~*~ Chapter 9 - Burying the Hatchet~*~
Just under a week later Harry, Ron, Hermione, and much to Remus and Ron's dismay Draco, found themselves back at 12 Grimmauld Place. Draco spent much of the first day adjusting to the new living quarters, while Ron spent most the day complaining about the new guest, but as the House now belonged to Harry, there was little Remus or Ron could do about the situation. Hermione wasn't overly thrilled about it, but as she had said many times before, if they couldn't trust Dumbledore's decisions, who could they trust?
"Oh, come on Ron," Hermione sighed. "No matter how much you complain, things aren't going to change."
"You mean you agree with it?" Ron asked.
"It isn't my decision to make, Ron. Dumbledore seems to thing it's safer to have him here," She said. "And yes, if Malfoy really has begun to help this side, then I do believe it is safer for him to be unlocatable."
"But it's Malfoy!" Ron said shaking his head. "He wouldn't change sides! He loathes everything that this side is fighting for."
"If you're going to insult me, Weasley, at least get your facts straight," came a drawling voice from the doorway.
"Oh, are you actually saying you haven't been hateful everyone and everything we're fighting for? Are you trying to tell me that every insult, every crude word, and every violent thing you've done, was done because you support our side? Or are you simply saying that you've got some twin out there that's been doing all those things and that you're completely innocent?" Ron hissed.
Draco narrowed his eyes and stood from his leaning position, "No, Weasley, I'd never deny the obvious things I've done. But I do have to say that I've learnt my lesson. And furthermore I do not need to explain myself to you."
Ron walked a few paces towards Draco to the point where there was only a few feet in between them, "You may have Dumbledore and Harry convinced, but I don't trust you. You've done nothing but try to destroy everything we're working to protect, I don't believe, for one second, that you happened to have a change of heart. You may have them fooled, but I'm watching you. Make one wrong move, I dare you."
"That's enough, Ron." Ron turned to see his best friend glaring at him. Harry narrowed his eyes, "You really don't trust me, do you?"
"What are you talking about? Of course I trust you!"
"No, you don't. Otherwise you would trust my decisions, including this one."
"Harry, I trust you. Its him I have problems trusting."
"I trust him, Dumbledore trusts him, shouldn't that be enough?"
"No, it's not. I'm sorry if I can't forgive and forget as easily as you. But that doesn't mean I don't trust you."
Harry shook his head, "Neither of you trust me. Not that I blame you, not after last June."
Hermione finally spoke up, "Harry you know that's not true. If we didn't trust you, we never would have fallowed you to the Department of Mysteries. The same goes with Ginny, Neville, and Luna."
"If you hadn't fallowed me there, if I had listened in the first place, none of you would have been hurt and my godfather would still be alive!" Harry said.
It was just Harry's luck that Remus had overheard the whole conversation, "I thought you were dealing with this, Harry?"
Harry looked up, "I am, but it doesn't make it any less true."
Remus frowned and exchanged glances with Hermione, "Do you really think that things would have been any different?"
"Yes, if I had listened, yes."
"Have you ever heard of a thing called Fate?" Remus inquired.
"Of course hasn't everyone?"
"Then you know, that things couldn't have gone any other way. You were destined to go to the Ministry of Magic, and for some reason Sirius was destined to fallow you to his death. Things happen they way Fate decides they should, not how we thing we should go."
Harry sighed and nodded, "I know, but it doesn't make it any easier."
"Listen, Potter, Sirius's death may be on your conscious, but you've got to realize there will be more deaths before all is said and done, and you can't carry each and every death that was directly or indirectly caused by you. It'll drive you mad. And everyone who dies fighting, at least they're dieing for something they believe in." Draco said.
"For once, I've got to agree with Malfoy, mate," Ron said. "Even Sirius died in a fight. And if you think about it, if Sirius had been able to choose how he'd die, he would have wanted to go in battle for something he believed in."
Harry started to snap at Ron about how Sirius didn't want to die for a long time but Remus cut him off, "Come on, Harry, the only people who get to choose the place, time, and manner of their deaths are the ones who take it themselves, and we should be glad Sirius didn't do that."
Harry nodded again, "Look, I know that there is little I can do now, but really must you go on like you have been? Is it that hard to trust Dumbledore and me without us explaining every little detail?"
Remus and Ron exchanged looks and sighed, "Harry, like I said before, it's not that we don't trust you, mate. Its just that it's kind of hard to forget everything that he's done for the last five years," Ron said. "But if you are certain that you can trust him, I won't question it anymore."
"And I'll try not to provoke. I won't apologize, at least not yet, but I'll try to hold my temper and my tongue." Draco said.
"And I'll keep the both of them in line," Hermione grinned causing everyone to laugh.
The four teens went up to the room the three boys where sharing to try to settle old differences, if they had to spend the summer together that was something that had to be done and soon, and Remus retreated to the kitchen with more than enough on his mind.
"Malfoy, how did you know that phrase anyway?" Hermione asked
"O'ya woling woling we tayil?" Draco frowned, she nodded. "I've studied almost every western language there is, spoken or dead. How did you know it?"
Hermione blushed slightly, "A-uh-muggle television show."
Harry glanced back at her, "Which one?"
"It's a cable series, Stargate SG1. My dad got me into it, and I've got every episode I've scene practically memorized." Harry chuckled, "What?!" she asked.
"Nothing," he said. "I just never expected you to be into that type of show is all. I figured you would stick to The Learning Channel or the History Channel."
Ron and Draco snickered and Hermione gave all three boys a sharp glare. "Ron when is the rest of your family coming?"
"Tomorrow evening, why?"
"Because I'm wondering how long I have to wait for some one sane to talk to," she said.
"Ouch, that hurts," Draco smirked. Hermione glared again and threw one of the pillows across the room, hitting him in the face. "Oh, you want to play like that, do you?" he said as he threw two pillows back at her. Before they realized it they were in one massive pillow fight. Remus had come upstairs to see what the racket was and peeked through the door. He smiled and closed it quietly so not to alert any of them. The fight went on into the late evening when all four of them collapsed on one of the beds and promptly fell asleep where they had fallen, none awoke before nine the next morning.
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