As Draco sat down heavily in an empty compartment near the front of the train, his brain finally seemed to catch up.

"Oh fuck." He mumbled to himself, resting his elbows on his knees and putting his head in his hands. What had he done? He should have just gone to his usual compartment as soon as he got on the train- quelled his curiosity as it appeared. But instead, he'd decided to just pop along over to the compartment at the end of the train which always seemed to be specially reserved for 'The Golden Trio' as the bloody prophet had started referring to them after the Battle, and made himself at home in there.

He'd known at the back of his mind he was waiting for Potter, it seemed no one had managed to gain any interviews with him through the summer and he'd wanted to know if the Gryffindor was coping as badly as he was. The longer he'd sat there waiting, the more anxious he had become. What if Potter wasn't returning this year? What if he'd gone into hiding after the Battle? And why the bloody hell was he so het up about it anyway? If Potter had decided to leave, it might have been far less embarrassing for himself, and Slytherin's kind of had a reputation for wanting to save their own hides.

But, as bad luck would have it, Potter had made his ungainly way into the compartment just as he was considering getting off the train and giving up on the whole concept of returning for another year. It was stupid really. He knew he could easily get into another wizarding school, but as much as Draco disliked forming attachments, Hogwarts was a kind of second home to him. And so, when Potter had realized he was there and promptly turned to comment on how much of a mess he looked, Draco had brushed it off. This was a new year. If he was going to turn things around, he'd have to start early, as he's been reminding himself all summer.

After seeing the state he was in, Potter had at least tried to accept his presence, though he hadn't said much. Draco couldn't blame him really. It would take a long time for people to get used to the idea that he has changed- and he actually wants to work towards the good side now. When he had looked up, Potter had been giving him one of those suspicious glares, as if he was trying to achieve Legilimency, so he had left. But not before doing the most stupid thing it had been possible for him to do in that situation, and at such early stages as well. He had said he'd changed- as though trying to force the other boy to believe it, and he'd called him Harry. HARRY. He'd never called him Harry in his life.

Draco groaned and rubbed at his eyes, his knees growing sore where his elbows were digging into them, but he couldn't really bring himself to care. At that moment, there was a racket in the corridor outside and the compartment door was flung open.

"I swear Draco, if one more of those little Hufflepuff brats gets in my way I'm going to-" Pansy's voice cut off as she took in Draco's position, his head still in his hands as he sat leant forward.

"Draco? What's wrong sweetie?" she said, discarding her luggage by the door and hurrying to his side. However much Draco wanted to be alone right now, he couldn't help but feel a bit happier with Pansy there. They had been pretty much inseparable over the summer, what with all the deaths in the Battle and his father being sent to Azkaban, Draco had definitely needed her by his side. Pansy always seemed to know how to soothe him, calm him down.

"You're not going to believe it Pans" Draco mumbled, his long fingers kneading at his temples in frustration.

"I think I'll believe just about anything nowadays hun" Pansy said, rubbing his back in a calming gesture while spelling her trunk onto the luggage rack and rolling the blinds down over the compartment windows.

When Draco didn't say anything further, she wriggled closer to his side, pushing her fingers through his hair in a gentle caress as she knew he liked. She had been giving out multiple head massages over the holidays but she didn't really mind. If it calmed Draco down, then it wasn't really much to ask.

Feeling her gentle coaxing, Draco sighed and sat up a little straighter, rubbing at his eyes.

"I went and bloody waited for Potter didn't I?"

"What?" Pansy said, frowning, her fingers stilling in their actions. At a slight turn of the head from Draco, she carried on quickly.

"I sat and waited for him in his compartment at the end of the train, half of me thinking he wasn't even going to bother turning up."

Pansy sighed. She could tell this was going to be a long story- they'd probably end up talking about it till they reached Hogwarts, so she settled closer in her seat, nuzzling affectionately into his shoulder.

"Tell me all about it."

….

By the time Draco had finished, the usual racket of luggage being pulled down from their racks and people hurrying to get changed was going on outside, but he seemed not to notice.

"I called him Harry, Pansy. Harry." He said, as if repeating the words would add to their affect.

"Draco, we've just been over this five times, there's nothing you can do to change it now. At least you've got the point across- that you have actually changed.*

In a most Un- Malfoyish gesture, Draco snorted.

"Right. Like he's going to believe me."

"Well even if he doesn't Draco, you've got plenty of time to prove yourself, and now none of us have the war hanging over our heads. We've all changed, Draco, Potter's going to have to learn to accept that. Now come on, we need to get changed or we won't get to dinner in time."

Sighing, Draco stood up and pulled his trunk down from above him. As he searched inside for his robes, it occurred to him just how much Pansy had been there for him- not just since the Battle, but the whole time he'd been at Hogwarts. Sure, for the first few years maybe she'd just been lusting after him and would do anything for a bit of attention, but as they'd grown closer, Draco had come to appreciate her friendship more than anything else.

Turning suddenly, Draco pulled Pansy towards him in a tight hug.

"Thanks Pansy. Thanks for everything."

Pansy smiled at him bemusedly as he let go of her, taken by surprise. Although they'd grown closer after the Battle, Draco didn't usually show his affection all that well.

"It's fine you soppy git. Now get changed before I hex your balls off."