disclaimer-it's all JK's.
Harry Potter, a skinny boy of seventeen with floppy black hair and vivid green eyes, was sitting almost completely alone in a dimly lit dungeon. He was accompanied only by a sallow-skinned, greasy-haired man dressed entirely in black-Severus Snape.
Suddenly, without warning, Snape rose and strode out of the room, slamming the heavy door behind him.
Harry stared at the door a few seconds, bewildered, and then seized his chance. Taking one last, quick look around, he flung open the door and almost plowed over his rival Draco Malfoy.
Malfoy didn't look good at all. His normally sleek, white-blond hair was dirty and mussed and huge bags sat under his eyes, but he smiled and pushed Harry back into the classroom. "What's the hurry, Potter?" he sneered, shutting the dungeon door behind him. "I want a word."
"A word?" scoffed Harry.
"Yes, Potter, a word." Malfoy moved towards Harry, who tried to dart around Malfoy. "Impedimenta!" Malfoy said softly, and Harry froze.
Malfoy dragged Harry by the arm and plunked him down in a chair. Soon, the charm's effects wore off and Harry leapt to his feet, but Malfoy pushed him back down. He flicked his wand and ropes bound Harry's wrists and ankles to the chair. Obviously, Malfoy had learned some new tricks.
"Hear me out, Potter," Malfoy pleaded. There was something in his eyes Harry had never seen there before. Was it envy? A pitiful jealousy?
Harry struggled fruitlessly against his bonds, then, deciding there was nothing he could do, said, "Okay, Malfoy. What do you want to talk about?"
Malfoy sighed. "I'll get straight to the point, Potter-I'm jealous of you. That's right," he added, seeing Harry's jaw drop, "jealous."
Harry replied, while trying to stretch just enough to reach his wand, "Why in the world would you be jealous of me? Is this some sort of trick?"
Malfoy leaned over, snatched Harry's wand, and pocketed it. "No joke, Potter," he said sadly, and the fear, anxiety, and worry in his eyes convinced Harry. Their eyes met, and in that moment Harry knew somehow that Malfoy was telling the truth.
"I'm jealous," continued Malfoy, "because you have friends, and people like you, and because you're not a Death Eater and you never will be."
"You have friends," said Harry.
Malfoy snorted. "Crabbe? Goyle? They're not my friends. At least, I hope they're not. They only hang around me because I'm rich, and our parents are friends. But you've got friends who actually like you-all those Weasleys, and Granger, and Hagrid." Malfoy sighed and ran a hand through his blond hair. "I wish I could take up Dumbledore's offer."
"Offer?" asked Harry.
"Last year, before Snape...well, before he died," explained Malfoy. "Don't you remember? You were there, I believe."
"Oh yeah!" said Harry. "You mean, you don't want to be a Death Eater? Then quit," he advised, shocked at what he was saying.
"I can't," snapped Malfoy, "you know perfectly well I can't, Voldemort would kill me and my poor mother would go crazy."
Harry nodded; he had, of course, known this. "My whole family's made of Dark wizards," Malfoy said. "But I don't want to be one."
"You should've decided that before you became a Death Eater," said Harry.
"I KNOW!" said Malfoy. "But I was stupid, and now I'm paying for my mistake." Malfoy hesitated, and then said, "And, Potter...I'm sorry."
At that moment, Snape walked in. He looked delighted to see Harry tied up, but then said, "Malfoy, what are you doing here? Release Potter at once!"
"Evanesco," muttered Malfoy, and the ropes binding Harry vanished. Harry rubbed his wrists gingerly. "Sorry, Professor," said Malfoy, and then without looking back he left the room.
Snape sat down at his desk. "What was that about, Potter?" he asked.
"I don't know," replied Harry honestly.
The next thing he knew, Harry was thrashing wildly in his bedcovers, hot and sweaty. He glanced at the clock. It was morning.
Harry untangled himself from the blankets and thought about the absurd dream he'd had. Of course it couldn't be real, Harry scolded himself as he got dressed. Malfoy jealous of me? Malfoy apologizing? Yeah, right.
As Harry walked into class later that day, Malfoy was whispering to Crabbe and Goyle, who glanced over at Harry and guffawed loudly.
So Harry must have just imagined the shadow of a smile that he thought he saw flitting across Malfoy's face.
__________________________________________________
REVIEWS WELCOME!