Underneath the Mistletoe

ChapterNine

Harry's POV
FirstYear-Last Day of The Holiday Break

For the last week Harry had been fighting a war within himself. Those images that the mirror had shown had him feeling confused. What had it shown him? The future, his greatest fear, a what if? Whatever it meant it had shaken Harry enough that he had not used his father's cloak to go exploring again.

However it had not stopped him from hanging out with Draco Malfoy. The time that Harry spent with him was full of snow, smug smirks, and belly aching laughter. Then there was the truth that when Harry wasn't with Malfoy he was thinking of the next time he would be. In fact the two boys hadn't spent much time apart. They ate together, slept in the Slytherin Common Room, and practiced risky moves out on The Quidditch Pitch. When it would snow too hard to go outside they created "nests" with duvets, pillows, and blankets by the fireplace. Once a day or so ago they had been trapped indoors and Malfoy had suggested they burn some more of his unwanted gifts. Apparently the two were major pyromaniac's?

Everything went into the fire. Bobbles and trinkets, books and journals. Harry had needed to stop Malfoy from burning a chair. When they had run out of things to burn Harry had proposed that they complete their homework only to learn that Malfoy was already done!

"What do you mean you're done?!" Harry was bewildered. He was wrapped in a blanket, his Weasley jumper, and multiple pairs of socks. Malfoy sat in his usual armchair in the same attire(replace The Weasley jumper with an expensive looking cashmere sweater)

"What do you mean you're not?" Malfoy scoffed rolling his eyes in that 'Good God how dumb can Potter be?' way he did so often.

"When did you have the time?" Harry demanded.

Malfoy shrugged loosely. "I did most of it the first few days of the Holiday break the rest when..." his words trickled away.

"When what?" Harry urged.

"When I couldn't sleep" The Slytherin avoided eye contact.

"Could I copy?" Harry joked not asking why Malfoy was unable to sleep, not wanting to push him. In just short of two weeks Harry seemed to have learned the most part of Malfoy's emotional tells and asking questions would make things worse not better at this point.

"No, I dont think so Potter," Malfoy said smirking looking mighty pleased with himself as he kicked his feet up onto the coffee table nearby. "You're perfectly capable of doing it on your own."

-x-

Finally the storm had ceased and both boys, with barely contained glee, had bundled into fleeces and coats to plunge into the fresh crisp snow. Within the last week Harry had begun to notice the slight change in Malfoy's demeanor. He had one from cold, obnoxious, and aloof to teasing, quirky, and aloof. (The belief that he was superior had not left the silver-blonde haired boy and Harry had stopped expecting it to)

Maybe it was the overwhelming excitement to be out of the castle and laying on his back in the snow(even if it was cold and he had begun to shiver) Or maybe it was that every time Harry closed his eyes, as he did now, the mirrors images pushed their way to the front of his thoughts. Whatever it was Harry sat up in the snow and soaked in Draco Malfoy who stared up at the sky with his guard down, his eyes gleaming, and his hair a tone or two away from blending in with the snow. Feeling Harry's eyes on him Malfoy looked over and self consciously sat up as well.

Harry found something he could not name in those smoky eyes. Gathering his courage he extended a hand to Malfoy.

"What are you doing Potter?" To most Malfoy's voice would have sounded calm and collected but Harry heard the slight tremor when the other boy said his surname.

"I'm sure you remember the day on the Hogwarts express when you extended your friendship but I didn't accept it. Don't make the same mistake I did." Harry waited nervously as Malfoy's eyes widened enough to make him look a bit like an owl. He got nervous as those huge eyes darted from his hand to his eyes then back again quite a few times in mere seconds.

"Why should I want your friendship?" Malfoy sneered the way he did when he was feeling vulnerable, his voice didn't sound quite as cold and venomous, obviously on the line and not expecting Harry's offer.

"Don't tell me you haven't enjoyed the last few days" Harry cut his eyes from Malfoy's now protected granite ones. He didn't like the soft and exposed feeling in his chest.

"I'm Slytherin and your Gryffindor! We're meant to be sworn enemies-" Malfoy scowled deeply.

Harry interjected "Say's who?"

Malfoy gave him that 'How dumb can Potter get?' look again and with an exasperated expression replied "History of Hogwarts-"

"Don't go sounding like Hermione-"

Malfoy lept to is feet and snarled "I do not!" Harry grimaced, he had compared Malfoy and Hermione and it had sounded far too much like an insult for his liking.

Harry scrambled to his feet. "Actually you do" he contradicted sweeping his dark hair from his vision.

"It doesn't matter because you're you and I'm me!" Malfoy cried loudly waving his arms around in grand gestures.

Through the whole thing Harry had kept his hand extended, he wouldn't let it waver now.

"You're you and I'm me" Harry whispered. "What's that even mean?" but he thought he knew.

Malfoy huffed, the tops of his cheeks pink, from the cold? "My father-"

"Forget your father!" Harry argued.

"The day I do will be the day I'm damned" Malfoy's voice was hollow, too hollow.

"Just don't tell him" Harry countered.

Two weeks ago, the beginning of the Holidays, if Harry had been told he'd be feeling as if he was about to lose a crucial person who understood him on a level not many others did and that person was Draco Malfoy he would have laughed. It didn't seem very funny now.

Here and now Malfoy seemed to be hesitating with his answer to Harry's offer. Then he flinched away from an invisible force, his face drained of it's remaining color. Malfoy's glinting eyes met his and Harry knew what was coming but he didn't, no couldn't, believe it.

"I can't" Malfoy short of whispered before taking a slow step back then, all at once, he was pelting for the school. Harry's hope plummeted in his chest and splattered somewhere at the base of his stomach.

He dropped his hand.

-x-

Sorry I didn't post last night, I had some homework that had to be done(ugh)

One more Chapter to go my lovelies before second year! Oh the possibilities;) Please comment and vote if you enjoyed.