Chapter 3 - The agreement

The next day Mrs Weasley came bustling into the kitchen where Harry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione were eating breakfast.

"Your booklists are here!" she announced passing them around the table. Harry opened his and glanced at it. There were his OWL results! He read the letter eagerly.

Dear Mr. Potter,

Were are pleased to inform you that you receive 6 OWLs in your last year examination. Your OWLs results are the following. Your course choices will be given to you at school.

Pass Marks :

O- Outstanding

E- Exceeds Expectations

A- Acceptable

Fail Marks:

P- Poor

D- Dreadful

T- Troll

Charms - O

Transfiguration- E

Herbology- A

Defence Against the Dark Arts- O

Potions- A

Care of Magical Creatures- O

History of Magic- D

Astronomy- P

Divination- P

Well done, and good luck in your next year!

Your sincerely,

Hogwart's Deputy Headmistress,

Minerva Mc. Gonagall

Harry was happy with his marks and very surprised that he actually passed potions, though he had suspicions Professor McGonagall had something to do with it. Of course she also said that Snape took no less than 'Outstanding' for his advanced potions class. He put that thought aside, he didn't want to worry about potions at the moment. Because he had yet to choose his courses, most of his text books, the letter said, would be available at school. He only needed a couple of supplies from Diagon Alley.

"I'll go to Diagon Alley and get your stuff for you because you never know who you'd meet down there. I'll take Ginny with me," she said taking back the lists, which they had all taken a good look at. Hermione, Harry and Draco gave her some money for their supplies.

"Mom, can I stay here? I don't want to go to Diagon Alley!" Ginny moaned coming in the door.

"No, I need you to try on some new robes," Mrs Weasley said looking around for the jar of floo powder. Soon Molly and Ginny were gone leaving the group alone in the large old mansion. Ron, Hermione, and Harry had a discussion over their OWLs while eating breakfast. Hermione had passed everything with only a few E's, one A, and the rest O's. Ron had not done so well and refused to say his marks in front of Draco. Draco didn't say anything at all.

"What are we going to do all day?" Ron asked bored while he was getting up to take his empty plate to the sink. Hermione shrugged still eating her eggs, without glancing at him.

"I don't know. There is not much to do around here, is there?" Harry said looking around the dank kitchen. Draco stayed silent, finishing his breakfast.

"A game of chess?" Ron asked Harry as he sat back down, "You and Hermione can even team up against me!" Harry noticed that he didn't include Draco, but didn't mention it.

"All right, Hermione?" Harry asked her deciding to ignore Draco just as Ron had.

"Yeah," she said shooting a glance at Draco whom was smirking as usual. Harry got up with his plate, and so did Draco at the same time. Harry could see it happen before it did but was unable to stop it. He accidentally bumped Draco's elbow as he was getting up, knocking his plate to the floor smashing it.

"Watch where you're going Potter," Draco spat disdainfully turning his back to Harry.

"You watch it! You bumped into me!" Harry spat back. What normal people could have settled with a few apologies turned into a huge fistfight. Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Hermione whisper to Ron before Draco's fist blocked them out. Hermione and Ron left the room without saying anything. They fought for a while until Harry had enough. He shoved Draco off him and left the room straightening his clothes. Damn, these fights are getting tiring! He thought rubbing the side of his head. It was throbbing awfully.

"Harry? Can you come and help me for a moment? I'm in the study." Ron's voice floated down the stairs. Harry sighed, but went upstairs anyway. When he reach the room, he found it empty. He walked in looking around puzzled. SLAM! The door was shut suddenly and he heard the lock click. He felt his pockets looking for his wand, but it wasn't there. He remembered he left it on the kitchen table. A few minutes later he heard Hermione yell out for Draco to come to the study. What the hell are they up to? Oh no! Harry thought figuring out his friends actions.

"No don't come..." He started just as Draco came in looking annoyed and the door shut behind him, "...in here." Harry finished helplessly.

"What the hell?" Draco said frantically twisting the doorknob. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Use your wand you moron!"

"Why don't you use yours?" Draco demanded letting go of the doorknob.

"I left it on the table", Harry muttered expecting Draco to laugh, but he didn't.

"So did I," he said glaring at Harry. I'm going to be stuck in a room with Malfoy! Oh fuck, no! Harry started pounding on the door.

"Hermione, Ron. This isn't funny let me out. Now!" he yelled through the door.

"Not until you two agree to stop fighting!" Ron yelled back. "It's bloody boring to see you fighting each other over every little thing."

"You hate him too!" Harry pointed out. Draco clenched his fists.

"Yes, but you don't see me fighting him every two minutes!"

"Hey!" Draco snapped.

"Shut up!" Harry spat back without glancing at him.

"You shut up!" Draco said back with disgust at being told what to do. Harry ignored him.

"Ron let me out now!" He yelled once more. SMACK!

"Ow, fuck Malfoy what was that for?" Harry said holding his bleeding nose.

"For trying to order me around."

"Son of a..." Harry started and punched him back, starting a new fight.

"They're at it again! Come on Ron. Let's go," Hermione said taking Ron's arm.

"No, wait. Let us out!" Harry yelled but he got no answer. He kicked an old blackened chair in frustration.

"We're stuck here!" Harry said flopping down on the chair.

"No, no way am I going to be stuck in here with you!" Draco said and started banging on the door screaming at Ron and Hermione, threatening them. Harry just watched him half-amused. He'd never seen Malfoy act like this before. Draco gave the door a last kick and stomped over to the opposite side of the room as Harry and sat on the floor sulking. Harry didn't know how long they sat there just glaring at each other. It felt like hours. Something was bugging Harry though. I wonder why he came here. Harry knew he could just ask but he didn't want to ask Malfoy anything. When he looked at him though Harry thought he could see a far away sad kind of look in his eyes, that was until Draco realized that he was staring, and it turned to a glare. Finally Harry couldn't take it anymore.

"Why are you here Malfoy?" He blurted out, trying to end the uncomfortable silence.

"Because the mudblood, and weasel locked me in here, you stupid prick!" Draco said rolling his eyes. Harry fought back the urge to hit him.

"I mean why did you switch sides?" Harry said.

"Why should I tell you Potter?" Draco drawled, though Harry was sure that for a millisecond he saw him flinch at his question. Now Harry had to fight very hard to resist the urge to wallop him.

"Never mind! I was just curious." They sat in silence once more and Harry swore to himself to never speak to him again. After a long silence, Draco coughed.

"Why did you try to kill yourself Potter? Scared?" He said sarcastically though Harry could see a hint of curiosity in his face. He was caught off guard and forgot his promise to himself.

"How? What? How did you know that?" Harry asked frantically.

"Snape".

"That prick!"

"Professor Snape is not a prick!" Draco snapped only half-heartedly. Again, there was a long silence.

"I'll tell you why if you tell me why you switched sides." Harry bargained. What have I got to lose? Draco shot him a dirty look.

"That's so mature, Potter. But if you are so interested, fine. You go first", he said sarcastically glaring at Harry.

"No, you go first or I'm not telling", Harry said aware that he sounded like a little child.

"No, you go first! You are the one who wants to know," Draco said back.

"No!" There was once again another silence. Eventually Draco gave in.

"Fine, fine. If you are such a coward, I'll go first; but if you ever tell your little friends or anybody for that matter, I will hex you to the moon and back," he told Harry.

"Yeah, yeah okay", Harry said settling back into the chair, and began pulling on a loose thread on the cushion.

"I mean it, Potter."

"OKAY!"

Draco took a deep breath.

"Well," Draco hesitated avoiding Harry's eyes.

"Go on," probed Harry getting very, very eager to hear Draco's story. Draco gave him another dirty look.

"Don't push me Potter. My father as you know hates mudbloods, muggles, and muggle-lovers. He is one of You-Know.... Er, V-voldemort's most loyal Death Eaters," Draco said fidgeting with his fingernails. Harry nodded. Tell me something I don't know.

"Yes, well my mother and I lived in his shadow. My mother never wanted to marry him; it was an arranged marriage. He was abusive, and he was always pressuring me. I was going to grow up according to his plan, I was going to hate muggles, and eventually become a Death Eater just like him." Draco looked at Harry. "I just don't want to kill people. I mean at the Quidditch World Cup last year, I wasn't scared. They were just messing around with muggles, but when I saw him actually kill someone, it hit me like a bucket of cold water. I was expected to kill another human being. I got scared, really scared. My mother hated him so much. So..." Draco stopped again, "tell anyone and I swear I will KILL you Potter!" Harry was shocked that this was the same Draco who tormented him ever since they were eleven years old. He had never bothered to look beyond the cold, conceited, Slytherin but there was actually a person there.

"I won't! But, if you say that one more time I will though," Harry said looking at Draco for once as a real person. Harry almost expected him to look different, but he was still the skinny, blonde and pale Draco Malfoy that he always knew. His _expression wasn't the usual smirk, or sneer; it was totally blank.

"So anyway, this summer I was supposed to get the dark mark. It was the last straw for my mother, she didn't want to see that dirty thing on my flesh, her flesh as she put it. So we ran away, but it wasn't that easy. We got as far as five miles from the manor in a muggle car before he found us. He killed her Harry! He killed his own wife, right in front of me!" Draco said his eyes wide, but dry. Malfoy's never cry. Harry was stunned, he'd always thought of the Malfoy's as a big loving, happy family in a sort of twisted way. But Lucius killing Narcissa… It was insane! Harry noticed that Malfoy had called him Harry, not Potter.

"So what did you do?"

"Ran, I just ran. I don't know how I got away, but the minute I saw her body hit the ground I ran into the woods behind the manor and kept running until I got to Gregory's house. He may be extremely dim, but he at least does not like the idea of killing either. Luckily both his parents were out, so we owled the only person I could ever trust, Professor Snape. And now I'm here. Tell and die, remember that Potter." Draco finished warning once again. Harry observed that he was back to calling him Potter and was surprised that Goyle was smart enough to be left alone in a house.

"Er, I never knew," Harry said not knowing what to say. He suddenly stopped feeling sorry for himself. He suddenly realized that there were other people in the world that had terrible lives also. It wasn't only him. Oh my God I've been so selfish!

"Yeah, well now you do," Draco replied. "Now tell me why you attempted suicide. And don't you dare make something up." Harry had considered making something up before he heard Draco's story, but he had to tell the truth after that. If he told him that he'd have to tell him about the prophecy. He didn't know if he was ready to tell his 'enemy' about it.

Draco's not an enemy; Voldemort is an enemy. Draco is a rival. He thought to himself.

"Don't tell me you are having second thoughts," Draco said angrily.

"I'm not, I'm not", Harry said. So he told him, he told him the whole story. Only when he was finished his conscience start kicking in. No! No! Oh shit why did I do that? He could have been lying! I'm so stupid!

"Well, I guess you don't exactly have the great life I thought you did," Draco said uncomfortably.

"Same with you, I guess," Harry said kicking at something on the floor. There was another long silence. Maybe it wasn't such a big mistake after all.

"Er, I think I know how you feel," Draco told him. This surprised him, the last thing he expected was Malfoy to understand. Even though he'd never admit it, he was kind of glad he'd told him.

"Oh-huh, listen… do you want to have a… to become…," Harry started to say friends but couldn't.

"How about a truce?" Draco finished for him.

"Er, yeah." Harry said scratching the back of his neck.

"Okay. It's going to be quite a shock," Draco said knowingly.

"No one has to know," Harry said simply.

"Okay," Draco agreed before shaking hands. They just sat and talked about relatively normal things for a while until they heard the front door open downstairs. They stood up and went to listen at the locked door.

"Hello. Ron, Hermione, dear. Where are Draco and Harry?" They heard Molly's voice say. The next voice was muffled so they couldn't hear it.

"YOU DID WHAT!?!" Molly screamed running upstairs. They heard footsteps on the stairs and the lock clicked open.

"Are you two okay?" Molly asked looking for blood and broken bones.

"We're fine Mrs Weasley, but Ron and Hermione won't once I get my hands on them." Harry said calmly and walked out of the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To be continued...~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*