A/N: What, an update? No way! The madness! Sorry, I know it's been forever. If you read any of my other stories, there should be an update on all of them, hopefully, within the next …semi-near future…if all goes as planned which RL doesn't always allow for. However, I shall do my best.

Out of curiosity, which house do you hope to see the boys in? Vote in a review!

Chapter 11

The platform was already packed by the time that they got through, but it was only to be expected as the train was leaving in less than 15 minutes. Narcissa and Draco were waiting for Harry and Lucius, but Sirius was nowhere in sight. His location, however, was answered a few moments later when he stuck his head out a window of the train, "I got an empty compartment for you guys!"

Harry laughed and slid off of Lucius's back as the four made their way to the excited Auror on the train. Draco grabbed his hand and nearly dragged him behind the blond to the train. They squirmed their way through people and trunks and animals as they climbed aboard the train.

"Best compartment on the train," Lucius commented as they entered the smallish compartment. There was only a quarter sized luggage rack overhead and only five seats instead of the usual 8, which made it not as popular among most of the students, but for Harry and Draco, it would easily be the best as they could sit by each other without having to worry about anyone else trying to sit by them, but they could still have friends come in if they wanted to. A lot of students would put their luggage in with their friends then come in for make out sessions or like. "Who did you have to kick out to get this?"

"Psh...why do you think I had to kick someone out?" Narcissa and Lucius both just looked at Sirius's attempt at an innocent expression. "It was just some sixth year Hufflepuffs, no big deal."

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes as he took the middle seat on the left side of the compartment. "Siri, that's not very nice."

He collapsed next to the raven, throwing his arm around the thin shoulders., "But I wanted nothing but the best for my lovely, darling godsons."

Harry just rolled his eyes again. He knew if he put up a fight about it, nothing would come of his argument and he really didn't want to spend their last time together before school starts with a fight. The 5 minute warning sounded and they all stood for hugs again. They were faster this time and, before it could really wrap his mind around it, Harry and Draco were alone in their compartment.

Shortly after the train began to depart, Blaise, Theodore, and Daphne showed up at the compartment doors. Harry was already laying across the three seater with his head in Draco's lap. Draco was watching out the window as he absently played with Harry's hair. "Hey, guys," Draco said casually. "Well, there's only two seats, but take them if you wish."

Daphne sighed and moved picked the raven's feet up before setting them in her own lap. "How have you guys been?"

"Pretty good," Harry told her, rolling onto his back and kicking off his shoes to the floor so he could actually have his feet in her lap without feeling bad about it. "Mostly just playing as much as we could before school started. You?"

"My parents took Astoria and me to Italy for the last three weeks before we left. I don't know why, though, Mother is taking Astoria to France all this month to 'ease the pain of me going to school'." Daphne rolled her eyes at the excuse. "How about you two?" she directed to Theodore and Blaise.

"Nothing as exciting as all that. Mother got married again," Blaise shrugged. It was his eighth stepfather and he didn't like this one any better than he had in the past. "Which means I'm probably going to be staying at school for the holidays."

"At least you could go home if you wanted to, if I'm not sorted into Slytherin, Dad promised to disown me. Said that he already had another son - a proper son - and didn't need me to disgrace him." He rolled his eyes. "I don't care, though. My aunt already promised me sanctuary should that happen, but that means that I will not be able to come back to Hogwarts."

Blaise ruffled the sandy locks easily. "Please, you'll be in Slytherin with us, no problems, and you will be able to go home if you want to. Or you can stay with me over the holidays." Blaise and Theo had spent more time together than any of their group, including the ones not currently in the compartment, except for Harry and Draco.

The compartment door opened again and Pansy poked her head in with Tracy. "Why don't you come back to our compartment, it's bigger," the only Parkinson girl of four kids suggested.

"I'd really rather stay here," Draco said before Harry could answer. As predicted, Harry was already fighting sleep. Anything below racing on a broom in speed or moving of his own power, he fell asleep, as Severus had talked about earlier that morning.

Pansy glared at Harry, despite the fact that Draco had spoken, and Draco was forcibly reminded about what Harry had said regarding Pansy's crush on him. "Are you sure you don't want to come, Draco?"

"Positive. I prefer the company in here, but thank you for the offer anyway." Ignoring any further propriety, not that his comment could have been construed as proper, particularly by any of their parents, anyhow, he opened his book and propped it up against Harry's chest as he picked up on where he'd last left off, one hand absent mindedly moving to play with Harry's hair, moving only to turn pages. Draco heard Theo snort under his breath at the just this side of polite answer but he ignored it and continued with his book silently.

"Is Tracey with you?" Daphne asked the pug faced girl.

"Yes, she and Millicent, and some of the others of our group."

"I'll come with you." She moved Harry's feet carefully off of her lap, but covered him with her outer cloak so he didn't get cold during his rest. "I'll see you when we get to school," she said to the four boys, though only three were able to acknowledge what she said. She had just worn her school uniform to the train station as she had Flooed in with her parents.

"See you later Daphne, save us a seat at the Slytherin table, would you?" Draco asked, knowing she would be the first of the five of them to be sorted.

She grinned. "Of course. But I claim a seat next to Harry." The blonde brushed a hand through the sleeping boy's hair playfully. "Come on, Parkinson, let's go meet up with the others."

There was almost a visible sigh of relief as the girls left. Pansy had it bad for Draco, even at this early of an age, and it made all of them physically uncomfortable. Theo was the first to speak.

"So you and Harry are acting different."

Draco put his book aside. "What?"

"You guys have always been close, but even just today, you guys are just more...together, if that makes sense. It's like you don't care about anything or anyone else. Before, you would have been nice to Pansy, if only to appease her parents, but now..."

Blaise picked up the string of thought. "You got even more protective of him than usual. When Daphne sat by his feet, you immediately latched on to him, ready to take hold if she tried anything, not that she would. You've always been protective of him but now it's almost more...possessive."

Draco sighed. "We can explain when we get to school. It's nothing that we can say where we might be overheard. It's important, and we aren't ashamed, but we kind of want to keep it quiet for now." He yawned and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I'm sorry, guys. I'm just-"

"Tired." Blaise and Theo grinned together. "We know."

Blaise continued alone. "You both always sleep when we travel, particularly long distances."

"We brought things to keep us occupied, for when you fell asleep."

Draco smirked sleepily. "Are we that predictable?"

"Pretty much."

He chuckled. "Then you can protect us and make sure nobody does anything stupid." He turned slightly in the seat so he was leaning more against the corner of the compartment, moving one leg carefully to bracket Harry, slouching down so the raven's head was pillowed on his stomach rather than his thigh. It was only moments before he, too drifted off into sleep.

When they were given the 15 minute warning, Blaise woke Draco first who, in turn, woke Harry. Pansy was immediately on them as they were called to the boats. "Sorry, Parkinson, Theo and I already called dibs on riding with Draco and Harry," Blaise said smugly as the four climbed into a boat, ignoring her protests that they had already ridden with Draco during the entire train ride.

She glared as she was forced into a boat with the latest Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and a bushy haired girl that none of them recognized. Tracey and Daphne were in a boat with Crabbe and Goyle, whom they mostly only tolerated, but would protect either of the girls without a second thought.

They listened as McGonagall gave them the rules with half an ear, having heard them enough times from Severus, and again as they were lead into the Great Hall and the sorting hat sang its song. Harry sidled closer as he listened to the song and slid his hand into Draco's loose fingers. The blond immediately squeezed Harry's hand lightly before interlocking their fingers and bringing Harry's arm around his waist so the raven haired boy was hugging him from behind. Harry tilted his chin so he could speak softly into Draco's ear. "What if they split us up?"

Draco could feel the odd looks from their peers at their actions, but he didn't care as he pulled Harry around in front of him so he could speak to the younger boy's ear more easily. "I won't let them," he hissed urgently. "You are mine and nobody will take you from me. Not again."

Ever since he could remember, the nights that they slept apart, he awoke with a terror. He felt as if he could no longer feel Harry until a good five or more minutes after he had awoken and calmed enough to feel of their bond himself. They knew the story of what had happened after Harry's parents had first died, they had grown up knowing it, and he knew that that was where the feeling of loss had stemmed from, and Draco had sworn on his magic, that first night after they'd gotten their wands after Harry had fallen asleep with his head lying on Draco's stomach, that he would do everything that he could to prevent further separation from his soul mate.

He wrapped his arms fully around Harry's waist and nuzzled his nose into the back of Harry's head. "You are mine and no silly old hat is going to split us up."

Draco listened with half an ear as McGonagall called the names of their peers. He figured Harry would learn them and he could pick up on it as he went if necessary. He did not care for the majority of them that he did know and it was probably a safe assumption that he wouldn't like the others. Finally, his name was called.

Draco lifted his chin slightly and stepped forward, not allowing his nerves to get the best of him before the sorting. He held on to Harry's fingers until they were both stretched to the full before releasing his hand to quickly sit on the stool. He turned and sat on the familiar seat for the first time in his life (Severus had always caught him when he was younger and tried to get the hat on when they managed to sneak into the Great Hall during previous sortings).

"Ah, Master Malfoy, I was wondering when I would be seeing you...oh, but what is this...you have been sorted by me once before? Slytherin, eh, not a bad choice, but you are not the same person that you were in that timeline, now are you? You have your other half to consider this time, don't you." Draco found his mind automatically drifting to memories and images of Harry. "Ah...well that does change things, now doesn't it? Slytherin does not quite fit the both of you, particularly not any longer, although perhaps..." There was a long stretch of silence. "Yes, I see...Yes, I do believe the pair of you shall flourish together while separately...no, together it will be. Therefore, it better be..."