The Golden Snitch

Falling feathers

'You seem far away, Draco. Is there something in particular that's bothering you?'

'I'm just confused.'

'Can you tell me what about?'

Draco shrugged. 'Harry, I guess.'

'Do you want to talk about it?'

'There's not anything coherent to say.'

'But sometimes we need to talk about our problems to help disentangle them.'

'I asked him to go to the ball with me, as my partner.'

'Is that a bad thing?'

'What, apart from the fact that I'm a heterosexual bloke, engaged to be married to a woman I've never met, expected to have babies I don't want with her, and continue the pure-blood line of a name I don't care about into the next generation. Only now there's a possibility that I might be able to break the engagement and that thought is such a relief. And I think about him all the time, and I want him to hold me again, like he did that night in my room. And I think about that bloody lip-ring and what it would feel like to kiss against it. And I think I might be in love with him, even though I've never, ever thought about another man in that way in all my life. So now I'm questioning my sexuality, and yes, I'm as confused as a Doxy in a tumble dryer. And this,' he waved his hand vaguely at the room to indicate the therapy, 'this doesn't seem to be helping one iota, in fact, I would say its making things worse. I feel like I'm unravelling.'

*****

For once it was Harry who was woken up by Draco. He couldn't sleep so he came and shook Harry awake at 6am. Harry, who tended to sleep in just his pyjama bottoms noticed the surreptitious glances Draco cast his way as he threw back his covers and wandered towards his ensuite, but he brushed it aside. No matter what Blaise said, Harry ignored all thoughts that there would ever be anything between him and Draco, he was not letting his mind go towards any possibilities. Partly it was stubbornness ever since Draco had questioned his intentions but, really, it was because he knew those sorts of feeling were impossible when it came to Draco Malfoy. And as for the Snow Ball, well, Harry knew full well he'd had only asked because of the pressure from the others combined with his gung-ho reaction to Narcissa's letter.

Draco had decided to wait for him while he got ready; as yet, the entrance to the kitchens was still a mystery for him. Harry glanced back from his bathroom door to see Draco make himself at home as he lounged on the still warm bed and let Ned snuggle into him. He quashed the fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach.

It wasn't long before the two made their way through the front doors to Hogwarts Castle, brooms in hand, having gulped down their coffees and croissants. Harry released the Snitch, he felt Draco deserved another chance, though there wasn't really much prospect of Harry letting him play anything other than Chaser in the match. Draco was, Harry smirked to himself, a far better player in that position, even though there was obviously still disappointment about losing the Seeker position. But the three Chasers had melded well together and Harry felt he had a strong team. He was looking forward to the match.

Once more Harry and Draco took off over the rooftops, they flew over the Quidditch pitch, over the Black Lake, around the Forbidden Forest, and through the valleys between the hills, all the while Harry holding back slightly so Draco could pursue the Snitch. His flying had relaxed incredibly but still the Snitch alluded him and Harry could see he was getting more and more frustrated by his inability to catch it. The Snitch took them back to the island, and once more, hid itself in the low branches of the tree. Draco threw down his broom and strode over to the tree, scowling. He tried several times to snatch it as it flew past him at eyelevel.