What If? -Drarry

Part Four: Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The train clattered rhythmically over the tracks, a soft whirr emitting from the wheels as they sped towards Hogwarts. Harry, hidden under the invisibility cloak, tried to keep his balance as he moved quickly through the shaking carriages, following Blaise Zabini. They had both just left Professor Slughorn's compartment, having been called there with several other students who seemed to have potential in various subjects. Hoping to find Draco, Harry had followed Blaise when he'd left the dull meeting. Blaise eventually stopped and dipped into a compartment, and Harry just managed to slide in before the doors closed.

Draco was slouching on the seat next to Pansy, while in the corner, Crabbe and Goyle were stuffing themselves with sweets off the trolley. As Blaise took the seat opposite Draco, Harry backed into the luggage storage, almost displacing a trunk as he did so and freezing, barely daring to breathe. Draco, catching the movement in the corner of his eye, looked straight through Harry at the bag, staring intently for a moment. A flash of surprise crossed his face, and then, as if nothing had happened, he slowly turned away. Heart beat normalising, Harry relaxed a little. He leant against the trunk, and stared at Draco.

If he had seemed broken in Madam Malkin's, it was nothing compared to now. A cut across Draco's cheek, from by his ear almost to his mouth, seemed to emphasize the sunken cheeks and thin skin of his face; he'd clearly abandoned the pick-me-up spells he'd told Harry about, as the skin under his eyes was as purple and blotchy as a stormy sky. His hair drooped, his clothes hung off his body, and his eyes flitted around constantly, nervously, as though he thought something was hunting him. Apart from his eyes, the only part of him that moved was his leg, which jiggled up and down constantly.

"How was Slug Club, Blaisy?" Pansy asked, sounding bored.

"How'd'you think?" Blaise smirked. "Tear-jerkingly boring."

"Who else was there?" Draco asked, not looking at Blaise for long but continuing to look around the carriage. It was the first thing Draco had said since Harry had been in the carriage. His voice matched his appearance.

"A few of our lot. Noticeably few Hufflepuffs, but that isn't surprising. The Weasley girl was there, and Granger," Blaise looked at Draco closely, "And Potter."

Draco's knee momentarily stopped moving. His gaze flickered to the spot where Harry stood for a snatched second, then continued to roam the compartment.

"But of course Potter got invited, he's the bloody saviour of the wizarding world," Pansy spat.

"He's not looking too good," Blaise continued, eyes never leaving Draco's face. "Bags under his eyes rival yours."

"Great."

The train sped on, and Harry barely blinked for the whole journey. All he could do was drink in every detail of Draco's face, and listen intently to every word that was spoken. Draco spoke rarely, but the conversations were intriguing. Though the Slytherins all spoke in what amounted to code, one thing was clear: they were all preparing for the same war as Harry was - but their lot fell on the opposite side.

As the train pulled in at the station, Harry quickly moved out of the way of the Slytherins collecting their trunks. As the group began to head out of the door, Pansy and Blaise hung back.

"You coming?" Prompted Blaise to Draco, who had remained exactly where he had been sitting for the whole journey.

"You guys go on. I want to check something."