"Potter. Stop following me."

Malfoy suddenly appears in front of Harry, taking the young boy by complete surprise. Harry stumbles back, away from Malfoy with a rapidly beating heart.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Malfoy wasn't supposed to catch Harry stalking him. Harry was supposed to follow him around the castle undetected.

And now Malfoy has found him out. Hermione is going to bite his head off, tell him off about letting his obsession with Malfoy get the best of him. She had told him to leave Malfoy alone and he'd ignored her. And now, Malfoy knows they're watching him, or at least, Harry is.

Harry straightens his back and looks defiantly at Malfoy with narrowed eyes and chin up. "What are you doing, skulking around in the castle?"

"I'm not skulking," Malfoy sneers, a look of contempt on his pale face. "And even if I was, it's none of your business."

Malfoy doesn't look to good. There are bags beneath his eyes and his skin is even paler than usual. He looks skinnier too, his ropes doesn't fit him as well as they used to. For a second Harry fills pity for the haggard looking boy in front of him. But as quick as it appears, it's gone again.

"It's my business if people will get hurt because you're up to no good," Harry barks at the other boy.

"Of course. Potter needs to save the world again," is Malfoy sarcastic reply. He looks Harry up and down, making a what Harry is sure is an unpleasant shiver run down his spine. "What's the world's come to that it has to rely on a speckled git like you to safe it."

"Like I want to be a hero," Harry spats at Malfoy. He's just going to ignore the name Malfoy called him, he's used to it.

"Yeah, you do," Malfoy scoffs and he narrows his eyes."You love the attention. You love people adoring you. It's because your mother wasn't around to dote on you, isn't it?"

"Don't you dare talk about my mother," Harry warns Malfoy between clenched teeth.

"Or what?" Malfoy challenges, one eyebrow raised.

Harry takes the one step forwards that is needed to close the distance between him and Malfoy. The blonde doesn't move, remains where he's standing, showing he's not afraid of Harry.

its Harry can feel puffs of air rush over his skin as he and Malfoy stand toe to toe, eyes locked as Malfoy waits for Harry to make his next move.

"Are you going to do something or are you going to keep staring at me," Malfoy challenges.

Harry really was planning on either hexing Malfoy or attack him with his bare hands, but now that the other boy is so close, strength seems to have left his body. Maybe it's his cologn or maybe it's the intensity of his eyes but suddenly, he doesn't have it in him to attack the blonde boy. His anger seem to have disappeared.

Instead, in its place, there's an urge to lean forward and push his lips against Malfoy.

The thought, the feeling of wanting to kiss the infuriating boy in front of him takes Harry by complete surprise and its sends a jolt of fear through him.

Heart beating rapidly in his chest, Harry takes several steps back. His eyes are probably wide with fright. If the sneer on Malfoy face is any indication, they are.

Harry turns around and runs away.