A/N: I am soo sorry it took me so long to update. I'm also sorry this chapter is so short. This is only about 1/4 of what I had planned for ch2, but I've been lazy and haven't felt like typing. Sorry. I'll try to have the "rest" of this chapter up shortly. I have a question for everybody, Would you rather have longer chapters like ch1 that are updated probably once a month, or shorter chapters like this that are updated every 10 to 14 days? I'll try my best to stick to whichever you choose.

Draco,

Meet me by the lake at midnight.

Harry

Harry POV

I couldn't believe I did it. I couldn't believe I sent him that letter. I must be going crazy. What were we going to talk about? It was a quarter to twelve and I had already been at the lake for half an hour. I was getting anxious. What if he didn't come? He had never actually owled me back to say he was coming. Oh, my god! He wasn't coming! I was sitting here by the lake making a fool of myself! I was starting to get up from the tree I was leaning against, when out of nowhere Draco appeared in from of me and said, with an oh, so sexy smirk on his face, "Evening, Harry."

"My God, Draco. Scare a guy to death!" He chuckled. "How did you get so close without me seeing you, anyway?" I asked. Trust me. I had been watching the lake very closely for any signs of him. In response he raised his arms over his head and disappeared. He brought them back down and reappeared, grinning broadly. "Ah, an invisibility cloak."

He sat down to lean against the tree, his shoulder rubbing mine as he did. I blushed. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" he asked. He seemed nervous. Why was he nervous about talking to me?

"Oh, nothing in particular. I just wanted to talk."

"Oh, ok," he whispered. Was that disappointment I saw flash across his face? No way.

"Do you have anything in particular you'd like to talk about?" I asked him.

"No, not really."

Damn. "Oh, okay…. So, who do you think will win the Quidditch Cup this year?"

"Oh, well that's easy. Slytherin, of course," he answered with that devastatingly handsome grin on his face again.

"Oh, really?" I said, grinning back. "Well, I happen to think otherwise." Which launched us into a good-natured debate on the strengths and weaknesses of each team. After quidditch we talked about the teachers; who was nicest, who gave the most homework.

After about an hour of talking with him, I asked him another question. "Draco, do you think we could actually be friends?" He took a deep breath. I hurried on. "I mean, I know before we both said no, but I don't know. Maybe things have changed enough between us now?" I looked at him hopefully as another smile graced his face.

"I don't know, we seem to be doing a good enough job of it right now." And then he winked at me!

I let out the breath I had been unknowingly holding. "Yeah, we have haven't we? I'd really like to be your friend, Draco," I said, watching his grin grow into a full fledged smile. "Although I don't think we should just all of the sudden start walking around together acting chummy." His smile started to fade. "But I'll feel good knowing inside that we are friends," I finished.

He was smiling, but looking sad? I don't think I'll ever figure him out.

"Yeah, I'd like that, too. Just knowing that you consider me your friend would make me very happy."

It would! Awesome! "Great!" I said, flashing him a big smile. "Well, it's getting late. We should probably be heading off to bed," I added, getting up off the ground.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he said, following me up. "Listen, it's been great talking…and becoming friends." And he hugged me again. I was stunned for a moment, then put my arms around his waist.

"Is it ok for me to do this?" he whispered in my ear.

His hot breath on my neck made me shudder and I tightened my grip on him. "Yeah, it's fine," I whispered back.

All of the sudden he pulled back and said, "Well, bye," and took off back towards his dorm.

"It felt really good to hold him," was all I could think as I made my way back to my own.

Draco POV

I don't think I'd ever felt happier than I did right then. Harry and I had talked like real friends, I had hugged him, and he had hugged me back! And he had asked me if I wanted to be his friend! Oh my God, of course I did! He didn't want to go public with it yet, but that was okay. I'm sure he just needs time to adjust to the idea. And he had hugged me back! Wow! It had felt so right to hold him like that.

Every night after that we had an unspoken agreement to meet at the lake and we'd talk for half an hour or so. I relished this time with Harry. And our nightly hug as we said goodbye. I wasn't sure if it was just me and wishful thinking, but they seemed to be getting longer and harder. Merlin, I hoped it wasn't just my imagination!

One night I was sitting in the library working on my transfiguration homework when Weasley came up behind me and said, "We need to talk. Now! Privately!"

"Well, gee, Weasley." I sneered at him, "If you want to get me alone, all you have to do is say something."

The look he gave me was pure evil. I was almost proud of him. If he hadn't been a Weasley, of course.

"Up, now," he repeated.

"Hold on, Weasley. Don't get your knickers in a twist, I'm coming," I said as I gathered my things. After we were out of the library he grabbed my robes and drugged me to the nearest empty corridor. "My Weasley. Anxious, are we?" I said, giving him my best snarl.

"Shut up," he said. "This isn't about me, it's about Harry."

"Harry?" I asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Yes, Harry," he continues. "I know there's something going on between the two of you."

"So what if there is?" I asked.

"Stay way from him!" he said sternly. "All you're going to do is be a bad influence."

"Oh, really? What makes you say that? Is he finally treating you and Granger with the contempt you deserve?"

"Shut up!" he said again. "Just trust me, you're a bad influence on everyone you hang out with. And I think he's really starting to like you, not that you'd give a damn."

Actually I did give a damn, quite a bit of one, but I wasn't about to tell Weasley that. "Oh, really?" I sneered at him again. "Potty has a crush on me? Isn't that interesting?"

"Don't call him that!" he snapped. "You don't deserve someone as good as Harry! So stay away from him!"

"Now I'm not sure, but I think Potter's a big boy and can decide who he wants to talk to." This conversation was getting ridiculous, in my opinion. And then Weasley said something that made my heart leap in my threat.

"Yeah, well, apparently he can't think straight when it comes to you. Now, this is the last time I'm going to say this, stay away from him!"

"Good," I said. "Does this mean that I don't have to listen to you anymore?"

"I'm serious, Malfoy," he said and stormed off.

So Harry like me so much he couldn't think straight? My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to bust. I groaned. What was I going to do?

A/N: So, what do you think? Please review! Also, as an aside. If you do review, you get added to a list and I'll email you when I update. If you review multiple times, I'll tell you where you can get the "Early, unbeta-d" version! Yea! Bribing people to review!