Harry jumped out of his skin feeling a hand on his shoulder.
"What is it, Harry?"
''They have the map, they will know who we are?"'
"The Marauder map?" Draco asked.
''How do you know about the map?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"Severus told me long ago" Draco smirked at Harry "He is my god father after all."
'That cleared the matter' Harry thought bitterly.
"Look my father and his friends have that map, it never lie. One look at it they will know who we are. Remus told me that Filch confiscate it but I don't know when. What if they have it now?"
"OK, stay here, I will be back in a minute" Draco told him takeing off the locking charm of the curtain.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked.
"To find the map obviously" Draco told him with rolling his eyes.
"I'm coming with you, too." Harry was more than ready to go.
"No, stay here, let me handle it. You will make a fool of yourself when you will see them."
"No way I will let you go alone. What if you get caught?"
"Don't worry love. There are smarter people out there beside your know-it-all friend, you know". Harry was so worried that he had ignored the 'love' comment. He jumped out of bed and gripped Draco's hand tightly "I'm coming with you and it's final."
Draco looked at him and sighed, "OK keep your voice down". He took his wand form the bed and touched it on Harry's forehead to make him invisible. Then he done that with himself too.
Finding the right room took a little more work, but Harry knew the general location from past inquires in his youth and eventually stumbled onto the right one on his third try. They found Sirius asleep horizontally across his bed apparently he had fallen back asleep while in the process of putting on his pants. Peter was still sprawled out and snoring, two bed was empty, apparently that was James and Remus bed who was out for patrol. Only one bed had been made and whose bedside dresser wasn't in major disarray. That would be Remus Lupin's, other One was messy but with a half hearted attempt to make it not look like a hurricane had hit it. There was a picture of four of them on the dresser. Harry felt a pain in the heart seeing that. Beside him Draco was man on mission, he quickly placed silencing charm on the Sirius and Peter bed so that the boys could not hear them. Then he tried to summon the map but the map was no where. They looked at each other.
After ten gruesomely panicked moments, they returned their drom without map.
"I think Filch confiscated it already."
"Are you sure, what if Dad... I mean James have it with himself?" Harry asked
'' Look if they have it now, we can't do anything right now. So don't panic we will do something in the morning. Now sleep." Draco told as he was climbing on Harry's bed. After some time Harry followed him too.
Harry's dream was like a broken record, he saw a green flash of light, heard a woman scream, saw the look in Sirius' eyes as he fell through the was hyperventilating; soft whimpers escaping his throat on every other too-fast breath. Tears were streaming freely down his porcelain cheeks.
"No Sirius - get away from the veil – got to save him – no – no…."
Draco swiftly moved toward Harry."Harry." He gently shook his shoulders. "Harry, wake up."
"No – no, I can save him! – He's just on the other side! – Remus let me go -." Harry continued ranting.
Draco spooned Harry in his arms."Shh." He soothed. "It's okay, you're okay. It was only a dream. I'm right here."
With a gasp, Harry's eyes opened wide.
Draco sat up next to him, pulling him into his arms. "It's only a dream, Harry."
Harry nodded, then choked out a strangled cry, burrowing his head in Draco's chest. After repeatedly trying to keep the tears at bay, the soft words broke the dam, and Harry gave himself over to his 's heart ached to hear Harry's muffled and Draco held each other like this for a long time, neither really saying anything. Harry continued to mumble words of gratitude, while Draco simply made comforting sounds and rubbed Harry's back. Finally, after what seemed like ages, They fall asleep in each other arm.
Meanwhile at the other part of the castle
James Potter was wandering one of the many halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with Lily Evans. It was around 12 o'clock and James was debating a topic very common to seventeen-year-old boys:
How to win Harper Patt?
James didn't really know what to make of his attraction to the boy who was – a complete stranger. For the first time in his school life he wasn't thinking about Lily Evans.
His eyes glazed over as He sunk into a daze of reminiscence, remembering how He had sat there watching Harper . .how he had talked to the blond boy, how he blushed, how the boy admitted in love with Harper. . .how He had felt so crushed by this.
The waves of jealousy He had felt then! It was ridiculous, even to think about - He had never felt any jealousy before in his life, until then. His mind was a whirling vortex. A blizzard of emotion. All coherent thought had deserted him. His orderly world was gone; in its place was a jumbled puzzle with pieces scattered across the globe; he only needed to put it together.
Lily too was lost in her thought of Harper. She was completely baffled as to why she held so much fondness for Harper Patt. Lily didn't quite know when it happened, nor did she ever expect it to happen. First impressions really defined a person for her. It was one of her personal flaws. But when she first time saw Harry she felt like that she know him long.
Lily watched James walking beside her silently. And that was odd. James was never knew that he had fancied her for years. It was not like he had made a big secret of it, asking her for a date every other day. And of course she had always rejected him. She had not liked him for his arrogance. Oh, he was good-looking, popular, one of the best students in their year and a Quidditch star. But that was no excuse for cocky behaviour
"You ok Potter?" Lily asked her fellow student.
"Ah...huh? Yeah I'm alright." James shuttered.
Lily turned, frowning. Frankly, she didn't want to speak to James Potter at all. She couldn't stand him, but James Potter behaviour was odd from the dinner time. Nor did he asked her out this year neither paid any attention to her. Now that was odd. James Potter always made her life a hell. It was not like she was not honored that James Potter fancied her. It was just a bit... annoying. In the past few years, he had shown her often enough that he could be a very demanding person. In all those years when had felt his eyes on her, she had never once returned his gaze, but this year James never looked at why? She had wondered about this. And she would not rest without knowing.
Lily placed two well-manicured hands delicately on her hips, and puckered her full lips out, drawing her elegant eyebrows together in a severe frown. "James Potter are planing about playing a new prank?"
James sunk down lower on the floor, "I'm sorry, Evans, I just have a lot on my mind right now. And that's not about some stupid prank."
Hmm... Definitely something was odd.
The sunlight filtered through a tiny crack in the curtains onto Draco's face and he scrunched up his eyes trying to block out the offending light before giving up and hauling himself up from his laying position and looked down. Harry was draped over his chest, fast asleep. Something warm flooded through Draco and he smiled. Finally, after all these years, he had Harry to himself. Draco was lying in the red four-poster bed, watching Harry's chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. His emerald eyes were closed, his face showing a feeling of utter peace. Smoothing a hand through the messy dark locks, He continued observing the smaller boy, letting his eyes graze on the beautiful body.
This time Harry waked up feeling long fingers raked through his unruly hair. Harry purred in delight, thoroughly enjoying his strange sensation. He arched his body into the touch, like a cat after more petting. A soft chuckle broke his sleepy haze. He opened his to find silver eyes looked at him amusedly, waiting for a reaction.
"It's what I have wanted from the first moment I met you, Good morning," whispered Draco.
Harry smiled. "Good morning. Were you watching me sleep?"
"Maybe I was. I couldn't help it; you are so beautiful when you sleep."
Harry flushed a little.
"You're so thin, don't your relative feed you enough?'' Draco asked.
"Things were... uncomfortable to say the least after the Dementor attack on my cousin and I." Harry replied embarrassingly.
Draco peered guardedly at him. "When you say uncomfortable, what do you mean? They abuse you don't they?"
"It wasn't as bad as it could have been, I suppose," Harry shrugged halfheartedly. "I did almost get my cousin killed. So Dudley was a little rougher when he and his gang smacked around me, and I went without food for a few more days than usual. Nothing I couldn't handle really. When they are of the mind and I'm not working on whatever they need done in the house, they lock me in my room."
Seeing Dracos face he added "It really isn't that bad. And it is a lot better than the cupboard. There is a little flap in the door for my food. If you knew the Dursleys you'd know that it is better to be locked in a room rather than having to spend time with them"
"Cupboard?" Draco was confused.
Harry flushed, he really needed to learn how to think before he blurted things out, "Oh, that. Before I had my own room, I slept in a cupboard under the staircase. Until I was 10, when I got my Hogwarts letter they let me have a bedroom."
Draco was furius "Did Dumbledore know?"
Harry shrugged "OK, come on we have classes to go" He jumped out of bed before Draco could ask more question.
Harry felt as if he was still exhausted as he followed Draco and twin down to the Great Hall for breakfast. The previous night had been anything but restful for him. Memories and dreams, from his parents' final words to reliving that day at the Department of Mysteries had plagued Harry all night.
Harry sat down at the table with Draco beside him and the twins across the table.
Harry grabbed a single piece of toast and placed a small amount of scrambled eggs on his plate. He began to nibble on the toast, content to sort out his thoughts, letting the conversations around the table pass over him. He had received many curious looks as he entered the Great Hall.
"Harper!" A feminine voice called from the great hall's entrance. Turning, Harry saw Lily making her way toward them. She plopped down next to him and began to chatter. "Good morning. Did you sleep well last night ?"James, when he caught sight of Draco sitting with Harry sent Draco a malevolent glare and sat beside Lily. Sirius also sat by James, seemingly trying to catch Harry's eye. Remus and Peter following them.
"No Miss Head Girl, the sleepyhead here didn't get much sleep last night?"
"Why?" Lily turned to Harry with worried eye, Harry blushed. He can felt everybody's eye on him.
"You know,Yong love-"
''That keeps you up-"
"And make you do things-"
"Snoging, shucking, nipping-"
Harry flung a piece of toast at Fabian's head. Harry knew he had turned as red as the Weasleys' hair at implications of this word.
Beside him Draco choked on his pumpkin juice.
Harry bluseed more "Shut up!"
"You look so cute when you pout, isn't he?"
Harry stuck his tongue out childishly.
"Mature!" Gideon laughed.
"You did what?" Lily narrowed her eyes at Draco.
"Noooo! We didn't do that" Harry exploded with mortification.
"So what are you two doing there all night in your bed Harper?" Fabian asked with a grin "I didn't see Derek on his bed in the morning"
"What! All night?" James was shaking with rage. He would kill the Blondie.
"It's not your business.'' Draco told in a bored tone. Oh! He very much loved the twin.
"Aren't you Head boy, James?" Sirius asked mischievously.
James raised an eyebrow at him. His hazel eyes glittered. "Thank you for the reminder, Sirius. Well, then, Monroe, Being a Head boy, I hereby dock you five points for disturbing a fellow student"
Lily stared at James, ghast. "You can't do that, you idiot. He's in Griffendore! He didn't do anything wrong."
"I don't think so." James said cooly.
Harry stared dumbfounded at his father.
"Hey Lily!"
Harry turned his eyes caught sight of three approaching girls. Three girls come alive from the photo of the order, Marlene McKinnon, Alice Longbottom and Dorcas Meadows.
"Alice! Mary! Good morning!", Lily squealed, pulling the girls into a big hug."Dora!"
Doracas was a beautiful young witch with long blonde hair cascading down her back, flashing blue eyes, and a small pointed chin. Her stature was small, she was slim and of an average height. "That's Dorcas Meadowes, Voldemort killed her personally." Harry could hear Moody's voice in his head.
Beside Doracas was Marlene MacKinnon . "Marlene McKinnon, she was killed two weeks after this was taken, they got her whole family.' - Marlene McKinnon was mentioned very briefly. Marlene is petite and feisty, with inky-black hair cut into an angled bob. Her eyes are dark and glinting, and intelligent.
Alice Longbottom was a beautiful girl with chubby face, doe like like eyes and dark curls that framed her sweet face. She reminds him Neville.
" We missed you too! Lily. For thirty minute", Doracas answered, rolling her eyes.
There was a dull ache in Harry's chest as he sat down there watching them who would be dead within years. They were so alive, happyand young. Voldemort ruined everything nice.
"Hey Gid! How are you?" Marlene asked Gideon as she sitting down beside him.
"I'm fine Mac. What about you?"
And the conversation started with its own accord and again Harry found himself lost with emotions.
When they were finished with breakfast they waited for Professor McGonagall to make her descent from the staff table. The distribution of class schedules for sixth year was more complicated than usual because Professor McGonagall needed to first confirm that everybody had achieved the necessary O.W.L. grades to continue with their chosen N.E.W.T.s. Harry didn't know how Dumbledore had managed create their fake owl result but he supposed magic was involve.
"Good morning, Mr. Patt and Mr Monroe," she said. She was holding a stack of papers on a clipboard. "How are you feeling?"
"Ok I guess." Harry said softly.
"So, Mr. Patt I've seen your OWL's, what kind of career were you looking at?" She asked pulling out a clean piece of parchment and a quill.
"I want to be an Auror." Harry said
"That's quite ambitious, Mr. Patt But, your scores certainly allow for it." She wrote something down on the paper and the continued. "You'll want to take Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Ancient Runes, Advanced Charms and Transfiguration,"
"That sounds good." Harry said and the Professor waved her wand at a blank sheet of parchment before handing it to him.
"That will be your schedule then, if you'll wait just a moment while I speak with Mr. Monroe" Draco was next who was cleared for the same classes as Harry.