The Start

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Draco Malfoy sat alone in the Astronomy Tower, gazing out at the moonlit grounds of Hogwarts. The war had ended, but the scars it left on the school and its students were still fresh. He knew he wasn't the same person he used to be, and he doubted anyone else was either.

Footsteps interrupted his thoughts, and he turned to see Harry Potter entering the tower. Draco tensed, unsure of what to expect. The animosity between them had lessened since the war, but it was far from friendship.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry asked, his voice surprisingly devoid of its usual hostility.

"Just thinking," Draco replied, surprised at how calm he sounded.

"Me too," Harry said, moving to stand beside Draco at the window. They fell into a comfortable silence, watching the stars twinkle in the night sky.

"I never wanted any of this," Draco said suddenly, surprising himself with his honesty. "I never wanted to be a Death Eater, to hurt people."

"I know," Harry said softly. "I didn't want any of this either. But we can't change the past, only learn from it."

Draco nodded, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. For the first time since the war, he didn't feel like he was drowning in guilt and regret.

"Maybe we can learn from each other," Harry suggested. "Start over, as unlikely allies."

Draco looked at Harry, seeing him in a new light. He saw the boy who had saved the wizarding world, who had faced unimaginable hardships and still had the strength to keep going. He saw someone who understood him in a way no one else could.

"I think I'd like that," Draco said, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Good," Harry said, returning the smile. "Because I think we could both use a friend right now."

And as they stood together in the Astronomy Tower, watching the stars fade into the dawn, Draco knew that maybe, just maybe, there was hope for them both.

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