The Other Side

Chapter Seventeen

They were mobbed immediately of course, and Ron was hoisted onto shoulders, drinks shoved into their hands, as a cheer went up after they entered the common room. The celebration in the common room was thrilling, despite the exhausting DA meeting. Ron was in the middle of the room, hoisted on top of Dean's shoulder, as everyone cheered loudly. Harry grinned, and cheered with them. They set him down slowly, and Lavender Brown walked towards him nervously. She fawned over his face for a moment, and then pressed a kiss against his lips.

Harry tore his eyes away from them, and collapsed into the armchair as another cheer went up. He chuckled to himself and rolled in front of the fire, watching the flames dance through the amber liquid of the glass precariously balanced on his chest. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander back to the match, reminiscing about the commotion he'd caused despite the warnings he'd received at breakfast. He'd definitely made a spectacle of it, and it probably might've caused more trouble than he'd intended.

He frowned, as a thought crossed his mind and he glanced around the room. The once roaring hearth fire burned down to embers and the lamps cast flickering shadows on the gold and red drapes. His mind traced back to the DA meeting, when the Thestral was prancing around his stag, and then began chasing it around the chamber. A Patronus wasn't supposed to be that fickle, but his Patronus had changed.

Narcissa.

He always carried her wand, and held onto her memories. He always read the letters that he'd exchanged with her since the first year. Draco had once told him that Narcissa was always at the Astronomy tower when she was at Hogwarts, because it was calmer and beautiful. An escape.

At the disturbing nights, both of them found each other at the Astronomy tower. It was unbelievable that they were actually here, after years of mutual antagonism – The silent confessions, and that they knew each other better than they knew themselves.

Harry frowned, as he cast another glance around the room. He cursed under his breath and shook his head in disbelief. "Bastard," He muttered. "He couldn't have waited for a few days."

"Woah," Ginny said, punching his arm gently. "What is wrong with you, to be directing a death stare at my brother?" He gave her a knowing gaze, and she sighed in defeat. "Yes, he deserves that."

"Is she in her dorm?" Harry asked, and Ginny shook her head. "Merlin's beard! He is such an impatient idiot. He wouldn't shut up about her, and now he is going out of his bloody way –

"Geez, what did Lavender ever do to you?" She huffed. "Ease up, Harry. You know that she can handle this," She said, gesturing at Ron. "You know where to find her, but don't push your luck. She might not be in a brilliant mood."

"I swear, if Ron was any slower then he'd be going backwards," He scowled. "He has been pinning on her since last year, and he went out of his way to ruin his chances with her."

"He isn't very bright when it comes to her, and you know that." Ginny said defensively. "He can't even imagine that she'd even return his feelings."

"I know," He sighed heavily. "If he wasn't so clueless, then they'd be together by now. Dammit, I'm not going sit here while the potential relationship between my best friends withers away to dust."

"Then don't," She smiled and lowered her voice, directing a sharp glare towards a few people, evidently prying on the conversation. "You can't interfere between those two, and you have to let Ron realize about Hermione himself. It took you a while to realize about Draco, didn't it?"

Blush crept to his cheeks, and he failed to suppress it. Ginny threw her head back and laughed at his misery, as he snorted. He began to rub his temple, using his massaging to block his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at her as she teased him. "That was different. We hated each other."