A/N Ok firstly, I'm a bit worried that a few of you might have thought too much of Pansy's words at the end of last chapter. She is not evil in this fic, and doesn't have a grand plan of any sort. Like when she saw Draco smiling at Harry, she just wants to play with him a bit.

Also, sorry again for the slightly longer update, but this chapter just did not want to be written. Once I had gotten going however, it just wouldn't stop! Which means this is the longest chapter by far. However, I still think I may need some new inspiration for this fic, so if anyone has any ideas or suggestions they'd like to see included in it, then please do let me know! I can't promise they'll be included, but I would love to hear some of your ideas.

Putting that aside, I'm reasonably pleased with the chapter, and it also contains the first real hints at H/D...!

And so, on that enticing note :P... on with the chapter!

'Draco...' Harry said, quietly.

Draco looked up, to find Harry had moved across the room, and was now standing just feet away from him.

'Yes?' he asked, realising that, for some reason, his mouth was suddenly very dry.

'I... I just... everything you've done...'

Harry reached out a hand, and Draco felt his heart beginning to pound in his chest, and his breathing beginning to quicken.

Harry laughed slightly, before slowly closing the gap between them. 'Thank you,' he whispered softly into Draco's ear. Draco tilted his head downwards, and at once caught Harry's gaze. He leaned down, hardly noticing what he was doing, all his attention focused on Harry's slightly parted lips...

.o0o.

'Morning Draco!'

Draco growled in annoyance, before muttering something indistinct into his pillow, and turning away from the all too cheery voice.

'Draco, language!' Pansy scolded, apparently having heard exactly what he had been muttering.

Draco sat up, and turned so that he was directly facing Pansy. 'You had better be out of this room within the next thirty seconds, or I swear on all that I own, I will curse you into oblivion!' With that, he fell back onto the bed, and immediately flipped back over onto his front.

Pansy snorted. 'Oh stop being such a drama queen.'

Draco just huffed.

'Now, are you going to tell me what has put you in such a bad mood this morning?'

Draco ignored her.

'Draco Malfoy, answer me!'

'You!' Draco said, turning to face Pansy again. 'You're what's put me in a bad mood. You woke me up!'

Pansy looked slightly confused. 'Draco, I wake you up every Saturday morning.'

'So?' Draco said, beginning to pout. He crossed his arms, looking more and more like a sulking toddler with every passing second. 'Normally you don't interrupt my REM cycle...'

Pansy copied Draco pose, folding her own arms across her chest. 'Is this some ponced-up way of you telling me I woke you up from a dream?' she demanded.

Draco flushed slightly.

'I see...' Pansy said. 'And what, may I ask, was in this dream, to make it such a tragedy that it was never finished? Or should I say, who...?'

Draco paused. Who had he been dreaming about...? Slowly, memories of messy black hair, and startlingly green eyes came floating into his head. He blushed even harder, as he remembered the feeling of Harry's hands running all over him...

'I see...' Pansy said once more, noticing the rising colour in Draco's cheeks. 'Are you going to tell me who this dream was about then? Or am I going to have to guess?'

'Who says it was about anyone!?' Draco snapped in his rapidly rising embarrassment. Why in Merlin's name had he been dreaming about Potter!? 'And keep your voice down,' he added. 'Theo, Crabbe and Goyle might hear you.'

'Draco, dear,' Pansy said, sweetly, 'the blush on your face is more than a confession. And they've already gone down to the Great Hall. It's nearly nine o'clock!'

'Nine o'clock!' Draco exclaimed 'My god Pansy, you've normally woken me up by half seven!' He leapt out of bed, and began rummaging in his trunk. 'Why did you let me sleep in so late!? Now there's only an hour until breakfast finishes...!'

Pansy laughed at his antics. 'Draco, not thirty seconds ago, you were yelling at me for having woken you, and now you're demanding to know why I didn't wake you earlier!?'

'Yes.' Draco said, petulantly, turning to glare at her.

'Well... you just looked so... so... well, hot, to put it plainly.'

'I... What!?' Draco cried.

Pansy laughed again. 'Well... that was clearly a good dream you were having...'

Draco at once felt his face beginning to burn. Yes, it had been a good dream. A very good dream... He shook himself, as he realised what he was thinking. No! It was not a good dream! He did not like Potter, and he certainly did not enjoy the feeling of Harry's smaller hands running over his body...

He looked up to find Pansy watching him, clearly amused.

'Reliving some of the finer moments are we...?'

Draco scowled.

'Anyway,' she continued. 'I came in to wake you, the others had already gone down, and... well, you just looked so... so... well, you were clearly enjoying yourself...'

The flush quickly returned to Draco's cheeks.

'And, well like I said... you just looked so hot...'

'So you watched!?' Draco demanded, incredulously.

'Yes,' Pansy said, completely unashamedly.

Draco stared at her for a moment. 'Pansy, you can't just watch people... sleeping!'

'Draco, please, I have seen you asleep many times before. I wake you up almost every morning for Merlin's sake.'

'That's not what I meant, and you know it...'

Pansy just laughed. 'Come on Draco, just get dressed and we'll go down to the Hall.' She turned and walked towards the door, pausing just before she reached it. 'Oh, and just a word of warning, ' she said, airily, 'It doesn't bother me, but you might want to be a bit more careful about bringing Gryffindors back to the Slytherin Common Room. Some people might object... especially if you're then going to spend the early hours of the morning moaning their name in your sleep...' She smiled mischeiviously, before turning, and making her way down to the Common Room, leaving an utterly shocked, and somewhat confused Draco in her wake.

.o0o.

Harry woke very suddenly, and for a moment, couldn't figure out what it was that had woken him. He sat up, and found himself looking at an extremely pissed off Ron Weasley, and an equally annoyed Hermione Granger, both standing near the foot of his bed. He watched, as Ron opened his mouth, and apparently began yelling at Harry. Harry sat, blinking up at them for a few moments, before realising why he couldn't hear him. The silencing charms. He took out his wand, and quickly muttered the spell to remove them.

'Finally!' Hermione shrieked. 'Harry James Potter just what do you think you were doing?! Putting up silencing charms and blocking spells around your bed... We've been trying to wake you up for the past hour!'

Harry just scowled at her.

'We couldn't even get near you because of the blocking spells...' Hermione continued. 'Why on earth did you put up so many protections!?'

Ignoring her, Harry turned to Ron. 'What time is it?' he asked, calmly. Hermione let out an enraged shriek, and made towards the bed, only to be thrown backwards by the force of Harry's blocking spells.

'Harry Potter, remove those spells now!'

Harry sighed, but removed the spells, before turning back to Ron, expectantly.

'It's half nine...'

This was as far as Ron got, before his view of Harry was completely obscured by the angry witch now occupying the foot of his bed.

'Harry, do you realise how completely and utterly irresponsible that was? What if there had been a fire, and the castle had to be evacuated? Or...'

Ron burst out laughing.

'What,' Hermione started, 'is so funny, Ronald?!'

'Uuuum, Hermione, you do realise that we don't evacuate if there's a fire... I mean, you have heard of aguamenti...?'

'Of course I've heard of aguamenti!' Hermione yelled. 'We've been using it since third year! What on earth does that have to do with...' She stopped abruptly, a look of sudden comprehension dawning on her face. 'Oh...' The look was soon replaced with one of pure embarrassment, as Ron continued to snigger loudly.

'Shut up Ronald. Anyway, that is beside the point!' Hermione continued, turning back to Harry. 'Harry, what if we needed to wake you urgently? It would have been impossible! What in Merlin's name made you put up so many spells around your bed?'

Harry shrugged. 'I always do,' he muttered, still half-asleep.

'You WHAT!?' Hermione cried, before turning to a now very alarmed looking Ron. 'He puts them up every night?!'

'What? I... no... no, I heard him!' Ron turned to Harry. 'You can't put them up every night. I heard you. The other night. When you were having that nightmare.'

'I forgot to put them up,' Harry muttered. 'I was tired.'

Hermione stared at him, horror-struck, sudden comprehension dawning on her face. 'Harry,' she asked, tentatively. 'How often do you have those nightmares.'

Harry stiffened, suddenly aware of what he had said.

'Hermione, I've told you! It was only that one...' Ron started

'Be quiet Ron!' Hermione snapped. 'Harry...?'

Harry took a deep breath, before tilting his head to look up at her. He could lie. Of course he could. And they would probably never find out. But this was the first time either of his friends had bothered to try and find out anything about his nightmares... Maybe... Maybe he could tell them... 'But what if they don't like what they find out? Eh?' a voice started in Harry's head. 'What if they realise what a freak you are? They'll leave you. And you'll be all on your own...' Harry froze. No. He couldn't let that happen.

'Harry...?' Hermione asked again.

'I have them almost every night...'

'Ron's right,' Harry said. 'I've only had that one nightmare.'

Hermione looked at him, skeptically. 'Then why do you put up silencing charms and blocking spells around your bed?'

'So that you don't hear me screaming...'

'I don't,' Harry said, automatically lieing, before remembering what he had already accidentally let slip. 'Oh, I mean... well, I put up blocking spells each night... Call me paranoid...' he grinned, 'but I don't like the idea of someone creeping up on me while I'm asleep. You now, what with a deranged mad-man out to kill me...'

'At least that part is true...'

Ron laughed, but stopped quickly with a look from Hermione.

'But Harry,' she continued, 'what about the silencing charms? Why did you put them up? Why last night?'

'I just... I...' Harry paused, thinking furiously. 'I just wanted some privacy...' he said finally, fully aware of how lame an excuse it was.

'Harry,' Hermione began, in what Harry felt was a purely patronising voice, 'we understand that you need time to be by yourself, and that you value your privacy. Really, we do. But... well, we get worried about you!'

'Yeah, mate, you've gotta stop scaring us like this...' Ron added. 'I mean, for all we knew you could have... I don't know... been captured by a Death Eater or something! Yeah, you could have been taken away, and an Illusion charm cast on your bed. How are we meant to check it's actually you, if we can't hear you or get close to you!?'

Harry looked at them, incredulous. God, they were paranoid. He thought he was bad! Eventually he just nodded, not trusting himself to speak without making the situation worse.

'Right,' Hermione said. 'Well, seeing as you're all right, I'm going down to the Great Hall. Are you coming Ron?'

Ron nodded, and moved to stand next to Hermione.

'We'll see you down there, ok?' she said, before turning and heading out of the dormitory, Ron following on behind her.

As soon as they were gone, Harry flopped backwards onto his bed. That was too close...

.o0o.

By the time Draco had gotten himself ready, it was quarter to ten.

'Draco, dear, I know you're pretty...'

Draco glared daggers at the girl.

'...but why in Merlin's name does it take you forty five minutes to get ready!?'

Draco sniffed haughtily. 'Because some of us, Pansy, like to look our best...'

'I highly doubt he values looks very highly Draco...'

Draco flushed, but composed his face into a mask immediately. 'Excuse me?'

'Nothing...' she said, in a sing-song voice, before grabbing Draco, and pulling him out of the Common Room. 'Come on, we've only got fifteen minutes to eat breakfast now!'

.o0o.

Harry made his way down from Gryffindor Tower, deep in thought. He couldn't risk not putting his charms up any more... not since the night Ron had heard him. But if Hermione found out he was still using them... He sighed. This was going to need some thought... As he crossed the Entrance Hall, he was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, that he failed to notice the two figures moving in his direction. He let out a small gasp of surprise, as he bashed into a tall, muscular body, and found himself sat on the stone floor of the Entrance Hall. A pale hand appeared in front of his face, and he recognised it immediately. He looked up, and found a pair of grey, apologetic eyes, looking down at him.

.o0o.

'Come on,' Draco said, holding out his hand to Harry. Harry took it, tentatively, and Draco felt a shock pass through the whole of his arm. He pulled Harry up, and quickly looked him over, checking for any injuries. He heard Pansy snort from beside him, and blushed, as he realised what it must have looked like. He was not checking Harry out! He wasn't! 'Sorry,' he mumbled. Suddenly realising he was still holding Harry's hand, he quickly dropped it, and turned away, blushing furiously. Pansy grabbed his arm, and began steering him into the Great Hall.

.o0o.

As Parkinson pulled Draco towards the Great Hall, she turned back, and winked at Harry. Harry just stared after her. What was that!? And why was Draco so embarassed...? Sure, he'd knocked Harry over, but that was hardy cause for embarrassment... Maybe he was worried that Parkinson had seen him helping Harry... Yes, that was it. He didn't want any of the other Slytherins knowing. At this thought, Harry felt something shift inside of him. He knew it was better for people not to know that he and Draco were starting to spend time together, but that, he found, didn't stop it hurting to know that Draco was ashamed of it...

As he walked into the Great Hall, he looked over to the Slytherin table, and found Draco deep in discussion with Parkinson. Probably trying to deny that he was helping me... Harry thought. He sighed deeply, before continuing over to the Gryffindor Table, to join Ron and Hermione.

.o0o.

Draco had barely sat down on the bench, when Pansy started.

'So...' she said. 'Are you still denying that you're dating him?'

'Pansy I am not dating Potter. I thought you believed me.'

'I did...' she said. 'Before I saw the two of you sneaking back to the Common Room last night...'

Draco spluttered.

'... and then you have a uuum... pleasant dream about him...'

He started choking on his toast...

'... and then you knock him over in the Entrance Hall, and instead of laughing as you would once have done, you help him back onto this feet. And don't think I didn't notice you checking him out either...' Pansy finished, wiggling her eyebrows at Draco.

Finally regaining his composure, Draco stared haughtily at Pansy. 'You're wrong.'

Pansy's eyes narrowed dangerously. 'Draco, I have told you before, do not lie to me!'

Draco winced.

'I would have thought, by now, that you know you can trust me!'

'Pansy,' Draco said, wearily, 'it's not that I don't trust you... It's just... well, I told you yesterday. I can't tell you what's going on, ok? Yes, I was with Harry last night, and yes we came back very late. No, I am not dating him.'

Pansy looked at him, expectantly.

'What?' Draco snapped, irritated.

'The dream, Draco... Checking him out...?!'

Draco blushed furiously. 'I wasn't checking him out. I was checking to see if he was hurt.'

'Right...' Pansy said, very sarcastically. 'That still leaves your rather vivid dream, Draco.'

'I... Well, I... Oh I don't know!' he finally said, sounding exasperated. 'I... it was... shit Pansy, it was incredible...'

Pansy laughed. 'Yes, I figured...'

'But I don't like him Pansy, I don't!'

'Ever heard of denial, Draco...?'

Draco gave no response.

'Look, of all the people you've admitted to liking, I have never seen you like this. It's pretty obvious you fancy the pants off of him...'

'I do not!'

'Yes, you do,' Pansy continued, calmly. 'You're just so deep in denial about it that you can't see it yet. Although how you can't is completely beyond me... I'd have thought the dream would have been a bit of a give away but apparently not...' She sighed, before turning back to her breakfast, shaking her head. 'Come on, you are going to eat your breakfast, and then we're going to the Library. I still have that Charms essay to finish.'

Draco scowled at her, but returned to his breakfast. He didn't fancy Harry, did he? No, of course not. He was just helping him through some things. And the dream he had... well, he just had a slightly over-active imagination, that was all. Yes, nothing to worry about. 'Excpet that you enjoyed that dream more than any other you've ever had...' the familiar annoying voice piped up. At this, scenes from the dream came flashing through Draco mind. Harry's mouth, arms, chest... He felt those hands running all over him, remembered the noises they had elicited from him... He gasped slightly, desperately trying to stop the flow of images. He looked over to the Gryffindor table, to find Harry just getting up to leave. He watched him, as he made his way across the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione, chatting animatedly with them. He frowned slightly, as a pang of jealousy shot through him.

'You really are clueless, aren't you Draco...?' Pansy sighed. 'Just follow him.'

Draco turned to look at her, before giving her a small smile, and getting up to leave the Great Hall.

.o0o.

Halfway back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry changed his mind about going. 'Uuum, guys...'

Ron and Hermione turned around to face him.

'I'm going to go out to the Quidditch Pitch, ok? You know, get some more practice in before next week's match.'

Ron grinned at him, clearly reveling in the idea of watching Slytherin get utterly slaughtered.

Hermione frowned. 'Harry, what about that Charms essay we have to do...?'

'I've done it,' he lied easily. 'See you both later.' He gave them a short wave, before turning back on himself, and heading out into the Hogwarts grounds. He didn't actually need to practice. Gryffindor team was in great shape, there was no way the Slytherins would beat them. He just wanted some space. He was still upset about how Draco had reacted this morning.

Once outside, he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the cool, clear air. He felt himself relax at once. He loved Ron and Hermione, really, he did. But sometimes, he just couldn't wait to get away from them. He began making his way over to the Quidditch Pitch, feeling his steps becoming lighter as he went. By the time he had made it to the Broom Cupboard, he was smiling broadly. He took out an old school broom, not having wanted to go all the way back to Gryffindor Tower to retrieve his own, and mounted it. As he kicked off into the air, feeling the wind whipping through his unruly hair, and rushing past his cheeks, he felt himself relax fully for the first time in days.

He didn't know how long he had been flying for, but he eventually looked down at the ground, and felt his stomach jump in surprise, as he saw Draco, looking up at him. What did he want...?

.o0o.

Draco had been standing at the edge of the Quidditch Pitch for a good fifteen minutes before Harry even looked down. As he watched the other boy flying around the pitch, he felt a small pang of jealousy. Whereas Draco had to work hard to be as good at Quidditch as he was, Harry was clearly a natural. It seemed so effortless to him... As Harry wheeled round at the edge of the pitch however, he caught a short glimpse of his face. All thoughts of jealousy immediately left his mind, because, in that moment, Harry's face was a picture of pure joy. He didn't just enjoy flying, Draco realised, he loved it. He smiled softly to himself. So what if Harry was a better flyer than him? Anything that made Harry smile like that was fine by him. After all, wasn't that what he was trying to achieve by befriending Harry?

Draco stood there for a while longer, just watching Harry fly. He had never seen him look more comfortable, or at ease. When Harry eventually glanced down to the ground, he smiled up at him.

Harry seemed to hesitate for a moment, before diving towards the ground. Draco screamed. He was going to crash! At the last moment, Harry pulled out of the dive, and continued on towards Draco, his toes just skimming the top of the grass. He laughed out loud at the expression on Draco's face, and Draco couldn't help but smile back at him. He had seen Harry's laugh before, but always from afar. He had seen the way Harry's eyes lit up as he literally roared with laughter, but had never once thought that such a sight would be directed at him. To be honest, he would never have really wanted it to be! But as he looked at Harry now, he decided that he never wanted to see the expression leave Harry's face. He looked so alive...

'Show off,' Draco muttered, making sure to shoot Harry a smile as he did so.

Harry just laughed harder, making Draco's stomach flip. Merlin he was gorgeous...

As soon as this thought entered Draco's head, he began to blush. No! Harry was not gorgeous!

Harry looked at him, an expression of confusion on his face, and Draco began blushing even harder. He was so cute when he was confused...

'Uuuum, Draco... are you ok?' Harry asked.

'Yes Harry, I'm fine.' Draco said, feeling anything but. He was unnerved to say the least. Why did he keep thinking of Harry like that?!

'Why did you come out here?' Harry asked.

Draco looked at him. 'To see you,' he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

'Oh...' Harry said, quietly, looking slightly bemused.

'And why, Harry, is that such a strange idea to you?'

Harry frowned. 'Because of how you reacted when Parkinson was there earlier...' he admitted. 'I mean, I know it's not a good idea to let people know we're... well... friends?' he said, looking suddenly very shy, 'but, well... you just seemed so... so... embarrassed to have been caught helping me. Like you were ashamed of it...' Harry trailed of, looking down at the ground.

Draco felt his breath catch in the back of his throat as Harry eventually looked up at him. He looked so lost.

'Harry, first of all, you have no reason to be nervous in saying that we are friends,' Draco said, delighting in the way Harry's eyes lit up ever so slightly as he said it. 'I have already told you. From now on I am here whenever you need me, for as long as you need me.' He smiled down at Harry, and breathed a sigh of relief as Harry nodded very slightly, and tentatively returned the smile. 'Secondly,' Draco continued, 'I am not ashamed of being you friend. As I have said before, I would happily tell everyone that we are now on friendly terms, I simply thought you might not hold quite the same feelings on the matter. As for this morning...' Draco trailed off, starting to feel the heat rising in his face once more. 'Well... Pansy has realised you and I are not... well, that we are not exactly enemies any more,' he said finally, choosing to leave out exactly what it was Pansy thought they were...

'She... she what? How?' Harry asked, clearly very nervous at the idea.

'She is very observant,' Draco said, simply. 'She notices the smallest things. Don't worry, she won't tell a soul. She may be a gossip, but she's loyal as anything. She'll keep a secret if I ask her to.'

Harry nodded, uncertainly.

'Just trust me Harry, ok?'

Harry paused for a moment, before nodding slightly more enthusiastically.

'Good,' Draco said. 'Now, how about teaching me how to wronski feint like you do. I mean, seriously, that was amazing!'

Harry grinned, before shaking his head. 'Maybe after the Quidditch Match next week...'

'Not quite as Gryffindor as you seem eh?' Draco said. 'I thought you lot were meant to have this pathological need to help people.'

Harry laughed. 'When dealing with Slytherins?!' he asked, an eyebrow raised. 'We've learnt to turn it off.'

Draco smiled. He had to concede, Harry had a point. 'I guess we don't exactly have the best reputation for accepting help from people...'

'No,' Harry said, softly. 'But you're very good at giving it.'

Draco felt his stomach give another jolt at the shy, innocent smile on Harry's face. So adorable... And this time, Draco didn't even try and deny what he was thinking...

A/N Ooooh, I see things beginning to get interesting... -grins-

Thanks so much for all your reviews, makes my day when I open up my inbox :D

Please let me know what you thought of this chapter, and remember, any suggestions/ ideas you'd like to see in the story would be great to hear!