Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.  So sad.

Notes: This isn't as eventful as the last chapter that is why I took so long.  Sorry guys for the delay.  Compared to the rest of the chapters, this is probably the most boring one. 

Chapter 4: Harry turns Five

Draco sub-consciously wrapped his arms around something soft, bringing it closer to his chest.  Feeling equal warmth beside his body made him feel secure.  He was somewhat aware of the rays of sunlight shinning through his green curtains, feeling some of the heat on his forehead.  He lazily fluttered his eyelids just slightly open, but closed his eye quickly as his sight caught a glimpse of the sunlight.  Minutes later, having not moved an inch, he groaned loudly and pulled the cover over him as he heard the wizard alarm clock beep loudly, the ringing sound in his ears annoying him greatly. 

"Stupid… alarm…" he grumbled as he felt something shift beside him, and he opened his eyes again slowly to see a little black haired boy staring sleepily at him.  It took him a while to register that there was another person beside him, a much older looking boy than yesterday.

Quietly, sleep still upon him, he asked groggily, "How old are you, Potter?"  He closed his eyes and opened them again, trying to get fully awake. 

Also quietly, Harry replied, yawning, "Five," and he held up five fingers to show Draco how old he was.  Harry's fingers were small and thin, his cheeks were rosy and his eyes sparkled in glee.  Harry's eyes became wider as he smiled, a boyish twinkle in his eyes as the Gryffindor slowly sat up, looking down at the Slytherin.  His outward appearance changed noticeably, for he looked slightly older than yesterday.  His black hair had covered his eyes almost, his body was slightly bigger, but his scar and boyish smile was upon his face.  His shirt was wrinkled from last night's sleep as it was bunched up together on his small stomach. 

"How old are you?" Harry asked in a squeaky tone, smiling, as he climbed out the bed eagerly and looked at Draco.  He looked around the room, fascinated as if he had just seen it for the first time.

Draco opened his eyes slowly becoming more aware by the sight of Harry's presence and he looked horrified for a moment. "You slept in my bed?!  Beside me?!" Draco hoarsely said, but the blonde knew he had, but he couldn't believe it himself that he had let his arch nemesis sleep in his own bed!

Getting up quickly, he sneered down at the Gryffindor.  "Potter, do not, under any circumstances, ever sleep in my bed again.  You got that?"  He smirked as Harry looked blankly at him.  Harry nodded slowly for a moment before he sat down on Draco's desk chair, looking at him intently.  His green eyes were penetrating, Draco had noticed. 

Draco looked skywards for a moment, wondering why on earth Harry was looking at him like that.  After a while, slowly getting aggravated because Harry wouldn't stop starting at him, he finally growled loudly at the back of his throat before he spat out, "What the hell are you staring at?!"

He watched as Harry cowered back slightly, looking a bit defenseless without his glasses, and looked back at him unsurely.  "Draco?"

Draco sighed impatiently as he let his feet dangle over the bed, the bed not sagging in the slightest in his weight.  He watched as Harry tilted his head questionably before asking softly, "Why do you call me Potter?"

Draco stared at him for a moment; his eyebrows were raised quite high, as he looked back at the five year old Harry Potter.  Harry just looked curiously at him.

Before he could answer, Harry asked another question, "Why does Weasley call me Harry?  Is he your friend?"  Draco looked a bit startled at that question but the Gryffindor asked more. "How about Granger?  Is she your friend?  Why did you once call her Mudblood?  What is a Mudblood? Can I have one?"

Draco stared at him, and he could see Harry's mouth open for another question but Draco quickly answered before the Gryffindor spoke, throwing down his hands in exasperation. 

"Potter!  Shut. UP!" He glared at Harry for a long time before standing up, stretching his hands over his head as he looked at the Gryffindor.

"Now.  What was the first thing you said?" he asked groggily and lazily, still trying to get his brain to function this early in the morning as he walked over to his closet to get some daily attire.  He felt Harry's gaze on his flat stomach as he turned, Harry staring at the belly ring.  Draco's eyes raked over the assortment of clothes, scowling when he found out that he couldn't wear his sweater today because it was still with the house elves.

"Why do you have a belly button ring?" a question was asked from the lips of the child. 

Draco turned his head around and looked at the chair that Harry was sitting at, only to find that he wasn't there, but right behind him.  He looked down in Harry's wide eyes, and was amazed how different Harry's height was compared to yesterday.

"I have a belly button ring because I think they are sexy." Draco smirked suddenly, then put on a goaded look, "No, I meant before that.  What did you ask?"

"Did you know that a baby hedgehog was a mole?" Harry squeaked out, his big, green eyes looking up at the Slytherin.  He smiled as he turned around and jumped back on Draco's bed, the bed emitting a loud creak. 

The Slytherin went over to the bed and pulled Harry off a little roughly, causing the boy to stumble onto the floor on all fours.  "Potter, stop being such a twit," he glared down at the boy, his teeth gritted. 

Draco's nose flared in irritation as he heard Harry speak again, "What's a twit?" Harry stood up after a while, his knobby knees letting him stand up proudly. 

"A twit," Draco paused before he continued in a drawled off voice mixed with a bit of spite and humor, "Is a imbecile who cannot stop asking questions," He paused again and looked down at Harry, towering over the boy, "and won't listen to their superiors. That is a twit."  He smirked down at Harry before he went to the bathroom to take a nice hot and relaxing shower that would hopefully wake him up.

[Good lord, Potter is an annoying one!  I'm going to give that idiot so much hell when he returns to his normal state.  He will probably hate himself if he learns that he called me Draco.]  The blonde slytherin thought as he washed his hair, closing his eyes and letting the warm water slide down his body into the drain. 

In the background of his mind, the bathroom was dull, and Draco always forgot to do a spell to make it more appealing, not that anyone came in here anyway.  It was dull silver mixed in with some patterns of vines on the bottom and the top walls.

Usually, Pansy would come in once in a while to kiss up to her boyfriend, stay awhile, but Draco never let her stay more than an hour, because he knew her intentions.  Only she had really seen what Draco's bathroom looked like, and even she said it was dull.

Shutting off the water, he thought, [Stupid git, I bet I have to take him to class.  Damn!] Draco sighed as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed his towel vehemently from the towel rack, drying off his body.

As he stepped out of his bathroom door with his clothes on, he suspiciously gazed around the room as his ears heard only silence.  His eyes trailed from the black bedspread to his closet, and he was aware as his feet took him to his bed first.  Cautiously, just in case Harry decided to surprise him, he slowly turned over the comforter ready for any scare the Gryffindor had planned, but all he saw was soft and dull sheets.

Draco looked around to the closet, wondering if the brunette was in there, but he got his answer as he opened it slowly.  Nothing except his clothes and some Quidditch gear.  Running a hand through his blonde and wet hair nervously, he looked sideways to his desk, and then his eyes drifting to the hollow of it.  He furrowed his brows in confusion for a moment before his eyes went to the door.  The slightly creaked door.

He rushed out, his heart beating madly as he thought of all the consequences he could get for losing Harry.  As he rounded the corner that would take him to the common room as he heard high-pitched laughter and a very strident childish voice coming from not that far ahead.  He rounded the corner, and almost cried in relief as he saw two sixth-year Slytherin girls giggling over the 5-year-old Harry Potter.  Harry was smiling up at them as Draco stormed closer and he was able to hear the five year olds words, "He has a belly button ring, and its very shinny and I want one too!  He is going to get me one someday!"

Harry was turned around right as Draco grabbed him in the boy's upper arm.  The head boy hissed, "Potter, you imbecile, don't you ever leave my room again," Draco didn't realize how possessive he sounded until he looked up to see both of the girls staring at him.

"What?!" He barked out, straightening up and glaring.  The girls scampered away quickly after giving Harry a glance before they both left the common room.  That left only the five year old and the seventeen-year-old head boy.  Harry glanced up, cowering as he could feel Draco's rage radiate off of him.

"Potter!" Draco clenched his teeth as he squatted down to Harry's height, and he was still gripping Harry's small forearms tightly.  The Slytherin Captain just stared at him for a few moments, afraid that if he opened his mouth he would bark extremely horrible words to the boy. 

He took a long, therapeutic breath as he watched Harry's face turn from a frightened expression to a solemn one.  Harry remained quiet through all of this.

Quietly, Draco spoke, "Potter.  Don't leave anywhere without me, all right?  Dumbledore will kill me, and I don't want to die before the age of 20.  Is that clear?"  He watched as Harry nodded, and he let go of his tight grip on the boy's forearms.  Standing up, he told Harry not to move from his place as he got his books from his room and returned, motioning for the boy to make his way to the exit of the Slytherin Common room.

Draco kept the boy in front of him as he walked and he watched as Harry slowed down again and glanced up at Circe's painting.  Draco looked curiously at him as Harry asked quietly, "What potion is she making, Draco?"  Harry's voice was soft, but strangely apprehensive.  Draco stared as Harry's lips turned from a smile to a frown, his eyes not widening, but fear on his face was evident.

Draco didn't do anything as Harry unconsciously reached up from his hand, and this time, Draco didn't let go so quickly.  He felt Harry's hesitant fingers curl around his, and he looked up at Circe again.  She was smiling at Harry directly, a cold and evil smile only that could be interpreted as malicious, before with turned around and went out of her door leaving Slytherin and the Gryffindor who staring at the empty painting in silence.  Finally, Harry let go of Draco's hand putting them in his pockets like the Slytherin had done so much before, and he waited for Draco to accompany him to the Great Hall.

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When Draco entered the Great Hall with Harry in tow, he didn't bother making his way to the Gryffindor table; in fact, he didn't even bother looking at it, knowing that Harry would cling to him no matter what he did.  He was consciously aware of the stares he received from his housemates as they watched Harry skip behind him.

He heard Pansy bragging loudly as he approached his house table, "Of course he has a belly button ring, and I've seen it millions of times!" She smiled and fluttered her eyelashes when Draco sat across from her, not noticing – or pretending not to notice - that Draco had raised a disbelieving eyebrow at her. 

He looked across from her and saw the two girls that were talking to Harry this morning giving him very charming smiles.  He looked back at Pansy, and thought, [I have never shown her my belly button ring!  Stupid whore.] He glared at her and she frowned, though, Draco noticed, when Harry sat down beside the blonde-head boy gazing at the food spread out across the table.

Harry loudly said, "I want some pancakes!  Can I have some pancakes?  How about syrup?  I want some Pancakes with some syrup and butter!"  The boy-who-lived was looking eagerly at the stack of pancakes, his eyes wide.  Several of Draco's housemates snickered at Harry but Draco just sent them a glare that shut them up quickly.

----------

After breakfast Draco was walking with Pansy to Divination while Harry followed behind them noisily, stomping his feet every few minutes.  Out of irritation Draco hissed out through his teeth without turning around, "Stop it, Potter."

Pansy smirked but she didn't look back when Harry started singing loudly.  She possessively linked both her and her boyfriend's arms together and then lacing their fingers as one.  Draco had a sudden impulse to shake that hand away, but he was interrupted.

"Sunshine, you are my sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray-," Harry started to sing, but he was cut off by a sharp look from the blonde slytherin boy.  Harry then started to hum quietly as Pansy, Draco and himself made their way to Double Divination with Hufflepuffs.

When everyone was seated, they all watched the dull Professor rise from her seat and move to the front of the room, her hands together and positioned on her lower stomach.  She was wearing a green dress today; her herbal tea scent was strong as Draco cringed up his nose. 

Professor Trelawney spoke, her voice almost alluring, "Today, we will be studying Scrying.  Does anyone know what that is?"  She looked around the room, her eyes resting on several talkative Hufflepuff girls disapprovingly.

Draco knew the answer, of course, and raised his hand.  He noticed from the corner of his eye that Harry also raised his hand high in imitation to Draco's hand, a boyish smile on his face as he thought he must be doing something right in Draco's eyes.  Draco was about to tell Harry to put it down but before he could do so, Pansy hissed, "Put it down Potter, you idiot!"

Draco looked at her and was taken aback slightly at his girlfriend's ferocity towards the child, but he was snapped back into attention when he heard his name being called on.  In a drawled out voice, he said, "Scrying is a method of divination that involves staring at a clear or reflective surface until images begin to form."  He said smugly.  He glanced at Harry from the corner of his eye; Harry was slowly putting his hand down while looking at Pansy almost in a scared fashion. 

The professor nodded, his scarves and jingles around her waist making her look like an oversized green bat.  "Correct Mr. Malfoy, Five points to Slytherin.  Do you all remember when we gazed in the Crystal Ball in your third year?"  She asked, looking around to the surrounding tables.  All of them nodded in assent. 

"Right, now, Scrying is like crystallomancy," With a swish and flick of her wand, each table had two small mirrors and two small bowls filled with water.  "Now, today's assignment is to test out which works better for you.  Staring into a reflective and solid surface, or staring in a reflective liquid surface." She drawled on, and if Draco didn't eat some sugar this morning, he would have been falling asleep by now.

She continued ignoring the yawns she was receiving from some of the male Hufflepuffs, "Write a 25 inch assignment to be turned in next week."  She scurried off to answer a Hufflepuff's question in another table.  Draco looked disbelievingly at the two mirrors and the two bowls that contained water that was placed in the center of their table.  He sneered as he saw Harry stand up on his chair, looking into the items. 

"What is that?  Is that water?  Can I see?" Harry asked and his hand started moving to the edge of one bowl with the water in it, obviously curious but Draco snatched it away, aware that everyone on his table was staring at him.

"No.  You cannot see," he said snobbishly. He dragged the bowl so that it was in front of him while Pansy got a mirror and started to fix her hair. Crabbe got the other mirror while Goyle looked stupidly at the bowl of water, his eyebrows narrowing in confusion as he sleepily glanced around to see what he was supposed to be doing.

"But I want to see!  Why is there water in there?  What are you supposed to do with it?  How-," but this time, Professor Trelawney interrupted Harry giving him a disapproving glare.

"Mr. Potter, even if I have known all along that you would turn into a child, I would appreciate if you would keep silent during this whole thing because it involves vivid concentration!" 

Harry recoiled a bit while the rest of the class snickered.  He looked back at the water, and then finally, he sat down on his chair and pouted.  Draco could see from the corner of his eye that Pansy was grinning and he frowned absently as her lips turned into a sneer when she saw Harry looking at Draco. 

Looking into his bowl of water with a conscious side-glance at Harry who was also trying to look into it without seeming obvious, he stared uninterestingly in it.  In a drawled out voice, he asked, "And what are we supposed to look for?"

"Draco?" A hesitant voiced asked and Draco sighed, looking up into the green eyes of the child.  He glanced at the corner of his eye as Goyle's head drooped from lack of excitement; almost wetting his hair in the bowl of water while Crabbe was staring at a Hufflepuff girl across the room.   

"What Potter?" he drawled on, about to fall asleep himself from the lack of vigorous activity.  He was sub-consciously aware of the calm silence of the room as everyone continued to look into their objects, or perhaps, the calm silence was because they were about to fall asleep.  The blonde slytherin looked back in the water, his face reflecting on it.  He saw nothing as he rolled his eyes hearing in the background that Professor Trelawney talking to one of his slytherin housemates.  

"Can I see?" Harry's voice was quiet and almost cautious, and Draco realized that Harry was waiting for him to say no.  "It is may I see, Potter.  Not can I see."  He replied and rolled his eyes when Harry stood up and moved his cushion closer to the blonde Slytherin.  He looked over to his other side, and Pansy was moving closer to him also as soon as Harry started to do so, and instantly he cringed at the overuse of her perfume. 

"Parkinson, could you not move so close?" He asked crossly, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath from his mouth in lieu of his nostrils.  She looked at him quizzically before asking in an annoyed voice, "You never objected me this close before." 

"That is because you never wore so much of that bloody perfume, it's giving me a damned headache."  He drawled out, looking at her pointedly.  Her face was twisted into a frown, but Draco knew it wasn't because she was hurt; it was because she was annoyed that her boyfriend of all people was telling her that she smelled unpleasant.

Turning to the child and ignoring Pansy's glare, he watched as Harry's eyes were focused on the water.  Draco watched interestingly as Harry continued to stare in the reflected pool, and his eyes squinted together as Harry's expression was suddenly changing.  His green eyes because dark unlike the bright glow it always portrayed, his lips were slightly apart and his hands were clenching the side of the table.  Draco looked around the table he was sitting at, only to find he was the only one that noticed Harry's state.  He looked back at the Gryffindor and in a quiet voice he asked, "What do you see, Potter?"

Harry didn't answer for a couple of minutes.  His breath had quickened a bit, and now he was biting his lower lip unconsciously.  Draco noticed that he stopped clutching the table, but now he was clenching his small fists together.  Draco's gaze moved from Harry's face to his little hands, and then his own hands hesitantly moving upwards and uncertainly uncurled the small fingers.  His eyes narrowed as he saw the deep and Red Crescent marks on Harry's palm, but the boy was still looking at the water.

He asked again after letting Harry's hands spread out before the boy, facedown on the table so the boy wouldn't hurt himself, "What do you see?"

Harry looked away from the bowl slowly, his eyes lingering on the water.  In a very low whisper for only Draco to hear, Harry asked, "Are you going to leave me Draco?  Please don't leave me, Please!"   Of all the things Draco had expected Harry to do, this wasn't it.  The Head boy watched as Harry slid his small hands from under his hands quickly and looked back at the Slytherin boy.

Draco's eyebrows furrowed but he didn't reply as he heard the Professor say something.  He looked at her slowly, aware that Harry was looking in his own lap; the boyish smile disappeared from his face entirely as he fidgeted in his seat.

"You are dismissed early, remember, 25 inches due next week.  And yes, Mr. Finch-Fletchley, I expect it to be no less in case you decided to ask," then she turned to Pansy quickly, "And Ms. Parkinson, please don't wear that Perfume anymore, it is clogging up my room."  She sniffed in the air before she dismissed the class; Pansy's face was red in embarrassment as Draco smirked at his girlfriend. 

The blonde Slytherin made his way down the Divination tower not slowing his steps as he heard Harry trying to catch up with him.  He watched as Pansy retreated to the girl's bathroom and smugly, he decided not to wait for her as he continued walking to lunch.  He was aware of Harry's closeness to him and that brought back something to his mind.  Quietly he asked, "What did you see in the bowl, Potter?" 

Without looking down, he felt Harry's hand wrap around two of his fingers slowly.  Harry's grip was tight around his fingers as the Gryffindor didn't reply, but continued to jog along to Draco's long walking strides.  When Harry didn't say anything for a few minutes, Draco just sighed, and for the first time in taking care of Harry, he let Harry's hand hold his own.

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After another eventful lunch, Draco remembered that he had no afternoon classes.  His smile disappeared when he realized that Hermione and Ron has classes, therefore they couldn't take care of the five year old. 

Deciding poorly that Harry didn't need a nap and knowing Pansy would refuse to take care of Harry – and he silently added she would probably do something horrible to him – he took Harry to the Quidditch field. 

With his hands in his pockets so Harry wouldn't touch them, he dully said, "Potter, I am going flying, do not-," but he was interrupted by Harry's squeaky voice.

"You are going flying? Can I fly?  Will you teach me?" and then suddenly, Harry took out the golden snitch in his pocket before looking up at Draco with sparkling eyes. 

Draco's lips parted as he saw Harry's smile, and most importantly, when he saw the snitch in Harry's hands.  "You gave this to me a long time ago!  Do you remember Draco?"

Draco's eyebrows narrowed in confusion.  In an annoyed tone he said, "It was just yesterday, Potter.  That wasn't a long time ago."

Harry continued to jog along to Draco's quick strides.  "No!  It wasn't yesterday!"

"Yes it was."  The answer was short and curt.


Harry pouted and held the snitch in his hand like a treasured belonging, following Draco out of the castle to the Quidditch field.  Every once in a while Draco would glance back at Harry, who was fondling the gold snitch in his hand.  Good thing every game they have a new snitch, Madam Hooch believed it would jinx the game if they used the same one after another.  They had established this rule during the end of Draco's fifth year.

As he went into the broom shed to get his broom, he didn't notice as Harry ran quickly behind him, Harry's large green eyes brightening and widening as he swept his gaze over the small shed, looking at all the brooms and equipment in high interest.  Draco straightened up after putting the equipment on himself and turned around to Harry, watching as the boy's gaze landed on Draco's Firebolt.

"Draco!  What is that?  Can I touch it?  Who's is that?  Wha-," Harry started, but Draco put his hand over Harry's mouth to muffle the irritating sound to his ears.  Taking a deep breath – or several in fact-, he released his hand that was covering the boy's lips.   

"It's my Firebolt.  Don't touch it," The blonde slytherin said calmly as he picked it up and undid the protecting spell.  Harry's gaze went to each and every broomstick before the boy's gaze landed on his own firebolt.

Draco watched intently as Harry moved forward slowly, the boy's gaze sweeping up and down the long handle and on to the twigs.  Quietly he asked, "Whose broomstick is this, Draco?"

Draco sighed heavily as he walked over to Harry and stirred him around to walk outside.  "It's yours Potter."

All Harry could say was "Oh," before he was lead outside in the hot autumn sun.

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After Quidditch Practice and bringing Harry to his room so that Harry could take a nap while Draco worked on his homework, Draco took a side-glance towards the sleeping child on his bed. 

Draco finally admitted to himself that even five year olds needed a nap of some sort. It had been three hours since Harry had been asleep, even if Draco didn't allow Harry in the air and just told him to sit in the Gryffindor stands and do something, Draco would always glance over to Harry to see that he was still there.  Finally deciding that Harry was falling asleep in the sun, he had taken Harry to his room after just forty-five minutes in the outdoors.

Checking his watch then glancing back at the child sprawled out on his bed, he decided he should wake Harry for dinner.  His stomach was grumbling – in a sophisticated manner of course – as he sighed and put down his quill.  Walking over to him, he poked the boy in the shoulder gently.

"Potter. Wake up.  Dinner time," his voice was gentle despite his impatience that Harry didn't wake up right away.  Harry opened his eyes sleepily after a moment, squinting slightly at the light above him.  Draco realized how different – beside his obvious state – Harry looked without his glasses.

"Let's go.  Dinner," He said in an irritated tone and watched as Harry slowly got up from his bed, rubbing his eyes.

Harry didn't say much as they made their way to the Great Hall and surprisingly, Draco walked slowly for Harry so Harry didn't have to run. 

As soon as they entered the Great Hall, Ron came over to him with his face red and hands clenched.  Hermione was trailing after him with a worried expression on her face.

"Where were you two today?  We didn't see Harry at all!" Ron exclaimed and Draco was vaguely aware that several heads turned their direction at Ron's outburst. 

"I took him to class then to Quidditch Practice, Weasel." Draco growled back, pushing past Ron to the Slytherin table.

"Well, we heard from Crabbe and Goyle…" Hermione said, not moving an inch but watching the Slytherin's retreating form back to his own table.

Draco turned around quickly, and was now aware that Harry was holding his hand.  He glanced from Ron's face to Hermione's, both looking at what Harry was holding before their faces turning into one confused puddle. 

"What about Crabbe and Goyle?" Draco drawled out, turning around completely before shaking Harry's hand away from his own jeeringly.  Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.  Turning to Harry before addressing Ron, he barked, "Stop it Potter! Don't fucking hold my hand!"

The hall was silenced at his words, it was so silent that you could hear a pin drop.  He watched intently as Harry took a hesitant step back, then several after that before he turned around completely and bolted out the door.  Draco's first thought was to shrug and return to asking Ron about what his goons had said but it slowly turned into painful guilt as he continued to stare at the door Harry ran out of. 

He didn't have a second to think before he was hauled by the hem his robes and slammed down to the floor, his own hands clenched into fists on instinct as he took a swing into the face of his attacker.

Thus the fight began between the redhead and him, the words that came out of Draco's mouth provoked Ron's last nerve as Ron grabbed the Slytherin and both of them wrestled to the floor.  He was somewhat aware of the cheering hall as they fought on the stone cold floor, hitting, punching and kicking, a mad fistfight between the two boys. 

Without knowing that several minutes passed by, it was eventually Snape who separated them, giving Draco a very, very, intimidating glance.  Turning to the struggling red haired boy in Seamus and Dean's arms, he coldly voiced out, "Weasley, 50 points will be taken from Gryffindor.  Detention, tomorrow, scrubbing my classroom at ten PM." 

Then slowly, he turned to Draco.  The Slytherin was no different from the Gryffindor; he was struggling against Crabbe and Goyle who were holding him tightly, blood running down the side of his mouth as his blonde hair was sprayed around his face. 

"Mr. Malfoy, this is completely unacceptable.  Not only because you are head boy this year, but because you are disgracing the Slytherin honor," Snape hissed, then quietly and almost maliciously he said, "75 Points will be taken from the Slytherin house as well as detention with Weasley tomorrow."

Draco's jaw dropped as Ron looked horrified.  His cronies let him go as Draco stared at Professor Snape, he opened his mouth several times before he closed it completely.  Snape's face showed no bluff and no commiseration as he walked swiftly back to the head table, his robe fluttering behind him. 

The whole hall was silent, as they looked at the black eyed Ron and Draco who was sporting a bleeding lip.  Draco finally closed his mouth and wiped the blood that was dripping down the side of his chin, and with one last hateful glare at Ron, he turned and walked out of the Great Hall, settling with a dramatic exit as he held up his chin proudly and left the doors open.

As soon as he was out of people's view, he slowed his brisk walk to a slow walk and ignoring the throbbing cut on his lip.  He was aware of the silenced hall as he walked back to the Slytherin dungeons, already knowing where Harry would be.  He was correct in his assumption as he turned the corner, to see Harry sleeping next to the Slytherin Common Room entrance. 

Closing his eyes and feeling horribly guilty that he had hurt Harry to the point where the child had run away from him, he crouched down to him and picked him up.  His eyes opened in surprise at the weight Harry was sporting, which was a very big contrast from yesterday.  Whispering the password to the entrance of his house's common room, he consciously hugged Harry closer to his chest at the first feel of Harry shivering.  He knew he was getting some blood on Harry's clothes from his lip, but he chose to ignore the painful throbbing until they got upstairs and he laid Harry gently on Harry's cot.

Tiredly and painfully, he slugged to the bathroom, cringing, as he not only saw his own eye black and blue in the mirror, but his lip bleeding down into his shirt.  He quickly fixed the cut on his lip the best he could and then fixed the blacked spot on his eye to hide the ugly color of the uneven hue.  He didn't do a good concealer charm apparently, because it mixed with his skin tone horribly. 

Looking into the mirror, he saw as Harry's head peeked in hesitantly, looking into the mirror at his reflection.  The brunette was barely halfway through the door as he cowered slightly when Draco looked back at him. 

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, his hands fidgeting with his shirt, his eyes wide and sincere and hopeful.  He was already backing out of the bathroom doorframe when Draco reached out and lightly touched his shoulder.  He felt Harry instantly tense, but not move away as Draco came closer to the boy. 

"Potter… It's my turn to say that," Draco paused for a minute, and then he looked down at Harry, "I'm sorry."

For once in his life, Draco Malfoy was apologizing and he meant it.  He meant it with every might in his body at the point, his ego deflated and his guilt soared free as he saw Harry nod slowly, then smile.

Sighing, and letting go of Harry's shoulder, he pushed Harry gently to his room and sat down on his chair.  His stomach grumbled at the lack of food when there came a knock on his door. 

"Who is it?" he asked wearily, watching as Harry sat on his bed, hearing the creaking sound it made.  It was only Seven PM, but it felt like it was later into the night. 

There were about two muffled voices at the other side of the door, before someone spoke out, "It's Hermione.  Can… Can we come in?"

Draco stood up slowly, taking his time to walk to the door before he opened it, smirking as he saw Hermione holding a napkin covered plate with Ron standing behind her.  He leaned against the doorframe and sneered.  "What do you want, Granger?"

He saw as Ron tense behind her, and he inwardly laughed at Ron's determination not to pounce on him, because he could see that the red head really wanted to.  Hermione was trying not to look obvious as her eyes darted around in the room behind Draco, trying to look for Harry while she said, "We brought you and Harry some food… that is, if Harry is in there…"

Draco smirked as he moved in, opening his door for Hermione and tried not to bang it in Ron's face as the red head came in.  Harry was sitting on the bed silently studying them.

Hermione smiled as she saw Harry, laying the plate of hot sandwiches on Draco's desk before she sat beside him.  Harry looked up at her blankly.

"Hi Harry… Ron and I brought you and Malfoy some food," she motioned to the sandwiches as Draco closed the door and sat on his desk chair.  Ron was still standing by his bed stiffly. 

Harry smiled at her for a moment before he looked at the plate hungrily.  Sliding from the bed slowly and peering over the plate, he uncovered it and took a peanut butter sandwich before he slowly took a small nibble.

Turning to Hermione he asked in a child's voice, "What kind of sandwich is this?"

Draco heard Hermione's answer as he got his own sandwich.  Her voice was amused, as he looked at the small boy almost motherly.  Strangely, Ron didn't say a thing. 

"It's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Harry."

Another nibble, then a bigger bite.  "Do you play Q-Quidditch?"

A small girlish laugh, "No Harry, I don't.  Malfoy does, however, do you remember?" 

Draco watched for a moment at the tone of Hermione's voice as she asked that question.  He looked tiredly at his watch, not wanting to seem rude since Hermione brought him some food, but desperately wanted to go to bed because he was so tired. 

"Yes!"  Harry smiled as he pulled out the snitch in his pocket.  Showing it proudly to Hermione then to Ron, he squeaked, "Draco gave this to me a long time ago!  I remember it was at a Q-Quidditch game, and-and he gave it to me!"

Quietly, Hermione asked, "A long time ago?"

"Potter," Draco drawled after swallowing his sandwich, "It was just yesterday."

Harry nodded absently as he put the snitch back in his short pockets.  Draco noticed as Hermione observed Harry quite closely. 

"Right…" she said, then glanced at Ron who was still standing stiffly by the bed, "We should go Ron."

Ron nodded as he started walking over to the door, opening it for Hermione.  Draco spoke up quietly before they left, "How did you get in the Slytherin Common room?" 

Hermione and Ron smirked suddenly and exchanged a glance before Hermione said, "Pureblood Superior is not that hard of a password, Malfoy."

Draco watched, amazed, as they both bided Harry goodnight, and Hermione smiled at Draco before she left his room.  Draco continued to stare at the door, contemplating if what just happened happened.  Looking to Harry slowly who had finished his PB&J sandwich

Harry was still wearing his shirt that sickly viewed Draco's blood from earlier.  Changing Harry quickly from his shirt and putting on an extra big white shirt that was far to oversized for Harry, he changed himself before climbing into his own bed, thoroughly exhausted.   He looked at Harry who was climbing into his small bed at the other side of the room before he whispered the words that illuminated the room to darkness.

His eyes adjusted to the darkness in seconds as he pulled the covers up to his chin and the gentle breathing he could hear across the room before he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

-----TBC-----

Next Chapter: Harry turns six!  Hermione is suspecting something with this potion, but *gasp*, what could it be?  What happens when you get a very energetic 6-year-old child running around in Magical Creatures?  *Hears a faint thud in the distance*.

Notes:  Gah.  This chapter took so long to complete, I swear, and I guess I made it up with the boringness, as this is the longest chapter I have written so far.  This chapter is relatively boring, nothing really exciting happens until Harry turns around 8 or 9… So. Yeah.  This is probably the worst chapter. 

Someone asked me in Instant Messaging if I would ever finish this fiction.  The answer is yes, because I have everything written down, everything on everyday is carefully plotted out and written down on paper. 

The next chapter should come out… in about 1-1 ½ weeks if I am not busy, because I have this *huge* ass report due, so we shall see.  Thank you to all those who reviewed it, I love you! ::sobs happily::

Please Review and I will love you forever :)!