When the boys reached the Great Hall, Draco saw that the number of students had increased for lunch. The three made their way to the Gryffindor table and settled into a section away from the others sitting there. Ron and Harry were still talking about how the Gryffindor team was going to win the match against Slythern next month.

Draco was thankful that his friends had picked a secluded spot at the table. Even though Draco had been friends with Hermione, Ron and Harry since their First year, he had to deal with Slytherins that hardly attempted to hide their disgust for him being friends with Gryffindors and that some Gryffindors still sneered when they saw him coming. He was used to this, but Draco preferred to keep a distance between his Slytherin self and them.

He didn't just receive that kind of treatment from his classmates at school, though. When he went home for winter break in his First year, he had told his parents about being friends with Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, nearly flipped his lid. Lucius started ranting about how 'these Muggle loving excuses for wizards was to blame for the wizarding world's downfall.'

It only got worse for Draco when he told them about Hermione Granger. Draco admitted he was fascinated how a Muggle born could be so smart and adapt to the wizarding world like she did. This news did set Lucius off. He blamed Muggle loving acquaintances that Draco kept. He also went on about how they had clouded Draco's judgment and made Draco want to have associations with Mudbloods. The news that her son was friends with a Muggle born sent Narcissa, his mother, into crying hysterics. Since then, Lucius always had a disappointed expression for Draco.

"Malfoy?" Ron and Harry called Draco out of his thoughts. They both looked a little worried.

"Sorry…just thinking." Draco said, shaking his head, trying to forget what he had been thinking about.

"You know, you have been spacing out a lot lately." Harry pointed out.

"And we want to know why that is." Ron continued, arching his eyebrow.

Draco knew he couldn't just tell them what was going on with him lately. He contemplated his answer before he spoke, watching Ron make, what seemed to be, a second plate of food.

"Just stuff at home."

Draco had told Ron and Harry about how parents and their eccentric ways. As far as Draco knew, it seemed that the only thing he had done right since coming to Hogwarts was getting into Slytherin. To his parents, at least.

"Sorry to hear that." Ron said, "Hope it gets better for ya." Harry nodded in agreement, not being able to speak with food in his mouth.

"Thanks." Draco said. Then, he turned around and took a quick glance around the room.

"Looking for something, Malfoy?" Ron managed to say through a mouthful of food.

"Yea," Draco said, turning back to the table to get himself a snack, "Making sure Pansy isn't here." He rolled his eyes when he said her name. Draco wasn't completely lying; he did go out of his way to avoid her.

"You know, she might be good for you." Harry said, staring at his plate.

"Yeah, you been so busy studying, you should get out and have fun." Ron added.

Draco shrugged. He did have a reason for studying more, as of lately. That reason wasn't his grades, not that Draco didn't do well in his classes.

"Speaking of studying…" Harry said, shifting his glance from his plate up to Ron, whose eyes got wide and eyebrows shot up.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed. Ron and Harry turned to face Draco.

"Could we?" Ron asked, his eyes begging Draco.

"Please?" Harry added.

Of course these two hadn't done their homework for the weekend. Draco was glad that the only assignment that was due tomorrow had been a short Potions essay.

"You two know you owe me," Draco said as he pulled his bag off his back and pulled out his homework, some spare parchment and his extra quills. "A lot."

"You're the best, mate." Ron said. He and Harry were reaching out to retrieve the items that Draco was handing them.

"I know." Draco said, looking smug.

The three chattered aimlessly while Ron and Harry copied Draco's paper. After a while, the Great Hall was starting to fill with students coming for supper. Draco's eyes kept darting back to the entrance.

Finally, Ron and Harry finished the paper and handed back Draco's original. By this time, the Great Hall had gotten quite noisy and the tables were steadying filling up.

"Look here, Fred." said a voice from behind Ron.

"Well I'll be, George, is little Ron actually doing his work?" replied a voice form behind Harry. "And Harry too?"

Draco looked up to see a pair of identical twins with ginger hair, like Ron's. Fred and George were acting like proud parents because they had caught Ron and Harry working. Well, working on actual school work, not just scheming with the Twins about pranks to play.

"Oh, that doesn't count." the Twins said together. Draco saw that they were looking at him as he was putting his paper and quills away in his bag. Draco knew that the Twins figured that Ron and Harry had just copied from him.

The Weasley family wasn't as hateful to Draco as his own family was about them. Granted, the family took it as a shock that Ron had befriended Draco, but they got used to it and accepted it. Well, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and the ones at school did. Draco really didn't know the other ones.

Draco thought well of the family. They had always been nice to him, whenever he, Ron and Harry would get together during breaks. Harry seemed to spend his breaks over at the Weasley house as much as he could. It was like they were the family he always wanted. Harry mentioned many times that he didn't want to live with his Muggle family, which consisted of his uncle, aunt and their son.

Draco turned to look at his friend. Harry was smiling as he listened to the Twin prattled on about some new candy they were working on. Looking at him, Draco thought that he deserved to be smiling. After all, he had lost his parents, Lily and James Potter, when he was just a year old. They had been killed in some dragon incident. Harry's life hadn't gotten any better before he came to school.

"Hey Harry!" a happy, girly voice came from down the table. Everyone turned to see a ginger-haired girl walking towards their little group. Ginny Weasley, the youngest, was waving at them. She took a seat next to Harry. "Hey Draco." She took her eyes off Harry for only a second, to greet Draco, then back to Harry.

More students were coming in, so Draco figured that he should head over to the Slytherin table. The Gryffindors did deserve their own table. The Twins said their farewell, then went to sit with their friend, Lee. Ginny and Harry were off in their own conversation. As Draco go to his feet, Ron slid him a folded up piece of parchment. Then, he and Harry said their usual 'see ya later.' Draco nodded at them and started walking to the Slytherin table.

Draco waited until he was halfway across the room before he unfolded the note to read it.

Malfoy-

I feel really bad about what happened with Granger. Like I said before, I wanna make it up to her. Maybe next time we hang out, you can invite her. So we can get to know her better.

Thanks mate

-Ron

For some reason, reading the note made Draco's stomach twist into a knot.

Hmm, seems like Ron has something planned here!

Reviews are welcomed!