Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Any recognisable characters, setting and scenarios are owned by the wonderful and amazing J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros and other suchlikes. I am making no money and am doing this for purely entertainment purposes, don't eat me. Also, many jokes in these belong to my humorous friends who will possibly eat me if I don't give them credit.

A/N: Well, firstly a grovelling apology for taking so ridiculously long to complete this chapter. Exams appeared out of thin air, but I'm back to weekly or so now. A wonderfully lovely young lady, drarryrevolution, beta'd this chapter for me as I wanted this up really quickly and CrackleInTheDark is taking a break. I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always, reviews save house elves!

Chapter 3

Draco couldn't sleep. Well he could but every time he felt himself drift into sleep he felt something there. A malevolent presence which was angry at him for something Draco couldn't decode. As much as he'd tossed and turned, it was entering his mind at increasing stages of awareness. It terrified him. What was worse was that he had narrowed down who or what it was, Voldemort or his father. They were the only two people who could have affected him in such a way. He wasn't sure which one upset him more.

He looked up at the green coverings which hung over his bed gracelessly. At least the walls were grey, and not covered in some vulgar wallpaper that would no doubt look like children's wrapping paper to go with the beds. Draco just lay there for a very long time. There was two sets of snores from somewhere within the room, probably coming from the Gryffindors as he knew Blaise didn't snore. Everyone had gone to sleep early and so he'd been lying there for hours, drifting in and out of sleep.

He didn't particularly want to move but eventually he made the conscious decision to get up and wander into the common room to read a book. Treading quietly, moving as soundlessly as he could manage, Draco stealthily stepped out of his bed and towards the huge common room.

The lamps on the walls had been dimmed and the room gave off a feeling of warmth. It was like the representation of relaxation in a room and Draco found himself wanting to throw himself on a sofa straight away and fall asleep. However, he wasn't going to sleep in the common room. That would be ridiculous.

Walking across to the bookshelf he picked up a random book and made his way over to a fireplace. The fire was still roaring and Draco felt the heat straight away, which only served to increase his wishes to slump onto the furniture. Just as he was getting ready to sit down in the nearest armchair he heard someone clear their throat.

"That's a muggle story, you know." Harry Potter had been lounging on a sofa, just out of sight.

He was wearing light blue pajama bottoms and a slightly grubby white t-shirt and his hair looked as if it'd just been through a strong hurricane.

"This is a wizarding school, you know." Draco replied easily. The words were heavy with sarcasm and dismissal. Even if he had wanted to sit and talk he certainly didn't want to do so with Harry.

Draco looked down at the cover. It was an old hardback with well thumbed and yellowing pages, the cover a deep green and the writing on it was plain black.

"It's a love story, about overcoming differences in families and class." Harry informed him and when Draco turned his head a little to the side to raise an eyebrow he was smiling playfully.

"Great, it's bullshit then." Draco sighed and rolled his eyes before setting it down on the arm of his chair, "However, I'd rather read it than talk to you so be quiet."

Harry looked hurt, so Draco turned around again so that he was sideways on between the fire and Harry once again. Thank Merlin, he'd shut up. Draco really wasn't in the mood to have people talking at him right then, he'd found himself becoming less and less sociable recently. Right now, his head hurt and he was feeling a little less than sunny so Harry's wit was really something he couldn't appreciate just at that moment.

Just to prove a point, Draco opened the book up to the first page of prose and began to read. He had picked up the book completely at random and so had no interest whatsoever in the story line. He found the words irreparably dull and he struggled to fix himself on actually reading it this late at night.

"So, couldn't sleep?" He heard Harry ask, sugar sweet and conversationally.

Slamming his book shut and turning slightly to face Harry, he threw the boy a look of annoyance.

"No. I couldn't." Draco snapped.

"Me neither, just another thing we have in common." Harry seemed to he half talking to Draco and half to the ceiling he was now so closely scrutinising.

"Another? I certainly can't see anything we have in common, Potter."

"I'm only making conversation." He dismissed, "And anyway I'll bet we have tonnes of things in common. We're both wizards."

"So is everyone at the school. Or haven't you figured that out yet?"

"Okay, so…" Harry tried again, "We both had shit father figures, didn't we?"

Draco bristled at the words. He could hate his father, but there was no way it was Harry's place to say anything about him. It was his father after all. However much Draco didn't like the man, it was certainly not Harry's place to comment. Harry was still lounging on the sofa when Draco hauled himself up off his seat in anger. The boy didn't seem to notice, so Draco stormed over to where he was lying.

Standing up and towering over Harry, he fought the urge to spit at him.

"You arrogant bastard. You never say anything against my family again."

Harry looked a little scared for a moment, but soon regained his composure and sat himself up. Looking Draco directly in the eye, he shrugged. The anger rolled through Draco like a wave, and he remembered why he'd always hated this boy. They always had known what to say and do to make the other shake with fury.

"Sorry. Not your family, though. Just your father." The response made Draco want to scream.

"You are an absolute prick." Draco spat. He was nearly shaking with resentment, but he forced himself to keep his voice steady and his exterior calm as ever.

Harry stood up so that he and Draco were nose to nose, and they both stood, staring at one another for a moment. Draco's face was twisted into one of disgust at his personal space being so invaded.

"I'm going to bed." Harry stated calmly, and slid out of the common room quietly.

Now Draco was left alone just as he'd originally wanted, but he was fuming. Looking back, he realised that if anyone else had've said that he may have laughed it off. Likely, with nothing more than a warning to back off and then an admission that they were probably right. Harry had always had an effect on him in ways that other's hadn't. Just one refused handshake lead to years of animosity and taunting that lasted to this very day.

Draco found himself sitting and rerunning the conversation they'd had before returning his book, which he hadn't even glanced at and going to his dorm only a few hours before he was due to get up.

Harry woke up on Monday morning sweating and breathing heavily. For the first time in months, his scar twinged a little. He lay awake under his covers until he saw Dean get up and heard the shower turn on, thinking of what his scar could possibly mean. Voldemort was dead, gone, completely obliterated. Wasn't he? He was definitely dead, but whether he was truly gone… He'd come back before.

Moving sluggishly, Harry rolled out of bed and shuffled across to the door of the bathroom they now all shared.

"Hurry up." Harry called over the noise of the running water as people began to stir. There was another hour left until breakfast but he really needed to pee.

Not really wanting to stand at the bathroom door with his legs crossed like a child, he went to wake up Ron.

As usual on a morning, Ron had slept through everything soundly. He was still snoring heavily as Harry shook him near violently.

"Ron!"

"Mumph" There was a vague mumble and the snoring stopped, however Ron lay there very still, and very asleep.

Harry sighed heavily and continued to shake him, feeling as though it was back to the old routine of wasting his morning trying to get Ron up.

Blaise and Dean were now having a full blown row at the bathroom door, Dean saying that Harry got bathroom rights first and Blaise arguing with him about how that was total bullshit. It was all a little surreal.

"I'll get 'im up if yeh'll get them teh shut up." Seamus looked exhausted and was only just emerging from his own bed but Harry gladly took the offer.

He walked across to the door where the confrontation was happening and he thought that maybe if they shouted a little louder McGonagall would come and sort it out. Dean was in a towel, stood blocking the doorway and Blaise was trying to push past him gainlessly. It was quite a scene to behold and they both argued, obviously matching each other with insults. If they weren't being quite so loud and it wasn't quite so early, Harry could have laughed at them.

"My turn." Harry strode past Dean, who moved out of the way for him and stepped into the shared bedroom, "I'll be quick, promise."

Blaise was still ranting and raving when the year group gathered in the common room and made their way to breakfast together.

There was the usual vast array of wholesome food at each table, and as usual the Gryffindor table felt light hearted and banterous. Hermione was sat next to Ron and glaring at him for having just told her she was an idiot for taking Arithmancy.

"Arithmancy is a fascinating subject, far more desirable than Defense. Anyone who looks to employ either of you will know you're great at that just from your names. You don't need qualifications." Hermione stated to them simply.

"We don't need them anyway, Kingsley is letting anyone who fought in the battle go into Auror training without NEWTs. That's where Neville is." Harry butted in, "But you still made us come."

"I never forced you, I just persuaded." Hermione smiled at them both mischievously, she was a little too smart for her own good, "Eat up Ronald. You'll need the energy."

He let them settle into their bickering and began to drift off again, thinking about his strange dream and the way his scar had stung ever so slightly. It was nothing like before, nowhere near as bad. But it was still there. He told himself that it was nothing, and just to prove it he'd tell Hermione about it later. She'd say he was imagining it. Yes, that's what will happen. He's just over-reacting.

"C'man Harry!" Seamus snapped his fingers in front of Harry's blank face.

The group of friends had stood together and begun to walk out of the hall while Harry had been mechanically eating, his mind racing with every possibility.

Standing up and walking towards them briskly, Harry's mind was still spinning, thinking about scars and horcruxes and Voldemort. The hall was as loud and cheery as it ever had been as people began to shuffle towards their lessons, most were still sharing their holiday stories with their friends.

"Potions first, mate." Ron said cheerfully while walking hand in hand with Hermione and pulling back so they blocked almost the entire corridor. They were all side by side now, and the potions room was found by the end of a particularly narrow corridor. Continuing along, they slowly meandered their way to the next lesson.

When they arrived, Professor Slughorn greeted Harry like a long-lost best friend; grasping him in a tight hug and bombarding Harry with ridiculous questions about his summer and how he was coping. Slughorn had barely noticed that the rest of the class had turned up, and people were standing around, casually making fun with one another as some were finding seats. When Slughorn finally did tear his attention from Harry, he seemed to have different ideas about seating arrangements.

"Everyone stand at the back of the room, I'll sort you out." Slughorn had called to them all, in his usual slightly dreamy voice.

Everyone shuffled around and stood a little awkwardly, ready to be seated in pairs. Some people were still whispering to one another and laughing silently.

"I've matched you with people of similar abilities, so you can help each other." Harry saw Blaise and Draco smile smugly at one another out of the corner of his eye.

Slughorn got half the class done in no time. Ron didn't complain one bit when he was sat next to Justin, but smiled appologetically at Harry. Hermione huffed and puffed a little when she was seated next to Blaise, but when he said something that had apparently made her laugh she seemingly forgave him. Ron looked highly envious at this, and Harry sympathised. Blaise was charismatic and good looking, he'd felt exactly the same when there was even the slightest possibility that he'd liked Ginny. Now, he couldn't make himself care that much if he had've liked Ginny. He also knew now that Blaise probably wouldn't touch Ginny with a barge pole; funny how things flip round like that.

"Finally, Anthony and Millie sit here. Harry and Draco, at the front next to my desk, please."

There was a moment of awkward silence when everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath. But then, one person from the corner of the room let out a large and exaggerated snigger. Draco turned around, his face completely unamused and a little angry.

"Hilarious, Blaise." After, Draco turned to adress a slightly confused looking Professor Slughorn, "You've made a mistake."

"I don't think so, you were both my top students last year!"

"But that was only becau-"

"Nonsense, Harry. Sit down, both of you!"

For the remainder of the lesson, neither spoke a word to the other or so much as dared to look each other in the eyes. There was palpable tension in the air between them as they wrote up notes about the properties of Dried Billywig Stings.

It was the end of the day, and Draco was getting really sick of Blaise's taunting.

"If you don't wipe that smirk off your face, I'll fucking kill you." Draco snarled at his friend, who was leaning against the door frame and waiting for him to leave Astronomy.

He'd been taunting Draco all day, every spare minute he'd had was spent making sure he knew exactly what he thought of Draco's new Potions partner. Blaise had come to the conclusion that because of this, Draco and Harry were going to become lovers. Obviously.

"You know, I think it's cute." Blaise grinned at him mischievously, "Hey, Potter! Have you done your Potions essay yet?"

Harry looked over from where he'd been walking away. He'd obviously caught onto Blaise's teasing, and raised his eyebrows above a tired face so that he looked like an old man staring down a badly behaving child.

"No, Blaise." Harry simply said, and walked off in the direction he had been headed.

Blaise looked a little taken aback, as he'd obviously wanted Harry to take the bait so he could use it as leverage. He threw off the expression and turned to Draco quickly. Draco's brows were still furrowed slightly and he was watching people disperse from his classroom, wondering where Pansy was. When Draco looked back up at Blaise, the overly tall boy was smirking at him. Blaise had always towered over Draco, and Draco was tall by everyone's standards.

"You should help him with it."

"If I didn't hate him, I would." Draco retorted. Sadly, this didn't seem to appease Blaise, who just grinned at him. Draco gave a threatening look.

"Sorry, it's just…" And the he burst out laughing again while Draco had a hard time not rolling his eyes.

"What's so funny, Blaise?" Draco had absolutely never been so relieved to hear that girl's voice. Never. Not even once in his life.

"Just… Just that…" Blaise was struggling to string a sentence together in between barking laughter, "Just that Draco and Potter…"

"Still? Really Blaise, I know Potter used to stalk him but-"

"Not you too?" Draco half pleaded with his best friends.

Pansy pulled an apologetic face and shrugged. They didn't look very sorry, though. Their trio were stood in the alcove at the top of the stairs and it seems as if everyone had already fled downstairs to their common rooms.

"It's just funny that as soon as you came out, he became obsessed with you." Blaise said, he seemed to have calmed down now and was leaning back against a nearby wall.

"Yeah, and you have all these crazy standoff moments." Pansy was joining in too, "You've always had feelings for him."

"What? How does us fighting mean that?"

"Not necessarily good feelings, but feelings nonetheless." Pansy added. She bit her lip to fight back a smile and Blaise laughed to himself. Right in that moment, Draco finally felt like it was all back to normal, their infuriating friendship as it had always been. The relief to feel normal again, even for a moment overwhelmed him.

The last year had been hard on all of them. When Blaise's mother had taken the mark to please her latest husband, his life had fallen apart, Pansy's parents had been involved too and now the three may as well be orphans. It's not that their parents were dead, but they were either in Azkaban and soulless or about to be sent there. Draco had found that sharing all of this had only bought them closer, and right then he was very glad about it.

There was a moment of silence and then both of his friends were laughing. It was infectious and before he could stop himself and remember that he was supposed to be resentful, Draco was laughing too.

That evening, they spent hours walking around the grounds. They ate their dinner hurriedly and went to sit out by the lake, taunting the giant squid by throwing rocks into the water every so often. They laughed as it raged about, trying to find whatever it was that had broken the peaceful water into ripples. Draco laughed along with their jokes as he smoked his cigarette, and they all nearly cried themselves to tears at Blaise's impressions of their least favourite teachers. It wasn't the same, there were still moments when he felt alone, but he felt better.

Draco had always felt better around his friends, and even with their merciless teasing they still had that effect on him.

"They were actually going to attempt to move mahogany!" Blaise cracked, as the punchline to his joke. Draco snickered and shared a knowing look with his friend but Pansy just looked a little confused.

"Well, they'd use magic. Wouldn't they?" Pansy's brow had furrowed.

Blaise looked at her. On anyone else Draco would have thought this look was a joke, but this was Blaise. His features drifted between disbelief, horror and irritation. Draco loved his best friend, but he really was pretentious.

"Pansy, I can't believe this. Were you adopted?" Blaise asked, his face still flittering between emotions and staring Pansy straight in the eyes. Her face contorted into an expression of utter shock as her mouth fell open wide and the space between her eyebrows furrowed. She looked absolutely, completely horrified. Blaise seemed to backtrack, not quite shocked enough at her oversight to risk an angry Pansy. Now, Draco was having to try very hard indeed to bite back a grin at his friends.

"I mean, it's just. You can't spell mahogany, Pansy. Everyone knows that." Blaise and Pansy seemed to be having an unheard row as they glared and Draco watched, highly amused.

"Oi, who's there?" They heard a deep voice call, "Filch'll 'ave yeh for this, if yer outside at this time"

Hagrid.

"Shit." Draco swore under his breath and cast a disillusionment charm over them all as they snuck back into the castle in the pitch black. Bumping into each other, whispering curses at each other and sucking in laughter, it was a wonder they weren't caught before they got back to the common room.

Harry was starting to get sick of the living arrangements already by the next morning. The pattern of fighting over the bathroom and struggling to wake up Ron after very little sleep was already developing. It didn't help that the night before when Draco and Blaise had thundered in like a herd of elephants, they'd woken up the whole dorm. There had been shouting and insults thrown in every direction. It wasn't a pleasant thing to deal with a raging house-war at ridiculous hours in the morning, though Harry was a little comforted to know that Hermione had dealt with a similar thing with Pansy.

Draco looked particularly irritable that morning, and Harry was finding it hard not to taunt him. It was a natural routine that they had seemed to fall back into, they taunted, they fought and they hated. It was all so very simple, and it was staying the exact same. Harry decided that would make it a positive thing for both of them, and so it was actually okay to tease his new room mate. Although his principles were sound, even he doubted it was actually kind to start arguing with him.

"C'mon Ferret, get a move on." Harry called as he caught up with Draco, who was walking on his own while his friends walked a little ahead.

"So sorry, Potter. I didn't know you had enough brains to walk that fast." Was his infuriatingly well thought out reply. He always had been quicker witted than Harry.

There was a squeal from behind him and Harry turned to see his two best friends having a little disagreement. It seemed that Hermione had been banging on about S.P.E.W and Ron had decided she deserved to be tickled for it. She was squealing and trying to get away and as Harry walked backwards to watch it all unfold, he felt a pang in his chest for his friends. They had always been there for him and to him, they were the closest thing he had to family. Seamus and Dean were cheering Ron on and Susan Bones was looking a little concerned at the situation from over Dean's shoulder. Hermione was kicking up quite a fuss but Ron just held her easily by the waist. People were laughing and joking, Harry couldn't help but grin. There really wasn't anything quite like being at Hogwarts.

Harry felt the wind leave his chest momentarily as he walked backwards into something solid. When he turned around there was a very angry looking Draco Malfoy. The fun behind Harry stopped dead and the whole group seemed to freeze, watching the scene unfold.

"Watch it, Potter." Draco half spat the last words down at Harry as he spun around on his heel and walked away. For some reason, Harry felt a thrill rush through him for getting a rise out of his old enemy. They weren't enemies anymore, not really. Not in Harry's mind, but it was far easier to carry on this way than to sit down and sort out their differences. And as Hermione had pointed out on many occasions, they'd probably end up being friends or something.

Harry stood there and glared at Malfoy as he walked away, and the rest of his friends sprung back to life. Hermione and Ron waited either side of him and seemed to forget about their scuffle.

In potions they were making Dreamless Sleep, a potion that Harry had taken on more than one occasion. He was shocked at just how complicated it was, and he wished he still had Snape's old book. As wonderful as it was to have a partner who did anything for you, it wasn't so great when they only did it so they could throw insults at you. Their arguing slowly turned into bickering after a while, and there was less venom behind it.

With only a few minutes to go, Harry decided to make an effort. He was going to try to make conversation with his favourite enemy of all time.

"So, how's your mum?" Harry asked, casually. From his point of view, he'd stood up for her at her trials and so she was happy as anything and living at the manor. His point of view was wrong.

Draco stiffened suddenly, and he looked as if he came very close to breaking the phial of Flobberworm Mucus. He turned slowly and menacingly to face Harry, his entire expression one of suppressed rage and sadness. It was hidden well, but it was a feeling Harry knew only too well.

"I don't know. Ask the dementors you f-"

"How is this potion doing, dear boys?" Slughorn interrupted them.

"Fine." Both of them chorused, but he eyed them suspiciously before he moved away. Professor Slughorn was not convinced.

Harry felt a wave of guilt, he really didn't have a clue. He'd thought he'd said enough to have Narcissa cleared of all charges, but obviously not. And now he'd said that it sounded as if he were being purposefully spiteful. Fantastic.

"What is it with you and insulting people's families?" Draco asked spitefully. He was masking it so well, but Harry could imagine how he felt.

"Listen, I'm really sorry. I never realised… I thought I'd said enough that she'd be cleared." Harry started to appologise, his gut was wrenching at the thought of what had happened to Draco. It wasn't something he'd wish for anyone, "I made statements in her defence, she's the only person I did. I did all I could-"

"Yeah, well it wasn't enough." Draco had resigned himself now, and was concentrating hard on his potion.

It was probably easier for Harry to deal with if he'd have shouted and screamed at him. That'd be normal. The Draco that Harry thought he knew was mean, heartless and would have just flung merciless comments at him. But this was something else, Draco seemed to be masking hurt. There were only a few times Harry had ever seen Draco look vulnerable, and he had to admit that he preferred him like this. He shouldn't, but it was almost pleasant to be with each other when they weren't slinging insults like cannon balls. Harry suddenly felt awful for thinking this.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know, I swear. I'd never wish that upon her, she quite possibly saved my life. She was Siriu-"

"Alright, Potter." Draco snapped at him spontaneously, "Just pass me the Lavender and don't touch the fucking potion…"

"Right, sorry."

Harry decided that it'd be best not to speak again.

When the very silent last few minutes of the lesson were over, Draco pushed past Harry, knocking him half off his feet. He charged past and went to stand by Blaise as he gathered up his belongings to leave. Hermione looked over at Harry from her desk and raised her brows questioningly. Her expression made her look like a concerned teacher, and it had always made Harry a little wary.

He really didn't feel like reliving the awkward half of the lesson, so he just shook his head dismissively while mouthing the word nothing. He still felt terrible for what he'd said, but he couldn't help enjoying the peace and quiet during his least favourite lesson.

During DADA, Ron and himself were the only two who could actually manage to cast Confringo without totally missing their target. Each person had a stuffed animal of sorts, and they were attempting to set it alight. Curses were hitting the walls, which Malorney had thankfully shielded for the lesson. Ron and Harry had already incinerated at least twenty stuffed animals by the time Professor Malorney came over. They each were awarded 10 points for their house, though she muttered a bit as to whether they were even in their house anymore.

"Because you have your own common room, don't you? And Professor McGonagall…"

They were sent around the room to help out various people who kept getting dangerously close to making their classmates explode. It was a dull task, and Harry let his mind wander a little as he corrected people's casting.

Everything seemed different now, Hogwarts and the people. When he looked around the room he saw Slytherins, Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors laughing together. Not all of them, most people still stuck to the old rivalries but it seemed that people were far more willing to accept each other now. The feeling in the room was of general light hearted concentration, and it was infectious. Harry found himself laughing along at some people's wild attempts as they struggled with it themselves. By around half way through the lesson, a fair amount of people had mastered the spell and were set to work clearing up the ashes they'd all produced.

At the end of the lesson they'd not only performed the spell and written 7 inches about it, but learned the counter curse and had homework to practice it.

The day was beginning to very much drag on.

By the time Draco got into Divination, he felt a little bit less like he wanted to stab Harry. Only a little.

The worst part was, people had been insensitive and insulting about his parents all the time and he hadn't cared once. Until Harry said it. It had bothered Draco that the boy held such a power over him, but eventually he put it down to them being enemies. When he'd complained to Blaise, who struggled with emotions at the best of times, there was no helpful feedback. Pansy had just rolled her eyes and told him to forget about it, Harry was being nice afterall.

As Draco sat in the stuffy room where Firenze was talking about different methods to predict your own future emotions, he thought absently to himself. He came to the conclusion that it was the fact Harry was trying to be nice, that had been the most unsettling thing. They'd never even uttered any forms of apology in the seven years they'd known one another, and it was strange to hear such a sincere one come from the boy.

"Come on then boys, get going." Firenze spoke to them kindly, as he always did. Draco was glad he had come back to teach, as passing NEWTs with Trelawney teaching would have been a step below impossible. They'd been set the task of finding out what they'd be feeling in a year. He and Blaise set about finding relevant stars on their charts and plotting against where they'd be in a years time to come up with a symbol. Apparently, that should match with one of the ones they'd been given in their book. Even looking at every angle, they struggled to find one to match Draco's. As for Blaise, depending on your angle he could be angry, excited or depressed. Firenze came over and told Blaise that he'd be excited, because you always look at the chart with the north star at the top.

"I still can't see what yours would be." Blaise said. They were both rushing now, so they could get their work done and reduce any load of homework.

"I don't know, maybe I did plot it wrong." Draco countered.

"No, we've checked it so many times." At this, Blaise harumphed and rested his head on his hand, "Maybe it's an unusual symbol?"

"Yeah, probably means he'll feel like a ferret." Draco heard a deep voice call from behind them. Only just suppressing the urge to wrestle the boy to the floor, Draco turned around to glare at him. Ronald Weasley was stood, looking miraculously pleased with himself while Seamus sniggered behind him.

"Still using that one? Come up with some new material, it's getting a little dull."

When he couldn't come up with anything in reply to Draco's stab, Ron walked off in a huff to his table with Harry.

Draco raised his hand and called over the centaur, who managed to knock over a vase on a table with his tail. Sometimes, this school was like a very bad comedy show.

"Yes?"

"I can't quite figure out my symbol, sir."

Firenze leaned over and looked at the piece of paper with scrutiny. He narrowed his eyes and seemed to spend minutes pondering it. The professor towered over everyone other than Hagrid, and when Draco was sat down it only made the effect more pronounced. Actually, it was a little daunting.

"Hmm… I think this is actually two symbols in one. See, you have the symbol for love there, and the one for hate at the same time. Strange, very strange…"

Draco was totally thrown off by this, "What do you mean, strange?"

"Oh, nothing. It's not that uncommon, but to happen twice in one lesson and with the same symbol suggests…"

Blaise and Draco both looked up at him expectantly.

"Never mind. There is such a thing as knowing too much."

And with that, the teacher half trotted off to help another student. Draco and Blaise shared incredulous looks and speechlessly agreed to just start writing their essays. Nine inches isn't normally too long for Draco, but for divination he'd always struggled with being interested enough and having enough information to get an inch. Draco went to set off working but he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. There was something there, but he couldn't see it. But then he thought, how did he know it was there is he couldn't see it? It was more of a feeling than sight and it was just about making Draco's skin crawl. He wasn't sure if he imagined it, but he could of sworn he saw Harry rub his forehead. Scanning the room, he double checked that there wasn't anything actually there, and reassured himself that he wasn't going insane before he got back to work.

The rest of the week passed slowly for Draco. His friends still found it hilarious that Harry and himself were not only paired in potions, but that they'd managed to patch over the argument by pretending it didn't happen. If it was possible, the joke had got even more tiresome by Friday. Draco had found that Arithamncy, in which he sat between Blaise and Pansy was becoming his very least favourite subject. It wasn't to joke, not really. It was the fact that Pansy and Blaise were the two sharing it that bothered him, because they'd always been the better friends. Even though he loved them and they were the best friends he'd had, Draco couldn't help but feel a little like a third wheel.

On Thursday they'd been told they could go to Hogsmeade any weekend they wanted, as one of their eighth year advantages. As soon as Professor McGonagall had told them all, there had been excited murmurs and whispers of plans. Draco supposed that the preposition of free weekends could halfway make up for not being allowed on their house teams.

Blaise, Terry Boot and himself had done some flying over the week. It seemed as if now they wouldn't have to play against Ravenclaw and they weren't on opposite sides of a war, Draco and Terry got along quite well. On Friday they even managed to impose on a Hufflepuff practice and catch the snitch, making them question their seeker's skills. They'd laughed for hours about the expression on the face of their captain's face, when Draco flew up and placed the snitch in her hand and winked playfully. Apparently it was hard to tell if she was frustrated, or just flustered from his almost flirting.

Draco had tried keeping himself busy with homework and his friends. However, when there was nothing to do, Draco found himself sulking around. He read a book about unicorns, watched the flames in the fire and let his mind mill over the world and the meaning of life. All in all, he managed to think for long enough to depress himself to a point which only getting very tipsy with his friends was going to fix. Apparently, most of the year group had organised the same thing so when they turned up to the Three Broomsticks they weren't shocked to see a very full pub.

The atmosphere was incredibly loud and riotous as they stepped in. There were people on every chair at every table and there were people who had perched themselves on tables. Everyone had Butterbeers or Firewhiskey shots and were talking loudly. In the back corner was a group of about 20 very familiar faces, not quite as loud as the rest of the boisterous crowd but not far off. A few heads turned and watched the trio enter the room, but Pansy and Blaise didn't seem to notice at all so Draco ignored the unashamed stares from various places in the room.