Chapter 1- The New Roommate

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fanfic, they all belong to JK Rowling. Harry Potter TM belongs to JK Rowling. She is one lucky woman.

This is the completely edited version of There's a Fine Line, and I hope you enjoy it! Review, review, review! xxx

Harry sighed and blew his unruly black hair in a futile attempt to keep it from his eyes-though it fell back down immediately. His belongings just weren't fitting in his trunk, and he had to leave for the Hogwarts Express in five minutes! Not using magic was killing him.

"Harry," a voice floated up the stairs, which he recognised as Mrs Weasley. "We need to go!"

The raven haired boy slammed his trunk shut, ignoring the clothes still spilling out of it, grabbed his new owl, Cinco, and thundered down the stairs. He found Mrs Weasley, along with Ron and Hermione in the kitchen of The Burrow. Hermione stood from the wonky chair she was perched on and wrapped her arms around Harry.

"Let's go, we don't want to miss the train." She said to him after their embrace, stepping back to hold Ron's hand.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry questioned quietly.

Molly looked down at her feet before saying, "Well Harry, Ginny decided that it was best if she made her own way to the train station. I think she feels that things are still awkward between the two of you." Harry opened his mouth to protest and then realised that Ginny was right. Things had been awkward. Harry had broken up with her in the summer, but he hadn't been particularly specific in his reasoning for their abrupt separation. He felt bad about it, he really did, but he just couldn't bring himself to have a conversation with her, especially now that she was being hostile and aloof around him.

"Oh okay," he responded, before breaking the silence that ensued his response by pretending to check his trunk was done up properly.

Avoiding the hustle and bustle of young, eager wizards was an arduously impossible task when you were stood on Platform 9 ¾. Harry dragged his luggage cart behind him, while searching for anyone he knew who was returning for 8th year like he was.

He was already painfully aware of the multitude lost from his year in the battle, but preferred to not think about it. It haunted his dreams enough.

Also, he knew that very few people were returning this year because it was optional. It was being offered this year because the War had severely affected the students' school work; especially Harry's, as he had skipped the majority of the year in favour of Horcrux hunting with Ron and Hermione.

Harry felt a tug on his arm and turned to see Ron who said, "Come on mate, Hermione's found us a compartment with Neville and Luna."

"Oh yeah, right, okay, let's go," Harry fumbled with his words as usual, and then followed Ron. His head turned sharply at the last second, as he saw a flash of platinum blonde hair walk past him.

Draco Malfoy.

Harry fidgeted in his seat, trying to get the blonde out of his head. Malfoy had him thinking about him. Harry hated that.

"Can you just get comfortable already, Harry?" Ginny snapped, quickly turning back to face the window, crimson red.

"Sorry, Ginny." Harry mumbled. He looked around the quiet compartment at his friends, all of whom engrossed in their own activities. Ginny was recovering from the shame of speaking to him, Ron and Hermione were having a heated discussion about how important it was that Ron actually complete his homework this year, and Luna and Neville were snuggling and eating Chocolate Frogs. Harry couldn't help but smile at the cute couple before him. They had gotten together during the War, literally during the War, and they had been together ever since. They really were perfect as a pair.

"I'm gonna go to the loo," Harry announced, louder than expected. He was gone before anyone could even look up. The boy paced the train, not looking for somewhere to relieve his bladder, but looking for somewhere to clear his head, and hopefully relieve himself of the thoughts about the blonde. If only the Express had a Room of Requirement!

Head down, face frowning in thought, Harry failed to see the tall boy walking towards him. Suddenly, Harry was pushed in to the wall, his glasses falling to the ground.

"Watch where you're going, Potter," Draco sneered at him, before stomping on the floor and hearing the distinct crunch of glasses.

"Oops." The blonde feigned innocence, and then sauntered off, his friends in tow. Brushing himself off, Harry stood, fixed his glasses with a simple 'Reparo' and headed back to his compartment. He avoided Draco for the rest of the train journey, and instead forced himself to be interested in whatever his friends were talking about now.

The light clinking noise of the spoon against the goblet had everyone's attention quickly. A certain raven- haired boy turned to face the new head teacher. Minerva McGonagall began speaking.

"Hello and welcome to a new year at Hogwarts...blahblahblah...starting afresh...blahblahblah," Harry tuned out, allowing his eyes to wander around the room. They fell on a silvery eyed, blonde haired Slytherin. A sharp jab in the ribs, courtesy of Hermione brought Harry back to reality, just as part of McGonagall's speech caught his attention.

"And now," she proceeded. "To all the 8th years; you will no longer use your house common rooms but instead have one shared common room for all the houses. Also, you will each now share a room with only one other person. This is to promote inter-house unity and friendship, and considering everything you lot have been through, we feel that it is very much needed. The Sorting Hat will decide for you." Waves of interest rippled through the Great Hall, proven by the audible gasps. Professor McGonagall quietened the students and then continued.

"Every year may now go back to their common rooms, except for the 8th years; you will stay and be assigned your roommates."

When the rest of the student body had dutifully filed out of the Great Hall, McGonagall began calling names. The whole scenario reminded Harry of first year when he was Sorted into Gryffindor. He chuckled as he reminisced about how scrawny he was back then, and how desperately he didn't want to be in Slytherin. He watched as Hermione marched to the front and was Sorted with Pansy Parkinson, followed by Ron who was placed with Blaise Zabini. Then, his name was called.

Feeling the eyes of his peers on him, Harry walked up to Professor McGonagall, who placed the old, wrinkled and greying hat on his head and then stepped back. Unlike last time, when the Sorting Hat had spent a long time deciding on which house to put Harry in, it called out straight away.

"DRACO MALFOY!"

Surprised and shocked, Harry burst out of his seat, knocking the Sorting Hat off his head in the process. He wanted to scream and shout and yell and cry but McGonagall was pushing him towards his seat, a sympathetic look gracing her features.

His eyes found their way to where Malfoy was sat, looking just as surprised and angry as Harry felt. AT least the feeling was mutual.

When the Sorting was over, Harry dragged his feet to his new room, which could be found behind a painting of a snake and a lion fighting. How coincidental, Harry thought, before remembering that this was Hogwarts, and coincidences didn't happen. The painting probably changed for them based on who they were. Harry sighed and pushed the door open. Let's just get this over with. He stepped through the portrait without saying a password, it would be decided by Harry and Draco later, and looked around him at his new room.

Inside, there was a couch in front of a fireplace, and two beds pushed against the far side of the wall. On either end of the room, there were two doors, which Harry assumed lead to bathrooms. One thing stood out the most for Harry, Draco wasn't there.

He breathed a sigh of relief and began unpacking his trunk. He had almost finished when Draco did step through the snake and lion painting, lugging his trunk behind him.

Harry sighed. "Malfoy."

"Potter." Draco replied. "Have you learnt how to see where you're going?" Draco said with a laugh, Harry just continued unpacking, seemingly paying no interest to Draco whatsoever.

"I can see perfectly fine thank you."

"Oh really, Four Eyes?"

Harry sighed again. "Whatever, Malfoy. I'm not here to get into trouble this year. I did enough of that last year."

"And every year before that," Draco sniggered and then threw himself tiredly onto his bed.

"I can't believe I have to share a room with you for this entire year!" Harry cried, also falling onto his bed.

"Me too, my father is going to hear about this!"

After a few minutes of silence, Harry turned on his side so he could face Draco.

"Malfoy," he started, "maybe we should make a truce. After all, the sooner we accept the fact that we're going to have to live together for the next year, well, the sooner we can be friends."

"Okay Potter, we might as well try. Though I have to say it's going to be weird not constantly being at each other's throats."

"Well, I'm not saying that we suddenly have to be the best of friends, but always fighting isn't particularly fun for either of us is it?"

Draco replied with a small nod and then turned onto his back so he was staring at the ceiling.

Harry did the same. Being friends with Malfoy, now that would be something new...