To begin, I feel I should apologize for the length between updates. I have been quite busy as of late, and in what free time I have, I confess to not wanting to write. I have been actually going out and enjoying myself. As such this chapter took quite sometime to reach this stage. To those who have waited, I thank you for your patience, and hope you will continue to exhibit that patience in the future. I will be finishing this story, but it may take time. Unlike previous stories, which I wrote off the cuff of my sleeve, I have finished an outline/very very rough draft for the entire story, and as such, I feel I will be able to continue working on this story through to the end. But it will take some time.

As for this chapter, as of 12/29, is still only the final Alpha copy. My beta is busy for the next few weeks, I felt it unfair to make you wait for the chapter. I always write/re-write the chapter a total of three times, so I hope that most mistakes or awkward phrases are not present, but if they are, please bear with them for now. An updated copy will be posted as soon as possible.

Now, without further adieu, I bring to you the next chapter of One Sided Sun.

Please view previous chapters for questions about legal rights. They have not changed since then, obviously.

One Sided Sun: Déchiré

Harry stiffened, but it was already too late to stop the magic running through the portkey.

There was no way he could mistake the feeling for someone latching on to him, and his training took over once he landed at his destination. Spinning, he brought his forearm to break the grip on his clothing, the other hand bringing the tip of his wand to rest in the chin of whoever it was that had grabbed him.

He wasn't surprised to see the blond girl he had thought he left behind standing there, smirking and regarding his actions critically. Harry was frustrated for not realizing she would do this, but berating himself wouldn't change the fact that she was here now. Instead he brought his wand down and pocketed it before grabbing her wrist and covering her mouth while drawing them down to hide behind an old shed.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Harry's question came out in a hiss as some of his anger escaped him.

Reaching up, Gabrielle pinched his sleeve and drew it away from her mouth before regarding him as if she thought him completely dense. "Obviously I plan to assist you."

Harry blinked at the audacity of the statement before reaching up to massage his temples. Merlin help him, she was just like he had been back when he was a student, and he had a sudden appreciation for what he had put Dumbledore through. She had no idea that this was a delicate mission, and he was having a hard time not getting angry at her. It didn't help that he knew he would have done the same thing in her place not too long ago.

"Gabby," he began, speaking slowly and without any anger. He had to try and convince her why she couldn't do this without learning the hard way like he had. "Just what is it you thought you could help me with here?"

The blond looked highly offended at the thought she wasn't needed, and she began to close in on herself, sitting straighter and letting an icy attitude wash over her. "Did I not already prove myself to you, Potter? I am both a medic and an able bodied fighter, and I will do my part to help in this war, even if you don't like it."

Harry groaned, he had forgotten how much pride this girl had. Even his groan seemed to have made her angrier with him at the moment. He could understand his frustration, but he had to impress upon her why she shouldn't be here, which meant it was time for a slightly different approach.

Looking into her eyes and making sure she wouldn't look away, he began to talk slowly and calmly. "Gabby, it's not that I think you would not be helpful in a duel, but that your coming here has the possibility of messing everything up. What if I had to meet someone in secret? Even if you want to help, there is more to this war than just fighting a bunch of death eaters."

Gabrielle opened her mouth to defend herself when she stopped, and quite suddenly her cheeks stained a deep red as she had time to think through the sort of trouble she had caused. Even if she had been wrong, he didn't want her to wallow in guilt either. "Really, Gabrielle, I appreciate your desire to help me. I am glad you want do what's right, but this is just one of those times where having you here could be a problem. Let me make you a portkey to take you back to the gates, and I'll meet with you later."

For a moment she appeared to hesitate, looking at him for a moment with her bottom lip between her teeth and looking downright miserable. Then she looked down, nodding once to show her consent. Understanding how hard a position she was in and how she might be feeling for knowing she made such a big mistake, he placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it slightly. "I don't blame you, and I'm not angry. I've been known to do the same thing a few times, and for what it's worth, if the situation were different, you would be one of the few people I'd want at my side. Now let's get you out of here, and I'll try and tell you everything I can when I get back."

Gabrielle looked up once more, her sky blue eyes clearer and sparkling slightly as she gave him a brilliant smile. Harry's stomach clenched once before he took a deep breath, glad he had found the words to make her feel better. For now though, he had to ignore his wayward thoughts, and instead focused on reaching into his pocket to find something to convert into a portkey. As his hand closed over a knut, he felt wards slam into place around the estate.

Harry cursed, surprising Gabrielle who seemed to have no idea just how quickly everything had gone to hell around them. They wouldn't be alone for much longer, and he doubted that they could escape at this point without some serious time and spell work.

The house they were at was an abandoned summer home owned by a death eater outside of Yorkshire. It was secluded, and far enough from the Muggle village nearby that any activities here would not be noticed, which also made it easier to attack. Looking over towards the wall, he could see the shadows moving as a thick jungle of magical plants began to surround the complex. Retrieving his wand, he placed the strongest silencing charm he could over himself and Gabrielle that, as well as charms to increase the shadows around them and disillusionment charms. Performing one more charm, he modified the silencing spell so they could speak with one another, a useful spell Hermione had designed to help them on covert missions.

"Change of plans. Take out your want and stay close to me." Gabrielle gave him a strange look for the sudden change in orders, and he frowned before pointing at the nearest wall, directing her gaze out past the brick walls. Gabrielle jumped slightly at the sight of the slithering plants just made visible by the moonlight.

"Trying to get you out now would be pointless," Harry said. "The man I came to stop put up wards to keep everyone in, and I don't know about you, but I don't want to try going out through the front gate anymore." The blond looked queasy for a second before taking a deep breath to calm herself and withdrawing her wand.

"What's going on, Harry." Gabrielle's voice was still tight, but she appeared firm, and for some reason that made him sigh. He had hoped to escape this without going into details.

Looking around the compound to make sure they hadn't been spotted, Harry replied, "Neville is what's happening, we're just unlucky enough to be caught in the crossfire. Now come one, be prepared to fight if you see a death eater. Anyone else, leave to me."

He hated being so short with her, as he knew she must still be curious, but he couldn't help his pride when she simply accepted his orders and began to scan the yard. She was an incredible duelist, really, but inexperienced, and he knew that it may be up to him to get through this encounter alive.

What worried him the most was that he may not be ready for this either. If he were totally truthful with himself, the thought of meeting Neville, and facing his past, scared him half to death. It only was made worse by the very fact that it was Neville. The calm and quiet boy he had grown to see as a friend, yet now he had grown into a crazed and incredibly ruthless vigilante.

Harry had been a total wreck with the death of Ginny. He had lost all will to continue living for a time, and it was only through the help off his friends that he had survived day to day. When he had finally begun to overcome his grief, he had thrown himself into the war effort. The focus it required of him helped to dull the pain, and back then he had needed that sort of relief to avoid slipping back into depression. Even to this day her death still haunted him, and he didn't go a day without feeling sorrow for losing his fiancée, but in the end he had managed to carry on.

It wasn't a surprise that others were deeply affected by her passing as well, but no one had anticipated just how strongly it would affect Neville. Harry had always known that the boy cared deeply for Ginny, perhaps even loved her as well, but even he had been shocked to hear how badly he had been broken by the news. When Neville had given Harry his blessing to wed Ginny, he had taken it as a sign from the other boy that he had moved on from his affections.

By the time Harry had recovered from his own stupor, Neville had already disappeared. No matter the magical or muggle means used to try and locate him, the other boy avoided detection, leading many to wonder if he was even living anymore. That had changed once they came upon a death eater hide out.

It had taken Professor Sprout five days of intense labor to remove the hundreds of magical plants that surrounded the home. By then, the sight of the death eaters had nearly caused Harry to be violently sick. It was clear that many of those plants had originated from the bodies of the victims, and for the first time he actually felt some amount of pity for Voldemort's followers.

The other thing he had noticed that all of these men had been at the battle of Godric's Hallow, and each had dueled Ginny at some point. Harry himself had wondered how they managed to escape in the aftermath of the battle, but he had comforted himself knowing he would most likely see them in later raids, and he could capture them there. But Neville had found them before that could happen, extracting his own sadistic revenge upon them.

It wasn't until they stumbled upon a cupboard that they had learned the truth of what happened. Surrounding it were some of the heaviest wards Harry had ever seen, all designed to keep whatever was inside from escaping. When they had finally opened it, it was no small surprise to see a house elf hiding in the corner, rocking itself as it twisted it's ears. With the help of Dobby, they had calmed the elf and learned she had been locked in to prevent her finding help for her masters. From there, the bloody tale had unfolded about who had done all this, and to this day, Harry shuddered at how the elf had described the way Neville had chanted Ginny's name the entire time.

That was the beginning of a number of horrific raids. Each were so brutal that the few surviving death eaters, through luck or the quick actions of the Order of the Phoenix, were never quite right again. To those who followed Voldemort, Neville's name had become as well known as Harry's, and in a way was the more frightening of the two. The unique mixture of herbology and exceptional dueling skills made him a force to be reckoned with.

Yet when the Order of the Phoenix tried to confront Neville, he always refused to ally himself with them. To be perfectly honest, Harry found the other man's methods so brutal that there would have been no way he could condone them being used. Not even if those people were as sick and twisted as Voldemort himself.

Despite this, they continued to try and get Neville to give up his vigilante tactics, and it only resulted in Neville attacking them. Though he never killed any of their men, Neville was far from gentle with his methods, leaving it up to Harry to handle ending his rogue tendencies. Even though Harry was the better duelist, his one time friend had proven to be quite adept at escaping in a moment's notice and not giving Harry a chance to restrain him and talk him out of what he was doing.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Harry focused upon the mission at hand. They had moved through the lawn without encountering any traps, and they were now stationed a few feet to the side of the front door. Motioning for Gabrielle to remain where she was, he moved forward until he was standing next to the door, and Harry examined the pleasant looking path leading to the entrance. Knowing Neville, he had sneaked in from the back to better surprise his victims, and had most likely left traps in the vicinity of the front door to prevent escape.

Performing a charm over the doorstep, Harry couldn't help but wince when it detected a bunch of seeds littering the welcome mat, all charmed to grow when someone drew close enough. If he wasn't missing his guess, they would grow fast enough that the intended victim would have no time to figure out how to stop the magical flora from killing them.

Disabling the charm, Harry leaned against the wall before performing wandless magic to open the front door. It may be a bit excessive, but he could never be sure if Neville had placed any spells to track the usage of wands on the house. His caution seemed to be rewarded when when the door opened fully and a sharp vine shot straight out of the doorway, clearly aiming to impale anyone who had been standing in front the entrance.

Gabrielle gripped the back of his shirt tightly when the plant launched itself through the door frame, but otherwise remained silent. Harry had to admit that he was proud of her for not freezing up yet despite the nervousness she must be experiencing.

Harry signaled for complete silence, and placed a bubble head charm large enough to cover their entire body, as well as a tricky charm to mask their body heat. It wasn't likely that Nevile had the time to set any magic traps inside the house, but that wouldn't stop some of the plants from sensing they were there by the heat their bodies gave off, or the changes in the air.

Peering inside, Harry surveyed the interior, making sure there no readily apparent traps in place before inching his way inside. Seeing a nearby light, he moved closer to door left slightly ajar, and Harry hoped he had made it to the death eaters before Neville. He harbored no love for Voldemort's toadies, but he couldn't stand by and let them be killed in cold blood either.

Having made his way to the door, Harry spied five men huddled around a table through the crack in the door, glad to see they were all intent on their meal. Turning to Gabrielle, he signaled for her to watch his back before lifting his wand into a comfortable dueling position and opening the door. As quickly as possible, he sent three stunners at the men before they had even noticed something was amiss.

The spells connected with their intended target, and Harry had the other two stunned before they could reach for their wands. Acting quickly, he moved their bodies into a single corner, and tied them in place before casting the strongest shields he knew over them. Barring his own death, or Neville resorting to an unforgivable curse, it should protect them.

"Harry," Gabrielle whispered behind him, her voice tense and tinged with enough fear that Harry whipped around immediately to see the cause. On the second floor landing, a figure was moving in the shadows, and Harry cursed their bad luck. Stepping into the shadows, he pulled Gabrielle up against his body and casted another disillusionment charm over them, hoping the stranger hadn't spotted them.

Harry's attention remained on the staircase only as long as it took for Gabrielle to move against him, repositioning herself so she was more comfortable against his chest. He could feel his cheeks flushing at the sensation, and he hoped that Gabrielle wouldn't be able to see how much he had enjoyed the whole thing. He wasn't ready to deal with the sort of teasing that could bring about, and now was not the time to let his mind wander. No matter how nice she felt against him after being chaste for so long.

Tearing his gaze away from the beautiful girl pressed up against him, he watched as the shadow began to move towards the stairs and out of their line of sight. Focusing his eyes on the bottom of the stairs, Harry noted how no shadow preceded the individual moving towards them. It was only due to the fact that he had been focusing so hard that he noticed the slight shimmering of a disillusioned person at all. If there was such a need for stealth, then Harry had every reason to believe that this was no death eater, and more likely the person they had come looking for.

Leaning down, Harry placed his mouth by Gabrielle's ear, "Neville is here. I'm going to place a shield over you, and I want you to stay inside of it no matter what happens. The death eaters are taken care of, and I don't want Neville getting to you either."

Gabrielle looked at him questioningly for a moment before she nodded. Looking back in the direction of where he had last scene Neville, Harry saw a hint of someone moving into a room down the hall. Stepping away from his charge, he quickly placed the shielding spell over her before removing his own disillusionment charm. Should he need to talk to Neville, it would be easier to begin with being easily recognizable, and so he waited for Neville to reappear.

Seeing the other man re-enter the hallway, Harry cast a silent disarming spell at him, hoping to end the fight quickly. Unfortunately, it seemed that Neville had been prepared for such an attack from death eaters, for he was more than prepared to lean to the side, narrowly avoiding being hit. At this point, further attacks would be useless from this distance, so he stepped fully into the light, letting Neville see him clearly. "Wotcher, Neville."

Harry heard a mumbled spell before the shimmering figure revealed itself completely. "Harry," Neville acknowledged, dipping his head briefly in acknowledgment. Harry took the respite to examine the end result of the boy he had known in Hogwarts. His voice was much more level now, not prone to nervous squeaks, and much deeper as well. To match, his natural growth, mixed with whatever physical training he had used since leaving Hogwarts, had changed the slightly chubby boy Harry remembered. He hadn't grown so much in height, but he was solid, and Harry suspected that Neville had either been hitting the weights pretty often, or he had resorted to some serious spell work.

"You know why I came, right?" Harry asked, keeping a careful eye on Neville for any peculiar reaction. For better or for worse, he didn't look as if they were talking about anything more than the weather.

Neville raised his wand, pointing it directly at Harry, "I would say you're protecting the bastards that took Ginny from us." Even as he said it, his voice remained cold and dead of emotion, not letting any anger show. 'Well,' Harry thought, 'it's better than him losing his head, I suppose.'

Harry repressed a sigh, wondering what it was that was going on in the head of the person standing across from him. This was far and above a different person than he had gone to school with. "Neville, you know I agree with you about Ginny. I want to get these bastards back for what they've done as well, but the way you're going about it is just wrong. If you would just come back with me, we can work something out."

By the looks of it, Harry was about to get some sort of response when the words died on Neville's lips. For just a moment his opponents brown eyes flickered to the shield behind Harry, and he clamped his mouth shut as he examined the structure, trying to discern what was inside. Finally, his eyes began to narrow, and Harry had the feeling that the disillusionment charm on Gabrielle was beginning to fade. No doubt by now Neville would be able to make out that some female was huddling down behind his barrier.

For a moment neither of them moved, and then slowly Neville turned his eyes back to Harry's, and he came close to wincing at the look he was receiving. His old friend seemed equally hurt and furious, and it was only a supreme force of will to not defend himself when Neville began to jab his wand in his direction. "What the hell are you playing at Potter?! Why did you bring that girl here?!" Each word was punctuated by a jab of his wand, his voice raising in pitch near the end, giving him a slightly manic tone.

Neville raved on, and Harry tried to calm himself. He was half beginning to think the other man really had gone mad somewhere along the way, and he couldn't count on him not attacking at any moment. He had known something like this might have happened if he brought someone along, but he hadn't realized just how bad it would be for Neville to see Harry with a girl. A girl that he must not be able to tell was both younger and quite attractive. No doubt Neville was thinking that Harry was somehow disgracing Ginny's memory by having Gabrielle with him.

Clearing his throat, Harry began to talk slowly and calmly, hoping to take control of the situation. There was no telling what Neville would do if he continued to think Harry had some sort of extra attachment to Gabrielle. "This is a student of mine, Neville. I started another group similar to the DA, you know, and we recruit from all over Europe. She's Fleuer's little sister, Gabrielle."

Instead of having a calming effect, something about his mentioning of the DA seemed to spark a negative reaction from Neville. The brown haired man's grip tightened on his wand, bleaching his knuckles bone white as the piece of wood began to quiver in his hand. Neville spared a quick glance at Gabrielle again before looking Harry in the eyes. "She supposed to be your replacement for Ginny? Moving along at the first pretty girl are you. I know you Harry. You wouldn't let a normal student talk you into letting them come with you into danger."

"Neville, that's not what," Harry began to explain, but was cut short as Neville launched a cutting hex aimed at his shoulder. Forced to side step the potentially lethal spell, Harry was was forced into a reactionary position as Neville burst into motion. His opponent was already reaching into his pocket while sending out cutting hexes, and Harry focused on that hand, noticing how he cupped a handful of seeds before throwing them at Harry.

Prepared for the attack, he didn't use a shield to protect himself, not wanting to risk being close when they struck, and instead banished them back towards Neville. Whatever charm the other gryffindor had cast on to them prior to the fight activated when they struck the ground, and in a few seconds a large batch of carnivorous tulips sprouted up from the floor boards. They began to lean towards Neville, petals salivating in hunger, hoping to secure their next meal.

Instead of panicking, Neville calmly cast an enlargement charm upon the plants, cause each to grow well past waist height. Stepping back into the shadows, Neville put more than enough room between him and the plants to present Harry as the easier target.

'Oh bugger,' Harry thought as they suddenly lunged at him. The plants were straining at their roots in order to try and reach him, and he had no intention of seeing what they were capable of if they did. Jumping back, he gave himself some space between himself and the plants, and began to dodge the spells Neville was casting at him. Thanks to the distance and the barrier, Neville had more than enough time to react to Harry's faster spell work without fear of the fight coming into closer quarters.

Harry soon began to lose track of the spells they were casting at one another. Between two skilled duelists, spells were traded back and forth so quickly it was often pointless to dwell on what exactly had occurred. When asked about what he had done in a duel, Harry usually just shrugged and told them he had no idea and simply relied on his instincts and training.

That was no different with this fight. There were only a few things that stuck out to him from the last few moment. He was still disappointed that the stairway banister he had transfigured into a whip and charmed to attack Neville of it's own accord had been destroyed. Likewise Harry had just managed to banish a charmed vase of flowers that spat acid at him, much to his relief.

Ducking underneath what he presumed to be a summoning spell, Harry knew that he would have to change tactics to gain any advantage over Neville, and he began to try and pick up queues from his opponent on how to proceed.

Studying the flow of spells, Harry noticed how the chained incantations Neville were casting were slowing, leaving him more open to be manipulated. It was hardly a large change, and he doubted Neville noticed it, but with Harry's speed, the moment between attacks would be the perfect time to capture Neville without injuring him.

Harry waited for another ebb to appear in Neville's spell work before attacking. Casting a particularly powerful bludgering hex at Neville, Harry watched his old friend's eyes widen, seeing just how powerful and accurately the spell had been cast. For all this, Harry had still cast it just slow enough that Neville had the chance to dodge the beam of light, as well as counter with his own spell. Instead of side stepping the spell completely, Harry let the cutting hex clip his shoulder. The point was to feed Neville's confidence and make him commit to the duel instead of being prepared to escape, and if he could do that, then the wound was well worth it.

Feigning a worse injury than it really was, Harry gripped his shoulder with the opposite hand, dodging around the spells being cast at him. Meanwhile he began to chant a rather complex incantation while keeping his voice low enough so as to not carry. To keep up the illusion of being on the defensive, he would have to fore go his wand for this spell, and precisely chanting the spell would reduce the chances of messing up.

As soon as a break in Neville's spells appeared again, Harry whipped up his wand while simultaneously finishing his wandless spell. He was about to cast a stunner and force Neville to step into his trap, ending the fight, but the chance never came.

From behind, a shout broke the chain of spells Neville was weaving, and ruined the timing Harry needed in order to make Neville move as he wished. "Coward! I refuse to believe someone like you ever fought along side with Harry!"

Both Harry and Neville turned to look at the source of the shouts. Gabrielle was currently standing inside his shield, and looked to be in the middle of a mighty rage. "I repeat, you are nothing but a coward, Neville Longbottom. All you do is use Ginny's death as an excuse to lash out and hide your fear of being hurt again. Even going so far as to hurt someone who only wishes to help you. You disgust me."

If this weren't a fight for his life, and the matter weren't so deadly serious, Harry would have laughed at Neville's open mouthed expression of disbelief. Instead, he was horrified at the possible ramifications of Gabrielle's diatribe. No matter that deep down he was glad someone had the bravery to put Neville in his place and redress him for his actions.

More importantly, the message Gabrielle had tried to convey had him deep in thought. He had never once doubted that Neville was hurt by Ginny's passing. It was also painfully clear that he was holding on to a lot of guilt and anger over the incident, but he had never given thought to the possibility of fear as well.

In fact, thinking about it, it was a perfect bridge from the boy Harry had known in Hogwarts to the cold blooded killer standing before him today. Despite the nerves he had exhibited early on, Neville had been brave in many ways, with the exception of one fear Harry himself shared. When it came to the thought of losing anymore friends, the fear he felt was nearly paralyzing. Most nights Harry would have nightmares of losing more people close to him, and now he wondered if it wasn't the same for Neville as well. Somehow he wouldn't be surprised if this hardened man in front of him also was unable to escape the dark thoughts that plagued a man in the hours of the night when you had only yourself for company.

He was forced to abandon his reflections when Neville launched a powerful bludgering hex towards Gabrielle. Leaping to the side, Harry rolled over his shoulder and came up to his feet as the spell dissipated on the shield surrounding his student. Looking back to his opponent, Harry noticed how he was being ignored now. Instead, Neville was staring at the floor with an intent gaze and quickly mouthing a long string of words that Harry would bet galleons to sickles was some sort of spell.

Given this was Neville, and no matter his questionable state of mind at the moment, Harry didn't doubt for a second that this was some sort of trick. As soon as his opponents hand began to reach into his pocket, Harry knew the time with which to capture Neville had just been cut short.

Without thought to a specific plan, Harry began to fire stunners at his opponent as quickly as possible. It was all he could hope for at the moment that Neville would have a misstep, and end up being capture before the completion of his own spell.

Even as the line of spells approached the crazed gryffindor, he remained fixed to the spot. It was only with a moment to spare that Harry felt the wards on the house come crashing down, and Neville began to shrink, the seeds in his hand scattering across the floor as Neville lost his shape and avoided the attacks aimed at him.

Cursing himself for being so short sighted, Harry rushed the line of tulips, his wand sending out the strongest spells he knew, clearing a path to where Neville had been standing. He hadn't counted on Neville having an animagus form, and that had been a horrible oversight on his part.

By the time he made it to the other side of the large entrance hall, it was already too late. All around him was thigh high grass, complete with hundreds of small bugs Neville had somehow interspersed in the flora. No doubt his form was of an insect as well, and now there would almost no chance of finding him in all of this.

Raising his wand, he was about to collect the entire lot of insects at once when he heard a pop come from the adjoining hallway. Harry sighed. That would have been Neville making his escape, he was sure. Looking around at the damage they had caused, he cleared his head by beginning to clean the room, scouring every surface to remove the possibility of any hidden plants sprouting up to attack. Only when he was done, he cast a quick healing spell on his shoulder before turning to look at the shielded girl in the room with him,

Giving his wand a few complex twists, the shield surrounding Gabrielle came apart, granting freedom to the blond once more. For her part, she did not do the foolish thing and rush to his side, but instead carefully made her way across the room, carefully scanning the floor to avoid any remnant from the fighting Harry may have forgotten. When she finally did make it to his side, she appeared troubled, and was barely maintain eye contact with him. He also noted how her cheeks were flushed in what appeared to be embarrassment. "I apologize for my outburst. It was unseemly and interfered with your fight."

Harry shrugged. It didn't surprise him that she was worried, as he supposed it might be natural for some people to get upset over what had just happened. Another moment and he might have be able to capture Neville, but that had never been guaranteed. It may have been her words that caused his plan to fail, but he would never be angry with someone who had acted with regards to his well being.

"Don't worry about it, Gabby. You tried to help me, and I appreciate your concern. If anything, I should be thanking you. Even though I never viewed Neville's actions quite like you did, I already find myself agreeing with a lot of what you told him. I just wish it had been enough to convince him to stop this madness."

Gabrielle looked doubtful for a moment, but as she looked into his eyes, she slowly nodded, accepting his words. Her eyes, however, remained on his, and he knew he was being examined now, and he was unsure what it was she was looking for. At length, she nodded once more, and took a deep breath. "Will you tell me about her," she asked softly.

Harry simply froze in place.

Somehow, out of all the things he could have imagined her taking the conversation, he would not have expected her to start with this. He wasn't even sure why it was so hard to believe. It was a logical question after meeting Neville, but somehow the idea she wanted to know about Ginny had him feeling distinctly unsettled.

Perhaps it was the fact that he was attracted to Gabrielle on some level. It would be useless to deny it, and honestly, who wouldn't be. With a great personality, an intelligent mind, and amazing looks, Gabrielle was easy to feel attracted to. Yet despite this, all he really wanted was to remain friends with her at this point. Or so he was trying to rationalize to himself while ignoring the knots in his stomach. The realization that he hadn't moved on from Ginny's death enough to talk about this with Gabrielle also did not help the confusion that was settling within him.

Even disregarding his mild attraction to the blond before him, he knew telling Gabrielle about Ginny at this point in time would be disastrous. He just didn't have the right words to explain it to her. If he screwed it up, she might believe he wanted to be her friend in some attempt to replace Ginny, instead of having her for the value of her own unique character. It was true that the two shared some important characteristics, but he was beginning to discover even after a few short days that they were very much different as well. And if he lost a potential friend because of his own ability to convey that properly, he would never forgive himself.

"Can you wait on the answer to that question," he queried, hoping he sounded calmer than he felt. Today had been a long stressful day, full of very significant events, and he didn't trust himself to be in full control of his emotions. Though, if Gabrielle noticed any sign of discomfort, she gave no sign of it, and instead of appearing to get angry or disappointed, she merely smiled at him.

"Another time suits me as well, but I want you to promise that next time you will tell me on my terms, Mr. Potter." She smiled at him sweetly, and Harry knew he was being duped. Even so, there was no way short of completely denying to answer her question that would save him from this. And not answering would be an even worse solution to this dilemma.

As soon as Harry made the promise, it was clear that he had been right to be worried. Gabrielle gave him a truly wicked smirk before walking past him and patting him on the shoulder. "That's good. We will need to discuss the details of our date, including where you can take me, later. First, I would like to leave this dismal place."

Harry was rooted to the spot, his mouth hanging ope as he stared at Gabrielle's back, trying to figure out just what was going on inside that head of hers. He wasn't sure he had heard her correctly, but he was almost positive he had been tricked into going on a date with her.

Realizing she wasn't being followed, Gabrielle looked over her shoulder to see him standing there, before turning around completely and placing a hand on her hip. "Are you coming Harry? I don't wish to talk in a place like this, if you must know."

Her words broke him out of his stupor, and he quickly set to work on setting up the proper wards so only select people could enter before sending out a patronus to inform his fellow order members of what had transpired. Making sure the apparition was properly on it's way, Harry reached for a nearby pencil, changing it into a portkey before grabbing Gabrielle's wrist and activating it, taking them back to the room of requirement,

"What did you mean back there?"

Gabrielle ignored his question, and instead got comfortable in one of his living room chairs before finally looking up at him, giving him a look that said she was waiting for him to do the same. That look was so reminiscent that Harry couldn't help but lose some of his temper. It was as if he had gone back to being a school boy once more, and Gabrielle was playing the part of Dumbledore, patiently waiting for him to work himself out before engaging in conversation.

Admittedly, it was a very good tactic to use against him, as he should have been in control of himself from the start. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath before sitting down and look at the blond across from him. "Gabrielle, can you please explain what you meant earlier?"

This time Gabrielle nodded, seeming to approve of Harry's temperament and manners this time. "I thought it was simply put," she said, smiling innocently as she teased him. "I would like to get to know you better, and by extension, Ginny, over dinner. Also, it will be at a place of my choosing. While I adore Hogwarts, we will be dining somewhere more appropriate for the occasion."

Harry sighed, "I gathered you meant as much, Gabby. However, I think you understand full well why I can't do that."

Gabrielle's eyes lit for a moment before she shook her head, sending her blond hair in every direction. "I understand your arguments, Harry, but that does not mean I share in them. I readily accept you have a reason you believe is worth your continued confinement inside this castle, yet I do not agree with them."

Harry's reply died on his lips as Gabrielle raised a hand, gesturing for him to remain silent. "Please, Harry, do not interrupt and let me explain fully. I wish to be your friend, and as such, I ask you to grant me the chance to speak before you reply."

"In fact, you were the one who gave me the words I needed to express an important reason why your self exile is such a foolish idea. You instructed me that this war is fought in a variety of ways, and having it so succinctly put for my benefit, I feel I must agree. However, I think you yourself are forgetting one of the more important aspects to this struggle," the blond said, leaning forward as she prepared to emphasize her point.

"You, and those who fight with you, are not the only participants in this war. Those who cannot fight for themselves, but are affected by Voldemort's cruelty, must not be forgotten as playing a part in this war. They are the ones that Voldemort hurts to get to you, and they are the ones that he corrupts in order to achieve his sick goals. Those innocent people are caught between two titanic powers engaged in a war that will decide their future, and yet they have nothing to believe in. Voldemort is a very real person to many of them, someone that has touched their personal lives in someway or another, but what of you, Harry?"

Gabrielle stopped for the moment, giving him the needed time to try and process what she had said. Sure enough, Harry found himself in the uncomfortable position of having no easy answer. The public never saw him because he had manufactured it to be like that, and Gabrielle knew that as well as he did.

"I'm sure that most people who invested thought into the matter can understand why you've remain hidden, but the fact of the matter is that people are short on hope in these dark times," Gabby continued. "The longer you remain hidden within the castle, the more abstract a concept you become, and it is all that much harder for people to believe in what we are fighting for."

"As it is, you are not too different from Neville. Though your morals are still intact, you have become so wrapped up in your own private battles that you have excluded everything else from your life." Gabrielle looked unhappy with her own words, but gave him a slight shrug before falling silent, having nothing more to say on the subject.

As for Harry, he chose to remain silent as well. He didn't think Gabby was expecting a quick reply from him, nor would she appreciate a thoughtless reply.

It was true that he had become a social recluse after Ginny's death, though that had more to do with his desire to protect others than from feelings of depression. It was the oath that he made Voldemort swear that protected muggles from his attacks, and it was only his continued survival that would ensure that they didn't get pulled back into this war. Additionally, having the oath active served as a deterrent for potential death eaters. By accepting the dark mark, they were branded as a follower of Voldemort, and no doubt Tom would be sure to enforce the ban on harming muggles in any manner possible to protect his own magic.

Even so, he had made it a point to try and restore his social life outside the castle. They had been weak hearted attempts to enjoy himself, and each time the excursion had led to fighting, as well as the deaths of innocent witches and wizards. The guilt had been more than enough to convince him further attempts at leaving the castle were not worth the risk it would bring to others.

And even if she didn't know it, Harry had proof to back up what Gabrielle had said. The amount of people joining the Order had been dropping off as of late, and despite the limitations placed upon him, Voldemort's death eaters kept on growing in number. The issue of man power had been a constant source of worry for Harry lately, and he knew that as the war dragged on, unless they got more people to join them, they would lose this war of attrition.

Thinking on it, he had to admit that Gabrielle was right. His presence could make a difference in motivating people to fight. He still had trouble accepting that people viewed him as a hero, but there was little he could do to quell the public opinion on such matters. And he could understand that importance of a role model better than most. Without Dumbledore to act as his guide back when he was in school, he was sure he too would have felt buried by the pressures placed upon him, and never would have risen up to fight like he had.

Harry couldn't decide at what point the need to galvanize the populace balanced the risk it put on innocent lives. Let alone his sometimes overwhelming desire to escape the castle walls.

"I can see your point," he said, giving her a sort of a sad smile. "However, I don't think I can agree with you, at least for right now. And I think it's best if I gave it some serious thought first anyways." Taking a deep breath, he let his face relax into a more positive expression, "Do you mind a rain check? We can discuss that, as well as the date, later I think. And you have my word I will give it the thought it deserves in the interim."

What he didn't say was that he would be thinking off more than just the issues of self liberties and the war. He also was curious about why Gabby had set things up so this would be viewed as a date. He had gathered from her personality that she was the type to do things without hesitation, but he had been surprised by the possibility she felt some attraction for him. He may have been without intimate female company for some time, but he had grown enough to recognize a possible attraction when he saw one. And if it truly were the case, then that alone would be food for thought for some time.

"That's more than alright with me, Harry. So long as you will give thought to the matter, I can be at ease." Gabrielle smiled at him much more naturally now that the mood had lightened. "Honestly, I was worried it would be much more difficult than this. Most men can be stubborn about these things. Thankfully, Hermione and other competent women have been around to train you in good habits," the blond said, sticking her tongue out at the end to clearly signal she was teasing him.

Harry shook his head and laughed at her antics. If there was one thing he had learned about Gabrielle in the past few days it was that nothing seemed to be able to keep her down for long. She could move from a serious moment to light hearted comedy with a speed that would leave the Weasley twins impressed.

Summoning some wine, Harry poured some for the both of them, and passed one to the blond before leaning back in his chair, sipping from his glass. Taking his time, he began to think about all that had transpired today, and the more he thought about it, the harder it became for him to hold in his laughter. Finally, the temptation became too great, and he let out a small bark of laughter that had Gabrielle looking at him oddly.

He gave her a wry grin, "I was just thinking about how I am supposed to be the one giving advice here, being the old man here and all. Yet you seem to have all the answers today."

Gabrielle stared into her wine for a moment, swirling it in the glass, "It's a matter of experience. I am used to fear and prejudice, and I am also in the position to understand what it's like having to make a choice between those things I want, and what the public may wish of me."

"Neville acts as he does as a result of his own fear and hatred. He fears what the Death Eaters can do to those he cares for, and he hates them for it." Gabrielle's voice was quiet, and she appeared lost in her memories as she spoke. "I do believe that deep down he is a good person, and it is the Death Eaters fault that they brought his wrath down upon themselves."

Gabrielle frowned, "For him, giving up his hate would mean accepting his fear, and I hope you can excuse my jaded opinion that it is a rare individual who can do so. It's just that he is so like those who persecute me that I can't help but feel I understand him. Only they fear and hate me for reasons much less severe, and far more petty, than those that has driven Neville to act as he is."

Again, Gabrielle gave him a truly sad look, and Harry felt his stomach clench at how world worn she appeared to be. He felt jaded by this war, and it hurt to see that anyone should also feel so burdened by life at such a young age. "And you, Harry, are not so different from myself and other Veela. I will admit, the circumstances are different, and your's are in some ways more severe, but you too are forced with making a choice between living your life as you wish, and conforming to what may be best for the rest of the world."

Harry put down his glass of wine, not liking the way this analogy was going, but never the less unable to ignore the too mature way Gabrielle in which was speaking. "Some may hate you for putting them in danger, but what I told you before is not untrue. People need to see their hero, to know that there is someone out there who has dedicated themselves to protecting them."

She gave him a sad sort of smile, "But really, that it just an excuse. A reason, albeit a very good one, for why you should leave this castle. The truth is I don't want to see anyone, especially someone as kind and special as you, forced into a role you feel you must play. This is not the person you should be, Harry. I have followed your adventures since I was a girl, and I know you are destined for greater things than just this mediocre sort of life."

Harry sighed, "Lives are on the line, though. I don't like this life anymore than you might expect, but I can't find anyway justifying putting others in danger just so I can enjoy some more freedoms."

Gabrielle placed her hand on his knee, and he felt some of the weight on his shoulders as she gave him a look of understanding. "Are you, or are you not, Harry Potter? If anyone has the strength to be themselves and protect those around him, it is you. I won't push the issue for now, but please think on it. We will have our date outside the castle, but after that, I promise to not push the issue. No matter what you ultimately end up choosing to do, there will be people who support you. So try and think about what you want, and then we shall talk again."

Glancing at his watch, Harry was disappointed to see that there time was up. He had wanted to have a more normal and lighthearted conversation with Gabrielle, but it was nearly time for supper, and she would have to hurry now to make it in time. He looked up and was about to inform her of this when he felt someone trigger the wards leading to the room of requirement.

Turning to look over his shoulder, he waited patiently for whoever it was to arrive, not at all worried by the sudden intrusion. The current setup of his wards was very flexible, changing depending on what Harry needed them for. During class time, they were left at their weakest, allowing nearly anyone in. Harry never knew when a member of the order might have business with him, and he had wanted to give them some sort of time in which they could come visit him without his prior knowledge.

The rest of the time, however, the wards were designed to keep out all but those Harry exclusively selected, and his current batch of students. Seeing as additional wards hadn't been triggered by the arrival of any of the Weasley's or Ron and Hermione, he could only assume it was a student who had come to him.

A moment later the door opened, and Maurice entered the room, a look of surprise evident on his face as he took in the unfamiliar domestic setting of the room. While it was a bit off a surprise to see him, Harry gave him a nod and gestured for him to come closer.

Angling his way around the furniture until he could see both Harry and Gabrielle, Maurice's eyes narrowed at how the blond girls hand was still resting on Harry's knee. There was an uncomfortable moment as he continued to stare, and then Maurice stood straighter, his expression returning to something more neutral and much more chilling.

"Was I interrupting," he asked, not sounding the least bit sorry.

Harry gave him a patient smile, "Not at all Maurice. What brings you here?"

Thought Maurice had turned to face him, the young man's eyes kept darting back to Gabrielle, who had removed her hand and was now frowning at her old schoolmate. Though he wanted to say something in her defense, Harry knew it wasn't his place to do so, and remained silent as the the other man turned to face Gabrielle, arm's crossed and looking annoyed. "You never showed up after class, and it's nearly dinner. I decided to come fetch you so you wouldn't be late."

If Gabrielle had been annoyed before, she seemed downright frosty towards the male Veela now. Standing up, she rose to her full height, nose slightly turned up at Maurice, "Very well. I will head to my rooms to change and I will meet everyone in the great hall."

Harry stood up, and walked her to the door, where she stopped and lost some of her chill as she faced him. "Thank you for today, Harry. We will have to finish our discussion another time, it appears."

The young French man was about to leave as well when Harry stepped into the doorway, and though he was physically blocking the younger man, he fixed him with a small smile. "A moment, if you don't mind."

Before Maurice had the chance to decline, Harry closed the door, and led the man over to a chair, having him sit before he did as well, putting them on an equal level to talk naturally. He didn't say anything at first, and took a moment to try and figure out the part Veela in front of him.

It was true that the boy was an excellent duelist, having a level of competency that was shocking for being right out of school. What really had stuck out at him after these few days though was his continued hero worship of Harry. He could understand an initial sense of awe with meeting him, as he had grown used to that with other students, but Maurice had been by far the worst he had met to date. Even his strongest lessons to try and remove the trait from him had failed in class the previous day. At the end of the day, he had begun to worry that there would be little he could do to be seen as a normal person by the half Veela sitting on front of him.

Now though, he had turned excessively cold towards him, and that worried Harry. He was not only trying to teach his students how to duel, but a much more healthy and open minded way of viewing the world. Yet Maurice seemed to be demonstrating a lot of jealousy and possessiveness towards Gabrielle, if his current attitude and what he had heard from Ron were right. It was enough that he wondered why the person who had recommended him had not mentioned it, in fact. Still, he was hopeful that he could nip the possessive nature in the bud, before it grew to be a real problem.

"Let me cut to the chase. You like Gabrielle, am I right," Harry asked, keeping his tone non confrontational, and instead doing his best to effect only a mild interest at this point.

It wasn't surprising that the boy looked defensive at the question, which, in Harry's opinion, was better than raw anger. "She's just a really good friend, sir," the boy answered in clipped tones.

"I already told you, drop the sir," Harry said, grinning at the boy, trying to restore some friendship where he could. "And no offense, but you lie about as convincingly as a Malfoy. All I want to do is give you some advice, so loosen up a bit. Let's try this again, you care for Gabrielle, right?"

For a moment the boy seemed to remain uncomfortable, before scratching the back of his head, looking slightly guilty but smiling none the less. "I most definitely do. She is by far the most beautiful woman I have ever met. And I have met many Veela through my family as well. There is little to not like about such beauty."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "I'm sure," he answered dryly. He didn't want Maurice to realize it, but there was something about the young man that was beginning to get on Harry's nerves. He did not like such superfluous judgments about peoples worth, and currently, Maurice was demonstrating a very one dimensional affection towards Gabby. "And?"

Maurice frowned, obviously unsure of what Harry meant. "I don't think I understand your question."

Harry sighed, not particularly in the mood to have this conversation after such a long and stressful day. "No, I suspect you don't. Listen Maurice, would you not agree that Gabrielle is an incredibly independent person?"

The Veelan boy nodded, and Harry leaned forward, placing his arms on his knees as he invaded the other man's space to add emphasis to what he had to say. " I haven't seen her in years, Maurice, and in the span of a few days I can speak of many different aspects to her character that are above and beyond her physical appearance. And I'm sure I will continue to discover more as we build a better friendship."

"And I can tell you one thing, I don't see her appreciating the way you have treated her. Try and lighten up on the possessive qualities," he said, making sure to not sound accusatory with his advice. "I'm sure if you spent some time trying to learn about Gabrielle's character, you would have a much better chance at her reciprocating your feelings."

Despite his efforts to not sound confrontational, and to show the French man how to forward his own interests, it seemed that the advice was met with hostility. Maurice was now openly glaring at him again, "I think I can handle my love life well enough on my own, Professor. Good evening."

Harry watched as Maurice stormed out of the room, knowing that there was little he could do to help the situation at the moment. Perhaps he had simply been too blunt, but he was worried about how Maurice could treat his fellow classmate so callously. Hopefully this burst of anger was simply his first reaction, and with time, the advice he had tried to impart would have time to fully sink in.

For now though, it was time for his own training. He needed someway to ignore the problems that had been cropping up in his life for a few hours.

And if that didn't get rid of the major headache that was creeping up on him, there was always fire whiskey.

A/N:

Quite a heavy chapter, I know. But there were many things I had to introduce and use to set the stage for later chapters. For those of you with an interest in more fluff, well, I won't just add it for the sake of it being there, but I will tell you that there will be some more light hearted moments in the near future.

And as always, I thank everyone who left a reply. It helped motivate me to write when I could be outside, and when trying to rewrite both this and the previous chapter after I lost the original files. It doesn't have to be a long or in depth reply, but seeing one, for me at least, is the best motivator there can be to continue writing.

Plenty of things I could say about this chapter, but as this is a part of a whole story, I won't try to explain myself. Feel free to ask questions though. No guarantee you will get an answer, however. :p

Thank you to my beta, Falconrok5, for all your hard work.