Disclaimer: These characters are not ours. We're just playing with them. The companies & people they belong to can have them back when we are done. We hope not to break them. No promises though.
This story is pre-slash. Meaning before Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter become involved in a more-than-friends relationship.
Constructive criticisms are much appreciated. Flame us if you want, but spell check them first. Please.
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Don't Move
Chapter 2/4: It Couldn't Hurt...
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Draco Malfoy was being... well, the way that Draco Malfoy is. Hermione describes him as attention deficit. This is one of the few things Harry finds amusing these days. There are few emotions he actually feels these days.
The way Harry acts most of the time is the way he thinks he should. He should feel happy that his friends got together. He should feel happy for them, not just because they bother him less now. They bicker a lot more now too. Harry should feel annoyed by this but he never pays enough attention to them to know what they bicker about. It doesn't matter.
Harry's grades have dropped to the equivalent of Neville Longbottom's Potions grades. Harry knows that he should care that he is failing most of his classes but the only reason he can think of to raise them is so his teachers will stop annoying him about them. Hermione and Ron don't know what his grades are because they never ask. Harry doesn't really mind that they don't ask. He figures he can bring up the lack of inquiry as a nice change of subject if they ever do find out what his grades are, at least it will distract them until he can come up with an excuse that sounds like something he should say.
Most of the time Harry doesn't remember what he's been doing instead of his homework. He remembers thinking about doing his homework. It might have even been sitting right in front of him but he never does more than stare at the pages of the books. He knows he must have been thinking about something when he does this but he can never remember what it was.
Draco Malfoy has started watching him during class. Harry wonders why. He knows Malfoy may be plotting something evil, something to humiliate him, but it doesn't seem important. He remembers the threat Malfoy made at the end of last year though he doesn't take it seriously.
Harry got into the Advanced Potions class. He doesn't know how he got into this class, he doesn't even remember receiving his OWL scores but he knows he must have. In Potions he has been paired up with Malfoy. Most of the time he just stares at the potion bubbling in the cauldron. He finds it oddly reminiscent of watching paint dry. His eyes feel too heavy to move from the oily surface. Malfoy ends up making the entire potion most days. Snape always calls him on it and gives him no marks every time. Hermione wonders what Harry does when he is supposed to be working. She doesn't understand him.
Malfoy has started chatting with him during class. At first it was just saying hello when Harry gets there and now it has progressed into small talk. Draco tells Harry that his hair is a mess.
"Is it? I don't even remember seeing it this morning," Harry says.
"And it shows," Malfoy responds with a smirk
Harry notices that Malfoy smirks a lot, it fits his face he thinks to himself. He tells Malfoy that he thinks so and Malfoy gives him an odd look. Harry doesn't mind, he is used to being looked at funny.
Malfoy wonders what is wrong with Harry. He wonders why Harry is no longer on the Quidditch team. Harry doesn't seem to care about Quidditch anymore. When Malfoy tries to provoke Harry, Harry just shrugs. Malfoy has noticed that Harry stares a lot. Most of the time Harry stares at nothing in particular. Malfoy wonders what Harry is thinking about when he is watching him.
"I don't think," Harry has told Malfoy.
"I don't understand." Malfoy looks confused. "How can you not be thinking anything?"
Harry just shrugged.
"Why aren't you on the Quidditch team anymore?" Malfoy asks him.
"Because Umbridge gave me a lifetime ban," he looks at Malfoy questioningly. Malfoy should have already known that.
"I know, but they canceled all the decisions she made."
"Then I'm not on the team because I didn't try out," Harry says as if it is an obvious answer.
"Well, why didn't you try out?" Malfoy asks.
Harry shrugs. "It didn't seem important."
Malfoy wonders how Harry could think that Quidditch isn't important. "If Quidditch isn't important then what is?"
Harry just shrugs. He wonders what is important. Hermione tells him that his studies are important but he can't seem to care. He used to think that his friends were important, but now... even Voldemort doesn't seem too important anymore.
"Are you going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Malfoy asks him.
"I suppose so."
"Meet me somewhere?"
"Sure. It couldn't hurt."
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Tsuzuku(to be continued)
Author's Note: This is our first fic. R&R is good.
