Author notes: Draco is just a depressed College kid who is too tired for all of this. Oh and this fic will be all One-sided attraction where Little Harry has a crush on Draco and Draco...does not. For now anyway. Not sure what the future holds or if I change my mind and make it mutual attraction.

Based on a Tumblr post on my HpDabble blog. Don't know where this will go but throwing it all 4 parts into here.

Warnings: Time travel, Depression, Hufflepuff Draco Malfoy, Draco stopped caring Three years ago, Little Harry has a crush, Suicidal Thoughts, Dysfunctional Family, Swearing, All Draco wanted was to be a professor and finish his education, Draco adores kids, Low Self-Esteem, Misunderstandings, Based on a Tumblr Post

Chapter 1: Blast to the Past

Draco Malfoy wakes to the sound of running train tracks and jerking seats. He picks his head off of the window glass, blinking owlishly around. He studies the little compartment in bewilderment, ignoring the other young boys who are looking over a magazine opposite of him, trying to understand why he was in Hogwarts Express when a few hours ago he was tucking himself into his bed- oh.

Oh. The ritual!

Draco could have kicked himself but honestly, this is what he gets for trying any of the spells in the Black Forrbiden Family Vault. He should have known that Potter missed something up, despite the other man insisting nothing would go wrong. If only he was strong enough to resist studying time travel, then maybe the Slytherin wouldn't have followed Potter into that section.

He just wanted to finish his last year of Magical Uni, was that too much to ask? So what if he was able to score the only undergrad research position with the Wizarding Savior himself in order to do something that was technically blasphemy. Honestly, who in the right mind opened the family knowledge vault of an Ancient and Noble House to the public like this?

It worked out for him since Potter didn't realize only the main branch family was allowed in there (seeing as Sirius willed Potter into it he was now considered the main branch), plus the fool also let Draco into the Potter Archives.

Granger had been melting in jealousy when Draco's name was called out as the winning essay. Potter had wanted the entries to be anonymous so the competition would be "fair" and go to the "most deserving".

He had looked like he bite into a lemon when Draco reported on the first morning but he opens the vault and archives none the less and let the student alone to do his work. Honestly, did he just not care about any wizarding traditions? He hadn't even restricted him from areas!

The only thing he asked was that Draco allows him to attempt one of the rituals and picked the one to less likely work. Potter had the audacity to even whine "Come on, Malfoy think about how well this will boost your thesis paper!"

Draco's thesis paper was not worth this. He was sure. But nope, here he was, stuck in the past inside his child's body with all of the said child's skill set. Which was quite frankly almost nothing.

Marlin, he can't even do the ritual in reverse. He was stuck here, wherever year this was, and all only a few months away of his last year of Uni! He was almost done for crying out loud! Now he had to do even more years of schooling!

"Draco, did you hear? Harry Potter is onboard, a first-year like us." A squeaky voice interrupts his mental swearing. He focuses on the face and almost gapes. Did Crabbe always look this squishy? He was a cute kid.

Then his mind processes the words.

"What?" A first-year!? He's a bloody first year!?

"Harry Potter!" Crabbe repeats, his adorable eyes sparkling. Draco wanted to tell him not to be so excited since Potter was going to hate him but he didn't want to watch that sparkle in his eye die. "He's on the train! Marlin, can you believe it? We should go look for him, maybe he will sit with us!"

Oh right, this was when the three of them, Goyle included, were small little fanboys of Potter. Wow, how time has changed them.

"No, I don't want to waste our first ride together to Hogwarts chasing the Boy-Who-Lived. " He tries to say casually. He watches the confusion on Crabbe's face and wonders what he's done wrong. His word choice maybe? He used to try and pepper in bigger words to seem smarter when he was young, so maybe the lack of them was strange.

"Why's that Draco?" The young boy asks.

"I just want to spend the time with you and Goyle. You're my best mates after all." Draco says and he watches the eyes of both boys across of him go wide. Crabbe flushes but he looks pleased, curving around the confusion in his small tiny squishy face.

"That's-" he clears his throat. Crabbe attempts to use his aristocratic mask to conceal his emotions. Marlin why did he ever think it was okay for a child to do this? Emotions should never be smothered. "That's the first time you ever called us best mates. What change?"

You died. He wants to say You died by being burnt alive and I wasted the friendship we could have had.

"It's just…I got thinking. Our fathers aren't here. We can be friends without them making us." He looks out the window, mourning the future they will have due to the choices of their parents. Mourning what he left behind. Mourning the innocence they all lost. It's a very visited thought but the jaded feeling never eases no matter how many times he thinks about it. "I want to be friends with you for who you are not for your family name….if you like?"

When he composes himself better he glances over the boys. Two sets of eyes are suspiciously glossy but the smiles are brighter then he's ever seen on either face regardless of age. Draco knows this change here will be the first of his new chance and maybe…maybe he can get used to it. It hurts to think about what he lost, but honestly, he didn't lose much. Draco has lived in a daze for years, he never feared it ending.

His life wasn't all that grand, he was content but not really eager to see a new day. Depressed is what Pansy called him, but she spent most of her days staring at the bottom of a bottle so he didn't count her words as true when it was obvious she was far more depressed then he.

"So let's start anew. Let's talk about our likes, hobbies, dreams of the future without our folks breathing down our necks. Let's be kids" He says sitting back to get comfortable as Goyle starts to cautiously tell them about his hobby of drawing. He pushes the thought of Harry Potter out of his mind. He doesn't need his hand of friendship to be rejected when there are two people more than willing to grasp it right here.

The train ride is the most fun he's ever been on despite being more charmed by the tiny tots. (He always adores children. Precious little monsters). By the time they arrive Draco is smiling so hard his cheeks hurt and he feels closer to the other two boys then all seven years of friendship. Isn't that just sad?

He isn't awed by the castle, he's seen it much too many times but he does think it charming to see the other eleven-year-olds' look of wonder. His class was full of tiny tots who just impressed with the simplest of things honestly.

Draco didn't jump when the ghosts arrive, he barely paid attention when Professor McGonagall lead them into the Grand Hall, but he did notice when he ran into a child's back. He was daydreaming again, zoning out when he should be paying attention.

"I'm terribly sorry," He says on reflex helping the poor lad from the half stumble he took. Draco's hand is gripping his arm to keep him from face planting. "I wasn't looking where I was going. I was…distracted by the ceiling."

"It's..um it's okay." The boy says blinking green eyes at him. Oh, bloody hell. It's Potter. "I meet you right? Before…"

Draco has long perfected social acting. He makes his face pull a pleasantly surprised expression with ease. "Oh yes! We meet at Madam Malkin's. How are you?"

"How..am I?" Potter repeats slowly, almost confused. What? Did the boy not know what a conversation is? He looks so baffled by Draco's manners.

Honestly, did he lack his own so much he didn't know what they looked like at this age? He keeps the friendly smile on his face and is beyond grateful Professor McGonagall cuts in before Draco can answer. It would have been a sarcastic remark, the blond is sure of it.

He knows himself too well.

The sorting goes as it did last time. Until it's Draco's turn. He walks up to the stool in a bored strut, not thinking about someone going into his head until the thing is actually in his head.

The same one that had future knowledge ripe for the picking. He should put up some mental shields from now on. Thank the stars the Blacks were a paranoid sort and he had a practical fortress.

Too bad he pulled them up after the sorting hat walked into his mind.

Hmm, a child who was already sorted. This is very interesting! The hat says causing Draco to jump. He didn't know the thing could hold a conversation. You have grown. Learn what it means to be truly loyal. Already choosing your bonds over your own benefit. Yes, I know the perfect house for you

"HUFFLEPUFF"

There is a moment of stun silence, where Draco is still under the hat wondering if the charmed piece of cloth actually did what he thinks it did. No. No, he's a Malfoy! He could not be-

"Move along now Mr. Malfoy" Professor McGonagall instructs taking the sorting hat back, sounding like she's restraining from demanding why on earth he's a bloody Hufflepuff and nudging him into the crowd of gapping people. Only one person claps for him. It's Potter.

Draco sends him a grateful smile and the boy stumbles in surprise. He returns it shyly though and oh no, Potter is a cute kid too. That's not fair.

He risks a glance at Crabbe and Goyle, heart falling when both boys turn away. So much for meaningful friendships….oh well life was meaningless anyway. With a mental shrug, he trots off to the yellow and black table taking a sit.

He is barely aware of the other children shrinking away from him, far too used to it in the future. Instead, he zones out, thinking of a book he read a few days ago. He almost misses the food appearing before him, had it not been for the little wave Potter sends him from the Gryffindor table. Draco returns it on instinct while munching on his buttered toast.

Much later Draco tucks himself into bed, not speaking to the rest of the Puffs that eye him warily. He just wants to take asleep, exhausted by the amount of talking he did. He's forgotten how draining social interaction can be.

The next day, Draco somehow finds himself leading some first-years to class. He didn't mean to, but when he stumbled across lost children he didn't have the heart to leave them. It took a bit of convincing but soon he has a group of Ravenclaws following him like ducklings. He looks over their time tables making sure to walk them all to the door of their classes. The looks of gratitude are downright adorable.

By the time he stumbles into Potions he's twenty minutes late and feeling lighter. His godfather surprisingly-or not- goes easy on him, only ducking five points for his tardiness. Draco wants to say seeing Snape was easy but it wasn't. He spent almost all of the class trying not to break down in tears.

Thankfully when the bell rings he is out before the professor can stop him. Outside he finds some of his new housemates lost and offers to lead them as well. He somehow gets a group of Gryffindors on the way back, who all ask him where to go, having heard he's been offering.

When he stumbles across Potter later, he has a herd of Firsties babbling about how scary the first night was. Draco tries his best to offer advice on how to handle it when he notices Potter staring. He politely dismisses himself from the kids, walking over to the one boy that seems oddly lonely.

Where were the Weasleys (or would they be called Weasley and Granger now?) Shouldn't the Golden Trio be together doing….something golden?

"Are you alright?" He asks wondering why the kid looks so scared suddenly.

"Um..yes." A nervous hand goes up to ruffle his hair, flashing that damn scar. Green eyes locked with his, briefly, then the boy looks away. Draco frowns. Something is obviously bothering the kid.

"I'm Harry Potter," He says at last one handheld out uncertainly. My how the tables have turned.

Draco nods sticking out his own hand "Draco Malfoy."

The boy looks relieved, taking the offered limb into a jerky shake. Suddenly in a rush of words, he blurts out "Want to sit together at dinner time!? Ron said you could."

Draco blinks slowly "Okay"

"Okay?" A young face brightens, cheeks pink.

"Okay"

"Great! I'll see you later..I'll save you a spot!" Potter all but skips down the hall and Draco wonders what the heck that was about. It's not until he's gently wiping some tears off a terribly homesick first-year girl with his family handkerchief about thirty minutes later that he realizes what he's become.

Why Potter looked so eager to sit together. He leaves her once she's calm down, hands curled around some hot chocolate he asked the castle elves to make and watery smile grateful.

Draco ducks into the first male bathroom he can find and splashes his face in cold water. He stares at his reflection in the mirror with horror "You've become the Mum. Your love of children made you the Class Mum. How far have you fallen Malfoy? Rock bottom."

He still sits with Potter. The kid is too cute for his own good, though he should do something about that sunburn. His poor cheeks are far too red.

Somehow, Draco builds a reputation over the course of the year. He never set out to make one himself, but he soon finds himself labeled "Nicest First Year Wizard".

He wants it to be perfectly clear he never wanted that title nor does he enjoy it overly well yet he found that most students approached him with various problems he could solve easily. It was after all the problems of children.

"Malfoy I can't find my class"

"I'll walk you. It can get confusing with the staircases disappearing"

"Malfoy, I don't understand the potion homework"

"Pull up a chair. I can explain it to you."

"I-I can't sleep. I'm scared.."

"I'll ask one of the castle elves to make us some tea. In the meantime would you care for a story? I find reading helps me rest at times"

And the list of request only extended from there. At first, it was only his fellow first years that dare approach him which he didn't mind too much but soon second, third and even some fourth years have wandered close. Each smiling at him like he was capable of good; like they couldn't think of a Hufflepuff ever being vile.

Draco was nearly at his wit's end. Where was the hostility he was used to? Shouldn't these kids be wary of him not follow him around at each given second? He couldn't even walk to class without stopping ten times by students whose names he couldn't remember.

His second title was as illy welcome as the first but he did take some pride in "Smartest 1st year". Granger struggle to keep up and he applauded her efforts, but she was an actual child. It would hurt his pride far too much if she scored better then he.

Besides everything was so easy. Draco hoped that his teachers would soon realize this and have him skip a grade or two because going to Hogwarts for the next seven years sounded like torture.

There were some technicalities. After all, the excuse of his father buying the best tutors money could buy before he started school could only go so far- most likely till someone bothered asking the said man which tutors he hired and learning there were none.

Which wouldn't be a problem at all if he thought about it. His parents have taken to pretending he doesn't exist the moment they learned of his new sorting. Besides the howler, his father sent him- sitting in silence while it screams and spat at him in his dorm and then shrugging when it finishes- was the last time he spoke to his parents since the year started.

He couldn't really blame them in all honesty. There were still some mornings where he stumbles over his tie, expecting to see green instead of the eye-watering yellow.

It was rapidly approaching Halloween now though and their silence hurt. Maybe it will always hurt regardless of his age.

Draco quickly learns one thing in his do-over. Children were great, teenagers not so much. Oh, he still liked them well enough, but he could do without the teenage angst they all went through. Especially in the third year. Thirteen-year-olds are some of the meanest people out there. Vicious little beast tears each other apart for no reason other then they can.

Already he's had to put himself between three different groups to get them to leave the younger kids alone. Ironically this was how he meets the Weasley Twins, or as he secretly called them, the Terror Twins.

Draco remembered them as the pranking duo who had a vicious streak against Slytherins. George and Fred Weasley were names hissed and sneer in the snake common room, spat with as much venom in the syllables as physically possible. Having been caught in some of their pranks, Draco hated them too once upon a time.

But for all their faults they seemed like amazing brothers and that was something he envied the Weasleys greatly. What must it be like to be part of a family that loved each other unconditionally? Often he wondered if he would trade all his wealth for that small sense of warmth that surrounded the family

Imagine then, his surprise when he came across a sobbing Percy Weasley on the lake bank one late night on one of his walks. Draco had a hard time sleeping ever since the war. often times sneaking out to take strolls to the lake and get some fresh air. He knew the Perfects routes well enough and found it was easy to speak about.

When he arrived to find the fifth year sobbing into his hands he almost turns right around having enough of being Class Mum but Draco's mind flashed back to his own sixth year. He couldn't just leave him like this when all he wanted back then was someone to notice Draco Malfoy slowly falling apart.

He found himself flopping down by the Weasley and spent the rest of the night probing him until the physically older boy admitted it being family troubles that had him here. Knowing just how tricky family drama could be, Draco changed the conversation attempting to distract him.

He picks the first thing that popped into his head, asking the Perfect on advice on what classes he should take and right before his eyes watched the Weasley come to life. It wasn't too long before the redhead was babbling away about subjects, an air of excitement around him as he spoke. The lad barely took breaths between words.

Draco struggled to keep up with the speed but he paid as much attention as he could. It was the right thing to do when a child talks about their passion, after all, even if said passion was a bit on the dull side.

Sometime later, however, Weasley cut himself off looking ashamed. "Sorry I got excited."

Draco frowns. "Don't do that. Don't apologize for being excited over something you like."

Weasley's face broke into such wonderment, the blond nearly stood up and ran right then but he held his emotions under a tight grip and firmly added. "You enjoy something. Be proud of it. "

"I am" The redhead chokes "I really am"

Nodding Draco leans back on his hands "Good, now keep going. I want to hear your theories."

It took some proper probing but soon Weasley was back on his explanation on why potions was an under-appreciated field, which Draco wholehearted agree with. The kid was brilliant. But then again what else would one expect from a student that graduated with twelve OWLS and had a ministry job line up the moment he finished to boot.

It seems someone had to tell the poor guy he was pretty impressive more though. Obviously, not enough people told him that.

Later the Perfect walks him back, taking two points from Hufflepuff for being out of bed past curfew though he seems regretful to do so. Draco didn't mind too terribly. After all, Weasley was only doing his job and he could have taken far more points plus he hadn't given him detention.

After years of people watching his every move to catch the slightest of mistakes and handing harsh punishments, the boy's soft rebuff was sweet.

Once he was inside however he tracked down the reason Weasley was crying. The Terror Twins are in need of a good verbal lashing and Draco was ready to do the whipping. He finds them with a burning passion to protect the nerdy kid since he gets it from a personal level. He too is the black sheep of his family after all.

"Leave him alone" He starts staring up into amused thirteen years olds. "Stop bullying your brother Percy."

"It's just some jokes," One of them says rolling his eyes. The Malfoy bristles at the careless attitude. "Icky Percykins-"

"Is more than a joke to amuse you. He's a person with feelings and I like you to stop bullying him" He cuts in a voice hard and cold, all his pureblood power behind each word.

"Hey, hey, hey" the other twin says angrily "You don't say that! Percy isn't a joke to us!"

Draco's eyes cool a few extra degrees, refusing to raise his voice. "When you only talk to someone to prank them and mock what they enjoy then they turn into jokes. You make them think they're nothing but a joke. Eventually, the joke stops being funny. Eventually, the person either breaks or leaves; either way, you lose a brother to death or distance. Cut that shit out."

Not giving any time to do nothing but gape he turns, walking away with a high held chin. He's said his piece. Now it was up to them to fix things.

He couldn't really tell them what to do. His house was made of glass when it came to dysfunctional families and he wasn't about to start throwing stones. He would, however, keep an eye on Percy Weasley. Wouldn't do for the lad to burn out or fall apart on his watch.

Sitting with Potter at dinner had been sort of awkward that evening. The Terror Twins had eyed him all through the meal with thoughtful frowns and glimmering eyes. His hand had hovered over his wand, twitching with the urge to defend himself.

Potter quickly distracted him with potions questions and he pushes them out of his mind. The boy still seems to jump whenever Draco got to close and he was grateful for one content thing about this time-traveling business.

A week later however the twins pull him into an unused classroom. Expecting retaliation Draco finds himself blurting out. "I'm not scared of you."

The left one- Fred?- raised an eyebrow "Why's that?"

A mockery of a smile curls Draco's lips. "There's nothing you could do to me that hasn't already been done"

The twins had never looked distressed in his memories pre-Fred death but now they did. "Blimey kid, that's not okay. Are we really that awful you think we're going to hurt you?"

A quick shrug has them wincing. "We just like pranks. We never meant to hurt. Especially not our family."

The right one- George right? Yes, that one is George- gives him a wobbly smile. "We had a little chat with Percy about what you told us. Turns out, we haven't been the best of brothers to him. We're going to change that."

Draco couldn't keep the surprise off his face and that makes them more upset. They were going to try and change? That far more then he could ever imagine possible.

"Look we just- if you need something let us know." Fred places a hand on Draco's shoulder. "We wouldn't have known about Percy's….dangerous way of thinking. He could have done something to himself and we wouldn't have been the wiser. We could have been the extra push he needed to…to do something"

Ah. So Percy had too many similarities to Draco's sixth year to be comfortable. He'll make sure to keep sharp things away from the Perfect then.

"I will thank you"

"No, thank you." George breaths while Fred squeezes his shoulder. Just like that their gone and Draco waits a little while before slipping out.

Only to run into Potter who looks like he has bitten into a lemon. "Why were you alone with Ron's brothers?"

"Hmm? Oh, opportunity maybe."

Potter's frown is more profound for the next three hours or so. The Malfoy heir has an essay he needs to finish so he doesn't care. He's made it his life goal to not care what Potter is up to. Maybe his life will be easier this way.

A week later, however, find Draco bursting into the girl's bathroom after hearing Granger was still in here when the Troll was loose- someone had to make sure kids stop dying in this stupid school- and came upon Potter and the future Mr. and Mrs. Weasly cowering/standing there ground before the beast.

He hesitated long enough to have a deep intake of breath, because honestly why is this his life? And then he was throwing himself into the fray. His magic was still nearly nonexistent but he could throw rocks really well.

Nicest and Smartest first year his ass, this shit was so not worth his thesis paper!