Hello everyone, me again. Thanks for the reviews, as always I hope you're enjoying the story. I still haven't gotten my traffic tabs fixed so it's great to know you are out there. Today's chapter is setting the stage for some fun. Keep posted.

Thanks,

Merick

Chapter ten

Professor Sinistra had been true to her word and twenty students arrived at the Room of Requirement shortly after I did, Draco included. It was a good mix, with just slightly more Hufflepuff than Slytherin present. I turned to the door and requested a practice dueling room, like the one we had used for the DA and when we pushed open the door, that was what we had.

Without going into great boring detail; what Dumbledore would have called 'making a long story longer', I'll just say that for about forty minutes we practiced the Protego shield charms and Salvio Hexa, revelation spells like Specialis Revelio, Riddikulus; because I had this idea that if one boggart had been requested, there were likely more available, and we worked on some spells to disarm traps like Waddiwasi and Finite Incantatem. With about ten minutes to spare we ended our practice because many of us had to go off to other classes. Most everyone left with a confident smile on their faces; some more confident than others, we were all to meet up again outside the Great Hall after dinner to talk through our strategy while Ron's team set their traps.

It felt good being back in that room, configured as it was. When it had been torn apart by the fiend fyre it had seemed an unfriendly, dangerous place, truly the stuff of nightmares. But now it evoked memories of the DA practices, not so much the gut wrenching anxiety that had always been at their core; but the passion and pleasure of teaching and learning the spells, knowing our purpose. I was a little lost in it, and that surprised me when I reflected back on it. But I suppose that I still wanted to be an Auror for just the same reason as those feelings came back positively. It was a purpose, a good purpose, and it did feel good to have a direction. I hardly noticed that Draco was still in the room as I stared at the walls, and the portrait over the fireplace. He must have thought I looked like some kind of moony dreamer.

"Ah Harry?" He was back to the quiet voice. During the class he had been more animated than I was used to seeing him, if I can say that less than two weeks was adequate to assess someone's state of being.

"Yeah Draco?"

"You mind if I ask you a question?"

"No. I'll try to answer, if I can."

"How is Hermione doing?"

I had not expected that question at all.

"Fine I guess." I know I stammered that response as well. "She's always happiest when she can have her nose in a book, and she's really enjoying doing the Potions tutorials."

"That isn't quite what I meant." He wasn't short in his redirection of the question, quite the opposite. He seemed genuinely concerned. "I meant after what happened at the Manor." He obviously couldn't bring himself to say; after she was tortured by my psycho aunt in my living room. I couldn't blame him. I understood then.

"We talked about it a bit over the summer. I think she's dealt with it pretty well."

"I suppose it helped that Bella is dead." Whoa, something else I never thought I'd hear Draco Malfoy say. He must have seen the surprise in my expression because he put a sad little smile on his face as he continued talking.

"It's okay Harry, she wasn't a good person, or a nice person, not even to members of her own family." He sighed, and I knew there was more behind that statement that he wasn't ready to reveal. "I can't say I'm unhappy that she's gone, finally now."

"Wow Draco, I'm sorry, I guess?" The words were stuttering out on their own without true input from my brain at that point. Do you say 'I'm sorry' when someone you hate dies? Or do you offer congratulations? I still don't think I know the correct answer to that question.

"Do you think that she'll ever forgive me?" At that point in the conversation it was all ethereal to me, I should have looked around to make sure I was on the same plane I'd started out on that morning, or pinched myself to wake up.

"There's nothing about that, that she needs to forgive you for Draco. You didn't torture her."

"It was in my house."

"And not your fault."

"The Weasleys think that I am at fault for everything that happened there."

I wanted to say 'no they don't' but I don't think that would have been the truth, not for all of them. I settled for, "It will pass Draco. The wounds will heal, and we will all move on."

"I thought at least Hermione might forgive me someday, she's always been very sensible and open minded. I wish there was something I could do to make it up to her, even just a little bit."

"Do you want me to tell her that you were asking after her?" I offered.

"No, I think whatever it is I do, I had better do it myself. It will make it more sincere."

He screwed on that sad little smile again and nodded at me, and then headed off, leaving me to ponder why he was suddenly concerned with Hermione. Or maybe it was that he was suddenly concerned with all of us?

Laying on my bed, not listening to Ron in the common room, I wondered if I hadn't said too much about Hermione, if I had somehow broken her trust. There really wasn't anything I could do about it now. Draco Malfoy was on some kind of a journey, and I thought just then, that perhaps I had somehow joined him, if I hadn't actually been there all along.

Nobody much talked to me at dinner, not that they were being rude, but they were just so excited with the challenge to come, and I was, at least for that night, the enemy. Ginny kept giggling at me, and nudging Dean who sat to her right. I decided to just eat quickly and get out of there, but Ron couldn't help telling me he'd come up with a bit of a surprise. He did look a lot like the proverbial canary-eating cat.

Hermione was the only one who looked at me like normal, it was almost eerie because I thought about what Draco had asked me, and I wondered if she somehow knew I had been talking about her. But of course she couldn't have, could she? She seemed to be finding Ron and Ginny to be a bit childish right then. It was hard not to agree, but then again, we'd all had so little to be gleeful about with that kind of abandon for so long. I guess it was like flying, being light of heart and finally free. I was willing to put up with it for the night, hoping that by the conclusion of the activities that a sense of normalcy might be restored. More about that later, but if you've been keeping up so far I imagine you probably know how silly that particular wish was.

I skipped dessert and wandered out into the hallway, parking myself outside the castle doors, atop a stone portion of the descending steps that lead out to the grounds. Twilight wouldn't fall for another hour or so, so I could still look out over the grass and the path to Hagrid's, the owlery tower to my right, just above the closed in courtyard. It reminded me that I should send a letter to Charlie, to see how things were going at 12 G, and to ask if he needed more money for the contractors. At least that Weasley wasn't giggling at me right now. I thought I should send a post to George as well, just to keep in touch. I hadn't seen him since the summer bonfire. I just wanted some kind of connection right then, with someone from the past seven years. I hadn't expected it to end up being Draco Malfoy.

"Potter?" It was his voice that pulled me out of the latest bout of melancholy. "They're almost ready for us. You'd better get inside." I stood up, dusted off my school robes, pulled out my wand and turned to head inside.