Ben was sure he'd never forget the look on Harry's face when he and Malfoy walked into the Potions classroom together.

"You're late, Mr. Walker-" said Snape as soon as he had set foot inside. However, when Malfoy followed him in, his expression shifted completely.

"Excuse him, Professor," said Malfoy. "I'm the one who delayed him."

Snape's small, dark eyes went from Malfoy to Ben, and back to Malfoy, and once again to Ben. He exchanged glances with the Slytherin, who didn't seem worried at all. Of course, Snape never took away House Points from him. Everyone was staring at them, understandably confused as to why none but Draco Malfoy had defended none but Ben Walker.

He avoided looking at Harry as much as possible.

"Take your seats, then," said Snape, and turned his back on his students to pick something up from his desk.

Malfoy leaned over to Ben, and whispered, "Sit with me."

"Why?"

"I want to talk to you."

So, seeing as Neville was already sitting next to Hermione, Ron and Harry, and he didn't feel like joining them, and the other option was sitting near Seamus, who was still not talking to Harry, Ben obeyed. He followed Malfoy to a couple of empty seats, surprisingly away from all of his Slytherin friends.

Snape began explaining what they were supposed to do, and Ben made an effort to listen attentively, in order to focus on something aside from Malfoy being right beside him. When it was time for everyone to start preparing their ingredients, before setting off with their potions, he turned to Malfoy.

"Why did you defend me?" he asked, sounding way rougher than intended.

"I didn't defend you," he said, turning the pages of his book.

"You said you delayed me."

"Which is the truth."

Ben pursed his lips. "Well then why did you tell the truth?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to."

Silence fell between both boys. Malfoy was still turning pages, and Ben reached into his bag to get his own book. He rumbled between the many volumes, notes and pieces of parchment, and realised his Potions book was nowhere to be found.

"Shit."

Malfoy looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Need anything, Walker?"

"I forgot my book."

A hint of an amused smirk appeared on Malfoy's face. Ben frowned at him. What was he grinning about? But then the blond pushed his own copy across the table, so it was between the both of them.

"Thank you."

"Of course."

Ben breathed out heavily and noticed Harry whispering something to Ron from the other side of the room. The black-haired boy glanced over at him for an instant, and Ben's heart gave a jolt.

Malfoy grabbed him by his arm, making him turn away. "What the fuck?"

"Don't stare at him like that," said Malfoy, shaking his head in a disappointed demeanour. "You look desperate."

"I'm not desperate."

"He's not even all that anyway."

"Good thing you don't like him, then."

How could someone not find him handsome? He was the most gorgeous person he had ever seen, both in and out. He was running a hand through his hair right now, biting his lip as he flipped the pages of his Potions book. Merlin, he drove him crazy, it was... Ridiculous.

"Mhm, right. You do, though."

Ben scoffed, trying to gain back composure. "Nah."

Malfoy chuckled.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" asked Ben.

"Do you really mean it when you say you're not coming back home?"

"I don't know if you've found out already, but they murdered Ebony."

Malfoy blinked very quickly. "No, they haven't."

"Don't lie to me about this. She was my friend. She and Deedee were my only friends for years," he said, making sure to pronounce every word very clearly. He wished Malfoy got what he was trying to imply. "Ebony was the only one who ever tried to help me after it all started. Don't you think I deserve to know what happened to her, Malfoy?"

He breathed in sharply. "Why don't you ever say my name?"

Ben blinked, rather confused. "What?"

Malfoy's volume lowered. "You never call me Draco."

"Do you expect me to?"

He looked away, his eyebrows furrowing for an instant. "I don't know... I mean, not now, of course, we haven't been friends for so long. But when we first saw each other here at school, I didn't think- I thought you'd call me by name."

"I'm pretty sure the first time we talked here ended up with me punching you."

"Nevermind," he said. "Forget this, B- Walker, alright? I shouldn't have mentioned any of this."

"Alright," he shrugged. 

———————————————

"You've got to be kidding me?" exclaimed Thomas, who had just let his fork fall against his half-empty plate, causing a young Slytherin boy to jump on his seat.

"It's not that big of a deal."

"It's Malfoy who we're talking about, of course it is a big deal."

"We've only hung out a couple times, it's not like we bowed to be best friends until we're separated by death-"

"Well of course you didn't," he stated. "If so, I'd be the one who ends it by murdering either of you."

"You're overreacting, Thomas, honestly," said Ben, taking a bite of an apple.

Thomas took a deep breath and readjusted himself in his seat so he could look straight into his eyes. "Ben, be honest with me, alright? You're doing this to get a reaction from him, aren't you?"

"From who?" he asked. Thomas cocked an eyebrow. "Harry?"

"Mhm."

"Do you honestly think I am that shallow?"

"I think that you're taking advantage of your argument to maintain your denial regarding your feelings for him."

Ben opened his mouth to speak, but not a single word came out of it, so he lifted up his apple, acting as though that had been his plan since the start. However, his act didn't fool Thomas in the slightest.

"Look, I don't mean to tell you what to do. But I'm your friend, and I really want to help you... If you want to be his friend as well-"

"We aren't friends," interrupted Ben, rather distraught by the idea that people might think they were. "I would never be friends with someone like him."

"I mean, hanging out with him might be a bit misleading, then."

"Don't we have a Quidditch match to go watch?" asked Ben, changing the subject.

The Slytherin team was the first to come out of the changing room. Theodore and Thomas began clapping for them, so Ben did as well. He had insisted on sitting at the Slytherin stands, but Thomas had told him he was being stupid, and they joined their friends at the Gryffindor ones.

Hermione was there, and Ben did his best to sit as far away from her as possible. She was busy talking to Ginny anyway, but she still shot a quick glance at him. He refused to look back in her direction again, and the fact that Luna Lovegood was wearing a huge rather funny-looking hat shaped like a life-size lion's head made it easy to get distracted.

Alycia went next to him as soon as he had sat down. "I need a hat like that one for my birthday," she whispered to him, amusement sparkling in her eyes. He chuckled. "I didn't think you'd come."

"Why not?"

She shrugged. "He said he didn't think you would."

"He?" he repeated, his voice suddenly getting higher than usual.

Alycia nodded. "Harry."

Ben pursed his lips, and shifted awkwardly in his place. "I came because Malfoy asked me to."

The girl's eyes widened in surprise. But not in a positive or excited kind of surprise. "You're kidding."

"I'm not," he said. He had, indeed, been asked by Malfoy to come. However, it wasn't the main reason why he had, though he refused to admit it out loud.

"Have you seen those badges he's made for the Slytherins?" she asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"No," he frowned. He had not been around Malfoy since the previous afternoon, and he hadn't paid much attention to any of the blond's friends, let alone what they were wearing.

Before Alycia could tell him what she was talking about, the Gryffindor team exited the changing room, and a part of the crowd broke into applause. The Slytherin supporters, on the other hand, began chanting some sort of... song.

"Oh, for Salazar's sake!" groaned Theodore, running a hand through his dark hair. "I can't believe they're actually doing it..."

"Doing what?" wondered Thomas, eyebrows furrowed, gaze shifting between Theodore, the chanting Slytherins, and the players in the pitch.

"So this is what the badges were about!" exclaimed Hermione, looking furious.

"What badges?" Ben asked her. She pursed her lips worriedly as she looked at the Gryffindor team, but then turned to Ben.

"The ones I was telling you about," insisted Alycia. "Malfoy's been giving out badges making fun of Ron."

"What?" he asked, noticing his heartbeat was starting to raise.

"They say 'Weasley is our king'," explained Hermione. "I'm not sure what they mean, but I bet it isn't something kind... I told Harry to not let Ron see them."

The blow of Madam Hooch's whistle turned their attention back to the game and to Lee Jordan's commentary. "And it's Johnson, Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me-"

"JORDAN!" yelled Professor McGonagall.

"Just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest... And she's ducked Warrington, she's passed Montague, she's- ouch! She's been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe... Montague catches the Quaffle, Montague heading back up the pitch and- Nice Bludger there from George Weasley, that's a Bludger to the head for Montague, he drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell, Katie Bell of Gryffindor reverse passes to Alicia Spinnet and Spinnet's away... Dodges Warrington, avoids a Bludger- close call, Alicia! And the crowd are loving this, just listen to them, what's that they're singing?"

And they all suddenly were able to understand the lyrics of the song coming from the Slytherin stands.

Weasley cannot save a thing,

He cannot block a single ring,

That's why Slytherins all sing:

Weasley is our King.

Weasley was born in a bin,

He always lets the Quaffle in,

Weasley will make sure we win,

Weasley is our King.

"Did you know about this?" Thomas asked Theodore, his skin paler than usual, if it was even possible.

"I told him not to do it," he assured, sounding worried. "I promise I did."

"What about you?" Hermione asked, all of a sudden.

She was looking at Ben, which made it clear that she was speaking to him, but he still asked. "Me?"

"Yes."

"Of course I didn't know," he frowned. "Why would I?"

"Because you seem to be enjoying Malfoy's company lately," she replied. Her tone was cold, but, for whatever reason, he could tell she wasn't actually that angry at him. He wished she didn't truly believe he'd support something like this. He hoped Ron didn't, either.

"I would've never let him do it if I knew it," he stated after taking a deep breath. "I would never turn my back on Ron."

And with that, he refused to pay any attention to what they were all saying. He focused completely on the match. It had merely just begun, but Slytherin had already scored four times. That horrible song kept going and going, despite Lee Jordan's attempts to make his commentary louder than it. Wasn't any teacher going to do anything?

Ben looked at Harry. He was circling around the stadium, searching for the Snitch in a desperation he had never seen before. He wanted the match to be over. But it was nowhere to be found, and Ron kept letting goals in.

"He's letting those Slytherins get into his head," groaned Ginny sadly. "He's always been quite good when we played at home..."

They all cheered as loudly as possible. For Ron, for Fred and George, for Angelina, Katie and Alicia, and for Harry. The Slytherin's song kept thundering over their voices, but it was undeniable that they were being heard. Especially thanks to Luna's roaring hat.

Harry suddenly dived in, and was quickly followed by Malfoy. He had seen the Snitch.

"COME ON, HARRY!"

Harry lifted up his right hand, and closed it around a tiny, golden ball. They all held their breaths, expecting the match to be finally over, when a Bludger hit him right in the back, sending him flying off his broom.

"No!" gasped Hermione.

Ben jumped to his feet, followed by Hermione, and they both sped past the crowd of Gryffindor supporters as Madam Hooch's whistle rang. They nearly flew down the stairs and they arrived at the pitch. The Gryffindor team was yelling in triumph near Harry, who had been helped up by a joyfull-looking Angelina. It didn't look like Harry was hurt. Ben caught a glimpse of Ron, slowly walking on his own to the Changing Rooms.

"Wait," Ben stopped Hermione from running over to Harry. She frowned at him, until he pointed at the redhead, and her expression softened. "Stay with him."

"Are you going with Harry?" she asked hopefully.

He sighed. "Yeah."

She grinned, and marched towards Ron. He rushed to approach Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team, who were hugging him. He was panting, and Katie Bell had just ruffled his already messy hair, but he was smiling, and Ben knew he couldn't be mad at him for any longer.

He caught Ben's eye, and his gaze widened.

But Malfoy's voice came ringing before either of them could say or do anything. "We couldn't fit in 'useless loser' either... For his father, you know."

Fred and George suddenly stiffened, and turned to the Slytherin. "Leave it," said Angelina at once, taking Fred by the arm. "Leave it, Fred, let him yell, he's just sore he lost, the jumped-up little..."

"But you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter?" sneered Malfoy. "Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles even the Weasleys' hovel smells okay-"

Harry grabbed hold of George; meanwhile it was taking the combined efforts of Angelina, Alicia, and Katie to stop Fred jumping on Malfoy. Ben didn't hesitate before leaping on to help Harry.

Malfoy's laugh stopped for an instant as he saw Ben. There was an odd look on his eyes, which soon shifted to a sparkling hateful one as he glared at Harry. "Or perhaps," said Malfoy, leering as he backed away, "you can remember what your mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it-"

Harry let go of George, who jumped at Malfoy, hitting him in the nose with a force that threw him to the ground with a thud, followed by a yell from him. Alicia, Katie and Angelina screamed as Fred groaned in rage, desperate to join his brother. Ben tried to grab Harry's arm, to stop him from doing something he'd regret, but he was faster. Before he could do anything about it, he had punched him in the stomach.

"Harry!"

"NO!" screamed Angelina. "HARRY, NO! GEORGE!"

Ben knew that the best he could do was stop them, but he couldn't help but think that Malfoy deserved it. He was asking for it, making fun of not only the Weasleys, but Harry's mother. He felt as though they had the right to make him pay for it, even if it was only once.

However, as soon as one of Malfoy's fists collided against Harry's jaw, rage surged through him. How could he dare to lay a single finger on him? He didn't care about how they had sort of hung out together for the last week, and he didn't care if he had seen a more sensitive, slightly kinder side of Malfoy. He had touched Harry. He had punched him.

A pair of arms grabbed him from behind just as he took the first step towards Malfoy. "Are you mad?" hissed Thomas. Ben didn't care. He was stronger than Thomas. He could free himself from his grip.

But Leah and Theodore joined the Slytherin, and Ben could barely move. "BEN, STOP!"

"Let go of me!"

"BEN!" shouted an approaching voice. Normally, he would've instantly recognised it as Alycia's, but his mind was too clouded with fury to process anything clearly. He could only think of how badly he needed to help Harry, and make Malfoy pay for hurting him.

"IMPEDIMENTA!" yelled Madam Hooch, pointing her wand to George and Harry, who were knocked backwards due to the spell. For some reason Ben was very grateful for, Thomas and his friends let him go, and he ran up to Harry.

"Harry!"

"I've never seen behavior like this!" shouted Madam Hooch. "Back up to the castle, both of you, and straight to your Head of House's office! Go! Now!"

Harry and George got to their feet. There was blood on the older boy's lips, but Harry didn't seem like much harm had been done to him. "Where's Ron?" he asked, his eyes sparkling in fury as he looked around.

"I told Hermione to go see him," stammered Ben. "They're in the Changing Room, I think."

Harry nodded in understanding and, without looking at him, he said; "I guess I'll talk to you later..."

———————————————

Ben assumed Harry would take long to come back, so he didn't rush the process of getting to the Gryffindor Common Room. He walked Thomas, Theodore and Alycia to the Slytherin one, and wandered around the castle for a while. It was empty, aside from several ghosts, who were gliding up and down the corridors, some of them humming the 'Weasley Is Our King' song.

He hoped Ron didn't encounter any of them on his way back to the Gryffindor tower, though he had a feeling he would, since even Nearly Headless Nick was singing it as he himself went through the entrance hall.

The Common Room was empty when he got there. Had he really taken long enough that even Harry, Ron and Hermione had gone to bed? He rushed up the stairs, ready to explain that he had lost track of time, and that he didn't mean to avoid either of them. But neither Ron nor Harry were in the boy's dormitory either.

He went downstairs again and laid down on the sofa, closing his eyes. Less than a second later, a small four-legged creature with fuzzy black hair jumped to his chest, meowing, and approached his face, as though waking him up. Ben smiled to himself and kissed the top of Snowie's head.

Satisfied, she walked back down, and curled up in a ball in a space between Ben's chest and the back of the sofa. She began purring loudly, her breaths deep. The fireplace was still lit, the flames engulfing the little remaining wood, crackling very slowly.

"Hey," said a voice. "Hey, Ben."

Ben woke up instantly, startling Snowie. He blinked as his eyes adjusted themselves to the dim light. The fireplace had barely any fire left, and Harry was standing in front of it.

"Oh," he said, sitting up straight. "Hello."

"Er- Hello."

Neither of them spoke for a minute. A minute that felt like an hour. They did their best to avoid looking at each other, until Harry sighed and sat down next to him. "Why?"

Ben blinked. "What do you mean, why?"

"Why are you doing this?" he asked. "Why have you suddenly decided that Malfoy's a better company than us? Than I?"

"I never decided that."

"Well that's not what it seemed like," he scoffed. "With him standing up for you and saying he delayed you with that stupid little smirk of his."

"He did, in fact, delay me."

"I wonder how."

Ben's eyes widened. "What are you... He delayed me by talking to me, Harry."

"Mhm... I bet it feels nice to know that he won't make fun of you, unlike the rest of us."

"He asked me why I was alone," explained Ben, sort of ignoring Harry's last comment. "And why I hadn't been around any of you for weeks."

"You didn't tell him the truth, did you?"

He shook his head. "Of course not. I would've never done something like that to you."

He wished he hadn't said that. Harry looked away, and started bouncing his leg up and down, nervously. "What did you tell him, then?"

"That it was none of his business," he replied.

"Really?"

"Yes. And... He then asked if you had broken up with me," he told him. "And I told him that there wasn't anything between us."

Harry didn't reply. He didn't look at Ben either.

"He seemed to be very sure of it," he continued, to see if that way he'd say something. But Harry wasn't giving any signals of wanting to. Okay, then. "But now he doesn't, so you're free to date Mei-Xing without anybody thinking you're betraying me or some shit."

As though he sensed it, Harry grabbed Ben's hand to stop him from standing up. "No, Ben, no. Don't leave now. I refuse to continue letting us ruin... Whatever we used to have."

"Used to have?"

Harry shook his head and took a couple of deep breaths, desperately trying to find the words. "I- I don't know. I mean..." he sighed. Ben shook his hand off Harry's. "Ben, this is not- This is not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Are we ever going to, then?" he mumbled, heartbeats pounding inside his head.

"What?"

"Are we ever going to talk about it, Harry?" he repeated, his voice clearer now.

"Ben, it was you who refused to!" exclaimed Harry. "It's you who's been weird to me since we first saw you in Summer!"

"We have both been weird to each other since it happened."

Harry shook his head. "No, no, Ben, that's not true. I have been the same to you, or as much as I could... Which it may not be as much as I would've wanted but that's- That's beyond my control. Things happen, and we all change; sometimes for good, sometimes not."

"I know that perfectly well, you don't have to tell me about it."

"Well, okay. But my point is that I haven't been acting differently with you, and you know it."

Deep down, he knew it.

"Then I'm the problem, as usual, right?"

"I didn't say that," he said. "Merlin, Ben, you've got to stop doing that. Don't you realise it's not going to help at all?"

He breathed in deeply. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry."

Harry shifted on his seat, turning a bit to be able to look at him. "Look. You might not have realised it. But you have been... weird, distant."

"I've been feeling weird in general with everybody."

"See? That's the thing, Ben. I have been feeling weird as well and, to be honest, like an absolute piece of shit all the time. I think we both have been trying to not let it show, to put on some sort of facade to make it seem like everything's alright. But the difference is that, in my case, when I was with you, it was- Well, I didn't feel like I had to act that way. I felt like I could allow myself to be... Vulnerable?"

"And you can..." he whispered, a rush of nerves going all over his body.

"I know I can. I know I can, because I... I trust you."

"I trust you too."

"Yet you still keep that facade on when you're with me."

Ben opened his mouth twice, but didn't really know what to say. The only thing he could manage to get out was a weak. "That's not true."

"Is it not?" he lifted up an eyebrow.

He shook his head.

"Then tell me what happened that night."

A quick shiver shook him. "Which night?"

"That night Ebony took you with us," he whispered. "What happened? Why were you covered in blood?"

His blood ran cold. Had somebody told him? It didn't seem like it; he really seemed innocently asking. Besides, he doubted Ron would betray him like that, after he had especifically told him to keep his secret.

"I can't tell you."

"Am I the only one you can't tell about your problems?"

"You just don't get it-"

"Well, then help me get it! I want to understand everything; your thoughts, how your mind works, the reasons for everything you do... Everything. And, most importantly, I want to understand you. But I need to know a lot more to be able to do it. And I can't do it if you don't let me see through, if you don't let me in."

And, for a moment, there was nothing he wanted more than to do what he was being asked. He looked into his eyes. They were so pure, so beautiful... There was so much pain on them, you could see it if you paid attention, but that glow of courage, hope and love was still there. He wanted to tell him. But he knew that, the moment he started talking, he would end up letting it all out.

All. Of. It.

And it scared Ben to such an extent that he simply couldn't. "Please don't do this to me, Harry. Please."

"Do what? I'm just trying to... Why do you always have to overcomplicate everything?"

"I repeat, you don't understand."

"And I repeat, help me understand, then."

"I can't. I'm not... I'm not ready to talk about it," he stuttered, shaking his head.

Harry sighed and looked down. "Alright, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to talk about this, anyway. But I think it's better if we don't speak of the argument. I don't want to keep fighting with you, Ben. Especially not now."

"Me neither."

"Then can we... Um, forget about it?"

"I guess."

"Brilliant," he smiled. "If you want... You can, er- Come back? To our training, I mean."

"I thought you had temporarily cancelled it due to Quidditch?" he asked. "At least that's what Alycia told me."

Harry pursed his lips. "I don't think there'll be that much of a problem in not making them coincide anymore..."

"Why not?"

"Fred, George and I have been kicked off the team."

"What?" he gasped, eyes so wide he had to blink twice to get his eyesight back.

"Umbridge banned us permanently from playing," he explained angrily. "Because of the fight with Malfoy."

"But she can't do that!"

"Yes, she can."

"Didn't McGonagall do anything?"

"There's not much she can do against the High Inquisitor," he said sarcastically through gritted teeth. "And McGonagall was pretty mad as well."

"I suppose Malfoy's been banned as well?"

Harry gave a bitter laugh. "Of course not."

"But he's the reason it happened in the first place. If he hadn't provoked any of you, you wouldn't have-"

"Yeah, but nobody seems to care about it."

"I wish I knew about the song. Perhaps I could've managed to stop him, and none of this would've happened."

Harry shrugged. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore, I guess."

"I'm so sorry, Harry, really."

"There's some good news, though... Sort of."

"Are there?"

He nodded, smiling halfway. "Hagrid's back."

A/N: I feel like this is a shitty chapter but oh well