-II-

"So you admit that you also make no progress," Harry said challengingly.

"Yes, I do."

That nonplussed Harry into silence. He had expected that Severus would deny that he needed to make any progress, that he was an adult and only here because of them, even so he already had admitted the opposite once during their stay here. Then he said something so stupid that afterward he immediately knew how childish it had sounded. "But you are allowed to do what you want."

"Oh, really? That's why I sit in that bed and aren't in front of a cauldron. Very logical, Harry. I think you really need to get that head of yours under control. One day without your running training, and you already are a mess."

"And that is your fault."

"Oh, sorry that my miserable self-control had not only caused me to have a serious drawback, a damaged shoulder and almost completely destroyed my pride; no over all that I have robbed you of one of your running sessions. I'm very sorry," Severus said sarcastically. His mood slowly dropped dangerously low.

"If I would have said that, you would have called me drama queen, you know?" Harry dared to ask. The glare Severus sent in his direction, made him stand up from Severus' bed. "Okay, okay, I think I should go. Maybe the others will come back soon."

-II-

"Hey, Draco. Finally! We haven't had time to talk since yesterday. What happened? I heard Hermione is coming. How was your talk with Light Arrow and your trip with Red Horse? Come on talk to me!" Harry said impatiently when Draco came back from his ride with Red Horse.

Both boys Quickly exchanged what happened the last 24 hours.

"Wow, so you are going to clear things up with Hermione when she is here?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Yes, I hope so. I have a feeling Light Arrow drank a love potion or something. He is allowing both of us to have girlfriends or to try to get a girlfriend; that's just so out of character."

"Yes, you're right," Harry replied, amused. "So what do you think about Hermione's visit?"

"What should I think? I'm... well, I think I'm scared, but still I really want to see her. It's confusing. What about your letter to the Weasleys?" Draco asked insecurely. He knew that it was a very hard topic for Harry to speak about, and he was surprised Light Arrow had been able to convince Harry to write that letter.

Harry's face fell. Fear was clutching his stomach. "I don't know. I think I already regret it." He looked down, but was feeling a bit better when Draco laid his arm around him.

"Sometimes things happen we never would guess. I mean what would we have said if someone would have told us two years ago that we will become friends? And we are best friends now. Today I told Red Horse about something I never told anyone else. Only a few days ago I was sure I would never in my whole life tell someone about it."

Harry looked up. He wouldn't ask Draco what he had told Red Horse. Harry had learned his lesson about secrets. Still he would have loved to know.

"Maybe now you think there is no possibility for you to speak with the Weasleys or become close to them again, but in a few weeks it could already happen. Who knows."

"You have changed a lot, Draco. It's kind of scary. You seem so... so mature and I have the feeling I stand still."

"You are in classes, Harry. You are wrestling, running and you have a girlfriend. I would say you are developing much faster than I am."

Harry shook his head. Draco didn't know what he meant, and he couldn't explain it. Draco was becoming like one of them. Being calm and giving advices. He was a real part of the camp. Suddenly a thought stuck Harry. "You will come back with me to London, won't you?"

Draco looked shocked at Harry and stood up to look out of the window and not at Harry. "Why do you ask?"

Harry eyes narrowed. "You seem to have become a part of the camp. I... I'm right to worry about your returning then?"

Draco didn't say something. How could he. He was not willing to lie to Harry, but he also knew how much he would hurt the black-haired boy by telling him his true thoughts.

"You cannot stay here, Draco. Our life is in London. Hermione is there and Luna. Come on, we need to finish our school there."

"Harry, please..."

"No! This camp was to make us get back to our old life not to run away, Draco. You cannot leave me alone!" Harry stopped, realizing what he had said. "I'm sorry." Without waiting for Draco to react, he left the room. In the hall he looked around, wondering where to go. Severus? He wasn't allowed to leave his room. Rose was busy with Crying Horse. Everyone had noticed the drama between them. Now they were unpacking Crying Horse's things and talking. Harry couldn't disturb them.

Harry felt frustrated; he needed to speak with someone. Black Hawk was sleeping and White Cloud had said he should not disturb him. So who was left? Harry ran down the stairs. The other kids weren't back from school or from their little classroom in the house, so the living room was deserted. The kitchen was as well. "No!" Harry screamed and hit the table violently. Where were they when he needed them? He threw himself on a chair and put his head on his crossed arms on the table. He needed to hurt himself for screwing things up with Draco, but he knew it would be wrong and throw him back in his development here.

Tears of desperation escaped his eyes, and he couldn't stop himself any longer. He grabbed a handful of hair and pulled hard.

Harry didn't hear the footsteps behind him, and he wasn't able to let go when a hand tried to pry his finger out of his hair.

"Let go, Harry, and talk with me," Light Arrow said while he finally was able to get Harry's hands out of his hair.

"You were not here!" Harry said miserably, not lifting his head from the cold surface of the table.

"I was in the barn. You know I'm often there. Next time you need me, just look for me there before you start panicking." Light Arrow sat down in the chair beside Harry and laid his hand on Harry's neck. "I'm here now, Harry. What bothered you?"

"Draco!"

"And what exactly about Draco bothered you?"

"He won't come back with me!"

"Back where?" Light Arrow asked, confused, not being able to follow Harry's train of thought.

"Back home; back to Hogwarts."

Light Arrow sighed. "Harry, we are hardly half through your stay here. It's not the time to decide for Draco to stay or go back. Many things will happen before you two have your good-bye sweat lodge. Draco will change his opinion about it several times until then. At least I guess so."

"No, he is serious. He thinks you all are his new family. He likes Red Horse more than..." He stopped, realizing how childish this all sounded.

"Harry, we hope to be a new family for both of you, but that doesn't mean you need to stay. You can leave the camp and still come back from time to time. Nobody tried to challenge your position as Draco's best friend. Still Draco can gather new friends here, Harry. As you can! You two always will be welcome here. Of course you also could decide to stay in the camp or close by. We would love that too, but it is your and Draco's choice. A choice you will make much later, definitely not now. Give Draco time. You two will go through a lot before the end of your stay here. You need each other. Don't let things like that go between the two of you. Draco spoke openly with you; would you rather have him lie to you about it? That's what he is feeling at the moment, and I think it isn't easy for him, knowing that you want to go back and Severus as well."

"I know, but still... I don't want to go back without him."

"Again, it's not the time to decide about that now. Things will happen. Maybe he will change his mind or maybe you will. Nobody knows. We are still early in your healing."

Harry just remained silent, letting Light Arrow's hand in his neck calm him.

"How early?"

"Pardon?"

"How early are we in the healing? I think I already did a lot of healing. I never spoke about what happened so often and openly as I do here, and I work hard on that self-harming problem. And I'm good in classes. Professor Karley is praising me a lot. He said he would speak with you."

"Ah, yes, he talked to me."

Harry waited, but when no more information came, he asked, "And? Am I allowed to go to school?"

"Hmm, I'm willing to make a compromise."

Harry looked up.

"We will wait one more month, and I will watch you closely. You need to get that weight problem under control or at least show me that you are responsible enough to let you go to school without fearing you will forget to eat there. And there is something else I need to see how you will handle it before I can let you go the next step by attending school fully."

"What?" Harry was willing to do anything.

Light Arrow eyed him closely. Then he pulled something out of the back pocket of his jeans. Harry's heart sank when he saw what the old man was holding in his hands. It was a letter. A letter from the Weasleys.

/

"Draco, calm down, I can't understand you!" Severus instructed the hysterical boy in his arms. A few minutes ago Draco had stormed in his room and had thrown himself at him, crying hard and murmuring something between sobs that Severus couldn't understand.

"H... he ran away!"

"Who ran away? Harry?" Severus asked in alarm.

"Yes! I told him that I won't come back with him to Hogwarts."

Severus groaned. "Draco, I told you that it isn't time to decide about this now."

"But he asked me, and I couldn't lie."

"Okay, you will stay, and I will look for him!"

Severus first stormed in Harry's room, but wasn't surprised to find it empty. Checking on Black Hawk resulted in getting company in his search.

When both men stormed down the stairs, they were stopped in track by a furious looking White Cloud with her arms crossed over her chest. "I thought we agreed that you two would be resting in your rooms."

"Harry ran away again. We need to look for him," Severus said, but didn't dare to pass White Cloud.

"He has not run away, Severus. He is talking with your father, and you won't disturb him. Now that that is cleared, you will go back into your bed and Black Hawk, you can gather the kids from school with Crying Horse. Go and get him."

"But he is with Rose!"

The glare White Cloud send in his direction made clear that it wasn't an excuse for her.

"Really, Mom, maybe you are too old to know, but - oww!"

Severus had to suppress a grin and was relieved that it wasn't him who was pulled up the stairs by his ear. He went up to his room to let Draco know that Harry was okay. Still he couldn't miss what would happen at the other end of the hall, so he paused in front of his door.

"As your brother was not man enough to disturb you, Rose, I needed to come up here and ask Crying Horse if he will get the kids from school."

"Sure I will, White Cloud. Which pick-up?"

"It doesn't matter. Just take Black Hawk with you. A bit of fresh air will do him well."

"Do you need me too, Mom?" Rose asked.

"No, but maybe Severus needs your help. I think Draco is with him and the boy is a bit worried about Harry."

"I'm on my way."

Damn, that was exactly what he needed now. He had been so happy that Rose was busy all the day and couldn't give him a talk about yesterday. Now White Cloud had to set her on him. He saw Black Hawk's grin out of the corner of his eyes when he entered his room.

Draco sprang up immediately. "Did you find him?"

"Yes, he is all right. He is downstairs with Light Arrow. You can calm down." The door behind him opened, and Severus swallowed nervously.

"What's going on, boys?" Rose asked.

"Rose!" Draco cried out, excited, and hugged her. "Are you all right?"

"Of course I am, but I was worried about you," Rose said, smiling, while she enjoyed Draco's spontaneous hug.

"I'm fine," Draco said while he still hid his face in Rose's shirt.

"Really? I don't know but your tear-strained face made me believe otherwise."

Draco stepped back and wiped his arm over his face. "I'm fine. I just have a problem with Harry."

"What kind of problem, Draco?" Rose guided Draco over to the foot of Severus' bed and sat down with him beside her. While she laid her arm around Draco's shoulder, she gestured Severus to lay down on the bed. Her expression made sure he knew she wasn't feeling as friendly towards him as she was to Draco.

Not willing to get in trouble with her, Severus obeyed.

After Draco had told Rose about his talk with Harry, he already felt better and had the feeling the problem wasn't as big as it had been before. When Harry came into the room a moment later, Draco looked up hopefully.

"Can we talk alone, Draco?" Harry asked, shyly.

Rose gave Draco an encouraging push, and he left the room with Harry.

Now Rose was alone with Severus and the man got her full attention.

When Severus saw her glare directed at him, he was scared silly.