Living In My Head (Drarry)

Chapter 71: Out of Practice

A.N.

Chapter Song:

Young Fools by Anadel

Honestly, pretty much their entire discography would be perfect for this story b/c their music is already perfect.
------

Finding ourselves walking back from the car to school grounds, the chill of winter biting at our cheeks. Hermione's eyes sparkled in a way they hadn't earlier today, they looked free. I smiled wistfully, coughing roughly to find my voice.

"So, does anyone else know yet?" I asked her.

She shook her head, "No, I wanted to tell you first."

"Well, I guess I can break the news about Ced first if you wanna drop the bomb after me." I tell her, holding the door open for her as she strolls inside.

"Sounds good. Let's meet up with the whole group the night of so we can all get pictures together." She grinned, tugging her scarf away from her mouth.

"That's Oliver and his girlfriend, Ron and his date if he brings one, Neville and Luna, Ginny and her date if she brings one, Dean and Seamus, Ced and I, then you and Viktor. That's fourteen. Then eighteen if Fred and George come with dates..." I drift off, talking more to myself. "Wow, that's quite a lot of people. We'd take up two whole tables, at least, and that's if no other classmates tag along or if my dad or godfathers sit with us, oh god I hope they don't. Speaking of which, I wonder if Remus convinced Sirius to be a chaperone-" I drivel on and Hermione laughs, tapping my shoulder.

"Harry, I'm going to bed. Why don't you talk to, your- uhm... Professor Snape and ask if he knows, besides, you two really should talk about what you're going to do for spring break. You need to set up a room and such to live with him, don't you?" She smiled, her eyes misty from drowsiness.

"Yeah, he and I need to talk some things over. I'll have him escort me to the dorms when we're done, be careful on your walk back- and you should try to stay out of Filch's way if you can."

She nodded, kissing my cheek before walking away. I watched her as she was unwrapping her scarf from her neck slowly, her shoes thunking against the tile floor with every step. I listened to the sound until it faded, briskly walking towards Severus's room.

I had never even thought about it before. Does Severus live solely at the school or does he own a home somewhere? Rent an apartment? Own a condo? I had no real clue. Judging by my own intuition, Sirius and Remus lived together although Remus spends most of his year at the school. They seemed to have the relationship of flatmates, but I would ask for sure whenever I had a good opportunity. Most of the hall lights were set to their dimmest setting, reminding me of how old houses looked when lit by candlelight.

I rapped quietly on the wood door, before I heard a quiet, "Come in."

Stepping inside, I closed the door. "Hey, dad."

"You don't have to call me that, you know." He whispered, red pen hovering over ungraded papers. "You could just call me Severus, if you'd like. As much as I would love to be your father, Harry, I simply haven't earned the title."

"I'll give it time, then," I say absently. Sitting on the bed, I lean against the wall. "I'm going to the Yule Ball with a former grad here, Cedric Diggory. I wanted you to know. I didn't really realize until today how I'd forgotten about it."

"Understandably," he sighed, as if he was relieved that I was treading back into familiar conversation. I guess the 'dad' bit before is still new to him. "Heartbreak is something that should never be taken too lightly. Thank you for telling me. Anyhow." A grin snagged his features before he could hide it from me, "Cedric, hm? My, what a catch, Harry."

I flush at the sudden change in his demeanor, "We're going as friends! Just friends!"

"I wasn't implying anything, I was just saying." He rose his eyebrows twice suggestively, his smile fading as he returned to grading.

"I also came to ask something. In the chaos of these past few weeks, we haven't gotten to know each other. You know, as a family. Could you and I maybe use the next short break to do some family-bonding stuff?" I ask, my eyes glued to the condensation dripping from my sneakers to the floor.

"Of course. We'll have to include your godfathers too," Severus mock-sighed. "They'll pout otherwise."

"Sounds good." I nod, "I'll let you get back to grading. I need to head back before curfew. Will you and Remus eat at the lunch tables with my friends tomorrow? I want to formally introduce at least the two of you."

"I'm sure he'll agree. We'll see you then. You should start training tomorrow... The final decisions will be made in the next few days for the Tri-Cup teams. They'll announce who made the Hogwarts teams after the Yule Ball." He told me, looking at me over his spectacles.

"Thank you. Goodnight, Da- I mean, uh, Severus." I grin, taking my leave.

Closing the door, heading back to the dorms, I hear a strange sound from the indoor soccer court connected by the nearby corridor.

I crack the door to see Draco kicking a line of soccer balls against a wall, kicking them at full strength one after the other, his hair soaked with sweat dripping from his body with every movement. I call out to him, walking closer and narrowly dodging a ball bouncing back off the wall and into my direction. He stops and turns to face me, his expression seems conflicted but he goes for a smile.

"Hey, Harry," he says breathlessly, taking a moment to catch his second wind. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the exact same thing, it's almost curfew." I tell him, rolling a ball under my shoe.

"It's been that long?" He gasped, pressing a button on his watch to display the time. "Wow, I had no idea."

"I guess you're pretty serious about making the team, huh?" I ask.

He shrugs, his face betraying anxiety over the upcoming announcement ceremony.

"I'm still a bit out of practice," I admit. "I'll be one lucky duck if I somehow manage to make the team."

"You'll be fine, Potter," he says, eyes intently watching the ball under my foot. "You're clumsy but your instincts are good and if you get picked for the team, the nonstop practices will make up for lost time. You can ask Cedric, he made the team when he was here."

"You know Cedric?" I ask, a bit shocked at the sound of his name from Draco's lips.

"You forget his father works for my father. Of course I know him." Draco snaps a tad defensively. "Anyhow, you should practice every free second these next few days. You'll need them."

As he leaves the room, a strange feeling washes over me, is he jealous of Cedric? And why?