'Funny how you never know how much of a bastard you've been until it's hammered into you face,' Draco mused as he left Gryffindor behind. He had walked Harry back to his dorm, seeing as how the boy was too upset to manage it himself, and the reception he had received from Hermione.... 'Well, I suppose I deserve it-not like I've ever been kind to him before.' It had taken some fast talking to calm both her and Ron down and convince them that he had done nothing. Harry had even agreed with him, stating, "Draco's not so bad at all. He's...helped." Draco left then, both because of curfew and embarrassment.
As he walked towards Slytherin, Draco paused as he reached an intersection. To the right led his dorms...to the left, the rooms of the Head of Slytherin House. 'Should I...?' Draco chewed on a hangnail, wavering, then turned decisively left. He could at least *start* his idea....
Softly, Draco rapped on Snape's door. After a moment, it opened, and coal black eyes peered out. "Draco?"
"Can I talk to you, Professor? I'm having a bit of a problem."
Snape guided the young man into his office and sat behind his desk. He regarded Draco and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Sir...is there ever a time where house loyalties can be forgotten?" Better to work up to what he truly wanted to say.
Snape blinked. "It depends on the circumstances. Naturally, there are times when the good of the whole House comes first, but there are exceptions to every rule. Would you care to elaborate?"
"Well...hypothetically speaking--"
Snape rolled his eyes. "Do you *really* think that I'm going to buy the 'hypothetical' story?"
"I suppose not." Draco sighed. "If you came across someone who wasn't from your House, but they were in obvious need of assistance, what would you do?"
"Call Madame Pomfrey. Health is not something to be ignored, no matter the house."
"This situation was more of an...emotional crisis."
"Emotional."
"In my judgement, borderline suicidal."
Snape sat up straighter. "In that case, then helping was not only the right thing, but the best thing possible. May I ask who?"
Draco acted as if he hadn't heard the question. "Do you think it's possible to love someone who hates you?"
"Draco, where on earth are these questions coming from?"
"Can you just tell me if you think it's possible?" There was a note of desperation in Draco's words that Snape couldn't ignore.
"I...think it is ver much possible. A thin line separates hate and love, and the very qualities that people hate are also ones people love. And love has a mind of its own sometimes-just because someone appears to 'hate' you does not mean that you cannot love them." He paused for a second. "Are you in love, Draco?"
Again, Draco didn't answer the question, but instead stood up. "Thank you for your help, sir," he said, smiling, and left the room before Snape could say another word.
He watched Draco go. "'Help,' he says. How can I help the boy when he won't *tell* me anything?" Snape sighed and started preparing for bed.
As he was putting out the torches, though, a thought struck him. 'Draco didn't *say* anything, but...did he tell me? Loving someone who hates you, House loyalties, emotional upset...what if he wasn't the one who helped, but was helped instead? Because he loves someone who hates him...but the only one who appears to hate him is....' Snape gasped in shock as the pieces came together. "Harry Potter. Draco is in love with Harry Potter."
Snape shook his head as he tried to process this revelation. "Don't know why I'm so surprised...boy has a habit of finding things that are completely wrong for him...just like his father." Except that this situation was better than any Lucius could have put himself into. For one, Harry was not about to be luring *anyone* from the Light, and love was better than murder. Still....
"I'm keeping my eye on *both* of you," he said to the dark room. 'I need to see what's going on here.'
**********
Luck was with Snape, as the next day saw Double Potions with the seventh year Slytherins and Gryffindors...which included Draco and Harry. Knowing how the two usually interacted, Snape decided to look for something that *wasn't* normal.
Which was quite a lot. Draco, mindful of how fragile Harry was, contrary to popular opinion, was going out of his way to be nicer, while Harry, though being quieter than usual, was treating Draco with at the very least cordiality, at most, friendship. Hermione and Ron were also going out of their way not to bait the Slytherin group, and Draco was doing his best to keep his group from baiting the Gryffindors.
All told, it was a very quiet and productive period. That in itself made Snape nervous.
As the students left, his eyes followed Draco, who had gone up to Harry, laid a hand on his arm, and asked him something. When Harry responded, Draco smiled.
Draco rarely smiled these days. For Harry to make him smile....
That confirmed it for Snape. Not only did something happen between those two, but Draco was clearly in love with Harry. Whether Harry returned the feelings was another story. There was also the matter of not being sure that Harry was *right* for Draco, but time and observation could soothe that as well.
The bottom line, though, was that Draco was acting happy for the first time in months. If it was Harry who was causing this, then what could he do?
However, he was going to make sure he did his damnedest to make sure no one got hurt.
As he walked towards Slytherin, Draco paused as he reached an intersection. To the right led his dorms...to the left, the rooms of the Head of Slytherin House. 'Should I...?' Draco chewed on a hangnail, wavering, then turned decisively left. He could at least *start* his idea....
Softly, Draco rapped on Snape's door. After a moment, it opened, and coal black eyes peered out. "Draco?"
"Can I talk to you, Professor? I'm having a bit of a problem."
Snape guided the young man into his office and sat behind his desk. He regarded Draco and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Sir...is there ever a time where house loyalties can be forgotten?" Better to work up to what he truly wanted to say.
Snape blinked. "It depends on the circumstances. Naturally, there are times when the good of the whole House comes first, but there are exceptions to every rule. Would you care to elaborate?"
"Well...hypothetically speaking--"
Snape rolled his eyes. "Do you *really* think that I'm going to buy the 'hypothetical' story?"
"I suppose not." Draco sighed. "If you came across someone who wasn't from your House, but they were in obvious need of assistance, what would you do?"
"Call Madame Pomfrey. Health is not something to be ignored, no matter the house."
"This situation was more of an...emotional crisis."
"Emotional."
"In my judgement, borderline suicidal."
Snape sat up straighter. "In that case, then helping was not only the right thing, but the best thing possible. May I ask who?"
Draco acted as if he hadn't heard the question. "Do you think it's possible to love someone who hates you?"
"Draco, where on earth are these questions coming from?"
"Can you just tell me if you think it's possible?" There was a note of desperation in Draco's words that Snape couldn't ignore.
"I...think it is ver much possible. A thin line separates hate and love, and the very qualities that people hate are also ones people love. And love has a mind of its own sometimes-just because someone appears to 'hate' you does not mean that you cannot love them." He paused for a second. "Are you in love, Draco?"
Again, Draco didn't answer the question, but instead stood up. "Thank you for your help, sir," he said, smiling, and left the room before Snape could say another word.
He watched Draco go. "'Help,' he says. How can I help the boy when he won't *tell* me anything?" Snape sighed and started preparing for bed.
As he was putting out the torches, though, a thought struck him. 'Draco didn't *say* anything, but...did he tell me? Loving someone who hates you, House loyalties, emotional upset...what if he wasn't the one who helped, but was helped instead? Because he loves someone who hates him...but the only one who appears to hate him is....' Snape gasped in shock as the pieces came together. "Harry Potter. Draco is in love with Harry Potter."
Snape shook his head as he tried to process this revelation. "Don't know why I'm so surprised...boy has a habit of finding things that are completely wrong for him...just like his father." Except that this situation was better than any Lucius could have put himself into. For one, Harry was not about to be luring *anyone* from the Light, and love was better than murder. Still....
"I'm keeping my eye on *both* of you," he said to the dark room. 'I need to see what's going on here.'
**********
Luck was with Snape, as the next day saw Double Potions with the seventh year Slytherins and Gryffindors...which included Draco and Harry. Knowing how the two usually interacted, Snape decided to look for something that *wasn't* normal.
Which was quite a lot. Draco, mindful of how fragile Harry was, contrary to popular opinion, was going out of his way to be nicer, while Harry, though being quieter than usual, was treating Draco with at the very least cordiality, at most, friendship. Hermione and Ron were also going out of their way not to bait the Slytherin group, and Draco was doing his best to keep his group from baiting the Gryffindors.
All told, it was a very quiet and productive period. That in itself made Snape nervous.
As the students left, his eyes followed Draco, who had gone up to Harry, laid a hand on his arm, and asked him something. When Harry responded, Draco smiled.
Draco rarely smiled these days. For Harry to make him smile....
That confirmed it for Snape. Not only did something happen between those two, but Draco was clearly in love with Harry. Whether Harry returned the feelings was another story. There was also the matter of not being sure that Harry was *right* for Draco, but time and observation could soothe that as well.
The bottom line, though, was that Draco was acting happy for the first time in months. If it was Harry who was causing this, then what could he do?
However, he was going to make sure he did his damnedest to make sure no one got hurt.