Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

Author: Shadow YukiAngel

Title: Building Bridges

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Harry Potter and make no money from this; I'm just playing with scenarios and characters created by J. K. Rowling of which all the rights go.

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**Chapter 1 - Beginning of the Bridge**

"Why not go and talk to him them?" Blaise suggested with feigned interest as he finally pulled his gaze from watching the Irish Gryffindor across the hall to pay attention to the group's conversation. Even though he had paid little attention to his housemate's rants he was easily able to catch onto the source and reason of Draco's annoyance; Potter was all Draco ranted about after all. It had been amusing to begin with, something to tease the blonde about if you wanted to play with the thrill of a dangerously angry Malfoy heir. After three years, though, of constant whining, bitching and ranting about Gryffindor's golden boy (five years if you counted the first two years of obsession) it was old and irritating. Even more annoyingly, Draco was all talk, not tackling the situation. Well, not the real situation which was causing the issues.

"Blaise!" Draco instantly hissed across the table to him as the other Slytherins at the table froze, looking like deer caught in headlights as they sensed the instant tension. The small group of sixth year Slytherins were not stupid; they had picked up by second year that Draco had an obsession, of whatever form, of the Boy-Who-Lived, and it started to become clear to them through fourth and fifth year what really drove the anger and 'hatred' towards Potter. Having been in Slytherin for six years, they all understood and recognised the importance of keeping hidden the emotions and desires which were thought weak and wrong among their peers, both in their house and the rest of the school. They, especially Blaise and Pansy, could understand, therefore, why Draco's crush and obsession of someone believed unattainable came out as anger. As irritating, repetitive and frustrating as it was, none of them were suicidal enough to tell Draco to get over it or do something about it. Apart from Blaise, it seemed.

"Shut up! You know perfectly well that that is not possible!" The angered hiss came from the blonde, causing the table to look at him in surprise at the near-admission of his feelings for the Gryffindor. Draco for his part was not pleased at all at the way the conversation was going; he had known that Pansy and Blaise were aware of what he didn't want to admit even to himself, but having it verbalised in front of everyone was not something that he was prepared for, nor ever wanted to happen.

Around them the rest of their year continued to dance, party and sit and chat, oblivious to the mini crisis that Draco was going through at the Slytherin table.

Blaise sighed at the panic hidden in the swirl of his friend's eyes, "Draco, look, he did not come here with a date and he has not dated anyone since Chang last year. He and his fanclub have become more tolerable this year and I still say that he's stopped picking fights with you".

"Hang on, did he not kiss Finnegan at the beginning of this year?" Theo frowned, finally getting enough courage to talk.

"That was Thomas, not Finnegan," Blaise was quick to correct. "And as it was a dare, it presents no obstacle, just the suggestion that Potter is not unattainable for a guy".

Eyebrows rose as the attention zeroed in on the dark skinned Slytherin, "And you know it was not Finnegan and was only a dare, how?" Pansy asked, suspicious.

Blaise just gave a smirk and waved his hand dismissively, "I overheard Finnegan teasing Thomas over it, not that that's of any concern. The important fact is that you should go and talk to him, Draco, make friends with him at least".

"I am sure that will go down well, a Slytherin approaching a Gryffindor to be friends, never mind trying for a relationship," Draco scoffed, a slight scowl present in response to the turmoil and fear he was experiencing.

"Well…maybe that's because no one has done it before," Daphne suggested softly. "Perhaps when one hand of friendship or relationship is formed, others will be easier to follow".

Blaise looked away from his friends to across the hall to where the Sixth year Gryffindors had gathered, Potter's gang laughing in a cluster along with that strange Ravenclaw girl. He watched them, observing, until one glanced over, sending a grin to him which he responded with a smirk as behind him his friends continued to heatedly discuss who was the best suited to form the first relationship with a Gryffindor. Blaise kept their gazes locked and raised an eyebrow at the Irishman in question, turning back to his table and standing as he drained the last of his drink a moment later having received a grin and nod.

The Slytherins stopped talking at the movement, watching him in curiosity. "Blaise, what-"

"I'll do it," Blaise cut Pansy off as he placed his empty glass down, giving them a smirk that oozed confidence as he received blinks and stunned silence from the group.

"Oh! I knew it, you do like her, do you not?!" Pansy smirked, thinking back to a previous conversation about Ginny Weasley.

Blaise's smirk grew, causing Pansy's to disappear, "I do not think that you would be able to guess my target, Pansy dear, the Gryffindor men are much more enticing are than the woman". Leaving the group in stunned silence Blaise turned and headed over to the cluster of Gryffindor's, retaining his air of graceful confidence even as eyes and gazes turned to watch him.

Reaching Potter's gang, who had all silenced at his approach, he stopped and gave a nod of greeting to them all before turning his attention to the Irishman sitting beside Dean. "I was wondering if I could speak to you for a moment, Seamus?"

"And what makes you think-"

"It's alright, Ron," Seamus interrupted as he leapt up with a grin, much to the shocked faces of his friends and the spluttering from Ron. "See you guys in a bit," he said as he grabbed Blaise's wrist to pull him away from the group and to the side, close to the dancing area.

* * *

"How in – it cannot be that easy, surely," Theo commented as the Slytherins observed from their table as Seamus and Blaise stood close together to talk, Blaise's head lowered close to Seamus' so that the two could hear over the music.

"Blaise is a smooth talker, Theo, you know that," Pansy responded, though she too looked a little shocked at how quickly the two had become comfortable in talking. "Weasley does not look too happy, though…"

"Yes, well I care nothing for him, only…." Draco cut himself off as he observed the two, his eyebrow raising as he saw Seamus move his hand onto Blaise's shoulder. He was certain that his friend had an arm around the Gryffindor's waist and had to wonder for a moment if Finnegan was drunk. Why would he let a Slytherin near him like that, otherwise? But it made him think…Finnegan didn't seem to mind that Blaise was a Slytherin, chatting and flirting to him as if it was the most ordinary thing. Perhaps it was possible then….

"Dray?" Pansy called softly to gain her friend's attention as the red and green couple began to sway and dance as they talked, bodies very close to one another. She smiled to the blonde as he looked her way, "Seems like the first friendship is on its way to being built, though I have to wonder how long before those two turn it into relationship with the way they are flirting".

"I had noticed that, yes. I suppose I am not the only one who finds a Gryffindor…..less irritating than before," he gave Pansy a pointed look, but the girl just smirked in return.

"Oh no, Draco dear, we are getting you hooked up with your Gryffindor first, then I can make my own arrangements to-" Pansy cut off as there were gasps from around the hall and a "Bloody hell…." From Theo opposite them.

The two of them looked over to the cause of shock, jaws dropping as they saw their friend lip locked with the Gryffindor, an arm holding him close around the waist while his other hand cupped the Gryffindor's jaw as they shared what looked to be quite a passionate kiss.

"Well…if Potter is anything like that, I am sure that you will have little difficulty," Pansy smirked to Draco as she pulled her gaze off of the scene.

"I am certain that Potter is not that easy, Pansy," Draco's nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought. "I want to court him and have a relationship, not just a romp in the sheets".

"Which it looks like Blaise and Finnegan are about to have," Daphne giggled lightly, gesturing to the hall door where the two had just vanished.

"Oh brilliant, let us hope they go to Finnegan's," Theo complained, giving a shudder at the thought of the other possibility.

"Slytherin is closer than Gryffindor," Pansy pointed out, grinning as Theo groaned and let his head fall onto the table.

"That's if they get that far," Daphne pointed out with a giggle, Pansy couldn't help but join in for a couple of moments before composing herself.

"Anyway, back to the point, it is your turn, Draco dear," Pansy turned her gaze to the blonde who suddenly felt a little fearful under her gaze.

* * *

"Well that was one way to spice up the party and come out," Seamus chuckled as he was pushed against a wall, leaning up to deeply kiss his Slytherin while his arms wrapped around Blaise's neck pulled him down close. He had been keeping an eye on the gorgeous dark skinned male from across the hall, wanting little more than to join him, but being back by the uncertainty of responses and his boyfriend's wishes. Once that bridge had been crossed by Blaise's approach, the Gryffindor had had little difficulty relaxing and enjoying himself in the Slytherin's company, more than happy to follow him to enjoy some alone time. He hoped his friend had the same luck.

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"So much for being right back," Dean shook his head in amused disbelief as he watched his friend leave the hall hand in hand with the dark-skinned Slytherin. Secretly though he had to admit that he was pleased that his friend had been able to meet up with his boyfriend instead of having to wallow in the fact they were still in the shadows.

"I think it's sweet that Blaise finally made a move in public," Ginny grinned as she slid into the now free seat beside him. "You could see how thrilled Seamus was."

Ron blinked as he listened to the words around him, then frowning in confusion, "A move in public?"

"Really, Ron, the two of them have been making eyes at each other all night, and also during class for the past few months. Tonight was obviously not the first time they've kissed," Hermione was quick to inform her ex-boyfriend. "They probably had concerns about how their relationship would be received and so kept quiet. It's nice that they've taken the chance so that they can realise it is possible for Gryffindors and Slytherins to get along."

"But how can Seamus trust him, though?" a look distaste on his face. "He's friends with Malfoy and the goons who have been making our lives difficult since first year. That's why Gryffindors and Slytherins can't get along, they're mean and always cause trouble for Gryffindors."

Harry looked between his friends, feeling fear blossom inside him. There had been a spark of hope at how well they had taken the news of Seamus and Blaise, however any support from Ron towards getting along with Slytherins seemed none existent. Any want to tell his friends about his interest in a certain Slytherin was crushed. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear more from his friends, but then Dean's quiet words brought him back to attention.

"It's not like Gryffindors are the friendliest to Slytherins, Ron, we all have this opinion that they are all horrible people, and so act negatively towards to them with that in mind and they react negatively which just fuels this rivalry between the houses," Dean responded quietly, drawing all eyes to him. "I wonder how they would react if we didn't react to any of the insults and just continued to try to be friendly? Would they continue cruelly with the insults or become friendly in turn and accept friendship?"

There was a lull of silence around the group for a long moment before Hermione softly broke it, "You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you?"

"Mm, ever since Seamus came to me half way through last year with the secret that he liked Zabini. Apparently being attracted to Blaise is what made him realise he likes guys, but he was too terrified to mention that at the time. I thought back to the beginning of first year, on the train, we all made friends with who we wanted, before we were placed in houses. There was nothing holding us back then, but over the years walls that separate the houses have been built. Those between Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw may have doors that can be crossed but the wall around Slytherin is pretty much out of bounds to those on both sides. What if we've lost sight of what is on the other side of that wall? What if they're just normal students like us? Sure they have different backgrounds, but so do all of us. They're still just teens like us." Dean fell silent once again, wide eyes staring at him and mouths agape as his friends tried to process the words said to them

"I've thought about it too," Luna's soft, dreamy voice drew all eyes of the group to her. Looking around above her at magical creatures only she could see, she continued. "Are they in Slytherin, the labelled evil house, because they are mean and horrible, or do they become mean and horrible as a defence because they are placed in the house which is labelled as and viewed as the evil house. Is all a self-fulfilling prophecy? Or maybe the house is just filled by Yibbity-bips that fill them with negative emotion and make them mean…." The Ravenclaw girl droned off as her thoughts turned to Yippity-bips and Wrackspurts.

Feeling almost overwhelmed by all the new information that contradicted all he had known for the last six years, Harry just watched Luna for a moment before turning to his dorm-mate opposite him, "Dean….do you think then…that we should try to break down that wall you were talking about?" he asked quietly as Hermione attempted to explain Luna and Dean's words to a confused Ron.

"I'm not sure what should be done, Harry," Dean gave a shrug. "Just that we face the problem of a divide that separates the students and makes it difficult for some couples."

"But do they want the wall torn down?" Ginny joined in quietly, looking to Dean beside her. "The way you talk it, it sounds like it's part of their defence from the views of the school, so would they want that torn down?"

Dean nodded thoughtfully, "That's true…maybe instead of breaking down this wall we should build doors instead…."

"Uh….like bridges over a gap, you mean?" Harry asked, receiving a nod from Dean and a smile from Ginny.

"Just like that, yeah. Like Seamus and Blaise have. There's the divide still there, which they are respecting, but they are making the door to join their two houses together so that they can build a relationship of some form. That door, or bridge if you like, will continue to grow as more relations grow. It will be less sudden and allow everyone to become accustomed to it. At the moment, it's just the two of them, which others might find difficult to accept," Dean explained.

"What about if…."

"Harry?" Ginny asked when her ex droned off, then looking behind her and Dean to see Draco, a very handsome Draco if she was being truthful, approaching their group. She had to wonder if the Slytherins had all drunk a potion that made them forget past misgivings or that just made them friendly.

"Malfoy! What do you-" Ron glared at his female best friend, who had her wand out, as his lips kept moving, but no sound came out.

"Hi, Draco, can we help you?" Ginny smiled to Draco over the back of the sofa, the Slytherin in question blinking at the group which was giving him mostly friendly, or at least neutral, looks. He was not expecting this, he had had been hoping for complete rejection from the group so that he could go back to Pansy with his head held high instead of talking to Potter.

"I uh…." Draco paused for mini-second, pulling himself together, his body straightening and an air of confidence being pulled out of nowhere. "Potter, I mean Harry, could I speak to you for a moment, please?"

"De-ja-vu," Ginny whispered across to Hermione with a grin, the two girls giggling quietly as Ron attempted to make his displeasure and protests known despite the silencing charm still upon him.

Harry blinked for a moment as his brain caught up with him, then glancing around him at his friends, their previous conversation still very fresh in his mind. Upon receiving supportive looks and nods he hesitatingly stood. "Uh, sure, why not?" Ignoring the silent protests from his male best friend, Harry followed the blonde away from Gryffindor territory towards more neutral ground in the hall, though he was pleased to see that they remained away from the dance floor and close to the wall.

He wasn't too sure how he felt about being alone with Malfoy. He understood what Dean and Hermione had been saying, though he was never entirely sure about Luna's words; Draco had been less confrontational recently, becoming a little more civil in classes and allowing them to pass without giving any insults or exchanging curses. Still, he couldn't just ignore the previous five years of fights, insults and confrontations, though he wished he could. Now he thought about it, he wasn't unsure about being with the Slytherin in case of an attack, it was another factor, the thing that had been niggling at the back of his mind for some time, since at least fourth year. Recently the feeling had become more intense, making him almost angry that Draco ignored him in the hall instead of insulting him. He had agonised over it for months before Hermione had made the suggestion of attraction.

Instantly Harry had rejected the idea of such a thing until a few weeks later Draco's face had been present in his mind at a time that he should have only been thinking of Ginny. That had been difficult to explain. And now he was alone with the guy he had supposedly hated for years but had recently figured out he wanted. Oh this was confusing. Not to mention, it was Malfoy!

"Harry."

"Hm? Yeah?" Harry's attention snapped from his panicked thoughts over his crush issues on Draco to watching and listening to Draco.

"I just want to start with the fact that I'm not looking for this turn out like Blaise and Seamus' conversation did," Draco said, pleased to see a pink flush spread over the Gryffindor, however he was surprised and shocked to see a hint of disappointment and upset in those beautiful emerald green eyes. Then he realised what he had said; "Not that I would be adverse to that," he hurriedly corrected, blushing himself at the admission.

"So…uh…you wouldn't mind that, then? With me, I mean?" Harry checked, a hint of a smile coming through now that the Slytherin had been reduced to the same level of nervousness. Now he just needed his own nervousness to go so that he could stop making a fool of himself.

"Not at all, but I suspect that the two of them have been building to that point for a while, and I want the chance to get to that stage instead of just jumping," Draco attempted to explain, steeling his courage for his next plan. "So I guess this is a good way to start," Draco took a breath, steadied himself and then extended his hand.

"Draco Malfoy, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Harry's smile erupted into a grin and his own hand reached out to grasp Draco's firmly. For a moment he had panicked that Draco had brought him to the side simply for a ceasefire, but he had been shocked to find himself at the thought of Draco also only wanting sex with him. This was much better than what he thought Draco wanted to talk about; he was being given a chance to not only be a friend of Draco's but also one with the potential for a relationship.

"Harry Potter, and I would like to be a friend of yours, however, about that kiss," Harry smirked and tugged the blonde to him, cupping Draco's neck as he slowly pressed their lips together. It was a soft, sweet kiss that lasted only a few moments before Harry released his new friend. "I just couldn't resist." He smiled to the blonde, happy to see the blush now over the pale cheeks.

"Yes, well," Draco felt speechless, reclaiming his hand so that he could straightening his shirt in an attempt to get back his control and resolve. He would be lying if said that he wasn't thrilled about the kiss, it had felt electric and he definitely wanted a repeat.

"As long as we have a chance to build a friendship as well, that is all."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Harry agreed with a grin. "Now, want to introduce me to your friends?"

"As long as you can put up with Pansy squealing in delight, she has been rooting for us for a while," the Slytherin rolled his eyes as he started to lead the other over to his original table, trying to decrease the swell of happiness that Harry was making an attempt to get along with his current friends. "Maybe we could invite your friends over," Draco paused as he realised that Gryffindors mightn't feel comfortable in Slytherin territory. "We could go over and join them instead…."

"Yeah, that would be good way to shock everyone," Harry chuckled. "How about you introduce me properly to your gang and then we find a table more in the middle so everyone is comfortable?"

Draco thought for a moment and then gave a nod, "That sounds suitable". He shared a slight smile with Harry and then took him to introduce to Pansy, Theo and Daphne, certain that while there were many other gaps to cross, he had made it across the first and they could continue to build other bridges.

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A/N: Thanks for reading, comments are good and are looked forward to so please let me know what you think :). I am thinking of a couple of sequels, so let me know what you think. - Yuki


	2. Chapter 2

Author: Shadow YukiAngel

Title: Building Bridges

Rating: M

A/N: Thanks go to R for your review. Here's the second chapter. It's quite a bit longer than the previous one, and it has a bit of a different tone, but I hope you all enjoy. It picks up the day after the party.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Harry Potter and make no money from this; I'm just playing with scenarios and characters created by J. K. Rowling of which all the rights go.

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**Chapter 2 - Bit by Bit We're Building This Bridge**

Hermione bit her lower lip as she clutched her pile of books closer to her chest and sped up her pace, rounding a bookcase to find yet another full table. She had come to the library for a bit of studying, but it seemed that everyone had had a similar idea; twenty minutes in and she was yet to find a table. The Gryffindor could, of course, join a group to study with, but the dilemma there was….which one.

Second year Gryffindors….they seemed more focused on hanging out and laughing than studying, not a good environment to do work. Then there was the point that she didn't want to end up doing work for them. She would help, yes, but often the younger years would attempt to have the work done for them.

There was a group of seventh year Gryffindors over at the side, but looking them over Hermione could recognise a couple of face from that morning at breakfast of people who hadn't been overly pleasant towards them for hanging out with Slytherins the night before. Definitely not that group, then.

Then there were all the blue Ravenclaw tables she had passed while looking for a space, there was a high chance some of her year were among them, but while she did get along with Ravenclaw, she was not sure what their reaction would be to asking to join them.

Hermione continued her hurried path through the library, evaluating groups of students as she passed, but she was getting desperate to open a book and work now, so when she spotted a group of green in the far corner, she made an impulsive decision.

* * *

"So come on, Blaise, tell us about last night," Pansy smiled innocently across the table to her friend. She had been absolutely thrilled the night before when Draco had finally mustered up the courage to approach the boy-who-lived, offering his hand of friendship once again, but she could not forget the actions of their dark-skinned friend. The cunning Slytherin already had several theories as to what had happened the night before, along with several depicting how the two boys had gotten to that stage.

The dark skinned Slytherin in question looked up, raising an eyebrow to the inquisitive girl, "Really, Pansy? Surely you should be interrogating Draco, instead? Not only as to the events of last night, but also as to his current whereabouts," Blaise smirked across the table, knowing exactly where their blonde friend was, and with whom.

"Oh we already know all that happened between him and Potter last night," Pansy responded, rolling her eyes as she leant forward to rest her chin on her hands, eyes fixed on Blaise.

Beside Pansy, Daphne giggled and placed down her quill to enter the conversation, "Mhm, we saw Draco's offer of friendship, their first kiss and then all the cute flirting that followed."

"I still can't believe I missed that…."

A groan from Theo, who's head was on the table next to Blaise's arm, cut into their conversation, "Do you all have to be so loud?"

"Maybe you should have been more careful on how much you drank, Theo," Daphne chided gently as she patted his shoulder. "As we really are not being that loud and I can assure you that the room is not spinning."

"Ugh…" Theo moved an arm to cover his face, bringing light giggles from the unsympathetic Daphne. Yes he was thrilled for both his friends, yes he liked to gossip along with Daphne and Blaise, and as he couldn't remember much after dancing with the female Weasley and the argument between the Weasley brother and sister, he did really want to be caught up on everything. However, he was in no position to currently enjoy the information he was given or to even join in the conversation.

"Anyway, back to the point, yes you missed seeing such a sweet moment, because you had vanished somewhere with Finnegan. I want to know what happened after you went and talked to him up to when Draco walked in on you two, and also how long you two have been seeing each other," Pansy sharply brought the conversation back on track.

"I have no idea-"

Pansy rose her head to point a finger at her victim, "Do not treat me like an idiot, Blaise Zabini. Draco told us about it this morning. As for the second, it is so obvious."

"I agree, I picked up on it a couple of months ago. If you want to keep something a secret, don't advertise it by staring at each other across halls and classrooms," a new voice drew the attention of three sets of eyes which then widened in surprise.

Blaise blinked at the bushy haired Gryffindor, taken aback by her forwardness, and also by the friendly smile that she was giving all of them. He had heard it mentioned that his friends had sat with the Gryffindors the night before, and also about Draco and Potter, of course, but this? How much had he missed last night?

"Granger."

"Hi, Zabini," Hermione just responded cheerfully, though her arms gripped her books a little nervously, as she surveyed the group, noticing a few spaces around the circular table. She really hoped that the friendliness from last night had carried over, and that she had not already overstepped the boundaries. There was also the chance that Zabini was not aware of the change in situation, which made her actions even riskier. "Mind if I join you? All other tables are taken up by loud, chatty younger years."

Pansy was the first to react, a slight smile on her face as she gestured to the free seats as her friends just continued to watch in surprise.

"Of course not, do take a sea."

"Thanks, Pansy," Hermione smiled sliding gracefully into the chair beside her new friend, ignoring any hesitation and uneasiness from the group as well as the surprised looks at the use of Pansy's first name. She was pleased that the girls at least remembered their attempt at friendship the night before but was sure that it would take time for all of them to get used to each other. "How are you today?"

"Much better than Theo, it seems, only he was silly enough to drink himself into amnesia. And yourself?"

"Good, thanks, like yourself I have no repercussions from last night. Daphne?" Hermione looked to the girl the other side of Pansy who so far had kept quiet, once again writing on the parchment in front of her.

"I am adequate, thank you," the beautiful Slytherin girl looked up to Hermione and gave a nod, though she still looked a bit uneasy. There was an uncomfortable silence until all attention shifted to Blaise as a slight snort came from him.

"Only because you are ticked off that Theo danced with Ginerva last night," Blaise just smirked to the annoyed girl at Daphne's scandalous look.

"Ugh…too loud," Theo buried his head further under his head in an attempt to block out all the loud sounds. He seemed completely unaware or unbothered that he was most recent topic.

"Blaise! That is not true and you know it!"

Hermione watched in amazement as Blaise and Pansy went into fits of laughter as Daphne just looked affronted and Theo groaned in pain and displeasure. True it was fairly controlled laughter and much quieter compared to any laughter she had ever shared with own friends, but to see the Slytherins in such a state was fascinating to the Gryffindor; it was so different to their normal, stoic controlled selves.

After a minute or so the laughter died down and Blaise turned to the Gryffindor, a slightly smug expression present from the knowledge that he had broken the ice so effectively. "So, Granger, what are you doing here without back up?"

"Well Ron's in a similar state to Theo, though he wasn't able to get out of bed. Harry's vanished and I think we can all agree to whom his company is, and as far as I know, everyone else is in bed or states of recovery, so I thought I'd come for some studying before lunch."

"Fairly similar to our group then; Draco has also vanished," Hermione saw all three Slytherin's smirk at Pansy's comment. "Theo, well, no need to verbalise his state. The rest of us-"

"You and Daphne, you mean."

"-are having an illuminating time learning what Blaise got up to last night."

Daphne seemed to have become more at ease, having placed her quill down once more and was nodding along in confirmation to what Pansy was saying, "Mm, I mean, we know some of what he got up to with Seamus, courtesy of Draco," she giggled lightly, ignoring the exchange of "He didn't see anything!" "That's not what he said," between her friends, just continuing, "but there's quite a bit missing; what was said in the hall, when they got to Blaise's bed and after they left."

"We went to my dorm but Draco and a drunk Theo came back so I walked Seamus to the Gryffindor common room and then left," Blaise deflected, raising his hands in defence. He suddenly wasn't very keen on being alone with the three girls with no backup. Theo was there, but he may not have been for all the help he was being. Then again, he'd likely be siding with the girls if he was well enough to lift his head. He had known that making his relationship with Seamus known would gather a lot of attention, but he had had no idea that his friends would require so much intimate knowledge. Blaise was a private and selfish person; he did not want to share that part of Seamus, even through stories and information, with his anyone.

There was a noise of disbelief from the lone Gryffindor as Hermione leant back in her chair, gaze fixed on Blaise. "Not even I believe that. I came down this morning to see Seamus entering the common room. So either he was coming in from a night out, or he was returning from sneaking someone out of the dorm, judging by his pyjamas."

Two heads span to look at speechless Blaise, the Slytherin staring at Hermione before giving a shrug, looking less shaken than he was. "So we spent the night together in Shay's dorm, so?" A moment later he instantly regretted trying to take the nonchalant response as the three girls erupted into giggles.

"Ooh, Shay is it?"

"Braving the lion's den to be with him, how sweet."

"What I wouldn't give to see the others' faces when they find out."

Blaise's eyes widened slightly and his fingers clenched, the only signs of his panic as he leant forward to hiss, "You cannot tell them!"

Hermione just smiled and waved her hand dismissively, though inside she was cooing at the cuteness of a protective Blaise Zabini. Once again she noticed how surprised the Slytherins seemed at how unintimidated and relaxed she was. "Like I'm going to make Seamus a target. He can tell them when he's ready, just like I kept quiet and allowed you two to make your own move." This comment put the other two girls back into their giggles.

"And what a sweet move it was."

"In front of the whole year too."

"Ugh, my head…"

"Aww, poor Theo," Daphne patted the other's arm as she became distracted from the conversation. "Think he's learnt his lesson yet?" she looked to her two companion Slytherins.

"Oh I suppose. Was amusing, but we cannot be too cruel, I suppose," Pansy sighed lightly, reaching into her bag as Hermione watched all of them curiously.

The hung-over Slytherin lifted up his head slowly with blinking eyes as a clink in front of him caught his attention. "This whole time?" Theo managed to say as he reached out to snag the potion vial containing the hangover relief potion. As quickly as possible he uncorked the vial and downed the contents, groaning in slight pain at the action before sighing in relief. It wasn't long, though, before he was pinning an accusing look at his so-called friends.

"You had one. This whole time."

"We were helping you realise the downsides to drinking so much," Blaise smirked as he gave an elegant shoulder shrug while the two girls just gave Theo innocent looks that had Hermione biting on her lip to stop her giggling.

"Uh-huh. Anyway, now that I can speak without the pain, is he any good in bed?" Theo smirked as Blaise looked a bit uncomfortable, the now familiar giggles once more filling the air.

"And what is it to you if I am?" A new, amused voice entered the conversation as a grinning Seamus slid into the seat beside Blaise as if he joined the Slytherin group every day. He quirked his eyebrow slightly to Theo, grinning, before leaning in to give his boyfriend a soft kiss.

They parted after a few moments and Blaise shared a smile with his boyfriend as he slipped an arm around Seamus' shoulders. "Arrived to help?"

"Them, yea," Seamus grinned as he leant back against Blaise's arm. "I'm glad ta see Dean wasn't exaggerating about what happened after we left."

"Told you I wasn't," Dean rolled his eyes, his comment making those at the table aware that he had followed his friend over. He had a couple of books in his arm which he had been selecting when Seamus had suddenly shot off to the other side of the library floor. The painter hadn't been the least bit surprised when he had caught up to see Seamus sharing a kiss with Blaise. "Pansy, Daphne, Hermione, Theo, Blaise," he nodded to the group, not moving to take a seat but remaining standing not too far from the chair where Seamus sat.

"Thomas," Pansy gave civil nod in response, looking to have quietened now that the ratio of red to green was almost equal. "Would you like to have a seat?"

"I'm alright, was actually going to grab some lunch once I picked these up," Dean responded, gesturing to the books in his arms, though he offered a smile to the Slytherin girl to show that he meant no offense, watching as the Slytherins' rigid stances relaxed a little. "Anyone want to join?"

The Slytherins shared a look, seeming to weigh up options and communicate silently until Theo gave a shrug and stood up, slipping his bag over his shoulder. "Why not? First though," coming around the table towards Dean, he stopped and leant down to whisper something in Seamus' ear, receiving laughter and then whispers in response as the others watched with raised eyebrows and curiosity.

Soon the Slytherin male straightened with a smirk, seeming to have received the information he wanted; "Well, well, Blaise, I never would have guessed." Theo smirked to his friend before continuing over to where Dean was, smirk still firmly in place.

Blaise rose his eyebrow, looking unamused, and turned his attention to his still-laughing boyfriend, "And what was that about?" he asked as around them the others started to pack up and stand ready to go.

"Nothin'," Seamus grinned as he leant up to peck Blaise's lips, though a glint in his eye suggested something else. Before Blaise had a chance to respond, those sinful lips had moved along his cheek to his ear to whisper "Let's see if ya can't get it outta me later."

With a noise of agreement, Blaise placed a kiss to Seamus' cheek before collecting his work and also standing. The Slytherin wanted to attempt to get the information right then, but he was not about to allow anyone else to see Seamus in the state he wanted to get him in, and disappearing would cause even more gossip; his friends already had enough from the previous night. Besides, he would be sure to get some time that night to find out what Theo had said, though he could always practice his spellwork on his friend…

"When you have mentally stopped torturing Theo, let us proceed," Pansy cut into Blaise's thoughts from where the mixed group were standing waiting; Pansy between Hermione and Daphne while Theo and Dean were standing together, wearing a smirk and a grin respectively, obviously having shared a joke. The girls also seemed to have been amused by something, and it wasn't hard to realise that he and Seamus were likely the cause of it.

Determined to show that they didn't bother him, Blaise straightened up elegantly, sliding his bag over his shoulder before taking Seamus' hand and heading to and past the group, leading them out of the library in an obvious show of Slytherin attitude. It really didn't bother him what they thought, they could think what they wanted, but it did bother him that he had displayed his feelings so publically, allowing the opening for attack. He knew that he had to be more careful in the future.

To the Gryffindors it seemed that Blaise's action was just in reaction to Pansy's comment and Theo's previous action, but as they left the secluded corner and became surrounded by more and more students they noticed that the other three Slytherin's also became more straight-backed, with emotionless expressions being shown despite Daphne and Pansy discussing amongst themselves and Theo talking lowly to Dean. These conversations tailored off as they came closer to the Great Hall, both groups becoming uncomfortable at having to make the decision of which table to go to. Upon entering the Great Hall, all eyes flew to the group of red and green, noise dying down as the partially full hall watched Blaise kiss Seamus.

"Meet up after lunch?" Theo questioned quietly, getting a nod from Dean who seemed as content to hide their new friendship.

"Sure," Hermione smiled with a nod before focusing on Pansy. "Oh, before I forget, I saw you working on your runes homework, want to meet after dinner to work on it together?" The Gryffindor smiled at Pansy's confirmation before the group then separated to head to their own house tables after an uncomfortable moment of hesitation.

"What was that?!" Ron hissed across the table as Hermione slid into a seat opposite him while Seamus and Dean also took seats, the Irishman avoiding questions and insults thrown his way. Ron looked like he had just woken, and also like he had massive headache, but he didn't seem to be allowing his hangover to impair his appetite. Luckily he had swallowed before talking.

"What it looked like, Ron," Hermione responded calmly as she helped herself to some food. "Building bridges."

Ron blinked in confusion at the analogy before it clicked into place with memories, "I thought that was a dream caused by the drink."

"Thought, or hoped?" Seamus asked, the Gryffindors around them looking to him in shock at the hint of coldness in his tone.

The red-head looked to his friend in surprise. He had to think for a moment of what his housemate meant, then thinking through the answer. The night before Ron had been surprised and a little disgusted by Seamus and Blaise leaving and the thoughts of what they had been doing. The more he thought about it, the more he realised that it wasn't the thought of Seamus dating a Slytherin that disgusted him - though he had been uncomfortable around the Slytherins – and not really that Seamus was dating a guy, but of two guys taking part in sexual activities.

"Thought," Ron answered after a moment. "I admit that I wasn't thrilled hanging out with the snakes last night, but they weren't that bad, I guess. As for you and Zabini…." He gave a shrug, looking uncomfortable, but still continued. "As long as you're happy, mate, it's your decision."

Ron was watched for a moment as Seamus tried to evaluate his sincerity before the Irishman grinned to his friend happily, "Thanks, mate, that means a lot to me." Seamus just continued grinning as Ron gave an uncomfortable nod and continued eating, eager to get out of the conversation. "And they really aren't that bad when ya spend time with them, well, some of our year anywhere."

Beside the exuberant Irish Gryffindor Dean rolled his eyes at his best mate's actions before turning to him thoughtfully. "Hey, Shay, you seem to have some inside information on the Slytherins."

"Mainly on Blaise," Seamus waggled his eyebrows with a grin. "What ya wan' ta know?"

"Not that, trust me," Dean shook his head, though his friend could see the smile on his lips. "Just general gossip. The more we know, the more normalcy we can see which increases our chances of getting along with them. We know Blaise is off-market and that Draco technically has been for however many years. What about the others in that group?"

"What, ya got the hots for Theo or something?"

"Nope, I'm as straight as you are gay, Shay," Dean replied as he took a gulp of drink, then pausing as he saw the grin on his best mate's face. "What?"

"Dean, I'm bi, mate."

Around them other students had paused in eating and talking to listen to the two of them, some gasps coming at the comment and it's implication, hurried whispers starting up to spread like wildfire.

Beside them Ron had caught onto the conversation, looking confused, "But…that means…" his eyes widened and he looked between his dorm-mates. "You're…." he cut off, unable to continue.

"Oh seriously," Dean put down his drink with a roll of his eyes, seemingly uncaring about the rumours about him spreading throughout the hall. He turned to the grinning Seamus beside him, flicking his mate's arm with the back of his, "No you're not, you fibber." He shook his head as he heard the whispers take on different tones as the audience around them saw and misinterpreted his interaction with Seamus, the Irish Gryffindor just laughing beside him. Dean was certain that many of the whisperers were now going through all they knew of him and his interactions with any male students such as that dare earlier that year. Oh well.

Ignoring the whispers around him Dean took a bite of food and then tried to get the conversation back on track, "I clearly said gossip, but let's go with your theory and start with Theo."

"Theo….hmmm….I know he recently broke up Daphne and they've had an on/off relationship for a while, dunno where they stand now though. There is also talk surrounding him and his dance partners last night. Sounds like he's straight though, sorry to disappoint," Seamus grinned, unable to resist the final comment. "Daphne I'm not sure about, as I've mentioned. She may or may not still be attached to Theo. She stays pretty low key and Blaise hasn't mentioned her interests much. As for Pansy, all I know is that she apparently has an interest in a member of another house."

"Oh really?" Dean rose an eyebrow in surprise, having not expected that of Pansy. That just showed that the Slytherins were normal and human, he guessed.

Seamus nodded, "Mhm, yeah. Blaise doesn't know much as apparently she doesn't whine about it anywhere near as much as Malfoy did over Harry."

"Probably a good thing if Blaise tells you everything," Hermione commented between bites of food as she turned the page of her ever present book, not even looking up from the words.

Instantly Seamus shot the bookworm a wounded look, "What's that meant to mean?"

"Oh come on, mate, everyone knows how much you love to gossip," Ron pointed out with a laugh.

"Yeah….well…you can't say that I can't keep a secret. Just think how long I kept Blaise a secret," Seamus defended.

"Apart from Ginny and I," Dean pointed out.

"And from anyone who uses their eyes," Hermione added, then looking up from her book. "Anyway, has anyone seen Harry today?

"Nah, probably still having a good time with Malfoy," Seamus shrugged before attacking his food.

"Probably," Hermione agreed as Ron turned slightly green and started choking on his food.

* * *

Looking out from the main courtyard out across the grounds one would see a few groups of friends scattered around either sitting on the green grass enjoying the sun or walking in towards the castle and the promise the food. Farther out near the lake and hidden behind a cluster of trees two figures sat at a slight angle to each other, knees nearly touching and a book across each lap.

"Well, I think we should leave it there; we have managed to cover all the basics and I would not want to overfill your brain," the blonde smirked over to his companion who released his own book to stretch.

"At last," Harry grinned, then lowering his arms to close the book. "Feels like we've been going for hours. Thanks for that, Draco. Potions makes a lot more sense when you're teaching it."

"Of course," the Slytherin preened under the compliment. "Glad I could help, though I have to admit that I have no idea how you got to sixth-year potions with some of the lapses in your knowledge. Though now we're done, I have to thank you."

Harry cocked his head as he watched the blonde through his glasses, moving the book to the grass beside him. "What for?"

Draco's fingers fiddled along the edges of the open book before he folded them on top of the pages, moving his gaze up to the blue sky that was littered with fluffy clouds. He wasn't sure he could talk properly if he looked at Harry. They had taken a massive step the night before and also this morning, but he was no idiot. The two of them had fought twice that morning within three hours, and while they accepted that they were friends, perhaps with interest in more, the atmosphere was a little uncomfortable and hesitant between them. It would take time and he was determined to smooth the way.

"For accepting my friendship this time. I do not why you turned it down the first time and that has haunted me all this years, probably helped fuel my anger towards you if I am honest. I admit that I have not been the nicest person to you or your friends over these past six years, and you have no real reason to give me a chance. I have no idea what prompted you to do it, or to ask me to help with your potions, but just….thank you, Harry," Draco looked to the brunette, locking their gazes together, noticing the soft look in those stunning emerald green eyes.

"It's alright," Harry offered a smile, moving so that he was facing him properly. "And thanks for being truthful. Guess it's my turn, then. I was placed with family when my parents died, and while I guess it wasn't too bad, my cousin really did not get along with me. He was a bit of a bully, pushing me around and such. I was so happy to get out of that house, even though it was to go to a place I didn't know." Harry gave Draco a smile, ignoring all the questions swimming in the depths of his eyes. He felt the hand beneath his turn over and take hold of his hand and he looked down at them.

"On the train I was in a world I didn't recognise, by myself, and then I met people who seemed to like me, my first real friend. He explained the school to me and some things about the wizarding world. Looking back now, maybe some of it was biased as his whole family was from Gryffindor and he was also an influential child, but it seemed so black and white. When we got to Hogwarts, you approached us, and you reminded me of my cousin, being mean to my first friend. I had just escaped him, and I didn't want to become trapped again but instead stay with friendly people…" Harry trailed off and slowly looked up at his new friend. "That's why I turned down your friendship that first time. But we were just children then. Things seemed black and white, but they're not. We've all grown up over the years since then, and yes we've fought, but I think the hatred left long ago and that if we try to understand each other, now that we're old enough to, that we can get along. That's why I accepted this time; I've seen you change."

There was silence once Harry had stopped talking, Draco just staring at the brunette as he processed all the new information he had just been given. He had had no idea he had actually scared off the-boy-who-lived, he had merely been trying to impress him that day, impress the boy he had become obsessed with. It made sense now that he looked back at it, but then so did the idea presented by Harry that they had not been old enough at that point.

Unable to form a response, Draco did the best next thing, surging forward to press his lips firmly against Harry's, the brunette blinking before relaxing into the kiss and returning it.

They had not shared a kiss since the night before, one at the party and then one before they had parted ways at the foot of the grand-staircase. It was just as electric and thrilling as the ones before, though more firm and full of feeling.

Harry released Draco's hand and pushed the potions book off of his lap and onto the ground beside them, then moving to straddle the blonde's lap without breaking the kiss, a hand sliding into the platinum blonde hair. He felt arms wind around his waist, a hand resting firmly between his shoulder blades. The Gryffindor pressed himself closer to Draco's slim frame, then giving a shudder as a slick, wet tongue slid across his bottom lip, making him give-way with a moan and part his lips in an instant.

With all the feeling and urgent passion and need within the kiss, Harry would have expected Draco to dive straight in, the way he remembered Ginny had the first time they had kissed, but he didn't.

Like the patient Slytherin (supposedly) that he was, Draco took his time, running his tongue along Harry's lower lip before slipping further inside to explore just the inside of the lower lip, bringing soft sounds from Harry whose own tongue came out to try and coax Draco's in in impatience.

Draco's tongue withdrew slightly before returning to push at Harry's firmly so that he had full entrance to explore. When the Gryffindor didn't back down, it soon became a fierce battle, one which both enjoyed thoroughly.

Eventually though, they had to break to breath, Harry's forehead resting down onto Draco's as both boys breathed heavily, Harry's hand still twisted in Draco's fine hair and the blonde still clutching his Gryffindor close.

"We should've stopped fighting and made out a long time ago," Harry breathed out with a grin, releasing the blonde hair enough to neaten it before lowering his hand to rest it on Draco's shoulder.

Draco smiled, "Yes, I agree, think of all the make up making out we do whenever we have a disagreement. One thing though, leave off the hair," he warned, though there was a slight smile that softened the warning, his hands coming up to style his hair.

Moving off of Draco's lap, Harry just laughed, watching him with a grin. "Got it. The hair's off limit."

"It is. Now, I am getting rather peckish, so why don't we head back to the castle. You can check in with your lion pack, let them know that we have not yet killed each other," Draco suggested as he started to collect and pack away his books and parchment.

"Sure thing," Harry agreed, unable to hold back a smile at the face that Draco was trying to give him a choice, even though it failed. "Maybe we can meet again after lunch? I can bring my friends and you can bring your…."

"Followers, they're my followers," Draco smirked to him, taking Harry's offered hand to pull himself up. "Though….they are the closest people to me, so I guess the phrase friend can apply to some of them."

Harry smiled and released Draco's hand as they started to head back to the castle. "Noted."

"On the point of my friends, I may require your assistance. Myself and Blaise are not the only ones interested in people….believed out of reach. I have reason to believe that someone from Gryffindor has caught dear Pansy's eye."

"And you would like some help….getting them together?"

"Well first of all, we would have to get out of her who it is, convince her that I am not making it up – though I believe she might have accepted it from her reaction last night – and then get her to approach this person of her fancy."

"Right…."

"Last night, Hermione was getting along with Daphne and Pansy, right? Think you could talk her into finding out who this mystery lion is? I can get Daphne to do the same."

"I can give it a go, if Mione has a good reason, it should be okay, but I'll have to talk to her. This….sounds quite important to you," Harry watched Draco as they walked, his tone softening as he noticed how serious Draco looked.

"Well, she was the one….who convinced me to approach you," Draco blushed lightly, staring firmly ahead of them. "I mean, Blaise did assist, but Pansy…she has done a lot for me, and so I want to return the favour."

Harry smiled at the admission and nudged his shoulder lightly against Draco's, "Sure thing. I'll talk to Hermione after lunch. Then we can all meet up. Now, let's get to the hall."

Draco nodded his agreement with a smile before speeding up to get to the hall faster, pleased with the progress that he had made with Harry. The bridge still had further to go, but bit by bit they were getting there.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading the second installment. Please review and let me know what you think. Any guesses as to Pansy's person of interest? - Yuki


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