CHAPTER TWELVE

Disclaimer: Neither the characters or locations are mine; they belong to J. K. Rowling and various affiliated companies. No plagiarism or copyright infringement is intended. All characters will be returned safe and sound with smiles on their faces and food in their bellies. :D

A/N: Damn Arthur! (My palm pilot) I lost this chapter and the next one, but I think I've remembered what it said...well, close enough... Enjoy!

Draco stretched languidly before pulling the covers over his head in a vain attemot to ignore the persistent tapping of the owl at the window. Blaise walked in and frowned at the lump under the covers.

'Aren't you going to let it in?' he asked.

'Is it Hedwig?'

'Of course.'

'Then no.'

Blaise pulled the covers down and glared at his friend. Draco flapped a pale hand at him, having forgone the disguise almost as soon as he'd arrived.

'If you won't then I will. You can't ignore him forever.'

Blaise took the note from Hedwig and passed it to Draco who immediately threw it on a pile of similar notes.

'Have you even read any of those?' Blaise asked.

'No. And I don't intend to either, before you ask.'

'And yet you are keeping them.'

Draco threw a pillow at Blaise and sat up, scowling.

'So?'

'Don't you think that's a little...well, interesting?'

'Not in the slightest.'

Blaise gave him his best know-it-all grin.

'Anyway, you have visitors.'

'Who?'

'Oh, I much prefer to surprise you.'

Draco scowled again and hurriedly pulled on some clothes, muttering obscenities at the grinning Blaaise under his breath.

'Oh stop that, will you? You look like the bleeding Cheshire Cat. No, I won't explain, I have visitors remember?'

And with that Draco stalked from the room, leaving a flabbergasted Blaise staring after him. Draco found two of the last people he would ever expect standing on the front porch: Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom.

'Longbottom.' he snarled.

Neville quivered, still afraid of the Slytherin after all these years. Luna just looked at him as though he had just knocked on her door.

'Oh hello Draco, how...interesting to see you again? What are we doing here again Neville dear? Oh right, I think I remember... Wait...did you see that?'

She took off across the lawn.

'Longbottom, what are you and that ditzy girl doing bothering me?'

Neville mumbled.

'Sorry? Didn't quite catch that.'

'I said she's not ditzy. And we are here because Luna needed to come to Italy for...some reason, and Hermione asked us to stop by and...uh...tell you to stop being so horrible and at least respond to one of Harry's owls because he is going mad without you, as it were.'

Draco grinned, admiring Neville's moxie.

'Well Neville, you certainly are braver then you used to be. You can tell Hermione that I'll take her opinion under advisement, but given that she was wrong before-'

'Hermione is never wrong.' Neville hissed. 'And now I think I'd better find Luna. She can be misunderstood so easily.'

'I'm sure she can. Longbottom.'

'Malfoy.'

Draco watched as Neville caught up to Luna and took her arm tenderly. Bah, he thought, I don't need love. What I need is to stop those fucking owls...

--

Harry had been staring at the tape recorder off and on for a week, trying to build up the confidence to listen to the tape. Seamus, Dean, Hermione and Ron were seated at the table with him, and he despised their presence just a little bit. They had found happiness, whilst Harry felt he had let it slip from his grasp all too willingly.

'If you don't play it Harry, I will.' Hermione threatened.

Harry looked at her.

'I...will. I just...'

'I think we should leave Harry to listen in peace.' Ron said.

Everyone stared at him in amazement; he was never that perceptive. He blushed

'Just a suggestion.'

Harry smiled gratefully as his friends filed out. He then stared at the tape recorder a final time before pressing play. Draco's voice crackled through, and Harry smiled at the sound; he wasn't being a Malfoy, he was just plain Draco, ineloquent and sweet.

'Erm...hi...um...it's me. Malfoy. Draco. Uh, Ferret Face. Can you...can you hear me? This feels strange, but I have been assured this will work. Damn muggle contraptions. Anyway, I bet you're wanting me to get to the point. I can almost see the impatience flickering in your eyes. I'll...I'll try to get on with it, but...damn it Harry, this is hard...'

Harry heard some soft sobs before a click indicated the tape recorder had been turned off, and another indicated it had been turned back on.

'I-I'm sorry about that. I just...I miss you. Ha. Silly, I know. I just... *click* *click* I can't believe how much I miss you. I...I need to know, once and for all. And this is the only way I can think of to do this. I'll wait for a week. If I don't see you by midnight on the 15th I'll have my answer. You know where I'll be. Harry...I...'

That was the end of the tape. Harry's hands shook as he pressed the stop button. He peered at the clock through tear-filled eyes.

'K-kreacher?' he croaked.

The elf appeared with a soft pop.

'Yes Master Harry?'

'What, what's the date?'

'Why, it's the 15th sir.'

'I've gotta go...' Harry moaned, apparating with a sharp crack.

--

Harry stumbled and almost fell to his knees at the gates of Hogwarts. Of course I know where you'll be...I only hope it's not too late... He staggered toward the Quidditch pitch, shivering as the rain whipped through him. He was vaguely aware that he was not dressed in appropriate clothes for the weather, but that didn't matter. He had to find Draco. He whirled around in the middle of the pitch, squinting, trying to find any indication that there was someone there besides him.

'Draco!' he cried, his voice vanishing into the wind. 'Draco, where are you? I came! It's only 11.58, it's not midnight! It's not! Please, this wasn't a joke! This can't have been a joke!'

He collapsed to his knees in the mud, pressing his forehead to the ground and screaming, choking as mud flooded his nose and mouth. He isn't here...