A/N: hello there peoples, this is my new fanfic! (duh) anyhoo, I don't actually have a plan for this story so please review and let me know what you think and give me some ideas for where you think I should go with it.

Disclaimer::sighs: I've told you countless times in other stories, I don't own it. No matter how many times I threaten Bloomsbury with Crucio or even Avada Kadavra, it still hasn't earned me the rights to Harry Potter. Damn.

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Draco's POV

Draco sat up suddenly, breathing hard. He looked around wildly, unable to penetrate the darkness that surrounded him. Pushing his blond hair back from his forehead, he lay on his back once more, and tried to rid himself of the images that flashed before his eyes.

He had been dreaming, and in it he had seen his mother, wearing the same look of mingled shock and terror that she had adopted when he announced that he too would be taking orders from the Dark Lord. The memories of his actions from the previous year still haunted him, and although the Order of the Phoenix had arranged protection for he and his mother, he was still terrified of what would inevitably happen if his old master were to find them. Although the members of the Order understood that Draco was under a huge amount of pressure to follow through on the task that he was appointed to, his guilt was overwhelming, and in his dreams, he still saw Snape blasting Dumbledore over the battlements, sending him tumbling gracelessly through the night. How was it that he, Draco, had brought about the demise of the greatest wizard of all time?

He rolled over onto his side as his insides burned with the familiar guilt. He felt a lump rise in his throat and closed his eyes as they began to sting.

As he sank into an uneasy sleep, images flickered through his mind: repairing the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement, Legilimency lessons with his Aunt Bellatrix, arguing with Snape at Slughorn's party…

All of this flashed before him very quickly, until the scene shifted and Moaning Myrtle's bathroom floated hazily to the forefront of his subconscious.

"No-one can help me." He was saying shakily "I can't do it… I can't… it won't work… and unless I do it soon… he says he'll kill me…"

Catching sight of a figure in the mirror, he whirled round to face Harry Potter, his wand drawn.

He fired a poorly-aimed jinx at Potter, who retaliated with an equally effective curse, which smashed a cistern, flooding the bathroom almost instantly. Draco, losing his head completely, summoned all his energy and raised his wand once more:

"Cruci- " he began, but before he had completed the Torture Curse, Potter had bellowed "SECTUMSEMPRA!"

Blinding, agonising pain hit him as Potter's curse slashed through his face and chest. He looked down in shock as blood spurted from him, spattering the sodden floor.

Draco murmured in his sleep as his dream continued.

He watched himself fall backwards into a pool of blood and water, shaking as he felt his face and chest, both of which were now gleaming crimson, and Potter kneeling beside him, whispering to himself:

"No… no I didn't -"

He heard a distant cry of "MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM!"and was dimly aware of Snape saying his name.

"Draco…"

Someone was shaking him.

"Draco!"

His eyes snapped open, and he found himself looking up at Pansy Parkinson, who was watching him with a peculiar expression on her face.

"Are you alright?"

"What are you doing in here Pansy?" he asked wearily, rolling over.

"You're going to be late for breakfast and I wanted to make sure you were up." She replied, brushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

He pushed her hand away impatiently.

"Well, obviously I'm not, so could you please leave so I can get dressed?"

Shrugging, she stood up and left the room, followed by Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise.

Sighing, he swung his legs round off the bed and sat up, grabbing his razor and shower-bag from his trunk, and shuffling down to the Prefect's bathroom.

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On entering the Great Hall, he took a seat between Nott and Pansy at the Slytherin table and helped himself to a slice of toast. He scanned the Hall and caught sight of Potter, talking animatedly to Weasley and Granger, and surveyed him through narrowed eyes. Their last encounter in the bathroom had been something that he never wanted to re-live, but his dream had been so vivid that he had almost felt the pain of Potter's curse as it hit him. Almost unconsciously, he touched his chest, feeling the light scarring that remained and his hate for Potter rose in him. He slammed his fork down.

"I have to go" he said suddenly

"But you -" Pansy began

"I'll see you in the Common Room later" he said firmly, standing up and exiting the Hall.

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Harry's POV

Harry watched with mild interest as Draco Malfoy snapped at his girlfriend and stormed out of the Hall.

"I wonder where Malfoy is going?" he said, more to himself than Ron or Hermione.

"Oh, don't start Harry" said Hermione wearily

"Don't start what?" he asked, turning to look at her

"Last year, you completely obsessed over him," she explained "I know that you question his motives for coming back to our side, but it's none of our concern."

Harry knew that she meant "it's none of your concern" but he chose to ignore it.

"I'm not obsessing over him, I just don't trust him." He replied

"Neither do we mate," Ron assured him "but we've got more important things to think about this year."

Harry thought guiltily about their fast approaching N.E.W.T.s and the ever increasing amount of homework that was waiting for him on the seventh floor.

"Yeah, you're right." He sighed "we're got a free period after Potions, I think I'll get started on that Transfiguration essay that McGonagall gave us."

"Good idea," said Hermione, looking relieved "you two can get started on that essay during your free period, and I'll look over them after Arithmancy."

"Cheers 'Mione" Ron said through a mouthful of toast, leaning over and kissing her cheek.

"Ron, you've just smeared jam on my face!" she exclaimed, disgusted.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

Harry shook his head, trying not to laugh as Ron handed his girlfriend a tissue.

"We'd better get going – Slughorn won't be please if we're late." He said grimly, swinging his bag onto his shoulder and out of the Hall, and towards the Dungeons, his friends hurrying in his wake.

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"I'm sure that over the past few weeks, your other teachers will have been giving you long-winded lectures on the importance of your N.E.W.T.s, and I'm sure that you've had enough of those so I won't make a speech about it, I'll just dive straight into the next section of our curriculum." Professor Slughorn said from the front of the classroom.

Just then, the door swung open and Draco Malfoy strode in.

"Sorry I'm late sir" he said, unblushingly, apparently uncaring that he had interrupted the lesson.

Slughorn surveyed him for a few moments before nodding and gesturing towards Draco's empty seat.

"As I was saying…" he continued, as Malfoy sat down "we will be starting a new section of the curriculum today, and for the next potion, you will be working in pairs. Kindly find yourselves a partner now please."

There was a few moments where everyone scrambled about as they got into their pairs and, as Hermione darted around the table beside Ron, Harry noticed the absence of Ernie McMillan.

"Harry, m'boy," boomed Slughorn "you're looking a bit lost over there."

"I don't have a partner." Harry replied, looking pointedly at Ron.

"Not to worry, m'boy, not to worry," said Slughorn cheerfully "you can come down here and work with Mr. Malfoy."

Harry looked blankly at the Potions Master for a few moments, before gathering his things and making his way to the front of the class. Hermione gave him an apologetic look as he took his seat beside Malfoy but he ignored it and turned his attentions back to Slughorn, who continued with his lesson plan.

"Now that we're all settled into our twos, we can proceed with the lesson." He said. "This year will be the most demanding of your school career so far, and the tasks appointed to you are more difficult than the ones that you've been set previously, so suffice to say you may struggle with this next potion, which will be Polyjuice Potion.

"Polyjuice Potion!" Harry burst out "but that takes a month to make!"

"What!" exclaimed Malfoy "you mean I'm stuck with him for a month?"

"Now, now Draco," said Slughorn, looking uncomfortable "No need to be rude."

Malfoy looked for a moment as though he was about to retort, but settled for glaring at his Head of House.

"But sir," came Hermione's voice from the back of the class "why do we need to work in pairs to make Polyjuice Potion anyway?"

"Because at the end of the month, you will be testing your potion by turning into your partner." The teacher replied, smiling as he waved his wand at the blackboard behind him. "You can all start now," he boomed "instructions are on the board."

"You've got to be kidding me" muttered Draco, slamming his scales down on the desk.

"Believe me Malfoy, I'm as happy about this as you are." said Harry, flicking through his new copy of Advanced Potion Making "don't worry; I'll be leaving you as soon as Ernie comes back."

"Ernie isn't coming back," said Hermione, as she passed on her way to the store cupboard "His parents don't think that Hogwarts is safe now that Dumbledore is gone."

"Oh, that's just great" sneered Malfoy "So I've got you for the whole month then, Potter?"

"Looks like it." sighed Harry, lighting the fire under their cauldron.

Halfway through the lesson, the two boys had hardly said a word to each other, other than reading out instructions.

"Pass me the lacewing flies, Malfoy" Said Harry

Malfoy glared and thrust the small bag into Harry's outstretched hand. Silence resumed as Harry emptied the bag into the cauldron, mixed the contents with the leeches already stewing on the heat.

"What's wrong with you today Malfoy?" asked Harry, reading the next line of instructions on the board.

"Excuse me?" said Draco, turning to face him.

"Well, you've hardly insulted me all lesson, and I saw you arguing with your girlfriend at breakfast this morning." He explained "I was just wondering what had happened to make you storm out like that."

"Oh yeah, cause I'm going to tell you, Potter" sneered Malfoy

"Fine, have it your way." said Harry indifferently

A few moments of silence passed, where Harry stirred the contents of the cauldron, stopping occasionally to read from the board or Advanced Potion Making.

"She's not my girlfriend." Said Malfoy suddenly

"What?" asked Harry

"Pansy." he replied, "She's not my girlfriend."

"Oh. I just thought -" Harry began

"No, you didn't think. You assumed." Malfoy cut across him "You just assumed the same as everyone else."

"Why don't you put everyone right then? Tell them she's not your girlfriend?" Harry asked.

Malfoy shrugged. "It's easier just to let them think what they will."

Harry nodded slowly. "Fair enough" he replied.

"Okay, let's leave it there for today" said the Potions Master over the noise in the classroom "But I expect everyone to check on their potion most evenings. There is a rota on the wall at the back." He added

"Separately, yeah? Harry asked, dreading the answer.

"Of course not Harry m'boy!" replied Slughorn cheerfully "you'll come down with your partner."

Harry and Draco exchanged horrified looks. Working with each other four times a week was going to be bad enough, but seeing each other in the evenings as well? Harry would rather jump in Lake and feed himself to the Giant Squid.

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A/N: yes, the dialogue in Draco's dream is taken directly from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; just had to make that clear! Anyway, thank you for reading my new story, it's my first HarryxDraco so please, please, please click that little blue button at the bottom of your screen and leave me a review. Vegan cookies and eternal love to all who review! Jess xXx