Starts With a Spin

Chapter 12

"They're not so bad," Harry said defensively.

"You would say that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Draco started to say, rolling his eyes once again, "that of course you'd say that, because they are your friends."

"Well I can't just sit here and listen to you badmouth them."

"Potter, you've heard me badmouth them. That was not badmouthing."

"Well it's different now, Draco," Harry insisted, crossing his arms. "They're both ok with this, I know that. Even Ron's willing to tolerate you, but that means you also have to make an effort."

"An effort?" Draco asked, sneering slightly. Harry frowned.

"Yes, an effort. You have to be nice to them."

"Nice?" Draco grimaced. "Nice to the mudblood and mudblood sympathizer?" Frowning deeper, Harry thumped Draco on the shoulder with his fist, not hard enough to bruise, but enough to make the boy wince slightly.

"You've barely called her that at all this year, don't start now," Harry warned. Then his face softened a little. "Come on, don't start being difficult already." Draco's mouth fell open angrily, but before he said anything he seemed to think things over. His eyes slid shut for a brief second as he took a deep breath, and then he released it and a blank expression settled over his face. Harry watched him carefully, and Draco met his gaze steadily. "Thank you," Harry said softly. Draco briefly lifted one shoulder in an awkward sort of shrug as he glanced away.

"Sure," he muttered. Harry leaned to the side so he could meet Draco's eyes again, and he smiled when the blond finally looked at him. One side of Draco's mouth quirked upwards.

The train jerked, making Harry jolt slightly. Resting one hand on the floor for balance, he twisted his head around and glanced out the window, watching the rolling scenery slow to a near stop.

"I guess we're there," he said quietly, feeling unaccountably nervous. Looking back at Draco, he saw the way his lips were pursed and how his eyes had gone hard, and figured he must be slightly nervous as well. Harry didn't bother trying to work out when he'd become able to note the changes in Draco's expression so easily.

Standing, he held a hand out to the other boy. Draco stared at it for a long moment, and then slowly grasped it with his own and allowed Harry to pull him up.

"Draco," Harry murmured, the other boy's hand still warm in his own grip and trapped between their bodies as they stood nearly flush against each other. Draco looked at him expectantly, but suddenly Harry wasn't sure what he'd wanted to say, so instead he shrugged and grinned goofily. "Ready?" he asked eventually, feeling the train come to a complete standstill.

"Always," Draco smirked.

The two boys didn't leave their compartment until they were pretty sure most everyone else was gone. Harry watched through the window as Hermione and Ron looked around anxiously, and Draco snorted from beside him when Pansy showed up with a worried look on her face. Blaise came up behind her with an annoyed expression, and Crabbe and Goyle trudged after him, looking slightly lost.

"You know, if they were really that worried about us, they'd have checked the entire train," Draco drawled as he and Harry stepped out into the evening light and tried to find a fairly empty carriage. Harry grinned in agreement, though it became slightly forced as he veered away from the thestrals. It was creepy, the way they looked at him as if they could tell he was one of the few on the platform who knew they were there. Draco glanced at him curiously as they climbed into a carriage with two third-year Ravenclaws. "What are they like?" he asked carefully, once they'd settled down. Harry looked at him sharply, ignoring the star-struck looks bestowed upon him by the third-years.