Straight into it then, I don't own Harry Potter characters, and JK Rowling is amazing. On with the story!
Harry woke up the next morning and opted not to go to breakfast. He waited until the entire room cleared out. Ron was long gone and did not look at Harry on his way out. Eventually Harry got dressed and walked down the stairs to the common room. Harry took the time to write Sirius telling him about the new events concerning the tournament and his friendship with Ron. Just as he handed it to Hedwig, Hermione walked in through the portrait and silently handed him a piece of toast. Grateful for Hermione he quickly swallowed his breakfast and Hermione asked him to follow her on a walk of the grounds and maybe to Hagrid's. Harry nodded his ascent and the two walked down the staircases and out the front doors. Eventually Harry could no longer take the silence and told Hermione that he did not put his name in. Hermione's easy acknowledgement threw him off guard. She told him that she knew he hated the attention, and that Ron would believe him too. Just that-
"Ronald is jealous of all the attention you are once again the center of."
"But I don't like the attention, it's awful." He protested.
"I know. It's hard for him being the best friend of someone like you. Imagine you were him, always in the shadow of someone else. He will always be 'Harry Potter's best friend' it's hard."
"Yeah well try being Harry Potter some time."
Shaking her head at the stupidity of males with the emotional capacity of teaspoons, she led the way to Hagrid's hut. When Hagrid also believed him, Harry felt much better about his situation- maybe the whole school was not against him.
Upon going to class Harry quickly realized that it was not the entire school- just three quarters of it. Everywhere he went he was met with scowls from people thinking he was in it for the attention. Harry hates walking the halls along with his classmates. He gets used to dodging the glares and occasional jinx from his fellow students. He sighs. It's not the first time the entire school has turned against him, but it was a lot easier to handle with Ron by his side to joke about it. Hermione tried to bring the two back together to talk, but Harry refused until Ron was able to accept the fact that he did not put his name in. Hermione tried to stay with Harry but she hated the looks that she got and eventually Harry told her that she did not have to walk with him anymore. At first she stuck by him. A couple of days later she had started leaving class before him to avoid the glares.
One day in Potions the pot boiled over. The Slytherins had all discovered how to make "Support Cedric Diggory- The REAL Hogwarts Champion" badges that squeaked "Potter Stinks!" when pushed. Harry was distraught to see Draco wearing one, although was somewhat grateful when he saw that Blaise at least had forgone the tacky accessory.
Harry sits on one side of Hermione, closest to Draco, and Ron on the other. When a bunch of the Slytherins start encouraging Draco to attack Potter, Draco sighs unnoticeably and turns to Potter.
"Like the buttons, Scarhead?"
Harry ignores him.
"Do you realize how sad it is that the entire school supports a Hufflepuff over The-Boy-Who-Lived?"
Harry ignores him. Several insults later the Slytherins start pestering Malfoy because his insults are not doing a very good job. So Malfoy turns on Granger.
Without thinking he draws his wand and points it at Malfoy, the two mirroring each other. However the spells come from somewhere else and Harry and Draco both duck to avoid the incoming spells. One hits Hermione and the other hits Goyle. Hermione's teeth begin to grow to enormous lengths while Goyle is suddenly covered in boils from head to toe. Snape sees and Goyle is immediately sent to the hospital wing. When Ron pulls the professors attention to Hermione and her now obscenely large front teeth, Snape sneers and replies:
"I don't see anything different." Which causes laughs from all of the Slytherins, while Malfoy and Zabini merely force smiles.
Hermione runs from the classroom and Ron and Harry yell at the greasy haired git. Snape responds coolly with a harsh point deduction and a detention that the two of them must share. Harry thinks he and Ron might be able to rekindle their friendship but when class resumes the red head merely takes his old seat and continues his work. At that moment one Collin Creevey enters the room and informs the class that the champions have been requested to meet right away in a room several floors away. Snape reluctantly waves Potter out of the room and he picks up his bag and leaves. Uncomfortable with the number of people glaring at his back.
It turns out that the meeting was planned to cover three purposes for the price of one. Mr. Olivander was in the room along with the other three champions, a wizard with his camera, and a woman who sat in the corner with an alligator skin purse. Harry soon found out that the Mr. Olivander was there to "weigh their wands" apparently testing to make sure that they were all functioning correctly and that they were not under any charms to keep them from functioning properly or too well. The wizard was there to take their photo for the Daily Prophet and the woman was there to interview them.
The woman dragged Harry into a broom closet with some eerie knowledge of his childhood and began interviewing him. Harry managed to discover that this was Rita Skeeter, a reporter who took facts and photos out of context for the joy of her readers. Her questions ranged from his age to his parents to his childhood and on. They were beyond annoying was her assumptions when she began delving even further into his private life.
"Is there a young woman out there who is cheering you on and wishing you luck?"
"Well there's my best friend Hermione…"
"Best friends are nice Harry, but is there a special young lady out there who you are dreaming of."
"A special young lady, no."
"Well what about a young man?"
Harry spluttered, "A m-man? Why- Well… I mean…-"
His ramblings were cut off as an expressionless Krum opened the door and asked about the other champions. Skeeter was slightly put out but put on a smile with a cheery "of course" that made Harry want to gag. However he was thankful for the escape and joined the other champions back in the other room.
The other three interviews all together took less time than Harry's did and the photo was taken far too many times in Harry's opinion but he finally managed to escape the room when Krum flat out said that he was hungry and needed to eat. Harry raced from the room and straight to his dorm where he threw himself on the bed and sighed as sleep over took him.
Draco was standing on the top of the Astronomy Tower. He knew that he and Harry had talked only days before, but after Potions Harry had been gone all day. Not showing up at lunch or dinner. He had hoped that he and Harry could talk about today, but it seemed as though Harry had not gotten his letter. Draco frowned at that thought. Missing letters seemed to have become a common occurrence where he and Harry were involved. He briefly wondered where the letters could have gone to. It was probably some kid in Harry's neighborhood who had spotted the snowy owl. Or it could have been Harry's "family"-after all they knew all about the world and how they exchanged mail. It must have been one or the other. And Harry had mentioned a crazy cat lady, maybe she thought the letters were from God or something. Draco chuckled lightly to himself as he tilted his head up towards the moon.
"What's so funny?"
Draco jumped at Harry's voice so close behind him, "Bloody. Hell. Harry." Draco panted.
Harry merely laughed. The boys stood next to each other as they looked at the stars dancing through the night sky. Finally Draco brought up the thoughts from earlier:
"I was thinking, earlier-"
"Did it hurt?" Harry smirked.
"Haha. No seriously, what do you think happened to our letters over the summer?"
"I don't know. I kind of figured it was one of your house elves. Dobby did something similar to me two years ago."
"I doubt it. They would never have the desire to stand up to me or mom. And I'm pretty sure father scares the crap out of them."
"Well who else could it be?"
"I was thinking maybe one of the muggles in your neighborhood."
"Not a chance, Hedwig would have to of had a spell cast on her before she gave up a letter to someone besides who it was meant for."
"Birds can make mistakes."
"Not her." Draco was furious when Harry refused to even accept the possibility that his precious owl could make mistakes.
"Well it would not have been my house elf!"
Harry raised his voice to match Draco's, "Maybe it was one of your parents then, huh?"
"MY parents respect me!"
"Yeah and that's going to stop them from reading your mail is it?!"
"Of co-"
"Even a letter from one 'Harry Potter?'"
"My parents would never do that to me." Draco's voice was cold as ice when he spoke.
Harry smoothed his hand over his face and tried for a softer tone, "Look I'm just saying that-"
"You don't even have parents to-"
But Draco would never get the chance to finish his sentence. Harry pulled back his hand and punched Malfoy in the face.
"Fu-" He cut himself off and turned to leave.
Draco wrapped his head around what he had said and felt his anger drain away, "Oh God. Harry I am –"
"Forget it." Harry's voice was clipped and devoid of emotion.
"But Harry-" the Slytherin stretched out to grab the Gryffindor's arm.
"Leave me alone, Malfoy." At the sound of his last name his hand fell from Harry's arm and the brunette stormed away with his map and his cloak.
Harry was forcing back tears as he ran down the stairs and back to the common room. His cloak was over his head and he knew there was no forgetting that. How Malfoy could have pulled the death of Harry's parents into an argument that Harry was trying to resolve. It was unthinkable. He whispered the password to the Gryffindor common room and The Fat Lady was pleased to see him return long before curfew and her own bed time.
He crawled up into his bed and watched as his other friend turned his back on him without asking about the tears on his face. That was it. He was going to face his first challenge utterly alone.
Draco watched as the door slammed closed. Harry was gone. Draco was walking down the secret passageways towards his own dorm. The feeling of loneliness filling him, he thought of other journeys with Harry by his side as they walked these tunnels. He had to make this up to Harry tomorrow as soon as possible. He no longer cared if their friendship became public. He just wanted Harry to forgive him. Draco curled up in a ball on his mattress and waited for sleep to steal him away.
The next morning Draco woke to the sounds of his roommates moving around and getting ready for another day of classes. He dressed eagerly and hurried up to the Great Hall. Just as he passed the bottom of the staircase he felt someone run into him.
"Watch where-" He cut himself off as he looked into green eyes.
The Gryffindor stared at him and turned to leave.
"Harry-"
"Back off, Malfoy." Harry never looked back as he walked into the Great Hall.
Draco turned and retraced his steps back to his room. He would give Harry the space he obviously wanted and would talk to the boy later. He could make it a couple of hours with Harry mad at him. Right?
That day was the worst that Draco had experienced in a long time. He had most of his classes with Harry. Every class he sat down in people flashed their badges in Harry's direction. Harry sat as far away from Draco as possible and made sure to have at least one person between the two of them. He sat in the Great Hall in his usual seat facing the Gryffindor house. Harry however took his avoidance a step further and sat with his back to Draco and his fellow Slytherins. Draco went to bed that night with the hopes of a better tomorrow, after all how long can the boy hold a grudge.
Apparently the Weasel had given Harry much practice in the act of ignoring someone. It had been almost a week since Harry had talked to Draco and something had happened to the usually cheery brunette. He looked beyond stressed and was apparently missing a lot of sleep, presumably over the upcoming challenge in about a week. Harry refused to respond to his letters and no longer opened them, he simply stuck them in his robes and continued eating.
Eventually Draco was desperate. He needed to talk to someone. Harry had somehow managed to become Draco's best mate and Draco wanted the boy to forgiven him more than anything. He was going to talk to Harry if it was the last thing he did.
Seeing his chance during a Potions class, where Harry was once again running late, Draco put his plan into action. He leaned over and asked Blaise if he would go sit in the open seat next to Hermione. He missed the happiness and wariness that flashed across the boy's face as he went to sit in the only other open seat in the classroom. Hermione felt a similar run of emotions when the Slytherin sat down silently next to her.
When Harry came charging in seconds before the start of class he jerked to a halt at the sight of Blaise in Harry's usual seat. His eyebrows furled but he shrugged. He scanned the room looking for another seat and started to move towards Draco until he noticed the blonde boy sitting next to the only open seat in the room. He looked around again until a voice broke the silence.
"If you are done allowing everyone to stare at your incredible aura of importance," Snape drawled, "I suggest you take your seat."
Draco flashed a half-angry, half-thankful look at his godfather and tapped the chair next to him right before Harry mouthed a curse and blushed crimson as he took his seat. Today was strictly a lab and after writing the directions on the board Snape gestured for the pairs to begin work.
Draco tried to start a conversation several times but each attempt was cut off with a glare from his partner. Eventually he gave up and the two enemies circled around each other. They worked in silent harmony as they flowed around each other. When one boy dropped in an ingredient the other chopped then stirred. There was no word that passed between the two and even with Draco having to keep an eye on Harry, correcting the few mistakes he made- the two had the best potion in the entire class. When Snape came by and congratulated Draco for creating such a potion with an incompetent student as his partner, Draco lost his temper and before he thought about it a retort flew out of his mouth.
"He's not incompetent." The entire class froze as Draco faced his favorite professor and head of house in defense of one Harry Potter.
Harry stared at him in shock and it was only then Draco realized what he had done. He decided that now would be a good time to try and back pedal,
"No he may be an idiot, short sighted, hero, with a love for his own face on the front page," A few snickers filled the room at Malfoy's sneer, "But he's not incompetent."
Harry's expression closed off and Draco was fighting tears when Harry left the room at the classes dismissal, still not saying a word. He missed the similar look on Blaise's face when Hermione walked off leaving him alone at a table with Weasley.
Well that did not go according to plan…
And the end of another sad chapter. Draco's suffering without Harry by his side-what is Harry going through? Who is really behind the missing letters? Ideas are lovely and reviews are simply gorgeous!