I know it's only a day later that I'm putting this chapter up but I got excited with some ideas that I had to jot them down. Soooo, tada! I own no Harry Pktter characters but I do enjoy playing with them. Thanks JKRowling!

Saturday, unfortunitely, came a lot quicker than Harry wanted. It was like a rock that steadily got heavier and heavier the closer the day drew near. But it wasn't exactly a stable rock. No, Harry coild somehow sensne that behind his emotional dread at the thought of seeing Malfoy, there was some unknown emotion begging for his attention. Too bad the fear kicked it into the back.

Mrs. Weasley was bustling about the down stairs kitchen. Pots and pans were sturing themselves while she chopped, hacked, and mashed with a flury of her wand and knife at anything and everything. Ginny was busy dodging in and out of flying potatoes and plates when Harry went down earlier to see if he could help.

"No no dear. Everything is all under control. Ginny please becareful with that dish, it hasn't set yet." Ginny was trying to balace what looked like a custered in on arm and some unknowing dish in the other that oddly resembled Slytherin green ooze.

Ron must have been right about the hero envy. Ginny was cival and acted like nothing was amiss around Harry.

"She's been stressing me out since Tuesday about this party. Mum thinks I can't cook." She managed to whisper as she passed by with her juggling dishes. Harry hid his laugh and left the kitchen in search for Ron.

Ron just so happen to be digging around in Harry's wardrobe. Clothes were being thrown about the room in a rough manner. A pair of underpants was left dangling from Harry's bedpost, which Harry snatched up lest someone else walk in on Rons quest to destroy the room.

"Digging for anything particular?" Harry whispered sneaking up on his best friend.

Ron stood with a jolt and a yelp of pain from smacking his head on the ridging. Harry had really paid no attention to how tall Ron had grown until that second.

"Yeah. Looking for your black tie. Can't find mine so I came in to knick yours." Ron rubbed his head where he got smarted at. "Hermione insisted that we all be properly dressed for tonight. Says Kingsley will be here with some other important ministry officials and she wants us to make a good impression."

"It's just a dinner party. And the tie is with the others on the hook." Harry started picking up his strewn about clothes and placed them on his bed. "Do we really have to dress up?"

"Yeah! If I have to you have to." Ron said slinging the now found tie around his neck and closed the door as he left Harry to his own devices, mainly cleaning up the mess.

From the floor Harry half heartedly picked out black slacks and a white button up. Wizards robes were for more special occasions then this so Harry decided against them. Simple yet nice worked for him.

The part would start in about half an hour so Harry begrudgingly started to shed his clothing and put on the new ones.

Harry had just gotten done zipping up his slacks when-

"Not exactly the proper greeting I was expecting." a voice drawled at him.

Harry spun round and cracked his neck in the process. There Malfoy was standingin his door way. And bug it all Harry just happened to be gapping at him like a fish half naked in the middle of his room. After shock kicked in Harry's brain and voice decided to as well.

"You could have knocked." Harry glared throwing his shirt on and buttoning it up quickly.

"Well, as I was told by Molly to come and get you I figured you'd already be dressed. When I saw the door closed I did knock. You just never responded. And rather then stay out in the hall pondering if you offed yourself or someone else did I walked in. I never expected you to moon me, Potter." Malfoy finished his most unforgiving speech and sat on Harry's bed looking around. "Rather small" he said.

"We can't all live in manors." Harry shot back. "And I didn't moon you. I just had other things on my mind. You caught me at the wrong moment."

Malfoy made a noise at the back of his throat. A clearly un-Malfoy thing to do.

"Seems like you've changed a bit." Harry murmured.

"A bit." Malfoy agreed silently nodding. "I've had to get used to a lot of things. Mother and I've been placed under some serious restrictions for a year now. Only pre-approved guests can visit us. Both our wands are being monitored. It's almost like having the trace on me all over again. We've even been denied a house elf and a lot of other things. We can't even go into Diagon Alley without prior approval and a guard. It's been quite a year." Harry took a steady look at Malfoy. Indeed there were some prominent circles under hsi eyes, and his demeaning was more layed back. Was the last year so bad for Malfoy that he'd been reduced to an alternate version of himself?

"Since when do you call Mrs. Weasley Molly?" Harry asked changing the gloomy conversation.

"She's been helping out my mother and myself for sometime now. I'm surprised she hasn't mentioned it. She's a good woman for helping us out after, you know, everything." Malfoy shrugged and looked down at the floor.

If Harry wasn't hearing it first hand he wouldn't believe it. Malfoy was praising a Weasley.

"Damn." Harry whispered. Then laughed a little.

"Hard to believe. I know. I've been trying. I thought maybe my letter would have been more of a clue to you that I was. I knew it would be a long shot, but I had to try still. I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to be friends. It's been positively murderous only visiting with Pansy. She's a nightmare really." Malfoy laughed a little at a memory. "It's someone to talk to I guess. She hasn't really made over well with the changes so she's been on my case a lot more than usual. Marrying her is another of her favorite subjects. I've refused her so many times and still she keeps at it, taking it in one ear and out the other. It's maddening."

"Women." Harry laughed.

"You're telling me. From what I've heard your woman left you. Hero envy, right? Skeeter wrote this whole two page article about."

"For once Skeeter is right, just fuzzy on the details. It's that damn quill of hers. Thinks for itself. I would like nothing more than to snap it in half." Harry sat down a ways from Malfoy.

"Ha! Even if you did that she's slippery than any snake when it comes to a story. Quill or no quill. You're her prime target. I heard she may be writing some autobiography on you next."

"Not likely. I have some dirt on her for a rainy day. She even thinks about it I'm sending her off to Azkaban!" Both boys laughed at this. It soon died down though and became silence. It didn't feel akward, or as akward as Harry thought it might be.

"I don't mind. Being friends that is. It's convincing the others. I know Mrs. Weasley has no problem, and Hermione is more level headed with any sort of news. Just, be natural around everyone and they'll go along with you." Harry smiled and received one, a sincere, nothing bad behind it, one in return.

"Mum says she wants us down in five minutes or she's going to come up here and drag us down herself." Ron said while leaning against the now more then open all the time door to Harry's room. His arms were crossed. His face unreadable.

"Alright, we're coming." Harry said standing up. Malfoy followed suit and made for the door after Harry.

Before Malfoy took a step out the door Ron stopped him with a hand. "I don't mind being friends. But know this. You've crossed the line loads of times before now and I'm willing to let it go for Harry's sake. This is your final chance though." Ron left Harry and Malfoy in the doorway and made his way downstairs. "Be sure to tell Luna that I warned you about the nargles that flew up here. She'll want the full report I reckon on it." Ron called back.

"Shall we?" Harry said hiding a laugh.

"Alright, but what's a nargle?" The best look of confusion was plastered onto Draco's face.

"You'll find out soon enough."