Hundreds of people were gathered around a great, vast lake, yet not a single sound could be heard. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry loomed behind them in the growing darkness, and was as quiet and still as the crowd. The undisturbed silence was respectful. No one dared to disturb it.

More than fifty candles floated on the lakes surface, and in each was engraved a name, deep into the white wax. First glance would give the impression of ordinary candles, but after closer examination one would realize that that they are not. There was nothing to hold them up but the water, and they bobbed around weightlessly, illuminating the lake with their fiery glow. From the flickering flames the faces of the deceased could be seen, their smiling faces and sightless eyes oblivious to the mourners on the bank.

Harry Potter watched the scene with mixed feelings. So mixed, in fact, that they were now indistinguishable. The reflections of the candlelight and the setting sun gave the impression that the lake was glowing, and Harry couldn't help but note the beauty of it. Suddenly, he caught sight of Lupins eyes staring back at him from their fiery depths, and he turned away in time to watch as Professor Mcgonagle placed the last candle on the water.

The silence broke. Not immediately, but gradually. Several people sniffed, a couple burst out in violent sobs. Voices whispered and people began to shuffle about. Eventually it all picked up, and students began to point out faces that they recognized to their friends and family. Anecdotes were shared, and tears were shed.

"And look, theres Hannah Abbot. The Hufflepuff... I never knew." To his left, Ron and Hermione stood hand in hand. Hermione's voice was shaky, but the tears had begun to dry on her face. "It's terrible." She whispered, burying her face in Ron's chest. He stroked her hair absently, and catching Harry's eye, gave him a watery smile, which Harry returned only reluctantly.
"Harry?" Ginny appeared between them. Her expression was sad, but her eyes remained dry. "I thought it was you. It's hard to tell though... everyones a silhouette against the lake." Harry gave a slight nod.
"You know, they even lit candles for the Death Eaters," She said, pointing at an unnamed candle. "There were a lot of bodies that couldn't be identified."
"Yeah." Said Harry. He and Ginny hadn't talked much in the past two days since Voldemorts attack. He had thought it was best to give the Weaslys a bit of space while they mourned for their son.
"We're leaving tomorrow morning," Ginny said quietly. "Back to the burrow. Mum says your welcome to come."
"I don't want to intrude..." Harry replied honestly, thinking of Fred. The family would want time to their selves, to organize the funeral.
"Don't be silly. You're pretty much part of the family," said Ginny. "Besides, you have no where else to go."
Harry knew she was right. "Yeah, thanks Ginny."
Ginny wondered back towards her parents, and Harry felt a pang of jealousy as he watched them, but he was not unused to it. Wanting some time alone, he walked away from the masses of people, skirting the lake and loosing himself in thought.


Voldemorts gone, he told himself. But he no longer felt the ecstatic feeling of triumph. Instead he felt... empty. What was going to happen now? The only goal he had for when Voldemort was finished was becoming an Auror. Could he even do that without full qualifications? And where was he going to live, he couldn't just move in to Weaslys. Stay a few nights, perhaps, but he'd have to find somewhere else eventually. He had considered returning to Grimmuald Place, but had decided against it. He was probably still a target for Death Eaters wanting to avenge their dead lord, and he had no idea if they could get into the house or not.

And what was going to happen to Hogwarts? The last two days everyone had been involved in the clean up. Some parts of the castle had been completely torn apart from the battle, but people from Hogsmead had come up to help, and it was nearly returned to it's previous condition. Most of the bodies had been taken home, but some still lay unclaimed in the chamber.

Would Ginny be returning to Hogwarts next year? Harry wondered. Would they still be able to see each other? Maybe, when he got a new place of his own, she'd come and live with him... but he knew this was wishful thinking. There was near to no doubt that she would be returning to school next year. And even if she didn't, he had no idea how she felt about him. It had been months since they broke up. In that time she could have found someone else.

Lost in his thoughts and imaginative scenarios about his future life, he didn't notice that he was half way around the lake, nor that he was approaching a figure seated on the bank, until he stood just a few meters away. The figure was hidden by the shadow of a tree, and all Harry could make out were the whites of his eyes as they turned away from the candles and rested on Harry. Instinctively, Harry reached for his wand, but seconds later the figure looked away, obviously uninterested.

Harry turned to leave, when the figure spoke.
"Don't... don't go..." Harry recognized the voice immediately, but the shy uncertainness didn't match up with the face he had in mind at all.
Harry stopped. "Er... Malfoy?"
He took a few steps closer until he could see the figure clearly. Malfoy sat hunched under the tree, hugging his legs to his chest. Natural suspicious, Harry stopped a few feet short, and examined him. His white-blond hair hung messily in his eyes, it obviously hadn't been cut in a while. His school robes lay abandoned at the base of the beach tree, and he wore tidy muggle clothes. He hadn't removed his tie. Harry couldn't help but deplore how much weight he had lost. His bones jutted out, and his skin was whiter than ever. He looked terrible.
"Malfoy?" Harry repeated. He gripped his wand tightly. He was curious, yes, but not to the point of stupidity.
Malfoy was obviously struggling with his words. he opened and closed his mouth several times, and fumbled with his own wand in his fingers. He didn't look at Harry, but continued to watch the lake.
"I... I wanted to say... er," said Malfoy. "Thank you." He spat the last two words out quickly and loudly, before pausing. When Harry didn't say anything, he continued. "For saving me the other day."
"No problem" Said Harry, taken aback.
"If it wasn't for you, i'd be dead. And i'm fairly sure it was you the second time, with the Death Eater, too?" Said Malfoy, looking up at Harry.
Harry nodded slightly. Malfoy did not look away, and instead regarded him with obvious interest. Harry couldn't identify the emotion in the blond boys eyes, but it was unsettling. Harry shifted under his gaze, until eventually Malfoy looked away.

A moment passed, and Malfoy made no move to say anything else, but as Harry turned to go, he started to speak again.
"Look. There's Crabbe." His voice had changed, it was quieter and shook slightly as he pointed at the nearest floating candle. A round, bulky face looked back of them, it's mouth slightly ajar, it's blinking eyes unaware of them. It was unmistakably Crabbes candle.

Suddenly, and catching Harry by surprise, Malfoy was crying. His shoulders shook and he buried his face in his knees. Unsure what to do, Harry watched in silence. This was the second time Harry had seen Malfoy cry. The last time was because he was being blackmailed by Voldemort. But now he was gone, why was Malfoy so unhappy? Harry failed to believe that it was because his former master was dead, because even the Malfoys had been thrilled by Voldemorts downfall. And Crabbe had proved to Draco how little he had valued their friendship just before his death, so surely Malfoy wasn't crying over him?

Harry debated over whether to leave or not. What had Malfoy done to deserve his pity? But he couldn't. he didn't understand why, but he couldn't just walk away from him while he was in such a state.

So instead, and far against his better judgment, Harry approached Malfoy and (for the first time voluntarily in his life) sat down next to him. Malfoy didn't seem to notice, or didn't seem to care. After a moment or two, Harry raised his hand, as though about to touch Malfoys shoulder, but thought better of it. Sighing, he took up the same position as Malfoy and looked out at the candles in the water.

Something in Harry's chest tightened as he saw the unforgettable face of Fred Weasly, just a few meters from where he sat. The carved name in the candle had been gone over with red wax, courtesy of Ginny, so that it would stand out better. The face grinned at him from from it's abnormally large flame.

Guilt racked through Harry's body painfully, but not for the first time, and he tried to push it away. He'd spent the last two days feeling overwhelmingly guilty for every death that had occurred during the battle against the Death Eaters. There's no way that deaths could have been prevented, he had told himself, uncertainly.

Malfoy had begun to quieten down, and was now hiccuping softly, his head still buried in his arms. Harry and had no idea why he had remained with Malfoy during this sudden outburst of emotion. He turned to look at him. Malfoys blond hair was splayed out over his shoulders, catching the last few raws of the setting sun. He was shivering slightly, and Harry wasn't surprised. The warmth of the day was leaving with the sun.

"Malfoy," Said Harry, quietly, uncertainly. "Why don't you put your robes back on? It's getting cold."
Malfoy sniffed and raised his head. "Why do you care Potter? What have I ever done for you?" He said sulkily.
"Absolutely nothing," said Harry under his breath, but out loud he said, "Your obviously upset." Quickly realizing that he had stupidly stated the obvious, he added, "I thought there might be something I could do to help..."
This was apparently the wrong thing to say, because Malfoy snapped back, "I don't need your pity, Potter."
There was a beat of silence.
"Sorry," said Malfoy.
"What?" Said Harry, stunned.
"I'm sorry. For everything. Everything i've said and done over the last few years." His pale cheeks coloured slightly, and he avoided Harry's gaze, obviously embarrassed.
Harry gaped at him. He had expected this just as much as he had expected Voldemort to 'come quietly'.
He almost laughed, but instead he said, 'Er...thanks. I'm sorry too." Though he wasn't sure if he meant it or not.
There was another long pause where neither of them spoke, Malfoy had taken to lake gazing again.

"So many people died." Malfoy whispered. "So many people I knew." The skin around his knuckles went, if possible, whiter as he clenched his fist tight around his wand.
"I never expected anything like this to happen." Angry tears welled up in his eyes again, and he looked away. "But you have no idea what it's like, working for him. You have no idea what it's like to have him threaten the lives of your family. To use that against you."
Harry was tempted to point out that of course he hadn't, because Voldemort had taken care of his family long before Harry was old enough to consciously take a stand against Voldemort, but refrained himself.
"He used to torture me, when he thought my father needed persuading. And tortured my mother, when he wanted me for anything. It was horrible. He was horrible." His body shook along with his voice. "My father was always terrified that he'd come back. He taught the family dark arts and the ways of the Death Eaters, for our own protection. So that we could survive if he did come back. But he was sometimes cruel." He shuddered. "You have no idea what it's like to have to live to to expectations of a father like that. No idea at all." A tear rolled down his ivory skin. Harry watched it until it came to rest on Malfoys pale pink lip.
"I had no idea," said Harry quietly.
"I'm glad it's over."
"Me too," said Harry, and Malfoy smiled.

Harry relaxed a bit. He had never really thought past the Malfoy with the sneering looks and rude come backs. He had never once taken a minute to consider what Malfoys life had been like. Of course thats still no excuse, Harry reminded himself, but for the first time in his life Harry pitied Malfoy. And not only that, Harry realized with dawning comprehension, but a kind of compassion. Malfoy had never looked so small and helpless. So incredibly overcome by sadness. Harry had to suppress a sudden urge to wrap his arms around him and comfort him as though he were a child.

He was as shocked at this thought as he imagined Malfoy would have been if he had actually done it, and the shock must have showed, because Malfoy gave him a questioning look.
"Ah, nothing." Said Harry, an embarrassed blush creeping up on his cheeks.
Malfoy nodded, but continued to watch Harry, as though fascinated by him. His eyes scanned Harry's face slowly, before locking onto Harry's own eyes again.
"it's beautiful, isn't it?" said Harry, who was beginning to feel uncomfortable under Malfoys gaze, for the second time that evening, with a motion towards the candles on the lake.
"Yeah, it is." Said Malfoy, following Harry's gaze. He relaxed the tension in his muscles, and sighed, drying his eyes.

The two boys, one Slytherin and one Gryfindor, sat side by side that night until the very last candle had melted down, and the moon was all that was reflected in the Hogwarts lake.