A/N: We're back!

We won't give you any false excuses about why we haven't updated for so long. We'll just say we're sorry for the enormous delay. We hope that some of you are still with us and that you'll like the new chapter.

Chapter Seven: Given Situation

Harry stared dumbfounded at the door that closed behind Blaise. What was wrong with Mal… Draco? Ok, in the given situation Harry hadn't behaved as the most sensitive person but still… Draco didn't have to get so angry! And the others looked pretty irritated too…Well, never mind. For a moment there he had forgotten that they were Slytherins and his enemies for quite some time. He just got carried away…for the last too days it almost felt as if they were friends. He had to stop being the naïve Gryffindor start to thing clearly. They weren't friend but people who live together and take advantage of each other. But really…was it impossible for them to be more? Why had half of Slytherin called their Prince and leader a traitor? Wasn't there something hidden behind that? Something…more?

---

Harry walked for a few minutes aimlessly through the empty corridors while the others were in class. He thought for a moment what to do with his free period and decided to go to Hogsmead- it was his right as a senior after all. He left the castle and walked slowly through the grounds, planning to visit the bookshop and maybe stop at the Three Broomsticks for a butter beer after that. He definitely needed one after all the new information about Malfoy being a seer and an empath and so on. The bookshop was necessary too- he had already run out of books to read (not to mention that Transfiguration for N.E.W.T.s was informative but boring as hell). And his dreams were getting crazier… maybe he could find something that could help him decipher their meaning.

---

After an hour Harry was sipping his drink peacefully in a secluded corner of the pub. He was reading the book he had just bought, trying to find something that was at least remotely close to his dreams. But considering the fact that he was dreaming what Voldemort was thinking and the snake-face was crazy, his task was becoming close to impossible.

Suddenly he heard two familiar voices approaching. His heart sank as he realized that one of them belonged to his Head of House. His day was completely ruined.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Snape hissed.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Apart from you being here on behalf of the Dark Lord nothing else could be obvious."

"I think you've lost your touch' speaking about Him here where everyone can overhear."

Who was that? He sounded so familiar but Harry just couldn't give the voice a face.

"Nobody pays any attention to us. This is the "Three Broomsticks" for Merlin's sake!"

"Still…It doesn't matter. It's dangerous talking about matters this serious without the protection of a spell."

Harry cursed. Now that he had heard their conversation his curiosity picked up. He couldn't let it go without understanding what were they talking about. He quickly retrieved his Invisibility Cloak from his bag and made his way towards the other table which was, until now, out of view. He stifled a gasp of shock when he saw just who Snape's companion was. The irritated looking Potions Master took out his wand to cast the requested silencing charm so Harry quickly ducked under the table. Once the protection was in place the converstion continued.

"Now that this is done will you answer my bloody question, Lucius?" Snape was obviously really mad.

"I'm doing what I think is best in the given situation."

"Taking over the school for the Dark Lord? Or maybe killing off some muggleborns?"

Lucius laughed.

"Stop joking, Severus. You can't be both mad and merry."

"Really, Lucius, what's going on?"

There was a sigh.

"I thought you, of all people, would have figured that out by now. After all, it's not like you don't know what happened. You were there. I just did what any father would have done in my place."

"I hope you understand that your actions put you and your son in even grater danger. You are now officially considered a traitor. You saw what happened during the opening ceremony."

"I would have been considered a traitor even if I haven't started working at Hogwarts. Now, at least, I could watch over Draco and I won't have to worry so much about him. Maybe it was a little bit drastic but it was the right thing to do in the given situation"

Harry sighed in irritation. What was the bloody "given situation"?

"By the way, Lucius," Snape sounded uncertain. "I never got the chance to say how worry I am for your loss."

Beneath the table Harry was going crazy.

"Thank you. This summer was really hard. But as hard as it was for me, it was even more so for Draco. She was his mother. Not to mention that he blames himself."

"This is ridiculous! It's not like he can see everything!"

"I told him the same. He couldn't have predicted that he might have a vision exactly the night when he took the potion."

"Yes, one of the drawbacks of the dreamless potion is that it affects the Seers' abilities. But he hadn't slept for a week! Nobody could predict that this was going to happen."

"He doesn't listen to me though. Maybe you could talk to him too?"

"Of course, I'll try. But there is something else that bothers me. Potter is now in Draco's dorm and his dreams which are really strong could affect and weaken your son."

"I thought about that too. Draco still has problems sleeping and if he witnesses one of Potter's dreams (which you've told me are very violent) he'll try to interfere. And that could be very dangerous for him."

Could this mean…Oh, damn! Harry thought. Then this accident with the Hufflepuffs was, actually, his fault! He remembered the sickening feeling of his nightmare, of not being able to breath, of utter despair and helplessness. To think that Draco had felt all of that…And probably after a nightmare about his mother's death! And all the harsh things Harry had said to him! He needed to find the blond and apologize. After all, who knew better than him what it was like to loose a parental figure- he had lost three of them.

"I'll think of something. Now we better get going or we'll be late for dinner." Snape said and proceeded to take down the spells around their table.

Harry waited for them to leave the pub and slowly got out from under the table. It was already dark outside. Harry left the "Three Broomsticks" and slowly made his was to the school, lost in guilty thoughts. When he entered the castle dinner had already started and the hallways were empty. He was just going to enter the Great Hall when he saw Blaise and Pansy in one of the nearby corridors, talking silently. He decided to join them so that they could go in together. Harry was almost there when something Blaise said stopped his dead in his tracks. Instinct made him hide behind and armor. He was listening in on yet another conversation today.

"This reaction to the Hufflepuffs wasn't normal. He hasn't had one this violent since he was five."

"I know, but I believe it has something to do with…you know…his mother."

"Of course it has something to do with his mother. I was wondering though if there isn't something we could do to help him get his control back. Any suggestions?"

"You know him- he would never let us help him. Not to mention that he'll become even more stressed if we start fussing around him. All he needs us to do is be there for him and try to act as normal as possible."

"This year everything became harder. We have to really stick together. Half the House wants to kill Dray…and us with him."

"Ha! I would like to see that happening. They'll have some mad exDeath Eaters and their kids on their tails. Oh, how I would like to get my hands on Crabbe and Goyle." Pansy looked dreamy.

Blaise laughed.

"And I would like to see that." The boy then looked around and got closer to his friend, no almost whispering. "There is something else."

"You give me the creeps when you look around like that. What is it?"

"Harry."

The mentioned checked if there was any part of him visible behind the armor. He wouldn't like them to find him eavesdropping. He couldn't imagine how he would explain that.

"We have to explain everything to him," Blaise continued. "It must have been a real shock- Draco collapsing like that. Not only didn't we give a proper explanation, but we were maybe a bit too harsh."

"Yes, not to mention that…Do you think he knows about Narcissa?"

"I doubt that. Lucius made sure it didn't make the news. But that's something for Dray to tell when and if he's ready. It's not our concern."

"Of course. But Harry is, despite his looks, intelligent and may find out on his own, at some point. Now, maybe, we should join Draco and Theo- I don't like them being alone with the rest of the House even in a full Great Hall."

"Intelligent." Blaise laughed. "Ok, let us go. I'll leave the talk with Harry for you. I'm not good at explaining things."

"Oh, I'd love to. And I have some questions of my own for him too." Pansy smirked mischievously.

"I don't want to know." The boy looked a little sick. He could guess what kind of questions she was talking about.

Harry heard Pansy laughed and he saw her dragging Blaise toward the Hall. He realized he shouldn't just stay there- he would think about all he heard later. Now he needed to go to dinner and try to make things better with Draco.

---

Draco was sitting at the Slytherin table, his head in his hands. It still hurt like a bitch (a class of Magical Runes hadn't helped the least bit with that). He couldn't believe his protection was this bad that a couple of weak- minded Hufflepuffs could shake him like that. It was all because he had to play the hero last night. What was wrong with him! Slytherins didn't play like that! He had used most of his mental strength last night when he woke Harry up from his nightmare (more like saved him from his imminent death). And he hadn't slept for ages. He was too tired! Maybe he had to take it easy for awhile. But…

"Hey, hun, how was your second day in school?" Pansy cooed.

If it was possible her high-pitched voice made Draco's headache worse.

"It's not as if you weren't there." He answered grumpily.

"Oh, don't be in such a foul mood! The thing with the Hufflepuffs could have happened to anyone."

"Oh, yes! How could I forget that everyone is susceptible to the others' emotions and has to walk around with a mental barrier around their minds?" the blond glared at his friends. Damn even his comebacks weren't as good as usual!

Obviously not everyone, was what Pansy thought, but she didn't have the chance to say it and witness Draco's reaction because the appearance of Harry Potter distracted her.

"Where, the hell, were you?! And what were you doing wandering around alone?!" Maybe it wasn't a good idea to take his anger out on Harry but when he was in that mood Draco couldn't think straight.

Harry needed a couple of seconds to understand the questions. Oh, yeah, he had spent the whole afternoon alone- without a…fellow…Slytherin around. It wasn't such a big deal, it's not like somebody would attack him in the school. But at least he had the thoughtfulness not to say this out loud. Instead, he murmured:

"Oh, yeah, well, I'm sorry. I forgot" And he dug into his plate.

Draco, who had expected a different answer, (one that would start a fight between them), looked at the raven head and then nodded.

"You may think that no one will attack "you" but I must tell you that half of the school, if not more, is far away from being happy that you transferred in Slytherin. You should be more careful."

Harry stared at him for a moment. Not only the fact that Draco had…practically read his thoughts hit him. It was a mixture of fear and startled- the blond cared about him? No, no, no…not about him but about his wellbeing. And the other thing- Malfoy could sense feelings…so what he said had to be true?! How could half of the school start to think differently of him just because he changed Houses? This thought sounded really selfish and egocentric, but Harry was used to being, well, liked, by the others. It wasn't the most pleasant feeling not to be. Come to think of it, he had been condemning the Slytherins in his head in the same way until…2 days? And still…Draco cared about him? Harry blushed.

Blaise, who had until now, stayed silent, looked between his best mate and their new dorm mate. Was Harry blushing? Draco couldn't see him since he had his forehead on the table battling with an obvious headache. Blaise snickered silently and directed his elbow in Pansy's ribs. The girl followed his gaze and suddenly screamed towards the Ravenclaw table:

"Hermione!!! Stay there, I'm coming to you. I have GREAT news!!"

From Draco could be heard a pained hiss and a groan. Why did she have to scream like that? It was bad enough when she talked! Blaise was just going to comment on Harry blushing when he noticed a very worried looking Lucuis Malfoy coming their way from the teacher's table. O-Oh…the Slytherin could bet the man knew what had happened.

"Draco? Could you, please, come with me?"

The blond looked up. His father's eyes were looking at him with concern. Just great!

"Sorry, guys. I'm gonna see you at the Animagus course."

Harry's eyes followed the two Malfoys as they exited the Hall. He supposed the father had somehow found out about the fainting incident. That would explain his evident unease and Draco's annoyed look. But he caught that he wasn't the only one staring after them. He heard the other side of the Slytherin table muttering and throwing hateful glances in their direction. So Lucius had really betrayed Voldemort. This school year was going to be very long.

---

An hour or so after the dinner ended all the seventh years were gathered in front of the Great Hall again. The Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were all together chatting excitedly. The Slytherins, however, were keeping to themselves, once again devided in two groups.

Since he came back Draco was silent, thinking about the conversation he had just had with his father. The others were bored. All, except two girls with a weird hobby.

"Haaaar, honey, do you have something to share with us?" Pansy smiled sickly.

"Yes, Harry, we've been dying to talk to you since dinner." Hermione added, looking just as crazy as Pansy.

Harry shivered. Those two were not a good combination. And they had something on their minds…and it had to do something with him being gay. He turned for help to Blaise who only smiled evilly at him and wincked at him knowingly. The fucker! So he knew what was this all about! But Harry hadn't been Gryffindor for six years for nothing!

"Hi, girls, what's up?" He tried to look as nonchalant and oblivious as possible.

"Don't play dumb with us, Harry. I'm already used to those tactics." Hermione couldn't be swayed. "Pansy here, says that you had an interesting reaction to something Draco said. Spill it."

Harry tried his best to keep hi composure.

"Well, I don't know. Yeah, it wasn't nice to hear that a lot of people hate me just because I sleep in a different dorm." He realized that sounded suspicious when talking with maniacs like those two, so he added quickly. "You know, being a Slytherin and all that."

"Oh, yeah…you touched the subject…" Fuck! Harry thought. "Why did you blush at Dray's words? Did it have something to do with sleeping in the same room?" Pansy's smile could cut he face in two.

The inquisition was thankfully stoped by the opening of the doors to the Hall. The students made their way inside, continuing their excited chatter. Harry found Draco and quickly went to stand next to him. The blond looked as though he didn't want to talk and that was exactly what Harry was looking for. He tried to ignore Hermione's laughter and looked at McGonagoll and Snape who now stood before the students.

"Silence." Snape's voice was barely audible but the Hall suddenly quieted down.

"Tonight the course won't take a lot of time. We'll just explain a little about the process of becoming an Animagus and we'll narrow down your number." McGonagoll started.

A loud sound of disappointment and disapproval was heard from the students. Ignoring it Snape continued for his colleague.

"Now I would ask all of you who don't have at least an "E" on their Transfiguration O.W.L. to leave."

Harry sighed. Thanks Merlin Hermione had helped him in his fifth year or he would have had to find a different way to become an Animagus. From the shouts and the swearing he could hear he was one of the few lucky guys. Next to him Draco, who had com out of his reveries, smirked imperiously.

"Oh, please. That's only natural. You have to be a real idiot if you have thought that you would be able to transfigure your own body if you suck at Transfiguration."

Nott snickered next to them.

"I must ask you to do this quickly if not peacefully. I believe you are well aware that not everyone can become an Animagus- otherwise everybody would be! Now. Leave. Or. Else." Snape hissed the last words in his most threatening manner.

Ron couldn't believe what was happening! This had to be one of Potter's plans to steal his Hermione. The stupid snake knew Ron didn't do well on his Transfiguration O.W.L. so he had persuaded his new Head of House to make it impossible for him to become an Animagus and show his Hermione how wonderful and powerful he was. Glaring daggers at the wancker he left with all the others who were deprived of the possibility to become great by the idiotic "Savior".

Oblivious to his ex-best friend's thoughts Harry sent him a sympathetic smile and waved him and his friends from the other Houses goodbye. Most from Ravenclaw and Slytherin were still here. He could also see Seamus (the only on from Gryffindor who stayed) and Hannah (the only Hufflepuff).

Looking satisfied McGonagoll said:

"Ok. Now that's better don't get us wrong- the fact that you're still here doesn't mean that you'll all be able to become Animagus. Now we'll give you a task for next week. If you are unable to do what we ask of you until then you'll have to leave."

"You'll have to master the partial bodily transfiguration that Mr. Krum demonstrated at the second task of the Triwizarding Tournament. We suggest that you try to transfigure your arm not you head. That's all for now. Go straight to your dorms." With that Snape dismissed them and, after letting professor McGonagoll pass before him, exited the Great Hall.

"What! That's all?! "Master the spell…blah, blah." What spell? He could have explained in more details." Theodore was huffing angrily.

"Well, Theo, it's quite obvious." Pansy answered. "If you're not intelligent enough to find the spell and master it in a week…well you're stupid."

Hermione laughed at the last comment but suddenly froze and in the most discreet manner caught Pansy's eyes and nodded her head to their right. Harry caught himself looking at that direction too. He saw Dean and Seamus- hand in hand, foreheads touching smiling at each other silently. He could hear Hermione sniff. Draco, who had seen the scene too, smiled at the girls.

"I'm not particularly fond of those too but I must admit that I feel for them. Being separated from your boyfriend's not fun."

Blaise just couldn't pass that without a comment.

"How would you know? You haven't had a serious lover for…ever…Just the casual fuck from time to time."

"Shut up Blaise." Draco answered tiredly. "Come on. Let's go to our dorm."

TBC

R&R, please!