In the morning, Harry awoke feeling anxious. He, Ron and Hermione would have two classes with Draco today. While glad that his best friends were back with him, he was unwilling to let his new friendship with Draco become stagnant because of them. He had a feeling that Hermione and Ginny would not have a problem with his choice in friends, but knew Ron would feel otherwise.
Ron stretched and yawned as he climbed out of bed. His hair was tussled and he was smiling. “New day mate, know what that means?” Harry shook his head as he tied his sneakers. “That means I have no chores to do because my mum isn’t here breaking down my bedroom door telling me what to do.”
Harry laughed in spite of the anxious feeling growing in his stomach. “Chores aren’t so bad so long as you have a place to live.”
Ron snorted. “That’s what you think.”
They met Hermione in the common room and made their way to the Great Hall. Again Harry took notice of Slytherin table and how empty it was. Draco looked tired, again sitting at the end of the table nearest to the staff. Harry wondered if the others in his house had given him much trouble after the feast.
“Charms and Herbology won’t be so bad,” Ron was saying when Harry tuned back in to the conversation. “Can’t say I’m disappointed about not having Potions this year.” Hermione was reading through chapter four of the NEWT Potions text as he said this and she ignored him.
“We have Defense today too,” Harry said, glancing at Ron’s schedule and noticing that as seventh years they had a lot more free time during the day than first through fifth years usually had.
“After Christmas we start the NEWT preparation class,” Hermione said, finally looking up from her book and holding her place with a finger.
“Oh, wonderful,” Ron said. “Well I’m not going to worry about NEWT’s until then. I remember Percy studying for them. Even Fred and George were walking around with their noses stuck in a book most of their seventh year.”
“Ron, these are very hard tests. I can’t imagine not studying for them all year. They should make that class available right now.”
“Ah, come on Hermione, this is our last year. It should be fun, not stressful…” Harry tuned out of the conversation again, losing interest in it. He could see Draco pushing his breakfast around his plate and making eye contact with no one around him. He hated to see people feeling as alone as he had so often felt in his life. He wished he were sitting at Slytherin table right then, if not to keep Draco company, than for no other reason than to annoy Draco’s remaining housemates.
After breakfast they made their way with most of the rest of the seventh years to NEWT Herbology out on the grounds. Professor Sprout didn’t give them much of a chance to group up because she lead them away from the green houses and around the side of the castle where there were massive green and purple vines growing up the side of it. Draco trailed awkwardly behind Harry, Ron not noticing he was there. Harry again felt sorry, and suddenly felt gutless for not having the nerve to invite Draco to walk with them when Ron was there.
“These vines are part of the new security measures,” Sprout was explaining to the class. “Our job for the next few weeks will be to make them grow over more of the castle.” She went on to explain that each vine was magically protected and enhanced, and even if the wall gave way to a blast behind it, the vines would serve as a barrier so that no one would be able to get through, just like the bars in a jail cell.”
“These aren’t in our book,” Hermione said to herself, pulling out her book as Sprout explained to the class how to make them grow that way.
Draco took half a step forward and said quietly, “They’re fortis vines. Durmstrang has them all over the place.”
Hermione gave Draco a look that said she was impressed with his knowledge of this, but Ron finally noticing Draco’s proximity to them gave him a heavy glare. Harry’s stomach clenched tighter. How was he supposed to tell his best friend that he was friends with his enemy? He tried to put himself in Ron’s shoes, and supposed that if three years ago, Ron suddenly became friends with Draco, he might have a problem with it too.
The vines were hard to grow, especially for Draco because some amount of Transfiguration was involved. Harry stood next to Draco and helped as much as he could until Draco was able to manage, but Ron noticed. After class on their way to NEWT Defense Against the Dark Arts, Ron nudged Harry in the ribs.
“What was that all about?” Ron asked seriously.
Harry frowned. “What was what about?”
“You helping that git with his work so he wouldn’t get in trouble.”
Harry thought on this, still unsure of how to tackle the situation. “It was just a vine Ron. Hermione was helping other students. Would you be mad at her if she helped him?”
It looked as if Ron was going to say something, but he remained silent.
In Defense they learned the beginnings to a long complicated protection spell that you could place on a building or a room to neutralize curses and hexes for up to a year. By the end of class nobody had mastered the spell, and Harry thought to remember to tell Draco about it so that he could master it more quickly and place it around his bed to keep Crabbe and Goyle away from him.
In Charms Hermione made Harry and Ron sit right up front. While there was a seat open next to Harry when Draco walked in, he chose to sit next to a group of Ravenclaws, who seemed thoroughly displeased by Draco’s choice. Halfway through the class Draco found himself canceling a hex that had been sent at him by Pansy, sitting in the row behind him that had made his seat grow unbearably hot.
Done for the day after Charms, Draco looked for Harry to tell him about being cursed or hexed in nearly every class, but found Harry being led away by Ron and Hermione.
Harry looked over his shoulder and saw Draco standing there alone. This is ridiculous, Harry thought to himself. Ron will have to get over it sooner or later. He decided to make his move at lunch.
Harry made Hermione and Ron sit on the end of Gryffindor table that was nearest the front of the Great Hall so that he could catch Draco on his way in. A few minutes into his turkey sandwich, Harry spotted him sulking in through the door, and waved him over. Draco was not the only one to spot this, and Ron set his chicken leg down in disbelief. Looking unsure for a moment, Draco finally came over and stood there silently, waiting to see what Harry wanted.
“You want to sit here today?” Harry asked.
Draco frowned, seriously wondering if Harry had lost his mind. “I figured I’d give you a heads up on what you’re going to get in Defense tomorrow. Nobody in our class got it by the end of the day.”
This was one of those times where Draco was struggling within himself. He didn’t want to sit at his own house table and be silently hexed all through lunch, but he wasn’t sure he could handle all the stares he would get from the Gryffindors if he took the offered seat next to Harry.
“What kind of spell is it?” he finally asked.
“A spell to neutralize hexes and curses in a room or building for about a year.”
This peaked Draco’s interest and after another moment’s hesitation, he moved to take the seat much to the surprise and dismay of the Gryffindors seated around them.
This was too much for Ron, who said loudly, “You can’t be serious Harry.” Draco paused and stood straight again.
Harry looked over at him silently and Ron raised a hand helplessly confused, and said, “Come on, tell him the joke so he can go sit at his own table.”
“There’s no joke Ron.”
Ron looked like he was going to choke on something, even though he had nothing in his mouth. His face started to turn red, and Hermione, hand over her eyes tugged helplessly on Ron’s sleeve from the other side of him. Harry didn’t know that Ron had been going on endlessly all summer about Draco and his family, along with the other Slytherins. The more he had talked about it the more of a deep, passionate dislike he had gained for them.
Ron stood up, “Tell him Harry,” Ron sputtered. “Tell him the joke.”
Harry shook his head. “I just want to tell him about Defense,” he said. Ron looked away around to the rest of the people at their table, as if looking for help.
“You actually want to sit next to this piece of filth?” he asked incredulously of his best friend, a note of betrayal playing on his voice.
Harry stood now and faced Ron. “Ron, I just want to tell him about Defense.” His voice was forced because he wanted to tell Ron not to call Draco filth.
Students at the tables around them seemed to notice what was going on now, and had taken an interest. Draco stood there dumbly, not knowing what to do, but knowing that Harry was about to lose a friend for him. As much as he hated Weasley, he did not want to be the cause of this kind of trouble for Harry… not anymore.
“Harry-” there was something in Ron’s voice that told Harry monumental amounts of information. If Harry didn’t bend to Ron’s will, they were in for a fight. If Harry didn’t bend to Ron’s will, they would no longer be friends. If Harry didn’t bend to Ron’s will, they were no longer brothers.
Harry repeated his last statement lamely, his heart sinking as he did it. “I just want to tell him about Defense.” The more Ron resisted, the more Harry felt the need to make clear his friendship with Draco. Maybe it was the Headmaster’s speech the night before that made him stand up for what he thought was right, maybe it was the connection he suddenly felt getting stronger between him and Draco as Ron got angrier. Somehow his relationship with Draco as a friend also meant his relationship with Severus as his son. If one ended, the other had to as well.
“You’re disgusting,” Ron said in a low voice so that others far away wouldn’t hear. “It’s wrong, you thinking of Snape like you do, and this just makes it worse. Why don’t you just join You-Know-Who and get it over with.” Harry stared at him blankly, willing his emotions not to overtake him. Willing himself not to tackle Ron. Willing himself not to shout and make things worse.
“Ron,” Hermione said weakly, still tugging on his sleeve. Ron ignored her.
“I thought we were brothers,” Ron said with finality, to show the permanent end to their relationship.
Harry never broke eye contact with him. “So did I.” Hermione had silent tears rolling down her cheeks now. She didn’t think she could go through this separation of Harry and Ron yet again. Each time they did this she was forced to choose sides.
Ron, perhaps a little shocked at Harry’s final response, acknowledging the end of the six-year friendship, strode away from the table, and out of the Great Hall.
Harry finally looked down at the bench in front of him, not entirely sure of what had just happened. He took his seat again and without looking at her, said gently, “Don’t cry Hermione.”
She shook her head. “I have to choose sides again. I hate it when the two of you do this.”
“You can be friends with both of us,” Harry said. Draco was still standing at the end of the table quietly, thoughts racing.
Hermione looked over at Harry and stood up. “Not as far as Ron’s concerned. The last five minutes should tell you that.” She left quietly, tears still flowing, and Harry was alone in the crowded room.
After a moment Harry looked over and realized that Draco was still there. “Have a seat,” he offered. The entire hall was still watching and Draco was acutely aware of the unwanted attention. He didn’t sit and Harry looked back down at the table. Had he just lost his two best friends for nothing?”
Doing as Harry sometimes did to him, Draco grabbed Harry’s sleeve and tugged on it to get him moving. Harry grabbed his book bag and stood up, following Draco from the Great Hall. As soon as they did so they could hear the hall explode in conversation.
In the room of requirement, which had turned into a large oddly shaped room with many puffy chairs, couches and bean bag chairs, Harry plopped down on a purple couch and put his head in one hand.
“That was stupid,” Draco said quietly, taking a seat on a fluffy chair opposite of him.
Harry didn’t look up. “Don’t say that,” he told him quietly. “Don’t you know why I did it?”
“Yeah,” Draco said, “and I’m not saying I’m not grateful but…” he paused here, surprised that he had expressed gratitude. He had never done that before, but in the moment he forgot to hide what he really felt.
“But what?”
“I’m not worth it,” Draco finished. “You just lost two friends for the price of one. What kind of sick deal is that?”
Harry looked up now. “I wasn’t going to tell you to leave. Telling you that would be admitting that it’s wrong for us to be friends, and it’s not. Telling you to get away from me would be saying it’s wrong to think of Severus as… you know.”
Draco swallowed, was this what it meant to be a brother? To sacrifice?
Long silent moments passed, and finally Draco said, “Well, you’re stuck with me now. I guess that makes us brothers after all.”
“Or pathetic,” Harry echoed Draco from the day they had fought.
“That too.”
Unwilling to go down to dinner because he felt sick with the day’s events, Harry sat in the room of requirement and waited while Draco went down to the kitchens to ask for food. After twenty minutes he returned empty handed.
“No luck?” Harry asked.
“Just wait,” Draco said, taking a seat on a soft suede couch. Harry wondered what he was on about, but a few moments later and Dobby and two house elves sparkled into existence in front of them, laden with trays of good smelling food. They placed the trays on a coffee table between Harry and Draco’s couches and Dobby grinned as Harry and Draco did at the amount of food.
“Dobby brings the best for Harry Potter and his friends!” he said proudly in his high voice.
Harry nodded and thanked the elves before they departed.
Mouth half full of freshly roast lemon chicken, Draco said, “You know, this fame thing has some benefits you don’t use enough. All I had to do was tell them I was bringing food for you and Dobby started running around like a mad chicken throwing things on trays.”
Harry laughed despite the uneasy feeling in his stomach that had been there since his altercation with Ron.
“You don’t want this kind of fame,” Harry told him after he swallowed a large bite of garlic mashed potatoes.
“Why the hell not with this kind of treatment?”
Harry took a drink of pumpkin juice straight from one of the pitchers the house elves had brought. When he set it down, he said soberly, “It comes with too high a price.”
Remembering about Harry’s parents, Draco let the topic drop, and said nothing more of it.
A Brother Lost