A/N: sorry if this chapters too long, it took me a while to find a point where I was happy to stop. Hope you like 3 Please R&R (read + review)
Chapter 2
To: Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger
From: Harry Potter
Subject: Malfoy
You'll never guess who I've just seen Crabbe and Goyle with. I don't know his name, but it WASN'T Malfoy! I overheard Pansy Parkinson talking to some of her Slytherin buddies and she said that Malfoy had gone weak over the holidays. Something to do with his dad. What do you think?
Harry
To: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger
From: Ron Weasley
Subject: RE: Malfoy
Yeah, it seems like Crabbe and Goyle have finally come to their senses. I can't believe I just typed that. He must've done something really bad for C + G to notice, they're so stupid. Hermione, I need help on this Potions homework!
Ron
To: Ron Weasley, Harry Potter
From: Hermione Granger
Subject: RE: Malfoy
Ron, I already told you, you are NOT copying mine. I will explain it to you, but no copying, is that clear?
Anyway, about Malfoy. I've seen him a lot recently, he's always in the library. Alone. I agree with Ron, Malfoy must've done something wrong. Oh well, it's his life. If he's not interrupting ours then I guess we should just let him get on with it.
Hermione x
To: Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger
From: Harry Potter
Subject: RE: Malfoy
Let him get on with it! Hermione, are you INSANE! You know what his family is like! He's probably planning on how to let old Voldemort into the castle again! We can't just sit by and let him do it! We HAVE to find out what Malfoy's up to!
Harry
To: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger
From: Ron Weasley
Subject: RE: Malfoy
Yeah! We can't just let him do stuff like this right under our noses! Question is what are we going to do?
Hermione – I'll meet you in the library after lessons, and maybe you can explain this homework?
Ron
To: Ron Weasley, Harry Potter
From: Hermione Granger
Subject: RE: Malfoy
I don't like the way this sounds! I'll tell you what we're going to do, nothing, because Crabbe and Goyle wouldn't just drop Malfoy because he was doing something bad. You have to remember what THEIR families are like too. No, if Malfoy was doing something bad then they'd be all for it. Maybe he's changed.
Ron – library, after dinner.
Harry - are you doing okay on your Potions?
Hermione x
To: Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger
From: Harry Potter
Subject: RE: Malfoy
That makes a lot more sense, I guess. But Draco Malfoy doesn't suddenly turn good. He's in Slytherin, his family are a bunch of death eaters, and last year he- you know what he did! This just doesn't sound like Malfoy. Not one bit. We'll just have to watch him.
Hermione – for once I'm actually getting this homework. But thanks for the offer.
Harry
To: Ron Weasley
From: Harry Potter
Subject: Potions
You'll have to let me look at your potions once you're back! I have no idea what to do!
Harry
To: Harry Potter
From: Ron Weasley
Subject: RE: Potions
:-S I'm confused. Why did you say to Hermione that you were okay?
Ron
To: Ron Weasley
From: Harry Potter
Subject: RE: Potions
Because I know what you're up to, Weasley. I'm not gonna interrupt you two, don't worry. ;)
Harry
To: Ron Weasley
From: Harry Potter
Subject: Well?
Come on, Weasley, spill. What happened? Did you ask her out? What did she say? Did you manage to get any homework done at all? If you haven't, then you're in BIG trouble. I can't take any more detentions. I've already had three this week.
To: Hermione Granger
From: Harry Potter
Subject?
Hi Hermione, haven't spoken to you in a while. I know you're busy with being a prefect, and taking about a million subjects for your NEWTs but I hope you can spare a few minutes to type out a reply. So how's it going?
I know I told you I understood my potions homework, but the truth is I lied. So please can I take a quick peek at yours?
Harry
To: Ginny Weasley
From: Harry Potter
Subject: Are Ron and Hermione with you?
Sorry to be w-mailing you this late, but have you seen Ron and Hermione? I haven't seen either of them since they went to meet in the library earlier, but that was ages ago! Do you think they're okay? You don't think anything bad has happened to them?
To: Harry Potter
From: Ginny Weasley
Subject: RE: Are Ron and Hermione with you?
Harry,
It's only 9 o'clock, and they're prefects, they're allowed out later than we are. You know as well as I do that they're probably out snogging somewhere. Or maybe you don't. I don't really seem to understand you much these days. I know you're very edgy about You Know Who, but he has no reason to take Hermione and Ron. Chill out.
Ginny.
To: Ginny Weasley
From: Harry Potter
Subject: RE: Are Ron and Hermione with you?
I'm not edgy! I would've thought you'd be the same! Voldemort got into the castle once and he could do it again! Malfoy could be helping him all over again! And maybe it's a trap! Like it was with Sirius! I'm going looking for them!
To: Harry Potter
From: Ginny Weasley
Subject: RE: Are Ron and Hermione with you?
No worries, Harry, Hermione's back and looking very embarrassed. Obviously been snogging. I think you're wrong about Malfoy. He seems different than he used to be. He's more… well, he's less arrogant, that's for sure. I actually think he smiled at me the other day. That doesn't sound like Malfoy to me.
Are you going Hogsmeade this weekend? Do you want to meet for butterbeers or something?
To: Ginny Weasley
From: Ron Weasley
Subject: Malfoy!
Do you fancy Malfoy? No, NO! You are NOT going out with him! I expressively forbid you to!
To: Ron Weasley
From: Ginny Weasley
Subject: RE: Malfoy!
Ew, no Ron. And since when can you stop me doing something? Ha. Whatever. I hear you and Hermione are the latest couple, anyway. Do tell.
Being alone isn't as hard as it's made out to be, Draco thought as he rushed towards his Potions class. True, the first week of Hogwarts was very difficult, but then as people began to accept that he wasn't the cocky, self-centred boy he used to be, they stopped paying attention to him. He could still be charming if he wanted to be, but most of the time he couldn't be bothered. He seemed to have faded into the background and that was how he liked it.
He reached his potions class two minutes late, but Snape didn't appear to notice. Yes, sometimes being invisible definitely had its good points. There was only one seat left, and it was next to Ron Weasley. Draco didn't despise Harry, Ron and Hermione as much as he used to. He could see now that when they had argued, duelled, etc. that he had been in the wrong. But he was nervous about sitting near Ron, because Ron didn't know how he had changed.
He plonked himself down next to Ron and Ron sighed loudly, clearly annoyed and not bothering to hide it. They worked without saying a word to each other throughout the whole lesson, Draco's mind set on his task. At the end of the lesson he took his potion to the front of the class, placed it on Snape's desk and walked back to his desk, his head in the clouds. He didn't see Ron walking towards him with his finished potion until he collided and sent it smashing to floor. Ron's nose was bleeding badly, and the floor was bubbling.
"Draco, Weasley, what's going on?" Snape had noticed the commotion, and headed to where Draco and Ron were standing, Draco looking stunned. "Weasley, Malfoy, detention, tomorrow night," Snape said coolly, flicking his wand and clearing up the spilt potion. "Hospital wing, Weasley." Ron left the classroom, giving Draco the dirtiest look he could muster with blood pouring out of his nose.
Uh-oh, Draco thought when he saw half the class giving him equally foul looks. It didn't look like he was going to be invisible for a long time.