Chapter Text
It was the 7th week of their 5th year and Harry was feeling more at peace than he'd been in months. He had finally completed all of his detentions with Umbridge and had weekly DA meetings to look forward to. The only problem was staying under the radar; he couldn't afford drawing more attention to himself. The last thing he needed was to get into more trouble, especially with Umbridge using any excuse to get him in detention.
As Harry slouched into the grimy, cold dungeons, trying not to falter under Snape's harsh glare, the greasy git announced he would be choosing who would work with who from now on. Naturally, Harry wasn't too surprised when Snape decided to make him work with his least favourite student in the whole of Hogwarts: Draco Malfoy.
"Bad luck mate." Muttered Ron with a quick pat on Harry's back before he strode off towards his partner, Hermione.
Harry took a deep breath and prayed that Malfoy would have the decency to not make this harder than it needed to be.
"Out of the way Potter." Snarled Malfoy as he shoved his way past Harry towards the cauldrons.
"Oh well." Thought Harry glumly.
He really should've known better.
Trailing after Malfoy like a lost puppy, Harry peered over Malfoy's shoulder to watch him add various ingredients to to the potion. Today's torment, under the guise of learning, was a forgetting potion. Feeling a bit usless as Malfoy stood, posture straight, stiring the potion, Harry decided to speak up.
"Ummm what can I do to help?"
"Moving to a different school would be lovely but i'm afraid one can only dream." Malfoy retorted in that annoyingly posh voice of his, without looking up from his cauldron.
Sometimes Harry didnt know why he bothered.
"Hey! I'm only trying to help there's no need to-"
"Listen Potter," Interrupted Malfoy now turning to face Harry., "There is zero chance of us ever getting along with each other so I suggest you make yourself useful by buggering off somewhere where I dont have to look at your ugly, scarred face."
And with that he turned back around to continue the potion, looking a little more smug than usual.
Feeling all patience slip away, Harry felt his temper rise.
"You can't make the whole potion by yourself anyway." Harry snapped. He could feel the eyes of several of his classmates on them both.
"Can't I?" Snarked Malfoy
The cheeky bastard.
"Give it to me." Harry demanded reaching over to the ladel clutched in the other boy's hands.
"Oh Potter, do be reasonable" continued the blonde, "I'm almost finished. There's no need to mess it up now." The corners of Malfoy's mouth, normally twisted down in scorn, lifted ever so slightly into a smirk as he met Harry's eyes.
Harry saw red. He punched Malfoy in the face, right on his cheek. Gasps echoed around the dungeons.
Malfoy, seemingly so caught off guard, fell backwards instantly with a yelp, knocking over the cauldron and spilling the contents all over himself. Harry froze, mouth opened slightly as his rage was quickly replaced by shock and concern. Malfoy now lay on the floor, clearly unconscious.
His platinum blonde hair, normally in pristine condition, was now ruffled with his bangs covering the majority of his face but Harry could still see his eyes were closed. Looking up from Malfoy, Harry saw Snape marching towards him, face full of fury. Harry shuddered to think just how much trouble he was going to get into for this. Knocking the average student unconscious was a punishable offence but knocking Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin, son of Lucius Malfoy and Snape's favourite, unconscious was an unfathomably dangerous affair to be involved in.
"Say bye-bye to that House Cup" mused Harry miserably.
Professor Snape swept past Harry to crouch down next to Malfoy. After a moment or two of Snape checking for what Harry could only assume were signs of life, he got back up and summoned a stretcher. After carefully levitating Malfoy up onto the stretcher, he turned to face Harry.
"Potter," Snape stated in a monotone voice and Harry swore that if looks could kill, he'd be looking more dead than Malfoy right now, "come with me."
Hesitating at the door Snape spoke over his shoulder to the rest of the class that had completely abandoned the potion the second Harry's fist met with malfoy's face. "I expect you all to have completed this forgetting potion by the time I return." He drawled, "Anyone who fails to do so will join Mister Potter in detention." (There was a collective groan as he said this). He then glided out of the room, the floating Malfoy trailing behind him.
As Harry moved towards the door to follow, he caught Hermione's eye. She somehow managed to convey a look of concern and disappointment all at once. Harry looked down, avoiding all other penetrating eyes of his classmates and left the dungeons.