Chapter 15: Mastery

"Harry," Hermione greets him with a slight grimace. This is the lesson she's been dreading since the beginning of his training. They sit on the floor.

"No sifting through my head?" he asks, confused when Hermione doesn't pull out her wand. She shakes her head.

"No, I couldn't get in now unless you put your shields down anyways, but today," she takes a deep breath, "today we focus on a special shield. Well within your ability but not one of the natural ones. This one you will build from scratch." His face is serious and his eyes watchful. He wore the same look throughout the war, watching for danger and reacting. Hermione swallows the lump in her throat.

"First I would like to go through each of the shields that you have raised and how you accomplished it. A bit of review, but it'll make sense," she says and nods to him.

"The first shield was stone and I had to call forth help to pull it from the ground," Harry begins. "The second was a several odd shaped pieces of metal that had to be sorted and fitted together like a puzzle. I then had to pave in any cracks.

"Third was the traps, building and placing them around the room. The placement making them stronger so they work together.

"That takes us to the fourth, that one was made of diamond, one of the hardest substances. The shield reflect and divides the intruders efforts. Meditation was needed to pull the diamonds from the separate places in the mind and form them into their shield.

"The fifth was guard animals. I picked a combination of a stag, a phoenix, and a wolf. Finding the ones that went with my personality and was thus willing to defend me was the difficult part.

"And then the last one, and really the most taxing, is the memories. Coming to terms with all the memories, good and bad and then sorting them into their own crystals that act like chainmail when completed," he finishes and she nods.

"You have done so well," Hermione praises. "This last shield will take into account everything you had to do with the previous six. You will need to meditate to find a material that will work best with your mind and magical core. You will then build it from what you've pulled together. You may need others to help. I will be there. Take my hands." She holds out her hands and he places his in them. She feels each of his shield as he pulls them down and lets her in.

They stand in a wide green field. There is a large oak tree off to the side, but other than that, there is only them. Hermione stands with her hair lose and a flowing emerald gown, both move gently in the breeze. Harry stands there in a well fitted and nice dress robes.

"Where are we?" he asks.

"This is a place in my own mind," she says. "I pulled you here for a moment before we go to the place where there is work to be done."

"What are you not telling me, Hermione?"

"A special shield needs to be built around your connection to Voldemort so that he cannot see into your mind. I...have seen the place and it is dark where the connection lies. You can't touch it," she insists. "But you will build around it a shield, one you can open and close at will so that you can see into his mind without him seeing in yours. This is very important."

Harry nods solemnly and looks around the area.

"It is nice here," he comments absently. She smiles.

"This is my peaceful place. I created it to be able to find comfort when I meditate." Harry turns towards her.

"I'm ready," he says. Hermione nods and the scene dissolves. Before them is a black ball of mist, churring angrily. The area around is a murky gray. The witch's heart sinks with despair and hate, but she throws up her own shield to stay on task. Harry takes a step towards the swirling mist.

"Harry," she yells sharply. He turns to her, his hand still extended towards the black.

"There is something there," he says. He looks to the mist once more. "In there, like a child or an animal or…"

"Harry, look at me," she says, pulling him to face her once more. His eyes are slightly glazed over. She holds his face so he can only stare into her eyes. She projects the image of her field around them. He blinks a few times and his eyes are clear once more. Fear flashes in his eyes before he crushes her against him.

"Oh Hermione," he says, his voice wavering.

"Harry," she speaks softly, "we need to focus. You can do this. Everything has prepared you for this. Meditate, find the substance you need to build this shield. Just...don't look at it, ok?" He nods and closes his eyes while still holding firmly to her hands. She feels a pulse go through area as he shoots out feelers to find it.

Moments later, or perhaps hours, pieces of metal start spinning around them before landing in a pile on their right. The pile grows until it's about the same size as Hagrid's hut, then Harry's eyes snap open. He recognizes her for a moment, before his eyes start drooping.

"Hermione," he says, "we will need to finish this at another time."

"We can't," she replies with a frown. "Once we got here, we had to finish before we could leave. Take my energy." She focuses on their joined hands that are connecting them and partly holding him up. She forces the mental energy and magic through her palms until she nearly collapse. Harry reaches his arms around her to support her. His eyes are are alert once more.

"That is dangerous," he reprimands. She chuckle, half amused, half delirious.

"Everything in the magical world is dangerous." He shrugs and helps her to sit on the cold stone floor. "Don't look at it, not directly. Just build around it." He sits facing her and the pile of metal starts shifting. It fits together and stacks around the swirling mist, just far enough to not be touching it.

Hermione's eyes grow heavy and the metal continues to building into a solid prison around the black ball. Harry's breathing becomes heavy. His green eyes look into Hermione's honey one, exhaustion weighing heavy in them.

"I don't know if I can," he whispers. She grips his hand suddenly.

"Harry, you are not alone." People from his encounter with the stone shield appear around him, a gold beam going from their chest into his back. He sits up straighter and takes a breath. His eyes slide close and fire erupts around the prison, melting the metal into one piece. When the fire dissipates, they are the only the people in the room. Harry pulls Hermione to her feet and they both turn towards the last shield. She gasps.

A tall box is set around the black mist, trapping it in. The prison is goblin forged steel, but that was not the amazing part. The steel is a myriad of color. At the top of the box, the colors form into the face and, from the pictures they've seen, Hermione knows she's looking at Lily Potter. Her green eyes sparkle and red hair falls down in waves. Beneath her face, a door stands. On the front is a black lightning bold, just like Harry's scar, taking up the whole door. Hermione looks at her friend, surveying his own craftsmanship.

"It's beautiful," she says. He merely nods.

"Let's get out of here." Hermione glances around the now brightly lit room one last time, before they return to the Room of Requirement. As Harry gets to his feet, he looks as tired as she feels. A tempus dictates that it after curfew. They have spent all of Sunday here, but it is done.

"You have mastered occlumency," she says as they sneak back to their dorms.

"So does that mean I get a name," he replies with a smile as they enter the common room.

"Tomorrow," she says and they both head off to bed.

Hermione wakes with a start. Cold sweat runs down her forehead and back. All she can remember of the dream was falling into a black hole. She shakes her head to clear her thoughts, then cancel the silencing spell she'd hastily thrown up as she was falling asleep-just in case. She showers and dresses, but it's still a little early for people to be up. All of her homework is done for today, tomorrow and Wednesday, so instead she pulls out a book on warding runes when she slips down to the common room and begins to read.

"So the name," Harry whispers into her ear, drawing her attention away from the book. Hermione glances around to see the common room bustling. Standing, she groans at the wide smile marring Harry's face.

"I can't very well tell you now," she says, glancing around the room significantly. He rolls his eyes and sighs.

"When?"

"Tonight, in the room," she sighs. He shrugs his consent and they go down to breakfast with Ron who could hardly be considered conscious. Hermione's mind goes back to what she's going to say to Harry. She'll revise it a hundred times through the course of the day, but she still won't feel ready.

"So," Harry starts as Hermione paces in the Room of Requirement. The arrangement is similar to the first time she was in there with Draco, one green arm chair, one silver one and even two coffee tables with cups of hot chocolate. Harry sits in the silver one, just as Draco did so many months ago.

"The name," Harry prompts again, but he seems a tad more nervous now.

"Draco Malfoy," she blurts out suddenly, turning to face him.

"Okay," he replies slowly, drawing out the two syllables. Hermione sits down in a heap in the green chair. "That seems like quite the story." And it is. She had consulted Dumbledore a couple of days ago, knowing this moment was coming.

"What can I tell him?" Hermione asks Dumbledore, having already given the report on Harry's rapid progress and almost mastery of occlumency.

"Miss Granger?" the headmaster says.

"Harry," she says, "he's going to want answers. And once there is no danger of Voldemort learning about our plans through the connection, what should I tell him? What can't I tell him?" Dumbledore smiles gently.

"He can know everything," he says simply.

"Everything?"

"Do you think there is a chance that Harry might go to the other side?"

"Never."

"And he has near mastered occlumency?"

"Yes, or at least he will by the end of the weekend."

"Then what worries you about telling him everything?" Dumbledore asks wisely while staring over his steepled fingers.

"I…" she stops and think for a moment, considering the heart of the matter. She looks down at her hands in her lap, as they twist the hem of her shirt. "I have kept things from him," she answers honestly. "In some cases I've lied. He has been nothing, but good to me. He asked so often if something was wrong or if there was something he could do. But I held my tongue. I smiled and lied. And now you want me to tell him everything. How…" Her voice slips away. Dumbledore nods in the silence for a moment.

"He has become a wonderful wizard, strong and kind. Despite his upbringing, he shows compassion even to those damned by their choices. His upbringing, as I'm sure you know, was not ideal. It was the safest place I could put him, but far from the best situation. I have no doubt I will have to answer for that decision. But Mr. Potter does not hold it against me today. He understands that the best intentions and hard times can lead to unpleasantness and sometimes it is necessary. Your friend, Miss Granger, is a good wizard."

"I know," she mumbles to her shoes, uncertainty still stirring in her.

"You once said that, 'they can hate [you] for the rest of [your] life as long as they live and we win this war.' Is that still true?" Hermione sits up straight and looks at the headmaster.

"Yes."

"Then I see no reason to keep Mr. Potter in the dark, though I very much doubt he would hold a single moment against you," Dumbledore concludes with a gentle smile and knowing nod. She takes a breath and nods back.

"It is a long story," she tells Harry as they sit in the Room. "And...please just let me get through it. I'll tell you whatever I can." Harry agrees with a simple nod. Hermione closes her eyes and begins to speak. "This wasn't how things went the first time around. You see the first time, we went hunting for horcruxes-Ron, you and I. The war was bitter and hard and there were so many casualties. After three years, there was one last stand, one race against the clock, one chance to end it. And," her voice wavers, eyes sliding open, "we lost. You died, everyone died." She stares in front of her for a moment, lost in the memory. She blinks and it's gone.

"Well, I was the last of the light," she continues. "I tried to escape, escape and find some way to win still. Well I found a way, a spell to send me back in time. A spell that changes things. It could make a muggle taunt a child and her father lose his temper at the wrong time. The whole family moving to escape the shame. Or...or it could make Death Eaters come knocking on a door, killing two muggles and taking their witch daughter as bait. You see," she looks at him in the eyes with sudden intensity, "the spell has a cost. A price must be paid to send one back and allow them to change the course of history. And that cost will always be heavy." She look at her lap once more.

"Your parents?" Harry asks. She nods. "You were taken as bait?"

"I never wrote to you saying I want to spend the time with my parents. They were dead by that time. Voldemort had me taken to draw you out."

"How did you escape?" He sounds alarmed. She smiles coldly.

"That is not my story, or at least I can't tell that part of it. What matters in that Draco walked in when I finished the spell and he was transported back as well. He remembers everything that happened too. He taught me occlumency. He has helped me and now...he's getting protection for him and his mother from the order."

"What?" Harry yelps, shock permeating his features. She closes her eyes, against what will surely be prejudice against her new friend. "Draco Malfoy, the same who has tortured us for years and whose father gave Ginny that horcrux is getting protection from the order."

"Harry," she says sternly. Harry is justified in his worry, but is missing half the picture. "Draco has been through a hell of a lot. We all went through so much because of that damn war. Now you do not remember it, but I do and so does he. He is not the same boy who picked on us. He fought on the Voldemort's side because if he didn't, then that bastard would have killed his mother. His father is not coming, nor can he know about it before."

"Voldemort will kill Lucius once he finds out they are gone," Harry says, watching for her reaction.

"Yes," she replies simply. "The sins of the father will not fall on his family any more. He can pay his debt with his own blood for once." The numbness for the death of Death Eaters leaves her bones feeling cold. Years of war wearing down the idealism of capturing and locking them up. When it is your life or theirs, there can be no hesitation. It was one of the harder lessons of the war and it was learned the hardest way, with dead friends. Harry's eyes don't leave her and she refuses to shy away from his penetrating look. When he doesn't say anything, she goes on.

"I have met with Dumbledore," she says. "We have a plan for making this time different. I think he's already moving on it. We will meet with him tomorrow night and he will explain that portion." Silence follows her words for a long moment. "There's the story," she says, looking at him defiantly. "Any questions?" She grasps tightly to her Gryffindor courage as she waits for his verdict.

"Why didn't you tell me anything before?" he ask.

"We couldn't risk it getting back to Voldemort through the link. Then all the knowledge I had about things would be for naught."

"But about your parents? About you being taken?" he presses.

"How could I tell you some without telling you all?" she replies. "You would have never stopped pushing and searching until I told you." He nods and stands. Hermione stays where she's sitting and looks at the floor. He walks to the door and she wraps her arms around her stomach. She knew she was asking too much, for him to just to accept this and still be look at her the same.

"Hermione," he calls from the door and she looks up to him. "Are you coming?" She blinks. When she doesn't stand, he comes back to her. "What's the matter?" She bites her lip. "I thought you said that was everything." She look up at soft green eyes.

"I lied to you," she says softly.

"What?"

"This whole year, I've been hiding and lying to you. I lied about where I was, what I was doing and I didn't tell you I with Draco. I...I…" her voice fades away. Harry pulls her from the chair and into his arms.

"That must have torn you apart," he whispers into her hair.

"You're not mad?" she squeaks. He steps back and looks into her eyes.

"No. You did it for me. You did it for everyone. I can't be mad about that," he says simply. He takes her hand and pulls her out of the room, walking slowly back to the common room and chatting about nothing.