No One’s Hero

Chapter Two of No OneÂ’s Hero
What Friends Are For

Harry had his school robes pulled tightly around his body. He was always guarding himself, except last night. Even now, he wasnÂ’t sure it had happened. He never slept, and that tended to do things to your mind. Last night could have been a dream, but he wasnÂ’t sure. He wanted to know, but it wasnÂ’t exactly the type of thing you just walk up and ask someone about.

When he entered the Great Hall, it was almost empty. He liked to eat alone, it was easier than making people pretend that they wanted to talk to you, but were to busy with breakfast. Harry would come in just before breakfast (or any other meal for that matter) was over, and get just enough to eat before the house elves would clean away the table. Every now and then, Dumbledore would require the attendance of everyone at Hogwarts for a specific meal, but it didnÂ’t happen often, much to HarryÂ’s relief.

Harry grabbed a muffin and poured himself some orange juice. A few first years were sitting down at the other end of the table, but other than that, he was alone. He enjoyed his quiet. After seven years (after all, he didn’t know he was the ‘Boy Who Lived’ until then) of dealing with everyone looking up to him, he liked the silence.

Draco sat down across from him. Harry blinked twice and dropped the remaining piece of his muffin.

“What?”

“You do realize you’ve entered enemy territory, right?” Harry was surprised. Even if last night hadn’t been a dream, Draco wasn’t the type of person to “announce” things. And sitting across from Harry Potter, at the Gryffindor table was just that.

DracoÂ’s smile curled up at the side, as he nodded. He picked up an apple and bit down. Harry watched him, seeing him in an entirely new light. He had stopped gelling his hair like he used to when he was younger, thank god. It looked very silky and lightÂ… it just hung softly around his face. He smirked, knowing bloody well Harry was starring at him.

“Feeling any better?” Draco asked and tilted his head. He looked honestly concerned.

“Why are you over here?” Harry asked. He had lowered his eyes. This was all very un-Malfoy.

He took another bite before replying. He didn’t talk with food in his mouth, how polite. “Harry, I’ve been following you around for over a month, hiding in the shadows. You found all of that out last night. So why bother keeping the mask on, when you already know who’s hiding behind it?”

“I may know. But do you realize, that right now you’re putting on a show for the rest of the school? And your father is going to wonder why you’re talking to me,” he argued. He didn’t want Draco throwing away what he had for him. He didn’t want it, didn’t deserve it. He had ruined enough lives for his entire lifetime.

“I know it’s a little late for the rebellious teenage stage, but I thought I could try to work it in,” Draco said with a smirk. It was amazing how he could make light of all of this, “Besides, this is my last year. I’ll be getting a place of my own soon enough. I hate the mansion. Worst case scenario, my father disowns me, I don’t care. And I doubt he goes as far as trying to kill me, he doesn’t know I kissed you, yet.” He was as sly as he had been the first day they’d met.

“Yet? What do you mean by that?” Harry asked. He knew Draco too well; he had something big planned.

“How much long until graduation?” he asked with a smile. It was a trademark Malfoy smile with all the evil trimmings.

“Three weeks… What do you have planned?” he asked, suspicious.

“First things first. You do genuinely like me, correct?”

“No, I kissed you for the blood hell of it. You are graduating second in the class, aren’t you? I thought you were smart,” Harry casually. He wasn’t usually sarcastic; Draco must have rubbed off on him.

Draco ignored it, “I say we give everyone a show. A ‘Goodbye Hogwarts’ with style.”

Harry smiled and laughed, “Tell me what you have planned.”

Draco stood up, “We have potions together first. We’ll talk on the way. I wonder what Weasley will say when we walk in together.”

“And here you were worried about my feelings for you! I’m the one being used for revenge.”

“Revenge is a dish best served cold. Still buddy-buddy with old Ronnie?”

“Hardly,” said Harry. Draco didn’t catch the hurt layered in his word.

“Then what’s the problem?”

*

“Herm,” Ron said and gave his lab partner a nudge. She looked up at him, annoyed that he had bothered her while she was in the middle of cutting. But when she saw the look in his eyes, she whipped her head around to see what was going on.

Harry was smiling. That had to be a first in a long time. Even more surprising was who he smiling and laughing with.

“Draco, Potter. So glad you boys could join us today. You’ll partner up since you’re both late. I’ll excuse you from detention, this time. Seeing as how you’re never late, you must have a worthy reason for this time, Draco,” Snape said, ignoring Harry. He was thinking the exact same thing every other person in the class was. ‘What are they doing together?’

Hermione turned back to Ron, her jaw had dropped, “What do you think that’s about?”

“Hell if I know. I don’t like it. If we thought Harry had gone and cracked before, he must have lost all of his marbles now. I mean, talking to Malfoy!? He must be nuts.”

“He’s smiling! I mean, how hard did we try to get one ity bity smile out of Harry? Nothing worked, nothing helped. He just kept sinking deeper and deeper into that depression. We both know he’s not sleeping, eating, or worse yet… not doing well in school. Yesterday he was thundercloud, now he’s Mr. Sunshine.”

“I think you have your priorities a little mixed up. But you have a point, what did Malfoy do that we didn’t?”

Dean, who was working at the table in front of them turned around, “I talked to a few first years in the hall on the way to class. Draco came over to our table to eat breakfast with Harry.”

“Wow,” Ron and Hermione said in unison. The pair were spending way too much time together.

“So how would you wake sleeping beauty up?” he asked.

“You don’t think…”

“I do. Neither of them date. I suppose you could always use the excuse that Malfoy is a complete git, but he is good looking, and there’s always a girl willing to put up with that for the looks. And Harry, he was always to busy saving the world for a girlfriend, and now he’s too depressing… But it still makes you wonder.”

Ron looked over at Malfoy and Harry. They were chatting as they worked. Both were smiling. Something was defiantly astray. He hadnÂ’t had a good talk with Harry for quiet some time; tonight heÂ’d take the opportunity to suggest getting his head fixed. And it that didnÂ’t work, heÂ’d just drag Harry himself up to the infirmary.