Don't Ever Forget

XIV.

I wake up feeling more nervous than I did on my first day at the Ministry. My friendship with Harry and my friendship with Draco are very important to me, I just can't see how they can both exist at the same time. I don't even know what I'm going to tell Harry. Hi, just so you know your childhood bully and I are friends. No, that doesn't sound good at all. Apart from that, I am dreading having to go back to the committee and see that Elflock isn't there. She'll never be there again.

I get ready and get to work completely mindless, thinking about how I'm going to tell Harry the whole time. Unfortunately, out of all days, he bumps into me before I can figure it out.

"Hey Y/N. How are you doing with everything going on?" he asks.

"Honestly, I've been a bit nervous. I'm still grieving Elflock..." I say. Harry puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me walking.

"Are you sure you're up to even go in today? You lost a friend," he says and it hits me that I feel exhausted.

"I have to. I can't hide from whatever has been happening and I think the Ministry will probably need Muggleborns to put on a brave face." Harry smiles at me and we continue walking.

"You sounded like a Gryffindor just then," he jokes lightly and I smile. Suddenly, the mood seems right to tell him the news. If he thinks it was brave of me then, just wait for this bit.

"Harry, I have something important to tell you." I begin, trying to keep my tone and facial expression calm. He turns to me and gives me a worried look.

"Alright... what is it?"

"Do you remember the day that the Ministry was broken into and the records were stolen?" Harry nods so I continue.

"Draco came to check in on me. He thought I was in danger and he came to make sure I was okay." I say and Harry stops dead in his tracks. He just stares at me like I've said something completely ridiculous. Or if I suddenly went crazy.

"What did he say exactly?" He asks and I'm taken aback by his lack of anger.

"Well, that's all that really happened. He said I might be in danger." I said and he just nods with an exasperated sigh.

"How do you know he wanted to make sure you were okay?"

"He told me he was worried about me..." I say but I can already tell this isn't going the right way.

"You're no Ravenclaw but I didn't know you could be this stupid." he says with malice and I wince.

"Look, Harry, I know. Trust me, I know. He wasn't kind to you in Hogwarts but-"

"Wasn't kind? Wasn't kind? Y/N he was a Death Eater! If only you were there all those times... If only I could tell you everything that happened then you'd understand. He doesn't care about you! He doesn't care about any Muggleborn or anyone who associates with them!"

"That was then but he's different now! But do you really think it's impossible for someone to change? Do you truly believe he's irredeemable?"

"Yes, I do believe that." he says without any second thought. It's obvious he's had his mind made up.

"I'm not stupid, Harry. Can't you just trust me? Trust that I see something in him that is worth getting to know? Don't you forget that I had to hide from the Death Eaters, too. I never saw what he was like at Hogwarts but if you hate him this much I know that he is completely different now."

"I trust you, Y/N. But I don't trust him. Besides, you say that he's changed but you don't know what he was like. I'm not just letting that all go because it's been a few years." he says and lets out a long sigh.