Salvation

What is the World Coming to?

"Harry, you can't quit just because Malfoy knows you work there," Hermione sighed over dinner the three were sharing. One would never know Harry actually had his own house with how much time he spent and Hermione and Ron's. He even had his own room there. It was supposed to be the spare bedroom, but Harry took it over. Hermione was debating if she should make him pay rent or not.

"Though it is a good reason," Ron added before Hermione could shush him.

"But he's terrible, Hermione! He makes me so angry for no reason whatsoever. I didn't even provoke him or anything. He came in just to make me upset!" Harry whined, sounding like he was closer to six years old, rather than nineteen. "And what if he comes in again and again and again? Who knows what he'll do next?"

"Stop being a baby," Hermione chided.

"No, 'Mione you know how bad he is! He's like, the son of all that is evil," Ron said very seriously, eyeing his girlfriend.

"And he says things that no one would ever say. But he just doesn't care! He doesn't care, Hermione. It doesn't matter whose feelings he's hurting as long as he feels good!" Harry added.

"Yeah, and he either glares at people all the time or smirks at them. He always looks like he knows something you don't know and he's going to hold it over your head until you do exactly what he wants." Ron was starting to get really in to this whole conversation.

"He has people everywhere under his control just so he can bring innocent people's lives down! He's pure evil I'm telling you." Now Harry and Ron were just bouncing off each other on how malicious Draco was.

"It's like he lurks in corners so he can get any new dirt on people and uses it to make their lives a living hell!" Ron shouted.

"Yeah, he's single-handedly trying to bring hell to earth. He is trying to destroy our entire planet!" Yeah, the two boys had completely lost it and Hermione, the most logical, knew it.

"Come on, he's not that bad," Hermione said calmly.

Both Harry and Ron's jaw dropped. There was a minute of silence with the boys looking at each other, then Hermione, then back at each other. It looked like Harry might lose his dinner. Ron was holding on to the table so tightly his fingers lost all color. Ron was the first one to actually speak.

"What do you mean he isn't that bad?" he finally got out. He looked ready to throw Veritaserum down her throat to see if she was the real Hermione or an imposter. The real Hermione would never say anything THAT crazy.

"No matter what, he was on our side. Plus, all that stuff is behind us now. We're past all that," she finally answered. To be honest, she did have a point. In the end, he helped the light win.

"Yeah, when he had no where else to go," Harry snapped. Obviously his good deed did not make up for all the ones he had committed for the other eighteen years of his life.

"He told us things we would have never found out on our own," Hermione argued. This was also very true. Draco knew bits of information that one could only find out from the inside. Not everything can be found in books. He was the perfect spy because no would could even accuse him of being a spy like they could have down with Snape and Lupin.

"He brought Death Eaters into Hogwarts, Hermione!" Harry screamed in a way that proved just how mad he was becoming.

"And he helped greatly in the killing of their master!" Hermione yelled back, yet she wasn't quite as crazed yet.

"Why are you defending him so much?" Harry demanded, looking at the witch as if she had turned into an animal right in front of his face. Or maybe something worse, because that wasn't completely abnormal to Harry any more.

"Yeah, why are you defending him so much?" Ron asked, more calmly. It was quite out of character for her. Yes, she was the most logical of the three, but she hated Malfoy. He had called her all types of terrible things and generally tried to make her life a living hell for simply being muggle-born.

"He just helped me a lot during our research nights or whatever. When I thought I was going to pass out from being so tired, he would take over for me so I could get some rest. Or he would look things up with me so I wouldn't have to go through all the books by myself. He encouraged me the entire time. I would have never questioned where his loyalties were. And I still don't. Draco Malfoy has changed, believe it or not," Hermione stated in a way that clearly meant she was not going to change her opinion about the situation.

"But Hermione," Ron started. He was holding back asking if she was completely mental because he knew that would be the wrong thing to say. "I just...how could you...what I'm trying to say is..." He obviously had no idea what he was trying to say. That happened a lot with Ron.

"What Ron is trying to say is: what the fuck?" Harry finally added for his best friend. Ron was okay with it. That was exactly what he was trying to say once he thought about it. But it's okay if Harry says it because Harry won't get kicked out and forced to sleep on the couch if he says it like Ron would.

Hermione simply let it roll off and continued talking. "Anyway, I doubt he'll come in again or anything."

For someone who is never wrong about anything, Hermione sure was wrong about that.

The next day, while Harry was organizing a different stack of books then the day before, he turned to find the blond standing a little off.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Harry moaned under his breath.

"Ah, Potter, fancy seeing you here," Draco somewhat shouted across the room to Harry. He had quite a smug look on his sharp face.

"Yes, it is quite interesting that I would be here, where I work," Harry responded with a heavy sigh. The only words running through his head were "not again".

"Oh, you work here? What a surprise!" Merlin Draco was annoying.

"You can't come in here and harass me every day," Harry told him firmly. "I'll do something about it. I'll get someone to stop you or something." Harry needed to work on his threats a bit more.

"Merlin's beard Potter, do I really have to tell you this again? I'm not in here for you. My life does not revolve around you."

"Could have fooled me with how much attention you give me. Are you in love with me Draco?" Harry asked while batting his lashes and then laughing.

Before Harry could finish blinking, Draco was across the room and in Harry's face. Soon Harry's shirt was in Draco's hand and Harry's nose was only a centimeter away from Draco's. "Just because I switched sides does not mean I will hold back from beating the shit out of you," Draco whispered in a tone so deadly Harry couldn't help but shiver just a little bit.

When he finally came to his sense, Harry forcefully pushed Draco of him and took a large step back. "Fuck, Malfoy. I can't believe Hermione actually defended you. Something really is wrong with her."

"What do you mean Hermione defended me?" Draco asked. It seemed like he had already forgotten that he just threatened the hell out of Harry.

"I mean exactly that, genius. Hermione stood up for you, for some strange reason. Ron and I are going to make sure she is feeling well later today."

"Maybe I should send her an owl, thanking her for being the bigger person of the three of you," Draco mused while pulling on his chin slightly.

"Why would you ever be considerate? That's way too nice for you." Harry was totally thrown off guard. This was Draco Malfoy offering to say thank you to Hermione Granger! When did the entire universe flip upside-down?

"No, I'm just not nice to people who try to rip me in half with spells," Draco said while slightly running a hand across his chest. Harry guessed that's where a scar was left from the incantation he had cast back in their sixth year. The way Draco said it almost made Harry want to grovel at his feet. It was that calm that breaks through every shield you have up and you completely forget who you're talking to.

"Look Malfoy, I –" Harry started but was soon cut off.

"Save it; I don't need your pity," Draco snapped, coming back to reality and realizing who he was talking to.

"So why are you here today?" Harry asked, exaggerating the word "today". He could have sworn Draco would have so many better things to do! There were girls out there he could cheat on, minions to control, younger kids to threaten, and just all types of general evil he was so good at.

"I remembered what book I wanted when I came in yesterday," Draco said while looking around. He seemed to be looking for a section where his desired book might be. In Harry's mind, he was wondering if Draco was bipolar. And then he started wondering if wizards could be bipolar. And then something far more important clicked in Harry's head. Finally he was going to leave! Harry was going to make sure he left as soon as possible without starting another fight.

"Which one is it? Maybe I can help you find it," Harry offered calmly. He didn't want it to seem like he actually wanted to be nice to Draco.

"It’'s called Enchantment in Baking," Draco said while still looking around.

"You want to bake?" Harry asked, jaw half dropping. He desperately wished he had a recorder so he could show other people what Draco said. Ron would never believe that Draco had actually said he wanted that book. Oh this was just too amazing. Harry felt almost giddy.

"Well who the hell else is going to bake? It's not like my mom can make cookies for me any more!" Draco snapped viciously. All of Harry's giddiness left him even quicker than it had come to him.

"House-elf?" Harry asked quietly. It was almost like he was trying to get Draco to laugh after such a cryptic statement. But of course that wasn't it. Harry would never want to do anything nice to Malfoy – ever.

"Granger talked me out of them...." Malfoy said while walking towards the cooking section.

Yes, Harry was, in fact, going crazy.