Second Chances

chapter 4

Harry couldn't explain himself to himself, he was glad he wouldn't have to explain himself to anyone else.

He had fought with his friends and with himself for nothing. He hadn't even said what he wanted to Ginny. He slumped into a seat between Ginny and Hermione just as the last first year, Yenim Max, was sorted into Hufflepuff.

Proffessor Mcgonagall rose from her high backed chair in the middle of the staff table and looked  around at the students. Her tight grey but was whiter than Harry remembered and she gripped the table when she stood but her voice still held its composur and authority as she spoke.

"Welcome to the new and welcome home to the old. I am the new headmistress, Proffessor McGonagall-" Gryffindor table erupted in loud cheers. Mcgonagall smiled wearily at them.

"Now, there is matter I must discuss with you all. Since many from last year's seventh year have returned to resit their N.E.W.T's we have a slight over crowding problem. Therefore, we have decided to place people from seventh year into new dorm rooms. Gryffindors, who house least this year will welcome the Slytherin seventh years into their dorm-" there was scattered murmuring and Harry's jaw dropped, that meant that Malfoy would be in his dorm, able to torment him every waking moment. Harry groaned.

"Sixth years and fifth years of Slytherin shall share and we will have more order" Mcgonagall finished.

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione who seemed to be sharing the same look of horror and anger.

Not even when Mcgonagall waved her hand in a sweeping motion and the table groaned under the weight of plates heavy of food did the three break their shared furious looks.

"What kind of-" Ron spluttered as he took a ginormous bite of a chicken wing, "right does she have to do this?" bits of chicken flew from his mouth. Hermione's nose wrinkled.

"It is terrible, honestly, I don't want to even think about sharing a room with Millicent" Hermione grimaced as she cut up a chicken breast.

"You'd think that in a castle this big that there might be some other place for them to sleep" Ron moaned and angrily shoved a spoon of mashed potato into his mouth.

"There is no where else entirely, one hundred percent safe in the castle, they can't just sleep in the astronomy tower or something" Hermione reasoned.

"Yeah, well the Gryffindor tower won't be safe anymore with Slytherin in it" Harry muttered, pushing peas around his plate.

The thought of having Malfoy and all his Slytherin cronies laying about in the one place he loved made him feel sick to the stomach. How were they all allowed back? Most of them had deatheaters as parents and those who didn't still didn't stay behind and fight at the Battle.

"Harry? Harry?" Harry felt a light tap on his shoulder and he looked around to see Ginny. She was standing up. Everyone was.

"The feast is over" she smiled, and took his hand. Harry felt no spark, no warmth. Just hand on hand. He blamed it on the Slytherins.

Ron and Hermione looked at him oddly but walked in sync with them all the way up to the tower.

The crush of people that would have made Harry more alert, tonight made him feel lost, indifferent to his surroundings.

The usual comfort and warmth of the common room was muffled by how densely packed of people it was. Harry grimaced and told the others he was going up to the dorms. He lightly shook off Ginny's hand.

Harry's head was as stuffy and muffled as the common room as he shouldered his way through talking friends and staring individuals.
Returning to Hogwarts shouldn't have felt like this. It was meant to be fun, exciting. Not full of confusion the moment he was on the train to the castle.

Harry pushed open the door to the dorm, expecting it to be empty - after all the whole population of Hogwarts seemed to be in the common room.
It wasn't empty but he didn't realise until he was sprawled out on his bed.
A figure moved and Harry only saw. It out of the corner of his eye. He sat bolt upright. Draco.

"Oh, Potter. I, um thought you wanted privacy..." Draco trailed off, avoiding eye contact with him.

Harry's face remained blank, his eyes however scanned all the way over Draco.
His eyes were watery, not red as though he had been crying but as if he was about to. His hair was straggly like he had run his fingers through it for hours. His cheeks were flushed, standing out starkly against his pale skin. Like two drops of blood on pure snow.

Realising he was staring Harry blinked hard, "Uh, no you're fine you can-" but Malfoy had stalked out the door faster than he had run from the Hippogriff in their third year.

Harry flopped back in his bed, mind racing with thought and eyes heavy with sleep. The last thought before a fitful sleep fell on him was a pale, white haired boy with cheeks like blood on snow.