Thank you HarryPotter fan2311, Bloodfire87, FleurSuoh, and GinaFlavoredBean for reviewing the last chapter. Sorry for the last update, but I've been very busy with school as of late.

Also I wanted to say that I've been trying not to go to OOC with the characters. Like Draco, I'm not going to change him straight away to Mr. Nice guy.

And without further ado here's the next chapter! This chapter is in Draco's point of view.


Before the Worst

Chapter 7: Only Human


Draco had found himself drifting to sleep allot more than he did back in 1996. He had felt the weight removed from his shoulders, the pressure slowly fading away – that was until earlier today.

Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy had crossed the final straw by calling Lily Evans a mudblood during potions. James had responded to this by sending not one, but multiple hexes towards Lucius direction. Before Draco could even blink or even fully acknowledge what was going on. A duel had started between the two and soon members from both houses joined. After Slughorn had first expressed how outrage he was as well as his disappointment he had gave them both detention, ignoring Lucius objection. After that, to both James and Lucius joy and Draco's displeasure Slughorn switched their partners. Draco's partner, Abelia Zambini was paired up with James and by default Draco was paired up with father.

They hadn't talked much, but the pressure that Draco felt before the time turner incident grew again. Draco studied the design on his left forearm. A bitter laugh escaped his lips, ever since the time traveling incident he had been desperate to lose the blood-traitor Weasley as well as the Marauders in order to speak to his father, but now that he had the chance to speak to his father he had no idea what to say or how to even begin.

Draco's eyebrows met into a frown, he quickly hid the dark mark under his sleeve. It was quiet, too quiet. Draco felt himself grimaced, today had been a full moon. He still couldn't believe he was sleeping in the same room as that filthy half-breed. Since it was a full moon this meant that obviously Lupin was gone, his excuse being that he was visiting his ill grandmother. Oddly Sirius Black and James Potter were gone as well, but Draco didn't give it much a thought. They were both probably working on a prank or eating in the kitchens. Also, Frank was sleeping in the head dorms for some reason. Draco's best guess for this arrangement was that James must have managed to piss the mudblood so much that even James decided it was best to be away.

Because of all of this, naturally the only background noise Draco's thinking had was Pettigrew's and Weasley's loud snoring. And now the background noise to Draco's thinking had gotten completely silent. His thoughts on why the snoring had stopped were instantly cut short and answered. A boy with untidy black hair appeared, poking in through his curtains, eyes wide from the dark and a lack of glasses.

"You awake Draco?" James asked in his best attempt to whisper. Sadly, Draco had noticed that James Potter had never mastered the art of being quiet.

Draco, eyes wide awake, couldn't help but roll his eyes at the obvious answer. James seemed to have read his mind because he responded to Draco with a roll of eyes of his own. "Yeah, yeah I know." he said hastily, sending a glare towards Draco's direction, but the small smile that tug in his lips gave it away that he wasn't even slightly mad. "Can I come in?" Draco didn't even get a chance to respond because even though James had asked, he already had, closing the curtains behind him and muttering a quick silencing charm. "Shove over, mate." he said."Want a tart?"

Draco shifted over his bed, allowing James to get more conferrable. He shook his, "No thanks, where did you even get them?"

"'E and 'adoot brough' em back f'om theh' 'itchen." he said while trying to swallow a bunch of tarts.

Draco snorted at James's antics, instantly comforted. He always felt that way around James, whose easy going, sometimes tactless mannerisms seemed to be what he needed right now. "Me and Padfoot brought them back from the kitchen." James clarified, smiling when Draco nodded. "Anyways, why are you up?"

"Why are you?"

"Fun never sleeps!" James exclaimed with a broad smile.

Draco only responded to this by rolling his eyes. A beat later when he notices the look of concern James flashed him he said. "Just been thinking..." Draco said letting his voice trail of.

"About?"

"You know life," he said simply, when he noticed the look of bemused that was all over James with a sigh he continued. "You know the future—J-James why are you laughing?" Draco exclaimed his tone of voice showing that he clearly was annoyed.

After a minute of laughing, James stopped with a chuckle. He wiped the tear away from his eye. "About the future? Really Draco? You're starting to scare me, I think Remus is starting to rub on you..." he said trailing off with another chuckle. Draco just glared at the taller boy, nerve does that boy have comparing a Malfoy to a filthy werewolf! "Oh come on Draco! I ain't daft. Please tell me what's actually bothering you! I hate being uninformed."

"Fine." Draco huffed, stopping a minute to think on what to say. He didn't want to give too much information out, with a sigh Draco continued "Before coming here, I had allot of things going on with my life. I had to make very hard decisions..." his voice trailed off, he looked up to face James for the first time since he had begun talking. He had expected James to be biting his lip trying to control muffled laughter, but the only thing that was starting back at Draco were concerned eyes. "I've made decisions that I-I regret. And, I—" Draco stopped once he felt that a sob had found its way his throat. Draco caught his breath, his brow inadvertently beginning to sweat.

"It's alright mate – you don't have to go into detail if you don't want to," James assured, he placed his hand on Draco shoulder trying to give the boy a bit of comfort.

Draco met James gaze. He liked that James unlike Sirius, knew not when to press a matter. He looked sad, concerned, was it...pity? Although Draco appreciated James being concerned and all, he couldn't help but push James hand away as if his touch burned. He rarely received any pity, and he honestly didn't like receiving those looks – it made him feel weak. And Draco Malfoy was definitely not weak!

James shifted awkwardly; he ran a hand through his untamed hair nervously. "Look Draco," he began cautiously not wanting to offend or anger the boy, with a wearily sigh he continued. "We all have made decisions that we regret." he said hesitating; he wasn't sure whether he should continue. He didn't want to make the boy uncofterable as he had a minute ago. When he noticed that Draco nodded absentmindedly he continued a beat later a bit more determined to get his point across. "B-but you're only human. We all make mistakes, we got to learn from them, not drown in them."

Draco sighed; he nodded only to please James. If only it was that easy, he thought.

A smile tugged in the corner of James lips. "Now that we got out of the way..." he said, smile growing when he notice the bewildered expression written all over Draco's face."Gryffindor will be playing against Ravenclaw in a couple of weeks. And I was wondering if you liked Quidditch and were willingly to try out for the team."

A cocky smirk started appearing in the corner of Draco's lips. "Of course I like Quidditch!" Draco exclaimed, "I used to play Seeker in Slyt—back in Durmstrang!"

James smile grew broadly, his eyes seemed to somehow look at Draco as if a whole new other light. "Great!" he beamed.


Three days had passed since Draco's conversation with James. Draco was disappointed to see that he had to share the same room with the werewolf so quickly.

The Hogsmeade trip was coming soon. And soon after that was Halloween. Even someone as daft as Neville Longbottom could see that the Marauders where planning something big. Whether it was a prank or a "small gathering" was what was undecided.

Today was a day that Draco had been looking forward for all week. Today was the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts. He had his doubts at first of joining the Gryffindor team, but when Sirius Black had bluntly stated his opinion that he doubted that Draco could make it in the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Draco had become more then determined to join the team just to shove it in the blood traitor face.

James had offer Draco the great "privilege" to become a Marauder. Draco was hesitant at first, but accepted regardless only to find out there was a catch. He had to complete a number of challenges to be considering a Marauder.

James had informed him that even though he's the only one from the Marauders to be in the Quidditch team. All of them, with the exception of Peter, have some skill in Quidditch. That the reason Black wasn't in the Quidditch team was because he was too irresponsible. While Lupin found it dangerous and wasn't a fan of the sport, an answer which Draco could only gasp.

Draco was also looking forward the day because he hadn't payed any attention to Quidditch ever since he was assigned that mission. Also, because Weasley was trying out for seeker aswell. And there was nothing Draco loved more than proving the fact that he was better than Weasley was.


I apologize for the bad ending and the long wait. But I had writer blockish for the second part.

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