It was a strange and frightening thing to realise that Draco Malfoy has something over you. Draco Malfoy had lied for them and hadn't told on them. They had put the lessons on hold for a while but seeing that the blonde hadn't said anything they decided to restart once more.

What he couldn't understand was why he had been able to find the door. Did the room of requirement find Malfoy's need greater than theirs? Still it made him uneasy and more attentive to Malfoy's movements.

The Slytherin seemed to have turned on his goons and mostly avoided them. It gave Harry the opportunity he needed to corner Malfoy.

"Well, if it isn't the wizarding world's most loved and hated celebrity." The blonde smugly said as Harry cornered him in the library. The blonde, unconcerned, kept browsing for a book in the shelf.

"Shut up Malfoy. Why haven't you told on us yet?" Harry asked. The blonde's grey eyes flickered to him but then back to the shelf, pulling out a long and thin book on transfiguration.

"I have my reasons. Though I wonder what room that was. What does it do exactly?" He asked opening his book and starting to read.

"As if I'm going to tell you." Harry clenched his fists and cursed the other's smugness to hell. It was clear the other was keeping this secret for his own gain. "What do you want?" He asked.

Malfoy's eyes paused, staring at one point of the page he was reading and then looked around to make sure no one was nearby. "I was in desperate need to protect someone dear to me. Then the door appeared. Is that what it does? Give you a place to do what you most need?" He asked Harry.

Harry narrowed his eyes at him. Did Malfoy have people dear to him? It seemed like the blonde was content using people left and right while not caring about any of them. "So what? You found us and now what?" Harry asked.

"Do you know where the Dark Lord has chosen to take residence, Potter?" he asked. Harry didn't know. All he'd seen was a dark but exuberantly decorated sitting room. His silence must have been answer enough. "Take a wild guess. Imagine your parents wanting you to stay away in school because someone like that was… doing the honour of being our guest."

Suddenly it all became clear. "So I just need to tell on you now."

Fear seemed to flicker in Malfoy's eyes but he covered it up with a bored expression and a dismissive shrug. "If you wish, though no one believes you anyway. No one who could bypass our wards that is." He paused and now Harry realised the Slytherin hadn't even been reading the book at all.

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you? Your father had it coming. Now he's displeased with Voldemort's visit?" He asked. Malfoy clenched his jaw tight and that nasty expression he showed when he was angry appeared.

"I don't suppose you would understand wanting to protect your parents, even against their bad decisions. More importantly my mother had no say in these matters… and I don't know how to protect her."

The blow did hit him where Malfoy had intended, but Harry, unlike the Slytherin, was capable of empathy.

"Dumbledore will-"

"Dumbledore is a fool. I don't trust him." Malfoy said turning back to stare at the book.

"You trust me though? I'm touched." Harry said sarcastically.

"Forget I said anything, Potter." The Malfoy heir hissed, glaring at the book and Harry stared fascinated as he saw Draco Malfoy flushed with embarrassment. Maybe he was serious.

"All we're doing is trying to learn defensive spells." Harry said.

"Then I wish to learn."

"I am not letting you come to our… group." Harry replied flatly. Malfoy huffed.

"Why not? I can swear to secrecy." Malfoy said.

"Why should I help you?" Harry challenged and Malfoy looked away.

"I thought that when it came to actually important matters we could overlook our animosity just once." Harry didn't want to. But Malfoy already knew their secret. This way he could keep an eye on him more closely, and if he had any dream implicating Malfoy… he would stop him from coming.

"Alright… swear on your mother's life that you will not tell on us." Harry said and Malfoy's eyes flickered up horrified but nodded after a while.

"I swear on my mother's life that I will not tell on you, directly or indirectly, to Umbridge." He said. Harry narrowed his eyes but rolled his eyes and threw a galleon his way. "What the-"

"It will feel hot when I decide a new meeting, and the time and date will show on the coin."

Malfoy looked at the galleon with more consideration now and pocketed it. He glanced back at the book as the silence stretched.

"Have you never said thank you in your life you prat?" Harry asked annoyed. Angry silver eyes looked up at him.

"Thank you, Potter." He spat and Harry grinned in what he hoped was a charming manner and nodded.

"You're welcome, Malfoy." He said and left.

oOoOoOo oOoOoOo oOoOoOo

Draco watched the idiotic Gryffindor go.

'I can't believe the fate of the wizarding world rests on that fool's shoulders!' Yes he was going to protect his parents no matter the cost, but lying to Potter had been too simple. Still… he had to find a way to resist the urge to hex him from simply looking at his idiotic face.

He eyed the golden coin and clenched his jaw, feeling conflicted and afraid. He needed to use all the cunning he could muster to carry out this mission. But then what? After he befriended the Gryffindor what did the Dark Lord expect him to do?

oOoOoOo oOoOoOo oOoOoOo

"Harry… wait up." Harry stopped and turned, seeing Cho coming with her friends, saying goodbye to them and coming to talk to him alone. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione who smiled and went off by themselves. Harry tried not to fidget.

"Hey Cho. How are you?" he asked. She shrugged gently and smiled.

"I'm ok… I was wondering… I know Umbridge banned you from Hogsmeade after the interview… so would you like to maybe go on a picnic on the school grounds?" She asked.

Harry blinked trying to process the information. He looked out at the courtyard, the snows having melted a couple of weeks back, the temperature starting to pick up enough to have pleasant strolls out in the budding gardens.

"Oh… like… you and me?" Harry felt his face heating up. He avoided eye contact with the other students that passed and eyed them curiously. He felt the palms of his hands a little too moist and rubbed them discretely against his robes.

"Yeah… a date."

Harry looked at her at this. He remembered the mechanical kiss, but maybe a date would be different. Maybe he could have fun… though the awkwardness of this moment was enough to want to say no.

"That sounds great." He hoped he didn't mess it up. Cho smiled and leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek. Again he felt his face heat up and he scratched the back of his neck. "I-I'll see you on Saturday then." He said. She smiled softly and nodded, walking off to meet with her friends who had been waiting around the corner and pulled her away in an echo of giggles.

Harry looked out the small arched window and picked at the rock of the base. A date. Yes he wanted to go, after all, that's what a fifteen year old was supposed to do right? To start dating?

Did he even have time for it anyway? Oh well… just one date won't be too bad. But was there anything he should know about dating already? Would Cho pick up on anything… strange about him?

His memory flickered to Little Winging and he cringed shaking his head, trying to shake off the skin crawling memories. There was no way Cho could know any of that. He just had to be confident.

For a second his memory flickered to Snape and he wished that he had not messed things up with him. He could really talk to someone right about now… someone who would know all the angles playing in his mind. Including the one thing only Snape, and now Dumbledore knew.

"Harry? Hurry, you'll miss out on the good stuff." Ron came to call him over to the great hall. Harry's stomach twisted unpleasantly suddenly not very hungry.

"Mmh… I'll be right there." He said. Ron nodded and rushed back inside while Harry felt himself salivating for another reason.

He covered his mouth and ran to the nearest toilet and retching into it a couple of times. Well… there goes breakfast. He flushed and walked out. He paused seeing Snape standing there, arms crossed over his chest, not looking at him. He looked down and rinsed his mouth before trying to pass by him. Snape's hand gripped him firmly by the shoulder and stopped him. Ah… he caught me.