"Go ahead and try it."

"I can't do it."

"Come on just do it! It's fun and you know it is!"

"Oh all right!"

Tru had finally woken up and Ron had earlier brought a box of Bertie Botts to her to share with Draco. They were now playing the bean game in which they tried every single one in the box. Draco had discovered a disturbingly pink bean and was not willing to try it, as it was the mystery bean. They had been playing this game for hours that day and were having fun every second.

Draco nibbled the bean and then shoved it entirely in his mouth. His face screwed up and he pursed his lips. The flavor had been extremely sour, like someone had put an entire shaker of salt in his mouth at once. He waved his arms frantically and bounced up and down while Tru laughed so hard her sides were about to split. Draco finally swallowed the bean and slumped onto the bed. Smirking, he pushed the box toward Tru.

"Your turn." he said deviously. Tru mocked his smirk and chose a dark brown bean. She inspected it thouroughly before popping it into her mouth. As she chewed, her face molded itself into a look of deepest disgust. "What was it?" Draco said laughing and covering his mouth. "Earthworm." Tru choked out after she had finally swallowed. Draco laughed and Tru reached over to tickle his side. He twitched and scooted away.

Their gales of laughter could be heard a little ways down the hall. Word had gotten out about Draco. But Draco could honestly not care less. Many Slytherins had come in to express their deepest disgust at his new actions and even said they'd written a letter to his father. Draco still didn't show any sign of caring anymore than he already did. This deeply impressed Tru as well as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Ron seemed to be finally giving in to the fact that Draco was actually trying to be nice to them and make ammends. So he went along with it when they visited later that day after dinner was over.

"How long do you think you'll be in Draco?" Ron asked barely touching Draco's broken leg. Draco looked up at the ceiling. "Oh I don't know. A month probably." he said looking disgruntled. They all made noises of apology and imitated pain. "And the next match is between Slytherin and Hufflepuff on Tuesday." Harry noted.

Draco twiddled his thumbs and looked around. "I'm quitting the team." he said softly. All went silent and all eyes landed upon him. If ever this were a time to feel wierd, this was it. Draco had no intention of telling them anything about his father yet. Or the feeling of sorrow that he wanted to quit the Quidditch team just because he was disgraced to be in a house full of evil bastards. He would miss the feeling of being in the air on a broom. He missed it so much even now and it had only been a week. He had wanted to sneak out so many times as well. But being in his state, he just couldn't.

"Quitting your own Quidditch team?" Tru said shocked. "But what ever for? Sure the Slytherins hate you but still...they could like you again if you won them a game." Ron commented. "I don't WANT them to like me." Draco snapped. All of their heads jerked back in surprise. Draco's face fell and he blushed and looked away. "I'm sorry..."

Hermione got up and said to Harry and Ron "We should be going now, we have a class." Harry looked at his watch. "er...yah..we should. come on Ron." Ron stood and said "We'll see you guys in a couple of days. We'll tell you ALL about the match when we come." he smiled and they all walked out, whispering.

Tru was staring in Draco's direction. Draco was staring ahead. Thoughts running all around in his mind as to what to say to her to cover this up. He didn't know why he wouldn't just tell her 'I hate my family, especially my dad, I hate having people assume I'm just like him! I hate that everyone likes me for my money and not for ME!'

Just say it Draco...she might actually understand you.

"Are you feeling ok?" she finally asked him. Draco opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it. He didn't want to say anything about it just yet. He just nodded, smiling, and lay down.

"I know you and I don't trust one another much JUST yet Draco. But let me just tell you that if you need to say something I'll listen to you."

Draco sat up and looked at her, wide eyed. "You are the only person in my entire life to EVER say that to me..." he trailed off, just staring at her. Tru's eyes widened. "Really?"

Draco nodded and lay back down. Tru kept looking at him and repeatedly opened and closed her mouth to say something. Finally she said. "Good night Draco." "Good night Tru..." Draco said turning over. As Draco lay there he, for the first time in his time of feeling alone, he cried at the thought of knowing that he wasn't.

Finally it came the day that Tru was able to leave the Hospital wing and go back to normal classes. She was dressing behind the curtains by her bed while Draco spoke to her. "So what're you gonna do just go to classes and study? Are you gonna practice flying?"

"Draco it's not like I'm going to my HOUSE after being in a coma or something. I'm just going back to Gryffindor tower."

"I know. But still. This was actually pretty fun."

"Yah it was."

Tru moved the curtains and smiled down at him. "I'll come back in after lunch to visit and just hang out all right? I'll bring everyone else too." "All right then. Don't forget my food as well!" "What do I look like your maid?" They both laughed and Tru picked up her wand. "Well Draco, I'll be seeing you later."

Draco smiled and waved at her. Tru turned to leave but Draco stopped her. "Um Tru?"

"Yah?"

"Thanks...for understanding and believing me when I said I wanted to make things right. Just..."

I'll tell her this much.

"Being a Slytherin is so overrated and I actually am not really looking forward to getting out of here. Just thanks for being a good...a good..."

"A good friend?" Tru asked him.

Draco smiled and held out his hand to her. "A good friend. And tell Harry, Ron, and Hermione too please?" They shook hands and smiled at each other. "You are most welcome Draco." Tru smiled and left the wing.

Draco stared after her for a long time before sighing and sinking back into the mattress. Staring above him he thought about the past two weeks for a LONG time. Those two weeks seemed like so much longer. As though they were years that passed of getting to know her and becoming good friends out of being enemies and mere accquaintences.

He wondered why he hadn't done this so much earlier...maybe he would have felt like this a long time ago.

This feeling...it was altogether new to him. The desire to speak to one he knew now understood him more than any other person and the process only took two weeks to accomplish. He could barely imagine what two months, or two YEARS would do to them. But the feeling...how he loved it...he smiled and fell slowly into a wonderful sleep full of wonderful dreams that one man could never even hope for.