Draco walked briskly down the hallway, looking behind in worry of being followed. His hands were deep in his pockets, his wand tightly clutched in his small hand. Students looked at him with fear. Before becoming Harry Potter's friend Draco didn't know the power of fear. Not truly. He knew people feared his father, but a decade after the original war that fear had been diluted by hatred and apathy. People didn't fear his father because he himself was scary, just as the students of Hogwarts weren't scared of Draco because Draco was scary. Draco swallowed hard, keeping an eye out for stray hexes. Lucius Malfoy was scary because he served Voldemort, served him so well he was one of the inner circle. Even if no one could prove it, that was common knowledge amongst the magical society. Draco was finding himself inside of his own inner circle and Harry Potter had become his Voldemort.
"Hey, Draco," Draco winced and turned to look at his current best friend.
"H-Hi, Harry." Harry frowned for a moment before forcing a smile "How are you?"
Draco looked around at the students that were slowly backing away from the two in the crowded hallway. Harry kept an even face, looking his friend over with a tense mouth. Draco was hunched over slightly, which something in Harry, deep inside actually approved of. Why shouldn't he be scared? After all Harry was powerful, and according to a little blonde girl who Harry had been thinking about a lot recently, didn't have a soul. Harry ignored the random thoughts floating in his head and put a hand on Draco's shoulder and squeezed gently.
"I'm alright," Harry said with a smile.
Draco swallowed looking away. From the rumors he heard, Harry was far from alright.
"Just missing my buddy," Harry smiled, squeezing a little harder before pulling his hand back "Why have you been hiding?"
"I'm n-not hiding," Draco internally winced at his inability to keep his voice steady. "Crabbe and Goyle just needed attention, you know how clingy they get."
Harry lifted his chin and thought for a moment, seeing through Draco's poor excuse for a cover-up story. After a second Harry smiled and nodded.
"Alright," Harry smiled "Well, you have a moment now so let's go outside for a ride around the courtyard."
"A ride?" Draco smiled weakly "I haven't got my broom,"
"Neither have I," Harry said "but we have our wands right?"
Draco swallowed harshly and followed Harry out into the melting snow. Harry smiled and lifted his head towards the sun, which had been hiding itself for the last few months. Draco was suddenly hit with the memory of Harry's laughter and frowned. When was the last time his friend had laughed? When was the last time he truly smiled? Draco could see even now, the small smile on harry's face was tight and forced. Harry turned to point at a large pile of snow that Hagrid had just finished piling up.
"That's the target," Harry exclaimed after a moment. "You levitate me above it, then cancel out the spell. Then I'll do your turn!"
Draco straightened his back a little, looking over at the tall mountain of fluffy snow. He nodded once and pulled out his wand. The faster he did this, the faster he could go back inside. Draco pointed his wand at his friend and took a small gulp of air. Harry smiled a little bigger and gave him a thumbs up.
"Wingardium Leviosa," Draco said.
Harry slowly lifted out of the air. He let out a small laugh as he floated higher. Draco let out a sigh of relief and actually began to smile as well. Harry lifted higher off the ground. One foot, then two. Soon he was five feet above the pile of snow.
"A little to the right!" Harry called, waving his arm. "Further! Further!"
Draco was starting to sweat with focus. His arm was shaking slightly as he tried to keep Harry stable in the air. A rustling came from behind him. Draco tuned out the noise as he trained Harry directly over the snow.
"DRACO MALFOY!"
The connection was severed and Draco spun around to stare up at the flaring nostrils of Professor McGonagall. Harry let out a shout as he fell from the air. Draco let out a small gasp as he turned to check on his friend. McGonagall stormed down the steps into the icy opening.
"Why I never!" She stormed "In all my years!"
Harry groaned, pulling himself from deep inside a cave of snow.
"Mr. Potter!" Mcgonagall yelled, trying not slide on the ice as she neared him. "Mr. Potter are you alright?"
A black head of hair popped up from an indent in the snow. She stopped abruptly in her tracks as she saw the most mind boggling sight in her life. Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived, the terror of Hufflepuff House was sitting there, in the snow, smiling. Actually smiling.
Harry let out a small laugh, which seemed to be the dam breaking. he let out whoops and guffaws of laughter. His stomach cramped painfully. His face was soaked with tears. McGonagall paused before smiling. Somewhere along the way, she had forgotten that Potter was still a child. In that moment watching as Draco slowly started laughing and bent over on his knees, her throat tightened with happiness and sorrow. harry let out a shout of joy.
"Wahoo!" He yelled, falling back onto his back in the snow.
"Me next!" Draco yelled, straightening to his full height.
"Absolutely not!" McGonagall said, lifting a hand in the air. "You will both go inside before you die of cold!"
"Yes, Professor." Draco scowled.
Professor McGonagall turned on the spot and made her way back into the school. She ducked out of sight and waited for a moment before hearing soft giggling from the two boys nearby.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry yelled, in between giggling.
She smiled softly, tears falling down her cheeks. She had judged him too fast, she thought, Harry Potter was more like his parents than she had thought. Somehow, the realization hurt more than thinking he was nothing like them. At least before she wasn't constantly reminded of the life that little boy had lost.
