Day 0

Harry Potter was having a great day. Voldemort had been defeated, and he was back at Hogwarts for another year. So, of course, fate decided to ruin it. Harry walked into Potions class with the Slytherins - only dampening his mood a little - as Professor Slughorn began the lesson. "Today we will make Amortentia in pairs. I will choose your partners." he said. "The pairs will be Mr Thomas and Mr Finnigan, Ms Parkinson and Mr Zabini, Ms Granger and Mr Weasley, Ms Brown and Ms Patil, ..." Harry tuned out his voice until he heard "Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy," Harry's mood turned rotten in an instant. Of all the people here, why did he have to have been partnered up with Malfoy, of all people? It was bloody unfair! Ron sent him a sympathetic look and Harry made his way over to the snake and sat down roughly. "Well, Malfoy? Let's begin."

It didn't take long for the two to start fighting, and soon insults were flying.

"You bloody idiot, Malfoy!"

"Well, you're an insufferable prat, Potter!"

"Well, you-" Harry started, but at that moment their potion began bubbling, and suddenly exploded, the majority of the potion landing in Harry's open mouth. Harry sputtered and spat some of it out, but he swallowed enough of it that Slughorn, with a worried glance, told Harry to go to the hospital wing.

~~~~

Harry, Ron, and Hermoine walked to the hospital wing in silence. Harry was seething, and the other two knew enough about Harry not to talk and risk him blowing up at them. When they got to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey sighed. "What did you three do this time?" she asked. As Hermoine explained what had happened, Ron boredly looked around and Harry just stood there awkwardly. Eventually, Madam Pomfrey looked over Harry, and gave him a couple of potions to drink. "You're fine, but you should lay down in your dorm anyway, just to be sure." she told him. "Okay, thanks." Harry responded, and went to the Gryffindor dorms, while Ron and Hermoine went back to class, with a bit of convincing on Hermoine's part.

~~~~

Later that night, Ron came to the dorms to find Harry sleeping peacefully. He carefully set down the plate of food he had brought, but couldn't be brought to wake up his friend. Meanwhile, Harry was having strange dreams of a man holding him, and there was a feeling of safety in the man's arms washing over him. His master, Harry knew instinctively, and then a cat was meowing at him, and clawing at his head and a spot on his lower back.