A ‘very little’ Happy Ending

Chapter 3 – Scenes # 1


A/N: This chapter is written, like the title shows everyone I think ^.^ , in scenes because I had to jump around in time to get this story working. Every scene is based on the other . . . at least I hope so and after every scene some time had passed before the next starts.
. . . Argh . . . this is hard to explain! O_o’
This next chapter starts in October or November a year later and in this chapter I tell you in little pieces what happened in that year. Hope you like it because there will be maybe two more chapters of this kind later. ^.^
So have fun.


Days were really easy since . . . he did not know it anymore. Well at least his days had been easier because of two of his students. Now he finally had time for himself . . . but sadly he didn’t know what to do in so much spare time. Sometimes he asked himself if he had wished for the right thing. Since all four houses were united no one, it seemed talked to him anymore. Of cause a few still come but . . . His only time in duty was when he was with young Harry, when he trained him in wandless magic and this was only twice a week. And this boy was a fast learner he had noticed too. So maybe he would not even have that very long. Faukes cried out softly and flooded towards him. Ah, Faukes the joy of his life.

. . .

He was so unsatisfied with his situation and needed something to do. Maybe Minerva would know something because she had a lot of spare time herself now too. He sighed silently, looked out of the Quidditch Pitch, and watched some students walk to their classes. He was sure, what those two had managed to do would be known for centuries. Suddenly all houses were one, as if he had wished it to be . . . but not just like this.

When students had problems now, they would find their advice by those two or their friends. When some were arguing they went to those two and let them clean their differences. When they needed help in studies, they went to those two. The list was endless and he had still no work. Those two had even worked their way around Professor Umbridge, which the ministry of magic had posted here out of suspicion he assumed.

It was so boring up here in his office. Maybe he could . . . but no. He didn’t feel like it. Maybe . . . no that was not the right too. So, Dumbledore stayed in his office stool behind his desk with no other task as to stare out of his window.


###


Silently they walked through the corridors of Hogwarts on Draco’s prefect duties. Since they had become friends, they went out together for that duty sometimes. Every now and then, they had great fun and sometimes they just enjoyed their silence and understanding.

When they walked in peace, he thought about everything that was currently in his head.

And right now, he remembered the year that had already passed so fast. He remembered that Draco had been away from school quite often but had never gotten any bad mark.

He remembered all out of a sudden, he and Draco had become friends and that the blonde actually had tried to be pleasant to his friends. With Hermione, it had only needed a few words with the blonde alone and they had become friends too, what had happened so fast that Harry sometimes still could not believe it.

And Neville . . . he had noticed that Draco liked the gentle boy very much and the two of them had been in many discussions about god knows what. Everytime Neville got a bit stronger in his character and arguments and everytime Draco had looked proud and pleased at him.

Only sometimes he wondered how it was even possible that the two of them, Harry himself and Draco, were so close now when they were fighting only one and a half year ago. And sometimes he asked Hermione and every god damn time she had looked a bit funny at him and asked him back if he was sure that he was okay and hadn’t got hit on his on his head or something. These times were bloody annoying.

He remembered that sometimes he had walked into the common room and had seen Draco there talking stimulatingly with Hermione about books, muggle things, school . . . The list was endless! Because both of them had an equal level of intelligence that they understood each other quite easily.

Since then Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini had come to talk to them too, had tried for the first time to become friends with Gryffindors and were accepted without difficulties. Except for Ron. Since then the redhead had grown constantly colder towards them.

First, he had screamed at the whole house for their stupidity letting some evil Slytherins in there. Some of them had not taken that good-naturedly from him and had fought with him. But still . . . he could not believe that the snakes of Hogwarts were what they had shown the world they are now.

Even Seamus had gotten into a fight with Ron, about why he suddenly did not trust Harry and his instincts. The Irish had called out that everyone in Gryffindor trusted Harry and when Harry trusted Slytherin, they would too. But, Ron did not wanted to hear it and denied that there was some good in them too. It was not possible; he had screamed; “All of those gits were evil and serve their Dark Lord happily.”

Harry sighed at this memory and looked at the smaller blonde beside him who was watching him just a bit concerned now. He shook his head to soothe his worries and jerked suddenly upright when Draco shouted and marched over towards a statue of a dragon on the seventh floor.

“Hey! You two! Stop bitching around and go back to your common room, quickly now! For leaving your house after curfew, ten points from each of you! Go snog your faces off in your own rooms!” the blonde drawled silkily with an evil smirk on his lips. Both caught students hurried of rapidly so the feared Slytherin prefect would not take even more points of them.

Harry chuckled silently and remembered their first day of their sixth year. The three Slytherins had waltzed into their compartment and seated themselves happily beside them. Everything was like always except that Blaise had a smug look on his face and Draco kept glancing at Hermione curiously. Swiftly he had asked straight forward and looked sharply at the bushy haired girl.

“Now spill Granger-girl! Who is it?” and there had been mirth in his voice and his eyes were swirling in amusement. He remembered that Hermione had blushed like a cherry in the sun and had tried to avoid any eye contact. Nervously she had twisted her school uniform in her hands and muttered some bad word no one was able to make out.

Pansy had giggled evilly and tapped her back in pity. “I wanted to know that the whole time since Blaise mentioned . . . “there the black haired girl trailed of and sniggered again in her happiness.
Hermione then had stuttered out a story of a boy who just moved into the house next to her parent’s one. His name was Ryan.

Ron had been silent where anyone else was focused on Hermione and trying to grill her so she would tell more about the guy she had fallen for.
Even Neville was enjoying torturing her with his questions what got him an approving look of Pansy.

But Ron had kept silent where everyone else was pressing the whole story out of Hermione.

Harry sighed again, deep in thoughts this time and did not notice the worried look he got from the blonde next to him. Draco knew that Harry had something on his mind he was not ready to share but that did not stop his worries for him. He wanted the raven-haired teen to be happy and it was distressing him when he was not.

Absently the emerald-eyed one pushed his hand through his hair and sighed again. Somehow, the three of them had grown apart . . . but it was more like he and Hermione had grown apart from Ron. And he knew how this had come.

After everything that had happened, until Ron’s discovery of Hermione loving someone else, there was this instant when only the three of them had been out by the lake, like in old times. Draco and his friends had come over after they had watched them for a moment and noticed that the three of them had not had any fun at all.

When Ron had noticed that those three were nearing he had looked straight at Draco, he still called him Malfoy, and waited until they were in earshot. “Hey Malfoy? What I really wanted to know since you suddenly sneaked your way into Gryffindor, what was your motivation for this ambush?”

Hermione had gasped in shock and was about to tell him off when the blonde shook his head silently with an angry sneer. “You actually haven’t noticed by now? How dense are you Weasel? I was so obvious about my intensions at least I thought so. You know during our summer before fifth year I discovered that I had fallen in love with someone. And, what a shame would it be to live like some dirt on the streets and trying to hide myself because Dumblefuck and his army were behind me. You see my wish was that I wanted to live with the love of my life, a normal fate and having a family which I could take care of.” while he spoke he looked directly into the blue orbs of his not so called friend and smiled snakelike at him. He put his best efforts into his winking at the redhead in front of him.

Ron had blinked a few times until his face reddened dramatically. Embarrassed and angry he had turned and marched away hearing the laughter of his friends and enemies. Only Harry had kept silent and was thinking of what he had just heard from the blonde. Was he really in love with Ron? He did not think so but shoved the questions into the back of his mind nevertheless.

Now he thought about it again while he kept glancing silently at the blonde Slytherin beside him without the boy noticing it he hoped. Was Draco in love with Ron? At least people said that what was teasing that was loving (1). But was it true? Somehow, he did not want Draco loving someone but did not now why.

He was not pleased with the way his thoughts had taken and shoved them into the back of his mind as well. Maybe he would be lucky and forget them someday. With a drastic shake of his head, Harry brought his mind back on the friend he was loosing . . . or had he already lost him?

Yeah Draco had gotten the redhead there again and Ron had barely spoken a word with them again. He thought that this was the case because all had laughed when he had stormed away furiously.

But then on one of their inter-house-meetings he had fought with Draco again. Normally the blonde held the upper hand easily but he had been stressed greatly at this moment and was not really paying attention to the redhead in front of him. Harry remembered that Draco had been very sleepy this evening but had taken it as his duty to go to this self-proposed meetings.

This was when Ron had landed a very low blow at him and because of the blonde’s exhaustion; almost everyone had seen the hurt in his eyes. Harry himself had not been able to hear what his friend had said to Draco but Hermione had been furious with him for weeks and had said every time he had tried to find out that it had been very mean. And she wouldn’t repeat it, not even for him.

Well Slytherin house had been in an uproar this evening and had stormed out of the Great Hall, with their leader protected in their middle. Friends of them out of other houses had had their great difficulties to soothe their nerves again and declared every time that what Weasley had said was not their opinion of them.

Blaise and Pansy had stormed over to the redhead and were about to shout and beat him up for that stunt, if necessary. Hermione had been standing frozen in place for a few moments until she marched over to her friend as well and started lecturing him. Harry remembered that she had been so furious with him she had shaken like a leaf in the wind trying not to punch him in the face. He remembered that Neville had been too shocked and had watched the scene with troubled eyes and frozen limbs.

Harry himself had been outraged too but he had been faster as the rest of them except Hermione and had defended Draco harshly. Of course, Ron had protested that it had not been that bad and the slimy git had just overreacted. This had been it, Harry had thought because suddenly the whole Great Hall . . . or at least the rest of the pupils in it were fighting against the redhead.

He remembered that Draco had practically ordered his house and the Ravenclaws to appear shortly before midnight in the Great Hall and those who had not been there at time he had chased after and scared them into being there. He remembered that Draco had explained to him that he would force them to become friends if necessary. And, after they had gotten the idea, everyone was free to decide if they wanted to come to these meetings or not.
Because that would strengthen their abilities in their upcoming fight against the Dark Lord, the blonde had explained with a proud little smirk.

“They just needed to be pushed into a friendship and will get along with it. Just wait and see for yourself.” the blonde had laughed at him when Harry had thought of a possibility how to get them into their planed inter-house-meetings.

Ron . . . Yeah . . . that had been the final braking point and now they were ignoring and tried to avoid each other. Sadly, Harry shook his head but smiled calmly at the blonde who looked like he wanted to force him to tell him what was wrong.


###


“I know that you have problems with your Oclumency training . . . and Sev! You can’t deny it!” Draco demanded and poked the raven-haired teens arm slightly to make his point clear.

Harry sighed and shook his head. “It’s not like you can help me so let it drop.”

But, it seemed that Draco was not pleased with his answer so he poked again.

“Draco! Let it drop! I don’t want to talk about it!” he almost screamed at the annoying blonde who began to pout but kept poking his sides nevertheless. He sighed frustrated and rubbed his temples.

“Come on. I can help you. At least a bit I think. And trying doesn’t hurt you, you know?”

Harry looked frustrated now too because Draco just could not shut up about that! “Leave it! You pushed me into it so don’t make it even worse!”

The blonde was silent for a little while and then he slapped Harry on the back of his head a bit rougher than necessary.

“See. Now you got him mad.” Pansy giggled from her seat across them with Hermione on her side.
“Don’t be like a child Harry! Accept his offer, and peace and quiet will come to our lunch hour again.” the brown haired girl mentioned without looking up from her book.

“She’s right. See it like this . . . he wants to help you because he likes you.” came the quiet remark of Neville who smiled encouraging at him.

“See.” Draco smirked playfully and watched in delight how Harry Potter frustrated over him . . . again.

The raven-haired teen groaned and almost banged his head against the table. This was just so . . . arg . . . “Alright, alright, alright. Just shut up and leave me alone then I let you experiment with me.” he finally gave in and shut his eyes tightly.

“Good.” the Malfoy heir chirped happily with a pleased smile on his lips. “Come to the Slytherin common room after dinner and we’ll see if I can’t get your concentration on Oclumency again.

Now Harry did bang his head against the table and listened annoyed to the laughter of his friends.

“Can we please stop this, if only for a minute!” the raven-haired teen cried in exhaustion and rubbed over his eyes. He was so bloody tired since he just put a foot into the green common room of the snakes of Hogwarts.

Draco had snatched him away from everything and pushed him straight into his bedchamber he shared with Crabbe, Goyle, Nott and Blaise. Since then they had tried . . . and not succeeded until now. But, of cause, the blonde just would not give up!

Silently the heir looked at him, deep in thoughts, maybe a break would not be that bad and he still needed to think of something new. He wanted to help the other so badly but until now, nothing had worked. Maybe he should try the easiest with him and built up on that . . . ?

“Winky!” he called out and nodded with already another try in his mind. He watched amused when Harry’s eyes almost bulged out of his face by the name of his house elf but concentrated then on the elf that appeared right before him.

“Master Draco! Winky is so happy to see you again! What can Winky do for Master Draco?” the exited house elf cried and bowed deeply before him.

“Winky-sweets, be a dear and fetch some lemonade for my friend here and me, will you?” Draco asked her with a sweet smile on his face.

The elf was even more exited by the nickname of hers and the request of her service. “Of course! Winky will be back in a few minutes. Does Master want something else? Because, Winky will do anything for Master Draco!”

“That’s quite enough, nothing else. So sweets, go and fetch our drinks.” he laughed delighted and shook his head slightly. Then the elf plopped away as fast as she had come.

“Ahm . . . Draco?” Harry asked carefully and watched the other confused. “Why is Winky serving you? How the hell do you even know her?”
The blonde laughed quietly and petted the raven-haired one’s knee absently. “You know, I was there when Crouch expelled her. And when you want to hear my opinion . . . he was scared like a child because they had the Dark Mark in the sky! It wasn’t that bad . . .”

He stopped his ranting shortly and blinked a few times. “Well . . . don’t tell anyone but I always was friends with the house elves at home or here in Hogwarts . . . it was all the same. And, when she started drinking, I took her in my ownership. Of course, first she went through withdrawal but after that was done she was truly mine.” he told the other as if that would explain everything and shrugged his shoulders.

“Yes! Master is a very good Master and takes good care of Winky!” the elf cried out happily when she was back with their drinks. “Master Draco even gave Winky clothes without expelling her again. And he demanded that Winky is wearing clean clothes ever!”

“Oh dear.” Harry panted perplexed with big eyes. “How had you given her clothes . . . Ahm this sweet dresses . . . without freeing her?” he corrected himself when he received a glare from the blonde.

“There was a spell I found years before in our library at home and finely it came in handy . . . hah?” Draco smiled brightly at the elf who squeaked in her delight when her master’s friend said that she was wearing nice dresses.

“Master Draco bought them only for Winky, he had told her!” she called joyfully and turned to show her beautiful clothes.

“That’s all for now. Thank you for hearing me sweets.” the blonde soothed the house elf gently and she smiled a bright elf’s smile at him and popped out again.

“Hm . . .” Harry said and looked closely at the other one. He did not know what he should say to that so he just watched until Draco could not take it anymore and laughed.

Gleefully he punched his friends arm softly. “Come on you. Let get started again since you really needed a little break.”

“We both needed a break! If you had forgotten you were as frustrated as I was here!” Harry all but shouted but his eyes sparkled with happiness.

The blonde only giggled in excitement and seated himself cross-legged in front of him once more.
“Yeah, yeah. You slave driver!”

But, the wooden door was opened rather roughly at this moment so Draco saved a replay to that.
“Draco! I think Crabbe is going to beet up Marcus! We need your help down there!” Nott shouted almost panicked but did not loose his opportunity to bat his eyes at him.

“Where are Pansy and Blaise?” the blonde rolled his eyes but stood ignoring this pathetic try of his flirting.

Harry was first taken aback by this shameless attempt of . . . what ever that had been . . . but suddenly felt anger boiling up inside of him, which he did not understood. And like always when something like that happens or he thought of similar thing he pushed them away from his mind and banned them somewhere deep, deep in his memory.

Left alone with only a drink he looked around for the first time. He hadn’t been here before . . . and why should he when they could talk in the common room as good as somewhere else? Bored he wandered over to a fairly big bookcase.

First he flew over the titles which where barely readable. Then he took a closer look and discovered that the most of them were indeed in other languages. But, the less full board in there held divination books what surprised him a bit and he really wanted to know who of the boys read those kinds of books.

When the door opened softly again an annoyed looking Draco entered, he turned a questioning look at him. “Those morons! Really, all they’re doing is fight and then they didn’t even used the little brains they had!” the blonde cursed still a bit confused why they had started that fight in the first place.

“Whose books are those?” Harry shrugged at their disruption, his mind already on the case again.

“Huh?” the blonde looked puzzled at him and blinked silently. “Oh! The most of them are mine. Those divination books you’re staring at are Blaise’s.”

He laughed amused when the other teen tried to touch one of the books but pulled his hand sharply back when a little flame almost touched him. “It’s hexed. For protection, you know. I don’t want those idiots touch any of my things so . . .”

“Hm . . .” the raven-haired one hummed again and shook his head in dismissal. “What kind of languages are these?”

“Ha! So, you found my training books. Oh well . . . the Potion books are in French, the Transfiguration’s are; in Spanish, Charms is Italian, Arithmancy is in Latin and the rest in English like you see.” Draco mentioned not really interested in that he wanted to try something new with Harry, now!

“Why do you have so much different books for classes in so many different languages?” Harry asked with a lifted brow. The blonde got him really curious yet, somehow he felt interest and pride but could not make out why, and what kind of interest he hold.

“I am a pureblood.” he muttered disturbed and motioned almost frankly to his bed at the moment.

“That doesn’t explain anything Draco.” the raven-haired teen answered to that and shook his head in misunderstanding.

“Well, purebloods have a lot of subsidiary families in other countries then just Britain, you know. How do you talk to them when you do not understand them? . . . Right learn their language!” the blonde sighed and finally shoved the other teen to his bed. “Now don’t waste my time with your ignorance like that! I want to get done with this already!”

Now Harry laughed amused, finally Draco looked at things like he did. He had been the first who did not want to start and yet Draco was bickering around just a bit annoyed. When that was not funny!

He let himself be pressed on the bed and looked at the blonde expectantly. “Then show me Master!” he chuckled silently when Draco swung his fist at him.

“Stop distracting me! . . . Take a deep breath and close your eyes.” he demanded and pushed his hands to Harry’s chest to feel his heart and breathing rate.


###


Severus Snape was confused, but only a little bit! Because he could hardly read himself these days. He felt somehow pleased and sour at the same time. And, this confusion in his mind drove him silently crazy and that was confusing too!

He was pleased because Draco had taken care of his problem with the Potter boy and since then they were actually making progress. And, since the two of them had made their peace and reunited all houses no students bothered him anymore with their annoying questions because all of them were too dense for the complexity of Potions!

He was grateful for that . . . really he was. But, sadly, all their skills had risen too with this fact. Arg . . . this was all a mass!

They had become friends. Way too early in his opinion but what, could he do now . . . ?

“Enough of that now!” a husky growl could be heard suddenly and Severus’ head shot up startled. Then, to his displeasure, a sound close to a squeak left his throat without permission.

“No more excuses now! I have waited too long! But now . . . Now I claim you as mine like you’re supposed to be!” the other man snarled happily again and laughed delighted deep in his throat.

With only a few strong steps, he was by the side of the Potions master and hauled him out of his cosy armchair. And, unexpectedly Severus found himself pushed into his bedchamber and tackled to his bed.

He tried to protest but his lips were sealed the next instant with another pair of lips and he sighed annoyed. But, sadly his resolve faltered the deeper that kiss got until all of his thoughts left his head in a steamy cloud.

“Mine!” the other man grumbled softly but still dangerous like he could be and Severus arched up into the body on top of him heatedly.


###


“Pansy! Pansy . . . “panted a third year out of breath seeing that he had been running after her for quite a while now. The girl stopped and waited patiently that he would tell her what seemed to be so important and then leave her alone again.

“What now?” she demanded finally after he took his time and had not spoken again until he had cried after her. Her wavering patients showing in the tapping of her foot and her arms set akimbo.

“It’s this way! Two boys . . . I think a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff . . . are fighting and . . . the others are just standing there and watching and . . .

“Okay, I think I get the rest! Now show me the goddamn way!” she huffed frustrated and marched away in the direction the third year had shown her.

I have to do everything myself! . . . And at that it is only some little stuff like this!

She almost threw her arms in the air in her annoyance but she decided to only sigh again and picking up her speed, the little boy now sprinting beside her.

When they finally reached their destination, the Slytherin prefect was really angry and impatient. But there was no fight at all, only a few people talking. Silently she turned slowly towards the boy that had gotten her here and she saw him flinch away.

“Why have you just brought me here . . . did you think I find the situation funny so I would laugh over your little stunt?” she asked slowly with a cold voice and furious blazing eyes. The boy almost shrieked but he was not a Gryffindor for nothing.

He tried to stay calm and not to flee from this place but kept his silent. And the girl felt like slapping him.

“No, Pansy it’s alright. They did fight but I come over here and saw them. I thought I would take some work from Harry . . . and Draco.” a quiet voice was heard and the black haired girl turned again, this time a bit faster until her enraged eyes met those of the shy Neville Longbottom.

“I . . . I only wanted to help.” he tried to defend himself when she still looked livid at him.
She looked at him silently for a while and noticed that his bravery was wavering away the longer she watched him. And then she felt like smirking.

Finally Pansy took a deep breath and closed her eyes. With a smile, she let her breath out which she had held for a moment and looked at him again. “Thank you . . . You did help.”

Neville smiled brightly at her and she felt a little twinge in her heart. Her eyes widened slightly for only a little moment but then she turned fast and marched away without looking back once again. So she left a confused and hurt looking Neville behind her.

‘Oh, oh . . .’ was all she could think right now. That was not meant to be happening. She never had felt that twitch before but she thought she did know what it meant. ‘Oh, oh.’ With an unsteady heartbeat, she hurried into the Slytherin common room. She needed to think and analyse what just had happened really fast. That defiantly had not been supposed to happen!

The next morning she entered the Great Hall for breakfast late and sleepy. Blaise looked at his best friend and waddled his eyebrows at him. He received a little smile for it and then looked at Pansy again. Huffing, she almost fell into her seat between them and laid her head on her crossed arms on the table.

Draco furrowed a brow in question and looked at Blaise again but the boy only shrugged. “What’s wrong Pansy?” he finally asked a little worried.

But, she was so groggy . . . she had spent most of the night pondering over this incident in the corridor and had found an answer but she was not really happy with it. Maybe it even was quite a shock to her and . . . “I think I’m fallin’ in love.” She mumbled and sighed exhausted and shook her head, which still rested on her arms.

Draco barely had the power to hold his jaw straight in place but his eyes widened dramatically at this news.

Blaise gasped silently. It was not easy to surprise him with this kind of ability he held but Pansy just shocked him quiet well. He actually did not know what to say and it was really rare that that happened.

“You do? . . . Ahm . . . Pansy are you . . . will you tell us for whom you are falling?” the blonde asked almost silent and looked still wide-eyed at her to find some answers.

Then she was silent for a while and huffed quietly into her school uniform. “Longbottom.” was all she could master to say and tried to imagine her friend’s expression right now.

Yet Draco gasped almost equally shocked as Blaise and maybe Pansy herself and then he grinned madly at his friend. Blaise tried his best to hold back his snort of amusement but finally gave up and broke out in laughter. Draco joined him only seconds later.

Both held their stomachs and laughed like they had gone crazy. This was just too great. Sweet Pansy who claimed that she would never fall in love . . . did . . . and then she was falling for a Longbottom of all people!

The girl looked up suddenly when she heard her friends laughing their asses of because of her . . . misery. She watched them for a moment until her head told her that they were laughing about her and her eyes widened in annoyance.

Silently she reached up without them noticing it and slapped their heads rather hard to shut them up.

“Owe.” They cried in unison and looked with faked hurt at her. But, she only held her nose up high into the air to show them what they could do to her right now.

From Gryffindor table two sets of eyes were watching their ‘friendly’ display silently. Soft brown eyes gleamed in delight and a faint pink appeared be seen on the holder’s cheeks. Piercing green laughed amusedly when both boys got their lecture and dug their heads after their punishment.


###


“It can’t be that bad! After all, he got better in every training meeting you set up with Potter. You two noticed as well as everyone else!” the girl cried out without noticing that she was defending him already.

That had been true, Draco thought to himself while they walked to the Greenhouses. Neville Longbottom had somehow mastered his clumsiness. During their training sessions, the boy had really gotten better every time. Harry had said it is because he is determined to reach his parents and that his grandmother once had said something he had not gotten out of his head. Something, with being worth or some kind.

Now he thought back at their first meetings for this special training. Harry had told him that not even Dumbledore knew what they were doing in the Room of Requirement. He had said that it was specially organized by all four founders and no one could see or witness what happens in there (2).

He remembered that he had been excited about that because he did not wanted that Dumblefuck knew everything they were planning and doing. And, he remembered that he had told Harry back there that he now was one of Umbrigde’s Inquisitors. The raven-haired teen had been so furious with him shouting of betrayal and untrustworthiness. But, after quite some time he had noticed that Draco did his best to manipulate this stupid woman and that it actually had helped him.

Yes, it had helped when Harry had been forbiddingly in Sev’s pensive and had seen what his parents had been like. There he had asked the Weasley twins for the very first time to help him, helping Harry. But that was all another story.

Hm . . . Room of Requirement . . . training meetings.

Laughing he remembered that they somehow had forced all students to attend them. Some had tried their best to stay away but Blaise, Pansy and he, himself had hunted them down all and practically pushed them into the room.

Harry had been thoughtful back then and had tried to find a way to test and teach them all. Hermione had helped him and first they had tested everyone’s skills in defence. After the both of them had worked, everything out they had partnered them in groups that had been quite funny when he thought of it now.

Some of the best had been partnered with some of the worst. They had screamed their heads of and had started to make trouble. Even Hermione’s persuasive powers had not help their after he had lost his patience and treated to hex everyone who would not shut up and comply. A few had tried, he smirked at this memory and Madame Pomfrey had not been pleased with him about that.

But it got better, he remembered too. After some time they got better and better. Because their decision had been right. The worst had grown on the best and the best had kept grounded because of the worst students. Some even made friends.

Harry had trained them all, including himself. And, Harry, by teaching, taught himself. In those groups, they had formed some kind of balance and power against Voldemort. When they worked together, every one of them, he believed they could best and destroy him finally and that without those powers he had discovered before his fifth year.

In those inter-house-meetings Pansy and Hermione asked everyone to come, of course a few of them still needed to be pushed . . . Well in this meetings those groups had started to talk and even trained themselves without caring anymore.

He remembered that Harry had laughed so hard back then, when he had noticed and had told him that he did not needed to force them to come to those meetings anymore. They would come nevertheless and would talk outside of training and inter-house-meeting. He had been confused of course because of the few scraps of conversation he actually had understood out of Harry’s laughter.

And the teen had had the guts to say him that he had forced them to be friends now. Good job. Of course, he had been angry with him but now he could laugh about it too. Partly Harry had been right but . . . he shrugged it of none of his business anymore.

“Would you please listen to me when I’m talking to you!” he heard Pansy almost screaming and blinked confused. Then he jerked back startled because somehow Pansy had leaned into him so much that their noses where touching.

“Look! Potter is furious again!” Blaise cried out excited and danced around like the crazy guy he was. Again, Draco could only blink. Somehow, he had missed something.

“Oh no! Look. Madame Sprout had a list in front of her nose again. That can only mean partner projects!” now Pansy cried more horrified then excited.

“With your luck you end up with Longbottom or Crabbe.” the blonde smirked and watched the crowd in the Greenhouse come to an abrupt halt.

“Now, now! Don’t be so scared without a reason.” Madame Sprout said and waddled her brows at them.

“But you have those god damn papers in your hands again!” one of the crowd shouted back at her and she looked down into her hands confused. Then a big smile graced her face and she waved her arms around. “Partner projects!”

“Sometimes she reminds me too much of Severus.” Draco mumbled and shook his head. Automatically he moved next to Harry, who smirked at him.

“Do you think they’re all like Snape?” the raven-haired teen asked and crooked a grin at him.

Just there the Herbology teacher cried out their names over the noisy students. And the blonde could only nod. “Just like Sev.” he mumbled again and shook his head.

“Look at it this way. Now I won’t get a bad mark in Herbology.” Harry laughed when Draco only lifted a brow at him and shook his head once again.

“You know sometimes I wish that you fail badly just to proof my point. You’re bloody annoying!” he sighed and looked up to the emerald-eyed one with a little smile.

“I know, I know but look at that, Blaise is partnered with Goyle.” Harry replied and almost shook his head in delighted laughter.

Draco could not contradict that . . . poor Blaise. He watched over to all of them again and noticed that Pansy was indeed with Neville now. At least the two of them would entertain him a bit while both tried their best not to blush whenever they touched accidentally.


***


He was so damn tired and exhausted that he had to fight to even get near Slytherin territory. Frustrated he sighed and pushed his hand through his fine blonde hair. He felt like slumping and forgetting but of course, this was not possible . . . like everything else he wished for. At least it seemed like it.

Sometimes everything felt like it would get the better of him and he would snap and scream at . . . everyone and goddamned Harry clueless Potter, of course. He had hoped for so much but suddenly . . .
At first, he had thought it would be enough to be friends with him. It was but only for a short time. He wanted more.

Then when they had gotten even closer, he had thought again it would be enough but . . . it had not been. He still wanted something more, something deeper and closer. But, Harry did not seem to be interested in that.

Therefore, Draco lived through everyday as it came to him and tried his best so he wouldn’t act on his wishes and desires. Why had it been Potter he had fallen for? That was the question he asked himself almost constantly but until now, he had never found an answer to it. And, it did not seem like he would. The whole thing was so frustrating!

His mind went blank everytime he tried to find a solution to his little problem and that made him really angry. By now, he had no clue what to do any more to get Harry Potter to understand his wishes.

With another irritated sigh, Draco lugged himself further towards the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Maybe a full night of sleep wasn’t his worst option now.

The blonde was so deep in his mind that he did not notice the person behind him, that he did not notice when arms sneaked around his waist but did not touch him. Not until he was pushed, rather roughly, against a wall he noticed this person.

For a moment, he saw stars dancing before his exhausted eyes then he closed them to overcome this sudden throbbing in his arching head. He yelped surprised when he felt someone press into his light body even more and pushing him into the wall.

“Who the fuck . . . “

“But Draco. Finally you’re in my arms where you belong and now you’re using such foul words on me.” he heard the sweet whisper and he shuddered in loathing.

Theodor Nott!

Again!

“You know as good as I know that you want to be with me. I had seen you looking at me. It is returned you know. I do want to be with you too.” his attacker purred in his ear.

Draco felt his dinner come up again and wasn’t very happy about it. That was the last he needed right now . . . but . . . what if he gave in to Nott and his disgusting voice and body. Maybe his own mind and body would stop their torture and he would let Harry Potter be Harry Potter.

Maybe he could even go back to fighting with him everytime they met . . . but . . .
Somehow it felt wrong but he was so tired of Harry ignoring his feelings . . . and . . .

His rumbling mind was interrupted when he noticed some filthy lips moving closer to his own and he started to panic. Fighting hard he pushed against Nott to get away from him but somehow he was not strong enough and could not find an answer why that was the case. He had been before so why wasn’t he now? Was he really that tired?

But as soon as the boy had come near him he left and Draco blinked confused until he noticed that now other arms were around him and Nott was lying on the floor motionless.
Surprised he looked up again and straight into furious emerald eyes.

They were almost black when he looked closer at them and a wild untamed fury was blazing in their deeps. It scared him only a bit he told himself when he noticed Harry’s hard grip and the angry face. He had pressed his lips into a thin line to keep from shouting, Draco thought, his breathing ragged. He was panting like a bull right before attack.

“What . . . “ he cried out and wanted to finish his sentence with ‘do you want?’ but Harry interrupted him mid sentence with his angry shout that finally broke through his thin lips.

“What do you think you were doing you git? Finally you found someone to serve you right and who would do everything you want them to do?!” the raven-haired teen hissed furious at him and shook him forcefully.

“What are you talking about you idiot?!” he replied now, angry as well fighting against the strong grip that hold him in place.

“I’m talking about this little scene here were you tried to press yourself into this scum right at your feet! I have seen the way you looked when he was holding you like that when no one is allowed to h . . . Have it your way then!” Harry snarled and pushed the blonde suddenly away from him.

Stumbling Draco tried to find the right words in this minute but it was very difficult when your head was swirling with so much angry shouts, which wanted to get out of your mouth. His face went expressionless and his eyes into a stony cold. Again his training of his father how a Malfoy had to act in public showed itself useful.

“You bloody fool! Think what you want! But let me tell you that Nott is the last one I want to be close to! But that doesn’t explain why you seem to think that any of this is your business! When I want to get involved with someone it’s my and only my business! Do you hear me! Even when it is Granger herself! It never was any of your fucking concern. You are not allowed to touch me! You are not allowed to shout at me when someone is touching me!” the blonde screamed and panted harshly while he tried to ignore the little twinge in his heart right after the words left his mouth.

This little . . .

“You’re right it isn’t any of my business but that doesn’t allow you to get touched! Only because you feel like you needed to get laid properly every now then!” Harry cried back and felt his eyes twitch in anger, his fists hanging by his sides as if he feared to use them.

Draco gasped shortly and began to shake slightly in his fury. No one had ever done something like that to him; no one had ever touched him this deeply! He hadn’t allowed it! And now this . . . Potter called him a slut!

“Even if! So what? It’s not like you care or as I care that you care! You better get away from me and stay this way before I lose my control! Don’t you dare speaking to me again so soon! You bloody ignorant! Just fucking stay away from me!” Draco shouted again at the top of his lungs.

He didn’t know what to say anymore. Of course there was more but right now his mind was a furious white wall.

He turned and marched away suddenly so energetic that he could kill the Potter git right now. He mumbled incomplete sentences on his way to Slytherin common room but found no words, which would suit Potter right now; they were all way too good for him. He deserved to rot in hell with his little weasel friend!

Pansy looked up startled when suddenly their wall slammed back into place and the whole Slytherin house went quite while their leader, their prince marched through it on a death path, seething like there would be no morning again.

Silently she caught Blaise’s eyes and he lifted a brow in amusement. She only nodded and got up.
“Potter!” she said as if that would explain everything . . . and somehow it did.

When did it not when it comes to Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter?


###


Still angry he stared at the wall, not aware of the figure on the ground. He already had forgotten about him. He was sure he knew very well that no one was allowed to hold the blonde like that! But why had he made those comments then . . .
Somehow it confused him to no end why the blonde git got angry. He was the one who had caught him in that situation not the other way around so why had he been this angry?

His mind was clouded when he thought about what had just happened. Maybe he finally would find some answers for all his questions when he asked Hermione for help. Therefore, he would need to bring up all the thoughts of the last year he had shoved deep into the back of his mind then.

Yeah . . . Hermione seemed to be his best option now. She said herself she knows everything even when it was said as a joke. So now here was her exam and he was her broad of examiners!
With a new task and a promise of some peace he marched away, again ignoring the body on the ground, and right towards Gryffindor tower.

“Hermione?” he all but shouted into the common room and looking around wildly. “I need your help. Really badly, I think.”

The girl only nodded but did not look up at his request. Sighing she turned a page and nodded again. Someday everyone would learn to figure out their problems on their own but until then . . . she would have to suffer it would seemed.

Harry seated himself on her right side and suddenly went quiet, watching his hands. When she looked up and lifted a brow in question he didn’t even notice while he was still staring at his hands as if they would tell him for what he was searching.

“Harry! Just say it!” she said forcefully and nudged his side short temperedly, which was not really like her but her day had been a bit stressful until now. So what?

“I think I have a few problems with Draco and I need to know what all these feelings and all this confusion means.” he smiled softly at her not really saying what he wanted to know.

“What happened?” the brown haired girl asked again with her nose in her book.

“Mhm . . . it’s strange somehow. I went through the corridors for . . . I went through the corridors and saw him there. Nott was with him again, was embracing him tightly, and tried to kiss him and . . . I don’t know, something snapped inside me. I knew that I didn’t wanted that anyone is allowed to touch him like that and that I didn’t wanted him to like it when anyone is touching him.” he tried to explain with sudden shyness that was equally to Neville’s own.

Hermione looked up like the devil himself had just hit her. She was dumbfounded . . . and speechless and . . . It couldn’t be that Harry was this dense! It just couldn’t be!

“Have you gotten hit on your head?” she asked him now with honest concern in her eyes. Confused the raven-haired teen furrowed his brows.
‘Not this question again!’

“No.”

The prefect opened her mouth but closed it again and shook her head slightly. With another sigh she shut her book and looked properly at him for the first time since he had sat down on her right side.

“I think you should use your brain a bit because you already have all your answers Harry. Everything Draco and you went through is in your head. You remember every emotion and every situation. Just think about them and do not shove them away again! But I have to say that you really took your time. I could have bet you would come to the root of your little problem earlier.”

“What do you mean?”

And now he was hit on the head from Hermione herself. “Don’t be this dense Harry! You figured out every trap Voldemort set for you until now but you can’t think of why only Draco gets more under your skin then anyone else? Please tell me you have more than that in your head!” Hermione almost pleaded with him and shaking her head every now and then.

“I think Draco is rubbing off on you.” He complained and looked a bit shocked at her. But then he watched her silently. Noticed that she wanted to read but that she wanted him to find out what he needed too. Finally he nodded and stood up.

“I’ll go to bed. I’m a bit tired, sorry.”

“But Harry . . . ?”

“I think about it! Promise.” he replayed and waved friendly at her before he went up the stairs and into the boys bath to take a long shower before he would crawl into bed. Maybe it would clear his head a bit and he could think about everything rationally. Like Hermione always does.


With only a towel around his waist and a towel in hands, he stepped into the boys dormitory. ‘It had helped . . . at least a bit’ he thought while he rubbed his raven locks dry. The shower really had cleared his mind a little and maybe he would find what he was searching for. Anyhow he hoped so.

He remembered the first Quidditch game in fifth year where Draco had blushed furiously when he had caught the snitch. Back there he had been curious why the blonde had flushed like that because he had known that the blonde’s heart hadn’t been in their fights anymore, since the end of the Tri-Wizarding-Tournament he thought.

But then the fights had stopped suddenly and he remembered that Draco first had said he had better things to do than fight with him but then he hadn’t even responded to any kind of talk from Harry himself.

But then he had asked for a house unity and Harry remembered that when Draco had suggested it they had talked normally for the first time and he remembered too that it had felt really good to talk and joke around with him.

Since then they had become even closer then friends he thought because friendship somehow felt like when he was with Hermione and Neville or even Pansy and Blaise. With Draco it had always felt different, more intense and so normal that sometimes it had scared him just a bit.

Back then he had started to notice that he sometimes had been overprotective about Draco and that he had hated it at first when Pansy called him darling. He didn’t like it now but now he knew that the two of them were only friends . . . Because Pansy was already with Neville.

He smiled softly when he remembered how Neville had beamed at everyone and anything because suddenly Pansy was with him, was kissing and hugging him, was protecting him from Snape.
Neville had blossomed and had gotten more self confidence. Somehow he had managed to get the stronger of the two to protect Pansy himself. But he still was the sweet gentle guy everyone knew.

With a growl he remembered that Snape himself had changed too. He wasn’t torturing him anymore. Sometimes he ignored him but then he handled him like every other student. And strangely since Remus was back as their DADA teacher he had seen him almost smile at Remus. And Remus had definitively set his territory for Snape because he sometimes was jealous or protective or hot bothered . . .

‘Oh!’

Harry shook his head to get this kind of thoughts out of his mind. No bad images of Snape and Remus! No bad images of Snape and Remus! No bad . . .

Hermione had gotten someone too, Ryan. He seemed to be okay and he trusted Hermione’s judgement but he had never met the guy. And only Blaise knew what the guy looked like.

Hermione smiled brightly almost every morning now. And her smile got even bigger when a brown owl landed on her shoulder with a letter on her leg. She always petted the owl and then read the letter and then to pull out a parchment and write down a fast reply to it. Hermione once had told them that it was her own with a special order until she already took Crookshanks with her to school.

Blaise . . . he remembered when they had found out that Blaise was a gifted diviner. He had been really shocked and Draco had promptly defended him even when no one had said a word until then. He remembered that he had wished that Draco would stand to him as he stood to Blaise.

And when Draco had helped him with his concentration . . . of course he had been a bit annoyed at Draco’s bickering but Draco never did something like that with anyone else so he had been pleased.

And in his room he had learned that Draco always had been friends with the house elves and that he had schoolbooks in different languages. He had been so proud of him but he had not thought of it then, he just had shoved this emotion into the back of his mind.

And then was what had happened today when Nott had embraced Draco and had tried to kiss him.
He knew that his magic went into rumble and slipped out of his control. He had been furious . . . but not really with Draco he discerned now. But he had shouted at the blonde without even thinking . . . but those two had looked so close and . . .

He had been jealous, he admitted to himself now with an angry snarl in the back of his throat. He had sworn at him, certainly called him a slut even when he had known that Draco was still a virgin. Blaise had told him that once, of course back then he had not known why the black boy had thought that it had been important.

Silently he put on his pyjama bottoms and crawled into bed.

Hermione had been right. Only Draco was able to get under his skin like that, no one else could. And he knew that only he got under Draco’s skin. There had always been tension between them since the first day they had met in Madame Malkin’s. And now he understood it, he hoped at least.

Now it was time to act on this tension! When he wasn’t to wrong about his memory of this evening he knew that Draco wanted that too. But why had the blonde never acted on it in the first place and surprised him with it?

. . .

Because he feared his second rejection, because he was concerned for him, Harry, as well and had always taken care of him like this since they had become friends, he noticed now and sighed almost exhausted.

Yes, it was definitely time to change their relationship once more! Into something better he thought tiredly, closed his curtains and cuddled back into his pillows.

A/N: Finally I am done with it! Puh . . . and it took me so long! I am sorry, do not hurt me. But, it was not my fault you know. My father decided to change our internet provider and cut us of off the net for a whole month. ^.^’
Anticipate next chapter! Yes, yes. Are they now going to get together . . . ? ^_^
Tell me what you think.

(1) . . . again a German proverb
(2) . . . is this the right name of this clever cat in English? ^.^

thrnbrooke:

So true, poor Harry has no idea. But of cause he figured it out in this chapter, ha ha. ^.^

paigeey07:

Good. I like you staying here and reading my stuff. ^_^ Is that selfish?

Draco_Harry_lover:

I’m sorry. I truly am. Sometimes I forget that nobody knows what’s in my head and . . . I’m sorry. ¢_¢’ *silent crying*
I know Draco is really out of character here but look at it this way. This is the Draco I think he is or could be when he feels carefree and . . . I think a big rule of the Malfoy’s is this façade they keep in public and I wished him to show to his family (like I will explain in chapter 7) and of course Harry like he is when he drops the mask he wears or had worn for so many years. And I like him a little more sensitive so . . . ^.^
Thank you so much for reading and liking . . . the part you understood. I promise I’ll try to get better. ^-^