A/N: Thank you Sarya for betareading again! The song's Something Corporate's 'Bad Day'.

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Chapter Seven: Bad Day

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At first I'm frozen to the spot, holding my breath as not to let them see me, but in a few seconds I step back behind the corner in the corridor, out of view. Cautiously I observe Harry and Kyle's interaction, a strange feeling of worried anticipation forming a lump in my throat.

I had heard some voices echoing on the stairs and in the hall as I stepped inside the building, but immediately dismissed them, since I didn't recognise the voices or understand what was said. I merely presumed that the voices belonged to my neighbours, who have a tendency to sort out their arguments in the corridor and letting all other inhabitants of the building hear it.

"- think you are, trying to woo my Draco?"

That was Kyle. His fists are clenched at his sides, and apparently he's trying to intimidate Harry by towering over him, showing just how tall and almighty he is. His eyes are narrowed to slits, his jaw clenched, and he's breathing heavily through his nose.

Harry, on the other hand, seems perfectly relaxed, even though I can't see his face from my hiding place. He's put his hands in his pockets, resting his weight on the other leg as if he was waiting for the correct bus on Sunday, when he's in no hurry to go anywhere.

I can hear the smirk in his voice. "Well, he didn't mention anything about belonging to someone. And who said I was trying to woo him in the first place?" I bet he lifted his eyebrows at Kyle in amused curiosity.

Kyle's gritting his teeth, tensing even more, and I can see how his arm muscles tense under his tight long-sleeved shirt. "I smelled your cologne all over him yesterday. Don't fucking try and say that you're not shagging like two horny rabbits right beh-"

"Slow down!" Harry chuckles, raising his hands up in front of him defensively. I hope Harry's not pissing Kyle off intentionally, because that's exactly what he's doing by not taking him seriously. But in some twisted way I'm also enjoying this, enjoying the way Kyle's face flushes in anger towards that sniggering stranger.

"My cologne! he laughs. "I did let him borrow my coat last night, since he was soaked and shivering with cold."

Kyle's expression goes through a variation of awes, grimaces and furies, but he manages to stutter: "You- You're lying! I know you are, so don't try and outsmart me, because I'm not buying it. Draco tried to deny your actions, too, but I could hear the guilt in his voice, see it in his eyes and body language."

Suddenly the amused expression on Harry's face vanishes in a second. For the first time I see him dead-serious towards Kyle, and I'm reminded of the time when he exploded at Ron. "Where is he?"

Kyle's taken aback by Harry's quick change in character. "How would I know? I just came!"

"Well you just said you're his boyfriend. Aren't you supposed to have some kind of idea what your sweetheart does during day?"

"I- Yes! But I'm not his guardian or anything! I don't watch his every move Kyle spits.

'Bullshit,' I want to yell. My cheeks develop a pink tint as my resentment flashes.

"So how come you can't get inside with your key and look if he's home?"

"I. Don't. Know," he mutters, scowling heavily. "Anyways, it's none of your business. Draco's none of your business. So piss off."

"So you have no idea where he is? Work, perhaps?"

"He's supposed to be home any minute now. I'm going to wait 'til he does. Or he might be taking a shower at the moment, and that's why he doesn't hear me." Kyle turns to face the door. "Draco! Are you in there?"

Harry sighs and leans against the wall, digging out a cigarette. All of a sudden he glances up in my direction, and our eyes meet. He frowns, holding the lighter in mid-air, a question in his eyes, but he keeps silent. Uncertainly he glances at Kyle again, and then back at me. My gaze shifts from Harry to Kyle and back to Harry nervously, and I try to signal Harry not to say anything.

"You're not allowed to smoke in the corridor."

Luckily I was quick enough to spring back behind the corner, and Kyle didn't see me as he turned to Harry.

"Draco!" He continues banging my door, waiting for a response.

Harry straightens up and brushes some non-existent dust off his shirt. "Oh well, since he doesn't seem to be willing to open the door to you or isn't here yet, I'll just leave and come back some other time."

"You better not come back if you know what's good for you..." he lets the threat hang in the air, but Harry merely snorts.

"I know what's good for me, thank you very much." He extends his arm. "It's been a pleasure, mister...?"

Kyle takes a step towards Harry. "Fuck. Off."

Harry looks hurt. "My, no need to be so rude. I will leave, hopefully we'll meet again. Ta ta!" With an elegant swirl he waltzes away, leaving Kyle staring after him and gripping the key in his sweaty hand.

I'm leaning against the wall behind the corner, waiting for Harry. When he sees me more closely, his eyes widen in shock, but I indicate to him to stay quiet by raising a finger to my lips. He snaps his mouth shut, and noddingI gesture him to follow me. In silence we go down the stairs, and once we're outside the building, I turn to face him again. The deep frown is still on his face.

"What was that? And... what the hell happened to your face?" His voice is weirdly demanding, all tense and serious.

My eyes flash in fear, althought he can't see it. Oh damn, not even Guerloin's foundation cream can cover everything, it seems.

I don't know what to say and how much, and I rub the fringe of my nose. "I just didn't feel like facing him just yet." How am I going to explain this?

His question is cautious. "You don't want to see your boyfriend?"

I flinch a little. "It's not exactly like that... Ok, maybe it is. It's true that I don't want to see him, but I wouldn't call him my boyfriend, not really... The thing between Kyle and I isn't really a boyfriend-boyfriend kind of situation. He just is –um- was there. Aagh! This is difficult, he thinks there's something special between him and me, but I don't. I don't love him or anything, I just... am with him. In a way."

Harry shakes his head, and eyes me in a odd way that makes me feel uncomfortable. "That's pretty fucked up, you know."

"Yeah." I smile a little at the whole picture, even though I hate the situation itself.

He searches my eyes that are down-cast. "Was he angry at you yesterday?" I look away, trying to look calm and collected, examining my nails. "Did he cause those bruises?"

Something in my throat clenches in a suffocating way at his question, and even though his voice is low and soothing, I can sense a tint of something else underneath it, too. I have this weird feeling that whatever I tell him, he'd notice my lie and just know.

"I –" Oh damn, it feels like my ability to act is gone. Better just avoid the topic, even though I already know that he wouldn't want to drop it. "I'd like to go someplace else. Who knows, Kyle might come out any second."

'Oh no no no, do NOT look at me that way! I do not want to be pitied!'

"Draco –"

"Don't! He did not do this to me, I just happened to bump into people who don't like gays." My voice is snappy, I know it, but at least I've made my point clear. I can't meet his eyes as I say this, I look anywhere else but him.

"But –"His voice is urgent, but I cut him off.

"Anyways, I'm going to dump Kyle, I already changed the locks. I had been thinking of it for a long time already."

Harry seems surprised. "Oh." He rubs the back of his neck, and I see him trying to fight a smile, but his eyes are giving him away. I love eyes that can't hide anything and I feel the pull towards him all over again, even though it was never gone. "Well... If that's what you want."

I smile at him. "It certainly is..." Neither of us really looks at the other, and he puts his hands into his pockets, looking down the street.

"So..."

"Why did you come again?" That question bothered me since I saw him back at my flat.

"I don't know. I guess I wanted to ask you for another coffee or something. If you have time."

My eyes flash in delight and licking my lips (I see Harry's eyes flicker on my lips for a second) I nod. "That would be ni-"

Everything happens within seconds, but it's almost as if I saw it in slow-motion.

A new black car with covered registration plates appears out of nowhere, wheels screeching as it makes a sharp turn. The back wheels are sliding on the road so that Harry and I are in the direct spotlight, facing the windows behind which I only see dark silhouettes.

All of a sudden a hand holding something black and shiny is pointed at us from the window.

My breath catches in my throat, eyes widening in cold realisation.

A gun.

I see the person taking the safety catch off with a click, hand steady above the car's side mirror.

"Get down!" I had been totally immobilized, and harshly Harry pulls me down by my arm and we collapse behind a car. He makes me go as flat against the ground as possible, working as a shelter above my body and holding my head.

I hear three bullets being shot and they hit a car, making its alarm system go on, filling the air with a horrible sound. I breathe in an urgent way, almost hyperventilating, and my ability to see freezes for a second.

"Don't move!" Harry whispers in my ear and cautiously rises up a little to look through the cars windows behind where we're hiding. My heart beat's never been this fast, I swear. I am fucking terrified and unable to think straight!

"Potter! This was a warning, you won't get another one!"

With a grating of wheels the car speeds away, leaving the mere smoke of the gunpowder and grave-like silence behind.

Watchfully he rises a bit more, looking around in case it wasn't safe to stand up yet. With a sigh he straightens up and extends his arm to me. "Are you okay?"

Oh, I am okay. Never felt better. Absolutely splendid.

I don't take the arm, I just stare at him from the ground, sitting on my arse in awe.

Those guys just shot at us. They shot at us. I don't know if their goal was to actually hit one of us, or just scare. Which they certainly did.

After a few healing seconds I take a deep breath and, for I've always been the elegant one, shriek: "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?"

... TBC ...

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update the story, but I had some problems with just about everything. I was amazed by the emount of reviews I got, wow O.O You, my dear reviewers, are absolutely fabulous, and as I've said before, you are my motivation. The chapter number eight is almost written, and I can promise that there's gonna be something that you will like :)

Here are some answers to reviews, some of them made me smile like a lunatic that I am. ALL of them were lovely, one of you had quite a good question there, too... Sorry I'm not able to answer to all of the reviews, I'd like to, but I'm in kinda hurry and didn't want to make you wait any longer.

Sarya I love you. No one's even written a review as long as yours. It was NOT silly! And yes, you are right, I have put a part of myself into Draco's character, it's easy to write when our 'thoughts' are similar.

Carrot: Hahaha, no, Harry did not kick Kyle's ass, even though I would have loved something like that, too.

GaBoO Nice to hear that you liked the chapter, and no worries, Kyle is not about to disappear just yet. Yes, Kyle is a bastard in so many ways.

Okami-chan Draco was beaten up pretty badly, but some persons just are able to deal with pain pretty well. Three painkillers have an affect, after I've taken three I basically float around the house :D

Keep reviewing and I promise the next chapter is going to be uploaded sooner than this one. Motivation, motivation...

-Devilita