AN: Sorry that this took so long to upload, I've had finals and AP tests but now school is basically done so maybe I'll have more time to write? I certainly hope so, enjoy! ^_^

When Harry entered the common room he wasn't surprised to see Hermione and Ron sitting in armchairs near the fire. Ron was cursing quietly as he attempted the newest potions essay while Hermione read with her knitting needles flashing before her knitting...well Harry wasn't quite sure what she was knitting.

"Harry! What took you so long mate?" Ron asked, glad for any excuse to procrastinate on his potions essay.

"Did you get your hand mended?" Hermione looked up from her book.

"Er-" Harry had completely forgotten about his hand but realized he still had the jar in his hand. "In a minute." He sat down and gingerly unwrapped the handkerchief from his hand. His hand was indeed swollen and the scratches were an angry red. Applying the thick green paste brought immediate relief to his hand and after a few seconds the paste seemed to disappear along with the pain and the scratches were now a light pink.

"Where've you been, Harry?" Ron asked again. Harry told them about finding Malfoy, how he had brought him to the Hospital Wing and ended up staying with him. He also mentioned the encounter with Mrs. Malfoy though he left out the part where she had said he would be a good friend for Malfoy. Ron and Hermione looked at each other.

"I think I'll start carrying my Marauders Map with me again." Harry got up to get it but Ron grabbed his arm, "You don't want to go in there right now; Dean and Seamus are...a bit busy." Ron looked absolutely appalled at the idea.

"Oh," Was Harry's only response as he sat back down.

"You are absolutely ridiculous, Ron." Hermione chided her boyfriend.

"It's our dormitory! I don't mind them being together but they don't even try to hide it...always snogging in public now and then this?! And Dean dated my sister once..." Ron replied indignantly.

Harry proceeded to tune them out after this and his thoughts fell on Malfoy again. Suddenly Harry slapped a hand on his forehead, Ron and Hermione stopped bickering and looked weary as Harry jumped up; "Malfoy and I were supposed to be at potions club today! Slughorn will be furious! I'll be back in a few minutes; I need to talk to Slughorn quickly." And off he went.

Thankfully Slughorn was in his office and seemed quite happy to see Harry; "harry m'boy! To what pleasure do I owe this visit?"

Harry's stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he had accidentally skipped dinner. Slughorn laughed, "Not a problem, I still have some crystallized pineapple." Slughorn summoned some immediately and gestured for Harry to sit at the table.

"Thank you Sir but that's not the reason I'm here." Though he couldn't help eating some of the sweet fruit.

"Then I'm guessing you are here with your excuse as to why you missed potions club today. Mr. Malfoy didn't show as well. Were you two fighting again?" Luckily Slughorn didn't seem mad, at Harry that is.

"He was...involved in an...incident and I brought him to the Hospital Wing. We will be at the next meeting. I'm mainly here because I have suggestion." Harry replied.

"Yes m'boy?"

"Well Mal-er-Draco is very good at potions and the Hospital wing is low on potions and since I'm sure you're a busy man as well, well I was thinking that it might be a good idea for Draco to brew the potions needed.

Slughorn considered the idea for a bit before nodding. "Yes I think that's a good idea. Would he be willing to do so?"

Harry nodded enthusiastically, "I'm sure he'd be honored, Sir." Harry crossed his fingers behind his back hoping against hope that Malfoy wouldn't throw a hissy fit and accept this arrangement.

Slughorn beamed, "And when you improve, you could help him. Of course, we'll need to test the potions first...well that's what houseelves are for I suppose." Harry sincerely hoped that Hermione never found out about this newest abuse of houseelves.

"Brilliant!" Harry said smiling. Both chatted a bit before Harry headed back to the common room feeling pleased with himself but also a tad nervous thinking about how the hell he should tell Malfoy about this new assignment and how the latter would take it. Would he insult Harry to his face but be secretly grateful? Or even more pissed off because Harry was meddling in his life?

Back at the common room Harry was cornered by Zabini and Parkinson;

"What the hell did you do to Draco, Potter?!" Parkinson spat as she pointed her wand at Harry's face. Zabini was right behind her and his eyes were narrowed dangerously.

Harry was starting to get really sick of these fight-loving Slytherins. He kept his hand on his wand but decided talking might be better at this point; Parkinson was probably not the best at dueling but he knew Zabini wasn't to be trifled with. "I haven't done a thing to him." He replied coldly while keeping his eyes on Parkinson's face that still looked like a pug after all these years.

"Don't lie Potter! A first year told us he saw you dragging an unconscious Draco to the Hospital Wing and-"

"Exactly! Why would I bother bringing Malfoy to the Hospital Wing if it had been my fault?"

"Hero complex and a guilty conscience?" Zabini suggested but he looked less suspicious nevertheless.

"Malfoy was already unconscious when I found him. Yes I took him to the Hospital Wing but, this time anyway; it's not my fault that he's there in the first place."

Parkinson still looked suspicious but Zabini was now looking appraisingly at Harry. "Then what happened to him?" There was still blame in Parkinson's tone but Harry detected a bit of worry.

"Someone, or several people, must have ambushed him. He was covered in stinging hexes. I don't know who it was." Zabini and Parkinson exchanged glances.

"And why should we believe you?" Harry was surprised to hear that Parkinson no longer sounded hateful but wearier. She had probably suspected what was going on before now too.

"Ask him yourself." Harry said simply. Zabini raised a well-defined eyebrow and Parkinson's mouth dropped, though she shut it quickly.

"Fine, saying for a second that we believe you, why did you help him? You hate him." Harry couldn't help but notice that she didn't say 'you two hate each other', so maybe Malfoy would accept his help.

"Believe it or not but I've been on the receiving end of bullying as well, and not just from you Slytherin lot or various Death Eaters but at the Muggle schools I attended before coming here and from my own cousin." Zabini and Parkinson looked shocked at his divulgence of privileged information. Using their stunned silence to continue talking without being interrupted Harry continued, "The war is over so why can't we just stop fighting and have peace?"

"It's not that easy Potter, we were on the wrong side because of our families but Pansy and I don't have the Dark Mark nor did we have the Dark Lord hosting sleepovers at our houses where he fed houseelves and goblins to that python of his." Zabini said carefully, his Slytherin facade as cool as ever, though Harry noticed some subtle changes in him.

Harry realized he hadn't given much thought to Malfoy's treatment over the course of the war, he knew the boy had been forced to torture prisoners for, what it seemed, the amusement of Voldemort. The image of Malfoy's scared pale face popped back into Harry's head as he remembered the visions he had seen during the war.

"Look, Malfoy-Draco may have been my enemy in school, hell you all made my life here less enjoyable, but the war is over so...why don't we...er...try not to kill each other for a change?"

"It was our pleasure." Zabini smirked.

"If you're saying Gryffindors and Slytherins should try and get along-"

"I know, I know, it'll happen when houseelves are freed," Harry said impatiently, "But why don't we three, Draco, Ron, and Hermione try to set an example?"

"'The discombobulated sextet'? Or 'The Savior trying to befriend ex-Death-Eaters'? Now those are interesting headlines. The Prophet would have a field day!" Zabini's smirk widened.

"Is that a no?" Harry asked.

"No."

"But if Draco even thinks for a second that you are pitying him, which he will, then-"

"Won't change anything. I won't stop following him until we are friends or at least until people leave him alone."

"Damn Gryffindor's perseverance, no wonder they kept beating us at quidditch." Zabini-Blaise shook his head in wonder.

Harry grinned and the three walked into the common room together.