Chapter Three:

Moving, Shaking

A/N: PLEASE review!! =D Oh yes, and Harry/Draco are OOC(And a little crazy!); though that is obvious given the circumstances.

Moving, Shaking - The Great Lake Swimmers

I can't write, I can't sing, I can't play

My insides have been broken

My inspiration has flown away

It's hard to see all the little things.

There's a universe, In a crack in the wall

Or an ant crawling across, A broken tile

And it's hard to see all the little things

When the big things get in the way.

*

The first week of term had come to an end, it was their first weekend to spend at Hogwarts and Harry was none to excited. Things hadn't been getting any better as everytime he passed Malfoy in the halls now he would throw snide remarks at him and start a verbal bickering fight - Harry would never respond, he would merely walk away or let Ron do the fighting for him. This didn't embarass him. He was just too put off from everything in life anymore to even care.

Hermione and Ron hadn't said anything past the first day of term to Harry regarding his attitude or quiet behaviour, instead they flanked his side constantly through-out the day. The other students watched from the distance oddly, slightly curious as to the behaviour of their Golden Boy, their Saviour and hero.

Currently they were in the library on Saturday afternoon, finishing up all the assignments they had already gotten from classes in their first week. Ron was doddling on his piece of parchment, Hermione was completely encompassed in editing her own finished work whereas Harry just stared blankly down at his own parchment, nearly done the Advanced Transfiguration essay.

"Mind if we join you?" Seamus piped, startling the three who didn't respond but the irishman and his best friend Dean sat down anyway.

"What are you guys up to?" Ron asked with a raised eyebrow, it looked like they were about to jump right out of their pants they were so excited.

"Guess what we heard?"

"Yeah, guess, guess!" Dean egged on skidishly, he was leaning forward on the table and violently tapping his foot on the ground causing the books to tremble. Hermione glared at him and put down her quill to show that they had their attention. Harry's eyes didn't move, the two boys frowned at this but said nothing.

"We heard...well first, you go Dean,"

"Y'know about the whole Death Eater alliance?" he asked excitedly, Harry's head snapped up much to everybody's surprise and they all turned to look at him.

He had an unreadable expression on his face, but it was something other than the dullness of the past week. "Of course we do," he snapped uneasily, recalling the wretched summer he had to live through due to the Alliance.

"Er, yeah...well..." Dean coughed nervously, not wanting to start up the brunette's roaring temper, "The Ministry has narrowed their search to Norway as their headquarters,"

"Norway, are you sure?" Hermione asked, paying almost as much attention as Harry was, leaning forward.

"That's what the papers said!"

"Yes but what the papers didn't say was that they have a new Leader, a new Lord," Seamus' eyes lit up at this and a smirk held his face. Harry felt like smacking it off but rightly restrained himself.

"What the fuck are you two on about?" Harry growled, standing up from his chair and startling everyone. Hermione's hand was quickly restraining him from leaping at the other two Gryffindor's, he turned to her and glared.

"Harry, mate! Calm down!" Ron hissed, making sure Madame Pince hadn't seen the outburst. "The War is over, this is just some silly-" he shut up as soon as his angry friend turned on him.

"The War is over? Is that why I had to suffer all summer, because it was over? You weren't even apart of it. None of you were. How can you be the ones to decide if it's over?" and with another glare he grabbed his books and began to stalk off. Before he left the library, he heard Seamus lean close in and whisper.

"The new leader is Malfoy's Father,"

Harry paused, every muscle in his body tensed as he grinded his teeth and swept from the library as his blood boiled. 'Malfoy. It always has something to do with Malfoy. I heard his Father had been missing, that he was on the run from the Ministry, that slimy bastard is probably hiding him...' and just as if some omnipotent being had heard his thoughts, Draco rounded the corner with Crabbe and Goyle on either side.

"Pot-head," he sneered, stopping in the track of the brunette who did not, for once, cast his gaze downwards. Instead he looked hard into those dull, grey eyes and a growl emitted deep within his throat. "Oh, is somebody having a bad day?" the blonde teased.

"Where the fuck is Lucius?" Harry ground out every syllable, the two cronies eyes widened as Draco seemed completely taken aback by the question. Something flashed in his eyes, something Harry couldn't place that made his own features lighten up.

"I ask you to refrain from speaking of my Father. You are not worthy," and with that, Draco swept away with a confused Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

Harry wasn't as angry anymore, he instead gripped his books tightly and began walking up the stairs towards the Gryffindor Tower.

'That was weird. Malfoy almost looked hurt by me bringing up Lucius. And he just left, dropped it like that,' he thought, coming into the Common Room and dropping on the couch beside Ginny - whom he hadn't even noticed though she took great care to notice him.

"Heya Harry, how are you doing?" she smiled brightly, Harry turned to her and nodded, completely caught up in his thoughts of a certain Slytherin.

'What happened to that nice Malfoy? The one on the train? The one outside of the Hospital Wing? Why is he back to...normal Malfoy? What does it even matter, you didn't want his help anyway,' Harry cursed himself for this. Maybe if he had accepted the blonde's help he wouldn't have to have gone through all the snide comments, taking them all in.

The fact of the matter was that in general; Harry did not care. He could not feel anymore, unless it was anger and then it seethed through his body and filled every pore of his skin. Harry was rather afraid of losing control of his magic, he could feel it was on its edge.

"Harry!" Ginny shook him violently, getting annoyed but soon found out it was a bad mistake to have touched him at all as he turned to her with glaring emerald eyes.

"What do you want?' he scowled.

"Woah, alright Mister. Just saying, Remus is trying to talk to you!" she nudged her head towards the portrait hole and then got up from the couch with the book she had been reading. "I'm going to the Lake with the girls, if Ron asks. Stop being such a prick," she added, making Harry blush.

He didn't really mean to have these outbursts, but he really couldn't help it anymore. Harry turned to look at Remus Lupin who stood in the portrait hole and then sauntered into the Common Room. "Hi," Harry greeted solemnly.

The tall man sat down across from him in an armchair. "Hey," he responded but said nothing else. They sat in agreeable silence for a few minutes.

"Er, how are classes?" Harry asked, he knew he should be nice to the man. He had mailed him quite often during the summer, keeping him sane. He even did his school shopping in Diagon Alley when he couldn't make it due to the ill security.

"Fine, thank you. Are you enjoying Defence this year? I hope it's better than last," he grinned, knowing that anything would be better than Umbridge's Defence Against the Dark Arts class.

"Of course," he tried to send the man a convincing smile. This was the last remainding Marauder. Prongs was long gone, Wormtail too, Padfoot had just departed. All that was left was Moony. Harry felt very bad for the man, all of his best of friends had past in tragic events. This is why it was always easier to talk to him, because at least Remus understood more.

"Listen, Harry, we've all been noticing something about you," Remus began awkwardly, he didn't really know where to begin. "I also can tell, I can smell it, that you have Glamour charms on constantly. Why?" he asked softly, leaning forward with a genuine look in his eyes.

Harry avoided that look completely, knowing it was going to make him spill everything. He bit his lip, took a moment to collect himself. "I-I need to keep that to myself," he whispered, knowing that Remus would respect that.

The older man looked over Harry, his best friends Godson and his other friends son. 'You didn't deserve all this pain,' he thought silently. "I just need you to understand that if you need to talk about anything, I'm here for you. I know I'm not Sirius, and I'm definitely not James, but...even if you wanted to talk about them, I'm here," he said smiling softly.

"Thanks, I appreciate that. I just don't think I'm ready," Harry was staring down at his feet on the red and orange rug beneath it. Wanting to complete distract himself from the conversation that hurt too much to talk about. Of course it was easier for him to talk about his parents, but he couldn't stand hearing talk about Sirius, not this soon.

"Of course. Well, my door is always open," Remus then stood up and smiled back down at Harry. "Why don't you go outside and enjoy the weather before you have to be locked up in the dungeons for Advanced Potions all Monday," and with a soft chuckle, the Professor of Dark Arts left the Gryffindor Common Room.

A couple of students were staring at Harry, they hadn't heard the conversation but they had seen the interaction. Why was Lupin talking to Potter? Nobody really knew the connection, but they could obviously tell now that they were somewhat close.

Harry sighed and finally brought himself to his dormitory to put away his books. He looked longingly out the window, the sun was still shining brightly and it seemed as though outside was the last place he wanted to be. He felt more at home deep in the dungeons lately, Snape's remarks hadn't touched him that year - he can't even remember hearing them at all, actually. Harry felt much better amongst the cold, damp corridors.

A few hours later, he was found in the same spot, staring out of the window blankly as the sun was slowly setting. It was past dinner, but he didn't feel hungry. He was used to going without food for days. It was then that people began to return to the dormitory, first came Neville who didn't even mutter a greeting to him - knowing he'd get nothing in response. Then came Ron who pattered his way over to his friend and placed his hand softly on Harry's shoulder, the brunette shrugged it off.

"Please," Ron begged quietly, but Harry merely stared forward so the redhead went over to fall down on his bed. "Fine, be that way," he scowled. He didn't know what was wrong with Harry, but all he knew was that he wanted to and was desperately attempting to help. Nothing was working though, they couldn't even communicate properly anymore.

Seamus and Dean came in laughing loudly, but stopped as soon as they saw Harry staring out the window. They slowly approached him, worried looks written across their faces for their housemates sanity. "Mate?" Seamus began, Harry turned to awknowledge him slightly, though he did not speak and his expression remained cold.

"Listen, we're sorry about earlier," Dean apologized for the two of them.

"We hadn't meant to upset you,"

"Don't worry about it," Harry shrugged lightly, forcing a smile onto his face which caused the two boys to smile broadly in response. At least they were getting some kind of smile, it was a slight improvement.

"Don't apologize to him, you didn't do anything wrong!" Ron snapped defensively, jumping up from his bed and walking over to the three. Dean and Seamus shook their heads at the hot-tempered redhead and backed away to their own section of the dormitory; which was indeed messier than anybody else's. Harry's was the cleanest.

"He got all bent outta shape for nothin'!" he continued, pointing his finger into Harry's chest as the brunette lowered his gaze. He felt sadness wash over him. 'What the hell is with these emotions?! Just go the hell away!!!' Harry screamed to himself, but he felt the overwhelming need to obey Ron, who was cursing and screaming at him now.

"Who do you think you are, Potter?! We were there, we stood beside you in battle and you just say we weren't apart of it!! We were bleeding apart of it just as much as you were!" he was flustered red now, Harry was teary-eyed and didn't dare move until he was told to or Ron left. The redhead continued raging for a few minutes before he realized Harry wasn't budging. He turned on his heel and left the room, Harry burst into silent tears immediately and fell down on his bed.

Then he remembered that there were still three others in the room. They were watching from a distance, unsure of what to do next. Harry was shaking violently with tears now, but there was no sound coming out. Neville began to approach the bed, but Seamus quickly pulled him back, the boy turned to question but Seamus merely shook his head. The irish Wizard had caught on that Harry was repulsed by touch, it wasn't that hard to see.

"Harry mate, do you want us to leave?" Dean asked gently.

"No, sorry guys," he whispered and grabbed what looked like to be a cloak and darted from the room. Harry felt the tears on his face, he ignored everybody in the Common Room and started to wander the halls of Hogwarts. He had no idea where he was going, but he knew he had to go somewhere.

He needed to be alone, somewhere safe, somewhere where he felt alright. He fled to the Room of Requirments on the Fifth Floor, he walked in front of the wall three times and when he opened the suddenly appeared door, it was exactly what he needed. A cold, dungeon-esque, small room. No windows. Small candle-light, one couch facing and unlit mantle-place.

Harry went to go sit on the couch, he sunk into it. He had seized crying by now, he was feeling dull again. He spaced out. He didn't even hear the door open and close shut once again.

Ten minutes went by before Draco finally made himself known, he coughed gently. Harry didn't turn to look at him, but he tensed. "Who is it?" he asked dully.

"What are you doing, Pothead? Moaning to yourself because everybody else is tired of listening to you?" Draco snapped, though his words - as usual lately - didn't quite meet his eyes.

Harry was standing now, approaching his classmate with meaning. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You gotta problem or something? You gotta an itch to scratch with Daddy? Well guess what, Malfoy, nobody gives a fuck about you either!"

Draco shrugged, he seemed unhurt by these words but in truth they bit down deep inside of him. He took several breaths and allowed his eyes to rake over Harry, the Glamour charm was wearing off and small bruises were appearing around his eyes, neck, and revealed arms. Sadness filled the blonde, and he couldn't quite understand why. He related it all back to that conversation he had overhead; had he and Potter really gone through a lot of the same stuff? At that moment, it seemed very likely.

"I would like to stop this bickering, moreorless, in private at least," Draco said slowly. Harry looked at him incredulously.

"What the hell for?" he snapped.

"I am truly sick of it. Has it not grown old yet for you?" he asked, eyebrow raised and arms crossed with superiority.

"It has but then why the hell do you have to be such an arsehole in public?" Harry cursed, of course he could continue on ignoring the blonde's taunts but it was really starting to get on everybody's nerves.

"Things are happening in this War that you cannot understand. I need to keep up an appearance," Draco tried to explain whilst evading the full reason. Harry took a moment to think about this and his face was dull once more, no emotion again. 'How can he change so quickly? I guess he is a lot like me if his moods are anything to go by...'

"So do I but lately..."

"Lately it has not been going so well," Draco drawled, finishing off his sentence for him. Harry nodded solemnly, his eyes were sunken now and his shoulders sagged. Draco thought he had never seen a sadder sight, except of course when he would look in the mirror and reveal what he was truly feeling. "You need to understand that this War is bigger than you, and that my mask cannot fall," the blonde immediately regretted those words. He had admitted it was a mask. And admitted it to Harry Potter, nonetheless. He was standing open-mouthed at his own stupidity.

"I always knew you were a fake," Harry whispered unmoving.

Draco unexpectedly exploded, 'A Fake?! How dare he!' "How dare you!" he decided to say that curse out loud, he suddenly drew his wand and forced it onto Harry's hard abdomen, the brunette flinched in pain and then his emerald eyes met Draco's grey ones, there was fear underneath the secrecy. "You think you are so great, right? Famous Harry Potter! Killed off the Dark Lord, now gets all the praise and glory but STILL gets all the attention because he mopes around the castle! Well sod off and fuck you, you righteous prick! You are not better than everybody - you are hardly better than that filthy Muggle Mother you came from!" and with that Draco turned on his heel and began out the door and down the Fifth Floor corridor.

Harry burst into sudden action with anger, he rushed forward after Malfoy with his magic flaring up around him. This stopped the Slytherin before the other one even spoke a word, he felt the energy shift in the air. "I can see right through your little mask, Malfoy! I know you're just a scared coward like the rest of those damned snakes! You belong in the same place as your master!" he yelled, Draco turned right back around and stalked over to Harry, his wand still in hand but he dared not use it. 'That magical energy...it is so strong...' he mused, eyes widening.

"I am not afraid. Malfoy's do not fear," Draco stated, grinding his teeth.

Harry smirked at this, whenever Malfoy recited one of his family's tantra's this meant that he was becoming extermely infuriated. He had learned that over the years. "Yes you are. You're afraid that you're nothing but a name. A filthy, name that only means wrong to the Wizarding World. Malfoy. You do know that stands for 'Bad Faith', right?" Harry teased, feeling as though he had the upper-hand of the entire situation.

"I know you are afraid too, Potter. Afraid that..."

"You know nothing about my fears," Harry cut him off coldly, his energy was calming down now but it was still rather evident. Especially since Draco was so close up now, examining every feature of the boys slowly more bruising face. 'Why are those bruises still there? It has been a week...what happened?' he asked himself distractedly.

"I have a wager," Draco propsed suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing, what the hell was he on about?

"You think you know me, fine. I think I know you, lets put it to the test. You have one week to figure out what my greatest fear is, and I have one week to figure out what yours is. Deal?" Draco pocketed his wand and held out his right hand, it was steady in the air between the boys as Harry stared at it open-mouthed.

When the brunette closed his mouth, he grasped the hand and felt a different kind of warmth shoot through his body. Suddenly, his magical energy was completely calmed back to a normal, controlled state. "What happens when you lose?"

"Whomever loses must owe the other one favour, whatever it is," Draco said, his eyes were changing colour Harry noticed, they were turning into silver wisps instead of a grey slate.

"Malfoy..." Harry warned, that didn't sound like a good wager. "Fine, as long as it's not life-threatning,"

"No, promise," he said with a nod. Harry decided to believe him, for the last time he promised anything he had kept it. "And if we both lose we...well...I have a ridiculous idea," Draco was nervous at this point. He was thinking of a spell he had researched over the summer that he found rather intriguing, one that would make two peoples minds switch so that they were in the others body. It seemed to fit the situation, because then they would both know what it was like to be the other - wasn't this what it was all about?

"Is it as ridiculous as us talking to each other for more than five minutes without killing the other?" Harry mused, he had a strange amused grin on his face that Draco decided he liked, and he almost even smiled himself but held back and sneered instead.

"It is Dark Magic, but you can even cast it if you do not trust me. I have all the information on it. It is that we have to switch bodies for two weeks, so that we can know what it is like to live as the other. I think it fits the situation rather perfectly, does it not?" Draco was rather curious to the reaction he would receive, and he was surprised when Harry's grin grew wider.

"I don't trust that fully, but I'm crazy enough to agree to it. For now. I might have to change my mind, so no Wizard's Oaths on this," Harry said, gesturing between them. Draco nodded in agreement, that would be all too silly. "So, I've just gotta figure out your greatest fear? I think I've got that one in the bag alerady!" he grinned, already having fun with this. It was the first time he was feeling mildly alright since he had returned to school. Or since the Final Battle, even.

"Yeah, right," Draco scoffed and turned to leave now. "See you next Saturday, nine o'clock, same place. Do your research, Potter," and with that, he was gone.

Harry stood staring after him. 'What just happened? Was I just civil with Malfoy? Did I honestly just make that ridiculous bet? Where in the bleeding Merlin's purgatory did this all come from? Switching bodies, can you even do that?!' he questioned himself, slowly walking up to the Gryffindor Tower.

"I guess tomorrow I'll be spending all day in the library again," he grunted, curiousity taking the best of him as he wanted to research this 'Dark Magic' Draco had put upon their wager. He just hoped that his assumptions were correct about Draco Malfoy's greatest fear. Little did he know that Malfoy was just as nervous, down in the dungeons hoping to Merlin he wasn't wrong.

Harry was quite intrigued the following day by what he found in the library...

*

Oh hands, Don't fail me now!

They're the only things I have left.

Oh fingers, Don't let me down, now!

They're the only things that aren't gone...

Oh world, come crashing down, now!

Oh hands, don't fail me now

Oh let me become deaf and mute to this...

Carrying my life in a cardboard box,

Carrier bag on my back.

All Hell falls

All down around me

Oh hands, don't fail me now...