Harry had never heard the owls at night, or as it was, first thing in the morning either. Never before in his time at Hogwarts had they woken him, which was why when they did Monday morning he jolted.

Afterward he lay for a moment listening to the soft hoots and scattered screeches.

He was still naked and there were Goosebumps on his shivering skin. The towel still around him was damp.

With a stiff back he sat up.

The room was incredibly dark, too dark to be awake, yet he was alert. It must have been the early sleep the whiskey had forced him into. The curtains hung over his stone window frame hadn't been drawn and he could practically smell the frost hanging in the blue air.

With a wince he lowered his feet to the ground. He would've placed a heating charm but the wand he'd had in his hand had rolled off the bed and fallen somewhere. He took his glasses from under the pillow and shoved them on his face.

How drunk had he been?

Harry's nose began to run like a tap, he sniffed repeatedly and shivered, this wasn't good.

He tiptoed over the cold ground to his closet and rummaged to find something that resembled underwear and a robe. Clumsily he dressed himself. At the very least the clothes would keep him warm enough whilst he searched blindly for his wand.

With luck on par with Felix his fingers brushed it as soon as he bent toward the floor. Holding it at eye height he commanded "lumos" and carefully stumbled from his dark room.

Sighing, he didn't bother to make a fire, yet again, the room would have to stay frosty for he was beginning to violently sneeze as he came down the steps.

Instead he marched for the staff room door, not bothering with lights, the room had a dim enough glow the door emitted from around its edges, perhaps it knew where he wanted to go.

Pushing it, it slid into the ground and Harry was able to step into the stupendous warmth of the teacher's lounge. The floating lights made the room a soft orange that caused Harry to only wince a little as he walked further on the soft carpets.

He felt like he was thawing.

By the light outside he knew not even the earliest risers would be at breakfast, he doubted even the house elves were awake. A slow tempest confirmed that, the simple sight of 4am floating before him made him feel a little ill.

He sat down. Thankfully some tea was out. The hot sweet liquid steaming; he took the hot cup in his hands gratefully and sank into a cushioned chair.

Sipping he thought how he'd have time to go over his second and third week of class plans, it was Monday and that meant Frost, Blackfish and Dibbon, not to mention little Ferdy Plath. It was his trouble class.

The Quidditch matches were proving more and more difficult, he had figured out, with Hermione's help that this weekend for the senior league the Moonfrog team, Snorlacks would be versing the Dragonwing team, Hurtling Horntails. He hadn't quite figured out the juniors yet but it was looking like their Grifferin team Silver-bloods would face the Killer Eagles and from the violent mess their first match of Angry Quaffles v Fire-breathers had been, he knew these young players would be just as much trouble.

The under thirteen Quidditch players took the game more seriously than their thirteen plus peers but they made more mistakes and weren't afraid to foul up. Harry would make sure Grawp stood by to help pluck falling students out of the air.

He was about to summon his plans to confirm his suspicions of the schedule's flaws but a brown postage owl distracted him, landing in front of him.

"Hello there. How did you get in?"

Harry certainly hadn't opened any door or window for the bird, nor had he seen anyone other than Binns floating in and out who could have done it.

"You're very clever aren't you?" He told it, giving it his biscuit from his saucer and reaching into his pocket for a knut. After a broken quill and several sickles he thankfully found one.

"Here you go."

The owl held out its gnarled leg and Harry took the rolled cylinder from it.

With a hoot the owl fluttered off.

Harry found himself disappointed as he unfurled the Prophet. He had enjoyed Lumos and the Quibbler and had wished for either.

Lately the Prophet only consisted of sensationalised gossip and praise for the Ministry. Which meant Harry was more than shocked to see the headline 'Mudblood Madness, a militia gone too far.'

A group of faceless figures in red robes jeered from the picture that was on the page. The story was inside and written by an obviously false pen name, Andy Anderson.

Harry consumed the two-page spread with gusto; they had listed all those attacked, including Malfoy, not leaving any detail out. The paragraph read.

Harry Potter himself was the one to transport the injured wizard from the school and into the care of Mungo's via the Floo network. The Malfoy heir having been found unconscious on school grounds but suspected to have been attacked somewhere between there and Hogsmeade. The young wizard is now reported to be recovered and back at his teaching post.

Harry felt incredibly exposed as he took in the information. The article went on to say that the MA movement was incredibly dangerous, threatening to insight a new bout of anti muggle sentiment if not just reinforcing the rifts within the magical world. The ministry would be working with victims to put members of the militia in jail, Harry smiled at this, it just so happened he had friends in the ministry, friends who could help him find this MA and the people who used Sectumsempra on Draco.

Someone sat beside him heavily.

"What's got you smiling Harry?"

Neville looked over his shoulder and read the unexpected article.

"Fantastic, the Prophet's learned to hire real journalists. Who's this one then?"

"Some Andy Anderson." Harry shrugged. "You're down here early, Neville."

"I've slept in the greenhouse all night. We've begun raising this year's Mandrakes." Neville pointed at the paper. "I think I've heard of him. My Gran had an argument with a Pete Anderson in Florish and Blotts and he had a son named Andy who was apparently going to write about her... never mind."

Harry nodded.

"It's a good article." Harry commented.

Neville grinned. "And you're in it." He said jokingly.

Harry shoved his arm.

"What happened to you the other day Harry? When you came into the greenhouse with that drink?"

Harry shrugged. "Draco doesn't know."

There was long enough silence that Harry felt compelled to look up. Neville was gaping at him. Harry didn't know what he'd said wrong, perhaps he should have just lied and said there wasn't a potion at all.

After Neville had failed to shut his mouth for a good minute Harry asked.

"What?"

"Nothing, Harry." Neville said quickly, shaking his head.

"No, what? Neville."

"I just didn't expect you to be calling Malfoy by his first name so casually. There was something…maybe you...are you friends?"

Harry shook his head. He supposed they weren't friends, even after…everything.

" Malfoy's changed a lot but he's still out for himself."

Neville nodded slowly.

"Well, you're looking better."

Harry tried a smile. "Thanks."

"Potter!"

They both looked up from their awkward conversation. Flitwick was slowly sipping tea on the other side of the room but the shout hadn't come from him. Harry knew the voice; he just couldn't see its owner.

"Over here!"

He spun his head to look over the back of the couch. Ashes were slowly falling to Draco Malfoy's feet, it looked as if he'd just cast incendio and Harry could guess what the kindling was.

"Since when did you speak to reporters?" Draco snapped.

Harry said nothing but folded his arms.

"So you didn't have enough fame already? You had to go and grab a little more attention by speaking to those sniveling Ministry…"

"Draco Malfoy, I did not talk to any reporters." Harry said calmly.

"Then how else do you explain…" Draco wrenched the un-burnt copy of the Prophet from Harry. "This!"

"You had no problem speaking to reporters in the past, Malfoy. You better get used to it, they can get this information from anywhere. I had nothing to do with it."

Draco sneered.

"You know I'm not lying." Harry continued.

Beside him Neville cleared his throat. They were in the teacher's lounge and he and Malfoy were heading toward another fight. Harry's head hurt just looking at the blond, things were less complicated with Voldemort, how could he begin to understand Draco? They hated each other yet he'd never been more intimate with anyone else, they'd saved each other's lives, they were colleagues and they weren't friends.

That would at least be a start. Harry knew he needed to get over the potions incident, and he needed to get over Malfoy's inappropriate proposition. He stood.

"Malfoy, we should get to the bottom of this."

The other professor blinked. "Pardon?"

"I'm sick and tired of my personal life being burrowed into, and I'm guessing you don't like it either."

Malfoy blinked again. "Sorry?"

"Neville's Gran may know this reporter, you can owl her and ask her to find out about him can't you Neville?"

Neville nodded.

"Um, okay then, that would be…"

"I'm going to speak to the healers and see if any of them released this information and I'll speak to McGonagall and find out if anyone was asking the other professor's anything."

"Ah very…yes."

Draco was looking lost and confused; it was an expression Harry had seen him wear before.

"Draco?"

Silver eyes snapped into alertness.

"May I ask you a personal question?"

"You may certainly try, Potter." The reply obviously meant to have more bite than it did.

"Do you remember where you were attacked and how you got to the school?"

An angry smirk crossed Draco's face; he concluded it by glaring directly at Neville.

"I had to go to the greenhouse anyway." Neville said, getting up.

"No need Longbottom, I'm not telling Potter what he wants to hear. He's just trying to do Weasley's dirty work."

"Bye Harry." Neville left quickly. Harry didn't blame him.

"What do you mean Weasley's dirty work?"

"Obviously your conjoined twin with freckles has already broken his oath as an Auror and spoken to you about the case because those ill-trained bafoons were not worth my time of day."

Harry shook his head. "Wait. What case? Is Ron investigating this? Why wouldn't he tell me? What did he ask you?" Malfoy didn't look as if he would answer. "Why wouldn't you tell him?"

Draco gaped a little.

"Potter when did you learn acting?"

Harry scratched at his scalp. "I haven't."

"Then all these questions?"

"I want to know, Malfoy you're making this confusing."

"I'm making this confusing. You're trying to tell me you know nothing of the Ministries' involvement with my case and not even Weasel, I'm sorry, Weasley has said anything to you?"

Harry nodded, then shook his head, and then shrugged, feeling helpless.

Draco rolled his eyes and then narrowed them.

"So if you're not helping them then why are you interested? You haven't taken another potion have you?"

Harry forced a laugh and shook his head.

Draco sighed. "Well I'm not telling you or any of those want-to-be Aurors anything until some real authority begins to work on this."

Harry cringed, he never wanted to call Malfoy an idiot so much before, but something stopped him. Be his friend. He reminded himself.

"Are you sure that's doing yourself any favors? You not talking isn't much incentive for them to change your case over…"

Draco shrugged. Again the expression of hopelessness crossed him. A thought niggled at Harry, maybe he wasn't being proud or stubborn, maybe this was just a stupid attempt to salvage some control over his chaotic life?

Harry forgot the idea almost as soon as he had it.

"Are you going to breakfast?" Harry asked, the gnawing in his stomach prompting his change of subject.

"Of course." Draco drawled.

"Let's go then, we can discuss this report." Harry said and led him out of the lounge.

However, on the walk there their talk somehow skipped over the Prophet and went straight to Quidditch. Draco revealed he could see quite clearly Harry was making errors with the matches and was going to enjoy watching him figure it all out too late.

"I'm not surprised, you could probably do your job and mine with your eyes closed."

Draco looked as shocked as Harry felt.

"If I was any good at flying." Draco shrugged and then proceeded to look even more shocked.

The passing of compliments prompted Draco into a torrent of advise on how to arrange the matches, advise Harry understood twelve times better than when Hermione explained it.

"And you need to do something about those juniors." Draco pointed out as they sat down at the staff table.

"McGonagall's not happy with their aggression, even Grawp can tell you that. You need to enrich their learning somehow, oversee their training and make sure they don't bring any wands."

Harry cringed.

"I already get rid of their wands but their friends smuggle them in up to the stands, then next thing you know the bludger's learnt to bite."

Draco covered his mouth for a second and then moved it to sip his pumpkin juice. Harry was sure he saw the hint of a smile.

"Good morning Professors!" Rang a voice like music. Harry looked just in time to see the fresh face of Genevieve Nightingale sit beside him. Why weren't the professor's like her when he was at school?

She smelt of daisies and honey.

"Good morning." He said, hoping all the syllables were right. Draco ignored her.

"What an article?" She said, pointing to the Prophet clutched in his hand.

"Who thought the Ministry would be progressive enough to write something so sympathetic?"

Now Draco looked at her, suddenly alert.

"Not meaning any offense Mr. Malfoy, only if the Prophet was still Ministry controlled they would be ignoring the Mudblood Army. It's dangerous stuff, everyone I talk to is scarred stiff it will reignite anti muggle sentiment and then there are others who believe they'll rally support and kill all the pure bloods. Either way it's not something the Ministry wants to focus on in the wake of the war."

"The piece is rather sympathetic isn't it?" Draco said thoughtfully. Nightingale smiled at him.

"Did you like it Harry?" She asked.

Harry shrugged. He was busy glancing worriedly at Draco who had taken to smiling fondly at the newspaper like it was his first child.

"Is he alright?" Nightingale whispered at him.

"I think you changed his mind about the article." Harry told her.

"Oh, didn't he like it?"

Harry didn't get to answer, the handsome American who was teaching DADA had taken the empty seat next to her and interrupted by asking.

"And how do you know our most elusive colleagues Miss Nightingale? Don't shy in introducing me!"

Harry noticed Nightingale's cheeks immediately flushed.

"Um…hello." Harry said, trying for politeness. He held his hand out.

The teacher shook it with guffaw.

"I like you Potter!" His voice boomed.

"Dorian Grossly." Professor Nightingale sighed in Harry's direction. Harry minutely remembered that being the Defense Professor's name.

"And Malfoy, I hear you're making quite a name for yourself in the potions world. A student of Maligna's, quite an achievement."

Draco looked up from the paper.

"It was a favor for my godfather." He said coldly.

"Severus was an accomplished man himself."

Draco's eyes widened. Had he not expected Dorian to know who his godfather was?

"P-p-p-p-p-um…" All the Professors looked up from their respective breakfasts.

A student, possibly a fifth year, stood facing them. She stared directly at Harry, open-mouthed. It was a look he was sadly becoming used to.

"Don't be scared child!" Grossly boomed.

"Professor Potter I got these for you!" She burst out and all but threw a yellow box on the table in front of him.

She ran away.

"Oh." Harry said, uncovering the chocolates. He quickly covered them back up.

"Don't be so stingy Potter, share them around." Grossly demanded.

Harry cleared his throat. "You won't want these."

Malfoy wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Excuse me." He muttered and went to stand up.

"Why ever not?" Grossly growled.

Harry looked away from Malfoy who was standing. He glared at the box.

"Honestly Harry, I can't believe you accepted those."

Harry looked back up in shock. Hermione had made her way to the staff table and was blocking Malfoy's way out. She had her books clutched to her chest.

"What was I supposed to do?" He asked her.

"You were supposed to do the responsible thing. You're a professor."

She reached past Malfoy to pick up the box. Causing everyone to take in a breath, Draco was the one to swoop in and snatch up the chocolates.

For a minute the two glared at one another. A loud crash rolled overhead followed by a guttural peel of thunder. The ceiling of the Great Hall broke into raindrops.

"But-" Hermione chirped.

"Oh." Nightingale gasped.

"Well!" Grossly exclaimed.

"These have a love potion in them don't they?" Malfoy asked, waving the box in Harry's face.

Harry shrugged. "They usually do."

"Thank you. Move Miss. Granger."

At the voice of authority Hermione stepped aside. Draco swept away with the box under his arm.

"Harry!"

Harry looked at Hermione. The rain outside was falling louder now, filling Harry with a strange calmness.

"Are you trusting him with those?" She asked, searching his face.

"Yes." Harry replied without thinking. "I have to get to my class."

With that he left the staff table and the hall.

Harry hovered on his own Firebolt whilst his students practiced flying in higher and higher circles.

Thankfully the rain had calmed and the clouds broke away temporarily to let in a sliver of light.

Still Harry had to keep a close watch on every student. Each time Dibbon climbed too high Frost would have to go higher and Blackfish wouldn't be far behind.

"Not past me!" He reminded them. Immediately they dropped down.

"Look!"

Harry looked up, three figures where well above their class. A fist clenched Harry's stomach.

"Everyone land!"

The students did as he told them and he landed with them.

Thinking quickly he cast sonorous.

"WHICH EVER STUDENTS ARE FLYING ABOVE ME I DEMAND YOU COME DOWN IMMEDIATELY!"

For a horrible moment he thought they would ignore him but then they were soaring away at top speed and something was falling from the sky.

"Step back!" Harry warned his class.

Pointing his wand away from his throat and up into the sky Harry cast the first spell that came to mind.

The falling object slowed and drifted down like a feather. Harry held it in his hand.

It was a strange circular vial holding an amber liquid.

He ignored the cheering that ensued.

"Professor, did you see who they were?"

Harry didn't look to see which student asked the question, he shook his head.

He waved his wand to check the time. They were ten minutes over.

"Oh he checked!" Someone groaned.

"Get to your next classes as quickly as possible. Come on."

He led them swiftly to the broom shed and saw them all file their brooms away before leaving. Harry needed to set up for Tuesday's class but instead he looked at the vial.

Slowly he uncorked it's glass top. A smell assaulted him. It was a familiar smell, like a sickly sweet concentrated version of the drink he'd been given the previous week. Quickly he stoppered the bottle.

He needed to see Malfoy again.

The blond was in his class, of course, Harry walked past his office but saw that Slughorn had finally moved in and Harry didn't very much feel like talking to the nervous wreck.

The NEWTs potion Professor was unrecognizable, having shed two thirds of his body weight and taken to shaking like a leaf at every moment. Harry stood outside the classroom, pacing for the entire class. He didn't know why. There were things he could be doing but he couldn't bring himself to leave.

He waited for the second years to file past him in the most orderly two-by-two line he'd ever seen.

For the entire time he hadn't heard the class utter a peep, and even now on leaving there wasn't even a whisper.

Harry rushed into the nearly empty classroom and shut the door behind him.

Malfoy had already stood up.

"What's this about Potter?" He asked. "Are you following me again? Can't we put your old obsessions behind us?"

Harry shook his head to clear it.

"No, I came to bring this to you. It's the same potion that was in that drink."

Draco's eyes widened and he stared at the vial.

"In concentrated form?"

Harry nodded.

"By my calculations the concentrate in the drink you were given wouldn't have been more than a drop."

Harry looked worriedly at the small bottle in his hand. Suddenly it seemed like a lot.

"This is probably the entire brew." Draco said, pulling on some dragon hide gloves. Carefully he removed the potion from Harry's clutches.

"How do you know it's the same potion?" Draco asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I-uh-I could smell it."

"What? Potter you idiot! You opened it?"

Harry nodded his head.

"And let me guess, you ran straight here and spent a good half hour pacing outside my classroom because it has no doubt affected you."

There was no response Harry could give.

"And." Draco spat, resonating with anger. "If someone let you find this on purpose then you've led them straight here." Draco glared. "Where did you find it?"

Harry cleared his throat. "It fell from the sky when I was teaching my class."

Draco gaped at him.

Admittedly it sounded stupid.

"So somebody dropped it?"

Harry nodded.

"You have to leave now!" Draco bellowed, pointing to the door.

"I can't." Harry all but whispered.

"You absolute idiot, one sniff of this stuff and you're in love with me!" Draco whirled around.

Rigidly ignoring Harry he pulled out a cauldron and several vials.

"At least now we'll have enough to tell exactly how this bastard is making these."

He set up a second cauldron; waving his wand he set a fire under the first and filled the other with a clear solution.

Then he opened the bottle.

"Draco don't…"

Perhaps Malfoy had thought he was impervious to the potion's effects, or perhaps he simply didn't think.

The sound of shattering glass was brief, it occurred simultaneously with Harry's gasp.

Draco looked up from the floor, mortified.

Harry shook his head.

Malfoy was closing the distance between them. Harry stepped back.

"D-don't come any closer." He warned.

"I wasn't going to." Malfoy tried sounding menacing but instead his voice became desperate.

They stood apart and with each second Draco began to shake more and more, sweat beaded on his skin.

"Harry…" He said after a while.

Harry couldn't help himself, he knew the pain Draco was in.

Rushing forward Harry embraced him, wrapping his arms around Draco's waste. Draco's lips were soft as they brushed the skin along Harry's jaw, Harry could feel the shudder in his finger's as Draco caressed the back of his neck.

It wasn't right.

For all he knew the whole thing was a trap. The potion may have had his essence in it.

Draco gasped for air. "There's an antidote in the desk." He said. "It might not work."

With difficulty Harry pulled away and rushed to the desk; he rummaged through it aimlessly until a bottle of black liquid caught his eye. He charged at Draco with it, opened it and poured it down the blonde's throat.

Draco swallowed it, choking, before glaring at the idiot.

"Better?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded and coughed.

"Come on, we need to try and…"

Draco caught Harry's hand. For a heart pounding second Harry thought they'd kiss again but then they were leaving the classroom.

"I'll need to go back in there with a barrier charm to clean it up, can you do one?"

Harry shook his head.

Draco sighed. His voice was raspy and thin.

"Harry, please, don't mention any of this to anyone. I can't have Maligna find out I dropped that potion."

Draco looked pleading.

"Can you save any of it?" Harry asked.

Draco shook his head.

"That's a potions class room, if you've never seen one before. Anything I retrieve from the ground will be contaminated to the point of being an entirely new potion altogether."

"Oh." Harry muttered stupidly.

"You better just go."

Harry left and upon making it out of the dungeons found evening to be descending. He couldn't go to dinner, how could he eat? Fortunately there was no staff meeting.

He decided to go to his quarters, avoiding the moving staircases and ignoring the chattering portraits. The teacher's lounge was once again empty as everyone was at dinner. Harry made his way to his door.

"Pegasus."

Inside glowed green. Harry groaned. He couldn't deal with a fire-call from his healer.

He contemplated sneaking back out.

"Harry! I see you there! You're late."

With tired, slumped shoulders Harry skulked into the room and sat in front of the fire. Everglade's head grinned at him.

"Been heeding my advice I see?"

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Spending time with Mr. Malfoy?"

Harry's cheeks flamed and he clenched his fists.

The fire burst with laughter.

"So I'm right! Ho-ho, has it helped?"

Harry shook his head.

Everglade's expression became concerned. "So you've had another episode."

Harry looked up. Come to think about it, although the past week had been stressful, unpleasant, exhausting and an all manner of other unpleasant things, he hadn't had another episode.

"No." He told the healer.

"Any flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, anything like that?"

"No." Harry said again, crinkling his brow.

"Nothing at all?"

He shook his head.

"Amazing…" Everglade breathed. "No doubt being in a comforting environment, keeping busy, using your magic and all that has something to do with it, unless…"

Everglade's eyes grew distant.

Harry cleared his throat.

"So tell me about your interactions with Malfoy?"

Harry bit his lip. He felt compelled to keep the events secret but on the other hand Everglade was the one to decide if he was fit to leave McGonagall's care.

"They've been complicated." Harry began.

"How so?"

"We've more or less been forced together." Harry stated, suddenly regretting his decision to be open. He wasn't sure how Everglade would react to the whole 'kissing' scenario.

"uh-huh, can you tell me in detail how this came about?"

"I was given a drink by someone I thought was a student. After I drank it I realized it had been spiked with a potion. Naturally I went to Malfoy's office."

Everglade nodded as much as he could with no shoulders.

"I discovered it was…a love potion."

"Oh!" Everglade exclaimed surprised. "Sorry, sorry, go on."

Harry took in a deep breath. "I kissed him."

Everglade cleared his throat.

"Don't worry about that Harry. Malfoy's a potions professor, he understands the artificial infatuations caused by such things I'm sure he'll…"

"It wasn't a usual love potion." Harry spat out. "It's some complicated ancient potion that enhances feelings someone already has. Malfoy's now is studying it with Maligna because it's so unique and rare."

Everglade's head sat stock-still and gaping.

"But he doesn't hate me." Harry didn't know where that statement came from. Or why it seemed so important to say. "Initially he was scared someone would find out and think he gave me the potion so he kept quiet and no one had to know I kissed him. Now that we know none of his…hair or anything was in it he's keeping it a secret for his studies."

"Well that's…good?"

"So despite all this I tried to be friends with him, because quite frankly I didn't know what else to do and then today someone dropped a new potion on me."

Harry noted Everglade's confused expression.

"From a broom." He elaborated. "Draco accidently smelt it and he…"

"I understand."

"He had an antidote prepared though so he took that."

Everglade cleared his throat.

"At least your spellshock's subsided." the healer tried.

Harry scowled at him.

"Look, Harry, listen to me. Mistakes are made all the time, there could have been anything in those potions that made you and Mr. Malfoy act the way you did, you don't need to second guess your feelings. Either you do love him or you don't, nothing can change that."

A weight lifted from Harry's conscience, he nodded.

"Try and maintain a semblance of friendship with him if you can. Work together to find where these potions are coming from."

"Thanks." Harry mumbled.

"Harry, I don't mean to make you think I got the wrong idea but if you do feel nothing for Mr. Malfoy, perhaps don't form too strong of a bond with him."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that he's surrounded by threats. He has one foot in Azkaban and a dark, dark history. Unfortunately his life will always be in danger now because of the decisions he made. If you affiliate yourself with him you run the risk of inciting the anger and causing both of you harm."

"I'm sorry Healer Everglade, I still don't understand."

"Harry, acquainting yourself with Malfoy as a colleague will surely help your healing progress, we've seen this, yes?"

"Yes." Harry agreed.

"Just don't try to make it more than that. The day will come when you leave Hogwarts. In this world you're a timeless hero, you will have endless support and a limitless future, Draco has no such luck. You have a chance to heal completely."

"And he doesn't? Is that what you're saying?"

"Unfortunately, yes, that's just the way things have turned out."

"I think our session is over." Harry replied.

Everglade sighed.

"Yes I see it has. I will contact you again in a fortnight."

The fireplace cleared. Harry decided to go to bed. He must have been exhausted because Everglade's comments had incited his anger almost beyond control.

"Accio broom!"

Harry placed the last of Tuesday's class' brooms in formation.

He had spent all of breakfast avidly listening to Neville's description of a mandrake's eating habits all the while ignoring Hermione's questioning gaze and the fact he had no idea where Malfoy was.

Headmistress McGonagall sat central on the table, between Hagrid and Flitwick like always. Her looks of query were harder to ignore.

Tuesdays were the good kind of boring for Harry, he always managed to get the Quidditch matches sorted and his class was a nonevent. He could almost commend Peter Curley for that. The Gryffleslytherclaw was immensely popular yet was also a bit of a loner, he had no clique but attracted everyone to him like a summoning charm.

Harry watched with bewilderment as Curley quieted the class by smiling at them all and saying. "Come on guys!"

"Twenty points to Gryffer-er your house Mr. Curley."

They were the first points Harry had given away, he wondered if a points system even existed. The shattered hourglasses had never been repaired to his knowledge.

"Thanks professor!" The boy grinned.

To the student's enjoyment he sent them into the sky and through drills.

Learning from the day before Harry kept a close eye on the time, making sure they had the brooms away and the broom shed locked before it ticked over ten thirty.

"Bye Professor!" Curley called, waving. Some other students said bye as well though not as loudly. Most of them opted for the usual open-mouthed staring as they bumped into inanimate objects and each other as they walked away.

"Harry!"

She had caught up to him.

Hermione had a small purse tied to the wrist she was waving as she ran. It didn't fool Harry for a second; he knew she had an entire library in it.

"I can't believe you're skipping a class just to hunt me down." He smirked at her. "I should deduct house points."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Please, Harry. They aren't still doing a points system with the mess the sorting hat made of things. Any way I've come to talk to you."

"But aren't you actually missing a class?" Harry tried desperately.

"Harry, what have I told you about being more observant? My classes are optional. What's more important right now is you telling me why you let Malfoy take those chocolates." She folded her arms. Some things never changed.

"They had a potion in them, he's training to be a potions master. What more can I say?"

"But he's Malfoy!"

"So? What does that even mean?"

Hermione blew some of her wild hair out of her face.

"I don't know, Ron's better at this than me, maybe you should talk to him. He worries about you."

"Well he doesn't need to. I'm all right. Malfoy's just being helpful, and it helps him out with his studying to look at any potion he can get his hands on."

Hermione scrutinised Harry for a moment before giving up.

"You look a lot better." She tried, smiling a little.

"Thanks." Harry said and before she could beat him to it he caught her up in a brief hug that was a lot less bone crushing than it could have been.

"Where are you off to now?" She asked when he let go.

"Um, my office I guess, I need to sort out all these plans for the next Quidditch matches and I guess I should see McGonagall about the junior teams."

Hermione winced.

"They're a bit of a disaster aren't they? How far have you got with the game schedule?"

"It's finished more or less."

"Look, if you've got a copy on you leave them with me. I have nothing better to do. You better see McGonagall and maybe talk to her about some-"

"-After hours training for the juniors to enrich their learning?"

"Yes." Hermione agreed, blinking. "What a brilliant idea Harry. That's just what I was going to say."

Harry reached into his robes and brought out the crumpled parchment that had the latest schedule on it. Hermione glanced over it.

"Actually, you've got it right! No, this will actually work."She nodded, looking pleasantly surprised.

Harry grinned and took the plans back.

"What did you do?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." Harry insisted, holding up his hands. "I've got to go now. And so should you, those classes may be optional but it won't take much for you to slip into bad habits."

Harry laughed but stopped when Hermione's face became a portrait of stone-cold terror.

"You're right! What am I doing? I've got to go. Don't you ever make me miss out on class again Harry Potter." She finished by smacking him lightly on the arm and running off faster than Harry could fly.

Harry left McGonagall's office with heightened spirits. After waiting several minutes for the headmistress to finish a meeting with the board of school governors Harry had been let in.

He had told her that something needed to be done about the junior team.

McGonagall had suggested abolishing them altogether, after all their matches weren't scored and none of the players had set positions, the vicious ferocity of competition came down to their young ages and inexperience.

Harry begged her to let him set up training sessions.

"I'll re-enforce the rules and safety. It will give them a better idea for what positions they'll take on in their third year." He'd argued.

Eventually the Headmistress' will bent.

Afterward she'd checked over the scheduled matches and Harry had been awarded a thin smile.

It was a good day.

A/N - So I am very, very sorry for the lateness of this chapter. It's been 'finished' for a while but there's a bunch I've chopped off the end to put into the next chapter because I was taking so long to complete it. Thus the next chapter shall be up soon, not too soon because I wan't at least a review...maybe...I won't resort to begging yet.