The next week was blessedly quiet. Most of the glares and hissed comments died down in the face of Harry's article, helped along by Draco buying several bundles of Witch Weekly to leave on the different house tables, that Harry had to sign autographs on for days afterwards. He wasn't enthusiastic about it.

Draco kept five copies for himself and had asked his broker to look into buying the original photos.

He thought that would be it. He could see Harry at night and the school might not trust him but most people no longer loathed him, he was safe. Of course, nothing ever seemed to go as he thought it would with Harry Potter involved. He really ought to have expected it.

"You're late, Mr Potter," McGonagall said.

Draco glanced up from his notes as Harry slipped into the classroom.

McGonagall spared him a sharp look before turning back to the cactus she as using to illustrate difficult textures transitions from something sharp and prickly to something soft.

"Sorry," Harry said quickly hurrying through the rows of desks and dropping onto the bench beside Draco.

Draco froze for just a second, ink blotting his notes. He swore internally, dabbing the ink away as Harry rummaged through his mess of a bag, taking out his textbook and a blank piece of parchment that was half crumpled from being shoved to the bottom.

What are you doing? Draco wrote on the edge of his paper.

Harry glanced over and then dug through his bag with a growing frown. "...Can I borrow a pen?" he whispered.

Draco considered giving Harry the quill he was holding, but that would have been too easy and not at all fun. He reached into his bag, fingers tracing over two other quills and something plastic which he pulled out and handed over, his expression carefully blank.

Pansy had bought quite a few random muggle writing implements at the shopping centre, including a package of gel pens that wrote in bright glittery colours. Pansy had given him a pink one. He hadn't thought it was funny at the time. He did now.

Harry stared at the pen, pulling off the cap and writing, I'm- his brow furrowedI'm why is this pink?

Draco fought down a grin, Why not?

it sparkles!

Draco had to cover his mouth. It's a pen isn't it? He glanced up front then back at his parchment, tapping on the original question, before writing down what McGonagall had just said.

Harry sighed and opened his textbook at random, presumably to look like he was working before writing his reply, just sitting.

Why? Draco replied and then added an underline for emphasis, Why?

McGonagall had charmed a piece of chalk to write a list of bullet points on the board and Harry wrote 1. before abandoning to the endeavour to reply, to get people used to seeing us together.

Draco dutifully wrote down every bullet point, leaving room below each one to add relevant information, some of which he added before writing, Is this Pansy's idea? Granger?

Pansy, Harry confirmed.

Draco frowned, What ideas?

nothing bad, Harry wrote.

Draco wrote notes for a few minutes. When McGonagall paused to answer a question, Draco had to ask, Tell me.

what? Harry asked.

Draco rolled his eyes, About Pansy's plans.

Harry shook his head, nope.

tell me! Draco wrote petulantly.

Harry underlined nope and added, its a surprise. His pen wavered, pansy said you liked surprises.

Draco chewed on his lip, Good surprises, yes.

its good

Draco shot him a suspicious look.

it is!

Draco filled in the next few bullet points. There was a box of cacti on McGonagall's desk that they were going to have to use to apply what Draco had inevitably missed half of. He hoped he could glean the rest of what he needed from the book.

He looked over and saw Harry had written one last thing, can I copy your notes? He caught Draco looking and added, ♡please♡, the hearts rather badly drawn and utterly at odds with Harry's cheeky grin.

Draco gave a much put upon sigh, Fine.

.

.

Harry didn't always sit with Draco in the classes they shared. It seemed random which classes he picked, some days they didn't sit together at all. Although Harry always seemed to be his partner in Potions.

Draco didn't mind. Harry made a very capable brewing assistant provided he knew what and why he was doing something. Nothing frustrated him more than being ordered around without knowing why. When Draco asked him why, late one night when they ought to have been sleeping, Harry had shared fragments of stories about being withheld information by people he trusted in fifth and sixth years, of being frustrated and feeling powerless and never wanting to feel that way again.

Draco was mentally trying to piece some of that story together with his own experiences as he was leaving arithmancy.

He did not hear Granger walk up beside him, "Hello, Malfoy."

Draco might have flinched, but he was fairly sure he didn't show it. "Granger," he said with a nod.

"What are you going to do until dinner?" Granger asked.

"...Study in the library," Draco answered warily. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you might want to study with us," Granger cleared her throat and added quickly, "up in the tower."

Draco narrowed his eyes, "I beg your pardon?"

Granger's nostrils flared in annoyance, "I asked if-"

"I heard what you said. I can't comprehend for the life of me why. Is this Harry's idea?" Draco asked.

"No. He's been called to Professor McGonagall's office," Granger said, "I know Harry's been trying to help you. Ron and I thought that maybe we could lend a hand. He is our friend."

"I hadn't noticed," Draco replied sarcastically. "So you think you can improve my standing if I'm seen in the tower with you and Weasley."

Granger grimaced, "Not standing. But right now most people think Harry just biased towards you for... some reason. I don't know about the rest of the school, but I'm certain we can help with Gryffindor."

Draco had no doubts that it would be unpleasant but Granger was right, it might help him with the lions. And he probably ought to be tolerant of Harry's friends since Harry was talking to Pansy now, about their mysterious 'plan'.

"So?" Granger prompted.

Draco gestured ahead of himself, "Lead the way."

Granger straightened her shoulders, steeling herself for- Draco, presumably, "This way."

Draco fell in step with her, through the halls and up several flights of stairs to a massive portrait of a woman dressed garishly in pink silk. He vaguely remembered seeing her in another painting being giggly drunk.

The pink lady looked suspiciously at Draco, "This is not your dorm room, young man."

Draco looked at Granger.

"Felix fortuna," Granger said.

"This is not the Slytherin dorm," the pink lady insisted.

Granger put her hands on her hips, "I invited him, and there's nothing in the rules that says he can't come in. I checked. Now, open up."

The pink lady huffed, "What would Godric think."

The portrait swung open revealing a round opening. Draco frowned, what was wrong with just having a door shaped hole- and the bottom of the hole was a foot off the ground. It was ridiculous. He had to wonder how many Gryffindor's tripped and fell on their arse just trying to get in and out of their own dorm.

Draco grimaced, knowing he would have to wait until he saw Pansy again to mock all of this mercilessly. He decided it would be best if he pretended this was a very formal function with his mother glaring at him to behave, at least until it was over. It was going to be sheer torture.

He tried to keep in step with Granger as she crossed the crowded common room over to a small couch and a few chairs over near a window. The conversations around them shifted to nervous whispers as Draco passed, too quiet for him to overhear.

Weasley was already sitting on the loveseat and shot to his feet when he spotted Draco, eyes a little too wide, "What in-"

"Shh-" Granger hushed him, her voice low, "Harry had to go speak with Professor McGonagall, and I had my last class with Malfoy, it was too perfect to pass up. We talked about doing this."

"Yeah," Weasley said wilting back onto the couch, "I just thought it'd be, y'know, later."

Draco waited for Granger to sit beside Weasley before lowering himself into an armchair.

"So... how's things, Malfoy?" Weasley asked.

"Very well, thank you. I hope you are doing well?" Draco said in his blandest, most polite voice.

"Uh, err-" Weasley looked at Granger, a bit panicked.

"What?" Granger hissed.

Draco took the opportunity to look around at the décor.

Weasley shrugged, whispering back, "I don't- Are you sure you got Malfoy? Is this someone else in polyjuice? Cause that'd brilliant."

Granger sighed.

Draco tried not to wince, they still hadn't grasped the point of whispering, which was that no one else was supposed to hear. Well, he could carry the conversation himself if he had to.

"Are all your chairs this soft?" Draco asked.

Weasley immediately stiffened, "Yeah? So?"

"The dungeon furniture is all done up in leather, which does last longer of course, but it doesn't tend to be nearly as comfortable to sit on," Draco said.

Weasley looked confused again.

Granger smiled politely, catching on faster than her tangerine boyfriend, "They're very comfortable."

"The windows must provide you quite a nice variety to look at," Draco went on, striving to be as boring as humanly possible.

"Errr... variety?" Weasley said looking through the window in confusion.

"Yes, seasons, weather, that sort of thing," Draco said, "As I'm sure you know, Slytherin looks into the lake. The view is green. Occasionally there is a fish to break up the monotony."

"Oh, uh, do you ever see the giant squid?" Weasley asked.

"Very rarely and mostly from a distance," Draco said, "I heard it once swam right by the common room and its eye filled the entire window. A girl took such a fright she fainted on the spot. It's just a story I'm sure."

"The giant squid isn't that big," Granger said, "Its eye can't be larger than a dinner plate, at the most."

Draco gestured to her, "There you have it. Just a story. How are your NEWTS revisions coming along? I'm finding them quite challenging."

"I have a schedule to maximise information retention," Granger said, she took the beaded bag off her wrist and pulled it open, reaching into it up to her elbow.

Weasley slid down the couch with a groan, "Not the schedule."

Draco leaned forward, suddenly far more interested in seeing what caused Weasley such distress, "The extension charm on your bag must be very robust. Did you do it yourself?"

Granger pulled out a literal sheaf of parchment held together with a metal clip, "Yes. It took me a few tries to get it to stick, but I'm very proud of it."

"It seems useful," Draco said.

"You have no idea," Granger said unclipping the pile of papers. She handed him a piece of parchment on which was drawn a grid with a strictly regimented daily schedule, it included; all meals- including a half an hour study time during each, free time- fifteen minutes to an hour at the most, and even bathroom breaks. "I found my ability to study dropped after two hours, so I avoid studying longer than that. Ideally, I study for an hour with a fifteen-minute break in between but that works best on weekends and Ron insists on sleeping in, which I'm worried is going to severely impact his NEWTs scores."

"I'll be fine," Weasley said sulkily.

"You need all O's to be an auror," Granger said.

Weasley rolled his eyes, "Other people need O's me an Harry don't need NEWT's at all, we only came back so we can do a good job when we start, it's practically a kindness, really."

"It's practically a, you're full of yourself, Ronald," Granger shot back.

"I'm studying aren't I? And I'll cram the week before and pass no problem, with O's," Weasley said.

They shared a half-hearted glare that didn't last, their fondness overwhelming them at the end. Granger shook her head with a smile while Ronald grinned and put an arm over the back of the couch behind her.

Draco looked down at the schedule again so he wouldn't throw up in his mouth, choke and die an ignominious death. He could see the value of her study regimen but also could understand McGonagall's concern, she was going to fall apart at such a pace.

He passed her scheduled back, "I tend to agree two hours is the maximum time one should study. I prefer two hours before dinner and two after, an extra two on weekends."

"Only six hours?" Granger said in dismay.

Weasley looked vindicated, "Sounds reasonable. I mean, sort of. Comparatively."

"Well, I'm not planning to be an auror or Minister of magic, so I don't necessarily need O's though it shouldn't be too hard to get them anyway. Cramming the week before is also useful in that measure," Draco said.

"Told you!" Weasley said.

Granger glared at both of them, putting the clip back on her papers.

"Don't do third year all over again, Mione," Weasley said.

"I'm not! I've scheduled plenty of sleep and breaks," Granger said.

They started bickering again, their arguments running together into a tangle of words that presumably they had both heard many times before and didn't need to actually articulate.

Draco looked around the room and grinned in satisfaction as Longbottom almost tripped on the portrait entrance as he came in.

Longbottom blinked hard a few times when he saw Draco like he was imagining him, before walking over, "Malfoy?"

"Strange, I know. I certainly wasn't expecting to end up in the lion's den today," Draco said.

Longbottom looked around again, "Harry's... not here?"

"At a meeting with the Headmistress," Draco said.

Longbottom hesitated and then sat on the chair beside Draco's, "I'd been meaning to talk to you actually."

"Oh?" Draco said, "About my ferns, I presume."

Longbottom nodded, "Professor Sprout has been, uh, encouraging me to write up a paper on them, a proper one to be published and everything. And half the information I have is from you, and most of the samples belong to you as well."

"Mr great uncle is the thank for that," Draco said.

Longbottom frowned, "I'll give him credit, of course."

"He was never really recognised for it when he was alive, I wonder if it would have made him happy," Draco mused.

"The information you gave me about the fern's potion properties are yours though, right?" Longbottom asked.

Draco nodded, "Yes, but the analyse is incomplete, I haven't had time to finish it."

"I'm sure you noticed I'm pretty rubbish at potions," Longbottom said.

"I think everyone in the school is aware you're rubbish at potions," Draco said.

"Don't rub it in, I got enough of that from Snape."

Draco smirked, "He was a right bastard wasn't he?"

"Cruel more like," Longbottom said. He cleared his throat, "So I was wondering, or I meant to ask you, if you wanted to write the paper with me? Not with- with, but the potion parts."

Draco blinked at him, taken aback.

"Not now, I've been collecting notes but until the fern's finished rooting and I can look at your plants more-" Longbottom paused just long enough to take a breath, "What I mean is, I wouldn't start on the paper until the summer, after our NEWTs. I'm not going to try and do both, that'd be crazy," he laughed.

"What's going on?" Weasley asked.

"I'm asking Malfoy to write a paper with me," Longbottom said.

Weasley pulled his arm off the back of the couch, sitting forward, "That's not the part I don't get."

"Alright," Draco said, "I was planning on finishing my testing anyway."

"Really?" Longbottom grinned tentatively.

Draco nodded, "It will be mutually beneficial. Everything I can learn more about the plant's sensitivities and preferences will only help my tests be more accurate. And if you know more about its potential interactions and acidic and base standings, it will make your work easier as well, I think," his brow furrowed in thought, "I'll admit the finer points of herbology are not my strong suit."

"Oh, for sure," Longbottom said, "If I knew-"

"But you said you were going to join the auror's with me and Harry," Weasley cut in.

Longbottom grimaced and looked away guiltily, "Oh, right...I- I did..."

"You should do what makes you happy," Draco said.

Longbottom looked at him in surprise. Weasley and Granger stared at him like he had suddenly grown a second head.

"We deserve that much at least." Draco cleared his throat, "Luna said that. I think you'd agree she's the expert."

Longbottom smiled incredulously, "Expert in what? Strange proclamations? Seeing invisible things?"

Draco shrugged, "I don't know, but she's certainly the expert in something."

"Yeah, probably," Longbottom laughed.

"But then...what about-? I thought we'd all be going in together," Weasley said.

"It's not your decision to make," Draco said stiffly.

Weasley deflated back into the cushions, "No, yeah, I know. I just thought it'd be nice, is all."

"I mean... I'm not saying I won't join the auror's, but I really want to study the ferns first," Longbottom said carefully, "They're very unique, might even be the only ones of their kinds. There aren't many undiscovered things left in the world, I'm not likely to get another chance like this again."

Draco nodded in agreement. Although he rather suspected there were at least a few more plants in his uncle's collection that might be unknown. It could be quite a while until Longbottom had the time to join the aurors and by then it'd be rather stupid of him to do so. He would be far far better suited to being a professor, or a professional researcher or something of the like.

"What are you grinning about?" Weasley asked Draco, his tone still sulky.

Draco tamped down on his smile, "Just enjoying the conversation."

Longbottom stood up, "I've got to get going."

"Are you studying with Hannah?" Granger asked.

Longbottom nodded.

"Have you kissed her yet?" Draco asked.

Longbottom flushed, "Uh, actually, she kissed me."

"Good for her," Draco said.

"Well, I'll- I'll talk to you later, Malfoy," Longbottom said, giving them all a weak wave as he left.

There was a long, awkward beat of silence.

"Shall we get some studying done then?" Granger suggested, flipping through her papers.

Draco grabbed the strap of his bag.

Weasley didn't move.

"Ron?" Granger prompted.

Weasley shrugged, "My stuff's up in my room."

"Then go get it," Granger said.

"We can study after dinner," Weasley said, "If you think I can concentrate with old fer-" he coughed, "-with Malfoy here, you're barmy."

"Ron," Granger hissed.

Draco sat back, still holding onto the worn strap, rubbing the leather between his fingers, gone smooth and shiny from years of resting on his shoulder. " Actually, I agree."

Weasley nodded, "See, it's just how things are. General animosity."

"General animosity?" Granger said in disbelief, "And I think you mean, shared animosity."

"Same difference," Weasley said.

Draco took a deep breath, squeezing the strap in his hand, "I wanted to apologise to you, Weasley."

Weasley's eyes went wide, "What? No- But, we said we weren't going to do that."

"After speaking with Ginny, I've come to think it's necessary," Draco said.

"Ginny?" Weasley said his voice almost squeaky in disbelief, "Since when do you call her Ginny?"

"She asked me to call her that. And I'm not asking for an apology in return," Draco said.

"But it's- it's weird," Weasley said.

"If you're not going to listen I won't waste my breath."

Weasley hesitated.

Granger nudged him, "It wouldn't hurt."

"You don't know that," Weasley said, crossing his arms over his chest, "Go on then."

Draco steeled himself the best he could, which wasn't much, but he had said he would do this after that train ride back to school. He wasn't going to let these things weigh him down anymore, he wasn't going to drag them behind himself until they hurt him or those most precious to him.

"I'm sorry about my actions in sixth year that lead to you nearly dying, and I'm sorry that your brother was injured because I opened the castle." Draco tried to look Weasley in the eye but ended up staring at his knees, "I never meant to hurt anyone."

Weasley snorted, "Bullshite."

Draco bit his lip, "Okay... I never wanted to hurt anyone."

"But you were perfectly fine with other people doing the hurting," Weasley said.

"...I was. But I'm not anymore," Draco said.

"Why did you do it?" Granger asked, "If you were working on getting through Hogwart's wards anyway, why bother with poison and curses?"

"I had to kill Dumbledore- the most accomplished powerful wizard alive-" Draco stifled a shaky laugh, swallowing it down, "and let Tom's followers into Hogwarts which had never been breached... I knew I was supposed to fail, but I didn't particularly want to die."

Weaselly huffed in amusement and then winced, looking guilty.

Draco shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "I didn't know Severus was working for Dumbledore. I thought he was one of Tom's most loyal and trusted followers and he was right here in the school, watching me." He toyed with the leather strap, "I had to show progress. I had to show I was doing something. I didn't- I didn't want to be encouraged to hurry up."

"Encouraged ?" Granger asked.

"Was Voldemort going to owl you a greeting card:" Weasley joked, "You can do it, I believe in-" he stopped short when Granger elbowed him in the ribs.

"He would've tortured my mother," Draco said shortly, "Anyway. I'm sorry."

"Did you really think they'd work? The poison and cursed jewelry," Granger asked, too interested to let the subject drop.

"Of course not," Draco said, slumping back, suddenly feeling exhausted, "That was the point. It was Albus Dumbledore, he was supposed to get the bloody things, realise what they were and immediately throw them away."

"But being so sloppy on purpose, what if you had been caught?" Granger asked.

"It would have been a relief. I could've stopped then," Draco grinned weakly and just as quickly grimaced, "but I- I couldn't..."

"And you really think Voldemort would have tortured your mother?" Granger asked.

"Of course he would have. It was Voldemort." Weasley said, squeezing Granger's hand. He and Granger looked at each other, communicating something with their expressions Draco couldn't read.

Weasley sat forward, clapping his hands on his knees, "Alright, apology accepted. Thanks for that, Malfoy. You're not total shite."

Draco snorted, too relieved to be annoyed, "High praise, I'm sure."

He let himself sink deeper into the plush cushions. They were terribly comfortable, and he if closed his eyes he didn't have to see the garish red colour. He had only looked at it for maybe a half an hour, and he was already utterly drained. Although it might have had a tiny bit to do with apologising to the most aggravating human being in the entire world.

"So, Malfoy... err," Weasley cleared his throat pointedly, "Malfoy?"

Draco rested his elbow on the arm of his chair, propping up his chin and deigned to open up his eyes.

"Are we boring you?" Granger asked stiffly.

"Exhausting me," Draco said.

Granger's eyes narrowed.

"Malfoy, you and Harry have talked quite a bit lately, yeah?" Weasley asked.

"Between fucking like rabbits, yes, there has been talking," Draco said, entirely to make them uncomfortable.

"Can you not talk about... those sorts of things," Granger said, looking slightly flushed.

"Right now, probably not," Draco said, "I've used up my quota of politeness for the day, possibly the entire week, and I should probably excuse myself or risk ruining an already tenuous relationship." He braced his hands on the chair to get up.

"We want to ask you something first," Weasley said.

Draco hesitated, "You were listening when I just told you I haven't the wherewithal to play nice anymore?"

"It's just one question," Granger said.

Draco rolled his eyes and sat back again.

"We were hoping maybe Harry has told you what's been bothering him. Or maybe you've noticed something when you were together?" Granger said.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Is there something preventing you from asking Harry this question yourselves?"

"We've tried," Weasley said, scratching the back of his head, "Harry's never really talked about his feelings much. I mean, I'm not good at it either, but I don't mind so much when it comes to Hermione."

Draco squinted at them, "Are you certain you know how to put words together so as to form a sentence, and from that to ask a question-"

"Malfoy," Granger hissed between her teeth.

"-And seeing as you are his closest dearest friends, on par with family, the kind that is so close it's mildly creepy, and he trusts you with his life-

"We wouldn't be asking if we knew," Weasley interrupted impatiently.

Granger glared at Draco, "And you obviously do because you're lording it over us like a total-" she floundered for a word.

"Prat," Weasley offered.

Granger nodded.

"I do know," Draco said, crossing his legs, "But I'm certainly not going to tell you."

Weasley's eyebrows shot up and then drew together.

"We want to help him," Granger said, trying to sound calm and reasonable.

"No." Draco shook his head, "First off, it would be a breach of Harry's trust, and I'm not doing that. Slytherin loyalty means something after all."

"You're loyal to one another," Granger said pointedly, "Harry isn't a Slytherin."

"But he is mine, which I would say counts for even more," Draco said.

Weasley bristled like an offended cat, "He's not yours. Harry doesn't belong to you."

Draco sighed, "That is where the value lies. He chose me. There's nothing more valuable in the world than being special to someone. You ought to know what I mean, you're his best friends and you have one another."

"I-" Weasley floundered, losing his steam, "Well, yeah..."

"Good." Draco said, "Secondly, the fact that I know something about Harry that you don't, fills me with such an immense amount of satisfaction, I can't even fathom the idea of telling you."

"Sorry?" Granger said.

"What?" Weasley said.

They both glared at him with remarkably similar expressions.

"I did warn you. I tried to leave, and you insisted," Draco told them.

"You act like such a child," Granger said.

Draco smirked, "You act like a middle-aged librarian."

"Madam Pince is a wonderful woman!" Granger shot back.

"I didn't say anything about Pince."

Granger pressed her mouth into a thin line.

Weasley slowly shook his head, "Why does Harry even like you?"

"I don't know," Draco said candidly, "but I'm not going to take it for granted."

"We don't take it for granted!" Granger said.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "You get him for the entire day. I only see him at night, and I can tell without a doubt that you need to spoil him more."

"Ha! Shows what you know!" Weasley said sitting forward in his chair, "Harry doesn't like getting a lot of stuff, he gets all squirmy and doesn't know how to say thank you."

Draco sighed, "I meant with attention. Just until school is out anyway and then I'll take over. I wouldn't want you to strain yourselves."

"I... We give Harry plenty of attention," Granger said.

"I beg to differ," Draco said.

Granger and Weasley looked up, behind Draco and Draco turned in his seat to see what they were looking at and up at Harry, standing right behind his chair.

Draco jumped, his heart skipping a beat. He glared at Harry.

Harry glared right back, "What are you doing here?"

Draco rose to his feet, tensed for- something.

"You're back," Granger didn't seem to notice the tone in Harry's voice or interpreted it the way Draco did. She said, "We invited Malfoy to come study with us."

Harry hadn't looked away from Draco.

"We need to talk," Harry said, he grabbed Draco by the arm, pulling him after him, up the narrow stairs and into a circular room with five beds arranged against the wall.

Harry slammed the door shut behind them.

Draco crossed his arms "What? Why are you angry?"

The muscles in Harry's jaw jumped, "You told McGonagall. I trusted you, and you told her about- about how I was-"

"I didn't tell her-" Draco tried to interrupt.

"I haven't told anyone!" Harry thrust a finger at him, "Just. You."

Draco drew his shoulders back "I didn't-"

"She knew. She asked me about my plans after school, about work- about everything!"Harry snapped.

"Shut up," Draco snapped, "I didn't-!"

"You-!" Harry tried to cut him off again, and Draco tried to draw his wand from his sleeve.

Harry grabbed his wrist. Draco shoved his arms against Harry's chest, a surge of adrenaline sent them back, slamming into the closed door with a grunt.

"McGonagall was asking me about my plans after school," Draco hissed, "and I told her she should be talking to you instead, and she thought you were set on being an auror, and I said that people change! Nothing else!"

Harry's grip loosened, his breathing still heavy.

"I swear it." Draco said, carefully taking a step back.

"...You really didn't-"

"Merling's fucking saggy bullocks, I just thought she should talk to you. I thought it might help rather than letting you wallow inside your own head which has already been proven to be the absolute worst idea," Draco turned away from Harry, walking into the circle of beds, "And if I had to be encouraged for seven fucking nights to push myself and try harder and be better, you should at least have to listen to her for one-"

He could hear Harry ease off the door, and close the distance between them, "I'm sor-"

Draco spun around, casting a wordless tripping jinx that pulled Harry's feet right out from under him and knocked him breathless when he landed on his back.

"I know I haven't done anything to be worthy of trust in the past, I am aware of that," Draco said with a fake saccharin cheeriness, "But I have been nothing but trustworthy since that. So much so I might start to worry about me cursed if I wasn't aware of the circumstances."

"-fuck," Harry groaned.

Draco paced a few steps away, "And yet you think I would share your secrets? What in the world would I have to gain? There is nothing I could ever possibly imagine more valuable than your affection."

Draco turned on his heel as Harry sat up, walking back over to him.

"...I'm still fucking livid," Draco huffed, he nodded to himself and added, "Rictusempra."

Harry opened his mouth to say something but all that came out was a laugh, that quickly began to shake his whole body.

"Takehaha it off heeheeh," Harry said breathlessly, clutching his stomach, "I-I'mHAhahha!"

"You and your stupid temper," Draco said, "All you had to do was fucking ask- Or let me explain. I hate being talked over."

"I'msorry! Hahahah-Pplease!" Harry tried to stop laughing and managed to squeeze it down to a giggle before he had to take a deep breath and started laughing all over again.

"No." Draco said stubbornly.

Harry took another breath, but this time it wasn't to fight down the charm, it was to lunge forward, wrapping both arms around Draco's knees. Draco lost his balance, falling mostly on top of Harry. Harry's hand slipped under his robes, fingers skating over his ribs and making Draco squirm. He bit his lip, trying not to laugh, trying to wiggle away as Harry pulled him closer, his laughter filling Draco's ears and infecting him with its stupidity so he started laughing too. 

He tried to pull away from the tickling but Harry had wrapped his legs around Draco, pinning them together until Draco found a wand and managed to gasp a finite incantatem, freeing Harry of the charm, and Harry, in turn, stopped his horrid tickling. They stayed locked together, trying to catch their breath, both waiting for the other to speak first.

There was a tentative knock on the door. "Everything alright? Sounded a bit, err, loud," Weasley asked, the door swinging open before he even got a reply.

"Oh-Merlin no-" Weasley covered his eyes, grasping blindly after the door, to pull it shut again, "Please don't fuck in here. Please. I know I gave you shit about being the dungeons but please, not here, anywhere but here."

Draco and Harry looked at each other, and that set them both laughing again, genuinely this time.

"I live here," Weasley bemoaned.

"It's fine, Ron," Harry said, "We were just talking."

"Didn't look like talking," Weasley said, his voice muffled through the door, his finger around the edge and the only part of himself still in the room.

Draco let himself collapse onto Harry, ignoring his groan of protest, "How about, if you don't go away, we are going to fuck."

Harry smacked Draco's should half-heartedly.

"How do I know you won't anyway!?" Weasley complained.

"You don't," Draco said, "but now we're going to fuck on your bed if you don't go away."

There was a silent moment of indecision, and then the door was shut again, "You better not. I swear to merlin if you..." his muffled voice faded as Weasley stomped back down the stairs.

Draco took a deep breath, pressing his forehead against Harry's shoulder, "You can apologise now."

"Oh, can I?" Harry said sarcastically.

"Yes."

Harry rolled onto his side dumping Draco onto the floor.

"Hey!" Draco sputtered in surprise.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, "Next time I'll ask or listen or-"

"Not be a total fucking cunt," Draco suggested.

"Shut up," Harry said lightly.

"Did you actually talk to McGonagall or were you too busy working yourself up into a lather?" Draco asked.

"I-" Harry sighed, "Not really."

"Well, are you going to?" Draco asked.

Harry made a face.

"Why not?" Draco asked.

"McGonagall was the first person I told I wanted to be an auror. She supported me when Umbridge said I'd never be able to be one."

"So?"

"So, she- she... believes in me," Harry frowned to himself, "fuck... and you'd say, that's not going to change if I decided to do something different."

"Hmmm," Draco said, "That sounds more like you than me. I would have said, it's her job to help you, she's not deciding your fate for you. No one's deciding your fate for you anymore."

"Or you," Harry said.

"Too true," Draco said, standing up and looking at the wand he had grabbed, which was not his own but it had cast just as easily. He smiled, "Accio Draco Malfoy's wand." There was a rattle as it rolled out from under a bed and flew to his hand. He pulled Harry to his feet and pressed his wand into his hand, "Very friendly indeed."

Harry grinned and stuffed his wand back in his pocket, "I should hope so."

Draco slipped his own wand back into his sleeve, "By the way, how can you stand having a dorm room entrance that can literally walk away and leave you unable to get in. And if you can get in, the entrance itself is a health hazard. I mean why is it a foot off the ground?"

"It's better than answering a riddle," Harry said.

"Yes. But if you were a Ravenclaw you wouldn't mind as much, and the statue can't walk off," Draco said, "I'd rather crawl through Hufflepuff's barrel, at least it's always there, and isn't condescending."

Harry grinned, "Fine, I see your point. And I'll try talking to McGonagall sometime."

"Excellent, now before we go, which bed is Weasley's?" Draco asked looking from bed to bed.

"What-? We're not going to-"

"No," Draco said. He grinned and raised his eyebrows.

Harry ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. He pointed to a bed strewn with horrid jumpers and chudley cannon kit, "There."

Draco walked over and rumpled the blankets, moving the pillow so it was half off the side and knocking the curtains askew. He stood back and tilted his head, "What do you think?"

"Looks pretty- yeah. You're really going to let Ron think we messed around on his bed?"

Draco shrugged, "It's called a prank and I'm not going to do anything. You can tell him whatever you like. But I would suggest letting him think that, for a minute or two at least, just so long as you savour his reaction."

Harry snorted and went over to his trunk, grabbing a small bottle and tossing it to Draco, "Here."

Draco snatched it out of the air.

"My aftershave," Harry said and nodded to the bed, "So it smells like me."

"Clever," Draco said, gleefully putting a few drops on his hands and then rubbing them over the sheet and pillow. "Show me the memory later?"

"Alright," Harry said, "now come on, let's go back to the common room."