Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you

They fell into a routine after that. They acknowledged each other presence, but didn't enter into such heated arguments anymore. They barely talked anyway. Harry wished he had the courage to approach Draco. He wanted to know what was going inside the slytherin's head. There was so much he wanted to say. If Draco was having any doubts about joining Voldemort's ranks...

Harry found himself staring at the blonde boy more often than not. Draco was starting to loose some of his vicinity, he noticed. He doubted if anyone else did. The bullies of Slytherin were making up for what Draco was lacking. It took virtually no time at all for everyone at school to realize that there was a pattern to the attacks. Muggle-borns were the target. Ron refused to leave Hermione's side. Harry felt guilty that he did.

Sometimes their eyes would lock over the tables of the Great Hall, and Harry thought he knew what his blonde fellow-student was feeling. The same thing he himself was feeling. What it felt like being lonely in a crowd.

Harry started gathering his school stuff and putting them into his bag. It was pretty late already. He had been in 'the room' ever since dinner that night.

He had watched the Slytherin quidditch team practice for a while. The quidditch pitch was the only thing one could see from the alcove's window, but only if you sat on the window sill. He had quickly learned slytherins' practice schedule, since Tuesday was the only night when Draco didn't come to 'the room'. Other nights Draco always seemed to be there. So that very night, he had been very surprised, when he had heard the door open and shut in the main room some time before.

With a last glance around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, Harry stepped through the entrance and to the main room. Draco was asleep on the couch. Harry walked quietly to him. He wondered if he should wake Draco up, tell him he was leaving, but decided against it. Draco looked so peaceful right there. Ever since his nightmares had begun, Harry had learned to value peaceful sleep. The way Draco was looking almost angelic, Harry thought he'd rather chop his arm off than wake him up. So he sneaked silently out.

Harry was laying on his back. Just a moment ago he had thought this would be a better position to be in, but clearly it wasn't. He was having problems finding a good one. He had been turning restlessly for two hours now. Everyone else in his dorm-room were already soundly asleep. With all the sleepless nights he had had ever since the school started, he had quickly learned to recognize the little noises his companions made while sleeping.

'Lucky Draco' he thought, and bolted to a sitting position right after. 'Shite. I wonder if he ever woke up. If he sleeps there the whole night he'll be royally pissed, and probably late for the morning classes too. Bugger, bugger. I really should have woken him up earlier.'

Harry was biting his lower lip by now. He really should go check, just to be sure. He suddenly got an idea and slipped out of his bed. He opened his chest and took out the Marauder's Map. He pointed his wand at the middle and whispered "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

He watched as all of Hogwarts was laid before his eyes. He quickly scanned the second floor and found what he was looking for. Draco Malfoy's immobile dot was situated in 'the room'. Harry quickly slipped on his robe and the invisibility cloak and left the dormitory.

Harry approached the couch and it's occupant silently, not sure what to do. He kneeled on the floor and was about to shake the sleeping boy by his shoulder when the school motto popped into his mind. Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus. 'Never tickle a sleeping dragon.' His eyes drifted automatically to Draco's belly. Harry wondered what Draco would do if he was woken up by tickling.

"What are you doing?" Draco's voice brought Harry back from his fantasies.

Harry was glad it was dark in the room, as he felt himself blushing.

"Nothing." he answered quickly. "It's after one o'clock. You had fallen asleep."

Draco sit up and looked around dazedly. Then he looked up to Harry. "You're in your pyjamas."

"Well, I had already left once and gone to bed." Harry admitted reluctantly, ashamed he had left the slytherin sleeping.

"And then you came back, just to wake me up?" Draco asked while standing up.

"Yeah" Harry answered unsure where Draco was going with it.

But Draco just thanked him and moved to the door. "Coming?" the blonde inquired Harry, keeping the door open for him.

Harry walked carefully out to the hallway and glanced at a statue of a animal of some sort behind which he had hidden his invisibility cloak. 'I'll just come back for it tomorrow' he thought while walking silently next to Draco.

Neither of them had spoken a word when they came to a halt at the bottom of a staircase. Harry was to take the stairs to the Gryffingor Tower and Draco was to continue his way to the dungeons.

Harry was looking at Draco, racking his brain, trying to come up with something to say. Draco was only staring in front of himself again.

After a moment Harry decided that the point of a 'comfortable silence' had been passed. He gave up with a sigh and muttered a "bye" before starting to make his way up the stairs.

He had climbed a dozen of stairs before he heard Draco yelling "Wait!" softly after him.

Harry turned around to see Draco jogging the stairs after him, taking two steps at a time.

He walked the last couple a steps normally and without hesitating placed his hand on the back of Harry's neck and brought their lips together carefully. Only after a moment Draco pulled back and looked Harry in the eyes.

"'Night, Harry."

Harry stood transfixed and watched Draco hop down the stairs and disappear behind the corner.

Title of the chapter from Africa by Toto

A/n: I would just like to thank all the readers. I know this story may be a little... well, you can add the adjective of your choice:) So thank you for sticking with it.

Thank you also to those you who reviewed. That's so nice.

That's all, I'll be seeing you...

Yucatan Handbook