Play The Game

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"If you think about this in detail, it becomes clear that the principals of animal rights are not necessarily applicable," Professor McGonagall droned. "Is it anti-human rights to be an Animagus?" She looked about the class for their response. "No. Nobody gets hurt. Lots of complaints are made and too many students mention the animal rights issues in their NEWTs. I don't want my class doing that. There are no animal rights issues."

She turned behind her for a stack of parchment and began handing them out. "Now, to get it out of your systems before you take your tests, I think we'll write four sides of parchment on why animal rights are not an issue. You may begin now. Pages thirty six to sixty nine in your textbooks will help you, and I have some extra volumes on the issues at the back of the classroom..."

Draco pulled the page over to him and wrote his name at the top, but he had zoned out so long before that he had hardly any idea of what was going on. He sat low in his chair, one long leg stretched out on either side of his single desk. He had been in these classrooms since he was eleven, and really felt that he had outgrown them. Draco could hardly wait to move into the tests and then freedom for a while. He glanced over to Harry. The boy was bent forward over his desk, head supported by his fist and ankles crossed. His eyes were blank.

Draco smirked slightly, tapping his wand onto his piece of parchment. Checking that McGonagall was otherwise occupied, he held his wand up and took careful aim at the page on Potter's desk before releasing the spell.

Hello, Potty

, he wrote in his flowing handwriting, glancing sidelong at Harry to see if it was working.

Harry stared off into the distance through the one small window in the Transfiguration classroom. McGonagall was talking about animal rights, one of the things Harry found the most boring on the planet.

He glanced down at the parchment he was meant to be writing on, only to see some words forming by themselves.

There was only one person in the school who called him Potty. Harry picked his quill up and dipped it into the ink pot, writing a reply slowly.

Hello, Malfoy.

Draco grinned as Harry's spidery, childish handwriting appeared under his own.

Having fun?

I'm bored beyond imagining, you?

Harry twirled his quill through his fingers as the ink disappeared, admiring some of the finer points of the spell; they could write notes without being caught as the words disappeared after a few seconds.

Nice spell you've cast here, by the way

It comes in handy,

Draco wrote modestly.

I'm just not very interested. I'll pay a nerdy firstie to do the essay for me later. I know it anyway, and why is she making us write an essay on something we specifically do NOT need?

She's going mad in her old age?

Harry smiled then ducked his head as McGonagall gave him a stern look. I'll beg Hermione to let me see hers tonight, then copy most of it

The Mudblood has some uses,

Draco wrote, generously, he thought. Except for a quick drunken grope at a party, of course.

How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling her a Mudblood?

Harry shifted position and stretched his legs out in front of him. Seamus gave him a look as if to say 'why are you so happy? We're working!' Harry shook his head.

Want to stay in my room tonight? Ron's organised a chess competition in the Common Room, and Hermione will be up to her eyeballs in homework,

He grinned. No interruptions.

Would I say no?

Draco wrote, smirking. He realised that McGonagall was looking at him and flipped open his textbook, shuffling parchment and pages.

You are still coming to Alexei's party in fifteen days, right?

Draco wrote. We can probably nick some of Blaise's clothes for you. You two are about the same size.

Wouldn't miss it for the world,

Harry replied before turning another piece of parchment over and opening his text book.

Quill in his mouth he leafed through the pages hurriedly, trying to recall the numbers McGonagall had told them.

What were the page numbers again?

36-69,

Draco wrote promptly, taking another sheet of parchment and actually starting his essay. It should be a good party. Usually they are.

Harry placed his head on his hand, seemingly reading the book and copying down some notes.

How do you know this guy?

He's the son of a family friend,

Draco wrote evasively. Alexei was a Deatheater's eldest son, a death metal fan and a brilliant host. He'll be 19, so he's arranged a party. They've hired an entire club off Horizant Lane. Draco neglected to detail the sort of things that went on at the sort of parties Alexei and his ilk threw.

How are we getting there anyway?

Harry scribbled, a thoughtful look on his face.

:

We'll probably have to take the Muggle trains,

Draco wrote, adding an 'Ugh' at the end. He read a passage on whether it was fair to humans to put them through the pain of transforming fluffy bunnies and gave up in disgust.

Harry's head slipped off his hand and he grumbled under his breath, leaning back on his chair with one hand on his knee and the other writing a reply to Draco. How much longer do we have this for?

Draco squinted at the clock. 27 mins.

This is torture, Harry wrote. Even Hermione's bored.

Harry glanced down his row at Hermione who was writing slower than usual, which was still faster than most of the class. His gaze moved to Ron who had all but given up, then Dean in the far corner who looked to be asleep, not noticing that Seamus was flicking bits of parchment at him. There has to be a way out of this.

I know several ways, Draco wrote, watching the clock as it seemed to be going backwards.

They better be good, I'm getting desperate.

Harry suddenly noticed something in his book that all but answered the question for them. Check page 41, the small writing under the picture of the deformed snake, he wrote to Draco. That'll make the homework easier.

Okay, just for that, I'll let you in on one, Draco wrote, smiling in relief as he found what Harry had pointed out and began to write it in the most roundabout, repetitive fashion he could think of. Point your wand at your mouth and say 'Evomerus'. Draco held in a snigger.

Harry wasn't sure he could trust Draco, especially the glint in his eyes. 'Sod it,' he thought and pointed his wand at his mouth. "Evomerus." He suddenly tensed and leaned forward, vomiting over the side of the desk. 'Draco I'm going to kill you.'

"Mr. Potter!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed. "I think you'd better go to the hospital wing! Mr. Malfoy, will you take him?" She waved her wand and the mess vanished.

Draco stood up and strolled over to Harry, giving him an 'I told you so' look and holding the door for him.

Harry shot a glare at Draco and held a hand over his mouth, pushing up from his desk and walking out quickly. Once outside he shuddered as Draco shut the door. "Ok, when I said desperate I didn't mean that desperate."

"Then you should have specified," Draco said reasonably. "Where do you want to go?"

"Do you think I should go to the Hospital Wing, just incase McGonagall checks?" he asked thoughtfully as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"You could just say you felt better," Draco shrugged.

"She might wonder why we didn't come back. Meh." Harry shoved his hands into his pockets. "I have vomit breath now. Ever been down to the kitchens? We can stop on the way to my room."

"Yeah, sounds good to me." Draco checked his watch. "There'd be no point in going back to the lesson after you've 'finished sicking up in the loo', 'brushed your teeth' and 'had a glass of water'."

Walking up ahead, Harry led the way to the kitchens. The school was empty, no one was walking around. Every classroom door was closed and it occurred to Harry that they could probably do anything and no one would see.

He pulled his wand out and flicked it at his mouth, effectively freshening it up. "We left our bags and books in the classroom."

"We can get them when everyone leaves the room," Draco shrugged it off.

Harry stepped around the corner and sought out the portrait of the bowl of fruit. He tickled the pear and waited for the opening to appear before stepping through.

Draco followed him doubtfully, looking around with his hands rammed firmly into his pockets.

"This is servant territory. What are we doing here?" he asked uncomfortably.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You're really snobby at times, you know." He was immediately swarmed by House Elves all rushing about, offering food in squeaky voices.

"No, thanks. I'd just like some sandwiches and whatever he wants," Harry smiled, waving an arm in Draco's direction.

"Mr Harry Potter, sir!" squeaked Dobby loudly, tugging at Harry's pant leg. "It has been so long since Dobby has last seen you, who is the new boy Mr. Harry Potter brings?"

Draco backed up against the wall, nostrils flaring and eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the servants milling around Harry.

"Draco Malfoy," Harry answered, taking some bottles of Butterbeer and some sandwiches. "Don't you remember him?"

"Dobby does remember, sir. Dobby won't speak ill of his old family. Dobby bad house elf if he tells of the things Master Malfoy got up to in his spare time." His eyes widened and he began banging his head on the wall. "Bad Dobby! Bad!"

Harry winced, and placed a hand on Dobby's shoulder. "It's ok, Draco's my friend."

Dobby nodded, slightly tearful and sporting a red forehead where he had been banging it on the wall.

Draco looked desperately at Harry as House Elves crowded around him, clamoring for a job to do. Draco took his hands out of his pockets and held them up out of the way, as one would when walking through long stinging nettles.

"Harry," he almost whimpered.

Harry turned from Dobby, to see Draco backed into a corner and looking scared. He laughed. "They won't bite, Malfoy."

He took a bite out of one of the sandwiches and winked at Dobby. "How's Winky?"

"Winky is getting better!" Dobby said brightly. "She will be good house elf. She doesn't want to get paid like Dobby though, even though she's freed."

A collective shudder went through the House Elves at the word 'paid' and many glared at Dobby. Harry grinned and patted Dobby's head, deciding that Draco had been tortured enough. "Right, well, we have to be going now. I'll see you later?"

Dobby nodded enthusiastically and shuffled off to help prepare some more food.

Draco seemed to be having trouble escaping a group of enthusiastic female Elves and held out his hands imploringly to Harry.

"Help me!"

Harry laughed, grabbing hold of Draco's hands and pulling him forward, away from the wall. He hooked an arm around Draco's waist to steady them both. "What would people say if word got out that the great Draco Malfoy is afraid of House Elves?" he teased, putting two bottles of butterbeer into his pockets and steering them toward the door.

"They're small and squeaky!" Draco protested. "And you're ruining the line of my robes with these bottles." The Malfoy boy felt upstaged and mocked, frankly, and did not like it.

Harry just laughed. "They're cute." He pushed Draco through the exit first before following and looking left and right. "And you can always buy new robes, you're rich enough."

"They're fucking irritating!" Draco snapped. "And the point is that people might see me with these huge lumps and think I've got hemorrhoids or something nasty like that."

Harry rolled his eyes and pulled a bottle out of his pocket, flipping the lid off with his wand and holding it to his lips. "That's not so bad, you know. Then everyone would avoid you, and I'd have you all to myself."

Draco shot a glare at Harry. "That wasn't the point."

"Yeah, but it's a valid one," Harry grinned.

Draco growled, taking a bottle and reaching inside his shirt for a key on a chain. He used the top of the key to pop the lid off and dropped it back inside his robes, taking a long draw at the drink.

"Oh cheer up," Harry said, gulping down a third of the bottle in one go. "Everyone's in class, and we can do anything we want for the next fifteen minutes."

"It takes longer than fifteen minutes to do what I want," Draco muttered, taking another swig. "Yeah."

Harry raised an eyebrow, dangling the bottle from his fingertips. "And just what do you want to do?"

"You weren't meant to hear that," Draco smirked, gripping the neck of the bottle and pouring the rest down his throat. "I want to go to a party" - he stepped closer - "get pissed" - closer again - "And do all sorts of things to you that aren't mentioned in polite society."

He slid his hand around the back of Harry's neck and flicked his tongue across his lips, parting them and twining his tongue with Harry's.

Harry's eyes widened, and he suddenly felt very dizzy. He twisted his hands into Draco's shirt so he didn't collapse, his legs feeling like jelly as he went weak at the knees. He let out a small "meep!" of surprise, before responding.

Draco snickered, stroking the soft skin of Harry's neck. "Fifteen days," he said. "Fifteen days and counting."

"That's too long," Harry murmured, nibbling Draco's bottom lip, his legs not feeling as useless anymore while his hands relinquished their grip and moved to Draco's waist instead.

"I don't know any other parties," Draco mumbled, his voice muffled by his lack of control of his lower lip. "And the party bit's important. Be patient, Potty."

Harry leaned back from Draco and pouted. "I guess I can wait," he admitted.

"You'd better, because I have to as well," Draco smirked, taking the other bottle of butterbeer and cracking it open. "Things always taste better if you have to wait for them, salivating," he added seductively.

Harry half-closed his eyes. "You're mean." He leaned forward and led a trail of kisses along Draco's jaw line, up to his earlobe which he began to nibble and suck.

Draco purred with pleasure, draining the entire bottle in one long draught.

"Potty, how are you still a virgin?" he asked in a throaty voice. "I'd have thought you'd have been raped by some Hooflepoofles by now."

Harry chuckled. "I'm not about to lose my virginity to some person I don't care about." He pulled back and finished his own bottle of butterbeer. "We better get to my room before anyone comes out."

Draco ran his hand along the wall, grabbing Harry's arm. He pushed a stone hard and green sparks outlined a keyhole. Draco took out his bottle-opening key and turned it in the lock. A wide door opened onto stairs spiraling up towards bright light.

"It leads to the Owlery. Much closer to your room than we are now," Draco explained, pulling Harry in and throwing his empty bottle out into the corridor.

"How many secret passages do you know?" Harry asked, amused. He dropped his bottle next to Draco's and followed him into the light.

"It seems like a lot, but only a couple," Draco smiled, turning to walk backwards so he could look at Harry and talk to him.

"I'll have to show you some of the ones us Gryffindors have found," Harry decided, moving nearer the left wall so they could walk next to each other. "There's one in the Common Room that leads straight into Honeydukes's cellar."

"Not much good to me. Never been in there and never will go in there," Draco said slightly sulkily.

"Hmm?" Harry asked, slipping an arm around Draco's waist as they walked. "How come?"

"It's your common room. Not a place for a confirmed Slytherin hell-raiser."

"Eh?" Harry blinked. "Oh, sorry, my mistake. It's near the Common Room, not in it."

"Oh, alright then. But still, I won't go in there ever," Draco sighed.

"The Common Room or Honeydukes?" Harry asked, sensing that Draco seemed upset at something and holding him closer to his side.

Draco gave Harry a flat look. "The cat's puckered sphincter. The common room you dickhead."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Not even if it was just us two?" he asked.

"But it wouldn't be, would it?"

Harry shrugged, "It would be if everyone was still in class." He pushed the trap door above their heads open and hoisted himself up onto the straw-covered floor. He looked around, noticing Hedwig who flew down almost immediately to land on his shoulder. Harry smiled and stroked her head. "Hello, Hedwig," he greeted.

"Everyone is still in class," Draco pointed out. "For another ten minutes."

"You'd actually go in?" he asked, turning to look at Draco. Hedwig hooted at this new person in the Owlery, taking Harry's attention away from her. "I'm not sure the Fat Lady would let you in."

"The what now?" Draco frowned, wrinkling his nose.

"The way into the Gryffindor common room. Hey!" Harry turned to glare at Hedwig who had nipped at his ear to get his attention again.

"Well, I can charm anything female. Yes, before you ask, that does include animals," Draco grinned. "Shall we try? I'm curious."

Harry hesitated before holding out his arm to Draco, Hedwig staring at him out of big amber eyes. She clucked her beak then swooped over to land on Draco's left shoulder.

Draco looked at the owl, stroking her downy chest and gazing into her gold eyes out of his silver ones. They simply locked eyes for a minute, Draco stroking down her chest with the back of his knuckle. Hedwig cooed happily and nibbled his hair.

"She's lovely, Potty."

Harry smiled. "Hedwig's great, she's never failed to deliver a letter yet."

Hedwig ruffled her feathers importantly before turning her head to look at Draco, looking up at him out of wide, adoring amber eyes.

"I think she likes you," Harry pointed out.

"How can she not?" Draco smiled, somehow finding an after dinner mint in his pocket and breaking off little bits for the owl.

"So, you want to try the common room?"

"Probably wouldn't make it now," Harry replied, checking his watch. "And I've become attached to my room."

Hedwig spread her wings wide and took flight, showing off for Draco as she flew around the Owlery once then landed on a perch.

"Well, let's go to your room," Draco shrugged, smiling and offering Hedwig more chocolate as she settled her feathers.

Harry grinned, Hedwig looked like she was made for Draco, her amber eyes and white feathers looking good against Draco's silvery-blonde hair and grey eyes. "Think we can make it in five minutes?"

"Yeah, sure we can," Draco said, stroking Hedwig's head with a thumb and giving her the rest of the mint before leading down out of the Owlery.

Harry followed, joining Draco on the corridor at a leisurely pace. He finished off a sandwich in his pocket and pulled another bottle out of his left pocket. "What lesson do we have next?"

"I don't know about you, but I've got herbology with the Hooflepoofles," Draco said, passing the statue of Volvicio and waiting at Harry's door.

Harry pulled the key from around his neck and unlocked the door. He stepped in and kicked his shoes of before pointing his wand at the fire and collapsing on his bed. "I think I have DADA," he said slowly. "That or Divination."

"I plan to skive," Draco announced, wandering into Harry's bathroom to make use of the facilities. "Can I stay in here?"

"Sure." Harry rolled onto his back and checked the timetable he'd pinned to his wall. "Hm, I have a free."

"Great," Draco beamed, coming out of the bathroom.

"Not really," Harry groaned. "Snape demands that I practice Occlumency with him during my free's."

"Oh," Draco said, disheartened. "I'll just poke around here. I've got flying after herbology but I don't have to go because I'm on the team."

Harry pulled a face. "I don't want to go."

"It's lunch now. Hour off lessons," Draco said soothingly, kicking off his shoes and jumping onto Harry's bed.

Harry frowned and finished off the last of his Butterbeer. "It's not fair, everyone else gets to spend a free how they want. I have to spend it learning Occlumency."

"What for?" Draco asked, recalling walking in on Harry during fifth year when he was attempting Occlumency.

"To stop Voldemort looking in on what I'm seeing," Harry replied softly, closing his eyes. "Last year, he used it against me, made me believe that Sirius was in the Department of Mysteries being tortured. So I went, and took the phrophecy, and Sirius died and -oh hell," his voice hitched and he stopped abruptly, fighting to stop himself from crying aloud at the injustice.

Draco sighed and buried his face in the hollow between Harry's neck and his shoulder.

"He's such a shit," he murmured. "So afraid of dying."

Harry didn't reply, only wrapped his arms around Draco. 'It's all my fault, all my fault,' repeated over and over in his mind. 'First Cedric and now Sirius. All my fault.'

"It wasn't your fault that Black died," Draco whispered, laying a hand on Harry's stomach. "There was nothing you could do."

"I could have actually bothered to learn Occlumency, instead of wanting to dream," Harry replied bitterly, seeing Sirius falling through the veil in his minds eye.

"There are important things..." Draco shook his head. He had tried to explain how it would help before, but no one listened to him. "Occlumency is hard. You've already got a part of it because you can resist Imperius. If you hadn't gone there, what would have happened? Black would die somehow. People are meant to pass on sometimes. You need to hate the Dark Lord with a passion so great that it actually burns in your chest like your lungs have filled with boiling water and you're drowning in it, setting your soul on fire and melting your skin away to reveal what you can really do." Draco's low voice was intense. "You have to hate him so much that the pain makes you want to die, so that you blur the boundaries between living and dying and you don't care anymore. If you learn not to care about death - if you learn how to befriend it - you won't be afraid. He is so terrified of dying that he'll do anything to avoid it. If you can be indifferent, you will win. Your parents, Diggory, Black... They were all to show you death and make you familiar with it, so that you know its name and the sound of its footsteps as it catches up with you, so you can turn and face it. No one faces death until they're too old or injured to fight it. Think about it."

Draco stood up and walked over to the window and stood with his back to Harry and arms folded.

Harry blinked, and his eyes opened slowly to look at the ceiling of his bed. "The only thing the Dark Lord is afraid of is death," he echoed. "I don't fear it, nor do I embrace it. It's just... there. Despite what people think I don't hate death, I hate that I've lost people close to me."

"Then you're wise," Draco said quietly. "I'm sorry. I've thought about it a lot, but no one ever listens to me."

Harry pushed himself up off the bed and strode across the room to Draco, encircling his waist from behind. "Everyone's entitled to their opinion," he replied, resting his chin on Draco's shoulder. "Just some people don't like hearing what they don't believe in."

Draco grunted his assent, weariness sweeping over him.

"I should just go," he mumbled. "I'm in a bad mood now. I shouldn't have troubled you with it."

Harry closed his eyes and took his arms from around Draco's waist. "If you want to go then go, I won't get in the way," he replied quietly.

"I don't want to go," Draco whispered hoarsely, walking over and throwing himself face down onto the sofa.

Harry pulled his jumper off and undid his tie, unbuttoning the top button before walking over to Draco and leaning on the arm of the sofa nearest his feet. "Then stay," he smiled.

"Mmph," Draco said, his voice muffled by the pillows.

Harry wriggled onto the sofa behind Draco, and placed an arm around the boy's waist. "Sleep?" he asked.

"Sleep," Draco mumbled.

Harry closed his eyes, running a hand through Draco's hair. "Sleep," he confirmed.

Draco turned on his side, nestling against Harry. "I don't sleep," he muttered.

"Insomniac?" Harry asked, barely restraining a yawn.

"Yeah," Draco mumbled.

Harry ran his hand in circles on Draco's back. "I'm sorry," he apologised, yawning again.

"Not really your fault," Draco replied, fitting his head under Harry's chin like a small child.

"Yeah, but I feel bad for sleeping now."

"Well, actually it is partly your fault, but that sounds mean, so I won't mention it. If you sleep then at least one of us does."

Draco could tell by the regular rise and fall of Harry's chest that he was asleep. Somehow, Draco didn't hate him for it as he hated others. The only reason Draco was known as the Slytherin Party Animal was because he could stay awake all through the night and still be functioning the next day. No one but Blaise, and now Harry, knew that this was because he wouldn't have been asleep even if he was in bed.

Draco supposed that it was probably incredible - superhuman, in a way - that he could live on about an hour's disrupted, broken sleep a night. He spent ages on his homework because he had nothing better to do, trained for Quidditch at all times of the day and night because it made his body weary, and then at least he stood half a chance of sleeping.

Draco sighed, looking up at Harry's peacefully sleeping face.

"I'd take the burden of those dreams, Harry," he whispered. "They'd be no worse than my own."

***

Harry awoke to the continual sound of rain hitting the windows. He rolled over, and promptly managed to fall off the sofa with a thud, jarring his elbow. "Ow, Dammit," he cursed, pushing himself up into a sitting position. 'Where's Draco?'

He glanced around, trying to spot the blonde haired Malfoy. He walked over to the bathroom and knocked twice, "Malfoy, you in there?" he asked quietly, only to find the bathroom empty. He continued to look around, the feeling of dread in his stomach increasing with every step he took. Finally, he collapsed on the bed, arms and legs spread out wide. 'He left me.'

There was a soft knock at the door and Draco came in, his and Harry's bags slung over his shoulders and a plate of sandwiches in his hands. His robes were pulled 'out of line' by four butterbeers in his pockets.

"Lunch," he mumbled, putting the plate on the end of the bed and unloading the bottles. He dropped the bags onto the floor and climbed up beside Harry.

"You scared me," Harry whispered, sitting up and hugging himself. The fire had long since burned out, and the rain was making him feel cold.

Draco looked blank. "Oh right, yeah. Well, sorry. I wanted to get our stuff..."

"Just, leave a note or something next time?" Harry asked, reaching a hand into Draco's pocket to pull out a bottle.

"You were asleep," Draco pointed out, pushing the sandwiches towards Harry. "I thought you might be hungry."

"Thanks," Harry smiled, opening the bottle and drinking half the bottle before picking up a sandwich. "How long was I out?"

"Only half an hour," Draco answered. "Give or take five minutes."

"So I haven't missed Occlumency." Harry took a bite of the sandwich before apologising, "Sorry, you were probably bored..."

"Not really," Draco shrugged, staring moodily down at his hands, which were plucking at the bedcovers.

Finishing the sandwich, Harry glanced over at Draco and reached out a hand to brush some of the blonde hair out of his face. "Are you ok?"

"Yes," Draco answered shortly, avoiding Harry's eyes.

Harry frowned and crawled over to Draco, tugging at the tie the other boy was still wearing. "You're lying," he accused.

"No one's perfect," Draco answered in a monotone.

Harry's frown deepened and he crossed his legs, looking at Draco imploringly. "What's wrong?"

"See, most people would say they were tired as an excuse," Draco continued tonelessly. "I really am. It hits me sometimes."

Harry put his hands on Draco's cheeks, cradling his face. "Why don't you ask Snape for a potion?" he asked softly, eyes filled with concern.

"Because then it would be someone else's problem," Draco droned. "It's my problem and sometimes it helps me out."

Harry leaned in and brushed his lips across Draco's lightly. "You do know I'd do almost anything for you, right?"

"Yeah," Draco said with a faint smile.

"Then tell me how I can help," Harry replied, leaning his forehead against Draco's.

"You can't," Draco said stiffly.

Harry smiled sadly. "I know, but sometimes the thought that someone would say they wanted to help me even if they couldn't helps me."

"I said I wanted to help you and I can, but you don't want to be helped," Draco mumbled, only then realising that he was doing exactly the same thing.

Harry closed his eyes for a second. "All you have to do is ask."

"I don't want to ask," Draco said sulkily.

"Then tell me."

"Alright. I'm a complete insomniac. Since I was about five years old I've only ever had an hour or two's sleep a night. I'm plagued by nightmares some nights and some I just wake up randomly. I learnt how to live with it, but it makes me pretty disagreeable. I picked up some bad habits - I smoked for a while, still get pissed fairly often, try to wear myself out any way I can." He looked up briefly and gave Harry a meaningful glance. "If you know what I mean. I get good marks because I work until I pass out, because it's the only way I get any peace. By all accounts, I should be scrawny, but I spend ages working out and playing Quidditch so I'm tired. I think about things for so long that the ideas become warped - twisted - too intense. I get jealous because I dwell on things so long that I start to covet them and cling to them desperately because they help me pass the lonely hours..."

Draco trailed off, lowering his eyes.

Harry was quiet as he studied Draco's face intently, stroking one cheek with his thumb. "I feel so bad for you, I'd try and stay up to keep you company, but once I'm tired I zone out. I don't know what I can do, really," he apologised, looking at the bed.

"I told you, you couldn't help," Draco said faintly.

"Draco..." Harry looked up at him through long lashes. "I could... get Snape to make me a potion... find a spell to keep me awake..."

"I don't want you to be awake as well, you idiot," Draco snapped, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling. "What good would that do anyone?"

"I could keep you company, so you wouldn't be alone." Harry dropped his hands to either side of his legs, bracing his weight on them.

Draco dropped his chin to his chest, looking up at Harry coyly

"Those potions have side effects. You'd know that if you were any good at potions."

"So?" Harry asked. "If you were happy I wouldn't mind."

Draco looked at Harry for a moment and roared with laughter. He shifted closer to Harry until he was straddling his legs. He bent his head and whispered, "As well as awakening your mind, they awaken something else." As he said it, he pressed his hand against Harry's groin.

Harry made a strangled noise somewhere in the back of his throat, flushing bright red. Maybe paying attention in Potions was actually a good thing.

"You'd certainly be able to keep me company. We could have late night... study sessions."

There was that annoying strangled noise in his throat again. Harry nodded his head slowly, unable to do much else. "Mhmm."

Draco did not remove his hand from Harry's groin. "Don't you wish you hadn't suggested it?" he asked, shifting his position and, rather deliberately, leaning on his hand.

Harry let out a growl and pulled his hands up, placing them on Draco's shoulders and pushing him back onto the bed. He leaned over him, putting a hand on either side of Draco's head, one leg between Draco's. He moved so fast, Draco didn't have much time to react. "Oh, I don't know about that."

"Good. We can study it if you're not sure."

Harry glared at Draco, trying to ignore the fact he was lay on top of the Slytherin.

Draco was clearly not in the mood for ignoring that fact. One hand slid up the hot velvet skin of Harry's stomach and the other hooked its fingers into the waistband of Harry's trousers.

Harry closed his eyes and he let out a low throaty moan, unconsciously moving closer to Draco.

Draco froze as he heard a knock at the door. He pushed Harry off him and rolled right off the side of the bed, tucking himself beneath it.

Harry opened his eyes and toppled over the bed, nearly landing on Draco. He stood up hurriedly. "H-Hello?"

"Harry, it's us!" It was Ron's voice.

"Oh shit," Harry murmured, re-arranging his shirt and pants, glad the bed was separating him and Draco from Ron and Hermione at the door. "Oh, come in."

Ron and Hermione walked in, smiling nervously.

"You said we could come and have a poke around the room today," Ron reminded him.

"I did?" Harry asked, conscious of the fact Draco was lay on the floor next to him.

"Yeah..." Ron looked at Hermione for support and she nodded.

Draco, lying on the floor, reached a hand out and gripping Harry's ankle tightly and suddenly, desperately trying not to snigger.

Harry started suddenly, not expecting Draco to grab hold of his ankle. "Um, well."

"Aren't you going to give us a guided tour?" Hermione beamed expectantly.

"Show them the knicker drawer," Draco whispered.

Harry kicked out at Draco behind him, giving the strange impression that he was hopping on the spot.

"Well," Harry started uncomfortably. "Wouldn't you prefer to come another day when it's lighter?" 'And Draco Malfoy's not holding my leg.'

"It's pretty light now," Ron frowned, looking about him. "Is this your bathroom?" He began walking towards Harry.

Draco could see Ron's feet as they came towards him and slipped his fingers under Harry's bare foot, tickling fervently.

Harry grimaced, trying desperately not to start laughing or kick out madly at Draco. "No! I mean - yes, yes it is. And eh, over there" - he nodded his head in the direction of the fireplace and window - "there's a window seat."

Hermione nodded. "We can see that, Harry. Oh, your bed looks comfy!" She crossed the room and jumped on it in a rather un-Hermione-like fashion. There was a muffled squeak as Draco was almost kicked in the head.

"What was that?" Ron frowned. "I think you might have a mouse in here."

He walked over to the bed and reached down to lift up the cover that hung down, hiding Draco from view.

Harry paled, grabbing Ron's arm and dragging him over to the mirror. "Come over here Ron, Hermione. The mirror's enchanted, it shows you, you in all different outfits."

'Get out of my room!'

Draco gave a small grunt of dissent and pouted in the dusty darkness. Hermione stood up and followed the rather puzzled Ron and Harry to the mirror.

"It's brilliant."

Harry decided he'd entertained his guests for long enough and looped an arm around each of their waists, walking them over to the door and giving them a gentle push out. "It really isn't a good time," he apologised, shutting the door in their faces, putting his back to it and sliding into a sitting position on the floor.

"Nicely executed," Draco commented, rolling out from under the bed.

"Now, where were we?"

***

Rain lashed against the darkened windows of the Slytherin dormitory as Draco knelt before the fire with a handful of glittering green powder. This fire provided the only light in the room, and as he cast the handful of Floo powder into it, the whole room glowed green.

"Alexei Vikenstaff, Steinberg House," he said clearly, feeling his hair billow back from his face.

Slowly, a shape revolved in the flames.

Alexei's bright, amber eyes blinked, making sure that no soot had gotten in. He had golden brown hair which had grown down to just his collar, and flicked out along his pristine white shirt. Stray locks of hair fell on either side of his eyes, brushing his defined cheek-bones when he moved.

"Guten Tag, Draco!" he greeted in a thick German accent. "How are you?"

"Sehr gut," Draco said promptly. "You're looking well, Lexy. Hey, is your party still on? Only I've got a guest who might be a little ... disliked ... by some of the company you keep," he said delicately. "Will that be a problem?"

"Hm. Who is this person?" Alexei asked, sand coloured eyebrows furrowing together in thought.

"Harry Potter," Draco shrugged, flicking his fringe out of his eyes.

Alexei laughed. "By all means bring him!" he grinned. "Ve could have some fun with him."

Draco looked wary. "As long as I get first blood," he said with an ominous grin. "I thought it'd be okay, as most of us are breakaways anyway. My dad hates things I like, so I like things he hates."

"You like him?" Alexei commented with a knowing smirk. "I vill tell some of my friends to 'back off', no doubt they vill want some of him, I hear he's quite the catch."

"Oh trust me, he is," Draco smirked. "He needs breaking in, though, so I'm sure they can play around a bit. Like I said, just so long as I get him first and then get him back when I want him."

Draco moved his legs around to cross them and lean his elbows on his knees.

"So how've you been? I haven't seen you since Abby's nineteenth. Bloody hell that was a good party," Draco reminisced. "I lost a lot of my remaining innocence last summer, but I think I'm healthier for it. I saw you with Dolohov's son, did that go anywhere? Merlin, I'm full of questions..."

"Garin?" Alexei asked with a slightly vampiric grin. "He vas quite the performer, though he was very... langweilig out of the bedroom." He let out a short laugh and flicked his head back to move a lock of hair out of his eyes. "Ja. That was a party I won't forget for a while."

"Good old Rafe," Draco laughed. "I swore I'd never walk straight again, though that might have been that booze Abby managed to procure. Are Rafe and Abby going to be there?"

"Ja. Rafe has a new play-boy, it should make things sehr interessant, no?" Alexei chuckled. "You were quite the performer too, or so he said." He let out another laugh, his eyes twinkling. "It has been too long, Draco. I'm sure everyone agrees. Mitzi is desperate to meet you again; sie seems to have decided that you're hers. I hope Potter is not possessive."

"Ah, he owes me one," Draco said, thinking of Muddy. "I'm sure Klaus will snap him up and let me have a bit of free time."

Alexei lifted a bottle of something unlabelled to his lips and took a swig before replying, "Ve had better end this conversation, I have places to go and people to meet to get this party sorted. Bis bald!"

"Bis dann," Draco smiled. "We'll be there. Make sure no one who might bear us ill will comes."

Alexei nodded, and brushed his chin with a hand, finishing the rest of the bottle. There was a small pop as he disappeared from the fire and it returned to normal.

Draco sat back with a smile. Things would be alright. He had been thinking that he might have to Polyjuice Harry into Blaise or something horrible like that...