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 always to my reviewers, namely: Dark Peppermint, Nichole08, SpazMcG7, Beloved, Elebereth, trekkie-54, Malfoy's Kitten, Probability, texasjeanette, Arwen Urodumiel, Mac Black, Rei the Genki-Chan, SheWolfe7, SeparatriX, Isis-mystic, The-Magnificent-Fuzzy, SiLvErFaTeD, shorty-girly, Neolina, Siriusly Black2, Spamy, Serena McKeenzo, emeraldtwinklingstar, NayNymic, LilyBetyPotter, tamachan444, Dragenphly, Andromeda Summer, ReflectionsOfReality, Isabel, Cassandra The Evil, Crimson Coloured Cloaked Figure, White-Winged-Sihde, Uncalled For (thanks for explaining), Draco Spanks Harry (I don't think I'll kill her but I share your dislike :-}), and Burnt Kairn (Sorry about chapter 14, as you guessed it must be a flaw in and unfortunately there is not much I can do about it, hopefully it will sort itself.)

If any of my reviewers experienced a problem with finding chapter 14 please let me know and if you had a problem but found it could you tell me how so I can sort it? Thanks.

Again, update will be in two weeks, though I hope to get a second and final chapter of my story 'One Dance Is All It Takes' next week so if you read the firs chapter please look out for, read and review it. Thanks.

MB x

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Chapter 25 - Now They All Know

"With a Malfoy...? Merlin help me." Harry heard Mrs Weasley murmur as he paused to listen outside the kitchen door after deciding he would have to sort things out. Her words brought back, with force, the words Ron had written in his letter earlier that summer. Words that had come from Mrs Weasley. 'Never welcome a Malfoy into her home'. He hoped she would change her mind.

"Is it... could it just be hormones?" Mrs Weasley grasped at straws.

"No I don't think so mum." Ron did his best to sound soothing. "I think there's something Harry needs to tell you."

"What, other than him being as 'bent-as-nine-bob-note' to quote the muggle expression?"

"Fred! Do not talk about Harry that way!" Mrs Weasley scolded. "Harry is your brother in all but blood and we will all support him! I will not have either of you talking about him in that way!" She became her usual maternal self once more before she began to murmur again. "It'll cause a fair amount of bother... But it's his choice and if he chose a Malfoy... must be okay..." She directed at nobody in particular, not noticing Harry's presence in the doorway.

"He's not just a Malfoy. He's not a typical Malfoy - he's not his father." Harry announced his presence and Mrs Weasley looked up at him. "I know that the Malfoy's caused your family a lot of problems in the past... but Draco's different."

"You said it."

"Shut up George." Ginny scowled warningly. Harry blushed under the glittering eyes and grins belonging to the twins. He didn't look at them but at Mrs Weasley who surprised him by letting out a loud sob as she rose swiftly and enveloped him in a motherly hug.

"Oh Harry, why didn't you talk to us sooner?" She pulled away.

"It's complicated... I think you had better sit down." She did so and Harry sat across from her. At first he did not look at her as he started to speak.

"First of all, I want you to know that we have thought about all of this... a lot. We do know what we're getting into. Ron, Hermione and Ginny all know what I'm about to say, Remus and Professor Dumbledore know about our relationship but not... the rest." He now looked up. Mrs Weasley nodded and he continued. "This can go no further than these four walls..." He hesitated. "Or it could cost our lives." He wished he hadn't sounded so melodramatic but he could think of no other way to word it. He looked to the twins and saw that they seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation and were no longer grinning but looking quite worried. Mrs Weasley's hands still shook as she nodded slowly and sipped her tea.

"We're... me and Draco that is... we're bonded."

"Oh dear Merlin!" Mrs Weasley clapped a hand to her mouth, the abrupt motion knocking her cup over in the process. Harry avoided the three pairs of widened eyes watching him as he stood and began to mop up the spillage.

A shocked, awkward silence of what seemed like a lifetime followed.

"Are you sure?" Mrs Weasley asked disbelievingly. "At seventeen?" Harry nodded.

"Do you have the...?" Mrs Weasley motioned to her chest and Harry lifted his T-shirt to reveal the snake coiled above his heart. He dropped it again when Fred and George sniggered "shirtlifter". He blushed and looked to Mrs Weasley for her reaction. Her hand was still pressed against her mouth and there were tears in her eyes.

She seemed at a total loss for words as she contemplated pointing out the dangers to Harry but eventually decided against it. She knew Harry was a smart boy and now he had something special that he had never had from his family before - unconditional love. Bonding was so rare and so special; she couldn't help but be happy for Harry. He had found the person he would spend the rest of his life with, the person who would make him truly happy. Even if that person was a Malfoy. "Seventeen... so young." She sobbed, though her tears were happy ones.

Harry didn't know what to do as Mrs Weasley began to cry.

"Don't cry." He attempted to console her but was answered with another sob. He made his way around the table to try and comfort her but she didn't give him the chance before she pulled him into a tearful hug. "I'm glad you're happy, Harry. It's about time. You are happy aren't you?"

"As ever." Harry replied as she pulled away. "And you're okay with it all?"

"Of course Harry, whatever you choose, now or in future, you know that Arthur and I will support you like a son." She smiled and began to cry again. Harry looked around for help with the crying woman currently squeezing the life out of him but Ron and Ginny just shrugged, the twins went back to grinning manically as usual, and Hermione also burst into tears at the doorway.

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Draco stood uncertainly outside the kitchen doorway, listening to the tearful scene inside. He was unsure what to do next, he didn't feel he was a part of the 'family' gathering going on inside the kitchen. Would his entry screw up everything Harry had achieved with his family and cause everything to be awkward?

He didn't have a chance to think more about it however, as Hermione spotted him through the small gap that the door had been left open. She pushed the door open fully, leaving him in plain view. Harry smiled happily at him and he noticed that the twins were grinning in what could only be described as an evil way at him. He stood frozen to the spot, analysing the grins plastered on the twin's faces and Mrs Weasleys watery smile and red puffy eyes. Harry moved towards him and he loosened but immediately tensed again, feeling awkward as Harry hugged him in front of everyone. He soon realised that nobody was grimacing or objecting and his body flooded with relief and he and Harry went to sit at the table.

Once everybody was seated with comforting cups of hot tea, nobody knew quite what to say and there were minutes filled with awkward silence and smiles.

The twins soon broke the tension however.

"So which one of you is the girl?" Fred asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Fred!" Mrs Weasley scolded but Harry just grinned and pointed towards Draco who opened his mouth to complain but just shut it again and pointed back.

"Oh so you both take it...?"

"GEORGE WEASLEY!"

Both Harry and Draco blushed profusely as the twins grinned at them and Mrs Weasley smiled both in embarrassment and apology.

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Mrs Weasley and the twins did not stay long after that but they left on good terms with Draco.

"I suppose a 'welcome to the family' is in order." Mrs Weasley had said to Draco as they left. "If you'll accept it of course."

"Thank you." Draco had replied warmly, touched by the sentiment.

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As he shut the door after their visitors left, Harry heaved a sigh of relief and he, Draco, Ron, Hermione and Ginny collapsed onto the couches in the lounge.

"Well that was... awkward." Ron commented.

"You two should never sleep, ever again. It just brings you bad luck." Ginny joked.

"Seems like it," Harry sighed. "But I'm glad it's over. Everyone knows now."

The relief seemed to spread through everyone as they relaxed for the rest of the night and continued to relax for the next few weeks. The remaining three weeks of summer passed far too quickly for the group's liking. Despite being stuck within the walls of Grimmauld, they found enough things to amuse them selves and all too soon they were facing their last week of peace.

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"I can't believe it's only a week till we have to go back to Hogwarts." Ginny sighed at breakfast.

"I know. So much has happened." Harry agreed.

"Despite having actually done so little." Hermione pointed out.

"I'm just glad we're going out today. This place is beginning to drive me nuts. I need fresh air." Draco commented. Dumbledore had brought them their Hogwarts letters the night before and they were heading to Diagon Alley after breakfast for their books. All were looking forward to sunlight and fresh air, especially Harry and Draco who had not been out since Harry's birthday.

"You know, you two will have to cool it and be careful today." Hermione warned. "You're getting too used to being relaxed and snogging whenever and wherever in front of us and all it'll take is one slip and you'll be..." She made a swiping motion across her throat with her finger.

"Yes Hermione we know." Harry sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time. "And thank you for putting it so pleasantly.

"Don't laugh it off Harry. The fact alone that you two will be seen out together is going look suspicious enough."

"Hermione. Calm. They know. It'll be fine." Ron kissed Hermione to shut her up.

"Okay okay." She relented as they broke apart. "But I know what you two are like, so no sneaking off."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Harry grinned in a less than convincing fashion.