Chapter Text
It was quiet in Hogwarts as everyone was heading for Hogsmeade. Harry was sad as he could not go with his friends. If he hadn’t blown his Aunt Marge up, things might have been different.
Another problem was that Sirius Black was on the loose.
Harry felt heartbroken when he waved back at his friends while they were leaving for Hogsmeade.
Harry saw Draco and his gang too. Pansy was laughing at him, and so were Crabbe and Goyle.
But Draco had a different look on his face. He was not enjoying Harry’s misery this time, which was very weird for Harry to think about.
Things changed when the young Weasley twins came to save Harry by giving him the Marauder’s Map and information about the secret passages that led straight to Hogsmeade.
Harry could not have asked for more, and he decided to check it out.
It took a lot of time, hardships, and the Invisibility Cloak to reach Hogsmeade.
But Harry was there at last, in the basement of Honeydukes.
Harry was happy. He wanted to meet Ron and tell him how he reached there. Harry was excited. He got out of Honeydukes as fast as he could, but where could he find Ron?
He started strolling around. There was snow everywhere. Harry was feeling cold but, at the same time, happy because Hogsmeade looked so soothing covered in snow.
Looking around here and there, Harry didn’t realize that something was coming straight toward him.
As he collided with something in front of him, he fell backward. His Invisibility Cloak was still intact, but someone was on top of him.
It was Draco. Draco was so close to him that he could sense his hot breath on his cold cheeks.
Harry didn’t move at all. He knew he was doomed. He knew that now Draco would know he was in Hogsmeade and tell everyone.
He knew that Draco would run to Snape and tell him how Harry broke so many school rules, and Snape would do anything in his power to degrade Harry.
Especially now, Draco would know about his secret Invisibility Cloak.
Harry closed his eyes, hoping that Draco would just get up and leave him alone, somehow thinking that he had tripped or collided with a ghost or someone’s magic—but it didn’t happen.
Suddenly, Draco whispered in his ear, “Don’t move, Potter, or everyone will know you are here.”
Harry felt astonished. Wait… what? Draco was telling him to stay hidden—but why?
Harry knew something was wrong, but he lay still as if Draco’s words were a command.
He didn’t move.
Draco got up and stood there, waiting for some time until most people were gone.
Suddenly, Draco reached down, grabbed Harry, and pulled him up.
Harry’s cloak started slipping down, but Draco managed to put it back on his body before anyone noticed.
Draco grabbed Harry’s hand through the cloak and started walking away from the main street, pulling Harry along with him.
As they were heading forward, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle were marching toward them. Draco suddenly stopped and hid behind a barrel in the corner of the street, leaving Harry standing there.
Harry thought, What’s wrong with him today? Was he hiding from Pansy and the others? Harry thought he should hide too, but then he realized he was already hidden.
Pansy and Crabbe were talking loudly as they marched toward the Three Broomsticks.
“Where did he go? Haven’t you seen him leaving?” Pansy cried.
“I was talking to Goyle about today’s breakfast. You were supposed to talk to Draco.”
“What do you mean I was supposed to talk to him? I did try talking to him today, but he didn’t reply to me even a single time. He was thinking about something, and I was busy buying myself this beautiful scarlet purse. You should have kept your eyes on him.”
“So what now?” Goyle interrupted.
“Let’s eat something at the Three Broomsticks. He’ll find us,” Crabbe replied.
All three of them went to the Three Broomsticks.
“This is what you call friends,” Harry smirked, but then he realized Draco couldn’t see him through the cloak.
Draco stood up, grabbed Harry again, and took him to a deserted street near the Shrieking Shack.
He pulled the Invisibility Cloak away from Harry and looked him in the eye.
Draco’s eyes were red, and he was angry.
Harry didn’t understand what was going on. He stood there without speaking a word.
“What is the meaning of this, Potter? Are you out of your mind?”
“What do you mean? Aren’t you going to sell me out? I thought you would tell your friends, and together you would hand me over to Snape—but I guess you want all the fame for yourself.”
Draco’s expression suddenly changed from anger to disappointment.
The cloak he had in his hand slipped through his fingers.
Harry felt weird seeing such a sudden change in Draco’s expression.
“I… I am not going to do anything like that,” Draco said in a feeble voice.
Harry shrugged. He couldn’t believe Draco was saying something like that.
“Then why did you pull me away? Weren’t you taking me to a teacher to turn me in?”
“Can you see any teacher around you, Potter? I didn’t think you were this dumb.”
“But I thought you were taking me to Snape and handing me and my cloak over to him,” Harry said.
“If I wanted to, I would have turned you and your cloak over to Snape ages ago. And yes, I knew you had this magical cloak from your starting year at Hogwarts.”
Harry was shocked. How could Draco have known this? He had never used it in front of him. Still, how did he know his secret—and how many other secrets did he know about him?
“H-how…?” Harry stuttered.
“For the past three years, you’ve been doing so many reckless things. Do you really think I wouldn’t notice this piece of cloth you carry around all the time?”
“Well then, if you don’t want to turn me in, what do you want?”
“I don’t want anything. I just want you to go back to school.”
“And why would you want me to go back?”
“For your own safety, Potter, you idiot. Black is out there waiting for you, and you’re giving him every chance to take your life.”
Draco came closer to Harry, taking his hand in his palm.
“Your hands are cold. Why didn’t you wear your gloves, moron?”
Draco removed his gloves and handed them to Harry.
“Wear them, Potter, or you’ll freeze.”
“What about you then? Why would Draco Malfoy care if Harry Potter is cold or not? I think it would be a funny story for you to tell your friends—how Harry Potter became an ice popsicle in front of you.”
Draco chuckled.
“That’s true, Potter, but still—not today. Now I want you to go back to school the way you came. I don’t want you to be in any kind of danger.”
“That’s very considerate of you, Malfoy, but I can’t digest this so-called care of yours.”
Draco blushed with embarrassment.
He pushed Harry away into the snow. Harry fell to the ground, getting shoved into it.
“You know what, Potter? That’s enough. I’m done with you. No matter how many times I try to do something for you, you never acknowledge me. You only care about that filthy Weasley and that Granger. You never considered me.”
Harry stood up furiously and shouted back at Malfoy, “Don’t talk about my friends like that! You are nothing but a spoiled brat who doesn’t care about others’ feelings.”
Draco replied angrily, “You—! You’re talking about others’ feelings?
You always hated me, Potter. I wanted to be your friend, and what did you do?
You degraded me in front of others. You turned me down without giving me a second chance or helping me understand my mistakes. You left me for that stupid Weasley.”
Harry countered Malfoy with more rage. He screamed at Draco and pushed him against the wall behind him. “What about all the bad things you’ve done to me after that? You always made my life miserable.”
Harry was angry. How could someone—especially Draco—accuse him like this?
Draco’s expression became desperate. His face and eyes were red. He replied urgently, his voice high-pitched.
“I know… I know I’ve done so many bad things, and I’ve hurt you so many times—but not because I hated you. I just wanted you to notice me. You left me only that one way possible. You refused to be my friend. You never even looked at me unless I did something to grab your attention.
I know… you’re famous and popular, and that’s why you’re so ruthless.
Why would famous Harry Potter want to be friends with someone like me?
A Slytherin, who is cunning and evil.
I know you hate me because I’m a Malfoy.
Because I’m a Slytherin.”
Draco’s face was red. His eyes were full of tears, ready to fall at any moment.
Harry stood still in shock, looking at Malfoy—first with anger, then with pity.
Harry had never seen this side of Draco. It was new and strange to him. Though he thought he shouldn’t care, seeing Draco like this made his heart ache a little.
That spoiled brat who laughed at others’ misery was crying in front of him—
only to be noticed once.