So this is the next chapter:



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Day 2


When Harry woke up the next morning he did not feel better than after one of his nightmares.

Ron jumped out of his bed and let out a loud groan. He pulled the curtains to Harrys bed apart and Harry let out a scream. Ron jumped back in surprise.

"Whoa Harry. Sorry I didn't mean to scare you. Having nightmares again?" Ron sat down on Harrys bed.

Harry straightened himself and nodded. "I'll tell you later, ok?" Slightly embarassed he glanced up to Ron.

"Whenever you are ready, pal." Ron smiled warmly at Harry and got up to get dressed. Harry sighed deeply and fell back on his pillow.

The dream made its way back to his mind and he remembered the strange incidents the night befrore. Harry was now convinced that Draco had really been in his dorm the night before. He needed to talk to him. And Dumbledore... Why had he been outside the tower yesterday? Had he not called Harrys name? He had to talk to the Professor again. Confused, he got up and dressed for the day.

Harry met Hermione in the common room. She was involved in a conversation with the head boy. He was a little annoyed, she kept asking him questions he didn't have an answer for. She finally gave up and joined Harry and Ron on their way to breakfast.

Harry did not tell Ron and Hermione about his dream or Dracos appearance last night. Ron did not mention a word about Harrys nightmares to Hermione, he wanted Harry to keep his privacy and give him time to recover. Nevertheless both of them were deeply concerned about Harry.

In the Great Hall students were chatting about the night before. Ron and Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table, but Harry went straight to the teachers' table.

"Professor Dumbledore, may I speak to you?"

Dumbledore looked at Harry. "Of course, but not now, come to my office after class."

"Thank you Professor."

Harry went to Ron and Hermione and sat down to eat his breakfast.

"What were you asking the headmaster?" Hermione examined his face.

"Oh, nothing." Harry looked up and his eyes fell on the Slytherin table. He remembered the grey eyes he had seen last night. Draco did not look at his direction or behaved differently in any way. Harry decided to talk to Draco later. He already had enough stress on his first day.

"How will you survive three weeks without Quiddich?" Seamus asked Harry.

"I've been locked up the whole summer, three more weeks will not be that hard."

"Sorry, I didn't know that." Seamus apologized. Harry smiled and shrugged.

"I'm still alive."

Seamus gave him thumbs up and they headed towards the first class of the year.

And that was - will the torture never end - potions.

Professor Snape gave them a healing potion to prepare.

They had to work in pairs as usual, Harry ending up with Draco, also as usual due to Snapes perverted sense of fun.

Harry sighed. Why now? Maybe he could talk to Draco, but he did not really want to. He was a bit embarrassed to ask Draco what he had done in his dorm last night. Draco did not react to Harry in a different way at all. He sneered at him and soon both of them were fighting - as usual. The fight ended with broken glass tubs and a spilled potion. And of course detention for both.

"Get out of here - now! Wait outside, until I will tell you what your detention is going to be. I should send both of you out of the castle!" Snape was tomato-red and Harry and Draco left the room.

Outside the class room Harry slid down the opposite wall and buried his head in his arms. Draco did his best to ignore the other boy.

"He was really pissed." Harry lifted his head and looked at Draco who was still leaning on the wall beside the door.

Harry grinned to himself. That was another good thing with Draco, he did have a sense of humor. A little sick sometimes, but humor all the way. Harry shook his head. Good and Draco Malfoy did not work together.

"You think not?" Draco smirked at Harry. "Maybe he'll throw only you out of the castle and you end up in the Middle Ages. Wouldn't be too bad."

Harry jumped up, ready to punch Draco in the face, but only the sight of those grey eyes stopped him.

"Why don't you shut up and instead tell me why you've been to my dorm last night." Harry hadn't intended to say that, but he was too furious to hold the words back.

Dracos grin widned. "I didn't know I appear in your dreams connected with your bedroom."

Harry did not react to that. He kept staring at Draco.

"You don't mean that serious, do you?" Draco felt uncomfortable. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"Last night, someone with blonde hair and your face came into my dorm and looked into my bed while I was sleeping."

"My face? What do you mean? It wasn't ME!" Draco stared back at Harry, now very angry.

"Oh don't give me that." Harry couldn't believe Draco was denying it. "Why don't you admit it and tell me why."

"There IS nothing to tell, because it wasn't me! I don't know who usually sneakes into your dorm at night, but I would never!" Draco was nearly as red as the potion master before.

Harry shook his head. "No! It has been YOU!" He stuck out a finger and pointed it between Dracos eyes.

In that moment the door to the classroom was pushed open and Snape came out. He saw the two boys facing each other with angry expressions and clenched fists. They both had not noticed the appearance of the teacher.

"Potter! Malfoy!" Snape screamed now. The boys jumped apart, still red faced.

"Come in again and clean your desk and the floor. I want you also to write an essay about healing potions until the end of the week. Four parchments shall be enough. Now MOVE!"

The ran inside and started cleaning the mess, cursing at themselves and swearing at each other.

After herbology Harry went straight to Dumbledores office. The password had been changed and so he waited outside. Nerveausly he paced up and down the corridor and finally stopped in front of a big wooden door. Harry examined it, he never had noticed it before. This must be the forbidden room, he thought, stepping closer to it. He listened, but no sound came out of the room. He knelt down to look through the key hole. The door was closed with a charm and he did not intend to open it, but his curiosity overwhelmed him. He leaned forward and spied through the small hole.

At first he could only see darkness, but then a light frame came to his eyes. It seemed to be another portrait, all he could see was the corner of it. He tried to make out the paintings image, but there was only something black in it. Then the black thing moved a little. Harry was not surprised, all the pictures and paintings in the wizzarding world moved. But then the black thing - it was obviously hair - revealed a forhead, and what was also revealed made Harry gasp in shock. On the forhead was a familiar lightning shaped scar.

Harry jumped back from the door and tried to calm his breathing. He shook his head in disbelief, his hand clutched to his own forhead, as if he wanted to be sure the scar was still there.

"No - this cannot be me."

He had to look again. Slowly and with flushed cheeks he put his eye to the hole again. The forhead was still visible, but there were fingers in the black hair. The fingers traced the shape of the scar and finally rested somewhere below out of Harrys sight. On the other side of the door Harry shivered and breathed hard. His head spun and all he could do was watch what he thought was a painting of himself.

A light colour shoved itself in Harrys view and he could see a milky neck beneath blond hair. There was someone else in the painting! Harry let out a surprised shriek and stumbled back from the door. He whirled around and stepped over someone. He sent both of them flying to the floor, knocking his knees hard.

"Damn you Potter! Why can't you leave me alone!"

Harry sat up and there were two blank silver coins staring at him. Draco managed to stand up and glared down at Harry.

"I... I'm sorry." Harry was too confused to say anything else.

Suddenly a faint sound emerged from the closed door. It grew louder and now Harry recognized it. Somebody was laughing at them! Draco turned his head to the door and stepped closer. The laughter stopped, but as soon as Draco turned to go, it started again.

"Who is in there? Why do you laugh at me?" Draco hammered his fists against the door.

Harry still sat on the floor, too shocked by what he had seen. Dumbledore stepped out of his office and saw Draco and Harry. He rushed to them and pulled Draco away from the door.

"Stop that! Mr Malfoy will you listen to me once. I told you." He faced Harry who stood up slowly. "And you as well, NOT to get close to this room!"

Draco freed himself from the headmasters tight grip and ran down the corridor. Harry looked on the floor, ashamed.

"Come in Harry." Dumbledore walked back to his office and Harry followed him, head down.

Inside the room, none of them spoke a word. Harry looked around and his eyes fell on the golden cage near the window. Fawkes had just burned himself a day before and did not look that impressive yet.

"So," Dumbledore said after a while of silence. "what did you want to ask me?"

"Erm" Harry was craving for words. "Why did you especially point to me and Draco last night?" Curious he focused the headmaster.

"I cannot tell you now, Harry. You will get to know by yourself in about two days."

Harry was stunned. "Two days? What happens in two days?"

"I cannot tell you, for then it might not be happen. Just leave it like this, ok? Please don't try to reveal anything I have forbidden. Oh, " He laughed a little. "You will not listen to me anyway."

Harry stared at Dumbledore with wide eyes. "Of course I listen to you. I have not tried to open the door..." He stopped and cursed himself for slipping the last few words.

Dumbledore shot him a concerned look.

"But you heard someone, didn't you? Why was Malfoy so angry? I have to know, Harry."

"We sort of ran into each other and then we heard someone laughing. In the room..."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, then smiled.

"Please do not go near that door again. Are you still fighting with Mr Malfoy?"

Harry shrugged. It was not a secret that he and Draco hatet each other.

"He keeps insulting me and I erm, well react to that."

"There will be times when you two will laugh at this. Believe me. Now go, I assume you have an essay to write." Dumbledore started to read some papers and Harry knew he had to go.

Outside he mentally repeated the headmasters last remark. He would never laugh about his and Dracos fights. Especially not together with him. Harry shook his head and went to the common room to find either Ron or Hermione or both.

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Draco stepped out of the shadow of a curtain and looked after Harry. He smiled a small but beautiful smile to himself. If any other person, student or teacher would have seen him right now, they would have believed that he was actually not himself. Draco never smiled in public, not this way. This time the smile reached his eyes and it shone out of them like flashs of sunlight. If Harry would have seen Draco this way he would surely have fainted right there.

Draco approached the door and leaned an ear to the solid wood. He listened, holding carefully still to not make any sound at all. First there was nothing. The he heard a giggle and a soft mourn. He pressed himself to the door, as if he wanted not only to listen, but to feel what was going on inside. Suddenly someone spoke and he jumped slightly at the sound of the voice.

Two words, names were whispered.

"Draco..."

"Harry..."

Draco turned around and fled down the corridor as if his life depended on his departure.

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Later that night Harry woke up from a strange dream. The mist had been in it and so had the grey eyes, but this time they did not disappear, but stared at him. He tried to run away, but he could not move at all. The eyes floated closer and closer and when they were about to reach him he woke up.

Big drops stood on his forhead and he was covered in sweat. He sat up, trying to ban the eyes from his memory. He drove his hands through his hair and stood up. The floor was cold, but he was too heated to notice. He went to the window, but all he could see was a white mass. He slipped into his trousers and shoes. He knew he could not sleep again this night. He grabbed his firebolt and the invisibility cloak and quietly left the boys dorm.

In the common room he lit his wand and climbed out of the portrait hole. The corridors were dead silent and only dimly lit. Harry walked slowly towards the Great Hall. He had to fly tonight. If he weren't allowed to go out to the Quiddich field he would use the Great Hall instead. He entered the Hall and now the mist showed a good side. The Hall was white at the top, mirroring the weather outside as usual. Harry put the cloak on the nearest table and climbed on his broom.

He felt warmth fill his stomack as soon as he lifted himself from the floor. He flew as high as he could get and rushed down as fast as possible. When he was about to hit the floor he looped up in a vertical line. The air brushed his hair and he felt a few tears of joy run down his cheeks.

As he hurried down again he saw a small black clothed figure standing at the entrance of the Hall, looking up to him. Harry dragged his firebolt in the direction of the figure. Approaching him, Harry could make out who it was: Draco.

Harry landed elegantly a step away from Dracos feet and carefully put his broom aside.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, a little out of breath.

"That was my part of the script." Draco said, smirking.

"I just had the urge to fly. And as we cannot go outside..." He didn't finish the sentence because Draco nodded already in agreement.

"I understand you perfectly."

Harry looked at the other boy in disbelief.

"Don't look at me like that." Draco shifted uncomfortably.

Harry grinned a little. "It is only that this is the first time you agree to something I feel."

Draco redned slightly and smiled. It was a shadow af the smile he had shown hours ago, but it was enough for Harry. He surprised himself with the question he asked.

"Want to go for a ride?"

The smile on Dracos face disappeared as his jar dropped.

"You would let me ride your firebolt?"

"Well, yes." Now Harry felt a bit uncomfortable. "If you crash it I will kill you right here and now. But I can see that there is nothing you'd rather do now."

Draco smiled again, he could think of something he'd rather wanted to do, but he would also rather die than to confess this to Harry.

"Oh come on!" Harry held out his broom to Draco. "From seeker to seeker."

Draco took the broom in his hand, touching it for the first time. He weight it and could not resist to simply admire its shape. It was definitly the best racing broom ever.

Draco jumped up quickly and rushed into the Great Hall. He did a few loops and chased an imaginary snitch. Amused, Harry sat down on a table and followed every move of Dracos'. He had to admit that the boy really was a good flyer. He had seen Draco in several Quiddich games, but now he showed everything he was capable of.

After a while Draco landed in front of Harry, not less elegantly than Harry before. A big smile was on his face and this time it took Harrys breath away. Dracos eyes glittered and he let himself fall on the table besides Harry.

"That was great. I never thought about flying in here before." He leaned the broom against the table.

An akward silence lay on both as they had to recover. Both of them breathed hard - though for different reasons. Finally Draco jumped off the table and broke the silence.

"I think I'll go back to bed."

Harry nodded, somehow he felt sad. He didn't want Draco to leave, they had never been that civil to each other and Harry didn't want the moment to end.

"No." He said simply.

Draco turned his head. "What do you mean 'no'?"

Harry flushed a little, cursing himself to do so.

"We have never been so nice to each other, why can't we leave it that way?" He looked at Draco.

Draco shruged. "It is just the way things are, Potter. I cannot change from now to then. I enjoyed flying your broom, but it doesn't mean we're friends now."

"I didn't mean friendship." Harry drove a hand through his hair. "I just thought..."

Draco looked away, slightly embarrassed. He wanted to be Harrys friend, but he knew he could never be.

"I have to go."

Harry turned his head away. "Good night, then."

"Good night, Potter. I'm sorry."

With that he whirled around and ran out of the Great Hall, before Harry could ask what he was sorry for.

Draco rushed through the corridors. Why did I say that? he kept asking himself. Because I really AM sorry. I am sorry for making your life miserable, for everything my father has done to you. For everything that can never be.

He brushed away the tears that flooded his cheeks and disappeared into the dungeons.

Harry remaind on the table in the Great Hall for quite a while after Draco had left him. He wondered why Draco had been so nice, what did he regret? At last he jumped off the table, grabbed his broom and covered himself with his cloak. He left the Hall slowly.

Still absorbed in his thoughts he headed towards Gryffindor tower.

He did not see the two dark figueres watch him out of the shadows. A soft whisper came out of the dark, followed by a quiet giggle.

"Aren't they cute?"


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That is it for the moment.

As usual I hope you liked it enough to let me know.

Sorry - still no Lucius/James in here. I think I could make them appear in the next chapter.

So long

karin