CHAPTER Five

And after a long time

the boy came back again.

"I am sorry, Boy,"

said the tree, "but I have nothing

left to give you-

My apples are gone.

"My teeth are too weak

for apples,"said the boy.

"My branches are gone,"

said the tree. you

cannot swing on them-"

I am too old to swing

on branches," said the boy.

You cannot climb-"

I am too tired to climb,"said the boy.

I am sorry,"sighed the tree.

I wish that I could

give you something...

But I have nothing left. I am just

an old stump. I am sorry..."

"I don't need very much now,"

said the boy,

"just a quiet place to sit and rest.

I am very tired."

"Well said the tree straightening herself up

as much as she could,

"well, an old stump is good

for sitting and resting.

Come, Boy sit down.

Sit down and rest."

And the boy did.

And the tree was happy.

Shel Silverstein-The giving tree

Harry woke to the sound of a soft voice, and the feel of someone stroking his hand. For one crazy moment he thought it was Draco. When he opened his eyes to find Seamus sitting by his bed, he felt ..disappointed. Which was immediately followed by guilt. He liked Seamus a lot. Whatever he felt for Draco was just physical attraction,

there were no feelings involved, except maybe dislike. So why was he disappointed? As he looked up into Seamus's loving gaze he was determined to forget Draco Malfoy. He was attracted to Seamus too. Maybe not in the same burning almost painful way as he was to Draco, but at least he was in control, he never felt out of control around Seamus and there was a comfort in that. He smiled up at Seamus.

"How are you feeling," Seamus asked as he leaned over to kiss Harry lightly on the lips.

"Oh not to bad, but I bet you can make me feel better," he said with a grin pulling Seamus down on top of him and capturing his mouth with his. Madam Pomfrey had fixed his arm right away, but the healing drained him of his energy so he had to stay in the hospital overnight.

"Happy to oblige," Seamus said a little breathlessly as he broke the kiss and started trailing light little kisses down Harry's neck. Harry let out a little moan just as the curtain was flung open.

"Mr. Finnegan get off Mr. Potter and out of that bed this instant."

Seamus jumped up and blushed. "Sorry Madam Pomfrey,"he said looking contrite.

"Honestly the things you young kids get up to. Teenage hormones will be the death of me yet," she mumbled going over to the neighboring bed.

Harry wanted to look away but he couldn't. He just wanted to see Draco, there was no harm in that surely?

Draco woke to the sound of someone calling his name softly. He immediately knew it wasn't Harry and mentally kicked himself for the thought. Why should it be Potter and why should I care. He looked up into a pair of dark brown eyes.

Dean looked at him uncertainly. "Can I come in," he said his hand resting lightly on the curtain.

"Of course," Draco said with a little smile. Dean really was very handsome. Just what he needed to take his mind off Harry.

"I just came by to see how you were and say congratulations on the game. Although I was hoping you'd lose, and we certainty intend to kick your buts next time," he said with an infectious grin.

"Ah a back handed compliment, my favorite kind."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit honestly," Draco said his hand going to his head.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? I could ask Madam Pomfrey for something for you or..." he was interrupted by a loud shout.

"Mr. Finnegan get off Mr. Potter and out of this bed right now."

Draco felt anger rising in him for no good reason that he could think of. He looked up at Dean and saw something like anger cross the other boys features.

"You know," Draco said in a low voice, "I've always heard that if you kiss it it will make it better, how about we test the theory."

Dean gave an evil little grin. "You read my mind," he said as he leaned over and pressed his lips to Draco's. Just then Draco felt a rush of air and heard a gasp as Madam Pomfrey flung open the curtain.

"Merlin it must be catching. I hate to interrupt but I need to give Mr. Malfoy his medicine and it's a little hard to do when his mouth is otherwise occupied."

Draco lazily broke the kiss and ran his hand slowly down the other boys side letting it fall to the bed. "Thanks I feel much better now."

"Anytime," Dean said and they both looked over towards the other bed.

The other boys had livid expressions on their faces that they were trying hard to control. Draco and Dean both looked at each other with satisfied smiles.

"I'll see you tomorrow in Hogsmede, I have a special surprise planned for you," he said to Dean but his eyes were on Seamus. He smiled as the other boy turned red with barely suppressed rage.

"I can't wait," Dean said and with a wink he turned to walk out of the door.

"Wait," Seamus said as Dean reached the door putting a hand on his arm, we need to talk. Seamus turned back to the bed. "Harry is it all right if I go, or do you want me to stay?"

"No go ahead I'll see you tomorrow," Harry said as he pulled him down for a long goodbye kiss. "Just to hold you over," Harry said with a grin. Seamus grinned following Dean out of the door. Harry waited until Madam Pomfrey had given Draco his medicine and left the room.

"What the hell do you think you were doing out on the field today?"

"What was I doing?" Draco replied. "I was not in my right mind due to the Severe Fucking Head injury. What do you think you were doing? Obviously you couldn't resist the chance to take advantage of me when I couldn't defend myself."

"Oh yeah sure Malfoy, I definitely remember that from Madam Pomfrey's medical emergency class. Common side effects of a head injury, dizziness, nausea, uncontrollable spontaneous erection."

"Don't let it go to your head Potter, I had a young, sweaty, not completely repulsive male lying on top of me. It would have happened if any of the male players had fallen on me. So don't think that this means that I'm attracted to you, in case you've forgot since the last time I told you, I'll refresh your memory, I HATE YOU!"

"I thought you didn't have any reason to hate me anymore. Isn't that what you said, that you could just forget that I exist," Harry said in a soft voice.

Draco sighed and put a hand to his head. Harry was right, he obviously couldn't forget he existed. Harry had been a main force in Draco's life for the last six years.

"Your right Potter, I don't hate you. Old habits die hard. I obviously can't forget you exist we have to much history. So what am I to do?" He asked in a defeated voice.

"Well I know this is a radical notion but maybe we could be... friends." Harry looked over at Malfoy to see what his reaction to this might be.

"Friends? You Harry Potter and me Draco Malfoy, friends? Well the shock value alone might be worth it," he said in a thoughtful voice.

"There's always the side benefit that it will piss your father off," Harry added helpfully.

"That's true, that's very true. That gives me a reason but what about you, what benefit could you get from our friendship?"

"I don't know, I couldn't stand it when you weren't talking to me, I was dying for you to insult me. Isn't that funny," Harry asked with a self deprecating chuckle. "For some reason I just can't picture life without you. If it's not going to be as my enemy, than I guess it has to be as my friend. You've always been able to get to me when no one

else could, because you know me. You have to know your enemy. I'm sure your father didn't neglect to teach you that."

"No, he didn't," Draco said quietly.

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Well then," Draco said sitting up in bed, "I suppose we'll be friends, but whatever will we talk about. I can't think that we would have much in common, Potter.

"Well you never know, and if were going to be friends you should probably call me Harry, Draco."

Draco felt an odd thrill at hearing Harry say his name. Followed immediately by irritation. There was no reason to get excited over his own name. "All right... Harry, so lets see what we have in common. Well there's quidditch, but I suppose your a Chudley Cannons fan."

"Actually I'm not. I don't have a particular team that I like. Although don't tell Ron because he would go ballistic."

"I sincerely doubt that I will be telling Weasley anything."

There was a minute of awkward silence.

"Yeah of course not, sorry about that. But If were going to be friends you're going to have to lay off my other friends a little."

Draco gave a little sigh."Well to be honest, I only ever insulted them because it was the best way to get to you. Now that that's no longer an issue, it really won't be that hard. Although I do find Weasley to be very irritating."

"Well I think that the best we can hope for is a civil dislike from both of you. As long as your not fighting every two seconds it won't be to bad." Harry groaned, "How am I going to explain this to Ron, he's not going to be very happy."

"That's the understatement of the year, face it, the boy has a temper."

Harry chuckled. They sat in silence for a moment, Harry desperate for something to say, said the only thing he could think of at the moment.

"What's your favorite food?" Harry asked

Draco sat silently for a moment. What's my favorite food? What kind of question is that. But failing to think of a better one Draco answered. "Mashed potatoes and gravy."

"Mashed potatoes and gravy," Harry exclaimed.

"What's so shocking about that?" Draco asked with a small frown.

"Well it's just, I don't know, I thought it would be filet mignon or something like that," Harry stuttered his face red.

Draco chuckled. "While I do enjoy a good filet mignon, nothing beats the understated simplicity of mashed potatoes and gravy. What's your favorite food?"

"Um.. I don't know, I like all food, I guess I'd have to say..biscuits and gravy."

"Well look at that, we do have something in common, we both like gravy. Harry I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Draco said with a grin.

Harry burst out laughing. "You like Casablanca, I think I'm going to die of shock. How would you ever even watch movies, I'd think your father wouldn't let you be exposed to anything from the muggle world."

"Know your enemy and all that. He always said that movies were proof of how inferior and stupid muggles were. Which I agree, about ninety percent of them are, but I liked some of them, especially Casablanca. It's the only romantic movie that doesn't have a happy ending. I like my love stories full of angst, and Humphrey Boggart was very sexy," Draco said with raised eyebrows.

"There was something about that I don't give a damn attitude that was really sexy," Harry said looking sideways at Draco. "Hey were both gay

that's something we have in common." Now whatever possessed me to say that, Harry thought.

"Indeed," was all Draco said. An uncomfortable silence followed.

"So what's your favorite children's book," Harry asked desperate to change the subject.

"What else The little prince, of course," Draco said with a smirk.

"Why am I not surprised." Harry rolled his eyes.

"What's yours? The giving tree I suppose, you are really self sacrificing to the point of lunacy," Draco said in a teasing voice.

Harry just blushed and looked away.

Draco burst out laughing. "You can't be serious. That's really your favorite? Oh this has Daily Prophet front page written all over it. I can see it now. Harry Potter's famous, all consuming, supremely self sacrificing, altruistic personality, is not as previously thought a result of being the savior of the wizarding world. Inside sources reveal it's all the result of early exposure to..to badly moraled muggle children's literature."

Harry couldn't help himself, Malfoy's laughter was infectious, it was impossible for him not to join in.

Soon the laughter was interspersed with yawns and they looked at each other. "The medicine must be kicking in," Draco said sleepily.

Harry's only answer was a yawn.

Both boys went to sleep with smiles on their faces.