In Your Mind's Eye.

Chapter Fifteen.

(Disclaimer: this story and its characters belong to J.K.Rowling.)

Song: Cocoa Hooves by Glass Animals.

It's probably not like it now, but on Oct 28th, I was #394 in fan fiction! That might sound bad but its like the best I've ever been!

The next week passed quickly.

Draco didn't talk to Harry. And Harry didn't talk to him. They stayed away from each other.

Draco had found himself slowly slipping back into his familiar snappy attitude as the days went by. Harry, seemed to have been expecting this, as whenever Draco did make a snide remark, he only gave him a blank look, and walked out of the room.

For some reason, Draco realised he had been expecting something...different. Had been expecting something to change. But, in a way, he supposed it had. Harry and himself were on better terms now, he thought. There was no longer a feeling of hate between them, whenever they sat in the same room, or passed each other, more one of indifference. And at some points, even... even acceptance.

Harry had had nightmares every night until the day they left for school, but Draco had eventually given up waking him. Every time he did, it just seemed more and more like he cared. He had, however, found a way to force Harry to eat- as the boy's weakness seemed to be his manners, if Draco ever made food for them both (something simple,like toast, or soup), Harry would never refuse it.

But, now, as the two of them walked in silence side by side to the train station, suitcases in their hands, Draco felt like he should say something. He just wasn't sure exactly what.

Eventually, words found their way into his mouth,
"Do you think McGonagall will actually make us do this again for the summer holidays?"

Harry, next to him, cleared his throat. Draco could tell the boy was avoiding looking at him.

"I don't know." Harry said finally, "I mean, it's McGonagall. It's hard to tell."

"I feel like I've been sentenced to a year's detention or something." Draco muttered, then realised how that might sound. He glanced over quickly at Harry, but the only sign that it had bothered him was the clenching of his jaw.

"Sure." Harry replied, shortly, and in that moment, the two of them walked into the station. And then, as they had silently agreed, turned in opposite directions.

Draco couldn't help but glance back, watching as Harry greeted a vibrantly red-haired group of people- the Weasleys, and Granger, he supposed.

Draco had always found it strange, how easily Harry fit in with those who weren't his family. The Weasleys had all seemed to have accepted him as one of his own, as had nearly every Gryffindor in his house.

But, to Draco, the vibe in Slytherin felt very different to that. Maybe it was because he was so used to having to act like his family and preach their views, having to live up to the Malfoy name. But his house at Hogwarts felt more like it contained individual people looking out for themselves, rather than a group who would stick up for each other, and help each other.

Draco watched for a few more seconds, until they had all passed through the barrier, before following, keeping his distance.

He was glad for the smoke and milling crowds of students on Platform 9 and 3/4. It meant he could easily hide his face, moving quickly past them, and ducking into the train, and sliding into the first empty carriage he could find.

A few minutes later, Pansy Parkinson came through the door, smiling in her usual sly way as she sat down opposite him,
"Nice Christmas, Draco?"