Miss Moony would like to dedicate this chapter to Elemental-sorceror for being the first reviewer.

Miss Moony would also like to thank Prongsblacks, Jessi Malfoy, kayly silverstorm and Sandra Cloudpole for reviewing.

To kayly silverstorm: "We are not amused". Well, actually, we are. Very much so, to be honest. By your manipulative use of Ron-quotes. All hail Ron! (Sorry 'bout that.)

- I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good -

Chapter 10

Harry had known since fifth year that he was a disaster when it came to relationships. There hadn't been many of them while he was at school, but they'd all had messy endings, and most had even been hell before.

There had, of course, been that disastrous relationship with Cho Chang in fifth year, ending over a severe difference in opinion and Cho's inability to talk about anything – or anyone – but Cedric Diggory, despite the fact that she knew it made Harry uncomfortable. Then there'd been a few dates with Luna, ending with a mutual decision that they were better as friends than lovers. And, after that there'd been… there'd been Blaise.

Blaise Zabini… who was passionate and loving and completely misunderstood. Blaise Zabini, who hadn't even passed through Harry's mind in months. But now the memories were coming back, as if somewhere in Harry's subconscious, someone had been pressing a rewind button, and now the tape was back on play.

"Slytherin is the house of the ambitious, Potter, didn't you know? Not the house of the evil. I'm ambitious: I'd have to be, to go after you."

Laughter… "I'm not giving up that easily, Potter. Just because you're with Lovegood now, it doesn't mean you've got rid of me."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're cute when you're angry? It makes your eyes light up… Stay angry, Potter. Sometimes I think that's the only time I can feel sure that you still care."

"They'll kill me, you know. Before I was just neutral, but this is open defiance. They'll have my head for betraying their Lord."

Blaise Zabini, who had been the only person that Harry could have seen himself spending the rest of his life with… fighting together, and growing old together.

"If I don't come back, remember that I love you."

"I'm under Professor Dumbledore's protection; and yours, too. The price on my head is five-hundred Galleons now, but it'll keep going up."

"Parkinson? She's my cousin… unfortunately. Why d'you ask?"

"We're all at risk, Harry. Granted, they have more motivation to kill me, but I'm really at no more risk than any of your friends on the battlefield."

And then he'd died, and Harry's world had shattered with him. He could still picture the moment he'd found him in his head. He'd just been lying there, and he looked more asleep than dead, and somewhere in his subconscious, Harry had remembered to be glad that his killer hadn't really wanted to have his head.

Blaise Zabini… who Harry had thought was his soul mate… but now Briar knew, and Harry didn't know why, but the thought that the older boy would blame him for what had happened hurt almost as much as all those endings put together.

-

That Harry was tight-lipped was taken for granted. He didn't talk, except in riddles, and Briar didn't get any answers.

Maybe he felt a little guilty about the conversation he'd overheard between Harry and Glaki, as he'd known it was private, but had listened anyway, and it was clear by now that the younger boy had found some shadow of friendship in the eight-year-old.

They'd been spotted many times, when Harry wasn't helping Briar and Rosethorn with the weeding, and Glaki wasn't in her lessons with Tris, just talking amongst themselves, and Glaki had taken to sitting on his lap during their evening relaxation sessions, much to the surprise of both Tris and Keth.

Chime, too, also seemed to have taken a liking to the quiet boy with the haunted eyes, and she could often be seen curled around his neck in almost serpentine grace.

However, it was Glaki, more than Chime, that surprised Briar that Starsday afternoon:

The sun was shining brightly, and the kitchen was overwhelmingly hot, so Rosethorn had reluctantly agreed to let them take luncheon in the garden. Evvy and Glaki were playing some kind of game while Briar watched Harry, who'd been sitting apart from him, Daja, Tris, Lark, Rosethorn, Comas and Keth.

It wasn't long before Evvy and Glaki had both hurt themselves. Glaki had tripped and fallen on the gravel path, and Evvy, who'd been chasing her, had tripped over the younger girl.

It took Briar a moment to notice the disturbance, and even then, it was only because Harry had leaped to his feet and run across the garden to see if Glaki was okay. Briar followed suit, and, as a result, was there to witness what happened next.

Once Evvy had been pulled to her feet and deemed unharmed except for a twisted ankle, Harry pulled Glaki into a sitting position, and Briar winced at the sight of the large bleeding gash on her knee.

'Does it hurt much?' Harry asked, concern evident in his voice.

Glaki nodded, holding in tears.

There were a few pieces of gravel embedded in the cut, which Harry cleaned out gently, ignoring Glaki's small winces.

'I'll get a healing salve,' Briar said, trying to be helpful. 'We just made a new batch last Earthsday.'

Harry shook his head, and placed two fingers to the cut, being careful not to hurt the younger girl. He frowned, as if he was concentrating hard on something, and then muttered something unintelligible.

Briar watched in amazement as a blue shimmer leaped from Harry's fingers to the cut, and it quickly sealed itself, leaving nothing more that a tiny scar and a few faint traces of dried blood.

Glaki leaned forwards and gave Harry a brief kiss on the cheek. 'One day,' she declared, sounding much younger than usual, 'I'm going to marry you.'

Harry met her eyes in obvious amusement. 'We'll see,' he said.