Episode Seventy Eight

            He wrapped an invisibility cloak around his shoulders. "It wouldn't do for any Hogwart's students spotting the ghost of Corwin Graves." He smiled.

            She reached over and squeezed his arm softly. "Where are you going to stay?"

            "Right here." He said. "Dumbledore and I had a long talk. We think it's best if I stay here for now and work on Order projects at the home base. I'm useless in the field so long as everyone still thinks me dead."

            "Tea tomorrow afternoon after classes?" Gwen asked.

            "I'll be here." He said, covering his head with the cloak and dashing out into the nearly empty hallway.

            Graves didn't have to tell her. She wasn't going to breath a word to anyone. Not even Harry. Knowing Graves was alive was one thing. Knowing he was at Hogwarts was completely another.

            Harry noticed that something was different right away. It seemed that a great burden had been lifted from Gwen's shoulders. He couldn't place it, but he knew she was keeping him out of the loop on something. The distance was something he couldn't comprehend.

            Except that Harry was maturing. He realized that relationships with women were not easy, nor were they supposed to be. So what if he couldn't understand the opposite sex, what man could? He was growing comfortable with the concept of being the cool ex-boyfriend she could pal around with.

            They had played around at romance, never getting much further than second base. He was almost too modest to go further. And becoming deeply emotionally attached to someone with so much trauma definitely edged away at any physical desire he might feel. She was more complicated than he cared to really delve into. He had enough of his own problems and baggage to deal with, adding hers was damn near infuriating.

            For the first time in his life, Harry was about to give up on something.