Harry zipped in and out of the other players in pursuit of the Golden Snitch just a few meters in front of him. The Hufflepuff Seeker, Summerby, was right on his tail.
"And another ten points to Hufflepuff from Smith!" Parker Williams shouted through the megaphone. Harry was beginning to become anxious. Hufflepuff was in the lead by fifty points and the Gryffindors were losing morale fast.
A bludger hit the end of his broom and sent him flying off course. He quickly regained his bearings but realised the snitch was no longer in sight. Thankfully however, Summerby has been so close to him that Harry's broom knocked his off course as well.
Harry dodged his way out of the thick of the game and into an open area of air above the Gryffindor goals where just below Ron was cursing at the Hufflepuffs animatedly.
Harry scanned around, looking for the tiny winged ball while also keeping an eye on Summerby, who was circling the pitch intently.
In his visual search, his eyes landed in the stands where he picked out Hermione, Draco and Neville all cheering for him.
Draco waved. He was wearing a Gryffindor scarf and smiling up at him proudly. The sentiment almost distracted him from catching the Hufflepuff seeker darting toward the ground. Almost.
Harry raced after him, weaving in and out of the chasers wearing red and yellow robes. He caught up easily enough, Summerby's Nimbus 2000 was fast, but not fast enough.
The hint of nostalgia Harry got when a glimpse of the broom at the beginning of the game caught him off guard momentarily but he knew that he could let that distract him.
He continued to dodge and swerve as he followed the Golden Snitch on its manic path through the air, swooping around, over and under, up and down.
The Snitch was the only thing he could see, Summerby, the game, the crowd and ground beneath him faded to a blur. Nothing else mattered.
Harry stretched out of his arm, knocking himself against the opposing seeker. He struggled to keep his balance on his broom at such speeds with only one bony hand clasped around the handle. He watched in horror as Summerby's fingers reached further than his own, almost ready to make a grab for the game-ending ball.
Harry used every ounce of his energy to push himself forward and beyond Summerby's grasp. He was quite a bit taller than the Hufflepuff fourth year but in no way did that impede the seeker in his attempt to win. But in the end, it was Harry who wrapped a single finger around the delicate silver wing of the snitch, causing it to fall still as it hung between two of Harry's fingers.
He held it up triumphantly and beamed as the entire stadium erupted into applause.
His team flew down to meet him and they cheered together as they were one match closer to winning the Quidditch cup.
+ + +
It was commonly agreed upon that no one could throw a party like a Gryffindor. The Gryffindor common room was dressed in scarlet and gold decorations and food from the kitchens was continuously brought up by some crafty third years.
The Gryffindor Quidditch team all stood together in the centre of the room upon two sofa tables that had been pushed together.
"To the best Quidditch team in the school!" Ron cheered, raising his mug of Butterbeer toward the sky. Harry joined in with the rest of the Gryffindors in cheering with various items held high in the air. "And to Harry Potter, the best Captain in the school!"
Harry blushed as the whole room cheered for him.
The team got down from the tables and joined the crowd of rowdy students. Someone begins to play music out of an enchanted speaker and everyone began to enjoy the ruckus of a traditional Gryffindor style victory party.
Harry joined Ron, Hermione and Neville in a couple of armchairs by the fire discussing what they were planning to do when they left Hogwarts.
"Well I'm joining the Ministry," said Hermione, holding on to Ron's arm to keep him involved in the conversation as he seemed eager to leave for more food. "I'd like to be involved in the Department for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures. Make a difference you know?"
"Not Spew again," Ron groaned. Hermione hit him over the back of the head with her palm.
"It was S.P.E.W," she folded her arms grumply. "And don't act like that."
"What about you Neville?" Ron changed the topic quickly to escape the wrath of his girlfriend.
"What do you think?" He scoffs. "I'm only good at Herbology. I'm going to continue studying it, maybe write a book."
"Neville, I'm so happy for you," Hermione smiles. "Be sure to send us a copy when you're finished."
Neville blushed and shifted in his seat nervously.
"I know I want to be an Auror," Ron smiled smugly. "That's how you make a real difference you know."
Hermione elbowed him in the stomach, Harry agreed that he deserved it for that last comment.
"What about you Harry?" Neville asked. Three pairs of eyes fell on Harry and he swallowed thickly. He wasn't sure of his direction any more. He felt the weight of imaginary pressure on him and his stomach knotted. He knew it was all in his head but that didn't make it any less real.
"I'm not sure, I guess," he said, exhaling heavily.
"I thought you wanted to be an Auror too," Ron frowned.
"Yeah, maybe," Harry shrugged. "I think I just want to stay out of the spotlight."
"That sounds like a good idea to me," Hermione smiled, getting to her feet. "Would you boys like anything, I'm going to grab some food."
Harry said nothing as Ron and Neville both ordered a mountain of food enthusiastically. Hermione left for the main crowd of students, almost regretting her offer.
"Merlin, I love her," Ron smiled, watching her leave.
"What? Because she gets you food?" Harry laughed.
"No!" Ron pouted. "That's only about seventy per cent of it."
The boys laughed about stupid things until Hermione returned a few minutes later, dumping an armful of packaged sweets and snacks into each of their laps.
"Oh, Harry!" Hermione got his attention as she threw a small box of Peppermint toads at him. "I got you those because you didn't request anything. Also, a third year told me that there is someone to see you outside."
Harry bit his lip. Was it McGonagall? Hooch? Merlin forbid it's Madame Pomfrey.
He got up slowly, tearing open the top of the box and popping a toad in his mouth. He stepped up onto and over the sofa toward the portrait hole, chewing on the mint chocolate sweet.
He took a deep breath before opening the portrait hole just enough for him to stick his head through.
"Hello," said Draco Malfoy. Hands in the pockets of his black pants, the Gryffindor scarf he wore at the game hung loosely around his neck.
"Is this guy bothering you, Harry?" A few meters away and glaring at Malfoy was Fred Weasley's ghost.
"No, he's not," Harry looked back to Malfoy who was clearly very uncomfortable with the ghost's judgement. "What are you doing here?"
"Macmillan and Finch-Fletchley are being absolutely ghastly about Hufflepuff's loss, so I decided I'd enjoy the company of the victors both to escape their inescapable whining and to anger them further," Draco explained with a sly grin on his face.
Harry nodded. For whatever reason, he was expecting something else from Malfoy.
"Well, without getting uncomfortably sappy," Draco sighed, glancing towards the eavesdropping ghost for a second. "It's not really the victors I came to see. Just you."
Harry's face involuntarily cracked into a smile.
"Okay, that's it, goodbye," Draco said very quickly before turning on his heel.
"Draco, wait!" Harry called. The Slytherin's head snapped back around. "Come in, just for a while."
"Are you positive I'm not going to get eaten alive?" Draco began walking slowly toward the Fat Lady's portrait.
"I'll be beside you the whole time," Harry promised. "For this evening, you will be an honorary Gryffindor."
"If I could still throw up, I think I'd be doing so right now," Fred spoke in a deadpan voice before disappearing back into the wall,
Harry extended a hand toward Draco. Sure, it was only a small step into the common room but he felt like it was the right thing to do.
Draco tentatively placed his fingertips delicately utop Harry's and stepped forward into the common room.
Few people turned their heads at Malfoy's arrival. The Gryffindor scarf resting on his shoulders camouflaged him to those who were not already looking in their direction.
The few that did notice the blonde haired intruder scowled but Harry paid them no mind, walking close to Malfoy as to indicate to everyone that any shenanigans will not be tolerated.
Harry watched Draco's eyes dart erratically around the room, taking in the scenery of Gryffindor Tower. From memory, the Slytherin common room consisted of very clean designs and minimalist decorations. The Gryffindor common room, however, was the opposite of this; vibrant, cluttered and cozy.
"Of course it's him," Ron complained loudly as Harry and Draco arrived by the set of couches the eighth year students had claimed.
"I always enjoy your warm welcomes," Malfoy smiled sarcastically.
"Peppermint toad?" Harry offered, holding the box out toward Malfoy. The last thing he wanted tonight was for Draco and Ron to argue.
Draco narrowed his eyes sceptically before reaching his pale hand into the box and pulling out two and popping one into his mouth.
Harry sat down into the sofa he had left before and patted the space next to him for Draco to sit.
"Uh, Malfoy. We were just talking about what we are planning on doing after graduation, what about you?" Hermione asked. Harry cast a thankful smile her way for making Draco included.
"I want to travel," Malfoy shrugged. "If I'm careful about how I deal with my father's frozen accounts I shouldn't have to work at all."
From the embarrassed look on Draco's face, the blank reactions of the people around him were not what he was expecting.
"But, I don't despise the idea of working within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. But I doubt they'd let me in any way," Draco absentmindedly tapped his left forearm.
This seemed to ease the tension within the circle and the conversation came back to life,
"Was it really that bad?" Draco whispered in Harry's ear while Neville and Ron were arm wrestling much to Hermione's embarrassment. "What I said before?"
"Maybe that would have earned some praise back in the Slytherin common room but here, you've got to remember who you're talking to," Harry nodded in Ron's direction. "He'd do almost anything to have what you have:"
"Well he shouldn't," Draco scoffed. "He's got that obnoxiously happy family. Getting along and caring for one another."
Harry decided that now wasn't the best environment to dive into Draco's family issues. "Is that my scarf?"
This close to Malfoy, Harry could recognise his cologne on the woollen fabric, he could also recognise the chocolate stain near Draco's collarbone,
"Perhaps," Draco looked to the floor. "It's not like you were using it."
"I think it's, uh, cute," Harry lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. He shuffled closer to Draco so that their sides were touching.
"Don't get sappy on me, Potter," Draco punched Harry in the thigh. "Or just at least not in front of two hundred, highly likely to be armed, Gryffindors who definitely do not like me."
"Well, I like you," Harry smiled. Draco finally turned his head to look at him, the beginnings of a smile cracking his indifferent shell.
+ + +
Madame Hooch disbanded the Gryffindor's party at 9:30 sharp, ordering everybody to get ready for bed.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Draco and Parvati, who spent the celebrations with her seventh year friends rather than her fellow cohort, made their way back to the eighth year dorms briskly to avoid Filch and Mrs Norris.
Harry got ready for bed quickly, pulling himself under his covers in record time.
He lay his head on his pillow and watched as Draco Malfoy carefully folded the red and gold scarf on his bedside table.