The Enemy's Ball

18. New Friends?

"Add the unicorn hair." Draco said. Harry and Ron tipped fur into the cauldron. Harry stirred it and Ron shook his head immediately. They'd been brewing the potion for four days now, and it was almost ready. Harry and Ron had easily fallen into their roles. Ron cut the ingredients, and Harry added them to the potion and stirred. Draco watched them and added things of his own to the potion as well. The Slytherin was also in charge of reading the directions, but Harry noticed that he hadn't once looked down at the recipe.

Ron was shaking his head at Harry because Draco hadn't told them to stir the potion yet, but Harry had actually learned something from their late night study halls. So he knew that he needed to stir a healing potion clockwise after adding a dry ingredient. Draco smiled at him and Harry smiled back.

Ron was becoming increasingly uncomfortable at the table. He didn't like that Harry seemed to be such good friends with Malfoy. He wasn't upset at Harry or anything, but it was just awkward being there. His mind went back to the conversation he and Hermione had the other night. This must have been how Harry felt when he was with Ron and Hermione. Ron frowned, poor guy. Harry put more unicorn hair into the cauldron and Malfoy grabbed the cutting board before it fell. Harry's hand brushed over the Slytherin's and they both stared at each other. Ron gagged. Poor me.

The potion was turning bright red. Harry glanced at the instructions, that was good! It was supposed to be red. Harry ignored Draco's stare. He turned to Ron who looked oddly green. "Did you get the wormwood?" Draco asked Ron.

"Yeah." Ron answered. Harry sat back, waiting. No other words were said and he cheered mentally. Draco and Ron had stopped fighting over every little thing, which was great for Harry because he had to sit in between them.

There was a loud poof, and Harry and Ron shoved their faces over the brewing potion. They were both roughly pulled back down into their seats by Draco. "What are you doing?! You never stick your head over a brewing potion, that's first year stuff." Draco exclaimed crossly.

Harry wrung his hands together, "Right." He sat back down in his chair.

Ron glared at Malfoy, but he didn't say anything. They'd been brewing the potion since Monday, and at the rate they were brewing it, it would be finished by tomorrow. Harry glanced around. It felt like sixth year again, he actually knew something about potions, thanks to Draco. The other groups' potions hadn't even turned red yet, which meant they probably wouldn't be finished until the weekend. Hermione's potion of course was red, but it wasn't the same shade as theirs.

Harry grinned at the cauldron and stirred it again.

~~~~~

"Everyone's hair is supposed to change back today, approximately in 1 minute." Hermione said to Harry and Ron.

"Oh thank Merlin." Ron sighed, stuffing mashed potatoes in his mouth. "I'm not 'oing 'o mish lello 'air."

Hermione stared at him with disgust, "Don't talk with your mouth full Ronald, it's positively disgusting." Ron narrowed his eyes and swallowed.

"Sorry." He shrugged. Hermione shook her head distastefully. Harry catalogued all the colors of hair he saw down the eighth year's table. He took note of his friends' favorite colors, it was always good to know things like that. He looked at Malfoy, who had taken to sitting next to him at lunch and dinner. Draco told him that it was only because he didn't feel like sitting alone, but Harry felt it had something to do with their newly formed truce, and friendship. Because even if they hadn't talked about it to make it official, Harry felt like they were friends.

Still, Draco never talked while they were sitting there. Draco looked up and caught Harry staring. He smirked and Harry snapped his gaze away.

"Oi, Malfoy, if the potion is supposed to wear off in less than a minute, you should finally take off that hat, so we can see what color your hair is. 'Snot fair you get to see all ours, but we can't see yours." Ron said.

Harry stared at Ron, that was the first time anybody other than himself had tried to talk to Draco nicely. Draco simply raised an eyebrow, "And why would I do that?"

Ron frowned, "I dunno. For fun."

Harry laughed, "Yeah, Draco, take off the beanie already. You even wear it to sleep."

Ron blanched at that. Malfoy was wearing his mother's hand-made clothes to sleep? Ron shot Hermione a miserable look and she giggled. "Told you." She mouthed. Ron sighed mentally, there was nothing he could do about it.

Draco seemed to think over it for a moment. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at him expectantly. He shook his head, the glamour spell had probably worn off by now, he couldn't risk it. Ron and Hermione nodded and went back to eating. But Harry, Harry did no such thing. Rather, the gryffindor plucked the beanie off of Draco's head and placed it on his own.

"I'd like my hat back now, thanks." Harry said from beneath the wool. Then he grinned at Draco, "I knew it was green."

Draco stared at him in shock and pulled down a strand of hair, which was indeed emerald green he flushed. Harry rested his head in his hands on the table and stared at Draco with a smile. Hermione and Ron giggled across the table.

"Of course it's green." Ron groaned. Hermione laughed some more.

Draco glared at them, "And what about it?" They both shared a knowing glance. Draco didn't like that look. It reminded him too much of Pansy and Blaise's shared looks when he would talk about Potter.

"You're a Slytherin through and through. Even sporting their house color as your hair." Harry laughed.

Draco blinked. Then he grinned, that was a much better alternative then Harry knowing that it was his eye color. "And yours is red! You're too much a Gryffindor!" Draco shot back.

The trio laughed and continued eating. Draco pulled the beanie off of Harry's head and put it back on his own. Harry didn't look up from eating, but Draco saw his smile.

Hermione looked expectantly at Ron. He sighed and passed her a galleon under the table. She handed him a paper in turn. He raised an eyebrow at her, but she wasn't looking. She was talking to Harry. Ron unfolded the paper.

"I say a week tops. What say you, another galleon? <3 <3" Was written on it. Ron chewed on his lip, thinking it over. He wrote back, "Three weeks." And placed the paper in Hermione's pocket. She grinned at him.

Updated: March 5th, 2021