Christmas passed by and then so did the New Year. The students had returned and classes progressed once again alongside Quidditch and various other adventures in between.

Draco and Harry had enjoyed the year, even when they had run ins with Mathew Lark, and even with the detentions they'd received over the months of exploring the castle under the invisibility cloak and getting caught if they took it off or being scowled at for showing up late after a visit to Hagrid. But as the months flowed past, they began to lose some enthusiasm by the time March was almost over, for the year was coming to a close and that meant that they had to return to the Dursleys for many months.

"Where did it all go?" Harry wondered as he, Draco and Ron made their way outside to enjoy the Saturday sunlight and warmth. "It feels like I blinked and it was months later."

"I know" Draco sighed.

"But then we've got summer!" Ron grinned. "Maybe you two could come stay over for a while?"

"That would be great" Draco glanced up.

"If we're allowed" Harry added and the blonde sighed again.

The boy mostly lazed around but grew restless and chased each other, soon falling into the lake but that just brought on a splashing war. After they'd dragged themselves back onto land, they lay on their backs and stared up at the numerous clouds to dry off.

"What's that noise?" Draco glanced around as there was a odd screeching coming from...the Owlery.

The three Gryffindors rushed towards the place in question and once inside they found non-other than Mathew Lark and some of his buddies terrifying the birds and aiming a few hexes around. But no one had actually been hit although they tried frantically to escape.

"Hey!" Ron snapped. "Leave them alone."

"They bit me!" Mathew scowled once he spotted them and held up a bloody finger.

"So that justifies this?" Harry was really mad now and tired of this boy causing so much trouble without even caring about anything other than his own boredom.

"Yes!" Mathew yelled but it was followed by a smirk. "Which one is yours?" He looked around at the owls just as Harry had spotted her as well.

"NO!" The boys yelled at Hedwig and Mathew. Draco dove for the boy and knocked him to the floor of bird droppings while Harry and Ron charged at the other two.

Once down, they tried to get the boys wands but it seemed that they had not been the only ones to notice the interference the owls were making.

Each boy seperated quickly as McGonagall loomed into view and Snape joined behind her; eyeing their house members with scowls and glares. Snape stepped aside as McGonagall took over the situation and left him to check on the birds.

He gazed around and assumed that the boy hadn't actually been aiming for the animals because none of them had been injured. Or so he'd thought until he'd spotted one lying on its side near the back. He frowned as he checked and saw a broken wing and bleeding leg. But it was a familiar owl; one that he believed to belong to Harry Potter.

Snape picked the bird up and carried her back to the castle where he tended to its care (He would have taken it to Promfry but decided it wasn't too badly injured and he had the supplies himself).

Hedwig rested for the night, a bandage wrapped on her right wing and talon, while Snape watched over her and scowled at himself for even caring about the bird...so what if it belonged to Harry?

--

The following Monday during Potions class he informed Harry that his owl was being cared for but made sure not to mention that he was the one caring for her. Harry was stressed and deeply upset by his owl being injured but Snape left Draco to offer comfort and dismissed them both.

Perhaps he should have offered reassurance or something to the boy, but he simply didn't see the point for harry would know that his owl was fine once Snape returned her.

Snape had expected the owl to be fine in a few days but weeks dragged on and he began to wonder if she would be okay before the school year ended. Harry constantly questioned him and the man was sure he had the same worries as himself.

But against all odds, Snape awoke one morning (almost three weeks before the last day of term) and felt an affectionate nipping at his ear. He noticed the snowy owl was back to her usual self and could move her wing again. He fed her and sought out Harry.

"Mr Potter!" Snape barked as he saw the boy leaving the Great Hall.

"Hedwig!" Harry grinned in relief as he saw his owl on Snape's shoulder and she flew over to him, nipping him in a simular way that she had to Snape earlier.

"You took care of her?" Harry asked in shock while staring at his potions master in disbelief.

"Indeed" He replied dully. "Do not over-excercise her wing as it may still require resting" He ordered before turning to leave.

"Wow, Snape took care of you" Harry glanced at Hedwig.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He joked and Draco reached out to pet her as well, having hid his concern for the owl more effectively than Harry and Ron had, but he too was relieved that she was okay.

Snape continued down the corridor back to his rooms where he had several potions that Promfry needed brewed as soon as possible.

But while the fact that he'd helped Harry's owl was just a simple act of kindness, no one had any idea just how that small act was going to change something between him and the boys.

"Is it true that Mathew was suspended?" A seond-year boy asked Harry as they all sat down for the end-of-year feast.

"Yeah" Harry nodded.

"Serves the git right" Ron agreed.

"It was a horrible thing to do!" Hermione said. "At least he didn't seriously hurt any of them."

A soft tinkling directed the attention of the entire room to Dumbledore as he stepped up to address them all.

"Another year has gone!" He said loudly. "Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were...you have the whole summer to get them nice and empty again before the next year begins" He said and Draco groaned at the mentioning of their summer.

"And now, as I understand it, the house cup needs awarding and the points stand as thus: in fourth place, Slytherin, with three hundred and thirty points; in third Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two points; Ravenclaw have four hundred and twenty-six points and Gryffindor, four hundred and seventy points!"

A huge round of cheering and applause filled the Great Hall as all three houses celebrated the downfall of Slytherin, which was no doubt a result of Mathew's reckless abuse on the owls a few weeks earlier.

"Gryffindor win the house cup!" Dumbledore announced over the cheers and McGonagall was laughing in happiness while entwining her hands and grinning.

The students of the three houses threw their black hats into the hair and got to their feet while those in Slytherin remained seated and glaring at them miserably or just in pure anonyance.

The cheers began to die down after some time and the feast began, in which everyone but the Slytherins really enjoyed and chatted amongst themselves throughout.

Snape had left the hall before each of the other Slytherins while McGonagall remained the longest and stayed to congratulate her house.

--

Then it was time for bed and last-minute packing for they were to board the Hogwarts Express the following day and no one was least looking forward to that moment than Draco and Harry.

"Why doesn't my godfather want me, or my aunt?" Draco asked as they lay down in his bed to stare up at the ceiling whilst continuing to ignore the partying that was still going on downstairs in the common room.

"I don't know, but I'm sure there is a good reason...they must care about you if they sent you stuff" Harry sighed. "At least you have someone."

"You have that mysterious RJL" Draco said. "But hey, who cares...it's not like they're here so what's the point? We still have each other and we're only gonna be home for a few months and then we're back here."

"When did you get so possitive?" Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

"Dunno, must have spent too much time around you!" Draco joked and just found Harry's weak attempt at a shove even more amusing.

"Do you think they'll even pick us up?" Draco then asked, refering to the Dursleys.

"I think so" Harry sighed but shrugged. "I don't know."

"I can't wait until we get away from them again and come back here...we'll be able to actually play Quidditch next year!" Draco grinned but it soon faded.

"We'll be out of there soon enough" Harry yawned as if he'd read Draco's thoughts on returning to Privit Drive.

"Hagrid said we could threaten to curse Dudley if he annoys us."

"We're not allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts" Draco reminded him but caught on. "Oh, but they don't know that...do they?"

"Goodnight, Draco" Harry said and rolled over to sleep even though it was impossible with all the yelling going on downstairs.

"Yeah, night" Draco sighed, still resting on his back and staring upwards while being lost in his own thoughts and dreads.

"Come on, yeh'll be late!" Hagrid boomed over the heads of students the following day as everyone handed over their luggage and boarded the train. Harry and Draco had already said goodbye to Hagrid and received the photo album from him, they now made their way into a empty compartment alongside Hermione and Ron.

Althought the four of them sat together, Harry and Draco barely said a word. Harry conversed with Ron at times but otherwise flipped through his photo album while Draco silently read his book on his Malfoy Heritage.

But with an hour left until they arrived at the station, neither boy could keep themselves distracted long enough so started talking with their other two friends about coming for a visit, what they'd be up to next year, Quidditch etc.

When the whistle blew and the train came to a stop, Harry delayed exiting the train for as long as he could but it was unavoidble and he soon had to follow the others out of their compartment and onto the platform where they collected their luggage.

After bidding their farewells, the boys entered the muggle part of the station and found the Dursleys uncomfortably waiting for them.

Draco and Harry stood miserably as Mr Weasley came over to greet Vernon but the conversation wasn't very long and soon they were leaving, heading back to the home they so truthfully hated.

They had their things locked away in the cupboard once again but their owls remained with them as the boys carried their cages upstairs and fed them some treats.

"Well, they barely said a word to us...that has to be a good sign, right?" Harry asked Draco with an uncertain expression.

"I suppose" Draco sighed as he sat on their bed and hung his head slowly. "I don't think it'll last though, he looked pretty mad on the drive home."

"Well it's only almost three months" Harry added. "I'm sure we'll be okay."

Draco looked up at his brother. "Harry? I don't think we will, because I know about where we belong now...I know that I happen to be a rich pureblood and yet I'm an enslaved muggle. I just have a feeling that things are not going to end well this time."

"Well you've just got to keep calm and block their insults out" Harry encouraged.

"I will, but that's not what I meant" Draco said. "There's something different about them; they're not just scared and cautious but they seem more...I dunno, "grouchy" I suppose would be one way to describe it."

Harry glanced at Draco and thought back to how Vernon had been acting as he'd loaded their trunks and ordered them to their room.

"I think you're right" He sighed. "Something is certainly off, but surely it's a good thing...he'll leave us alone."

"No" Draco said with a shake of his head for he just felt so certain. "I don't think he will."