Intimately Close

The Eighth Year Dormitory

Harry and Draco had reluctantly gone their separate ways once inside the school – one towards each of their house tables.

Hermione had instantly lectured Harry on missing the carriages, while every Gryffindor close to them cast apologetic glances towards the boys close to her.

Harry didn't mind. It gave him a reason enough to stare just past her, towards where an equally distracted blond was already staring at him across the hall.

Draco had been right; very few of the older Slytherins had returned. He was the only Eighth Year that Harry recognised, with many of the students between fourth and seventh year also seeming few and far between.

"Harry?" He turned to see Neville looking at him, worry evident in his eyes.

"Sorry. There are just so many empty seats. It..."

"We get it, Harry." Hermione interrupted, grabbing hold of his forearm. "We all see it. We've all experienced it. Nobody is going to blame you for feeling that way."

"It's not that," he murmured, looking up at the teacher's table. "Look at how many we've lost. I counted all of them, the people lying in that hall last year. There's more than that missing. Think of how many people are too scared to come back. Think of all the people who've lost their parents, like Teddy. We won. Just this is the price we've paid for it."

They seemed to drown in silence – thoughts swam to the surface that none of them wanted to remember.

"Neville," Ron said suddenly, "how are your parents?"

"Alright," came a quiet reply. "They haven't changed, but I think they know something has happened."

"Students!" Everyone turned at the voice – McGonagall was stood at the front of the hall, looking out over her students. Her eyes hovered on Harry and his friends before continuing to sweep the tables, ready to make her first speech as Headmistress.

"As I am sure you have all noticed, we are many students fewer than last year. However, as Dumbledore used to say, do not pity the dead. Instead, he believed that we should pity the living. They are gone, and there is nothing we can do about that. While many of you likely witnessed their deaths, but I must remind you that you played no part in them. We are those who are left behind, who will see their faces and remember their laughs for the rest of our days. I am sure that if you were to speak to any student sat in this hall they would be able to tell you the names of family and friends who are no longer here. Our lives cannot stop because theirs have ended.

"Instead, I suggest to all of you that you remember them. Give their sacrifice a meaning. Live your life to the fullest. Do not let regret overcome you. As recent years have shown us, life can be too short to ignore our heart's desires. I beg you to keep those you love close, remember those who are no longer with us and work together to ensure such a horrible event never has to be experienced again. Together, we can build a better world."

Draco found the speech strange to hear, considering so few Slytherins were sat in the hall.

Perhaps he had always felt that way, but he suddenly realised how alone he was. In the Great Hall, where nearly a thousand students sat, he was completely alone. Even his fellow Slytherins had left a wide space around him.

"I ask you, as students of Hogwarts, to let go of the prejudices of our past. From now on, your houses will not be separated by table, dormitory or lesson. Because of the damage caused to this school during the battle, the houses will make a temporary move. Ravenclaw students will join the Hufflepuff dormitory, as will Gryffindor in regards to the Slytherin dormitory. Lessons will be a mix of all four houses. Eighth Years, I have arranged for you to use a set of newly constructed rooms. Now, I would like the Prefects to lead their students to their common rooms. Eighth Years, if you wait behind I will personally escort you to your rooms."

While some in the hall were crying, Harry found himself smiling. He was remembering some of the best moments he had spent with those who had died. He was thinking of laughing with them. Playing quidditch alongside them. Even just smiling to them in the hallway.

"How come Malfoy's heading over here?" Seamus asked, nodding towards the blond.

"He was in our compartment on the way here," Ron explained, looking very displeased by it. "Guess we're putting the past behind us, right Harry?"

"Of course, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. "It's only fair."

***

When the students began following Professor McGonagall, everyone made sure to give Draco a wide berth. As the only Slytherin to return to repeat his Seventh Year, he appeared all alone.

But he soon found Harry matching his pace, forcing Ron and Hermione to slow as well. It was comforting.

"Alright, students. As you can tell, some areas of the castle are beyond repair. During our next summer, we will endeavour to rebuild, however, I am sure you guessed from the moving of the dorms that the towers sustained a large amount of the damage. That is why you will use a series of abandoned classrooms as your rooms for the rest of the year. I have adapted this corridor for your use, so feel free to use your own magical abilities to decorate your area however you wish."

She opened the door to enter the corridor in question, walking in and motioning for the students to follow.

Inside, many of the students were surprised by how it had been transformed.

At least four classrooms had found their walls removed to create a large common room; the walls a mixture of reds and golds, while black and yellow rugs spread beneath green and silver sofas. Doors led off to a handful of bedrooms, aimed to be shared by pairs or threes.

"Bloody hell."

It was basic, but everyone knew that it wouldn't take much to make it feel like home.

"I do hope you can agree on who stays with who. No mixed rooms. There should work out to be two paired rooms; one for boys, another for girls. I'll leave you to settle in."

As McGonagall left, Draco finally had a chance to count those returning.

Along with Harry's usual trio of Gryffindors were Neville, Seamus and Parvati. The Ravenclaws were limited to Padma and Terry Boot, while Ernie McMillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, and a girl Draco didn't remember made up Hufflepuff.

Everyone began grouping themselves ready for their rooms – the Patil twins would share a room, Hermione would join the Hufflepuff girls. Neville, Ron and Seamus took one of the three-person rooms, while Terry, Ernie and Justin took the other one.

Everyone cast a nervous glance towards the two remaining boys – nobody quite believed that the truce between them would hold up.

"Well, which room do you girls want?" Draco asked, playing for nonchalant.

The girls moved towards the doors, deciding on the two-person room in the middle of all the others. Harry waited for everyone else to move and find their own, leaving him looking at the door furthest from the entrance.

"Nobody can hear you scream down here," came a whisper by his ear.

"Who says I'm the one who'll be screaming?" He replied, winking at the blond and heading into their room.

It was a modest size – two single beds pushed to either wall, a large desk with two chairs between them. It was obvious it had been a classroom – wooden floors, plain walls, and shadows from where cages or diagrams had hung from walls.

When he turned to Draco, he found the blond had a blush rising up his neck and into his ears. It brought a smile to his face, and he quickly made up his mind.

No matter how the year turned out, he wanted to become friends with him.

"Move, I'll grab our trunks."

The words barely registered with Draco – he side-stepped into the room and allowed Harry to leave. He watched the messy hair make its way towards the pile of trunks in the common room, where it stopped to talk to Longbottom and Finnigan.

His laugh echoed through the room, and some of the girls gravitated towards him to talk.

Maybe it's all in my head. Maybe, if I ignore it, this feeling will just go away. Maybe I'll stop liking him so much.