Later that night, the Gryffindors had Astronomy with the Slytherins. Malfoy sat far from Harry, but Harry noticed he sat alone.

Harry acted on impulse, and when everyone else was looking through telescopes, he quietly moved and sat next to Malfoy. It took him a moment to notice Harry was there.

"What do you want?" Malfoy asks angrily.

"You looked lonely." Draco scoffs.

"Okay suppose I was lonely, why did you decide that you would be best to comfort me?"

"I didn't. It just seemed no one else was willing."

"You're right about that." Malfoy furrows his eyebrows and looks down.

"So... Why do you not have friends?"

"No one wants to be friends with a former Deatheater." Malfoy sneers as if it was someone else who everyone was afraid to be near.

"But you were never really a Deatheater, were you?"

"Technically, no, but I was on my way. They already gave me... Never mind. Even though I'm not a Deatheater, technically, people are still afraid. People don't like to be near things they're afraid of."

"Why do you think they're afraid, they still... Insult you, right?

"Yes, Potter, people still insult me, but that doesn't mean they aren't afraid. They just insult me from afar."

"Well, Malfoy, it's seems you could use a friend, then. I'm sure I could get Hermione on board, too."

"What, so this is a pity party, now? Thanks, but no thanks."

"No, that's not what I meant at all, I mean that I think she would be willing to try and be friends. Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way, Dr- Malfoy." Harry quickly corrects himself. Draco would definitely freak out if he called him by his first name

"Whatever, Potter. I don't care."

"How about you sit with us at breakfast, tomorrow?"

"Whatever, don't count on it Potter." Suddenly, the professor announces that the class is over.

Harry walks out with Hermione.

"Where did you go, Harry?"

"I went and sat by Malfoy."

"You did what?" Hermoine gasps.

"What's so bad about it?" Harry frowns at Hermione.

"Nothing, nothing at all Harry! In fact, it's great! Dumbledore would be proud. Making amends with your enemies. Especially Draco, because of what he's gone, and is going, through."

"Yeah, whatever, but he looked lonely. I invited him to have breakfast with us tomorrow." Harry adds as an a bit of an afterthought, "Is that okay with you?"

"Of course, Harry! I would love to have breakfast with him. Think of how proud-"

"Please don't say Dumbledore, I'm not ready to talk about him." Harry looks at the ground, almost shamefully.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I was going to say professors. I'm really sorry, I won't mention him again." Hermione pats his shoulder and looks at him sympathetically.

"It's alright, I'm going to go to bed. See you in the morning." When they reach the common room, Harry and Hermione split up, each of them going to their own dorms.
~~~~~
Hermione and Harry get to breakfast before Draco. They wait for about fifteen minutes before Harry starts to get anxious.

"Do you think he'll show?"

"I'm sure he'll be here soon, Harry. It is Saturday, maybe he just slept in a bit."

"Yeah, I guess," But Harry was, quite obviously, not reassured.

"Why are you so anxious, Harry?"

"Oh, I don't know, I just don't want to be stood up. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it would be to be stood up by Draco?"
~~~~~
Half an hour later, Draco still hadn't made an appearance. Harry gets more and more glum, as time passes. Eventually, he just gives up.

"I'm going to go to the library, Hermione. He's not going to come, by now."

"Okay, Harry. I'm sorry you got stood up. I'm going to stay here for a while longer with Ginny."

"Alright, and would you mind not stopping by the library? I'd rather be alone."

"Alright. Again, I'm sorry."

"I know. So am I. I thought for a moment maybe we wouldn't have to be enemies." Hermione frowns.

"Don't give up on him, yet. I can't imagine a friendship with 'Potter' would be easy. Especially with the family he came from." Harry shakes his head and leaves the Great Hall.

When he's  most of the way to the library, a student with blond hair streaks past him, but he can't make out anything else.