Let's Help Each Other (drarry)(eighth year)

Chapter 5

The next morning Draco dragged himself out of bed and slowly got dressed. It felt odd not having another person in the room, even if he was never used to sharing with anyone else. And even though that other person he wanted in the room was Potter he almost wished he were here. Almost.

Suddenly remembering why Harry wasn't in the room, Draco felt a twinge of guilt. He felt really bad for leaving Harry alone in the Hospital Wing. He had promised to be there for Harry and then he had turned around and left him? What kind of friend was he?

Friend. That was still weird for Draco to think about. He wasn't sure about being friends with Harry. No one would approve of their friendship. Not Granger, not Weasley, certainly not his father, and not even Draco himself really approved of the friendship. For some reason, it felt much safer to stick to hating the boy. Harry could continue being friends with the mudblood and the Weasel. Certainly they were much better contenders for helping Harry through his stupid little window-busting problem than he was. Draco could still hang out with the few friends he had left, Blaise and Pansy. It was better that way. Draco Malfoy would always hate Harry Potter. That was how it had to be.

*****

Draco tried to get through the rest of the day without thinking of Potter. He had failed utterly.

After he left his room, he met Pansy in Blaise in the common room to meet before breakfast. As the three of them were walking to the Great Hall, Draco caught sight of Granger and Weasel and immediately thought of how much they must be missing the third member of their little trio. But after that, Draco vowed to not think of Potter any longer.

He made it until breakfast. He was sitting at the Slytherin table, half-listening to Pansy and Blaise's recounting of their summer when he glanced over at the Gryffindor table. He was quite disappointed to not see the untamable, raven-colored hair he had grown so used to seeing. He wondered if any of Potter's friends were worried about him or wondered where he was. Draco then told himself he wasn't going to ever think of Potter's hair or any part of him again.

Draco's first class was potions. Draco had loved potions, but that was when his all-time favorite Professor and mentor had been teaching it. Now Slughorn was teaching potions and it was absolutely miserable. Slughorn said they were going to be making a dreamless sleep potion that day and he told them to pair up. Up until now, ever since breakfast, Draco has successfully managed to keep Potter out of his thoughts. But now, when he was forced to choose a partner, Potter sprang back into his mind. He thought about how Snape always used to pair him and Potter together and how utterly terrible Potter always was at making potions. It was kind of funny, actually, just how rubbish he was. He began to wish Potter was in class so they could be partners; only because Draco loved to be able to show off his potion-making ability to such an incompetent being. Once again he had to remind himself not to think of Potter and he went to the back of the classroom to partner up with Blaise.

The rest of the day went very similarly. Draco would successfully be able to push Potter out of his mind, albeit a few minutes, but then something would remind him of the raven-haired boy and Harry would ease his way back in. He would think about Potter for a few minutes and then he would try to distract himself by talking to either Pansy or Blaise or maybe even pay attention to what they were learning in class (it was all so easy, he really didn't have to pay much attention- he had practically learned this in first year). Then he would vow to never think of Potter again.

He eventually made it to the end of the day (only thinking of Potter a couple dozen more times) and was about to head to his room to get some homework done when he remembered his detention. Sighing he said his farewells to Pansy and Blaise and left the Great Hall. Stupid Potter, he thought, now I have to go to bloody detention.