A newfound friendship (A Drarry Story) (8th year Drarry)

Chapter 22 -Ron

Neville's POV:
I allow Hermione to pull me out of Draco's Room despite the fact that I want to question them further.
"Thank god for that, finally admitting it to themselves that they are more than friends," she says happily.
"Do you think it will make it easier for Ron?" I ask knowing how hard it has been for her being stuck in the middle like always.
"I hope so, hopefully this way he doesn't feel like his friendship is being taken away or replaced and can finally accept that Harry has found someone to be in a relationship with," she says thoughtfully as we reach the common room and take a seat by the fire.
"Ron is going to have to do a lot of a apologising though, and not just to Harry. Harry isn't going to ever forgive him otherwise."
She nods, "that is true, they can both be very stubborn."
"I want to warn you Hermione. I probably shouldn't be saying anything but, Harry told me about an incident. Someone said something about Draco, I don't know what, he didn't say, but it was obviously bad because Harry attacked him." She gasps covering her mouth.
"I just wanted to say something so you could say something to Ron about not insulting Draco. Harry said that he put his hands around his throat, that he had never been so angry before in his life and that he wanted to kill him."
"He wouldn't hurt Ron," she insists, looking shocked.
"I know how close they have always been Hermione but, I've seen how they fought in the dorm room when Ron said something. Obviously it wasn't as bad as what this stranger said but it still got a reaction. I know we don't want to think that Harry could seriously hurt Ron but from the way he was talking today it was like he had no control over himself."
She sits back in her chair thoughtfully looking into the fire.
"I'm going to talk to Ron and tell him to leave it. I have told him already and I think he is getting better, he is definitely over the initial shock. Having Ginny on Harry's side might also be influencing him as he's not worrying about how she feels. I know Ginny spoke with George and I will definitely owl him. Hopefully they can let their parents know some of the situation. I can't imagine Arthur or Molly not accepting Harry's decisions or his now relationship. But it's not my place to tell Ron about that, not without Harry's permission."
I agree with her and Ron and Ginny head over to us just as I was about to tell her to owl George now.
"Hi guys," she greets as they both sit down either side of Hermione, "I heard that Draco and Harry had a fight. Is everything okay?" She asks and I notice Ron try to not look as interested as he is.
"They did have a little spat but they have more than sorted it out now. They are much better," I say pointedly at her making her eyes widen knowingly and a huge smile make its way on to her face.
"Ah well I'm very happy for them. I flooed home earlier, to speak to George. He said they both came to visit him in the shop today."
"They did? Even Malfoy?" Ron says confused and Ginny nods happily.
"Yeah George said he was surprised how quickly they had become close. I think he was apprehensive at first, but he said he was surprised at how nice Draco was. You know how he is. He is trying so hard to put the war behind him, I think that building a bridge with Draco has really helped him."
"Aww I'm so glad to hear that Ginny," Hermione says taking her hand and smiling sadly at her. She smiles back
"Yeah it's good. I think George considers Harry as one of the only people who understands his loss, he once told me that he knows that our whole family has lost so much but Harry has only ever known loss.
I think that seeing Harry finally happy has made him realise that it is possible for him to be happy again."
"Oh poor George, poor Harry, no wonder they seemed so close over summer, I thought it was just because Ron and I were together," Hermione says her eyes watering. Ron put his arm round her waist and she leans in to him, he looks guilty.
"I don't think any of us can truly understand what Harry has been through," I say quietly, "we have all suffered from the war in unimaginable ways but Harry has only ever known suffering, his parents, his relatives, losing Sirius and Remus just when he was starting to feel as though he could have a family again, and then Dumbledore and the war all he had to go through. I think he feels like the two people who understand him the most are George and Draco." I look up to see both of the girls crying silently and Ron looking sad and conflicted.
"He told me that Draco could really understand him because they had both been through similar things," Hermione sniffles, "he said that they both had their lives controlled and were forced into things just for opposite sides. He said that despite the fact that Draco wasn't on the side of the light Draco was able to remain a much better and kinder person than he was and he wasn't the one living with Voldemort."
"How can Harry think he isn't a good person, he is the kindest most gentle person I've ever met," Ginny says with an outraged expression on her face.
"It's the anger," Ron says finally speaking up after all this time, "he thinks the anger he feels is due to him being a horcrux for so long, he thinks he's damaged, that he will always be like him." We all turn to look at him and he shrugs, "he told me one night, in the middle of the night, I think he thought I was half asleep but, I remember everything."
"Ron," Hermione gasps pulling him into a hug.
"The incident today," Ginny says quietly and we turn to look at her.
"George said that something happened today, that he has never seen anyone so angry for so long," Ginny says.
"The fight," Harry told me I say and Hermione nods knowingly.
"What fight?" Ron says curiously.
"Harry said that he had a fight with some guy in Diagon ally because they insulted Draco," I tell him.
"More than a fight from what George says," Ginny adds, "George said that Draco brought him into the shop to calm down in the back, he said that he was still shaking and he had an expression he had never seen before. It's only because of Draco that he calmed down. Apparently, according to Draco, Harry was holding him up against a wall by his throat. Draco said he managed to get him away before he did any serious damage."
"Fuck," Ron and I whisper at the same time.
"Harry didn't go into too many details but I could tell it was bad," I tell them and Hermione nods.
"What did this guy do to Malfoy? What did he say?" Ron asks and I shake my head.
"Harry wouldn't say," I tell him.
"I know, it was vile," Ginny pipes up sadly, "George asked them but Harry wouldn't let Draco repeat it in front of him, he said he couldn't hear it again. But George asked Draco when they went to make Harry some tea. Apparently Draco told George that he pushed him and said that he was a deatheater and should be rotting in askaban, I know nothing new right, but then he started being homophobic, called him a dirty queer and said that he was probably you know who's whore." She gulped loudly as though she was struggling to repeat it.
"That's horrific," Ron whispers surprising us all, "I don't blame Harry for being angry."
"But you've been saying similar things about Draco Ron," Ginny says angrily.
"Yeah but nothing that bad, I wouldn't say that."
"Why is it different?" Ginny question him in a scolding tone.
"It just is, I didn't really mean it I was just angry at Harry," he says defensively and she glares at him rolling her eyes.
"Then I think you've got a lot of apologising to do to Draco, and Harry," she says firmly, glaring at him as she stalks up the stairs presumably to her room.
"And I think to Hermione too," I add quietly getting up and leaving them to talk.