Izanami Hime: Glad you liked the ex-boyfriend talk. It's a cliché idea, but a funny one, so it's okay.
Daisy8781: Nice to see you again! I hope you aren't overwhelmed in a bad way. As for Blaise, I think he's happy that Draco's happy, but jealous that it has to be Harry who is with Draco. So, a little bit of both dealing and genuinely being pleased.
Yumi-no-baka: I don't care if you wrote about Kali calling Snape Daddy in class so long as you posted it and linked my story to it.
Draconianas: Thank you so much for the compliments! I'm blushing. Don't worry, this story will be finished, without a doubt in my mind. I promise. It may take awhile, but it'll happen.
Lynne: What? I don't get it? You want more? *grins* Oh, all right.
Insanecashew: I don't know how I captured the emotions of cutters and such. I was once – dramatically – suicidal. Meaning I was depressed, but using suicide as more of a theatric to get noticed than actually intending to do it. I just tried to imagine what Draco would be going through, and then convey it.
For everyone who liked the fact Draco was a Ravenclaw: As much as I love clichés, this just wasn't the time for one. Too much Ron and Hermione could be fatal to his development. Honestly, I thought everyone was going to see he was going to go to Ravenclaw. I was a bit reluctant to do a re-sorting, but I thought it was necessary for Draco's recovery. So, from now on, Draco is a Ravenclaw. Besides, he could never be a Gryffindor. Remember him high-tailing it away from those Blast Ended Skrewts?
Disclaimer: Ironically, I took Polyjuice Potion last night and I really was J.K. Rowling for a whole hour. Of course, because it was only Polyjuice Potion, I still didn't own Harry Potter. Isn't that just a kick in the bum? I don't own Harry Potter or anything to do with it. This should have been figured a lot more chapters ago.
Part Twenty-Two: Relocation
Folding his cloak, Draco placed it in his trunk and closed the lid, latching it into place. He sat down on his bed and looked around the infirmary, now looking like it had before depression had sent him here. It looked empty, impersonal, and Draco thought that maybe the Pomfrey bitch should consider adding a little color to brighten the otherwise barren area. Grabbing his shoes from the floor, Draco slid them onto his feet and began to lace them up as the events of the past three days ran over in his head.
On Friday night, Draco had officially left Slytherin and was sorted into Ravenclaw. After dinner, Blaise had come by the hospital wing after combing the Slytherin dorms for anything that Draco may have left behind. Word was that the Slytherins were not happy with Draco's decision to get resorted. Apparently, Blaise was taking a good deal of verbal beatings, most of which had to do with his sexuality, due to the mere fact that he was still associating with Draco. As for the rest of the school, most students hadn't said a thing to him.
Few had picked up the subtle signs that Harry and Draco were a couple (either that or they ignored them), and those that had were considerably fair about it. The Slytherins were too busy ranting about the betrayal Draco inflicted upon them to notice, but Draco figured that once they did, Blaise wouldn't be the only one hearing slurs and gay jokes.
Saturday held very little events other than the Gryffindor Quidditch game against Hufflepuff. Harry persuaded Draco to attend, which turned out to be a positive thing. Gryffindor won, putting Harry in a very good mood for the rest of the day, and Draco had been back in the Quidditch stadium. After quitting the team last year when he failed to care about anything, much less Quidditch, Draco had forgotten how much he loved the game. Being back in the crowd ignited the passion, and Harry practically had to pull him from his broom after he spent much of the remainder of the day flying.
Now it was Sunday evening, the bulk of the day spent packing his things away, and thinking about the move. Padma had asked him on Friday when he planned on moving, and, thinking it over, Draco had decided Sunday night. He figured it gave him most of the weekend to get used to the idea but now that Sunday night was here, his nerves were jumbled inside him once again. This was a new house, new people, most of which didn't like him very much due to his behavior over his first five years at Hogwarts. According to Padma, it was the fifth year when Lisa Turpin had coined the phrase 'King of Prats' for him, and they had been using it ever since. Something about that didn't make him feel very welcomed.
"Draco?" asked Harry, poking his head into the room. "Where were you at dinner? I looked for you but I didn't see you."
"Packing," he answered. "You can come in, you know. I won't make you stand outside the door and talk to me through that crack."
Smiling sheepishly, Harry cracked the door open a little farther and slid inside. "Moving into Ravenclaw tonight?"
"Yeah. My nerves are shot. I feel like I'm going to be sick."
"I wouldn't be too worried about it. I'm sure Padma's told them loads of good things about you, and if she hasn't, I will."
"I'm sure you would."
"I would, and they would believe me, too. Everyone loves me. I'm the Boy-Who-Lived. If I like you, you can't be that bad."
"Okay, Boy-Who's-Vain."
Harry laughed, sitting down next to Draco and grabbing his hand. "Just trying to lighten the mood. There's nothing to be nervous about, Draco. Just because a lot of the Ravenclaws haven't liked you in the past doesn't mean they can't learn to like you, and even if that weren't the case, they would still tolerate you. Even Ron likes you now, and that is saying something."
"Funny, Harry."
"Who's being funny? I'm serious. Ron hated you and he likes you now. Padma will be there."
"I know. She's coming by soon to help me move."
"I'm going to go, then. I'll see you tomorrow morning in the Great Hall."
"Okay."
Harry stood up, reluctantly letting go of Draco's hand, and leaned down to brush his lips against Draco's. "Good luck."
"Thanks."
Draco watched as Harry left the room, once again leaving him alone without a distraction. Sighing, he fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, a sight that had become more familiar to him over the past two years than he had ever wished. This must be what it was like to be Harry, the only person who probably spent more days in total at the hospital wing than he had. All those Quidditch accidents and valiant attempts to defeat Voldemort yielded painful results, after all.
He didn't have to wait long. Only a few minutes later, Padma entered and sat down next to Draco, who was still sprawled out on the bed.
"Are you ready?" she asked, breaking his attempt to count all of the bumps on the ceiling.
"No. I think I'm just going to stay here forever. The Pomfrey bitch and I have grown rather close, and I think it would break her heart if I were to leave. I don't want to be responsible for something like that, now, do I?"
"Very funny, Draco. It won't be that bad. I've told them how wonderful you are and they've all promised to give you a chance. In fact, they're looking forward to meeting you - outside of class and without Crabbe and Goyle, that is. Come on. I'm giving you one last chance to come by choice and then I'm going to tickle you."
Bolting up in bed, Draco hunched over to block his stomach. "I am Draco Malfoy and no one tickles Draco Malfoy, okay? Draco Malfoy is not the kind of person you tickle. In fact, it won't work because Draco Malfoy is not ticklish."
Twirling her wand in her fingers, Padma said, "I could always use the Rictusempra charm, you know. It doesn't matter if you're running from me. And Draco, you might want to stop talking in third person before we go back to Ravenclaw. It makes you sound silly."
"Harry used Rictusempra on me during the dueling club in second year," said Draco, pointedly.
"I know. I was there."
"He injured my dignity."
"Poor baby." Padma grinned and, after a bit of a struggle, pulled Draco's arms away from his stomach. "It was five years ago. One would think you'd be over that by now."
"A Malfoy never forgets when he's been wronged."
"And now Harry is your boyfriend. Is that your revenge?" Draco seemed to think this over, took it as an insult, and scowled. "Stop pouting. Do you want to go or don't you? I don't have all night, you know."
Groaning, Draco stood up in one languid, lazy motion. "Fine. I'll come, but it doesn't mean that I'm going to be pleasant about it."
"I expect no less of you. Grab you trunk and let's go."
Grasping the end of his trunk, Draco pulled it off the bed with a loud thud. He followed Padma from the room, said good-bye to Madam Pomfrey, who actually seemed a bit sad to see him go, and headed out into the hallway. More than four times over their journey Padma had asked Draco not to drag his trunk ("It makes a dreadful sound!"), but he relented, and she had picked up pace, probably hoping to decrease the length of time she would have to deal with it.
"Banana fish," said Padma once they had reached the portrait of an old witch named Violet.
"Banana fish?" asked Draco as it opened and they stepped into what he presumed was the Ravenclaw common room. Everyone seemed to be staring at him.
"It's from a muggle book."
"I'm presuming you picked it?"
"Shut up," she said, grinning, as she playfully smacked him over the head. "Come on." Grabbing his sleeve, she pulled Draco over to the fire.
Across from the hearth were two blue couches, both covered in crushed velvet. On the other side of the room were a bookcase, and a long table surrounded by high-back chairs, also crushed velvet and blue. Three smaller tables were around the room, each with two chairs to them where students were studying or playing wizards chess.
"Welcome to Ravenclaw Tower," said Padma, sitting down next to a dark-haired boy with dark, brown eyes. His name was David Moon, if Draco remembered correctly. "This is the common room and David and Terry will show you the dormitory. There's only five of us - well, six with you - in seventh year."
Forcing a smile and making a conscious effort to breathe, Draco said, "Hi." He tried to add something to his simple greeting but words failed him.
"Hi," said a girl across from Padma with bright, blonde hair. "I'm Mandy Brocklehurst. This is Lisa Turpin, Terry Boot, and David Moon. You're Draco Malfoy, right?"
"Yeah." He gave a short nod and looked to Padma for help. All she did was smile back.
"Why don't we show you to the dorm?" suggested David. "You can take your trunk up there, get settled, and then we can all hang out."
"Er - okay." Draco shifted, grasping the end of his trunk tighter and allowed himself to be guided up a staircase by David and Terry. Somewhere near the top of the tower they pushed open a door and stepped aside so that Draco could enter. There were three four-poster beds surrounded by heavy blue curtains with bronze tassels. They were similar to those in Slytherin except for the colors but the room was the thing that was really different. For one, there were windows when, in the dungeons, the only light source was from the inside. Another was that the atmosphere itself felt different, brighter, and Draco felt that he could get used to this.
"That bed's yours," said Terry, motioning to the one right next to the window. Dragging his trunk over to the bed, he pushed back the curtains and hoisted it up, preparing to unpack. "So what made you want to get resorted?"
David elbowed Terry in the ribs. "Don't ask him that," he hissed.
"Why not? He's sleeping in our dorm and I'm curious."
"Because it's rude."
"I can hear you, you know," said Draco, smirking as he hung up his robes.
"Sorry," they chorused.
"It's okay. I wanted to get resorted because I felt like I didn't belong with the Slytherins anymore. Like I just didn't fit in."
"Oh," said Terry. "Er - I don't know what I'm supposed to say to you."
"That makes two of us," said Draco.
"Three," added David.
Draco bit the corner of his lip as he looked them over. "I'll try not to get in your way. I know it's probably uncomfortable, having someone trespassing on what you feel like is your territory, especially when it's someone you don't particularly like. I keep mostly to myself these days so I won't be a bother. I won't even be in your classes until after Christmas."
"No, don't worry about it," said David. "I mean, yeah, we didn't really like you, but we don't really know you. I don't want to make you feel like you aren't welcomed here."
"Well he's not," hissed Terry.
"Terry, that's not true. You know what Padma told you, and she has no reason to lie, so be nice."
"You know what, it was a mistake coming here," said Draco. "Maybe I should just go."
"No! You're staying and Terry promises to be nice. He's just a little - suspicious."
"You have to admit, it isn't everyday that a Malfoy decides he wants to be a decent human being."
"Terry, it's a little thing called 'tact.' Look it up sometime," said David, rather harshly. "Draco, really, don't leave."
"Is it true you're dating Harry Potter?"
"Terry!" said David, looking faint. "You don't have to answer that."
Draco dropped to the bed, holding his head carefully in his hands. "I don't know what to reply to first. To start, yes, I'm dating Harry. It's only been a little over a week. We got together at the Halloween Ball. And maybe I should go back to the hospital wing or sleep in the common room. I'm going through a lot and I don't really want to add a feud with a new roommate to it."
"Did you really try to kill yourself?" asked Terry, this time carefully without the brash attitude he used when asking about Harry. David dropped to his bed, also holding his head in his hands, and apparently too dizzy to scold his friend.
Draco carefully contemplated his words before he spoke, but when he did, his words felt jumbled, confused, and he wished he would have stayed back at the infirmary. The Pomfrey bitch liked him a lot more than this guy did. "Yes, I did. Last year and this year."
"Oh. I thought that was just a rumor."
"Unfortunately, no." Draco dropped his head and ran his fingers through his hair for what felt like the millionth time.
"Oh. Sorry for being mean."
Rolling his eyes, David said, "Terry thought Padma was lying when she said you tried to kill yourself. Sorry he brought it up but he lacks good judgment like that."
A weak smile appeared on Draco's face. "It's okay. It had to come out some time."
"I guess so," said David. "He'll be nicer. He usually is."
"It's no problem," said Draco. "We should probably go back to the girls before they think we killed each other up here."
"Especially when Terry is concerned," said David. Terry shrugged, blushing.
Once Draco was unpacked, a task completed with Terry's and David's assistance, they headed back down to the common room where the girls were still sitting, apparently waiting for them. Squeezing himself between Padma and Terry, Draco sat on the couch and tried to look comfortable. He knew that he had to be failing miserably.
"You took so long up there, we figured you for dead," said Padma, grinning. "Did you get everything unpacked okay?"
"Yeah. David and Terry helped me."
"Terry was rude," added David as he sat across from them between Mandy and Lisa.
"He wasn't!"
"No, he wasn't," said Draco quickly. Terry scowled at David.
"Liar. He was too. Terry asked him if he was really dating Harry Potter."
"Terry!"
"Are you?" asked Mandy, leaning forward. "I saw you kissing in the hall and I've been wondering ever since."
"Er -" said Draco, turning a bright shade of crimson.
"Leave Draco alone," said Padma. "Terry, I warned you to be nice to him. I do hope you apologized."
"I was nice and I did apologize," said Terry. "Stop attacking me. It's unfair to expect me to just accept everything you tell me right away without checking it out for myself."
"He was nice," said David. "He was nice after he asked him if he really tried to kill himself."
Padma's jaw dropped and she reached across Draco's lap to swat Terry on the wrist. "I told you not to mention that! It isn't the kind of thing that someone should bring up in casual conversation. Why'd you bring it up? You didn't accuse him of lying, did you?"
"Padma," said Draco, resting a hand on her forearm, "its okay. Really. Please relax or I will be forced to sedate you. It had to come up eventually and I'd rather have them know the truth than listen to rumors. If I'm going to be a part of this house than you can't have them put up an act around me. You know the last thing I want is for people to act like they're walking on broken glass around me."
Sighing, Padma said, "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."
"Of course I'm sure, and of course I'm going to feel uncomfortable. I'm new and not particularly accustomed to sharing my feelings. This is all a very different experience for me. Don't worry about it. I'll adjust."
"He really was nice after Draco told him the rumors were true," said David, finally coming somewhat to Terry's defense. "I think we all need to adjust. Give it time. For now, I'm going to bed. I'm tired and we have class in the morning."
"I'm tired, myself," said Draco. "Moving and worrying takes a lot out of you."
"Are you coming to class with us?" asked Lisa.
"Not yet. I'm doing independent study right now. I should be rejoining classes after Christmas."
"Oh. Okay. Goodnight, Draco."
Draco forced a smile for the collective group and said, "Goodnight."
Turning from the girls, he followed Terry up to the dorms. A deep sigh escaped him as he climbed into the bed, it being a nice contrast from the starchy, hard beds in the hospital wing. It must have been a long time since he was comfortable in bed because Draco barely had time to savor his solace before falling into a deep sleep.
~*~
The four weeks of November passed from one dreary day into another. It seemed to Draco as if it was almost always raining and he spent most days inside the library, working on class work and looking at the vast array of books. Any free time that didn't involve reading or studies was spent with Harry and company or one of his new friends in Ravenclaw. The transition was easier than he had expected, the Ravenclaws being a lot nicer and more accepting than he had anticipated. Harry was more supportive than ever and there were times when Draco would sit in his bed at night, staring out the window, and wondering just how he got here. Not that he was complaining, quite the opposite, but this was not at all what he had imagined for himself. This was better, and something Draco never thought he could have. After everything he had been through, Draco didn't know how these amazing things could have happened to him.
First there was Harry, someone who was supposed to loathe him down to every last bone in his body. Instead, Harry had fallen for him, stood by him when he needed a friend, and lived up to that golden image that so many people bestowed upon him. Harry hadn't been vengeful or prejudiced like Draco would have been if their positions were reversed. He supposed that maybe there was something to that pedestal that Harry was placed upon after all. It was something Draco never thought he would think, but they really were right together; maybe even perfect.
Second, there was the new housing situation in Ravenclaw. Once he and Terry had gotten past the first few days, broken down the formalities, and became comfortable around each other, a friendship had blossomed. It was nothing like the one Draco was forming with David, nor the one he already had with Padma but it was a start that far surpassed any friendship he may have had with Crabbe and Goyle (both of whom were now avoiding him). Draco found that the Ravenclaws had embraced him, and it was nice to once again feel at home with his house. He hadn't felt like this in Slytherin since his fifth year.
The animosity between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, due to Draco's new sorting, surely, escalated during the second week of November when the Quidditch game between the two houses played. It was strange being in the stands, and Draco had to remind himself to cheer for Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin, but he had enjoyed himself thoroughly. The Slytherins had been out for blood, as they usually were, and won the match by seventy points. All Draco could think about was that it was a good thing he wasn't on the team; he'd have been back in the hospital wing already.
December came closer and November faded away. Time keeps going on and Draco went along with it.
Next chapter in a few days. Before Monday. I wanted to put it up today but it was being stupid.
Chapter 23 will be: Christmas Plans. Yay!
