Hi everyone sorry I haven't been able to update for a couple of days. My soccer team and I are going to Virginia for a tournament and we have been training like 24/7. Anyway here is Chapter 10.

Chapter 10

Draco POV

Quidditch practice was hell. It was literally as if Satan himself had shown up and wreaked havoc upon the Slytherin-Gryffindor team. To begin with, there was a thunderstorm so even when Harry was just trying to talk to the team, his words were hidden by loud booms. When they finally stepped on to the pitch, things got even worse. The chasers couldn't catch the quaffle, the beaters accidently kept knocking each other off of their brooms with the bludgers, Ron had repeatedly run into a goalpost trying to make saves, and even Harry was struggling to find the snitch.

Draco and Harry had been switching off playing the role of seeker, and Draco could see that the team needed help. It wasn't that the team was bad. It was made up of the best collection of Gryffindors and Slytherins in the school. Nobody was working together, though. In an attempt to be fair to both houses, Dumbledore had put one Gryffindor and one Slytherin as beaters, two Slytherins and one Gryffindor as chasers, a Gryffindor as the keeper, and a Gryffindor as the Seeker.

Due to this arrangement, the essence of teamwork had not paid the team a visit. Nobody was communicating with each other, and not a word of encouragement was spoken. The only exchange between the two houses were cold glares. Finally after two hours Harry had sighed and blown his whistle.

"Okay, everyone...um good job today I guess." Harry started, "We have another practice two days from now at the same time. Hopefully the weather will be better and we can address some issues. So if that's everything...Draco?" Harry looked up in surprise as Draco cleared his throat.

"Well yes I'd just like to say something." Harry beckoned for Draco to continue. "I just want to say that I know we are from two rival houses but I think that's why Dumbledore put our two teams together. I know I'm not the only one who is aware that there is a war on the horizon. I realize that for a lot of people this is just a silly quidditch game, but when we are in the midst of war, our two houses should be fighting together, not against each other. We should start bonding together and I know that's not the easiest thing to do given the fact that our houses have such a history, but I really do believe that if at least we make amends with each other, it will make a difference."

Suddenly embarrassed and a bit self-conscious, Draco sat down on one of the benches by the sideline hoping someone would say something to bring attention away from what he just said. Harry and the rest of the team were staring at him with looks of astonishment. He was sure that half of them had never heard him say that much in the entire time they had known him.

Much to his surprise, Harry stood back up with a huge smile plastered across his face. "Yes, that is exactly what we all have to think about. This game is more that just a match. It's a chance to change our future for the better." after a bit of awkward silence Harry spoke again, "Okay now everyone can leave." before anyone could stand though, one of the Slytherin boys started clapping.

Confused by what was happening, Draco looked up. His sight was met with a room full of muddy, drenched quidditch players all clapping and smiling at Draco. He gave a rather uneasy smile back at all of them and was glad when they stood up and started filing off of the field. All that was left when Draco looked back up was Harry.

Harry started chuckling after a few seconds. He met Draco's baffled expression and explained himself. "I just never thought I would see a death eater's son talking about unity and friendship between Slytherin and Gryffindor." He finished with a smile up at Draco, "I'm really proud of you Draco. You've changed so much over the past few weeks and I know that it has probably been hard for you. I really think that what you just said could change the outcome of the match and the war as a whole."

Draco mirrored Harry's expression of happiness and shook the boy's hand. "I'm really glad I agreed to be your backup," said Draco, "I'm really glad that we changed our ways and became friends." Harry smiled back at Draco.

"So am I"

After a while of just staring out at the green and muddy quidditch pitch, Draco stood and began to saunter towards the showers. Harry had left a while ago telling Draco that he had to study for a test coming up in one of his subjects. As he entered the locker room, Draco was met by a sopping wet Weasley boy.

"Oh, hello Ronald." although Draco knew that the boy didn't want to be friends with him, he felt that he should still be civil towards him."

"Don't you 'Ronald' me you blithering idiot." retorted a furious Ron. "First you go and steal my friends, and now you are trying to take over Harry's quidditch team? They might not see the old Draco Malfoy behind the slightly less greased back hair, but I can still see him rearing his ugly, pathetic head." Ron snapped at Draco. The latter was greatly taken aback. He had never pegged Ron to be the yelling sort.

"Look," began Draco, "I don't want any trouble." with that he began his walk up towards the castle leaving a stammering Ron behind. It took a while for the boy to catch up with Draco, but when he did he was fuming.

"I don't know why Harry and Hermione think you have changed or whatever, but I'm not buying it. I think that once you get to be friends with them, you are going to alert your death eater dad about all their little secrets so he can sic You-Know-Who on us." Draco looked at the boy with astonishment. By know they were walking through the halls of Hogwarts.

"Do you really think all of that, Ron?" questioned Draco, "First of all, I am already friends with Harry and Hermione, and I haven't 'alerted my father of their secrets'. All I want to do is have friends that are understanding for once and really care about me." Ron laughed. Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw Hermione round a corridor coming towards them, but he was too focused on Ron.

"Look, Draco. I heard that your mother died" started Ron. Draco immediately felt his heart drop at the mention of his mother. "I don't care if that's true or not because either way, you are a lying, cheating ferret who thinks that it can get whatever it wants. Well let me tell you something. You can't have my friends!" by now Ron was yelling. The figure in the corner of Draco's eye was approaching rapidly and his heart was still thumping from the reference to his mother. Ron continued his shouting, "Your family is a breeding ground for scum like you. It's no wonder you turned out like you did with that father of yours. And your mother. What? Was she not strong enough to stay alive? Did she even fight back before her repulsive body hit the floor and died along with her terribleness and hatred for all living things?!"

By now Draco was boiling on the inside. It was all he could do to keep a straight face. "Look," he managed in a terrifyingly soft and quivering voice, "just leave my mum out of this. Please." Ron smiled as he realized he had hit a soft spot.

"What? Is little Draco afraid his zombie mother won't be there to tuck him in every night? Is he worried that now she's gone he'll be the nastiest one in the family? ANSWER ME MALFOY!" Ron shouted, "ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

It took all of Draco's willpower to just say a simple "no". By now he could see Hermione trying to restrain Ron, but the redhead was too strong. The moment he took his eyes off Ron to look at Hermione, Ron struck. The ginger's fist connected with Draco's jaw with such power he felt it shift out of alignment. He faintly heard Hermione scream for help.

"Go home and cry to your mother, scum." sneered Ron.

This combined with all of the previous insults did it for Draco. He ran off down the long, stone corridor, tears streaming down his face.