Underneath the Mistletoe

ChapterThree

Harry's POV
FirstYear-DayThree

The moment the Pitch came into view Harry spotted Malfoy. He was a speck of black, green, and blinding silver hair in all the white snow that had fallen.

"Someone took their time," Malfoy huffed, his breath coming out as a little puff in front of him in the cold winter air.

"Oh shove off already won't you?" Harry shot back.

"Oh shove off already won't you?" Malfoy mimicked in a high whiny voice.
Harry glared.

Malfoy just smirked and held out a hand expectantly. "Let's see if this bad boys all they make it up to be."

Harry scoffed handing Malfoy The Nimbus2000. "You already know it is, you watched Gryffindor cream Slytherin. Imagine if the rest of my team rode these, the rest of you wouldn't stand a chance!" Now it was Malfoy's turn to glare, then he shot off into the sky.

"Oi! Be careful will you!" Harry yelled after him.

He watched the Slytherin whizz around for awhile and Harry, with reluctance, had to admit to himself that Malfoy wasn't bad. Of course he'd never tell him that. Harry looked up when he heard a hoot of joy, Malfoy was pumping a fist in the air. Cocky show off, Harry thought as he packed a fistful of snow into a tight ball and threw it at Malfoy. He was rather proud of himself when the snow hit the other boy right in the face.

"Potter!" Malfoy hollered.

Harry had to brace his hands on his knees he was laughing so hard at the boys sulky expression as he tried to land with a face full of snow.

"It went down my shirt," Malfoy grouched. This only made Harry laugh harder.

"You think it's funny do you?" Malfoy sneered with a sour twist to his features.

"Hysterical," Harry gasped out trying to catch his breath. The Slytherin Heir dropped The Nimbus2000 and Harry's eyes widened in realization as cold snow hit him on the neck and slid down his shirt.

"Malfoy!" He held back a curse as he shook his shirt out trying to displace the snow.

"Revenge is sweet," Malfoy practically giggled and Harry almost started laughing at that because Malfoy? Giggle? He'd of never believed it. "Or should I say cold?"

"You'll pay for that!" Harry dashed forward and tackled Malfoy into the snow.

"Get off me Potter!" The Slytherin squirmed.

"Nope." Harry popped the 'P' and had to straddle Malfoy because he was struggling so hard. Holding both of Malfoy's arms down with one hand Harry grabbed a glove full of snow with the other and smeared it onto the wriggling boys face.

"I said geroff!" Malfoy tried prying his hands out of Harry's but after years of struggling against Dudley Harry knew just how to hold the other boy down. The thought of fighting Dudley Dursley filled Harry with self loathing and he quickly jumped off the other boy as guilt flooded him. Malfoy quickly sat up.

"I hate you."

"I let you ride my Nimbus2000!"

"I still hate you."

Harry dug around in a coat pocket and pulled out two cherry scones that he'd swiped from breakfast that morning, he offered one to Malfoy. "Forgive me?"

Begrudgingly Malfoy took a scone. "Fine."

"Who would have thought your weakness would be cherry scones?"

"Shove off Potter," Malfoy huffed.

The two ate their scones in silence. Harry finished his first, falling backwards in the snow he started moving his limbs like he was doing jumping jacks.

"Potter, what do you think your doing?" Malfoy asked critically.

"Making a snow angel," Harry responded, not letting Malfoy's attitude get to him. For a moment there was silence before Malfoy fell down beside Harry and started copying his motions.

"No one had better hear about this," Malfoy muttered.

"Yeah, yeah," Harry said teasingly.

For awhile they lay in the snow in amiable silence, Harry wondered how this had come to be. "The reason I laughed at your breakfast order was because you asked for the exact same thing my cousin always does." Harry wasn't sure why he was explaining himself.

"Your muggle cousin?"

"Yeah."

"You lived with him?"

"Yeah."

"With your Aunt and Uncle?"

Harry hummed a yes.

Silence, then, "What are they like?"

Harry struggled for the right answer. But how did one sum up the Dursleys? Unsure what else to say, especially since it was Malfoy he was talking to he chewed at his bottom lip and said, "I'd rather live with pretty much anyone else. They're horrible."

Neither of them said anything else on the topic. Both just stared up at the sky.

"You know I was worried of staying back for Christmas break," Malfoy confessed. Harry could tell he'd have to tread lightly here. The Slytherins voice was an attempt at non-chalance but Harry picked up an undertone of vulnerability.

"Why?" Harry asked simply.

Malfoy inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Well because none of my friends are staying and other than you and that Clearwater girl there's no one else here."

The snow had started to melt in Harry's jacket but he stayed where he was, pondering of what Malfoy had just told him. "Why didn't you go home for the holidays?"

Beside him the other boy pushed himself up onto his feet, snow flying everywhere, and shifted uneasily from foot to foot. "Look, umm, thanks for letting me try out your broom. I think I'll go in now," Malfoy said looking everywhere but Harry's eyes.

Harry sat up quickly and Malfoy took a step back. "Sorry I-"

Malfoy cut him off. "It's fine, I'm just cold."

The Slytherin began to walk away but Harry blurted, "Oi! Same time tomorrow?"

Just as soon as the words had left his mouth Harry wanted to take them back. Why would Malfoy willingly spend time with him?
'Maybe for the same reason you're spending time with him, you have nothing better to do,' a voice in Harry's head told him. After a moments hesitation Malfoy turned around to face him.

"Unlike you, oh powerful Boy Who Lived, I like all other first years am not permitted a flashy broom. Remember?"

"Don't be such an asshat, Malfoy." Harry rolled his eyes. "You could use one of the schools brooms."

"You can't be serious, Potter," Malfoy snorted.

Harry cocked an eyebrow.

"You are?" Malfoy stopped laughing and groaned then pursed his lips, staring at Harry. "Ugh, fine, but only if we alternate."

"Alternate what?"

"You're as daft as a lamp you know that, Potter?" Malfoy shook his head. "Brooms, alternate brooms, as we practice."

"Oh, yeah, sure," Harry replied sheepishly because bloody hell Malfoy was right, he was daft.

"See you tomorrow, Potter."

With that Harry watched Malfoy's glistening silver head all the way back up to Hogwarts then whispered to himself, "See you, Malfoy."