Coveting Thy Enemy

Chapter 6: Impulse

The next month passed as any other. The Gryffindor team defeated the Hufflepuffs by a very embarrassing score of 350-100, and the Slytherins beat Ravenclaw by a similar score. It would seem that the only competition the Gryffindors would have would be against Slytherin, but that was quite normal.

Normal. Harry remembered the beginning of the school year when that was all he wanted, but now he had to admit that "normal" could be fucking boring. He had hoped that his new dueling class would alleviate some of his boredom, but so far he had failed to duel against anyone that could challenge him. He would have been happy to duel with Malfoy, whose skills closely matched his own, but he knew if that occurred he'd probably lose his house more points. A positive point scale had just started for the Gryffindors that week, and he didn't want to ruin it.

Thinking of Malfoy, Harry frowned. Even Malfoy was routine. After their little discussion in the dungeons that night a month ago, Malfoy had refilled his spot as Snape's house pet. The little "thank you" Malfoy had given him still lurked upon Harry's mind at times, but obviously it didn't bother Malfoy. He was still the mean prick he had always been.

Lost in thoughts and boredom, Harry did lazy laps around the Quidditch pitch. He had begun an evening ritual of flying laps like these a couple of weeks ago when his boredom had become apparent to him. Ron and Hermione weren't much for entertainment since they were so wrapped up in their new relationship. Harry was happy for them of course, but they had created a drama that consisted mainly of themselves and Harry was only a minor character in the play. Sometimes he wished Cho was still at Hogwart's. Cho would have been good company during these times of boredom. She could always make him laugh, even when he was in his darkest moods. Not only that, he had told Cho a lot of things, secret things, that he couldn't bring himself to tell Ron and Hermione. She would understand his feelings of alienation and the loneliness that invaded his soul.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard an aristocratic baritone behind him. He looked back to see Draco Malfoy following him on his broom. Malfoy's cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, were standing on the pitch below him with secretive looks marring their normally blank countenances.

Harry sighed and readied himself for a predictable Malfoy onslaught of verbal witticism. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

Malfoy pulled up beside him in midair and hovered along with him. "Well, Potter, I saw how lonely you looked up here and thought I'd keep you company."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Right, Malfoy. I'd enjoy the company of a twelve foot Python squeezing me to death more than yours," he said, his voice matching the other boy's sarcasm.

Malfoy let out a cackle. "Alright, Potter, let's put the niceties aside. So, I was bored. When I saw you out here, I thought that maybe we could liven things up with a little wager."

"A wager?" Harry wasn't surprised. He knew Malfoy had something up his sleeve. But, he was interested. After all, a wager with Malfoy would definitely be short of boredom.

"Yea, a race. To the lake and back"

"And if I lose?"

"You have to do my Muggle Studies homework for the rest of the year," Malfoy stated simply.

Harry was surprised. "You, a Malfoy, are taking Muggle Studies?"

"Yes. It's kind of a correspondence course. I dropped Arithmancy and I definitely wasn't going to take Divination. Anyway, I have to do double the homework because I'm behind the kids who have taken it for the last couple of years."

Harry mused a little while. He couldn't blame Malfoy for not wanting to take Divination. He wished he would have dropped Divination, but he didn't know he could. "Understandable. What do I get if I win?"

"Well, what do you want?"

Harry was surprised; he figured Malfoy would have figured this part out since the whole wager was his idea. He wracked his brain for the most embarrassing situation he could think of. Then, he got it. "Alright, Malfoy. If I win, you have to carry my Quidditch gear to and from practice and matches." He had to admit that he could be pretty evil when he wanted to be. He imagined Malfoy caring his gear during the Gryffindor-Slytherin match and suppressed a laugh.

Draco's eyes widened with astonishment. "That's-That's almost . . . diabolical, Potter. If I didn't hate you so much, I would almost admire that."

"Well?"

"Fine."

The two boys lined up at the far end of the pitch and waited for Goyle's count of "three."

"One, Two . . ."

Before Goyle could say "three," Malfoy shot in front of Harry. Harry bit his lip, not surprised at Malfoy's cheating. He didn't know of any contest Malfoy didn't cheat at. Flying at a breakneck speed behind Malfoy, he had to admire the other boy's skill on a broom. Malfoy flew naturally and gracefully, although haphazardly.

When they were nearing the lake, Harry swerved to the right of Malfoy and put on more speed. He would out fly the bastard if his life depended on it. The speed must have been enough because he overtook Malfoy and begin to circle over the lake to head back to the pitch. When he turned around, though, his smugness was replaced with shock and fear. Malfoy, now facing him, preparing for his own loop was suddenly jerked downward. Harry watched as Malfoy fell at a quick rate. A tentacle was wrapped around Malfoy's broom and was pulling him toward the lake. Malfoy's broom snapped in half by the force of the thing that had a hold on him, and he fell into the black waters of the lake.

Harry hovered above the lake looking down. The ripples where Malfoy had disappeared were now subsided and the lake looked calm and peaceful. Harry thought for less than a tenth of a second before he pulled himself standing atop his broom and dived into the cold waters.

The cold shocked his nerves at first, but his body quickly adjusted to the change of temperature. Harry looked around underwater. This felt like de-ja-vu and his mind reconjured the events of the Tri-Wizard tournament during his fourth year. This time was different though, since he didn't have any gillyweed to help him breathe underwater.

Harry's arms and legs cut through the water like a knife cutting through butter. He could only see about two feet in front of him because the lake was so dismal and dirty. Luckily he hadn't wasted much time following Malfoy's fall because his eyes soon lit upon a silvery glow beckoning to him from the left. He changed direction and came face to face with the giant squid, which held Malfoy in its grasp. Malfoy was completely conscious and his face was distorted with fear and the pain of being squeezed so hard by the creature's tentacle.

He looked around for something to attack the creature with and found a sharp stone. He grabbed it and began striking the tentacle that held Malfoy. The creature didn't even loosen his hold. Instead, another tentacle grabbed Harry around the waste and began to squeeze the little air he had left out of him. Harry dropped the stone and his mind began computing and rejecting various plans of retaliation. Finally, he lit upon a plan. But, would it work. He stretched his arm down his robe, trying to get to his wand pocket. Unfortunately, the squid's tentacle was blocking the opening. Stretching further, he yanked at the bottom of the pocket, ripping it. He caught his wand before it fell to the bottom of the lake, pointed it at the creature's forehead and thought with all of his might."

"STUPEFY!"

The squid went rigid and its tentacles released the two boys. Harry swam to Malfoy, who was dropping like a stone, and grabbed ahold of Malfoy's hand. Together, they swam to the surface. They bobbed upon the surface looking not unlike two water-slick seals. Their throats were raw from sucking in the much-needed oxygen. Harry looked over at Malfoy and said, "We better get on dry land before that thing comes to. I don't know how long the spell is going to last. Malfoy nodded in agreement, and they swam to the shore, crawled to dry land, and collapsed into heaps beside each other.

Malfoy was the first one to break the silence. "Thanks, Potter."

Harry leaned up on his elbows and gazed at the other boy. "This isn't going to become a habit is it, Malfoy? You thanking me?"

Malfoy laughed, a true laugh minus sarcasm and snobbery. "I bloody well hope not."

"Well, I guess we better get to the hospital wing. My waist feels like it's bruising and my throat is sore. I'm sure you're feeling worse.

Malfoy nodded then and they walked side by side to the castle. Before reaching the hospital wing door, though, Malfoy turned to Harry. "So, Potter, I guess I better meet you before your Quidditch practice tomorrow, eh?"

"What do you mean, Malfoy? We didn't finish the race.."

"No we didn't," Malfoy admitted, "but, I'm pretty sure you won."

Harry shook his head in confusion. Sometimes Malfoy could really astonish him. So, he simply nodded his head in agreement before he opened the hospital wing door.