Changes

The world had been changing lately. Voldemort had risen and began constructing an army. Severus Snape had been found out and tortured by the Death Eaters, barely escaping back to Hogwarts. Harry Potter had just had his 17th birthday and started his seventh year of school. Draco Malfoy had renounced his title as Voldemort's Dark Prince in order to join the Albus Dumbledore's forces. Indeed, the world was changing drastically.

Of course, all these changes didn't mean that Draco had to be nice to anyone. He didn't have to be anything he didn't desire to be, as he had proved when he spit in both his father's and the Dark Lord's faces (he had never been one for tact). He wasn't going to turn Gryffindor just because he happened to be fighting on the same side as Harry Bloody Potter! The idea was enough to make the Slytherin cringe.

The only problem, well, besides the whole having a loony, cold-blooded killer after him, with Draco's decision to defy everything he was meant to be was that he now had no sense of purpose. Before, he had been Voldemort's little soldier, but now not even his fellow Slytherins would talk to him.

No, Draco was very much alone. Sure he had Snape and maybe even Dumbledore, but a 16-year-old boy certainly needs more companionship than that of his professors. The only thing he had left now was sarcasm, a smirk, and good looks, all of which had been known to kill on one level or another. And he always had the expert ability to make Harry James Potter thoroughly pissed off.

With all this in mind, Draco swept through the castle halls on his second day of classes and searched for Potter and his inevitable posse. When he finally found the Boy Who Lived To Annoy, Draco noticed that Potter was in the center of his customary group of wide-eyed students. Granger was standing in between Potter and that great oaf Weasley, and if Draco wasn't mistaken, that was the younger Weasley standing next to them. Longbottom, Finnegan, Thomas, and many other students Draco had never bothered to learn the names of rounded out the group to make the perfect club of do-gooders. It was enough to make Draco want to gag.

Draco strode up to Potter and his group of miscreants with the grace of a feline.

"Oi, Potter..."

"Hmm?" Harry turned around. Upon seeing Draco, his expression turned to one of exasperation. It was the look that a very irritated parent might give an insatiable child. "Oh. Hey, Malfoy," Harry said. Then he turned his attention back to the small group of students gathered around him.

Malfoy was quite taken aback. Had Potter just...ignored him?

"Oi, Potter!"

Harry, again, turned around. "Was there something you wanted, Malfoy?" Harry asked with a tone of forced patience. "I am kind of busy here."

"Ah," Draco smirked. This was the routine he knew. He was not ignored. Not by Potter. "I see. It's a meeting of the Harry Potter Fan Club. How n-"

Harry cut him off, not unkindly. "Um, Draco? I really am quite busy. Can we do this later?"

Draco's insult was left unarticulated. He stared at Potter with unmistakable shock on his pale face. Potter had called him Draco. Harry Potter was telling him, Draco Malfoy, that he was too busy to be insulted. This was not how this was supposed to work!

"What do you mean 'can we do this later?' You can't just ask me to reschedule! I am your arch nemesis! I will not be denied!" Draco was shouting now and his usually pale face was covered in angry red splotches. It always happened when Draco got particularly angry, and he knew that it was not a good look for him. But even worse was that Potter and all his little friends were looking at him, a Malfoy, with pitying faces. Even Weasley looked like he felt a little sorry for him. Draco didn't have to take this!

"What? Are you breaking up with me, Potter?" He said it with a forced smirk and false mirth and confidence. Harry didn't answer, but looked down at the ground and shifted his weight uncomfortably. Draco's smirk slowly slid off his face as he noticed that everyone had guilty looks on their faces. His face paled with realization.

"Harry?" Draco nearly whispered. Harry's head shot up and his green eyes met Draco's desperate blue ones. Draco took a deep breath, "Is this the end of us?" Harry looked back down at the floor.

Draco's world suddenly fell out from under him. This couldn't be happening. His eyes began to burn in a most peculiar way and a lump formed in his throat.

"Draco," Granger was speaking to him now, but he kept his eyes on what he could see of Harry's face. "Draco, it isn't that Harry wants this, but...." She drifted off.

"Shut up, Mudblood," Draco replied, but even he knew he didn't mean it. Draco had never felt such a sense of loss. Not even when his father had disowned him. It made him feel weak, and this weakness made him angrier than anything.

"Aren't I good enough?" Angry tears tumbled down his cheeks. Potter looked up and started to say something, but Draco interrupted. "Am I not good enough for the stupid!" He pushed Harry. "Boy!" Push. "Who!" Push. "Lived!" He meant to give Harry one last shove, but ended up tripping and being caught by the other boy.

"Draco," Harry whispered. "I am so sorry. I don't want it to be this way, but I have to focus on Voldemort now. I just can't have two archenemies right now. It makes things far too complicated. Please try to understand."

Draco looked up from where Potter held him barely upright. "But you're all I have left." Draco knew it sounded pathetic, but he also knew it was true.

"Erm, have you ever thought," suggested one of the many onlookers, clearing his throat. Draco looked up to see it was Weasley who had spoken, "of just, you know, being friends?"

Draco and Harry looked at Ron and then at each other as though they had never heard anything so strange in all their lives. And yet....

"Friends?"

"Yeah," Ron nodded. "I mean, sure it might be strange at first, but I for one am willing...." He paused here and looked at Hermione who nodded him on. "Am willing to...erm...well, to try to think of Malfoy as more than a sniveling ferret." Hermione put a hand over her face and shook her head.
Harry looked at Draco who was still being more or less supported by the other boy. A ghost of a smile appeared on Harry's face as he said, "So how 'bout it, Malfoy?" He stood Draco up straight and put out his hand for the blond to take. "Friends?"

Draco looked wary at first, but soon a smile blossomed on his face. He wiped his tear-streaked face dry and then took Harry Potter's hand and said, "Friends. I could do that."
And thus it was settled.

~End (so far)~