The game and love

8

The week seemed to move quickly after the picnic. So fast in-fact, that Draco felt unprepared for the evening's game, even though the last few days of practice had been longer than usual. He and Harry had driven up to the feild together and were walking the peremeter of the field. "Are you feeling ok?" Harry asked concerned. "You look horrible." Draco smiled. "Thanks. Yeah, I'm always like this on game day." Harry stopped him for a moment. He looked Draco deep in the eyes. "Look, you'll be fine, just remember to watch the islands." Draco nodded and Harry slipped his hand in Draco's and said, "Go play a great game, I'll be watching from right behind the bench." And with that, they parted ways and went to their places where they would both feel the pressures of the game.

Draco dressed in the lockerroom and focused on what Harry said and kept his thoughts away from the game, atleast until he started his warm-up throws. The pressure always started as he watched the other team in their warm-ups. The coach had been his usual quiet self, except to run down the play calls for the first series. Draco looked forward to just starting competition, it was hard leading up to kickoff, but once he had the ball, his nerves settled down.

He smiled when they won the coin toss, ready to go out and score, but the coach opted to kick off first. Draco felt his stomach sink. 'Does this mean he doesn't trust me?' He thought to himself, but quickly pushed that aside and walked the sideline pumping up his offense. "What time is it?!" He asked loudly. "Game time!" came the reply. "What time is it?!" He called again. "Game time!" the players repeated. "Let's do this guys. This game is ours!" He started to go into a speech when the opposing teem fumbled and Goyle recovered the ball. He grinned. "Ok boys, lets go beat these guys." He jammed his helment on and his step seemed a bit lighter than usual as he entered his first huddle.

"Ok, lets go with I right, 45 left. Ready?" "Break!" Draco looked over the the denfense and made his throw selection. "Green 85, Green 85, Set, Hike!" The annoucer followed the play. "Malfoy takes the snap, goes back to throw, makes a pump fake to George weasely, Now goes back to the right and throws to Ron weasely, who makes a tough catch for fifteen yards." The opposing crowd booed and it made Draco smile.

The next huddle radiated excitement. "350, jet smoke. Ready?" "Break!" Draco signaled to Ron and smiled when the defense picked it up. They cheated over Ron's way and did exactly what Snape said. "Malfoy hands to wood, Wood charges the line, breaks through the hole, runs past a first defender and is brought down after a gain of twelve yards. The panthers look out of their element, they bit on the tightend weasely and completely lost the run." The annoncer said, somewhat disgusted.

Draco looked around in the huddle and smiled. "Screen pass?" He asked. The players nodded and Draco called the play, "Z 66, f drag. Ready?" "Break!" Draco was full of confidence as he took the next snap. He placed his hand behind his back and gave Oliver the coverage. "Malfoy back to throw, Wood out of the backfeild, Malfoy drops off the screen to wood and wood goes through the secondary, he's into panther territory with one man to beat, and he does, touchdown Dragons!" Draco pumped his fist in the air and made his way off the field with the weight of the world far from his shoulders.

The denfense held the Panthers to just three points. Draco was on the sidline giving his guys another pep talk. "Ok, I'll yell motown and you guys go deep, Oliver you stay in pass protection and I'll send you at the last minute." As they went out everyone knew what to do so there was no huddle. This shocked the other team who had to hurry up to the line for the snap. "Number 8 Malfoy back to throw, he's got time, the coverage is all over the field, wait a minute, he motions to Wood, Wood comes out and gets the screen and again the panthers are out of position, wppd will score easily as no one could close the gap to catch him and at the end of the first quarter, the Dragons lead 14-3."

The rest of the game went very smooth and ended with a 57-13 score. The Dragons team was still celebrating for ten minutes in the lockerroom when Draco was asked to make a speech. He was only half dressed, so his chiseled chest was shown, nice tight and sexy, a leader's chest. "Tonight we kicked ass!" He said excitedly. "You guys came together and helped everyone win." "Yeah!" some players yelled and smacked Draco on the back. "We have one game in the reaginals. We win that we go on to state." Draco put his hand out. "I want us all to promise to give one-hundred ten percent." Every player placed their hands over Draco's. "Dragons on three, One, two, three." "Dragons!" they yelled together.

"Yo boss, you comin' to the dance?" Goyle asked from the otherside of the lockerroom. Draco flushed a little, the game had made him completely forget about the dance. "Yeah, I'll be there." Draco said, somewhat dejected. Goyle came over to Draco and handed him a football. "Here's your game ball, for having the best game of the season tonight, also, may it bring you some pussy tonight, huh?" Draco smiled in disgust. He couldn't believe he had forgootten the dance. He finished dressing and headed out to where he would meet Harry, who was waiting patiently by Draco's car.

Draco felt sick as he saw Harry's smile. Harry gave him a tight hug and he decided that if this night was going to turn out bad, that he'd start it of in the right mood. "Here have this." Harry looked confused. "It's my game ball, I want you to have it. You helped me win out there tonight, consider it a thank you." Harry smiled as he looked over the ball and then gave Draco a peck on the cheek. If he had looked close enough, he would have seen Draco's saddness. As they rode to the dance, Draco was very silent, when he felt Harry's grasp, he winced as if it was a hot poker.

When they arrived at the dance, Draco had uttered the most painful sentence of his entire life. "We can't really be seen together." He was shocked when Harry didn't respond. He figured on letting the silence be his guide, hoping he wouldn't regret it. Harry decided that he would hang out with Ron and Hermione and Draco would mingle with his football friends.

Ron was very kind to Harry, offering to let him dance with Hermione when his feet got tired. Harry always shook his head, secretly hoping that Draco would come ask him for a dance, he knew that was silly, but he still hoped for it anyway. Ron pulled him into a private place to talk when he noticed Harry was unable to stop staring at Draco, illiciting several strange looks from the football team and even some laughing and pointing.

"You really like him, don't you?" Ron asked over the loud music. Harry nodded a bit nervously. "Well, just be careful, ok? He carries alot on his shoulders, just make sure he doesn't drop you." Harry gave a slightly confused nod, not sure what all Ron meant. 'Maybe there is something that Draco isn't telling me?' Harry thought to himself as he went back over to talk to Hermione. He was trying to get her attention, when he noticed why she was distracted. Draco was dancing a slow song with Pansy Parkinson, the head chearleader. Harry looked on, as it dawned on him what was happening, he felt his eyes burn and he didn't take in another thought before he was out the door and in the parking lot of the school.

Tears streamed down his face, not because he thought Draco disliked him, he just wanted to dance with the one he loved. It hurt, but he knew that it could never happen, no matter how much he cared. He sat on the ground next to Draco's car and pulled his knees to his chest and cried.

"Where's Harry going?" Draco asked Ron and Hermione, who saw that he was clearly worried, so they fought off the need to chew him up. "He saw you dancing with Pansy and took off to the parking lot. Hermione explained calmly. "He looked pretty upset dude." Ron added. Draco cursed himself and looked around, very angry at what happened. "Shit, I better go find him." He bit out and then took of for the parking lot.

Harry was still crying when he heard someone coming, figuring it was Hermione, he yelled through his broken voice. "Please just leave me alone." Draco continued to walk up to him. When he reached the car Harry looked up while yelling. "I said go away!" His eyes fixed on Draco, shocked to see him standing there. "I can't do that." Draco said firmly. "Why?" Harry blinked and fresh tears fell from his eyes. "Because I love you." Harry stared in awe, as if he'd never expected to hear those words.

Harry jumped up and gave Draco a tight hug, still crying, but happier now, "Why all these tears?" Draco asked holding the back of Harry's head in his hand and whispering in his ear. "because, I just wanted a dance with you, and I won't get to have one." He sniffled a bit and Draco smiled into Harry's cheek. "Who says that? Hold on just a minute." Draco went to his car and looked through his CDs. Once he picked one out, he placed it in the player, turned up the volume and extended his hand to Harry. "May I have this dance?" Harry nodded and smiled, as Hoobastank's the reason played around them. They danced in eachother's embrace for several songs, unaware that the dance had ended.

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End chapter 8 A/N Draco will see his dad, and he considers quiting football, what will happen when James finds out? Please review.