So who else is looking forward to "EPIC"? :D I get chills every time I see Trailer #2. :P And I have a new favorite song thanks to it: "What If This Storm Ends?" by Snow Patrol...completely obsessed. XD Wish me luck getting over it...it's so incredible... :D

Harry was having the hardest time ignoring the roar of the crowd outside as he walked through the castle. Somehow, even from this distance, it seemed to roar deafeningly, calling him to it. He had business though.

The library was expectedly empty with only Madam Pince at her desk and looking over her glasses with a raised eyebrow at Harry, who shouldn't be here: not today. He ignored her, looking for the library's other nearly-permanent resident: Theodore Nott.

Theodore's eyes rose from his book to stare at the approaching Gryffindor with a raised brow. These cold blue eyes flicked up and down Harry's body in scrutiny before a chilly voice spoke, "If you don't hurry and change, you'll be late."

He was surprised by how little effort it took to answer, "I'm not going today."

"Going?" The Slytherin's head tilted slightly to the side. "You do realize that you're supposed to be playing, right? Or has your unintelligence stooped so low as to forget this rather large and important detail?"

"I resigned." Harry replied calmly and watched the book fall out of Theodore's hands onto the floor. The taller boy didn't bother to pick it up, but his features, though he was clearly in shock, showed no signs of surprise. "Anyways, I wanted to be around you."

"You..." Theodore was on his feet. "What about the match?"

"They got someone else to play." Harry shrugged casually. "I don't remember who...anyways, since it was so last minute, I let them borrow my broom for the new Seeker."

"Your Firebolt?"

"Yeah."

"But...it's a Firebolt."

"It's just a broomstick." Harry's smile somehow matched his optimistic behavior. "So...what do you want to do today?"

Theodore simply stared at Harry, features unreadable, but his silence proved his shock all the more.

"We can do anything." Harry said, continuing to smile. "What do you want to do?"

"Who are you?" Theodore suddenly snapped, eyes narrowing. "Foolish Potter...giving up Quidditch? Never."

"Well, maybe before...but I'm free to change my mind, aren't I? I choose to be with you."

"Choose?" Theodore crossed his arms. "Free? You've been talking to someone."

"Actually," Harry grinned deviously. "You'll be shocked: I've been reading."

The Slytherin couldn't help, but laugh. "Yes, I am shocked. What have you been reading?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Harry took a step back and was pleased to see Theodore mirror a step forward. "Well? What are we doing?"

"What have you been reading?"

Harry stepped back again and Theodore kept pace. "Why don't you guess? You're smart. You can figure it out."

"Who told you what books to read?"

"Who says anyone told me?"

"Someone told you."

"You think?" Harry felt a rush of glee at using Theodore's own devices against him, but he was even more excited to see it was working. They were already five steps from where they had been before.

"You're toying with me." Theodore's voice said he wanted to be annoyed, but couldnt' find it in him to be. Regardless, his ears were back and his tail was swishing: Harry had a feeling it was a playful swish though.

"Why would I toy with you?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"It'd be rather mean to toy with someone." Harry watched Theodore's ears pin further back. "What do you want to do?"

"Who's been instructing you?"

"Oh, well, most of the same teachers you have." Harry played dumb intentionally. "Lupin teaches me Defense and Hagrid teaches Care of Magical Creatures and McGonagall..."

"You know what I mean." Theodore's tail lashed harder, but his eyes were amused.

"Do I?" Harry taunted.

"If you don't, you're a bigger idiot than I thought."

"Well, you know, they say opposites attract."

He watched Theodore's cheeks redden at the not-so-well-hidden compliment.

"You're messing with me. Stop it."

"Whatever you want." Harry cooed, hoping what he was saying was really working, though all evidence was showing that it was. "What do you want to do?"

"Answer my questions." Theodore stated sternly. "I want you to answer my questions. That's what I want to do."

"Really?" Harry coaxed Theodore ever further to the edge of the library. "Let's go someplace then. The castle seems really loud, don't you think?"

"I thought it was fairly quiet, really..."

Theodore suddenly stopped and Harry had to fight the urge to let his ears fall back and reveal his disappointment as the Slytherin's eyes flicked to the doorbeams on either side of him. Finally, his cold eyes rested on Harry, who raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"What are you doing?" Theodore whispered.

"Binding." Harry shrugged, opting for honesty this time. "What of it?"

"You are binding us?" Theodore gave a hiss, ears flying back again, but the playfulness was gone. "So now you're calling the shots?"

"That's why you got angry when I called you, wasn't it?" Harry asked, all childishness dropping from his voice. "When I called you, I was calling the shots. You couldn't handle that because you're the one in control."

"Read that?"

"It's what you wanted me to do." Harry pretended not to feel affected. "After all, I'm supposed to do as you say, isn't that right?"

Theodore's anger faultered and he had to screw it back in place. "So you're submitting?"

"Isn't that right?" Harry mumbled then gave Theodore a wry smile. "You know, names can have a lot of meaning. Most names have more than one and it's up to each person's own point of view to decide what they think the meaning is. For those who own the name, they have to see it from many angles. I became rather deluded by the idea of what our name meant. I thought it meant we couldn't be bound. I thought it meant we were unbindable, that we couldn't share a bond because we weren't meant to. Our names wouldn't permit it...but I was wrong. That's just one definition, right? Someone else thought maybe it meant we were unbeatable because nothing could bind us to it, not even death, but that's just their definition, right? I'm sure you have your own definition and I got an impression of what you thought it meant. You thought, maybe, it meant you were free from normality. That it made you all the more special than those around you because your name gave you greater power. It brought you above what everyone else was capable of because you weren't bound to their weaknesses."

Theodore wasn't moving, but the anger had vanished.

"I found my own definition finally." Harry noticed Theodore's anxiety rising and he did his best not to speed up and reveal his own nervousness. "We are Boundless, right? Unbound, free...but maybe not from each other...maybe not from spells...or even from other's weaknesses...maybe we're free from the box everyone else lives in. Maybe, we're just spreading our wings and breaking free from expectations. I don't understand your life well enough to make judgments, but you're extraordinary and you want everyone to know it. I'm the other way of course. Everyone thinks I'm extraordinary and all I want is to be normal. We're not bound by those expectations, though, are we? We choose our own path. Even being together is our own path, isn't it? We're not bound to a cycle. We've broken free of it by choosing to bind together and this opens doors and windows and opportunities that everyone else misses out on...doesn't it?"

The warmth that flooded his chest seemed to rush into every limb and up into his head. He stood there, nearly rocking on his feet and dazed with exhilerating buzzes all over his skin. He hadn't noticed that he had closed his eyes until he had opened them to stare at Theodore, whose own eyes were closed and his own face written with ease and happiness.

The Slytherin's eyes opened and he stared for a long time at Harry. There wasn't any confusion or hate or anger or disgust or unease in his eyes. The negative emotions had washed away. In their place had risen awe and excitement and realization as if he was looking at Harry for the first time.

Harry felt the exact same way.

Theodore was indeed an extraordinary person. He had a chilliness about him, but it was refreshing against the heat of everyone around him like fresh clean water after days parched beneath a desert sun. His blue eyes were the coldest part of him, shooting icicles into Harry everytime they met the green of the Gryffindor's. Thick full lashes framed these pools of ice as black hair was brushed back, every strand situated perfectly even if they were falling a little into his eyes. Tall and slender, the boy had a feminine look about him, though Harry couldn't quite place where this stood out strongest. The high cheek bones or the pointed chin? The long thin fingers or the delicate frame? Maybe it was the way Theodore carried himself or the way his eyes seemed to penetrate into Harry's soul and read his thoughts. Perhaps it was the liquid cool voice, seemingly always collected and controlled, or the slightly pink lips that these words dripped from. As Harry's eyes swept over the boy in front of him, he began to realize that the most unique and clearly most feminine thing about him was the tortoishell tail and cat ears. He had a sudden desire to reach out and touch the golden-tipped ear, but somehow resisted achingly.

"That..." Harry finally breathed, feeling like he'd just enjoyed...he wasn't even sure what. Quidditch and flying on a broom and finding out he was a wizard...none of that seemed to compare to how abnormally and fantastically wonderful he felt. He felt he could sing or dance or catch a snitch or cast a Patronus. He was absolutely on top of the world! "That...I...you...we..."

"Quiet..." Theodore mumbled, closing his eyes again. "You're ruining it."

It was odd how this seemed to make Harry happier because he started laughing, even though there was nothing to laugh about. Theodore joined in and they smiled at each other, speechless. All around them, there was inpenetrable silence. It was just them, after all, in the castle, right? No one else was here. Of course, not. They were alone and this moment was perfection in and of itself.

"Come with me to the common room." Theodore's invitation was in the sweetest tone Harry had ever heard the Slytherin use. It was almost unnatural and seemed to drip poison along with its honey.

"Okay." Harry nodded rather dumbly and started to follow his particep towards the dungeons.

In his heart, he hoped the books were wrong. He hoped...no...he begged that this feeling of pure bliss and ecstacy didn't wear off. He wanted it to last forever. Looking at the rather foolish and sheepish grin on Theodore's face, Harry knew that the other was pleading for the same thing.

At least, they had finally agreed on something, Harry mused, grinning and laughing outright at his own thoughts. Though completely unaware of why Harry was laughing, Theodore joined in shyly and they exchanged another smile, both ridiculously happy and blind to reality. Who needed anyone else anyways when they had each other and just being connected could make them feel so thoughtlessly and carelessly joyful? Rules were no longer necessary. Guidelines were tossed out. Expectations burned.

They were free. They were both free.

Hope you enjoyed :D