Beginning

"Why were you talking to that Hufflepuff?"

"No one invited you to sit here, Potter."

"Did you invite that Hufflepuff to sit here?"

"For fuck's sake - I was here first, can't you just leave me alone?"

Glares were exchanged - well, Malfoy was glaring, at the very least. Harry was leaning forward in his chair and examining him with far too much interest to be considered normal. Or healthy. "I just want to know," said Harry, and there was the slightest bit of petulance in his voice, the sound that a child gets when something goes unexpected. And, really, this was unexpected. As hard as he had tried to keep a normal head throughout this whole post-War experience, it was a bit hard to be a normal eighteen year old male when everyone showered him with gifts and compliments and offers to snog at every turn.

It had been a very long time indeed for Harry Potter to ask a question and it go unanswered.

Which meant, naturally, that now he needed to know more than ever.

"He looked like a fourth year - a fourth year Hufflepuff," persisted Harry, resting his chin on the palm of his hand as he studied Malfoy. "What's he got to do with you?"

"Nothing," came the sullen answer.

"Then why was he sitting here?"

"None of your fucking business, now leave me alone."

There was silence for a moment and maybe Malfoy thought he was free of questioning, maybe he was silly enough to think Harry would leave him alone, because he wasn't nearly fast enough when Harry snatched a hand out and grabbed the nearest piece of parchment.

"OI," said Malfoy furiously, and Harry was surprised to see the tips of Malfoy's ears turning a hot red. "Give that back." Was the Slytherin flustered? But what did he have to be flustered about? And why couldn't he just answer the damn question?

"Not until you tell me why you and a fourth year Hufflepuff are spending copious amounts of time together," said Harry, smirking as he clutched the parchment to his chest. "Honestly, Malfoy, don't you know how this game works?"

"This isn't a game," snarled Malfoy. "It's my fucking homework, something you obviously don't know anything about. And since when did you know the word 'copious'?"

"Since when did you hang out with Hufflepuffs?" countered Harry, and his eyes flashed a brighter green than they'd been all term because here was someone who didn't answer his every question with a stutter, here was someone who didn't badger him for an autograph every five seconds - and it was oddly… refreshing. Plus, it was just fun annoying Malfoy.

"Oh my fucking - if I tell you, will you promise to leave me the hell alone?" demanded Malfoy, and now the flush was spreading to his face and it was really a lot better than his normal too-pale complexion, now that Harry thought about it.

Then he blinked and realised Malfoy was still waiting for an answer. "Oh - right. Yeah. Alone. Sure." A grin spread across his face and he saw the scowl flicker off Malfoy's face for a moment before it returned full force.

"We were - that is, Danny and I -"

"His name's Danny?" interrupted Harry with a teasing glint in his eyes and then his mouth fell open. "Oh Merlin, are you two dating?"

There was a stony silence.

"Right," coughed Harry. "Sorry. Go on then."

"As I was saying," said Malfoy through gritted teeth, looking thoroughly done with this conversation, "I was just - he needed help on Potions homework. And I saw him struggling with it and Potions is obviously my best subject so I went over and helped him and he asked if I could tutor him, and why the hell not? I'm good at it, and if someone wants me to spend time with them well -" And he had been working up quite a bit of steam during this speech but now he broke off, looking more red in the face than ever and pressing his lips together pointedly. "Okay. That's it. Go ahead, Potter, laugh your arse off."

"I'm not going to laugh," said Harry lamely, because honestly what had he been expecting Malfoy to say? Certainly not that. Certainly not anything near that. He swallowed tightly, feeling as though it was suddenly far too hot in the library and they were sitting far too close - despite the broad table standing in between them. "I just… remember you saying something in first year about how if you were Sorted into Hufflepuff, you'd leave. Didn't think you'd ever actually talk to one of them."

Malfoy looked down at the table and fidgeted for a moment, restlessly tugging a spare bit of parchment towards him and shredding it with long, lithe fingers. "That was a long time ago," he finally said, still avoiding Harry's gaze.

"It's really - it's really good," said Harry, looking away from Malfoy as well. "What you're doing with him. It's really good of you."

And then they were both looking at each other and the room grew hotter still and then abruptly, "What is it you want from me, Potter?"

Harry swallowed. "I just - I'm doing… really shitty on Potions myself?"

A long silence.

"I… could help you with that," said Draco. He frowned and then seemed to consider something for a long moment before offering a hesitant half-smile.

And the rest, as they say, was history.

a/n: woops, real life took over for a bit! here's day number fourteen; thank you so much to everyone who's left a review. if you liked this one, please leave another!