Chapter One

Harry sat with his three best friends in the great hall watching the new students get sorted. One by one they went to their respective houses, plonked down at their tables and chatted idly with their housemates.

He watched a dark-haired boy, named Martin O'Sullivan sit down next to Draco. The blonde haired boy sneered at the new comer before turning back to his only friends.

Harry shook his head. Draco was being shunned because of his former allegiance with the Dark Lord and he wasn't even doing anything about it. If Harry were he, he would try to make up for what he had done and at least try to be civil.

A pair of fingers clicked in front of his eyes. "Harry, stop looking over there." Hermione hissed at him. She glanced over at the Slytherin table and noticed some of the seventh years staring back at them. Before she could hiss at Harry again, McGonagall started to speak.

"As you well know, we have new year level; Eighth Year. The Eighth and Seventh Year students will be taught the same things, have the same dorm rooms and the same privileges." She paused to take a look around the room. Glancing at the students, she looked down at her page. "The reason for this is because nothing valid was taught last year and the disruptiveness of the second Wizarding War and so this year will be the only year in which we have an eighth year."

"In other news, we have a new Professor, appointed by the ministry: Professor Farrah Trifoot. Professor Trifoot is going to be managing all detentions and will be handling the communications between Hogwarts and the Department of Student Affairs."

A communal muttering went around the hall. The last time the Ministry appointed a teacher it had ended badly. The Department of Student Affairs made a few new clauses after that. Including the Umbridge Clause describing the need to report any incidences and the punishment. This was to stop unorthodox attempts of punishment.

The rest of McGonagall's speech was pure dribble and not one person, but the teachers, listened. They were all hung up on the new Professor.

"The Ministry interfering again!" Hermione stomped angrily up the moving staircase not waiting for Harry, Ginny or Ron. The staircase moved just before Harry could step on.

"Don't worry, I'll take the long way. See you in the common room." He shouted up the stairs and turned back towards the great hall. There instead of going straight he turned left towards the Slytherin common rooms. As he passed the door he stopped.

He hissed a little then coughed; placing his hand on his throat he hacked up a little phlegm. "So I guess that answers the Pastletongue question." He muttered to himself before continuing on his path towards bed.

A few Slytherins passed by and Harry turned his eyes to the ground. As he did so he walked abruptly into a wall. Except where the wall should have been cold stone, it was instead quite warm… And clothed.

Looking up, Harry met pale grey eyes. "Ah, shit!" He muttered before trying to step around the blonde boy. "Sorry, Draco. I didn't see you there."

"No," He drawled. "You didn't see me did you?" Draco stopped Harry from brushing past him. Harry's heart sped up with Draco's hand over his heart.

What is wrong with me? Harry wondered to himself as he tried to slow down his heart. He was unsuccessful, as was clear to Draco.

"Excited to see me are you?" Draco cackled at Harry's darting eyes. Little did Harry know that Draco's heart matched his beat for beat.

"No," Harry tried not only to convince Draco but himself as well. He pushed Draco's hand away and made to move around him again. Once more, Draco stopped him, this time with his entire body.

"I have to get back to my dorm, Draco." Harry sighed as he pushed on Draco's chest, trying to put some distance between them. The Slytherin refused to move he leaned his head down to Harry's and breathed onto his lips.

"I know you want this, too." He hissed against Harry's mouth. They were so close Harry could smell Draco's peppermint gum.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He muttered once again refusing to believe the facts that his heart and brain were trying to tell him. Instead he pushed on Draco's chest again and tried to move around him. "Please, Draco, let me go." He whined, trying a different tactic.

Draco moved closer and Harry couldn't take it any longer. He pushed on the blonde boy's chest once more and when Draco didn't move Harry pulled back his fist and swung it at the Slytherin's face.

"What the hell, do you think you're doing?" Draco shouted at him. He swiped at the blood dripping from the side of his mouth. Already the pale skin along his jaw was starting to purple and Harry inwardly gasped in horror at what he had done.

When Harry didn't answer Draco brought back his own fist and slammed it into the Gryffindor's cheekbone. Harry reeled back and his head cracked against the wall. Draco let out a small gasp and made a small step towards Harry.

Harry looked up and glared at him. He then made a move for his wand, which was in the back pocket of his dress robe pants.

"No wands," Draco ordered, because that was what it was; an order. "I want this to be purely you and me."

Harry removed his hand and launched himself towards Draco.

"What were you two thinking?" McGonagall questioned the two boys. She shook her head and looked at their bruised faces. Both were holding large pieces of meat against their faces. They were not looking at her, ashamed to face their Headmistress.

"I can't speak for Potter, Professor, but I am not sorry." Draco ground out through his swollen lips. Of course it was a brutal lie to uphold his appearance that he had nothing to feel for Harry.

Harry glared at him and Draco inwardly cringed. He hated doing this. He hated pushing away Har-Potter, he was forcing himself to think of him with that title. He hated not being able to grab the Gryffindor by the scruff of his collar and yank him to the wall and snog the brains out of him. He hated that he was gay and he hated that Harry was not. From the interaction earlier it was clear that Harry had no such feelings for Draco.

Across the table, Harry was thinking along the same train of thought, except that he knew that Draco had feelings for him. Harry just was not sure if he wanted to end things with Ginny just because of a crush on a former Death-Eater. In fact he was sure of it.

"Okay then, detention for both of you. Tuesday, after classes for one hour or three weeks." She looked up from writing it down and saw the protests on the boys' faces. "No arguments."