Harry hummed, more out of interest than relatability. While he agreed, the more they got to talk about it the clearer it becane that they had had to survive similar things in distinctly different ways. What had kept Malfoy safe under his particular circumstances were hardly applicable in Harry's, but it only seemed to make matters that much more interesting.<br/>He had leaned forward, table manners to the wind; both his elbows were on the lip of the table, utensils interrupted by Malfoy's words but still in his hands.<br/>"You had terrific impulses, then," Harry smiled, finally accepting the fact that their conversation was more engaging than the few bites of the artichoke salad Coote had served for their side. He placed the knife and fork back against the china.<br/>"I relied entirely on the impulses of others," he said, and on reflection, that had teally been the case. They hadn't won because Harry was a strategic genuious, but because they were predestined to.<br/>He relaxed back into the chair, bringing his glass of watee with him for a drink. His brows furrowed for a moment, a reaction to his words before he ever spoke them.<br/>"Snape spent weeks trying to teach me," Harry shared, though he expected that particular anecdote to be familiar to Malfoy; not becauuse Harry had shared it before, but because Malfoy had assumingly lived through it himself.<br/>A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Occlumency, that is, not French. And mind you I applied myself harder than I've ever done before, if only out of spite."<br/>Harry still remembered Snape's taunts during thise late night classes, but he hesitated to share, expecting Malfoy's memories od their late prodessor to be more favourable than Harry's. "I don't think it was of any use, though. Voldemort was so far in my head I think it was way beyond the point of keeping him out."<br/>There was no immediate trauma to Harry's voice at  that recollection; in fact, a smile pulled at his lips unwillingly. "I've often wondered if it was even Legilimency; that maybe we just shared a brainwave, and he had to endure me gushing about Cho Chang for the better part of fifth year just as much as I had to dream about snakes."