"Hurry up," Pansy said Draco, tapping her fork in an annoying insistent rhythm on her empty plate.

Draco didn't even bother looking up from his breakfast.

"I know you and Potter are still in your honeymoon phase, but it's just an hour or two," Pansy said.

Draco sulkily chewed on a piece of toast.

Pansy sighed, "...I'm sooo very grateful to you for coming to Hogsmeade with me."

"You better be," Draco said.

Pansy rolled her eyes.

Draco ate one last bite, finished his tea and got to his feet, "Let's go."

"Oh, now you're in a hurry," Pansy said.

Draco pulled his kraken cloak over his shoulders and walking through the great hall without waiting for Pansy, enjoying a small smirk at her curses as she hurried to catch up with him.

Draco slipped through the maze of students as some left to get to Hogsmeade early, and others headed into the great hall for a late breakfast before the tables were cleared. He followed behind a large group of Ravenclaws, caught up in chatting one another and forcing everyone to go around them as they headed for the door.

"Good morning."

Draco turned around.

Harry gave him a nod as he headed into the Great Hall with Weasley and Granger, "Cool cloak."

Draco managed a nod in return, "Thank you."

Pansy grabbed his arm, her voice a hiss, "Keep moving. Don't make it weird, numb-nuts."

Draco let himself be steered without complaint, "Is this part of your-?"

"I like your cloak too," A Ravenclaw girl blurted.

The entire group of Ravenclaws had stopped at Harry's greeting, seemingly just as surprised as Draco was.

The Ravenclaw girl asked "I've never seen anything like it. Where is it from?"

"It was made by Kate Northmore, she was trained by Reboux," Draco said.

The Ravenclaw girl's eyes widened with a very satisfying level of shock, "TheReboux?" she asked in a whisper.

"The Reboux," Draco confirmed, "She works at Gladrags Wizardwear."

"Who is Reboux?" One of the Ravenclaw girls' friends asked.

The Ravenclaw girl shook her head at her friend, "I'll explain on the way. I haveto get to Gladrags." She nearly ran for the door, hesitating before stepping outside to offer Draco a quick wave.

Draco nodded in return.

"I'm brilliant," Pansy said smugly, leading him to the doors, "And my plans are brilliant."

"Don't count a potion a success before it's brewed," Draco said.

"You're such a cynic," Pansy said.

Draco cast an extra warming charm over both of them as they stepped outside, "Well if you told me your plan, perhaps I could be more optimistic."

"Bullshit you would be," Pansy said.

"A hint then," Draco said.

Pansy paused and then smiled sweetly, "Here's a hint then: we're helping you, you ungrateful fuck."

Draco frowned at her.

"Don't pout, that hasn't worked since we were twelve," Pansy said.

"I am not pouting," Draco said.

Pansy kicked a lump of snow on the path, "You want something, and I won't give it to you, no matter what sort expression you make with your big boy face, it's pouting."

Draco grimaced, "Merlin, never say the words 'big boy face' again."

Pansy laughed, "Not a chance!"

As they walked around a bend, they found Jenna and Melanie waiting for them, leaning against a stone wall. Jenna's long cloak was all black with its edges trimmed in a bright sunshine yellow that almost matched her hair. Melanie's cloak was its opposite trimmed with black and rest a sunshine yellow that contrasted beautifully with her dark skin.

Pansy ran ahead, clasping both their hands, "You look wonderful! Are your cloaks new?"

Jenna grinned, "We were playing around with colour charms."

"And fabric charms," Melanie said, "And it's not like we're going to use our ugly old school cloaks for anything after this."

"How did you remove the anti-alteration charms Madam Malkin's puts on them?" Pansy asked.

Jenna and Melanie looked at each other and giggled.

"We might have destroyed a few of our old robes," Melanie said.

"A lot of them," Jenna added.

Melanie laughed, "Most of them actually."

"But it's not like uniforms from the previous years are useful," Jenna said.

"And we figured out how to unravel the charms," Melanie said, "We'll teach you when we get back to school."

"On one condition," Jenna said, holding up a finger, "You let us experiment with one of your old uniforms."

"Deal," Pansy said with a grin.

"As much as I love being ignored," Draco said sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest, "I am right here."

Pansy rolled her eyes, "Draco's being a pouty baby today."

"You know, occasionally, I do want to make a good impression," Draco said.

"Oh, I've already ruined that," Pansy said.

"I noticed," Draco said.

Melanie laughed.

"Come on, let's go," Jenna said, grabbing Melanie and Pansy's arms and pulled them down the road.

Pansy grabbed Draco, so they took up the whole road, linked together like a chorus line. As they reached Hogsmeade they ended up in pairs, Jenna with Pansy and Melanie with Draco, and not knowing each other very well, they fell back on easy conversation topics, mostly charms and clothes.

They walked down the main street, past the most popular shops to those more specialised to the everyday Hogsmeade resident, a grocers, a fabric shop, a shop selling general kitchen and bath goods, a furniture shop and- they stopped in front of a small empty storefront. The sign in front advertised it was for sale.

"We thought about getting a shop in Diagon," Jenna said her nose gone pink from the cold.

"Because there's more foot traffic," Melanie said. She reached over and carefully pulled a lock of hair free that had been caught in Jenna's scarf, smoothing it with her fingers.

Pansy hadn't looked away from the shop, a fierce hungry look in her eyes.

"But then we thought," Jenna said, "We don't want grumbly old people."

"We want young people, like from the school, the sort that will keep coming back," Melanie said.

"And tell their friends," Jenna added.

"And not die from a stodgy heart," Melanie finished.

"Makes sense," Draco said.

"Yes, but," Jenna looked at Melanie, "we, like, went to Gringotts to see about getting a loan."

"And the Gobos laughed at us," Melanie said, looking furious just from the memory.

"Gobos?" Draco repeated.

"Goblins," Pansy said, rolling her eyes as she turned on her heels to face him. "So we need a loan."

"Fine-" Draco started to say.

"A proper one," Pansy said, "I know we're friends but if you keep just giving me money I am going to hate you forever. I don't want to depend on you, I want to depend on me."

"I don't mind being given money," Jenna said.

Melanie laughed behind her hand, "Come on, Jenna!"

"What? I don't," Jenna said.

"Well..." Draco said, "There are two options. One is a just a loan, with low but fair interest. Or I could fund the shop in exchange for part ownership, say fifteen percent."

Pansy hesitated, "You know it might be a long time before we make a profit, much less, enough to pay you back."

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Yes? I don't plan on dying from a stodgy heart anytime soon."

Jenna laughed.

"Should we?" Melanie asked.

Jenna bumped Melanie's shoulder, "Totally. But it ought to be twenty-five percent, shouldn't it? There's four of us, that would make it an even split."

Melanie pursed her lips thoughtfully and then nodded, "I suppose, but I mean, we're doing all the work, he's just rich. It's a bit shit."

Jenna glared at Melanie, "Yes, but we need the money, so don't blow it."

"I'm just saying!" Melanie said, throwing up her hands.

"He's not completely useless," Pansy said wrapping herself around Draco's arm, "He's very good at potions, he made those nail polishes for me, he might be able to help you too."

"I don't care if he's useful," Jenna said with a shrug, "We. Need. Money."

"Yes. Thank you," Draco said flatly, pulling himself free of Pansy, "Twenty-five percent ownership of the shop in exchange for being your financial investor, potion expert and very useful advisor." Draco held out his hand expecting a round of handshakes, but instead Jenna followed by Melanie and then Pansy, placed their hands flat on his.

"To the first magic beauty salon," Jenna said.

"To our beauty salon," Pansy said.

Melanie nodded, "To our beauty salon."

Jenna giggled, "Do we do a chant? Should there be a hoorah?"

Pansy snorted.

Melanie shook her head with a laugh, and their hands fell away.

"Did anyone bring a pen so I can take down this shop's information?" Draco asked.

Jenna reached inside her cloak, patting her pockets, "I have one here...somewhere..."

A snowball hit Draco in the back, a hard centre of ice making him flinch and leaving an aching welt in its wake.

"Deatheater scum!" A man yelled from across the street, "You won't fool me! You evil-"

His shouting was cut off by a snowball hitting him in the face, followed by four more as Pansy hissed the charm over and over under her breath, his wand flicking out sharply with each completed snowball to hit the horrible man. Jenna and Melanie drew their wands as well and soon the man was being pelted by a storm of snowballs.

The man held up his hands, stumbling and trying to run down the street, "Y-You bitches!" he shouted behind him before slipping into a group of shoppers.

"Fucking coward!" Pansy yelled after him.

"What a moron," Jenna said, slipping her wand back into her robes.

Melanie laughed, "Bitches, really?"

"Maybe we should name our salon that," Pansy said.

"What? No," Jenna said with a grin.

"Not literally!" Pansy laughed. "We could call it... Three Witches, and we'd know what it meant."

"Three Bitches," Jenna laughed.

"I kinda like it," Melanie said.

"Kinda," Jenna echoed, and they shared a grin.

"Well, thank you, for defending my virtue," Draco said sarcastically.

That sent them all laughing which made Draco forget the ache on his back for a little while, "Now about that pen?" he said, "And then I could really use a cup of tea and maybe some cake."

.

.

Draco was in the great hall after that stupid fight, and he didn't remember falling, only laying on his back, half under the table. Above him, Harry was drawing his wand- too slow. The cutting spell meant for Draco went into his side, deeper than it had hit Draco, and blood began seeping through his shirt. Harry looked down at him where Draco was hiding- and he was hiding- and he knew it was his fault. Harry had been hit and, somehow, Draco was certain that he was going to die and it was his fault-

Draco awoke with a gasp, blinking in the dim light from the sconce beside his bed. He lifted the blankets, his heart still pounding and let out a sigh of relief to find Harry pressed to his side, his hair fanned out in a chaotic mess. Draco couldn't stop himself from smoothing a few loose strands down to ease his aching heart.

Harry made a soft noise, and Draco pulled his hand back, feeling guilty.

"What time is it?" Harry mumbled.

"Late," Draco said softly, "Go back to sleep."

"Mmph," Harry said, sliding an arm around Draco's chest, "...nightmare?"

Draco took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "...yes."

Harry reached across Draco to the bedside table, patting around until he found Draco's watch, clicking open the lid and squinting at it.

"What are you doing?" Draco sighed.

"Trying."

Draco almost laughed, taking the watch out of Harry's hand, "You're blind as a bat."

"Am not," Harry said, laying his head on Draco's shoulder, "M nearsighted, it's far away stuff I can't see."

"Go back to sleep," Draco said.

"What time is it?" Harry asked.

Draco stared at the watch for a few seconds before the hands made sense in his head, "Near seven."

"In the morning?" Harry groaned.

"As opposed to at night?" Draco said, putting his watch back.

"...nnnhho point in goin back to sleep," Harry said. He stretched out his legs but otherwise stayed right where he was.

Draco gave in and went back to combing his fingers through Harry's hair.

Harry yawned, his voice muffled in the fabric of Draco's shirt, "You okay?"

Draco hesitated, and then answered truthfully, "I am now."

"yeah?"

"Yeah," Draco said, "...It was... about you, about what happened in the great hall and you were hit by the spells instead of me..."

Harry's brow furrowed.

"You should be flattered, really. Most of my nightmares are about myself, only a few others ever feature," Draco said.

The furrow in Harry's brow smoothed as he tried not to smile.

"Besides..." Draco's voice softened, "I'd like to think I'll end up in your nightmares as well. It's only fair."

Harry glanced up at him before squeezing his eyes shut, "...You already have. About...the bathroom in sixth year. I know at the time it was-" He swallowed hard, "but now, I can't imagine if I had- had-"

"But you didn't and Severus was there, so everything was fine," Draco said, taking Harry's hand with his free one.

"I'm just so sorry," Harry said.

"So am I," Draco said softly, pressing his cheek to the top of Harry's head.

Harry squeezed his hand.

Draco let his eyes drift shut, trying not to yawn and wondering if going back to sleep even if it was only for an hour might not be worth it.

"Weren't these like blue before?" Harry asked, running his thumb over Draco's nails.

"More of a teal."

Harry turned his hand over, so his fingers lined up, "Oh... that's your constellation, isn't it? The moon's kind of in the way though."

"It moves from nail to nail, the phases change as well," Draco said, opening his eyes.

"That's really cool," Harry said.

Draco nodded, "My nails are growing out though so I'll probably have to have Pansy redo them soon."

"Do you think Pansy would do my nails? Maybe not a colour but like a snitch that moves around from nail to nail, that sort of thing," Harry said.

"I'm certain she could," Draco said.

"But not for me," Harry said.

Draco grinned, "Not for free. She's- Her and her friends are opening a beauty salon after school, you know. She's going to be doing them for a living."

Harry tipped his head up and smiled.

"What?"

Harry's smile grew, "I dunno, you just... sounded really proud."

"I am proud. The last few years have been hard for Pansy, and now she's going to be doing something she loves and is obsessed with and is very good at for a living," Draco said.

"Do you suppose we could manage to be half that lucky?"

"Well..." Draco paused, "... I don't think it's luck really- Pansy didn't do it on her own she had help from friends, but also she worked really hard. And Longbottom's been totally focused on magical plants, but he's had Sprout helping him along. Granger spent all summer setting up a place for herself in the ministry-"

Harry grimaced.

"Granger's a bad example." Draco backtracked, "She's the only one who knew what she wanted from the start. Pansy didn't realise Jenna and Melanie were going to open up a salon- with her- until a little while ago. And Longbottom still hasn't realised he's going to be working in herbology yet. They just did what they wanted and ended up finding a fit for themselves along the way."

"What do you think you might fit into? Brewing?" Harry asked.

Draco hum thoughtfully under his breath, "Maybe... I started it to try to stay calm, and it still does calm me down, and I like the challenge of a difficult potion on occasion, but I'm not sure about doing it for the rest of my life."

"You could do potioneering part-time and being a- what did you call it?- a gentleman of leisure the rest of the time," Harry suggested.

Draco smiled, "I am rather partial to leisure."

Harry laughed lightly before sighing into Draco's shirt, "...I should- I really need to tell Ron and Hermione that I don't want to be an auror anymore. I think Hermione already suspects, but Ron is... gonna be upset. He was really looking forward to us working together."

"And he'll get over it. Your friendship is worth more to him than that," Draco said.

"I know," Harry grumbled.

"What about you?" Draco asked tentatively, "Any new ideas about what you might want to do?"

Harry pressed his face into Draco's shirt with a groan, "I knew you were going to ask me that."

"You started it," Draco said.

"Can I not answer?" Harry asked plaintively.

"Yes."

Harry answered anyway, "I still just want to help people. I don't know- other than being an auror or donating to charity- I don't know."

"Does it have to be so... big?" Draco asked.

"Big?"

Draco nodded, "What's wrong with helping your friends or some random student?"

Harry turned his face up at Draco, looking unfairly hopeful.

"Like..." Draco frowned to himself, thinking furiously, "like... with Pansy, you want her to do your nails, if you just told people it was her work, that would be worth a lot more than a handful of coins."

Harry tried not to look disappointed by Draco's answer, but Draco could still see it in his eyes.

"I know," Draco said, "you hate press attention, so advertising like that-"

"No, it's -I need to get used to it so I can make use of it properly and not get taken advantage of," Harry said.

"That sounds like something my mother would say," Draco said.

"Essays," Harry said flatly.

Draco tried not to laugh and failed miserably, snickering with amusement.

Harry let go of Draco's hand to squeeze him around the middle. Draco winced as Harry's hand pressed into his ribs.

Harry froze, "What was that? I didn't-"

"Nothing," Draco lied.

Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Just a bruise," Draco said dismissively.

"How did you end up with a bruise big enough to be sore?" Harry asked. He leaned back, pushing himself up on one elbow to study Draco, "I saw your back yesterday. So it must have happened today... at Hogsmeade?"

Draco was frankly impressed he'd put all that together, and it must have shown on his face because Harry went on.

"I saw you leave with Pansy so I figured you'd be alright. What happened?"

Draco answered as nonchalantly as he could manage, "It was just a snowball."

"The kind that leaves bruises," Harry said.

Draco rolled his eyes, "It was just one, and Pansy, Jenna and Melanie thoroughly pelted him with snowballs in retaliation. I was in very safe hands."

"Why?" Harry asked.

Draco had to shake his head, "There doesn't have to be a why."

"Draco-"

"Don't." Draco said.

Harry looked down at the rumpled sheets, "I know that I can't force people to think differently..."

Draco rolled onto his side, mirroring Harry.

Harry heaved a great sigh, his brow furrowed in thought, "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I know," Draco said softly.

"I'm angry at them."

"I know."

Harry frowned, looking confused and frustrated, "...I want you to be angry too."

Draco waited, holding his breath, just a little bit.

"It's stupid..." Harry said, "but I hate how you just accept everything."

Draco felt a flare of anger in his chest and tamped it down, "I've been angry."

"Then why-"

"Because it doesn't help. Not for me," Draco said, "And it's not just me either. If I lose my temper, it affects my mother and Pansy too. My behaviour reflects back to them just because they're close to me."

Harry squeezed his eyes shut.

Draco bit his lip. He was tempted to tease Harry about his stupid sense of justice but decided to distract him instead.

"Do you want to know a secret?" Draco asked.

"...Alright."

Draco pressed his cheek into the pillow, "You were my first kiss."

Harry's eyes flew open.

"Pansy tried to kiss me once but she stopped when I froze up," Draco said.

"And your other relationship- you never?" Harry asked haltingly.

Draco snorted, "Fuck no. That was... I was the only idiot who thought it might turn into a relationship. I was just so desperate for some sort of comfort- anything would have done."

"I can't believe that was your first kiss- and I completely ballsed it up," Harry shoved his whole face into the pillow with a groan. "Why did you ever even bother with me?" he muttered, his words muffled to near obscurity.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Good grief. I was trying to make you feel better not worse. I would've been pleased to be your first kiss, you know."

Harry tilted his head out of the pillow just enough to peek at him, tufts of black hair sticking straight up and clinging to his forehead.

Draco sighed, "I bothered because I knew it would be worth it."

Harry narrowed his eyes.

"Because I knew you," Draco said, trying not to smile fondly at the idiot, "And because once my prejudice and being enemies and my family's stupid ideas about things were stripped away all that was left was what's been there since the beginning: that I wanted to be close to you."

Harry's breath caught in his throat, and he leaned close, kissing Draco so softly their lips barely brushed. Draco cupped Harry's cheek and kissed him again and wasn't entirely certain if he just imagined Harry's lips trembling lightly against his or the brush of moisture from the corner of Harry's eye.

Harry pressed his forehead to Draco's for just a second before kissing his cheek, his hand combing through his hair and cupping the back of his neck like every second he wasn't touching Draco was too much to bear.

"Hey, Draco?" Harry said, the words trapped in the air between them.

"Hm?" Draco hummed.

"You can be angry when you're with me, alright?" Harry said, "I'll listen, whenever you want."

Draco brushed Harry's hair back into slightly neater chaotic clumps, "I'm going to hold you to that."

Harry smiled, "Alright."