Chapter Two

"No Dad, stop," Draco muttered in his sleep, "No Dad NO STOP!"

Draco jolted upright in his bed covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He quickly looked around his dark room, and realized it was only a nightmare. Just another nightmare. He exhaled and tried to get his heart rate back to normal speed. This has been happening ever since he moved out in June. Nightmares every night about his father.

He got up out of his bed and walked into the bathroom. He poured water into the plastic cup from the dispenser and drank it quickly, realizing how thirsty he was. Throwing away the cup, he looked at the time. Five thirty a.m. it read. Draco figured he might as well get ready for school. He looked at himself in the mirror. Ugh. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his towel and jostled his hair so it would dry faster.

As Draco got ready, he couldn't get one image of his father out of his head from the dream. Lucius had for a moment looked at peace. He had a faint smile on his face and was almost glowing. But the image was soon destroyed in the dream when Draco's subconscious showed his father for what he really was; a monster. Draco shook his head to get the thoughts out of it and focus on his morning routine. Take shower, put on clothes, picture Lucius smiling, pack knapsack, eat, picture Lucius smiling. Draco tried to think about something else. He decided to focus on the new boy, Harry.

I still need his lunch period Draco said to himself. Two weeks of school had passed and Goyle had yet to have success in finding him in his lunch. Draco gave up on Goyle and decided to search for Potter himself. There was only one remaining lunch period for Draco to check today, which mostly likely meant he would be there. Or at least Draco hoped so.

Draco was ready for school and still had an hour to spare, so he figured he would just go back to sleep. So, Draco took off his shoes and set his alarm clock. He settled into his large bed, and fell into a deep and thankfully dreamless sleep.

Beep beep beeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

Draco rubbed his eyes. Growling at the sun he looked at the clock. Seven thirty a.m.

Fuck. He was already going to be late for first period. Draco must have accidently set his alarm clock to the wrong time. He was so out of it before.

So he dashed out of bed, grateful he was already changed and packed, and ran to school.

Draco entered his first period history, seeing that everyone had gotten into pairs. He looked for Goyle, only to find that he had already found a partner... a girl partner. Draco shook his head in disgust. He went up to the teacher to ask what they were doing.

"I've assigned a project and I've put you into pairs, but since you were late, you'll be with..." she peered out of her half moon glasses to see if there was anyone left, "Harry."

Draco's eyes widened. Harry. He turned around and found him at the back corner of the class, reading something from his text book.

"Harry will tell you the assignment dear," the teacher said, waiting patiently for him to find his seat.

"Yeah, uh, thanks," he said nervously. He brushed his blond hair out of his eyes and made his way to the back of the class, heart beating faster and faster as he approached Harry. All of the first words Draco had thought up to say seemed to erase from his mind, leaving him completely and utterly dumbfounded at the gorgeous being before him.

Harry looked up half a second after Draco closed his mouth.

"Hello, are you my partner?" Harry asked so pointedly, Draco was once again caught off guard. Harry's voice seemed to fit his looks perfectly. It was also completely angelic to Draco.

"Yeah, it seems that way," Draco fumbled with his words. "Wha- what's the assignment?"

"Well we got this big research project on the Lewis and Clark expedition, and basically we have to map out their trail and research places to stay, restaurants, and historical sites along it. Almost like we're planning a vacation for people who want to travel the same trail they did."

"Oh, well that sounds exciting. I'd love to go on a trip like that," finally Draco's sarcastic charm was kicking in. Harry was easier to talk to than he expected.

Harry laughed, another trait Draco couldn't help but admire and adore.

"Well we won't have to go on this trip, we just need to map it out."

We. We won't have to go on the trip.

Draco fantasized him and Harry together on a trip anyway. Laughing in Draco's convertible, eating at a fancy restaurant, staying in the same hotel room...

Draco blinked back to reality, and found Harry looking at him.

"Hm? I'm sorry what did you say?"

"I asked when we're going to be able to research this after school, when are you availible?"

I'm always available... at least for you. "Well I have work on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, so maybe Friday or the weekends?"

"Sure, how's this Friday sound? I'll meet you at the library? Then we can get a head start on looking at the trail and historical sites."

"Okay." And maybe we can head back to my place after.

Harry smiled, "You know, you're the first person I've actually gotten to know here."

"Really? That's surprising, you seem like a nice guy."

"Well... I can be awfully shy sometimes, but you seem to be okay to be around."

Draco smiled back, "Thanks. You do too."

End Chapter Two