"Myrtle?" Harry called out as he and Malfoy walked into the bathroom.
They were cautious as they stepped forward listening to their footsteps echo and splattered across the damp floor. He waited for a response but none came, Myrtle seemed to be sulking somewhere in the pipes. Harry had been hoping she would.
"Malfoy you know that relative I have?" Harry asked, turning suddenly. Malfoy nodded, he had hoisted himself up to sit on one of the sinks and assumed his listening pose. Subsequently he adopted the poker face he used while listening to Harry ramble.
"So here's the thing he's not actually a muggle. He's... " Harry was having trouble breathing as he tried to find the right words.
"He's kind of a convict, like a wizard convict, but he was innocent and I have proof but the proof… I sort of lost it." Harry was almost sprinting, he was pacing so fast. It was the only thing keeping his adrenaline at bay. He found he couldn't bring himself to look at Malfoy every time he did his laps would get a bit faster.
"He's been on the run since, well since I've met him and... Ron and Hermione know about him. Ron- He sort of- No... he quite directly, in fact, threatened to send him to jail- ugh azkaban- fuck whatever. In the last letter he wrote- My convict uncle- he was going to try and get here or get closer to here. Draco he's my only family, we have to stop Ron." Harry was so on edge, he could fall off the cliff at any second. He was in a cold sweat- he'd been going in and out of one all day and was desperately needing a shower at this point- and his hands were shaking terribly. He finally looked up to see Malfoy's expression, but his gaze drifted to the mirror behind him. Harry had blood streaked across his forehead.
He moved to wipe it away only to make it worse, looking down he could see the blood coming from his hand, the one he had used to bang the common room door open. Malfoy was blushing horribly when Harry looked back to him making Harry go white.
The ground was tilting as Harry was finding it harder and harder to breathe. He leaned against one of the stalls and found himself sitting down pulling his knees in. He felt a firm hand on his back, "It's really not your day is it Potter?"
"No, it's fucking not," Harry moaned taking deep breaths to try and recenter.
Malfoy sat down next to him, "Okay where did this all come from? Start at the beginning for me."
He was so calm it made Harry want to throw something at him. How dare he take in all this information without any kind of reaction. Harry could never just sit by and watch as a friend fell apart he'd jump up, do something, try to fix the problem. He wanted nothing more than to shake Malfoy to his senses to see the gravity of the situation.
Instead, Harry sighed, and began explaining the confrontation with all of Gryffindor's fourth years and how horrible it went for him. "Ron's probably already told everyone in that stupid meeting! I tried to find Neville to warn him- I just hope they don't kick his ass or something."
Malfoy put an arm over Harry's shoulder looking deep in thought, "What the fuck is wrong with Gryffindor?" Not exactly the response Harry had been looking for but he let the other boy continue. "Professor Snape would never allow this kind of treatment of a student!"
Harry was skeptical of Malfoy's example, but understood his point. "I don't really think McGonagall knows what's happening. She's pretty busy. Honestly we barely see her outside of class." Harry sat up properly, Malfoy quickly pulled his arm back at the sudden movement. Harry took in a couple deep breaths and felt slightly better.
"Snape is always checking on our common room; he gives us so much shit if it's messy." Malfoy smirked, "I guess McGonagall is too busy running this school to actually look after you lot huh."
Harry rolled his eyes, "McGonagall is not- We forgot detention." Malfoy interrupted suddenly sitting perfectly upright. A moment of silence took over as both boys thought.
Harry was cautious as he finally said the only thing he was thinking, "What happens if we skip detention?"
Malfoy paused looking from side to side as though McGonagall was about to jump out from behind a stall and deduct house points. "I thought you'd know."
Harry raised his hands defensively, "Why the hell would I know?"
"I don't know you have to be good for something." Malfoy massaged his temples with one hand.
"Fuck!" Malfoy suddenly yelled his concealed anger bursting forth for only a moment. He was staring desperately at the floor as though the marble may have instructions written in it if you only searched hard enough.
"Did that make you feel better?" Harry asked, unable to hide his condescending tone.
Malfoy turned on Harry now grabbing his shoulders, "Snape is going to kill me. If my parents find out they are going to kill me. Harry can I switch my parents for your dragon?" Malfoy sighed, seeming to have gone through all the stages of grief in a matter of seconds and finally he lay down on the floor in acceptance. He covered his face with his arm and the room fell to complete silence. Harry watched as the seconds slowly ticked away. As he grew more comfortable in the silence he leaned back to look out the bathroom window.
"Can I tell you something?"
Harry looked down at Malfoy, "Yeah sure."
"I always thought you were this incredibly arrogant kid putting himself in danger because he wanted to play hero."
Harry frowned, "Thanks?" He felt offended but maybe in his own weird way this was Malfoy's attempt at a compliment.
"I wasn't finished you idiot, now I think you are a reckless moron, who can only speak in sarcasm, and who cares a whole hell of a lot." Malfoy had his arm over his eyes but he peaked slightly to give Harry a small smile.
Harry smiled back, "That was actually almost a compliment."
Harry thought for a moment, "You're way smarter than I thought you were. I never really acknowledged you were as smart as Hermione, I'm sorry about that."
Malfoy's smile grew; he seemed quite pleased to hear this and put his arm back over his eyes. They sat in silence for a bit longer, it wasn't an awkward silence it was almost comforting despite the setting. Harry liked this new Malfoy; he was by no means a perfect Malfoy but he was definitely a step up. He was trying and that was something Harry had never expected.
"So how much of a convict is this uncle of yours? Is he anywhere near as famous as you?"
Malfoy's voice cut through Harry's thoughts, "You could say that.." Harry grimaced slightly remembering how this all came about.
"Would I know who he is?" Malfoy was leaning on his elbows to look at Harry. He was intrigued and Harry wasn't sure he altogether liked that.
"I mean yes but- Oooh Can I guess who he is?"
Harry frowned, "No you can't." He said flatly and Malfoy frowned, "Will you tell me?"
Harry sighed hesitating, "It's… It's Sirius Black."
A new silence followed a tense one, Malfoy's face had fallen back to his poker face. "Potter are you sure?"
Harry looked Malfoy dead in the eye, "I am certain that Sirius Black is an innocent man. I swear he is a man who's care, I would have been left in his care had my parents any choice. This man would do anything in his power to protect me. I am going to do everything in my power to do the same."
Malfoy seemed to take a second doing some kind of mental calculation then he looked Harry in the face, "Then Weasley is a bastard for threatening to take that away from you."
