Title
: Bruises"Wonder what happened to Malfoy."
"Huh?" Harry was stirring, counting, trying not to think about what had happened last night.
"He's wearing a turtle neck under his robes." Ron grinned. "Must have been busy with Pansy last night."
"Yeah." Harry hoped he hadn't blushed, and that no one had noticed Draco wink at him. "Thirty strokes clockwise. All yours, Ron."
Ron turned pale. "Harry, It was thirty five counter clockwise." The cauldron started boiling over. "Everybody down!"
Snape was covered in goo when he dragged Harry out from under the table. "Potter! Even Longbottom managed to get this right. Are you so completely incompetent you can't make a simple anti-venom?"
Harry sighed. 'Got to get my head out of the clouds. To pull this off, I'll have to be more careful.'
"Clean up this mess, and then see me about your detention." Snape only then noticed the condition of his robes. "And five points from Gryffindor for dying me pink."
*****
Is anyone else worried about Harry?" The seventh year Gryffindors were having an emergency meeting. Ron had discovered Harry missing the third night in a row, and everyone had finally had enough. So, Hermione had gotten everyone up an hour early, and called a war conference.
Seamus blinked sleepily before he spoke. "We're all worried about Harry, but at least he's eating again."
"He melted a cauldron yesterday!" When Neville Longbottom couldn't manage that and Harry Potter could, something was wrong. "And he's stopped casting the wards on his bed, because he gets in so late."
Dean yawned. "You girls don't know how lucky you are. When he starts screaming…"
"Like we can't hear him in the girls dorm!" Hermione broke in. "Look at poor Lavender and Parvati!" The said girls were asleep in front of the fire. "We're not all that far away, you know. I'm starting to thank god for the day Snuffles taught him those wards, but would it kill him to cast them?"
The painting chose that moment to swing open and Harry wandered in, hair and clothes more mussed than usual. "Am I late for breakfast or something?"
Ron jumped to his feet. "Where have you been? Harry, you're one of the most hunted wizards in the world. You could have been lying dead in a ditch somewhere for all we knew!"
Hermione giggled. "Ron, you sound like your mother." She cleared her throat. "Now. Harry, where the hell have you been all night?"
"He's been snogging." Seamus snapped awake. "Look't im, lips all bruised, and his hair's mussed. And what a hickey!"
"I can explain!" Harry tried to fight back Dean, but the other boy got a good look at his neck.
"Definitely snogging. You're in worse shape than Malfoy." Dean let him up.
Hermione just shook her head. "Well, I hope he was cute."
Harry sunk into a chair, and nodded sagely.
"He must be. You've been sailing for days." Ron hated when he worried about Harry. It made him feel old.
"I gotta get some sleep." Harry dragged himself towards the dorms.
"You think him and Kyle got back together?" Seamus bit back a yawn.
"No, Kyle has too much self respect." Hermione looked thoughtful, and grinned wickedly. "I wonder…"
"What?"
"You said it yourself, Dean. He looks just as bad as Malfoy does." Hermione broke out laughing, and everyone joined her.
*****
Harry was late to breakfast, and the entire table was still laughing hysterically. "What did I mess?" Silence. "You guys were talking about me, weren't you?"
"Yeah." Ron wore a grin better suited to Fred or George. "We were discussing your secret affair with Malfoy."
Harry turned as white as a sheet, and croaked, "Affair?"
Ron started laughing again. "Harry, if you could see your face!"
Hermione swatted him. "Ron, behave yourself. I think he's in shock. Harry, are you okay?"
Harry only needed to be slapped once. "Thanks, I needed that."
*****
Draco came back to Hogwarts pale and shaky after a weekend at home. Harry carefully watched him all day, including during Double Potions, because even Snape had realized something was wrong. And then, in the middle of the class, Draco just exploded.
"Are you so thick that you can't even cut up a rat tail correctly?" Draco was on his feet, screaming at Crabbe, shaking as though standing was an effort.
His dimwitted, but not completely brain dead friend knew something other than his bad slicing was up. "Draco, I'll do it again. Just sit down."
"Don't bother, you'd just screw it up! You'd have flunked first year if it wasn't for me!" Draco's voice hit a new high pitch, and the class winced as a collective entity
Snape came towards them. "Mr. Malfoy." He touched Draco's shoulder, and he seemed to crumble as he fell to the dungeon floor. "Draco! Goyle, got get Pomfrey and Dumbledore."
Hermione spoke quietly. "Do you really think you should send him alone, Proffesor?"
Snape growled. "Fine, go with him. Everyone else, out." As they all left, Draco muttered something only Snape caught. "You, Mr. Potter, had better stay. Seems Draco believes you had something to do with this."
End Chapter Three
~ When I look into the mirror, and see a face I don't recognize, I am no longer surprised.
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Author's Note: Conversation in // are Draco remember a past conversation with Lord Voldemort. Also, I am a Slytherine with He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named as her top match. Be warned.