A Love So Little

Chapter 9: Sixth Year...For Real This Time

A/N: I know this is super late...like by a month. So thank you for all of those who are still sticking with me. I will have finals all of this weekend...so I won't be writing the last chapter until around June. Again thanks so much for sticking with me. Enjoy this chapter (it may be similar to the first - basically a copy and paste with a few tweaks but enjoy anyway)!

Harry POV

Cries of alarm and shouts of anger were tossed at me as he rushed past unsuspecting students in the halls. Dammit! I'm going to be late for Transfiguration...again! Harry' had promised 'Mione that he wouldn't be late anymore. His feet pounded across the floor quicker than he thought possible.

As he neared the door, Harry could hear voices. The lesson had started... he stopped in front of the slightly cracked doorway and tried to calm his harsh panting. When his breathing seemed to ease, Harry pushed the door open and stepped in quietly.

Draco POV

Draco glanced back at the door when Professor McGonagall stopped talking. He winced internally at the look of disappointment on her face. It was understandable, though confusing. Potter wasn't ordinarily late to classes, but this week alone he had missed being on time to seven classes - and it was only Tuesday morning.

"Mr. Potter, I do not appreciate tardiness of any sort." She held up her hand solemnly when he tried to speak. "I do not want to hear your excuses. Go sit next to Mr. Malfoy."

Draco put on the signature Malfoy scowl when Potter nodded in a sigh before he hurried over an sat down. Draco opened my mouth to comment on his lateness but stopped himself when he noticed the dark circles marking the underside of Potter's eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. Draco turned away from him when McGonagall started lecturing about the importance of the instructions.

"I need you all to be extremely careful when performing this spell. The spell is de-aging, but depending on how long you hold your wand you could cause disastrous results for the animal you'll be working with. I am only allowing you to swish and hold for three seconds. Each second will have taken a year off. The effects should only last a few hours; however, the spell's effects affect a human differently. While the enchantment does work on humans, each second will take two years off instead of one. The potion to turn a human to their original state takes several months to complete and often takes a while to take effect. Do NOT hit your fellow students with the spell. As soon as you are done with the spell, you and your partner can leave."

Draco frowned slightly. Well...that was a weird sense of-of deja vu. He frowned slightly as he blocked out McGonnagall's partnering. As of yet, she was just choosing who was next to who- Draco nearly snarled. He was next to Potter. Great.

He stood up along with Potter and the rest of the class as they were handed a cage with an animal in it. The top of the cage was lifted away, and Draco leaned over to see what animal we received. His head crashed into Potter's.

Clutching his head, Draco turned a darkening glare at Potter. "Can you not do anything without causing your head to swell up even more?"

Potter glared at him whilst rubbing his head. "You mean like your ego?"

"...no," Draco replied coolly before his scowl returned. "I meant like your lack of intelligence."

His face darkened in anger as his mouth opened in retort, but McGonagall stopped him. "I do hope you're arguing about who's going first." Her stern lips frowned deeply before she turned around slowly. "I would hate for you two to share another detention together. Wouldn't you?"

Draco grumbled under his breath before he nodded once. Potter turned towards him after Professor McGonagall walked away and out of the class briefly when Dumbledore summoned her.

"I'm going first. So take the thing out already."

Potter glowered at Draco and picked up the small animal. His face paled several shades when he laid eyes on the creature he was holding. He swallowed thickly and held the animal out. Draco looked from him to the animal and tried not to laugh at the expression of fear on his face. Again...wierd.

"Potter...it's a pigeon."

"Yeah. I know."

Draco snorted. "You own a bird. Why do you look like..." He couldn't help it. A small chuckle fell from his lips. Potter's glare darkened.

"Will you just do the spell already?" He practically hissed the words out; it was like he couldn't bear the motion of them being in his mouth.

Draco collected himself; nodding at Potter's request to hurry. He wanted to leave the class early too. Composing his face to its usual neutral position, Draco lifted his wand and started the spell. Potter held the bird still; eyes squeezed tight, wholly frozen until he had finished.

"I'm done."

He peeled his eyes open deliberately and glanced at his hands. A small pearl-shaded egg was settled in his hands. Draco felt his heart jump to his throat when he beamed at the egg. Dammit. Don't smile. Potter snapped his eyes up to him.

"You got it on your first try!"

A satisfied smirk filled Draco's face. "But of course." He kept my gaze on Potter as he put the egg into the cage.

".....and then we can part ways."

Huh? Shit, he was talking. "What did you say? I couldn't hear you over the terrifying pigeon."

He scowled. "Shut up, Malfoy. I was asking if you could pick up the other bird-"

"So you can do the spell, and we can leave." Draco interrupted while turning around to swipe the bird from the cage.

A loud, high pitched shriek made him drop the pigeon. Both Potter and himself were staring at the girl who screamed. The animal she and her partner were working with was running around the room wildly...the boy trying to hit it with the spell we were learning.

Draco's eyes widened. Deja vu - no but this was too impossible. His brow scrunched briefly. He dearly hoped this was just a one-time thing...he hated divination.

Draco watched the animal leap towards Potter - and he grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the way. The idiotic boy spelled the fallen animal with relief filling his face. He ran over, picked up the damn thing and went back to his seat. It was then McGonagall came back into the room as if nothing had happened.

"Are--um could you let go now?"

Draco turned to the overly familiar voice. Potter. He'd grabbed his arm. Draco snatched his hand back and turned to the ruffled pigeon in the cage. He swiftly took up the bird and held it towards Potter, who held out his wand. Draco's jaw nearly fell. A red flush was covering Potter's cheeks. Beet red.

"Retro Annis!"

Draco almost smiled at the little egg. Potter did well. He quickly shook off his thoughts and, instead, dwelled on the earlier happenings that almost happened. Such as a little Potter. Draco frowned once more. Perhaps he should sleep on it later. He and Potter handed back the bir - eggs and left the class.

Potter suddenly rushed past and flew down the hall. Draco's eyes didn't leave his back until he turned the corner, then he himself turned down the opposite one.

A/N: Also 'Retro Annis' means 'reversing years', though 'Praepostera' means 'reversing' and 'annorum' means 'years'. If someone knows the actual translation please let me know. I'd like to make sure my translations are correct.