Harry smirked from his standing position in one of the many dueling rooms of Hogwarts located somewhere among the miles of hallways in the dungeons. "Are you saying, Mr. Malfoy, that you don't trust me to not hurt myself—or rather you—with a weapon in my hands?"

            Lucius Malfoy gave one of his infamous Malfoy trademark smirks that put Harry's into the dust. "Oh, I'm not worried about you attacking me per se. But I can't have the Savior-of-the-Wizarding-World die by his own sword in his own hand, can I?"

            The aristocratic blonde then looked at the Gryffindor sword in Harry's hands. "Do you know how to use that thing?"

            "It seems obvious to me."        

            "Tell us," Lucius said gesturing to Severus who was sitting, "then how to use the sword." They both waited looking nonchalant and wondering what the Slytherin's answer would be.

            "It's quite simple really." Harry said as he hefted up his sword and pointed towards the tip. "The pointy end goes into the other man."*

            Severus snorted from his seated position before he stood up. "It appears, Harry that you are not to completely grasp the important concepts of such a beautiful thing such as swordsmanship. However, now that I have seen that you can show me that you are not completely incompetent in the art of potion-making I will give you the benefit of the doubt and hope that you will at least attempt to not be stupid in this subject as you had been in my potions classes."

            "If I am not to be using the sword for the next few lessons, what will I be doing?"

            "Lessons are composed of two hours every Saturday. The first hour you will be studying the theory behind the usage of swords and the different types and how to use them. The next hour you will be working on stretching and building up your strength and endurance. In a real fight you will not be given water breaks and time outs. You will have to learn to build your stamina. For now, we work on physically then after your sword skills are above average we will integrate magic into that skill so that you will be able to be fluid enough in your movements to be able to cast spells while fighting. You cannot expect yourself, however, to be able to do this unless you practice during the week when you don't have formal lessons with us. Do you understand, Harry?"

            "Of course," Harry said eagerly. "So can we start?"

            Oh, how Harry would regret that question later.

*

            Green eyes narrowed with pain and ire as Blaise Zabini heartily thumped him on the back as he sat down gingerly on a couch in the Circle at the top of the Slytherin tower.

            "So how was your lesson?" the other asked with the smirk immediately associated with all Slytherins.

            "It had me convinced I was in hell until I realized that there weren't fires burning all over the place and that Lucifer was no where in sight. But then again, Severus and Lucius make up one hell one of 'We-Are-Evil-Angels-Fallen-From-Heaven' duo. How many push-ups and chin-ups and stretches and sit-ups is it physically possible to do in one bloody hour?"

            "Ah, so you have been put under the famous Lucius Malfoy training plan." Blaise said with a knowing look.

            Harry looked up at that comment. "Are there others that have been trained by him?"

            "Only Draco. He's a really amazing swordsman for what I've seen and heard. I believe that he told me that Mr. Malfoy had asked him to be your end-of-course exam."

            "My end-of-course exam? What the hell do they mean by that?"

            "In order for Severus and Mr. Malfoy to declare that you have become sufficient you have to duel Draco and win. I hear that first blood gives you bonus points. You'll both be warded against actual harm of course."

            "How is it that you know of all of this but not me?"

            "I've been a Slytherin for four more years than you have been, Harry. I know all the tricks of eavesdropping, spying, espionage, and all the other known Slytherin talents."

            "But, of course," Harry said with a knowing look.

            Blaise just grinned. "So where is Draco?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Harry asked while shrugging. "We're going out not attached at the hip. I didn't know his location at all times during the months we were just friends. I don't know his location at all times now."           

            "Well, it sounds like you and Draco are in a really loving relationship." Blaise stated, in just a slightly sarcastic voice. "Are you sure you both actually have a very loving relationship?"

            "Yes. You do realize that part of a relationship is trust?"

            "Of course, of course." Blaise said smilingly.

            It was then that Draco came into the Circle and kissed Harry on the cheek as he sat down next to him before bursting out with laughter like a hyena (but with definitely a more beautiful voice) as he collapsed over Harry's lap. "Oh Merlin! You should have been there!"

            "What happened?" Harry asked eagerly as he gently ran his fingers through Draco's hair.

            "Weasley was insulting all the Malfoys that ever existed when Granger comes in and says that in 'Mikhail Malfoy, from the year 981 AD, was in fact a brilliant wizard. Quite powerful, really, and he was the apprentice of Salazar Slytherin himself it is noted by the more reliable historical texts. That would have been a great honor at the time. Mikhail Malfoy is also the wizard credited for finding the helpful uses of belladonna for a potion that he had been creating during his time as an apprentice to Slytherin. So really, the Malfoys were and have been, for more than a thousand years, one of the brighter wizarding families.'"

            Draco laughed so hard he actually snorted (in an adorably aristocratic way, of course). "Weasel became offended at the comment and started saying things like, 'Malfoys smart? You have got to be pulling my beard!' Then Granger stated quite clearly that 'You don't have a beard.'"