Dedicated to njferrel. I've always thought of it as n j ferrel. But what if it's n j f errel? It would smash my worldview forever!

Disclaimer: Harry, I do not own. Draco, I do not own. Theo, I do not own. Purple sparks, I dominate.

FUAHAHAHAHAHAHAA finals are over.

"Are we... Very early?" Harry asked in bewilderment as he gazed at the nearly empty platform. It was quite a while after their trip to Diagon Alley and Mr. Malfoy had dropped them off at Platform 9 3/4 saying that he had a politician to corrupt- although Harry didn't think he had meant to say that out loud.

Draco glanced at the clock attached to the wall of the large way station, "It's eight o'clock!"

Harry scowled, "I knew my lack of sleep senses were tingling when he sent up Tandem to wake us up!" Tandem, the House Elf, who had been one of the first Elves to know about "Code Red Apple."

Draco rolled his eyes and dragged Harry to one of the many benches alternating with fireplaces in the station along the walls, "It's only one hour earlier than you'd normally wake up."

Harry leaned heavily on Draco, "But I didn't get to sleep last night until around one in the morning!"

Draco pulled away slightly to look at the brunette, "What was wrong?"

"I don't know, but I didn't want to wake you up- even though sleeping with you has me out like a light." Draco felt heat in his cheeks and swore to himself that he would never ever let Harry realize exactly what he had just implied.

Attempting nonchalance, Draco rolled his eyes, "If you have trouble sleeping, go ahead and wake me up- besides, I- have trouble sleeping without you too. I just got so used to your snoring..." Draco grinned mockingly and Harry sighed without taking his revenge.

"Too tired... I'll get you for that later..." The wooziness in Harry's voice had Draco slinging an arm around Harry's waist in case he fell off the bench. The two sat in companionable silence with small interums of chatter until around 8:35, when the scarlet train pulled into the station with long clouds of gray smoke trailing behind it. It whistled deafeningly and screeched to a halt.

Draco rubbed his temples, removing his arm from Harry's waist, and Harry stood up with his luggage, "C'mon, Draco!"

Draco glared half-heartedly and followed his dear friend, How is he not affected by that noise? "I see why they have the train come early..." Harry shrugged and threw his luggage into the luggage car, closely followed by Draco.

"Let's get a compartment now!" Harry exclaimed, "I can't wait to see Starwa, and Hermione, and Theo, and Pansy, and Neville, and Cedric..." Harry ranted happily as he pranced into and down the length of the train, deciding on a compartment in the middle. Draco followed, secretly just as cheerful about returning to Hogwarts and being with Harry- except for the fact that there would be a trio of murderous Hufflepuffs and their ringleader, Fitch-Finley, in the castle. His mood darkened and he sat next to Harry, wrapping his arms around him tightly. Harry didn't seem to mind and continued with his verbal stream of rainbows and joy. "-And now we have the way into the Chamber of Secrets!" He concluded with a smile.

"Yeah... Wait, what?"

"We can get in now that we have the 'Bad Slytherin' hostage! We'll just get them to show us where it is!" Harry threw back his head and laughed maniacally.

Draco rested his head on Harry's shoulder and muttered, "My best friend, the psychopath."

Harry's laughs became louder.

(OAOAOAOA)

Draco and Harry were involved in an 'intense' game of Go Fish using Exploding Snap cards when Hermione and Pansy found them.

"C'mon, I know you have an ace!" Harry whined, leaning across Draco's chest and reaching for his hand of cards.

"How would you know that?" Draco retorted, trying to push Harry off him with one hand.

"I cheated!" Harry replied unabashedly, leaning a bit further. Both boys fell off the seat with a thump and Hermione and Pansy let out their stifled laughter.

Draco glanced at the two girls, recognizing them immediately, and turned back to Harry, who was still stretching towards his cards- regardless of Draco's so-called 'personal bubble.' Although Harry's become almost a part of that bubble, Draco mused as Harry placed a hand on Draco's thigh to steady himself while he snatched the ace from Draco's hand. "Aha! You cheated!"

Draco looked amusedly (1) at the boy balancing on him and replied, "So did you!"

Harry opened his mouth to retort wittily, but never got the chance as Hermione cleared her throat, "So are you two going to get off the floor and let us in?"

Harry smiled, "Hey, Hermione, Pansy." He jumped up and helped Draco to his feet.

Pansy grabbed Harry and sat him down next to her, "Draco does notget to hog you the whole train ride!" Draco and Hermione sat down together and Harry grinned at the lack of 'disgust-waves' emanating off the young Malfoy.

Although he did cross his arms over his chest and pout, "Why not? I like hogging Harry." Harry blushed magnificently and Pansy snickered.

"Well, sometimes you have to share," Hermione scolded with her lips quirked upwards.

Draco tapped his chin before pulling Harry across the compartment and onto his lap. He grinned triumphantly, "No, I don't."

Harry squirmed slightly and Draco's cheeks gained a dusting of pink. Harry gave up and mock-scowled, "What if I want to be shared?"

Draco's previous tense smile grew into a grin, "I'm pretty sure you don't."

Harry shrugged, looking at the two females, "Well, now we might be able to fit everyone in."

Where are you guys? Cedric's voice came through the rings.

Fourth down the tenth car towards the station, Pansy replied.

Thanks! Theo chirped, and Pansy groaned dramatically.

Not you! Hermione 'gasped' in 'horror.'

Neville chimed in soothingly, At least he'll direct most of his lewder jokes towards Draco and Harry.

Hey!Draco and Harry exclaimed together, before glancing at each other and breaking into sniggers at their simultaneous reaction. The train began to move and the four fell into quiet conversation as they waited for their missing three friends.

Cedric found them first, and glared at Draco when he saw Harry sitting on his lap, "Draco..."

"Shut up, Cedric," Draco growled.

Harry turned his head back and forth between the two, "What's up with you two?"

Cedric kneeled so he would be on Harry's level and took his hand, "Harry, if Draco's forcing you to stay there, then remember, you can always come to me, and if you want I'll-"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Dramatic, much, Ced? I'm fine, Draco would never force me to do anything I didn't want to do- unless he thought it'd 'keep me safe...'"

Cedric pursed his lips slightly but sat down next to Pansy, "Fine... But if he ever-"

"You're acting like I'm a little girl and Draco's a big, bad wolf that wants to eat me," Harry pointed out, "instead of my best friend."

"Close enough..." Cedric muttered and Harry whacked him on the head.

"I am not a little girl!" Harry exclaimed, bristling.

"But I'm still a wolf?" Draco muttered.

Cedric eyed them both suspiciously, "Are you sure you feel safe with him?"

"Oh come on, you were completely bloody fine with Draco last year!" Harry paused. "And why does everyone react like we're together?"

"Well," Cedric sniffed, "excuse me for being concerned about my little brother." Harry shrugged uncomfortably and shrank into Draco's arms.

The door to the compartment slammed open, "WE HAVE ARRIVED!" Theo stepped in dramatically with Neville rolling his eyes behind him. "Hey, Draco, I bet you feel good, Hermione, have you lost weight? Pansy, are you putting the moves on Cedric? And Neville..." He paused, "I'm not really sure how to make another innuendo out of you." Neville sighed and pushed past him, sitting next to Cedric as Theo forced himself between Draco, Harry, and Pansy.

"I had to deal with that the whole way here; Gran's taken a liking to him..." Neville moaned.

Pansy murmured soothingly that "No one should have to put up with that" and received a death glare from Theo.

"Hey, I've got better material!" He threatened, pointing dramatically at the girl, and a chill ran through the room.

"Please don't," Harry said tersely, slightly frightened of how far over the edge Draco might go if Theo's jokes became- heaven forbid- cruder.

"Since you asked, Harry..." Theo trailed off and Harry felt a slight sense of relief. But then, "After all, I owe you for keeping Draco so whipped."

Harry was afraid to ask. Hermione tilted her head slightly, "Whipped? Please tell me that's slang for something else?"

Theo grinned, "It means Draco's on a short leash, been claimed, is devoted, is totally in lurve wi-" Pansy clapped a hand over his mouth and glanced nervously at Draco, who had developed a twitch under his eye.

"We. Are. Just. FRIENDS!"

Theo licked Pansy's hand and she pulled it back hastily, "EW!"

He smirked, "But you two can't possibly want to stay that way, right? Besides, I didn't even say with who!" Cedric and Draco growled in the same moment and Theo scrambled out of the compartment, calling, "See ya at Hogwarts!"

Cedric stood and wiped imaginary lint from his trousers, "I should be going to make my rounds." He shot a look at Draco, "Behave."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco called indignantly as Cedric disappeared into the hallway. He leaned forward to see out the door, "CEDRIC!"

Harry pushed back so Draco was unable to continue leaning forward and he collapsed against the back of the seat with a sigh. Harry fingered Draco's ring and asked, "Why don't you just use this?"

He felt Draco shrug, "That would ruin it."

Ruin what?! "You're crazy."

"I try, I try."

(1) Is this a word??? amusedly.... bemusedly... bewilderedly... Adverbs give me headaches.