chapter 2
Draco and the trio walk to their potions class in dismay, none wanting to attend but needing to. The world was already on odds with them and maybe just maybe good grades could save them from ending up on the streets in the near future. As they turn around the corner, they are startled by a water balloon bursting above Draco’s head and he thinks “Ah here we go again”. He’s proven right as a boy sprints forward and mouths a spell towards him which he isn’t even bothered to counter, his mind still sad about pansy’s words.
“If I were you, I’d stop coming, it only gets worse.” The boy – Thomas, draco remembers him being part of the war but not losing any family or friends, fortunately. Maybe he’s here taking revenge on his friends behalf. As draco continues to ponder from the corner of his eye he can see pansy and blaise working on a counter spell as he stands unbothered in the entrance. He misses snape dearly. Surely, he’d bring hell over whoever this Thomas is.
“Nothing seems to work! It continues to glow around him!” Pansy’s agitation brings him out of his daze.
“It might be better if the silent prince could help himself as well, Draco stop moping for salazars sake!” Blaise frowns trying to touch draco but being unable to and that’s when draco feels shivers run up his arms and legs as the coldness increases in intensity making it harder for him to breathe. He has lost so much time in thought that now he is unable to move and his friends are unable to put their hands through the ice and help him. “Is this the end? Is this where it ends? Me just standing frosted? It better be it.” Draco wants this to consume him whole if it means escaping from this world, from him and then it will be easier to see him move on and live the life he deserves too, without draco’s trace or bad luck.
“Draco move will you! You will be frozen in no time!” Pansy screams trying to put her hands once again through the shield shivering as the children laughing around deafen his ears.
“Thomas! End this now or I shall curse you to Azkaban!” Blaise storms up to him and draco wishes he could scream no. He misses his dad, no matter what he did, he was still his father and the world be damned but he knows Lucius loved him, adored him and worshipped the floor his mother and him walked on, maybe that’s why mother is not willing to see him because it will just remind her of what they once had – all the family and all the love. If draco disappears, his parents won’t have to try hard to impress the world, they could just carry on with their now secluded lives in France alongside blaise’s mother. Pansy won’t have to marry him and maybe she’d marry blaise instead. He’d still love her more than he ever could. He could be with snape mastering potions everyday in nowhere and maybe if he was lucky, he’d be allowed glimpses of those green eyes and care free smile.
“Malfoy!” A scream screeches through the crowd and draco sees everyone silent, even blaise who’s holding Thomas by the collar. Draco can’t turn but he knows the voice, even the dementors in azkaban won’t be able to fool him when it comes to that voice and draco wishes they could go back in years so he could hear the name malfoy again and again even if it meant he got to be an enemy. “What’s the matter!” Harry asks around frantically as pansy cries hysterically, a sight hermione has never seen and all she wants to do is hug the girl close.
“Thomas froze draco and now draco… is like this.” She hiccups, her cheeks flushing red as hermione tries her best to not touch her. She knows it’d be a moment of two seconds but she’ll think about it for the rest of her life.
“Hermione! A spell!” Harry screams at her panicked and she’s out and alert.
“Harry, someone needs to reach the core and say the spell.” She says quickly.
“We can’t! Its too cold!” Pansy groans as blaise brings a whimpering Thomas forward.
“There must be another way!” He screams at Thomas who just nods no.
“I shall do it.” Harry says and without a second thought tries to put his hand through and draco wishes he wouldn't, he doesn’t want to be saved especially by potter, he hates this and he hates him for doing it. Hermione and ron share a concerned look as harry groans in frustration trying to withstand the cold not even once withdrawing his hands. Harry knows he promised to not get involved but this is serious. You need the boy saviour for this and as much harry hates being one, he’d be one a thousand times for draco. He can’t lose him; he can’t have him but he needs him alive and well. He deserves to live and be married to stupid Parkinson. Lord knows what hermione sees in her, she’s been nothing but a crying mess. “Hang in there malfoy.” He says repeatedly and finally is able to wrap his hands around draco completely. The second draco feels harry’s hand around him, he has lost the ability to breathe, his heart thumps loudly like it could come out any second. Draco doesn’t move as harry places his head on draco’s chest the nearest to his core and start reciting the spell. Harry’s eyelashes flutter and his lips slightly part; all draco wants is to love that face forever and he wishes with all his might if they could stay like this forever. He wishes Thomas could do the spell again binding him and potter. But he can’t be selfish, the she Weasley is a much better choice. Soon the coldness around them disappears and harry sighs in relief still hugging draco who stands stiff as a stick.
“Harry its done mate.” Ron says and harry moves back quickly, looking at draco in fear which draco hates. Harry doesn’t have to be scared from him. If anything, its draco who’s scared from this captivating nice genuine world saving soul.
Harry is scared while he looks at draco’s expressionless face staring directly at him. “Was the hug too much? Did draco find that weird?”
“Thankyou potter.” Draco finally says and pansy hugs him right making me stumble backwards.
“Be careful, he must be still tired.” Hermione can’t help but suggest as her heart twists at the sight.
“Yea no worries malfoy.” Draco sees how harry’s eyes gaze everywhere except him, he must be so frustrated saving the world and especially his childhood nemesis. Draco shall never understand how the world continues to make harry despise draco more every day.
“Mate your family and friends didn’t even die, why would you pull this?” Ron frowns at Thomas.
“But a bunch did and the rest were left as orphans or children less.” Thomas remarks rudely.
Harry is about to storm towards Thomas and take out his frustration on him with great pleasure but draco raises his hand stopping him. “Its alright. I hope you can forgive me one day Thomas.” Draco says politely as pansy sneers at Thomas, still hugging draco as he runs his fingers through her hair. How badly harry and hermione wished it was them instead.
“Its not alright malfoy.” Ron groans. “My brother died and if I am fine, Thomas of all people should be.”
“You don’t know how everyone will perceive death Weasley.” Blaise interrupts glaring at Thomas more and ron can’t suddenly breathe. Why is it always like this? Why can’t he ever find his voice around him?
“Leave it blaise.” Draco says firmly and blaise shoves Thomas back angrier about the fact that ron never answers him. Is it that terrible? “Thankyou potter for saving my life once again.” Without waiting for a reply, he and blaise walk inside the class neither turning back.
“Thank you, potter, I know we have our differences but what you did today I shall never forget it.” Pansy slightly bows and runs behind the boys as harry grunts. She thinks he did it for her or out of his saviour complex. He’d save draco any day, any time even if it means nothing in the end for draco.
“Don’t they look happy together?” Hermione sighs with a small smile. “Let’s go boys.” The class continues normally as the slytherins occupy the back seats and the gryffindors the front. Neither of the trio turn back to gaze at the slytherins which they would at times in the beginning of the year and this change seems to upset all three slytherins. It means nothing to the trio but meant everything to them. They’d wait for their turns and just in that second, they’d gaze elsewhere to have their eyes finally landed on their staring ones. They knew it was to make sure no one would pull pranks on them but they took pleasure in that, kept them happy for the day. Today no such potion was to be made, just a bunch of homework given and as much as hermione was pleased, harry and ron were banging their heads on the table. Harry knew he’d pass without submitting even a day’s work but he wouldn’t survive hermione’s wrath if she were to find out.
“Guys whats the plan for today?” Neville interrupts them and the change in him is obvious, ever since the war Neville has become nothing but stronger and smarter. After harry all the girls swarm towards him but for that he’s still shy.
“The plan is to find you a girl.” Ron says calmly and neville’s pupils dilate. Before he can sprint harry and ron catch him by his arms pulling him between them. “Neville, you promised! Today you will take the interview. You and hannah both.”
“This way she will know she loves you and you her.” Hermione smiles.
“If I did, I’d know.” Neville says.
“Trust me mate you wouldn’t.” Ron pats his back. He hollers over to Dean and Seamus. “Today is the interview, have the guys and girls assemble. We shall be alongside Neville for overview so tell the students to not take it easy. After battling Voldemort, our stakes are high.” Dean and Seamus grin, nod and run outside.
“Finally, some fun after we have come back. It’s going to be nice Neville.” Harry smiles feeling the old carefree energy rush back in. Neville just nods flustered.
As the slytheirns walk towards their next class, dean and seamus run up to them panting. “What happened?” Pansy inquires.
“Interview of the boys with hannah abott and of the girls with Neville Longbottom this afternoon near the lake around 2.”
“What for?” Blaise asks curiously.
Dean and seamus grin at each other noticed by all three. “Support group, will be nice to talk and let things out.”
“No thank you.” Draco says and starts to walk away but pansy stops him.
“We will come.” She says and the boys nod running off. “I can’t go without you and I want to go.” She pouts.
“That’s a you problem pansy, I don’t like the idea. If I wanted to get therapy, the last people I’d go to would be my victims.” Draco says plainly.
“See! Its not your problem and this way you will also see that. Hannah and Neville are nice. They haven’t said or done anything to us. We can at least try.”
“What’s bad in trying? We can always leave if you don’t like it draco.” Blaise offers. “Maybe this will help people see you in a different light and stop those pranks from happening. I got scared draco.” Draco nods not liking the situation at all.