Healing Draco Malfoy

Chapter 62

Harry shook his head, tears brimming.

"Harry... do you have any idea what you look like when you look at him?"

He swallowed and shook his head.

"Everything else fades out. Your eyes only look at him, and it wasn't just at your birthday party. I saw it at Draco's birthday, too. You smiled every time you looked at him, whether he was looking at you or not. You were so happy staring at him. So, stupidly happy. And Harry... so was Draco, every time he looked at you. That's why I have no doubt that it'll work out just fine."

Tears dripped down. "I-I don't think that...it would stop. The pain. Nothing good ever happens to me, Ron. It's like I've been doomed to suffer forever."

Ron slowly hugged him. "I don't believe that. You were happy in between all the bad. Yeah, fate was a bitch to you, but you have family... us, the kids and Teddy. You have loyal, diehard friends, a great job and someone who wants to spend his life easing your pain."

Harry let out a sob into his chest. "You really think...."

"Yes! You daft git," Ron chuckled, light-heartedly. "How many times do you want me to say it?"

Harry leaned upward, wiped his tears and laughed a little. "A few more."

"Sure, Draco is...."

"Thanks, I get it. Never thought you'd be advocating for Draco so much... after everything."

"I grew up. Even though Weasleys have been known for being obstinate, I'm not hanging onto the past."

Harry nodded and ran his thumb against Draco's journal. I know that you will never love me, like I love you, but I have to try, seventeen-year-old Draco wrote. It rang so true, now, for him. He has to try, too.

"What's that?" Ron asked, gesturing to the book.

Well, Ron genuinely likes Draco, he thought, but said, "It's Draco's."

Ron raised an eyebrow.

"His journal. I took it from his house a couple months ago."

"Harry! You can't read that," Ron spluttered indignantly.

"He gave me the password. He wanted me to read it," he said, quietly.

Ron's jaw dropped. "Oh... sorry. I didn't mean to... accuse you of... violating his privacy. But do you... want to talk about it? I mean... not the private bits."

Harry debated it mentally. He just wanted to talk to someone about it, and Ron... well... he could see it. "Draco... he's always felt something for me. He had a crush on me since third year."

"I would have guessed earlier," Ron scoffed. "Merlin... the Duel, stalking you when Hagrid had Norberta, the Duel Club, joining the Slytherin team just to play against you... I could go on."

Harry blinked and stared at Ron. "Huh."

"He might not have known that he liked yeh, but he was always Pottah this and Pottah that."

Harry laughed. "Yeah... he was quite shocked when he figured it out. But Draco... he actually helped more than we knew. He knew we were in the Room of Requirement before Umbridge did. He let Dobby know to tell us. He took down the manor wards when we got caught. He was sorry that he had almost killed you and Katie, that he called Hermione names... that he had to take the Dark Mark."

Ron nodded, approvingly. "People can always surprise you. He was stuck in a hard place, but he can now tell you how he feels. The question is... what are you going to do about it?"