Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters from the series. That right goes to J.K. Rowling, and I'm in no form whatsoever making profit from this, it is written purely for entertainment.

The figure on the other bed smirked as they rested their eyes upon the Boy Who Lived.
"I'm injured, Potter, why else would I be here?"
"You know that's not what I meant," responded Potter. "Whatever that doesn't matter, how much did you hear?"
The figure grinned as if he had spent his whole life waiting for this very moment.
"Enough," the response was mocking and Harry knew that enough actually meant everything.
Groaning he laid his head on the bed and looked at Professor Snape pleadingly. Perhaps hoping that the dour man would take pity on him and put him out of his embarrassment. Out of all the houses why did it have to be a Slytherin who was injured on this particular night?

Harry opened his mouth to say something both scathing and reckless but before the words could pass his lips he thought otherwise. After all, the Professor was a Slytherin and he had done so much for Harry.

"Enough," murmured Harry, "enough." He paused before continuing along his train of thought.
"And what do you think...based on enough." The Slytherin besides him visibly recoiled in shock before one eyebrow rose in approval.
"I think you've just realized something that every Slytherin in this school has known since their very first day here."
"And that is?" Inquired Harry.
"That Dumbledore is manipulative and McGonagall is blind," The figure stated.
Harry snorted and gave the figure an appraising look, "That," he began, "would be putting it lightly."

The professor stood to the side, forgotten, as he basked in the shadows. This did not bother him because for the first time in a long time he was witnessing something remarkable. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor bonding. Granted the topic that they were bonding over may not have been the most appropriate or ethical for students but technicalities were not important. Not right now at least. Not when Potter had the opportunity to figure out where home truly was. Professor Snape's lips pulled up into something that could possibly pass as a smile as he faded into the background and left the two students to bicker. Change would be slow but already it was taking place.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this," Harry said laughing bitterly towards the end.
"Not to sound ungrateful but my life hasn't been the best and the two adults that I thought I could trust don't even trust me. Yet, the one who hates me has been the most considerate towards me ever since I lost that stupid letter and Merlin this is seriously messed up!"

His companion rolled his eyes and though the sight annoyed Harry he did not comment. "Potter," drawled his companion, " perhaps it's only me but it sounds like you're drowning in self pity."

"Self pity?" Harry scoffed.
"Yes, Potter, self pity!" His companion spat. "You know that pool of misery that people float around in until it gets too much and they attempt to drown themselves?"

"Hogwash, absolute hogwash!" Harry narrowed his eyes as his companion rolled his own. If he did that one more time Harry felt as if he would strangle him. Honestly, didn't anyone ever tell him that if you roll your eyes too much they would roll out of your head?
"Whatever Potter, I've been your shoulder to cry on for one night too many."
Harry spluttered and his faced turned red, "Cry? Excuse you but my eyes are perfectly dry thank you very much."

As the figure rolled his eyes once more Harry's hand twitched before he gripped the sheets in an attempt to distract himself.

"Honestly, Potter, I know you have a brain...do the world a favor and use it, will you?"
Harry made to respond but his acquaintance cut him off before he could formulate his words.

"With Granger and Weasley always around you it's a wonder you knew how to verbally defend yourself. One would never think ire would be any where near your vocabulary," The Slytherin stated sarcastically.

"They're my friends," Harry stated boldly.
"Yes, your friends," Harry didn't think it was possible for such disgust to ooze out of one statement.
To his astonishment the Slytherin didn't stop there.
"I'll give Granger the benefit of the doubt but Weasley," he scoffed, " Weasley is no friend of yours."

The statement was a bold one to make. Something Harry both expected from the Slytherin yet didn't expect at all.

"Weasley is jealous of you Potter. You're rich and you're famous. You're everything he's always wanted to be and the fact that you haven't noticed yet says a lot. He doesn't care for you. Any fool could see that. I can see that and I don't even share a room with the idiot."

Harry stared disbelievingly at the Slytherin. He thought that it was only Malfoy who had a thing against the Weasleys but it seemed as if the animosity existed within Slytherin house itself. There wasn't any other explanation. Dumbledore was a manipulative bastard and McGonagall was a blind follower but Harry had a hard time believing that Ron was also using him. In the back of his mind somewhere he acknowledged that it made sense given Ron's recent attitude but still. Ron was his first friend. Ron sacrificed himself so that Harry and Hermione could make it to the other challenges. Why would Ron betray him after all that?

"I don't believe you," Harry said softly. Uncertainty clear in his voice.
His acquaintance did not argue. He inclined his head, understanding that now was not the time to push.

"Potter," the Slytherin began in an attempt to change the topic, " you never did tell me how you knew such big words."
This time it was Harry rolling his eyes. "Contrary to popular belief I am not a complete idiot."
A smirk graced the face of his neighbor. "That's exactly what I mean, Potter, contrary? And you do know that the belief that you're an idiot is popular for a reason, right?"

" Oh I'm sure Professor Snape and Slytherin house had nothing to do with that at all,"
His neighbor smirked, "Nothing at all."

Brown eyes narrowed, "Potter, the sun is up and you have yet to answer my question."
Green eyes sparkled slightly, "My aunt," Harry replied as if it answered everything.
"What?"

A thin smirked graced Harry's lips. " My aunt was big on reading. When my uncle was at work and my cousin was out in the neighborhood it would usually be her and me at home. She loved learning new words. So when we were home together we would go through the dictionary and the thesaurus and learn new words." Harry had a whimsical smile on his face as he thought back to the very few happy memories he had in that household. His aunt would always enjoy the way Vernon's head crinkled as he tried to figure out what she had said to him.

That was the benefit behind using new words, complex words. His uncle whose education was rudimentary at best had a difficult time interpreting what his aunt meant. In a sense those words saved the two of them from Vernon's short temper numerous times.

Harry glanced up as a sharp noise drew his attention and brought him out of his thoughts. Madam Pomfrey smiled apologetically as she scooped up the container that had fallen out of her hands.

"Good morning, boys." The matron greeted her two patients. "I trust you two had plenty of rest." She continued eyeing them knowingly. The boys in question glanced at each other and exchanged brief yet guilty grins. Madam Pomfrey's eyes sparkled as she took in the sight before her. Whether it was fate or coincidence she may never know. But she did know it was a sign, a sign that change was to come.

The boys looked up at the matron and batted their eyelashes innocently. " Good morning Madam," they chorused. Both boys had the face of an angel and yet from the side of her eyes Madam Pomfrey saw a little devil in their grins.

She shook her head. "Breakfast will be served shortly. Mr. Potter you will have to take your necessary supplements and potions. I trust the your physical injuries are mending as we speak?" Harry nodded. It had escaped his attention throughout the night but now as his mind was no long preoccupied he could most certainly feel the mending of the bones that Vernon had taken his anger out on.

Madam Pomfrey turned to the other occupant of the room. "As for you, sir, it seems as if the skelegrow has done its job. Nevertheless I would like to keep you for another day just to monitor your situation. I would hate for anything to go wrong."
The Slytherin groaned and the matron chuckled. He opened his mouth to argue and perhaps even beg a little but a sharp glare assured him that no amount of begging would get him out of the infirmary before Madam Pomfrey was ready to release him.

After breakfast the two boys made an attempt to continue their earlier conversation. But of course this was not possible. Secret friendships between rival houses were best formed in the dark of night after all. Not during the day when Potter's friends could walk in and interrupt. Ron Weasley was the first to notice him. Surprising really since he had seemed awfully focused on eating out all of Harry's treats.

"What the damn hell are you doing here?" The ginger yelled as food sprayed out of his mouth. The brown-eyed Slytherin grimaced and tried not to make his disgust too obvious. It was proving quite difficult.

"This is the infirmary Weasley not the Gryffindor common room. Anyone of any house is entitled to be here." The Slytherin answered slowly as if he was explaining the difference between your and you're to a first grader.

Weasley turned red at the sarcastic reply. Harry shook his head and Granger grabbed the boy's arm before he could do something stupid or reckless.

"Ron," she began knowingly, " Harry is not feeling well. Honestly, this is not the time for your foolishness." She scolded.
Ron's ears turned pink. He glared at the Slytherin, yanked his arm away from Hermione and stormed out of the infirmary.

Hermione shook her head at his retreating figure. " Don't worry about him Harry. He's just being Ron." Harry stiffened and glanced at the Slytherin. His earlier words ringing in Harry's ears. "Funnily enough, I don't remember this as Ron being Ron." Hermione's eyes widened slightly. She shook her head, "No," she said, "No you wouldn't."

The brunette stared into space for a moment before she returned to earth. She smiled at Harry timidly, "Take care Harry. Feel better and don't worry I'll make sure to get a copy of the notes for you."

She strolled out of the hospital wing, her head held high. Harry laughed.

His eyelids were growing heavy and his life was shit. He didn't know who was friend or who was foe any more. But at that moment he didn't particularly care. Sure Snape was being civil, Madam Pomfrey was God sent and Ron was acting more like Malfoy than Malfoy probably was. Some how Dumbledore was shades darker than white and McGonagall was probably brainwashed but those were all things that Harry could worry about later, when he wasn't so tired.

Turning over Harry looked at his neighbor once more. Before closing his eye and drifting off to the land of Morpheus Harry addressed the boy.

"You know what, you Slytherins aren't as bad as you want everyone to think you are." Harry said yawning. He smirked as he closed his eyes and imagined the boy rolling his eyes.

There were many things that Harry Potter was unsure about. The fact that he may have just befriended Blaise Zabini was not one of them. For some reason Harry trusted the Slytherin and if that wasn't odd enough, he seemed to trust him a whole lot more than he did his Gryffindor best friend, Ron Weasley.

A/N: So clearly it's been a while. Being honest, I completely forgot about this story. But then I logged onto and saw all the wonderful reviews and I couldn't resist putting something together. I wrote down some ideas so hopefully this will come along fine. Sorry about the wait and the short length but I tried to get this out as fast as possible. I honestly wrote this in 2 hrs last night Thank you and do enjoy.