The thirtieth day arrived without fanfare. Harry woke up in a position that was becoming increasingly familiar, curled up on the edge of the mattress while Draco was spread with arms and legs flung wide across the rest of the bed. He pushed and shoved Draco's limp body into a smaller shape and then curled around him. Wherever they ended up, they would need a bigger bed.

Suddenly Harry realized what day it was. He popped up off of the pillow and listened carefully but could detect no movement in the house. Ron must still be asleep. He looked down at Draco, who was looking back with sleepy annoyance.

"What are you doing?" he yawned. "Is there a prowler in the house?"

"No," Harry said. "It's the last day."

"I know," Draco tried to roll over and go back to sleep.

Harry grabbed his shoulder and rolled him back. "When do you think it's going to happen?" he asked.

"I don't know, Harry," Draco sighed and mashed his eyes with the heels of his hands. "What time were we at SpellMart?"

"Right after lunch," Harry recalled.

"Then that's when I would expect it to happen," Draco tried to close his eyes again. Harry was having none of it.

"What do you think is going to happen?"

"I think what's going to happen is that I will go back to SpellMart and pick up another hex for you if you don't lie back down," Draco snapped.

Harry grinned at him.

"Don't you dare," Draco growled.

Harry's grinned widened.

"I will make you regret it."

"Worth it," Harry lunged on top of Draco and tickled him mercilessly. That Draco was immensely ticklish was his favorite discovery of the last month. And although he tried not to abuse the knowledge, sometimes it was just necessary.

"Stop!" Draco squirmed desperately for freedom, thrashing and laughing miserably and kicking his feet.

"Still want to go back to sleep, Malfoy?" Harry asked as his wiggling fingers fought to make contact with his ribs.

"I swear I will curse you into next week," Draco gasped.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

Harry and Draco froze. Ron leaned in the doorway with an eyebrow raised.

"At least you're dressed," he said dryly.

"You're up early," Harry sheepishly slid off of Draco and straightened his t-shirt.

"Today is the day," Ron said.

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "Don't be nervous."

"Easier said than done, mate," Ron thudded his head against the door jamb.

"Come on, then," Draco patted the mattress between them. "Let's have a cuddle like when you were five."

Ron curled his lip at Draco and snorted. Harry's heart lifted. That was the most amicable exchange between them since Ron had turned sixteen. Maybe there was hope yet.

"It's probably not going to happen until after lunch," Harry said. "We'll have to get through the morning."

"Bean!" Draco called. The diminutive house elf popped into the room. "How about some breakfast?"

"Yes Master Draco," Bean said.

Ron patted his head affectionately. "I'll help,"

Breakfast was quiet, as was the rest of the morning, and as was lunch. The tension in the house filled it to the rafters. Harry and Draco snipped and grouched at each other as they spot-checked the cleanliness on all five floors. Bean kept his head down and did what he was told, trying to stay out of the line of fire. Ron sat outside in the garden and waited.

When the house was undeniably spotless Harry and Draco returned to the living room and sat silently, too keyed up to even argue anymore.

Ron came inside for a glass of water and joined them in the living room. He drank it down and flopped into an overstuffed armchair, long legs stretched out in front of him.

"It's taking too long," he grumbled. "Shouldn't it have happened by now-"

He froze and sat straight up in his chair. Harry and Draco snapped to attention as Ron's head tipped back and a gargling sound bubbled in his throat. His whole body convulsed and he collapsed, rolling limply to the rug.

"Ron!" Draco leaped up from the sofa and rushed to his side. "Harry, do something!"

"I don't know what to do!" Harry cried. "Hold his head!"

"You're okay, Ron," Draco braced him and stroked his hair as he twitched and writhed. "You'll be okay, just hang in there."

Finally Ron stopped twitching and lay still, his tongue dangling from the corner of his mouth and his eyes vacant.

"Is he okay?" Draco's voice was terrified. "Harry, is he okay?"

"Ron, please," Harry dropped to his knees, his heart in his throat.

Ron blinked, then smiled. He looked up at Draco as a devilish gleam flashed in his eye. "Gotcha."

"What?" Draco shouted. "Was that an act?"

"That's for hexing me, you wanker," Ron sat up and socked Draco in the shoulder. "Don't ever do it again."

"You utter bastard!" Draco wheeled his arm to catch his balance.

"So," Harry's heart was pounding, "is it over?"

"Yeah," Ron nodded. "I felt it while I was out in the garden. Just a bit of a shiver."

"Oh," Harry didn't know what to think. It was terribly anticlimactic news.

Draco glared at Ron and Ron beamed triumphantly back.

"I got you, admit it," he said.

Just as Draco was opening his mouth to fire back a retort the Floo whooshed several times in a row and just like that the house was overflowing with Weasleys. Harry, Draco, and Ron scrambled to their feet as Molly and Arthur plowed into the room with outstretched arms and beaming faces. Ginny and Bill and Fleur and George and Percy followed behind, all chattering and filling the space with energy and noise.

It took several minutes before anyone noticed Draco's presence. His hand was grasped and Molly even hugged him before the realization of his identity dawned on the group. A strange, awkward silence swept the room.

"Draco Malfoy, this is the Weasley family," Harry performed the world's least necessary introduction. "Everyone, this is Draco."

"Why is he here?" Ginny demanded, staring at Harry cockeyed.

"He's a friend," Harry said. He looked to Ron for help, knowing none would be offered.

Ron surprised him. "We've been getting on recently, putting the past behind us," he said.

"Really?" George wrinkled his nose. 'You haven't been hexed, have you?"

"Only briefly," Ron grinned. His family chuckled weakly as Harry's heart leapt into his throat. He silently begged Ron not to tell them about the last month.

"Are you two," Ginny pointed back and forth between Harry and Draco and let the question hang. Harry had to admit that they were standing awfully close to each other.

"Oh," the other six Weasleys said in unison, nodding and agreeing with Ginny's guess.

"Well," Arthur cleared his throat, "welcome to the Burrow."

"Thank you, sir," Draco mumbled, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Out of my way, I need the loo," Ginny whirled around and shoved past George. She pounded up the stairs as everyone else snapped back into motion, shuffling luggage around and babbling over the top of one another.

Draco's eyes were round, overwhelmed by the sheer number of gingers and the hustle and bustle of the large family. After a month of just the three of them in the house, this surely was an invasion.

"Who's been using my soap?" Ginny hollered down the stairs.

"I'll buy you more," Harry called up. She glared down at him, but then her mouth quirked and she shot him a sneaky smile and a wink. She knew what the smell of gardenias and honeysuckle did to him.

"Ron," Molly called from the kitchen. "Why is there breastmilk potion in here?

The group went silent again. Harry and Draco whirled on each other in a panic and silently demanded an explanation. How could they have missed it? Harry raised his eyebrows and bugged his eyes out urgently. Draco shrugged his shoulders and scowled.

"It was a prank," Ron said. "Draco tried to slip it into my drink."

"Is this what you young people consider a prank these days?" Molly asked wonderingly, crossing the room and handing it to Draco.

"It beats blowing up someone's bed," Percy frowned pointedly at George.

"We should be going," Ron said. He shoved Harry and Draco towards the front door, where they grabbed their bags and waved a cheerful, if nervous farewell.

They tumbled out into the yard and hustled away from the house. When they were well out of range Ron doubled over laughing.

"You should have seen the look on your faces when she found the potion," he laughed.

"Did you put it there?" Harry demanded, his heart still pounding.

"I found it a few days ago and set it out just before they arrived," Ron nodded proudly. "Consider it payback."

"You already paid us back, Weasley," Draco snapped. "How many times are you planning on paying us back?"

"Considering how much you owe me for that hex, I haven't even begun," Ron said with an evil grin.

"Bollocks," Draco rubbed his forehead and turned to Harry for help.

"Relax," Ron said, clapping them both on the shoulder. "I'm having you on. I don't need any more vengeance."

"So you're not mad at me anymore?" Draco asked.

"How could I stay mad at my Uncle Draco?" Ron said sweetly.

"Harry, make him stop," Draco whined.

"Do you remember everything from the last month or did it fade into your childhood memories?" Harry asked.

"That's the strange thing," Ron said. "When I caught up to the present and that little shiver ran through me, suddenly my memories were all back where they belonged, and everything from the last month is clear and recent. I remember being five years old three weeks ago. I remember turning eleven and realizing who you are."

"Do you remember being a baby?" Draco asked.

"Yeah," Ron cocked his head and his expression softened. He eyed Draco closely. "I remember you rocking me and humming and holding me until I fell asleep." He chuckled to himself, "I remember you giving me a ride on your shoulders when I was two. I remember you letting me put bubble bath suds on your face when I was three. I remember you telling me bedtime stories when I was four."

Draco ducked his head, his cheeks flushed.

"You were kind to me," Ron said. "Kinder than you were obligated to be."

Draco cleared his throat and stared pointedly off into the field that lined the Weasley property.

"I'm still not over the way you acted in school," Ron said. "But I can also see that you've changed." He reached out and yanked Draco into a bear hug. "Thanks for caring for me, mate."

Draco's body was stiff, but Ron held him until he relented and finally returned the embrace. "I'm sorry I hexed you," Draco's voice was muffled by Ron's shoulder. Ron finally released him and they regarded each other quietly for a moment. "I'm sorry about everything else, too. All of it."

Ron nodded and Harry could see that he was sincerely touched by the apology. "Thanks, mate. Me, too."

"Is it okay if he comes over for a bit?" Harry asked. "I want to show him our flat so he can pop in later."

"Sure," Ron shrugged. "See you there." And with that, he Disapparated for home.

"Am I coming over for a bit?" Draco raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you might," Harry said shyly. "You should at least come by so you know where to visualize."

"Does that mean you have an open door policy?" Draco asked, stepping closer to Harry and taking his hand.

"For you, yes."

"All right," Draco leaned over and kissed him gently. "I'll come over for a few minutes, but then I have an errand to run."

"Where do you need to go?" Harry wondered.

"I have to get over to SpellMart before they close."

"What do you need at SpellMart?"

"I need to deliver a thank you note," Draco drew Harry in by his waist. "If it wasn't for them, this might have never happened."

"That's true," Harry said.

He kissed Draco and then pulled him into an embrace. He closed his eyes and inhaled his spicy, smoky scent and thought about how lucky they were to have found each other at the end of their rivalry.

"Can you do me a favor while you're there?" he asked.

Draco kissed him on his ear. "Do what?"

"Thank them for me, too."

THE END