CHAPTER 4:

THE NIGHT AFTER THE FUNERAL

-HARRY

I took her hands. She looked me square in the eyes. My wife was the living embodiment of Gryffindor courage. She's never shied away from a challenge, which was part of the problem. Classic Gryffindor; act now, think later. She saw me pulling away and took it upon herself to do whatever it took to fix things. We sat in our kitchen; it seems like in every house the kitchen is the crisis center. Her baby bump was really starting to show. I looked into her eyes and took a deep breath, the fight that I had in me the other night was gone. My talk with Molly left me emotionally exhausted. Surely, if my wife's mother could accept me then my wife could.

"Ginny, when I married you and when we were dating and even now, I did love you. I can't imagine a life without you. But before the war, I fell for you because I needed someone strong and, as much as I hate to say this, I wanted something that just made sense. I didn't want something else to challenge me, and you were the perfect option for me. And after the war, I needed the same thing. I thought you were my soul mate, I really did. But now that all the dust has settled and I don't have insane murderers and crazy reporters chasing after me, I realized something. Ginny, I'm gay."

As I spoke, tears started leaking from both of our eyes. Ginny looked at me and crawled onto my lap and let me bury my face in her hair.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I love you, it's okay. I shouldn't have done the things that I did. You didn't deserve me being controlling or conniving."

I hugged her tightly.

"This is not how I wanted things, Gin. I want to be the husband you deserve." I whispered to her.

"Harry, you can't control this and as long as you are a good father to our baby, which I know you will be, I'll be okay. Mum spoke to me the other day... She told me to stop being so horrid to you. I guess I blamed you for everything. When really there was nothing you did wrong. I just thought so very highly of you. There's always been a part of me that still sees you as The Boy Who Lived. The boy who saved me from the Chamber all those years ago."

We sat together like this for a while. Ginny had a wistful half-smile on her face and we were slowly comforting each other. Coming to terms with what was happening together, as only we could.

"Harry?"

"Hm?"

"Am I- am I the first one you've told?"

"No, I told your mum a few days ago. Honestly Gin, I've never looked at another woman the way I can look at you. But I can't give you all of me. No matter how much I want to. And I swear to you, I have never and will never cheat on you. I promise I will not start dating or exploring or anything until we have sorted everything out..."

Ginny nodded and hugged me.

"Do you want to get a divorce?"

"No, I don't but I think we should."

"I think we should too... Harry?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, I love you. We'll make this work."

"I know we will. We always do."

Ginny looked at me seriously and said, "You know you have to be the one to tell Ron and I get to watch his reaction."

I knew she was joking by the way her eyes were sparkling and the two of us started laughing together.

"What d'you reckon? Should I tell him I'm shagging some big burly bloke? "

Ginny giggled, "Yes! But you have to clue Hermione in or else it won't work."

Ginny and I were nearly in tears. And it was then that I had a revelation,

This was why I married her. Because even in the face of heartbreak, she was strong. She was just so Gryffindor, her hair was even the same scarlet color.

"Gin, I don't want to jinx myself or anything but why are you so accepting? I thought I was dropping this major thing on you."

"I don't know, I've been thinking that you were going to leave me for awhile now but I thought it was because you didn't love me or didn't want me. And that's why I was so awful to you. But this, I don't know. This isn't anyone's fault and what can we do? I can't change this, you can't change this. This isn't a problem. I can't be angry with you and I won't be petty. Not when we have a baby to take care of. I guess I finally realized that I can't always get what I want."

"Ginny, you amaze me."

"I've hardly done anything Harry."

She snuggled into my lap more and put her face into my neck. I breathed in her perfume; it was so familiar and comforting. It was a sick irony that as soon as I decided to leave my wife she began acting like an adult.

"Oh Ginny," I whispered, "I wish things were different..."

THAT SAME NIGHT

-RON

"Mione, love, pass me the telly remote."

As my lovely wife leaned to grab the remote and hand it to me, I took a second to look at her. I did this fairly often. Everyday since the moment I first kissed her I've been in awe of why she chose me. She was just so… Perfect. She was literally perfect. I can't find a single thing about her that I would ever change.

"Have you heard from Harry since we had dinner together?"

"No, have you? He talks to you more about his feelings and such."

"Usually… I know he went over to your mum's house the other day to talk to her. And he went to Lucius's funeral yesterday."

My wife had a pensive look on her face. Actually, it was more troubled than pensive.

"Mione?"

"Yes?"

"Did Harry say anything to you at dinner the other night?"

Hermione looked like she was searching for the right words.

"Well, technically no… But he did say that he needed to talk to me and that he needed my help… I haven't a clue though…"

She trailed off, lost in her own thoughts. Merlin, she was beautiful. She had this glint in her eye that she always got whenever she was trying to figure something out and she had this little crinkle above her nose. We sat there; me watching some silly Muggle program and her trying to work out the pieces to the puzzle of our best friend's marriage.

Some time later, we heard the familiar sound of the floo. I looked over and saw my best friend's face peaking out of the flames.

"Harry, mate! We were just talking about you."

"All good I hope. Am I interrupting? Can I come over?"

Harry's voice seemed to have broken Hermione out of her reverie. She looked over and smiled and gestured for him to come through.

"You never interrupt Harry. I'll go put on some tea and find some snacks."

"Fantastic, I'll be over in a jiff."

As Hermione got up off the couch to go fix us some food, Harry's head disappeared from the floo. He soon materialized in our fireplace. He quickly dusted himself off before coming over to sit on the couch.

"So, mate, how's my sister and my little niece or nephew doing?"

"Surprisingly, you're sister is spectacular and the baby is perfect. The bump is really starting to show. Hey 'Mione."

Hermione walked in with tea and triple chocolate scones. After she placed them on the table she gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ginny, spectacular? Those are words we haven't heard from you recently."

Harry fidgeted a little bit in his seat. He ruffled his hair as he made himself his tea.

"Well, here's the thing. We had a long talk today and, Ron, I'm sorry for this mate. Ginny and I are getting a divorce."

Harry couldn't look me in the eye. I paled a little bit. Divorce? This was big news. Just as I was about to speak my wife cut me off.

"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry. Why?"

"Well here's the thing…" Harry was stumbling through his words and he still couldn't look at me.

"Mate, listen, I'm not mad. Obviously this isn't ideal… But you're my best mate and you've been good to her…"

"Hermione, you probably guessed why already… Ron, I'm gay."

I looked back and forth from Hermione and Harry. Hermione had a triumphant look on her face and Harry couldn't look up from his tea.

"Oh Ronald, close your mouth. And tell your friend it doesn't matter to you."

"Shit, mate, no don't misunderstand me. I'm not upset or anything, I'm confused… But actually don't explain. My question is how did Hermione know? You've never ever been interested in a bloke… And you're terrible with secrets…"

"Ronald, really think a little before you speak."

Hermione raised her eyebrow at me and looked at me with that familiar exasperated expression. Then it dawned on me.

"Blimely, Harry, you're in love with Draco Malfoy aren't you?"

"I think I very well might be, Ron."

"I always said you were a tad too obsessed with him. However, since this was difficult for you to tell us, I won't say I told you so."

Leave it to Hermione to break the tension. The three of us were rolling with laughter.

"Ron, I'm sorry that I'm putting Ginny through this. Especially now."

"Mate, regardless of whether you were married or not, Ginny would have been heartbroken. Although I have to say I'm a little insulted that you didn't tell me this first. I don't like being out of the loop. Second to my sister, mate, really?"

"Sorry to disappoint you Ron but you're third to know."

"It doesn't count if Hermione figured it out on her own! My wife is way too perceptive for her own good."

Hermione did that eyebrow arch again.

"Harry isn't talking about me. He told someone else before he told you."

My wife really is the brightest witch of her age.

"Wh-what? Who else knew before me?"

"Well, I told your mum before I told Ginny…"

"YOU TOLD MUM BEFORE YOU TOLD ME! BLOODY HELL MATE!"

I can't imagine the look on my face but apparently it was amusing because both my lovely wife and my specky best friend were barely able to contain their laughter.

I sputtered, "T-this, this isn't funny!"

"Sorry, mate, your face is just priceless."

"Really, Ronald, if you weren't so daft you would have known from sixth year like I did. Merlin knows I gave both of you idiots enough evidence for it. Goodness sake, Harry followed Draco relentlessly every single day in our sixth year!"

At this we all laughed. I'm glad Harry told me and as strange as it seems, I'm quite glad him and my sister were getting divorced. I hated seeing them both so miserable and I knew it was only going to get worse. Luckily, everyone was happy now or at least on their way to be.

"So mate, what's your plan with Draco? How is The Boy Who Lived going to woo The Amazing Bouncing Ferret?"

Hermione gave me an exasperated look and Harry just shook his head.

"Really, Ron, I only just accepted the fact that I'm gay and I told your sister less than 6 hours ago. I think Ginny and I should get the divorce and our child care situation under control before I even think about being with someone else."

"Quite right, Harry, it's nice to know that one of you has begun to listen to me."

Hermione had her triumphant "I told you so" look on her face. I sighed and kissed my wife on the cheek.

"But 'Mione, if I started listening to you, you'd drop dead with shock."

We all began laughing and then we quickly fell into our old rhythm. Now that our serious talk was over, we regressed back to our traditional friendship. Harry and I acted like idiots and Hermione pretended to not be entertained until she finally broke down. We stayed up late into the night laughing and joking and grabbing that little bit of our childhood that we had lost.