Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter.

The rest of the day passed by fairly quickly, and before they knew it, Naruto and Sasuke were heading down to Itachi's office.

Their footsteps echoed against the cold marble floor as they walked, the only noise in the eerily quiet second-floor corridor. The lack of voices was disconcerting. It wasn't that they were trying to avoid talking to each other…rather, they had nothing to say.

'So…how was your Arithmancy class?' Naruto asked a little desperately, trying to fill the awkward silence. Earlier that day, Naruto had had a choice: follow Sasuke to his Arithmancy class or Kiba to his Divination one. Arithmancy sounded too tedious to even think about, so naturally, Naruto had opted for the latter.

Sasuke, who was walking just a step in front, glanced at him, his brow cocked. 'Hn.'

Opportunity! Naruto leapt at the chance to tease him. 'Aw, no,' he fake-groaned. 'Don't tell me we're back to the monosyllables?'

A shadow of a smile appeared on Sasuke's face, before just as quickly disappearing. He enjoyed bickering with the blonde just as much as…well, he enjoyed it. 'Shut up, dobe,' he said, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

'Teme,' Naruto murmured, starting to grin.

'How was your class?' Sasuke surprised him by asking. 'Divination?'

'Kiba's an ass for choosing that,' Naruto scowled. Divination had turned out to be a disaster. Naruto had seen absolutely nothing worthwhile in his teacup. Kiba had seen dogs, balls and bones, all of which apparently meant something. Naruto, on the other hand, hadn't been able to make head or tail of the blob of dregs at the bottom of his cup. 'I am sure as hell never taking that subject.'

Sasuke nodded wisely. 'Good choice.'

The silence enveloped them again. Sasuke was starting to feel as awkward as the blonde. He had never been at a loss for words before – he had just never had to talk before, Sasuke reflected drily.

'So what were you saying earlier today, about flying lessons?'

Sasuke threw a startled glance in his direction. He hadn't forgotten, of course. He'd just felt, later on that day, that he may have been a bit too overbearing on Naruto. Most of his day was spent worrying that the dobe would approach him and firmly tell him that he didn't want to be taught by a cold ice-princess bastard like Sasuke. Although, to be fair, Sasuke hadn't thought Naruto would use those exact words.

'You said you'd teach me?' Naruto offered with a slightly hopeful look in his eye.

Sasuke nodded. 'If- If you'd like,' he said, trying to be indifferent, cursing himself for stammering.

Naruto nodded vigorously. 'That'd be awesome, Sasuke! Flying! Is it hard? I mean, it can't be for you, you're on the team and all that, but was it hard when you started out? I bet-'

'Blondie.' Itachi stood at the entrance to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, the famous smirk lodged in place. He observed the two with a raised eyebrow, an amused expressions playing on the planes of his face. His dark robe swished as he spun around wordlessly and led them into the room.

Naruto and Sasuke followed, the former having fallen silent immediately after having been interrupted, the latter feeling resigned to whatever the Gods had planned.

The room, Naruto noticed, faced south. The Lake and a pitch could be seen from the window on the far side of the room. A little light spilled in from said window, although it was already well past six o' clock.

On the desk in front of the window, a small supper fit for ten people had been set. Naruto was impressed. Cucumber, ham, and pumpkin sandwiches, pumpkin juice, and even a large treacle tart were laid before them. Three golden goblets were next to the jug of pumpkin juice, along with three golden plates.

'What did you want to talk about?' Sasuke asked with an edge in his voice. The blonde glanced at him. He was glaring at his older brother, although not very heatedly.

'Sasuke,' Itachi said seriously, 'eat first. This may take a while.'

Sasuke seemed momentarily stumped by the solemn tone his brother had used. He reached out to the table, and then hesitatingly took a sandwich. He took a cautious bite. When he was done with it, he washed it down with pumpkin juice. 'Done.'

Itachi looked like he was restraining himself from rolling his eyes with difficulty. 'Do you want to eat?' he asked, turning to Naruto.

'Not hungry,' Naruto shrugged. And it was true. With the tension in the room, the last thing on his mind at that moment was eating. He knew his refusal would come back to haunt him later on that night, but right now, he couldn't care less.

'Sit,' Itachi sighed, motioning with his head to two chairs in front of the table. He himself moved and sat at the head of his desk, eyeing the two as they gingerly seated themselves.

After a moment of silence, during which the boys assumed Itachi was gathering his thoughts, Itachi allowed himself to speak. 'This morning, in class, I mentioned Orochimaru.'

Sasuke sat up straighter. The snake-bastard. Of course.

'What I didn't mention,' Itachi continued, 'was what he did, for me to be offered this post.'

'He was after our money?' Sasuke guessed.

'Naturally,' Itachi said. 'And he nearly succeeded.'

Naruto's interest increased tenfold.

'If either Sasuke or I pass on to the next world,' Itachi told Naruto, 'Orochimaru will get our gold. Or if we choose to give it to him ourselves, but that'll never happen.'

'Exactly who is Orochimaru?' Naruto asked. 'And why on earth would he get your fortune if you guys died?'

'Our old Defense Against the Dark Arts professor,' Sasuke said. 'He's related to the Uchihas.'

'Oh.' Comprehension dawned on Naruto's face. 'So what did he do, that made you get this job?'

Itachi told him, his eyes never leaving his face. 'About a few days after I met you, I had decided to go down south to visit an old friend. It seems as though Orochimaru has been tracking my movements. Before I knew it, I was cornered down a dark old alley, faced by Dementors.'

Naruto's eyes widened. He knew what a Dementor was, having done all that reading. He never, ever wanted to meet one of those faceless creatures.

Sasuke leaned forward. 'Why didn't you tell me of this?' Sasuke hissed at his brother, eyes narrowed.

'You didn't need to know,' Itachi said, waving a hand dismissively. 'At any rate, my patronus managed to ward the Dementors off long enough for me to get away. I escaped. I never did manage to visit that friend,' he added.

'Itachi!'

'Right, sorry,' Itachi said, although not looking like it. 'Anyway, I had a very powerful position in the Ministry. I used all my sources to get Orochimaru arrested, because I knew it was him. But he managed to cover his tracks up well. We got some incriminating stuff, but not enough to persecute him. The Ministry chose to overlook this.

'So I talked to Professor Tsunade. She thought it was him, too. She believed me. Since she handles the school without any interference from the Ministry, she fired him. What could the Ministry do about it? Then she offered his old post to me. Naturally, I took it.

'Orochimaru now works as a school governor. Tsunade had no say over that. He is entitled to visit the school whenever he sees fit.'

'I feel like I'm in some sort of cheesy cop show,' Naruto muttered, although looking intrigued.

Itachi smirked. 'And that, little ones, is why I summoned you here tonight. To tell you how I came to be here.' His smile grew wider – but no less evil-looking – at the disgruntled expressions on the "little ones'" faces. 'So now you know.'

'What was the point of telling me, though?' Naruto wondered aloud.

'I have a feeling you'll be involved, Blondie,' Itachi said, eyeing his brother suddenly. Sasuke tugged at the collar of his robe, feeling a little hot under the scrutiny. 'Soon.'

Naruto finally began to look as worried as the situation warranted. 'Me?'

'You,' Itachi confirmed. 'You needn't worry, of course. The Uchihas will protect you.'

'From what?' Naruto asked, frustrated. 'How did I get pulled into all of this?'

Itachi shrugged. 'You'd best hurry along now,' he said, standing to shoo them out. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'

Naruto looked extremely reluctant, but Itachi ushered him out. Sasuke had stood up when his brother did, but waited for Itachi to re-enter the room.

'How is he involved?' Sasuke asked in a low voice as soon as Itachi came back in to drag him out as well. 'Is Naruto in danger?'

Itachi looked at Sasuke for a long moment. 'Sasuke, while I was at the Ministry, I ran into an old friend of my ex-boss, Hermione Granger Weasley.'

Sasuke looked a bit lost. 'And?'

'She was having tea with one Sibyll Trelawney,' Itachi continued. 'When I was introduced, I was told that Hermione, for the majority of her time spent at Hogwarts, believed that this lady was a fraud. But now, she feels that this old professor of hers may in fact be the real deal. Miss Trelawney is a Seer.'

Sasuke paled. He had a feeling he knew what was coming. 'What did she tell you?' he whispered.

'Long story short, Blondie's in for the ride of his life,' Itachi said tiredly. 'And she doesn't know the outcome. All she knows is that his life is in danger.'

Cold fear gripped Sasuke. 'How soon?'

'Oh, he'll be alright for a few months, I'm sure,' Itachi said, resuming his seat at the desk. 'But whatever it is, it involves us, and you, in particular.'

'You want me to keep away from him?' Sasuke asked heatedly.

'Good heavens, no!' Itachi said. 'I'd prefer you next to him, really, to watch his back.'

Silence fell between the brothers. They held each other's gaze for what felt like an eternity, before a rough pounding interrupted them.

'Oi!' Naruto's voice yelled. 'It's cold out here, teme! Get your arse out here, right now!'

'Don't keep him waiting,' Itachi said. He then swiveled his chair around so that his back was to Sasuke, and he was looking out the large window, at the lake.

Sasuke nodded, even though Itachi couldn't see him, and headed for the door. As his hand touched the bronze door knob, his brother's voice halted him.

'I wouldn't keep him in the dark about your feelings if I were you, Sasuke.'

Sasuke twisted the knob and left the room.

Naruto shoveled more pie into his mouth.

'You'll choke if you don't slow down, Naruto,' Hinata admonished in a motherly fashion. 'For heaven's sake, chew.'

'Sogh,' Naruto said through a mouthful of pie.

'He said sorry,' Kiba translated lazily, being extremely fluent in the language of the Full Mouths.

Sasuke silently spooned his last bit of soup into his mouth. After coming down to the Great Hall, Naruto had been delighted to find that they hadn't been gone all that long. Dinner was still in progress, and there was plenty left for them. He had dragged Sasuke to the Gryffindor table immediately, and upon locating Kiba, plonked himself comfortably on the bench and started stuffing his mouth.

'Argh!'

Naruto spat all of his food onto the table, much to the disgust of his neighbors, who instantly moved away, save Sasuke.

'Ugh, what was that for, Naruto?' Kiba said, watching from across the table. 'I swear to God, you and Sasuke ought to form some sort of team, you guys are so unpredictable.'

'I felt something cold, just now,' Naruto frowned. 'As in, freezing cold. It was like…it was like, it went through my stomach, and then, disappeared. Is that normal in Hogwarts?'

'Afraid not,' said a new voice.

Naruto looked to his right. 'Argh!' he yelled for the second time that night.

'So sorry, didn't mean to frighten you,' said a silver-skinned man with merry, dancing eyes. He was dressed in what must have been the height of fashion around 500 years ago. 'Are you alright?'

'Hey there, Nick!' Kiba greeted cheerfully. 'Didn't see you at the feast last night. Where were you?'

'The Bloody Baron gave us the longest and most lamenting speech he has given in all his existence,' Nick replied jovially, looking at the crowd around him. 'Couldn't get away, although most of us tried. Even Peeves had to stay. He just finished a minute ago.'

Naruto was leaning into Sasuke, who was on his left. 'Teme,' he whispered, 'is that a ghost?'

'Of course I'm a ghost!' Nick said, overhearing him and grinning. 'Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, better known in these parts as Nearly Headless Nick, at your service.'

'Naruto Uzumaki,' Naruto mumbled.

'Ah, you're the famous Naruto, are you?' Nick said with an interested expression, bending closer. Naruto instantly leaned further away – which led to him leaning even more into Sasuke. Sasuke gritted his teeth and held onto his self control. It wouldn't do to grab the stupid dobe and kiss the stuffing out of him, now would it?

'I suppose so,' Naruto said in answer to Nearly Headless Nick's question.

'Come now, don't tell me you're afraid of me?' Nick asked, genuinely surprised. 'What can I do? I can't even touch you!'

Sasuke felt Naruto relax slightly. He wasn't sure if he was happy Naruto was reassured or not.

'Ah, don't mind Nick, he's as harmless as a Flobberworm,' Kiba said, grinning toothily. 'Aren't you, Nick?'

'Of course not!' Nick spluttered. 'I'll have you know I can be quite dangerous when I want to be.'

'Of course you are,' Kiba said patronizingly.

'Once again, you display your lack of tact with remarkable proficiency,' Nick said, holding his head up high. 'Heaven knows why Miss Hyuuga still chooses to be seen in your company.'

Naruto was starting to get involved in the conversation. 'She balances him out,' he said jokingly, although his body was still inclined toward Sasuke. 'She's the brain to his braw…well, she's the brain.'

Nearly Headless Nick laughed. 'I like you, Mr. Uzumaki.'

Naruto's fears were instantly wiped away. He beamed at the ghost. 'Likewise, I'm sure.'

'Dobe,' Sasuke said, redirecting the blonde's attention to himself. 'I'm free tonight. Would you like to learn how to fly?'

'Brilliant!' Naruto exclaimed happily. He gulped down his juice in one go, and then slammed the goblet back down on the table. 'Let's go!'

Sasuke allowed a small smile of victory. He then pushed his food away and grabbed his bag. 'Come on then.'

And they left the Great Hall, one trailing the other, both looking decidedly please with the turn of events.

The Quidditch pitch was huge. Naruto gaped in awe at the large, oval-shaped pitch, which, according to Quidditch Through The Ages, was 500 feet long and 180 feet wide, and had a small central circle, about 10 feet in diameter. At each end stood three goal posts, each of which were different in height from its neighbors. There was also a 180 foot-long line mid-field. The field looked really cool in the moonlight, with the full moon the only means of illuminating the pitch.

'Before I teach you how to play Quidditch,' Sasuke said, interrupting Naruto's train of thought, 'I'm, quite obviously, teaching you how to fly. What do you know so far?'

Naruto looked at Sasuke's broom nervously. It was terrifyingly beautiful, with its sleek black handle made of ashwinder ash, and the words Firebolt 3000 emblazoned on it. He had seen this exact broom in a window in Diagon Alley, and it had boasted to be the best of this century so far, exceedingly more impressive than the old Firebolt 2005 that had preceded it.

'Dobe?'

'Not much,' Naruto replied, in answer to Sasuke's previous question. 'Just that it'll jump into my hand if I say "Up".'

'That's kid's play,' Sasuke snorted, waving a dismissive hand. 'No one ever does that. We usually grab our brooms and just walk onto the pitch.'

'Then I don't know anything so far,' Naruto shrugged.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. 'Come here,' he said. When Naruto hesitantly approached, he swung his leg over his broom. 'Get in front of me.'

'You're riding with me?' Naruto asked in wide-eyed surprise.

'You think I'm letting you on this thing on your own, just so you can kill yourself?' Sasuke glared at him. 'Just get on.'

Naruto put a leg over the broom, just as he had seen Sasuke do, so that he was positioned in front of the raven. Sasuke slipped his hands around his waist and held onto the handle in front, leaning forward as he did so. Naruto was suddenly very aware of Sasuke's presence behind him. Sasuke's strong, firm chest, pressing into his back. The raven's scent of pinewood, and something else Naruto couldn't identify, nearly overwhelmed him.

Sasuke coughed discreetly, hoping the blonde couldn't hear his erratically beating heart. 'This okay?' he asked gruffly.

'I-I'm fine,' Naruto said, cursing himself for stammering. Feelings he couldn't begin to describe were swirling around in the pit of his stomach, and he studiously tried to ignore them. For heaven's sake! This was Sasuke! He shouldn't be feeling anything. The guy was hot, there was no denying that, but…but he was so…

'On the count of three,' Sasuke unknowingly interrupted him, 'I am going to kick off. I want you to lift your legs to grip the side of the broom, okay? We'll be in the air for a few seconds, and then back down. You're not afraid of heights, are you?'

'Of course not!' Naruto felt indignant enough to answer.

'Then 1, 2…3!'

Sasuke kicked off from the ground, and Naruto instinctively lifted his legs. Sasuke leaned forward slightly, and then cursed himself for doing so, because he had accidentally buried himself in Naruto's unruly mop of hair. And he liked it there. He used every ounce of his willpower not to inhale deeply and startle the blonde.

Once they were parallel with the ground, about 10 feet or so in the air, the broom came to a stop, hovering. Naruto was thrilled. He wasn't the least bit afraid.

'Do you want to go down now?'

'No!' Naruto said hastily.

Sasuke smirked, despite himself. 'Direct the broom, then,' he instructed. 'Shift the handle in the direction you want the broom to go. Tilt up if you want to go up, down if you want to go down. It's easy.'

Naruto's grip on the handle tightened. He shifted the broom upward slightly. They didn't move, although Naruto did slide down a little, further into Sasuke.

'Lean forward,' Sasuke said.

Naruto did, and the broom took off. Naruto let out an exhilarated whoop of joy, and Sasuke tightened his grip on the blonde slightly, hoping he wouldn't notice. He rather liked holding him.

And they were off, zooming across the pitch, Sasuke occasionally steering when Naruto went too high or too low. The wind blew past Naruto's face, whipping his hair into Sasuke's cheek, but neither minded.

'Dobe,' Sasuke said loudly, over the whistling of the wind, 'is it alright if I put my head on your shoulder? I can't see from back here.'

It was a lie, of course. Sasuke could see fine, if he leaned a bit more the right. Naruto was oblivious to this, though, being still engrossed with the feeling of raw excitement that was pumping through his veins.

'Sure,' he called over his shoulder.

Sasuke instantly rested his head on Naruto's shoulder, feeling immensely satisfied with how the lesson was turning out.

Naruto realized, all of a sudden, that he could feel Sasuke's breath on his ear. His heartbeat increased dramatically, and he gripped the broom tighter as they swerved a little.

'Woah!' Sasuke said, taking control of the broom. 'Easy there. Do you want to stop, now?'

Naruto silently nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak.

Sasuke gently led the broom into a downward spiral, coming a stop a foot above the grass of the pitch. 'There we go,' he said, dismounting. 'That was pretty good for your first time, dobe. I think you may just be a natural.'

Naruto hurriedly stepped off the broom as well. 'You think so?' he managed to croak.

Sasuke nodded. 'Come on. Let's get back to the dormitories before Neji catches us out this late.'

'When will we be able to fly again?' Naruto asked quickly.

He didn't want to do it because of Sasuke. He didn't.

'Tomorrow,' Sasuke said, hiding his smirk in the shadows as he turned away from Naruto. 'We'll fly again tomorrow.'

A/N: Thanks again for all your reviews. I'm feeling so loved. =)

So, this is up a fortnight after the last chapter. I know I generally take a week to update, but this might happen sometimes as well, depending on how nice my superiors feel (By superiors, I mean teachers, parents, and all others who control my life. -_-).

And, oh look! I've included a fluffy little bit on brooms in the moonlight! *Sigh* Looks like the fluff bunny bit me again. This is for all you wonderful reviewers who wanted more fluff.

Read and Review, please!