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Harry made an effort to be friends with Neville and Hermione right from the very beginning. He worked with Neville and two Ravenclaws, Su Li and Anthony Goldstein, in Astronomy and with Neville, Ron, and Hermione in Herbology. He worked next to Hermione in Transfigurations and teamed up with Ron and Hufflepuffs Ernie MacMillan and Wayne Hopkins in DADA. Since he already knew Quirrell was untrustworthy, Harry simply worked on learning to perform the DADA lessons wordlessly on his own. Harry tried to stay awake in History of Magic but ended up sleeping through the first lesson like the first time he went through school. After that, he brought a book. Sometimes he even brought a history book to read. And in potions class, when the houses divided up to sit on opposite sides of the room that very first day, Harry went to stand at the end of the table Draco was setting up at on the Slytherin side.
"Want to be partners?"
"Sure you don't want to partner a Gryffindork?" Draco demanded snidely.
It was the first time that they had spoken since school started but Harry had made a point of at least catching Draco's eye at meal times.
"Wouldn't be asking you first if I wanted anyone else."
Draco eyed him suspiciously for a few moments before jerking his head in a nod.
As Harry noisily set up he mumbled to Draco "Thanks for – you know, calling your parents."
Draco blinked. "You're saying that now? You were supposed to send a card the day after!"
"I didn't know that!"
Although it did sort of explain Draco's snit since classes started. He had been positively obnoxious during meals.
"Well you do now. Meet me in front of the Great Hall at six tonight."
Then Snape swept into the room and began his yearly monologue. It was actually sort of neat and definitely truthful. Sadly, Professor Snape seemed to hate him even more than the first time around. And answering his questions correctly only made Snape's glares worse. There was, apparently, no way to win with Severus Snape after that first meeting in Dumbledore's office. This time instead of ending with mere point deductions the questions ended in a detention for Harry to be overseen by Severus Snape himself. The punishment was truly unfair but Harry found it hard to be angry with Professor Snape. In fact, Harry realized as he was packing up his things at the end of the lesson, he was sort of looking forward to his detention on Monday night.
When Harry met Draco at six in front of the Great Hall (Draco arrived at a quarter past six), the Slytherin was with a hoard of his house mates. But Draco fell into step on one side of Harry and Daphne and Theodore fell into step on Harry's other side and the next thing Harry knew he was enrolled in what amounted to a glorified Manners Club. But it was filled with people from other houses – there wasn't a single Gryffindor in sight – and it gave him the opportunity to meet people from all of the year groups before they potentially heard that he was a Parselmouth or a Triwizard champion or a liar. Harry struggled through calligraphy (he was terrible at it) and tried to remember when and how to leave a card (and ended up deciding that it was better to give everyone a card than to potentially offend anyone by withholding a card at the wrong time) and he was still a terrible dancer but he stuck with it. The dance lessons at least were going to come in handy whether he was entered in the Triwizard championship or not.
Draco, of course, was gleeful in his superiority to Harry.
On Saturday morning after his first week of classes had ended, Harry got a letter from his solicitor that briefly outlined her work on his behalf. He also got a package. Harry blinked at it, offered the owl some bacon, and tried to remember who might send him anything during his first year. Sadly, no one came to mind. Not even Mrs. Weasley had given him anything before Christmas.
"Well?" demanded Ron. "Aren't you going to open it?"
"Later" Harry said vaguely. "In the dorms."
And after he had had a chance to do a few diagnostic spells on it first. Harry gingerly stuffed it into his book bag and excused himself from the Gryffindor table.
Draco was waiting for him outside of the Great Hall. He was glaring.
Harry tried to remember anything he had forgotten to do but came up blank.
"Draco?"
"Aren't you going to open my mother's care package?"
Harry gaped for a moment. "That was from your mother?"
Draco rolled his eyes. "Of course it was. Didn't you notice that I got one too?"
"Erm… no."
Draco grabbed Harry by the wrist and dragged him into the nearest classroom. "Open it!"
Harry gingerly unwrapped the parcel. Inside was a letter and sweets. Harry read the letter while Draco helped himself to a sugar quill. The letter was friendly and warm. She hoped that he had enjoyed his first week of school and that Professor Dumbledore had not bothered him any further. Mrs. Malfoy had closed by inviting him to write her back about his first week.
Harry carefully folded his letter from Draco's mom and gently put it into his book bag. Then, since Draco had yet to die from a poisoned sugar quill, Harry helped himself to one too.
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Want to know what happens next? 100+ advanced chapters await you on Patreon! Be the first to read what others will have to wait for. Join the community and read ahead today!
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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