A/N: I hope your are all enjoying this story so far. I know that some of it has been a bit boring but I'm just trying to describe the situation, and I have been slipping in meetings between the two of them. Hopefully they can interact some more in this chapter as lessons are starting. Sorry about all of the spelling mistakes, I'm trying to type this on my phone so I will go back and correct any I find and if you notice any, feel free to leave the word and location in the reviews. Also any opinions on other ships? I'm including Romione but I'm unsure about any others? If you have any thoughts, please recommend them in the reviews. Thank you all so much!

Chapter 4 - Back to normality

Harry awoke and sat silently. The time was 6:30 and he was the only one awake. He was surprised he had slept so well up until then because he had been having nightmares about the War and sometimes spent whole nights awake, shaking and afraid of everything. He refused to tell Hermione or Ron because they would only worry and he didn't want them to have to. Suddenly Malfoy stirred and weakly opened his eyes before laying them on Harry. He didn't seem fully awake as his eyes didn't budge until Ron awoke and yawned loudly.

"Hey, Harry, do you have potions first?" Ron whispered.

"Yeah, what about you?"

"I spoke to McGonagall and she said I don't have to take it now, so I've got a free. "

"Potter, I've got potions aswell, does Slughorn still teach here?" questioned Malfoy before Ron interrupted: "Why would he want to speak to you?"

Malfoy didn't care but he left it as he knew he needed to get along if he was going to sleep in the same room as them for a whole year.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Everyone slowly filtered down to breakfast with excitement about their lessons and then Harry noticed a pair of Ravenclaws sitting further down the table talking to a Gryffindor. And there was a Slytherin laughing with a Hufflepuff on the Ravenclaw table. Oh yes, you can sit on any table you like. Looking around, he noticed none of the 8th years had moved tables, not surprising, it felt so normal to stay seperated. He ate his slice of toast and had a tea before talking to Hermione about how excited she was to begin her lessons in advanced arithmancy after dinner and all of the work she had done in preparation. Soon enough, it was time for potions and Harry and Hermione walked down to the dungeon and stood at the back.

Professor Slughorn started "Now welcome back class, this year we ... where is Rup.. Ralph?"

"Ron, Sir? He's no longer coming to potions as he would rather concentrate his studies elsewhere." Harry piped up.

"Very well, it's for the best I would say. Anyway, as I was saying, today we are doing a lecture lesson however Professor McGonagall has asked me to personally put you into certain seating positions. This is to encourage diversity after last year's events. "

He continued and read out the seating, Hermione next to Blaise, Pansy next to Romilda, they all seemed to be with people from another house and Harry felt that Blaise seemed to be the nicest Slytherin there was so Hermione would probably be alright.

" And that leaves Harry next to Malfoy on the back table. Now please take your seats and we shall begin."

WHAT?! Malfoy? Why? Out of everyone, it had to be him. Harry knew he was going to fight regularly with him and it wasn't going to go well. Maybe Slughorn would decide to move them apart if they kept on fighting.

They sat down and moved as far away from each other as they could and didn't speak once. This was really awkward.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Potter? Nooo! I don't want to sit next to that idiot. First we share a dorm and now we share a table.

Draco shifted to the far end of the table and apparently Harry had the same idea. However it began awkward to write so far off the edge and they both ended up moving closer than they had wanted. Finally it was the end of the lesson and everyone grabbed their bags and began to leave. Both Harry and Draco reached for their bags and banged their heads.

"Oww! Watch it Potter! Your big head got in my way!"

"Oi, so did yours!"

Hermione walked with him out of the class and they made their way to the care of magical creatures class with and caught up with Ron. He explained the whole situation to Ron and they stood outside the forbidden forest.

"You have to sit next to the ferret?! That's really bad, you should complain." Ron began to shout with anger.

"I would but we've got to sit next to each other because of the diversity decisions." Harry sighed.

Hagrid began and took them down to the fairies they would study for the next 4 weeks and taught them how to approach them and interact with the delicate creatures. However Ron was still talking about potions and Malfoy overheard.

"Where I sit is none of your business Weasel. I don't like it and you can't change it, just like how poor you are." Draco explained.

Ron flipped and screamed at Malfoy. Ron was obviously tired and it tipped him over the edge to fight back. He staring flailing his arms at Malfoy before Hagrid ran up and stepped directly between the two fighting pupils.

" The pair of yeh can go teh Professor McGonagall, now!"

They both stomped off and left the class to continue.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Well if anyone was to arrive up here I expected it to be Mr Potter with you Mr Malfoy but you seem to have gained another enemy. I hope you realise you are both in eighth year and therefore you should be concentrating on studies, not on arguing. This is unacceptable and I should expell you both but I feel as considering the recent past, this shall only be a warning. To both of you. Now get back to lesson and, for Merlin's don't get set back to my office, either of you. "

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Dinner had finally arrived and the lessons were extremely enjoyable. It began to feel normal to the students to follow the usual routine and when the dinner arrived after Professor McGonagall's speech, it was immediately plated up and eaten, especially by Ron who piled up his plate three times before the puddings had arrived. It was nice for them to all catch up and spend time together before Harry and Ron could relax in the common room and Hermione could go to her next lesson, arithmancy. She had been on about it all day and the boys were glad she would stop now that she went to the lesson.

Back in the common room, they both avoided Malfoy like the plague as they didn't want to get onto anymore trouble and they sat at the desks towards the back of the room. They didn't intend on reading or doing anything productive but it was the furthest away from the ferret that they could get. Time flew by and Hermione had returned to the room with the others from the class and she sat next to Ron, kissing him in the process. She spoke about her lesson and Ron seemed genuinely pleased that she had enjoyed it. For the rest of night, they spoke of how much they had missed this place and how they enjoyed returning for the year before Ron and Hermione had decided to calm it a night. Harry remained at the table as he wasn't quite ready for bed and was often a night owl, but in particular as he was scared about the dreams returning. He eventually moved from the harder chairs to the softer, comfier sofas, only to find Malfoy was yet again, the last one awake. Silence. Awkward didn't so this situation justice. Their eyes tossed to and fro, avoiding each other's sight and pretending they weren't opposite each other.

"You can tell Weasley that I will be sleeping down here from now on. I'm always the last one awake and I'd rather stay away from him. But it's for my own sake, I don't care about him."

Harry felt a slither of sympathy for him and he didn't know why but he was too tired to think before saying, "OK. So... Urm... Do you live alone now then or...?"

Malfoy's face suddenly dropped and he couldn't find the words through the shock of the sudden question. He hadn't expected Harry to want to know anything about him.

"Erm, yeah? Why do you want to know?" Malfoy asked shakily.

"Oh, I don't know really, just wondered and I blurted it out. Sorry if I upset or anything." Harry's voice sounded genuinely sorry and had no trace of menace or harm.

"Oh no, no, you didn't, its just, no it doesn't matter. Well I'm off to bed. "

Harry made his way up the stairs to his dorm and lay down on his bed. That was a weird conversation, maybe it's because he was tired but did Malfoy seem upset when he mentioned his life?