I would like to thank each and every one of you who reviewed this story. You inspired me to keep it going. I've found it extremely difficult to write Draco, he's been a real challenge and a learning curve. I apologise profusely if he isn't up to standards, but I gave it my very best. I haven't started part three yet, but I'll try to get it up really soon. Thank you all so, so much again. I cannot convey in words how much I appreciate the support. You're all gems!

Oh, by the way, in case you didn't know. I don't own Harry Potter haha.

The Writing's On The Wall

Chapter Two

By Cymberline

Draco got up very early the next morning, and went to check on the silver and green message in the hall. Walking very quickly, and jumping behind suits of armour and into empty classrooms at the slightest noise, Draco made his way down to the scene of the crime. As he arrived at the entrance to the dimly lit hall, his footsteps echoing around him loudly, his heart jumped into his throat. He didn't understand what he was so nervous about, but there was something making his pulse race.

"Lumos" he muttered. He shone the wand light on the wall, but he couldn't find anything. There was no sign of his and Potter's initials anywhere. Draco was completely perplexed. Where had they gone?! Had he somehow wished them away?

"Good morning Mr Malfoy," Said a voice from the shadows behind him

Draco jumped in surprise and turned to see Professor McGonagall. He didn't reply. She raised an eyebrow at him, "A bit early for a stroll, isn't it?"

Draco shrugged, thinking desperately for a reason to leave, "Couldn't sleep."

"Ah, I see. Well, I'm sure you've been informed that late last night this wall was vandalised."

He nodded, and she continued, now with a slight smirk, "You'll be happy to know the teachers were able to remove the vandalism easily. Though, whoever it was who decided to explode the wall had a very silly idea."

Draco stared at her for a moment, and then said quickly, "That's good then, professor."

She nodded shortly, "Go to breakfast Mr Malfoy."

Draco rushed past her without having to be told twice, feeling intensely grateful to the old lady.

"So, Draco. Got a Valentine?" Asked Blaise Zabini at breakfast, wiggling his eyebrows.

Draco rolled his eyes, scoffing "Please, Blaise. I'm far too clever, and far too busy for this rubbish."

Pansy Parkinson sat down at the Slytherin table, completely breathless, "Good morning Draco," She whispered, blushing slightly

Draco yawned widely, and then said, "Hey"

"C'mon Draco," Said Theo Knot, "There's got to be someone you'd like to make your Valentine,"

"There isn't," Draco said swiftly, standing up "And if there were, I doubt I'd tell you about it, Theo." He turned and left with a sweep of his robes. He heard Blaise say quietly to Theo

"You know, he really reminds me of Snape when he sweeps off like that."

Draco scowled. Zabini would cop it for that one later.

Draco collected Crabbe and Goyle from the dormitories, and the three of them went down to the first lesson of the day: Care of Magical Creatures. Draco visibly paled at the thought of having to endure both Potters' presence and whatever the creature of the day that oaf of a half-giant subjected them to. It was hard to concentrate on much when Potter was around. He figured it was because the little voice in his head that often spoke the truth became a lot louder if Potter was in the vicinity. Draco longed for a class like History of Magic- then he could have sat and thought of nothing but Harry Potter without being worried about losing a limb.

Though, thinking about Harry Potter was enough reason for someone to take one of his limbs. Someone like his father, for instance. He would have been disowned for simply befriending Harry Potter, let alone thinking…

Draco gulped, and put it from his mind. He needed to focus. He needed his mask in place. He had said it this morning; he was far too clever and far too busy for this Valentine's Day rubbish.

A group of gaggling Ravenclaw girls walked past, whispering feverishly to one another

"Did you hear about Harry Potter and Cho Chang?" Asked one

"Yes! I heard they're going to Hogsmeade together!" Added another

"I wonder if he snogs better than Cedric!" Snorted the third

"He's certainly not as good looking as Cedric!" Said the first

"Maybe Cho'll stop acting like Moaning Myrtle now" Said the second

"Oh, please, the only thing that girl knows how to do is cry."

"Wouldn't you be crying if you were her? She's gone from a dead boyfriend to a loony one!"

Draco insides turned to ice. The little voice in his mind that spoke of Harry so often and so fondly was utterly defeated. So he wouldn't have me anyway. Draco thought. His eyes narrowed. Well, that was fine. It's not like he cared, or anything. He went to Care for Magical Creatures feeling as if something in chest weighed ten thousand kilos.

The day had been painfully slow, and filled with shrill, girlish laughter. It was almost as bad as the weeks leading up to last years Yule Ball. He shuddered at the thought. What a fiasco that had been. Draco stared at a mess of black hair sitting across the hall from him all through dinner. He picked at his food; his appetite had been terrible all day. He watched as that loathsome Granger spoke to his Harry, and he watched as Harry threw back his head and laughed. Harry looked happy and comfortable, two things he'd rarely seen him look this whole year. And the now defeated little voice in the back of his mind said it probably had something to do with Cho Chang.

Draco wondered idly when Harry had stopped being 'Potter', and had just become Harry.

Then a thought struck him. Surely, it could all just be a rumour. The Hogwarts rumour-mill was a well-oiled machine, but often an incorrect one. He'd have to steel himself and ask Harry what was going on. How to bring it up though? How did one bring that up without looking…well, interested? Draco had to think of plan. He took a bite of his dinner, pondering. He was a Slytherin, after all. He was bound to think of something.

Harry Potter was taking one of his infamous night-time strolls under his invisibility cloak. He was currently heading towards the hall near the astronomy tower after having experienced one of the longest days of his life. Where the majority of the girls at school had gotten the idea that he was going to Hogsmeade with Cho Chang from was beyond him. Ron had grinned slyly and said maybe she had started it herself, in hopes that he would ask her. Hermione had told him not to be ridiculous, as women were rarely so indirect. Harry practically heard her voice (rife with impatience) as he remembered her saying, "Cho would have just come to Harry and implied she wanted to go, Ron," This had earned the retort, "Oh, and that isn't indirect at all" from Ron, which had lead them to one of their painful bickering sessions. Harry smiled at the thought of being direct when it came to romance. Perhaps it was true, and men weren't as direct as women. Considering the state of Harry's love life, it was probably true. Well, that, and the fact that Hermione was almost always right.

He had found it bizarre that the hot gossip of the day was to do with him and Cho Chang, rather than him and Draco Malfoy. McGonagall had removed the writing very quickly; it was true, but surely one student other than himself had caught a glimpse of it? Or maybe, he mused, that was part of the magic of the writing. That only he and Malfoy could see it. Malfoy had seemed pale and drawn all day; ill, even. His first thought, of course, had been that Draco was worried about the writing. But surely he'd have gone and checked it, wouldn't he? Draco had looked so ill it was almost a cause for concern. Not that Harry had ever really been concerned for Malfoy, and Malfoy's general well-being. Harry felt a spasm of some emotion he didn't recognise when he thought of Draco. It started in his navel, and felt like a combination of nervous panic and perfect happiness. It had flooded his entire body, powering through his veins the night before on the top of the tower. He couldn't explain it at all. Utterly baffled and bewildered by himself, Harry walked more quickly towards the Astronomy Tower hall. He didn't know why he was going there; he just felt as if it was the right thing to do.

Draco Malfoy presented to Harry the greatest enigma he had ever known. Harry had loathed the boy utterly from the moment he'd set eyes on his pointed, arrogant face. But things had changed sometime in Harry's third year. It had almost gotten to a point where Harry craved to look at that pointed face, with its perfect pale skin. The only thing he didn't understand was why. Surely, he couldn't care for Malfoy? He was a Slytherin, the son of Voldemort's pet Death Eater. He was a cruel, sycophantic bully. He and Harry had fought bitterly their entire time at Hogwarts. Harry distinctly remembered thinking that the only person he'd ever come close to hating as much as he hated Draco Malfoy was Dudley. He stood for everything Harry despised, and yet…

And yet every time Draco met his eyes, Harry felt as if some great weight had been lifted from him. And so, there he was, standing in the hallway that led up to the Astronomy Tower, staring at a blank space on a wall and feeling completely hopeless. With a heart-felt sigh, he walked up the staircase to the Astronomy Tower, lost in thought. He stared up into the cloudy February night, dreaming of what it would be like if he could be a bit more direct.

Harry was almost back at Gryffindor tower when he heard raised voices,

"Listen, you Slytherin git, you can't tell me what to do!" This voice was female and very angry, "I'm coming back from a detention, you can't dock me points for that! I'm not just wandering around,"

"Well, the problem is I think I can," Said a silken, lazy voice that sent familiar shivers down Harry's spine. He knew who it belonged to

"Well, I think you can't! Just because you're Umbridge's pet dog doesn't mean you can act like you own this school. I read Harry Potter's interview. I know what your father is. How dare you think for one minute that you're better than me because I'm muggleborn?" Harry peeked around the corner. A girl in Gryffindor colours, two whole heads shorter than Malfoy, was glaring at him with all her might. She had her wand out, and so did Draco. They were standing a few feet apart, and she looked very ready to curse him. He didn't think she could be more than a second year. A spasm of sheer fury crossed Draco's face before he said in a deadly voice,

"Don't push me, Mudblood."

"I'm not scared of you!" She stated bravely, drawing herself up to full height, "You're just a bully and a coward and I'm not scared of you!"

Harry saw Draco's move before the girl did. Throwing off his invisibility cloak, he came out from his hiding spot and yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!" The curse hit Draco before he could harm the girl, and she let out a shriek of surprise. Malfoy collapsed to the ground and Harry yelled to her, "Run! Now!"

She stared at him in unabashed awe and said, "What about you?! What if his friends come?"

Harry was moved by this, and said softly, "I can handle it. Get out of here."

She muttered churlishly to herself, "You wouldn't just get out of here." Then she looked at him and said, "I believe you, you know. I believed you from the start. Cedric didn't just drop dead." She turned a delicate pink and said, "I think you're very brave," And then she turned, and ran around the corner. Harry was touched by her words, and very embarrassed. He looked down at the petrified Malfoy, who was glaring at him with hate-filled wide eyes. Guilt crashed down on Harry and, taking Draco's wand, he unbound him

"That was a very foolish thing to do, Potter" Spat Draco, gasping and getting slowly to his knees

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be such an arsehole, Malfoy," Said Harry coolly. Draco let off a string of profanities mingled with curses, and Harry was forcibly reminded of Snape in the pensieve, and of his father. The guilt felt even heavier. Harry stared for a moment at Draco and then, after a split second of consideration, offered the boy his hand. Malfoy stared at it in disgust and knocked it away

"I don't need your help!" Malfoy cheeks were coloured a deep red with anger and embarrassment.

Harry's cheeks flushed and he snapped out, "Fine!" And made to walk away

"Give me back my wand." Draco called after him

Harry had forgotten he was holding it. He stared at Draco, and felt so angry. He was angry, frustrated, terrified, elated and somehow hopeful all at once. He felt that usual great weight lift from his body as green eyes met grey

"Come and get it," He issued the challenge without thinking. Draco snarled and ran at Harry. Harry braced himself, not even thinking to use this wand.

Draco tackled Harry to the ground, snarling at him. The two boys grappled on the floor, wands completely discarded, trying to gain dominance. Malfoy let out a triumphant yell as he pinned Harry to the ground, but the triumph was short lived. Harry kicked him off, and then pinned Malfoy to the ground in return.

"Don't you have better things to do, Potter? Aren't there other people you'd prefer to pin?" Snarled Malfoy, fighting at Harry's painful grip with all his might. The words startled Harry for a second, and Malfoy finally fought free. He punched Harry squarely in the mouth, and Harry's head spun as he lay on the floor, panting. Malfoy stood above him, grinning in victory, pointing both his wand and Harry's down at the Gryffindor. Harry tried to slow his breathing and spat out blood, "You don't know a thing about who I'd like to pin, Malfoy."

"Oh, I heard all about you and Cho Chang," Said the blond, "Didn't know you fancied them exotic Potter,"

Harry's ferocious temper gave him new life and with a yell he was on his feet, and he pinned Malfoy to the wall. Their wands dropped to the ground, "That's a rumour" he growled quietly into Draco's face, "One I'm trying to squash." The boys were sweaty, exhausted and neither knew what to say. They stared at each other in wonder for a few minutes, their chests heaving.

"Well, who would you like to pin?" Draco asked, looking away from Harry. He tried to make it sound snarky, but there was an honesty in the question Harry liked.

He felt his insides squirm as he tried to think of an answer, "Tell me about the writing on the wall," he demanded. It only seemed fair that they both admitted to something tonight.

Draco shook his head feverishly, "I don't know anything about it."

"You DO!" Harry cried, "Just tell me, damn it! Draco, tell me!"

"You're the Gryffindor!" Malfoy yelled back, a desperate, pleading edge to his voice that Harry had never heard before. "You said we both know who the coward is out of the two of us. Just be the brave one, Harry!"

Harry dropped his hands from Draco's robes, taken aback. They looked at each other and Draco whispered hopelessly, "Please?"

Harry caught Draco's eyes, and everything that needed to be said was there in the silence between them.

He pinned Draco back against the wall, his mouth crashing into the blonde's in the first of many kisses they would share. Draco's hands twisted into Harry's hair, and it was as if the world had finally fallen into place. In that moment, it was strangely easy for the boys to forget everything they had ever known about each other, and for them to forge new memories that would prove impossible to forget.

Fin.

Hope you liked it!