Cheers, Potter.

Whole and happy and very, very tired.

Harry's POV

It had felt like forever, waiting for the others to go to bed so that I could sneak out to the Astronomy Tower – it was like they knew I wanted them to sod off. In the nicest way possible of course. Only, I knew I'd struggle to come up with a believable excuse as to why I went out every night after curfew, and I never had been very good at lying to my friends, I decided it'd be easier if they simply didn't know.

Just Ron was straggling now, yawning and stretching and just looking generally and all together tired. I didn't want to prompt him to go to bed; I didn't want him to get suspicious even though I'd done so a thousand times before. He'd been acting strangely all day and I had a nagging sensation that he'd noticed my absences, I didn't want to add fuel to the fire. I did admire that about him though, he was determined to stay up with me, even though he look just about ready to drop.

I continued sitting on the sofa, willing him to give up, absentmindedly spelling the open fire to do weird and wonderful things and trying not to look at the clock on the mantle. Time always passes slower when you take notice of it. I glanced at Ron in my periphery, he looked increasingly tired but showed no signs that he had plans to go up to the dorm any time soon.

I made the fire purple, and red and blue and green, I moulded figures from the flames; thestrals, and firecrabs, and trees, and fish and broomsticks. Creativity wasn't my strong suit, so I struggled for new ideas and left it to it's ordinary orange glow and turned my attention to the newspaper on the coffee table.

Ron still wouldn't budge.

I did my best not to seem fidgety but my eagerness to leave made my legs itchy. I found myself laying on my side on the floor, propped on my elbow, then I was sat in an armchair, next my legs were crossed, one moment I had my back on the floor, barely a foot from the fire, the next I was on the sofa sprawled out and wild eyed.

"Okay," Ron finally yawned, "I can't wait up for you anymore, mate, I'm shattered."

I tried not to let the excitement reach my face, but unfortunately, I failed to keep it from my voice, "Really? Okay, no worries, just go to bed, it's fine, I'll be up later. I'm not tired yet, sorry."

Shut up, Harry! I mentally cursed myself.

He slumped up the stairs, his feet scuffing against the floor as he did and once he was out of sight I bounced to my feet, grabbing the Invisibility Cloak from the coffee table as I did, and left the common room as quietly as possible.

~Ж~

"Merlin, it's cold up here," I commented without thought as I climbed the stairs to the tower, which earned me a withering look from the waiting blonde at the top.

"Sometimes I wonder if you are aware that you're a wizard, Harry," he remarked.

I grinned at the fond memory of Hagrid breaking down the Dursleys' door to tell me so, "I still can't believe it sometimes," I replied earnestly as Malfoy cast a warming charm over me.

"I brought blankets," the Slytherin said, producing said blankets and wrapping us together as I hugged him hello. I took a deep breath in, nuzzling into the side of his neck and revelling in the smell of cinnamon and soap.

"How was your day?" I asked, muffled by his skin.

"Odd," he replied, wrapping his arms around me too, "I've been thinking about muggles,"

"For fun or...?" As someone raised by them, I struggled to understand what was so fascinating about muggles. They were ordinary and dull, not half as interesting as the Wizarding World and its wonders.