Chapter Four
The Common Room
The feast seemed to last forever for Draco and the Gryffindor trio. The Hall had buzzed with gossip and disbelief until they were too tired to talk about the startling development any longer. Dumbledore took this opportunity to declare the feast over and ask the Prefects to escort the now yawning students to bed. Hermione dragged a yawning Ron to the line of first years and started ushering them out of the Hall. Harry, Draco and the other upperclass students ambled up to the common room behind them.
Draco stayed close to Harry because he had never ventured into Gryffindor territory before and was afraid that he would get hopelessly lost. After ten minutes of climbing staircases that seemed to stretch on he panted, "Where the bloody heck do you Gryffindors live anyway?"
"Well, firstly you are a Gryffindor now, secondly the common room is at the top of Gryffindor Tower," he glanced at Draco's flushed face and then asked worriedly, "You okay?"
"Yes, I just haven't climbed this many stairs in a while. Most of my classes aren't above the second floor, you know," he sucked in a deep breath and plowed on as they climbed the last flight of stairs.
"Well, it's just down this corridor, but there is a staircase to climb so you can get to the dorms," Harry added the last bit hesitantly.
"Is this whole school made of stairs. You don't have to climb this many to get to the dungeons for Merlin's sake!"
"I know; it's only two flights.." Harry replied without thinking. He realized what he had said and looked at Draco.
"How did you know that?" he asked with a suspicious note clear in his voice.
"Well, do you remember in second year when Crabbe and Goyle were acting strangely and ran out of the common room to get medicine for Crabbe's stomach??" Harry winced, waiting for his reaction.
Realization dawned on Draco's features as Harry described the night that Crabbe and Goyle had adamantly swore that they were locked in a broom closet. "You and Weasley used a Polyjuice Potion didn't you?"
Harry nodded and waited for the explosion....but it didn't come. Instead Malfoy started laughing. "What's so funny?" Harry asked perplexedly.
"Nothing-it's just that I yelled at those two for an hour later that night about pigging out in the Great Hall," he giggled in a very un-Slytherin way and Harry joined in. They had reached the common room and collapsed into two armchairs.
When Draco had stopped laughing enough to speak he remarked to Harry , "This is much warmer than the dungeons. It's cozier too." He snuggled into the squashy armchair and looked over at Harry.
"We need to get upstairs before Mione sees us still awake. She takes her duties seriously," Harry heaved himself out of the chair and helped Draco out of his.
"Mmmm, sleeps sounds very good right now," the two climbed the stairs and walked into their dorm. The other boys were fast asleep, Harry pointed out a bed next to his that had been vacant since first year.
"It's almost like Dumbledore knew that you would choose Gryffindor," Harry said before he fell asleep. Malfoy murmured agreement and was thinking about that as he slipped into the most peaceful slumber he had had in a long time.
The Common Room
The feast seemed to last forever for Draco and the Gryffindor trio. The Hall had buzzed with gossip and disbelief until they were too tired to talk about the startling development any longer. Dumbledore took this opportunity to declare the feast over and ask the Prefects to escort the now yawning students to bed. Hermione dragged a yawning Ron to the line of first years and started ushering them out of the Hall. Harry, Draco and the other upperclass students ambled up to the common room behind them.
Draco stayed close to Harry because he had never ventured into Gryffindor territory before and was afraid that he would get hopelessly lost. After ten minutes of climbing staircases that seemed to stretch on he panted, "Where the bloody heck do you Gryffindors live anyway?"
"Well, firstly you are a Gryffindor now, secondly the common room is at the top of Gryffindor Tower," he glanced at Draco's flushed face and then asked worriedly, "You okay?"
"Yes, I just haven't climbed this many stairs in a while. Most of my classes aren't above the second floor, you know," he sucked in a deep breath and plowed on as they climbed the last flight of stairs.
"Well, it's just down this corridor, but there is a staircase to climb so you can get to the dorms," Harry added the last bit hesitantly.
"Is this whole school made of stairs. You don't have to climb this many to get to the dungeons for Merlin's sake!"
"I know; it's only two flights.." Harry replied without thinking. He realized what he had said and looked at Draco.
"How did you know that?" he asked with a suspicious note clear in his voice.
"Well, do you remember in second year when Crabbe and Goyle were acting strangely and ran out of the common room to get medicine for Crabbe's stomach??" Harry winced, waiting for his reaction.
Realization dawned on Draco's features as Harry described the night that Crabbe and Goyle had adamantly swore that they were locked in a broom closet. "You and Weasley used a Polyjuice Potion didn't you?"
Harry nodded and waited for the explosion....but it didn't come. Instead Malfoy started laughing. "What's so funny?" Harry asked perplexedly.
"Nothing-it's just that I yelled at those two for an hour later that night about pigging out in the Great Hall," he giggled in a very un-Slytherin way and Harry joined in. They had reached the common room and collapsed into two armchairs.
When Draco had stopped laughing enough to speak he remarked to Harry , "This is much warmer than the dungeons. It's cozier too." He snuggled into the squashy armchair and looked over at Harry.
"We need to get upstairs before Mione sees us still awake. She takes her duties seriously," Harry heaved himself out of the chair and helped Draco out of his.
"Mmmm, sleeps sounds very good right now," the two climbed the stairs and walked into their dorm. The other boys were fast asleep, Harry pointed out a bed next to his that had been vacant since first year.
"It's almost like Dumbledore knew that you would choose Gryffindor," Harry said before he fell asleep. Malfoy murmured agreement and was thinking about that as he slipped into the most peaceful slumber he had had in a long time.