Usual Disclaimer: Unfortunately this world and its wonderful inhabitants do not belong to me, they belong to J. K. Rowling, I'm just borrowing them. I am making no money from this it is purely for the enjoyment of those few who choose to read it. Thanks J. K. for lending me your ready made world of magic.

A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed, namely: Hermione Bullstrode, Cassie, Separatrix, Raven (Thanks for your advice/opinion - it was a great help :-) ), Malfoys Kitten, Alexis-Greenleaf, Siriusly Black2, Sheree, kevin, Tamachan444, RilieDeAnnPotter, NiaSphinx, Remo, Aconitum, riskusbadgirl06, Abzei91 and Laura.

I know it's taken a little longer than usual due to holidays etc but here it is. Also I apologise if any updates do become delayed in the next two months approximately as I have important exams. I am hoping to keep the updates as regular as possible but if any unforeseen delays occur - sorry. Please be patient. Thank you. :-)

Extra Disclaimer: The lyrics below do not belong to me, I don't actually know who they belong to but all credit goes to them, whoever they are. I know the song is called 'Volare' and if anyone can tell me who it's by then please let me know in a review so I can put the name in.

"Sometimes the world is a valley of heartaches and tears,

and in the hustle and bustle no sunshine appears,

but you and I habe a love always there to remind us,

there's a way we can leave all the shadows behind us."

Chapter 16 - The Powers of Persuasion

"You're telling me that Malfoy is a nice guy after all? Sorry Harry but I don't believe it." Ron shook his head.

Harry ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly.

"I'm sorry Harry but it does seem odd that he's turned goody goody all of a sudden. Why the change? Why now?" Hermione questioned trying to figure out a logical explanation for Malfoy's behaviour.

"That's what I'm trying to say. He hasn't changed. He was never 'evil' in the first place. It was all a front to keep up appearances as 'the son of a Deatheater'."

"That would make him one seriously talented actor." Ginny frowned sceptically.

Harry didn't know what to say next. He knew they would never understand the complex emotional shields within Draco and himself, or how something so unnatural as having to hide your real self, became an everyday normality. How could they possibly understand that he and Draco were more alike than anyone could ever have imagined?

"He would have to be." Harry said eventually. "If he didn't keep it up - make it look real - he would have been torn apart. The Slytherin dorms aren't exactly the friendliest of places. No one person knows for sure whether any of the people around them are fake or not. In a way, they are all actors." Harry tried to make himself clear.

"You mean, they're all false, none of them are or have true friends?" Hermione asked, picking up on what Harry was trying to say and looking horrified at the thought of an empty life without real friends.

"Exactly. When we got back to Hogwarts last year and I was... intact, do you have any idea how difficult it was to explain Draco's failure in handing me over? The Slytherins were fed some cock and bull story to cover it for a few weeks, but now they'll have heard about it from their Deatheater parents and Draco will be a Slytherin enemy number one when we go back to Hogwarts." Harry looked around the table for agreement. "The whole thing is an intricate web of lies, deceit and false fronts." Harry quoted the metaphor he had thought of earlier.

"I had no idea it was like that... so complicated." Ginny said, finding it easier to accept what Harry was saying about Draco, as she had not been so much in contact with the animosity of past years like the trio had. Hermione was also gradually coming to terms with it but it was not easy to forget past troubles caused by Malfoy.

"So? Why should we care? Now it's his turn to know what it feels like to watch his back twenty-four/seven."

"How can you even say that?" Harry growled. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone!"

Ron immediately looked sorry and avoided Harry's eyes.

"Okay, so what if it's all a plot to hand you over to You-Know-Who?"

"Think about it Ron - if he had wanted me dead, he had his chance to hand me over - he didn't. He's now in hiding from his father, in danger of his death and under constant threat of being hexed when we go back to school. Who would be giving him his orders? He's had no contact with anyone bar Dumbledore and me since the end of term. The list of reasons against that statement is endless. Do you want me to go on?"

Hermione was beginning to see sense. "Harry's right. I know Dumbledore wouldn't have them living together if Malfoy posed any threat to Harry... or if there was any other choice for that matter."

"Exactly! At last we're getting somewhere! Don't you see?" He asked Ron. "Do you realise what he gave up for me? He gave up living in a mansion with everything he could ever want, he gave up a vast quantity of money which would have kept him comfortable for a lifetime, he gave up his family - however horrible they were, I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not having a family - and he gave up his own safety."

"Okay, so he's not going to attack you with an unforgivable but it's still hard to understand why he's gone from pure hatred for us to wanting us to be his best friends."

"He didn't hate 'us' Ron. He hated..." Harry hesitated before continuing. "He hated you and me. He hated that I chose your friendship over his. I chose you over him and essentially sentenced him to and empty, friendless Slytherin life. He hated me for refusing him the first time he ever extended a hand for friendship."

"He told you this?" Ron frowned.

"Sort of... It's the truth Ron. We're friends now and as hard as it may be to understand that, I'm hoping you'll be able to at least accept that. He knows everything you do about... well everything."

"He knows everything?!" Ron exploded. "Ginny doesn't even know half of that and she's far more trustworthy! I can't believe you're trusting him with enough information to get us killed or at least expelled!"

Harry had had enough. "Yes Ron! I am trusting him! Doesn't that tell you something? Or is my judgement not good enough for you?" He stood abruptly and banged his fist on the table.

"Harry... calm down." Hermione looked frightened of Harry's threatening stance. "Surely you understand how difficult this is to take in?"

"Yes Hermione, I am all too aware of how difficult it is." Harry rubbed his head weariedly. "All I'm asking is that you give him a chance."

"I'm with Harry." Ginny said quietly. She had been slightly more easily persuaded than the others had and she knew that Harry needed her support.

Harry gave her a look of relieved thanks with a small smile before looking to Hermione for her verdict. She was biting her lip, torn between Harry's compelling words and pleading looks and the evidence of what seemed like a lifetime of hatred. Very slowly she nodded. "I'm not promising anything but he gets one chance."

Harry nodded and turned to face his greatest challenge.

Ron still looked like thunder. "So now you're all against me?!"

"No. I just want you to trust me enough to give him one chance. Whether you do or not is up to you, bearing in mind we have to live together or over a month."

"Doesn't look like I have a choice does it?" Ron frowned and Harry stared him out until he relented. "If I agree, do I have to call him Draco?"

Harry let out a relieved laugh. "No, I don't expect you to call him Draco and neither does he."

"Right, so where is he?"

"He's upstairs calming down."

"Calming down?" Hermione looked sceptical.

"Yes, calming down. Do you realise that not one of you so much as acknowledged him when you arrived?"

Hermione and Ginny looked ashamed and Ron just continued frowning.

"Anyway..." Harry continued, not wanting to make a big deal of it after making such progress, getting them to give Draco a chance. "There's a TV and stuff in the lounge, why don't you three go and settle down while I go talk to Draco and we'll be down in a while."

"Okay." Ginny agreed, quickly cutting in as Ron opened his mouth to object.

Harry turned back as he reached the doorway. "Nothing I've said leaves this room, okay?" He knew he probably hadn't needed to say it but he wanted to make sure and was comforted by the solemn nod he received.

"Dray?" Harry questioned tentatively as he entered the Den minutes later and seen that Draco was sitting in an armchair with his back to him. Harry move in front of him and seen that he had been crying.

"Thank you." Draco murmured. Harry's brow furrowed in confusion and Draco handed him a glass orb, which currently contained a picture of themselves in the Den.

"You heard?"

"Every word." He croaked as tears threatened again. "And I never hated you." Harry didn't know what to say and he felt so horribly useless, Draco would not meet his eyes. Harry cupped his hand around Draco's chin and tilted his head up. Their eyes locked. "I never hated you." Draco repeated.

"I didn't hate you either."

"And I wouldn't..."

"Dray shh... I know, I know." Harry silenced him. He crouched down and brought their faces together for an intimate kiss that confirmed their bond without words, or any need for them.

"Ron, Hermione, Ginny, let me introduce you to Draco Malfoy."

"Hi." Ginny smiled, standing and extending her hand. Draco accepted it gratefully.

"Hello." He returned the greeting with surprise at the apparent warmth with which she had greeted him.

Hermione smiled at him as warmly and with as much sincerity as she could muster.

"What are you talking about Harry? We know who he is." Ron frowned.

Harry rolled his eyes at Ron's misunderstanding and Ginny took it upon herself to elbow her brother as she sat back down.

"Ouch! Okay okay." He quailed under looks from Hermione and Ginny. "Hello Malfoy."

The greeting lacked any particular emotion but at least, Harry thought, it was not a malicious comment.

"Are we going to watch a movie?" Hermione asked to prevent them lapsing into the tense silence she felt was beginning to set in.

"Yeah." Harry agreed. Hermione, Ron and Ginny were spread comfortably on the couch, leaving only the armchair free, which Harry collapsed into. Draco resisted the urge to sit in his lap and instead took a seat on the floor at the foot of the armchair, trying to avoid any contact with Harry that might have seemed suspicious to the others. It was harder than it sounded.

Hermione began the movie and they settled down to watch, each thinking about how strange this situation was. Six months ago, not one of them could have imagined sitting with each other watching a movie at Order Headquarters.

'Only five o'clock.' Harry thought to himself as they finished watching their second movie. It had turned out to be the longest day in history. It felt like midnight. They had sat in tense silence for the duration of two movies, each spending the time wondering if the tense atmosphere was destined to stay this way for long. They were in for a long summer if it was.

"Dinner?" Harry questioned as he stood and stretched, unaware of Ginny's blush as his shirt lifted to reveal a small section of his midriff. Draco also stood, brushing imaginary wrinkles and dust from his clothes.

"Yes please." Hermione replied eagerly, standing to follow Harry into the kitchen.

Draco, Hermione, Ginny and a reluctant Ron sat at the table while Harry began cooking.

"So... Ginny started for the second time that day, trying to break the tension and awkwardness that was already setting in. "So what have you and Harry done this summer." She asked deciding not to let her brother's biased judgement affect her own and ignoring the fact that he was scowling at her at that precise moment. She ad never had any really terribly encounters with Draco and she trusted Harry so she decided to give him a chance and make up her own mind about him.

Harry hid a grin when he heard the question, thinking of his and Draco's 'exercise' sessions and he subtly turned to watched Draco's reaction.

Draco could hardly disguise his surprise at being addressed but he recovered and Harry smiled. He really was an amazing actor - he answered pleasantly enough but not too pleasantly. "Not a lot, being confined to this place. We went muggle shopping when we got here but nothing other than that."

"That's a shame, the weather has been great." Ginny sympathised.

"We wouldn't know, there aren't even any windows."

Ron was looking incredulously at Ginny until Hermione elbowed him in a less than subtle fashion.

"You really haven't been outside for two weeks?" Hermione asked in wonderment. "What have you been doing top pass the time?"

Draco bit his tongue and Harry jumped in before he burst out laughing.

"Just, reading, watching movies, listening to music, cooking... there's actually quite a lot to do, plus we've had loads of visitors."

"Sound's boring to me." Ron commented. "Mum's right, don't you have loads of pent up energy?"

"No, not really... must have been expelled some other way." Harry fought back a blush and Draco smirked. "And there's chess." Harry quickly changed the subject for the second time that day. "You and Draco should play Ron. He'd be more of a challenge to you than I would any day."

Ron looked sceptical. "I'm not one to back down from a challenge if you're up for it, Malfoy."

"What do you think? After dinner. Prepare to be beaten."

"Don't count your chickens, Malfoy."

It wasn't the most pleasant of conversations but at least it was a conversation, and one which lacked the usual levels of malice, on Draco's part at least.

Dinner passed without any major casualties. As time passed Hermione, Ginny and Draco conversed in an increasingly amicable manner, the tension decreased, and even Ron cheered up a bit (although only conversing with Draco when completely necessary).

The game of chess went ahead as planned with Ron emerging as the victorious party. Just. He revelled in the glory of beating Malfoy and, as planned by one false move, the tension between them lightened significantly, Ron being reassured on some subconscious level that Draco posed no real competition to him.

Later that night, Harry was glad to finally be going to bed. It had most definitely been the longest day he'd ever experienced. As Ron and Ginny made their way to their rooms on the third floor and Hermione to last vacant room on the second floor next to Harry's, Harry reflected on the events of that day. He was extremely pleased with the immense change in relationships between his best friends and his one love.

By the time he felt an familiar body slip in to bed next to him, once everyone else was asleep, Harry was beginning to seen that, yes, things were going to be alright after all.

He was soon drifting off to sleep in the arms of the familiar blonde Slytherin he had grown to know and love, breathing in the familiar scent that he had grown to know and love.

Extra A/N: Just a quick note to all those who reviewed my other story 'One Dance is all it Takes' - It was going to be a one shot but you guys seemed to like it a lot and I liked it too so there will be another chapter added when I get the time to write it so thanks for your reviews and I hope not to keep you waiting long. Will Thank separate reviewers when I update it but until then, hope you get to read this note! Thanks.