He had taken us to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Come on," Draco muttered, leading me inside. "I'll get you a drink."

Five minutes later he placed a Firewhisky in front of me.

"You better not be trying to get me drunk," I snarled.

"Give me a break, Weasley. I'm not Blaise." He muttered as he took the seat opposite me.

"Unfortunately for Bambi." I retorted nastily.

He slammed his own tumbler down on the table between us, glaring at me, but said nothing.

"Does it not bother you?" I asked, eyeing him carefully. "Knowing your fiancée is sleeping with not only someone else, but your best mate?"

"You know it doesn't, and you know why, Ronnie." He said, looking at me with such pain and longing in his eyes it almost took my breath away.

I looked away, resisting the urge to reach out and entwine my fingers with his.

"You know I'm still going to ask you to respect my wishes and stay away after the wedding," I said with an air of defiance. "Just because you paid my rent, doesn't mean you own me."

"Weasley, I'd buy you a whole flipping castle if you let me and it still wouldn't mean I own you."

"A castle?" I asked, cocking my head up at him, my interest suddenly piqued. "How big a castle are we talking exactly?"

His eyes flashed amusedly. "I'd buy you the whole fucking world if I could, Weasley."

"The thing is Draco, what I want from you wouldn't actually cost you a single knut. And I don't care about your fucking wealth; I grew up without much gold and our family were happy. Yeah, I had to put up with complete fucking pricks like you constantly putting me down for it. But our family loved each other and there was so much joy and laughter-" I stopped abruptly as a great bubble of sadness caught in the back of my throat, choking me.

"Ronnie," Draco murmured, jumping out of his chair and diving around the table to come and sit down next to me.

As soon as his arms went around me I felt myself dissolve into tears; the comfort of his embrace did something to me and I couldn't help but cling to him with everything I had. It hurt so much to think about Fred and what his death had done to our family.

"You can talk to me, Ronnie," Draco murmured, pressing his lips against my ear as he held me tightly to his side. "I was there, remember? Let me be here for you now."

"I hate your father," I sobbed. "And I hate that you're choosing him over me!"

"I'm not Ronnie, I'm not." Draco growled, tightening his arms around me as he repeatedly pressed his lips against the top of my head. "Believe me, I'm here for you. I'm going to look after you from now on. Like I should have done from the start."

"Take me home," I gasped through my tears. "Please, take me home, Draco,"

And he did, ordering me down on the sofa whilst he went and made me a cup of tea. When he returned, he didn't push me into talking to him, but instead gathered me into his arms and watched shit load of mindless TV with me, every now and then refilling my tea before ordering a pizza.

I let him look after me even though I knew it was all going to eventually end in tears.

*****

"So Malfoy's living with you now, then?"

"In the second bedroom, yes," I muttered, giving Harry a daring glare as I took a swig of my wine.

Draco stayed true to his word and stayed with me. But I was insistent he sleep in the other room; I still point blank refused to have a physical relationship with him whilst he was adamant on marrying Bambi.

But having him near me - with me, was giving me such joy and such comfort that I couldn't help but fear I was only making it worse for us in the long run.

"Is this wise, Ronnie?" Hermione asked, looking at me with wide eyes. "Given your history, I mean? And doesn't his fiancée mind? I don't know how I'd feel if Nev said he wanted to live with an ex lover before our wedding."

"It was pretty much her idea, actually," I muttered. "And no, it's probably not a good idea but I'm too exhausted to give a shit anymore."

"And his parents are okay that their only son is shacking up with a Weasley?" Harry scoffed as he clicked his fingers at a nearby waitress, signalling at his empty pint glass.

"Oh fuck off Harry," I spluttered, slamming my drink down. "And I'm kind of with him on the fact that you should have tried harder to keep his mother out of Azkaban."

"She was in league with my enemy!" Harry roared, his eyes popping out furiously from behind his glasses.

"SHE SAVED YOUR FUCKING LIFE!"

"No, she didn't - I was invincible. Have you forgotten that the Elder Wand saved my life?!"

"Oh will you shut up about that fucking wand, Harry." I snarled. "It's boring. Especially after that centrefold piece you did posing with it naked."

"That baby paid for my swimming pool," Harry said wiggling his eyebrows. "Perhaps you should do something like that Ronnie, you could get a lot of money out of being pictured riding on a broomstick without any clothes on. And then Malfoy could pin it up over his marital bed and think of you whilst he sticks it to his wife."

"Harry!" Hermione gasped, spluttering out her wine everywhere. "You shouldn't say such things!"

"The point is," I gritted, choosing to ignore this latest comment. "Narcissa still risked her life for you. Oh, and you never fucking bothered to tell me that Draco was visiting her everyday."

"Don't tell me he wants a fucking medal for being a mummy's boy now?!"

"Please guys, let's not fight!" Hermione implored, looking on the verge of tears.

"Anyway," Harry continued, importantly, "I haven't got time to talk about that blond haired git. I've asked you both out tonight to let you know that we've agreed on a christening date for our little James."

"Whoop de fucking do," I muttered, not really interested.

"We thought it would be fitting to have it on the first day of April." Harry continued casually as a horrific sickness swooped low through my stomach.

"Oh, that's so lovely," Hermione gushed, clapping her hands together. "On George's birthday!"

"And is George okay with you gatecrashing what is quite a poignant day for him?!" I spat, wondering how else Harry could possibly stamp all over another significant date.

"It won't be forgotten," Harry said brusquely, readjusting his glasses on the end of his nose. "I will mention it in my speech."

"Oh screw your fucking speeches Harry!" I bellowed. "Stop making everything about you!"

"Well Mum thought it was a great idea!" He roared. "She's even agreed to do the food!"

"Stop calling her Mum! It's just fucking weird! SHE'S MY MOTHER!"

"She asked me to call her that!" He whined. "Said I was her favourite, too!"

"Guys," Hermione pleaded. "Can you both stop acting like bickering children! It was boring at school, and it's boring now!"

"Sorry, 'mione." I mumbled into my wine glass.

"Yeah, sorry." Harry sulked, moodily tearing up his beer mat.

"So," Hermione said sitting up a little straighter as she took a sip of her wine. "Have you picked out the godparents?"

"Gin and I wanted to know if you and Nev would do the honours?" He said to Hermione as if I wasn't even fucking there. "We couldn't think of anyone else who we'd rather have for the job."

"Oh! Of course we will!" Hermione gasped as she threw her arms around Harry. "Nev and I will be honoured!"

"Hey- where are you going?" Harry asked, as I slammed my glass down on the table and got straight to my feet.

"Back to my fucktard life, Harry." I spat. "I'll make sure to give the blond haired git your love."

"DON'T THINK YOU CAN BRING HIM TO THE CHRISTENING - NO SLYTHERIN'S ALLOWED!"

"YOU KNOW WHAT HARRY - I HOPE YOUR CHILDREN ALL END UP IN SLYTHERIN BECAUSE THEN I COULD DIE EXTREMELY FUCKING HAPPY!"

And with that, I stormed through the now completely silent restaurant, leaving a horrified Hermione hiding behind her hands and a purple faced Harry looking extremely pissed off.

*****