I stand on the outside looking in

He brushed his hand against his cheek and winced. His Uncle had not been on a good mood when he came home from work and that ended up with a new bruise for Harry to add to his collection. The rain was smattering against the ground but he couldn't care less. He was just glad that he had gotten himself out of there before his Uncle had started to drink. He was always worse when he was drunk. He didn't hit him as much, but when the man was drunk he started to try to touch him, and Harry really preferred the punches before that.

He ran a hand through his shoulder long hair. He had no idea where he should hide out tonight. He hadn't seen Rachel or Matthew for about a week now. He hadn't had the time, between running errands and being a slave, that is. Damn he needed a smoke! He sighed and dug his hand down into his pocket, hoping on finding an old cigarette or possibly some money. He sighed in relief as he fished up a cigarette and a lighter. He found some coins in his pocket too, it wasn't much, but it was enough to make a call.

He drew the hood up over his hair not wanting it to get wet and started to walk towards the phone booth. He sighed as he got some shelter from the rain, it was cold outside and he was already soaked from the small walk between his Uncles house and the phone booth. He picked the phone op from the hook and put the coins in that small hole.

He took a deep drag from the cigarette as he patiently waited on a response in the other side of the line.

"Rachel!" He sighed as she answered. He had been afraid that he just had thrown away the money.

"Rachel it's me, where are you?" He could hear music in the background and she had almost screamed as she had answered his call.

"Harry? Thank god I thought that bastard Uncle of yours had killed you or something. You had everyone worried when you didn't call! Matthew and the guys even thought about coming over, but we figured that if you was, well… alive, they would just make it worse."

"I'm sorry Rachel but they had me doing stuff the whole fucking time. Anyway I've been fine till today, the fucking whale was kind off pissed when he came home. But you didn't answer my question."

"I hate him, you know that right? Anyway hun we're at the pub. You got anywhere to stay tonight?"

"No actually it was cause of that I called."
"Come over here and we'll talk okay? Besides I think the guys need to see you with there own eyes to believe that you're okay!"

"Alright, I'm there in about fifteen minutes! I got to hang up now this fucking machine decided that I'm done talking!"

"Okay love, see yah in fifteen!"

"Yeah!"

He hang the phone back at the hook and sighed before tapping the cigarette with his finger, ash falling from it, before taking another long drag. It would be nice to meet his friends but he had a feeling of that he would have the greatest hangover ever by tomorrow.

---

The music hit his ears and he sighed in relief. He instantly felt at home and could relax. This was his ground. He got a nod from the bartender and he couldn't help but to grin as he saw his friends sitting in the corner. Mathew grinned at him when he spotted Harry and waved him over to them. Rachel was sitting on her usual place next to her bother. Jack was staring at her breast so hard that his eyes would pop out soon. Daniel had obviously spotted someone on the small dance floor because he seemed like he had stopped listening on the conversation a long time ago… and there was kind off running drool from his mouth.

He smacked Jack in the head first and snapped his fingers before Daniel who instantly came back to earth.

"Hey man, long time since you had the decency to call and tell us that you are okay!" Matthew said as Rachel gave him a bear hug. He smiled at her before making a face at Matthew.

"Yeah I know, I'm sorry guys but I haven't been able to get out from that hell hole until now." Daniel sighed and looked at him sharply and Harry felt himself sink into the sofa at the older boys look.

"I'm sorry alright! I just thought that since my dear Uncle hadn't made me his personal punching bad yet for such a long while, I wouldn't do anything to provoke him. It usually just gets ugly when I do!"

The guys sighed and a sudden tension filled their little corner. He ran his hands through his hair and looked at them sharply.

"Now who is going to buy me a beer? I've been a good little boy the whole week and I'm really tired of it." Jack grinned at him before getting up to buy the beer Harry just had ordered and Harry followed the blond with his eyes. Jack was the only one in the room with descent guardians and was the one that always had money in his pocket. He was a year older then Harry and had also been the first one of this little gang that he had met.

Jack had saved him from quite an embarrassing situation three years ago. Harry had been fourteen and his Uncle hadn't allowed him food for a week, and Harry had gotten the brilliant idea that he would steal an apple from the market. The shopkeeper had seen him trying to take it, and Jack had come to his rescue. He had paid for the apple and dragged him home ignoring the embarrassed protest from the younger boy. He simply had told him that while he didn't know how it was so hungry that you felt the need to steel, but he had friends that did know how it was.

"You know, you might have been stupid for not calling us, but you look good." Rachel's voice brought him back to the world and he grinned at her, he couldn't help but to agree. He had pulled his black leather pants on and a read tight t-shirt to that. You could clearly see the muscles that he had gotten after all of that hard labour his relatives made him do.

"I do, don't I!" She simply rolled her eyes and shook her head. He rested his head against the back of the sofa and smiled his thanks to Jack who came back with the beer and sat next to him.

"So what's been going on since, well, last week?" It sound so extremely lame to him that he couldn't help but to laugh. He had been in the pub for about fifteen minutes and he felt better already.

"Not much if you don't count the fact that dad left." Matthew's voice was low and Harry whipped his head around to look at the siblings. Rachel was staring down at her hands and Matthew took a sip of the beer he had in his hand.

"What? When?"

"This Tuesday, he just came in to the living room and took some of the money he hasn't drank up yet and walked out from the apartment with all his clothes. Not even a goodbye."

Rachel leaned against his bothers shoulder and even though she never would admit it, it pained her to have to confess that her father was such an asshole. It wasn't so much the fact that he had left them that hurt her, he knew this 'cause he knew her, even though it hurt her some, he had been all they got since their mother died, it was the fact that she had to admit that her father was so cold and cared for them so little, that he just walked away without even saying goodbye to his children.

"Okay, that's it. Our guardians are official assholes the whole lot of them. Well except Jack's parents." He gave Jack a grin and allowed his gaze to drop on Daniel. He raised an eyebrow and took a mouthful of his beer.

"So what about you then? Got any news for me, where's Zandra for example." Zandra and Daniel had been dating for the last two years and they were hardly ever seen without each other. Harry and Matthew had been the only one that had been told a week later about the fact that he and Zandra was having problems. Serious problems. Zan had always been a smart girl but she attracted problems. It was how Daniel had met her to begin with. He had gotten in to a street fight with the guy she was seeing then, and of some odd reason, they ended up together. All Harry knew was that Dan and Zandra had left after the fight together, and two days after they were inseparable. Last week Dan had told him and Matthew that she had gotten herself addicted. Not to cigarettes or alcohol, no she had gone and got her self hooked up on some shit drug. And the thing was she wanted Dan to take the drugs with her. Daniel hadn't even hesitated when he had said no, and nothing she could say got him to change his mind. Dan had told them about how he tried to get her to understand what that shit did to her, but she was to far gone to listen at him and had smashed a lamp in his head when he told her that they where going to her parents. The bump on Daniel's head had been horrible.

"We broke up, she went completely nuts. I told her that I didn't want her anyway near me, but I doubt that she heard me, she was so fucking high that she saw small pink elephants dancing in her living room." Harry sighed and drank up the liquid that was left in his beer bottle and announced.

"That's it! We're getting so wasted to night!" The others laughed and finished their bottles and Jack and Matthew stood up to get another round.

"Ey!" Harry called after them. "Keep a tab on me alright? I'll pay you back!" Matthew simply shook his head and walk away to the bar. Rachel let out a laugh and threw her long blond hair back.

"When will you learn my unofficial brother? Your money is no good with us, you're family, and family helps each other." He smiled at her but his eyes gave him away and he knew that she saw it. Damn she knew him too good.

"I know that you hate taking things, but the thing is, it's not like you're pushing your self on us or something. Now get over your fucking pride and have some fun." Her blue eyes glittered with mischief and he grinned.'

"So what did you have in mind for your dear brother?" She grinned at him and waved Daniel over to them. Daniel saw the looks in their eyes and raised his eyebrows.

"What are you to up to this time?" Daniel tried, he really did try to sound serious, but it just didn't work when it came to these to.

"Well you see, I think that my dear brother is in desperately need of getting laid." Harry looked up at Rachel and sighed heavily.

"He and I both!" Harry exclaimed and Daniel let out a laugh and shook his head.
"Oh come on, it can't be that long a go since you last…" His voice trailed of when he say the glare he got from Harry.

"A month!" Rachel looked at him in disbelief and soon she a smirk appeared at her face. Daniel simply shook his head, refusing to believe the other boy.

"Oh come on, what about that blond you left with last week?" He shook his head in a negate response.

Daniel blinked once, twice and then ran a hand threw his short black hair.

"Okay, so your brother and Harry here really needs to get laid, one realizes it, one doesn't, what do we do about your brother?" Rachel grinned and shrugged her shoulders. "I just thought we get him really wasted and find him some pretty little redhead or something."

Harry raised his eyebrows and laughed out loud. "That's your big evil plan?"

A nod in confirmation from Rachel got the two guys in front off her to start laughing again.

"That's so easy that it even might work!" came from Daniel who tried o catch his breath again.

"What have you three cooked up now?" Matthew's voice hit their ears and Harry couldn't look at Daniel without wanting to laugh.

"Oh nothing my kind sir, that you think so low of us." Daniel was completely serious as he said it and it was that that caused Rachel and Harry to start to laugh again. Jack and Matthew shared a look and simply put the beer bottles down on the table. They both knew that one of them was going to be the victim tonight, now they just needed to figure out whom.

"So who is going to have to watch out?" Jack said totally without discretion

"You shouldn't have to worry too much, its Harry's case that's the scariest one. You two remembered that gorgeous blond he left with last week?" Daniel started and pause to see if the other two males in there little gang remembered. When he got nods from both of them he looked at Harry and sighed deeply.

"This one hasn't gotten a fuck for a month." Jack who had taken a sip of the beer almost looked like he would choke.

"Are you saying that you went out with that babe and didn't do her?" Jack exclaimed disbelief pasted on his face.

"Yeah, more or less." Harry admitted with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry my kind sirs 'cause I have committed a sin!" He took a deep drink of the beer and the guys grinned at him.

"Were glad that you see the wrong in your actions. You're forgiven!"

Rachel rolled her eyes and allowed her eyes to scan the room for someone to hook her brother up with.

"You know." She said. "Sometimes I wonder why I spend time with you guys. You're fucking Neanderthals."

"No my dear sister, where guys, that's the difference!" She shook her head and pulled her hair into a ponytail. "There's a difference?" She ginned at them before standing up and walking over to the toilet, hearing the guys chatter.

---

He was distracted and he knew that Rachel saw it. He hated that she knew him so fucking good, but it didn't matter. She would just tell him to go up there and do what he always did. He just had a feeling of that he hadn't had enough alcohol to deal with this yet. He forced himself back to the world of the living and laughed with his friends.

He couldn't help but to smile. He felt good. Yes the amount alcohol may have something to do with the warmth that was spreading through his body very fast, but it wasn't just that. He was home, he was with family and it felt good. He looked at Rachel for a while before he grinned and stood up.

"Dance with me fair lady?" She smiled at him and stood.

"But of course." He went over to the juke box and changed the song to something with a little more speed. He twirled her around and she laughed at him. The guys whistle at them from their table and nether of them could help but the roll their eyes at there friends childish behaviour. But that was the thing with these nights out. They could act childish, besides, if they hadn't the right to behave like children once in a while, then no one had.

"So who have you been staring at the whole night?" The questions seemed innocent, but he knew better, he knew her.

"Like you haven't figured it out already!" She grinned at him but shook her head as he spun her around once again.

"Actually I haven't! Now spill, who?" He looked at her for a while before catching her in his arms as she spun around at the floor for awhile.

"You see the guy sitting by the bar?" She nodded. "Him." She raised her eyebrows and then broke down into a grin.

"I knew it! Of course you would be into tall dark and mysterious!" The song ended and they walked back over to their table.

"I'm so not, it's just something about him…" Her sceptical expression and the smirk that soon was pasted on her face instead of the earlier expression got him to realize that she had walked right into her trap.

"Okay, so maybe I'm into tall dark and mysterious, but if you tell the guys, Sis, your dead!"

"Okay!" They threw themselves onto the sofas and Harry went back to staring at the guy by the bar, it was then he realized that his unofficial sister wasn't going to let him get of the hook.

"Did you know guys that Harry's into tall dark and mystic men?" A pause and then their corner was filled with pleads. "Harry, Harry I'm sorry, god I'm sorry, please, please stop tickling me."

---

"See that girl over there?" Harry asked Daniel doing a gesture with his head to a blond girl that was sitting in the corner all alone. Matthew and Rachel was arguing over some small shit as usual and Harry took this opportunity to develop a plan with Daniel on how to get Matthew over there, if it was even possible.

"You think we can convince Matt to at least try? I think Rachel was right for a change, I think he needs to get laid. He's all stiff and boring. He had like what two beers and his excuse is that he doesn't want to get too pissed by tomorrow. What is up with that?" Daniel shook his head and sighed.

"He's been like that since their old man left. But I think we'll manage to get him over there. Now back to you!"

"What about me?" Jack was now trying to lift Rachel away from her brother, their fight had obviously started to get physical.

"Oh come on, we both know that Rachel didn't just said that about tall dark and mystic 'cause she hadn't picked on you for a while. Who is it that I've missed looked?" Harry sighed and drowned the last of the liquid in the bottle he had had in his hand. "Come on Dan, let it go, do you guys get a kick of embarrassing me?"

Daniel grinned and nodded. "Well, yeah! But this time it's different, you obvious needs to get laid almost as much as Matthew." He paused to grin even wider. "And besides you've spaced out to your own little world quite a lot the last hour. Who is it that's caught ickle Harry's attention?" Dan smirked at him and ruffled Harry's hair, but not without getting smacked on top of his head. The older boy rubbed his head and muttered. "Now I'm going to get a bump that wasn't very nice Harry!"

Harry waved him away but Daniel wouldn't drop it that easy.

"If you don't tell me my dear Harry, I'll ask Rachel, and I think she's wasted enough to tell me without second thought!" Harry looked up at Dan with a glare but sighed frustrated.

"All right, all right I surrender. He was sitting by the bar for a couple of minutes ago, I think he left though."

"And you're just going to let him?" Came Daniel's response and Harry just glared at him.
"I'm not going to run out after some dude I don't even know, and make a completely foul of myself. Let's just concentrate on getting Matthew to go over to that chick over there, and break the fight up between those to. Rachel is going to rip Matt's eyes out soon."

Daniel sighed but let the subject lay, but that didn't mean that he had dropped it.

---

Harry smiled as his friends that where happily dancing on the small dace floor. He had refused to go up and dance again, especially since Jack was up there. The last time he had danced with Jack it had ended up in catastrophe. Instead he simply sat there watching there friends and who Daniel and Rachel tried to get Matthew to go over to the blond girl Harry had pointed out for Dan earlier. He took a sip of his beer and sighed relaxed. He had lost count for a long time ago on which beer he was, he didn't really care though. He allowed his gaze to fly over the room and he suddenly stopped on a figure that now sat in a corner with another man. So his tall dark and mysterious mystery hadn't left anyway. The man looked up and for a second their gazes met before Harry looked away all the sudden felling very warm and… fuzzy.

He mentally slapped himself. What the fuck was he doing? He groaned an allowed his eyes to rest on Jack instead. Jack was hardly bad looking, quite the opposite actually and Harry had many, many times like this, grieved over the fact that the blond young man was completely straight. Jack stopped dancing for a second, lifted his eyes away from Rachel's moving body and grinned at him as he saw Harry watching his every movement. He shook his ass a little and let a laugh and gave him a look that just screamed; "Sorry mate, but I'm as straight as ever!"

He laughed a little and smiled at Jack that started to dance with Rachel again. He cast a look on Matthew and sighed frustrated. Rachel had obvious given up trying to get Matthew to go over to the blond and Dan was desperately still trying. He looked around, realizing that he could no longer find the blond where she had stood before. He gazed around the room finally finding her – at the table where the guy Harry had seen at the bar sat.

He bit his lip before standing up and walking over to the dance floor. Rachel smiled at him but he simply grabbed Matthew in his t-shirt. Fuck he really couldn't believe that he was about to do this. He really shouldn't drink. Alcohol made him do stupid things, like this. But god the man was gorgeous, and he could always blame it on that Matthew needed to get laid. It was always easy to blame stuff on his unofficial twin.

"You're coming with me!" Dan simply smirked at Matthew as Harry dragged Matt over the floor and towards the table the blond sat at.

He watched as they stopped at the table and Rachel tapped him on the shoulder.

"See that guy sitting next to that other guy that's sitting next to the blond?" Dan nodded, amused. "That's Harry's eye candy for tonight!" Daniel shot his eyebrows up and Rachel simply nodded before going back to dance with Jack. This was going to be fun. Daniel went back to their table and sank down in the sofa, grabbing Harry's half finished beer.

---

"You'll have to excuse me for interrupting, but my friend over here hasn't been able to quite staring on your legs for the last hour and it's been driving me insane." The blond woman bit her lip, clearly trying to keep herself from laughing. "So if please dance with him once so I'll don't have to keep hearing him moan about you, you see you would do him a major favour 'cause I'm going to strangle him soon." She laughed and Matthew glared at Harry, he'd pissed his brother of, well, at least he had done something right to night.

"I'll dance with him." She said grinning before standing up, leaving her handbag with the two men. She blinked to the black haired one, the one that Harry had been staring at the whole evening and laughed.

"Don't wait up dear brother." She grabbed Matthew hand and Mathew allowed her the lead him on to the dance floor – grinning. Harry shook his head amused and couldn't help but to exclaim.

"Mission accomplished."

---

"You're bloody unbelievable Harry Potter, did you know that?!" Rachel stared irritated on him as she came back from her dance with Jack. He simply raised his eyebrows and took a mouthful of beer.

"Oh?" Stupid move Potter, this only makes her more irritated and you know it.

"Yes! Why didn't you ask him to dance while you where there or… or, I don't know, but why didn't you do anything? Do I have to drag you over there just like you did with Matt? It worked for him." Well the last part was true, Matthew had come back from his dance grinning like a fool, taken his jacket and waved goodbye to them.
"Oh come on, back of Rachel. He's probably as straight as a man can come anyway. Just like Jack here, it just my luck you know." He couldn't help but to grin at the last part.

"Gah, why don't you just take a bloody chance for once?"

'Because I'm afraid of the out come.'

"Just leave it Rachel." She sighed but finally gave up and Harry allowed himself to sink down further into the sofa. He looked up at the clock that hanged over the bar and sighed. She was two soon, and the pub would close. Daniel obvious saw the same thing. He stretched and sighed.
"We probably should get going, they close the pub in half an hour."

Harry shut the conversation between his three friends and barley noticed them standing up and putting there clothes on.

"Harry? You coming?"
"Huh?" He snapped out from his own little world and looked up at his friends that were patiently waiting.
"Where leaving, you're coming?"
"Nah, I'll stay. I'll just walk around till five or something and then I'll sneak inside to the house again." Daniel watched him with worry sprawled over his face.

"You sure? We're crashing at my place." Harry nodded somewhat distracted, prison of his own thought.

"Okay… but if you change your mind you know where to find us. Call tomorrow, so we know that you're alright."

"I'll be fine Dan, I promise, I need so sober up anyway, but I'll call tomorrow, I promise!" Daniel nodded and he received a hug from Rachel and the three of them walked hesitantly out from the pub. He sighed and took in how quiet and empty it felt al the sudden, the only thing he could here was some small chattering from the various people that still was in the pub, and the joke box playing 'I was made for loving you' by Kiss on a low volume.

"So your friends left? Finally!" Harry looked up only to see the dark haired man sit in front of him. He blinked twice just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. Maybe he had fallen asleep. He shifted as the man's gaze hit him. It was something with the way he looked at him that made him squirm. He grinned in his head as he thought of the various ways he would like the man making him squirm at.

"You've been watching me all night." A statement and if it wasn't for the alcohol in Harry's body, he would probably have the decency to feel embarrassed, instead he answered the man. Damn it, he would never drink again!

"Well you are something too look at." God that was pathetic, if he would make a fool of himself he could at least do it good.

"Oh, is that so?" Harry watched as those delicious lips moved and he nodded careful, afraid that he would let out a moan just of hearing this beautiful creature speak.

"Yes, it is." He could hear Rachel's voice in his head and he sighed. 'Gah, why don't you just take a bloody chance for once?'.

He would kill that girl if this turned out to be just a fucking joke. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against the mans and realization hit him. He just kissed a man that he didn't even know the name of, what was, he some fucking whore? He had taken the man by surprised that was for sure though. He tensed slightly when he didn't get a response but he relaxed instantly as he felt the man response to the kiss. He asked for entrance and was gladly allowed it but all too soon they had to break it up for air.

"You do realize that I have no idea what your name is." Harry grinned and looked up at the man with a smirk.

"Didn't stop you from kissing me though."

"I do believe it was you that kissed me, but that's not important." The man ran a hand threw his black hair and Harry couldn't help but to imagine himself doing exactly the same. He closed his eyes and opened them to see the man smirk at him.

"Harry." His voice was low but he knew that the man heard him based on the fact that the smirk disappeared and something soft came across his face.

"Severus." Harry nodded and simply stared at the man for a while and got surprised when he heard that voice again.

"What do you say about leaving this place?" Harry grinned at Severus and grabbed his jacket standing up.

"Lead the way."

---

Fuck what was he doing? He shook his head and waited patiently as Severus unlocked the door to his apartment. He should be smarter then this, he just followed some guy that obviously was a lot older then him, home. And he had talked to this man for like what, five minutes?! Shit sometimes he really wasn't very smart. The door clicked as Severus unlocked it and he walked into the apartment. He thought that his eyes would pop out at the sight o the apartment, he hadn't been inside an apartment this good looking in quite some while. Daniel's place just had the most important things, and Matthew's and Rachel's place looked like a storm just had blown past.

"Wow!" He couldn't help but to let it slip out and he could almost feel how Severus raised his eyebrows at Harry's back. He was glad that Severus didn't comment, he really didn't want to talk about stuff like that. It was depressing and it so killed the mood. He spun around to find Severus staring at him with this intense gaze.

He grinned, couldn't help it. The lust in the man's eyes was so brutal that a blind man would be able to see it. He walked over to the man and had to step up on his toes to kiss him. He got a moan from the man and he broke the kiss to get air. He smirked at the dazed look on Severus face.

"Seeing anything you like?" Severus took a step forward and wrapped his arms around his waist and he couldn't deny the fact that it felt good.

"Quite a lot actually." Came Severus response as he was dragged away towards what he would guess would be the bedroom. This was going to be an interesting night.

---

He snuggled up against that warmth and sighed happily. It felt good being surrounded by warmth. Suddenly he snapped his eyes up and realized that he wasn't in Dan's apartment like he had thought, and he was definitive not alone in this huge bed.

Last nights events hit him in the same way that the hangover did. Fuck. Severus had one arm wrapped around his waist and Harry lay with his face pressed against Severus's chest. Damn it! He never stayed the night. Usually he just waited till they fell asleep and then he could run away. He didn't dare to get attached. Didn't dare to take chances. He had enough people in his life that were hurting him.

He slowly started to wiggle out of Severus's grasp, careful not to wake the man he finally managed to get away from that firm grip. He sat up at the bed, threw a look around the room and finally managed to find his clothes.

He was about to stand up from the bed when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around only to find Severus looking at him with a small smile on his face.

"Going somewhere?" Damn it, today was just really not his lucky day.

"I have to go, my uncle's going to kill me if I don't get home."

'Liar, liar pants on fire. You're uncle would kill you anyway.' Severus simply shook his head and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and brushed his lips against his own.

"Stay! Please?" 'Fuck Potter, get a grip. Don't you dare! No!'

"I… alright!"

'Damn it why don't you ever listen to me?'

'Shut up'

---

"Hey guys!" Harry came walking in to the diner they usually ate at with a huge grin on his face. Daniel raised his eyebrow and Rachel gave him a confused look.

"You're awfully cheerful today." Came Matthew dry comment and Harry had to keep himself from laughing.

"Bad headache mate? And yeah, I am, I woke up today having a feeling on that this would be a really good day."

Daniel smirked as Matthew ground high, looking like he would throw up any minute. Rachel shook her head and grinned up at Harry as he threw himself down next to Daniel in the sofa. The diner wasn't very big, but it was quite inviting and was probably one of the reasons till that they ended up here.

He stole a bagel from the plant in front of Daniel and simply grinned at the other when he tried to take it back. He looked out from the window and sighed. People were rushing down the streets and it was even stressful to look at. Why couldn't normal people just calm down and take it easy. He grabbed the cup of coffee that stood in front of Rachel and took a sip before putting it back on the table that stood between them.

"Hasn't eaten breakfast yet?" Jack asked with a smirk as Harry stole a piece of bacon from Jack's plate and put it on the bagel.

"Nah, I'm not hungry?" The others looked at him with a sceptical look and Harry laughed. "Food always taste best coming from someone else's plate. You know that." He winked at Rachel.

"How come Matthew gets to have his food alone?" Rachel demanded.

"I don't know about you Rachel, but I wouldn't want to eat o drink anything that has been near him right now. He looks like is about to throw up. What's up with that anyway, you didn't drink that much and you left with that blond later." Jack said with a laugh.

Matthew ground and dropped his head down on to the table. A load thump could be heard as Matt's head connected with the table, and he ground once again.

"Something tells me that we won't get an answer until this one comes back from his personal hell." Harry said running a hand threw his hair. Leaving Matthew alone to be with his headache, the other three turned around to him, smirking.

"So what cause this cheerfulness?"

Jack grinned at him and leaned back against the back of the sofa. Rachel nodded in agreement and Harry ground, realizing that he wouldn't get out from this one.

"Yeah, you weren't on your best last night when we left. What changed?" Daniel asked and even though Harry refused to look at him he could almost feel the smirk that was pasted on Dan's face.

"You aren't going to drop this, are you?"

"No!" They said together in chorus.

"I guess you could say that I… that I took a chance. But I gotta go, I'll se you guys later!" Harry stood up and left quickly before Rachel realized what he just had said. He grinned at them from behind the protection of the window. Rachel looked at him with big eyes and he simply waved and mouthed; 'I'll call you tomorrow.'

He walked down the streets grinning like a fool and sighed, relaxed.

---

"You said that you would call!"

"I did, didn't I?!"

"You should have called yesterday!" He could clearly hear how irritated Rachel was and all he could do was to sigh and take a long drag from the cigarette he held in his hand.

"I should have if I could but I was a little busy!" Was his only defence and he didn't realize it before it was to late, that he would have to tell her why he hadn't called yesterday as he had promised.

"Doing what?!" She demanded and he sighed heavily.

"I took a chance, I told you already!" He could hear his own voice ringing in the phone and he could almost see her confused face in front of him.

"Just tell me that you aren't doing anything stupid!" He grinned

"No, I don't think I have. But I gotta go!"

"Alright… Just promise me that you haven't done something stupid so that I won't have to worry."

"I promise Rachel, I… I feel really good about this. It might even work out you know?"
"I'm glad, just… just be careful. Don't get to attached Harry, I would hate to see you getting hurt."

"I'll be careful, I'm always is. Anyway I'll call you tomorrow. Love yah Sis."

"Love you to my stupid big brother."

He hung up and smiled to himself when he felt a pair of arms lock around his waist and felt Severus put his head on his shoulders. He didn't do anything stupid, right? He smirked and spun around, giving Severus a fierily kiss.

'Nah, definitely nothing stupid.' He thought as the man brushed his lips against his own once again.