Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

summary: This story is a Draco-centric, Harry/Draco story. Set in their seventh year of school, it is time for Draco to tell the world that he wishes not to be involved in the war that is about to escalate to new heights. But with the appearance of 'James' that may not be possible.

Author's notes: This is my first fanfic so I am very sorry if it not good and feed back would be wonderful. :) I hope people enjoy.

In the Skin of a Slytherin

Chapter One- The Letter

Draco sat at the slytherin table quietly observing and assessing his surroundings. He predominantly preferred to be at breakfast early before the crowd, morning was the time of the day Draco liked to allow his mind to wander and be lost in many different thoughts while at the same time discretely watching everyone else in the Great Hall. Now in his seventh year Draco had been selected as Head Boy, and he knew this was Dumbledore's great idea for house unity, believing that if the students of the other three houses realised that Dumbledore trusted and valued the slytherins then maybe they would not hate them so much and also it was for the slytherins to be valued as well and feel like they have just as much right as anyone else to be at Hogwarts. But the old man really was unnaturally positive. It had caused much chaos when others found out who their Head Boy was, especially from Weasley. And once again Draco was lost in thought at the breakfast table only to be jerked back to the present by the calling of his name.

"Draco! You should have woken us up we were all nearly late for breakfast" Blaise's voice interrupted his thoughts as his eyes focused on its owner.

"I see no reason why I should be your alarm clock Zabini." He replied coolly, he takes orders from no one. That had been a revelation of his over the summer after his fifth year once his father had been imprisoned, Draco did not want to end up inside Azkaban like his father and therefore had really thought about his involvement in the war and had decided that he would be neutral, following no one, he very much preferred taking control especially anything that involved his own life and future.

"If we were late for transfigurations McGonagall would have taken house points" Blaise recited the line he had perfected in their second year after Draco refused to do exact ally the same thing as this morning.

"But you are not late therefore no house points will be removed. You should sit and eat your breakfast Zabini, you have not won this argument for the past six years and that is not going to change today. Stop setting yourself up for a losing battle, although I do understand if you feel the need to deflate your ego once in a while. I will happily assist with that." Draco replied regally smirking at the end of his speech.

BlaIse then dropped into his seat gracefully with an act of petulance while carefully filling his plate and shot back, "yes I'm sure you would understand something like that because you must feel the need for ego deflation all the time mustn't you Draco? Otherwise you'd be floating up among the clouds with the size of your ego!" by the end of his speech Blaise had finished filling his plate and looked up to smirk back at Draco.

"Your humour amuses me so much Zabini that I cannot help but keep a straight face!" Draco responded deprecatingly.

"I'm glad you appreciate it." BlaIse grinned.

That was the end of their conversation. Draco went back to giving his full attention to the other people within the Great Hall. And made his usual observations, his slytherins talking quietly among themselves only portraying the expressions they wanted others to see, all slytherins were observant and often their conversations were on any changes among seating positions within the Hall. The Ravenclaws were either talking quietly to one another about some subject or other or were studying or just reading. The Hufflepuffs almost made him gag due to their joviality of such an hour of the day, and the whole house seemed to be in a big dIscussion, they did this every day and yet there was never an argument which seemed implausible to Draco and always had. Then there was the Gryffindors, only half were present at the table so far the other half were probably still in bed with a high probability of being late for their first class or rushing around frantically getting ready for what was left of breakfast. Draco could see both Granger and Weasley obviously disputing with each other in hushed tones that were probably loud enough for their surrounding friends to hear, Weasley had always had a too louder voice in Draco's opinion. But their precious Potter was not with them which was becoming quite regularity this year. Draco had only seen Potter attend about half of the meals so far, they were only two weeks into school but in the past the Golden Trio were hardly ever seen apart but this year something seemed different about the Chosen One.

At that point the morning post arrived owls swooping in to deliver their messages. While scanning all the people that had received letters checking if there was anything out of the ordinary Draco also kept an eye out for the family eagle owl assigned to deliver his messages. Draco spotted Zebulun almost immediately he also saw the snowy white owl of one Harry Potter fly through the window and thought that she would soon have to fly back out as her owner was not available to take his messages from her.

Zebulun landed elegantly upon his shoulder automatically holding out his leg for Draco to retrieve the parchment attached. Which he did swiftly and wordlessly making sure his hands were steady even if his heart rate had doubled. This was the letter he had been waiting for yet dreading. This one piece of the finest parchment available would hold his future marked permanently into its skin just like one was on his father's left arm just like one his father wanted to engrave in Draco's own left forearm, and it will be due to this letter that Draco's true involvement in the war will be known. Draco's face betrayed no suggestion to the emotions rolling within his body and mind, it remained an emotionless mask.

Zebulun promptly took off without a treat; he was never to feed at the Great Hall but would instead go hunting near the forest before flying back to the Manor where he would rest. Draco pocketed the letter; he did not want an audience while reading something so private. Once completely composed Draco looked up and found Blaise arching a questioning eyebrow and giving a look to Draco's chest where the letter lay. Draco gave him a pointed look which Blaise understood and dropped the subject.

"Drakie shall we go to transfiguration now? We are cutting time a little short you know!" Pansy's voice broke Draco out of his inner turmoil and brought him back to the Great Hall and Hogwarts.

"Pansy I have already told you many a time not to call me that it is Draco or Malfoy, they are my names and please stick to them and yes going to transfigurations would be a good idea now will you kindly remove yourself from my arm so that I may get out of my seat?" Draco questioned in a strained voice, why would she not understand that he had no concepts of being with her romantically and had no interests of pretending so that she could socially climb the ladder, it had no positive results for him and only meant he was then restricted with any romantic relationships.

Pansy did not reply to Draco although she did remove herself from Draco's arm although reluctantly so Draco was able to get to his feet and perfected his robes and checked his hair. The whole of the seventh year slytherins started towards the doors lead by Draco with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him.

As Draco neared the doors to the Great Hall he saw the Boy Who Lived petting his owl and apologising for his lateness trying to tempt her with the left over bacon pieces. Draco reprimanded himself for his lack of vigilance; he had not seen Potter enter the Great Hall as he had been too busy with his letter, what else had he missed? Forgetting his surroundings was dangerous and there were several slytherins that would challenge his leadership if he let himself slip too much.

As he walked by Potter Draco couldn't help noticing that the raven haired teenager looked far skinnier than he remembered and there were huge dark circles under his eyes. Draco hadn't gotten close to the Saviour since the start of the year any encounters with Potter could result in his Head Boy position being compromised. Now that he looked at his nemesis he could tell there was definitely something wrong and like the snake he was this intrigued him and Draco hated not having answers to anything that he was curious about and planned to find out what was wrong in the world of the Chosen One.

--

The rest of the morning went by reasonably uneventful for Draco Malfoy, there was the usual two or three class mates that were sent to the infirmary with minor injuries but nothing major happened. Draco sat down for lunch in his usual place at the centre of the slytherin table facing the rest of the Hall. Crabbe and Goyle sat either side of him and Draco made sure there was no room for Pansy to fit in.

"Draco, pass the apples please could you?" Blaise asked staring at the bowl of said items eyeing each one critically.

"How many times must I tell you that I am no house elf? I am not your servant Zabini either politely get one yourself or go without!" Draco answered in a disgusted tone offended by the link between him and a house elf.

"But they are too far out of my reach for me get them politely and I have not had an apple in weeks and they are the only food I wish to eat at this table." Blaise whined.

"Blaise do not whinge! And that is a lie you had an apple only yesterday so you can eat something else this lunch, preferably something closer to yourself." Draco scolded.

"I thought you'd never say it today!" Blaise quickly changed the subject picking up his glass of pumpkin juice.

"Zabini please explain yourself we do not all live on the same wavelength as you" Draco said and then muttered under his breath "fortunately"

"You haven't called me Blaise until just then so far today I thought I'd done something terribly awful but I had no idea what!"

"The most terrible thing you can do is be yourself and seeing as you do that every day there is nothing more so awful about you today than any other day I spend in your company!"

Blaise dramatically put a hand to his chest and said "ouch Draco that hurt! " Blaise feigned crying before turning more serious, "You're definitely in a bad mood today your usually more humorous slicing than today!"

"Am I not allowed to be in a bad mood on some days? Do I have to schedule with you when I can have a bad day?"

"Of course" Blaise said superiously.

"Awww Draco you're having a bad day? You should have told me, I would have made it all better for you." Pansy interrupted trying to manoeuvre herself around Crabbe to get her hand o Draco.

"And how would you have done that Pansy? You can't do anything to help me so get your grimy paws off me this instant" Draco snapped, he just wanted to be left alone. Pansy pulled her hand back as if she had been burned sniffed and then stuck her pug-like nose in the air before rising and leaving the Great Hall with her head held high.

"That might keep her away for a little while." Blaise tried to lighten the tone and ease the tension.

"you know Malfoy I always have wondered why you don't just go out with her it's not as if you're seeing anyone else and it would be so much easier" Nott's nasally voice cut in.

This caused Draco to sneer "I hardly see how it would be easier, she would be even clingier than now, and I wish for no romantic involvement with her at all."

Nott held his hands up in defeat quickly backing down and turning to the conversation between Daphne and Tracey.

Draco participated in no more conversations for the rest of lunch and spent his next lessons in silence, taking notes and doing everything teachers asked him to. During dinner the tension was thick enough to be sliced with a knife and soon after Draco went to his room after spending some time overseeing the common room.

--

Once within his room Draco took out his letter and sat at the end of his bed and braced himself. He sat and stared at the letter for long moments fearing what would be written within. Pulling out an intricately carved pocket knife Draco opened the seal on the back printed with the Malfoy crest. He carefully opened the folded parchment within after putting down his pocket knife.

My Dearest Draco,

I write this letter in confidence that you are well. I have not received word from you and I shall take this as positive rather than negative. The reason for my correspondence is to inform you that near Christmas we will be hosting a social party, if this coincides with school term dates I shall arrange with the headmaster to let you attend as it is a necessity due to the fact that there will be very important people attending that you are very much likely to be dealing with next year and your future to come with your involvement in the family business. The headmaster will know it is terribly important for your attendance due to you future marriage and therefore potential brides will be attending. I hope to hear from you soon son even if you feel your life has nothing remarkably interesting for us to hear about it is still useful to hear the ordinary things as well. I shall send more information on the social party in the following months when everything has been decided.

All my love,

Your Mother, Narcissa Malfoy

By the time Draco had read the letter his hands were visibly shaking and he dropped the parchment it slowly drifted to the floor. The letter was definitely written by his mother with her hints. This social party would more likely be an initiation ceremony with the important people being death eaters and the part about marriage arrangement had a dual meaning, also meaning his commitment to the family's beliefs.

Draco's whole body shook. This was it; it was his time to defy his parents and the Dark Lord. He tried to calm himself but it didn't work, he felt so alone; up until this point Draco had had the support of his parents the love of his mother and directions of his father but not when they heard his defiance against their beliefs, he would be an outcast not welcome back into the family.

He crawled under the covers and lay curled up in his bed trying to keep the chill of loneliness away. Never before had he felt so relieved to have a room all to himself this year. He lay like that for many hours willing sleep to take him but when it did he was plagued with fitful dreams.

--

End of chapter one