Draco stared at Harry, his eyes wide with shock. "H-how did you do that?" he asked. "I have never seen Uncle Severus respond like that. To anyone. If I had tried that, he would have shut down and put me in detention for a month, or else gotten furiously angry and turned me into rare potions ingredients!"

Harry smirked. "Must be my mother's eyes or something," he joked. Dray rolled his eyes.

"Whatever Potter. I'm going back to the common room. Are you coming?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm going to stay and study a little longer. Professor McGonagall asked me to read up on switching spells."

Draco shrugged. "Suit yourself. But mind you, I will send Dobby to hunt you down if you don't come back by curfew."

Harry grimaced. He'd only met Draco's house elf a couple times, and the little fellow seemed to have a ridiculous hero-worship complex when it came to Harry. He'd rather not have a repeat of last time, where Dobby spent several minutes numerating Harry's admirable qualities to the room at large, causing Ginny, Hermione, and Neville to double over in a fit of silent laughter at Harry's stone-cold expression.

"Why, Professor Snape, when did you come in?" Ginny had teased him. Harry had not been amused.

"Yes, Dad," Harry cheeked his best friend, who just rolled his eyes again and retreated out the door, leaving Harry behind.

Draco wandered through the corridors back to the common room. He wanted to study, too, but he had all the books he needed already. Climbing through the portrait hole, Draco found only Hermione still in the common room. She was seated on the floor next to the coffee table, her back against a couch with her notes spread over the tabletop.

"Where are the others?" he asked the bushy haired witch, who looked up from the notes she was making.

"Ginny and Neville both went to bed early," she replied, eyes once again on her notes. "They said they're still trying to adjust to the earlier mornings and wanted extra sleep."

Ginny and Neville had started joining the other three daily for their early morning runs. Now all five of them could be seen crossing the grounds nearly as soon as the sun came up, heading for the pitch. However, while they were all there now, Ginny and Neville did not seem to naturally take to early rising like Harry and Hermione did. Draco didn't know what he tended to- he just always got up early now. It was habit.

"Harry wanted to study at the library some more before coming back," Draco offered, sitting down in a chair relatively near her, but not so near as to be weird, pulling out a book. "What are you working on?"

She held up her notes so he could see them. Having finished the audiobook spell for Flitwick, Professor Snape had given them an exercise to improve on an existing potion, a simple one that was for treating boils. She sighed in frustration.

"I keep coming up with the same conclusions," she said. "It seems like the way it's usually done is probably the best method. Other methods use many more ingredients, making it much more expensive to mass-produce, without making it more effective." Draco took the parchment from her, studying it thoughtfully.

"What possibilities have you thought of so far?" he asked, taking out parchment and his silver pen from his bag and scooting to the edge of his chair. He'd never tell his father, but he loved that pen. It was so much easier to use than quills. He could use more of his mind on his writing rather than refilling the ink. Not to mention that, to him, it was a symbol of his acceptance into the tribe, so to speak.

Hermione passed him another piece of parchment. It seemed she'd written down many different ideas, crossing them out when she'd decided it wasn't a good one. He stared at her list. One suggested using stewed nettles instead of dried. Another suggested harvesting the horned slug mucus rather than add the whole slug.

"You said no on this one because the stewed nettles aren't potent enough to help, since the stewing removes those properties," he said astutely, "And this one, because harvesting the mucus is time-consuming and adding the whole slug doesn't change the potion enough to have it matter?"

Hermione nodded. He looked at the recipe, then at her brainstormed ideas again. "What if…what if you used aloe instead of ginger here…and took out the nettles and Shrake spines altogether? It seems like the Shrake spines are only needed to counteract the nettles, and they're not needed without the ginger."

Hermione frowned. "But…how does the aloe interact with the porcupine quills?" Draco shook his head.

"They don't react badly," he reminded her. "The aloe works fine with all the other ingredients, right?" She thought about it carefully.

"I suppose they do," she said slowly. "But…I thought aloe was native to the Americas? Wouldn't that make it expensive to produce if you had to import all the aloe from overseas?"

Draco smirked at her. "It would, if you really did have to import it. But, I happen to know that Uncle Severus gets his from a local supplier, meaning it's actually not that expensive to produce."

Hermione smiled. "Well done, Dray," she said, holding a hand up.

He looked at her quizzically. "Uh…what am I supposed to do?" He asked, reaching over and grabbing her held up hand, shaking it slightly. Hermione giggled.

"No, like this," she said, maneuvering his hand until it was raised like hers had been and then slapping it with her own.

"Ouch!" he gasped, "Hermione, what was that for? I thought we were friends?"

She rolled her eyes. "We are, you big baby! That's what Muggles do to congratulate each other. It's called a high five." He stared at her.

"That…is a very strange custom," he said, attempting to be tactful. Hermione laughed.

"Says the boy who still writes with a quill pen in the 20th century," she said, poking his arm. He shot her look of mock-outrage.

"For your information, I haven't used a quill since Harry made me this," he said haughtily, holding up the pen in his hand, then sighed happily. "I will admit it, pens are much more efficient."

Hermione grinned. "Glad that you know a good invention when you see one."

The two sat together in happy silence for a moment, lost in thought. Draco was studying the girl from the corner of his eye. From all the things Hermione and Harry had taught him about Muggles, he was beginning to have second thoughts on the givens in his upbringing. Maybe…maybe they were all wrong.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"I…" She looked up, and suddenly he felt very nervous. "I wanted to say…I'm really sorry for how I treated you. Before. And the names I called you. And…I'm sorry I ever felt you were in any way inferior to me. Because you're not. You're brilliant. And a much better person than I am," he finished finally, his cheeks going pink, looking down at his knees. "Also, that idea that Muggles are less than wizards... Yes, they don't have magic, but-"

"Dray," she cut off his rambling, setting a hand gently on his shoulder. "It's alright. I was angry before, but…I understand now. I had a conversation with Harry once, and he told me how you were brought up. While you did have a choice, you also were taught that what you were doing was right. It just took you time to see that…it wasn't. But eventually, you did, and you made amends. That's what matters here."

Draco gave the young witch a genuine smile. "Thanks, 'Mione," he said, awkwardly patting the girl on the shoulder. He watched as her brown eyes sparkled in the lamplight. She was beautiful, he decided, studying the way her expression changed when she concentrated and the way she tilted her head to the side as she examined her writing.

"I have a feeling this wasn't an accident," he heard her say suddenly. He blinked.

"What?"

She raised an eyebrow at him in the best estimation of his usual expression he'd ever seen. Or…maybe he was a bit biased. "Really, Dray, you don't think it's…a bit too obvious? Harry and Ginny probably orchestrated all this so you and I were left alone together."

His cheeks turned pink again. "You really think they would do that?"

Hermione stared at him with a deadpan expression. "I'm not entirely sure about Harry, though I can hazard a guess, but I can tell you right now, my best friend is devious enough for anything."

Draco pretended to pout. "I thought I was your best friend."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, her face reddening. He smirked at her, though fighting down a blush of his own.

"Why, Miss Granger, do you have a crush on me?"

"Wha-? No!" she yelped, but her scarlet face told him otherwise. He grinned at her.

"Admit it! You know you want to," he teased.

"No."

"Come on, 'Mione, you know you can't resist me," he said happily as she turned her face away and he heard her give a small scream of frustration.

"Goodnight, Dray," she said impatiently, getting up and stalking off toward her room. Draco grinned. If Hermione's estimation had been correct, Ginny was likely listening to every word at the door. Chuckling quietly to himself, he quickly straightened all the parchments Hermione had abandoned into a pile and wrote her a quick note with his silver pen.

Mione,

I know I'm awesome. You're welcome. ;)

Draco

Then he conjured a single lavender rose, her favorite color, placing it atop the pile of notes. He was just getting to his feet to head to his room when Harry walked in. The other boy, catching sight of the flower on the table, couldn't help but celebrate.

"YES! It worked!" he said happily. "I knew it! Dray, what-?"

"Shhh!" Draco hissed, glaring at the raven-haired wizard, before grabbing his best friend by the arm and shoving him into the boys dorm. "I'll tell you everything, but you have to promise to keep quiet!"

Harry mimed zipping his mouth shut, though his emerald eyes danced happily as he surveyed Draco's light attitude. The blond was attempting to keep his severe scowl in place, but Harry could see a grin trying it's best to break through.

"So, Hermione was right then? You were behind this?"

Harry smirked. "Guilty. Though, Ginny was the one who thought of the plan. I just helped make it possible."

Draco grinned. "Well then, I suppose I should be thanking you."

Harry sat forward, like a little kid begging for a story. "So? Did she confess to you then?"

"Like she would ever," Draco smirked. "She has her pride, that's for sure. But don't worry. She'll admit it, eventually."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "So…you are going to proceed under that assumption…even though she already denied it," he deadpanned, reading between the lines.

"Pretty much, yeah," Draco shrugged, apparently unconcerned. "She turned as red as Firebug's hair when I asked her, point blank, if she had a crush on me. So I'd say it's a given- just a matter of when."

Harry frowned. "Ginny doesn't like the nickname, 'Firebug,' you know," he said. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Seriously? Out of everything I just said, that's what you picked up on?" the blond shook his head in exasperation. "Night, Harry," he said, waving vaguely to his friend before stalking away.

Severus approached the Headmaster's door with some trepidation. He was not looking forward to this conversation, but it needed to be had, all the same. He knocked softly on the door, and was gratified when he heard Albus call, "Come in, Severus."

The dark man pushed the door open to find the Headmaster surrounded by a stack of books. One was open on the desk in front of him, and the man was reading over the top of his half-moon spectacles. He glanced up as Severus entered his field of vision.

"Good evening, my boy," he said softly when the potions master did not immediately speak. He studied the younger man for a moment. "Evidently there is something on your mind," he prompted. Severus squared his shoulders. It was now or never.

"I have informed Potter of the prophecy," he said stiffly. "I apologize, Headmaster. I was telling him about my relationship with Lily. That bit of the story was highly relevant, I assure you." To Severus' astonishment, Dumbledore did not look concerned, but smiled calmly.

"I applaud you, Severus," he said, and Severus wondered if the old man was messing with him. "Of all the things you swore never to tell another living soul, that was at the top of the list. And you shared it with the one who needed to hear it the most. That was probably difficult. Well done, my boy." Albus idly turned a page of his book before refocusing on the potions master. "If you don't mind my asking…how did it go?"

Severus cleared the emotion from his face as he considered this. "Better than expected, thank you, Headmaster." Albus smiled.

"I'm glad to hear it." He patted Fawkes, who trilled happily. "Harry is quite like his mother in many ways; a kind-hearted soul who wishes to relieve the burdens of others. You must have noticed how each of his friends have changed since he arrived.

Severus ran through the students in his mind. Draco had undergone a miraculous transformation, becoming much more open and caring than he'd ever been, as well as being romantically accepting toward Miss Granger, a muggleborn. Neville's spells had improved exponentially, and now he even carried himself with more confidence. Hermione and Ginny had both accepted Draco, who had been an enemy to them; Hermione had also become more creative, while Ginny's gentler side showed through much more often. Even he, Severus, had become different since Harry had returned to the magical world.

"Lils, your son is truly remarkable," he muttered, eyes raised to the stars outside in the sky, as though he were speaking into the heavens. And in that moment, he had no doubt that Lily, wherever she was, had heard him.