Disclaimer: I do not own the creation of Harry Potter or anything to do with it. It all belongs to J K Rowling.

An Unusual Attachment, Leading to a New Friendship

Well, here's my new chaptered story! I will begin working on rewriting Realizations but there will be slight changes to it, so it won't be as complicated. But at the moment I am concentrating on this story.

Anyway, here it is! And please drop a review to tell me what you think of it. Thanks x

Chapter One:

Harry sat at the front of the car, cornered as much as possible to his window, to stay away from his purple faced, heavily obese uncle on his other side. Harry's summer had been the worst yet.

From the moment they entered the house Harry had been forced to change into Muggle Clothes (also known as Dudley's normal cast offs). After this, he reluctantly was compelled into locking his school trunk, in the shed, including his three most precious objects: his wand, invisibility cloak and broomstick. At the time Harry had wondered why had his possessions been transferred into the garden shed, rather than the cupboard under the stairs but he did not question out loud, just in case Uncle Vernon put him under the stairs for the rest of the summer. Unfortunately, for Harry, that was exactly what he had planned.

"No more flying cars the save you this time boy," Uncle Vernon had said with a satisfied expression, licking his lips, and a slightly crazed gleam in his eyes. "No more Godfather threats, oh yes, I know about his death, no more freaks coming through the fireplace. You're alone this summer, boy, alone." Uncle Vernon had cackled like a maniac before shutting Harry in the cupboard. "You don't even have your bloody bird. Your crackpot old fool of a headmaster has kept it so you can't send out messages!" Harry had thought he would never be allowed out. When he looks back now, Harry wished that would have been the case.

But Harry was allowed out, oh yes, he was allowed out. He was tolerated outside to cook food, clean windows, hoover the carpet floor, set the tables after polishing them, scrubbing the bathroom tiles and cleaning up after meals. The only think Harry was not permitted to do was clean out the Dursleys' bedrooms; Aunt Petunia was afraid the freak would attempt to steal something. These were only in the house chores though. Outdoors Harry had had to wash the car constantly, neaten the flowerbeds on regular basis, mow the grass, wipe the windows outside and repaint the fence in the scorching sun blazing down upon his skin. Harry would have taken his overly large t-shirts off, if it weren't for the inflict Uncle Vernon brutally had left upon him every single torturous night when he came home drunk. Even Aunt Petunia had become scared of her husband's new drinking pattern, yet still she had not protected dead sister's son from harm. Harry had at first hoped his Aunt would draw a line to the amount of pain he received. Once Harry caught on that his mother's sister was not going to save him, Harry realised he was truly alone.

So after two months of malnourishment and severe pain, a broken Harry Potter sat in the Dursley's car, on his way back to Hogwarts via King's Cross Station. So far the journey had been entirely silent until 10 minutes before the end.

"Now listen boy…" Uncle Vernon began threateningly.

"Yes Sir," came Harry's automatic response. Uncle Vernon rolled his eyes. He was too used to this mechanical freak.

"Not one word about this summer. There is no need to get those freaks involved. Hell, they won't even care. They didn't check on you once, nor did they try to contact you. If this gets out to anyone, anyone I tell you," Uncle Vernon paused; his face barely inches form Harry's, "This summer would have seemed like a holiday."

"Yes Sir." Harry repeated his voice void of any emotion.

They arrived at King's Cross Station. Harry weakly, but as fast as he could manage, got out the car. He picked up his possessions and then, finally came the trunk. Harry grabbed the trunk by the handle and with all his might, pulled the burden as hard as he could. The load was overwhelming and despite Harry's age, he fell with a crash on the floor. Uncle Vernon who had been tapping on his window impatiently for Harry to retrieve his trunk, now saw that his nephew had completed his task and was currently lying breathlessly on the floor. Uncle Vernon pressed the automatic button to close and lock the back of the car. Then, paying no attention to Harry, Uncle Vernon drove away without saying goodbye.

An old man who had witnessed what happened came jogging up to Harry. He appeared Muggle. Wordlessly Harry lifted himself up on his own. The old man looked at Harry's demeanour. "You alright son?" he asked curiously.

"Yes sir," Harry replied expressionlessly.

"Well, do you need any help?" the old man questioned sympathetically, nodding towards King's Cross. Harry's pale green eyes looked up into the old man's kind ones.

"No Sir." For some reason the stranger looked concerned.

"Very well; all the best with wherever you are heading son." The elder of the two began to walk away. Suddenly Harry snapped out of it. He couldn't shut out the world. He called out to the kind man and he turned around.

"Sorry about that Sir, I wasn't really in the right frame of mind. D-do you think you could give me d-directions to Platform 9?" Harry spoke fast, and did his best not to stutter. He realised, with a funny jolt that that was the longest sentence he had spoken for months.

After receiving instructions from the old man, and wishing him a good day, Harry picked up his belongings and placed them on a trolley, he made his way to Platform 9 3/4. Harry hoped he did not bump into anyone on the way; he had still not managed to master concealment charms.

Upon reaching Platform 9 3/4, Harry looked for a compartment that was completely empty. It was rather difficult, for Uncle Vernon had dropped him off just in time. Finally, Harry found one at the back of the Hogwarts Express. Hopefully, no one would find him here. Harry had passed Ron and Hermione's compartment; they had seemed fairly content snogging like there were no tomorrow and holdings hands. Did this mean Ron and Hermione were now an item? Finally Harry thought to himself, but he still couldn't shake off the feeling that from then on he would be a third-wheel, or a gooseberry.

Disregarding these thoughts, Harry made himself comfortable with his invisibility cloak next to him. Harry would have thought, after a whole summer with no contact and being alone unless he was with Uncle Vernon, he would want company, and friends. But no. Now he's back, it felt all too noisy and impersonal. Harry had grown accustomed to be alone, and he now preferred it this way. Harry really needed to learn those concealment charms, but he was just so tired…

--

Harry opened his eyes to the train slowing down. He hadn't realised he had fallen asleep. Harry looked down at his watch. They couldn't be there yet…

The train was getting slower and slower until it came to a sudden stop with a violent jolt. Harry placed his invisibility cloak over him and curiously looked out the compartment. He could hear a lot of "What's going on?"'s and "Have we broken down?"'s. Abruptly the lights went out. Harry took off his father's cloak and moved towards his compartment window. There was something out there! And it was coming aboard! Harry fleetingly thought of dementors. Maybe they were coming aboard again. But hadn't Voldemort taken over Azkaban, including the dementors?

There was no Professor Lupin to save him this time, nor any Ron and Hermione to support him. No, this time, he was alone, but he also knew how to protect himself. This time, he defends himself on his own. Harry heard screams echo across the train so he fumbled into his cloak to get his wand. Without warning a boy ran into his compartment followed by a large silhouetted creature. Intense coldness indulged Harry. Harry did not even have enough energy to see who the other boy was. He just concentrated all his strength into the spell. Taking his last shuddering breath he shouted "Expecto Patronem" before collapsing to the ground. He barely got a glimpse of his patronus leading the dementor out before fainting.

--

Harry woke with a sudden sting across his face. He had been slapped. Harry's instant thought was that he was with the Dursley's, so he curled up and tensed ready for the next bout of pain. It didn't come. Harry mentally kicked himself. Of course it wouldn't. You're on the Hogwarts Express. The lights were back on and it was no longer that cold, but there was still and eerie surroundings. "Why this time?" Harry murmured to himself. He sat up slightly and smacked foreheads with a boy, but with no glasses on, he could not tell who it was; presumably the boy that ran into his compartment. The blur moved back clutching onto his head, swearing under his breath.

"Oh… I- I'm sorry… My glasses." Harry stuttered apologetically. Wordlessly, his glasses were passed to him. "Thanks." Harry looked up at the boy and froze.

"The dementors came on board for no apparent reason whatsoever - probably a doing of the Dark Lord, to give everyone a scare. I must say, that is some powerful magic; I am impressed." Draco Malfoy said calmly, unaffected by Harry's shock.

"…Malfoy?" Harry said slowly, wondering if he was dreaming.

"Surely after five years you should know who I am. You can call me Draco if I can call you Harry."

"Uh, sure, but why?" Harry answered, perplexed.

"We've had a rough few years Harry. I want to start again. Our relationship. As friends."

--

Well that's it. Tell me what you think! Those who have read Realizations, please tell me if my grammar has improved since then… it would be much appreciated.

Please, please review… I'd love point of views…

I shall update soon.

Thanks for reading, Squeaky x