Sectumsempra

3

Harry never thought he say, or think, that, but he was glad that the more advanced your year in Hogwarts, the more homework and study related things you had, because now, in his 6th year, his mind was too busy being occupied with homework to think about Draco.

Of course the subject popped up in his mind every once in a while, and many a time he deliberately pursued it, but many times he could use the amount of study he had to do to distract himself from the topic. Mainly because most of the times when he started thinking about the suspicious way in which Draco was behaving, he'd start thinking about Draco himself, and Harry wasn't keen on giving much space for those thoughts because they always brought that eternal inquiry. "How do I feel about him?"

That was, of course, total nonsense. After all, what WAS THERE to feel?

So the weeks went on, Harry determined not to let this insane idea – whatever that idea was – get any of his waking thoughts kept pushing it aside.

Until Professor Sloghorn's Christmas party.

The good side of Malfoy's suspicious behavior was that he was gone most of the time, nowhere to be seen. Harry would have wished that a lot earlier if he knew that was a possibility – having to encounter Malfoy in the hallways had been Harry's and his friend's biggest unhappiness at Hogwarts since year one. Malfoy's absence had become such that when Harry saw him, being dragged by Filch, in Sloghorn's office it felt like he hadn't seen him in a long time. Thay brought back all of his obsession for Draco Malfoy. Once again there he was, acting suspicious. And this time Harry couldn't not pursue this investigation. So when Snape took Malfoy away, Harry had to follow. He had to.

Harry took his invisibility cloak, followed the two and listened to their conversation with his ear pressed against the door. Malfoy's steps toward the door took him by surprise, so he had to move away hurriedly. In his surprise and haste Harry instinctively ran to hide around the nearest corner, forgetting he didn't need to, since he had his invisibility cloak.

Already in the corner, he decided he couldn't be too careful and just stayed there. He could hear them from this spot and it was strangely dark here, so they wouldn't be able to see some accidental ankle that might escape the cloak. He pressed his back against the wall and heard as Draco's steps drew farther away, then he peeked to check and saw that Snape was, too, moving back to the party. Harry turned to his position pressing his back against the wall and tried to make sense of what he'd heard. Somethings were clear enough, some were confirmations of what Harry already suspected, some would need some deliberations with Ron and Hermione.

Lost in his thoughts, Harry didn't hear the steps drawing nearer. Harry only didn't scream because his reaction was to freeze, such was his fright when he heard Draco's voice saying, "I know you're here, Potter. You better take care of those little pretty feet when you're covered in that cloak." Harry realized he had his breathing held as he saw Draco's outline coming to the dark hallway where he was. "Too afraid to come out, Potter? You're only brave sneaking around the corner, aren't you?"

Why was Harry hiding? And from Malfoy. What was Malfoy gonna do? Harry took off his cloak. "You could teach me a thing or two about sneaking around." That made Malfoy shudder with fright, too, since he had his back turned to Harry when Harry began to speak.

"What are you talking about? I'm not sneaking around eavesdropping in you and your friends, am I?"

He didn't insult them, Harry thought, that's weird.

"In fact," Draco continued, "I'm staying very far away from you idiots." There you go, Harry thought. "So how about you do the same, huh?"

"What're you up to, Malfoy? What're you planning?"

"That's none of your business, Potter," Draco said raising his voice, but still trying not to make much noise, so he spoke in a half-shout, "stay out of it." He finished coming close to Harry and pushing him on the chest.