The cliché punishment
Harry Potter opened his eyes. It took him a few minutes of blinking confusedly to work out what the sunlight streaming through the window meant. He had slept in and was late for class. Getting out of bed in a hurry Harry ran to the showers (after untangling himself out of his sheets twice). Now, most people would think that having a shower would take time and therefore make one who is already late for class even later. But it was far too early in the morning for Harry to be thinking coherently.
A shampoo and condition later, Harry emerged from the showers to realise something: he was late for Potions, which would inevitably lead to a detention and him being partnered with one Draco Malfoy, who would do something to make him look bad, and probably end up with a detention as well, though why Snape would give his favourite student a detention was beyond Harry so early in the morning. Head spinning slightly from his abnormally long thought, Harry raced down to the dungeons and into his Potions room.
"Detention Potter."
Harry started to smile, as he had won the bet he'd placed with himself, before he realized that he'd also lost the bet he'd placed with himself. Very confused now and not sure what to think he merely sat down in the only available seat. He glared at Ron and Hermione, who hadn't saved him a seat (now that the two were together—convenient for the plot of this story—they barely noticed Harry anymore. Harry was getting to be quite annoyed at that.). Harry turned in his seat to see his least favourite person,
"Malfoy."
"Yes, Potter, that is my name. Please don't soil it again by having it come out of your mouth."
Harry opened his mouth to retort angrily—
"10 points from Gryffindor" Snape said in a sing-song voice. Harry would have said that Snape enjoyed taking points off him, but nobody likes people pointing out the obvious. Instead, he turned his attention to wondering why Malfoy was sitting by himself. Come to think of it, where were Crabbe and Goyle? Harry hadn't seen them all year. "They got transferred to Durmstrang" smirked Malfoy.
Harry spent a good ten seconds wondering how on earth Malfoy had known what he was thinking. Then he realised (when Malfoy hit him over the back of the head and said he was stupid) that he'd actually asked the question out loud.
"Good one stupid head."
Harry made sure he was thinking in his head and not out loud for the rest of the lesson.
All went uneventfully until the end of the lesson...
"Potion's done," Malfoy pointed out.
"Okay," Harry replied.
Harry looked outside to see if the Apocalypse was happening. It wasn't every day that Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had a civil conversation (if you can call three words a conversation). However, while Harry was looking out the dungeon's non-existent windows, he wasn't prepared for Malfoy pushing him into the desk.
Malfoy laughed:
"A hah hah hah!"
Harry pushed him back. Harry laughed:
"Hah hah hah!"
Snape yelled
"Detention!"
Snape laughed.
"Mwa hah hah hah hah hah!"
Harry stopped laughing. Draco continued.
"You too Mr. Malfoy."
Draco stopped laughing. Snape smirked.
"I've had enough of you two arguing. I am going to put you together for detention in the hope that maybe you will kill each other and therefore won't bother me anymore. If, perchance, an unlikely romance develops out of this placement, then I will be very supportive for you, Mr. Malfoy, and develop a grudging respect for you Potter, which may even develop to a strong friendship."
"Um... what?" Harry asked. He really wanted to go back to bed.
"You will be spending detention together."
"Oh." Harry was still confused.
"What?! Why do I have to spend detention with him?!"
Now Harry got it.
"Because, Mr. Malfoy, my intense dislike for Potter is much stronger than my need to suck up to your father. Having Gryffindor's Golden Boy spend detention with you is an incredibly satisfying way of annoying him."
Draco was speechless. Harry let out an "I knew it!" of triumph and looked to Ron and Hermione for support, forgetting that they had already left. Snape looked at him strangely.
"I expect you both here by eight this evening, no excuses."
They left.