Um once again thank you all sooo much for waiting. Life.. yeah... plot bunny... yeah... I'm back to working on the story now. Thank you all so much and I swear I will write faster. XD here's the next chapter! Things are moving finally! (eh, more or less)

Chapter 10

Days passed by and slowly routines began to form. Wake up, shower, prepare for the day. Relay messages to the twins during breakfast. Classes, chitchat, Snape picks on Harry. Complain at lunch. More lecturing, common room, homework. Discuss upcoming plans while eating dinner. Finish homework, wash up for bed, pretend to go to sleep. Wake up at midnight. Meet up with the twins in the kitchen.

It was comfort for Draco. It was heaven for Harry. Whenever one became sad, whether due to Ron's scathing remarks or Snape's snide comments, the other would offer a pat or a smile, and all would be right with the world.

But of course, like all friendships, they had their conflicts as well.

"No! We can't set Bucktooth into the Hufflepuff dorms!"

"Why not? It'll be fun," Draco snickered, "I bet they'll wet their trousers, those pansies!"

Harry pursed his lips in anger, "No." He turned abruptly and hissed a few succinct phrases. The grass snake on Draco's arm hissed in response and slithered across the floor to Harry's bed, disappearing under the wooden structure.

"Hey!" Draco jumped up, "what did you say to him? I didn't give you permission to order my pet around!" He rushed over to Harry's bed and, upon the failure of luring out Bucktooth, glared daggers at the Boy-Who-Lived.

"I don't need your permission," Harry said smugly, crossing his arms, "besides, I didn't order him to do anything."

"Well, what did you bloody tell him then, Scarhead?"

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Don't call me that, or…"

"Ooooo I'm scared now," Draco sneered, "or what, Wonder Boy? You're gonna order my snake to have a tea party with the girls? I'll call you whatever I want to, Scarhead Scarhead Scar—Oof!"

He was cut short when Harry sprang from his position on the bed and tackled the blonde to the floor. They rolled around, punching and kicking until both were out of breath, separating finally at the corner of the room. They huffed and puffed and sprawled on the floor like limp rags.

"I think you gave me a black eye," Draco moaned.

"I think you gave me two, so shut it."

The blonde coughed out a chuckle, then another, and Harry joined him.

"Well you deserved them, Harry, for seducing my poor snake with your silver tongue," Draco huffed, wincing as he sat up. Rummaging through his belongings, he came up with two tiny bottles of pale blue liquid. Healing potions 'borrowed' from the nurse's storage. "I ought to leave you looking like a raccoon. What in Merlin's name did you say to him anyways?"

The Boy-Who-Lived laughed. "I just said, 'stay with me tonight.' Now give one here."

"Ha! You did order him! I knew it!" Draco plopped down beside him, tossing one bottle over.

Harry caught it with ease and popped the stopper off. "It was just a suggestion," he said with a smirk.

Draco laughed, uncorking his bottle. They clanked glasses and downed the potions together.

All in all, life was good.

Draco had already forgotten about Ron's warning by the time a month rolled by. That was why, when an old accident-prone owl carrying a dark navy envelope fell into his morning cereal, his heart stopped beating.

The whole dining hall was silent in an instant. Fred and George had shot up from their seats. Ron was biting his lips, eyebrows scrunched. Harry's hand was on his shoulder.

"What is it?" Harry asked softly.

Quaking fingers untied the letter as Draco tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "It's a-- it's a Mourner…" he couldn't continue.

"It's sent when really serious things happen to a family," across the table Blaise finished in whispers, "like a death or something."

Harry's eyes widened and his head snapped back to Draco. The boy, however, did not notice. Pale fingers broke the seal with a quiet pop. Next to Harry, Goyle reached over and covered up Harry's eyes, squeezing his own eyes shut.

"What the—let me go, you—" with some effort Harry wrenched out of Goyle's grasp, and when the hall came into view he realized that everybody, including the teachers, had their heads down and turned away. Confused, he turned to Draco, and his eyes widened.

Numerous dark blue ribbons sprouted from the letting floating in midair, encircling Draco's body, caressing his cheeks and hair like motherly hands. His face was illuminated by the weak blue light shining from the letter, his expression blank. When Harry turned his attention to the paper, he could hear a faint voice, steadily gaining strength until he heard actual words, speaking into his head like a phantom.

"… found you on the streets, it was wrong of us to assume that you would…"

And his head was none-too-gently slammed into the table by Goyle. The voice cut off abruptly. Harry opened his mouth to complain when Blaise whispered harshly, "you shouldn't eavesdrop on other people's messages. Looking at the letter is as good as reading it. It's common courtesy to turn away and leave it be."

Harry closed his mouth. He kept his forehead on the table top, watching out of the corner of his eyes the strands of ribbons fluttering in the air. He saw Draco's clenched fist and gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to rush over and help his friend.

Slowly, the ribbons faded away, and Harry raised his head to peak around. Dumbledore had sat up now and was talking to Snape. McGonagall hit her glass twice with a spoon, and the students resumed eating. Quickly, the black-haired boy turned to his friend. Draco sat motionless, still staring at where the letter used to be. Tears glistened in his eyes but refused to fall.

Harry laid a hand on his arm. He turned slowly and quivered a smile. However before Harry could say anything, a shadow loomed over the two boys.

"Mr. Weasley, the Headmaster has excused you from your upcoming classes, you may return to your room," Snape announced curtly. Then his eyes narrowed, "Mr. Potter may accompany you if he wishes, but I doubt he will be able to keep up with his work if he skips too many of his classes."

Harry bristled, "I'll study extra hard, Professor."

Snape wrinkled his nose. "Very well," he said, and with a swish of his cloak the greasy professor returned to the high tables.

"See you guys later," Harry tossed to the Slytherins and followed Draco out the door. Once out, his grievances with Snape were instantly forgotten. "How are you feeling?" He asked softly.

Draco took a deep breath and sighed. "Tired," he said finally. Sighing again he squeezed his eyes shut as if trying to hold back tears, "I don't ever want to get a Mourner again."

Harry took a step forward and put an arm around the blonde. He gave his shoulder a squeeze and Draco smiled gratefully at him.

Suddenly, the door to the dining hall clicked open. Four redheads poured out of the gateway and Draco stepped up to face the first one. His eyes were narrowed and his voice was as cold as ice.

"What do you want, Ron?"

tbc!