"Harry, you've gotten an invitation to the Burrow for a week. What do you think?"
Harry looked up from his book and regarded Remus, startled. "The Burrow? Really?"
"Yes." Remus glanced down at the parchment in his hand. "Molly Weasley writes that since school ended, Ron misses seeing you. She was planning on having the whole family home for a sort of reunion."
Harry had been half-considering the offer, but flinched a little at the 'whole family' part. "I don't know," he said doubtfully. All those people...Remus, do you think I'm ready for that?"
Remus looked at him archly. "Are you?"
Harry smiled. "I suppose I should've know that you wouldn't go so easy on me."
"Nope. Now answer the question."
"I...I really don't know. A part of me wants to go, wants to see everyone...but I also remember what it was like, having everyone there. If it were just Ron and Ginny, I wouldn't really have to think about it, but...well, the twins were a handful to take when I *wasn't* so messed up, and...then there's the memories, the holes that will be there. I'm not sure how that will be."
"I understand, and you're well within your rights to refuse. But Harry, I want you to remember something." Remus sat on the sofa next to Harry and looked at him seriously. "You can't hide from the world forever. I firmly believe that this time away was the best thing to do for you, and we've seen the positive results. However, you're going to have to go to Hogwarts again come next year. If you can't handle seven people, all of whom care about you and want only the best for you, how will you be able to handle a whole school full of people?"
"You're right," Harry whispered, studying the cover of his book intently. "I...I should do this. I *have* to do this. I'm just nervous...I'll have no escape routes there, and that scares me."
"Well, should you need to, you can come home early no problem. I'd like to see you try, but, like I said, the final decision is up to you."
Harry straightened. "I'll go then."
"Good." Remus smiled. "I'll go write Molly back, and tell Draco-"
"About Draco," Harry interrupted. "I...I don't want him to go with me."
Remus blinked, surprised. "Might I ask why?"
"Because I need to learn to do things on my own. Draco's been great, but when you spoke of Hogwarts, you reminded me-he's a Slytherin, I'm a Gryffindor. We'd be apart a lot. Besides, this is going to be tough enough. I don't need the Draco/Ron tensions making things potentially worse."
"Understandable. You tell Draco, then."
"Do I-" Harry cut himself off. "Never mind, I know the answer already."
Remus grinned. "You're finally learning, my boy."
**********
Finding Draco didn't prove to be very difficult. After all, the house wasn't that large. And even if Draco wasn't in the house, which proved to be the case, he never strayed far from the building. Taking all of this together, Harry only had to look for about five minutes before finding Draco.
Draco was currently positioned under a tree, eyes closed. However, he opened them as he heard someone approach and smiled. "Harry. How are you?"
"Alright." He sat down next to Draco and began to play with the grass. "I have something to talk to you about."
"Anything, Harry. You know that."
"The Weasleys have invited me to their home for a week." A pause. "I've accepted their invitation."
Draco shrugged. "Well, I can't claim that I'll have fun, but-"
"Actually," Harry interrupted, "that's what I've come to talk to you about." Draco waited as Harry took a breath. "I...I'm going by myself."
Draco's expression didn't change visibly, but a light in his eyes dimmed. "May I ask why?" he asked, unconsciously echoing Remus.
Harry heard something in his tone and responded to it. "I'm not trying to get rid of you or anything like that," he tried to assure the other teen. "It's just...Remus made a good point earlier. I'm going to have to face the world sooner or later. Might as well make it now. And...well...we're going to have to be apart quite a bit at school, anyway. I need to see if I can do this without you, now."
"You don't...need me anymore, then?" Draco's voice was cool, a tone Harry hadn't heard since before the last battle. It scared him.
"Don't be like this, Draco," he pleaded, trying to look into Draco's eyes. "I don need you-I need you so much it frightens me. And, like it or not, one day I'm not going to have you around to lean on-if I can't hold myself up for any amount of time, I'm doomed."
"I understand, I really do," Draco said pleasantly-too pleasantly. He rose from the ground. "I should really go in now."
"Draco, don't go!" Tears filled Harry's eyes. He knew that this moment was a pivotal point in their relationship. If Draco walked away...Harry didn't want to think about what he'd be losing. "Please, Draco."
"No, Harry. You have a point. I *can't* be there all the time. I've gotten used to you being around as well. I guess I need to follow your example and just walk away." He suited actions to words.
Harry rose to his feet hastily. "Don't! Please...come back."
Draco kept walking.
Harry was close to panicking. So many emotions inside him, so many things that he wanted to say.... The words burst out of his mouth without his conscious control.
"Draco, I love you!"
Draco froze. Harry froze as well.
All around them, the woods reflected their stillness.
**********
Harry looked up from his book and regarded Remus, startled. "The Burrow? Really?"
"Yes." Remus glanced down at the parchment in his hand. "Molly Weasley writes that since school ended, Ron misses seeing you. She was planning on having the whole family home for a sort of reunion."
Harry had been half-considering the offer, but flinched a little at the 'whole family' part. "I don't know," he said doubtfully. All those people...Remus, do you think I'm ready for that?"
Remus looked at him archly. "Are you?"
Harry smiled. "I suppose I should've know that you wouldn't go so easy on me."
"Nope. Now answer the question."
"I...I really don't know. A part of me wants to go, wants to see everyone...but I also remember what it was like, having everyone there. If it were just Ron and Ginny, I wouldn't really have to think about it, but...well, the twins were a handful to take when I *wasn't* so messed up, and...then there's the memories, the holes that will be there. I'm not sure how that will be."
"I understand, and you're well within your rights to refuse. But Harry, I want you to remember something." Remus sat on the sofa next to Harry and looked at him seriously. "You can't hide from the world forever. I firmly believe that this time away was the best thing to do for you, and we've seen the positive results. However, you're going to have to go to Hogwarts again come next year. If you can't handle seven people, all of whom care about you and want only the best for you, how will you be able to handle a whole school full of people?"
"You're right," Harry whispered, studying the cover of his book intently. "I...I should do this. I *have* to do this. I'm just nervous...I'll have no escape routes there, and that scares me."
"Well, should you need to, you can come home early no problem. I'd like to see you try, but, like I said, the final decision is up to you."
Harry straightened. "I'll go then."
"Good." Remus smiled. "I'll go write Molly back, and tell Draco-"
"About Draco," Harry interrupted. "I...I don't want him to go with me."
Remus blinked, surprised. "Might I ask why?"
"Because I need to learn to do things on my own. Draco's been great, but when you spoke of Hogwarts, you reminded me-he's a Slytherin, I'm a Gryffindor. We'd be apart a lot. Besides, this is going to be tough enough. I don't need the Draco/Ron tensions making things potentially worse."
"Understandable. You tell Draco, then."
"Do I-" Harry cut himself off. "Never mind, I know the answer already."
Remus grinned. "You're finally learning, my boy."
**********
Finding Draco didn't prove to be very difficult. After all, the house wasn't that large. And even if Draco wasn't in the house, which proved to be the case, he never strayed far from the building. Taking all of this together, Harry only had to look for about five minutes before finding Draco.
Draco was currently positioned under a tree, eyes closed. However, he opened them as he heard someone approach and smiled. "Harry. How are you?"
"Alright." He sat down next to Draco and began to play with the grass. "I have something to talk to you about."
"Anything, Harry. You know that."
"The Weasleys have invited me to their home for a week." A pause. "I've accepted their invitation."
Draco shrugged. "Well, I can't claim that I'll have fun, but-"
"Actually," Harry interrupted, "that's what I've come to talk to you about." Draco waited as Harry took a breath. "I...I'm going by myself."
Draco's expression didn't change visibly, but a light in his eyes dimmed. "May I ask why?" he asked, unconsciously echoing Remus.
Harry heard something in his tone and responded to it. "I'm not trying to get rid of you or anything like that," he tried to assure the other teen. "It's just...Remus made a good point earlier. I'm going to have to face the world sooner or later. Might as well make it now. And...well...we're going to have to be apart quite a bit at school, anyway. I need to see if I can do this without you, now."
"You don't...need me anymore, then?" Draco's voice was cool, a tone Harry hadn't heard since before the last battle. It scared him.
"Don't be like this, Draco," he pleaded, trying to look into Draco's eyes. "I don need you-I need you so much it frightens me. And, like it or not, one day I'm not going to have you around to lean on-if I can't hold myself up for any amount of time, I'm doomed."
"I understand, I really do," Draco said pleasantly-too pleasantly. He rose from the ground. "I should really go in now."
"Draco, don't go!" Tears filled Harry's eyes. He knew that this moment was a pivotal point in their relationship. If Draco walked away...Harry didn't want to think about what he'd be losing. "Please, Draco."
"No, Harry. You have a point. I *can't* be there all the time. I've gotten used to you being around as well. I guess I need to follow your example and just walk away." He suited actions to words.
Harry rose to his feet hastily. "Don't! Please...come back."
Draco kept walking.
Harry was close to panicking. So many emotions inside him, so many things that he wanted to say.... The words burst out of his mouth without his conscious control.
"Draco, I love you!"
Draco froze. Harry froze as well.
All around them, the woods reflected their stillness.
**********