True Friends

By: Craw/Brad

Author's notes: This took forever because I thought that I had already posted this chapter and was busy trying to write the next… Forgive me!

Chapter Seven

I was awakened by a large, warm mass snuggling into me. As I cracked an eye open, a mop of unruly black hair came into view. "Harry?" I asked as I rolled onto my side and threw my arms around the smaller man.

"Uh huh?" Asked a I'm-awake-but-not-going-to-let-you-know voice.

"Is there perhaps a reason that you are in my bed instead of your own?" I asked with a smile. "Not that I'm really complaining."

"Um… My bed was cold?" Answer with a question. Cute.

"Was it now?" I pulled his little frame closer to me as I asked this. You know, share the warmth.

"Yes it was." He said as he buried his head farther into my shoulder. "In fact, I believe that it is too cold for you to humanely ask me to sleep in it again."

"Spoiled Gyrffindor. I expect you want me to cater to your whims and let you stay here. Being up in that tower has made you soft." I said in a slightly condensinding tone. "But, then again, I guess I should show gratitude to the person taking me in for Christmas Holiday."

"Christmas?" Harry asked as he looked up at me for the first time this morning. His eyes were like deep questioning pools of emerald.

"Yeah, that's what Sev wanted to talk to me about last night. Apparently our ever so bright Headmaster finds the school unfit for me. So I'll be staying with you and Lupin." I replied.

"Me and Lupin? I thought I was going to stay here." Harry said.

"Maybe I wasn't suppose to tell you… Oppies." Harry just smiled and snuggled his head back into my chest.

I was just getting confortable and was almost asleep again when there came a tapping at the door to the common room. I could tell that the raven haired youth at my side was still awake, but since he had yet to move I just called, "Come in," When I heard the statue moving, I knew it had to be my ever so loving Godfather. "good morning Sev." I called sweetly.

"Draco? Where are you?" He asked from the front room.

"I thought that was obvious." I called back.

"Shut up," he said sullenly as he entered the room. Looking over at Harry's bed, he asked, "Where's Potter?"

"Hi Professor." Harry said, pulling his head back above my comforter. "What brings you to our rooms on this lovely morning?"

"Potter! You will get out of that bed this minute!" He yelled, his face first going pale and then red. Whether it went red with anger or embarrassment, I do not know.

"Are you sure Professor? I mean, I wouldn't want you to see something that you would regret seeing." He asked with an angelic smile. How this man could say things like that and still be thought a prude is quite beyond me.

Now, I love my godfather, but it really was quite amazing how quickly the color drained from his face. "Draco, you didn't…" He let the question trail off.

In mock outrage, I said, "Of course not! Do you think I'm a slut Sev? Give me at least another day!" I said with a smile. "By the way Potter, I'm on to you."

"No your not," Harry said innocently. "I do believe that I am on top."

Now the Potion Master's blush was back full force. "You will both be dressed and up to breakfast in ten minutes. Do I make myself clear?" He asked angrily.

"Of course sir. As soon as you leave, we will begin to rise." Even after saying everything that he had, the boy that lived still managed to look innocent.

The Potion master blushed deeper and turned on his heel to leave. "Ten minutes." He reiterated before making good his escape.

"Harry!" I said in a scandalized tone. "I can't believe that you said that to my God Father. Aren't you suppose to be the innocent one?"

"Not at all! I'm the one that is expected to be a killer. People see what they want to see, you know that. The idea of an innocent savior is what the people want. It makes them all feel better." He said with a bitter smile. "I just give them what they want."

"I guess we all have our parts to play." It really was a sad thought that the golden boy wasn't all that golden. "Trying to lighten the mood, I jokingly said, "Next you'll tell me that you have tried to commit suicide."

"Twice." The smaller man replied. He then held up his left wrist to show two pale scars. "I couldn't go threw with it though. I kept thinking that I was doing Voldemort's job for him." He said in false happiness.

I pulled him closer to my body. "We should get up. If we aren't there in ten minutes, Sev will come back for us."

"You're right."

X

Exactly ten minutes after he had left, everyone's favorite Potion Master returned. The only difference was that this time he brought reinforcements. "Harry?" Called the voice of one Remus Lupin. "Are you decent?"

"He is dressed," I called threw the Door to the bedroom. "I don't know about decent."

The werewolf tentatively poked his head threw the opening and scanned the room. Relief flooded his face as he saw that Harry was sitting on his bed, lacing one of his boots. "Are you ready? Severus said that he gave you ten minutes. You're late."

"Perfection takes time." I said smoothly as I put the finishing touches on my hair. Once I stopped putting gel into it, I noticed that it took even more time to do my hair. It looks better though, so no real loss. "Shut up or someone will be doomed to freezing to death." I said when the golden boy started laughing.

His laughter stopped abruptly and Lupin's started. "Come on you two. Draco, I don't think that you need to continue to impress Harry. I do sincerely doubt that he wants you to pick up anymore fans either." His golden eyes were shining with tears of laughter.

"Very well," I said turning away from the mirror. "We need to make a grand entrance. Time to announce that the 'Dragons of Bad Faith' will win in all things."

"'Dragons of Bad Faith'? Why does your team get a cool name?" Lupin asked/whined. "Team one is know as 'Starfire', two is," Here he paused to shudder. "'Huggle Bunnies' and Team three has announced their hopes with the name of 'Winners'."

"I bet that Susan and Silvara are glad that we vetoed that name." Harry said as he rose from the bed and made his way toward the door. "How do you want to do this? Do you want to play it down or flaunt it?"

"Well, the whole 'leader' thing we should flaunt, it will frighten the other teams. But," I paused and glared at Lupin. "Everything else is up to you I'll be there either way."

"Then I think that it will be the most fun if we walk into the Great Hall with me draped all over you. It will solidify our power base and make it clear that we will stand together." he said with a small smile. "Plus, it will be funny as hell to see everyone's faces."

"Well, if we are going to do this, then we might as well do this right." I said grinning like a madman. "Give me that ugly ass scarf."

X

A few minutes later we entered the Great Hall. As Harry had suggested, we entered as a couple. His arm around my waist and mine around his shoulders. We had even gone so far as to wear each others scarves. Both of our mask were back in place, and we were ready to face the world.

We entered behind the two professors and made our way to the head of our table. Our team mates made room and we sat opposite Hermione and Vince, who were doing their best to ignore each other. "New development?" Vince asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not really." I said smoothly. "How do the other teams look? Have they announced the names yet?"

"Not yet. Apparently their has already been desiccant in the ranks of team one though. Weasley hasn't been civil to anyone but Abbot and the Gryffindors. Pansy feel they are all below her, and if my sources are correct, half of the seventh years on his team aren't straight. The other two teams seem to be doing fine. They both look like they will be Hufflepuffs though." Vince said this all softly with a blank look on his face. After he finished his report, he stuffed an entire pancake into his mouth.

"Lovely," said Hermione as she watched the large boy eat with a look of disgust on her face. She obviously hadn't paid one iota of attention to what he had to say. Her loss.

"Wow, that is bloody brilliant!" Harry said with a smile. He, evidently, had been paying attention. "How do you know all of that?"

"Harry, darling, don't ask such things. As long as his information is good, where he get it is his business alone." I said to the smaller man. "Your not a Slytherin, so I will explain. Asking who his informant is like asking who his lovers are. It is enough to know that his sources are sound."

Vince grunted and added, "We all have our networks." with a dumb looking grin. "You Gryffindors have gossips, we have informants. It keeps us on top and controls the flow of information."

By this time, even Granger was paying attention, not that it did her much good. Dumbledore was standing and began to speak before she could ask any questions. "Good morning students. I am happy to see that every one is getting along well. I believe that it is time for us to reveal the names of each team. Would you please send a representative up?"

With a nod from Harry, I stood and walked up to the platform. I was soon joined by Lisa Turpin, Seamus Finnigan, and Blaise. Turpin and Finnigan appeared to be extremely nervous and I saw that Vince's assessment of the teams was true.

"Please tell us the name of your team," the Headmaster said. "Starting with team one."

"Starfire," Blaise said with a small, evil smirk.

"Huggle Bunnies," Finnigan said through clinched teeth. He then began to blush when the entire student body started to laugh.

"Winners," Turpin said softly. This set off a whole set of cat-calls of 'Uh huh's and 'Yeah right's.

Now it was time for me to enlighten the ignorant masses as to the name of the best team in the history of Hogwart teams. I doubted that even the younger members of my team knew the name. Holding my head high, I said in all my aristocratic poise, "Dragons of Bad Faith."

I had expected someone to laugh, and that person would have suffered a very painful death, but instead my younger team mates began to clap. I don't think that they knew the significance of the title, but the were defiantly happy to have a better name than 'Huggle Bunny'.

"Thank you," Oh, Dumbeldore so knew what it meant. He was twinkling like there was no tomorrow. The four of us made our way back to our tables as the Headmaster continued to speak. "I would like to congratulate the Seventh years for coming up with such diverse names. The next activity will be for the first years. They will be creating a Team Banner. This should be finished by Saturday morning, at which time we will present them and follow with a game of capture the flag." He said with a smile. "For now, classes start in fifteen minutes. Your team leaders will be passing out the schedules." He finished and then sat down.

"We know who wears the pants in those groups." Hermione said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, obviously, Seamus, Zabini, and Turpin are in charge." She answered as if he had asked 'Is water wet?'

"No they aren't. Well Blaise might be, but Seamus and Turpin just got out voted for the part." My little green eyed angel said.

"Very good Harry. We'll make a Slytherin out of you yet." I said with a smirk that might have misconstrued as a smile. "We wont really know who is on top for a few more days. People will be testing each other until it is decided."

"We got lucky," Vince said. "With you and Draco not fighting, it was a given that the two of you would be the figure heads of the team. Others will think that they could lead their team because they were in a power position in their house. You and Draco on the other hand were powers throughout the school, and that is why we are going to win."

"Very good Mister Crabb, but may I remind you that you are still in the Great Hall." Our Team Leader's voice made Hermione and Harry jump.

Vince just looked up and said, "Of course we're still in the Hall. Where else would we eat?" I have to admit that both Vince and Greg are amazing actors. The blank look in his eyes had even the people that had heard him, read Hermione, questioning weather it was really this 'idiot' that had said it.

"Here are your schedules," Sev said without missing a beat. "I expect that you will show up to your classes on time." He said with a pointed look at me.

So I may have had a small problem with skipping classes in the past, is that really any reason for him to single me out? "Sure thing SS." I said insolently. "Would you like me to do a little dance as well?"

"As much as I'm sure we would all enjoy seeing the Amazing Malfoy Dance of Doom, I fear that classes will be starting in a few minutes." Sev said in pseudo-sadness. "You will be in that class." With that stern command, my oh so loving God Father left.

"What was that about?" Granger asked.

"That doesn't concern you," I said coldly. Turning to Harry, I asked, "What do we have first?"

"I don't know about you, but I have Advanced DADA, then NEWTs Potions and COMC. After lunch I have the day free." He said with a smile.

I looked down at mine and found that our morning classes were the same. "I have Healing after lunch, but then I'm free until Astronomy at eleven." I said softly.

"What are you going to do with all of those classes?" the raven haired teen asked me.

I blushed a little at that. "I don't know. Sev kinda… pickedmyclasses."

"What was that?" Granger asked with a sweet smile.

"Sev picked my classes for me." I said through clenched teeth. "At the end of last year, I was skipping most of my classes. So, as my godFather he took it upon himself to choose for me."

"So you didn't care enough to fill out the form?" She questioned with a look of disbelief. "This is your future!"

"At the time I thought I would be one of the idle rich, maybe dabble in politics. I wasn't planning on doing anything more strenuous than planning a dinner party for two hundred." I said coldly. My voice became even more frigid as I finished, "I didn't think that my father would choose the Dark Lord over his own son."

"So what will you do?" Harry asked from my side.

"The only thing I can," I answered. "I will find some kind of career using these classes." I quickly pulled him into a kiss and then to his feet. "Come on Raven, we don't want to be late for class. Now do we?"

"Raven?" he asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"You don't like it?" I asked softly. I am pretty sure that he couldn't see it, but I really wanted him to like the nickname.

"I do," He said and kissed my cheek.

X

All of our morning classes were mixed classes. There weren't many people that made the cut for Advanced DADA, and even less that willingly spent two extra years in Snape's class. For Care Of Magical Creatures, we were teamed up with Starfire, and we did the unthinkable.

I was just sitting there innocently, minding my own business, when I was pounced on from behind. I was slightly shocked, but still didn't miss the flash of anger that moved through Harry's eyes. "Get off me! Blaise, I swear, I am going to kill you."

The dark haired boy jumped off my back and looked at Harry suspiciously. "I think I am in love! Draco, I have seen a god among men, and he is dirty blond."

"Have you told the little lion this?" I asked.

"No, I'm going to make him unable to live without me first. Play hard to get. It is always fun to watch them sweat." he replied with a smirk. "Your not going to tell him either!" He said turning to Harry.

"Of course I'm not. Who ever said you couldn't enjoy a little game of cat and mouse?" My boyfriend?? said with a smile.

"Stop fraternizing with the enemy!" Weasley yelled toward us.

Harry softly asked Blaise, "Is he talking to you or me?"

"Does it matter? In his little world he could be talking to either of us." Blaise said sadly. "The most dispiriting part is that he has the rest of the lions on his side. So much for inter-house relations."

"If the stupid Gryffindors are on his side, then what is your plan to get with the shy one?" I asked my housemate.

"Well, first I have to prove to him that Slytherins aren't all evil." He said fiercely. "You know, Pansy isn't being much help in that field."

"Why don't you and Greg come over here?" Harry asked suddenly. "I'll go ask Neville and Dean."

The girls, sans Pansy, had already gotten together in one group at the corner of the pen. Terry Boot was talking to Justin Finch-Fletchley in another and in the third the little lions were gathered. Pansy was standing in the last with Greg, glaring death at anyone that dared to even look at them. Our group (Harry, Blaise, Vince, and I) stood in the middle. Blaise departed to retrieve the larger Slytherin as Harry did the same.

Blaise was the first to return, and with a smirk, he called to my ebony haired angel, "Raven, if they don't want to come, that is their choice." The Gryffindor had looked like he was trying very hard to convince his 'friends' that we wouldn't kill them. "Come on, class is going to start soon." As if to verify his point, Hagrid came into the pen, carrying a box.

The other dark haired teen shrugged and began to walk back toward us. "That's right you bloody fag! Go back to your master." Weasley yelled after him.

Harry whirled around and Hagrid's head snapped up. Surprisingly, it wasn't Harry or the professor that made the first move against the boy. The Gryffindor I had always thought belonged in Huffelpuff turned on his housemate and let his fist fly.

"Dame," Blaise said, looking from his professor to his 'love'. "He should have waited 'till the end of class."

"He only hit the bastard once.," I replied. "His punishment wont be that bad I cursed him and only got a few months."

"I'm sure your right."

"Aren't I always?" I smirked. While we had our little side conversation as Slytherins are predisposed to do, things were changing in a flurry around us.

The students on both teams had reacted to what the weasel had said. Except Pansy, she was just glaring at a piece of grass. Majority of Starfire was standing between Longbottom and the redhead. Hermione was employed, with the help of Susan Bones, in holding Neville back.

"I have had it," the blond yelled. "with him being a homophobic bastered! You want to know something Ronnie-kins? I'm gay." He had obviously found that Gryffindor courage. "I don't know what your problem with it is. It's not like I want your body. Now that would be sick!"

Blaise smiled when he heard the blonds speech. "If it is at all possible, I want him even more now."

TBC

Review! Props to my Beta!