Kind of shorter than usual, but I'll probably be updating tomorrow as well, so I hope you all like your new chapter. And again, thank you to all adds, PMs and reviews; I appreciate it so much.

"What an ass." Ron sneered.

"Ronald, he's having a hard time, don't be cruel!" Hermione scolded.

Harry rolled his eyes, "No, it's my fault too. You can't blame him completely."

"Harry, don't say that. You sound like Herm." Ron chuckled.

Hermione glared to the red-head, "What's wrong with that?"

Ron's laughter immediately died out as he stuttered, "N-nothing."

She huffed and turned back to Harry, staging her face back into an expression that was kind and gentle.

"I think you're wonderfully fair about it." She complimented.

Harry nodded and sighed. Hermione was still determined to cheer him up; "Well…Harry, think about it this way; perhaps you'll get to learn something about him that you didn't know before."

"Like, that he's a bigger prick than we could have ever imagined." Ron interjected.

Harry chuckled softly, "Probably."

Hermione glared to the both of them, crossing her arms childishly and snapping, "Fine! You both are so insensitive!"

Ron laughed, "We're no insensitive, 'Mione, we're just sane."

"Harry?"

The trio looked to the corner of the hall where Pansy stood. She was looking much better nowadays; Harry predicted it had a lot to do with the fact that Draco was healthy enough to start fights again. Her short black hair had light green ribbons entwined in her small braids, her tiny ears decorated in silver beads and two diamonds on either ear. Her thin lips were glossed and pinkish, her eyes containing a girlish spark, while her very thin physique was hugged in her uniform. She smiled, noting that she had captured Harry's attention as she inquired, "Could I talk to you, please?"

Harry looked to the other two and they nodded positively. The two of them probably wouldn't talk to her regularly, considering how awkward and sorry they felt when they were around her. Unrequited love really did clear out a room fast; so uncomfortable. Harry was walking beside her for a while until she stopped and said, "He doesn't laugh."

"…sorry?"



She looked to him, smiling sadly, "Not like he used to."

Harry's brows furrowed in concern as he requested, "Ehm…can you tell me when you knew you were in love with him?"

She blushed lightly, looking to the side for a moment, "I suppose…when I saw his eyes."

Harry immediately asked, "Love at first sight?"

She shook her head, "No, not really…I mean…the first time I really saw them…I hope someday…you'll know what I'm talking about."

Harry didn't know how to reply, so he decided to say nothing at all. He waited a moment before inquiring, "Uhm…did you need to ask me something?"

She smiled, "Oh yeah…ehm…I've got…an offer for you."

"What offer?"

She looked to him, wondering aloud as if daydreaming loudly, "What if I told you that you could watch every movement, hear every word and feel every touch of Draco until you knew him backwards and forwards without an drop of Veritaserum."

Harry grinned, "Well, I'd absolutely adore you."

She laughed cutely; Harry was learning to find the petite Slytherin very endearing. She replied,

"Alright, well then, Harry…I've been making a…polyjuice potion…"

"Ehm…okay."

"And you see…well…" She trailed off for a few seconds until she returned with, "it's very nearly finished…it'll be finished by Christmas break…which is in about three weeks, so I was thinking…well…I was going to use it for something else, but I thought that since I go to the Malfoy Manor for all the vacations…" She moved her eyes to his as she finished, "I thought maybe you'd like to go in my place."

Harry's face erased any evidence of color as he asked incredulously, "Are you serious?!"

"Very much so. Believe it or not, Potter…I've kind of grown to like you. I'd really like to give you this experience…maybe he'd…I don't know…maybe you'd be able to reach him."

Harry was flabbergasted, inquiring, "Do you realize I'm dead if he finds out it's me?!"

She pouted, "Well I've made more than enough to supply you for the week that we're off."

Harry's jaw was dropped; unable to form anything coherent. He calmed his twitching jaw as he formed his question, "W-when would I be…uhm…turning into you?"



She looked around as if the answer were somewhere floating above her head until she answered,

"I suppose the night that he's leaving. You'll board the train with him as me and I'll stay at the castle for the break; lie low."

Harry's mind was racing with blankness…could this really work?

"Uhm…a-alright…I'll talk about it with Ron and Hermione…see if they'll cover for me."

She grinned, "That's good, then."

Harry nodded, "Alright…I'll get back to you sometime tonight or something, then."

She agreed and gave some parting words before Harry turned on his heel and began walking back to his friends; eager for their opinions. Harry was frozen, though, when he heard Pansy call after him. He turned back to her and asked, "Yes?"

She looked to her feet, something akin to sadness or guilt etched on her face as she told him,

"I just…if you decide to…I have to tell you before I forget…no matter what, no one goes in Draco's room when he's alone in there."

"Alone? Then what-"

"When he goes in there and locks the door it means he's crying. He wouldn't want me walking in on that. He wouldn't want anyone walking in on that."

Harry's eyes widened, "…how do you know he's crying if you don't go in there?"

"Extendable ears."

"…ehm…very well. Thanks, Pansy…I'll get back to you soon."

She smiled and nodded before walking off. Harry was only two steps closer to the corner when she called after him again. He turned, "Yes?"

She blushed, clearly embarrassed about making him stop so much as she told him,

"Uhm…you're pretty wonderful too, Potter."

Harry smiled, his eyes lightening as she turned away and he strode back to his feuding friends.

"Sanity has a lot to do with sympathy, Ronald!"

"Not when it comes to Malfoy!"

"Guys, shut up for a minute." Harry breathed, catching up to them.

Hermione looked to him with a perked brow as she implored, "What's going on, Harry?"



Harry smiled, "Pansy…she's a bright one."

"Alright boys, come this way."

Draco wouldn't give Harry the slightest glance, not that Harry was being much more reasonable. Snape was guiding them through some corridors neither recognized until they reached a door much alike to that of the Room of Requirements. Harry looked to the professor as the man directed, "Go in."

The boys stepped in the room; it was a gigantic ballroom with marble and pastel colors, but it was completely unfurnished. Draco looked to the teacher and inquired,

"And what are we supposed to do with this?"

Snape's stoic, unreadable face remained in that fashion as he stated simply, "Get along."

"What?"

"A common goal." Harry said softly.

Snape nodded, "Indeed, Mr. Potter."

"What's the goal, though?"

"That's for you to figure out." Snape slurred as he left the room and distinctly locked the door behind his cloak.

Draco walked further into the room, placing his hands on his sides before starting, "Well this is fabulous."

"At least we're not cleaning up the gunk Neville leaves behind in the potions lab." Harry tried to lighten up the dread.

The blonde scoffed, "Don't speak, Potter."

"Well I'm the only person you could have directed that to, so-"

"Yes, well when I'm speaking in general you can assume I mean everyone and everything beside you."

"You 'do' realize I'm not 'actually' a Fire Rat, right?" Harry joked, secretly wanting to punch the boy.

"Could have fooled me. In any case, you're a speck of insignificant life, like a dead owl or a dust bunny, so I normally brush you aside from my thoughts towards actual people."

Harry cracked his knuckles in his fists, trying hard to stay calm as he implored, "Do you think you could just work with me on this to get out of here?"



Draco finally turned to Harry, snapping, "No. No, Potter, I don't think I can."

"Draco, the two of us are smart, we can do it if we just cooperate."

"No, Potter, it's got nothing to do with 'if' I can do it. I know full well that I am far more capable than you at most everything, so if you think you can, what cause for concern do I have?" Draco paused to appreciate the frustrated look on Harry's face before continuing, "It has nothing to do with my capability, only my willingness and the likeliness of me actually working with you, you dirty prick, is…well, to keep you on the same miniscule-brained page, it's not likely."

Harry stepped forward, defending, "Look, Malfoy, I don't know what your problem is, but we're not getting out until we at least figure out what the goal is!"

Malfoy ventured a step further as his voice sounded, "No, Potter, 'you' can figure out whatever the fuck you want, I want absolutely nothing to do with you, okay? So you just leave me alone and I'll treat you with the same respect."

"Malfoy!" Harry started as he stepped closer, "What the hell is your issue with me!?"

Draco's face became a frightening shade of angry red as he stormed towards Harry, three steps more as he fought, "My issue? My issue?! My ISSUE, Potter, with YOU is probably, oh, I don't know, probably just the FACT THAT YOU MURDERED MY FATHER!"

Harry stepped forward again matching his volume, "YOU forgave ME!"

Draco laughed morbidly before returning to the argument, "I could never forgive you! You fucking lying, attention-obsessed, life-ruining, selfish, nosey fucking bastard! Everyone always gave you exactly what you've wanted, you always got exactly what you needed! You haven't worked for a single thing on your own! You always have to be number one! You always have to be the savior! You're just a freak with a scar on your fucking head, what the fuck's so special about you!? I fucking hate you! I loathe every inch of you from the top of your rat's-nest hair to the nasty-ripped soles of your shoes with each and every fiber and cell in my entire body!" Draco stopped to catch his breath; Harry had discovered, though, that he could not move as Draco finished in a breathy voice, "I hate you."

Harry would have dwelled or his harsh words had they not been followed with an intimidated sound. Harry cocked a brow as Draco stepped forward harshly, muttering, "What the…"

They looked around, only to find that the walls had been closing in on them. Draco looked to Harry,

"See what you've done?"

The walls pushed into Draco and Harry more before Harry concluded, "They must move in the more we fight…"

"Yeah, thanks Professor Apparent."

The walls closed in more before Harry snapped, "Stop fighting with me, Draco!"



"Don't tell me what to do, I'll fight with whoever the fuck I want to!"

The walls pushed more, creating a space of four inches between the boys. They stood glaring at each other, a rage and destruction shining in their eyes. Harry's eyes were his vibrant jade like an irate, tropical ocean determined to leave an island in ruins as they glowered into Draco's catastrophic irises. They were a horrifying thunderstorm, upsetting the sunset and lake into miles of murky fog that passed through the smoke of burning buildings. Harry tried to see deeper into them, tried to find a passion other than the one that so wanted to wring Harry's neck. He wanted to see so badly those eyes Pansy saw. He wanted to see it more desperately than he had wanted…well…he couldn't quite remember wanting something as terribly as he wanted this.

"Potter…"

"Yes?"

"You're disgusting."

The walls tightened, successfully crushing their bodies together in painful agony. Harry cringed at the pressure on his chest, the wind nearly knocked out of him as he muttered, "Are you alright, Malfoy?"

"Alright?! AM I BLOODY ALRIGHT DID YOU JUST EFFING ASK ME?! I—"

"SHUT UP OR WE'LL BE CRUSHED!"

The walls gripped again, causing them both to curse sharply. Draco's chin was hovering right above Harry's shoulder as Harry's rested on the opposite blade of Draco. The Golden Boy could smell the sweet aroma of the blonde's platinum hair and in all the terrible vibes, it was somewhat pleasant.

"Are you falling asleep, Potter?!"

The ebony-haired boy's eyes were nearly shut as he mumbled, "Not falling asleep as losing consciousness…"

Draco sighed and started ranting about what a bother it was, but as the walls pressed further onto their weakened and emotionally exhausted bodies, Draco was silenced. The blonde heard the rhythmic, slow breathing of a dreamer, so he simply sighed and announced to no one, "Fine…go to sleep, then…"

Draco moved his cheek a moment, accidently brushing against Harry's mess of silky black hair. The Slytherin noted reluctantly that although the hair was a mess, it was not a rat's nest. That it was wonderfully soft and controlled. Draco let his head finally collapse onto the Golden Boy's shoulder as he mumbled, "Night…Potter."