Thanks so much for the reviews! Here's the new chapter :)

Ginny's lips trailed down his neck while her fingers tugged at the buttons of his shirt impatiently. Harry's hands were resting on her waist and he held her close, although guilt was already filling his guts.

"Ginny..."

She groaned in anticipation and looked up at him, her eyes glazed over from lust. He took a deep breath and tried to ignore the signals his body sent him, slowly shaking his head.

"I can't..." he whispered and pushed her carefully away.

"Y-You can't...? Why? What makes you hold back?"

She was breathing heavily and glared up at him, smoothing her dress with both her hands and waiting for his response.

He gave her none.

Ginny's eyes narrowed, "Is it because of Astoria? Is she so beautiful that you can't get her off your mind?"

Harry frowned. She had got him wrong. It had nothing to do with Astoria, he simply didn't want to take advantage of her and get her hopes up again.

She suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down, their faces only inches apart, her breath hot on his face.

"If it is because of her... Well, you can pretend you're with her, I don't care. I really don't care."

Harry sighed and took her hands away from his shirt, straightening up again.

"No, I won't pretend anything because it has nothing to do with her at all! I don't even know her so don't be silly Ginny," he sighed and stepped away from her, "I just don't want to use you."

With that he turned around and walked into his room, carefully locking the door behind himself.

He could hear her raging on in the hallway, but after a few minutes heard a faint 'pop' and knew she'd disapparated.

How stupid of her to think it had something to do with an other woman! He couldn't care less about Astoria, really. After all, he didn't know her.

It was more like ... The reason why he couldn't focus on Ginny wasn't a woman. He just couldn't bring himself to wipe Malfoy from his memory again. Seeing the blond again had upset him in a strange way... Looking into those storm grey eyes...

Harry groaned and hid his face behind his hands. This had to stop immediately!

"Damn it..."

He kicked off his shoes, undressed and hid under his blanket, desperately trying not to think of the other man. It eventually worked, but as soon as he drifted off into sleep, his dreams were filled with the person he just wanted to forget.

...

"Harry James Potter! Wake up!"

Hermione seized his arm and almost pulled him out of bed. Harry growled and pushed her hand away, looking up at her, completely puzzled.

"Where's the fire?"

She huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring down at him.

"Ginny was crying when she came to the Burrow last night. What happened and who is Astoria?!"

Harry sighed, rubbed his face and sat up.

"Listen Hermione, it's not my fault she was crying. I simply told her that I wouldn't take advantage of her. I don't want her to think that we'll come back together."

"Oh," the stern look left her face and she touched his arm gently, "Sorry... I thought that you two had a fight."

"No," he shook his head and made to get out of the bed.

"Uh, Harry?"

He sat back down again and looked at Hermione.

"Ron told me to send you to the Ministry as soon as you get up. He said he's got a job for you. Didn't tell me what exactly it is, just that it's at St. Mungos."

A jolt of excitement shot through his body when Hermione mentioned St. Mungos and he quickly got to his feet.

"Okay. I'll get ready and go there."

...

A short while later he reached Ron's office at the Ministry.

"Hey mate!" Ron grinned and Harry sat down opposite from him, watching his friend curious.

"Hi, so... what's the job you got for me?"

Ron sighed and picked up one of the many letters that lay strewn across his desk, looking down at it.

"St. Mungos needs our help. Many prisoners from Azkaban suffer from a strong form of dragon pox. They will be brought to the hospital today. As a security measure, Dementors will be stationed there ... I really don't get why, though. They only use them at the entrances to Azkaban anymore. I don't think the prisoners are capable to flee in the state they're in."

Harry raised an eyebrow, not sure what he was supposed to do, "Come to the point, Ron."

"Well, the Healers there will need some protection. Strong Patronuses, to be clear. Not all of them are capable to conjure one so that's why we need you."

"Isn't there someone in this Departement who could do the job?"

"No," Ron shook his head, "nobody wants the job. Besides, there's more important stuff for them to do. I thought you would like to get out of the house for a bit. You'll also be paid, so where's the problem?"

Harry shrugged, "There's no problem. But, as you very well know, I didn't conjure a Patronus in quite a while. I am not sure if I still can do it."

Ron snorted and shook his head.

"Don't be thick, Harry. You were able to conjure one when you were only thirteen! Don't underestimate yourself all the time. You have to get out and do something. You can't hide forever."

"I am not hiding!"

"Yes you are!" Ron's ears were reddening and that was never a good sign.

Harry, however, felt anger rise inside him too.

"It's because you want me to move out, isn't it?! I never asked to live with you and Hermione! It was your idea and now you want to get rid of me, don't you!?"

Ron stared at him, obviously dumbfounded and then shook his head again.

"Don't be an idiot. I don't want to get rid of you! I just want you to become your old self again! You changed ever since the war is over. You're not the Harry I, well all of us, used to know!"

"You want to blame me for that? For showing that it affected me?"

"No," Ron shook his head again, "I don't want to blame you for anything. But, after three years, it's time to carry on."

Harry didn't know what to say and just avoided to look at Ron. His friend was right, he knew that... but everything seemed just dark and dull in his life.

"Will you do it?"

Harry started and looked at Ron again, "What?"

"The job! Will you do it?"

He hesitated for a moment, but then decided that it was worth a try and nodded, "Yeah."

"Good. You can go there right away. They're already waiting for you."

Harry nodded and got to his feet to leave the room, but when he reached the door, Ron called him back.

"Hey, fancy to go for a drink after work?"

"Uh ... Sure."

Ron beamed at him.

"Alright, I will pick you up then!"

...

"Finally!" A cold, drawling voice sounded towards him and Harry spun around, his heart beating frantically.

There, a few feet away from him, stood Malfoy. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest and looked very impatient. Harry couldn't help but stare at the other man for a moment, captivated by his appearance.

Malfoy frowned, "Do I have something in my face?"

Harry blushed and quickly looked down at his feet, shaking his head.

"No. Sorry."

Sorry? Why did he even apologize!? To Malfoy of all people!

The former Slytherin waved his hand dismissively and walked towards Harry.

"However. Come on, I'll need your help right away. Those Dementor won't let me near my father... Looks like they fear that I might help him to get away," he snorted, "as if I would want that."

Harry just nodded and drew his wand, muttering the incantation. The Patronus he conjured wasn't as impressive as they used to be, but it would do it's job. Malfoy stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at the silvery-blue stag, a pained look flickering over his face for the tiniest moment.

"Well. Follow me, Potter."

Harry walked down the hallway next to the blond, his Patronus pacing in front of them. Soon he could feel the familiar chill the Dementors cause when a person came near them and as soon as he saw the first of the creatures, his Patronus started to flicker.

Malfoy stopped again and looked at Harry, one eyebrow raised.

"Are you sure you're up for that job?"

His voice was heavy with doubt and Harry pulled himself together, nodding.

"Yes."

They continued their way and the Dementors shied away from the Patronus until Malfoy stopped in front of a door and unlocked it. Harry was about to step inside, when Malfoy grabbed his arm and pulled him back, almost pulling him off his feet.

"Are you mental!? Dragon Pox are highly contagious!"

The blond drew his wand and flicked it and Harry felt a peculiar sensation spreading across his skin.

"Now you can go inside."

Harry walked through the door, followed by Malfoy. It was almost completely dark in the room apart from the light of a single candle and the faint glow his Patronus produced.

"Why is it so dark?" he whispered, as Malfoy was still standing next to him.

"They want to keep them as uncomfortable as possible while they're here. After all, they're still prisoners. That's why we have to keep the rooms dark."

But there was suddenly light in the room and Harry blinked, taken aback.

Malfoy sneered, "I am just glad we're allowed to turn on the lights while we're in here."

He then walked over to the only occupied bed in the room and Harry watched, feeling slightly uneasy.

"Draco, my son, how are you?"

Draco looked down at his father, but said nothing. Harry watched as he filled potion into a cup and handed it to Lucius. The older man's face had a greenish tinge, but that wasn't what made him look sick in the first place. His cheeks were hollow and his eyes had dark circles beneath them. The once long, blond hair looked dirty and unkempt and Harry realized that Lucius Malfoy looked old and haunted, reminding him of the way Sirius had looked like when he had first met him.

"I am done."

He jumped when he heard Malfoy's voice close to his ear.

"Oh. Okay."

They left the room again and Harry could see how the lights went out before the door had closed. He looked sideways at Malfoy, wondering how he felt when saw his father.

"He's pathetic..." Malfoy sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "the idiot had been pardoned and then decided to go and sell all the fishy stuff he had been hiding in our cellar."

He turned to look at Harry, "Will you help me prepare some more of the healing potion that I'll need?"

That question came out of the blue and Harry's Patronus almost vanished, but he quickly focused on it again.

"I- Ah- Well ... I am not sure. Ron said I am here because of the Dementors...?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes, "Potter, I just asked because it would be finished quicker if I don't have to do it alone."

Harry shrugged, "Okay."

He followed the blond and when they entered his office, Malfoy locked the door behind himself and walked over to where he had his cauldron set up.

"You can cut the ingredients..." the blond murmured and laid them down in front of Harry.

Harry grinned, "But don't sue me if it's a useless potion once it's done."

The blond smirked at him, "I won't."

He then sat down opposite from Harry and lit a fire under the cauldron filling it with water.

"Potter?"

Harry looked up again, almost cutting his finger, "Yeah?"

"Can I tell you something?"

There was something in Malfoy's voice that Harry had never heard before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Sure. Go on."

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