Yes, I still live. Amazing right? More on that at the end. If I owned this, it would not be on fanfiction. Just saying.

There in the corner of the Great Hall was a small round table with enough room to fit the two Gryffindors and the three Slytherin's . The hall hushed to silence as the five entered and sat down. Ignoring the rather unfriendly welcome the five went about filling their plates. Once the shock had worn off the hall eventually returned to its previous noise level.

"That wasn't so bad." Harry stated evenly while dipping as piece of fruit in a cream whip for added sweetness.

"I was expecting an attempted beat down." Draco replied rather cordially as if they were speaking of the weather and not of violence.

"The day is still young, and Gryffidors are lazy before noon." Blaise said before nodding his head slightly to the two Gryffindors he was seated with, "No offence."

"None taken." Neville said, though his lack of shy behavior surprised those around him.

"So, your teacher, what's her name?" Draco asked through a mouthful of fried tomatoes.

"Cathy Thornbryne," Harry replied after swallowing a particularly crunchy piece of pineapple.

"What's her deal anyway? A healer, singer, and apparently salve maker?" Draco wasn't a fan of jack-of-all-trades, he felt as though you should find one trade and stick by it.

"She went to a magical performing arts school instead of regular schooling, however after the murder of her parents she entered into the auror academy." Harry explained.

"How did she get that slur?" Neville asked, though immediately ducked his head.

'So much for no longer shy.' Harry though ruefully, but stated, "She had a stroke while on the job, she decided that the force was a bit too much action for her, especially if it caused her to stroke and thus she settled down to become a vocal instructor. Many people at the school go to see her actually."

"But how did you find her?" Draco asked still curious.

"It was more like she found me, I was wondering through the outskirts of Hogsmeade and she hobbled up to me and told me that I needed a hobby that would allow me to relax." Harry paused for a moment to take a sip of his milk, "The rest is history I've been taking lessons with her ever since."

The group sitting with him nodded and continued to eat in a peaceful silence until Weasley disturbed it by roughly bumping into Harry's chair.

"How did you manage this scum bucket?" He looked over their neat little table. "Just wait until I tell about this- all the fuss will make you get punished. You worthless piece of trash."

Harry sighed, 'I guess there's no more pretend friendship.' He waved his hand minutely to show the others not to respond or react. The others seemed to shrug nonchalantly, though he could tell that they were far angrier than appearances told.

"Trash- I'm talking to you." He gave a hard thump to Harry's shoulder with his fist.

"I believe I am done eating for the time being. I will see you all later." Harry stood and turned, his eyes passed right through Ronald Weasley and focused on the doors of the Great Hall. With that he strode towards and out of them leaving a fuming red head behind him.

Draco rose slightly in order to teach the Weasel some manners now that Harry was gone, but was held back by Neville's words. "Harry knows what he's doing. He obviously did not want us to react, and it will spoil whatever his plans are if we do." Draco shrugged and sat down as if he had just meant to readjust his seat. Longbottom was most likely right- even if he didn't like it.

Harry smiled sadly upon exiting the Great Hall, truth be told he missed his once great friend. His mouth firmed into a line- if Ron thought that what he was doing was acceptable then he had another thing coming to him.

He had decided when he signaled his friends not to react that if Ron wanted to throw temper tantrums, then he would treat him like any unruly child- he would ignore the existence of him.

And if that didn't work- there was always the sit down in time out version.

A hand tapped him on the shoulder; he turned slightly and was startled to see whom it was. Red rimmed and blood shot eyes starkly stood out against sallow, but also slightly inflamed skin and wild hair.

"Miss Granger," He nodded through his barely apparent surprise- her state was putrid. It was obvious through the enflamed skin that she had stopped taking care of herself in the time since the Great Hall incident. The enflamed skin and red eyes meant she had been crying heavily.

"We need- I need- I mean, I want to-No." She took a deep breath and stood up a little further. "I need to speak to you." He nodded, Harry doubted she had anything-nasty planned- she wasn't that great of an actress.

Entering a cold dark classroom Harry went around and lit each torch with his lighter. "Why do you do it like that?" The question was spoken so softly he almost didn't hear it.

"I cannot do any small feat of magic." Harry answered before sitting down next to her. "If I were to put a light a light, or put it out with magic I would blow it up. I have to do things manually for safeties sake." Hermione looked at him pensively.

"I really haven't been doing much of a good job as friends, have I? To not notice this about you…" She shook her head and Harry refrained from attacking her verbally- she had not been his friend for a very long time. "I am sorry for my actions." She looked up and simultaneously grabbed his hands forcing Harry to look at her. "I am but only human Harry- I make mistakes and as it turns out, rather large and horrible mistakes." He didn't want to look at her- he really didn't. "I am not an old dog, I can learn new tricks and unlearned bad habits. I want a second chance- and I think I am worth it."

"Why do you think you are worth it?" The question came out sounding like it had just slipped out, but nothing he did was ever off the cuff.

"Because, I'm damaged goods. And I've nothing to lose."

Harry thought, they sat in silence while his mind went through pros and cons.

"Fine."

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A/N: I'm not gone! I haven't abandoned. I'm just a college students with two majors and two minors, so I update generally on breaks. I hope you like this, half was written a while ago and the other half just now, so they might not connect well. I really wanted to make Hermione a good guy again, because I really only hate Ron. He has an inferiority complex problem, and I plan on exposing it. Alright, well cheers!