Misguided Intentions

Sure enough James had been true to his word. By dinnertime 2 brooms came flying in carried by 2 owls apiece, delivered right into the lap of a very surprized Harry, and a not so surprized Draco. They were only Cleansweeps, but the latest models that the year 1977 had to offer, and Harry couldn't have been more thrilled.

"A broomstick? Who sent me this?" Harry said staring at the unwrapped broom in awe.

"Call it a loan Harry. Draco told us you're quite the looker out there on the pitch...so since we could use a few good people on the team this year...think you're up for a seeker position?" James said smiling broadly at the ecstatic Harry.

Harry broke into a huge grin. "Are you kidding? Just you wait and see...not even my father could outfly me I'm told!" he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh really? Was you're dad a good flyer too then?" Sirius said between bites of chicken and rice, glad to see Harry finally really happy for once.

"Harry's father won a medal back in his day so I"m told....right Harry?" Draco said giving him a glance, though a smile was on his face as well. Though not his Firebolt, it felt good to have a broom between his hands again.

"Wow cool Harry! Cant wait to see you fly then!" Peter said enthusiastically and giving Harry a small smile.

"Well, shall we try for after dinner then? We've no more classes for today and there will be enough light out still for flying. Curfew isn't till 9 so we've got the time. What say you Harry and Draco, up for it?" James said taking a bite of his gammon slice he had chosen for dinner.

"You bet!" Harry and Draco said nearly at the same time, then putting their brooms down at their feet they finished their dinner with gusto.

Draco could feel the happiness radiating from Harry now, where only moments before he seemed so apprehensive and tense. Quick glances from Peter to Harry however bothered him, he didn't know what had transpired between the two when they had gone off to the owlry and Peter had fetched Harry, but obviously something had. Something that made Draco feel very uptight about.

Soon as dinner was finished Harry and Draco grabbed their brooms and followed James, Peter, Sirius and Remus out the pitch. Lily bowed out gracefully however claiming more library time to James's dismay, but a whisper in his ear and a kiss on the lips apparently made up for it, for soon as she speed off with quick goodbyes, James was grinning ear to ear.

"Hot date tonight in the Head Girls room eh Jamesie boy?" Sirius said with a chuckle and slapped James on the back.

"Like I'm really going to tell you eh Padfoot?" James grinned back though he did wink at Sirius.

"Well dont say I didn't warn you mate! Trouble in the making that girl is..." Sirius said gazing up into the sky and chuckling.

"With a capital T Paddy, but well worth it trust me!" James said back, but then they arrived at the pitch so he said no more on the subject. "Allright then..." he said turning to face Harry and Draco. "Let's see you boys in action. Moony, you got the snitch?"

Remus nodded and dug into one of his jacket pockets then, and a second later the tiny golden snitch was in his hand. He hit the button to activate the wings and a moment later it speed off, even James couldn't keep up with the speed of it. Noone could apparently...but Harry.

Years of well tuned sight and instincts kicked in then, and a second later he was off like a shot on the Cleansweep. Maneuvering himself in and out of the bannered posts, he was the happiest he had been since he arrived here in the past. For a few moments he pretended to get his bearings, just savouring the feel of a broom again beneath him, the wind in his face and hair, the crisp coolness of the evening air taking him places he only dreamed he could go. Flying wasn't a second nature to Harry Potter, it was a necessity. He needed to fly like people needed food and water, and without he felt incomplete.

Those on the ground didn't even have to know all this, they could almost tell from the way Harry's demeanour was on the broom. It was clear that the broomstick had become an extension of Harry in the air, not a hindrance or simply just there. His grace, speed and accuracy was incredible, and when 10 minutes later he finally came back to earth holding the tiny golden snitch, everyone was awed into silence...even Draco.

Draco had seen Harry fly plenty enough during Quidditch matches, but what he saw tonight had surpassed all of that. He had never seen Harry fly solo before, and even to him it was nothing less then sheer perfection. Harry didn't belong on the broom, Harry just simply just 'was' the broom. His liquid moves were something Draco only dreamed bout, would have died for...and suddenly he felt very humbled by Harry.

"Wow Harry....you said you were good but...Merlin's beard that wasn't good, that was...positively incredible!" James said still awed by Harry's performance.

"Hell James, I thought you were good....Harry outstrips you anyday!" Sirius said giving James a slight punch in the middle of his back.

"Ah...geeze..thanks guys. I guess it's just well...I just love to fly that's all." Harry said smiling softly. "I'd forgotten how well put together the old Cleansweeps were...will have to remember not to make a few practised moves from now on...." he said holding the broomstick lovingly almost, and forgetting what he had just said.

"Ah Harry...that's the top of the line Cleansweep..." Remus said thoughtfully, picking up what Harry had said.

"Oh, right...I mean it's just that umm...well...." Harry stammered and looked to Draco for help on this one.

Draco rolled his eyes but nodded slightly to Harry. "Harry had a prototype of a new broom that's not due out for a bit yet that's all. He has a friend who designs them so sometimes he lets Harry test them out that's all." Draco said and saw a visible look of thanks on Harry's face.

"Wicked, really Harry? Prototypes...I'd kill to be able to ride on of those!" Peter said now even more astonished with Harry then he had been moments before.

"Well...honestly...it's umm..no big deal. Thanks James, the broom is great..." Harry said blushing now at the way everyone was treating him.

"Well I'd say...we've just found ourselves a seeker mates!" James said grinning then and giving Harry a clap on the shoulder. "Welcome aboard Harry!"

Harry beamed, being seeker on the same team as his father was just too perfect to be real even! Father and son together, side by side, bringing glory to their house...even if James didn't know it, Harry did, and that was the best gift he could have received right at that moment. His eyes fell on Draco then, and his grin faded a bit suddenly, the look in Draco's eyes was almost as if he knew what Harry was thinking and feeling, and somehow he felt a bit guilty now for those thoughts.

"Draco's turn now right? He's really good, you'll see." Harry said walking over to Draco now.

"If he's half as good as you, and I've no doubts he is, we'll have the best shot in years of winning the Cup. Come on Dray, up you go!" James said now with a smile to Draco.

Harry looked at Draco oddly for a moment when he heard how James had addressed him. "Dray?" he asked then looking into Draco's blue eyes.

Draco nodded and grinned looking at James, Sirius and Remus. "Yeah, it's my nickname. James gave it to me, like it?"

"He..he did? Well...sure...it's umm...great...Draco..." Harry said then but the words were lost as Draco got on his broom now and raced off. He didn't know why but the use of Draco's new 'nickname' bothered him somehow, but shaking off why it might have he turned his eyes to the air and watched Draco in action. Harry had never seen Draco in the air either being solo, so this would be a first for him as well.

Though not quite as good as Harry, Draco too lit the pitch up with his moves. Sleek and graceful like a panther, swinging in and out of the posts as if they weren't even there. Harry, along with everyone else, had to admit that Draco was fantastic up there, and for a second Harry thought that with the right broom, maybe the new Firebolt 2001, he'd be positively smashing when they returned back home.

A bit later Draco came back down and James was grinning broadly again. "Can you believe it guys, not only do we have a positively genius of a seeker, but an ace chaser now on the team! There's no way we can lose the Cup this year!" James was positively beaming now at Harry and Draco.

Draco was smiling hugely. He'd never felt so accepted before like this, for once in his life he hadn't had to buy his way onto the team, or give the team anything in return other then himself. Maybe that's why being in the air today felt so perfect, more then any other time that he'd ever practiced solo. This was the way Quidditch was supposed to be...a team effort...and for once he really was going to be a 'team member' and not just a provider!

As it was now getting a bit dark, Remus said they should all head in for the night, and everyone heartily agreed. Everyone's moods were on top of the world at the moment, and nothing could have brought them down. Just as they got back to the castle however something happened that yet again, was going to be a test of patience for the founded group of friends.

They spotted a small figure running down the school steps just before they got there and before they could do anything, they watched as the figure headed off towards the Forbidden Forest. Noone dared to follow right off, the Forbidden Forest got that name for a good reason, but then suddenly Remus dashed off after the figure.

"Remus! What the bloody hell are you doing?" Sirius said calling after him and following him.

Remus didn't even turn back, but just yelled over his shoulder. "Go on without me, I'll be back later! It's Sev, I just know it!"

By then Sirius had caught up to Remus and stopped him, James, Harry, Draco and Peter still watching all this from a distance. They didn't know what was going on, but it didn't look good.

"Remy, if you go out there....anything could happen...you know that. You of all people know what's in that forest!" Sirius said scowling now.

"Exactly Sirius, that's why I have to go, dont you understand? If Sev is in there alone, and I know it was him, you know I do...then I have to..." Remus said glancing quickly in the direction the figure had gone, then back to the angered Sirius's face.

The look in Remus's eyes, pleading to let him go broke him, and he let go of Remus's arm. "Go Moony....find him. Just be careful allright? I dont want to be picking you out of the flytraps or devil's snare...." Sirius said with a sigh, and Remus's eyes lit up.

He nodded. "Thanks Padfoot. I promise I'll be back soon." he said giving Sirius a quick hug and ran off towards where he knew Sev had just gone.

Sirius stood there watching Remus leave, a heavy stone in his heart. *If this is what it takes to get you back Remy...I'll do anything...you know I would die for you my love...* And pushing aside the rest of his thoughts he headed back to the others with a sigh.

"Remus allright?" James said worriedly.

Sirius nodded. "It was Snape, so Remus had to go play the loving protector again." he said with a sigh.

James sighed as well and nodded to Sirius, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's head back to the commons, I"m bloody freezing my arse off now!" he said with a small grin and trying to lighten the mood.

"We cant let that happen Prongs or Lily will skin us all alive eh?" Peter said then throwing a hidden mudball at James he'd quickly made during Remus and Sirius's chat.

"Hey watch it you rat!" James laughed and scooping up some mud threw some back at him.

Moment's later the air was thick with flying mud as the 5 of them were choosing sides for a mudfight. James, Draco and Sirius on one side, against Harry and Peter. Though the odds weren't fair, in the end Harry's quicker seeker reflexes saved not only Peter, but helped win the match.

"Allright already we give up! Knock up the white flags boys!" James said with a laugh collapsing down onto his knees into the mudfilled ground and waving his hands in surrender. The others did the same thing laughingly as they too gave up.

"Aha! See that Peter? They surrendered to us!" Harry grinned at Peter and gave him a quick hug that lasted longer then maybe it should have. Only Draco saw then the blush on Peter's face and the look in Peter's eyes directed at Harry, who was still looking back at him, and suddenly he didn't feel much like playing mud wars anymore.

Standing up and muttering a quick cleaning spell so that atleast he wouldn't tread mud all over the floors, he got up and without a word headed into up the stairs into the castle, confusing everyone in the process. He nearly ran all the way back up to the Gryffindor tower then, hastily giving the Fat Lady the password and heading up to the dorms. He stripped himself down and headed for the showers, suddenly very anxious to get all that mud off of him. He turned the shower up as hot as he could get it, steaming the room with billowing clouds, and was grateful that the water could hide the fact that he felt salty tears coursing down his cheeks.

Why he was crying he didn't know, he hadn't expected to that was for sure. Seeing Harry hug Peter though like that, seeing the look on both their faces, bothered him more then anything he thought would. That look could have meant nothing, but he wasn't sure, since he still didn't know what had happened when Peter had gone to get Harry earlier that day. He hadn't dared ask Harry either, somehow he couldn't bring himself too without it sounding wrong why he would ask.

Obviously though now that he was standing there remembering the look passed between the two of them just moments ago, something had happened. The very thought that Harry could pick someone like Peter Pettigrew over...*Over who Draco? Who would you rather Harry had picked?* Draco's mind asked, and a tiny, though growing part of him said back simply...*Yourself.....*

Draco's tears flowed freely now as he realized how much Harry had grown on him these past few days. It was so strange to him that 6 years of hatreds, bigotries between the houses, of being archenemies...could change over night. That feelings could spring forth that couldn't have even been imaginable before then. Suddenly though, seeing Harry in the way he had lately, and even worse...seeing Harry with the person whom he should have been hating more then life itself, yet being his friend if not more possibly....that was almost too much to bear.

If ever there was a hitch in the works, that would have to have been the biggest of the them all. He'd agreed to help in the area of Remus and Severus, that wasn't a problem, that had no direct effect really on Harry and the future. But Peter Pettigrew was a key player, a pawn in a very dangerous game that Draco knew Harry was beginning to play, and without his consent.

*Damn you Harry...you cant do this! Dont you even see what will happen? We could lose everything, we could get stuck here in the past and never get home...somehow I've got to get you to see reason!* Draco's thoughts bore into him like a knife. Clenching his fists against the wall Draco knew that if Harry was going to play his games, Draco would have to start playing some of his own.

The future may not have been perfect, but it was where they belonged, and there was no way Draco wasn't going to return to it. And if that meant bringing Harry to his senses, even if it took everything he had, he was going to do it. *Harry keeps claiming he likes girls, we'll lets just see what happens when he gets his wish then..* Draco's thoughts suddenly kicked in and he gave himself the luxury of a slight smirk. With a little help from Lily, he would get Harry's mind off Peter Pettigrew, and hopefully Harry would react so horribly towards whichever girl was chosen, he would then turn back to Draco instead.

And then...then Draco didn't want to think further. His mind only had one goal...get Harry away from Peter at all costs. No matter what the consequences, no matter what the risks. Harry James Potter would not, nor never be the lover of Peter Pettigrew...not if Draco had any say in it anyway!

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