Harry and Ron trailed reluctantly behind Hermione as they walked into the library. She was very insistent that the two boys both earn 'Outstandings' in their next Potions exam.
"You have to earn those grades," Hermione was telling them. "Mediocre just won't do it anymore. Above average, I say. And I know the pair of you can do it. You're both quite smart if you just put your mind to it…"
Harry heard Ron make a noise that was a cross between a snort and a laugh. Hermione heard him as she whipped around and glared.
"Do you doubt yourself, Ronald?" she snapped.
"No, love," Ron said quickly.
"Honestly, Ron. I know you have it in you, I really do. It's just that you always whine about not being able to do something when you are in fact fully capable of doing it. If you've got the ability to become a prefect, surely you are competent enough to pass Potions…"
Harry allowed Hermione's lecture to Ron linger in the back of his head. He had spotted Draco seated at one of the tables, seemingly absorbed in a book.
"Let's sit over there," Harry said without thinking.
"Where?" Ron was happy to have an interruption in Hermione's sermon about grades. But he frowned when his eyes landed on Draco. "Harry, you must be blind. Malfoy is sitting there."
Harry shrugged, "So? Are you going to let that bother you?"
"That's it, Harry. Show a little backbone," Hermione beamed.
"Of course I won't let that bother me," Ron turned to Hermione as if waiting for a compliment from her. She said nothing. He frowned as he added spitefully, "I can't stand being within fifty miles of Malfoy."
"Neither do I— oh, too late," Hermione began to say but quickly stopped. "Looks like Harry wants to fight his battles by himself." She watched Harry pull a seat across from Draco. They began to glare at each other.
"While Harry fights, let's check out those books in the way back of the library," Ron said with a sly tone to his voice. "Nobody's back there… so…"
Hermione gave her boyfriend a disapproving look but followed him back into the isolated part of the library.
Draco put down hisbook as he saw Ron and Hermione slink away into a sea of books.
"You can stop pretending to glare, Potter. They're gone."
Harry sighed but didn't stop glaring, "You can talk to me in public, you know."
"The library isn't public enough for you?"
"There's nobody here," Harry said indignantly.
"Madam Pince is right over there," Draco pointed at the librarian. "She can see us quite well—"
"She doesn't count."
"Those portraits have a great view of us—"
"Those don't count either."
It was Draco's turn to sigh as he gave Harry a highly exasperated look, "Good God, man. You are stubborn. I believe I've only told you well over a million times why we could never be friends."
Harry slumped down in his seat and looked around at the deserted library, "Yeah…" then he eyed Draco's book, "What're you reading that for?"
Draco quickly shoved Dark Magic Throughout the Ages in his bag and muttered, "Light reading, you know— Crap. Look alive, Potter." He motioned towards Ron and Hermione who had emerged from behind a stack of books. Ron had a silly smile on his face while Hermione was flushed red and looked slightly embarrassed. The both of them ambled towards Harry and Draco's table.
"Miss Mudblood. Weasel," Draco said civilly.
"Hello dear Ferret," Ron said with equal courtesy. "Lovely day."
"Indeed."
"Lovely day to wrench your eyes out and feed them to the skrewts," Ron continued with his sugary tone.
"Ah-ha, yes," Draco answered as sweetly as ever. "Your amazing ability as Gryffindor's Keeper is enough to wrench my eyes out, thank you very much— Good day to you all." He swept up his books and walked out of the library.
"Just say the word, Harry, and I will," Ron's hand slipped into the pocket of his robes.
"S'all right. Can't change his mind, now can we?" Harry said with a hint of disdain to his voice.
"No," Hermione sighed. "He's Malfoy after all. He could stay like that forever…"
"Not unless I kill him, he won't," Ron muttered.
Harry hoisted his bag up on to his shoulder and looked at his friends, "Hey… er… I've got to go somewhere."
"Where you goin'?" Ron asked.
"Just over there… you know," Harry rushed passed them. "See you at dinner." He ignored Hermione's wails of, "But you've got to study for Potions!"
Determined to see Draco, Harry rushed down flights of stairs to the dungeons where Slytherin had their common room. He finally skidded to a stop in front of the very surprised looking blonde who was just about to say the password to get through the portrait hole.
"What the hell are you doing here, Potter?" Draco's eyes widened.
"Er…" Harry began to say because actually he didn't really quite know why he was there. "I lost… my way…?"
Draco narrowed his eyes, "Looking for trouble, are you?" he spat.
"N-no—"
"Then what do you want?"
You… Harry thought bitterly but said nothing.
"Look here, Potter," Draco said calmly. "Perhaps there were things better left unsaid when we were in the Room. Maybe I was lonely and out of my mind— I really don't know. But we're in the outside world now. You've got to keep a level head."
"Maybe I don't want a level head," Harry blurted out.
"Well you're gonna have to work for one because I am exceptionally tired of having to repeat myself over and over again! No. We can't be friends. Are you really that dense that you can't even get something as simple as that?"
"If I'm dense then you must have the brain of a troll! You've given me the stupidest reason of why we can't be friends. 'My father's position in the Wizarding world' my ass!"
"You don't get it, you damn stubborn Gryffindor!"
"It's you who doesn't get it, you nasty hypocritical Slytherin!"
The portrait swung open and there stood Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, and Draco's lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle.
"We heard screaming—" Pansy stopped and gave Harry a vile stare. "What's that foul Scarhead doing here, Draco?"
"Having a row, were you?" Blaise asked as Crabbe and Goyle stood in the background, watching Harry while cracking their knuckles.
"Yeah… a row," Draco answered distantly.
"Potter is all alone, what a shame," Pansy said in a simpering voice. "That means nobody will come to his rescue if we decide to do something bad to that pretty little face…"
"Five against one," Blaise smirked. "The odds are quite fair. If Saint Potter was able to beat the Dark Lord several times before, then going against us would be a walk in the park."
Pansy laughed shrilly, "Oh no! We don't stand a chance!"
Blaise, along with Crabbe and Goyle, stepped forward, "The-Boy-Who-Lived will be a thing of the past…"
At that moment, Draco quickly darted in front of Harry. He glared menacingly at the four as they stared back at him incredulously.
"What are you doing?" Blaise asked in disbelief. "Have you gone mad?"
Draco's face began to pale up more than usual as he wracked his brain trying to think of something to say.
"Potter is mine to deal with," Draco snarled. "If anyone gets to bloody up his face, it will be me."
His Slytherin cronies nodded in unison.
"He's all yours," Blaise said with a hint of disappointment to his voice. "Wish I coulda just pounded him though…"
"Other opportunities, Blaise," Pansy sighed as she walked through the portrait hole with Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle reluctantly following her.
When the others were out of hearing range, Draco turned to Harry.
"I meant what I said," he muttered through clenched teeth. "I will literally rip your face off if you pull another stunt like this again. Never follow me. I swear Potter, I will kill you."
Harry was at loss for words. He couldn't believe the harshness in Draco's tone.
"And that's how the game goes," with that, Draco slammed the portrait door in Harry's face.
