Harry weaved through the crowded streets of Diagon Alley. He saw Hermione and Ron sitting at a table talking, waiting for him of course. Harry finally reached them and plopped down in the empty chair. He laughed when Ron put a bottle of Butter Beer in front of him. He popped off the cap and downed a few gulps.
"Easy Harry, don't want you tipsy on the train ride to school," Hermione laughed sipping her own. He snickered and threw his bags with the other ones, which was slowly growing into a heap on a neighboring table.
"You reckon we got everything?" Ron asked looking through one of his bags.
"Probably not, knowing us," Harry laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes holding up her list proudly. Of course, every item was crossed off.
"Well with the exception of you!" Ron teased. Harry snatched up her list and saw one thing he forgot.
"Damn…forgot my Herbology book," Harry frowned.
"You better hurry up, we have to be on the train soon," Hermione warned. "I'll be back," Harry grumbled preparing himself to make his way all the way back to the book store. It was strange, the year before no one was about. Even more so now he figured people would be trying to hide. He got into the bookstore and quickly bought the book he needed. Wanting to avoid anyone else from his school he slipped out unnoticed. He glanced over the book to make sure no one had written in it. Just as he was about to close it, his shoulder slammed hard into someone. He turned to shout something but stopped. A woman stood before him with the most intense color eyes he had ever seen before…other than his own.
"Harry…" She whispered before she was swallowed up by a gush of people. Harry felt his heart seize up, as she was lost from his sight. He pushed hard through them and dropped his book in the process. That of course didn't register in his mind as he shoved his way between people.
"Wait!" he called out when he saw her run around the corner. He chased after, hoping he would be able to catch her. He turned the corner where she had disappeared and nearly slammed into the brick wall. She couldn't have come back out and run another way, he would have seen her.
"What the hell?" Harry gasped rubbing his forehead. He had seen her…hadn't he? He had run right into her, he heard her say his name…. she was real. But where did she go?
"Harry! You dropped this!" A familiar voice called out from behind him. He snapped his head back to see Cho hurrying over to him, handing him the book. She opened her mouth to say something but Harry cut her off.
"Thanks…I'll see you around," he said and brushed past her. She called after him but he kept walking. The girls face burning in his mind.
******
"Harry…explain it one more time ok? There's just…something not making sense," Hermione said slowly. Harry frowned and took his glasses off, rubbing the crook of his nose. He'd spent the better part of an hour explaining and re explaining the girl, the thing outside his window and even the cat that he saw at the Burrow. He didn't want to tell them in town or even at Ron's house. He had waited until they were in the privacy of their little car of the train. Since neither Ron nor Hermione were prefects anymore, they were all sitting together.
"There was a girl in Diagon Alley, I don't know who she was or why she was even there…. but she had eyes like my own…she was real I know it," Harry explained for what felt like the 100th time. Neither of them believed him about the girl or any of it. Hell he doubted himself once he said it out loud to them.
"Are you sure it wasn't just a random girl with Green eyes?" Hermione asked.
"I'm sure…. they weren't like any other that I've seen…except for myself and my mother…"
"Then she would have to be related to you in some way and that's not possible Harry."
"Don't you think I know that? I'm not making this up!" Harry said defensively. For once, he wished his friends would just believe him with no questions asked. For some odd reason, they used to believe him without a hitch when they were younger. With the exception of 4th year with him and Ron. But this was different…just like the year before when he had tried to warn everyone about Snape.
"Do you think maybe this has to do with…guilt? I mean, the animal outside that you yourself said almost looked like a dog…and now a girl that…" Ron started.
"Sirius died, I know this and I know it's not my fault anymore…this girl has nothing to do with him…She's real…I ran into her, she even called out my name. The cat, the thing outside my window, it's all connected to her somehow…I know it," Harry explained staring at his two best friends. Only Hermione was looking up at him with disbelief…and that nearly killed him.
"If she knew who you were, why didn't she stop and try to talk to you. Instead she magically disappeared," she said sharply.
"Maybe she was scared? Or maybe she's an Auror that's been ordered to keep her identity unknown to Harry? We don't know Hermione but I believe Harry…if he ran into this person…she has to be real," Ron jumped in. Harry nearly pissed himself; he never thought he would hear something that…brilliant out of his mouth.
"What? I have my moments," Ron snickered but stopped when Hermione made a loud noise in her throat.
"You two don't like what I have to say then stop asking for my advice or what I think!" she snapped. She stood up so quickly it took Harry a minute to see her grabbing for the door.
"Where are you going?' he asked. He didn't mean for her to get all offended but she wasn't seeing what he was saying. She was too damn stubborn and too into the facts that it nearly blinded her at times.
"I don't know, just away from you two," she retorted. Harry grabbed her hand before she could open the door.
"Why are you acting like this? Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm telling you the truth? That maybe I'm not crazy? No one believed me last year about Snape, especially you two. Look what happened. Now, you won't believe me about this. Do you have that little faith in me Hermione?" he said through clenched teeth. He was so angry at her…not just her but everyone for not believing him. For always second-guessing, thinking he was just doing it for attention.
"Harry…it's just…hard…"
"What's so hard Hermione? Having faith in your supposed best friend? You and Ron don't have to stand by me! I told you two this before school ended last year! Do you want to know what is really hard? When the two people closest to me won't believe in a word I say until it's too late!" Harry practically screamed. Hermione flinched under his intense glare as she stared up at him, almost as if she was scared of him. He wanted to reach out to comfort her but he was far too angry to do so. As he stared down at her, he heard a muffled sound from behind him. He glanced of his shoulder and held his breath. Ron had his head in hands breathing hard. Like he was trying to fight whatever it was from coming up and out of him. He never imagined seeing Ron, or even Hermione like this. Harry felt as if he couldn't breathe, it was getting to be too much. He had just screamed at the two people he trusted with his own life. He spun around and gripped the handle nearly tearing it open when a hand grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back into the compartment.
"Harry don't go…please," she pleaded. He took a few deep breaths and didn't move. The numbness was wearing down and he couldn't bear to turn around to see both of them breaking down.
"I'm so sorry…I'm stubborn and can't see past what I haven't seen for myself," she pleaded with him again, her fingers digging into his shoulder. He slowly looked down at her and felt a wave of guilt slam into him. Her cheeks were flushed and wet from her tears. He gently wiped them with his thumb and nodded.
"I'm sorry too mate…for all the times I doubted you," Ron said his voice thick and strained. Harry looked down at him next and smiled sympathetically. He'd never in his life thought he'd see Ron cry or even be this upset. This whole war was getting to them, all of them. It was bad when the frustration and anger that was built up comes to be so much; the only person to take it out on is most likely the one you never want to hurt. He sat down next to Ron and sighed, patting his shoulder gently.
"It's ok…just…believe me when I say I'm not crazy…not entirely anyway," he laughed wrapping his arm around Ron's shoulders. Both of them laughed and the guilt faded way from his heart. Hermione sat on the other side of Harry and nodded messing up both of their hair.
"Not entirely…now that's crazy talk," Ron grinned.
*******
Draco sat in his compartment staring at the wall. His friends were busy talking of their summer and what their parents had been doing, including things that concerned the "Dark Lord". He himself had his own interesting summer, one that would stick with him for the rest of his life. After that night, he felt his entire being shaken and change. No one would understand, if anything, his friends wouldn't be fazed by much.
Friends…they weren't his friends. They were kids who wanted only to be around him to be "popular", to be special. He looked around at them and felt sick. If only they knew what he was thinking they would hop right out of that compartment and find a new leader. He smiled to himself and hoped that would come true.
"I need to take a walk…" He said and got up. He felt someone grab his arm and when he looked back Pansy was giving him a knowing look.
"Would you like some company?" She asked softly. Draco rolled his eyes and shook his arm out of her grasp. That was the last thing he needed. He opened the door and stepped out to the wonderful noise of endless chatter. He would much rather listen to that then the disgusting things his "friends" were talking of. He could hear Ginny's voice erupting into the hall a few compartments down. He slowly walked over and watched her from a distance. She was talking avidly to a friend from her year and he knew just from the gestures she was making, it was about Harry. That girl had it bad for him he mused. He saw a few tears spill down her cheeks and it took everything of his will power to not go in there.
That was something extremely odd. Before school even ended, he had hated anyone who was not in his house. Now he felt sorry for the little red head. He ran his fingers through his hair and quickly walked down the hall. Surprisingly he found an empty room, it was small but it would work. He slid in and cast numerous locking and silencing charms. He desperately needed to be alone to just think about what was going on in his head.
He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, remembering everything from the time he knew about the Dark Lord to that summer. All those years wasted on some horrible icon. His father idolized him and feared him. Draco had seen the benefits of being in the Dark Lord's favor; it made him want to throw up. He switched to everything else, all the things that he had seen from other students, especially Potter. He was trapped in something he couldn't avoid since he was a baby. Now everyone who had any dark thoughts would be out to get him. That wasn't right.
So many things would change if he dropped his façade of being the dangerous Slytherin boy and suddenly claiming allegiance to Harry. He would be an outcast to even his family. His mother was terrified of something happening to him…that would definitely be justified if he stayed in the path his father had so lovingly chosen for him. He winced and gripped the bench he was sitting on as the scream filled his ears. He sat up quickly and pressed his head against the wall, he woke up with that sound in his mind. This was not the life he wanted.
"Hi, sorry we missed the trolley, can I have some…" Draco turned his head to see Harry next to the sweets trolley. The only way he would be able to talk to him without being hexed is to get him alone. He waited until the little old lady walked away before grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him in.
"What the…Draco!" Harry exclaimed struggling for his wand.
"Don't bother Harry…I'm not going to do anything…I just…I needed to talk to you about something," He said rather quickly. Harry stared at him in shock and blinked a few times.
"Um…ok?" he stammered keeping his back plastered to the wall.
"Look, I know you and your friends think I'm vile…and I was. It's hard to believe even for me but…something happened this summer that changed my life," he said a bit more slowly. He gave Harry a minute to register what he was saying. He stood up a bit straighter and adjusted the candy in his arm.
"So…what are you trying to say Malfoy?" he snapped. Draco sighed and scratched the back of his neck.
"I want to apologize to you and everyone else…but I wanted to start with you. You were the one I was most horrid too," he said softly sitting back down on the bench. Harry sat down across from him and gawked at him, his mouth slightly open. He was still in shock and who could blame him? Draco and Harry had always been enemies: everyone knew that. And now, they were sitting across from each other and the "evil" one was apologizing for his sins.
"Did I get hit over the head or something? Or is this some kind of prank?" Harry finally said looking towards the door.
"No, it's not a prank."
"But…why are you apologizing? Aren't your friends going to kill you just for talking with me?" Harry
asked confused.
"Probably…but I really don't care at the moment. They're not really my friend's anyway…just people who follow me around. And I'm apologizing because…I'm sick of this, I'm sick of my father and everyone who's with him. I know this is going to sound completely crazy but…I want to fight on your side."
"You…want to fight with us? Against your father and Voldemort?" Harry asked. Draco flinched a bit at the name but shook it away.
"Yes," he answered looking straight at him.
"I…don't know what to say Malfoy…I mean, after everything that happened last year, how can you expect me to change my mind about you?"
"I'm not expecting anything, just hoping that soon you'll see I'm being for real," he replied looking down at his hands. Harry got up and made his way to the door, looking back at him with a strange look on his face.
"I doubt that," he said through clenched teeth and rushed back to his own compartment. Draco leaned back and sighed heavily. This was going to be a very long year.
-->