Happy New Year

Chapter 1:New Years Resolutions

The bigger boy was chuckling, but he did get up and hand Draco the album. "Don't tear it or anything. I don't imagine anything would piss Potter off worse."

The pair shared a shudder as they remembered the Gryffindors confession about wandless magic. He'd never really been afraid of Potter, but then, he'd never known the fire he'd been playing with over the years.

Shaking off the thought, he opened up the album and began studying its contents. There was, of course, that first picture of the Potter's back when they'd still been alive. The adults still smiled at him. The baby gurgled as happy as before, paying little attention to anything other than his parents.

Turning the page, he found the infamous trio laughing and grinning at him. Running his fingers over the first year picture, he took in their happy, easy expressions and tried to remember if Harry had laughed- a genuine one, full of this joy- since the hols had began. The closest he'd come had been when they'd made fun of Snape that first night.

Flipping through the album, he noticed that the first year one was the only picture where Potter didn't have shadows lurking in his expression. Fifth year was the worst, and gazing at the absolutely miserable emerald eyes half hidden behind those horrid glasses, he couldn't help but wonder why the other boy had bothered to include it.

There were no sixth year pictures with Potter in them, although there were a handful of the other Gryffindors. Of course, that was long after the Boy Who Lived had terrorized Creevey into leaving him alone, so Draco hadn't expected there to be. He barely glanced at the one he'd already seen of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. He didn't care to think about how the latter had spent over a decade in Azkaban for a crime that he hadn't committed. He wasn't sure why he believed Potter's explanation- after all, it had been crazy and challenged a tale he'd heard for as long as he could remember- but he did. And, more than that, it gave him a warm feeling to have been trusted with something so personal for his fellow wizard.

At the end, he found one of Potter, Black, and Lupin together. He gauged it to have been taken sometime earlier in the school year. All three looked weary and haunted, but they also seemed happy to be together.

His godfather... Amazing.

Was nothing about Harry Potter normal?

Somehow he doubted it.

He closed the album and lay his head against the leather cover.

Morning would bring Christmas and presents. Draco's last thought before sleep caught up was to wonder if Harry would at least show up for the feast.

Pouting a bit, Draco stabbed at his eggs with his fork while letting his friend's deep voice wash over him. They'd been at the table for over a half an hour and so far it looked as if Potter was going to continue to avoid them.

He was the only student who hadn't shown up for breakfast and not even Creevey knew whether or not the older Gryffindor planned on making an appearance.

"Are you sure you won't fetch him?"

Greg looked startled at the sudden deviation from the current topic of presents, but he just shook his head. "I told you last night, Draco. It's better he comes down on his own."

Sighing unhappily, Draco rested his head on his curled fist and stared over at the Gryffindor table. It just didn't seem fair that he'd finally managed to gain some companionship with Harry Potter only to have it all lost because of a simple misunderstanding.

Weren't Gryffindors supposed to be just and loyal?

He frowned for a second.

No.. That was Hufflepuffs.