"Oh god, it's been almost three years. I told myself even when I posted it that it would be a oneshot and I had no plans to upload more chapters but 1,084 days later here I am. I was going through this story to edit it to upload it on archiveofourown (im_pie_la!) and I was just suddenly motivated to write more!

So, thanks for hanging on for almost 3 years and expect more soon!

Have a great day!

Fez.

Malfoy had not said anything in response to anyone, but had shut the door behind him in a satisfyingly humiliated way and sat down with everyone staring at him.

Even after Snape cleared his throat and tried to continue the lesson, Harry found himself staring at the back of Draco's head in shock, wondering what the hell had just happened.

"If you wish to start concentrating on my lesson instead of Mr Malfoy's head, Potter, that would be very kind to us all." Snape told him, with an unpleasant tone to his voice. Draco darted a look back at him, but turned away even quicker. Harry's cheeks went red and he stared at his desk.

"Sorry sir." He muttered. Snape sniffed and moved on with his monologue, but Harry had already zoned out, wondering what exactly Draco had meant when he walked in.

"Next lesson you will be trying to recreate the potion yourselves. In the meantime, study pages 196 to 197 and complete all questions." Snape kept talking, while the students tried to pack away their books and quills without him noticing.

"You may leave." He said finally and the students stood.

Harry leapt to his feet, intending to march over to Draco and confront him about his… entrance to the lesson, but Draco was faster- launching himself out of his seat and hurrying to the door.

Harry left Hermione and Ron behind and followed Draco out of the door before any other students.

"Draco!" He called in the nearly empty corridor. The other boy around with wide eyes, and Harry couldn't mistake the fear in them. "Draco, you coward, talk to me."

Draco stopped, and Harry was shocked to think it had worked. Then part of the wall slid away and Draco ducked into the Slytherin common room.

Harry sighed, hearing his classmates clatter out of the classroom and sighed again, louder.

Hermione appeared at his elbow, most probably wondering why Harry was staring an empty patch of hallway.

"Did you talk to him?" She asked, and Harry shook his head, turning away. Ron was loping up the corridor towards them. He still looked a bit green and Harry knew it wasn't because of the terrible lightening.

Pansy Parkinson , Crabbe and Goyle walked past, obviously on their way to the Slytherin common room too. All three gave Harry a glare but he didn't care. He was already worried about one Slytherin today, he didn't need to be concerned over four of them.

"Did I go loopy on the fumes in there or did Draco just admit to liking you?" Ron asked as they caught up to him and began walking. Hermione gave him a sympathetic look.

"That did just happen." She turned to Harry as if to get his opinion but Harry was lost in thought.

Draco liked him? The same Draco who tripped him in halls, who laughed at him at every opportunity, who mocked him and did his best to beat him at everything and anything?

Harry tried to muster up some form of disgust but he found he couldn't. He… He almost liked the idea of Draco liking him, of not being rivals but rather friends. Rather… more.

He stopped that train of thought immediately, wondering if this was maybe a joke on him by Draco. This was just what Draco would want- Harry confused and even confessing his crush (it was hardly even a crush. He admired Draco's skill, that was all. He was confusing want for friendship for want for a relationship) to Draco, just to be laughed at and for the whole school to mock him.

"Harry?" Hermione was saying and Ron waved a hand in front of his face.

Harry shook his head and focused on his friends. "What was that?"

"I said we should head to the dining hall, unless you want to go back to the common room?" Hermione repeated. Her voice had a tinge of pity in it and Harry tried to shake off what had happened in the lesson in favour of regaining some normalcy.

"Dining hall's fine." He told her and tuned into what Ron was saying.

"I am craving pancake, all I could smell that whole lesson was just pancakes. Did you hear my stomach rumbling?"

Harry snorted, at Ron's monologue and cast a look at Hermione who had a similar smile on her face.

"I was a bit distracted, Ron." Harry said and Ron gave him a rueful half-smile.

"What did the potion smell for you Harry?" Hermione asked, and Harry had a feeling she had been aching to ask that for the whole lesson.

"Treacle tart, broomstick and shampoo."

"What shampoo?" Hermione asked in a knowing tone just as Ron went, "Broomstick?" in an incredulous voice.

Harry knew he'd already said too much, especially with the shampoo. He was sure Hermione was making connections- no perfume for a girl?

The smell was closer to cologne but he was sure that Hermione wouldn't let it go if he said so.

"Yeah, you know me. I love hygiene." Harry tried to deter Hermione in the worst way possible and turned to Ron. "It's like the wood of a broomstick handle."

Ron nodded and pulled the conversation away from the Potions lesson while they sat down and Ron ate his fill of pancakes.

Harry silently noticed Hermione's thoughtful silence but, more keenly, he realised that Draco had never showed up to lunch.

Draco did not appear for dinner that night, nor breakfast the next day.

It was only in Potions that Harry saw Draco. He met the boy's eyes for a second before he pretended he hadn't been looking at all.

"Before you all sit down," Snape said in his flat voice to the already seated students. "You will be working in partners for this experiment."