Chapter Eleven: What About Us?

"Why are you here?"

Draco looked up at the figure in the ddorway. Harry came storming into the room the second he saw that Draco had seen him. He leaned down swiftly so that his eyes were level with Draco's.

"What?" Draco was thrown off by the question. "I already to-"

"NO!" Harry slammed his hand on the wall. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

Then it clicked. Potter wanted to know why he came running to the 'Golden Trio' rather than the ministry.

"I knew you would help me." Draco stood up, Harry's head following to keep the constant eye contact. "You wouldn't turn me over to the dementors."

Harry scoffed. "The dementors would be too good to you." His voice was dripping with venom. His eyes were squinted and filled with pure hatred.

"You don't know how much I agree," replied Draco. His eyes squinted slightly, but filled with hatred for himself rather than Harry, that and tears he refused to allow fall.

"Rufus Scrimegeor just left," Harry's fingers itched into fists and clenched his teeth. "He was asking about you."

"So this is your version of a good-bye, I assume," Draco lifted his eyebrow. He held out his hand, "good bye. Thank you for allowing me to stay w-"

"We told him you weren't here."

Draco froze, not that he was moving before. He looked at Harry with an expression neither could understand. It looked like a combination of confusion, surprise, thankfullness and joy. It felt like admiration, respect, and gratitude.

"Thank you," Draco whispered.

It was all that needed to be said, until Harry remembered why he was up there in the first place.

"Why are you here?"

"Because I knew you would take me in."

Both boys' voices were soft, getntle, and somewhat friendly and understanding. They were knowing, but unaware. Their faces were blank as they stared straight into the other's eyes, refusing to break contact.

"And Hermione had nothing to do with it?" Harry denied his face the yearn to scowl, to sneer, to turn red and match the extreme volume his voice wanted to reach.

Draco was shocked. How could Potter have found out? Did Hermione tell him? No. She would never. But, how then?

"Granger is a mudblood. She is someone infereior to me." Draco's heart beat ferociously (A/N sorry if that's spelled wrong, my spellcheck doesn't work for this, and only this, document) as the words passed through his lips. "I would never go to such filth for help. You're bad enough."

Harry noticed the increase in Draco's breathing. His nostrils flared and his jaw clenched. He felt as his eyes shot open in hatred and he lunged at Draco.

Draco felt as his head crashed against the bedroom wall with Harry's hand on his throat.

"Dont you ever speak of her that way." Harry was filled with so much emotion and it was all coming out. "Oh, and by the way," Harry tilted his head in a cynical way, his voice filled with an insane and possessive tone, "Scrimegeor asked her what it was like to kiss you when she was was rude to him and demanded to know what would be going on in my meeting with him."

"Potter, you're crazy," Draco choked out. Harry had been subconsiously applying force onto Draco's throat. He pushed Harry's hand away.

Harry realized what he was doing and let his hand fall. "Sorry," he mumbled. "But what the hell were you doing kissing Hermione?"

"I never did," Draco whispered simply. He forced a look of distain onto his face.

"Hermione, tell me the truth," Ron had taken Hermione to the closet under the stairs.

"I am Ron," Hermione exclaimed. She'd had to drag him into the closet so that they wouldn't be interrupted

"Then why the bloody hell did Scrimegeor say that you kissed him? Why did you two come back form your run together? Why did he come back from your run? Why have you been defending and babying him the entire time that he's been here." Ron was furious. The volume of his voice was raising rapidly.

"Ron, SHIT UP!" Ron wasn't the only one who was pissed off. "There is nothing between us!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOUR EYES WATERING? WHY ARE YOU NOT SLAPPING ANYONE? WHY THE HELL ARE YOU NOT AS ANGRY AS YOU'RE TRYING TO BE?" Ran took in a deep breath. "Herm, do you like him?"

Hermione ddin't freeze. Instead, she calmed down and felt her body move into a more relaxed pose. "Ron-"

"What about me? What about us?" A tear escaped from Ron's eye.

"Ron," Hermione leaned forward and wiped the tear with her thumb and looked up at her best friend.