Harry woke up hours later – it was long past midnight – and the languid, sweet, warm sort of relaxation had taken over his body. He yawned, and rubbed his eyes, and then, quite unexpectedly, he realized he was not alone.

It was only a few seconds later that he understood that Malfoy had stayed after all. The blond was fast asleep, a small smile curving his pale lips, hair strewn over the pillow. His hand was slung over Harry's stomach, and he was way too close to the brunet for this not to feel – at the very least – strange.

Harry tried to move away, but Malfoy moaned in his sleep, and, eyes still closed, pulled Harry closer. The blond's face nuzzled Harry's neck, and he muttered something.

Harry put his hands around Malfoy and went back to sleep – did he really have any other alternatives?

'Potter? Potter?' Malfoy walked into the kitchen. His hair was tousled, and he wore nothing but his pair of jeans. He stretched luxuriously, flexing his Quidditch-honed muscles.

Harry looked at his from his seat at the table. His coffee and croissants had long become cold. His eyes were huge and seemed sort of lost, and helpless.

'Its Remus. He – he was found dead this morning,' the letter fell from Harry's limp hand. 'Murdered. Ron was with him. They still don't know where he is.'

Two days had passed. The graveyard was cool and shady, the rain very light. Harry was alone by the small gravestone; simple and yet beautiful, like Remus had been. An epitaph that said To a beloved friend, colleague, Professor and lover. Fresh flower – mostly white roses. Remus's favourites.

Harry fell onto his knees, the picture fo Severus's face, contorted with a mixture of hatred, anguish and pain still vivid in his mind. Severus's dark eyes had been wet with tears, and he had cried, silently, throughout the funeral; which to Harry seemed worse than screaming.

Remus Lupin. The gentle werewolf, the best Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Harry had ever had, one of Harry's good friends. Mentor, father figure, the person who had helped him to prepare for the Auror tests.

Harry's tears dripped onto the foil of the bouquets, and it seemed as though the flowers themselves were crying.

The he felt a hand on his shoulder – a warm, comforting weight.

'Go, Hermione,' he said quietly, 'I'll stay for a bit.'

'I'm not leaving you here in this state,' said a voice, but it was not Hermione's. Malfoy was who was standing behind Harry, dressed in black, face wearing a strangely soft expression. Hermione herself, and the Weasleys were standing a distance away, throwing hesitant glances at the two men by the gravestone.

'They're waiting for us, Po - Harry,' Malfoy hesitated, but thought that it would be wrong to call Harry 'Potter' now. He didn't really know why.

'Okay,' Harry said, his voice perfectly expressionless.

He followed Malfoy to Hermione's Jeep, as the Weasleys crowded into Ginny's Volkswagen. He knew the Weasleys were going to the Ministry now – just as he was sure they were going to stay there until any news fo Ron came.

Hermione drove in silence, biting her lip as though she wanted to say something but was stopping herself.

'Where are we going?' Harry asked after a while. He didn't recognize his voice.

'We're taking you home,' the young woman answered, in what was meant to be a light tone.

'I'm coming to the Ministry with you,' Harry said quietly, yet forcefully, 'I want to be part of the search team.'

'Harry, they've left over 30 hours ago.'

'I'll Apparate to them.'

'You can't – no-one knows where they are now.'

'Hermione, my – our – best friend is out there. Maybe being tortured, possibly near death. I cannot - I will not – sit around and do nothing! You yourself should be there! Not sitting in a comfy chair in warmth and doing nothing whatsoever to help him!'

Hermione turned crimson, as though Harry had slapped her.

'You think I don't want to be there?" she said sharply, 'trust me, I do! But I can;t Harry. God knows this is not the way I wanted to announce it, but Harry, I am pregnant. Three months now. I can't put my child at risk.'

Harry fell quiet, suddenly feeling ashamed at his breakout.

'I'm still joining the team,' he said stubbornly, just as Hermione stopped before his house. 'And no-one will stop me!'