4 Months Later (Drarry)

The Burrow's Christmas

Ginny POV

Silence. Except for the Christmas songs coming from the record player and the sound of the charmed penguins ice skating down the middle of the table there was complete silence. I could feel my face, my neck, my whole body turning red. Ron sat back in his chair, job done. His 20 minute long explanation as to why Harry or Hermione weren't here was more like a vicious attack. He had put mum off all week with a little 'it's complicated' or 'it's their last year at Hogwarts' but she had to make one more remark didn't she. He'd told everyone about our break up, Harry being gay, him dating Draco, Hermione breaking up with him, breaking into Azkaban-
"HOW COULD YOU GET BACK WITH THAT HORRIBLE BOY??" Oh yeah he also mentioned that I'm now back with Dean. Thanks for that Ronald. I love that out of all of that information that is the only part she chooses to pick up on right now. Ron can do no wrong. Hermione can do no wrong. Harry Potter can do no wrong and he is shagging a bloody Malfoy! No, I'm the let down because I chose to go back to Dean bloody Thomas of all people. I don't even like him! He's just a rebound, someone that showed me interest after Harry dumped me. I can't believe this. I scowl at Charlie, sat next to me, trying to hide his amusement. Turning to George I see that he is also finding this highly amusing. Percy looks pleased that he is not the family let down this year. Ronald is happy he's got the heat off of him. Bill and Fleur don't know where to look. Dad doesn't quite know whether to say anything or not and mum looks like she could beat me with a rolling pin right now. I let my head drop onto the table with a thud. Why me?
"Ginevra Molly Weasley answer me right now!" I made a grumbling sound and slowly lifted my head, my hair dangling in front of my face; I didn't care enough to move it. I shook my head at her and stood, looking to make my escape up the stairs to my room.
"You're not going anywhere until you've explained yourself young lady." She said in a scarily calm tone.
"I don't need to explain myself mum! Ron is the one who should be explaining himself! He's the one that's abandoned his friend of 8 years over a stupid difference of opinion. So no I will not explain myself." I slumped back down in my chair heavily and crossed my arms. All attention turned to Ron.
"Why did you fall out with Harry?" Charlie asked after a moment of silence, everyone wondering what to say next. Ron looked up, surprised. He thought he'd done a good enough job of averting all attention away from himself for the remainder of dinner but if I was going down I'd take him with me. He gave me a quick glare. I stuck my tongue out at him and kicked him under the table. Take that you twonk.
"Erm, well," he scratched his head and started to go red. "Well first I fell out with him because he was gay," everyone gasped. Charlie looked mortified. His fist clenched around his tankard of ale and he looked as though he was going to throw it at him.
"Go on." He said in a clipped tone.
"And then we made up. I realised it was stupid to be mad at him for something that he can't control. It's still Harry, just gay." He shrugged at Charlie showing that it wasn't the gay part that actually bothered him, more the fact that it was Harry. "Then he got with Malfoy. He started to change. He snuck out to bloody Azkaban!" Whack! Mum cracked him over the head with the daily prophet for cursing. We all had to hide our sniggering. Rubbing his head, he continued. "He risked his life for that-that traitor! He's a death eater for crying out loud!"
"He's changed Ron." I cut in before he could bash the poor boy anymore.
"How the bloo- how on earth would you know?" He corrected himself as he saw mother readying the paper again.
"Harry says so and I believe him." I said truthfully, confidently. Ron scoffed.
"He's been corrupted! He must've been to be with that maniac. Malfoy's got some sort of spell on him or summert." Ron argued.
"I agree with Ginny. If Harry says he's changed then he's changed." We all looked up in shock as George spoke. He doesn't talk much these days not since Fred. They were always a double act, I'm guessing that now he feels strange it just being him, like a part of him is missing. "Harry has more reason than most of us to hate Draco Malfoy, if he can forgive him, be friends with him, heck if he can fall in love with him - then the least we can do is accept that." I smiled at my brother, knowing that he's still there, still watching everyone, still got his wits. It brings me hope that one day he'll get near to where he once was. He smiled back. "You tell Harry hi from me, and to ignore that git Ron." We both laughed at that as Ron folded his arms and sat pouting.

Mum refused my help with tidying everything up in the kitchen so I sat on the couch by myself as the new outcast of the family. I thought about previous years, how there'd been laughter, how mum would shout at us all for not helping enough even though we were told we weren't needed in the first place. And then we'd help, reluctantly, and be shouted at for doing it wrong. The couch dipped as dad sat beside me. He placed a hand on my shoulder.
"You know she only does it because she's worried about you."
"Well she can stop. I fought in a war for Merlin's sake, I can handle boys." He chuckled softly at that.
"Well I'm glad about that. But you know what I mean; you're her only daughter, you're our youngest. To her you're still our little baby girl."
"Well I'm not. I'm an adult, in a few months I'll be finished with school and I'll be out of here. No amount of badgering me is going to make me stay now is it? If she's trying to protect me or show me she loves me she's going the wrong way about it. She's pushing me further away." Dad sighed and shook his head.
"Both as bloody stubborn as each other..." he said under his breath. "well, can't say I didn't try," he stood and wobbled a bit- the wine clearly getting to his head. "Just be civil for the rest of the holidays, if not for her then for the rest of us, Merlin knows we don't need you two at each other's throats until new year." He finished with a cheeky grin a left the room leaving me to ponder over his words.