The fact that two robes had such a ripple affect amused Draco. They didn't seem to be the direct cause, but more like a catalyst for what was already there. All of the behaviors of the star trio changed, however big or small. Brain candy galore produced when he reasoned that maybe the robes were a catalyst for Draco, making him see what probably was already there. Draco's secret friend, or secret friend to him, he doesn't know if Harry told anyone, had started to have this distinct level of something separating him. Separating him from what, Draco didn't know, but he knew it was there.
Hermione's behavior quirk was so blatantly obvious it would reflect poorly on Draco if it had always been there. She was oddly happy whenever she saw him and Harry. They didn't even have to be near each other, just both of them had to stumble into her field of vision and, Bam! A twinkle in her eyes and a bounce in her step. You would think she mastered a challenge question in Ancient Runes.
Weasely, however, for being the one part of the trio he had interacted with the least all year, confused him the most. His body language threw all sorts of conflicting signs towards Draco. A scowl crossing his face, but opening the door for him after class. Opening a door for him, but shoving him out of the way passing through the next one.
Walking into Herbology later, he sat at his usual table. All the way in the back, off to the far left, and nearly always deserted since he had laid claim. Yet as he sat down, he sat down next to the red haired part of the Golden Trio. He ignored both him and Professor Sprout's unhappy look and started to unpack his things. She continued to explain what they would be doing today and instructed that they were to get into partners. There was an odd number of eighth years, and she never assigned their partners, so Draco expected to have his usual fate of being the one working alone. He started to stand up and get his supplies, not wanting to wait for everyone else to partner up. Someone quietly coughed and mumbled behind him.
"What." He stated, looking at Weasely, who wouldn't look at him. " Am I in the way?"
Weasely shook his head and looked up, glancing toward the side.
"You aren't." He said. " I was just wondering, whether you'd like to be partners?" The tone suggested that he was questioning himself more than he was asking him.
Draco turned to face him, caught off guard by the request. Weasely has not given him any problems all year, but the room was filled with people. People who you would think would be preferred as partners over himself. Not wanting to shoot him down and not know his ulterior motive, he gave him a curt nod.
"I would be fine with that."
Weasely stood up and shifted his weight. "Ok. I'll go get the plants, then."
When he came back with a pair of harmless looking plants, they worked in silence. He proved to be slightly better at Herbology than he was at Potions, much to Draco's surprise. He had never really observed Weasely in another class before. Their short conversations were punctuated with the occasional "Pass the knife", and "Could you hand me the hammer? It's trying to eat my fingers again." The whole period passed in comfortable, if not a bit terse, silence. When Sprout dismissed them, everyone burst out of the greenhouse and into the heat. Draco loosened his tie on his walk back to the castle. The weather just got hotter and hotter the closer it got to summer.
"Malfoy!" Someone called behind him. "Wait up!"
He recognized the loud voice easily. He may have been cordial in class, but Draco had a life to live and didn't have time for small talk.
"Draco! Hey, slow down!"
He finally slowed down out of pity and let Weasely jog next to him.
"What did you want, again?"
"Look, I just want to talk."
"Then I would actually talk."
Weasely looked down at their feet and tried to start some awkward small talk.
"So, how have you been?"
"I would suggest getting to the point that seems so important to you."
Awkwardness seemed to seep out of the other's pores as he tried to explain something, exactly what was anyone's guess.
"I know it's not my place to, I mean, I shouldn't really be...if you get what I mean, I would stop myself because Hermione says I tend to say I mean a lot when I try to explain something when I'm nervous or something..." He gave a nervous chuckle, " She's trying to help me with it, but what I really want to say... should I go back to small talk? This isn't working out so well..."
Draco tried to be patient, knowing if Weasely didn't get this out now, he would have to deal with him more than he needed.
"You're fine. What exactly did you want to say?"
Weasely suddenly blurted, "You and Harry are da-friends, right?"
Draco froze inside. How had he managed to mention the only thing he wasn't sure of, as of late? He knew that he and Harry were at least friends. But this morning? He can't get it out of his head. It just plays on loop over and over, Harry's bed hair, his half lidded eyes, and the warmth of his pressed against his own. His wonderfully lazy morning smile, his morning voice that was still smooth and not hoarse like his own when he wakes up. His own arm comfortably resting over such a remarkable person, so different than himself yet trusting him enough to fall asleep so near to him. To be honest, Draco would never be able to fall asleep willingly with someone else sharing the bed, would probably wake up in the middle of the night and leave. He could never trust someone like that. It made Draco feel so strangely happy when he saw Harry next to him.
And it wasn't a feeling he would associate with 'just friends'.
All of this passed in a second, and a second later he answered,
"Yeah. Yeah we're were just friends."
Weasely looked a lot braver after he said that.
"Ok. Well, ok. What I wanted to tell you is, just treat Harry right, ok? He's been my friend since forever and I don't want to see him hurt. You seem to make him really happy, and I am happy with you as long as he is happy with you."
Draco smiled, genuinely impressed he managed to win Weasely over.
"One would think that you would have dropped a bigger bombshell, but I'm glad you worry for Harry. Its a sign of a positive friendship," He quoted something that he read when he was younger, and caused him to have a much needed epiphany about his life, "and as we grow up, we realize that it becomes less important to have many friends, and better to have real ones. I assure you, I am one of the real ones for Harry, even if I wasn't before."
His brain privately added, if not more.
Snorting a little, Weasely shook his head, successfully ruining the moment.
"Never would have pegged you as a sappy romantic, Draco."
"Draco?"
Weasely looked at him.
"Can I call you that? We just talked about treating one of my best friends right, so we can hardly call ourselves enemies anymore, right?"
Nodding his affirmation, Draco could feel whatever tangible rivalry there had ever been fading away.
"We should all meet up sometime."
Ignoring the strange look Ron gave him, he plowed on.
"Since you, Hermione, and Harry, are fine with me nowadays. Hogsmeade tomorrow, maybe? I get if it's a bit of a rush, but..."
"No, it's fine. I agree, it would be cool to meet up with the air clear. We usually grab a Butterbeer at the Hog's Head, so we'll see you there."
Draco blinked.
"Just like that?"
"Of course, just like that. I figure you aren't that bad of a guy if Hermione and Harry like you."
••••
After breakfast, Harry had told Ron about Draco. How he found him after he had knocked out Smith and poured firewhiskey all over him ( he begged Ron not to tell anyone ) and making the truce after Potions. All the beans were spilt except some, he not knowing why Draco avoided him a second time and the feeling that he has that will remain unnamed. Ron took everything well, though a little shocked, but there was something he seemed to know that Harry hadn't told him...
Harry listened to Ron as he explained that Draco wanted to meet over dinner. Actually, all he heard was "Shraco jeet at Shug's Head," since Ron enjoyed showcasing his skills at talking and eating at the same time.
"Draco? And why did he want to meet?"
After swallowing his food, Ron avoided Harry's gaze.
"Oh, you know...we have known each other for awhile now, and he just wanted to meet?"
"Is that what I sound like?"
"Sound like when?..."
Shaking his head, Harry raised his eyebrow.
"When I try to lie and fail. What did you do to him?"
Ron looked towards Harry and sucked in his cheek.
"Well, I might've scolded him and told him to treat you right, might've had him agree, and might've agreed for all of us to meet him at Hog's Head to celebrate the fact that we're not enemies anymore?..."
"By might've you mean did, right?"
Nodding sheepishly, Ron returned to his food. Harry didn't bother to scold him, knowing it would fall upon food-filled ears. He felt like he should be mad at Ron for talking to Draco like that, because really they were just friends...
And, for some unknown feeling that really wasn't unknown, he didn't want to continue thinking after just friends.
"Its fine, Ron, really. It just shocked me a bit, you know? Hog's Head tomorrow, right?"