A Helping Hand
Chapter one The Start
Plot: Will two people from different sides of the war be able to save each other from their equally damaged souls.
Harry woke with a gasp and tears in his eyes started looking around thinking that he was still in his nightmare until he realised that it was all a dream. Harry Potter was a sixth-year student, all though this year is the first year without Voldemort his life was not stress free he was constantly tormented by the memories of the last battle of Hogwarts. The walls were tainted with the blood of the dead spilt by the battle, it constantly tormented everyday as he walked to class, eating in the great hall.
He had thought that everything would be simple when he defeated Voldemort, everything would work. Ginny and he had tried to work it out, but they could not get past what had happened over the last year. Not only that but Harry was second guessing who he really was. He never had the chance before to explore who he was before, so he was taking a break from romance to find himself.
It was so bad that he was hardly getting any sleep and he was also not eating properly it was three months into the school and the headmistress had got some psychologist into the school to deal with the issue. There were only a few fellow students who had not recovered. Hermione and Ron were getting a little worried about him as he was getting very withdrawn. They were bugging for him to see the psychologist. He had not wanted to talk to a stranger about his problem even though it had helped the other students, he had spent most of his life with people thinking that he was a freak and he did not want another person to think like that, so he just kept quiet.
Harry tried to get back to sleep to try and catch a few hours of rest, but it was not happening, so he decided to get out of bed and start his day, even though it was three in the morning. He went to have a shower as he was getting out he avoided looking at his reflection in the mirror, he knew what he would black eyes and a haggard face it had been like that for months. The common room was quiet as he walked through it and out the portrait hole and through the corridor. He decided to go to the lake for some thinking room.
The grounds were dark as he walked out of the door from the castle. Heading towards the black lake with his wand and having cast Lumos, he could see the stars in the sky mocking him, they were twinkling merrily while he was stuck in this never-ending stupor. It was not long before he reached his favourite spot at the lake it was hidden from the view of everyone. He took off his shoes and dipped his feet in.
As he sat near the lake staring at his reflection in the surface he thought about the dream he had last night. His dream was about the death of Remus and Tonks, in the dream they were blaming him for their deaths and the fact that their son Teddy had been orphaned at only a few months old. Even though Harry was Teddy's godfather he had hardly seen him because he found it hard to see him, every time he saw him Harry was reminded that he was the reason for their death. He could have found the horcruxes quicker or worked on defeating Voldemort at the battle quicker. It haunted him everyday the lives that were lost because he was alive.
He had been lost in thought for over half an hour in his thoughts not aware of his surroundings as he heard his surname, turning around he saw Draco Malfoy he was startled. This was the first time ever that him and Draco had been in the same place at the same time without drawing their wands. It took them a few minutes to do or say anything, it gave Harry a few minutes to have a look at Draco, he looked just as bad with black eyes from sleep deprivation and pale complexion it was not hard to see that he was suffering.
Draco was the first one to speak.
"How are you" Draco said in a small strangled voice.
"I am alright" Harry replied.
"look I am sorry for what I did when I was younger, I didn't mean it. My father brought me up with the ideal that I was better than everyone. As I got older I started to see that everything was not that way, but I refused to believe it, I did not want to believe that everything I knew was wrong."
"That's ok, I am sorry as well I was not completely innocent. Anything I did to hurt I apologize for."
"That is ok, do you mind if I sit here for a while?"
The only thing that could be heard as they sat in silence was the birds chirping and the trees swaying slightly in the breeze. Both Harry and Graco were content to sit in silence because their lives were in chaos. Harry was the first one to speak up.
"I am sorry that you father is in prison"
"You have nothing to be sorry for as he has no one to blame but himself. He made mistakes and dragged mum and I with him, he was not the best father."
"he loved you though didn't he, I mean he spent most of the battle looking for you"
"Don't get me wrong he loved me, but love does not always conquer all no matter what he would have never been a good father. He was a poisonous influence he was poisoning me from the moment that I was born. I think if I had not had Severus for an influence I might not be talking to you today."
Harry and Draco sat in silence thinking about what had been said between them as they tried to digest the conversation.
"What subjects do you have today" Draco said as the first one to speak deciding to go with a neutral topic after the heavy topic.
They then moved into a flowing conversation about nothing not wanting to talk about anything heavy. They continued to talk until the sun was fully up and they began to feel hungry.
"looks like it is time for breakfast would you like to talk sometime soon."
"I would like that."
Harry for once going into a new day feeling like he might feel good at some point, he could wait for the next chat with Draco Malfoy.