Chapter 19

Stepping Towards Tomorrow

The following morning was probably the most excruciating Harry could remember. Every wizarding publication had released a special edition covering Harry's speech that arrived during breakfast. The 'Daily Prophet' had a large picture of a confident looking Harry standing at the podium, silent words escaping his lips, covering half of the front page underneath a headline that read 'Savior Harry Potter Announces Peace Plan'. His speech was written word for word underneath his picture while editorials covered the rest of the paper. It seemed that every employee at the 'Daily Prophet' had an opinion and felt the need to publish it. Surprisingly, no one criticized a word Harry said.

'Witch Weekly', however, decided to broaden their criteria. On the cover was a picture of Harry staring off to the side for a long moment before his gaze fell and a soft smile appeared on his face beside large bold letters that read: 'Harry Potter, from The-Boy-Who-Lived to Our Protector and Savior'. Underneath that in flashing letters were the words 'Limited Edition'. Groups of girls crowded around anyone who received an issue, swooning and giggling every time a page was turned.

Harry seriously thought he was going to either die from embarrassment or pass out from the overabundance of 'uncomfortable' emotions he was picking up on. Either way, leaving the Great Hall as quickly as possible seemed to be an extremely good idea.

Classes were absolute torture. For hours at a time, Harry was trapped in a room with female classmates who lusted after him and male classmates who resented him. The two opposite emotions constantly battled for dominance every class, leaving Harry with one large headache by the end of the day. Frustrated, exhausted and in the middle of a migraine, Harry retreated to his rooms instead of the Great Hall for dinner. He really didn't think he could handle any more foreign emotions without passing out.

Regardless of the reason, Harry had to admit that he had never slept so soundly without the aid of a potion. The moment his head had hit the pillow, he had been dead to the world until he woke to sunlight filling his room the next morning. Truthfully, Harry could think of a number of better ways to get a full night of sleep. After all, feeling like your head was going to explode wasn't something Harry wanted to repeat on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, the day wasn't any better than the previous but for different reasons. All of the teachers seemed to have snapped out of their stupor and started taking points for any disruption in their class. This only intensified the attention Harry received when classes weren't in session. Eating in the Great Hall was certainly out of the question as well as spending any sort of time with a large crowd. Thankfully Ron and Hermione realized what was really happening and took it upon themselves to allow Harry to have as much space as possible. Ron had even threatened to hex a group of first years that wouldn't leave Harry alone and cursed a group of older Slytherins that took it upon themselves to mock the entire situation, earning him a day long detention on Saturday, a Hogsmeade weekend.

Ron accepted the detention proudly, claiming that someone had to do something since the teachers weren't. Professor McGonagall hadn't been pleased with the comment but also didn't correct his assessment. Besides, the only reason it was so bad for Harry was only because he was empathic, an ability that nearly the entire population at Hogwarts were unaware of.

Harry was rudely awoken at dawn the following morning by Hermione pulling off his bedcovers and nearly pushed out of bed. At first, Harry wanted to hex her into oblivion but, after he cleaned up and left his room, he was glad she woke him so early. The halls were practically empty as was the Great Hall. Harry couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief as he sat down and dug into breakfast. After the last two days, Hermione's concern was easy to ignore.

"I talked to Ron last night," Hermione said, finally breaking the silence. "He asked that we pick up some chocolate frogs and try not to have too much fun without him."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Even though he knew that Ron didn't regret what he did, Harry couldn't help feeling guilty. If only…

"Sirius stopped by last light after you went to bed," Hermione added casually. "He was a little hurt that you didn't tell him about—" she glanced around before whispering "—about you-know-what acting up. He was under the impression that it wasn't as sensitive as before."

Harry shrugged. "It wasn't until everyone decided to basically broadcast their feelings whenever they're around me. You don't want to know what I'm feeling from some of the girls. It's disgusting."

Hermione bit back a laugh. "Oh Harry," she said shaking her head. "Can you honestly tell me it's any different than what you felt between Ron and Lavender last year?"

Harry cringed. "Well, not really but that was only two people. Now it's like being surrounded by snogging Ron and jealous Ron, each of them fighting for dominance. Do you have any idea how hard it is to constantly shift between extremes? I just don't understand it. I'm the same person I was before."

Hermione stared at Harry sympathetically. "You didn't read the articles in 'Witch Weekly', did you?" she said more than asked. "Harry, I don't know where they got their information but they practically documented your entire life. They brought up every challenge you had to face and went on about how you managed to survive. You haven't changed, Harry, but people tend to forget everything you've done, especially when the Ministry refused to acknowledge most of it."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He should have known. No one ever let his past remain in the past. It always had to be brought up again…and again…and again. Harry had a strong feeling of what else had been written in 'Witch Weekly'. He had been the-boy-who-lived at age one, parselmouth at twelve, master of the patronus charm at thirteen, tri-wizard champion at fourteen, taken on the Ministry at fifteen, the Chosen One and Protector of Hogwarts at sixteen, and the Savior at seventeen. The question was probably what many people had thought but didn't want to voice: now what? How could Harry Potter top what he had already accomplished?

With nothing much more to say on the topic, Harry and Hermione left the Great Hall to grab the first carriage to Hogsmeade while everyone else was grabbing a quick breakfast. Harry had to admit that he didn't know how he was going to acquire any sort of normalcy when everyone was eagerly waiting for the next abnormal adventure in the life of Harry Potter. No hospital would even consider hiring someone who gathered that much attention.

They reached Hogsmeade just as many of the stores had only just opened. The village was practically empty other than a few early morning shoppers, much to Harry's relief. He hadn't been looking forward to being bombarded by fans on his day away from the castle.

Their first stop was Honeydukes to pick up Ron's chocolate followed by a long visit in Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop for supplies they would need for their N.E.W.T.s Hermione insisted on buying nearly one of everything…just in case. By the time they left the store, the village was full of shoppers. Harry and Hermione quickly merged into the crowd, hoping against hope that no one would recognize either one of them.

"Anywhere else you want to stop?" Hermione asked quietly.

Harry shook his head as a couple just a little older than him holding hands passed them, unaware of anything but each other. Faint waves of love and happiness surrounded them. It was hard for Harry not to stare and pray that, someday, that could be him with someone who felt that way about just Harry. The more Harry thought about it the more he knew that was what he wanted but feared he would never be able to have. There were just too many obstacles standing in his way.

"Harry?" Hermione asked hesitantly. "Harry, is something wrong?"

Harry snapped out of his thoughts and shifted his gaze to Hermione. "I'm fine," he said with a half smile. "Just thinking about the future."

Hermione frowned before taking Harry's hand and pulling him across the road to The Three Broomsticks. Slowly, they pushed their way through the crown and entered the tiny inn. For it being early in the day, there were quite a few people already seated, drinking out of frosty mugs. Harry didn't really have a chance to look around before Hermione pulled him to a small vacant table in the back of the room near the fireplace. Before Harry could even offer to get drinks, Hermione pushed him down in a chair with his back facing the bar.

"All right, Harry," Hermione said as she sat down across from him. "Talk to me. I've seen that look before. That look usually comes with you thinking that you can't have a normal life."

Harry winced. Sometimes he hated that Hermione was so observant. "With the way everyone's been acting lately can you blame me?" he asked. "No matter what I do or how much time passes, no one's going to see me, only what I've done."

Hermione's gaze fell as she rubbed her hands together nervously. "So, what are we going to do about it?" she asked quietly.

"Sirius Black!"

Harry quickly turned around and leaned to the right to peer around the wood pole, blocking the bar. He could hardly believe his eyes. Sirius had just arrived and went directly for the bar as Madam Rosmerta, the pretty barmaid, hurried over to greet him. Against his better judgment, Harry rose from his chair and moved closer while remaining out of sight. Hermione was quickly at his side even though they probably looked ridiculous trying to hide behind one measly pole.

"Good morning, Rosie," Sirius said with a charming smile as he sat down.

Madam Rosmerta waved her finger at Sirius with in a disapproving manor. "What have I told you about calling me Rosie?" she warned with a smile on her face as she put a frosty mug in front of him. "You never change, Sirius. How that godson of yours is able to maintain his sanity, I'll never know."

Sirius dramatically grabbed his chest. "Oh, you wound me, Rosie," he said seriously. "Speaking of Harry, have you seen him?"

Madam Rosmerta's smile faltered slightly as she leaned closer to Sirius. "Is something wrong?" she asked quickly. "He looked fine on Wednesday."

Sirius shrugged. "I honestly don't know" he answered regretfully. "He isn't handling all of the attention well. He just wants to prepare for his N.E.W.T.s like everyone else but no one else seems to realize that. In all honesty, going through his mail has become a full time job. You won't believe the companies that want him as a spokesperson."

Madam Rosmerta smiled sympathetically as she gently patted Sirius' arm. "Oh, I'd believe it," she said. "He's the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class in nearly five hundred years. It also doesn't hurt that he's rather easy on the eyes. If I was twenty years younger…"

Sirius gagged. "Please, don't go there," he pleaded.

"Sirius, just listen for a moment," Madam Rosmerta said gently. "When you look at Harry, you see a little boy. That's not how the rest of the world sees him. Think of it this way, he has the looks of a young and fit James Potter, the accomplishments to rival Albus Dumbledore, an inheritance that most families dream of having, the strength to stand up for what he believes in, and the power to make it all happen. Can you honestly sit there and tell me you can't fathom why anyone would find that attractive?"

Sirius scowled as he took a sip of his drink. It may be the truth but that didn't mean he had to like it. "Harry deserves better than that," he said forcefully.

"I think everyone knows that, Sirius," Madam Rosmerta said. "That's why everyone's obsessed with him. They want him but know deep down that they'll never have him. I think we're all just waiting for the announcement that will confirm it."

Sirius let out a sigh before taking another long drink. "Well, I should find him before it gets too late," he said as he rose to his feet. In one motion, Sirius took Madam Rosmerta's hand and kissed the back of it. "Thanks, Rosie. You'll always be my favorite barmaid."

Madam Rosmerta let out an annoyed sigh. "Sirius, I'm the only barmaid you know," she said plainly.

Sirius grinned. "That doesn't change the fact that you're my favorite," he said then waved farewell as he left the inn.

"Well," Hermione said quietly. "That was interesting."

Harry didn't respond. He just stared at the door as he realized what was really going on. Sirius was giving up spending time with a woman he was obviously attracted to because of him. Just how much more did Sirius have to sacrifice for being Harry Potter's godfather? It wasn't fair to them. Sirius deserved the chance to find someone and have a family of his own. He deserved the life he should have had before Voldemort turned their lives upside down.

Determined, Harry pushed his worries and feelings aside. "Hermione," he said as he turned to her, "I need your help."

Hermione stared at Harry for a long moment before saying, "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

Harry grinned. "No, I don't think you will," he said honestly.

Hermione ended up being more receptive to Harry's plan than Harry originally thought. It was almost like she had known it was coming which, considering Hermione, was probably the truth. Hermione did admit, however, that even though she had accepted Harry's plan logically, there were others who wouldn't so it would be wise to keep it quite until anything definite was in place.

Once the first steps were decided on, Harry and Hermione left to find Sirius only to find him near the Shrieking Shack. For the rest of their time at Hogsmeade, Harry and Hermione walked around with Sirius, just talking about the past week as well as the upcoming weeks. Sirius did bring up the topic of Harry's mail and proposed creating a rejection letter to send back so the companies would leave them alone since ignoring it all clearly wasn't working.

It was early afternoon when they made the journey back to Hogwarts. All in all, Harry had to admit the day wasn't that bad. There were a few people who had recognized him after meeting up with Sirius but thankfully they had refrained from pointing out Harry's presence to everyone at Hogsmeade although that could have been because Sirius had been there glaring at everyone who dared to give Harry a second look.

The rest of the day was oddly calm considering how maddening everything had been lately. Harry and Hermione spent a few hours in the Marauder Quarters with Sirius and Remus before meeting up with Ron for dinner…only to regret doing so the moment they caught sight, or smell, of him. Harry had no idea what Ron had spent the day in but he was certain that he never wanted to smell it again. It seemed to be a mixture of every type of rotten smell anyone could think of.

As discretely as possible, Harry pulled out his wand and cast as many cleaning spells as he could until the smell was at a tolerable level. Ron didn't seem to notice a difference but it was obvious that those around him no longer looked like they were going to be sick.

"So," Ron said as they entered the Great Hall, "what did I miss? It was dreadfully boring here all day, especially in the greenhouses."

"Actually, Hogsmeade was surprisingly peaceful," Harry said truthfully. "No angry mobs and thankfully no swooning girls."

Ron stared at Harry with a raised eyebrow as they sat down at the end of the Gryffindor table. "Well, when you said you wanted a normal life I didn't think you meant boring," he said seriously. "C'mon Harry. There must have been something—"

"—oh honestly, Ron," Hermione said in annoyance. "Just be happy that Harry managed a day of large crowds without you-know-what acting up."

The tips of Ron's ears turned pick as he muttered something before filling his plate with food.

Harry, however, wasn't about to let the opportunity slip by. With the wave of his wand, Harry cast a privacy charm before rounding on Hermione. "Ron didn't mean anything by it, Hermione," he countered. "Now, I've been patient, hoping that you two would work whatever this is through but I guess that was wishful thinking. What in the bloody world is going on? You two were never this bad before."

Ron winced while Hermione looked away guiltily. Harry waited impatiently until Hermione finally spoke up. "Well—you see—when you were in your coma, Ron and I were sort of trapped here," she said uncomfortably. "No one would tell us anything, just that they'd let us know if something changed. They wouldn't even let us visit so we tried to find our own way. We were spending a lot of time together and—well—late one night Ron kissed me."

Harry glanced over at Ron who seemed to find his potatoes extremely interesting.

"Well, we tried to—to—"

"—date?" Harry offered.

"More or less," Hermione mumbled before letting out a sigh. "It just didn't work out. We—I wasn't ready to take it to the next step—" Harry's eyes narrowed on Ron as his grip on his wand tightened. "—after everything that had happened. I needed to focus on the responsibilities I already had so we decided to just be friends."

Well, that made sense. The problem was that there was still so much tension between them to make the transition from a couple to friends to go smoothly. "So, why are you two fighting like a divorced couple then?" Harry asked cautiously.

Ron and Hermione remained silent, uneasiness and nervousness pouring off the both of them. All of a sudden, Harry understood what was really going on. Both of them were hiding their feelings for each other behind their irritation and frustration so well that Harry couldn't even sense them. With so much unresolved, it wasn't a surprise that they were fighting.

"Well, just because you don't have time to spend hours snogging doesn't mean you can't spend time together, if that's what you want," Harry pointed out. "With reviews starting on Monday, we will undoubtedly spend hours upon hours studying. If you two want to spend some time alone, just let me know, all right? I won't be offended."

Hermione bit her lower lip nervously. It was hard to discern why. Hermione had expressed feelings for Ron last year. Why would she be so reluctant to give it a try now? Probably because she's worried about reality not living up to the dream.Harry could understand that. For years before Sirius and Remus had entered his life, Harry had dreamed of having a family that didn't despise his existence. Fortunately for him, the reality surpassed the dream.

I can't believe I'm playing match-maker to my best friends.

Nothing more was said on the topic although Harry immediately noticed a change in Ron and Hermione. They were more at ease around each other and, as a result, it seemed that everyone was more relaxed around them. There were still some awkward moments but that was to be expected. After all, relationships took time.

In addition to everything else, Harry and Hermione were forced to ask for help to implement Harry's plan due to the lack of information in the library. To say that Professor McGonagall was shocked to hear what Harry had to say was an understatement. She, like everyone else, had assumed what Harry's path would be, regardless of the current state of things. Nevertheless, McGonagall agreed to help and to remain silent about it until and further steps were taken.

If anyone were to say that preparation for the N.E.W.Ts was easy, they clearly had never gone through it. Harry had no idea he could have forgotten so much over the years but he had. Potions and Herbology had been the worst followed closely by Transfiguration. Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts had been the easiest to remember since most of the material had some sort of memory connected to it…knocking out a troll with Wingardium Leviosa was one good example.

Monday also happened to be the day that Draco Malfoy returned to Hogwarts in order to prepare for his own N.E.W.T.s Harry never thought he would ever be relieved to have Malfoy around but that time had actually come. For the first time in a long time, the attention was on someone other than Harry even if many of the younger years refused to go anywhere near the object of popularity. No one had forgotten what Malfoy had done a year ago despite whatever Malfoy did to prove that he wasn't the same person he had been before his stay in Azkaban.

Throughout the week, Harry managed to fulfill his portion of the plan in between all of the review sessions many of the seventh years attended in addition to all their classes. The moment he finished, he passed everything off to Professor McGonagall knowing that all he could do now was wait for a response. Hopefully it would be soon.

The weekend brought about a completely different atmosphere than the previous. Rest and relaxation was furthest from any of their minds. The seventh year students could be found in the library, huddled in groups reviewing notes and books to fill out the practice exams given to them for each course…except for Hermione. She had secluded herself behind a mountain of books, trying desperately to review for her large course load, leaving Harry and Ron to fend for themselves.

In all honesty, it wasn't that the material was difficult. There was just so much of it to keep straight in a short amount of time. Remus had ended up being a life saver once again with his mountain of knowledge and patient teaching. He was one of the first to notice what the seventh years were putting themselves through and offered to help. In no time, Remus' tutoring sessions were the most sought after means of preparing for the N.E.W.T.s.

Everyone tried to ignore the obvious signs of pain since it was clear that Remus didn't want anyone's pity. It was becoming more and more difficult for Remus to hide his injuries, no matter how hard he tried. Weariness and exhaustion poured off him in constant waves every moment of the day that had nothing to do with the upcoming full moon. It was hard for Harry to watch and not be able to do anything about it but Remus still refused to allow any sort of healing Harry had to offer. As much as Harry hated to admit it, it was almost like Remus had given up.

It was mid week before Harry was called to Professor McGonagall's office with three requests for meetings. It had been three more than he had expected with as late as it was. With Professor McGonagall's help, Harry scheduled the three meetings for the following day. One would be extremely early in the morning, the second would be during the lunch hour and the final meeting would be after dinner.

All in all, it was going to be a very long day.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. My trip to Star Wars Weekends seemed to shift everything a week behind schedule. There isn't much more left. The story will be either 21 or 22 chapters depending how much my fingers run away with. Also, I apologize for those awaiting the continuation of Unknown Relations. I have a start on Chapter 1 and will be diving head first into it once this series is complete.