Chapter Five: Don't Remember Me This Way

(I'm in love with Jordan Hill's song Remember me this way)

Harry walked slowly down the hall. He took in a deep breath before reaching for the doorknob and slowly opening the door. He stood in the doorway, taking in the sight before him.

There, on the bed before him, was his first archenemy, Draco Malfoy. The boy's hair was all mussed and filthy. Ragged strands fell loosely over his face. His face was gaunt. It was pale, save the dark circles under his eyes His lips were dry and parlty opened as he slept. His robe fell shabbily over his feeble, sleeping body.

Had Harry never met the boy before him, he would have felt sorry, but this was Draco Malfoy, the boy who sent Katie Bell to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries! The boy who informed Dolores Umbrige of the D.A.!

He took a step into the room, not taking his eyes off the sight in front of him. All of a sudden, Malfoy's motionless body began to shake. He began mumbling something Harry was unable to make out.

Harry continued to walk into the room until he was inches away from the bed. Malfoy's words were beginning to become clear.

"Mum, no, please," He mumbled. "Aunt Bella! Why?"

Harry saw the look of distress in Malfoy's face. He was sweating and began rocking. Though he hated him with every bone in his body, Harry couldn't help but feel sorry for the sleeping Malfoy.

When Harry was deep in thought, he didn't notice Malfoy's eyes slowly flicker open. He looked up at Harry hovering over him in deep thought.

"P-P-Potter?" He asked in a weak voice.

Harry looked at Malfoy with cold, stern eyed. He did not know what to do. What to say. He still was having trouble believing that this whole thing was even actually happening.

"You said you would give us information." He finally got out. His voice was emotionless. There was no tone in his voice. It was just there.

"P-please. For-forgive me. I-I didnt know, I di-"

"You didnt know? You didnt kinow whot you were trying to kill the entire school year. You didnt know who you were planning ot kill since the summer?" His voice was as it was before. It would have sent chills down his own back, he was so cold. The only thing he wanted to do was jump up and scream. He wanted to tear apart the boy before him. How could he not have known?

"I knew. I knew. But, but i didnt know he would kill my mother. I-"

"Your mother, your mother, your mother! You dont even care about the one man who was wlling to give you a chance. To save you. To protect you!" Harry was doing his best to control his anger.

"Please, Potter, my mother was all I had. She protected me. All my life she protected me. She was my savior. She was the only one who truly cared for me." Weak tears began to fall from his face. "She was all I had in the world and he killed her."

"He killed a lot of mothers."

"He killed mine! He sent my father to jail! He destroyed my family!" Malfoy turned away, not wanting to look at his only hope.

"He killed my mother and my father. He practically sentenced my godfather to death. He killed Cedric Diggory. Would you care for me to go on? Because I can. You're not the only one whose family he destroyed. You arent the only person in the world. It's time for you to finally learn that." Harry could not have been filled with any more hatred.

Malfoy stood up as quickly as he could, and looked Harry straight in the eye. "Look, Potter, I know that we have disliked each other since we met, but I need you, and you can use me. I have information that you can use. Please, let me help."

There was a long silence between the two boys. Neither knew what to do or say. They just stood there, not moving a muscle.

"I'll let you stay here tonight. Tomorrow, though, I want answers." Draco looked at Harry. He tried not to let it be nticed, but his eyes lit up a little. "I will be right back." Harry turned around and walked out of the room.

He shut the door after leaving and looked down at his wand.

"No Harry, you didnt do the spell wrong." Harry looked up at Hermione and Ron, who were standing outside of the room. "I did it on my own wand as well. Same with Ron."

"Hermione, I don't know what to do. Ron, do you tihnk i should have let him stay here?" Harry didnt know what to do.

"Harry, i tihnk you made an excelent decision. No, you made the right decision." Hermione said, trying to make Harry feel better. "Listen, why don't I stay with him tonight? You two can make a list for what we should ask him. Oh don't look at me like that! I know for a fact that both of you would most likely kill him, besides, I'm the lightest sleeper. If he does or says anything, I'll hear." Hermione looked at her two best friends. They looked at her, not wanting to allow her to stay with the enemy, alone, at night.

"Hermione, I-" Ron didn't want anything to happen to Hermione.

"No Ron! Can you honestly tell me that you won't do something to him? And let's say that something does happen, what if someone finds him and puts him under the Imperius Curse? No offence guys, but who do you think is quickest with their wand? And let's not forget that Harry still had yet to turn seventeen. Stop looking at me like that!"

"What the Bloody hell is going on up here!" Vernon Dursley yelled as he marched up the stairs. Hermione had locked him and the rest of his family in the dining room. Petunia had to climb out the window and break open the door.

"Shit, it's my uncle"

"Gee Harry, we would never have known otherwise," Ron said sarcastically.

"Oh shut up Ron! Thisisn't the time for your sarcasm. Let me," Hermione walked over to the stairs to meet Vernon at the top. "Mr. Dursley, a-"

"I don't bloody well care! When are you going to be leaving my house!" His face was turning red with anger.

"The second Harry turns seventeen, but for the meanwhile, we are here only to protect you and your family. At the moment, though, a classmate of ours' needs our help and we have decided to give it." Hermione was trying to control her temper. Why did Mr. Dursley have to be so rude?

"And how, may I ask, are you helping him?"

"He shall be staying in your sister's room with me, not leaving, under my care and supervision until further notice." Hermione could tell that this was going to cause conflict, but it's not like he could be trusted completely yet.

"WHAT?" Vernon was furious.

"Sir, please understand that you will not see or hear him for the remainder of our stay. You will not even know that he is here." Hermione left at that note, not wanting to cause conflict and to let Mr. Dursley know that she had won the argument.

"THIS IS NOT OVER GIRL!" Hermione refused to turn around at this. It was over and she refused to continue unless he was willing to leave them alone.

"I am sorry, Mr. Dursley, but it is. You do not control me and I can turn you into a toad if i wish. Now if you will excuse me, I have a classmate that needs care and food." Hermione turned around, walked briskly past Vernon and marched down the stairs to the kitchen.

When she entered the room, she saw Dudley with half his body in the refrigerator. She looked around to see if there wre any leftovers from dinner on the counter, but there was nothing but petunias.

She grabbed a plate from the cabinet and walked over behind Dudley.

"'Scuse me." Hermione said as she tried to look over his shoulder to see what remains of food was left.

Dudley turned around and looked down at the petit figure now in front of him.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" He put his pudgy hand up to his ear.

"Listen Dudley, I need to get food so either you move your ass or I do." Hermione was pissed off. She already had to deal with Pig Sr. and did not want to have to no with Jr.

By the time Dudley was done trying to hit on her and she had stuck him, temporarily, to the refrigerator door, Hermione had decided to bring up a little bit of everything from dinner for Malfoy.

Hermione piled chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, and a biscuit onto a plate. She saw a piece of chocolate cake in the back of the refrigerator. She grabbed the piece and filled a glass with milk. After putting everything on a tray and grabbing some cutlery, Hermione took everything upstairs to her's and Malfoy's room. As she opened the door, she heard Ron's and Harry's voices in their room. They seemed to be arguing, but she had trouble making out the words, so she just continued into the room and walked over to Malfoy, who was sitting up on the large bed looking at something in his hand.

"I brought you some food," Hermione said quietly. Malfoy's head shot up. He stared hard at her, as if he was trying to figure out what she was thinking. Hermione saw this and put down the tray on the small writing desk. She walked over and sat next to the boy that used to be her friend. It had been a long time since they had sat beside each other like this.

"I miss this," Malfoy said all of a sudden, as though he knew what Hermione was thinking.

"What?"

"I miss this. You and me not hating each other." He said simply.

"Who said that I don't hate you?" Of course, Hermione could never hate him, but she could never forgive him for the shit that he had done and that he had assisted in.

Draco looked at Hermione. Her soft brown hair was up in a ponytail with a few loose strands falling over her beautiful brown eyes. Her beautiful lips were slightly parted as she thought to herself. He would always wonder what it would be like to kiss them. Their friendship was the strongest bond he had ever had with anyone, but he always wanted more. Not just because of her beauty, but because of her mind, her heart, her intelligence, her soul, she was perfect in every way.

"Hermione-"

"No. Don't bother." She turned to face him, "Draco, you don't understand. This time Dumbledore died. Death Eaters were in the castle. You put all of Hogwarts at risk. You sent Katie Bell to St. Mungo's for how long again? Do you want me to continue with all the other crap that you did?" She turned away. It pained her to do this. "I think that it might be better if we just pretend nothing ever happened and you just found Myrtle on your own."

Draco refused to hear this. She could not pretend that nothing ever happened! He slowly stood up and walked over to the tray of food she had brought up.

Hermione stood up and left the room, leaving Draco to eat alone in the room.