Chapter Eleven:

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps

A/N: Please read, Review, and enjoy! I really progress their relationship here. I thought I should, tis Chapter Eleven already ;) I feel like after this I need to concentrate on the outward plot more instead of their connection, hope you guys enjoy! ^_^ This song is by CAKE (One of my fave bands)!

I would like to make a big welcome to my new awesome Beta, Kyte Pheonix! [That's me!]

You won't admit you love me.

And so how am I ever to know?
You only tell me

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.

A million times I've asked you,

and then I ask you over again,

You only answer

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.

If you can't make your mind up,

We'll never get started.

And I don't want to wind up

Being parted, broken-hearted.

So if you really love me,

Say yes.

But if you don't, dear, confess.

And please don't tell me

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.

XXXX

"Halloween Ball? I would think you Durmstrang guys would be too busy studying to even remember that Halloween was in the month of October" Harry joked lightly. He was currently sitting at their usual study table in the Common Room, more distracted by the heavy snowfall outside and the beautiful mountain scenery than his actual assignment. Chester, Quinton and Migel were all with him, talking about the excitement for the upcoming Halloween Ball. They explained they enjoyed it because they were allowed to invite outsiders in, so most of them Owl'd dates from back home, or some were lucky enough to even get girls to travel all the way from Beauxbatons.

Harry thought it might be a little much, but he guessed the boys needed a break from their heavy lesson plans at some point. "Are you bringing that Swan girl from back home again?" Migel asked his twin brother.

Quinton shrugged, "Don't see why not, she's still quite the looker" he nudged him playfully with a sly grin.

"Selena said she would come down for me, since it's not that far, so I don't think it should be a problem" Chester explained.

"Selena? Really?"

"Who knew a girl that good looking would be thick enough to date you" they chortled, sticking their tongues out at Chester's glare.

"What about you, Harry?" Chester turned to the usually silent raven-haired boy.

Migel smirked, "Gonna be taking your lover boy?"

"Err, I haven't really thought about it..." Harry trailed off quietly, his eyes moving from the window over to the couch near the blazing fireplace where Draco sat - with one of his legs crossed over the other with a book in his hand - peacefully reading and seemingly undisturbed by the commotion of the full Common Room around him on that Sunday afternoon in late October.

"I dunno, I think Malfoy will be pretty upset if you don't ask him,"

"Yeah, if I were snogging the Boy-Who-Lived and he didn't ask me to the Ball…"

"We aren't snogging," Harry reprimanded the twins lightly, unable to take his eyes off the subject of their conversation. When he looked at Draco he couldn't help but get butterflies in his stomach, or the desire to curl his fingers through that silver silken hair. He swallowed heavily.

Their relationship had not exactly progressed in the past month, but instead stayed at an awkward stand still. Malfoy rarely left Harry alone anywhere in a room and they did have a lot of fun together - Harry was liking and trusting him more by the day. Only once in awhile would Draco lean in and grant Harry a fleeting kiss and only a select few times now had he done something so bold as to hold his hand or embrace him. Otherwise they were just regular friends who harvested feelings they never acted on. Harry couldn't understand why Draco wouldn't act, but he knew he was too nervous and never the instigator of these situations - he hoped Draco would see that sooner rather than later and step up more often, because Harry longed so deeply for those kisses of his.

"Mhm, so it's talking that I see both your lips doing?" Quinton grinned.

"Oh shove off" Harry mumbled with a thick blush. Turning he saw all the Durmstrang boys at his study table grinning pointedly at him. They had teased him quite a bit about his situation recently.

"Just go ask him out. What's the worst that can happen?" Chester suggested softly.

Harry turned to him biting his lower lip and mumbled quietly "He rejects me and then I can never face him or anybody else again."

"Right… because Draco Malfoy, the boy-who-has-been-in-love-with-you-for-ages, is about to turn down The Harry Potter? Are you sure you weren't meant to be sent to St. Mungo's instead of here, mate?" Migel laughed.

Harry looked around at his new friends and sighed heavily. "Fine" he mumbled from between pursed lips, and with that stood up from the table and waltzed proudly over to Draco. But as every step brought him closer his knees got weaker, his breath hitched, his palms a little sweaty.

He came to sit down in the empty seat beside Draco who seemed not to regard him besides the slightest raise of his eyebrow. 'Gods, how is he so damn beautiful?' Harry cursed to himself.

"Draco, I-"

"Harry," Draco cut him off softly, still not looking up from the pages of his Advanced Potions textbook, "Please would you tell our dormitory mates that they are not the quietest of speakers" he drawled.

Harry's blush deepened to a dark crimson, "Err, you heard all of that?"

"Yes, I did."

"Uhmm... and?" he returned nervously, his eyes bearing into the blonde who still sat reading his book.

Slowly Draco raised his head and when he looked at Harry he was smiling so softly, his eyes a gentle silver that made Harry's breath catch in his throat. "Oh Harry, how thick are you?" He sighed and closed his book, leaning forward to set it down on the table.

"Err, what do you mean?" Harry asked innocently, his blush creeping down his neck as he was well aware of everybody's eyes on them not to mention a distant snigger from the twins.

"C'mon, let's go outside."

"O-outside? It's a bloody snowstorm, nearly!" he said with his mouth agape.

"Scared, Potter? C'mon" he urged again, standing up and picking his fur cloak off of the back of the couch. Harry went over to the table, ignoring his friends 'Oohs' and 'Awhs' as he grabbed his own cloak and slammed his study books shut.

He joined Draco at the entrance to the Common Room as they set out together. Harry shoved his hands into his pockets as they awkwardly walked in silence, Draco kept his eyes trained ahead of him whereas Harry looked nervously between his feet and his friend.

Once they were outside the wind blew coldly against their skin as both pulled their cloaks tighter around them. Draco looked out across the scenery as they neared the edge of the mountain side, not far from the schools entrance. This was just another thing Harry missed about Hogwarts; yes the Durmstrang Institute Grounds were gorgeous, but still not quite like home.

Harry stood a foot behind Draco, observing him as he tilted his head this way and that, slowly looking around. The brunette laughed out of nowhere, "You blend right in with all this snow y'know" he teased.

"I love the snow, always have." Draco said, ignoring the small taunt. "I may not like being cold but... something about the snow falling has always been beautiful to me" he admitted quietly as Harry listened intently.

Draco spun around to face Harry smiling. "Out of curiosity have you spoken to any one from Hogwarts of our... relationship?" he said the word carefully.

Harry's face fell "I haven't really spoken to Ron and 'Mione, but others... yes. They know I trust you" he whispered.

"Is that all Harry. Do you only trust me?" Draco purred as he stepped further away from the cliff and towards the shivering brunette, the snow fell on his eyelashes which he blinked away.

"Draco, you know that's not all, but I'm not too sure of the rest" he answered truthfully.

"Oh, but I am Harry. I'm sure of how I feel for you. I just do not want to get myself into anything that I know could never last due to extenuating circumstances" he explained.

"Extenuating circumstances? Oh..." a realization hit Harry. Not only were they hundreds of miles from their home, but they both were in the middle of the War sacrificing their lives for said War. "If it's because I won't survive the War, then I understand. I don't want to hurt anybody mor-"

"Dammit Harry! Don't be talking like that! I will protect you till my last breath and that's final." Draco growled protectively. Harry looked up at him in surprise. "The world would not be the same without its Harry Potter. Besides, it's not even the War I was speaking of... it's what happens whenever we get back to Hogwarts."

"What do you mean, 'what happens'?"

"I mean, Potter, you don't want to be seen holding hands with the Prince of Slytherin. How would Weasley and Granger react to that?" Draco pressed softly.

"If they can't accept who I choose to be with, then they aren't really my friends now are they?" Harry countered.

Draco took another step forward, nearly closing the distance between them as he began to slowly smile. He reached out and grasped Harry tenderly on his biceps. "Is that what you want Harry, to be with me?"

Harry bit his lower lip and forced himself to continue looking up at Draco as he slowly nodded. "I do... I mean… err... if you want to..."

"Of course I do" Draco whispered as he bent down to capture Harry's lips with his own. They felt so warm compared to the cool wind around them.

Neither knew how long they stood there, kissing softly and holding one another, but eventually the cold bit down past their bones. "I am quite pleased now Harry, but...We have a Potions assignment and that wretched 16 and a half inch essay the werewolf gave us" Draco said.

Harry groaned and buried his face in the fur of Draco's cloak. "Urgh, sometimes you remind me so much of Hermione."

"Sorry, some of us value our education Potter. We are at a state of the art Wizardry training school and you're just going to kiss away your valuable work time?" Draco scolded lightly.

"Yeah, got a problem with that?" he grinned and strained his neck upwards to kiss Draco's smile.

XXXX

He flashed a wicked green grin, as his slitted eyes lit up mirthfully. "We shall make our move on Hallow's Eve" he purred, leaning forward in his armchair.

A short stout man with rounded mousy features and ratted dirty blonde hair sniffled, contracting his arched back. "M'lord?" he asked fearfully, "A-are you sure y-you will be-be ready?"

"Wormtail is right" a tall slim man slid in from the shadows, his long greasy black hair covering most of his pointed pale features. "You have only just been reborn, my Lord. I would advise you to take the more patient route in our pursuit."

"Patient?" hissed Voldemort, leaning forward more as he glared icily at Severus Snape. "I have been patient, Severus, for the past fifteen years!"

Relentlessly Snape pressed on as he crossed his arms. "And perhaps fifteen years is not enough."

Wormtail gasped at the Dark Lord being insulted by a lowly Potions Master.

Voldemort chuckled lowly. "You dare doubt me?" he suddenly stood from his chair, his wand whipped out of his long cloak pocket and pointed at Severus who stared down at it in surprise. "Crucio!" Voldemort hissed.

Snape cried out in immediate pain, falling to his knees with his arms clutched to his sides as he convulsed lightly in pain, trying to hold it in the best he could. "I am the most powerful Wizard to have ever existed. No Half-Blood boy will get in the way of that, do you understand me Severus?" he yelled down at the Professor's aching, pain-convulsed body.

Slowly, Snape looked up in agony. "Yes, my Lord" he spat through clenched teeth.

Voldemort released the Cruciatus Curse and Snape gasped, somewhat regaining himself before standing up once more. "Good then" the Dark Lord waved his hand as he sat back down. "I will trust you to inform the others that we are to make our move on that night. I shall call you all by the Mark when the time to make preparations has come."

"Yes Milord,"

"Now leave me" Voldemort ordered.

Severus turned to leave as Wormtail humbly turned to his Master sitting across from him. "What else will y-you be n-needing, Master?"

"I said leave." he retorted harshly.

Wormtail squeaked and jumped slightly before bowing and rushing out the door fearfully through which Snape had coolly exited.

"Your time has come." Voldemort hissed whilst he was alone in his contemplation. "So sad you will not be able to see the day when I rule the Wizarding World Harry Potter…"

XXXX