Equinox

September 15, 3:00 pm

"I just can't believe it," Ron said, shaking his head. He slumped down onto the overstuffed leather sofa in Hermione's living room.

Hermione sighed and placed a cup of tea in front of Ron. "I made some tea," she said quietly.

Ron stared at the teacup for a long moment as if he could not quite remember what tea was. "Malfoy. I just don't get it. And tea, Hermione? Don't you have anything stronger?"

Hermione frowned slightly and sat down next to Ron. "I don't think a drink is going to make you feel any better about it."

"It certainly couldn't hurt!" Ron exclaimed angrily.

"Don't snap at me, Ronald Weasley," Hermione warned, knitting her eyebrows together.

Ron opened his mouth to protest, but closed and slumped back. "You're awfully calm about this," he said.

He turned his face toward Hermione; eyes narrowed, and continued, "You knew, didn't you?"

She nodded slightly.

"How long have you known?"

"Over a year," she admitted. "I would have told you, Harry would've told you, but we knew --"

Ron stood up quickly, his face turning red. "You knew. You and Harry discussed it. Discussed telling me, but you knew WHAT? That I'd ---"

"React like THIS," Hermione said, standing and jabbing a finger into Ron's chest. "That you'd feel betrayed!"

"And you don't?" Ron countered. "Malfoy was cruel to all of us, he stands against everything we've been risking our lives for, he's -- I just don't understand it! They were always arguing -- how do two people make a relationship out of that!"

"Sometimes when two people argue it's because they have feelings they're trying to hide," Hermione said in soft voice, suddenly finding the cuff of her shirt very interesting.

"Maybe, but I always thought that you and Harry would get together," Ron sank back down into the sofa.

Hermione wrinkled her brow. "Harry and I have never been more than friends, Ron. I don't feel that way about him."

Ron looked up at Hermione. "But you never date anyone; I always just thought you were waiting for Harry."

"No, Ron, I haven't been waiting for Harry," she said, reaching out and almost touching Ron's shoulder before letting her hand drop back down.

"You haven't?"

She shook her head.

"Oh," he said.

"Yes, oh."

"I'm daft, aren't I?"

She nodded, a small smile playing on her face. "Yes, but that's one of the things I love about you."

Ron's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "One of the things you love about me?"

"Yes," she said, settling back into the sofa next to him. "I could tell you the others, unless you'd like to continue ranting about Harry and Malfoy."

"Um, as long as Harry is happy, that's what really matters," Ron said in a somewhat dazed voice. "I...I've loved you for so long Hermione...I don't know where to begin."

She smiled and brought her face close to his. "How about here?" she said as she brushed her lips softly against his.

"Yes, this is a very good place," he murmured into her mouth as he wrapped his arms around her.

September 22, 5:43 pm

"Is that what you're wearing?" Draco asked, arching a brow at Harry.

Harry looked down at the red jumper and khaki trousers he was wearing. "Yes," he said, frowning slightly. "Is there something wrong with it?"

Draco gave a little shrug. "Not if you want to look like a Christmas caroller in September."

Harry gave a slight sigh and pulled off the red jumper. "Better?"

"Do you not know any pressing charms?" Draco asked, furrowing his brow at the wrinkled button-down Harry was wearing. "If we had a house elf..."

"Don't!" Harry said, interrupting his lover. "Don't even start with that again. I think I look fine. I'm supposed to be slightly rumpled; I'm a professor after all."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Wonderful, you're now a walking cliché - glasses, rumpled attire, oh, wait, I know what to get you for Christmas now, a corduroy blazer with patches on the elbows!"

Harry brightened. "Ooh, I would love that," he said, smiling widely.

The blond man frowned. "You're just trying to annoy me now."

Harry waggled his brows. "You have a sexy scowl."

"Do I?" Draco asked, moving closer to Harry and grabbing his shirt.

"Yes, you do, but I think we need to get ready for our guests..." Harry was unable to finish his sentence due to Draco's mouth crushing his own.

September 22, 5:55 pm

"This is weird," Ron said.

"Why is it weird? It's a flat-warming party. What's weird about that?" Hermione asked, smoothing her hair as they walked down the London pavement.

"It's weird because it's Harry and Malfoy."

Hermione sighed and stopped walking. "Ron, does it bother you because it's Malfoy, or does it bother you because Harry is homosexual?"

Ron grimaced slightly. "Do you think he is? Maybe he's just, you know, experimenting."

Hermione gave Ron an incredulous look. "Experimenting? Does it really bother you so that Harry is sexually attracted to men?"

"No! No, it's just...do you think he was ever attracted to me like that?" Ron asked, lowering his voice.

"No, I don't think so, Ron," Hermione said flatly.

Ron tilted his head, puzzled expression on his face. "Why not?" he asked.

"Ron, I'm not even sure "I'm" attracted to you that way," Hermione said. Then she turned and began walking away.

"What? Last night you were!" he bellowed after her as he jogged to catch up with her brisk pace.

September 22, 6:33 pm

"Harry, your shirt is untucked," Hermione whispered to the very rumpled Professor Potter.

"Oh, huh," was Harry's eloquent reply as he tried to discreetly tuck in his shirt without any of the other people milling around the flat noticing. "So, how is Ron? He looks a bit, um, uneasy."

Hermione glanced over at the far side of the living room where the redhead in question was randomly pulling books off a bookshelf, opening them for a second and then replacing them.

"He's coping. You know Ron, I think he just needs a bit of time to get used to the idea. Um, Malfoy isn't going to talk to him, is he?" Hermione said, noticing Draco walking toward Ron with a rather gleeful expression on his face.

"I told him to leave Ron alone. We better go join them," Harry said.

"Perhaps we should let them work it on their own," Hermione said primly.

Harry made a face at Hermione. "Are you mad? I don't think we invited any medi-wizards."

September 23, 3:13 am

Draco turned and looked at Harry. "I do believe our flat-warming party was a smashing success."

Harry didn't reply to his lover's comment, unable to decide if a harsh laugh would suffice or if straight-out violence would be an appropriate response, so he sat frozen on the uncomfortable bench at St. Mungo's and stared straight ahead.

Draco was unconcerned about Harry's lack of response. After all, he often invoked just such a reaction (or in this case, lack of reaction). "Well, I must admit it will take a very good scouring charm to get the bloodstains out of the sofa, but the brawl was quite exciting and I never imagined that Longbottom could use a broom like that. And the Weasel girl! She had quite impressive range on that blasting spell. I will be sending her an itemized bill, though."

Harry turned his head very slowly to look Draco in the eye. "Ginny WEASLEY."

The blond man arched a brow. "Yes, that's what I said, the Weasel girl."

"Why me?"

"You would be bored without me to liven up your life."

"I could live with boring. I've never had boring. I wonder what it's like?"

"BORING," Draco pointed out.

"Maybe I would LIKE boring," Harry said crankily.

"Boring would kill you, Potter."

Harry considered that for a moment and a lopsided grin formed on his face. "The headline of the Daily Prophet would read: 'Harry Potter DIES of BOREDOM, Voldemort DIES from the IRONY of it all!'"

"See, I'm the only thing keeping you alive."

"Then you're also keeping Voldemort alive."

Draco winced slightly at the mention of Voldemort. "No, because boredom can kill, but it's never been proven that irony can kill."

Harry leaned his back against the wall. "Boredom does NOT kill," he said somewhat sulkily.

"I don't think either of us of have to worry about finding out."

Turning back toward Draco, Harry smiled. "Thank you."

Draco didn't ask what the thank you was for, he just replied with a kiss.