Breakfast Sunday morning help excitement for everyone. The Ravenclaws had challenged the Hufflepuffs to a friendly Quidditch match because they hadn't faced each other in awhile. Harry and Draco were excited for the chance to work on their friendship. As everyone was eating and chatting happily, the owls carrying the daily mail started to arrive. The Weasley's, Hermione, and Harry all received packages from Mrs. Weasley containing sweets and letters. Harry and Ron eagerly opened their packages arguing over what to eat first while Hermione scolded them to not eat sweets before finishing their breakfast.
Harry sneaked a peek at Draco, only to see him hunched over a letter with his customary scowl etched in his face. He stared at the offensive letter as if he were trying to set it on fire with sheer power of will and it made Harry curious as to who it was from. He idly munched on a cookie from his package and half-listened to Ron and Hermione arguing over who would win in the upcoming Quidditch battle. He had no intentions of watching the match. He knew he'd have to come up with some excuse as to why, especially with his love of the game, that no one would question.
"Hey guys, I don't think I'm going to the Quidditch match." He continued to casually eat his breakfast.
"Why not, mate? Thought we were going to watch the Ravenclaws kick ass?" Ron looked at Harry as if he'd grown a second, maybe third, head.
"I still haven't finished my Potion's essay and I thought I'd get that done and spend some time studying."
"I could stay and help you, Harry. I know you were having issues with it and I already have it done."
"No thanks, Hermione. You go ahead and enjoy the game. I'm sure I can muddle through it on my own. If you want, if I have it done after the game you can go through it for me."
"Alright, if you're sure." Both Ron and Hermione gave him a weird look before continuing their discussion on who was going to win the match.
Harry started feeling antsy so after a quick glance at Draco and a goodbye to his friends, he headed up to his room. He knew Draco would still be awhile at breakfast so he grabbed his homework and headed down to the Room of Requirement. He had been ordered to write an essay on making the Dogbreath potion after he accidentally added the Fire Seeds too early and caused the cauldron to explode. The work was tedious and he sorely wished he had let Hermione help him with it. He was busy explaining the shade difference in the potion and how that connected with when he was supposed to add the seeds when Draco entered the room. Harry looked up completely confused.
"What's the difference between sky blue and light blue? Isn't the sky light blue?" He honestly looked a little panicked.
"Sky blue is two shades lighter than light blue. Doing your potion's essay?"
"Yeah, I know what I did wrong. I don't see why I have to evaluate and pick apart every little thing I did is silly."
"Then why is it so hard to write? Seems it'd be a breeze if you already have the answers."
"I don't know. Anyways, enough about my nonsense. What was with the letter at breakfast?" At his mention, Draco closed off and became distant.
"Just a letter from my father." His voice was tight.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"What will talking about it do, Potter? It is what it is." His jaw tensed and he avoided looking at Harry.
"If something is bothering you, talking about it can make you feel better. They can help you figure out how to go about fixing things. That's what friends are for."
"Friends." He scoffed. "It's not that simple. What can you do to help against what I'm facing? My father, my mother, you-know-who, the mission I'm forced to undertake? How do you, of all people, intend to help me?" Draco's sneer was back.
"There's no need to get defensive. I'm just trying to help. You don't have to be alone."
"And what do you know about being alone? You have everyone around you to support you. At any point in time, you can go to anyone. I've have no one, I've never had anyone. And before you even mention my "friends" in Slytherin, remember that they are all on the side of You-Know-Who. They would think me a fool if I told them I wanted out, that I didn't want any of this, that I didn't want to…" He stopped and took a breath, composing himself.
"You didn't want to what?" He asked gently.
"I can't…I can't talk about it. They'd kill me if I told, if I didn't do it."
"Just tell me. You're more of a fool than I thought if you don't think you can trust me right now." Draco still looked quite uncertain.
"My mission…" Harry let him take his time. "I'm supposed to kill Dumbledore. That's what the letter was about. He's putting pressure on my father because I haven't done it yet. The longer I wait, the more likely it is that he will kill my family." Draco dropped his head to his hands.
"Wait, he trusts you to kill Dumbledore? Isn't he worried you'll be caught or killed?"
Draco laughed bitterly. "He expects it, I assume. I wouldn't put it past him to want me dead just to make his point stick with my family."
"And he would go that far, wouldn't he? You don't have to kill him, you know. He can help you. He won't hold your past decisions, your parent's decisions, or what you've been put up to against you. He's not like that." Harry rested his hand on Draco's arm.
"I still have more time. Can we just…wait?"
"I wouldn't take too much time. You don't know what can happen. There are some things you just can't leave to time and fate, especially not when it comes to life and death. The risk is just too great, especially for everyone close to you and those who depend on you."
"The only risk with my dying would be to me. I think the only people affected by it would be my mother and maybe Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle. We Slytherins aren't known for having close relationships, being self-centered and only out for ourselves of course."
Harry thought awhile before asking his next question. "What about your father?"
Draco slowly turned in the are-you-serious manner and stared at Harry. "Are you really going to ask me that when you know my father? All he cares about is maintaining the family name, keeping in good favor with the Dark Lord, and guaranteeing with stay in favor with the Ministry. If I die, it will be a tragic accident and a smaller smirch on our name than if I wouldn't do kill him. If I manage to do it, our family will rise quite quickly in favor. But that's not to say he won't soon ruin us once again. My father's ambitions for both the Ministry and the Dark Lord don't tend to mesh well."
"Well considering they are both on opposite sides of this war, I would think not." Harry tried to keep a straight face and was rewarded with a scowl.
"Oh, I never would have guessed, smart ass. I thought they were hand in hand." Draco nervously tapped his hands against his leg.
"Well, if you think about it, they do have something in common. They both want to keep someone out of our world. Voldemort wants to keep Muggleborns and half-bloods out and the Ministry wants to keep Death Eaters and Voldemort out. They will also do absolutely anything to get what they want, no matter who they hurt. The Ministry may say it's all for the Greater Good, but look at what happened in the Triwizard Tournament? They were willing to let the 4 of us die to save face. Cedric did die." He saw Draco wince and mildly regretted his statement. "Or with Sirius. They were willing to give the Dememtor's Kiss to an innocent man because they did not want to admit that they had been wrong or that they had been proven wrong by a child. Last year, they didn't want to admit that Voldemort was back because it didn't fit in with their plans. I was nearly expelled, Sirius is dead, they foisted Umbridge on us, and the 6 of us were nearly killed by Death Eaters at the Ministry." Once again, Draco had a pained look upon his face.
"I don't blame you for what your father has done. I would never hold the sins of the father against the son. The only thing you are responsible for is your own actions and you've already said that you want to be done with it all. That's enough for me." Harry smiled at him.
"Can we switch subjects? I can't deal with much more of this." Harry rubbed his arm and they started talking about all sorts of nonsense from the antics of their housemates to their classes. Draco helped him with his Potion's essay and he helped him with Draco with Charms. The tone was shockingly easygoing and the time passed by easily. Soon, it was time for them to head to their respective common rooms and see who won the Quidditch match. Harry peeked out the door to make sure there was no one there and they both headed out. They tossed a wave over their shoulder and continued on, both lost in their thoughts. Harry entered his common room, saw Hermione and handed her his Potion's homework.
"I think you'll find this is all in order. I think I can make the potion tomorrow without the same screw up."
"Can you make it without other screw ups?" Hermione teased him gently while looking over the paper.
"I can't make any guarantees on that part." He laughed.
"Well, it seems to be okay. Do you get the difference between sky blue and light blue now?"
"Sky blue is two shades lighter than light blue! Though, I still don't think it makes much of a difference. Blue is blue."
"Spoken like a true guy." She giggled. "There's a complete difference!"
"I know the difference between sky blue and light blue." Ron muttered from beside her.
"That's because it's been drilled into your head by Snape, silly. Harry, however, seems to have been having other things on his mind in Potions. You've been distracted a lot lately. Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione handed him back his homework.
"Not really. Nothing's going on really. Just lots of things are going on and parts of me just don't know what's really going on. Just trying to sort it all out. So how'd the game go, by the way?" Both Ron and Hermione noticed the subject change but let it go.
"Ravenclaws won by just a snitch catch." Ron said smugly.
The two of them descended into a play by play of the game. Harry settled back against the couch and listened to them chatter. He added in his input here and there but his thoughts were caught up with Draco. Hearing everything that was going on with him certainly gave him a different view of him. The new perspective was shocking and unexpected but he found that he liked being able to see Draco as more of a human. He had been his enemy for so long that is was refreshing. He knew that Lucius was an asshole but he never knew that it was that bad. He wondered how Ron and Hermione would react to everything that was going on with them. He hoped he would be able to tell them soon but until then, he could sit back and enjoy everyone's company.
A/N: The length of the chapters will change. Right now, it's about when it feels right to end it. The way I feel, with Draco's snark comes a sense of comfortability. Right now, he's vulnerable and at odds with himself over Harry which doesn't make him very comfortable because he's not in control like he usually is. As you can see, it is coming out as he's getting more comfortable. It's not going away forever, so no worries dear. Same with the animosity. There will still be parts that they will fight over. I love their aggressive relationship as much as the next fangirl. And thank you, my lovely reviewer! Hope this calms your worries.