“What hanged?” Drao did not wahis. Not wheired and wanting ten more hours of sleep, not when he was overed i whe even hold his own if this turo a shouting math.
“I wathed you get buried under a pile of rubble a despite how muh of a giganti arse you were in past, I wao live.” Ro his hands, and Drao imagihey were still oated i from when the eilihe haoppled. Gihe ohiroo hear the aount of e was Ginny who told him that even though Harry was the first to fall to his khe pile and start rummaging f was Ron who had beeo pull him out of the dust. “And beause you saved her.”
“I didn’t do it for you.” Drao wasn’t sure why his first reation was always to go oak with some s was hurtful. He would make all these jokes and drawl out all these insults ahem were even funny. “I did it beause she’s my friend.”
She’s my friend. The words eho iween them aime he might be getting why he and Ron were suddeerms—the fat that Hermio both of them ah ared about her, and Ron was willing to put aside ao make her happy.
&ly. You saved her life.” Ron’s voie raks o word and Drao an see his eyes shini. “You saved her even when I ouldn’t.”
Drao knows about debt. About a gratitude that you o feel, about an ahts and wrongs that you a. He didn’t think he would ever have to fae that same feeling oming from Ron.
“You dohing for that.” It ard seo fore out. “I’d do it again.”
“You don’t uand,” R his hands through his hair, yanking sht it was likely he would rip some out. “I’m supposed to protet her.”
“Roo help him, but does not know how. Not that it mattered. Roalking.
“No, listen.” He looks like he might start rying, like he’s fully e of toppling into a sea of pani. “We saved her frht? Me and Harry. But it did as us saving her beause I was the one who made her ry ahe bathroom i pe, so I got it i I would have to make sure she did again, to make up for it? And I tried, I have, that’s all I’ve ever wao protet her and my family and Harry, but you an’t do that, there’s never enough of oo protet everyohey are about, so I thought—s the lied thinking that it didn’t matter if I ould anyone else, even myself, as long as I maet her. All I’ve ever tried to do my whole life was take are of her, but I an’t evehat.” He’s breathing hard. Drao half thiart rying, the kind where your eyes are burni ehere is no way to get any air ints. “But you did. You saved her when I ouldn’t, and ers. So just let me do this for yht?”
It was five’s what Drao was beihis moment, a promise that evehing, all the horrible things he had said ahings he had done, Ron had finally gotten past it.
“I still think it’s reepy. Y in the dark.” Drao wao go bak to sleep, but he himself tle bak uhe overs. “Just ome visit during the day time, okay?”
Ron didn’t smile like Drao had wao, just lenhed his jaw and took up his position again, ready for whatever may h the door.
By the time Harry shows up, exatly a week after Drao had been buried uer half of the eiling, Drao had half expeted he was not going to show up at all.
Drao’s almost a he hadn’t waited longer, beause now that he got to y eyes on him, with the fresh uts aousled hair a he obviously hado hange for days, the speeh that he had been about to give died in his throat. He’s spe of the past taring it, but now it’s ompletely useless, beause it is hard to stay angry at someone whehanking God they were able to ome bak to you at all.
“Merlin, Harry.” Drao feels something building in his throat and he is afraid it is tears, so he busies himself by wing his way out of the bs and lurhihe doorway, moving from hair to hair for support. (He and Gee had positiohe furniture so he an walk all the way around the room on his own.) “What took you so long?”
Drao sinks down to sit ihe arm hairs that Molly had oh her waime the Weasleys ame to visit, and Harry just keeps staring at him, right u where he drops to his knees in front of Drao and presses his lips down onto Drao’s bandaged k was saring him, the way that Harry still eaki gd that when Harry finally talked. “We got them.” There is o ask who they were, or ask for aiohese fresh injuries had ot all of them. Every st o hurt you.”
& underh Harry’s right eye, and Drao’s hands fio it, followihway of the wound with his thumb. Ihis would oher sar, but in some way, Drao knows this oo him. Is beause of him. Is owed to him, somehow.
“Is it over?” Drao wants to fall int him. “Is this it?”
& to be over. He wants to be done feeling afraid. He wants to