The last day before winter holidays had arrived, and Draco didn't have a final class. As a result, once he'd finished adding the boomslang skin to his newest experimental healing draught and set it to simmer, he had nothing to do.

He decided he would head up to Harry's classroom and see what his classes were really like. Draco thought there was no way Harry's lessons could actually engage all of the students — there were always a couple who were just determined to do nothing.

He hummed a Christmas song as he made his way up, as he was in unusually good spirits. When he got to the fourth floor, though, he could hear intermittent shouts. They must have been coming from Harry's classroom.

The door was slightly ajar, and when he approached it he saw absolute bedlam.

Well, at second glance, he could see that Harry was in control. But still.

It appeared he had partnered up the Third Years to duel, and the results were varied. Several students were on the floor with wobbling legs, or doubled over with unstoppable laughter. Harry was calmly circulating, casting counter jinxes and telling the students to try again.

A good number of the students were repeatedly failing at jinxing their opponent first, and yet everybody still seemed to be having fun. Hmph. Draco leaned back against the wall. Maybe Harry's classes were fun, but Draco's were still far superior. Even if the students didn't actually appear to be having fun.

Ugh. They were here to learn anyway.

Draco peeked back through the door, and couldn't help but laugh; it was just all so ridiculous. The fact that Harry was so calm and encouraging in the middle of it made the situation even more hilarious.

"Alright, that's enough for today! We'll work on response times and improving counter jinxes after the break. You're all dismissed." Harry quickly restored the few students who were still under jinxes to their normal state.

"And no, you may not practise jinxing other students under the guise of studying for my class," he added quickly.

Draco smiled at how apprehensive he sounded, and entered the classroom as the students began to leave.

"Hey Professor Malfoy! What are you doing up here?"

"Just come to talk to Professor Potter. I do occasionally come upstairs, you know— I don't have to stay in the dungeons."

Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's response, and went into his office. Draco followed and casually sat himself on Harry's desk, leaning back on his hands on top of all of Harry's papers and crossing his legs. Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Why is it that you're more comfortable on my furniture than I am? I don't even like you. And please remove yourself from my papers."

Harry forcibly pushed one of his hands over off of a stack of essays.

"Tut tut Harry, is that any way to treat a guest?"

He laughed as Harry continued trying to push his hand off of the desk, and continued lecturing dramatically.

"Whatever happened to manners? You know, 'Please make yourself at home', and 'What's mine is yours—'" he cut off as he saw a student in the doorway.

"Um. I was just going to ask Professor Potter for recommendations on books for studying up on dark creatures...but I can leave if it's not a good time." Her eyes darted over them, taking in the situation.

Harry looked confused.

"Of course it's fine. Why wouldn't it be?" He beckoned her in, and Draco straightened up uncomfortably on the desk under the girl's scrutiny.

"I think I have two that would be useful for an overview. Any certain kind, or just dark creatures in general?"

"Just general, I need to refresh myself on as many as possible for my O.W.L.s."

"Okay then, you may borrow these two. Please return them within the next two weeks. The top one has general overviews on the classification and identification of most dark creatures, and the other has the best ways to combat them. Both are set up alphabetically by creature."

Her eyes kept darting over to Draco and back as Harry spoke.

"Thank you. Um, see you after break...Professors."

She left and Harry turned to Draco.

"Did you think she was acting oddly?"

Draco sighed. Harry was so oblivious. Draco had realised as soon as she had walked in that it must have looked like they were...flirting. Or something. She'd forget though, since clearly nothing was happening, so Draco had decided it was a non-issue. However...maybe it wouldn't be prudent to fill Harry in. He was known for having quite the temper.

"I'm sure she was just intimidated by the Saviour. And, of course, the best looking teacher to grace Hogwarts unexpectedly being in the room."

Harry snorted.

"Wow, you really never pass up a chance to inflate your own ego, do you?"

"I can't help it if I'm devastatingly handsome. And now, I must be off, my potion is about to mature. I expect I'll see you at some point tomorrow?"

"You won't be leaving?"

"No, I hadn't said?"

"No. I guess I just assumed you would be going home."

"To whom? My father and I don't speak, and my mother has isolated herself."

"Oh. You never got married or anything?"

"What? To whom?" he repeated. "Once I rejected my father's arranged marriage, I didn't really have any options. I'm a Death Eater, Harry."

"Former Death Eater. And you were pardoned. Hardly the same as a Carrow or a Lestrange."

"You see this permanent mark?" Draco said, pulling up his left sleeve. "Nobody's going to look past that, so take your Gryffindor, feel good, 'there's always someone' positivity elsewhere."

Harry crossed his arms.

"I'm just saying," he muttered.

"Well, I don't want my healing draught to boil over. I'll see you later."

Harry didn't go to dinner that night, instead having the house elves bring food to his quarters. He was strangely bothered by his and Draco's conversation.

The war was over. It had been for seven years, and people needed to learn to put these things behind them. The people who deserved to be punished had been, and everyone else should just be allowed to live their lives. Weren't there enough things to for people to worry about without adding more resentment to their plates?