"Some of them want to use you

Some of them want to get used by you

Some of them want to abuse you

Some of them want to be abused"

-Sweet Dreams

Chapter 21: His Deepest Darkest Secrets…Revealed

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter, I own the plotline below.

Late Saturday morning, as the teen had slept in, Draco found himself tiredly reaching for a toothbrush that was no longer there.

"Forget, did you?" asked Blaise, making his way into the restroom. He chuckled when his friend responded by giving him an annoyed look. "Would it help if I told you she's sorry?"

"No," Malfoy spat. Not only was he still aggravated with what Pansy had done, the blonde was far from a morning person, thus his cranky demeanor.

"Just as well," Zabini smiled, "Because she isn't."

"Of course not," he mumbled before making his way to the showers.

"Hey, try not to take all day getting ready, alright? Pans wanted to head out to Hogsmeade for brunch."

"What does that have to do with me?" Draco asked, turning around.

"Oh, come on," Blaise started, clearly exasperated. His two mates had been at it all week, and he was quite honestly fed up with it. "She only wants to spend the day with her best friend. Don't deny her the pleasure of your presence," he added, trying to snap the other teen out of his awful mood.

"Yes, well, I'd rather not spend my weekend as a third wheel," he informed the prefect, bitterly. Ever since the other two had gotten together, the three's relationship just hadn't been the same.

"It won't be like that," Blaise reassured him, "Besides, Vince and Greg will be going there as well, today, so if you start feeling out of place you can just meet up with them."

Giving the idea some thought, Draco agreed against his better judgment. "Fine, I'll be down shortly."

"So, in about an hour or two, then?" he teased.

The blonde threw a towel at him, "Just leave," he still smirked.

"Sure," Blaise began walking towards the door, "Oh, and while we're out, maybe you can pick up a new toothbrush."

Draco shot him a meaningless glare and then proceeded to spell the door shut, forcing his friend from the bathroom.

A cry of pain was the last he heard from Zabini before finally proceeding to get himself ready. Clearly, the darker boy had been hit in the face.

Malfoy's mood had definitely been lifted after that.

…

(Several hours earlier)

Unlike his former enemy, Harry did not have the pleasure of sleeping in. He had an early detention with Snape that morning and still wanted to catch up with Hermione beforehand.

Heading down into the common room after rinsing off and getting dressed, he found his best friend to be nowhere in sight.

The Gryffindor sighed in disappointment. Assuming the girl had yet to wake, which was very much unlike her being that she was typically an early riser, he made his way to breakfast alone.

However, Harry had guessed wrong for Hermione had watched the entire display from underneath his invisibility cloak. She had been in the process of secretly returning it when she noticed the opposite teen entering the room.

As much as the prefect wanted to shed the magic material and speak with him about the previous night, Hermione didn't want to have to explain why she had it in the first place. So, she sadly watched her upset friend leave the room with a heavy heart.

…

"Dray," Pansy began as she, Blaise, and the blonde had just finished their meal.

"Yes?" he answered whilst holding his tongue. Malfoy had never appreciated the stupid nickname she insisted on using.

"I just remembered something," the girl continued as the three walked down one of the many roads in Hogsmeade.

"Go on," he pried, wanting her to get to the point.

"Well, last Wednesday night, Blaise and I were patrolling the halls, being that it was our turn to do so," she explained, for all prefects were designated different nights, "And while we were out, I could've sworn I saw you roaming about the dungeon entrance. However, once I finally made my way over, you had disappeared," Pansy gave him a knowing look, "Care to explain?"

Draco gave the short girl a look of his own, "Is it against the rules to spend our free hours outside of the common rooms?"

"I just found it odd being that it was so late."

"It wasn't even curfew," he defended.

"True, but it was close enough," she retaliated.

"What does it even matter?" Malfoy inquired, slightly frustrated.

"It doesn't, really," Parkinson mused as she continued walking between the two boys, "I guess it was but a sheer coincidence that Granger and Weaselette were also in the same area."

Draco felt his face grow hot when both his friends shot him a, 'you are so pathetic,' face.

In reality, the Slytherin had caught the two Gryffindors making their way outside after supper and followed them out of his own curiosity. 'Nothing more,' he lied to himself.

"I didn't notice," he said, quietly, diverting his grey colored eyes from the brown and blue ones staring at him.

"Sure mate," Blaise spoke up, stifling a laugh.

Pansy shook her head, "I need to go in here," she told the two upon approaching one of the shops.

Grateful that she had changed the subject, Draco still asked why.

"Because," she smirked, "I promised to purchase you a new toothbrush, didn't I?"

Zabini was unsuccessful in containing his laughter this time as he followed his girlfriend and the now extremely embarrassed blonde inside.

…

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked her friend who was currently sitting inside the library looking rather put out.

Hermione glanced up from the homework she couldn't concentrate on and watched as the red-head sat down before her. "It's just…" she started, "Last night didn't go so well."

"Detention was that terrible?" she inquired. "What did you guys have to do?"

"No," the opposite girl shook her head, "As bad as scrubbing the trophy room turned out to be, that isn't what's bothering me."

"Then what-"

"Harry and I had sort of an argument," Hermione sighed, cutting her off. "It was stupid, really," she went on, "While he may have been somewhat of a prat, there was no reason for me to get so worked up. I was just so upset that I had to be serving out detention while I typically study on Friday nights, that I took it out on him," she placed her head into her hands, feeling guilty once more. "Regardless of the things he said, I had no right," she mumbled, still covering her face.

Ginny gave her friend a sad look, "What did he say, exactly?" she asked, deciding to help sort things out between the two.

Hermione looked up several moments later, "Well, you know how the Slytherins have been more…" she searched for the right word, "civil towards us lately?"

"You mean creepy?" the younger girl half-joked. Malfoy was still giving her odd looks every time they passed or were in the same room.

Hermione let out a soft laugh, "I told Harry to try and accept the fact that they're truly attempting to move past our previous differences, but he completely shut down the idea," she shook her head, remembering what he had told her, "I mean, I didn't suggest that he come out and try to be friends with them," Ginny chuckled at that mental image, "I just asked that he at least attempt to be more neutral towards the situation. He's always so tense and guarded whenever any of them come around and it's giving off a vibe that I'm afraid will scare them away."

"Can you blame him, 'Mione?" Ginny looked into her eyes, "You know how they treated you lot for the past five years. I know that you told me Malfoy had his reasons, but that's still no excuse. I'm surprised you're so willing to forget the past along with all of the things he said and called you. I'm just saying," she explained, "I wouldn't care if Harry did end up pushing them away. It's more than understandable."

"I just want this house rivalry to stop," Hermione defended, seeing the bigger picture that her friends, obviously, did not. "Believe me," she admitted, "I will never forget our past feuds." The brunette then recalled the day she had punched Malfoy in the face and cracked a small smile, "But I will be mature about this," she then gave her friend a determined look, "I'm going to forgive them and move on no matter what any of you think. We have enough enemies outside of these walls, anyhow."

Ginny nodded her head in acceptance, "You're clever, 'Mione. So, I trust you on this," she then told her friend, "Just don't push the rest of us, here. I may have also noticed a change for the better amongst the Slytherins, but that doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to stand up and forgive them for the things they've done. Now, I'm not saying that I'll never let go of my resentment," the Gryffindor took a deep breath, "But, like Harry, it's going to take me some time…and you really need to respect that." She gave the other girl an apologetic look, not wanting to come off as rude or hurt her feelings.

"You're right," Hermione agreed, "I'll talk with Harry tonight and try to patch things up."

"Good," Ginny beamed. "Oh, and you're pygmy puff should be here by Monday night," she then added, "Be sure to keep Crookshanks away from him, though. I know he has a tendency to eat anything smaller than him," the red-head said, remembering the summer before last when the half-kneazle cat had eaten one of Fred and George's extendable ears.

The prefect giggled, thinking the same thing. "I'll be sure to do that." She then went on to do her homework, feeling much better than she had before.

…

Around ten o'clock that same morning, Harry could be found entering his most hated place in all of Hogwarts: the potions classroom.

"Sit, Potter," Snape rudely greeted his student.

Curious, as he believed he would be cleaning cauldrons, Harry did as he was told and sat down in a chair before the Professor's desk.

"Now," Snape got straight to the point, as usual, "Per the headmaster's request we shall be resuming Occlumency lessons."

Harry's jaw dropped. After what had happened last year, the teen was certain Snape would never allow another session to take place, Dumbledore's wishes be damned.

"Pick up your chin," the Potions Master spat, "You appear as more of an imbecile that way," he insulted the Gryffindor.

He tried defending himself, but it was to no avail as Snape began speaking again, "Every Saturday evening, at precisely seven o' clock, we will have these meetings," at that, Harry felt somewhat relieved for it wouldn't interfere with quidditch practice. "Tardiness will not be accepted. If you are late, the session shall be canceled," he informed the boy.

"Are we starting today, sir?" Harry asked, suddenly nervous. He hated the feeling of having another person inside his head, especially when that person Snape. All of his most private memories became exposed to the man he most disliked.

"Yes," the professor supplied as if it were quite evident. "I suggest you brace yourself," he then proceeded to draw his wand, much to Potter's dismay.

"Wait," Harry protested, "I wanted to ask you about what Dumbledore said," he told him, coming up with an excuse to delay the process. Still, it wasn't a lie. He truly wanted to know more about Snape's role as a spy and the horcrux the headmaster refused to tell him about.

The man gave him a searching look, "Professor Dumbledore," he corrected before replying, "and perhaps, another time." Then, before Harry could argue any further, Severus drew his wand, looked into Lily's replicated eyes, and cast, "Legilimens."

While he had expected to be engulfed in exceedingly mushy memories that made him want to vomit, the images Snape viewed this time, however, left him thoroughly stunned

Never had he expected this.

A/N:So, this concludes chapter twenty-one.

I hope you all enjoyed it :)

Please, give me your thoughts and fill me in, okay?

Thank you all so much and: TsukiyoTenshi, pawsrule, pfeil, god of all, and NorthernLights25, thanks guys for reviewing since my last post. You're the reason I keep this going!

Next: Severus tries talking to Harry, the group gets together once more, and Ginny finally confronts Draco.

Until then…