry mumbled repeatedly to himself, running a hand through his hair in stress. Draco finished dressing and moved towards his mate to soothe him.
"Calm down it'll be okay." A soft reassuring kiss seemed to do the trick as Harry moved into the hall, seeing Hermione standing outside the bathroom, talking soothingly through the door. She looked to Harry exasperatedly and put a silencing finger to her lips as he tried to speak and motioned for them to go downstairs.
"What's all the yelling about?" Ginny asked, approaching behind them. Harry sighed and reluctantly started to move downstairs.
"Let's go downstairs." He said. " I think we've got some explaining to do." He looked a t Draco then Ginny and they followed him down to the kitchen.
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Harry looked at his watch as he paced the length of the kitchen while Draco made coffee. They had slept in. No wonder Ron had come to check on him.
"Calm." Draco found himself saying soothingly once more.
"Is this about... um... you two being... um..." She looked between them and Harry stopped pacing abruptly, seeming to be in shock. Draco managed to nod, not quite meeting her eyes.
"How.. how..." Harry stuttered.
"I had some suspicions. Not every Weasley is as dense as Ron you know." She gave a small smile. "And no I don't really mind." She predicted his next question as he opened his mouth and so he closed it again and instead he hugged her for being so understanding. He had been surprised by her 'easy come easy go' attitude since she had arrived this summer and he guessed she had just grown up a lot and was perhaps picking up some of Hermione's wisdom. When he released her from the hug he felt slightly less stressed and ready to face Ron.
"Two down, one to go. I'm going to talk to him."
"Good luck." Ginny smiled.
"Thanks. I'll need it."
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Hermione shook her head as Harry approached her. She had sunk down to sit on the floor at the side of the bathroom door. "I can't get any sense out of him." She whispered. "He's thrown up three times."
Harry rubbed his forehead. This wasn't going to be easy by a long shot. "Ron?" He knocked softly on the door "Ron come on, come out. Let's talk about this." At first there was no response but Harry let Ron calm down by himself and after a few minutes, a pale, wild-eyed Ron slowly opened the door.
"Tell me I was hallucinating."
Harry searched his best friend's eyes and slowly shook his head. Ron grasped his stomach and winced. "I'm sorry Ron." All previous thoughts of what he had been going to say flew out of his head.
"Sorry!?" Ron flared, now glaring at Harry. "Sorry for what? Sorry that you're sleeping with the enemy or sorry that I found out?"
"I'm sorry you found out this way, and he's not the enemy any more Ron." Harry tried to stay calm, knowing that losing his temper would not help the situation in the slightest.
"He was! Six months ago you would have happily hexed him in the Hogwarts corridors and now what...? You're shagging him?!" Ron flared once again and took a threatening step towards Harry. Harry backed up against the wall - he wasn't going to fight.
"It's not as simple as that Ron..."
"You didn't even tell me you were gay! We're supposed to be best friends!" Ron demanded, interrupting him.
"I didn't know how you would react... I've only recently fully come to terms with it myself."
"You should have told me!"
"And if I had, how would you have reacted? Like this?" Harry began to raise his voice and Ron stared stonily at him for a moment, taking another step forward so that he was unnecessarily close to Harry's face.
"Why him?" He spat. Harry didn't reply, he didn't know what Ron wanted to hear. "It could have been anyone else." Ron continued. "Anyone! Why him? Why split us all up?"
"Split us up? Nothing's going to split us up!" Harry realised Ron's insecurity. He was afraid Harry was going to brush him aside.
"Yes it will! Everything will change! By choosing him over us you've ruined it all! Ruined the Marauders!"
Hermione sat and watched the scene unfolding in fear. She chewed her bottom lip; she could practically see the steam issuing from Ron's ears. She had known he would find the news hard to accept but she really hadn't thought he would take it this badly.
"Yes Ron, things will change, but things constantly change! I have not and will not choose anyone over anyone else!"
"But you will! He'll have you wrapped around his little finger and he'll try to take you away!"
"Ron you're acting like you don't know me at all! I wouldn't ever let that happen and Draco's not like that. It won't ever come to that!" Harry tried desperately to convince him. "I'll always be your best friend Ron."
"Yeah right. You know, I really can't believe this! It's disgusting! It's wrong!" He turned, took a step away from Harry then turned abruptly back, fist drawn back, suspended above Harry's face.
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They could hear muffled shouting from upstairs but the words were not clear and so Ginny was more than a little surprised when Draco stopped talking mid sentence and fled from the room, taking the stairs two at a time, knowing only that Harry, his mate, was currently feeling threatened.
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"Ron no!" Hermione shouted but Harry just stared back at Ron daring him to do it.
"Go on. Hit me all you want if it'll make you feel better but I won't fight you." Ron's hand wavered but he was suddenly thrown back against the opposite wall, Draco standing threateningly in front of him.
"Dray no!" Harry tried to pull his mate away from his best friend. Both looked like absolute thunder and it took all Harry's strength to pull Draco away.
"Why him?" Ron repeated through gritted teeth, throwing Draco a dirty look as Harry pulled him away by the arm.
"You don't choose who you love, Ron!" Harry answered him exasperatedly, turning back to face him.
Ron's face flushed angrily. "Love?! No! Nonono. You can shag each other all you like, get it out of your systems and move on!"
"It's not like that Ron! Do you think it'd be worth all this hassle if it were just a casual fling? It's not that simple!" Harry tried to make his best friend understand. Hermione watched from the floor. Her hands covering her face as she peeked through her fingers. Ron began to pace away from them but turned abruptly back.
"Of course it is!" He said, trying more to convince himself than anyone else.
"Ron..." Harry started, hesitating. 'May as well get it all over with' he thought, there was no point in going through all this again at some point in the future. "Ron we're... bonded."
"Ha ha ha." Ron laughed falsely. "Very funny." But Harry looked down at the floor, one arm still restraining Draco. "You're serious aren't you?" Ron asked disbelievingly and Harry nodded. Ron was stunned. Rendered speechless. He felt his anger begin to ebb away slightly as he looked into sincere and hurt emerald eyes.
Hermione watched the scene before her through teary eyes. Her two best friends struggling to hold their friendship together. Harry looked so vulnerable, just trying to make Ron understand.
"Bonded?" His voice shook and Harry nodded again. "It's really that serious?" He still sounded disbelieving. "It's like a forever thing?"
"Forever." Harry nodded. "Can you accept that?" Harry asked softly and Draco stopped straining against his arm towards Ron as he awaited the answer in anticipation.
Ron stood stock still for what seemed like an age before he slowly shook his head. "I don't know."
Harry moved forwards towards him. "Ron this doesn't change anything, okay? I promise you. If anything changes it'll be for the better. There are some things we have to sort out but we can get through it."
"You don't do uncomplicated do you Harry?" Ron sighed after a moment, rubbing his forehead.
"We know it's dangerous," Harry read Ron's worry "but there's nothing we can do about it now. We can be stronger together. Especially if I have your support."
"You're really bonded?" Harry nodded. "And we'll still be friends no matter what?" He finally voiced his real insecurity.
"Always."
Ron sighed. " I guess I can learn to live with it."
Harry couldn't help but rush forward and embrace him fiercely in a would-be-manly hug, which Ron returned.
"I hope he's worth it."
"He is." They broke apart, hearing a sob from the foot of the bathroom door. Hermione was sitting with tears now streaming down her face. Harry extended a hand and helped her to her feet.
"You guys are so stupid." She said emotionally. "I thought... oh hell, I love you guys." She cried, hugging or rather strangling them both.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Ron folded his arms and raised an eyebrow as she released them and dried her eyes. She raised her own eyebrows in return to his comment and he quailed under her look.
"Don't start Ronald." She warned and Ron shuffled his feet.
"Sorry."
Harry couldn't help but laugh at them. It was clear who wore the trousers in their (albeit hidden) relationship.
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Everybody understood when Ron went for a walk outside alone to clear his head but he did not leave until after he had caught Draco alone and warned him: "You hurt him and you'll regret ever having been born." Draco had promised and they called an end to their ongoing rivalry with an awkward handshake.
