Disclaimer: anything created by JK Rowling (Hogwarts' Benevolent Goddess) I clearly do not own, and cannot take credit for.

Author's Notes: Thank you Rouge Magie, for putting on your bio that people should r&r my stories!

Dedicated to (as I have been forgetting dedications of late): all my reviewers, may whatever you believe is up there running this gig smile upon you! For any atheists, agnostics, whatever: may other people smile at you.

There, I think I catered to all there…

Thank you everyone who has reviewed this story and any other stories I've written!

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Chapter Nine: Let there be hope

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Draco stared at the mirror that morning.

He made up his mind. It was early, she'd probably be half asleep anyway, but he felt he had neglected her lately, and she deserved better than that.

Walking out to her door, he knocked.

"Morag?"

Eventually, she came to the door. Tousled hair and half-shut eyes greeted him, and she smiled.

"Morag, you do know that I love you, don't you?" he asked.

"Why?" she seemed suddenly suspicious. "You aren't going to go and do anything stupid, are you?"

"No, of course not. I just…I do love you, Morag. I've heard Harry talking about that stupid prophecy thing – well; it's just more Divination nonsense. I've seen Professor Trelawney mooning over it, it doesn't mean anything. It's a fairy tale, in case he hadn't noticed, the stories about that prophecy actually state who the 'Serpent' and the 'Lion' are supposed to be, and they've already lived their happily ever after. I love you, Morag, and I don't ever, ever want to lose you." It all came out in a rush, and Morag smiled faintly and kissed him.

"I love you, too."

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"Fred, would you pass the butter?"

That morning went much like any other. The large group ate in the dining room, and breakfast conversation was quiet and hesitant. Some of these people had probably never said a civil word to each other, yet here they were, breaking their fasts together and discussing topics pleasantly.

Any topic but the events of that year.

No mention of Voldemort.

They all knew he was coming back. It was inevitable.

He had come back from worse already, and he was coming back again.

Silence fell, for the first time in days. Always were they speaking, laughing, moving and discussing. Now there was nothing left for them to talk about, nothing left but the one thing they could not bear to think of.

Dear God, they all prayed silently, let there be hope.

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"Jenni, I'm worried." Morganna told her friend that afternoon. Everyone had gone their separate ways for the day, trying to enjoy their holiday.

"What about?" Jenni asked.

"I'm not really sure." She confessed. "But something strikes me as…worrying. Severus and Morag don't seem to be speaking at all, Harry and Draco act like caged tigers whenever they're in the same room, and Morag seems somehow cut off from everyone else. I don't know what to think."

"They've all been through a fairly traumatic year, Morganna. Everyone has. Voldemort…attacking Hogwarts…you know how terrifying that was. Hogwarts was a sanctuary…a safe haven. Nobody ever thought he would attack Hogwarts." Jenni replied, thoughtful.

"It's still worrying."

"I know."

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Author's Notes: I know, really short chapter – not even a whole page – but this was all I could come up with and I felt I had to put up **something**