Rhetorical Author's Note/Question: Is it a sign that you have no life when all you have to do on your birthday is write on fics because you have no other plans? Just wondering :) *curses the fact that all her friends live out-of-state, except for one*
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When the afternoon ended, Ron had to be literally dragged away by Neville.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the sight, and reached over to give Harry a quick hug. "It was good seeing you," she said. "I'm glad we got this chance."
"I'm glad, too," Harry said, sincerely. "I had missed you guys."
"Then come back with us!" Ron shouted from a few feet away.
Harry, who had until then been fairly relaxed, tensed at the idea. "I...I can't," he said helplessly. "Not now...not yet."
"Harry?" Hermione looked at her friend. "It might help if you told us what you're so afraid of."
"I...really can't say. It's so many things, and none of them make sense alone, or even to anyone but me, I'd say. Besides," Harry's tone lightened, trying to recapture the mood of earlier, "as long as Ginny's actively on the prowl, I don't dare to go back."
Ron tilted his head. "I guess I'll have to pass that on to her, huh?"
"Ron!" In total exasperation, she went over and grabbed Ron's arm, dragging him away. "We'll owl!" she called back over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Harry!"
Harry waved after them. "Take care!"
None of the three said a word until the reached Remus and Portkeyed back to Hogsmeade. On the walk back, Hermione sighed. "So, Neville, what did Draco tell you?"
Neville flushed a little at being found out. Ron, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. "When were you talking to *him*?"
"Oh, honestly!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Is there a limit you can reach of stupid things to say in one day? And if there is, have we reached it yet?"
Ron looked insulted, but before he could make a retort, Neville jumped in. "Well, he told me several things that Harry never told us, nor was planning to, I suspect." And he poured out the little that Draco had said, as well as some of the things he'd read between the lines.
Hermione frowned thoughtfully. "Well...that explains a lot." She looked to Ron. "You're not to tell your sister any of this."
It was Ron's turn to roll his eyes. "I'm not *that* dense, Hermione. I love Ginny and all, but she'd probably redouble her efforts to 'cure' Harry, knowing her."
"And I believe it would get her nowhere," Neville commented.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you didn't see Draco today. He took great pains to avoid us, for Harry's sake. He didn't want to risk starting a fight. But the way he talked about Harry, the way he looked at him...that boy is really in love with our Harry."
Ron blinked. "Well, that might be so, but what about Harry?"
Neville thought for a minute. "Well...did you see Harry's eyes? Whenever Draco's name came up, I mean."
Hermione looked thoughtful. "They...shone, almost. It was...nice."
Neville nodded. "Harry himself told us that he wasn't ready to love *anyone*. But I think...when the time is right, it'll be Draco that he loves. He might already and just not be able to acknowledge it."
Ron groaned dramatically. "Harry...in love with a Malfoy! I don't think I can take the shock."
Hermione shot a cautioning look at him. "Ron...."
He held up his hands defensively. "Peace! If Draco is what makes Harry happy...I won't say anything." Ron sighed. "I've learned *that* lesson, at least."
Neville threw an arm around Ron's shoulders. "And people say that education's wasted on us!"
Laughing, the three went into Hogwarts.
**********
After his friends had left, Harry remained outside, thinking in the twilight.
Presently, Draco came out to join him. "What's up, Harry?"
"Nothing much-just thinking." He looked up at the sky. "You ever made a wish on the first star you see in the sky?"
Draco shook his head. "It never occurred to me, really."
"Well, people do it in the Muggle world all the time. I used to, but none of my wishes ever came true. So I stopped. But...now I've figured out where I went wrong."
"How's that?"
Harry reached out and pulled Draco onto the rock with him. "You see right there? That bright white light?"
"But Harry...that's Venus."
"Exactly. I didn't know that when I was little, so I just gave up. I had almost forgotten...until tonight. And now I've realized-I was never wishing on a star at all. I was wishing on a planet-maybe that's why my wishes never came true." They sat for a few minutes before Harry pointed. "But see there?" He indicated a reddish speck in the sky.
Draco nodded.
"Well, that's Antares. A *real* star. So I'm thinking...maybe I'll try again." He closed his eyes. Draco saw Harry's lips moving, but couldn't decipher the words.
"So? What did you wish for?"
Harry shook his head. "Don't you know? You can never tell someone your wishes, otherwise they won't come true, and I'm not about to jinx *this* one."
Draco laughed. "Impeccable logic, I'm sure, Harry." He ruffled the other boy's hair.
With a sigh, Harry shrugged. "It might not be logical...but it brings hope. And I like that."
Draco started as he felt Harry's head lean against his shoulder. Cautiously, he placed and arm around Harry, and smiled as Harry snuggled closer. 'Hope....'
Draco turned his attention to the sky again. "Maybe there is something in wishing on stars after all, then." Harry made a small sound of affirmation.
Looking, Draco found the star that Harry had pointed out. Closing his eyes, he dared to make a wish of his own.
'I wish you would be able to laugh again, Harry. I wish that you could be happy once more....'
**********
**********
When the afternoon ended, Ron had to be literally dragged away by Neville.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the sight, and reached over to give Harry a quick hug. "It was good seeing you," she said. "I'm glad we got this chance."
"I'm glad, too," Harry said, sincerely. "I had missed you guys."
"Then come back with us!" Ron shouted from a few feet away.
Harry, who had until then been fairly relaxed, tensed at the idea. "I...I can't," he said helplessly. "Not now...not yet."
"Harry?" Hermione looked at her friend. "It might help if you told us what you're so afraid of."
"I...really can't say. It's so many things, and none of them make sense alone, or even to anyone but me, I'd say. Besides," Harry's tone lightened, trying to recapture the mood of earlier, "as long as Ginny's actively on the prowl, I don't dare to go back."
Ron tilted his head. "I guess I'll have to pass that on to her, huh?"
"Ron!" In total exasperation, she went over and grabbed Ron's arm, dragging him away. "We'll owl!" she called back over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Harry!"
Harry waved after them. "Take care!"
None of the three said a word until the reached Remus and Portkeyed back to Hogsmeade. On the walk back, Hermione sighed. "So, Neville, what did Draco tell you?"
Neville flushed a little at being found out. Ron, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. "When were you talking to *him*?"
"Oh, honestly!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Is there a limit you can reach of stupid things to say in one day? And if there is, have we reached it yet?"
Ron looked insulted, but before he could make a retort, Neville jumped in. "Well, he told me several things that Harry never told us, nor was planning to, I suspect." And he poured out the little that Draco had said, as well as some of the things he'd read between the lines.
Hermione frowned thoughtfully. "Well...that explains a lot." She looked to Ron. "You're not to tell your sister any of this."
It was Ron's turn to roll his eyes. "I'm not *that* dense, Hermione. I love Ginny and all, but she'd probably redouble her efforts to 'cure' Harry, knowing her."
"And I believe it would get her nowhere," Neville commented.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you didn't see Draco today. He took great pains to avoid us, for Harry's sake. He didn't want to risk starting a fight. But the way he talked about Harry, the way he looked at him...that boy is really in love with our Harry."
Ron blinked. "Well, that might be so, but what about Harry?"
Neville thought for a minute. "Well...did you see Harry's eyes? Whenever Draco's name came up, I mean."
Hermione looked thoughtful. "They...shone, almost. It was...nice."
Neville nodded. "Harry himself told us that he wasn't ready to love *anyone*. But I think...when the time is right, it'll be Draco that he loves. He might already and just not be able to acknowledge it."
Ron groaned dramatically. "Harry...in love with a Malfoy! I don't think I can take the shock."
Hermione shot a cautioning look at him. "Ron...."
He held up his hands defensively. "Peace! If Draco is what makes Harry happy...I won't say anything." Ron sighed. "I've learned *that* lesson, at least."
Neville threw an arm around Ron's shoulders. "And people say that education's wasted on us!"
Laughing, the three went into Hogwarts.
**********
After his friends had left, Harry remained outside, thinking in the twilight.
Presently, Draco came out to join him. "What's up, Harry?"
"Nothing much-just thinking." He looked up at the sky. "You ever made a wish on the first star you see in the sky?"
Draco shook his head. "It never occurred to me, really."
"Well, people do it in the Muggle world all the time. I used to, but none of my wishes ever came true. So I stopped. But...now I've figured out where I went wrong."
"How's that?"
Harry reached out and pulled Draco onto the rock with him. "You see right there? That bright white light?"
"But Harry...that's Venus."
"Exactly. I didn't know that when I was little, so I just gave up. I had almost forgotten...until tonight. And now I've realized-I was never wishing on a star at all. I was wishing on a planet-maybe that's why my wishes never came true." They sat for a few minutes before Harry pointed. "But see there?" He indicated a reddish speck in the sky.
Draco nodded.
"Well, that's Antares. A *real* star. So I'm thinking...maybe I'll try again." He closed his eyes. Draco saw Harry's lips moving, but couldn't decipher the words.
"So? What did you wish for?"
Harry shook his head. "Don't you know? You can never tell someone your wishes, otherwise they won't come true, and I'm not about to jinx *this* one."
Draco laughed. "Impeccable logic, I'm sure, Harry." He ruffled the other boy's hair.
With a sigh, Harry shrugged. "It might not be logical...but it brings hope. And I like that."
Draco started as he felt Harry's head lean against his shoulder. Cautiously, he placed and arm around Harry, and smiled as Harry snuggled closer. 'Hope....'
Draco turned his attention to the sky again. "Maybe there is something in wishing on stars after all, then." Harry made a small sound of affirmation.
Looking, Draco found the star that Harry had pointed out. Closing his eyes, he dared to make a wish of his own.
'I wish you would be able to laugh again, Harry. I wish that you could be happy once more....'
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