Chapter 8: Moonlight Sonata

Harry retreated to his room later that afternoon only to find a small neatly folded note on his bed. Looking over his shoulder candidly he slid onto his mattress and unfolded the note to read to himself.

If you are reading this Potter, make sure to meet me on the outskirts of the forbidden forest at midnight. Save the do-gooder 'we'll get in trouble' thoughts I know are running through your head. We need to talk.

~You know who (not Voldemort silly git)

Well it sure sounded like Draco. Snotty, even when doing the asking. At least not everything about him changed. Harry hesitated though. There was no way he wanted to be caught out of his chambers at night, and with Malfoy of all people. But the need to talk was great and he understood there was really no other time of day that allowed a solid word in. Considering that with Draco, anything was possible and they would probably end up in flying fists and wands anyway, it was better to carry it on outdoors.

Harry nodded to himself, folding the note back up and shoving it deep in his dresser. He would meet Draco's challenge.

Meanwhile Eriol approached Draco with his own note in hand.

"Here." he said handing it to a taken Draco.

The thin boy quickly unfolded the note and read it to himself while Eriol waited patiently. His face paled when he had finally reached the end.

"Well?" Eriol demanded calmly.

"It's from Potter..he wants to meet me tonight, to talk." Draco said trying to keep his voice calm.

Eriol hid a guilty smirk. "Really? Whatever for?" he asked trying to sound genuinely surprised.

Draco only shook his head numbly.

"So are you going?" Eriol asked innocently as if he didn't already know the answer.

"Sure, why not. I'll take the bait. If Potter wants to talk..I'll hear him out." Draco stated, shrugging as if he could care less.

Eriol knew better.

~*~

It had been an awkward dinner that night. Harry noticed. Draco kept casting glances towards the Gryffindor table. Even Ron and Hermione had started noting his obvious behavior.

"Malfoy really has it in for you don't he Harry? What's he got against you now?" Harry recalled Ron whispering to him.

At the Slytherin table Draco had turned away to chat with Eriol once again, leaving Harry only to guess what was up and yet knowing very well that he was in the middle of it all.

~*~

The Boy Who Lived turned on his side and eyed the clock on his dresser.

Ron had been wrong, he thought as he glanced at the sleeping figure of his friend. It wasn't deadly looks Draco had been sending Harry all day, it was something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. The only thing he could compare it to was the way Ginny looked at him, a longing type of thing. But it was impossible! Ginny was a girl, completely smitten with him. Draco was..well Draco, the boy who could kill with one dangerous look. One very dangerous and sultry look etched coldly within the features of his duplicity angelic face, with thin rosy lips that quirked into the most sly of grins against the paleness of his unblemished skin...

Harry slapped his forehead as if to deter his thoughts to pain rather than anything else. What the hell had come over him? So what if he was seeing Draco in a less malicious light ever since the bickering between them died down immensely. Malfoy was still Malfoy! A boy no less..a very feminine, delicate looking boy with impeccable taste in fashion and a talent for making anything ugly look good on that flawlessly formed figure of his.

AUGH!

Harry whirled to face his clock irritated with himself. It was 15 to 12 and Harry decided that even if he got there early a swift walk was just what he needed to clear his head of all annoying thoughts. He would wait for Draco, pacing if need be, but for now he just HAD to get out of his bed. Pulling out his invisibility cloak and his wand, Harry made for the door quietly making sure he was not heard.

Within minutes of sneaking through the halls of Hogwarts, the candid boy had made his way outside with time to spare. He wasn't exactly sure where Draco had wanted to meet him, but he knew it had to be well beyond the range and visibility of Hagrid's hut. He walked absently along the perimeter of the forest, distracted by the haunting echoes and eerie glow of it all at night. It was then, a far distance from the school, that he saw the almost glowing features of Draco Malfoy. The boy had been even earlier it seemed than Harry.

The famous boy walked up quickly to where Malfoy stood, only to stop abruptly a short distance away. There was something, in that instant, about the way he stood under the complimenting light of the full moon that struck Harry. The way the glow spilled onto him and danced through the silver of his hair, highlighting each strand..was as if the moon itself was silently admiring his beauty in comparison to it's own. Draco for once looked calm, pensive..almost innocent in it's rawest forms and Harry would have never associated this type of look with a boy who had made it his business to be feared.

"Get out from whatever rock you are hiding under Potter, I can almost smell you near me." Draco drawled suddenly.

It broke the moment and Harry roughly snatched the cloak from around him revealing himself to a stunned Draco who had only thought he had been hiding.

"That's rich, coming from someone who drags me out here in the middle of the night on a whim. Really if this is your idea of 'talking' then we should do ourselves a favor and forget the whole thing!"

Draco snorted, an amused if not annoyed smirk to his face, "A comedian are we? You were the one groveling to meet me tonight. It's no wonder I'm grumpy staying up this late with Quidditch practice tomorrow first thing."

Harry's face twisted in anger first and then in sudden realization. Draco went through the same process as what they both said to each other finally sank in.

Almost in unison they pointed to each other accusingly, "You didn't write that note!?"

"But the note to me was addressed from you!" Draco snapped.

"The note I found on my bed had your signature!" Harry retorted.

Both boys paled instantly.

Harry eyed his surroundings warily. "Something's up.."

Draco's wand began to vibrate underneath his robes and Harry gawked in it's direction. Draco blushed noticing the expression on Harry's face.

"It's my wand! I put a spell on it to detect anything threateningly magical in the air. And..it's.. obviously caught something." Draco said pulling it out and letting it rest loosely in his hands. Almost as if the wand was a compass it turned a few times before finally pointing in the direction of the strong magical current.

"It's coming from the forest." Draco stated blankly.

Harry gulped and nodded as the dark forest loomed in front of both of them.

Draco smiled nervously, "Well, nice seeing you Potter, let's do this again sometime what do you say? Call it night? Good then! Sayonara!" and he almost dashed off successfully if Harry hadn't pulled him back by the hood of his robe.

"Oh no you don't!" Harry grumbled, "You're not leaving me out here all alone! We know there is something out there and it's our responsibility to see what it is..because if something happens and we don't at least try to do something to prevent it, it will weigh heavily on both our heads later!"

"You mean YOU'RE head, Potter. I could care less! We shouldn't even BE out here remember? I say whatever happens, let Dumbledore and the lot of them handle it. I'm going back to bed. Where it's safe!" Draco rebuttled, trying to struggle free of Harry's grasp.

"You are such a Slytherin coward!"

"And you're such a bloody daft Gryffindor!"

"Augh, you know, this isn't much different from the first time we went into the forest with Hagrid and the rest. You were scared silly then, and you still are! You haven't changed a bit!" Harry accused, sounding disappointed and frowning harshly.

Draco was not going to let Harry get away with smashing his pride more than once in his lifetime. He stood up straight and rigid as stone for a moment then threw the boy a defiant look.

"Very well then Mr. Potter. You lead the way!"

Harry rolled his eyes, "How very brave and generous of you Mr. Malfoy.."