On Friday and Saturday night Harry went to the club.

On Sunday he went to the burrow. The house was abuzz with people, hugs, and food. After dinner, he joined Ron and Hermione to discuss her parents and the offer Ron and Harry had received from the auror department to start training.

"I told them I want to finish school," Harry said, fidgeting with the hem of his Eve 6 t-shirt. He felt guilty for not wanting to be an auror, for not joining with Ron and spending his life fighting the bad guys. But he couldn't spend his entire life fighting and still find any joy. He had woken up screaming enough to know he didn't need more experience to fuel his nightmares. Voldemort was gone, Harry could finally live for himself.

Hermione's eyes glowed with pride, "Oh Harry, that's wonderful!" she turned to Ron, "We can all be there together."

Harry looked at Ron in surprise, "You're not going to the aurors?"

"I will o' course," Ron said, "but I can't leave you two at Hogwarts without me," he put a hand on Hermione's leg as he said it.

Harry grinned, "That's great Ron, did you already tell them?"

"No. I'm going to mention it when I'm there for the trials. Robards said I could meet with him beforehand."

Harry didn't say anything to that, just nodded and looked at the floor. Robards had offered to meet with Harry too but he'd declined.

"Harry," Hermione said his name cautiously.

"Yeah?" he said, examining the hardwood floor.

"Are you ready to testify?"

He looked up now, "I am I think."

"Do you think you'll be ok? Reliving that?"

Harry shrugged, "I only have to be there for 2 days. And it's important."

"I can't believe you're testifying for Malfoy's mum," Ron said with a grimace.

"She saved my life," Harry replied defensively.

"No, I know that," Ron rushed to reassure him, "I know. It's just," he trailed off.

"Surreal?" Hermione offered.

"Yes," Ron said, "It's bloody bizarre mate."

Harry shrugged again, "Well it's going to be a lot weirder testifying for Malfoy. And you're doing that one with me."

"Ugh," Ron tossed himself sideways to lay on the floor with his head in Hermione's lap, "don't remind me."

Hermione smiled down at him then looked back to Harry, "It's the right thing to do."

The three of them had spent hours talking about the trials, not wanting to miss anything. Harry had been angry at the time and ranted about the trials after Voldemort's first defeat. Hermione had written down names, dates, and events and they had all signed it and sent it to the ministry. They wanted to make sure everyone was safe, and every last death eater was behind bars. It was Hermione who'd first brought up Malfoy. Harry had gone quiet at the mention of his name and listened to Ron and Hermione discuss him, his upbringing, his mistakes, saving them, Dumbledore, and his wand.

Finally, Hermione had looked at Harry and he saw softness in her eyes, "What do you think?" she had asked.

"I don't know, I guess," he paused, "I guess I never thought about him going on trial. I know he did a lot of shit but, I would have done anything to protect my family from Voldemort. He was basically a hostage at the end."

Hermione had laid a comforting hand over his, "I think you're right Harry. If you want to speak for him I'll speak with you."

Harry's given a soft smile, "Thank you," and they both turned to Ron.

Ron narrowed his eyes, looking between them, "Yeah all right, add him to the list. I'll tell them the ferret lied to save us from the snake."

 

****

 

On June 24th, a week before the trials, Harry and Pansy started on building the separate dorm rooms. They spent the morning drawing up plans and arguing over the importance of closet space but agreeing on giving each room its own bathroom. Luna had informed them it would be two to a room and which dimensions had been approved by the board.

Harry always left at 5 so he could miss any other students at the floo, but he and Pansy lost track of time. At 5:30 they got a visitor.

"Hello Miss Parkinson, Mr. Potter."

They both looked up to find Professor Loire in the entryway to the nearly built common room. Harry was surprised to see her hair down, tumbling in red curls past her shoulders. "Hello Professor," he said.

"I'm glad to see you stay late once in a while to make up for your tardiness."

Harry gave her a cheeky grin, "Only when Pansy here asks me to." He could feel Pansy turn a glare on him.

Loire turned to the other girl, "Your friends are waiting for you in the great hall. You should both go home really." She turned back to Harry, "And you should consider coming in early to avoid your fan club, rather than late. No one ever shows up before 9am."

Harry shrugged, "All right. I can do that."

The Professor smirked, "See you tomorrow then. I'm going to fortify your work for tonight. You can't be here for that so go home or to wherever you two go when you're not here."

The two of them stood, dusted off and headed for the hall. Harry turned back before leaving, "Professor?"

Loire had been looking at the plans that were sprawled out on the floor. She looked up at Harry and lifted an inquiring eyebrow.

Harry nodded to the window ledge, "Feel free to use the wireless," he said.

This time she gave him a real, albeit small, smile.

In the hallway, Pansy smacked him on the arm, "What the fuck Potter?"

Harry rubbed his left bicep and scowled at her, "What?!"

"You do not call me by my given name," she said. "And you certainly don't indicate that I am coercing you into staying late with me!"

"Sorry," Harry said, shuffling his feet a bit, "I guess I didn't really think of how that sounded. Not every sentence of mine is run through some Slytherin filter."

Pansy huffed a humorless laugh, "Yeah right, Savior. I've been working with you every day this month. I've noticed that you're not all Gryffindor. You certainly have the sarcasm of a Slytherin. I suspect the issue is being raised in the wrong house, which is where you were taught to speak before you think."

Harry paused for a moment then cooly met her eye and said, "That's true actually. The hat wanted to put me in Slytherin."

Pansy's eyes grew wide and she seemed to search his face looking for something, "Salazar’s balls, you’re not lying, are you?" she asked in a whisper.

Harry shrugged, "Yeah, I-" he was cut off when someone spoke from around the corner in the hall.

"Pansy?" Draco Malfoy's voice struck Harry so thoroughly that any hope for their conversation to continue died on the spot. He stood, feeling frozen the ground.

Pansy's brow knit down in confusion as she watched Harry closely. "Be there in a minute," she called back. She turned back to Harry, still studying him. "What's with you?"

"Nothing," he said, too quickly, looking at the floor "I just…. I haven't seen him since…" he stalled out.

Pansy tilted her head like a curious cat, "You aren't going to be a dick are you?" she asked with slow, careful words.

Harry's eyes snapped up, "No! No, I just…. Well maybe. I mean he tends to… Ya know."

"Yes actually, I do know," Pansy said with a grimace, "Wait here for a few minutes, I'll get him and Blaise out of the hallway. Seeing you would ruin him for the night. Be early tomorrow Scarhead." Then she left without waiting for him to reply.

At home, Harry inhaled a sandwich and changed his clothes. He was late to meet his friends at the pub. On his way to the door, he was stopped by a fire call from Ginny and Hermione.

"Harry, are you still coming for drinks?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, sorry. Last track of time. I was just about to leave."

"Are you wearing that clubbing jacket again?" Hermione said accusatory, pushing Ginny's face out of the way.

Harry sighed, "It's cold, and I like this jacket." He pulled Sirius' jacket tighter around his shoulders.

"You're not planning to go clubbing after meeting with us, are you? You know how I feel about these one-offs your having. Sex is not therapy, Harry."

"Yes mum, thank you." Have you tried it though? He thought.

Ginny's face pushed back into the fire, "I can get her off your back if you let me watch you make out with a boy of my choosing," she said, giving him a wicked grin.

Harry laughed, "You're both awful. I'm leaving now. See you soon."

He did go out that night after seeing his friends. Two days later the Prophet arrived with Harry's picture and the headline that would later be shown to him in McGonagall's office, Savior isn't Saving Himself.