Chapter 14: Redeeming
Harry approaches the Room with Luna Lovegood at his side. The smile on his lips isn't one he wears often, even this year.
"I'm always here for you, Harry," Luna says, her voice sure and airy at the same time. She traces her pointer finger in a crescent below his right eye. He got that scar almost two years into the war. The locket was destroyed and a meeting for some information turned out to be an ambush. He almost lost the eye. There isn't a scar there now, at least not yet.
Luna hugs him tightly before floating away. Harry watches her for a moment, lost in all the grace that is Luna, before shaking his head and looking at Hermione. A sheepish smile spreads over his face as he ducks his head and walks towards the door where his friend waits.
"Luna, huh?" she teases as they step into the room.
"Oh come off it. You still haven't told me your mystery man's name," Harry replies with an easy smile. It almost hurts, looking at Harry like this. Unlike Draco's friends, Harry's not any worse for not knowing the war years. He's lighter though. Hermione had almost forgot what a Harry without the weight of the world crushing him looked like before she had time traveled. And here he stands, with an easy smile and only one scar marring his face. Hermione breaks forward and hugs him.
"Hermione?" he asks. She merely shrugs as he reciprocates. She wishes she could forget too, but then there wouldn't be any point to coming back if she did. Hermione releases him and steps back.
"Let's get started."
After a half hour of breaking through and seeing memories, it was time to start on the third shield. They sit facing each other and hold his hands. After a moment, Hermione huffs.
"Put down your shields," she says. Harry smirks.
"Too hard?" he teases.
"Yes and no. I can get in, but I can't take us both to the right place. So put it down you prat." He laughs and lowers his shields. Once more in his mind, they stand in a plain white room that is at least four times the size of the great hall.
"It's funny how while it was so hard putting up the shields in the first place, it is now easy to take them down and put them up again," he comments.
"That's because the hardest part is becoming aware of them in the first place. Once you are aware and gain control, it comes easier because it is a natural talent of magicals."
"And here I was believing Snape and thinking I had to work on it constantly," Harry laughs. Hermione turns to look at him immediately.
"You do, Harry," she tells him seriously. "While it is a natural gift to have metal barriers and that once being aware of them it becomes easy to put them up and let them down, you still have to practice. All day, everyday, if you can. The problem is that if you are emotional or stressed or frazzled at all, your mind puts the energy into helping deal with the immediate issue, thus letting the shields fall. While the amount of energy to maintain a metal barrier is relatively small, putting it up and down can be mentally taxing. And putting the shields up during a mental attack takes massive amount of magic because at that point you are pitting your mind against theirs. You trying to put up barriers while they are knocking them down. So yes you need to practice."
"You could have just told me to not be daft and practice more," he jokes. She shakes her head and continues.
"The next shield is actually traps. Along the wall," medium sized boxes appear along three of the walls, "are boxes with traps and parts. You can use premade traps, make your own, or any combination. You also have to decide where you want to place the traps in this room." The large green eyes, just like Harry's, show on the wall without boxes.
Harry jogs over and starts going through boxes and concocting traps. Hermione watches for nearly an hour and half, before she declares it is time to go back.
"Keep working on them," she tells him as they stand and leave the Room. He rolls his eyes, but nods.
When Harry and Hermione step into the common room, Ron rushes over to them.
"Can we talk?" he asks. The two nod and follow him into a quiet corner. As he called this meeting, they wait for him to continue. He fidgets and looks away before turning to them again.
"I broke it off with Lavender," he says. "Turns out she had shagged nearly half the males in Hogwarts. Or at least that's how it sounded. Anyways I wasn't even the only one while we were dating. Barmy, that one." He shakes his head. "I'm sorry I've been ignoring you lot. I just got caught up in her."
Hermione looks to Harry, who shrugs a little with one shoulder.
"We forgive you, mate," Harry says with a smile.
"Though while you were a bit busy, I...I started teaching Harry occlumency," Hermione says. It's best it comes out now, but she still tenses for his reaction.
"I know I've been involved with Lav, but why wasn't I invited for these lessons? I thought you were still going off to lessons with Dumbledore," Ron says, turning cross.
"Dumbledore told me I had to learn," Harry says. "He couldn't teach me, though he never really said why. And Snape, well you saw how well that turned out last time. He said the animosity between us was just too great to make progress, that this should work better."
"And when did you learn occlumency?" Ron asks, turning to the witch.
"The beginning of the year," she answers honestly. "It was the only way I got through after...after everything that happened." Ron looks away as a blush colors his cheeks and nods.
"Alright. I'm sorry for getting cross, mate." Hermione throws her arms around his neck.
"Well maybe let us explain first next time, alright?" she says with a smile as he hugs her back and nods.
Laying on plush green carpet and looking up at stars in the Room of Requirement on Friday night becomes a tradition for Draco and Hermione. Often they lay in easy silence, sometimes they would tell stories, or other times, like tonight, their minds race off in different directions only to be snapped back by the other speaking.
Hermione can't help worrying about Harry and everything else. There is only a week left in February and Harry only has one shield left to work on. Soon they will start to get to war footing. Dumbledore told Hermione that once they can let Harry in on their plans, he has arranged for some specific training. She'll see what that means when it starts.
"Did you tell Dumbledore or Snape about me knowing?" Draco asks suddenly, bringing Hermione back into the moment.
"Knowing about the three years of war?" she asks.
"Yeah."
"Yes, I did." He turns his head to look at her, without sitting up.
"Why?" She turned her head to him too. His gray eyes scan over her face, looking for the answer.
"You know why," she replies. "I am loyal to the Light and I could never not be." He looks away, a puff of air bursting from his lips. "And...and it's the only way I know how to protect you and your mother." He sits up and spins around to look at her so fast it makes her dizzy.
"You did that? You're the reason Snape came to talk to me?" Hermione cannot read his expression or tone, but she nods. His voice is monotone when he speaks, "What did you tell them?" She sits up too and faces him.
"I told Dumbledore that you remembered the war because you walked in as I finished casting the spell. I told him that you would do anything to protect you mother and that you didn't want it all to work out the same either. I asked for him to offer you and your mother protection."
"What's the price?" he asks in the same emotionless voice.
"Excuse me?"
"The price for being out from under the Dark Lord's thumb. What does the Order want?"
"You can't bring your father," she offers.
"That is a fact, he would not come and cannot be trusted. That is not the price." Hermione looks down at her hands.
"The Malfoy's leaving Voldemort will weaken moral," she tells him. "Other than that, it is a favor to me." Her eyes find his and passion fills her voice. "You should not be forced to either sacrifice your mother or serve that sadistic bastard." He reaches out and touches her hand gently with the tips of his fingers.
He nods once, holding her gaze for a moment before pulling away.
"Did you answer Snape?" she asks, as they settle back into laying on the floor.
"No, but now that I know why it was offered I'll get back to him. Did you know about the contract?"
"No much, except that they said it was insurance in case you weren't as reformed as I make you out to be." He laughs and she does too.
"Nice to know they haven't completely lost their minds," he says with a smile. "Basically if I double-cross the order and feed information to the Dark Lord with the intent on helping him then I lose my magic. If I do it under duress, the Order will be informed immediately to be able to react."
"Pretty straightforward then?"
"Generous actually, taking into account that I could be forced to talk," he answers softly. Hermione reaches out and grab his hand.
"Told you we would find a way to protect your mum, that things didn't have to be the same," she says with a smirk. He rolls his eyes. She props herself up on an elbow and look over at Draco.
"By the way, it would be great if you talked to Snape and signed that contract before Harry finishes occlumency training next week and I have to give him your name," she says casually and lays back down.
"What?" he yelps and sits up. She sighs and sits up too. With a nonchalant shrug, she tells him,
"Well he figured out that I was spending all my time away with someone...with a boy. He thought I was dating someone, but I corrected him and said it was just a study partner. Well he wanted a name...which I may have promised I'd give him after he mastered occlumency."
"You can't. Potter will go barmy and probably hex me."
"Don't be so dramatic. It'll be fine."
"THE Gryffindor Princess and brains of the golden trio spending time with a Death Eater's son and golden trio tormentor. Oh yes, I'm sure no one will think anything of it," he finishes sarcastically.
"I'm not telling all of Hogwarts, I'm just telling Harry."
"Like that makes it better," he grumbles.
"He would find out anyways once we take you and your mother into hiding," she reasons.
"I will not be hiding with Potter."
"You've already agreed, nothing to be done about it now," she chuckles. Draco groans and flops onto his back, only making her laugh more. He glances up at her with a long-suffering look.
"Pitty me, Granger," he says. "I think I found a fate worse than death." Setting her off laughing again, it is only a moment before he can't keep the smile from his own face.
As Hermione walks back to the Gryffindor tower, she can't help but feel lighter, despite the challenges ahead.