AUTHORS NOTE:

This takes place during 7th year in winter. Canon is pretty much the same EXCEPT Voldemort never came back. His followers were responsible for all the horrible things that happen to Harry in books 1-5 and Dumbledore as well. Cedric Diggory died in book 4 at the hands of Pettigrew. Sirius did not die; he ran away and is in hiding currently. Dumbledore convinced Sirius to run far away from Harry. When Harry found that out it was the first nail in the coffin of his relationship with Dumbledore. So, at the beginning of this story, the school is divided not by houses but my magical heritage. Those with parents who are witches and wizards are referred to as Magic Born. Those with Muggle parents are Muggle Born. I hate the terms "blood" anything, it grosses me out. Those who are half and half are simply referred to as "half Muggle." EVERY student who is full Magic Born is in the Magic Born Club started by Draco (on his parents order tho). They don't see it as being racist but as "purist." They really believe that Magic should stay in Magic families, and that Muggle born students should not be taught all the mysteries of magic. Half Muggles either try to impress and kiss ass with the Magic Born or they ride the fence between the two camps. Harry is famous but it's not as impressive as it is in the books or most fanfiction. Most people in the school like him because he's nice and friendly. Most people dislike Hermione because she's stuck up and always going on about Muggle rights and equality. She wants access to the same tomes that all Magic Born are granted when they first enter Hogwarts. She is denied access to certain classes and information and her job prospects are different from those that are Magic Born. Percy is working at the Ministry in civil rights and creature rights. He has ambitions to be Minister someday but his views are far more liberal than the establishment. This is mainly to do with the fact that he's a brainy gay man who grew up feeling different. He was conservative in school but changed directions after falling in love and just seeing more of the world and all the injustice in it. He and Harry became close in the past couple years since Harry is a new gay and ostracized from the Weasleys the way Percy was.

This will alternate POV's and that will be donated by a couple asterisks. If you don't like POV switching this won't be for you. I also skip time like a day or two here and there, nothing major.

Please let me know what you think so far. I have two of six chapters done. At least I think it will be six. Harry and Draco mainly just flirt this whole fic. I don't even know if they're going to kiss. So if you're here for that kinda action you are in the wrong fic. Might I direct you toward firethesound or other such magnanimous authors of greatness? HOPE YOU ENJOY!

For winter it was surprisingly bright. If one were to stand in the sun and ignore the breeze you could almost convince yourself that it was Spring, or maybe even a Highlands Summer. The crowd was somber and tense. Perhaps Harry was reading tension where there wasn't any; as he often does now. Dumbledore's death was sudden and he never thought Hogwarts would host such a somber occasion at the beginning of his seventh and final year. Sniffles and the discreet passing of tissues drew his eye every few moments. Rufus Scrimgeour was speaking at the podium in gruff tones and Harry was fighting back an inward groan, wrestling it from escaping by wringing his hands and rocking slightly in his seat.

Hermione sat next to him, her back straight and eyes focused, bright and clear, on every single speaker. Harry stared at her for a moment, her soft brown curls floating in the breeze and framing her face. She gently pulled the hair from around her face, her eyes still intent. He knows she can feel him staring at her. She won't look at him. Maybe she's afraid to see her own alleviation reflected there in his eyes. He wouldn't hide it anymore. He was glad the Headmaster was gone. Dead and buried and no longer holding his parents sacrifice and their murderer over him.

Harry turned around to look the crowd over. The Malfoys were seated in the middle surrounded by their supporters and friends, if one could call them that. The youngest Malfoy looked bored and it made Harry smile slightly, but only on the inside. Behind them sat the Weasleys. A few years ago the two families couldn't stand each other. Dumbledore had fixed that by bringing them together with promises of power and redemption for one, and promises of justice and fame for the other. None of that had come to pass though. Ron was next to his young sister Ginny. They were crying softly, and whether that was over the man in the coffin or their own promised glory, Harry didn't know. Both were dead anyhow.

All the way in the back stood the greasy Professor Snape. He had tutored Harry begrudgingly in Occlumency last year, a waste of time for them both. Harry didn't need it, and Professor Snape didn't want to do anything that precluded him from drinking himself into a coma. As of now Harry knew the only reason Professor Snape was standing was because if he sat, or leaned, he would fall asleep fast. Professor Snape's black eyes were barely open and he swayed slightly with the breeze. Harry watched as he delicately pulled his sleeves down and shook out his hands. He must be feeling the numbness in his limbs now, Harry thought, he might not make it to the end of this whole charade.

As Harry made to stand, Luna Lovegood who was sat on his other side pulled him gently back into his seat. She leaned over and whispered to him, "Harry, only one more to go."

He wiped both hands over his face and grunted his acquiescence. It was only one more speaker, he could make it. Only one more year of school as well. This was it for him and Hogwarts. A good way to continue the year for him actually. He would finally get to experience school without the crazy Headmasters constant summons and his wild eyed tirades. Only Professor Snape knew about them. At least, he was the only one ever there to witness it when Harry was present.

After the debacle that was fifth year where Sirius was almost killed and had to go into hiding, Harry had well and truly broken rank. He started his Muggle Rights group with Hermione. He stopped answering Ministry summons. Dumbledore was someone he kept at arms length much like any other raving nutter. The Dursley's had agreed to let him spend his Summers with his friends after he paid the Dursely's a stipend and made them promise to never let Dumbledore know.

Oddly enough Professor Snape had known all about this and had never once spilled Harry's secrets. Harry knew then, during their private lessons and after, that the Professor was an ally of the most reluctant kind. He wondered if he would still be an ally now that their mutual mentor had ceased to be.

Hermione shuffled beside him uncomfortably. Something about this speaker bothered her. Harry turned his eyes to the podium and sucked in a breath. It was their former transfiguration Professor, McGonagall, the former head of Gryffindor house. She had went behind the old coot's back to the board of Governors to try and get him sacked. They hadn't left things on good terms.

"He was a wizard unlike any other, and I will never know another person like him," McGonagall was telling the truth, laced with kindness and hidden behind pleasant stories, but it was the truth. She continued, "We never did agree on whether acid pops were better than sour lemon drops but I suppose we did agree that the sweetest things in life are often tinged with bitterness."

Hermione shook her head roughly and several curls spilled lose from her top knot. Tears could be seen slipping down her cheeks. People started to leave, softly held conversations flittering in and out. A cool breeze brought the soft scent of the lake with it. Harry breathed in deep. He was free. Dumbledore was gone, and his life spread out before him, new and exciting for the first time since learning he was a wizard.

"So first things first," Hermione starts the meeting seated in a circle as usual. All are seated in various seats, of many sizes, shapes and colors. No sense in not practicing a little transfiguration before every Muggle Rights meeting right? Well that was Hermione's belief anyway. They were listed as a study group officially and that meant they needed to practice some magic every time just to keep their off site mentor happy if nothing else. "Don't break the rules when you don't have too," Percy had said at their very first get together. He outlined every rule that official groups had to follow and the unwritten rules that were expected. Having an adult as part of the leadership, someone outside the school was one of those 'unwritten but everyone does it,' kind of rules. Their official adult mentor within the school was their DADA Professor Remus Lupin. He was also the head of Gryffindor house. It made this whole thing possible, because any other Professor in the entire school would have never let this group form in the first place.

"I want us all to go around and say a few words about Headmaster Dumbledore," Hermione said. A few people grumbled and she snapped at them, "Please, stop, let's go around and clear the air. We need to do this to move on whether you lot want to or not."

Luna stood first, bless her, Harry thought. If anyone could set the mood, it was Luna Lovegood with her crystal clear eyes that look at everyone and everything with kindness. She said in a dreamy lilt, "Perhaps we should steal the elder wand before the earth settles, it might be harder to grab it if the pull of the dramalaks reach the full height of the coffin." Hermione rolls her eyes and says, "Luna, the elder wand is a myth." Several students look away from Luna and Hermione not wanting to pick a side. Luna continues unbothered, "Hermione, a myth, a legend, a tale, it's still sitting in that cadavers grasp. Seems a waste is all I mean." Hermione huffed out and pointed to Justin who was seated to Luna's right side.

Justin slouched in his chair ruffling his tawny hair nervously. He coughed and said, "I didn't know him, I mean, I never even spoke to him so…" Everyone in the circle nodded and Hermione flicked her gaze to the next person on Justin's right, Tracey Davis. She was taller than the other girls in the group but now she was practically trying to shrink into the tufts of her overstuffed chair. She pulled her legs up into her chest and muffled into her jean covered knees, "I'm sorry that he's gone. He seemed like a good person. I've no idea what I'm supposed to say, sorry." Hermione nodded and her curls bounced around her when she shook her head and said softly, "That's OK. This is a safe place where we can all share whatever we like."

Harry couldn't stop the groan that came out and everyone cast a glance at him. Hermione held his gaze for a beat and Harry mouthed out 'sorry,' before the next person in the circle spoke. It was their newest member Colin Creevey. He was a small boy with freckles and short cropped blond hair. He said a few mumbled words and then the invisible baton of grief was passed too Cho Chang.

Last summer when Cho had written to Hermione about expanding their Muggle Rights group she had included an action plan to take it all the way up the chain of command in the Ministry with timetables and persons of interest. It was thoughtful detailed work and Harry had never seen Hermione so excited. Those two were definitely going to rule the world one day. It gave Harry hope.

After Cho's short speech all eyes turned to Harry. He stared down at the floor and decided to let out a little bit of his true feelings. Something he never did in public, not even with Hermione. "I suppose," Harry said, "I'm glad he's gone. I wouldn't want anyone to suffer and I know his disease would have progressed. To lose your mind like that would have been hard on anyone but more so for him I think. I'm relieved. Not just for him but for myself too."

Harry kept his head bent down, eyes on the floor. He could feel them watching him. Waiting perhaps for him to elaborate further but he had nothing else to say. Justin cleared his throat and ruffled through his bag for the agenda of the day. He was the groups secretary and he started listing off the next points for their meeting. Harry let his words wash right over him. He absorbed nothing for the rest of the time in the dingy old classroom. He simply stared around at each person trying his best to look attentive. His mind however was far away. Back to Professor Snape. Back to the Malfoys, and Draco in particular. Back to Percy and what exactly the rest of the Weasleys we're doing right now. He let his mind go.

What would Professor Snape do now? He couldn't possibly keep teaching. There was no reason for him to stay. McGonagall had already won the Governor's over and would be reinstated as Headmistress in a matter of days. There was no way she would want to work with Severus Snape as her deputy. He wondered if Remus Lupin were up to the task. It wouldn't be a bad appointment even though the man looked utterly lost at the funeral and in classes the next day. Harry thought maybe he should seek the man out and have a talk. They could at least speak openly about Sirius now. Maybe he knew where his old friend was hiding. Harry would love to see Sirius again.

Then there was the Malfoy problem. Lucius had been an open enemy against Muggle Rights, but his wife Narcissa was a hard one to peg down. She seemed to not be interested in politics. She clearly cared for her son and Harry had heard she sat on the board of several charities. Maybe he could appeal to her on the basis of charity and see where she stood. Draco had also basically declared himself for his father's side. He started the Magic Born group at school at his fathers behest and maintained his position as President of the prejudiced club. Harry had heard from several underclassmen that the meetings were not very political and mainly involved dueling practice and Magic Born propaganda distribution. No one in the group had crafted the material they were merely instructed to pass it out frequently. Draco seemed to be following orders. If that were the case he may be able to swing him to their side. They needed to find a crack in Magic Born so they could show everyone that Muggles were in fact equals in every way.

The Weasleys would have been Harry's first choice of ally if you had asked for a list back in his third or even fourth year. But all that changed when the younger Weasleys swallowed everything Dumbledore fed them. The lies about only Magic Born children having the power to defeat the forces of darkness. How Muggles were a bad influence on their society and they could infiltrate their world and destroy everything they hold dear. Big families like the Weasleys were important because they had so many connections. Even if they didn't like most of the Magic Born families personally they were all fighting for the same cause. The destruction of a nonexistent Dark Lord and the strengthening of Magical Britain. Keeping the Muggles down and their families strong was the only way they saw to accomplish that.

So many late nights had been spent talking to Ron. Hermione and Harry had tried everything to get through to him. It all came to an end one night at the end of sixth year after a long and thorough conversation where Hermione used several charts to show how DNA and magical inheritance were innate in Muggles as well as Magic Born. Harry saw Ron's face concentrated and thoughtful. He was sure they had cracked him. When Hermione had finished her excellent presentation Ron nodded in what they assumed was agreement. Then he opened his mouth, looking at them both as if they would never understand, he said, "It's not about blood or DNA," Hermione tried to interrupt but Harry pulled her down and shushed her quickly. Ron started again, "I know that DNA makes us who we are in some ways, but, in other ways, and I don't know all the specifics, but," he scratched his stubbled face and let out a breath, "magic wills it." Harry tried to grab him but Ron pulled away, as he said again, "Magic wills it Harry. Someday you'll understand. But she never will."

After that Hermione had run off crying, and Harry had to stay with her until she could breathe even again. Harry had known it was useless to try and reason with him, or any of the Weasleys ever again. Magic had willed it so.

The meeting ended quickly and quietly. Hermione lingered at the door shaking hands and making plans. Harry, who normally headed out the door first, stayed seated as chairs were whisked back against the wall by Hermione's careful spellwork. She turned around in a circle whispering to herself about scheduling. Harry kept his head down and his mind far away.

"You can't fool me Harry," Hermione said finally as if they were having a conversation all along, "I know you miss him." Harry looked up at her his face screwed up in a look of confusion as Hermione continued, "Sirius, not Dumbledore!" Harry deflated and said, "Oh yeah, right, Sirius." Hermione huffed and kneeled down in front of him as he was still in the same chair and hadn't moved an inch. She placed her hands on his knees and looked into his eyes, "It's OK to feel things Harry. You're not made of stone, no matter how much you hide from the world, you can't hide from everyone all the time. I hope you consider me a friend," Harry cut her off quickly, "Hermione you're the only family I have. We're past friendship at this point.."

She stood up and opened her arms wide in a request for a hug. Harry begrudgingly got up and fell into her. They hugged for a moment, Harry patting her back softly and Hermione taking slow breaths. Harry whispered, "I do, miss him, I mean." Hermione whispered back, "I know, I'm here, for whatever you need. We have each other."

As they were leaving DADA the next day, Harry spotted Susan Bones whispering with a few Slytherins, all of whom were in the Magic Born Children collective. Susan looked a bit upset at something. Harry told Hermione to go on ahead to the next class. She briefly squeezed his shoulder as if to say 'be careful' and then headed down the hall the opposite direction. Harry made his way over to the group. They dispersed quickly, Susan with a quick 'Hello' directed at him and the others mumbling something to Draco as they left.

"Potter," Draco drawled while he cleaned his finger nails. "Draco, how are you?" Harry asked. Draco glanced at Harry and Harry felt as if he were being sized up somehow. It lasted a second and then his cool mask of indifference was back in place. Harry had noticed over the past few weeks of school that whenever Harry addressed Malfoy as Draco, it unnerved the boy. He still didn't know why, but he enjoyed getting under Draco's skin.

"I'm well, yourself?" Draco returned. Harry cocked his head to the side, and gestured in the direction of Susan Bones' path of retreat, "Susan Bones, is she joining the dark side then?" Harry attempted to keep it light, casual, funny, but Draco glared. His face became a stony mask and his posture stiffened. His breath came fast as he gritted out, "There is no 'dark' side Potter. And if anyone would be on a 'dark' side it would be you."

Harry smiled awkwardly and spluttered out, "No, that's not what I meant, it.." Draco pushed past him and headed down the hall to class. Harry plonked his forehead against the wall, defeated. This is another reason why Muggle Rights was so important, no Magic Born ever got his Star Wars references.

The sky was overcast, again, and the Quidditch pitch was blissfully quiet. The calm before the storm. Draco walked the edges of the pitch slowly, cooling down from his morning run. In two hours the stadium would be full of people and sound and sport. Draco loved Quidditch but crowds not so much. Running had become his coping mechanism and although it horrified his parents they had seen the benefits toward his well being and had accepted this new Runner Draco.

He needed proper shoes when he first started running and he had tried to transfigure some running shoes from a picture he'd found in the muggle sports section of the Hogwarts library periodicals. They had absolutely killed his feet after only about 10 minutes of jogging. So, this past summer he had gone to Muggle London alone and patronized a Muggle running store. His new trainers had been quite expensive but they made running so much better. He was shocked at the technology and knowledge put into the craft of the shoes. It was fascinating to learn about all the extreme marathons that Muggles frequently ran. He was particularly interested in something called 'ultra marathons.' At first he hadn't believed the young man who had helped him find his shoes about the extent to which Muggles pushed themselves. After returning to the store several more times over the summer he had actually met and talked with a few long distance runners. These Muggles are insane, was his first thought, but then after reading some more books on the subject he came to find a deep respect for them.

They pushed themselves to the absolute max, and they did it without the security of magic. They relied completely and totally on themselves and nothing else. It was inspiring. Draco had started the summer running a few kilometers a day and then in the past few weeks he had been doing close to 15 kilometers every other day. He couldn't wait to see how far he could really run. Without his wand, without his parents or friends, without anyone but himself and his new shoes, of course.

Draco still loved Quidditch but he wasn't interested in pursuing it. It wasn't a life long pursuit like long distance running could be. Quidditch had a time limit on it. After this year and the craziness of Dumbledore and school, he would never be playing again. He knew that, the way some people know when a storm is coming even when there isn't a cloud in the sky. His intuition was not naturally very good. He used information gathered from observing and knowledge of how people behaved in order to guess what the best outcome for himself would be. That was as close to predicting the coming storm as he would ever be, he had accepted that about himself.

So when his father had cajoled him into starting some frivolous "Magics Only" group he had done it with precision and alacrity. He gathered the necessary team, mostly Slytherins, and charmed key people in positions of power in the other houses. Smith was the first big acquisition. He came from a family that could trace itself back to Helga Hufflepuff herself. With him came the majority of Hufflepuff's Magic Born as well as a handful of key Ravenclaws. Then there was the big score: The Weasleys. Getting one would have been boon enough but he managed to score four out of five at the time. Percy graduated that year and thus didn't matter anyhow. The remaining Weasleys had been deep in Dumbledore's pocket and having the old Headmaster's support had only solidified Draco's position in the school. Not to boast or anything but he was pretty much in charge of the entire student body, and no ballot had ever been cast. Politics behind the scenes was much more thrilling, he surmised.

Of course now he was in charge of passing on an organization that he absolutely did not agree with. It wasn't the science that Granger had always been pushing, or the civil arguments that Percy touted that had swayed him. It was Potter. The way he accepted everyone for who they were. The way the Muggles he had met over the summer had been so nice, so welcoming and knowledgeable. He knew that not all of them were like this of course but to believe that for some reason they were less capable of being a part of their society just because of the way they were raised seemed more and more preposterous as time went on. No, Potter was the clincher in it all. He approached Draco as if he were anyone else. He treated everyone the same, no matter what, it was baffling and, Draco had to admit, it was charming.

The only reason the Muggle Rights group hadn't died the first month it started was mainly due to Potter's waning fame. Harry was the Boy Who Lived when he first set foot in Hogwarts but after a series of bad choices he became the Boy Who Was Not Impressed With Any of You Lot Thanks. He didn't forge any lasting connections with any of the old families. He didn't attend any festivals or parties or study groups. He wasn't even aware of the Slug Club as far as Draco knew. It was disappointing in a way because Draco's father had been sure that securing a relationship with Potter would be favorable. In the end Draco had made the right call by ignoring the boy altogether. Dumbledore had kept hope alive for many people but now that he was gone, and the remaining old guard had firmly set up camp well away from Potter, his fame was almost useless now. It was a shame.

So now the Muggle Rights group was doing it's level best and Magic Born had become a triumph. Draco should be pleased, he knew his father and mother were. They were practically ecstatic when they heard how poorly the rival group was doing at the Ministry this past fortnight. The Muggle Group were there to go over new legislation at Percy Weasley's office and they struggled to keep anyone's interest beyond a cursory nod or handshake. Father almost cracked a smile as he recounted the trip after visiting Draco in Hogsmeade yesterday. It had unnerved Draco to see his father nearly emote in public.

The cool air had cooled Draco a little too much as he picked up the pace toward the locker room. After a quick shower he headed to the castle for breakfast.

The game was in full swing now. Gryffindor versus Slytherin and the crowd was a sea of green, silver, red and gold. Harry was in attendance with Hermione and Justin today. There was only one Muggle on the Gryffindor team and Slytherin had one half-Muggle chaser in Tracey Davis.

Tracey had been studying with Hermione the past couple of weeks and as he watched her fly overhead he wondered about the girl. "Hermione," Harry said, "how is Tracey these days? Do you two get along?" Hermione was only half-listening her eyes transfixed on the sleek Slytherin chaser. She replied, "Oh, Tracey?" Harry rolled his eyes, "Yeah, you never talk about her, what's she like?" Hermione shrugged and said, "She alright I guess." This made Harry even more curious. Usually if Hermione were trying to pull someone into their Muggle Rights group she would have documentation and details about their likes, dislikes, family histories, school schedules, etc.

She was being obtuse so Harry persisted asking, "Hermione, is Tracey joining the group or not?" Hermione broke her stare of the game and focused on Harry, she leaned over slightly to talk lowly into his ear, "I'm not sure yet. I don't want to spook her or get anyone's hopes up. She could be a real boon for the group, but, more than that I actually," Hermione paused and dropped her face down to watch her twisting hands in her lap. She continued after a few tense moments, "I like her." Harry smiled and said in a mock whisper, "That's great. Why are we whispering about your friendship with Tracey? She's half-Muggle, it's not exactly a scandal to be friends." Hermione sighed and widened her eyes at Harry as she said through gritted teeth, "I like her, Harry." Her eyebrows shot up as if to emphasize the point. Slowly, Harry started to let the pieces click into place as he said, "Oh, like, like her. I see. That's great too! I don't think we need to whisper about it."

Hermione shook her head at him and said, "Harry, I'm already at the bottom of the Magical Totem Pole as it were. Add being a lesbian and, there's no one lower." Harry frowned and scrunched up his face as he said, "Well you're not alone. I fully support you." Hermione smiled and threw her arm around his shoulders. They stayed that way for the rest of the game. Slytherin had won and all the Gryffindors left the stadium with their heads hanging low. Hermione moved slower than normal as she lingered at the bottom of the pitch near the lockers. Trying not to look too obvious Harry chatted away at her while Justin moved quickly with a goodbye thrown over his shoulder in his haste to get back inside.

The Slytherin team entered the path to the locker rooms first to the delight of many lingering students waiting to offer their congratulations. A few various girlfriends and boyfriends embraced their paramours on their way inside. The captain of the Slytherin team swung his petite Hufflepuff girlfriend around in a wide circle nearly knocking over a few people. Draco called out, "Get a room. Merlin be," as he pushed his way past the ruckus. Harry followed Draco's movements with his eyes but the boy never looked up at him. Behind him Tracey seemed to be looking around the small crowd for someone as her eyes locked right next to Harry and onto Hermione. Hermione waved her hand down low and smiled brightly, Tracey sent her a bright smile and a thumbs up on her way inside.

Pushing past was the Gryffindor team and they were shouting as they headed through the group of Slytherin students by the door. Ginny pushed a small girl down on the ground in her haste, she turned to see who had fallen and inadvertently stopped the procession of her teammates behind her. Traffic came to a stop as Ginny said her apologies to the small girl. Harry stepped forward and tried to move the girl out of the way to get traffic moving. Ginny gave him a small smile. Her brother Ron pushed his way to the front of the group to see what the hold up was. Ron yelled, "Oi! Move it Gin." He pushed his sister into the locker room and glanced at Harry. Before Harry could even think he blurted out, "Good game." Ron's face twisted into a grimace, "Is that a joke?" Harry shook his head, "No, I meant, well not a good game, just you played well it didn't.." He let the jumble of words die where they stood. Mortified he gave a goofy smile and made to leave. Ron hastily said, "We would have played a good game, if this team could get it's shit together. We shouldn't have any Muggles on any of the teams. It would be fairer that way. Whatever."

Before Harry could even reply the rest of the team whisked Ron into the changing room. Their only Muggle player, a beater named Johnson stayed at the back of the pack. She wasn't in any school groups and she very carefully avoided Harry and Hermione's eyes. Harry wanted to reach out to her but Hermione pulled his hand back whispering, "C'mon it's not the time."

That was the problem, Harry thought on his way back to the castle, it was never the right time. It would never be the right time to call people out on their bigotry and their twisted ideas. Harry growing more and more determined stomped toward the castle and said firmly to Hermione, "If not now, when?" Hermione had to double step to keep up with him, but she let his words hang in the air between them unanswered.