Romeo, Romeo...
Harry cursed as he tripped up another few steps, hitting his knee. Again. It was definitely going to bruise, so it'd match the ones he was sure would decorate his back. Like so many times before when he'd needed to be at a certain place at a certain time, Harry found himself a victim of Fate.
He was running late. The quidditch game had started well, with Gryffindor scoring a quick twenty points against their Ravenclaw opponents, but had taken a sour turn from then on. For the first time, Harry had trouble finding the snitch, or rather, the small gold ball had gotten better at hiding from him.
The match had dragged on for hours and neither seeker had seen even a glisten of the elusive prize. Then, nearly five hours after the game's start, and long after the audience had become restless, Harry saw it and he'd shot forward, straight past the Ravenclaw seeker, still yawning on his broom. He'd grabbed the snitch, and headed for the ground, accepting congratulations and cheers as he went.
In the locker room, he'd forgone his shower, just changing into his usual post-game tee and jeans, and dashing out before most of the team had even made it to the showers. From then it was one mishap after another as Peeves decided he was a perfect target for mischief. Harry was attacked by no less than six suits of armor, and more than one book caught him in the back. Eventually, he'd made it to Gryffindor Tower and grabbed his script and the next box of chocolates, hastily flown to Hogwarts that morning courtesy of Dean's cousin, and headed through the portrait hole.
Thankfully, Peeves had gotten bored waiting for Harry and was floating above a couple down the hall, singing a few of his more annoying lyrics. Harry turned the other way and jogged down a few flights of stairs until he reached the Arithmancy classroom.
He didn't bother to wait before opening the door, again expecting the room to be empty, and was startled to find Malfoy still there. The blond wasn't looking at him though, hadn't appeared to even notice the door opening. He was leaning against the teacher's desk, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared out the window, the late afternoon light making little more than a silhouette of his figure.
Harry stared, reluctant to break into the other teen's thoughts. "Um..." he mumbled but it was loud enough. Malfoy dropped his hands to the edge of the desk and turned to look at Harry. Not being able to see the look on Malfoy's face made him more nervous than it should have and Harry closed the door behind him as he moved to take one of the chairs.
"Sorry, I'm late," he said, and held the box out to his tutor. Malfoy took it with a nod and turned to put it on the desk. Then almost as an after thought, he opened it and pulled out an Almond Joy. Harry thought he heard a whispered cheer before the other turned back, opening the wrapper and taking a bite.
"This," Malfoy said as soon as he'd finished the first bite, "more than makes up for your tardiness." He smiled at the candy and finished off the first segment.
Harry grinned. "So, I guess those are your favorite then, huh?" he asked, nervously flipping the pages of his script. This was a side to Draco Malfoy that he hadn't known existed, and it was more than a little strange to see it.
Malfoy nodded at him with a slight smile that faded quickly, as if he'd just realized who he was smiling at. "Have you memorized the rest of the play?" the blond asked, changing the subject with an abruptness that would have hurt Harry's feelings had it been anybody but Malfoy.
Harry nodded. "Yeah, but its like you said. I can't say them with..." he waved a hand vaguely. "With feeling. I forget what I'm supposed to say."
Malfoy snorted. "You're not forgetting. You're just getting distracted." He jumped a bit to sit on the teacher's desk, crossing his legs and pulling his copy of the script in to his lap. "We'll start easy. Go to Romeo's first line," he ordered and Harry nodded as he flipped open his script.
It took Harry nearly two hours to finish the first Act, and even then Malfoy wasn't satisfied. When the blond sighed and tossed his script aside in favor of his third candy bar, Harry seriously considered giving up. Then he remembered begging Malfoy for help and shook his head to himself, a silent refusal to quit after having gone through such a humiliating experience. He turned his gaze upwards, glaring at the ceiling with his hands folded behind his head and listening to Malfoy crunch angrily at his candy. It had to be a Butterfinger, it sure sounded like one.
"Again," he heard the other boy command in a voice that sounded like it would rather be anywhere else. "Try it again. 'Good morrow, cousin,'" he quoted, and Harry didn't have to be looking to know Malfoy wasn't using his script.
Harry took a deep breath. Okay, sad. Romeo was sad at this part. He nodded slightly to himself, concentrating on the stones above him. He could do sad, self-pitying, as Malfoy had called it earlier. He knew Moaning Myrtle after all. Maybe if he tried for that... "Is the day so young?" he asked slowly, trying to inject the words with as much of Myrtle's moroseness as he could.
Malfoy was quiet for a moment, then, apparently satisfied with Harry's response, continued the scene. "But new struck nine." Harry could tell just by the way he said those four words that Malfoy didn't expect him to be able to say the next line quite as well.
He did enjoy proving his rival wrong. Harry smiled a little, and concentrated again on his memory of Myrtle's depression. He could copy that again, he was sure. "Ay, me. Sad hours seem long," he recited, drawing out the words a little. He paused for a moment, Malfoy waiting patiently as Harry thought of his next line. A bit of curiosity, maybe. Something like.... "Was that my Father that went hence so fast?"
"It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo's hours?" Malfoy asked without so much as a pause.
Harry made a face that he hoped Malfoy couldn't see at the ceiling. The jerk was purposely hiding his surprise, just to spite him, Harry was sure. Then he turned his focus back to his lines and Myrtle's depression. "Not having that which having makes them seem short," he answered slowly, more because he wasn't sure they were the right words than because he was trying to sound 'self-pitying.'
Fortunately, Malfoy seemed not to notice. He continued on, Harry reciting back at a snail's pace compared to the blond's lightening quick responses. By the time they'd finished the first act, dinner was half over and Harry knew he'd have some questions to answer, but he could say his lines well enough to satisfy Malfoy. Somehow, the quizzing he knew he'd get seemed less important.
"Here," he heard and caught the candy bar Malfoy tossed at him. Harry blinked down at the bright blue and white wrapper then up at the Slytherin. "What's this for?" he asked.
Malfoy shrugged. "We weren't supposed to have a session today. You showed up anyway." Harry looked at him blankly, but couldn't draw whatever conclusion Malfoy had. The blond rolled his eyes. "It means you're serious about learning this and not just wasting my time." He turned and grabbed the box from the desk, then walked to the door. Malfoy paused as he put his hand on the knob, turning back to look at Harry. "And you don't have to skip your shower."
Harry felt himself blush as Malfoy left, closing the door behind himself. He looked down at the candy, then frowned. There had only been three Almond Joys in that package. Why had Malfoy given him one when it was obviously his favorite? He thought over the other teen's words. It was a reward? Harry flushed again, rushing from his seat to the door and throwing it open to yell, "I'm not a dog, you know!"
Not that it mattered. The hall was already empty. He grumbled to himself as he stalked back to the desk he'd been using, grabbing his script and turning on his heel to leave. All the way to the lunchroom, turned the scene over in his head, working himself up to anger. A reward. How ridiculous.
Taking a seat next to Seamus at the Gryffindor table, Harry forgot his anger for a moment when he realized there were a few absences. "Where are Ron and Hermione?" he asked, leaning over his friend to grab a plate of potatoes.
Seamus shrugged. "They were here for about ten minutes, then Hermione hustled Ron away. They're probably working on the set again." He grinned. "She was ranting the whole time abut the Slytherins again."
Harry rolled his eyes, swallowing a bite of chicken before asking, "What'd they do this time?"
"They shredded the cloth for the costumes in a spontaneous charms fight," Ginny interrupted before Seamus could talk.
"Then they exploded paint on the walls in an attempt to recreate Jackson Pollock's art," Fred added, scooting down the bench to sit in front of Harry.
"Then they used the wood to start a bonfire and perform a pagan dance of evil," George finished, claiming a seat next to his brother.
Seamus nodded. "All direct quotes from our stage manager," he informed Harry.
Harry whistled. "Yeah," George agreed. "As much as I hate to admit it, those Slytherins are doing a fantastic job."
"They're all still a waste of air though," Ginny snapped. "I mean, they're just wasting time. What do they gain from all this?" She stabbed her fork at her meat then groaned. "Look at me. I don't even have anything to do with it and I'm getting ticked." She threw her hands up.
"Gain?" Fred laughed. "They do it cause it's fun. What else do they need?" He elbowed his twin and they both stood and walked away.
"They have permission from both Ron and Hermione to get as much revenge as they want on the Slytherins," Ginny grinned at Harry. "It's probably the only reason they're not bad-mouthing them right now."
Harry choked on his pumpkin juice. "As if they needed permission," he snorted.
"Right," Ginny said and stood from the bench. "Actually, revenge sounds like fun. I think I'm gonna join them." She waved good-bye and followed after her brothers, catching up to them quickly and throwing her arms around their shoulders, an act that almost pulled her off the floor.
Seamus laughed. "I have to say," he leaned towards Harry, "this play is turning out quite differently than I expected. How are you lessons going?"
Harry choked again, coughing for fully a minute before he finally had the breath to answer. "Lessons?" he asked, trying to keep his voice normal. It was a dismal failure. Even he could hear the squeak.
Seamus lifted a brow. "Yeah, lessons. You didn't think I wouldn't notice you getting better? Hell, even Malfoy doesn't look quite so disgusted when its your turn to speak. Lisa must be doing a damn fine job."
Harry gave a deep sigh of relief as his friend continued to ramble on. He hadn't figured it all out. That was good. The last thing Harry needed now was for everyone to know he was getting private lessons from a Slytherin, from Draco Malfoy.
Seamus stayed around for only a few more minutes. Then he saw Dean get up to leave and instantly stood, not bothering to say goodbye, and followed the taller boy out, leaving Harry alone on his bench. As students filed out of the Hall, Harry concentrated on his meal, the first he'd eaten all day, and tried to ignore the Almond Joy in the pocket of his robe. Thinking about it got him thinking about Malfoy, which just ticked him off.
Harry forced himself to finish his plate before finally taking out the candy and ripping the edge of the wrapper. The rich smell of the chocolate wafted up to him and Harry half-smiled. All of the chocolate he'd been able to get his hands on lately had gone straight to Malfoy, so Harry had been fighting off withdrawal for the last two weeks. Now though, he'd finally get another taste.
Harry took a bite and almost moaned. Never again, he swore. He was going to have at least one piece of chocolate every two days and to Hell with Malfoy! Opening eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed, Harry immediately locked gazes with the Slytherin he'd just mentally cursed.
Malfoy was watching him, smirking and obviously trying not to laugh. Harry blushed and stood, gathering his script, robe, and the remainder of the Almond Joy and leaving the Great Hall at just less than a run.
Why was it that Malfoy, and only Malfoy, ever seemed to catch him at his worst?
A/N: I am so sorry for the wait! Um, I don't even have an excuse... So thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! By name: brionyjae, Dezra, trillium248, 13 eleMENTAL 31, SwarmOfFangirls, and Lilith91. Thanks for the support guys!