Irreplaceable
Okay, this is an accompany piece to Irreparable, so if you haven't read that one yet, go and read it and come back.
This piece is a bit of everything. It's not completely angst, it's not completely romantic either.
This deals with Harry and Draco, and their relationship.
It's set during Irreparable but moves at a slightly different pace and before the epilogue of Irreparable.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of its characters, spin off films, collectables, etc, etc, etc. However, I do own the lyrics!!

0-0-0-0

Memories are what we have
They make us who we are
The good and the bad
You are what your life is

Harry sat down on the tree trunk by the lake and looked out over its calm surface. Nothing was stirring around him. As far as the eye could see, it was quiet and peaceful. Harry took a moment just to lay back, close his eyes and imagine that everything was back to normal, that Ron wasn't such an arse, that Ginny just left him alone, that Hermione was talking to him.

Hermione.

Something had happened to her when she had been stolen away from them. She had been trapped in that dungeon for about a month when Harry and Ron had managed to break through all of Voldemort's defences, with the help of the Order of the Phoenix, and kill him.

Hermione had collapsed when Voldemort had died, and it was only at that time that Harry realised how much she must have suffered to be covered in so many cuts and bruises. Her clothes were filthy and torn, and she had hardly any dignity left. Ron, the boy who had cried out for her at night, who had told her that he would love her forever, turned his back on the broken girl and left.

It had been up to Harry to grab hold of her and apparate them to the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey had taken care of her, and keep her under potions upon potions. But nothing helped. The dreamless sleep couldn't stop her nightmares from grabbing her at night and making her scream and scream, until she could scream no more.

Harry thought that had been the worst bit so far, that was until she was released from the Hospital Wing. Ginny and Ron shunned her, along with most of the other people in the year, and it was only Harry, Neville and Luna who tried to include her. But she was dead inside. Many times the cuts she had inflicted upon herself had bled through her robes.

But she had disappeared for almost two weeks. Harry had been going crazy with worry, until he was pulled aside one lesson by none other than the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Sirius Black. He had been told that Hermione was being looked after by Snape. Snape, of all people!

The former Death Eater had never been high on Harry's list as the most helpful of people, but Harry began to respect him because he took the time to help a lonely and dangerous girl, who was not only a Gryffindor, but a mudblood as well. However, every time Harry tried to see Hermione, he had been turned away, only to find out that Draco Malfoy was allowed to see her! What the hell? Malfoy had always teased her to a point that was unbearable, but now he could see her?

"Scarhead, what the fuck are you doing here?" Malfoy's drawl interrupted his thought.

"I was enjoying the peace until you came along," Harry snapped, opening his eyes and sitting up.

"You don't find my presence peaceful?" Draco sighed. "What a pity."

Harry stared at him through half-squinted eyes, trying to tell if Draco was joking or not. Draco watched him stare and rolled his eyes. Draco stretched, his shirt riding up slightly to reveal an enticing six-pack. Harry found himself caught at the sight, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the flesh.

"Like what you see, Potter?" Draco asked.

Harry found he couldn't answer. Instead of taking the piss, like he expected, Draco sat down next to him, clasping his hands together and resting his chin on them. Harry's eyes trailed from the ground in front of him, right up Draco's back, which was clad in the school white shirt, up to where his white-blonde hair met his collar. Draco's hair had always been just long enough to style successfully, but ever since the death of his father, he had let his hair grow, and now the ends just brushed the top of his collar.

It was shiny and looked so silky that Harry wished he could run his hands through it. All he had to do was reach out his hands and touch it so softly that Draco wouldn't realise, and he would know the answer to that simple question.

"What are you staring at?" Draco asked, turned round.

Harry was so put off by the sudden turn that he was gazing deeply into Draco's stormy grey eyes for thirty seconds before answering.

"Sorry, your hair's so long now," Harry cleared his throat nervously. "It's just unusual."

"My father was always telling me to have to cut shorter," Draco snorted. "What a fucking hypocrite. His hair was so fucking long yet he refused to let me grow mine. It's not as if I want it the same length as his, fuck no, I'll look too much like the ugly twat."

"You'll never look ugly," Harry blurted. Draco's astonished face burnt into his retinas and Harry blushed as he quickly came up with a reason. "Come off it, Draco, you've always got girls constantly fawning around you."

"Yeah, you're exactly the same, Boy-Who-Lived," Draco scorned. "Don't judge me, Potter."

"I wasn't judging you, Malfoy," Harry spat. "I was trying to pay you a compliment."

"Do you find it fun to have girls always wanting your autograph or just to take a picture with you, or wanting to go on a date with you just so they can brag about their friends to it the next day?" Draco asked cuttingly.

"Nah, it's not fun at all," Harry sighed.

"See why it's not a compliment now?" Draco seemed satisfied when Harry nodded.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Harry wanted to say something to Draco, but he feared that if he opened his mouth he might to do something stupid like profess his undying love for him or something.

"Potter, are you gay?" Draco asked suddenly.

"What?" Harry was so stunned he actually fell off the tree stump onto the ground.

"I said, are you gay?" He repeated.

"Um, no," Harry said, hesitantly just a little too much.

"You're not sure are you?" Draco sighed.

"No," Harry admitted. "Okay, I used to like girls but now I just don't notice them any more. I used to love Ginny, but now I've seen how spiteful girls can be and I've realised I never want any of them in my life as more than friends. And, it's difficult to concentrate on girls when you're fantasising about the boy sat next to you."

Draco stood up so fast that it made Harry's head spin. It took him a moment before he realised what he said wrong.

"No, I didn't mean that the boy sat next to you was you!" Harry laughed nervously. "I just meant it as a broad term. So I could be fantasising about Ernie Macmillan or Dean Thomas or..."

"So you don't fantasise about me?" Draco asked.

"No," Harry said firmly, realising how false it truly sounded, even to him.

Draco didn't say anything, just stepped close to him and raised a hand. Harry recoiled automatically, but Draco just rested the hand on Harry's cheek and ran it down the side of his face, feeling the texture beneath his skin. Harry leaned forward unconsciously, but Draco instantly dropped his hand and stepped back.

Draco released a shaky breath and drew himself up to his full height. Harry did the same, and realised with a jolt that Draco was taller than him. Not by much, only about two inches, but for the first time Draco was the taller of the two.

"You're taller than me," Harry said.

"Sorry?"

"You're taller than me," Harry said again. "You've never been taller than me."

Draco stared at him oddly for a moment before shaking his head, glancing at his watch and cursing loudly. As he walked briskly across the ground, Harry found his eyes wandering shamelessly down to Draco's arse, and he watched it as far as he possibly could.

"Harry," A familiar dreamy voice caused him to jump a mile. "Why are you staring at Draco's bum?"

"I wasn't," Harry lied quickly. "I was just admiring how the castle looks in the sunlight."

"Ah, I see," Luna smiled at him. "I often do that too. You know, you can see Nargles better in the sunlight. They look like large specks of dust, and they dance across the room."

As a demonstration, Luna danced across the grounds, following the same path as Draco had only a moment before. Harry was left by himself at the tree, staring out across the lake.

"Harry," An unfortunately familiar voice stated his name, trying to claim his attention.

"What do you want?" Harry asked, bored.

"You, of course," Ginny said, trying, and failing desperately, to be seductive. "Look at me, Harry."

"Ginny," Harry said, turning to look at the girl who had captured his attention the previous year.

She was dressed in a skin-tight black mini-dress, which barely covered her small chest, and exposed her rather large thighs. Harry knew some guys liked that, such as Dean Thomas, but he just wasn't into that sort of thing. She had way too much make-up on, and, oh my word were they false eyelashes? She batted them at him and he had to swallow the bile that rose up his throat into his stomach.

"Look, I am not interested in you!" Harry snapped. "You can try and dress sluttily, but just face it, please! I am never going to be interested in you because you are a pathetic excuse for a human being. How could you do that to Hermione? She was your best friend and you ditched her as if she were worthless."

"Harry, dear," Ginny put her hand on his shoulder. "Hermione was ruined when she left. She was a completely different person when she came back and she was the one who was worthless. She wouldn't talk to us."

"She wouldn't talk to you because you ignored her!" Harry shouted, stepping away from her, causing her hand to fall. "She hoped that you lot would accept her because she was forced to do things she didn't want to and she felt that it had dirtied her. She didn't feel worthy of your friendship anymore. But you turned your back!"

"Harry, you are mistaken."

"I'm not mistaken, you bitch!" Harry shouted.

"Harry..." Ginny spoke through her heavily lipsticked lips.

"Will you fuck off!" Harry bellowed. "I'm not fucking interested in you and I never will be. Just fucking leave me alone and don't ever talk to me again!"

Ginny opened her mouth to speak again but Harry cast a silencing spell over her. As she opened and closed her mouth in shock, he turned his back and walked away, heading towards the castle.

*-*-*

Harry stormed through the castle and turned left, through the big wooden door at the end. Instantly the temperature of the surroundings dropped several degrees, causing goosebumps to appear on Harry's bare arms. He was just walking down the incline of the stone corridor when a dark figure appeared around the corner at the end.

"Oi, you!" Harry said, calling to the person.

"I would expect more respect from you, Mr Potter," Severus Snape hissed as he came to a halt in front of the bespectacled teenager. "I am, after all, still your teacher."

"Yes, but you're not my teacher at the moment because you're not teaching me," Harry retorted. "Besides, you're the one looking after Hermione. I want to see her."

"That's impossible," Severus replied. "She's not allowed company."

"She's got you," Harry shouted. "Why are you allowed to be around her and I'm not? I've been so worried about her for such a long time and I want to make sure she's okay."

Snape surveyed him with the dark, dark eyes of his, seemingly devoid of any emotion. After an age, Harry became uncomfortable and began to fidget slightly.

"Potter, I can assure you that Hermione Granger is perfectly fine and is on the road to recovery," Snape said in his careful, measured tone. "In fact, I am only telling you and Mr Malfoy this, but Hermione and I are brewing a potion that we believe will rid her of all of her unpleasant memories."

"You're joking?" Harry gasped. "You mean, Hermione will be back to normal?"

"That is the plan, yes," Snape watched as Harry restrained himself from cheering. "However, it may not work."

The visible glee on Harry's face died then, but behind his glasses, deep within Lily's beautiful green eyes shone a hope so strong that it lifted Snape's spirits and planted the seed of hope that he had been trying to deny himself since they had started brewing the potion a week previously.

"Sir," Harry addressed Snape again when Snape was walking past him. "Why does Malfoy know so much about it?"

"Because he was the one who found her crying and muttering about being tortured, Mr Potter. He was the one who found Hermione begging for freedom and he found her just after she had carved the word 'slut' into her arm. As a result, he brought her to me and he has been concerned about her ever since."

Harry wasn't sure whether to be more shocked about Malfoy being caring about Hermione, about Snape calling Hermione by her given name, and not spitting out her surname as if it pained him, or the way Snape's eyes had become fierce and determined when talking about Hermione's traumas.

Harry nodded politely to Snape, not quite trusting himself to open his mouth.

"Do you want to pop down and see her?" Snape asked. "She may not be awake because she's been sleeping quite a bit lately."

"I'll do that, sir," Harry said hurriedly, jumping at the chance to see his former best friend again.

"You'll find that Mr Malfoy is down there already," Snape turned away. "Go down the corridor, turn left and there is a tapestry just before the door to my classroom. Stroke the banana and then it will turn into a door. Knock on the door and tell Mr Malfoy that I sent you down."

"I don't think he will believe me," Harry said.

"Okay, tell him miscellaneous," Snape sighed. "He'll let you in then."

"Thank you, sir," Harry smiled and ran down the corridor.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for running in the corridors, Potter."

0-0-0-0

I know, bad ending to the chapter but I wanted to split this chapter up before it became too long and that seemed the best place. Don't kill me please.

I hope that you are enjoying this one as much as Irreparable. Let me know.

Thank you

Until next time (again, five reviews and I'll update)

Adrian

xoxo