"What! Again?!" Astoria gasped with indignation after Ron once more checkmated her king. "That's impossible! Where did that rook even come from?!"
Astoria's nostrils flared angrily and her face twisted into a sulking expression that nevertheless made her look infuriatingly cute in Ron's opinion. He was certain she would've flipped the board over by now had it not been considered an inappropriate behaviour for a pureblood lady. A year or two ago, she probably wouldn't have cared and had done it anyway... yes, Ron was positive Astoria Greengrass had been a board flipper as a child.
"Perhaps chess just isn't your game," he teased her.
The younger girl looked at him with ironclad determination. "Just reset the board, Weasley. I'll show you whose game this is!"
"Was that an order?" Ron asked, pretending to sound perplexed. "It's not like I'm your bodyguard or anything," he told her, not so subtly reminding her she was yet to make her decision on that.
"You so are! ... At least today," the girl insisted. "So reset the bloody board!"
Ron pretended to think about that for a moment before he put his hand on his chest and bowed in her direction. "As my lady commands," he told her while the young pureblood girl rolled her eyes.
Astoria watched him reset the board, still sulking about her loss but somewhat mollified for now. Finally, she propped her head with her hands and looked at him intently. "You know, it'd be considered a good manner to let a lady win once in a while..." she told him in her sweetest voice while batting her eyelashes at him.
The display made Ron pause and he had to steady his hands and stop them from shaking by tightly grasping the chess pieces he held. It took all his Gryffindor courage not to give in and promise to let her win this time... or worse, play along with her antics. If he did, he'd surely be unable to stop. He met her gray eyes and said, "Nice try."
Even though her ruse failed, the girl chuckled and leaned back in her chair. "Ooh… it would've so worked on Harry."
"No, it wouldn't," Ron disagreed before adding with a sly smile. "Not unless you were Daphne."
This time, Astoria crossed her arms over her chest and pouted before saying, "I'm really starting to think you're being mean to me on purpose!" she pretended to accuse him with fake petulance.
"Aren't boys usually mean to the girls they like?" Ron asked her, the words slipping out before he could stop them.
Ron wondered whether he went too far this time but luckily for him, Astoria took the comment in stride, thinking it nothing but a friendly jape among friends like always. She quickly gathered her wits and replied, "Yeah… sure," the girl admitted thoughtfully. "… when they're like ten."
This triggered another round of laughter, this time from the both of them.
One of the first things Ron had learned about Astoria Greengrass was that she liked to casually flirt. It was just who she was and how she communicated, not just with Ron but with pretty much everyone around Greengrass manor. Astoria didn't mean anything serious by it and didn't think anything of it when her friends did the same with her either. Her casual flirting coupled with her naturally outgoing personality made her seem cheerful and friendly and most people instantly like her.
Unfortunately, being secretly in love with Astoria, it'd been nothing short of hell for Ron. The younger girl would flirt with him constantly and think it nothing but harmless fun among friends while Ron wished for nothing more than for her to be serious. He wanted to be with her and wished she would love him the way he loved her.
But it was impossible! She was Draco Malfoy's fiancée! Was it destiny's sick joke at his expense to make him fall in love with the future Mrs. Malfoy?! It would've been so easy had their engagement been merely another loveless match as was sometimes arranged among purebloods. Had that been the case, Ron would've been all over her like there was no tomorrow! Unfortunately, that wasn't the case and Draco and Astoria seemed to have a genuine love for each other.
Oh, how Ron wished it wasn't so, that perhaps one of them wasn't serious about the relationship. Ron had desperately looked for any whiff of treachery on Draco's part, any indication his intentions towards Astoria were anything less than what they appeared to be. But sadly, every person he'd spoken with suggested (usually much to their surprise) that they really had a nice and mutually loving relationship.
And as for Astoria... there could be no doubt she was deeply in love with Draco. One only had to listen to her speak about him to realize her feelings were genuine. The younger Greengrass sister spoke about Draco frequently, even with Ron. Astoria would often ask for his friendly advice about something related to her soon-to-be husband and their future lives together, completely oblivious to how each time felt like a dagger in Ron's heart.
But he couldn't blame the girl for that. Astoria saw him as a good friend and as a result, she talked with him about topics typically reserved for good friends, including romantic relationships. In fact, it was all Ron's fault for wanting something more from her, something he couldn't have and should never want from an almost married woman. In any case, he still gave her his best honest advice when it came to Draco, the thought of purposefully sabotaging her never even crossing his mind. He wanted Astoria to be happy.
Before he could finish setting the board up for another game, Harry and Astoria's mother suddenly walked into the gaming room. Harry was holding her arm, escorting the older woman like a gentleman while they conversed.
Ron smiled at the image, happy his friend was getting along with his future mother-in-law. He'd been told by multiple people how helpful that was for a relationship. Luckily for his best mate, Julia Greengrass had never raised any objections to Harry's relationship with her eldest daughter. She adhered to the same philosophy of pureblood supremacy as Daphne did but being born a Selwyn she was quite tolerant of halfbloods like Harry. Apparently, her birth family liked to work with promising halfbloods the same way Greengrasses preferred grooming muggleborns. Furthermore, Julia Greengrass had been best friends with an orphaned muggleborn girl since she was a child. The girl had formally been her servant but they grew up as close as sisters and their respective daughters were now apparently friends too!
Stuff like this was extremely confusing for Ron as he'd been taught to see pureblood supremacy and its influence on the magical world in black and white terms. But the more he learned about Greengrasses and the people that worked for them, the more he was forced to admit there were shades of grey where he'd previously seen only endless bleak blackness of darkness. More so, that they had in all likelihood actually ended up with the nicer pureblood supremacists, as much as Hermione would've found that idea preposterous. Mike Wilson and the stories of his struggle for muggleborn equality before growing disillusioned and ultimately giving up and surrendering to the Greengrasses also opened Ron's eyes to many issues he never even considered.
The newcomers headed straight for their table and Harry let go of Julia's arm as they reached it.
"Mom." "Mrs. Greengrass." "Ron." "Harry." "Astoria." "Harry." "Tori."
The whirlwind of greetings swept across the room and in the end Harry looked at the older woman, offering her the chance to speak. But Julia just shook her head and said, "No. You go first, dear."
Harry nodded, cleared his throat and turned to Astoria. "I've brought you the letter for Narcissa," he told her and Ron finally noticed Harry was holding an envelope.
The young girl sighed tiredly at that. "Right," she said as she stood up and took it from Harry. Astoria weighted the stuffed envelope in her hand before looking straight at Ron's best friend. "Do you like my feathers, Harry?" she asked all of a sudden.
"S-sorry?" Harry stammered. Both he and Mrs. Greengrass shared confused looks upon hearing the girl's strange question.
"Well, obviously you and Daphne are under the impression I'm an owl... so I was curious to know if you like my feathers," Astoria clarified in sarcastic voice.
Harry sighed at that while her mother merely raised an eyebrow. Ron meanwhile chuckled at her wit. "I like your feathers, Tori," he called out to them, knowing the girl would appreciate the compliment, even when it made no bloody sense.
Astoria turned in his direction and gave him a smile so dazzling it made Ron's heart skip a beat. "Well, thank you, kind sir!" she told him while curtsying in his direction before turning back to Harry and her mother. "Isn't he just the best?" she asked them while cocking her head in his direction. But it was a rhetorical question and she didn't expect an answer.
"Tori, if there was any other way..." Harry began to apologize for having to ask for her help again.
"Yeah, yeah," Astoria replied resignedly before smirking at Harry and adding, "Just remember what you've promised me in return!"
Ron knew Astoria was gladly going to do anything they asked her. She loved her sister and hated the dark lord so it was a no brainer for her to help Harry and Daphne in any way she could. But she was still every bit a Slytherin, meaning she'd try and gain an advantage in the process.
"How could I forget," Harry replied tersely and with a slight tone of distaste in his voice. Ron didn't blame him as Astoria was asking for a lot, in his opinion.
"You'll like Draco from now on!" the girl reminded Harry of the gist of their agreement.
"I'll give him a fair chance," Harry corrected her wording before he added, "As long as he does the same, of course."
Astoria smiled "Oh, he will... leave that to me," she told him with confidence.
"If you two are finally done squabbling," Julia Greengrass spoke, glancing between her daughter who looked indignant at her words and smiling Harry. "We need to select a proper dress for your outing, young lady," she announced, her eyes settling on her daughter.
"I can pick a dress, mom," Astoria insisted while rolling her eyes.
"Of course you can, sweetheart," her mother assured her of her full confidence. But in no way did it change her mind. "Now come on... we have much to do!"
Astoria turned to Ron and quietly mouthed the words 'save me' in his direction. Ron just chuckled and shook his head while Astoria mumbled something which suspiciously sounded like 'traitor' before conceding to go with her mother.
"Alright mom, let's go," she said before lifting the hand in which she held the envelope. "You can tell Daphne everything will be done as she asked," she assured him and Harry thanked her before taking the seat Astoria formerly occupied.
Her mother was already pulling the girl away and at the last moment, Astoria blew a kiss at Harry and Ron. "Later boys!" she called and waved in their direction.
Ron watched her leave with a wistful expression, desperately wishing things could've been different – that Astoria didn't have to leave, that he could go with her, that the air kiss she sent in their direction was meant only for him and he was able to feel it on his skin...
After the two women left the room, he finally turned to his best friend and saw Harry looking in his direction with a contemplative and suspicious expression.
'Shit!' Ron thought in panic. 'Did I stare too much? Did I say something?!'
"Wanna play chess?" he quickly asked Harry who looked at him for a moment longer before shaking his head, "Sorry, maybe another time."
Normally, Ron would try and talk Harry into playing anyway after being rejected like this but this time he simply nodded and started to put the pieces away. It was a mistake as his out-of-character reaction and the awkward silence that followed spoke far louder than anything he could've said.
"Ron, are you – do you like Astoria?" Harry asked with disbelief and Ron closed his eyes, one of the pieces falling from his hand and hitting the board. They were wizarding chess pieces so it actually yelled at him for being dropped but Ron ignored it and looked at his best friend with desperate expression.
"You can't tell... please don't tell her!" he pleaded and to his relief Harry immediately nodded at his request. Ron slumped back into his chair. "How did you realize?" he asked anxiously, wondering what gave him away.
"It's the look in your eyes when you're with her... you had it for a while now," Harry told him after a moment of silence. "I've seen you gazing at Hermione the same way back in the tent."
Ron felt a momentary stab of guilt at the reminder. But it wasn't like he was betraying Hermione by being in love with Astoria. He and Hermione were never together. They never even kissed! In any case, it seemed he was safe for the moment. Harry was his best mate and knew him well which allowed him to realize the truth. Ron doubted anyone else could do the same but he made a mental note to be extra careful from now on.
Ron took a deep breath and closed his eyes few times before saying. "I'm actually glad you found out. Feels good that somebody knows," he admitted. His hands were trembling and he was nervously rubbing his wrist.
Harry noticed nervousness. "Dobby!" his friend called out and Ron watched the elf pop into the room. "What can Dobby do for great master Harry?" he asked excitedly.
"Could you get us two glasses of whisky?" Harry asked him and shared a look with Ron, noticing his deeply tormented expression before adding, "Bring the bottle too."
The elf immediately obeyed and in less than five seconds they had their order ready. Dobby snapped his hands and packed the chess set away too so there was room on the table for the glasses. They both thanked him and the elf bowed happily before popping away.
"H- how did this happen?" Harry finally asked him after they both drained half their glasses.
"I'm not completely sure, to tell the truth," Ron admitted. "The more time I've spend with her, the more I liked her, I guess. I mean she's smart, funny, pretty..." Ron told him, before trailing off. It really felt good to tell this to somebody.
"I've had no idea, Ron," Harry told him honestly. "I mean given how she treated you in the beginning..."
Ron scrunched up his face for a second. "Yes, there's that, I guess..."
What Astoria did shortly after their capture still haunted his memory. She'd have done far worse to him too had Harry not agreed to cooperate with Daphne. Hermione saw it as the ultimate betrayal on his part but the truth was he'd saved them both from horrible fates. Hermione would've died for sure but not before suffering greatly for being an independent muggleborn. And as for him... by the time Astoria would've handed him over to Draco as she'd threatened to do, Ron would've been a shell of his former self.
"Then how could you be in love with her?" Harry asked him next, no judgement in his voice, just honest desire to understand and help his friend.
Ron looked up at him and smirked. "Didn't Daphne make you kneel and slap you around in the beginning?"
Harry laughed a little at that. "Okay, fair point," he admitted and sipped from his glass before turning serious again, "What're you going to do?" he asked.
"What do you think?" Ron snapped and drained the rest of his glass. He moved his hand to get the bottle and refill it but then stopped and put his hands down on the table instead, clenching and unclenching his fist. "I'm not going to do anything. I can't! She's with Draco! She's madly in love with him!"
"Ron... she's not married to him yet. Perhaps..." Harry began and tried to convince him that perhaps there was a chance for them to be together yet. It was a wonderful dream... and Harry was a good friend for trying to convince him it could come true. Ron listened to him for a while but in the end he just shook his head sadly.
"Stop it, Harry. Don't do this," he pleaded. "You can't help me! You're no longer just my best friend here. You're also the future lord of her House. Astoria's going to be your family... which means you must do what's good for her!" he told him resolutely before looking his friend straight in the eyes. "Can you honestly tell me she and Draco aren't a good match? That perhaps one of them is not serious about the other?!"
Harry stared right back challengingly and Ron thought he would argue. Perhaps reveal something Ron had missed in his own assessment of the couple. That hope quickly died as Harry lowered his eyes. "No... I can't," he admitted and drained his glass too. "I had my doubts. So Daphne showed me some of her memories of Astoria and Draco with each other. And as much as I hate to admit it, he's completely different when he's with her... not at all like the bloody ferret we knew."
"And you think that's the real him? You don't think he's only pretending to be a better man to trick her?" Ron asked with one last desperate hope.
"That's what I thought at first, but..." Harry said and sighed before finishing, "Let's just say I know what's it like having to pretend you're something you're not, just so you don't fail the expectations of others," he said with bitterness in his voice. "Having experienced that... well, I can tell the way he's with Astoria is actually the real him," he reluctantly admitted.
It pained Ron to do so but he finally nodded in acceptance. It was just as he thought. Draco and Astoria were for real. What they had might even be a true love, the kind that's said to come once in a lifetime. And he had no right to mess with a true love. Right? Right?!
The intense wave of bitter regret and desperation at what could have been only slowly dissipated from Ron's mind. But eventually he regained enough sense to gather the rest of Harry's words. They once again told Ron just how much his best friend had been hurting all these years. And to think he'd actually felt jealous at Harry's fame countless times. He'd envied him for being the boy-who-lived while all this time Harry secretly resented the accolades and couldn't wait to get rid of them.
"Harry, if I ever made you feel like –" he began, wanting to apologize for unwittingly having contributed to his friend's unhappiness over the years.
"Don't apologize, Ron," Harry interrupted him. "I don't blame you. I don't blame anyone! How anyone could've know who I was when I wasn't sure myself?!" Harry exclaimed and laughed bitterly. "It was only when I met someone who actually resented the idea of boy-who-lived and still loved me for me that I realized how much I resented the title too. I'm so happy with Daphne... it's like I've been walking in a fog my whole life and only now can see ahead clearly."
"I'm happy for you," Ron told him with total honesty. He didn't think he'd ever be jealous of Harry again. Was it a sign of personal growth on his part or just the overwhelming certainty Daphne Greengrass was exactly who Harry needed to be happy? Ron wasn't sure. He looked up at his friend and added sadly. "And I'll be happy for Astoria and Draco too."
Harry's happy expression promptly disappeared as he looked at him with sympathy. "I understand you've asked to serve as her bodyguard after the war?"
Ron nodded. "Turns out I've a talent for the job," he said and smiled. 'And I have to be near her...' he added for himself.
"Ron... you sure it's a good idea?" Harry asked with concern. "I mean if you're in love with her..."
"It's what I want, Harry," he told him resolutely. "I realized it's what I wanted only when it was in front of me. I think you of all people should understand that," he told him, paraphrasing his earlier words.
Perhaps he was guilt tripping Harry a little with that statement but he needed his friend to let this go. Deep down, Ron realized his plan wasn't exactly healthy for him. That perhaps it would be best for him to get as far away from Astoria as possible until his feelings for her disappeared. But he couldn't! The idea of being away from her for any protracted period of time made him physically ill. Besides, if serving Astoria and Draco turns out to be unbearable for him he'll simply stop, right? Seeing Harry still wasn't convinced, he added. "I doubt it's going happen anyway. Astoria said she'd only allow it if Draco agrees. And I don't see that happening, do you?"
At last, Harry reluctantly conceded. "If you're certain..."
"I am."
"Have to admit you guarding Tori's back would make me feel better," Harry admitted before he chuckled. "Although Hermione will sure go nuts when she hears about this. Have you told her yet?" Harry asked and Ron shook his head.
"No, I haven't. It feels really awkward to talk to her these days. And not just because of how I feel about Astoria. She's also saying pretty mean things about you... and it pisses me off," he admitted to Harry and watched his friend huff while mumbling 'typical'. "And she also thinks I've made a magically bounding oath not to help her," Ron reminded him and sighed, "It's strange having to lie to her all the time."
Technically, Ron supposed it wasn't entirely a lie as he'd indeed made an oath not to free Hermione. It just wasn't magically binding.
"If you want to tell her the truth, go right ahead," Harry replied and waved his hand dismissively. "I no longer care."
Ron looked at him with disappointment, deeply regretting the fact his two best friends now hated each other. It was actually Harry's idea to lie to Hermione about him making the oath. The idea was that even were Hermione to reject Harry completely, she'd have at least one friend left in Ron. And sadly, that's exactly what happened.
"You're really angry with her," Ron mentioned with sorrow in his voice.
"Angry doesn't begin to describe it," Harry grumbled before he took a calming breath and said, "I try not to think about Hermione too much. The more I do, the more pissed at her I get."
"It's not her fault..." Ron pointed out.
"While true, that excuse is getting pretty old," Harry retorted. "Her fault or not, at this point she ought to make the best of her situation. Instead, she's been making the worst of it since day one!" he told him and threw his hand wide in frustration. "All she had to do was keep her head down and her mouth shut and not challenge Daphne at every turn!"
"She can't accept it. Can accept –"
"... can't accept that she lost?" Harry finished for him and Ron slowly nodded.
There was a silence in the room as none of them said anything for a while. Finally, Ron spoke, "This might not be the best time to tell you she actually seemed really happy the last time we spoke..."
Harry's expression twisted up like he just sucked a lemon. "What?!" he spat, knowing Hermione being happy all of a sudden for no apparent reason didn't indicate anything good. "What do you mean?" he demanded to know.
"She was almost... hopeful. I thought Daphne or you might've told her something."
"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "Daphne barely tolerates her and I'm not far behind her on that. Neither of us has spoken with Hermione for a long time."
"Oh..." Ron said and uncomfortable silence settled over the room.
"I'm not going to help her again, Ron," Harry at last spoke with a tone of finality. "If she actually does something stupid, she'll face the full consequences!"
"You don't mean..."
"I do! While it's completely unfair to her, she really must accept the reality of her situation... and learn how to deal with people like Daphne amicably. Or else after the war she'll get herself locked up in Azkaban, anyway."
Ron sighed, knowing nothing he might say would change Harry's mind right now. He knew his friends had an awful argument and both were furious with the other. Personally, Ron understood where Hermione was coming from as Harry did essentially betray her and other muggleborns by falling in love with Daphne Greengrass. He'd almost certainly saved both their lives by doing so but it was still a betrayal. On the other hand, Ron knew now better than anyone that heart wants what it wants and he couldn't blame Harry for following his for the first time in his life.
He was also appalled by Hermione's position on many issues. From what she told him, it sounded like she would've actually preferred they'd all died in some hopeless fight. As if their deaths would've been preferable over Harry cooperating and falling in love with Daphne! Interestingly, while she often badmouthed Harry, Hermione never directly said a bad word about the lady of House Greengrass these days. Whatever happened during their last encounter, it left a deep, existential fear of the pureblood girl in Hermione's mind. It kept her from actively resisting but also made her irrational when it came to Daphne. During their private conversations, Hermione actually went so far as to suggest they were heading towards a worse future than had Voldemort simply won. That really scared Ron because if Hermione would've honestly preferred the dark lord's rule, then she had truly lost all reason and perspective.
Instead of continuing the painful conversations and thoughts about the two girls in his life, Ron decided to change the topic entirely. "How's your new wand?" he asked Harry.
It seemed Harry was also happy to change the topic. "It's... incredible," he told him even as he took the Elder wand out of the holster and twirled it in his hand. "When I cast a spell, it's like there's no resistance to my magic at all," Harry explained.
"Are your spells more powerful now?" Ron wondered.
"Not sure... not that much, I guess. But the casting is more natural... more seamless. And it's like I don't tire at all," Harry explained.
"I'm still confused why Dumbledore hadn't just given you the wand before he died," Ron mentioned next.
"Daphne thinks that by having it buried with himself, he somehow hoped to destroy it."
"It's really indestructible, then? You can't just break it?"
"No," Harry shook his head. "You just don't want to break it. It's like your survival instinct stopping you from hurting yourself... but thousand times stronger."
Ron chuckled at the idea he had. "Maybe you should give it to Seamus for a minute... he blows up everything!"
The two of them laughed at the welcome reminder of the good old times and almost missed another person entering the room. Catching a mane of blonde hair in his peripheral vision, Ron thought for a moment Astoria was returning.
"Actually, Seamus Finnigan blowing up things is just something they did in the movies," Luna Lovegood informed them even as she skipped into the room. "What happens here is based on the books."
Luna's words made little sense to Ron but that wasn't anything unusual. He just smiled in her direction and said hello, wondering whether her coming here was just a random encounter or she came to tell them something.
"Do you want to play chess with me?" Luna then asked Ron much to his surprise.
"Well, Harry and I were talking and –"
"Actually," Harry interrupted. "I have to get going. There's... something I have to do," he said with great reluctance and Ron only now realized his friend had seemed really tense ever since he sat down.
"What is it?" he asked with worry, mentally kicking himself for being too wrapped up in his own problems to notice that.
Instead of Harry, it was Luna who answered. "Oh, Harry just needs to do something morally questionable. Perhaps even reprehensibly evil, depending on who you ask... right Harry?" she asked with an expression that was disproportionally cheerful given her ominous words.
"Eh- right," Harry stammered the answer. He stood up and patted Ron's shoulder. "I'll tell you later. And we'll speak more about...everything," he promised and Ron nodded gratefully.
Ron watched him leave before Luna spoke and he focused his attention on her. "So... do you want to play?" she asked and Ron agreed, thinking it might take his mind of things at least a little. He then brought over the chess set Dobby had removed earlier and started setting it up. Meanwhile Luna looked at him with a dreamy expression.
"You should really take it off, you know," she suddenly told him. "It's not good for you at all."
Ron paused and stared at her bewildered. "Sorry, what? Take off... what? What are you talking about?" he asked in total confusion. Like usual, he had no idea what Luna was talking about but the insistence and certainty in the way she spoke made him genuinely concerned.
Luna's dreamy smile faltered for a moment. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" she asked with a hint of irritation. "I'm not a seer! You're the one who's supposed to know!"
"But you're the one telling me!" Ron protested the illogicalness. "You're the one telling me to take something off... and you don't what it is?!"
Luna sighed. "That's right," she said after a moment. "It's what I know when I look at you. I can tell you need to take it off... and fast!"
"So you sense I need to take something off? But you don't know what it is?" Ron asked sceptically but making a genuine effort to understand. He tried to make some sense of her words but didn't have much luck. It's not like it was the old days when he had a horcrux hanging around his neck and his friends would tell him to take it off. No, as far as he knew, he was only wearing his clothes this time and nothing else. And he seriously doubted Luna meant for him to take off his clothes. Or at least he hoped not. Between the dying embers of his feelings for Hermione and the flaming passion he felt for Astoria, he certainly didn't need a third girl to complicate things even more.
"Alright... I'll think about what you've said," he told her in uncertain terms while nervously rubbing his wrist.
The blonde Ravenclaw watched him carefully before she nodded in satisfaction. "I hope so," she told him and her eyes went to the chessboard as they started their game. "I'll win in thirty-seven moves, by the way," she told him as her dreamy expression returned.
"WHAT?"