Sorry It's been so long guys, I've been busy with my new little boy. I do, however want to make a special thanks to Kit. Who took the time out to actually e-mail me and tell me why she/he loved this story. If it weren't for you, Kit, I may have retired this one unfinished.
Read on, dear fans!
* * * *
Keep 'em
guessin', keep 'em laughin'
Build that wall up high
As long as they don't see the other side
You've really done it
Done a number, a number on my soul
But I'll be damned if I'll ever let you know…
* * * *
Harry felt a glimmer of remorse as he set out alone from the common room, hidden under his invisibility cloak. Nearly every other time he had done this it had been with the help of either Ron or Hermione, or both.
This time, he simply couldn't imagine trying to explain to them why he was going. To Draco. What would he say?
"Oh, by the way guys, I've had a huge crush the guy who's made our lives miserable for the last seven years, and now I'm going to go check up on him because I think something's wrong." Yeah, that would go over well.
Or maybe Harry would tell them that he hadn't even been brave enough to give Draco the slightest hint that he didn't hate him anymore, let alone liked him enough to worry about him.
Some Gryffindor he was.
Harry crept through the castle, down several corridors. At one point he had to backtrack because Mrs. Norris had caught his scent and was following him. He managed to lose her close to the Great Hall.
As Harry entered the dungeons the little hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He couldn't place it exactly, but something was definitely wrong.
Usually the whole castle was buzzing with energy, even down here in the dungeons. It was a sign of life, something Harry had noticed happened around large numbers of people.
But as he entered the dungeons Harry felt a distinct drop in those energy levels, as if they were deserted. It was creepy.
He walked to the entrance of the Slytherin dorms, unsure of what to do. He didn't know the password, and it wasn't like he could go ask Snape. That would be even worse than trying to explain what he was doing to Ron and Hermione.
Of course, Snape had been much nicer to Harry, due mainly to the fact that they both were involved with the Order. Not that he'd ever stopped being a prat, but at least he wasn't a completely insufferable bastard. Except during class.
Harry nearly yelped, stumbling backwards as the portrait to the Slytherin dorms
suddenly opened. He looked down at himself frantically, afraid the fall might
have dislodged the cloak and left him visible to;
Draco.
Harry stopped moving. Of all the people who could have stepped into the hall, why was it Draco? He looked like hell.
Draco was obviously frazzled. His normally perfect hair was sticking up in ways that Harry found rather cute, and he looked very tired. He was also carrying a broomstick.
Harry was too busy staring, trying to figure out what was going on, and he failed to notice Draco step in his direction.
"Bloody Hell!!!" Draco screeched as he fell to the floor, tangled up in Harry's invisibility cloak. Harry stared at him wide eyed, noting that Draco was turning rather pale.
"Potter." The word was spoken with so little feeling that Harry's concern doubled instantly. When Draco usually said his name his voice was full of venom; now he sounded almost, resigned.
"Malfoy." Harry said evenly. "Going flying, are you?" he added, eyeing Malfoy's broom.
"It's none of your business, Potter."
They both got up, brushing the dust off their robes. They stared at each other.
"I'll be going now." Draco said finally. He turned, but Harry grabbed the sleeve of his robe.
"I know something's up, Malfoy. You've been acting weird all term." Harry half expected Draco to scream at him, to hit him maybe, or at least deny it, but Draco just stared at him.
"Potter," Draco said finally. "Leave, now." For a moment Harry was too surprised to speak.
"Not until you tell me what's going on. Malfoy, Draco, I know something's up. If you need help…"
Draco was the one who looked surprised now; hell Harry was shocked. Of all the things he's thought of saying, that was not one of them. Draco looked at Harry suspiciously, but it seemed to Harry that his expression was softer somehow.
"The best thing you can do for me right now, Harry, is to go back to your dorm and forget you saw me." Draco pulled his sleeve from Harry's grasp and walked away, still holding his broomstick.
Harry watched the empty hallway for some time after Draco had gone, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
* * * *
"So you let him leave?" Ron asked the next morning. He and Harry were sitting on their beds, having woken up before the other boys. Harry had told Ron of his strange encounter with Draco the night before, changing a few of the details to make it seem as if he had just been out for a night time stroll.
"Well, yeah. Why not? It's not like he was hurting anyone." Harry said defensively. "I've gone out for a midnight flight a time or two myself."
"Yes, but this is Malfoy! I seriously doubt that he went out to play solitary quidditch in the early hours on a weekday. Even if he weren't up to something, Malfoy wouldn't dare stay up that late with classes in the morning."
Harry shook his head.
"Honestly, Ron. You make him sound like a female Hermione. Malfoy's good in class, but he's not obsessive."
Ron was staring at him in horror.
"Mate, I didn't just hear you say Draco Malfoy was like a female Hermione! I'm dating her! I do not need that mental image when we're snogging!!!"
Harry sighed. Lately talking to Ron about anything serious seemed pointless. All he ever thought about was sex and quidditch.
"I did say he wasn't like a female Hermione." Harry pointed out. Ron through up his hands.
"It doesn't matter! The thought was there!"
"It's not my fault what you think."
Harry dodged a pillow Ron threw at him, and nearly fell out of bed when the dormitory door burst open. Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway.
"I want everyone up and dressed in two minutes, and assembled in the common room. No dawdling!" The door slammed shut behind her.
The other boys in the dorm who'd been woken by the slamming door stared at it.
"What's got her knickers in a bunch?" Seamus asked, pulling on his robes over his pyjamas
"Why'd she burst in here like that?!" Dean groaned. "Girls shouldn't do that! What if one of us had been sleeping starkers?" He threw the covers off and climbed out of the bed, shivering at the cold floor on his bare feet.
"At least she's an old girl." Ron said cheerfully pulling on his robes. "They could have sent Snape."
Neville paused to shudder as he crawled out of bed.
"Don't ever say that again." He told Ron.
Harry was only half listening as he dressed quickly; his couldn't help thinking that whatever was happening had something to do with Draco. Ron may have been right after all; maybe Draco was doing something he shouldn't have last night. A small seed of worry began to grow inside Harry. What if Draco had been hurt? Or kidnapped? Or killed?
As they headed down to the common room, Harry could see that it wasn't only their dorm, or even their year, all the students in Gryffindor house were assembled in the common room.
Hermione was waiting for them at the bottom if the stairs.
"What do you think is happening?" She asked, frowning sleepily. "Are we under attack or something?"
"I doubt it." Ron told her. "Harry here ran into Malfoy last night," Harry elbowed Ron in the ribs, making him wince.
"What was that for?" He growled.
"I wasn't supposed to be out last night! So keep your voice down!" Harry hissed, although he doubted anyone was paying attention to them. Everyone else seemed to be waiting for McGonagall to tell them what was happening.
Hermione glared at Harry.
"And just why exactly were you out after hours, anyway?" She asked.
"I couldn't sleep." Harry said, not wanting her to know anything else. Well, it was true, it just wasn't the whole truth.
"That's no excuse for breaking the rules, Harry. You know better; we're in our last year here, and we need to be more cautious."
Harry didn't argue. There was no winning an argument with Hermione, so the best thing to do was wait it out. Hermione sighed.
"So what was Malfoy doing?" she asked. Harry shrugged.
"I dunno."
"He had his broom with him." Ron said helpfully. Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Why would he…?"
"You attention, please!" Professor McGonagall's voice rose above the crowd, and the students slowly stopped talking.
"I'm afraid there's been an incident here at Hogwarts that questions the security here, so the Headmaster wants you all to head down to the Great Hall for an emergency announcement. Do so in an orderly fashion, and stay together as a group."
The murmur of voices began to rise again, but McGonagall's glare cut them short.
"Prefects, I want you to guide the rest and keep them in line. You are responsible for getting everyone to the Hall, so make sure no one strays away. You are to leave immediately." McGonagall swept out of the room, closing the portrait door behind her.
At once the entire room burst into a cacophony of noise; with everyone talking at once, as well as the Hermione and the prefects trying to be heard above everyone else.
Finally Ron resorted to using a firecracker spell that he'd learned from Fred the summer before. The sharp noise and bright flash made everyone fall silent. Hermione took over in her roll as head girl.
"Everyone grab a partner and form lines. I want the first years up front, followed by the second, and third, and so on. Harry, Ron, Lavender, I want you to stay close to the younger students in case something happens. Everyone else just keep watch and stay in line!"
Harry moved to the front of the forming line, so that he was on the opposite side of it from Ron. Lavender was a few pairs back, keeping the second and third years out of trouble. A little first year girl – Harry had to think for a moment to remember her name – Selene, looked up at Harry with tears in her eyes.
"Is something really bad going to happen?" she asked fearfully. Harry smiled at her, looking for more cheerful and confident than her felt.
"No, of course not. Professor Dumbledore just wants to make sure everyone is safe. You know nothing really bad can happen to us while he's here."
The young girl smiled bravely at him.
"I guess you're right."
Harry spent the entire walk down to the Great Hall hoping to any gods that might be listening that he was right.
* * * *
I know, not as much happened in this chapter as I might have liked.
But you have to enjoy the suspense. What exactly is happening at Hogwarts, and what do Draco and the other Slytherin have to do with it?
Find out soon, (I hope) in the next instalment.
The lyrics at the beginning are to Martina McBride's 'The Great Disguise'
I do enjoy reviews, even if it's only to point out a mistake. Anything to make this story more enjoyable to all you readers.
Keep the Plot Bunnies active!
The Silver Muse
