Sorry, all. This is more of a link chapter, leading up to what will happen next :) Thanks for all the complimentary reviews!
It wasn't hard to forget Snape's warning in my detention. I was his favourite pupil – he wouldn't do anything, and even if he did my father would hex him so bad he would hardly be able to walk. However, it was harder to get over some of the comments that our fellow students were making. Many times, when Hermione looked particularly tearful, I had to corner people and threaten them that 'if they didn't shut up, I would shove their head so far up their ass that they would be talking out of their armpit,' (not within Hermione's hearing, of course.) That usually shut them up.
Of course I can't go around with my old friends anymore. They think I'm a traitor for going out with a 'Mudblood'. Some think I'm just messing with her, or that it's all just one big prank or dare. That's when I punch them. I often joke with Hermione about how lucky she is that I chose her over them. She always laughs at that…
Hermione and I usually spend a few hours in the Griffindor common room every evening, before going back to our private head boy/girl rooms. The Griffindors have been slightly more accepting than the other houses, and I have taken to sitting with Harry, Ron and Hermione in lessons. Harry, it turns out, is surprisingly nice. He even laughed when I introduced myself as 'Draco Malfoy, former Prick-head.' We have to avoid edgy topics like the Dark Lord, but overall I think we can become good friends. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Ron. He seems to be in a permanent bad mood, when I'm around at least. Hermione confided in me that it's because he still fancies her, but personally, I think they'd make a terrible couple. Plus if he really likes her, he'd be able to see how happy she is with me (touchwood). And if that wan't enough, it seems that news of us has even reached the teachers. Professor McGonagoll has been uncharacteristically nice to me lately, and didn't even tell me off when I disobeyed the seating plan so I could sit with the Griffindors, and talked with Harry all the way through her lesson.
"Draco, my little slithering friend! Come sit over here!" Harry called, when Hermione and I arrived late for breakfast one morning. We joined him at the Griffindor table. As I sat down, the other boys around me gave me dirty looks, and shuffled further away, but nothing could dampen my spirits that morning. I was so happy to be invited to eat with them by someone other than Hermione, that I forgot to even be offended by the Slytherins whispering about me from across the room. I helped myself to a large bowl of cereal, just as Ginny said "Hey, Draco, Pansy's watching you!" I looked around. Pansy Parkinson was staring at me from the Slytherin table, and seemed to be in a daze. When she saw that I had caught her, she shook herself and gave me a dark look, before dropping her eyes to her apparently very interesting plate of toast, turning bright red. I smiled, and placed my free arm around Hermione's waist, and she responded by feeding me a Cornflake that I had spilt on the table. I licked her fingers playfully, and grinned as she suppressed a moan. Ron mimed vomiting into his bowl. "God, get a room!"
"We have one, we just prefer annoying you guys!" Hermione answered happily.
"You know…" I said thoughtfully, "I've been having a much better time with you lot than I ever did with my old friends…" It felt right, somehow to say it out loud, as if I was finally admitting to myself that I was unhappy before. It felt like a lifetime ago, a totally different me.
"You could ask McGonagoll if you could get transferred into Griffindor," suggested Ginny.
"No… the sorting hat's word is law," Harry replied. "Besides, what would 'Daddy' say?" I smiled ruefully, thinking back to my conversation with Snape, and didn't answer.
Aw! Ya gotta love him :)