Eighth Year (Drarry Fanfic)

The Calm Before...

A strangled laugh escaped Harry as he threaded nervous fingers through his windswept hair. He stared at Ron for a beat before finally shaking his head at his friend's measuring stare.

"Just because Dra---Malfoy and I have moved on from our petty differences, doesn't mean we're seeing each other, Ron." Harry bit out. "We share a bloody dorm room, for Merlin's sake."

"I'd hardly call your dark history with Malfoy 'petty differences', Harry." Ron replied evenly.

Harry winced, stubbornly turning away to glare at their bumbling new Keeper.

"Besides, mate..." Ron sighed, scratching his head. "I may be oblivious to a lot of things but even I'm not that dense and I sure as hell am not blind. You're both so bloody obvious about it. It's even worse than when you first started dating Ginny." A bright red flush began to creep up Ron's face, painfully matching his hair. "You don't go anywhere else at night but the very next day you always show up with new bites and such..." Ron winced at Harry's mortified expression. "It doesn't take a bloody genius to put two and two together."

Harry began to pace, tugging at the fringe that hid his scar---a nervous habit that he couldn't quite shake off.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, Harry." Ron reassured lamely. "I'm just shocked, is all. I didn't even mean to bring it up so suddenly. It just kind of... came out." Ron blushed even redder when he realized that his words rather sounded like a horrible pun, given the theme of their conversation.

Harry whirled around, aghast, staring at Ron like he'd suddenly grown three heads. "You're shocked?" He barked out an incredulous laugh when Ron nodded in bewilderment. "Bloody hell, Ron, I'm more shocked that you're still even talking to me! Why haven't you hexed me? I mean, this is Draco Malfoy we're talking about... and the fact that I may or may not be shagging him." Harry hissed under his breath.

By this point, Ron's face was even more crimson than his hair. It was so red that blood might ooze out of his pores at any moment. "So... its true, then? You're really shagging Malfoy? Bloody hell, Harry."

Harry made a choking noise that also sounded like half a squeak as he buried his own burning face into his hands. Of all people he'd expected to confront him, he didn't think Ron would be the first. He roughly rubbed his eyes, irritating them when his contacts shifted. "Yeah..."

Ron whimpered, sounding horribly like a kicked crup.

A hysterical chuckle suddenly began to bubble up in Harry's chest and before long he was doubled over, laughing his bollocks off. Ron stood at his side, as red as ever, hands suspended in midair, unsure of what to do, and yet despite himself, his lips began to twitch and his own mirth came gushing out in one breathless whoop. In the air, the Gryffindor Team paused at the echoing sound of hilarity that had suddenly washed over the Pitch. They stared in amused puzzlement at the scene below them.

Harry dragged gasping breaths into his burning lungs, his eyes watering. "Its all barking mad. It makes absolutely no sense. He drives me fucking spare more often than not but I can't help it." He finally managed to say, staring straight at Ron.

Ron squarely met Harry's gaze, quietly searching, then he sighed. "I guess it was bound to happen."

"What?" Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"