Chapter Five
Sometimes I remember
The darkness of my past
Bringing back these memories
I wish I didn't have
Cloe frowned deeply as she walked into Harry's apartment. He was lying on the sofa, watching television.
"Come on, you need to get out," she sighed. "You're a mess! Didn't you come here to forget your past?"
Harry nodded, but didn't look at her.
"I know some people you'd like to meet," she continued, walking over to him. "They're really nice. I think you'd hit it off!"
He still didn't move.
"Come on, Michael," she pleaded, kneeling down in front of him. "I know this is hard for you - I'm only trying to make it easier. Don't you want more friends, to help you get through this?"
He didn't speak. She sighed and stood up.
"I'll be at my place, then."
She started for the door, wishing Harry would snap out of whatever he was thinking about.
"Wait," Harry called reluctantly. She turned around to face him, smiling. "Just give me an hour, okay? I need to shower and shave."
She nodded as Harry lifted himself off the couch. "But if you try to escape, I'm gonna petrify you and leave you here for the whole weekend!"
"Alright with me," Harry muttered, walking to the bathroom. Cloe gently slapped him on the back of the head as she moved to the couch.
"Yech, Harry, you need to clean up around here! It's filthy!" she exclaimed, picking beer cans off the floor and tossing them in the garbage.
"I haven't felt like cleaning lately," Harry shrugged, closing the bathroom door behind him. "I haven't really been in the mood to do much lately, Cloe. It's just not the time for it, you know?"
"Well, now it is the time for it," Cloe smiled. "Go on, I want you to meet some of my friends."
*_*_*_*_*
"Shit!"
Draco ducked behind a bench as a group of people came out of a nearby store, laughing and joking. And - at the head of the group was. . . .
"No way," Draco whispered, peeking out behind the bench.
Harry was smiling wildly - the first time Draco had seen him smile since fifth year. 'Two bloody years without one smile out of him, and now he's going around grinning like a bloody idiot?!'
Something caught Harry's eyes, and his head snapped to the side, his smile fading almost immediately.
"Malfoy?!"
"Shit!" Draco repeated quietly, hitting his head harshly against the cool metal he was resting his body against.
"Is that you, Malfoy?!"
"What's up, Michael?" Todd, Cloe's boyfriend, asked.
"Hold on - I think I saw someone I knew," Harry muttered, walking toward the bench. He peeked his head around, and automatically staggered back, surprised. "Malfoy! What are you doing here?!"
"Er - I. . . . Well. . ." Draco stuttered, too nervous to speak clearly. 'I should've seen this coming! He would have discovered eventually!'
"I moved here after. . . . You know."
"Why are you hiding behind a bench?!"
"I'm not hiding, Potter!" Draco protested, climbing to his feet. "I tripped, that's all! Muggle rubbish all over the ground. . . ."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Never, in all the years I've known you, NEVER have I seen you trip."
"Well, Malfoys can be clumsy at times," Draco hissed, trying his best to appear angry. "You just don't look hard enough. It's really not that hard to catch, Potter!"
"Michael!" Cloe called, running over to them. "Who's this? A friend?"
"Anything but," Harry grumbled.
"Michael?!" Draco exclaimed, raising his eyebrows.
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry growled dangerously.
"Since when have you been Michael?!" Draco ranted, ignoring Harry's feral warning.
"Since now!" Harry spat, shooting daggers at Draco with his glare.
"Who is this?" Cloe asked, concerned. "Michael, are you okay?"
"It doesn't matter," Harry glowered. "Come on, Cloe, let's go. We don't need to waste anymore time on HIM."
Cloe shrugged and followed Harry off toward the rest of the group.
"Potter, wait!" Draco exclaimed, grabbing Harry's arm automatically.
"It's Michael," Harry barked coldly. "Michael Smith."
"Fine then, Smith," Draco sneered, genuinely annoyed.
"Was that it?" Harry snapped, pulling his arm away. "Because I have things to do."
"No." Draco rolled his eyes. "I wanted to ask you if. . . . If you wanted to go out to dinner sometime."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Why the sudden change in attitude toward me, Malfoy? Trying to get on my good side now?" "It's nothing like that. I just didn't know many people here, and I thought you'd like to have a old friend, too."
"Since when were you an old friend?"
"Come on, Michael," Cloe smiled encouragingly. "Just a dinner. It's no big deal."
"Are you forgetting why I came here, Cloe?" Harry asked softly. "He's a part of my past - a very, very bad part - and I'd rather not bring him back into my life."
"But - oh, come on, Harry, just give him a chance? He looks like he means it."
"But I don't!"
Cloe stared at him for a minute, and he frowned. "Please don't, Cloe."
"Say yes," she nearly commanded. "You'll have more time out of the apartment - more time with other people, and less time wallowing on the past."
"Fine, Cloe, fine," he grumbled, then turned back to Draco. "Sure, Malfoy, I'd LOVE to go out with you."
"Well, then. . . . How about Friday?" Draco smiled, surprised.
"Whatever," Harry drawled before stomping off towards the rest of his new friends.
"Sorry about him," Cloe smiled shyly. "He's just in a bad mood lately."
"That's not true," Draco challenged. "He's been in a bad mood since he saw me. Before that, he was laughing and joking and having a good time."
Cloe nodded. "It's true, sorry." She chuckled. "Well, what time should you two meet?"
"I'm not going on a date with Harry Potter if his new little crony is going to set it up for us," Draco hissed.
"First off, Malfoy," Cloe hissed back, meeting and matching his sneer, "It's not a date, it's a get-together, and second, I'm not his crony, or his pet, or his little drooling puppy. I'm his friend, someone who'll always be there for him, who won't give up on him. Obviously you don't have enough of those, if you don't understand that. And third, DON'T call him Harry Potter again! His name is Michael Smith now, it doesn't matter what it used to be."
"Whatever, just tell him to call me if he plans on getting out of his place this weekend, alright? I'm staying at the Hilton, just tell him to ask for room 506."
"Fine," Cloe hissed, and followed Harry off towards the rest of their friends.
Draco mentally slapped himself. He had promised that now he was in a new place, he would have a new attitude. Nice! And, what had gotten into him, asking Harry out to dinner?! He wasn't supposed to let Harry know he was here, and if he WAS found, he wasn't supposed to give any signs of interest! A rule he had learned from Snape - never let Potter get even the tiniest hint of suspicion.
'Well, it's too late now,' Draco thought. 'Idiot!'
He grumbled as he walked off in the direction Harry was going, quietly lurking behind them, unaware that someone was watching him.
*_*_*_*_*
A/N: I know it's messed up, I'm just in a messed up mood lately! Sorry!!!
Really quickly, to the things that are reading Broken Lives: I know I only got the first chapter in so far, but I only have five, so I guess I'll tell you this now. I was really tired when I wrote the ending to it, so I'm gonna have to rewrite it, so it may take a while before I get the next chapters up. So don't be expecting an update on that story anytime soon.
To the people reading Here Without You: I'm having writer's block!!! Sorry, but it's really bad, I'll get it out as soon as I can, but I'm not sure how soon that'll be! I mean, I know what I want to write, I just don't know how to word it, without making it sound really, really stupid!!! Sorry about it! Seriously, as soon as I can, maybe next week, maybe next month!!!
~~TTFN, deathdragon4~~
Sometimes I remember
The darkness of my past
Bringing back these memories
I wish I didn't have
Cloe frowned deeply as she walked into Harry's apartment. He was lying on the sofa, watching television.
"Come on, you need to get out," she sighed. "You're a mess! Didn't you come here to forget your past?"
Harry nodded, but didn't look at her.
"I know some people you'd like to meet," she continued, walking over to him. "They're really nice. I think you'd hit it off!"
He still didn't move.
"Come on, Michael," she pleaded, kneeling down in front of him. "I know this is hard for you - I'm only trying to make it easier. Don't you want more friends, to help you get through this?"
He didn't speak. She sighed and stood up.
"I'll be at my place, then."
She started for the door, wishing Harry would snap out of whatever he was thinking about.
"Wait," Harry called reluctantly. She turned around to face him, smiling. "Just give me an hour, okay? I need to shower and shave."
She nodded as Harry lifted himself off the couch. "But if you try to escape, I'm gonna petrify you and leave you here for the whole weekend!"
"Alright with me," Harry muttered, walking to the bathroom. Cloe gently slapped him on the back of the head as she moved to the couch.
"Yech, Harry, you need to clean up around here! It's filthy!" she exclaimed, picking beer cans off the floor and tossing them in the garbage.
"I haven't felt like cleaning lately," Harry shrugged, closing the bathroom door behind him. "I haven't really been in the mood to do much lately, Cloe. It's just not the time for it, you know?"
"Well, now it is the time for it," Cloe smiled. "Go on, I want you to meet some of my friends."
*_*_*_*_*
"Shit!"
Draco ducked behind a bench as a group of people came out of a nearby store, laughing and joking. And - at the head of the group was. . . .
"No way," Draco whispered, peeking out behind the bench.
Harry was smiling wildly - the first time Draco had seen him smile since fifth year. 'Two bloody years without one smile out of him, and now he's going around grinning like a bloody idiot?!'
Something caught Harry's eyes, and his head snapped to the side, his smile fading almost immediately.
"Malfoy?!"
"Shit!" Draco repeated quietly, hitting his head harshly against the cool metal he was resting his body against.
"Is that you, Malfoy?!"
"What's up, Michael?" Todd, Cloe's boyfriend, asked.
"Hold on - I think I saw someone I knew," Harry muttered, walking toward the bench. He peeked his head around, and automatically staggered back, surprised. "Malfoy! What are you doing here?!"
"Er - I. . . . Well. . ." Draco stuttered, too nervous to speak clearly. 'I should've seen this coming! He would have discovered eventually!'
"I moved here after. . . . You know."
"Why are you hiding behind a bench?!"
"I'm not hiding, Potter!" Draco protested, climbing to his feet. "I tripped, that's all! Muggle rubbish all over the ground. . . ."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Never, in all the years I've known you, NEVER have I seen you trip."
"Well, Malfoys can be clumsy at times," Draco hissed, trying his best to appear angry. "You just don't look hard enough. It's really not that hard to catch, Potter!"
"Michael!" Cloe called, running over to them. "Who's this? A friend?"
"Anything but," Harry grumbled.
"Michael?!" Draco exclaimed, raising his eyebrows.
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry growled dangerously.
"Since when have you been Michael?!" Draco ranted, ignoring Harry's feral warning.
"Since now!" Harry spat, shooting daggers at Draco with his glare.
"Who is this?" Cloe asked, concerned. "Michael, are you okay?"
"It doesn't matter," Harry glowered. "Come on, Cloe, let's go. We don't need to waste anymore time on HIM."
Cloe shrugged and followed Harry off toward the rest of the group.
"Potter, wait!" Draco exclaimed, grabbing Harry's arm automatically.
"It's Michael," Harry barked coldly. "Michael Smith."
"Fine then, Smith," Draco sneered, genuinely annoyed.
"Was that it?" Harry snapped, pulling his arm away. "Because I have things to do."
"No." Draco rolled his eyes. "I wanted to ask you if. . . . If you wanted to go out to dinner sometime."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Why the sudden change in attitude toward me, Malfoy? Trying to get on my good side now?" "It's nothing like that. I just didn't know many people here, and I thought you'd like to have a old friend, too."
"Since when were you an old friend?"
"Come on, Michael," Cloe smiled encouragingly. "Just a dinner. It's no big deal."
"Are you forgetting why I came here, Cloe?" Harry asked softly. "He's a part of my past - a very, very bad part - and I'd rather not bring him back into my life."
"But - oh, come on, Harry, just give him a chance? He looks like he means it."
"But I don't!"
Cloe stared at him for a minute, and he frowned. "Please don't, Cloe."
"Say yes," she nearly commanded. "You'll have more time out of the apartment - more time with other people, and less time wallowing on the past."
"Fine, Cloe, fine," he grumbled, then turned back to Draco. "Sure, Malfoy, I'd LOVE to go out with you."
"Well, then. . . . How about Friday?" Draco smiled, surprised.
"Whatever," Harry drawled before stomping off towards the rest of his new friends.
"Sorry about him," Cloe smiled shyly. "He's just in a bad mood lately."
"That's not true," Draco challenged. "He's been in a bad mood since he saw me. Before that, he was laughing and joking and having a good time."
Cloe nodded. "It's true, sorry." She chuckled. "Well, what time should you two meet?"
"I'm not going on a date with Harry Potter if his new little crony is going to set it up for us," Draco hissed.
"First off, Malfoy," Cloe hissed back, meeting and matching his sneer, "It's not a date, it's a get-together, and second, I'm not his crony, or his pet, or his little drooling puppy. I'm his friend, someone who'll always be there for him, who won't give up on him. Obviously you don't have enough of those, if you don't understand that. And third, DON'T call him Harry Potter again! His name is Michael Smith now, it doesn't matter what it used to be."
"Whatever, just tell him to call me if he plans on getting out of his place this weekend, alright? I'm staying at the Hilton, just tell him to ask for room 506."
"Fine," Cloe hissed, and followed Harry off towards the rest of their friends.
Draco mentally slapped himself. He had promised that now he was in a new place, he would have a new attitude. Nice! And, what had gotten into him, asking Harry out to dinner?! He wasn't supposed to let Harry know he was here, and if he WAS found, he wasn't supposed to give any signs of interest! A rule he had learned from Snape - never let Potter get even the tiniest hint of suspicion.
'Well, it's too late now,' Draco thought. 'Idiot!'
He grumbled as he walked off in the direction Harry was going, quietly lurking behind them, unaware that someone was watching him.
*_*_*_*_*
A/N: I know it's messed up, I'm just in a messed up mood lately! Sorry!!!
Really quickly, to the things that are reading Broken Lives: I know I only got the first chapter in so far, but I only have five, so I guess I'll tell you this now. I was really tired when I wrote the ending to it, so I'm gonna have to rewrite it, so it may take a while before I get the next chapters up. So don't be expecting an update on that story anytime soon.
To the people reading Here Without You: I'm having writer's block!!! Sorry, but it's really bad, I'll get it out as soon as I can, but I'm not sure how soon that'll be! I mean, I know what I want to write, I just don't know how to word it, without making it sound really, really stupid!!! Sorry about it! Seriously, as soon as I can, maybe next week, maybe next month!!!
~~TTFN, deathdragon4~~