—One Week Later—

—Hermione POV—

"I just can't stop thinking about it." I readjusted myself in bed to get comfortable. Ron was laying next to me.

"Thinking about what?" He asked.

"Harry... and Malfoy... everything that happened last week."

I heard him sigh, and felt the bed shift as he turned over to face me.

"I honestly don't know what to think. It's scary... Harry killing himself, I mean."

I couldn't hold back a sob when he mentioned that, but I kept it quiet. Sniffing in, I spoke.

"I just don't understand why he didn't talk to us... a-and we should have seen the signs. We've known him all our bloody lives." I said in frustration.

"And how on earth did Malfoy see it? Malfoy. I mean, how did this all change so quickly? How is it, that all thanks to Malfoy, now suddenly Harry talks to us again, only to go off and-" my breath caught in my throat. I couldn't say it. I'd said it before but now, I couldn't. I closed my eyes, allowing my self to just catch my breath as tears clogged my chest. I hugged Ron desperately, crying into him. I felt an arm come around me, rubbing up and down my back in comfort.

"Believe me, I'm as confused as you are. I don't think even Harry understands what's happening... he looks like he's just floating through life."

"But isn't that what always happens?" I said, sniffling and wiping my eyes, pushing away to be able to speak to Ron face-to face.

"He's always been 'floating through life' in a sense. He's only ever lived for seemingly one reason, and that reason is gone. I..." my eyes widened in realization. "Malfoy is part of that reason. Wh-what if. What if this is Harry holding on to the only thing people know him for. He's never not been somehow related to Voldemort and his death eaters... I... but Malfoy has been nothing like he used to be... No. It doesn't add up. And where on earth did the whole 'being into blokes' come into the picture? I mean. It's not like I never noticed... but he never said anything, he never did anything-"

Ron cut off my rant.

"Hermione, it's late. Please. Let's go to sleep okay? Maybe we can Owl Harry, or visit him and talk. Just us, or just you. Whatever you prefer."

I didn't want to stop because my mind was running wild trying to understand everything. But as he hugged me tight, I realized he's correct. So I cuddled into him, my mind buzzing and teeming with thoughts. And eventually, we fell asleep.

—Harry POV—

I was cutting tomatoes to help Draco cook breakfast, when I was startled by the sound of the fireplace roaring to life. I jumped in the direction of the sound, drawing my wand, before noticing Hermione, covered in floo powder.

"Herm-"

"I need to speak with you." I looked over to Draco in uncertainty.

"Hello M-Draco." She swallowed. "I would like to speak with Harry, in private." She said. Before I knew it, I was being dragged upstairs gently by the arm, and now I'm in my room, with Hermione standing in front of me.

"Harry, please tell me what is going on."

"What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled, and a bit anxious.

"Harry wh-" she signed in frustration. "Everything ha-" she sighed again.

"Harry, Ever since everything happened back at Hogwarts, you stopped talking to us. You left without a goodbye and you went off with Ginny... and an entire decade later, I hear that you ran into Malfoy at the market, and then about a month after that Ginny comes to us crying saying that you... How did this all happen? Tell me Harry. What did I miss? Where was your plan, or your thoughts..."

She clapped her hands onto her thighs, looking away with another sigh. Tears were brimming her bright red eyes. She's been losing sleep because of me, I see it. I know that tired look. When you just can't figure out a puzzle you've been working on for weeks.

"Herm-"

"And Draco Malfoy! The biggest git on planet earth. He- you..." she grabbed me by the upper arm, dragging me with her to the living room where Draco was now finished serving the breakfast we'd been making.

"You!" She said, pointing an accusing finger at Draco, and letting go of my arm.

"Harry would be dead if you weren't there. Why were you there? You never cared about us back then, and now, all of a sudden, you're saving my best friend's life..."

She turned to face me again with a wild look. I could tell she was trying hard to hold back her tears.

"Why would you do that?" She said in a whisper, finally crying.

"How did things get so bad that you-" she took a deep, shaking breath. I honestly felt horribly guilty for everything. I'd broken her by keeping her out of my life, and then coming back after everything had changed.

I took her into a soft hug, my hands shaking, but she didn't hug back, though I knew she was grateful for it. She leaned into me, crying. Things were stiff and silent.

After a while she recomposed herself, and went to Draco again.

"I've never been more grateful that you were around Harry. But why? How? You never cared..."

"I've had an important ten years..." said Draco stiffly. I could tell he was uncomfortable with the whole situation; Seeing Hermione cry over me and my life.

"It changed me..." he added shortly. "Are you going to eat with us? Or..."

"Oh Goodness no. It's almost dinner for me. Time zones..." she replied.

Nothing really happened, yet the air felt thick and heavy. And knowing that I crushed Hermione like this... I mean, I guess I knew, I just refused to think about it... it left an uneasy pit in my stomach that spread throughout me, weighing me down and suffocating me at the same time.

"Harry, I want to ask you another thing in private." She said, not waiting for a response as she dragged me back to the room.

"How did you end up trusting Malfoy before us? Did we do something wrong? Say something?"

"In all honesty he just... caught me... doing things. I couldn't walk away from the situation without explaining. If I had my way I would have never told anyone, even him. But, it happened. And the rest just followed, I guess..." I said, timid and uncomfortable. Admitting I would have preferred that no one found out, even though having Draco there has been helpful, and certain feelings have definitely surfaced ever since then... feelings that I don't want to think about, or talk about. I guess my getting lost in thought showed, because what Hermione asked me next made me get quite defensive.

"Harry. You haven't talked about losing feelings for Ginny, and finding feelings for M-Draco... Have you?"

"You tosser! are you using legilimens on me?!"

"I don't even know how to do that! Besides, I have enough respect to not do that if I could. Jesus, Harry. Have you thought about this? I mean it was all so sudden. Did you always know there was something? Or is it just... happening?!" I could tell my accusation had hurt her, and we were both frustrated at this point.

I'd never, in any given moment, been more upset at her for bringing up so many things I refused to think about in so little time. My jaw clenched, and I stayed quiet.

"Harry?"

"...I don't know... I..." God. Why, why, why was she doing this?

"Why are you asking?" I said, trying and failing to hide my frustration.

"Because clearly you haven't thought about it. Have you even thought about Ginny? Yes, we're all being generally supportive, of course, but just like seemingly everything nowadays with you... It was so sudden. And you were so lost in it all that you, didn't realize? Didn't care?"

"Hermione I don't want to talk about this-"

"Harry you never want to speak about anything. You keep avoi-"

"Will you let me finish at least one damn sentence?!" I snapped, immediately regretting it. I saw Hermione back away, her confident stance now small.

"I-I'm sorry." I told her, my anger settling

"Don't worry. You don't understand... we all love and care about you, and we don't want you to die. It was one thing protecting you from a dark mysterious wizard... but how are we supposed to protect you from yourself? Just... don't push us away anymore Harry."

And with that, she disappeared.