A/N: This chapter features Draco being a typical teenage boy.

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Chapter Two

Draco Malfoy first realized he truly loved Harriet Potter at the start of his sixth year at Hogwarts. He had hidden himself away in his dorm room and was staring at the tattoo that tainted his skin when the sickening thought dawned on him. He loved the girl.

If he had been honest with himself and forced to think about his feelings for the girl before that moment, he would have probably come to conclusion that he had loved her subconsciously for some time. But as fate had it, it wasn't until he had been forced to choose the side of the war that wanted to take her life that he realized in all actuality wanted to preserve it.

He also realized he was no good for the girl and never would be that same year.

Harriet, always following behind him, wouldn't realize she loved Draco until the winter of her current eighth year at Hogwarts.

She would also see the good in Draco Malfoy that same year.

Even when he could not.


Harriet couldn't find Malfoy and believe her, it wasn't for lack of trying. She didn't see him on the platform, she couldn't spot him on the train, nor while people were boarding the thestral pulled carts leading to the castle. She had even made up an excuse on the train saying that she wanted to go find the trolley witch to go scour the compartments but she hardly saw any Slytherins on the train in her own year.

"I know he's coming back this year," she said storming towards the Great Hall, fists clenched and swinging aggressively with each step. Ron and Hermione trailed behind her. "I saw him getting his school things."

"Harry," said Hermione cautiously, "isn't it a bit too early to be starting on your Malfoy obsession? We've only just arrived back."

"I'm not obsessed with him. I just want to know where he is at all times-"

Ron snorted.

"-so I can be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" cried Hermione.

"For anything."

"You sound like Moody, mate," said Ron snickering. "I think the war has left you a bit paranoid."

Harry ignored their comments as they arrived into the Great Hall. It was filled with students chatting and laughing. Some Harry recognized, others she didn't. But as her eyes darted wildly around the crowd she still didn't see the white blonde head she was looking for.

"Have you seen Malfoy?" she demanded of a younger Slytherin who rushed passed her in fear instead of answering causing Ron to roar with laughter.

Where in the hell is he?


He saw her long before she saw him even though he was trying his best to avoid her.

He saw her first at the platform even though he had purposefully made himself later than most to board the train. She was struggling to put her trunk up when the Weasel, always flanking her, stepped into help. He noticed her hair there for the first time too. She had cut it shorter than he had ever seen it and the waves that had once been weighed down now sprung free. He felt the desire to run a hand through her hair, stopping when he got to the back of her neck to grip her locks tightly. What was most startling to him, however, was the fact that he could see her shoulders now, something he never in his life thought he would list as something attractive on a woman. But Merlin her shoulders were small, almost bony and he wanted to bite down on them.

His mouth felt dry looking at her.

He managed to successfully avoid her on the train ride over as he rode in a compartment with Blaise and Pansy. He saw her pass by seemingly looking for something but Blaise was standing in front of him blocking his full view. Though he was saved her physical presence, his friends took it upon themselves to make her the topic of conversation.

"Anyone else surprised Potter decided to come back?" asked Pansy her eyes on Draco, trying to gage a reaction. "I thought for certain her and the Weasel would have gone straight to working for Shacklebolt. Not so much surprised that the mudblood returned."

"I'm more surprised at her refusal to be the ministries poster child so far," said Blaise.

"Potter views Hogwarts as her home," said Draco looking out the window. "And she's always hated any sort of attention. It's no wonder she chose to return."

And that was the difference between them, he thought. Potter had always been free to choose. He always had his choices made for him. His family had picked their side of the war before he was born, and he was being forced to finish his education even though he probably never be able to find a suitable career after the war for who would want to hire a former Death Eater.

But this year it would be different. He was choosing to move on from their rivalry or whatever it was.

It was time to let her go.


Draco was saved from having to sit and try not to stare at Potter during the welcoming feast by being called to the Headmistress' office instead although he didn't consider himself lucky because of it. As soon as he had stepped onto castle grounds the gigantic oaf of a groundskeeper had cornered him and said he was under instructions to escort him to talk to McGonagall. Draco had demanded to know under what reasoning he was being subjected to such treatment but Hagrid had refused to answer. And either way, Draco knew the answer to his own question. They were allowing a former Death Eater back onto school grounds and McGonagall had confirmed this reasoning as soon as she stepped into her office.

"Mr. Malfoy," she greeted taking a seat across from him and peering down at him from behind her glasses. "Unfortunately you have had to miss to welcoming feast so that we may have this little chat, but I will make sure the house elves send you a plate up to your dorm."

When Draco said nothing the Headmistress continued.

"I was wanting to meet up with you to discuss everything at an earlier time and date but with the summer being so busy-"

"With my family being on trial, you mean?" questioned Draco, his voice coming out as venom.

"Yes," the Headmistress agreed completely unfazed by his bluntness. "As you can imagine, Mr. Malfoy, there have been certain objections to you returning to Hogwarts. Parents want to make sure their children are safe."

"Of course," said Draco resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"But I am willing to give you another chance and to allow you to complete your education," she said shifting into her professor tone. "But understand this, we cannot afford to have one slip up from you, Mr. Malfoy. One foot out of place and that will be it for you at Hogwarts. I take the safety of my students seriously. Just as much as I take your education seriously. Do not force me to choose between the two. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes," he said simply wanting nothing more than to retire to the Slytherin dorm and get the first day of a long year overwith.

"Now, as far as living arrangements for the 8th years-"

"Do we not get to go back to our old houses?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Malfoy. This year we are trying something different," she said and Draco grew tense. "This year to promote unity, the students that are returning for their 8th year will all room together in a dorm that has constructed in the second floor of the castle."

"You can't be serious! None of those people are going to want me living with them. Wouldn't it be better to send me back to Slytherin?"

"No, Mr. Malfoy. I don't believe it would. I think you, of all people, could use a fresh start. Perhaps some fresh faces as well. Now for the other matter I wanted to address with you," McGonagall said gazing at him with a hard expression. "Miss Harriet Potter."

"What about her?"

Draco couldn't help the way his voice was dripping with bitterness and he was certain his face was twisted into a sneer. The very last thing in the world he wanted to discuss was Potter.

"It's no secret that you two have had a long standing rivalry with one another. You know how to rile the girl up more than anyone else in the school. She's not very logical when it comes to her fights with you. That is to say she doesn't think through her possible consequences before engaging with you."

Draco wanted to speak up and say that she riled him up as well though not in the same way McGonagall was referring to. The girl got underneath his skin in such a way that some nights his only release was in the form of the glares he stored in his mind from their fights in years past. But he couldn't say that to the Headmistress.

"I'm not going to do anything to her," he said instead feeling exasperated. "Why are you not having this talk with her as well?"

"Believe me, I will not hesitate to pull you both in for a meeting should another classroom get blown up due to one of your spats, but I wanted to approach you about the matter first as you have much more to lose should you and Miss Potter get into another fight."

"Yes Professor," muttered Draco feeling utterly defeated.

"Now, unless you have any further questions you are dismissed for the night. The portrait of Hamnet Shakespeare guards your new living quarters. The password is Cymbeline. Hopefully this will be the last time you have to step foot in this office."

Draco stood and took his leave, fuming all the way back to his new living quarters. Truthfully, Draco had always intentionally riled Potter up. It was as though he could just feel when she was going to explode, as if her magic was leaking into him and he couldn't help but just give her the smallest of pushes. Often times this would lead to classrooms being blown up, shattering of glass, fires, etc. She could not seem to control her magic around him and he liked that. As though he had stripped her soul bear and he was the only one to see her so vulnerable. As much as he enjoyed the fighting, as much as he got off on the fighting, he couldn't help but wish sometimes the vulnerability she shared with him would be in a more intimate level. Though he knew he was foolish to wish for such things.


Knowing that he was the last to return to his new dorm and everyone would likely be waiting around, Draco decided he may as well make an entrance and go in holding his head high.

At least that had been the plan. He had marched right up to the portrait of Shakespeare (whoever that was) and spat out the password (he didn't understand what a Cymbeline was either) and had managed to go all of three steps with his composure together until he spotted Potter.

The idiot girl had stood up as soon as he had walked in as though she had been waiting on him to arrive. She had been sitting in front of the fireplace surrounded by the returning Gryffindors and was the first to notice his presence. She stood as though she were bracing herself for a fight. The locked eyes for several seconds, grey meeting emerald, until he could take it no longer. Running a hand through his now unkempt locks, he strode up the stairs that led to the boys half of the dormitory.

He didn't want to admit how relieved he was to see Blaise in the boys dorm. They had always been civil with one another but Blaise had never worshiped the ground Draco walked on like the other Slytherins. He had kept out of the war as well and Draco often thought not choosing a side was just a bad as choosing the wrong one. But Blaise and Pansy were the only other returning Slytherins aside from Draco himself and they were going to have to ban together to make it through the rest of the year, Draco supposed.

"Have all the beds been chosen?" asked Draco hoping to Merlin he didn't have to sleep directly next to Weasley.

"Yours is here next to mine," said Blaise pointing to the last bed. "Everyone else has already set their stuff up. I wasn't aware we would be all communal this year."

"Nor was I until the Headmistress informed me in our meeting."

"Was that why you missed the feast then? What did she want?"

"To warn me that if I mess up in the least my education is over," said Draco plopping down on his bed and pausing for a moment before speaking again. "And she also told me that she wants the fighting between Potter and I to cease this year."

"Fat chance of that, yeah?"

Draco said nothing. Only staring up at the wall. After a moment Blaise spoke again, his tone clearly amused.

"You know, I think she was looking for you at dinner and when we came to the new dorm."

Draco physically had to restrain himself from whipping his head in Blaise's direction, not wanting to give away how badly he wanted to know why.

"Oh yeah?" he said in a tone that he hoped was uncaring.

"She kept looking at Pansy and me as though we were going to pull you out of thin air and she kept muttering to her friends. Pansy didn't seem too happy about it. I think she is still under the impression that there's a chance for you and her."

"There's not."

Draco had dated Pansy briefly when he realized his obsession with Potter had formed into love. He thought it would help. He thought that if he could turn his focus on another girl, one that had more to offer him as far as bloodlines and political views went, he would be able to rid Potter from his mind.

But it didn't help. Whenever he kissed Pansy he wondered what it would be like to kiss Potter. Would it be like their fighting? Passionate and fighting for dominance? Or would it be the tender intimacy he wanted to see from her. Whenever he looked into Pansy's eyes he was always disappointed that they weren't more lovely. And whenever he made love to Pansy he pictured Potter underneath him, writhing and clawing at him as he drove her to the edge of ecstasy.

No, there was no chance for him and Pansy and it wasn't fair to either of them to think that there was.

"Who all is back anyway," said Draco trying to change the subject. "I didn't bother to look."

"Potter obviously and her lackeys. Finnigan, Thomas, Longbottom-"

Draco snorted at this.

"-both the Patil twins, Brown, Abbott, Bones, Corner, Goldstein. That's all I saw."

"This is going to be a long year," Draco said glumly.

Later that night when everyone had retired to their beds and Draco was forced to listen to the blaring snores of the Weasel did he allow himself to feel the extremity of the hopelessness that followed him around as of late. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to make it through this year and he wondered not for the first time whether there was even a point to coming back to this place. He felt terribly lost and for the first time in his life unsure of his place.

And so, allowing himself just this once to slip, Draco let his mind drift to what he was sure of.

Emerald eyes and raven hair that no longer covered her shoulders.

He slipped his hand into the waistline of his pajama bottoms and found relief.


Harriet could not sleep. She was in a new room surrounded by somewhat new dorm mates. And worst of all Malfoy had completely ignored her. She had waited around for him all evening, sure as the sun that they would get into one of their normal tiffs but he had taken one look at her and walked away. All while running a stupid hand through his stupid hair. Hair that she couldn't believe she still wanted to touch.

She was not used to Malfoy ignoring her and she didn't like it.

Tomorrow, she decided, she was going to make him pay attention to her even if she had to blow up another classroom to do so.