Love, The Git

Duo

Sitting across from Draco as the train pulled out of the station, I couldn't help but feel slightly inferior. Despite the thousands that found themselves desperately clawing at the papers for the slightest word regarding my life, I could never pull off the grace that Draco simply just oozes in every activity he partakes in. The insufferable prat.

In a similarly infuriating graceful sweep, he snatched up a chocolate frog that had been seated, perched on paper Dumbledore's winking face, and he took a bite before turning towards me. He smiled, causing a small tingle to erupt in my stomach, before popping the rest of the chocolate in his mouth. Yet another strike against the prat, stealing the ruddy shit I bought right out from under my, and I guess Dumbledore's, nose!

"You still buy these bloody things?" He asked, mouth half full of croakoa, "I swear, Potter, you share an impressive amount of qualities with those mudbloods waving licorice wands," he teased, gesturing out of the compartment to a couple first years having a wand fight complete with imaginary spells and explosion noises.

I merely shrugged my shoulders and pushed the compartment doors closed, "Muggleborns, Malfoy. How many times have I reminded you of this? Although I would love to lecture you again, merely copying Hermione's previous grievances, I'd like to get this over with. Obviously you have a different reason for inviting me in a private compartment with you, prat. Perhaps your mum forgot to change your nappy before you got on the train?"

"I regret informing you of the mishap."

"Yet you so boldly told me about your shitting mishap. Send my love to Pansy, by the way. The things she does for love."

Draco rolled his eyes at the mention of his girlfriend's name, and leaned backwards, stretching out his legs on the seat beside him and then almost appeared to fall asleep before questioning, "Why me, Potter? Why send an owl to get to know me?"

"Why not?" I shrugged, again, and took a glance out the window, taking in the gloomy day; the grey clouds perfectly matched the stormy hue of Draco's eyes.

The Slytherin barked a short, humorless laugh, before leaning closer, a single strand of hair falling out of place, "There's hundreds of other people in this school. Hundreds who never bullied you. Hundreds who never rose against you. Hundreds who are not Slytherins. Hundreds who don't have the damn mark etched on their arm, sworn to help the Dark Lord in his bloody mission to kill you," he spat out the final words as though they were poison, when, in all actuality, they were sickly sweet, the scent of the tempting croakoa still radiated from his lips.

I shook my head to bring myself back to the present issue, "Yet they never knew me quite as well as you. It is no secret that we were never the closest of friends, or even acquaintances for that matter. It is silly of me to hold grudges for juvenile mistakes, though, especially when I played a part in how far out of hand they became. All I wanted was to finally extend an olive branch to you-"

"However," he broke in, moving the stray strand of hair back into place before continuing, "it may have been slightly ill advised, Potter."

Draco paused, again, pushing himself off the seat and began rambling whilst pacing in the small compartment, "Have you ever thought how this could endanger us both? A friendship or even an acquaintanceship? Even if I don't want to do what the bloody Lord says, how can I refuse? One day, he'd find out, and, well. One of us will be a pawn, a sort of toy dangling just out of reach."

I stood up, infuriated, brushing myself off and hissed, "If you were this worried, why answer the bloody letter? Why keep the conversation going? And why help me through some of my darkest moments when it was in your best interest to let me perish!"

Draco sighed, sitting down once more and running his hands over his face, his voice was small and wavering as he spoke, "Potter... Maybe some things are better the way they have always been. Maybe things shouldn't change..."

"You're right! I wish I never sent that ruddy letter to you. I can't associate with a coward," I growled, rushing out the compartment door, allowing it to slam behind me before searching for Ron and Hermione.

Of course, those things were not in the slightest bit true. It was crafted out of anger and spite as he... Well... Did what? Acted in a manner of self preservation? Then dismissed the early sparks of a friendship just for the same reason. Cowardly Slytherin.

I continued searching through the compartments, past the ones with snogging couples and nervous first years before finally seeing a bright red flash of hair from one farther up.

That, however, turned out to be two heads of red hair working together on yet another prank, most definitely for Ron. As they began bickering over whether or not to add more root of aconite to a babbling potion, I cleared my throat and stood in the doorway of the compartment.

"Harry! Just the person we wanted to see!" Fred bellowed before he and George both took one of my arms and pulled me in, tossing me toward a seat, "Sit! Stay awhile!"

"I'm not exactly in the mood for-"

George broke in, his goofy smile was infectious, "Listen, this will put you in the mood! We perfected our own love potion!"

"Isn't this something to tell Ginny or Hermione?" I asked, looking from twin to twin before George handed me the vial.

"Listen, just drink it, do us a favor. If it goes wrong, well, let's just say He-who-shall-not-be-named can retire," George muttered the last part.

I groaned, seeing no way out, "Who is this bloody potion supposed to make me fall in love with?"

Fred and George looked at each other, then back at me, and back at each other before Fred gathered the courage to say, "It's just an experiment, Harry. We're testing how thin the line between love and hate really is! You're already a magical and medical marvel, so, who's a better lab rat than you?"

I bit my tongue holding back a retort and drank the potion, silently hoping that the second outcome would occur.

By, still, how in the bloody hell could Draco do this? Just dismiss our letters and conversations as though they were nothing! But... Had I overreacted? He looked so downtrodden as I yelled and carried on and he merely accepted my words, never raising his own against me.

Had I misjudged him once again? Taking in his soft, platinum hair and intelligent, pale eyes and expected him to be something more? Hoping that we could be something more than two angry kids hexing one another as we walked through Hogwarts.

"Well?" George broke in, shattering my thoughts, "Are you in love with him?"

I gasped, shocked, and felt myself flush at what I may have accidentally said, "I could never love Malfoy! He's horrible! A racist! If I never saw that Slytherin again, I would die happy!"

Then twins' eyebrows were knit in confusion, "What are you going on about, Harry? That was a love potion for Snape," Fred frowned.

"Oh," I collected myself, "Well, it didn't work. I didn't feel anything so I just went for someone I thought you would choose."

"Right."

"Oh, shut it, Fred. Leave the bloke alone," George thankfully relented, chastising his brother, despite seemingly confused himself.

I let myself out of the compartment and wandered into the Hall once more, searching for a different, and hopefully not inquisitive, redhead.