Trading Places

TITLE: Trading Spaces

RATING: R (slash warning m/m)

PAIRING: HG/SS, HP/DM, HP/HG (friendship)

AUTHORS' NOTE: This story takes place in Book 7, much speculation abounds. We've
drawn some ideas from some other wonderful Harry Potter fic (Pawn to Queen, The
Fire and The Rose, Avatar, Artful Facade). We will be updating every two weeks,
possibly with more than one installment, depending on fate and life. Any constructive
criticism is greatly appreciated.

SUMMARY: What do you call a cross between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin? A prefect!
Don't worry, it's not "what would happen in he had been sorted into . . ." Dumbledore
works in mysterious ways as Voldemort grows in power and daring. Other than that?
Shippyness, Snogging, Shagging, Snippy and Snarky! Trust me, it'll all make sense in a
little while.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Badgers shoot a sticky green substance from their bottom wheney aey are startled or angry. It has been said to asphyxiate small dogs. They also mark
their territory in this way.


****************************************************************************************************


Harry sped through the darkened trees, thrilling in the whoosh of air every time
he nearly sideswiped a large oak. After a moment, his seeker senses told him
something was coming up fast behind him.

"You gotta death wish, Potter? Watch out for the trees!"

"What's a matter, Malfoy? Trouble keeping up?"

"With your stupidity? Yeah, that's one arena where you've got me beat!"
Despite the calm sarcasm of his reply, Draco could feel the anger burning beneath his
skin, and he pushed his broom further, until he was parallel with Potter, dodging left
around trees that Harry dodged right. "Where the hell are we going?"

"I don't know!" Harry called, a twinge of laughter in the response. "That
way!" Draco gripped his broom. He didn't think that he'd ever understand Potter.
What kind of lunatic went racing off into the dark forest for no particular reason, at
breakneck speed with no destination? Maybe the same kind that followed lunatics into
the very same forest, he though ruefully. Well, might as well make this interesting.
"Race you there!"

"Where?" Harry did laugh this time, the exhilaration of theed eed
spreading through him.

"I don't know!" Draco called back, feeling a grin cross his lips. "Where
ever we're headed. Unless you can't handle the competition!"

"Yo on on Malfoy!" Harry leaned down into his broom, urging more
speed from it, his carefree grin replaced by a mn dmn determination and confidence.
They began to zoom through the darkness, narrowly ducking branches and avoiding
trunks. Harry fought the urge to cry out in sheer joy as his heart pounded inside his
chest. Soon, there was an openiide ide enough to allow them to fly side-by-side.
Draco shouldheckhecked Harry, nearly sending him into a pine tree, and Harry
obligingly returned the favor.

Harry concentrated on the ground in front of him, trying to coax every
last bit of speed out of the Firebolt. So he didn't see the gnarled oak directly in front of
him, but Draco did. As they continued on, he was about to swerve to the left, when he
realized that Harry wasn't paying attention. "Potter!"

It was clear that he hadn't heard him. Draco spat an expletive into the
night air and pushed his broom closer to Harry's, co up up directly beside him. He
clung to his broom with his legs, and using a combination of balance and strength, he
wrapped an arm around Harry's chest and hauled the stunned boy off his broom, and
onto Draco's, then he turnedrplyrply enough to nearly throw them both off, pulling
Harry closer as he did so to keep him on the broom.

"What the hell--"

"Shut up, Potter. I just saved your sorry arse." He spoke fiercely, his
voice a scant inch from Harry's ear. He lifted the hand on Harry's chest and took hold
of his chin, turning his head so he could see the large tree he had almost plummeted
into headfirst. Harry gasped and Draco snarled, "Now hold on!"

Harry tried to think of a witty comeback, but his mind was too busy
trying to wrap around the fact that Malfoy had just saved his life. In the meantime,
Draco backtracked to the wider area and pulled the broom to a stop. Draco pushed him
off the broom, almost knocking him onto the ground, and gracefully dismounted. He
stood, legs spread, arms crossed and glared at Harry. "What were you doing?"

"Letting a tree succeed where the Dark Lord couldn't?" He replied
cheekily, quickly checking himself over. "Nice reflexes."

"You weren't even paying attention to where you were going." Draco
pointed out, sounding exasperated beyond his last nerve. He barely registered that
Harry had paid him a compliment.

"What do you care?" He snapped. "I would have thought you'd be glad
to be rid of me!"

"Oh yes. I go out for a night patrol with you in the dark woods and come
back with a corpse, and I might as well have 'death-eater-in-training' tattooed on my
forehead." He snarled back. Turning to the side, he took a few deep breaths. Harry
noticed a muscle working in his jaw, as he tried to calm himself. Adrenaline was still
surging through his body, and a twinge of something else. Something like fear, but not
quite.

"And here I thought you just didn't want to lose the race to me." He
replied wryly, in an attempt to break the tension. Suddenly, he remembered why they
were in the woods in the first place. Looking next to the tree, he could see his broom
hovering, seeming a little lost without him. He walked over to it, showing his palm
face up. "Accio Firebolt!" It flew into his waiting hands with bruising force. Mounting,
he turned to Malfoy, "Shall we?"

"Shall we, what?" Draco looked beyond irritated. "I don't know what
you're up to, Potter, but I'm tired of playing in the woods. Why don't you tell me
what's going on?"

"I'm not sure." Harry replied honestly. "But I can hear them again."

"The voices in your head?"
"Snakes." He began to circle above Malfoy's head. "I don't think I've ever heard
a snake shout before."

"Snakes?" Then Draco remembered. Harry was a parseltongue. He had
the sudden urge to ask him to say something in snake-language, but was saved when
Harry's head perked up again.

"Oh no! Not those two!" Harry groaned. Malfoy quirked an eyebrow at
him, and he replied, "It's Snippy and Snarky. From the sound of things, they're about
to be spider food."

Malfoy jumped on his broom and was in the air in a split second, and
though his face was calm, a trace of worry by his eyes betrayed him. "Which way,
Potter?" In response, Harry started forward, Malfoy directly behind them. "Let's fly
above the tree line this time."

Harry looked forward into the labyrinth of trees, and became aware of a
sense of disappointment. He had been looking forward acinacing through them. He
gave himself a mental kick. He had almost died, and all he could think about was
racing Malfoy? The Snakes voices reached him again, and he sped upward over the
tree line, telling himself he would think about this later, before he went to bed.

************

The snakes were in serious trouble. They'd never gotten themselves in this big a
of a predicament despite all of their nefarious plotting. Snarky and Snippy were
pressed back to back, both were coated in a thick covering of webbing. It was almost
like being covered in melted marshmallows, it was so thick. They were blinded and
immobilized but still able to hear the muffled snapping of the hungry spiders' jaws.
There was currently a fight going on among the monsters as to which one would get to
eat them. There wasn't enough to go around because they were barely an appetizer for
a large arachnid appetite.

Snarky narrowed his eyes into smaller slits. "We're not going down like this,
like. . .like shivering ssssocks." He said, referring to their new 'overcoats'.

"Yeah!" Snippy agreed. "We don't put up with this kind of stuff. We're mean-"

"Nasty!"

Snap! Snap! Snap!

"And we're gonna be gobbled down like chocolate frogs!" Snarky said, quaking.

"Pull it together, snake!" Snippy ordered.

"Right. Right. No sense in blubbering. That'll only make us taste better." He
straightened his body as well as he could while covered in webbing. "We'reytheytherins!"

"You bet your sssscales!' Snippy said, sounding like a wild west sheriff. "We're
gonna get through this and then we're gonna annihilate these over-grown bugs!" He
puffed himself up. "They 're ain't room around Hogwarts for the two of us and the
eight million of them." Snippy decided.

"Damn straight!" Snarky added, then he drooped as reality settle in. A vast
army of evil hungry bugs versus two itty bitty snakes. The odds weren't good."Okay,
I'm done being brave. Were the hell is Harry? We need some serious saving."

Snippy knew they needed help too. "If he doesn't get here in time, we are sssso
haunting him. . ."

"Yeah, chains and everything!" Snippy agreed.

"He's coming! I know he is. We were ssssscreaming our heads off! I bet
Voldemort even heard us."

Above them, they heard the swishing of two brooms, fast approaching them.
"Harry!"

"And he brought an enemy!"

*************


Hermione Granger peered into the mirror which was situated over the
ornate sink in the prefect's bathroom. She gave a wide smile, admiring her now
average size teeth. It had been such a relief to have them shrunk by the school nurse.
Every once in a while she felt compelled to check on them just in case they started to
grow by themselves.

She'd been self-conscious about her teeth as long as she could remember.
Hermione used to come home crying because she'd been the butt of yet another joke.
Having a bad set of teeth was minor in the scheme of things but that didn't make it any
less painful. Oddly enough, she had that in common with Professor Snape.

Scary.

Still, she was driven to work on his. . .dental challenge. She couldn't work with
him this closely and not feel empathy for him. Plus, it would make her time in the
potions lab more bearable. Frankly, they were also in close quarters and her nose was
easily offended. So, Hermione's motives weren't purely altruistic but she would still be
doing a service for him and the community as a whole. Bad breath was a menace to
society and. . . snakes, if Harry could be believed.

Hermione knew that Harry and Ron had cast a spell on him and she'd work on
that first. There was a naturally occurring teeth problem as well. Perhaps, she'd bring
in her mother and father on the other tooth problem. They were dentists, after all. Of
course, Harry and Ron cast the spell without consulting her first or she would have
stopped them. Therefore, it would be difficult to find an appropriate counter-spell but
she had faith in her abilities. And Snape did too whether he wanted to admit it or not.

She picked up a bottle of spray-in conditioner and liberally applied it to her
damp hair. She sometimes hated treating her hair with all of these chemicals - extra
conditioners, a relaxer, a shine-booster, and a de-tangler. Not to mention a large
amount of "weaponry" ranging from blow-dryers to straightening irons. The things
women put themselves through! Hermione sometimes missed the wild, free-flowing
hair she used to have. It seemed more, well, her at times. But she knew that her
straight, sleek hairdo was more in fashion. Hmmm. Snape also has a hair problem.
Two things in common with Snape.

Scarier.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She had Snape on the brain for some reason. Her
potions professor was quite the mystery and Hermione had alwaysed ted to solve them.
She knew she'd figure him out sooner or later. She put her supplies into a small carrier,
ordered the lights to go dim, and then exited the room. She walked down the hall
opened her dorm room, expecting to find Crookshanks curled up on the coverlet.
Instead, she found Snape standing by her bedside table, her magically locked journal in
one hand, and a locket Ron had given her for her sixteenth birthday in the other. Inside
the locket were pictures of Ron and Harry. When Snape saw her, his head snapped up
and he looked very angry. . .his usual expression, in other words.

"Professor!" She squeaked, hastily fastening her robe. Ack! Snape had seen her
in her oldest, grungiest and, consequently, most comfortable pajamas. They were a
little shabby and covered in pink 'Hello Kittys'. She almost never wore them around
school but she figured it would be safe because all the other students were still on
vacation. Unbelievable. In her nightclothes in front of Snape. Again.

"Miss Granger, did you and Potter have a good time?" He bit out, tossing her
journal on her bed haphazardly.

She had no idea what he was talking about. "Yes, I did. . .with Harry." She said,
trying to sound vague. Besides, it was true enough. She always did have a good time
with Harry. "W-why do you ask?" Hermione was striving to appear nonchalant and
dignified.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your cheek." He snapped.

"What? Sir, I-"

"Why would you leave school grounds in the middle of the night?!! What
possessed the two of you? Did you to get the urge two have a moonlight stroll through
The Dark Forest? Or maybe you wanted to get better acquainted with the creatures
who do more than bump you in the night. And I'm not talking about Potter." He said
caustically.

"Or maybe I have no idea what you are talking about." Hermione folded her
arms over her chest. He was also accusing her of doing something unseemly with
Harry. Again. "I've been in the bathroom, taking a shower." She pointed to her wet
hair. She was furious now and heedless of the House point total. "By the way, do you
normally visit the bedrooms of female students?"

"Of course not!" Severus answered, actually turning a little red around the ears.
"And I'll be the one asking the questions here." But he stopped speaking and looked
very uncomfortable.

Severus had received a message from Filch that two students had left school
grounds on fast moving broomsticks and that they were headed into the forest. He'd
naturally assumed that it would be Potter and Miss Granger. He thought that the two
of them had taken a detour after his aerial patrol. Infuriated that they would pull a
stunt like this after the previous morning, he had marched right up into the prefect
wing without a thought to propriety.

She put her hann hen her hips. "Well, I'm waiting, *Professor*."

"I was informed that two students had headed into foreforest on brooms-"

"Which would make me an automatic suspect. After all I'm an expert flyer. Best
in my class, actually." She said scathingly. It was well known that she was barely
competent with a broom.

He gave her a sharp look, but did not comment on her sarcasm. He made very
sure to only meet her eyes , lest his gaze settle anywhere inappropriate. Severus
swallowed and decided to take the offensive back. "Of course, I suspected you, this
wouldn't be the first time that Potter decided to take an unscheduled field trip to the
forest." He explained. "And who else would he take with him?"

"Trust me, if Harry's off for a late night liaison, it wouldn't be with me." She
smirked, then added under her breath. "I'm *really* not his type."

Snape wasn't sure what to make of the last comment or the strange expression on
her face. He was definitely missing something here. "I suppose I was a little hasty." He
conceded. She certainly didn't appear to have just been racing through the forest. So,
Miss Granger, who do you think he's out there with?"

"Malfoy." She returned smugly.

"I really don't-" What exactly was she implying? He considered the rumors he
had heard about the blond Slytherin.

"Not for a- I mean, I think they might be racing, or showing off." She frowned.
Maybe she should come up with a legitimate reason for Harry to leave school grounds.
"Or they saw something during the patrol."

"I suppose that's possible."

"So, I was right." She smiled tightly.

"It appears so." Severus spoke but there was thin white line around his mouth.
"Then, you owe me some House points and an apology."

She couldn't miss the spark of grudging admiration in his eyes. "Fine, I
apologize for judging you by your past behavior."

It was a backhanded apology and she knew it. But she could live with that.
He'd acknowledged that he was wrong and that was enough. "I forgive you."

Severus smirked at her. "I'll give you 25 points for expressing your opinion as
well. Just be judicious in it's use."

"Thank you, I will." She couldn't help returning his smirk.

"Why don't you get dressed? I require your assistance in locating Mr. Potter."

"I'd be happy to assist you anytime." She raised an eyebrow. "ver,ver, I
would prefer you not ask for that assistance in my bedroom anymore."

Now, that her temper had coolehe whe was worried about Harry. He certainly
seemed to make a habit of roaming around that forest. She snatched up the clothes,
she'd planned to wear tomorrow which was jeans and a t-shirt. She was wearing her
Muggle attire underneath her wizarding robes until her new Slytherin uniforms were
ready. Her professor continued to stand there, looking at the ceiling. "Ahem." She
cleared her throat. "I need to get dressed."

"Oh, yes, so sorry." He said, sounding like the deceptively nervous Professor
Quirrell for a moment. He toyed nervously with the locket that he still held,
unconsciously fastening and unfastening it.

"Do you think you could put my locket down?" She said with an impish smile.
"Although, if you're really attached to it, I can get you one."

He looked down, astounded to see the small heart-shaped object still in his
hands. He put it down quickly as though it might burn him. He shot her a half-smile.
"Wouldn't match my shoes, anyway."

She tried not to laugh as she remembered his comment not to tell her friends that
he had a sense of humor. Severus turned to go but then stopped at the last moment.
He brought his wand from his side and said. "Apparelez!"

"Woah!" Before she knew what was happening, her clothes had somehow
jumped onto her body and her pajamas were laying folded on the bed. She turned her
amazed eyes up to his. "How did you. . .can you show me. . .cool."

"That's better. Let's go retrieve your little boyfriend, then." His pride in order
once more, Snape turned on his heel and swept out of her room majestically.

"He's not my boyfriend!" She hurried after him.

**********


"Bloody bloody, hell, hell!" Malfoy exclaimed as they hovered above the large
pit of spiders which surrounded two tiny sock-like objects that were obviously Snippy
and Snarky. Harry stared at him. "What? One didn't quite cover it."

"They haven't sensed us yet."

"Good. So, we can turn back around and fly home." Malfoy said, aiming his
broom for Hogwarts. Harry continued to stare. "I'm going to get help, nitwit." He
thought a moment. "And some heavy objects to crush them with."

"You're just going to fly off and leave them here?" Harry asked, incredulous.

"Gee, let me think." He put his hand to his chin in the style of 'The Thinker'
statue. "Hmmm, no, I don't want to die in the spider pit with a couple of candy
thieves."

"But they're your House mascots!" Harry exclaimed.

"Hence, the help." He gave a malicious smile. "But if Griff-Gruff keeps annoying
me, he might find himself in the mix."

"Unbelievable." Harry shook his head. "Well, I'm going after them!"

"Of course you are, Potter. But then, you never could pass up the chance to play
the hero, could you?"

"What would *you* know about being a hero, Malfoy?" With that, Harry aimed
his broom at the forest floor and took off. The hungry spiders got scent of more prey
and clacked their jaws together in anticipation.

Draco hovered there, chewing on his lower lip. He had no desire to tangle with
the spiders but he couldn't let Harry get into the middle of that mess alone. He'd be
eaten and Malfoy would get the blame. "Bugger." He said tightly as he took off to help
Harry. He joined his fellow Seeker who was floating just out of reach of the big bugs.
"So, you got a plan?"

"Yes, one of us distracts them and the other one rescues the snakes."

"Let me guess, *you're* going to distract them, aren't you, hero?"

"Of course." Harry agreed. Then, he raked his eyes disdainfully over the other
young man. "Not all of us are hero material, Malfoy." Harry flew low, inviting the
spiders to attack him while Malfoy flew to the snakes.

Draco bit back an expletive as he reached them. There was a medium size bug
guarding them. "Expelliarmous!" He yelled and the creature flew back four feet. He
swooped in and grabbed the snakes up. They were making muffled noises of joy. The
spider launched itself at him and Malfoy quickly rushed back into the air with the
spider on his back, lest more of them hop on.

Meanwhile, Harry was narrowly evading large legs and webs which were being
shot at him. And it was. . .fun. He was having the time of his life. Moments like these
made him feel truly alive. Whole. As he saw Draco snatch the snakes, he took off after
them.

"Get off me!" Malfoy yelled, trying to dislodge the spider. It caused the broom
to spin wildly. The snakes were nestled inside Malfoy's cloak and were getting seasick
from the continuous upside loops they were doing. The spider sunk its fangs into the
back of his cloak. The snakes made angry noises.

"Expelliarmous!" Harry yelled and the spider went plummeting to the ground.
He caught up with Draco who looked furious.

If Potter was expecting gratitude, he was doomed to disappointment. "I'll be
sending you the mending bill."

"What's wrong? Difficult to be a sex g-" He broke off and turned a marinara-red. "When you're clothes are ripped."

Draco scowled at him. "I don't know what the hell you are talking about but I'm
not sleeping with you just because you saved me." He shook his head and took off for
the castle.

"Hey, Malfoy, wait until you're asked first!" Harry yelled, speeding after him.

He heard the snakes' voices which were carried on the wind. "We need comfort
food! Did you bring us some candy, Harry?"

************

Severus and Hermione were waiting for them when they glided onto school
grounds. The professor held a large torch aloft, it made his hair look as if it had bright
streaks of red in it. Harry thought he resembled a demon.

Malfoy was the first to land. "Professor." He said, by way of greeting.

"And just where have you two been?" Snape drawled, his voice dripped with
loathing.

"Rescuing Snippy and Snarky." Draco said, tossing the snakes on the ground.
He turned to his robe with a disgusted sigh and started picking bits of webbing from it.

"How nice. They're gift wrapped." Severus said dryly. He reached down and
pulled the webbing free. Snippy and Snarky blinked as they're eyes adjusted to the
meager light of the torches. "That still doesn't explain why the two of you left school
grounds without express permission from me or one of the other teachers."

"They were calling out to me and there wasn't time to have a consultation."
Harry defended. "They were about to be eaten!"

The snakes hissed at Snape's feet. "Hey, Death Breath, what's the deal? Aren't
you glad we're back?" Snarky asked.

"You should be, what would Slytherin be without us?" Snippy chimed in, hissing
at his boot heels.

Harry had an amused expression on his face, one he didn't bother to disguise
from hiofesofessor. "What did they say?" Snape demanded.

"They said you're a-"

Hermione interrupted. "Does that really matter right now? Everyone is safe as
houses."

"Who asked you, Hiney?" Snarky snarled. "Somebody's gonna get bit. Get out
the venom kit."

"Yeah, I'm itchin' for a bite!" Snippy yelled.

"Are we about done here? I have webs in unmentionable places." Draco said
with a distracted air.

Everyone ignored him.

"Come on! Bring it on, Death Breath!" , Sn, Snarky backed up. "The fight. . .not
the breath. Because, that's just wrong."

Snippy coiled up. "Yeah, what's up, Smelly? Huh?! WHAT'S UP??" He struck
at Snape's pant leg.

"Save it for the spiders, guys." Harry said in parseltongue.

"Mr. Potter!" Snape said, affronted. "Did you just order that reptile to bite me?"

"Bite you?!" Snarky yelled. "I don't think so. I mean if your breath's smells like
a vomitlybelybean without the sugary goodness. What would your sssskin taste like?"

Snippy shook his head. "Bite you?!" He hopped up on Snape's boot. "Bite me!"
He sputtered. "That's right! Yoard ard me even though you don't understand me.
Bite me, you!"

Into the middle of arguing wizards and snakes, strolled the Hufflepuff badger,
Hazelheart. He ambled to the center of their circle very slowly. He craned his neck up
so that he could see everyone's faces and nearly fell over. "Woaaaaah. . .what's going
on?"

Draco stared down at the fluffy brown badger. "Perfect. This night couldn't get
much worse. I suppose you're here to deposit something sticky and green on my
shoe?"

"Dude. . .sorry about that. It wasn't on purpose. It only happens, like, when I'm
freakin'. Besides, it was, like, three years ago." Hazelheart pondered a profound
thought for a moment. "You shouldn't be, like, so caught up in material possessions
because it gets in the way of the magick, man." He stepped closer. "You know, you're
energy. . .your chi."

"Mmm." Draco said, non-committal. "My magick enjoys expensive footwear.
Those shoes were one of a kind dragonhide." He stepped back. "And keep your
distance from the loafers."

"Haze, how ya doin', buddy?" Snarky said with sudden interest. "Ssssay,
you're not feelin' , I don't know, *angry* , are you?"

"Or jumpy?"Snippy slipped behind him. "Boo!"

The badger shook his head. "Dude, you move soooooooo fast." He sat down.
"Do you have anymore of those bodacious chocolate frogs?"

The snake shook his head. "No, does that make you mad? Cuz, we could take a
little walk in the woods, find a deserving spider or two and--"

"Hazelheart." Snape said wearily. Why couldn't The Founders choose a more
worthy animal?

"Don't you think we should all call it a night?" Hermione asked.

"Miss Granger, I do believe that I am still the professor here, am I not?"

"Yes," Hermione said with only a slight eye roll.

"Very well, then. We all shall retire to our quarters." He looked meaningfully at
Potter. "Alone." He pointed to the snakes. "You two have detention with me. I've no
doubt that Fawkes dumped you out there once more for pilfering Professor
Dumbledore's candy. You two," He said to Draco and Harry, "will lose 25 points each
and will have aerial patrols together from now on." Harry and Draco groaned. "Shall I
make it 50 points each?"

"No, sir." They both grumbled.

"Fine. Be up early tomorrow, I feel a rule quiz coming on." Snape said.

"What about me?" Hazelheart asked.

"You can. . ." Snape broke off with a sneer. "Go to the kitchen. I'm sure your
hungry. Or, perhaps, you could hug a few trees." Snape turned on his heel.
"Goodnight."

"That was soooooo wrong." Hazelheart shook his head.

"Thanks a lot, Potter." Draco snapped, turning and walking out of the area like a
mini-Snape.

Hermione was looking very pleased with herself. "So, what happened?"

"I saved the snakes." Harry muttered to himself. "Fat lot of good it did me." He
looked down at the two snakere hre huddled together on the grass. Despite
everything, they tugged at his heart a little. "Do you guys need anything?"

Snippy leaped into his arms. "Hold me!"

***********

Harry wearily lay down. The snakes were in the next room feasting on an
assortment of chocolate treats he'd gotten from the kitchen. Another day at Hogwarts
had ended and he was left all alone without distractions. Harry always tried to distract
himself. . .with friends, quidditch, and, of course, daydreaming. He'd mastered that last
art while being secreted away in the Dursley's horrible little cupboard. But, his thoughts
were drifting to much more serious matters.

Dangerous things always held an attraction for Harry Potter. Snakes. Talking to
them yielded shivers of distrust and risk. Voldemort. It wasn't that he hadn't grown
up fearing the name that allowed him to say it without pause, as most people thought.
It was the temporary chill that shot through him as he spoke the forbidden. Flying.
Wood said Harry flew as if he knew no fear, performing near impossible dives with
death-defying speed. Wood was wrong. Harry knew fear. It raced alongside him,
breathing tenderly in his ear and touching icy fingertips to every vertebrae in his spine.
He loved it. And it was this love that fueled his need to tangle with things that weren't
quite safe- like Draco Malfoy.

Harry would never admit it to Hermione or Ron, but if he had wanted to, he
could have avoided Malfoy altogether in the past. Mostly, he did. But sometimes,
when life was going too smoothly, when he hadn't been flying, when there was nothing
to sharply highlight how different this life was from his life with the Dursley's, w Har Harry felt too safe, restlessness would overtake him. And then, he would seek Malfoy
out, deliberately provoke him or put himself in the way, daring Malfoy to take him on,
secretly hoping for another chance to duel. He loved the cold fury sparkling in his
chilled eyes, the way malice lurked in the sneer of the Slytherin's mouth, the rawness of
his chest heaving in exhaustion, the challenge of his stance. Harry hated Malfoy, he
really did. But he loved to play with him.

Harry turned over and clutched the covers more tightly to his body. He pictured
Malfoy when he had first met him. Two inches shorter than Harry, pale blond hair
slicked back around a sneering little face. Quite a few changes had taken place since
then. By third year, he had gotten taller than Harry. Fourth year he stopped greasing
his hair and started to let it grow. Fifth and sixth year had seen an even greater change.
Now Malfoy stood as tall as his father, with a shade of Lucius' slim build. Five years as
Slytherin's seeker had added sleek muscles to his lean frame. His hair brushed past his
shoulders as if reaching for his collarbones. During quidditch he pulled it back in a
tight pony-tail but mostly he left it loose to sweep about his face. A face that had
stretched to reveal cut cheekbones, wide set eyes and a fuller mouth.

Hedwig rustled in her cage and he hastened across the room to let her out. She
let out a hoot of recognition when he took her on his arm. He stroked her snowy
feathers and pushed all thoughts of Malfoy from his mind.