Disclaimer: no money is being made, Harry Potter characters belong to JKR and WB, and I drank too much Pepsi and now I'm feeling crazy.
Chapter 4Harry had obviously come across the same problem Draco had after his first Quidditch practice when he desperately needed a shower. Both boys secretly (and rather uncomfortably) discussed this, and both agreed to change as infrequently as possible and wear blindfolds when showering.
" Not that I have anything to hide…" Draco said rather defensively.
"Neither do I…" retorted Harry. They never discussed it again.
* * * * *
As training showed little progress for the Slytherin team, the Gryffindors were preparing for their final match with more effort and concentration than ever. During the first practice that Draco attended, he couldn't help being slightly impressed at the organization of the team. What did bother him, however, was their discipline to follow the rules.
In his first practice, clad in Harry's red Quidditch robes, Draco hovered over the field on the Firebolt. Although he missed his own broom, he liked that the Firebolt followed his mind rather than his grip.
A bludger suddenly came pelting his way, interrupting his thoughts. Not as quick as Harry was, however, Draco ducked away and the bludger hit his broom, making it spin around in midair.
" All right there, Harry?" asked Kevin White, one of the fifth year beaters, as he smacked the bludger away. Draco felt slightly embarrassed. Suddenly, the snitch appeared from the corner of his left eye. Draco swerved in its direction, as the whole team watched him. He squinted and didn't dare tear his eyes away from the fleck of gold that was streaking around the goalposts. Draco sped in that direction and reached out his hand, but the snitch flew a little higher. Draco adjusted himself to reach higher, but then the snitch moved to the right. Draco turned, and rather aggressively, made another grab for it, but the snitch just moved more to the right. If the snitch had a voice, Draco could have sworn it was taunting him.
Without thinking, Draco reached for his wand. He pointed it at the snitch, which was flying away.
"Accio, Golden Snitch!" he exclaimed. It stopped in the sky and zoomed into Draco's hand.
Smiling, he looked down at his team. Nobody else, however, looked pleased.
" What was that, Harry?" said Katie Bell, the captain, who swooped up to Draco's level on her broomstick. The rest of the team followed, all with confused looks on their faces.
" What do you mean? I got the snitch!" Draco exclaimed, holding the golden ball between his fingers. Its wings stopped fluttering, as if giving up.
" But you used your wand. You're not supposed to do that," Katie said, frowning. " What's wrong, Harry? You never had to resort to something like that to catch the snitch." She shook her head disapprovingly. " You know you're too good to do that, and I hope you don't pull the same stunt in the final."
The Gryffindor team resumed their practice and avoided Draco, who felt very embarrassed and furious.
* * * * *
After practice, Ron and Hermione were waiting outside the locker room. Draco had missed breakfast because practice had started at 5:30 that morning. He glanced at Harry's watch, which read 9:00, and realized how starving he was.
Just then, Hermione handed him a piece of buttered toast in a napkin. Draco took it rather reluctantly and chewed off half of it. It was still warm and had just the right amount of butter on it. Thankful and a little surprised, he bit into it.
" We thought you might be hungry," said Hermione smiling. " We're going to Hagrid's now." She touched his arm briefly, and Draco, disgusted, recoiled. He didn't want her mudblood on him…
Draco had to admit, however, that it was nice of them to bring him breakfast. He didn't think Crabbe of Goyle would have been smart enough to think the same way.
As they walked up the sloping lawn and across the vast dewy grounds, Hagrid's hut that stood at the edge of the forest came into view. Draco was rather reluctant to see Hagrid. He didn't like that blustering half-blood oaf.
The people Potter hangs around with, Draco thought glumly as Hermione and Ron walked hand in hand, bickering about house-elves.
Hagrid opened the door as they reached it. " Saw yeh comin' through the window. Come in."
Draco peered around the inside of Hagrid's house and wrinkled his nose. He decided the day he would live in a place like this was the day he would throw his Nimbus in the Great Lake.
Rusted pots and pans and dead animals hung in front the dusty fireplace. In the corner was a very large bed, and on it was the most ugly quilt Draco had ever seen. He couldn't believe the great and famous Harry Potter associated with such people.
As Hagrid, Hermione, and Ron proceeded to discuss schoolwork and Quidditch over tea and scones, Draco sat silently in his chair, wondering when he'd be able to leave. Hagrid's enormous hand slapped his back and he was abruptly brought back to his senses.
" Yer gonna win Gryffindor the cup, Harry," Hagrid said. " Yer a damn good Quidditch player if I've seen one."
" I don't know," said Draco, a little spiffed. " Slytherin's got some good players too. Like that Draco Malfoy…"
Ron spit out his tea and laughed. " Malfoy has never caught the snitch before you did!" he exclaimed. " He probably wouldn't be able to catch it using magic, let alone his own arm!"
Recalling that morning's practice, Draco decided not to say anymore.
* * * * *
Draco worked on Harry's homework in the Gryffindor common room later that night. Thankfully, Hermione and Ron were nowhere to be seen. Draco couldn't stand that they considered themselves equal to him; he was so inured to being around inferiors.
Ginny came through the portrait hole and Draco groaned when she seemed to have spotted him. She approached him nervously, her hands in her pockets. " Hello, Harry."
Draco said nothing as she extracted her right hand from her pocket and offered something in it to him.
" Your- er – card. You left it in the common room last night." She dropped the chocolate frog card of Harry on the table in front of Draco. Harry was riding his Firebolt in the background, coming and going in the picture at a fast speed.
" Show off," Draco muttered incredibly softly. Ginny didn't seem to hear him, as she was too preoccupied staring at the card.
" So… are you going to keep it?" she mumbled blushing furiously and running her worn out sneaker around the carpet. A loose red ringlet fell across her face, its vivid color competing with the one of Ginny's face.
Draco was secretly disgusted. " You keep it," he said.
" Er—Harry. Do you think you could still help me with my homework? Because I can't find Hermione anywhere."
" I'm busy," Draco answered coldly. He wanted to be left alone.
" Er, all right," she answered, more than a little hurt. " Hermione might know more about Potions anyway." She began to walk away.
Draco snickered. Nobody, nobody, was better than Potions than he was, he thought hotly. He simply hated that Ginny had said that, and felt a strange thirst to prove himself, as he had when playing chess with Ron the other night.
Reluctantly, he looked up at Ginny's retreating back. " Wait. I'll help you."
* * * * *
Harry walked into the Slytherin common room that night, after another Quidditch practice with the Slytherins. He was tired of their inability to follow rules. He felt physically fatigued from his yelling, and made his way to Draco's dormitory with a desire to be alone.
Unluckily for him, Pansy Parkinson popped up in a matter of seconds.
" What's wrong, Draco? Are you okay?" she asked, smirking. " Do you need a backrub?"
" NO!" Harry was taken back by her willingness to get so close to him. He honestly didn't want her near him at all.
" Are you sure?" she purred in a low voice. " I give good ones."
Now disgusted, Harry walked around her and headed down the spiraling staircase. To his disgust, Pansy followed.
" Draco, Draco, Draco…don't be shy!"
" Er --- I'm tired. Maybe some other time…." Like in two weeks.
Harry reached the door to the dormitory, and she was still there, a sly and expecting look on her face. " It'll cheer you up. And I won't leave you alone until you let me!"
She's probably serious, Harry thought. He tried his best not to let the repulsion he was feeling show on his face. He breathed heavily and glanced at her apprehensively, afraid of her reaction to what he was about to tell her.
" Alright, but a really, really quick one."
Pansy shrieked with delight and hugged Harry, who immediately regretted his decision. It was, however, possibly the only way she would leave him alone.
She opened the door to the dorm, and the moment they stepped in, flames magically erupted in the fireplace.
Harry sat on Draco's bed and she crawled behind him, placing her manicured hands on his shoulders. Harry felt so violated for some reason, and quite embarrassed.
" Just relax, Draco. You're so tense." Pansy began massaging his shoulders and Harry tried as hard as he could to maintain his apathetic appearance, when on the inside, he was clearly revolted. " How was your Quidditch practice?" she asked, trying to engage him in conversation.
" Er – good," he lied. He wanted to say as little as possible to prevent her from staying too long.
" Draco, love," she started. " We've been friends for a long time… right? And we, er, had fun at the Yule Ball together. Maybe we should…"
Harry nervously squirmed under Pansy's grasp. What she was about to suggest, he didn't know, but he felt it would definitely be something he wouldn't want to do.
" We should go steady," she finished. She contorted her face into a pleased smile as she wrapped her arms slowly around Harry, who felt close to being violently sick. Pansy leaned in close to his ear and breathed, " I'd make a great girlfriend…"
Harry had enough. Very abruptly, he stood up, releasing himself from Pansy. "Er---," he started. How was he to answer her? " Let's just… be friends…" his voice trailed off into the air uneasily.
Pansy smirked. " Don't be shy," she said. " You know you agree."
Harry found himself wishing furiously that he never let her into the dormitory. Uncomfortably, he said the only thing that would possibly get him out of his predicament.
" Let me get back to you. I'll, er, think about it."
Remotely pleased but not fully satisfied, Pansy stood up and approached Harry, who shuddered under her piercing stare.
" Fine, but hurry," she said and pinched him playfully on the cheek and walked out.
As soon as the door closed and Harry heard her footsteps depart, he flopped onto Draco's bed and lay staring at the stone ceiling.
By far, he thought, I definitely prefer Ginny…
* * * * *
Draco, after an hour of helping Ginny, went up to Harry's dormitory. He was unsatisfied with having to prove himself to Ginny Weasley, but felt that he had done a good job, for she seemed impressed with his knowledge in Potions.
Perhaps, Draco thought, there are many things I can do that one-up Potter. (A/N: you wish, Malfoy…)
Draco entered the dorm and headed for the bed. He stubbed his toe on Harry's trunk as he crawled under the covers and cursed loudly. He kicked the trunk for hurting his precious toe and it opened, Harry's invisibility cloak visible on top of his schoolbooks.
Draco hesitated before picking it up, letting the silky material seductively slide through his fingers.
It's still early, he argued. And there's nobody here.
Draco stood up and slowly wrapped the cloak around his body, hiding himself from the human eye. He had the free and wonderful feeling inside, as he did the first time he had put it on. Draco had the immense urge to explore the castle. He closed the hangings to the bed to indicate that he was asleep, then tiptoed from the dorm down the spiraling staircase, anticipating the possible adventure that awaited him.
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- Gryffingirl