The Secret's In The Telling by Sakuri

chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Price

xxx

"Are you sure you don't want to get Madam Pomfrey to heal that, Harry?" Hermione's concerned voice rang out across the breakfast table.

Harry rolled his eyes. "It's barely a cut, Herm. Malfoy couldn't do proper damage if he tried."

Beside him, Ron snorted. "Yeah, and you know Pomfrey. She won't heal anything but broken bones if you get it in a fight."

The girl shook her head, gathering her bag and latest copy of the Prophet as she stood. "It was still irresponsible. Honestly, duelling that prat in the middle of the corridors… And the amount of House points you lost!" Completely contrasting with her disapproving words, a smile lingered on her lips, and as she passed, she bent and dropped a light kiss into the messy black hair. "Thank you."

Harry grinned. "You're welcome. Where you going anyway?"

She paused to look back at the boys. "I'm off to organise the DA meeting for tonight. I left the Galleon in my room this morning."

Ron, who had been scowling at Hermione's display of affection toward his best friend, suddenly brightened. "Oh, is that tonight? What are we doing this time?"

Harry bit into his toast thoughtfully as Hermione exited the Hall. "I was thinking of covering duelling again. We haven't done that since last year, and we didn't really practice properly back then…"

Ron smirked. "Merlin, you actually sound like a proper teacher."

Harry cast him such an alarmed look that the redhead burst out laughing, earning him a glare and the promise that he was to be paired up with Luna when they duelled.

xxx

Albus Dumbledore watched his students from his place at the head of the staff table, thinking. Before his eyes, Harry laughed alongside his friends, talking animatedly about whatever it was teenage boys talked about – Quiddich, girls, secret meetings in the Room of Requirement…

The Headmaster smiled to himself at that thought, amused that the boy believed himself to be subtle. Not that it mattered, of course. Most of the teachers, at some point now, had overheard mentions of the new DA, and had purposely turned a deaf ear. Harry seemed truly happy for the first time in months, and if this was the cause of such a change, who were they to put a stop to it?

Albus cast a fond glance down the table at his Professors. Nearby, Minerva and Helen Hooch, the two biggest Quiddich fans at the table, were bickering over who would win the national championships this year. Sibyll was trying to convince poor Filius that she had foreseen his death – and it was a gruesome one indeed – while the charms teacher attempted in vain to change the subject. Further along, Remus Lupin picked half-heartedly at his cornflakes. Severus was conspicuously missing, absent on another stay with his Lord.

At that moment, another group of students made their way into the Hall. Albus looked toward them, and his eyes sparked with interest.

Yes, Draco Malfoy had certainly gained his interest of late. To the eye, the blond was no different than he'd ever been – still as obnoxious as ever, still proud, conceited, disdainful. Still the perfect candidate for Slytherin prince. If Albus hadn't received two separate reports from Remus and Minerva that the boy had been a wreck only last night, he would have assumed that Mr Malfoy was coping perfectly well on his own.

But that wasn't true, no matter how he tried to hide his distress in public.

The Headmaster watched as the Slytherin led a group of his Housemates towards their table, trading customary glares and snide comments with Harry as they passed.