The Road Home

HOLD ON TO ME

Severus recalled pretty well the day Lillian Potter died and his reaction to it. He didn't drop a tear for her, even though she was the most important person in his life, the only woman he allowed his heart to care about. No, there had been no tears. Just a quiet despair and a crack inside his heart. Lillian taught him how to love but not how to cry. She left him before that.

He felt miserable for weeks after her death. He could eat or sleep but he developed an eager taste for vodka. He drank loads of it until he passed out numbed. It was when Dumbledore reached out for him, rescuing him from his gloomy world. Dumbledore, always concerned and kind to everybody, including an ex-Death Eater lost in self-commiseration.

For years Dumbledore supported his position as the Potion's Master of Hogwarts against raged parents that didn't want their sons and daughters to take classes from a former Death Eater. Severus fought the prejudice by building a stronger shell around his being and he moved on with his life. Or at least that was what he thought.

Erin had spiced his life. Her provocative and blissful way had softened his stiff heart. He'd been annoyed by her at the beginning but soon he found himself waiting avidly for the sign of her smile or her eyes full of joy and life. To watch her being carried in unconscious after the Azkaban fiasco had terrified him. She wasn't the only one poisoned by a venomous dart but she was taking longer to recover, which was a mystery to him and Dumbledore. It was Wednesday already - three days after the incident - and she was still weak. She didn't want to talk to anyone and she refused to leave her room. This defeated woman wasn't at all like the Erin he knew and he was determined to rescue her from that self-pity shit she had put herself into.

With a combative posture of a bird of prey, he burst into her room and dragged her outside the bed. She complained but he still kept her steady in his arms.

"All right, Jones, talk."

"..."

"Oh, you're not going to say anything. Ok. Then I will. This is getting ridiculous already. If you want to play the woman part..."

"I am a woman!" she objected.

"... and lose yourself into this absurd depression you can just forget it! I know people have this total and incomprehensible idea that I would like to steal your job but I can't stand to teach the Defense against the Dark Arts to your students. They're completely in love with you and they refuse to keep studying the subject unless you're the one that teaches them. Not to mention that I can't take all by myself Potions, DADA and the Duelling Club! So you better get your ass out of this dismal, gloomy room and go back to work!"

She sighed. "It's not absurd. I have my reasons to be depressed."

"Talk to someone then. Don't just sit there the entire day watching your life pass by."

"I suppose you're right," she said, gently loosening herself from his arms and sitting down in her armchair. "But I don't feel like doing anything. Everything seems so... pointless."

"Pointless? Voldemort and his gang murdered five muggle families during the past few days. The Daily Prophet is writing nothing but apocalyptic predictions. People are finally waking up to face reality. The students are scared and most of them are thinking about going home. The owls were never so busy delivering letters all across the world. And if Voldemort isn't enough, Draco is facing some troubles as well. Did you know about the Quintaped?"

"Yes. Dumbledore told me. He said Harry accused Blaise Zabini but there wasn't any hard evidence against him except for the fact that he seems infatuated with Draco."

"Oh, so you've been speaking to Dumbledore," he said a bit jealous.

Erin made a face at him.

"Anyway, because we didn't lock Zabini in a cage, Potter seems to think he has to play the avenger and he's been trying to pick a fight with Zabini for no particularly reason."

"Oh, but he has a very strong reason," Erin stated and he shook his head disapprovingly.

"Draco and I went over this and got to the conclusion that Zabini doesn't have the ability to do something like summoning a Quintaped inside the castle. I mean, Zabini? Honestly..."

"You should never underestimate people's skills, Severus. I don't think Zabini is guilty but for different reasons. He's not a stupid boy. He's quite observer and clever."

"I didn't say he's stupid. Draco is furious about the whole thing and you're too busy with your own damn misery! I mean, since you're not available to talk, he made me his... confident... even though I let him know quite clearly just how much the situation does not please me."

Erin giggled and his hard countenance softened.

"At least you find the situation amusing," he commented.

"Have H and D been meeting these past days ever since the occurrence?"

"No. I have strictly forbidden Draco to go out and meet Potter. He doesn't like it but he's obeying so far. After all, his new room is close to mine. If he gets out I'll hear it. I'm a light sleeper. They're exchanging letters though. Draco told me this..." Snape rolled his eyes. "Potter is turning Draco into someone else altogether. That's not the same spoiled brat that I've been teaching for five years! He's so... sappy. Too sappy for my taste."

"Oh, leave them alone. They're in love. The teenage love is so sweet," said Erin.

Snape pulled a face.

"Despite the dark clouds ahead, Dumbledore's been trying to maintain the school running as normally as possible. There's a Quidditch game in three days. Slytherin versus Gryffindor. It'll be quite a game."

"Poor boys. It won't be an easy game."

"There has never been an easy game between Slytherin and Gryffindor, Jones."

"Yes, but things are a little bit complicated now. The old rivalry has something extra added to it: the love of two boys from opposite teams."

"Do you have to say that aloud?"

"Oh, please! Grow up!"

"How are you feeling?" he asked, changing the subject abruptly.

"Much better, thank you."

"It doesn't look like you're fine otherwise you would have come out of your bedroom at this point. What happened in Azkaban that disturbed you so much? I mean, I know if a battle has unexpected results it's always terrible but I thought you were ready to face it."

"Maybe I'm still feeling the effects of the poison."

"That's bullshit! The effects dissipated already. I know this for sure because I'm the best in my field and I'm the one that made the anti-poison potion."

"And the most modest, too," she said with irony. "Do you still want to hear my secret?"

"Yes, of course."

"I'm Lestrange's daughter."

Snape crumbled down on a chair. "You?"

"Yes. I know this is quite a shock. After all, my father happens to be the most famous and cruel Death Eater of all times. Voldemort loved him for it. I guess he still does since he personally went to Azkaban to pick him up! I saw them. I saw the way my father looked at me. With the same cozy hate as I remembered," she said ironically.

"This is why you sympathized with Draco in the first place," he stated.

"Yes, the difference is that my father was never a coward-rat like Lucius. He was arrested because he never abandoned his beliefs. Lucius traded sides at a glance. I'm not saying my father did the right thing, quite the contrary. He's a bastard. I was shocked when I saw him again after all these years. He was a wrack but still kept the same evil gloom in his eyes. He escaped. And when the poison dart hit me he didn't even care. He took off with his little evil brother. Did you meet them? The Lestrange Brothers, well-known as the terrors of the muggles. You see, people have this wrong idea that my mother participated in the killings but she didn't. It was Ronan all along, my father's little brother. My mother died a long time ago. Anyway, if seeing my father set loose wasn't enough, my ex-boyfriend was the one that threw me the dart!"

"I knew the Lestranges. They were creepy. Who was your ex?"

"Ethan Clamch. He used to be an Auror, the turncoat!"

"Do you love him?" he asked, his heart pumping in high-speed.

"Of course not! He's handsome but has nothing but evil in his soul."

"What was it like to grow up with Lestrange?"

"Awful. He was always demanding something. At age of five he taught me and my brother to kill small animals. I had nightmares for years." She shuddered. "When he was arrested I was sent to be raised by a distant relative. I went to Durmstrang, of course. A few days later my brother ran away. I never heard of him again. When I came home, I found a letter inside my mother's belongs that changed everything. In the letter she said I wasn't her daughter. I was his daughter, all right, but not hers. Then I went to see my father at the prison. I asked him what was that all about and he just laughed. That was how I found out that I could be James Potter's sister."

"WHAT!?" He rose up, starting to pacing back and forth in the room like mad. "This is too much for one day, Jones!"

"Calm down! I didn't believe him. I mean, he was insane. As much as the idea of being part of the Potter family appeals to me, I don't think what my father said is true. But I hoped. This was one of the reasons why I came to Hogwarts. Even if I'm not Harry's aunt for real, I feel like it. So I came to protect him."

"You're not sure then."

"No. Actually, I'm almost positive that I'm Lestrange's daughter. Unfortunately..."

"Good! Because it would be too bloody ironic that I, Severus Snape, fell in love with the prick's sister!"

Erin grinned at him. "Do you have any idea what you just said?"

"What?" he asked.

"You said you're in love with me. That's so sweet!"

His face became as red as a tomato. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did!" She stood up and walked towards him, kissing his lips softly. "Thanks. The feeling is mutual, you know?"

He stared at her, pulling her closer and deepening their kiss.

"I'm not the sticky kind of boyfriend you're probably used to."

"Oh, you're my boyfriend then. How..."

"Don't say sweet or I'll kill you."

She laughed.

"You better get back to work tomorrow, Jones. I'm warning you. This self-pity crap doesn't become you. Things are getting rough each day and we need all the bravery and courage we can get."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry," she said looking serious, and then she smiled. "Poor baby! Did the students give you a hard time?"

"Don't start," he said, rolling his eyes and trying to hide a smile.

-----------------

In the morning of the Quidditch game against Gryffindor, Draco woke up with butterflies in his stomach. He tried to eat something at breakfast but just looking at the food was making him feel ill. At the other side of the Great Hall, the same thing was happening to Harry.

During the week, they had traded many sappy letters and little notes. Harry confided in Draco about the fight he had with Ron and how gloomy he was with the situation. Draco showed Harry such a tender and understanding side of him that he felt himself being more and more in love with the blond boy. On one occasion, after Potions' class, they managed to be alone in an empty classroom but they only had time to exchange a few kisses before Snape - the kill-joy - interrupted them.

Not everything was pink and rosy between them. Harry and Draco disagreed a lot about what to do with Zabini. Everyday Harry had to hold himself - and Hermione was a great helper in that aspect - to not punch Blaise on the face. After a particularly nasty encounter between Harry and Zabini, Draco sent him a disapproving note, which was followed by another and another and another, until the little barn owl they used for delivering the notes to each other fell with a 'poof' on the floor and refused to go along with it.

The notes more or less ran like this:

'Harry, honey, STOP BEING SUCH AN ASSHOLE! LET ME HANDLE HIM ALONE!'

'Draco, sweetheart, HE STARTED!'

'Harry, pumpkin, YOU MADE HIM FALL ON THE FLOOR ON PURPOSE! I SAW THE WHOLE SCENE! I WAS THERE, REMEMBER?'

'But Drake, YOU DIDN'T SEE THE WAY HE WAS LOOKING AT ME. OR THE WAY HE WAS LOOKING AT YOU, LIKE HE OWNED YOU.'

'Potter, LEAVE ZABINI ALONE! PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT IT.'

'Malfoy, WHATEVER! IF YOU WANT HIM TO KILL YOU, I DON'T BLOODY CARE!'

After that, they started avoiding each other. Draco was seriously upset with Harry and vice-versa. Harry was starting to think that Draco indeed felt something for Zabini even though he kept denying it. And Draco thought Harry's grudge for Zabini was just another way of showing just how heroic he could be. Hermione was the one to intervene to show them just how childish they were behaving. Draco sent Harry a note - by another owl - saying he was sorry about the whole thing and that he understood how Harry felt. Harry sent him another note saying the same thing.

Draco spotted Harry at the Gryffindor table. He was looking down on his plate and moving the food from one place to another, showing that he was also distressed about the game.

As if he was feeling Draco's eyes on him, Harry looked at the Slytherin table and his green eyes came across Draco's silver-blue ones. They sighed. They still loved Quidditch but not when they had to play it against each other. Their competitive spirit wasn't just the same anymore.

Zabini caught their exchange of looks and shot Draco a murderous one. When they were in the Slytherin changing room, Draco barely heard Zabini's speech. At the end of it, Zabini cornered Draco and talked in a low voice so no one else could hear what he was saying.

"Don't screw up, Malfoy. This is a very important game so don't let your personal feelings interfere in the game."

"Do your job well then. Last time you didn't score. If it wasn't for..."

"Don't. Finish the sentence and you'll be dead by the end of the day. Just get the Snitch."

"Don't threaten me, Zabini. You're not my boss, or my father. You're nothing."

Zabini smiled evilly. "No, I'm not. For now, at least. I hope you're ready, Draco," he spoke closer to Draco's ear.

"I'm always ready. Jerk!"

"I just hope your boyfriend doesn't bewitch your senses, that's all."

"Fuck you."

After that, Draco was more than willing to win.

-------------------------

"Daydreaming already, Harry?" Seamus poked Harry's arm. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, sure."

But he wasn't. His stomach was jolting like crazy. He was barely paying attention to what the new captain of the Gryffindor team, Angelina Johnson, was saying. He bit his lower lip and Seamus - who occupied Oliver's old position as the keeper of the team - patted his shoulder in a friendly way.

"Don't worry, Harry. I know the games against Slytherin are always hard and incontestably rough but you're the best seeker ever. I'm sure you'll catch the Snitch at a glance."

"Thanks, Seamus." Harry smiled, even though his primary concern wasn't the Snitch.

"I'm sure beating Malfoy will feel as a walk in the park for you. My job, on the other hand, won't be that easy. Zabini is good as a chaser. He didn't score the last game but that doesn't mean anything. I think he'll play dirty, especially after..." Seamus stopped talking abruptly and this called Harry's attention.

"After what, Seamus?"

"Nothing. Forget what I just said." Seamus flushed slightly.

This was a mystery to Harry. He couldn't remember seeing Seamus embarrassed before.

"What happened, Seamus? What did he do?"

"Nothing, Harry. I mean, Zabini always plays dirty, after all he's a Slytherin."

"But I got the impression that that wasn't what you meant to say. I-"

"All right, folks!" Angelina interrupted them, clapping her hands. "It's time to play! Just remember to keep the coolness and don't lose patience at any circumstance." She shot a meaningful look at the Weasley twins. "Good luck to us all!"

"Good luck, Harry," Seamus said, tapping his shoulder.

"Wait, Seamus. This conversation is not over. We'll talk later."

"But, Harry, why? Why are you so interested in Zabini?" he asked full of suspicion.

"I have my reasons."

"Hey, you two!" shouted George. "Let's go!"

Seamus glanced at Harry's direction with a weird expression before mounting on his broom and flying away. As they entered the stadium under screams and hoots, Harry shuddered. The anticipation of seeing Draco in the air playing against him was killing his soul.

Finally, the Slytherin team got out of their changing room. Harry barely saw the captains of both teams shaking their hands and Madam Hooch blowing the whistle. He kept his eyes on the slender form of Draco, who was flying towards him.

When Draco stopped in front of him, they only stared at each other for a quite some time.

"Potter."

"Malfoy."

The tone of their voices was cold but their looks were warm and welcome. Harry decided to stop pretending he didn't care. After all, they were far away from anyone to hear them.

"I'm sorry for being such a jerk this week, Drake. I was jealous."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I noticed. And I think almost everybody in the goddamn school noticed, too. What were you thinking, Harry? I heard all kinds of stories. That you and he were fighting over a girl, that you were attracted to him and he dumped you..."

Harry smiled. "Well, at least no one suspected the truth. That I was insanely jealous of a sexy blond Slytherin bloke who was hunting my dreams and keeping me away from a good night of sleep for weeks."

"Don't say that." Draco bit his lower lip to prevent himself from smiling.

"Why not?"

"Because I can't kiss you having the entire school for witness. You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now, Harry."

Harry smiled. "I'm feeling the same way. We should be paying attention to the game though."

"Fuck the game." Draco got closer to him and almost touched their lips together.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked lost in a mix of arousal and precaution.

"I'm trying to provoke you. It's my new tactic. I'll make you crazy - for me, of course - and you'll be to busy looking at me to go searching for the Snitch." Draco got even closer.

Harry closed his eyes as he felt Draco's breath in his face. Draco took full advantage of this to slip his hands over Harry's chest and touch his manhood slightly. Harry let out a moan of surprise.

"Drake, are you insane? There are people watching. Not to mention that I'll fall if you keep doing this."

"All right, Potter." He backed away just a little. "Coward! You're such a girl sometimes."

"I'll show you who the girl is after the game."

Draco smiled and so did Harry.

"God, you're cute," Draco complained. "How can I keep my attention at the game like this? You're a demon, you know that? A seductive demon. You bewitched me, Harry. I came up here fully intending to win this game and now I couldn't care less! I mean, Quidditch used to mean the world to me but not anymore. Not after you. You see what you did to me? All I want right now is to finish this game once and for all just to be with you."

Harry eyes glittered when different emotions took him over.

"Let's just finish this bloody game as quickly as possible then," he said to Draco.

"All right. But don't think I'll let you win that easy. Actually, let's make a bet. If one of us gets the Snitch first, the other will have to..." Draco whispered the terms of the bet closer to Harry's ear.

Harry raised an eyebrow and just stared at him without saying anything.

"What? Scared, Potter? Come on, show me how brave you are. Say yes and let's go looking for the damn little thing."

"I don't know," Harry said.

"Come on, Potter. I can't believe you're chickening out! Besides, you always win."

"That's truth, indeed. All right, Malfoy. Let's do it!"

They shook hands. Suddenly, the game gained a whole different meaning for both of them. Thanks to Draco the game from that point on would be exciting and pleasant. Harry's eyes glanced over the field in search for the little golden ball. He never wanted to win so badly in his entire life. At the other side of the field, Draco was feeling the same exact thing.

Gryffindor was leading the game by seventy to forty. They were playing for thirty minutes already and no sign of the Golden Snitch. Harry and Draco were feeling a little frustrated. They were flying side by side, provoking each other and wanting nothing but to finish the match quickly.

But something out of the ordinary happened. Just like in the second year, a Bludger lost control of itself and came at full pelt towards Draco. He escaped only by a few inches from having his head smacked. The other Bludger came running at his direction and he avoided it again. It didn't matter what direction Draco took, the Bludgers seemed to follow him everywhere. A sense of déjà vu occurred to Harry. Only this time he doubted that was Dobby's work.

Harry saved Draco two times. The two beaters of Slytherin tried to help Draco but nothing they did seemed to make the raged Bludgers to change their directions.

"Someone tampered these Bludgers again!" Harry shouted through the air. "I'll ask for time out."

"NO!" Draco shouted back, putting himself out of the way of the Bludger.

"DON'T BE STUPID, MALFOY!" Harry yelled, irritated. "I'm starting to think you have a death wish!"

But that wasn't the case. Draco didn't want to stop the game because he'd caught a glimpse of the Golden Snitch at the end of the field. Harry saw it too but a feeling of panic started to fill his heart.

"NO, MALFOY! STOP! YOU WON'T MAKE IT!" He quickly chased Draco as fast as he could.

Draco wasn't listening. All his senses were focused on the Snitch. He stretched his hand while the other gripped firmly at the broom. His fingers were only a few inches from the little ball and the Bludgers were speeding faster after him. Finally, he clutched his hand around it and felt the little bright wings struggling for freedom. He couldn't believe himself. He'd caught the Snitch. It was one of the most remarkable feelings of his life that lasted only a few seconds.

"I got it," he muttered to himself.

It was the last thing he said. On the next moment a Bludger hit him hard on his elbow. With one hand occupied with the Snitch and his other arm injured, he lost control of the broom.

"DRACO!" he heard Harry shouted.

The other Bludger hit him again, knocking him off his broom and making him fall down to the ground. Blackness came over him and he passed out.

--------------------

In his stated of semi-consciousness, Draco heard the voice of his mother talking to a man in a very intimate form he never heard before. He heard things that made his blood run cold in his veins. One of them was the absurd idea of Sirius Black being his real father. Even if that wasn't truth, it meant that his mother was unfaithful to his father. That by itself was a great shock. But Draco was even more surprised by hearing the soft tone of his mother voice. He knew now that the person by her side was Sirius Black and that she was still in love with him. He opened one eye cautiously and saw Narcissa being held by a tall and quite handsome man. How dare he hold his mother like that? He closed his eye again when they looked at him.

"The insensitive bastard almost didn't let me come here," Narcissa said. "He said this kind of accident happens all the time in a Quidditch match. This was why I always hated this barbaric game."

"Well, he does have a point," Sirius started, adding quickly. "Not that I agree with it."

Draco clutched his hands. He didn't like the way Black was talking to his mother.

"He's strong, Sissy."

'Sissy??' Draco thought, nauseated.

"I saw him playing. He's as good as Harry, I tell you that. It was a tremendous catch. Even Harry was speechless. Not to mention angry as hell. I think they really like each other. He was so concerned with Draco. It was difficult to send him to his dorm. He didn't want to go at all," Sirius said with a big smile.

"He said it wasn't an accident. He said the Bludgers were tampered," said Narcissa. "I was thinking that maybe I should take Draco away. Hogwarts is not safe."

Draco held his breath. He couldn't even think about that possibility. He didn't want to stay away from Harry.

"Don't do that, Sissy. Draco and Harry are way too connected to each other. Actually, he'll be in more danger out in the open than here at Hogwarts."

"I don't know."

"Besides, Draco will be all right. You heard Madam Pomfrey. She said he'll be completely cured by tomorrow morning."

"You're right."

"We should go talk to Dumbledore now. He's expecting you."

Draco heard steps going further and further away until he heard no more. He opened up his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He didn't know what to think about everything he'd heard and his life became more and more complicated every minute.

If he was Sirius Black's son then all his life had been a lie. A tear ran down his cheek. He felt a light stroke on his hand but when he looked at it, he didn't see a thing. He screamed and an invisible hand covered his mouth. He struggled for freedom with all his might. The invisible person lay down on top of Draco, trying to make him shut up.

"Draco, it's me!" muttered someone.

"Who?" Draco asked, scared.

"What do you mean who? It's Harry!"

Harry took off the Invisibility cloak and appeared in front of Draco. Draco socked his arm.

"Ouch!" Harry complained, stroking his own arm right where Draco hit it.

"Are you out of your mind?" he asked tremendously upset. "You almost gave me a bloody heart attack! Why didn't you take the cloak off before touching me? For Merlin's sake!"

"I'm sorry. I forgot."

"You forgot? You know, Harry, one day you might kill me for real."

"Don't say that."

"What are you doing here? I thought they'd thrown you out."

"You were listening then. I figured. I know I wasn't supposed to be here but I couldn't stay away. I had to see you before going to bed. I went to my bedroom, put my Invisibility cloak and came back here. When I arrived, I saw Sirius and your mother talking. Then I saw you crying and I didn't resist the urge to comfort you. You heard everything, didn't you?"

"Yes. And I wasn't crying, Potter. I don't cry."

"Sure you don't."

"I mean, just because I discovered out of the blue that my father could be a mass murderer instead of a Death Eater, it doesn't mean I should care, right?"

"Sirius is not a mass murderer," Harry contested.

"Whatever. I just want to be alone."

Draco turned his head away but Harry touched his face gently.

"Sometimes it's ok to cry, you know?" Harry said. "I'm the only one here, Draco and I swear not to tell a soul. You deserve to cry after all you've been through."

Draco brought Harry closer and buried his face on his shoulder.

"Hold me, please," Draco asked Harry.

He didn't need to ask though because Harry was already holding him tightly in his arms. Harry felt Draco's body shuddering and he whispered loving words at Draco's ear while the blond wept over everything that happened so far.

"I hate my life," Draco said in a strangled voice.

"No, you don't." Harry caressed the blond hair tenderly.

Harry cupped Draco's face and kissed him on the lips. Soon, their kiss deepened, becoming more and more intense. Draco felt a delicious warmth running along his body. When Harry pulled away, he sighed extremely frustrated.

"You're not well, Draco. You need to rest," Harry explained.

"Why does this sound so familiar?" Draco frowned.

"Well, I guess it's because we seem to be injured most of the times. Do you remember when I got sick because of Celeste's amulet?"

"Yeah. But if I remember correctly, on the occasion you did to me exactly what you wanted in spite of my protests. Now it's my turn."

"You were hit by two Bludgers!"

"And you were enchanted by a dark magical amulet. I'm fine now. Madam Pomfrey cured me already."

"I don't know."

"Oh, come on, Harry. Please, help me feel numb from everything that happened so far."

"How can I resist you when you look at me like that?"

They smiled before losing themselves into another voracious kiss. Draco intertwined their fingers. The sheets slipped away and Harry pressed their arousals together. Draco moaned.

"Make love to me," Draco pleaded, biting Harry's earlobe.

"Not tonight, Drake." Harry caressed him tenderly.

"Why not?"

"Because... well, first of all, we're inside the Hospital Wing. It's too dangerous. Second, I don't care what you say; you're not fully recovered yet."

Draco's head sunk in the pillow. His mouth formed a thin line.

"All right, Potter. But you'll have to spend the night here," Draco demanded.

Harry giggled. "Of course Your Royal Highness. Your wish is my command."

Draco couldn't help but laugh. "Ouch. My ribs still hurt."

"I told you!"

"Ok, Potter. You were right. Actually, you're always right. Happy now?"

Harry nodded, laying down by Draco's side and holding him. Draco kissed his hand.

"You're adorable," he said to Harry.

"I know."

Draco giggled with delight.

"Dumbledore made an announcement at dinner. He said that all the Professors are going to stay full alert about the last incidents that happened at school. I think we'll have some peace and quiet after all," Harry said.

"Maybe. I don't think the Favored is afraid of Dumbledore though."

"Yeah, but he can't risk to get caught, right?"

"Right. I guess. Today proved that Zabini has nothing to do with the Favored."

"Why not?" Harry asked puzzled and a little bit jealous.

"Because he wouldn't jeopardize the game over me. He loves Quidditch as much as I do."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I am. Zabini is not the Favored."

"I still have my doubts. Seamus were about to say something about him today, but he didn't let me know what it was."

"You mean, Finnegan?"

"Yeah."

Draco looked thoughtful.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I think Finnegan likes Zabini."

"WHAT? NO WAY!"

"Why not, Harry?"

"Because... well... Seamus is not..."

"What? Gay?"

"Well, yeah. I think."

"You're not a good observer then. I caught him checking me out once."

"You're joking."

"No, I'm not."

"Fuck. I'll kill him!" Harry punched the mattress.

"Why? Just because he looked at me?"

"No, because he looked at you like that."

"I don't get it."

"Don't be dense, Draco. You know goddamn well what I'm talking about. I'm the only one that has the right to look at you like... like... I want to devour you."

"Oh, really? What about Ginny Weasley or that stupid Ravenclaw girl Cho Chang, or Colin Creevey or all of your goddamn fans! They all looked at you like that."

Harry reddened. "Let's change the subject, shall we."

"No way, Potter. I wish Creevey wasn't always following you around."

"He doesn't do that anymore. Not with the same frequency he used to anyway."

"WHAT? He-"

Harry muted Draco's protest with a kiss.

"Don't try to distract me, Pot-"

Harry smashed their mouths together until Draco melted in his arms.

"You were great today, despite your stupidity," Harry said against Draco's lips.

"Yeah. I caught the Snitch. I finally beat you, Potter." Draco smiled.

Harry wasn't mad at him though. Actually, he was quite dazzled by Draco's smile.

"My team is pissed with me. I think some people are suspecting about us. Especially after today. I tried to save you. Not to mention that I screamed your name when you fell. Oh, and I also accompanied Erin and Snape when they brought you here. So, basically, I screwed things up for us a big time."

"You'll fix it somehow."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not. I would do the same if it had been you instead of me."

They kept silent for a moment.

"By the way, Potter, I won our bet."

Harry remained in silence, pondering about the subject.

"You realize you'll have to pay me. After all, a bet is a bet," Draco said.

"Surely you don't want me do pay it now."

"Why not?"

"Because, Malfoy, this is not the appropriate place to do it."

"Don't be such a coward."

"I doubt you would do it if you had lost the game!" Harry objected.

"I don't care, Potter. If you don't want to do it now, fine. But you'll have to, eventually."

"All right. Just give me a little time. I need to prepare myself mentally."

Draco laughed. "I can't wait, Potter. It'll be the best day of my life and you may rest assured that I'll enjoy every minute of your striptease."