"Would you care to explain to me where exactly the door is Potter?"

"How should I know?"

"Oh I don't know! I got the impression you were acquainted with closets. Or was it cupboards?" and was satisfied when he registered the other boys sharp intake of breath. Ha! Direct hit. Draco one, Potter nil.

"What, nothing to say Potter?"

And like every other instance this year Draco watched (or rather listened) as Harry failed to accept the challenge. "Don't worry Malfoy. The door will be back soon enough. And before you ask, the door's locked and no I don't have my wand. You may as well sit down, relax, and wait for someone to find us." It really was no fun if you were playing with someone who kept changing the rules.

"Just wait Potter?"

"Yip. Just wait."

"For someone to find us?"

"Of course! You do remember that we're playing a game here don't you Malfoy? You know, 'Hide and Seek'? This is the hiding part, and now we just have to wait until someone finds us."

"And just how long do you think that will take?"

"Who knows? Hermione said that the last game played at Hogwarts lasted for four days."

"Four days! I can't stay in here for four days! I'll starve, I'll… I'll…"

"Relax Malfoy, I doubt we'll be in here that long. And besides you may not have noticed, but this is a food cupboard. I doubt we'll starve."

Food? A food cupboard on the third floor? "Only at Hogwarts." Hey, I wonder what type of food it is?

"Hey, watch it! That's my foot!"

And that's how quickly it hit home. He was in a room, no, a cupboard, hell, practically a 6 x 4 cell and could barely move without coming into some sort of (unwelcome) contact with Potter.

Urgh! He did not need this.

At all.

He was (essentially) a good kid wasn't he? He should be doing his potions homework, or reading that book he'd mean meaning to read since well, forever, "The Ambition of Slytherins: a Historical Guide of Notable Slytherins and their Achievements." He'd even prefer sleeping to… to this!

He was stuck in a closet with Potter! With Potter of all people! If only it was someone else, anyone else, this could have been enjoyable. It certainly had potential and his mind was quickly engaged in displaying a virtual movie of possible replacements for Potter. Hey, who knew Justin would look so good in leather pants? Four days would just fly by! He might even have suggested a period of extended play. But no, he was stuck in a potentially raunchy situation with Saint Potter. Well, this certainly wasn't going to help his reputation, though Draco surmised it would probably do a thing or two for Potters.

As if reading his thoughts, Potter said "this isn't exactly a picnic for me either Malfoy."

Huh. Thanks for the ego boast. "You should be so lucky to be stuck in a here with me Potter. I'm the one who feels like pulling teeth."

"By all means, don't let me stop you. Just keep the screaming to a minimum."

Argh! Potter could be so infuriating, kinky, but definitely infuriating, his mundane chatter only accentuating the fact that he was in a small enclosed space with absolutely no light by which to see the other person, and he was practically still standing in the same spot since he'd entered the room. His legs were stiff from the lack of movement, and he was feeling oddly self-conscious as if he was on display for Potter. Which was absolutely crazy of course, since Potter couldn't see anything. Using his hands on the back wall for leverage, he carefully maneuvered himself down the wall until he was sitting on the floor, his legs spread out with his left foot touching what felt like Potter's hip. Maybe this wouldn't be such a waste of closet time after all.

"Keep your feet to yourself Malfoy." Or maybe it was.

"Just…just. Shut it Potter. This is unbearable enough as it is. Just do us both a favour and shut up. I don't care if it's for the next four hours or the next four days. Just… argh… don't talk."

"Wow. The rumours were true.

Rumours!? "What rumours?"

"You're not exactly known for your finer points of conversation Malfoy."

"Potter? Are you listening to me? This room is too small for us to get into a fight without doing considerable damage to each other and whatever foodstuffs Hogwarts is stupid enough to store on the third floor. So just don't push me."

"Fine."

"Fine."

And that was half an hour ago and he was currently sitting on the floor with an ache in his back that was threatening to continue the mind-numbing pain to enormous proportions. In direct contradiction to his initial plan of ignoring Potters' presence as much as possible, the combination of the pitch black darkness and general confinement only made everything that much more obvious. Instead of ignoring him, his entire presence seemed to be screaming out for attention and all he could feel, all he could sense, was Potter. Typical. He swore he could actually feel the heat from Potter's body against his leg, radiating upwards until he felt unbearably hot all over. Potter, unlike Draco, had no reservations about moving about and every shift he made either bought him into close physical contact with Draco himself, or he shifted away and Draco felt the loss just as keenly as if Potter was pressed up right against him. Which he wasn't, so he wasn't going to think about it thank you very much. Focus on something else! His breathing! His breathing was just. So. Loud. Draco was sure he could hear it, feel it even where he was sitting, directly across from the younger boy.

"Potter, would you just quit it! Stop breathing so damn loud!"

"Wh… huh?"

From the sounds of it Potter had just woken up (he was sleeping?), and was a bit groggy if his hand on Draco's ankle to steady himself was any indication.

"I said stop breathing so loud. And hands. Off." If I can't touch, you can't touch.

"Oh what? Sorry." And the hand was gone. Draco wasn't sure whether to be relieved or upset at the loss. "And I'm not breathing too loud Malfoy. Stop being a prat."

"You're right. You weren't breathing loud, you were snoring."

"I didn't… I don't snore Malfoy."

"Are you sure about that Potter?" Yay. Back in familiar territory. He could do this. Bait Potter. Get under his skin. And he would stop entertaining what his apparently over-sexed imagination was currently entertaining. He knew for certain that Potter didn't snore, hell if he hadn't spoken and woken him up he wouldn't even have known that the other boy was asleep, but it was generally a sure-fire way to rile someone up. Then again, he was beginning to think that everyone snored! After spending six years (and various sleep-overs) sleeping in the same dorm room as Vin and Greg (and he had never been so happy as when he was made a prefect and finally got his own room) is that a night he didn't have to use a silencing charm to alleviate the noise from someone snoring was a rare and blessed event.

"Completely sure Malfoy. Ron would have told me." He did sound sure too, cocky bastard.

"You're sleeping with Weasley now are you Potter? I thought you'd have better taste than that." He did, that's why he didn't pick you. Shut up!

"In the dorms Malfoy. God, sometimes you can be so gross."

"He's your friend Potter. You're supposed to like him."

"I do."

"Well, then, what's the problem?"

"But, not like that! He's practically my brother." Good to know.

Urgh. This floor was uncomfortable. His back was killing him, not to mention the state his arse was in right now. Yip, definitely time for a change of position.

Draco quickly found out that it was one thing to sit unmoving for over an hour (or at least what he thought was an hour, having absolutely no way of being able to tell the time) and be considerably sore because of said not moving, but it was quite another to actually get up and move around, using the stiff muscles. Standing up he felt, and quite loudly heard, several bones pop. However, the pure pleasure felt from being able to stretch and move his aching muscles actually had him moaning with relief. And he'd completely forgotten whatever it was he'd been discussing with Potter.

"Whatever. Just shift over would you, I'm going to sit down." Because even though standing had been pure pleasure he was beginning to feel slightly dizzy and falling on Potter is not exactly what any sane person would call a good thing. Sanity's probably over-rated anyway.

He heard a soft rustling followed by feet scraping on the floor that he interpreted as Potter shifting over. That's a good boy. Draco turned and cautiously walked towards the wall where the other boy had positioned himself, both hands stretched outwards to stop himself from walking into anything. When his hands met shelves he swung around on the balls of his feet and wedged himself into the tight space between Potter and the wall, his knees drawn up under his chin.

As soon as he leaned back he realised why Potter had been able to fall asleep so quickly. It was, there were no other words for it, absolutely luxurious. There was some sort of sponge mattress recessed into that part of the wall and curled slightly onto the floor so that Draco found not only was his back cushioned against the protruding shelves, but so was his arse. After sitting on the cold stone floor for an hour this was just heaven. Wonderful. He snuggled gratefully back into the mattress, not particularly caring that his continued movement was burying him closer to Harry's body next to him, and Harry certainly wasn't doing anything to stop him.

"It was on one of the top shelves. I bought it down to sit on."

Huh? Oh the mattress. "Right Potter. And you didn't think to tell me?"

"I seem to remember a certain someone telling me to, and I quote, 'shut it'."

"Hmm." Way to go Draco! Did I mention stupidity runs in my family? "And just how long had you been in here before I…"

"Joined me in the cupboard?"

"Not exactly what I was going to say, but yeah."

"About ten minutes or so. I couldn't get out so I just figured I'd wait it out in relative comfort."

"Oh sure. I can see the headlines now, "Boy Who Lived Foiled By Cupboard.""

"You're in here too Malfoy." Good point. "And I'd hardly say foiled. We'll be found eventually. And for the most part I was kind of enjoying the quiet."

"Potter you weren't appreciating the quiet. You were sleeping."

"Whatever Malfoy. You know what I mean."

And surprisingly enough, Draco did. It was hard enough for him to get some alone time, not to mention what it must be for Hogwarts Golden Boy, whose universal popularity was evidently only rivaled by chocolate. Perhaps that's why Dumbledore suggested this ridiculous game in the first place, maybe he was the only one who recognised the strain the other boy must have been under. Perhaps he and Potter weren't too different after all.

"So what do you want to do?"

"What exactly are you suggesting Potter?"

There must have been a slight leer to his voice, or something that would explain Potter's answer. Because he certainly hadn't been thinking that! He hadn't dammit! Well maybe a little, but in Draco's defense Potter had the innuendo-receptivity of a hamster, he certainly wasn't supposed to pick up on it! "What! No Malfoy! God, is that all you think about?"

Oh sure, I'm stuck in a closet with an extremely good-looking boy, and I'm supposed to not be thinking about it. "I'm a seventeen year old boy. Of course that's the only thing I think about."

"Yeah, well, I don't swing… you know, your way."

"My way?" Was that an insult? A faux pah? He likes boys? Oh crap, he really does hate me. Still, if it had been said by anyone else Draco would have thought they sounded adorably flustered. As it was he was starting to get irritated and not a little self-deprecating. "I'm not coming on to you, you prat. I have better taste than that."

"Sure Malfoy, that's why there was that rumour going round about you and Terry Boot. You're all class."

Oh shit! People knew about that? He was absolutely going to kill Terry for blabbing. That is, if he ever got out of the closet in one piece.

"That's right Potter, I am. And you would be so lucky to swing my way." Damn it! Change the subject already. Please.

"Hmm. Forgive me if I chose to disagree."

"Well what exactly were you suggesting then, a rousing game of 'eye spy' in the dark? Or how about exploding snap without the cards, or I know, Wizard's Chess except I seem to have left my chessboard in my other pants. Or we could fall back on the old favourite of mine, truth or dare?" Sarcasm thy name is Draco.