Harry had never thought he'd see the day where he'd rather be at the Dursleys' than at Hogwarts, but as he was getting onto the Hogwarts Express, he was longing for his bedroom. At least there nobody was staring at him. He hated being pitied, and he knew when he got to school, it would be even worse. He was feeling more and more depressed by the second and the moment he had a chance, he slipped into an empty compartment and threw the invisibility cloak over his head and shut the door.

Harry didn't even consider the possiblity of Malfoy and his friends entering his compartment, and he was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even see the Slytherins entering the compartment. It was only when he heard Malfoy's silky voice when he realized that he wasn't going to be alone on the ride to school like he had planned, but be stuck with Malfoy. Malfoy! Out of everyone on the train, the one person he had least wanted to share a compartment with was right there with his Slytherin comrades. Great.

Harry quickly moved under the table as Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini sat down on the sofa. He was shaking. What if they heard him?

"Hogwarts." Malfoy snorted as he shut the door to the compartment. "What a pathetic excuse for a school. I think I'd pitch myself off the astronomy tower before coming back here for another year."

"Draco, what are you saying?" Pansy asked. Malfoy was sitting next to her now.

"Let's just say I've...moved on to better things." 

"What do you mean, better things?" Zabini asked with a sneer.

Before Malfoy could respond, the compartment door opened.

"I'm supposed to deliver this to Blaise Zabini," said a voice Harry didn't recognize. He looked up. There stood a girl at the entrance of the compartment. She had flowing locks of brown hair that went down to her shoulders, and piercing viridescent eyes that matched the Slytherin crest on her robes. She was also looking at Draco rather longingly.

Harry hated her.

"Thanks," said Malfoy coldly, taking a scroll that she was holding from her hands. "Now leave."

"Why should I?"

"You heard him Greengrass," Pansy snapped. "Leave."

The new girl, Greengrass, smiled and left. Harry wanted to bash her face in. 

Zabini removed the wax stamp from the scroll. "New professor wants to meet me in his compartment for lunch," he muttered, rolling it back up. "This guy named Slughorn."

"Are you going to go?" asked Pansy.

"Yeah."

"I bet Potter's gonna be there," said Malfoy scathingly. "Oh, precious Potter and his perfect little scar, and his broomstick...oh he's just so wonderful, The Chosen One- Do you know what my father told me? He told me to befriend him. Befriend Potter! I'd rather hex my arm off to be honest."

"Why does your dad want you to become friends with Harry Potter?" Zabini asked.

"It's to help with the mission," said Malfoy. "As if I couldn't do it without Potter."  

"You better go, Blaise," said Pansy. "Everyone else is already going."

Zabini got up without saying a word and left the compartment, leaving the door wide open. Harry moved to leave too, but stopped. By being here with Malfoy and his confidants, he was hearing a lot. Would it be better to stay?

Before he could think about it, Pansy got up and shut the door. "What's up with him?"  

Malfoy didn't answer, but was now staring in the direction where Harry was hidden. 

"Draco?" 

He still didn't answer.

"Draco!" Pansy smacked his sleeve, and Malfoy jolted. 

"What the hell, Pansy!" Malfoy yelled. Pansy stepped backward.

"I'm sor-" She began.

"Forget it," Malfoy snarled. He left the compartment, leaving Pansy standing there, scared and confused. Harry had had enough of just sitting there. He had to knew where he had gone to and what he was doing. Making sure his invisibility cloak wasn't going to fall off, he ran out the door with only one thought on his mind: find Malfoy. 

"Volatilis Lutum!" 

Harry had barely made his way out the door before almost being hit by a curse. He jumped out of the way, and turned around. To his delight, he saw Zacharias Smith with giant black bats flying out of his nose. As he watched him run down the corridor screaming while covering his nose, Harry was so busy trying to hold in his laughter that almost forgot about Malfoy. It was only when Harry caught sight of some sulky Slytherins he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. 

Harry turned around and ran down the aisle. He didn't stop until he saw a hint of white-blond hair, which he followed into an empty compartment in the very back of the train. As soon as he entered, Malfoy slammed the door shut, pulled the window shade down, and began to cry. It started with a single tear. Then another. Before long, his entire face was cascading with tears. 

Harry couldn't believe it. Malfoy? Crying? What would make Draco Malfoy cry? It had to b-

"Petrificucs Totalus!" Malfoy shouted.

Harry immediately was thrown backwards. Malfoy pulled off his invisibility cloak, and tossed it to the side. "I thought so," he said monotonously. "You're not as sneaky as you think, Potter."  He took his shoe and stamped on Harry's nose. Hard. He then threw his invisibility cloak back over him before opening the door to the compartment and walking away.