READ CHAPTER 6 AND 7 AGAIN BEFORE YOU READ THIS! I CHANGED A FEW THINGS AND YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND IF YOU DON'T! Anyway, I'm soooo sorry this is so late. _ So many things have been happening lately. I hope you enjoy. (:

DRACO'S POV

"Password?" The portrait guarding the Slytherin common room and dormitories challenged Draco.

"Timeri," He grumbled. "Not that we need to be feared." The portrait swung open, granting him access.

Draco quickly scanned the common room. Dinner had been over for about an hour, so he fully expected the room to be full. There were just a few certain people Draco did not want to run into.

'Well,' He thought bitterly. 'I would love to run into her with a knife, like she did to me, but that's beside the point.'

He finished his inspection of the room and determined it was safe. He had sunk into his favourite armchair and was about to pull out his Transfiguration homework when he heard it: That annoying laugh followed by that annoying voice, accompanied by another voice. A voice that made Draco want to punch and kick himself until he was bruised and broken on the outside, just like his heart.

Draco looked up towards the door, where four figures had just emerged. Alex and Blaise were first to appear, holding hands. Both were wearing light green sweatshirts with a huge snake shaped like an 'S' on the front. Alex's fiery red hair and dark blue eyes looked really good with the green. Draco probably would've liked her at some point- if she weren't evil, that is.

They were followed closely by the two people Draco had been avoiding. Ana had her hair up in a ponytail and her bangs were cut just above her eyebrows, showing off her green eyes. She was still wearing her school robes, and the green and silver tie complimented her eyes even more.

'Damn her!' Draco shouted in his head, gritting his teeth. Today was turning out to be a really bad day.

Ana was laughing and looking at someone right behind her. Harry. Draco's throat filled with a lump the size of Hagrid. Harry was laughing joyfully at something that had probably happened before they entered. He was wearing a long white shirt with a green vest over it. His green and silver tie was slightly undone, and his jet black hair was sticking up all over the place.

Draco didn't want to talk to any of them, and he didn't want to see Ana's face. He stood up discreetly and gathered his things. He started walking towards the door, fully prepared to go to the library. A tap on his shoulder made him turn around.

"Er..." Harry began. He stood with his hands in his pockets, staring at his feet.

"Yes?" Draco said impatiently. Harry's eyes flickered upward and met Draco's.

"I, uh..." He looked very lost. Draco smirked. He probably hadn't even had anything to say to him.

"Spit it out, Harry," He snapped. "I need to go to the library. I can't get behind on my homework right before Christmas."

Harry's face lit up. "I'll come with you! We can talk- we haven't talked in a long time.

"No thanks," Draco said, forcing himself to keep his expression neutral. "I'm just going to work on homework." Harry's smile slid off of his face and his eyes were on his shoes again.

"I just-" Harry began, but Draco interrupted.

"So if that's all you needed, I'll just be going." He had a conscious feeling that someone was watching them, and he didn't want Harry to start apologising.

Harry sighed, "Yes, that's all."

Draco wanted nothing more than to stay there and talk, but he didn't want Ana or Alex to be around. He didn't even know if he could trust Blaise anymore, and they had been friends since they were eight years old. Granted, he wasn't in the prestigious 'four', but he was always there for Draco. Ana just tore things apart.

Draco watched as Harry walked back to Ana. She smiled at him, but then turned to glare at Draco when she saw how crestfallen Harry was. She hugged him and put her hand through his, but he shook her off and disappeared through the door leading to the dormitory.

Draco sighed and turned towards the door. In six weeks, how had everything gone so wrong?

HARRY'S POV

All Harry wanted to do was ask Draco. It was one simple question, but Draco always got out of talking to him, and Harry never got the chance.

It all started after he and Ana had kissed. He'd turned back to the place he had seen Draco, but Draco had disappeared. Harry searched all over the place- the stands, the grounds, the castle- but he couldn't find him.

Finally, he found him on the Astronomy Tower, sitting on the edge. He had still been in his Quidditch equipment. Harry had tried to talk to him, but Draco just told him he needed to "be alone" for a little while.

And so began the silent treatment.

Every time Harry sat down next to Draco outside of class, he picked up a book or turned away and talked to someone else. In class, if they were in need of partners, Draco would hurry and quickly pair with Theodore, which left Harry with Blaise. If Draco was walking in the corridor and Harry tired to catch up to him, Draco would flat out run until he caught up with another Slytherin. When Harry finally caught up to them, they always looked to be in deep discussion, and Harry had no choice but to walk away.

After a month, Draco finally started talking to him again, but he never smiled or laughed. It felt like they were two strangers meeting for the first time, not best friends.

Harry knew vaguely that it all had something to do with Ana, but he didn't understand how she had any part in it. Draco obviously had never liked her, but to not talk to Harry at all was taking it a little too far.

So, as Harry climbed into bed he realised- the Sorting Hat didn't almost put him into Gryffindor for nothing. He just needed to suck it up and ask him. It was just a simple question. The worst thing Draco could say was 'no.'

Merlin, he hoped Draco didn't say no.

It was now three days before Christmas break began, and Harry still hadn't asked Draco. He had had ample opportunities over the past two days, but he feared what Draco would say. He didn't want to be laughed at.

Draco was his first and only best friend, and Harry was losing him. He imagined it would get worse if he didn't do something soon.

When Harry sank into his chair next to Draco in Transfiguration on Wednesday morning, he ignored everyone else, and stared at Draco. Harry continued to stare, even when he knew that it was bothering him. Draco shifted every few seconds, clearing his throat as he looked over their homework from the previous lesson.

"Would you kindly stop staring at me, Harry?" He finally said, giving up on trying to ignore the stare. Harry faked surprise, inwardly smirking.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" He teased, mimicking Draco's proper manner. Draco sighed and turned to face him.

"Harry, what do you need? You've been staring at me for about ten minutes. So," He smirked, "Unless you find me incredibly handsome, you obviously have something to say."

Harry had enough self-control not to look embarrassed at this comment. He narrowed his eyes at Draco.

"Ha, ha," He said sarcastically. "Very funny. Yes, I have a few things I can think of to say." Harry started slowly taking out his quill and ink, setting them carefully on the table with his parchment and wand.

"Well?" Draco said impatiently. Harry looked over at him again.

"You've been avoiding me." He stated.

"That's not a question." Draco said simply.

"I never said I had a question," Harry shot back. "You asked me if I had something to say, not a question."

Draco opened his mouth, but closed it again quickly. He rolled his eyes and attempted to turn back to his homework, but Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"McGonagall will be here any minute." Harry said as Draco glared at him. "You've been avoiding me- why?"

"I don't like the company you keep around." Draco said defiantly.

"Oh, c'mon, Draco! Ana's not dangerous! Neither is Alex! And Blaise is your best friend!" Harry tried to persuade him.

"No, you are."

"Still," Harry said quickly, his heart lifting considerably when Draco said he was his best friend. "If you were around them more often you'd see!"

"No thanks," Draco said acidly. "I don't think I'd be too welcomed in your club."

"Jack and Ramona always hang out with us, that's not a valid excuse." Harry retorted.

"Not always," Draco said coolly. "Ramona's almost always sucking face with Ron, and I don't even want to know what Jack does with Marcus." Harry was silently confused for a few moments, and then his mouth formed a small 'o' and his eyes went wide.

"You don't mean..." His voice trailed off. Before Draco could respond, McGonagall swept in, silencing them all instantly.

Halfway through the lesson, Draco nudged him. He looked over to him, and Draco nodded towards a piece of parchment on Harry's side of the desk. Harry picked it up and read it quickly.

'Go to the library after dinner- we'll talk there.' Draco's neat handwriting looked up at him. He smiled and nodded, without ever actually looking at Draco.

DRACO'S POV

Draco had been waiting for an hour. He was sitting in the library, pretending to do his homework, but he could only fish through his Potions book so many times. Madam Pince kept walking back and forth past him, sniffing unpleasantly. He could tell she was definitely suspicious, but she couldn't kick him out of the library, could she?

"...can't believe you didn't just ask Professor Snape to help you, Harry. I mean, it's no secret he adores you and Draco." Draco heard whispering coming nearer to the table he was sitting at.

"Listen, Granger-"

"Hermione."

"Yeah- whatever. Hermione, Draco obviously doesn't want to tell me, or he'd have done so already!" Was that Harry and the Gryffindor Mudblood?

"But what if he can't?" Granger whispered exasperatedly. "Harry, he's your best friend. He wants to tell you everything. If he just all of a sudden won't, I think there may be a problem."

'Merlin that girl is smart,' Draco thought as he listened in. '...for her age, that is. And even more considering she's a Mudblood.'

"Well..." Harry sounded like he was thinking. "Right before he got out of the hospital wing, he said that he couldn't tell me. Something about a spell, maybe?"

Granger gasped, "Harry! That must be it! He won't tell you because whoever it is put a spell on him! A very powerful one... It must be someone older and they must know a lot of magic..." Her whispers trailed off as the pair got closer to Draco.

"I'll see you around, Gra- Hermione." Harry said. Draco heard her retreating footsteps and Harry's approaching ones. A few moments later, Harry's head popped out from behind a shelf.

"Smart friend you have there," Draco said without looking up from his Potions essay.

"Listen, Draco-"

"I'm guessing she's not the reason you're an hour late, but..." Draco trailed off. He couldn't say Ana's name, not even in a normal conversation. One of the side effects from Ana's lovely spell, he supposed.

"Draco, I-"

"I don't understand," Draco interrupted, finally looking up at Harry coldly. "Why you spend all this time trying to get my attention and trying to be my friend again, and then you blow me off for your precious girlfriend. I bet she put you up to this, didn't she? You don't even have anything to ask me. Why bother even coming at all?"

"Draco!" Harry looked shocked. "What the hell? I wasn't with Ana for the past hour, I was alone. I've been pacing in front of the library, trying to think of what to say!" Draco felt ashamed. Of course, why would Harry do that to him?

But what about Ana? It was too suspicious.

"Well-" Draco started, but Harry cut him off.

"Gr- Hermione is very smart, and no, she wasn't the reason I was late, once again. I ran into her as she was coming out of here. We started talking about you. About who stabbed you.

"And lastly, yes; I do have something to ask you. Why else would I keep trying to get you alone?" Harry finished, looking at Draco.

"Well, you could be dying to confess your deep, deep attraction to me, and wanting to rip my clothes off, and-"

"Dear Merlin, how did you grow up, watching porn?"

"Porn? What the bloody hell is porn?" Draco asked, confused.

"It's... oh, never mind," said Harry, not wanting to have a discussion about porn, especially with Draco. "We need to talk."

"Isn't that what we're doing?" Draco asked, eyebrows raised.

"No, we're yelling at each other."

"Whispering." Draco pointed out. "If we were yelling, Madam Pince would kick us out." Harry sighed and sat down.

"So, first things first: Jack and Marcus?"

After about two hours of talking, Madam Pince showed up at their table and told them the library would be closing in ten minutes. They began to pack up their bags and put the books they were "studying" back on the shelves.

"Oh," Draco remembered; Harry looked up at him. "What did you want to ask me?"

Harry immediately looked down and started mumbling. Draco could only make out a few words ("No matter...", "Two more days...", "Can wait..."), and smirked.

"What was that, Harry? Do you have something to ask me in the next two days? Before Christmas break? Surely the most convenient and prudent time would be now..."

"Oh, alright!" Harry said irritably. "?" Draco blinked.

"W-What?" He said.

Harry took a deep breath.

"Will you stay here at Hogwarts with me for Christmas?"