Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or his friends in any way, shape or form.

A/N: Well, here is chapter two! Yay! I hope you like it!

Ch. 2

"Draco! Draco!" Harry shouted once his head had come to a stop in the desired grate. The elegant living room was completely empty, not even a house elf could be seen. Harry's heart quickened. "DRACO MALFOY!"

Then he heard a commotion from somewhere to his left but he couldn't see what it was. A door slammed and then Harry heard his voice. "Bloody hell! It's 6 fucking forty-five in the bloody morning! What the fuck do you think you're doing? You had better have a bloody good reason for waking me up this early Finni-" Draco stopped mid-word and stood in front of his fireplace, mouth hanging open, clad in only a robe looking like he had just been Stunned. "Harry?" he breathed, disbelieving.

Harry suddenly felt incredibly foolish. Of course he was okay. Shit, he thought to himself, why was I so stupid?

"Harry," Draco said, still looking stunned and drawing his robe tighter around himself. Slowly he lowered himself until he was kneeling by the fireplace. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I wanted to make sure you...you were...er...you were okay." Saying the words sounded even stupider. Merlin, he was an idiot! And, coupled with the ever-growing feeling of stupidity, Harry was also becoming increasingly embarrassed.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" Draco was slowly recomposing himself even as he felt something in his chest start to tighten painfully.

"You...you- well, you- you didn't send me a birthday card. So, I thought, maybe, maybe you weren't okay, okay?" Embarrassment was giving way to anger. "Sorry that I woke you. See you around."

As he started to pull his head from his fire, Draco yelled, "No! Harry!"

His stomach tightened. "Yes?"

"Well, I-" Draco's voice tightened and he had to start over. "I'm sorry, for not sending the birthday card." He had to stop again to keep his voice from breaking. "Well," he forced a smile he didn't feel onto his face, "happy birthday!" The joy in his voice sounded fake, even to his ears and he winced.

"Er..." Harry started to pull his head back out of the fire. "Thanks."

"Are you doing something for your birthday?" It was out of his mouth before he could stop it and as soon as the question had been asked, Draco wished he hadn't said anything.

Harry looked at him for a long moment. Why did Draco care what he was doing for his birthday? "Not much," he finally said. "There's a party tonight at the Weasley's." Then, before he could rethink his decision, he quickly added, "You can come if you want."

Harry had said the last part so fast that Draco didn't catch it. "Sorry?"

His heart was beating as fast as it had when he'd asked Cho to the Yule Ball and had had to repeat himself. "You...you...er...you can...if you want...you can come. But if you don't, that's fine."

"Oh, well..." Draco looked around his room, looking anywhere so as to not have to look at Harry. "Oh, well..." He looked into those impossibly emerald eyes, surrounded by emerald flames, and said, "I don't know...I have work...but maybe..." Then, straightening up, he said straight forwardly, "I have to go. Happy birthday again. Goodbye."

Then, before Harry had pulled his head out of the fire, Draco turned around and walked away.

Harry rolled back onto his feet and pushed himself up only to flop onto the nearest chair. He had been so stupid! Why, WHY had he called on Draco? Sure, they were supposed to be friends but could two people who barely corresponded, never acknowledged each other in the hallway except for the barest of head nods and briefest of glances possible really be called friends? And why had he invited Draco to his birthday party? Did he really want Draco there in person? It was bad enough to see the man through his fireplace, looking absolutely stunning in just a robe, tousled bed hair playing around his eyes.

Harry shook his head so quickly he nearly gave himself a headache. He couldn't think of Draco like that anymore. He'd ended it three years ago. He couldn't still like the Prince of Slytherin. Could he?

Draco sank onto the edge of his bed, all traces of being tired completely gone. What had just happened? He had had no idea that Harry felt that the cards Draco had sent were so important. To be honest, he didn't know why he had kept sending Harry cards after the break. Maybe a small part of him had hoped Harry would take him back. But why would he? Draco had in no uncertain terms told Harry that they couldn't be together the way Harry wanted. Of course, it had been Harry who ended it.

Standing up and walking into the bathroom, Draco examined his reflection so as to not think about the past. What was in the past would have to stay there because Draco didn't have the desire to dredge up the painful memories of Harry's green eyes filled with tears, his face splotchy and red, angry nail marks in his palms from clenching his hands so hard...

No, it's over.

But would he go to the party? He glared at his reflection as if daring it to challenge him. "I don't know," he told himself. "Why would I go to his party when we can't even be normal around each other? After everything that has happened, why doesn't he hate me? I hate myself for it. I was so stupid."

The back of his throat started to tighten and he looked away from his reflection. He turned to the shower and stepped into scalding water in an attempt to burn away the feelings and memories he didn't want to remember.

A/N: So...? What did you think? I hope you liked this chapter and how I'm setting everything up. They are so painfully awkward right now! Well, read and review please! I'll update again soon!