To Love or to Live

Chapter One:

New Developments

Authors Note:

This is set about mid book six. Will be an AU following the storyline as it might play out if Draco were to accept Dumbledore's offer. If he were to change sides. Eventual Drarry ;)

"Harry…"

Hermione frowned at the raven haired boy beside her who was in a world of his own.

"Harry!" she urged again, now slapping him on the back of his head lightly.

He spun round, looking at the bushy haired witch indignantly. "What was that for?" he demanded.

"You're staring again…" she muttered disapprovingly. "I didn't tell you their relationship was on the rocks so that you would ogle Ginny all the time."

The back of Harry's neck warmed and he looked away quickly. "Right…" he muttered. Damn it! He'd been doing it again. His eyes travelling down Dean's jaw... watching the way he kissed Ginny. And daring to imagine being in Ginny's place. So he'd be mortified if Hermione were to find out the real reason he was staring at the couple. He was struggling with the fact that he was imagining that. He'd realised he felt and leant that way for a while now, but he certainly wasn't ready for anyone else to know that. He cleared his throat quickly. "So have you finished this potions thing yet?"

Hermione frowned swiftly, "You mean the little, 'find the errors in these recipe's' quiz Slughorn is counting as homework? Then yes," she said in a stern voice not unlike that of Professor McGonagall. "Though I suppose whatever you've written will earn special bonus points for all of those extra tidbits only you know so you'll top the class again because of that damn book you should have handed in by now."

Harry couldn't help a slight snicker, "Hermione," he said in amusement. "I've said you can read from the book too, you know. Then perhaps you won't resent me so much for ever beating you in anything?"

Hermione shot him a look. "It doesn't count as beating me when you're cheating," she said smoothly. "I'll stick to honest methods, thank you very much."

Harry chuckled, now reaching absently into his bag and pulling the marauders map out of pure habit. "Well, everyone needs someone to look up to."

A tiny smile hooked the corner of Hermione's lips, but she continued strictly. "Some would say you should be that someone, all things considered."

"I know…" muttered Harry absently, frowning down at the map after tapping it with his wand. "Unreasonable expectations, right?"

Hermione sighed when she noticed what Harry was doing. "Oh, Harry…" she said quietly. "You've got to stop obsessing over this."

But, Harry just frowned further, sitting up suddenly and putting the map back away. "He's up to something," he said insistently.

Hermione nearly rolled her eyes. "Not again…" she muttered lowly.

"Hermione," said Harry seriously as he stood up, now checking that his invisibility cloak was still packed in his bag. "You have to trust me about this."

Hermione held back a sigh as Harry then swiftly shrugged his bag over his shoulder before nodding one last time and ducking out of the common room leaving her to shake her head in disbelief after him.

Harry ducked through the halls quickly, they were fairly bare at this hour of the afternoon as most people where in their common rooms or lying about outside. But, he'd seen Malfoy and some boy who couldn't have been in their year as Harry did not know him, entering Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He could think of no innocent reason for them to be going in there. Perhaps this boy was too a newly initiated Death Eater?

So as soon as Harry reached the hall leading to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom he glanced about, making sure the coast was clear before pulling out his cloak and throwing it around him.

He paused briefly outside the door, but could hear nothing of the on goings. So swiftly, and as quietly and carefully as he could he pushed the door open, sliding inside. Moaning Myrtle was nowhere to be seen. And neither was Draco. Harry frowned, moving forward, then he paused suddenly, finally hearing something. It almost sounded like a gasp…or a…a moan? He hesitantly moved forward, peeking around the corner of the wall of sinks that divided the room from the cubicles.

However as soon as his eyes fell upon the blonde wizard he was searching for he promptly froze on the spot, his mouth dropping open ever so slightly in shock.

For the sight before him… he could never have expected.

Malfoy had a dark haired boy Harry now knew was a 7th year in the Ravenclaw quidditch team, pinned to the wall of the cubicle, kissing him passionately. Blood rushed to his cheeks and his breath caught in his throat, yet he could not tear his eyes away. Mortified heat spread through him, along with what he knew so shamefully was a different kind of heat that he clearly had no control of.

He cursed his teenage hormones, reminding himself that was Malfoy. Then, all of a sudden it hit him. That was Malfoy! Draco Malfoy… kissing another boy. Harry had no idea how to possibly process that information.

He went to turn away quickly, but his cloak got court on a cracked tile in the bench, pulling off his shoulders swiftly. He gasped, grabbing at it but missing to then look up to see Malfoy's face contort into a scowl, that looked for the briefest of moments to be almost fearfully panicked.

"What the fuck," Malfoy hissed under his breath, cold anger biting his tone. "Potter?!"

Harry panicked immediately, scrambling back around the corner and grabbing his cloak off the floor. He heard Malfoy shove the 7th year away from him before running immediately after Harry's tail. But, all he saw was a flash of his leg as that damned invisibility cloak ducked over him.

And Harry hurried from the room, hearing Malfoy's furious cursing as he left, and if he wasn't very much mistaken, he was sure he could hear Myrtle cackling to herself quietly in the background.

For the next day Harry could not believe how wrong he had been. He almost felt guilty for assuming what Malfoy was doing was always Death Eater related. Almost. But, he was more concerned about what would happen now. He'd seen just how mortifyingly furious Malfoy had been when he'd seen him.

So Harry set about to try and avoid any possible contact with Malfoy that wasn't in a crowded room. He did not want to endure that conversation that would surely turn into a fight.

However, when he was walking alone to potions because Ron was ahead with Lavender and Hermione had run off to go a different way the second she saw them, he could do nothing when he was suddenly grabbed by the back of his robes and shoved into an empty classroom.

Malfoy shoved him away into a desk the second he'd slammed the door shut behind them.

Harry turned around, already reaching for his wand, but Malfoy was ready, disarming him before he had the chance and brandishing his own wand in Harry's face.

"What the fuck were you doing in that bathroom Potter?" he hissed lowly, his pale face contorted with fury, and Harry noticed he looked quite gaunt. "Following me?" he continued darkly.

"I wasn't following you, Malfoy," spat Harry angrily, furious that Malfoy had managed to best him and disarm him.

Malfoy's lip curled furiously, not believing him for a second. "I'm not as dim-witted as the Weasel you're so used to hanging around, Potter," he spat coldly.

Harry clenched his jaw, glaring at Malfoy furiously. "Well what are you going to do then, Malfoy? Curse me? Break my nose again? Get on with it then."

Malfoy took another step forward, sparks flying from the tip of his wand and singing Harry's nose. "If you think you can use what you saw against me, you can't…" he snarled lowly. "I don't care."

"Sort of seems like you care," retorted Harry lowly.

Malfoy growled angrily under his breath, his pale cheeks flushing pink and Harry felt a small stab of guilt considering he could relate… rather personally to this.

"I'm not going to say anything," Harry muttered lowly before Malfoy could retort.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "Oh, Really?" he sneered sarcastically. "And why should I-"

"Look, I don't give a shit who you get off with," Harry interrupted lowly. "And I'm not the type of person to use that as an insult. Because it shouldn't be. So we're done here."

Malfoy stared at him for a long moment, his face still forming a scowl, but angry confusion flickered through those steely grey eyes.

Harry took his chance, noticing the distraction and quickly ducked beneath Malfoys wand and grabbed his own off the floor where Malfoy had kicked it away. He held it up to Malfoy, both of them just staring at each other while Harry slowly backed toward the door.

Harry reached out behind him, slowly turning the handle, wandering if Malfoy was going to actually curse him or not. But, when he finally clicked the door open, he knew the blonde wizard's chance had passed. So with one last angry glare, Harry ducked out of the room, hurrying down the hall toward potions, thanking the fact that at least Slughorn would be sure to let him off without punishment.

Malfoy, however, did not show up to class at all. He left the empty classroom eventually, scowl still in place and headed straight to the room of requirement instead. Fucking Potter. He was always getting in the way of everything. He was the last person Malfoy wanted to know about his… preferences. And the fact that he wasn't insulting Malfoy about it just made it worse. He wanted to be able to hate him even more, not to now wonder why exactly he should think that shouldn't be something used as an insult. The way he had said it seemed… like he meant that quite personally.

He put that thought out of his mind, cursing his distracted head for even pondering that thought. He had so much he needed to concentrate on that was so far beyond such trivial, meaningless things. This damn vanishing cabinet wasn't going to fix itself.

Future chapters will be much longer! If you like it/interested to see more let me know! All feedback very welcome :)