Chapter 2 - A Nasty Surprise

Dumbledore helped Harry out of the bathtub. Harry tried to stand but swooned and Dumbledore caught him. There was a throbbing pain in his head and he got a glimpse of his face in the mirror, he was deathly pale.

"We have to get you to a bed Harry. Get some of that blood back in you", Dumbledore said. Harry felt like blacking out again but he tried to stay awake. Eventually everything faded away.

**************

Harry opened his eyes, and saw that he was in a dark room with a blank portrait on the far wall. He couldn't figure out what happened or where he was but it soon came rushing back to him the blood, the icy water, Sirius. Thankfully, the pain in his head was gone and he felt fine, more or less. He reached out to where the nightstand was and felt around for his glasses. He slipped them on and realized he was at Grimmauld place in his usual room. He stayed in the bed for awhile thinking. A great lot of his depression was gone. He wasn't even sure if he had been dreaming about Sirius or if it was real, but what ever it was it made him feel a little bit better. He was still moody about the prophecy, but at least he had regained a will to live. He got out of bed and realized that he was still wearing his black pants but thankfully they were dry. He walked sleepily over to the window and drew back the old graying curtains. Early morning sun shone through and Harry figured he had been asleep or unconscious all yesterday evening. He saw that his trunk was at the end of his bed and that there was also an old bag with shirtsleeves hanging out of it. He opened the bag and found most of his clothes in it. He decided to go for a shower so he stepped out of the room and went down the hall to the bathroom glancing around hoping to see Sirius pop out of one of the rooms. He stopped at the bathtub, which had iron serpents for legs, and looked at it for a bit, thinking. He didn't regret what he had done, but he wasn't too proud of it either. He walked past the bathtub and stepped into the shower. He pulled off his clothes and turned the hot water. He never, ever wanted to have a cold shower again. He let the water run over him burning him but he didn't care. It felt kind of weird to be back in Sirius's house without his godfather. After a while, he got out, and pulled a towel around himself, before heading back to his room. In his way, he could heard voices drift up from downstairs.

"Is he here?" He heard Hermione's voice say sounding very concerned.

"Yes, but I think he's still asleep dear. Maybe you should go and check on him," came Mrs. Weasley's voice. Harry hurried back into his room, and pulled on some underwear and pants quickly, just before hearing a soft knock on the door.

"Harry, are you awake?"

"Hang on," he said and pulled on the nearest shirt. "Come in". The door burst open and Hermione bounded in and hugged him.

"Oh Harry, why did you do it? How are you? I'm so glad you're alive! You won't believe who's downstairs. Oh I've been so worried!" She squealed.

"Whoa, whoa, one at a time," he said grinning. She released him from her grip and sighed.

"You're soaking wet," she noted.

"Well that tends to be the case when you come out of a shower," he said grinning even wider, glad to see her again.

"Oh I'm sorry. I guess that's why your t-shirt is inside out," she replied grinning back. Harry looked at his t-shirt, realizing that it was indeed inside out and soaking wet.

"Where's Ron?" Harry asked suddenly. Hermione sighed loudly again.

"Downstairs having a terrible fit," she responded evasively, glancing at her hands.

"And what is he having a fit about?" Harry questioned while he was eyeing her suspiciously.

"About a certain git who has decided to change his ways," she commented sarcastically.

"And who might that be?" Harry asked again.

"You better come downstairs and see. But you're not going to like it," she said and walked out of the room leaving a confused Harry. He followed her out and down the stairs. Hermione glanced back at him and then stepped into the kitchen, Harry entered to the room and his mouth dropped open at what he saw. Draco Malfoy sitting at the wooden table next to Snape looking a bit nervous, well about as nervous as a Malfoy could ever be which is not very nervous at all.

"Wha...what's he doing here?" Harry sputtered, eyeing Draco. Malfoy's nervous expression vanished and it turned to scowl.

"He is having a tea, Potter. What do you think he is going here?" Snape said with disgust.

"He could be spying!" Harry retorted, flushing a little.

"I am not!" Draco said looking more flustered than he had ever been in his life.

"We have tested him with the strongest Veritaserum, Harry. Besides there are other facts that remain to prove his switch," said Lupin who had been sitting quietly in the corner by the fire with Dung. Harry felt a little more reassured by Lupin's words but he was still suspicious.

Lupin looked a right mess, and Harry suspected it wasn't just for the full moon. He knew Remus had a very good friendship with Sirius, he half suspected that they had been in love. Harry felt for a moment like hugging him and telling him it would be all right but he couldn't. He moved his attention back to Draco who was staring at the ground with a horrible expression on his face before looking at him, smirking.

"Trying to make a fashion statement with a wet inside out t-shirt, Potter? Attractive," he drawled sarcastically earning a disapproving look from Remus and a gleeful one from Snape. Harry was about to answer back when Mrs. Weasley came in the door with a very sour looking Ron.

"Harry! Oh how are you? Are you hungry? Tired?" She said almost like Hermione. "Oh, you're all wet!"

"I'm fine Mrs. Weasley, really!" Harry said half-heartedly fighting off Molly as she tried to hug him. Harry saw Draco blanch when he saw Molly hug him he looked envious. Before he could think about it Ron ran up to him.

"Harry! Why did you do it mate? Why? You could have came to me I would have helped you. You know I would have!" Ron said looking kind of hurt.

"Now Ron leave him alone. I'm sure he doesn't want to talk about it dear," Molly said looking as though she would like to know why he did it as well.

"Did what, Potter?" Draco chanced to ask.

"Nothing Malfoy!" Harry said without looking at him, motioning Ron and Hermione to follow him. It was about time that he told them about the prophecy anyway. He stole a glance at Malfoy before he left. There was something there, and for once it wasn't hate. Why did he switch sides? What happened? Why did he have to invade in my life now!

There was the hate inside him, but for a moment he had almost felt something else for Malfoy, and it was still lingering but it left once he, Ron, and Hermione were alone. Ron was looking at him funny, and Hermione was avoiding his gaze.

"So anyone care to explain this?" Harry asked, "do you know something?"

"Well, you see… Something happened that nobody would tell us. Dumbledore said that Draco will tell us when he is ready. Anyway, he went to Snape for help and Snape brought him here", Ron said. "That's all that dad would tell me. I am so pissed off!" Hermione tried to stifle a snicker.

"Yeah so pissed off you had a temper tantrum right in the kitchen and your mummy had to drag you out," she replied going red from trying to contain laughter. Harry thought this was pretty funny but didn't laugh. They were still walking and Harry stopped and sat on the top step of the long dark stairs.

"Harry?" Hermione asked tenderly while Harry put his head in his hands.

"Why me? Why always me?" He muttered more to himself than to them.

"What do you mean why always you? Everyone likes you Harry! You are the most famous person in the wizarding world! Why on earth would you try to kill yourself!" Ron blew up going very red in the face. "WHY?" Hermione shot Ron a dangerous look but Harry didn't raise his head to see it.

"There's something I haven't told you two that I maybe should have", he murmured quietly. Ron frowned confused and sat down next to him.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Well, last year when I came back to Hogwarts after the incident at the Department of Mysteries, Dumbledore told me what the prophecy was about", he said and looked at Ron to see his reaction, but Ron just kept looking at him curiously. Hermione sat down next to him too and motioned him to continue. Harry explained what had happened in Dumbledore's office and repeated the dreadful words of the prophecy that he had unwillingly memorized.

"Wow, that's rough," Ron said surprised. "But you should have told us earlier. Is that why you tried to kill yourself?"

"Ron, don't be so insensitive," Hermione snapped at him before hugging Harry.

"Yeah. Thanks guys but I need some time alone," he said getting up. They will never understand, he thought to himself as he made his way to the attic. He climbed up the last flight of stairs that led to the attic. He liked it up there even if it did smell like dead rats and there was a Hippogriff in there.

"Hello Buckbeak", Harry greeted stroking Buckbeak's beak. Harry gazed out of the window at the muggles coming and going down on the dingy square. He couldn't help but wonder why Malfoy had joined the order, remembering the look Malfoy had on his face when Mrs. Weasley hugged him. Why am I worrying so much about him anyway! Maybe he's okay after all, NO! No I did not just say that, I hate him! No, I don't like him, I hate him. Suddenly Harry heard someone come up the stairs and enter the attic behind him.

"Hello Harry, Ron told me you were up here".

Harry turned around and saw Remus standing by the doorframe.

"Hi Remus," he said seeing his old professor pet Buckbeak. Lupin made his way over to Harry crunching on the many rat bones, and propped his elbows onto the windowsill. There was silence for a few minutes.

"Do you miss him a lot Remus?" Harry asked after a while, without looking at him.

"You'd never understand how much Harry". Harry just nodded.

"You know, you'd think I should be used to all this. I've lost many friends back in the days when Voldemort was at full power, I guess it's just been so long," Remus continued.

"Yeah it hurts," Harry said still mindlessly staring out the window.

"I know how you feel Harry, Dumbledore told me about the prophecy I guess because I was angry with you for giving up, but I know how you feel. You are not visibly different, but you know that you are and there's nothing ever going to change that. It's like being a werewolf," Remus said. Harry looked at him for a moment.

"It kind of is, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but don't let it drag you down Harry. You have to keep looking up, if you keep your eyes on the stars you won't have time to look back. You have the power to defeat Voldemort Harry, I know you do. You have a power he doesn't," Lupin said avoiding Harry's eyes.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Love Harry! That is the most powerful of thing". Harry was sure Remus was crying. He vaguely remembering Dumbledore telling him something like that before too.

"You loved him, didn't you?" Harry asked him with sudden realization.

"Sirius? Yes, I did and he loved me too. How did you know? We never told anyone," Lupin questioned Harry.

"I didn't know, just a wild guess", Harry said not at all surprised at the news.

"We didn't tell anyone because we were scared of what they would think".

"Why? There's nothing wrong with being gay", Harry told him.

"I don't know. But stay happy Harry. We're all on your side," Remus said and got up to leave. After he had left Harry stayed behind thinking. A few moments later, he heard footsteps on the stairs again. Can't anyone get any peace around here? He turned around to see who it was this time and to his surprise it was Draco. Harry glared at him, while Draco smirked.

"What are you doing here?" Harry snapped.

"I'm trying to feed this thing," he replied pointing at Buckbeak who was happily picking at Harry's t-shirt with its beak.

"Oh helping out now, are you? What happened to I'm-going-to-make-you-pay-for-what-you-did-to-my-father-Malfoy? Doesn't look like you're too friendly with daddy unless you're spying for him, which apparently is not the case," Harry said smugly.

"That is none of your business Potter!" Malfoy raged and forgetting all dignity jumped on Harry, fists flying. Harry knew that he had asked for it, but he hit back anyway. Harry laughed in his mind as he slipped Draco's wand out of his pocket. Oh it is easy to wind him up.

Eventually Harry pulled out his own wand and Draco backed off and reached into his pocket for his.

"Looking for something Malfoy?" Asked Harry twirling Draco's wand in his left hand. "Too busy fighting the 'ol'-muggle-way' to notice your wand was gone?"

Draco was so angry his face was red which was rare for him. He looked like he was going to say something but before he did, Harry threw Draco's wand at him and stormed out of the attic. At the end of the stairs Harry felt a tinge of guilt. Whatever the reason for Draco coming here was, he knew it can't be good. Harry was dying to know what was going on.

**************

A week later Harry and Draco were sitting in the kitchen in front of Arthur, who was standing by the fire shaking his head.

"What the hell am I going to do with you two? You are constantly fighting!" He complained. Harry knew he was right. He and Draco had many fights, usually just over nothing. This one had been particularly bad, Draco had pushed Harry down the stairs after Harry punched him for mentioning Sirius. Both of them were bleeding and glaring at each other fiercely.

"He started it," Draco said.

"I did not!" Harry retorted looking furious. Arthur shook his head and Hermione who was listening, rolled her eyes.

"You sound like four-year-olds. Now shape up and act your age! Can't you at least try to get along?" She asked tiredly.

"No," Harry and Draco said at the same time, with equal disgust.

Harry glared at Draco even more. Hermione threw her arms in the air and stomped out of the room. A few minutes of glaring silence Arthur left too, but Harry and Draco just kept glaring at each other until finally Draco got up and left. Harry sighed with relief, if he had stayed any longer Harry might have done something that he would regret. Aaargh! No, no, no! Get out of my mind, you snobby prat! Why me? Harry thought, shaking his head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*To be continued...*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~