Part Two: Retreat and Regroup.




Harry's lungs felt as if they might burst at any given moment, straining with the equal exertion they had endured during the 'kiss' and subsequent dash from the Great Hall. He became aware that the deafening beat of his own heart in his ears was accompanied by what sounded like frantic footfalls upon to the stone corridors. He was running away? He, Harry Potter, hope of Hogwarts and the Wizarding World, was making a break for it? He could live with that.

At least, he consoled himself; he wasn't alone in his cowardice. Another glance to his left confirmed that the silver blonde blur at his side was none other than Draco Malfoy. Draco glanced back at him then realisation hit them both. The boys ground to a halt in the middle of a staircase, both not quite up and not quite down but most definitely both pissed off.

"Stop following me!" bellowed Draco, fury whitening further his already pale features.

Harry shook with anger. "You're the one following me you fucking Ferret!"

"Why would I follow you, you fucking Muggle lover when it's you I'm running from?" Draco looked shocked at his own outburst as Harry lifted an eyebrow, still panting from their mutual flight.

"You're running.from me? I'm running. .From you!"

They both glared at each other with all of their remaining energy, swaying gently with overwrought nerves and effort when Harry's eyes suddenly narrowed on a point over Draco's shoulder and swallowed hard.

"Actually we're both wrong," he grabbed Draco, who began to object until he saw what Harry had begun to drag him away from "We're running from them!"

Hordes of curious students had begun pouring from the Great Hall, Colin Creevey already armed with his camera, and the others merely armed with embarrassing questions.

"Run Away!" Draco shrieked pelting up the staircase with Harry in hot pursuit, both boys suddenly clinging to one another as the stairs began their dizzying journey to wherever they pleased.

"Fucking moving staircases!!!!!" Harry yelled, pulling Draco to the top step in preparation for yet more running. The teenagers were safe on the corridor before the steps had even securely latched onto their new position and as Harry made to grab Draco and run, the blonde pulled back.

"What 'the fuck' are you doing Potter? I'm not escaping with you!"

" I've got an idea." Harry gasped pulling frantically at Malfoy's clothes, as his panicked eyes fixed on the students now hurriedly clambering the stairs.

"Oh really, well maybe I have my own idea and just maybe it involves leaving you behind Potter!"

Draco spun to run in the opposite direction to Harry's persistent gesturing only to find himself hauled flush against Harry's increasingly furious form. Excited gasps came from their spectators below, all hoping for a repeat performance of the hall when they saw Harry manhandling Draco and Malfoy swore softly, not entirely sure of Potter's intentions himself.

"Look Malfoy," Harry hissed, eyes glowing dangerously behind thick lenses, "There is no reason I shouldn't leave you behind either but I figure we're in the same boat, we don't know who the fuck did this to us and does your fucking perfect plan 'maybe' happen to have a Invisibility Cloak involved?"

Draco gasped, suddenly remembering the shock of seeing Harry's head appear from nowhere a few years back and doubled his glare. "You have an Invisibility Cloak?" He growled, jealous and impressed all at once.

"Yes and only those who aren't to fucking stupid to follow me get to play with it! So long Malfoy!" Harry released Draco, much to the great disappointment of Hermione who had finally managed to get a place on the staircase, before turning and sprinting towards the Gryffindor dorms. Draco rolled his eyes and threw up his palms in a classic 'why me' gesture' before dashing after the other young wizard.

Hermione groaned she knew she should have rushed out straight off instead of trying to snap Ron out of his shock like state. She'd made an excuse of helping Harry to Professor Sprout, who was currently fussing over the stunned redhead, before pegging it to the stairs just in time to see Harry grabbing Malfoy and hauling him to the top step. She made her way back to the hall and sat down heavily next to Ron. "My timing sucks." She told the now prone boy.

"Ggggguuuuhhhh." He responded woefully.

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"Hurry," panted Harry, who had now taken to dragging a now flagging Malfoy behind him. "They're going to figure out where we're going, we have to get there first!"

Screeching to a halt outside the Fat Lady's portrait, Harry yelped as he noticed the large group of Gryffindors leading large groups in their direction, picking up the pace as they saw Harry and Draco.

"Pink Flamingo!" Harry yelled and pushed Draco through the opening.

"What the fuck, Potter? Now we're trapped in here!"

"Shut up Malfoy, come on!!" Trembling, the boys ran swiftly up yet more stairs to Harry's room, quaking as they heard the masses spilling into the common room below. "Quickly." Whispered Draco urgently as steps were heard coming ever closer, Harry rifling frenetically through his trunk.

"Gottit!" Harry shouted, the triumph on his face quickly overshadowed by fear as the group reached his door. Hauling Draco from his frozen position by the door, Harry backed them both into a corner and flung the cloak over them both at the very moment his door was flung wide.

Dissatisfaction was etched into all the other students' faces, Ron, Hermione and Neville's conspicuous by their absence. A collective sigh of regret was heaved as they all noted that there was no naked Harry and Draco rolling about gloriously on Harry's bed.

"Wait," Seamus yelled, a light bulb nearly visible above his head, "They were getting it on in the Hall yeah? They want to get caught. they're into excitement aren't they, the cheeky buggers, I bet they're in someone else's bed! Let's go check mine!"

The group whooped and cheered, dissipating as quickly as it had formed in the doorway as Draco snuggled closer to Harry beneath the cloak, shuddering with distaste. "Potter," he whispered into Harry's shoulder "If you 'ever' catch me on or in Finnegan's bed, I want you to kill me."

"Happy to." Harry muttered back, grimacing "Except I don't give a shit whose bed you end up on, let alone catch you at it."

Draco pushed away, hurt more than he cared to admit, "Fine then. And don't think for an instant that I give a shit what or who you do Potter!" He stepped away from beneath the cloak, straightening his robes with great dignity before diving back into Harry's embrace when yet more footfalls pounded towards the room.

"Don't let them find me." Malfoy mewled into his nemesis' shoulder, comfortably crushing life air from Harry's lungs, as he pressed ever closer in panic.

" We can't, ah, stay here." Harry exhaled sharply as Draco turned his face inward, his cool lips brushing the warm skin at Harry's nape. " If they found us here they'd.Uhm, what are you doing Malfoy?"

"Hiding." Draco muttered against his skin, following it with what sounded suspiciously like 'dumbfuck' and Harry bristled. "And kissing my neck helps you hide 'how' Malfoy?" he purred.

Tbc


Notes: ok, ok so it's a lot shorter than my last chapter and its a really CRAPPY place to leave it at but I couldn't resist it!!! (KW)