FULL SUMMARY: Returning to school, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter develop a sort of friendship. While both of them try to get used to this new life, they encounter unfamiliar challenges. The Slytherin doesn't know how to react to being forced to marry a girl he had never met, while The Gryffindor doesn't know how to act around a man he constantly sees. The solutions present themselves when one day they start pulling pranks on each other.

Now that The Potter ABC reached the last letter, it's time for me to introduce you one of my other babies. A Changing World will be mainly focused on two things: Harry and Draco's friendship and Severus and Harry's... not friendship, let's say ;) No worries darlings, don't run screaming, this will be no Harry/Draco fic, I am still wholeheartedly dedicated to writing Snarry. Yes, it will be explicit. Yes, it will be multi-chaptered and a sort of countdown until Christmas. I'm planning weekly updates, there will be twelve chapters, out of which I have currently seven finished.

JacksWild from AO3 is helping me with editing this one. I'm ever so grateful for her help, encouraging words and general kindness :3 Sexy. Lil. Emo (who is seriously either magic or most probably just Vulcan) is also helping me out once again. As always, she's amazing too ;) All remaining mistakes are mine!

Any and every word from you all is very much appreciated. I'm eager to hear you opinions, remarks, whatever!

Love you all,

Liz

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival."

― C.S. Lewis

The Bag

Being back in school, after everything that had happened was hard on Harry Potter. Many others had problems dealing with this new era. No more hunting, no more Carrows, and of course, no more Voldemort. Instead, Harry Potter and his friends had to deal with something, looking back on his previous years now, Harry thought much more terrifying: NEWTS.

Continuing his studies was inevitable if he still wanted to pursue his dreams as Dark Wizard hunter, which the Saviour of the Wizarding World had all intensions to do. But to be an Auror he needed to finish his education at Hogwarts and receive at least Exceeds Expectations grades in all his subjects. So in order to do that, Harry, Ron, Hermione and many other students who had missed their last semester returned to the school. Even Neville requested to be allowed back into the magical education system, his reason being that he didn't really learn much the last semester besides firstly, how to cast the Cruciatus Curse (which he was proud to say he never achieved to do), secondly, how to kill venomous snakes (in which his performance was Outstanding) and thirdly, how to survive while being haunted (in which he also did an Outstanding job, exceeding everyone expectations- even his own).

Interestingly however, Harry and secretly many others as well, did not enjoy the quiet life back in Hogwarts. They were after all used to being constantly challenged, having near death experiences, fighting Dementors and Basilisks, running from giant spiders, being possessed by Voldemort, robbing banks on dragon back and other dreadful events. For Ron and Harry, not even Quidditch was there to alleviate their well hidden boredom that they even if instinctively, tried to overcome one way or another.

And that is why, Harry Potter was now running in the corridor towards his Potions class being already five minutes late. Horatius Slughorn may be biased towards the Wizarding World's favourite young man, but being late meant first row, something said young man wished to avoid now that he did not have a Half-Blood Prince helping him out; something, a bushy, brown-hair girl had pointed out many times before, during and after the first few Potions class of their eighth year. Harry had to agree with her, given that nowadays he barely hit the Acceptable level when it came to brewing.

The Gryffindor was already in the classroom's corridor when something awful happened. The seam on his bag ripped just like that, and all his books, inkpots, quills and even his Invisibility Cloak (which he had kept at hand ever since the war hoping for a situation to present itself where an Invisibility Cloak might come handy) spilled out at the bottom. Harry remembered perfectly that this wasn't the first time something like this had occurred to him, and he, too, had done this trick once or twice, so instead of crouching down he pulled out his wand and looked around.

There it was, the culprit, white-blond haired, pale and pointy faced, just like always, however the last year had taken a toll on him, too. Eyes cold and grey, but seemingly haunted, Draco Malfoy was not the spoiled brat he once had been. He was a warrior, ridiculous that might sound given the young man's features. But Harry knew the Slytherin's history and current situation so he lowered his wand, unafraid.

"Hey, Potter!" The blond cried and Harry rolled his eyes.

He somehow couldn't feel any enmity towards Malfoy ever since his unpleasant visit to the Malfoy Manor. After all the hatred, the Slytherin had, if not saved but at least helped him when he decided not recognize Harry's malformed features.

Ever since the past summer while the Ministry was holding trials for the Death Eaters almost weekly and they had seen each other a lot, the Gryffindor considered them even after saving the blond's life back in May. And besides, so many lives were saved Harry had lost count who owed something to whom, really. He had killed Voldemort, so all he wanted was to be left alone. However, Malfoy's behaviour now suggested he wanted something else.

"I don't have time. I'm late from class," said Harry, squatting down and reaching for his books and notes.

To his surprise, another two knees showed up close to him soon enough and hands started collecting his quills while a spell coming from a wand Harry had known very well, repaired his inkpot and even collected the spilled black liquid.

"Just... what are you doing?" The Gryffindor stared into grey eyes.

"What does it look like, Potter? I'm cleaning the floor. I'm the new Filch, you see." The blond flared, shoving Harry's books back in the previously fixed bag.

"Well... you do look like him..." murmured the black haired young man under his breath.

"Oi, I'm helping you here. Show some respect."

"It was you who ruined my bag in the first place, Malfoy." Harry glared. "So excuse me for not being nice."

"It's fine, I forgive you."

Harry gaped at the blond. Draco was being serious. Unbelievable.

The lean man stood up and extended an arm towards Harry, who reluctantly (and because he was so shocked he simply did not know suddenly what else to do) accepted it and let the Slytherin pull him up.

"Don't think anything has changed, Potter."

"I wouldn't dare," answered Harry with wide eyes.

But of course, that day a lot had changed.

TBC