(There will be a LOT of songs, song lyrics, and the songs linked on YouTube for you all to listen to. If reading song lyrics bother you, they're all italicized so you can skip if need be)

Of course, this newfound comradery wouldn't last. When alone to deal with his thoughts, Harry was fine. He would sit there, dissociate, and somehow make his way through his meals.

It wasn't like he was skipping through them on purpose. He never had regularly scheduled meals growing up, sometimes going over a week without food, so he often forgot to eat. Feeling upset invoked those feelings of being locked in the cupboard in the past, and it took away any semblance of an appetite that he had.

It was the first day of the term, and Harry simply wasn't hungry. He has spent his whole summer studying, trying to cram seven years worth of magical education into one summer. He didn't know how Hermione had done it in real time, but he supposed he was the one always directly at risk of dying.

Harry was at breakfast, head propped up in his hand, listening to Draco happily talk to every single person at the table about the new term. That wasn't necessarily what bothered him. It was the way Draco would deftly deliver a kick to Harry's shin, always in the exact same spot, and continue talking as if he had done nothing.

"Why are you nice to everyone else but me?," Harry hissed.

"Harry, can you please eat something for me?," Draco asked gently.

And there it was. Harry immediately grimaced and pushed his plate away.

"Honestly Potter, have you never used a fork before? These pointy parts are used to get the food you see. Then, you open your mouth and put the food in. It's really quite simple, children do it all the time," he said patronizingly.

"I know how to fucking use a fork Malfoy!," he snarled, stabbing and eating some of his potatoes.

"Good, don't forget it."

It was only after his plate was clear and Draco was getting up that he realized what had happened. Harry stormed out of the great hall following Draco.

"You fucker," he accused once the door had closed behind them.

"I wish, but no one wants to lay their hands on me anymore. Goodbye Scarhead."

"I'll lay my hands on you alright," Harry threatened. "I'll push you right up against the wall!"

"I can't tell if you're coming onto me or you want to fight me. I'm interested in one of those, figure it out," Draco answered evenly, turning on his heel and walking down the hallway.

"I think-," Harry began, starting to follow him.

"I don't care what you think, as long as it's about me," Draco spat out, robes flaring in a way that would make Snape proud.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?! Harry didn't have long to dwell on it as Ron and Hermione flocked to his side.

"You didn't hit him did you?," Hermione asked worriedly.

"No, that's your job," he spat, pushing the two away and slipping under his cloak.

"Harry!"

That was how Harry traveled to his classes all day. He sat in the front left corner of all of his classes, alone. There was enough space for everyone to have their own table, and that was what he liked. Head down, he focused on his professors and took notes as needed. It was a relief when he finally made it to his art class.

Arabella greeted everyone as they entered, casting a worried glance at Harry. She explained to the class that for the first few weeks she would be doing demos, and she would like for everyone to follow along with her for the first half of the class. The second half they would be allowed to do whatever they wished with the materials given.

"If you want to go into the booth, you're more than welcome to," she told him gently, passing by his table.

"I don't want special treatment."

"We'll talk after class."

And talk they did.

"Accommodations and modifications may seem like special treatment Harry, but everyone is different. I try to differentiate and individualize my lessons so that everyone's needs are met. If what I'm doing isn't helping you, I want you to do something that is. You have the autonomy to choose what's right for you. Everyone does for that matter, not just you."

"Can I head back now? It's my free period."

"Yes you may. You remember what all of the buttons do?"

"I believe so, yeah."

Grabbing one of the guitars, Harry made his way into the room, heavily exhaling as he closed the door, throwing his bag on the ledge next to him, rolling his eyes as it fell over. His life was a mess, and he felt like a ticking time bomb.

Why was he such a jerk to Malfoy? Replaying their interactions, it suddenly dawned on him. Malfoy... cared... about him. Harry was unresponsive to traditional methods, and Malfoy knew exactly which buttons to push to get Harry to bend whatever way he needed to.

When Draco Malfoy was involved, Harry Potter would never step down from a challenge. That's why Draco was nice to everyone and they were nice back to him. Harry was the one who fucked up, the one who was fucked up. Dropping his head against the wall, Harry began to strum.

He was a time bomb, destined to explode.

(Time Bomb by All Time Low linked above)

From the get-go I knew this was hard to hold
Like a crash the whole thing spun out of control
Oh, on a wire, we were dancing
Two kids, no consequences
Pull the trigger, without thinking
There's only one way down this road

It was like a time bomb set into motion
We knew that we were destined to explode
And if I have to pull you out of the wreckage
You know I'm never gonna let you go
We're like a time bomb
Gonna lose it, let's defuse it
Baby, we're like a time bomb
But I need it
Wouldn't have it any other way

Well there's no way out of this
So let's stay in
Every storm that comes,
Also comes to an end.
Oh, resistance is useless
Just two kids stupid and fearless
Like a bullet shooting the love-sick
There's only one way down this road

It was like a time bomb set into motion
We knew that we were destined to explode
And if I have to pull you out of the wreckage
You know I'm never gonna let you go
We're like a time bomb
Gonna lose it, let's defuse it
Baby, we're like a time bomb
But I need it
Wouldn't have it any other way

Got my heart in your hands, like a time bomb ticking
It goes off, we start again
When it breaks, we fix it
Got your heart in my hands, like a time bomb ticking
We should know better,
But we won't let go

It was like a time bomb set into motion
We knew that we were destined to explode (destined to explode)
And if I have to pull you out of the wreckage
You know I'm never gonna let you let me go
Like a time bomb
Gonna lose it, let's defuse it
Baby we're like a time bomb
But I need it
Wouldn't have it any other way

Once he had finished, there was a polite knock at the door. Getting up, he opened the door, head tilted in confusion.

"I didn't want to interrupt, but you hit the broadcast button."

"Oh, erm, I'm sorry."

"It was lovely Harry, I just don't want to listen in without your consent."

"Thank you."

"I'll have to come up with a list of song requests," she teased, closing the door once more.

Harry carefully, moved his bag before playing again. If he had moved a few centimeters forward when opening the door, he would have been met with a very bewildered Draco Malfoy, covered in paint.

"He's quite good, isn't he?," Arabella asked.

"He is, in multiple ways."

"I'm sure there's a better way to handle all of this," she said gently.

"He won't listen to reason. If I'm still who he thinks I am, then he listens. We've been doing this dance for years Arabella. I tried apologizing to him and he yelled at me and refused to hear me out. I know where we stand. I'm not making that mistake again."

"Do you want my unsolicited advice?"

"I feel like you're going to give it to me either way."

"He needs you. Harry is lacking some sort of consistency in his life, and I think you give that to him. I don't think you need to be down each other's throats about it, but you see right through him, and I think it scares him that you know when he's vulnerable, so he gets defensive."

"I just worry about him. I can get results from him, that's all I care about."

"Don't be a self-sacrificing idiot, we already have enough of those around here," Harry remarked before leaving the room.

"Harry-," Arabella began, but he just kept walking. "Shit."

"You get used to it," Draco replied with a shrug.

Harry didn't bother coming down to dinner, and with a sigh Draco brought up a plate along with his own. Tapping on the door with his foot, he was about to put the plate down when the door opened.

"Is this going to be a regular occurrence?," Harry greeted.

"That depends on whether or not you're actually going to take care of yourself."

"I cannot for the life of me, figure out why you care," Harry spoke, stepping away from the door and sitting on his bed.

Draco took that as a cue to come in, and gently closed the door with his foot behind him.

"Is it because I saved your life? Because we're even, you saved mine too. Is it because I testified? Your mother lied for me. Or-"

"Or, you can let me speak," Draco offered, sitting at Harry's desk. "Everyone treats you like you're fragile. Like they have to walk on eggshells around you because you're one more inconvenience from exploding. While I do agree you're close to exploding, you're not fragile, and being treated as such as only fuels the fire.

You saved the whole fucking world, you don't need to be spoon fed like Granger thinks you do. If it takes fighting with you like we're 11 years old again to get a glimpse of the old Potter, I don't care. I have nothing to lose, and annoying you was always my favorite past time," Draco finished.

Harry laughed. He actually laughed. Draco was shocked at just how loud Harry could laugh when he really got going.

"Fuck. I love your brutal honesty," Harry began, wiping his eyes. "There weren't many things to admire about Malfoy growing up, but Arabella is right. You were always there, and you do see right through me. You were there for some of the worst moments of my life, but I was also there for many of yours. Hell, I caused some of them, and I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for a lot of things actually. I should have heard you out on that first day instead of literally pushing you away. You've always been the target of my anger, and I don't want that.

I asked you why you were nice to everyone but me. I've never given you reason to be nice to me, and that's my fault."

"I'm going to stop you there. If you remember our first two encounters, I didn't give you reason to be nice. Even now, being nice didn't get me anymore, so I stopped trying. You had quite a visceral reaction when I tried it, I thought you were going to stab me."

"I did debate throwing my plate of food at your face, I won't lie."

"I think I'll be taking dinner in my room then. No good deed goes unpunished," Draco drawled, but there was a small playing at the edges of his lips. "For what it's worth, I was going to apologize that day, and I swore to myself I wasn't going to do it again after being rejected yet again, but I'm sorry."

"I think Snape is rolling over in his grave right now," Harry said thoughtfully, taking a bite of his chicken. "I should go tell his portrait that we spent time alone together in my room."

Draco laughed in surprise, covering his mouth immediately.

"You'll kill him again."

"He loves me, truly. Told me so right after I flipped off his portrait."

"What is there to be done with you Potter?," Draco asked in playful exaggeration as he stood up.

"When you find out Malfoy, let me know."