Change In A Star's Alignment
Chapter 20:
Standing outside the doors to the Great Hall, Harry turned towards Draco and watched as the blonde took a deep, calming breath.
"You ready? We're about to make quite an entrance" Harry said. Since they were late, everyone else was already eating in the Great Hall.
"Where are we going to sit Harry?" Draco asked softly.
Harry's heart leapt at hearing Draco say we so casually. "Wherever you feel most comfortable."
"I don't really have many friends right now Harry, I doubt there's really anywhere in that Hall that I'm going to feel comfortable at." The blonde said, sounding defeated.
"Well then… How about we sit somewhere that will piss Weasel off the most then? Let's sit at Gryffindor today."
Draco smiled a little at the idea of pissing of the Weasel. "Let's go to Gryffindor Harry!"
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Draco's POV:
Draco was extremely nervous but he found himself relaxing whenever he remembered that Harry would be next to him the whole time. Taking one last deep breath, he straightened himself out and raised his head high before stepping next to Harry and opening the doors to the Great Hall.
Everyone turned to look at him and he started to falter and think about leaving when he felt a hand on the small of his back. Harry was encouraging him to move forwards. He gave Harry a small smile and a nod before starting to move towards Gryffindor Table.
As he moved forward, Harry's hand slipped away and he found himself missing the comforting touch. He could feel all eyes on Harry and him as they sat down at the table. He had Hermione on his left and Harry sat down on his right with Neville seated across from him.
"Hello Draco, how are you?" Hermione asked politely.
"I'm well thanks, and yourself?" he replied with a smile.
"Oh, I'm-"
"Who do you think you are?" Seamus asked him from down the table.
"I beg your pardon?" he asked, confused.
"Who said a snake like you could sit with the lions?" Seamus snarled.
"Now you look here Seamus-" Harry started.
"No Harry, I can handle this myself." Draco said. He calmed his nerves quickly and then looked Seamus right in the eye before saying, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm no longer a 'snake'. I'm not a 'lion' either. I refuse to let a Hogwarts House define the sort of person I am."
"Well if you aren't a snake or lion, what are you Malfoy?" Neville asked kindly. It was obvious that Neville wanted to give him the chance to explain himself further.
"I am Draco and I am on the side of the Light. I'm on the side of Harry Potter." He said loud enough for the whole school to hear.
He hadn't meant to say he was on Harry's side, it had just slipped out. He could feel himself reddening and he glanced at Harry quickly to see the small smile playing on the raven-haired boy's face.
The Great Hall was silent for a few seconds before everyone started whispering to each other about what had just happened. Eventually, things started to calm down and Draco started to relax as everyone started talking normally again.
Just as he had calmed down, his heart started pounding once Harry moved in closer to him. Draco knew Harry was only getting closer so he could say something to him, but Draco couldn't help but shiver as he felt Harry's warm breath tickle his neck and ear.
"On the side of Harry Potter, eh?" Harry whispered in his ear.
He couldn't help but give another shiver at having Harry so close and whispering in his ear. All I'd have to do is turn my head a little to the right and- he stopped himself there. Draco! What are you thinking?
"Oh shut up Potter." He said jokingly, just managing to get the words out.
"Are you blushing Draco?" Harry asked teasingly.
Oh Merlin, please tell me he's only joking and I'm not actually blushing!
"Of course not" he said as confidently as he could.
"Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say Draco." Harry said, smiling happily to himself.
"I wasn't blushing" he muttered as he got up to get to class with Harry, "What's our first class?" he asked, louder this time.
"Transfiguration." Harry said.
"And after that?"
"Charms, free period, then Ancient Runes."
"Wait! You're taking Ancient Runes? I've never seen you there before…" he said confusedly as the duo walked into the Transfiguration classroom.
"That's because I wasn't. I decided to take it instead of Divination since I figured you'd like to keep taking Ancient Runes." Harry said nonchalantly.
Harry did that for me? Draco wondered. But he didn't have to! He could have had me sit through Divination with him and I wouldn't have complained…
"You didn't have to" he said, mirroring his earlier thought.
"I know," Harry said as he sat down near the front of the room and motioned for Draco to do the same, "but I figured you were taking Runes for a reason and I was just taking Divination because it was easy."
Draco was about to respond when McGonagall came in through her office door and began the lesson. He settled for a quiet thank you and then turned towards McGonagall to listen to her lecture.
"Alright. Today we'll be learning about animagi." The class broke out into excited whispers. "No class, we are not learning how to become one yet. There is plenty of theory one must learn before they can become an animagus-".
Draco tuned out when she started talking about the theory. He looked to Harry, hoping he could get his attention. But Harry was studiously taking notes. But I thought he didn't pay attention in class? Draco thought. He always got answers wrong whenever he was asked a question… I just don't understand him sometimes.
"Mr. Potter," McGonagall began, "how can you tell the difference between a real animal and an animagus?"
"Um… you can't?" Harry said sheepishly.
McGonagall sighed and frowned at Harry. "No Mr. Potter, as I had just been telling the class a few moments ago, you can tell by the eyes. I had hoped, Mr. Potter that you sitting beside Mr. Malfoy would have gotten you to pay attention in class… It seems I was mistaken."
Draco frowned as he let McGonagall's words sink in. Not paying attention? He thought, That's all Harry has been doing! He leaned closer to Harry and read his notes. See! He had the right answer written down and everything! So why did he get it wrong when McGonagall asked? He wondered.
He was going to confront the raven-haired teen about it but decided against it as it may have just been a simple slip-up. However, as the day progressed, Draco noticed the same thing. Harry would pay close attention, write detailed notes, seem extremely interested even, but then answer all the questions wrong. It just doesn't make sense, why would he purposely get the answers wrong?
He was going to ask Harry right away but decided not to. I'll ask him when we're in our room, as it's obviously something Granger doesn't even know. It must be important or personal…
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After dinner he and Harry went back to their apartment while Hermione went off to meet Blaise at the library. The two boys were both doing their homework on their beds when Draco decided to take a break to shake out his hand which had cramped from writing the essay McGonagall had given them on animagi.
As he stretched his hand out, he watched Harry scratch something out in his essay. "Here, let me see it Harry" he offered, reaching for the paper. He managed to grab it before the other boy could pull it away.
"No, Draco it's fine! I can do it" Harry pleaded.
Draco ignored him and continued to read the essay, getting more confused the more he read. "I don't understand" he said looking at Harry, scrutinising him.
"That's what I was trying to fix…" Harry said somewhat nervously, chewing on his bottom lip.
"No, I mean… I don't understand why you are scratching out the correct statements."
"I don't know what you mean." The other boy said irritated, finally grabbing the essay back.
"Yes you do! You do the same thing in class! You pay attention and write all the notes down and you are even interested in the lessons, but once someone asks you a question, you say the wrong answer!"
"I just blank." Harry responded while walking to the bench by the window and sitting down.
"Don't you lie to me Harry James Potter! After all I've told you, you're seriously not going to answer this?" Draco asked, sitting across from Harry on the bench.
After a minute or two of staring out the window, Harry sighed in defeat, "I guess it's just that I got so used to it, you know? I'd always have to act dumb in front of Weasel because he'd just get jealous and stop speaking to me for weeks at a time…"
"What do you mean?" he asked confused, "why would Weasel stop talking to you for being smart?"
"Because he hated how I have everything he wants. Fame and money. If he knew I had smarts too…"
"But that's stupid! He was supposed to be your friend and support you!" He said, outraged.
"Yeah… But he was like family to me, and that's all I've ever wanted…"
"But you have a family Harry! I mean, I know it's not your mum and dad, but you still have your Aunt, Uncle, and cousin right?"
He knew he had said the wrong thing when Harry seemed to close off completely. "Yeah…" Harry said bitterly, "I have them."
Draco decided to leave it alone for now. One thing at a time, he thought. "Alright, so you acted dumb so you could keep Weasel around, right?"
"Yeah" Harry responded.
"Well then there's no need to act stupid anymore!"
"I dunno…" Harry said, eyes cast downward.
"I'm not going anywhere Harry… Even if you're more famous than me, have more money than me, or even if you're more intelligent than me." He said seriously, looking Harry in the eye.
"I'm not going anywhere either Draco, no matter what." Harry replied, just as seriously.
The two smiled brightly at each other before Harry got up to finish his essay, doing it properly this time. Draco watched as Harry read over his essay and then decided to just start over. "That bad huh?" he asked.
Harry looked up and gave him a big smile, "Thanks" he said, before settling back on his bed to finish the essay.
Draco watched him for a while longer. It seems that Harry has some problems of his own. Draco thought. Dumbing himself down for that Weasel… And there's something going on with him and his Aunt and Uncle if his earlier reaction was anything to go by… Whatever it is, he doesn't view them as family… And the Weasel was whom he had thought of as family and now he's gone too…
"Hey Harry?"
"Yeah Draco?" Harry responded, not looking up from his essay.
"I can be a part of your family… If you want, I mean." Draco said, slightly unsure.
Harry looked up and gave Draco his most breathtaking (from Draco's point of view anyway) smile. "I'd love that Dray".
Author's Note:
Don't forget to review! I always read them and if it's a question, I'll send a message answering!
Always,
CourtneyMalfoy22