Love or Death || Drarry

Chapter six

Harry was running late for his first potions class of the year.
But, it wasn't his fault. It was his damned bladder and its awful timing. Deciding that it needed to release itself two minutes before potions as he leaves charms, how dare it, honestly.

So here Harry was, running down the deserted hallway towards the dungeons, with his books clutched to his chest. If it had been any other day Harry probably wouldn't care, he wouldn't be rushing, at least. But it was his first potions lesson of the year, he really couldn't afford to be late or not go at all. Not that he thinks professor Slughorn would say anything, Harry was always one of the professors favourites. Mainly and pretty much only because he wanted to collect Harry for his weird famous students fetish. Something like that, at least. Harry supposed he was like one of those rare muggle Pokemon cards that Dudley used to collect, well, he collected them for a week before getting bored and demanding a new PlayStation game. But anyways, Harry felt like one of those cards to Slughorn, it wasn't one of the nicest feelings, knowing you were being collected for a strange fetish, but being one of Slughorn's favourite students had its perks, that was for sure. Like not getting yelled at for being late, for instance.

But the professor wasn't the reason Harry was rushing, it was the other students he was worried about. Especially the Slytherins who Harry and his fellow Gryffindor's shared the class with. He didn't want them thinking that he thought he was above them because of what he did, that he was better than them and was given special treatment, allowed to do wherever he wanted. Which,was not the case. But the Slytherins were likely to think that anyways, they never liked him much. Had more reason not to now, since he was the reason many of their parents were in Azkaban right now.

Harry barely had time to finish his thoughts before he was falling backwards on the hard wooden floors with a grunt, his books spilling out over the floor. Harry looked up, startled at seeing the shocked face of Draco Malfoy staring down at him. The boy resembled a deer caught in headlights. Harry looked over at his books with a sigh before looking back up.

"Normally people would say sorry after almost trampling another person, Malfoy," Harry mutters as he starts to collect his books off the floor.

Malfoy seems to snap out of his shock, funnily enough actually dropping to his knees to help Harry pick up his books, much to Harry's surprise. "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was walking," Malfoy mumbles back, his neck turning red.

Harry had never actually heard the boy apologise for anything in his life. It was oddly refreshing. "It's alright, neither was I," Harry replies as he gathers the last book and stands back up, offering a hand to help Malfoy up, too. The Slytherin stares at the hand for a moment in thought before reaching tentatively out and grasping it, Harry notices his palm was sweating. Harry pulls the boy up and offers a small tight lipped smile, which Malfoy returns with a sheepish one before letting Harry's hand go and running it through his hair instead.

Harry realises how symbolic the small gesture of offering Malfoy his hand was. He remembers back to first year when Malfoy had offered his hand in friendship and Harry had refused it, the brief look of hurt that flittered across the boys face had disappeared as quickly as Harry had seen it, instead turning into a malicious sneer. The two never wasted a moment to be at each others throats after that. But Malfoy had taken his hand now, even if for a completely different reason, he still took it. It felt like a peace treaty. And a peace treaty with Draco Malfoy seemed like a good idea.

"On your way to potions?" Harry asked, trying to sound as friendly as he could. Harry realised as soon as he said this that Draco was In fact turning down the opposite hallway to potions. For whatever reason that may have been. Harry starts to walk down the hallway slowly, not feeling the need to rush anymore.