Chapter 6

I realized that having Draco Malfoy as a friend, strange as it seems, did a lot for me. Not only did I have constant help with my homework, (when Hermione tried to help, it usually became pointless lectures on why I shouldn't need said help) but it was easier to walk down the hallway not having to watch my back for hexes or crude comments every which way from the Slytherin end.

It never occurred to me how if Draco Malfoy was quiet, the whole Slytherin house was a lot quieter too. Although there were many good things for me having him as a…well a non-enemy, I couldn't understand what it was possibly doing for him. It's not as though I ever helped him with anything and there was always that tiny little fear of mine that he was befriending me for a reason.

When I thought about it fully, though, with many of the Death Eaters imprisoned, his parents dead, Voldemort gone, who could he be possibly giving any information to. Not to mention, what information could be useful anymore. I barely spoke to my "friend" at all, considering the fact that we didn't yet want anyone to know about our secret and it was hard to find time to inconspicuously converse in class.

One thing was sure, though, no matter what our schedules were, we agreed that Monday nights would be our time to just talk in the Room of Requirement. I suddenly wished that day was Saturday because it might have gotten me out of this date I had with Seamus.

I sighed, as I had finally finished getting ready. "Okay, Harry," I told myself breathing slowly in and out, "you'll be just fine."

Ron patted me on the back, but didn't say anything more. He liked to pretend Seamus and I were just hanging out together because I didn't want to be the third wheel with he and Hermione. To Ron, it wasn't a date at all.

Seamus, apparently feeling to awkward to get changed and ready in the same room as his date, told us I should me him at the Three Broomsticks.

And meet him, I did. For that was where we were. We sat at a table together near the back and didn't say a word to each other until after Madam Rosmerta had taken our order.

"So…" I started awkwardly, "how are things?"

He laughed softly, "I'm here with you. How much better could 'things' get?"

I smiled as I received my butterbeer from Rosmerta. Maybe things wouldn't go so badly after all…

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"Harry!" Hermione yelled as soon as I had stepped through the portrait into the Common Room.

"Uh, hey…" I said slowly.

She rolled her eyes, "Well, you know what I'm waiting for! How did it go?" she said excitedly.

"Ron, maybe…maybe you want to head up to out dorm?" I suggested.

"Thinking the same thing myself, mate." He turned to Hermione, kissing her on the cheek, "Spare me the details, love. I'll see you later."

"Aright, he's gone…so…tell me!"

I smiled. "I had a great time. I really did." And this was the truth. I really did have a nice time with Seamus. It seemed much different than all our earlier times together.

"So, you're going to see him again?" She seemed positively giddy.

I shook my head, "It'll be just friends for us. I believe I made that clear. I do hope I didn't hurt his feelings."

Hermione looked shocked, "But, Harry, he's liked you for so long. He told me so himself, why…I thought you said you had a great time."

"I did, Hermione, but Seamus really isn't what I'm looking for. I'm sorry to you and to him. I had a great time and I think he and I could be better friends than we ever were, but he's just not what I want in a bo—boyfriend."

She sighed and put her hand gently on my shoulder. "Harry," she laughed, "You mustn't be so picky. If you let Seamus slip away, it's going to very hard to find a boy in this school to go out with."

I pulled her hand off of my shoulder, "Of course it is, Hermione." I said angrily getting up. "Everything is going to be harder this way, okay? But, I'll deal with that."

I started walking up the stairs to my dormitory, "And I know you're just trying to help, but I don't really want it. I'm sorry."

…………………………………………………………………………………………

"Well, you should have told her it's not really her business, is it?"

"I did. I still feel bad about it, though. Maybe I shouldn't have said I didn't want a relationship. Maybe she's right."

"Nah," sighed Draco, "if it didn't feel right, it probably wasn't. Anyway, you know my opinions on it."

Draco and I were having our annual Monday meeting and I had been telling him all about my experience with Seamus and he listened rather well. It was becoming extremely easy to talk to him. Once I started the conversation, I just kept going on and on. He didn't seem to mind, though, which reminded me of my previous thoughts.

"Draco," I let his name ring out in the air. It was really the first time I had used it.

"Hmm?" He didn't seem to have really noticed…or cared.

"Why are you doing this? I mean this friendship thing we've discovered."

"Because you suggested it," he said simply, turning away once again.

I got up from my position on the couch and sat next to him on the floor. Honestly, why anyone would willingly sit on the floor is beyond me. I assumed it had something to do with being close to me. He didn't seem to like nearness.

"But you could have said no," I tried reasoning with him.

"You didn't want me to and besides, hating you doesn't get me anywhere anymore."

I frowned, confused, "Well, neither does friendship. There's really—"

"You listen." He said in that voice that clearly stated, 'don't interrupt me'. "You listen to me."

I laughed, "Draco, I'm the only one who ever says anything. How can I listen to what you do not say?"

I immediately stopped laughing when I realized he wasn't. I frowned again putting my hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay?" I asked.

He shook his head and stood up, "I don't know." He answered honestly. "I want to be, but this…it's so different. I just…I want to be friends with you. I do. It's just…why do you want to be friends with me? After all the things that I've done to you and your friends, how can you just forget it all."

"Draco," I put my arms out and he fell into them. I laughed again. "Draco, you've become quite the sap." I said slowly rubbing his back. "Everything in the past doesn't matter. You and I…we're friends, okay? Just relax." I said.

There was something about this gesture. Something about hugging him, soothing him, trying to make him feel better that made me feel worse. The feeling that went through me with him being so close was…unmistakably attraction. Which is, something I've never really felt.

I pulled away from him, taking his hand and pulling him down onto the couch, so that he could sit next to me. He put his head in his hands, apparently noticing the slight humor in the situation of Harry comforting the person who was apologizing for all the wrongs done.

"Harry?" He asked calmly as the new sound of that name coming out of his mouth. It was new. It was scary and wrong. So wrong, yet soooo right.

"Yes, Draco?" I had to say it.

"Thank you." I had no idea what he was thanking me for. I had no idea what he was talking about or what I'd done particularly to help him. Even though I had no idea what I was being thanked for…

"You're welcome," was all I said.

"I—I think I have to go." Draco said after a few minutes and got up to leave.

I looked at him questioningly. "Well, you know, they'll start to wonder where I am. Before I go, though, you never answered me question and…why do you desire a friendship with me?"

Was it the attraction? No, of course not, I only just realized it was there. It took me a minute, but I finally remembered something.

"When I was trying to apologize to you at the very beginning of term, you said something to me. You…you said that, although I'm the world hero, I'm still nothing to you."

Draco had somehow arrived outside the doorway and I was inches from it; inches from him.

"And this made you decide 'oh, wow, he must really want to be friends'?"

I laughed, "Not exactly. And, back then, it meant nothing, but now I'm starting to realize that no one has ever understood that before."

He was getting closer. "What? That you want them to consider you as 'nothing' to them?"

Closer now. "No…just that…although, I'm a world hero, that doesn't change the way you think about me. Everyone else treats me as 'The boy who lived' or 'The chosen One', but to you, I'm Harry Potter: former enemy, current friend."

He was so close I could feel his breath against my face as he spoke. "Yeah…I guess I know you're say—"

Before I knew what was happening, my lips were against his. I put my hands around his waist pulling his body up against mine. His arms had been thrown around my neck, holding on for dear life. It was the most amazing thing I had ever felt in my entire seventeen years of living.

As soon as the moment was there, it was gone. He moved his hands down to my chest and then pushed me away from him.

"Harry," he said breathlessly, "I'll see you later…I guess. No, tomorrow…in class. Yeah, that." He said quickly. "Bye"

By the time I blinked, he was out of sight. I sighed, "Don't get caught, Draco." I covered myself in the invisibility cloak walking out the door. I let it shut quietly behind me.

I touched my fingers tentatively to my lips and let out a deep breath that I had no idea I was holding. "What does this mean?" I asked to the empty hallway.