a/n: This (sadly) is the last and final chapter of the Viva la Vida series! I hate to have to end it but alas. Thank you to all who read from the beginning and to all the reviews I received! Please let me know what you all thought of the ending, I've had it in mind for such a long time and I'm glad to finally get it out.
As always I don't own Harry Potter, nor the lyrics used for all the titles.
Enjoy!
Chapter 4
Colin muttered the password to get into his last H.P.L.U. meeting. With a deep breath he stepped into the room. Everyone was all a flutter, talking only of course, of one Harry Potter. Once the young boys realized Colin had entered, they gathered in the usual semi- circle still talking animatedly.
Colin took his place in the high-back chair in front of the fire facing away from it and towards the H.P.L.U. members. Taking a deep breath, he called the meeting to order.
"Good evening, boys."
They looked at him somewhat concerned; for he normally addressed them in a much more positive tone. The room quieted so only the crackle of the fire could be heard about the sound of the young boys waiting with baited breath.
"I called this meeting tonight to inform you all…" Colin closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn't do this…how could he up and leave something so important to him?
The H.P.L.U. members took his loss for words to mean grave news regarding their hero.
"Is Harry ill?"
"Should we send him flowers?"
"Chocolates?"
"How about we do a field trip to the Infirmary to visit him!"
Colin ceased their questions with a wave of his hand.
"No, no, Potter is fine. Perfect health. I called this meeting tonight to tell you all that I am…removing myself from the Club."
-:-
Joel Hand's eyes grew wide as Galleons. Colin was leaving.
This certainly meant he'd finally have the chance to take over H.P.L.U. and run it the way it ought to be.
While everyone was asking Colin why he was leaving, Joel was fantasizing about a new and improved H.P.L.U. under his control. There would be more surprise guests, every week in fact. And he would most definitely encourage the boys to interact more with Potter so other members could hear testimonials and hopefully before the year is out an appearance by the Chosen One himself….
Ah, Joel thought, the possibilities.
-:-
Oddly, Colin did feel better, like a new man taking a step in the right direction.
He headed to the Great Hall for a bit of dinner. He noticed almost instantly, out of habit, Harry, Ron and Hermione at the end of the Gryffindor table closest to him. Shake it off, Colin, he told himself. Head held high, he walked straight passed the trio instead of sneaking a look at the Chosen One as he normally would have.
The newly improved sixth year spotted Ginny a little ways down. She was furiously scribbling on a rather lengthy bit of parchment, a plate of food next to her, untouched. Colin sat across from his red headed friend. It was the first time he'd seen her since before the trial.
"Hey Gin," he spoke tentatively. "How was it? The trial?"
She looked up at him with a very mild expression. A nod or two, then, "We have to pay of course, Skeeter's medical bills." Ginny pushed the parchment aside and continued. "You know something weird though?"
Colin felt as though he knew what was coming…
"Lisa's family offered to pay my share of the medical bill," she leaned forward she said this looking at Colin seriously.
He nodded knowingly.
She leaned back and quirked an eyebrow, lips pursed. "You knew?"
He nodded again, "As soon as she found out you all were being sued she wrote her parents about paying for you. She wanted to help."
-:-
Ginny felt her cheeks flame up. She felt downright embarrassed; especially sitting there in front of Colin. She bit her lip getting an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't sure if she was going to cry or throw up. Maybe both.
Without an explanation, Ginny got up and tore away from the Great Hall. She somehow got to Gryffindor Tower but she definitely didn't remember getting there. It was if her body was on autopilot.
Lisa was taking a nap, but Ginny didn't care. She walked importantly up to the sixth year girls' dormitory, though not exactly sure what she planned to say to Lisa. But before she could plan it she was in the dormitory and there was Lisa yawning and stretching from her nap.
"Hey, Gin," she yawned rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Lisa."
"Yes?"
"Why'd you pay my part?"
Awake now, Lisa stood up and walked over to Ginny. Lisa was only about an inch taller. "Because I'm your friend Ginerva." She didn't sound offended. More so official.
"You think I couldn't handle it myself?" Ginny tried to sound strong and angry, even threw a hand to her hip. Lisa simply arched an eyebrow at her.
"You could thank me," Lisa said.
Ginny felt the odd feeling again, in the pit of her stomach. She was going to throw up or cry. Maybe both.
She cried.
Not big sloppy tears. Small timid ones, embarrassed ones. She couldn't stand crying in front of people and she kept doing it in front of Lisa. She hated it; seeming so weak and vulnerable. But at that moment she was exactly that and all she really wanted was for Lisa, whom she seemed to unravel in front of for some reason, to hold her. To work her magic and make everything good again.
Ginny looked at her feet as the timid tears slowly rolled down her cheeks; she could feel Lisa's stormy grey eyes on her, but she couldn't look up. She was afraid if she did she would keep unraveling until she was nothing at all.
-:-
Hermione had promised Hagrid that she would let him know absolutely everything about the trial. After dinner she could only persuade Ron to come with her.
"I'm just not in the mood," Harry had claimed.
Strangely, Hermione didn't feel the need to push it.
At Hagrid's, Hermione and Ron helped him peel potatoes for soup. Hermione talked a mile a minute mostly criticizing Rita Skeeter.
"Did they charge 'er wit fake writins?" Hagrid asked gruffly.
Hermione looked uncomfortably to Ron then, but he, thinking fast said, "The Minister tried to keep everything on task actually, he said we were there for one purpose."
Hagrid shook his head angrily. "She ough ter be locked up. I'm glad you pummeled her, Hermione. A bit out o' character but well deserved!"
Hermione quieted at Hagrid's comment but he was completely oblivious as he growled on and on about the lives Rita Skeeter had singly-handedly ruined.
Out of character, Hagrid had said; and he was right. The only other time the young witch had every hurt another person physically was when she had punched Draco Malfoy in the nose. Only then she hadn't been punished.
"Ya know Hermione? Yer a good friend to have around." Hermione looked at Hagrid then. "In the name o' friendship you can do some damage, eh?"
Hagrid laughed his big belly laugh. Ron joined in too.
In the name of friendship. She thought back to when McGonagall tried to counsel her. She had just been genuinely angry; everyone had tried to make it seem as if she had acted the way she did on account of something much more complex than that.
She looked at Ron who was still chuckling. She smiled at him and then he kissed her right on the mouth in front of Hagrid, who was still shaking with laughter.
-:-
"Draco darling, it will really help. You see it worked wonders for me. I'm a new woman!" Pansy beamed. Blaise nodded on her behalf.
Draco sighed. He had to admit, Pans looked great with her sleek hair and her newly positive attitude was sort of contagious. Really and truly the Slytherin had nothing to lose.
"Draco honey," Pansy sat next to him on the couch of the Slytherin common room looking concerned. "You have gone through quite an ordeal in such a short amount of time. I'm sure you have bottled up feelings that you need to express. It's not good to keep things inside."
Draco rubbed his hands over his face in irritation. He hated when Pansy was right. He also didn't like hearing anything about his current situation, so why would he want to talk to a complete stranger about it?
"Mate, you don't know 'til you try," Blaise offered.
Pansy nodded.
"I'll sleep on it."
Draco rose quickly from the couch and retreated to the dormitory where he paced. Draco didn't normally pace but alas there he was, pacing. He shook his head several times, twirled his wand, threw off his robes; but he hadn't come to a conclusion.
If he went to see a peer therapist it could wind up being someone unacceptable like Hannah Abbott or Neville Longbottom. Merlin. Then again, what did he have to lose?
He supposed…it couldn't hurt.
-:-
"Oh, Harry, it couldn't hurt, could it?" Hermione said passively.
"Yeah mate. I already set up an appointment for you, so you can't really say no anyway," Ron said spreading jam on his toast.
Harry's jaw dropped. He looked at his best friend incredulously. What the hell, he thought. Who did Ron think he was, making unnecessary appointments for him? And Hermione! Just letting him!
"I don't think so," Harry declared defiantly.
"I think it'll really do you some good Harry. You went through quite an ordeal here. Talking out how you feel is always best," Hermione offered good-naturedly, he knew. But honestly, he had nothing he wanted to say… Well he had things to say just he preferred to keep them to himself.
As if she could read his mind Hermione continued, "You can't hide your feelings forever, Harry." She quirked an eyebrow at him.
She knew.
But how could she know. Was his love for Draco really that obvious? It…it couldn't be. After all it wasn't until yesterday at the trial that Hermione even realized that the picture was real, that he, Harry had voluntarily snogged Draco Malfoy.
Harry felt a blush creep onto his cheeks. It was suddenly very warm in the Great Hall; especially since Hermione continued to gaze at him knowingly.
The raven-haired boy let out a sigh, "Who's my therapist, then?"
"Dunno," Ron said thickly. "All I know is you're supposed to go to the second floor, first classroom to your left at…" he checked his watch, "…now."
Harry furrowed his eyebrows at Ron, his mouth slightly parted.
"Well go on then," Hermione harried him. She even waved her hands, indicating him to shoo.
Feeling somewhat bossed he got up abandoning his breakfast and trudged, slowly, to the second floor. Thrice, he almost turned around deeming the whole "peer therapy" extremely stupid. What was the point?
But he kept seeing Hermione's knowing expression.
At the first door on the left Harry took a deep breath and opened the door…
"Malfoy?"
"What are you doing here Potter?" Malfoy hopped off the desk he'd been sitting on and strode over to Harry looking quite menacing.
The Gryffindor considered turning around and closing the door then punching the hell out of Ron.
"I…er…"
"Oh…Merlin!" Malfoy smacked his forehead with his hand. "That bastard!"
Malfoy looked at Harry blankly for a moment then proclaimed, "I'm leaving." He tried to skirt around him but Harry blocked the door.
"Move, Potter."
"Wait…maybe we…maybe we should talk about this…"
Harry figured if this was love Malfoy couldn't walk away. He'd at least listen to him.
Malfoy glared at Harry. He was slightly taller than the Gryffindor and pierced him with his silver gaze. He was so close Harry thought he was going to kiss him. Instead he rolled his eyes and turned around with a huff, walking further into the abandoned classroom.
Harry let out a sigh of relief, So this is love, he thought.
Malfoy put his hands on his hips, his back still turned to Harry.
With difficulty Harry told him that he was sorry. "For everything. All the humiliation. And I'm really sorry, especially about your parents."
Malfoy whipped around then. "Fuck. You. Harry."
Harry should've known this wouldn't be easy.
"Fuck you. You know why? 'Cause if you hadn't decided to grow a fucking dick and to fuck everything that looked at you we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Well…maybe we wouldn't realize either how we felt…" Harry started timidly, but Malfoy cut him off. He rolled his eyes and made a tch sound.
"What is it with Gryffindors and talking about fucking emotions? There is nothing else you need to say besides 'sorry' and since you did I think we're done."
He started for the door but Harry stood up straight now, confident.
"No, Malfoy. You can't ignore what you've been feeling these past few weeks. You have feelings for me, I know it," Harry stared unblinkingly at him.
"I don't," Malfoy breathed icily.
On impulse Harry pulled Malfoy to him by the collar of his robes and without thinking, kissed the blonde. His lips tasted so familiar. So Malfoy.
It took a while for the Slytherin to relax but when he did he put his hands on either side of Harry's face and kissed him back, the way he used to.
Harry let himself succumb to the heat of Malfoy's body as it pressed hard against him.
Malfoy pulled away panting roughly.
"Maybe I do…" he said.
Harry smiled and tackled him to the ground.
-:-
"See," Blaise said, recoiling his Extendable Ear, "and you thought we couldn't get them back together."
"Of course not," Ron replied recoiling his and Hermione's Extendable Ear as well. "After all that? I thought they were a lost cause."
Hermione shook he head.
"I can't believe this was you two from the start," she said disbelievingly.
"I know, genius, right?" Ron put his arm around his girlfriend as Blaise laughed at Ron's smugness.
The three left the corridor commenting on what a shame it was that they hadn't thought of this earlier.
