A/N: Ta da, Draco! I've been doing some pretty speedy updates, huh?

Draco Malfoy gave the boy sitting with Hermione Granger a disdainful look, easily hiding his fascination. The boy had more holes in him than a pin cushion, outrageously colored hair…and was that a thin line of mascara around his eyes? Draco decided it was. He tried not to stare at the strange boy for too long, all too aware of the impossible green of his irises.

He'd expected Granger to blush, but he hadn't expected her to be glaring at him in such an obvious way. Apparently, she had more backbone than he'd thought.

"Well?" he prodded when neither responded to him. "Is this your boyfriend, Granger?" He sneered, and behind him, his friends chuckled.

Granger opened her mouth, though whether to gape indignantly or say something stupid he didn't know, because the boy spoke first.

"Far from it," he said. Draco's heart gave a little thump at the unexpected, beautifully cultured English accent. The boy stuck out a hand, and the chipped blue remnants of nail polish gleamed in the sunlight. "I'm Harry Potter. New here. And you are…?"

Draco ignored the out thrust hand. "I'm Draco Malfoy, not that it's any of your business. And it's quite obvious, Potter, that you're new around here. We haven't got anyone who looks like you in this town." Waiting for the offended glare, he was surprised when Potter just grinned happily at him.

"What can I say? I'm unique. Maybe I'll start a fashion trend."

For a moment, Draco was at a loss for words. He stared down at the boy and tried to formulate a response, recovering quickly.

"Whatever." Flicking his hair out of his eyes, Draco dismissed the conversation as not worthy of having. "Anyway, I didn't come over to chat, just to see if Hermit Hermione actually had a boyfriend. Should've known she didn't. After all, hell hasn't frozen over yet." Turning on his heel, gesturing for Blaise, Millicent, and Pansy to follow, he started to enter the Java Hut.

"Malfoy," came the British voice from behind him conversationally. Draco glanced over his shoulder and raised one brow regally in question. Harry smiled at him a little, taking a pull from his cigarette.

"You'd do well not to insult Hermione in my presence ever again. I'm quite protective of my friends, and I'll not have it. Insult me all you want—really, I don't mind. But not Hermione. Not ever. Or there will be consequences." Harry's expression remained pleasant, but his smile didn't reach his eyes anymore. The previously bright emerald had darkened to a green so clouded it was almost black. And they were so cold, almost dead.

For the second time in as many minutes, Draco Malfoy, who always had a snappy comeback, found he had nothing to say. Shivering, he stalked into the café, friends not far behind.

Hermione couldn't look away from the darkness in Harry's eyes. Hypnotic, dangerously so, the cold veneer was something she had never expected to see from one so friendly, and yet, he had adopted it quickly, naturally.

But as he turned to look at her, the threat left his face as quickly as it had come. The laughing, sweet Harry came back and smiled at her. "Wow," he murmured, tilting his head in the direction Malfoy had left. "Now that's a gorgeous bloke if I've ever seen one."

Her mouth dropped open. "Oh, Harry, you can't be serious! He's such a prick!"

Harry shrugged and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Ah, but bloody stunning, and he damn well knows it. I wonder…" and here he trailed off.

Hermione picked up on his train of thought immediately. "Harry, no," she hissed in a horrified whisper. "He's got a girlfriend, and could you really go for such an ass?"

Harry smirked. "In a heartbeat, love. In a heartbeat."

She shook her head and dropped the subject. For the next hour, they sat outside the Java Hut and talked about their lives. Hermione learned that Harry's parents had died in a car crash when Harry was but a baby, and that now he was living with his relatives. Whenever Hermione tried to ask about them, however, Harry avoided the subject so expertly that she almost didn't catch on. But she was a smart girl, if nothing else, and she did notice, but left it alone.

Hermione dropped Harry off at his new house later. He hugged her good-bye, and she relished the contact of her first friend, perhaps hugging back a bit too enthusiastically. They made plans to do a more extensive tour of the town tomorrow.

That night, lying in her bed, she recalled the few moments when Harry had turned on Malfoy. The memory stuck in her mind, refusing to go away. She loved that he had stood up for her, but hated how he'd acted. It worried her.

The change from friendly to dangerous had been far too quick. It was the attitude of one who'd, perhaps, endured a lot of suffering.

Over and over, despite herself, she wondered: Who was Harry Potter, really?

For my faithful reviewers:

magic-shield: Everyone's opinions on this story mean a lot to me! Here's your update. Hope you enjoyed it.

falconwingdiving: Arrg, I hate those fics where Harry moons over Draco, Draco moons over Harry, and everyone get along like peas in a pod. Don't worry, m'dear, I thrive on conflict and I'm sure there's much to come. Thanks for the review!

Squirrelswillrule/Cherry0214: I hope this chapter met with your expectations for a unique story! Email me sometime. I'm sure we could give each other useful ideas!

angelkitty77: Thanks, and happy holidays to you, too!

Aveeno-baby: Pierced Harry rocks my socks! Thanks for the review!

Raven's Light: Heehee, I was wondering why your first review ended with "I"...anywho, I need all the luck I can get! Midterms will make or break my grade in almost every class. Thanks for your oh-so-kind words, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Flame-of-Ciara: How the hell do I take anonymus reviews? is confused I'll try to make my chapters longer in the future (damn you, school responsibilities!) and I'm glad you like the story.

fudgebaby: Lol, I know, longer chapters. I'm trying, hun. Thanks!

Little Sweetling: Ha, I know. I'm a rude person, I suppose. This chapter's not exactly a sudden stop, though I had to strongly resist the urge to make it one Hope you like it, and thanks for reviewing.

Hawkenten: Whoa...that was really enthusiastic. Thank you! (I'm a sucker for these kind of reviews...)

doughgurl12008: I had to do that baby thing in middle school, but my school was a bit underfunded (understatement of the year) and we used eggs instead of computer chip babies. If the egg was cracked when you returned it, you failed. And, of course, I got angry at someone and chucked the egg at him...and failed. Anyway, thanks!

konekokon: Thank you! Please keep reviewing!

oracale: I'm loving that you're loving it!

Shadow of ZAFT: Thank you! I'm trying to keep up a schedule of regular updates.

bthatcher2002: I love it when people tell me my story is original. Thank you oodles!

Hanna Abby: That'sa great idea! Sort of conservative!punky!Hermione. Ahh, I love it. May take awhile to happen, though. Thanks for the idea, and for reviewing.

HitTheFloor04: Shy!Hermione is soon to become somewhat!bolder!Hermione. Lol. What part of Florida are you from? It's freaking cold, all of a sudden. I love it. Thanks for the review!

Alright, phew, I guess that's it. Never knew FanFiction would be so much work! I'm enjoying it though. The influx of reviews floors me. Thank you all, so much!