Bond of Love

AN: I realized how much my characterization of Ron jumps around. There is a reason for that. One if you look at the Books Ron tends to go from being a loyal friend to a backstabbing prat and back again. I can't see Ron as ever truly being loyal so I can't portray him that way. I went against all my instincts on not showing the manipulitive man Dumbledore is but I couldn't do it with Ron. As I see it few of the people around Harry in the books really care for him. I see them as carring for the image he represents. I am toying with the idea of a sixth year fic that shows that however all my fics will be slash though I may pair Harry with Remus or Charlie. Sev will always be my fave but I truly can't see Remus Sev or Harry as straight. Even my 13 year old niece told me she didn't care what the book says Harry is gay. HEHE. I will try to get all the chapters that I have done posted tonight or tomorrow but you will have to wait for 14 I just can't get unblocked on this story.
Ari




Chapter 10
Circle of Friends


Ron could not believe what he was seeing. Severus Snape was not only not yelling or sneering, but he was actually smiling. Not to mention, that he was carrying Harry. After Dumbledore had finished yelling at him and his brothers had added more bruises to the ones he got from being thrown, Ron, realizing what he did to his friend and having finally managed to take in everything Harry had said, was in shock. All he had wanted to do, was find his friend, and apologize. When he saw Harry being carried by Snape he had felt a bit odd. After all, it did seem rather romantic, even though he could not think of Snape and romantic in the same sentence. So instead of talking to his friend, he stood starring at them in shock.

Feeling her hands resting on his shoulder, he turned to see his sister and his other best friend standing behind him, watching Harry and Snape with goofy grins on their faces. Luna and Neville stood just behind them, also with goofy smiles on their faces. He realized he was lucky Neville was smiling. Over the last year, Neville had changed a great deal. After fifth year, he had shot up several inches and now stood a little over six feet tall. He had also been working out and studying with Harry, when the smaller boy had the time. Neville was now very tall and muscular and could hex you five different ways before you could draw your own wand. Neville was different from the rest of them. He had not been as close to Harry as Mione and Ron had, but over the last year, he had become like a brother to Harry. And he was a very protective, older brother at that.

Neville was probably the only one not shocked by what had happened. Harry had confessed to Neville, after one of his sparring matches with the potions master, that he was attracted to the man. Neville had laughed at him and said something about it being a distraction technique, which had pulled a laugh out of his small friend. Neville and Harry had formed a special bond. Out of all their friends, they knew what it had been like growing up without parents. Neville had at least had a loving, if somewhat insane family. Though he had never known why or how bad it truly was, he knew Harry was scared of his relatives. Now however, all Neville could think of was that someone had hurt his little brother, and he was furious with those people. Harry was the only one Neville was truly close to. He loved them all, but there was something about the small, quiet boy that had drawn Neville to want to be around him from the first day, even if he was never admitted into Harry’s tight nit circle of friends.

When Neville was cleaning out some things in the attic last week, he had found two photo albums. One had been his parents with Harry’s parents and friends spanning their seven years at school. The other had been pictures of their mothers when they were pregnant. The last part of the book had been pictures of both boys together. In some of the photos, he watched the younger versions of himself and his friend, hug each other with big grins or play together with tons of toys. One thing he always noticed though; was that they were very close friends. He had rushed to the school when he was told Harry was here, and brought the albums with him. He couldn’t wait to show Harry the pictures. It made him sad to know that they were always supposed to grow up together. Their first birthdays had even been celebrated together. The other thing he had noticed; was that they had seemed to both be able to do things normal wizard babies weren’t capable of doing. It was odd that he had been able to control magic as a baby; that he now had to study for weeks to be able to do.

Finally, looking over at Ron; he realized he had probably been standing there spacing out for several minutes. He smiled at Ron and the three girls, who were now their constant companions. It was odd at times; to think of how quickly he and Luna had become part of the group. Ginny had always been apart of it, even if only on the fringes of the group. He and Luna, however, had both been loners until they went to the Department of Mysteries with Harry and the others. He decided that if they couldn’t hang out with Harry right now; that they might as well go to their room and relax. Their room was the Room Of Requirement.

When Harry had come back for sixth year, he had decided he didn’t want to be around people other then his little circle, so the six of them had asked the Room for someplace just for them. What they got was a very cozy room. The wizard born students didn’t understand what most of the things in the room were but Harry and Hermione had just looked at each other and grinned. Everyone always hated it when they got that look on their face, but soon they realized this was one room they would all love. After all, they had TV’s and movies and cd players and the teens thought they were in heaven. The others soon realized, however, that Harry had never seen any of these things up close. No one had been more excited then he was, when he watched his first movie. Hermione had picked a movie called Star Wars, and all of them had been delighted at the end of the movie, to see that the Light side had won.

There had also been muggle books in there, and Harry and Mione had taken turns reading the trilogy of books known as the Lord of the Rings to them. It was those books that had filled them all with hope. If little Frodo could defeat a Dark Lord without magic, then surely Harry could do the same with magic. The book had lifted Harry’s spirits, after he had told his friends of the prophecy. So, Neville looked at the others, deciding they needed to go unwind and discuss everything that had happened in their little haven.

“Come on you guys, let’s go to the room. I have a feeling we won’t be seeing Harry tonight.”

“You seem to be taking this whole thing well, Neville. Is there something you know that we don’t?” Ginny asked; giving Neville one of her ‘talk before I start hexing you’ looks.

Neville just grinned, heading for the Room Of Requirement. Once they were in the room, the teens flopped down on the huge pillows thrown around the main area. In the corner, where the book shelves were, two long tables sat, where the six students often sat to study. As everyone took their seats, a bottle of butter beer appeared for each of them, and a tray full of sandwiches popped up on the small table in front of them. After a moment, music started playing. Everyone laughed, as the room for some reason only supplied the muggle music Harry liked to listen to, no matter who was in the room. The other teens had gotten used to his strange taste in music though, and were soon humming along to music. After several minutes of eating, and singing with the music, they finally decided they were ready to talk. Neville looked at Ron for a moment, before he said anything. Ron knew that he was in for another lecture on his behavior.

“Honestly Ron, I am disappointed in you. Even before we knew about the abuse, you can’t tell me you had no idea that Harry had a hard life. Even if you never noticed how pale and withdrawn he is every year when he came back from that place, just think of all the things that have happened here. As for the whole being gay thing, really mate, if you never noticed that Harry had no real interest in girls, you are blind. In 6 years, he dated one girl, and he even told you he didn’t like kissing her. That alone should give you some clue. I know he never showed any interest in the guys here, that is, unless you count the way he used to look at Oliver. Harry just can’t seem to become interested in guys his own age. Not all that surprising, considering that Harry really is not like the rest of us. He is far too grown up for us. To answer Ginny’s question from earlier, yes, I do know something you don’t. Harry told me last year that he was attracted to Snape. You have to understand, though, that the Snape we see in class and the Snape that Harry spent so much time with last year; are definitely two different people. One is a spy trying not to blow his cover, and the other, a man who is trying to be himself. Ron, you have such a narrow view of the world. One that considering your family is very odd. All any of us want is for you to grow up a bit. Take time to think, before you fly off the handle and hurt someone physically, or with words. You are better then that Ron. If you can’t say anything with out hurting someone, then take off and get your head on straight before saying something you will regret. I know I shouldn’t have to tell you this, Ron. Your Mother would never have raised you to behave as you do. Ron, being better then your family or having large amounts of money or fame just doesn’t matter. If your only staying with Harry because it will get your name in the papers, then you need to just get out of his life. Harry thinks of you as family, and you are always hurting him with that temper of yours. For once, maybe you should think of someone other then yourself. All of us are a family, and things like money; or fame don’t matter. Family is the only thing that ever matters. You could loose all your money or fame, and you would still have a family. Try to think about what you would do if your brothers died, or Gin, or even your parents. I know you, Ron, you would be devastated, and no amount of money can ease that kind of pain. So for once, put yourself in Harry’s shoes, and then thank all the gods that you have your family, because unlike Harry, you don’t have what it takes to survive on your own. You have known love your whole life. All Harry has known, is fear and pain. He would give away all the gold in Gringotts, just to have what you have always had, for one minute. You do need to apologize to Harry, Ron, and I am glad you came up here to do it, but before you apologize, you need to think. You need to understand, and you need to put your petty jealousy aside.”

In the silence that followed, all the teens just sat starring at Neville. To say they were stunned, would be an understatement. This was the boy who had always been afraid to speak up for himself, and here he was lecturing Ron on Harry’s behalf. As the silence stretched, each of them began to think. They all loved Harry, but they realized now, that they had often judged their friend by their standards, never taking in to account that Harry’s life had been so different from theirs. As the music played softly in the background, they each vowed to take care of Harry. Neville had been right, the six of them were a family, and Harry was the one thing that bound them all together.