ᵒⁿᵉ 𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 ʷᵒˡᶠˢᵗᵃʳ/ᵈʳᵃʳʳʸ (ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉᵗᵉᵈ)

October 3rd, 1991 and October 4th, 1991

It's Saturday again, so I get to see Draco. He's rather quiet.

"Draco," I say as we walk to the tree. "what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I-" Then his face goes white. I turn to where he was looking and I see Ron. He's shocked.

"Harry? Malfoy?" Ron asks. "What are you doing?"

"We were just arguing!" I lie. "I mean, this prick, honestly."

Ron seems satisfied by this. "Okay."

I look at Draco. He's looking at his feet.

"You know what, no." I say. "Draco and I are friends, okay? We've been friends in secret for a while now."

Ron's jaw drops. "But we hate him!"

"You hate him." I correct. "He's not that bad, once you get to know him."

"Yeah right!" Ron says and shoulders Draco on the way past. "I can't believe this."

"Ron, wait!" I'm starting to cry. Ron and I have been friends for 6 years.

I feel Draco's hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, Harry, come on." He says. "If he can't accept you being friends with someone he doesn't like, why do you need him?"

"We've been friends since I was 5, Draco." I say, quietly miserable.

Draco takes my hand. "Come on, Harry, let's go."

Tears are streaming silently down my face. Ron, the only friend I had for my whole childhood, hates me now. I start to shake. Draco makes me sit down on a bench.

"Harry." He says. "Harry, look at me." Our eyes meet, though he's swimming through my tears.
"Harry, it'll be okay, alright? You still have me."

"But Ron has no one!" I sob.

Draco sighs. "Just...it's okay. It's not your job to worry about him, that's Ron's job."

I nod, still crying. Draco flicks away one of my tears. I stop crying instantly. He smiles gently at me. "See," He says. "It'll be okay."

That night, I sit in the common room, because I can't bear to be in the same room as Ron. I sniff as I read my book. Why did Ron have to find out? I start crying again. I set down my book as I hiccup. I place a pillow on one arm of the couch and draw a blanket up around me. I don't want to sleep and I don't know if I can anyway, so I decide to write Draco a letter, but before I can, he sends me one.

Harry,

You seem to be having a hard time with the whole Ron thing, so I wanted to check in and see how you are doing. I really hope you feel better. I'd give you my joy if I could.
Draco

I smile softly at his note.

Draco,
That's really sweet, but you can keep your joy. I'll be fine, I have you.
Harry

I send it away with his owl, and I turn off my wand. I lay my head on my pillow as I take off my glasses. I'll talk to him tomorrow...

I awake and forget where I am for a second. I remember that I slept in the common room. I get up and see Draco's owl waiting for me.

Harry,

You're right, you do have me. Meet me by the lake at 9:00.
Draco

I check my watch. 8:45. I start walking towards the lake. I run up to him.

"Draco!" I call. "Hi!"

A grin spreads across Draco's face as I greet him.

"Hey, Harry!" He says joyfully. "Are you feeling better about the whole Ron thing?"

I sigh. "A little, but now you're here, so..."

The side of his lip twitches. "Come on up."

I hop up into the tree next to him. "How are you?"

"I'm good." He says, nodding. "I think this girl Pansy Parkinson has a crush on me."

"Oh! Do you like her too?" I ask, an odd feeling in my stomach.

Draco shakes his head. "No, she's not very nice."

The feeling goes away. "Oh, okay."

I drum my fingers on the tree. "So, any other news?"

"Nope." He says. "Nope, nothing."

I nod. "Well, today's better than yesterday for me at least."

"Good." Draco says. He gets out of the tree and holds his hand out. "You coming or what, Potter?"

I take his hand and he pulls me to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Draco..." I say fearfully.

He smiles. "It's okay, I promise."

I smile back. "Okay."

We sit down. "I like sitting here." He says. "It's a great view of the stars at night."

"You come to near the Forbidden Forest at night?" I ask, incredulous.

"I'm not afraid." He replies. "And I'll keep you safe, if you are."

I smile. "Oh, yeah? You promise."

"I promise." He says. "You won't die on my watch."

I laugh. "Alright, Draco, come on."

We walk back to the tree.

"The forest isn't for the boy who lived, then?" He asks, smirking.

I punch him. "Oh, shut up."

That night, I think about my day with Draco. What happened when he mentioned Pansy? I shrug it off. That is a problem for another day.