Draco dragged Harry all the way to the Slytherin dungeons. The Slytherins were already there but none heard what the Hufflepuff had told Draco earlier.
"Draco, what is it?" asked Harry
"That boy who was he?"
"Which boy?"
"The Hufflepuff that talked to me?"
"Uh, I think his name was Mark."
"Well Mark told me he overheard something. Someone is planning on getting us Harry."
"What?" Intervened Pansy
Draco glared at her for interrupting but she ignored it, "Mark said someone, some people rather, are up to something. They are planning something against Harry and me."
Pansy looked around her and eyed every single Slytherin in the common room. "None of you I hope, because if I find you, you will be so sorry, you'll wish you had never had enough magic to get into Hogwarts from the beginning."
No one made any movement, but that convinced the three, Pansy, Draco, and Harry, that none of them were up to anything. Slytherin were cunning, not stupid.
"With all the members in UT, I don't think it would be safe to talk about it there, either," said Draco.
Pansy nodded in agreement, but it was Blaise who decided to intervened, "Who do you think it is, Harry?"
Harry hadn't said anything up until Pansy had interrupted, and it was obvious that he was doing a bit of brain work.
"Well I'm not sure if it would be anyone from UT. We've watched them, and they obviously don't hold anything against us," replied the Gryffindor.
Goyle stepped up. "Well, do you think it could be that Granger girl, and that Fin and Thomas guy?"
Apparently, when Goyle wasn't eating, he could hold quite the intelligent conversation, and he was actually quite smart, despite his memory for details like names. Harry had found out that Goyle was about to be put in Ravenclaw during their first year sorting. Goyle really was quite smart; he just never showed it. I guess you really can't judge a person by what rumours tell you and what a person looks like on the outside,thought Harry, when he found this fact out a few days ago.
"Perhaps," replied the Gyffindor, "but we don't even know what's going on. I think we should just wait it out. What if they were just talking and had nothing planned. Gyffindors are brave, but they are definitely not known for scheming. That's what Slytherins are for."
Just then Goyle's stomach grumbled and his eyes lit up. "Dinner time," he said.
There was a scatter of laughter amongst the group as they moved out of the Slytherin common room to the Great Hall.
A month passed, and there was no other word of this mystery problem; nor was there anything that happened to the couple. In fact, the Slytherins and Harry had forgotten about the entire issue. Not Draco, of course, though. He was, after all, a Malfoy. That meant he was always on his toes, and never forgot information as important as this.
Harry and Draco walked into the Great Hall, which was now a great jumble of all the houses mixed together. It was a swirl of brilliant colours, and Harry loved it. Secretly, so did Draco, but no one except Harry was to know about this.
Harry and Draco moved towards the Gyffindor table in the Great Hall. They considered the fact that Hermione, Seamus, and Dean were not exactly welcoming, but Draco told Harry not to worry. If the Golden Boy was going to let three measly schoolmates get to him, then how was this boy going to defeat the greatest dark wizard of all time?
They took a seat next to Ron and Blaise, who had also taken a liking to sitting at the Gyffindor table, but their intention was mainly to spite Hermione.
"Hey, mate; you're both late. Hurry, before Blaise eats everything," said Ron
Blaise scowled at Ron, who smiled and kissed the dark haired Slytherin on the cheek.
It was amazing, actually, that anyone who's anyone could possibly eat more than Ron; but it wasn't as if either of the two boys was over weight or anything. They were very much in shape. Ron and Blaise were quite perfect for one another.
The Christmas holidays were coming up shortly, and as a graduation present, the professors were letting those seventh years who chose to participate to go on a little trip together during the holidays to California in the United States. Draco was a bit foreign to the place, but he was willing to give it a try if Harry was going to be there.
"I've never been anywhere other than France, you know," said Harry, looking up at his lover in what was once known as the Shrieking Shack; now called UT.
There was music blasting from downstairs somewhere. Upstairs was basically rooms. Some of the rooms still contained beds, and some other rooms had been transformed into lounge areas.
"Yes, same here. I have always been locked up in the Manor. Muggle places were no good. Father always disapproved. 'It's better here anyway, Draco - the Dark Lord is here'," said Draco, imitating his father's deep voice. He rolled his eyes at the memory of his father's words.
Harry gave a chuckle at his lover, and snuggled his naked body up to the blonde's.
Draco held Harry tighter, "So, you're going?"
Harry let out a breath. "I guess so. We could give Ginny control of UT while we're gone for the students who stay. Are you going?"
Draco absentmindedly played with Harry's hair, "Yes. If you are, then I will be going as well."
Tomorrow would be Saturday, so they would be able to stay here. Plus, this was the master room. It was put together especially for the two as a gift from the others for their hard work in putting all of this together. This was their private chamber whenever they met at UT.
"Today is the last day of grace for the seventh years. If you do not hand in your permission forms then I regret to say that you will not be participating in the graduation trip," said the Gyffindor head of house, just a week before the Yule Holidays were about to begin.
Harry walked up to the professor to speak in private. "Professor, what will the sleeping arrangements be like?"
The Gyffindor head of house smiled a rare smile down at her favourite pupil, "Don't worry, Mr. Potter. Tomorrow, a form will be going around. On the form you will be able to write who you wish to room with."
Harry smiled and walked back to his seat in the Great Hall at the Gyffindor table.
The Gyffindor table was getting so full of people from the houses that it was only a matter of time before Hermione, Dean, and Seamus would move onto another table to eat. Too bad the only one they will be able to eat at would be the Slytherin table. Many of the Ravenclaws and even a few Hufflepuffs had made it public that they did not approve of their closed-mindedness.
Ron kept saying how he was just waiting for the three to break. They would have to, with the entire school turned on them. They had nowhere else to go, and not many agreed with them anymore.
It was later that night when the first sign of trouble appeared.
Harry was teaching the fourth years when he had turned around to help a student. When he turned back a note was on his desk. He could have sworn it wasn't there before.
Harry made his way to his desk, which was really the head table in the Great Hall transfigured smaller for him to use, and picked up the note.
Harry's eyebrows narrowed as he read it.
"Harry?" asked Draco on the other side of the Hall noting the look on his lovers face.
Harry smiled up at him tossed the note haphazardly back onto the desk and replied, "Nothing."
Draco sensed something wrong, but he knew that when Harry wanted to talk, he would, so he smiled back and returned to the student he was helping a moment earlier.
After the fourth years left, Harry quickly picked up the note from his desk, and shoved it in his pocket before the third years arrived.
Draco gave him a raised eyebrow and Harry mouthed, 'Later.'
Draco nodded, and welcomed the third year students to their class.
After the third years left, Harry answered all the necessary questions the students had, and made his way to the Slytherin common room with Draco trailing quickly behind him.
When Harry and Draco had entered, the other Slytherins looked up and stood, as soon as they saw the expression on Harry's face.
The Slytherins gathered around the Gyffindor, and he took the note from his pocket.
"It just showed up in the middle of class today when I was teaching the fourth years," said Harry
"/Watch your back
Traitors always get what they deserve
The end is upon you/" read Pansy out loud for everyone to hear.
Pansy looked up angrily. "Fourth years come forward NOW!" she shouted.
The fourth years came up to her.
"Did any of you put this on Professor Potter's desk today?"
They all shook their heads.
Upon seeing their response, Pansy calmed a great deal, "Well, then did any of you see who put it there?"
They shook their heads again, and Pansy dropped her head in her hand shaking it in disappointment.
Draco put his hand on the Gyffindor's back. Harry had stiffened since he gave the note to Pansy.
"Well, I guess someone's going to do something. But don't worry, Harry. It won't be anything we can't take care of," said Pansy, noting Harry's tense figure.
That seemed to snap Harry out of whatever had him before. The Gyffindor smiled, "Yeah, it's probably an empty threat, anyway."
Draco ran his hand up and down the Gyffindor's back to coax his still-tense love.
The next morning went by pretty well. The Gyffindor head of house had passed around the parchment with the room arrangement requests. Draco and Harry had been one of the first to sign up for their own room.
"So are you and Blaise rooming together?" asked Harry, as he sat down with Draco right behind him.
Blaise grinned at Harry from the other side of Ron, and nodded, because Ron was currently stuffing his face with food.
Harry turned his attention to his plate, and was eating. This was when Draco had looked up and noticed Hermione whisper something to Dean and the boy smiled. Then he made a small comment to Seamus who smiled back, and left the Great Hall.
Okay, so it was quite obvious who wrote the note – but why? And how did they get it in the room filled with fourth years?
Draco quickly looked away. He didn't want to let them know that he knew it was them who left the note. He didn't want them to know that he was suspicious of them although it was pretty obvious anyway.
He did, however, want to know what they were up to. There is always a reason for whispers - always.
Draco turned to his left, at which sat Lavender, "Hey, Lavender," he whispered.
The girl looked at him as if he had grown another head, and Draco rolled his eyes in turn, "Lavender, I need you to go and see what Seamus is doing. Can you try and follow him? He just left the Great Hall a moment ago."
Lavender raised her eyebrow at him, but then shrugged and got up to leave the Great Hall.
"Draco, what was that all about?" asked Harry
"I just saw Hermione and Dean whispering, then Seamus left the Hall after Dean said something to him. I think they're up to something. There is no doubt in my mind that it was them who wrote the note."
At the mention of the note, Harry dropped his eyes, and he returned his gaze to his plate.
Draco caught the Gyffindor's chin, and turned his head gently so they were looking at one another, "It's okay. Don't be afraid of a note, my love. We'll get to the bottom of this. Trust me. Then all this will be over, and the notes will mean nothing."
Harry smiled, but not for long, for Draco leaned in to kiss him.
Suddenly there was a tap on Draco's shoulder, and he released a bewildered looking Harry to look up. It was Lavender.
She gave him a worried look and told them both to follow her.
Upon seeing the three leave, Blaise, Ron, Pansy, and Ginny followed.
Once outside, Lavender looked around as if searching for a secluded place for them to talk privately.
Draco led them all to professor Snape's potion room.
The potions master looked up, and glared at the children who entered, but Draco gave him a look, and he resumed his seated position.
The seven students took seat around the professor's desk, though Lavender, Ginny, and Ron were keeping their distance from the potions master.
Lavender looked from the professor to Draco, unsure if she should say what she had to here.
Draco nodded, "It's fine. Professor Snape can listen to whatever you need to tell us."
That seemed to convince Lavender, "Well, I left as you told me to, and looked for Seamus. At first I couldn't find him, because he left a while before me, but then I heard his voice from the boy's bathroom just down the hall from here. I didn't go in, because it's the boy's bathroom, but I stayed outside to listen. I was only able to hear him talking. It seemed like he was just talking to himself at first but then he was having a conversation; a two sided conversation where no one would reply."
"Then I was about to leave because I thought he was just talking to himself, but then I heard him say something about Harry." She turned her attention to the black haired Gyffindor, "Harry, did you get a note or something?"
Harry averted his eyes, but nodded.
"Okay, well he said something about notes and getting you and Draco. Look, be careful, okay? I don't know what he's up to, but he's going to do something. He mentioned Hermione and Dean in the plan as well, but no details," Lavender concluded.
The professor cleared his throat, "Could someone give me more information? What's been happening?"
Draco had narrowed his eyes in thought, but he answered the professor casually, "Yesterday, when Harry was teaching the fourth years, he turned away from his desk for a moment. When he turned back, there was a note on his desk."
"Can I see the note?" asked the professor.
"Yes," replied Harry, who retrieved the note from his pocket and handed it to the professor.
Severus read the note, and raised an eyebrow, "Well, someone really doesn't like you, Harry."
Harry gave the professor a 'You think?' look in return.
"So the people who wrote this note are Granger, Thomas, and Finnigin?" asked the professor
Harry nodded in reply.
"Well, then I suggest we have a little talk with these three."
"Oh no, professor," intervened Draco, "I think we should wait it out. See what they have planned, and then catch them in the act."
The head of Slytherin house raised an eyebrow, and smirked, "Thinking like a Slytherin now, are we?"
Draco grinned in reply.
"Alright, then, I guess we wait it out. But what if something happens to Harry in the process?" questioned the professor
"Don't worry about that; we'll take care of the Golden Boy," said Pansy, giving Harry a slight wink.
"What about the graduation trip?" asked the professor
"I'll be rooming with Harry," said Draco
"Yes, but is that enough?" asked the professor.
"Don't worry; we're going," said Pansy
"All of you?" asked the professor
They all nodded except for Ginny, who wasn't graduating along with them.
"Alright. Well, I will be a chaperone there for a while, when we go sight seeing and what not; when you're on the beach..."
"The beach?" asked Draco
"Yes. Didn't you know that California is famous for its pretty people and their sunshiny weather?"
Draco swallowed, and looked at Harry, who looked at him quizzically.
"I-I don't go well with the sun."
"Why not?" asked Harry
"Uh, I'm just not a sun person. I get sunburned easily."
"Oh. Well, it's not like we can't do other things inside," said Harry suggestively.
Draco smiled and nodded, but was still looking a bit nervous.
"Or we could go shopping, when everyone else goes to the beach!" suggested Harry
"Oh, good. Then I don't need to stay with bratty children," said Severus.
Draco gave the professor a slight glare, and Severus returned that with an innocent look.
Harry couldn't help but grin at the silent battle going on in the room. He missed that. Ever since the training with professor Fenston started, they hardly got to spend time together anymore. Just the three of them would be good.
Harry couldn't wait for the Yule holidays to come. The three of them could spend time together just like they used to.