He raised a hand to wrap his knuckles on Ron and Hermione's front door, when it suddenly opened anyway, revealing Hermione's anxious face. "Oh good, you're here," she said, attempting to smile. "We have a bit of a – wow." She took a little step back and admired Harry. "You look amazing."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. Well that was a good start. "Thanks," he said bashfully. "So do you." She was in a cobalt blue strapless dress that synched in at the waist and ended just above her knees. A second layer of blue gossamer material started at the waist, then dropped in a dipped hem to just below her knees at the front, then by her ankles at the back. Combined with hair that must have taken hours to tame and a simple diamond necklace, she looked very elegant indeed.

She shook her head and remembered what she had been saying before. "Bit of a problem, need your help."

She ushered him in where Harry followed the sound of pacing and muttering into their living room. Ron was already dressed in his favourite black robes with gold piping that he'd worn to all his brother's weddings so far, and his head snapped up when Harry entered.

"We can't go," he said, eyes wide as if this was obvious.

"Right," said Harry, trying to sound neutral. He really didn't want to have to go without his best mates to back him up. "Why's that?"

"Did you look at the invite?" Ron asked as Hermione came to place a soothing hand on his shoulder. "It's at Malfoy Manor."

Harry glanced at Hermione. "Er, yeah," he said. "Draco's parents are hosting it."

Ron looked dumbfounded. "Don't you remember what happened the last time we were at Malfoy Manor!"

Harry frowned. Until realisation set in, and his face fell in horror.

He'd been so wrapped up in his own love-sick worries he hadn't even thought about the fact that they were going back to the house where Hermione had been tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange, where Dobby had died saving them, where Luna had been held prisoner.

But before he could say anything, Hermione was already replying. "Ron that was years ago," she said, cupping his face in her hands. "It's fine, I'm fine."

"Well maybe I'm not bloody fine!" Ron shot back. "I had to listen to you screaming. Why does it matter so much, it's just Malfoy, I was alright going for a bit of a laugh to see old mates, but not there, not in that place!"

"Ron's right," Harry said hastily. "We should just forget about it, it's not worth it." He felt sick with shame. He was pining over some guy who had, as Ron had quite rightly reminded him, stood by and let one of the people he loved most in the world be tortured.

Hermione had a determined look in her eye though. "Well," she said carefully. "Maybe I want to go back. Maybe I need to. What happened there was awful but it's in the past and we should be concentrating on the future, not letting anything hold us back."

Harry frowned at her. "You want to go back," he clarified. "For closure?"

She nodded. "And it's not like Draco had any choice in Voldemort taking over his house." Even after all these years, Ron still flinched at the use of You-Know-Who's real name. "He's moved on, you guys work with him right. He's building a new life for himself so I want to go for that too." She looked to Harry for agreement. "You know, for moral support."

Ron blinked at her. "You are aware you are talking about Malfoy right? Guy you punched in the face, let the Death Eaters into the school, tried to kill Dumbledore, stood by Voldemort at the battle-"

"Hey, that's enough!" Harry heard himself snap. Then he froze. It wasn't his place to defend Draco, he didn't deserve it, but to hear Ron talking about him like that... "I just mean..." he flailed. "That's not the point. He's not a bad guy, but I don't care about that, I care about you two. We don't have to go if you don't want to, but if you do I'll support you."

Hermione looked up at Ron. "I want to go," she said. "Please."

Ron frowned at her, then at Harry, before sighing. "Okay, if you think it's a good idea. But I reserve the right to freak out and demand we all leave."

Harry gave Hermione a piercing look. "I agree. We can leave at any time."

Hermione seemed pleased though. "Excellent," she said, grabbing a travelling cloak from off the side of the sofa. "Luna and Neville and the others would be so disappointed anyway. We can just go, see how we feel, then head home whenever we feel like it."

She smiled at Harry and nodded, before heading out the front door to their apparition point. Harry raised an eyebrow at Ron who just shrugged. "If she reckons it'll be good for her, that's okay with me. I just think it's weird we've been invited to a party by Malfoy in the first place. Hey – do you reckon this has something to do with you getting stuck with him in Scotland?"

Harry swallowed. "Maybe," he said. "Come on, let's follow Hermione before she leaves without us."