Another time

It was almost over. 

I could feel myself losing. 

The wand was beginning to crack. 

It was never mine.

Flashing lights.

Pain. 

Death. 

All of this for nothing? 

My entire life spent looking for a cure to death, just to die in such a muggle way?

Perhaps. 

Perhaps I can cling to life. 

Your fight is strong. 

Mine will be stronger.

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The sun had barely risen when the saviour of the Wizarding World woke up. It was a common occurrence nowadays. He was lucky to get a couple of restless hours of sleep per night to keep him functioning. 

He dragged himself out of bed, deciding to look through his suitcase once more before leaving.

A t-shirt.

Trousers.

A jumper. 

Robes. 

A book.

Perfect. That's all he needed for the trip back to Hogwarts. 

He wouldn't go to Hogsmeade, so no casual but cool outfit was needed. He'd be going back to Grimmauld Place for the holidays, so no casual outfits were needed. He would be attending the classes, then going to his dorm to study and sleep. He could get food whenever he wanted from the kitchens, so the Great Hall was easily avoidable. 

Everything was planned out.

Hermione would be proud of him for once.

He shook his head at the thought of one of his best friends. 
Both her and Ron would be going back to the school too. Hopefully they could go back to normal. Whatever that felt like for them. 

A while later, he stood outside the house with just his suitcase in hand.

He hadn't bought another owl. 

He had tried. 

"Look mum! It's him! Is that where he lives? We've got to-"

"Obliviate." 

He disapparated to the station. 

"Excuse me! Excuse me! What does the hero have to say about returning to Hogwarts after all the deaths that happened there?"

"Saviour! How do you feel knowing you couldn't save everyone?"

"Why have you been hiding from the public eye?"

"Are you experiencing survivors guilt?"

He sighed and pushed through the swarm of reporters. The train wouldn't be this bad.

"I want to thank you. You saved me from the dementors during the battle." A young, blonde girl smiled at him.

"You're amazing. I've never seen anyone kill someone before! It was so cool." A group of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. 

"My dad was killed by him. I'm happy you stopped the war but couldn't you have done it sooner?" A sixth year boy, with insanely shiny shoes. 

"Potter. Thank you for-"

"Shut up." 

"What?" 

"Just- I can't- Please." He shoved past the boy. 

Finally he found an empty carriage. He collapsed into the seat and shut his eyes tightly.

He hadn't cried since Sirius died and yet here he was, close to tears just at hearing his own name. 

The voice sounded familiar but he couldn't place it. Either way, he longed to hear it again, saying his name. 

The peace he found was very short lived. 

"People are saying you're being antisocial again." 

"What does it matter?" 

Hermione sighed and sat opposite him. 

"Your reputation is going to be ruined if you keep acting like this."

"Mione, I've never cared about that. Surely you know that."

"I do. I just wish-" She sniffed, "I just wish you would take care of yourself more. Being this way is going to isolate you!"

"Oh this conversation sounds familiar." He knew he struck a nerve when she slammed the door on her way out. He didn't want to be like this. He just was. 

The journey carried on relatively uninterrupted. A few giggles and screams from people when they walked past but otherwise nothing. 

The scenery was but a blur as he looked out the window. It hadn't seemed to have changed much from the first time he saw it seven years ago. If only he could have stayed the same too.

A small knock came from the carriage door. He tried to ignore it. If the person was polite enough to knock, then surely they'll be polite enough to leave. 

It turns out that wasn't the case, as the knocks got progressively louder. 

He slowly turned around, ready to tell the person where to go when he noticed the mop of red hair and the anxious look on the boy's face.

"Ron?" As soon as he opened the door he was wrapped in his best friend's arms.

"Harry. I'm so happy to see you." He tightened his hold. "When Mione said you didn't respond to our letters, to my letters, I thought you had done something stupid." 

"Letters? Ron what letters?" Harry hugged him back. 

"I sent you like fifty in the past three months!" Ron pulled away, keeping his hands on the other's shoulders.

"I haven't had any from you, or her, since we left." He frowned, remembering the times he had waited by the window, thinking every bird was their owl. Hoping it was. 

"Oh. Right. Something gone wrong in posting then." 

"I sent you some too. Nowhere near as many though." 

Ron's face turned slightly red. 

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That's all." He chuckled softly. "Anyway, I'm gonna find Hermione and tell her that. She's been worse than I have." 

Harry nodded and went to sit back down. 

"You're not coming? Thought you'd want to see her?"

"I'll see her later Ron, when we can all talk properly." That seemed to satiate his friend as he shut the door. 

'Something wrong in posting' didn't sound right. Harry leaned against the window and frowned again. It was something he often did at the thought of his friends. 

He shook his head and noticed they were pulling into the station. He waited for the train and platform to be nearly empty before he even stood up. 

"Hiding from the world Potter?" There was the voice. He turned his head slightly to be met with a certain blonde git raising his eyebrow.

"Always Malfoy."  He received a smirk from the other boy, before his face turned somewhat serious. 

"Potter, I would like to start again with you." Malfoy sighed as though the words physically pained him. 

"With me?" 

"No, with the hippogriff next to you." He rolled his eyes and Harry snorted. "Honestly Potter, you haven't earnt a place in Ravenclaw that's for definite."

"Charming coming from you."

"What's that supposed to mean Scarface." 

"Well if you can't work it out, that says a lot." 

"Oh piss off." 

They were both smiling by the time the platform had completely emptied. 

"Back to my original point. I do not want a repeat of the previous years between us."

"So what? You want to be friends?"

"That's a strong word. We can start with being civil." The teasing smirk was back on Malfoy's face. 

"Alright." Harry held out his hand. "Harry James Potter. And you are?"

He could see the cogs turning behind Malfoy's eyes as he stared at the hand. Slowly, he shook Harry's hand.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy." 

"Pleasure to meet you Draco."

"No."

"No?"

"It's Malfoy to you. That's just weird."

"I thought we were starting again!"

"Yes. We are. The names stay." Malfoy took his hand back, placing it by his side. 

"Fine. Git."

"I said-"

"You said the names stay. You didn't specify which ones!"

"Gryffindor idiot." 

"Draco! If you're done flirting can we get to the feast. Blaise is going to eat Theo in a minute." 

"Kin-"

"Shut up Theo." 

"Suppose you should get going." Harry ran a hand through his hair, unable to keep the smile off of his face. 

"Walk with us." Both of their eyes widened at the blonde's words. "Well clearly your friends didn't have the decency to wait for you and you'll look pathetic walking by yourself."

Before Harry could respond, Malfoy had already walked away, leaving him with no choice but to follow.

Perhaps the year wouldn't be that bad.