Author's Note: So we're back. . . let's just leave it at that. Don't have any details about when updates will be so if you want to know how the story ends then just keep checking your emails for the next chapters. Hope you enjoy..

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling. Thanks

CHAPTER 37: THE WAR COMES HOME

"It is with a great deal of uncertainty that we inform the public that the raid is now at an end. With the number of disappearances still increasing by the hour, we can't say for sure whether the raid won't start up again at some point this evening. We have managed to account for just over three quarters of all ministry employees, but are still in the process of doing checks for the remaining that are unaccounted for. The following disappearances are confirmed…"

And so the list began. And the Gryffindors huddled closer together in the common room, many of them holding hands and some covering their mouths to silence their frightened cries. There was no movement. Everyone sat still as doornails and waited for it to finally be over. But just like every time they gathered like this around a radio late at night, there was a moment every few minutes or so when someone would gasp or run out of the room crying. It was an extremely gruesome atmosphere.

Draco sat there in silence with the marauders, also listening to the live broadcast from the Minister of Magic himself. None of them had expected it that night. Just ten minutes before, they'd all been going about their usual weeknight activities in the common room, doing homework, playing with friends, or catching up on some reading with hot tea. But now, it was as though death itself had swooped in and taken over the common room. Even the portraits on the walls were not moving a muscle.

When it was finally over, Draco was able to breathe again. He wasn't sure who he'd been holding his breath for. There was no one in this timeline who would be at that raid whom he cared about necessarily. It was awful, hearing about all those disappearances, that was for sure. An unsettling feeling. But he wanted to be there with his friends, supporting his fellow housemates through these dark and difficult times.

The following morning however was ghastly and unnerving. Several of the Gryffindors seemed to be up half the night, yet everyone still had the energy to run around frantically, collecting their books and things. The marauders hadn't slept much that night either, looking pretty tired as they followed their housemates to the Great Hall for breakfast. But about halfway there, their housemates took a different turn and hurried up a different set of stairs instead.

"They're off to the owlry," Remus explained when Draco asked about it, just as they'd reached the Great Hall. "Sending letters off to their loved ones and such…"

"That's disturbing," James mumbled as the boys took their seats at the Gryffindor table.

It was emptier in the Great Hall that morning, which confirmed Draco's theory that the Gryffindors weren't the only ones who'd been listening to the radio broadcasts all night. It made going to classes that day exceptionally more difficult. Everyone knew what was going on but no one was saying anything about it. It was just kind of hovering in the air, drowned completely by the professors' abysmal lectures which no one seemed to care about.

Draco tried his best to focus on the homework assigned that day. But it only took until the second period for him to get distracted from it completely. Sitting with James in Muggle Studies, he couldn't help but notice how unusually kind and almost chivalrous James was being. Lily noticed it too, because she kept giving Draco knowing looks as though she was trying to communicate something with him. But Draco could see that James was really trying and so he looked away from Lily and busied himself with the work instead. He knew that he needed to give his friend this chance—for the sake of the Potters' love and for the sake of his friend's happiness.

Draco wasn't stupid of course. He understood perfectly well that his presence in this timeline had interrupted several things because Lily had no doubt grown infatuated with him or whatever it was that she felt. She had been flirty and annoying in every way manageable, and her little drunken hookup with Draco had stirred something up inside of James, something which Draco had never intended on. He understood all of this. But still, he couldn't help but feel guiltier now that James was trying his best to win Lily over. It had only been about a week since Draco and Lily had talked in Hogsmeade. Or rather, fought. Or whatever it was they did. And still, to this moment, Draco was thinking that he never wanted to see Lily cry like that again—at least not because of him.

After a long and tiring day full of homework and assignments and even more homework, the marauders dropped their things off in the tower and grabbed an early dinner before heading out into the field to meet with the team for a long practice. James seemed to be far more enthusiastic than usual, perhaps because of the big game against Slytherin coming up on the 30th. But that was still a week and a half away and Draco wasn't even scheduled to play in this one. Still, he gave the practice his all and returned to the common room with the marauders hours later, completely spent and ready to collapse.

"Even I'm tired from sitting there watching you guys work your asses," Remus complained as they all collapsed in their usual spot by the fireplace.

"Yeah James, what's gotten into you?" said Sirius.

"We have a big game coming up, I'm just trying to keep focused," James mumbled.

"Yeah, now ask us if we believe it," said Sirius sarcastically.

James narrowed his eyes at him but Sirius, pretending not to notice, put his feet up on the table and sighed deeply as he held his head back on the couch.

"Fuck, I'm tired," he whispered.

"You guys are for sure going to win that match," Peter offered.

"Mmm," was all Sirius said in response.

Remus pulled out the book that he'd been reading up in the stands during the practice and crossed his legs on the carpet.

"Mate, you might want to get a candle," said James, but Remus ignored him. Noticing, James added, "Seriously mate, it's not good for your eyes."

"Here, I'll get it," said Peter, and he reached over for the nearest one, but Remus suddenly snapped his head up.

"I'm fine," he hissed, frightening Peter right back into his place.

Draco met Sirius's eyes but said nothing on the matter.

The boys spent the rest of the evening relaxing from that crazy practice and chatting casually about school-related things. Mostly, they were just trying to avoid the subject at hand—the one thing that everyone at school had on their mind but couldn't bring themselves to actually talk about out loud.

"You know what I still can't understand?" Sirius said, trying to lighten up the mood a little as the clock struck nine.

"Hmm?" said James, looking up from the Daily Prophet.

"Why Filch still has a position at this school…" said Sirius.

James let out a laugh.

"I mean, the man's an outright idiot," said Sirius, turning to Draco. "How does Dumbledore not see it?"

Draco only shrugged, offering a small smile but no comments.

"It can't be just me who thinks so," said Sirius, turning to Peter.

"Nah mate, you're not alone there," said James, his eyes back on the newspaper in his lap.

"I honestly don't know who I despise more," Sirius went on, "The squib, or his cat."

"Cat," said James and Draco together, and Sirius smiled.

"Yeah, she's a devil, that one," he said, mostly to himself.

Draco joined in on the boys' quiet laughter, and then suddenly pretended to stretch and let out a small yawn.

"I'm gonna head up," he announced, rising from the couch.

"What—but it's so early," said Sirius.

"You're tired?" said Peter.

Draco nodded.

"Aw come on, mate, stay a bit longer," said Sirius.

James looked up at Draco standing there. "Where you off to? You know you're not gonna fall asleep right away. Not after an intense practice like that."

"I just wanna go upstairs," said Draco.

"Why?" said Sirius.

Remus also looked up now, though his face was blank and undetectable.

Draco looked round at all the boys. "I've just got to go."

He wasn't sure why he felt the need to leave his friends in the common room and go upstairs to write in the diary. He knew he wanted to...he knew it was important...but he wasn't sure why. Still, he felt himself drawn up the spiral staircase and into the dormitory. He felt his heart practically race as he grabbed the book from its hiding spot and pulled a quill and ink bottle towards him. His whole body was tensed up as he dipped the quill into the ink and scribbled a couple of words onto a blank page. And only when the diary finally responded, did Draco's body relax.

When he was through with his conversation with Tom Riddle's diary, it was just half past eleven and the marauders still had not shown up in the dormitory. Feeling wide awake and slightly buzzed with information, Draco put away the diary things and lit a couple of candles instead. He then crossed his legs on his bed, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

When he finally finished with his meditation, the marauders came upstairs and all the boys fell right to sleep. But it didn't take long before Draco was woken by an unsettling dream that escaped his memory the moment he fell conscious. Sweating hard from it, he shoved his blankets aside and got up from his bed. He made sure to sidestep any obstacles scattered about the room so as not to wake any of the boys, though they all seemed fairly dozed off.

Finally out of the dormitory, Draco climbed down the stairs and picked up a random book from a random shelf, hoping it would put him to sleep fast. He turned to the couch nearest the fireplace and stopped.

"Hi," Mary said, looking just as startled as he. "W-what are you doing up at this hour?"

"I should ask you the same question," Draco said, taking slow steps towards her.

"I'm just reading," she said, gesturing at a book in her lap.

"Same," said Draco, lifting his up.

Mary nodded her head slowly and turned back towards the fireplace. Draco hesitated for a moment, scanned the room quickly to find that they were the only ones there, and then moved to sit opposite her. He saw that Mary had a warm drink in her hand and a blanket sprawled over her lap. She also had really thick socks on.

"Cold?" said Draco, setting his book on the table in front of him.

"A bit," said Mary with a nod. "So...do you normally come down here to read at three in the morning?"

"Maybe," Draco shrugged. "Do you?"

Mary looked down at her lap, and when she spoke, her voice got considerably quieter. "Actually I couldn't sleep just thinking about that radio broadcast from last night."

"Oh," said Draco, the smirk leaving his face instantly. "Right...that…"

"It's just so scary."

"Yeah, it is."

"And the worst part is that we really don't know when it's gonna be over!"

Draco bit back a laugh. It was too ironic how he knew exactly when it was going to be over.

"Yeah," he said instead. His eyes then narrowed at the spot where Mary was rubbing her sleeve back and forth, beneath which Draco already knew to be stored dozens of deadly scars.

"It's all gonna be okay, don't worry," he offered quietly. Mary looked up to meet his eyes and gave a small smile.

"Yeah," she agreed.

Draco smiled back.

Mary set down the cup on the table in front of her and settled back on the couch, pulling the blanket over herself to keep warm.

"You know, this is getting to be a bit of a habit for us…"

"Hmm?"

"Meeting up here in the middle of the night," said Mary.

Draco smirked. "Yeah, I guess it must be."

"So how were your holidays?"

Draco thought for a minute. "Yeah, they were...not bad." Mary raised her eyebrows at him. "I, uh, assume you know where I spent the holiday break."

"Yeah, everyone who's seen the Prophet does," Mary admitted shyly.

Draco nodded. "Yeah well...guess there's no escaping it. When you're in the spotlight, you're in the spotlight."

"Does it bother you much?"

Draco paused to look at her. "A lot."

"I'm sorry for that."

"It's not your fault."

"No, I know, I'm just… I'm still sorry."

Draco smiled. "That's kind of you." He leaned back on his own couch and put his feet up on it whilst folding his arms across his chest. "So what about you? How were your holidays?"

"They were fine," said Mary, taking the cup in her hands again and blowing into it. "Very lowkey, just spending time with my family and such."

"Yeah," said Draco. They were quiet for a little while, both of them just listening to the peaceful crackling of the nearby fireplace, the howling of winter wind from outside, and the occasional grunt or cough from the many sleeping portraits on the walls.

Then, Draco narrowed his eyes at the table in front of him as he remembered something.

"Hey Mary, can I ask you a question?"

She looked up at him in alarm. It appeared that she had been falling asleep.

"Sure," she answered, sitting up again.

Draco frowned harder now. "What did you and Lily fight about?" Mary raised her eyebrows at him and he cleared his throat. "I mean, the night of Slughorn's Christmas party. You told me before that you two argued."

"Oh...that," said Mary, her facial expression instantly changing. "It's nothing."

"Well it was something," Draco contradicted, eyeing the curious look on Mary's face now.

"I really shouldn't say."

"I really insist that you do."

There was a pause.

"It…" said Mary, sighing, "It's not a big deal, honestly."

"On the contrary, everything is a big deal to Lily Evans," Draco argued.

Mary let out a small laugh. "True, but she's really a good person and sometimes...she just lets qualities like bitterness and jealousy get the best of her, as do all of us—"

"Wait, jealousy?" Draco interrupted.

Mary looked at him.

"What would she be jealous of that you two fought about?"

Mary said nothing. Draco leaned forward.

"Mary," he said.

"That's a conversation that you need to have with Lily," she declared in a very serious voice. "I refuse to be a part of this."

"So it's true," Draco said, ignoring her words. "She was jealous that you and I went to the party together."

"I didn't say that—"

"Yeah but you're thinking it! And so am I, 'cause it's the truth."

Another moment of silence.

"Just...talk...to her…" said Mary, almost pleadingly.

Draco leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms again. "I already did."

It was Mary's turn to lean forward. "And?!"

"And," said Draco, pursing his lips before continuing, "And nothing."

"What's that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds."

Mary frowned at him.

"So," she said slowly, "Are...you guys okay then?"

"I think so, but you tell me," said Draco firmly.

Mary looked down at the cup in her hand before speaking. "Like I said, it's a conversation you need to have with Lily. I know nothing of it."

"And why don't I believe you?" Draco declared, causing Mary to look up at him once again, rendered completely speechless.

The following day was slightly easier to endure, a huge reason for this being that it was Friday. Potions and Defense against the Dark Arts flew right on by and before he knew it, it was time for Draco's free afternoon period. While the boys all went off to class, Draco lost no time in rushing off to the library and hiding in a corner with Regulus's dark arts book. He checked several times to make sure that no one was around him before proceeding to flip open the pages.

"Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction…"

Draco eyed these words carefully, as he had been for some time now. He had but zero ideas as to how to obtain more information on horcruxes or at least learn what they were. None of the books he'd tried, even in the Restricted Section, were very useful. He doubted he could just up and ask a random teacher. The look they'd probably give him…

No, it was better to draw as least attention to himself as possible nowadays.

Then, it occurred to him.

Looking around the library several times to make sure no students were around him, he slowly pulled the little black notebook out of his bag and flipped it open on the table. He thought for a minute, his ink-dipped quill already in hand, and then wrote the following inscription…

Diary, I wouldn't ask if I had any other source, but what can you tell me about horcruxes?

To his surprise, the notebook responded almost instantaneously.

Why do you wish to know this?

Draco thought for a minute. Indeed, why? Could it be that he was just beating around the bush here? That his theory was nonsensical and he was wasting his and the diary's time?

"Bloody hell, Draco, it's a fucking notebook, it has no sense of wasting time," he thought to himself.

Research for a school assignment, Draco wrote instead.

He waited patiently for the diary to respond while he looked around the library. Madame Pince was shelving books somewhere in the distance while some students not far from her were giggling quietly at their table. Draco looked down at the new inscription in the diary.

A Horcrux is an object of any and many proportions, into which one has consumed a part of their soul. It is dangerous, and not talked about, and therefore one of the most prestigious forms of magic currently in existence.

Draco bit on his lip. But, assuming it were even possible, how would one go about ripping their soul apart? And before he could ask, the diary continued.

Killing rips the soul, if you didn't know. So hypothetically, say a wizard murders someone, and then that wizard chooses to put a part of their soul into an object. They would do so at the scene, completing a very complicated and lengthy process and most likely enduring weeks of recovery thereafter.

But what good would it do anyone to put a part of their soul into an object? Draco asked.

He was sure that in all his years as a wizard, both timelines included, he'd never come across the word horcrux or any magic that was related to what the diary was now describing, which also made him wonder whether it was falsified information.

Imagine the challenge you'd present your worst enemies with if they couldn't kill you upfront. They'd have to hunt down each and every horcrux that you'd ever made, find the means to destroy it, and only then would they be able to harm you physically.

Draco frowned. So you're saying that these objects could be anything you choose? Anything at all?

It doesn't sound like such a pointless procedure now, does it? were the diary's final words to him that afternoon.

At the sound of the bell chiming throughout the castle, Draco packed up his things and hurried out of the library to avoid conversations with anyone. He could hardly wait to get this last class over with and finally start the much-anticipated weekend. Somehow, the weeks now seemed longer than ever and the weekends shorter.

Turning at the end of the crowded corridor, Draco bit back a groan. Lily was kneeling on the floor, apparently picking up books she'd dropped. Like always. Draco decided to take a different route to Professor Livesey's classroom but unfortunately Lily caught sight of him because she hurried to catch up to him.

"Hey there," she said, struggling to maintain all the books in her hands. Draco pretended not to notice and mumbled "Hey" in response, keeping his head facing forward.

"How were your classes?"

"Fine," said Draco, leading the way to Muggle Studies. "Yours?"

"Busy," Lily responded. "I have a very heavy load to get through this weekend so I'm probably going to be chained to a desk at the library for forty-eight hours."

"That's...commitment," said Draco.

"Yes," laughed Lily. "Well, we can't be slacking off now, can we?"

"No, I guess not," said Draco.

They walked on silently for a few corridors, bypassing students left and right.

"Maybe you could join me," Lily suddenly blurted out.

Draco looked round at her with raised eyebrows.

"Join you?"

"Before you start assuming things," Lily quickly added, "I'm strictly talking about studying. W-we could form a little study group in the library, you know."

The more she added, the worse it sounded.

"S-study group…" Draco repeated, looking away again, unsure of how to answer this.

"Frank and Alice would be there too of course," Lily added, obviously realizing her mistake and working quickly to fix it. "U-unless you think that would be too weird for you."

"Why would it be too weird for me?"

There was a pause.

"Because of your history with Alice?"

"My history with Alice…" Draco repeated.

Another pause.

"You...you don't remember?" said Lily, shock plastered all over her face. "It was only just a few months ago, are you kidding?"

"N-no, of course I remember," said Draco quickly, "I'm just...tired I guess, I'm sorry."

"No worries…" Another pause. "So it wouldn't be weird then?"

"No not at all, Alice and I are on great terms."

The words were out before he could stop himself.

"Great, so maybe I'll see you there!" said Lily excitedly, again stopping to restrain herself.

Draco gave her a weak smile.

As they walked on, Draco shuddered at what James would think if he saw him studying with his precious Lily in the library, with or without the future Longbottoms. He had worked so hard to get James to start talking to him again and now that they were almost back to completely normal, did he really want to jeopardize that?

But then Draco thought back to his conversation with Mary the other night, about what she had implied. He looked at Lily walking beside him and she offered him an innocent smile. Somehow, he felt even guiltier now, for having made her jealous at Slughorn's Christmas party. Then, Draco took a mental step back. What on earth did it matter to him whether she was jealous or not? It wasn't like they were even friends.

And then it hit him.

"Lily, come here," he said, taking her arm and pulling her into an empty classroom. She looked at him unexpectedly as he closed the door behind them and walked into the center of the room, pacing for a few short seconds before stopping to face her.

"Draco, what is it?" she said, concerned.

"I…" said Draco, and then he proceeded to pace a little more.

Lily glanced at the closed door behind her, on the other side of which students were still hurrying off to their classes. Then, she placed the pile of books she'd been holding on a nearby desk and took a step towards him.

"Is something the matter?" she tried again.

Draco stopped again to look at her.

"I owe you an apology," he said, to her greatest surprise.

"I...I don't understand," she mumbled, but he continued.

"You're right," he breathed. "You've been right all along."

"I-I have?"

"Yes, about everything...me shutting you out, treating you differently, blaming you for things that aren't your fault...we did get off on the wrong foot, you're absolutely right."

"Oh," she said, a little disappointment in her voice.

Draco resumed his pacing while continuing this very improvised speech.

"I think that most of our problems developed because of that very reason...that we got off on the wrong foot. Even with our first meeting…"

"You mean my late-night conversation with Severus which you eavesdropped on?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Draco said without looking at her, still pacing. "I just think all of our problems can be solved right here right now if we just fix this."

"Alright," said Lily, slowly folding her arms in front of her. "So what did you have in mind?"

Draco stopped again to look at her.

"We start over…" he announced, "…as friends."

"Friends," Lily repeated. "Something tells me you haven't ever been really good at that."

"No, I'm terrible," Draco laughed, "But you can ask James, Sirius and the others. I try. I'm terrible but I...I try."

Now he felt like he was starting to go too far. What if she would misinterpret all of this and start clinging to his side and then just make things even worse with James? That certainly wasn't what he wanted. But he couldn't stop himself talking now. It just kept coming to him like a flood, as did most things these days.

He couldn't help the guilt he felt for making her feel the way she felt back at the Christmas party. He didn't like her, no, but even he knew how much it hurt to have that happen to you. Or rather, he could imagine it. But it also got him thinking as to whether that was the reason she'd initiated their secret hookup the night before the holiday break. So if he hadn't gone with Mary to the party, would it not have happened? Really, what was going through this girl's mind as she stood before him, puzzled to her very core?

"So, what do you classify as friendship?" Lily pressed on.

Draco thought for a minute. "We hang out together with our friends, we use each other's class notes, we congratulate each other on good marks or good Quidditch games or…"

"I don't play Quidditch," Lily smiled.

"Oh I know," Draco said quickly. "Believe me."

Lily gasped and he laughed at her. She laughed back.

"See, this is what I mean," he finally said. "No complications, no drama, no…"

"…miscommunications," Lily finished.

Exactly, he thought. "Clean slate."

"I like the sound of that very much," Lily smiled, walking up to shake his hand.

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. Of all the things he'd managed to mess up in this timeline, he was just glad that he'd figured out how to fix this one.

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