From previous chapter:

"Why do you avoid me?" Krum asked, staring intently at Harry's face.

Harry was puzzled. Since when was he avoiding the other boy? His eyebrows shot up as he replied bemused, "My dear Krum, what makes you think I've been avoiding you?"

"Viktor. Please call me Viktor," he replied, taking no offence in the blatant sarcasm. "You would leave the moment I entered the library and the last time we were here, you ran off abruptly."

Harry laughed at the misunderstandings of the Bulgarian champion and explained, "I leave because of the girls that follow you; there's not point staying in the library when I can't get my peace. As for the last time, my snake told me of the dragons, which is why I ran off to confirm that the dragons did speak in Parseltongue."

"I apologize. Would you like to join me in my rooms instead? As champion, I have a private room on the ship with a study. It is the least I can do," Viktor offered.

Harry accepted his offer, rather pleased. After all, who was was he to say no to a quiet, private place for him to relax at?

Chapter 2: The Yule Ball

For the past few months, Viktor would meet Harry at breakfast and would walk him to his classes and then leave to study in the library, where he would wait for Harry's classes to end. They spent their time relaxing by the Black Lake whenever Harry had a free period in between which assuaged much of their stress. The two was most often in Viktor's rooms which were in Harry's opinion, more of a suite than a room. There was a library, a potion lab and a study room adjacent to his bedroom. Viktor explained that Drumstrang took the Triwizard Tournament very seriously and was willing to supply their champion with whatever they required to help them win. Harry had snorted, telling him how things were no different for him as the champion of Hogwarts. Harry rather enjoyed the other boy's company. He was a man of few words and didn't disrupt him when he was reading or doing his work. He held the same interest as he had towards dark magic and could hold conversations with Harry that were longer than the total amount of conversations he had over the past four years in Hogwarts. He even allowed Parisinus free access to his rooms!

"Good morning," Harry mumbled as he got up, rubbing his eyes.

"Morning," Viktor replied.

Some days, like today, Harry would fall asleep while reading or would loose track of the time and opted to stay over rather than breaking the curfew. He had no qualms sleeping next to the other boy since the bed was large enough to fit at least four people, and they both kept to their own space. Viktor was an early bird who would always wake up at six in the morning to leave for a jog. Harry on the other hand, enjoyed lazing around on the huge, soft bed; something he hardly had the luxury to do. He would roll about in the bed, stretching and yawning before finally dragging his feet to the toilet to get ready for the day.

Today was no different and Viktor had already showered and changed by the time Harry woke up. The two of them left for the Great Hall as usual, discussing about the second task. They managed to solve the egg thanks the Parisinus. The two of them had been attempting to make sense of the unbearable screeching when Parisinus entered the room, threatening the swallow the egg whole and spit it back into the depths of the Black Lake where it belonged. Harry shut the thing, asking her to repeat what she said. She hissed of the fish-humans who she would hear from time to time while hunting. The two then stripped to their boxers, stepping into the bathtub where they submerged their heads under the water, listening to the screeches that became pleasant singing. They had already found out how to stay underwater for an hour; however neither of them had yet to figure out what was it that they would sorely miss. Harry highly doubt it would be a person since there wasn't anyone he would sorely miss. The two people who he might actually miss were Voldemort and perhaps Viktor, but he figured that they wouldn't be able to invite the Dark Lord to stay underwater in the hands of merpeople for an hour, and Viktor was a fellow champion which made it impossible.

They sat at the Slytherin table, eating their breakfast in silence as the students around them chatted. There were rumours that Viktor was helping him in exchange for sexual favours, that he a pillow biter who seduced Viktor. Harry didn't care much about them and neither did Viktor. After all, both Harry and Viktor were accustomed to the vicious rumours people often spread. Harry was the Boy-Who-Lived; and never once had people stopped talking about him. Viktor was the Bulgarian Seeker; jealous competitors and hardcore fanatics often gossiped about him.

They were about to leave for classes before Professor McGonagall stopped the both of them in their paths.

"Mr Potter, Mr Krum, a moment if you may," she said, leading the two into an empty classroom where the Veela, who's name was Fleur Deaclour as told by Viktor, and Cedric (apparently not Fedrick) Diggory.

"Now that all four champions are here, I would like to brief the four of you on the Yule ball," Professor McGonagall said.

"As you may know, the champions of the tournament are to start the dance. Hence, it will be required for all four of you to bring along a partner. Also, if you are not well versed in the art of dance, please do attend the classes that will be set up, so as to not disgrace yourselves," she continued, "Are there any questions?"

The four of them shook their heads and McGonagall left the class.

Viktor was incredibly pleased by how close he and Harry had become. The boy was not only beautiful, but he was also smart. He spoke of things far beyond his age, and was a great conversationalist. He was incredibly pleased to see that the boy trusted him, at least to a certain level since he was willing to lower his guard and sleep in the same room as him.

He was about to send Harry to his classes as usual before the two of them were stopped by Professor McGonagall who informed them about the Yule Ball. His eyes lit up the moment she told them of their need to bring a date. He grew up in a pureblood family and was taught every forms of socializing as a pureblood heir should; and that included ballroom dancing. He was rather sure, from what Harry had told him, that the younger boy had no prior experience of dancing. It was the perfect opportunity for him.

He stood outside Harry's class, waiting for Harry to finish his classes, as he came up with the perfect plan.

The two boys sat by a quaint area by the lake, right beside the Forbidden Forest. Viktor was waiting for him outside of his classroom as usual, but instead of returning to his rooms, the boy asked if they could spend some time by the lake first. Harry didn't mind as much as he previously would, perhaps due to Viktor's company. Harry threw pebbles into the lake as he watched them skid the surface, before falling into the depths with a plop, creating ripples on the calm surface. They were about to compete in the second task in three months time and they had yet to figure out what they would "sorely miss".

"Harry," Viktor said, turning his attention from the lake to the boy.

"Will you go to the dance with me?" he asked.

"Sure," Harry replied casually. Harry had being thinking of ways he could avoid having to attend the Yule Ball, especially since he had to attend with a date. He wasn't close to anyone in particular from Hogwarts and having to take someone he didn't know was going to be a chore he'd much rather skip. He could have asked Draco, but he wasn't that close to the boy either. He was merely the most tolerable person he knew from Hogwarts. Viktor's invitation was a relief in fact, since he wouldn't have to think of finding a date, or a way to escape the ball.

One problem however, was the dancing. He had no idea how to dance, having grown up in an orphanage, and did not want to learn how to dance with the other students. As much as he hated to admit it, it was far too embarrassing. He looked down to hide the blush creeping up his face to the tip of his ears, and said meekly, "I don't know how to dance though."

"Don't worry," Viktor reassured, "I will teach you."

Dance lessons were rather fun, albeit awkward. Harry wasn't used to such close contact with a person and it was very uncomfortable for him to have someone's hand on his waist. There was once when Parisinus suddenly slid in between them, in chase of a rat, causing Harry to trip and topple over. Luckily though, Viktor had caught him on time but he still ended up on the floor, rolling in laughter when Parisinus hissed angrily after losing chase of the rat, :Silly humans and their useless fancy movements! Wait till I bite off your limbs and have to learn how to slither like a snake! Only then will you learn true grace!:

There was an influx in the number of invites both Harry and Viktor were receiving for the dance as Yule came around the corner. Neither had indicated that they already had a partner, which only further encouraged others more. Harry had ordered his dress robes earlier this year when it was stated as a requirement in the book list sent to them. He tailored a dark green dress robe with silver linings that, as much as a girl as it made him sound, matched his eyes perfectly. The buttons were rubies of the brightest reds which he insisted on having, despite the clash of colours. He dressed himself up and tied his hair into a short ponytail at the nape of his neck.

Viktor was already waiting for him when he exited the bathroom, clad in a wine red robe, lined with brown fur, much like his school robes. Viktor held out a rose and bowed as Harry approached him which made Harry let out an amused snort. Harry allowed Viktor to tie the rose in a crude knot on his wrist, which transformed into an elegant bracelet with a flick of his wand.

"May I?" Viktor asked, extending a hand towards Harry.

"You may," Harry smiled, grasping Viktor's hand.

Draco Malfoy was all dressed up and ready for the ball. He wore a handsome set of emerald robes made of the finest velvets, matched with a pair of dragon hide boots-which were of course also of the highest quality. He held his head up high as he strode into the Great Hall, that had been refurnished and redecorated for night, with his fiancée, Astoria Greengrass in his arm. She wore an amethyst gown matched with a pair of diamond earrings, that Draco had gotten her for Yule, and had her drawn up in an elegant bun.

He and his fiancée would no doubt be the couple of the night and all the attention would be on them. After all, who could blame those peasants for not wanting to feast their eyes on all the riches he could afford to spend on their outfits? Little did he know however, that he was so, very, wrong.

The moment the champions walked into the room, gasps and murmurs spread throughout. Harry Potter and Viktor Krum! Draco gapped at the unexpected sight. Merlin! Who would expect the two champions to get together? They were certainly spending an awful amount of time together but Harry has always strike Draco as more of an asexual person. There simply wasn't a person who could spark a sufficient amount of interest in the boy for him to be interested.

He quickly shut his mouth when he saw Harry smirked at him, and scowled back, knowing the boy was mocking his lapse of control.

Bloody Potter, this was the second time this year he had opened his mouth like some daft retard, all thanks to that boy.

Harry absolutely enjoyed the night. The astonished gasps and wide-eyed stares as he walked in with Viktor was certainly a sight he would never forget. Especially Draco, who's mouth was wide open for any passing fly to fly right in. The dramatics only escalated as the dancing commenced. He swore he heard a heartbroken sob as the waltzed by, causing him to bury his face in Viktor's robes to stiff his laughter. They settled down for dinner after a few dances and spent the time laughing at the reactions of the public. It was the first time in his life Harry's life that he had so much fun. He felt comfortable around Viktor. Viktor made him feel a way no one had ever made him feel before.

Viktor kept fiddling with the rose in his hand as he waited for Harry to finish his preparations. His nerves were calmed though, when the boy laughed at his romantic antics. The two had surprised everyone in the hall and Viktor couldn't help but feel smug that he was the one who had the privilege to escort the boy to the ball. The boy was definitely amused by the reaction of the crowd if the vibrations sent down his body where the boy's head rested was of any indication. Dinner was wonderful, especially in the company of Harry who seemed to be in an incredibly good mood. The Harry's joyous laughter put a smile on his own, usually stoic face.

When he felt as if his day couldn't get any better, Harry had wrapped his arms around Viktor's neck after they left the hall early, tired of the crowd. What the boy said after though, brought his soaring spirits crashing down back to the ground.

"Thank you for the day, it was the best day of my life. I've never had a friend before and I'm glad to have you as one, even if it's only now that I realize what you are to me."

A/N: The chapters seem to be getting shorter and shorter. I do admit however, that it is because I'm trying to brush through the tournament and bring Voldemort back faster. D: I have been relatively free these few days, which is why I'm able to update so often but please don't expect such often updates in the future! I'll definitely try my best to update whenever I can though.

STILL LOOKING FOR BETA D8

-Lavi

2/07/13