Thanks for making it to chapter two of however many this ends up being.
After you read this, you might want to go check out Spirits of the Past to
get an idea of where some of the characters are mentally. I'd clear an
hour or two from your schedule if you do that though. It's a bit long.
Oh, and just in case anyone missed it in the last chapter, this is a SLASH
story, featuring Harry/Colin and Seamus/Neville. Everyone else is
currently unattached, but I'll likely not leave them that way for long.
Time has passed. Time they say heals all wounds, but some would surely disagree with whoever said that statement. Harry Potter happened to be among the disagreeing group. Time had healed some of his wounds, the physical ones, anyway. He had suffered greatly during the battle inside Malfoy Manor, much more than he would ever let anyone know. Harry had heard whispers that had not been hospitalized when he did that he very likely wouldn't be around now at all. He'd suffered deep slash wounds and poisoning at the hands of Lucius' watch-creature. He'd been tossed around like a rag doll by the evil spirit Surtain. Harry Potter was a very beaten boy.
None of those wounds hurt as much as losing Ron. His best friend was gone to whatever degree. Gone. As much as the others tried to help him out, they couldn't. Hermione and Colin had been by his side since the incident, and that was nearly two months ago now. This was just one of those wounds that had to close on its own.
Things had nearly returned to normal at Hogwarts in the time since Ron's death. Classes resumed, life went on. All the evidence that Harry and Draco had risked their lives to obtain had long since been turned over to the Ministry of Magic. Thanks to the incredibly slow bureaucracy of the Ministry, Lucius had more than enough time to flee. Arthur Weasley had done his best to push the proceedings, but it was of no use. Lucius was gone.
Lucius might have been gone, but he sure wasn't forgotten. At least once a week he would send an owl to Draco, threatening him with tortures and deaths beyond his imagination for disgracing his family name. Draco learned through these letters that he was high on the list of people within Hogwarts to kill, right there with Harry Potter and Dumbledore. While he was among such esteemed company Draco wasn't scared one bit. It was almost funny for him, waiting until his father's next letter.
What did bother Draco was that someone was quietly feeding his father information. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was scared of that fact. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it wasn't anyone of the 'Inner Circle' as he had come to think of them; Harry Potter, the Creeveys, Hermione, Seamus, Neville, Aidan (Dennis Creevey's friend). He also couldn't fathom any Gryffindor passing information along to a Slytherin such as his father, so it had to be someone else in the school, likely someone in Slytherin. But, as Draco incessantly pondered, the person knows things that aren't happening when any Slytherin were around.
Draco was actually not pondering that little bit when he was interrupted by a voice really close to his ear. "So Draco, how long until your father writes again?"
"I don't know, Seamus. Probably tomorrow or the next day. It has been a little while."
"I do hope he hurries. I can't wait to hear what he comes up with next." Seamus and Draco were both laughing as Seamus strolled off.
"I can wait," Draco said quietly to himself after Seamus was out of earshot. He knew in his heart that any of the Gryffindors would stand beside him if anything were to happen, but he still wasn't looking forward to seeing his father again. Even with Harry Potter with him, Lucius Malfoy would be a dangerous enemy. Draco put it out of his mind and prepared for breakfast.
More time has passed now. Spring is preparing to pass into summer. Classes will soon be over and the students leaving again for the summer break. Soon, but not yet.
Harry awoke from the dream again. It was the same dream he'd been having on and off now for the last three months. It was slowly increasing in its frequency as well as its clarity. At first Harry only had vague ideas of jungle and light, but it soon became clearer. He was floating above ruins, ruins deep in the midst of a forest that seemed to be completely untouched by human hands for thousands of years. Harry felt the familiar warmth of Ron near him. He could look to his left and see Ron's translucent form and know it was him. He knew it in a much deeper than the usual 'I know it because I dreamed it' way. It was Ron.
Ron would point to a spot far on the horizon and speak to him in his deep voice. "There, Harry, there. They're coming." Harry would always wake up then, before his mind could so much as begin to think to ask Ron who he was talking about. He didn't really have to know for certain because if it had Ron worried it was most likely Voldemort or some of his minions.
Harry felt the familiar pang of pain as he realized that Ron wasn't here anymore. That pain was immediately covered by a smile as he felt Colin stir next to him in bed. Feelings much stronger than what he felt for Ron flooded through him as he nestled back down next to Colin. Harry looked over and noticed that the sun was just rising over the hills. Almost time to get up. Not quite though. Harry pulled the covers up a little higher and closed his eyes. He knew he should be studying for that Herbology final he had that afternoon, but he really wanted just a little more shut-eye. Just a little more. Harry was soon lost to the world.
Neville finally disentangled Seamus' arms from his own body. It seemed that Seamus had no joints in his body when he slept because if you could think of some odd and seemingly uncomfortable position, Seamus could easily put himself in that position. Neville smiled as he crawled out of bed to answer the morning call of nature. He returned to the dorm room and instead of crawling back into bed he went over to the window and sat on the sill.
Neville opened the window and let the fresh air roll in. He turned to look back into the room and he paused to think about all that had changed since the term had started. Harry's bed was the first in his sight. He smiled a pained smile for everything Harry'd gone through this year. He'd lost his best friend and found his soul mate. He looked next to Draco's bed. It stood where Ron's had and Neville clearly remembered when it was decided that Draco would move in to their dorm. Draco had been completely against the idea of sleeping there because it was Ron's space and it just wouldn't be right. He was finally convinced that it would be okay and Draco reservedly agreed.
Neville then glanced over to his Seamus' bed, a bed that hadn't seen anyone sleep in it for months now, and smiled more. As much trouble as Seamus could get him into, he would never part with him for a second. Some of their misadventures would surely be legend at Hogwarts for generations to come.
"Oh Seamus," he softly said and turned back out to the fields below the window. His peace was interrupted by a soft fluttering of wings as Hedwig settled next to him. "A letter for Harry, huh? Should I give it to him when he wakes up, Hedwig?" Neville asked the bird. It made an affirmative head bob and left the note in Neville's hands. "Oh, I bet you'd like a treat, right?" Neville said as the bird didn't leave after the delivery. He fed Hedwig and then the owl flew off.
Neville left his window perch and set the letter on Harry's night table. After deciding that he'd wasted enough time already, Neville gathered up his things and headed off for the showers. He had woken enough to realize that he smelled a bit ripe. "I'm surprised Hedwig got as close as she did," he said to himself as he strolled out of the room.
Colin awoke soon after the door closed on Neville. He opened his eyes and stretched his muscles as far as they'd go. He sighed deeply and looked over at Harry. He was deeply dreaming again, Colin knew. He could almost feel the energy coming off Harry while he was sleeping. Harry was like a live wire right now, probably capable of powering several Muggle electric devices easily.
Colin reached over and brushed a bit of hair away from Harry's forehead and got quite a start. It wasn't a static shock or anything, but complete surprise. For the second he was touching Harry, he was seeing what Harry had told him about his dreams. Colin saw the ruins below him and the immense jungle everywhere else. Then the picture suddenly ended as Colin withdrew his hand.
The last time Colin had any sort of psychic contact with Harry was when Harry was entering the depths of Malfoy Manor. Why now after nearly five months of nothing? Did it have something to do with what Harry was talking about? Was it random? He reached his hand over again to see if he could duplicate the feeling but instead of the perfect picture he had before, he got a very hazy view, as if he was watching a television down in a wooded valley. That image faded away soon and Colin gave up, completely puzzled.
He swung himself out of Harry's bed and headed out to get ready for breakfast himself. Harry wasn't much of a morning eater, but Colin sure was. He'd have to ask Harry if something had happened in his dream once he woke up.
Hermione had been up long before dawn studying. She knew her Herbology notes and text inside and out, but as she told the others constantly, there was always something that you might have missed so you should study often. She heard the sounds of the House coming to life above her as she sat in the Common Room. Doors opened and closed, voices called out and were answered.
The figure she saw coming down the steps toward her still surprised her a bit every now and then. Draco Malfoy might now be a Gryffindor, but it still seemed just a tad bit odd. As he continued his descent, Hermione marveled at the difference between the old and new Draco. Gone was any of his former swagger. It was replaced with an understated gait. All his bravado was gone, replaced by the Gryffindor calmness. She had had an image race across her mind the first time she considered how much he'd changed. Hermione saw a giant hand reach down and pick Draco up, unhinging the top of his head in the process. The hand then shook him upside down until all the meanness and spite had fallen out. One more shake and the last remnant was gone. Then the hand filled Draco's head with good things. Why this image struck her as so hilariously funny she didn't know, but it sure did. She had to stifle a giggle as he sat down beside her.
"Ready for the final, I see," Draco said to her.
"I think so," Hermione told him, causing him to grin sideways at her.
"You think so, huh? I'm sure you could easily get two A's on the final."
"What about you?" Hermione asked, dodging the remark about her completely acing the test.
"I'm as ready as I can be." Hermione smiled at him as the other Gryffindors made their way down to breakfast and the start of one of the last class days.
Well, that's all for now. I just wanted to get a little bit of the story started for now. I'll be back with more hopefully later this week. It all depends on the work schedule and whether I switch jobs or not. The first little bit here might not have seemed to be all that exciting, but just wait. Things will pick up in the coming chapters.
Time has passed. Time they say heals all wounds, but some would surely disagree with whoever said that statement. Harry Potter happened to be among the disagreeing group. Time had healed some of his wounds, the physical ones, anyway. He had suffered greatly during the battle inside Malfoy Manor, much more than he would ever let anyone know. Harry had heard whispers that had not been hospitalized when he did that he very likely wouldn't be around now at all. He'd suffered deep slash wounds and poisoning at the hands of Lucius' watch-creature. He'd been tossed around like a rag doll by the evil spirit Surtain. Harry Potter was a very beaten boy.
None of those wounds hurt as much as losing Ron. His best friend was gone to whatever degree. Gone. As much as the others tried to help him out, they couldn't. Hermione and Colin had been by his side since the incident, and that was nearly two months ago now. This was just one of those wounds that had to close on its own.
Things had nearly returned to normal at Hogwarts in the time since Ron's death. Classes resumed, life went on. All the evidence that Harry and Draco had risked their lives to obtain had long since been turned over to the Ministry of Magic. Thanks to the incredibly slow bureaucracy of the Ministry, Lucius had more than enough time to flee. Arthur Weasley had done his best to push the proceedings, but it was of no use. Lucius was gone.
Lucius might have been gone, but he sure wasn't forgotten. At least once a week he would send an owl to Draco, threatening him with tortures and deaths beyond his imagination for disgracing his family name. Draco learned through these letters that he was high on the list of people within Hogwarts to kill, right there with Harry Potter and Dumbledore. While he was among such esteemed company Draco wasn't scared one bit. It was almost funny for him, waiting until his father's next letter.
What did bother Draco was that someone was quietly feeding his father information. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was scared of that fact. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it wasn't anyone of the 'Inner Circle' as he had come to think of them; Harry Potter, the Creeveys, Hermione, Seamus, Neville, Aidan (Dennis Creevey's friend). He also couldn't fathom any Gryffindor passing information along to a Slytherin such as his father, so it had to be someone else in the school, likely someone in Slytherin. But, as Draco incessantly pondered, the person knows things that aren't happening when any Slytherin were around.
Draco was actually not pondering that little bit when he was interrupted by a voice really close to his ear. "So Draco, how long until your father writes again?"
"I don't know, Seamus. Probably tomorrow or the next day. It has been a little while."
"I do hope he hurries. I can't wait to hear what he comes up with next." Seamus and Draco were both laughing as Seamus strolled off.
"I can wait," Draco said quietly to himself after Seamus was out of earshot. He knew in his heart that any of the Gryffindors would stand beside him if anything were to happen, but he still wasn't looking forward to seeing his father again. Even with Harry Potter with him, Lucius Malfoy would be a dangerous enemy. Draco put it out of his mind and prepared for breakfast.
More time has passed now. Spring is preparing to pass into summer. Classes will soon be over and the students leaving again for the summer break. Soon, but not yet.
Harry awoke from the dream again. It was the same dream he'd been having on and off now for the last three months. It was slowly increasing in its frequency as well as its clarity. At first Harry only had vague ideas of jungle and light, but it soon became clearer. He was floating above ruins, ruins deep in the midst of a forest that seemed to be completely untouched by human hands for thousands of years. Harry felt the familiar warmth of Ron near him. He could look to his left and see Ron's translucent form and know it was him. He knew it in a much deeper than the usual 'I know it because I dreamed it' way. It was Ron.
Ron would point to a spot far on the horizon and speak to him in his deep voice. "There, Harry, there. They're coming." Harry would always wake up then, before his mind could so much as begin to think to ask Ron who he was talking about. He didn't really have to know for certain because if it had Ron worried it was most likely Voldemort or some of his minions.
Harry felt the familiar pang of pain as he realized that Ron wasn't here anymore. That pain was immediately covered by a smile as he felt Colin stir next to him in bed. Feelings much stronger than what he felt for Ron flooded through him as he nestled back down next to Colin. Harry looked over and noticed that the sun was just rising over the hills. Almost time to get up. Not quite though. Harry pulled the covers up a little higher and closed his eyes. He knew he should be studying for that Herbology final he had that afternoon, but he really wanted just a little more shut-eye. Just a little more. Harry was soon lost to the world.
Neville finally disentangled Seamus' arms from his own body. It seemed that Seamus had no joints in his body when he slept because if you could think of some odd and seemingly uncomfortable position, Seamus could easily put himself in that position. Neville smiled as he crawled out of bed to answer the morning call of nature. He returned to the dorm room and instead of crawling back into bed he went over to the window and sat on the sill.
Neville opened the window and let the fresh air roll in. He turned to look back into the room and he paused to think about all that had changed since the term had started. Harry's bed was the first in his sight. He smiled a pained smile for everything Harry'd gone through this year. He'd lost his best friend and found his soul mate. He looked next to Draco's bed. It stood where Ron's had and Neville clearly remembered when it was decided that Draco would move in to their dorm. Draco had been completely against the idea of sleeping there because it was Ron's space and it just wouldn't be right. He was finally convinced that it would be okay and Draco reservedly agreed.
Neville then glanced over to his Seamus' bed, a bed that hadn't seen anyone sleep in it for months now, and smiled more. As much trouble as Seamus could get him into, he would never part with him for a second. Some of their misadventures would surely be legend at Hogwarts for generations to come.
"Oh Seamus," he softly said and turned back out to the fields below the window. His peace was interrupted by a soft fluttering of wings as Hedwig settled next to him. "A letter for Harry, huh? Should I give it to him when he wakes up, Hedwig?" Neville asked the bird. It made an affirmative head bob and left the note in Neville's hands. "Oh, I bet you'd like a treat, right?" Neville said as the bird didn't leave after the delivery. He fed Hedwig and then the owl flew off.
Neville left his window perch and set the letter on Harry's night table. After deciding that he'd wasted enough time already, Neville gathered up his things and headed off for the showers. He had woken enough to realize that he smelled a bit ripe. "I'm surprised Hedwig got as close as she did," he said to himself as he strolled out of the room.
Colin awoke soon after the door closed on Neville. He opened his eyes and stretched his muscles as far as they'd go. He sighed deeply and looked over at Harry. He was deeply dreaming again, Colin knew. He could almost feel the energy coming off Harry while he was sleeping. Harry was like a live wire right now, probably capable of powering several Muggle electric devices easily.
Colin reached over and brushed a bit of hair away from Harry's forehead and got quite a start. It wasn't a static shock or anything, but complete surprise. For the second he was touching Harry, he was seeing what Harry had told him about his dreams. Colin saw the ruins below him and the immense jungle everywhere else. Then the picture suddenly ended as Colin withdrew his hand.
The last time Colin had any sort of psychic contact with Harry was when Harry was entering the depths of Malfoy Manor. Why now after nearly five months of nothing? Did it have something to do with what Harry was talking about? Was it random? He reached his hand over again to see if he could duplicate the feeling but instead of the perfect picture he had before, he got a very hazy view, as if he was watching a television down in a wooded valley. That image faded away soon and Colin gave up, completely puzzled.
He swung himself out of Harry's bed and headed out to get ready for breakfast himself. Harry wasn't much of a morning eater, but Colin sure was. He'd have to ask Harry if something had happened in his dream once he woke up.
Hermione had been up long before dawn studying. She knew her Herbology notes and text inside and out, but as she told the others constantly, there was always something that you might have missed so you should study often. She heard the sounds of the House coming to life above her as she sat in the Common Room. Doors opened and closed, voices called out and were answered.
The figure she saw coming down the steps toward her still surprised her a bit every now and then. Draco Malfoy might now be a Gryffindor, but it still seemed just a tad bit odd. As he continued his descent, Hermione marveled at the difference between the old and new Draco. Gone was any of his former swagger. It was replaced with an understated gait. All his bravado was gone, replaced by the Gryffindor calmness. She had had an image race across her mind the first time she considered how much he'd changed. Hermione saw a giant hand reach down and pick Draco up, unhinging the top of his head in the process. The hand then shook him upside down until all the meanness and spite had fallen out. One more shake and the last remnant was gone. Then the hand filled Draco's head with good things. Why this image struck her as so hilariously funny she didn't know, but it sure did. She had to stifle a giggle as he sat down beside her.
"Ready for the final, I see," Draco said to her.
"I think so," Hermione told him, causing him to grin sideways at her.
"You think so, huh? I'm sure you could easily get two A's on the final."
"What about you?" Hermione asked, dodging the remark about her completely acing the test.
"I'm as ready as I can be." Hermione smiled at him as the other Gryffindors made their way down to breakfast and the start of one of the last class days.
Well, that's all for now. I just wanted to get a little bit of the story started for now. I'll be back with more hopefully later this week. It all depends on the work schedule and whether I switch jobs or not. The first little bit here might not have seemed to be all that exciting, but just wait. Things will pick up in the coming chapters.