CHP 5

Author's note: Hello it's me again. I'm terribly sorry about not updating sooner I was busy and then the whole quarantine thing caught me by surprise. Disclaimer: none of the characters or the universe of Harry Potter belong to me blah blah blah.

"Are you sure?" They stood just outside the great hall doors, Draco had put Harry down when they reached it. Harry nodded and leaned heavily on Draco wondering if he would make it that far. "Here we go." Draco muttered under his breath. They entered the great hall and every eye in there was turned to them, the hall door slamming behind them. Draco started to lead Harry over to the Slytherin, he stopped and said, "We're going to sit at the Slytherin table if that's okay. I will help you with what's where and whose around you. Also you were right everybody is staring. I'm so sorry." Harry laughed. His head shaking as he said,

"Why are you apologizing, I should be apologizing for putting you in this situation."

"Oh Harry, you will never have to apologize to me, especially with all the terrible things I've done and said to you." A hufflepuff that couldn't be more than a second year came up to them and frowned.

"Aren't you Harry Potter? What are you doing with Draco Malfoy of all people, he's a death eater." Draco scowled and squeezed Harry protectively. Harry just frowned and sighed.

" What's your name?" Harry said.

"M--Matilda." The small child answered.

"Who told you Draco was a death eater?" Harry looked in the direction he thought the girl to be and made an inquisitive face at her, his mouth forming a thin line and his eyebrows scrunching together.

"Well, all the other kids say he's evil. And that he tried to kill Dumbledore. He doesn't look very evil though." Matilda blushed(though Harry couldn't see that) and turned to Draco, "Are you evil? Did you really do all those things?" She was braver than the rest and did not experience the war like everyone else as her parents had taken her to America until it was over.

" I don't know what stories they are spreading about me this time but I do know that I've changed. Even though I hope I'm not evil now, I was in the past. I'm ashamed that I did those things and more sorry than anyone will ever know, but maybe I can be forgiven if I try harder. Will you forgive me Matilda, For all the terrible things I've done?" Matilda looked at Draco intensely as if studying his very soul. She smiled and nodded before turning to Harry.

"Harry Potter sir, be careful with him, he needs care and love before he can be fixed properly. And make sure he is not alone, for the lonely are the most dangerous people of all." She turned back to Draco and threw her arms around him. She whispered in his ear, "I forgive you. And with hard work and lots of help many other people will too." She kissed his cheek before skipping back to her table and settling in with her friends.

"That was weird. Now help me find the sausages before they're all gone." Harry was laughing at Draco as he made sputtering noise before finally handing him the sausages. The great hall slowly returned back to full volume though the conversation was focused on a certain blond and a certain black haired boy. The Great Hall is suddenly and unexpectedly silent. Draco looks around and curses under his breath spotting exactly what was wrong.

"Draco? What's the matter?" Upon not receiving an answer Harry reaches out until he finds Draco's arm and slowly slides his hand down until he can grasp Draco's hand in his. Harry hears absolute silence until what sounded like outraged footsteps approach. "Draco who is it?"

Before he can answer Hermione says, "Has he put you under some kind of potion Harry? Or perhaps a curse? Because the Harry Potter I know would never associate with Draco Malfoy out of his own free will." She crossed her arms and started to tap her foot. "Well what do you have to say?"

"Well, um… when he- I mean, when I… well, it's all sort of complicated you see and-" With that Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and he gasped she pulled him up and started to drag him to Gryffindor table mittering things about counter curses and the library but Harry was in a great deal of pain and ended up being half dragged. Hermione didn't notice until she had let go and Harry was sitting on the floor waiting for her to notice. He could hear two sets of hurried and urgent footsteps approaching and hoped it was Draco and/or Snape coming to help. Hermione had finally noticed she was no longer dragging Harry behind her and gave an exasperated sigh.

"Ronald, would you please help me get him up, he seems very reluctant to leave Malfoy, it MUST be a potion of some kind."

"Hermione what if he actually wants to hang out with Malfoy. Ever since the war ended he has been decent. And Harry has obsessed over him since first year." Harry felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him and pull him up just as the footsteps stopped in front of him. "Harry are you alright mate, you seem kinda flushed and pale?"

"Well Weasley considering that he is blind and severely injured and malnourished he is not fine as you so put it he is in fact very far from fine. Now if you would please let me take him as you are damaging wounds not yet fully healed. And for goodness sake do something about that know-it-all girlfriend of yours."

Ron started to turn purple and sputter, the only words he managed to get out while handing Harry over was,"She's not my girlfriend." Draco came forward and took Harry cradling him in his arms. He started whispering reassurance into his ear. Snape seemed to be having an interesting conversation with Dumbledore involving only their eyebrows. And Draco had moved so he was sitting on the floor holding Harry as Snape and Dumbledore's conversation was going on for several minutes.

Ron was busy trying to turn his face a normal shade again, so no one noticed Hermione approaching except a certain Hufflepuff.

What up: I'm going to try to update sooner but no promises.