I don't own Harry Potter, if I did it would be one twisted little book that only a Boblander could love. But happily I can borrow the people and places from it so enjoy.

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Chapter 4: Hogsmeade …

He glanced around the great hall, there was really no one here since it was Christmas. He made his way to the sole table that now resided in the room sitting beside some first year Ravenclaw girl who's name he didn't know opting to avoid sitting next to the third year Slytherin.

He had grown rather fond of Christmas at Hogwarts over his seven years here and despite the fact that he still keenly felt his lacking family he liked it. He smiled at everyone at the table even managing one for even his hated potions master, today just seemed like good day that not even Snape could ruin.

They had only been eating a few moments when the second bain of his existence-and man of his dreams-at Hogwarts decided to make an appearance. As the man came closer there were suddenly two problems he could see. Problem one he didn't like him, but yet he could almost feel his hands on his skin and hear his voice as his mind instantly pulled the dream back up and his face heated up. The second problem that he realized a little too late…

"Potter." Was the only greeting he got as Draco took the seat to his side. Yes that was the other problem he had just discovered the only seat left was the one between him and that Slytherin. Well at least he wasn't between the two Slytherins. That would not have been very comfortable especially considering which one the other happened to be. He had missed the boy's sorting, but he had meet up with him a couple of time since then and he was as much of a prick as Malfoy was on a good day, and then that annoying attitude really it was like a slightly nicer version of his rival who liked to fight the muggle way a lot more.

As the meal progressed he was a bit put off though when Malfoy didn't take the time to insult him. He saw him shoot a few glances his way and a couple at Professor Snape, but he never actually said anything. He was glad for it at the same time though. No speaking from Draco meant easier to not think about the dream, meant less likely to embarrass himself. It couldn't last though could it? No that would just be a good thing for him and nothing good ever happened to him.

He didn't know what exactly had set Draco off just that he suddenly realized that he and the other Slytherin's voices were raising and were getting dangerously close to yelling now. "Shut it Li!" was about the only thing he ended up being able to discern from their words and that was the last thing from Draco's mouth before he was leaving with his robes whipping behind him.

He blinked watching him go before turning his attention back to the table only to find Li glairing at him. He returned the other's look before pulling himself to his feet and heading out of the room as well and right out the front door of the school. He had had enough to eat for now he was not going to deal with stupid Slytherins and the house problems.

What he missed on his exit though was the odd smirk that Professor Snape was wearing. Though it was probably a good thing he did too, anything other then a scowl on that man's face never boded well for anyone and with Harry already having problems he didn't really need more did he?

Instead the boy-who-had-gotten-tired-of-his-name-being-the-boy-who-defeated-Voldemort-and-insisted-he-was-Harry just made his way to Hogsmeade with only one snake problem to worry about.

Taking a deep breath of the chilled air and looking over the snow covered town he decided that Zinko's was first. He quite enjoyed the joke shop, especially now that he had found an easy way to get the things back into the castle even on Filch's bad days. Yep that map was great, he had liked having it. If Filch was having a bad day all he had to do with hide all his finds at this end of one of the entrances, usually the Shrieking Shack, and come get them with his cloak later. Oh yes very nice and baffling to the man too.

He grinned walking out of the joke shop with a bag full of new toys tucked into an inner pocket of his robe. He had spent a while in there apparently because the sun was now rather high and his stomach was begging for food. So the Three Broom Sticks was defiantly his next stop. This was probably one of the few things he liked about being of age now; he could go in here anytime he wanted.

He made his way to the bar and ordered a butter beer, ok so the more things change the more they stay the same. He might be of age and could definitely have anything he wanted, so what did he order? Butter Beer. What could he say old habits die hard, well and Butter Beer probably was one of the better things he had had to drink. He could still remember that time Ron had convinced him to have a go at shots of Firewhisky with him. That had not ended good at all, but what he wouldn't give now to be able to do it again.

It wouldn't happen though so many had died in that battle, Ron had been one of them Hermione too. Yes problems on top of problems that was all he ever got. This thing with Malfoy was just the latest in a string of problems that got to be thrown his way. Great and now he felt depressed again, not even the drink was helping to cheer him. He sighed and ordered a couple more bottles of the drink to take with him. He knew he had some homework somewhere he could get to to distract himself for a bit.

He stood up paying for his drinks and shoving the unopened Butter Beers into another couple pockets in his cloak and made his way out. He hadn't been in there very long, or at least not as long as Zinko's had distracted him, but the sun had moved some so he had been in there longer then it seemed. It took him very little time to get back to the school, or at least it seemed that way as he really didn't want to get there. The trip to the empty dormitories was much slower he found as he found no less then four trick steeps and took at least 3 wrong turns with the stair way moved while he was on it, he was just too distracted for his subconscious to even work properly it seemed.

He did finally make his way back to his room, but even with his work sitting right there he couldn't manage to concentrate on it. Thoughts of Ron, Hermione, and even Draco just wouldn't leave him be. So in the end he just sat there with his work drifting in memories.

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Again sorry it's so short, and sorry it has taken so long my muse has been rather dead lately. Hope ya like this chapter xLovelessOtakux and LadeeLilth.