Stuck with You, but Not Settling Chapter 5
A/N: Ok, I'm still moving, so updates will be sporadic, but I will be trying. I usually type up an entire chapter in one, maybe two days, and usually update that same day. I have been under a lot of stress because of my move, however, and it has resulted in a case of I-don't-want-to-write-so-I'll-just-screw-around-on-facebook-or-whatever. I'm also working on getting a Dungeon's and Dragon's campaign going, so I'm busy with that too, plus my boyfriend keeps pestering me to work on my character for the next campaign, so I'm up to my ears in work. Meep! So, in light of me starting college in two weeks and all of this that's going on already, I will try very hard to update as much as possible between now and when I start school, because I tested into the Honors Writing class, so I'm going to have essays up the ass! It's going to be horrible! I will still try to update during the semester, but please cut me some slack. Real life gets in the way of so many good things. So please enjoy this chapter, and I will update at least twice more before the semester starts!
Glittery powder hit he fire, and was suddenly emerald, and Harry, after speaking his destination, stepped into the fireplace and vanished….
Chapter 5
Just as Harry promised, right after work, he Flooed to Malfoy Manor so Draco wouldn't arrive alone at the Burrow. He dusted himself off after climbing to his feet and looked only to see that Draco was nowhere to be found. "Draco?" he called loudly, wondering where the blonde was. He stepped out into the hallway that he knew led to the rest of the Manor. "Draco, where are you?"
He heard a muffled curse and a thump from down the hall, and he went to investigate, hand gripping his wand. He heard another curse from the other side of one of the doors, which he assumed to be Draco's bedroom and he relaxed, knocking on the door. "Draco, what's wrong?"
The door opened to reveal the blonde in the middle of his bed with what seemed to be half his wardrobe strewn across the room.
"You can't figure out what to wear?"
His answer was silence.
"It's a casual dinner. The only reason I'm going in this is because I just left work. Just throw on jeans and a T-shirt."
"Malfoy's don't dress like that Harry."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Then just throw on some casual robes. It's not a big deal."
Draco looked at him like he was crazy, then sighed. "I can't believe I'm so worried about what I look like for dinner at the Weasley's…."
Harry shrugged and stepped fully into the room, careful not to tread on the clothes on the floor. "If my robes would fit you, I would say just borrow mine, but I'm shorter than you, and I'm not very good with spells like that." Harry saw a set of robes that didn't look too fancy and picked them up. They were a clean grey that seemed to have faint shades of blue or possibly green, Harry couldn't tell. They were nice robes, but they weren't clearly fancy, and Harry had a feeling that if he didn't throw something at him, he was just going to sulk. "What about these? Or black. Black is nice."
Draco looked at the robes skeptically. "I think black."
Harry shrugged, indifferent and dropped them where he found them, then went searching for a black set of robes not made of silk. When he found a set, he threw them at Draco. "There. Now dress. I'll be waiting by the fireplace. And please hurry." The raven left the room, closing the door behind him and not ten minutes later, Draco emerged wearing the black robes looking quite nice.
"Is this ok?" he asked, revealing his nervousness by asking.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, it's fine. Are you ready?"
Draco nodded, composing himself.
"I'll go first, so you won't have to be there alone." He threw the glittering powder into the fireplace, and, stepping in, said, clearly, "The Burrow!" and was whisked away. A long moment later, Draco followed.
When Draco stepped out of the fireplace, he was greeted by Harry's smile. He couldn't help but smile back, blushing slightly. Hermione came into the living room and found the two young men there and she flung her arms around Harry, and after a moment, gave Draco a warm smile. "Mrs. Weasley! Harry and Draco are both here!" she called, walking into the kitchen again to help with the table.
Draco tensed up, and Harry saw it. "Just relax. It'll be fine. The Weasley's trust me, and I trust you, so by extension, they trust you. Just give it a little time." Harry smiled and, for their act, took Draco's hand, pulling him away from the fireplace, toward the kitchen.
"Harry dear it's wonderful to see you!" Mrs. Weasley told him, hugging him tightly. "You're still so thin. Do you eat at all, dear?"
The raven laughed, letting Draco's hand go to hug her in return. "I eat plenty Mrs. Weasley. I promise."
"You're eating extra tonight." She told him sternly, pointing her wand at him. "You're eating plenty tonight, too, Draco. You're too thin!"
"Mum! Where did the silverware go?" called a feminine voice from the kitchen.
"It's already been put out!" Mrs. Weasley yelled back.
Harry winced slightly at the sound of Ginny's voice, but hid the hurt well.
"Harry! Come here! We've got something we need you to settle! Bring Draco!" called Ron from the table.
"Go on dears, dinner needs to be finished." Mrs. Weasley patted both of them on the shoulder and bustled back to the kitchen.
Harry nudged Draco and smiled knowingly, walking into the kitchen after Mrs. Weasley, the blonde following close behind. "Yeah, what do I need to settle for you?"
"Are you really serious?"
"About what?" asked Harry, confused.
"About him!" said George, nodding his head at Draco.
"We know how the Prophet lies about you," explained Ron.
"I tried to tell them, Harry," Hermione said, smiling at them sympathetically.
"Yeah, I am serious about Draco. What's the problem? Why would he be here if I wasn't?" Harry asked, blushing a little.
"Well, it's just, you were so serious about Ginny, and then…. I mean, we all thought you were going to marry her is all," said George.
Harry closed his eyes to make himself let it go. He couldn't be with her, end of story. It wasn't his fault. He felt a hand on his arm, and looked to see Draco smiling at him sympathetically. He smiled back, taking his hand, and turned back to Ron and George. "I'm serious about Draco. I know it's weird. It is what it is. If you don't like it, then oh well."
"We're fine with it, we were just wondering about what happened is all." George smiled at them. "Although now I'm wondering…." George said mischievously.
"Wondering what?" asked Harry warily.
"How long have you known?"
"Known what?"
"That you were a pouf!"
"I'm not a pouf!" Harry blushed darkly, looking away.
"Sure looks like it."
"Well, I'm not."
"Then what are you?"
"He's Harry. Nothing more, nothing less," cut in Draco coolly.
Hermione looked at him curiously for a moment, sitting back thinking.
Dinner was ready soon after, and everyone helped get the food on the table, and once they dug in, Draco realized that Mrs. Weasley was a better cook than the Hogwarts house elves. He immediately made it clear that he sincerely appreciated being welcome in their home, and that the food was delicious. Mrs. Weasley brushed it off smiling. Draco was pulled into a discussion with Mr. Weasley, Ron, Percy, and George about Quidditch, while Harry was talking to Bill and Charlie, who was visiting from Romania, about work. Fleur, Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny were speaking in low tones, and Ginny kept shooting glances over at Harry and Draco, which Draco couldn't help but notice. He nudged Harry, whom he was sitting next to, and nodded in their direction, making sure Harry noticed Ginny's negative attention. The raven nodded slightly, and continued his chat with the two eldest Weasley brothers. After dinner was cleared away, they settled down before dessert was served. The talk was generally more casual, and, though Ginny was still shooting Harry and Draco dark looks, she never said anything, and they never called her out.
When dessert was nearly over, Mrs. Weasley decided to get down to a serious talk.
"Harry dear, you know that you'll always be welcome here no matter what. We… well, we all were wondering, though, why the sudden change?" She wasn't trying to start anything. Harry could tell that right away. She was just concerned about him and her only daughter.
"I know. I… I guess it was just… a change of heart…." Harry fell silent, knowing that if he continued speaking, he would get choked up and break down, begging Ginny to forgive him. Draco, sensing his distress, took his hand and squeezed it. Harry looked up and smiled at him.
"If I may?" asked Draco, and when no one objected, he continued. "Harry has been very forgiving of me since the war. I really don't deserve it, but it's done. I don't pretend to understand everything about him, because I never will. But I think that this is hard enough for him without people asking about it, whether they meant to start anything or not, it's not easy to deal with when he's questioning his decision himself."
Mrs. Weasley stared at Draco like he was an entirely different person, understanding perfectly what he was saying, and that he wasn't being disrespectful in the slightest. He was merely concerned for Harry's sake, and she knew what that was like. After a moment, she nodded and smiled at the blonde, realizing that this is what was best for Harry, whether he knew it yet or not.
Ginny, on the other hand, left. She wasn't going to put up with Draco defending her love, and no one thought it was inappropriate, because they all knew Ginny's temper.
As night fell, Harry and Draco left the Burrow, satisfied with how the evening had gone, and gladly fell asleep for the night. Both felt that Ginny's reaction was for the best, though Harry felt it was rather unfortunate, seeing as they were deceiving the family, and that was probably why she had been so upset. The Ministry, however, felt that no one should know about the prophecy unless it was absolutely necessary, and they felt that Ginny knowing was not necessary. And so she remained in the dark as to why Harry and Draco were being forced to marry, perhaps for the better.
