AN: Hello again! Thanks for sticking with this story! I hope you all continue to enjoy it. Thanks again to my wonderful beta, DancingHorses.
Chapter Four
It seemed that Potter didn't have detention that night, and Draco was unsure if he was pleased or not. However, that didn't stop him from making sure he was in the defense wing of the school at the right time, just in case he happened to run into Potter.
Things seemed quiet for a while. The rumor mill didn't have much to say about anything, really. Occasionally an article in the Daily Prophet would spark some conversation, a disappearance or a murder that everyone just knew was or wasn't the Dark Lord's doing.
As September continued to drag on, work for fifth years piled up. Potter didn't get any more detentions that Draco knew about, but it was only a matter of time. Draco thought that it was a remarkably quiet September. That is, until one day at breakfast.
On that day, a prank was played on Professor Umbridge. It would not go down in Hogwarts, A Historyas one of the most daring pranks on a teacher in the history of the school, but it was still funny.
Usually, students pranked other students. Very rarely did they branch off to attacking the teachers. Usually this would lead to very bad consequences.
Draco figured there must have been something in her food (How it got there was anyone's guess—the Weasley Twins?), because suddenly during breakfast, her face turned a shade of bright pink matching her cardigan.
It was so sudden and subtle, no one really noticed at first, but when they did, the laughing started. Umbridge was very angry and was sure to take it out on her classes.
Draco was sitting off from the main group of Slytherins. He used to be right in the middle, but he didn't really see the point any longer. So he sat to the side, quietly thinking. From his position Draco could easily look over to Potter. The boy was laughing, but not as hard as some of the other Gryffindors around him. He must have known his class that day was going to be bad.
By dinner, everyone had heard that Potter had gotten detention from Umbridge again. No one knew the reason, but everyone had their own ideas. Some said he had back–talked the professor and she had no choice but to discipline the boy. Others claimed it was an unjust punishment because Umbridge didn't realize it was the Weasley twins who had pranked her.
Regardless, Draco made his way back to his common room to do some homework before he started his nightly patrol. He had a feeling where he was going to end up that night.
He started by walking all over the transfiguration wing and checking out the transfiguration courtyard. That was a popular place for older students to snog, because of its size and lighting. He didn't find anyone, but cast tempus and saw that it was almost 9 PM, the time when Potter would be getting out his detention.
He moved quickly towards the defense office and saw there was still a light on. That meant there was a good chance Potter was still in detention.
Draco moved further down the hallway, down further than he usually met Potter. It wasn't more than a few minutes before the door opened and Harry Potter came stalking out.
Potter walked down the hallway towards Draco and stopped where they usually met. He looked around and squinted into the darkness as if trying to see Draco.
Draco was curious to see what Potter would do, so he stayed in the darkness and waited.
"Hello?" Potter whispered to the shadows. "Are you there?"
Malfoy smirked. Potter was looking for him. Interesting. "I'm here," he said.
"Oh, good. I was worried for a second there," Potter said and smiled.
"No need to worry, Potter. I'm usually around here at this time," Draco said. They started walking away from the defense office to make sure Umbridge didn't see them.
After a few minutes they stopped, and Draco said, "Well, let's have it then," asking for Potter's hand.
"It seems to hurt more tonight. I think she kept me longer. It was hard to concentrate on the lines, what with her looking like she did." Potter smiled a mischievous smile and held his hand out to Draco.
Draco smiled back and cast the usual two spells and within a minute the hand was healed.
"Thanks! That feels so much better," Potter said, and paused. "I hate her so much."
Draco nodded. "It's no problem, Potter. I'm happy to help. I'm sure you'd do the same for me."
"Not before this year," Potter replied.
"So..." Draco broke the awkward silence that followed that statement. "How many detentions do you have with her this time?"
"Ugh," he sighed. "Too many. Until next week sometime. At least she got it out of the way now, so it won't be over the Hogsmede weekend."
"That's good. It would be a shame to miss that."
Another awkward silence.
"Well, I should go. See you tomorrow?" Potter said, looking hopeful.
"Probably," Draco said, with a smirk.
"Good. I... Good night, Malfoy. Thanks again." Potter walked away.
Draco wondered what he had been going to say.
The next morning he again entered the Slytherin common room to find a group of his year mates waiting for him.
"Malfoy, it's time we had a talk," Zabini said.
"Oh?" Draco said, "What do we need to talk about, Zabini?"
"You. Your attitude. Your changes. Whatever they are. You're different this year."
"Yeah, so what? People change. It's part of growing up. Maybe you should try it, Zabini," Malfoy responded.
"You don't attack the Gryffindors, you aren't terrorising the firsties, you're defending Hufflepuffs from other Slytherins. This is not the behavior of a proper Slytherin. You know that," Zabini said chidingly.
"Oh, I see. Bullying is what the Sorting Hat was singing about a while back. Merlin knows that's what this house is founded on. You need to grow up, Zabini," Malfoy said mockingly.
Some students from other years were listening now, wondering who was going to come out on top in the argument.
Zabini was getting frustrated with Draco's answers. Draco could tell Zabini was trying to make him look like a fool, but judging by the dark–skinned boy's growing frustration, it was not working.
"Listen to you, Malfoy! You sound like a Hufflepuff! Maybe if we all hold hands and sing, the world's problems will be fixed!" Zabini sneered.
"Good luck with that, Zabini. I think I'll just follow the rules and do what a prefect is supposed to do. Now if you'll excuse me." Draco walked out of the common room, leaving behind a seething Blaise Zabini.
By nightfall, Draco had mostly put that morning's incident behind him. Zabini was an annoyance who thought himself more capable then he really was.
He was waiting for Potter by their normal meeting spot. He had begun to look forward to these meetings.
A moment later the door opened and closed, and Potter approached him with a smile.
"Evening, Malfoy," Potter said.
"Potter," Draco nodded in greeting before they walked off towards their usual stopping point.
"So how was your day?" Potter asked, trying to make small talk.
"It was fine. Some low–life Slytherins don't seem to like the new me," Draco said.
"I think I might like the new you, but it's a shame if you're losing your friends," Potter said.
"Oh, they were never my friends. Hangers on, followers and acquaintances. It's hard to have friends in Slytherin."
Potter looked like he didn't know how to respond. He finally settled for, "I'm sorry."
They continued in silence and eventually Potter stopped.
"Ok, let's see it then," Draco said, and Potter offered his hand. Draco mumbled the spells and the wounds disappeared.
Potter looked up from his hand and smiled at Draco. "Thanks. It's nice to see a friendly face right after dealing with that woman. She's still pink, by the way."
"I know, we had her today. You'd think Dumbledore or someone would take the spell off," Malfoy said.
"Maybe they hate her as much as we do." Potter grinned and Malfoy smiled back.
"Maybe," Draco said.
"You know," Potter said, "If you acted more like you are now back in first year, maybe we could have been friends."
"I could say the same thing to you. What about now, this year?" Malfoy said, holding his breath unintentionally.
"Maybe," Potter said, with a positively Slytherin smile on his face.
Draco smiled back and said, "I should go. It's late. Tomorrow?"
Potter nodded, still smiling, and both boys walked towards their respective dorms.
Neither saw the pair of eyes watching them from the shadows.