Underneath the Mistletoe

ChapterNineteen

Harry's POV
ThirdYear-DayOne

"Ron if you don't stop walking so close you'll trip me!" Harry hissed harshly, his friend had once again stumbled over his own feet and come close to toppling them both over.

"Sorry, sorry" Ron mumbled "it's not like it really matters. There's close to no one else staying for the holidays-"

Suddenly Ron yelped and lunged out from under the invisibility cloak after a freshly escaped Scabbers. Thankfully the rat didn't get very far before Ron caught him. "Stop it you dumb rat! Stop biting me!"

"Shush!" Harry grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him back under the cloak. Once the squirming Scabbers was safely back into Ron's pocket Harry fished out the marauders map and scanned it, easily finding Malfoy's name. The other boy was still pacing in Myrtles bathroom.

"Okay let's go, quietly" Harry stressed the last word.

-x-

Slowly, carefully, Harry pushed the heavy door open, waiting for it to groan and give them away. It was to his overwhelming relief that it did not groan and he and Ron, holding their breath, inched into the lavatory, gently letting it close.

"Again. I can't believe it." The broken whisper of Draco Malfoy's voice floated to Harry and Ron. A cold laugh rang out through the impending silence. "Actually I can. Every year this happens. I get it, the same letter, and yet I'm still surprised."

Ron gave him a questioning look but Harry could only shrug. He had just as good of an idea as Ron about what Draco was talking about.

"Come now Draco," a familiar voice crooned, "you can tell me."

Myrtle, Ron mouthed. Harry bit his lower lip and listened hard for the rest of the conversation.

"No, I can't. I can't tell anyone." Draco's voice was a crumbly mess, not the hard one Harry was accustomed to.

"If it's a secret I won't tell anyone. I haven't anyone to tell anyway" Myrtle sighed sadly and out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Ron make a face.

"Liar. I know you talk to Potter and his... his friends" Draco spat the last word.

"Not anymore," Myrtle sighed sadly. "They don't seem to want to talk to a ghost like me. No need to wonder why."

"That's Potter for you" Draco bit out. "He'll act all nice when he needs something from you but as soon as he gets what he needs, he drops you." Draco snapped his fingers. "Just like that." Harry avoided Ron's eyes, if his friend asked, he couldn't lie. He knew his friend would see through it. "It's just him, Granger, and Weasley. No one else can join their little adventure group." Draco seemed to be talking more to himself then Myrtle.

Harry motioned for Ron to follow him and they both stepped farther into the lavatory. He could now see Draco who sat with his back to the sinks, his head hung down. Myrtle sat across from him, also sulking.
"What was it that he wanted from you?" Myrtle asked curiously.
"That's just it," some of the ice was gone from Draco's tone. "I'm not sure. I can't figure out what happened or why. It just did."
"Maybe Harry just wanted to be-"

It was then that Scabbers attempted another break away. A lot of things happened in the following 30 seconds. Ron leapt for the rat but thankfully Harry managed to hold him back. If Draco saw them, they were doomed. Myrtle yelped and dove into a toilet, splashing water everywhere in the stall. Draco jumped up with narrowed eyes, Harry watched him as he recognized the rat. His stomach dropped when Malfoy whispered Ron's surname because he had connected the rodent to its owner. He watched in horror as the pale boy put his back to a stall so that it was covered, watched as the other boy lifted his wand. Harry's thoughts were in a whirl, Malfoy knew about the cloak. He must know Harry was there. He waited for Draco to cast a spell that would reveal them, waited for the cloak to fly away. It didn't. Instead Draco dropped his wand and wasted no more time leaving the girls lavatory. After the door swung shut behind him Ron took a deep breath.

"Phew! That was close" Harry let Ron leave the security of the cloak to retrieve Scabbers who was huddled and shaking behind a toilet.

"Too close." Harry muttered to himself going over to where Draco had been seated. When he neared, he saw it, a bit of folded parchment. Bending over, Harry snatched it up.

"Harry where'd you go?" Ron laughed feeling around the area he had been seconds before. Shoving the parchment in his pocket Harry called out "Here Ron."

"Dumb rat" his best mate scolded the rat as if it could actually understand what he was saying as he ducked back under the cloak.

"We'd better get back to the common room" Harry said, anxiously wanting to leave to lavatory at once. They didn't need Malfoy or Myrtle coming back and finding them.

"Yeah I guess so" Ron was holding his pant pocket closed and a closer look showed why. Scabbers was trembling and seemed to still want out. It looked awkward but they really couldn't have him trying to run away again with Malfoy near.

-x-

They were silent on they're way back to the common room. Neither of them said anything about what Draco had said and Harry hoped they never would. However, his luck ran out when he closed his trunk, the map and cloak safely inside, and Ron began asking questions.

"What did Malfoy mean?"

"Hmm?" Harry kept his back to his friend fiddling with his quilt as an excuse.

"Well...he seemed really bitter."

"Of course he did, he's Malfoy, when is he not bitter?" Harry asked nervously. He had to turn around, it would look suspicious if he didn't. Ron was standing awkwardly at the entrance to the dorm.
"I don't know, Harry. I just feel like I'm missing something" Ron told him.

"Well you aren't. I don't know why Malfoy was moping" Harry said a little too fast for it to be causal.

"What about what Myrtle was beginning to say?" Ron adapted his voice to a butterfly light pitch to mimic Myrtle. "Maybe Harry just wanted to be-" his voice changed back to his own. "Wanted to be what, what did you maybe want to be?"

Harry looked away from Ron who continued to stand there. Snow fell big and fluffy outside their window making him feel even more isolated both within Hogwarts and himself. After a minute his friend turned away and opened the door to leave. Hesitating he turned back to Harry. "I don't know what's going on but if you need to talk, I'm here. And so is Hermione."
Then, he really did leave.

-x-

Double update(as promised:)
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