* * *
Harry and Ron finished their meal at the Leaky Cauldron and bade each other farewell. Ron had delightedly agreed to move into Grimmauld Place with Harry the next day, once he had cleared the idea with his family. Ron set off for the Burrow and Harry headed off to Madam Malkin's to pick up some new robes, as his old ones were getting a bit dingy. He had only taken a few steps when he bumped into a man in a green cloak and almost fell over. He steadied himself and looked around to see who had so rudely jostled him. It was Draco Malfoy.
"Well, well, if it isn't the famous Harry Potter," Malfoy drawled. Yet it was not his normal, malicious tone. It sounded to Harry as though Malfoy was having trouble making his voice full of its usual hatred.
"Yes, I am allowed to walk freely, Malfoy," Harry said calmly, bringing himself up to his fullest height. "Unlike some people we both know."
It was obvious Malfoy had not expected Harry to know of the recent capture and imprisonment of Lucius Malfoy, Draco's Death Eater father. Malfoy stiffened. "I am perfectly aware of your freedoms, Potter, and I would like you to know I am sure my father will be out of Azkaban soon enough."
"Ah, but Malfoy, you are forgetting there is a new minister now. No more bribery or sneaking, just justice. And there are no longer dementors guarding the prison to let Death Eaters escape. Kingsley made sure of that."
Malfoy seemed to be struggling to keep himself from running at Harry and strangling him, but at last he spoke in a voice of forced calm. "Potter, my mother would like to invite you over to tea sometime. She would like to thank you, for, er…" he was red in the face now and looking down at his feet, "helping to bring peace at last."
Harry stared blankly at Malfoy for a moment. Had he really just been asked to tea by the Malfoys? Was it possible that they actually were glad he had killed Voldemort, their master? He coughed and looked into Malfoy's eyes. "Uh, sure. What time, then?"
"Oh." Malfoy looked shocked that Harry had accepted the invite. "Um, I’ll ask my mum and she’ll send an owl for you."
"Right, see you then," Harry said awkwardly.
"Yes, see you then," Malfoy agreed and he quickly turned and headed back down the street, leaving Harry standing dumbstruck. He slowly started back towards Madam Malkin's, but this time his mind was not on robe sizes.
Why had the Malfoys invited him for tea? Why had he agreed? The truth was that there had been something in Malfoy's eyes when he looked at Harry that told him this wasn't a trick. There was something Harry had never seen in Malfoy before. That something was respect.
Ron moved into Grimmauld Place the following afternoon and had a great time unpacking and decorating his walls with Chuddly Cannon posters. He was just as shocked at Malfoy’s invitation as Harry was, yet he was even more astounded that Harry had said yes.
"But, mate, he could just be trying to corner you and do you in for ruining his dad's life! How can you trust him?"
Harry had tried to convince Ron that Malfoy had seemed a changed man, but Ron wasn't listening, too stubborn after everything Draco had said and done over the past seven years. He went back to unpacking his things, and Harry decided the point wasn’t worth arguing.
Over the next two days Ron’s happiness at moving out of his family’s house started to wane, and a grim mood took its place. Harry was sure it was caused by Hermione's continued absence. Since Harry and Kreacher had worked so hard on cleaning the house in the first few weeks, there really wasn’t much for Harry and Ron to do in the interim hours between waking and sleeping. They tried to distract themselves by walking the little streets around Grimmauld Place or else playing wizard chess by the fire in the evenings, but Ron’s heart didn’t seem to be in it. It wasn’t long before Ron found another way to ease his worry.
"Pass the firewhiskey, would ya?" Ron asked thickly through a mouthful of Kreacher's best treacle tart the following evening. Harry reached over and pushed a dusty bottle towards Ron.
"Ron, that's your last bottle, you hear me?" he announced firmly.
"Yeah, whatever," Ron mumbled drunkenly, draining the bottle in one gulp and tossing it carelessly onto the growing pile by the door. He burped loudly and laid his head on his hands resting on the table.
"Ron! Harry!" A woman's voice came from the doorway. Harry’s head snapped up, startled, and he jumped to his feet to hug Hermione, who looked joyous at the sight of her two best friends.
"Hermione?" Ron asked groggily, lifting his head from the table and staring in disbelief at the person before him. He cocked his head to the side as if trying to figure out if what he was seeing was real. "Hermione?"
Hermione, looking a bit confused, glanced at Harry, who motioned wordlessly at the pile of bottles on the floor. She sighed and looked back at Ron, who had risen from his chair.
"Hermione, my princess!" Ron cried and lunged at her, kissing her fiercely. She looked surprised, but returned the kiss with equally passion. Harry coughed after a moment to remind them of his presence, and they pulled apart, arms still around each other.
"Yes?" Ron asked stupidly, and Harry and Hermione burst out laughing.
"Ron, I think we need to get you lying down," said Hermione, grinning. She and Harry helped Ron walk into the living room without falling over. When they got him onto the couch, he closed his eyes and began singing loudly off-key:
"I've got my Hermoney
And you don't
Cause she came back
And that's cool"
"Ron," Harry said through his laughter, "Ron, stop it!"
"Oh, Hermoney, my princess
I've got my Hermoney
And that is all
Cause that's cool"
"RON!" Hermione screamed through her own hysterical laughter, "RON, shut up!" It took a good half hour to stop Ron's singing, and by that time, Harry and Hermione had given up trying to stop him and had put their efforts into hiding every remaining bottle of firewhiskey from access.
"So," Harry said after Ron's song proclaiming his love to "Hermoney" had died down to snores, "how did it go finding your parents?"
"Oh, it was quite hard in the beginning. Apparently I cast the memory charms extremely well, because they were very hard to find. But eventually I did, and now they are home and back to normal." Hermione grinned, as Ron's snores stopped suddenly and he began his next round entitled "Ode to Hermoney the Great."
"They weren't angry you had used magic on them?" Harry asked over the singing.
"No, they were fine with it after I explained everything. And once I moved them back in here, they settled down quite well. They were mostly concerned with having to begin their practices again after so long away, but I’m sure they will find a way to straighten everything out! So no harm done!"
They continued talking until Ron's singing had permanently ended. They covered him in a blanket on the couch and bade each other goodnight with "Hermoney is my Honey Bun" still ringing in their ears.
Too Good To Be Fake by way 2 HP obsesed
Chapter Notes: Disclaimer: I do not own even a tiny piece of the Harry Potter world! (But I wish I did)
Hello there readers! It has been over 6 years since I last updated this story (but that's okay right? RIGHT?!) Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Endnotes: I hope everyone liked it! Feel free to drop a review and let me know!