Disclaimers: I own nothing.

Authors Notes: Thanks so much to Draeconin for beta-ing this for me. She's been the biggest help. Getting me back into this fic and helping me revise my horrid grammar. Thanks!!

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Harry walked along the dungeon halls, and saw his lovely blonde prince talking to his potions professor, who had acquired a totally new attitude towards the Gryffindor Golden Boy.

Snape's head jerked up to look in Harry's direction as he noticed the Gryffindor. Noticing his head of house's movement, Draco turned around quickly and his eyes brightened as he caught sight of Harry.

"Harry! You're early."

"No, I'm not; I'm right on time."

Draco glanced down at his watch, "Oh, yeah; lost track of time. Sorry."

"It's okay. So what did you have planned?"

"Well, Severus helped me with most of it, so..."

Harry looked at his potions professor, and noticed how much he had changed through their sixth year at Hogwarts, and now entering their seventh year. "Thanks."

Severus smiled at Harry, "No problem; just don't break my little guy's heart. He's very delicate, you know."

Harry put his hands on his hips as his jaw dropped, "I would never even think about it. How could you?" Said Harry over-dramatically.

Draco smiled, and snaked his arm around Harry's.

"Have a good night, boys. Don't look too rough in the morning, please, and don't ever mention my name in this crazy masquerade of yours," said Severus, rolling his eyes.

The boys said goodnight to their professor, and Harry let Draco drag him into a classroom.

"So, what are we doing, tonight? It's been so long since I could hold you, and not call you ferret."

"Yes; about the whole ferret thing, Harry..."

Harry laughed, "Draco, I don't mean it."

"I know, but it's still so embarrassing, remembering it."

"Okay, okay; I'll call you slug-face or something from now on, okay?"

Draco sighed and kissed his lion. "If you must, but I'd rather you called me something sweeter."

"You know I can't, Draco. It would be too obvious."

"Well, then, scar-head, I guess we'll just have to duel it out now, won't we?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at his Slytherin. "Duel?"

Draco smiled and leaned in, pressing his starting-to-be erect member against Harry's. "Yes, but instead of using those wands, we'll use these wands."

Harry whimpered at the touch of Draco's member pressing against his own.

Draco smiled and captured Harry's lips with his own.

When morning fell upon the boys, they had quickly gotten dressed and made their way back to their own dorms, making sure everything they left out of place last night could be covered up by an excuse.

The next time they saw each other was in potions, which was first thing in the morning, anyway.

In front of the class, Snape was still the bastard he had been all those years, taking points from the Gryffindors like there was no tomorrow. But when it was just Harry and Severus, with the occasional Draco, they were the best friends that friends could be.

"So, I see you both covered yourselves pretty well today," commented the professor during Harry's detention. He had received detention with the potions master for cutting an ingredient too thin for his potion earlier while Harry just accepted it, giving his newly improved professor a fake glare.

"Yes, we did. And thank you again for making sure no one would walk in, or anything."

"You're quite welcome."

Just then Draco entered the room, glaring at the two. "Alone again? I swear, Harry Potter, you're spending more time with Severus than you are with me! You haven't forgotten how jealous I get, have you?"

Both Harry and Severus smiled at Draco.

"Well, I don't know, Draco. Severus here does have a certain charm."

Draco glared at his godfather, and Severus put his hands in the air to show that he had no part in this.

They all broke out laughing. It was nice; Harry had never had this kind of feeling before, not even with Hermione and Ron. They were so happy; all of them were happy, the way true friends should be, feeling like there was no care in the world.

"Anyway, if you keep giving Harry detention for stupid things like you did today, someone is bound to suspect something," Draco commented.

"But I've always been an ass to Harry; why stop now?"

"Because you need to give detention to other students, as well. They'll think you and Harry are up to something, if you don't. You realize that you've only given Harry detention for three weeks straight now don't you?"

Severus thought about it, "Okay, I'll give a few other students detentions." He glared at Harry mockingly, "Having someone back you out again, Potter?"

With that, they burst out laughing again. With the three of them together, it was all jokes. They loved just making fun of old times, and pretending like they were the same people they used to be, because in truth they had all changed; perhaps Harry the most of the three.

With all their cheerfulness, they didn't notice Blaise walking past the potions room, and overhearing their laughter. The boy would not have been surprised if it was only Draco and the potions master in the class, but he also heard Potter's voice, which made him stop dead in his tracks.

Blaise peered through the door and saw the scene before him. He nearly fainted, and would have, if he hadn't desperately used all of his energy to pull himself back to the common room, where he sat in front of the fire with wide eyes, speaking to no one.

It was a long time before Draco returned to the common room. When he did, he had the biggest smile plastered across his face, a fact which he was trying desperately to hide as he entered the Slytherin living area.

Blaise heard Draco enter, and called out to his friend. "Draco?"

Draco turned around, toward the fire. "Oh, Blaise! I didn't see you. Why are you still up?"

Blaise ignored Draco's words. "Draco, can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Uh, sure," Draco said, slowly changing his initial direction, and heading towards his long time friend.

Draco took a seat near Blaise. "So, what's up?"

"Draco, I saw you."

"Uh, okay. And that means?"

"I saw you, and Snape," there was a short pause, "with Potter."

Draco's eyes went wide. His lips parted slightly, trying to be able to breath again, but he didn't know what to do or say.

This was it; Draco was done for, and he would be bringing his love and godfather down; the two people who meant the world to him.

"Blaise, I..."

Blaise put up his hand, to stop him from continuing. "It's okay, Draco. I won't say a word. You have always been my friend, and if you've decided that you want Potter as your friend, I'll accept it."

Draco had been absolutely speechless. Blaise hadn't threatened him. Blaise hadn't blackmailed him.

"Look, Draco, I was just a bit upset you didn't come to me about it. Befriending someone who was your long time enemy, as Potter was, is a very important issue. I just thought that if something like that ever came up, that you would come and talk to me about it. I'm your friend too, you know."

"I know, but Blaise..."

"Hold on; I have something I need to ask you. Does anyone else know, other than the four of us?"

"Meaning Granger and the Weasel?"

Blaise nodded.

"No."

Blaise looked surprised. "Why not?"

"Because we've decided that the Weasel is just a prat, and the book worm is too logical about things like this. And plus, the Worm is currently banging the Weasel, so she'd tell him everything, and then Harry would be done for."

Blaise nodded, then noticed something, his eyes going wide. "Draco, you just called him Harry."

"Yeah? So?"

"Don't do that! You need to be careful when you do that."

"Well, it's only you and me, here; it's okay."

Blaise turned around, squinting his eyes, daring anything, anything at all, to come out of the shadows of the room to show they were listening in on their obviously private conversation. After a few moments of looking around the room and finding no one, he turned back towards Draco.

"I'm happy for you, Draco."

"Uh, thanks."

"I can tell that you and Potter are more than friends, though."

"Huh?"

"You've been together, haven't you?"

Draco paused for a moment, then nodded.

Blaise smiled. "Okay, that's enough for tonight; I don't need more shocks. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight, with that image plastered in my mind."

Draco gave Blaise a glare with a smile, which didn't fit together at all, and Blaise laughed at the image before him.

His best friend had changed so much that he hadn't even noticed just how much. But he wasn't going to give up his best friend, ever. Blaise was loyal, and he loved Draco, even if Draco would never love him back; he just wanted Draco to be happy.

The next morning, Harry had Defense Against the Dark Arts class with the new female professor.

"Good morning, Harry," said the professor, seeing Harry enter the room.

"Good morning, Professor," replied Harry

"Oh, please, call me Audrey."

"But Professor, that's your first name."

"Oh, it's quite alright, but only with you, though. I still need to maintain respect with the staff, and if the other students do not follow the rules, then the staff members surely would follow."

Harry didn't know what to say, so instead he just nodded as the other students filed into the room.

"Okay, class; today we are going to be discussing the logistics of a few curses. Please take out your books, and turn to page 372 and read through to pages 372 to 380. After you're finished, please practice what you have learned, and try to understand the theory of the curse, rather than just what the curse will do."

As the students took out their books, Audrey looked at Harry, and put a hand on his book, just as Harry was about to open it.

Harry looked up at his professor, and she smiled down at him. "I need to talk to you, Harry. Will you please speak with me outside the class room?"

"Uh, sure professor."

"Audrey."

"Uh, okay," said Harry, as he got up from his seat and followed his Defense professor out of the class.

Right after Harry had shut the door firmly behind him, she pulled him into a secluded corner nearby.

"Harry, I know you're really good at what you do."

"Uh, what do you mean, professor?"

"Audrey, and I know you're good at defending yourself and such, but I need you to practice a lot more."

"Uh, I have the DA group, remember?"

"Yes, but I mean you need to practice with me. I am an Auror, you know? So my defense work is quite efficient, even if I do say so, myself."

"Are you offering others this, as well?"

"No, just to you, Harry."

"But, why don't you just come to the DA meetings, or something?"

"Because that is your time, and this is my time. It's different, Harry."

"But what if I can't make it? I tend to get detention a lot."

"Yes, that; well, I'll have a talk with the other professors. I already discussed this with the Headmaster, and he thinks that it will be a good idea for you to be thoroughly prepared."

"Oh; you talked to professor Dumbledore about it already?"

"Yes, I have. So will you?"

"Uh, how often are the lessons going to take place?"

"A few times a week, I suppose."

"Oh. Okay. Well, I can try to make time, I guess."

"Great, Harry. When would you like to begin?"

"Uh, tomorrow, I guess."

"Great. You can gather your items and leave. What the class is doing today is not really important. I just needed a chance to talk to you about this. You may go."

"Oh, uh, thanks, Professor."

"Audrey."

"Oh, right."

With that, Harry gathered his belongings from the class, and left the room, with a lot of questioning eyes upon him.