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Potter sat away from the group of Eighth Years, seemingly oblivious to the silver gaze focused solely on him.
Pansy sat next to Draco in the large, abandoned classroom McGonagall had deemed appropriate for their use in a New Year's party for the Eighth Year students. She thought it would be a good bonding experience or some such rot. Something about them "being intimately involved in the war and needing to learn how to overcome their differences now that the fighting had finally ceased." Draco hadn't really been listening past the part where the gathering was mandatory. Right now, he rather wished he had ignored the headmistress' stern glare and hidden in his dorm.
Draco had found it difficult to believe Pansy had returned to Hogwarts to finish her schooling, considering her willingness to turn Potter over to the Dark Lord and the hundreds of enemies she had made in those few short seconds. Now, however, he thought she was trying to put that incident as far behind her as possible and the way to do that, apparently, was by talking Draco's ear off.
That was alright. Draco wasn't listening to her anyway. He was much too concerned with watching a very solemn and unsociable Potter. The Gryffindor had withdrawn into himself after the war. So much so that even Draco had noticed. It irritated him. Potter was the hero who defeated the Dark Lord. He was lauded in every printed media, including the ever mercurial Daily Prophet. They were on his side again even if Potter did nothing more than pass his copy to a fellow Gryffindor every morning, unless he was already irritated, in which case, he lit the paper on fire, burning it until not even the ashes remained.
Draco wondered what had gotten into the Chosen One. He thought after the hero came out triumphant over his nemesis he was supposed to wander off into the sunset and live his happily ever after. Apparently, their resident hero hadn't gotten the memo.
"Draco! Are you listening to me?" Pansy shrieked in his ear, causing him to flinch away on instinct in an vain effort to protect his hearing. Draco turned an annoyed stare on his friend, considering briefly to allow it to morph into hurt and outraged before deciding to forget lying and go with the truth. He was irritated and not really interested in protecting Pansy's feelings at the moment.
"No, not really," he said with a casual shrug.
Pansy's glared at him, fury in her dark eyes and her fingers curling painted-nails into fearsome talons. "I can forgive your lapse just this once, but you better pay attention to me or else."
Draco sighed. "Or else what, Pans? You've got nothing on me."
He knew he was in trouble the second her face went from angry to smug. "Oh, don't I?"
Draco tried to play it cool, rolling his eyes and allowing his gaze to wander back over to Potter.
"Maybe I should spread the word amongst the Slytherins that you have a very Gryffindor obsession?"
His head whipped around to face a gloating Pansy. Damn her and her Slytherin superiority complex. Draco was beginning to understand why the other Houses avoided them. It was not a pleasant tactic to be on the receiving end of and Draco had been on that end more and more since he returned to Hogwarts to finish his schooling.
"What Gryffindor obsession?" Draco asked, trying to deter Pansy, but having that odd sinking feeling in his stomach that said he had failed.
"Our resident brooding hero seems to have captured your attention since September, Draco," Pansy said, her eyes positively gleaming with smug victory. "You can't hide it from me. He's the only thing that ever holds your attention these days. Not that I can blame you. Potter is very good-looking in a rugged, scarred hero sort of way."
"I'm not attracted to him, Pansy," Draco insisted with another sigh.
"You can go on telling yourself that, but I know different," she said in that singsong tone that annoyed everyone who had ever heard her use it.
"Pansy-" Draco tried, he really did, but Pansy was not to be convinced or, apparently, deterred.
"Anyway, as I was saying, I think McGonagall is-"
"Sorry, Pans, but I really don't care," Draco said, interrupting her both verbally and by standing with and abruptness that left her gaping at him with her mouth hanging open unattractively. "I think I'd rather go pester my 'Gryffindor obsession'."
With that, he strode away, determinedly ignoring Pansy's shrieks of rage floating after him. Honestly, if her constant chattering hadn't been enough to keep him occupied, what made her think shouting at his retreating back would do any better? Besides, Draco hadn't been lying. He really would rather spend time with their resident brooding hero than her.
Curiosity had always been a failing of his, but not for the reasons one would usually think. Most of the time his inquisitive nature drove him to do well in school, even if he never beat Granger's inhumanly high scores. However, occasionally his curiosity got the better of him when combined with the nature of a spoiled child his family had made him.
It was his curiosity that had made him seek out Harry Potter in their First Year on the Hogwarts Express. It was the spoiled brat in him that had screwed up that first meeting. Well, second meeting, but the one in Madam Malkin's didn't count as he had done all of the talking. Thinking back, that might have helped turn Potter off of him on the train.
Draco shook his head, clearing it of the more pleasant recollections of his past mistakes. The ones that came later intimately involved the Dark Lord and were off limits if he didn't want to end up a whinging mess. Instead, Draco locked his sights on Potter, sitting in the shadows as far away from the happily partying students as possible. Right now, hiding in the shadows from his own yammering friend sounded perfect.
"Mind if I join you?" He asked, making sure to keep his voice low and tone polite.
Potter's head jerked around, taking in his visitor with wide, cautious eyes. Draco had heard dozens of people gush about Harry's eyes and how beautiful they were. Some had even said they were hypnotic. Draco had scoffed at those hushed whispers, but now, up close, he was ashamed to admit that he would recount the glittering emeralds that enraptured him to anyone listened. Well, he would if anyone he actually talked to would be willing to listen.
"Why?"
Draco wrinkled his brow, confused by the question, before the pale skin smoothed out again. Potter was asking him what reason Draco had for requesting his company, probably because they had always been at each other's throats until now. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a furious Pansy stalking toward him with Blaise in tow and inspiration struck. It would even be true, in a way.
"Because I seem to have angered my friends by being inattentive to their nattering and need somewhere to hide," Draco explained, rushing his words just a bit as though he hoped to convince Harry more quickly that way and, thus, secure the Golden Boy's protection. "No Slytherin would dare risk angering you by causing undue annoyance and, if they think I'm with you, they'll leave me alone for awhile."
"If Slytherins are so afraid of annoying me, why are you risking it?"
Potter made a good point, but Draco had spent seven years in Slytherin House and already had an answer forming in his head the moment the first words came out of Potter's mouth. "Because I know you better than they do. Simply asking for sanctuary is not likely to anger you. A person asking for help is something you can't refuse easily, especially if it is as simple as sitting next to your old rival so his friends don't yell at him until he goes deaf."
For a long moment there was nothing but silence as Potter stared at Draco, blinking slowly. Then, suddenly, a small smile appeared on his face and Draco heard a slight chuckle. Potter moved over to make room for him and gestured for Draco to join him. It was even done with that same smile and Potter was facing in just the right way for Draco's friends to see it and, hopefully, mistake it for genuine welcome.
Draco took the offered seat, muttering his thanks as he caught sight of his friends horrified faces before they swung around and sped off in the opposite direction. He grinned, relieved, and leaned back against the stone wall, his shoulder brushing Potter's. The Gryffindor didn't seem to notice or, if he did, didn't mind.
They sat in surprisingly companionable silence for Draco didn't know how long. It wasn't until Harry shifted to find a more comfortable position that Draco felt the urge to talk. He opened his mouth to ask something innocuous, but closed it again when he realized something at once horrifying, but somehow natural. At some point during the silence, Draco had come to think of the Gryffindor as "Harry" instead of "Potter." It was a surprising turn, but one the blond was willing to embrace.
"Ha- erm, Potter?" Draco's voice was soft as he sought Harry's attention even as he flushed slightly when he realized the mistake he had almost made. It wouldn't due to call Harry by his given name just yet when Draco had only now come to realize the urge himself. It would probably spook his temporary protector if Draco was too personal too soon.
"Hm?"
Harry's acknowledgment was so quiet Draco wasn't entirely certain he had actually heard it at first. When he shifted to face more toward Draco the Slytherin realized Harry was waiting for him to continue. Gathering his courage, which was more substantial after the war than it had been before, Draco asked the one question that had been on his mind since Harry's odd behavior began in September.
"What happened to you?"
Harry turned to look at him, his head moving slowly until he was staring straight at Draco. It was quite disconcerting. Then Harry spoke with that same deadly slowness. "What do you mean?"
Draco swallowed, very aware of the thin ice he now tread upon. He would have to be careful how he answered Harry's question.
"You seem... more subdued and withdrawn since school started this year," Draco began, speaking cautiously and watching Harry's face for any signs that the Gryffindor was taking offense. "Last year I knew that, if I wanted to, I could easily rouse your anger. Now, I look at you and know it would take so much more effort to get you to respond to me with anything close to your previous energy. You just seem so... lost..."
Harry cocked his head, watching Draco curiously. Finally, he blinked and looked away, apparently finding whatever he had been looking for in Draco's eyes. The Gryffindor turned his piercing gaze to the floor, staring at it as though his whole world depended on it.
"I think, in a way, you may be right," Harry whispered quietly. Draco just sat there, trying to radiate understanding and sympathy in the hope that Harry would continue, but no more information was forthcoming.
"Potter... Harry?" Draco prompted, deciding to take a risk by correcting his use of Harry's family name. Harry seemed a little startled, but continued talking after a quick glance to check Draco was treating this seriously and not with the idea of using his discoveries as blackmail against Harry.
"This past year has been hard," he explained. "First, it was the time on the run from nearly everyone. Then, there was the time at the Manor. And then the final battle. There was just so much fear and death. So much cruelty was committed in the name of saving the Wizarding World and many good people died before they got to experience this new world. I just, I don't feel like I really saved anyone like I was told since age eleven I was supposed to do. I- I don't know. I just don't know."
Draco watched him, feeling an insistent sympathy flaring in his chest for this broken hero. He could feel the gentleness in his gaze that not even his closest friends had ever merited. Sensing he should attempt to be at least a little comforting, Draco grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed, looking him in the eye.
"I understand. I know," he whispered, leaning closer to Harry and lending the Gryffindor his warmth. Harry stared at him, his heart and soul in those shining emerald eyes.
"It's surprising, but I think you really do," Harry said.
In the background Draco could hear the gathered students counting down. Some enterprising person, probably Granger, had conjured a glittering countdown clock the rest were following. It was almost the end of the year and the thought gave Draco an idea. It was a wild, daring idea, but one Draco found he was more than willing to attempt. He turned back to Harry, leaning in even closer so he could whisper in Harry's ear.
"It's almost the end of the year, Harry. A new year will be starting in just a few seconds," he whispered hurriedly. Like earlier in the evening, Draco had to rush his words to get them all out in time. "Let me help you. They say the beginning of a new year allows everyone to start over with a clean slate. I'll help you learn to live with the war and still live."
Harry stared at him with very wide eyes. "Why? Why do you care?"
Draco allowed his gaze to turn soft as he answered perhaps the most important question of his life. "Because I know one person you saved. Harry, you saved me."
And Draco kissed Harry right as the bells tolled the start of a new year and the beginning of a new life.