Are we Friends?
That incident still gave him creeps. Draco Malfoy could still feel it. He could still see everything clearly in his mind's eye. It had been his close call with death and he had been saved twice.
He could still feel his lungs suffocating, the black smoke rising all around him. He knew he would have been dead if Potter, Weasley and that Mudblood Granger hadn't pulled him and Goyle out of the Fiendfyre. Goyle hadn't survived it. He himself had started the fire and succumbed to it.
He could hear Ron Weasley's words ringing in his ears after having stunned the Death Eater, "And that's the second time we've saved your life tonight, you two - faced bastard!"
He wondered whether Crabbe or Goyle would have put their lives in danger to save him - Malfoy. Now that he came to think about it, he really doubted it. They would have saved their own skins rather than worrying about anybody else. And now even as he thought about it, he realised he would have done the same.
An odd emotion passed through him. He had never felt that way before. Potter, Weasley and Granger - They had been together right from the beginning till the very end. They had risked their lives for one another no matter what. They might have quarreled but in the end they had always got together. Draco suddenly realised that he was alone. All these years, he hadn't made a single faithful friend who would stand firmly by his side. He wondered why Potter and his friends had saved him that night. They could have just let him die. They had loathed each other right from the day they set their feet in Hogwarts.
A thought suddenly occured to him. What if he, Malfoy had been friends with Potter from the beginning? He wouldn't have felt so miserable may be or so lonely...
Draco jerked back to his senses. What the hell had he been thinking? It sounded as if - as if he was jealous of their friendship! It was a strange thought but it had just occurred to him.
'No!' he said aloud. 'I shouldn't think that way! I don't care about Potter, his sidekick Weasley and that Mudblood Granger! I will always hate them! How could I even think of being friends with them?' he wondered, taking himself by surprise.
He got up and began to walk. As he reached the Entrance hall, he paused looking at the three figures coming from the opposite direction. It was Potter, Weasley and Granger.
Malfoy looked at them drawing nearer and nearer. He moved back into the shadows. They hadn't spotted him. They were immersed in some deep conversation but they seemed very calm and happy.
Malfoy kept watching them till they passed him and then - 'Potter!' he called.
Malfoy didn't know what made him do it.
He saw the three of them whip around, their wands drawn. They had obviously recognised his voice.
Malfoy moved towards them and said, 'You can put that wand away Potter. I just wanted to talk'
'Ha!' said Ron. 'Not eager to fight anymore are you Malfoy? Not when your cronies aren't standing by your side -' he began but Hermione said, 'Ron!' and he stopped mid sentence.
'I just wanted to say -' Malfoy repeated but Ron cut him across. 'But what if we don't want to talk to you Malfoy?'
Malfoy ignored him. He didn't have any energy to argue anymore.
'What do you want?' asked Harry.
Malfoy hesitated and then the words poured out of his mouth before he could stop himself, 'I - I just wanted to thank you for - for you know saving my life... twice'
Harry and Hermione gaped at him. They couldn't believe their ears. They had never heard Malfoy talk so politely with them before this. Ron apparently, didn't find it surprising.
'Just look at him! So polite! He knows his Death Eater pals are dead and that's why he is apologizing to us. But I am glad you at least had the courtesy to thank us, Malfoy' he retorted savagely.
'Ron, please!' said Hermione.
'What?' Ron asked her, angrily.
'I don't want any more arguments! Will you just shut up for a bit?' said Hermione.
'That's alright.' Harry replied rather curtly and he, Ron and Hermione turned to go.
'No - wait!' said Malfoy sounding quite desperate to continue the conversation.
'Yes?' said Harry.
'Maybe you are right Weasley. I haven't got any... you know friends.' said Malfoy glumly.
Ron narrowed his eyes at Malfoy. Harry and Hermione once again exchanged disbelieving looks and Hermione mouthed, 'What's up with him?'
Harry stared at him for a moment and then said in a calm voice, 'You had told me in our first year to stay away from... what was that word? Yes riff - raff like the Weasleys and hang out with you instead. But do you realise that it is you who is alone and not us? Maybe, you should yourself have thought before choosing your friends Malfoy. Maybe then, today you wouldn't have felt so lonely' said Harry.
Malfoy looked at him as Harry guessed his thoughts correctly. Malfoy was shaking with anger but he didn't utter a single word. He kept staring at Harry, Ron, Hermione's retreating backs as they became smaller and smaller and finally disappeared.
Once they were out of earshot, Hermione said, 'Harry, you shouldn't have said that to him!'
Harry and Ron both rounded on her furiously.
'What are you talking about?' said Harry.
'Don't tell me you've got a soft corner for him!' said Ron.
'Don't be silly! It's just that I - I felt Harry was a bit rude to him.' said Hermione defiantly.
'He deserves it! Infact I was even against saving him. He should have gone the same way as his Death Eater pals!' said Ron.
'Ron, shut up! If we hadn't saved him, Harry wouldn't have been alive. Malfoy's mother lied to Voldemort when Harry assured her that Draco was alive!' said Hermione.
'Hermione, I do not regret saving Malfoy. I didn't know what was I doing that time when I saved him risking our lives but I will never regret that I saved him. But whatever I said to him right now, wasn't rude at all. It served him right for calling you a Mudblood or mocking Ron or whatever he's done to us' said Harry.
'And that's why he's gone all polite. Did he talk to us like that before? But now he hasn't got anyone and he expects us to be friends with him!' said Ron.
'How many time has he insulted us, Hermione? I hope you haven't forgotten anything! Whatever I said was right and I do not regret any bit of it' said Harry.
'I agree with you. But I - just didn't want any rivalry to exist post war, that's all. I mean there was no need to make him feel so guilty. You could have just sorted it out amicably - 'said Hermione but Ron interrupted her angrily. 'WHAT? ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FRIENDS WITH HIM?'
'Stop shouting Ron! I didn't mean anything of that sort! I just -' said Hermione.
'Stop it you two, please! I don't want to discuss Draco Malfoy at the moment.' said Harry.
'Okay fine! Let's not discuss this now. It's all over anyway' said Hermione.
Few years later -
Malfoy spotted Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny who had come to see off their children just like him. There was just one small difference. He was alone with his wife and kid while they were still together, laughing and having fun. When he caught Harry's eye, he gave all of them a small curt nod and looked away.
Some days later -
Harry and Ginny Potter's house -
Times had changed for good. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco Malfoy were at least on speaking terms now. He often found himself visiting the Potters and the Weasleys. Draco was glad that his son Scorpius and Potter's Son Albus had become best friends the moment they had met at Hogwarts. He was happy that neither Harry nor Ginny had objected to Albus and Scorpius's friendship.
Draco had taken a lot of time debating with himself whether he should speak out his deepest feelings. Finally one day, they came pouring out of his mouth when he was sitting in Harry and Ginny Potter's kitchen.
'I always envied you three, you know - you, Weasley and Granger. I mean I had...' his voice trailed off.
'Crabbe and Goyle' said Ginny.
'Yeah. They were stupid, you know. But you three?' he added to Harry, 'You liked each other. You had fun. I really envied you. I envied that friendship more than anything else. You denied my friendship and you went with them. And all three of you emerged victorious in the end' said Malfoy.
Harry stared at him utterly bemused. It seemed as if Malfoy was bursting to say that since a long time.
'Look, I know we weren't exactly friends at Hogwarts -' Harry began.
'Friends?!' Draco laughed. 'We were enemies!'
'Yes, well. But just forget about it now, alright? We loathed each other at School but our kids are friends! And I think that is really wonderful.' said Harry.
Malfoy looked at him. 'Really?' he asked.
'I mean it. And all of us - You and all four of us are well on speaking terms. We don't have any grudges against each other. Just give this some time coz it's not easy to forget -'
'I agree. It's not easy to forget whatever happened in the past but I am happy you forgave me. I am happy you didn't try to break Scorpius and Albus's friendship' said Malfoy.
'I wouldn't have done that. Ever. The war has taught me one thing amongst many others and one of it is that you need people. You need friends and your loved ones. I am not trying to be a hero or something but I am of the opinion you shouldn't dwell in the past, Draco. We should learn to forgive and forget and trust me, things turn out to be alright then' said Harry.
Malfoy was looking at him. Maybe it was the use of his first name or the effect of whatever Harry had said, for the first time he felt that Harry Potter was right and he had just found a true friend. Too full of emotion to speak, he merely nodded and gave Harry a swift smile.
It's true that there are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other and sustaining a seven year rivalry is one of them.
END.