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To everyone else who reviews after this chapter goes up, Thank you, and Enjoy!

KEY:

An, letter, prophesy.

Draco thought

Harry thought.

Stressed speech.

~~~ = pov or scene change.

Chapter 5

It had been three days since the meeting of the rivals, and yet Harry couldn't shake the memory of it out of his head. In his eyes, his classes passed quickly, and he spent them thinking about the project, our project he corrected himself. In the lessons, Draco ignored him, and sat far away, in the middle of the Slytherins, 'ruling over the serpents…' Harry thought. As a result of this, he was severely admonished by his teachers and Hermione.

"How do you expect to get good marks in the exams if you don't listen in class? Shame on you, Harry! They're only a term away!!!" she had said one lunchtime.

"Give him a break, Herm." Ron replied for Harry with a mouthful of toast. "He probably has other stuff on his mind, like a certain fellow student!" Ron wriggled his eyebrows, which he probably thought looked good, but came off as two caterpillars waltzing. Harry would have laughed, but the insinuation was dangerous.

"What?" he asked, trying to sound impartial.

"You know, Cho! I've seen you look at her, you sly dog, you!"

"Oh," assured that his secret was safe, Harry tried to steer the conversation away from his previous crush. "I wasn't, actually." Ron looked crestfallen and Hermione relieved. "I was wondering about the animagi project. I want to know what I'll be."

"That's more like it Harry! See, Ron, Some people think about work outside the lesson!" Hermione flashed Harry a toothy grin. Ron's face at this remark reminded Harry of his prediction of Ron's reaction to the detention with Draco.

"Ron, I forgot, Draco's Patronus isn't a ferret, and you owe me five Knuts!"

Ron was put out, but he didn't miss Harry's slip of the tongue. In his thoughts, Harry would never intentionally be civil to Malfoy. "When was it Draco? Is that some term of Dumbledore's? That you have to be polite and 'friendly' to your partner?" he shuddered at the implication of the word 'friendly'.

"Oh, Grow up Ron!" was Hermione's reply. She had been doing extra research on the materialization of wizards' Patronuses, and was interested to know what Malfoy had created.

"No, I want to know why he refers to him by his first name. It's a stupid name as well!"

"No it's not! I like it. But let Harry speak."

"No, it's not Dumbledore…" Harry stumbled over his words, trying to select carefully, "It's just that, well, I thought that, I could try and be nice…" he broke off, silently imploring Ron not to explode. To his surprise, it was Hermione who exploded… with laughter. Harry blushed as she fell off her seat clutching her sides.

After a few minutes she managed to utter, "You sound… just… like…Ginny!" she finally composed herself, and left the room still chuckling softly as Ron stared blankly at her, Harry's explanation forgotten.

"Sometimes, I don't know what the hell that girl is talking about. What did she mean about my sister?" Ron looked questioningly at Harry, hoping for an answer. He was disappointed however; as Harry stole away blushing feverishly and muttering fiercely.

"I'm going to kill her!"

~~~

Draco was lounging around in his favourite armchair in the Slytherin dungeons. He was in a good mood due to the fact that he could plainly see the effect his presence was having on everyone in the vicinity. The boys mainly looked scared, and those who Draco had graced with acknowledgement laughed at them. The girls gazed appraisingly at his well-built frame. He smiled a dazzling smile, intentions clear in his suggestive eyes. The chosen girl's eyes widened and she advanced, at the clear chagrin of the others. Smirking, Draco led her to his private quarters. 'All in a day's work'.

~~~

Harry was furious; Hermione shouldn't have laughed at him. I didn't sound like Ginny! It's not like I have a crush on him, or something!  He had just reached the common room when Hermione pounced and dragged him off to her room, a privilege the seventh relished. He was deposited from her surprisingly strong grip onto her couch. She was breathless with excitement.

"When did you realise?" she gasped.

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry irritably.

"That you were gay, Stupid! What did you think I meant?"

"WHAT?" Harry wasn't expecting that, and had no immediate response but denial.

She looked at him disparagingly. "Oh, Come on! Did you just hear yourself at lunch? And you stare at Draco every lesson!!! Admit it, you love him!"

"No Way!"

"But you think he's attractive…"

"I dunno," again Harry stuttered, again Hermione noticed. She continued to look at him in that wheedling glare she had, not unlike McGonagall's. Harry gave in. " I suppose, he's tall, well built, and could be called handsome."

Hermione smiled, "At least now you're being honest."

"But I don't love him. Love is such a powerful word. I don't think I have ever loved anyone, yet."

At this, Hermione ceased her hyper mood and became pensive. "It's his eyes, isn't it?"

"How did you know?"

"They are mesmerising… when they're not trained on you with disgust, that is." She paused, deep in thought. "There was a lullaby my mum sang to me. I never thought it would be useful, but here it is…" Hermione's voice broke out into a soft melody.

"You won't need rescuing

From an evil foe,

If you keep your temper in check

And your mind in tow.

Tame the dragon,

Extinguish its fire,

But not its flame, its life,

Or you are no higher."

"That's beautiful, Hermione. But what does it mean?"

"You must make him a better person, but don't try and change him."

"That doesn't make sense!" said Harry, baffled.

"I mean, the dragon, or Draco, shouldn't be changed; the better person is inside him, waiting to get out. He is not a dragon if you change him into a rabbit."

"Ok, I think I get it." Harry blushed slightly. "You are assuming that I'm in a position to be able to."

"If every project we have to complete puts you in pairs, then I think you soon will be."

"You think too much!"

Hermione laughed and embraced Harry. "Good luck!" she whispered.

Harry looked at his friend in admiration. "I'll need it!"

~~~

Draco was satisfied; the girl he had chosen a few hours previously was exceptional. He had that euphoric post-sex daze about him. Definitely one of the more enjoyable… but best not to string her on.  He rolled over to the napping girl beside him. I never did get her name… and tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at him as if she was still dreaming.

"You may go now." Draco said to her, before turning away to get dressed.

"What!" the girl screamed, "I thought…" Draco looked at her, clearly bored.  Why do they always make such a fuss?

"No, you didn't think. Now go." She didn't budge. "What? Do you want me to be all romantic? Do you expect me to propose? You were adequate; I've had better." She began to sob. Draco sighed and muttered a silencing charm on her. He walked out of the room, black silk shirt still unbuttoned, showing his toned chest. The door was left ajar, hosting a hysterical girl waiting to be consoled by her friends.