Harry Potter and the Pure Blood Prince [Drarry]

Battling Malfoy?

Sometimes Harry would just look at the Marauders Map to find out about everybody's whereabouts at Hogwarts. He'd see Dumbledore stepping up and down in his office, Pansy Parkinson sleeping in the Slytherin Boys Bedroom, or Hagrid taking midnight walks. Harry had seen Draco sneak through the corridors a lot since school started this year. He noticed that he wouldn't spend much time near his friends anymore, always wandering away from everybody else. He also stopped talking to the other Slytherins at the dining table. Sitting silently at dinner, with empty eyes, waiting for it to end, without touching most of the food on his plate.

That seemed rather odd to Harry. Since when was Draco such a loner? The only explanation was that Malfoy was plotting something vile. Harry was sure that Malfoy had had something to do with the cruel incident that had happened to Katie Bell a few days ago. Since then Harry paid even more attention to his enemy than before. He was dangerous. And Harry had to stop him.
And he was just in the mood for a fight. It was long overdue. He was preparing for this for a few days now, even though half of his thoughts still belonged to HBP. Speaking of HBP, he was incredibly helpful: teaching Harry a ton of new spells in his fast, sloppy handwriting. It even seemed like HBP had made up most of these spells all by himself. Without doubt, he was an intellectual. Harry would have given his pinky finger - like worm tail - just to speak to HBP in person. Maybe he would have some tips how to deal with Malfoy or with Harry's own anger issues. Yes, maybe he would have something wise to say, something soothing, in a voice just as intelligent and graceful as his handwriting. Harry was really losing his mind over a book - again. He should be fighting it. But it was the only thing he had completely for himself. Unlike his professors or his friends or anyone, anything at Hogwarts. He was the only one who knew HBP, he was his secret, in a way. And he shared all his knowledge, his wit and his thoughts with him alone. Possible that this was the reason Harry liked him so much. He belonged to him, him alone.

Leaving his beloved book and the Marauders Map hidden under his pillow, Harry got up and walked to the place where he'd last seen Draco. He always disappeared near the room of requirements which was already pretty suspicious. But this time Harry had found his name written near the Great Lake. Harry's plan was to surprise him, confront him and after a verbal conflict he'd cast some of HBPs spells at Malfoy. Hopefully that would show Malfoy that at least one person at school was aware of his evil doings and would stop him no matter which outcome it would bring.

No other student was outside. It was a dark, rainy day, so most of them would just sit in their common rooms playing board games or studying in the library. That was at least where Harry last had seen his friends, Hermione absorbed in a book, Ron beating every other Gryffindor at wizards chess and then bragging about how easy that was.
But yeah, all in all it was a good thing that Harry could get to Draco without being disturbed by a single soul.
When he got near to the shore, he could already see his white hair from afar, wetted by the rain, fuzzed by the wind. Draco crouched on a large stone, near the water, his cape wrapped around him like a blanket. He didn't even turn around as Harry got closer to him. But still said an ill-humored "Potter" as a greeting to Harry. Maybe he had seen his reflection in the grayish water, even though it seemed wavy and dark today.
Harry wasn't really sure anymore about how to approach him, now that he seemed so calm, sad almost.
"What the hell are you doing here?", Harry asked.
"I could ask you the same question, Potter."
Harry took a deep breath. Cold air went through his lungs, let him shiver. "You're .. you're right", he said.
Now Draco turned to Harry, looking perplexed. In fact he looked broken, eyes swollen, with dark circles under them, his pale lips pressed together.
"Can I sit down next to you?", Harry asked.
"What?", now Malfoys tone sounded a little more familiar, a little more like him. But Harry didn't mind, he got to the stone and sat down next to him.
All the anger suddenly washed away, as if the rain had cleared his head and wiped out the wrathfully fire that had been burning in his body.
"Im not used to you being depressed", Harry said, while they both looked at the misty lake.
Draco derisively clicked his tongue. "And I'm not used to you caring."
"Fuck you Malfoy. .. I care. I care about a lot. I just never cared about you."
Malfoy gave a bitter laugh. "Ah, and why's that?"
"You're evil . .. You were wicked since I first met you." Harry shrugged his shoulders, took a quick glance at Draco. His motions didn't reveal what he was thinking. But after a while he said - quietly, not sounding half as put on as typical:
"You know I always wanted to be friends with you, Harry. ... But you always acted like I was a villain."
Disconcerted for a moment Harry replied: "But you were... You were putting my friends down, talking terribly about muggles and-"
"Yeah, maybe. I couldn't give two fucks about Weasly and your mud blood friend Granger, but I thought at least you were special."

Rage slowly crept back in Harrys brain, made his body unsettled and his thoughts rancorous.
"You're the worst", said Harry, getting up quickly, and leaving Draco behind before he would hurt him.
He had felt almost calm for a little while, sitting down beside Malfoy, for the first time he had approached him like a normal person, giving him a chance to explain, maybe even to apologize. But Draco wasn't normal. He was just the villain Harry had thought him to be, nothing more. How disappointing.