Chapter Text
One thing that everyone has learned after years of being in the same Potions class as Harry Potter is that Harry is pants at Potions. Harry has managed to catch up in all of his class after the war except for Potions. He's just not good at it, he can't measure ingredients properly, he miscounts while stirring, he stirs clockwise when he should stir counter-clockwise and vis versa and he just doesn't have the patience to conjure up a passing potion for his finals.
Unfortunately for Harry, he needed to pass his Potions class in order to graduate regardless of being the Savior of the Wizarding World. There were no free passes at Hogwarts, it was one of the best wizarding schools in the world for a good reason. Harry spoke to Professor Slughorn to see what could be done to obtain a passing grade, the options were slim. Harry could do a lot of extra papers on potions or he could get a tutor. Neither option suited Harry's liking but then he realized one of his best friends was a genius, she would surely help him.
"I'm sorry, Harry but I'm swamped with extra assignments to get into the Ministry, for early admission, of course and Ron is studying for Auror admissions so the hour or so of spare time I have is to eat and see Ron before we both go back to hitting the books. I would love to tutor you but I just don't have the time. Did Slughorn suggest anyone else?" Hermione spoke while looking up from her massive textbook before jotting down a few notes.
"I didn't ask because I assumed you would be able to but I'll ask him after lunch if there's anyone he knows that isn't too busy to tutor me." Harry sighed with a bit of panic, he didn't really want anyone else to tutor him, he knew Hermione would be patient with him, what if he couldn't learn from someone else?
"I'm sorry, Harry. I'm sure Slughorn will find someone suitable to tutor you and you'll graduate on time." Hermione smiled softly at him before flipping the page of her book and reading again.
"It's okay 'mione, I know you're really busy. I'm sure you're right, it'll be fine." Harry's smile felt a little forced as he worried silently.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Malfoy?!? You want Malfoy to tutor me?!" Harry stood wide eyed with his mouth hanging open in shock and fear as Slughorn nodded slightly.
"Mister Malfoy is one of my best students besides Miss Granger and he isn't nearly as busy as she currently is, from what I've heard, Mister Malfoy is simply focused on graduating with good grades and isn't taking an extra activities." Slughorn sat down at his desk while Harry continued to look shocked.
"Sir, Malfoy and I don't get on, we've been fighting for years. How are we supposed to act civilized enough for him to tutor me and for me to learn from him?" Harry ran a hand through his hair while trying to collect his thoughts.
"Mister Potter, there really isn't anyone else who can tutor you for your final and from my understanding, Mister Malfoy hasn't gotten into any fights at all this term and he has been keeping very quiet. I think, Mister Potter, you should give it a chance. I suppose you could write essays instead to pass Potions but I have a feeling you would prefer to avoid that. I've already talked to Mister Malfoy and he is willing to look past your differences to tutor you so I should hope you do the same." Slughorn took out his quill and started to write a letter, suggesting that the conversation was over.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Blimey mate, that's tough luck! Are you going to do it?" Ron asked while shoving some chicken in his mouth and downing some pumpkin juice (Ron was always hungry).
"It's either that, write Potion essays for the rest of term or fail and not graduate so I guess I have to do it. I don't know what to expect. Have you even talked to Malfoy this term?" Harry sipped his pumpkin juice and leaned closer to his friends.
"No one has, Harry. He doesn't talk to anyone, most of the Slytherins didn't come back after the war and the ones that did, don't bother with Malfoy at all. Apparently he spends a lot of his time in the library studying, although he's doing better than me in three classes and doesn't need the extra study time. I honestly think he's just trying to distract himself from how lonely he is." Hermione spoke softly while Ron munched on some corn on the cob and nodded in agreement.
"Maybe it won't be so bad, mate. He seems to have lost his venom, he seems almost numb." Ron looked over at Malfoy who was sitting alone at one end of the Slytherin table. Malfoy ate slowly and stared at his plate, looking bored and a bit lost.
"I suppose you're right." Harry looked and Malfoy and frowned slightly.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Slughorn had told Harry to stay after Potions for his first tutoring session as Malfoy and him would need the equipment that can only be found in the classroom. Harry stayed while Slughorn packed up and grew ever more nervous. Harry wasn't sure what to expect, would Malfoy be rude, would he be quiet, would he be the way he was before the war? Harry was at a loss and not knowing what to expect made him fidget with anxious energy.
Malfoy walked in five minutes after Slughorn left, walking right up to the front of the class with a blank expression on his face. He put his books down and began to write a few things on the board. Harry wasn't too sure what to do so he just watched while Malfoy wrote out some numbers and some letters.
"Potter, I'm going to teach you a few tricks in remembering measurements for ingredients since according to Slughorn, that's your biggest issue." Malfoy said softly without any sarcasm or bite.
"Oh, okay. Should I take notes?" Harry stammered.
"It may help you remember, so I suggest that you do." Malfoy turned back to the board and began to teach without effort and to Harry's surprise, he was actually understanding what was being taught.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"How did it go, mate? Ron spoke from his bed, looking up from his Auror manual.
"Surprisingly well, Malfoy is a good teacher and he wasn't mean at all. He was really quiet and patient, it was kind of strange." Harry said while changing into his sleep shirt.
"That is strange but if it helps you pass, who cares, right?" Ron smiled at Harry before closing his Auror manual and turning off his light.
"Right." Harry replied while contemplating if that was the truth. Maybe he should care, why was Malfoy like that? Why does Malfoy always look like he's lost or numb? Harry was conflicted.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Potions class ended and Harry remained for his next session of tutoring which according to Slughorn seemed to already be helping based on Harry's work in class. Malfoy showed up just after Slughorn left and walked to the board once again.
"Today we are going to learn about proper stirring, speed, direction, duration, etc. Every potion needs a different stirring technique in order for the ingredients to blend properly. Okay?" Malfoy began to write down categories of potions in order to profile stirring techniques, making it easier for Harry to remember.
"Right, uhm, Malfoy?" Harry asked quietly.
"Yes?" Malfoy replied without turning to face Harry.
"I know you didn't have to do this and it's taking an hour out of your day that you could spend doing something else, well what I'm trying to say is, thank you. Thank you for tutoring me." Harry sighed, he felt better for saying it.
"Right, uh, your welcome, Potter." Malfoy still didn't face him, he couldn't. Draco tried to take a deep breath and calm himself, no one has said anything nice to him since he returned. Most students either spat insults or ignored him completely. Draco steadied himself before continuing his lesson.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Harry was about to get his first test results back since he started his tutoring sessions with Malfoy and he was way more nervous than he thought he would be, he wasn't sure how he did. The entire test felt like a blur and he wasn't sure if he did well enough to pass.
"Well Mister Potter, I'm quite surprised. Congradulations." Professor Slughorn passed Harry a paper that contained his grade, he got a D+. He passed. It wasn't the best grade in the world but he passed! Harry smiled and showed Hermione, who smiled proudly and nudged Ron to look, who gave a thumbs-up.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Harry was still smiling when Malfoy walked in for their next lesson. Malfoy rarely looked at Harry but he noticed that Harry was smiling and gave him an odd look.
"Why are you smiling so much?" Malfoy asked while setting up his books and ingredients.
"I passed my last test, I didn't get the best grade but I passed! Thank you, Malfoy" Harry spoke enthusiastically while continuing to smile.
"Oh, well then I suppose we now know that my method of teaching you is successful. I will keep teaching you in that manner, then." Malfoy gave one short nod before turning to the board.
"Wait, can't we take a moment to celebrate that I passed?" Harry asked but Draco's back went stiff at the suggestion.
"You can celebrate with your friends after our lesson, Potter. I still have much to teach you, today I was going to teach you about timing and the colours of potions to know when they're done." Malfoy continued to face the board and draw a colour wheel.
"My friends are too busy for me and you're the one that helped me, I just thought, nevermind." Harry began to take notes of what Draco was writing on the board. Draco paused for a moment processing what Harry had said but then continued to teach.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Harry was late for class, Harry was very late and running to class. He had stayed up late studying the notes he had taken during Malfoy's lesson and slept in. He was running and not paying attention to his surroundings when you hit someone around a corner and went down hard.
"Merlin! I'm so sorry, I'm late for Transfigurations and I wasn't looking!" Harry apologized before looking at who he hit.
"It's fine, it happens at the time, at least you didn't do it on purpose." Draco said while grabbing the few books he had dropped.
"Oh Malfoy, I'm so sorry. Wait, it happens to you all the time? People do that to you on purpose?" Harry asked while dusting off his robes.
"It's fine, Potter. I'm used to it, go on to class." Draco avoided eye contact.
"No, wait, I didn't know people were bullying you. I just thought you were keeping to yourself, avoiding everyone." Harry looked at Draco with worried eyes.
"I...I don't have any friends and when people do talk to me, it's to insult me so that's why I don't talk to anyone. I took the tutoring job to avoid being bullied before dinner and to talk to someone, even if it was just to teach something." Draco looked at his shoes.
"Oh," Harry didn't know what to say, he felt awful, "Malfoy...do you want to eat lunch with me today?" He didn't know what possessed him to ask but he didn't really want to take it back either.
"I don't need your pity and why would you want to damage your reputation?" Draco said with a little bit of his old bite.
"It's not pity, you're actually not a bad person and I'd like to start over, if you want. My reputation is going to my head anyway." Harry smiled and laughed lightly while Draco gave a small half smile in return.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Uhm, Harry, are you aware Malfoy is following you?" Ron asked looking somewhat surprised.
"He's going to eat with us today," Harry sat down while Malfoy stood hesitantly beside the Griffindor table, Harry looked up at Draco, "Well, come on, sit down." Harry smiled as Draco sat beside him slowly and avoided eye contact with everyone else.
"Everyone is staring," Draco whispered to Harry, "Maybe this isn't a good idea." Draco began to rise but Harry's hand grabbed his hand, stopping him.
"Stay, ignore them." Harry held Draco's hand while Draco sat back down, Draco thought Harry would stop holding his hand once he sat back down but Harry continued to hold his hand under the table, frankly Draco didn't hate it, it was comforting, an anchor.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Draco and Harry began speaking outside of their tutoring lessons, Harry's Potions grade continued to get better and people weren't bullying Draco as much, at least not when Harry was around. Harry wasn't always around though, some sixth year kids chose those moments to attack Draco.
"No Potter today, Malfoy? Don't have the Savior to protect you? Why does he even bother with you? Are you paying him? Oh wait, your family lost all their money! You must be blackmailing him or you've got him under some sort of spell!" The tall sixth year pushed Draco into a wall and laughed with a few others.
"Seriously, what would Potter want with you?" Another boy said before hexing Draco and sending a shock of pain through his body.
"You're just a no good Death eater!" The smallest boy yelled as he went to kick Draco in the stomach, then all four boys began beating Draco as he tried not to cry. The boys were out of luck though because someone heard all the yelling.
"Hey! Stop that!" Harry yelled while running toward them, he quickly used a disarming spell on them and raised his wand to them.
"Oh look! It's the Savior, tell us Potter, why do you bother with this pure blood bastard?"
"He's my friend, he hasn't done anything to anyone this term and he deserves to be left alone. We all did things in the war that we regret, get over it and fuck off! I will not hesitate to hex you." Harry stood his ground while the boys ran off with puzzled looks on their faces. Once they were gone, Harry knelled beside Draco to assess the damage.
"You didn't have to do that, Harry." Draco said with a wince.
"I did actually and did you just call me Harry?" Harry smiled.
"It may have slipped out, sorry." Draco was okay enough to stand so he did slowly but Harry insisted on supporting most of Draco's body weight by wrapping his arm around Draco's waist and Draco's arm around his shoulder.
"No no, it's good. I'd like it if we could be on a first name basis. We're friends now, Draco." Harry smiled brightly and helped Draco to the hospital wing.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After tutoring, Harry decided he wanted to have some fun and since Hermione and Ron were too busy, he was going to ask Draco to join him instead. Harry was a little hesitant to ask because what he wanted to do was a bit frowned upon but it was Friday night and he had had a long week.
"Draco, would you like to hang out with me tonight?" Harry asked while packing up his notes.
"Okay, what did you have in mind?" Draco asked while also packing away his things.
"Well...I have some Fire whiskey and sometimes I like to go sit on one of the roofs with Hermoine and Ron and we tell stories, play dumb games and drink. It's fun but they're busy all the time now so I haven't done it in a long time. I was thinking since we're friends now, maybe you'd like to join me?" Harry bit his lip waiting to be shut down.
"Oh, uhm, okay. I wasn't expecting that but it sounds like it could be fun. I'll just put my books away and meet you by your common room's door?" Draco asked while smiling.
"That sounds great, we won't get caught, I have my cloak."
"Perfect." Draco smiled even more, he was strangely excited, he wasn't too sure why. Maybe because he finally had a real friend after months of being secluded.
Part 1 of 2