Better Late Than Never

Harry knocked on the solid oak door. “Come in,” said a voice from the other side.


Harry walked into the dimly lit office and saw his best friend sitting behind the desk. Ron put his papers down when he saw Harry walk in. “Harry, mate. What a surprise! I wasn’t expecting to see you until after lunch,” Ron said excitedly.


“I had some time to kill before meeting Melissa. I thought I would stop by and talk to my best mate,” Harry said sitting in a chair in front of Ron’s desk.


“You still nervous about lunch?”


Harry shook his head. “No, actually, I can’t wait until it’s over.”


“Harry, what’s going on? Yere ere a wreck last week about this. Now you are all right with it?”


“That, my friend, is why I came to talk to you.”


“You’ve lost me, mate,” Ron said with a puzzled look.


“I just realized that I was… missing something with Mel. The seven years with her were great, but I was never 100% happy,” Harry said sheepishly while looking down into his lap.


“Still lost, mate.”


“There just wasn’t that… spark. You know?”


Ron nodded and sniggered, “You just realized that?” Ron shook his head implying that Harry’s newfound knowledge was an obvious flaw in the relationship.


Harry looked hurt. “Yes, I did. I guess when I left for New York, I hoped to find something to fill in the void, but I didn’t know what I miss missing.”


“Do you know now what you were missing?”


“Yeah, now I do. I didn’t find it in New York, though.”


“Will you stop talking in code, Harry? Spit it out,” Ron said, sounding rather annoyed.


Harry looked at Ron seriously, “Ron, you are my best mate, right?”


“Always have been, always will be,” Ron said proudly.


“Then you won’t go nutters at what I’m about to tell you, right?”


“Bloody hell, Harry. Just say it!” Ron was now exasperated.


Harry took a deep breath, “I… thinkI’mfallinginlovewithyoursister,” Harry mumbled softly.


Ron stopped as if absorbing what he had just heard and suddenly burst out laughing. “Ron, I’m serious!” Ron nodded not letting up on his guffaws. “Ron, I kissed her!” Harry blurted out.


Ron slowed his laughing and took on a more serious tone. “You what!?”


“I kissed her… and she kissed me back.” Harry couldn’t look at Ron’s face for fear of the ‘you kissed my baby sister, I have to kill you now’ look.


“That’s great!” Ron exclaimed clamping his hands together.


Harry’s expression was no less than stunned. “You’re all right with this?”


“Harry,” Ron said as he got up from his desk and walked toward his friend. Putting a hand on Harry’s shoulder, he continued, “When you left for Auror training and Colin proposed to Ginny, I didn’t like it. It didn’t feel right. But I let it go because I knew Ginny was happy. Then you met Melissa, and I knew that wasn’t right. Remember how I tried to convince you not to marry her?” Harry nodded. “You and Ginny have been close ever since our fifth year. Why you two never dated is beyond me. You were perfect for each other. Now after ten years… hell, you two are damned thick!” Harry was looking at Ron dumbfounded.


Ron shook his head at Harry’s stunned silence. “Harry, when Colin was killed, you were right there for Ginny and the girls. I know that’s why Melissa did what she did. She was jealous of the love you had for your best friend, because she knew the the love you had for her could never compete with that.”


Harry shook his head in disbelief. “Wait… it was that obvious, that you, Ronald Weasley, thickest prat in England, caught on but I didn’t?”


“Who’s the thickest prat in England, now?” Ron said grinning. “Hell, I had to keep Hermione from butting in from the beginning. She knew what was going on even before you met Melissa. It took me a while, but… yes, it was obvious to everyone in the free world exceptyou and Ginny.” Ron patted Harry on the back smiling. “So what made you finally come to your senses? Other than snogging my little sister?” Ron asked teasingly.


Harry looked up at his friend. Ron noticed a sparkle in Harry’s eyes, that he hadn’t seen since Harry was dating Cho Chang back in sixth year. “Ron, I have had the best time with her. I guess I never realized how much I missed her. We were playing with the girls yesterday and I saw Ginny… smile. It wasn’t one of those half-hearted grins, either. It was a full-blown ear to ear, teething shining SMILE!”


Ron’s eyes got as big as bludgers as he looked astonished at Harry. “She smiled?” Ron asked shaking his head in shock. “Harry, I haven’t seen her smile in ages.”


“I know, I know… I was so taken aback by it, I told her how much I loved her smile.”


“And…?”


“I walked away. I went to play with Maddy and Annie with the gifts I brought them.”


“You walked away? You git!” Ron sat on the edge of his desk rubbing his chin in disbelief.


“Ron, c’mon. She still loves Colin. She won’t let herself heal. She won’t let go.” Harry paused, “She had a dream last night. Well, actually, a nightmare.”


“What about?”


“I can’t tell you that. She only told me because I guilted her into it. But it woke me up. She was screaming. I went in to try to comfort her, like she did for me when we stayed at the Burrow back in school. I ended up falling asleep curled up behind her. She told me this morning that her nightmare ended differently than it usually does. I think I may have stopped her nightmare.” Ron could see the emotion in Harry’s eyes. He really does love her, doesn’t he? Stupid prat! Ron smiled to himself.


“Does she know that you came in?”


“No, and I don’t want her to. At least, not yet, anyway.”


“Why not?”


“I don’t know. I just don’t want her to be angry with me or think that I was taking advantage of the situation.”


“Harry, honestly, have you let her know how you feel? Have you told her anything?”


“No.”


“Don’t you think you should tell her? Obviously, this is strong, or you wouldn’t be discussing it with her brother. Do you think the feeling is mutual?”


Harry looked down at his lap and stammered, “No… I don’t know… maybe?” A smile played across Harry’s face. “She did say that the kiss way amazing.” Amazing is a modest word for it, to say the lea

“I didn’t need to know that, mate,” Ron said shg hig his head in mock disgust.


“Sorry,” Harry laughed. “The minute I think she feels the same, she pulls away or changes the subject.”


“Harry, just tell her, for Merlin’s sake. What’s the worst that can happen?”


“The worst that can happen? Think about it, Ron. She’s one of my best friends. I don’t want to jeopardize that. I don’t want to lose her.” Harry looked at Ron and noticed he was laughing again, “What?”


“It’s just funny. I seem to remember saying the same thing about Hermione almost fourteen years ago. I was so afraid to lose her friendship, let alone fight with her about it. It’s funny how history seems to repeat itself.”


“So, what am I going to do?”


“Harry, you are going to leave here and have lunch with your ex-wife. Then you are going to come to my house and relax. Later, you are going to go to Mum’s with us for dinner. If sometime during the day, the opportunity arises for you to talk to my sister, you are going to. If she doesn’t feel the same, then you are going to go back to New York and go on with your life.”


“And if she does feel the same?”


“Then you and she can figure the rest out together.” Harry had never heard Ron like this before, but he knew he was right.


“You’re right. I just need to relax and tell her.” Harry rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He looked up at Ron suddenly and asked, “When did you become such an expert on relationships, by the way?”


“I’ve been married to Hermione for ten years. Do you really think that I wouldn’t learn anything in all that time?” Ron laughed lightly. Ron got up smiling and started urging Harry out of his office. “Now, go meet Melissa and get that part of your life out of the way so you can focus on better things.”


“All right, Ron, all right,” Harry nodded as he walked out the door into the hallway. “Thanks.”


“I’ll see you at the house later, Harry. I hope I helped.” Ron said as he watched his best friend pad down the hall. Harry raised a hand in acknowledgement before turning the corner to face the biggest turning point in his life.