Chapter 07
While everyone was still thinking about the conversation they had had with Draco, Harry walked over to the blond man, looking at him as if to say, « What have you done now? » His husband just raised an eyebrow and shrugged a little. The dark-haired man shook his head resignedly, but with a small smile on his face. He returned to sit beside Draco and waited patiently for someone to speak.
« Harry, » said Hermione softly, « it's... Difficult. »
« What's difficult? »
« Swallowing the pill. To understand that you've changed so much in just five years. That you've rebuilt your life without us in it, » she explained, « and with one of the people we've hated since we were 11. It's just... It's... Complicated, forgetting about resentment and everything we've been through together. The words and the beatings and everything that happened in those years. To move on and accept that he's now a part of your life and he's here to stay. That you have a child together! »
« I can understand that, » Harry replied calmly.
« You've had five years to get to know each other, really. To see behind the mask we all had to wear during the war, to be able to forget and even forgive what he did to us. Five years we haven't had. »
« That's right. But you've had five years to realize other things. Like the fact that I didn't want to be an Auror. Not with everything that's happened in my life. All my life, » says the brunette, « five years to realise I'd never get back with Ginny. Never. Not even if I had stayed with you guys. »
« But you were Auror in America, » Ron exclaimed, unable to help himself.
« No, I was a consultant, I chose my own hours. I wasn't forced to take cases I didn't want, no one ordered me to do anything. And more specifically, I was almost never in the field, only when it was really urgent. I was helping the American government, yes. I helped in the liaison between the American and British Ministries. But I wasn't Auror, Ron. » Corrected the brunette.
« It's true that seen like that, » the red-headed man reluctantly admitted. « I can, more or less, understand why you don't want to be Auror. If you take two minutes and really think about it, it makes sense, it's true. But still, I thought we were on the same page, Harry. »
« Why didn't you ever tell us about it? » Asked Molly softly.
« Would you have listened to me? » Harry replied, « the war was just over. And I can tell you that I was so lost. I didn't know where I stood anymore. What if I was wrong ? What if I wanted to get back together with Ginny? Go after all our dreams, together, like we wanted? Like we imagined? »
« So -»
« I didn't know what I wanted anymore, » Harry cut by running a hand through his hair and leaning over Draco, « I needed some air. To breathe. To feel free. You were happy, of course, that the war was over. To finally be able to do what you wanted without fear. But I, for one... That's all I've ever known. I had to find something on my own. I left to find what I wanted. To find myself. The meeting with Draco wasn't planned. And to tell the truth, it didn't start out so well. At least once I realized he wasn't a desert hallucination. When we met again for the second time... »
« It took you a long time, » the blond man spoke tenderly.
« Not my fault. You have to admit it was totally unexpected and you never thought we'd end up where we are today. »
The Weasleys watched as Harry and Draco threw the ball back to each other, slowly beginning to realize some things they hadn't wanted to see until now. Such as the way Harry looked at the blond man as if he had all the answers of the universe and more. Or Draco, one of whose hands gently massaged the back of Harry's neck, giving the impression that he was going to start purring at any moment. This comfort that they had in talking to each other, how they communicated... It was like they always did. The permanent disdain on the Slytherin's face was no longer present when he was talking to the brunette. Then there was the fact that they had started a family. They had a child. Did they really have the right to destroy all that because they were selfish? No, they didn't have the right. No matter how hard it would be. And even though Ron and Hermione knew their friendship wouldn't be the same. Never the way it used to be.
The twins looked at their family with smiles on their faces, they were beginning to understand. Maybe everything could work out in the end. Harry deserved the best. For everything he'd done for them. For the world. He deserved to be happy. And they knew that Ron and Hermione and their parents had been important in Harry's life... So even if it wasn't quite the same, even if the complicity that they had shared during the dark times was gone, it would be a relief to have them back in Harry's life... However, there was one person who didn't seem to understand all this and who had remained silent, Ginny. ... who looked at the couple with an air of false indifference... Which was not a good sign. The twins sighed. Some problems get solved, and others get created, huh?
« I think, uh... » Hermione began hesitantly and quickly looked at Ron and Molly, « that we can try to understand even better. To try harder. To accept Draco. I can't promise to become friends with him, or even manage to leave the past where it is. But I can promise that we'll try. »
« And that's all I ask. I can't impose Draco's friendship on you. Anyway, it's the same on his side, » Harry smiles softly, « but the fact that you're willing to try means a lot to me. »
« Especially because we now know who you would choose if we didn't try, » Ron says lightly, « which, in itself, I can understand. My family would be more important to me too. It was just the person you made your family with that we don't like. »
« So, um... Can we get to know you? Get to know who you've become? Who you are now? » Asked shyly, Hermione.
« As long as everything remains cordial, I don't see a problem, » Harry answered.
« I think we can stay cordial, » Ron nodded, to everyone's surprise, « I mean, if he can do it, why can't we? »
« That's one way of looking at it, » Harry smiled, « not necessarily the best way. But it is a way, yes. But at the same time, he's cordial to everyone, nobility oblige... Even if he'd actually prefer to kill the person in front of him. »
« I know I should take this the wrong way, » says Draco, « but I'll take it as a compliment. »
« Hm? Oh, never mind, it was a compliment. To you. But what I'm trying to explain is that you're used to being cordial and polite in all circumstances, the Weasleys less so. Even if they are pure-blooded, they don't have the same lifestyle as you, Love. It's bound to be a bit more complicated. »
« True, » Hermione admitted with a sigh, « but he's cordial to us for you. He's always been totally despicable to us, Harry, noble or not. And now, barely five years after the Great War and Hogwarts, when we haven't seen each other again, he's cordial to us. He does it for you, not because we brought him up that way. »
« True, » admitted Draco when Harry turned to him with a raised eyebrow (a perfect imitation of Draco's, by the way), « mainly I do it for you, because I know that no matter what you say, they're important to you. And if it doesn't work out, I don't want to be totally the cause of it. »
« It's that he can be nice when he wants to be, » Harry laughed gently.
« And then there's the fact that I'm now a responsible adult, a father with a family and a job. I'm no longer an eleven-year-old who just wants to show his superiority and wealth to anyone who will listen, I've grown up and matured. »
« And the last thing you want is for Gabriel to become like you at eleven. I get it. »
«... That, too, » admitted Draco.
As Hermione watched them both, she couldn't help but think that it was the right solution. That they had made the right choice in deciding to try to accept Draco. To accept the fact that Harry had changed, that he had started a family... That he's now a confident adult, confident in what he's doing and capable of making big decisions. And not the frail little boy who wanted a family more than anything else, but who didn't know if he would survive the war, and had only dreams and imagination for hope. Oh, she wasn't stupid - far from it - , even she knew it wouldn't be easy. That Ron wouldn't be able to contain his anger all the time. That Molly couldn't curb her desire to mother Harry a little too much and that she herself couldn't shut her mouth every time she wanted to correct Harry or tell him what to do. It was in their character. It was in their temperament. There would be clashes, and she knew that. But she wanted Harry back, her friend. Her real first friend. And if she had to make an effort, she would make an effort. And she knew that Ron and Molly felt the same way.
But for Ginny, on the other hand, it wasn't that simple... She didn't want to accept the way things were being done. She didn't want to accept that the person in Harry's life was Draco... In her mind, there was absolutely no possibility that Harry wouldn't choose her. She could bring him so much. She could make him so happy. So why didn't he choose her? Why did he refuse to face the truth? Certainly, she could admit that at first she had fallen in love with Harry the Boy Who Survived. Harry the Wizard World Hero, not Harry Potter, just Harry. But now she had got to know him through the years. At Hogwarts, during the war. She had seen the courage he had shown for a teenager. The sadness at the losses the war had brought... She'd seen him angry, she'd seen him depressed. Saw him at his worst, and she couldn't believe that his best wasn't with her. She had been there as much as Ron and Hermione as soon as she could. Supported him as much as she could. Unlike the Blond Slytherin who had only been there to belittle, humiliate and insult Harry. She didn't understand. She didn't WANT to understand. She wouldn't give up. She wouldn't. Harry was just hers, and that's all there was to it.
« I'm glad everyone has come to an agreement, » says Arthur with a small smile, « it's a relief to finally not have to take sides. »
« I can understand, and for that, I'm honestly sorry Arthur. I wish no one had been put in a situation where they had to choose, » Harry sighed, « but I don't think I had a choice. »
« That's right, Harry, and I don't blame you for that, on the contrary. I think it's time we all opened our eyes. The only thing I regret is that I didn't do it at the same time as Fred and George, » Arthur replied sadly.
« It wasn't the same time, dear father, » Fred spoke, « we'd always known. »
« Indeed, » George continued, « Harry is a loyal man. Who does what is good for everyone. And dare I say it Fred? »
« I think so, George. »
« Harry has a complex that forces him to help people in need, and I think a lot of people noticed that when they were at Hogwarts. He may have the mind of a Slytherin, but he was just an eleven-year-old child immersed in a world that was unknown to him. He couldn't hide his emotions. Not as he can now. »
« Which made people who found out about it play on it. Then there was the prophecy and everything that happened at Hogwarts. He didn't have a choice, he had to do it, » Fred smiled softly, « and it was something George and I noticed quickly. »
« And now that it's all over, he can finally be free to decide for himself, » Hermione spoke softly, « he doesn't have to answer to anyone anymore and he's making it known! And I guess the person who pointed out to him that he didn't always have to be a hero was Malfoy; wasn't he? »
« Exactly, » Harry admitted.
« It's hard to admit, » Ron began hesitantly, « but I think I can understand that too. Honestly, if Hermione hadn't been there, I don't know how it would have ended. Oh, I know I made a lot of mistakes about her, but if she hadn't stayed, maybe I would have ended up a lot worse. Maybe I'd have left, too. »
« Same with me, » Hermione slowly realized, « Ron is the person I share my life with. Whether it's the good times or the bad times. He's there to support me. That's what friends are for, it's true, but when you have someone who supports you, there to share everything with you, like Ron was for me, everything seems easier. I have Ron. And Molly to Arthur. The twins are both - not in the same way, obviously, but it's different for them. You, you had no one. »
« That's right, » Harry replied, « and I think I needed that person to finally be who I am now. »
« And that person was Malfoy? » Ginny suddenly spoke very coldly. « Malfoy and no one else? »
The room became silent at Ginny's first words for quite some time. Harry looked her straight in the eye and she held his gaze. The brunette honestly didn't think things could work out with the youngest Weasley. She was too immersed in what she wanted to do to face reality. But he would have at least thought she was smart enough not to talk about it. So as not to confront Harry directly... He didn't want to hurt her, she'd been like a sister to him for so long. She had meant something to him. Certainly not in the way that she would have liked. But she was Ron's little sister, who had been Harry's best friend for years. He'd really hoped she could at least understand that. Harry sighed, she probably never would.
« Why do you ask? » Harry finally answered, « because you can tell me that you would have immediately accepted if it had been someone other than Draco? A woman or even another man? »
« Yes. Well, no, » said Ginny, « I wouldn't necessarily have accepted that, but I would have been more... tolerant if it hadn't been Malfoy. »
« Look, Ginny, » sighed the dark-haired man, « I don't think that's even the point. Because first of all, even if it hadn't been Draco, I can assure you with all the confidence in the world that it never would have been you. And secondly, it was Draco. It's always been him and it probably always will be him! »
« And how do you know that?! » Exploded the redheaded girl, « how could you know that without even trying? Without even wondering?! How can you assure me that you're not making a mistake and that you don't love me at all?! »
« Just because I'm at peace with myself now, Ginny, » Harry calmly replied, « I know what I want because that's why I left. To find out what I wanted, who I was and what I wanted to do. I know it's Draco because I've asked myself that question, I've thought about it and even tried to deny it at first. »
« Really? » Ron suddenly asked as he cut Harry off.
« Oh, I swear he's telling the truth, » said Draco sarcastically, « it was honestly a man's race before we got to the point of admitting our feelings and all that follows. It was exhausting. I'd do it again with my eyes closed. »
« Likewise, » Harry smiled softly before turning to Ginny again with his face closed, « I didn't make these choices lightly Ginny. You've been important to me and I'll never deny that. But you've always been like a little sister to me. Admittedly, it took me a long time to realize that, and for that, I'm sorry. But that doesn't change the fact that you were my best friend's little sister, the person who was my brother. Which made you my sister. Not the possible woman in my life. »
It's true that now that Harry was saying it, Ron could see where he was going with it. They had all made assumptions about Harry's future love life - and even his career, but that wasn't the point. - Without trying to see if it was the right solution for him. Without asking his opinion. But now that he thought about it a little, he saw that Harry had never acted with his sister the way he had reacted to Hermione. He had always acted with Ginny as if she was indeed a sister to him. It was all becoming clearer now...
« God, » he whispers, « we've been terrible friends, haven't we? »
« I wouldn't say that, » replied Harry, rather surprised that it was Ron who noticed it first, « you did what YOU thought you should do. Of course, without really thinking about the consequences, or what I wanted, but deep down I know you didn't mean any harm. And I think that's why I'm willing to try to forgive you and try to relearn how to have you in my life. »
« I'm not sure that what we did is forgivable, » Hermione continued.
« I could forgive a Malfoy, why not you? »
« Because you never had any expectations of him. You always thought of him as a spoiled rotten child. So even though what you have to forgive may be harder, and may hurt you very much, he didn't betray you like we did. He didn't have your friendship broken, like it did with us. Those are two different situations. » Hermione explained.
« Correction, our friendship was broken before it even began when he refused to shake my hand as a first-year, » Draco replied somewhat sulky.
« You wouldn't have acted the way you did, maybe it would have been different. And who knows, maybe I would have even ended up as Slytherin. » Harry laughed when he saw the shocked look on his husband's face, « I'll explain later... »
« Harry, » Molly began softly, « during the last five years that you've been alone, apart from Draco, have you kept in touch with any members of the Wizard's World? »
« Hm... I wouldn't say "kept in touch" so much because it was still rare, » Harry began to answer thoughtfully, « but if you mean that I occasionally gave news to certain people ? Yes, that was the case. »
« Oh, » Ron and Hermione were surprised, and they pushed away the painful feelings that were coming to the surface.
« Yes, mainly the twins, Neville and Luna, » said Harry, « then after being with Draco for a few months, there was Blaise and Pansy. »
« Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson? The ones who came looking for you with Draco and your son? » Asked Hermione.
« That's right, » smiled Harry, « they're mainly Draco's friends. But over time I really got to know them, and like with Draco, that ended in friendship. »
« And unlike Draco, it remained a friendship. » continued the blonde, « because Draco doesn't share. »
« Yes, yes, we know, » Harry sighed, laughing softly, « and Harry didn't want Pansy or Blaise that way, thank you very much. »
« Hey! I'm still here and I'd like to continue our conversation Harry, » Ginny got angry.
« Oh, I thought it was over yet, » Harry answered innocently.
« No, it's just beginning. There are still many things I'd like to tell you and make you understand. Because I won't give up, Harry. I won't let Draco get you. I refuse to accept this... ...this reality, » Ginny spat, shaking her arms in all directions.
As Harry was about to answer, and pick up the conversation from where he had left it, they heard the chimney make a noise, announcing the arrival of a visitor. Harry raised an eyebrow, even though he already knew who it was, before looking at Draco. He shrugged his shoulders and said, « Don't look at me like that, I had nothing to do with it. I haven't moved from there since the beginning! » Well, he was going to continue the discussion with Ginny and some more guests. Because he knew she wouldn't let up.
Who had just arrived unannounced? How was the conversation between Ginny and Harry going to go? Would the youngest Weasley finally calm down and accept reality once her conversation with Harry was over?