See prologue for warning and disclaimer.

Moonlight and Shadows: Chapter 3

Harry let Malfoy walk for about a half a minute, then looked around, threw the invisibility cloak over him, and walked after him. He watched Malfoy closely in case he turned around– if he did, Harry's cover would be blown. Malfoy would know he was under the cloak and that he was following. But Malfoy never turned around, never stopped, and never spoke.

He was at the end of Hogsmeade's main road when Harry turned around. He wished he could send Ginny a message to tell her that he would be coming later. Then again, Ginny knew him so well that she would understand him being home late, especially since he wasn't in any gave danger.

Malfoy indeed walked up to the cave Sirius had been in. Harry kept even farther back so that he wasn't detected by the rattling of his footsteps on the stony hillside.

He didn't really know what he was expecting from Malfoy. Of course he wouldn't be plotting anything for the Dark Side. (Whenever this notion came into his head, Harry thought with relish, what Dark Side?!) He could be doing something for his parents, but why would he be so secretive about it all?

In fact, why was he being so secretive in general? What would Malfoy have to hide, now that everyone was familiar with his family and their post-war status, so to speak?

None of the Malfoys were going to Azkaban. It might have been because Lucius had bribed the Ministry. Or perhaps they felt sorry for Narcissa, who was so distraught over her sister's death it was feared she might go mad. Harry believed that since all the Malfoys had had their wands stolen at some point during the hostilities, they were therefore not responsible for much of the actual damage done by the Dark Side, and the Ministry probably believed that their loss of wands was punishment enough.

This made sense to Harry. He didn't believe any ex-Death Eaters were going to start rebelling again any time soon, let alone with much force. And he didn't believe that any one person would have the desire to rise to almighty dark power anytime soon, either. So unless Draco Malfoy actually thought he was going to become the next Voldemort...

Wait a minute. That's a thought. Harry actually paused where he was on the hillside to contemplate this.

No. Malfoy was too... Harry hesitated to call Malfoy cowardly. He wasn't a coward just because he didn't kill Dumbledore. That actually made him quite sensible. But Malfoy didn't have the guts to even try to be all-powerful. And he would never succeed.

Remembering why he was there, Harry continued forward.

As he drew level with the indent in the hill, he saw the cave a little way to the left. Malfoy was already inside it, and as he walked he saw a flicker of light which meant that he had lit a fire inside.

Harry walked quietly to the cave wall, and peered around it. What he saw chilled his blood, and to his surprise, made his heart sink.

He was watching Malfoy's back, and for the second time in his life, Harry was seeing Draco Malfoy cry.

His back shook as he sat on a rock with his head in his hands. If Harry wasn't watching him, he would have no idea what Malfoy was doing, for he was crying absolutely silently. After about a minute, his head rose out of his hands.

"Potter, there's no use in you standing out there, you might as well come in."

Harry jumped at least three feet in the air, figuratively. Malfoy had not looked toward the cave entrance, had not even moved except to lift his head, but his voice was as clear as if he was talking to Harry face-to-face. Harry had not a clue as to what to do. His heart was beating almost as fast as it had when he had been an intruder in the Ministry, but why? He had nothing to fear from Malfoy; he had learned that long ago. But he was an intruder here, too, which made him feel slightly guilty– not to mention that the last time he had seen Malfoy crying, what followed involved both Crucio and Sectumsempra.

He might be able to get out be creeping backwards slowly and just retreating, but his curiosity, of course, held him in place. He could stay where he was and let Malfoy come to him if he was so confident that Harry was really there. Or, he could simply do what Malfoy asked and go into the cave, since he was the intruder and deserved to be ordered around. That option might lead to an all-out duel inside, however.

Malfoy stood up then but did not turn around.

"Tell you what, Potter. I'll drop my wand if you drop your cloak, and then you can come in." He raised his right hand with his wand in it so that Harry could see, then dropped it on the stone floor, where it clattered. He crossed his arms in front of him.

Harry was stunned. Not only did Malfoy know for certain that he was there, but he almost read Harry's mind. He knew Harry's hesitation, anyway, and made a bargain with him, as an actual invitation.

And he followed through with his end of the bargain, already! marveled Harry. With that, he realized that Malfoy was being more than fair with him by letting him keep his wand as well as coming into the cave, and his undying curiosity pushed him forward.

He took off the cloak as he stepped forward, and held it in his left hand. His steps weren't noisy by any means, but he knew Malfoy could hear him. Three hesitant steps into the cave, Malfoy finally turned around.

"That's better," he sneered, and picked up his wand.

Of course. He's a bloody Malfoy, and you thought he was going to be fair all the way through this? He's going to hex you, you stupid dolt, and you thought he was going to be all nice...

Harry glared at Malfoy before realizing he was already sitting back down on his rock, facing the fire. Malfoy let out a short laugh.

"What, thought I tricked you into another duel you weren't prepared for, Potter?"

"What's that suppo–"

"Well, I thought about it. But I came to the same conclusion that I did a few years back, remember? The realization that you aren't worth it."

Harry's green eyes narrowed at Malfoy's grey ones, realizing that the edges of them were still tinged with pink from when he was crying. He desperately wanted to say something about how Malfoy differed from Voldemort in that respect– Voldemort thought Harry was worth a fight, and Malfoy didn't... but he pushed the urge away. He knew he'd done enough damage for one night with his reference to Malfoy's Dark Mark, and he resolved not to push it further. Besides, if he wanted any kind of a story out of Malfoy, he would have to show at least a little respect.

"How did you know I was there?" he ended up asking, gesturing vaguely to the outside of the cave.

Malfoy raised his eyebrow and in that half-second, Harry noticed a piece of his blonde hair that was hanging down over that eyebrow, and suddenly his mind flashed to being on the bed with Ginny on top of him, and she was kissing his navel, and he was desperately trying to get excited, and there was that blonde lock of hair that briefly made his heart skip a beat, even though he didn't like blonde girls...

But it was over before he'd even registered that he'd thought it, and Malfoy was already answering his question, albeit rudely.

"Oh please, Potter," he said, exasperated. "You aren't the quietest bloke, and you're too predictable, besides."

"So you just knew I was going to follow you?"

"You've followed me before, you know. It's not that surprising. Anyway, I knew you're too stupid to piece things together, and I wouldn't answer your questions, and furthermore, I knew that you have this idea, Potter, that you should know every detail about every person. Brainless, really... unnecessary and impossible."

Harry sat down on the rock opposite Malfoy, across the fire. So, Malfoy knew he was going to come, did he? Well that just... but... Malfoy knew I was coming. But he still was crying...

"Anyway," Malfoy continued, "why are you here, Potter?"

"Didn't you just answer that yourself, Malfoy?" said Harry coolly.

"Didn't I just tell you you were too stupid to piece things together? No, Potter, I told you why I knew you followed me. But I have no idea why you're here."

Harry's mind spun. This wasn't making any sense. This is almost... Dumbledore logic, Harry realized. But it's Malfoy. Malfoy can't think like Dumbledore. Malfoy just doesn't make any sense.

"Well," Harry struggled. Why was this so hard for him? Malfoy already answered his own question– he told Harry that he had "this idea" that he should know "every detail about every person." Harry didn't agree with this, but he couldn't think of what was wrong with the statement. Hermione had even said it before, in different words. But he still didn't believe it completely.

So, why was he here? But a better question came to his mind.

"Well, Malfoy, why are you here?" Malfoy looked taken aback for an instant, but then narrowed his eyes.

"I should have known you'd be such a smart-arse about it, Potter. You can't even answer a damn question straight."

"In case you've forgotten, you just admitted that you refused to answer any of my questions."

"Yeah, that's right. But that's me."

"Why are you here?" Harry asked again. "Everyone already knows that your parents aren't here anymore, so it's not like you're fooling anyone by not having a room in Hogsmeade."

"Maybe the intent wasn't to fool anyone, Potter."

"Fine!" said Harry, standing. He was fed up with Malfoy's side-stepping and arrogant responses. If he didn't want to play straight, then Harry didn't have to make the effort to... to... what was he doing, exactly? What did he have to say to Malfoy to be able to talk to him, to understand him better?

"Leaving? So soon? I'm sorry you have to go in such an agitated state– you shouldn't be walking around this way," Malfoy said in his most fakely heroic, most sarcastic, sneering voice.

"You know what, Malfoy? I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that you have to be the world's most stuck-up git, and I'm sorry that you can't trust anyone." Malfoy laughed.

"What, like you?"

"Like anyone who can see you and not let you just spend the rest of your life crying alone up here."

Malfoy's laugh vanished, as Harry knew it would... but he wondered for the second time whether he had gone too far again. But if Malfoy really thought that Harry was just going to ignore the fact that he'd seen Malfoy crying twice, and staring moodily into space once, he could think again. He would never let it rest if he'd seen Harry crying. In fact, Harry remembered that when Rita Skeeter wrote that he had tears in his eyes, Malfoy and his friends walked around for weeks, at least, teasing him with tissues. And that was just a rumour in a newspaper.

He studied Malfoy, who looked positively alarmed. He knew I saw him crying before I came into the cave... but he didn't do anything then. And now I bring it up and he's absolutely frantic...

"Well, Potter, you..." But Malfoy, it was clear, was at a loss for what to say to Harry.

Harry shook his head, disgusted with Malfoy's pathetic arrogance and his unwillingness to... deal with himself. If he couldn't even face up to being emotional sometimes, then actually divulging his secrets was the least of his worries.

He'd had enough of Malfoy. At one point he'd even thought that Malfoy had led him to the cave, that he might actually want to tell Harry something, and give up his act as a bullying snot for a while. But of course Harry had thought wrong. Malfoy was just as he'd always been, except that for some reason it was like they'd changed places. Malfoy was always the apathetic boy who couldn't be bothered with feelings. Harry, however, was confronted with death and despair since he was one. Fear, grief, happiness, and love followed intermittently. But now, Malfoy was crying and thinking sentimental thoughts (or so it seemed to Harry, as he had watched all the shadows and moonlight plague Malfoy's eyes the night before), and Harry was utterly numb.

He turned around to walk out of the cave, when Malfoy spoke.

"You can just go to your friends, then, Potter, and laugh like the untrustworthy arse you are. Of course that's all you would think of doing."

Harry turned back around, outraged.

"Believe it or not, Malfoy," he said through gritted teeth, "I am probably the person least likely to laugh at you." He turned at the entrance and strode back to the path that led down the hill.

He was almost to the path when Malfoy spoke again.

"Potter!" he called. Harry couldn't detect what he wanted from the way he said it. It wasn't angry, nor was it pleading... Harry couldn't place it at all. He turned around. All he could see was Malfoy's black frame against the firelight of the cave. When he spoke again, it was as if Harry were standing right beside him. He didn't raise his voice at all, but Harry could hear it quite clearly and distinctly.

"Prove it."

Harry stood a moment longer, but he knew neither of them was going to say any more, so he turned and made his way back down the mountain, all the while trying to decipher Malfoy's words.

Well, he wasn't going to tell Ron or Hermione any of this, so if that's all Malfoy was worried about, he could rest easy. How else would he prove that he was least likely to laugh at Malfoy? By not laughing at him, that was obvious. Harry didn't have any motivation to laugh at him anyway, he didn't think anything was funny about Malfoy's... displays...

He arrived back at his room, where Ginny was already asleep on the bed. As much as he wanted to ponder Malfoy's words, he was too exhausted. And, the thought occurred to him, if I'm not worth a duel, he's not worth my thoughts.

But snippets of Malfoy's words swam unbidden in his head... "You're too predictable"... "Prove it"... "You have this idea, Potter, that you should know every detail about every person"...

No, Malfoy, he thought bitterly, only you.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Oh, they're still evil little buggers... but of course they have their weaknesses. That's what makes the world turn...

PLEASE REVIEW! I'd like 10, pretty please, before I update again. Plus, I'm going to be gone for a few days again, so I won't be able to update anyway. I'll do my best to write, though. We'll see...

I redid my summary because it sucked, but please tell me if you have any catchy suggestions for it. Tell any other H/D fans about this story, and I will give you many kudos!

Anyway, the little purple button calls your name, and I would LOVE feedback. Thanks:)