59

CHAPTER FIFTY NINE:

"Ah, Harry," Amelia greeted him when he arrived at the Ministry the next day. "You're looking well."

"Thanks, Amelia," Harry smiled, neglecting to mention that it was only due to a Dreamless Sleep potion and two thorough rounds of sex with Severus. "You look tired," he pointed out instead, pitching his voice low to keep others from overhearing. "Late nights?"

Amelia simply smiled expressively in answer, and Harry grimaced slightly. "Sorry about that."

"Nothing to be sorry for," she said promptly. "I would be just as busy were I still at my old post..." Harry followed her gaze and caught a glimpse of Kingsley as the man hurried off to another location.

"I see what you mean," he grinned.

Amelia sighed, then straightened and tugged on her robes. "Shall we?"

"Let's," Harry agreed, and together they walked into the courtroom, ready for the first trial of the day.

OoOoO

"Ughhhhh," Harry groaned as he collapsed on their bed that evening.

"Long day?" Severus asked mildly as he sat down next to his lover and began kneading his shoulders. A more satisfied groan was his response before Harry replied to his question.

"They're doing the more important Death Eater trials first, and they were all sentenced to Azkaban," Harry mumbled into the sheets. "No children, so I don't have to worry about that yet, at least. It just drags on and on and on..."

Severus hummed, digging his thumbs into a particularly tense knot and ignoring Harry's weak sound of protest. "Were the trials brief, or extended?" he asked. "How many took place today?"

"Four," Harry replied, yawning widely. "And they weren't long, just... repetitive."

"I see. There will be several trials a day for the foreseeable future, then?"

"Yeah," the young Lord groaned. "I don't think I'll have much free time for the next few weeks," he buried his face in the sheets.

"What about Dumbledore?" Severus asked, immediately seeing Harry's dilemma.

"I don't know," Harry said grumpily. "I'll have to discuss it with Amelia. I really want him to have a trial, but he should die in just over two weeks and the Death Eater trials are more important..."

Severus made a noncommittal sound.

"No?" Harry turned his head to look up at Severus out of the corner of his eye.

"I disagree," Severus admitted. "The Death Eater trials can wait, as they are already being held in cells, but with only two weeks left it is imperative to deal with Dumbledore soon. What is the use of dealing with the Dark when the Light is left looking blameless?"

"True," Harry sighed, "but if we expose that now, won't it lead to distrust from the people?"

"Not for the Ministry," Severus argued, his kneading more absent-minded now. "If anything, it should put the people's faith in Minister Bones, while earning you distrust as the new Light Lord."

The younger man grimaced. "I don't want to be a Light Lord."

"Then it should not matter to you," Severus shrugged. "You have no official role, and intend to leave Britain for a time once things have calmed anyway, so it will not affect you overly much. Is it not a good thing, to bring down both Light and Dark and lead the way to a more open-minded and critical society?"

Harry sighed and sat up, pulling Severus closer. "I'll talk to Amelia tomorrow."

OoOoO

"Amelia," a corporeal Patronus spoke to her in Harry's voice. "Do you have some time before tomorrow's first trial? There's something I need to discuss with you." The voice paused for a moment, and Amelia could have sworn the stag smiled at her. "Try to get a decent night's sleep tonight, huh? I can offer you some Dreamless Sleep if you don't have any. See you tomorrow!" With that the luminescent stag faded out of sight, leaving Amelia smiling wryly.

"So that's why he looked rested," she acknowledged, shaking her head. "But Dreamless Sleep only helps when you have the time to sleep," Amelia said grumpily, shooting her desk a dark look. Pulling out her wand, Amelia conjured her own patronus, sending it off with a message that she could free up a half hour before the first trial. After all, knowing the time traveler, the discussion could be both long - and very important.

OoOoO

Meanwhile Hermione was trying to focus on her homework, but kept losing focus. Eventually she gave up and closed her books, sighing in exasperation. "I think I'll go to bed early tonight," she told the boys.

"Alright," Harry said in surprise, blinking up at her with a curious expression.

"G'night," Ron said absently, not looking up from his Divination homework. "Oy, Harry, d'you think Mars stands for war or hate here?"

Harry peered over at Ron's notes, then shrugged. "Dunno. Hate?"

With a snort Hermione walked away, having decided long before that discussing Divination with them was a lost cause. Why they didn't simply drop the subject was beyond her, but she supposed wasting their time was their choice to make.

Making her way up the steps to the girls' dorm, she paused and looked back down into the common room. It was busy, as always, but her eyes fell easily on her two friends, the other part of their trio, poring over their textbooks and occasionally asking the other for advice. It was with a troubled expression that Hermione turned and walked the rest of the way to her room.

Only once she was lying in bed did she fully turn her mind to the topic that had been distracting her all day. Ron. Her thoughts were convoluted on this point, unsure of her feelings for him and his thoughts about her. "I like him," she mouthed, trying out the words. Do I?

Sighing, she sat up and grabbed a notebook and pen. Opening it to a blank page, she wrote down 'pros' and 'cons', feeling slightly guilty for trying to organize an emotional issue into facts.

Pros, she considered. Close friend, Hermione wrote. Then she paused. What else? Her mind searched for a moment, then she bit her lip. Okay, subpoints of 'close friend'. Knows my preferences and habits. Respects my interests. Really? she wondered. Does he? Well, he acknowledges that different people are interested in different subjects, but he's always considered me at least slightly mad for my interests... She could vividly remember several times he had called her mad after expressing a keen interest in Arithmancy, or shaking his head in disbelief when she wasn't interested in Quidditch. Does he really respect my interests?

It was with a heavy heart that she crossed out 'respects my interests'. Can I date someone who doesn't respect what I like? In her heart she knew the answer was no. Admit it, Hermione, an inner voice groused. You want a partner with whom who can share your interests, not one who simply tolerates them.

And there was the crux of the matter. She was somehow attracted to Ron, wanted him as a boyfriend, longed for the closeness she saw among other couples – but while she might want it now, intellectually she knew that they would not, could not last as a couple.

What about in the short term? she thought obstinately. Couldn't we just be together for a year? Maybe for the rest of Hogwarts? Even as she insisted on thinking it over she knew that to do that was a sure way to ruin their friendship, and had a high chance of alienating Harry as well. After all, who would want to be the third wheel?

What about when he and Greengrass get together? It'll be only Ron and me then... Even so, she knew that getting together would be a bad idea. And it would take some time to get Harry and Greengrass together, she was sure about that. The thought crossed her mind that they might not even work together anymore now that Hames had changed things, but she decided to worry about that at a later date. If they didn't work out, then that's how it was, but she would at least make sure that they had the chance to decide that for themselves.

What makes you think that you can play matchmaker when you can't even get a boyfriend of your own? She scowled at the traitorous thought and shut the notebook in a huff, lying back down again. I'll get one, she thought obstinately. Just maybe not right now.