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[broken_harry]

Date: August 24, 2000
Time: Afternoon
Location: Hogsmeade
Characters Involved: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy...and OPEN. Yeah, that's right...they've left the house. *shock and gasp*
Rating: Playing it safe with PG-13

Comments

[suicide_blonde_]

Draco was well aware of the fact that Harry wasn't happy about being out of the house. Which Draco found ridiculous because the man had been well on his way to getting better a week ago. And now, because of Granger and her antics, he was just as lost as he'd been when this whole thing between them had started and Draco was trying to be considerate. He really was. But annoyance was seeping through just the slightest bit.

"We're here because you're nearly as pale as I am, you've been inside for so long," Draco shot back, his tone carefully casual. "And we'll go back as soon as you've gotten some exercise. You're getting rather thick around the middle, you know. You've got to stay fit for your legions of fans."

Not, Draco noticed, that very many of them were pestering them today. Which was strange. The last time they'd gone out together, for those Quidditch games, they couldn't find a moment alone unless they were in their box or in their room. They were under a constant barrage of attention and now they were just two blokes out for an afternoon and no one really spared them a glance.

Draco wasn't sure if he liked this or not. On the on hand, he felt rather normal and it was a good feeling. On the other, he felt slightly invisible and that made him uncomfortable. Maybe Harry's nervousness was catching or something because all of a sudden Draco found himself cracking his knuckles and glancing around edgily, his gaze landing on the millionth paper advertising the Hogsmeade Carnival that he'd seen all day.

"That's when we have that exhibition match, isn't it?" Draco said, pointing at the flier and plucking the fag from Harry's lips when he wasn't looking. "You are still playing, aren't you?" he asked, taking a calming drag before handing the cigarette back.

[broken_harry]

"You're a prat..." Harry glanced down at his stomach, not that he could tell much about it from underneath the t-shirt and loose flannel he wore over that. "...And I'm not thick around the middle."

Of course, he ran a hand over his stomach just to be sure.

He raised a brow as the cigarette was pulled from his lips and contemplated telling Draco he should get his own cigarette. They were out in public after all and people might think...something. He didn't get any farther than the half-arsed glare before Draco was talking about the match. He took the cigarette back and looked over the opposite shoulder before taking a drag and exhaling.

"Yeah, I'm playing. No thanks to you...I thought for sure you wouldn't agree to it. See if I use you as back up again."

Harry's eyes shifted to the flier Draco pointed to and he stopped for a moment. With so many of the bloody things around, Harry had yet to really read the fine print.

"Merlin, there's a ball too? How many of these ruddy things can they possibly have? What's that...three so far in the last six months?"

[lioninthegarden]

Katie had gone to the school to make sure that the pitch had all the proper equipment in proper working order. She had to make a note to replace the snitch. She had headed to Hogsmeade, intent on stopping at Honeydukes before returning to London.

Imagine her surprise at seeing her exhibition seekers in the same place at the same time, wonderful! "Harry! Draco!" she called, waving her hand as she crossed the street to greet them.

This was not the Katie that they had tumbled with years before at the Hogwarts Pitch. She had blossomed into a lovely young woman with less of the tomboyish appeal. She was dressed casually, yet professionally as well. The v-neck blouse was a blood red color matched with khaki pants. It was completed with red tennis shoes and brightly colored earrings. Hair pulled half up off her neck, she was definetely not the girl who had had no fear of getting dirty or doing her hair.

"And here I heard rumors that the lot of you had turned into hermits in that huge house of yours. Nice house, by and by." she said with a smile, "I didn't get to tell you on your birthday, but the lot of you have a lovely home and you even throw a smashing party to boot." she added with a chuckle.

"Are you both ready for Sunday's match?"

[suicide_blonde_]

Draco read the flier over Harry's shoulder and winced to himself. The entire thing sounded so . . . common. A bunch of poor, ill-bred witches and wizards flouncing around doing the sorts of things that were below a Malfoy or anyone of any status, really. Draco had signed on for a Quidditch match but he definitely hadn't agreed to anything like this.

Carnival. Pitiful.

But . . . Draco's eyes caught on the word ball and he glanced over at Harry. Harry sounded less than thrilled at the prospect, but at the same time he couldn't dance. Hell, he wouldn't want to get dressed for one let alone show up. Draco could probably convince him to go, though. Maybe . . .

Stop that train of thought right there, Draco insisted, but it was too late.

He was already imagining what it would be like if he and Harry were to go sort of together. On a kind of date. Which was silly. Silly and stupid and ridiculous and the thought wouldn't leave Draco alone.

Luckily he was dragged from the thought by the arrival of the woman whose team Draco happened to be playing on for the Quidditch match. Katie Bell or something, an old Chaser on the Gryffindor team. Draco barely recognized her from the girl she'd been, though he did remember seeing her at the party.

Relieved to have something to think about besides his insane idea of . . . well, of whatever it was, Draco smirked an almost warm smirk and greeted her cordially.

"Not hermits," Draco said. "Slaves to sex, drugs and alcohol. Which is, of course a lie."

He glanced sidelong at Harry and then tucked his tongue into his cheek.

"Of course I'm ready," he added. "I'm going to sweep the floor with Potter. It'll be brilliant."

[broken_harry]

Harry, too, was grateful for the distraction from the idea of the ball...but for entirely different reasons than Draco. In Harry's mind, knowing that McGonagall would sooner skin him alive then let him not attend the blasted ball, had no intention of not going without Draco glued to his side. Of course, the word 'date' never entered his mind. More like 'safety net'. Rumours of any tryst he might be having with the Malfoy scion existed long before anything actually happened. There was already a ground work for denial there. Going alone wasn't an option, especially now after that bloody bachelor's list came out in Witch Weekly. Finding a girl to take as a date...well, people still thought he and Ginny were engaged. The last thing he needed was another fake fiancee.

No, Draco was his best bet and really, misery loved company. The Ferret was going with him whether he wanted to or not. And would be told so later, but first...

Harry glared at the blonde from the corner of his eye. Merlin, why not just send out his own flyers and announce the fact that the rumours were true. His gaze shifted, sheepishly, back to Katie.

"Of course it was a lie. Why wouldn't it be a lie?...Hello, Bel...er...Katie. Nice to see you again. And thank you...for coming to the party and all. Sorry I missed you, there were just so many people there."

Harry's rubbed the back of his neck in his usual nervous habit. The worst part of it was, he knew he was obvious, knew he couldn't lie to save his own hide and Merlin, did he ever want to go hide at home. Of course, Quidditch always served as a fairly decent distraction.

"Don't listen to him, Katie...he knows he's never been able to beat me at Quidditch. I just let him think he can so I can make an even bigger fool of him come Sunday....Oh, but sorry...not to say you're team's going to loose, necessarily. It has been a bit since I've played, actually..."

I'm just going to shut up now.

[lioninthegarden]

Katie just chuckled at the horrible byplay between the two. "Well its not so much who wins. We're all playing for charity, but then again, if we don't win Malfoy, I'll wipe the pitch with you myself." she teased.

She didn't mean it. What was the point in being uber competitive? She just had to beat Oliver and then she would be vindicated in their downturn of the season. She slipped between them and looped her arms with both of theirs, "How about we head to Honeyduke's for a treat and we can all talk about the logistics of the game. Nothing like nostalgia."

"Oh and by the way, I don't suppose that I can weasel..... or ferret as it were, the both of you to serve in Seeker workshops part of the day on Saturday, could I?" she asked with a brillant smile, Cheshire Cat be jealous.

Katie always had angles to getting what she wanted, now she just had better tools to work with.

[suicide_blonde_]

Draco's eyebrows pulled down in a frown at the forwardness of Bell. First the teasing and then the touching. Shooting a look at Harry he glanced down at her and then shrugged in answer to both her suggestion that they go to Honeydukes and that they help out in Seeker workshops.

"Are you sure we should be sharing our secrets with Potter, here?" Draco asked. "We could always ditch him in an alley and talk tactics."

He was only joking of course. The idea of being alone with this girl was slightly frightening. She was just so . . . well, so much different from any of the women Draco was used to dealing with. Girls didn't just touch him so casually unless they were named Pansy or he called them mother. And they were hardly this friendly if they weren't . . . well, it used to be if they weren't Granger. But ever since that bint had gone around the bend friendly was hardly the sort of adjective Draco would use to describe her.

Either way, Bell being so open and friendly was strange and off-putting and Draco would sooner run from her screaming than let Harry leave the pair of them alone.

[broken_harry]

"Sorry, Malfoy, I like Bell here a bit too much to leave her to the likes of you. Slytherins and dark alleys just don't go well together."

Harry glared at Draco over Katie's shoulder and then turned his attention back to Katie - and her request. "I don't know, Katie. I wasn't really planning on going to the Carnival much. And with the match the next day and the ball that night, I think I'm going to have to pass. Need some time to practice a bit. Couldn't have the other team winning on my account."

As they approached Honeydukes, Harry broke away from their little train and held the door open for them both. "Here we are, and I'm sure treats await."

Harry fixed his look on Draco in warning, Be nice or I'll hex you senseless when we get home.

[lioninthegarden]

Katie sulked slightly as she was denied two of the best seekers to help with her workshop, but then again, she wasn't sure how to get the workshops up and running. She worried that the last minute addition. She hummed lightly as she bounced into Honeydukes.

"Oh come on, Harry, it's just a little workshop, just stupor-vising and all that." she chuckled, "You wouldn't even have to be on your broom that much, just giving pointers and such."

She was trying her best to make this game and all things involved with it a success. Her butt was on the line if it flopped badly. She wanted to make a good name for herself and perhaps a hard-earned new tradition for Hogwarts, but it was a lot harder then it had seemed to be at first, but wasn't that the way with all ideas. Wonderfully simple in theory and horribly commplicated in execution?