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Chapter 3
As soon as Transfiguration was over, Draco was out of the classroom. Without pausing to think, he walked straight to a secret room on the third floor that he had discovered by accident at the end of his second year. Whenever Draco wanted peace, he came to this room. It had become his in many ways.
Going towards the portrait of Hogwarts, painted some hundreds years ago, he barely paused to touch the spot on the wall to open the entrance. Stepping inside his haven, he simply walked over to the closest chair and collapsed into it.
Detention for a week with Potter.
Draco tried and failed to suppress the excitement growing in him.
I get to spend two hours alone with Harry every evening for a week. I wonder how Harry is taking this, but then he is almost constantly in trouble. This should be nothing new to him.
Only having his next class in two hours, Draco put his head back and drifted off to sleep, thinking about tonight's detention and the fact that it had provided him the perfect opportunity to begin his plan.
Draco walked towards the detention venue with a slight, barely noticeable spring in his step. Coming to a stop outside the classroom, he braced himself and then walked inside. Looking around, he noticed that the room was quite empty.
Potter's late again. No surprise there.
Moving towards the closest chair, he sat down and made himself comfortable while waiting for Harry to grace him with his presence. Hearing footsteps, Draco turned slightly, now facing the doorway.
Running as fast as was possible with the books in his arms, Harry skidded round a corner and ran towards the classroom. Finally reaching the door, Harry grabbed the doorframe and yanked himself into the classroom. Coming to a complete stop, he noticed Malfoy had looked up and had a highly amused look on his face.
"Oh, you're here. Already. By yourself. Alone. Here."
"Very observant of you, Potter. You get an O." Draco drawled.
Upon hearing Malfoy's voice, Harry promptly dropped the pile of books in his arms.
"Graceful as ever, I see Potter."
Bending down, Harry began to pick up the scattered books. Reaching out to collect a red book, his hand connected with someone else's. Jerking his head up, Harry saw that Malfoy had moved away from the desk and was actually helping him collect his things off the floor.
"Here," Draco said, handing Harry the last book.
His fingers brushed Malfoy's and a warm, tingly feeling shot up both boys' arms, starting where their fingers had connected. A deep pink flush spread across both Harry and Draco's faces as they jerked away and stood up, quickly putting space between them.
"So…ummm…" Harry began nervously.
Why am I so nervous around him all of a sudden?
From out of the corner of his eye, Draco watched Harry squirm slightly.
"Well then, let's get started shall we?" Draco suggested.
"Right, you take that half of the desks and I'll take the other half," Harry replied, gesturing towards the desks.
Malfoy got a strange look on his face before he sighed, took off his robes and rolled his sleeves up.
Getting to work on cleaning the desks manually, Draco hummed the chorus of one of his favourite songs.
Harry was once again surprised as he listened for a few seconds before recognizing the song.
"You know that muggle song?" he asked incredulously.
"Of course I do. Listen to your heart is one of my favourites," Draco answered nonchalantly. Behind his mask of indifference, the blonde was jumping for joy at having Harry's attention.
Harry started a conversation with me!
"So, what do you listen to?" Draco asked, desperate to keep Harry talking to him as they worked.
"Well…" Harry started slowly, unsure why Malfoy was interested.
"I like Fall Out Boy, Thrice, RJA. Bands like them and a few others. What about you?" he enquired hesitantly.
"Pretty much the same. Hey would you look at that. We finally agreed on something" Draco surprisingly teased.
The rest of detention found the boys calling an unspoken truce and discussing their interests ranging from Quidditch teams to authors. Anyone watching would not have believed their eyes. The two young men spent more than their two hours detention talking before realizing the time and separating to head to their dorms.
Down in the Great Hall the next morning, Harry Potter was still puzzled over the previous night's events. Staring off into space, he didn't notice a large, brown school owl land in front of him until it pecked at his finger.
Curiously, Ron Weasley watched over Harry's shoulder as he untied the letter from the owl's leg.
"Who's it from, mate?"
Unrolling the note, Harry scanned its contents and then just as quickly refolded it, stood and left the hall. Behind him, he left his two very confused and slightly worried best friends.
"You don't think something is wrong do you, Mione?"
"No, he didn't look upset, merely surprised."
Across the hall, grey eyes tracked Harry's movement until he was out of sight. Draco took an unsteady breath and hoped he had made the right choice.
Once outside the Great Hall. Harry reopened the note and carefully read it again. This time more slowly to be sure he was reading right.
Harry
Meet me at the entrance to the astronomy tower after your classes today.
I know you probably don't trust me but you will be completely safe.
I don't wish any harm to you. I want to try and help you.
Draco
Unsure whether this was another joke, Harry decided to take a chance and at the end of the day see what Malfoy, no Draco, wanted.
It can't be that bad. I'll have my wand and take the invisibility cloak, just incase.
Still thinking about the blonde, Harry walked towards Charms, the first class of the day.
AN: It's a bit shorter than normal. Next one should be longer and with some Drarry action.