Wednesday Afternoon 2: 56 pm

Draco sat in the back of the Potions class room, feeling rather behind on things. The teachers all assured him he'd do fine and said they'd just pick of his grades right where they left off, he wouldn't have to do any make-up work unless he really wanted to, and he could always attend a summer school to catch up.

He scribbled down notes thinking absentmindedly his dad would kill him if he failed. Then he remembered, his dad wasn't there any more. He bit his lip, it felt strange, to be without him, no one to boss him around anymore. He could do whatever he wanted, he didn't have to get good grades. Yet, he still wanted to do at least reasonably well in his classes, he wanted to get a good job that he enjoyed once he was out of Hogwarts, maybe go on to a magical college. What had happened to his mother though, was she running Malfoy Manor by herself now, or had something happened to her. Though he'd never been close to his mother, he'd never really hated her too much either. She was the one who had stopped his father many times from nearly beating him to death.

Finally, to Draco's relief the bell rang and Draco hurried out of the class room. Professor Snape had lectured them all fiercely today on the difference between white mushrooms, and almost nearly white mushrooms, with very faint off-white spots. During the lesson he'd noticed that Professor Snape really did kind of pick on Harry, of course Harry could have thought a little harder, but none the less. Draco purposely made a similar mistake and found himself only told what he'd done wrong and corrected.

Draco gathered up his things and left the room, he dropped his things off at the common room before heading to the infirmary. Several people had already gone back to their homes, others were bad enough they were still in separate rooms. Herimone, to Draco's dismay, was still in a private one. He pushed open the door to her room to first see Harry and Ron there and second to see that Hermione still wasn't any better. She had, despite all attempts to prevent it, gone into Shock. She was sleeping right now, but had been in pretty bad condition the past few days. Only 2 days ago had Draco started classes, Hermione had been in shock for 4 days now. According to the doctor that was in charge of her she was in Psychogenic Shock, which was a type of shock caused from a traumatic situation.

At that moment the doctor came in and checked her vital signs and frowned, he glanced at Harry, Ron, and Draco and looked as though he was going to send them out, then thought better of it.

He smiled slightly and said, "You're her friends?"

They all nodded, each with almost identical expressions of worry. Draco caught Harry glance at him, probably wondering what the hell he was doing here.

"When she wakes up, she'll be needing you," he said then left the room.

Draco glanced over at Harry and Ron who were both looking at him suspiciously. He resisted the urge to snap at them for immediately assuming that he was here for some non-nice reason.

"What?" he asked in a rather annoyed voice.

"You," Ron said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Which it probably was, Draco was expecting this. He knew he'd have to learn to be nice, maybe even become friends with them both, you can't love someone's best friend without caring for them too.

"Yes, me," Draco said wishing they'd just get to the point.. they could at least try to be friendly. Yet, he had never been friendly to them, they really had no reason to even try to be nice now. Sighing he closed his eyes trying to relax, it was easier when it was just him and Hermione, making the decision to change was easy, doing the actual changing was going to hard.

"Sorry," he said first finding it a very hard word to say, he didn't think he could ever remember a time he'd said it, except maybe when he was begging his father. Draco realized he really hated his father, when he'd been alive, he hadn't really been able to hate his father, he was punished and brought up in a way that his father was master, hating him wasn't an option. Draco realized that all along in his years at Hogwarts, he'd acted very much like his father... it was no wonder people hated him. Also he'd never thought of it as people hating him, more like people being weaker than him, he was the strong one...

Draco was jerked out of his thoughts when Harry coughed. They were both staring at him like he was the angel of death arriving in a flaming carriage from the depths of hell to tell Harry and Ron he was sorry.

"You're sorry?" Harry managed to choke out.

"Yes," Draco replied, "For, bullying you I guess. You hate me and you have reason to, but that doesn't mean we can all change."

"Ah," Ron said apparently having trouble understanding what Draco was saying.

"Why should we believe you?" Harry asked suddenly, "What are you doing here anyway? We do have a reason to hate you, and we also have no reason to trust you!"

Draco's eyes narrowed as he felt the old anger for them both well up, for Harry especially. The arrogant kid that he was. He gave this impression he didn't want to be famous, but he'd never follow though with it! They were both so sheltered, each with their own problems, it was their own problems that mattered and no one else.. selfish, spoiled by fame without realizing it, so eager for glory and popularity.

"Okay, you know what, I'll just leave," Draco said, "If you're gonna be like this. I have all the right to be here, did it even occur to you that I was down there too, with Hermione? I know her, I worry about her too."

Harry and Ron's face showed disbelief and Draco sneered then stormed out the room. He strode down the hallways and left the castle through a side door. It wasn't until he reached the lake that his anger cooled and he sat down to think about it.

The chances of Harry and Ron forgiving him right away were as slim as Draco suddenly forgiving his father. They'd acted the way anybody would act. Yes, they were a little immature and selfish, but who wasn't? He had to look at them as equals.. they weren't beneath him. Draco had gotten so used to thinking of himself as better than everyone else, it would be hard to break the habit.


A/N: Thanks everyone for reviewing! I was really worried this sequel wouldn't get any reviews! To you guys who haven't read Dungeon, this is the sequel to it, so you might want to read Dungeon then read this.

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all yon faithful reviewers!

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