For the first time in years, a heatwave had descended over Hogwarts. Cooling charms were cast over every classroom, common room and dormitory. Students were permitted to wear only their blouses and skirts or shirts and trousers. Quidditch suddenly became an effort, studying; torture.

Amongst all this, striding away from the castle, Harry Potter was in a bad mood. The heat and developing a crush on his worst enemy was more than enough to deal with - the last thing he needed was Snape humiliating him yet again. And Hermione's reproaching, well, you really ought to pay more attention, Harry, didn't exactly help.

Just because he had been contentedly ignoring Snape, minding his own business, and sort of watching Draco Malfoy a little bit. He had been sitting by the window, and the sun shone on his soft, perfect hair, making it gleam almost white. Harry's palms sweated he wanted to reached out and stroke that hot, silky hair so much.

"Potter," Snape snapped the name out, as if it were some particularly filthy disease. Of course, Harry didn't know the answer to the simplest question. Snape dragged this on for as long as possible, not telling people off for tittering. Harry willed himself not to look at Malfoy, who's eyes he could feel on him, laughing at him, along with everyone else. Finally, Snape turned back to his lesson, leaving Harry to turn his thoughts back to Malfoy. He could always copy off Hermione later.

He wasn't sure when it had started, exactly, or how, but now it was getting to the stage where he was either watching or thinking about him all the time, casually bringing him up in as many conversations as he could without seeming weird, dreaming about him, playing quidditch badly because he kept picturing him in the showers running hot water over his body, every day imagining and itching for scenarios where they could be alone together.

Malfoy must have felt Harry's eyes on him, and met his gaze without moving. He was resting his head on one hand, bored. He usually would have pulled a face or mouthed something nasty, but this time he just looked back at Harry, as if waiting for something.

Harry looked away, and didn't allow himself to look back all lesson.

He turned this over and over in his mind as he headed towards to lake, hoping a walk would calm him. A lot of students were swimming there, something else the professors newly permitted. Apparantly the squid stayed down as deep as possible such heat, though Fred and George swore blind they felt in on their legs once. Harry felt a little better already, relishing the slight breeze, the birdsong, the fresh, summery scent of grass.

His gaze was drifting idly along the water, and he noticed Crabbe and Goyle swimming. Racing, by the looks of it. Harry slowed down, scanning the water. He shouldn't have felt happier, but he did. Hopeful. For about a second. Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. Weird. He sighed a little and began walking at a normal pace again when a foot darted out from behind a tree and hooked around his ankle.

Harry went sprawling on his hands and knees, pissed off all over again. He whipped around and found Draco Malfoy smirking at him. His mind immediately blanked and the snarl died in his throat. He hoped he wasn't blushing. Malfoy was sat leaning against a tree in the shade surrounded by bags and a few open books. He had his knees up and his bare feet were buried in the grass. He also wore no tie, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up.

After a few seconds it occurred to Harry that he should say something.

"What did you do that for?"

"You were looking for me," he said lazily, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry felt a flicker of panic. "I wasn't."

"You were."

"I wasn't. I have a life outside of fighting you."

"Sure you do," he drawled, then seeing Harry bristle, said, "Oh, don't get in a strop, Potter. It's too hot to fight."

"But you just tripped me."

"Yeah, but I didn't want to fight. I just wanted to trip you," he said, smirking.

"Very mature."

He was about to retaliate when yelling was heard from the lake. Harry couldn't tell if it was Crabbe or Goyle. Malfoy got to his feet, looking alarmed. As he stepped forward, Harry couldn't resist. He stuck his foot out.

"Ow!" he said as he went sprawling. "You stupid git, what did you do that for?"

"Just wanted to trip you," he said with a smirk.

Malfoy glared back at him. He had really nice eyes. Harry didn't know how he had missed this when they first met. Sometimes they looked more ice blue than grey. Sometimes pale green. Right now they were unsettlingly silver.

"They could have hurt themselves."

"Or brushed against a really big weed."

Malfoy scowled at him and stormed off. Harry got comfy on the grass. He felt strangely happy now. True, he was getting on Malfoy's nerves, but at least they were talking. Harry heard him shout something, and the replying shout sounded jovial enough. Malfoy came back looking more annoyed than relieved.

"Let's take bets on who'll sink the fastest," Harry suggested.

"Funny," he said. "Why are you here, again?"

"You tripped me up."

"Oh yeah. Let me rephrase. Why are you still here?"

"Err... I've dropped something," he said foolishly. What did he say that for?

"What?"

"I've dropped something," he started discreetly feeling his pockets, hoping something maybe had dropped out when he fell.

"What have you dropped?"

As luck would have it, he actually had. "A rememberall."

"A what?"

"You know, one of those little balls that go red when you've forgotten something. It must have fallen out of my pocket when you tripped me."

"Oh dear," Malfoy said insincerely. He slid down slowly until he was lying on his back, his head resting on the tree roots. He closed his eyes.

Harry spotted the rememberall and quickly shoved it under some long grass. He took his time looking around, secretly looking at Malfoy, who was getting rather annoyed.

"It's just a rememberall. You can get them anywhere. Forget about it."

"It's not mine, though," he said truthfully.

Malfoy didn't bother responding.

Harry kept crawling around in the grass and after a while started to feel rather stupid. This wasn't exactly getting him anywhere. Crabbe and Goyle would be back soon and then he'd have to go, and Malfoy hadn't moved or spoken for about fifteen minutes. Harry wondered if he'd fallen asleep. He turned to look. The sun had shifted and was partly on Malfoy. He lay there looking so wonderful that for a minute Harry just sat there. Was he really the only one who found him so stunning?

Malfoy seemed to sense someone watching him, and his eyes fluttered open. He raised a hand to shield his eyes. "Potter?" he said uncertainly. He looked all sweet and vulnerable.

"You shouldn't sleep in the sun."

"I wasn't asleep." He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Then he pointed at the long grass, shaking his head in exasperation. "It's over there, moron. Right where you were sitting."

For a moment Harry didn't have a clue what he was talking about. Then he remembered. "Oh. Right." He reached out, but Malfoy leaned over and got it first.

He held it up and studied it.

"It's not very fascinating," Harry told him. He tried to take it, but Malfoy held it out of his reach. He took hold of his arm and wrestled him in a half hearted kind of way. Their eyes met briefly. "Give it."

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Why? Don't be so childish." He let go of him with one hand and reached into his pocket for his wand.

Rolling his eyes, Malfoy relaxed his hand and let him take it, as Harry knew he would. "You're no fun." He closed his eyes again.

There was a little pause. Harry stared down at him, heart beating. Before he could stop himself, he leaned down and kissed him. Malfoy's lips were warm from the sun and his skin smelt sweeter than the grass. At first he stiffened in shock, but after a moment began kissing him back. It left Harry too happy to think. Malfoy slid his arms around him properly and pulled him nearer. He ran his fingers through his hair.

Harry gave a little whimper of protest when he heard splashing and voices, when Malfoy pulled away. Who cares if someone saw? The whole world could as far as Harry was concerned.

However, Malfoy murmured, "You'd better go," nuzzling into his hair a little.

Reluctantly, Harry pulled away. He looked at Malfoy searchingly for a minute. He took hold of him and kissed him once more. They were a little breathless when he drew back. "See you around."

"Yeah," said Malfoy, sounding a bit dazed. "See you."