A/N: Wow, 29 reviews! All for me? Thankyou so much! You may also have noticed this is chapter 3, this is because the first two I am now making it 'official' and calling them prologues. (Part 1 & 2) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine, except plot details.

Spoilers: All six of them

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Chapter 3: Arguments

"Take a seat," Snape gestured carelessly to the wooden chair facing his desk.

Draco sat down with an air of confidence and looked to his professor questioningly.

"Mr. Malfoy, when you are ordered to go to Professor Dumbledore with any news, you are expected to obey without hesitation." said Snape smoothly.

"And it was my intention sir, but Potter suggested we go to you first as you would be the first professor we'd see." replied Draco calmly.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Mr. Malfoy, but you know very well that I meant you are to go to the headmaster first," said Snape, crossing his arms stonily.

"Professor, Harry and I… well..," Draco stopped himself at the sudden narrowing of his professor's eyes. "What I mean is, Potter and I have come to a… truce of some sort. Even though you may not actually believe me, he's the first true friend I've ever had and I do care what happens to him. I'm sickened by having to 'play along' and risk hurting him all the time and if I learn he is in danger, I'm going to let him know! Regardless of what you or anyone else says, he will always be the first to know! He's always kept in the dark and hurt by it and I'm not going to be one of those people who inflict that inevitable pain!" hissed Draco, eyes flaring up angrily.

"Do you think I- we want to hurt him by keeping knowledge from him?" asked Snape murderously. "He could be hurt more by the information he receives and that is why it's important for us to decide! The Dark Lord is a skilled Legimens and…"

"And Harry is a skilled Occlumens! Or have you forgotten?" interrupted Draco fiercely, he could feel fire shooting through his body.

Snape closed his eyes briefly, before resuming his expression of indifference.

"Mr. Malfoy, I can understand your concern, but Potter's safety is none of your business. You have been given an order; you are to act by it. Dismissed."

Draco stood up furiously and strode toward the door. Usually he was very unreadable with his emotions and he fought to get them back under control. Just as he was about to open the door, he spun around suddenly.

"You obviously do not understand by concern as well as you claim to, sir. Har- Potter is my friend, while he is barely a student to you. Our circumstances are very different. The importance of his safety surpasses my own in my eyes and that is a new thing for me. I've never cared about anyone before and never thought I would. Therefore, I will do as you say, unless I see fit not to. Goodnight professor," said Draco coldly and opened the door to escape before Snape could get another word in when he whacked into someone and went tumbling to the floor.

"Oof!" exclaimed Harry in surprise and pain. On the way sneaking down to Snape's office to talk to the man privately, he was extremely shocked at bumping into someone coming out of it.

Draco grabbed onto the person as he fell and landed on top of him on the ground. His groin made a slight contact with a delicious hip bone as they landed and Draco groaned involuntarily.

Harry looked up to see Draco's eyes staring into his emerald ones. Draco, stunned, jumped when Snape came out to investigate and whispered dangerously; "Get off him."

"GET OFF HIM!" yelled Snape. "Malfoy, back to your common room, now! I've had enough of your cheek! Potter, get in here and tell me what the hell it is you want!" recovered Snape evenly.

Draco clambered off Harry quickly with a mumbled 'sorry' and the moment Harry had stepped into the office, the door slammed closed.

Snape gracefully collapsed (that's quite a feat, Harry noticed,) into his leather desk chair and looked at Harry appraisingly.

"Is there something you want to tell me or are you just going stay all night?" Severus felt his heart lurch wistfully as he reviewed his words with inner horror. He quickly glared at Harry to distract the boy from any… insinuations he may interpret.

Harry scoffed, "That glare hardly puts me off anymore Professor and you know why I'm here."

"Actually I don't, so spit it out." Why?

"Don't think I'm blind, Professor. It's obvious to me that-" began Harry with concern.

"What?" interrupted Severus sharply.

"That something is bothering you. You haven't talked to me civilly since our last mission which was 2 months ago, the same time Draco started getting information. Don't think I don't see your looks that you give him because I do. Now, what is going on?" asked Harry seriously.

"I don't know what you are referring to Mr. Potter," replied Snape coolly.

"And why is it back to Mr. Potter in private?" asked Harry, exasperated.

"Well why did you revert back to calling me 'sir'?" retaliated Severus a bit pettishly. He was a little more hurt by the informal monosyllable than he cared to admit.

"Well what did you expect? You've been treating me just like you used to when I was in my fifth year!" returned Harry, peeved. "I realise you never liked the Malfoys, but I thought that you and Draco had-"

"Draco, is it now? Oh, I'm sure you're the expert on how perfect and reformed Mr. Malfoy is," snapped Severus bitterly.

"What is that supposed to mean? We're friends, nothing more! And it shouldn't matter to you if we were more!"

"Mr. Potter you are delusional if you think I care about anything of your life except that you defeat the Dark Lord and disappear. Oh, you know what? You have defeated him, congratulations, goodnight!"

And with that Harry was escorted into the corridor so fast that by the time he could retaliate with something the door had closed and the light underneath absent.

Harry's hands shook slightly as his eyes filled with tears. How could Severus say those things after all they'd been through together? He turned, resolute not to let them fall when he saw Draco leaning against the opposing stone wall, arms folded contemptuously.

"D.Draco… what are you doing here?" asked Harry in surprise as he tried to wipe his eyes surreptitiously.

Draco just looked Harry up and down and whispered, "Come on, I'll walk you to your common room."

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Draco traipsed towards the Slytherin Common room deep in thought. That crash into Harry had had a great impact on him, not just physically (he had received a nasty bruise on his knee!) but also emotionally.

Up until now he'd thought of Harry as just a friend, sure maybe they were closer than some friends, but he'd always thought friends loved each other in some way from observation of the trio. It just had taken Draco a while to realise that the way he loved Harry went far beyond the boundaries of friendship interaction.

He sighed, dragging his pale hands through his slick hair, mussing it slightly. He needed to think. Changing his route, Draco made his way to the kitchens for a good hot chocolate to ponder over. Hot chocolate was one of his favourite ways to brood, though he'd never tell anyone that.

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Severus leant against the back of his office door and extinguished the lights quickly. Staring in the darkness, he couldn't help but hear his own cruel words resonating through his mind. Letting out a breath he'd been holding, he remembered the sight of Harry's emerald eyes filling up at his harsh words and he felt something in his chest clench. How could he say those things to the man he l-… it was all for nothing anyway. No one would want a bitter, old, ex-deatheater-turned-spy, potion master. Especially not someone young, lively and vivacious as Harry Potter. No, he would forget him entirely.

Banging his head against the door, he made to push off when he heard voices outside.

It was Malfoy and Harry. Shamefully, he listened and of course (as does often happen to eavesdroppers) he didn't hear anything he liked. Thorns of jealousy attacked but this time, he tried not to care.

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Hermione lay staring at the dark canopy of her bed. Rolling onto her side, she tried to get comfortable while terrors ravaged her imagination. She was more disturbed by the news Malfoy had brought than she liked. She flipped onto her stomach and closed her eyes hopelessly.

"Argh!"

Hermione kicked her covers off and slipped a black school robe over her blue nightie before tromping off to the common room.

Sitting in a crimson velvet chair she pulled a pack of ordinary muggle cards that lay nearby and set up a game of solitaire. There was something in Severus' expression that made her heart wrench. She had suspected a few months ago that he fancied Harry and had for some time, but lately it was gone. Until tonight when he saw Harry come in with Malfoy.

She stopped, mid card-flip to gaze into the fire and saw something that made her gasp, fall off her chair and hit her head on the corner of the coffee table sending her into unconsciousness.

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Response to Reviews:

CRUDEDLY: Usually I don't give a rats buttocks about what people think of my writing except if it's my family, but as this is not an original story but set in the Harry Potter universe, I realise that trying to write something of quality to do service to JKR is a trying thing, but then again HPSS probably isn't her thing by far, lol… yeah ur right, stuff the lot of 'em, then eh? Thanks for reviewing, glad ur still here! ;) Snape jealous… oohh yeah, u bet! Gotta luv that though, right?

Pure black: Thankyou! I'm glad!

Lee23: Thankyou for your review, I appreciate your thoughts greatly! Thanks again.

Tigris T Draconis: Yup, the attack of the song'n'da 'eads! (don't ask, it gets ugly) wow, long time eh? Well I'm not lazy or anything, I've just had lots of gruelling exams, lucky me! Thanks for still being here:D

Katlyn: Got it in one! But trust me, it will get much more complicated than that, and no clues coz you seem very intuitive and imaginative already without my help!

Marry: Thanks, but he won't be doing Marilyn, Ron saved him, but trust me.. (And here's a big hint) it's going to be much, much worse…. Dun dun dun…(jaws' music starts) tee hee

I have no name: thanks! Hope you like!

Aya: Thankyou so much! I don't know why but I always assumed her name to be Virginia.. I've gone back and corrected the error, thanks again!

Thanks to all who replied and hope you liked this chapter! Feed the Author! ;)

Lisa (also Lisa13)