The Exchange – Moving On

Harry idly ran the fingers of his right hand against his lips. Anyone who spotted the boy might've thought he was in some sort of daze and that he was deep in quiet contemplation. But what no one would guess was what had Harry so lost in thought.

'His lips were so soft… are mine that soft? Am I a good kisser? Was that good for him? It was certainly nice for me…'

"Hello? Earth to Harry? Please come in?"

Harry blinked and slowly looked up at his two best friends, confused. "Yes?"

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione asked. "We've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'm just thinking about… something." He looked around the common room, now nearly deserted. Earlier it had been packed with Gryffindors, happy that Harry had returned. They were all so eager to find out where he had been and what he had done and what he had seen. When half of them realized that the rumors had been false and that Harry wasn't off fighting some demonic creature at the ends of the earth, they seemed to have lost interest. The other half made idle chitchat about what it was like at an American school. Harry answered to the best of his abilities but was glad when people stopped coming up to him. And now, they were all gone. "Where did everybody go?"

"They're all heading down for supper," Ron said, knocking his friend lightly on the head much to the other's chagrin. "So come on. Get up. Let's go." He took Harry's arm and pulled him to his feet.

"I'm not all that hungry… it must be from all that cake," Harry said, patting his stomach and sitting back down at the table.

"Yeah, but isn't Dumbledore supposed to announce your grand return?" Ron asked. "People want to know that their hero is still in good condition."

"Oh they'll be fine," Harry said with a wave of his hand.

"Harry, what's that?" Hermione asked thoughtfully. She was pointing to his necklace.

Harry reflexively held it in his hand. "Oh. Umm… Draco gave it to me."

"That's not the one you got for Christmas…" Ron said, taking a better look at the piece of jewelry.

"Errr, no. That one broke."

"That's not the one you and your friends spent all day looking for, is it?" Hermione asked, moving closer to examine the pendant.

He shook his head slowly. "No. That's the one that broke. He gave this to me in the mean time. Why?"

"Well, I was just thinking. If you were wearing that as Haley this whole time, what would people think if they saw you wearing it."

He immediately understood and again he shook his head. "I'm not taking this off. It's important to me."

"Okay, then how about you just wear it?" Ron shrugged. "It's a ring. So wear it on one of your fingers. Problem solved."

"But…"

"Harry, people know that the necklace was Haley's thing. People talked about that day, saying how strange you and your friends looked in that awkward conga line of yours," Hermione reasoned. "I'm just saying… you don't need to give them any reasons to connect you two."

Harry sighed and slowly nodded. "Okay…you're right. The last thing I want is for everyone to figure out where I really was or who for that matter. And it'll still mean the same thing, right? Whether it's around my neck or around my finger, it'll still hold the same meaning, right?"

"Sure," Ron shrugged nonchalantly. Hermione just nodded with a smile.

"Okay." Harry pulled his necklace over his head and undid the knot to slide the ring into the palm of his hand. He tried to slip it on his right hand middle finger. He frowned. "Odd… I would've thought it was one of those magically adjusting bands…"

"It doesn't fit?" Hermione asked.

Harry just shook his head. "It's a little tight…"

"Then just try a different finger," Ron offered.

Harry did as he was told. He tried his right hand ring finger. It, too, was a little tight. "Geez… I never realized how small Draco's hands were," Harry frowned. He tried his left hand middle finger. Again, it was a no go. Then Harry tried every finger he could and when there was only one finger left to try, he looked desperately at his friends. "Okay. There's a good chance that it won't fit here and that my hands are just incredibly large for this ring. I mean, come on. Ten digits and it doesn't fit any of them except this one? Not likely, right?" He tried.

His friends nodded in encouragement.

"Okay," Harry nodded. He slipped the ring on his left hand ring finger. He flexed his hand, testing the fit. Harry frowned and pulled the ring back off.

"What?" Hermione wondered. "Doesn't fit?"

He looked at her with a frown. "It does."

"So then what's the problem?" Ron asked.

"It's my ring finger. It'll be like… like I'm marrying him or something."

"Oh pish-posh," Hermione frowned with a wave of her hand. "You're young. People will know that you're not getting married. They'll just think it's a commitment ring." She cleared her throat and looked expectantly at her boyfriend.

This time Ron frowned. "What?"

"Ugh," Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're helpless, Ronald."

The redhead just smiled and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "You don't need a ring to know how much I love you."

"But it would still be nice…"

Ron picked up Harry's discarded string and pulled out his wand. "Diffindo." A small piece remained between his fingers as he let the larger piece fall back to the table where Harry sat. He tied a knot at the ends and held up Hermione's hand, slipping the makeshift ring on. "There," he said, kissing it.

Part of her frowned at the string, but the better part of her was touched by the act. "Oh Ron…"

"It's just a temporary one, okay? I just need to save up for a really nice one so until then, this is all I can offer."

A grin spread across Hermione's face. "Ron… you really do have a romantic side that doesn't involve sharing food…" She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck and kissed him firmly on the lips.

Ron wrapped one arm around Hermione's waist and used his free arm to give Harry a thumb's up. Harry had to stifle his laughter, but was warmed by the transaction of his two best friends. He was happy for them. He slipped the ring back onto his finger and gazed at it somberly. He hoped he would find happiness like that of his own.

---

Dinner was incredibly intense and borderline uncomfortable with Harry. He didn't mind all the attention and applause when Professor Dumbledore announced his triumphant return. No. Harry was used to that kind of thing. He didn't even feel all that awkward answering questions that he didn't even really know the answers to. Luckily, Dean was nearby to coach him but that wasn't what was bothering the boy who lived. He would have been fine with all of that. But feeling the harsh gaze that Draco bore unto him was what was driving Harry to the brink of insanity. Every time he looked at the Slytherin table over to the head boy, he wasn't looking. But every time he took his eyes off the table, he would feel the intensity of Draco's gaze once more. Harry slightly wondered if he really was going crazy or if he was simply being paranoid but when Ginny Weasley commented on how Draco was staring at their table so intently, Harry knew that it wasn't just in his head.

Harry frowned. 'Draco… what are you thinking?'

The boy on the other side of the room was having difficult time all his own. He only half heard what Blaise and Pansy were talking about. His attention was mostly focused on the boy he so missed even though he wasn't all that far away. He idly glanced at the gap next to him and missed him even more. And once he started playing with the ring around his finger, his heart yearned for the company of his friend.

'Come back to me, Harry…' Draco pined. '…Let me know you still want me as a friend.'

---

The next morning when post was being dropped off, Harry was surprised to see a letter fall into his lap. It was unmarked. Tearing it open, it was a simple note. It read 'Dear H – I miss your ugly face. –Love D'

Harry smiled, despite the blatant insult. He wanted to write back but didn't exactly know what to say. Plus, this was the time he had planned on getting over Draco. Harry hoped that Draco wouldn't mind his refusal to write back. At least for now. Right now, Harry had to focus on not focusing on Draco.

It wasn't all that hard at first when people were still questioning him about his trip. Harry concentrated on spinning his elaborate web of lies. It kept him pretty occupied throughout the day. Even Blaise's little stunt before potions class kept Harry's mind off Draco, if only for a moment.

"Oy. Potter," Blaise said, looking around, making sure that their other classmates were listening. His chest was puffed up and he placed his hands on his hips.

"Um, hello." Harry tried not to laugh. He gave his friend a curious expression as if to ask 'what are you doing?'

"So you were in America all this time, right?" Blaise asked, encouraging Harry to play along.

"That is correct."

"Well I enjoy America. Did you enjoy America?"

"Um, yes?" Harry smiled awkwardly.

"Well look at that. We both enjoy America. Now we have something in common. Now it won't be so strange that we, Blaise Zabini and Harry Potter, speak to one another since we both enjoy America."

Now, Harry had to laugh. "No. I suppose not."

"Good. And just so you know, my other friend over there, Maxwell, also enjoys America. Now we can all be good friends."

Harry nodded. "Okay. Sounds good."

"All right, then. I'm glad we got that out of the way." Blaise returned to his seat, only after winking at the other boy and giving him two thumbs up.

Harry was amused by their exchange, but if it allowed him the company of two of the good friends he had gained while he was Haley, he was perfectly happy with it. Later, even Pansy approached Harry having claimed to 'enjoy America' as well. Harry shrugged. All he cared about was getting his friends back. However, that wouldn't be so easy with the one that he wanted the most.

It was easy to avoid Draco. Harry didn't have to see him in classes anymore except for the two that he shared with him. But Harry found ways to keep himself occupied as to not have to approach nor make eye contact with the other boy. Harry was convinced that this was the best way to get over the person that he loved and there was no changing that. Every time he felt the urge to go to him, Harry repeated his mantra: 'He's in love with someone else.' And even though this would only serve to make him a little sad, he was convinced that this was the practical way to go. He still clung to the hope that he would be able to befriend Draco once his heart stopped pining for him, but for now there was only evasion.

That's how the next three days went. Harry spent his time avoiding any contact with Draco, although the notes he received from the Slytherin was making it hard to forget how much his heart wanted to be with him. He had received one for every day he had been gone.

'Dear H – It's not nearly as fun terrorizing Blustrode for her weight as it is for you. I mean, there's a lot of it on you to terrorize, of course. I miss you. – Love D'

'Dear H – I can't believe it, but I somehow got used to listening to your snores between our wall. They somehow lulled me to sleep. I can't sleep anymore. Feel guilty enough to come back? – Love D'

'Dear H – No insult this time. I just miss you. Please come back. – Love D'

Harry's heart ached at the words he had read over and over again, although by now they were committed to memory. Every time he finished reading one, he glanced over to Draco at the Slytherin table. Like always, he was never looking. Harry sighed.

'Maybe he's not looking at Harry… Maybe he's looking for Haley… He keeps telling me to come back. Does that mean he wants me to change back? He knows I was Haley so he knows what he's asking of me. Does he really expect me to be a girl again for him?'

These thoughts plagued Harry all day. He was never sure of the answer until he headed for the lavatory during lunch.

"He hasn't written back to me."

The voice undoubtedly belonged to Draco. Harry paused as curiosity won him over. He placed his back against the wall to remain unseen so he could listen in.

"I'm sure he's got a good reason," replied a second voice. Harry knew it was Blaise. "He did say that he would use this time to get over you."

"That's stupid. I want my friend back. I want Haley back. I never should have let her go."

Harry's heart leapt to his throat. 'What…?'

Draco continued on. "I wish she'd never left. He should just transform back so I can be with her again."

'No…' Harry mentally cried as real tears started to form in his eyes. 'It's true then! He really was separating me from Haley. And now he wants her back. Despite knowing who I really am, does he really think I could change back for him?' Harry shook his head dejectedly before retreating from the voices that struck him down.

However, the conversation continued.

"That's stupid, Draco. You don't like Haley. You like Harry."

"Yeah, but Haley never ignored me for this long. I was allowed to hold and even kiss Haley. Harry won't even look at me."

"Give him a reason to. Think from his perspective. He was changed into a girl and it was as this new girl that he was able to be your friend when before this you two were nothing but enemies. He fell in love with you and he even confessed to you. But you rejected him. And now he's back to being the boy that he thinks is your enemy."

"He should know that I care for him. Yes, I grew close to Haley, but I knew it was him all along."

"He doesn't know that! To Harry, you're friends with Haley. Not him."

"So… that's it then? That's why he's avoiding me?"

Blaise shrugged. "That's what makes the most sense."

"You think if I just tell him that I know…"

"I think that's one elephant of a drove that'll be out of the room. You two have too many secrets and it's about time you clear the air of them."

Draco slowly nodded, realizing this as the truth. "Then I'll get my friend back?"

"If he still cares for you, you'll probably get more."

Draco smiled. "Okay then. I'll do it. I'll tell him."

---

Harry ran until he felt too weak to go any further. He found himself near the potions classroom. Seeing how everyone else was still enjoying their lunches, the corridor was deserted.

'This can't be…' Harry panted. He collapsed against the nearest wall, letting himself slide down to the floor. 'Really? He really just wants Haley? But what would that mean for me?' Harry shook his head, weeping against his drawn up knees. 'I don't stand a chance of becoming his friend. He doesn't want to be Harry's friend… he just wants Haley…'

Harry grew angry. He knew it was stupid of him to despise a persona, but he couldn't help but resent ever having been Haley Jones. 'It's not fair! What's so wrong with me? Does he really despise me that much?' Harry thought of their history together. They had been rivals in everything. They quarreled and spat, they dueled and they fought. They truly had hated the other. It wasn't until he became Haley that Harry was able to get over this. Being someone new allowed him to see the good within Draco. 'But at the time,' Harry reasoned, 'Draco just thought I was Haley. He didn't know who I was at first. He thought he was making a new friend, not befriending an enemy… I don't know when he figured it out, but by then, I guess we were already too good of friends for him to let that bother him… But now that I'm back to being his enemy, he wants nothing to do with me…'

Harry was finding harder to breathe. 'I'm Harry… I don't want to be Haley just so I can be his friend. I want to be Harry… I'm sorry Draco… I have to break that promise… I can't come back to you. At least not now. Maybe one day I'll find the courage to be Haley again to rekindle our friendship, but now… now I have to be me.'

This seemed to calm the boy down. He leaned the back of his head against the wall, letting fresh air enter his lungs. His eyes felt swollen, so he closed them in an attempt to refresh them. Voiding his mind of any thoughts, Harry took deep breaths and willed himself to calm down. He was like this for a good ten minutes.

"Oy! Harry!"

The Gryffindor looked to his side and spotted Seamus and Dean approaching. He hoped he looked much better than he felt. Forcing a smile, he stood and greeted his friends.

"So this is where you've been?" Dean asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I just needed some quiet time. Why?"

"Well, oddly enough, Malfoy was asking around for you."

Harry's immediately felt the lump in his throat. He tried to swallow it down. "What… for?"

"Who knows?" Seamus shrugged. "But considering all those death glares he's been sending you since your return, I'd steer clear of the man."

Slowly, Harry nodded. "Okay."

The hall gradually filled with students ready for class. Ron and Hermione eventually came to Harry's side.

"There you are, Harry," Hermione said with relief. "You never came back from the restroom."

"Yeah, mate. We were worried you fell in!" Ron joked.

Harry offered a small smile.

Recognizing her friend's somber mood, Hermione frowned. "Harry? Are you all right?"

He sighed. "…Not really."

Ron frowned and immediately threw an arm around his friend. "What happened?"

Just then, Professor Snape appeared around the corner to open his classroom. One by one, the students began to file in.

"I'll tell you later," he said to his friends. And with that, he led the way into the class and they took up their regular seats.

Surprisingly, Draco was the last one to enter the room. His eyes quickly scanned the area stopping only once they had reached its target. 'Damn… he was already here...' Shaking his head and sighing, Draco took his seat.

"All right. Over the week, we've learned the properties of the Celeritas potion. Used for what? Longbottom."

"Err… to… um… run fast?"

Snape sneered. "Good. Five points to Gryffindor."

Neville sighed with relief, earning himself a few pats from Seamus and Dean.

The teacher continued. "Today we will be making the Celeritas potion. I've already partnered you off. Granger, Zabini. Parkinson, Maxwell. Thomas, Goyle. Longbottom, Weasley. Potter-"

At this, Snape's eyes darted to the boy currently waving for his attention. He looked at Draco curiously as the boy pointed to his self. "Potter …Malfoy."

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Of course."

Snape finished his list as Harry picked up his things and moved to where the blonde was seated. He refused to look into the boy's eyes, afraid he would lose himself in them.

"Potter." Draco said.

Harry sighed. "Malfoy."

"Try not to screw this one up. I know how terrible you are at potions," the Slytherin joked.

However, Harry didn't find it all that funny. "Then I'll cut and you mix." He walked away from Draco who no longer had a smirk on his lips. Grabbing the necessary ingredients, Harry began to cut.

"Are you all right?" Draco tried.

Harry didn't answer. He ignored the other boy and began to chop some knotgrass.

"Potter?"

Again, Harry didn't respond.

"Potter?"

Harry closed his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. Placing his knife down, he turned to look at the other boy. "What?"

"I asked you if you're all right."

"Peachy." Harry turned back to his chopping.

Draco frowned. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me. That's something you need to figure out."

Draco was confused. "What?"

Again, Harry put down his knife and rounded up on Draco. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

Draco was quiet for a moment. Then, "…I want my friend back."

"You can't." Harry stated matter-of-factly.

"Why not?"

"Maybe that's not something your friend wants. Maybe they like their life the way it is, even if it means having to live without you." He looked at Draco, sadness in his eyes.

However, Draco looked stricken as a hitch became visible in his breathing. He took a step away from the other boy.

"…Draco-" Harry moved to touch the other boy.

"Don't!" He ran a hand through his hair, finding it difficult to stop the onslaught of emotions that dared to overcome him. He grabbed his things and abruptly headed for the door.

"Mister Malfoy!" Snape barked.

Draco didn't flinch. He continued towards the door, not looking back once. "I don't feel very well, Professor. I'm going to the nurse." And with that, Draco was gone.

Harry returned his attention from the back of the door to the knotgrass. He was painfully aware of the eyes on him, but he didn't dare look up. He was afraid that if he did, they would see the tears falling down his face.

Author's Note/Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to Draco Malfoy. Haha.

Happy Thanksgiving Day, fellow Americans! And Happy Thursday to the rest of the world. Yes. So whilst it is Thanksgiving, I'd like to thank all of you for reading! And thank you again for reviewing! And another thanks for sticking around, especially during those bad dry spells! I apologize! And… thanks for making me smile with your comments. I enjoy each and every one of them. And… what else? Thank you to my laptop for allowing me to type here and thank you to my computer who allows my playlist to go on repeat and thanks to the man who found out how yummy coffee beans are when ground and mixed with water and creamer and sugar. Yes. The list can go on and on.

P.S. I didn't miss class for this one! Yay!

P.P.S. Umm… are any of you expecting sexual relations to transpire between our two heroes? Let me know!