A/N: Yay!!!!! Thank you all so much for reviewing, it really helps! And
it's always really fun to read reviews, so keep it up!!!! ^.^
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Except the plot. Also, there are yaoi- slash-ai shounen relationships in this ff. So if you don't like that.........Don't read it!!!!
Chapter 2:
At 10:45 Harry Potter went up to his dormitory, feigning tiredness. He crossed the room and opened the chest at the end of his bed. He pulled out his invisibility cloak, and slipped into it before anyone could walk in and find him.
He left Gryffindor tower and took the long way down to the dungeons. On the way there he had plenty of time to think about what he was going to do. He could hardly believe what he was going to go do. He was seriously thinking about and considering what Draco had said to him. And now he was starting to think of Malfoy as Draco. It had only been three days!
Truthfully, Malfoy had given him ideas if nothing else. Since the mess with Cho last year, Harry couldn't seem to move on. He was no longer hung up her, but none of the other girls seemed attractive or caught his eye. Maybe it was time to turn to guys. But was Draco really a good place to start?
Too late now. He was in the dungeons, standing in front of the door to the storage closet. He put his hand on the knob. It didn't move: locked. He was the first one there. He could leave now, Draco would think it was just a practical joke. Of course, Draco would be disappointed and hurt. And he would lock those feelings deep in his heart as a Malfoy and Slytherin should. Use them to fuel his black magic later on.
"Alohamora," whispered Harry, and then, "lumos." He opened the storage closet door, walked inside, and closed it softly behind him.
***
Draco looked up from his copy of Stealthy Snitch to look at the clock above the Slytherin fireplace. Five to eleven, it said. He sighed in relief and put down his magazine. He got up and left the common room.
It had taken him quite a bit of willpower not to pace the past eight hours. He understood why Harry had picked 11:00, but it was such a long wait.
And he wasn't sure what was going to happen once he got there. Would Harry kiss him? Yell at him? Curse him? Kiss his ass, after he finished with else, as he had so eloquently put it? Laugh at him?
Draco couldn't stop these thoughts running through his head, much as he wanted to, as he approached the door with feline steps. A faint illumination showed from under the door. Good. He had walked slowly to give Harry a chance to get there first, or to change his mind. But he was here. Draco allowed himself to be a little more hopeful.
He opened the door and let himself in.
***
Harry watched the doorknob turn and the door glide open. Draco walked inside and closed it behind him. The light from Harry's wand lit up Draco's form from below, casting eerie shadows and twisting his face into something that wasn't entirely human.
Draco walked to a sidewall of the rather cluttered storage closet. A torch was held there in a bracket, and Draco cast a yellow fire into it, letting light into all the corners of the closet. Harry put out his wand.
It was a large storage closet. If there hadn't been so much stuff in it you could have fit in a hippogriff with room for a person to walk around it.
For a moment, both of them were silent. Draco seemed to be searching and sizing up his face and posture. Harry could only stare back. "Well?" said Draco finally.
"I," said Harry, and had to clear his throat. "I'm glad you came."
"When Harry Potter asks for my presence, who am I to refuse?" said Draco with a smile that could have been self-mocking.
"You're the Prince of Slytherin, you can refuse whatever you want," said Harry sourly, mistaking the tone.
"Is that what you think? That I can make my own choices, refuse or accept whatever I want?" Draco asked with a scowl and a grimace.
Harry swallowed. This wasn't what he had wanted to happen. He had wanted to say something very different to Draco. Harry meant to talk with Draco, not argue. They would never get this solved if they couldn't speak to each other for more than three seconds.
***
Draco stood with his fists clenched inside his robes. It was just like Potter to think that of him. It pissed him off very badly. He had come expecting—hoping for—some kind of acquiescence, or bargain, or even a duel. Potter making assumptions about his life wasn't something he liked at all.
"I don't see anything stopping you," said Harry.
"Well, I wish I were you then, Potter," said Draco. Something inside of him cringed at the knowledge that they were back on last name terms.
"Name one thing you can't refuse, Draco Malfoy," Harry said.
"My future," Draco spat. "The future my father arranged for me, and laid out in front of my feet. As far as he and the Dark Lord are concerned, I'm a servant of You-Know-Who now and forever. Nothing I try to do can ever change that." Harry was vigorously shaking his head before he had even finished talking.
"No, you still have a choice. What about my godfather? Or your aunt Andromeda? They didn't do what the rest of their family did. They took their own path. You can too."
"It's too late for me. They weren't sorted into Slytherin. They spent their years in Hogwarts in other houses, grew up at school in a totally different way. I don't have that option," Draco said.
"I think you're wrong. Those two may have been sorted into other houses, but they still had to go against their family. It wasn't the house they were in that matters, it was what was inside their heart to fight with the good side. You're not your father, Draco, your life is your own, and you can do whatever you want with it."
Draco was speechless. None of this had particularly occurred to him before. He had forgotten that Sirius Black was a sort of cousin to him, and he had never met his Aunt Andromeda. They had both defied their families' pureblood ideals.
"Of course I'm not Lucious, but is it possible...do you think I can change who I am?" Draco's voice started out arrogant and slipped to a pleading tone. He watched Harry carefully, waiting for the answer.
"It's just a choice, Draco. You're already here, aren't you?" Harry hesitated and bit his lip, trying to decide something Draco guessed. His deep green eyes stared at the floor and then up into Draco's. He opened his mouth to say more when something fell through the wall, and they both jumped.
"Well, well, what's this?" said Peeves. "Planning a Gryffindor- Slytherin slumber party?" He cocked his head with an air of curiosity, then laughed. He opened the closet door and stuck his head outside it. "Oh, Mrs. Norris!" he called.
"C'mon!" said Harry, grabbing Draco's hand and pulling them in the opposite direction. Half of Draco's mind lingered on the happy sensation of Harry holding his hand, and the other half wondered if he should be the one doing the pulling since he knew the dungeons. *I could find us someplace nice and *cozy,** Draco thought. But as they turned the first corner, Harry pulled them to a stop.
"Wait," said Harry, fumbling around in his robe.
"What are you—"Draco tugged on his hand, but Harry stood firm.
"Just wait." Harry pulled something from his robes.
"We don't have time to—"Draco was beginning when he felt something settle on his shoulders and head. Harry was gone, and his arm had disappeared; when he looked down, the rest of him was gone too. "What the hell...." he stated.
"Invisibility cloak," said Harry and pulled on his hand again. They headed for the stairs that would take them to the ground floor of Hogwarts. Draco struggled not to trip, not really knowing how to move with the cloak on.
They stopped just outside a courtyard filled with pooled moonlight. The air was crisp as winter drew closer, and their white breath floated on it. Harry pulled the cloak off them and they sat on a stone bench, facing the courtyard. They were silent, comfortable.
Draco turned to look Harry in the eye. "What," he said, at last breaking the silence, "were you going to say before Peeves interrupted?"
"I, well..." Harry stammered. Draco's interest deepened: Harry appeared to blushing slightly. Harry sighed. "I suppose it doesn't matter that much," he said. "I was just going to tell you...that when we were sorted, in first year, the Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. It didn't because I asked it not too."
Draco could think of nothing to say. Several thoughts whirled through his head. Harry Potter in *Slytherin*? Wow. But he only said lightly, "I suppose you only asked that because I had made such an ass of myself the first couple days."
"Well, yeah," Harry admitted.
Draco just watched Harry. Watched his eyes. When he leaned in closer those eyes closed. Draco was just inches away when Harry gasped and jumped back, pulling his hand out of Draco's. "I can't," he said. "I can't kiss you yet, Draco."
Draco nodded his understanding and Harry back away. When he had disappeared from sight, Draco put his head on his knees and sat.
******
A/N: Whew, finally done. By the way feel free to replace that last word "sat" with sighed if you want. I couldn't really decide.
So, I wrote another chapter. I'm sure everyone's thrilled. I'm happy, but I'm honestly not sure if they'll do anything together, because, well, I'm not sure I could write it and publish it.
Anyway, thanks again for reviewing!!! I really appreciate it!! The more reviews the sooner I'll think of the next chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Except the plot. Also, there are yaoi- slash-ai shounen relationships in this ff. So if you don't like that.........Don't read it!!!!
Chapter 2:
At 10:45 Harry Potter went up to his dormitory, feigning tiredness. He crossed the room and opened the chest at the end of his bed. He pulled out his invisibility cloak, and slipped into it before anyone could walk in and find him.
He left Gryffindor tower and took the long way down to the dungeons. On the way there he had plenty of time to think about what he was going to do. He could hardly believe what he was going to go do. He was seriously thinking about and considering what Draco had said to him. And now he was starting to think of Malfoy as Draco. It had only been three days!
Truthfully, Malfoy had given him ideas if nothing else. Since the mess with Cho last year, Harry couldn't seem to move on. He was no longer hung up her, but none of the other girls seemed attractive or caught his eye. Maybe it was time to turn to guys. But was Draco really a good place to start?
Too late now. He was in the dungeons, standing in front of the door to the storage closet. He put his hand on the knob. It didn't move: locked. He was the first one there. He could leave now, Draco would think it was just a practical joke. Of course, Draco would be disappointed and hurt. And he would lock those feelings deep in his heart as a Malfoy and Slytherin should. Use them to fuel his black magic later on.
"Alohamora," whispered Harry, and then, "lumos." He opened the storage closet door, walked inside, and closed it softly behind him.
***
Draco looked up from his copy of Stealthy Snitch to look at the clock above the Slytherin fireplace. Five to eleven, it said. He sighed in relief and put down his magazine. He got up and left the common room.
It had taken him quite a bit of willpower not to pace the past eight hours. He understood why Harry had picked 11:00, but it was such a long wait.
And he wasn't sure what was going to happen once he got there. Would Harry kiss him? Yell at him? Curse him? Kiss his ass, after he finished with else, as he had so eloquently put it? Laugh at him?
Draco couldn't stop these thoughts running through his head, much as he wanted to, as he approached the door with feline steps. A faint illumination showed from under the door. Good. He had walked slowly to give Harry a chance to get there first, or to change his mind. But he was here. Draco allowed himself to be a little more hopeful.
He opened the door and let himself in.
***
Harry watched the doorknob turn and the door glide open. Draco walked inside and closed it behind him. The light from Harry's wand lit up Draco's form from below, casting eerie shadows and twisting his face into something that wasn't entirely human.
Draco walked to a sidewall of the rather cluttered storage closet. A torch was held there in a bracket, and Draco cast a yellow fire into it, letting light into all the corners of the closet. Harry put out his wand.
It was a large storage closet. If there hadn't been so much stuff in it you could have fit in a hippogriff with room for a person to walk around it.
For a moment, both of them were silent. Draco seemed to be searching and sizing up his face and posture. Harry could only stare back. "Well?" said Draco finally.
"I," said Harry, and had to clear his throat. "I'm glad you came."
"When Harry Potter asks for my presence, who am I to refuse?" said Draco with a smile that could have been self-mocking.
"You're the Prince of Slytherin, you can refuse whatever you want," said Harry sourly, mistaking the tone.
"Is that what you think? That I can make my own choices, refuse or accept whatever I want?" Draco asked with a scowl and a grimace.
Harry swallowed. This wasn't what he had wanted to happen. He had wanted to say something very different to Draco. Harry meant to talk with Draco, not argue. They would never get this solved if they couldn't speak to each other for more than three seconds.
***
Draco stood with his fists clenched inside his robes. It was just like Potter to think that of him. It pissed him off very badly. He had come expecting—hoping for—some kind of acquiescence, or bargain, or even a duel. Potter making assumptions about his life wasn't something he liked at all.
"I don't see anything stopping you," said Harry.
"Well, I wish I were you then, Potter," said Draco. Something inside of him cringed at the knowledge that they were back on last name terms.
"Name one thing you can't refuse, Draco Malfoy," Harry said.
"My future," Draco spat. "The future my father arranged for me, and laid out in front of my feet. As far as he and the Dark Lord are concerned, I'm a servant of You-Know-Who now and forever. Nothing I try to do can ever change that." Harry was vigorously shaking his head before he had even finished talking.
"No, you still have a choice. What about my godfather? Or your aunt Andromeda? They didn't do what the rest of their family did. They took their own path. You can too."
"It's too late for me. They weren't sorted into Slytherin. They spent their years in Hogwarts in other houses, grew up at school in a totally different way. I don't have that option," Draco said.
"I think you're wrong. Those two may have been sorted into other houses, but they still had to go against their family. It wasn't the house they were in that matters, it was what was inside their heart to fight with the good side. You're not your father, Draco, your life is your own, and you can do whatever you want with it."
Draco was speechless. None of this had particularly occurred to him before. He had forgotten that Sirius Black was a sort of cousin to him, and he had never met his Aunt Andromeda. They had both defied their families' pureblood ideals.
"Of course I'm not Lucious, but is it possible...do you think I can change who I am?" Draco's voice started out arrogant and slipped to a pleading tone. He watched Harry carefully, waiting for the answer.
"It's just a choice, Draco. You're already here, aren't you?" Harry hesitated and bit his lip, trying to decide something Draco guessed. His deep green eyes stared at the floor and then up into Draco's. He opened his mouth to say more when something fell through the wall, and they both jumped.
"Well, well, what's this?" said Peeves. "Planning a Gryffindor- Slytherin slumber party?" He cocked his head with an air of curiosity, then laughed. He opened the closet door and stuck his head outside it. "Oh, Mrs. Norris!" he called.
"C'mon!" said Harry, grabbing Draco's hand and pulling them in the opposite direction. Half of Draco's mind lingered on the happy sensation of Harry holding his hand, and the other half wondered if he should be the one doing the pulling since he knew the dungeons. *I could find us someplace nice and *cozy,** Draco thought. But as they turned the first corner, Harry pulled them to a stop.
"Wait," said Harry, fumbling around in his robe.
"What are you—"Draco tugged on his hand, but Harry stood firm.
"Just wait." Harry pulled something from his robes.
"We don't have time to—"Draco was beginning when he felt something settle on his shoulders and head. Harry was gone, and his arm had disappeared; when he looked down, the rest of him was gone too. "What the hell...." he stated.
"Invisibility cloak," said Harry and pulled on his hand again. They headed for the stairs that would take them to the ground floor of Hogwarts. Draco struggled not to trip, not really knowing how to move with the cloak on.
They stopped just outside a courtyard filled with pooled moonlight. The air was crisp as winter drew closer, and their white breath floated on it. Harry pulled the cloak off them and they sat on a stone bench, facing the courtyard. They were silent, comfortable.
Draco turned to look Harry in the eye. "What," he said, at last breaking the silence, "were you going to say before Peeves interrupted?"
"I, well..." Harry stammered. Draco's interest deepened: Harry appeared to blushing slightly. Harry sighed. "I suppose it doesn't matter that much," he said. "I was just going to tell you...that when we were sorted, in first year, the Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. It didn't because I asked it not too."
Draco could think of nothing to say. Several thoughts whirled through his head. Harry Potter in *Slytherin*? Wow. But he only said lightly, "I suppose you only asked that because I had made such an ass of myself the first couple days."
"Well, yeah," Harry admitted.
Draco just watched Harry. Watched his eyes. When he leaned in closer those eyes closed. Draco was just inches away when Harry gasped and jumped back, pulling his hand out of Draco's. "I can't," he said. "I can't kiss you yet, Draco."
Draco nodded his understanding and Harry back away. When he had disappeared from sight, Draco put his head on his knees and sat.
******
A/N: Whew, finally done. By the way feel free to replace that last word "sat" with sighed if you want. I couldn't really decide.
So, I wrote another chapter. I'm sure everyone's thrilled. I'm happy, but I'm honestly not sure if they'll do anything together, because, well, I'm not sure I could write it and publish it.
Anyway, thanks again for reviewing!!! I really appreciate it!! The more reviews the sooner I'll think of the next chapter!