The Cloak of Shadows

The weekend came bright and sunny. The students, who had been working with their respective professors all week, were ready for a break. Hermione sat down across from Harry at breakfast Saturday morning and smiled at him brightly.

"G'morning 'Mione," Harry said through a mouthful of bacon.

"Morning Harry. You seem awfully cheerful today."

Harry grinned. It was true, he was feeling better than he had all week. His lessons with Remus and Sirius were coming along splendidly, and he hadn't given a thought to Malfoy or the boggart in days.

"I suppose I am 'Mione. How are your lessons going?"

"Oh, they're wonderful! I've been with Madame Pomfrey all week. She's taught me the most interesting things - I expect I'll be in the library all weekend!" Harry laughed. Hermione was the only person he knew who would sound so gleeful about that prospect. "What about you? Are your lessons going well?"

"Yes, I think so. A few obstacles in the beginning, but everything's fine now."

Hermione frowned. "Obstacles? What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing important. One little setback, but that doesn't matter anymore." He smiled brightly at her, willing her to stop asking questions. Apparently, it worked. Hermione gave him a somewhat unsure smile, and went back to her breakfast.

Neville came in a few moments later and sat down next to them, greeting them with a chipper "hello!"

"Neville, what are your plans for the weekend?" Hermione asked.

Neville flushed happily. "Well, Professor Sprout and I are growing some mandrakes right now. They're just seedlings, but I thought I heard some crying yesterday. The professor wants me to keep an eye on them this weekend. She said this is a crucial stage in their development." Harry smiled at Hermione, who was also grinning. Neville looked happier than he had been in all the years Harry had known him. And to think, he was now playing an imperative role in the salvation of the wizarding world. With a sad smile, Harry thought of how proud Neville's parents would be if they knew what their son was accomplishing.

Dumbledore stood up at the head table and the three Gryffindors stopped talking. Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy were also silent at the Slytherin table. The headmaster surveyed them all and smiled, looking more like a schoolboy himself than anything. "Good morning everyone." There were murmured "good mornings" from both tables and a few of the professors. "I would like to congratulate you all on the amazing progress you've made this week. I know you all have been working very hard, and I'm sure you're ready for a break. I have planned a trip to Hogsmeade today for those of you who wish to attend."

There was a collective gasp from the six students. Hermione frowned, obviously contemplating the dangers of taking such a trip. Neville looked torn, wondering if he should leave his mandrakes for the day. Harry grinned, hoping Ron would be able to meet them there. It'll be like old times, he thought.

Dumbledore continued. "Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle, I will be most appreciative if the both of you would go today, both to have fun and to provide protection to the rest of the students." The two boys nodded vigorously. There wasn't a chance of them passing up a trip to Hogsmeade, even if they were going out of duty. "Several of your professors will be stationed at various points throughout the village, should you happen to need them for any reason. We have been tracking the death eaters, and as of now, they have come nowhere near Hogsmeade. This may be your last chance to enjoy the village before our mission begins in earnest."

The gravity of the situation hit Harry then. The past week had felt almost like camp: going to lessons in the morning, playing chess with Neville in the afternoons, and sneaking out at night. Harry felt ashamed. His lessons were not fun and games, they were preparation so that when the time came, he would be able to fight the darkest power the wizarding world had ever faced. Abashed, Harry stared at the table, his cheeks turning pink.

True to form, Dumbledore sensed what Harry was feeling. "Remember this," he said. "In times of trouble, such as these, we must not banish fun, or happiness, or joy. If we do, then we have already lost." Harry looked up at the headmaster and gave him a small, wondering smile. "Keep your spirits high, everyone. We will need them in the end." Saying this, the headmaster sat down, and the students began whispering among themselves.

Just then, Professor McGonagall stood and cleared her throat. "I will be leading the group to Hogsmeade this afternoon. Those who wish to attend, please be back here at noon. I hope to see you all here." Saying this, she resumed her seat, and breakfast was dismissed a few moments later.

Harry had no desire to spend any quality time in his room with Malfoy, so he instead followed Hermione back to the hospital wing and into her room. She flopped down on her bed, scowling at the knight in the portrait, who had made a very rude comment when he saw Harry enter behind her. She tossed Harry a chocolate frog from the bed stand and leaned back on her pillows, watching the dark-headed boy from behind her lashes.

"Care to tell me about this little setback you mentioned?" she asked finally.

"Care to tell me about you and darling Ronniekins?" he countered. Hermione gaped at him, eyes widening in terror.

"Wh- what?" she stuttered. Harry just stared at her levelly and cocked an eyebrow. "I... don't think I know what you're talking about."

"Oh really? Because I could have sworn I caught the two of you snogging in the Great Hall just a few days ago. I do hope it wasn't that forgettable." Hermione tried to speak, but only succeeded in looking more horrified. Harry couldn't keep a straight face any longer, and burst out laughing. Hermione sputtered incoherently, and Harry went to join her on the bed, taking her small hand in his own.

"Why didn't you tell me, you silly goose? Do you know how happy I am for you?" Hermione looked up at him, relief evident in her light brown eyes. She smiled tentatively, and then finally broke out in a dazzling grin.

"Well Harry, it all happened rather suddenly. I suppose when Ron and I realized we didn't know when we'd see each other again," here her smile faded and she grew more somber, "we decided not to let any more opportunities slip by. I discovered I wasn't afraid of telling him how I felt anymore, and he figured out that his feelings for me had gone beyond that of a brother. And you, you great eavesdropping prat, seem to know what happened from there."

"Ah yes, if I recall..." Harry then began making kissing faces at Hermione, who giggled and shoved him off the bed.

"What ho!" said the knight from his portrait. "Well done indeed Ms. Granger!"

"Yes Hermione," Harry said, winking at her from his position on the floor. "Very well done."

***

Promptly at noon, the six students gathered in the Great Hall to meet Professor McGonagall. Harry noticed that Malfoy looked terribly put out, as though accompanying them on a trip to Hogsmeade was last on his to-do list. The rest of the students were bright and cheerful, with the exception of Neville, who still seemed reluctant to leave his mandrakes, even though Professor Sprout had promised to keep an eye on them for the day. Even Crabbe and Goyle seemed more animated than ever at the prospect of getting out of the castle.

The walk to Hogsmeade was pleasant and warm; Harry imagined it to be summer's last great hurrah before the chill of autumn set in. Once inside the village, McGonagall left them, saying she would meet them at The Three Broomsticks at exactly 6:00. Harry and Hermione grinned at one another, thinking of all the mischief they could get into, not to mention all the money they could spend, in those hours. Unfortunately, McGonagall had warned them all to stay together, in case something happened, so they were stuck with Malfoy for the rest of the day.

As they entered the town square, Harry was relieved to see that Hogsmeade was still operating much in the same fashion it always had. There were certainly fewer people milling about, but business was by no means slow, and it did Harry's heart good to see so many wizards going about their daily lives as though not much had changed. As he was thinking this, he heard a familiar voice yelling from across the street. "Oi! Over here Harry! Hermione!"

"Ron?" Harry said, incredulous. The redhead ran over to them, giving them a wide smile.

"All right there Harry? I reckon Dumbledore figured we all needed a break. I was going completely bonkers at the Burrow all by myself. Hedwig sends her love by the way. You may want to pick up some more owl treats for her though. She goes through those things bloody fast." Harry grinned at him, loving the fact that his best friend never changed. He then gave Hermione a sly look, causing the girl to blush a becoming shade of red. Ron smiled at her, his own cheeks growing a bit pink.

"Too afraid to kiss your girlfriend in front of an audience, Weasley?" taunted Malfoy. It was the first time Harry had heard him speak in days. "Afraid you might be inadequate?" Ron glared at him, and then looked fixedly at Hermione, as though apologizing for what he was about to do. Taking a deep breath, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips for a solid thirty seconds before breaking away and giving Malfoy a triumphant look. Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle all looked stunned, while Harry merely beamed at them both. Malfoy gave Ron a look that was almost... approving? Harry shook his head, and when he glanced back, the look was gone, replaced my Malfoy's typical smirk.

Hermione gave Ron a reproachful look that didn't quite reach her sparkling eyes, and set off for the center of town, the rest of the group trailing behind her. Neville sidled up beside Harry and said in a low voice, "Heya Harry, I just wanted to say, about the other day... I hope it wasn't too odd, my playing chess with Malfoy. It's just that, well, he asked me to, and I was sort of afraid to say no." Harry smiled down at the shorter boy.

"Odd, Neville? Oh no. Professor Sprout eloping with a rabid Hippogriff would be odd. You playing chess with Draco Malfoy, The Boy Who Lived To Make Our Lives Miserable, is perfectly normal. Perhaps when we get back to the castle, we can all hold hands and frolic in the-" Harry was cut off abruptly by a shrill scream. He felt himself thrown to the ground, and a large weight fell on top of him. He found it difficult to breathe, and thought for a moment he was dying. So this is what it's like, he thought. Not very romantic, having all the life squeezed out of me by what seems to be a small elephant. Suddenly, the weight was lifted from Harry's chest, and he looked around.

The enormous weight had apparently been Crabbe, who had thrown himself on top of Harry and was now reaching out a hand to help him up. Looking over a few feet, Harry found Malfoy in a similar situation with Goyle. Malfoy looked none-too-pleased about what had transpired.

"Get off of me, you giant oaf!" he yelled, attempting to shove the much larger boy away from him. "I thought you were supposed to be saving my life? You can't bloody well do that if you suffocate me to death!"

The corner of Harry's mouth twitched. He had thought much the same thing, but wouldn't dare say it. He glanced up at Crabbe, who was still holding out a hand to him. He grabbed it and pulled himself up. "Er... thanks Crabbe," he said, stunned that the boy would be so willing to protect him.

"Vince," the other boy muttered, practically to himself. Harry was shocked again.

"Um, right... Vince. Thanks." The boy nodded and walked over to help Goyle, who was still struggling to disentangle himself from a cursing Malfoy.

Harry glanced over at Hermione, Ron, and Neville. "What happened?" he asked, noticing that Ron was trying his best not to laugh. "Where did the scream come from?"

Ron burst out in laughter and had to grab Hermione's arm to keep from toppling over. "A little girl," he said, in between gales of laughter. "Her brother was chasing her around, shooting sparks at her from his wand. The look on your face when Crabbe tackled you..." Saying this, Ron dissolved into another fit of laughter. Hermione looked as though her attempt at a solemn face was also crumbling.

"He was only doing his job," Harry said, somewhat defensively. Though he had to admit, it probably had made a pretty funny picture. "There could have been some danger..." he finished weakly, giving Crabbe - Vince - a sympathetic look. The students all shared a much-needed laugh, save for Malfoy, who trudged across the street, heading for one of the newer, more expensive clothing stores in the village.

"Draco, wait!" called Crabbe.

"Bugger off," Malfoy said, without looking back. Crabbe and Goyle immediately started after him, then hesitated, giving Harry an unsure look.

"Go on," Harry said, gesturing them away. "We'll be fine." Crabbe looked uncertain, but Goyle pulled him away, and the two of them hurried off after the rapidly retreating Malfoy. Harry sighed, glad to be rid of them despite the fact they all seemed to be getting along. "Well then," he said cheerily. "Where should we go?"

***

Harry wondered down a Hogsmeade side street, looking for a place to buy Hedwig some owl treats. He had left Ron and Hermione standing outside Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, the joke shop owned and operated by Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George. The shop had been closed when the Weasley family went into hiding, and Ron had seemed quite depressed looking at the boarded up windows and peeling paint. Sensing he needed some time alone with Hermione, who had been looking at the store with the same pained expression on her face, Harry muttered something about scrolls of parchment, and dragged Neville off with him to find it.

Neville, however, had been distracted by the singing siren plants at the Hogsmeade nursery, and Harry left him there to go in search of the owl treats. It was nearing 5:00, and his day in Hogsmeade was coming to a close. He sighed, wishing 6:00 would never come, so he wouldn't have to go back to the castle, and he would never have to face Voldemort again. Lost in these thoughts, he didn't notice a flash of silver headed directly toward him. It was only when he looked up after being knocked to the ground - again! - that he realized it was a person who had run into him.

And that person was none other than Draco Malfoy.

"What in the name of Merlin are you trying to do Malfoy? Do you want to-" Harry was abruptly cut off as Malfoy placed a slim, aristocratic hand over his mouth, effectively silencing him. His green eyes widened in shock, and he doubted he would have been able to speak anyway. Malfoy slowly took his hand away, after being sure Harry wouldn't say a word, and helped the boy to his feet. Harry opened his mouth the slightest bit, and Malfoy looked at him imploringly. His silver-blonde hair was a disheveled mess, and his eyes, now the color of a storm-tossed ocean, pleaded with Harry to keep quiet.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, not knowing what to do. What was Malfoy playing at, plowing into him and then acting all secretive. He grabbed the other boy's hand and pulled him back further into the alley, where he was sure they wouldn't be heard. "Malfoy, what is going on?" he hissed, leaning in close to whisper in the blonde's ear.

"It's my... my father," Malfoy said, looking for all the world as though he might pass out.

"Lucius!" Harry gasped. "He's here?"

Malfoy nodded, still shaken. "And a few other death eaters. I'm not sure how many."

"Why did you come to me?"

"I... you were the first person I saw. I didn't know what else to do." Harry nodded, accepting this.

"What about Crabbe and Goyle? Aren't they supposed to be protecting you?"

Malfoy had the decorum to look sheepish. "I ditched them in the clothing store. I wanted to go out exploring on my own. You have no idea what it's like to have people following you everywhere you go." Harry raised an eyebrow at this. If only Malfoy knew. "Anyway, I snuck out the back of the store and into the alley. I heard a familiar voice - my father's. I heard him speaking to some others, talking about a plan. I couldn't get close enough to hear what it was though. And now, I think they're headed this way. Harry, if they find you here, they will kill you."

Harry didn't register the last half of the sentence; he was still reacting to hearing Malfoy call him "Harry" for the first time. There was a roaring in his ears, and he felt slightly lightheaded.

"Potter? Potter did you hear me? Have you gone mental you dimwitted sod?" The spell was broken. The roaring in Harry's ears stopped, and he was able to focus on Malfoy's face again. He was, of course, scowling.

"Since when do you care if I live or die?" he asked, and the scowl changed to a look of something else for a brief moment before coming back full force.

"Merlin, Potter, are you always this selfish?" Harry didn't know what to say to that. "This isn't necessarily all about you, you know. But, facts are facts. You've faced Voldemort and lived more times than anyone else ever has. That means you have the most likely chance of defeating him again. Which is why we have to stop you from being daft enough to get yourself killed. Understand?" Harry nodded, feeling foolish. He should have known better than to think Malfoy would care one way or another if he died. Malfoy opened his mouth to say something else, when a familiar voice made the both of them freeze where they were standing. It was Lucius Malfoy.

His voice was muffled and still quite a distance off, but it was unmistakable just the same. Harry pulled Malfoy around the corner, but it was a dead end. There was a small alcove cut into the brick wall, and Harry pulled Malfoy into it, pressing the other boy to the wall so that he was effectively hidden.

"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed.

"Hiding you," Harry whispered.

"You dolt! It isn't me who needs to be hidden, it's you." Saying this, he grabbed Harry's arms and flipped him around, so that Harry now had his back pressed into the alcove. Malfoy was pushed up against him, but the space they were occupying wasn't quite large enough for both of them to stand comfortably. Harry was finally forced to put his arms around Malfoy, pulling him as close as was possible. The sound of voices came closer, and Malfoy went rigid against Harry, pushing his face into Harry's shoulder.

Harry, not knowing how to respond to this version of Malfoy, whispered soothingly in his ear. After living with the Dursley's for all those years, Harry knew what it was like to grow up afraid of your caregiver. He also knew what it was like to crave love from those around you. "Shh," he said, moving his hand up and down Malfoy's back. "It's okay. We'll be fine. He won't find us unless he comes into the alley. He'll probably just pass right by. Hey... it's going to be okay, Draco."

The blonde pulled away from Harry suddenly, looking deeply into the forest-colored eyes. "Say it again," he whispered.

"What?" Harry said, confused.

"My name. Say it again." He spoke urgently, as though his very existence hinged on Harry saying his name one more time.

"I... I said, 'it's going to be okay, Draco.'" Something seemed to snap in the other boy, and relief flooded his grey eyes. He bent forward, pressing his forehead against Harry's.

"Again."

"Draco," Harry breathed, relishing the feel of the name on his tongue. For reasons Harry could not at that moment begin to comprehend, saying Draco's name felt so incredibly right, as though he had always been meant to say it like that. Harry started as he felt something wet slide down his collarbone. He pulled away and looked up, and saw something he couldn't believe - Draco Malfoy was crying. The blonde boy had his eyes shut tight, but one tear had managed to fall, and was now tracing a path down Harry's chest. Harry grabbed Malfoy's clenched hand and brought it up to his neck, forcing him to follow the path of the tear. Draco took a shuddering breath and tentatively opened his eyes.

"It's okay, Draco. It's okay to be sad. You can't help what your father does. You're not him. You don't have to follow in his footsteps -"

"That's not it," Draco said, so quietly Harry almost didn't hear.

"Then what is it?"

"This," he said simply, looking Harry in the eye. Harry felt his breath hitch in his throat as Draco's lips moved closer to his own. His brain, which couldn't comprehend the magnitude of what was happening, completely shut down, and his instinctive self took over. Feeling Draco's warm breath float in and out against his own mouth, Harry shivered. He thought he might go mad if he didn't close the distance between them immediately, but a small part of his mind held on, stubbornly telling him this was stupid, this was wrong, this was something he would regret.

This was Draco Malfoy.

He told his brain to shut up.

Harry brought his lips against Draco's, softly pressing against him. Draco gasped at the same time Harry did, causing them both to open their mouths, unconsciously deepening the kiss. Harry moaned softly as Draco tugged on his bottom lip with his teeth, wondering innocently at the beauty of this shared kiss. Then Draco flicked his tongue quickly in Harry's mouth, and the kiss became anything but innocent.

Draco pressed Harry further into the wall, bringing his hands up to rest on Harry's chest. Harry broke away for a brief moment to catch his breath, and was immediately met with the dizzying sensation of Draco's lips moving softly along his neck. Draco was murmuring something against Harry's heated skin, but Harry couldn't understand what it was. Reaching for Draco's chin, Harry gently tipped his face back up and looked into the darkening grey eyes, wondering what secrets were hidden in their depths.

Harry was overcome with a sudden desire to know every inch of Draco's handsome face. He began kissing along Draco's jaw, which was clenched tightly as the boy struggled to breathe evenly. Harry nipped at his ear quickly, winning him a sharp intake of breath from the pleasantly startled Slytherin, before running his lips softly along Draco's cheekbones, up to his eyelids, and then to the tip of his nose. Harry had leaned back slightly to smile at the attractively flushed boy, and was just leaning in brush his lips again when the voice of Draco's father drew them harshly back into reality.

He was much closer than before, and it sounded as though he had turned the corner into the alley. From the sound of it, there were at least two other death eaters with him, and it seemed as though they knew Harry was is Hogsmeade. Draco tensed against him, looking at Harry with large, scared eyes. Harry stared back, not knowing what to do. He cursed himself for leaving his invisibility cloak at home, but there was nothing to be done about it now. If they could only somehow get word to a professor; Harry knew they were all over Hogsmeade today, but he had yet to see one. Some help they are, he thought.

Suddenly, Draco smiled. "I think I have a plan." Planting a soft kiss on Harry's lips and giving him a mischievous smile, he winked and said, "Come on, follow me!" Harry had no choice but to do just that.