7th year musings.

Summary: It's Harry and Draco's 7th year at Hogwarts and after the fight against Voldemort the year previous things have changed but one thing has definitely remained the same. And that is the secret crush Harry and Draco harbour for each other that no one else knows about, not even the other boy. Will this year, where all are equals and enemies are gone, finally bring them together?

Disclaimer: I do not own this and do not profit from it in anyway. All characters, setting and what not, are owned by you- should-know-who and those that work with her.

Harry's POV

Platform 9 ¾ was packed as usual as I struggled to find Ron and Hermione for the start of term. I spotted them and the rest of the Weasleys 10 minutes before the train was scheduled to depart. I signalled to Tonks where they were and she, carrying little Teddy, came over to me as I joined them. Mrs Weasley fussed and cooed over Teddy as the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione greeted Tonks and me.

I had been living with Remus and Tonks since the end of last year and Tonks had pretty much told me if I hadn't let her come with me to see me off for my seventh and final year at Hogwarts she'd hex me into next Saturday.

Hermione seemed to be saying something to me so I focused in and caught the tail end of her comment, "What I mean is Harry you look HOT." Ron huffed at this and Hermione shot him an apologetic look but all he said was, "She is right though man you're looking good, what did you do?" I guessed they were talking about the training I'd done over the holidays with Tonks and Remus for fun, since it really wasn't needed for anything practical these days but apparently it had affected my appearance positively. I told them briefly about the training and Hermione just nodded accepting this but still asking, "But what did you do with your hair and glasses Harry?"

"Oh that, well, Tonks was helping me shift appearances and we found out that I didn't need the glasses if I just redeveloped my retinas but kept the rest of my eyes the same and my hair, well um I got bored of just leaving it black so I got her to show me how to add colour to parts of it." I explained and remembering I had left both the purple and silver streaks in after changing them the previous night. Laughing I said "I also have another bit of news but I'll tell you that later when we're alone. Now tell me about your holidays."

At this both Ron and Hermione went off in a daze telling almost, and very close to all, the details of their holiday together, until Mrs Weasley, Tonks and Fred and George shooed us and Ginny onto the train before it left without us.

Finding an empty compartment together we sat down and started talking again and before long Hermione remembered I'd promised to tell them something on the train. I smiled knowing what a shock to the system this was going to be to them before starting, "Well you know how I said Tonks was helping me learn how to change appearance over the holidays, well she and Remus thought it might be smart for me to learn to be an animagus. And well it worked." When I finished I looked over to Hermione and Ron and saw the exact expressions I had been expecting. Ron looked awed and stunned his mouth hanging open in a small oh and Hermione looked miffed and disapproving at the same time, and so to comfort her I went on, "Don't worry Hermione I have already registered with the Ministry, Kingsley found out the second day I transformed properly and made me register immediately and I have even written to Professor McGonagall before we got our letters for the new year asking for her help when I got to school in keeping my ability usable without the whole school knowing and she has agreed." At this Hermione breathed easier and started questioning me about my new animagus form, but before I could answer the compartment door opened and Draco Malfoy stood leaning on the door frame. Smirking he looked around the compartment passing his gaze over Ron and Hermione, who were holding hands, but when his eyes drifted over to me his mouth fell open. I saw this quite clearly because my eyes were now glued to him and I was pretty sure my own mouth had dropped to the ground as well. Malfoy looked good, and I mean like good as in sex on legs, he seemed less pasty than the end of last year, but still quite pale, and his silver blonde hair had fallen around his face in that just fucked look he pulled off so well.

I had started liking Malfoy's look around two years ago, in my 5th year, about a year after I had officially realised I was gay and had told Ron and Hermione. Who after I came out, for all intense and purposes, had seemed fine with it. Ron had just laughed and said the twins owed him 10 galleons because they had betted I wouldn't come out until at least our 6th year let alone our 4th. But I had yet to tell my friends of my attraction to Malfoy, because well he was Malfoy and even after the events of last year I still wasn't sure how they would react to the news, let alone how he would if it ever got to his ears.

Now though Malfoy seemed back to his confident self but more so, he seemed to have changed his look from the, well turned out young Death Eater which had probably been brought about by his father, to a more, well to do rich teenage boy in the throes of an almost mini rebellion/renaissance. But before my staring, and his for that matter, became too obvious he backed out of the room and slid the door shut.

Hermione interrupted my thoughts then by coughing loudly and saying, "Well that was odd but never mind about Malfoy, Harry. Tell us about what sort of animagus you turn into."

"Well you know how we speculated that I'd turn into a stag because that's my patronus; well it seems we were wrong, I turn into a servil. You know small wild cat animal with spots and minor stripes. Kingsley was kinda impressed and Tonks was ecstatic the first time I did it properly."

"Harry, that is wonderful, though I'm not entirely sure why you did it though. After all you defeated Voldemort last year. I'm pretty sure you remember that, what with him trying to take control of the castle, all the houses, including Slytherin, somehow joining together to defeat him and Dumbledore passing away from a heart attack mid-battle that left you actually fighting side by side with Malfoy, you remember that right? Its why you were able to spend the summer with Tonks and Remus in the first place, instead of going back to the Dursleys, though I do hope you sent them a letter at least." said Hermione almost running out of breath but smiling all the same. I smiled back before replying, "Of course I remember Hermione how could I forget that my sixth year was the most chaotic of the lot so far, especially with the Prophet writing some new update about some such thing related to it all holidays. And yes I did send a letter to the Dursleys and their reply was, see you in a decade otherwise it's too soon or not at all." Turning to Ron now I spoke before he could start at me, "Ron before you go asking why I didn't get you to come and learn with me was because well it was somewhat spontaneous that I learnt with Tonks. I decided it would be cool for me to learn like a week before I had it down and we sort of started having me learn the day we thought of it." Ron just grinned at me saying "It's cool man we knew you would want this summer to just you and Remus and Tonks, plus baby Teddy can't forget him. But I gotta say your seventeenth party was awesome, were you already attempting to transform then?"

Our conversation went on like this for a while before Ginny, Luna, Neville and Collin, who had joined our small group last year during the fighting, when he and Ginny had randomly started snogging and had barely been separated since, came into the now very crowded compartment and I had to start all over again explaining my appearance and my new ability, leaving out some of the more boring details of why and how this time.

By the time we reached Hogsmeade our group was chatting away eagerly about the new year, how we would cope with Professor McGonagall as Headmistress, and who would be teaching both Transfiguration and Defence Against the Dark Arts now that Professor Snape had retired early to study new forms of potions abroad. In the carriage up to the castle I was given the chance to think to myself quietly as the others got over the sight of the Thestrals which they were yet as it was only their second time actually seeing them. My thoughts roamed back to Malfoy earlier on the train and how ever since last year he had seemed less at ease in my presence, even though we had fought side by side against Voldemort in the battle for the castle, and since his mother had seen it fit to congratulate us both for our team work afterwards, his father on the other hand was still believed to be fleeing and suspected to be in Brazil by now. Malfoy now always seemed to almost faint when he saw me and the encounter on the train had only made that feeling more positive in my mind but in all he was probably still the only guy I had a crush on in the entire school, even though more than expected had practically thrown themselves at me since I had come out in my fourth year.

Arriving at the castle Hermione dragged me out of my thoughts as she physically dragged Ron and me out of the carriage and into the Entrance way. Getting into the Great Hall we went and sat at the Gryffindor table and started talking to the others in our year and the sixth before the first years entered. When Professor Flitwick, who was now the new Deputy Headmaster, walked in leading the first years the whole school went quiet including myself as we waited for the sorting to begin. The Sorting Hat was brought out and of course he began to sing his song of the year which went like this:

Many many years ago

When this castle was shinning new,

Two wizards and two witches came,

With ideas all sparkling and true.

They sort to teach the young,

To tell them how to learn.

They grouped them into Houses, one for each founder sure,

But when our founders's time was up, I was given the chore.

Now I sort the newcomers

And choose where they're to go.

Are you bound for Gryffindor, where lay the brave of heart?

Is it fair Ravenclaw, a place of smarts and wit, your port of call?

Does Hufflepuff entice you now; it's where friends are all around?

Or is Slytherin, whose cunning is above the rests, your sly place to quest?

So come and have me tell,

In which House you belong.

Just slip me on and the job is done,

Your House will soon be known.

At the end of its song I burst into applause with the rest of the school and watched the sorting occur. The only time my attention wandered was when a child was sorted into Slytherin my eyes would automatically glide to where Malfoy was sitting and on a couple of occasions found him looking back at me.

When the sorting was complete Professor McGonagall rose from her seat and the Hall went silent once more. "Before we start our feast tonight I have but a few announcements. To start, first years and other older students are told once more that the Forbidden Forest is named that because it is forbidden for students to enter without the accompaniment and knowledge of at least one teacher. Mr Filch would also like you to be reminded that over three hundred and twelve items are now banned in the halls and a full list can be found in his office. Along with that I would like to introduce the two new members to the teaching staff this year, Professor Alexander Owling, who will be teaching Transfiguration and Professor Esmeralda Drakes, who will be taking up the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts. I, and I am sure you, wish both of our new professors the best of luck. Now enjoy your dinner." At this the plates in front of me and everyone else filled with food and the rest of my night was filled with eating overpowering any other thoughts I had until my head hit my pillow two hours later.