37

"Huh."

"Sirius? You gonna say something other than 'huh'? I tell you I'm going out with Draco fucking Malfoy and I punched Ron in the face and all you can say is 'huh'?"

"Huh." Harry sighed and cut off the connection, throwing his mirror aside as Sirius's face faded from view. It was the day after Boxing Day and so far, Harry reflected, it was pretty crap. And it was all bloody Ron's fault.

Of course, they had sort of announced their relationship rather badly the day before, by walking into the Great Hall in the middle of Boxing Day lunch holding hands and laughing.

"I still can't believe you stole Dobby from Lucius," Draco laughed, smiling up at Harry as they walked through the Entrance Hall. It bugged him slightly that Harry was taller than he was; stupid growth spurts. His mother swore to him that his would come soon though.

"It was pretty fucking genius of me, I have to admit," Harry said, mock-pompously, "And now he's living with Siri and Remus. Last time I spoke to him he was learning that 'i comes before e, except after c'." Draco gave him an odd look, and Harry was just about to explain about the reading and writing lessons when the students in the Great Hall snapped out of their shock, Ron at the lead.

"What the hell are you doing, Harry?" he yelled, his face a strange shade of purple, "He's a bloody Slytherin, for crying out loud!" Harry had never been said to have a long temper, not by anyone, and he demonstrated that fact right then.

"Oh, fuck off, Ron! So what if he's a bloody Slytherin, if it weren't for you telling me that they were all evil when I was eleven, I would have been a fucking Slytherin too!" he shouted, dropping Draco's hand and striding towards his best friend.

"Well maybe you should have been then, if you can bear to even touch the likes of him," Ron spat back, rising out of his seat. Both boys ignored the fact that they had the attention of every student in the room, even the teachers were too transfixed on the scene to do anything to split it up.

Crack. Harry's fist shot out, smashing into the redhead's nose before anyone could blink. Ron staggered backwards, holding a hand to his bleeding nose and staring at Harry with disbelief and betrayal clear on his face.

"Who the hell are you?" he muttered. Harry took a few steps backwards in shock before turning and storming out of the hall, not stopping until he reached the astronomy tower, where he whipped his mirror out to call Sirius.

Harry sighed, holding his head in his hands as he tried to think of anything other than the hurt look on his best friend's face. He couldn't believe he'd punched Ron. I mean, Ron was Ron. His best friend, his first friend, other than Hagrid. But... when he'd talked about Draco that way, Harry had just snapped.

Was Draco worth losing a friend over? Harry brushed away that thought as soon as it entered his mind. He wouldn't lose Ron. He couldn't.

As to whether or not Draco was worth it, well. He was a whiny brat and they'd fought constantly for three years and he was much too clever for his own good sometimes (not quite as bad as Hermione, but getting there) but there was still just something about him that drew Harry to him. Perhaps it was just because Draco brought an extra layer of chaos to Harry's life (and Harry seemed to thrive on that, these days) or perhaps it was something else, something more uniquely Draco, but Harry didn't much care.

"Potter," the drawling voice of Professor Snape said from the doorway. Harry sighed loudly and audibly into his hands in the hope that the man would go away.

"Mr Potter, I do not care if you are having a tantrum, you will stand up and not ignore me when I speak to you," Snape snapped. Harry sighed again, but softly this time and he climbed to his feet. His leather trousers squeaked as he stood, and he idly thought that he really should change his clothes and shower at some point. Never one to let Snape win, he pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket, knowing full well that his potions professor hated his smoking.

"If this is about punching Ron, then I'll take the detentions, don't worry," Harry muttered, unconsciously hanging his head slightly. Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, Potter, this is about you and my godson," he said silkily, "If you dare hurt him in any way, shape or form, or if you are playing with him in any way then you may just find an untraceable poison in your morning pumpkin juice. Or perhaps your morning firewhiskey, as it is you we're talking about." Harry smirked and nodded, admitting nothing, but denying nothing either. Hey, sometimes he needed a little pick me up in the mornings. Nothing wrong with that.

"Fair enough." Snape nodded curtly and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Potter?" he called over his shoulder, "Who would've thought- you kissing a Malfoy. James is probably rolling in his grave."

"Yeah, well, at least I didn't kiss Bill," Harry shot back, smirking when his professor's eye twitched.

"It was Peeves, for fuck's sake!" Snape screamed before turning and sweeping out of the room.

"Wait, you've snogged Peeves as well?" Harry yelled after him, "Snape, you stud!" An incoherent scream of rage was the only answer Harry received.

Greatly cheered up, he strolled out the door, cigarette dangling from his lips and marauders map in hand. It was time to find that boyfriend of his again. And some lunch. And then that elusive shower, maybe.

Draco Malfoy was sat in his dorm, wondering who he hated more out of Ron Weasley and his father when an owl dropped a letter onto his lap. Turning it over with shaking hands, his worst fears were confirmed by the Malfoy crest on the back.

Lucius knew. And they were both dead.

He couldn't stop the thought from coming, though he tried with all his might to have faith in Harry's abilities. His own were slightly questionable (although he would never admit it to anyone, his talents lay in Potions and academics- not in fighting) but Harry had fought off the Dark Lord. Surely he'd be able to protect them if Lucius came after them. Well, if he still wanted to be with Draco once he knew.

What if Harry didn't want another madman after him? What if he couldn't handle that kind of baggage?

But no, Harry knew the sort of man his father was, this wouldn't come as a surprise to him.

He hoped.

"Ahem," Blaise cleared his throat, lounging against the doorframe. Draco looked up, realising that he had been staring at the letter for a good ten minutes. Hurriedly, he shoved it into his pocket before turning back to his friend.

"I guess you're here to say I told you so?" he drawled, trying to hide any trace of panic and fear in his voice.

"No, actually," Blaise answered, "Although, now you mention it, I told you so." Draco rolled his eyes at Blaise's grin. "No, I'm here in my official capacity as a messenger owl. Pansy wants you to know that you're an asshole and she never wants to speak to you again. You and Potter really fucked her over, huh?" Draco groaned, burying his face in his hands. This was supposed to be a happy day. Full of happiness and Harry and ignoring the world outside, but no. Ron and Lucius and now fucking Pansy had to come and ruin it. Because Merlin forbid Draco be anything other than miserable for too long a stretch of time, the universe might implode. Not that Draco knew what that meant, not knowing muggle science, but it sounded impressive.

"You're the one who bloody shoved him at me," the blonde grumbled through his fingers, scowling when Blaise chuckled.

"Yep. But Luna's the one who told me to do it. Anyway, was that a letter from your father?"

"I think so." Draco's voice was small, unwillingly betraying some of the fear he felt when he thought of what the letter could say. He ignored the fact that he had tried to hide the letter; Blaise always was, and always would be uncannily observant.

"You want me to read it first?" Blaise offered. It was a mark of their friendship that Draco didn't instantly become defensive, instead meekly pulling the crumpled letter out of his pocket and held it out. Blaise deftly slit the seal, cutting the Malfoy crest in half, and began reading.

Draco, it read,

There are two reasons, and two reasons only, that you could have been seen leaving the castle with Harry Potter last night. One is that you lured him out there to kill him for our Lord. However, you have always been a disappointment so I don't dare to even hope that this is the truth.

The only other reason I can see is that you have formed some sort of attachment to the boy. This, as I'm sure you know, is unforgiveable.

The mark is getting darker, son, our Lord is getting stronger. And now, now you're on the losing side.

You best hope I have mercy and kill you myself.

Lucius

Blaise stopped reading and looked at Draco, who stared back at him with weary, frightened eyes.

"I think we need to go see Dumbledore."