Cunning Yet Kind [Draco/Harry]

Chapter One

In the early morning hours of his first day of sixth year, Harry Potter was getting dressed in his private bedroom. In fourth year he had acquired it due to his verbal torturing of fellow roommate Blaise Zabini about his crush - Neville Longbottom - before spelling his admission out of him. He had gotten nine weeks detention and a warning, along with his amazing private corridor, therefore he wasn't going to complain. This year, however, he begged to be different. Not just for himself, but for his friends. Or, friend. Ronald Weasley was the only person he had became friends with over his five years at Hogwarts so far, because he believed everyone else only wanted him for his name, infamous history or his looks. Though he loved the idea of it all, in the long run he didn't want to look like a fool.

Throughout his first few years at Hogwarts, Harry struggled in most classes, apart from Defense. It wasn't that he wasn't the smartest Slytherin in his year, it was that he didn't seem to want to be bothered. No, he didn't want to be bothered. At all. Sure, Hogwarts was a school, but he knew they couldn't kick him out as long as he got a passing grade. Therefore, that's all he did. Unless he was feeling rather kind, somedays he would force a Ravenclaw into writing his papers or completing projects for him. To say it was easy to trick a Ravenclaw was an understatement as he once tried to get Pansy Parkinson to go on a date with him in fourth year by tricking her and saying Dean Thomas was the one asking her out. It hadn't worked. This year.. This year he planned on things to be different.

As he finished dressing in his school robes, his books thrown into the bag he'd lug around, he headed out of his private corridor and to the main Slytherin common room. Not too many students were still there, as only one or two lazy seventh years were lying on the sofa. Harry found it amusing how they never seemed to be punished. He left the common room, making his way down halls and dark corridors to reach the main part of Hogwarts. He headed into the Great Hall where he was greeted by his one and only friend, Ronald Weasley.

"G'morning, Harry!" He smiled. Harry nodded at him, stopping to speak.

"Hello, Ron."

"Excited for this year?" Ron asked, clutching his Charms book close to his chest. Harry shrugged. "I am! Did you hear Lupin is back to teach Defense? That should be fun!" Harry seemingly ignored what Ron was talking to him about as his eyes scanned the Great Hall. He noticed Luna Lovegood beside Neville Longbottom at the Hufflepuff house table looking through their Herbology books. He saw Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan seated in the middle of the Gryffindor table, playing with their food as they laughed amongst themselves. Harry's eyes shifted towards the Ravenclaw table where he saw Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. The Malfoy heir always caught Harry's eye. He was tall, Harry had noticed, definitely five inches taller than him. Malfoy smelled of vanilla and a musky cologne, sometimes even hair-gel though that's lessened over the years but nonetheless a smell Harry had grown familiar with.

The only Malfoy heir intrigued Harry. Not only because of his family past and how he compared to the rest of his relatives ended up being in Ravenclaw, but because of his unattainability. For three years people had been trying get the blond, grey-eyed stud to go out to Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley with them only to fail in their advances. Malfoy was certainly hard to get and Harry loved to play those games, but Malfoy seemed as though he hadn't notice Harry existed. He hadn't once spoken to Harry in all their years at Hogwarts and that made Harry aggravated, he felt as though all should be acquainted with him and who he is.

"Potter's staring at you again." Hermione whispered, leaning towards Draco. The blond rolled his eyes, placing his fork down on the plate in front of him before he leaned towards Hermione, mumbling to her.

"He does it every first of each school year, I've noticed."

Hermione giggled. "And he most certainly isn't too keen on subtly. Why don't you tell him to sod off?"