*A.N* YES the first chapter is ALSO on . I had originally posted it there, but as it sat for several weeks without being approved I decided to move it to . *End A.N*
Chapter 4- Blurred Lines
Harry sat with his friends the next morning, his mind still reeling on the fact that the professor hadn't seemed to take as much urgency as he had for Malfoy's situation. Luna had joined them for breakfast again as the house colors had still not been put up yet, a few other students sat scattered throughout the great hall. Harry was honestly surprised by the mingling of houses, Ravenclaws sat at the Hufflepuff table, Gryffindors at the Ravenclaw, and a few Hufflepuff with the Gryffindors. The only house that didn't seem to participate with the mingling was Slytherin, to no one's surprise.
The entire great hall went silent and Harry looked from his plate to look around the great hall, finding all eyes on the table that would be Gryffindor. Before Harry could lean over to ask Hermione what was going on, he felt a weight next to him on the bench. He already knew by the looks on everyone's face that sat around him who had just seated himself beside him. "Draco." Harry acknowledged the blonde in Slytherin cloaks, Draco nodding in return. "Potter. Granger, Lovegood... Longbottom." Draco said letting Neville's name stay on his tongue longer than the others, his silver eyes seeming almost sad as he looked at Neville.
Everyone But Neville nodded in return, but did not saying anything. Neville looked around the small group then stood when no one spoke. "You know -he- wouldn't let him sit with us." Neville said, feeling a pang of guilt as Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she bit her lower lip to stifle a sob. As he left the table, all eyes travelled with Neville for a moment; seeming to silently agree with the fact that the pair was indeed an odd one.
"I can leave-" Draco spoke as he stood a solemn look in his eyes, Harry grabbed Draco's arm, stopping him and looked at Hermione and Luna, both women nodding to Harry. "You are welcome here." Luna said quietly and smiled up at Draco; Draco sat once again seeming to take him sitting as an invitation to begin a conversation with the unusual guest at the Gryffindor table. "Your eye looks quite painful, does it hurt?" Harry was taken back by Luna's words and looked at Draco once more, studying the boy's silvery-grey eyes. A dark bruise circled his left eye; he had been beat up again, and probably in the Slytherin common room this time as Harry hadn't seen him before now.
"I could fix that." Hermione said and Draco shook his head. "It's alright." Harry looked at Hermione, finally beginning to understand just how much of an outcast Draco and the other malfoys had become after the war. "Excuse me. I have some things I need to do." Harry said and left the table. Leaving the great hall, Harry made his way up the familiar stairs towards the office that used to be Dumbledore's. Now it was Mcgonagall's office, Harry was determined to make Professor Mcgonagall see the situation with as much urgency as he did, a student was getting beat up now almost daily in his own house
Harry spoke to the stone eagle, surprised it was still the password Dumbledore had used when it was his office, but it was also a fitting tribute he thought. making his way up the steps behind the large eagle Harry came to a stop at the large wooden door. Knocking on the office door and waiting for Mcgonagall's voice to carry through Harry contemplated what he was actually going to say to the Professor. "Come in Mr. Potter." Harry pushed through the door and was greeted by the sleeping portrait of Dumbledore, at least he seemed asleep, "Hello sir." A smile parted the old wizard's lips as a single eye opened enough to look at Harry before closing again.
Mcgonagall watched the interaction between Harry and the portrait of Dumbledore before she spoke. "Is there something on your mind Potter?" Harry turned his attention to Mcgonagall and nodded. "Yes Professor. Malfoy, he's-" Mcgonagall put her thin lengthy hand up to silence Harry. "I am aware of Malfoy's situation, as you so made clear last night after your fight with Mr. Zabini" Harry licked his lips before speaking again. "He came to breakfast with a black eye Professor...I think, for his safety he needs to be moved houses; before it goes from him having a black eye to something much worse."
Mcgonagall was silent though shock flitted over her face for a moment before her features settled once more. "You know that is impossible Potter. The sorting hat put him in Slytherin for a reason and like the Goblet of Fire -as I am sure you remember quite well- has a binding magical contract. Malfoy can't simply be 're-housed' because of something like this." Mcgonagall was silent for a moment staring Harry down through her scare glasses. "Couldn't he at least stay in a different house?" Harry asked and the Professor pursed her lips. "Which house do you suggest would have the room Mr. Potter?" Mcgonagall asked and her eyebrows seemed to arch up higher than normal as she waited for an answer. "Gryffindor." Harry said quietly, though his heart clenched thinking about why there was room for just one more student. "You are passionate about this subject Potter?" The Professor asked with a sigh and sat back in the headmaster's chair seemingly already taking the defeat, Harry nodded.
"Alright. I will grant this proposition, for Mr. Malfoy's safety. I will inform the head of Slytherin right away." Harry was shocked it was so easy. "That's it professor?" Harry asked and Mcgonagall looked over her glasses at Harry. "is it?" She asked Harry and he nodded. "Then i suggest you return to your friends."
"Thank you professor." Harry thanked Professor Mcgonagall before leaving the office, glancing at the portrait of Dumbledore, a bright smile on the headmaster's face as he nodded at Harry, pride in his eyes. Harry always did the right thing, even if it was hard. Harry smiled at the portrait the stepped out into the hallway. Harry was still not convinced that it was as easy as it seemed, but for now the solution seemed pretty clear.
Harry stopped right outside the great hall and watched from a distance as Luna and Hermione quietly spoke to Draco, the two seemed to have lost some of the edge that had dropped on their shoulders when the Slytherin had first sat with them. Luna had been in the middle of explaining something that needed exaggerated hand movements and she was currently swinging her hans about and wiggling her fingers quickly. Luna spotted Harry out of the corner of her eye, that or she was just Luna and knew he was standing there and waved at him. Luna waving cause both Hermione and Draco to advert their eyes and Draco nodded to Harry from where he sat.
With a moment's hesitation Harry's feet moved forward as he watched the three return to whatever conversation they had been having. Harry sat on the opposite side of the table that he had been sitting on, now sitting across from Luna and Draco and listened to the trailing off conversation about Gnomes and them being the reasons that the Lovegood's Dirigible Plums were always in a mangled mess. "Hello Harry. You were gone for a good lng minute." Luna said once her conversation with Draco had dropped a bit more.
"Where did you go?" Hermione asked Harry and Harry shook his head. "Just business needing to be done." Harry said and looked at Draco, the silvery-grey eyes looking back him were not convinced but Draco did not push the issue.
When another conversation had begun about classes and schedules that Hermione was more than happy to take over and talk about the graduating OWL's Draco and Harry snuck away. Not that either of them weren't looking forward to classes, but rather that classes were something that would be a reminder of all that had happened in the last year. Draco and Harry walked out into the main yard and looked out over the surrounding area.
Hagrid's hut had a thin white streak of smoke billowing from the chimney and Harry had realized that he had yet to talk to the half giant since he had returned to Hogwarts. "Would you mind i-" Draco shook his head. "You can go." Harry sighed and rolled his green eyes. "I was going to ask if you would mind if we stopped at Hagrid's. They are also having Quidditch tryouts on the Pitch. I thought we could go and watch all the new flyers." Harry said and began down the path towards Hagrid's without giving Draco time to answer.
"Potter-" "Harry." Harry corrected Draco and the blonde looked taken back slightly but nodded slightly. "Harry.." Draco took a moment after saying the boy's name to continue with what he was going to say. "Why did you agree? To not be enemies?" It was Harry's turn to be slightly taken back. "Oh. well…i'm not sure. Maybe because being enemies takes a lot of time and energy. Why did you ask?" Harry turned the question back on Draco, not that he didn't want to answer the question but rather was wondering why Draco asked to not be enemies if he was going to just question it.
Draco pursed his lips for a moment contemplating how to say what he was going to. "Well… even if we were enemies before.. You kind of have always been a constant. I.. guess i needed something that will not change sometime soon because so much has changed. And a lot will continue to change." Harry thought it made sense, it was a bit of an odd answer, but Harry understood.
Harry stopped short of Hagrid's hut and looked at Draco, he had one more question to ask before they made it to their destination."Why did you not attack back? And why did you carry me back to the Gryffindor common room? You could have easily just left me there." Draco didn't reply but kept on towards Hagrid's hut. "Malfoy!" Harry said the blonde's last name, his tone coming out much more angry and demanding than he had wanted it to be. Draco turned back to Harry, his silvery-grey eyes old as the had once been. "What, Potter." Draco spat Harry's name and it made him shutter,how could something so familiar feel so horrid?
Harry opened and closed his lips, beginning sounds of words leaving his lips before falling to the ground. He couldn't think of what to say. Harry was thrown off guard as Draco grabbed him, his back being pressed against the cold stone of Hagrid's hut. Harry and Draco stood eye to eye, only inches from one another. "What." Draco said once again, though softer this time, the heat of Draco's breath on Harry's cheeks.
"Blimey Harry, is that you!?" Harry and Draco jumped apart and looked up at the half giant."Hagrid." Harry said out of breath and swallowed the lump in his throat. Hagrid looked between the two and and cleared his throat. "Perhaps a pot of tea is in order. Come inside, it's a bit nippy out here." Both Harry and Draco, their cheeks flushed, followed Hagrid into his hut. What had that been anyway? Neither boy looked at each other while Hagrid made the tea he had offered to make for the boys.
"Rock cake?" Hagrid asked setting the plate down on the overly large table. "No thank you." Both Harry and Draco said in unison and Hagrid looked uncomfortable for a moment. "Uh.. So. I hadn't really thought you lot to be friends." It wasn't really a question but Harry could sense the underlying tone of Hagrid's sentence. "I asked Potter." Harry was surprised that Draco was the first to offer some art of explanation. "I don't have many friends anymore. At least none that I used to have." Draco said and Hagrid adjusted in his chair. "Well, the best way to be id of enemies, is to make friends." Hagrid said and picked up a cookie from the plate on the table and chomped on it in silence.