"You need to talk to him. Why don't you? DON'T SIT HERE AND TELL ME I HAVE TO LIVE ALONE BECAUSE HE WILL BE IN AZKABAN. STOP HIM!" Draco shouted. He didn't care if the others could hear him. He hated this topic, and he would never accept that Harry would fulfil his stupid plan.

Severus shook his head sadly in defeat. "I tried," he almost whispered.

"THEN TRY HARDER!" Draco screamed out loud before he ran out of the room. On his way he crashed into Harry, who stood open-mouthed in the doorframe. "I HATE YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME? I HATE YOU!" Draco screamed at Harry and ran crying to his own room.

Second later, Light Arrow stood close to Harry and observed the scene in front of him. Severus was still sitting on his bed, bowed over with his head in his hands. Harry still stood dumbfounded in the doorframe looking at Severus, shocked.

Rose, who had come upstairs with Light Arrow, was already on her way to Draco while Light Arrow stood helplessly in the doorframe, trying to decide who to take care of first. White Cloud emerged behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you accompany Harry to his room and let me speak with Severus?" She didn't wait for an answer and gently guided Harry and Light Arrow to Harry's room. Then she turned and went into Severus' room, closing the door behind her.

~*~

Draco threw himself onto his bed, and buried his face in his cushion and sobbed helplessly. His stomach hurt from his attempts to stop sobbing. He didn't hear the door open and close, only when he felt a hand on his shoulder did he realize that he was no longer alone. He didn't look up, for the moment the hand touched him, calming magic was flowing into his body. Even after only one day here, he recognized it as Rose's.

"He can't leave me alone. For the first time since everything happened, I was happy, and now it is all over again!" Draco screamed into the cushion.

"Nothing is over, Draco. It's your first day here. Just because Severus said something you didn't like doesn't make everything miserable. Why don't you tell me what you two were talking about?" Rose asked him calmly.

"He thinks Harry will go to Azkaban. He thinks he won't change his mind here and then I would be alone." Draco sniffed in his cushion.

"Draco, Severus is only human. He is exhausted and very worried about you two. Yes, he is worried that Harry won't change his mind about the whole thing, but he hasn't given up on him. I know it, Draco. Severus loves you two as if you were his own sons."

Draco turned onto his back and faced Rose. She immediately brushed her thumb over his face to wipe some of the tears away. "You should have seen him. He really thinks Harry will kill the Death Eaters and then go to Azkaban. He told me I have to learn to live alone because I couldn't go with Harry to Azkaban."

"He didn't mean it the way you interpreted it, Draco. All he wants is for you both to become more independent. It's not healthy to be so reliant upon another person. Right now this feels comfortable for you, and you don't understand why we are all worried about it or why we force you two to sleep separately. We just want you two to be able to live your own lives. You can still be very good friends, but each of you should be able to live without the other and able to get to know other people without the presence of the other.

"I don't know Harry very well, but he didn't seem so hateful and depressed when I met him today with the other kids, and you even looked happy when I saw you with your horse. I think both of you have a very good chance to succeed here. There is no reason to give up right now. It's your first day here, and Harry's too." She gently stroked his hair now that he had stopped crying. "We have had children here who had given up on their lives. They wanted to die. You two still have reasons to live. In Harry's case, it isn't a reason we agree with, but Draco, we haven't even had time to talk to him about it. You shouldn't be so down just because Severus mentioned one possible outcome."

Draco sat up and let Rose encircle him with her arm. He sadly looked at the hands in his lap. "But, it felt so bad when he said those things."

"I know, Draco. Even if he strangles me for saying it, Severus needs to help himself at the moment. He has lost himself by helping you two as much as you two have lost yourselves by concentrating on the other. Severus is not a person who likes to admit that he can't manage something on his own. It was good that he contacted us when he realized that he couldn't help you two on his own. He hates himself for not being able to help you; he thinks he has failed you."

"I didn't realize all of that. He looked so lost, and now I've made him feel even more guilty by saying all that stuff to him." Draco hid his face in his hands and started sobbing again. "What if he doesn't speak to me again? He was the only one, besides Harry, who was there for me." A heartbreaking sob escaped him. "Oh, Merlin, Harry. I... oh, no... I said I hate him. I screamed at him." In that moment, Draco did something he hadn't done for a long time, besides with Severus: he hugged Rose so tightly that it was almost painful. "He will never forgive me!" He whispered in Rose's chest.

"Of course he will," Rose said conciliatory as she rubbed calming circles on Draco's back. "He loves you, Draco."

Draco straightened himself and wiped the tears from his face. "I'm such a baby."

"No, you are not. I was so proud of you today, and Black Hawk kept talking about how proud he was of you and how good you were with Unega, and it's not easy to impress him."

"Yes, before I talked to Severus I was really happy. I can't remember when the last time I was that happy was."

"See," Rose said and ruffled Draco's hair.

Suddenly the cushion vibrated. No, not the cushion, but the messenger beside it. "Oh, it's Hermione. She must have written a reply to my last letter."

"Hermione?" Rose asked grinning at him.

"She is a friend. Just a friend. She gave Harry and me these messengers, so we can write while we are here."

"Then I will leave you alone to read it, but in fifteen minutes I will come and get you for the feast, okay?"

"Okay," Draco said and smiled shyly at her.

When Rose had left, Draco opened the messenger.

Dear Draco,

I'm so happy that you like it there.

"Yeah, it's fantastic. To bad that my life can be shattered in only a second." He said sarcastically to nobody.

Maybe it is good that you two learn to sleep separately, Draco. Later in life you will have to sleep alone as well. I'm sure you will get used to all the sounds, and I'm sure someone is always nearby and will help you when something is wrong.

Please, don't sneak into Harry's room. They must have reasons for it. You know about Harry's nightmares. Maybe this way he will finally have to talk to someone about them? The spells you mentioned will surely inform the adults about any problems, including nightmares. Let them help Harry. We both know that he needs it, and we can't give him this kind of help.

I know you will want to protest to that. Yes, you have been there for him all this time, but he never opened up to you, nor did he tell you what is bothering him in his dreams.

"He doesn't have to, his screams and pleas from the nightmares are loud enough for me to hear. And I was in the dungeons as well, Hermione."

It's good that he has a cat in his room. You said you two have horses, so how does Harry like his horse? And Draco you can tell me anything you want. Don't stop just because you think I don't want to hear it. I'm glad when you open up to me a bit. If you want to tell me more about what happened feel free to do so. You are important to me, and I would like to know what happened to you, so I might be able to help you.

"No, you don't want to know what happened in those damn dungeons, Hermione. If you did, you wouldn't be able to sleep as well."

I would really love to see your horse and where you live. Maybe I can visit you one day? I will speak to the headmaster about it. If that isn't possible, maybe I can send you a camera? Please ask if you are allowed to take pictures. I'm sure they won't like you taking lots of them, but maybe you could at least send me a photo of Unega and one of Harry and you.

"If Harry ever comes close to me again. I doubt he will," Draco said sadly to the room.

The adults sound really interesting. Please tell me more about them. This Black Hawk sounds very mysterious, and Rose sounds like she is very kind. I would love to know more about the wandless healing magic. It must be great!

"Didn't I say you would love it?"

White Cloud and Light Arrow call Severus their son? That's interesting. I would love to know more about it. Why do they call him their son?He must have been there before. They surely can't be his real parents, can they? Oh, please, tell me more! I haven't heard anything from Harry. Tell him he should write to me!

"I'm lucky if he just looks in my direction, so how can I think about speaking with him?"

Please try to open up to the other kids, Draco. They all have problems too, and I'm sure they will understand you. Maybe you will even find some friends.

"I don't need friends. I have you and..." Draco sighed sadly.

I know you have confusing and conflicting feelings. Please, try to be open and talk about them. Rose sounds very understanding. Why don't you speak with her about it?

"I fear she has already seen a good example of my mood swings."

Oh, and I definitely need a photo of you in that hat! I'm sure you look very good with it on. I know you don't want to hear it, but I will say it nevertheless: your scars belong to you, Draco. They are a part of you, so you don't have to hide them. From everything you told me about the people on the ranch, I am sure that they don't care about your scars. You are the only one who thinks of them as something to hide. When I look at you, I don't even notice them, Draco. Please learn to see them as a part of yourself, and not in a bad way.

I'm sorry that I don't have anything new about me to tell you. It's just that it's boring here. When I write my letter to Professor Dumbledore to ask him about the visit, I will ask him to send me a book about wandless healing magic. I'm sure he has one, and I want to read more about it.

Please enjoy your time over there, Draco.

Love,

Hermione

Draco sighed and closed the messenger. There wasn't enough time to write Hermione back before Rose would come and get him for the feast. He wished Hermione could be there with him. At least then he wouldn't have to feel so alone, and she could speak to Harry, and tell him that he was sorry for what he had shouted at him.

Draco threw himself onto his back on the bed. Why does my life always be so complicated?