"Harry?" Hermione asked again reaching out a hand to gently touch his arm.

"Yes Hermione, I'm real, I'm here," he said patiently. She hadn't changed drastically, same hair, same hesitant smiled, a little taller maybe. He turned and looked at the man accompanying her. "All right Ron?" he asked the red haired man, who had filled out his previously lanky frame considerably.

"Terrific," Ron replied, Harry smirked.

"So you guys here for the nightlife?" he asked casually. "There's a great club round the corner, but it's closed on Wednesdays so you won't be able to go today," he informed them.

"We're not here to go clubbing Harry," Hermione said unnecessarily.

"No?" he feigned confusion.

"No," she confirmed.

"Come to ask for my help to do away with the new bad guys?" he asked bitterly, they looked at him in shock.

"How did you know about that?" Hermione asked.

"I have my sources," Harry said mysteriously as he resumed walking, they followed him.

"You don't seem that surprised to see us," Ron pointed out.

"I had an anonymous tip off," he said smoothly as he continued to walk, turning a corner down a side street.

"Harry we need to talk. Stop walking," Hermione said forcefully.

"Talk about what?" Harry asked sternly as he stopped and looked her in the eye.

"The last ten years!" she practically shrieked.

"What's the point in that?" he asked with a sigh. They were his friends, ten years ago. They hadn't found him in all that time, and yet now that they needed his help here they were. He couldn't help but feel a little bitter about that. "Look lets get this over with, I'm not going to help you," he told them.

"Harry-" Ron began.

"No, I left that behind a long time ago. I'm happy now, leave me be," he insisted.

"Harry you can't just abandon us like this!" Hermione persisted.

"You're about ten years to late!" he exclaimed, realising that he had just implied that he had actually abandoned them ten years ago, but not particularly caring. They would have found him if they really wanted to.

"You want us to go?" Ron asked softly.

"No, I, yes . . . I don't know. I can't come back, I can't put my family at risk," he said softly.

"Family?" Hermione gasped.

"Yeah," he smiled, holding up his left hand and thumbing the gold band on his ring finger, watching the light from a nearby street lamp bounce off of it.

"Oh Harry," she sighed. She sounded happy for him, if not a little resentful that he had moved on without them. "When?"

"Almost six years," he smiled nostalgically. Ron let out a low whistle.

"That's a long time," he commented. Harry smiled at the look of awe on Ron's face that made him look like when he was eleven years old and saw McGonagal transform from her cat animagus form for the first time.

"Doesn't feel like it," Harry shrugged. "I'm not going to help you, I'm sorry," he said softly, feeling a little guilty but sticking by his resolve.

"We're not going to stop trying," Hermione said stubbornly.

"Even if you don't want to fight, you could just keep in touch," Ron suggested. Harry shook his head and smiled. It was a nice idea if it wasn't completely unworkable, he'd never be able to stand by and watch from the sidelines, he was better off not knowing at all.

"We'll see you soon," Hermione said with conviction before she and Ron both disappeared with a loud crack.

"I don't doubt it," Harry muttered resignedly as he continued walking.

Okay super short chapter, no worries I'll post the next one sooner to make up for it.

Thanks to wicket willow, Captain Oz, Sareh and The Female Nerd for reviewing the last chapter! REVIEW this one and make me feel better! I have the flu:(