Forgiveness Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11: Time and How it's Spent

Warnings and Disclaimers: See First Chapter

Extra Warning: Fluffiness ensues! The next three chapters shall be filled with fluff, because I just love it!

AN: Hi... please don't kill me, I just started at a new school and before that I went to my Grandparents for two weeks and didn't have my computer and... I have so many more excuses I could use, but you probably don't want to hear them. Anyway, first I thought you might want to know, the date is Monday, November the 17th 1996(I have no idea if November 17th was actually on a Monday, but let's just say it is), for those who were wondering (if there are any). School started September 1st and it took two months for Hermione to figure it out (September and October) and then on November 2nd she confronted him and they had a week of tests (leading us to the 9th) and then a week of Draco and Hermione studying together (Harry 'Sectumsempras' Draco on the 16th) and now it's the day after that. Sorry if I confused anyone. Now, there will be some Draco/Ron in here... but it's not, well it's in Harry's head... but, it's. Oh, I don't know how to explain it, just read it and you'll see.

A minute passed by and Draco was still hugging Harry, even though the places where he had been cut were starting to hurt. He hadn't even noticed when Pansy left and Hermione had followed quickly after, for he was too excited. This was a new start. He could be whoever he pleased. He didn't have to act cold to everyone, make fun of people he didn't want to make fun of. He could just be Draco, and right now Draco hurt. He let go of Harry and slowly laid back down on the bed, chanting "Ow, ow, ow, ooh, ow, ow, ow" as Harry helped him lay straight down on the bed.

When he was all the way back down, he looked over at a very confused Harry and smiled.

"So, uh... what was that about?" Harry asked with apprehension.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Draco replied.

"Finally realised people don't like you if you're mean to them?"

"Oh, I've always known that, but who says I want people to like me? But anyway, guess again!"

"Why should I?" Harry asked blandly.

"Because I like hearing you get wrong answers," Draco said triumphantly and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine, does it have something to do with your letter?"

"Yes and no."

"With the newspaper article?"

"Why, Potter! I never took you for one with decent guessing abilities!" Draco said in mock shock. Harry brushed it aside.

"So it does?" Draco nodded. "You're happy about being disowned?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Of course not, I love my mother; but as I am no longer a Malfoy, I don't have to act like one." Harry just stared at him incredulously. "Don't you get it? I'm free! I can do as I please! I don't have to be a Death Eater or hate muggleborns or get the best grades or do any of the things my father has pushed on me, I'm free!"

"You don't want to be a Death Eater?"

"No. Who in their right mind would want to serve that insane old man?"

"Doesn't your dad serve him?"

"First, I said who in their right mind would serve him; and second, he's not my father anymore, don't call him that."

"Oh, right. Sorry..."

"Quite all right, Potter. Quite all right." Draco said, sat up and slid off his bed. He walked hobbling off towards the door.

"Mal- Draco, where are you—"

"That is not your business, Harry."

"I really don't think you should—"

"It's fine, it's fine. You're starting to sound like your friend Granger, really." Draco said, before he was caught around the arm and dragged back to the bed, kicking and screaming.

He was so loud that Madam Pomfrey came out of her office at the back of the Infirmary to see what was going on.

"What's all that racket?" She said, walking over to Draco's bed where Harry had body-binded him, and he was glaring at the brunette with a look meant to kill.

"He tried to leave."

"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you. He should have extreme restlessness for a while. He'll not want to stop talking and he'll want to get up and go walking to random places—which is why I didn't want to wake him when I gave him the potion. He seemed all right at the time, but now would be a good time to get him to go back to sleep. Here," she handed Harry a bottle, "this should put him to sleep, though I dare say you should have some trouble getting it inside of him. I will make this part of your punishment, but do not think you're out yet."

"I understand, Madam Pomfrey."

"Good, now get to work."

Harry did, as he turned back to Malf-no, Draco and un-binded his head. The boy was glaring at him with his jaws clenched tightly together and his lips sealed shut. Harry rolled his eyes. This was not going to be fun. Getting a stubborn, hyper-active Draco to open his mouth to let in an unknown sleeping potion? This was a good form of punishment.

"Open your mouth." Harry said and the blond shook his head. Well, it could never be that easy, could it? "All right, if you want to do this the hard way," Harry said nonchalantly and brought his hands and face closer and closer to Draco's face. When Harry's hands were five inches away, the blonde's mouth dropped open. Harry smirked and lifted a spoon that was already in the bottle out and put it into Draco's mouth, who then closed his mouth around the spoon and cleaned off all the potion with his tongue.

His face twisted in disgust as the spoon was taken out of his mouth.

"That is supposed to make me go to sleep? I think it only made me more awake! That is the vilest... most disgusting... thing I have... ever... tasted..." He said, trailing off as he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

Harry smiled at the sleeping boy before picking up the letter on the nightstand beside his bed.

{Hermione's POV}

When Hermione saw Pansy's face as she left the Infirmary, she just had to follow her. The look on her face depicted a person full of love, sadness, desperation, jealousy and depression. She knew that look. That look was of someone who felt they would never be loved.

She followed the girl up the stairs and through hallways until they got to a secluded staircase, and Pansy sat down on the second-to-last step. Hermione sat beside her, wrapping her arm around the Slytherin's mid-back as she began to cry into her hands.

"Go away, mudblood." Pansy said scathingly, but it just made Hermione hold her tighter.

"I won't. Not until you tell me what's wrong." Hermione said soothingly.

"And why should I tell you? You're just a filthy little mudblood Gryffindor who thinks she can solve all the world problems with a few choice words. You wouldn't understand." Hermione mocked being affronted.

"Well, I just thought you might want to talk to someone about it! You know, sometimes voicing your problems usually gives you a clearer head to think about them." She paused and gazed calmly at the girl still sobbing in her arm. "You love him. You love Draco, don't you?" She said softly.

"Yes, I do. But he'll never love me back. I've loved him since third year, if you can believe that. I asked him out, he said yes and we became an item. Soon after I realised he liked Potter. It was blatantly obvious to me. Everyone else was just too stubborn to see it. I was stubborn too, though, because I tried to keep him away from Potter, and make him mine. During fourth year I saw him checking out other men—not just Potter, but Blaise and guys from other houses. It was then that I realised it was a lost cause. I really loved him, too, so I let him go, told him he was gay—idiot didn't want to know so he ignored himself and his preferences—and watched him go off and be happy. He's been so happy this year, running around after Potter and writing to his mother, but it's just hard to see them together; I'm not at all used to it. I would do anything for him. Anything. Including letting go of him and myself."

"I get that. I feel the same way about someone myself..." Hermione said and held the girl closer to her. If she hadn't heard a single word Pansy had said, she would have to believe she was in Heaven right now. Holding Pansy so close and so tightly like this, she could probably turn her head and kiss the girl right here and now, if she wanted to. Yes, she loved Pansy, but it would never happen, Pansy loved Draco. She didn't even know why she loved Pansy; the Slytherin had always been mean to her. But it was just one of those things, like Draco loving Harry, and it just kind of happened. Hermione probably didn't love Pansy as much as Pansy loved Draco, but she did love her and want her. It was like a flame, burning in her soul, desperately trying to burn away the rest of her and make her desire for the Slytherin overwhelm her. She had control of it for now, though. Her words hurt. Now they hurt more than ever, but she was learning to hide it, and that was how she kept the flame calm and the rain away as well.

She was a coward. Why couldn't she tell Pansy she loved her? She had a great opportunity to right in front of her, but she wasn't going to take it, because she feared rejection too much. She was a Gryffindor. They were supposed to be brave and courageous and look past their fears, but she couldn't. Maybe she did belong in Ravenclaw after all... No. She was a Gryffindor, proud and true. She would just have to look past this and, as the saying goes, keep on keepin' on.

(AN:Sorry, Just had to add it in)

"Hellloooo? Are you there? Granger! Granger! Look at me!" Pansy said, waving her hand in front of Hermione's face, distracting her from her thoughtful reverie.

"What? Oh, yes. I'm still here," Hermione blushed, not having realised she had drifted off.

"Who?"

"What?"

"Who? Who is it that you feel that way for?"

"Oh. Ron," Hermione said quickly and blushed again. It was a lie, though; she had chickened out and said the first person whose name came to mind.

"Really? You love the Weasel? Good luck with that, honestly. He is a piece of work."

"Yeah, I know," Hermione sighed as Pansy stood up. Hermione didn't get up though; she stood and watched the girl brush invisible dirt off of herself. Pansy then did something that surprised Hermione; she got down on her knees in front of Hermione, took her hands and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you. You were right, voicing my problems did make me feel better," she said sincerely and smirked at Hermione while she stood up. "See you around, Granger."

Hermione was in shock. She had just gotten a kiss from Pansy. A large smile spread across her face. In that moment, another part of her soul was taken by that little fire.

(* (* (* (* (* (* (* (* (* (*

When Draco woke up again, he was all alone. He supposed Harry was in class, along with everyone else. Appalled by his earlier actions, he swore to apologise to Potter, though he had liked the hug and he did feel freer. It was nice to feel this way. And, seeing as the Black name didn't really have any standards because there were no heirs, he could create it anew. Start it off with different standards and a new reputation that he could build. Of course, it wouldn't be a family of blood traitors, but it would accept muggleborns as people and accept that they had their own place in society, unlike the Malfoys... Yes, this would be nice. And the Malfoys didn't have an heir! They would go extinct! For some strange reason, he really just wanted to crush the father who deserted him like this; and killing the family name would do it! His mother would not care all that much if the Malfoy name was destroyed, and she would probably move in with Draco when Lucius died.

Draco looked to his left and picked up his letter to read it again. At the bottom, there was a little note that he had not seen before.

Draco-

I hope you do not mind, but I read your letter. You're really lucky to have such a loving mom. I'll consider the moving of the Black name and house and other things to you, just tell me what you'll do with it and we'll see.

-Harry

P.S. When do you want to go on that lake walk? Tell me when I come back.

Harry had read his letter. Well, he was going to show it to him anyway, but... he'd have preferred to have been awake when he read it. Also, Harry was considering giving Draco the Black name! This was good news, very good news.

When did he want to go on the walk? He had thought about it, but not in that way. Sometime in the next week, or perhaps this weekend. When was the first Quidditch game? Sometime in early December... Saturday sounded nice, soSaturday it was, if Harry had nothing else to do.

"Hello, Mr... Draco," Madam Pomfrey said with a confused smile.

"You can still call me Mr. Malfoy, it won't be official until Friday, I assume." Though I'd rather you not call me that. He added to himself.

"Well, yes. All right, Mr. Malfoy, how do you feel?"

"Fine."

"Do you hurt anywhere?"

"No."

"All right, let's get you up," she helped Draco get up. "Does it hurt anywhere now?"

"Not really, it just feels a bit achy."

"Ah, well then you'll need to stay for a bit longer. I'll give you the potion again when it's time to go to sleep."

"Why didn't you just use a spell?"

"It would do you some good to get up. We don't want you to lose any muscle strength."

"I seriously doubt I'll lose of my strength staying in bed for two or three days."

"Yes, well, it doesn't hurt, you said so yourself," Draco glared at her and she gave a small laugh. "Classes will be over soon, and I'm sure your friends will be coming. You might want to fix your hair before they get here."

When Draco looked at her funnily she gave him a mirror. His hair looked horrible! He put a few spells on it to make it look a little different than it normally did, but not enough that people who didn't see him regularly would notice. The rest of him looked perfect, as it always did, so he sat and waited as patiently as he could for his friends.

When they finally arrived, he gave them all a glare for good measure.

"Nice to see you're doing better," Blaise said with an appraising look.

"I'm sorry, but I can't seem to find a moment when I have been anything but perfect," Draco gave him a confused glare.

"I can," all five of them said at once and Draco pouted.

"Name one."

"When you broke your arm after falling off your horse that one time," Pansy pointed out.

"Crying in the loo," Harry called out next.

"You were absolutely exhausted after that battling test I gave you," Hermione said and then they all started saying random things where he had been less than his name entailed.

Just when he was about to yell at them to stop, Theo called out, "You sleep with a body pillow!"

All eyes turned on him; Harry, Blaise and Pansy's with confusion, Hermione's with amusement and Draco's with anger.

"Theodore! No one is supposed to know about that! I swear, when I am able, I will kill you." Draco hissed and Theo just smirked at him.

"Ooh, I'm sooo scared. What are you going to do? Disown me to death?" He taunted, and Draco frowned. Blaise elbowed Theo in his side as a warning.

"Don't be so rude, Theo! How would you feel if you were in his position? Anyway, is that true? Do you really sleep with a body pillow?" Pansy asked, ever the gossip-seeker, though she would never reveal this to anyone, but she still wanted to know.

"I don't know if he sleeps with it... but I gave him one last week..." Hermione said, smirking deviously, which was not a good sign.

"You gave it to him!? Please tell me it's not of you," Harry said pleadingly.

"No! Of course it's not! Gay, remember?" Draco said exasperatedly.

"Oh! Have you put an animation spell on it yet?" Pansy inquired excitedly.

"Pansy, no. Just, no." Draco said, disgusted with the thought. "I am not that much of a pervert."

"Whatever, who is it of?" Pansy dismissed.

"Is it of me? Please tell me it's not of me!" Blaise begged.

"Of course not, though you are pretty handsome."

"Back off," Theo hissed and Draco laughed at the defensive boy.

Blaise, Pansy and Harry then started to shoot out random names of boys and Draco kept denying them. Really, Blaise and Pansy should have known better! Harry, not knowing Draco fancied him, had every right to question him, though, and Draco made sure to answer Pansy's demand of "Michael Corner?" while ignoring the Gryffindor's "Is it me?".

"Enough!" Draco said in a strong, commandeering voice that made the five of them stop instantaneously and stared at him with wide eyes. "If you would please be quiet and leave so that I may talk to Harry," he said and gave Pansy and Blaise a pointed look, hoping they would understand. "Alone," he completed when no one moved towards the door. They then left at their own paces; Theo's being the slowest as he wanted to see if he could take long enough that Draco would give up and start talking while he was still there. Blaise had to drag him out of the last little bit of the door. When they were all gone, Draco returned his gaze to Harry.

"Now, I would like to answer your two questions. First, I was thinking Saturday would be a good day for our walk and if you have no other obligations..." Draco waited for Harry to answer, but the boy was staring absently at Draco's hand. Draco waved the hand in front of his face and Harry's head shot up.

"What? Oh. Yeah, Saturday is fine."

"Second, about giving the Black name and heir position to me..." Harry was looking at the ground now, looking as though he would drop into unconsciousness at any moment. "Potter? Are you all right?" Harry looked up at him and shook his head tiredly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, had to go to a meeting with Dumbledore the night before last, and last night I, well... I went to sleep pretty late..." Harry was blushing slightly by the end and Draco gave him a knowing smile.

"Well, we'll talk about the rest on Saturday. You go get some sleep, we wouldn't want our Saviour wearing himself out," Draco said, lying back down on his bed so that he faced the ceiling.

"Since when do you care?" Harry spat.

"Since you became my friend. Contrary to what people think, I am quite good to my friends." Draco said calmly, though he was slightly hurt by how fiercely Harry had said it and wondering what had caused him to change his attitude so drastically.

"If you haven't noticed, we are not friends yet."

"Ah, but I consider you my friend, even if you don't consider me one. Plus, you said "yet", so does that mean you think we could be friends sometime in the near future?" Draco said, a calm smirk gracing his lips and a hopeful gleam presiding in his eyes.

"We could. For all I know, you could be a perfect saint under your devilish skin."

"Saint? I seriously doubt it. You're right, I'm probably more of a devil anywhere I go, and that's how I'd like to keep it," Draco smirked at him again. "Anyway, go get some sleep. I can tell you need it."

"Fine. I'm leaving, okay?" Harry got up from his chair and slowly walked to the door. "Going up to my dorm to get some sleep. Happy?" Though Harry couldn't see it—he was just far enough away to miss it—Draco smiled serenely at the ceiling.

"Yes, I am very happy," he whispered so that Harry wouldn't be able to hear.

S_S_S_S_S_S_S_S

Draco was released the next day and welcomed back into Slytherin with cold and harsh words of congratulation. They thought he would be upset about being disowned, and most were confused when none of their threats seemed to get to his icy core. They didn't know that their words did hurt him, he just didn't show it. He had always been hurt when people had made fun of him in the past (which was really only Potter and his gang) and had usually acted in violence or some other form of hatred. That had to change. So it did, and Draco collected the hurtful words spewed at him by his classmates and pushed them to the back of his head, saving them to be dealt with later, in a more private environment. He found himself crying in his alcove more than once.

It was an understatement to say it was the worst week of his life. He had lost many things. His mother, his father, the place he called home, the respect from his house, the respect from any other non-blood-traitor pureblood families' children, and even Crabbe and Goyle had left him. He was constantly tossed around and called names. Now he knew what it was like to be one of the people he so constantly bullied around and he swore that he would go up to each one of them and apologise. His pride was all but diminished, but he kept strong, his mask covering any evidence of emotion when he needed it to. He was trying to fit in and just go along as he normally did—pushing people's buttons (not as far as before, but still doing it) and walking around with an air that said "I'm better than you and I know it" and such—but he was marked as different by people who didn't like different and was tormented daily for it.

But there was hope. And hope came in the forms of Blaise, Pansy and, surprisingly, Granger. Pansy soothed him when he was upset. Blaise was openly friends with him, causing him trouble of his own; and Granger always fussed Weasley out when he attempted to make fun of Draco. He was also free to act however he wanted, but that didn't mean he acted any less than the pureblood he was. It just made him less boastful and a bit more reserved. So, there was hope.

What gave him the most hope, though, was that on Saturday he would be with Harry. Just Harry. He and Harry would be alone. No one went out to the lake at this time of year because it was always so cold and the lake was almost frozen. Harry mostly ignored him and he ignored Harry, but it was a nice silence and a calm ignorance when they would pass each other in the hallway.

When Saturday came around, Draco found himself waking up extra early, prepping up for thirty minutes instead of fifteen and dressing in his finest winter clothes. He walked to the Great Hall and was the first person to sit down at his table for breakfast. Harry came down five minutes later. His hair was its normal mess and he was still wearing his overly large clothes, but Draco thought he looked stunning. Draco thought Harry always looked stunning, no matter what his clothes were like, and his eyes were so vibrant, and his hair just made Draco want to run his hands right through it to see if there was anything living in it. He gave a low chuckle at that thought.

Draco slowly raised his head and suddenly found Potter's eyes on his. His pulse sped up, and he stared with shock into those large green orbs that glowed behind the shiny lenses of his glasses. Harry nodded at him, and Draco nodded back. The boy mouthed, "Leave when I leave," and he nodded again, eyes so focused on the gorgeous lips mouthing the words to him that he barely registered what they meant. When he did, he realised that they were going to be leaving the Hall together, going the same way and not fighting. People would suspect something. No, he wasn't over thinking this, for he had suspected something himself when Blaise and Finnegan snuck out of the Great Hall together in fifth year—Draco knew Blaise had been gay since fourth year, though they never had a relationship, but it seemed too close to home—and he had been right! The Gryffindor had been Blaise's first boyfriend, but Blaise hadn't told him until Draco confronted him with his suspicions.

He wasn't the only one shrewd enough to notice things like that, because his whole house was supposed to be like that! And since they all had their eyes trained on him recently, they would have to be more discreet. He stared intensely at Harry, willing him to lift his head and look at him. He did and Draco slowly mouthed, "I'll leave first, you follow a few minutes later,". Harry nodded slowly, taking time to process what had just been said, then he raised his eyebrows suggestively, giving the Slytherin a leering grin. Draco raised his eyebrows in shock but Harry just laughed. Draco glared at him, rolled his eyes and returned back to his meal. When his friends arrived, they found him staring at a pile of strawberries dreamily.

"Just kiss them already!" Theo said sarcastically, sitting next to him.

"What?" Draco said dazedly, slowly turning his face to the boy next to him, who was staring at him with disbelief.

"The strawberries! You're looking at them as if you love them. If you want them, just kiss one and tell it already! I'm sure it eagerly awaits you."

"What! No. I do not love those strawberries, in fact, I hate strawberries." Draco defended himself.

"Draco, you hurt them, and they will never get over it," Blaise said and picked up one of the strawberries and gave it all of his attention. "Oh, you poor little thing. You'll never know what it's like to be loved by Draco," he kissed the strawberry. "I can sympathise with that." He bit tentatively into the strawberry. Theo was snickering and Draco was glaring at Blaise while Pansy looked absently at the Ravenclaw table.

"That's not it. Think about the date," Pansy drawled and grabbed the strawberry out of Blaise's hand. Blaise pouted as she ate the strawberry.

"It's Saturday!" Theo exclaimed, and a bright look lit up both his and Blaise's faces with excitement.

"Soooo, you and Potter gonna kiss?" Blaise crooned.

"No. If you haven't noticed, he doesn't like me. And would you please pipe down? Anyone could hear you."

"Pansy puts up a silencing shield around us every morning, if you haven't noticed. Anyway, why not? You could surprise him, confess and kiss him," Blaise suggested unhelpfully.

"That would require Gryffindor courage and stupidity, neither of which I have. I would probably just scare him away."

"Right. Of course. You'll tell me what it's like to live in Lonelyville, won't you?" Theo teased and Blaise snickered.

"No matter what any of you say I'm still not going to kiss him."

"Suuuure," Blaise said, picking up another strawberry. Draco made a distressed noise, looked over at the Gryffindor table, and saw that Harry was almost finished with his meal and—with the way Granger and Weasel were fighting—it seemed he wouldn't want to stay much long. He got up and walked away from his table, affronted. They just couldn't let it go, could they? Dracoignored the quiet taunts coming from his house mates and walked quickly out of the entrance, down the corridor and pulled into his alcove when he reached it to wait for Potter.

When he heard the tell-tale sign of shoes, he quickly got out of his alcove,so if it wasn't Harry, the person won't see his hiding place. Fortunately, it was Harry and he caught up with him,and they silently walked to the lake together.

As they neared the lake, Draco decided the silence had gone on long enough and spoke up.

"Look... Pot- I mean, Harry. The main reason I brought you out here today is because I wanted... I wanted to... apologise for... well, everything." He sucked in a large breath and bit his lip. This was going to be hard, but he had to do it at some point. What better time than now? He couldn't see Harry,—as he was walking a few feet in front of Harry—but if he could see his face, he was sure the boy's mouth would be open in shock. He snickered at the mental image that came into his head. He calmed himself, breathing in and out a few times. He turned around and shot the other boy his most apologetic—but not pleadingly, he would never reduce himself to that—gaze. Harry's mouth was closed, but he still looked a bit shocked, and it was safe to assume he had had his mouth dropped open at some point. "I'm sorry for being such an arse to you for the past... 6 years. I can't blame it on my father completely, though he sure didn't try to stop it. Mostly... it was me just being... well—"

"A git? A pompous arsed ferret? A good-for-nothing brat?"

"Well, I guess that you could put it that way..."

"No, I was being nice. But I can't really be talking, and I didn't really do anything to make it better either."

"Well, I usually started it, so it's mostly my fault."

"Yeah, true; but I didn't have to respond."

"It's only for self-defence. I completely understand why you did what you did. What I did... well, there isn't really much of a good, solid reason."

"Who are you and what have you done with Malfoy?" Harry asked incredulously and Draco chuckled. They were now at the edge of the lake, walking beside each other.

"Oh, ha ha. I simply took off the Malfoy and made him Draco. As of today, I am officially "Draco". You can't call me Malfoy, teachers can't call me Mr. Malfoy, I am only Draco. Malfoy does not exist anymore," he said and turned to start walking around the lake.

"So... it's official as of today?"

"Yes, my father got the papers all signed and turned into the Ministry. As of today, I am no longer a Malfoy."

"Oh. All right. You sound... happy about that. Mind if I ask why?"

"I'm not happy. I'm confused. I thought it would be an experience of freedom, to be away from my father. And I think I know what I want to do with my freedom, but... achieving what I want with my freedom is going to be... difficult, at best. There are also... other things that came with this that are unwanted."

"Being pushed around by your classmates because you're gay, penniless and family-less?"

"Will you stop interjecting!" Draco almost-yelled at the other boy, who just chuckled; Draco gave an exaggerated sigh and continued, "I wasn't going to put it so bluntly, but yes. Basically, I'm being... well, what you said. And anyway, I've decided to change. I'm not going to react violently to anything people shove at me. I'm going to take it and shove it all back around to them when the time comes. They'll get theirs, they will, but they'll have to wait," he said and grinned evilly, while Harry just snorted.

"Glad to see at least some of the old Malfoy exists."

"Perish that thought. I might change, but I will always seek vengeance. I'm a Slytherin, nothing will ever change that." Draco said superiorly.

"Hmm, weren't you going to talk to me about the, uh, transfer—"

"Of the Black name and heir title onto me?" Draco said shortly and Harry glared at him. Draco smirked, not so much fun when it's being directed at you, eh, Potter?

"Yes, that is exactly what I was going to say," Harry said through gritted teeth.

"Hmm, yes. I do recall wanting something like that..."

"Do you still want it?"

"Of course."

"Why?"

"Well, for one thing, it would give me a place to go when school ends. It would give me a place to belong, a sense of family of sorts..." Draco paused for dramatic effect; he could tell Harry wanted him to say something completely 'Malfoy', "and to have the means for extracting my revenge on the ones that will—in the future—and have—this past week—hurt me." He grinned evilly, imagining his precious revenge.

"Of course. And what would you do with the Black name? What side would you be on?"

"Well, I would be neutral, as much as possible. I would support whichever side my closest friends or partner is on. Ah, just because Pansy, Blaise and Theo usually side with the Dark Lord, does not mean I would." Draco said when he saw Potter quickly open his mouth to interject. "I also said partner; and you never know who your partner will be." With each word of that last sentence, he subtly moved closer to Harry until their shoulders were brushing, which Harry really didn't seem to notice as he was too deep in thought. "And as for your first question, I answered that in the "Why?" mostly, but if you'd like to know long-term, I'll tell you."

Draco turned to look at Harry and his breath caught slightly in his throat when he saw Harry's eye staring straight into his, not a foot away. Draco suddenly felt his face heat up and quickly backed away from Harry, turning his head down so the other couldn't see the blush covering his face. The other boy nodded and Draco gathered his will to talk.

"Well, in the future I plan to teach my children how to be proper purebloods, but I will not teach them to hate Muggleborns or muggles in general, but just try to avoid bringing their culture into ours. I will teach them the proper way to behave as a pureblood, like my mother tried to teach me. My father's ways were just a... kinder way of teaching me what the Dark Lord wanted and would have taught me if I was, well... you get the point."

"Wizards can't have children, can they?" Harry asked, coming out from his thoughtful reverie. Draco just rolled his eyes.

"Is that really what you got from that miniature rant?"

"Um... yes?"

"Ugh, Potter- sorry, Harry you are just so... dense. Whatever. No, men cannot have babies. Yes, two men can adopt children." Draco said exasperatedly.

"Oh, sorry. I still don't know everything about wizarding culture and there're so many things I thought impossible that happen here that it... that it maybe could be possible for men to have children."

"Well then. That has now taken the number one spot on my priority list: "Teach Harry Potter about wizarding culture." That should be fun." Draco smiled brightly and Harry groaned.

"More studies? I don't think I could do any more studying or my head will explode."

"And the year's not even half way over yet. Shame, we all thought you would defeat the Dark Lord, but if a load of homework can take you down..." Draco had trailed off because Harry was glaring at him.

"Do you want to finish that sentence?"

"I do, but out of respect for your wishes, I won't."

"Good. It'd be the last thing you ever said."

"My, my, is that a threat I hear? Getting feisty, are we. Here I was thinking we had something going, planning out our future together and you just go on threatening me. How very unsportsmanlike of you."

"You started it,"

"True. Now, onto more important matters. So? Do I fit your criteria?"

"For now. I think I'd like to get to know you a little better first. See if you're worthy to wear my godfather's title and all."

"I understand. My mother may have acted like she didn't care about her cousin's death, but she mourned. In her own way." After that they talked pleasantly, occasionally having to threaten each other to stop saying what they were saying, but besides that they got along swell. Draco tried to teach Harry little bits about the Wizarding World when he brought up something and Harry didn't understand. Harry talked a bit about the Dursleys and Draco talked about his father who had been a god father, but often cold and distant and rarely showing Draco any kind of acceptance or approval. They found out a lot that they would not have guessed about each other if the other had not told them.

"And my favourite one was about the three Peverell brothers. Outsmarting death. It always seemed like such an amazing conquest to me. The perfect Slytherin, that Ignotus. You know, some people say they're real, call them the Deathly Hallows. If you own all of them you become the Master of Death. At the time it seemed like it would be such a huge honour, but now I think it's be too much work. You know what I mean?" Harry nodded and gave a hum of agreement.

They had been talking about the children's book: The Tales of Beetle the Bard for five minutes now. Draco telling the name of a story, Harry guessing what it was about and Draco correcting him. It was quite pleasant.

"Then, when I was nine... my father said I was too old for the book. He took it, tore it in half and threw it in the fire. Along with all my other children's books. The next day we went out and bought a whole new collection of non-fiction texts that mostly had to do with Potions," Draco finished glumly.

"Oh, sorry to hear about that. I didn't have barely any books at all. I mostly checked them out from the school library, but I had to give them back two weeks later and I usually got so many that I couldn't read them all in one week."

"Why don't you do that now?" Draco gave Harry a knowing smirk.

"B-because! There are no fiction in the library!"

"Yes there are. I get fiction books from the Library all the time!"

"Really? I've only ever seen informational books."

"Of course! What kind of library doesn't have a fiction section? You probably haven't been because you only go with Granger. The girl seems to have a strange obsession with that one book... what's it called? Hog-"

"Hogwarts: A History." Harry finished for him. "Yeah, she quotes it a lot."

"Do you think that she hears quotes from it in her sex dreams? I wouldn't be surprised." Draco drawled casually. Harry blushed deeply and Draco had to hide his smirk. "What? Have you never thought about those kinds of things?"

"Not really... especially not with Hermione, I mean, just... ugh." He shivered as if he had just eaten rotten escargot,and Draco did smirk this time. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Talk like that. Talk about sex so casually."

"Oh, well, it's one of the perks of being gay. You see, I really don't care about girls' sex lives. Guys... not so much. When I... oh god. No, just no."

"What?"

"Weasel. Dear god, the mental images. They make me nauseous." Draco doubled over and Harry laughed as he helped him stand up.

"I think I would have the same reaction if I thought things like that."

"Hmm."


They walked in silence for a while after that, both in their own thoughts. From Draco's disgusted scowl, Harry could tell he was still berating himself for letting those images in his head. Harry, on the other hand, let images of what Draco and Ron would look like holding hands and talking civilly run through his head. It was hilarious, until he pictured them kissing. That made a hot blush run through him and he tried to stop it before it got worse, to no avail.

Then he thought of Draco and Ron doing some heavy petting in a hallway, of them snogging intensely in an alcove, and then the worst image, Ron was hovering over Draco, both wearing only school uniform pants on Neville's bed in their dorm. He shook his head. No, this is disgusting. This was not the right way to go. But when he let his mind trail back to a supposedly different place, he found it the same, but worse.

The boy on top was slowly morphing, the red hair turning into something darker and the body was getting leaner, and Ron's blue eyes turned into a vivid green he knew only as his own. He gasped a tiny bit; the one hovering over Draco was now him! Thought-Harry leaned down and kissed Thought-Draco slowly, no tongue, no head-turning, just a long, slow, sensual kiss that had Thought-Draco lifting his arms around Harry and pulling him closer. Harry couldn't look away. He was enraptured. He should look away, he really should. Draco wasn't even his friend! ...Yet. But still! It would be worse if he was his friend. Which if he really thought about it—which he couldn't, but he still couldn't take his mind away from that image—Draco and him really were friends now, and Draco knew some things that even Ron and Hermione didn't know about him and the Dursleys. Even so, this was wrong. Draco was his sort-of friend! One doesn't think about their friends this way! Plus, he wasn't even gay! But all that didn't matter, for he was lost in his own mind. Lost as Thought-Harry started to softly kiss down Thought-Draco's neck and across his slightly protruding collar bone and down his slim but toned chest...

"Harry! Potter! Hello? Are you dead?"

"Wha-what?"

"You're drooling."

"Oh, I am?" He quickly wiped his mouth as Draco smirked. Harry glared at him and started walking again. He hadn't even realised he had stopped until he started walking again. Draco soon caught up with him, still wearing an arrogant smirk.

"So... who were you thinking about?"

"Who said I was thinking about anyone?"

"I did; and your blatant denial has proven me right. Ha! So, who?" (AN: Sound similar? :} )

"None of your business."

"Oh, but now I'm really curious. People with secrets always have something to hide." Draco grinned mischievously.

"Sure... so, about this moving the Black inheritance I gained to you... is it hard?"

"No. It just takes a lot of signed papers and a really long time to analyze them and such. Takes about two months."

"Really? Why does it have to be so long?"

"Well..." and he started rambling on a about all the legal processes and how it was a miracle his mother got papers for it so fast and that would usually take two weeks and so on and so on. Well, at leastthat took his mind off asking any questions for a while.

When they got back to the entrance to the school, they walked back to the school together and Draco planned another meeting.

"So, I was thinking maybe we could meet in the Library tomorrow and I could show you the fiction section."

"Sounds good, see you later."

"Goodbye. Oh, and Harry? Nice change of subject, very Slytherin of you, but I'm still going to figure out who you were thinking about." Draco said with a smirk before walking off, leaving a very nervous Harry in his wake.

Shit. He can't find out about that.

AN: So, how did you like it? Harry is just... so much fun to play with. Draco? I think his personality is bit different in the last part (possibly Harry's too)... that's because I stopped for a while and I was just in a different mode when I started again. Good or bad? I think it'll go back to what it was either way. Long., I know. This is my longest chapter yet and they're gonna get longer and longer. Now, a few questions.

Femslash? A. None- Hermione will still like Pansy, can't change that, but nothing will really happen between them. B. Hermione/Pansy- If you vote B, we will get a little girl-on-girl romance between these two. Note that this will be a sad and tragic romance and there will be at least a little of it in each chapter. C. Ginny/Luna- I love this ship and I was thinking of possibly putting this in here, this will be cute and fluffy and there will be a lot less of it. D. Both- That should be obvious; I will put both pairings in the story.Ron? A. Ron-hate, I like Ron, but I kind of want to add this in here and it sort of fits the way I see it. B. If you love Ron and don't want to see him bashed or hated on, vote B.Should I go slower with Harry and Draco, or faster than I am? Or is it well paced?

If you have any questions for me, please ask. Thank you!