Power of Love

CHAPTER 12 - PUTTING THINGS RIGHT

Harry was sore, having spent the past three hours on his Firebolt. It was unseasonably warm for the first of October, and the lure of an extra hour of Quidditch practice had been too good to pass up. The others had gone back to the castle long ago, and Harry decided that he, too, ought to be finishing up his homework. He landed in front of the changing rooms and went inside for a quick shower.

Quidditch was really the only thing keeping him at Hogwarts this year. The only time he really felt alive was when he was flying; something about the wind in his hair and the lurch in his stomach each time he dove for the Snitch gave him a thrill and made him feel happy. Quidditch was the highlight of his otherwise monotonous life.

Harry understood the significance of NEWTs, but if he were honest, he didn't much care what kind of a job he got next summer. Except that he did have a secret desire to play professional Quidditch, and no NEWTs would be required for that. The fantasy of playing professional Quidditch fueled his ambition to train harder than ever before, and it was not unusual for Harry to be the last one off the pitch after practice.

Harry stood under the warm water, absently lathering his well-toned muscles as he thought about Quidditch strategies. He was trying to recall a certain Chaser formation Ron had designed which had really helped them rack up points in their nasty match against Slytherin last year.

As Harry turned off the water and headed back to dress, he was blindsided by a sudden memory of winning that Slytherin match and celebrating with Ron. He'd briefly remembered this before, during a session with Healer Wilkes. Then it had been like watching the memory on television - entertaining, but not feeling like it had happened to him. Now, in addition to remembering the event, he actually felt the lightheaded joy of the victory. It sent shivers down his spine. Harry had awakened from the emotional haze that had surrounded him for months, and he had forgotten until now just what deep emotions felt like physically.

Healer Wilkes had warned Harry that something like this might happen. He'd called the phenomenon by its funny Muggle name: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. At the time, Harry had taken offense at the idea of having a "disorder." As Healer Wilkes had described it to Harry, his Occlumency skills were so highly developed that they were acting like a protective barrier between his healing brain and the disturbing emotions that would certainly send him around the twist. Healer Wilkes had worried that the barrier might give way at some point, and Harry would have to relive the memories along with the horrible feelings that accompanied them.

He quickly sat down on the bench with his head in his hands, hoping that the feeling was just hunger. But sitting on the bench reminded Harry of the way Ron had sat in that very spot just before they had kissed for the first time. His lightheadedness turned to a deep yearning from somewhere in his midsection. He flinched at the memory of seeing Ron wrapped in a towel and obviously turned-on, and his breathing quickened. It appeared that his Occlumency barrier had finally broken down, although these emotions weren't horrible - merely intense.

Feelings and flashbacks started to bombard him: learning he was a wizard, saving Ginny from Tom Riddle, winning the Quidditch cup, and defeating Draco Malfoy with the Tyet of Isis. He remembered excitement of the first time he had sex with Ron, the desperate longing to spend every waking moment together, and their wonderful might together in the Room of Requirement on the night before he left Hogwarts to find Voldemort.

Harry had just gotten used to the physical feelings of elation and lust, when the memory of watching Sirius fall through the veil popped into his head. The despair that accompanied that memory brought him to his knees. Sirius was the closest person to a father he'd ever known, and the loss had cut him to the quick. Then it was accompanied by anger and horror as he remembered Cedric Diggory falling to the ground, dead. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he recalled the terror of his fight with Voldemort in the graveyard: being helplessly bound to the tombstone, seeing the images of his parents emerge from Voldemort's wand, and narrowly escaping his own death. Hatred filled him to the core as Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's voice taunting him because he was unable to torture her with the Cruciatus curse.

The thoughts and feelings kept coming, and Harry was powerless to stop them. It was as physically painful to him as being subjected to the Cruciatus curse. Voldemort hadn't been able to kill him, but the pain of these memories just might. Harry didn't think it was possible for a person to feel this much. The good emotions seemed to hurt as much as the bad and it was sensory overload for someone who had forgotten how to feel. Harry cried out in anguish, every muscle in his body trembling, knowing that no one was there to help him.

Ginny tapped her foot anxiously, hardly able to study despite the relative quiet of the common room. Where was Harry? Ginny had been confused about a spell they had learned in their last Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and she really needed Harry to explain it to her before tomorrow's lesson. She looked at her watch; he should have been here by now.

Scanning the room, she saw Andrew Kirke chatting with some fifth years when he should have been writing his Ancient Runes paper. Ginny asked him to join her in the search for Harry, and he readily agreed.

"He's probably still on the Quidditch pitch," said Andrew. "He always loses track of time when he's flying. Of course, if I had a Firebolt, I'd probably do the same thing."

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, let's try there first." They headed out the door, their books abandoned on the tables.

Harry was nowhere to be seen when they got to the field. It looked as though he'd put away the practice equipment, so if Harry was still down here, he was likely in the shower. Andrew went inside to check.

"Ginny, come quick," Andrew yelled a few seconds later.

Ginny rushed into the boys' changing area and stopped short when she saw them. Harry was huddled in a corner rocking back and forth, crouched in a fetal position. His cheeks were stained with the tracks of tears that had long since run dry. He was clutching the amulet that hung from a chain around his neck.

From trembling lips they heard him moan, "God, what have I done?"

* * * * *

The din coming from the Great Hall was deafening as Ron stood in the doorway searching for Harry. Halloween was still several days away, but it appeared Hagrid had been getting an early start on the decorations for the traditional Halloween feast. Ron couldn't imagine what was so urgent that would have caused Dumbledore to have him miss Auror school that day so that Ron could "cheer Harry up." From across the hall, Harry looked perfectly fine to him, although Ron did notice that he wasn't speaking with anyone.

Ron watched as Ginny stood up from her place next to Harry. He was shocked when she shot Harry a contemptuous glance before leaving without saying a word. Mum had mentioned to him that Harry and Ginny's relationship was a bit strained, and that appeared to be an understatement judging from what he had just witnessed. Ron called out to Ginny as she nearly passed by him without looking up.

"Ron, I didn't know you were coming here!" exclaimed Ginny, giving him a quick hug.

"It was kind of a surprise to me, too. Dumbledore only arranged it this morning."

Ginny rolled her eyes. Her brother wasn't here to visit her; she gathered he'd been summoned to try to knock some sense into Harry. "Listen, Ron, I'm late for Transfiguration. Can we talk at lunchtime?"

"Yeah, sure," replied Ron. "I'm planning to be here all day."

Ginny left, and Ron approached Harry, who was perusing the Daily Prophet. Ron hadn't seen Harry since the two weeks he'd spent at the Burrow right before term started, and things between them had been awkward to say the least. Harry had been so cool and aloof - so unlike the Harry that he'd known for seven years and fallen in love with - that it had been difficult for Ron to spend time alone with him. So now it was a bit surprising to Ron when he felt his heart race merely from noticing how attractive Harry looked as he concentrated on his paper. Perhaps it was because they'd spent a couple of months apart or because Ron was no longer seeing Susan, but the long-forgotten knots in the pit of his stomach that only Harry could induce had returned. Ron gazed longingly at his friend, fighting back the urge to run his fingers through Harry's messy hair. He shook his head to snap out of it. Harry had made it clear that he no longer felt anything romantic for Ron; all that Harry felt for him before was just to fulfill that stupid prophecy. Ron would just embarrass himself if he acted like an infatuated school girl. He took a deep breath and sidled up to the table.

"Skiving off this morning, mate?" Ron asked cheekily.

"Wha--? No. Ron!" Harry was genuinely surprised to see him, and a smile lit up his face. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

Ron bit his lip as he remembered exactly how Harry's smile always made him feel. "Dumbledore asked me to come. He figured you might be in need of some cheering up, so naturally, he thought of me."

"He's right," said Harry, his green eyes dancing behind his glasses. "That is...I'm glad you're here."

Ron sat down next to him and helped himself to a mug of tea. Without being asked, Harry passed him the sugar bowl, and when their fingers touched, it was as if an electrical spark had shot between them. Harry and Ron glanced at each other, startled, and then looked away.

Get a grip, Ron chastised himself. He couldn't go making Harry uncomfortable by being unable to control himself. "Come to think of it," Ron said, "I could use a bit of cheering up myself. It's been a difficult week."

"What happened?" Harry's eyes reflected kindness and compassion; these were expressions Ron hadn't seen from Harry since before he lost his memory.

"Oh, I, er... Susan and I broke up last weekend. But I'm not in the mood to talk about that right now. Tell me what you've been up to. You stopped writing, so I thought maybe you were angry with me."

"No! God, no, I'm not angry. I've just been going through a rough spell. It's been hard being back here this year."

Ron imagined it was very awkward having to fit in with a new group of friends for the school year, especially when one happened to be the savior of the wizarding world. He must be lonely; but it was too much to hope that some of his difficulty might be due to being so far away from Ron. He surveyed Harry as if for the first time. "No offense, Harry, but you look like hell."

"Thanks."

"No, I just mean that, well, the last time I saw you, at the Burrow, you were so, er, calm and well-rested. Have you slept at all since coming back here?" Really smooth, Weasley, Ron thought sarcastically. You sound like a moron.

Harry seemed uncomfortable with Ron's scrutiny. "Not much lately."

"How come you don't have morning classes?" Ron asked smiling and trying to ignore the rush of anxiety he was feeling. Nearly six months had passed since their last romantic night together - the night before Harry had gone off to defeat Voldemort - and Ron could still remember it like it was yesterday. He thought by now he'd have gotten used to the idea of merely being friends with Harry. And it wasn't as if he had any hope that things would ever be the same as before, but damn! Harry still made his stomach lurch whenever he gazed into Ron's eyes. It just wasn't fair that Harry was so appealing even when he looked like shit.

"I'm taking some time off from lessons while I, er, work out some stuff. Everyone assumes it's because I already had these classes last year," Harry answered vaguely.

Ron felt Harry was holding something back, but he decided not to pry. Instead, he asked, "Do you really have to be in school all year? Maybe Dumbledore could just let you sit for NEWTs; you could revise on your own. I'd help you."

"No. I thought about asking him, but apparently there are still Death Eaters on the loose who would like to see me dead, so he reckons it's safest for me to stay here. And now, after...what happened recently, he's not going to let me live by myself for a long time."

"Did I miss something? You haven't been attacked or anything, have you?" asked Ron, the concern evident in his voice.

Harry sighed deeply and glanced around. There were still a fair few people lingering at the breakfast table. "No, it's nothing like that. I suppose I'd better tell you the whole story before you hear it from Ginny. Let's go somewhere else, though."

They decided a walk around the lake would be the best way to keep Harry's story away from his curious schoolmates. The air was chilly, but the sun shone brightly in the cloudless blue sky. The scent of autumn was thick in the air.

Harry began by telling Ron that he'd been discharged from St. Mungo's last August without being completely healed. He tried to explain to Ron what he had been like.

"Healer Wilkes was able to restore my ability to remember things that happened, but it was like looking at wizard photographs or Muggle television. I knew the people and places, but I didn't feel any connection to them at all. I didn't really know what it felt like to care about anything." Harry paused for a moment as they walked on the path.

"I'd remember something really bad...like... when Sirius was killed, and it was kind of sad to think about, but it didn't really affect me at all."

Ron looked scandalized. "But Harry, you were so upset when Sirius died that we thought for a while you were going to kill yourself. You were devastated."

Harry nodded. "That's what I mean. I was totally detached from these events and people I remembered. But the worst part was that I didn't realize that I ought to feel anything. Everyone acted uncomfortable when I was around, and I couldn't figure out why. But even that didn't bother me as much as it should have."

"That explains why it was so weird to be around you last summer."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"It was so creepy. You looked and sounded like you, and you were pleasant enough, I guess, but it was like - I don't know - like some stranger had polyjuiced into you. Hermione called you something... a robot, I think...but I'm not sure what she meant by that. Anyway, that's why I didn't spend much time with you when you stayed at the Burrow."

"Do I still seem like that?"

"No. And it's strange, because when I saw you this morning, I could tell right away that something was different about you. I thought it was because I hadn't seen you in a while."

"You said I look like hell," said Harry with a grin.

Ron shrugged. "Sorry."

They had stopped walking to sit on a large boulder, which was their usual resting place whenever they strolled around the lake. Harry and Ron stared at each other without saying anything. Harry had always worn his heart on his sleeve, but Ron couldn't guess his thoughts now because there was too much turmoil within him. It was scary - last year he knew Harry's emotions so well, he could read him like a book. Even so, at least now he seemed more like the old Harry than the boy who had visited the Burrow during the summer.

Ron broke the silence by prompting, "So you started this by saying that something happened recently..."

"Oh yeah, that. I... well, it's really hard to explain," Harry began, his voice weak and shaking. It was only then that Ron realized Harry was on the verge of tears. Whatever had happened was extremely difficult for him to talk about. Instinctively, Ron put his arm around Harry, who looked up at him with surprise and relief.

It took the better part of an hour, but Harry finally got the entirety of his story out, having had to stop several times because he was unable to control his emotions. Ron was a sympathetic listener, although he had to hold himself in check to refrain from comforting Harry with his lips.

Their fingers were threaded together when Harry finally finished his explanation.

"So I've had to stop going to classes," Harry said, "because I can't keep these thoughts out of my head, and I'm constantly worried I'm going to burst into tears at any moment. Healer Wilkes says I'll be able to control it again, but not until my psyche has a chance to heal."

"There's got to be something I can do to help," said Ron, his dry throat cracking.

"You're already doing it," replied Harry with a weak smile. "You're here."

Ron had never wanted to wrap his arms around Harry and kiss away his worries more than he did now. Ron might have fallen out of love with that other version of Harry - the robot, as Hermione had called him - but this was his Harry, the one that he still loved. Ron felt Harry's pain, and he wanted so much to comfort him. But he couldn't say anything, not now when Harry's emotions were so raw. Harry needed him to be supportive - not to take advantage of the situation and seduce him. Ron would wait until the time was right before testing the waters to see if Harry's feelings had changed.

Harry and Ron caught each other's eye and for one brief moment, Ron thought he recognized "the look." But it was fleeting, and he dismissed it as wishful thinking. Harry did seem to have pulled himself together, though, and he promptly turned the tables and started asking Ron about his recent split with Susan.

"Well, mate, it was fairly unpleasant at the end," Ron said. "I didn't have much time for her, and she started making these unreasonable demands on me."

"Like what?" Harry asked.

"She wanted to see me every day," he answered, as if that was an outrageous thing to expect of one's boyfriend. "I'd want to go off and do something fun, and she'd get all huffy."

"You could have asked her along, couldn't you?"

Ron shook his head. "You see, that was the problem. I didn't really want to spend time with her anymore. The whole girlfriend thing just wasn't working for me." Ron stopped himself from adding, She's not you.

Harry surveyed Ron quizzically. "So, it's not like you found another girl who is more interesting..."

Ron didn't know how to respond. Until today, he'd have definitely responded that there was no one else, but after seeing Harry, that was no longer true.

"Harry, this might come as a bit of a shock," Ron said slowly, "but I think I'm ready to admit that I'm probably gay."

A broad smile spread across Harry's face. "I knew it."

Across the lake, they could see Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class letting out.

"We should head back to the castle," said Ron. "I promised to talk to Ginny at lunch."

At the mention of Ginny, Harry hung his head, and he said quietly, "She and I aren't getting along too well these days."

They headed towards the castle, still holding hands. Ron wasn't about to be the first one to let go. He said, "Things did seem a bit tense when I saw you two together at breakfast."

"Ginny thinks I'm crazy," Harry said by way of explanation. "She's gone out of her way to be a good friend to me these past few weeks, but she just can't cope when I have one of my meltdowns. It doesn't really help that her presence seems to make them worse."

Ron furrowed his brow. "Why would that be?"

Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose before answering. "She makes me feel so guilty," he said. Harry stopped walking, dropping Ron's hand as they faced each other. "Please don't be angry with me, Ron. I've been trying as hard as I can to be fair to her because she's been so supportive, and it would kill me to know that I've hurt her. But I know in my heart I really ought to be breaking up with her."

Ron's eyes opened wide in surprise, and he saw Harry's eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Why?"

Harry bent his head to examine his shoelaces as he said, "Because I'm fairly certain that I'm gay, too."

"Oh," murmured Ron. Then the implication of Harry's words dawned on him: was he indicating that he still had feelings for Ron? Ron searched Harry's face, and found Harry's gaze to be shifty and nervous. He didn't understand why Harry should be nervous, especially when Ron had made the same admission to him just a few minutes earlier. Unless...

"Ron Weasley!" came a shout from Hagrid. He drew up next to them in about five steps and patted Ron squarely on the back, causing him to stumble a bit. "Surprised to see you in our neck o' the woods!"

The three of them resumed their trek to the castle as Ron made light of the reason for his visit. It was great to see Hagrid, of course, but his timing couldn't have been worse. Ron was anxious to find out if Harry's admission meant that there was a possibility for them to get back together. Once they reached the Great Hall, throngs of students surrounded them, and there was no way their conversation could continue.

Ginny found them and sat down on Ron's other side, away from Harry. She gave her brother a squeeze and started in on a synopsis of that morning's Transfiguration lesson. Ron was grateful that he didn't have to go through another year of Professor McGonagall's tedious lectures. Harry didn't seem to be listening to a single word Ginny was saying.

Harry took a bite of his sandwich and hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Oh no - I've forgotten that I'm supposed to meet with Snape to get the Potions homework before his afternoon class." He stood abruptly and gathered his sandwich and an apple. "Meet me in the common room, okay, Ron? Ginny can give you the password."

Ron agreed, and Harry took off through the hall. He looked at his sister, who just shook her head in amazement.

"He's been like this for four weeks," clucked Ginny with irritation. "He'd forget to breathe if left to his own devices."

"Why are you so angry with him?" asked Ron. "It's not like you to go around badmouthing people, especially not your own boyfriend."

At the word 'boyfriend,' Ron noticed Ginny bristle a bit. She let out a long sigh and said, "I'm not angry as such, just frustrated. We weren't getting along that well before the... well, did he tell you what happened?"

"Yes."

"Right," continued Ginny. "It's just that he's been so hard to be around, and now that he keeps bursting uncontrollably into tears at inopportune moments..." Her explanation trailed off, and she took another bite.

Ron held back a smile. "Are you saying you want to break up with him, Gin?"

Ginny said nothing for a moment. He knew he'd guessed correctly and it was taking all of his effort not to whoop with glee.

"Do you think that makes me a terrible person?" she asked. "What kind of a girl would want to break up with her boyfriend when he's going through a huge emotional crisis?"

Ron gently laid his hand on her shoulder. "A girl who knows that the boy she's had a crush on since she was ten is not the boy she's currently dating. Ginny, we all know how much he's changed. You can't be faulted for not wanting to be with him." The trick, thought Ron, would be to make breaking up seem like her idea. Then she couldn't be upset with him when he moved in on Harry himself.

"I could never do that," said Ginny. "He's going through so much, and he doesn't need to add me to his troubles. Anyway, I'm not going to abandon him now."

Dammit! thought Ron. It was time for a new tactic. "Look, Ginny," said Ron, mustering his best innocent expression, "I know it isn't any of my business, but Harry and I were talking this morning--"

"About me?"

"No, about him, mostly. And I think it might be important for you to know something he said to me." Ginny turned her head to lock eyes with him, while Ron leaned closer to her. "He thinks he might be gay," he whispered.

The fork Ginny had been holding dropped to her plate with a clatter. She closed her eyes, oblivious to the stares of her classmates.

"It can't be a total surprise, Gin. You knew all along there was a possibility."

"Yes, of course I did, but I thought he was over that," she said quietly to Ron.

They ate silently while the others at the table resumed their conversations. Ron leaned towards Ginny again and whispered, "Were you shagging him?" Ron knew he shouldn't have asked, but he couldn't help himself.

Ginny looked aghast. "There's no way I'm telling you that!"

"Come on, I told you about me."

"You did not," Ginny laughed. "I almost walked in on you. You had no intention of ever telling me." Ron could give no response to that, seeing as she was absolutely correct.

They sat in silence a while longer, until Ginny said, "No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"We never did." Ginny looked at her food and pushed it aside. Ron could see that she was visibly upset.

"You shouldn't feel bad, you know. Harry practically bent over backwards trying to convince me of how wonderful you'd been about everything and how much he appreciates you. Trust me, he feels just as guilty about wanting to break up with you as you do about wanting to break up with him." Ron shook his head. "You two are just going to have to be honest with each other for a change."

Ginny brooded while Ron finished his meal. He was used to her moodiness and was completely unfazed by it, but he did feel really bad for her. Her fantasy relationship with Harry had crashed all around her, and there wasn't anything she could do to save it. While Ginny gathered up her things, Ron said, "I'm sorry about all this, you know."

Ginny looked as if she was going to quip something nasty at him, but she stopped herself, knowing that Ron, of all people, did know how she felt. It was terribly disappointing, but at the same time, almost a relief. She leaned over to hug Ron instead, and whispered the password to Gryffindor Tower into his ear. "Thanks," she said, and left in a flurry of black robes.

Ron couldn't believe his good fortune. He would never have told Ginny about Harry's admission if she hadn't already confessed that she wanted to end her relationship with him. And if Harry had expressly sworn him to secrecy, he'd have kept his mouth shut. But, he rationalized, they were both clearly miserable, and hadn't Dumbledore asked him to come here to cheer them all up?

Ron had no sooner thought of Dumbledore than the Headmaster himself strolled into the Great Hall. Upon seeing Ron, he motioned him over to the staff table, where only two other teachers remained.

"I'm so pleased you could join us, Ron. You've seen Harry, then?" Dumbledore asked politely. It amused Ron to note that while he hadn't really been given a choice in the matter, it was gracious of Dumbledore to let him think he did.

"Yes, sir. It sounds as if he's had a difficult few weeks."

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Harry has endured more hardship than any other wizard I've ever known. But I don't believe I've ever seen him more despondent than he's been these past four weeks. I don't know what has been more difficult for him: mourning all the people that have been taken from him, or mourning the loss of something he held so dear but let slip away."

Ron stared at Professor Dumbledore, uncertain of his meaning. Harry hadn't let anything slip away; it had been snatched away from him by a cruel twist of fate. "I don't understand what you mean, Professor."

"It seems, Ron, that once again you hold Harry's fate in your hands. For you alone possess the ability to heal him. The power is yours if you'll only use it."

Dumbledore dove into his lunch with no further explanation. Ron was perplexed. What the hell did he mean? I have the power to heal him? The old codger never ceased to be obtuse. It did seem like he might be in a generous mood, though, so Ron thought he'd give his latest plan a try.

"Professor Dumbledore, do you suppose you could give Harry permission to go into Hogsmeade with me? I think it would do him a world of good to get away from here for a while, and I'd have him back well before curfew." Ron wore his sincere expression - the one that usually worked with his mum.

Stoking his beard lightly, Dumbledore considered Ron's request. Finally he said, "My first concern is, as always, for Harry's safety." Ron started to protest, before Dumbledore continued, "Of course, I'm also concerned about his happiness. So I'll allow it as long as you do not stray from the main roads and make sure to be back by nine o'clock."

Ron grinned and quickly agreed. He was almost giddy as he left Dumbledore to finish his lunch in solitude. He hummed to himself all the way up to Gryffindor Tower.

* * * * *

During the twenty minutes he'd been waiting for Harry, Ron had thoroughly convinced himself that Harry's comments that morning had been hints that he wanted to get back together with Ron. The idea lightened Ron's heart considerably, and he was in a very good mood. Ron heard the portrait open, and a few seconds later, Harry plopped down on the couch beside him. Ron could see that he was red around the eyes.

"Snape is such a sick bastard," sulked Harry.

It didn't take a genius to surmise that Snape had reduced Harry to tears, and given Harry's fragile emotional state, it had probably only taken one of his practiced glares. Ron watched him with longing. Harry's eyes were closed, and his head was thrown back against the couch, exposing his neck in the most tantalizing manner. Ron exercised uncharacteristic restraint, choosing to rest his hand on Harry's arm.

"Don't worry about it," said Ron comfortingly. "No one cares what he thinks anyway."

"I know. But I still feel like such an idiot."

Ron stood up, knowing that if he spent any more time next to Harry on the couch, he'd be unable to control himself. "I've got some news that will cheer you up. Dumbledore is letting me take you into Hogsmeade."

Harry sat up smiling. "Really? That's brilliant. How'd you get him to agree to that?"

Ron grinned, "It must have been my good looks and natural charm."

Harry laughed. They went up to Harry's dormitory so that Harry could put his homework away and change clothes. Ron's mouth went dry as Harry nonchalantly whipped his shirt off over his head. Every memory he had of touching Harry's bare skin came flooding into his brain, and he fought back a whimper. Ron was not doing a very good job of hiding his desire; Harry noticed him staring.

"What are you looking at?" he said with amusement.

"I...er," Ron's eyes landed on the Tyet of Isis hanging around Harry's neck, so he quickly said, "I'm just surprised that you're still wearing the amulet I gave you."

Harry smiled at Ron, as if he knew full well the effect it would have on him. He put his hand up to the charm, saying, "I like it. It reminds me of when I was happy."

He closed in on Ron, who could barely stand owing to the fact that all his blood had pooled in his groin. Harry's eyes were clouded with lust, reminding Ron so much of the boy who had seduced him nearly a year ago; it was as if nothing had ever changed between them. Ron reached out to touch the bare skin of Harry's waist, and lost himself in those eyes.

"Harry, I--" Ron didn't get the opportunity to finish his sentence, however, because Harry's lips captured his, and all rational thought left his brain. Harry moaned as Ron shifted, rubbing himself against Harry's hip. Their tongues danced, reacquainting themselves after six months' absence. They groped one another until their need for air caused them to break the kiss.

"Fireworks," panted Ron. "Definitely fireworks."

Harry led Ron over to his four-poster and lightheartedly pushed him into a reclining position.

"Not just fireworks," growled Harry. "Weasley's Wild-Fire Whiz Bangs that never go out and keep changing into something better." Harry lowered himself onto Ron, who could feel Harry's excitement straining against the taut material of his trousers.

As Harry fumbled with the buttons on Ron's shirt, Ron's gaze fell briefly on Harry's alarm clock. "How much time before the others are done with classes?"

Harry quickly checked the time. "Shit, only about fifteen or twenty minutes."

Ron was more than a little surprised that Harry had suddenly decided to attack him, but he wasn't about to start complaining at this point. Harry made quick work of divesting Ron of his clothes and removed his own as well. The warmth of Harry's skin against his was heavenly.

They were a mass of lips and tongues and fingertips and hot flesh pressing together, remembering; reverencing each other's body with throw-away words whispered like prayers. God. So good. Missed you. Harry. Ron. As each one's arousal grew, words became nothing more than groans and sighs, until Ron could hold back no longer, and he called out Harry's name as he found his release. Harry followed suit moments later, murmuring Ron's name over and over. They collapsed, limbs tangled together, with as much skin touching as possible.

Ron looked up at Harry's eyes and saw that he'd come undone. Tears were streaming down his face, and he was shaking his head back and forth as if he were in agony. It scared the hell out of Ron.

"Harry? Shit. Harry, are you okay?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around his lover and held him gently.

"Yeah," sniffed Harry. "I just feel so much..." He brought his hands up to Ron's face. "I love you so much, and I never thought I'd be able to tell you."

Ron stroked his hair and kissed his cheek lightly. "I love you too, Harry."

A disturbance from the common room disrupted their afterglow, and they scrambled to dress themselves before anyone discovered what they'd been up to. When Andrew came in a few minutes later, Harry was just tying his trainers, while Ron lounged lazily on the bed watching him.

"Hey, Ron. I heard you were hanging around today. Did you come up here to give Harry some defense lessons now that you're a big shot Auror?" Andrew joked.

Ron smirked. "Hardly. I came to kneel at his feet is more like it." Harry burst into laughter as Ron winked at him. "We're headed into Hogsmeade, actually."

"Geez, Potter, you get all the perks. The rest of us have to hang around the common room on a Friday night."

"Yeah," answered Harry. "All you have to do is go to Hogwarts for an eighth year, and then you get all sorts of benefits: a whole extra year of Snape, for example."

"I guess when you put it that way, it's definitely not worth it," Andrew said.

They left the dormitory bickering good-naturedly over who should be kneeling at the feet of whom, with Andrew remaining oblivious to their meaning.

* * * * *

Ron and Harry headed back to Hogwarts after a peaceful and romantic dinner at The Three Broomsticks. Harry kept referring to the evening as "their date," and secretly, Ron was pleased. When he'd arrived at the gates of Hogwarts early that morning, he thought he'd be seeing the strange emotionless Harry that had stayed at The Burrow last summer. He'd had no idea that his Harry, the one who made him go weak in the knees every time he smiled, would come back into his life. If only he could wake up tomorrow morning naked in Harry's arms, Ron would be the happiest wizard in the world. As it was, he was flying high.

Harry looked in the window of the Hogs Head Inn as they passed by, and he saw Hagrid sitting near the tiny window. They decided to stop to chat with him since they still had close to an hour before they needed to be back.

"Harry! Ron! Come on over and join me for a drink," called Hagrid, a little too loudly. Most of the patrons turned to see who had arrived, and more than one murmured to their companion that it was indeed 'Harry Potter.' They sat next to Hagrid as inconspicuously as possible.

"Gee, Hagrid, do you think you could have said our names a little bit louder?" hissed Ron. "I think there are a couple of people in the back who didn't hear you." Harry grinned and Hagrid looked sheepish.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Well, no one in here pays much attention to me anyhow," Hagrid said in a much more subdued voice.

They had a quick butterbeer with Hagrid, and then headed out again, anxious to get back to the castle and, with any luck, to the Room of Requirement. They had spent the last few hours being reacquainted with each other's lives, but now they needed a real reunion of their bodies.

They had just reached the last shop on the main street when Harry leaned close to Ron and whispered, "Ron, don't turn around, but there are two men following us."

"How do you know they're following us?"

"I saw them staring at us in the Hogs Head. I think I recognize one of them from the final battle with Voldemort."

"You think they're Death Eaters?"

"Yeah." They continued to walk at a steady pace so as not to alert the Death Eaters that they'd been observed.

"Shit." Adrenaline coursed through Ron's veins. He'd been working hard at Auror School, and he quickly reviewed everything that he'd learned about defense during the past two months. "Harry, how are your defense skills?"

"A bit rusty, probably, but they used to be really good. Do you think we should try to take them on?"

"Not yet. We don't know how many there are." Damn, thought Ron, we're too far from both the pub and Hogwarts to make a run for it in either direction.

"Maybe we could Apparate to the Hogwarts main gates." Harry's voice was rising with apprehension. Though he'd always been cool under pressure, Harry wasn't exactly his most emotionally stable self. It was going to up to Ron to remain calm, something that didn't come naturally to him, but he had been working hard to improve it at Auror school.

"I don't know, Harry. Seems to me that if they've sent someone to follow us, they'll have also stationed someone to intercept us at the main gates in case we do that. Besides, they've probably cast an anti-Apparition spell around us by now."

They walked on a little further, not speaking until Ron whispered, "Dammit. Two more."

"Where?"

"Up there, crouching behind those bushes. You can't see them, but look at their shadows in the moonlight."

Though neither Ron nor Harry would voice it, full-scale panic had set in. Ron had not been involved in a serious duel since they were ambushed by Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries near the end of their fifth year. Harry looked as if he might break down at any minute. "You okay, mate?"

"I don't want to do this, Ron," said Harry with a shaky voice. "I thought it was over when Voldemort was killed. What if I'm not lucky like the last time?" He grabbed Ron's sleeve.

Harry's words triggered a strategy in Ron's brain. Harry hadn't just been lucky the last time; he'd had Isis. Ron wasn't the best dueler in his Auror class, but he was the smartest, and his strategic mind kicked into high gear just when he needed it the most.

"Listen, Harry, I have a plan. Are you still wearing the Tyet of Isis?"

"Yes, of course." Harry felt for it with his hand just to be sure.

"Good. Then as soon as one of these wizards throws a hex at you, I want you to call out to Isis."

Harry stopped walking, his head snapping to look at Ron's face. "Ron, no. What good will that do? What if they hit you?"

"I think I'll probably collapse as soon as you invoke her. I'll pretend to fall, at least. They'll think they hit me with the curse. You'll be protected and can pick them off one at a time."

"God, no, Ron. It's too dangerous. What if you get hurt?"

Ron stared deeply into Harry's eyes with an intensity of love that he had never shown him before. "You've got to trust me on this. You've got to trust in us."

The words had barely escaped from his mouth when the Death Eaters behind them announced their presence. The two others that had been crouched in the bushes stood up, and two more cloaked figures appeared in a clearing off to their left. It was six-against-two. Their only realistic option was Ron's plan.

A Death Eater behind them spoke. "It's no use, Potter. Though you managed to kill the Dark Lord, there are many of his supporters left behind to take his place. We can't have you interfering."

In the split second it took for the Death Eater to raise his wand, Harry and Ron exchanged nods. The hex flew, and as planned, Ron collapsed on the ground as the curse careened off Harry's now protected form.

I told you it would work, thought Ron to Harry. Harry did not look at him, but Ron saw a smile edge up at the corners of his mouth. Now pick them off one by one, love. Start with that ugly one first.

Ron focused all of his love on Harry, just as he had done last spring. Harry seemed to have regained all of his confidence, because he threw curses at the Death Eaters like a madman. The Death Eaters that weren't hit began to close in on them, and Harry was still able to fend them off. Ron heard Harry shout "Stupify" just as three curses hit Harry at the same time. Ron's world went dark.

* * * * *

Ron opened his eyes, and the walls around him slowly came into focus. It took him a few minutes to realize he was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. He stirred and was immediately greeted by two bright green eyes staring at him from six inches away.

"What's your name?" Ron demanded.

"Huh?" asked Harry.

"Tell me what your name is."

"H...Harry Potter. Ron, are you all right?" Harry's face was worn with concern, but other than that, Ron could see no signs of injury.

Ron smiled. He tried to sit up, but was afraid he might vomit, so he sank back down on the pillow. "I'll be okay. It's just that last time we did this, I woke up to find you'd lost your memory, and to be honest, Harry, it wasn't really that much fun." He tried to laugh, but winced at the pain in his head.

Harry affectionately touched Ron's cheek. "Git."

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "Thanks to you, I survived Avada Kedavra for the third time. Seems to have taken its toll on you, though."

Ron grinned weakly. "That's my job, you know. I'm just here to save your sorry arse."

"Well if somebody's got to do it, I'm glad it's you. Thanks, mate." Harry brushed his fingertips along Ron's cheeks and through his hair. "Does it hurt when I do this?" he asked.

"No. Feels nice." Ron closed his eyes while Harry caressed his forehead. When he opened them again, silent tears were flowing down Harry's cheeks. "You know, Harry, if you don't get a grip on yourself soon, I'm going to have to start calling you 'Cho." He grinned, and Harry smiled, which seemed to make the tears flow even faster.

Madam Pomfrey wandered over, and upon seeing that Ron was awake, gave him a potion. It must have been a sleeping draught, because after a few minutes, Ron could hardly keep his eyes open.

"Harry?" he asked with a yawn. "That wasn't a very fun date, was it?"

Harry brushed his thumb across Ron's lips. "Maybe not, but our next one will be better. Look, Ron, I'm going up to Gryffindor Tower to take care of a few things. I'll come back first thing in the morning, all right?"

"Mmmmm, love you," murmured Ron. He fell into a deep sleep before Harry's lips met his.

* * * * *

"I thought you were going to be here first thing in the morning," complained Ron as Harry strolled into the hospital wing.

Harry grinned. He looked completely different today. Harry carried himself with confidence, and he seemed as if he were on top of the world. He tossed the Daily Prophet at Ron and sat down next to him on the bed.

"Aren't you the cheerful one this morning," Harry said sarcastically. "One might think you'd been attacked by six Death Eaters last night instead of me." Harry watched as Ron unfolded the newspaper and read the headline.

"Six Death Eaters No Match for Harry Potter"

Ron looked up from the paper, expecting to see Harry livid from all the unwanted attention. Instead, Harry was beaming. "What are you so happy about?" asked Ron. "You used to hate these articles."

"Keep reading."

Ron quickly scanned the article, slowing down at the part where they interviewed Harry. Ron caught Harry's eye as if to confirm that such an interview had taken place, and Harry nodded. The next part was incredible. Harry had given Ron credit for coming up with an emergency strategy, drawing on his Auror training, and described him as "allowing himself to be injured, in order to increase our chances of survival." Ron was quite chuffed when he read Harry's quote, "If it weren't for Ron Weasley, I'd be dead."

"The most remarkable thing," said Harry calmly, "is that the Daily Prophet actually managed to get my quotes correct. One time out of a thousand isn't too bad, is it?"

Ron sat up. He was a bit weak, but no longer dizzy or nauseous. He pulled Harry close and wrapped his arms around him. "You're amazing. Is it any wonder I'm crazy about you?"

They kissed a few times, until Harry broke away reluctantly. "One of the things I did last night after I left here was talk to Ginny. We agreed that we're better as friends than as a couple. I offered to let her break up with me loudly in the library, but she seems to want to keep things low key. Then this morning when I woke up, I felt like a whole new person: a normal person. Because I remembered what you said last night before you fell asleep."

"Glad one of us does," snorted Ron.

Harry smiled, but ignored his comment. "You said you loved me. And you saved my life in more ways than you ever know. I can't even begin to thank you for that."

Ron smirked, "I can think of a few ways that you could show me some gratitude."

"I intend to, Ron. I've definitely got plans for you. Do you suppose you'll be able to convince Madam Pomfrey to let you out this morning if you promise to spend the rest of the day in bed?" Harry asked, grinning.

Ron stood on shaky feet, leaning on Harry for balance. "It's worth a try. You could say that I'm highly motivated." Ron turned suddenly to examine Harry's face. "Hey, Harry, you know what?"

"What?"

"You just got through saying all sorts of sappy stuff, and you didn't even cry once. I reckon you're on the road to recovery now."

Harry laughed. "That's right, so don't even think of calling me 'Cho.' I have an amulet, and I'm not afraid to use it."

"You're such a tough guy when you aren't crying," teased Ron.

Harry pulled away to leave. "I'm going to get Madam Pomfrey so we can get you out of here. I think I need to get on with teaching you a lesson." Ron watched his retreating back, wondering if he'd ever get used to the excitement that Harry made him feel. He hoped not.

Twenty minutes later, they walked hand-in-hand through the hallway on their way to the Room of Requirement, oblivious to the stares of the students they passed. Together, Harry and Ron had accomplished the near impossible: Ron had saved Harry, Harry had saved the wizarding world, and the wizarding world would never know the whole story. But they knew, and in the end, that was all that mattered.

finis