Escaping Darkness [Book 1 of Through Darkness and Light]

Chapter 3: Hope Against Adversity

"So who do you think wants you dead?"

It was the day after Harry had been released from the infirmary, under close watch by Madame Pomfrey and a few other professors. Now, he was sitting with Hermione and Ron in the Gryffindor common room, a silencing charm protecting them from prying ears. He had been forced to give them an explanation as to why he had collapsed in the girls' bathroom, of all places. Not wanting their disapproval over his actions, he had told them that he must have been poisoned somehow, and they latched onto that concept without question. Good thing they hadn't questioned the reason as to why he had been in the girls' bathroom to start with.

Harry raised an eyebrow at Hermione. "Other than Voldemort," - cringe from Ron - "and his team of Death Eaters, I'm not really sure who that would be," he said sarcastically. Hermione huffed.

"No need to snap at me," she said in an affronted tone. "I'm just trying to be logical here..."

Ron looked at Harry. "She's right, mate. You alright? You've been a little...on edge, lately. Everything okay?"

"Yeah...everything's fine. I'm just tired..."

"You haven't been having dreams again, have you?" Hermione's sharp gaze settled on Harry, who rolled his eyes.

"No, I haven't," he said, trying to hold his temper in check. "Honestly, Hermione. I'm just tired. No dreams. I just need sleep."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, but didn't press the matter, instead once again focusing on Harry's 'poisoning'. "Okay, so it has to be someone in the school, otherwise the wards around Hogwarts would have gone off," she mused. "It's probably a Slytherin...maybe Parkinson, or Nott..."

Ron piped up. "Or Malfoy! He's always hated you...he'd probably jump at the chance to poison you."

Harry shook his head at that. "No, it wasn't Draco," he said. "I know that for su-" He looked at his friends, who were staring at him. "What?"

"Who's Draco?" Ron asked, an odd look on his face. Harry realized his mistake, and fumbled with his words.

"Erm...uh...I meant Malfoy," he said, flushing slightly. Ron's eyes bulged, as his mouth opened to speak. But Hermione beat him.

"Why'd you call him Draco?" she asked suspiciously. Harry sighed, not knowing how to let them know about his and Draco's truce. He'd avoided the subject, knowing that his friends might not like the idea of him and Draco working together.

"Well, Dra-Malfoy and I decided that we were both tired of always fighting. We'd rather put our energy into possibly forming a lasting friendship," he said warily, gauging their reactions. "We called it quits." Silence met his words. But silence is fragile, and something similar to a roar broke said silence.

"WHAT?"

Harry winced at Ron's shout of disbelief. "Ron, calm down," he began, glancing around to see if anyone noticed, but the redhead cut him off.

"This is Malfoy we're talking about, right? Draco bloody Malfoy, Ice Prince of Slytherin, Daddy's boy, ferret extraordinaire...He's made your life bloody miserable, mate, and here you are talking about a truce with him?"

Hermione's face showed she agreed with their hot-tempered friend. Harry scowled at the both of them. "So what?" he said angrily, barely hearing Ron's continued protests. "So he's made my life a living hell. But we are both willing to move past that. And if you ask me, we are more mature than you, for being able to forget past hatred, and just focus on the future. I'm sick and tired of fighting against him. I'd rather waste my energy fighting Volde-oh, grow up, Ron, it's just a name - Voldemort."