"Ugh... My head." Draco said sitting up.
"Where am I?" He said looking down at the blankets he was covered in.
"You're in the hospital wing Malfoy. You've been out cold for 2 days." said a stern male voice. Draco's head snapped up causing his head to rush, once it had calm down he saw a dark hair boy on the other side of the room. He couldn't quite make out who he was, his eyes still a bit fuzzy from being asleep for so long and the sudden head rush, that was until the boy moved forward towards the bed.
"How do you feel?" The boy said calmly.
"Why do you care Longbottom." Draco spat disapprovingly.
"Now , you should be a lot nicer to someone who possibly saved your life." Madam Pomfree said as she walked over and tended to the bump on Draco's head from when it had hit the floor. Draco looked at Neville who had a smug look on his face.
"Why on earth would you of all people want to help me." Draco sneered.
"Despite what you might think Malfoy i don't hate you, nor am i afraid of you anymore, weather or not everyone else feels the same way isn't for me to say, but i know Malfoy, that you grew up knowing only what you had been told by your father... The war is over and now you can do things on your own terms. make things right with everyone. That's why i don't hate you anymore Draco, I'm giving you a second chance." Neville said in a tone un-nown to the boy with white blonde hair, Acceptance.
"You're very good at speeches aren't you Longbottom. Been hanging around Granger to long I presume." Draco Snickered at his comment but then continued. "Though it's hard trying to make emends with everyone when they all hate your guts... they don't even know the truth. They don't know what I've been though, nor will they listen..." His voice now softer, he hadn't remembered ever having a conversation with Neville only ever picking on him.
"Maybe Malfoy, maybe, and what are you talking about?" Neville's tone turned from the one before into one of curiosity with a hint of worry. Malfoy looked over at the boy who was now sitting on the chair besides the bed wondering if he should tell him, his story or not. Draco didn't know weather it was the look of concern on the Gryffindors face, that he'd never been shown before besides from his mother or if it was the fact that someone was actually going to listen to him for once that made him do it, but Draco spilled his guts, every word that he remembered of ever being in contacted with the dark lord how he was tortured into preforming tasks. How He had taken his mother and tortured her to assure that he would do his bidding and every time the fair haired boy looked up, the surprisingly brave Gryffindor was listening carefully taking in every word nodding and flinching occasionally at things he explained.
"And now my mum is home alone because my father got sent to Askaban. She wanted me to finish school here and try to make amends with everybody. I've tried but I suppose I'm just not meant to get along with people. I'm not a bad person, i was just..."
"Scared." Neville finished his sentence for him and stood from the chair.
"Your results came back you're free to leave whenever you like. Just make sure you don't do anything to stressful for the rest of the week. I'll let Professor McGonagll know you wont be able to carry out your head duty's." The medic smiled and walked away back to her desk. Draco nodded and went to get out of bed.
"I know where not the best of friends Draco," Malfoy's head short up, 'where did that come from?' he thought to himself? then Neville continued "but I beleive what you've said today and if you ever need someone, I'd be happy to help." the tallish dark hair boy smiled nodded at him and started to walk out the room.
"Thanks... Neville." Draco said. Neville turned back to the boy sitting in the hospital bed with a bandage around his forehead. Maybe it was the fact he looked so weak or the fact that he had just spilled his guts to the boy but there was something different about him, he wasn't the boy he was scared of in first grade any more, he was what Neville assumed to be the 'real' Draco Malfoy.
"No problem" He said as he strode out of the hospital wing making his way to lunch his robes flapping behind him. Draco couldn't help but smile silently to himself, he was finally getting somewhere. He was finally going to be someone who could make his mother proud.
Hermione had already yelled at Draco for being 'ill' and leaving her alone for the week with all the head duties jobs. Although Draco felt bad he couldn't very well help, he couldn't even mention the fact that he didn't like the idea of being bed riden because she wouldn't even pause to take a breath and once she had finished she marched up into her room and slamed the door behind her.
It was now there first day of classes and Hermione was walking to her Potions class with Harry, Ron and Neville.
"I'm so glad I'm doing classes again." She said sighing.
"Only you, 'Mione." Harry said laughing slightly the others joined, even her.
"Yes, well, as much as i liked helping the first years and some second years they can get rather... tiring especially doing it all by yourself." she said annoyesnce growing in her tone.
"Wasn't Ferret helping?" Ron asked.
"He was sick or at least her convinced Pommy about it anyway. he had the week off..." she replied.
"Ever stop to think that he was actually sick?" Neville defended, which took the others by surprise.
"It's Malfoy, Nev... you know how much he over exaggerates things he probable only had a cold." Harry said calmly.
"He passed out at dinner the first day back and was knocked out for 2 days." Neville spat.
"you mean Malfoy fainted!" Ron said, him and Harry burst into a fit of laughter, Hermione on the other hand stayed quite.
"if i had known that i wouldn't of yelled at him..." she said quietly to herself.
"He was POISONED people, meaning he could of died. Harry, Ron, you're acting like a bunch of Slytherins! STOP LAUGHING! You know Draco was right you just don't listen to reason do you!" Neville had cracked, finally reaching the class room sitting the furthest seat away from the golden trio, on the other side of the class room to be exact.
"Whats got his nickers in a not?" Ron said sitting down at his desk.
"I've got no clue." Harry said looking at the boy in the back of the class room flushed a light shade of red.
"You's need to listen better didn't you notice he referred to Malfoy as 'Draco' I think Neville knows something he's not telling us." Hermione pointed out. the conversation went dead after that, 5 minutes later the class had started.
"All right class for today's lesson you'll be preparing the Self Happiness poison, can anyone tell me what it i- Yes ." Slughorn started.
"Selfrainfentarre (Self-ra-in-fen-tar-ray for people who want to pronounce it) is used when people what to be happy one teaspoon can last up to a week of constant happy it can also send someone into a child like state and can prove in memory loss if the person has to much at one time." Hermione said happily.
"Well done 20 points to Gryffindor!" slughorn said and with that he continued to explain everything to the class.
"Okay Students each person take a name from the hat it'll give you a person that will best suite you for this assignment." the class groaned. Harry pulled out the first name in the hat "Dean." he said and walked off to get his things with the fellow Gryffindor. Ron was next.
"Zabini." he groaned and the red haired boy and the dark haired boy went to grab there things. Hermione next.
"Longbottom." She smiled at least she hadn't gotten a Sytherin. Seamus' Turn.
"Malfoy." he said and rolled his eyes in a Just-My-Luck kinda way and went to get his ingredients with the 'Ferret boy wonder!'
"This is going to be a long and interesting session." Harry said walking passed Hermione who simply nodded in agreement.