I'll Take That Chance

CH 6 - "Thanks for Trying to Save Me"

After their Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall had told him that the quidditch season was going to be starting again soon and he would be returning as team captain. After his dreadful Potions lesson, the good news had done him well. He had looked forward in his book to their next potion and it was going to be much harder than the last one. He knew that eventually he was going to have to get the hang of potion making. Hermione mightnt always be there when he needed her to give him some help.

And then that exchange between them and Draco had made him feel terribly guilty. He was upset that he had heard it but his response to them had shocked him more, that he was changing. He had always been such a cruel person and they had no reason to believe he was changing. But deep down, Harry felt like he did. Like he said before, Draco had seemed different towards the end of last year and so far this year he certainly wasn't like himself. He didn't want to go make friends with him, but maybe he wouldn't be so quick to judge or react anymore.

Harry and Ron had spent their free period starting homework and playing chess while waiting for dinner. Hermione came in after Ancient Runes class laden with books and charts.

"I'll be glad when the weekend is here!" She dropped her bags on the table between them and started straightening it all up. "I've got twelve inches for Ancient Runes and two charts to fill out. Plus, Ron, we've got patrol duty before and after dinner. If I wasn't so hungry, I'd just skip it."

"Impossible! Dinner always comes before everything else!" Ron laughed and helped her organize her papers. Harry watched them together. Even when they didn't speak, they moved in sync with each other. He was happy for them, they had been like this for years, it had just taken them so long to get together. He wanted that for himself, but for now, he was just happy to get done with school and start living without always having to watch his back.

They climbed out of the portrait hole and split apart, Ron and Hermione promising to meet him for dinner. On his way down, he bumped into Hagrid who enveloped him in a great hug. As they parted, Harry saw Draco coming down the stairs as well. Hagrid watched him carefully and when he got to them, Draco inclined his head at Hagrid.

"Good evening, Professor," he said in a quiet tone. He didn't smile but he wasnt rude either.

"Evenin' Malfoy," Hagrid said back carefully. He nodded at Harry as well and continued into the hall. Hagrid looked at Harry who was just as stunned.

"So, Hagrid, I'm excited for class on Friday. Any interesting attributes you'd like to share on the creature you've got for us?"

"Not just yet, it's going to be a surprise!" He cantered off to the teacher's table and sat down, leaving Harry to his imagination about what they could be studying come Friday.

"Hey Harry, I heard your Potions class was terrible," Neville said with a grin.

"It was absolutely awful." He shook his head and looked down at his empty plate. He grabbed some food and began eating, dinner would hopefully wash out that awful class. He wondered how Neville had heard though. He looked over at the Slytherin table and saw Draco sitting alone. He wondered if he had blabbed to any of his friends; Harry could still see the pretentious smirk he'd had when he had finished first and Harry couldn't even complete it.

He watched him carefully for a moment, reflecting again on what he had told them, that he was different. He certainly wasn't doing anything now to torment anyone, he was just doing homework. The other Slytherins however were looking like they were about to torment someone. They were playing with their food and whispering together, heads bent down low closely. They were pouring their drinks into one big pumpkin juice jug, adding bits of food and trash and one kid spit into it. Harry wrinkled his nose, confused. They were probably Sixth or Seventh Years, way too old to be making a mess like that. It wasn't until one of those kids looked over at Draco that the dread rose in Harry's throat. The kids were all moving their books and bags off the table and slowly sliding the jug farther down. He was unsure of what to do. A young guy grabbed the jug and slowly started to tip it over, inches from Draco whose nose was in his Ancient Runes homework.