Hate This and I'll Love You

Ron Weasley looked worriedly at his friend. Harry was sitting at Ron's kitchen table clutching a mug of coffee and looking forlorn, as usually.

"Come on, Harry, you have to do something! You can't just sit at home forever! What about that girl we met at Fred's, Louisa? She's nice. Why won't the two of you go get a coffee or something?"

Harry sighed. "Why are you trying to set my up with someone? You know I'm with Draco."

Ron mentally shouted but outwardly just shrugged. "Well, you haven't actually heard from him for three months. Who knows what he's doing. And knowing him, he probably has somebody else by now. If he's even alive, that is."

Harry flinched. "Don't talk like that."

"I'm just saying..."

"Well, don't. I'm off, thanks for the coffee."

Despite Ron's pleading, Harry grabbed his jacket and walked quickly into the hallway where he Disapparated.

Ron sighed and scratched his stubble as he flopped down on his old and worn couch. That went well. At least Harry had stayed for almost an hour before Ron blew it, that was more than last time.

It had been two months now since Harry got out of St. Mungo's where he had been lying in a coma for more than three weeks after the final battle. He had killed Voldemort but it had drained him so that the Healers were not sure he would make it. He did, however, and the first thing he asked for when he woke up was Draco. Draco Malfoy, who had disappeared in the battle. No one had heard from him since then, and his body had not been found. Ron personally believed that he had been working for the dark side all along and had scarpered when it looked like he was losing. Of course Harry wouldn't hear any of it, he claimed he loved Draco. Ron snorted. How could anyone love that ice cube who only had two expressions - sneer and scowl? He was witty, Ron gave him that, but he wouldn't want to spend any time around a git that only used his wittiness to insult others.

Oh yes, Harry claimed he had changed. He wasn't really like that. Believe Harry to be so gullible, to want to see the good in all people.

Harry and Malfoy had started saying they were together during the war. They were both a part of a special unit within the Aurors and therefore spent a lot of time together, while Ron was busy elsewhere in the regular Aurors department. At one time he hadn't seen Harry for two months, and when he finally did he got the news that Draco Malfoy was his boyfriend. And there Malfoy had stood, in the corner of the small safe-house with arms folded, scowling. Looking like a ruffled cat. Harry laughed and apologised for him, saying that he was not used to visitors.

Ron could only stay for a short while and when he left he heard Malfoy speak. "I thought he would never leave."

"Draco! Ron's my friend! I haven't seen him for a long time!"

"I don't care. You're mine now." And then Harry had giggled. Ron couldn't get away fast enough. Oh, Malfoy was definitely evil.

And now that he was nowhere to be found, Harry was devastated. When he got out of St. Mungo's he had just gone to his apartment and stayed there for days. Ron and Hermione took turns in checking in on him and trying to coax him to stop sulking, the war was over after all, but their results were not as desired.

It made Ron hate Malfoy even more than he had before.

~*~*~

Ron practically skipped down the road. He was going to get a few drinks with Hermione, Louisa and Harry, having finally managed (with a large amount of help from Hermione) to convince the latter that it was not healthy to stay in his flat and wait for someone who wasn't coming. If Malfoy was alive and wanted to see Harry again he would have done so by now. Ron's excitement was twofold. He would finally be able to spend some time with Harry not being all moody, or so he hoped. He also wanted to catch up with Hermione. They had started dating just as the war broke out but she had sensibly put all those matters on hold until the war was over. Now it was, and she still said it wasn't time, not until after Harry was all right.

Louisa was a sweet girl, with dark curly hair and pouty lips. She was a Ravenclaw, one year younger than the trio and she and Ron had got to know each other quite well during the war. She was the type Ron thought Harry could be happy with, a level headed girl with a wry sense of humour and she had always held a soft spot for Harry. Like every other girl in the country, as Hermione pointed out, but that was irrelevant. She also knew the horrors of the war, she had lost her fiancée in one of the frst battles so she knew what it was like. And now it was time for both of them to move on. The sage words of Ronald Weasley, who as all knew, was always right. Except when he wasn't. But then Hermione was usually around to take care of that.

As he opened the door to the Three Broomsticks he was greeted with the sight of a stunning Hermione chatting animatedly with an equally attractive Louisa. They had got a table by the window, overlooking the snowy street lit by the streetlamps. The fire was glowing merrily and the whole scene shone of happiness and comfort. Until Ron's eyes set on Harry.

He sat by the girls with that expression on his face. The one Ron knew so well and hated from the bottom of his heart. There was a smile on his face but it was trained and didn't reach his eyes. This was the expression he wore when he was miserable but didn't want anyone to see it.

Ron brushed the snow from his shoulders and walked briskly towards them.

"Evening, my ladies. And Harry."

Hermione flew up and draped her arms around Ron's neck and placed a kiss on his cheek - or that was probably what she had planned but Ron had turned his head to greet Harry so the kiss landed on the corner of his mouth instead.

"Oops, sorry, Hermione," he said, careful not to let anything show even if his heart had just skipped a beat.

"Er, right. Hi, Ron. Nice to see you," she said abruptly and sat hastily down again. And what, was she blushing? No, it had to be just the heat. It was Hermione. Everyone knew Hermione didn't blush. She usually had Ron around to take care of that.

What followed was a series of small talk. Awkward at first, but then the trio lapsed back into the old companionable routine, albeit a little strange. Louisa was an easy addition to the trio, she knew Ron and Hermione well and did not take the part of the fourth wheel.

A while later, when Hermione was in the bathroom and Ron was getting more drinks a flash of white caught his attention outside the window. What he saw nearly made him drop the drinks.

Out there, in the snow, was Draco Malfoy. He was wearing a black cloak but the hood was down, the snow plastering his hair to his face. But the thing that caught Ron's attention the most was his expression. Gone was the usual sneer or scowl Ron remembered him by, not even a hint of a smile grazed those lips, what Ron saw was a broken man. His face screamed anguish and pain. Ron followed his line of sight and it landed on - Harry and Louisa. They had their backs to the window, chatting, and Louisa had her arm draped in a friendly way over Harry's shoulders, who didn't seem to mind so much.

When Ron looked back outside he only saw Malfoy's retreating backside.

At that moment Hermione came walking to him.

"I really think we should call it a night, Ron, I do have work tomorrow, you know. And Harry - what is it?"

Ron put the glasses back on the bar table in a frantic hurry, accidentally knocking one over.

"I have to go, er, do something ... it will just take a sec, I hope!" And with that he bolted out the door leaving a very perplexed Hermione and an aggravated bar maiden behind.

The snow was cold and wet as it landed on Ron's face. He hadn't grabbed his cloak and swore as he realised that his wand was in the cloak as well. He ran in the direction Malfoy had gone and prayed that he hadn't just Apparated straight away. When he rounded the next corner he saw Malfoy leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets and his bare head to the weeping skies. As Ron stilled to a halt and tried to calm his breathing, Malfoy jumped from the wall and kept walking, shoulders hunched.

"Malfoy, wait..."

He kept walking.

Ron sighed and ran to catch up with the blonde man. He put his hand on Malfoy's shoulder but Malfoy just hissed and shrugged it off.

"Merlin, Malfoy, just stop, alright? I need to talk to you."

"I have nothing to say to you," Malfoy replied in a strained tone.

Ron grabbed him, spun him around and sneered. "Yes, you bloody do."

"What do you care anyway? He obviously doesn't want me, I saw him with that - that girl and just - just leave me alone! Let me go!" The look on Malfoy's face was heartbreaking. He thrashed weakly in Ron's arms before he gave up and just stood there, looking down.

Ron breathed through his nose. He had no idea what he was doing, really. He hated Malfoy. Always had. But he had never seen Malfoy so - human before. It made him think. Besides, it was obviously all a misunderstanding. Ron's inner Gryffindor screamed at him to right all wrongs, despite his dislike for the boy. It was Harry's decision.

Hell no, Ron was just desperate to get his friend smiling again, no matter what it took.

"I can't do that."

"Why?" Malfoy replied, shoulders slumped.

"Because I'm selfish. Now, come on." And he steered Malfoy back down the road and towards the Three Broomsticks.

The slight boy was like a feather, he weighed hardly anything at all. His cheeks were gaunt and he was pale, paler than normal. He didn't even resist. A sting formed in Ron's stomach. Maybe he really had been unable to come sooner?

As they neared the Three Broomsticks Malfoy's steps became heavier. Ron ignored that and still holding him by the arms manoeuvred him up the steps and through the door which he opened with one hand.

Inside he saw Hermione with a worried look on her face talking to Harry who looked equally wondering. Louisa was nowhere to be seen. As they heard the door open they looked up. The look on Harry's face was priceless.

At first it was shock. Pure shock. Then a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips which turned into a broad grin that even reached his eyes. Then with a small whimper his chair was on the floor, the glass he had been holding went sailing through the air aiming straight for Hermione who still hadn't got over the original shock of seeing Ron holding Malfoy in the doorway and then Harry came crashing into Malfoy, almost knocking Ron over in the process.

"You're here! You're alive, I was so worried, oh thank god you came back to me, you did come back to me, right? Just like you said, oh I am so so sorry and I'll never leave you again, just promise you won't go away..." Harry sobbed into Malfoy's robes, his arms tight around the taller boy. Malfoy hesitated at first, then slowly raised his hands before crushing Harry into an embrace, clinging to him for dear life.

"I'm so sorry I ever left and no, I'm never leaving again, just - just don't forget me."

Louisa came out of the bathroom and gasped before ordering a glass of water and sitting quickly down by the bar. Ron knew when he wasn't needed and sidled silently to where Hermione was standing in awe, absently drying her dress with a napkin. Ron fetched his wand in his cloak pocket and with a quick spell charmed it clean.

"Well, thank you," she said and blushed a little. "It seems I have forgot how to do magic..." and she tore her eyes away from Harry and Malfoy, whose embraces had now evolved into kisses.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron?"

"I love you. Come home with me?"

~*~*~

Later that evening Draco was safely tucked in a blanket on the sofa in Harry's apartment, clutching a mug of coffee and retelling the events of the past month. He had been captured in the final battle by his father and kept in a hideout in France. Apparently Lucius Malfoy had gone a bit insane after the fall of the Dark Lord and the death of his wife, and he was determined not to lose his son as well, but he needed more than taking Draco's wand and holding him captive to make him stay. When Draco had finally escaped he had come straight to Hogsmeade to find Harry, only to see him with Louisa, he explained with his eyes trained on the ripples in the coffee that came from his slightly shaking hands.

Harry cringed and apologised, stroking Draco's hair. "I'm so sorry. If I had known where you were I would have come to get you."

Draco snorted. "Don't be daft. You were in a coma."

"It doesn't matter, I would have."

Draco put his mug on the table and turned to meet Harry's eyes.

"I hated it."

"And I love you."