Waiting for the day to end was torture for Draco. His classes went so slow it felt as though time was melting and warping to make everything seem much slower than it really was. His fellow Slytherins had agreed to attend only on the account that he didn't look nor talk to them. He didn't really care. All day it seemed his thoughts drifted to the sorting hat, and the story that Dumbledore had told him.
This story haunted his mind. If his mother hadn't been provoked by his father into becoming who she was, he'd never have him for a father and maybe he would have had real friends a long time ago. Maybe everything would be the way it was going to turn out a long time ago. Whenever the vision of his mother taking his father's hand came flashing before his eyes, he snapped them shut and pretended that it was never there.
The droning of Professor Binns' voice reached his ears and woke him from these haunting and upsetting thoughts. He didn't know why he kept dwelling on the past when he knew that a fresh and wonderful future was ahead of him. Even if he and his new friends faded from one another, he'd still have the memory of knowing they helped him through it all. This made him smile. Four weeks he'd been friends with them now. It seemed like such a longer time than it really was. More like four years. Even to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Tru it seemed longer.
The ringing of the last bell finally echoed it's way through each classroom and Draco scurried out before anyone else, his books flooding his bag that he hastily carried upon his tired shoulder. He had been ordered to report to Professor Dumbledore's office for the resorting after dinner, so he decided to go straight to the great hall, eat with his friends, and then head straight there as soon as he napped. He walked to the dungeons to take a nap. Though he didn't want to sleep in here noather minute he'd have to.
So he threw his bag onto the ground and flopped onto the bed once again and, staring at the walls, fell asleep.
Draco finally awoke way past dinner. In fact, dinner was almost over when he reached the Great Hall. He didn't bother eating, his hunger for food was replaced in his belly by the knot of nerves that had settled there during his resltess sleep. Tru, Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited for him in front of the doors and they walked up to Dumbledore's office together.
Draco twiddled his thumbs quickly as they walked, as he did at times when he was nervous. His hopes that the hat would put him in Gryffindor, or ANY of the other houses for that matter, grew so that his thumbs almost tied themselves into a thick, bony knot. When they reached the gargoyle, Draco's heart even leapt a hundred feet when Tru said the password (Fizzing Whizbees.)
Every step was agony. He knew who would be there. He knew, he didn't care at all, but he didn't want them to do anything to his new friends. Thinking that they would even TRY to do anything made his blood simmer.
They stopped in front of the door and knocked loudly. Professor Dumbledore answered and smiled at them. "Do come in." he said waving them inside. Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Berns, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, and Professor Snape were there. Along with Miss McGonnagall (who filled in also as leader of Gryffindor house) Professor Flitwick as leader of Revenclaw and Professor Sprout as leader of Hufflepuff. A stool stood in the middle of the room. On top of the stool was the sorting hat. Sitting there as though staring at him (mind him it WAS staring at him.) The groups split across the room and he stood there right in the middle of it all.
He looked left at the Slytherins he once thought faithful, and to the right to his new, loyal friends. He then forced his eyes forward at the hat. The hat spoke aloud "Well come here Mister Malfoy, let us begin this." Draco went forward and went to pick up the hat but Professor Dumbledore set him aside for a moment and began to speak.
"This resorting will determine whether Draco's place in Slytherin was entirely correct. You may note that the first time he was sorted the hat barely touched his head when it declared him a Slytherin. BARELY touched his head. Because it only judged from his outward appearance and mind you, OUTWARD personality that said he was in Slytherin. The hat had not time to register the boy's innermost personality which we shall determine today. Which house he REALLY belongs in. Slytherin? Or one of the other three fine houses. There are dress robes set aside here for you Draco so after you are sorted you will take robes that of your new house. You may sit on the stool and the sorting shall begin."
Dumbledore took the Sorting Hat off of the stool and beckoned Draco to sit on it. Draco sat on it slowly and looked around before the hat came down over his eyes. He couldn't see anything but darkness but he heard the sorting hat's words, and he listened while breathing heavily. Waiting with great anticipation.
"Hmm...yes...Malfoy. I remember your father quite well, a cunning character he was. In his mind I did see a future of darkness then, but also a wit in which only Slytherins hold. But there is something in you that I see so much differently...I see in you a deeper courage than that of your father. An independence so to speak that your father does not share. You surely have something that is not in your father's blood...how very rare. And what's this? The need...there is a want in here to become something, to have something maybe? I see here...A great talent of flying yes...I also see great loyalty, a great passion therein...Yes I now see that I was greatly mistaken. You poor boy, you masked yourself to me, I wish I understood why I did not see it from the beginning. But now that I do see it, I am much pleased that the mask is removed and I see the true strength and courage that resides deep in the reaches of your heart and mind. I apologize for my mistake of putting you into Slytherin. Your new and rightful house shall be..."
Draco's breath caught in his throat.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Tru, Harry, Ron, and Hermione cheered loudly at this. The Slytherin students merely left along with Professor Snape, who looked particularly disgruntled. Tru hugged Draco tightly and Harry and Ron shook his hand, Hermione pat him on the back. "Good job o'l chap!" "Well done! Welcome!" "This is wonderful, Draco!" "Congradulations." Draco felt more than happy at the moment the Hat came over his eyes and he could see the smiles on his friends' faces.
Draco took his new robes and walked right out of Dumbledore's office. Miss McGonnagall kept up behind them congradulating and welcoming Draco as well.
She led them all up to Gryffindor tower and helped Draco get a settle in. All of his things were already moved up to his new bed, which was right by the window. "If you need anything," Miss McGonnagall said to him. "Just ask." she smiled and he smiled back. "Thank you." he said. She left and Harry and Ron gave him a pat on the back as he sat on his new bed. They sat next to him and smiled. "I'm really looking forward to staying in here with you guys. It should be loads of fun."
Ron smiled and stood. "Yes. And listen mate, I'm sorry of how I was at first. I'm just stubborn that's all. This time I'll give you a real shake. Friends?" He held out his hand to Draco and Draco smiled widely. He took his hand and gave a firm shake. "Friends."
Not long after, Seamus, Dean, and Neville arrived. They seemed particularly stunned to see Draco Malfoy in Gryffindor robes, let alone in the Gryffindor dorm room. But when Harry and Ron explained, they also shook his hand in welcome. Draco had never felt so happy in his life. Soon they were all playing a game, which he'd only played with Tru, with Bertie Bott's beans. It was the most fun he'd ever had.
Later that night, Draco found himself in front of the warmth of the Gryffindor common room fire. Never had he felt this warm in Slytherin house. He stared into the fire for the longest time just thinking. He thought of things that passed, and things to come. He wondered what life would have been like had he not saved Harry from a beating, wondered what things would be like had he continued to let his ego get the better of him. The thought was almost too far off to even see. But he knew he would be as he was had it not been for that faithful Quidditch game.
Suddenly he heard a noise from somewhere up the stairs. He looked around for a moment before speaking. "Who's there?" he said. Tru came from the stairs in her nightgown. She didn't look at all as though she'd slept. More like she'd been awake in deep thought. Her face looked as though she'd been thinking a whole lot.
"Hi...I can't sleep. Can I sit down here with you? I heard you come down a while ago but I still tried to sleep...but as you can see I can't." Tru chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck waiting for his answer. Draco just smiled and scoot over on the couch. Tru smiled and sat down next to him. She looked very tired up close, her eyes had bags under them and she looked somewhat pale.
"Are you feeling all right?" he asked her. She looked at him and then looked away. "To be truthful, no. I mean I'm happy about you being in Gryffindor...but you see...lately I haven't been able to sleep very well. And I hate that. But hey, there's someone to talk to most of the time, just Hermione is asleep and I wanted to talk to you anyway."
Draco smiled. "What was it you wanted to talk about?" he asked. "Oh, I just meant like about anything at all. Nothing in particular."
Draco smiled. No one had ever just wanted to talk to him about nothing before. This was already getting good. Tru and Draco spoke long into the hours of the night. The ticking of the clock was soon the only sound as Draco and Tru fell asleep after talking until dawn on the couch.
