Flowers

~1-Harry~

Grimmauld Place is dark and lonely. My packed trunk sits by the door, ready to be dragged to Hogwarts tomorrow. I lay in Sirius's old bed, staring listlessly at the poster covered wall. Tomorrow I'll be with Ron and Hermione again, along with Ginny and Neville and all the rest of my old friends from school.

I don't have to go back to that place where so many died. The Ministry's offered to let me become an Auror. I might have once wanted that job, but not anymore. I'm done with fighting.

I glance at the clock. 1:00 AM. I slide down on the bed and turn onto my side. I close my eyes and slip into a dreamless sleep.

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The platform is crowded with people. I move through them, hoping I'm not spotted.

I know they are staring. I can feel their eyes on me. Saviour, they whisper. The Boy Who Lived.

'The Boy Who Lived.' What did I do to survive? Am I even really alive? I'd saved them, and at what cost? I am a shell of the person I'd been.

"Harry!!" A shrill voice shrieks as a bushy-haired mass slams into me.

"Hey, Mione." My voice is raspy. I hardly ever speak anymore. Who would I speak too? I live alone after all.

"Where have you been mate," Ron asks, clapping me on the shoulder.

I give them a small smile. "I just needed some time to myself."

"Two months, Harry!" Hermione says. "You wouldn't answer our letters! I wouldn't have been surprised if you were dead!"

I laugh dryly. If only. "Shall we go find a place to sit?" I ask, trying to remember how I once acted, how to interact with the strangers I'd once called friends.

Ron catches sight of someone in the crowd. "You go ahead. I see Neville and Luna." He and Hermione runoff. I gaze after them before getting onto the train.

I move past full compartment after full compartment before finally coming to the last empty compartment on the train. I slide open the door to see that it is already occupied.

A blond-haired head snaps up to look at me. Blood leaks from his nose and from a cut on the side of his head. The usually neat hair is torn and knotted.

"Malfoy?" I say in surprise.

"Potter," He winces as greeting.

"Jesus Christ Malfoy, what happened?!" I exclaim, rushing over to him.

"Some assholes weren't too happy about me coming back to Hogwarts." He responds, obviously surprised at my concern. His wrist is swollen and turning purple.

I roll my eyes and mutter "Bastards" as I pull out my wand and perform a quick healing spell. I'd gotten quite good at those when Ron, Hermione and I were looking for Horcruxes.

Draco twists his wrist carefully. The swelling has disappeared and the color has gone back to normal. The bleeding on his face has stopped and the blood is already drying.

"Thanks" he grunts.

I shrug, just now noticing how handsome he has become. I tug at my knotted black locks self consciously. Draco gazes at my face with startling gray eyes.

"You okay Potter?" He asks with genuine concern.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine" I stammer. Suddenly the door opens, revealing Ron and Hermione.

"Hey, Harr- oh," Ron notices the other person in the room. "What's he doing here?"

I sigh. "He was here first and there are no other free compartments. There's not much we can do." Draco seems to have sunk into himself in a desperate attempt to get away from Ron's wrath.

Ron sighs and sits with a huff beside me. Hermione rolls her eyes and sits across from him. They begin to bicker. They seem to fight more than when they weren't dating.

I sit across from Draco in uncomfortable silence. His startling gray eyes gaze at me. I look up at him. A mask of concern coats his features.

"So." I attempt to begin a conversation. "How was your summer?"

He shrugs. "I stayed away from home mostly. My father was in jail. I moved into a flat. My mother's staying with my aunt, Andromeda. She's helping her take care of little Teddy."

"Living on your own is nice, isn't it?" I say quietly.

"Certainly makes bringing guys home easier," Draco smirks. Ron and Hermione stop fighting long enough to look over at us.

"I didn't know you were gay, Malfoy," Hermione says.

He shrugs self consciously. "My father didn't approve. With him in jail and out of the way, I can finally act how I want to act. Speaking of that." He looks at each of us in the eye. "I am truly sorry for how I acted. When I was younger I just wanted to please my father and by the time I wanted to stop, it was too late. The damage was done and I was becoming a Death Eater."

Hermione gives him a tiny smile. Ron seems to suppress the urge to snort but accepts his apology anyway.

The trolley witch pokes her head into the compartment. "Do you four want anything?" She asks.

Ron gets up and buys a couple of chocolate frogs. "You want anything mate?" He asks, turning back to me.

I shake my head. "No thanks. I'm not very hungry."

Ron shrugs. "Your loss."

The compartment door slides closed and the witch moves on.

Hermione and Ron go back to their conversation. I sit back and stare out the window. The rest of the train ride passes quickly.

When the train stops, I get off, moving through the crowd like a sleepwalker. I get into an empty carriage and lean against the back of the seat. Ron and Hermione have disappeared. Good, I need some quiet. Suddenly someone slides into the carriage.

I look up to see Draco Malfoy's scowling face.

"What do you want," I ask.

"You aren't okay." He says, sitting across from me.

"I'm fine." I turn away as the carriage starts moving with a jolt. Students gawk at the thestrals. Almost all of them can see the usually invisible creatures.

"No, you aren't," Draco exclaims. "If you were, you'd be ignoring me and laughing with Granger and the Weasel. If you were okay, you'd be dating Weaslette still!"

"Ginny and I were never together," I say wearily. "She's like my sister. Besides, I've never really been into girls."

Draco looks shocked. "The Boy Who Lived is gay??"

I raise an eyebrow. "Why are you so surprised?"

"You're so insufferably straight though?!"

I snort. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Draco shakes his head bemusedly.

We sit in silence for a couple of minutes. Hogwarts slides into view. The castle was in ruins the last time I saw it. Now it stands the same as the first time I set eyes on it.

I close my eyes and take a deep shuddering breath. Memories of the battle flash through my head. Remus and Tonks dead bodies. Fred's face, still smiling from his last laugh.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to see Draco gazing at me with concern.

"Please, Harry. Let me help you." He says.

I want to say yes, need to say yes. I open my mouth but the words don't come. "I told you, I'm fine," I mutter. I've gone so long without asking for help, I'm not sure I even know how anymore. The carriages roll to a stop and I jump out before he can stop me.

I feel Draco's worried eyes following me as I enter the castle.