(A/N): And we reach the double digits! Told y'all this shit wasn't abandoned ;)

Just wanted to quickly point out the worries of some that this would turn out to be just another Femslash with Harry acting as a background character/median in the relationship, and just wanted to quell any worries by saying that I'm going to do my best to keep that from happening!

Hope you enjoy! Any and all mistakes are mine, criticism is welcome!

Chapter title "I've Been Given The Gift Of So Small Hope Deep Inside," Taken from The Art Of Dying - Gojira


Chapter 10: I've Been Given The Gift Of So Small Hope Deep Inside


Music, slow and rhythmic, echoed softly within the Room of Requirement's walls. The soft clicking of shoes was nearly drowned by the steady beat of the slow song being played, as fabric rustled softly.

A roaring fire caked the chamber in a soft orange and ruby red glow; the ceiling-high bookshelves and the columns upon columns of candy were replaced by stone walls; all lined with cracking torches, with love seats and various pieces of furniture strewn underneath the daunting barriers. The middle of the room lay bare, leaving enough open space for the three occupants to complete their desired task.

Harry would be the first to admit he was rubbish at dancing. Although, after three lessons, he hoped he was at least making a modicum of progress.

The teaching styles of his two "instructors," however, were like night and day.

Tracey was gentle with her teachings; offering calm instructions and corrections while cracking jokes to help ease his rapidly fraying nerves. Daphne managed to dig into the deepest reserves of Snape essence within her soul; demanding near perfection during each attempt while Tracey snickered on the sidelines at Harry's misfortune.

The Seeker didn't know whether his blonde friend's annoyance was true or an act, nor did he wish to openly find out by angering her further.

Hours were spent within the Room of Requirement. With each monotonous beat, each resounding clack of shoes hitting the stone flooring, and every deep breath taken, Harry could feel the throbbing pain in his heels grow.

"At least you're getting better," Tracey would say in her attempts to pacify a growingly irate Harry.

On occasion, his irritation would morph into curiosity as he observed his partners' new mannerisms. They were definitely becoming much friendlier with each other and him, he could tell whenever they danced with each other, as well as him: With the way they were pressing their bodies close to each other as if they were trying to meld into one, tilting their heads so their breath just barely tickled underneath his chin while presenting their lips almost pleadingly, the fleeting touches and teasing smiles. Something was most certainly changing.

With aching feet, Harry stumbled his way back to Gryffindor Tower. The calming, warm glow of its fireplace beckoning him towards it. Harry wanted nothing more than to curl up in his four-poster bed and enter the longest, most peaceful slumber his body could muster during these times.

The Gryffindor Tower portrait stood like an oasis in the desert, the Fat Lady's appearance appeared angelic to Harry for a few brief minutes. The promise of solitude and sleep laid just beyond the veil after all.

Harry mumbled the password under his breath. His own voice was no more than a dull vibration to his ears. The Fat Lady ranted about something as the portrait opened on creaking hinges, though whatever her daily squandering was about Harry couldn't tell as he trudged his way into the Gryffindor common room.

The familiar warmth of the fireplace glowed against his skin and the wood cracked and splintered under the heat. In an exhausted heap, Harry collapsed onto the nearest couch, thankful no one had decided to take residency upon it. His eyelids felt like lead as they slowly began closing, a blissful sleep encompassing him.

That was until a harsh cough jolted him awake.

Harry sprang upwards from his prone position, his eyes bugging out and his face turning ashen at the sight waiting for him.

Ron and Hermione. The former's face blazing a crimson glow, while the latter held onto a strong facade. Her chin was pointed up as she stood with determination, supported by her own sheer will.

It was a pitiful attempt.

Harry swallowed thickly, his hands unsure of what to do as they balled at his side; his mouth creasing together into a thin line. A dangerous charge lingered in the air.

Harry knew this was it. This one moment would determine whether or not his relationship with Ron and Hermione would be killed, or if it would begin its recovery.

He silently prayed for the latter.

"Harry?" Came Hermione's tentative call. She and Ron made their first few steps towards Harry, taking the chance to sit opposite to him on the other couch present in the common room.

Harry watched them like a hawk. Eyes wide and unwavering. He balled his hands into fists, his nails digging into his palms as he steeled his nerves.

This conversation was long overdue.

Hermione cleared her throat, opting to fold her hands in front of her stomach as Ron awkwardly scratched the back of his head. The air was so thick Harry swore he could choke on it.

"How - How've you been, Harry?" Hermione asked tentatively.

Harry had to choke back his laughter. After all this time; after all the secrecy and far-off looks during meals, after all of the red-rimmed eyes and disheveled appearances, that's how they wanted to start this. The indignant rage that had boiled in his blood when they first ignored his explanations was renewed with a vengeance.

"You'd know how I've been doing if you'd come up and talk to me instead of just staring at me from across the room." The jab managed to bypass his filters.

Hermione's confident persona cracked slightly while Ron's rosy complexion turned a full-blown scarlet. Harry, on the other hand, took a calming breath. He couldn't let his emotions get the better of him, not when they were trying to apologize. At least, that's what he hoped they were doing.

"We- Well, we know that, mate." If Harry was bothered by the moniker, he didn't show it. "But we thought you'd, ya know."

"You thought I what, Ron?" Harry spat out quickly.

Ron's mouth flopped like a fish struggling for air as he tried to formulate his answer. Hermione was quick to interject for him.

"We thought you'd moved on." Hermione watched as Harry's shoulders tensed in a harsh rebuttal.

"But that wouldn't have excused us from not apologizing!" She shot out tensely in an attempt to placate Harry.

She relished in the way the tension in his shoulders slowly washed away, leaving nothing but a slightly sour expression on Harry's face.

"So that's what this is?" He asked pointedly. "An apology?"

Hermione, finally regaining some of her previous confidence, squared her shoulders and nodded her head.

"Yeah," Ron voiced quietly, scratching the back of his head once more. "We're sorry for not believing you."

"And we're sorry for not being better friends," Hermione chimed in, eyes brimming slightly with tears.

Harry flicked his gaze between the two from behind his glasses, his expression unreadable. There was a small, indignant part of him that wanted to ridicule the two. A part of him that wanted to shout at them; to berate them and never speak to them again. But…

He just couldn't do it.

A heavy sigh escaped Harry's lips, an oncoming headache pounding at the sides of his head as he pushed his glasses up his nose to massage the bridge of it with his fingers.

"Thank you for apologizing," Harry began tiredly. His body and mind growing sluggish as the previous bout of anger-driven adrenaline began to flow out of his system.

He looked up at Ron and Hermione and mustered the best smile he could.

"I forgive you."

Hermione's dam broke, and with a quiet whimper, tears began flowing. She all but tackled Harry in a surprise hug that the boy didn't reciprocate for a few moments before tentatively wrapping his arms around his friend's shoulders. Ron was a bit slower to the punch, but he too slowly made his way over to form a somewhat shaky group hug at Harry's agreement. Hermione gave Harry's midsection a slight squeeze before pushing herself away, wiping away her few remaining tears with her sleeve.

"W-We may not be your best friends anymore, b-but, for what it's worth, we'll still help and support you in any way we can," Hermione muttered. Ron nodded in agreement with the statement.

Harry looked between the two in a much calmer manner than before, letting his hands rest on one of their respective shoulders. He gave them both a soft squeeze before worming his way between them.

"I'm gonna head to bed now, I'll see you both later." with a final send-off, Harry made his way to the boy's dormitories, prying his feet out of his shoes to immediate comfort.

He was quick to change into much more comfortable clothing as he crawled his way into bed. The soft cheering from the common room helping to lull him to sleep.


"Looks like Granger and Weasley are in higher spirits," Tracey snorted as she sat down in front of Harry at the Slytherin table.

She piled food onto a plate despite her trademark candy dangling from her lip, not paying too much attention to what she was grabbing as she looked at Harry with a raised eyebrow. Harry looked up at her questioning, then over his shoulder at his two friends.

There was a definite change in their mood. No longer was their hair a bit disheveled, or their eyes a bit red-rimmed. There was an extra pep in their movements that had since been absent.

"They apologized last night for what they did, so we're on some better ground than before," Harry explained as he turned back around.

Upon noticing a missing body, he gestured to Tracey's right with a raise of his fork and a quirked eyebrow of his own.

"Daphne's not up yet?" He asked.

Tracey grew a wicked grin at the query. She leaned forward slightly, resting her forearms on the Slytherin table, leveling Harry with a mischievous gaze.

"She was a bit grouchy waking up this morning; kept complaining about sore feet," she revealed in a whisper. "Heard your name, come up more than a few times. You might want to throw on some shoulder pads, Wonder Boy."

"Shoulder pads?" Harry mumbled in confusion, his brow creasing as Tracey leaned back.

"The shoulders; a prime target for the infamous Greengrass Frustration Slap," Tracey explained with a grandiose tone, splaying out her hands in wonder. A few seconds passed before her grand display devolved into a shrug and a smirk.

"Really just the upper chest area, to be frank, she reserves the back of the head for when she's particularly annoyed," Tracey explained, drawing floating circles with her hands over her chest as a lithe figure walked behind her.

With a swift flick of a wrist and a yelp of surprise from Tracey, Daphne took her seat beside her best friend, her pine green eyes scrunched in a scowl as she loaded food onto her plate.

"Or for when you spout nonsense about me to people," Daphne grumbled, directing her glare to her friend as Tracey rubbed the back of her head, smirking despite Daphne's morose mood.

"Spout nonsense? You just proved my point!" Tracey snickered. Daphne made a noise at the back of her throat, turning her attention to her plate of food so as to ignore her giggling at her friend.

Harry watched the interaction with a small smile, looking between the two Slytherins before looking over his shoulder at his two Gryffindor friends. Relishing in the moment of peace.


(A/N) Short chapter for my return, I know, I know. Throw your hate at me with all your might but I really, really, REALLY, wanted to get something out just to prove to people that THIS ISN'T DEAD OR ABANDONED, nor is my other story, Hush.
My hand healed up very nicely for those wondering, but due to a whole conglomeration of bloody factors I couldn't find time to write, and when I did, the best I could muster was about 100 words a week.
Regardless! I am not dead, these stories are not dead, and I CAN ASSURE YOU, that I will not abandon these stories unless I truly lose the passion to write. I hope pushing this out will help my creative juices flowing again.
I hope to see you all soon!