Dear Mr. Potter

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Harry did not sleep well that night. He couldn't get comfortable and he was so hot! Draco slept on the other side of the room on a lounge he transfigured from an armchair. Harry got up several times to open the door to the garden. Draco complained that it was October and would shut it again. Finally, at around four in the morning, Harry fell into a restless sleep.

"Hurry, Harry! I refuse to be late because of you!"

Harry threw Draco a mutinous look and stopped in the middle of the hallway. "I'm hungry and tired."

"Of course you are. We missed breakfast because we only got three hours of sleep!" Draco stomped back to Harry. "Now just because you do not function well with lack of sleep because of no practice does not mean you have an excuse for making me late!"

"What practice do you have?" Harry asked skeptically. "And if you're so worried about it, then leave me alone and go away to your precious class!"

Draco gave a very familiar sigh. "No, I am not going to let you wander the halls like a walking target for other big game hunters to corner. And I have practice at less sleep because I am popular and go to a lot of parties and on a lot of dates." Draco picked up Harry's bookbag from where the Gryffindor had dropped it and hitched the strap up on his shoulder next to his own. "Now let's go!"

Harry stayed right where he was and crossed his arms. "What parties? And what dates?"

Draco's head dropped to his chest in exasperation and he took yet another deep calming breath. It was a wonder he hadn't hyperventilated yet. "Parties that were held during the summer or in the other dorms and dates where I would take out a girl or boy and usually end up shagging them if they didn't bore me to death. Now move!"

"You date both boys and girls?" Harry asked, still not moving.

"Yes. Don't you?" Draco stepped closer and Harry moved back a step. Apparently this was what Draco had hoped would happen because he gave a good rendition of a wolf's grin and took another step closer. Again, Harry took another step down the hall, suspiciously in the direction of the classroom.

"I don't date a whole lot," Harry defended. He took another step away from the encroaching Slytherin and towards the classroom door.

"Uh huh," Draco raised an eyebrow. "So, never then?" He stepped closer.

"That's not true! I went out on a date in, well, not this year, but in another," Harry stuttered. He backed another step closer to Draco's destination.

"Yeah? A date? Who'd you take out?"

"I went out with Cho Chang," Harry stated triumphantly.

"That was like fifth year, Harry. Have you dated anyone since then?" He sidled another step closer.

"Well, not so much dates, in that we went out and spent time together..."

"That is the definition of a date, ya know." He moved closer. "So then, what exactly have you done on these not alone type non-outings?" Draco said snidely.

Harry crossed his arms but kept moving slowly backwards. "I just meant that being a mad man's target never left a lot of room for going out to restaurants or something like that. But I have spent some time with girls."

"Just girls?" Draco moved even closer forcing Harry back more.

"I didn't really know that it was okay to look at boys like that," Harry defended.

"But you did look?"

"Well, maybe I did a couple of times... perhaps." Harry bit his lip and looked away.