"I can't do this anymore."

"What the hell are you talking about Malfoy?"

"Nothing Potter. Forget about I ever spoke."

Now Harry was curious. What the hell was up with Draco? They were –surprisingly enough – the only two people in the corridor. How that had happened, Harry had no idea.

Actually, now that Harry was thinking about it, he could never remember a single time he was alone with anyone – let alone Draco Malfoy – throughout his entire Hogwarts career. Now it was his third year and he'd just been trying to get his way back to the Gryffindor tower when the stairs had changed on him. He'd told Ron and Hermione to go ahead without him, he'd meet them back at the tower.

He hadn't thought much of it at the time. The stairs changed constantly. It wasn't an abnormal occurrence. There had even been other people on the stairs with him at the time, but Harry had recognised a shortcut he'd taken before, so had slipped away from the rest of the group to get the faster than everyone else (hey, he was a naturally competitive person okay!), only the shortcut didn't expel him where he had expected it to, and when he'd turned to go back the way he came the opening – and therefore the passage – had closed up.

Just then, Malfoy had appeared from around the corner and surprisingly enough, he hadn't had any of his goons with him, just as Harry hadn't had Ron or Hermione.

They'd frozen across the corridor from one another and the first thing uttered had been Malfoys: "I can't do this anymore."

It had been muttered, almost as if Draco had been talking to himself, but it had been loud enough for Harry to hear it from across the corridor.

Harry's own first response had been to immediately snap back at Draco without really processing what he'd said.

Now, looking at him, Harry saw Draco really did look utterly exhausted. So despite the fact that he and Draco had never gotten along, and despite the fact that Draco had purposefully gone out of his way to ridicule and insult Harry, he couldn't help but feel slightly worried for Malfoy.

After all, it wasn't solely Malfoy's fault for the animosity between them. Harry HAD been the one to create conflict with Draco by refusing his friendship (although it was debatable) and Harry DID ALWAYS respond to Draco's taunts and was often the one responsible for picking arguments with the other boy. So despite the fact that Harry hated the way Draco acted and hated the way he treated people he thought to be lower than him, as he stood on the opposite side of the corridor to the pale boy, who stubbornly and silently refused to move, and instead stared out of the fourth floor window, Harry was the first of the two to move.

He slowly walked towards Draco, stopping about two windows down.

"Malfoy?"

"What Potter?" Malfoy snapped at him, and Harry had to remind himself not to snap back.

Merlin, he hadn't realised it was such an ingrained habit!

"What can't you do anymore?"

Draco stared at him, surprised at Harry's tone. It wasn't mocking or taunting, it actually sounded concerned.

"Why do you care Potter?"

Harry actually had to stop and think about it. Why did he care?

"I don't know." Harry admitted honestly.

Draco scoffed in response.

"Typical Gryffindor response."

Harry was starting to get annoyed, which made him snappy, and with it being Malfoy especially, he was quick to explode.

"Just shut up for a second won't you Malfoy. I was going to say, that I don't know why I care, but you look terrible and I was just trying to ask if you were okay, because someone should! Dear God! Is that really so hard to believe? If you're going to get so defensive about something that you said in the first place then next time I just won't bother to ask!" Harry moved to shove past Draco.

Draco gave an irritated, groan in the back of his throat, before moving to stop Harry from walking past.

"Wait Potter. Just wait."

Harry didn't turn to look at Draco, but he didn't move past him either.

"What I said earlier. I meant that I don't want to constantly have to argue. I don't want to have to be cruel all the time. I know everyone in this school seems to think that all Slytherins are naturally cruel and evil, but I'm thirteen just like you and it is exhausting having to constantly be at someone's throat."

The more Draco spoke, the more intense his voice got, and the more the frown on his face deepened.

"So why do you?"

"Why do I? You're going to have to elaborate Potter."

Malfoy was a git. An insufferable git at that, but Harry only rolled his eyes and readjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder.

"Why constantly be at someone's throat? Why constantly insult people and pick fights if – and this is if I'm reading you right – you don't actually want to?" Now Harry did look at Malfoy, and his gaze didn't waver.

"Because I'm expected to."

Four words. They were so uncertain, yet they explained so much.

Ever since he'd entered the wizarding world, he'd known that people would be looking at him, expecting things from him. So he'd constantly felt self-conscious and the moment he'd been presented with a choice he'd chosen the option he knew he was expected to choose.

Given, he'd already had pre-formed conceptions that altered his way of thinking (Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin but he thought they looked an unpleasant lot), but he hadn't taken the time to really think out his decision.

'Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness.'

Harry hadn't even given Slytherin a second thought. In fact he'd gone into his Sorting believing it would be the worst possible outcome.

'Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.'

But hadn't he always had the ambition to do something – to be someone? (The need to be someone had stemmed from the need to prove the Dursleys wrong). So for that reason Slytherin would have been the logical choice.

Yet, even though the Sorting Hat had told him Slytherin could lead him to greatness, he had never considered it an option, and although it hadn't been purely due to one factor, the expectations placed on him from the minute he had been introduced to the wizarding world had a large impact on him and the actions he took. He'd wanted – needed – to fit in. Meaning being brave and most certainly NOT going to Slytherin.

Harry supposed it was all about perception. Hadn't his second year taught him all about that? He being a parselmouth had immediately labelled him as evil and/or the heir of Slytherin to most people. They'd seen what they'd wanted to see.

Since the first time he'd met Malfoy, Harry had labelled him as an arrogant from his demeanour and the way he spoke, and once he'd insulted Hagrid (the first person to be truly kind to him) Harry had immediately disliked him, he hadn't even thought to wonder why an eleven year old would say that type of thing unless that was what they had been taught.

Then their second meeting had solidified the dislike for Malfoy.

'riff-raff'

'same way as your parents'

But now Harry thought about it, it would explain Malfoy's extreme behaviour, if he was only acting, trying to be someone he was expected to be. What he'd said wouldn't seem unfit coming straight from Lucius Malfoys mouth, if only less mature.

But if that was true, what was Malfoy really like? And could Harry trust him?

"Potter. Stop staring at me."

Right.

"You're expected to insult people?" Harry asked, his tone was halfway between curious and dubious.

Malfoy didn't respond for a while and Harry was beginning to think he wasn't going to when Malfoy finally spoke.

"It creates an alternative exterior. I don't know why I'm telling this to you of all people, but it creates an image that's easy for me to control and doesn't allow people to manipulate me easily. Obviously it's not perfect, I'm sure many people have worked out I'm a naturally volatile person, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

Harry hesitated for a moment, before walking to the window and perching on the ledge. This wasn't a conversation that you could have in a few minutes, so he figured he may as well get comfortable.

Malfoy tensed when Harry began to walk away, but relaxed once Harry only moved to sit down.

Draco didn't move to sit down, but he did move so that he was leaning against the opposite side of the window, and only had to turn his head to look at Harry.

"So do you hate me?" Harry raised his eyebrow at Malfoy (something he had just learned to do, and therefore took great pleasure in doing).

Draco seemed startled by the question and consequently moved his head slightly to stare at Harry.

After a moment Draco smirked at him.

"You irritate me greatly, and I take great joy in mocking you. You're very easy to mock Potter, and you have the most amusing reactions."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Ever honoured to amuse you Malfoy." Harry's voice was so thick with sarcasm it made Draco raise his own eyebrow in mock astonishment/incredulity.

"Why do I feel as if that isn't a sincere statement?"

Harry seemed to be rolling his eyes a lot in the past few minutes.

"Don't think I didn't notice you evading the question Malfoy." Now Malfoy did truly raise his eyebrow at Harry.

"I wouldn't say I hate you. But I greatly dislike people that insult me." Malfoy's last statement was very pointed.

"You started it."

"Oh dear, are we back to infantile accusations once more?"

Harry snorted

"You can't deny it was you're fault."

"I think it's highly debatable."

"I think it's lowly debatable. You insulted Hagrid, then you insulted Ron and his family, and then you insulted my parents. I really don't see how it could possibly be anybody but your fault."

Harry stared pointedly at Malfoy, who at least had the decency to cringe at the list.

"Yes, well you didn't exactly deal with it in the most responsible manner either."

"I was eleven."

"Touché Potter."

Harry had to hold back to smile that was threatening to emerge. Draco's manner was dryly amusing and Harry was starting to see he didn't really know Malfoy in the slightest.

Harry didn't have an immediate response, but stared out of the window thoughtfully.

He stayed looking out the window for longer than he thought, Draco not breaking the silence that had settled over them.

Harry only moved his gaze from the Hogwarts grounds upon registering the set of eyes on him, at which he moved his gaze to meet Malfoys.

Draco was staring at him in a thoughtful way.

"Yes, Malfoy?"

Draco seemed to snap out of his thoughts easily.

"Just wondering why you're so relaxed Potter. I would have thought you'd be tenser."

"Touché Malfoy." Harry grinned at being able to use Malfoy's own words against him.

Draco just scoffed and shook his head.

"Imbecile." Oddly, Harry didn't really feel insulted at the insult.

"Malfoy, I swear not to tell anyone about this meeting, but I was wondering, we don't have to be at each other's throats so often."

Draco once again took the time to study him, almost to try and see if he were lying.

"I won't say anything if you don't Potter. I suppose we could just pretend."

"Pretend?"

"Yes Potter, it is the action of-"

"No! Merlin Malfoy! Honestly, I know what the word means, I was clarifying what you said. You want to…?"

"Well, you're surprisingly entertaining to talk to."

"Gee Malfoy, I feel so honoured."

"Shut up Potter, I'm talking. Anyway, I'm saying, we can just insult each other without meaning anything. It's pretty easy, you should be able to manage it."

"Are you insulting my intelligence?"

"Blatantly so, yes."

Harry just shook his head, this time he couldn't quite contain the small grin that played across his lips at the back and forth.

That was, until he glanced down and caught sight of his watch.

"Oh no."

"What?"

"Transfiguration."

"What about it?" Even as he spoke Draco was looking at his own watch, and almost simultaneously the two boys swore before taking off down the corridor at a dead run.

"This is all your fault Malfoy!"

"My fault? In what universe was this my fault?"

At the pace they were going, they reached the Transfiguration classroom in twenty minutes after they'd asked a reliable portrait the way.

"Uhh! Don't ask me questions." Harry was in too much of a rush to process and form a coherent response to exactly why this was all Malfoy's fault.

"Right. I forgot you had the intelligence of a flobberworm."

"Mister Malfoy. Mister Potter. As interesting as your conversation may be, I'm more interested in why the two of you seem to be of the opinion it is appropriate to turn up to my classroom fifteen minutes late."

"It was his fault." The accusatory response was simultaneous and both boys pointed to one another in synchronization.

"Well, you can both explain to me exactly why you're both late in detention. Take your seats."

With matching groans the boys did so, separating to join their respective friends on opposite sides of the room.