Interlude in the Loo of the Hogwarts Express
by MeibouMiyako
Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own it. Surprise, surprise. All right to JK and the WB or whatever.

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All was quiet in the small train compartment. Well, almost all was quiet. The Weasley Twins, Fred and George, were loud, but eerily quiet since only the others in the cabin could hear them, as opposed all of the passengers on the Hogwarts Express. Ron Weasley sat across from his older brothers, fiddling with his hands, ears red with impatience. His younger sister Ginny sat beside him petting Crookshanks, who lay in her lap, purring contently. Nose in book, Hermione Granger turned the pages periodically, not really reading, but staring out the window at the passing scenery.

The final, and most well known member of this small group of sullen people, was Harry Potter. His round glasses did nothing to cover the bloodshot eyes or the dark circles under them. He sat staring at his lap, recent events playing in his head on a continuous loop. Watching Voldemort kill Cedric Diggory had been the snapping point for the Gryffindor Keeper. No sleep, hardly any food. Every now and then Harry would put on a show to keep his friends from worrying too much. A few words here and there and that was it.

About a half hour into the train ride, Harry stood up, causing everyone else to look at him. "Loo," he explained. They nodded and went back to what they were doing. He exited quickly and walked towards the toilets, no intention of using one; he'd just wanted to get some air. Walking in, he locked the door and sat on the toilet seat lid. He put his head in his hands, fingers running through his onyx hair, and cried. Sobs shook his body, and every now and then Harry would let out a pitiful strangled noise.

Little scratching sounds came from the area around the doorknob. "Alohomora." The unlocking spell was muttered quietly, causing the door to swing open.

"Malfoy," Harry acknowledged flatly.

"What, Potter? No holier-than-thou attitude?" The blonde said these things in a small voice. It was only the response that was customary, no true emotion behind it. Draco put his wand in his pocket, then closed the door, locking it.

"Not right now, Malfoy. Just...not now. I'm too tired." He once again put his head in his hands, trying to gain control of the tears. "So tired," he murmured, barely audible. But, Draco heard. Draco heard and focused on Harry, concern apparent.

This is getting irritating, thought Harry. "Malfoy, either taunt me or go away."

"I didn't come here in hopes of exchanging our witty elementary school insults, Potter. I came here to do something that I'll probably regret in the long run." Draco breathed in deeply, trying to figure out how to word his next sentence.

"Like what? Kiss me?" Steel grey eyes looked anywhere but at the boy that sat across from him, head firmly placed in hands still. Malfoys don't blush! Draco yelled at himself, hoping that the Boy Who Lived wouldn't suddenly look up and notice.

"No," he stated, suspiciously quick. Harry put his gaze on the other boy, cocking an eyebrow. "The mere suggestion of such makes me feel like vomiting." Draco feigned disgust, hoping that Harry wouldn't catch on. "I came here to apologize."

Harry's eyes narrowed. What was Malfoy playing at? He'd never apologize unless it was for his own benefit. "What do you really want, Malfoy?" Shoulders slumping in disappointment, Draco let out a sigh.

"Forgiveness, Harry. I want forgiveness. But, even if you don't forgive me for the past four years of torment, I'll understand. I at least want to try." Harry nodded for Draco to continue, pondering the fact that he'd been called by his first name.

"Okay...here goes everything. Potter, I mean Harry, I've made your life a living hell for the past four years." Harry let out a snort.

"Hell is going a bit soft, don't you think?" Draco Malfoy didn't have the best tolerance level, and he thought Harry could have at the least let him finish.

"This is hard enough already, Potter. Just shut up for once." Harry glared at the boy, thinking that Malfoy had a whole lot of nerve. Then again, he knew that before this odd conversation began. "I'm sorry for making fun of you being an orphan. That was low and I knew it. I'm sorry for making the little buttons that said "Potter Stinks." Actually, you smell quite nice. Sorry for making fun of the Mudblood; she's one of the most intelligent people I know. Sorry that my dad is such an ass. I'm sorry for that time on the train to Hogwarts during our first year. And, I'm sorry that I'm in Slytherin, and must be a general git to all Gryffindors, especially you. I know why I said those things, but it took me a while to figure it out. I'm not going to tell you, because that would be making excuses, and there's no excuse for my actions."

"Why are you apologizing? It's so much easier when we're enemies. Why aren't you making fun of Cedric's fall at the hand of Voldemort? Shouldn't you be celebrating with your Death Eater father?" Harry didn't know why he was saying these things. From what he could see, Draco was genuinely sorry for everything. Here he was, no longer that rude, vile creature he'd become so used to, but a fragile boy, leaving himself in the hands of the enemy. Harry suddenly felt disgusted with himself as he saw Draco grimace, then go rigid.

"I suppose so, Potter. I'll be going then." Draco reached for the doorknob, but Harry stopped him by muttering something.

"I'm sorry, Draco. You are forgiven."

"You sound like a priest, Harry, but thank you. It means a lot to me."

"Why did you say and do all of those things, Draco?" Draco's breath hitched, not going unnoticed by Harry. He stood up from his toilet seat, and squeezed in front of Draco. "All these years, I never did know why exactly you targeted me to be the butt of all your jokes and pranks." Draco averted his eyes from Harry's piercing gaze, but Harry would have none of this. He slid a finger under the shorter boy's chin, forcing Draco to look at him. Breathless, Draco's eyes darted anywhere but the other's eyes, eventually landing on that beautifully marring scar.

"I...I, didn't..." Harry sensed how uncomfortable he was and stepped back a millimeter. "Oh, gee thanks, Potter, that made me feel a lot better," Draco said, his usual callous manner gone.
A hand grabbed his.

"Draco, you're shaking."

"Yes, I know."

"Quite violently. Are you okay?" Draco let out a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, sure, I'm fine. You're touching me, Harry." Said boy looked down at their clasped hands.

"So we are. Would you like me to stop?"

"N-no." Mentally, Draco slapped himself. Touch me, touch me, take me, I'm yours, he thought to the green-eyed boy. Unable to breathe as Harry leaned in, Draco stood motionless, like a deer caught in headlights. Their lips touched for barely a second before either of the boys was startled at the sound of a high-pitched shriek. Panicking, they quickly pulled apart, hands reaching for wands instinctively. Was Voldemort back to finally finish Harry Potter?

It was almost a disappointment to find that such a thing was not the cause of the disturbance.

Ronald Weasley stood at the entrance to the W.C., looking from his best friend to his arch nemesis in complete shock. Screaming, he ran from the toilet area to the compartment occupied by his friends and family.

When Draco and Harry followed moments later, they found him sobbing into Hermione's shoulder. The bushy haired girl was obviously confused and the red-haired boy was obviously very, very traumatized.

"Oh, Herm, it was terrible," he said, muffled by the girl's blouse. "Malfoy, and-and Harry, and toilets and ohmigod!"

"Oh, Weasel, it wasn't that bad. Don't get your knickers in a twist."

Everyone in the compartment but Harry let out a simultaneous "Malfoy!" Harry merely removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes in frustration. Draco smirked.

"Harry, what's happened?" Hermione inquired, rubbing soothing patterns into the youngest Weasley male's back.

"Malfoy has corrupted our Harry, that's what!" Ron supplied, his face coming up from it's resting place in Hermione's neck. "I refuse to believe that Harry would ever voluntarily consent to kissing that thing!"

"Blimey!" George and Fred exclaimed in unison. Ginny had jumped up out of her seat, much to the dislike of Crookshanks, who licked a paw and gave her a look of contempt. She colored red and looked at Harry and Draco, who, now that she knew what was going on, appeared to be rather close and comfortable. Barely five inches apart (that's 12.7 centimeters), they were.

She muttered something like "Oh, is that Neville I hear calling me?" and exited the train compartment to find Colin and Neville; she couldn't wait to tell them this!

"Damn right, Blimey!" Ron said agreeing with the twins. They ignored him. Fred sat down in defeat, George putting his hand to his forehead.

"That's five galleons we owe Ollie. Bastard was right," George murmured.

"What?" Harry and Draco both yelled.

"You were betting on us? Getting together?" Harry was incredulous. Draco, after his initial shock, resumed his mask of indifference. Draco watched Ron; he was quickly losing his temper at the fact that no one else had realized the injustice of the situation. Sniggering, he gave the red-head a Cheshire grin before grabbing Harry's hand. Harry didn't even notice as he was listening to the twins explain.

"Well, technically, we-" Fred gestured to himself and his twin. "-were betting against it. Oliver's the one who got the idea in his poofter brain that you two had the hots for each other. Always going on about how you can't hate something you haven't first loved and that love and hate are the same. He had this whole zen philosophy-" Fred was interupted by his other half.

"Leave Ollie's 'poofter brain' out of this, Fred. If anything it's a flaming bloody poofter brain and he's my flaming bloody-" With a battle yell, Ron launched himself at Draco, or at least tried to. Hermione held him by both arms as he struggled to charge at the young Malfoy.

"I must say, Granger, you are on your game." Surprised, Hermione nodded.

"You have to be when you spend the majority of your time following these two-" meaning Ron and Harry-"and cleaning up their messes." Either boy was indignant.

"Hermione!" wailed Ron. "Harry's fraternizing with the enemy and now you're taking complements from the bleedin' ferret!"

"Ronald Elmer Weasley! You be quiet," snapped Hermione. All at once the train car was silent. Then, everyone, with the exception of Ron, laughed.

"Your middle name is Elmer!" Harry shouted through his chortling. Ron glared at everyone. Hermione was the first to recover from the giggling fit.

"At least it isn't Agamemnon!" Fred and George yelled. Draco paled. It was Ron's turn to laugh as he put two and two together.

"I hope you appreciate us, Ronnie, we were saving that little secret for future blackmail," George admitted. Slowly, but surely, the occupants of the car began to calm down and the atmosphere mellowed. No one said anything for the rest of the trip to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Draco and Harry sat on a bench beneath the windows, still holding hands much to Ron's chagrin. Ron slumped in his seat next to Hermione, looking everywhere but at his best friend and his adversary (and he found the best way to avoid them was gazing at Hermione's neck). George and Fred brought out the order forms for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and quietly conversed with one another.

At the station, the train emptied, eventually leaving Draco and Harry by themselves. Ron was reluctant, but Hermione eventually dragged him out. As the others went to meet with the Weasley parents, the two boys shared a few awkward moments of silence.

"So..." they both said at the same time. Draco, by far the more daring of the two, closed the small gap between them and kissed Harry. The other groaned into the blond's lips, surrenduring completely when a tongue prodded at his mouth. They separated unwillingly as they heard footsteps approach.

"Does this mean we're going out?" Harry wanted to bang his head on the wall repeatedly for sounding so naive. He was relieved when he heard the same uncertainty in Draco's voice.

"Do you want it to?"

"I don't, I mean, of course I want us to be going out." Harry didn't need to say anything else to let Draco know what he was thinking. What about all of the obstacles they would face? Lucius Malfoy, school, everything...

"It'll be a lot of work, Harry," Draco sighed. "But-"

"I'm always up for a challenge," they chorused. They grinned at each other. Harry placed a quick peck on Draco's cheek.

"Write me," he demanded. "And now that we're going out I expect flowers on my birthday and a really expensive birthday present. What good is having a rich boyfriend, after all, if he doesn't buy me nice things?"

"Potter?"

"Yes, Draco?" he questioned with the utmost innocence.

"Shut up." He grabbed the raven haired boy's hand once more and they exited the compartment. On the way toward's the platform, they saw that Ginny had Neville and Collin cornered.

"Five sickles each, losers," she was heard saying. Harry grimaced.

"Et tu, Ginny?" Harry grumbled. Draco laughed.

"Nothing like your fan club betting on you to throw you off of your high horse, eh Potter?"

"Shut up." They got off of the train and made their way towards their baggage.

"Harry." Draco's soft, serious tone commanded his attention. "If those muggles treat you as bad as the rumors say, don't fail to tell me. You can always come stay at Malfoy manner."

Harry was stunned.

"You know, with me, in my big bed with satin sheets." Draco's eyebrows wiggled suggestively causing Harry to blush.

"I will," Harry said. "But only if it gets really, very, extremely bad. I wouldn't want you to take my virtue." They both laughed and said their goodbyes, promising to write. Draco went off with his personal driver, and Harry made his way to the spot where the Weasley clan had gathered. Oliver Wood was there, also, which was surprising, but even more so was the fact that he was standing there groping George like there was no tomorrow. Fred had found Angelina and was chatting her up. Hermione was making Ron promise to write and eat his vegetable. And, there was Molly Weasley, poking and prodding Harry as soon as she saw him, telling him that he wasn't eating nearly enough. He smiled at the woman as she mothered him, glad to have someone to do it.

Harry leaned into her embrace, relishing in the warmth and comfort. He had two and a half months until his return to Hogwarts and wouldn't feel this peaceful for quite a while. He held onto it while he could, with promises of letters and visits.

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MeibouMiyako: It's finished! Thank Merlin...now, I have a few author's notes:

-George/Ollie: I just think it's cute, okay? Don't judge me!
-Oliver's Philosophy: Essentially, I just voiced my beliefs through Fred voicing Ollie's...
-Hermione/Ron: 'Mione sure has that boy whipped! :)
-The Middle Name Fiasco: I asked my dad what a funny middle name was and he said "Elmer." It's my grandfather's middle name. As for Agamemnon...I just heart that name. It's completely awesome.

Okay guys, please review, 'cause this is my first HP fic and I'm a bit self-conscious. ^^