I Think I Like Him

23. In The Coldest Jade? Company.

Word Count: 1141

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The pair didn't see much of each other the week following Hogsmeade. As a result, the blonde was forced to watch from afar- making sure Harry wasn't about to go hunting for Black. Which unfortunately for him; wasn't an all together ridiculous notion, considering the ravens previous years of danger and rule-breaking.

Draco had much better things to be doing, of course, and he knew that Granger would hopefully have the common sense to prevent Harry from searching for the Askaban-escapee. But he supposed that he feared Harry, since his outburst. -no, not feared; that wasn't the right word. More like.. wary. Cautious. Anger like that paired with the inevitable rashness of any idiot Gryffindor was... explosive, to put it lightly. And to Dracos absolute and utter dismay, their new friendship meant that he was forced to care about it. Great.

In other news, however, Pansy was pissed at him again. He had luckily had the foresight to bring back flowers when he returned from chasing the golden trio through the busy streets, which made things better than they could have been. 

"Draco, I hope you like buying flowers; because I want a lot more than just these to make up for leaving me alone looking like an idiot!" She had said. And Draco reluctantly agreed into to giving her a bouquet a week for the next two months.

And throughout all of this, the only thing that Draco could obsessively question, was why being friends with Potter had to be so bloody difficult, for Salazars sake?! And even more pressingly; why was he intent on being friends with him, regardless? It just meant that he had to spent some extra time in the Slytherin common room to make sure non of their idiocy rubbed off on him without his knowing. Now that would be truly devastating.

Draco sighed as Harry walked into the great hall. His face held a hard expression, that only half melted away when he caught sight of his friends, who didn't seem to notice anything was wrong. He sat, allowing Granger to plate up his breakfast, and Weasley to talk his ear off about the misery of poverty. Harry caught the blonde's gaze for a moment, eyes flashing green in a way that could have only been some kind of luminescence charm, before dipping his head back to face Weasley.

It was in that moment, that Draco decided to stay at Hogwarts during the Christmas holidays, like he knew Harry always did.

So did his insufferable friends, unfortunately, but non of the Slytherins in his year usually stayed. However, he knew that Blaise despised his mother's new husband (Peter, or Pedro- it was a P name, definitely), and so could be convinced. Greg and Vince would easily stay at his request, of course, but he knew that they had been looking forward to this break, as their family's were going on a joint trip to Greenland to spend the Holidays. And besides, he didn't want to spend Christmas Day hiding any expensive sweets his parents had given him, from the pair that always went some special kind of insane around Christmas.

All this just to stay with Potter.. but he decided that he must, as it was the only way to continue his watch of the raven.

Harry seemed somewhat fond of the idea too.

"You'd.. stay?" His eyes widened until they were taking up an impossible amount of his face.

"Don't flatter yourself, Potter. I've always wondered what Christmas dinner is like at Hogwarts."

Harry looked thoughtful, "I hope you won't get sick of me" he said, offering Draco a sort-of-smile. The happiest the raven had looked since Hogsmeade.

"Why would I get sick of you? I'd see you no more than normal" he rolled his eyes, leaning on the desk behind him, wishing that there were better places for them to meet other than various, but equally gloomy, abandoned classrooms.

"I.. probably should have mentioned that Ron and 'mione aren't here this holiday" The almost-smile retreated once again, and Harry looked like glass, in some strange way that Draco couldn't really describe.

"They're not..?"

"Yea.. erm, Hermione only stayed the last few years cause of.. well, the crazy Harry-Potter stuff first and second year.."

Draco had heard about everything that the trio had gotten up to, but only along with the rest of the school. And to this day, he had no idea if Harry had actually killed a basilisk, or if Blaise had been having him on. And how on earth the Gryffindor's managed to get all of those stupid extra points in first year-.

He could ask, but somehow he felt that was cheating. Hopefully Harry would tell him of his own accord at some point.

The Gryffindor huffed, carrying on like talking was a chore. "And Charlie's coming back for Christmas this year, so Ron kinda had to go. He invited me, of course, but I told him that I'm going home this break, anyway-"

"Why would you go back to the Dursleys..?" Draco slammed his mouth shut, praying that those words had not just come out of his mouth, and that this was some terrible, horrible nightmare.

"How do you know about-" Harry began, suspicion dawning on his features.

"You told me! In the hospital ward, you told me."

"Oh.. I don't remember that. What did I say?"

Draco could have very well used that opportunity to come clean and tell Harry everything he knew, even if he wasn't honest about how he'd learned it. But predictably, he took the cowards route and told another lie. In his defence, it was to spare Harry's dignity, as much as his own. The raven just wasn't in a place well enough to find out about that.

"Just that you don't like them"

If Draco had blinked, he would have missed the relief that flashed over the boys face. The ease that flooded into his shoulders. The calm that overtook the panic swirling in the deep jade-mixed-citrine of his eyes. Without that rigidness, Harry was left looking sad. Small. Draco knew that a deep set anger remained, but that it was grief on the boys face now.

Harry didn't seem to notice his own glumness, anymore. Not when he was with other people, anyway. He was simply a shell of fury and loss. He supposed the Gryffindor had always been like that to some degree, but with Harry knowing what he did about Black, it focused all of it into one point. It made Harry seem dangerous in a way that drew Draco in. He wanted to protect him, but knew that if Harry wanted to go after black, there was nothing he could do about it. But would he try? Undoubtedly.