Hey, Guys. I just want to say, this plot DOES NOT belong to me. I borrowed it off lmsluhzdm, and I got permission, too. Thank you to lmsluhzdm for actually letting me use your awesome plot!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, Snape wouldn't have died, damnit!
Key:
'Talking'
'Thinking'
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX
Harry looked up tiredly as Dumbledore got to his feet. The Great Hall quietened.
'I know that you are all tired and wish to get to bed or your Common Rooms, but I have an important announcement.' Dumbledore smiled at all of them, pausing for breath. 'The staff has decided that all 6th and 7th year students will be resorted.'
He stopped there, as the students had suddenly let out yells of anger. 'Quiet, please. Thank you. As I was saying, tomorrow, Saturday, we will set out the Sorting Hat. All the 6th years and above shall try it on and be resorted. This is not optional, and there is no turning back. This will be to see how much you have changed since 1st year. You may all go back to your Common Rooms now.'
Dumbledore sat down and started talking to McGonagall as the Hogwarts students went into an uproar. Harry stood, shaking with anger and started to walk out of the Great Hall.
'Resorted?!'
'We can't!'
'I'll lose all my friends!'
'Harry!' Harry turned and saw Hermione and Ron running towards him.
'Rather stupid, isn't it?' Harry growled as they reached him. Ron was red in the face and looked as angry as Harry felt. Hermione, however, looked thoughtful.
'Honestly, Harry, I think it's a good idea. Some students might suit different houses better. Besides…' She added, seeing the look on Harry's face. 'I'm sure we'll all stay in Gryffindor.'
'They can't do this!' Ron suddenly bellowed, and Hermione jumped. 'We've made friendships! How could they do that?!'
'I know, Ron.' Harry muttered. 'Wolfsbane.' He said to the Fat Lady, and she swung open. Harry clambered through the hole first, followed by Hermione and Ron.
'I'm going to bed.' Ron fumed, stomping off to the Boy's Dormitory.
'I think… I think I will too.' Hermione smiled apologetically at Harry, then walked away. Harry sighed and kneaded his forehead, closing his eyes.
'This can't end good.'
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX
Harry was woken by Ron, who was shaking Harry by his shoulders.
'Waz'up?' Harry muttered groggily, rubbing his eyes.
'Harry, come on, they're doing the sorting.' Ron told him. Ron was already dressed and had a nervous, worried look on his face.
'Thanks…' Harry stood and put on his glasses, then started to pull on his robes. 'Have they started yet?'
'Nah.' Ron shook his head, looking at himself in the mirror. 'Dumbledore told us to get everyone else up.' He paused, then turned to Harry. 'Do you think we'll still be in Gryffindor?'
'Course we will, Ron.' Harry replied, picking up his wand and walking into the main Common Room with Ron. They walked together to the Great Hall, both to nervous to speak.
They took they're seats and turned to Dumbledore, waiting. Hermione hurried in a while later, sliding into her seat beside Ron. 'Sorry I'm late! Did I miss it?'
'No.' Harry answered, and they lapsed into silence again. Finally, after half an hour, Dumbledore stood.
'We will now begin the sorting. When Professor McGonagall calls your name, you stand and sit on this stool. You will have the Sorting Hat placed on your head. When he calls you house, you will sit at that house's table. The house the Sorting Hat calls will be yours for the rest of your school years.' He sat down again, and McGonagall stood.
'Abbot, Hannah.' Hannah Abbot stood from her seat and walked, trembling, to the stool. She sat, and McGonagall placed the hat on her head.
'Hmm… Let me see… HUFFLEPUFF!' A relieved look passed Hannah's face and she hopped off the stool again, walking back to her seat. McGonagall went steadily through the list of students, most of them staying in their own houses.
'Granger, Hermione!' Hermione walked determinately to the stool and sat.
'Hmm… RAVENCLAW!' Hermione's mouth dropped open and they heard over clapping Ron shouting,
'WHAT?!' Hermione looked on the verge of tears, but she walked slowly over to the Ravenclaw table and sat.
'Malfoy, Draco!'
'SLYTHERIN!'
The sorting continued, and soon it was on the 'P's'
'Patil, Parvati!'
'GRYFFINDOR!'
'Patil, Padma!'
'GRYFFINDOR!'
'Potter, Harry!' Harry drew in a shaky breath and walked slowly towards the stool. 'I'm going to stay in Gryffindor; I'm going to stay in Gryffindor…' He thought over and over as he sat. McGonagall placed the hat on his head.
'Aha! Hmm… I see… Yes… Yes… SLYTHERIN!' There was little clapping, only from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Gryffindors were shocked that Harry was leaving them, and the Slytherin were shocked and disgusted.
'No!' Ron yelled as Harry, panic stricken, walked slowly over to the table of jeering Slytherins. Harry stared at his plate as the others were sorted, then, finally…
'Weasley, Ronald!' Ron walked with a frown up to the stool, and sat, biting his lip as the hat was placed upon his head.
'Ahh! Weasley! Yes, of course… GRYFFINDOR!' Harry put his head in his hands and groaned. 'No! We've been split up!'
After the sorting was finished, Dumbledore stood again. 'I know many of you are unhappy with this, but you will grow to make more friends in time. You may finish your breakfast now.'
'So, Potter. Looks like we're going to be in the same house. Pity.' Harry looked up coldly at the familiar drawling voice.
'Malfoy.' Harry glared at the blonde, climbing out of his seat.
'I bet your glad to be away from them.' He shot a look over his shoulder at the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables. 'The Weasel and the Mud Blood.'
'Shut your mouth, Malfoy!' Harry growled, stalking past Draco and walking out of the Great Hall. Draco smirked and followed him.
'Come on now, Potter. You need me.' Harry stopped dead and glared at Draco.
'What the hell are you talking about, Ferret?'
Draco ignored the insult and smirked at Harry, arching a brow. 'You do need the password to get into the Dungeons, don't you?' Harry paused and frowned. He did need the password, but he didn't want to admit that either. Draco laughed.
'Come on, Potter.' Draco walked ahead and started down to the Dungeons, Harry following resentfully. They got to the Dungeons; Draco said the password (Serpent) and they walked into the Slytherin Common Room. It hadn't changed from when Harry had seen it in his 2nd year, so he wasn't that interested.
'Where's my Dormitory?' He asked Draco sharply.
'Up here. Me, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle all share one. We have an extra that you can have, seeing as we're the only ones with extras.' Harry made a face at the thought of sharing a room with Malfoy, but followed Draco into his new room.
'There's your bed. Ah, your stuffs already here.' Draco pointed the bed directly opposite the door. 'There's mine,' He pointed at the one next to it. 'And that's Blaise's… That's Crabbe's… And that's Goyle's.'
Harry didn't bother thanking Draco and walked over to his bed, glowering at the green bed sheets. 'Your being awfully friendly, Malfoy.' Harry muttered, opening his trunk and checking everything was there.
'Yes, well… Your rid of them now. I have no problems with you.'
'Ha! You hated me as much as Hermione or Ron!' Harry shot back, now glaring at the blonde Slytherin in front of him.
'That was because you were a stupid Gryffindor.' Draco arched a delicate brow in amusement, watching Harry fume.
'Just leave me alone, Malfoy!'
'This is my dormitory too, Harry.' Harry paused, and Draco grinned. That was exactly the reaction he had wanted from calling Harry by his first name.
'Now, come down to the Common Room when you've calmed down.' Draco walked out and Harry growled softly.
Digging through his trunk, Harry let out a soft cry of triumph when he found what he was looking for. A big, fat gold coin. A fake Galleon. Touching his wand to the tip of it, he watched the numbers change to words. He had never changed it to words before, but it worked. The Galleon now spelled now.
Harry wasn't sure if Hermione or Ron had their Galleons with them, but even if he was alone in the Room of Requirements, it was better than being in a room full of Slytherins. Slipping his Invisibility Cloak on, Harry tip-toed out of his Dorm, past Draco, who was leaning again the wall, staring up at the ceiling, and out of the Common Room.
He hurried through the school, then took his Cloak off at the 3rd floor, grinning when he saw two familiar figures.
'Ron, 'Mione!'
'Harry!' Hermione flung herself at Harry and hugged him. Harry patted her head until she pulled back, and noticed that her eyes were red and puffy. Ron walked up to them, scowling.
'Harry, they separated us! I can't believe it!' He was fuming, and Harry wouldn't have been surprised if smoke started billowing out from his ears.
'I know! You got the message, then?' Hermione nodded and held up her coin.
'Yes. I didn't know you could change it to words.'
'Me neither. Let's get into the Room before someone else comes.' Harry walked past a certain spot three times, then opened the door. The Room had turned into a simple living room, something where he, Ron and Hermione could talk comfortably in.
Hermione walked in first, followed by Ron, and just as Harry was about to shut the door behind him, he heard a voice.
'Harry! Wait!' Neville, Ginny and Luna all came running into the room, and Harry shut the door.
'I got the message!' Neville panted. 'And I ran into Ginny along the way, so I brought her!'
'It seems I was lucky enough to stay in my house.' Luna said dreamily, sitting herself down on a plump couch.
'Lucky for some!' Neville fumed. 'I got put into Hufflepuff!'
'Do you think that I'll be resorted next year?' Ginny asked fearfully, looking round at them.
'I don't know, Gin.' Ron snapped. 'But my best friend's are in different houses now!'
'Honestly, Ron. That's better than me. I barely know anyone in Ravenclaw, apart from Luna!' Hermione frowned at Ron, who glowered at her.
'Oh, yeah? I'm stuck with the Slytherins!' Rage flowed through him. The Slytherins were much worse than not knowing many people or losing some friends.
'Yeah, that would be way worse.' Ginny agreed, and Neville nodded.
'I s'pose.' Luna mumbled, though Harry doubted she even knew what they were all talking about.
'Yeah. Sorry, mate. That's way worse.' Ron shuddered.
'Oh, I'm sorry, Harry! You've got it much worse.' Hermione sighed and sat down next to Luna and Ginny sat next to her.
'It doesn't matter.' Harry said as he sat down on an arm chair, while Ron and Neville took a seat on a couch. 'What matters is that Malfoy's trying to be buddy with me.'
'Malfoy? Buddy? With you?' Ron spluttered, looking at Harry in a mix of shock and disgust towards Malfoy.
'Yeah.' Harry muttered, frowning at his lap. 'He went out of his way to show me the Common Room and my Dorm, and when I confronted him about it, he told me it was because I was rid of you,' He nodded at Hermione and Ron. 'And because I wasn't a Gryffindor anymore.'
'Makes sense.' Hermione said slowly, ignoring Ron's furious comments about Malfoy. 'I mean, he did try to befriend you in first year, but…'
'But I was already friends with Ron, yeah.' Harry completed with a sigh.
'Well, look on the bright side, Harry!' Ginny smiled, and Harry scowled.
'Bright side? What bright side? I'm going to be mauled to death by a gang of Slytherins before I even finish school!' Harry exclaimed, standing up.
'Ah, no… I mean… Now that Malfoy's trying to be your friend, at least you don't have to put up with his stupid comments all the time.' Ginny raised a brow at Harry.
'Ah…' Harry sat back down. 'I guess your right.'
'I always am.'
'Shut up, Gin.'
'You shut up, Ron!'
'No, you shut up!'
'Both of you shut up!'
'Stay out of this, Hermione!'
'Don't snap at Hermione, Ron!'
'I'll snap at whoever I want to!'
Harry blinked and watched the three bickering teens, exchanging confused looks with Neville and Luna.
'Ron! Just shut the hell up!'
'No! You go around snogging every boy you can get your hands on!' How had it gotten to that subject in such a short amount of time?
'Stay out of Ginny's love life, Ron! It's none of your business!'
'Yes it is! I'm her brother!'
'Hah! I can't possibly be related to you!'
'Well to bad! You're stuck with me!'
'Ugggh!!' Ginny threw her hands up in the air. 'I hate you so much!'
'Honestly, Ginny, you don't mean that…'
'Yes, I do!'
'All of you, just shut the hell up!' Harry yelled, and they all turned to him. 'Arguing isn't going to help!' Harry, fuming, grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and stood. 'If I wanted a row, I would've picked a fight with Malfoy!' Harry then turned and stalked out of the room, leaving the others speechless.
'Do you think we made him mad?' Harry heard Ron whisper, and his rage increased a notch. He didn't bother putting on his Cloak, he had only put it on to avoid Draco anyway. He stalked down to the dungeons and muttered the password (Serpents) and walked inside.
Draco was lying on a couch, alone, with his eyes closed. He was breathing deeply and Harry thought he must've been asleep. Drawing closer, Harry noticed how relaxed Draco looked and how handsome he really was. Thinking of this made Harry turn red, and Harry jumped almost a foot when a drawling voice spoke.
'Looked your fill, Po-Harry?' Draco had one eye open, and he looked deeply amused. Harry noted that Draco called him by his first name again, and knew that Draco would never call him anything else again. Harry turned even redder and spluttered.
Draco chuckled and sat up, arching a brow. 'What's the matter, Harry? Flustered?'
Harry gave Draco one last, scathing glare before turning and stalking into his room, slamming the door behind him.
'This is not good.' He breathed. 'This is so not good.'
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX
When Harry woke the next day, he felt unbelievably lonely. The Slytherins didn't make a sound in their sleep, and Harry missed Ron and Neville's loud snores, however obnoxious they were. He rose and dressed slowly, looking down with a sigh as he entered the Slytherin Common Room.
'Harry.' He looked up and Draco nodded at him.
'Malfoy.' Harry nodded back, and slowly made his way out of the Common Room, and eventually out of the Dungeons.
'What's gotten into you?' Harry jumped as looked to the side, blinking. When had Draco gotten there?
'What do you mean, Malfoy?' Harry tried, really tried, to put as much hatred into his voice as he could, but he just couldn't do it in his mood.
'Sulking. Moping.' Draco frowned. 'Being nice to me.'
'I am not being nice to you!' Harry snapped, turning a corner.
'Aha. You keep thinking that.' They continued in silence for a moment, then Draco said softly,
'Do you miss her?'
'I… What? Miss who?'
'Granger. She is your girlfriend, after all.'
'Hermione isn't my girlfriend. She's just a friend.'
'Oh.' They lapsed into silence again.
'Harry.' Draco placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, stopping him from taking another step. He was surprisingly strong for one so slight, and Harry stopped and looked at him.
'What?'
'Truce?' Draco held out a smooth, pale hand. Harry stared at it for a moment, his face suddenly going red.
'I… Yeah…' Harry looked away, then took Draco's outstretched hand, shaking it quickly. 'Yeah, truce.'
'Oh, and call me Draco.' Draco smirked, then started walking again. Harry ran to catch up and frowned as he fell into step beside Draco. 'Merlin, he's being positively friendly! What am I getting myself into?'
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX
'Ugh, this is a nightmare!' Harry thought furiously, scribbling out the line he had just written. 'I can't concentrate! Not with him in here!' Harry shot a glance upward, and saw Draco sitting leisurely with Crabbe and Goyle, chatting. It wasn't fair that Harry was plagued by strange feelings as soon as he was finally accepted by the Slytherins, two months after the sorting. Draco, of course, was the one who managed to change their minds, but many were still wary and some purposely walked into Harry.
But it wasn't fair! Whenever he saw Draco, he couldn't help but notice the way his white-blond hair gleamed in the light, and how his eyes became alive with emotions whenever he was angry or amused. Harry sighed and looked back down at his essay, dipping his quill in ink again, and starting to write about Goblin Wars once again.
Urg the Unclean was, for a long time, considered the leader. His blond hair and deep grey eyes-
Harry let out a groan of frustration. He was doing it again! He screwed up the bit of parchment and shoved it in his pocket, grumbling angrily under his breath. He decided that he just couldn't do it in the Slytherin Common Room, not with Draco in there anyway. So Harry laid down his quill, gathered his things and started off for the library, glaring at Draco as he passed.
Harry stomped out of the Dungeons and ran into Hermione when he entered the library.
'Hey, 'Mione.' Hermione smiled at him and looked at his things.
'Hello, Harry. What essay are you doing?'
'Professor Bins's one. I can't concentrate in my Common Room.'
To say that Harry, Ron and Hermione had grown apart was an understatement. The used to meet every night in the Room of Requirements, but the stress of homework and Quidditch practise had caught up on them, and the nights they met had dwindled done to none. Harry met Hermione sometimes in the library, and around the school, but that was it. Ron and he barely spoke to each other, other than being partners in classes like Potions and Care of Magical Creatures, where they had joint house classes. Harry hadn't even seen Luna, Neville or Ginny ever since that night he shouted at them.
It wasn't that they hated each other, they were still good friends, it was just that they grew apart. Harry came to depend on Draco more and more for company, and it was soon obvious to everyone they were friends. Ron wasn't very happy about that, but soon forgave him after Harry saved him from a particularly nasty Blast-Ended Skrewt one night when they were arguing.
Hermione wasn't happy about it, but she didn't bring it up, deciding that she didn't want to lose their friendship because of Draco.
'Oh! That one! I finished it last week. Do you want me to go over it for you?'
'Yeah, that'd be great, thanks.' Harry smiled weakly at her and they sat down at a table. They were silent, Harry flicking through books that interested him and Hermione scratching out a sentence here and there.
'Done!' Hermione beamed five minutes later, holding up the finished essay.
'Thanks a million, Hermione. It was horrible in the Common Room.'
'Why?' Hermione asked curiously, watching Harry's face with interest. Harry faltered. Should he tell her about the growing feelings he's been having for Draco? What would she think?
'Hermione, I want you to promise you'll call off our friendship if I tell you.'
'Of course I won't! What could possibly be so bad?' Harry drew in a deep breath, then told Hermione everything. Her jaw dropped a few inches every time Harry took a breath, and when he finished, she was silent.
'H-Have you told Malfoy a-about this?' She finally asked, blushing crimson at the idea of her best friend being gay.
'No.' Harry sighed and ran a hand through his jet-black hair, making it look even more untidy.
'W-Well… Merlin, I don't know what to say.' Hermione gave a sort of awkward, half-hearted laugh. 'I'm not disgusted or angry. Just surprised, that's all.'
'Thanks, 'Mione. I thought you'd hate me for sure… Just… Don't tell Ron, okay?'
'Ron?' Hermione looked startled. 'Oh my. I haven't even seen him for two weeks! I should really go and visit him…' Hermione trailed off, her lower lip wobbling ever so slightly. 'So she misses him too…'
'No, I wont tell Ron. But… Harry?'
'Yeah?'
'Be careful.'
'I will.'
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX
'Harry, what're you doing up so late?' Harry jumped, then turned to look at the source of the voice.
'D-Draco?' Draco was standing in his emerald green pyjamas, looking at Harry with a quizzical expression. Harry was sitting in an armchair, and had been gazing into the fire until Draco showed up. He'd been thinking on his feelings, wondering if he should tell Draco or not, and ended up thinking well into the night.
'Of course it's me.' Draco replied smoothly, walking over and sitting next to Harry. 'And you haven't answered my question.'
'What?' Harry looked at him, confused. 'Oh! Right. Yeah. Uh, I was just thinking.'
'About what?' Draco asked curiously, leaning back and glancing at Harry, causing him to go red.
'Q-Quidditch…' Harry lied.
'Liar.' Draco leaned closer, and Harry realised how close his face was. 'What were you thinking about?' He repeated smoothly, seemingly not noticing how red Harry's face was.
'I-I… U-Uh…' Harry spluttered, his eyes widening.
'Was it about this?' Draco asked.
'About… Huh?' Harry was confused, but Draco didn't speak. Instead, he leaned forward even more and brushed his lips against Harry's. The brush was small and Harry barely even felt it. Draco leaned back with a smirk and watched Harry, who had started spluttering again.
'Well? Was it?' Harry paused and frowned, before leaning forward and capturing Draco's lips again. Apparently, that answer was good enough for Draco, because he didn't ask questions again. Instead, he pulled Harry against him and started kissing him more fiercely.
They broke apart a few seconds later, panting slightly. 'I guess it was.' Draco murmured with a smirk, noting with delight that Harry's lips were bruised. Harry said nothing, only blushed and looked away.
'This turned out better than I expected.'
XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX