A/N So, this is my first long fanfiction. I have written two one-shots before, but never anything this long. So be nice when you review! ;-)

I'll update every Wednesday, so once a week you'll get a new chapter. As a treat, today you get two :-)

PLEASE read and review! Reviews make my day and make me finish the story faster!

x Brown Eyes x

Summer

Tears slowly trickled down his face. His back felt as if it was on fire and he could feel streams of hot blood make their way down his shoulders. Everything hurt, even breathing.

Now that he was finally alone, he could let out the anguish that had been eating at him throughout the beating.

He could still hear his father's hard words ringing in his ears. He had failed him yet again. And he knew, should it ever happen again, he would be sorry he had ever been born. (For as far as that wasn't already the case.)

He tried to relax his muscles a bit, but but it only made the pain worse.

He fell back into the pillows, breathing hard and shallow. He couldn't find a single spot on his body that didn't feel soar.

He heard the sound of the knob of his bedroom door being turned and saw the long, silvery-gold strands/locks of his mother's hair appear.

"Draco?" she whispered, as she stuck her head around the door fully. "Are you awake?"

"Yes," came the soft reply.

"Father is out," she said when she came in and closed the door behind her "and I came to give you something to ease your pain."

"Thanks" Draco said, and accepted the goblet with the potion. He somehow managed to sit up without showing too much of the agony that was rushing through his body. He didn't want to show it. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing in how much pain he was. For even though she now stood next to his bed with a painkilling potion, he knew it was nothing more than an act, pretending to be the good mother when she knew how her husband had just beaten the crap out of him without so much as saying a word!

Both she and Lucius were close followers of the Dark Lord. And Draco had been raised to be exactly the same. Still there was something that kept him from being like that. He didn't know what it was, he only knew he never lived up to his father's standards. Otherwise he wouldn't have received that beating half an hour ago. (Or any other as it was)

He tried though, to be the prat his father wanted him to be. He was nasty when it came to mudbloods and half bloods. He tried to get the best points of his year, but that damned Granger always beat him. And going home for holiday was a total disaster every time again.

He lied down again and closed his eyes. The pain was easing a bit, but he knew the potion was not strong enough for his physic pain. And nothing would ease the pain in his heart.

His mother had kept on rattling all this time, but the words could not really reach him. He was too taken by his own thoughts. Finally she stood up and left without saying goodbye. He knew she was angry with him for not talking to her or responding to what she had been saying. He couldn't care.

Downstairs he heard a door being slammed shut.

His father was home again.

Harry sat in his room, just thinking about everything that had happened in the last month. The thought of Dumbledore being gone, was almost unbearable. He still couldn't believe he had seen his former Headmaster getting killed like that, by the one he had given so much of his trust to, and without being able to do anything.

He was startled by the sound of something hitting his window. He looked up and saw a brown owl sitting on his windowsill. He quickly rose and opened the window. The owl hopped in and stretched its leg, showing a letter that bore the Hogwarts crest. He relieved the owl of its burden and it took off again. He watched it soar high above the houses until it was out of his view. Then he returned his attention to the letter again. He wondered who would be writing him now, during holiday. After all, it was only the end of July. Eventually he tore it open, curious to its contents. He recognised the familiar handwriting of professor McGonagall and started reading.

"Dear Mr Potter,

Thank you kindly for informing me that you do not wish to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I understand your choice, yet there are some topics I wish to discuss before you take this decision.

I understand that the recent events have been difficult for you, as they have been for all of us. I therefore understand you do not wish to return. But I do believe that Professor Dumbledore would have wanted you to continue your studies even after all that has happened. He would not have wanted you to face He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named unprepared. Therefore I really must ask you to return to Hogwarts after all. If you still do not wish to return, I shall accept your decision, but please, do reconsider. Be aware of the amount of magical knowledge you'll miss by dropping out, knowledge you might need in the end. Also think of the extra safety the school still provides. I know this might sound unbelievable to you, taken that our beloved Headmaster was killed within the walls of our castle, but still it is true. You are safer here than you are anywhere else. And also realise that whilst you are here, you still can ask for extra advice, council or just support.

I hope you understand my reasons for writing to you. You do not have to take them into account before deciding definitely, still I hope you will.

Please write back with your answer.

Yours sincerely

Minerva McGonagall

Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry"

Harry leaned back on his bed. He didn't know what to think of the letter he had just read. Somehow it made sense to him, but he wasn't sure if he could cope with all the memories Hogwarts held at the moment. He was afraid to go back… he finally realised this. He was scared to face the one and only place he had ever called home. "How can this be?" Harry thought. "What on earth makes me so afraid of that place? I should be happy to return. I love the castle and its surroundings. I can't stay away, can I? No, I have to go back. I have to get my NEWTS and then I can carry on and face whatever fate has in store for me."

He grabbed his quill and started writing an answer to his new Headmistress. He told her he would come back after all and asked her to send him his booklist by the end of summer holiday. He woke up Hedwig and asked her to deliver the letter to professor McGonagall.

He checked his alarm clock. It was passed midnight already. He felt his stomach flip over. He was finally seventeen and in the wizarding world that meant being of age. He went to bed with an extremely happy feeling and fell asleep with a smile pulling at his lips.

Ron was lying on his bed lazily. The weather was good, but still he didn't want to go out of his room. The entire house was buzzing with excitement over the wedding of his brother Bill and that French model Fleur. Both his mother and Ginny were bustling about the house, trying to get everything clean. Merlin that was annoying! Everywhere he went they were, mopping the floors, dusting, catching gnomes, chasing spiders and god knows what else! It felt as if everyone was going bananas and the wedding was still more than a fortnight away! Goodness… why all the hustle and bustle? All Ron wanted was just to have some quiet time so he could do as he wanted, but every time he dared to show his face in the kitchen, his mother came up with some stupid thing that still had to be done. Within a week Fleur's family would arrive at the Burrow, and his mother wanted to make a good impression. The girl would probably stay and live with them in England, and the entire Weasley family wanted to show that she would be in good hands.

Somehow he did understand, but then again, why did he have to take part in it?

"Ronald Weasley!" he heard his mother shout from down in the kitchen. "Will you please get down here hand start helping your brothers to clean the garden?"

"Yeah mom, coming!" Ron yelled back. He sighed and got up. "Here we go again" he thought. "That's a job for the rest of the day, and I was so hoping I could just stay upstairs and have things go my way for a change. Why does she always count on me?" He ran down the stairs and into the garden. There he found Bill and Charlie already working to remove as much weed as they could. Ron watched them for a while and smiled. He had almost lost Bill in the battle against the Death Eaters about a month ago when Greyback had attacked him. But now he was just standing there, in their own garden working hard for his own wedding. "I should be happy to be standing here with him! At least he is still alive. It could have been so much worse. Ok, his face is a bit scarred, but that's it. He didn't even get contaminated by that bloody werewolf." And thinking that, Ron set to work, next to both his brother, proud of his family. Even with their constant lack of money, they were still the best he could dream of!

Hermione was panting. Her body was aching all over, pleading with her to give it some rest. She had been dancing all day already, but she still didn't want to stop. She had been home alone for most of the holidays by now, and was definitely sick of it. Her parents only lived for their jobs as dentists and most of the time they worked late, very late, or they went to parties with friends, which usually meant that they were gone till morning.

The only way she knew to make time move on was dancing. Dancing, dancing and dancing, all day long, until she felt ready to faint, both from exhaustion as a lack of food for that day. Finally she gave in to the needs of her body. She went inside and took al long hot shower. She felt her tense muscles relax a bit under the beating of the warm water. She loved this feeling, her body aching with that day's activity, how she could feel what she had accomplished in the endless hours of dancing the day away.

She left the shower and changed into an easy fitting training suit. Her wand lay next to her, but she decided to let her hair have its own way. She went down to the kitchen and knocked up some dinner, turned on the TV and let her self being taken away in the lovely fantasy of the movie she was watching.

Finally at one in the morning she left for her room. Her parents still weren't home, and she was fed up with waiting for them. All they ever though about were themselves. Sometimes Hermione even wondered if they would actually care if she didn't come home again. Would they even notice that she would be gone if she just packed her bags that same night and left?

She felt lonely, and no one could really help her there. She couldn't even say why she felt like that. Was it the lack of attention from her parents? Or was it something else?

And wondering like that she fell asleep.

The next morning Hermione was woken by something knocking on her window. She looked up sleepily and saw a tawny owl sitting on her window sill, waiting for her to let him enter.

She quickly moved over to the window and let the owl hop in. He stretched out his leg so she could remove the letter and took off right away.

Hermione looked down at the letter in her hands. It bore the Hogwarts crest. She quickly tore it open and started reading.

Slowly a smile crept upon her face. She had been made Head Girl! That could only mean that her grades were of the best of her year! She loved it.

McGonagall was headmistress now that Dumbledore was gone and she told Hermione to meet her in the train in the heads compartment. There she would meet the new Head Boy and receive her instruction for the rest of the year.

"Finally some good news" she thought "Merlin knows I really needed this" She went back to bed and decided to sleep a little more. Her muscles still hurt from the day before, so she wouldn't start dancing till after lunch.

With the thought of herself being Head Girl she fell asleep again, with a smile on her lips.

Draco sat down next to the simmering cauldron. He had been working on a covering potion for most of the day and he felt weary. It was stone cold in the dungeon, and even with an extra coat and thick gloves he was still cold to the bone.

Suddenly he got his square in the back of the head. He stumbled and reached out t o prevent himself from falling over.

"Still not finished?" sneered a cold voice behind him.

Draco flinched; he had not heard his father enter. "No sir, but is should be done in about fifteen minutes." Draco answered, quickly checking his watch "Damn, it should have been finished by now! How could I have been so bloody stupid not to keep track of time!" he thought and felt a slight shiver run down his spine. He knew what was coming, but still hoped that the incident would pass without consequences.

His hope was totally in vain. His father grabbed him by the hem of his robes and yanked him backwards, landing him hard on the dungeon floor. "I told you to have it finished by this time, not fifteen minutes later." Lucius hissed. His voice was soft, but so amazingly threatening.

"Yes father." Draco said, trying to keep all emotion from his voice.

"You know what the consequences are?"

"Yes sir."

Draco braced himself, hoping to be able to somehow control the pain that he knew was coming. His father's walking stick collided hard with his back, making him fall over, flat on his face. He scrambled to get back up, but it came down again, and again and again. Draco lost track of how many times Lucius hit him with that stick. He heard something crack and screamed out in pain. All that time his father had been watching him with an emotionless expression.

"So, you still scream he?" he barked at him. "Are you still not able to control yourself? Honestly, I had thought that by now, you should know better. How will you ever be able to face the Dark Lord if you cannot even stand this bit of pain? I think we should practice a little more, don't you?"

Draco felt all blood drain from his face (if possible, he thought it had all already left) He bit back a retort and swallowed. His father had gone silent again, but he knew that wouldn't be for too long. He tried to block himself from what would be coming. He didn't want to go through it all again. But then all of a sudden his thoughts were snapped back to the dungeon by a sharp pain in his chest. His father was holding one foot on top of him, pushing with the sharp heel of it. Draco flinched at the pain, but didn't utter a sound.

"Back again?" he asked, looking down at his son. Draco didn't say anything. He knew his father had noticed his attempt to block his mind, and Lucius did hate that.

"So, can we continue now?" Lucius asked, and without waiting for an answer he raised his wand. "Crucio!" he bellowed and Draco doubled over in pain. White hot knives were stabbing at every possible place of his body. He curled up inside himself, trying to stop the pain. He could feel tears burning behind his eyes, but he would never give his father the satisfaction of seeing him cry. Never would he give that bastard a reason to hurt him again. He tried to remember happier times and hoped to get past the pain that was wreaking havoc in his body.

Lucius just stood there, with a smirk on his face, the one so typical to a Malfoy, and watched his son squirm in pain.

After what seemed like an eternity, Lucius lifted the curse and watched Draco pant as he tried to recover from the last inflicted pain. He cast him one last look, turned and left the dungeon.

Draco lay still on the cold floor, unable to move. The curse had been too long, much longer than it had ever been before. He couldn't understand why his father did this to him. He had always tried to live up to his expectation, but never succeeded. His live had been a total misery from the start. He didn't want to follow in father's footsteps, but how could he defy him, if this was the result of it? He really didn't know. All he knew at that time was that he had to get himself ready for dinner and quick. He finished the potion and left it to cool down a bit. Then he ran up stairs, made sure he didn't show any outward signs of the beating anymore and went to the dining room.

During the entire meal he could think but one thing, how much he wanted to leave this place and be back at Hogwarts. At least he would be spared from all the abuse from his father, and the lack of love from his mother. That was usually the only thing that kept him going throughout holidays.

At the same time Hermione flung herself around Harry's neck when he appeared at the doorstep of the Burrow.

"Ehrm, Mione, would you mind to stop suffocating me please?" he gasped, trying not to fall. "Sorry" she said, and let him go. "I've just missed you guys so much! I only arrived half an hour ago."

"It's alright" Harry smiled back.

He grinned at Ron, equally pleased to see him. He hadn't seen his two best friends for about a month, and he had missed them an awful lot.

At the end of last year he had told them he would not return to Hogwarts. He had had the feeling that there had been nothing left for him at school. All he wanted was to go and look for the left Horcruxes and revenge Dumbledore's death. Now he had come to the Burrow for the wedding of Bill and Fleur.

At that point he saw Mrs Weasely dashing to him "Oh Harry, how wonderful you are here! I'm so happy you could make it. Away from those Muggles. Really Harry, it's great to have you here." "Thank you Mrs Weasely. I'm happy to be here too, with my friends again." He smiled at her. She was a bit the mother he had never known. All the Weaselys were sort of family to him.

"Come on, let's put your stuff upstairs. We'll be eating in a bit" Ron said and they all ran off.

Harry always felt home at the Weaselys. He knew the house, top to bottom and all the people were so amazingly kind to him. They had taken care of him at the start of his first year, when he had known nothing at all about magic. And he just knew that he would have a wonderful time for the next weeks. The wedding took up most of everyone's time. Ginny and Hermione were dashing around half of the time to figure out what they were going to wear, how it would fit with Fleur's dress. It was funny to see actually… Hermione worrying about clothes and her hair and stuff like that. It was a side of her neither of the boys had ever seen. But they liked it all.

Finally a week before the start of term, their owls arrived with their booklists.

"Look! Over there!" Ginny pointed. And they all saw four owls flying directly at the house.

"Four owls?" Hermione said. "How come? Do they think Harry is actually returning? Harry you did say you wouldn't come back didn't you?" she said, turning around. But then she saw the broad grin on Harry's face.

"I am coming back Mione!" he said, laughing at her astounded face.

"Really? Why haven't you said so before?"

"I wanted to keep it as a surprise."

"But when did you decide to come back?" Ron asked.

"McGonagall wrote me over the summer and she managed to make me see it was better to be a qualified wizard before attacking Voldemort. So I will go back to school."

Everyone who was standing in reach to hear what Harry had said was beaming. They were all happy. Especially Ron, Hermione and Ginny, because they had been wondering what to do if Harry wouldn't have come back. Would they have gone after him, or would they have let school come first? Well, that problem was solved now!

A/N So, this was the first chapter. I hope you liked it. It's just the introduction, so stay with me!

PLEASE REVIEW!

x Brown Eyes x