Spoon

He reached the tower only minutes before midnight. Draco wasn't in sight, but it wasn't unlike him to hide in the shadows. Harry shifted his weight between legs, waiting uncomfortably in the darkness. Four minutes later, Draco was still nowhere in sight. Either he's not coming, or he's still primping.

As if on cue to prove Harry wrong yet again, Draco appeared in the doorway, but Harry hadn't been completely wrong. Draco looked stunning wearing green robes with a black shirt underneath, with the perfect amount of skin showing on his neck. He looked absolutely divine bathed in the pale moonlight and darkness.

"Ah. I see you waited. I wasn't sure you'd come. I sent that invitation to you on a whim, thinking I had something to say, but I guess I was wrong. You are dismissed." There had been so much Draco had wanted to say, but this wasn't the time - or the place. He had imagined it less... in the dark, perhaps.

"You mean to say you just needed to write a letter so you can keep me up at odd hours of the night and make me wait around while you wander around the school and make a show all dressed up for absolutely nothing?" Harry was easily annoyed, but this took the cake. He'd been so nervous about nothing. But then again, what had he expected? There was no way Draco would profess his love for Harry, unless...No. That was an entire other story.

"Sorry, Potter. I guess you'll have to get used to it. But of course, it's not like you wouldn't have been out anyway looking for trouble."

Harry's cheeks tinged pink and he shook his head, walking out of the room, trying to finesse shoving Draco into a wall hanging as he left.

***

Shows what a bright bulb Potter really is, coming to a closet in the middle of the night. For all he knew, I was coming with a whip and handcuffs. Draco actually sniggered a little at the thought of taking Harry Potter as he walked back to the dungeons. He touched his shoulder gingerly as he walked. There was a cut that was bleeding a little, but nothing he had to worry about. He'd have to remind Potter to be a little more careful next time he left a room.

***

Going in the opposite direction was Harry, wishing as hard as he could that during their next meeting, he could tell Draco what he felt. Wait. What was it that he felt? And since when had he felt that way? He still couldn't quite comprehend the quick change from hating his most cursed Hogwarts enemy to wanting to see him again. He cursed his feelings the rest of the way back to Gryffindor tower.

***

There were only a 2 more days to St. Ottoman's and Harry felt like he was always sweating. And actually, he was. Profusely at times. Just when you think puberty has finished its course, you realize, 2 years later, that you're totally wrong. He yawned and sat down in Potions, next to Ron and Hermione in the back.

"Hello class! My name is Professor Murielis. I'll be teaching Potions to you for 2 days while Professor Snape takes a much-needed vacation," she called out cheerfully, and she added in a hushed tone, "And we're going to be learning something you don't learn in your regular classes."

Many people, especially Lavender and Parvati began to chatter amongst themselves about the substitute, "I bet she'll teach us how to make love potions!" "No way! Those are illegal!"

"No, students, I'll be teaching you how to make a simple but effective truth potion. Not the advanced potion, as you may think. This one is actually the Iaceo Venenum potion, commonly referred to as the 'Lie Detector Test'. While it doesn't work for more than 2 minutes per 'application', it does prove very useful for finding out a few facts."

The cogs in Harry's head were turning - very quickly. This potion could be used to extrapolate information from Draco! But what exactly did he want to know? Boxers or briefs? Harry giggled to himself, but he could feel the answer, and see it quite vividly. Briefs.

"It isn't a complicated potion, but it will require your full attention even after it is complete, for it is a completely clear substance and you might lose sight of it." She winked, and some of the students looked at Neville, laughing under their breath.

She took plenty of time explaining the process and ingredients and told the students they could work in groups no larger than 4. It was the luckiest they could have gotten. Neville walked shyly to the table in the back. "Can I work with you guys?" He rubbed his heel into the stone floor and looked embarrassed. Everyone knew he needed Hermione's help.

Hermione instructing, Neville trying his best not to break anything, and Harry and Ron tossing paper at the Slytherins, they finished their potion well before class was over. Hermione's hand shot up. "Professor, may we test it?"

"Ah, wonderful, you're finished. Let me check it first." Professor Murielis walked briskly to the back table and smiled at the team's concoction. "This is brilliant work...?"

"Hermione."

"Ah, Hermione. And it appears no thanks to the others." She smiled broadly and looked at Harry and Ron who had just launched another few paper balls straight at Malfoy's head. "Yes, Hermione, you may test it. It will only take one tablespoon to work. If it is truly proper, the 'victim' persay will taste nothing. Just don't ask anything too personal."

Hermione nodded and turned to the rest of her team. "Alright, who wants to try it?"

Harry, having not listened to any of the conversation turned around in response just in case Hermione might yell at him. "Great, Harry! Come here." He groaned and walked over to hear. She measured out one tablespoon from their cauldron and handed it to Harry. "OK, Harry, if it's proper then you won't taste anything, but if you do taste something...just spit it out." She looked a little unsure but smiled all the same.

He shoved the spoonful into his mouth and swallowed quickly. "It doesn't taste like anything Hermione."

"Good. Now, we have two minutes. So, what's your name?"

"Harry James Potter."

"When's your birthday?"

"July 31."

"What's the weather like?"

"I'm not sure, there aren't any windows in the dungeon."

"Who does Ron have a crush on?"

"Parvati."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Malfoy."

Hermione gave him an odd look. "What did you just say?"

"Malfoy."

"That's what I thought. You worried about the Quidditch match? It's not for another week!"

"I'm not worried about Quidditch. I'm worried about..." It seemed he was aware of what he was saying and stopped.

"Harry! What are you worried about?"

He just smiled, "Two minutes are up, Mione." He sat down next to Ron. He leaned over and whispered, "Have you tried asking Hermione for help?"

"Actually, Harry, looks like Neville beat me to it again. I'll have to ask her for some help with Muggle Studies homework."

"But, uh, Ron, won't she wonder? I mean, your dad and all."

"Good point. Arithmancy, then?"

"You don't take it."

"Divination?"

"She quit."

"I'll just ask her about Herbology, then!" Ron looked a little peeved. It seemed Harry was trying to make this whole thing hard. He should just ask Hermione out and get it over with. Being blunt had always been a Weasley virtue.

Five minutes before the end of class, Harry reached into his pocket and found the necklace Lavender had given him as a belated birthday gift. It was a small glass vial on a silver chain. It probably had some meaning that only the girls could understand, so he hadn't worn it yet.

He'd forgotten to take it out of his trousers, luckily. He thought about it and as everyone left the classroom, he went to the cabinet where the potions were stored and pulled out his team's bottle. He poured about a tablespoon into the vial, corked it and walked out with only one thought. He realized he hadn't looked at Draco since he walked in the room. What if he'd devised the same plan? It seemed they would both be in for a bit of a surprise, but Harry was prepared to deliberate against the potion's effects for 2 minutes if Draco tried anything. After all, he had been taught to defend against the Unforgivable Curses.

***

As it turned out, Draco had been a bit too preoccupied to even consider using the potion to his advantage. In fact, he'd been stealing glances at Harry nearly the whole period. Thank god he's so dim. Not a Gryffindor virtue, but it really works to one's advantage. He smirked and walked to Herbology.