When Harry entered the common room again, he found it to be empty. He went to check whether Ron was in the bedroom, but he wasn't there either. Harry sat on his bed, looking down at his feet. What a day. He found himself thinking. I can't believe I'm being worried about Malfoy. I don't even like him. Harry frowned. Get a grip, Harry. He mentally slapped himself. Quite frankly, Harry had no idea why Malfoy kept invading his brains with unpleasant thoughts. His eyes…He couldn't have been lying. He sighed. SO WHAT? His strong, Malfoy-hating voice said.

Harry got up. "You're right, I shouldn't care." He picked up Malfoy's books –he had thrown them on his bed-, and now laid them on his commode.

"It's all right, Mr. Malfoy. No, no, lay down." Madame Pomfrey softly pushed Draco's torso back down on the bed.

"Nhh..." He murmured and closed his eyes again. "My head hurts so much…Oww."

Madame Pomfrey walked to the other side of Draco's bed and poured an ochre fluid into a glass. "Here, take this. It'll make you feel better in no time." She handed Malfoy the glass and walked off to her Office again, closing the door.

Draco tried to get up a little, and took a sip from Madame Pomfrey's medicine. Oh my God, this tastes terrible. But he took another sip and poured everything into his mouth. Disgusting. And he shivered.

He lay down again and tried to remember how he got here. The only thing Draco remembered was that he went to the Library to get books on the Bowtruckle. "Madame?" he asked to the closed door. Madame Pomfrey opened her door. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"How did I get here? And…Where are my books?"

"Lay down, I said." She pointed out before answering. "I have seen no books, and I believe Mr. Potter brought you here."

"Oh." Draco mumbled. "Do you know –" Madame Pomfrey closed her door again. If Mr. Potter was carrying my books… Even though Malfoy had no idea of who that might be, he was hoping he had brought his books as well.

"Fine." He said to the closed door. He pulled the covers 'til his nose, and turned on his side.

Mr. Potter…Your name sounds so familiar.
Draco closed his eyes and tried to see Mr. Potter's face.
So…familiar…

Moments later, Draco was fast asleep and bad dreams plagued his memory.

You SHALL obey my orders. No one disobeys a mighty and powerful Lord, like I am.
…
You're task is to KILL him. NO, I already told you, I'm not tolerating your protest.

A shrieking pain is his chest woke Draco up. Breathing heavily, he looked around the room, expecting to see masked murderers and threatening wands…

Eventually, when he saw no possible danger, his breath settled again, and he fell back to sleep.

When Draco woke up, his books were laying on the sideboard next to his bed.

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy. You're awake. I told you the Potion would work! Either way, Mr. Potter brought your books, this morning." Madame Pomfrey said, while she was smoothing the bed sheet and puffing the pillows of another bed. "He said he'd come by this afternoon, after his classes."

The fact that the unknown Mr. Potter was going to pay Malfoy a visit, made him slightly nervous. Was Mr. Potter going to lecture him about not leaving any school property books in the Hall? Perhaps he'd even get Detention. Then another thought came up to his mind. She never said 'professor' Potter. He might not even be a teacher at all…!

This made Draco feel a lot better. He couldn't remember anything that had happened, so he wouldn't have had a proper excuse to for lingering his books down the Hall.

A soft knock came from the door. It opened and a raven haired boy came in. "Good afternoon, Madame Pomfrey." And then he turned to Draco, "Oh, I see you've woken up. I brought your books this morning, but you were still sleeping." He told Draco, while closing the door behind him.

Relieved, Draco noticed that this was a student talking to him. He even found him to be quite familiar looking… That moment he realised he had been gaping at Harry for about half a minute. "Oh, … ehm. Thanks. For the books and…for bringing me here, I guess."

Harry felt very uncomfortable. There, in one of the many Hospital beds, his rival was laying, wearing nothing but a blue pyjama. Frankly, that wasn't what freaked out Harry most. The fact that the boy who Harry had hated from his first day he said foot in Hogwarts, was now thanking him, smiling at him and offering him to take a seat.

Again, Harry had to muster up all his courage. Just like this morning, when he didn't know whether to go to see Draco or not. He knew he was being stupid, they're just books after all…Still, he hadn't discussed it with Ron nor Hermione. He was afraid of their reactions. Who would believe him after all? Who would believe Harry if he told them that the stuck up Draco Malfoy had completely lost his arrogance and haughty manners? Who would believe him if Harry told them that Draco had lost his mind?

Taking a seat next to Malfoy's bed, Harry took of his cloak. All this time, Draco gazed at Harry with his grey orbs, following every action Harry performed. His eyes lingered at the Gryffindor emblem on his jersey.

"You're a Gryffindor." The way Draco said it, it was more an affirmation than a question.

Staring from his emblem to Draco, Harry nodded. "I'm a Gryffindor, indeed." And before he knew what he was saying he added, "The house you and your friends have always hated."

Frightened by what he had said, Harry looked down and mumbled an apology. Even though Malfoy was a prick, Harry had no right to say something like that to an ill, perhaps worse than Harry thought, person.

Draco didn't seem to be offended in any way. He just raised one of his eyebrows and wrinkled his nose. "What do you mean? I don't hate you." And when he said that, Draco remembered a scene that had happened before, involving the person sitting next to him.

"Why would I be mean to you? I don't even know you? In fact, I didn't know my name was Draco before you called me like that. I don't understand why you're calling me names all the time, though. Your tone of voice is so cold when you talk to me. Your eyes are so distant."

Harry noticed that Draco's eyes were spinning madly in his sockets and that he was shaking slightly. Harry eyed Madame Pomfrey's office, but no one was there. "Draco? Draco? Are you okay?" Harry got up and held Malfoy's shoulder.

The eye spinning stopped. "Are you okay?" Harry whispered.

"I've seen you before. You don't like me, do you? You think I'm special."

"Of course we've met before, but are you okay!"

"Yes. I just … remembered something. I'm fine."

Harry let go of Draco's shoulder. "Good. And you're right. Before today, I hated you."

"How come you saved me then? You could've just left me there in the Hall, I'm sure people would've found me."

"Because…You're changed. Something has happened to you. You're not being mean to people or calling them bad names. You're not being an arrogant prick. And…You fainted. I couldn't just leave you there, perhaps something really bad was going on."

Harry was glad he said that. That was exactly what had happened, and that's the exact way he could tell Ron and Hermione. He didn't really care for Draco. His conscience just couldn't handle the thought of leaving a fainted person all on his own.

Draco looked away. What's he saying? I don't remember anything from being mean to people…In fact…I don't remember anything at all…

"I'm tired." Draco told Harry. "Thanks again for bringing the books."

Harry understood that by that Malfoy politely ordered him to leave. Harry put on his cloak again, and walked to the door.

"And…Mr. Potter –"

"Call me Harry."

"Feel free to visit me again. I don't known when I'm allowed to go, and I could use some company."

Draco didn't know why he said that, but it felt so right. It had been nearly a day since he got here, and the only person who visited him had been Harry. Harry who hated Draco. Harry who saved Draco. Harry…

Harry was taken by surprise. Bloody hell, I've gotten myself into a situation! He mentally cussed. But seeing the new ( and improved ) Malfoy smiling at him, took away most of his doubts.

"We'll see. I've still got a lot of tasks to finish by tomorrow and the day after. But when I have some spare time, I might pay you a visit…" and he closed the door.

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Read and review! Beta readers always welcome, ditto for ideas. 33