Chapter Thirty-Seven

I got a letter from Molly. It was longer, and more serious than any other letter she'd ever written. Not that there had been a lot over the seven years, mostly happy little notes for birthdays and Christmas; we saw enough of each other to speak face to face more often than not. It was the sort of thing a mother would write, knowing my limited experiences with that sort of thing.

'Dearest Harry,

Only a few months into the year and already you've had to deal with so many unhappy things. I had sincerely hoped that this final year at Hogwarts would be the carefree one that you deserved after everything that has happened to you. First off, let me say that it doesn't matter to me that you and Ginny have broken up; you will always be part of my family even though I harbored the secret hope that you would be my son in law as well. But the war changed so many things, and I am just happy that both of you are still well and whole and with me.

Hermione has also told me of the burdens that the Professors have placed on you; not just with being a curse breaker, and instructor, but also with the responsibility of looking after your classmate. Hermione has told me how much time you have been spending with Draco Malfoy of late, and I must be honest, that when I first heard of it I was concerned. I feared that the Professors were using you to spy on him and his family for the Ministry, and forcing you to become close to him for their own gains. I was quite prepared to come down to the school myself and give Minerva a piece of my mind about it.'

(As an aside, I could just picture Molly doing that, hair mostly pinned up where the wind from her journey hadn't pulled it askew, red cheeks puffed with fury and chest thrown forward. She was the mother hen to beat all, that woman, and I loved her for that. That was what made it so hard to read her letter at first, because I was so afraid of disappointing her, or having to choose between her family and Draco.)

'Fortunately', she continued in the letter, 'Hermione was able to allay some of my fears and stop me from making a fool of myself in front of the whole school. While I had some difficulty believing it, she explained that Draco had changed, and that he had begun trying to make amends for some of the things his family had done. She didn't go into terrible detail, bless her, but she was quite sincere. She did tell me that his mother had abandoned him; I hope that wasn't betraying a confidence, I've told no one but Arthur, I swear. That fact did make me feel a little sympathy for him, no one should be left without anyone, especially around the holidays.'

(And there it was, the paragraph I had been dreading.)

'Hermione has told me that you would like to have Draco around to yours for the holidays, and she told me how very concerned you were that we might not approve. While I cannot say that it will be easy seeing him there at first, my family will manage. Certainly if you and Hermione and Ron can put things behind you then the rest of us can make the effort as well. So Arthur and I and Ginny will see you, as planed on Christmas Eve Day. Charlie tells me that my new kitchen is quite lovely.'

(I had to smile when I read that, because she knew, as well as I did, that it was her kitchen, as least as far as the holidays were concerned at 12G.)

'We will see you sometime after lunch on the 24th then my dearest Harry. So put your mind at ease and make sure that the pantry is well stocked for me. We will have a proper family Christmas and finally put all the troubles behind us.

Love Molly'

I wanted to cry, but I was in the middle of the Great Hall when I got the letter so I didn't. It seemed like things might just go okay, and I made a mental note to fire off letters to George and his brothers later that week to finally officially invite them along as well.

Owls flew fast and furious over the Great Hall during the month of December. There were so many arrangements to make for all the students, and not just myself. It seemed that everyone was planning large family Christmases this year, not that I could blame the sentiment we all shared. It was time to get back to the things that were most important, family and friends, and finally celebrate. Everyone was sorting out who would be picking up whom and which seventh and eighth years were escorting younger students where. There was the train, there were carriages from Hogsmeade, and there was the Floo network, all to be coordinated with the Heads of Houses and Headmistress. Many families were taking trips abroad, which necessitated different departure times to catch up with the proper portkeys, and I did not envy anyone trying to sort out the logistical nightmare of comings and goings.

I had heard back from Charlie and George, who both told me that as long as their Mom was cooking, and that I'd laid in a good store of spirits that they'd be there even if I wanted to invite the whole Malfoy clan. Bill and Fleur sent their regrets, Fleur had really planned on going to visit her parents, and I certainly couldn't begrudge them that, especially hearing the happy news that they were expecting in the late Spring. I had the bedrooms all sorted out then, and Kreacher had shown up in my dorm asking about a shopping list because he was going to go over to the house a few days early to get things ready for us. We made one up together with everything I could think of that Molly would need and I gave him a pouch of coins to spend. Everything was coming together and I felt jubilant that I might just be able to pull off a proper family Christmas.

Course, nothing ever goes completely as planned does it?

The Yule Ball was something I wish I could have avoided. I suppose that had I still been going with Ginny that it might have been more enjoyable, because at least I could have danced with someone instead of hanging back at the table for most of the night making small talk. There was only one person I wanted to put my arms around and dance with, but if I had done it I can't even imagine the uproar that would have ensued. I did dance with one of the girls on my Quidditch team; I think she felt sorry for me. Ron and Hermione were busy with each other, and I couldn't fault them wanting that time. My presence in their lives had disrupted so much already. I caught a few glances of Ginny, and if I hadn't known better I would have guessed that someone had spiked one of her drinks. She was being more flirtatious than usual, and was wearing the dress to do it. Of course, Professor Alonso was in the room, so that explained some of her behavior; but I was on the verge of being embarrassed for her. Draco looked equally as ill at ease as I did; the few times I was able to see him, or even talk to him. He still seemed so uncomfortable in his own skin, especially in large groups and I understood. The secret he held was not something easily ignored, but also not something easily discussed. I had been a friend to him and I had listened to him talk, and I had held him, and stolen some moments of muted passion in the Astronomy tower, but always at his lead, as desperate as I was for him then.

School was dismissed on the last Friday before the holiday; Ron, Neville and I were charged with walking a number of the younger Gryffindor students to Hogsmeade, where their parents were meeting them. The Professors met and greeted parents who came directly to the school to pick up their children. Not everyone was comfortable being on school grounds then, some of the trees still bore the scars of the battle fought there, and the memories would be fresh until the greenery hid everything again. We gents got the task of travelling because we could all get back on broomstick, and therefore would not be gone after dark. Hermione had taken another group to the train, along with Genevieve and Alonso, which meant that Ginny was going along as well. Hermione still wasn't thrilled about broom travel, which drew her the short straw as far as I was concerned. Neville was learning: he'd never play Quidditch but he wasn't half bad, at least as far as a mostly straight line was concerned and we made it back to the castle in good time. As for our own travel, well the number of folks going to the Burrow merited the use of the Floo network, and in short order, after a few hugs Ron, Hermione, and Ginny (no hug there) headed down to the Headmistress' office. I had planned on using the late train into London, I could have apparated from Hogsmeade again, but Minerva wasn't quite keen on that since it was after dark, and as far as she knew I was going by myself. Of course I wasn't, Draco was accompanying me, but I think she just assumed that he was going back to Malfoy Manor; I don't think that Aurora had ever told her about Narcissa. Of course Aurora knew Draco was coming with me, we'd had to assure her of that before she would let him leave the grounds. Though I got the impression that telling her was simply a formality and that she'd already seen it in the stars somewhere.

So I packed up a small bag, I didn't need much really. I grabbed my broom and shrank it to fit in my bag, likewise a few textbooks and quills and the presents I'd already bought. I could get everything else in the city. I headed down to the station, eschewing the offered carriages. The night was cold, but the way well lit, and it gave me a few moments to think, and I wasn't the only one on the road anyways. Genevieve LaSeigne caught up to me rather quickly. She had a bag of her own over her shoulder, and was likewise dressed for travelling in warm robes and fur-lined boots.

"May I walk with you Mr. Potter?"

What could I say? "Of course Professor."

"Are you on your way to London then?"

"I am, I have a house there."

"You have a house? Surely you mean your family has a house there?"

"No, it's only me, my godfather left it to me."

"Will there be someone else there for you when you arrive?"

"My friend Kreacher has gone on ahead."

"The house elf?"

"Yes." I still wasn't certain how comfortable I felt giving her more details about my plans. Had it been Minerva I wouldn't have had an issue with it, and she hadn't even questioned me about being at 12G. But I had only known Genevieve for less than three months, and I hadn't formed a concrete opinion about her yet. "I have other friends coming to join me in a few days." I added and I hoped the vague answer would be enough for her that she would not challenge me on my plans.

"Well that is good."

"Are you traveling back to France for the break Professor?" I felt that turnabout was fair play in this case.

"No, I have some family in London I need to look up."

"Well I hope that goes well for you."

"And what of your friend Draco?" Now why would she ask about him, the question bothered me just a little and I didn't know how to answer.

"I expect we'll see him on the train, he'll be headed to London as well."

"Oh good, I hope I get the chance to wish him a good holiday. You and he are excellent students, well so many of you eighth years are. The professors before me must have taken great pride in teaching you all."

I thought back to Severus, and I don't think I could have used the word 'pride' to describe any of our lessons. As for Horace, well, pride meant an altogether different thing for him I think. I hoped his second retirement was going better than his first.

"Is Professor Alonso coming along to London with us as well?"

"I don't believe so, but I did not specifically ask him his plans. He doesn't talk very much, especially about himself."

"I have found over the years that most of the Professors here hold things close to their chests."

"Close to their chests?" Oops.

"Sorry Professor, a Muggle saying, it means they keep things to themselves."

"I had not realized that you were taking Muggle Studies Harry." I sighed just a little; I didn't think she'd noticed.

"I'm not, I lived it for eleven years."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that." So apparently my whole past hadn't been revealed to the new professors. That made me glad, to know that I still had some privacy in my life, well beyond the things I was trying to hide. "Perhaps I'll be able to ask you some questions in the future. I expect you know how to work a telephone then?"

"Yes Ma'am, I do."

She got very quiet after that, and for the rest of our walk in fact. Only later, as we were nearly at the London terminal, did she seek me out to ask me to describe how she could make a phone call. Perhaps it had taken her that long to work up the courage to ask. I explained as well as I could, and I gave her some coins, the type she'd need to place a local call from a payphone. She seemed almost overly grateful for the small gesture, wished me a good holiday, and was gone. Draco, who was with me by that time, looked at me oddly as she left, all I could do was shake my head. But I had a feeling I'd find out soon enough what her questions had been about.