Chapter Twenty-Four

Meanwhile, while the girls were practicing, Harry, Ron, Oliver, Patrick, and Joshua were sitting in the Great Hall have a snack.

"I want to know what the girls are up to," Ron grumbled.

"Aw, leave them alone, Ron, we'll find out what their secrets are soon enough I'm sure." Patrick didn't sound too sure though.

"They're doing this to mock us!" Ron slammed his fist on the table.

Oliver and Harry rolled their eyes, and Joshua snorted.

Just then they heard a voice.

"Hey, you guys, can I talk to you?"

It was Draco Malfoy. Ron leapt up from his seat. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

Draco held his hands up. "Calm down Weasley, I just want to talk. Can we have a truce? Honestly, all I want to do is talk."

"Sit down Ron." Harry pulled Ron to sit down next to him.

Draco sat down. "Thanks. Listen, I know I've never been nice to you, and I'm really sorry. I know now how I've been acting, and I want to know if we can change our relationship from enemies, to friends."

They all gaped at him.

Harry pushed his glasses onto his nose, and cleared his throat. "Uh, Draco, you said so yourself, you've never been nice to us, so it's gonna be kind of hard to get us to start liking you. No offense of course," he added.

Draco smiled. "I know. I just wish there was some way you guys would believe me."

"Veritaserum," Joshua said.

They all looked at him.

"What?" Patrick asked him.

"Veritaserum. If we gave him some veritaserum then we'd know if he was telling the truth."

"Great idea Joshua, and where exactly would we get this veritaserum?" Oliver asked sarcastically.

Joshua turned red.

"I have some!" Ron exclaimed suddenly.

Harry stared at him. "What?"

Ron grinned. "I justremembered that Snape asked me to work on some veritaserum for him, an experiment. I'm supposed to see what happens. I'm supposed to write an essay on it. I haven't changed it yet though, I just got the bottle a couple of days ago, so we can try it on him." He turned to Draco. "You gonna take it Malfoy or are you going to run like the little ferret you are?"

Draco grimaced. "I'll take it."

"Open your mouth," Ron said. Draco opened his mouth, and Ron poured a couple of drops of veritaserum into his mouth. Draco closed his mouth and swallowed.

"Ok," said Ron. "Do you really want to be our friends?"

"Yes," said Draco.

Ron looked at the others in astonishment. "Is this a joke on us?" He asked Draco.

"No," said Draco.

"Why do you want to be our friend all of a sudden?"

"Because, Ralee told me off, and then I realized that I'm tired of being hated, and I know you guys are really nice so I told myself I'd try to start over, and change," said Draco.

"Why did or do you hate us?"

"I hated you because I was jealous. You're famous in your own way, both you and Harry, and almost everybody likes you in some way or another. You had, and have, lots of friends, and you're happy, even though bad things happen to you. I wanted that, and I was mad because you guys had all of those good things, and I had nothing," said Draco.

"Why should we believe you?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Because veritaserum doesn't lie," said Draco.

"Oh yeah. Well, are you anything like your father?"

"No, my father loves Voldemort, and I only want to be left alone, with my friends. My father is evil, and I can just be mean sometimes," said Draco.

Harry put a hand on Ron's shoulder. "That's enough Ron, I believe him now."

Ron nodded. "I-we forgive you now, Draco."

Draco grinned.

"But one thing, you have to act civil to us from now on, got it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Soo....hungry?"

Draco shook his head. "No, actually, I have an idea."

Oliver nodded. "Go on."

"What if we..."

Draco told them his plan and the boys all looked at each other and grinned.

"Definitely!" Said Ron.

"That sounds really neat," said Patrick.

"Ok, then it's settled!" Said Draco and they grinned at each other happily.