Number 341. The fact that there are only three unforgivable curses does not mean that every other curse is "pretty much forgivable".

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"Where's Potter?"

Hermione looked over the stack of papers she had buried herself behind in the library and gazed at Draco blankly. "What?"

The blond had a slightly feral gleam in his shiny gray eyes. "I was a distraction," he hissed. "He let me come back to the school drunk and sloppy because he needed a distraction." Draco fingered his wand lovingly. "Potter," he repeated. "I need Potter. You're his pet Mudblood. Find him for me!"

She blinked; tilting her head to the side as an idea struck her. "How hard is it to hire a solicitor?"

Draco shrugged. "We have one on retainer. How will this help me find Potter?"

Hermione sighed. "Mum thought I should start leaving graffiti in random places with the message 'Kilroy was here,' but half the school wouldn't get it." Hermione paused, looking thoughtful. "I'm a little worried over how much Mum is getting into this. Ginny somehow managed to find a list with three hundred and twelve names of Muggle born students on it and sent it off to her. Mum already had plans to locate all the parents and form some kind of PTA." She shook her head, shrugging philosophically. "Ah well."

"Lovely as that pointless soliloquy was, I repeat: How will this help me find Potter?"

"Hire your solicitor to consult with me, and I will find Harry for you."

Draco didn't hesitate; reaching over the girl and plucking a bit of parchment from her stack. He scribbled quickly, ripped the parchment in half, and handed both pieces to her. "There. Produce Potter."

Hermione looked down at the two notes in her hand. One addressed to Lucius Malfoy, the other to the Malfoy family lawyer. Beaming, she reached into her bag and pulled out a map before handing it to Draco. "Be careful with this. It belonged to Harry's dad. If you allow it to get damaged, no amount of sex or money will make Harry forgive you for a very long time."

He looked down at her. "It that a threat, Granger?"

She shrugged. "I'm just saying. Unless you want a long and cold winter, treat that item with respect."

Gray eyes studied the map intently. "And you just happen to be carrying this about your person why?"

She shrugged again. "Dumbledore dismissed us as a group of overzealous students. I am planning an educational reform and am prepared to fight dirty. Mum says the Dental Association fights like sharks." Hermione squared her shoulders, looking grim. "I want to make sure no one tries to assassinate me before I finish my quest."

Draco looked at Hermione; reluctantly impressed. "I applaud that level of paranoia." He reached out and shook her hand. "I'll assign Crabbe and Goyle to watch your back while I have the map. Best of luck." He studied the map, eyes lighting up dangerously. "The Quidditch Pitch, of course…"

Hermione watched him walk away before picking up the letters again. If she got to the Owlery and sent these off in the next thirty minutes, she could possibly expect a reply by this evening!

Blaise hurried along besides Draco, matching his stride easily. "Draco, just because there are only three curses the ministry had deemed unforgivable, does not mean that every other curse is 'pretty much forgivable.'"

Draco didn't slow down on his slightly maddened rush to the Quidditch pitch. "My friend, Blaise. You are my friend! That means you are on my side and my team!"

The Italian sighed uneasily. "It's because I'm your friend that I am trying to keep you out of Azkaban!"

"Are you kidding?" Draco snorted. "Do you really think Snape would allow me to get carted off to Azkaban for teaching Harry not to mess with a Slytherin? Hell, he'd probably give me a medal!" Blaise sighed, looking at his friend nervously as Draco continued to mutter to himself.

Turning from watching Harry help Ron practice his Keeper ability, Dean looked over and spotted Draco. "Oi!" he yelled to Harry. "Your favorite Sythindor is approaching!"

Harry turned and waved. Then yelped and flattened himself against his broom as a blast of yellow light passed inches from his head. "Draco, what the hell!"

"I am not a distraction!" Draco's face was flushed with indignation. "Reducto!" Without waiting for a response, he fired off a quick series of colorful spells.

Neville looked at Harry and Ron wavering on their brooms, and back at the Slytherin firing curses without reserve. "Err… doesn't this, technically, make Draco a distraction?"

Watching Harry and Ron weave back and forth on their brooms, Lavender looked over at the boys and asked; "Shouldn't you do something about this?"

Seamus, Neville, and Dean looked at each other. Seamus looked down at the pitch where Blaise was struggling to keep Draco's hand lowered by his side as Harry and Ron zoomed closer to the earth. Sighing, Seamus stood up and pointed his wand straight up in the air. "WOLVERINES!" he bellowed, before flicking his wand and stunning Blaise.

Parvati watched Blaise crumple to the ground. "No offense, but that seems kind of counter productive to me."

Dean laughed. "I love finding random times to quote movies."

"He's dating him, he should deal with him." They watched Harry tackle Draco, trying to wrestle the wand from his grip. "Besides," Seamus added, "they're happiest when they're fighting."

Neville winced as Harry's head snapped back from the force of Draco's punch. Ron finally reached the ground and leapt off his broom. "No! You can't kill him Malfoy!"

"Hands," Dean called, watching Ron jump on the mass of flailing limbs. "Who thinks Draco's gonna take Ron out within two minutes?"

Lavender shook her head. "Draco's a Slytherin and Ron's an idiot. He won't last two minutes." She smiled smugly as Ron crumpled under a blast of crimson light. "Told you."

"Damn it Draco! You can't just curse people when you feel like it!"

"Watch me! Think you can set me up to be humiliated in front of the entire school? I'll show you! Incarcerous!"

Harry bent double and charged Draco again, the spell passing harmlessly overhead. Draco swore again, wheezing in a breath. "Immodicus Crudus!"

"Excessive bleeding!" Neville looked truly alarmed. "Maybe we should step in."

"Nah," Dean waved his hand dismissively. "They'll be ok."

"Incendia Viscus! Lentus caput capitis poena! Bretons vertebrae!"

Parvati bit her lip. "Fire bowels, lingering headache, and brittle bones?"

Seamus looked impressed. "Never knew the little bastard was so creative."

Lavender cocked her head to the side, watching Harry swerve and bend and fight. "Wow. I never knew Harry was so flexible." Draco's head snapped up towards the stands. "Oh shit!" They dove for cover just in time.

"Gelu Connubialis!"

"Frigid!" Lavender and Parvati shrieked, surging to their feet and withdrawing their wands. "That fucker was going to make us frigid!"

"I'm sorry!" Harry shouted out. He hit his knees, cringing as Draco leveled his wand on him. "I'm sorry, Draco! You are not a distraction, you are not expendable. You are amazing. And smart. And I… I am worse than a Blast Ended Skrewt for ever treating you as less than the most incredible being in the world!"

Draco eyed him expressionlessly. "Will you ever treat me in such a shameful manner again?"

"Never." Harry shook his head vigorously back and forth. "Never ever ever again."

The blond sniffed. "See that you don't." Harry slowly stood up and inched closer. Draco allowed him to kiss his cheek before he pushed the Gryffindor away and walked over to revive Blaise.

Harry stared down at Ron. "What did you hit him with?"

Draco shrugged. "Who knows."

Harry sighed, collected the two discarded brooms, and levitated Ron towards the castle. Dean snickered. "See? I told you they would be ok."