"Draco are you here? We- Fuck!-" Pansy gasped as she stepped around Draco's bed, "-Draco! You startled me! What are you doing?"

Draco blinked, looking up at Pansy, "I was thinking."

"Sitting on your bed in the dark?" Pansy said.

Draco charmed the lights back on, "I was about to leave and-"

"Started thinking," Pansy finished, "which is never good."

Draco nodded, smoothing down his robes and starting to get up.

"Don't bother," Pansy said, sitting down next to him, "You might as well tell me."

Draco stared at her and then at his hands, "I'm not sure I understand it myself. My head is a mess."

Pansy shrugged, "When isn't it? Dump it all out, and I'll sort through."

"It's-" Draco frowned, "-He seemed guilty that he was upset, like he wasn't supposed to be. And I hated it, that look on his face. I just-I,"

"This is Potter we're talking about?" Pansy asked.

"Yes," Draco said, "It's like he thinks he's not allowed to grieve- that can't be right."

"It might be," Pansy said, "I know you don't read the papers but they treat him like the golden beacon of the future or something."

Draco took a deep breath, "It was meant to be fun- It was fun at first with the list and plans and now..."

"And now?" Pansy prompted him.

"Now it's terrifying," Draco said. He looked at Pansy helplessly.

"It's gone beyond a crush and thinking he's not bad to look at," Pansy said."You really care about him now." 

It wasn't a question.

Draco tried to swallow the ache caught in his throat.

"Draco?" Pansy asked softly.

"The more I like him, the more I'm afraid he just..."

"Just thinks you have a cute bum," Pansy said.

Draco grimaced.

Pansy leaned her head on his shoulder.

"He says he's never liked another bloke before. What if I end up just being... a mistake?" Draco said.

"No." Pansy said firmly. She took his hand and squeezed it, "Potter always takes everything far too seriously. I can't be sure about much, but this isn't an experiment or a game or a mistake."

Draco chewed his bottom lip anxiously.

"Enough pointless worrying!" Pansy stood and pulled Draco to his feet with her, "We both dropped divination for a reason, Draco, we're pants at seeing the future. So let's have breakfast in the kitchens and do charms revisions until all you can think about is pronunciation and wand movements."

"Okay," Draco squeezed Pansy's hand, hoping she could feel his gratitude.

_____

Draco looked over his shoulder when he heard someone running up behind him in the hall. He frowned and then did his best to wipe the expression from his face as Granger caught up to him.

"Going to arithmancy? I'll walk with you," Granger said.

Draco wanted to ask what the fuck she wanted but forced himself to be polite about it, "Can I help you, Granger?"

Granger forced a cheery smile on her face, "I was surprised you didn't join Harry for breakfast this morning."

"I was sleeping in," Draco lied, "and aside from Luna who also came from a different table, I wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms."

"Everyone got along fine," Granger said firmly.

Draco sighed and tried again, "Can I help you with something, Granger?"

"Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

Draco looked at her, trying to read her intent.

Granger looked back; her only expression was determination.

"No," Draco said, "I was planning on catching up on some sleep."

"So Harry didn't ask you?" Granger asked.

"No," Draco said.

"And you aren't going with Parkinson?"

Draco was almost entirely certain this was a new and unbearable form of torture, "...As far as I was aware, No is a definitive statement without exceptions."

Granger shot him a glare, "I'll get to the point then. I'd like to invite you along with our group when we go to Hogsmeade on saturday. Harry also wants to sleep in, so we're planning to stay here until after lunch, go into town for the afternoon and have dinner in Hogsmeade."

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose. It would be awful. He just knew it but... he still had a few gifts to buy, and there was a good chance he wouldn't be jinxed or spit on if he were with the golden Gryffindors. It would save him a lot of trouble.

"Fine," Draco said.

Granger nodded. "There's something else."

They stopped in front of the classroom.

Draco managed to stop himself from asking What? but couldn't quite himself from grimacing.

Granger took a deep breath, "Look; I wanted to apologise for what I said in Potions the other day about leaving Harry alone so he could have a normal year. It never occurred to me that you were trying to do the same thing."

It never even occurred to her, of course not. Draco's mouth pressed into a thin line. He nodded stiffly, "Apology accepted."

Granger nodded like everything was well sorted, "Saturday, right after lunch at one, we're going to meeting up at the doors?"

"I'll endeavour not to be late," Draco said and gestured towards their classroom.

"Good," Granger said and went inside, Draco a few steps behind.

_____

"Granger invited me to join you lot tomorrow," Draco said.

Potter twitched and dropped the all asphodel in his hand. He managed to cast a shielding charm around the top of the cauldron before it belched. The muddy potion splattered across the invisible barrier, falling back into the cauldron as he dispelled it. "She did?"

"Yes. Would you rather I didn't?" Draco asked.

"No, that's fine, if you want to." Potter hesitated, "I thought you'd be going with Parkinson."

"She has plans with some other friends," Draco said.

"Oh... Right."

Draco stirred his potion, "Why did Granger ask me to come?"

"Well..." Potter frowned and sighed, looking mildly embarrassed, "Hermione said I need to get to know you better."

"She's not wrong," Draco said.

Potter smiled ruefully, "She rarely is."

When Draco finished his potion, he went over to watch Potter finish brewing. It ended up being very nearly perfect. When Draco told him so, Potter looked so flustered and pleased Draco knew he had yet another memory to add to his pensive.

_____

Draco stared at his lunch, chasing a lump of potato around the bowl with his spoon. He could hear the Gryffindors loudly laughing and joking across the hall like someone had cast a sonorous on them.

"Draco," Pansy said.

He looked up in time to see Pansy levitate an olive and fling it across the room where it bounced off Weasley's head.

Draco grinned, "Were you aiming for Weasel?"

"I was now," Pansy said.

Weasley glared around the room. Pansy smiled sweetly when he looked at them, flipping him off as soon as he looked away.

"Miss Parkinson," McGonagall called from the head table.

"Yes, Headmistress?" Pansy asked.

McGonagall pursed her lips, "Behave yourself."

"Of course, Headmistress," Pansy said, the picture of innocence.

Draco ducked his head so McGonagall wouldn't see him laugh. "You're going to get detention if you're not careful," Draco warned.

"I've never had detention, and I'm not going to start now," Pansy scoffed.

Draco frowned, "Never?" He tried to remember if she had and shook his head in disbelief, "I'm impressed."

"I'm a very impressive person," Pansy said.

"How do you manage it? Because I know it's not by following the rules," Draco said.

Pansy shrugged one shoulder, "You just can't take it too far. I really don't think you could manage."

"What exactly are you insinuating?"

Pansy poked at her half-eaten quiche, "You're not capable of subtlety, darling."

"I can be," Draco said.

She raised an eyebrow.

Draco glared at her, "Oh, go jump in the lake."

Pansy laughed so hard she snorted.

"It's not funny."

"Is so," Pansy grinned. She bumped his shoulder, "Look if things get too awful with the Gryffindor's you can always come find me."

"I don't think your new friends would like that very much," Draco said.

Pansy shrugged again, "I had plans to introduce you to them eventually anyway."

"Really?" Draco said in surprise before he could stop himself.

Pansy bumped his shoulder a little harder, "Yes, really. I know you're capable of behaving yourself if you want to-"

"So, now I can be subtle?"

Pansy rolled her eyes, "-and I'm sure they'd at least pretend to like you. Jenna was really impressed by the nail varnish you made for me."

Two girls stood up from the Hufflepuff table and waved enthusiastically at Pansy. They were quite possibly the most put together people he had ever seen. Their hair was coloured and perfectly curled for one, silky smooth for the other, with immaculate makeup and clothes that looked quite stylish if completely unfamiliar to him.

Pansy looked like their foil with her dark hair and understated makeup and simple, elegant clothing but she used to be just like them, not a handful of years ago before the war and her mother and Slytherin conformity had dampened her.

"I have to go," Pansy stood and grabbed her cloak, "Granger said you'd all be having dinner in Hogsmeade?"

Draco nodded.

"I might join you, If I'm feeling up to it," Pansy said as she hurried to meet up with Melanie and Jenna.

Draco ate a few more bites of stew, tearing up a roll and dipping it into the broth, keeping an eye on Potter and his friends. As they began to stand and gather their things, Draco pushed his plate back and got to his feet, following them out into the hall.

Granger seemed to be in charge of the expedition and ordered them all ready to go when Weaslette and Luna joined them a few minutes later.

Draco un-shrank his cloak and pulled it around his shoulders as they stepped outside. The snow was half melted into slush and squelched underfoot.

"Hey. Malfoy," Longbottom said awkwardly. "Um, thanks for the pictures and all the notes on that fern."

"It was no problem; I had Tulip get everything. It was all in order I hope," Draco said.

Longbottom blinked, "Tulip... oh, like a house elf? That would explain the finger in half the pictures. I thought they were a bit odd looking."

Draco sighed, "I trust at least some of the pictures were clear?"

"They were fine! Really quite great, nothing to be punished for or yelled at or anything," Longbottom said quickly.

"Tulip's enthusiasm for photography has not yet translated to much in the way of skill. She's a bit – well, that's why I asked her to take a lot of them."

Longbottom seemed a bit dazed by his response, "Uhh. Okay. I was actually- I was wondering, if I could see the plant, in real life. Sort of, visit, maybe?"

"Of course," Draco said, "Whenever you like."

Longbottom nodded, "I was hoping, maybe during the break. And Luna said she'd like to come along."

"Just owl ahead." Draco said and added, as another thought occurred to him, "The greenhouse can be accessed from the gardens. You don't have to come into the manor at all if you'd rather."

"Really?" Longbottom said with palpable relief, "That'd be-" he cleared his throat, "I mean, thanks, Malfoy."

Draco nodded his head graciously, "Of course."

Longbottom offered another awkward polite smile and excused himself to go stammer at Abbot who responded with an equal amount of blushing.

"Aren't they cute?" Luna said, quite suddenly at his elbow.

"To someone, I'm sure," Draco said diplomatically.

Weaslette latched onto Luna's arm, "Luna, you promised you'd walk with me, remember?"

"Yes," Luna said. She gave Draco a smile and little wave as Weaselette pulled her ahead of him on the road.

Without realising it, Draco had somehow ended up at the very tail end of the group, and aside from Luna and Longbottom, no one had even acknowledged him. It was strange how this group of people could feel more alone than he ever felt by himself.

As he slogged along, Draco saw a figure had held back by the side of the road, waiting for him.

Draco smiled, "Hullo, Potter."

"Hi," Potter said, falling in step with him, "I got caught up with Ron and Hermione, or I'd have found you sooner."

"Abandoning me in the lion's den, how cruel," Draco said.

Potter hesitated and then grinned, "I think the common room would be the lion's den. This more like the open savanna?"

"Still amongst the enemy," Draco said.

"And really, a snake amongst weeds isn't really going interest lions."

Draco frowned, "I could be trampled."

"By lions?" Potter pressed.

Draco sighed, "Yes, fine. You've ruined my wonderful analogy by taking entirely too literally. I hope you're happy."

"Very," Potter said, still grinning. "It's a shame about the snow. Maybe it will snow again before Christmas."

"Up here, quite likely. Down in Wiltshire snow is quite rare," Draco said.

"You could always conjure some," Potter suggested.

Draco shook his head, "Conjured snow is rubbish. Ice with thoughts above its station."

Potter laughed.

Draco smiled, feeling far too pleased with himself, "Well it is. Have you ever made some? It's-"

"Nice cloak, Malfoy," Weasley said.

Draco hadn't noticed them before. Either he and Granger had held back, or Draco and Potter had caught up at some point.

Draco looked down at the grey wool cloak trimmed with soft white fluff and gave Weasley a suspicious glare, "Thank you."

Weasley grinned.

"Ron," Granger sighed.

"Is it your mums?" Weasley asked, his tone right on the edge of malicious and teasing, "A bit girly isn't it?"

Draco smiled, and Weasley's expression lost some of its confidence.

"It is my mothers actually." Draco said with a calm, bright cheer, "The warming charms are very robust."

"A bit embarrassing," Weasley went on, "I wouldn't be caught dead wearing my mum's things."

"Knock it off, Ron," Potter said.

"What?" Weasley said, "He's up for it."

Draco's smile sharpened even further, "It's just a cloak, and as you said, it's a very nice one. The only reason I might be ashamed of it would be if I found being girly offensive or inferior. Which," he said pointedly, "I do not.

"What? That's not what I meant!" Weasley protested.

Draco added, ever so helpfully, "I think you really ought to reevaluate some of your ideas, Weasley."

Granger narrowed her eyes.

"I didn't mean what he said I said!" Weasley said.

Draco smirked.

"You little shit-" Weasley snapped.

"You shouldn't start fights you can't win," Draco said.

Weasley jumped as a stinging hex hit him right in the backside.

"Stop being a dick!" Weaslette said, putting her wand back in her sleeve, "or I'll tell mum what you said."

"I didn't-!" Weasley huffed in frustration and ran ahead, Granger on his heel, "Gin, you know I don't think that-"

"I'm not sure if that was impressive or evil," Potter said.

Draco shrugged, "The important thing is I'm up two to one now."

"There are points?" Potter asked.

"There are as far as I'm concerned," Draco said, "and I'm winning."

Potter caught the edge of Draco's cloak and ran his fingers over the soft white trim, "It is nice. It doesn't seem like your style though."

"That's because it's not, obviously."

Potter let go of the cloak, leaving the unspoken question hanging in the air.

Draco sighed, "All my cloaks are either black or Slytherin green. I'm not quite stupid enough to wear them in public."

Potter frowned, "It's just a cloak. It doesn't mean anything."

"It does on me," Draco said.

Potter frowned, his brow furrowing.

"Oh don't," Draco said.

"Don't what?"

"Be stupid," Draco said, "You can't fix it."

Potter kept frowning.

"You can help me pick out a new cloak," Draco suggested. "I could use your help."

Potter shook his head, "I don't know anything about clothes."

"That's quite alright. There's something very specific only you can do," Draco said as they stepped onto the bustling main street of Hogsmeade.

_____

Gladrags Wizardwear was fairly empty considering the busy crush outside. A group of Hogwarts students looked through scarves and gloves, and two older women complained about the robes young people preferred these days.

Draco went to the cloaks in the back corner. The selection was somewhat lacking, which he had expected, this late in the year most people already had their winter cloaks.

Potter wandered around the racks, squinting at the clothes like he expected them to jump out and bite him.

"Ahem," a man sniffed.

Draco turned with a sigh, lifting his chin, "Yes?"

"I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave," The stuffy old clerk said. His expression was of someone who had something crawl up their nose and die.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

The man clenched his jaw, "Sir, your custom is not wanted here."

Draco stared at the man then called over his shoulder, "Potter? Where are you?"

"Do people actually wear these robes?" Potter said from the dress robes section, looking at some magenta monstrosity with an atrocious amount of gold filigree.

"It's a Silvere robe," Draco said.

Potter shook his head, "It's ugly."

"Oh everyone knows, except maybe Madam Silvere. It's the height of fashion," Draco said.

"That makes no sense," Potter said walking over.

Draco shrugged, "It costs a lot of galleons. Therefore, it must have value."

"Mister H-Harry Potter?" The clerk stammered.

Potter grimaced.

"Yes, the Harry Potter," Draco said, "He's assisting me in finding a new cloak-"

"Malfoy..." Potter said.

"-unless you still want me to leave," Draco finished.

Potter stiffened, "Why would you have to leave?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at the man.

"No! No one has to leave!" the clerk said quickly, "It was a simple misunderstanding. Can I help you find anything, Mr Potter?"

Potter narrowed his eyes, and the arsehole flinched.

"I'll leave you to your shopping-" he stammered backing away and nearly falling over a rack of shawls. "-If you- If you need anything-"

Draco smirked.

"Is that what you needed my help for?" Potter asked, his shoulders still drawn back, stiff as a board.

"Yes," Draco said.

"Is it always like this?" Potter asked.

"I assume." Draco said as he flicked through the rack of robes, "I've only tried once before. I have my broker buy most of what I need, and if I want to pick something out personally I wear a glamour or Pansy buys it for me."

Potter looked like a lightning storm in a bottle.

Draco took out a horrid mustard yellow cloak and held in front of himself, "What do you think?"

Potter pushed the robe down, "Why aren't you angry?"

Draco frowned petulantly that Potter hadn't laughed and put the cloak back, "What would be the point?"

"What? The way he treated you-!" Potter pointed at the clerk, "How can you stand it?!"

Draco rolled his eyes, "You getting angry might change things Potter, they might even change the way you want to them to. If I were to get angry, all I would get is a headline somewhere along the lines of: 'Ex-deatheater Draco Malfoy, causes affray in local shop'. Accompanied by statements of all the witness' that have lots of words like 'shocked, afraid, disgusted, disappointed, et cetera."

"You're a customer. You haven't done anything wrong."

Draco pulled out another cloak and looked it over critically. "Help me pick out a cloak, Potter."

Potter frowned at him but eventually said, "These are all horrible."

"Very true," Draco agreed.

Potter very quickly shuffled through the rack and pulled out a plain brown cloak, "This one."

"I'm not wearing that," Draco said.

Potter dropped it over his arm and walked up to the counter where the clerk was watching him with increasing pallor. "You can do alterations right?"

The clerk nodded and shot to the back of the shop, returning a few moments later with a grumpy witch in her twenties with short brown hair and an exceptional number of piercings in her ears.

"I was on my break," she said sourly.

The clerk gestured at Potter rather frantically.

She looked at Potter, "Oh, the hero guy."

Draco bit his tongue to keep from laughing.

"It's Harry Potter, Kate," the clerk said, "A very important customer."

"Right," Kate sighed and gestured for them to follow her into the back where a few mirrors and changing rooms had been set up. "Sorry it's not that I didn't hear about the war and everything, I was in France doing an apprenticeship for, Merlin, seven years almost."

"It's alright," Potter said quickly.

Kate conjured a box in front of a mirror and took the cloak from Potter's arms and held it up. "Belch, yeah, no this is the worst." She looked between the two of them, "Who it for?"

Potter pointed at Draco, "Him."

Kate gestured to the box, and Draco stepped on. The cloak he was wearing floated off onto a rack and was replaced by the brown thing. With a few quick charms, the cloak was lengthened, and its seams grew to better fit his shoulders.

"What colour do you think?" Kate asked already twirling her wand, "Black? Always a classic."

"No," Draco said, "Not black or green or even dark grey."

Kate looked nonplussed and then shrugged, "Well, with your skin tone warm colours are tricky..."

"How about blue?" Potter suggested.

Kate turned the cloak a pale blue and then gradually darkened it.

"There," Potter said when it was a lovely shade of midnight blue.

Draco looked at himself in the mirror, "It's..." he frowned, "too close to black."

"I really like it though," Potter said.

"As do I," Draco said.

Kate put her hands on her hips with a frown. Then she flicked her wand out, and the colour lightened slightly, then darkened again. She grabbed the edge of the cloak, murmuring charms with the tip of her wand pressed to the fabric until the wool itself changed like it had been woven from different skeins of blue. Every movement of the cloak looked like a dark rolling wave, almost black and yet was inexplicably still very blue as the light hit it.

"Wow," Potter said.

Draco nodded silently in agreement.

Kate didn't seem terribly aware of them as she transfigured the lining into unfelted wool, white flecked with grey. She walked around the back of the cloak, and a spool of black thread followed her.

Draco held perfectly still as she worked, watching Potter's amazed expression in the mirror. Ten minutes passed in silence before Kate took a step back and seemed to blink herself back to reality.

"Bordel de merde, not again," Kate groaned.

Draco laughed and turned to see the back of the cloak reflected in the other mirror. Kate had embroidered what looked like the giant squid, emerging from a storm-tossed sea with its tentacles curling up towards the sky.

"Brilliant," Potter said.

"I should have asked. This- Sorry, I can change it back," Kate said quickly.

"Don't you dare," Draco said, "Rather, I'd like you to sign it."

Kate blinked, "It's an alteration..."

"Changing the colour and the fit is an alteration. This is an original work," Draco said, "Who did you apprentice under?"

"Reboux," Kate said fiddling nervously with her wand, "Are you sure you want me to sign it?"

Draco's eyes widened, "Reboux? I thought she had retired?"

"My mother knew her; it was a favour," Kate explained.

"I definitely want it signed," Draco said. "Do you have a card? Do you do private commissions?"

"But I've only been working for a month? I can't do-" Kate said numbly, putting a small signature under the kraken. She shook herself and asked as professionally as she should manage, "Do you want protection, self-cleaning, self-mending, heating charms-?"

"Everything," Draco said.

Draco waited until she finished before sweeping off the box and pulling out his wallet.

"You pay up front," Kate said.

"I will," Draco said, reaching inside and taking out a small sack of coins, "This is for you."

Kate took the coins, eyes wide, "I- I shouldn't.... my boss-"

"Doesn't need to know." Draco said firmly, "You're too good for this place. Find regular clients, build up your savings and reputation, and get your own label as soon as possible."

"Th-thanks?" Kate said, shoving the galleons in her pocket.

"Can you do dress robes too?" Potter asked.

"Yes, of course! Uh..." Kate scrabbled for some pieces of parchment and wrote down her information for both of them. "I have wednesday and thursdays off work here but I could owl in sick for whatever work you want, dress robes, cloaks, casual robes...."

"Excellent, thank you," Draco said.

Draco paid for the cloak and wrapped it around himself as he stepped back outside, Potter only a step behind him.