Chapter 2- A Walk on the Other Side
Harry awoke with a start. He looked up and found himself sprawled on the floor of the empty Gryffindor common room, pieces of parchment scattered on the floor. He quickly got up, wondering how long he had been asleep. His eyes fell upon a clock: 3:00 AM. As he surveyed the empty common room, Harry was left with an hollow feeling in his stomach, and felt upset that Ron and Hermione had left him there alone. His throat was dry. The notes from Potions were left on the ground, quill and ink untouched. He yawned and left the warm glow of the common room fire for the dampness of a gloomy, dim passageway. Harry sighed, going over the events of the day. In his head.
************
"Harry, your grades in Potions have been falling a great deal. Dumbledore and I have discussed it, and we have decided that it is too late into for you to catch up, as the 1st semester of school is up. You are to retake this semester. I suggested you be held back the full year, but Dumbledore." Snape sneered. "I don't know where your head has been the last week, you're even worse than usual." Harry just stared at Snape. "That will be all."
Harry walked back to the great hall, where Ron was waiting for him. "So what happened? Was it about Cho? Will she be coming back?" Harry sighed. "I have to retake last semester's Potions." "Oh. but that's with the Slytherins!" The semesters switched off between the houses: Ravenclaw and Slytherin took one set of the curriculum for the year in first semester, and Hufflepuff and Gryffindor in the following. Harry's heart did a little leap when Ron said this. 'Draco' he instantly thought. He frowned. Why was he so excited he was going to share a class with Malfoy, someone whom he had hated for so many years?
************
He passed Peeves fast asleep using the helmet of one of the suits of armor for a pillow. He was careful not to make a sound, for fear of having something thrown at him. He walked down the dark corridor, looking at the ground. He heard a crack. Someone was coming. He looked up, and saw something moving at the opposite end of the hall. "Draco?" he said uncertainly. The blue gray eyes were most visible, followed by the silver blonde hair. "Did you just use my first name, Potter?"
Harry turned red, and hoped that Draco couldn't see. "Of course not, Malfoy."
"Yes you did. I heard you, I'm not deaf," he sneered.
"And if I did?"
Now it was Draco's turn to blush. Harry grinned. "What's so funny, Potter?" He stepped closer. "Nothing, Malfoy." Harry took a small step, barely noticeable.
"What are you doing out here?"
"That's none of your business.
He needed to get closer. Malfoy was just so. yummy. He mentally slapped himself for such a thought. Malfoy took another step: they were barely two inches apart. Harry could feel Malfoy's breath on his nose. "Don't breath on me, Malfoy." "And if I do?" Malfoy was mimicking Harry's previous tone. Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was so tempted to touch those beautiful lips. He opened his eyes and saw that Malfoy had closed his. He leaned in, noticed Draco doing the same. He bit his lip, opened his eyes fully to see what was happening. They were a hair apart.
"Potter! Malfoy!" Professor McGonagal's harshly spoken words broke the silence. Malfoy took a step back and tripped over his robe, falling with a thump on the ground. Harry fought the urge to help him up, take those hands in his.
"Watch where you're going, Potter!" Malfoy said hastily. He turned to McGonagal, apologized, and walked with a fast stride back to the Slytherin common room. Harry sighed. "Sorry Professor, I wasn't aware of what time it was." "Be sure it doesn't happen again. You know you're not supposed to be out of your dormitories at this time. Back to bed this instant."
Harry lay in bed, feeling nothing but confusion. What had happened in the empty passageway? Was that an almost kiss, or was Harry just imagining it? He swallowed. He argued with himself over whether or not he should tell Ron, then laughed at himself for even considering it. Ron despised Malfoy, and if Harry told Ron that he was attracted to him, he might lose Ron as a friend. In his heart, covered up by all of his worries, he felt a strong passion for the silver blonde little bastard that had played such a bad part in his life. up until now. He needed to get to sleep. Harry drew the curtains around his four poster, touched himself, and instantly relaxed.
Harry awoke with a start. He looked up and found himself sprawled on the floor of the empty Gryffindor common room, pieces of parchment scattered on the floor. He quickly got up, wondering how long he had been asleep. His eyes fell upon a clock: 3:00 AM. As he surveyed the empty common room, Harry was left with an hollow feeling in his stomach, and felt upset that Ron and Hermione had left him there alone. His throat was dry. The notes from Potions were left on the ground, quill and ink untouched. He yawned and left the warm glow of the common room fire for the dampness of a gloomy, dim passageway. Harry sighed, going over the events of the day. In his head.
************
"Harry, your grades in Potions have been falling a great deal. Dumbledore and I have discussed it, and we have decided that it is too late into for you to catch up, as the 1st semester of school is up. You are to retake this semester. I suggested you be held back the full year, but Dumbledore." Snape sneered. "I don't know where your head has been the last week, you're even worse than usual." Harry just stared at Snape. "That will be all."
Harry walked back to the great hall, where Ron was waiting for him. "So what happened? Was it about Cho? Will she be coming back?" Harry sighed. "I have to retake last semester's Potions." "Oh. but that's with the Slytherins!" The semesters switched off between the houses: Ravenclaw and Slytherin took one set of the curriculum for the year in first semester, and Hufflepuff and Gryffindor in the following. Harry's heart did a little leap when Ron said this. 'Draco' he instantly thought. He frowned. Why was he so excited he was going to share a class with Malfoy, someone whom he had hated for so many years?
************
He passed Peeves fast asleep using the helmet of one of the suits of armor for a pillow. He was careful not to make a sound, for fear of having something thrown at him. He walked down the dark corridor, looking at the ground. He heard a crack. Someone was coming. He looked up, and saw something moving at the opposite end of the hall. "Draco?" he said uncertainly. The blue gray eyes were most visible, followed by the silver blonde hair. "Did you just use my first name, Potter?"
Harry turned red, and hoped that Draco couldn't see. "Of course not, Malfoy."
"Yes you did. I heard you, I'm not deaf," he sneered.
"And if I did?"
Now it was Draco's turn to blush. Harry grinned. "What's so funny, Potter?" He stepped closer. "Nothing, Malfoy." Harry took a small step, barely noticeable.
"What are you doing out here?"
"That's none of your business.
He needed to get closer. Malfoy was just so. yummy. He mentally slapped himself for such a thought. Malfoy took another step: they were barely two inches apart. Harry could feel Malfoy's breath on his nose. "Don't breath on me, Malfoy." "And if I do?" Malfoy was mimicking Harry's previous tone. Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was so tempted to touch those beautiful lips. He opened his eyes and saw that Malfoy had closed his. He leaned in, noticed Draco doing the same. He bit his lip, opened his eyes fully to see what was happening. They were a hair apart.
"Potter! Malfoy!" Professor McGonagal's harshly spoken words broke the silence. Malfoy took a step back and tripped over his robe, falling with a thump on the ground. Harry fought the urge to help him up, take those hands in his.
"Watch where you're going, Potter!" Malfoy said hastily. He turned to McGonagal, apologized, and walked with a fast stride back to the Slytherin common room. Harry sighed. "Sorry Professor, I wasn't aware of what time it was." "Be sure it doesn't happen again. You know you're not supposed to be out of your dormitories at this time. Back to bed this instant."
Harry lay in bed, feeling nothing but confusion. What had happened in the empty passageway? Was that an almost kiss, or was Harry just imagining it? He swallowed. He argued with himself over whether or not he should tell Ron, then laughed at himself for even considering it. Ron despised Malfoy, and if Harry told Ron that he was attracted to him, he might lose Ron as a friend. In his heart, covered up by all of his worries, he felt a strong passion for the silver blonde little bastard that had played such a bad part in his life. up until now. He needed to get to sleep. Harry drew the curtains around his four poster, touched himself, and instantly relaxed.