Home

Harry apparated directly into Number 12, he could hear Ginny and Ron talking in the kitchen. He didn't bother with formalities, he was far to angry for it. So, he leveled a blank stare at the two, and listened to them talk animatedly about quidditch. Then a plan began to hatch, as he hadn't heard of, or remembered, any plans being made for tomorrow. 

"I think I'm going to visit Hermione and Teddy tomorrow." 

The kitchen was silent a moment later. Both red heads turned to look at him, as he placed a soft smile on his face. 

"Why?" Ron asked, his features contorting into a sneer.

"I haven't seen them in a while. Plus, Teddy is my godson, and Hermione is one of my best friends." Harry shrugged, watching them closely, but already seeing something he hadn't before from Ron.

The two red heads shared a quick glance, before Ron spoke up again. "Well, I having a big get-together tomorrow. Mate, you have to be there."

"Is Hermione going to be there? If so, then I don't have to plan to go earlier and can just meet her there." 

Ron's eyes widened, knowing that wasn't his typical reaction when Ron says he has a big get-together planned. He stuttered for a moment, before managing to get it out. "Well, it's going to be all day. I was hoping you and Ginny would help me set up early."

"Answer the question Ron, is Hermione and Teddy coming?"

Ron's face flushed a dark red color, matching his red hair spectacularly. He sputtered again, and Harry felt a flash of nervousness go through him at the familiar sight, but pushed it away. Then the explosion came. 

"WHY DOES HERMIONE HAVE TO BE INVITED?" He roared.

Harry's smile disappeared, his own features contorting into the rage that had been pumping through him for the last thirty minutes. "She is our friend too, Ronald. She and Teddy are family. Why does that bother you?"

"Because she's not family. That kid isn't even hers." Ron raged.

Harry sucked in a deep breath, and leveled his gaze on his girlfriend. "Do you believe this too?"

Ginny looked back and forth between Harry and Ron, her eyes filled with tears as she knew this was the end for the two of them. With a sigh, she shook her head no. "I don't believe that. Ron is just mad that Hermione can't have his kids. It's part of the reason why they didn't work out. That, and the fact that Hermione brought Teddy everywhere. He couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand Teddy getting in the way, and how Hermione's priority was Teddy and not him."

Ron's face turned purple in his rage, leveling his glare at Ginny, before turning back towards Harry; but Harry had one more thing to say. "So why is it that there is always this big get-together when I start to make plans to go see Hermione and Teddy?"

Ron lost it at that. "Because all she does is take up everyone's time. She worries about Teddy, you, George and Fred, Ginny, everyone but me. Every time I wanted to go out on a date, or hang out just the two of us, she had to bring Teddy. She didn't want anything to do with me. So I ended it with her, especially after the hospital visit."

Harry took a deep breath, and before he could think twice landed a solid punch to Ron's cheek. The red head boy went down, looking up at Harry fearfully. Towering over him, Harry glared at him with all the anger and resentment he felt. "You, are a shallow man, Ronald Weasley. You are jealous of a baby; of a woman who was healing from so many horrors. A woman who wasn't able to go and search for her parents immediately in order to tend to a baby who's father had just died, and his mother abandoned him. You left Hermione to suffer and raise Teddy alone, especially over the last year. No friend of mine would do that, but then again you have always been a coward when people tended to need you, rather than you needing them." Harry took a deep breath, before continuing. "Get out of my house. Our friendship is over. You will be removed from all the wards on all of my properties. If you so much as bother me, or Hermione and Teddy, I will have you arrested for harassment. And you will have to tell Sirius and Remus why Teddy and Hermione are scared to go out at all if that happens. Now, get. out."

Huffing like a child, Ron stood up. He dusted himself off, sneering as he shoved past the boy-who-lived. The front door slammed shut a few moments later. He looked down at Ginny, and spoke a little more gently, but still firmly. "I'm mad at you too for enabling it. I didn't even know he was doing it, but I have a feeling you did."

Ginny nodded in understanding, scrubbing at her face in frustration. "How is she?"

The fight bled from Harry at her question. The guarded look on Hermione's face flashed before his eyes. "She's guarding herself from me." He whispered.

He saw Ginny nod gently, and the guilt to deepen on her features. "Hermione was never one to be guarded towards you. I was a little jealous she was so at ease with you. I always thought it was unfair how you and Ron treated her, especially when she was only trying to help." She whispered.

Sighing, Harry sat down in the seat Ron had sat earlier. "I know. Remus and Sirius told me how much of a git I was to her."

"What changed?" Ginny asked gently.

"She guarded herself against me. That's what changed it. Hermione never did that before, but now..."

"Now she is." Ginny finished for him. They sat in silence, processing what had happened, before Ginny spoke up once more. "What are you going to do now?"

After scrubbing at his face, Harry faced her head on. "I made a choice today. I choosing to be a better friend to Hermione, and a better Godfather to Teddy." He replied.

"That's not going to be easy." Ginny cautioned gently.

"I know, but I should have been better from the get-go." He replied.

Ginny reached out and placed her hand on his, squeezing gently in support. "You and I both."