mirrorball

chapter thirty three

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The sun rose steadily over Hogwarts, and the Great Hall blazed with life and light. Harry was an indispensable part of the mingled outpourings of jubilation and mourning, of grief and celebration. They wanted him there with them, their leader and symbol, their savior and their guide, and that he had not slept, that he craved the company of only a few of them, seemed to occur to not a single one of them. He must speak to the bereaved, clap their hands, witness their tears, receive their thanks, hear the new now creeping in from every quarter as the morning drew on; that the Imperiused up and down the country had come back to themselves, that Death Eaters were fleeing or else being captured, that the innocent of Azkaban were being released at that very moment, and that Kingsley Shacklebolt had been named temporary Minister of Magic. . . . 

They moved Voldemort's body and laid it in a chamber off the Hall, away from the bodies of Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin Creevey, and fifty others who had died fighting him. McGonagall had replaced the House tables, but nobody was sitting according to House anymore: All were jumbled together, teachers and pupils, ghosts and parents, centaurs and house-elves, and Firenze lay recovering in a corner, and Grawp peered in through a smashed window, and people were throwing food into his laughing mouth. After a while, exhausted and drained from the battle, Clara resigned herself to a seat next to Seamus and Pansy, who were talking in friendly yet cautious tones. It was the first time Clara could recall Pansy being so polite. She had just put her head on her former roommate's shoulder when a pair of sullen eyes caught her attention.

Draco stood, a few scratches on his pale face and his robes tattered, across the Great Hall with his parents. All three of them looked unsure if they should really be here, but the relief in the room clouded any hard feelings towards the family.

Clara waved meekly at her former friend and he waved back. He motioned to her with his fingers and Clara obeyed. She felt slightly nervous as she approached Draco, who distanced himself from his parents so that the pair were out of their intruding eyes and ears.

"Hi," said Draco. "I need to apologize."

Clara nodded. She knew exactly what it felt like to mess up and have no way to undo the actions that had caused people so much pain. The least she could do for Draco was to hear out his apology and let him get his regret off of his chest.

"I was a terrible coward. I should've left with you that night and gone to the Weasley's place, no matter how uncomfortable it would have been for me. Hell, I should've thought of that plan myself and rescued both of us from that treachery.... But I didn't. I'll regret my decisions for the rest of my life. If I can give any excuse it's that I couldn't leave without my mom, and she would never have left my father and... Well we both know my father would've had to be forcefully removed from that place." Draco let out a shaky sigh. "I was so scared, Clara. Scared of losing my friends, my family, my whole life. I knew everything would change if I got out and in a way I wanted that change so badly, but at the same time I was terrified of what it would mean. So all I can say now is I wish I wasn't such a weakling and that from now on I won't be. I'm going to do some good in this world. Be the difference you want to see and what not. It can't change history, but hopefully it can make a better future."

Clara didn't say anything. She didn't need to. Instead, she did exactly what she was certain Draco needed in that moment. Clara wrapped her arms around Draco, who immediately melted into the embrace. "I am so sorry, Clara. If I can apologize to any of the others - Potter, Weasley, Granger - give me a time and I'll do it."

Clara and Draco pulled away from each other and Clara smiled warmly. "Thank you, Draco. I'll be sure to extend that invitation to them and let you know if they'd like that."