Protection (Drarry)

Chapter Fifteen

The next day Harry sent an owl to Professor McGonagall to ask if she could contact the centaurs on his behalf. Apart from asking them if they knew of the stone's whereabouts, neither he nor Malfoy had any idea where to look next for the stone.

They decided to have a break from research, since they were both pretty disheartened from their failure last night. Instead, they went down to the oval after lunch for another blindfold Seekers' Run. This time they were much better at it, and Harry made sure not to be distracted any more by Malfoy's scent.

Malfoy was under the cloak and they had just managed to successfully complete a small spiral when Harry lost track of Malfoy.

"Draco?" he called hesitantly. "Sorry, I've lost you completely."

He heard a small whoosh beside him and tentatively moved his broom forward, but the noise had already disappeared.

"Draco?" he called again.

"Behind you," Malfoy's voice came from just next to his right ear.

Harry jumped and turned around. "How did you do that?" he asked. "You're so quiet."

"Thought I'd step the game up a little," came Malfoy's cocky reply. He sounded as though he were mere inches from Harry. "Unless you don't think you're ready for it?"

Harry grinned. "You wish." He waited for the sound of Malfoy taking off, but it was quiet. There wasn't even any wind to mask the noise. "Draco?" he asked, looking around uselessly.

"Still here," Malfoy said from the same position as before. His voice sounded strained, almost rasping.

"What are you waiting for?" Harry asked. He frowned slightly, wishing he could see why Malfoy had stopped.

He heard Malfoy give a small intake of breath, then something moved softly against his cheek. Like a touch.

Harry felt his stomach flip, and wished vividly that Malfoy wasn't wearing the Invisibility cloak. He couldn't see where Malfoy was looking and it made him feel naked.

Movement down near the oval caught Harry's eye. He turned and frowned. "It's Dave," he said slowly. "What's Dave doing here?"

Malfoy didn't speak. Harry turned and flew down to where Dave was wandering the outskirts of the oval, clearly unable to see them. A rush of air at his right told him Malfoy was next to him. He dismounted, dropped his broom and walked over to Dave, removing the protection spells as he went.

"Dave?" he asked.

Dave smiled and turned. "I thought you might be here," he said, still grinning. "You mentioned the oval yesterday. I thought I might catch you practicing."

"Well, yeah," Harry said, feeling suddenly awkward. He hadn't realised he had told Dave the exact location of the oval. If he hadn't been so unsettled during their conversation he never would have mentioned it.

Harry realised suddenly that Malfoy was still under the cloak. He turned to his right and frowned, but didn't say anything. Malfoy's obvious wariness was making Harry slightly edgy. Turning back to Dave, he realised that Dave still had on the strange expression from yesterday. Again, Harry felt his knees throb in remembered pain, like they had just slammed into a desk he had been trying to jump.

Or trying not to jump. Moody's face flashed into his mind and he remembered where he had seen the expression: in the classroom in fourth year, when they had been practicing the Imperius curse.

He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Dave, but Dave was faster.

Dave sneered, aiming his wand casually at the air next to Harry. "Did I guess correct?" he asked.