I Swear This Time I Mean It ✔️

Chapter 4

"Harry, explain", Ron demanded coldly, as soon as they were tucked away into their own cart.

"Ronald, be rational about this! Harry is allowed to have friends other than us."

"I don't care who he's friends with, except for them! Of all of the people in the wizarding world, in the muggle world, he chooses to prance about with Draco bloody Malfoy and his Slytherin crew! And he got Neville involved with them!"

As Ron continued his rant, Harry was writing. When he was done, he handed the parchment to Hermione to be read. Harry didn't think Ron would read it himself, and he was proved right when Ron made an undignified noise.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley! Your best friend is trying to talk to you! And don't even say anything about how he isn't actually talking. Harry doesn't have to communicate with us at all. The war was hard on him, hard on all of us. He is still working on processing things and trying to accept everything that's happened.

We haven't been there for him, as his best friends. If Malfoy, Parkinson, and Zabini have been, then we should be grateful to them for being there for Harry so that he wasn't alone! We haven't been the friends that we should have been. 7 years together, and we survived the war but our friendship is falling apart because of your, our prejudices!

I'll level with you, I don't like them very much either. Parkinson and I do not have a very good shared history, you know that. Zabini doesn't bother me one way or the other. Malfoy has been the most hurtful to me, but he's apologized for his actions. I-"

"Let me guess, Harry already told you that he was friends with all of them? That's why you're so calm about this. You've had time to process it", Ron accused.

"Yes Ron, he did. It was when you left before me to pick something up for my birthday. I wasn't happy about it either, but I didn't lash out over it. I was upset, but not like this. I didn't trust Malfoy then, I don't know if I do now, but I trust Harry.

He didn't want to talk about this over floo or owl. He wanted to tell us in person so that he could explain himself. We didn't give him the chance, Ron. You went home to spend time with Fred, then came with me to Australia, and we didn't even tell Harry. Yes, he should have told us together, but we've barely BEEN together."

Harry cut off Hermione's rant. It seemed as if they had forgotten he was even in the room. If there was one thing that Harry hated, it was being treated in such a manner.

"You have every right to be upset, but so do I. I want to talk about this rationally. You're my best friend Ron."

"It doesn't feel like it."

The words made Harry recoil as if he had been slapped, and Hermione gasped, but Ron kept talking.

"Part of it is my fault. I agree with that. I just need some time to process all of this."

"Fine."

Wordlessly, Harry reached into his bag and threw the box of sweets he had bought for Ron to him, then handed a box to Hermione. Wrapping his cloak around himself, Harry stalked out of the car, and waited down the aisle of the train until he was a couple of cars away. He wanted to make sure Ron and Hermione left, but that didn't happen for a good five minutes.

Harry then set off to find a different empty car, worried about being found, but those were few and far between. Feeling resigned, he went back into the car they argued in, where he was met with a very worried Draco.

"Harry! Are you okay my darling? Is something wrong? Tell me what you need."

A sob broke Harry's facade at the genuine concern in Draco's voice.