Next day Harry felt a little better about his conversation with Malfoy. It was actually the longest conversation he'd ever had with Draco and though Harry did most of the talking, it looked like something had been accomplished.

But when he turned the corner and saw Malfoy hexing Colin Creevy so that he floated upside down, he realized that nothing had changed at all.

"Malfoy! Put him down! Now!" Harry's wand was out and pointed right at him.

Draco twirled his wand in his fingers and smiled at Harry. "Gonna make me, Potter? Oh, I thought about what you said yesterday, and I guess I have to say 'no' to it. Because you see, this is far too much fun. Maybe next time it will be Granger. Wonder what color knickers she wears."

Harry sent a burning curse at Malfoy, singeing Draco's robes till they smoked. Colin suddenly fell to the floor on his head and a heap of robes.

"Ow!" he cried, and rubbed his skull vigorously.

Malfoy sneered. "All right, Potter. Let's see what you can do. Astronomy Tower at Midnight."

"Are you going to chicken out again like you did last time, Malfoy?"

Draco's eyes scanned the crowd that had gathered and he smirked. "I'll be there. Just you be there."

But when Hermione found out, she rounded on Harry. "Are you crazy? You will get into so much trouble. And your N.E.W.T.S. are coming up. Harry, what if your punishment affected them. You want to be an Auror. You'll never get in if you can't get the grades."

"He was asking for it. If I can't be his friend maybe I can scare him from being a Death Eater."

"You know what I think? I think you're just trying to impress him."

"Oh come on, Hermione!"

"No. I mean it. You're just showing off for him. And does he care? No. And it will be your head on the block, not his."

"All he knows how to do is threaten people. So I'm giving him what he wants."

Hermione stared at Harry. "Threaten people, eh? Harry-"

"Just don't worry about me, Hermione. I've been dealing with Draco for a long time. Maybe I'm just destined to do it."

* * *

Harry waited in his bed until almost midnight, rolled up his invisibility cloak and tucked it under his arm, and then pushed the curtains aside. Instead of a stealthy get away, he was confronted with all the seventh years wide awake and apparently waiting for him. "Er…guys? What-?"

"You took forever, mate," said Seamus. "We're waiting for the rumble."

"Does…everyone know about this?" asked Harry, slipping into his shoes.

"There may be a first year or two in Ravenclaw," said Dean. "But other than that-"

"Harry," chirped Neville, "Malfoy challenged you in front of witnesses. You don't think they didn't tell anyone."

"Yeah," said Seamus, following close behind Harry down the dorm stairs. "This is the fight of the century!"

"I thought that was the fight with Voldemort."

Everyone cringed on his saying it, but Ron recovered first. "No one wants to see that go down, Harry. But everyone wants to see you wipe the floor with Malfoy. Bloody hell, Harry. We've all been waiting for this for six years."

Harry made it to the common room which was full of girls. "Well it's about time!" said Lavendar.

Harry's stomach fell. Was there anyone in the school who didn't know? He noticed Hermione sitting in the corner, her arms folded tightly over her chest. She wasn't looking at them. She'd be the only one who didn't see the fight.

Harry bolstered his courage, gripped his wand, and stomped toward the portrait hole. With the cloak still under his arm, he ducked through the opening. He wondered how all of these students were going to make it unseen across Hogwarts. When he reached the stairs, he saw the ghostly shadows of more students heading in the same direction. Oh Merlin! What had he done?

Nothing for it but meet his destiny. He started thinking of spells and ran them through his head. He was going to have to be quick and clever to beat Malfoy because he was certain the Slytherin was going to do all within his power to somehow cheat. He didn't know how he could, but if there was a way, a Slytherin could figure it out.

Amazed at their good luck so far, Harry and the others managed to make their way across the grounds without being seen. Students hurried across the dark lawn in small groups, staying close along the shadows. Finally Harry was at the foot of the Astronomy Tower and he leaned back to look at the top. He tested the door and it was open, so he went in and began to climb the spiral staircase all the way to the top.

He was out of breath when he reached the roof. Draco was already there with Crabbe and Goyle by his side. Pansy, looking particularly pouty, stood off to one side.

"So you've come, Potter."

"So you didn't chicken out, Malfoy. That's a point for you."

Draco began to circle Harry. Harry got his wand ready and tossed his cloak to a far corner. He knew that it could start without warning and he wanted to be on the offensive.

"So here are the rules, Potter… There are no rules."

"Fine with me."

"Wait, Malfoy," said Ron with a worried voice. "No permanent damage spells. Nothing that will maime-"

"Are you fighting this, Weasel or is he? Potter agreed. All you have to do is get out of the way and shut up."

"Move, Ron," said Harry.

For such a large crowd it certainly got quiet. Harry didn't waste precious energy looking at them. His eyes were on Draco. There were about twenty people on the tower roof with them and a line of people on the stairs whispering what was happening like a bucket brigade down the stairs to the crowd below on the lawn at the foot of the tower. Harry wanted to make this quick and clean. He wanted Draco to know exactly what he was going to be up against if he met Harry in the real world.

Harry didn't hesitate. He flung his wand forward, not even waiting for a signal. "Serpensortia!" A snake coiled out of his wand and fell with a deadening slap to the floor. Before Malfoy could retaliate, Harry aimed his wand at Draco and yelled, "Levicorpus!" Malfoy flew into the air right over the snake and Harry looked at the snake and spoke. To him, it sounded like normal speech, but he knew by the crowd's shrinking back that what came out of his mouth was Parseltongue. "Move to strike, but don't until I tell you!"

"Pleeesssse," said the snake. "Jusssst one?"

"No. Not until I command you."

Malfoy hadn't even made a countercurse. He was too terrified staring point-blank at the snake, bobbing its head and baring its fangs mere inches from his head.

"Immobulous!" yelled Harry at Draco and Draco was now literally powerless to do anything. "Can you hear me, Draco? I just told this snake to be ready to strike you, but he won't until I command him to. Do you see what you will be facing if you become a Death Eater? I'm playing with you now. Out there, outside of Hogwarts, I won't have time to play." He allowed the frozen Malfoy to bob helplessly over the hissing snake for a few more seconds before he flicked his wand. "Finite!" At once, the snake disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Malfoy loosened and fell to the ground.

He looked up with a malevolent eye, but someone by the staircase cried, "Snape!"

Everyone rushed down the stairs in a pile up. Everyone but Harry and Draco. Someone sent up a fogging spell and the students all managed to disappear into it making their getaway, but they could hear the voice of the Potions Master, yelling and threatening down below.

And then they heard Snape coming up the stairs. Harry grabbed the cloak from where he'd thrown it and grabbed Malfoy. He tossed it over their heads and dragged him to the wall.

"What the hell are you doing, Potter?"

"It's an invisibility cloak, Malfoy. Shut up."

Draco's eyes widened in shock, but soon he silenced as he looked over at the doorway.

Snape slid into view, clutching the doorway with one white hand and scanning the tower with dark little eyes. He moved cautiously onto the roof and moved methodically into the alcoves and shadows.

Harry and Draco stood as still as they could, but the cloak wasn't really designed for two almost full-grown wizards. They stood pressed against each other, and because Harry had grabbed him hastily, Harry's arm wrapped around Draco's waist and they were clasped together almost face to face. Harry was suddenly aware how close, filling his nose with Draco's scent, a subtle mixture of new sweat and Draco's spicy cologne. His eyes looked into Draco's and they breathed almost into each other's half opened mouths. Draco kept his eyes on Harry's, but occasionally his gaze would drop to his lips. Their shared fear kept them from moving apart but it didn't seem that Draco particularly wanted to move away. Harry held his breath. Being this close to Draco was torture; being unable to do anything about even worse. Except that Draco's face seemed to be moving almost imperceptively closer to Harry's. Wide-eyed, Harry felt Draco's cheek just touch his own with a slight, exploratory stroke with the air of an accidental touch, as if it couldn't be avoided. Maybe it was so, and Harry thought it might have been his imagination getting the better of him in this tense situation, but he didn't think it could be true when Draco's cheek slid further and the far edges of their lips barely touched. Not in a kiss but in another somewhat accidental caress, their noses bumping.

Snape crept along the wall, still searching. Harry cringed closer to Draco and the other leaned into him. Harry breathed raggedly, feeling Draco's equally stabbing breaths on his lips. How sweet it felt! Their noses prodded one another while Draco still moved his face, lips still barely caressing Harry's. Was it a dream? Harry didn't know what he should do. He sensed what a fragile moment it was. Their mutual fear of being caught kept them quiet and still, but this strange intimate caress confused him even more. It was maddening. And worse. Pressed so tight to Draco with Draco's lips practically on Harry's, Harry's intense arousal could certainly not go unnoticed.

Harry held his breath when Draco, breathing harshly, angled his head, and slowly pressed his lips firmly and this time unmistakably to Harry's. Draco rubbed Harry's lips with a gentle pressure, doing only that with maddening tenderness. But then he snaked his tongue into Harry's mouth just barely touching the other's tongue. And once they touched, it seemed to be the invitation Draco was waiting for and he opened his mouth wide to cover Harry's completely. Harry welcomed him, embracing Draco tighter and pressing his body to him with a fervor he was forced to hold back before. They kissed deeply with a mutual need that sent Harry's senses spiraling into the night. Lips and mouths glued tightly together, they knew nothing but each other's breath and taste, felt their two bodies react to one another, hands sliding over chests and backs. All of Harry's emotions were bound up in a kiss he had never before experienced and had wanted for so long.

They barely noticed when Snape left. He'd never detected them in the hidden intimacy of the invisibility cloak.

Harry could feel Draco's sharp breathing through his nostrils blasting against his cheek as the kiss went on. Oh Merlin! Let it go on forever! But slowly, Draco's breathing changed and he pulled sharply away. He stared at Harry, his blue eyes searching Harry's face for an explanation. He looked down at their two bodies so tightly pressed, and pushed Harry back. With a sharp inhale, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "What the hell are you doing, Potter!" he hissed, and threw the cloak aside.

He stepped back and Harry lowered the cloak. Stunned, he could say nothing but reach for him. Draco took another step back, shaking his head. "Don't…touch me!" With a stifled sob, Draco tore for the doorway and scrambled down the stairs.

Harry stood alone on the tower, the wind whipping his cloak, his heart battering his chest, and a sinking feeling twisting his stomach.


On to Chapter Five
"Muggle Bard"

Back to Chapter Three
"A Quiet Conversation"

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