Changed (Drarry)

Chapter 7

Harry laid face down on the cold grass. He heard birds in the distance, but no human being seemed near.

When he opened his eyes, however, he saw one man, his head covered by a hood, standing in a lake with his back turned towards him. Harry got up and approached him, while the cold water soaked his socks.

'Sir?' he asked, 'What is this place?'

The man turned around and threw his hood off.

'Draco?' Harry whispered as the green eyes met the grey, 'Where are we?'

Draco didn't answer him, he merely stepped towards Harry.

'Draco? What are you doing?'

He could feel his breath on his skin.

'I'm sober now,' Draco whispered, and before Harry realised what was going on, Draco had kissed him. Harry froze but didn't push him away.

'Since when do I have a place in your dreams?' the blonde boy whispered against his lips.

Harry sighed, 'I don't know.'

Draco kissed him again, but this time he pulled him down, into the lake. Harry gasped, and Draco opened his mouth, sharing the air in his lungs. They went deeper and deeper until Draco slipped through Harry's fingers.

Harry looked at him in confusion, but his friend gave him one last push before swimming back up.

Harry felt his last breath pass over his lips, and everything went black again.

When Harry woke up, a cold hand was clenched around his heart.

He got up and walked into the small bathroom, containing a sink, a toilet and a shower, which he turned on.

But the water couldn't wash away his thoughts. He remembered how empty the grey eyes had seemed when Draco thrust him away. How easy it had been for him to turn his back on Harry.

'It was only a dream,' he murmured to himself, 'Don't go acting like Trelawney now.'

At breakfast, nearly everyone seemed to be hungover, something Peeves took advantage of by blowing on a big trumpet.

Malfoy was looking pale and deliberately avoided Harry's gaze. Ron and Hermione were talking to each other in hushed voices, though they quickly stopped when Harry sat down.

Ron opened his mouth, but Hermione placed a hand on his arm.

'We're not going to talk?' Ron whispered.

'Let him talk when he wants to,' was her reply, 'It's not our place.'

Harry gave Hermione a grateful look but then focused on the bacon and eggs in front of him.

'So,' Hermione said, 'Luna and Neville are coming back on the express today!'

Draco grinned, 'Do you plan on asking them what we missed?'

Harry laughed, 'I get the feeling nothing can remove your sass.'

Draco looked at his fingers, 'Think again.'

Harry remembered how fragile Draco had been the other night, or had he just imagined that.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered.

Draco grinned again, 'You did the right thing.'

Ron didn't seem to have the ability to be quiet anymore, 'So do drunks speak the truth?'

Draco looked away, though Harry could see his cheeks had turned red.

The next month, everything seemed back to normal. None of Harry's friends mentioned that Saturday again, though Ginny still acted horribly towards him.

'She's worse than I was,' Draco would sometimes mutter, but at least Ginny was stable in the head.

No, the problem that Harry would find the hardest to deal with only appeared in the last week of term.

Professor Snow was ill, and so Cho took over his Defence Against the Dark Arts.

She was ruder to Harry's friends than ever, but when he told her to stop, she gave him her flirty smile, that he loathed even more than the ones Umbridge had given him.

'That will be detention, mister Potter.'

The whole class agreed she punished too much, but at the end of the day, Harry still left for her office.

She was waiting there for him, behind her desk. The way she'd decorated the office filled Harry with disgust, so much looked it like Umbridge's.

She'd placed big vases full of flowers in the room, that was lit by a big, golden chandelier. A cat laid curled up on a couch standing against the wall. Pictures of quidditch teams, muggle celebrities and animals covered the walls. Behind her desk, there was a big photo of Cedric Digory, covered with lipgloss.

'Hello, Harry,' Cho said softly, 'It's good to see you.'

She dropped her cloak, revealing a tight silver dress. It was way too formal and way too short. Harry looked at it once but then focused his gaze upon her face again.

'There's no shame here, Harry,' Cho whispered, 'What happens in my office, stays in my office.'

Harry ignored this, 'What do you want me to do, professor Chang? Lines, cleaning, sorting?'

Cho laughed, 'Oh no, I have my own way of punishment.' She stepped towards him, 'It's been ages, Harry,' she whispered, 'make it up to me.'

Before Harry knew what happened, she'd kissed him. It was not like the kiss from nearly three years ago, in the Room of Requirement. This time, there was more passion in it, more force.

Harry pushed her away. 'I'd really rather do lines,' he said desperately.'

Cho shrugged, 'My room, my rules.' She kissed him again, placing her hand behind his head to stop him from running away. 'You know there's no point running.'

'No,' Harry breathed to her lips, 'but I'm not stupid.'

He bit her bottom lip until he tasted blood, before running out of the office. Cho came after him, ordering him to stop, and soon followed by many students.

Luckily, Harry reached the portrait of the Fat Lady before she could. He whispered the password, careful not to let Cho hear him, and climbed through the portrait hole, before shutting it in her face.

'HARRY POTTER!' he heard her scream, 'COME BACK HERE!'

Harry ran through the shared Common room into his own room, watched by a surprised Draco Malfoy.

Within a minute, he heard a knock on his door.

'Potter?' McGonagall said, 'I think some talking has to be done.'