𝘔𝘺 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘵 | 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺

Chapter 16: Snowy Day

The autumn had flew away like a snitch. And like a snitch, so did the snowflakes float in the wind outside. The OWLs had gone well, except for few students. Some of them were also outside, but not all of them.

Harry watched as - now out of the hospital wing and clearly happier - Seamus and Dean were snowball fighting. Their scarlet cheeks glowed on their skin. A bit later, he saw a group of Hufflepuffs crowding to the same places where the two Gryffindor boys had been. Chelsea was smiling at some others and talking with them. She grinned and bursted out laughing. Harry could hear the laugh. It seemed like a weak laugh, then a cough. She started to cough. All the Hufflepuffs moved their attention to her and hurried out of the sight. Harry sighed and stepped backwards few steps.

"Blimey Harry." he turned around, only to see Ron. "There you are. Let's go, Hermione's waiting." the redhead said and grabbed Harry's gloves.

"Oh okay. I'll get my jacket." Harry said and rushed to get his black jacket. He saw Ron walking out with his rat.

"You're leaving again?" Draco whined, stretching his neck and walking out of the closet near Harry's bed. Harry had discovered that Draco could transform into his human form few times a day for an hour. He nodded and gave Draco a slightly sad smile.

"I'll be back, well of course, but be careful. Anyone could come here who knows the password." he said and put his jacket on. Draco nodded and looked at Harry, slowly a wide smile spread on his face.

"Your hair is a mess, Potter." he snickered. Harry rolled his eyes and looked at Draco's hair. It was easily the same as always, looking perfect.

Harry looked into Draco's eyes. The ice platinum colored eyes. He could drown into them. He had noticed that Draco wasn't anything like he had thought he wouldn've been when he'd turn into his human form.

-----

Harry made his way down to the few Gryffindors who were out in the cold weather. First he caught Fred and George talking intensively about something with the others. Their orange hair peeked under their hats as always.

"Hi, mate!" Ron beamed and threw the gloves at him, smiling. Hermione walked behind him.

"Hey, what's all this?" Harry asked and tilted his head to his right side. Lavender Brown looked up to Harry from the group of Gryffindor girls.

"The Yule Ball is coming!" Lavender screeched and jumped, happily. He shook his head and turned it towards the Gryffindor boys. Colin, Ron, Dennis, Fred and George were talking about something, still very interestingly.

"What's up?" Harry asked, his hair loosely flushing in the blowing cool wind. Then, Dennis Creevey - Colin Creevey's little brother - decided to speak.

"Haven't you heard? A Hufflepuff girl was founded in the Forbidden Forest! Yesterday!" he explained. Harry raised his brow. "I think she was a first year. Was she?" A Hufflepuff, a first year. Chelsea?

"But It's just a rumor Dennis." Hermione patted the younger boy's shoulder. Not even in a second, Fred and George stepped in.

"Talking about rumors-"

"We heard that few students-"

"In here, Hogwarts-"

"Are dating."

"And they're gay." They both said in unison. Harry's eyes widened. What? Who could it be then? He thought about all the people in there. No one in his year was gay, right? He suddenly felt a knot in his stomach, like something was just taken from him. Something inside him.

"Harry? You look pale. You should go inside." he saw Hermione's worried face and in fact he felt a bit cold, so he went inside with Hermione - Ron running after them.

-----

The door made a soft swishing noise and was followed by two sets of footsteps. One set kept walking until Draco knew someone was in the dorms, but the other person took their time getting through the door, their footfalls sounding a little disjointed.

"Draco?" the someone said said in a low voice. Knowing it was Harry, Draco quietly came out of his hiding place and gave the other boy a quick smile.

"Hi, Potter." he said back, but didn't make eye contact anymore. Harry sighed and flopped on his bed. "Any amazing ideas for the curse canceling spell?" Draco asked, leaning on the wall. Harry shook his head.

"I'm cold." he said without thinking. Draco raised his brow.

"Well, I'm sorry I can't change the temperature." he scoffed. That made Harry - surprisingly - giggle. Draco let his face relax and smile a second, but stopped after he'd enjoyed it. "It wasn't even funny, you know." he pointed out. Harry sat up.

"Well I think it was. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm bloody cold and tired." he said and glanced at Draco. He was actually really tired from the all the studying transfiguration and for the OWLs too. Draco's pale pink lips were a bit curled up and his eyes looked softly weird. But Harry liked it. He liked Draco- wait. Could he really fancy Draco?

He slowly laid down to the bed and put the covers on. Draco stared at him as he closed his eyes. In a very short second Draco heard the boy breathing calmly, so he smiled.

He sat down beside the bed and stroked carefully the golden boy's cheek. "Sleep well, Harry."

-----

"Ron. Where did you escort Harry?" Hermione asked as she faced the ginger boy. Ron's facial expression had quickly changed from happy to confused.

"I didn't. Thought you did." Hermione slapped her hand over her forehead.

"Gosh Ronald, he's probably sick! Laying somewhere around here alone!" Hermione dropped her bag and ran up to the boys' dorms.

"Hey! 'Mione girls aren't allowed-" too late. Hermione had just opened the door and gasped.

The sight she saw was; Harry sleeping peacefully, smiling and hugging a ferret. She gasped from relief. Ron stepped in and looked the raven haired boy.

"See, nothing to worry about." he mumbled and then spoke a bit louder, looking at the clock. "And he'll be skipping breakfast again."