"Harry?"

He had been staring blankly at the fireplace in the commonroom, a million thoughts racing through his mind.

"You're not still thinking about it, are you?" Hermione continued.

He was. He was still thinking about Malfoy. He was trying his best to forget, sitting here and staring at the flames, but he couldn't.

Harry sighed and looked up at her. "Do you think it could have happened? Naturally, I mean."

Hermione sat beside him and took his hand in hers. What a difficult question to answer. "I don't know, Harry. Maybe it could have - but it's Malfoy. His father is involved with You-Know-Who."

"I know, Hermione. Believe me, I know." Harry had considered the whole Voldemort element to this before.

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I suppose it could have happened," she went on. "But Malfoy being so typically himself didn't even consider being honest with you. Instead he went behind your back and lied. I'm not sure that's someone you want to be involved with, Harry."

Harry exhaled and continued to look into the mesmerizing flames. Did he ever consider being honest with Harry?

Harry hadn't spoken to Draco for almost a month after their confrontation, and he never really stopped thinking about him. It was a different sort of obsession, not the type Harry felt when under the influence of the love potion, but an obsession nonetheless. Harry was obsessing over possibilities. He kept thinking the possibility of things being different. Ron and Hermione did their best to not speak about the situation because they had seen the look on Harry's face when they did, followed by Harry staring out a window or into an unoccupied space for so long afterwards ... Wondering, pondering, contemplating what could have been had circumstances been different, including Malfoy's actions and decisions.

"I'm sorry," Hermione would say every now and again when she saw that look on Harry's face, then she'd shrug at Ron because neither of them knew what to say or do to help.

...

"Did I tell you he sent me a note?" Harry asked Hermione one night while studying in the library. It was a cold and still night, the darkness only broken by the dancing lights of the hovering candles around them. Ron had fallen asleep on his books. Harry was tired too, from Quidditch practice earlier that night as well as the exhaustion from his constant over-thinking about Malfoy.

Malfoy, Malfoy, Malfoy.

"I thought you hadn't spoken to him since that night," replied Hermione. "That was almost a month ago, right?"

"Right. And I haven't. But about a week ago, an owl came to my window delivering a piece of parchment. It was a ripped-up piece of the potions book page he had in his drawer that I gave back to him. At first I thought it was because he was angry, but I turned it over and on the back it said 'Forgive me?'"

"And?" asked Hermione.

"And that's it."

"You didn't reply?"

"Merlin, no. Of course not."

"Oh."

There was a pause. "What?" asked Harry.

Hermione shrugged and pursed her lips. "I don't know, Harry," she said.

"Yes, you do." Harry said. He touched her hand. "Tell me?"

Hermione sighed. "Well, it's none of my business, but maybe you should have said something back."

Harry frowned. "Like what? 'Yes I forgive you for poisoning and betraying me'? I thought you of all people would be against such a thing."

Ron made himself more comfortable against his books and breathed heavily.

"Harry, what Malfoy did was wrong. But..."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "But?"

"But maybe you should speak to him; fix it, tie up all the loose ends... Something. You can't leave it undone like this. Look at the effect it's having on you." she said. "I'm only saying such things because I care. I'm just giving you advice, you don't have to take it or agree..."

Harry pondered this for a moment. He was still angry about what Malfoy did and at Malfoy in general. He had been avoiding him for weeks (in classes they shared, the Great Hall, hallways, staircases, courtyards, the Quidditch pitch) and it was becoming a nuisance. It was impacting so much of Harry's life, not to mention intruding his every waking thought. Soon it would probably infiltrate his dreams. All he wanted was to avoid dealing with the situation, but instead of ignoring it and going away, the situation had become more prevalent and bigger than it should be.

Malfoy had been stuck in Harry's mind everyday. Harry couldn't feel at ease anymore with this hanging over his head.

So maybe Hermione was right. Things were left undone, broken. Harry needed some closure for peace of mind.

That way, he could finally forget about Draco Malfoy.

"You're right," he said. "As always."

Hermione smiled. "I hope so."