Pretense

PREVIOUSLY:

"You don't understand! I heard him! I heard him say he was in love with her!"

He could hear Hermione's footsteps come to a halt at the top of the staircase. A few seconds later, her head popped around the open door.

"Ron, stop talking out of your arse." With that she strode downstairs away from an astonished Ron.

Little did Hermione know that Ron was telling the truth.

CHAPTER 2: Point of No Return

    "Are you trying to break up with me?" The high pitched shriek of Cho Chang rang out and echoed throughout the flat. Ron winced as the sound made his teeth ache.

"Er..." Ron grinned as he listened to the familiar voice stumble over his words. Harry was obviously in the midst of a spat with his latest beau and had decided to cut his losses. "Look, I'm sorry, Cho, but this has got to stop. You don't want to be with me-"

Ron could imagine the undeterable expression on her face as Cho interrupted. "Yes, I do! I do! Harry I've always loved you!" Ron inwardly sighed. Harry was right. Cho was only potty about the idea of being with Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, not Harry Potter the human being.

"-And I don't want to be with you either." This was news to Ron. For the past five years since they had left Hogwarts Ron knew that Harry had still harboured hopes of being with Cho but now when he had had the opportunity to be with her he drew back. God. Harry confused the Hell out of him. Any way, for the past four weeks ever since he'd bumped into the lovely Miss Chang at the supermarket he'd had the goofy grin plastered on his face of a guy who was in 'lurve'.

"But you do want to be with me! I know, I can tell. You've wanted me for more than five years!" Cho's enraged voice suddenly softened and she sounded like an angel, a song in her voice. "Come on, Harry. Remember he hot tub? Remember the ice skating rink? There were so many good times!" Cho's voice gradually grew more desperate.

"You're not going to change my mind."

Cho let out a very unladylike growl that Ron thought was fitting for the predator she had become. "I should have known that you'd just string me along! You made me think that you had been pining for me. I thought I was safe! You dumped all the others but I thought... I thought..." Ron actually felt quite sorry for Cho. She had the disillusioned idea that she could charm and keep the legendary Harry Potter under her spell which would be a major career move for the wannabe Hollywood darling. Ron sniggered under his breath at the thought . Harry would never settle down. He was just too damn defiant. He would never let himself be controlled and when someone like Cho attempted it, he erased them from his life. Hence the letting go of Cho Chang.

At least that was what Ron had thought.

Cho's voice took on a steely tone. "I should have known that you would do this, Potter. You've got some nerve treating me like rubbish!" Ron could imagine the sneer on her normally pretty face. "Got fed up with your latest conquest, eh? Am I not good enough for the noble and brave Harry Potter?" Cho's icy remarks were laced with deep sarcasm.

"My God!" Harry muttered to himself. "If someone heard all this they'd think I was a monster!" Ron felt guilty . But it wasn't really eavesdropping. Ron had vacated the living area to give Harry and Cho some privacy and as the walls of the small and damp flat were somewhat thin he could hear every word from his bedroom. Of course, it helped that his ear was pressed against the door in the hopes of catching part of the conversation.

Cho's voice dropped. "Is it because of her?" Ron frowned. Who? He had just been about to leave them to argue it out when he heard the mention of another woman. His curiosity got the better of him and his ear, once again, was glued to the door. They could be referring to his former girlfriend, Tierney, but she'd been out of the picture for almost two months now, Ron thought as his ear strained to hear the response, and Harry was usually inclined to keep the motto 'Out of sight, out of mind'. That was why his previous two relationships hadn't lasted.

But Harry kept silent.

"It is!" Cho was incredulous. "It is because of that little bitch! You've been seeing her behind my back haven't you?! Oh, I bet she's ecstatic. She's always had a thing for you and now she gets her man." Cho's voice took on a menacing tone. " Well congratulate the little slut. Tell me, Is it just a little fling or is it true love?? "

"Shut up!" Harry yelled so loud that the walls shook with the force of it. "How dare you talk about her like that?" His voice had taken on a deadly whisper which made Ron strain to hear. "She is ten times the woman you are or will ever be. She doesn't

know anything about this and she doesn't have to. She doesn't love me and I don't want to lose her because of that." Ron was really confused now.

Cho's voice softened. "You are in love with that girl, aren't you?" Footsteps headed towards the front door and paused. "Don't worry, I won't tell her." As if on second thought Cho added "I don't know why I never noticed it before. You always were a sucker for a Weasley."

The front door slammed shut just as Ron's bedroom door flew open and the two best friends stared at each other in horror.

After that things were never the same.

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    The night hummed with the sounds of a long forgotten laughter from a foregone time. A happier time when it felt as though nothing could ever disrupt this harmonious family.

    At the far end of the table Charlie entertained his father with stories of his escapades in a foreign land, but being sure to leave out the really heart attack evoking bits.

    Percy listed the perks of being Chief Executive Officer Of Pewter Cauldrons Ltd to his very impressed and very proud mother. He was oblivious to the little smiles of anticipation and mischief that passed between the twins as they feigned rapt attention. "And, also available to only the most invaluable members of staff at Pewter Cauldrons Ltd, is the extensive files of anything you care to name..."

    Percy droned on and on, blissfully unaware that in the not- so- distant future he would have lips the size of two fat sausages, thanks to a new formula of Fred and George's that needed a 'test run'.

    Bill and Ron sat, arguing animatedly at the chances of the Chudley Cannons reaching the final in the European Quidditch Tournament sponsored by Coca- Cola - 'The Wizard's drink!' while Hermione desperately attempted to referee.

    Ginny watched her family with a smile on her face. Her family were all she could ask for and more. They were interesting, caring and loyal. Every one of them was special to her, all in their own way.

    Suddenly she felt overwhelming sadness as she realised that Harry didn't have what she had. The only family he'd ever had was the Weasley's and now he insisted on distancing himself as much as possible. The only reason that Ginny wasn't blocked out of his life too is that she didn't allow herself to be pushed away.

    "Ginny!"

She was startled out of her reverie by her mother's sharp tone of voice.

"Huh?"

"Quickly! Go get my 'Reversing Curses' book!"

Ginny looked about the table to see, sure enough that Percy's lips had swelled to size of bananas.

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    Harry couldn't face going back to his brand- new state-of-the-art flat. He often thought it was like the Mary Celeste- an empty vessel. It had no soul. It had no va va voom. Not like The Burrow.

    Oh, how he longed for a place like that to be his. Some people would call it cluttered or too small but Harry didn't care about that kind of thing. What he loved was the history. Everywhere you looked a memory materialised from nowhere. Always, the walls echoed with laughter and there was forever a delicious scent of freshly baked bread.

    The only memory that greeted him when he looked around at his ' contemporary but oh- so space odyssey' ( as the so- called expert, Phillipe proclaimed it) uber cool living area was the loneliness that grabs him every time he saw the empty and unwelcoming white wash walls and chrome chairs.

    He almost laughed as he was once again struck by the realisation that he was living in what appeared to be a show- home. He could picture it now: 'Why go for warm when you can go stark and boring?'

    So that was why he was wandering alone through the city at 9 o' clock on a Friday night. He could have gone out with any one of the many girls waiting for him to call.

    Harry sighed.

But he'd planned to spend tonight with her and he never let Ginny down.

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