Well me oh my, Dumbledore is spelled with an e on the end. It shall be so from this chapter on…but not in any of the first ones because I'm very lazy.

This delightful thing took so long to update because…well because I'm me which for those who know me makes sense but since none of you do (I'm very sure of that, I'm completely internet friendless, I have no desire nor patience for that sort of thing) that comment is rather useless isn't it. I'm feeling rather contrary right now, writing papers for school does that to me. They always come out sarcastic. Anywho…

CHAPTER 5 the chapter where things begin to fall apart (for the author anyway)

Draco Malfoy was sure he was going to go insane.

Blasie would go to his bed one morning not to far from now to wake him up and there he would be, lying there in his night robes gibbering to himself and quietly foaming at the mouth and they'd send him to St. Mungos to a nice white room right next to the one they would put his mother in shortly thereafter and that's where he'd stay for the rest of his life. The Prophet would undoubtedly interview Blaise for his side of the story when he found the last Malfoy and all Blaise would be able to add would be "He was talking about Potter and how he was everywhere, around every corner, following him."

It would be the great mystery of their generation.

The bloody boy was stalking him! Draco was sure of it. Potter was doing it just to fuck with his head, somehow he knew his scent made Draco go weak in the knees so he made sure Draco could almost always smell him but he could never see the blasted savior of the wizarding world! Draco was never certain if he was imagining things. One minute he was sure he just wanted to be near Harry so badly he'd created the scent and the next he was sure that Harry was standing just around that nearest corner and if he just got there quick enough Harry would be there waiting for him, watching him. Sometimes Draco started to speed up before he realized he was doing anything and then he had to stop to terrorize some students and pretend that's what he meant to do.

The whole thing had started out innocently enough. He'd been eating breakfast at his usual time, too early, and concentrating intently on it and not on the fact that most Slytherins were of the idea that he'd become a complete ponce and at some point in the near future he'd probably have to send one or two to the infirmary to prove he was still something to be reckoned with or they'd think he was easy pickings. No Malfoy suffered to be picked on! He stabbed at his eggs viciously and froze as he became aware of being watched.

Flicking his eyes discreetly around the room they fell upon the bright green eyes of one Harry Potter. He was staring unashamedly at him, his face neutral and he didn't touch the food in front of him. When he caught Draco's astonished look his mouth twitched into a smile. Draco nearly fell off his seat and then looked back at his plate. Maybe if he ignored the boy he'd go away.

Draco continued with his food distractedly, glancing up at the black haired boy every so often. Harry wasn't always staring at him, he read from an old tome as well. Draco decided it was time to leave when he found himself becoming jealous of the book for getting so much of Harry's attention.

What had Potter been doing up so early? Draco didn't know and with a little effort he convinced himself he didn't care either. He was pretty good at ignoring how Harry showed up at breakfast early for the next couple of days but when Harry started showing up randomly around the school where Draco 'just happened' to be his mind started going into overdrive. It started coming up with all sorts of theories about Harry's appearances. Most of which were extremely unbelievable.

Boy wonder always showed up in places where it was extremely plausible that he just be there. Except there was that scent following Draco every where!

Potions was a nightmare. Potter's gaze burnt a nearly literal hole in his back, making him hunch in his seat. And since Draco couldn't turn around to look without being totally obvious about it he had to just sit there and squirm. After two days Draco's resistance broke and he leaned over to Blaise.

"Blaise." he hissed.

"Wait." Balise said distractedly, concentrating on adding the bat toenails in at just the right moment.

He dropped them in the concoction with a deep breath and relaxed with it didn't blow up in his face.

"What Draco?"

Of all the people in Slytherin house Blaise Zabini was the one of the only people to stay by Draco's side as he lost favor. Mostly because he'd known Draco since they were very little and thought of him like a brother; annoying a lot and bratty, but he wouldn't desert him because of a little strange behavior.

"Is Potter staring at me?" The blond asked furtively.

"What?" Blaise stared at him incredulously.

Why would Draco care if Potter was staring at him?

"Come on Zabini." Draco snapped. "Is he staring?"

Blaise glanced back carefully. Yes, the Golden Boy was staring at Draco's back intensely. Like he wanted to take Draco apart fiddle around with his insides a bit and piece him back together. When he noticed Blaise's eyes on him he looked between the two boys and then away.

"Yes." Blaise dragged the word out. "Why is Potter staring at you?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Draco demanded. "Potter just started doing it a week ago. Got up early for breakfast to catch me and everything."

Snape was looking at them. Draco turned forward and began mashing his roots with fervor.

"You don't think he's planning something do you?" Blaise speculated.

He absently pulled the roots away from Draco ignoring the blonds glare. He carefully measured out portions and put them in each of their cauldrons. Had he been Gryffindor Snape would have been all over him, but he was a Slytherin so Snape left them alone.

"He's too Gryffindor to plan anything." Draco dismissed the notion with a flick of his head.

Blaise wasn't so easily put off.

"You might want to watch you back anyway Draco, Potter's not always a good two shoes." he warned.

Draco could feel his precious control slipping away from him. He was irrationally furious that Blaise would insinuate that his mate would harm him and behind that bubbled frustration of weeks of strict control as his housemates all had a go at him egged it on. The veela turned on Blaise in a flash.

"Don't you ever-!" with a great effort he stopped himself.

Quivering he turned back to the front and impaled his knife halfway up the blade in the table in an effort to expel the irritating emotions. The class goggled at him.

"Why have you all stopped?" Snape roared. "Get back to your potions before you destroy them! Ten points from Gryffindor."

Draco was immediately forgotten in the rush to grumble of the unfairness of it all. Snape billowed his way over to Draco.

"Are you all right? Do you need to go see Pompfrey?" he murmured.

And that was another thing that was driving the blond nuts. Professor Snape treated him like he was dying, which he was, but the greasy old man wasn't helping any. Draco had no doubt that second Dumbledore had left the infirmary he'd immediately apprised the potions master of the situation. The minute Snape had seen him after Draco had been released he'd pulled the partial veela to the side and told him that no matter who his mate was he would always be there to lend an ear or help in any way . Those hadn't been the exact words but Draco thought that was the gist of it. Snape had then started snarling at Potter who happened to be taking to long to leave his classroom and deducted two points for loitering in the hallways.

Draco reflected as he headed in the opposite direction, so that he didn't kick his head of houses shins, that Snape might have understood anyone except for Potter.

He'd been popping up randomly in the common room ever since making sure Draco was ok and generally being about as much of a mother hen as Severus Snape could be.

"I'm fine sir." Draco muttered.

He actually wasn't lying. He was felling better than he had in weeks. Every Sunday he dutifully went to the infirmary and took his potion. Miraculously, it was helping. Stairs still left him out of breath, but he wasn't dizzy anymore nor was he having problems lifting his backpack.

Snape grunted and swooped away to intimidate Longbottom.

"What was that!" Blaise hissed.

"Nothing."

"It sure didn't look like nothing." Blaise muttered.

Potters gaze still rested between Draco's shoulder blades.

Several days later Draco decided he'd had it. He was sitting in the library minding his own business and Potter strolled in like he hadn't a care in the world, some books tucked under his arm and sat down a couple of table away. Then he stole a glance at Draco. Draco snapped. He slammed his own book down and stalked over to his irritating mate.

"What the hell are you playing out?" he demanded.

Potter squirmed guiltily. Draco swallowed an apology and hardened his glare. Merlin the boy was beautiful. He could just stand there for hours staring at his eyes. Draco mentally shook himself, get yourself together Malfoy! Do you want to be nothing but a simpering slave the rest of your life?

Potter pushed the books he'd been carrying toward him he snapped to attention.

"You left them in the infirmary." he muttered "They're interesting."

And then he left. Draco almost didn't notice he was too busy staring at the books, horrified. He'd forgotten the books the old man left him. In the presence of Harry Potter no less. The boy that couldn't keep his nose out of other peoples business even if you had him at knife point. Harry Potter knew more about being a veela than he did! It was insufferable. Draco snatched the old books up and made for his dorms, where he could hopefully read in peace.

"Oh look who's back." An upstart called as he stepped into the cool green and sliver room.

Fucking stupid children didn't know when to keep their mouths shut. This was turning into the day of "I've had it." He had his wand out and had cursed the fourth year while the imbecile was still fumbling for his wand. The common room went completely silent to watch the episode. Draco glided over to the young man backing him up into the wall. Menace in the hard line of his mouth.

"I'm not quiet sure how you forgot I own you." he murmured. "I own half the people in this room. What possibly made you think you could get away with it forever? You can't, in fact, I seem to recall a certain person at a party involved in some activities that their parents would be very disturbed to hear about. Especially if it was through the Daily Prophet."

Draco watched the boy pale horribly with cold, unfeeling eyes.

"But, I'm feeling lenient at the moment, the curse will wear off in a few days and your secrets safe with me for now. You have one strike against you however and next time there will be consequences. Do you understand me?"

The boy nodded frantically.

"Out loud."

"Yes, I understand Draco."

"Aren't I generous?" Draco smirked cruelly.

"Yes."

"Louder."

"YES, YOU'RE VERY GENEROUS. THANK YOU FOR SPARING ME!"

Several of the older student in the common room exchanged glances. There was the Draco Malfoy they remembered.

Draco left the boy at the wall, sauntering to his room without a backward glance. He paused when he reached his bed and shook himself. Damn, he'd forgotten how good that felt.

END CHAPTER

Actually there's more to this chapter but I'm taking so long to get it out and this seemed like an ok place to stop to I decided to post up what I have. What's it been? Like six months? Oppsies.