Prologue: Detentions Can be Good
Harry Potter sighed as he walked out of Potions. He had just lost Gryffindor fifty points for telling Malfoy off, and the detention he had also received didn't make things better.
Why was it always the Gryffindors to get in trouble around Snape? Why didn't Snape treat them evenly?
Of course, one thing had cheered Harry up a bit: Malfoy had also received detention, for insulting Ron Weasley's family. Although they had detention together, Harry couldn't help but feel better.
Ron ran up to Harry and rolled his eyes. "You couldn't have just let it alone, could you?" he hissed in Harry's ear. "You know we have Quidditch practice tonight, don't you? We can't go without the bloody Seeker!"
"Get Ginny to fill in for me," Harry snapped. "I'd think you'd be a little grateful! I just saved your ass, Ron!"
"What are you talking about?!"
"What you would've done to Malfoy if I hadn't stepped in would be far worse, and you would've gotten more than one detention for it! You know Snape would've put all the blame on you, and you probably would've gotten expelled! Now I couldn't have that."
Ron smiled. "What would I do without you?" he asked, patting Harry on the back.
Hermione, Harry's other best friend, ran out of the Potions classroom and caught up to them. "You two are coming to study, aren't you?" she asked.
"Nope," Ron replied, shaking his head.
"And why not?!" Hermione snapped. "N.E.W.T.s are only a year away, Ron, and if you want to be an Auror, you have to get your grade up!"
"Hermione, calm down," Harry sighed. "I'm busy with my Potions essay. Remember, Snape gave me an extra two properties of Wolfsbane to write, and I don't have time to fit anything else in before my detention starts."
Hermione sighed. "What about you?" she shot at Ron.
"I got my Transfiguration report to do before practice. Everything else I'll get done tomorrow, don't worry," he added at the worried look on Hermione's face.
"Quidditch is taking up a lot of your time, Ron, are you sure you want to continue?" Hermione asked concernedly.
Ron rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine."
"Next year is N.E.W.T.s. Are you going to be able to handle that, Quidditch, and looking for a job?"
"Yes."
Hermione rolled her eyes and walked off toward the library. "Okay, see you two tonight. Cheerio!"
Ron sighed as he watched Hermione disappear around a corner. "Dammit," he murmured, leaning against the wall. "Should I tell her, Harry?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know."
"Oh, come on!" Ron exclaimed. "I need some help here!"
"Ron, the only girlfriend I've ever had was Cho, and she told me first," Harry sighed. "I don't get girls. You shouldn't ask my advice on them."
Harry heard someone giggle behind him, and he gritted his teeth. When he turned around he came face to face with Malfoy, with Parkinson hanging on his arm.
"Oh, did you here that, Goyle?" Malfoy smirked. "Sounds like Potter can't handle a girl."
"Shut up, Malfoy, and bugger off!"
"What's the matter, Potter? Too used to having Weasley as your bitch to get a girl? Too much of a change for you?" Malfoy sneered, brushing Parkinson away.
Ron pulled out his wand, but Harry pulled it away. "Don't push it, Malfoy."
"Push what?" Malfoy asked, playing innocent.
Ron tried to pull his wand away from Harry, but Harry growled, "Don't waste your time on Malfoy, Ron," and stormed down the corridor, seething.
"Think I got to him?" Malfoy smirked, walking down the hall the other way.
***
"Malfoy's going to die," Harry growled as he ran down the steps into the common room. "And I'm going to be the one to kill him."
"Why'd you try to stop me from hexing him?" Ron complained. "Because that's my job," Harry barked.
"Why won't you tell me what he said already?" Hermione asked for the millionth time. "It couldn't have been that bad. I've sure he's said worse."
"Harry, he was insulting both of us! We could've gotten him together."
Harry plopped down on the couch in front of the fire. "No, because we would've been expelled--maybe even sent to Azkaban for murder. This way, I can make it look like an accident. I'll say he was squashed when a portrait fell off the wall."
"How're you gonna do that?" Hermione asked. "The portraits are stuck on the walls."
"I'll find a way," Harry promised, checking his watch. "Believe me, I'll find a way to get rid of him."
"I really think you're making too big of a deal about this," Hermione protested. "Harry, we only have one more year to put up with him after this. Don't do anything rash, that you're gonna regret doing!"
"I won't regret it, it'll give us one less Death Eater to deal with later," Harry grumbled. "I gotta go. See you later."
***
Malfoy sighed as Harry stormed into the Potions classroom ten minutes later.
"You're late," Malfoy barked, leaning against the wall.
"Shut up," Harry hissed. "What d we have to do?"
Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Still pissed about earlier?" he asked, walking up to Harry. He looked Harry over, then smirked. "Well, you don't really seem the type to be straight, if you don't mind me saying..."
Harry grabbed Malfoy's robe collar and pushed him against the wall. "I don't care what you think of me. I don't care if you can't keep quiet. I don't even care about you saying I'm gay. But when you bring Ron into it, that's when I get pissed."
"Malfoy's eyes widened in shock at first, but he quickly covered it and feigned boredom. He yawned, then asked, "Is that all? We have a job to do, and you're wasting time. I have homework to do, you know."
Harry pulled Malfoy back and slammed him against the wall again, harder this time. Malfoy winced, and he didn't bother to cover his horror anymore.
"Don't make me hurt you more than I already have," Harry spat. "If you have anything to say to me, say it to me. Leave Ron out of it. The fight's between us. Get it?"
Malfoy nodded, shaking slightly. "Okay, j-just let me go."
Harry dropped Malfoy's robes, and he fell to the floor, clenching his teeth. "Damn Potter," he hissed.
Harry smirked and looked around. "Get up, Malfoy. We have a job to do, and you're wasting time. I have homework to do, you know."
Malfoy stood up slowly, wincing as he did. His back was killing him, Harry could tell. And that's how Harry liked it.
"Hurts like Hell, doesn't it?" Harry asked, most of his frustration gone.
Malfoy gritted his teeth and walked slowly down the row of desks, wincing with every step. Harry barely managed to suppress a laugh.
"You've become emotionless since what happened, haven't you?" Malfoy asked, not a hint of a sneer in his voice.
"What happened?"
Malfoy shook his head. "You know damn well what I'm talking about! The Ministry incident. What else would I be talking about--what I said earlier?!"
Harry froze. Anger bubbled inside him, and he felt the urge to curse Malfoy--the urge he'd felt almost every single day since he started school. "I don't want to talk about it, okay?"
Malfoy's expression was serious. "You aren't the only one that lost someone, you know," he hissed. "My father is in jail because of you. The only time I'll get to see him is when we talk through the bars on his cell."
"I really don't give a fuck about your father, Malfoy!" Harry shouted. "He's in jail because he made the wrong choice. Now deal with it, because I don't care."
Malfoy stared at Harry with a piercing gaze, and Harry looked away. He felt his defenses were crumbling as Malfoy stared at him, making him weak. He felt like he was breaking down.
"What are we supposed to do?" he asked, avoiding Malfoy's gaze.
"What happened to Harry?"
Harry looked up. "What?"
Malfoy narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he were trying to see into Harry's head. "You heard me, Potter. What happened the Harry? All that's left of you is Potter."
"Malfoy, I don't have time for this," Harry sighed. "Just tell me what we're supposed to do?"
Malfoy shook his head and looked at the floor, and immediately Harry felt stronger.
"Jesus, Potter, just answer the question."
Harry's anger was increasing rapidly. "You want to know what happened to me?!" he shouted. "Voldemort happened to me! My life would've been perfect if one simple thing had been different--if Voldemort wasn't even born! Do you know what I've been through because of him?!"
Malfoy shook his head, finding his hands very interesting for some reason.
"You don't want to know," Harry spat. "I've been through enough shit, and if nice little Harry has left, there's a good reason to that."
"What have you been through?" Malfoy asked, looking up. "What happened to you? What was so terrible that happened to you, that you don't want to talk about?"
Harry looked at the wall. "Now isn't the time. Let's just get this place cleaned up, okay?"
***
"You know, this is Potter I could get used to," Malfoy sighed, leaning against the wall.
"Don't get used to it," Harry grumbled, glaring around the room.
"I think you would've been a good Slytherin after all," Malfoy admitted. "You certainly sound like one now."
Harry narrowed his eyes at Malfoy. "What are you on about?"
Malfoy shrugged and walked towards Harry. "This." He pressed his lips gently against Harry's.
"What was that?" Harry asked when Malfoy pulled back.
"A kiss. I thought you'd recognize one when it happened, but I guess not..."
Harry grabbed Malfoy by the back of the neck and pulled him into another, more urgent kiss.
"Shut up," Harry whispered, taking a step back.
Malfoy smirked. "Meet me in the Astronomy Tower at ten o'clock tomorrow night," he murmured in Harry's ear.
Harry shook his head. "It's too public. The broom closet on the fourth floor is better."
"Okay, there, then," Draco sighed, licking his lips. "And keep this a secret, Potter. We can't have anyone find out about that. I'd rather not get caught kissing Wonder Boy."
Harry nodded. "I don't think it would be good publicity for me to be seen with son-of-Death Eater Draco Malfoy, either," he smirked, turning to the door.
"And Potter," Malfoy called. Harry turned back to him. "This doesn't change anything between us." Harry nodded again.
Harry Potter sighed as he walked out of Potions. He had just lost Gryffindor fifty points for telling Malfoy off, and the detention he had also received didn't make things better.
Why was it always the Gryffindors to get in trouble around Snape? Why didn't Snape treat them evenly?
Of course, one thing had cheered Harry up a bit: Malfoy had also received detention, for insulting Ron Weasley's family. Although they had detention together, Harry couldn't help but feel better.
Ron ran up to Harry and rolled his eyes. "You couldn't have just let it alone, could you?" he hissed in Harry's ear. "You know we have Quidditch practice tonight, don't you? We can't go without the bloody Seeker!"
"Get Ginny to fill in for me," Harry snapped. "I'd think you'd be a little grateful! I just saved your ass, Ron!"
"What are you talking about?!"
"What you would've done to Malfoy if I hadn't stepped in would be far worse, and you would've gotten more than one detention for it! You know Snape would've put all the blame on you, and you probably would've gotten expelled! Now I couldn't have that."
Ron smiled. "What would I do without you?" he asked, patting Harry on the back.
Hermione, Harry's other best friend, ran out of the Potions classroom and caught up to them. "You two are coming to study, aren't you?" she asked.
"Nope," Ron replied, shaking his head.
"And why not?!" Hermione snapped. "N.E.W.T.s are only a year away, Ron, and if you want to be an Auror, you have to get your grade up!"
"Hermione, calm down," Harry sighed. "I'm busy with my Potions essay. Remember, Snape gave me an extra two properties of Wolfsbane to write, and I don't have time to fit anything else in before my detention starts."
Hermione sighed. "What about you?" she shot at Ron.
"I got my Transfiguration report to do before practice. Everything else I'll get done tomorrow, don't worry," he added at the worried look on Hermione's face.
"Quidditch is taking up a lot of your time, Ron, are you sure you want to continue?" Hermione asked concernedly.
Ron rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine."
"Next year is N.E.W.T.s. Are you going to be able to handle that, Quidditch, and looking for a job?"
"Yes."
Hermione rolled her eyes and walked off toward the library. "Okay, see you two tonight. Cheerio!"
Ron sighed as he watched Hermione disappear around a corner. "Dammit," he murmured, leaning against the wall. "Should I tell her, Harry?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know."
"Oh, come on!" Ron exclaimed. "I need some help here!"
"Ron, the only girlfriend I've ever had was Cho, and she told me first," Harry sighed. "I don't get girls. You shouldn't ask my advice on them."
Harry heard someone giggle behind him, and he gritted his teeth. When he turned around he came face to face with Malfoy, with Parkinson hanging on his arm.
"Oh, did you here that, Goyle?" Malfoy smirked. "Sounds like Potter can't handle a girl."
"Shut up, Malfoy, and bugger off!"
"What's the matter, Potter? Too used to having Weasley as your bitch to get a girl? Too much of a change for you?" Malfoy sneered, brushing Parkinson away.
Ron pulled out his wand, but Harry pulled it away. "Don't push it, Malfoy."
"Push what?" Malfoy asked, playing innocent.
Ron tried to pull his wand away from Harry, but Harry growled, "Don't waste your time on Malfoy, Ron," and stormed down the corridor, seething.
"Think I got to him?" Malfoy smirked, walking down the hall the other way.
***
"Malfoy's going to die," Harry growled as he ran down the steps into the common room. "And I'm going to be the one to kill him."
"Why'd you try to stop me from hexing him?" Ron complained. "Because that's my job," Harry barked.
"Why won't you tell me what he said already?" Hermione asked for the millionth time. "It couldn't have been that bad. I've sure he's said worse."
"Harry, he was insulting both of us! We could've gotten him together."
Harry plopped down on the couch in front of the fire. "No, because we would've been expelled--maybe even sent to Azkaban for murder. This way, I can make it look like an accident. I'll say he was squashed when a portrait fell off the wall."
"How're you gonna do that?" Hermione asked. "The portraits are stuck on the walls."
"I'll find a way," Harry promised, checking his watch. "Believe me, I'll find a way to get rid of him."
"I really think you're making too big of a deal about this," Hermione protested. "Harry, we only have one more year to put up with him after this. Don't do anything rash, that you're gonna regret doing!"
"I won't regret it, it'll give us one less Death Eater to deal with later," Harry grumbled. "I gotta go. See you later."
***
Malfoy sighed as Harry stormed into the Potions classroom ten minutes later.
"You're late," Malfoy barked, leaning against the wall.
"Shut up," Harry hissed. "What d we have to do?"
Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Still pissed about earlier?" he asked, walking up to Harry. He looked Harry over, then smirked. "Well, you don't really seem the type to be straight, if you don't mind me saying..."
Harry grabbed Malfoy's robe collar and pushed him against the wall. "I don't care what you think of me. I don't care if you can't keep quiet. I don't even care about you saying I'm gay. But when you bring Ron into it, that's when I get pissed."
"Malfoy's eyes widened in shock at first, but he quickly covered it and feigned boredom. He yawned, then asked, "Is that all? We have a job to do, and you're wasting time. I have homework to do, you know."
Harry pulled Malfoy back and slammed him against the wall again, harder this time. Malfoy winced, and he didn't bother to cover his horror anymore.
"Don't make me hurt you more than I already have," Harry spat. "If you have anything to say to me, say it to me. Leave Ron out of it. The fight's between us. Get it?"
Malfoy nodded, shaking slightly. "Okay, j-just let me go."
Harry dropped Malfoy's robes, and he fell to the floor, clenching his teeth. "Damn Potter," he hissed.
Harry smirked and looked around. "Get up, Malfoy. We have a job to do, and you're wasting time. I have homework to do, you know."
Malfoy stood up slowly, wincing as he did. His back was killing him, Harry could tell. And that's how Harry liked it.
"Hurts like Hell, doesn't it?" Harry asked, most of his frustration gone.
Malfoy gritted his teeth and walked slowly down the row of desks, wincing with every step. Harry barely managed to suppress a laugh.
"You've become emotionless since what happened, haven't you?" Malfoy asked, not a hint of a sneer in his voice.
"What happened?"
Malfoy shook his head. "You know damn well what I'm talking about! The Ministry incident. What else would I be talking about--what I said earlier?!"
Harry froze. Anger bubbled inside him, and he felt the urge to curse Malfoy--the urge he'd felt almost every single day since he started school. "I don't want to talk about it, okay?"
Malfoy's expression was serious. "You aren't the only one that lost someone, you know," he hissed. "My father is in jail because of you. The only time I'll get to see him is when we talk through the bars on his cell."
"I really don't give a fuck about your father, Malfoy!" Harry shouted. "He's in jail because he made the wrong choice. Now deal with it, because I don't care."
Malfoy stared at Harry with a piercing gaze, and Harry looked away. He felt his defenses were crumbling as Malfoy stared at him, making him weak. He felt like he was breaking down.
"What are we supposed to do?" he asked, avoiding Malfoy's gaze.
"What happened to Harry?"
Harry looked up. "What?"
Malfoy narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he were trying to see into Harry's head. "You heard me, Potter. What happened the Harry? All that's left of you is Potter."
"Malfoy, I don't have time for this," Harry sighed. "Just tell me what we're supposed to do?"
Malfoy shook his head and looked at the floor, and immediately Harry felt stronger.
"Jesus, Potter, just answer the question."
Harry's anger was increasing rapidly. "You want to know what happened to me?!" he shouted. "Voldemort happened to me! My life would've been perfect if one simple thing had been different--if Voldemort wasn't even born! Do you know what I've been through because of him?!"
Malfoy shook his head, finding his hands very interesting for some reason.
"You don't want to know," Harry spat. "I've been through enough shit, and if nice little Harry has left, there's a good reason to that."
"What have you been through?" Malfoy asked, looking up. "What happened to you? What was so terrible that happened to you, that you don't want to talk about?"
Harry looked at the wall. "Now isn't the time. Let's just get this place cleaned up, okay?"
***
"You know, this is Potter I could get used to," Malfoy sighed, leaning against the wall.
"Don't get used to it," Harry grumbled, glaring around the room.
"I think you would've been a good Slytherin after all," Malfoy admitted. "You certainly sound like one now."
Harry narrowed his eyes at Malfoy. "What are you on about?"
Malfoy shrugged and walked towards Harry. "This." He pressed his lips gently against Harry's.
"What was that?" Harry asked when Malfoy pulled back.
"A kiss. I thought you'd recognize one when it happened, but I guess not..."
Harry grabbed Malfoy by the back of the neck and pulled him into another, more urgent kiss.
"Shut up," Harry whispered, taking a step back.
Malfoy smirked. "Meet me in the Astronomy Tower at ten o'clock tomorrow night," he murmured in Harry's ear.
Harry shook his head. "It's too public. The broom closet on the fourth floor is better."
"Okay, there, then," Draco sighed, licking his lips. "And keep this a secret, Potter. We can't have anyone find out about that. I'd rather not get caught kissing Wonder Boy."
Harry nodded. "I don't think it would be good publicity for me to be seen with son-of-Death Eater Draco Malfoy, either," he smirked, turning to the door.
"And Potter," Malfoy called. Harry turned back to him. "This doesn't change anything between us." Harry nodded again.