Updated message 3/14: I read over the chapter and winced at the number of spelling mistakes I was seeing. I'm so sorry you had to deal with that. I don't know what happened. It's like my laptop had a hiccup last night or something. I took care of it now, so hopefully everything's okay.

I should be doing homework. I have not one but two tests coming up this week that I really need to study for but I've finished the chapter in my journal on Saturday and knew I had to post it. It drive me to have a finished chapter sitting in journal instead of being out on fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy it. You can show me your appreciation with lots of reviews. Reviews are love after all ;)

I just wanna say I'm so so so sorry it took me this long to update. This semester has been CRAZY. And stressful. How I'm still alive, only God knows. And sadly I'm gonna keep getting busier since the school year is almost over so at the moment it seems like I might be updating once a month. I'm sorry, but if I can, I'll try to update as soon I can. You guys have seriously been amazing and I feel bad that I've had you waiting this long. And that I might have to keep you waiting.

Also, one of the reasons why this story hasn't been updated is because I've been working on other stories. Such as A Court Fit for Malfoy that I wrote to celebrate my one year of shipping/writing drarry. A final trilogy to my fem-Draco series called Imperfect Happily Ever After. Last but certainly not least, the Snape and Harry father-son story I did in honor of Alan Rickman called Unexpected Attachment that shows how Severus Snape came to care for James Potter's son. It's actually a Stages prequel spin-off you guys should check out. It will give you a hint as to who brought drarry together ;)

Shout-out to my awesome friend, Sammie aka dreamydrarry for not only giving me a sweet drarry idea that will be seen later on in this chapter but *drum roll commences* I am proud to see is the one who posted the 300th review to Stages. Thanks so much Sammie. I plan to reward you for that. I also wanna thank you awesome readers for the love you've given me and this story.

Special shoutout to LittleNightDragon for convincing me to do this story. Ash, there would be no Stages without you.

Before you get to reading, there's one question I wanna ask you guys. I really want your opinion on this. A few chapters back a reader had some concerns about the story. Mainly about the growing attraction between the boys. According to her, it seemed a bit one-sided. That Draco may care for Harry more than Harry does for him. I wanna know if it seems that way to the rest of you. Does the attraction come out as one-sided to you?

Chapter 17: Facing Fear

There were hundreds of rumors surrounding his father. Actually, not hundreds. More so thousands. Out of the thousands circling there was fraction Draco found to be downright ridiculous, such as the ones about his anger. Lousy reporters who shouldn't be permitted to hold a quill described Lucius Malfoy's anger as the apocalypse. The ground shaking from his screams that were loud as bursting through the cracks and creaks as he closed in on the source of his anger.

If the idiots did their homework, they'd realize how off they were. Father's wrath wasn't an apocalypse. It was a storm. One that crept in quietly, building in pressure. His arched brows and narrowed eyes clues to the severity of his anger. Tension stirring in the atmosphere, tightening with every passing second.

The storm began to brew when Harry started off, going over what happened on the train. Father's left brow arched, then the right. The storm picked up the pressure when Draco told him of what took place in Creatures class. He was fine telling Father the whole truth of the attack, but the sharp jabs Harry delivered to his uninjured side insisted that he did some "revision"

By the time all was said and done, the boys braced themselves for what was to come

Father took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, leaning into his chair. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his pocket-watch, flipping the lid open. "Three days," he said. He snapped the watch shut and the sound caused the guys to flinch. "Three days is how long it took for me to retrieve word that you two managed to get yourself into trouble. Again."

Harry winced and shared a look with Draco.

"I must say that it's a world record. Last year I didn't receive a letter until the following month. It would seem that your uncle owes me twelve galloons."

What? The boys looked at him, turned to each other, and then looked back at him.

Harry was the one who asked the question. "You and Severus bet on us?"

Father shrugged with one shoulder. "You boys have your way of entertaining yourselves. We have our own."

Draco shook his head, amused. Harry muttered, "Just wow."

"Let's get back to the task at hand." Father said. "You are well, Harry?" He nodded. "Any more dementors attacks?" He shook his head and Father nodded. "Well, glad to see that Dumbledore can actually manage to do some things right." His cool gray eyes drifted over to Draco. "Then again perhaps I shouldn't call the kettle black just yet."

Draco's mouth rose slightly in amusement. Harry's dropped.

"I'm told that Dumbledore appointed the gamekeeper as the teacher for Care of Magical Creatures. Is this true?"

Harry gave him a hesitant nod.

"And he decided that the class should learn about hippogriffs, even though they have a reputation for not being the most…friendliest of creatures."

That's one way of putting it. "Yes." Draco was quick to reply.

Father pursued his lips as he twisted his cane. "You know? I've expressed my concerns over Dumbledore's control of the school. Or lack of. Seems the oaf and his little bird are all the proof I need. In fact," The left corner of his mouth rose slightly. "I think I may have a little chat with Minister Fudge."

"Uncle Lucius, please no!" Harry said. "It's not Dumbledore's or Hagrid's fault. It isn't Buckwheat's fault either."

"It isn't?" Father and son asked in disbelief. Father over Dumbledore's involvement, Draco's over the bird.

"No, it isn't." Harry insisted, turning over to Draco, his eyes hard. "Right Draco?"

"The bandaged arm says otherwise, Potter."

"Your smart mouth earned you that arm, Malfoy."

"Boys." The firmness in Father's voice called for a cease and desist.

If Hagrid or Buckwheat get in trouble because of you, Draco, Harry's green eyes blazed. So help me...

"I suppose…" Draco said. "I might have been a bit dramatic."

"A bit?" Harry repeated in disbelief.

"Don't push your luck, Potter." he warned.

Father's eyes shifted from him to Harry and back again.

Feeling Harry's glare boring holes into his neck, Draco inwardly groaned as he said "As fond as I am of roast chicken-" He bit his lip as Harry dug his elbow deep into his side, shooting him a glare. "It would seem rash, Father, if you took action against a minor," And painful. "incident. You already know what most of the Ministry thinks of us. And knowing the old goat, he could use say that we're creating publicity."

Father was silent for a long time. Finally, with a slight nod, he said "I will look into it and let you know what I decide."

Happy? Draco nudged Harry with his good arm.

Harry rolled his eyes, which Draco took as a sarcastic Ecstatic.

"Well I best be going, boys," Father stood from the chair and straightened his coat. He gave him a faint, amused smile. "If I were you two, I would write to Narcissa. She heard about the incidents and it would be within your best interest to tell her of your conditions. By tonight."

Oh shite. The boys turned to each other, wearing identical grimaces. When Draco was released from the hospital wing, one of the first things they did was write to Mother, urging their owls to get to Malfoy Manor immediately.

Having a cast was a setback and a blessing. Well, he wouldn't go as far to say a blessing, but it did come with benefits that evened out the setbacks. Having one arm meant he couldn't play Quidditch. It also meant he was restricted to certain activities and needed help for others. The teasing he had to endure from not only his friends but most of the school about his chicken episode. Those were the setbacks. The benefits almost made up for them. The weather was starting to get dreadful and with him on the sidelines, he didn't have worry about wearying himself out or ruining his hair. The entertaining rumors circling around about Father's decision that will determine the oaf and bird's fates. Best of all, he had a servant to wait on him.

"Make sure you cut the fig roots evenly, Harry." Draco instructed during Potions, sitting by the sidelines while Harry was working on the assignment. He shot his best friend a sweet smile when he raised his head from the roots to glare at him.

"Keep testing me and I'll cut you evenly." Harry threatened.

"Tsk, tsk, Potter. It would be of poor show if you murdered your dearly beloved friend and roommate. I don't think Uncle Severus would be too pleased. Nor would my parents."

Harry shot him another glare. "Please remind me why I tolerate you."

"Because you love me so much."

"And I question why each day."

Draco propped his elbow up on the table and laid his head into his palm. "Because I'm so pretty."

Harry tried to fight it down, to keep it down, but Draco saw a small hint of a smile raising the right corner of his mouth. The sight caused a pleasant buzz to hum in his chest.

Harry shook his head and said, "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"Thank you."

"Arse."

Draco blinked, taken back by the comment. Then his eyes narrowed when he recognized the voice.

Weasley.

The redhead glared at him three tables away. Unfortunately for Weasley, someone else heard him too.

"Is there something you wish to share with the rest of the class, Mr. Weasley?"

Blood drained from the fool's face when he realized Severus was right behind him, cutting him into pieces with those black eyes. "No sir."

"Really?" A terrible smile twisted his godfather's face. "Are you lying to me?"

"Yes-no-wait! I mean-"

"Ten points from Gryffindor."

"What?"

"Would you rather I make it twenty?"

Granger cupped his mouth before he cost their house any more points. Too bad for her, the action gained her the opposite effect.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor. An additional five points will be taken since it seems that Ms. Granger is incapable of keeping her hands to herself."

"What?!" the girl yelped.

I knew there was a reason why I liked Fridays, Draco thought.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Draco, before Hermione finds a way to knock it off for you." Harry said.

The idea of the insect actually touching him, much less throwing a punch, was so incredulous it was laughable. Snorting, Draco replied, "I'd love to see her try."

Harry rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

The following Monday, Draco found himself in the Great Hall with his friends during free period. He was reading a section for Charms when he felt pain throbbing in his arm. Biting down a curse, he rotated his shoulder to take his mind off the pain.

Pansy caught on to his discomfort. "Are you alright, Draco?"

"It's just the arm. It hurts," he answered. "But it's better than having no arm. If it wasn't for Madame Pomfey, I would have lost it for sure."

A barely-suppressed snort rose. Eyes narrowing, he looked up at Blaise who was struggling to keep his laughter down. "Something to say, Zabini?"

Blaise took in a deep breath, his body shaking from the laughter he was keeping in. "I was just remembering your great words as you went down, Malfoy."

"'It's killed me!'" Goyle yelped, clutching his arm, doing a horrible impression of his voice. As horrible as it was, it made the rest of them laugh. Even Theo was smirking as he turned the pages of his book.

Blaise wiped a teardrop from his eye. "A moment for the ages, I swear."

"More like the centuries." Pansy giggled.

Draco glowered at them.

"Fun times wouldn't you say, Potter?" Blaise asked. "Hey? Potter?"

Draco turned over to the left, ready to elbow his best friend for not backing him up. He saw the boy's attention was focused on something else.

Or someone else he should say.

Cho Chang, a fourth-year Ravenclaw. A fairly decent Quidditch player. Smart girl. Draco supposed she was appealing to the eye with her shiny black hair, her bright almond-shaped eyes, and pretty face. However she was nothing to drool over.

Harry didn't seem to think so if the blush on his cheeks and nauseating, puppy-love smile had anything to say about it. A nauseating smile that grew as the girl giggled at what her friend told her.

Swallowing down the hot irritation that pricked his chest, Draco said, "Should I get you a bib, Potter, before you drool all over your sweater?"

Harry blinked, and then again, the love-struck haze disappearing from his eyes to Draco's great relief. "Huh? What?"

"So Chang, huh?" Blaise smirked, deepening Harry's blush and Draco's irritation.

"It's nothing." Harry insisted.

"The look on your face says other-"

"Sirius Black has been spotted!"

All thoughts of Chang and Harry's blushing flew out the window as Finnegan stormed into the Great Hall, wildly waving the Daily Prophet in his hand. He rushed it over the Gryffindor table and slammed it down.

Granger's low, uneasy voice was almost as loud as thunder in the suddenly-quiet room, students anxious to hear of the news. "It says here he's been spotted in Dufftown. That's not far from here."

"Sweet Merlin." Weasley wheezed.

"You don't think he'll come here, do you?" Longbottom asked. "I mean, with the Dementors-"

"The dementors?" Finnegan repeated, stunned. "You don't think the Ministry hasn't already used that for him? They have and he escaped them multiple times. Who's to say he won't do it again?"

"He's right," agreed a heavyset, dark-skinned Gryffindor. "Black could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."

The Hall exploded in frantic whispers. Draco turned back to Harry, who was staring down at his Ancient Runes homework like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. His face was white as a sheet. "Harry?"

"I'm fine."

"Why don't we go to the common room, darling?" Pansy suggested. "It's getting stuffy in here anyway."

"Oh is that what it is? I just thought it was your perfume." Theo said, and then winced as Pansy took a swing at his shin.

"Really guys, I'm fine." Harry said.

Problem was none of them were convinced, especially Draco who could read his best friend like a book. He saw the fear swirling in Harry's eyes. He was already nervous by divination teacher's prediction of death coming for him. News about Black's appearance was only bound to change anxiety into fear.

Harry was aware of his friends' concern for him. Hermione and Ron have been sending him worried glances since free period. Pansy and Blaise tried to distract him with their plans for Hogsmead. Theo was trying to make him a list of books he finished that he insisted were must-reads. Draco watched him closely, too closely, like he was waiting for a breakdown. Or for danger to come barreling through the doors.

He understood his friends' concern. Really he did and he appreciated it. It showed that he had a group of loyal friends looking out for him. However, as much as he appreciated it, he wished they'd understand that there was nothing to worry about. He didn't want to think about Sirius despite the questions circling his head. He didn't want to think about Trelawney's omen prediction, despite Ron's insistence that he looked into it while Hermione thought it was all rubbish.

He chose to think about the texture of the chicken sandwich he was having for lunch, and then the following his friends to their next class. A flash of excitement surged through his body as he walked into the DADA classroom and saw Remus waiting at the back of the room, greeting them with a warm smile. His smile brightened when he caught Harry's eye.

It was odd to Harry how little he saw of the man since school started. Then again Harry couldn't say it was all Remus' fault. They were both busy. Remus with settling in and his lesson plans. Harry with school, Quidditch, his friends, trying to keep Pansy from killing Theo and vice versa, and trying to keep Draco from killing Hermione and vice versa.

"Gather around, everyone. Come on. Don't be shy."

There was no desks or chairs in the room. It was a bit chilly and dim with some light coming from the only window in the room. Remus was standing next to an old wardrobe. As students came closer, the wardrobe made a wobbling sound.

"Does Lupin plan to tell us about Narnia?" Draco murmured in Harry's ear.

Harry bit his lip to hold in his chuckle, surprised by the Muggle reference Draco made. They hadn't read the books in ages. He looked up at the blonde and saw the pleased smirk curling his lips.

"Welcome, welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. I am Professor Remus Lupin."

The introduction was met by the same shattered applause it gained the first time around. Just like then, Remus was unfazed by it.

"I noticed that some of you were anxious by the rattling of your little friend," The closet wobbled again, louder this time, causing some students to jump in alarm. "Nothing to worry about. Only a boggart."

If Remus meant for those words to be comforting, it gained him the opposite effect. Neville gave him a look of pure terror. Seamus moved closer to Dean, eyeing the rattling doorknob apprehensively.

"First question," Remus said. "What is a boggart?"

Hermione put her hand up, answering, "It's a shape-shifter that can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us the most."

"Excellent, my dear. Five points to Gryffindor." Hermione glowed from the praise. "They are frightening creatures, no doubt, but I will teach you a charm that can be used against them. It's simple but requires focus. Force of the mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume the shape that you find amusing."

Some students were still skeptical but that didn't faze Remus.

"Repeat after me. Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" the class said together.

"Once more. Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!"

"This class is ridiculous." Draco drily muttered. Harry elbowed him.

"Neville," Remus called. "Why don't we start with you?"

The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville who walked forward as though he was heading to the gallows.

"Right Neville," Remus said. "First things first. What would you say is the thing that frightens you the most in the world?"

Neville's lips moved but no noise came out.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry."

Neville looked around wildly, as if he was begging someone to help him, then said in a low whisper, "Professor Snape."

Nearly everyone laughed, including Harry who couldn't keep the chuckles down. Remus looked both thoughtful and amused.

"Yes, well, he frightens us all…hmm..Neville, I believe you like with your grandmother, correct?"

"Er-yes."

"I want you to picture your grandmother clothes."

"Well, she has a red handbag-"

Remus waved his hand, cutting the boy off. "No, no, no. I want you to picture it in your mind. Can you see them?"

"Yes…" Neville said hesitantly.

"When the boggart bursts out of the wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the shape of Professor Snape. You will raise your wand and cry 'Riddikulus' and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. As for the rest of you, I would like for you to take a moment and think about the thing that scares you the most. Then imagine how you might force it to look comical."

The room went quiet. Harry thought on it.

Voldemort was an obvious choice-a Voldemort returned to full strength. Strong, powerful, wanting his head on a spike. Then again, there was also Sirius. Not the godfather he reminded but the lunatic that was on the Ministry's hit-list. An alleged traitor who was blood-thirsty, mad, and after Harry's head as well.

Remus called Neville to perform the spell. He looked frightened. To be blunt, the poor boy looked like he was trying hard not to wet himself. But still he held out his wand.

"On the count of three. One, two, three. Now!"

A jet of sparks from the end of Remus' wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Uncle Severus stepped out in his menacing glory, black eyes flashing at Neville.

Neville backed away, his wand up, wrist shaking, mouthing wordlessly. Uncle was bearing upon him, reaching inside his robes.

"R-R-Riddikulus!" he yelped.

There was a noise like a cracked whip. The boggart Severus stumbled. A second he was in his standard black robes. The next he was in a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, swinging a huge crimson handbag.

Laughter shook the room, filling the air.

"Moments like this, I wish we had cameras on us." Harry said in between chuckles.

"I do not want to be Longbottom when Uncle hears of this."

"You think he'll find out?"

Draco gave him a sly smile that said Doesn't he always?

"Parvati! Forward!" Remus cried.

She walked forward, her face set. Severus rounded on her. Another crack and where he stood was a blood-stained, bandaged mummy. Its sightless face turned to Parvati and began to walk slowly towards her, dragging its feet, raising its stiff arms.

"Riddikulus!" she cried.

A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet. It became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off.

"Well done! Well done!" Remus grinned.

A line began to form, wands out, faces set in concentration and excitement. Remus spelled an old reorder to go off, playing a merry tune that marched the enthusiasm of the room.

Seamus stepped up. His boggart started out as a banshee whose wail made the hairs of Harry's arms and neck stand up.

"Riddikulus!"

The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat, her voice gone.

When Ron stepped forward, no one was surprised by the appearance of a gigantic spider crawling out of the door.

"Riddikulus!"

Roller-blades appeared on all eight legs. One false step and the boggart sprawled on the floor, its entangled legs wildly waving in the air.

Theo's boggart was a herd of bats that rushed forward to him. With a wave of his wand and a cry of the chant, the bats turned into loose pages of a book.

"Why am I not surprised?" Pansy muttered.

As if he could hear her, Theo shot the girl a death glare as he came back. 'Course he got his own kicks when Pansy's boggart turned out to be a mime.

"It's ironic." he said with a smirk as she came back, turning her mime into a shrieking tiny pixie.

"What's ironic?" she demanded.

Theo's smirk widened, sharp as a blade. "That the thing you fear the most has the one ability you seem to lack."

"Which would be?"

"Keeping their mouth shut."

Pansy punched his arm so hard; Harry and the others winced, feeling the searing pain vibrating through the muscle, rushing down the arm.

"Son of a-" Theo bit his lip down to deal with the pain.

"Arse."

"Like I said," Blaise smirked. "More entertaining than any show Mother has taken me to."

When Harry's turn came up, he rose his wand, the charm hanging off his tongue. He already thought of ways of how he would alter the dark lord's appearance. All those thoughts came to a halt as a decayed hand crept through the door.

Harry's next breath was caught in his throat.

Followed by that decayed hand were black robes and a hood.

Harry took slow steps back as the dementor slipped out, looming over him. He heard gasps and frantic movement behind him, but sounds buzzed like background noise as the dementor leaned down and took in a long breath.

He felt the cold pouring in like rushing water, filling his chest, pulling him under-

"Expecto Patronum!"

Silver light gleamed from the corner of his eye and the dementor drew back, retreating into the wardrobe.

It may have been gone but it left behind a mark in the classroom. The warm and cheerful atmosphere from earlier was ice-cold, filled with tension and fear. Harry felt more than a dozen pair of eyes boring holes into the back of his head.

"Alright everyone," Remus tried to tap into the same calm tone he had earlier but it was hard not to hear anxiety twisting his voice. "Class dismissed."

The frantic glances grew to hushed whispers.

"Class dismissed." Remus repeated, his voice firmer.

There was a moment of hesitation before feet shuffled, moving slowly towards the door. Harry didn't turn around. His eyes were still locked on the wardrobe, watching it rattle, picturing the dementor creeping inside.

"Pup," Remus was by his side in an instant, hand on his shoulder. "Class is over."

Harry finally managed to draw his eyes away from the wardrobe over to his uncle, seeing concern in the man's tired eyes.

"Why don't you go off with your friends? Get some homework done?"

Harry nodded and tired to smile. His smile fell as he walked out the classroom.

Later on that night Harry tried to focus on homework. McGonagall wanted them to turn a jar of raisins into beetles for next class. Severus assigned them a ten-page research paper. For Ancient Runes, they had to decrypt a dozen symbols. He had the books and notes spread out on his desk. He had a quill in his hand that was dipped in fresh black ink. But he couldn't concentrate. His mind was still on what happened in DADA, against his better judgment.

He was still shaken from the train attack. Even now he still had the chills, though he simply blamed it on the cold weather they were experiencing. What happened in class though showed that he was more than just shaken. He had no idea how far his feelings over the matter ran until he found himself face to face with the dementor.

"Potter!"

Harry's thoughts were shattered by Draco's scream. He blinked and looked over his shoulder, over to the couch where Draco was doing his assignments. Based on the dark glare on Draco's face, he had been calling his name for awhile. "I'm sorry. What?"

"I said if you don't stop tapping that damn quill, I will shove it into your eye."

Harry glanced down at the quill in his hand, seeing it was raised slightly in mid-tap. "Really?" His eyes shifted over Draco's cast. "With one arm?"

Draco's dark glare cracked into a sickly sweet smile. "There's plenty can be done with one hand."

"Oh really?"

A dark brow rose at the challenge. "Care to test me?"

Harry rolled his eyes and turned back to his homework. After ten minutes of staring down at his runes homework and tapping away at his quill, he decided to take a break. Though some credit for that idea came from the loafer Draco threw at the wall, narrowly missing his head.

He stood up from his desk and walked over to his head, dropping onto the mattress. He had no idea how tired he was until he felt aches pulsing through his shoulders and neck. He felt a dip in the mattress but still didn't turn his head, comfortable where he was.

"I have to hand it to you, Potter. Just when I think you can't outdo yourself, you manage to do it."

"Yes, Malfoy," Harry said. "I summoned a dementor to make the class quiver in fear."

"So you do admit it?" He could practically feel those lips curving into that infamous smirk he wanted to punch in half the time.

Despite himself, Harry felt a smile curling his lips. He ran his hands through his face, sighing. "Remind me why I tolerate you."

"I thought we went over this, Harry. It's because I'm so pretty."

"Try again."

"Because I'm so brilliant."

"Brilliantly ridiculous is more like it."

Draco whacked his arm for that comment and came closer to him. He propped himself against the headboard, looking down at him. "How about the fact that I'm yours?"

Harry blinked up at the ceiling slowly, then turned over to him.

"And you're mine?"

Any comment that was ready to come out halted as Draco traced his mouth with his thumb, brushing against his lower lip. Warmth rattled Harry's chest, his stomach like snakes.

"You at least stood up against your fear, Harry. Take pride in that." Draco spoke quietly in a low whisper, as if there other people around eavesdropping on them. Harry couldn't explain why but it made goose-bumps to prick his skin.

"I-I didn't really face it," he murmured. "I just stood there."

Draco shrugged with one shoulder, his hand still on his bottom lip, tracing it like he was working on a masterpiece. "Even so, you didn't turn away and that's brave. I don't think I could have done that."

It occurred to Harry that Draco didn't go up in class today. Before he had the chance to, the dementor came in and Remus let them out early. He wondered what shape Draco's boggart would have taken. "What's the thing that scares you the most?"

The stroking stilled but the thumb remained where it was. Draco's eyes slowly moved from his mouth to his eyes. Harry had no idea how close they were till he felt Draco's cool breath brushing against his skin.

A rattling at the window broke the moment, cutting through the spell like a knife and bringing the two back to reality. Heart pounding rapidly, Harry drew back from Draco and propped himself up on his elbows. Through the heavy sheet of rain, Hedwig was tapping away at the window, carrying a letter in her mouth.

Harry crawled out of bed and opened it, sighing in relief as the cool air kissed his flushed face. The owl shook her feathers dry and strutted over to her owner, holding out a sealed envelope marked with the Malfoy stamp.

"Who's it from?" Draco asked.

"Your parents," Harry broke the seal and opened the letter.

Dear boys,

I have thought over what you said concerning the gamekeeper and his hippogriff. I have often told you that every action, every decision a man makes is a show of character. Of his rationality. And as you know, I am a man who takes great pride in character. It would seem impractical to talk to the Ministry over a minor incident. I will still speak to Fudge about Dumbledore's decision about the gamekeeper teaching. A student was harmed under his watch and that cannot be forgiven. I have decided, though, to spare the giant's pet.

Harry let out a heavy sigh of relief, feeling like twenty years had been restored to him. Ron and Hermione would be relieved to hear that.

However, Harry, we have heard about Black.

The smile on Harry's face dropped.

Dufftown is close to Hogwarts-too close. Severus, Narcissa, and I talked it over. For the sake of your safety, we're revoking your admittance to Hogsmead trip. I understand that you are shocked, may even be frustrated, but you must understand that chances cannot be taken.

What?! Hogsmead was one of the things Harry looked forward to for third year. The candy shop, Honeydukes, that was stocked treats that were so good, customers left weeping. The prank shop Fred and George said was their mischief sanctuary. The Shrieking Shack believed to house thousands of lost souls.

And now thanks to Sirius he was going to miss it.

"What is it?" Draco demanded. "What does it say?"

Harry cleared his throat to shake off the annoyance clogging it and read the letter out loud. Draco was quiet through it all and nodded as Harry finished.

"Well, it looks like we won't be having roast chicken any time soon."

Harry gawked. Draco smirked. Then was knocked off the bed by the pillow Harry threw at his face.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next one is gonna feature a small Uncle vs. Uncle showdown.