It was late by the time that Harry got back to the Common Room. There were still a few people up, but Harry didn't see Ron and Hermione among them. Slightly glad that he didn't have to stay in the Common Room and talk to the handful of people still in there, he continued through the room and to his dormitory.
He could hear the faint snores coming from behind the curtains of Dean, Seamus, and Neville's bed. Harry didn't bother attempting to be quiet, once those three were asleep, it took extreme measures to try and wake them up before morning.
Ron's bed, however, was empty. Curious, Harry changed his clothes and laid down, thinking. Where could Ron be? Hermione had said that she was just going to study all night, and Harry figured that she would end up talking Ron into doing the same thing. Harry couldn't help but wonder if they were out past curfew together.
Harry realized that he didn't mind Ron not being there, though. At least this way, Harry could let his thoughts wander, without having anyone interrupting them. Even Ron, who would be sure to press him for details about where he was earlier.
Harry felt himself blushing at the memory of a couple hours ago. If anyone had told him two weeks ago that today he would be snogged senseless in the back of the library, Harry wouldn't have believed them. Especially if he was told that the person he would be kissing was Draco Malfoy.
Harry thought that he should at least be feeling embarrassed, if not also nervous that someone had seen them.
But Harry couldn't stop grinning.
They had, of course, been tucked in the corner behind some bookshelves in the back. And though they couldn't be positive that no one had seen them, Draco had been pretty confident that they hadn't been spotted.
And Harry– well, he had been a little too preoccupied to care.
Draco had proven to Harry that he wasn't the only one who could be easily distracted. Luckily, all the snogging– or well, at least most of it– had occurred before they worked on their homework, because Harry couldn't afford to do any worse in Potions. Draco had been pretty smug that he managed to focus on his work. Or, he was pretty smug.
Harry smiled at the memory.
--
"Looks like I've got you beat, Potter," Draco said, smiling sweetly at Harry.
Harry shrugged.
"Looks like you might," he said, before grinning wickedly. "Do you want your prize now?"
Draco's eyebrows seemed to disappear into his hairline.
"There's a prize?" He said, surprised.
"Of course there is." Harry smiled softly and leaned in, capturing Draco's lips with his. For moment, he was caught up in the kiss. He was surprised that he was still blown away by kissing Draco, and that he was still just as unwilling for it to end as he was with their first kisses. But Harry pulled himself out of it, and, grinning slyly under Draco's lips, he moved his hand that wasn't cupping Draco's face towards the uncovered ink bottle that was sitting beside Draco's Potions essay. Draco seemed oblivious to this movement, as lost in the kiss as Harry had just been. With a small tip, he felt the bottle empty. He pulled away quickly from Draco, looking over to see that the ink had spilled across Draco's essay.
Before Draco could speak, Harry looked innocently up at him.
"Whoops," he said, trying to fight down a smile.
Harry lost the battle. Grinning madly, he shrugged, as though what he had just done was unimportant.
"Looks like I got you beat, Malfoy," he said, watching Draco carefully, who seemed torn between anger and amusement.
Deciding not to push his luck, Harry grabbed his things and rushed out of the library.
--
A sudden tapping at the window forced Harry out of his thoughts. He jumped out of bed and hurried to let the owl in. Harry could barely feel the cold night air on his skin as he tore open the letter..
Harry,
I would congratulate you on your win, if you weren't such a bloody coward.
Harry blushed slightly, and pulled out some parchment and a quill from his bag beside his bed.
Draco,
I thought that I had good reason to run. Was I wrong to think that you were mad?
--
Harry,
No, you weren't wrong; of course I was mad. But I wasn't livid.
Besides, with you leaving so quickly, I didn't get to kiss you goodnight.
--
Draco,
I guess that was the downside to my plan. Not getting to kiss you goodnight, and, of course, the getting you mad at me part. Though you had to admit, it was time that I out Slytherined you.
Harry paused for a moment, surprised at his own daring. By saying that last line to Draco, he would probably have to tell him what he meant, which would mean that Harry would have to tell him about what the sorting hat had told him during his sorting, something that he hadn't even told Ron and Hermione.
He felt that as long as he was being reckless with what he was writing to Draco, he might as well do a through job with it.
I wish you were here right now. I can't believe it, and I know it sounds girlish and corny, but I'm missing you already.
Harry sat in bed, waiting for a reply. He started worrying when one didn't come, had he scared Draco off with that last line?
After awhile though, he felt himself falling asleep. He was in a deep sleep by the time that Ron returned to the dormitory.
--
Harry woke up early the next morning, and it took him awhile to figure out what had awoken him. He felt his heart skip a beat as he saw the owl at the window. He climbed out of bed quietly, aware that he had to be quieter than he was last night if he didn't want to wake anyone else up.
He glanced over at Ron's bed, breathing a small sigh a relief that Ron was in it. He had forgotten to draw the curtains around his bed, and Harry wondered if that fact could show how late it had been when he had returned.
He untied the letter from the owl and brought it over to his bed. He noticed as he opened it that it was a bit thicker then usual.
Harry,
Well, you certainly know how to make someone forget that they are mad at you. I couldn't stop grinning after I read your letter. I miss you too.
God, I don't even know why I wrote that, or why I don't want to scratch it out. I never get sappy like this, and I don't know where it's coming from, so I wouldn't get used to it if I was you.
Anyway, I'm sorry that it took me until this morning to reply to your letter. I had to fix the Potions essay that you ruined. But I was dead tired, and I didn't remember what I had wrote before, so I'm pretty sure that what I ended up putting down was a mess. Which I guess was your intent, was it not?
And judging by your obvious teasing, I'm assuming that you are waiting for me to ask you about your comment. I am curious; what do you mean that it was time that you were more Slytherin then me? What could the reason that the Great Gryffindor would stoop to Slytherin levels?
Oh– and I wanted to ask you; did Weasley attack you with questions last night? I'm surprised that you stayed out as late as you did without them sending a search party.
--
Draco,
No, Ron did not attack me when I got back, but that was only because he wasn't here. The search party probably wasn't sent because Ron and Hermione decided to go out somewhere last night. I'm not sure though; I fell asleep before Ron came back last night and I haven't had the chance to talk to him yet this morning.
But whatever the story is, I'm sure that it will be amusing.
And I guess that you are right, I was waiting for you to ask me. But it's something that I haven't told anyone, besides Dumbledore. I haven't even told Ron and Hermione, so I'm not sure on how to say it. Or, well, write it.
When I tried on the sorting hat first year– it well, it sorted me into Gryffindor, but only because I asked it to.
It wanted to put me in Slytherin. Actually, it was pretty set on doing so– but Dumbledore said that it's mostly about your choice, and that's why it put me in Gryffindor instead.
Wow, I can't believe I just told you that.
--
Harry,
God, Harry. I can't believe it either.
Meet me by the Black Lake tonight, same time as yesterday. I want to talk to you.
--
A/N: So, here's another chapter!! I kinda ended up writing it while I was babysitting, so if some parts of it don't make sense, it's probably because I had a toddler babbling in my ear.
But I do think that this is my longest chapter yet, so, yay me!! Right?
Oh, and if anyone leaves a review telling me that 'Slytherined' is not a word, I'm going to throw a biscuit at you. This is a fanfic, and I can make up words if I want to! (and it'll be a stale biscuit, so you can't eat it! evil laugh)
Lol, and, I guess if you think about it, Slytherin isn't a real word either. So there! grins
And, as always, reviews are appreciated. (actually, they cause the author to hyperventilate, but whatever makes me happy, right? Because the happier the author, the quicker the chapters come out!) So… REVIEW PLEASE!!