Chapter 11 - Third Year

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Third Year

HARRY POV

I couldn't help but grin when I got out of the horseless carriage, despite the horrible weather and the Dementor on the train. As I glanced up at the towers, the windows and the huge front doors of Hogwarts, I felt a warm glow inside of me. I was home.

It was a relief to get inside and away from the rain. I could feel my stomach rumbling, so I was very much looking forward to the feast. However, McGonagall came and took Hermione and I away before we could do more than smell the incredible food.

When we finally got to go back down to the Great Hall, we had already missed the Sorting and Dumbledore was about to speak. As we walked over to the Gryffindor table and took our places beside Ron, people pointed at me and whispered behind their hands. I rolled my eyes. Had the story of me collapsing in front of the Dementor really travelled that fast?

As Dumbledore started to speak, I subtly allowed my gaze to travel along the two rows of Slytherins at the far end of the Hall. My mouth turned upwards in a grin when I saw Draco staring at me, but my grin faltered when I saw that he looked concerned.

At that moment, Ron nudged me and said, "look at Snape!" Professor Lupin, the kind Defence Against the Darks Arts teacher, was standing up at the staff table while everyone clapped, but Snape hadn't even raised his hands and there was a look of pure loathing on his face as he watched Professor Lupin. I was very familiar with that face: that was exactly how Snape looked at me.

I applauded extra loudly when Dumbledore explained that Hagrid was the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher. I yelped when something hard hit the back of my head, earning in some strange looks from the people nearest me. Looking behind my bench, I saw a small paper aeroplane lying on the floor. I picked it up and glanced around, my eyes once again falling on Draco, before I opened the piece of paper.

Astronomy Tower. 9 o'clock.

I looked up and saw that Draco was still staring at me. He raised an eyebrow, and I nodded in reply to the letter.

After the feast, Ron, Hermione and I went to congratulate Hagrid before we went up to our dormitories. Seeing my four poster bed waiting for me, my trunk at the end and Hedwig perched on my bedside table, I was tempted to go straight to bed. But I remembered Draco's note and waited patiently in the dormitory until 8:45. Then I slipped my Invisibility cloak on and ran silently through the castle to the foot of the Astronomy Tower's stairs.

"Draco?" I whispered, pulling the cloak off as I reached the top of the stairs.
"Harry?" He emerged from behind one of sofas, the same look of concern on his face. "What happened on the train?"
I sighed. "Nothing, really." He didn't look convinced. "I just fainted! No big deal."
"But why?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm fine, honestly! Professor Lupin gave me some chocolate."
"Lupin?" Draco furrowed his eyebrows. "Is that the one who needs a new set of robes?"
I snorted, and then immediately felt guilty. "Don't, Draco. Not everyone is rolling in it like you."

He held his hands up in defeat. "You're right, sorry. Speaking of money, I bet you five galleons that you can't beat me at chess," he smirked.
I rolled my eyes, but grinned. "You're on."

"You know," I continued, while he opened his chess set, "I have been practising over the summer."
"Wow, I'm so scared," he said sarcastically, and I chucked a pillow at him.
"Seriously, you won't be laughing when I beat your ass harder than the Whomping Willow."
"Ooooh, fighting talk!" He laughed. "Show me what you've got then, Scarhead."

-/\-\/-/\-\/-/\-

DRACO POV

I smirked at the look of concentration on Harry's face. He had already lost all but one of his pawns, both knights, one rook, one bishop and his queen. Practising over the summer, my ass.

"Shut up Draco..."
I held my arms up. "I didn't say anything!"
"I could feel you judging me..."
I snorted. "You made a good decision choosing Divination then."

He ignored me, moving his king directly into the path of my own king. I didn't bother correcting him, laughing evilly when my king bashed his multiple times and them dragged it off the board. He swore, and I pretended to be offended.

"How dare you use such profanities in my presence!" I laughed. "It's only a game, Potter."
"And I just lost five galleons playing it..." Harry sighed.
"You agreed to the terms, Potter. And I was so sure you were going to "beat my ass harder than the Whomping Willow"!" I pretended to be disappointed, and he just chucked another pillow at me. Totally worth it...

-/\-\/-/\-\/-/\-

The next morning, Blaise and I were walking to second lesson, Trasfiguration.

"I've hardly seen you, Draco," he said suddenly, and I raised my eyebrows.
"It's just been the summer holidays, you idiot."
"I mean before that," he said, as though it was obvious, "we hardly spent any time together at the end of last year."
"Only every lesson, every meal, every evening in the common room..." I replied sarcastically.
"Not every evening, actually. You always buggered off to the library or whatever."
"Yeah well..." I thought of Harry.

"What I'm trying to say is, we never do anything fun like we used to. Like bullying first years or pulling pranks on people. We had a whole list of things to do to Potter, why did we only do the Valentine thing and the pink hair po-" He broke off when he realised that I had stopped walking.

I was looking into the door of the Transfiguration classroom, my eyes glued to the person who I had become such good friends with over the last few months. My mouth went dry when I saw that his eyes were full of tears, and the next moment he had run out of the classroom, barging past me as he went.

"Harry-" I said croakily, starting to follow him down the corridor, but Blaise grabbed hold of my arm and dragged me into the classroom.

"Sit," he ordered, taking the seat next to mine. I sat. "Tell me what just happened." I glared at him, wiping the tears from my eyes. When did I become so soft? "Tell me, Draco."

I took a deep breath, wiping my face, and started from the beginning.

-/\-\/-/\-\/-/\-

A/N - So that happened! My heart ached writing this :( I'm so sorry it's over a month since my last update - thank you to any of you who are still reading even though I'm so terrible at updating. I've just finished my exams so I've had other stuff on my mind unfortunately... But now I've got the whole summer (well most of it) to focus on this story, and I'm determined to move it forward because I've got soooo much to write xD thanks again to anyone who's sticking with me and my boys - I really appreciate your support, and I hope you liked this chapter! :-)

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