Recovered Ivory [1]

Thirteen

"I can't believe exams are over," Harry sighed as we all laid out on the grass next to the black lake. I nodded enthusiastically as I glanced over at Hermione who has just finished that last of her dozens of finals. I still hadn't understood how she had managed, but I was impressed she had. "Now, we wait."

"Yeah," I sighed, closing my eyes as I felt the sun on my face. I heard Ron grunt next to me, but I ignored him as I snuggled closer to Fred, who was next to me. However, he subtly moved closer to George and Lee, leaving me to look at Hermione and Neville who shrugged. It wouldn't have been the first time he had pulled back in the last few months, but it stung each time. "Now we can just relax a little bit."

"Not too much though," Hermione sighed, looking towards Hagrid's hut where we could see Buckbeak chained up outside. "The final hearing is tonight."

"There's nothing you can do," Fred sighed, looking everywhere but at me. "I am sorry for Hagrid, but it's been decided, even if not officially yet." 

"Fred, come on!" George and Lee called, motioning to him to join them as they were getting up.  

"I've got to go," Fred said, looking down at me with a sad smile on his face. 

I gave him a confused look, but he didn't say anything. If I hadn't been so focused on Fred, I might have noticed Neville's awkward and sad look. All Fred did was turn and walk away, a sinking feeling entering my stomach. There was something wrong, but he wouldn't talk to me about it, in fact he barely talked to me at all. Maybe it was just best to assume we weren't in a relationship anymore. 

"I should head in as well," I sighed, getting to my feet. I wouldn't tell them where I was really going, but I think Hermione probably knew. She had walked in on the conversation Draco and I had been having. "I'll see you guys at dinner?"

"Yeah," Harry said, offering me a smile before looking back at the grass. He was hiding something from me. "See you later." Hermione offered me a smile before going back to her book. 

I turned and began to make my way towards the castle, where I would change my path to go to Hagrid's hut. I didn't know how much good I could do, but I was willing to offer to help. I knew the decision had been made, but Buckbeak wasn't a bad creature. If Draco had just kept his mouth shut. 

I sighed deeply as I glanced back over my shoulder at the others who were still lounging in the grass. Neville had left, but the others were talking intently to each other, obviously waiting until I was well out of ear shot before they began. That hurt. I expected that kind of thing from Ron, but from Harry? I was supposed to be one of his best friends, but maybe this year had taken more of a toll on our friendship then I thought. I knew he wasn't happy about my relationship with Draco, but he had always taken it as it was. 

This year had taken a toll on all of my relationships, those with family and friends. Things would never be the same between me and Fred, that I knew. I was going to have to sit down with him and talk, but I wasn't looking forward to it. Severus was being difficult with everything that had occurred. The worst he'd had to deal with was near death, but that trauma had always passed, at least I'd let him believe that. It was easy to hide those nightmares from him, though Lucius and Narcissa had to deal with that a lot. This time, the nightmares, everyone could see it and there was nothing he could do about it. He had been unusually distant from me, pushing our weekly dinners off until they had all but stopped. Probably for the best. Maybe Harry saw it as best, too.

Maybe I had been reading it all wrong. With the depression I had slipped into after Christmas, I hadn't been very responsive to much of anything. I had been so wrapped in my own mind, maybe I had missed something. Had I been too absorbed in my own pity that I missed Harry needing me? Or had he just outgrown me as a friend? He had a lot more in common with Ron and Hermione I suppose, but I had thought we would always be friends. Maybe it was all in my head.