Warning: Contains Slash - Meaning male/male pairing. Yes, as in Draco/Harry. Don't read it if you don't like it.
Disclaimer: Nooo, I don't own the characters of Harry Potter. This story's based on events and in settings created by J.K. Rowling
A/N: Edited and reposted.
Originally Posted: 12-24-2004
Summary: Draco finds himself obsessing over Harry, and to rid himself of the unwanted infatuation, he casts a spell to visit Harry's dreams, where he can do whatever he wants... but will it be enough? HPDM
In Your Dreams
Chapter One: Welcome Back
Draco Malfoy flung himself into the compartment seat nearest the window, as his friends sat down in the other seats. His closest friends, Blaise Zabini and Millicent Bulstrode sat across from him and directly next to him. Crabbe and Goyle were also in the compartment next to the doors to keep others out.
He swept a hand through his white blond hair, which now fell loosely around his face. They'd arrived at King's Cross early to get a good compartment and Draco couldn't have hoped for school to begin any sooner. With his father in Azkaban summer had been very tedious, and he did not like the fact that the Malfoy name was being dragged through the mud. His mother had finally threatened the reporters to keep away. Their fires were monitored and his friends' parents wouldn't let them visit because of the unwanted attention. Draco was happy to be going to Hogwarts.
"What say you to a game of chess, Draco?" Blaise asked, swinging his lengthy dark brown bangs out of his eyes. Draco smirked.
"In the mood for losing, are you?" The Slytherin rose to the challenge. Millicent watched the two boys coolly while petting her fuzz ball cat.
They took out the wizarding chess set and began moving pieces around. The train gave a lurch as it started moving. They were off to Hogwarts.
"So how was your summer?" Blaise looked up from the board to Millicent.
"My parents took me to Germany." Millicent answered with a purse of her lips. It was code since they couldn't talk freely on the train. Her parents had joined Lord Voldemort.
Draco looked up from the game, "Did you go to Berlin?"
She shook her head. "They just wanted to go around a few sight-seeing areas."
Blaise nodded. "That's good."
Millicent swept back her black hair and smiled at the boy. "What about you Blaise?"
"Never been to Berlin. This summer I stayed home." He looked to Draco, who was now concentrating on his knight destroying a pawn. "It was boring without you. My parents will come to their senses soon."
Draco waved his hand dismissively, though inside he was cursing Blaise's parents for making things unnecessarily harder on him over the summer. "No matter, school's started."
"Speaking of school, d'you reckon we'll have any luck with Quidditch now that Potter's off the team?" Millicent asked.
A collection of groans sounded around the compartment at the mention of Harry Potter. Draco frowned. Potter was one subject he didn't want to think about right now. Not that it mattered much; he seemed to be thinking about him even when he didn't want to. Over the summer, Potter had filled his mind almost daily. The absence of his father as a reminder helped very little. At first, he'd planned excruciating, vile deaths for the Golden Boy…
"He'll probably be reinstated by Dumbledore. Special treatment and all." Blaise's bishop advanced onto his rook.
"EW! Are you talking about Potter already?" The door slid open, revealing Pansy Parkinson in a green button-down shirt and black skirt. A look of disgust and curiosity marred her pug face until her eyes fell on Draco. "Oh Drakie! There you are!"
Couldn't Crabbe and Goyle do anything right? Blaise and Millicent grinned as Draco held back a sneer from the girl, instead smirking. The glare in his eyes cancelled out any nice appearance of the expression.
"Pansy, what do you want?" He gritted his teeth. He honestly couldn't stand the girl anymore. He'd put up with her girly nonsense up to now, but he was done with it. She hung off his arm like flies to a horse.
She smiled. "Nothing. I was looking for a seat." She sat down next to Blaise, still looking at Draco. "Glad I found you guys. I don't know what I would have done if I'd have had to sit with the Gryffindorks at the end of the train."
'Eurgh,' he thought. 'Can't… stand… Pansy…' "Well then, I'll be back." He stood quickly, flashing a smirk to his two friends. "Have fun."
"Oh Drakie, do you need company?" Pansy simpered.
"Stay. I don't an entourage for the loo."
He left Blaise and Millicent with the three idiots and made his way slowly to the back, glad to be away from Pansy, even for a few minutes.
'Wonder what Potter's doing. He's probably holed up with the rest of the Dream Team, having fun.'
Since the beginning of the summer, Draco had spent a lot of time thinking about the black haired boy. From deaths he could suffer, to simply wondering what he was doing, or thinking. Several nights, Draco woke from dreams involving Potter.
He'd never admit it though, and had deemed any thought of Potter as insanity not to be mentioned. He refused to contemplate their meanings. He just wanted to know more about the enemy. His enemy, Potter. Potter the enemy. Not friend… or anything else.
Draco mentally slapped himself. 'Not going there.' He shoved his hands into his pockets, stopping suddenly when he heard laughter from one of the compartments around him. 'The Weasel.'He'd walked to the back of the train already. Draco listened quietly for a few seconds before hearing the Mudblood say Potter's name. Whatever she said after that, Draco didn't hear because he slid open their door.
There Potter sat with his friends, as Draco imagined. All of a sudden he had four pairs of eyes on him from the Weasel, Weaselette, Mudblood and loopy female Ravenclaw. Potter's eyes were out of focus, as he looked through the window.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" spat Weasley, his hand plunging into his pocket where Draco assumed he clutched his wand. Potter focused again, turning to see Draco for the first time.
Draco directed his attention back to the angry redhead. 'Can't he ever shut up?' "One year without the school being infested with redheads, but I doubt that will ever happen at the rate Weasels reproduce."
Weaselette scowled at him, standing up to do something. Weasel sputtered and reddened.
"Shove off, Malfoy." The Mudblood cut in.
"Don't tell me what to do." He leaned against the doorframe and glared at them serenely.
"Malfoy, if you don't want anything, just go back to your compartment." Potter spoke up.
"I want my father back, how about that, Potter?" Draco noticed everyone in the little room looked to the black haired boy who was staring at him. Staring at him? Draco paused. No biting comeback? They looked at each other, confused grey eyes to dulled green. Silent tension filled the compartment. Weasley stupidly opened his mouth out of the corner of his eye so Draco spoke up.
"Prefect meeting. I'm here to remind you." Potter's eyes never left his. Why? Why did he keep staring at him?
Granger stood up quickly. "Oh! Ron! I can't believe we didn't remember it! But with…" She trailed off, glancing at Potter. "I'm sorry Harry, we'll come back as soon as possible." With that, she yanked Weasley, with his mouth still open, out of the room. Lovegood stood and drifted out after them, offering a smile to Potter.
Draco stood at the door still. What the hell? They just walked past him like he didn't exist! Indignance rose inside him and he sneered. Not only that but they had walked out on their leader and left him alone with his arch-nemesis. And what was with Potter?
He'd have to think about what just happened later though; he wasn't exactly lying about the Prefect meeting, which he should also attend. As the blond Slytherin turned to leave, warn fingers slid around his slender wrist, stopping him.
Harry reached his hand out and caught Malfoy's wrist. The teen turned, raising a single eyebrow. Harry briefly wondered if it was in surprise or disgust – he never could really tell.
"I'm sorry, Malfoy." The words that had been burning inside all summer left, taking the small weight off of his heart that had been burdened there.
For a split second, surprise registered on Malfoy's face before he slipped into a sneer. "I don't need your pity Potter."
Harry shook his head slightly. "It's not meant as pity…" He let go of Malfoy's wrist.
The Slytherin he'd been enemies with for five years hesitated before nodding his head, a tight-lipped, thoughtful expression on his face. He turned and left the compartment without another word, leaving Harry alone.
He sat back in his seat, subdued by what he'd just done. He civilly apologized to Malfoy for sending his Death Eater father to prison. Ron'd freak if he found out.
Brushing a hand through his messy black air, Harry looked through the window at the passing green hills. 'It's going to be a long ride,' he thought.
The Great Hall was lit with glowing candles, floating above the tables and the twinkling starts from the ceiling. Students filled the tables of their Houses, noisily chatting and waiting for the First Years to enter.
Draco sat in between Crabbe and Goyle, across from Blaise and Millicent. The two goons were staring at their plates hungrily, laughing at the few jokes Blaise and Millie got in about the Gryffindorks Draco visited earlier on the train.
The blond's grey eyes drifted over to the Trio. During the Prefect meeting, he'd replayed Potter's words over and over in his head, along with the feeling of him holding his wrist. Draco was almost sick with it all. What was Potter playing at then? Was he really sorry? Why? Why did he desperately want to believe him, yet at the same time, beat him into a broken pulp? Why did the idea of hurting him now make his stomach squirm? Why did Harry's words and touch make his stomach squirm in an entirely different way? The questions whirled in Draco's mind, begging to be analyzed, to be answered… a constant staccato beating into his skull.
He watched Potter sit amongst his friends, there physically, but far away mentally. The brunette seemed slightly happy to be back, but sadness shadowed his features. Draco imagined he might look the same. Happy to be there, sad his father had been caught. Happy to be with his fellow Slytherins, sad Harry Potter had refused his hand so long ago.
Draco growled at himself, 'You're dwelling on it again.' He forced his eyes from the Gryffindor table to his friends. He had no reason to be unhappy with his friends. Blaise and Millicent were good to him, Crabbe and Goyle, though oafish, loyal. What did Potter have that they didn't?
He looked back over, pondering that very question, only to find the renewed vivid green eyes staring back. For a split second, there was no one in the room except for them. Draco's stomach fluttered as the myriad of dreams flashed through his mind, all containing a similar moment. He wanted nothing more than to clamp off the streaming thoughts before he gave into his urges to leap over two tables to grab the Gryffindor and have his way with him.
All the questions pounded away at Draco again. What the hell was he doing, dreaming – fantasizing – about Harry fricking Potter?
Luckily, the Weasel chose that moment to lean over and break Potter's gaze as he whispered to him.
"Harry, why is Malfoy starting at you? It's creepy." Ron whispered next to Harry, breaking his concentration on the grey eyes. Harry glanced at him.
"I don't know." He replied. He'd noticed Malfoy looking over early on, without a sneer. Harry thought back to the train when Malfoy had stopped by. He'd seemed different somehow. Sure, he'd been his usual snarky self, but a difference Harry couldn't put his finger on had been there. Harry scratched the back of his head, still thinking, when the doors creaked open and Professor McGonagall strode in carrying the Sorting Hat. The small First Years trouped in behind her, fear, wonder, and curiosity all jumbled on their faces as they looked around. Ron nudged him, pointing out a small group in the back. They were whispering furiously, to each other, half glancing at him simultaneously while the Hat began to sing.
"Oh wonderful," he groaned. Did they have to stare on the first day?
"Ah well mate, they're just First Years." Ron said.
"Are you two going to listen at all this year?" Hermione whispered fiercely.
"It's just the sorting, Hermione. Dumbledore hasn't even stood yet." Ron answered.
"You missed the Sorting Hat's song?" She said, an appalled look on her face.
"Hat… long ago... four houses… should make alliances... lions, snakes, badgers and ravens… strength undivided… war coming… evil… pretty much the same as last year yeah?" Harry quoted. From where, who knows? He was surprised he'd even paid attention to the song at all while watching the First Years.
Hermione and Ron stared at Harry in surprise before Hermione turned in a huff to pay full attention back to the Head Table.
"Bensworth, Beatrice." A small girl sat on the stool.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Blithley, Alexa." The pale black-haired girl from the group of First Years that made a fuss about him took her place.
"Slytherin!"
"Oh great, I almost forgot there'd be more snakes to worry about." Ron groaned. Harry watched the girl sit down at the Slytherin table, not far from Malfoy. What had all the whispering been about then, he wondered.
Gryffindor received its first new student down the list with Zeke Evenstar, a blond boy who reminded Harry of Cedric Diggory. Harry had to concentrate on something else as the boy sat a few seats away, trying hard not to dwell on the dead Hufflepuff.
The list went on until it got to the rest of the little group. Rellik Rykor and Devin Tillithor were also new Slytherins. Rykor had a cool demeanor that was similar to Malfoy, Harry thought. He looked down the Slytherin table from the group of new Slytherins to the blond, to find him looking his way again. Harry glanced away, his cheeks heating with embarrassment again. Malfoy's been looking his way almost all night, was he sprouting an evil lord out of the back of his head or something?
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Professor Dumbledore stated loudly at the Head Table. "I will go over everything after we've all settled and had our fill, so tuck in."
The feast officially started as food appeared on the five tables and everyone began eating. Harry filled his place with the assortment around him and ate. Hermione already had The Standard Book of Spells: Year Six out and was busy reading while eating absently. Ron joined in a loud conversation with Seamus about the Chudley Cannons' playing season.
'Yay me,' He thought. 'No one to talk to.' He swiveled in his seat, looking around the Great Hall. The professors were all in conversation, along with the other tables. He saw Cho Chang sitting with her traitorous friend Marietta from last year, chatting amiably. His stomach turned into a heavy lead, thinking about what happened last year, a frown on his face. He didn't find her as attractive as he had; instead it seemed like she was just another gossipy girl, like Lavender and Parvati. Harry looked down the Gryffindor table where the two girls sat. They were talking about a magazine they held between each other, pointing and arguing.
A First Year leaning forward over his plate broke Harry's gaze. Zeke Evenstar, Harry remembered. He seemed just as alone as Harry, with no one talking to him. Harry resolved to talk to him sometime.
The feast carried on with Harry pushing food around his place until it all disappeared and Dumbledore stood again.
"Now that we are contently full," he started. Crabbe groaned loudly over from the Slytherin table. "I will go over a few things. For starters, I am pleased to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lain Raenyr."
A tall figure with a dark good stood at the left of the Head Table. Some students jumped in surprise. Like them, Harry hadn't even noticed Raenyr's presence until then.
"Wonder what's wrong with him?" Ron muttered to Harry. He didn't reply, concentrating on Raenyr. Though you couldn't see his face, his eyes glowed from under the hood. Purple.
"Why didn't we notice him before?" Hermione wondered aloud to the two of them.
"I'm sure you will all give him a warm welcome and take him seriously in the guidance and knowledge he will be teaching – " Dumbledore continued.
"Unlike Professor Umbridge!" someone shouted bravely from the Ravenclaws.
"Yes, Mr. Boot. I trust you will all be pleased, but take into consideration the urgency of learning all you can. A war is upon us as you all know. As the Sorting Hat sang, we are strongest united. I urge you all to see past House rivalries. Lord Voldemort - " A collection of screams rang out. "Will use this to his advantage."
"That being said, the forest surrounding Hogwarts is forbidden. Mr. Filch has also reminded me to say magic in the halls is prohibited, along with a variety of items, which you may find listed in his office. Quidditch tryouts, for those teams that need replacements, will be held in two weeks. Team captains should see their own Head of House for a specific date."
Gryffindor began clamoring immediately, mostly voicing their opinion on positions and Harry's ban. His face crumpled as he remembered Umbridge's ban and his head sank into his arms.
"Ah… yes. The Educational decrees places last year have been removed." Harry moved his head slightly to look at the professor in hope. Dumbledore smiled and looked at him. "That includes any and all bans."
The Gryffindors erupted in cheers and Ron slapped Harry's back while hisses came from the Slytherins' side.
"Knew he wouldn't let them keep you away mate!"
Harry grinned, despite himself. He'd be able to fly again. Even the toad couldn't keep him out of the air.
"With that all said and done, classes start Monday. If you will all please follow your Prefects to the dormitories now. Goodnight everyone."
Everyone stood, clamoring to leave. Harry followed Ron and Hermione towards the doors, not paying attention to what they were talking about; the First Year Zeke was in front of him. This was as good a time as any other to talk to him, he supposed. He tapped his shoulder, learning forward to talk.
"Zeke, right?" He said to the back of the blond's head.
Zeke turned and looked up at Harry, noticing he's also a Gryffindor. "Yeah?"
"Think you'll enjoy Hogwarts?" They kept walking in the crowd.
"Kind of? I'm not really looking forward to whatever the black-haired guy teaches. He looks…"
"Evil? That's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, and favors the Slytherins. Nasty case of being an arse, really."
Zeke grinned, and Harry noted that he looked much happier than back at the table. "So do you know anybody?"
"No. I sat with some people on the train, but they were sorted into different Houses."
"Well, I'm Harry Potter, so you know me now." He told him. Zeke didn't show any reaction to Harry's name surprising the brunette. It was a first.
"Thanks. Are you a Seventh Year?" Zeke asked as they headed up the stairs behind Hermione, Ron and Neville.
"Sixth – Hey!" He yelled as something hit the back of his head.
Harry turned around, immediately spotting Malfoy's blond hair moving away from the bottom of the stairs. He bent and picked up the wadded paper from the floor.
"What's that?" Zeke asked.
"'S nothing. Probably another joke of… a classmate." Harry trailed off, shoving the paper into his pocket.
Once they arrived to the Fat Lady, Hermione let them in with "Wonsaponatime." Harry parted with Zeke and headed up to his room where Seamus, Dean, and Neville were setting up their things. Harry flopped onto his bed.
"Hey Harry, good summer?" Seamus asked in his Irish lilt.
"Fine. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow; I'm too tired to move. Tell Ron I said g'night." Harry drew his curtains shut without waiting to hear a reply.
He chucked his shoes off and wriggled half-heartedly out of his clothing, letting them fall over the bed's edge. Remembering the trash ball, Harry pulled his robes back up and pulled it out of the pocket. Unwrinkling the paper, Harry read the elegant green script written for him:
We're still going to kick your arse in Quidditch this year.
D
P.S. Glad the ban didn't keep.
A/N: Ta-da. Review please! It's nice for the confidence factor.. so be nice? Nasty reviews are so… nasty.