THAT SUMMER, Chapter 17
By Reija Linn
Harry
When the plan was set, we all were sent to our assigned quarters in the castle, only Dumbledore and Draco staying behind. I asked the others to go ahead, and that I would join them shortly - then I faced my old enemy, Draco Malfoy, with shaking knees. I noticed Dumbledore had left the room through the door through which Snape, Madame Pomfrey and Malfoy had entered earlier - thus, I was alone with Draco.
He regarded at me with a look of contempt, which I couldn't feel offended at, as I guessed my own expression hadn't been very much different earlier on. And years of animosity and hate were hard to overcome.
"What do you want, Potter?" he sneered at me, though his hands were noticeably shaking.
"I..." I'd known I'd have to say something, but I hadn't quite formulated what exactly I wanted to tell him. "Just wish you luck, I guess."
He actually looked abashed at this, not to mention surprised. Yet, his reply was with a harsh tone. "Sudden change, Potter. We've never been friends, so don't pretend you're concerned about my fucking health, but we've been pretty good enemies, so let's just leave it at that, okay?"
I shook my head as my old Harry-Potter-stubbornness set in. "Nope. I realize it's probably too late for us to be friends, and honestly, I don't really know if I want to be - after all, you didn't exactly make my years here any better - but I don't think I can see you as my enemy again. Besides, I don't want to make the same mistake my godfather has made - he and Snape still loathe each other, which lead to Peter Pettigrew escaping in the first place - if it weren't for that, perhaps we wouldn't have to worry about this bloody war at all. It almost lead to the death of two innocent people, too."
"And what's that to do with *us*, Potter?"
I sighed audibly. "Everything, though I guess you can't understand since you weren't there that day, and don't even know half of it. I just think there's enough hate around as it is, and no need for hate between allies. I'm sorry if you don't see that, but I wish you good luck anyways, and that you come out of this alive, okay?"
With this, I turned to exit Dumbledore's office. I had already opened the door to see Bill waiting there for me, when I heard Draco's - for him rather soft-sounding "You too, Potter."
I turned back to smile at my old enemy, who stood there with an expression as if he'd never said the words, but I knew he had, and I left the room with a feeling of an urgent matter settled.
When the door shut closed behind me, Bill turned towards me curiously "what was that all about?"
"Just setting something right before it's too late, Bill."
With this, we went to our quarters - we'd been assigned to one of the previous dorms (which delight I noticed it was my own old room in the Gryffindor tower) together with Sirius and Remus. Hermione, as the only girl in our troops, was staying in a room with Madam Pomfrey, Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall - it had been decided that single sleeping rooms were too dangerous should our plan go wrong and Hogwarts be attacked early, which was pretty unlikely, but possible.
Sirius actually was so delighted with finding me well, that he hugged me again with a breath taking ferocity he had obviously controlled while in the company of the others.
"Gosh, Harry, it's so good to see you again. I'm so sorry for everything that has happened - I'm so sorry, and I should have been there, and..."
I cut him off kindly. "It's okay, Sirius. Really. I can't say I'm not sorry for what happened - it still hurts - but Bill's been there for me, and it's okay."
Bill chimed in at this, chuckling. "Actually, it was more that we were there for each other." He shook hands with both Sirius and Remus, and though we were all very tired - we hadn't even noticed it was late evening, already - we settled down on a bed together, Sirius and Remus at one end (my godfather's arm slung suspiciously around his mate's shoulders as they snuggled close), Bill and I at the other, and when Bill flung his arm around me similar to the other two, it seemed totally natural.
Sirius grinned at this. Of course, he didn't know about me and Ron - looking back, I couldn't find a reason why I hadn't told him about it, though there must have been one - perhaps it was simply that I hadn't seen much of my godfather since he'd started his work as an auror, or perhaps that I had, although it hadn't been that long, felt so younger back then. And we hadn't told Ron's parents...
"Are you two..." my godfather smugly started to ask, and grinned wickedly when Bill and I blushed.
"No," Bill answered, at the same time to my rather stern "Sirius!"
My dear godfather then refrained from more implications (at least partly because Remus punched him in the side), but looked even smugger than before. "Oh, I see."
I tried to distract him by talking about something else altogether, I think I addressed Remus about something or the other, and soon we were leading a conversation that luckily had nothing at all to do with Bill and my (non-existent) relationship.
After what must have been over an hour of talk, tiredness finally set in, and thankfully, Sirius did not drop a single remark at me and Bill sharing a bed (though I have the strange suspicion that had something to do with Remus, and still thank him for that).
Of course, we had during our travel to England become used to sleeping apart again, but now that the battle was so close, I needed Bill's company more than ever, and truly, his presence and warmth at my side took away much of my nervousness about the things that were to come.
The next day, the people who had found refugee at the castle were moved to the Gringott's dungeon, and a message was sent out to Charlie and his friends.
Hogwart's was ready for the final fight.
And so were we.
By Reija Linn
Harry
When the plan was set, we all were sent to our assigned quarters in the castle, only Dumbledore and Draco staying behind. I asked the others to go ahead, and that I would join them shortly - then I faced my old enemy, Draco Malfoy, with shaking knees. I noticed Dumbledore had left the room through the door through which Snape, Madame Pomfrey and Malfoy had entered earlier - thus, I was alone with Draco.
He regarded at me with a look of contempt, which I couldn't feel offended at, as I guessed my own expression hadn't been very much different earlier on. And years of animosity and hate were hard to overcome.
"What do you want, Potter?" he sneered at me, though his hands were noticeably shaking.
"I..." I'd known I'd have to say something, but I hadn't quite formulated what exactly I wanted to tell him. "Just wish you luck, I guess."
He actually looked abashed at this, not to mention surprised. Yet, his reply was with a harsh tone. "Sudden change, Potter. We've never been friends, so don't pretend you're concerned about my fucking health, but we've been pretty good enemies, so let's just leave it at that, okay?"
I shook my head as my old Harry-Potter-stubbornness set in. "Nope. I realize it's probably too late for us to be friends, and honestly, I don't really know if I want to be - after all, you didn't exactly make my years here any better - but I don't think I can see you as my enemy again. Besides, I don't want to make the same mistake my godfather has made - he and Snape still loathe each other, which lead to Peter Pettigrew escaping in the first place - if it weren't for that, perhaps we wouldn't have to worry about this bloody war at all. It almost lead to the death of two innocent people, too."
"And what's that to do with *us*, Potter?"
I sighed audibly. "Everything, though I guess you can't understand since you weren't there that day, and don't even know half of it. I just think there's enough hate around as it is, and no need for hate between allies. I'm sorry if you don't see that, but I wish you good luck anyways, and that you come out of this alive, okay?"
With this, I turned to exit Dumbledore's office. I had already opened the door to see Bill waiting there for me, when I heard Draco's - for him rather soft-sounding "You too, Potter."
I turned back to smile at my old enemy, who stood there with an expression as if he'd never said the words, but I knew he had, and I left the room with a feeling of an urgent matter settled.
When the door shut closed behind me, Bill turned towards me curiously "what was that all about?"
"Just setting something right before it's too late, Bill."
With this, we went to our quarters - we'd been assigned to one of the previous dorms (which delight I noticed it was my own old room in the Gryffindor tower) together with Sirius and Remus. Hermione, as the only girl in our troops, was staying in a room with Madam Pomfrey, Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall - it had been decided that single sleeping rooms were too dangerous should our plan go wrong and Hogwarts be attacked early, which was pretty unlikely, but possible.
Sirius actually was so delighted with finding me well, that he hugged me again with a breath taking ferocity he had obviously controlled while in the company of the others.
"Gosh, Harry, it's so good to see you again. I'm so sorry for everything that has happened - I'm so sorry, and I should have been there, and..."
I cut him off kindly. "It's okay, Sirius. Really. I can't say I'm not sorry for what happened - it still hurts - but Bill's been there for me, and it's okay."
Bill chimed in at this, chuckling. "Actually, it was more that we were there for each other." He shook hands with both Sirius and Remus, and though we were all very tired - we hadn't even noticed it was late evening, already - we settled down on a bed together, Sirius and Remus at one end (my godfather's arm slung suspiciously around his mate's shoulders as they snuggled close), Bill and I at the other, and when Bill flung his arm around me similar to the other two, it seemed totally natural.
Sirius grinned at this. Of course, he didn't know about me and Ron - looking back, I couldn't find a reason why I hadn't told him about it, though there must have been one - perhaps it was simply that I hadn't seen much of my godfather since he'd started his work as an auror, or perhaps that I had, although it hadn't been that long, felt so younger back then. And we hadn't told Ron's parents...
"Are you two..." my godfather smugly started to ask, and grinned wickedly when Bill and I blushed.
"No," Bill answered, at the same time to my rather stern "Sirius!"
My dear godfather then refrained from more implications (at least partly because Remus punched him in the side), but looked even smugger than before. "Oh, I see."
I tried to distract him by talking about something else altogether, I think I addressed Remus about something or the other, and soon we were leading a conversation that luckily had nothing at all to do with Bill and my (non-existent) relationship.
After what must have been over an hour of talk, tiredness finally set in, and thankfully, Sirius did not drop a single remark at me and Bill sharing a bed (though I have the strange suspicion that had something to do with Remus, and still thank him for that).
Of course, we had during our travel to England become used to sleeping apart again, but now that the battle was so close, I needed Bill's company more than ever, and truly, his presence and warmth at my side took away much of my nervousness about the things that were to come.
The next day, the people who had found refugee at the castle were moved to the Gringott's dungeon, and a message was sent out to Charlie and his friends.
Hogwart's was ready for the final fight.
And so were we.