a/n: Greetings! The past week has been hectic; crazy might be a better word. I've been sick with the flu and haven't had much time to write.
Also as I am sure everyone reading this will know, the new Harry Potter book comes out this week. Now I have to clear a few things up about my plans for this story. My story is set in 6th year, and after reading the 6th book I will decide if HP number 6 doesn't have too many twisted plots, e.g. Harry and Draco become Boyfriends (Please J.K Please!) I might turn my fic into a 7th year, but if the new Harry Potter book is relatively boring (No naked mud fights) then I might just leave it.
I WILL not be abandoning this story, just because it doesn't fit in with soon be current facts about their real 6th year.
Wouldn't it be great if J.K was stealing all my ideas and Harry and the Slytherins formed a band in the next book! And Marius could be the Half Blood Prince!
I don't possess anyone.
Thanks to my Latin teacher and Keri for putting up with my switchy tenses!
0000
"Sometimes… pant… I wish…pant… that..." Draco Malfoy bent over, putting his hands shakily on his hips, and glared from under his sweaty headband. "That…pant …Weasley finished…you off."
"Come on, Draco!" Blaise smirked, dropping into a lunge. "Exercise never hurt anyone!"
"Believe me, it hurts on your fifth frickin' jog around Hogwarts! Bloody hell, Goyle isn't even moving!"
Blaise glanced quickly at where Goyle lay on his stomach at their feet. "He's just resting, Draco! I'm sure he'll be… kind of fine… um, yeah, better move him onto his back… don't want the poor slob to smother himself to death."
Draco and Blaise rolled the very tired and sweat stained Goyle onto his back. Draco fell tiredly next to the boy, using his rather large stomach as a human cushion.
"What is up with you and this exercise craze, anyway? You were only released from hospital yesterday!" Draco asked, still puffing.
"Well, it seems to me that everyone has forgotten about our very important gig in a couple of weeks! What, with this 'civil war' going on at Hogwarts, you prats have forgotten it!"
"We didn't forget," huffed Draco. "We just had more important things on our minds, like you being blind!"
Blaise started to stretch on the spot. "That was the past, Draco! I want us all to be in shape for the talent scouts!"
"You were released yesterday! How is that the past!"
"Oh, shh, Draco!"
"Why do Pansy and Potter get out of exercise hell, anyway!"
"You think you could call him Harry. You did shag him!"
"Really?" said Draco, angrily. "You think I would remember!"
"Stop being stupid, I bet it was the best night of both your young lives. Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh, right. Pansy doesn't have to exercise because she is the manager and every one knows the chubbier the manager the better the band, and Harry doesn't have to because he is sorting out his differences with the Gryffindors."
"What! You mean he is actually talking to those jerks! Alone!" Draco asked worriedly.
"Yeah," Blaise said dropping into a crunch. "It was my idea!"
"Are you insane?" whined Draco.
"Nine out of ten metal health experts seemed to think so, but that's not the point. Harry needs to be friends with these people. I talked to them as well, they are quite sorry."
"Blaise! Aren't you the least bit worried?"
"No, not really," Blaise said, leaning heavily on his leg. "You're sounding a bit paranoid though. What did I tell you about magic mushrooms before lunch?"
"Blaise this is serious," whined Draco, stumbling tiredly to his knees. "They are going to turn Potter against us! Then we won't have his… fabulous voice!"
"Draco, don't you think you are overreacting a little bit?"
"This coming from Blaise Exaggerate Zabini!"
"Hey, don't tease the middle name! That's been in my family for generations!"
"Don't get me started on your family!" Draco spat angrily.
"What happened between you and Marius, Draco? One minute you're friends the next you're not!"
"Just leave it, Blaise!" said Draco Malfoy, stomping off toward the castle.
"Where are you going!" shouted Blaise at Draco's retreating figure.
"I'm going to find Ha… Potter!"
0000
Draco was on a mission. He had checked the library and half a dozen other Gryffindor places but still couldn't find his band member or his band member's dense friends. Draco liked sneaking about, reminded him of his youth really, sneaking about the manor, stealing things to hoard in his little hoarding cupboard. Like cookies, he had piles of week old cookies. And jars, Draco loved collecting jars, some jars he put little bugs in, other jars he just filled with water. Draco was at peace when he was with his jars.
Just as Draco snuck down the corridor on the 4th floor he heard a noise come from an empty class room. Could this be the missing band member? Or maybe some greater evil...
Draco kicked open the door, it swung open violently. Draco Malfoy threw his nose high it the air, his blond hair catching the light brightening the darkish room.
"I have come to claim what is mine!" He declared.
"Which is? Mister Malfoy?" asked a very angry looking Professor McGonagall.
"Sorry Professor, wrong Gryffindor." Draco quickly exited. "Okay, wrong red and gold clothed ruffian, maybe the next class room."
"Malfoy? Are you talking to your self?"
"Potter! What are you doing sitting down there?" asked Draco Malfoy, glancing down at the Boy Wonder, who was sitting all by himself, his back against one of Hogwarts' walls.
"You answered your own question Malfoy, I'm sitting," Harry said, closing his eyes resentfully.
Draco suddenly became very worried. His mind raced. Harry was angry. Is he angry at me or at the Gryffindors? Why am I feeling so upset because he's calling me Malfoy? He's meant to be my friend, so why doesn't he call me Draco? How long has my mind known him as Harry? He is angry at me? Why? It was those Gryffindors!
Draco bent to his knees and knelt down next to Harry Potter, if he wanted to keep Harry's… voice from been stolen away by thick Gryffindors, he only had one choice.
"Harry... Are you okay?" Draco asked, anxiousness bleeding into his voice.
Harry Potter opened his green eyes and blinked twice. He looked apprehensively at Malfoy, as if he expected him to ask for something.
Harry sighed. "I'm fine, just a bit angry at Hermione and Ron."
"Did you talk to them?"
"Yes."
"You forgave them?"
"Not really, but at least I am talking to them again, I suppose. Hermione thinks we should try to work on our friendship, make it like it was when we were younger."
"And how does Granger plan to achieve that?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She wants to start the DA again. We stopped because our DADA teacher this year is okay. Hermione thinks if we start it up again and open it to everyone we might create some unity between groups of people."
"Like them and us?" Draco asked, sitting next to Harry.
"Exactly," Harry groaned, closing his eyes.
"And you don't agree that us all joining the DA will be a good idea?"
"There are so many things I have to be figuring out right now, I don't have enough time to teach 1st years how to stun! My first quidditch game of the season is the day after our gig, we have that flashy important person coming to that gig to tell us if we have a future in music, I know I should just relax and see what happens, but I'm a nervous wreck, plus what makes it worse, McGonagall decided to inform me that my marks are dropping, so my future is screwed, I don't have enough time to become a rock star, or a quidditch player or an Auror!"
"You wanted to be an Auror?" Draco laughed. "You are such a geek."
"Hey! You're not helping!"
"Well, may I suggest just taking every thing a bit slower." Draco smiled. "Who are you playing next week anyway?"
"Hufflepuff."
"Well, that's easy, you could beat them with you eyes closed. I am sure your quidditch captain-- it's that Alicia girl, isn't it?-- won't work you too hard. And I bet Granger would love to help you with your studies."
"That doesn't leave much time to practise new songs for the band."
"We'll work it out. Are you free tonight?"
"Yeah."
"Well, we can have a band meeting to help you work out a time table. I'm good with time tables. When I was younger I had nervous issues."
Harry laughed for a long time.
"Hey! I can't help if I was--" He twitched "-- a bit edgy, I lived my entire childhood on a schedule! Breakfast of crumpets and jam always at 8.47!"
Harry couldn't stop laughing. "You're taking the piss, right?"
"Harry, do I ever take the piss?" Malfoy asked, smirking. He stood and quickly pulled Harry with him. "Come on, let's go see if Blaise has forced Goyle into having a cardiac arrest."
0000
The week pasted extremely quickly for Harry. Between rushed homework sessions and late quidditch practise Harry hardly saw the band. When he did, they practised non stop, hardly enough time to have a conversation. At the end of the first week, Harry sadly realised he missed his naughty Slytherins and their shocking antics.
"Harry, are you okay?" asked a tentative Hermione. "You seem a bit down."
"I'm fine," muttered Harry, rubbing his eyes. It was late Friday night and he and Hermione were going over Potions homework. The Gryffindor common room was filled with bustling Gryffindor, snuggling up with warm blankets or playing a nice game of chess.
"You want to go hang out with the Slytherins don't you?" Hermione asked, closing her book.
"Of course not," snapped Harry. Of course his mind was begging for him to be allowed to wander off to the dungeon and have a crazy adventure with the band.
"Harry, don't lie to me," Hermione said angrily. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I just don't know what to do any more, I love you like a brother and you know I think that spending all this time with those people isn't a good idea, but you always seem so happy with them, and so bored with us. I... I think you should go hang out with them, I want you to be happy and even if it's not with me, I still want you to be happy."
"Hermione. that's really nice of you but I honesty don't want to go. I like doing homework with you."
"Harry, go!" Hermione said, standing up and collecting her books. "'I like doing homework'... Honestly, I'm not that dumb!"
Harry smiled. "You don't mind?"
"Not one bit, as long as you're back by night. Ron gets awfully worried if you're not in your own bed again."
0000
"Harry!" cried Blaise Zabini as Harry opened an empty class room door. "How do you always know exactly where we are?"
"Magic," Harry smirked, jumping onto a desk across from Blaise.
"So the fire breathing-homework-crazy-dragon let you have a night off?" Blaise smiled, strumming ideally at his base.
"Yes, thank god! This week has been hectic! All I want to do is relax with my friends!"
"And you couldn't do that with Hermione?" Blaise asked quietly picking.
"Only when we don't have homework due, but I have a potions report I need to hand in next Monday, so every five minutes it's 'Harry do your homework!'"
"Sucks to be you," Blaise laughed.
"So where is every one?" asked Harry glanced round the unused class room.
"Draco and Goyle are having a race," Blaise said happily.
"A race?" Harry asked.
"Yep, a running race around the school, should be back any minute."
"And Pansy is...?"
"In the kitchens getting some food," Blaise said, smiling.
"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of all the exercise you guy have been doing?"
"Pansy is on a different fitness regime," explained Blaise, "She's on an all carbs anti diet."
"Anti diet?"
"Yep. She has to eat as many potatoes, chips, breads and pastas as she can, in order to gain weight!"
"She wants to gain weight? Why? Aren't girls always worried about their weight?"
"Well, Pansy doesn't really know it's a anti diet. I haven't gotten round to telling her yet," Blaise said tensely.
"Blaise! You sneaky little thing! You know she's going to kick the shit out of you once she finds out."
"And how will she find out?" Blaise said, smirking.
"What if I tell her?"
"You wouldn't dare, little man," Blaise leered.
"Try me," Harry grinned.
The empty class room's door opened and in walked Pansy, carrying a large bowl. When she sat next to Harry he saw it was full on cooked potatoes covered in cheese.
"Long time no see," she said, her mouth still filled with potatoes.
Blaise snorted. He covered his mouth and nose quickly with his hands.
"What are you eating, Pansy?" Harry asked knowing full well it was a part of Blaise's crazy diet tricks.
"It's a part of my new diet!" Pansy gushed. "Blaise got me into it; it's not like those stupid diets where you have to give up carbs, this one uses the carbs to flush all the fat out of your body!"
"Interesting," Harry mocked. "Why aren't Blaise and the other boys on it then?"
"I asked the same thing!" said Pansy. "It's because I have a uterus!"
"What?" asked Harry in shock,
"Blaise told me the uterus cleans out the system when the carbs travel through it," Pansy said, smiling.
"What would Blaise know about the female uterus? He's as gay as that pink sweater he's wearing!"
"Hey!" Blaise cried. "I'll have you know before I started wearing pink sweaters, I spent a lot of time hanging out with the female uterus!"
"You wouldn't know a fricking uterus if it hit you in the face," Harry teased.
"If it hit me in the face I would know what it is!"
"Pansy, Blaise was being stupid. You can't lose weight by sitting on your arse eating potatoes covered in cheese. I don't even think you need to lose weight, you always look wonderful to me," said Harry
"BLAISE ZABINI YOU LITTLE FUCKER! I ATE FOUR BAGS OF BLOODY POTATOES!"
0000
"Hey Harry," mumbled Goyle as he entered the empty class room panting. "Draco isn't here is he?"
"Nope, congratulations! You won!" Harry smiled throwing a chocolate frog at him.
"I run round the frigging school and all I get is a chocolate frog?" Goyle asked angrily.
"Hey don't hate the prize, hate the person who invented the game," Harry said, chewing his own chocolate frog.
"Where is Blaise, anyway?"
"In the kitchen eating four bags of potatoes," Harry garbled.
"Pansy finally realised his diet was a fake?"
"Yep, quite hilarious."
"I'm going to go watch, wanna come?"
"Nah, I better wait here to tell Draco, when he turns up where you guys are up to."
"Your choice. See ya, Harry."
"Bye, Goyle."
Harry waited for five minutes eating his way through a bag of chocolate frogs (the entire bag had been the prize, but Harry felt if Goyle really was on a diet an entire bag of chocolate frogs wouldn't help his goal, plus Harry had missed dinner). The big oak door of the classroom scraped open and in strutted Draco, looking more like he had just walked a runway than ran the entire school.
"Hey, where is everyone," he asked, taking a seat on the desk next to Harry.
"Pansy found out about the fake diet and is forcing four bags of potatoes down Blaise's throat. Goyle went along with them-- for moral support, of course."
"Moral support my arse. He went along to try and get some potatoes," Draco spat good naturedly.
Harry laughed and offered Draco a chocolate frog, which he took gratefully.
"Where have you been anyway?" Harry asked. "Goyle arrived ten minutes ago, and you are hardly in a sweat."
"I'm sure you would love to see me all sweaty, wouldn't you Harry," Malfoy smirked.
"Oh yes, Draco, I'm trembling in my Gryffindor tie," Harry said sarcastically.
Draco laughed heartily. "I couldn't be bothered running round the school again, so I sneaked off and broke into Snape's liquor cabinet."
"You didn't!"
Draco produced a bottle of gin from his school robes. "I so did."
"He'll kick the shit out of you, when he finds out," Harry warned.
"Well, the only one who knows it was me, is you. So, Harry, will you be telling on me?" Malfoy pouted.
Harry grabbed the bottle off Draco and took a swig. He winced slightly. "It all depends, will you be telling on me?"
Draco laughed and stole the bottle back.