Disclaimer: I don't own any of the character of Harry Potter, any of the spells, magical devises etc. that are the property of JK Rowling. I am only borrowing them and they will be returned to the owner undamaged and in their original packaging.

Chapter Three: We Have To Talk

Harry reflected that it was the nature of the universe that, when he didn't want to see Malfoy, he kept turning up and yet, when Harry actually wanted to speak to him, he couldn't be found.

Gazing out of the window as Professor Binns droned on and on, staring unseeingly at the dreary rain as it poured down the glass, Harry reflected on his own state of mind. He hadn't told Ron and Hermione about the incident with the smoke dragon a couple of nights before, because he wasn't entirely certain what it was he had seen. Malfoy apparently hadn't seen it and a gut instinct told Harry that for once, Malfoy hadn't been trying to screw with his head. He genuinely hadn't seen it. Which made Harry doubt what he had himself apparently seen. Harry wanted to speak to him to find out if Malfoy might have heard something or felt something when the dragon had attacked him.

Of course, the fact that he actually wanted to talk to Malfoy was calling his sanity into question now.

He wondered what Ron and Hermione would have to say about that. And about invisible dragons who suddenly became visible only to Harry. And invisible dragons that attacked Harry.

He chewed the end of his quill absently, scowling at the pouring rain. It was too wet and windy even to practise Quidditch, so he couldn't even play to take his mind off of what had happened. And they had a match coming up against Hufflepuff next week. Plus, he still had detention, he hadn't finished his assignments that were due in that week, except for Potions which Hermione had checked for him and warned him not to lend to Ron. Which Harry had, of course, done as soon as she had left the room.

He wondered what he should do. So far, he had been unable to track Malfoy down. Malfoy had been excused the last couple of detentions because he had been concussed on the first night, so he was going to have to make up those detentions next week, when Harry didn't have any, so Harry would have no excuse to talk to him then. It had been impossible to talk to Malfoy in any of their classes without looking extremely suspicious.

Harry was also annoyed that Malfoy had, so far, managed to get out of having to help Hagrid with Wibble. Taking care of a young, excitable although fortunately not very vicious wyvern was not Harry's idea of a good time. Wibble kept coughing toxic clouds of smoke over Harry and making him pass out. Hagrid regarded this as fairly adorable and couldn't understand why Harry had flatly refused to go near the creature after the first night taking care of him.

The only bright side was that Malfoy was going to be inflicted upon the poor thing next week. Harry actually dredged up some pity for Wibble.

But the smoke-dragon thing was occupying his mind.

He doodled on his page, then groaned under his breath. He had been drawing a dragon on his parchment that he was supposed to be writing notes on. Now he really was losing his marbles.

'Something wrong, Harry?' Ron asked as they left the classroom and made their way long the corridor towards the common room.

'No,' Harry said cautiously. 'What makes you think there's something wrong?'

'You weren't paying much attention in class.'

Hermione snorted. 'Right, because you weren't practically snoring. As usual, I might add.'

Harry listened in some relief as the two started bickering in their usual cheerful manner. At least it meant that they weren't asking him what was wrong with him. Unfortunately, his relief was short-lived.

'But Ron is right,' Hermione said, dropping her books on a table in common room as Ron sprawled in an armchair beside the fire. They were the first people back, so the room was deserted. 'Something seems to be bothering you, Harry.' She looked concerned. 'You can tell us, you know.'

Harry considered informing her that he thought he might be going slightly crazy, but in all honesty that was probably an exaggeration, which she would no doubt point out. He managed a smile that felt almost genuine. 'Just a bit tired, Hermione,' he said. 'So much work on, and Quidditch, and of course we can't play right now so I'm worried we'll lose that match and we really can't afford to.'

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'I might have guessed,' she said wearily, but she smiled and looked relieved. He was pretty sure she believed him and he wasn't really lying – those were all things that were occupying his mind as well.

'Don't worry, we'll flatten Hufflepuff,' Ron said, stretching his legs out in front of the fire. 'They'll be eating dust.'

'Mud,' Harry said glumly, looking out of the window.

'Cheer up,' Ron said.

'How can I cheer up?' Harry said, without thinking. 'It's raining and we've got Potions next and I have a detention tonight.'

'It's your last detention,' Hermione pointed out. 'And I helped you with your Potions homework so you've got an essay to hand in.'

'That's true,' Harry said, nodding.

'There you are, then,' she said, sounding satisfied. She picked up a couple of books and started to flick through them, humming softly under her breath. The sound, with Ron's gentle snores as he fell asleep, was rather soothing. Harry smiled as he settled himself into a chair with a Remus Lupin had sent him the week before titled An A-Z of Magical Creatures, which was accompanied by a note saying,

Hi Harry, I found this in a bookshop and thought you might like it, it's very good! Call it a late birthday present! Have fun, RL.

It was an encyclopaedia that listed every single known magical creature, including those that were extinct and listed all the dark creatures and also listed spells that were useful against them.

'Is that a good book?' Hermione asked, glancing up from her own books.

'Yeah,' Harry said vaguely. 'Lupin gave it to me, remember? You might like it. I bet Hagrid would like it, too.'

'Hmm.' She looked over at the sleeping Ron and shook her head with a sigh. 'Honestly,' she muttered.

Harry smiled behind his book and went back to reading. He had reached the B section and was reading about banshees when the bell went. It was time for Potions. Harry groaned, got up and whacked Ron lightly on the head with his book to wake him up.

Fortunately for Harry, Snape didn't pay much attention to him that lesson. The most Harry got in term of abuse from the Potions master was a sour glare as his essay was dropped on his desk with a C written on it in red ink. Harry breathed out in relief. Hopefully, Snape either hadn't realised that Hermione had helped him out or for once simply didn't care.

Their work that lesson was to make a Hiccoughing Potion and the next week they would be making an antidote and then trying the potions they had made this day. Harry thought it was a rather pointless piece of work, but it wasn't that hard a potion to make. Although, he noticed, the antidote was quite complicated.

Silently, the class started work. It was colder than usual in the dungeon and Harry wished he'd brought a pair of gloves, scarf and woolly hat.

Harry glanced over his shoulder and saw Malfoy carefully constructing a paper aeroplane from a piece of parchment. Harry went back to trying to make his potion, struggling as he usually did in these lessons. Not so much because he was truly terrible at Potions but because Snape's presence made him so tense and nervous as the man was always looking for nasty things to say or do.

Malfoy's paper aeroplane flew smoothly across the room and hit Harry on the head. It didn't fall to the ground, but repeatedly hit him on the head. Several people started giggling. Snape looked up, but rather than shouting at the pupil responsible, scowled and ignored it.

Glaring at Malfoy, Harry grabbed the paper and screwed it up, noticing that there was writing on it as he did so. He glanced down, reading it quickly. It was written in Malfoy's elegant, sloping handwriting.

Need to talk, Potter.

Harry rammed the paper into a pocket, still glaring over his shoulder as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.

Harry fumed quietly, as everyone expected him to do. Ron scowled at Malfoy and his cronies. If it had been anyone except Malfoy, no doubt the entire class, including Harry, would have found it more funny. Then again, no on except Malfoy would have dared to do such a thing in front of Snape. He wondered what Malfoy wanted to talk to him about but considered that it would be as good a time as any to question Malfoy himself.

At the end of the lesson he handed in his completed Potion, feeling quite pleased with himself. Since Snape had ignored everyone and said very little, seeming preoccupied, Harry had been able to get on with his work for once.

Just outside the classroom, Harry deliberately dropped a couple of books as Malfoy strode past. 'I've got detention with Hagrid tonight,' Harry complained in a loud voice to Ron and Hermione.

'We know,' Hermione said, looking annoyed. 'You keep going on about it, Harry.'

'Feel sorry for me,' Malfoy said loudly. 'I've got a detention with Potter, and Hairy Hagrid.' He shot Harry a disgusted look.

'You leave Hagrid alone!' Hermione snapped at him, brandishing a book.

Malfoy actually took a step backwards, obviously recalling the time Hermione had punched him in the face. He settled for sneering at the three friends and then turned and walked away, Crabbe and Goyle following him as usual.

Harry ate his dinner so fast that evening that Hermione, watching in amazement, commented, 'You know, anyone would think you wanted to get to this detention, Harry.'

'Yeah, which is weird considering how much you've been complaining about it,' Ron said. 'Although with something like a wyvern to take care of, I don't blame you.'

'Just want to get it over with,' Harry said quickly. 'You know, the sooner I get there the sooner it'll be over?'

'Nah, it'll drag for ten hours cos Malfoy said he's got detention too,' Ron said.

Harry shrugged. 'I'll ignore him or turn him into a toad when Hagrid's not looking.'

The other two laughed.

The detention wasn't as bad as Harry had feared it might be. Partly because Hagrid had finally got the message about Harry's aversion to Wibble and simply set him and Malfoy to digging over the vegetable patch whilst he took Fang for a walk. The ground was muddy, so it wasn't too hard to dig over and the rain had slowed so it wasn't too cold or miserable.

Once Hagrid had gone, Malfoy stopped digging and leaned on the handle of his spade and gave Harry a direct, icy stare. 'I hate to have to say this,' he said, 'but we have to talk.'

'Why do you want to talk?' Harry demanded.

'Don't think I'd choose to talk to you if I didn't think I had to,' Malfoy said shortly.

'Then talk, get it over and done with.'

Malfoy frowned. 'I want to talk to you about the other evening. That – thing – that attacked us.'

Harry stared, incredulous. 'You – saw it? I thought you didn't! I thought it was just me!'

'Well, at first it was,' Malfoy snapped. 'I did think you were going mad, Potter, although with you I appreciate that it would be hard to tell, to be perfectly honest.'

'Didn't think you knew how to be honest, Malfoy,' Harry muttered.

'You'd be surprised,' Malfoy snapped.

'Yeah, I bet I would.'

Malfoy glared but continued. 'Anyway, I didn't see it. Then you decided to be all heroic and get us both out of its way and it got me. Then I saw it. Although I had just hit my head, so I wasn't seeing quite clearly. Which I suppose I can thank you for,' he added with a touch of bitterness.

'You didn't get killed, you could at least pretend to be grateful.'

Malfoy ignored this. 'So what was it? That weird dragon thing?'

'I don't know,' Harry admitted. 'I didn't see it at first, but it hit me and then it sort of – appeared, gradually, and it looked as if it was made out of smoke, but somehow solid smoke.'

'Yes, I saw that too,' Malfoy said thoughtfully. 'Why did it attack me? Something you summoned up to eat me and it accidentally went after you?'

'Actually, I was about to ask you that,' Harry said acidly.

'Please, give me some credit,' Malfoy muttered.

'I have trouble giving you credit for anything, Malfoy, except with being the biggest git in the world ever.'

'So it wasn't something you summoned up in your infinite stupidity,' Malfoy sneered. 'So you don't have any idea what it was.'

'Do you?' Harry said sharply, stung.

Malfoy shrugged. 'I don't care what it is, if it's after you, but if it's after me…although I can't imagine why it would be. Most monsters come after you.'

Harry had to admit the truth of this to himself, although he wasn't going to say as much to Malfoy. 'That was all you wanted to know, was it?' he said, angrily. 'If it, whatever it is, was after you.'

'Pretty much,' Malfoy nodded.

'You could have just asked me, instead of the stupid paper thing.'

'Oh, yes? How? We're not exactly on civil speaking terms at the best of times. This detention seemed the best time to actually talk about it, and I had to find out if you were on detention too.'

'You could have waited until detention to find out.'

'Well, yes, but it was too good opportunity to wind you up to miss. Plus, I knew I could get away with it in Snape's class.' Malfoy smirked at him and Harry resisted the temptation to kick him.

'If I can find out what it is,' Harry said as calmly as he could, 'I will let you know, Malfoy. Will you do the same?'

Malfoy sighed and said reluctantly, 'Oh, all right. Since it might be after me too. Or not, I really don't know.'

'It did attack you,' Harry reminded him. 'It attacked both of us.'

'Why don't you ask Hairy Hagrid?'

'Don't call him that!' Harry snapped. 'And I'm not going to ask him because it was only us who could see it! And you didn't see it at first! What if he thinks I'm crazy? And that you're crazy? He obviously had no idea it was there the other night, because he would have been all excited about it!'

'Fine, whatever,' Malfoy muttered. 'You told your two pathetic excuses for friends?'

Harry gritted his teeth, this time resisting the urge to punch Malfoy. 'Not yet,' he said when he had better control of his temper. 'I was going to wait and find out why you decided to go along with my lame story to Hagrid and if you had actually seen it or was just trying to screw with my head.'

Malfoy shrugged. 'All right,' he said coldly. 'I went along with your lame story because I was wondering about my sanity, or rather my state of mind at the time, since I had just hit my head. Although really, I should have just dropped you straight into trouble,' he added mournfully. 'I suppose the blow to my head clouded my judgement. Next time, I'll drop you in it, Potter.'

Harry debated knocking him out with the spade but decided against it. Hagrid wouldn't be happy if there was a dent in one of his spades. 'So, we actually agree to find out what this dragon-thing is?' he said.

'If I have to,' Malfoy muttered. 'The minute I find out it's after you and not me, you're on your own, Potter.'

'I did save your life from it,' Harry reminded him.

Malfoy didn't answer, just started muttering darkly under his breath as he resume digging. Once again, Harry reflected on the strange nature of the universe that it saw him having to talk civilly to Draco Malfoy and be talking to Malfoy about something he had not yet mentioned to either of his best friends.

He hoped that this state of affairs wouldn't carry on too long. It was seriously weird.