Who Is Draco Malfoy?

He felt a hand clasp his shoulder; gently at first, but growing ever firmer as it shook him out of the dream world he belonged in and into alien reality. He struggled. An intense battle waged between the voices in his head; one telling him, "You must get up now, Darling," and the other screaming, "Stay in the bloody bed you lazy sod!" The voices overtook his body and broke loose; he argued with himself while he laid under the covers.

"Time to get up Draco!

But I don't WANT to go to school Mommy!

Draco, my angel, you MUST go to your classes. What will Dumbledore say?

SCREW DUMBLEDORE!"

Draco Malfoy flung the sheets from his body and jumped from his bed; his eyes flashing. Gregory Goyle quickly withdrew his hand from its previous position and backed away in startled shock. Though by now Goyle was used to Draco's odd morning ritual; sometimes he thought there was something seriously wrong with him, and he never knew how Draco was going to react to his own ranting. Sometimes he would shout and throw things at Goyle. Sometimes he would break down into a torrent of sobs. Sometimes he did nothing at all. This morning, though, Draco was acting rather psychotic. He slammed around the room gathering possessions, all the while muttering to himself : "Who does he think he is - muggle lover HA! Might as well go mate with em all - make a whole damnable crop of filthy mudbloods - well, Mr. Professor can kiss my -"

"Draco!" Goyle, who had wisely kept his distance all this time, finally decided to intervene before Draco hurt himself. "You're talking to yourself again, Draco. Calm down..." He laid his hand where it had been upon Draco's shoulder only minutes before.

"Goyle." Draco shot coldly," You are touching me. You are breaking rule #1. Invading my bubble." He shrugged Goyle's hand off. "Leave me alone. I need to dress."

Goyle walked over to the dormitory window and looked out across the Hogwarts grounds in order to give Draco privacy to change out of his pajamas. But secret thoughts of the boy behind him drove him to avert his eyes from the Quidditch pitch to his undressing friend. The only word that managed to materialize in Goyle's mind as he gazed at the platinum-haired seventeen-year-old Hogwarts 7th year student, half in and half out of his school robes was - beautiful.

"- beautiful?! How can you dare to say that? It's just horrible some of the things Malfoy has said to you, Ron, and Harry. It's just so ..I don't know...You-Know-Who-ish the way he treats you." Parvati Patil spoke her mind to Hermione Granger in the Gryffindor common room. It was still rather early, so they were two of only seven people occupying it.

"Well, it's not too hard to explain his actions." Hermione leaned in close to Parvati and lowered her voice to barely above a whisper, "I mean... if I had a pole shoved as far up my ass as one must be up Malfoy's, I'm pretty certain I'd be a bit uptight as well." They made feeble attempts to stifle their insane giggles as they drew disapproving stares from the other sleepy-eyed Gryffindors in the room. " But you must admit...for a Slytherin he is - handsome."

"- handsome young lad. Don't you agree, Minerva? Mr. Malfoy is quite a handsome young wizard." Madame Pomfrey had just finished giving Professor Minerva McGonagall a potion to cure her chronic headaches as she began to discuss one of McGonagall's least favorite students. " His father was a great wizard. He will be equally great. I'd bet on it." McGonagall was in shock.

"Poppy! Are you daft! Lucius Malfoy, servant to You-Know-Who, a great wizard? His prat of a son; equally great? Did I even hear you correct?"

"I trust I need not remind you, Minerva, of the fact that a wizard does not always have to be good to be great."

McGonagall left the hospital wing slightly flustered; and now that there was nobody around to lecture her, she voiced her opinion: "Personally," she began as she addressed a suit of armor that had come to attention at the presence of a teacher, " I think Mr. Draco Malfoy is nothing but a troublemaking -"

" - git!" Ron snapped as Harry stalked around their room searching for his missing-in-action Divination text. Ron's eyes followed Harry back and forth across the room as he perched on Harry's bed. "Always starting fights and blaming them on everyone else. It's a damn shame, really, that someone hasn't already avada-kedavra'd him already. Do the student body a world of good, that would."

Harry murmured something from a large pile of his things that sounded like "Aaaa'a!" He emerged a moment later without his book, but with one very lumpy sock, out of which he withdrew the Sneak-o-scope Ron had given him so many years ago. "I thought I'd lost this thing!"

A second later the little object began spinning, whirring, and whistling at an alarming pace. Both Harry and Ron grimaced as Harry shoved the thing back into its sock to muffle to sound. "Really cheap that one, like I said before." Ron explained with a bit of embarrassment in his voice. "Still as faulty as ever." Unknown to both of them, a trouble-loving 6th year named Colin Creevey had been creeping about all morning setting booby-traps, and had just set Harry and Ron up for a little surprise.

"Wait'll I tell Fred about this one! He'n George'll flip!" he whispered to himself. He had learned all he knew from Ron's own twin brothers, Fred and George Weasley, who now ran their own joke shop in Diagon Alley. He tapped his wand three times against a bucket of water and whispered, "Eyeipodus Bulgarious, then he placed the bucket in just the right place and ran quickly away.

"I'd like to make a bet with you, Harry." Ron said after the noisy contraption had been stowed away. "I'll bet you ten galleons that Malfoy's first words were 'I'd better be a pureblood wizard or I'm going to go on a rampage with my little silver baby-food spoon and dig everyone's hearts out.' What do you reckon?"

"I reckon Malfoy'd do that anyway if he had the chance. Well, he would to me.. and you probably, no offense or anything."

"Hell, none taken Harry. Even the Queen's long deceased ancestors know that Malfoy thinks that I'm no good. But what about Hermione? You left her out. Malfoy hates mudbloods, so.."

"I'm starting to think it's a different case with Hermione," Harry interrupted. Ron raised his eyebrows and a grand flush came over his features as Harry continued. "I'm actually starting to think Malfoy has a crush on -"

"Malfoy? Really Parvati. You expect me to believe this. Hermione, the cleverest head girl Hogwarts has ever seen, has a crush .. on Draco Malfoy?" Parvati, never one to keep gossip quiet, had spilled her guts to Lavender Brown the moment she was alone with her. She had been sitting there talking with Hermione when Lavender came down the stairs into the common room. She had greatly disturbed Hermione by 'mentioning' a project they had due that day for Professor Sprout's class that, odd as it seemed, Hermione had completely forgotten about. As she rushed upstairs to check her assignments for this fictional project, Parvati dished to Lavender.

"I swear Lavender! She said he was.."

"Parvati!" Hermione was standing behind Parvati's chair, her fists clenched and her knuckles white with anger. "Parvati how could you!? I trusted you!" Lavender jumped to her feet and backed away toward the portrait hole.

"I think I ought to be going now," she said nervously as she looked back and forth from a furious Hermione and a terrified Parvati. "But just so you know, Hermione," Lavender added quickly, "I won't tell anyone. Promise." She opened the hole and crawled out. Hermione took her vacated seat.

"Hermione, I think I should explain..."

"What is there to explain?" Hermione said with a bit too much of a edge for comfort.

"It's a bit of a problem, you know. A Gryffindor liking a Slytherin. It's really rather impossible. I kind of wanted to talk you out of it, but I couldn't think of anything.. good to say that might...I dunno....dissuade you."

Hermione let her fists relax and her attention fall to the floor. "Oh. Oh I see."

"Please forgive me, Hermione. I was only trying to help you."

" I know, but still Parvati.. that's - my deepest, darkest secret!"

"What is?" Draco looked up from his robe buttons.

"Huh?" Goyle snapped back to life from the daze watching Draco's long, graceful fingers fastening his robe had put him in.

"I heard you say 'my deepest, darkest secret', plain as day" Draco now looked interested and began to glide over towards Goyle with a smirk upon his perfect lips.

"Uh," stammered Goyle nervously as sweat began to bead on his upper lip. He thought to himself, "You said that aloud didn't you? Dammit!" "I - I didn't say anything."

Draco's eyes narrowed and his face became serious. He moved ever closer to Goyle, and Goyle was soon up against the stone wall, with Draco closing in.

"This isn't the time for you to get all half-witted on me, Goyle. I'm not in the mood." He got as close to Goyle as Goyle's large stomach would allow him to, but their noses were still only inches apart. Goyle couldn't escape. " I saw you staring at me. I saw you watching the whole time. Just say it, Goyle." His eyes penetrated deep into Goyle's soul and Goyle knew that he was about to tell Draco everything. Draco had always had that power over him. Draco was the smartest wizard he knew, and he was the slowest by far. He was forever at Draco's beck and call; and at this moment he knew for sure that was what he wanted to be for the rest of his life.

"I love you, - Draco."

" - Harry. Love you like a brother , I do, but sometimes I think you're a bit off your rocker. How could anyone have amorous feelings toward someone they call a mudblood at every chance?" Harry saw the pleading look in Ron's eyes. Ron did not want to believe it. Did not want to believe that Malfoy was after the object of his own affection, Hermione.

"I'm sorry Ron, but I don't believe I'm wrong about this. This past year he has been acting rather strangely. He actually hasn't insulted her as much as he normally would have. That, plus , all those frequent visits of his to Madame Pomfrey. I think he's ill, or something, and has always liked Hermione, but never dared to sink to her 'level'. Now, I have the suspicion that he's trying to make up for lost time."

"Well, I'm sorry Harry," Ron started. His voice rising along with his temper. " But I don't think you are half as perceptive as you like to think you are!" Ron jumped from the bed and ran out of the room; right into Creevey's trap. Harry heard the splash as the bucket of enchanted water fell upon Ron's head as he opened the dormitory door and heard his exclamations of shock, rage, and embarrassment.

"Fuck." Harry hurried from the room to check on his best friend.

"Goyle." Draco sighed. "Goyle, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have forced that out of you like that." Draco turned away blushing. Goyle now had tears in his eyes.

"Why did Draco turn away?" he thought. Then a realization came over him like a slap in the face. "He doesn't want me." He sank to the floor in an odd state of semi-consciousness. If he had heard anything Draco said following this, he never reacted.

"I knew, Gregory. I've known you were - that way - since Vincent left. Vincent left for the States with his parents and you cried yourself to sleep at nights." Draco turned to face Goyle. " But I'm ..well, I'm not like you, Gregory." A tear slowly dripped down either of Goyle's cheeks and Draco once again looked elsewhere. "I don't really - uh - know what else to say." There was a stifling silence only broken by an occasional sniffs omitting from Goyle. "But we're still friends, Gregory! We're still partners in crime! There are still people in this school whom we haven't insulted yet this week, did you know that?" His feeble attempt to cheer Goyle up was - helpless.

"Helpless?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow. Her fight with Parvati had been interrupted by a loud crash accompanied by a long stream of curses. "What's Ron gotten himself into this time?" she had asked herself. Now she was squatted on the floor alongside Ron.....whose eyes were literally as big as saucers.

"YES, Hermione. It is helpless. I am laying on the floor, soaking wet, everybody's laughing, and my eyes could rival Dobby's! Goddamnit! Why did this have to happen now, of all bloody times."

Harry intervened, sensing a fight brewing and asked the gathering crowd, "Do any of you know who did this? Please, who did this?" A hand, small and trembling rose above the heads of the crowd as Colin Creevey emerged with a 'I'm-rather-ashamed-of-myself' look upon his face.

"I didn't want to hurt anyone Harry, - honest!"

" Honest?" Goyle asked Draco carefully. "You're positive that we'll still be friends."

Draco gave him a reassuring smile , "Positive. Now I need to get down to the Hospital wing for my medicine. Will you be all right here?" Goyle gave a weak smile and nodded. Draco set off; out of the room, down the stairs, through the common room, and out the secret entrance to the Slytherin dormitories into the dungeon hallway. He was nearly to the hospital when he saw an all-too familiar figure up ahead. "Potter! Potter! Wait up!" He quickened his pace to a kind of a jog in order to catch up.

With a rather tired but still disdainful tone, Harry answered, "Why, Malfoy? What do you want with me? What have I done today?" He felt Draco grab his arm and he paused; turned to look at the blond-headed wizard.

"Harry. I need to speak with you." The seriousness of Draco's expression gave Harry a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he proceeded with caution.

"What is it, Malfoy."

Draco took a deep breath, and prepared himself to say something he had been meaning to say for a long time, now. "I want to apologize.... Harry. Say sorry for all the shit I've caused you over the years." Draco examined his shoes as Harry's eyes widened and he looked at Draco in disbelief. " I mean," Draco continued, "We have more in common now then ever. We are very similar, you and I." Draco looked up then, into Harry's eyes.

"What are you talking about? I'm nothing like you Draco. I resent that comment." Harry , though still on eggshells, could not keep the coldness from seeping into his tone as he attempted to dismiss this fact.

"Both our parents were killed by Lord Voldemort." Draco immediately regretted bringing this to light as he saw Harry's eyes cloud over in rage.

"How dare you compare your parents to mine. My parents were murdered by Voldemort because they wouldn't join The Dark side. Your parents were murdered because they tried to get out of the whole Dark Arts business right when the real carnage was about to begin. Cowards. My parents weren't cowards!" Draco had shrunk against the wall from the force of Harry's yell and was now glaring right back at Harry; the old Malfoy gleam back in his eyes.

" I only wanted us to right the wrongs! Besides, you didn't let me finish!" He had taken a rather whiny tone with his last statement, and Harry decided to let him speak. "Lord Voldemort has screwed up both of our lives Harry. In fact, he's screwed up everyone's lives. You never got to know your parents. Goyle's father's in Azkaban and his mother is dead. Crabbe's parents are on the run from the Dementors and took Crabbe with them, and now my parents are dead. My house is burned to the ground." The gleam vanished and was replaced by a single tear that coursed its way down Draco's left cheek. "I still have to money. I can buy another house, but I don't have a family to put in it." Draco sat down on the floor and leaned back against the wall; leaning back his head to look at the ceiling. Harry remained standing, looking down on the boy he had thought he knew. " Harry- When I get off the Hogwarts Express for the last time, I won't know where to go." The tears came frequently now and Draco looked up to Harry imploringly. "I think I'll die of the loneliness."

Emotion washed over him as he sat down next to his crying enemy. True, he had no parents, but he did have what you might call relatives and a nice home with his godfather whenever he wanted. He would never be lonely, but he understood Draco completely. Draco now had no relatives left surviving; he had no good friends except for Goyle; and the entire wizarding world would loathe him in the future when he finally entered it because of his last name. " It's not all so bad Mal- Draco. You still have Goyle." His attempt at helping Draco worked not at all, and even cause two more fat tears to trickle down his cheeks.

"Gregory is confused, Harry. You know, of coarse, that he and Vincent were - you know......" Draco trailed off; leaving Harry to make his own assumptions. " Gregory was suicidal when Vincent left. I'm afraid for him, too. He won't be able to take on the real world, either."

Puzzlement then shone on Harry's face and he asked," But why are you telling me this? Why me? Of all people, why me?"

Draco looked at Harry with a bit of a smile and said, " Because you were the only person I believed would listen." He placed his head in his hands and they sat in silence as Harry contemplated what he had just heard Draco Malfoy say. Malfoy, his worst enemy for nearly seven years, thought of him as more than just an adversary. The real Draco had broken through the shell that all the years of Voldemort and insults had built up around him.

"Draco," Harry began and Draco glanced up at him, his face streaked and his hands moist. "Do you remember the first time we ever rode the Express? You offered me your hand and I did not accept." Draco smirked through his sorrow and nodded. Harry stood up, wiped away a few tears of his own, and held his hand out to Draco. Draco stared at it for a moment, unsure of himself, then with a look of quiet gratitude, accepted it at last and Harry helped him to his feet.

They walked off together towards the hospital, and abandoned their hostile feelings in the corridor.