Sorriso

***Please see disclaimers and headings in Part 1***

PART 2

Stepping through the barrier onto platform 9 ¾, Harry looked around, distantly noticing how nothing here had really changed. The platform was crowded with parents and students milling about, putting luggage on the train, and saying tearful good byes. Harry walked to the train, pulling his trunk behind him, head down, hoping no one would notice him. The whistle blew, shrieking though the steamy air, letting everyone know it was ready to depart. Harry climbed aboard, and began looking for an empty compartment. ‘Shouldn't be too hard,' he thought, looking around, ‘there aren't very many people here.' Nearly every compartment he passed held only two or three people, som some had none, but Harry continued to make his way to the back of the train.

Drawing closer to the end, Harry heard footsteps behind him. With habit borne in times of war, his hand drifted to his wand, ready to defend himself. Suddenly he stopped, drawing his wand, whipping around to face the one following him. He stopped short, brought to a halt by the look of surprise on Draco Malfoy's face. Malfoy's trademark sneer was plastered back on his face so quickly that Harry had barely registered his surprise.

"Good Lord, Potter. You're going to poke someone's eye out with that." Malfoy drawled, pushing past him, and entering the last compartment, without so much as a look back at him.

Harry continued to stare with his wand half raised for several seconds, wondering what had just happened. Blushing slightly, he put away his wand, and entered an empty compartment, and sank down into the seat, staring out the window. Blushing slightly, he put away his wand, and entered an empty compartment. He sunk down into the seat and stared out the window.

*** *** ***

Draco sat down heavily in the empty compartment, thinking about the scene in the corridor with Potter. He had heard the rumors, of course, everyone had. The whispers about how the Boy-Who-Defeated-Voldemort had disappeared after the final battle to live as a muggle. Obviously they were not true, if he was on the train bound for Hogwarts. It had surprised him to see Potter; not because he believed the rumors, but because of how he had looked. Painfully thin, eyes surrounded by deep bags and deathly pale. Potter had never looked worse, even when Draco had seen him right after the final battle. ‘He looked nearly dead then,' thought Draco, ‘I thought he was dead.'

After the battle, Draco was the first to reach him. Dirt and dried blood stained his clothing, and ribbons of red ran from the split scar on his forehead. He was unconscious, and not breathing. Draco had despaired, thinking he was be dead, but when he felt for his pulse, it was weak, but there. Sighing in relief, Draco had reached for his wand to wake him, just as McGonagall came limping up to them. She put a hand on his shoulder, and he moved for her to take Harry. Draco struggled to remain impassive as he watched her apparate them away.

That was the last he'd seen of Potter before today. He had assumed that Potter had been getting well at St. Mungo's, but judging by his looks, he'd guess not. Seeing Potter like that made him want to take him in his arms, and hide him away, so he would never be hurt again. ‘Not that it would ever happen, though,' he thought, ‘Har- Potter can't even stand the sight of me, let alone allow me to take care of him.' It was nearly impossible for Harry to trust him during the war, even with Dumbledore's assurances that Draco was indeed on their side. Draco knew that it would take time for Harry to trust anyone again, after what happened last time. ‘Well, I have nothing, if not time, this year to show him how to trust again,' Draco thought, settling back to make his plan.

*** *** ***

As Harry walked, slowly into the great hall, all conversation ground to a halt. Harry sighed to himself and plastered on a smile. He quickly moved towards the Gryffindor table, hoping that everyone would just go back to talking. ‘Nearly there,' he thought, when the first sound of applause started. Harry stopped, dead in his tracks, stupid, fake smile still fastened on his lips as the whole school joined in. Soon the applause and cheering was bouncing off the cold, stone walls, while the Gryffindors pulled him into a seat. As Professor McGonagall stood to speak, the commotion began to die down. Harry, no longer being the center of attention, dropped his smile, and gazed out across the hall.

The headmistress's voice faded out as Harry tallied the number of students missing. There were fewer than he'd thought. As he scanned the other house tables, Harry's eyes fell on the Slytherins. Malfoy was staring at him, like he was a puzzle that the other boy was intent on figuring out. Harry scowled at him, and blushed as he looked down at his plate. ‘What the hell is going on with Malfoy?' he thought, ‘it's like he can see right through me.'

*** *** ***

Draco stormed into the common room, robes whipping around him, and went straight to his dorm and slammed the door. Kicking the dresser and throwing his things down on the bed, he swore loudly. Sinking into the high backed chair, Draco sighed and ran his fingers though his hair. ‘Fuck, they don't know what they're doing to him!' he raged inwardly, ‘can't anyone see how every look, every word, rips a bloody chunk from him?'

He couldn't have been the only one who saw that the smile Harry wore was fake, and the light that normally shone in his eyes was smoed wed with every cheer they gave. Harry was an open book, he could never hide his emotions so well before, but Draco knew. He could almost feel the ice lurking just behind Harry's smile. He needed to thaw, to be free of his self imposed prison, and Draco knew just how to set him free.


**A/N- Thanks muchly to my beta, Mellybopp, for shinin this up!