Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter 16

"What the fuck is this?!" Ron asked again.

"What are you doing here, Ron?" asked Ginny.

"Why are you here with a Malfoy?" he spat.

"We're having drinks, Weasel. What does it look like?" Draco stood up in front of Ron. "Or are you too stupid to figure it out?"

"Malfoy, let's get out of here. He's not worth it," said Harry, pulling Draco away from Ron.

"I asked you to take care of my sister and you bring her around this piece of shit?" he yelled.

Harry turned to Ron looking furious. "And I asked you to watch over mine and she's no where to be found!" They were face to face now, both wands out.

Draco felt a sudden impulse to protect Harry. He didn't know where it had come from; it confused him. But he knew he owed a lot to Harry. He took his wand out as well and pointed it at Ron. "Get out."

Harry looked at Draco, shocked. "Malfoy, I-"

"Shut up, Potter."

"Every single-"

"Shut up!"

"Fuck off, Malfoy!" yelled Ron. "No one wants you here!"

"May I remind you that we, as in Potter, his wife, and myself, were here having drinks when you walked over and interrupted us. I won't sit by and let you talk to my... friends like that."

There was silence. Ron looked from Draco to Harry in disbelief. "So that's it then, Harry? You're going to befriend a bloody Death Eater? You're going to choose him over me?"

"Harry, Malfoy, maybe you two should go," interjected Ginny. Ron had a smug look on his face.

"Gin," said Harry. He lowered his wand and took a step towards her, "you can't expect me to leave you here with him."

"He's my brother, Harry. He won't hurt me." She smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Go on." She turned to Draco and smiled softly at him. He lowered his wand but continued to glare at Ron. "Malfoy, go on with Harry. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about."

Draco looked to the floor, confused. Harry reluctantly left her side and grabbed a hold of Draco's arm. He apparated away, taking Draco with him.

Harry and Draco landed in the sitting room in Harry's flat. Draco's confusion was still present in his face and didn't move from the spot where he had landed. Harry took a seat on a couch nearby. "Have a seat, Malfoy."

Draco snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Harry's voice. He turned to Harry and said, "I'd rather have a drink."

"I think I can help with that."

"Tell me, Ronald, what brings you to Hogsmeade?" asked Ginny. She and Ron had occupied the table furthest from the rest of the people at the Three Broomsticks.

"What were you doing with him, Gin?"

"It's really none of your business. You've been completely out of our lives for months, you have no right to pry."

"It's my right! You're my sister!"

"What are you doing here, Ron?"

"I came to see you at the castle, but McGonagall said you were out with Harry."

"Well what did you need me for?"

"I miss you two and the family. I know I haven't been around lately. But I'd really like to go to lunch on Sunday. The who family still goes over, right?"

"I won't be there. I'll be here at school."

"Oh, right. Let Harry know, will you?"

"You've been a prat these past few months. I really doubt he wants anything to do with you."

"Convince him, Gin, please. I know you can do it," he begged.

She sighed. She knew it would take a lot of work to change Harry's mind about Ron. He had noticed a change in Ron early on, before anyone else noticed anything wrong. She'd dismissed it, thinking he was being paranoid. But as the months had gone by, everyone could see a drastic change in him. There was something dark in him. But he seemed to be back to his old self. He smiled at her, and she gave in. "Fine! I'll talk to Harry. And i'll owl you." She got up and gave her brother a quick hug. "It's good to see you, Ron."

Ron sat alone for a few minutes after she left. "How did the family reunion go?" said Blaise as he took the seat Ginny had just vacated.

"Malfoy was here with them. It took all I had not to kill the bastard."

"Nott would've killed you shortly after. We need him."

Ron looked annoyed. "I know. He's been angry with me for acting like a git to Harry."

"You were supposed to stay close to him."

"I have Hermione, though. And don't worry. I'm going to have Ginny make me part of their lives again." He smirked at the thought of revenge. He'd been waiting for Nott to give him the go-ahead to kill Harry. It was all had been dreaming about for months.

"The Order won't know what's coming."

Both Harry and Draco were drunk. They had spent the last couple of hours with a bottle of Dragon Barrel brandy that had been a present from Kingsley. They had argued over Quidditch and discussed their future ambitions within the Ministry. Draco described to Harry what life had been like growing up as the child of two aristocrats. Harry showed Draco muggle technology like his telephone and the television. Afterwards, Harry was sprawled on the couch, while Draco sat on the floor mesmerized by the television.

"Potter," he said suddenly. "What happened to Granger?"

"Do we really have to talk about this?"

"Yes, we do."

He sighed. "I haven't heard from her in months. She's disappeared completely from the wizarding world."

"Why don't you ask the weasel? I thought they were an item."

"We don't have the strongest friendship. I don't even think I can consider him a friend anymore." He paused, debating whether or not to completely confide in Draco. "She moved in with him after the War. After what happened with her parents..."

"What happened?"

"She just wasn't the same anymore. He was different, too. I think Fred's death had a lot to do with it."

"Did he hurt her?" Draco's voice was barely audible.

"I wish I knew."

Draco couldn't imagine the strong Gryffindor princess being hurt at the hands of Ronald Weasley. But even Harry couldn't be sure that Ron wasn't capable of hurting her, and it scared Draco. And that fear left him confused again.

After a few minutes of silence, Harry could see the look on Draco's face. He had noticed in after he had lowered his wand at the Three Broomsticks, but hadn't bothered to ask about it. However, the alcohol in his system at the moment couldn't be bothered to care for manners.

"What's bothering you, Malfoy?"

"I'm drowning."

"You're sitting."

"I want to drown... in alcohol."

"That's not what's bothering you."

"It's one of the things that's bothering me."

"Spit it out."

"What's it to you?!"

"We're friends, aren't we?"

"Friends, Potter? I guess you would want that. It's the correct thing to do, right? You help me, I help you. We get drunk two nights in a row. Is that enough to forgive seven years of animosity?"

"Well, why not?" Harry tried to sit up on the couch but ended up face-down on the floor.

"Why would you want to be friends with someone like me?"

"Let the past go," said Harry as he stood up and walked over to the liquor cabinet. "I'm trying to."

"I can't. It's who I am."

"Are you really trying to avoid my question? What's bothering you?"

"You can't just move on, can you?"

"No."

"It bothers me that I care," Draco paused. I'm never drinking with Potter again. "I care about you and your wife and... even Granger. I wrote her a letter and she didn't write back. And it scares me that Weasley might have done something to her."

"It's not such a bad thing, caring. You're human after all. And we all need people in our lives," he whispered.

"You're drunk, Potter. And hopefully you won't remember any of this tomorrow."

"You're right. Why would I want to remember that you're human, just like me?"

"Maybe we can be friends. The saint and the sinner."

"I'm no saint, Malfoy."

"Then we'll just be sinners."

A/N:
I had written another version of this, but then my computer shut off before I had saved it. X(
I feel like this version got the main idea of what I had previously written, but not as good.
Not much going on, just establishing Harry and Draco's friendship.
Thank you once again Honoria Granger for catching the little things when I can't!
And thanks to my reviewers!
Hope you all enjoyed!