A/N:- Hey Guys, I know it has been the most ridiculous delay since I last updated, things at home have been slightly difficult and I was suffering with writers block! Hope you like this chapter! Please read and review.Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

It had been a week since the Weasley family Quidditch game. Ron had managed to disappear until evening not telling anyone, including Harry and Hermione about his whereabouts. Harry currently found himself sitting on the floor of Weasley Wizard Wheezes sorting out the old stock, and magically cleaning the shelves in preparation for the shop's reopening in two weeks time. With the war and past year weighing heavily on his mind, Harry had decided to help George and Ron run the shop, not desiring to go back to Hogwarts, nor start his Auror training.

It didn't feel like only a couple of weeks had gone since the eventful day that the Wizarding world had fought and won for its freedom. He could still feel the wind on his face as he flew on the dragon they had rescued from Gringotts. His memories felt so far away yet too new that they were still painful to visit. He could feel the guilt building up inside him as his mind wondered back to the Great Hall, where the bodies of Fred, Lupin and Tonks rested, battered and peaceful; he couldn't forget the images of Ginny crying into Hermione's shoulder, the shouts of Percy frantically screaming for Fred to awaken… the lost sparkle in George's eyes. Every image reminded him it was his fault; if he had received the memories earlier, or insisted that Dumbledore had told him absolutely everything before he died he could have saved them.

It was slightly out of guilt that he had agreed to help work at the shop. Harry knew he needed the much earned break from running around trying to figure out some illogical mystery including the Dark Arts, and his desire for fun was beginning to overrule all the other decisions he knew he would have to make eventually.

Harry had begun to notice the slight recovery of the family he felt so much love for; Mrs Weasley managed to start cooking and cleaning again, Percy had moved back home, assisting Mr Weasley and Bill, who had taken a temporary job with the Ministry, whilst the incident including a certain member of the family and a break-in with Gringotts. George had managed to step into the shop-although participating and seeing the state of the flat above was yet to be done. Ginny was helping Hermione with her plans to recover her parents, allowing Charlie to arrange the transport. Ron had began to sleep more than he had and was taking to Hermione, but he still had a tendency of disappearing for unknown amounts of times, turning up before Mrs Weasley sent out a search party.

He sat there, allowing his body to continue the physical work whilst his mind replayed his thoughts. He didn't realise that Ron had sat beside him passing a cup of tea into his hand, until they called his name;

"Harry?"

"Sorry, mind was elsewhere, you need anything?"

"Just brought you some tea thought we could do with a break."

"Thanks. Where's George?"

"He went out the back about ten minutes ago, muttering under his breathe about something."

"I suppose it's hard from him to be back here."

"Yeah." They fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence, both wanting and needing to talk but not knowing the correct way around it; they both began speaking at the same time.

"Harry"

"Ron." They stopped abruptly, sharing a small smile before Harry gestured his hand for Ron to continue.

"Look Harry, the other week, when Hermione and I got into that fight, I'm sorry for the things I said about you, everything kind of got opened up."

"Don't worry about it. I was going to tell you to forget about it. Its okay."

"But it's not okay Harry, it was unfair to you. You shouldn't have heard those things, let alone the whole bloody family hear it."

There was something in Ron words that caught Harry, and he immediately felt a surge of anger and worry.

"What do you mean 'I shouldn't have heard those things'? You weren't going tell me exactly how you felt about me. Ron, I thought we are meant to be friends?"

"We are. And I didn't mean I wasn't ever going to tell you. It's just, I don't see you like I said, I shouldn't have said it, and everything was just mixed up with all my feelings that came out of the Locket. Look you're my best friend, ah scrap that, you're like my brother we've been through too much together not to tell one another when we're pissed off."

Words seem to have failed Harry; all he could do was pull Ron into a hug.

"So we're alright?" He asked Harry has they pulled away.

"Yeah, we're alright."

He hadn't realised the words Ron had said over a week had weighed heavily on his mind, until he felt a sudden lift of emotions leave his shoulders. Harry was still worried; none of them had truly recovered from the grief that was heavily present in his everyday life. He would find himself sitting staring into space with his thoughts running away with him, some days being good, where he could pull himself out of his trance and carry on with life, almost fully cheering up his mood. Other days he could sit there not moving for hours on end, torturing his already scared mind into a deeper depression.

They sat in silence, both finishing off their tea, before returning back to the job of sorting out the shelves. Harry's mind still reeling with mixed thoughts; he found there was one question that kept appearing;

"Hey Ron, where did you disappear to on the night we were having the Quidditch game?"

"You know Hermione has nearly finished the plans for going to Australia. I think she started packing this morning."

All Harry could do was sigh in response. Ron had been using the tactic of changing the subject or ignoring the question completely to avoid answering. Harry knew he was slightly recovering over his recoiled state but was still suck in the slight habit of keeping his feelings in rather than going to him or Hermione.

"That's great; it will be good for you two to have some time together."

"Yeah, it will. You sure you don't want to come? It will be weird without you."

"Its fine, someone needs to keep your mum calm, plus I'll get to spend some time with Ginny, finish up the tale of our year."

Harry could see the slight anger flash in Ron's eyes has he said this; both Ron and Hermione still believed that event of the Horcrux hunt should remain between themselves, and when ever Harry mentioned the two subjects of Ginny and the year in the same sentence they immediately showed no interest in the conversation.

"Have you told her you're not returning to school?"

"Not yet, was thinking about doing it whilst you were away."

He saw Ron nod out of the corner of his eye as his response. They continued to work in quiet, with the distant sound of the wireless coming from the back where George was located until Ron spoke:

"I went to the river bank where I left you and Hermione. Percy and I ended up having words when he passed the message on about the game and needed to clear my head, it was the first place I thought of and Apparated there."

Harry was unsure of what to say; he didn't expect Ron to answer his question, both he and Hermione had been trying to get it out of him since he had returned, only for Ron to enquire about the game and then proceed to ignore the question all week. Harry wanted to ask him why he had refused to answer the question and was only telling him now but he couldn't seem to form the words, however he didn't need to because Ron spoke again:

"Can you do me a favour, and not tell Hermione? I plan to tell her at some point, probably while we are away but the subject is still pretty sore for her and I don't fancy another argument."

"You've been arguing?"

"No more than usual. Its just one of those things we haven't truly sorted out yet. We are both avoiding the subject as well wanting to clear the air."

Just as Harry was about to respond with some advice and words of comfort, a voice from behind stopped him:

"What's this? Having a ladies lunch are we? Well chats over, we need to work hard if were ever going to open again." Harry noticed George's feeble attempt at a joke and almost smiled; however he stopped himself when he looked up at George, whose body language was showing he was clearly uncomfortable being in the shop and wanted to finish the assigned tasks of the day and get home.

"Alright, were nearly finished."

As he walked off back to the office, Harry and Ron shared a quick look before carrying on with their task.