Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books and/or movies is not mine.

A/N: I'm glad that the story is still being read. I love this story myself, and I'd be sad to know it's going downhill. Heh. I'm listening to AFI's newest album, December Underground. I'm in love with Davey's music. For some reason, the song Love Like Winter reminds me of the relationship Draco and Harry have in this story. Maybe I'm just looking into this too much. Gah, I need sleep. But oddly enough, every time I go lay down, I find myself reading a book called Valiant. I'm addicted.

I need help, I think.

Also, I know in my first chapter, I said that this would be slash. Some people have been curious to know what the pairings will be, but I can definitely say that Harry/Draco will be one of the main. So please just be warned (in case you're not a slash fan) that it will appear soon that there are male/male sexual preferences in the upcoming chapters. I'm not sure if it will appear in this chapter, or in the next, or the one after that, but it can happen at any time.

Also, just out of curiosity, who likes HP/SS slash? A friend of mine requested a story from me involving the two in a relationship and I'm really not sure if I should post it or not, because I don't want to write something and post it and only get criticized for the pairing. (I'm not fond of it, but she's a great real life friend and I owe her one).

Anyways, I'll get on to the story.

Thanks emeraud.silver, Kai Minomono, DestinyEntwinements, i'm a misfit, wizli, FreeDaChickens, MorteDolce, The Angel of Your Nightmare, DeAtHsTeNsHi, trill, Sweet-single, Sylkie, Tsurai no Shi, numbah 1 HPFan, and Aurora Selene Potter-Malfoy for all the wonderful reviews! (It's been a while since I've done that. Heh.)

Pretend World

By: xScenex

Chapter Eight

The ball was eventually coming to an end. Ron had finally cooled off some, and was talking decently to the others, albeit still a bit sullenly. Draco was obviously tiring - Harry noticed the small dark circles lining the undersides of his grey eyes. Harry actually felt a bit of sympathy for the boy - he knew how it felt before when he had had the task's on his shoulders. Sleep was something hard to come by.

He hadn't seen Carey at all since he'd dropped her off with the older Weasley - Fred, wasn't it? Or had it been George? Sometimes, he couldn't tell. Maybe she'd gone off to her dorm or something.

It kind of disappointed him that she hadn't shown up to at least say goodnight to him, but he couldn't expect her to turn to him all the time. It was just hard for him to adjust to their dependence on other people. It had always been him that everyone turned to when in need in his old world.

Harry was still sitting in the chair, stretched out with a lazy expression on his pallid face. He stared around lazily and had no desire to get up from his warm seat as students left in pairs or in trio's, laughing and giggling about the nights events.

"I guess we should go back to our common room," Draco said, sending an apologetic look in Harry's direction.

He just strugged. "No doubt you have curfew."

Ron grinned broadly and was about to say something but Draco sent an elbow into his side. Ron glared mildly at his friend while gingerly holding his side.

Harry had a slight idea that he might have been able to let slip their ways of adventuring in the middle of the night, but he didn't ask for further explanations. No use in bothering them too much.

"So where will you be staying?" Ron asked suddenly as he stood up, not caring that his hideous dress robes were wrinkled.

Harry had to fight to keep a grin from spreading across his face at the image. "I guess I'll just be staying in the hospital wing. I was there before I came here - I doubt that I was allowed to come, but I did anyways"
"You mean you snuck out of Madam Pomfrey grasp?" Ron gasped theatrically.

"Yeah, so?" he smirked. He'd always had fun doing that before. Her rants and raves only proved to be amusement for him.

"She'll be mad," Draco grinned as he, too, stood up.

Harry just shook his head slowly, "She didn't exactly order me to stay there. I was free to go."

"You're nearly as crazy as my brothers," Ron muttered, but a smile was on his face.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he retorted before ushering them forward. "You two better get going"
"Yeah," they said in unison, and the tiredness was evident in their voices.

Harry stood up as well, not really knowing what he would do. He really didn't feel like going back to the hospital wing, but he couldn't just wonder around the castle. Especially when the majority of the castle didn't know who he was.

"Well, see you later," Draco said as they turned around and headed towards the staircase that led to the corridor near Gryffindor Tower.

"See you," Harry replied, waving slightly to them. He turned on heel, now feeling completely unsure of himself.

Ever since he'd gotten there, he'd had Carey or some familiar face around to guide him, but now that he was alone, he was free to do what he wanted - at least until one of the professors caught him.

He smiled. Might as well enjoy his freedom while it lasted.

Harry found his way through the crowd to the opened double doors that led out to the vast lawns of Hogwarts. He marveled at the beauty of the night.

It was cold, crisp, and tranquil. The distant laughter from the ball made it all seem so surreal. And he liked it. He liked the feeling of peace that came to him, even though he knew that the word wasn't completely at ease.

It was those small moments that he wanted to live for - to give other people time to live for.

Harry felt a laugh bubbling up in his chest, but kept quiet. He'd never felt so giddy - not in years, at least. He wasn't sure what it was with him that made him so happy, but he wasn't about to complain.

He looked up at the sky, a smile still on his face. The stars looked so close. So in reach of his hands, that he thought if he reached high enough, he could pluck one right out of the sky.

As if to test his theory, he did so. At the same time that his arm had stretched completely towards the heavens, he shed his dress robes with wandless magic, dissolving them into nothing more but the wind and something shimmery. In place, he wore black slacks and a long sleeved shirt. He felt more comfortable.

Looking around, Harry noted that no one else was around anywhere. It was already late, and it was cold enough to send most students back inside. But Harry liked the feeling on searing wind against his face - it was too natural. Maybe it had something to do with his re-birth into that odd world but the cold just seemed like a 'must-have' for him.

Thinking about it, he felt the desire to spread his wings and fly in the sky. No one was bound to see him, right? He'd been ignoring the feeling all night, and now he wanted to set his spirit free with the night.

Deciding to give it a shot, he closed his eyes with his face still upturned. He yearned for his wings to appear, much like before. He didn't have to wait long before a sudden pain burst from his back, and a loud ripping indicated that his shirt was ruined.

He smiled again. That didn't matter. He didn't care that the ground around him was now flecked with crimson drops of blood and small torn strips of cloth, or that the tips of his wings were now covered with a light sheen of dew drops as they skimmed the grass. All that mattered to him was the fact that he felt invincible with those wings now. He no longer thought it odd - he'd accustomed to the thought of being what he was now.

He flung his wings high up over his head, arching them as if they were birds of prey above himself before swinging them down in a quick movement that sent him speeding upwards into the sky.

It was better than flying a broom, he mused to himself. Much, much better.

He wasn't aware of the time passing as he enjoyed himself; flying over the treetops of the forbidden forest was exhilarating. He wasn't aware that the moon was slowly moving across the sky as the early hours of the morning crept closer and closer.

It was still pitch black outside, with the exception of the dulling stars and lowering moon reflecting in the vast lake by the castle, and it provided a great cover for Harry. He wondered what someone would say if they saw him. Would they freak out like that couple had, before him and Carey had found themselves at the Weasley's house?

He just hoped that students didn't have firearms in the school.

Harry landed soundlessly on the railing of a winding staircase that led to the Astronomy Tower. He stood, perfectly balanced and with windswept hair while he stared down at the small hut at the edge of the forest where his old friend lived.

Then something struck him. He'd kept Ron and Draco all night at that table, talking, when they were supposed to be outside overhearing what Hagrid was saying to Madame Maxime.

He crossed his arms over his chest. Could it effect anything that was supposed to happen? Weren't they supposed to find the beetle, which would soon lead to them finding out about Rita Skeeter's secret?

He chewed on his bottom lip, worrying that he'd done something wrong. It wasn't really his fault, right? They'd figure it out eventually, even without that small incident.

But he couldn't help but think that something might go wrong with that.

He hopped down from the railing, going forward so that it appeared that he'd jumped off of the castle. Instead, though, he landed noiselessly on a protruding windowsill in the middle of a chain of dark, curtained windows and stood, wondering vaguely what could happen because of that mishappen.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice when the curtains were slowly pulled back from the window behind him and a pale face appeared, shocked and confused.

He only became aware of the others presence when the window creaked softly as it was opened. Harry jolted slightly and spun halfway off of the sill and had to use his wings to stay upright.

His eyes met the wide, grey ones of a very startled fourth year.

"Shit," he muttered, wide eyed as his vision became obscured as his long black hair lashed out in front of him from the sudden turning motion.

How could he have known he had landed right on a Ravenclaws windowsill? Especially of the one person he'd liked to have avoided.

"Who are you?" came the soft, male voice from inside the darkened room. The voice was all too familiar, and it didn't shock him at the gentleness of it. He'd already learned that night that Draco was nothing like he used to be.

Harry didn't reply - he was too startled to say anything.

As if finding his silence inviting, the pale blonde moved forward and pulled himself up onto the inside window seat.

"What are you?"

Again, Harry couldn't reply. Was Draco really that gullible to just walk right up to a stranger - especially one so phenomenal? But as he looked at the other boy, he noticed that the eyes were dazed and unfocused, as if he were in a dream.

Maybe he thought that he was dreaming. That would definitely work on Harry's side for the better.

"Please," Draco murmured, leaning forward further so that he was nearly outside. He reached forward to Harry, who was just out of reach. "Tell me who you are?"

Harry rose and fell slightly with the movements of his wings, and after a small inspection, was glad to see that he was shrouded in darkness. Draco wouldn't be able to tell who he was.

A long stretch of silence followed, excluding the thumping of Harry's heart in his chest as he feared what would happen now that he had been caught. He was barely aware that Draco was reaching further out towards him, until the boy nearly stumbled forward out of the window.

Harry quickly reached out and grabbed his shoulders to heave him back up, panic filling his mind. He couldn't see another person fall. He'd seen Sirius fall, Dumbledore fall, and he wouldn't see anyone else fall to their death.

"Don't fall," he said quietly, his voice surprisingly smooth. "We couldn't have that." Maybe it was his own shock that kept him calm and rational.

Draco nodded dumbly, his eyes still unfocused. He seemed to be staring into a far away place.

Harry smiled. He needed to go before he caused the younger boy to plunge to his death. And besides that, he couldn't have his identity exposed. With one quick sweep, he pushed himself up and away from the window.

"Wait!"

Harry didn't stop as the cry of disapproval followed behind him. He couldn't wait much longer - he needed to get back inside before the professors wondered where he was. He was bound to already have some questioning.

The early morning wind swept harshly around his face, stinging his already chilled skin. He breathed in deeply and started downwards towards the lake.

When his feet touched the dew covered grass, he sighed. Now that he was on the ground again, exhaustion quickly crept up on him. Maybe he shouldn't stay out so late, flying like that.

Harry hurriedly made his wings disappear before walking out of the dark foliage and onto the vast lawn.

He was completely aware that the professors would be wondering where he had been all night. Thinking along the way, he tried to come up with a good explanation for his absence. Maybe he could tell them that he'd gotten lost. Possibly in the forest?

No one had told him it was off limits.

Smiling, Harry decided that might be best. He couldn't say he'd wandered around the castle all night - the portraits would have reported that, or the ghosts.

He really wouldn't put it past Peeves to shout to the world that some stranger was inside Hogwarts.

A/N: I can't believe I've updated this fast. I can't really remember the last time I did that. Sad, huh? So what did you guys think of this chapter?

Gah, I'm tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep. That might be why this chapter doesn't make any sense (or does it?) Eh heh. Soooo sleep deprived. x3 And yes, I know this chapter was short.