Romancing the Sorcerer's Stone

Chapter 14: Weasleys

When Malfoy appears with Harry and Ginny that first time at the Burrow for dinner, Ron pulls Ginny aside with raised eyebrows and a million questions in his eyes. She just rolls her eyes and knocks his shoulder fondly. "Don't ask."

When Ginny appears at the Burrow a few weeks later, with Harry and Malfoy beside her and Astoria hanging on her arm and whispering to her, Ron rolls his eyes at his sister and doesn't say a word.

When Narcissa and Lucius join the party some weeks after that, he doesn't even bother to roll his eyes, merely sighs softly and hurries off to find some extra chairs.

—

Ron sees the way Harry and Malfoy hardly need words to communicate anymore, much as he doesn't want to, and sighs, resigned.

The next time Ginny appears at the Burrow, he pulls her into a fierce hug, burying his nose in her shining hair and whispering "It's really OK, you know, if you don't want to marry Harry anymore, Gin."

She pulls away from him, startled, then smiles fondly. "Thanks, big brother" she teases. "Means a lot, really." But he sees the way she leans into Astoria over dinner and wonders.

It's quickly obvious to everyone that Malfoy will drop in whenever Harry's dining with them, and soon his unspoken invitation extends to Astoria and his parents.

Everyone becomes accustomed to Harry and Malfoy dashing out mid-meal, after excited whispering over whatever missive has just been delivered by owl. Molly, fearing that Harry will forget to eat, takes to preparing sandwiches with every meal and leaving them by her plate, so she can thrust them into his hands before he rushes out. Ron knows it's hopeless when she begins to thrust sandwiches into Malfoy's hands, too.