Harry Potter and The Vanished Slytherin Prince

Chapter 5

Harry makes a BIG decision

~~~

Harry laughs as Draco bats at the tassel Harry keeps swinging toward his head.

"I've never been more convinced that your cat is not Draco Malfoy." Neville says from his armchair.

Harry rolls his eyes.

"Maybe he's just very good at faking it." He shrugs, looking back at Draco. The cat ignores the look, batting the tassel away again.

Harry is laying on his stomach on the floor by the fireplace next to Draco, who was here first. Neville joined them not long ago to work on... something. Whatever it is Neville works on - Harry doesn't really know and has asked too many times to ask again.

When the flash lights up the room, both Harry and Draco snap their heads toward Neville.

"A photo? Really, Neville?" Harry asks, feeling self-conscious for some reason.

"On the off chance that your cat turns out to be him, I want this to show the Weasleys. Domestic bliss at the Potter-Malfoys, or the Malfoy-Potters, depending on who wins that argument." Neville says, taking the Polaroid photo and setting it aside.

Harry rolls his eyes, refocusing his attention back on Draco.

"Whatever, you know we're cute."

Neville just snorts, so Harry ignores him.

Draco rolls onto his back, his paws still swiping at the tassel as Harry swings it. He blinks his eyes up at Harry.

"Neville's being ridiculous." Harry says to him, pleased when Draco chirps his agreement. "I would never hyphenate, anyway." Harry adds with a glare toward his friend.

"Oh, you'd become a Malfoy, then?" Neville says with a laugh.

"Now there's a headline." Harry says, and Neville pulls out his wand to levitate another log onto the fire.

Harry yelps when Draco scratches him.

"Draco!" Harry rebukes, scowling at the cat and sticking the scratched side of his hand into his mouth. "I swear, I take my eyes off you for one second-"

"He's a bit of an attention whore." Neville says casually, which makes Draco hiss, rolling onto his belly again and glare at Neville threateningly. The reaction seems to tickle Neville. "He has that in common with Malfoy at least."

"Malfoy's not like that, not now." Harry says, still licking at the cut even though it's shallow enough to not bleed.

"Oh isn't he?" Neville says with a smirk.

"No! He works a perfectly respectable if thankless job and he hasn't been in the paper in years - aside from the Ministry stuff, but that's hardly his fault." Harry says.

"I do wish Malfoy was here to listen to you defending him so fiercely." Neville says.

Harry flushes red, realizing he's taken the bait and he's fairly certain Malfoy is here to listen.

Sure enough, Draco twists back to meow apologetically at Harry's hand, walking over and nudging it with his nose.

"It's not that bad, but don't do that again or there will be consequences." Harry warns.

Draco chirps softly, then bumps his head against Harry's shoulder. He meows, rubbing his cheek against Harry's, which tickles.

"Okay okay, you're right, probably not. But it was very rude of you."