Chapter 4

He woke up the next morning and was sore all over, clearly the cold had gotten to him more than he realised and he slowly stretched out each limb before finally climbing out of bed. The events of the night before came back to him slowly and he found himself smiling at the thoughts of him and Harry in the cupboard. He looked around the room and was surprised that no one was there. Draco was normally the earliest to rise, he groaned when he realised that Blaise and Pansy would definitely be waiting for him when he walked down into the common room from his dormitories. And sure enough, as soon as he reached the last step he was confronted by a very angry, red-faced Pansy and a taller, but less angry faced Blaise. He tried to step around them, but naturally they didn't let him pass.

"DRACO MALFOY!" Pansy almost screamed. "WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOU?"

"Pansy, be quiet" Draco hissed, some 4th years and 5th years were looking round at them, trying to see what all the fuss was about.

"No, I will not be bloody quiet!" she said, though it was quieter. "You never leave straight after a fight with us. Look, we were trying to help and I apologise if you miss understood our intentions."

Draco looked helplessly at Blaise, but Blaise just looked at him, it was a look that said 'sorry mate, I can't save you from this one'. Draco frowned and turned back to Pansy.

"I didn't miss understand your intentions at all Pansy. I clearly stated that I don't want or need your help."

"No you didn't." Blaise said simply

Draco frowned at him.

"Whatever… I don't appreciate this kind of behaviour Malfoy" Pansy said

"I don't care what you appreciate Parkinson." Draco said glaringat her, "I repeat; I don't want or need either of your help, so if you don't mind I'll be going now."

Draco turned his head to the side and tried to push past Pansy. When he couldn't get past her he realised he'd forgotten how strong she was. He turned back to face her with a scowl ready but the expression on her face was confusing.

"What…" He began

"Draco!" she said in an accusing voice, she moved forward and pulled his collar from his neck. "What are these bruises from?"

Draco blushed, remembering Harry sucking and biting his neck, leaving those marks there. He also cursed himself for forgetting to cover them up. Pansy was now pressing her hand down on them and Draco winced.

"There…there nothing." Draco said, shrugging and moving away from Pansy.

"Who've you been fighting with?" she asked concerned. "Was it Potter? I'm gonna kill him!"

"Chill Pansy. I just tripped that's all." Draco replied casually, Pansy stepped back from him but didn't look completely convinced.

Blaise who had been quiet through all this kept looking from Pansy to Draco. There was a pause where they all just stood there, staring from one person to the other.

"Well, whatever. Gryffindor Quidditch team are practising in half an hour and I'm going to take notes so we know how to beat them" said Blaise suddenly breaking the silence, he turned and walked towards the common room entrance.

"Hold on Blaise" Draco said. "I'll come with you." If he went with Blaise it would be less obvious that he was only there to watch Harry and he wouldn't have to hide in the fear of someone catching him.

Pansy frowned at them, obviously annoyed that Draco had managed to worm out of talking to her.

As Draco left through the entrance, he heard Pansy calling after him, "We will carry this on later Draco Malfoy…!"

Half an hour later, he and Blaise were sat in the stands next to the Quidditch pitch waiting for the Gryffindor team to start. There were a few other people sitting in the stands with them too, Draco looked around and noticed most of them were from lower years and held signs saying 'We love Potter'. Draco smirked, he knew how they felt. Wait? Had he really just thought that? Merlin, what was is wrong with him? It was those damn green eyes. Draco got a lump in his throat and had butterflies in his stomach. Did Harry feel the same? He had asked Draco to come watch him though, so that had to mean something, right? Damn, he was going soft and all because of a Gryffindor! This was not good.

Just then, Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team walked out onto the pitch, brooms all in hand.

Draco watched as Harry glanced up towards where they were sitting, their eyes met and Harry smiled shyly before looking down at the ground. Draco held his breath as Harry straddled his broom and pushed off from the ground swiftly. Blaise shifted from beside Draco as both boys (and the rest of the people in the stands for that matter) watched mesmerised as Harry soared around the pitch with such ease and elegance, never faltering or making wrong turns.

"Draco…?" Blaise said questioningly.

"What?" Draco snapped back, and Blaise narrowed his eyes.

"You're staring at Potter! Like you like looking at him or something…"

"So what if I was? It's none of your business Blaise."

"But that makes no sense Draco; did you actually get into a fight with him?"

He sighed but didn't reply and turned back to the Quidditch pitch, just in time to see a red-faced Weasel glaring and striding over towards him and Blaise. Draco sneered at him and then smirked as Weasley nearly tripped over on a bit of uneven grass.

"Malfoy!" Weasley shouted, still striding in a furiously fast pace.

"Weaselbee" he said back, once Weasley had reached them

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He said through gritted teeth.

"We're watching." Draco was careful not to say exactly what he was watching… but that was nothing to do with Weasley, so why tell him details?

"That's cheating, get lost!" Weasley said, getting angrier.

Draco was about to reply but was distracted by Harry landing a few metres away from where he, Blaise and Weasley were stood. He could see Harry's cheeks were tinged red from the cold wind and his still-green eyes with the same glisten in them. Harry strode over to them swiftly, and Draco realised he'd been staring again.

"What's going on?" asked Harry, arriving at Weasley's side.

"They're cheating, that's what's going on!" Weasley exclaimed, "But then again they are Slytherin's… and everyone knows what a bunch of cheating scum-bags they are."

"Oi, who are you calling scum-bags?" said Blaise as he pulled out his wand and pointed it him.

"You." Weasley replied, getting his own wand out.

"Calm down Ron" said Harry quickly, pulling on Weasley's arm, "They can watch if they like…"

"What? I thought you'd be bothered by this Harry!" Weasley said, still eyeing up Blaise.

"I don't care who watches… they won't win anyway." Harry said, and Draco tried to hide a smile.

Harry looked curiously at Draco and then back at Weasley. He was obviously wondering why Draco had been silent all this time. Draco wasn't quite sure why, but he didn't have a clue what to do. He usually was a quick thinker and always handled situations well but if he helped Blaise fight Weasley then Harry may hate him again and if he helped Harry break them up then Blaise would never speak to him again. Merlin, it was so complicated.

"Can we get back to playing now?" Harry asked Weasley, tugging on his sleeve.

With one last glare at him and Blaise, Weasley reluctantly walked back towards the pitch behind Harry. Harry glanced back quickly and met Draco's eyes before leaping back on his broom and soaring into the air. Draco sighed and sat back down, he notice Blaise scribbling notes now and then but they didn't talk. Blaise was probably mad at him again but he didn't care, all Draco wanted to do was be with Harry, alone. After about 20 minutes of silence, though, he couldn't take anymore.

"Look… I'm sorry okay? I'm not sleeping very well lately and I'm fed up of everyone always having a go at me." Draco said, using his usual feebly excuse that usually got him out of trouble.

"I don't even know who you are anymore Draco." Blaise sighed.

"What you on about? You're so dramatic sometimes, did you know that?" Draco said sighing, trying to ease the tension but he knew it probably wouldn't work.

"Whatever, I'm going back to the common room… I'll see you later." Blaise got up and walked slowly back to the castle.

Just then, he realised that the practise was over and he saw the back of Harry's raven-hair walk into the Gryffindor changing rooms. Draco also walked up to them and hid round the corner so that no one would see him. He waited as he watched nearly everyone but Harry leave, Merlin that boy took long to get ready, he thought to himself. Just then, he heard Weasley's voice drifting from the door…

"I'll catch you at dinner then, Harry?"

"Yeah sure… See you later"

A few seconds later, Weasley walked past and headed to the castle. Draco came out from where he was hiding and peered into the changing room door, he drew in a sharp breath. There was Harry, with his top off and towelling his wet hair, Draco couldn't help but look at the perfection of Harry's olive-coloured skin. He had a nice body and clearly Quidditch was doing him loads of good. Harry picked up his Gryffindor-red top (typical) and pulled it over his head, Draco almost sighed in disappointment. Suddenly, as if realising someone was watching him, Harry whirled around and looked at where Draco was. Draco panicked, thinking that Harry was going to shout at him but relaxed when Harry smiled.

"Draco!" Harry said, rushing forward and hugging Draco in a tight embrace. Draco was not used to hugs and wasn't quite sure he liked them since he was being crushed to death.

"Merlin's beard, Harry!"

"Oops, Sorry" Harry said, blushing and letting go.

"It's okay." Draco replied. There was a short pause and Draco just stared at Harry and Harry stared back. Eventually Harry stepped forward, silently, and took Draco's hand in his. He pulled Draco out the door and strode down towards the big tree that stood near the lake. It wasn't a hot day, but it wasn't freezing either. There was a slight breeze and the sky was full of clouds, hiding the sun away. They'd probably missed lunch by now but they didn't care.

Harry let go of Draco's hand when they neared the tree and slumped down under it, his back leaning against the tall bark. Draco sat down next to him and immediately took Harry's cool hand in his again, entwining his fingers around the other boy's. Harry looked up and smiled at him and they seemed to sit in silence for a bit. Neither one of them seemed to want to break this pleasant feeling of just being near each other. But Draco sighed and decided to talk, he had some questions that have been playing his mind and he desperately needed to ask them.

"Harry…" Draco began

"Hmm?" replied Harry

"What…err..what did…" Draco tried to say but he couldn't seem to know how to put it correctly into words.

Harry smiled at Draco, sort of in a mocking way and Draco couldn't help but frown back.

"It's not like you to be tongue tied Draco…"

"Shut up." Draco said, pouting.

Harry did a short laugh and reached up to swipe his thumb over Draco's bottom lip. His lips followed swiftly after, leaving Draco breathless as their lips pressed together slowly and passionately. After a few minutes, Harry pulled away leaving Draco whimpering in annoyance of the sudden stop.

"What was it you were trying to say?" asked Harry, the same grin still upon his face.

"Um…what?" He was taken aback by the warm glow he had felt in the pit of his stomach during the previous kiss. "Oh yes, I was just going to ask, well you remember a while ago when we had to stay behind after potions?" He paused, waiting for Harry to signal him to go on.

"Yeah…"

"Well…I just wanted to know… to know what Snape wanted to talk to you about."

Draco regretted asking it straight away because Harry froze and then slowly pulled his hand away from Draco's and his face became solemn as he turned and looked over the lake. Draco stared at him but Harry didn't glance his way. A few minutes passed and Draco shifted awkwardly.

"Sorry…Forget it. I was just curious." Draco said suddenly.

There was a pause.

"No. It's okay; it's just that I don't really want to talk about it." Harry sighed. He let Draco hold his hand but didn't really hold it back properly.

"Harry…" Draco began

"Please Draco; I just don't want to talk about it right now." Harry said, finally started to twirl his fingers again with Draco's.

They sat in silence some more but Draco didn't really notice since he was currently thinking over what could possibly be going on. Why wouldn't Harry tell him? Or rather, why didn't he want to talk about it? He still had lots of questions he needed to ask but he was too scared now. He didn't want to risk not being able to be with Harry.

Harry leant his head against Draco's shoulder and Draco put one arm around him in a comfortable embrace. He noticed that the Gryffindor's arms were cold, but he showed no sign of shivering.

"Are you cold Harry?"

"Just a bit." Harry mumbled.

"Come on, let's go inside. I'm sure it'll be time for tea soon."

Draco stood up and offered his hand out to Harry, who took it and hurled himself up. They walked together, still holding hands, back to the school. They stopped in the doorway and Draco checked no one was nearby before leaning down and kissing Harry firmly on the lips.

"Want to meet me tomorrow?" he asked, breathing quite heavy after kissing Harry.

"Sure" Harry said, he was beaming now, clearly forgotten the whole 'Snape thing'.

They decided to meet tomorrow after breakfast at the tree again, providing it wasn't too cold.