Secret Meetings by the Lake


Disclaimer: No, I do not own any of these Characters; they are JK Rowling's…not mine.
Prologue

"Friends" was a strange proposition at this point.

"Harry?" Draco looked at him, taking him quickly from his daydream, "Please say we are." He had a weakness around him now, all barriers down, although you could still see the self-hatred eating at him from behind his eyes. He knew he would pay dearly in pride later.

"Yeah" Harry said, playing nervously with his hands, "I guess we are."


Chapter 1: More Secrets

Harry woke up and his head was pounding awfully. He looked at his clock; it was only eight in the morning.

"Augh…Harry muttered" And smothered his face with a pillow, five hours of sleep was definitely not enough, but he couldn't do anything about the headache while still lying in bed, so he got up and searched for his wand…and Hermione, he was horrible at healing charms and last time ended up shooting lettuce from his ears. He walked down the stairs, holding his throbbing temple in one hand, holding the rail for support with the other.

I'm lucky I guess, he thought when he saw Hermione struggling to close her suitcase in the Common Room, in common clothes and almost ready to leave.

"Hey Hermione" Harry managed, trying to talk through another bout of searing pain in his temple.

Hermione looked up surprised, then smiled "Hey I was about to go up and wish you goodbye, I never dreamed you'd be up already." She looked at him hold his head and then asked, "Are you ok? You don't look so good?"

"Well Thanks, love you too."

"No Harry" Hermione said annoyed with his sarcasm, "I mean you look sick or something."

"Well I just have this awful headache that won't go away," Harry muttered.

Hermione smiled gently, "I'll fix it but you have to get better at that charm, it's honestly not that difficult."

"Yeah well I don't feel like experimenting right now, here's my wand." He thrust it at her, and closed his eyes as the pain worsened.

"It might work better with my wand"

"Oh Honestly Hermione, I'm dying here!" Harry screamed.

"Fine, Fine" she shushed. "Just be quiet you'll wake everyone up?" She said a few words and his headache disappeared instantly.

"Thanks Hermione..." Harry chuckled gently.

"Now what exactly is so funny?" Hermione demanded.

"Are you really so worried about waking 'everyone' up? How many people are left here? It's just Seamus and I." Harry smiled. "I guess it's a good vacation to abandon Harry."

"I don't know why you didn't just stay with Sirius and Remus." Hermione shook her head.

"I already told you, I didn't want to be an imposition on them. They've got enough to worry about without worrying about me too." Harry said quickly. At once though he knew he didn't believe that. His thoughts suddenly filled with Draco but he shook those thoughts away. He silently lectured himself. Number one they couldn't be friends out in any sort of public. Number two, no matter whom the boy was, it just wasn't normal for Harry to be thinking about him all the time.

"Well" Hermione started "I still think they'd rather have you there Harry." She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Take care of yourself. I've got to go catch my coach; I'm already about an hour behind everyone else." She smiled and giving Harry one last embrace she crawled out through the portrait.

Harry then suddenly, feeling empty, ran out through the portrait harrying "The Fat Lady", caught up with Hermione, and pulled her into a suffocating hug.

Hermione laughed, "What's up with you Harry? I'm going to be back in two weeks!"

"I know" Harry stuttered knowing he looked stupid and impulsive "I'm just going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too." Hermione smiled gently at him, and brushed his cheek lightly with the back of her hand. "But I've really got to go Harry"

"I know, I know, write me though will you?"

Hermione just laughed, and Harry smiled. They both knew she would write, they were completely inseparable friends, and had a relationship that everyone envied. Although that caused problems with their own love lives, because everyone automatically assumed the two were going out.

"Bye Harry"

"Bye Hermione"

The hugged for the last time and Hermione ran off to the coaches.

"Getting mighty close to that Granger girl aren't you Potter?" Harry was chilled; he knew that voice. He turned around to see Draco flanked by Crabbe and Goyle on either side of him. He smirked at Harry and said, "You have something for mud bloods apparently, at least you're a half-breed, I hoped for better out of you." while Crabbe and Goyle snickered stupidly behind him.

"Shut up Malfoy" Harry warned, narrowing his eyes "you better watch it or-"

"Or What Potter?"

Harry shook his head and walked away, he couldn't stand anymore of this.

"Wait Potter" Malfoy ordered, and Harry stopped walking for a minute. Malfoy walked over and placed a note in his hand, and whispered, "I'm sorry" into his ear. Harry's spirit rose slightly, and then saddened with a sense of hopelessness for their friendship. Harry waited until the three walked away before opening the note. It read-

Harry-

Meet me at the usual spot at around 12. Everyone else with be at lunch so we'll have an hour to swim…or whatever…

-Draco

Harry looked at his watch, it was only eight thirty and he had no idea how to kill the rest of the time. His two best friends in the world were gone, and (no offense to Seamus) Seamus wasn't the most riveting kid in the world.

He decided to catch up on some sleep; he needed at least two more hours. Harry climbed up the staircase to dormitory growing more tired with every step. He flopped down on his bed and slept dreamlessly for another three hours.

When he finally woke up he sat up, and was about to put on a bathing suit but smiled and changed his mind. He enjoyed teasing Draco, that boy really needed to loosen up. He only seemed wild in order to cover up his insecurities. Harry smiled, glad he knew this while no one else did. Crabbe didn't know. Goyle didn't know. His parents didn't know. Harry, his long resented enemy, knew. Harry grabbed a towel and headed down to the lake.


Sorry this Chapter is so short, but I'm planning a long scene down by the lake and didn't want to complicate things by adding it in here.