Title: The Chase
Author: Keiko Yuki
Series: Harry Potter
Rating: M
Pairings: Harry/Draco
Warnings: Yaoi/ Slash/ M/M…in future chappies
Author's Notes: Ummm, I don't own Harry Potter. I do happen to own a pair of shoes and a scrunchie...
Summary: Even with the dark lord gone, Harry doesn't trust Draco at all. Harry decides to follow him on a night that Draco leaves the safehouse but upon finding him something happens that changes everything. Can Harry finally learn to trust Draco?

Ron smoothed back Hermione's brown hair gently as he watched her sleeping face. Her eyes were unmoving behind her lids and not one flicker of movement could be seen from the comatose witch. Ron could feel a prickling at the corner of his eyes at the thought of her never waking up.

It had been (and still was) the most difficult thing in the world for him to do. His heart ached with longing when he saw her still form on the bed. His visits to her room were far apart and short-lived now that she had been 'sleeping' for over four months. His blue eyes shifted to the dainty hand he held tightly with his own trembling hand. On the ring finger was a simple silver band: their engagement ring.

There was a reason why Hermione was laying in the bed before him in a sleep that was controlled by Madame Pomfrey. He didn't hold scorn for the people that came up with the idea. He really couldn't blame them. He knew that in war there had to be sacrifice. But that knowledge didn't help matters or ease the pain he felt at the moment.

It was difficult to deal with everything that had been going on, especially with an emotionally unbalanced best friend and a comatose fiancée. Malfoy's arrival had sent everything into chaos. Harry was withdrawn and sullen. He didn't want any contact with anyone anymore. It hurt Ron to know that even he couldn't ease the pain that was tormenting his best friend. Hermione had wanted for Ron to keep Harry out of trouble and help him finish the war and make sure they survived for their wedding.

A painful smile etched across his face at the thought of Hermione's kindness and humor in such dark times. She was a pain in the arse, but she also knew what she was talking about and when to ease her friend's hearts. Hermione would have known how to make Harry normal again. Ron's heart was heavy with pain and grief. Knowing that his brothers were in danger everyday and that his mother was worried sick, all alone at home and grieving over her husband and only daughter's death.

The smile disappeared as he tried to change his thoughts from falling into dark ones. Everyone had underestimated him from the day they met him. He'd always been set aside as the out-of-place sidekick. He really didn't have any special talent, but he was going to make a difference. He was going to avenge his sister and father's deaths.

Ron stood up and pressed a gentle kiss to Hermione's forehead and squeezed her hand one last time before allowing it to settle against her side once more. He turned and walked through the door without another glance at the sleeping woman.

----

Draco awoke to a loud splashing noise and water hitting his face. He opened his eyes slowly and blinked away the pain from the sun hitting them directly. He looked through narrow eyes at a puddle of water next to his face. The sound of splashing water could still be heard a little ways away but he couldn't see where it was coming from.

Draco sat up and crossed his legs in front of him and wiped a hand across his face. As soon as his hand came in contact with his skin, he winced with pain. A confused look took over his features as he poked at his cheek. His face hurt and he couldn't tell why. As he lowered his hand to place it in his lap, he saw that it was half red. His grey eyes stared at the reddened part before widening with understanding.

Draco Malfoy had gotten sunburn.

Two things occurred to him after this epiphany. One: his suspicions of never seeing daylight again were now void. Secondly: Harry was nowhere to be seen. He first noticed that Harry was not anywhere near his resting place when he'd looked to see if the wizard was laughing at him in a corner of the cave. This would be what Potter would most likely do if he were to catch site of a half-sunburned Draco.

"Potter-?" Draco called into the darkness of the cave and when he received no answer he turned back to the mouth of the cave. He silently cursed his luck. He'd fallen asleep at the mouth of the cave where the sun could get him and sunburn him. And of course, he'd been wearing nothing but black clothes. Now that blasted prat was not only not where he was supposed to be, he had also left without his wand. At least this was a fortunate aspect of his morning.

Draco crouched down and picked up the thin wand in his hand and twirled it around with his long fingers. He fought hard to remember the spell to change his skin back to its normal (if not entirely healthy-looking) color. Draco took his cloak off his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to control it. Malfoys looked presentable at all times. No matter the situation.

In a momentary stroke of luck Malfoy remembered the incantation that he needed to get rid of his sunburn. Unfortunately, however, that was also the moment that Potter decided to emerge from wherever he'd been. Malfoy looked up with surprise to see the Boy-Who-Lived soaking wet and dripping all over the floor like a wet dog.

Draco bit back a laugh at the realization that Harry really did look like a wet dog. His usually unruly hair was now flat against his head with the added weight of water. His glasses were in his hand and he was mopping at his face with his other hand. Draco half expected him to shake off the remaining water from his body. He was slightly disappointed when Harry picked up the cloak he'd left on the floor and dried his glasses to put them on, instead. When the wizard put his glasses back on he blinked across the floor to see Draco seated on the floor with half of his body red and the other half pale as paper.

Of course Harry's first reaction was to point and laugh as hard as he could. When he regained his right state of mind he looked amusedly at a thoroughly pissed off Draco Malfoy. He was now standing and his hands were fisted against his hips and one pale hand was holding his wand in a firm grip.

Normally this would be a comical picture, but when if occurred to Harry that Draco had his wand, he immediately saw red. If there was any person in the world who was never ever supposed to touch his wand it was Draco Malfoy. He stomped over to the Slytherin and grabbed for his most valuable possession.

"Give it, Malfoy!"

It is a well-known fact that Harry Potter is two inches taller than Draco Malfoy. It is also fact that Harry was also heavier and physically stronger than Malfoy. Sadly, neither of these truths helped Harry with the retrieval of his wand. Malfoy had efficiently dodged Harry's frontal assault and calmly stepped out of the way. Harry stumbled but recovered quickly. "Malfoy," he said through ground teeth. "Give me my wand back."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who leaves their wand on the floor of a cave when exploring a place they've never been? If that weren't idiotic enough," he continued, obviously enjoying his advantage and the opportunity to chastise Harry. "You also left it in the very same place your worst enemy was. Some savior of the wizarding world." With a flourish, Draco waved the wand over his body and the redness disappeared. He was showing off, naturally, because he knew that Potter hadn't yet completely mastered wordless magic.

"Well well well, don't you feel important?" He responded sarcastically.

"Of course I do, Potter." He said cheekily. "I am a Malfoy."

Harry's blood boiled and he thought of a million different insults to say in response to Draco's self-important banter. But, under speculation (which took all of two seconds) he realized that fighting would get them nowhere, and that they really did need each other in order to leave this place. So, Harry gritted his teeth and swallowed before releasing his anger and frustration in a mighty sigh.

"Now that you've gotten rid of your sunburn Malfoy," the other wizard's name felt like acid on his tongue as he fought with himself to remain in control of his anger. "Can you just give me my wand back." Though it sounded like a request, it truly wasn't. Harry was close to knocking the Slytherin out and leaving without him. He was itching to be rid of the snotty pillock and it would've been so easy to just kill him and pretend he'd never seen Malfoy leave the house last night. But he needed to remain calm... even though killing the prat would make his life so much easier.

Harry sighed once more and closed his eyes. "Malfoy, I think I've found a way out. If you give me my wand we can work together to get back to the Order."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed once more and they stared into each other eyes. Both sets of eyes were untrusting and held loathing and hatred. Draco stood there, twirling the wand with his fingers and contemplating. After a few moments, his gaze changed so that it was more calculating than blazing with anger. He tossed the wand into the air and watched as Harry caught it easily.

"You said there was a way out, Potter?"

----

A knock at his door made him glance from the letter on the desk. He stayed silent for a few seconds and the knock appeared again. It was more insistent his time. Lupin sat up in his chair and turned toward the door, the movement sending pain flaring up his back.

"Come in," he called as he folded the letter and placed it in a drawer in the wooden desk.

The door opened to reveal one of the Weasley twins. Lupin smiled and made to stand up and greet them. He was surprised when only the one twin walked through the door and closed it behind him.

"Hello Remus. I'm Fred by the way." Fred looked tired and there were dark circles under his eyes. His hair was shoulder-length and tied back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. The shorter hair in the front hung limply to frame his handsome face.

Lupin stayed seated and summoned a chair from the corner of the room to sit in front of the twin. Fred muttered a thank you and twirled it so that he straddled the back of it. "George is fine," Fred said as he registered the worried expression on Lupin's face.

Lupin visibly relaxed but his worries were not completely gone. He suspected that his worries would never be completely gone. Especially during this war. With so many students and friends he knew were fighting against the Death Eaters, his fears would never be quelled. "What is it Fred?" Lupin questioned gently.

"Well," Fred began and spied the tray of food on Lupin's desk. With a small smile he summoned the tray of biscuits and stuffed half of one completely in his mouth. Through his mouthful he continued, "Harry and the ferret were spotted outside The Raven last night. Me 'n George were investigating the disappearance of that Auror, Holly Enders?"

Lupin nodded and waved a hand for Fred to continue with his report. "Well, Lav-lav was watching our buddy Malfoy when she saw Harry sneaking around behind him." Fred picked up another biscuit and popped it in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "These are really good Remus."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Will you continue, Fred? Spit out what it is you need to tell me." Lupin didn't usually lose his patience with Fred or George but if Harry and Draco were involved, there had to have been serious trouble.

"Fine, already. Lavender called us using one of those muggle phones that 'Mione made us carry and told us what was happening. She was telling us where they were when they suddenly disappeared."

Lupin sat up in his chair with alarm. "They what?"

Fred waved his hands in the air, spilling crumbs all over the floor. "Hey! It wasn't me, okay? Lavender said that they'd had a scuffle and when Harry pinned the ferret-king to the floor, they disappeared."

"Did she check the area for magical traces? A portkey? Apparation?" Lupin inquired quickly.

"Of course she bloody did!" Fred said loudly, both eyebrows raised as he stared incredulously into Lupin's eyes. "What kind of Auror do you think she'd be if she hadn't?"

Lupin didn't say a word in return. He thought upon the information that had already been given to him and now he had more information to put together. This was a never-ending puzzle and he was tired of finding the missing pieces. Lupin pressed his fingers at the bridge of his nose. Why he did this, he did not know, but it was a way to indirectly convey his frustration.

"Well, she found a trace of portkey activation. It makes sense, seeing as how Lav-lav didn't see or detect anyone else in the vicinity." Fred leaned impossibly far backward and cracked his back then swung upwards so fast it made Lupin dizzy.

"Anything else?" The elder wizard questioned wearily.

"Nope, I'd say it was nice seeing you, if not under these circumstances." Fred stood up and patted Lupin's shoulder sympathetically. "I've got to go check on Fred. I'll be seeing you, Remus." As the twin walked toward the door Remus called to him.

"Next time George, if you want to impersonate your brother, do try and remember not to call him by his own name." George grinned cheekily at him and Apparated in a pink puff of smoke. Honestly, leave it up to the twins to take the time to figure out how to leave smoke behind when they Apparated.

----

Harry Potter had committed suicide.

Draco hadn't meant to toss him off his rocker, really. It just wasn't humanly possible for the two to act civilized with each other. No matter how upset he'd made Harry, he hadn't expected for the loon to jump off the cliff.

Malfoy stood rooted to the spot by shock. He hadn't dared look over the rocks to see the dead body splattered and skewered by the sharp rocks below. Harry Potter's death created two problems for him. One: he would never be able to face the wizarding world ever again. And two: Harry had taken the only wand with him to his rocky grave.

He could have had the decency to at least leave the wand with him. Especially since where he was going, he'd have no need for a wand. Draco summoned his courage and peered hesitantly down over the edge and into the deep blue of an ocean. And swimming calmly in the water was none other than Harry Sodding Potter. That Bastard…

"Potter!" Draco shouted downward despite himself.

Harry looked up amusedly at his enemy. The irate expression on the Slytherin's face was well-worth the painful leap into the water below. Harry swam farther out so he could see the Slytherin better. He was crouched at the edge of the cliff and glaring down at him with such a deadly force that his heart rate sped up with a sudden inkling of fear. Harry wasn't intimidated for long though and he whistled up at Malfoy to get his attention.

"Jump, Malfoy!" Harry knew that Malfoy wouldn't jump down into the water and risk bodily injury. Harry also knew that Malfoy had no desire to make the trek down to the water's edge. The terrain was rocky and difficult to navigate. Harry had woken up earlier than Malfoy and began exploring without the other. It was a wise decision on his part: he was able to find the way down uninhibited by a spoiled Malfoy complaining about his hair being messed up or something.

"Are you daft, Potter!" Malfoy shot back at Harry. Draco had no idea how he was going to survive with having to find the way back to the Order's shelter with Harry Potter. Draco dragged a hand down his face and rolled his eyes as he fought with himself. He had two options and neither of them was tempting. He didn't have a wand and all he could see from his spot was the water Potter was swimming in. He couldn't just Apparate into an ocean; he could end up twenty feet under.

Draco sat cross-legged at the edge of the cliff and fought to ignore Potter's incessant taunting and jeering. He looked to his left and right, only to find that he was surrounded by rock. There was no path to follow and he wasn't a rock-climber. He'd really hadn't done anything more strenuous than climbing the stairs at Hogwarts. Being rich had definitely made him sheltered and hadn't exactly given him a high endurance.

Malfoy sighed and stood up from his less than comfortable seat. With one last hesitant glance toward his watery grave, he took a few steps back, gulped, ran the rest of the distance, and jumped.

And he screamed all the way down.

It was like the never-ending fall to his untimely death. His heart was lodged in his throat and his arms waved as if doing so would help him with his landing. Not that he needed to worry about that, of course. If the crashing against the water didn't kill him, surely he'd drown before he could claw his way up to the surface.

If he survived this, he vowed that he really would kill Harry Potter.

He silently vowed that all of his empty threats would become real and his hatred for Harry increased tenfold.

When he finally hit the water, it was like a slap to the face. The pain he'd felt from the sunburn this morning was nothing compared to this body-numbing pain. He immediately regretted the decision that prevented him from roughing it out on the rocky path down to the water's edge instead of falling to his death.

Draco's eyes opened under water and he looked through the slightly hazy water toward the surface. He judged that he was about seven feet away from sunlight and oxygen. He hadn't taken a breath before falling (he was too busy screaming and cursing Potter and his relatives) so he was already out of breath. His lungs burned and he didn't feel like he could move his arms, let alone swim seven feet.

Draco was going to die, and he hoped that he could see Harry in Hell…

----

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. I thought it was an amusing one to write. Poor Draco... I don't think he'll ever forgive me... I apologize for the shortness, but I usually never update as quickly as I have... I think its only been two days since I posted Ch. 1 Would you rather prompt reviews? Or lengthy ones? Its up to you guys, I can do both... Let me know.

Review responses:

Fireproof potatoes- I'm so happy you think so! About the spaces: I have no idea why that happened. On the word file I have this story on, it is fine. When I load it onto the spacing is wonked out. I tried fixing it, but it stays the same! I was ticked off about tha' one… I think some charas will seem out of character and I apologize in advance, but I'll try to be true to the charas as much as I possibly can. Thanks for your nice review! (cool name, btw)

Cate- And I'll hold you to that promise! jp… I'm sorry for the confusion. I re-read the first chapter and I realized that it was a bit confusing. I hope this chapter is less… er, confusing….()

Dracorox418- thank you! I hope you enjoyed it... I guess that's what you meant by 'not bad' ?

ILOVDRACO- I love him too! (giggles to self) NEway, I hope I don't disappoint you. I want this story to come out good. I'm still working on my outlines, so, we'll see what happens, ne?