Author Notes- Here's the full version of Chapter 12. I went back and edited the last two chapters. The differences between reality and imagination are not clear in chapter 10, but it's explained in this chapter that Snape was never really in the dormitory with Ron and Harry.
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It had been nearly a week since the incident in the Dormitories and Harry once again found himself wandering the dark corridors of the castle. Under the safety of his invisibility cloak, he found himself standing in front of the Slytherin Portrait hole. Again.
"I don't understand. Harry…Snape was never here. Are you sure you didn't just…dream any of that?" Hermione had insisted.
"NO!" Harry was growing frustrated and he could tell that his friends were just worried about him, but he knew that there was something else going on. Hermione and Ron admitted to seeing Snape and Draco's name markers on the Map near or in the room of requirement that day. Why can't they remember anything else? Harry had asked himself over and over. Or If it was a dream, what does it mean?
So here he was, just like last night and the night before that. Sitting outside of the entrance to the Slytherin Dungeon. Waiting. For what even he didn't know. Draco's marker is STILL missing! Harry thought, frustrated as he stared down at the Map. Maybe he's still in the room of requirements. Harry had waited for Draco to return to his common room every night that week, hoping to ambush him and question him about that day.
It was well past midnight when Harry started walking back to Gryffindor tower. "Flabbergasters", Harry muttered and startled the Fat Lady open. Harry crossed the common room and quietly made his way to the boys dormitories. Harry glanced at the clock - 3am - and then over to his best mates bed. He must've got tired of waiting up. Again. Harry stuffed the cloak and the map back under his four poster and took off his glasses before crawling under the covers. There has to be a reason…there has to be. Harry ran over the facts again in his head again before finally drifting off to sleep.
"Harry!"
Harry groaned loud and ignored his freckled friend's desperate attempts at waking him. Shaking. Shaking. Calling.
"FINE!" Harry sat up in bed and wiped the sleep from his eyes before focusing on Ron - who looked quite discouraged. "I'm sorry, Ron. I…"
"- Had a late night. I know. I waited for you until two. Again."
Harry let out a long sigh and then made his way out of his bed. Ron stood watching as Harry gathered his school robes and books. Harry glanced at the clock and saw that breakfast was already half over. "I'm gonna shower. I'll meet up with you in Divination, yeah?" Harry placed a quick kiss on Ron's mouth before hurrying to the bathroom. "Harry…" Ron headed down to breakfast.
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When Ron arrived at Breakfast looking quite distraught, it was no surprise that Hermione grilled him on Harry's condition. "He's fine." Ron said as he shoveled scrambled eggs onto his plate. "And you?" Hermione ventured. "I'm fine. Just a bit…tired. Not like Harry, mind. I'm tired of Harry blowing me off, or not getting in until late. I feel like I'm losing my best friend. My boyfriend." Ron finished, and sat with his plate untouched. He had a sudden loss of appetite. "I'm sorry. I bet if we just talked to Draco, then-". "As if he'll let you do that! Harry hates Malfoy." Ron sounded offended. "I know that. I'm just saying that maybe there's a rational explanation for all of this. And once we've heard what Malfoy has to say, then Harry can stop…staking out, or whatever he's been doing." Hermione sounded strangely satisfied with her plan.
"I guess it's worth a try", Ron said, feeling suddenly hungry again.
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Nozzle. Water. Everywhere.
Harry stood, facing the shower head, feeling the weight of the water on his face. It was warm and soothing to his too-tired body. "Nghhh.." Harry let out a deep groan as he washed himself, his hand slipping over his growing sex. Harry couldn't stand to be around Ron this way. All he could think of since the day in the infirmary was Draco. Draco every time he shut his eyes, which resulted in dreams about the blond git. Dreams that were…rather different from what he expected.
Lost in his blasphemous daydreams, Harry ran a hand over his member to discover that he was fully erect. Not again. Why not Ron!? Why is this happening to me… Harry moaned aloud as he complied with his teenage hormones and started to slowly stroke himself. The warm, wet water felt amazing. As he used the slick of the soap to pleasure himself he imagined Draco …no, Ron! on his knees and taking him into his mouth. One pale hand help tight to his hip as the other gripped the base of his shaft. A tongue traveled over his head and then, in one swift movement, Draco had taken all of him into his mouth and Harry's eyes shot open. Harry moaned Draco's name as he came, spurting his essence onto the walls of the shower. He watched as it went down the drain and hung his head, defeated. I have to talk to him.
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Harry met Ron in Divination that morning, looking quite dreadful. Professor Trelawney passed out books "Crystal Balls: The seers eyes" and gave them each a crystal ball. Harry was surprised to see that when he looked into his, he saw a faint green glow. Ron had seen it also, so Harry knew that he wasn't going completely crazy. "Usually whatever she puts us up to is an obvious hoax…" Harry said as Ron flipped through the book to find out what it might mean. "There's nothing in the book…" Ron started.
"AH! I see at least some of my students have the gift!" professor Trelawney crossed the room, her eyes fixated on the crystal ball in front of the two boys. "Tell me, what do you see?" Her bug-like eyes were shifting behind her glasses from one to the other as they explained. "Ah, yes, yes, this is good! The glowing in the ball simply signifies a strong connection between the seers, or in this case, the two of you!" the professor explained aloud. Ron felt the heat of an all too obvious blush creep up his neck and cheeks and ears. Harry smiled and took his boyfriends hand under the table. For the first time in a week Harry felt easy.
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After Divination the two of them headed down to the Library hand in hand to meet Hermione for free period. "You two look cheery". Hermione didn't look up from her notes as they sat down across from her. "Why wouldn't we be?" Harry gave Ron's hand a squeeze under the table and then suddenly dislodged his hand from his boyfriends. Ron gave a slight groan at this, but Harry had a better idea. The concentrated look on Harry's face soon turned into a wicked grin as he slowly rubbed his hand over the crotch of the red heads faded jeans. Harry was now vaguely aware of the bushy haired girl talking across from them. He nodded every so often and picked up on key words, "Snape….Draco….Holidays…..okay?" while Ron was struggling to keep in control of his now growing erection and say things like "Okay…yeah….right!".
"Are you two even listening to any of this!?" Hermione kicked at Harry's arm from under the table, successfully tearing the two apart. " 'Mione!" Ron banged his head on the table.
"Anyways, I want you to keep an eye on Draco over the holidays."
Oh, yeah! Harry bounced with nervous excitement. He had been too caught up in all of this Half Blood Prince business to even realize how close the approaching winter holidays were. Only a week more, Harry thought. A week more and Ron and I will have the Tower all to ourselves! Ron had owled his mother last week to make sure that it was okay that he stay at Hogwarts this Christmas with Harry, who had no one to come home to. "Harry can come along too, dear!" Molly had insisted. It wasn't until Ron had explained to the persistent Weasley that Harry had been injured and was having visions and night terrors that she gave in. "Alright! Just stay out of trouble!" She had told him. "I'll be sending you and Harry's gifts on Christmas morning!" Harry's day was definitely improving.
Hermione spoke on, "And for God's sake, Harry, please discontinue whatever it is you've been doing at night! I heard some of the Slytherins talking in Muggle Studies today and apparently one or two of them have spotted you-"
"WHAT? But I've had the cloak on every time I went down there…" Harry tried to think back. True, Harry was getting taller and the cloak didn't quite cover all of his feet…
"Yes, Harry", Hermione continued, " and Ron, you keep an eye on him."
"Yeah, I will." Ron said. "Boys are such fiends sometimes…" Hermione continued to mutter to herself as she returned to her notes. When he was sure she wasn't listening, Ron turned to Harry and whispered, "Sure, Harry, I'll keep an eye on you. An eye and a hand." Harry stifled a laugh and nudged Ron as he got up from his chair. "Hey, Hermione, we'll see you in Potions, yes?" Harry didn't wait for an answer and he and Ron bounded out of the library, ignoring the "shhhhh's" that followed them out.
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Author Notes- This chapter ended kind of abruptly...but don't worry, Chapter 13 is already written and I'll post it in a week or so. Till then, please review and let me know what you think about all of the chapter updates and continuity issues.