if i was invisible [OPEN TO ANY]

[Draco Malfoy]

"Apparently I gave you too much benefit of the doubt. You don't even claim to be entertaining? That's kind of sad. Who talks to you if not for entertainment? I couldn't bear to speak from someone too long if the conversation wasn't completely necessary or at least mildly entertaining. How I deal with those blocks of cheese everyday I have no idea." Draco scoffed.

"And I'll do what I damn well please. No need for you to have your nose in it. Why do you seem to care so much. You're always watching me at the table. I'm not daft, I see it. Are you concerned I'm off joining the dark lord or something?" he asked. "Almost stalking me, Potter. I know I've said this already but I still don't understand it. I don't think you've offered a proper explanation."

If Potter really was watching him, he had to be more careful about everything. There were things he'd rather keep to himself. Things that could be bad if they got out. Like letters from home, books he had hidden away. His journal. He was still debating why he was staying and talking to the git and not walking off on him like he had on his group before. What was more interesting about Potter? He couldn't even bring up normal topic with him without them feeling foreign, like that book. He felt like he needed to stay cold towards the other as usual.

[Harry Potter]

date: 02 september 2005

[/b][/size]arry was amused at the initial response, stifling with effort the urge to grin as the blond rambled on about people as entertainment value. He had to remind himself that no, Malfoy was not amusing; he was irritating, and there was a big difference. But he couldn't help it; his cocky chattering alternately made Harry want to laugh or beat his head against a wall.

"Plenty of people find me suitably companionable. I just wasn't aware that our tastes could possibly be within the same realm,"[/b] he clarified. "But I'm so honoured that you gave me a chance to entertain you; I apparently rate higher than a block of cheese. Careful, you'll inflate my ego."[/size][/font]

Finally letting himself give off a small chuckle, he swung his legs up on the ledge and lay down, head now occupying the space Draco had abandoned. "In any case, don't flatter yourself. I watch everyone. Don't you?" he asked. Slytherins were a rather paranoid group, after all, tending to stick to themselves and see the rest of the world as likely enemies. "If you want a proper explanation, though, all right, but I'm certain you won't like it." He turned his head to face Draco head on, smiling crookedly - but letting some of his own aloofness drop in favour of a more serious expression. "You've been acting different this year. For the aforementioned reasons... I was worried." He was still a cocky, irritating prat, but they had pretty much grown up together, and Harry never had been the sort to ignore seeing somebody in distress. "Although if you are itching to join the Dark Lord, at least that means you're not one of the thick idiots still convinced he's not out there."

Technically, that wasn't much of an "at least," but Harry was fully aware that it wasn't a topic Malfoy would likely spill to him. If Malfoy was keen on joining the Death Eaters... if they really were active again because Voldemort was about to return... that spelled nothing but trouble, and people had to be warned. But Dumbledore and the Order were working on it, he was absolutely positive of that. So he would worry about that when the time came, and worry about his own peers now. "Anyway, that's it, really. If you're fine and your strange behaviour amounts to nothing more than newly developed personality quirks, call me mad and we can go back to insulting and glaring at each other. But if there is something on your mind, and you don't feel like you can talk with any of our fellow coolly independent peers... I am here."[/ul]

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco groaned. When anyone talked about being worried about him it pissed him off. It made him feel like they didn't trust him to take care of himself. Granted, he really wasn't taking the best care of himself lately in all truth. "It's a family matter." he hissed. In the house of Slytherin family maters were very personal and very serious.

"The stress of it affects my appetite. Don't worry, I'll be fit enough to play quidditch, and I won't let myself pass out. Especially not in class. It would be bad for my image." he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"And I'm only telling you because it's not a big issue, and with the way you are you've no doubt figured something out by now. Better to hear from me than have to poke your half blood nose any further into my life." he said, pointing at the other as if to make his point more valid.

It wasn't like he was saying this because it was Potter, it was because at least one person should be aware if anything happened. And the git already practically knew the way he had been watching during supper.

[Harry Potter]

date: 02 september 2005; friday

[/b][/size]atching and waiting patiently as Draco responded, Harry let him finish before he spoke up again. He was not always what could be described as patient - not in any general sense, at least - but seemed to develop endless amounts of it when he was obsessing over focused on something. And at the moment, he was focused on Draco. Malfoy. Whatever. Damn Hogwarts being the School of Witchcraft, Wizardry and Surnames.

"If it's a family matter severe enough to make your health wane, it's a big issue,"[/b] Harry replied when the blond was done, unable to resist pointing out the contradiction. It didn't particularly bother him and he wouldn't have even spoken up with most people, but the inanity was simply a way of easing the tension a bit. Malfoy was clearly irate with him, and he didn't particularly want to exacerbate things further when he was the one broaching what was apparently a prickly subject. "But okay." If Malfoy was telling the truth and it was a family issue, it wasn't his place to pry. Not that it would stop him from keeping his eyes peeled and his ears open...[/size][/font]

To lighten the topic and indicate he was done being a pest for now, Harry gave him a cheeky grin. "My nose, by the way, takes after the pureblood side of my family," he corrected. It was his blood that was half-Muggle, after all; his looks had been almost entirely inherited from his father. "Just saying. Anyway, take care of yourself, all right ? Even if you don't want to talk about it - it's personal, I get it - you could always just let off some steam with me. Fly a one-on-one game, practice dueling, rant about my inferior blood status and horrible hair, whatever." The last suggestion was said in a dry drawl, since he obviously did not consider himself inferior in any way and he didn't give a damn about his hair but knew Malfoy was far more image conscious.[/ul]

[Draco Malfoy]

"It could be worse." Draco said, shrugging. He knew it was true, and it could very well be happening as they stood around talking. He actually chuckled a bit at the comment Potter made about his nose.

"You know I'd insult your hair and your blood status either way. I mean you ask for it with your atrociously kept excuse for a hair do." he rolled his eyes. "But be careful or I might actually be civil long enough to accept one of those other offers." he said.

If he didn't think about it too much, and squinted a bit, Potter might be half descent. The pureblood half at least. "Either way, it's late and if we stay much longer a teacher of prefect will come scold us and take away house points. It's probably a good idea to get going." he said, straightening his robe again before starting off back to the castle so they could make their way down to the dungeon and their dorm.

[Harry Potter]

date: 02 september 2005; friday

[/b][/size]arry refused to admit to himself the sense of smug thrill he felt at getting a laugh out of the blond, focusing instead on how weird it was to be having what had become a civil conversation between them. Civil was what he'd hoped for, of course, from the moment he realised something was off in the first place, but it wasn't something the two of them could traditionally manage without a room full of people between them. It was... not altogether bad. It was quite nice, actually. Apparently, being direct and sincere sometimes worked better with Malfoy after all than vague workarounds. "The offer's there to be accepted," he replied simply instead. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it." He wouldn't be caught dead offering solace to Smith or Snape, after all, or even Davies.

He didn't even mind when Malfoy poked fun at his hair, having half-expected it. He knew he paid little to no attention to it unless he had to, and he knew it was generally a wild, mussed mess, but it was hair - who cared ? Besides, there were plenty of others who liked the look just fine. Men were not meant to be meticulously groomed peacocks, after all; from the dawning of humanity, men were the hunters and athletes. " Calling it a hairdo implies I do something with it," he reminded instead, "which I don't. The natural look suits me better anyway. Can you imagine me wearing all that product you used to back in first year?" he laughed. What sort of eleven year old boy slicked back his hair into a shiny sheet of plastic ? Especially not when his hair was naturally so nice and soft...

Pulling his thoughts away from that Very Bad Direction, he almost waved him off to stay and read when he realised it was, in a way, Malfoy suggesting they head back together. He had used a plural "we," after all, and what sort of gesture of support would it be if Harry blew him off already ? With that decided, Harry swung his legs off, tucked his book away, and headed after, keeping slightly less space than usual between them without getting close enough to be accused of invading his housemate's personal space bubble. However big that was. Harry himself was used to an openly affectionate family, a bratty sibling, and open, outgoing friends, so his personal space bubble was next to nil unless in the company of somebody he actively disliked. "You're so paranoid. It's not that late," he pointed out instead. "Half the students are probably still in the Great Hall."[/ul]

[Draco Malfoy]

"I get it, my hair was funny in first year, Potter." he sighed. Recently he had been wondering if he should just stop putting product in all together. He had been spending less time on it and more time worrying. Because of that it was another worry added to the list .What if that was just more for people to notice? He raised is hand to run through his hair, reassuring himself that it was still all in order.

"And maybe what you need in your life is a healthy dose of paranoia." Draco suggested, rolling his eyes. He could tell Potter was following him by the sound of footsteps, almost in time, and there was that aura about him that made it easy to tell he was there. Or maybe Draco was just going crazy and wanting to feel it so bad that he did. He tried to shake that thought.

He was beginning to think that he almost liked being civil with Potter, wanted to laugh again, not at him, butt with him. And at him. But that was a dangerous kind of thought, not to be thought on for long. Maybe he was just absolutely losing it this year, that's why he was thinking like this.

[Harry Potter]

date: 02 september 2005; friday

[/b][/size]arry was more than a little surprised that Malfoy had the sense of reason and self-reflection and the ability to muffle his pride enough to admit that his hair had been silly back then. True, it had been four years ago, but four years wasn't really that long. He would have taken Malfoy to be the sort to forever insist he'd always looked perfect - and really, he had. If he was a porcelain doll. True, anyone playing Quidditch got mussed up a bit, but off the pitch he'd rarely seen Malfoy look anything but immaculate.

And he wasn't biased at all.

He scoffed at the idea of needing to be more paranoid. "I'm the halfblood son of a family full of Gryffindors, living in Slytherin, with notorious pranksters for uncles and a bratty sister following in their explosive footsteps. I think I'm sporting as much paranoia as I can safely handle right now," he drawled. The only people he knew of who were possibly crazier than the Marauders were the Weasley twins, and he'd practically grown up with them before Hogwarts as well. It was a good thing he was generally pretty relaxed, or his nerves would have been shot years ago. "Anyway, your hair's still funny now, all soft and pale," he teased, reaching out to muss up the blond locks a bit. It was something he wouldn't have thought twice about doing to anyone else in a casual, goofy gesture, but for a moment it took him back to a memory of ten years ago, with smooth, silken hair slipping through his fingers...

He withdrew. Tousling someone's hair casually was different from what had happened back then, but still. "But better now without a pint of product. You worry about it too much."[/ul]

[Draco Malfoy]

"Hey." Draco scowled, patting his hair back down after Potter stuck his hands all in it. Something similar to that had been the reason Draco had first pegged him as bad news. "My hair is bloody beautiful." he said, pouting. "It's all pureblood genetics that make me stand out, as I should." he huffed, shooting Potter a glare, a little less pointed than usual, but a glare none the less.

"I worry about it a perfectly fine amount. I'm not putting as much product, but I'm not going to stop all together and let it end up like yours." Draco said, running his own hand through his hair again. Father had told him to let in grow out, but Draco didn't want to. Not yet at least. It stayed soft like this because he was careful about it, the product he put in it had to be the best, even what he washed it with.

He knew after quidditch he was a mess, but he was becoming surprisingly more accepting of it, letting it be. Of course he showered soon after, but he had stopped complaining in the locker room at least. Potter's hair looked even more messy after games and practices. Sometimes he wished he could be as careless but even at home he had to stay tidy for his parents.

[Harry Potter]

date: 02 september 2005; friday

[/b][/size]upremely unimpressed with Malfoy's blood status - but that pout, on the other hand... - Harry returned the glare with an eyeroll and an exasperated smile. "Give yourself a little credit. Not everything is because you're a pureblood," he retorted, disliking that argument as much as he disliked religious fanatics. What was up with people wanting to give up self-accountability so readily ? Not everything good was a blessing from a higher power; people worked for what they had. Similarly, not everything bad was a horrible twist of fate; karma worked and people often brought troubles down on themselves. Not always, of course - there were always natural disasters and being in the wrong place at the wrong time - but still. Besides, everyone had some Muggle blood mixed into their history somewhere, if one looked back far enough. There was no such thing as a true pureblood.

Knowing saying so would only incite another war between them, however, he held off this time. "Anyway, if you were hoping that would hurt my feelings, it really, really doesn't," he shrugged. Raking a hand through his more chaotic head of hair, he peered up through the spikes of fringe at it before looking away again. "There's always Sleekeazy when I need it." His mother always made a point of attacking it three times a year, so it was at least trimmed decently: before he went off to Hogwarts, when he came home for Christmas, and when he came home after exams in June. As far as he was concerned, that was more than enough maintenance.[/ul]

[Draco Malfoy]

"I'd like to see if I can't tidy that mess of hair some time." Draco chuckled. He barely even noticed that it sounded like a friendly offer. He was feeling a little more relaxed than he had been before he went into the hall for supper, but still just as tired.

He rubbed his eyes a bit and held back a yawn. Mostly he was just hoping he could actually close his eyes and sleep tonight.

They were getting close to the Slytherin common room by now. "And if you tell anyone about this, I'll deny it." Draco said, giving the other a warning look. He couldn't have that after the history of hating him rather persistently. This was probably just a one day thing, being civil.

[Harry Potter]

date: 02 september 2005; friday

[/b][/size]here was that paranoia again. True, it was warranted in this case; had their roles been reversed, Harry would have assumed Malfoy was just trying to collect blackmail on him, and it would be all over the Great Hall the next morning. But he wasn't Malfoy, he wasn't trying to cause problems, and he held to his word. "Who would I tell? My friends don't care about you, and I don't care about your friends," he reasoned instead. "And the rest of the general public can go naff off. I'm not trying to start any shit. Don't worry." It was no business of the public that the Malfoy family was having problems, and he wasn't a gossip monger. What wealthy pureblood family wasn't riddled with drama anyway ?

Not generally a terribly self-conscious sort, Harry nevertheless felt a slight jerk of nerves as he put his hand to his hair again. On the one hand, he didn't care that much and the idea of letting a Slytherin he didn't exactly trust put a wand - or comb, or product, or whatever - to his hair was rather frightening. On the other hand, Malfoy had been insulting his image long enough that he apparently cared more than Harry did, unless the insults were just borne out of long-standing habit, and if he wanted to put himself into a position where Harry could better keep an eye on him... well, who was he to complain ? "If it bothers you that much, you're welcome to it," he offered, wondering if Malfoy would take up the offer - and also wondering what on earth he was thinking by allowing it. "Just don't leave it looking wilder than it does, or Ariana will never let me live it down." Siblings... then again, he'd do the same to her.[/ul]

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco shrugged. "In any case, I'm going to see if I can't fall asleep before someone decided to start bothering me again." he sighed. "I'll see you around, Potter. Not like it's possible to avoid you." he chuckled, speaking the password to the portrait before stepping through and heading up to the dorm.

He really did wish he was going to be able to sleep, but something told him otherwise. Either way he started getting ready for bed, thankful for Crabbe and Goyle not being around. Draco was still wondering if half the things Potter said were sincere. Heck, he wondered if he himself had been sincere. Thinking back half the things he said made him seem out of his mind, and with his luck the other would have noticed. He had been far too nice.

[Harry Potter]

date: 02 september 2005; friday

[/b][/size]arry tried not to feel too aggravated at the blond abruptly dropping both topics like that. Sleeping was good, he reminded himself. Malfoy needed to take care of himself better, and if he was actually going to go sleep, that was excellent. Besides, they'd never been on conversational terms, so what else was he supposed to expect ? An overnight turnaround? No, of course not. He wouldn't even want that. Their conversation that night had been surprisingly all right, but he needed to remember that it was not their norm and they could just as easily fall back to bickering and scowling. An offer of support that wasn't entirely rebuked didn't dispel ten four years of tension instantly.

Still, Harry was hopeful.

He nodded and lifted one hand in a farewell gesture, not even bothering to deny the avoiding bit. They lived together, after all, so it was hard enough to stay apart even when trying... much less when Harry planned to actively keep an eye on him. After Malfoy was gone, Harry entered the dungeons as well but remained in the common area, dropping down onto a couch and pulling out his book again to actually read it this time.[/ul]