The Pieces Fall Into Place

A blurred figure launched himself at Harry almost the moment after he set foot onto platform 9¾.

"HARRY! Glad to see you mate! Barely seen you all summer!" Ron had seen him the instant he arrived at the platform and was busy jabbering on and helping Harry with his baggage.

"Yeah, missed you too! The Dursleys were even worse this year, if that's possible. The Dementors last year must still be bugging Uncle Vernon." But as much as Harry abhorred number 4 Privet Drive, he now knew the importance of his "home" and had been remarkably low key this summer as compared to the previous ones.

Ron gave Harry a lopsided grin as they pushed their baggage trolley towards the luggage car.

"Oi! Harry! Smashing to see ya old chap!"

"Simply splendid to see you mate!"

Fred and George were at the platform too, their green dragon leather jackets clashing splendidly with their hair. Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes had just about driven every other joke shop into bankruptcy. Harry remembered the fantastic fireworks and the swamp. No one at Hogwarts could forget that. And Hermione had told him that some environmentalist wizards had bought instant swamps and were in the process of breeding endangered magical creatures.

"Hey Fred! George! How's business?"

"It's absolutely smashing! Best fun we've ever had! Can't think why we didn't drop out before. We can make as many explosions as we want 'cos of our new laboratory."

" Fumes spewing everywhere, things magically pop up out of the chairs. Good times mate, good times. Mum can't complain anymore either cause we're exploding outside the house and raking in the galleons!" Harry grinned at the thought of Mrs. Weasley who had been like a mother to him and always treated him as a son. The Weasleys deserved to be successful Harry thought. They were some of the nicest people in the world, although Percy was no longer on speaking terms with the rest of the family.

Fred and George clapped Ron on the back causing him to lurch slightly forward and hack on the Chocolate Frog he was eating.

"Hello ikkle Ronnikins." Fred ruffled Ron's hair.

"Hello to you to too." Ron glared, pissed off that his hair was mussed up. After thinking about it though, Ron sighed and gave up the idea of smoothing his hair down. He also gave up on the idea to use his Prefect status and attempt to intimidate them. He had forgotten that they no longer went to Hogwarts and there was no way he'd allow Fred and George the pleasure of torturing him for years to come because of his vanity over the state of his hair.

"By the way, where's Hermione?" Harry noticed the lack Ron's normal hip attachment. The two had been nearly inseparable after they had finally pronounced their adoration for each other at the beginning of the summer. Harry was glad the unresolved sexual tension between the two was finally over.

"Oh she said something about some books. She'll meet us on the train."

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Harry! It's so nice to see you!" Hermione came bounding into their compartment and took a seat next to Ron. Her arms were filled with books, which she placed next to her.

"Hermione, what are those books for? School hasn't even started yet! Enjoy freedom while it lasts!"

"Well, I spent part of this summer in America, and of course most of this summer with Ron, and I didn't get to go through this years' text books as well as I like to, so this is the perfect opportunity to study! I want to be fully prepared for my N.E.W.T. tests when they come."

Harry and Ron shared a knowing look. Although they had managed to get Hermione less uptight about school over the past five years, she was still the biggest fan of the education system in the world and becoming a Prefect last year only cemented that fact. Ron had owled Harry once over the summer and said Hermione had had a nightmare about school ending and how she lost all her books and her prefect badge. It had traumatized her to the point that, at first light, Hermione re-read the entire potions book and the Hogwarts Prefect Handbook. Twice. Each.

It turned out that Hermione wouldn't get a lot of studying done during the train ride. Ron and Harry begged her into playing Exploding Snap with them and she finally gave in to their wide-eyed, innocent expressions, which she didn't believe for a moment. The rest of the trip to Hogwarts was spent in comfortable companionship with occasional bangs and laughter as the Exploding Snap progressed.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry was glad to be back home. The familiar halls were filled with memories and the people in the paintings were more family than the Dursleys had ever been. Taking a trip down memory lane was always a refreshing experience. There was so much emotion in this castle. Things in every hall and corridor brought back memories. Lost in his thoughts, Harry turned a corner and ran smack into someone else who was apparently taking a nice stroll though his memories as well.

"Watch it Potter. I would've imagined that the great, Gryffindor seeker would have better vision than that, running smack into other people. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got better places to be than stand around here with you. And after all, you're carrying the poncy git-itus disease that's so common in you lot." The hatred between Draco and Harry was still as strong as ever, if possible even stronger. But hatred had also evolved into something else. Jealousy. They were both jealous of the other though either would die before admitting it.

"Malfoy. Wouldn't say so much if I were you. You're lacking the muscle you always seem to need to get your dirty work done. Where're your lap dogs Crabbe and Goyle? Or have they finally come to their dim senses and realized that you're a prick?"

The animosity was palpable. Great molten balls of hatred shot from their respective eyes as the two tried to stare each other down. They began to circle each other slowly, hands slowly inching to their wands.

Unfortunately, just as their hands were about to reach their wands and begin the hex-fest, McGonagall came down the hall and saw them glaring at each other with wands at the ready. And although McGonagall was no fan of Slytherin or the Malfoys, she was however, a stickler for following rules and she would not allow a duel to occur.

"Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Potter. What's going on here?"

Draco and Harry gave each other one last glare before rolling their eyes, turning away from each other and facing McGonagall.

"Nothing Professor."

"Nothing" Both said it at the same time and turned away from each other at the same time. It was almost as if they had choreographed it.

"That's good because I think it's rather early in the year to be getting detention. You two best go off to your dormitories. Both of you must have lots to do to get settled in." With a pointed look that said there was to be no fighting between them, McGonagall continued down the hall, and Harry walked towards the Gryffindor tower, and Draco stalked off to the dungeons.