Phase one: The Chance Encounter

Draco had spent the better part of his Saturday making a plan of attack, or a plan of seduction, as it were. The obvious first step was to overcome the 8 year rivalry between the two. Draco couldn't very well woo the boy if they still loathed each other. It was imperative to Draco's plan that Potter see him as something other than an enemy. Therefore, they needed to have an interaction that didn't end in a fist fight or a duel, which in and of itself was a mission. Several things needed to happen to ensure that, the most difficult being finding Potter alone. With his cohorts there, Draco would hardly be able to get a word in edgewise. He doubted you could hear a Hungarian Horntail's roar over Granger's squack, and the Weasel would rather get bitten by said Horntail than let Draco within 10 feet of his best friend. He thought he would have to wait a few weeks at least to find the scarhead alone, and if he hadn't by then, he was going to slip some puking pastilles in Granger and Weasley's pumpkin juice to ensure that he could corner him. So, when the couple strolled into the Great Hall minus one bespeckled savior, Draco knew fortune was on his side.

He edged out of the hall, making sure not to attract any attention from his housemates or anyone else for that matter, and walked far enough away from the dining area that their conversation wouldn't be heard, but close enough to the entrance that it wouldn't be strange for him to be there. After nearly 10 minutes had passed and Draco was on the verge of postponing phase one to a later date, he heard someone rush down the stairs and into the corridor. A quick peak around the corner confirmed the identity of the approaching person. A quick look at a nearby mirror confirmed that he looked gorgeous (as per usual), and then he purposely stepped directly into Potter's path, who promptly knocked Draco right onto his arse.

"Oh, shit. Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was – Malfoy?" Potter halted his apology as soon as he realized just who it was that he had knocked over.

Draco thought he heard a hint of, what was that, nervousness? The boy who had, mostly singlehandedly, defeated the most evil wizard in the history of magic, was nervous to have shoved him, a lowly ex-death eater, to the ground accidentally? Draco wasn't sure if he should be flattered or offended. It wasn't as if he was evil, he simply acknowledged that he was better than most people. He settled on flattered. It was more conducive to his current task.

"Potter." Draco said simply. He had, in his planning, considered beginning to use the Gryffindor's first name, but thought it too rash. He wanted to move quickly, but not so much so that Potter began to suspect ulterior motive, even if that ulterior motive was attraction. He needed the Chosen One to come to him, not the other way around. For this all to work, Potter had to always think he liked Draco more than the Malfoy heir liked him, because if there was anything the war had taught him, it was that love was more powerful than he had ever imagined. He had watched people die in the name of love, people kill to protect the ones they love – hell, his own mother had defied the Dark Lord himself out of love for Draco. He reached up his hand, silently asking for help, an act that made Potter's eyes visibly widen. The irony of the act was not lost on Draco, a parody of the first time that he had officially met Harry Potter, and for a split second, Draco thought that his hand would be refused a second time. But, true to form, Harry grasped his outstretched hand and helped him up.

"Well, sorry again for bumping into you," the black haired boy began, "I should have seen you coming." He seemed to be staring intensely at his shoes, as if he was scared that Draco had turned into a Basilisk over summer holidays.

"No problem at all. I also should have been aware of my surroundings." Draco stated, biting back his usual snide reply. It was so easy to forget the plan now that Potter was here in front of him. Everything in him wanted to curse the boy or mock him or hit him. Old habits did indeed die hard, but in order for this whole thing to work, they must die. "While we're both here, I'd like to thank you again for what you did for my mother and me. You didn't need to. You know you repaid that life debt when you saved me from the Room of Hidden Things. Without your help, we'd be rotting in Azkaban…" the 'too' went unspoken. They both knew what had become of the once proud Lucius Malfoy.

Harry's head snapped up at that. Apparently he hadn't expected Draco thank him, and rightfully so. Usually, he never would have lowered himself to admitting he needed help, but it seemed prudent to put Harry in a role he was comfortable with and enjoyed, that of the Hero. So, if it helped him reach his eventual goal, even Draco Lucian Malfoy could play the damsel.

"No problem. I wouldn't leave anyone to die there, Malfoy. Not even you." Draco wondered if he meant the Room or Azkaban. He supposed it was a little of both.

Draco didn't really know how to respond to that, so he said the first thing that came to mind. "Those really are some seriously ugly glasses you've got there, Potter."

Harry's face flushed, annoyed by the insult. 'Shit, why did I say that? Okay got to fix this fast.' Draco quickly pulled out his wand, and immediately found himself staring down Potter's own famous wand. He, holding his other hand up in a show of goodwill, transfigured the round spectacles into a pair of thin black wooden frames. They highlighted Potter's pale skin and made his eyes glow in an almost otherworldly way.

"Much better. It would be a shame to deprive your adoring fans of those eyes." He sneered, but there was no bite behind it. The Gryffindor's hand shot up to feel the new frames, then took them off to inspect them, 'probably making sure that I didn't give him sparkly pink glasses.' His eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the random act of kindness. Draco knew he was formulating a question to which the Slytherin did not yet have an answer. All he had planned for was to bump into the boy, be civil, and then leave. Instead, he had insulted the boy, performed magic on him, and then complimented him, if not in an offhanded way. He had to get out of this situation now, or risk either moving things along way too fast or ruining everything.

"Well, lovely as this has been, I do want to eat before noon." Draco said loftily. He began walking back in the direction of the hall, leaving his companion behind. "It's been a pleasure, as always." He said over his shoulder without stopping.

All in all, he was really quite pleased with how the whole thing had gone.

Author's Note:

Well, now the ball has started rolling. I think I like the idea of the story moving forward with draco pov then harry pov. Let me know what you think?