Draco raced past Blaise in the common room. 'Honestly, he must be a part of that couch by now,' he thought and headed to his room. Muttering his new password, "Conditioner," he locked the door once he was inside. He then cast an additional locking charm, to be doubly safe. There. That should give him a little privacy.
He strode to his bed and sat down, staring at the parchment in his hand. 'What could he possibly want with me?' he thought. 'Why is he sending me a note? Couldn't he just speak to me like a normal person?' Unrolling the note and reading, he snorted. "The old arithmancy classroom?" Ha! Now he *knew* it was a trick. Midnight, indeed. Potter was trying to get him in trouble. Well, he wouldn't fall for that.
'But what if it's not a trick?' Ah, Draco wondered how long it would take for the voice to come back. 'Maybe he really wants to meet you, in a deserted classroom, in the dark, just the two of you. . . .'
Draco closed his eyes and groaned. That sounded absolutely--
'Hey!' Draco thought. 'Whose side are you on?' Lovely. Now he's resorted to arguing with an imaginary voice. Maybe he *should* go and see Snape. He needed some type of nerve calming potion. Preferrably one with an additional sleeping draught. A very *strong* sleeping draught.
'Fuck, I really need someone to talk to.' What options did he have? Crabbe and Goyle were definitely out. Pansy-- no. He'd rather talk to Crabbe and Goyle. Blaise already knew the situation, although Draco had never actually admitted anything to him. Still, Blaise was never one to judge. He could definitely be a help.
Draco jumped up from his bed and ran to the door. "Shit!" He'd forgotten about the locking charm. He muttered the counter charm and tried to open the door, also forgetting that he'd manually locked it. "ARRGH!" Unlocking the door, he threw it open and raced down the hallway to the common room.
"Blaise!" Draco shouted. "I need you!" He waved the parchment. A few other Slytherins gave him curious looks. He ignored them. "Come on, to my room!" He turned and ran in the direction of his room.
"Umm, sure." Blaise blinked. Giving his fellow Slytherins a 'don't ask me' look, he followed the retreating blond.
~~~~~~
Deciding to go for a walk, Harry left his friends in the common room. He passed several couples holding hands and laughing in the hallway. Harry sighed. They all looked so happy together. He decided to go outside.
The sky was perfectly clear and blue. The warm sun felt wonderful on Harry's face. He breathed in the autumn air, feeling completely at peace. He found the tree he sat under the day before. The same tree that he found Draco with Goyle. Harry smiled at the memory. He definitely felt something when Draco grabbed his arm. And whatever he felt, he wanted more of it. He hoped that whatever he pulled out of his arse tonight would work. He hadn't really thought past the note. And he still didn't know if Draco would even agree to meet him.
He remembered what he'd said to Ron earlier about pushing Draco against the wall. He'd only said that because he knew it would get a reaction from Ron. But could he actually get the stones to do it? Not likely. Harry could put up a good front, but when put in certain positions, his Gryffindor courage had a habit of making a hasty retreat.
Harry leaned his head back and closed his eyes. 'Come on, Potter, where's your nerve?' he thought. 'What's the worst that could happen?' Harry snorted. 'Draco could kill me, that's what.' What if Draco didn't like boys? That would give him plenty of ammunition to make Harry's life a living hell. Then again, there had to be a reason why he saved Harry from that dragon.
Harry's eyes snapped open and he smiled widely. 'That's it!' he thought. He'd just start off by asking Draco why he saved him. Besides, everyone wanted to know anyway, right? Closing his eyes again, he let out a deep breath. This would be a snap. Now, if he kept telling himself that, he may have himself convinced by midnight.
Harry heard the click of a camera shutter. "Hello, Colin," he said without opening his eyes.
"Hello, Harry!" Colin Creevey replied rather enthusiastically. "Sorry if I disturbed you! Did I disturb you?"
Opening his eyes, Harry shielded them and smiled at Colin's silhouette. "No, Colin, you didn't disturb me." After everything Harry had been through the past six years, he'd decided that having his photo occasionally taken by Colin wasn't so bad anymore.
"May I sit down?" Colin asked, shifting from one foot to the other.
"Sure," Harry replied and moved over.
Lowering himself next to Harry, Colin gingerly placed his camera in his lap. "So, what are you thinking about?"
"Oh, nothing," Harry lied. "Just relaxing."
"Well, you certainly had a dreamy smile on your face. That's going to be a wonderful photo. It'll go great with my collection!"
"Err . . . collection?"
"Oh, yes, I have every photo I've ever taken of you in my dorm. On the summer holidays I have them hanging in my room at home." Blushing slightly, Colin cleared his throat.
"Oh . . . I, uh, didn't realize." Ok, maybe having his picture occasionally taken by Colin was starting to get a little unsettling. Eep. He shifted a little to put more distance between the two of them. "Well, I'd like a copy of this one."
"Of course! Well, I'm off. It's quite a lovely day. Plenty of opportunities, you know!" Patting his camera, Colin stood. "Thanks, Harry!" Still a little pink in the cheeks, he sprinted away.
"See you, Colin." Harry shuddered. Collection?
~~~~~~
From Draco's couch, Blaise's eyes shifted from one side of the room to the other as he watched Draco pace. And pace. And pace some more.
"What do you think I should do, Blaise?" Draco's brow furrowed.
Blaise bit his lip, his shoulders shaking. "Would you please calm down? It's only a note!"
Raking a hand through his hair, Draco glared. "No shit, Zabini! But what the hell am I going to do about it?"
"You know, you keep doing that, and you'll get split ends," Blaise said matter-of-factly.
Growling, Draco made a mental note to check for split ends later. "You're not being very helpful."
"Meet him, Draco. Obviously he wants to talk to you about something. There's no harm in finding out. You've got nothing to lose."
Sighing, Draco flopped on his bed and threw his pillow over his head. "Yes, I do. What if it's a disappointment? What if it's not what I want it to be?"
Blaise's eyes widened. "So you *do* fancy him! I knew it!"
"Don't you say a word to *anyone*," Draco muttered from somewhere under his pillow. "Anyway, I'm only fooling myself. It isn't realistic."
"Why not?"
Draco sat up, his pillow falling to the floor. "Do I need to point out the obvious? Honestly, Blaise, it would never work!"
"Come on, Draco, you can't help your feelings. If you pass this up, you could really regret it."
"I don't know. I don't even know how he feels."
"There's only one way to find out, then. Meet him. Ask him."
Draco jumped up from the bed and began pacing again.
"Sit down!" Blaise shouted. Draco shot him an indignant look and continued pacing. "First of all, you need to calm down. All I can say is that there must be something there, because I've never seen you this way. You need to find out just for the sake of your sanity. And must you pace like that?"
Another indignant look. "Yes, I must! I can't help it! This is driving me nutters! I just don't think it would be a good idea. No, I *know* it wouldn't be a good idea. Even if he feels the same way. I should forget the whole thing."
"You know, I can't tell you what to do. But I think you should at least find out why he wants to meet with you. There's no harm in that."
"I suppose you're right. But I'm going to find him now. I'm not sneaking around these halls at midnight!"
Blaise smiled. "Well, go on, then!"
"Umm, Blaise?"
"Yes?"
"I'm not leaving you in my room."
"Right." Blaise followed Draco out the door.
~~~~~~
Pulling up blades of grass and tossing them, Harry watched as other students wandered by. Everyone laughed and joked, generally enjoying the day. He smiled as Ginny Weasley approached.
"Hi, Harry, what are you doing out here all alone?" she asked.
Patting the ground next to him, Harry replied, "Just enjoying the day. Have a seat."
She sat next to him and stretched out her legs. "Lovely day, isn't it? Where are Ron and Hermione?"
"Last I saw them, they were in the common room. I came out here by myself because I have some thinking to do."
"Thinking? About what?"
Pulling up more grass, Harry smiled. "Well, I don't really want to say right now. I have a feeling you'll know soon enough, though."
"Is everything ok?" she asked worriedly.
"Oh, yes, everything's fine. Nothing to worry about. So, what are you up to?"
Ginny giggled. "I'm trying to find Neville. I think he's avoiding me. And I do believe it's Ron's fault. I think he may have threatened to hex Neville. So now he's afraid to even talk to me."
Chuckling, Harry shook his head. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. But you can't blame Ron, really. He feels like he has to protect you from everything, even a beast like Neville." He elbowed her in the side.
"I suppose so. If it weren't for me, Ron would be the youngest of the family. But still, I'm fifteen! I think I can take care of myself!"
"He just wants what's best for you, that's all. He doesn't want to see you get hurt by anyone."
"Ha! Neville isn't capable of hurting anything! He wouldn't even step on a cockroach." Kissing Harry on the cheek, Ginny stood. "I'm going to find Neville now, and drag his arse out here. I hope everything turns out for you!"
"Thanks, Ginny. I'll see you later."
"See you, Harry." She turned and bounced away toward the school.
Harry clasped his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Yes, hopefully everything *will* turn out ok.
~~~~~~
Ginny wandered through the hallway looking for Neville Longbottom. There was no need to be inside on a day like this. She'd find him and make him relax and have a good time if it killed her. Thanks to Ron, he wouldn't even hold her hand! She smiled to herself. She'd just have to find a way to bring him out of his shyness.
"Hey, Weasley!" came a voice from behind her.
Ginny whirled around to find that Draco Malfoy had called her. She glared at him. "What do you want, Malfoy?"
"Oh, calm down, I just want to ask you a question." He crossed his arms.
"Fine, ask," she waved her hand dismissively, "I'm busy."
"Fine. It isn't as though I want to be seen speaking to you anyway. Have you seen Potter?"
"If I have, what makes you think I'd tell you where he is?"
"Look, I just want to speak to him. Now have you seen him or not?"
"It's none of your business, Malfoy! He wants to be alone. I'm sure he doesn't want to be bothered by *you*," she spat.
Draco smirked. "You don't know that for sure," he said cockily.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "And why do you say that?"
Draco pulled the parchment from his pocket. "Because of *this*!" he said dramatically, thrusting the note into her hand.
Ginny turned it over in her hand. "This is a blank piece of parchment, Malfoy."
"Oh. Well, never mind. I'll find him myself." He stalked away.
Ginny shook her head. Clearly, he had lost his mind.
He strode to his bed and sat down, staring at the parchment in his hand. 'What could he possibly want with me?' he thought. 'Why is he sending me a note? Couldn't he just speak to me like a normal person?' Unrolling the note and reading, he snorted. "The old arithmancy classroom?" Ha! Now he *knew* it was a trick. Midnight, indeed. Potter was trying to get him in trouble. Well, he wouldn't fall for that.
'But what if it's not a trick?' Ah, Draco wondered how long it would take for the voice to come back. 'Maybe he really wants to meet you, in a deserted classroom, in the dark, just the two of you. . . .'
Draco closed his eyes and groaned. That sounded absolutely--
'Hey!' Draco thought. 'Whose side are you on?' Lovely. Now he's resorted to arguing with an imaginary voice. Maybe he *should* go and see Snape. He needed some type of nerve calming potion. Preferrably one with an additional sleeping draught. A very *strong* sleeping draught.
'Fuck, I really need someone to talk to.' What options did he have? Crabbe and Goyle were definitely out. Pansy-- no. He'd rather talk to Crabbe and Goyle. Blaise already knew the situation, although Draco had never actually admitted anything to him. Still, Blaise was never one to judge. He could definitely be a help.
Draco jumped up from his bed and ran to the door. "Shit!" He'd forgotten about the locking charm. He muttered the counter charm and tried to open the door, also forgetting that he'd manually locked it. "ARRGH!" Unlocking the door, he threw it open and raced down the hallway to the common room.
"Blaise!" Draco shouted. "I need you!" He waved the parchment. A few other Slytherins gave him curious looks. He ignored them. "Come on, to my room!" He turned and ran in the direction of his room.
"Umm, sure." Blaise blinked. Giving his fellow Slytherins a 'don't ask me' look, he followed the retreating blond.
~~~~~~
Deciding to go for a walk, Harry left his friends in the common room. He passed several couples holding hands and laughing in the hallway. Harry sighed. They all looked so happy together. He decided to go outside.
The sky was perfectly clear and blue. The warm sun felt wonderful on Harry's face. He breathed in the autumn air, feeling completely at peace. He found the tree he sat under the day before. The same tree that he found Draco with Goyle. Harry smiled at the memory. He definitely felt something when Draco grabbed his arm. And whatever he felt, he wanted more of it. He hoped that whatever he pulled out of his arse tonight would work. He hadn't really thought past the note. And he still didn't know if Draco would even agree to meet him.
He remembered what he'd said to Ron earlier about pushing Draco against the wall. He'd only said that because he knew it would get a reaction from Ron. But could he actually get the stones to do it? Not likely. Harry could put up a good front, but when put in certain positions, his Gryffindor courage had a habit of making a hasty retreat.
Harry leaned his head back and closed his eyes. 'Come on, Potter, where's your nerve?' he thought. 'What's the worst that could happen?' Harry snorted. 'Draco could kill me, that's what.' What if Draco didn't like boys? That would give him plenty of ammunition to make Harry's life a living hell. Then again, there had to be a reason why he saved Harry from that dragon.
Harry's eyes snapped open and he smiled widely. 'That's it!' he thought. He'd just start off by asking Draco why he saved him. Besides, everyone wanted to know anyway, right? Closing his eyes again, he let out a deep breath. This would be a snap. Now, if he kept telling himself that, he may have himself convinced by midnight.
Harry heard the click of a camera shutter. "Hello, Colin," he said without opening his eyes.
"Hello, Harry!" Colin Creevey replied rather enthusiastically. "Sorry if I disturbed you! Did I disturb you?"
Opening his eyes, Harry shielded them and smiled at Colin's silhouette. "No, Colin, you didn't disturb me." After everything Harry had been through the past six years, he'd decided that having his photo occasionally taken by Colin wasn't so bad anymore.
"May I sit down?" Colin asked, shifting from one foot to the other.
"Sure," Harry replied and moved over.
Lowering himself next to Harry, Colin gingerly placed his camera in his lap. "So, what are you thinking about?"
"Oh, nothing," Harry lied. "Just relaxing."
"Well, you certainly had a dreamy smile on your face. That's going to be a wonderful photo. It'll go great with my collection!"
"Err . . . collection?"
"Oh, yes, I have every photo I've ever taken of you in my dorm. On the summer holidays I have them hanging in my room at home." Blushing slightly, Colin cleared his throat.
"Oh . . . I, uh, didn't realize." Ok, maybe having his picture occasionally taken by Colin was starting to get a little unsettling. Eep. He shifted a little to put more distance between the two of them. "Well, I'd like a copy of this one."
"Of course! Well, I'm off. It's quite a lovely day. Plenty of opportunities, you know!" Patting his camera, Colin stood. "Thanks, Harry!" Still a little pink in the cheeks, he sprinted away.
"See you, Colin." Harry shuddered. Collection?
~~~~~~
From Draco's couch, Blaise's eyes shifted from one side of the room to the other as he watched Draco pace. And pace. And pace some more.
"What do you think I should do, Blaise?" Draco's brow furrowed.
Blaise bit his lip, his shoulders shaking. "Would you please calm down? It's only a note!"
Raking a hand through his hair, Draco glared. "No shit, Zabini! But what the hell am I going to do about it?"
"You know, you keep doing that, and you'll get split ends," Blaise said matter-of-factly.
Growling, Draco made a mental note to check for split ends later. "You're not being very helpful."
"Meet him, Draco. Obviously he wants to talk to you about something. There's no harm in finding out. You've got nothing to lose."
Sighing, Draco flopped on his bed and threw his pillow over his head. "Yes, I do. What if it's a disappointment? What if it's not what I want it to be?"
Blaise's eyes widened. "So you *do* fancy him! I knew it!"
"Don't you say a word to *anyone*," Draco muttered from somewhere under his pillow. "Anyway, I'm only fooling myself. It isn't realistic."
"Why not?"
Draco sat up, his pillow falling to the floor. "Do I need to point out the obvious? Honestly, Blaise, it would never work!"
"Come on, Draco, you can't help your feelings. If you pass this up, you could really regret it."
"I don't know. I don't even know how he feels."
"There's only one way to find out, then. Meet him. Ask him."
Draco jumped up from the bed and began pacing again.
"Sit down!" Blaise shouted. Draco shot him an indignant look and continued pacing. "First of all, you need to calm down. All I can say is that there must be something there, because I've never seen you this way. You need to find out just for the sake of your sanity. And must you pace like that?"
Another indignant look. "Yes, I must! I can't help it! This is driving me nutters! I just don't think it would be a good idea. No, I *know* it wouldn't be a good idea. Even if he feels the same way. I should forget the whole thing."
"You know, I can't tell you what to do. But I think you should at least find out why he wants to meet with you. There's no harm in that."
"I suppose you're right. But I'm going to find him now. I'm not sneaking around these halls at midnight!"
Blaise smiled. "Well, go on, then!"
"Umm, Blaise?"
"Yes?"
"I'm not leaving you in my room."
"Right." Blaise followed Draco out the door.
~~~~~~
Pulling up blades of grass and tossing them, Harry watched as other students wandered by. Everyone laughed and joked, generally enjoying the day. He smiled as Ginny Weasley approached.
"Hi, Harry, what are you doing out here all alone?" she asked.
Patting the ground next to him, Harry replied, "Just enjoying the day. Have a seat."
She sat next to him and stretched out her legs. "Lovely day, isn't it? Where are Ron and Hermione?"
"Last I saw them, they were in the common room. I came out here by myself because I have some thinking to do."
"Thinking? About what?"
Pulling up more grass, Harry smiled. "Well, I don't really want to say right now. I have a feeling you'll know soon enough, though."
"Is everything ok?" she asked worriedly.
"Oh, yes, everything's fine. Nothing to worry about. So, what are you up to?"
Ginny giggled. "I'm trying to find Neville. I think he's avoiding me. And I do believe it's Ron's fault. I think he may have threatened to hex Neville. So now he's afraid to even talk to me."
Chuckling, Harry shook his head. "Somehow, I'm not surprised. But you can't blame Ron, really. He feels like he has to protect you from everything, even a beast like Neville." He elbowed her in the side.
"I suppose so. If it weren't for me, Ron would be the youngest of the family. But still, I'm fifteen! I think I can take care of myself!"
"He just wants what's best for you, that's all. He doesn't want to see you get hurt by anyone."
"Ha! Neville isn't capable of hurting anything! He wouldn't even step on a cockroach." Kissing Harry on the cheek, Ginny stood. "I'm going to find Neville now, and drag his arse out here. I hope everything turns out for you!"
"Thanks, Ginny. I'll see you later."
"See you, Harry." She turned and bounced away toward the school.
Harry clasped his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Yes, hopefully everything *will* turn out ok.
~~~~~~
Ginny wandered through the hallway looking for Neville Longbottom. There was no need to be inside on a day like this. She'd find him and make him relax and have a good time if it killed her. Thanks to Ron, he wouldn't even hold her hand! She smiled to herself. She'd just have to find a way to bring him out of his shyness.
"Hey, Weasley!" came a voice from behind her.
Ginny whirled around to find that Draco Malfoy had called her. She glared at him. "What do you want, Malfoy?"
"Oh, calm down, I just want to ask you a question." He crossed his arms.
"Fine, ask," she waved her hand dismissively, "I'm busy."
"Fine. It isn't as though I want to be seen speaking to you anyway. Have you seen Potter?"
"If I have, what makes you think I'd tell you where he is?"
"Look, I just want to speak to him. Now have you seen him or not?"
"It's none of your business, Malfoy! He wants to be alone. I'm sure he doesn't want to be bothered by *you*," she spat.
Draco smirked. "You don't know that for sure," he said cockily.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "And why do you say that?"
Draco pulled the parchment from his pocket. "Because of *this*!" he said dramatically, thrusting the note into her hand.
Ginny turned it over in her hand. "This is a blank piece of parchment, Malfoy."
"Oh. Well, never mind. I'll find him myself." He stalked away.
Ginny shook her head. Clearly, he had lost his mind.
