"Look at this!" Ron said, waving the timetable in the air.
"What?" said Harry.
"To accommodate you having lessons with Malfoy, we're having all our lessons with Slytherin!
"What??" Harry took the timetable from Ron and stared at it. It was true. All their lessons were marked with the words 'with Slytherin'.
Harry groaned. Having lessons with Draco was okay, considering that he was different now. But with the rest of Slytherin?
"I suppose you'd better help Draco get his memory back fast, Harry. This really won't do." Hermione sighed.
Harry nodded, then ran his fingers through his hair, slightly frustrated. On the one hand, he preferred Draco this way. On the other, he didn't want to take lessons with Slytherin forever.
He blinked. What was he thinking? He was not going to have Draco stick to him like that. He never liked Draco since the day he saw Draco at Madam Malkin's. Now shouldn't be any different. Should it?
"Harry?" Ron's voice jolted Harry out of his thoughts.
Harry stared at him. "Draco. I need to look for Draco. See you at Transfiguration."
Then he got up and left.
Ron looked at Hermione. "What was that all about?"
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he decided that Draco needed his memory back fast, and he is the only one who can help him."
*
They walked down the hall towards the Transfiguration classroom.
"…so I suppose everyone wants you to get your memory back and—"
"Harry, I had a flashback last night."
"Really? What did you rememeber?"
"My father. He… He slapped me."
"He what??"
"Well I don't know if it's a memory or a dream but it seemed very real. Harry, what sort of family was I from? I'm sure you know."
"Draco…"
"Please, Harry."
"Later, after the lesson, okay? In one of the empty classrooms."
Draco nodded, resigned.
Harry noticed that Draco had avoided looking at him throughout the whole conversation.
"Draco?"
"Hm?"
"What's wrong? Look at me, Draco. Is there something wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Then why do you refuse to look at me? Are you troubled by that flashback?"
"N-no."
"Then? What's wrong?"
Draco met Harry's eyes, but quickly averted his gaze again. How could he ever tell Harry what he almost did last night?
Fortunately they reached the classroom, saving Draco from having to explain anything.
*
"He has been sticking around Potter since the day he got out of hospital."
"I wonder if that Bludger knocked all the sense out of him. He seems to have forgotten where his allegiance lies."
"Maybe he's just plotting something against Potter. You know how brilliant dear Draco is."
"Yeah, maybe."
Harry and Draco listened to Pansy Parkinson and Milicent Bulstrode's conversation. The girls were sitting in front of them.
"Miss Parkinson and Miss Bulstrode, I would request that both of you keep quiet."
Pansy and Milicent fell silent.
Then without warning, Pansy turned around and winked at Draco. Harry saw Draco's expression and sniggered. Draco gave Harry a sideways look of annoyance.
"Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy, would you like to come up here and tell us the joke?"
"Erm, no, Professor McGonagall," said Harry truthfully.
"Then I do need you to pay attention. Now as you can all see, an Animagus is…"
Draco was trying to pay attention when suddenly…
-Flash!-
"Scared, Potter?"
"You wish." Harry's looks was anything but friendly.
"At the count of three," came Professor Lockhart's voice.
"One…"
If you think I'm going to play fair, Potter, you're wrong…
"Two…"
…because Slytherins never play fair.
Draco shouted a spell, which threw Harry sharply backwards…
-Flash!-
"Were we friends?"
Harry hesitated. "No. Not really."
-Flash!-
"Draco? Draco! What's wrong?" Harry whispered.
"Flashback," Draco murmured, his mind in a confuse whirl.
Harry was about to say something when he caught Professor McGonagall's eye, and decided to keep quiet.
*
"What did you remember?"
"Nothing important. Harry, you said you ere going to tell me about my family."
"But Draco—"
"Harry, you agreed."
"I only know very little."
"Just tell me."
"Okay," said Harry. Together with Draco, he walked into the empty classroom.
*
"So… My family is evil. Well, with a father like that, I should have expected it."
"Somehow I had wanted to protect you until you were more ready to accept it."
"Why, Harry? We weren't even friends. Why are you so nice to me now?" Draco's face was contorted with confusion and pain.
"Draco? What's wrong?" Harry stared at him, bewildered at Draco's sudden harshness.
"Nothing. Just a little confused." Draco smiled. "What's our next lesson?"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Harry said, still looking at Draco suspiciously. "It starts in about 10 minutes."
"Fantastic," said Draco, a little too brightly.
"There's something wrong, isn't there?"
Keeping silent, Draco started to head very quickly out of the empty classroom.
"Draco!" Harry came after him and grabbed Draco's arm.
Draco felt as though a bolt of electricity had shot through his arm.
"Let go of me."
"Not until you tell me what's wrong."
"Oh Harry, I can't control myself much longer. Let me go."
"What can you do? Hit me?"
Draco bit his lower lip. "Something much worse."
Harry looked into Draco's eyes, a grey sea of suppressed emotion.
"I can take whatever you throw at me, Malfoy."
"Please, Harry."
"Do it, if it'll make you feel better."
Draco couldn't debate much longer. He turned around. "You sure?"
Harry nodded. But whatever he was expecting, he had not expected Draco to grip him by the shoulders, then to kiss him full on the lips. Harry was too shocked to respond, but he soon did, kissing Draco back, and pulling Draco closer.
Draco's mind was in a whirl. The intoxication of kissing Harry was just settling in when…
-Flash!-
Draco laughed as Harry was forced to do a stupid sort of twirl to escape the rogue Bludger.
"Training for the ballet, Potter?" he sneered.
-Flash!-
Draco suddenly pushed Harry away. "We can't. We'll regret this."
Harry stared at him in shock. "What? Why?"
"When I get my memory back, I just know that the both of us will regret this." Draco turned and ran out of the empty classroom.
"Draco, wait!" Harry called after him.
But Draco was already gone.