Rating: PG-13 (Or T)

Written by: KillerInADress.

Special thanks, as always, to my beta/co-writer/best friend: ThatDarnNinja.

Chapter 4: What did you have in mind

of course, he knew Harry wouldn't like that one bit. So instead, he walked up the stairs to the Charms room and silently prayed that the stubborn Gryffindor would have calmed down by the time class ended.

Needless to say that after lunch, Draco Malfoy was easily irritable. More so than he usually was, anyway. Furthermore, an ill-tempered Draco was NOT a fun Draco to walk by on a good day…And seeing as today was not a good day, the only two people stupid enough to be walking by Malfoy's side as they made their way towards their care of magical creature's lesson, were of course, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

As they neared Hagrid's hut, however, Pansy Parkinson had caught up with her three fellow Slytherin's, and wasted no time in making it painful obvious that she had quite the piece of juicy gossip.

"Come on Pans; just tell us the bloody news already." Draco didn't bother to hide his annoyance with the girl as she only wrinkled her pug-like snout of a nose, and wiggled her finger an a motion suggesting that she wouldn't tell them. –Not without a good grovel for the information first. - Draco thought bitterly.

"Oh, I just couldn't say!" Pansy replied, treating her scandalous topic as if it were her own secret. "It's just not my place to talk about the big row between the nauseatingly cute 'Golden Couple'."

Draco's left eye twitched.

"I mean, after all, they are so obviously made for each other, one wonders what they could possibly be arguing about-"

Draco's hands bawled into fists and before Pansy could get another word out, Draco had snapped his attention onto to her and halted to a stop right in front of her, Crabbe and Goyle falling into place behind her, successfully blocking any escape attempts. "Do tell, Miss Parkinson, just what was this 'argument' about?" Draco smirked as he watched the girl give an involuntary shudder at his icy hiss of a tone.

"Ah, about that, see I don't-"

"If you dare tell me that you 'don't know' what really happened, and have just wasted my time with such useless information, I will be forced to remind you why no one taunts me with such pathetic rubbish that is simply floating around the rumor mill."

"Well I-I—of course I know! I just-"

"If you know, then tell me and quit beseeching me to beg you. Honestly, Pans, I thought you knew me better than that. I am a Malfoy, and Malfoy's do not b—"

"Yeah, yeah. Malfoy's don't beg, or belch, or cry, or kneel. We get it. Now, can't we just beat the answer out of her and go?" Goyle said, as Crabbe nodded, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

Draco turned a glare on them but it seems that Pansy thought her ugly nosed face was worth saving because she said in a rush, inching as close to Malfoy and as far from his bodyguards as she could. "Fine, there is no need to get violent. I heard from Nott, who heard from Mily, who heard from Christian, who met Creevey, who said he heard from some Hufflepuff, who's best friend-"

"Parkinson!"

"—anyways, the point is, some first year was walking with McGonagall after being held back to clean up a mess he'd made, when they stumbled upon the couple in a heated fight about jealously and snogging strangers around corners or something like that."

Draco felt a mixture of bubbling anger and hopeful fluttering. He ignored both. Instead, he arranged his face into his normal sneer and asked, in a tone of deceptive calm, "So…they fought. As interesting as that is, it's hardly something I can use to my advantage-"

"But they are still fighting." Pansy hissed quickly, trying to find something useful for the white-blonde ice prince before he let his conies beat her to a pulp.

"They are?" Draco instantly regretted the question as he heard the hopefulness that was in his voice. And, judging by the surprise and some what giddy expression, Pansy had heard it as well.

"Oh, yes. They are…even missed lunch by the sound of it. Bet Potter came straight to class after the fight like a good little Gryffindor." Her smile was far too wide for Draco's liking, but he was slightly distracted by the fact that all his fears of the two missing lunch had changed into a hot and gooey happiness. –They had fought.- He thought, despite the part of his brain that begged him to be rational. –They weren't in the Great Hall because they were fighting!-

It was Pansy's word that brought him back to reality. "Oh, bloody hell! We're fifteen minutes late!" And as Draco glanced at the Cabin that was just down the hill, he saw that the class was already huddled around a big box of something furry.

"Shit!" Goyle cried as he grabbed Draco and pulled him along with the others as they dashed down the rest of the hill.

Once there, Hagrid had given them a sharp talk about being late, taken off fifteen points, and then given a brief explanation about the little white and gray fluff balls in the giant box.

Draco half listened as he ordinarily did, and he was a bit surprised that he wasn't alone. More than half the class was far more interested in sneaking glances at Potter and whispering into their neighbors' ear; Hagrid even took notice.

Another rant was given, this one, about paying attention and respecting another student's privacy. But even as Hagrid went back to his teaching, Draco noticed that his talk had only increased the number of whispering students and now, it seemed, the only one paying his full attention to Hagrid, was Potter. Malfoy even found it a bit worrisome that his two best friends were trying to talk with him, and he, in turn, was pointedly ignoring their every attempt.

Something had definitely happened.

By the end of the class, both Gryffindor and Slytherin were missing a large number of points. The students walked back to the castle looking rather sour faced. But Hagrid had asked Harry to stay behind. Draco was almost tempted to wait for him and ask him if the rumor about his fight was actually true. But Blaise had pulled him aside from the mass of students making their way up the hill; and took him around the side of a broom shed, blocking them from view. "What the hell do you want, Blaise." Draco snapped the moment Blaise had let his hold on Draco's arm slacken.

With one final look around to insure they were alone, Blaise took in a deep, calming breath. "Draco," He started, looking at his friend with a saddened expression. "How are you?"

"What the hell are you on about?" Draco asked, his confusion was clearly written on his face. "Why are you suddenly asking ho—" But Draco froze, and his gaze turned into a look of pure fury. "Damn it, Blaise, whatever mess you've gotten yourself knee-deep into, you better fix it on your own before I—"

"I haven't done anything!" Blaise protested. Looking rather hurt by the accusation. "I was just wondering how you were taking the fight between Potter and Tyler, and to make sure you didn't do something stupid."

"You, what?" Draco asked looking flabbergasted. "Why the hell would I care that Potter fought with that stupid Ravenclaw?"

"Don't try to do deny it, you prick." Blaise huffed in an air of impatience. "I mean, it's obviously to anyone with a good pair of eyes, that you fancy Pott-" But Blaise was cut short by Draco's fist as it connected his nose. A loud 'crack' could be heard as Blaise's nose broke.

"Shut up." Draco said in dangerously low voice.

"You bastard." Blaise mumbled as he pointed his wand at his own noses to fix the damage. "Reject the truth all you want for all I bloody care! I just wanted to make sure you were okay and that you wouldn't do something stupid like snog him in the bloody corridor!" Nose now fixed, Blaise had turned to walk away but stopped and turned his head over his shoulder, saying just loud enough for Draco to hear, "Some friend…I was even going to help you get Potter too but if you'd rather be on your own—" This time, the punch landed right into his left shoulder blade. But it wasn't forceful, just a playful push to get the others attention.

"You had better have a good idea, friend, or I'll break more than your bloody nose." Draco's voice was sharp, but there was no mistaking the small smile on his lips. "And if you tell anyone…" He's tone suddenly dropped to a cold hiss as Draco pointed his wand threateningly at Blaise's trousers, indicating that his favorite body part would meet the wrong end of a treacherous hex should he breathe a word of anything or anyone that Malfoy happened to fancy.

"Understood...friend." Blaise said, a smirk creeping up onto his face. "I've already a great plan in mind." And his smirk widened as he pulled Draco along the path leading towards the castle, explaining his deviously crafty schemes to Draco.

Looking up at the castle as they walked, Draco noticed a person walking towards them. As he drew closer, Draco recognized the reddish blonde head and the tall, muscular figure of the Ravenclaw, Rory Tyler.

Rory froze when he saw the two Slytherin's and his hazel eyes narrowed as he met Draco's glaring grey ones. For what seemed a very long time, the two boys had a silent battle of narrowed eyes set in glares and death stares. It was Blaise who was the first to break the ever mounting tension, and he did it with one word. "Potter."

Zabbini gave a curt nod in Potter's direction as the Gryffindor rounded the last of the hills' climb and stopped abruptly when he noticed the others. Draco and Rory both broke the eye contact at the sound of Blaise and turned their eyes on Harry instead, who was now shifting awkwardly under the gazes. Draco was having a hard time keeping up his glare as he found Potter, slight blush on his cheeks and that awkward shuffle, kind of…cute. –NO! NOT CUTE! POTTER HAD NEVER BEEN, AND NEVER WILL BE BLOODY CUTE, DAMN IT!-

Potter looked up, nodded to Blaise, gave Draco a small, half-hearted glare, and let his eyes settle on his boyfriends with a hardened expression. Looking around, Draco saw that Rory was also eying Harry, looking saddened. "Harry…" He began with a tone of uncertainty in his voice.

"Whatever." Harry said moodily, he started to walk again but Rory caught his arm as he passed and Draco silently thanked Blaise as his friend wrapped his hand around Draco's shoulder when the flaxen-haired boy had made a move towards the golden couple.

"Harry, listen to me, I had a lot of time to think and I understand, okay?"

"Rory, I'm—"

"No, Harry. You don't have to apologize. I know you didn't mean to get upset. I forgive you."

Draco and Blaise knew the instant that the older boy had said this; it had been a very, very big mistake.

At once, Potter span himself in his boyfriend's grip, and turned on him, green eyes flashing dangerously. "I wasn't going to apologize." He said in darkly low voice. Draco and Blaise took a step back in alarm at the Gryffindor's angry voice and Blaise glanced at Draco to see that he was just as shocked. They had taunted Potter many times in the past but never had they seen him this upset.

"I was going to tell you that I needed time to calm down and cool off before I got really upset. Clearly, you didn't understand a thing so let me refresh your memory." And even though Harry's tone hadn't gotten any louder, the words seem to make more of an impact than if he had been yelling them.

"Harry, listen-"

"No, you listen! You lied to me, Rory. Lied! The one thing I practically begged you not to do! Pretending like you trusted me but you wouldn't even tell me who you're jealously protecting me from!" At this, Rory glanced at Draco who noticed and sent him a confused look before both boys looked back to Harry in stunned surprise and slight fear. "Not to mention that you actually believed I would just kiss some bloody stranger just, to what, spite you?! AND! To top it all off! You want ME to apologize!" By this point, he was yelling, his tone no longer harsh and frightening but now it was hurt and strained with emotion. "Well sod of, Tyler. I'm not in the mood for being treated like I've done something wrong."

The use of his last name shocked Rory and he let his hand fall from Harry's arm. Harry took advantage of this and ran off to the castle without a backwards glance. Draco stood stalk still, wondering who in the world Rory was jealous enough of to start a fight with Potter. He remembered the Ravenclaw raising his eyes to look at Draco when Potter had said he was jealous and something seemed like it should be clicking but Draco just wasn't sure what…like he was missing something.

Blaise was, once again, the first to break the tension filled silence. "Er…" He paused, looking between the other two boys. "So I guess it's true, you two did fight."

"Oh, fuck off, would you." Rory said, his voice was drained and he seemed some what confused about what Potter had said.

"Gladly." Blaise said at once, beginning to move towards the castle, but he was stopped by Draco's voice that rang out from behind him.

"Are you really so stupid as to let a little jealousy come between you and Potter?! I thought Ravenclaw's had a brain! Or is that all talk? Honestly, who could you possibly be jealous enough of to start-" But he was cut off by Blaise's hand as it was slapped over his mouth.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?! Do you want them to fucking stay together?!" At the whisper in his ear, Draco suddenly realized what he had said, eyes growing wide.

And then, it clicked. Draco's wide silver flecked eyes met with hazel brown of the older 7th year and inside, Draco saw hate, jealousy, rage, and fear. Draco finally understood, Rory was jealous of him. Rory must have found out that Draco lov-FANCIED Potter. THEY WERE FIGHTING OVER DRACO BLOODY MALFOY AND HE HADN'T EVEN KNOWN HE WAS INVOLVED! THIS WAS BRILLIANT!

"We'll just be going then." Blaise said quickly and dragging Malfoy but the arm, he shoved both of them past the Ravenclaw. He didn't stop until they were halfway to the Dungeons. Slowing to a halt, Blaise took a deep, calming breath before rounding on Draco, who was smiling a goofy smile that unsettled him greatly. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!" He roared.

"Blaise!" Draco said, slightly wound up. "Blaise, don't you get it? They were fighting about me! Stupid bloody Tyler is jealous is me! The great Draco Malfoy! This is brilliant!"

Blaise seem to founder as he observed the latter. "You…what are you on about? How could you possibly know that? He wouldn't even tell Potter!"

"Blaise, weren't you paying any attention?" He asked a little exasperatedly. "When Potter mentioned he was jealous, Tyler turned his gaze on me! He must know that I lik-erm, have a crus-I-" As Draco faltered, Blaise simply ignored his reluctance to say his feelings, instead, he focused on the information and it's value.

"Well…" He said after a moment of pondering. "If he is, indeed, jealous of you, we can use this to our gain." And Draco had never been happier to see the evil smirk that had found a happy home upon his friends' dark tanned face.

"What did you have in mind?" Draco asked, voice faking innocence and an evil smirk to rival that of his friends.

"Oh, I don't know…how would you feel to visiting small broom cupboard with a certain 'WonderBoy'?" At these words, Blaise sent a wink to a very confused Draco. Before turning on his heel and stalking off to the deep, dank dungeons.

"A broom cupboard?" Draco asked the empty hallway, feeling completely baffled.

Authors Notes: I know it seems like I update fast, but trust me, work as been drilling me pretty rough so unless I just happen to find a few hours to myself. (Like last night and this morning) the next few chapters will probably take a little while longer to be posted. Sorry.

Thanks for all the reviews! Keep them coming? Yeah?

I'm thinking of making Blaise couple with either Rory or Pansy by the end. What are your thoughts?

Enjoy the story!