Draco Malfoy and his Unknown Fate:

Author's Notes: I wanted to fill out some of the scenes mentioned briefly between Harry and Draco, but it would have been very boring. For those of you who are curious, they mostly had friendly chats and spent quality time with one another. Just like any other two people who have recently become friends. And any mentions of Hermione being 'maternal' are supposition from the missing fifth year. I mean, after Cedric's death Harry was probably depressed and it's likely that's the sort of reaction she would have had to him.

Warnings for this chapter: Possibly language. Not much else.

Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm merely borrowing them for the time being. This will be slash (eventually). Don't like it? Don't read it. Otherwise, enjoy.

Draco hadn't realized what he was doing until Pansy pointed it out. The walks he took with Harry around the lake, the way he'd started tutoring the Gryffindor in potions and accepting help from him in DADA in return, how he'd taken to greeting Harry each morning upon entering the Great Hall after he managed to drag himself out of bed while others received a snarl, the way he let Harry try out his new potions after they'd been tested on Mortimer and before even his fellow Slytherins had a chance at them - all of it amounted to one thing.

He'd been courting Harry Potter, though he hadn't even known it at the time.

Certainly, The Boy Who Was Oblivious had no clue, but Draco would have been genuinely surprised if he had. Harry might have had a knack for picking up on others' secrets and hidden agenda's but when things involved Harry himself, they tended to go right over his head. Draco still wasn't sure whether Harry had realized his godfather was seeing Remus Lupin and he hadn't brought it up just to be on the safe side. However, he knew for a fact that Harry hadn't realized that Draco had a romantic interest in him in addition to the tentative friendship they shared.

But Granger sure as hell did.

Or so he'd discovered first hand three and half weeks after their 'friendship' started and one week after Pansy had informed him of the situation. He gathered his things after Arithmancy, putting them neatly in his rucksack before slinging it over his shoulder. It was almost time for lunch and Dobby had told Draco that the house elves were making his favorites today and he didn't want to miss out. He turned to leave, but Granger was blocking his way and her were arms crossed. She had a fairly forbidding scowl on her face. "Malfoy. A word?" Her hair was frizzier than usual, if that was even possible, as if it was attuned to her moods.

"Perhaps you haven't realized it, but Malfoy is a word." He realized he was on thin ice and raised his hands to placate her when she glared. "Sorry. Just don't let me miss lunch."

"Boys. Is food all you ever think about?" It was a rhetoric question, but Draco considered answering with 'No, we think about sex too.' anyway. However, good sense prevailed and he managed to keep his mouth shut. Well, figuratively speaking.

"Is there a reason you've ambushed me Granger, or do you just want to take out all your frustrations towards the opposite sex on me?"

Granger pursed her lips in a fashion that must have been copied directly from McGonagall. "I want to talk about Harry with you." Draco let his face become expressionless and sized the Muggle-born witch up, taking in the determined glint in her eyes and the way she was still crossing her arms defensively. He wanted to hex her for her sheer audacity at thinking she had the right to question him about Harry, but Harry would give him hell if he did and he didn't want the Gryffindor angry at him. Now that Draco had managed to push his way into Harry's life he wouldn't be able to bear being on the outside looking in anymore.

"Fine." He said shortly, sitting on top of a nearby desk. "I'm listening."

"For some odd reason, Harry cares about you." She said, tucking some of that awful hair behind her ear. Draco perked up. He had hoped this was the case, but Draco hadn't been entirely sure Potter wasn't just staving off boredom by spending time with the Slytherin. It wasn't like they talked about their feelings or anything. They were boys after all, but hearing it made him grin.

"He does?" Draco asked, pleased. Then he corrected himself quickly. "Well, of course he does. I'm wonderful, why wouldn't he care?"

Granger raised one eyebrow at him and made an 'oh please' face at him. "If you're quite finished stroking your ego, I'll continue. Anyway, I don't want to see Harry hurt. So I'm asking you what your intentions towards him are exactly."

Draco's mouth fell open. She was asking him his intentions?! "Last time I checked Granger, you weren't Harry's mum."

"No, I'm not. But someone had to ask and if you care to remember Harry doesn't have a mum. I'm sure you do recall it, seeing as how your father and his Death Eater friends killed her and you've taunted him in the past about it remorselessly. I think my concerns are quite valid, Malfoy."

This of course, managed to actually make Draco serious. And angry, though he kept a tight leash on his temper. "I am not, nor will I ever be, my father." He gritted out. "And as for the insults - things were different then. I don't see why you need to have this little chat with me. My exemplary behavior the last few months more than speaks for itself."

"Well, yes." Granger looked uncomfortable. "About that too. I was er- wondering. Um."

Draco sighed, wishing he was anywhere but here. Hell, he'd settle for detention with that oaf Hagrid over this. "Just say it. All this hemming and hawing is driving me to distraction."

"Right." She said firmly. "I want to know if you have romantic feelings for Harry."

"Ah. You mean, like… Do I want to bear his children? Get a grip, Granger."

"Don't brush me off, Malfoy." She said sternly. Then she became quiet, more focused. "I've seen the way you look at him."

That unsettled the Slytherin, but he plastered on a smirk and pretended amusement. "Like I want to ravish him?" Maybe the drooling had been a little blatant and no one could accuse Hermione Granger of being slow on the uptake.

"Like he's hung the moon."

Unaccountably, Draco found himself flushing. "You… Don't be ridiculous." But Draco couldn't look at her and instead he studied a particularly interesting piece of wall across the classroom. He certainly didn't look at Harry like that. Did he?

Granger had caught him off guard and she knew it. "I just want to know, whether you end up simply being friends or something more, how you feel about him. Because, and I mean this sincerely, I will castrate you if you hurt him." The way she said it, so evenly with that Gryffindor honesty oozing out of every word was chilling. She would, he knew. Sure, it could probably be fixed, but he'd rather not test that theory, thanks.

"Granger. I don't like you and I know you don't like me, but for Harry's sake I've been respectful. Do you know how rare that is? Changing my behavior to suit someone else? I would never hurt Harry. Not if I could help it and certainly no more than he could bear. In all honesty, the one who's probably going to end up hurt is me. Now, if we're quite finished I've got a meal to eat." He left Granger there, gaping after him and hoping with everything he had that his prediction (meant in all honesty to comfort Granger and a bit too spot on for his own comfort) didn't come to pass.

To be Continued

Comments and constructive criticism are more than welcome.