Sectumsempra

5

"We could play pretend," said Draco one day, some weeks later, in their usual third-floor-corridor-meeting.

"Huh?" was Harry's answer.

"We could pretend to be insulting each other when we meet in the hallways. Well, at least then we will meet in the hallways. It's getting tiring to avoid you constantly."

"You've been avoiding me?" Harry asked airily. "Yeah, okay. Let's do this."

Later that day they met, as Harry, Ron and Hermione were leaving Potions class.

"Hey, Potter," Harry heard Malfoy's voice say and lifted his view from his backpack he'd been rummaging to see Draco standing there in the hallway. "heard you are very good at Potions now, what happened? Finally found your brain?

"Fuck off, Malfoy, I'm not in the mood," said Harry only half playing pretend.

"Or what? You're gonna make a potion to get me?" Malfoy mocked, but Harry saw a twinkle in his eyes that signaled to him that that was just what they had agreed to doing. That actually made Harry lighten up a bit, he decided that he could take some fun out of this.

"Apparently some already has. A love potion, because you've been obsessed with me for more than five years now. You really can't go five minutes without thinking about me, now do you?" Malfoy seemed a little taken aback and... hurt by that. Too soon, maybe? Harry thought.

"Yeah, Malfoy, just fuck off," said Ron.

"Oh little Weasley grew some balls, now? Oh go learn how to fly a broomstick, for Gryffindor Quidditch team's sake, why don't you."

"You talk a lot. Is that the best the Slytherin can do for a Seeker? Jeez, tough times I guess," said Ron.

Harry was starting to get amused. Internally he was starting to laugh his friends to were taking the bait of these fake provocations. But before his amusement could grow he realized, and just a second before she spoke, too, that Hermione was fuming with rage.

"Just give it a break, for Chrissake!" said Hermione.

"Stay out of this..." said Draco pausing for a fraction of a moment, as if he was trying to pick an appropriate word, "Hermione," he finished simply. That got Harry's attention. He had never heard Draco call Hermione by her name. Most of the time he addressed her by insults related to her blood status, and even when he didn't address her like that, it was by her last name. And with a lot of scorn, of course, never in that... normal tone.

Could it be... that Draco was getting... better? Could it be that the thing that was going on between him and Harry was having good results? Was Malfoy changing as a result or because of Harry?

"Come, Harry, just ignore him," she said and, grabbing Harry's arm, took off and banged Malfoy hard on the shoulder with her own, Ron went by Hermione's side. As Harry passed Draco he saw him mouth "Ouch" and shrugged clumsily in response as he was pulled further by Hermione tight grip.

They went to the spot they liked to go to by the tree near the entrance to the castle and sat on the ground, as they usually did. Hermione was still about to explode with rage.

"God, Hermione, what's up with you?" Harry asked.

"I can't stand him. Oh my god, I hate the moron!"

Harry had never seen his friend like that. He could tell that she was restraining from using less pleasant words by the way she spoke through gritted teeth.

Seeing Hermione like this really got to Harry. How could he, moments ago, be having a laugh at how Malfoy was egging them on? Malfoy had really hurt his friends. Many times! Over and over again for years! How dared Harry to be having a secret affair with their archenemy? And feeling good about it? Thinking that it was having good results! Harry was being pathetic, and stupid, and a jerk. He was betraying his friends, stabbing them on their backs, letting Malfoy insult them and their families for years and now just forgetting all about it and having... relations with him. Harry realized he was so damn selfish. He was disgusted with himself.