Work Text:
The room is busy with noise and people. Harry looks at it from his chair with a soft smile on his face. He’s still not used to being part of this family. Hermione smiles back at him when she and Ginny get up and leave the room. Ron’s eyes follow them and then turn to Harry.
“I don’t get it. Why is Hermione angry at me now?”
Fred screams from across the room that Ron is an idiot. Harry kind of agrees with Fred, but he can’t tell Ron that. It took him months to finally admit that he is falling for their friend. And Harry hasn’t missed how Hermione looks at Ron, how she defends him even when he’s in the wrong. Harry gets that, he feels the same sometimes about a certain person.
“I think she wasn’t that impressed by the book you got her, Ron.”
“But she likes books, so what was wrong with it? I don’t get girls.” Ron places his arms on the table and lays his head on top of them. “I really thought she would love it.”
“Stop overthinking it, Ron. Just ask her out and she will forgive you for the stupid book you got her,” Bill pits in. “If I can get a date with a hot blond, you can sure get the brainy Hermione to go out with you.”
Ron’s head snaps up and stares across the table where Bill and Charlie are playing a game of chest. “You’ve got a date with a hot blond?”
“Yes, I did. She started work at Gringotts in August. I’ve been complimenting her ever since and when I asked her last week she agreed.”
“Mom is not going to like it,” George says.
“What won’t your mother like?” Arthur, who just walks into the room, asks.
“Bill is going out with that Fleur girl from his work,” Charlie answers.
“Fleur Delacour?” Harry asks. “The exchange student that stayed at Hogwarts two years ago?”
“Yes, Bill, do you know that Ron asked her out that year. It was the funniest thing ever,” Fred starts.
Harry laughs as Ron hides his face again in his arms and begs his brothers to shut up. But Fred and George are on a roll and dive into the story of Ron’s greatest failure called the Yule ball. Once they are done Bill gets up and pats Ron on his shoulder.
“If you were brave enough to ask out Fleur two years ago, then why can’t you find the courage now to ask out Hermione?” he asks.
Ron looks up and shakes his head. “You don’t get it. Fleur was just a beautiful girl at school. But Hermione. She’s not only beautiful. She’s also smart, kind and one of my best friends. What if I screw this up and she won’t even be my friend anymore.”
“That girl doesn’t want to be your friend, Ron. She wants to be your girlfriend. Why else would she be here for Christmas instead of at her parents?”
Ron shakes his head and says he doesn’t know and if we could all just please talk about something else before Ginny and Hermione come back. Arthur gives Ron a reassuring smile and changes the subject. Fred and George go back to planning whatever scheme they’re up to this time and Charlie, Bill and Arthur discuss their work. Harry stares when Charlie takes off his sweater, showing off his muscles and scars. A new tattoo circles his arm. It looks good on him.
“What about you, Harry?” Ron asks and Harry turns back to him.
“What about me?”
“Well, any girls you fancy these days. I know things didn’t work out with Cho, but you can’t cry over her forever.”
Harry shakes his head. “I’ve been over her ever since we broke up. You do remember that I was the one who ended it.”
“Harry, you’ve been distance for weeks. Just staring into nowhere, like you’re dreaming of getting back with her.”
Harry looks out of the window. He knows he’s been distance. Hermione had said the same just before Christmas break started.
“Or are Ginny’s attempts to get your attention finally paying off and you’re scared that I won’t approve? I can tell you, I won’t mind. If it works out we might even become real bothers one day. Beats the bunch I already have.”
“Ron, Ginny isn’t my type. She’s sweet and all, but I don’t want to date her,” Harry says. He prefers blond hair and grey eyes these days, over the red and freckles.
“I know, you said before. But if Ginny isn’t, and Cho isn’t either. Then what kind of girl are you looking for Harry? You and Cho were happy together, dated for over a year. And then out of the blue, you break up and turn into this. Quiet and distant. I just want my best friend back.”
“Ron, let him be,” Charlie says.
“Stay out of this, Charlie,” Ron spits back. “We all know what your type is and that’s not helpful at all this moment.”
A soft whisper falls from Harry’s lips. “What if his type is also my type.”
The room goes quiet and Harry feels tears sting in his eyes. Ron looks at him with wide eyes like he’s just heard a bad joke. The silence is broken by Fred’s shout of ‘finally’ and then they all turn back to their conversations.
“That is why you broke things off with Cho?” Ron asks.
“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before,” Harry starts.
“Fuck, Harry. You’ve been eating yourself up about this. You know this doesn’t change anything between us. And Hermione, she’s big on minority rights and all, she’ll turn you in her personal project. Why did you think you couldn’t tell us?”
“It’s not just that I like boys, Ron. I’ve fallen for someone I shouldn’t. And it would all be so weird. You wouldn’t understand.”
Ron shakes his head. “Please say it isn’t me or Charlie. Because, yes that would be weird.”
“No, no. Fuck Ron, you’re my brothers. Charlie is fit.”
Ron sputters and Harry laughs. “Just asks Hermione, she will agree with me.”
“Sure, my brother is fit. Information I didn’t need to know. But who the fuck do you like that you think it would be a problem?”
Harry looks at the ground. He can’t look at Ron when he tells him.
“Draco Malfoy.”
“Fuck, yeah, that’s weird. You two have been fighting ever since you’ve met each other. How the fuck did you fall for that git?”
“I don’t know. But when I started to fantasise about him when I was kissing Cho, I knew I couldn’t deny it anymore.”
Ron gets up and pulls Harry with him. “We need to find Hermione, so we can form a plan on how you are going to steal that git’s heart.”
Harry laughs and follows Ron up the stairs. All his worries of the last couple of months disappeared by one silly sentence of his best friend.