Sorry this has taken absolutely AGES to update! But here it is! Chapter two at last… chapter 3 shouldn't be too long… I'm hoping )

Hope you enjoy chapter two…

Nothing, Why Do You Cry?

Both boys stood outside Dumbledore's office for a moment in stunned silence until-

"What the fuck just happened? I don't bloody believe it! Reduced to… having to have anything to do with you!" Draco spluttered, waving a hand vaguely at Harry.

Harry folded his arms while Draco sighed and continued to look stressed.

"This would never have happened in the first place if you had just left me alone." Harry pointed out coolly "it's always you who starts on me. Always! So don't even pretend you're not going to enjoy making my life hell!"

Malfoy rounded sharply on Harry, who was glaring at him already, and pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Making your life hell! Don't flatter yourself, Potter! Firstly: enjoying anything to do with you is a foreign concept…" the following words were spoken in complete exasperation "And secondly, having you in your life makes it hell; nothing I could do could possibly make it any worse."

Harry's eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped "What! You…My life… You… Believe me Malfoy, if anyone makes my life hell it's… well actually it's probably Voldemort, but you come a very close second! You're certainly around to piss me off more often than he is!" Harry spat venomously.

He really had had enough of Malfoy and his pompous, bratty, arrogant, snobbish, conceited and completely unbearable personality to last a lifetime, and all he really wanted was never to see him again: unfortunately that was the furthest thing from what his impending future held. He certainly hated the fact that Malfoy's words seemed to confirm his growing fears that, in actual fact, everything bad in his life was his own fault, from the death of his parents, to Cedric and Sirius.

"Even Snape is only more of a pain than you 'cause he actually has power!" he added as a final barb, before turning to stride away.

"Did I hit a nerve, Potter?" Malfoy asked casually inspecting his fingernails. Harry stopped but stayed with his back to Malfoy.

"Afraid you really are the worst thing in your life? I know you're the worst thing in mine." Malfoy drawled lazily staring at Harry's back, trying to gauge his reaction.

Harry turned quickly and hurled words maliciously at the other boy "You think you're so fucking smart Malfoy! You think you're so amazing now… but I saw you in there… almost crying. I saw you… Draco. You're nothing. So don't pretend I'm worse than you."

Malfoy faltered. For a moment the words seemed to touch him and Harry saw his eyes, then nothing.

"I don't have to pretend, Potter: only Weasel and that filthy little Mudblood are worse than you... and you're nothing." He sneered.

Harry's eyes blazed and his hands itched to just thump that smug look right off Malfoy's face, but he knew he couldn't afford another fight with him, right outside Dumbledore's office no less. He knew he'd got to Malfoy: he knew it because of his eyes… and because now he was attacking where Harry was vulnerable- his friends.

"You're a sadistic fuck Malfoy; bet this punishment really suits you down to the ground! You get to have me around all the time so you can hurt me and taunt me and put me down and try to make yourself feel better. But Malfoy: it won't make you any better."

"Fuck you, Potter! I'd rather have been expelled!" Malfoy hissed angrily, but Harry hadn't waited for his reply; he was already stalking away.

"Whatever Malfoy." Harry muttered as he left the irate boy glaring daggers after him and began the long walk to the entrance hall. He just knew that whichever of them was weakened, Malfoy would abuse his position: Harry would either be humiliated, mocked and helpless, or a slave to Malfoy… and he wasn't sure which was worse.

HpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdM

"I trust it was nothing too serious that detained you?" Dumbledore said amiably, as the boys approached the entrance hall 10 minutes later than arranged.

"No, sir." Harry responded almost loudly enough to cover Draco's quiet snipe: "Potter just wanted to make a dramatic entrance, you know him."

Harry glared at Malfoy. Malfoy smirked. Dumbledore said "I'm glad to hear that boys." very pleasantly and ignored both the remark and the glare.

"Now, let me escort you to you're new house common room and dormitory." Dumbledore smiled, turned and began to walk back up the stairs.

Harry wondered how Dumbledore had got out of his office and to the entrance hall before them and without them seeing him… and why meet them in the entrance hall when he would be the one guiding them anyway; why not take them straight from his office?

"Umm… professor?" Harry started, not sure which of the questions clogging up his brain he should ask first "What's our new House called? …And who's our Head of House?"

"You're new house, Harry, will be named by young Mr Malfoy and yourself. But you must both agree on the name. As for your head of house, I'm afraid I was the only member of staff open for the position." He smiled lightly at Harry "I hope that will be satisfactory?" Harry grinned in spite of himself.

They walked for some while with only the sound of clicking boot heels and quiet shoe soles. Harry was pointedly not looking at Malfoy, who was obviously still incensed that Harry had got one up in their latest spat.

"Professor? How will it be determined which of us will be incapacitated first?" Draco asked suddenly breaking the almost silence.

"That is a good question Draco. It will be determined during your first hour in your new living quarters."

That didn't really answer his question… well vaguely, but how was he supposed to act in order to get what he wanted…?

"How?"

"How what?" Dumbledore asked, obviously avoiding answering.

"How will it be determined? I didn't ask when, I asked how." Draco snapped impatiently.

"I am not, as you may suspect, Mr Malfoy, an old fool. If I intended to tell you how it would be determined I would have answered your previous question."

If Draco hadn't had so much self control he would not have been able to stop himself from blurting out 'if you said what you really meant more often, Professor, I doubt people would think you such an old fool.' Thankfully for him, only Potter was ever enough to really break his self control.

"Here we are." Dumbledore stated, stopping at a strange tapestry neither boy had ever noticed before. It depicted a young woman crying into her hands in the foreground while a battle raged behind her.

"Before we enter I must inform you of several important facts: Firstly, the entrance to your quarters will rarely be in the same place twice. The tapestry moves around the castle every time it's opened: therefore there is no telling how long it will take you to get from your rooms to your lessons or meals. This will, no doubt, make it difficult to locate; however, I believe the map Mr Potter has in his possession will have this chamber marked on it once you've named your House and will guide you to it accurately." Harry looked guilty and not particularly shocked that Dumbledore knew about the map, while Draco looked intrigued. "Please do not leave your quarters without the map. If for any reason you cannot find it, you must come to me and I will guide you myself.

"Secondly, it is not a simple password that will allow you to enter. You must remember this sequence. And lies will not gain you admittance.

"The name by which you call the figure must be the first name of the person who last called you by your first name. You would do well to remember when people call you by name: if you get it wrong she will instantly move. If you correctly address her then she will ask why you cry. When she does you must tell her the true reason you last cried. After that she will speak something relating to why you cried: you must nod and remain silent. Then the door will appear."

Dumbledore stepped up to the tapestry and stood before the young woman and spoke.

"Poppy, why do you cry?"

The woman looked up; she bore a striking resemblance to Madame Pomfrey, though her tearstained face was etched with a sadness neither boy had ever seen her display before.

"I cry for those who fight the battle. They have misunderstood. Why do you cry, stranger?" she said softly

"I cry for Marianna." Dumbledore said clearly, although he sounded pained by the memory.

"She understood. Though the battle still took her."

Albus Dumbledore nodded sadly as an ornate doorframe appeared where the tapestry had hung. The three of them stepped through, both Draco and Harry pondering the strange sequence-like password… along with the name their headmaster had given.

The sight they were greeted by as they entered the large room was impressive: their new House colours, if the common room was anything to go by, would be royal purple and something akin to platinum. Their common room was, of course, not as large as those belonging to the other houses, being that there were only two of them, but the room was no less remarkable: Tall, wide windows lit the room, illuminating plush armchairs and sofas, purple rugs covering wooden floorboards and a large hearth, currently devoid of fire. There was a large set of oak double doors beneath a wide arch at the far side of the room, which no doubt led to their dormitory.

Once they were inside Dumbledore spoke distractedly.

"This is your new home for now, boys. I'm sure you'll find your way around just fine. If you have any problems your owls will relay messages or you can find me in my office. You will know within the hour which of you is to be the initial target of the spell, after that you are on your own. I must go now, I'm afraid… business to attend to and whatnot…" and with that vague assurance he left.

"Did you think he was acting oddly after giving the password sequence? I wonder who Marianna is…" Harry wondered aloud as he stared after Dumbledore.

Malfoy sighed in exasperation.

"Who cares!" he snorted coolly "I'm going to have a look at the bedrooms."

HpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdM

Sorry I didn't get as far as the 'incapacitation' in this chapter… it'll be in the next one.

Please, please tell me what you thought…. I think I may have missed the mark a little with Draco's character…? I'm finding it difficult to be consistent with him… but more will make sense in that department later I think…

Please review!I want to know what you think!