"Can I help you, Potter?"

The Slytherin Dorms

"Then why the hell did he come back?" He questioned. Hermione nudged him in disapproval, but he ignored it.

"Because, Mr Potter, like you, and many others, he wishes to complete his education. And I don't see any reason why he should be denied that right, do you?" McGonagall asked curtly in return.

"No, professor." Harry mumbled, backing down. She was right, even in the muggle world, every child had a right to an education - though at nineteen there weren't quite children. McGonagall cleared her throat before she continued.

"It'd be very much appreciated if you three could extend a hand of friendship to him, as no one else seems to want to. I wouldn't want him to go through the year alone, especially after how much he assisted with the rebuild of the school." McGonagall suggested hopefully. As a response, Ron let out a low groan of displease.

"Why do we have to buddy up with Malfoy?" He questioned, a scowl on his face.

"Well, Mr Weasley, I figured since you three were able to kill Voldemort, one of the most powerful dark wizards the world has ever seen, you'd be able to befriend a lonely, misunderstood young man, who wants nothing more than to just complete his education like every other child." McGonagall replied almost sarcastically. Ron seemed to consider retaliating, but thought better of it, and instead just sucked on his upper lip in thought. McGonagall had a very good point, which kind of put down Harry's on them being able to choose where they slept due to their victory.

---

So the three did as Professor McGonagall said and took their trunks down to the dungeons where the Slytherin dorms were located. Looking around, Harry decided it had remained as it was when he and Ron visited in their second year. However, there were some parts which appeared they'd been recently replaced, presumably because they'd been damaged in battle.

The dungeons certainly weren't the most attractive part of the castle. They were colder and darker, with less furniture, paintings and tapestries, just plain stone everywhere.

Hermione approached the wall that led to the Slytherin common room.

"Severus." She said to the stone. As McGonagall said it would upon saying the password, it opened for them to enter.

The Slytherin common room hadn't changed too much either. It had the same dark wood furniture and greenish lighting. It was more grand looking than the Gryffindor common room, though the Gryffindor common room was more homely. Still, Harry decided he'd be able to get used to the Slytherin interior decor.

"Potter, Granger and Weasley. Professor McGonagall told me I'd be blessed with your company this year." A voice acknowledged. Harry then noticed the golden snitch that was being thrown in the air then caught from the couch facing away from the entrance. The voice told that the person throwing and catching the snitch was Draco Malfoy.

"And she told us we'd be burdened with yours." Ron muttered in reply, venturing further into the common room.

"Don't lie, Weasley, I know that you're absolutely shitting yourself to share a dorm with me." Draco grinned, sitting up a little to look at Harry's red-headed friend. He looked a lot better than he had at the battle. His grey eyes looked brighter, more alive. He'd grown his white blond hair a little longer too.

"Trust me, I'm not." Ron replied.

"You look well, Draco." Hermione smiled, following Ron and going down the steps into the main part of the room.

"As do you, Granger." Draco nodded to her politely, a small smile on his face. Harry was having a little trouble actually believing that the man in front of him was Draco Malfoy. Perhaps McGonagall had told him to be nice to the three? That, or Draco had, as Hermione had told them he would have, actually changed.

"Never thought I'd see you compliment a 'mudblood', Malfoy." Ron commented snidely. To which, Draco's smile faded. He looked down, before rolling back onto his back, continuing to throw the snitch in the air. Hermione shot Ron a glare, and he shrugged innocently in reply. Harry approached the sofa that Draco was lying on. Noticing his presence, Draco's eyes fell to the side, locking with Harry's. There was a small moment where nothing happened, just the two boys looking at each other in silence.

"Can I help you, Potter?" Draco asked, not averting his eyes.

"I was just wondering if you planned to lie here all day." Harry answered, leaning on the back of the couch.

"Well, classes for eighth years don't start until tomorrow." Draco shrugged. McGonagall had told the three the same thing.

"I'll take that as a yes, then." Harry smirked. Sitting up properly, Draco turned so that he could face all three of them.

"Unless you three are up for a game of find the snitch." He offered with a hopeful smile.

"Find the snitch? Whassat?" Ron questioned, furrowing his brow. Personally, Harry thought the game revealed itself pretty well in the title. Find the snitch, probably, involved finding a snitch that had been released outside. It didn't take a genius to figure that one out, really.

"Well, the Quidditch field wasn't really a priority in the rebuild, so won't be open for a month at least. However, I'm sure we could use the field anyway... Basically, you release the snitch, close your eyes and count to ten. Then, first to find it - wins." Draco explained. Simple enough, Harry thought. Though he had pretty much predicted the rules already...

"That sounds fun." Hermione smiled. "We'll play a game after we've finished unpacking." She stated. Ron went to argue, but a hit to the stomach from Hermione silenced him. Although Harry didn't mind the idea of playing, he still would've liked to have been consulted.

"Speaking on unpacking, where're the dorms?" Harry asked Draco.

"Boys on the right, girls on the left." He motioned to two passageways leading off either side of the common room.

"Actually, Draco, I was told I'd be staying in the same dorm as you three. Seeing as their are more girls than boys in Slytherin this year." Hermione corrected. "Although, if you have a problem, I'd be more than happy to talk to Professor McGonagall to see if there's room elsewhere for me." She offered.

"I have no problem with you staying in the same dorm. After all, it's just for sleeping. Though I must ask that you refrain from screwing Weasley whilst I'm in the room." Draco replied, saying the last part with a teasing smirk.

"Pardon?" Ron squeaked in surprise.

"You heard me, keep it in your pants, or there'll be consequences. And I'm sure Potter agrees with me." Draco explained, before turning to Harry with a smile and one brow raised. Ron looked absolutely gobsmacked.

"Sorry, Ron, but I'm with Malfoy on that one." Harry grinned, chuckling at his friends expression. Hermione looked more humorously surprised, both shocked by Draco's statement and amused by Ron's reaction.

"What makes you think I'd do that with you two in the room?!" He asked angrily. Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't know what you two are into." Draco shrugged innocently. "Anyway, weren't you three going to unpack? I'm bored, so you'd better get to it. Our dorms furthest away, at the end." He instructed in a huff.

~~~

The first proper chapter! Huzzah!!

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Thank you for reading,

Jay xx