Spoon

The carriage ride to the school was surprisingly smooth. Ron had fallen partially asleep on Dean's shoulder. Dean was enjoying a game of Ping-Pong with Ron's head and the side of the carriage.

When they reached the castle, Dean kicked Ron in the shin, causing Ron to yell and instinctively kick back. Ron and Dean practically fell out of the carriage, and Neville, Dean, Seamus, Ron and Hermione walked up to the castle together with Harry walking a bit behind them. They walked through the front doors and into the Great Hall without even noticing Harry's disappearance. Shows what great friends they are, he thought huffily, they don't even notice when I'm not around.

When they sat down at the Gryffindor table, Seamus was quite uncomfortable sandwiched between Hermione and Colin Creevey, which was a notoriously bad spot to be sitting in. He was right between the annoying paparazzi and the perfect prefect.

Far from view of the Gryffindor table, Harry was standing in the entrance corridor. Harry, what are you thinking? You're hungry and there's no reason for you to be waiting around for Draco. That had done it. He was calling Malfoy by his first name. He probably injected me with something on the train...

Just as he was turning around to return to his friends, a cold finger tapped his shoulder. "Potter, you looking for me again?" Harry looked as though he was about to respond, but had no chance.

***

"I know I'm irresistible, but really, it's coming to seem as though you're stalking me," Draco smirked, and purposefully rubbed Harry's shoulder with his own as he walked to join his fellow Slytherins. Draco thought to himself, almost wistfully, What is this? Fancying the enemy. I didn't think even I could stoop that low. Draco smiled in spite of himself.

Without Crabbe and Goyle flanking his sides, he hated to admit, but he was rather lonely. He shrugged mentally and walked to the Slytherin table.

***

Harry slipped into a seat next to Hermione without her even noticing. For the entire Sorting Ceremony and part of the feast, everyone had ignored him. Not that it was a bad thing. He hadn't even paid attention to Dumbledore's welcoming speech. Harry was almost glad when someone finally noticed his strange behavior. "Something is bothering you, Harry Potter. I can see it in your eyes," said Hermione over a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "Just a guy thing," he shrugged in response. "You'd be surprised how much I know about these 'guy things'." She was smiling broadly now - she loved helping, especially when she could give advice. "I'd rather not talk about it, Herm. It's kind of...complicated..."

Harry's mind was currently filled with something much more obnoxious than Hermione's constant nagging - Draco Malfoy, prat extraordinaire. It can't be right. I'm straight as a tack. Not a gay bone in me. Well, even if there is, he considered, it's not reserved for Draco Malfoy. The name rung in his head and remained there for a long time.

It was resolved that Harry Potter did not fancy the pale-skinned, light-haired, silver-eyed, tall, slender, boy who...Harry noticed some drool cascading down his chin and quickly wiped it off. Oh god.

***

As Draco looked at Harry across the hall, he looked more than a bit ruffled. Glazed, perhaps. He had only just begun to notice Harry's emotions. Given, it wasn't hard, considering Harry practically wore his emotions on a bright neon sign above his head. Draco took in everyone one of Harry's features - his dark, untidy hair; his emerald green eyes, which always seemed to blaze with determination; his dorky eyewear, his lightly tanned skin. Take that back. Potter's got himself some fancy new eyewear. Wonder how he managed that.

Blaise poked him almost affectionately on the shoulder, "Draco, dear, you're drooling on yourself," she said with an appraising look, and turned back to the other Slytherins. I bet she wonders what I, Draco Malfoy, most in control student at Hogwarts, might look like a mental patient for. He smiled at no one in particular.

***

"Students, I have one more announcement before you return to your dormitories." The hall was nearly silent, albeit a bit shift, waiting to go back to their commons. "There will be absolutely no dangerous stunts tolerated for St. Ottoman's Day. Other jokes will be dealt with however the faculty sees fit. Sleep well." He smiled, the usual twinkle in his eye.

***

On the way to the common room, Ron tapped Harry playfully in the arm and Harry nearly fell down the stairs. He'd been thinking about not only Draco, but also his St. Ottoman's day stunt.

"Oy! You OK? Nevermind. I was only going to ask about your Ottoman's Day stunt." It was common knowledge that Fred and George Weasley had always celebrated Ottoman's Day with certain flair. Them leaving Hogwarts, there was no exception. The tradition had been passed to Ron and Ginny. It was resting on their shoulders to come up with an amazing stunt.

"Uhm..." Harry responded, almost thoughtfully, "I know I'm going to do something to D...Malfoy, I just don't know what it is yet."

"Hopefully something painful."

"Ron! Nothing dangerous! You heard Dumbledore." Seeing the blank look on Ron's face, she added, "Or maybe not. Honestly! You two!" she stalked off looking rather annoyed.

"Being a prefect has already gotten to her."

***

Draco hadn't paid much attention to the swarm of new younger students who had already attached themselves to him. I am good looking, after all. It's not wonder I'm so popular.

Draco stopped abruptly and his entourage collided unceremoniously, each girl tripping into another, until one of them fell forward onto Draco. Dear lord, my punishment never ends. The girl stood up straight and just started at him.

"Why, hello gals," he smiled a smile as kindly as he could muster. The girls were paying rapt attention and didn't dare to brush off their robes for they might lose sight of him. "Let me guess, I won a prize and now I have you charming, sophisticated, open-minded, free-spirited, young lemming fan club girls following me to my room." He smirked in triumph as their faces became slowly more sullen. One of the girls, a Hufflepuff, was still smiling. She mustn't have gotten it. Really, my humor is just lost on some people.

The girls only gaped and, brushing their robes walked off to their respective houses. He walked off to the dungeons in success, but he had completely lost his train of thought. He supposed he was thinking of some super-sly Ottoman's day stunt, but he couldn't be completely sure, given his latest tendency to think of Harry at the slightest provocation. This really sucks.

Even Draco had to admit that he'd lost a lot of his witty spark since the train ride back to school. Good thing he had no one to be insulting this moment. He would have to make a list of witty comments and use them over and over until he could think of something decent. He pulled out a piece of parchment and an instant-refill quill of green ink and began to write in illegible scrawl.

1. Have you ever considered you might pike your eye out with that sharp with of yours? It would hurt - like a spoon.
2. 'Lemming fan club'
3. Dear lord. I really have lost it...

He pulled out another piece of parchment from his bag and began to write a note in his fanciful, and legible, handwriting.

Dear Harry,
It seems as though our encounters have left you quite shaken. Oh, the look on your face at tonight's feast was absolutely glorious. That aside, if you have a shred of moral decency, as you say, you'll meet me in the disused storage room on the 6th floor tonight at midnight.

D.

Why he had written the note, he wasn't sure, but he sent it with a first year that was willing to do his bidding. ('Take this to Gryffindor, kid. Harry Potter, to be exact. And don't open it, it's got an exploding charm.') It didn't actually, but it would burn itself after being a read. That was one of the nifty things he had learned with a library full of Dark Arts books around the corner from his room and Malfoy Mansion. Oh how he missed the sanity...

***

As Harry was nearly about to enter the commons through the portrait of the fat lady, a small, apparently first year, came running up to him and tapped him on the back.

"Note from Draco Malfoy addressed to Harry Potter. That must be you. You can't hide that nasty blemish." Harry's hand instinctively flew up to his scar and the tips of his ears flushed a bit. It appeared as though Draco was already teaching snide remarks to the new students.

"Uhm...thanks."

The young Slytherin sniggered and ran off towards the dungeons. Harry unrolled the note and sat on the floor, which caused the Fat Lady great angst, for she had been hanging open for what seemed a long time, to a painting of course.

Dear Harry,
It seems as though our encounters have left you quite shaken. Oh, the look on your face at tonight's feast was absolutely glorious. That aside, if you have a shred of moral decency, as you say, you'll meet me in the disused storage room on the 6th floor tonight at midnight.

D.

The note broke into flame and the ashes fell to the ground around Harry's feet. He walked dazedly into the common room and flopped onto a couch in front of the fire. His watch read 8:16. There was plenty of time before he had to meet Draco.

He was walking in the corridors from History of Magic to Double Potions with the Slytherins when he noticed a shadow moving deftly between tapestries. He couldn't make out the figure until it stepped out in front of him.

"It seems as though you're stalking me now, Draco," there was no venom in Harry's voice nor was there tense air lingering between them.
"Well, yes, I was looking for you, Harry. The way you lumber around the halls, it wasn't difficult to spot you." Draco almost smiled and Harry's cheeks flushed with color. He had no idea he was so noisy.

Draco took a swift stride forward and closed the space between them. Harry didn't move back, and before he had a chance to, Draco closed any remaining space between them and rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. He proceeded to lean in and press his lips lightly to Harry's.

Draco's lips were, not surprisingly, very cold, but as soon as Harry had warmed up to the kiss, even returned it, Draco pulled back and smirked, "Happy St. Ottoman's Day, Potter," and with that, he walked off.

Harry sighed and looked at his watch. 11:43. I'd better be off to see what Draco wants.

Harry walked off, his mind filled with possibilities of what might happen when he and Draco met in the disused closet.