Chapter five

Draco was pacing back and forth in the Slytherin common room. It was already passed midnight, but he just couldn't go to sleep. He was thinking about Potter. The reaction he had received had been a bit like Draco had pictured it; Harry had just stood there, completely mute and with a shocked expression on his face. But still, Draco had thought he'd at least say something.

'Shit,' Draco said to himself. 'Bloody, fucking, god-damned shit!' He was all alone in the common room; all the other Slytherins had gone to bed and it was a good thing they had; he'd be getting a lot of questions about his non-presence at the lessons earlier, and quite frankly, he just couldn't deal with it. After he had gotten back to the castle, he had headed straight for the dungeons.

He noticed Weasley and Granger as he came in; they were standing there talking about something, but he didn't bother to say something to them. They probably knew Harry had gone after him.

No, he just ran and ran as fast as he could until he had reached the secret passageway which lead to the Slytherin common room. Once inside, he went up to the boys' dormitories and lay down on his bed. He didn't know for how long he had been lying there when suddenly, the door was opened and Blaise Zabini came in. He had asked him where he had been and Draco had snapped at him that it was none of his business. Blaise had only nodded and then he went down again, leaving Draco alone.

Draco somewhat regretted being so sulky towards the other boy; they were actually quite good friends and he didn't like having quarrels, but done was done.

Finally, he decided he was getting tired so he stopped pacing and dragged himself up to the dormitories. When he got inside he noticed they were all fast asleep – except for Blaise.

'Hey,' he whispered. Slowly, he got his clothes off (not his underpants of course) and crawled into bed.

'Where were you?' Blaise asked silently. 'I don't mean to meddle or anything, but you know ... I was worried when you didn't show up at our classes.'

'Yeah, I know,' Draco replied. 'Sorry I snapped at you before. It's just that ... well, something happened and ...'

'You don't want to talk about it?' Blaise said helpfully. Draco nodded.

'It's okay,' Blaise said and, although it was very dark, Draco knew he was smiling.

'Well,' he continued. 'Good night.'

'Good night,' Draco said and yawned. Silently, he wondered why Blaise was in Slytherin. He was not at all greedy, mean and selfish, qualities typical for a Slytherin – he was kind, caring and always a good friend no matter what. Ah well, Draco thought before falling asleep, I guess there's a little devil deep inside all of us.

When Draco woke up next day, he didn't think about what had happened the previous day; it was too embarrassing. As he came down to the common room, Blaise was waiting for him.

'Hi,' he said. 'Slept well?'

'Yeah, I guess so,' Draco replied. 'And you?'

'Slept like a baby,' Blaise grinned. 'You ready to go?' Draco nodded, and together they walked up to the Great Hall. Draco saw that Harry and his mates hadn't come yet, so he ate without problems, and he and Blaise talked a lot, laughed at something and when they had finished, they got up. But as they had reached the door and were just about to round a corner, Draco bounced into someone.

'Hey, watch it!' Potter said and stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed whom he had bumped into. 'Oh ...' he said and watched Draco with hesitance.

'Um, sorry,' Draco said and grabbed Blaise by the arm. 'Come on,' he said and they quickly walked away.

'What just happened there?' Blaise asked. Draco blushed and shrugged.

'I don't know,' he said. But Blaise didn't believe him.

'Hang on,' he said and stopped. 'Does that Potter have something to do with you not showing up yesterday?' he asked. Draco stopped, too.

'No,' he lied. Looking away, he continued, 'Why?'

'Well, it's quite obvious, isn't it?' Blaise said, forcing Draco to look at him.

'What do you mean?' Draco asked.

'My god, Draco! Didn't you notice the tension between you guys? It was like ... I don't know... hey, Draco, where are you going?'The other Slytherinhad started to walk again.

'Draco, wait!' Blaise put a hand on his shoulder. 'Look, I'm sorry, but this is all very weird. You've been enemies for six years, and now suddenly, you act like two people in love!' Now this made Draco turn round.

'Say what?' He watched Blaise suspiciously. Could he know ...? No, that's ridiculous. The only way he could find out was if he had read Draco's diary.

'It's true, Draco,' Blaise said carefully. 'I've seen you watching him, Draco.'

'What?' Draco said, staring at him. 'I haven't ... I don't ... what do you mean?'

'Well, in the beginning, it was like you watched him with hatred ... like you wanted to kill him or something,' Blaise explained, 'but now, lately, it's like you watch him ... with insecurity. Or something,' he added. But Draco didn't understand. Actually, he knew somewhere Blaise was right;

he used to watch Potter a lot, sitting with his friends talking and laughing while he, Draco, sat mostly alone. He didn't know how, but after the duel with the Gryffindor, Draco had started thinking about him differently ... and somewhere in his mind, the idea of asking Harry to the ball had come up. Draco assumed he wanted to be friends with Harry; it was tiring having to say insulting things whenever he showed up, he was running out of lines.

And it wasn't until now that Draco realised how this whole thing might come off. What if people actually thought he was in love with Potter? That was definitely not the case, no matter what Blaise might say.

'We're not in love,' he snapped. 'I just ... okay, fine, I'll tell you why I didn't show up the other day. It was because I, asked him, to be my date for the ball, alright? I somehow thought it would be a good thing; that we might be friends or something. There you go, why don't you just start laughing at me, I know it's what you want to do!' Draco was now breathing heavily; Blaise stared at him and slowly shook his head.

'Draco ...' he said. 'I don't think it's stupid. It's actually a quite, er, good idea, I think ...'

Draco looked at him. 'Really?' he said, breathing going back to normal.

'Yes, of course!' Blaise smiled. 'I've always thought it's been a bit ... childish of you to act they way you have, and I haven't quite understood why you've done it either.'

Draco nodded. 'I guess you're right,' he said.

'Harry, I think you should say yes,' Hermione said for the millionth time. 'I know you won't be the best of friends, but this might be a start. Please?' Harry didn't answer. He wasn't even sure Draco had been serious; they hadn't talked to each other about it yet and besides, he had used the word 'date', like they'd go as a couple or something. And they were not a couple.

'I don't know, Herm,' he said. 'I mean, okay, so we might be friends, but it would be so awkward. If we showed up together and you know ... when you're at a ball, you have to dance with your partner ... don't you?' he added, not sure of it. He hadn't danced with his partner on the Yule Ball, so why would he have to do it now?

'Harry,' Hermione sighed. 'Of course you don't have to dance, it's voluntarily.'

They were sitting in the library, talking quietly. Ron wasn't with them; he had Quidditch practice and wouldn't be back for some time. Harry was supposed to be there as well, but he had told Angelina Johnson, the captain, that he didn't feel so well. Harry wasn't lying completely; he had felt a bit ill in the morning and it hadn't gotten worse, but definitely not better either.

'Fine,' Harry finally said. 'I'll say yes.' Hermione gave a little squeak of excitement; madam Pince, the librarian, came rushing to them asking what the fuss was all about.

'No screaming in the library, children,' she said warningly and raised a finger. Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't say anything as the old lady hurried off again.

'Harry, this is wonderful!' she said, beaming, as though they hadn't been interrupted. 'Why don't you go look for him straight away?' Harry stared at her.

'What, now?' he said sceptically. 'But, I don't know where he is, he might be at a lesson or something and –'

'He's not,' Hermione said calmly. 'I've checked their schedule, his next lesson doesn't start until fifty minutes.'

'Where did you get a schedule for the Slytherins?' Harry asked. 'You didn't steal one, did you?' he said, eyeing her suspiciously.

'No, of course not,' Hermione said, slightly hurt. 'What do you take me for? There's a schedule for every single class in the whole school at the big message board in our common room.'

'Oh,' Harry said, knowing he was defeated. 'Right. Well. I'd best be off then ... and go look for him.'

Hermione smiled at him. 'You go do that,' she said. 'I'll be here in the library.'

Harry nodded and then walked out, hoping he wouldn't have to look all over the school to find the Slytherin.

'Draco?' a voice said behind him. Draco turned round and saw, to his great surprise, the raven-haired Gryffindor before him. Harry.

'Yes?' he said suspiciously. 'What is it?' He had noticed that Potter had used his first name, but he didn't say anything about it.

'Well, you know when you asked me ... the other day ... if I wanted to ...' Harry's voice trailed off.

Draco nodded. 'I know. What about it?'

'Well,' Harry said and hesitated before continuing, 'I just wanted to say ... yes.'

Draco's heart started beating fast. Harry said yes?

'What, you mean ...?' he said, not sure he had heard the other boy correctly.

'Yes,' Harry replied. 'I want to be your date ... for the ball ...'

'Well ... alright then ...' Draco breathed. 'Umm ... got to go ... I've got a lesson ...' He looked at Harry for a brief second, then turned round and started walking, quickly; he didn't know where he was heading, all he knew was that he had to get away from Harry. Now.

Sep. 6th 1996

He said yes.

Don't know about you guys, but I think this chapter turned out quite well :) reviews, please!