I'll Take That Chance

CH 10 - He Balled His Fist and Slammed it Into the Wall

Sunday morning dawned grey and rainy and Harry was tempted to spend most of it in his bed. He had a ton of schoolwork to get through but when he saw that Ron was already out of bed, he figured he should go do work with the others. He stuffed his bedclothes in the dresser and pulled on some jeans and a pullover. He walked down to the common room and found it empty; he was surprised Ron and Hermione hadn't waited for him. He was just going through the portrait hole when he heard a group of girls coming down the stairs from their rooms and he scrambled to get through, not wanting to see Ginny. He knew he was being cowardly about it but he didn't want another blow out in front of the whole school like last time. He hoped they'd get out of this funk by the time quidditch started.

"Good morning, Harry!" Hermione was coming down the hall towards him and she slowed to match his steps. "Ron is going to meet us at breakfast. Blaise Zabini came in this morning through the Floo and Ron is helping McGonagall get him settled in. His mother's trial was suspended so she's on house arrest now and he didn't want to lose any more time. We had to be up there early because she gave him the same speech and rules that she gave everyone at the feast."

"He was never much of a problem though, right? I don't really recall him doing anything with the Death Eaters."

"Not really, but his mother has done a lot of crazy things. McGonagall is worried he'll get upset or angry and lash out at the others, or vice versa."

"The same way she's worried about Malfoy?"

"Yes, precisely." Harry watched as she chewed her lip, thinking over her next question. "Harry, do you think he's different? He hasn't been acting like his usual self. I guess I expected him to be a lot angrier, like his normal snotty, high and mighty self." Harry nodded, and he wasn't sure if he should tell her about yesterday at the quidditch pitch. He had had multiple chances to tell them, but he felt like he wanted to keep it to himself for a little while longer. Especially those winks...

"He has been different. The only real anger I've seen was in Potions and we kind of provoked him into it. He's been pretty decent actually." He shrugged his shoulder and she looked at him closely as if expecting him to elaborate. When he didn't keep going, she continued on.

"Well, if the year goes on like the way it has so far, it'll be a very enjoyable one. Oh look, there's Ron." He was walking in with Blaise Zabini close behind him and when Ron gestured at the Slytherin table, he gave him a look down his nose but he strutted over, sitting next to Draco. Hermione waved at Ron and he came over to sit with them.

"Good morning. Just escorted Blaise Zabini down to the dungeons to get settled in. Took a while; guy had a lot of stuff. It would have been easier if he had his own room like Malfoy does, wouldn't have had to take it so far."

"Malfoy's got his own room?" Harry was surprised to hear this.

"Didn't we tell you? McGonagall was worried that he would get into trouble being so far down in the dungeons."

"Ron, it's not really like that. She doesn't think he'd get into trouble so much as that trouble would find him, like it already has. I think she's more worried about someone hurting him, even the other Slytherins."

"Right." Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and watched Draco talking with the only two guys he seemed to be friends with this year. Their heads were bent down low together and Harry found himself wishing he could know what they were saying. Blaise looked down the table at the guy who had instigated the pumpkin jug problem.

"What do you think they're talking about? Think they might be planning something?" Ron asked innocently enough but it irked Harry. Apparently, it irked Hermione too.