September 1998
'What's that prick doing back here?' Ron leaned over Hermione to where Harry sat on her other side. Harry followed Ron's glare across the Great Hall. Malfoy sat alone at the Slytherin table, the other Slytherin's acting like he was contagious, which Harry supposed he was. The Malfoy name was no longer prestigious, it was notorious.
'I told you.' Hermione whispered in the tone of voice the boys secretly called 'the eyeroll'. 'It's part of his punishment, because he was underage the Wizengamot sent him here instead of Azkaban.'
'Oh yeah, and you said he couldn't do magic outside of lessons?' Hermione nodded. 'He's going to be sitting duck!' Ron grinned at Harry. Harry didn't notice Ron; he was still staring at Malfoy who sat perfectly straight backed with his eyes down on his plate slowly picking at his food.
Hours after the welcome feast Harry lay awake in his new four poster bed, the purple curtains drawn. He could hear the familiar sounds of his roommates as they slept, Ron and Neville snoring in symphony and the occasional mumble from Seamus as he recited tv adverts; out of the five Gryffindor Eighth Years Dean was the quietest sleeper (Harry often waking up his roommates screaming and thrashing from nightmares throughout the last few years). Harry had been relieved that the dorms would still be split by house after learning that the returning Eighth Years would all be sharing a common room rather than joining their usual houses. He had been less pleased to learn that Eighth Years couldn't join the house quidditch teams. This was to give the younger students a fair chance at getting onto the teams. Ginny had been made Gryffindor captain, he'd promised to help her out with trials and strategy although he doubted that she needed his or Ron's help. Harry and Ginny had dated for a while over the summer, they had comforted each other after the battle and at the many funerals that followed. Harry had found their relationship to be nice, just nice. He had wanted so badly for his heart to race when he saw her, for Ginny to be like the sun to him, eclipsing everyone else in the room. Ginny deserved that. She was witty and clever, an incredible Quidditch player; and she was beautiful, long fire red hair, sapphire eyes and an infectious smile. Harry had broken up with her again when he realised this, and that no matter how much he wanted to love her like she deserved he just didn't.
It was 5am when Harry gave up on sleep, he pulled on his trainers and swung the invisibility cloak around his shoulders. The cloak which had once covered himself, Ron and Hermione now fell perfectly from his shoulders just brushing the floor as he walked. Harry and his friends had spent a lot of the summer helping to repair Hogwarts, the castle had been made safe in time for the autumn term but there were still some corridors off limits. Harry made his way from the Eighth-Year common room on the third floor up to the sixth and from there through the entrance to the astronomy tower. He climbed up to the square parapeted top, the door to the rooftop was open.
There was a lump on the far side of the roof top. Harry crept forward; his trainers silent on the stone. With his back to the wall, in the exact spot Albus Dumbledore had fallen from, sat Malfoy. His arms wrapped tightly round his legs, his blonde head on his knees. Harry stood a few feet away watching the boy he'd once considered an enemy. With a decisive nod Harry sent a warming charm at Malfoy and turned silently on his heel. Harry didn't see the blonde head come up, furtively trying to locate the source of warmth, tear tacks down the pale face.
Harry decided the perfect opportunity to put his plan into action was later that morning at breakfast. The Great Hall was full off students, Harry sat at the Gryffindor table, he helped himself to a bowl of porridge sprinkling on two dessert spoons full of sugar.
'Harry, you'll rot your teeth.' Hermione admonished without looking away from the textbook propped up against a milk jug in front of her.
'Harry chap, I thought you weren't coming back this year?' Ernie Macmillan had stopped on his way to a spot on the Hufflepuff table. Harry acknowledged Ernie, the distraction from scanning the hall for Malfoy made Harry miss his mouth. A splodge of porridge hit his robes.
'Ron's idea.' Harry muttered picking the splodgy mess from his lap leaving a stain on the black robes. Just then a flash of blonde hair appeared, leaving the Slytherin table. Harry jumped up and rushed to intersect the blonde before he could leave, they met just inside the doorway. Harry stuck out his hand in the general direction of Malfoy's right hand, smiling.
'Hi, I'm Harry Potter.' Harry said reminding himself of Ernie. He'd not really planned what he was going to say, just hoping the message would get across. Malfoy narrowed his eyes, stepping back from Harry he inspected him slowly. Harry forced his smile wide. 'No trick, I just thought we should start over.'
'You look unhinged Potter.' Malfoy drawled, looking him up and down. Harry continued to stand awkwardly aware of his hair and the porridge stain on his robs, his arm still outstretched. The hall had gone quiet, most of the students had seen the two old rivals in the doorway and were now watching them. Some of the students were trying to be subtle by taking furtive glances at millisecond intervals, but most were just staring. Harry twitched his head at the hall, willing Malfoy to not leave him hanging and looking like a complete fool. Malfoy looked around and rolled his eyes.
'Draco Lucius Malfoy.' He said taking Harry's hand and giving it one firm shake before turning on his heel and striding away, head high, cloak billowing behind.
'What the hell did you do that for?' Harry tore his eyes from the figure stalking up the grand staircase, Ron who was only just arriving at breakfast stood wide eyed in front of him.
'It just seemed like the right thing to do. Interhouse harmony and all that.' Harry massaged the back of his head, knotty the messy strands at the nape of his neck. Ron snorted at him.
'Yes mate, but that's Malfoy. He actually was a Death Eater.'
'Charms.' announced Hermione, coming up to the two boys carrying two school bags and three timetables; she handed over Harry's bag and passed out the timetables.
'But I haven't had breakfast yet.' complained Ron.
'You should get up earlier shouldn't you.' Hermione scolded at the same time she produced a bundle wrapped in a scarlet red napkin. Ron grinned when he found two bacon sandwiches smothered in brown sauce inside. Harry was a little jealous, he'd only had a few spoonful's of his porridge.
The three climbed the grand staircase. When they arrived at the Charms classroom Malfoy had already taken a seat at the very back of the room, Hermione led the boys along the front row. The theatre style classroom soon filled up with the other Eighth Years and Seventh Years they would be sharing classes with that year.