Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Note: The idea for this story came when I saw an action figure of Harry Potter called Extreme Quidditch... Many thanks to Veer for beta-work, inspiration, help with some of the dialogue (and the fun following attempts) and down right silly conversations!

Since I'll be going on holiday tomorrow for a couple of weeks, that will also mean that I'll be updating when I get back. - Nat -

Thank you to Sowen, Hp-Azn, angelkitty77, cheer4life-2005, Sheree, mizz-viefje and Dragon Star for your reviews!

Chapter 12

Because Harry hadn't expected Draco to come by to have the make up talk they ended up having, he of course still had to pack. So they had decided to spend the night at The Burrow.

The next morning, when all had had their breakfast, Oliver apparated into the kitchen.

"Good day all.", he said in his cheerful voice.

"Hello, Oliver dear. Would you care for some tea?", Molly asked him without thinking.

"No thanks, Mrs. Weasley.", Oliver said politely. It was evident that he was bubbling over from enthusiasm.

"Oh, go on, Oliver, let's hear the good news.", Fred couldn't take it anymore. "Take that chair over there and if we all hunch a bit closer together, you'll be able to fit in next to Malfoy over there."

That's when Oliver took a good look around the table and noticed that in fact not only Draco was sitting there, but also all the 'wives' that had been held out of the Extreme Quidditch plans. And even though they now all knew, he did have a big lump to swallow. When he sat down, he took an envelope out of his coat pocket.

"Yes well.", he began, nervous. "As you all know by know, the NQL has issued a competition so that people could think of new forms of Quidditch. And together with some people, I came up with Extreme Quidditch."

It had escaped nobody's attention that Draco had suddenly taken a hold of Harry's hand and was sitting as close to Harry as the chairs would permit them.

"Well, I recently received a letter from the NQL that they were interested in Extreme Quidditch and to say that I, together with two teams, am invited to come over on Anniversary Day to play a demonstration game!" If it were possible, Oliver would've made his chair bounce with excitement.

"And why are you here, now?", Katie asked in a careful voice. She loved Oliver dearly but had yet to forgive him for coming up with Extreme Quidditch in the first place.

"Well, I've already seen my teammates, who also helped with the first runs, to ask them if they wanted to be on one of the teams. They all agreed. So, now I am here, to ask Ron, Fred and George if they want to too. I've already written to Ginny to ask her if she'll want to play by the time the game she's reporting on has ended or if she's able to be relieved by that time. I've also already written to Bill and Charlie, but haven't heard from them yet."

This news caused quite a stir at the Weasley kitchen table. Heated debates were had, muffled threats were heard and an occasional hiss could be recognised. After 10 minutes or so, everyone at the table was in slight upheavel. All the Weasley's present, who had played at the beginning were telling Oliver with broad smiles that they indeed would be playing. Then all heads were turned to Harry and Draco, who were still sitting close together holding hands.

"What?" Harry asked them.

"Well, are you playing or not?", Ron wanted to know.

Before Oliver could reply, Harry did. "No."

"What?!?!?!" They all looked at him in disbelief.

"Look guys, Ginny or Charlie will be playing as Seeker. They are both more than up for the job. I've known of this letter a little longer and I've already told Oliver that I won't be playing."

George spoke up. "Why not? As much as I like Ginny or Charlie as Seeker because they are really good, you are still the best we'll ever have! Even after so long without really playing you beat the Seeker from Oliver's team!"

"I'm not risking losing Draco.", was Harry's final word, before he stood up and walked out of the kitchen, leaving an entire Weasley family in shocked silence. Draco was the only one who had seen the flicker of regret cross Harry's face. A look he remembered but that he always forgot about just as fast. Not this time, he vowed. With a muttered "Excuse me." He followed Harry outside. It took him a while to find Harry. He stood in the garden, looking at the sky. Draco walked up behind him and slid his arms around his waist, cradling him against his chest.

"Hmmm.", Harry said while he tugged Draco's arms a bit closer around him.

"Why did you say no, Harry?", Draco asked him softly.

"You heard me, I'm not having an argument with you over this and run the chance of really losing you.", Harry said just as softly.

"But now I would know about it.", Draco tried.

Harry nodded. "That's true, but I hadn't talked to you about it before. And you coming by yesterday was, well, wonderful and I do not want to ruin it."

"Harry, I'm going to ask you a question. I want an honest answer, alright?", Draco said. "If you didn't have me to worry about, would you be on Oliver's team?"

Harry nodded without really thinking about it. "But I do have you to worry about, Dray. I love you, so it's very simple."

Draco didn't feel so good about himself. An emotion that was becoming too familiar to his liking. He made a decision then and there. "We'll go back to that kitchen and you'll tell Oliver that you WILL be playing.", he said firmly.

Finally Harry turned around in his arms. "Dray?" Clearly he didn't understand.

"Harry, I've kept you from doing too many things just because I didn't like them. Now I know what you'll be doing. I'll even come to practice games if and when I can, and I promise you here and now.....", he gave Harry a kiss, "....... to have a hot bath waiting for you everytime you come home with bruises."

Harry looked at him, to determine if he was meaning what he was saying. When Draco simply nodded, Harry threw his arms around his neck and snogged him until they both had to come up for air. They had to wait several minutes after that before they were able to go back to the Weasley kitchen, where most present had been blaming Oliver for Harry's sudden departure. When Draco and Harry came walking up to the kitchen door, they could hear a heated debate going on. The minute they walked in the kitchen, however, it was dead silent.

"Harry will play, Wood.", was all Draco said before he tugged Harry down in his seat, settled himself beside him and draped his arm around Harry's shoulder.

"Really?", Oliver sounded positively relieved at the prospect of having Harry on board for the demonstration game. Knowing very well that the minute Harry's name would be on the posters a lot of people would want to see the game. And than there's good chance of exploiting Extreme Quidditch. Harry nodded. "But why.......?", it was obvious that he wanted to know more about this sudden turn around.

"Harry declined because he was afraid that I would break up with him if he should play again.", Draco explained. It was clear to all that it took him great effort to tell them that. "What he didn't know was is that I've come to realise that I've been keeping him from certain things. And, I'd like to make this absolutely clear, I still don't like him playing. But he really enjoys it and at least now I know what he does to earn those bruises. So now he's playing."

When they all left the kitchen, Molly told Draco softly so that none of the others could hear "Thank you Draco. He hasn't been this happy since he came here." "I know.", Draco answered. "Neither have I."

That evening a practice schedule was drawn up, so that they could bring their skills back up to strength. Things soon settled themselves in a pattern, where Draco would come to The Burrow on practice nights, so that he could take Harry home afterwards. One night, after an especially long and thorough practice, it seemed that Harry's bruises were the worst they had ever been. While Molly made them all tea, Draco was looking Harry over, to see how bad it was. When he had seen the bruises, he had picked Harry up and carried him over to the couch and sat down with him in his lap. The twins and Ron - who were waiting for Katie, Alicia and Hermione to come over also - had a hard time accepting Draco's protectiveness of Harry. Not of his protectiveness as such, but more the fact that that meant getting snarled at when they said anything he didn't like.

"Oh, come on Malfoy", Ron said as he saw Draco give Harry his tea. "Surely he can do that for himself?"

As usual he received a snarl. "He has bruises that are almost as big as your mother's diner plates. I take care of him just the way I like, and more importantly, the way HE likes!" To prove it, he stroked Harry's hair and Harry snuggled against his chest. "See?"

"What do you see in him, Harry?", an agitated Ron asked.

"What do you mean Ron?", Harry asked while being nuzzled in his neck by Draco.

"He has no social skills whatsoever, he doesn´t even know how to be nice!" Ron said while glaring at Draco.

"Stuff it Weasley", Draco drawled.

"Dray has............other qualities.", Harry said, blushing furiously.

Ron had turned beet red and Harry chuckled while Draco was wearing a true Malfoy-smirk. The rest of the evening Ron tried not to speak to Draco. The next weeks consisted mainly of work and evening practice of Extreme Quidditch. One night Oliver said that he couldn't make practice the next couple of days, as he had to go visit his aunt in Glasgow. They all decided to take a break for a week.

At the end of that week, Harry and Draco were once again at The Burrow for diner along with Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Katie and Alicia.

POOF!

POOF!

Shortly after each other both Oliver and Ginny apparated into the kitchen at The Burrow. "Hello Mum!" everyone in the living room could hear Ginny say, followed by a "Hello Mrs. Weasley" by Oliver.

Harry and Draco, who said cuddling on the couch as usual, lifted their eyebrows at the tone of voice of both Ginny and Oliver. What had happened?

They then came into the living room. Ginny hugged and kissed her father, Harry, Hermione, Katie and Alicia. Draco, Fred, George and Ron merely received a cool "Hello". She only managed to stay cool until her mother and Oliver come in, carrying tea and cookies.

"Oh isn't it exciting? Oliver getting to show his Extreme Quidditch to the NQL?", she saidwhile looking all excited herself. She then explained that Oliver wrote to her to tell her about the letter he had received from the NQL and to ask her if she wanted to be on the Extreme Quidditch team.

"Because of the game I didn't have a chance to answer him really late. Since he had been travelling to Glasgow anyway, he decided to drop by on his way home to talk to me about it. He even managed to get a room in one of the pubs! And last night, we had so much fun! During the weeks of the game, I've become friends with Derek, John and Sean. Oh, you know them, they play for the Catapults! We were supposed to have diner together, and Oliver came along! We talked all night!" Ginny was still very happy on how the evening had been.

"Considering Quidditch is Oliver's only topic of conversation, I am not surprised that you talked all night!", George muttered in a bitter tone, clearly not coping with not having been there. Immediately he was on the receiving end of an angry glare from both his mother and his sister. Then, Ginny said, "I don't know what you're so bitter about, George, you should be proud of Oliver!"

Now George, Fred and Ron were very interested and insisted she continued her story, much to the entertainment of their women.

"While we were having diner, this reporter from Italy kept on coming to the table. He'd been coming on a bit strong all week and the Quidditch guys have been helping me out the whole time when they were around. But they couldn't be there the whole time, so I told him what I always tell guys who want something that I don't. I told him that I am already seeing this wonderful man. And since a couple of weeks this is actually true, I just gave him this guys' description.....", she said.

"Oh, what might that description be, Gin?", Fred said sounding eager to get it out of her.

"Oh well.................", Ginny's eyes glazed over in an absent minded and dreamy way.

"Um, Gin?", Ron said, while gently touching her.

"Sorry, Ron, I kind of drifted off for a second. Seems to happen when I am thinking of this guy............ He is tall, dark handsome and of course loves Quidditch...."

"Merlin! She's giving them Wood on a platter!", Draco whispered in Harry's ear, sounding appalled. Harry just shook his head.

"They are so convinced that they have to find him they won't even think it could be Oliver.", Harry whispered back and kissed Draco's ear. They then turned back to enjoy the rest of Ginny's story.

"Unfortunately with him it didn't help. So, when he came to talk to me yesterday evening, I was very glad that Oliver was sitting next to me. And thankfully, Oliver caught on, and played along. He acted as my boyfriend the entire evening and a possessive one at that! It worked wonders too, because the reporter left and I haven't seen him since!" She then gave Oliver a brilliant smile, that made Oliver blush.

Now, Oliver was thanked by George, Fred and Ron who dragged him off to the other side of the room. Nobody knew what is was about until Oliver shouted, exasperated "No, I don't know who this guy is she's been seeing! I just helped her out yesterday, to get rid of the persistant pest!" He then stormed back and sat on one of the chairs near Harry and Draco.

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Thanks for reading! – Nat –