A/N: This is a different version of the first chapter, and I was wondering what everyone thinks. , please acquire an account so I can reply to your lovely reviews. Adios!

-CatJetRat

To Be Brave

Chapter 1

Harry looked away from the Weasley family and off to the side. A dark figure stood by the fireplace, barely outlined by the fire dying in the hearth, but Harry recognized him anyway. After seven years, it wasn't hard to identify the man he'd once thought of as the person he hated most in the world.

Harry took a deep breath, and walked over to the figure. As he drew closer, the man's features came into focus—first the sharp profile, and pointed angles, then the white-blond hair, and at last, the gray eyes, as Harry stopped next to Draco Malfoy. Malfoy's eyes, normally narrowed in dislike, screwed up with contempt, or widened in fear, were now flat, and remarkably expressionless.

They stood there for a few moments, and when Malfoy finally spoke, Harry was surprised at his words.

"Come to condemn me, Potter?" Malfoy asked bitterly. "That's what you do, right? Condemn people?"

"I haven't condemned anyone except Voldemort," Harry replied softly. "And if I was going to condemn someone, why would I waste my time on you?"

Malfoy let out a tiny, humorless laugh. "No, of course not me. Why ever me? Just those too stupid to understand what they were doing."

Harry blinked, confused, and then closed his eyes as he understood. "Crabbe's death was not my fault," Harry said coldly.

A muscle jumped in Malfoy's jaw, and Harry realized his mistake. "Nor was it yours," he added in a slightly kinder voice.

"I never said it was!" Malfoy snarled.

"Okay," Harry said, raising his hands and backing off a bit. Harry glanced over at the Weasley family, and wondered why he was even bothering. "Look, it doesn't matter. I just came to return your wand."

Malfoy's head snapped towards him, but that was the only indication of his surprise, as his face remained expressionless while Harry held out Malfoy's hawthorn wand.

"Don't you still need it?" Malfoy said, making no move to take the wand.

"No," Harry said shortly, not offering any other explanation.

Malfoy hesitated a moment longer, then slowly extended his hand and took the wand. His hand touched Harry's, and there was strange warmth in that touch as Harry surrendered the wand's power to Draco. Malfoy gazed at his wand, a trace of a smile adorning his face, and it was with a lurch that Harry realized he'd never seen Malfoy smile like that, without sneering or being sycophantic. He was just smiling, and Harry caught a glimpse of what it might have been like to be friends with Malfoy, had he accepted Malfoy's hand when it had been offered. All that might have happened. But then the smile faded, and that possibility vanished, though it had truly been gone a long time ago.

Harry let his arm drop, and stood there for a few moments, watching Malfoy stare at the fire, hand clutching his wand tight. Harry cast his eyes to the ground, and began to walk away.

"Potter."

Harry paused, and turned around slightly. "Yes?"

Malfoy didn't say anything for a bit, choosing instead to focus on the fire. Finally, when the fire had gone out and Harry had almost given up, Malfoy said, in a soft, almost grateful tone, "Thank you."

Harry frowned. "For what?"

Malfoy turned towards him, and his eyes were illuminated by candlelight. "Winning," he whispered.

Harry felt his gaze almost go soft. "You're welcome."

A/N: Better? Worse? You decide.

-CatJetRat