A ‘very little’ Happy Ending

Chapter 1 – One instead of Four


A/N: Hi everybody. ^.^
I had a few problems with Draco’s little problem and I hit my head so often just to get some ideas . . . but no! You know how that is when you are searching for something and just cannot find it!

The reason why Harry should talk with Draco had hit me when I was looking at pictures of the both of them. One of those was the right one, just what I needed. I try to describe it so you can imagine. ^_^

Yes everybody wants to know how Winky, Barty Crouch’s expelled house elf had landed herself in Draco’s duty? Well I won’t tell. It will come in one of the later chapters. ^.^’


Fifth year at Hogwarts had started and he had stumbled over something he had not thought of. Draco had no idea how he should bring Potter to speak with him without the usual harassing, so he could follow his plan, and it was taking the better of him. He tried his best to keep out of Potter’s way when they met. Yet he ignored him and attempted to remain his cool. It was just so bad that he had fallen for that bloody git. Why couldn’t it have been some normal person? But no! It had to be Potter. Fate hated him, of this, he was sure.

Pansy and Blaise had noticed the change in Draco’s behaviour the moment they met again that year at the platform 9 and ¾. But they had not said anything. This little encounter in the train had not helped to lose their suspicion either.

****FLASHBACK****

They were on their way through the train, after all Pansy and himself were Prefects and had their duties to do. Blaise had just walked with them because he had found no happiness to sit alone in a compartment and wait for their return boringly. Of course, they had to meet the Wonder Trio just for statistic and Blaise had to open their damn door without waiting for Draco.

“Blaise, no! Not . . .” he cried and tried to hinder his friend but was not fast enough. “. . . now!”

“To late darling.” Pansy had been giggling in amusement and wondered into the compartment fast enough to not be held back by her friend.

Draco had sighed in frustration and walked in behind her. A back step was unthinkable now.

When he had laid his eyes on Harry, he had sucked in quite an amount of air. That git had changed a lot since the end of their last term. His hair was as untamed as ever but his face was stronger, more distinct and his eyes sharper. It seemed they had lost their childish look. His left ear had been pierced with at last six rings. His body was toned, more then before and better defined as well. He had even lost his skinniness and was now muscular and strong.

When he had looked closer, he had seen that Potter had a tattoo over his right inner wrist. It had looked like a phoenix but he was not sure. Under his t-shirt was a snake, which curled happily around his bicep of his left arm. His clothes had changed as well Draco had noticed after his inspection. They fitted him now, showed what he had hidden before with his left downs he had worn for 4 years.

Draco was unable to say anything. His system overloaded and he just wanted to run right out of this compartment and hid somewhere he could try to calm down again. But, like always his friends had other plans for this meeting.

“Well look what we have here? Three idiots.” Pansy smirked and starred down at Hermione Granger.

“Well look what we have here? Three Death Eaters.” Harry shot back but his voice was calm and sharp as well.

Draco shivered when he had heard it. Potters voice was deeper now too and showed the power of a strong man he seemed to be. It was like silk but dangerous at the same time and it reminded him of his Father or even Sev when they got very angry. There had been a little glitter when Potter had opened his mouth to speak and Draco asked himself briefly, what that was. What had Potter in his mouth beside his . . .

He blinked shortly and summoned all his thoughts back to him before they could take a run again. He moved sharply and quickly he snatched Blaise’s hand and Pansy’s arm and pulled them out of the compartment quickly. Luckily, his friends were too surprised when he had shoved them out so they hadn’t had the time to even think about struggling.

They looked at him as if he had lost his mind when the door shot roughly behind them.
“What was that about Draco?” Blaise demanded to know and tried hard to hide his anger. Pansy was breathing heavily attempting not to shout as if she was hysterical.

“I don’t want to fight now, that’s all. I think I have better things to do then meet up with Potter and his little fans just to exchange some nasty insults.” His tone was smooth but cold as well.

Blaise looked sharply at him. What had Draco done over the holidays that he didn’t want to fight with Potter anymore?

“Explain!” his best friend said harshly and slit his eyes to a dangerous level. Draco sighed frustrated and rubbed his temples. He could already feel the headache come.
“Not now okay. But, I will. I swear but just not now.” he said softly and turned to the next compartment to get his prefect round done and catch some quiet in their own compartment. He would need it badly he figured.

***END FLASHBACK****

He was sure he needed to talk to his friends soon, yet three weeks had passed in Hogwarts without any fight with Potter and his gang. But he wasn’t sure how they would take his news. Sure they had known since first year that he was kind of obsessed with this boy and they have had seen his struggles in forth year when Potter had manoeuvred himself through his tasks of the tri wizarding tournament. He could only think of one way they would react when he told them about his discoveries and he just hope he was wrong about that.

Deep in thoughts he sad on his bed in Slytherin House and sighed softly. If fate was, merciful with him this difficult talk with his friends would wait a bit longer . . . But it seemed that this definitely was not his lucky day because Blaise stormed through the door and looked slightly furious.

“Tell me!” he almost screamed and stopped right in front of his best friend with concerned eyes.
Draco looked at his friend for a moment and shook his head in shame; he just was not brave enough to tell them. He was so scared that they would abandon him because of his discovery.

“No Draco! You had your time to collect your words! Now spill!” the dark teen demanded and grabbed the blonde forcefully by his shoulders. Draco’s eyes snapped up and he searched his friend for a long while but then he sighed defeated and nodded shortly.

“Get Pansy up here and I try to tell you.” He agreed almost unheard. A little smile played on his lips when Blaise huffed shortly and marched out of the room again. ‘Think fast! How to tell?’ the blonde thought hastily and looked around for an escape but like everywhere in Slytherin House there was only the door and Blaise would be back soon with Pansy in tow.

And he was right. The woody door opened forcefully again and his friends stormed in. “Blaise said you’re ready to talk?! Finally!” the girl asked first with surprise in her voice but her last sentence was charged.

Draco smiled tightly at her and lowered his head again.

“It’s difficult and will take some time . . . so sit,” he whispered and forced his words out of his throat. The blonde boy was silent for an even longer while and did not look at his friends just once.
“Maybe it’s easier when I start with things I noticed during the tri wizarding tournament. You remember when Harry had to steal an egg from that Hungarian Horntail dragon. This was the first time I feared for his life. But, you see I did not know why I did. I still hated him because he . . . I still hated him. My heart stopped everytime that beast got a little to close to him and then he was out of sight and I was so worried.” here he stopped shortly and look up for the first time. Pansy’s brows were knitted in some kind of confusion and Blaise . . . Blaise, he noticed, was difficult to read now because he looked pleased and troubled the same time.
Draco smiled a tiny smile at him and saw his friend furrow his eyebrows at him was what made him laugh silently.

“Well after that was his task in the lake. I think that you had known or seen how troubled I was?” he asked his friend and Blaise nodded in agreement.

He remembered that he and Draco had been in a fight because of Moody’s ferret hexing but he also remembered how white Draco had been when Potter went into the lake and did not come up again. He felt the worried twist in his heart from that time again in his chest and rubbed it shortly without noticing.

“Maybe you can imagine how I felt when he was in his third task and came out of it so broken. I had just needed one look at his face and I fled because . . . I had cried when I saw how shattered his heart and his soul had been. It is strange but I had not realized there what I felt. You do remember the rest of the year, don’t you?” he asked silently and watched his friends carefully.

Both of them nodded but kept their eyes away from him. Both of them remembered how dreadful Draco had been and how confused. He had not picked any fights with Potter and mostly had tried to ignore the boy.

“You see . . . home was horrible this time because my thoughts were always with him and finally
. . . Finally, I discovered what I felt. That I was kind of a shock you can imagine. I worked hard this holidays because I was . . . I needed a solution to the problem how I could bring him to love me back.” here he silenced again and shook his head slightly. “I just hope that it will work in some way.”

The room fell quiet now, all deep in their own thoughts.

Draco stressed himself with the reaction his friend would show him now and with a fast beating heart, he watched his carpet as if it was the most interesting thing in this room.

Pansy was about to cry and tried hard not to sob. This was not a good situation. Potter still hated him and she found no way how that could change.

Blaise tried to put all information in the right order to combine it with his thoughts and emotion. He knew that these two would . . . But how?

After a while, Blaise shook all three of them out of their thoughts when he spoke again with a strange tone in his voice.

“And you remember! When a Slytherin falls, it falls once and deeply, because every snake of Hogwards is searching for true love! The hat even said so.” (1)

Pansy’s head jerked up and she looked wide-eyed at her friends. She hadn’t remembered that but
. . . Good she was not in love. She would not know what to do.

“What?” Draco’s voice was hushed when he looked at Blaise with confusion.

Then the dark Slytherin laughed melodious and shook his head as if in disbelieve. “I knew it! I just knew it! I simply remembered now, my tea a few weeks ago. I just knew it!” he cried happily and punching his fist in the air every now and then.

Pansy looked at Draco and he looked back at her with concern then both looked at Blaise again.
“I think someone should go and fetch Madame Pomfrey. He needs help, urgently!” Draco said watching his friend bouncing through the room.

“Darling, I think you gave him the shock of his life.” she answered and stood to leave and bring the nurse.

“No, no! It’s all all right! Really. But think of it! I remembered my tee from a few weeks ago!” The dark one tried to convince his friends of his sanity.
“I think you should hurry Pansy. Run as fast as you could. I try to tie him to a bed so he wouldn’t hurt himself.” Draco screeched and tried to catch his bouncing friend.

“Hopefully you’re not contagious. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in St. Mungus,” the blonde whispered just a tiny bit scared when he finally got a grip on the dark one’s shoulders.
Blaise laughed like a lunatic and whipped his eyes with trembling fingers.

“No! Pansy stay, I’m okay, really I don’t need to see Pomfrey. Believe me, please!” he laughed and tried to hold his friend back before she could run after Pomfrey.

The girl stopped mid-track and turned slowly. “Are you sure?” she asked torn between believing her friend and fearing for his sanity.

“Yes, yes! I’m sure! Just a moment and I try to explain everything to both of you. Just . . . just a moment please.” Blaise laughed again and kept himself on his tights by clutching Draco.

Both, Pansy and Draco, were not convinced that that was a good idea but stayed never the less and waited for him to come around his laughter.

“You . . . you know both to what . . . what I can do.” Blaise panted and tried to catch his breath.
“You know that I’m able to . . .” he trailed of out of breath again.

But now his friends’ eyes were wide. “You had . . . What kind of?” Draco urged him to speak.
“I wasn’t sure what I should think of it but now I know.” The dark teen told his friends and nodded finally able to breathe normally.

“Just tell me!” Draco whined with a pained expression on his face. He felt very close to begging now.

“You know I can’t. Not before you had seen it yourself.” The Italian said with a shake of his head.

“And you know that I can’t do that either!” the blonde’s words were harsh now and he glared at his friend forcefully.

“I’m sorry.” Blaise smiled at him and looked in his eyes. “Don’t worry.”

“You’re not helping here you know!” Draco sighed in defeat and hung his head.

“I’m sorry.” The dark one said again and patted Draco’s shoulder.

“I thought about so much at home and even spoke with father about it but I can’t find a way to talk with him. I just can’t see . . . well I can’t see anything that would make him want to talk and listen to me.” the blonde rubbed his temples and sighed again.

“You told your father!? . . . I am amazed that you’re still among the living.” Blaise teased and pressed his friend to his bed so he could sit down and relax a bit.

Draco grimaced and shook his head. “He wasn’t pleased. Believe me, he wasn’t, but he spoke with mother and somehow they were with me. If you get what I mean.”

There was silent again until Blaise huffed and flopped down beside him. “Well that changes everything, you know that? Just everything.”

“I know.” the blonde nodded and laid down beside him.

“I until don’t see any solution to it.” Pansy sighed and looked at her friends. She saw them nod and sighed again.

“Dinner starts soon.” Blaise suddenly said and stood up. “And I need food now. This was quite a lot to take in and . . . well I just need food!”

Draco laughed and stood as well. “So then, we don’t want you to wait for any food, don’t we Pansy?”

The girl giggled and opened the door: “So . . . Who will be the first . . . at the entrance?” she cried out and started to run up the stairs to the Slytherin Common Room, her two friends hot on her tail.


***


Dinner was silent when they picked carefully what they wanted to eat and sank deeper and deeper in their thoughts without noticing it. Draco did not look at the Gryffindor table once and tried his best to ignore the arch in him that tried to convince him to look up. Therefore he didn’t notice the glances a certain Harry Potter shot at him every now and then with furrowed brows, while he tried to win the struggle with himself.

Suddenly noise broke out when Millicent Bulstrode and Ronald Weasley bust through the entrance door of the Great Hall . . . or tried to. They were fighting like; every Slytherin would fight with some Gryffindor who was trying to hinder their ways through the door.

When the girl screeched loudly, Weasley jerked back and Millicent run over to them. “You will not believe this . . .” she almost screamed and tried to catch her breath.

“What’s it Queenie?” Pansy sniffed and looked at the girl in distaste. “You struggled with a Weasley! I thought you were better then that.”

The blonde girl waved her of and looked straight at Draco and then at Blaise, as his second.
“The first match . . . in a few days! Slytherin versus Griffendor!” she panted out and waved her arms around herself as if she was a windmill with a red face.

Draco’s eyes widened silently in panic and he looked at his friend helplessly. ‘Oh no! Not that too!’


***


This was bad, this was really bad.
Draco flew over the pitch like in every game in search for the golden snitch. But, this time was different. He was too distracted with the confusion in his head and Harry on the other side of the pitch who was glaring strangely at him and Draco just hoped that he was not suspecting anything.

He did not even try to pay attention to the game. He was more then uninterested now. He looked over the spectators and noticed Pansy and Blaise watching him strangely as well. ‘Why is everyone looking at me like this?’ he asked himself briefly but turned back to Harry as to even bother with this question anymore.

Then his eyes widened in disbelieve and shock! Harry bloody Potter was flying in top speed . . . straight at him! Draco had only time to swear shortly but roughly, when suddenly his eyes were locked with those of Harry’s.

His grey orbs widened even more the next moment when he noticed how close they were while their foreheads were almost touching. How had that happened? Draco’s breath hitched and he was drawn into the deeps of these emerald eyes, which were glaring at him as if he was some kind of criminal. But, it was too late, he was lost to him all over again and it felt like time had stopped.

Harry’s left arm was stretched behind Draco’s head, his right held his broom perfectly until with the stick lifted right into the sky as if he was standing. Both of their bodies almost pressed against each other and their breaths short and ragged. He could feel the other teens breathe on his cheeks and tried his best to stay calm . . . but sadly . . . it wasn’t working.

“What’s with you?” Harry asked hissed while he watched Draco as if the boy would attack him any minute but Draco was too mesmerized to even notice. “Why are you so different since last year?” he asked again and did not get any answer of the blonde. His eyes narrowed even more in anger.

‘He has a tongue-piercing!’ Draco sensed in surprise when the Gryffindor had spoken. ‘That was this weird glitter back in the train.’ And here he was, even shocked with his own stupidity, as he had stared at this tiny sphere. Then he heard what Harry had just said, and the way that he had said it. The deep voice that Harry had suddenly possessed caused him to shudder intensely. And to his great embarrassment, he blushed like a schoolgirl and panted his shock out of his lungs.

Harry looked at him strangely again and finally he lowered his broomstick and pulled his outstretched arm back. The blonde could only stare in amazement when he noticed the golden fluttering thing in his hand. But only for a moment then goddamned Harry Potter was back on earth and leaving the pitch with a horde of red Gryffindors behind him.

Draco could only shake his head, on the one hand to clear his thoughts and on the other hand in condescension of this red mop which abruptly stormed out on the field. Then he remembered that he had just lost the damn game and ducked his head slightly.


***


This evening he lay in bed and thought about this new advent of the day. All the other boys in the room were already asleep and Draco was grateful for it. He did not want to talk right now. His mind was in rumble again and it was driving him into exhaustion when he did not get any sleep soon.

Harry bloody Potter had actually asked him what was wrong with him. Didn’t that mean that he was willing to talk to him, to listen to him? He wasn’t sure but somehow he was and . . . ‘I’m in a mess again!’ Draco cried in his thoughts and shook his head vehemently. Maybe he should dare and talk to him but . . . Or maybe he should leave him alone and . . . Would Harry talk to him or let him talk and suggest what he had found out over their summer break? Maybe he should . . . But what when he just shoved him away with a request to never to attempt to speak to him again?

With a groan, Draco pushed his head into his pillow. That was pointless! He wouldn’t do any progress with this debate in his head. When he felt bold enough, the next morning he would ask the other boy for a private meeting and tell him what he had to tell! If not, then not!

End of discussion!

Hopefully, this would work out. He sighed again and closed his eyes. He needed sleep, badly and hoped against hope that he would be able to find some before the morning.
He already felt like it was time to begin a new day again.


***


Strangely, it did work out.

Draco was amazed with the confidence he held the next morning. It was as if he had drunk some Potion and got back to his very old self. Somehow, it was like coming home . . . a different home.

Right after he finished his breakfast he marched over to the Gryffindor table and left his friends behind with worried eyes and in shock wide opened mouth’. He almost giggled when he thought of their faces and he knew and anticipated their dressing-down they would give him as soon as they were alone.

Silently he waited and looked at the Golden Boy in front of him. He knew that he knew that he was there but still he ignored him. ‘Bastard!’ Draco thought grumpy and glared at Potter’s head. ‘Wants to show me were I stand! Wants to show me that he only speaks with me when he feels like it! . . . Bastard!’

Finally, Harry looked up. He wondered why Malfoy suddenly wanted to talk to him and why he hadn’t said a word until now. But it was way to early too, to get answers to those questions, so he shoved them in the back of his mind and lifted his eyes straight at him. But, he did notice the short wave of instability in the other boy’s eyes.

“What do you want?” he asked with a bored expression on his face.

“A word with you. In private.” The blonde answered and looked so confident that Harry couldn’t bring this person in one with the one on the Quidditch pitch of the last day. He could feel his muscles move when he looked in astonishment and wonder at the boy.

‘Did he just say that he actually wanted to talk with me . . . alone?’ he thought and stared at the blonde as if he had two heads on his shoulders.

“What? Was that to much for the little thing in your head? Maybe you should ask Mrs. Brains over there if she can introduce you to the ability to talk with other people?” Malfoy suggested and Harry felt like he had lost it when his jaw almost dropped.

Angrily he glared at the blonde and had the sudden feeling that he was just like he always was. Unnerving and annoying to no end!
“Why should a talk to a slimy git?” he asked furious and lifted a brow in a cold glare and was surprised with himself that he got such opposites together in one sentence.

There Draco laughed with a smirk on his face. “I don’t know. Out of curiosity or fun?” His grey eyes gleamed intensely, when he looked at him again. Harry thought that, that in and of itself was strange enough and worth to look into. He angled his head to the side and watched him with true interest.

“Oh man! You’re a dead loss (2).” Draco sighed dramatically and had the pleasure of seeing Grangers jaw drop in surprise and the Weasel look around forlorn. “It isn’t that difficult you know. I have a lot to say to you. But only to you.” He said and waggled his nose in distress.

“Only when Ron and Hermione can come with me. I fear I need an interpreter when I to talk to you.” Harry added and watched in delight that he couldn’t explain how Draco smiled slightly for a moment until he got himself under control again.

“No Harry! Don’t do it! It’s some kind of trap!” Hermione Granger almost shouted and jerked out of her seat, Ronald Weasley right behind her.

“She’s right, Harry! He just wants to get you to You-know-who!” the redhead shouted and hit the table with his fist so his breakfast went flying to the one beside him. It was unfortunately Neville Longbottom, who actually looked like he wanted to cry.

And here Draco sniggered in excitement and watched the scene in front of him in great amusement. “Nothing like that, I swear. It’s way to early for that, only the beginning of the year and that’s never good for your statistics.” he laughed and looked at Harry again who was almost laughing himself when Hermione gasped for air in shock and Ron crushed his goblet of pumpkin juice next to Neville on the table, who got it in his face.

“No. I want to talk to you alone.” The blonde said and was serious again, this was too important to him; beside he could laugh about Granger and the Weasel later with Pansy and Blaise anyway.
Harry’s eyes sparkled in joy with all that had happened that morning at the breakfast table. “I think about it,” he said and anyone could hear the delight in his voice.

Draco nodded shortly and turned only hearing Parvati Patils explanation of his actions. “Harry! He wants to declare his love for you!” the girl screeched and the whole table huffed at her in shock. When he reached the door, he saw that his own House was almost under the table in their own laughter and excitement of these mornings’ events.

“Malfoy!” Harry shouted his name when he reached out for the door. Smirking he looked over his shoulder and lifted a brow.

“Tomorrow, after dinner, in front of the Great Hall!” the raven-haired teen demanded and looked at him sharply.

“My pleasure.” Draco mumbled and left the hall without another glance at anyone.


###


“Harry!” Hermione said glaring at him.
He shrugged his shoulders and looked back at his plate.

“You were flirting! Haven’t you noticed?” she screeched and looked at him as if he was a little child.

“With whom?” he asked surprised, lifted an eyebrow, and laughed to himself when Hermione’s jaw dropped. He liked that look on her because she did look like she knew everything and this look was just too good, when she was surprised or confused.

“With whom! You have some nerves! With god damn Draco Malfoy! By the way how does he know that Muggle proverb?” she almost screamed and waved her arms around her.

Now Harry looked even more stunned at this and shook his head. “You’re wrong. I wasn’t flirting.”

“I’m never wrong Harry! You know it.”

He mumbled something and kept shaking his head. Hermione sighed and took the seat beside him leaving Ron on the other side of the table trying to explain to Neville why he suddenly had juice in his face.

“Well you hadn’t started it but you responded to his flirting.” the girl tried again this time more gentle.

When Harry looked up at her, she smiled encouraging him to speak. “Mhm.” He mumbled again and Hermione almost hit him on the head.

He wasn’t sure what he should say to that. Was he really flirting with Malfoy? He couldn’t believe it. Because . . . why should he flirt with Malfoy in the first place? Well . . . he just would need some time to think about it. Much later. But first . . . what could be so important to Malfoy to talk to him about. Another question with no answer until tomorrow evening. He shrugged again and took a bit of his toast.

“Same . . . Have you seen Dumbledore? He was twinkling all over.” Harry chuckled silently when he looked at the headmaster again.

“You mean his eyes?”

“No, not just his eyes. He had laughed like every other student at Hogwarts and he had glittered everyone else into blindness, whoever was bold enough to look at him in this kind of state.”


***


At 9:00pm, Harry waited in front of the Great Hall, like everyone else at Hogwarts, but he had his Invisible cloak on which the rest of the school hadn’t.

He was actually surprised how many had come to watch and overhear them. It was as if this crowd of students had only waited to be entertained by the two of them again. He knew he would need to sneak away to get Malfoy under his cloak unseen but it was really amusing what kind of explanations all of them had why Malfoy wanted to talk to him of all people.

But then, he looked at his watch and his eyes widened shortly. He had to hurry or they wouldn’t get the chance to talk in private, as Malfoy had demanded. Slowly to avoid any body contact with other students he twisted his way out of the mass and marched carefully into a corridor just beside the Great Hall.

He could see the blonde already so he waited and suddenly yanked the other teen to his side, one hand over his mouth to shut down every sound that might have come from the smaller one.
Draco’s eyes were wide and startled when Harry turned him around and put the cloak over the both of them.

“My god Potter! Were you trying to scare me to death so you don’t have to talk to me?” the blonde hissed with a frantic beating heart.

“A bloke can try . . .” Harry smirked back and motioned towards the Great Hall. “We couldn’t meet there as you can see so; I had to change part of our conditions.”

With that, he yanked the blondes arm and Draco had to follow if he wanted to keep his arm. “A little bit softer please or do you need my arm that badly?” he demanded and huffed sharply in his annoyance. But, he only got a deep chuckle of the teen and shook his head. Hopefully his confidence wouldn’t fade away too quickly so he could propose his . . . proposal before he would sank to his knees, shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Finally, the raven-haired one opened a door and pushed him inside softly so he wouldn’t get snotty at it again. Draco heard him mumble a few words and suddenly a single torch was lit in the middle of the room. He turned swiftly to look at Harry and saw no wand in his hands. His grey eyes widened for only a moment before he had himself under control again. It was way too early to show the other who he really was.

“Now tell me! What’s with you this year?” the raven-haired teen demanded with great force in his voice. But, Draco only looked around until he spotted a chair in a dark corner so he could make himself comfortable for their long talk. “Well . . . that’s why we here, aren’t we?”

“Why were you so lacking of any concentration in the game?” Harry shot the next question at him when he noticed that he would not get a better answer to his first one.

“I was just tiered, too many homework, you know . . . but when I think of it . . . you don’t know. After all you don’t do any of your homework.” The blonde smirked evilly and waggled his nose.

Harry growled in anger and was just to answer that with his . . . when he was interrupted with a soft sigh from the blonde. He crossed his legs elegantly and lifted a brow in question. “Now . . . Let’s get straight to the point!”

“You had 4 years to get rid of good old Voldie but your result is rather . . . how should I say it without sounding rude . . . well there is no result, but wait you got him back to life. Thank you so much.” Draco had only a short moment were he could see deep hurt cross over the others face and he regretted what he just had said greatly. Then he could see what everyone else would have seen. The raven-haired one had shut him out forcefully. Now there was only shock on his face but his eyes were empty.

Draco pushed his own hurt, cursed by himself roughly into the back of his mind so he could be done with all this and flee the room as soon as possible. “You see, I finally noticed that you need my help for this part of your story. So I have a proposal for you.” His voice was smooth now, soothing even just to get Harry open up to him again. With a silent yelp he noticed surprised then that it seemed to be soothing the other boy even if he did not know why.

“What would that be?” Harry asked dangerously and narrowed his eyes at the Malfoy heir.

“You know it really isn’t difficult to destroy Tom. You only need to get him out of his reservation. When he is really mad he is like ever Gryffindor that I know what a shame that he was a Slytherin.” Draco said softly and looked away from the other, his face hidden in the shadows.

“And you know that why?” the raven-haired teens tone was not so hard anymore what surprised himself even more then Draco.

“Oh please! I’m long enough at this school to know how a Gryffindor reacts when out of his mind.” the blonde huffed insulted and got a short chuckle for it. “When he acts like this . . . He only reacts with his heart in his madness without the brain every true Slytherin uses until the end of every fight.”

“You know . . . You get bothered every time we fight so . . . does this mean you’re no true Slytherin then too?” Harry laughed almost unheard and shook his head in mild disbelief.
Draco snapped out of his position and strode towards Harry with furious grey eyes. “Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare saying that ever again or I’ll rip you into pieces.” He hissed and his tone and anger shut right through Harry, what he did not understand a bit.

“See, you get bothered again.” He grinned calmly and shook his head at the blonde once more. Draco huffed in annoyance and pushed at Harry’s chest just to get some of his anger out.

“You’re an exception!” he said forcefully and lifted his nose arrogantly so he could look down to the other teen even when he was the shorter one of them.

Then he caught the soft laugh that warmed his heart and his eyes got glassy. ‘Something is . . . wrong.’ the blonde thought but pushed it away as well.

“I already discovered that it is easy to get him distressed. But you see . . . I am the only one who is able to kill him. Dumbledore showed me the prophecy after I got out of the maze in fourth year.” Harry said very silently but calm and shocked Draco to no end with it.

“But you still need help and I . . . we get all houses together and you get the strength of the purebloods!” he proposed and Harry lifted a brow at this breathless outburst.

“What’s the catch?” he asked like some businessman and shook his head to say he had not understood correctly.

“No catch.” Draco mentioned calmly and sat back down on the old chair in the shadows. “No more separation of any house. All in one and you get the strength of every pureblood.” his voice now smooth and calm as well.

“No I mean it. What do you get out of it?” the raven-haired one demanded and shook his head once more.

“You let every Slytherin and Ravenclaw in your little club and teach them. I’ll help if you want me to.” Draco said silently and watched the other closely. “Slytherin has no interest in serving a half-blood and get punished for breathing.”

“And you think that they will follow your proposal?” the Gryffindor asked disbelievingly and laughed shortly.

“They will! Ravenclaw will follow too.” the blonde sneered but waited until Harry could hear his voice clearly.

“Why should they?” Harry laughed again. This was just too good; who does this git think he was? Salazar himself?

“You do remember who I am?” the blonde asked now worried of the other teens mind.
“Yes Draco Malfoy, heir of Lucius’ and git of Slytherin.” But, a smirk played on his lips now and he shook his head in silent laughter.

“You remember that they follow my word without exceptions? Why do you think that is so? I was their prince since my first day in Slytherin. So Harry why?” he asked calmly and tried to get Potter to see what the truth was.

“Because you have an old name,” the dark haired boy suddenly said forcefully as if he despised this fact with all his heart.

“Yes, an old name. A powerful name. You know I have responsibilities for every one of them. I am leading this house since first year even if Dumblefuck thinks Sev does. But, Sev hates this and when he noticed who I was to them, he just gave me the responsibility for all of them.
However, it is not only the name; it is the strength that comes with this name as well. I’m the strongest one of Ravenclaw and Slytherin . . . and over the summer I found out why.” Draco explained calmly and waggled his nose of distaste. He hated to show of his power like that. It just was not right. He was supposed to hold the reins in the back were other people could underestimate him and his house.

Harry was silent for a while and watched the Slytherin closely. He noticed the pose the blonde was sitting in, elegant and confident. He noticed the look the blonde held in his eyes, pure honesty.
That was rather disturbing to Harry; Draco truly was the prince of Slytherin he noticed just a bit shocked by the fact. Somehow, he already had known.

“Why are you so honest suddenly?” he asked calmly and tried to clear his mind.

“You do remember my proposal don’t you?” Draco wanted to know and a mischievous smirk played on his lips. “You wouldn’t even have listened to me when I had tried to lie. You see, I know how a Gryffindor works.”

And all of a sudden, Harry laughed and nodded. “It’s all right! I got it!” he could not believe it! He was laughing because of Draco Malfoy and he was not laughing over him! Then he was serious again and looked thoughtful for a moment.

“So you are saying . . . Slytherin has no interest in serving Voldemort but in serving me, another half-blood.”

“No.” Draco shook his head and looked at his fingernails as if bored with their talk. “Not serving. We serve nobody! No, Slytherin will be your partner, your equal.”

“Tell me about the strength of pureblood, you mentioned before.” the raven-haired teen wanted to know and crossed his arms deep in thought.

“No. It is too early. Later I will when you accept my offer.” the blonde teen assumed and looked at the other one thoughtful himself. “Now tell me Potter, do you accept?”

Silence touched the room for quite some time when the Gryffindor argued with himself but then he nodded shortly, his eyes honest. “Let me think of it, okay. I’ll tell you tomorrow at breakfast.”
Draco nodded as well and stood. “That’s okay with me. I’ll leave you to yourself then.” he understood and marched slowly over to the door.

“Hey Potter!” he laughed joyous and angled his head to the side. “Why the change?” Harry smirked proudly and looked straight into the blondes eyes. “I was bored.”

The Slytherin laughed and wanted to leave the other when he heard Harry’s silky voice again. “Hey Malfoy.” The Gryffindor chuckled and watched his reaction, a smirk on his lips. “Why the change?”

He got a genius snigger in return, one he had not heard nor seen ever before from the blonde before this. “You wouldn’t believe it! Over the summer, I just found the goody-good side in me. And this damn thing demanded me to help you.”

Harry snorted and lifted a brow. “You have a good side?” The joy clearly noticeable in his voice and eyes.

“Well it wasn’t easy to find, you know. It was so small and well hidden; it took me quite some time to discover it.” Draco sniggered and waved his hand as a goodbye when he left the room and heard the loud laughter until he reached the Entrance Hall.


***


Harry laid in bed deep in thoughts. All his roommates were already asleep so it was quite in Gryffindor tower, besides his sheets rustling when he tossed and turned in them. Could he trust Malfoy with this? He was not sure. Somehow, he wanted to . . . but then he remembered what kind of a person Malfoy was.

His friends had told him not to do so. Ron, because he was Ron, cried out in anger and insulted the Slytherin prince all the time without actually thinking about what he had proposed. Hermione had thought about it very deeply, he thought. She had been silent through Ron screeching of untrustworthy Slytherins, especially Malfoy.

She had said that she was not sure either. What Harry had told them had sounded like he actually meant what he said and that it could be really good to have the strength of Slytherin . . . what ever that was . . . she did not know. Harry had asked the blonde but did not have an answer to that so he did not know either. But, it could be a trap as well Hermione had said as much with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Neville had been silent as well but mentioned than that it could be worth it to trust the leader of their rivalled house this time. He seemed to say the truth, he believed. Harry smiled when he thought of the gentle boy who was suddenly so strong in the DA. Somehow, he had managed to get involved with their little group even more. He was there now whenever anyone of them had a problem; he was somehow like Hermione . . . only her opposite.

Shamus had laughed and did not even say something of interest that could have helped him in his decision. Moreover, Dean had cursed Shamus for it but was not any help either.

What could this strength, this power be the blonde had talked about? Moreover, how was he supposed to believe that every Slytherin would follow his lead? It felt so strange that something in him suddenly wanted to believe him when he had never thought of believing anything Malfoy had said before.

And, why had the boy blushed so deeply, when they were close, when he had caught the snitch. It hadn’t been the first time they had been this close, so why now?

Then he remembered their talks at Gryffindor table and in the Transfigurations classroom after dinner. They actually had had some fun with each other, what was a strange thing too, but he had liked to talk and bicker with the blonde. And, he remembered that both times, he had laughed about what the other boy had said if silent or not, it was totally the same.

Why was the boy so different . . . Harry wanted to say that Malfoy was different only this year but when he thought of it he found that he had reaction changed in their last year as well. After he had to steal that damn egg from a dragon. After that, he had taunted him only when he could not back off and after his task in the lake, he was even more silent. He had looked like a sheet or a ghost. Harry was sure that he had fought with his friends there too but he did not know why.

In the end of their fourth year, he had not even showed up at their train ride back home . . . if he could call it a home the headmaster forced him to live. And, this year, since it had started Malfoy had tried to get out of his way and had ignored him more or less.

The boy-who-lived rolled his tongue piercing in his thoughts and asked himself again if he should trust the other boy for once. But again he found no solution and sighed irritated.

It was time to do what he could the best! Act, think afterwards and deal with the mess he caused! He sighed again and closed his eyes; maybe he would still be able to find some well needed hours of sleep yet.

***

Next morning he was exhausted. Of course, his mind had other ideas and he had been awake until the sun already had risen. One hour of sleep was definitely not enough for him, and still he was not able to stop his mind from racing. And at that, he still had no answer to what he should do. So he figured he would have to wait and act on instinct then . . . but what, when . . .

The raven-haired teen groaned and almost banged his had on the table in his frustration.

Hermione looked shortly at him and shook her head; she could see the confusion on his face as if he was an open book when he had not been like that since the start of their term.

Neville smiled at his friend and tried to sooth his friend nerves with it. Then he looked up shortly and straight at Pansy Parkinson. He blushed furiously when she looked back at him and lifted a brow with a sneer on her lips.

When the door of the Great Hall opened and Draco Malfoy, with his eyes fixed on a parchment in his hand, strode in, Harry lifted his head and asked himself what the boy was reading. He did not understand why he was interested in this and shook his head once more. He figured it was because of his lack of sleep and he was still too tiered to think clearly.

Irritated he look at his friend on his side and thought he would just do what Ron was doing right now: Eat! But still . . . he was not very hungry . . . Exhausted he groaned again and massaged his neck. He had a headache and felt his nerves poke. Worn out he rubbed his temples and looked up at the blonde again.

Silently he watched as the boy debated something that seemed to be important with his friends and noticed how close they were sitting together as if they did not want someone else to overhear them. He was not sure why he furrowed his brows at that and did not want to discuss it with himself right now. ‘Better never.’ he thought and shook his head again.

“Eat something! You can’t think straight when you’re hungry and you know you need your mind on Potions right now!” Hermione demanded and shoved his almost empty plate at him. He knew she would get mad at him if he contradicted and he knew that his head was not into fighting and discussing the matter. With a defeated sigh, he nibbled on a toast that tasted like cardboard and he grimaced at it as if it just had tried to offend him. When he looked at Malfoy, again his eyes met cool grey ones, which looked away almost immediately. Confused he watched the other teen again and noticed that the blonde was almost done with his breakfast.

Suddenly something clicked in his mind and he stood up muttering and excuse to his friends and strode right to the large door. In front of it he turned slightly and looked back at the blonde again, a smirk on his lips. “Hey, Malfoy!” he called with a nearly undetected laugh in his voice.

The Slytherin looked up at him shortly, interrupted in his talk to his friends, with furrowed brows.
“Hm.” he then smirked back at the raven-haired one, he already had his answer. “I agree!” he called clearly and the Great Hall fell abruptly silent.
“What! No, Harry!” cried his red haired friend shocked and just a bit angry. Hermione knitted her brows. She was not sure if this had been wise. Neville smiled encouraging at his friend and nodded his head, keeping an eye on Ron’s food or juice.

Draco bowed slightly and sent his own table in quite shock. He had never bowed to anyone before and that was just so . . . He stood as well with a small grin on his face when he noticed his open-mouthed housemates looking incredible at him.

Harry turned to the door again and grabbed the handle calmly. Again, he turned his head, this time to his own table. “House-meeting! After dinner!” he demanded in a strong voice and opened the door, his table in great devastation and confusion.

Malfoy stepped at his side and he titled his head wordlessly when he turned shortly as well. “Same goes for Slytherin!” he called out in his cool tone and looked back at Harry.
The-boy-who-lived lifted a brow in amusement and bowed as if he would let go Malfoy first, like the gentleman he was. Both left the Hall behind and laughed together as if they had planned it to go like that.

The Great Hall broke out in chaos!


A/N: Well that had taken quite some time and I fear the next chapter will take even more. I’m sorry. ˜_˜’
By the way . . . who knows what’s wrong with Draco? Well . . . wrong isn’t the right word here . . . ^.^’
Hope you liked it and I would like to have you with me in the next chapter as well. Tell me what you think, please . . . *almost begging desperately*
Ähm . . . see ya. *clears her throat*

(1) This I borrowed from Saber ShadowKitten’s “Draco Malfoy & the heart of Slytherin” I hope she isn’t mad at me for this. But, her story was just so great and actually it’s one of my favourites. Read it when you have time, it is worth every look ^-^ and can be found here:

http://www.sabershadowkat.com/harrypotter/heartofslytherin1.html

(2) This is a proverb and since we all are Muggle in some way . . . you get the massage. ^.^

Here we go! ^.^ Like in ever story with more then one chapter, here are the review replays!

thrnbrooke:

I’m happy you like it even when it was just the (short) prologue. ^.^’ Hopefully you like the first chapter as well. Somehow, it just flooded out of me and into my computer. Very strange! ^_°

paigeey07:

Thank you. I’m still amazed that someone is reading my stuff. ^.^ (blushed)