Chapter one ~ The train

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Harry's POV

"This year is going to be great guys I just know it," my best mate smiled from opposite me on the train. Ron, Hermione and I were on our way to Hogwarts for a re-run of the 7th year we missed last year due to the war. "Oh Ronald stop your pathetic attempts to lighten the mood, it's clear he is upset about your sisters reaction to the brake up," hermione snapped bringing her hand from her boyfriends to whack him lightly on the arm. I smiled at the couple, who broke into one of there bickering fits knowing full well they would be snogging in 15 minutes or so. I kind of wish I had a relationship like there's. Yeah they argue a lot but, they really love each other and they have such a connection one that i didn't have with Ginny. Don't get me wrong, I love Ginny just not in the way she loved me, I never felt like we had a future together and it also felt to much like kissing my sister.
My train of thought was broken as the sight of my best friends attached at the lips in front of me. "Ehh guys do you have to when I'm here," I sighed disgusted and perhaps a tad jealous that they have each other. They broke apart Ron laughing at my facial expression. We all broke into giggles but, stopped suddenly when the sound the the door to the next cabin slamming shut. "I thought no one used these old cabins, isn't that what you said herm, who else knows how to get in," Ron remarked a little to loudly causing both hermione and I to shush him.
Standing on the seat between my best friends I peered through the small opened window at the top of the older cabins, surprised at who I saw.
"It's Malfoy," I mouthed to my friends either side of me causing them both to jump up into the seats and discreetly peer through at the blond boy sitting gracefully under the window his long legs stretched over the seat as he leant against the wall of the cabin. He has clearly grown since the war and his hair was now shoulder length but still as blonde and silky as ever. He was still very thin but had gained some muscle mass over the break, unlike myself who may be and inch or so shorter but I have doubled my muscle mass leading to much teasing about compensation from Ron.
"What is he holding," Ron asked loudly causing me to jump and duck down glaring at him. "Haha chill Harry," he laughed, "Herm casted a silencing charm over our cabin so he can't hear us."
Relieved I took my place back at the window peering through at the boys long pale fingers danced over the thing in his hand, on closer inspection I realised it was a mobile. "It's a Phone Ronald," Hermione said from my left.
"What one of those mobiley things that you showed me? What's a pureblooded git like him want that muggle contraption for?" Ron asked confused as we both just nodded continuing to look down at Malfoy like he was the most interesting thing we had ever witnessed.
After a few rings someone picked up on the other end of the video call and the voice of Pansy Parkinson erupted from the speakers and a glimpse of her face flashed on the screen.
"Hey Drakey how's the trip back to school going," she said casually.
"Ugh I can't say it is going to well dear," Draco chuckled his silky laugh rippling through me, "I've already got beaten up once and we are only halfway on route." He lifted a delicate hand to brush away his white hair revealing a purplish bruising around his eye. I gasped loudly at the sight of it along with some dry blood on his forehead ignoring the strange look I got from  Ron.
"Oh Dray I don't know why you went back to that god awful place, knowing full well this was going to happen. 98% of the school want you in askaban," she sighed it was clear this conversation had come up many times.
" I know pans but, I need to finish my education if I want to be a healer and we can't all settle down like you can we," the blonde laughed lightly.
"Settle Down, thought they were a thing," Ron mused to himself as we ignored him and Hermione told him to be quiet so she could hear what they were saying.
"I know Dray, I know you are all depressed that your best friend got married and left and you are going to Hogwarts in order to get back at me knowing full well I'll feel like it's my fault if you get hurt," she sighed angrily.
"Pansy don't even start that shit again," he growled sternly in a tone I had not heard from him before. It gave me a strange feeling that I couldn't quite explain, "you know full well that I'm happy for you and wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be in order to be a healer. If anywhere will ever actually let me into training programs."
"Haha I know, I know Dray you don't have to get all annoyed I'm just joking," she laughed snorting slightly, "anyway maybe you'll find a romantic interest this year huh?"
A dark chuckle fell from his lips, "what guy would love me Pans, I'm an ex deatheater, I have major daddy issues, I'm not a very good person and I'm not even close to being attractive enough to compensate for all my shit."
A weird twinge of hurt rushed through me as i almost felt bad for the boy, it was if as in that moment he wasn't Malfoy the evil, selfish deatheater who made everyone he could lives hell but, Draco the emotionally scarred, scared teen desperately trying to make his way in the world after a few mistakes.
"Guy, Did I hear, correctly, he said guy right? Like as in Malfoy's gay ha this is brilliant," Ron laughed enraging me rather quickly. "Ron! This is not a laughing matter, he's sexuality is not something you should joke about and we should not tell anyone about something so personal it is no one else's business, we shouldn't be spying like this," I snap rather more aggressively then I intended. I just hated the idea of using something that a person had no control over to take cheap shots. "Oi mate calm down, merlin! I won't say anything but why you care about spying you spent most of your life spying on the bloke," Ron snapped back getting defensive. I was about to tell him how wrong he was hermione cut in telling us to shut up so she could hear, I knew it was wrong but I continued to eavesdrop with them.
"Draco your always putting yourself down, any boy would be lucky to have you," Pansy says exasperated, "you are amazing Draco, trust me once people know the real you, you will have to fight boys off."
Draco scoffed before they both burst out laughing. "Okay maybe I'm not all bad, I guess I have an okay personality when i don't have to act it such a manor that would please my father."
"Your personality is better than okay dray," she replied, "it's just a case of finding you a boy that's not a total arse, you've 'dated' so many lads, people will talk."
He gasped loudly, flicking his hair, squinting and turning up his nose in a joking manner. "Pansy Parkinson are you calling me a slut," he hissed pretending to be angry, ignoring her laughing he continued to speak, "besides men are assholes they all cheat and treat me badly and I will not stand for it anymore the only man I need in my life is Salazar."
I found myself feeling angry at the thought of people taking advantage of someone who had been so much and also slightly disturbed at the thought of him with someone, I'm not homophobic, am I? I'm pretty sure that i would be with someone of the same gender if I loved them. Gender is not important. Maybe that makes me bisexual but, I don't feel as if i need to put a label on it. There's always been too many labels, gay, straight, bisexual, pureblood, halfblood, muggleborn. The world would definitely be a better place if people stopped using labels and just saw each other as people.
"Who the hell is Salazar? Like the founder that's so gross," Ron muttered beside me, distracting me from my previous thought. His question was answered by Pansy's next sentence. "Ugh god you and that ghastly creature, I swear it hates me, if it wasn't a present from your parents to show expectance for your gayness I would have got rid of it weeks ago." He glared down at her, "don't speak like that Salazar is gorgeous," he spat retrieving a large python from a portable cage under his chair. He slung the beautiful reptile around his neck as it began to hiss at pansy. I am thankful I can still speak to the creatures despite no longer being a horcrux. I laughed at the insults Salazar hissed at pansy about her choice in dates for Draco, he then appeared to almost snuggle into Draco and he stated that she couldn't find anyone who deserves 'his' owner. I waved off the confused looks I got from my friends and Hermione seemed to realise I was amused by something the snake said so did not press for more information.
"Besides I don't know if I'd go as far as to say acceptance, father was just all like 'I do not care who your are being intimate with as long as you still produce an heir and they are pure blood' I mean both my parents were really weird about it. And as for a relationship even if I did want one there are only a few guys repeating the year and I don't like any of them."
"That's a better reaction then a lot of people get, be thankful...anyway How many is a few Draco?" Pansy asked narrowing her eyes.
"There's, no Slytherin besides me, 2 Hufflepuff, 5 Gryffindor and 4 Ravenclaw but most of the girls in our year have come back it's only no Slytherin and like 2 maximum have left from each house," Malfoy replied knowingly not looking up from the reptile around his neck. "I wonder how he knows that," this time it was Hermione's turn to mutter something to herself from beside me.
"Well Draco Lucy Malfoy," all three of us snorted as she said this, "all you need is one boy, trust me you'll turn someone, your feminine enough for them to pretend your a girl," she chuckled lightly before continuing, completely ignoring his scowl. "You know I'm sure there will be some attractive ones, what about Weasley?" She laughed as Malfoy gagged and I smirked at Ron's rather offended looking facial expression.
"Merlin I don't know what is worse, you suggesting such a disgusting thing, calling me Lucy even though I have told you countless times to stop, or insisting I look like a female, I am very masculine if I want to be, I'm just also elegant" he spat angrily rolling his eyes.
"What about Potter though, Dray?" Pansy asked slyly. I felt my body lurch at the sound of my name.
"What about him, Pans? yes of course the golden boy is returning for the repeat year but, that's hardly any of my concern. It's not like I'm romantically interested, sure he's always been very easy on the eye but its impossible," he said with ease brushing his hair from his silvery, grey eyes. I felt my face grow hot at the thought of Malfoy, my enemy for years, thinking I was attractive. I ignored the joking nudge I got from Ron and the small smile Hermione gave me and began to internally debate if I should go talk to him or not. "Oh pleeeaaasee," Pansy's exasperated time cut my thoughts, "you've been crushing on him since you were eleven and Theodore Nott." He let out a dry laugh much different from his usual silky chuckle. "I never 'crushed' on Potter I just said he was attractive like once, drop it and as for Theo you know we had a small thing in fourth year but he ended it when it got to 'serious'....scared of commitment, like all men," Malfoy sassed back.
"I'm telling you, I'm giving up on romance and relationships I shall just become the slut you already see me as."
This time it was Pansy's turn to laugh, "You? Give up romance? Impossible. I know you deny it but, you are needy as hell you need a relationship. You develop feelings for someone in a second. Remember your dads deatheater friend's son," she continued to laugh through her words as the most offended expression formed on Draco Malfoy's face.
"That was so different," he snapped, "we had a moment and he had gone through the same thing as me, having this weight placed on his shoulders at such a young age, having to live up to something impossible, never having a decision in the matter. He got me." I feel like Malfoy could be describing my life, maybe we aren't so different, maybe I should go talk to him to make peace.
"Yeah but he was straight as a wand," Pansy laughed sympathetically making Malfoy snort and mutter something about a bent wand. 

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