"Does it look like I give a fuck, Hermione?!"

Ron's voice broke the silence of the evening. Harry looked up, contemplating whether he should go to Hermione's defence.

Draco came hurrying into the room, pale as a ghost.

"Harry, Ron is threatening to leave if I come with you tomorrow," said Draco, his voice cracking with panic.

"Ha, I hope the bastard does!" said Harry bitterly, getting to his feet. He was quite relieved Draco was talking to him, even if he was worried out of his wits.

They both jumped at the sound of shattering china in the kitchen. Harry sprinted to see what had happened, Draco right behind him. Another ear-splitting crunch of china sounded as they arrived at the door.

Hermione was cowering in a corner, and Ron was standing at the shelf which housed the dinner plates, pulling them out and throwing them down at Hermione's feet, making her shriek and jump out of the way.

"STOP IT!" Harry screamed at Ron, running to protect Hermione who was shaking with fear.

Harry drew his wand and pointed it at Ron. He would be seventeen in four minutes' time, then he would no longer be an under-aged wizard. All he needed to do was hold off Ron until then-

"Stupefy!" Draco yelled, pointing his wand directly at Ron who froze and keeled over backwards- stunned.

"Oh goodness! What's wrong with him?" sobbed Hermione into Harry's chest. "He's gone completely insane,"

Harry patted her back gently, trying to calm her down. Draco was clumsily making tea while stepping around Ron, whose eyes followed his every movement.

Leading Hermione into the living room, Harry glanced back at Draco who nodded and followed carrying a tray of tea and biscuits for Hermione.

Hermione sat down and gestured for Harry to sit next to her. Harry obliged, brushing broken pieces of china off his shoes. He didn't understand what was going on, but once Hermione had drank some tea and managed to stop her tears, she explained.

"Ron thinks I'm siding with you two," she said, looking from Harry to Draco. "But I don't know how he assumes that when you're not even talking to each other," she frowned, but continued. "He's convinced you only came here, Draco because you want to go out with me, or something silly like that. I don't think it helps the matter that you apologized to me, but not Ron. We started arguing and he said 'We'll see what Draco feels. I'll throw stuff at you, and I bet he saves you,' I told him he was being stupid and that you'd save me regardless, then he swore at me and- and-" tears were splashing down her cheeks again. Harry pulled her into a tight hug again.

"But that's just totally insane!" said Draco. "He was completely out of line, Hermione. There's an issue between he and myself, yet he's determined to drag you into it which is extremely immature. And Harry has been dragged into this too,"

At the mention of his name coming from Draco's lips, Harry felt a tingle down his spine which had nothing to do with the events that had just happened in the kitchen.

"But then what are we going to do now?" sniffed Hermione, pulling out of Harry's hug. "We can't possibly be expected to cooperate with him after how he's behaved…" She glanced from Harry to Draco with puffy eyes.

"Then he doesn't come," said Harry, speaking for the first time since they'd sat down.

The other two stared at him, but didn't say a thing. Harry knew they were expecting him to take back his words, but he had no plans of doing any such thing.

Draco stared at Harry, but Harry refused to meet his gaze, turning to Hermione instead.

"Are you ok now?" he asked her in a gentle voice.

"Y-yes, I think so," said Hermione, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Good, then you can take my bed tonight and I'll sleep down here," said Harry. "I doubt you'll want to sleep in the same room as him," he said bitterly.

Harry looked up to meet Draco in the eye, but Draco seemed to be avoiding Harry's gaze yet again. Harry let out a splutter of fury, muttered something about cleaning up, and strode out of the room.

July 31st dawned on the silent house. Harry stirred on the sofa as the sun hit his eyelids.

"No… not yet," muttered Harry in his sleep. He rolled over, and slept on.

"Should we wake him now?" whispered Hermione.

"But he's sleeping, and it's his birthday," Draco whispered back.

Hermione placed a tray holding pancakes, whipped cream and butterbeer down on the table, and approached Harry cautiously. She poked Harry in the shoulder, and got a grunt in reply.

"Harry! Wake up, it's your birthday," she said in a quiet voice.

"Oh, don't! He's sleeping, I don't want to disturb him," Draco's voice sounded urgent.

Hermione ignored him and sat down on the edge of the sofa, leaning over Harry's torso to whisper in his ear.

"Harry, happy birthday," she whispered.

Harry opened his eyes and rolled over. Hermione beamed at him and stood up next to Draco who clasped a small rectangular box wrapped in colourful red and yellow paper. Hermione turned to pick up the breakfast tray, while Draco approached Harry, holding out the box.

Harry took it from him, pushing on his glasses.

"What is it?" asked Harry eagerly, pulling the box from it's colourful wrapping.

Draco didn't reply, but sat down and watched Harry nervously.

Harry withdrew a black box, and flipped it open. His jaw dropped when his eyes fell on the thick chain of silver which was intended to be worn around the wrist.

"Draco, this is too much," he said weakly, looking up. "I don't deserve this!"

"You deserve the world," said Draco, so only Harry could hear him.

Harry leaned across and pulled Draco into a close, intimate hug. He could feel Draco's heart beat against his chest.

Harry hid his face in Draco's shoulder, wiping his tears away.