Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Written for -

The In - Character Draco Malfoy Competition

The Spell/Charm/Curse Competition - Confundo - Draco Malfoy

The 19000 Prompts/One Week Competition - Ice Cubes

The Disney Character Competition - Maximus

The Fault in our Stars Competition - Peter Van Houten Quote 3

Word Count Without A/N - 984

A Shake Of Hands

Harry walked around the school grounds in a daze. He had done it. He'd won. Was the cost worth it? He still wasn't sure. He should have been tucked up in bed, but he didn't want to sleep. To sleep was to close his eyes and to close his eyes was to welcome nightmares. He knew they would come. The last year had been horrifying by anyone's standards but the last forty eight hours had been the worst Harry had ever lived through.

He settled on the front steps, broken as they were. He hadn't bothered with his cloak. Everyone was still in the hall, or in the dorms sleeping. They probably thought he was doing the same, and he wasn't going to complain at the peace and quiet it afforded him. He wondered what would happen next.

Would he be left alone to live his life as he wanted? Probably not. Would he be expected to help with the rebuilding of the Wizarding World? Probably yes.

Footsteps behind him halted his thoughts and he whirled around with his wand in his hand.

"Woah, easy there, Potter."

Draco Malfoy stood in front of him, his hands held up in the universal sign of surrender.

"I didn't expect anyone to be out here," the blond muttered quietly, lowering his hands when he was sure Harry wasn't going to hex him. Harry turned away from him, sitting back down on the step, though he kept his wand in his hand. Malfoy walked down the steps, and with a moment of hesitation, he sat down beside Harry.

"If you're spoiling for an argument, Malfoy, I don't have one in me."

"I'm not. I... don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Harry nodded in understanding, and the two settled into the silence, watching the beginnings of the sunrise over the forest.

"You can put your wand away, you know. I'm not going to curse you," Malfoy said after a while.

"Yeah. It's not that I don't trust you, of course, it's just that I don't trust you."

Malfoy stared at Harry for a moment, before he did the unexpected. He laughed.

"Faulty logic if ever I heard it, Potter."

"Probably. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore," Harry offered with a wry grin. He rubbed his eyes and stowed the wand up his sleeve. "Does that make you feel better?"

"A little, I guess. I don't deserve that much, I know."

Harry nodded. "You've been a pain in my arse since first year. But... I wouldn't change that. You helped make me who I am, and well, I don't supposed you found me much fun at times."

"About as fun as having ice cubes down your pants."

"Sounds painful."

"It is."

"How did that come about?"

"I lost a bet. Slytherins can be evil," Draco replied, a smile breaking through his mask as he thought back to better, less complicated years.

"Hmm, Gryffindors can be evil when it comes to dares too."

"Merlin, did the Great Harry Potter just admit that The Brave Lions have something in common with us Lowly Snakes?" Draco asked, but Harry could hear the teasing lilt in his tone.

"I did. My, my, the war must be over, huh?" Harry replied, before he sobered. "Seriously, though. We all have a lot in common. We were all kids, pushed into a war that wasn't of our making, regardless of which 'side' we were on."

Draco nodded in agreement. "Yeah. You don't hate me anymore."

It was a statement rather than a question, but Harry answered anyway.

"No. I don't think I ever did, really. I disliked you. Intensely. But I didn't hate you."

"I hated you, I think. Not for the reasons you would think, but I did. For a few years."

"A few years?"

"Yeah. Until fourth year. You impressed the hell out of me with that dragon. The flying was...incredible. I didn't hate you after that, but I was jealous."

"Are you still jealous?"

"No."

"Good."

Silence fell between them again, this time only for a few minutes.

"I'll speak for you, if you have to go on trial."

"Why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do? Because you don't deserve Azkaban? Because you are my opposite, forced into a role you had no real choice in? Take your pick, they're all true."

"I owe you enough debts, Potter, without adding another."

"You owe me nothing."

"It doesn't work that way. You saved my life, twice."

"You saved mine. You refused to identify me at your Manor, and then, in the forest, your mother saved me. Call it quits, eh."

"Yeah. I'm sorry. For what happened at the Manor, I mean. And for what happened to Granger."

"I know. I saw how scared you were. I don't blame you for what happened, and to be completely honest, I don't think Ron or Hermione do either."

"We should probably head back in. People will be looking for you," Draco muttered awkwardly.

"You go, I'm alright sitting out here for a while."

"Alright. And Potter?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

Draco stood up and turned back to the castle.

"Hey Draco?"

Draco turned around, and Harry could see the surprise on his face at him calling him by his first name. Harry stood up, and walked up the steps to meet Draco.

He put out his hand.

"I don't want to be friends. But I don't want to be enemies either."

"Clean slate?"

"Clean slate."

As hands shook, the sun moved further up into the sky, and with a nod, the two men parted ways, oddly, each feeling more at peace than they had before.