choose each other | draco and harry

t h r e e

Emotions are odd. People are odd. Life is odd. Odd meaning, confusing, meaning Harry felt like a ticking time bomb. He felt so many things he didn't know how to describe it. He felt dull and yet his mind was still whirring. He hated it. He hated this.

Harry was on edge. The first term was almost over and he had been met with gossip filled stares, mocking eyes and conflict waiting to happen about a thousand times. Not the conflict he would like. His brain was buzzing with a numbness yet simultaneous frustration. Umbridge's detentions grew worse, he barely had time with Ron and Hermione, the homework and revision was piling up, and his mind just wouldn't turn off. I'm so fucking contradictory. He thought to himself.

It was at midnight when he found some type of languid peace. He hadn't actually slept properly for ages. He had drafted countless letters to Sirius, trying to get things of his chest but he didn't even know what he wanted to rant about. He wanted to say something, something more than just an "I miss you" to his godfather. But words left him as soon as he opened his mouth, his sharp replies died down, and he became robotic. He thought he wanted dullness, but it wasn't calming. He realised he could never gain this feeling until the bigger picture was resolved.

This caused him to itch for fire, for something else, he wanted to fight, he wanted to shout, he wanted to be reckless. He needed a source of relief. He had ran out of his 3 packs of cigarettes and the first term wasn't even over. He needed a physical release.

And the opportunity showed itself in the form of a jeering Draco who had spotted Harry in the courtyard with his friends. Harry noticed that Draco hadn't really tried anything with him for a while after his first detention. Draco seemed as if he had been lost in thought for some time now.

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And Draco had been lost in thought. Primarily about the happenings of Malfoy Manor. When Draco saw Harry in the courtyard he was reminded that his priorities started slipping. Harry Potter wasn't a priority, but his misery was. He thought he should resume to his routine.

Striding up to Harry, followed by Crabbe and Goyle, he called loudly "Feeding your posse the latest Dark Lord gossip are we?" He didn't know why that topic came to his mind first, he knew it bothered Harry, and maybe that's why, he wanted to bother Harry.

He saw Hermione whispering to him, probably telling him to ignore Draco. Of course, this only spurred him on, "Can't the mad man give me some tips on spotting danger signs?" Draco's mocking voice inquired. He wanted to poke fun at Harry, nothing new.

Harry stood up. Draco smirked.

"I'm pretty sure you know about the danger going on, Malfoy." Harry responded coolly, the exhaustion was masked by a satirical expression. Their eyes bore into one another; Draco found himself trying to figure out the boy's emotions hidden behind his teal coloured eyes. Harry matched Draco's intense gaze, however his showed no curiosity, just plain boredom and an underlying itch to spur this fight on.

Draco stepped closer "What is that supposed to mean, Potter?"

"Is the grand Draco Malfoy denying his knowledge on such matters?" Harry spoke, unnervingly calm. Despite seeming on edge all week, Harry was presenting a composed exterior. Draco became confused.

"Is the famous Harry Potter losing his mind?" Draco replied, still unsure as how to perceive Harry's behaviour; he expected anger, not this stone like figure.

"Maybe I am." Harry's monotone voice itched at Draco's skin. How was he supposed to create a fight out of this? He racked his brains for a response but Hermione spoke up. "Why don't you just leave Malfoy-"

"No, no. He came looking for a fight, right Malfoy?" Harry's voice exhibited some type of emotion now, finally; it wasn't anger, it sounded like mock excitement. But at least it was something. Draco was unsure what was about to happen but nevertheless played along.

The boys got out their wands, the crowd stepped back, the readiness to duel like in second year was present in the pair. Their eyes hasn't wavered, and at the same time they opened their mouths.

"RICTUMSEMPRA!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

The pair flew to the opposite ends of the yard. Laughing sounded from the onlookers. Harry had landed right next to Professor Snape's feet.

"Get up, now!" He instructed, grabbing him by the cloak and dragging him to the crowd.

"Malfoy, Potter, with me. The rest of you, clear off, have you forgotten that you've got exams this year?" The atmosphere instantly subdued as the students broke apart.

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Draco and Harry silently followed Professor Snape to his office. "Duelling on school grounds without a care in the world?" Snape's accusatory tone bore into the boys. Harry tried to speak but was interrupted by Snape "seeing as you have so much free time on your hands, clean up the potions class, second year have just used it and, let's just say they don't understand the importance of a tidy space." Snape smirked to himself as he ushered the boys out of the room.

Harry and Draco were oddly silent after such a raucous event and got to cleaning. It felt like the piled up emotions were released from the tip of his wand, and being physically impacted jolted him, mentally.

Harry hated the silence. He wanted to feel adrenaline, he hadn't had enough. He confused himself. At times all he wanted was the world to go away and fall into a blank sleep, but sometimes he wanted to inject his energy into meaningless arguments; Draco just happening to be the willing participant.

Harry broke the silence, "Why do you not believe that Voldemort has returned?" He didn't know what response to expect. Word-vomit was something Harry had been doing s lot of lately.

Draco looked caught off guard. He had grown accustom to the silence that had been ongoing for twenty minutes and this question was unexpected, to say the least. What muddled him further was that Harry's tone of voice held genuine curiosity, as if they were having a normal conversation over a cup of coffee.
He looked up at the scrawny boy with the dishevelled mane of hair and narrowed his eyes.

"Why would I believe your word?" Draco battled, not wanting to let out his true feelings. The air between them wasn't thick nor thin, just a happy third party to this turn of events.
Potter stored away a cauldron before replying "Why would I lie?"

Normally, Draco would have responded with something along the lines of Potter wanting attention, but he just looked at him. Really looked at him. The Gryffindor's voice was back to that of exhaustion, his movements drowsy, his eyes jaded. Draco didn't know how to respond. Why couldn't he just say his usual snarky comment and let it be? For some reason he didn't want this to turn into an argument, so keeping his tone steady, he asked "Do you really think Umbridge will attack you?" the events of the first DADA lesson came back to him. He had to admit, he admired Potter's bravery in speaking his mind about a topic that every student silently agreed with him on.

Harry looked up at Draco, slightly surprised that he had responded civilly. He didn't know whether or not he was being sarcastic, but thought to play for the odds. "Who knows?" He let out a dry chuckle, "it's not as if she's the most pleasant peach in the park."

Draco agreed with a snicker.

"Why the ministry isn't allowing us to learn useful spells is beyond me really." Draco let out his exasperation at the current curriculum.

To which Harry instantly identified with, forgetting it was Draco he enthusiastically started ranting. Mid conversation the door opened, "do you want me to extend this detention? No talking. In fact, Malfoy you can come help me in my office." Slightly reluctantly, Draco followed Snape out of the room, leaving Harry pink with embarrassment.

Had he just tried to rant to Draco as if he was Ron? Did him and Draco have a normal conversation without wanting to hex the other?

Fifth year was already taking an odd turn.