Harry, Ginny, and Ron were all thrilled when I invited them. Ginny seemed nervous when I flooed her on New Year's Eve, but was happy just the same. Since Harry was with her she didn't say anything, but she looked at me quizzically. Draco and I had decided that we would catch up for a while then I would tell them. He would come in once they had calmed down and hopefully we would have a happy night together. I wasn't so sure the plan would work, and when the gang stepped out of the kitchen fireplace, my hands were shaking.
"Hey Hermy," Harry said as he enveloped me in a bear hug. He was taller than I had last seen him, and I could tell he was stressed out. I couldn't blame him, being head of the auror office was an important job and they were still trying to track down Rookwood, one of the last remaining death eater. Ron hugged me next and whispered in my ear,
"It's so nice to see you." My worries intensified, and I felt my heart speed up more than I had thought possible. This was not going to be easy. He had gotten taller too, and a lot of the freckles from childhood had disappeared. He was handsome, little ickle Ronniekins was cute! However, clichéd as it was, I only had eyes for eyes Draco. Ginny was too big to hug, being well into her ninth month of pregnancy, so we high-fived instead.
"Where are the folks?" Harry asked, wrapping his arm around her. Ron wandered around the kitchen, randomly poking different appliances. I heard him mumble something under his breath about how mad muggles were. He leapt back in surprise when he turned on the microwave. Ginny went and turned it off.
"They're at a friend's house watching the ball drop," I answered ushering the group into the living room.
"What ball?" Harry asked curiously. Ron looked away from my father's stereo hopefully.
"Quidditch?" I sighed; he hadn't changed a bit.
"No Ronald," I said as he dived for the bowl of chips. "Every new year's eve muggles gather in New York City to watch this big glass ball that lowers as the count down to the new-year."
"Why?" Ron asked through a mouthful of the snacks.
"Because they just do." Harry changed the subject.
"So how's being a teacher? Professor?" Ron waved the comment off.
"My students call me Ron. I'm not old enough to be called Professor." Harry sat down on the couch next to Ginny and I took a seat across from them. "You wouldn't believe how rude some of these little brats are. There's a kid just like Malfoy in my class, blond, obnoxious, stuck up little git." I gulped and Ginny looked across at me sympathetically. "Speaking of Malfoy, has anyone heard about him lately? He completely disappeared! I hope he's not trying to round up the Death eaters again." Thankfully, Ginny came to my defense.
"Surely he wouldn't do that! He saved Harry's life, why would he go bad again?" Harry nodded in agreement.
"We have most of the Death eaters being monitored as well, we would know if he was trying anything. Ron shook his head.
"I'm just not sure." He scooped up more chips. "There's just no way to know." I could help myself.
"Yes, there is, Draco's harmless," the words came spilling out. Once I'd said them, I wanted to shove them back in my mouth. Ron stopped chewing and Harry sat bolt upright in his seat.
"Why'd you call that git Draco?" Anger bubbled through me. Stupid jackass bastard with his stupid red hair.
"Don't call him a git!" Ron stood up, his face getting slightly red. Harry and Ginny stared at us, eyes wide, turning back and forth, like they were watching a quaffle.
"Why are you defending him?" His hands waved around in dismay.
"He saved Harry's life!" I yelled, but I knew it was a weak reason. Harry entered the argument.
"That doesn't mean he's not a git!" he said. I glared at him.
"He saved you, you could have died that day!"
"Why on earth are you sticking up for him? He's a sneaky little ferret who calls you names and hexes you!" Ron screamed. I felt tears slide down my cheeks.
"Why does it matter? Can't you forgive and forget? You're just holding a school grudge! Why can't you move on, feel bad for him? His parents are dead for Merlin's sake!"
"How can you forgive him? He's slime, Hermy! He's a death eater!"
"Was! He was! He's not anymore! He's innocent and upset and lost! He's human, Ron, and a better one than you!" I could feel my words shake the room, as well as the world. Ron was fuming now, more than before. Harry seemed unsure who to comfort and Ginny was doing her best to calm her husband. I, on the other hand, was a mess. My face was burning and wet sloppy tears were everywhere. I could feel myself going faint. I begged for someone to save me, to start the conversation over.
"Don't you ever compare me to Malfoy," Ron bellowed. I didn't say anything in return, but fell back onto the couch. I couldn't stand, I couldn't open my eyes, and I couldn't even speak. I wished I were back in my bedroom saying goodnight to Draco. Draco... where was he, I needed him now.
"Stop calling me Malfoy," said a small, hushed voice from behind Ron. It washed over me, calming me somehow. I was saved. Ron spun around, wand out, pointed directly at Draco. Harry stood up too, next to Ron and did the same. Ginny just lay back on the couch.
"You," Ron spat, his voice dark and murderous. Draco pulled out his wand and kneeled down onto the floor, placing it in front of his feet. Then he stood back up and placed his hands over his head.
"There," he said, his voice even, "I'm defenseless. Hex me, kill me if you want to, but it wouldn't be a good thing to do to your friend," he motioned to me. Neither of the men lowered their wands.
"Don't talk to me about friendship, Malfoy," Ron growled, flustered. Frustration and confusion spread across his face as Draco looked at me, openly concerned.
"Stop calling me Malfoy," Draco repeated. Revulsion curled around his pupils. It wasn't directed at Ton, it was at himself and his past. He was trying to change, and had changed, but Ron refused to see that. Harry seemed to realize this, or at least part of it, and backed off, just a bit. Ron, however, didn't.
"It's your name, ferret." Draco cringed. I wanted to smack Ron.
"Not any more." Ron was pissed now; this wasn't going his way. He turned to face me, with his wand still pointed at Draco.
"Are you going to explain what the hell is going on, Hermione?" Everyone looked at me not. I couldn't form words. Ginny took pity on me.
"The Order placed Draco here at Hermy's so he'd be safe."
"Well, we're in the Order, why didn't we know? And how'd you know?" Ginny sighed and Draco stared out of the window with his hands still up.
"Maybe because Lupin knew you'll react like this! And Hermy told me." Ron turned back to Draco.
"I still don't believe you're good," he said pathetically. Draco shrugged. Ron turned around again and pointed an accusing finger at me. "This doesn't explain why you don't think he's a git." I gulped down more tears and wiped my face on my sleeve. "Well?"
"Honestly, Ronald, what a stupid question," Ginny exclaimed.
"Shut up Ginny!" he yelled, without even turning around. Harry put his want in his pocket and shoved him in the back, knocking him onto the floor.
"Hey," he yelled. "That's my wife you're yelling at!" Ron got up and began yelling at Harry. Ginny began yelling at Ron. Draco took the moment to walk over to me, lowering his hands, and sat on the couch next to me. I wrapped my arms around his neck weakly and he brushed some of my hair away from my face. Then he hugged me to him and I sank into his chest, relieved to have someone I could rely on to comfort me. No one noticed us for several minutes until Ron took a break from his fight to get more chips. He looked up, saw us, and yelled like a cougar. He knocked over the chip bowl, and yanked Draco away from me by the neck.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He bellowed, shaking him back and forth. Draco slowly got paler and paler... I screamed. Harry lunged at Ron and he dropped him onto the sofa. His breathing was ragged again, but he seemed unhurt. Harry pulled Ron back. "I need an answer right now!" I looked back and forth between my boyfriend and Ron, scared now for Draco's life. Ron was scaring me, he might actually kill him! Harry looked at me expectantly, also wondering what was going on. I didn't know what to say. My hand found Draco's and I squeezed it, but I quickly let it go when Ron screamed, "Don't touch her!" That helped me.
"He can touch me whenever he wants to! He's my boyfriend!" Harry was stunned, his mouth hung open, and he let go of Ron. Ron dug out his wand and pointed it at Draco.
"Avada," he said slowly.
"No," bellowed Ginny. Ron continued but I was faster.
"Stupefy!" I screamed, and my wand emitted a jet of red light before Ron's could produce a green one. It hit him square in the stomach and he fell flat on his back, his wand still in his hand. Silence filled the room. My eyes filled with tears and I lent back into the upright Draco. He patted my back as I heard Ginny crouch down next to Ron. "I can't believe Ron would actually do that," I stammered into his shoulder.
"Me neither," said Harry from across the room. He sat back down on his couch and Ginny joined him moments later. "So you two?" Draco answered for me.
"Yeah."
"Have you guys..." he squirmed in his seat. "done..."
"Potter!"
"Sorry," he mumbled. After another minute of silence he said, "Well, I'd better get Ron back to the burrow." I pulled away from Draco and nodded.
"He'll be better in the morning once he cools off," Ginny added. I got up and jugged both of them goodbye. Reluctantly he shook hands with Draco, and then did his best to floo him and Ron, whose head was flapping against his chest, back to the burrow. Ginny sighed and looked back at us.
"I really am sorry, Draco, I never would have guessed he would..." she trailed off, and Draco nodded his head slowly. "I can tell you guys will be happy together. And by the way, Hermy, Ron was planning on asking you out tonight. I just thought you should know." Then she walked to the fireplace and with a faint smile and a small wave, she was gone.
Draco cleaned up while I took a hot shower. I melted the anger and sadness that swam through me. It didn't do anything to the doubt that hid in my mind though. What if I lost Ron as a friend? The golden trio would splinter and dissolve into just another lost school friendship. Ron and I had fought before, but nothing had ever been that serious, this was... dangerous. I couldn't see how we could recover. It had escalated so quickly!
We celebrated the new-year by watching the ball drop on TV. Afterwards, he fell asleep in my bed. Shove all of your perverted thoughts out the window, nothing happened. It was just nice to fall asleep with him next to me, for comfort really. It was nice to know that I was entering a new-year with someone who cared about me, someone I could trust, even though I might have lost someone else.