Under the New Moon

Chapter 3

Draco's Trial

Wouldn't it be great, if the band just never ended

We could stay out late and we would never hear last call

We wouldn't need to worry about approval or permission,

We could slip off the edge and never worry about the fall

~

Draco swallowed and tried to adopt the cool, unconcerned air his father always used. Draco had successfully pulled it off in the past, but that was at Hogwarts, in a different life; acting confident at Hogwarts was completely different from being chained into a chair in front of the entire Wizengamot. The witches and wizards glared down at him coolly, their appraising looks missing none of his fear.

"Are the chains really necessary?" a witch near the back asked. "He's just a child."

"Draco Malfoy is of age and therefore will be treated like any other wizard being tried for Attempted Murder," another witch answered.

Attempted Murder. That accusation constantly ran through his mind. He would be sentenced to serve time in Azkaban, and maybe even life, what with all these friends of Dumbledore in the court.

"Draco Malfoy," announced Rufus Scrimgeour, "from testimony given by Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenir Greyback last week, you were sent by Lord Voldemort to murder Albus Dumbledore which you attempted to do. You are thereby accused of Attempted Murder here on June the first, 1998. How do you plead?"

Draco had difficulty speaking over the lump in his throat. "Guilty," he croaked, then cleared his throat and tried again. "Guilty!" he said louder than he meant to.

"Very well," said Scrimgeour, "please state your case and describe for us what happened."

He took a deep, shaking breath to try and calm his shattered nerves. In a small voice he tried to recall what happened. "The Dark Lord..." he began, then paused, thinking in immediately after that calling Voldemort the way his Death Eaters do was probably not a good way to start off his explanation. "He threatened to kill me and my family if I didn't kill Dumbledore. He was mad at my father already and I didn't want him to hurt my mother, so I tried to figure out a way to do it."

"So you were never put under the Imperius curse, is that correct?" a green haired wizard interrupted him.

"Yes," said Draco, looking down.

"Can anyone testify that You Know Who threatened your family?"

"Erm ... no," Draco said in a low voice.

"Proceed," boomed Scrimgeour.

"Madam Rosemerta - that's the witch who owns a pub near Hogwarts - was put under the Imperius curse by someone - a Death Eater."

"It wasn't you?" asked the same green haired wizard as before.

"No ... and I don't know who it was either," he added. "The Death Eater who performed the curse was told to make Rosemerta do whatever I said. I - I don't think the Dark Lord trusted me enough to perform the curse myself," he admitted feebly.

"But he trusted you enough to kill Dumbledore?" demanded a blond witch next to Scrimgeour.

Draco looked suddenly at his knees, wishing he was back at Snape's house where he had lived in hiding for a year. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, but he was determined not to let them fall. He nodded faintly and took another deep breath, returning his gaze to the court.

"Under my orders, Rosemerta gave some girl a cursed necklace which she was supposed to deliver to Dumbledore, but it never made it there," he explained, remembering with a shudder how the girl had rose into the air and screamed. "Rosemerta was then told to give Slughorn a poisoned bottle of wine when he came in to the pub looking for a Christmas present for Dumbledore, but that never made it either." Draco paused and braced himself for what he had to say next. "Then the night Dumbledore died, I let all the Death Eaters into the school with this-"

"We know how the Death Eaters got in to Hogwarts," the green haired wizard interrupted again. "Skip past that."

Draco blinked and tried to regain the momentum he had established before as he continued speaking. "Then I had Dumbledore cornered on top of the astronomy tower and ... and I ... erm..."

"Did you try to kill him?" asked Scrimgeour. "Did you utter the Avada Kedavra curse?"

"No!" insisted Draco. "I didn't ... it was ... well, I suppose you already know it was Professor Snape."

"We know Severus Snape was the one to kill Dumbledore, yes."

"Well, I was there, but Snape got there first," Draco said, knowing what he had just implied.

"If Severus Snape had not killed Dumbledore, would you have done it?" demanded the blond witch.

"I didn't want to!" Draco protested. "He said he'd kill my mother!"

"Answer the question."

Draco looked frantically at the witches and wizards assembled before him. His eyes darted over each of them, but he knew it was hopeless. His mouth curled downwards, out of his control and he sniffed, trying to hold back the tears. "I hope so," he said trailing off miserably.

"Very well," said the blond witch. "Have you anything else to add?"

"No," he whispered.

The witches and wizards all sent pieces of parchment towards Scrimgeour who looked over them and cleared his throat.

"Draco Malfoy..." Scrimgeour began in a booming voice.

Draco scrunched up his eyes and tried to will a different life.

"Given your testimony today..."

Draco wished he could move his arms from the chair so he could put his face in his hands. A loud sob escaped him.

"We hereby find you-"

"Wait!" A clear voice rang throughout the hall. Draco tried to look around to see who it was, but his chains prevented him from doing so. He twisted, trying to see.

"Yes?" Scrimgeour asked.

"I'd like to testify for Draco Malfoy."

"Please state your name for the record."

"Harry Potter."

Draco immediately stopped squirming. "No!" Draco shouted, his voice breaking and his hot tears spilling over to slide down his cheeks.

"You cannot decide who may or may not testify, Mr. Malfoy," the Minister said sternly.

Draco stared in disbelief as Harry Potter conjured himself a chair next to his and sat down. He could not believe Harry would despise him so much as to try to get his sentence extended or made worse, even. Draco wouldn't put it past him to ask for a death sentence and he loathed him for it.

Harry was almost unrecognisable to Draco with a full beard and tattered muggle clothing, but Draco supposed he didn't look much better. Harry's eyes met his for an instant, looking almost apologetic. Draco glared at him.

"Please go on, Mr. Potter," said Scrimgeour.

"I know that Malfoy wouldn't have killed Dumbledore," Harry said, prompting a strangled gurgle from Draco's already traitorous throat. "I was there on the tower when Malfoy was talking to Dumbledore."

"No you weren't, Potter!" Draco spat.

"I was."

"HE WASN'T!" Draco screamed at the court.

Someone placed a silencing charm on Draco and all he could do was struggle in his chains and let the tears slide down his face.

"I was on the tower with Dumbledore," Harry continued with surprising lack of emotion. "I was under my invisibility cloak and Dumbledore had placed a spell on me so that I couldn't move."

Draco squirmed with hopeless rage.

"Malfoy disarmed Dumbledore immediately and could have killed him right then and there, only he didn't," Harry said with a quick look at Draco who had stopped struggling and was staring at him with huge eyes.

"Malfoy kept delaying by talking to Dumbledore and threatening him," Harry continued. "Dumbledore was convinced Malfoy wouldn't kill him and offered him protection. Malfoy insisted that he had to do it to save his family and Dumbledore offered them protection as well. It was obvious Malfoy was scared."

"Dumbledore said Mr. Malfoy wouldn't kill him?" the green haired wizard asked.

Harry nodded. "He said Malfoy was no killer." Harry paused. "And then Malfoy lowered his wand just as Snape came onto the tower. And that's all I have to say."

Draco was still crying silently, but now for a different reason. Harry turned to look at Draco again, but Draco could not read his expression.

Again the parchments flew towards Scrimgeour. He cleaned his glasses and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Draco Malfoy," he said. "Given your testimony today, and testimony from Mr. Harry Potter, we hereby find you..."

Draco held his breath.

"...Guilty of Attempted Murder and Associating with Death Eaters."

Beside him, Harry's head snapped up, but Draco didn't notice. His life was over.

"Given the circumstances, Lord Voldemort's threats, and the fact that you were still underage during the first two attempts on Dumbledore's life, you will have to pay a 500 Galleon fine."

Draco's chains popped loose and slid uselessly to the floor. His first attempt to stand was unsuccessful, but he managed to get to his feet the second time. The court filed out without another word. He turned to Harry but found that he had gone.

Draco whipped around to see where he had gone and saw his walking out of the room with the others. Draco ran after him.

"Potter!" he yelled after him, trying to dry his face as he ran. "Potter!"

Draco chased him through the crowds all the way up to the Atrium where he saw Harry get into a fireplace. "Potter!"

Harry didn't hear him and was gone in a whirl of green flame.

Draco suddenly found himself standing alone in the Ministry of Magic, where he clearly wasn't wanted by those around him. He quickly retrieved his wand and took the first available fireplace home.

Draco found his mother sleeping by the fire. She was much paler than she had been a year ago that last time he saw her before Snape had hidden him from the Dark Lord. She had dark circles under her eyes and her normally wavy hair hung limp about her shoulders.

He had made up his mind to go straight to his room without waking her, but she stirred as he walked past her.

"Draco?" she asked sleepily, then processed what was going on. She sprung up from her chair and seized him. "Draco! I thought ... I didn't know if Severus could ... oh Draco, you're safe."

He returned her hug and shut his eyes tightly. "They let me off, mother," he told her. "I won't go to Azkaban."

Narcissa just tightened her grip on her son. "No you won't," she said firmly, despite her tears. "No one will ever take you away from me again."

Draco was crying again, but for a much different reason.

***

Harry felt the covers being pulled off him. He groaned and tried to pull them back up, but they were far out of his reach.

"Harry, won't you come?" he heard Hermione's voice demand. Then he heard her exasperated sigh. "They've been throwing parties for over a month and you haven't been to a single one. They're all for you, you know!"

"They're for Neville," he said groggily. "I didn't do anything."

"Harry don't be ridiculous, they're for both of you. Everyone knows you orchestrated the Dementor's Kiss. Besides," she added, "you have to get out. You've been stuck here since the day after it happened, haven't you?"

Harry put on his glasses and blinked, his vision swimming back into focus. "No," he told her, shaking his head. "I saw Ginny after it happened and I went to the Ministry in June."

"That brings your total to twice," she shot back. "Harry, it is now July, you can't just do nothing forever."

"I haven't been doing nothing," Harry said, sounding hurt. "I've been learning my guitar."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "And growing a beard," she said flatly.

"I like it!"

She sighed again. "Whatever, Harry, do what you like," she said. "But today is July first, and if you're not out of the house in a week, I will drag you out to a party by your beard! Is that understood?"

Harry had by this time, brought out his guitar and was singing out of key whilst strumming haphazardly. "Oh my friend, she always threatens me! Wants to break my guitar and shave meee!"

Hermione was starring at him in bewilderment. "That's nice, Harry," she finally managed, backing away slowly, as Harry continued to strum the guitar and grin at her.

"Hermioneeeee! Off to parateeee!"

"Harry!"

He stopped. "Hermione?"

She rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse. "I'm going to a party in Bristol with Parvati and Padma tonight. Ron's still at the hospital with Ginny, but he said he'd drop by later. I made you dinner, but I guess you don't have to eat it. It's only healthy for you, you know, not like those chocolates frogs you've been living off of."

"They're hopping and delicious," he informed her seriously.

Hermione stopped by the doorway and put a hand on her head as though she had a headache. "Goodnight, Harry," she said, and left the room.

"Goodniiiiiight! Hermioneeeeeee!" Harry sang after her.

***

Hermione made good on her threats on July seventh. Harry awoke mid-afternoon to find Ron and Hermione standing over him.

"Rise and shine!" Ron said.

"It's beard shaving time!" Hermione echoed. She had a strange glint in her eye that Harry didn't like the look of one bit.

"You're not shaving me," he said firmly, pulling the covers closer and glancing at the abnormally long blade in Ron's hand.

Hermione cackled. "Of course not, Harry."

She and Ron exchanged looks and left the room.

Harry frowned, wondering what that was all about and got out of bed. He waddled down the hall to use the toilet. Afterwards, as he was about to leave, he caught sight of himself in the mirror above the sink.

"AAARGHHH!"

His voice carried down to the kitchen where Hermione and Ron were sitting.

Ten seconds later, he burst into said kitchen, wearing only boxers and an accusing glare. "You shaved me in my sleep!" he shouted.

"Of course we did, mate," Ron said, after taking a sip of his tea. "You couldn't go like that to a party."

"Oh sure, just help yourselves to my tea," Harry said angrily. "And I'm not going to any party."

"But Harry-" Hermione began.

Ron cut her off. "I'm helping Ginny get home from the hospital tonight for the Hogwarts thing tomorrow and I can't very well let my girlfriend go to some pub alone," he said casually. "Be nice, Harry, and make sure she doesn't get hit on."

"Aren't you afraid I will hit on her?" Harry asked with a grin.

"No," Ron said quickly, then paused, looking uncomfortable. Harry had to give Ron some credit; he had taken the news of Harry's new sexual orientation surprisingly well, but he supposed he should stop reminding Ron until he was more comfortable with the whole idea. It was also probably a bad idea to have mentioned it again just before he was going to see Ginny.

Harry could see only one way to get Ron off that way of thinking. "Yeah, sure," he said casually. "I'll go. Whatever."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Really?" she squeaked. "You'll go with me?"

Harry rubbed his smooth jaw. "Why not?" he asked. "I have no beard. I have nothing to loose."

***

It seemed Harry did have a few things to loose after all: his privacy, his friend, and his patience.

From the moment they walked into the bar in South London, people had started flocking towards him and asking him questions about Voldemort. Harry tried to answer their questions in short answers, but they kept coming back for more.

"So the Dementor really sucked out his soul?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know he had a soul."

"He had seven. Kind of."

Low whistle.

"I heard you used an Inferius."

"That's right."

"But, what...?"

"His mother's corpse. With a few glamour charms."

"I didn't know he had a mother."

"He had at least one."

"He had more?!"

"No ... it was a joke, you see."

"I don't get it."

Sigh.

Hermione had found him in a corner in a crowd of people. She set down two shots of Firewhiskey in front of him. To his surprise, when he refused, she shrugged and downed them both herself.

"I'm going to go dance, Harry. Padma and some of her friends are over there. You coming?"

Harry spotted Colin Creevey dancing wildly on the dance floor. "No thanks, Hermione."

She shrugged and walked off, waving to a few people as she went and laughing loudly at a joke some Slytherin Harry didn't know the name of had told. He wondered just how many drinks she had had. He didn't think Hermione drank.

After another hour of intense questioning, Harry managed to sneak away and made for the upstairs level.

The truth was that Harry hadn't known what to do with people since the end of the war. He was so prepared to die in the final battle that he was surprised when he hadn't. Ron and Hermione were fine to talk to, but they didn't understand. What happens when you don't have to defeat dark wizards? Now he was trying to figure out what to do with the life he never thought he'd have.

"Harry!" Hermione's voice called from behind him as he was on the stairs. "Siriususus is here!" Then she giggled and stumbled.

Harry darted back down to help steady her. "How many drinks have you had, Hermione?" he asked.

"A few?" she asked, then giggled again.

"Merlin," Harry said. "We should probably leave anyway."

"Harry..." Hermione said softly. "Ohh ... I don't feel so good."

Harry looked at her in alarm. She definitely looked green. Harry glanced wildly around and noticed a door leading out the back of the pub.

"Come on," he said and half carried her out the back into the alleyway. She could be as sick as she wanted outside.

Unfortunately, Draco Malfoy seemed to be thinking along the same lines and was helping Pansy Parkinson in much the same way. He froze when he saw Harry and his eyes went as wide as they did the day of his trial.

Harry stopped in his tracks and stared at them.

"Draco it hurts!" Pansy wailed, then giggled. She was leaning over a stack of crates. "No it doesn't, it hurts!"

Draco seemed to have recovered and went back to helping Pansy, ignoring Harry and Hermione.

That was fine for Harry. He helped Hermione sit against a wall. "Are you ok?" he asked her, trying to ignore Pansy's wails which had turned into laughter.

"I'm groovy, Harry!" she said, her head lolling about. Then she took out her wand, pointed it at herself and mumbled something.

"You don't need to be doing magic right now." Harry quickly snatched the wand away from her. To his left, he saw Draco suddenly do the same thing with Pansy's wand. Their eyes met and Draco glared defiantly at him.

"Oh look! Ha! Harry!" Hermione said. "It's a pair of shoes! Why would anyone leave shoes here?"

"Shoes?" Pansy asked. She lurched backwards off the crates and grabbed the shoes. "Look, Draco!" she said holding them up. "It must be a Thursday!"

Draco and Harry snorted with laughter at the same time, but they made eye contact and quickly erased the smiles from their faces.

Pansy crawled over to Hermione and studied her with a drunken stare. "Granger?" she asked.

Hermione answered by throwing up. Pansy shrieked with laughter, fell on Hermione, then clutched her stomach and went quiet.

"Come on, Pan," Draco said, brushing past Harry and trying to get Pansy to stand up. "We have to get you out of here."

Hermione had fallen over again and had hit Pansy in the head.

"Ow!"

"Can you get her off of her?" Harry asked Draco.

Draco pulled Pansy until she was sitting upright against the wall. "Pansy, your flat is a block away. You can make it, ok?"

"You can't just leave Hermione here!" Harry said more angrily than he meant to.

"What?" Draco snapped, addressing Harry for the first time that night.

"I don't know side along apparation and she'll splinch herself if she tries it like this," Harry explained. "I can't get her anywhere."

"That's not my problem," he sneered.

"Why not?" Harry demanded. "Are you always so heartless?"

"I lowered my wand, remember?" Draco mocked.

Harry glared at him. "I remember," he said coldly.

Draco wrinkled his nose and gave Hermione a long, considering stare. "Fine, but she'd better not throw up again in Pansy's flat."

"I'm sure she won't," Harry said without much conviction.

Draco rolled his eyes and heaved Pansy to her feet, putting her arm around his shoulders. "We can't levitate them with all the muggles around," he said, starting to walk off with Pansy. "And keep up, Potter."

Harry helped Hermione to her feet and started off after Draco with her.

"Harry, where are we going?" Hermione slurred.

"I'm getting you to somewhere you can go to sleep at, ok?"

Hermione mumbled something else and let Harry guide her the rest of the way.

Draco opened the door to the flat and turned on the lights. "You can put her in Pansy's bed," Draco said, guiding Pansy down the hall.

"Where will Pansy go?"

"It's a huge bed."

It was indeed. Harry reached a large room decorated mostly in purple with a luxurious bed in the middle. They each helped the girls into the bed. Pansy groaned and threw an arm over Hermione. Draco and Harry both shot each other accidental amused glances, but quickly looked away and Harry followed Draco back into the main room.

They both stood uncomfortably in the living room not looking at each other. Draco then sat down on a couch.

"You can sit if you want," he said.

"What, we're not going to fight each other?" Harry inquired, partially serious. He didn't think Draco was going to try to hurt him, but he wasn't sure what to do with Draco if not fight.

Draco looked surprised, but quickly sneered again. "Do you want to?"

"No," said Harry coldly.

"Then we won't," Draco said simply.

Harry sat on the couch opposite him.

Then they sat in uncomfortable silence.

For about half an hour.

"Did - did you want a drink?" Draco finally asked, getting up and moving to the kitchen. The kitchen had a low wall and was visible from the living room.

"Sure," Harry said trying to sound friendly after the earlier hostility. He thought he sounded like a dork.

"Erm ... Pansy only seems to have a bottle of something called Cherry Vanilla Surprise," Draco called, sounding slightly strangled. "Or water."

"Surprise me." Harry thought it was rather a good pun. Draco might have smiled, but Harry couldn't be sure from where he was sitting.

Draco walked back in with two red drinks and handed one to Harry.

"Thanks."

"I couldn't find any liquor or I would have put a shot of Firewhiskey in it," Draco explained awkwardly.

"That's fine."

They both took a sip.

"It's good," Harry commented.

"Er ... yeah." Draco took another sip.

"Do you and Parkinson live here together?" Harry asked.

"No, I live back at Malfoy Manor with my mother."

"Oh."

"She shouldn't be living alone," Draco said, a touch of frostiness in his voice.

"Right," Harry said, remembering Lucius was in Azkaban. "Do you visit your father a lot?"

"Sometimes."

"I see," Harry said quietly.

"What?" Draco asked, leaning forward.

"I said I see," Harry repeated louder.

"Oh."

The silence stretched on into oblivion.

"Did you hear that?"

"What?"

"I thought I heard a squeak."

"I didn't hear anything."

"Never mind."

The awkward silence engulfed them once again.

This is ridiculous, thought Harry. This is absolutely ri-bloody-diculous. Diculous. Heh. Oh bloody hell.

"So how's-" Harry said at the same time Draco said: "So where-"

They both laughed nervously.

"You go," Harry said.

"No you - oh, all right. I was going to ask where you lived now."

"I live at Sirius's house with him," Harry explained. "But Sirius doesn't like the house too much so he spends a lot of time with one of his friends."

"Oh," Draco said uncertainly. "Erm ... what were you going to ask?"

"Just how Snape was doing," Harry was awkwardly. It was no secret he hated Snape, but Snape had been fighting for them secretly from within the other side, so Harry had acquired a mild respect for him. Or, at least, a dulled hatred.

"He's still at St. Mungo's," Draco told him. "But the evidence from Dumbledore's Pensieve was enough to get him off."

"Oh ... yeah, I'm sure." Harry hadn't seen the evidence, but Dumbledore had hidden a memory of Snape in a Pensieve so they would have proof that Snape was loyal in case of his death. Harry was again in awe of Dumbledore's foresight.

The silence between them was shorter this time.

"Erm ... thanks for ... you know-" said Draco, concentrating on his drink, "-with my trial."

"No problem," Harry said, horrified. This was painfully awkward. Yes, Harry had helped him, but what were they thinking? Conversation surely couldn't be possible after their school years together.

"Because it really helped," Draco continued, speaking very fast.

"I didn't lie," Harry told him.

"Yeah, I know," Draco said, continuing to stare at his drink. "But ... well ... anyway. Whatever."

After a pause Harry blurted out, "I'm sorry about ... the thing."

Draco met his eyes now. "What thing?"

"In the toilets at Hogwarts?" Harry said, his voice higher than it should have been. "I had no idea what that spell did."

Draco said nothing, but his eyes darkened.

"I thought I'd killed you," Harry continued.

"I thought you did, too."

"I'm glad I didn't, though!" Harry added quickly.

Draco raised an eyebrow and stared at him. "I'm glad to know the Chosen One didn't want to be a murderer."

Harry couldn't tell if Draco was trying to be malicious or not.

Draco gave him a quick smile that didn't reach his eyes and went back to his drink.

"Are you going to Hogwarts tomorrow?" Harry asked.

Draco looked up in surprise. "I forgot about that," he said. "We'll have to wake them up early tomorrow to apparate. I suppose you're coming with us?"

"Yeah."

Draco glanced at the clock. It showed half past three. "We should get some sleep."

"Right."

Draco looked over at him. "Are you ok there?" he asked nervously and Harry nodded. Draco walked over to a wardrobe and pulled some blankets from it. He tossed one at Harry then settled back down on his couch. He pulled out his wand and waved it, plunging the room into total darkness.

"Goodnight Malfoy," Harry called over before he could stop himself.

"Oh..." Harry could hear the surprise in Draco's voice. "Goodnight Potter."

Who knows? Maybe a truce was possible.

Harry fell asleep listening to the sound of Draco's breathing.

***

Harry woke first the next morning. He glanced over at Draco who was lying peacefully on the other couch.

The thought of making them all breakfast seemed to be the best idea he could come up with, because the other option - waking Draco - seemed too awkward for his liking.

He rummaged around Pansy's kitchen, which was surprisingly tidy compared to the rest of the flat. He found bacon and eggs and set to work.

Noises the bacon was making must have woke Draco because the other boy sat up quickly and looked around. Harry could see him over the low wall in the kitchen.

Draco was tense and alert for a moment, but when he saw Harry, he seemed to relax. "Hey Potter," he offered.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Did you not expect to wake up?" he asked jokingly.

Draco didn't answer, but gave him a half smile and joined him in the kitchen. "Do you need help?"

"No, I've got it."

"I should probably wake up the girls, then," he said and set off down the hall.

Harry heard much screaming, some footsteps and a loud thud, then Draco stumbled back down the hall rubbing his arm. "It's not like we undressed you!" he called, disgruntled.

"Barking," he said darkly to Harry with a nod back down the hall.

"Bacon?" Harry asked, setting two plates and two glasses of Cherry Vanilla Surprise down on the table.

"Thanks."

They ate in silence, but it wasn't as painfully awkward sitting in silence as it had been last night. The only uncomfortable moment in the meal occurred when Draco accidentally kicked Harry under the table and there was a muttered apology from both sides. It was still a relief when Hermione and Pansy joined them.

"Hello Harry," Hermione said in a scratchy voice. She tried to clear her throat, but to no avail.

Pansy said nothing until she had got some food and accepted the drink Harry offered her.

She took a sip and groaned. "How are you drinking this?" she demanded, looking at both of them in obvious disgust. "Honestly, Draco, don't you know where I keep the liquor?" She pulled a large bottle out of a cupboard over the sink. She added a generous amount to her drink then offered some to Hermione.

"Erm ... alcohol again?" Hermione asked.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "It helps the hangover, Granger," she said and poured some into Hermione's drink.

It was cramped around the table, but Harry and Draco finished shortly. Pansy demanded that they go shower, and Draco went first. Harry used the shower after him and had to unclog the drain of white hairs. He was torn between amusement and disgust.

He redressed and went back into the living room where Draco was sitting on a couch, reading the Daily Prophet. He flopped down on the other one.

"You two better not have left anything repulsive in my shower!" Pansy threatened from down the hall.

"No, Malfoy's hair only clogged your drain," Harry said under his breath so only Draco could hear him.

Draco's eyes flashed over to him and he lowered the Prophet. Harry wondered if he had pushed their unspoken truce too far. "At least I don't snore," he shot back.

Harry was appalled. "I don't snore!" he protested.

"You do too, Potter," he insisted nastily, but with a twinkle of amusement in his eye.

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Oh Merlin you do too, Harry," Hermione said in exasperation from the kitchen table. Harry hadn't noticed her there.

Draco shot him a triumphant smirk and went back to the paper.

Harry felt obligated to join Hermione at the table so he walked over and sat down next to her.

"I never thought I'd see the day where Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are arguing over who snores in his sleep," Hermione said lewdly.

Harry chuckled lightly, then stopped. "Ron's going to hate me forever," he said in a resigned manner. "Harry, look after my girl! Harry make sure she's all right!" he said in a falsetto voice. "And then his girl ends up completely sloshed and sleeping in the same flat as two Slytherins."

"I can hear you, you know," Draco said coldly.

They looked over at him. "It's not like that, Malfoy," Harry protested. "It's ... you know."

Draco shrugged. "Yeah, I know."

Hermione sighed. "Of course he's not going to kill you, Harry," she told him.

"Yeah, I know."

An aggressive shout from down the hall announced that the shower was free and Pansy was going back to sleep. Hermione responded by leaping up, pausing, grabbing her head, then staggering down the hall.

"Should she be going back to sleep?" Harry asked, sitting down across from Draco again.

Draco glanced at the clock. "Hogwarts will be open for registering until four," he told Harry. "She can sleep for another few minutes."

A few minutes turned into 35 when Pansy put up a fight over leaving the bed. Draco had taken Harry with him for protection this time, so Pansy didn't manage to sink her teeth into him during her attempts.

The girls were feeling sober enough to apparate, so they arrived at Hogwarts shortly after noon. The line up wasn't as long as they expected and Pansy kept complaining that she could have been sleeping at this time.

When Harry got to the front of the line, he found Hagrid sitting at the table. "Hagrid!" he exclaimed. "Why are they making you do this?"

"I'm the head o' Gryffindor house, now, Harry," he said proudly. "McGonagall's got all the heads working today ... well, 'cept Snape o' course, but she's got Lupin working today instead."

Harry looked around and saw Lupin talking to Hermione at the head of another line. "That's great you'll be the head of Gryffindor," Harry told him, genuinely pleased.

Hagrid smiled hugely and then launched into the new protections they were implementing this year. As a result, Harry was required to hand over his wand and give Hagrid one of his hairs for Dark Arts detection and impersonation spells. "So yeh can pick up yer wand in about two hours, Harry," Hagrid told him. "You can go wander 'round Hogsmeade if yeh want."

Harry thanked him and left. He spotted Draco waiting apart from the crowd and walked over to him, unsure if they could still be in the same vicinity after the necessities of last night were over. Draco looked unhappy.

"They took my wand," he said angrily when Harry joined him. "That's so ... ugh." He stomped a foot against the ground.

"Well they have to do it for protection, Malfoy," Harry explained.

Draco looked surprised. "They took yours too?" he asked, staring at Harry intently.

"Of course."

Draco visibly calmed. "Ok then. It's just ... people haven't been ... never mind."

Harry frowned. "What?"

"Everyone treats me like a Death Eater and I don't even have the dark mark," Draco said bitterly. "I haven't been going out much because of the looks I get from everyone. I can't stand it. Pansy practically had to drag me to that party last night."

Harry stared. He realised Draco had probably been waiting to say this to someone for a while. Harry tried to think of something coherent to say to that.

"I don't think you're a Death Eater," he said softly. "I think people just need some time to get over the war. This won't last forever."

Draco exhaled sharply through his nose. "Always the optimist, eh, Potter?" he said with a humourless laugh.

"Hardly," Harry told him. "But I believe everyone can make mistakes, and you seem to be sorry for yours."

"I'm not sorry I tried to help my family," Draco said coldly. "I'd do it again if I had to."

"You're no killer, Malfoy."

"I almost killed your friend."

Harry hesitated. "That was an accident."

"Why are you defending me?" Draco suddenly shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you? Don't you know who I am?"

The outburst surprised Harry and he wasn't sure how to respond. "Malfoy..." he began uncertainly. "Look, we've never been friends, right? We've never been able to stand in the same room together without making snide comments. But that doesn't mean I'm ready to condemn you to Azkaban. I watched you in our sixth year; I was convinced you were working for Voldemort - and I suppose I was right - but I saw how scared you were. You hated Voldemort just as much as I did. I was up on that tower, Malfoy. You wouldn't have killed him. You wouldn't have killed him and you would have died for it. I guess ... I guess that says something about you, don't you think?"

Draco was staring at him in disbelief. "And what does that say to you, Potter?" he asked. Harry thought he could see hope in those wide, grey eyes.

"It says that perhaps I've misjudged you," Harry admitted. "I used to think you would do anything to follow in your father's footsteps and become a Death Eater, but I was wrong. People are wrong all the time, Malfoy."

Draco stared at him with an unreadable expression. His mouth opened a few times, but no words came out. Finally, he smirked.

"I thought you would have sent me to Azkaban for everything I've done to you. I guess I was wrong about you, too," he drawled.

Harry returned the smirk feeling strangely curious about this peaceful conversation; they seemed to understand each other; it was almost like talking to a friend.

"That was odd," Harry said finally after a short silence.

"Indeed."

Harry wondered if he and Draco were talking about the same thing.

In no time at all, Hermione and Pansy stumbled back over to them both looking like they'd been through hell and back.

Hermione said she was going to Hogsmeade with Ginny and Ron and she understood Harry wouldn't want to come.

Pansy muttered something about finding a house elf to conjure her a bed and walked off leaving Harry and Draco alone.

"She's very angry, isn't she?" Harry asked Draco once Pansy was out of earshot.

"Not normally," Draco confessed, "but she's very serious about her sleep. She'll be fine if she finds a bed."

Harry shrugged. "I'm going to walk down to the lake," he said.

"Right," said Draco, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "I'll see you around then."

"You're welcome to join me," Harry said quickly. He wasn't sure if they could still be anywhere together, but a walk with Malfoy seemed so unlike anything before the war, so Harry went with what his new philosophy prescribed and decided they should extend their truce into the afternoon.

Clearly Draco was also unsure if they could still be anywhere together as well, but he flashed a hesitant grin and followed Harry down the the lake.

"Why didn't you want to go off with your friends?" Draco asked in a tone of over-politeness as they made their way down.

It was Harry's turn to be uncomfortable. "Oh ... well, Ron's sister and I used to date," he mumbled. "It was kind of expected that we would get back together after Voldemort was gone, but ... there were complications."

"Wasn't she attacked?" Draco asked quietly.

"That wasn't the reason," Harry said quickly. "I mean ... I wouldn't have cared if she was hurt or not, it's just that I had some stuff to deal with after the war, you know?"

"I know."

They walked on in silence and eventually settled under a tree by the lake. Harry picked up a pebble and tried to skim it off the top of the lake's surface.

Draco watched him interestedly.

"So ... you had enough hairs left to give them one?" Harry asked conversationally, still throwing stones at the lake.

"Sod off, Potter," Draco said disinterestedly.

"I'm only expressing my surprise you're not bald now," Harry said, refusing to give up this good natured teasing. "A good scourgify didn't even rid the drain of them all."

Draco shimmied down the bank until he was sitting next to Harry. "At least my unruly hair isn't barring my view of the lake," he said. "Honestly, Potter, you're barely managing one bounce."

"You think you could do better?"

Draco scoffed. "Don't insult me."

As it turned out, Draco could barely manage one bounce as well, but after the end of two hours of insults and taunting about the other's throwing, they could both get a stone to skip along the surface with two bounces.

"We should get back now," Draco said. "They'll be finished testing the wands."

Draco was standing up when Harry suddenly grabbed his arm, surprising them both.

"I don't want to fight anymore," Harry said, unnerved by the shrill sound in his voice. "We can't fight like that again. Not after the war. Not after everything."

Draco recovered quickly from the shock and stared intently at Harry. "Oh no," he said softly. "We can't have that."

Draco then gave Harry a slow, considering smile and stuck out his hand towards him.

Harry took it without hesitation and Draco pulled him to his feet.

They exchanged reserved smiles and headed back to the castle in comfortable silence.

***

Draco surprised Harry a week later by sending him an owl inviting him to go to a pub in London with Blaise Zabini. He was pleased Draco seemed to want to make an effort to continue their truce. Harry was told he could bring a friend, and he interpreted that as Draco telling him to bring a friend so things wouldn't be totally uncomfortable.

Harry, who had spent the week playing his guitar and shopping for picks in a music store not far from Grimmauld Place, asked Seamus to join him because Ron was distraught when he heard about the other night and Harry thought it unlikely that he would care to join him and Draco Malfoy for a night out. Harry almost laughed at the thought.

The evening went well. Harry was pleased to find Blaise Zabini had a gorgeous smile and an unexpected sense of humour; all his jokes came out from a straight face but made Harry snort Butterbeer out his nose during one point of the evening. Harry looked at Draco to see if he would make some sarcastic comment, but he had hidden half his face behind a napkin and appeared to have suffered the same nasal malfunction.

Seamus had a few initial misgivings, but he and Blaise soon had the four of them howling with laughter. Draco didn't say much throughout the evening, but he had greeted Harry with a genuine smile at the beginning of the evening, and agreed to go with them when Seamus invited them to Puddlemere United's opening game the following week. Apparently Seamus owned a box at their stadium.

The Quidditch game was another surprising success. Harry wasn't sure exactly what to make of this new, mutual understanding, but he found he and Draco got along well if they weren't trying to hurt the other. Seamus spent the game with Dean and about a dozen of his cousins and Blaise had gone off with a group of female cheerleaders, leaving Harry and Draco to one side of the box to watch the game by themselves. Their conversation was no longer forced, and no longer awkward. In fact, they kept up a lot of friendly banter throughout the game, and they both shared similar views on the teams' performances, but Harry could sense Draco wasn't completely at ease. Harry suspected it would take some getting used to not fighting with Draco Malfoy anymore.

***

Harry felt that he should make an effort to keep up their amity if it was to last into the school year so he owled Draco and asked him to join him in Diagon Alley so they could shop for their school books.

"Happy birthday," Draco said, looking awkward with his hands in his pockets when they met in the Leaky Cauldron that day.

"What?" Harry asked, surprised.

Draco shrugged. "The Daily Prophet said it's your birthday tomorrow," he said casually.

"Oh, thanks." Harry grinned. Draco Malfoy just wished him a happy birthday.

"So what are we doing here?" Draco asked when Harry handed him a butterbeer.

"You don't drink butterbeer?" Harry asked. "I thought we might as well have a drink while we're here before we get our books."

Draco shook his head. "I like butterbeer fine, Potter," he told him, rolling the bottom of the bottle on the table. " I meant, what are we doing here? You and me? Isn't this a little weird?"

"I thought we agreed we weren't going to fight anymore," Harry said frowning. "And we were cool at the Quidditch game and with Seamus and Zabini before, weren't we? I don't see the big deal."

Draco took a sip of his butterbeer. "I suppose," he said, but still looked doubtful.

They finished their butterbeer and set off through Diagon Alley to purchase books for their NEWTS year.

Draco ran into Crabbe and Goyle who didn't say much to either of them, but confirmed that Draco would still be at some party that weekend. Harry tried to keep a straight face through the brief meeting. He still remembered Goyle's reaction after he whispered in his ear over a year ago.

"What's so funny?" Draco asked suspiciously after they had moved on.

Harry by this time had turned red and was having difficulty restraining any squeaks trying to get out of his mouth. Finally he burst out laughing.

"Malfoy, I knew about Crabbe and Goyle in our sixth year," he confessed, grinning at Draco. "That they were polyjuicing themselves into girls?"

"Are you going to tell anyone?" Draco demanded, suddenly looking tense. Harry remembered that the Polyjuice Potion was vaguely illegal.

"No, of course not," Harry tried to assure him. When Draco still looked worried Harry added, "If it will help, Ron and I used the Polyjuice Potion in second year."

Draco looked a little bit more relaxed. "Who did you turn into?" he inquired in interest.

"Er ... some Hufflepuffs," Harry muttered quickly, turning red. Luckily, Draco seemed not to have noticed.

"So now I've got some real dirt on the famous Potter," he said smiling. "Do you know what I would have done for this information three years ago?"

"Kissed Snape?"

Draco stared at him. "Really, Potter," he said, looking scandalised. "You must think a lot of yourself to believe I would have gone to such lengths just for you."

Harry grinned. "Sure, Malfoy. Sure."

Draco was smiling now, too. "I couldn't tease them, obviously, because they were helping me," he told Harry. "But it was so funny watching them trying to act like girls. You wouldn't believe how Crabbe tried to imitate someone one day and ended up almost singing. I had to resist every comment about how he should go sing opera."

Harry laughed. "One day I saw Goyle, I think it was, in the hallway, and I snuck up behind him and whispered in his ear, 'My, aren't you a pretty little girl...' and he fled. I've never seen anyone move so fast."

Draco was almost crying with laughter. "I wish I was there," he said, clutching his stomach. "That would have made my day!"

"Yeah..." said Harry reminiscently. "He was very pretty, too. I was almost upset he left."

Draco stopped laughing with an exhaled noise of uncertainty. He stared at Harry, frowning, and clearly wondering how to react to that news.

Harry nudged him with his elbow. "I'm kidding, Malfoy," he said in exasperation.

Draco grinned. "How did I never know you were so weird, Potter?" he asked.

"How did I know you couldn't take a joke, Malfoy?" he returned.

"Shut up, Potter, you hero-turned-pedophile you." Draco tossed his head back and scrutinized Harry dramatically. "I should have known."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Get over it, Malfoy," he told him. "Besides, shouldn't you be calling me 'Harry' now if we're going to hang out?"

Draco wrinkled his nose. "And what will you call me?" he asked.

Harry pretended to consider. "I'll call you Pratty," he said with finality. "Because only a complete prat couldn't tell that I was kidding."

"I hate you," Draco said flatly, "you know that, right, Harry?"

"Oh yeah," Harry answered, unable to stop grinning. "I know, Draco."

It was Harry's turned to get nudged.

***

The rest of the summer passed with several more meetings between the two. Ron and Hermione had decided to leave Harry alone with his new experimentations after the war. Even though Harry had now started eating red fruits in addition to chocolate frogs, they had noticed, despite Harry's best efforts, that he had now taken to drawing different skies: cloudy, sunny, at sunrise, at sunset, at dusk, and his personal favourite - bright blue sky stretched across the entire canvas. This wouldn't have been so bad for his friends if he used paint, but no: it was crayons for The Boy Who Lived. They had put Harry's Draco-Malfoy-liking down to another crazy whim of his. They assumed he'd grow out of it once they weaned him off chocolate frogs. And wearing hats made of chocolate frog cards.

The hats were all burned one day after an intense crying and screaming match between Harry and Hermione, in which Hermione cried, and Harry sang. Ron watched on sadly.

It was perhaps because of this incident that Harry didn't see Ron and Hermione once on September the first until they arrived at school where Ron greeted him with a reluctant "Hey," and Hermione with a sniff.

McGonagall's speech was strong, but lacking enthusiasm, in Harry's opinion. She did however seem genuinely happy to see so many people back at school after the year of closure and asked the double class of first years to be patient while classrooms are expanded to accommodate the extra students.

She also announced that since they had the weekend before classes this year, there would be a special celebration at 8:00 pm on the Quidditch pitch that night for the whole school and curfews would be extended. This announcement was met with much cheering.

When they all left the great hall, Harry spotted Draco amongst the crowd and made his way over to him.

"What's up?" he asked.

Draco looked surprised. "You're going to give people palpitations walking up to me and not throwing a punch, you know," he said dryly.

Harry shrugged. "I'm not bothered."

Draco shrugged, too, and motioned to Crabbe and Goyle to go on without him.

"Shouldn't you go find your friends, Potter?" he asked.

"We're not friends, Draco?" Harry asked, deliberately using Draco's name.

Draco looked pleased, but tried to hide his smile. "I don't know, what do you think?"

"I don't think we're enemies anymore," said Harry casually.

"No," Draco said, having relaxed his face into a pleasant shape, "but you should still go find your friends if you're planning on going to McGonagall's party. I've got detention."

"On the first day?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Like it's never happened to you?" When Harry looked sheepish, Draco smirked and continued. "I broke up a fight on the train between two third years and Professor Black assumed I was part of the fight when he showed up. The third years are doing something with Filch, but Black said I had to go to the west wing to write lines."

"That's too bad you can't go to the celebrations," Harry sympathized.

Draco shrugged again and turned to head down a corridor to the west end. "I'll see you around Potter," he said and departed.

Harry watched him go with an odd feeling. Friends with Draco Malfoy? This new revelation would send his world spinning for what seemed like the millionth time that year. But, Harry supposed, times were changing - why not Draco?

He was sitting in the stands with Ron and Hermione before it occurred to him that he didn't really want to be there. Mumbling some excuse about needing to use the toilet, Harry left the stadium and set off across the grounds. He could hear fireworks and cheers, then some music, but he felt like finding Draco.

He set off around the side of the school looking for some sign of the classroom Draco would be in. Harry saw Sirius with Lupin down at the Quidditch pitch, so he assumed Draco would be alone.

A light shone on the third floor over a balcony and Harry assumed Draco would be in there because there were no other lights on near that side of the castle.

"Draco!" he called.

A moment later the door opened and Draco's face appeared like a sudden sunrise. He peered down into the darkness.

"Potter?" he asked in disbelief.

Harry grinned and waved. "Hey," he called.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Draco asked, resting an arm on the balcony.

"I figured you could use the company."

When Draco was found speechless, Harry climbed the latticework that was there for the vines and made his way up to the second floor.

"A house elf is guarding outside the door, so try not to make too much noise," Draco warned when Harry grunted halfway up the wall.

Harry reached the top and popped his head up over the floor of the balcony. Draco looked less than happy to see him. He even looked a little ill, now that Harry could see him up close, and reminded Harry of how he looked for much of their sixth year.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, holding on to the outside of the balcony.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked quietly.

"Erm ... I'm here to see you, I thought that would have been obvious," he replied, wondering what he was going on about.

"No, what are you ... what's going on Potter?"

"What?"

"Why are you here to see me?" Draco demanded, louder this time. "Why are you talking to me? Why did you come to my trial? What are you doing?"

"I thought you'd want the truth to come out, Draco," Harry said feeling slightly annoyed. "I just told the truth."

"Yes, but you didn't have to!" Draco shot back.

Harry climbed up and swung one leg over the balcony. "What's your problem, Malfoy?"

"I've been thinking about you since my trial and I can't understand why you would have come. I just don't understand why you're doing all this for me," Draco almost whispered, looking off the other side of the balcony.

"Doing all what?"

"Why are you trying to be my friend? Why did you come here tonight?" Draco asked, then added softly: "Why do you care about me?"

Harry paused, one leg still over the balcony, the other resting on the other side by the vines. "I don't know," he said, "but does it matter? Is it so horrible that I want to get to know you? That I want to be your friend? I like you now, Draco. I don't see how that's a problem."

Draco finally turned and looked over at him. He walked over to where Harry was still sitting half on the ledge and stood directly in front of him, frowning.

Harry looked at his serious, frowning eyes.

Draco moved closer, his eyes still glaring. Narrowed grey eyes challenged wide green eyes when Draco pushed his lips against Harry's. It couldn't even have been called a kiss by Harry's former standards - just lips pushed against lips.

Draco didn't break eye contact until he pulled his lips away. He turned to dart back into the classroom.

"Wait!" called Harry.

Draco paused in the doorway, his head turned slightly and his hair glowing from the light behind him. "I like you too, Harry, but I see how that's a problem."

There was a still moment in which the fireworks bursting in the background could be heard faintly.

"But I still don't!" Harry called back. His voice seemed to hang in the air. Harry wasn't sure what he was saying. Times were changing, after all. Draco Malfoy was suddenly looking like a viable option; he was so different from anything before the war.

Draco turned to look at him, frowning still.

Harry motioned for him to come closer and pulled Draco towards him by the arm when he did. He slipped the other arm around Draco's waist. "What's the problem?" he asked, taking the opportunity to brush a stray hair from Draco's face.

"You're not gay!" Draco said in a tone that suggested he was pointing out the obvious.

"Of course I am."

"I ... you can't be serious, Potter," he said softly, looking unsure of what to do with his hands.

Harry stroked his jaw and grinned. "Why not?"

Draco opened his mouth, but looked like he was having trouble putting syllables together. "You and me?"

Harry kissed him gently on the lips. "I don't see the problem," he repeated.

Apparently neither did Draco because his mouth opened eagerly under Harry's second kiss, and his fingers found their way into Harry's tangled hair.

The balcony's ledge was getting uncomfortable and the fireworks were getting louder, but Harry hardly noticed.

This was the first time since that fateful day on the cliff that Harry didn't live wondering why he was still alive. He tasted life fully since before the end and felt more alive than he had in ages. He was no longer wondering what he could do with this unexpected life he had retained only by accident.

But Harry didn't realise he was forgetting any of that.

All he could think of was the slender boy he held in his arms.