Draco stepped on to the Quidditch pitch, the grass was green and the sky was gold. Draco would only play Quidditch with his father when the sky was gold. His father was at Hogwarts. His parents were the only two in the purple stands. His father kept trying to kiss his mother, but her neck seemed strangely long today and she dodged them all while clapping quietly. No one could hear her. His father went back to checking his muggle wristwatch and his mother seemed to forget about Draco, letting Snape distract her with all his pretty flowers.

Gryffindors were lined up across from Draco and his toes were chilly. Madam Hooch taught them the basics and Draco was mad that he was having to relearn things even the mudblood Granger seemed to find trivial information. But then he looked at Potter. He had on Cass' new robes, the ones trimmed in blood red. Potter didn't know anything.

Potter didn't know about Quidditch. Pansy was there, insulting him.

"You're from two different worlds, Draco," she sneered. "Haven't I told you this before?"

Draco looked down and saw Longbottom's awful toad hopping off his own barefoot. Draco smashed it with his heel then began to cry as he saw the look on Longbottom's face.

"I didn't mean to," Draco heard himself whisper. "It worked every other time."

"Aw, Draco," Nott purred.

In the purple stands, his family arrived. Cass was wearing his new robes now. Draco's father lied to his great aunt, saying that Draco was top of his class.

"It's okay, Malfoy," Granger called. "I'll never really know, you know."

Draco had frog guts on his foot. Potter was naked now because Cass had on his blood trimmed robes. His private parts looked the same as Draco's looked. Ron Weasley was looking at Potter's privates as well. Cass transfigured the boy into a weasel and gave him to Alba as a present. The little witch was pleased.

Draco had Linky bring him Potter's clothes. Potter put on the baggy muggle clothes and sighed - blue jeans, white shirt, and giant green eyes, just as a proper Potter should be. Draco's own eyes burned - he liked the way Potter's collar bone showed.

"Malfoy be liking?" Potter asked.

"Yes, master Harry," Draco heard himself say.

"I love you," Harry hissed. "Now run."

Draco ran until he was at the edge of a cliff. Potter found him.

"Be giving it to me, Malfoy," Potter said. "I don't wants to be talking like this anymore."

Draco looked down and saw Longbottom's rememberall in his hand.

"Draco can't," Draco heard himself reply. "Master Harry won't be loving Draco anymore."

"Fine," Potter hissed and pulled them both off the cliff together.

Draco flinched awake to find Em's smiling face hovering over him and groaned.

"Hia," Em greeted. Draco groaned again.

Linky and Em had apparently made friends already and she brought Draco a glass of water. "What's happened?" Draco asked once his throat was cleared.

"What do you remember?" was Em's irritating answer.

"I . . . had the staff?" Draco started uncertainly, hoping the fuzzy images in his brain were all terrible lies. "And saved Harry Potter's life?"

Em nodded and smiled. "You were amazing!" he went on to praise. "I mean, I figured you would stay out of the way since I was already there and everything, but you accioed that sucker to you and bam! Little old Voldey didn't know what had hit him!"

Draco blinked at him for a moment and then smacked himself on the forehead and stayed like that until his eyes grew watery. "I hate my life," he moaned.

"What's wrong?" Em seemed startled. "Aren't you happy?"

Draco gasped and shook his head, no, he was not happy. Sure, now he had the boots but he had just defied Lord Voldemort to keep them.

"Look," Em sighed. "I'm going to tell you this because I think you should know. Kilgharrah is keeping secrets from you. He does that, which is why I made sure to give him the third degree for you, kid, and trust me when I say: you really, really do not want to know why right now, but you have truly done the right thing. Okay, Roderick?"

Draco had been glaring, but he couldn't help but gape at the title. He soon closed his eyes as Potter rushed to the front of his mind - cold red lips, wild mane, sharp body, and bloody huge eyes inches from his own.

"There are some things that should be left undiscovered," Draco admitted quietly.

"I'm glad you feel that way, kid." Em had walked over and now was ruffling Draco's hair. "Clean yourself up. The feast will be starting shortly. I have to go . . . can't be forgetting my own mission." He smiled sadly. "I will check up on you though, okay? Warlocks like us must stick together . . . and, Draco, because no one else is going to say this to you, thanks - for everything. One day you'll understand why it is better this way, in the wind, I promise."

"Wait! The feast! You're telling me it has been three days?! What even happened!?"

Em nodded sheepishly. "I-er-figured it best nobody found out about all this," he mumbled and then bloody shifted into Draco's smaller form. "Er. Yeah," he said in Draco's voice. "That Potter kid proved himself true of heart by trying to sacrifice himself like that. We got the staff. You did what you had to. End of story - except the backlash knocked you both out for three days. Happy break!"

Draco was left gaping. If Em hadn't already ruined his life and reputation, which seemed suspiciously intact then Potter, of course, had to ruin everything.

Draco had let himself grow excited for the House Cup, it was a nice pick-me-up after being unconscious for days. When Potter stole it, Draco made a vow then and there never to save Potter again, or even accept any of the dragons amazing gifts if it meant helping the other boy.

Surely Draco hated Potter again.

Surely.

Draco found his stuff was all packed when he returned to the dorms and smiled. At least he was going home for the entire summer. The smile fell off his face when he found an old iron lock box sitting on his bed. Draco read the note attached as Linky nervously wrung her hands in the corner.

I thought you would have solved this by now. Oh well. Take it to the manor, but do not let your father find it, for it will be your punishment not mine!

Draco rolled his eyes and flopped on to his bed with a huff. He tossed the note up and burnt it to ashes with a simple spell.

"Well . . ." Draco chuckled, sitting back up a bit so he could look at Linky. "I suppose there is one thing I'll miss about this bloody castle—" and Linky smirked, vanishing the mess of ashes which had fluttered across the floor—"all the power that comes along with it."