Disclaimer: I don't own it.

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Chapter Eighteen: Reconciliation

Hope was standing over the broom, waiting to kick off. They had explained the concept to her many times, and she was finally being allowed to try it. Draco was standing off in the far corner of the field, just quietly observing, much to the surprise of the entire team.

"Okay, Hope. Just kick off and be careful!" A seventh year boy yelled from beside her.

Hope did as he said and went to move forward before falling completely off her broom and hitting the ground with a soft thud.

"Damn it!" She screamed.

"You leaned forward too fast, and your body was too far forward on your broom," a voice that hadn't been at the practice earlier said.

Hope immediately stood up and brushed herself off. "Harry?"

"Everyone else get out of here. I can teach a girl how to fly," he said, getting eye contact.

"Excuse me, Potter, but I'm not allowed to leave."

"Draco, shut up! He has a first name, and just leave us alone for a minute. Go play with Sasha if you have nothing else to do, she looks bored."

Draco heaved a sigh and walked off, leaving Harry and Hope alone.

"Give me the broom," Harry said, holding out his hand. Hope reluctantly gave it to him and watched as he walked back to the equipment shed. She gave him a few minutes and watched as he came back out with a newer looking broom.

He mounted it and then motioned for her to get on. "What?" She asked, backing away.

"Get on the broom. It will be easier to learn if you get the feel for it first."

"No way, Harry."

"You're telling me you can spit in Voldemort's face, but you're afraid to ride a broom?"

"I'm not afraid to…wait, you believe me?"

Harry sighed and got off the broom. He set it against a tree and walked over to her.

"I've believed you for awhile. Hermione's lecture and slap kind of brought everything into perspective for me. I was afraid, Hope. I thought I'd lost you. I told you I was falling in love with you and you just stood there."

"I had to!" She said, turning away from him. "You don't understand what it was like for me Harry! I went through over a month of tortures, every single day! I watched as they tortured and killed muggles, all because I wouldn't join their side. I watched as they…" Her voice cracked and Hope stopped to wipe at the tears now falling down her cheeks.

"As they what?"

"They tortured my parents. All because they were related to me. I had to watch as my parents went through everything I had been going through! Then Draco's dad shot one last curse, and a green light hit them. Then they were dead, Harry! I knew I had to end it there. I had to pretend Harry! Don't you get it?"

"I do, now," he said, softly. He walked over to Hope and turned her around so she was facing him.

"Hope, when I met you that night, everything changed. Then I found out that you were just as important in the war as me, if not more so. That only made me want to protect you. But you've already been through so much, and I wasn't there for you to help you get over any of it."

"Harry, I am far from over it. I am so confused by everything right now that I don't know which way is up. I start classes in a new school in two days, I found out I can talk to animals, I have a special wand, but my stupid robes won't stay black, and I am in two houses."

"I don't know my way around the school, and I'm not sure who to trust and who not to. Not to mention I lost the only thing I had left to hold on to after the mess with Voldemort."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked with a confused look on your face. "You lost who?"

Hope sighed. "Severus. And in a way Draco as well. They were the only two who knew what I was going through and stuck by me, yet they seem to have found a family in themselves. I've nowhere to go after school, Harry. My parents are dead, and I can't live in my biological parents' home by myself. I have no other family. I thought I'd found one with Severus."

Hope sat down on a rock close by. "He told me that I was going to live with him afterwards. I believed him, and now I know how stupid I was. He's just using me as a tool to win the war. I'm afraid after the war is over, I'll not have anything left."

Harry sat down next to her. "You'll have me, Hope. You'll always have me."

"I haven't recently."

"Let's pretend I went temporarily went mad," he said with a laugh.

"Okay, I can do that. But Harry, there's more you should know…" And with that she went on to explain the new curse that she'd been hit with and the nightmares she was afraid of. She left out the part about not being able to sleep without anyone else next to her, because she didn't want to seem like a complete fool.

By the time she was done, Harry was beside himself. If he'd known all this before, then he wouldn't have acted like such a prat.

"I'm sorry, Hope. For everything," he apologized.

Hope just shrugged and they sat there together until they were joined by Draco. Harry walked with them back to Severus' quarters, but stopped at the door.

"Oh, for goodness sake, Harry, come on," Hope said, pulling him inside.

"Hope, this isn't a good idea. Professor Snape isn't fond of me…"

"That's putting it lightly, Potter. What are you doing in my quarters?" Severus' voice came from by the fire, causing everyone to jump.

"I invited him. If I have to be stuck here, at least I can bring a friend along. And HE HAS A FIRST NAME!" Hope yelled, getting irritated with the last name game they were all playing.

Snape sighed, before deciding if he was going to show Hope he really cared about her, then he had to let Potter into his quarters.

"Very well, Pot…Harry. How did flying go tonight, Hope?"

Hope opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Draco.

"There wasn't much flying going on."

Hope's face turned bright red and she looked at the ground. Severus simply raised an eyebrow at his son and goddaughter.

"It's not what you're thinking. I tried, fell off, and then refused to get on a broom with someone who thought I was working for his enemy, so we talked, and ran out of time."

Snape shook his head and then went back to what he was doing.

"Umm…" Hope started to speak, not sure where she was supposed to go, but not wanting to interrupt.

"Hope, he doesn't bite. Watch. SEVERUS, SOMEONE IS TALKING TO YOU!" Draco yelled at his adoptive father.

Severus walked over to Draco and smacked him upside the head before turning to Hope with a smile on his face. Harry was shocked at the smile, and took a step back.

"Umm…I was just wondering where I'm supposed to be. I mean, I know I'm supposed to stay here tonight, but where exactly?"

Severus laughed. "Follow me." He led Hope back to a room he'd had magically added on. It was decorated in a light blue, with wooden floors and matching furniture. There was a trunk sitting at the edge of the bed.

"This will be your room any time you are down here. You have some clothes in the trunk, and are free to put them away in the closet. If there is anything else you need, let me know."

Hope muttered a thank you, and watched as he walked out. She turned to Harry, who still looked a little frightened.

"He does smile, Harry," she said, with a laugh.

"He seems to have gone to a lot of trouble for you, if you were just a tool. He cares about you, Hope. He just does it in his own, strange way."

"Whatever," Hope said, and with a shrug, went over to the bed and pulled out her wand. "Want to show me some of these cool spells you all do?"

Harry laughed at her before pulling out his own wand and looking at the book. "I would love to, assuming you can figure them out."

She threw a pillow at him and started the night of studying and spell learning.

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A/N: Oops!! Sorry I forgot to post yesterday. I'm giving you two today though. Yay! lol. Sorry about that.

Thanks to my beta, and anyone who reviews. Speaking of reviews...I'll love you if you click that little button and send me one.

Kayla