Petra: I love you all!
Kati: Oh Lord...
Petra: I mean, seriously, I love you Harry Potter fans! You're always nicer than the other fans! That makes me want to make you happy. I hope you like this one because I really do. There's a companion fic if you want it... All I need is one review!

DEDICATED: To Draco and Harry; I'm sorry that you missed a friendship, a friendship that I know would have been absolutely wonderful.
WARNING: A lil' angst...
DISCLAIMER: No own it. If I did... well...

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Five Minutes that Never Happened

"The night and the day, the dark and the light, and everything else in between. There were always spaces in between, in the uncertain half-light after the sun had faded and the moon had yet to rise, vague transitions where it wasn't quite clear if it was dusk or dawn, where the similarities weren't quite distinquishable from the differences." -Rhysenn; Blood, Tears, and Drowning Fears (HP)

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NOTE: This was written before I read the fifth book but everything that happened in the 5th book happened here, I just won't be focusing on much of the things that happened in that novel.

TIME: Harry and Draco's 7th year, early September (got an early start on the troublemaking, they did).

"Do you ever think about what could have happened?" Draco Malfoy looked up in surprise from his cleaning to stare at the black-haired boy across the room. Harry Potter hadn't looked up from where he was scrubbing the floor and his head was still bent downward.

"What are you talking about, Potter?" Draco sneered, wondering why the other boy had suddenly started talking.

"Well, I mean, what would have happened if I had been one minute earlier or later, or had chosen a different booth to sit in," Harry sat back on his hunches but still didn't look at the blond-haired boy. "Would I have met you first? If I had met you first, then we would probably be friends now, wouldn't we? I wouldn't have scoffed your friendship and things would be different. Do you ever think about that?"

"Why would I, Potter? I'm perfectly happy the way we are now," Draco said, not willing to admit that the thoughts had crossed his mind more than he liked to realize. "Besides, things wouldn't be that different."

Harry finally turned to pin Draco with bright, emerald green eyes, a color that to this day still shocked Draco with its vividness. "I would be in Slytherin."

"Why would you of all people be in Slytherin, Potter?"

"Because the only reason I wasn't placed in Slytherin in the first place was because what Ron had told me about it. I just kept thinking 'not Slytherin'." He laughed slightly and let his head fall back, looking at the ceiling. "The Sorting Hat asked me if I was sure, that I could be great in Slytherin. If I hadn't met Ron, if I had been your friend… We would be in Slytherin together."

Draco just stared at Harry for a long moment. "You're lying, Potter," he finally said.

Harry smiled, but it wasn't a real smile as he stood up and walked over, sitting across from Draco. "I never told anyone about this before. You're the first. The first to know that I almost got put in Slytherin. We never would have been enemies. We would have been friends…" Harry stared at Draco for a long moment and the blond resisted the urge to squirm under his gaze. "You know, we're complete opposites, you and I; we're like night and day, black and white, Slytherin and Gryffindor, evil and good."

Draco sneered again and replied, "Yes, Potter, you're good and I'm evil."

"Draco," his first name coming from Harry's lips stopped the other boy's thoughts. "You're not evil or good. You are you. The same could be said of me." Harry smiled and then reached over and brushed a piece of hair out of the other boy's face. "We even look exactly opposite. You have light blonde hair and pale blue eyes, while I have dark black hair and bright emerald eyes. You're pale and I'm tan."

"What's your point, Potter?" Draco said, tiring of this strange game that he was sure Harry was playing.

"We were meant to be famous together. Whether as infamous enemies or great friends, we were destined to be known." Harry tilted his head to side slightly. "I just wish it could have been as friends." Draco opened his mouth to say something but then closed it just as quickly, looking to the ground. "Draco." Draco looked up at his name. "Five minutes."

"What?"

"I will give you five minutes, five minutes that never happened." Harry smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Five minutes that, as soon as they are over, didn't exist."

Draco stared at Harry for a long time. Then carefully, he scooted the chair he was sitting on around so that they were sitting right next to each other. Then, after a moment of hesitation he leaned down and leaned his head on Harry's shoulder. He'd often seen Ron being comforted by Harry like this and he'd always wondered if it felt as peaceful as it looked. He was surprised when Harry wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"I sometimes wondered too, Harry," Draco said and then silence reigned. Five minutes came and went, as did ten. After fifteen minutes Draco pulled away and, feeling a blush heat his cheeks, said, "I'm sure you'll tell everyone about this, since it was more than five minutes."

Harry winked at Draco before saying, "What're you talking about, Malfoy? I just came over here for a new rag." Then Harry stood up, picked up a new rag, and went back across the room to finish his cleaning. After they were done with their detention they went and started walking their separate ways when Harry's voice saying his name stopped Draco.

"Yeah?"

"You know, those five minutes are open to you whenever you want them, Draco."

"…Thanks, Harry," Draco said and listened as Harry's footsteps faded into the distance. Then Draco also continued on his way, walking toward a morning where 'Harry' was once again 'Potter' and 'Draco' was simply 'Malfoy'.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: For those of you that wish it, DUE TO MY SPORADIC postings, I am offering you, the readers, A MAILING LIST to sign up to. When I finally UPDATE, I will SEND OUT AN EMAIL informing those of you that are on the list that I have finally updated. I need you to EMAIL me, telling that you wish to sign up, and whether it's for ORIGINAL FICTION or FANFICTION. I WILL NOT accept those people that ask to be up on it in a review because I can't be sure that email is real. The mailing list will ALSO OFFER the TITLES of those works that I am posting, the COUPLES (if any) that are in it, which FANDOM it is from, and whether it is a SEQUEL to anything.

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Kati: So, what'd you think? Review and tell us.
Petra: I actually like this fic and the companion fic is, in my opinion, good too. I hope that you guys want it.
Kati: Who knows, there might be more than even those two.
Petra: If the response is good enough I hope so. I like to make you people happy especially since you HP fans have always made me feel appreciated. Thanks again.

"I dream of a day when I can open my eyes, and my dreams won't disappear."
-Rose Marie Ledam

Petra Megami Assari
The Gentle Tiger Goddess