Sorry about the delay in this chapter getting posted, I wrote it, decided I hated it, and re-plotted it out today. The last version was ponderous, and had a little too much useless dialogue, which wasn't taking the Draco character where I wanted him to go. So hopefully this version, which I am happier with, will get you excited about what is to come for him, and for Harry.

Cheers,

Merick

Chapter Sixteen

What I've learned in my short yet long existence is this; sometimes fighting evil requires sacrifice. Sometimes it's an enemy, sometimes a friend, or a brother, a godfather or your parents, and sometimes it's just you. But in the end, everyone loses something, even if it's just your peace of mind; and most of us lose that as well as everything else.

I was allowed back into the graces of my house with very little difficulty after the match was over. Ginny and Dean avoided me like the plague, but that was just fine with me at that point. At least Ron and Hermione could talk to me again, at length, without being viewed as colluding with the enemy. Kreacher providing more trays of snacks certainly didn't hurt my reputation any further. So, with glasses of pumpkin juice, and cold meat sandwiches we all settled back into the normal workings of Gryffindor Common Room life; basically gossip and complaints about our classes, professors and those students unfortunate enough to have been sorted to other houses; although, on that last point, I was happy to see that working together had strengthened some of the bonds between the houses.

Judith was still complaining about the scorch marks on her school robes, despite the fact that Professor Sinistra had offered to have them repaired for her by morning. I suppose it was a good story how she had run into one of Pansy's traps and escaped with only a few marks on her robe. One of the Ravenclaws, Dennis I believe it was, who had been working with Judith had not faired as well, and had required a quick trip to Madam Pomfrey to restore his eyebrows from the same curse. Pansy had felt vindicated after that.

On that thought, I think the Hufflepuffs had felt quite good that their perception charm; which convinced the victim that they were going forward, when in reality they were going backwards, had ensnared so many students. In fact, I think most of my team felt pretty good about the job they had accomplished, and they had all received high praise from their Heads of Houses, Professors Sinistra and Sprout.

"Hey, did you hear what happened to Filch?" Someone shouted from the far side of the room, closest to the fireplace. I have to admit a bit of a curiosity at that statement; having been a target of man for the better part of six years. The story continued.

"Seems that the Headmistress asked him to clean out Snape's old rooms, for the new Professor and he ran into a curse the professor left behind."

"You're kidding?" Ron joined the conversation.

"Nope, I saw him in the infirmary when I helped get Dennis over there. He smelled something awful and looked like he was going to be sick."

"What happened?"

"Tried to open some cabinet or something, thing just blew up on him. He's vowing that he isn't going back in there ever again."

"I don't see as I blame him." Hermione added her two cents worth.

"Leave it to Professor Snape." Ron added, "Always had to have the last word, or hex, in this case."

Before I went to bed I made Ron promise not to do any more challenges with our last few classes of DADA. I much preferred working with my friends, and not against them. Maybe it was worse having to watch them, and not be able to help them. I didn't like that powerless feeling. And, it was easier to set traps when you had a distinct enemy in mind to protect yourself, or something else from. I guess I didn't have the ruthless streak of needing to beat people to validate myself; not saying that Ron was ruthless, but, like his sister, he had grown up having to compete for most everything, and it was a hard habit to outgrow when that was how you set your self worth. For me growing up, I was just always at the bottom, there was no self worth, and no way to acquire it; at least with the Dursleys. At Hogwarts it had been marginally better; when folks didn't think I was faking it to get attention. At least there had always been Hermione and Ron for those years. And Neville, and Luna, and Ginny. That last thought made me sad. I crawled into my bed, drew the curtains, and tried to focus on anything but her so that I could sleep.

Saturday morning found me back in the Great Hall, pouring over my Astronomy book, trying to catch myself up on everything I'd been ignoring in favor of the stress of the DADA classes. Draco was there as well, and after getting myself a coffee; I wasn't hungry after Kreacher's late night snack table, I joined him at his table. He gave me a nod as I sat down and opened my book, taking a big gulp of the almost overly hot coffee. The hall was still quiet, still conducive to actually learning something, and it remained that way until a lone owl swooped in and dropped a letter in my lap some thirty minutes later. It was from Charlie. Seemed the Ministry was sending him off to Ireland, there had been some Muggle reports that sounded a lot like dragonish activity, south of Enniskillen. That meant he'd be away from the house for a few weeks. He'd offered to have his Mum come and stay to watch the contractors, but I quickly wrote him back to tell him not to worry, that there wasn't any kind of rush in getting the place finished. He'd sent along a few catalogues, which I tucked into my book bag so I could have a look later at some new furniture. Having spent most of the summer there I knew that I wanted rid of most everything that was already there, especially in the bedrooms. And, seeing as it was going to be my home at the end of this term, I wanted all new bedroom furniture. I'd never had new anything like that.

I needed to order proper furniture for the guest bedrooms as well. The stuff that currently occupied those spaces would have looked more appropriate in some medieval torture chamber set than a bedroom. I figured Ron and Hermione would want something more non-threatening. I had always figured that they would come and stay with me when we finished school, what with Ron and I, hopefully, working as Aurors and Hermione with the Magical Creatures division, it just seemed like the obvious thing to do. Truth was, I couldn't actually bear the thought of being in that house all by myself. That was why I was hoping to entice Kreacher to return with me. I thought about asking his opinion on some furniture just for his room.

I hadn't touched Sirius' room at all over the summer; I just couldn't bring myself to disturb it. I'm sure Hermione would have called it a shrine, and then counseled me, in that way she always did, that it was time to move on from his death. Maybe that was another reason I hadn't invited them out over the summer to see the place. I wasn't ready to be counseled yet, and I don't think I was quite ready to move on either at that point.

I was just about to get up to fetch refills for Draco and I when Minerva entered the hall, followed by Professor Sinistra. I had harbored the faint hope, for a second or two that they weren't going to come over to speak to Draco and I. My hopes were dashed yet again.

"Good Morning Gentlemen, and how are you both this morning?" Her voice was attempting to be jovial, but she didn't quite manage the light-heartedness that would have made it completely sincere. And it would have sounded wrong coming from her anyways.

"Very well, thank you." We both answered, in about those words.

"Gentlemen? I wonder if I might ask you a favor?"

In my experience Headmasters asking me about favors had never been a pleasant thing. It usually led to uncomfortable trips or challenges that never ended completely as hoped. And usually there were spells and dark magic involved in them somehow. Perhaps Draco had had different experiences, but I doubted it by the quick flash of discord that crossed his face.

"I expect by now that you two have heard about what happened to poor Mr. Filch."

'And?' I thought to myself.

"We were discussing the matter late last night in the staff room, and Professor Sinistra here had a brilliant suggestion."

'Here it came.'

"We were wondering, because of the talent you two demonstrated in the recent DADA classes, and because you both knew Professor Snape very well, if you mightn't consider taking on the task of finishing the cleaning out of his quarters?"

Draco and I looked at each other wide eyed.

"I would be pleased to offer you both some kind of enticement for helping us out with this matter. A free day to yourselves in Hogsmeade? With no chaperones?"

Well that was enticing. My mind quickly thought of a half dozen things I could do with myself for a whole day away from Hogwarts.

"I'd be happy to help Professor McGonagall." Draco surprised me by answering first.

"As would I." I wasn't losing out on this opportunity.

"Wonderful Gentlemen, thank you so much. Mr. Filch left a number of boxes in the hallway outside Severus' rooms. You should have everything you need to get it finished."

"As long as you keep your wits about you, and your wands at the ready." Professor Sinistra added, another good afterthought on her part.

"We'll get started today then." Draco looked at me for my opinion, and I shrugged my shoulders as if to say, 'why not'?

At that time I didn't have a clue that that one favor was going to change the course of my life the way it did, I was just thinking about a free pass away from Hogwarts. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to what the stars were trying to tell me, or realized that every favor I'd ever done for the Headmaster at Hogwarts had turned my life upside down.