Chapter 38

Once again everything is Ms Rowling's

Neville joined everyone in the Great Hall for breakfast finds Harry and starts, "Harry, Professor Lupin offered to include me in your lessons so that I can protect myself isn't that great. Not that I'm worried about it, but having some extra lessons can't hurt right?"

"Neville that is great." I will see you tonight then we can go right after dinner and then take you to my rooms." Not missing the hurtful look on Hermione's face.

The day went by fast meeting in the great hall Neville and Harry headed to his Room.

"Neville, Harry good you are both here right now I want to just go over the Basic's of shields. Harry's I know you know this already just work throw it with Neville too all right?

"Hey, no problem Remus I could always use the extra practice on shields."

About 30 min into the lesson Snape enters with Draco threw the private hall

"Harry, I must speak with you." Professor Snape said not knowing Neville was there. "I'm sorry I didn't know you had company, well this is going to be interesting Mr. Longbottom I'm sure you can keep this quiet?"

Neville in confusion asks, "Harry, what's going on why is Malfoy and Professor Snape in your private rooms?"

Sighing Harry starts, "Neville you know I trust you right?"

"Yeah or you wouldn't have brought me here."

"Ok, then I'm going to trust you to keep what you see and hear in here to your self." Looking at Snape and Draco, "can I tell him?"

Both nod their heads yes.

"Neville, you see it all started in my third year with Professor Snape…" he goes on to tell him everything that has happened including the entirety of Dumbledore's involvement.

After seeing Neville's eyes widen in surprise and disgust at times during the tale and trying to gage his response Harry finishes, "So you see things have changed you can trust both of them. I won't go into details but Draco has been through hell ever since we started Hogwarts please try to give Draco a second chance, when he understands you better I am sure he will share what he can with you. But know this, he isn't a Malfoy anymore, he's a Black and I trust him. He hasn't done anything to try and hurt my friends or me he is just trying to stay alive. So please understand I was going to tell you soon just didn't think you would find out like this."

"Harry, it's a little hard to comprehend right now about all of this but I think I know more about why the Headmaster asked me to spy on you and report back to him."

"Neville, when did he talk to you?" Remus asked.

"Yesterday when I was in the infirmary. I told him no, but I felt a little hypocritical about saying it as I already told Professor McGonagall that I would let her know if Dean, Seamus or Ron was up to no good. "

"Harry, I need to contact Madam Bones. May I use Hedwig?"

"Yeah go ahead, the meddling old fool will never learn." Harry said slumping in his chair sadly for a moment before asking, "Professor Snape, what did you need to speak to me about? I'm sure it wasn't just to come up and chat?"

"Harry, no this time it wasn't and I'm sorry to just come in like this. As you know I was summoned last night, it seems the dark lord wants me to deliver you to him no later then Halloween. He seems to think that the 15th anniversary of his first down fall will finally be yours the only problem is he wants me to deliver a potion to him that will make it easy for him to kill you."

Professor, I don't see a problem with foiling his plans since I'm not even going to be here for Halloween. Since I have been given permission to leave school I plan on using it occasionally and this is one of those times. I've always hated Halloween because of the memories it brings and the crap he puts me through, so this year I planned on not being here for him to torment. Let's look into that potion though you never know it might help us out in defeating him."

"Oh Draco before we get too involved … Here are your supplies for Healing class. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Neville, Can I call you that?" Draco asked

"Yeah if I can call you Draco?"

"Yeah, that will be fine, what I want to say is I'm sorry for everything I have ever done or said to you. I had to act a certain way because of my father and trust me I have gotten beaten for not doing it right and since you where friends with Harry and a Gryffindor that didn't help matter's any, so once again I'm sorry for everything. I can tell you this summer really opened my eyes. Harry didn't have to do what he did for me. And I can honestly tell you this is the first I have heard about our headmaster is seemed that Harry worries aren't only the dark lord but Dumbledore too."

The rest of the evening passed, things weren't real comfortable for Neville but he was at least trying to get along with Draco. Looking at the clock, Harry gets up to start his patrol of the school. "Neville want me to walk you back to the common room?"

"Sure, this way I will know which way to come next time from the common room." After they'd departed, "That was an interesting evening Harry."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that they were going to come and I forgot to tell them that Remus invited you to the lesson. I think that maybe the three of us should do them together often it will build trust in you and Draco plus give you a chance to know the real him."

"I will try but I can't promise you anything, I just can't be nice to him over night not after everything he's done to us in the past. You had this summer to get use to it."

"I know and thank you for trying. If it helps try to remember that he was tortured by his father for every alleged mistake he made whether he had control over it or not. This includes getting beat in grades and loosing at Quidditch."

The portrait of the fat lady opens and Hermione walks out.

"Ready to go Harry?" Hermione asks quietly.

"Yeah, Hermione. Neville I will talk you later."

"Harry, can we talk while we patrol?"

"Hermione, right now isn't the best time to go into it. What we need to talk about isn't something I want to do while walking; I don't really want to have just anyone over hear this. I'm going to need some time I just can't easily forgive and forget everything that happened this summer in addition I have seen the look in your eye's when my private lessons and classes come up."

Getting increasingly irritated and despondent Harry continues, "I never asked for anything to happen to me and I especially didn't ask for a madman to be hunting me. I never asked for you to be upset with me because I got a few more O's than you, or because I got a private tutor for Potions and you have to take the class with Snape. Hermione I'm getting these extra things so that I can fight the insane madman that wants me dead, that wants you dead. Why can't you see that this isn't a privilege to be jealous of… it's not a privilege and it's definitely not a game, it's a freaking heavy responsibility that I have no choice about."

Shaking his head in frustration, "This isn't the time or place to talk about, I'll get back to you when I am ready."

The rest of the patrol was done in silence as Hermione thought of the things that Harry had told her.

Dropping her back off at the portrait of the Fat Lady Harry goes to his room.

"Remus I'm back."

"How did it go tonight Harry?"

"I sort of told Hermione off she wanted to talk while we patrolled and I didn't so I just basically told her that I never asked for anything. Did you get the letter sent to Madam Bone's?"

"Not yet, I wanted to talk to you about something, I don't know what is going on but I have a nagging feeling that something is up and that I don't know what to think about it."

"Go with your instinct Remus I trust you."

I'm going to shower then head to bed. Night"

"Night Cub I have some papers to look over for class tomorrow and then I will do the same thing I think I'm going to talk to Severus and Minerva and see what they think?"

HPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLH

Up in the girls Dorm.

Dear Harry,

I know that I have done some unforgivable things this summer; I have learned that not everything is black and white anymore either. But what you are doing to me is just as unforgivable, I have asked to speak to you and you ignore me time and time again.

I have seen you laughing and talking to Neville as if nothing has happened with us. I'm finding it hard to believe that you can't trust me anymore, I don't mean to get upset over little things, but to me school and reading are not petty like some people say they are. I understand that we are growing up and seem like we are drifting a part, maybe we are but we will always be friends. You can always count on me no matter what. I can't believe that you would hold some of the things that happened this summer against me, mistakes were made and we need to learn from them and move on. I can't claim to know everything that is going on in your life, I would like to know and I expect to know so that we can learn from it. I know that trust goes both ways what I don't understand is how you cannot trust me when you expect me to trust you.

Harry you can't have it both ways you can't tell me something and not everything, you never did tell me why you and Ron are no longer friends or the 'real' reason you have private rooms. I learned that Neville knows where these rooms are and you can't even tell me. That goes to show me that you don't trust me. So why should I trust you. If you can ever find the time to talk to me lets just hope that it isn't too late.

Sincerely

Hermione Granger

Looking back over the letter, Hermione didn't even realize that she just blamed everything that had happened on Harry not taking in her own jealously as the reason that Harry isn't speaking to her. Not thinking she may have just done more damage to their friendship then giving Harry the time to talk to her.

A/N: Please no Flames any and all will be used to burn the fall leaves in my Yard lol

Kay ----