Chapter 3: He's more than worth it

Notes:

Welcome back, 234 hits is insane so thank you. I've already began updating chapters as I go and adding in scenes. I'm not the biggest fan of walls of meaningless text when it comes to fics, so I'm sorry if it feels like it rushes through things.

CW/TWs:

I don't believe I have any for this chapter, they do some drinking but that's about it. Let me know if you feel anything has been missed.

Enjoy :)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

By the time Harry had wandered back from lunch, the common room had drastically changed. They had moved the sofas so that they all faced each other and left a large space in the middle. White and grey banners were strung up all around the place, clearly neither house had agreed on a colour scheme. It looked nice though, casual. Seamus had bought a CD player and, with the help of Neville, was trying to get it to work.

On the right hand side of the room, two desks had been pushed next to each other and were acting as the drinks section. Harry could pick out what a few of the drinks were, granted they were mostly off brand stuff. Ron, Neville, Blaise and Theo had gone out just before lunch to go and source some drinks. The Slytherins hadn't had many muggle drinks but they were significantly cheaper and with a higher percentage so they couldn't complain. Ron had also gotten his Fanta, in a few different flavours as well. The drinks table sat closer to the girl's staircase, with the boy's being closer to the main door anyway. Seamus and Neville had set up the music at the back of the room, close to the windows, and had decorated the table it was on.

Blaise and Ron were seeming to mediate between Hermione and Parkinson, sitting on a sofa pretending to help prepare for the party. It was still a good few hours before it would begin but they had decided to invite a few 7th years that they were friends with. Of course, day 2 of being at Hogwarts and they were already breaking the headmistresses rules. But they were only bringing trusted people.

Harry strolled over to where the small group was forming, thinking they were discussing the party. But why would it be that simple?

"-sorry. I know you won't accept it, I - I wasn't a nice person but if we could-" Parkinson was going on a slight rant, being calmed by Blaise's hand running up and down her back. She was fiddling with her perfectly cared for nails.

"I'm not going to be your friend." Cutting the Slytherin off, Hermione tucked her hair behind her ears and clasped her hands in her lap, "At least not right now. But I'll be nice. I do not forgive you," She took a pause, looking around the room to try and avoid eye contact, "But, we can start anew." Her gaze returned to Pansy, who had a small, relieved smile on her lips.

"Thank you," It was almost too quiet to hear coming from the Slytherin. But she dusted her lap off and stood, walking back towards their dorms. Her mask of indifference returned as she took the steps up.

"Harry!" Dean exclaimed as he dropped down off of one of the desks. He clapped Harry on his shoulders and pointed out the room, "Looks good doesn't it?"

Harry did have to admit that it was good, and everyone seemed to be getting along so it was going well so far. "Looks good, Dean."

"Hey! No!" Seamus shouted at the other end of the room, clearly he had managed to sort out the CD player as Neville was now going through the collection they had, "You didn't do shit, he gets no credit."

"I hung up banners!"

"Banner! Singular." Seamus had sauntered over, a small plastic cup in hand with lemonade in. From the volume of Seamus it was clear it wasn't just lemonade in the cup, "Harry, you give him credit and you're banned from the party." As the mature adult he now was, Seamus stuck his tongue out at Dean.

"Right, well while all this is happening," Harry gestured to the room around him with a chuckle, Hermione was returning to putting some bunting over the mantle, "I'm going to head upstairs."

They bid a few goodbyes and continued bickering over who had been the most useful. Harry strolled up the stairs and clicked the door closed behind him. Everyone was downstairs, clearly too excited to unpack properly.

Someone was taking use of the quiet room, however, and on top of a perfectly made bed sat Malfoy. He was leaning against his headboard, one knee bent towards the ceiling and one leg outstretched. He had a book in one hand and a small glass of water in the other. The sun was beaming in through the window and made the blonde look almost god-like.

He was clearly engrossed in what he was reading, so Harry decided to leave him be. Quietly, Harry began to unpack some of his clothes, and by unpack he meant throw stuff in drawers and call it a day. He put some socks and boxers in the bottom drawer of his bedside table, which seemed logical to him. The top drawer held his fags, which he did well at hiding from view as he put them in there. As he held the small box in his hand, he wondered if he could get away with actually smoking them at Hogwarts.

Each of the boys had a small drawer in the bathroom to put their stuff in, so Harry began collecting the things he'd need in there. He opened a top drawer, noting it in perfect order. The other two he checked were similar, different products but still with that sense of order. He opened the last drawer and saw it empty. Shampoo, Conditioner (Hermione had slated the boys for using 2in1 so they had to separate them) body wash, and a small selection of sprays, all rolled into that drawer. He placed a few flannels in as well, knowing they'd get lost or stolen over the next few months. He had a small cup by the sink for his toothbrush and own toothpaste. After throwing them in and placing a towel on the rail, he turned to take in the room.

It was fancier than the Gryffindor bathrooms. They had two bathrooms to start with, one on each side of the dorm. In the middle, opposite the door, was a double vanity. Two large mirrors hung over the sinks and drawers, a small light balanced over them. A bath sat on the left side of the room, it was a large one too. A shower stood on the right, big glass wall and door separating it from the main room. The rails for towels were by the door, space for one each. He fixed his hair in the mirror and declared the room completed.

As he was returning, he noted that Malfoy had stayed in the same position but now his eyes kept flicking to Harry's form. Harry began working on his desk, shoving some pens and pencils in a drawer along with some spare parchment. He picked up the book Hermione had lent him and put it on the small shelf above the desk. It probably only had room for five books on it, but it meant they wouldn't be scattered everywhere.

He felt like he was being watched, and as he learnt over the last few years, he was rarely wrong with that feeling. His eyes scanned over to Malfoy, watching the Slytherin turn back to his book and flip a page.

"Is my organisation not good enough for you?" Harry joked, moving to get some hangers from the wardrobe. He dropped them on his bed and grabbed the clothes that he wanted to keep ironed. A few dress shirts and the only nice pair of trousers he owned. As he started pulling a shirt onto a hanger he noticed that Malfoy had dropped his book altogether, and instead was fully watching Harry.

" Is that seriously how you unpack? " He mocked, in his best rich white boy voice he could muster. His eyes flicked up just to catch as Malfoy shook his head, with a slight smile and a long exhale. It was acknowledgement. " If you can guess what I'd say, surely you could do a better job sorting. "

Malfoy laughed again, an actual laugh this time. It may have only been small, but it was something. It felt like music to Harry's ears, and he was suddenly very invested in hearing it more. He picked up his book and turned back to where he left off. The smile on his lips, small as it was, remained. Harry took it as cue to let the boy read, considering he was nearly done anyway. Maybe talking for him would get him to eventually say something, even just to correct Harry.

It was a start.

At 7 o'clock, people began getting ready for the party. Well actually, Hermione and Pansy had left dinner early as they wanted to have showers and do their hair, the knowledge of the boys having bought some snacks ensuring they weren't worried about actually eating. Neville was the next to leave as he wanted to get the music going to be sure it was definitely working. Dean and Seamus were next, ensuring Ron and Harry that drinking was the top priority.

Harry had actually left quite late to get ready, knowing that he wasn't going to take long. When he arrived back in their dorm, he spotted Malfoy being almost scolded by Blaise and decided it best to just go through his clothes for something to wear. As he looked into his trunk he couldn't help but overhear.

"It's a party, Draco, you're going." Blaise had his hands on hips, looking like a mother telling off their child.

Wow . He wore black jeans with some dress shoes. A black shirt unbuttoned dangerously low was cuffed at the sleeves by his elbows. He had a gold necklace on, a small snake dangling between the open shirt, a thick gold chain was clasped high around his neck, and a third thinner strand of woven black tread hung between the two lengths. He had an abundance of rings on and two small gold studs in his ears. He looked pretty good by Harry's standards, but that also meant that a plain top and jeans wouldn't cut it.

"You can sulk the whole night if you like, but you're coming downstairs. I will be back in 20 minutes if you're not there." The Slytherin shook his head and headed towards the door, as he left the sound of 'Girls & Boys' by Blur was heard quite loudly. The door clicked shut behind him, to which Malfoy let out a breath. He stood and walked over to his wardrobe to look for some clothes.

Harry had concluded his own outfit; a red shirt, buttoned to an appropriate height Blaise , black jeans and some black combat boots that always reminded him of Sirius, paired with some silver dog tags that he had found at Grimmauld Place. He grabbed the clothes and headed towards the side of his bed to change quickly. He heard the bathroom door close, concluding that Malfoy must have decided to get changed in the toilets despite the room being empty.

Malfoy hadn't attended dinner that evening, Harry assumed it was so he could get ready. But he remembered what Remus had said about Sirius returning from Azkaban. Moony said that the man didn't eat much or sleep, always looked like he was on high alert. Granted, Malfoy wasn't in the prison for nearly the same amount of time, but that didn't mean it wouldn't have had the same effect. But Sirius had spoken, he had trusted Remus to help, he chatted to Harry like everything was fine. That guilt was there again. Harry needed to help him, for Sirius' sake.

The Gryffindor sat on the edge of his bed, the side facing Malfoy's, and tied up his laces. As he stretched his back out the Slytherin returned, and Harry's breath caught in his throat. Black dress shoes, almost matching Blaise's, sat beneath a pair of smooth black suit trousers. They hugged his form, but not skin tight. He wore a metallic silver shirt, with the top two buttons undone. It glistened against his skin, hung from his body like liquid. He walked towards his bed whilst fastening the cuffs of his shirt tightly around his wrists. The blonde had left his hair ungelled but had at least run a comb through his hair. The outfit was topped off with a few silver rings and energy that Malfoy always had with him.

He looked... Ethereal. The way the shirt would shift against his stomach and highlight his waist. The light playing against his hair. Blaise looked good, there was no doubt in Harry's mind about that. But Malfoy?

He looked like a god. Like nothing could quite compare to him. Like words wouldn't be good enough to describe him. Nothing would be good enough to describe him.

"You look nice." Said Harry before he could realise what he was saying. Malfoy's head had turned to look at him, taking in his appearance. His eyes lingered for longer than Harry would have thought appropriate for ex- arch nemesis'. " I always look nice, Potter. " Harry added, in that tone he had been using. Malfoy chuckled as he rummaged through his bedside table for some cuff links. Harry watched as the blonde placed the small silver snakes through his shirt. Were they all obsessed with snakes?

" Not too bad yourself, why thank you, so kind." He continued, this earned him another chuckle and an eye roll. It could count as conversation, surely. "Shall we?" Harry gestured towards the door and Malfoy's small smile had shrunk, breathing in deep and nodding to the Gryffindor.

They walked down the stairs, Malfoy slightly behind, presumably so that Harry could talk to people, not him. The song had shifted onto 'Groove is in the Heart' by Deee-Lite, and Harry clocked onto how busy the common room had become. The ten students who actually had the dorm seemed to have all invited two people each at least. The main lights had been switched off and small lights were charmed everywhere, colour changing to the beat of whatever song was playing. Seamus, Dean, Ron and Neville were all dancing like idiots in the middle of the room, surrounded by a few others Harry didn't recognise.

Malfoy had nudged past Harry towards the drink table, in which Harry took as a good place to start. He had to dart through some people to get there, promising to chat to people once he'd gotten a drink. Luna was one of those people, but she simply smiled and moved towards where Hermione and Ginny were talking in the corner. Of course they invited Ginny, not like they broke up 2 weeks ago.

He stared down at the table in front of him alongside Malfoy. Harry spotted a bottle he recognised, vodka. He grabbed it and poured some into the cup. But as he went to tilt the bottle back down a hand stopped it, causing him to pour at least double the amount he wanted. The hand moved and Harry turned his head to spot a chuckling Malfoy, who had grabbed a bottle of 'Bacardi' and poured a similar amount into his own cup. The Slytherin then turned his head back to the table and looked a little lost on what he was supposed to put with this particular one. Harry took the lead and grabbed a can of Coke Zero, pouring half into his small cup and half into the other boys. They clinked them together like they were old friends and took a sip each, realising quickly that they poured way too much in.

"Fucking hell, that's strong." Harry commented under his breath, earning another small laugh from the blonde as he nodded in agreement. The boy's eyes scanned the room, but didn't stop anywhere in particular until he made eye contact with Harry again. At least they weren't hurtling insults at each other anymore. " Gosh, what an odd mixture of friends you have, Potter, " He mocked, leaning against the table and taking another swig of the very strong drink. Malfoy followed his movement but sat close enough that his arm brushed Harry's. He tried to remain calm, but he was pretty sure that's the first contact they'd had that wasn't violent.

An ABBA album had been put on, and 'Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!' was now blaring through the room. There was a cheer and people moved towards the 'dance floor' and began dancing to the music. The bad singing could probably be heard through the whole castle if the place wasn't covered in silencing charms. There had also been a detection charm placed on McGonagall's office so that they would know if she left and clear the place.

Harry bobbed his head along with the song, watching as Malfoy chugged his drink and poured another. Harry had barely had any of his yet. He watched the blonde pick up two small shot glasses and pour a green drink into each. Handing one to Harry as they put their normal drinks down.

"And this is?" He asked, noting the bottle the blonde then pointed to. 'Sourz - Green Apple'. They both tapped the small glasses on the table before throwing them down their throats. It definitely lived up to the name of sour. It was a relatively low percentage based on the drinks they'd started with, so Harry didn't put up much of a fight as the man beside him poured two more.

With that drink safely downed, he picked his cup back up and turned towards the sea of people. Blaise and Ron were stalking over, Ron dancing horrendously to 'Voulez-Vous' and Blaise laughing at him. Without stopping, they each grabbed their respective best mates hand and pulled them onto the dance floor. Harry had to admit that the alcohol was getting to him slightly, so began to dance along to the music. He began to sing when Seamus bounced next to him, clearly off his face. Harry's eyes scanned up to the clock on the wall; 10.35pm. It wasn't late enough for people to be this drunk yet.

He continued dancing for what felt like ages, in reality it was only 30 minutes. But with varying friends coming up to him with different shot glasses it started to feel longer. He wouldn't have classified himself as drunk, but he definitely wasn't sober. He laughed as Ron stood on the table and dragged a very scared looking Neville up to party along to 'Waterloo'. Neville was then wearing a pirate hat, Harry was unsure where it was from, but started to mime along with Ron. People around them laughed and cheered and Harry took this as a chance to go and get another drink.

He looked around the table and spotted a bottle of Madri beer and decided to give it a go. The low percentage on the label was promising. He twisted the cap off and took a swig, returning to his earlier position of leaning against the table. He let his eyes scan the room, spotting Blaise throwing a feather boa up to Ron for '5, 6, 7, 8' by Steps. He began instructing the whole room of the dance, and strangely people were doing it. There was an energy in the room that Harry knew he would miss.

As he laughed into his drink, he wondered where Malfoy had gone off too. All of his friends were still dancing, as were most. He knew this feeling. Always wondering where the blonde was and what he was doing. But he guessed there was no evil plan this time. Harry concluded that he had gone back upstairs, but he wasn't letting Malfoy stop the party. So, the Gryffindor chugged some of his drink and sauntered over to the stairs. He carefully closed the door behind him, in case the other boy was sleeping. All the lights were off, but thanks to the open curtains, Harry could just about see that the room was empty.

He grabbed his wand from his bedside table and cast a quick lumos. He rummaged through his trunk and pulled out the map. As he opened it, he stared as the drawing before him grew. The new section of the castle for the 8th years had added itself, which Harry thought was incredibly cool. His eyes scanned the pages until they landed on a small 'Draco Malfoy' sat in the courtyard.

He tapped the map closed and placed it back in his trunk, moving onto his bedside table. He pulled open the drawer and grabbed the fags and lighter. He tucked both into his front pocket and abandoned his beer. He wanted something stronger. He remembered the bottles on the table downstairs, knowing he would grab one on the way out.

He could help like that, right?

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

Next chapter: 22/04/23

(On a side note, in future chapters some of the characters speak in French. Would you want the translations at the end as Harry has no idea what's said?)