A/N: It's come to my attention that a few people don't care for the Draco/Hermione pairing. I'm sorry to say, but if you want to read the story, you have to live with it. One of my friends and I have a deal – she does H/G and I do D/Hr. Who knows... if you give it a shot, you might even like it! I promise that there won't be any "Ron bashing", as someone has already accused me of. I had no idea that saying someone has a temper and has the ability to be a rash jerk (all things which I believe are true of Ron, no matter how sweet he can be) is bashing. Interesting. Regardless, this is the way it will be.

"So who is she?"

Harry looked up from his meal and paused, blinking at the twinkling blue eyes of his father. James was hovering over the table with a look of pure mischief that caused him to swallow hard, realizing that the eggs in his mouth didn't taste as good as they had two minutes ago. "Who?" he asked, baffled but knowing that that expression on the face of a Marauder could not mean anything good for the intended victim.

"That girl you were with in the Ash Grove," James replied, his grin becoming more prominent when Harry choked on the apple juice he was drinking. "And the one your mother found you lying with on your bed yesterday. Ginny Weasley, isn't it? My boy, you do move fast. I'm so proud."

"It's not like that," Harry blurted, hating the fact that he knew he was blushing. Quickly he looked down, avoiding the all-too-knowing gaze. He really should have been more careful the night before, but it wasn't like he had meant to fall asleep. Quite the opposite. One minute he had been staring up at his bedroom ceiling contemplating Tom Riddle, and the next Lily had been shaking him awake. It had been one of the best sleeps that he had ever had, but of course, he had no intention of mentioning that to his father. "Ginny is just... my friend. That's all."

"Your friend," he repeated, sliding into the seat across from his son with ease. "So when I came across the two of you hugging, that was..."

His face flaming, Harry stabbed a bit of bacon with particular force and said through gritted teeth, "She was just upset, that's all. I was... comforting... her." He could feel the weight of his father's gaze on the top of his head and fought back a sigh. If only he and Ginny had been a bit more careful! How could he possibly explain this to his parents?

"Harry, I don't mean to tease you," James said quietly, "Actually, your mother and I are pleased with how quickly you seem to be making friends. We had worried that you might have a difficult time adjusting to how different things are here in comparison to your dream world. If you like Ginny, there's nothing wrong with that. From my experience at Hogwarts, she seems to be a very nice young girl."

Harry smiled briefly, knowing that in all truth, James had never really met Ginny – at least, not the Ginny that he wanted to be around. Ginny had awoken in this world as abruptly as Harry had, and she had no memory of the life that she had lived in this world before that moment. "She is," he agreed, not sure how else to respond.

"We just don't want you to become too attached too quickly, that's all. You haven't been awake for very long."

"But I like Ginny," Harry said, frowning slightly. "I want to be with her." Too late, he realized how that statement might sound, and he backpedalled. "I mean, not like – like that – but she's my friend. She makes me feel like... like I'm not weird."

"You're not weird," James said firmly, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"But sometimes I feel like I am," he answered honestly, surprised at himself. Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, he forced himself to meet James' eyes. "There are so many things I don't recognize in this world. Everything is new to me, even with people that I knew in my... in my world." He couldn't quite bring himself to call it a "dream" any more. "With Ginny, that doesn't matter."

James softened. "I'm glad you've found someone like that, Harry. I really am. I've noticed that you seem to be getting along with Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy as well."

"They appeared to be very different from how they were in my world," he acknowledged. "I couldn't believe it at first. But now I'm realizing that maybe... that doesn't matter as much as I thought."

"And Ron Weasley? You were quite eager to meet with him as well."

Harry tensed at the mention of Ron. "I haven't really had much chance to speak with him," he mumbled, finishing off the last of his apple juice.

"You'll get a chance today. Mrs Weasley has invited you to her house." At Harry's surprised expression, James smiled a little and said, "The Weasleys are friends with Albus and your mother and I have taught many of their children at Hogwarts. Molly and Arthur are very nice people, and you need to start leaving the house, Harry, to get used to the wizarding world as it is now. Since you already know Ginny and Ron, Lily thought it would be a good place to start."

"Didn't I meet enough new people yesterday?"

"It won't be like that again," James promised. "I'm sorry if you felt a little overwhelmed. What was supposed to be a relatively small party turned into a much bigger gathering than we had anticipated once word got out. Molly has promised that no one except for family will be present when you visit today."

He had to grin. "I'm not sure that really means much in terms of how many people will be there, Dad," he said.

James laughed and stood up. "True, but Lily thinks it will be good for you, and if there's one thing you should know, it's that your mother is not a witch to be crossed."

"Duly noted," Harry said agreeably, rising as well. He carried his plate and glass over to the sink and set them down. It felt odd to just leave them there without cleaning them; it was one thing to do so at Hogwarts, but it had been ingrained in him to clean up after himself everywhere else. Reluctantly, he backed off, knowing that Lily would spell them clean with a flick of her wand, and turned to his father. "When do I leave?"

"Now," James answered. "I'll be going with you. I have some things to discuss with Arthur on behalf of Albus."

"Will we be Flooing there?" Harry asked, trying not to grimace at the thought. He was no better at flooing in this world than he had been in the last. What was it with wizards and the way they got around? The only one that was halfway decent was flying, and even that could take ages.

"Actually, we'll be apparating."

The two of them entered into the foyer. James reached out and gripped Harry's shoulder, pulling him into a half-turn that made the world go fuzzy and dark and loud. Immense pressure squeezed him from all sides and he gasped as the world slammed back into sharp focus with a jolt that nearly caused him to lose his balance. He would have fallen if it weren't for his father's hold. As it was, a feeling of such dizziness swam over him that he had to lean against the older man for a moment in a daze.

"Are you alright?" James pressed a hand against his check. The touch actually helped to orient Harry and he found himself able to open his eyes without feeling like he was going to pass out.

"I think so," he responded, "I've never done that before. Can't say I'm going to develop much taste for it."

James smiled. "It's much less disorienting when you're the one doing it. Now you know why portkeys were invented instead of side-along apparition always being used."

"I'm not sure portkeys are that much better," Harry said truthfully. He glanced up and his eyes widened when he caught sight of the house standing about twenty feet away from them. The Burrow looked completely identical to how he remembered. It was such a familiar sight that he could hardly believe it.

James began walking towards the house and Harry hurried to keep up. The first person to spot them was Ron. Or at least, Harry thought it was Ron, but he wasn't really certain. The boy standing in the doorway was green from head to toe, with silver hair and eyes. Harry stared at him in amazement, doing his best to keep from laughing. This had to be the work of the twins, and he was happy that at least some people would never change. His father just let out a long sigh and shook his head, but Harry could see amusement dancing in his eyes.

"The twins?" James asked, readying his wand. "Finite Incantatem!"

Ron huffed when the spell failed to have any effect. "Thanks for trying, Professor," he grumbled. "But you know what Fred and George are like. No way would a spell work that easily. They said it would wear off in a couple of hours, but I'm not sure I believe that."

"Where's your father?"

"Out back." Nodding, James stepped past the green boy and disappeared into the house, leaving Harry and Ron alone. Harry glanced at his friend, then looked away. Ron sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said uncomfortably. "About fighting with Malfoy and Granger in your house. I got in trouble when we got home and Ginny told Mum what I'd done. It was... rude of me to attack a guest when I was also a guest." He shook his head and sighed. "Malfoy is just... such a git. I really don't understand what Granger sees in him!"

Harry turned to him, surprised. Even with those few simple words, he could tell that Ron was starting to get worked up. "To be honest, neither did I," Harry admitted, adjusting his glasses. "In my world, we didn't... like Malfoy very much."

"Really?" Ron's blue eyes brightened. "Then maybe you'll have a few ideas for driving him away from Granger."

"Why do you care so much?" he asked, puzzled. "Didn't you call her a slut?"

A blush spread across Ron's cheeks, causing his face to turn an interesting shade of purplish blue. "I... er... Well... I didn't really mean it," he said awkwardly. "It just... makes me so mad when I see her cuddling up to that prat..."

"You like her!" Harry exclaimed suddenly, chuckling when Ron looked even more embarrassed. He would have recognized that look on Ron's face no matter what world he was in. "I have to tell you, mate, the way to a girl's heart is not by attacking her and her boyfriend."

"I know that," Ron said crossly. "But she won't give me a chance!"

Harry found himself thinking about the happiness that fairly glowed in Hermione's brown eyes whenever Malfoy was around and sighed. "Sorry to tell you this, but I don't see that happening at any point in the future. I know the Hermione here isn't the same as the one in my world, but when she gets an idea in her head, it sticks. I doubt Mione would get rid of Malfoy just because you or I told her to."

Ron sighed and ran a hand through his silver hair. "I didn't think so, but it was worth a shot." He glanced over his shoulder. "Come on in, anyway. Mum's been really anxious to meet you."

"Thanks." Harry stepped into the house and looked around curiously. As far as he could tell, it was decorated similarly to the Burrow that he knew, except that nothing looked as worn or faded as he remembered. Most of the furniture seemed to be fairly new. "Is Ginny here?"

"Yeah, she'll be down in a minute," said Ron. He paused for a moment. "Do you like my sister?"

A blush crossed Harry's face. That was the second time in a day that someone had asked about his and Ginny's relationship, and it only got more mortifying with time. "She's my friend," he said hoarsely, deciding that relying on the excuse he'd given his father was the best answer. "She's... pretty much the same to how she was in my world and I like that. It makes me feel like things haven't changed as much as they really have."

"I guess I can understand that." Ron nodded, looking more relaxed than Harry would have expected, considering that he was green and silver.

Molly Weasley made her appearance at that moment, with two floating trays right behind her. She took one look at Ron and groaned with exasperation. "Again, Ron? Don't you know better than to accept anything your brothers give you?"

Ron blushed. The effect was most interesting on green skin. "Fred promised that it was safe," he protested.

"We don't remember – "

"Promising that – "

"Dear brother – "

"You must have – "

"Heard wrong."

Two completely innocent-sounding voices spoke in perfect unison. Harry grinned as Fred and George entered the room, both wearing identical smirks. Ron glowered at the two of them and crossed his arms, grumbling under his breath. Molly shook her head at the twins and began scolding them, though it didn't seem to have much effect, judging by the enormous grins the twins wore. Arthur, who picked that moment to walk into the room with James, just shook his head and picked up a mug off of one of the trays.

"Just like home, huh?" a soft voice asked behind him, and Harry chuckled.

"You could say that," he agreed, grinning at Ginny. "I don't know if it's comforting or terrifying to know that Fred and George will never change."

Ginny paused, looking very serious. "That depends," she declared. "Are you accepting food from them?"

Harry laughed outright and took one of the mugs that Molly offered him. He sipped at the steaming orange liquid inside and discovered that it was hot pumpkin juice, spiced with something he couldn't identify, but delicious all the same. Ginny contented herself with a glass of some red liquid and sat down beside him on the couch. Knowing that they were being watched by practically every male eye in the room, Harry made sure there was a decent amount of space between them, even as he leaned closer so that no one would be able to hear what he was saying. He didn't want anyone else getting the wrong idea about the friendship that he and Ginny had.

"Do they still run a joke shop?" he asked curiously.

"As far as I can tell. Honestly, I don't think the twins could do anything else," she whispered back. "Though since you never gave them your winnings, I think they've begun on a smaller scale. Mum mentioned something about Zonkos, so maybe they're working there."

"What about everyone else?"

"I don't know about Percy or Bill," she answered. "I can't exactly ask what everyone does. I'm supposed to know this stuff, remember?"

He nodded. "I'll ask."

She shot him a smile and said, "Dad still works for the Ministry and Charlie's in Romania, I know that much. There are just some things that will never change."

"Tell me about it," Harry said, twisting around when he heard a loud popping sound. James gave a strangled squeak and turned into an enormous pink bunny. Everyone in the room burst into laughter as the angry bunny began stalking the hysterical twins. He shared an amused look with Ginny and shook his head, reaching for her arm and taking the chance to speak quietly when everyone else was distracted. "I want to meet with Mione and Malfoy tomorrow about... that."

Ginny took a deep breath. "Alright. If you think that's best."

"I think we can't handle it on our own, and the last thing I want is to give him free reign in this world. I don't think we have a choice," Harry replied, sipping from his pumpkin juice. He'd missed the tangy taste more than he'd expected.

"Who's he?" Ron asked. Harry jumped. He hadn't noticed that the now redheaded boy was standing right behind he and Ginny. "And what do you mean, giving him free reign in this world?"

"It's none of your business," Ginny said shortly, though her hand shook slightly as she placed her glass on the coffee table. There was fear in her eyes when she glanced at Harry, something he understood all too well. It was extremely unpleasant to remember that no one here knew about Voldemort. In their world, it would have been immediately obvious as to who they were speaking about. "Don't you have to get going, Harry?"

"Yeah, I do," he said, grateful for the out. "If you're finished, Dad." He glanced at the bunny, which stopped hopping after the twins and instead hopped in Harry's direction.

"It'll wear off in a couple of hours," said one of the twins.

"Maybe," added the other, and both of them cackled.

"It better," said Ron, who was staring at Ginny and Harry suspiciously. "Unless you want a visit from his wife."

Both twins gulped and paled slightly. Harry couldn't help being pleased by the thought of them being frightened of Lily Potter and gathered his father into his arms – he was pretty sure that the potion really would wear off in a few hours, as it was rarely in the twins to be truly cruel, merely annoying. As he straightened, he took the chance to rest a hand on Ginny's shoulder, wishing that they were alone so that he could comfort her more. She flashed him a faint smile in response and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Thank you for the drink and snacks," he said to Molly, who beamed at him and gave him a quick hug while murmuring in his ear that it had been a pleasure. The twins made a move towards him, but Harry wisely backed off, unwilling to get too close to the pranksters. Arthur clapped him on the shoulder, clearly thinking of this as a wise move, and offered him a container of Floo Powder. Harry took a pinch, threw it into the fireplace, stepped inside, and was whisked away.

A/N: I've decided that I'll start writing shorter chapters and hopefully posting more frequently. I apologize for how long it took for me to get this up. I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to take it. Now I have a better idea. Please review!