In Your Mind's Eye.

Chapter Five.

(Disclaimer: this story and its characters belong to J.K.Rowling.)

Song: Stan by Eminem.

McGonagall was staring at them. She had been for the past minute. Her hands were steepled, and her lips set in a thin line, and she looked so stern that Draco, sitting in a chair on the other side of the desk, couldn't help but shift uncomfortably.

Next to him, Harry had his gaze on his own lap, and, it seemed, was purposefully avoiding looking at anyone and anything. His fists, Draco noted, were clenched by his sides.

After another minute, McGonagall spoke.
"This is the third time you two have been caught fighting in the past week. I assumed that this would be the year that you put all of your silly nonesense behind you, but obviously." She looked at them sharply from behind her glasses, "I was mistaken."

"They were only small fights, Professor." Draco muttered bitterly, arms folded as he leant back leisurely in his chair.

"Nevertheless, I know, from particular sources, that the both of you still do not seem to see eye to eye. This is because you do not know each other's perspective on life. And particularly, on what happened last year."

Finally, Potter spoke up. Draco could tell he was angry,
"Can't we just keep away from each other, Professor?"

McGonagall exhaled heavily, and shook her head ever so slightly,
"This isn't just about a handful of childish spats, Mr. Potter. This is about a rivalry both of you have held onto for 8 years."

The two boys both fell silent then. Draco knew, like Harry, that he had no argument for that.

"I was tempted to put you both in detention for the rest of the school term so that you are forced to spend time with each other." - Draco stifled a groan at those words - "but when I reflected on this, I realised that it doesn't show each other what life is like for you out of Hogwarts." McGonagall gave a grim smile.

Draco narrowed his eyes, uncertain where she was going with this. He was sure he wouldn't like it.

"So." She says, standing resolutely, hands rested on the table in front of her. The headmistress seemed to be pausing, as if thinking over her decision, and then nods her head, finalizing, "This is the decision I've made. Malfoy, Potter- you will spend your Christmas Break, and any other holiday at each other's houses. This includes the summer after you finish the year. I hardly think the few weeks of holiday break you're given will be enough to solve all of your issues."

There was a deafening silence. Dread was settling at the bottom of Draco's stomach, his mouth turning dry. No. No way.

He glanced quickly at Potter to see his reaction. The boy was staring at McGonagall with something like sheer horror on his face, eyes wide.

"Professor," Draco began, trying his best to contain the fury in his voice, "You can't be serious."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow coolly, giving him a steely look,
"I'm very serious, Mr. Malfoy. You can't act like children without consequences."

"You can't force us to. Especially not after we've left the school." he snapped, muscles tensing in frustration. "The summer separates the school years, and we're not coming back for a ninth year, so we'd be out of your control. You can't."

"I think you'll find I can. You may not be coming back to school, but I can still set a date. I could make it that you're free to go on with your lives on September first." McGonagall said matter of factly, as if she'd thought this through, "I will not let the both of you go out into the world until you find some sort of civil ground between you. Even friends, if you put work into it."