Potions Class. The one class Draco could find himself having an easy time in was ruined because he had to be stuck with Harry Potter again. At least this was his only class with that wretched guy anyway. There was a problem though. Draco and Harry had to be partners.
Draco thought he had grown past his urge to strangle the insolent Boy Who Lived, but he learned, on the very first day of potions in his 8th year, that he still hadn't. Professor Slughorn had placed them next to each other, pulling them aside and telling them it would only have to be for the first half of the year. In the second half of the year, they'd be able to choose where they sat. This was going to be one heck of a ride for Draco.
All of the 8th year potion students filed into the classroom, Harry leading and Draco corralling the back, and sat down at their tables. Nothing had changed since Draco had last seen the room. It was still in the dungeons. It still had mounds of supplies for the potions. The only difference was Snape was gone. Draco thought it was too bad Snape was gone. He wouldn't have favored Harry as much as Slughorn does now. He could see it already, Slughorn letting Harry slide through potions with ease, while he leaves the other students to suffer behind him.
Classic Potter, Draco thought. He couldn't believe he was in for another year of everyone doting on Harry. All he could think about was Harry, Harry, Harry. Always getting what he wanted. Why couldn't he, Draco Malfoy, get what he wanted for once. Nobody ever doted on him. Maybe he wanted someone to be there for him.
Harry sat next to Draco silently, trying desperately to follow along with the lessons. Draco could see his hurried handwriting getting even more sporadic as Slughorn moved into different sections of the lesson. Draco felt a pang of something. He wasn't sure he could identify it, but he had the sudden urge to just take his pencil and write all of the notes for him. Draco continued to stare at the pencil that was basically marking down scribbles instead of words until he nudged Harry's shoulder.
"What, Malfoy?" Harry asked sharply.
"Stop writing, take my notes. I did them in advance because I didn't want to write when Slughorn was going to jabber about this for two hours," Draco whispered back, moving his parchment in front of Harry, and Harry's in front of himself.
For the first time in their 8 years of knowing each other, Harry smiled at Draco and Draco smiled back. Harry mumbled a quick 'thank you' to Draco and continued listening to Slughorn. Draco got lost in his thoughts, knowing his notes were always better than Slughorn's lectures anyway.
***
Potions was over. Draco quickly leapt out of the table Harry and he shared and made his way to Transfiguration. He was in a separate class for those who took it as an elective. It was an independent study because he was the only one who signed up. McGonagall was busy being the headmistress anyway.
Draco settled down in the familiar room that looked so abandoned and neglected. He pulled out his Potions book and started taking notes. They were going to have to make a potion next class, and he wanted to be the one to know how to do it, especially if he had to carry Harry through the assignment.
Rolling his eyes, Draco thought about how much thinking he had done on the first day of classes. This was only his second out of 7 classes that day, but a majority of it had been filled with his thoughts. Most of his thoughts were about Harry, who, once again, has taken over his brain. He couldn't believe that Harry Potter, was acting friendly toward him. Maybe he didn't want to get in a fight because of everything that had happened. Draco definitely had a different view. Having Harry near him made him get so frustrated for the most part, especially since now he can't get a negative reaction out of him. He just had to wait until a little later in the year to get Harry going, Draco thought. They could tie up all the loose ends, and maybe create some more... to keep it interesting.
Draco looked down at his paper, seeing he hadn't written anything while he was thinking, and looked up at the clock in front of the room. It was time for his next class. He cursed to himself, running out of the classroom and straight into someone's chest.
"Malfoy? Why are you running? We have ten minutes until our next class," said Harry looking slightly downward to maintain eye contact with Draco.
"I—" Of course the clock had to be 10 minutes off. Draco looked up at Harry, looked away, and continued rushing to his next class.
***
Classes were done, and it was almost time for dinner. Admittedly, Draco was exhausted and just wanted to eat and relax after a day of torturous thoughts. He decided he'd get a head start and sit at his house's table. The huge room was still lit by the light of the sunset pouring into the windows, making the whole place have a golden look.
Draco sat, staring off into space across the room. He saw Harry huddle with his friend group, seeing that Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville had come back this year. They seemed to be nervously chattering about the possible re-sorting that would take place later that night. Draco couldn't help but notice the way the golden light reflected off his face, glasses, and skin, and the way he practically towered over everyone. His smile was back surprisingly, but he had seen that in Potions. He wondered if he was the first one to make him smile at school after the war. He shouldn't be worried, or even thinking, about this, but Harry must've been having flashbacks to the War because he was too. It was hard to keep a happy face when all one can think about is the pain and trauma of war.
Draco continued staring, and Harry looked over, feeling someone was staring at him. Draco wanted to see what Harry would do. Harry smiled and gave Draco a quick wave. He started walking over to the Slytherin table. Draco felt himself start to panic. Maybe the smile and wave were sarcastic? He didn't know. He sat frozen in his seat while Harry and his posse made their way over.
"Hey, Malfoy, thanks again for the notes!" Harry said, terribly cheerful for what Draco had built up in his mind.
"He gave you his notes for Potions?" Hermione asked, obviously confused as to why the enemy of Harry Potter, besides Voldemort, would do anything to benefit him.
"Yes, I did, Granger," Draco spat out. He bit back the urge to call her a mudblood, out of habit.
Ron stood there with a look of absolute disbelief written all over his face. Neville gave Draco a small, but fearful smile, and Luna wasn't paying attention.
Harry looked at Draco one last time and ushered his group away again. Now Draco was worried about the sorting too. He thought he was proud to be a Slytherin, but maybe it was just the way he was raised. He didn't know.
Draco was so lost in his head that the only way he knew dinner had started was when all of the food startled him from his thoughts. He managed to eat the food he needed and get back to the Slytherin common room before the sorting for the 8th years.
I'm s o r r y thehehehwjwieisjdhfhvbfhruruf
YOU ARE READING
Why Have a Friend When You Can Have Sworn Enemies
FanfictionDraco Malfoy always thought Harry was doing the wrong thing. He didn't accept his friendship, right? The only other answer for their relationship was to become sworn enemies, obviously. Everything culminates until their 8th year (a make up year for...
