After returning the car, a host of ex-ex-gay wizards and witches, plus one Boy Who Lived, appeared on the doorstep of one Severus Snape, who was rather annoyed at the large increase in population of his house for the night, but let them stay regardless. Harry, of course, returned to live with Sirius and the Weasleys at his house for the rest of his summer, but saw Ron intermittently via the fireplace at Redcap’s until school started.

Anna Mores left soon after and through questionably legal means, kidnapped Sylvia Wolfe from the hospital. She rented a room at Redcap’s and moved in with Sylvia and Steven there.

Soon after graduation from TD, Eli Woods married Rob Evans and an interesting young man named Valyn Diverge. They had a very a happy and long three-way.

Ron stayed with Draco at Severus and Remus’ house. And although he was rather depressed and dejected, managed to have some moments of joy while living there.

"OH OH OH OH OH! HOLY FUCK!" Draco panted, he intertwined his ankles around Ron’s head. "See this is the sort of thing you learn from clubbing... oh... how did I ever live without you?"

"Chastely, probably."

"Mm. Sure, Gingersnap."

Draco paid for Ron’s books with his earnings from selling certain items from his wardrobe and working as a Go Go dancer at the various gay clubs around the Wizarding World, though Ron developed a habit of tagging along and scaring away any blokes too randy to leave Draco’s vicinity of their own accord.

Despite their original animosity, Ron found himself perfectly capable of sharing a living space with Snape. Whenever something seemed likely to erupt, Remus would appear, smiling calmly, and somehow things didn’t seem so tense.

Remus even escorted Ron to the train station.

"Hey!" Harry shouted eagerly. He ran forward, Hermione and Ginny on his heels. His sister gave him a big hug, shortly followed by Hermione. Harry just waved, scratching behind the ears of a suspiciously large black dog. "I can’t wait to get back."

"Me neither."

The boys headed over to platform, looking around to see if any Muggles were watching and slipped through one by one. When they reappeared, Draco latched firmly onto Ron’s shoulder and refused to let go. Ron looked over to see his mother arguing with the twins.

"I get an escort everywhere I go these days." Harry told him chagrined. Ron shrugged and started to lug his own suitcase over to the train.

"Draco, you’re going to have to let me go, if you want our luggage to get to the school, alright."

Draco let go for a moment and pouted. He even grabbed a piece and started to tug, fruitlessly, but it was an effort. Ron sighed and grabbed the handle from him and started pulling both.

"Now you’re just showing off."

"Call me King Arthur."

"Maybe later. There are too many people about." Draco quipped. He saw his old friends gathering around and made a point to edge closer to Ron.

"Well, well, well." Pansy said stalking up to them. "If it isn’t the slut of Slytherin and a Weasley clown."

"Oh, hullo, Pansy." Remus smiled at her brightly. He took the boys’ heavy suitcases from Ron, lifting them easily with one hand as Pansy’s, and Crabbe and Goyle’s behind her, eyes widen in surprise and alarm. "Have a good summer? Ron and Draco have been loverly houseguests."

"Um. Fine." She sneered at Draco, stepping closer to hiss, "You won’t have anyone to hide behind at the house." The left, flicking her wrist in a motion for Crabbe and Goyle to follow. They looked back at Draco in confusion, but followed regardless.

"This year is going to be hell." Draco stated. He watched as Remus easily loaded their luggage. "That has to be a great fringe benefit."

"Sometimes it is." He smiled. Padfoot rubbed against his leg, and Remus leaned over to pat his back.

"Well, if you’re going to be stranded, it might as well be completely." Ron muttered. Draco appropriated his shoulder again, and at Harry’s exasperated expression, stuck out his tongue. He wiggled it up and down for good measure.

"Ronny?"

Ron turned to see his mother and father looking down at him. He started to leave. "Harry, I’m going to go get a car."

"No, Ron. Wait a minute for us." Arthur ordered. Ron blinked back at the firmness in his father’s voice. Draco glared at them territorially from Ron’s side. "Could we have a minute, son? It won’t take long, and then you two will have the whole year together."

Draco thought about it for a moment. What he wouldn’t give for his parents to want a minute with him. He shrugged. "See you on the train, Gingersnap."

Ron discreetly pinched his rear as he left. Draco jumped and turned his head with a sly grin. Then left them to their "family chat."

"Ronny, I heard you were made prefect! I’m so proud." Molly said, gushing. She grabbed him in a large hug. He was so surprised that he didn’t move at all. When she let him go she smiled too widely at him, as though waiting for the right words.

"We are proud of you, Ron."

"So, here’s a bit of money for your books. I know you bought them already, but you really shouldn’t have had to." Molly insisted, forcing some money into his hand.

"You think you can bribe me now? Is that what this is?"

"No!" Molly wrung her hands and looked at her husband. Arthur straightened up.

"We’re sorry, Ron. We really are. We realized that we’ve made a mistake with you. And Bill as well, and... we just want you to know, that you’re our son, and will always be our son no matter what you do." He took a wrapped item away from the luggage behind them. "Percy got an owl. But since you and Ginny have Pig, I thought you might like this instead."

His father handed him a broom shaped object. He ripped it open in astonishment. "For what?"

"For being named a prefect of course!" Molly exclaimed. "Another prefect. We might even have another Head Boy on our hands."

"You will take it, won’t you Ron? I won’t make up for anything of course, but it’s what we would have done anyway..." Arthur scratched a bit under the small cap that he wore. "Maybe you can invite Draco over for dinner on Christmas. We can get to know him better."

"Provided we can get the twins to be quiet." Molly looked rather annoyed with them. They were already over with Lee Johnson plotting gods knew what.

"Yeah, well. He hasn’t got anywhere else to go." Ron nodded, still a bit stupefied. Arthur stepped forward and embraced his son.

"Remus directed us to a FFROGS meeting." Arthur smiled at the crooked face Ron gave him. "Family and Friends Representing Our Gay Spawn. It’s a support group for... folks who want to understand... and have made mistakes."

"Okay." Ron said softly, looking at the ground. "I’ll ask Draco if he wants to come. And I can take care of the twins."

"Have a good time, Ronny." Molly said, holding her son again tightly to her. A few nearby students laughed. Ron rolled his eyes. They had no idea what it would be like to almost lose your family.

Or completely lose your family. He let her squeeze him. "Thanks, Mum. Dad. I got to go."

They nodded, and Ron headed quickly towards the train. He hoped his friends would keep anyone from thrashing Draco before they even left the station.

He didn’t have to worry much. The minute he stepped on the train, Hermione grabbed his wrist and made him follow her to where the prefects were getting instructions. He waved a hasty goodbye to Harry and proceeded to sit through the most boring lecture of his life by the Head Boys and Girls. To make matters worse, Draco was making eyes at him and teasing his ankles with his foot the whole time.

"Him?" Neville Longbottom asked as they headed into the booth where Harry was seated.

"I’m starving." Ron declared, grabbing a chocolate frog and shoving it into his mouth nearly whole. "Yesh." He muffled, chewing it "Himph."

Ron was sitting closest to the opening of the booth, and Draco sat on his lap.

"Want to see what this Mimbulus mimbletonia can do?" He asked, holding up a small gray cactus. Draco glared at the plant.

"Like hell I do. I’m not at the top of the Potions class because I’m sucking off Snape."

"Ron, do they give you an obliviate spell when you graduate over at True Directions?" Harry asked with a somewhat confused look. Ron shrugged.

"Dunno. Why?"

"Cause Cho Chang just came by to flirt with him." Ginny answered with a big grin. Ron rolled his eyes. Harry sighed and leaned on his hand. Luck was not with Harry Potter’s love life.

Despite the Gryffindors’ reluctance to actually talk with Draco, and their inclination to stare, no one said much of anything to Ron when Draco followed him into the Great Hall and right to the Gryffindor table.

After the Hat sang its song however, a few of the Gryffindors started to chuckle and comment that the Weasleys already seemed to be crossing the house boundaries.

When the first-years had been sorted, Professor McGonagall announced that there would be a few transfer students coming in this year, who would also need to be sorted into their various houses.

"Anna Mores."

Anna stalked onto the stage a stared down the crowd with a glare so fierce the Hat shouted Slytherin practically before it reached her head. She walked over to Draco, grabbed his wrist and made him follow her to the Slytherin table.

"Come on. I’m not going over here alone." She snapped.

"Rita Guinness."

She simply shrugged at the announcement of Hufflepuff and headed over to their table contentedly.

"Andreas Guarini."

Andreas danced onto the stage and waved excitedly.

"Oh, so Slytherin, girlfriend." The Hat said coyly.

"Roomie!" Andreas screamed, tackling Draco with a running leap.

"Steven Silver."

Steven looked around as bashfully as a first-year and sat on the stool. He wiggled his head from side to side a bit while the had tried to decide. "Gryffindor."

"Go figger." Steven said as he approached Ron and Harry.

"Sylvia Wolfe."

Sylvia looked paler than ever, but she didn’t seem so bitter and angry as she had been. She wound her sleeves around her hands and sat in the chair. The Hat had a difficult time decided but eventually placed her in Slytherin.

Draco, Andreas, Anna, Sylvia, and a boy he had never met before, named Bryce Binx were relocated into their own room in the girls dorm. Instead of another Ego King being elected, because the other Slytherins greatly feared Anna, she was elected to the Subcourt of Slytherin as the Revolutionary Prince, with Draco as her Avenging Princess and Andreas as the Court Jester.

Without his father’s support, Draco had to try out for the Quidditch team again. And he made it, again. As the team’s Keeper. Which lead to quite a few interesting matches with thrown bits of Weasley the King, and Who’s Your Daddy back and forth across the Quidditch field.

Also, despite Draco’s continued influence in Slytherin, he wasn’t a part of the Inquisitor’s Squad, and thus had some difficulties facing less open-minded Slytherins, and random hitmen from his father. The house was practically at war with itself, but Draco and the others took solace in knowing their queen of a Head of House was on their side, as well as Dumbledore’s Army.

After driving both Harry and her girlfriend Marietta nearly to the point of insanity with tears and faltering between them, Cho was sent a copy of some incriminating pictures of her and her fellow Ravenclaw in a compromising position. A few gold Galleons later, she withdrew herself from troubling Harry and she and Marietta were to be seen chattering quietly through the hallways with hands near touching.

Fred and George spend nearly the remainder of their time at Hogwarts in detention. Not that they didn’t deserve most of them anyway. But with Draco and Ron both felt they were going easy on the twins, since they wouldn’t have gotten together if they hadn’t shared a summer at reformation camp.

This years’ Christmas went down in Draco’s memories as the best he’d ever had.

And they all lived happily ever after.

"Dammit." Neville shot up in the middle of the night and stalked over to Ron’s bed. "Could you two do that somewhere else!"

THE END