'Well, well, well, look at this!' Ron said and he ripped the piece of parchment out of Malfoy's hand. 'A poem, is it?'
The Gryffindors came closer curiously and the Slytherins watched nervously.
'Give that back, Weasley!' Malfoy barked and he tried to recapture the poem, but Ron was quicker.
'Who's it for then?' Ron asked and Dean Thomas ventured a guess. 'Parkinson?'
Pansy Parkinson threw a nasty look at Dean, but she did try to read the poem upside down.
'I don't know.' Ron said, 'Let's find out.'
He cleared his throat and read aloud:
'I see you floating it constantly
You're making me feel
Like you and I could be real
But then you're flipping the game
You walk away you turn your back
Baby stop treading on me
'Cos I'm mystified
And you know I've tried
I just can't get through to you
Tell me
What you gonna do
I don't know
What you gonna say
I ain't sure
Always the same
All the time
Every day
Played my mind
I can't keep wasting my time
On your game
Ain't no doubt about it
You waste my time
Ain't no doubt about it
I've taken all that I can
I've given to you my all
But you don't seem to respond
Oh, I can't stand all this waiting
'Cos my patience is fading
Pretty soon I'll be gone
Lets rectify it
You can't deny it
The way that you feel for me
Tell me
What you gonna do
I don't know
What you gonna say
I ain't sure
Always the same
All the time
Every day
Played my mind
I can't keep wasting my time
On your game'
When Ron had finished, half the Gryffindors were lying on the ground, shaking with laughter. The other half was holding on to each other to prevent themselves from falling down too. All, but one.
Harry stood with eyes and mouth wide open. Petrified. Never in his whole life had he seen someone whose love was so pure.
He looked at Malfoy and suddenly he felt more admiration for Malfoy than he'd ever felt for anyone in his life.
He looked around at his fellow-Gryffindors, who were still crying with laughter. Suddenly he loathed them more than he'd ever loathed anyone. The Dursleys included.
How could they be laughing at this boy. This boy, who he had always seen as his enemy, but who he suddenly couldn't call anything else than loyal and sensitive.
'Shut up!' Harry told the other Gryffindors, but they weren't paying any attention to him, until he slapped Dean across the face.
Everyone stared at him in disbelief. Dean toughed his painful cheek and gave Harry a mad look. Ron and Hermione were staring at him as though they'd just seen Snape smiling. But Malfoy looked thankful and for the first time Harry noticed that Malfoy was actually pretty handsome with his sleek blond hair and pointed face.
'What the hell is wrong with you?' Seamus asked Harry angrily, as he bend over Dean to see if he was okay. 'What was that for?'
Harry didn't know what to say, so he just held his tongue, still staring around at the others. The Slytherins were for once not looking at him as though he was some slimy bug, but they looked rather curious.
'Thanks.' Draco mumbled, then he snatched the piece of paper out of Ron's hand and ran away towards the nearest restroom.