Disclaimer:
Same as it was in Chapter one!
A/N ::::Blows nose loudly into kleenex:::: I am oh so very sick and on lot's of pretty little pills (damn flu!) including codeine, so if this chapter doesn't make any sense, we can blame it on that LOL! Even though I feel like a big pile of Dragon dung, I wanted to get on and write today, hopefully I'll write fast so I can get this out tonight even though I wanted it out on Sunday (pooh!) which incidentally, I don't really remember any of! ANYWHO'S, thank you AGAIN for all the total kick ass reviews you guys have been leaving me. Ya'll are THE BEST!
Extra Note To Evlenysa: ITA with what you said, but it's just we sometimes need to bring Harry down a peg so he can bloody well open up his eyes! If it makes you feel better, that was the first time Draco has ever beaten Harry in this fic's universe, and it was only because Harry couldn't keep his mind on the game (damn sexy!Draco lol) other wise he would have kicked his ass!
The Twelve Days Of Christmas By: Gum Acacia
On The Eleventh Day Of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...
Professor Severus Snape was standing over the five of them, a complete look of triumph in his eyes. He had a victorious smirk painted on his face as he walked silently back and forth in front of five agitated looking faces. He cracked his knuckles loudly causing more then one student to flinch. "It seems," he began slowly dragging out each word enjoying the look of worry on the Hufflepuff girls' face, "that some of you have recently forgotten a good majority of the rules here at Hogwarts."
Harry looked over at Seamus, who was sitting to his right. The boy had a small grin on his face as if he somehow found the entire situation that they were all in to be completely amusing. He turned his attention back to Snape who at the moment was looking quite dashed with Draco.
"I have expected more from some of you, however others," he looked pointedly at both Seamus and Harry, "seem to have no other abilities then a knack for breaking rule after rule."
Seamus continued to grin unassumingly at Snape while Harry glanced around the room quickly at the others. Hannah Abbott who had never so much as broken a single rule in all her seven years at Hogwarts looked quite anxious. Kevin Entwhistle (A Ravenclaw Harry had never actually talked to before) looked even worse off, as though at any moment he were going to burst into a fit of hysterics. And then there was Malfoy. Draco was sitting perfectly still, his face betraying not even the slightest hint of emotion.
Harry had wanted to try and get the other boys' attention several times since the five had convened but Draco had carefully avoided Harry's gaze since last night. Last night. Harry still couldn't believe all that had happened in such a short time. And now here they were, the five of them. All getting ready to serve a twelve-hour detention, the harshest punishment the Potions Master could hand out.
Snape snapped them all to attention and quickly explained how the all day detention was to be served. Because he didn't trust them to be alone in his office or classroom, the five students were to spend the day cleaning out and organizing the History of Magic and Transfiguration classrooms. History of Magic would be easy, as it required nothing more then a quick scrubbing and an organizing of a very simple filing system. But Transfiguration would be more difficult. There were animal cages to clean and a vast array of both Muggle and magical objects that had to be cleaned, archived and stored.
Snape left them in the History of magic classroom with the strict instructions that in no way were they allowed to use magic to assist themselves. As soon as Snape strode out the door, Seamus Finnigan burst into a huge fit of laughter.
"Cor, I really didn't think I was going to make it until he left." Seamus continued to laugh loudly as the three other students looked at him slightly disgusted while Harry pulled him into the corner to calm him down.
"Have you gone completely barmy on me? What, pray tell, is so bleeding funny?" Harry crossed his arms against his chest waiting for Seamus to explain why the boy had tears running down his face.
"I tried to do my task last night when everyone thought I was at Madam Pomfrey's, and Snape ended up catching me. I think he found out Hannah as well."
Harry scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion, "And this is funny, how?"
"I was sort of, enhancing shall we say, one of his paintings in the Portrait Hall." Seamus grinned wickedly.
Harry looked at Seamus warily, "Should I even ask?"
"I made him completely starkers!" He shouted out bursting into laughter again. "When he saw the painting, he started screaming like a banshee. Oh Harry, you should have seen him. Threw a total wobbler and insisted I put his clothes back on. But the painting wouldn't do it! Seems there's a bit of an exhibitionist in Snape after all. He had to take down the painting, and last I saw it was lounging about like it was posing for some nudey magazine."
Harry looked as though he had turned slightly green, if there were ever something he did not want to know about his professor, that was it! "I could have been very happy without knowing that last little bit. So, it's *your* fault we have a twelve-hour detention!"
Seamus put his finger to his lips, "Blimey Harry, you don't have to tell the whole world! Besides, I think you might have contributed to Snape's little flip out as well."
Harry looked over to the other three students; they had begun working in complete silence. Harry nudged Seamus and they moved over and began to help scrub down the desks. The two boys moved away from the group slightly and Seamus flicked Harry in the arm, "What was that for?"
Seamus grinned, "Just trying to get your attention." He spoke barely above a whisper, not wanting their other three companions to hear him. "How'd you get caught last night?"
Harry looked down focusing his attention on the desk he was beginning to polish with a fervor that went beyond cleaning. "Dumbledore." He only said one word and continued to scrub, ignoring the low whistle Seamus let out.
"Catch you with his bird, did he?" Seamus was leaning forward suddenly much more interested in his friend then the oil and rag he had in his hands.
"Not exactly," Harry said trying to dodge the subject.
Seamus waited for him to say more, but Harry remained silent. "Are you planning on telling me what happened?"
Harry shook his head a small smirk on his face, "no."
Seamus pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, "as your roommate I demand you tell me what happened!"
Harry looked quickly over to where Draco was standing. The boy had a large stack of files he was organizing. He was doing his best to ignore everyone in the room and just stick to his task. Harry watched as the boy thoughtfully chewed his lower lip trying to determine in which order a stack of papers needed to go.
Harry let his mind wander off to last night, where the memories were still so vivid; it was almost as if no time had passed.
((((((
He had stormed out the classroom, not even bothering to hide under the protecting shelter of his cloak. Draco had managed to anger and embarrass him yet again, and Harry was sick of it. He was sick of being the first person to blush at everything, he was sick of never really knowing what he wanted or being far too afraid to have it. He was sick of being Harry Potter. "Bloody boy who lived," he softly mumbled to himself. He was tired of it. But more then anything, he seemed to be tired of lately, he was truly sick of Draco Malfoy.
He didn't pay attention to the dark figure that was following in his shadows more then a few steps behind him. He was far to busy being focused on his own frustration. He kicked at the flagstone underneath his feet. It echoed louder then he intended and he calmed himself down remembering that Filch was still on the prowl somewhere and wouldn't exactly mind losing Draco if he found himself Harry Potter instead.
He once again began to focus on his task at hand. He continued to make his way towards Dumbledores' office. The quiet of the night and the coolness of the air causing the boy to break out into goose flesh. He started to get nervous with anticipation as he made his way down the last corridor before Dumbeldores' office.
He stopped in front of the stone gargoyle, known entrance to Dumbledores' office. If he entered this way, surely the Headmaster would be alerted. And even if he wasn't, there were only a few people who knew the password to his office, and it wouldn't take them long to narrow down the list as to which of those people would have swiped his bird.
He racked his brain trying to think of another way of getting inside, and then suddenly he remembered. The Map! The one he had seen in the teachers' lounge last week, Harry had noticed hidden rooms on it, but he also noticed two secret entrances to the Headmasters office! One was a back entrance that came directly through Dumbledores' bedroom, which was of no use to Harry. But there was a side entrance. One that started directly from the hall Harry had just come from.
Harry had turned around quickly and made a mad dash to get into the hall behind him. Apparently the figure in the shadows hadn't excepted the boy to turn so suddenly, because he had positioned himself almost directly behind the other boy. Because of this the two collided into a tangle of cloaks and limbs.
Harry pushed himself up, afraid that he had run into Filch or worse, Dumbledore! But to his surprise he was staring at a very flushed face, one that was busy doing his best not to look rattled instead trying to where a mask of anger. "Malfoy! What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"
((((((
"Harry!" Seamus yelled for the third time. He was about to resort to more drastic measures of getting the other boys attention when Harry seemed to snap out of whatever trance he had been in.
"What?" Harry said a little groggily, his mind still preoccupied with last night's events.
"I said, are you going to tell me what happened or not? I'm your mate, Harry! This really is poor manners to keep things hidden from your roommate and confidant."
Harry just laughed noticing for the first time that he had been polishing the same spot for the past five minutes, he moved on feeling slightly abashed that people had been staring at him. "You mean you're upset I won't tell you what happened so that you can pass it on to all the other school gossips."
Seamus looked genuinely hurt; "I wouldn't say anything you didn't want me too."
Harry looked up at the tone of Seamus' voice. "I didn't mean that, I was only fooling. I'll talk to you tonight, I promise. Now just isn't a very good time." Harry's eyes unconsciously found themselves looking back at Draco. The other boy had his back turned to him and Harry felt a familiar wave of confusion wash over him.
Seamus noticed the fleeting glance and wisely said nothing. He nodded his head and continued to go back to work.
Draco however was not having as easy a time of focusing on his work as one would have guessed from looking at him. Three times he had to re- file what he had been working on, not noticing he had stupidly put the Goblin Rebellion in the same folder as the Gnome wars.
His mind was pulled back unwillingly to last night. He kept telling himself over and over that he should have just left Harry after he had stormed out of the classroom. That he shouldn't have followed him. And above all he shouldn't have tried to help him.
((((((
Draco had had decided to follow him. He didn't know why but there was an undeniable pull in his gut that told him he had to do this. So he stayed in the shadows ignoring the excited feeling that was flowing through his body. He was *not* getting off on watching the bloody Gryffindor without his knowing it.
He followed quickly still managing to keep a good distance when the black haired boy stopped suddenly. Draco held his breath sure that he must have given his position away, but Harry just seemed to be staring blankly at the statue of a gargoyle in the hall. He remembered someone telling him some time ago that old Dumbledore kept his office hidden behind a gargoyle statue. Maybe Saint Potter was off to tell the old codger he had stopped an evil Slytherin from committing some terrible crime.
He moved closer behind Harry when suddenly the boy whipped around and in an amazing burst of speed ran right into Draco.
Malfoy was vaguely aware that Harry had just asked him what he was doing, but Draco's thoughts were slightly too preoccupied to answer. If there was one place he didn't need Harry Potter right now, it was on top of him!
"Would you kindly get off me?" Draco said willing his voice not to break. To his relief Harry moved off of him quickly and Draco was able to stand up trying to muster up as much dignity as someone who has just fallen on his arse can do.
"Now, would you mind telling me just why you're following me?" Harry's face took on a very skeptical air. So much so that Draco felt his usual disdain flow swiftly back into his body.
"I'm not following you, Potter!" Draco spat out managing to sound even more snide then he usually did. He hoped his face hadn't turned red at the blatant lie he had just told, but then he was a Slytherin and a Malfoy, if anything came second nature to him it was lying.
"Then what are you doing?" Harry stepped forward continuing to look completely bewildered. He obviously had expected to run into just about any other person then Draco.
His lack of composure made Draco grin. This was how he liked things. Harry unaware and confused, never really knowing what was going on, and himself pulling all the strings. "Felt like a midnight stroll."
Harry rolled his eyes and moved to walk away, "Really not a smart thing to do Malfoy, when Filch is looking for you."
Draco smirked again, "Sweet of you to warn me."
Harry started to walk away and Draco made the mistake of following him. He didn't know why he was doing such stupid things tonight. It must have been a side effect from having a Gryffindor on his mind so much.
"Now you're following me!" Harry whipped around an accusatory finger pointed directly at Draco.
"You really do have a complex, Potter. It's border lining on personal obsession." Draco took another step forward pleased to see the other boy was stepping back. "I merely happen to be walking in the same direction as you."
Harry snorted, in his seven years at Hogwarts, Draco had never 'happened' to be going in any same direction he was going. "What do you want?"
Draco suddenly became very serious, "Why did you stop Filch from taking me to Dumbledore?"
Harry started at this, obviously it wasn't a question he expected or wanted to answer. "I told you, I didn't want the rest of us to get into trouble for something you did."
Draco raised one eyebrow, he remained silent. He stared at Harry, trying to read the boy who normally was open that reading him was as easy as reading a children's book.
Harry felt flustered at the way Draco was looking at him and continued to move on down the corridor not bothering to see if Draco was following him or not.
((((((
Draco sighed. He looked at the clock and was astonished to see that it had been four hours since Snape had left them. He looked around the room and noticed that everyone seemed to be almost done with the first classroom. It was a relief to him. Being in such close proximity to Harry was starting to grate on his nerves. He looked over at the boy who was quietly talking to Seamus in the corner.
His hair was repeatedly falling into his eyes and Draco was disgusted with himself for finding such an annoying habit so endearing. He had repeated to himself that this was just a twisted attraction. Something forbidden which Draco naturally found himself drawn to, being who he was.
He looked down at his hands sensing Harry's movement before it actually happened. 'He's looking at me again,' he thought to himself. That had been happening more lately too. It was starting to unnerve Draco. This wasn't like Harry. He would never question something like this, so Draco felt himself feeling confused again. It was not a feeling Draco liked.
Harry had watched the boy unconsciously twisting the sleeves of his robes. Just days ago Draco had seemed so different. Cocky and so overly sure of himself it was sickening. But ever since that night, with the trees...something had changed. He seemed to lose some of the footing he was so proud of.
'The light always finds you,' Draco had said that to him last night. He had said something Harry couldn't even believe had come from the other boys' lips.
'You're wrong Potter...You should start paying attention...What's in front of you,' waves of words seemed to bathe over Harry. How could they all have come from the person who Harry had thought to be the definition of his loathing?
He watched Draco close his eyes well aware of how he was feeling. He wanted to be away from here, Harry could feel it. It was almost tangible.
He smiled at Seamus who was busy talking about the 'moment' he had had with Blaise that morning. But Harry's thoughts were still focused on last night.
((((((
Harry wanted Draco to follow him, and he didn't know why. But he thought that maybe he was starting to. And possible reasons were sneaking into his mind, and they scared him. He heard soft footsteps followed him, and he felt a tension leave his body he didn't even know he had.
He stopped in front of the hidden door he knew to be the side entrance to Dumbledores' office and looked blankly at the wall.
"Is this what Gryffindors' do for fun, stare at the bloody walls?" Draco moved to look at Harry, his face was a mask of concentration fixed pointedly on the wall. He was about to say something else when Harry turned and smiled at him. Draco suddenly didn't know what to do. Was he supposed to hit him or ignore him? Surly smile back was not an option. He was saved from having to make a decision when Harry spoke up.
"It's a Gryffindor tradition." Harry didn't know exactly why he was being playful with Draco, but it seemed surprisingly a comfortable thing to do. He began to run his hands gently over the wall trying to see exactly where the hidden entrance began.
Draco almost laughed at the site of Harry caressing the walls so carefully, "Should I leave you two alone then?"
Harry stopped and faced the other boy. He paused for a moment considering whether or not to tell Draco what he was doing. For some reason, he felt comfortable with the other boy being here. He couldn't explain the rapid change of emotion, but he decided to just go with it. He shrugged his shoulders and looked the other boy squarely in the eye. "There's a hidden entrance to Dumbledores' office here."
Draco's jaw dropped open apparently not expecting Harry to be so forthright with what he was doing, and definitely not expecting it to be this of all things. "What are you doing?" Draco too had felt the sudden change of emotion and also felt the pull to just go with it. There would be time for biting sarcastic remarks later.
"Trying to figure out how to open it so I can do my task."
Again Draco was shocked at Harrys' open honesty. Then he said something he would regret in the morning and possibly for the rest of his life. "Let me help." Harry turned, his eyebrows raised but no other evidence of his apparent shock. Draco tried to sneer as he spoke, "it's not like you Gryffindor are any good at things like this."
Harry shrugged his shoulders and made a 'carry on' motion with his hands.
((((((
Draco had just finished cleaning out his tenth Fwooper cage and he was starting to abhor the site and smell of the Transfiguration classroom more then he had ever imagined possible. His fingers were aching and he looked up grumpily still surprised to see that they had less then two hours to go with the detention. "Time flies when you're cleaning Fwooper dung," he mumbled to himself.
Or maybe it was just that he had replayed last night in his mind about ten times. He'd realized now it was the offering help that had done it. He still could have walked away from everything before that. But bloody well saying he would help the little runt didn't exactly scream, 'I hate my nemesis.'
He looked over at Harry who quickly turned in the opposite direction. The only comfort of all the things that had been happening lately was that Harry was having an obvious worse time of things then he was. At least he'd had some experience with unrequited emotions before. Granted it had never been with his arch rival, but at least he'd been aware of his attraction for those of the male persuasion. Draco grinned as he realized he had at least that much over Harry.
He had talked to Blaise that morning and the other boy had informed him that Slytherin was indeed the winners of all the tasks this year now that all the Gryffindor were done (really none of the other houses had had a chance with there small participating numbers) and that they were set to raid the Gryffindor rooms tomorrow.
'That could be interesting,' Draco thought. But he began to think of last night again, wondering if perhaps he hadn't spoiled things. Slytherins' did not help Gryffindors. They did not look at them like that! And they most *certainly* did not try and attach their mouth to a bloody Gryffindors. Draco knew all this and yet last night...
((((((
This wasn't exactly something he had planned on doing, he was well aware how stupid it was to try and break into the Headmasters office. But Harry was standing so close to him right now, he honestly thought he could claim impaired judgment should either of them be caught.
He had tried as many spells as he could think and nothing had seemed to open the hidden door. He looked exasperatingly at Harry, "Why are you sneaking into his office, don't you have a key being teachers' pet and all?"
Harry had the nerve to actually chuckle at this. "As shocking as it is Malfoy, Dumbledore does not give my unlimited access to his things."
Draco rolled his eyes, "Then what's the point of being a kiss arse?" He stopped himself. He would not be chummy with Potter.
"You get unlimited power to take over the world with." Harry snickered as Draco looked at him shocked for a moment.
"Well, I don't see how you're going to get inside. What do you want in there anyway?"
Harry looked him up and down again. He had already told him so much, and maybe it was the castles cold night air that was affecting his thinking process but he decided not to stop there. "I'm supposed to swipe Fawkes."
Draco rolled his eyes, "Please! If you're not going to tell me, just say so. This is getting stupid anyway." His mind was telling him he had a perfect excuse to leave now, and that he should do so, but his stubborn feet remained planted.
Harry looked back at the wall resuming his ineffective search with his hands. "I am telling you so, my task is to swipe Fawkes. What? You don't think a 'goody goody' Gryffindor would do that?"
Draco grabbed Harry's arm whirling him around, "I don't expect anyone with even half a brain to do that!"
Harry was taken back, "What do you care for?"
"You mean, what would an evil Slytherin like me care for if Dumbledores' pet goes missing or do you mean why would I personally care that his bird got pilfered?"
Harry shrugged not giving either answer preference.
"Are you really going to be that stupid?"
Again that annoying shrug.
"Are Gryffindor incapable of giving answers when they're being bloody well ridiculous?"
Another shrug.
This was too much for Draco he shoved the other boy against the wall inwardly wincing at the look o brief pain that flashed on the other boys' face. "Explain to me why it is that you will go to the end of the earth to find evil and stamp it out, but you don't have the guts to walk away from something as stupid as this?"
Harry put his hands on where Draco was holding him, not pushing him away but making the boy aware of his presence just the same. "I don't have to explain anything to you."
Draco pushed Harry up against the wall further suddenly forgetting exactly why he was trying to hurt the boy. 'The bird,' a voice answered in his mind. Suddenly the safety of the Headmasters' little pet bird seemed completely inconsequential. As did the fact that Filch could very well come down that hall at any moment. The only thing that was registering in Draco's mind right now was the heat coming from the front of him, and the freezing air nipping at his back.
"Maybe I think you should," Draco heard himself softly whisper.
Harry was very much aware that his pulse seemed to be going a million miles a minute but he was suddenly aware that everything in the background seemed to be fading away leaving two boys shivering in an empty corridor to themselves. Slytherin and Gryffindor. Red and Green, Silver and Gold. Maybe Snape was right, he thought incoherently. This certainly didn't feel like something to be running away from.
He saw Draco lean forward into him and this pleased the part of Harrys' brain that had taken over. The part that screamed, 'No! Stop!' seemed to be sufficiently silenced. He was aware that Draco's breath was on his mouth and suddenly his eyes seemed to be too heavy to keep open. He felt the slightest amount of pressure touch his lips so that if he hadn't been so focused on that part of his body he would have completely missed it.
And then the sensation was gone and it felt as though he were falling backwards. 'This is what kissing him feels like?' he thought. And then he was aware that he had just connected with the flagstone and Draco was now on top of him.
He blinked his eyes opened to see a very amused Dumbledore standing over him.
Both were aware of the Headmaster trying to discipline them despite the grin that kept creeping up on his face. He had said something about being out after curfew and something about Filch catching Draco. And then he had said 'See Snape.' And after that Harry had practically ran away...again. Draco sighed as he made his way back to his common room cursing himself under his breath. This really was all Potters' fault.
((((((
Snape made his way into the room, yelling at everyone for the completely mediocre job they did on the classrooms. Harry looked over at Draco one last time before he left the room. Harry suddenly felt angry. He still didn't really understand what had happened last night, and now he had just spent twelve hours within ten feet of the one person who could have told him, and neither of them had said a single word.
That night Harry told Seamus everything that had happened including Draco trying to stop him and the fact that the blonde boy had almost kissed him (did it count if he wasn't even sure they had really touched?) before he went to bed. At opposite ends of the castle, two boys lay brooding about the same thing. And a boy they called the lusty leprechaun seemed to be the only one who knew it.
A/N OK, so I did it again, but you guys have to remember, this has only been going on for just over a week for them (Yes a little longer for Draco muah muah) and I didn't want them to just start snogging each other out of the blue and being totally OK with it. I want to build up the pressure to the point where you completely understand why it's happened so fast, cause uuhhh, ya there's a reason why...that's all I'm saying! The lusty Leprechaun comes from an e-mail I got. Thanks Martie! ::::Finished big hole, begins to stock it with supplies and food:::::
A preview for tomorrow - OMG! The last day....WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! OK, I'm better, I have a little pressie for all ya'll tomorrow and I hope you like it. The only preview you get is, oh yes...there will be (FINALLY) snoggage. ;o)
A/N ::::Blows nose loudly into kleenex:::: I am oh so very sick and on lot's of pretty little pills (damn flu!) including codeine, so if this chapter doesn't make any sense, we can blame it on that LOL! Even though I feel like a big pile of Dragon dung, I wanted to get on and write today, hopefully I'll write fast so I can get this out tonight even though I wanted it out on Sunday (pooh!) which incidentally, I don't really remember any of! ANYWHO'S, thank you AGAIN for all the total kick ass reviews you guys have been leaving me. Ya'll are THE BEST!
Extra Note To Evlenysa: ITA with what you said, but it's just we sometimes need to bring Harry down a peg so he can bloody well open up his eyes! If it makes you feel better, that was the first time Draco has ever beaten Harry in this fic's universe, and it was only because Harry couldn't keep his mind on the game (damn sexy!Draco lol) other wise he would have kicked his ass!
The Twelve Days Of Christmas By: Gum Acacia
On The Eleventh Day Of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...
Professor Severus Snape was standing over the five of them, a complete look of triumph in his eyes. He had a victorious smirk painted on his face as he walked silently back and forth in front of five agitated looking faces. He cracked his knuckles loudly causing more then one student to flinch. "It seems," he began slowly dragging out each word enjoying the look of worry on the Hufflepuff girls' face, "that some of you have recently forgotten a good majority of the rules here at Hogwarts."
Harry looked over at Seamus, who was sitting to his right. The boy had a small grin on his face as if he somehow found the entire situation that they were all in to be completely amusing. He turned his attention back to Snape who at the moment was looking quite dashed with Draco.
"I have expected more from some of you, however others," he looked pointedly at both Seamus and Harry, "seem to have no other abilities then a knack for breaking rule after rule."
Seamus continued to grin unassumingly at Snape while Harry glanced around the room quickly at the others. Hannah Abbott who had never so much as broken a single rule in all her seven years at Hogwarts looked quite anxious. Kevin Entwhistle (A Ravenclaw Harry had never actually talked to before) looked even worse off, as though at any moment he were going to burst into a fit of hysterics. And then there was Malfoy. Draco was sitting perfectly still, his face betraying not even the slightest hint of emotion.
Harry had wanted to try and get the other boys' attention several times since the five had convened but Draco had carefully avoided Harry's gaze since last night. Last night. Harry still couldn't believe all that had happened in such a short time. And now here they were, the five of them. All getting ready to serve a twelve-hour detention, the harshest punishment the Potions Master could hand out.
Snape snapped them all to attention and quickly explained how the all day detention was to be served. Because he didn't trust them to be alone in his office or classroom, the five students were to spend the day cleaning out and organizing the History of Magic and Transfiguration classrooms. History of Magic would be easy, as it required nothing more then a quick scrubbing and an organizing of a very simple filing system. But Transfiguration would be more difficult. There were animal cages to clean and a vast array of both Muggle and magical objects that had to be cleaned, archived and stored.
Snape left them in the History of magic classroom with the strict instructions that in no way were they allowed to use magic to assist themselves. As soon as Snape strode out the door, Seamus Finnigan burst into a huge fit of laughter.
"Cor, I really didn't think I was going to make it until he left." Seamus continued to laugh loudly as the three other students looked at him slightly disgusted while Harry pulled him into the corner to calm him down.
"Have you gone completely barmy on me? What, pray tell, is so bleeding funny?" Harry crossed his arms against his chest waiting for Seamus to explain why the boy had tears running down his face.
"I tried to do my task last night when everyone thought I was at Madam Pomfrey's, and Snape ended up catching me. I think he found out Hannah as well."
Harry scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion, "And this is funny, how?"
"I was sort of, enhancing shall we say, one of his paintings in the Portrait Hall." Seamus grinned wickedly.
Harry looked at Seamus warily, "Should I even ask?"
"I made him completely starkers!" He shouted out bursting into laughter again. "When he saw the painting, he started screaming like a banshee. Oh Harry, you should have seen him. Threw a total wobbler and insisted I put his clothes back on. But the painting wouldn't do it! Seems there's a bit of an exhibitionist in Snape after all. He had to take down the painting, and last I saw it was lounging about like it was posing for some nudey magazine."
Harry looked as though he had turned slightly green, if there were ever something he did not want to know about his professor, that was it! "I could have been very happy without knowing that last little bit. So, it's *your* fault we have a twelve-hour detention!"
Seamus put his finger to his lips, "Blimey Harry, you don't have to tell the whole world! Besides, I think you might have contributed to Snape's little flip out as well."
Harry looked over to the other three students; they had begun working in complete silence. Harry nudged Seamus and they moved over and began to help scrub down the desks. The two boys moved away from the group slightly and Seamus flicked Harry in the arm, "What was that for?"
Seamus grinned, "Just trying to get your attention." He spoke barely above a whisper, not wanting their other three companions to hear him. "How'd you get caught last night?"
Harry looked down focusing his attention on the desk he was beginning to polish with a fervor that went beyond cleaning. "Dumbledore." He only said one word and continued to scrub, ignoring the low whistle Seamus let out.
"Catch you with his bird, did he?" Seamus was leaning forward suddenly much more interested in his friend then the oil and rag he had in his hands.
"Not exactly," Harry said trying to dodge the subject.
Seamus waited for him to say more, but Harry remained silent. "Are you planning on telling me what happened?"
Harry shook his head a small smirk on his face, "no."
Seamus pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, "as your roommate I demand you tell me what happened!"
Harry looked quickly over to where Draco was standing. The boy had a large stack of files he was organizing. He was doing his best to ignore everyone in the room and just stick to his task. Harry watched as the boy thoughtfully chewed his lower lip trying to determine in which order a stack of papers needed to go.
Harry let his mind wander off to last night, where the memories were still so vivid; it was almost as if no time had passed.
((((((
He had stormed out the classroom, not even bothering to hide under the protecting shelter of his cloak. Draco had managed to anger and embarrass him yet again, and Harry was sick of it. He was sick of being the first person to blush at everything, he was sick of never really knowing what he wanted or being far too afraid to have it. He was sick of being Harry Potter. "Bloody boy who lived," he softly mumbled to himself. He was tired of it. But more then anything, he seemed to be tired of lately, he was truly sick of Draco Malfoy.
He didn't pay attention to the dark figure that was following in his shadows more then a few steps behind him. He was far to busy being focused on his own frustration. He kicked at the flagstone underneath his feet. It echoed louder then he intended and he calmed himself down remembering that Filch was still on the prowl somewhere and wouldn't exactly mind losing Draco if he found himself Harry Potter instead.
He once again began to focus on his task at hand. He continued to make his way towards Dumbledores' office. The quiet of the night and the coolness of the air causing the boy to break out into goose flesh. He started to get nervous with anticipation as he made his way down the last corridor before Dumbeldores' office.
He stopped in front of the stone gargoyle, known entrance to Dumbledores' office. If he entered this way, surely the Headmaster would be alerted. And even if he wasn't, there were only a few people who knew the password to his office, and it wouldn't take them long to narrow down the list as to which of those people would have swiped his bird.
He racked his brain trying to think of another way of getting inside, and then suddenly he remembered. The Map! The one he had seen in the teachers' lounge last week, Harry had noticed hidden rooms on it, but he also noticed two secret entrances to the Headmasters office! One was a back entrance that came directly through Dumbledores' bedroom, which was of no use to Harry. But there was a side entrance. One that started directly from the hall Harry had just come from.
Harry had turned around quickly and made a mad dash to get into the hall behind him. Apparently the figure in the shadows hadn't excepted the boy to turn so suddenly, because he had positioned himself almost directly behind the other boy. Because of this the two collided into a tangle of cloaks and limbs.
Harry pushed himself up, afraid that he had run into Filch or worse, Dumbledore! But to his surprise he was staring at a very flushed face, one that was busy doing his best not to look rattled instead trying to where a mask of anger. "Malfoy! What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"
((((((
"Harry!" Seamus yelled for the third time. He was about to resort to more drastic measures of getting the other boys attention when Harry seemed to snap out of whatever trance he had been in.
"What?" Harry said a little groggily, his mind still preoccupied with last night's events.
"I said, are you going to tell me what happened or not? I'm your mate, Harry! This really is poor manners to keep things hidden from your roommate and confidant."
Harry just laughed noticing for the first time that he had been polishing the same spot for the past five minutes, he moved on feeling slightly abashed that people had been staring at him. "You mean you're upset I won't tell you what happened so that you can pass it on to all the other school gossips."
Seamus looked genuinely hurt; "I wouldn't say anything you didn't want me too."
Harry looked up at the tone of Seamus' voice. "I didn't mean that, I was only fooling. I'll talk to you tonight, I promise. Now just isn't a very good time." Harry's eyes unconsciously found themselves looking back at Draco. The other boy had his back turned to him and Harry felt a familiar wave of confusion wash over him.
Seamus noticed the fleeting glance and wisely said nothing. He nodded his head and continued to go back to work.
Draco however was not having as easy a time of focusing on his work as one would have guessed from looking at him. Three times he had to re- file what he had been working on, not noticing he had stupidly put the Goblin Rebellion in the same folder as the Gnome wars.
His mind was pulled back unwillingly to last night. He kept telling himself over and over that he should have just left Harry after he had stormed out of the classroom. That he shouldn't have followed him. And above all he shouldn't have tried to help him.
((((((
Draco had had decided to follow him. He didn't know why but there was an undeniable pull in his gut that told him he had to do this. So he stayed in the shadows ignoring the excited feeling that was flowing through his body. He was *not* getting off on watching the bloody Gryffindor without his knowing it.
He followed quickly still managing to keep a good distance when the black haired boy stopped suddenly. Draco held his breath sure that he must have given his position away, but Harry just seemed to be staring blankly at the statue of a gargoyle in the hall. He remembered someone telling him some time ago that old Dumbledore kept his office hidden behind a gargoyle statue. Maybe Saint Potter was off to tell the old codger he had stopped an evil Slytherin from committing some terrible crime.
He moved closer behind Harry when suddenly the boy whipped around and in an amazing burst of speed ran right into Draco.
Malfoy was vaguely aware that Harry had just asked him what he was doing, but Draco's thoughts were slightly too preoccupied to answer. If there was one place he didn't need Harry Potter right now, it was on top of him!
"Would you kindly get off me?" Draco said willing his voice not to break. To his relief Harry moved off of him quickly and Draco was able to stand up trying to muster up as much dignity as someone who has just fallen on his arse can do.
"Now, would you mind telling me just why you're following me?" Harry's face took on a very skeptical air. So much so that Draco felt his usual disdain flow swiftly back into his body.
"I'm not following you, Potter!" Draco spat out managing to sound even more snide then he usually did. He hoped his face hadn't turned red at the blatant lie he had just told, but then he was a Slytherin and a Malfoy, if anything came second nature to him it was lying.
"Then what are you doing?" Harry stepped forward continuing to look completely bewildered. He obviously had expected to run into just about any other person then Draco.
His lack of composure made Draco grin. This was how he liked things. Harry unaware and confused, never really knowing what was going on, and himself pulling all the strings. "Felt like a midnight stroll."
Harry rolled his eyes and moved to walk away, "Really not a smart thing to do Malfoy, when Filch is looking for you."
Draco smirked again, "Sweet of you to warn me."
Harry started to walk away and Draco made the mistake of following him. He didn't know why he was doing such stupid things tonight. It must have been a side effect from having a Gryffindor on his mind so much.
"Now you're following me!" Harry whipped around an accusatory finger pointed directly at Draco.
"You really do have a complex, Potter. It's border lining on personal obsession." Draco took another step forward pleased to see the other boy was stepping back. "I merely happen to be walking in the same direction as you."
Harry snorted, in his seven years at Hogwarts, Draco had never 'happened' to be going in any same direction he was going. "What do you want?"
Draco suddenly became very serious, "Why did you stop Filch from taking me to Dumbledore?"
Harry started at this, obviously it wasn't a question he expected or wanted to answer. "I told you, I didn't want the rest of us to get into trouble for something you did."
Draco raised one eyebrow, he remained silent. He stared at Harry, trying to read the boy who normally was open that reading him was as easy as reading a children's book.
Harry felt flustered at the way Draco was looking at him and continued to move on down the corridor not bothering to see if Draco was following him or not.
((((((
Draco sighed. He looked at the clock and was astonished to see that it had been four hours since Snape had left them. He looked around the room and noticed that everyone seemed to be almost done with the first classroom. It was a relief to him. Being in such close proximity to Harry was starting to grate on his nerves. He looked over at the boy who was quietly talking to Seamus in the corner.
His hair was repeatedly falling into his eyes and Draco was disgusted with himself for finding such an annoying habit so endearing. He had repeated to himself that this was just a twisted attraction. Something forbidden which Draco naturally found himself drawn to, being who he was.
He looked down at his hands sensing Harry's movement before it actually happened. 'He's looking at me again,' he thought to himself. That had been happening more lately too. It was starting to unnerve Draco. This wasn't like Harry. He would never question something like this, so Draco felt himself feeling confused again. It was not a feeling Draco liked.
Harry had watched the boy unconsciously twisting the sleeves of his robes. Just days ago Draco had seemed so different. Cocky and so overly sure of himself it was sickening. But ever since that night, with the trees...something had changed. He seemed to lose some of the footing he was so proud of.
'The light always finds you,' Draco had said that to him last night. He had said something Harry couldn't even believe had come from the other boys' lips.
'You're wrong Potter...You should start paying attention...What's in front of you,' waves of words seemed to bathe over Harry. How could they all have come from the person who Harry had thought to be the definition of his loathing?
He watched Draco close his eyes well aware of how he was feeling. He wanted to be away from here, Harry could feel it. It was almost tangible.
He smiled at Seamus who was busy talking about the 'moment' he had had with Blaise that morning. But Harry's thoughts were still focused on last night.
((((((
Harry wanted Draco to follow him, and he didn't know why. But he thought that maybe he was starting to. And possible reasons were sneaking into his mind, and they scared him. He heard soft footsteps followed him, and he felt a tension leave his body he didn't even know he had.
He stopped in front of the hidden door he knew to be the side entrance to Dumbledores' office and looked blankly at the wall.
"Is this what Gryffindors' do for fun, stare at the bloody walls?" Draco moved to look at Harry, his face was a mask of concentration fixed pointedly on the wall. He was about to say something else when Harry turned and smiled at him. Draco suddenly didn't know what to do. Was he supposed to hit him or ignore him? Surly smile back was not an option. He was saved from having to make a decision when Harry spoke up.
"It's a Gryffindor tradition." Harry didn't know exactly why he was being playful with Draco, but it seemed surprisingly a comfortable thing to do. He began to run his hands gently over the wall trying to see exactly where the hidden entrance began.
Draco almost laughed at the site of Harry caressing the walls so carefully, "Should I leave you two alone then?"
Harry stopped and faced the other boy. He paused for a moment considering whether or not to tell Draco what he was doing. For some reason, he felt comfortable with the other boy being here. He couldn't explain the rapid change of emotion, but he decided to just go with it. He shrugged his shoulders and looked the other boy squarely in the eye. "There's a hidden entrance to Dumbledores' office here."
Draco's jaw dropped open apparently not expecting Harry to be so forthright with what he was doing, and definitely not expecting it to be this of all things. "What are you doing?" Draco too had felt the sudden change of emotion and also felt the pull to just go with it. There would be time for biting sarcastic remarks later.
"Trying to figure out how to open it so I can do my task."
Again Draco was shocked at Harrys' open honesty. Then he said something he would regret in the morning and possibly for the rest of his life. "Let me help." Harry turned, his eyebrows raised but no other evidence of his apparent shock. Draco tried to sneer as he spoke, "it's not like you Gryffindor are any good at things like this."
Harry shrugged his shoulders and made a 'carry on' motion with his hands.
((((((
Draco had just finished cleaning out his tenth Fwooper cage and he was starting to abhor the site and smell of the Transfiguration classroom more then he had ever imagined possible. His fingers were aching and he looked up grumpily still surprised to see that they had less then two hours to go with the detention. "Time flies when you're cleaning Fwooper dung," he mumbled to himself.
Or maybe it was just that he had replayed last night in his mind about ten times. He'd realized now it was the offering help that had done it. He still could have walked away from everything before that. But bloody well saying he would help the little runt didn't exactly scream, 'I hate my nemesis.'
He looked over at Harry who quickly turned in the opposite direction. The only comfort of all the things that had been happening lately was that Harry was having an obvious worse time of things then he was. At least he'd had some experience with unrequited emotions before. Granted it had never been with his arch rival, but at least he'd been aware of his attraction for those of the male persuasion. Draco grinned as he realized he had at least that much over Harry.
He had talked to Blaise that morning and the other boy had informed him that Slytherin was indeed the winners of all the tasks this year now that all the Gryffindor were done (really none of the other houses had had a chance with there small participating numbers) and that they were set to raid the Gryffindor rooms tomorrow.
'That could be interesting,' Draco thought. But he began to think of last night again, wondering if perhaps he hadn't spoiled things. Slytherins' did not help Gryffindors. They did not look at them like that! And they most *certainly* did not try and attach their mouth to a bloody Gryffindors. Draco knew all this and yet last night...
((((((
This wasn't exactly something he had planned on doing, he was well aware how stupid it was to try and break into the Headmasters office. But Harry was standing so close to him right now, he honestly thought he could claim impaired judgment should either of them be caught.
He had tried as many spells as he could think and nothing had seemed to open the hidden door. He looked exasperatingly at Harry, "Why are you sneaking into his office, don't you have a key being teachers' pet and all?"
Harry had the nerve to actually chuckle at this. "As shocking as it is Malfoy, Dumbledore does not give my unlimited access to his things."
Draco rolled his eyes, "Then what's the point of being a kiss arse?" He stopped himself. He would not be chummy with Potter.
"You get unlimited power to take over the world with." Harry snickered as Draco looked at him shocked for a moment.
"Well, I don't see how you're going to get inside. What do you want in there anyway?"
Harry looked him up and down again. He had already told him so much, and maybe it was the castles cold night air that was affecting his thinking process but he decided not to stop there. "I'm supposed to swipe Fawkes."
Draco rolled his eyes, "Please! If you're not going to tell me, just say so. This is getting stupid anyway." His mind was telling him he had a perfect excuse to leave now, and that he should do so, but his stubborn feet remained planted.
Harry looked back at the wall resuming his ineffective search with his hands. "I am telling you so, my task is to swipe Fawkes. What? You don't think a 'goody goody' Gryffindor would do that?"
Draco grabbed Harry's arm whirling him around, "I don't expect anyone with even half a brain to do that!"
Harry was taken back, "What do you care for?"
"You mean, what would an evil Slytherin like me care for if Dumbledores' pet goes missing or do you mean why would I personally care that his bird got pilfered?"
Harry shrugged not giving either answer preference.
"Are you really going to be that stupid?"
Again that annoying shrug.
"Are Gryffindor incapable of giving answers when they're being bloody well ridiculous?"
Another shrug.
This was too much for Draco he shoved the other boy against the wall inwardly wincing at the look o brief pain that flashed on the other boys' face. "Explain to me why it is that you will go to the end of the earth to find evil and stamp it out, but you don't have the guts to walk away from something as stupid as this?"
Harry put his hands on where Draco was holding him, not pushing him away but making the boy aware of his presence just the same. "I don't have to explain anything to you."
Draco pushed Harry up against the wall further suddenly forgetting exactly why he was trying to hurt the boy. 'The bird,' a voice answered in his mind. Suddenly the safety of the Headmasters' little pet bird seemed completely inconsequential. As did the fact that Filch could very well come down that hall at any moment. The only thing that was registering in Draco's mind right now was the heat coming from the front of him, and the freezing air nipping at his back.
"Maybe I think you should," Draco heard himself softly whisper.
Harry was very much aware that his pulse seemed to be going a million miles a minute but he was suddenly aware that everything in the background seemed to be fading away leaving two boys shivering in an empty corridor to themselves. Slytherin and Gryffindor. Red and Green, Silver and Gold. Maybe Snape was right, he thought incoherently. This certainly didn't feel like something to be running away from.
He saw Draco lean forward into him and this pleased the part of Harrys' brain that had taken over. The part that screamed, 'No! Stop!' seemed to be sufficiently silenced. He was aware that Draco's breath was on his mouth and suddenly his eyes seemed to be too heavy to keep open. He felt the slightest amount of pressure touch his lips so that if he hadn't been so focused on that part of his body he would have completely missed it.
And then the sensation was gone and it felt as though he were falling backwards. 'This is what kissing him feels like?' he thought. And then he was aware that he had just connected with the flagstone and Draco was now on top of him.
He blinked his eyes opened to see a very amused Dumbledore standing over him.
Both were aware of the Headmaster trying to discipline them despite the grin that kept creeping up on his face. He had said something about being out after curfew and something about Filch catching Draco. And then he had said 'See Snape.' And after that Harry had practically ran away...again. Draco sighed as he made his way back to his common room cursing himself under his breath. This really was all Potters' fault.
((((((
Snape made his way into the room, yelling at everyone for the completely mediocre job they did on the classrooms. Harry looked over at Draco one last time before he left the room. Harry suddenly felt angry. He still didn't really understand what had happened last night, and now he had just spent twelve hours within ten feet of the one person who could have told him, and neither of them had said a single word.
That night Harry told Seamus everything that had happened including Draco trying to stop him and the fact that the blonde boy had almost kissed him (did it count if he wasn't even sure they had really touched?) before he went to bed. At opposite ends of the castle, two boys lay brooding about the same thing. And a boy they called the lusty leprechaun seemed to be the only one who knew it.
A/N OK, so I did it again, but you guys have to remember, this has only been going on for just over a week for them (Yes a little longer for Draco muah muah) and I didn't want them to just start snogging each other out of the blue and being totally OK with it. I want to build up the pressure to the point where you completely understand why it's happened so fast, cause uuhhh, ya there's a reason why...that's all I'm saying! The lusty Leprechaun comes from an e-mail I got. Thanks Martie! ::::Finished big hole, begins to stock it with supplies and food:::::
A preview for tomorrow - OMG! The last day....WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! OK, I'm better, I have a little pressie for all ya'll tomorrow and I hope you like it. The only preview you get is, oh yes...there will be (FINALLY) snoggage. ;o)