A/N: I haven't posted for about a year, my apologies, dearest readers. I shall endeavour to rectify this matter by posting now. I love the positive feedback and am astounded by the amount of people that read/follow my story *mind blows*

I'm going to be going faster soon, Harry's first year can move on soon. Oh and I'm going to make Harry more evil as the story progresses, don't worry :P

Wordcount:1083

Chapter 17

Harry was relieved that the Christmas break was over, not just because the Compulsion Web might be dealt with, but also because Draco was still such a child, and he wasn't anymore.

It was a dreary day, the rain was pouring from the heavens, drenching anyone that had the audacity to walk outside. Harry was amused, Draco looked like a drowned rat, with his pointy chin and honour, he didn't have the Malfoy grace right then. Sylas was curled up around his shoulders under his robes.

When they got to the castle they headed for the dungeons to get cleaned up. There was a particular satisfaction to peeling off soaked clothes to go soak yourself even more under heavenly warm water. Getting dressed in warm, dry clothes was so gratifying.

Harry didn't want to go to dinner, he'd rather have just curled up in bed to fall asleep, but he was hungry, and his body got to grow again, how he loved that.

He studied in the library diligently, he'd not really paid enough attention in his first year back when he was in Gryffindor, so he made up for it now. He also hadn't realised that there was so much in the way of pureblood etiquette. He needed a discreet tutor. Someone he could trust to keep their mouths shut, preferably someone who wouldn't blab to Dumbledore or put him in too much debt. A Slytherin would be the most discreet and there was no loyalty lost to Dumbledore. He needed a pureblood that had been taught the old ways.

Tom was interested in teaching him, but demonstrations were in order and going into the diary wasn't very pleasant. He had to look through all of the Slytherin females.

He also knew that the older Slytherins would take advantage of the situation. That narrowed his search quite a bit. Pansy was out of the question, she was too snooty, loud and the news of the 'Great Harry Potter' debasing himself to asking a fellow Slytherin to ask about etiquette because he never got it would spread like Fiendfyre. He couldn't help his ignorance, but it would be something he would be looked down at for. He was not going to appear weak. He didn't really know Millicent Bulstrode and Daphne Greengrass, so he was going to look into them.

First he'd tail them and then make his decision; in the meantime he would continue working on his body, nutrition, posture and learning the theory behind etiquette. Etiquette lessons weren't the only thing he was after though. He'd heard from Tom that the darker purebloods had extensive libraries containing very important and potentially useful information, so making contacts was essential to surviving Slytherin and grown-up society.

His plans were very small at the moment, there was only so much you could do being a student at Hogwarts and not being an adult. He'd just started gaining people's respect being a young man.

Being a twerp again wasn't very nice, with all the older years fawning over his cuteness, squeezing his chubby cheeks.

Confronting Daphne about the lessons was not too difficult; he saw her walking to class with her chin rested against the books clutched against her chest. "Daphne?"

She looked up, startled out of her reverie.

"Yes?" Her voice was soft; she was quite a shy and fragile looking girl. That's what cemented his decision to approach her, she wasn't as likely to snitch on him.

"I have a request to make of you."

"Yes?"

"Could we maybe move this to another location, it is of a rather personal nature."

"Sure."

So they moved to a classroom close by, he cast a wordless 'Muffliato' to keep people from listening in. He forewent the locking charm, since it wasn't his intention to scare the little girl.

"I was wondering if you would do me a favour, I have been noticing my etiquette is.. lacking. This is because I was raised by muggles."

She gasped, holding a hand in front of her mouth. She looked scandalised.

Then she composed her face. "What is the reason you want to learn etiquette?"

"I wish to be able to fit into society without embarrassing myself." He blushed when saying this.

She nodded pensively. "What are you willing to give me for the lessons, I understand this is something you want to repeat?"

He nodded, surprised by her request, he couldn't hold it against her though, she had been sorted into Slytherin and her family had a long line of Slytherins.

"A future favour you may use when you please."

Her eyes widened, people didn't say things like this unless they expected that other person would not abuse it, lots of trust was needed.

Her eyes narrowed and then she nodded. "All right."

It sounded like she rushed the words so that he couldn't take them back.

They shook hands sealing the contract, he tapped their joint hands with his wand, followed by her doing the same. Then they crossed their wands and made eye contact. It wasn't an unbreakable vow, but it was solid enough that the other person would not sleep soundly for an entire year, which was a pretty good incentive not to break it.

Then she spoke up. "When do we start?"

"Tomorrow, after classes in this classroom?"

"See you then." She swept out of the room, her robes curling around the doorframe as she made the sharp turn walking down the corridor.

Harry let a smirk flash across his face. He'd gotten his lessons, and she had something to hide behind that innocent façade, he was intrigued.

I know it's short, but I'd edited my 1st chapter and didn't want to tease you guys, I hope it's all right, I really had to squeeze this one in. Writer's block sucks.

Sophie~