New opportunities
Chapter 6
Harry glanced as Hermoine came back and Malfoy left. “What did he say moine?” Ron asked, still fuming.
Hermione tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her expression thoughtful. "He apologised for calling me a mudblood, for the torture with Bellatrix...he said sorry for everything."
“He what?” Ginny blurted. Ron looked equally flabbergasted. “
He apologised?” Harry too added in disbelief. Hermione nodded, reiterating,
"He apologised for everything, Harry." A small frown tugged at the corners of her mouth, as if she was still trying to process Malfoy's apology.
Ginny watched the exchange between Harry and Hermione, her confusion evident in her expression. "He apologised?" she repeated, a note of scepticism in her tone. "Since when does Malfoy have a shred of decency in him?"
“You know he was a kid then right? We all were. And his father was the bad one, he influenced him!” Hermoine justified.
“You of all people shouldn’t be defending him hermoine!” Ginny scoffed.
“Well that’s…shocking. Malfoy apologising…” Ron mused. “Do you think he’s up to something?”
“Oh come on Ron! Seriously? Also Ginny aren’t late for your match practice? We need to get to classes too!” Hermoine said, changing the topic.
Ginny huffed, crossing her arms across her chest not deterred by the change of topic.
"I don't trust him one bit," she asserted. "But... maybe he's sincere. It doesn't make him any less of a git, that's for sure. But I agree with Ron, this seems suspicious, someone like Malfoy changing so quickly."
“Oh come on Ginny! You tooo?” Hermoine signed. “Maybe he’s trying to change.”
Ginny rolled her eyes, her hands on her hips.
“You are too nice hermoine! And you believe too much in people, I don’t.”
"I'm just being rational, Ginny," Hermoine said. "I'm not saying I like Malfoy or trust him, but his apology sounded sincere. People can change, you know?"
Can they? Harry wondered. He didn’t know what to think of that, also Malfoy just apologised to Hermoine, he was the same old rude git to the others, but Harry had noticed he wasn’t spitting out hurtful insults anymore.
Aah come on Harry! Stop wasting your time thinking about Malfoy of all people!
That night
Harry couldn’t sleep, again. He could still hear Ron’s snores.
As if an habit, he took his lamp, spelled lumus and looked at the Marauder’s map, again he saw Malfoy’s footsteps in the hallways.
Harry got up and put in his invisibility cloak and rushed outside.
was he really stalking Malfoy? How many times was this? It’s just because he’s suspicious! Yeah that’s what this is!
Harry followed Malfoy, walking through the deserted hallways, suddenly Malfoy stopped and turned back, look straight at Harry.
shit! Shit! Shit!
”You Know pottah, either you should stop stalking me or get better at it” Malfoy said sardonically , snatching the cloak.
“I still was able to figure out what you were doing in 6th year Malfoy.” Harry replied, defensively.
He was not just embarrassed at getting caught, but also embarrassed due to the fact that Malfoy was probably right.
“You stalk me so much, someone might think you have a crush on me or summin pottah“ Malfoy smirked.
Harry got a bit flustered but then composed himself.
"Please," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "The thought of having a crush on you is laughable, Malfoy. You couldn't be more full of yourself."
”And yet here you are pottah, stalking me like an obsessed fan.”
“Oh forgive me for being a little vigilant after what you did last time, bringing in death eaters and killing Dumbledore.” Harry spat.
Malfoy stood silently and then started walking. “Do what you want pottah, I am leaving.”
Harry looked at Malfoy, his eyes narrowing in confusion and irritation.
"Where are you going?" He demanded, for some reason he didn’t want Malfoy to walk away.
”You already know, the astronomy tower, you were there yesterday.” Malfoy answered still walking.
Wait what? He knew?
Oh god kill me now.
”I-that…”
“So are you coming or are you just gonna keep stuttering and fumbling?” Malfoy asked glancing back. Harry quietly followed.
When they reached the tower, Harry sat down.
”That apology to Hermoine, was it sincere?” He asked.
”No it was all my elaborate plan to trick everyone into thinking I am good and then becoming the next dark lord” Malfoy resorted sarcastically
”With your history, it’s not impossible, but then again you are too much of a coward to do that” Harry clapped back.
”Ouch, that was harsh.” Malfoy said, acting hurt.
Harry laughed at that, and looked at the bright stars.
”Why do you come here?” He asked
”Idk…It’s peaceful here? And well…in a way I feel this was the place that changed everything.”
They sat in silence and for some reason the silence wasn’t uncomfortable.
Harry felt peaceful too, maybe for the first time since the war.
”Do you ever feel guilty?” Harry blurted, he did it without thinking and immediately wanted to take it back.
Malfoy looked at him. For the first time, Harry looked deeply into his grey eyes, a strand of his blond hair falling down.
Was Malfoy always this….pretty?
”Are you really asking me that?” Malfoy asked, giving a small laugh.
”Yes, because I do….” Harry admitted, he had no reason to, he hadn’t ever said this to anyone, not Ron, not Hermoine, not Ginny. He didn’t know why he was just confessing all this to his arch rival…maybe because Draco might share his guilt, maybe it was the stars, the night….he didn’t know.
”Why does saint potter feel guilty? You are literally the saviour of the wizard world Harry….ahem I mean pottah.”
”There we’re so many deaths…maybe…just maybe I could have prevented them if I was just…”
”You did your best, and you succeeded, some things can’t be changed, some things are just out of our grasp and crying about the past won’t change things….” Malfoy said, looking somber.
Harry turned back to look back at the sky.
”Yes..,Ig”
”Also my apology to granger was sincere. I don’t expect her to forgive me…but I just felt…like I had to…I wanted to.” Malfoy finally blurted.
”Still doesn’t change the fact that you are a git” Harry said grinning.
”What can I say, it’s one of my many charms” Draco said, turning to the sky.
”But hey, don’t You dare pull something, I am watching you!” Harry warned, causally.
”Oh shiver me timbers potter, and so are half a dozen ministry officials.”
The night passed and somehow Harry drifted off to sleep, the cool breeze against his face.
This was the second night in a row that he didn’t get any nightmares.