Healing

Desperation

After their lessons on Friday, Harry suggested that he and Draco had a rematch of their Seeker Game before dinner in the Great Hall. Once more it attracted the audience of their fellow year eights, but also a number of other students came as they caught wind that the famous Harry Potter was playing out on the pitch.

The golden snitch had already been released and Harry and Draco circled high up, occasionally flying close together to mutter some quiet observation to one another.

'This is why I didn't try out for the Gryffindor team, it's a bloody nightmare, I can't even enjoy my own free time.'

'Ignore them, Harry. They're not exactly doing any harm.'

'Yes, but I just wanted some peace and quiet, not them hurling abuse at you and cheering me on like a hero just for flying the length of the pitch.'

'Let it go. I'm quite used to being portrayed as the villain and you should enjoy their support, it's fun. Come on.'

'So long as they don't do anything stupid.'

'I'm sure it'll be fine. Oh, there it is!' Draco pointed.

'WHERE?' Harry shot off and Draco laughed at his diversion tactic.

Harry flew back, 'if you're going to play dirty, you're gonna have your hands full!'

'Is that a threat or a promise?'

Harry threw him a cheeky grin and flew off to circle the Quidditch posts, leaving Draco flushed by his own distracting thoughts of what Harry might possibly mean by having his hands full.

A flash of gold caught Draco's eye near the stands, almost directly between the two of them. It obviously caught Harry's eye too as the two men flew fast towards it. Harry had mastered a quick right-angled turn far better than Draco as the Snitch shot off across the pitch and then soared up around the perimeter of the stands with Draco hot on the broom-tail of Harry. He urged his broom forward, their speed dizzyingly fast as the flashes of the stands' colours whirred past his eyes. All thoughts were on that little golden ball. He was gaining on Harry and the ball swooped downwards. Harry swerved into his path, blocking him enough to cause him to swerve away so they didn't make contact. He lost sight of the Snitch in the movement and Harry slowed too.

The ball had taken the opportunity to shoot out of sight.

There was a smattering of applause and a few shouts of 'Come on, Harry!' from the stands.

Suddenly Harry darted forward again and Draco, unable to see why, followed close in pursuit. Yes, Harry had seen it and Draco, once more, felt like he was chasing Harry's tail, pushing hard to gain the distance. Harry had the advantage on him but the Snitch was pulling away from both of them and once more it shot out of sight.

'Have you bewitched it to fly faster than usual, you should have had that, Potter.'

'Are we back to surnames, Malfoy?' Harry grinned.

'Only in competition.'

They circled each other briefly, not even looking for the Snitch.

'Don't think I didn't register your blocking move, Potter,' Draco tried to supress a grin. 'I'll have to think of a way to punish you...' he raised an eyebrow, hovering mid-air as the dark-haired man circled around him like a bird of prey honing in on its quarry.

Harry suddenly flew straight at him and just as Draco thought they were going to collide, he turned ninety degrees and stopped so their brooms were nose to tail, their knees brushing against each other. Harry leaned close and whispered, 'I look forward to it,'. The chills ran down Draco's spin, Merlin, he needed a cold shower, even at fifty feet in the air. Harry smirked, his eyes sparkling, then he shot off to the other end of the pitch.