"inheritance"
Harry looked into the mirror as he adjusted his tie. Anger started to rise in his chest because of the lack of cooperation this silk tormentor was giving him.
“You really hate me, don’t you?” Harry growled, tossing the tie onto the bed.
“Need some assistance?” Draco asked.
Harry turned his head and smiled weakly, already ashamed of his childish behaviour. His husband took the tie from the bed and walked towards Harry.
“I know you’re angry and sad,” Draco whispered as he stood behind Harry, concentrating hard at perfecting the knot. “But today you have to be strong.”
“What if I can’t?” Harry said softly, grabbing Draco’s hand. Harry felt a kiss in his neck as Draco pulled him close.
“You can,” Draco whispered, seeing their reflections in the mirror. “I won’t leave your side, I promise.”
“I love you, D,” Harry said, his voice thick with emotion.
“I know you do, baby,” Draco whispered, wiping a tear from Harry’s cheek. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah...I think.”
~*~
“How did I do?” Harry whispered in his husband’s ear as his eyes were searching for his best mate, which was one hell of a challenge since the Burrow was so overcrowded.
“Brilliant,” Draco whispered back, nodding curtly as Bill walked by. “Are you searching for Weasley?”
“Yeah,” Harry said, who had learned to recognize Draco’s intonations to which Weasley he was referring. The git still refused to use their first names. Thank Merlin he had the decency to call Ron’s parents Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
“I just saw him slipping through the backdoor,” Hermione answered as she’d obviously overheard their conversation. She was desperately trying the best she could to calm down her son, who was having a spectacular tantrum. “Hugo, please!”
“Shall we look for some ice cream, pet?” Draco said friendly as he bent down to the sobbing infant. Hugo looked surprised for a minute, but his lips quickly turned into a big smile.
“I cream, Maffoy,” Hugo mumbled and stretched out his hand. Draco took it and together they walked to the kitchen.
“You’re a life saver, Malfoy,” Hermione called him after.
“I know, Weasley-Granger,” Draco shouted back.
“Shall I go looking for him?” Harry said as soon as Draco was out of sight.
“Please,” Hermione whispered and Harry saw tears appearing in her eyes. “I’ve never seen him this broken before.”
“Don’t worry,” Harry said as he pulled his best friend into a hug. “He’s strong. He’ll get through this.”
~*~
Harry knocked on the door of the ramshackle wooden shed. He didn’t wait for a reply and walked inside. Ron was sitting behind a desk, waving his wand furiously.
“Open up, you bloody, fucking wanker!” Ron bellowed – his ears turning into a dangerous crimson.
“Can I help?” Harry said uncertainly. Ron turned his head so fast that Harry feared for a permanent neck injury.
“Oh, hi, Harry,” Ron said softly. Harry noticed his bloodshot eyes and felt an urge to hug his best mate, but refrained himself. “I’m trying to open this drawer. I’ve tried every spell, but the fucker won’t break.”
“What is in there?”
“Dad told me that he left something for me in there,” Ron explained. “Right before he...”
Ron’s voice broke and Harry laid a hand on his shoulder. “Shall we do this the old fashioned way?”
“The old...”
Harry plunged his foot into the drawer and it sprung open with a loud crack.
“If nothing works, use brute force,” Harry said, winking.
Both men looked into the drawer and saw something small lying in the back.
“What on earth is that?”
“It’s called a condom,” Harry said, holding back a giggle. “It’s what Muggles use to prevent pregnancy during you-know-what.”
“Oh,” Ron said, blushing furiously. “But...”
“I think it’s a Portkey,” Harry whispered, carefully examining it with his wand. “And I think it’s perfectly safe.”
“You want to go with me?” Ron asked uncertainly. “I don’t know what I might find or see.”
“Of course. That’s what friends are for.”
Ron smiled and Levitated the condom out of the drawer with a flick of his wand.
“Ready?”
“Ready when you are.”
Both boys simultaneously grabbed the Portkey and Harry felt a strange feeling behind his navel. It felt like hours before they reached their destination. When Harry felt solid ground under his feet at last, he needed all the strength his body could muster to keep his lunch down. Ron wasn’t that resistant and he blatantly dropped his gastric contents behind the nearest bush.
“I never get used to this,” he mumbled –wiping his mouth in a repulsive way. “Merlin, I know this place.”
Cold wind was flogging Harry’s cheeks as the sound of waves crashing on a beach reached his ears. He looked around and noticed that they were standing before a familiar looking cottage.
“What...”Harry began, but his heart skipped a beat as the door of the cottage was opened and two men stepped outside.
“That’s not possible,” Ron whispered flabbergasted. “Dad...”
“We have to hide! If they see us...”
The two men didn’t seem to notice Harry and Ron and walked straight through them, leaving them beyond shocked. Harry felt a punch in the stomach as he recognised the younger version of his best mate.
“Are we dead or something?” Ron said, pinching himself rather hard. His painful expression proved the opposite.
“No, this is some sort of memory,” Harry said, deeply impressed. “I never thought it was possible without a Pensieve.”
“Do you remember this?”
“Dad?” Ron whispered. Harry looked around. The voice of Ron’s dad seemed to be entwined with the memory.
“It was the day you told me about your plans to accompany Harry in search for You-Know-Who’s Horcruxes. You were willing to sacrifice your life for your best friends and your family. I’ve never been so proud as that particular day. Harry informed me about the lies the Horcrux told you and how it broke you. Don’t believe it, son. Don’t believe any word of it. Maybe I should have said it more, but never forget that I love you, Ronald. Very much.”
The voice slowly faded away and both men were transported back to Arthur’s shed. Harry looked at his best mate, who was biting his lip.
“Don’t hold back, mate,” Harry whispered. “Tears don’t come when you miss a person, but they come when you don’t want to miss a person.”
And Ron finally gave in to his grief as he cried into Harry’s shoulder, who put all the comfort his body could muster into the hug.