Potter!

Learn to forget the past

Harry grinned before slipping out the door and apparating, leaving Draco alone with his mind.

When he arrived at the burrow, he could hear Molly busying herself in the kitchen, and smiled at the thought.

Hesitating, he stepped over the threshold and into the warmth of the kitchen. Hopefully his arrival wouldn't be too noticeable. He wanted to be in, talk and out again.

"Harry, my dear! Oh you gave me a fright. Thought you were one of those dreadful ministry people again." She exclaimed for most of the house to hear, placing her knife down and wiping her hands on a towel. She opened her arms, and hugged him tightly, which Harry greatly appreciated. He needed a mother's hug sometimes, even if it could never be his own.

When she pulled away, she scrutinised him with a mother's judging look plastered on her face, "You look like you've been crying, dear, is everything okay? Ron and Ginny were-"

She was interrupted by Ron's grimace, "Harry."

He swallowed trying to find the right words, "Hi."

"Have you come to tell me you got rid of that evil snake out of your home?" He scowled, his eyes narrowed, looking more like a snake himself, Harry noted.

"No." he matched Ron's trying to be intimidating eye contact.

"Then why are you here? Didn't think you broke Ginny's heart quite enough?" Ron's words stabbed Harry through the chest like a dagger.

"Ronald." Mrs Weasley frowned upon her son, "I've had enough of you already this Christmas. You've been in a fowl mood since you got here. What has Harry done?" She demanded.

Ron did not back down. "He prefers Malfoy to us! He protects him after all he's done! Don't side with him, Mum."

"Ron I-" Harry tried to get what he was meant to say out but more people filled the room and he locked eyes with Ginny.

"You broke my sisters heart. Again! And who for, Malfoy? In bed with Malfoy! Throw away all your friends for Malfoy! Some death eater scum is better than us!" Ron was shouting now, with everyone gawking at him.

Tears began to fall down Harry's face again, it seemed over the last few days he'd done nothing but cry. What a way to spend a Christmas?

Ron's anger brimmed over and he panted, his fists balling, 6 months worth of frustration coming to the surface all at once.

All the eyes in the room moved to Harry, who couldn't see them through glassy eyes, "I didn't mean to." He spoke quietly.

"What was that?" Ron bellowed. "You didn't mean to what?"

"I didn't mean to break Ginny's heart. I can't help it if I don't love her more than a friend. You can't just force me to love her just because I'm who you want her to be with. Just because you want me as a brother. " Harry avoided everyone's gaze, looking to the floor. "I didn't mean to become friends with Draco. I didn't mean for him to become important to me, he just did. He never wanted to become a death eater, come on, you should know that if you know him. He may be an asshole but he didn't want to kill." Harry sighed heavily, the room was completely still, "The truth is I protected him because I see myself in him. He's like me. He's trying to put up walls against me when I try to help. He's trying fight the darker side within himself, his father and his past. He's trying to overcome the war, the hate he gets for being a part of it, the blame he puts on himself. I know you don't care about how he feels because you blame him for everything. But he blames himself for everything too and so do I, when we all know the person who was to blame is dead and buried because I killed him. It's not anyone's fault but his. And if its not Voldemort's then it's mine for not dying the first time he tried to kill me!"

No one spoke, and Harry finished there. He had so much more to say, so much more he could express about the good things he knew about Draco Malfoy. The reasons why he should not be hated and despised for his past, that no one should.

"Do you love him?" A small voice spoke amongst the heavy silence, it was almost inaudible through the tension Harry had brought to the room. It was Ginny's voice, fragile but solid.

Harry stared at her through drying tears. What a silly question. Why would he love Draco Malfoy? He used to be his enemy. People don't fall in love with their enemies. Even if they become friends with them. It just doesn't happen, not in fairytales, not in fiction, not in real life.

But there was that fluttery feeling, in his stomach, every time he was around him. That warmth in his cheeks when they touched. The unexplainable happiness just when spending time with him. The way he had defended him against his best friend, that had surprised everyone and his own self. They'd fallen asleep together twice now. Surely that wasn't a coincidence?

But he couldn't be in love with Draco, could he?

He was obviously silent for a long time as Ginny and he supposed the rest of the room, took his lack of answer to mean yes. Harry tried to find some way to explain the muddled emotions in his mind, but no words came.

"I accept that." Ginny's tear stained face broke into a crooked smile, "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't accept you and who you love."

Harry blinked away the remaining tears, feeling a smile tingle on his lips.
At least someone accepted him, even if it wasn't himself.