Chapter 12

The end of an Era

Harry lay back on his bed starring up at the ceiling, he had been lying there for twenty minutes. Unable to sleep from pain and hunger. H ran his fingers over his stomach and thought about the events that had been so far. It was difficult to swallow; a muggle school could be so odd. The students were so…different. His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the dorm door opening and closing. Harry sat up and faced the intruder. Malfoy stood there with a tray in his hands, Harry smiled welcomingly.

'Thanks for this,' he spoke. Malfoy shrugged and walked over to Harry's bed. He placed the tray down at the end and Harry scooted closer.

'There are two plates here?' Harry asked.

'Thought I'd join you…if you'd prefer I leave-,'

'No that's alright, I'd appreciate the company,' Harry reached forward and picked up his sandwich.

'Oh brilliant!' he exclaimed 'Peanut butters my favourite,'

'I know,' Draco replied and picked up his own sandwich.

'You do?'

'Well you've eaten it three days in a row this week,' Draco smirked 'And twice last week,'

'How very observant of you,' Harry grinned 'I suppose yours is chicken and mayo?'

Draco raised an eyebrow at Harry who grinned knowingly.

'Have you been monitoring my eating habits Potter?' Malfoy asked.

'As much as you have mine no doubt,' Harry shrugged and Draco smiled.

'How are you handling Ron's "No Magic" terms?' Harry asked.

'It's in the bag, I absolutely refuse to loose to a Weasel,' Draco snubbed.

'Why do you always have to say that? They're really nice people,' Harry asked 'You can't despise them as much as you say?'

Draco looked up at Harry confused at his softness in tone. He scowled immediately when Harry looked at him with those big green eyes of his, he felt compelled to the truth. He gave a long sigh.

'Truthfully? They're not all that bad,'

'Really?'

'Well…no not really, I do actually despise some of them,' Draco admitted 'That Weasel with glasses for instance, is a self oriented brown noser,'

Harry laughed.

'I have to admit Percy's a real arse,'

Draco brightened at Harry's laughter.

'I cannot stand the shrill voice of that mother Weasley. Every time I'm unfortunate enough to hear her voice I cringe,' Draco added.

'She may sound bossy and "shrill" at times, but she is a lovely woman. Just a house full of rebellious teenage boys has pushed her to her limits and back,' Harry explained.

'Well I can certainly understand that,' Draco agreed.

'What about Bill and Charlie? They're nice respectable blokes aren't they? You can't have much to say about them?' Harry asked.

'Well no, since I've never actually spoken with them. So I shall withhold judgement for now…however simply being Weasley's is a strike against them,' Draco mumbled 'And of course you know how much affection I hold for your own pet Weasel,'

Harry laughed,

'Alright I won't push that one,'

'The only Weasley's I find any respect for are of course the Weasel twins,' Draco spoke.

'You like Fred and George?' Harry asked. Draco smiled.

'With a track record like that it's hard not to warm up to them,' Draco laughed 'It was their prank on Pansy that did it. I was laughing myself to exhaustion for weeks,'

Harry smiled at Draco warmly.

'You see?'

'…as for the littlest Weasley…' Draco broke off.

'What? What about Ginny?'

'I find her behaviour to be appalling,' Draco admitted.

'You…a slytherin, find Ginny's behaviour appalling?'

'She's…promiscuous,' Draco saw Harry's confused look and rolled his eyes 'She's a bloody slut Potter!'

Harry's eyes narrowed and his expression grew harder, Draco began to panic, he wanted to patch things up not make them worse.

'My apologies if my bluntness offended you Potter. But I was brought up in an aristocratic family. Where if one takes on a…lover or more…that a certain amount of discretion is required. Instead she parades it about in public,' Draco explained. Harry's expression softened a little.

'You're over exaggeration Malfoy, she's just gone out with a lot of blokes, doesn't mean she slept with them,' Harry spoke defensively.

'Potter, I happen to know for a fact that basically half of Slytherin have had the pleasure of her, or lack there of as the case may be,' Draco scoffed.

'You're lying Malfoy,' Harry denied.

'Believe what you want to believe Potter, won't make the Easter bunny real and it won't make Ginny Weasley a pure, innocent little virgin,'

' …alright then who?' Harry crossed his arms in need of proof.

'Pardon?'

'Who did she, apparently, sleep with?' Harry asked.

'I told you basically half of my bloody house!'

'I want names Malfoy,'

Draco rolled his eyes.

'Flint, Nott, Thompson, Stuart, Freeman, Wilson, Davies, Zabini, Hall-,'

'Are you telling the truth?' Harry asked still hesitant.

'Gods have mercy Potter! Fine you want proof then?' Harry nodded 'You've gotten with the Weaselette right?'

Harry blushed.

'It was only one kiss,'

'Yeah well, a little birdie told me that when she snogs a bloke she likes to have his hands constantly grabbing her arse,' Draco provided 'And she gets snappy if he tries to remove em,'

'Holy shit! Malfoy I had no idea,' Harry sat back in shock.

'Yeah well…now you do. And next time you might actually believe me when I choose to confide in you against my better judgement,'

They were silent for a few moments.

'Malfoy?'

'Yeah?'

'When you said that she slept with half of Slytherin…and that…well did you ever-,'

'Stop right there Potter! No way would I even stand next to that wench let alone fuck her. She's a walking STI for Merlin's sake,' Draco shuddered. Harry laughed.

'Did I say something funny?' Draco asked.

'Yeah,' Harry smiled 'Walking STI,'

'I was being serious Potter,' Draco grinned. Harry laughed once more and took a sip of his juice.

'Besides that, of course there happens to be the fact that I'm gay,' Draco added. Harry took a deep breath of juice in shock and immediately began a coughing fit. Draco slapped him on the back until Harry returned to normal.

'You right there Potter?' Draco asked. Harry nodded eyes still wide.

'Y-you're-,'

'Queer? A flaming fag? A pansy boy? A poo pusher?' Draco offered.

'Homosexual?' Harry asked with a smile. Draco relaxed a bit and smiled in return.

'Yeah, it's no big deal,' Draco lied 'Well…at least not here. The entire school seems gayer than a Cornish pixie male orgy,'

Harry laughed again and smiled widely at Draco.

'I had no idea,'

'Most people don't, I've gotten rather good at hiding it,' Draco shrugged. A heavy, uncomfortable silence settled over them. It drew out and became heavy. Fidgeting, coughs and side glances ensued. Before Malfoy took a large and difficult step…

'H- Potter…why didn't you ever say anything?' Draco asked.

'Huh?'

'About…how you grew up, why didn't you say something?'

Harry's eyes narrowed.

'Why didn't you say something whilst I was talking to Phoenix? It's rude to listen in on other people's conversations you know?' Harry crossed his arms. Draco looked guiltily at the floor and ran his hand over the bread sped.

'I'm sorry, it's just…I had always thought you were raised by a wizarding family, I never thought you would even have met muggles like that,' Draco spoke.

'Thought that I had been raised by people that worshipped the ground I walked on? Yeah I gathered that,' Harry huffed.

'Well then why didn't you say something! If you I had known what happened to you I never would have…,' Draco broke off 'You could have thrown it in my face, why didn't you?'

Harry shrugged.

'At the beginning…I think it was partly because I was so freaked out. The wizarding world was so different to anything I'd ever known. People were all kissing my arse…I didn't know how to handle it. The way you put me down…it was familiar. It was like a rock, it steadied me and helped me from loosing my head. Back then I needed that. I needed you to be Malfoy the arsehole….and after that? I guess it was just habit,' Harry smiled 'After a while I'm ashamed to say it, it actually became fun. Not many people can really get to me Malfoy. You're one of the few,'

'I'm flattered,' Draco spoke in awe 'Wow, you need help Potter,'

Harry laughed.

'Wait that was a joke right?' he confirmed.

Draco laughed 'Partly,'

Harry smiled.

'You know Malfoy…I don't really need an enemy any more. I've got enough of those now-,'

'No shit,'

'…and I actually enjoy talking to you like this…do you think we could…call off the battle of wills?' Harry asked. Draco leapt for joy inside.

'Sure, I'm not without my share of rivals either,' Draco sighed 'Alas, I don't think any of them could fill your shoes though Potter, you were one blasted good rival,'

'Yes, it does seem a shame to end the great Potter-Malfoy rivalry doesn't it?'

'We've had some good times,'

'Quidditch Whoopings,'

'After curfew setups,'

'Wandless curses,'

'Brutish physical combat,'

'Messing up partnered potions on purpose,'

'Taking away countless house points for living,'

'Yeah, good times,' Harry sighed.

'So this…truce of sorts…does it imply that we simply cease hostilities? Or is there more involvement required?' Draco asked.

'Is that your way of asking if we're friends Malfoy?'

'…maybe?'

Harry grinned.

'Why not, if we're so damned good separately, who knows what we could accomplish together,' Malfoy raised an eyebrow and stroked his chin.

'Mm an interesting thought…most enticing…very well then Potter. You can put a stop to your pathetic begging. You may consider yourself now a friend of Draco Malfoy,'

'I'm honoured. You do realize that friends don't call each other by their last names?' Harry asked.

'Sure they do, I know several people who have such relationships,'

'They're nicknames Malfoy, however if you wish to be called another name I'm sure I can think of something…how about Drake?'

'Oh gods,'

'Drakey? Dray? D-man? Dazza? D-Dog D-,'

'Alright! I concede!'

'A wise decision Draco,'

'Don't get too proud Harry,'

Harry smirked and took a large bite of his sandwich in victory. Draco laughed and shook his head.

'My standards have dropped to a whole new low,' Draco sighed.

A/N: Okay that's another chapter finished. Trying to tie up loose ends...okay that's a load of crap, i'm just writing this asI go along. Stay tuned, next chapter Fred and Geroge realize that they might not be the only twins at Genesis showing a more than common interest in one another.