Harry had a terrible night’s sleep after the terror of a true or dare game, if it could even be called a night’s sleep at all. Mostly he tossed and turned, images of Hermione as she left, Skyler when she was watching Draco, and Ginny grinding in Riley’s lap filling his mind no matter what he did. It didn’t help that every single noise sounded like Ron coming to attack him for what he had done.

As a result, the sun had barely dawned on Sunday morning when he put on jeans and a fresh t shirt, this time bearing two crossed broomsticks and the words Gryffindor Quidditch Team in gold and opened his trunk, where he had carefully folded and stowed the clothes he came in the night before. He pulled out the carefully prepared jeans, pretending not to notice the shirt that was lying underneath. Jeans in hand, he slipped on his invisibility cloak, not wanting anyone to notice him, and crept out of Gryffindor tower.

When he got to the entrance to the Slytherin common room he sat down against the wall, waiting patiently. There was only one person he felt that he both wanted to be around this morning and would be allowed around them without violence. To pass the time, he began making a list in his head of all the people in the castle he could think of, whether they were likely to side with him, Voldemort, or Dumbledore, and their assets in a potential war. He also kept one eye on the Marauder’s Map, so he would know which Slytherins were coming out and when.

Still, he got so distracted trying to figure out which professors we might be able to talk over to his side that he almost missed when the door opened and revealed his friend. “Relax, it’s just me,” he said, because she seemed about ready to jump out of her skin. “I’m here to take you to breakfast, away from people. I figured you might need it after last night.”

Harry had half a mind to take her to The Three Broomsticks, but the walk to Hogsmeade was likely too much for both of them right now. Luckily, the Hogwarts kitchens were even closer and more private. “Here, watch this,” he said, stopping at the seemingly random picture and tickling the pear.

Once he had helped Skyler inside, he smiled around, looking for the familiar head that sure enough came bobbing up. “Hey, Dobby, this is Skyler. She could use some coffee and I need very black tea. And then I want you to join the two of us for breakfast.”

With that he took a seat at a small table out of the way of the elves and motioned for Sky to sit next to him. “So, do you want to talk about it or pretend that nothing happened?” he asked, offering her his best smile as they waited for the liquids that would make them feel better.

Sky was both happy and pissed that she had drank so much the night before. The thing about the amount she had consumed was that by the time Harry had walked her back to the Snake Pit and she had managed to get herself into her bed the girl had completely passed out and therefore had managed to sleep through the night. The bad part was when she woke that morning the teen had a terrible headache, which wasn't helped by memories of the prior night and party flooding back to her, and an overall feeling of disgust.

The long and hot shower she treated herself to worked wonders on her, and though she still like crap, the headache had subsided a bit and she no longer had that icky, dirty feeling. The brunette wasn't sure if it was the fact that she had ended up on the floor last night that had her feeling disgusted or the things she had witnessed her boyfriend do. She ultimately decided she didn't want to think too far on it because it only seemed to make her head ache more. The girl pulled on some form fitting jeans and a simple black tank top that fit her perfectly, and after a moment, grabbed a sweater just in case she ended up getting cold, though she carried it in her hand rather than putting it on.

It was still quite early when she made her way cautiously down to the common room, eyes searching for the one person she really didn't want to see right then. Not finding Draco, a small sigh of relief left her lips and the girl bounded down the stairs and through the exit of the common room only to nearly jump out of her skin when Harry appeared out of no where. "Merlin Harry! Give a girl a warning before going ghost will ya?" Skyler muttered, getting her racing heart back under control. Her face split into a relieved and thankful smile when he explained his plan.

She followed him obediently and watched, cocking her head to the side curiously, as he reached forward to tickle a pear on a painting. She was just opening her mouth to question him when an entry appeared out of no where and Skyler was excited to see a new secret of the castle. Harry helped her into the room and the teen got her first look at the Hogwart's kitchens. Her violet eyes could barely turn away from the massive place, filled with working house elves. But when one elf came bounding over with nearly as much exuberance as Skyler typically had, and beamed at him and his interesting apparel. The elf seemed especially taken with Harry, so she really couldn't resist the smile she gave him as she easily and quickly agreed with Harry that Dobby join them. Sky thought it was sad the way some of them were treated, and she thought they were fun little creatures.

Waving when the elf went bouncing off for the coffee and tea, Sky turned to see Harry motioning for her to take the seat next to him and she slid into it with ease, dropping her head into the table with an audible smack at his question. The brunette groaned and tilted her head to the side to peak up at him, unable to resist the smile he spared her. "Is it even possible to pretend last night and all it's horrors didn't happen?" She groaned softly, sitting back up and giving him a hopeful look.

Harry had to give real thought to his friend’s question, a rarity for him since he usually just assumed the best and said the first thing to come to his mind unless he had a good reason to think about it. Skyler banging her head on the table made him think he should pick his words carefully and not hold anything back. She already knew exactly how bad this was anyway. “When tomorrow rolls around and we head back to classes and people, it will probably have to be dealt with,” he allowed finally. “As far as this morning, we can pretend whatever you want to. It’s just us and the elves, and they aren’t allowed to gossip with students about what happens in the kitchens.”

As Harry talked, a tray bobbed through the room towards them, bearing coffee, tea, and toast. It appeared to be floating because Dobby was underneath it, holding it above his head. As soon as the elf slid it onto the table, Harry moved it away from him, so that he would have to sit down instead of working straight through the entire breakfast. If Harry allowed it, the elf would wait on Harry and Skyler’s every whim and then they wouldn’t get the chance to talk to him. Harry poured two cups of tea and one of coffee, and took a piece of toast, munching it thoughtfully.

“I know, since you’re here, I’ll tell you about Dobby.” He finished the first piece of toast and smiled happily as memories washed over him. “I’ve known Dobby for over four years now, and he has a knack for saving my life, starting with back when your uncle was still after me at every chance he got. In my second year I freed him from,” he paused and frowned, realizing that bringing up the name Malfoy, even if it was preceded by Lucius and not Draco, was probably a terrible idea right now, “well, it doesn’t matter who his master was, but I freed him.” He let out a deep breath, glad he had managed to catch himself.

“It turns out he’s one of very few house elves in Britain who is actually free. He works here in the kitchens, gets paid, and has time off. Oh, and he’s completed obsessed with socks, I guess because I used one of my socks to free him.” Harry motioned to the elf, who was proudly holding up his feet, one clad in a vertically striped rainbow sock and one with a black sock with polka dots in every color imaginable, for Skyler to examine apparently. “I used to just buy them for him, but he took up knitting, so now I make sure he has yarn.” He paused to think. “Actually I think I’m wearing one of the pairs he made now.” He held out a leg and pulled up the leg of his jean to reveal the knitted broomstick covered sock that had become a comforting thing for him lately.

“Anyway, Dobby is probably the best elf ever, and he can always be counted on for anything for me and my friends.” The elf bobbed his head proudly at that idea. “If you ever need anything, just ask. He always managed to turn up and he can do basically everything around here.”

Skyler ran an aggravated hand through her dark, wavy locks, blowing out her breath as her brows furrowed together. She really didn't want to think about the previous nights events. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly snapped it closed again when Dobby the house elf made his appearance with a tray laden with breakfast stuff. The brunette offered her thanks to the interesting elf and smiled her thanks to her friend when he poured her a cup of coffee.

The first sip of caffeine had her sighing in appreciation immediately afterwards. It was exactly what she needed as the aroma and flavor washed over her. Not that she didn't like tea, but this morning called for something a bit stronger. And in her good opinion, coffee was stronger. Adding some sugar and cream, Skyler was content for the time being to enjoy her hot beverage while she listened to Harry tell her about Dobby, who seemed ecstatic to be sitting with them. It was because this that the girl couldn't hold back the grin that tugged on her lips.

She did take a moment to offer her friend an apologetic look for her uncle's behalf. The teen really couldn't imagine what it was like to have spent so much of one's time simply trying to survive, and it seemed Harry had way too much experience with it for someone his age. It made her look at him with a new respect, but she was also saddened for her friend. Sky made a silent promise to herself to try and include more fun in his life, then visibly winced. That had been the plan for last night and look where it had left them.

She shook her head softly, focusing on the house elf now preening under the compliments he was receiving and showing off his socks. The brunette couldn't contain the giggles that left her even if she had wanted to. It was just too funny, Dobby with his feet in the air and wriggling his toes. "I promise I'm not laughing at your socks Dobby. In fact, I think they're awesome!! You should totally sell them or something. I'd definitely buy them. I like socks, and I never wear a matching pair. Call me a rebel, but it helps when you go to a school full of people who wear the exact same thing as you do everyday."

Skyler explained to the small creature, who simply beamed and looked ready to cry from all the compliments he was receiving. Skyler took a piece of toast and spread some jam on it, continuing on as she did so. "I think I owe you a giant thank you Dobby." She sat back in her seat, taking a nibble of her toast while the elf looked at her in what she took to be a questioning look. "For saving Harry's life. He's a very special person to me, and I'm pretty sure I'd be quite lost without him." The teen explained, violet eyes conveying her honesty as she rested them on her friend with a soft and thankful smile.

Turning to face Dobby again, Skyler gave him her signature grin. "I think I'll get you some yarn Dobby. After all, one can never have too many socks if you ask me. Or too many colors to choose from. " She winked at the elf, enjoying his and Harry's company for more than she could imagine enjoying the great hall at the moment. Shivering, she pulled her hoodie on over her head as as she did so, she got a flashback of removing one last night, making her remember Harry's clothes.

"Oh! Harry! I should've grabbed your clothes! But..well..I kind of sort of slept in your shirt, so I'll get it to you as soon as it's clean again." Sky offered her friend a sheepish grin, not looking one bit apologetic or ashamed of having slept in his shirt. She shrugged carelessly. "I couldn't help it. You smell good." The girl offered as explanation, as if that should be normal, eating the rest of her toast and washing it down with some of her coffee.

Harry couldn’t help but grin as the girl and the elf interacted. He hadn’t even really been thinking when he decided the two should meet, honestly. Dobby was just an important and steady part of his life and Skyler was becoming more important the longer he knew her. The fact that they got along awesomely was an unexpected, but unsurprising bonus. He was quite surprised to hear that the Slytherin already considered him very special, but he couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face.

Skyler talking about clothes brought her clothes back to Harry’s mind. “Keep the shirt if you like it,” he said, grin still firmly in place. “I sort of liked the smell of yours too.” He assumed that was why he had the shirt still in his trunk as he slid the jeans back across the table to their owner. “These will need shrunk a lot I guess. Sorry about that.”

There was an awkward silence and Harry wasn’t sure what to talk about next. Socks were basically all Dobby brought to the table. All he could really think of were the shenanigans of last night and how good Skyler smelled, and they had already covered those topics. This was going to be a long, strange breakfast if he didn’t think of something better to talk about.

Then it hit him. Their game before had wrapped up before they had gotten through more than general family situation, what she thought of Purebloods, and quidditch. Maybe they could continue that game and stay happily distracted for at least the length of breakfast if he steered it in the right directions. He munched thoughtfully on his toast while he decided what he wanted to say.

“I feel like I know all of the big, important stuff about you, but still don’t know the little stuff that makes you tick,” he said with a smile. “Let’s play our game from this summer again and fix that. This time you have to go first, though. It’s only fair since I went first and then you followed last time.”

He paused again, thinking about what he could ask her that would take any remaining seriousness out of the morning and put them in a good, friendly place. “Okay, what’s your favorite animal, both in general and specifically?”

Skyler couldn't help the ear to ear grin that split her face when Harry offered for her to keep his shirt, now the slight blush when he said he thought she smelled good too. Though she looked delighted that the boy thought so, if her smirk was anything to go by. [color]"It's the strawberry shampoo I think."[/color] She advised him in explanation, nodding to the pair of pants but making no move to grab them, her hands occupied with a new piece of toast and her coffee.

The brunette grinned and nodded enthusiastically when Harry suggested they play their little game from that summer. Skyler thought this was a great idea, because one, she really did know much too little about him, and two, their game had ended much too abruptly the first time around. Plus, it was like playing truth or dare, but without the dares. So it was fair to say it was a safe enough game for the two of them to play. Sky had no desire to play truth or dare again for a very long time, even though technically she had only been a participant of other people's dares, and hadn't gotten any herself.

Purple eyes lighting up at his question, a secretive smirk played on the teen's lips. "Well..in general I like big animals. Specifically, I would have to say my favorite would be panthers." Skyler gave him that look that said she knew something he didn't, but otherwise she left the answer as that, and quietly thought of what to ask him in return. She wasn't going to give him more than the question deemed necessary. What kind of Slytherin would she be if she did? "Ok. Name something you've wanted to do that you haven't been able to." So technically it wasn't a question really, but she supposed it counted.

Why did it always seem like there was subtext that Harry was missing when he played this game? Skyler hadn’t answered the question exactly as he meant, but then when he asked specifically he had Hedwig in mind, and maybe the Slytherin didn’t have an individual animal that important to her in her life. He did really want to know why panthers made her eyes light up so much and her face take on a look like she had a secret, but he would have to work his way back to that. If he kept beating on that question, it would take some of the fun and showmanship out of the game.

That meant it was time to consider her question. What did he want to do that he had never been able to? One thing jumped into his mind from who knows where, but he pushed it back down. She had a boyfriend, after all, and the picture in his head was sort of the same and why they were hiding here this morning instead of living their lives like normal and probably still asleep.

Shaking his head to clear away the dreamy space he had entered, he focused in on the question again. There were lots of honest questions to that answer, but most of them were depressing and killed the mood he was going for. He wanted to see his parents in more than just a mirror or a spell ghost. He wanted his godfather back. He wanted to make Voldemort and Dumbledore pay for the shambles it seemed like his life was in so much of the time. He wanted to never have to see the Dursleys again.

He shook his head again, this time clearing away what must have looked like a kind of madness. He remembered what he was doing when they met the first time, pledging to honor Sirius, and a thought struck him of how it had felt walking into the Prefect’s Bathroom at the beginning of last night, before everything had gone to hell. “I want the chance to just be a normal teenager and have a little bit of fun without having to worry so much.”

There, that wasn’t so hard. Now he just needed to think of a question to keep the game going. Sadly, he had apparently used up all of his brain power in the weird little mind game about what he wanted. All he could think of to ask was, “So, why do panthers make your eyes light up like that?”

Skyler watched her friend's face closely, picking up on things he probably wouldn't say. Over the short period of time she had known Harry, the brunette had learned that he tended to not say certain things. Unlike Skyler, who usually came without a filter and said the first thing that came to mind. It wasn't that often that whatever ran through her mind didn't come out of her mouth. It just usually got lost in translation somewhere on the way.

Watching Harry think was rather fascinating in Skyler's good opinion. He was like an open book. Every emotion etched clearly across his face as he flashed through them. The first to come was a sort of dreamy look, and the teen snorted, eyes dancing in amusement. Unfortunately, the dreamy, dazed look only lasted a few moments, and then it was replaced with a pained one. And a sad one. And there might have been anger in there as well.

The Slytherin set down her mug, watching her friend's emotions play on his face in both curiosity and concern. She hadn't realized how many things even she might've taken for granted that Harry had never gotten to do. Something as simple as arguing with a parent, which Sky had done plenty of times, he had never gotten the chance too. It pulled at the strings of her heart in a crushing way. Just when she was about to apologize for her complete lapse in intelligence, he answered her question and she visibly winced.

The night before was supposed to have been part of that, and yet somehow it had all gone down the drain. Skyler had the decency to look ashamed. "You and me both." She muttered, giving him a wry grin as she waited for her question. Her grin widened from ear to ear at what he asked her, eyes dancing in mischief. "Do you really want to know?" Skyler smirked deviously and turned in her seat to face her friend fully, scooting her seat closer to him so they weren't more than a few inches apart. "Can you keep a secret Harry? If so, close your eyes and count to twenty."

Harry hadn’t wanted to make his friend sad. Apparently that was another side effect of this game besides more being going on than he understood. Once again he felt the need to make her smile instead, but he couldn’t exactly clarify his answer and achieve that. He wasn’t sure how she would react to him saying that he really wanted to kiss her, but it could only make things more complicated, not better. Plus, there was Malfoy, and no matter how screwed up last night had been, Harry seriously doubted that Skyler was ready to give up on him over it, and Harry wasn’t about to do anything to change that.

He would have to figure out some other way to fix this when it was his turn to ask again. He thought of the last time they played this game, and the fact that he was already thinking of asking her to go to a quidditch match over break then. That seemed unlikely to happen now, though. Life was far too complicated for him to risk things like having fun in public. Somehow no matter how screwed up his life was, it only got more so, never less. At this rate, he would just reach a point when all of it was too much and his head would explode.

Still, apparently the question he had already ask did that, though, as she was now grinning widely so that was one less thing to worry about. This panther thing must be a really good story. He wasn’t sure why she had to be so close to him to answer, but he wasn’t going to complain about it. He also didn’t really know why he had to close his eyes and count for an answer, but he wasn’t going to complain. “I don’t know why you would doubt my secret keeping,” he fake complained as he closed his eyes and made the count.

Skyler only rolled her eyes at her friend as he made a sad attempt to complain about her questioning his secret keeping, too excited for the next few moments to really show it any kind of concern. The brunette was practically bouncing in her seat, waiting for his eyelids to flutter shut so that she could begin the change.

There wasn't many people she would share something like this with, so she was certain he would appreciate that when he finally saw the answer to his question. The first person had been the Russian who had arrived not a week after term had started, and that had been a complete coincidence. Skyler wouldn't have revealed herself to the other girl under normal circumstances. And Draco...well, he was Draco. Enough said.

There was only a small part of her that was afraid her friend might have a bad reaction to what she was about to share with him, and she easily shoved it away. The teen was sure Harry would think it as awesome as she did. Or atleast, she hoped. She didn't really have a plan for if he considered her some sort of freak or something because of it. Suddenly a nervousness pooled in the pit of her stomach, but his eyes were closed and for better or worse she wanted to share this secret with her friend.

Skyler had to remind herself she had only given herself twenty seconds to work with, so she concentrated on what she wanted to happen. For fear of giving the house elves heart attacks by going completely panther, she decided to only allow her eyes to become the cat-like appearance they did in her animagus form, her teeth to sharpen and elongate, her tongue to be that of the great black cat, and of course, her tail and ears. Other than that, she remained herself.

It took a good ten seconds for her to accomplish it, because it was such a controlled change versus when she shifted completely. It was something she was just starting to play around with, and couldn't just do it on a whim like when she shifted completely into Nyx. With only a few seconds left, Skyler smirked and leaned the rest of the forward and licked Harry's cheek with he cat's tongue. Moving back again, the purple eyes danced brightly. "You know something Harry...you taste like chocolate." The brunette grinned at him in amusement, as well as nervousness, as she awaited his reaction. "So...does that answer your question?"

Harry’s eyes fluttered open when he felt a tongue on his cheek. The strangest part wasn’t that he was being licked. That was apparently a common thing for witches to do and he had just missed out before this year. No, the strangest thing and the thing that caused the confusion in his opening eyes was the fact that the tongue seemed too wide and rough to be a person’s tongue and he had no idea what was licking him.

His face turned in the direction of the tongue and found that it was still his friend after all. His eyes widened in shock, as his first thought was that she had botched some spell, making her tongue, teeth, and face go funny. Then he noticed the tail swishing behind her and his look of confusion broke into the widest grin he was capable of. If she had both facial features and the tail going, that could mean only one thing.

“Brilliant,” he shouted, far louder than he had intended to with her so close to him. “Sorry about that,” he added in a softer tone. “I sort of have a personal connection to anamagi though, and it makes me really happy that you are one.” A thought struck him that was too curious not to voice, that went with it. “This school is filled with big cats for some reason. Did you know that?”

All of this sort of just spilled out in a matter of seconds. Once it did, his brain caught up to what was going on and the other things she had said. “I taste like what now?” he asked with a bemused grin. “I kind of assumed that everyone tasted mostly the same. Can cats taste more than humans or something?” He was entirely confused by this, as he only knew a couple of cats and had never really felt the need to learn much about them. “Oh yeah, I think I get it now,” he finally added. “Your turn to ask.”

Skyler was blown away by Harry's responding grin when he finally opened his eyes and reacted to her. She hadn't known the boy could even grin that big, and her answering one spread from ear to ear. "Wow Harry. I never knew you had so many teeth." The brunette teased her friend playfully, jumping slightly at his loud exclamation but otherwise pleased with his reaction.

She closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating to allow herself to shift back to her normal self, grinning widely with her regular set of human teeth. "Don't worry about it." The teen waved away his apology easily. "I'm glad I can make you happy. Now my life, is complete. I can die happily." Skyler jested, finishing her coffee and feeling much better than she had when she had first woken up, and she owed that to Harry.

Her eyes lit up at the mention of other big cats, and the brunette easily put two and two together. "You've met the tiger!!" Sky exclaimed, eyes growing a bit wider in her surprise before she smirked at Harry deviously. "You seem to be wandering around with quite a lot of Slytherin girls Harry." She wriggled her brows at him. "And here I thought I was your only snake." The Slytherin pouted, and sighed in mock heartbreak as she continued in her playful manner. "I suppose as long as I'm your favorite snake, I can survive."

Skyler could only grin at his bemused look, snorting at his question, but her head tilted in though as she considered it. "Well.. I'm almost positive animals have stronger senses than us.." The brunette trailed off thoughtfully, and then shrugged gracefully. "But if you'd like I could always lick you again and see if you still taste like chocolate. You know, with my human tongue." She offered with a playful gleam in her violet eyes. The girl's attitude seemed to have done a complete three-sixty thanks to her friend, and the previous night was completely out of mind for the time being.

She perked up when he reminded her it was her turn, and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "Alright!! I've got the best question!!" The teen paused for dramatic effect "What's going on with you and Vinter?" Skyler wasn't nosy. No. She was curious. And she was honestly curious about what that bloody witch could possibly possess that would catch Harry's attention.

Why was Skyler talking about his teeth? Was this another part of the cat thing? It had to be, because with both her cat and eventually her human thing she was smiling just as widely. He was more than a little shocked that she knew what he meant when he talked about other cats, but couldn’t let it show. He had to pay her back for the teasing, after all.

“What gave you the idea that I’m capable of liking Snakes?” he asked her with a tone of mock surprise. “Of course you’re my favorite Snake, favorite cat too if you want to ask that too,” he said. A second later he realized that he might have said entirely too much to a friend with a boyfriend and panicked a little. “Not that you have a lot of competition there,” he added hastily. He then realized that that was too far the other way and might actually be insulting. “You probably would be with all the competition in the world, though,” he added quietly.

Her talk of licking him more stopped him from stammering on like an idiot for any longer. “I trust you, you don’t have to lick me anymore,” he said in the same quiet voice. “Unless you really want to, I guess.” Skyler would never get the ultimatum to not lick him that his crazy new associate had in the forest. He was pretty sure the witch having breakfast with him could do just about anything and he would barely complain.

He question stunned him, though. “You are impossible,” he muttered under his breath at the abrupt shift in topic. “I really don’t know what’s going on with Vinter. She keeps running into me all over the castle and it’s been helpful more than once, but I think she wants to be a lot more than helpful, and I’m fairly certain that I don’t want anything to do with her, not that I know a polite way to explain that to her.” He realized that sounded more than a little bit harsh, and decided he should try to explain. “She just seems a little bit off to me. In the head.”

He paused to think about whether he had answered the question well. In truth, he hadn’t thought of Vinter that much in between meetings with her, and he was figuring a lot of that out as he said it. “I guess that means I get to ask a question now.” Once again Harry was somehow left with a blank mind when his turn came around. Then it occurred to him that they had left off the game last time at an interesting place this summer and could go back to it now.

“When we played this little game before, I could tell you play quidditch, but I had to run off before I figured out much else, so spill. What position do you play and are you any good?” He hoped that she was really good, because it was always fun when Gryffindor versus Slytherin was the match of the year. He also really hoped she was a chaser or a keeper, even though she was built perfectly to Seek. He wasn’t sure he would feel very good about flying against her in the match of the year.

Skyler couldn't help snorting at her friend's response about liking Slytherins, and gave him a look that clearly said 'yea right'. She couldn't help the smug little grin that slipped onto her lips when he clarified that she was his favorite snake, and cat too. Her smug look easily turned amused when he added on that she didn't have much competition, only to add after that that it probably wouldn't matter either way.

The brunette smirked sideways at him at his quiet response to her licking him again, and again a smug grin curled on her lips. She didn't know why, but Skyler rather liked the idea of being Harry's favorite. "Why Harry!! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirting with me." She remarked with a playful look at the Gryffindor, grinning happily at him. The teen laughed further at his description of her as being impossible, picking up his muttered words with ease.

"I'm taking that as a compliment, just so you know." She informed him with a nod of her head and smirk. His answer to her question about Vinter made her happy for some unknown reason, but since Skyler wasn't fond of the girl at all, she easily shifted the blame to her dislike for the other Slytherin girl. The brunette snorted at his assessment of something being wrong in the girl's head, agreeing wholeheartedly, but also rolled her eyes and have the Gryffindor a look that clearly said 'are you serious?'. She chalked up the happy little flip her stomach did when he said he didn't want anything to do with the girl to her dislike of the Slytherin as well.

"Harry, I'm fairly certain she does want more than friends, especially if she's stalking you all around the damn castle." Skyler's tone was a bit irritated by that fact, but she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Just tell her you're interested in someone else or something. That should get her to back off. Unless she's like me, because if it were me I wouldn't." Realizing how that sounded, the girl furrowed her brows together, biting her lower lip. "That came out wrong. What I meant to say was, well, I'm not sure exactly." She stated, rubbing the back her neck in a nervous fashion. "I mean, I wouldn't stalk you or anything like that..."


The teen trailed off, at a loss for words for once, considering they weren't coming out right in the first place. "You know, I think this would be a perfect time for me to just shut up, before I humiliate myself further." She commented humorously, flushing slightly and shaking her head again. Thankfully, Harry distracted her with his question about Quidditch and she smirked proudly as she answered him. "I have the sincere pleasure in informing you that you are currently speaking to the new Slythein Seeker." Skyler looked very proud of this fact, and grinned as she added on, "Well of course I'm good!! It's not like Dra-"

Her voice trailed off suddenly with a slight wince at the reminder of the blonde. Visions of the previous night flashed before her eyes and her face crumpled for a moment before she blocked it out and rebounded with a grin, only this time it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well, in any case, I am more than decent on a broom." She said with a smirk. "And since I hear you're the best Seeker probably ever, I look forward to playing against you." Sky added on with a challenging look, making it clear she didn't expect anything less than his best when they did meet in the pitch.

"Ok!! My turn again." It seemed that Skyler was getting more and more excited every time it was her turn to ask a question, and mostly it was because she was enjoying spending time with Harry and didn't want it to end. The other part was she was having much too much fun pretending the previous night never happened and learning about Harry. "So. What was that dreamy look about earlier? When I asked you to name the one thing you've wanted to do that you haven't been able to."

“I’ll keep using it until you’re sure whether it’s good or bad,” Harry shot back about the impossible thing, returning her smirk. Harry privately thought that he could have worse stalker than the girl he was here with. Vinter, for example. He didn’t really want to say that though. “What if I really am interesting in someone else?” he asked, trying his best to keep his tone level and not give too much away.

So she was Seeker, and good enough to make Malfoy actually swallow his pride and change positions. That was less than ideal, but he could pretend otherwise. “I look forward to beating you since you’re so confident,” he said cockily.

Then she asked her question and Harry’s smile immediately disappeared in a look of worry. They were already flirting when they shouldn’t be. She had just almost mentioned her boyfriend’s name and got a look of distinct pain on her face. There was no way he could answer that question without ruining the good feeling in the room. “You are impossible,” he muttered again, unconsciously, as he tried to figure out what to do.

He could not and would not lie to her, but he also really didn’t want to answer the question. “You don’t want to know that, I promise,” he said with a little more gravity in his voice than he wanted to have. He had been going for casual and unconcerned, and that just wasn’t what it came out sounding like.

“Tell you what,” he said, trying to steer her off topic to something that would make her forget about the question she had asked. “Let’s make a bet on this year’s quidditch match. If I catch the snitch, I get to take you to dinner in Hogsmeade on a night that everyone else is in the castle. If you catch the snitch, I’ll do whatever you want me to do, as long as it’s reasonable. He held out his hand in front of him for Skyler to shake. “How does that sound to you?”

Skyler couldn't help but grin at Harry's smirk, thinking it was a rather good look for him. It was her turn to smirk at him when he questioned about if he really was interested in someone else. A slight twinge of jealousy stabbed at her but the brunette shoved it away, having no clue why she should even feel that way."Well if you really are interested in someone else that's great..I guess.." She had been going for thoughtful, so why did that sound almost disappointed? She shook her head a bit to clear it and grinned at her friend again. "I mean, atleast you wouldn't be lying to her if you tell her that."


The brunette bit her bottom lip, her curiosity driving her to ask him who exactly he was interested and Skyler fought to keep it in check. In the end she simply rolled her eyes, more at herself than anything else, and added on, "And you should, you know, pursue that person, or whatever. I mean, she couldn't possibly deny you. Who would? You're awesome." The teen sort of rambled, not especially sure if she was making any kind of sense any more. "If that makes any sense?" She ended questioningly, giving him an unsure look.

The next moment had her laughing at his cockiness, and Skyler smirked superiorly at him. "I hate to burst your bubble Harry, but you won't be beating me. You've never seen me on a broom, otherwise you wouldn't be so cocky." The Slytherin flashed him a confident grin, eyes lighting up at the idea of playing him at the sport they both apparently loved. Him calling her impossible again had her snorting, but she found she rather liked the term he was getting in the habit of using for her. "Impossible. My middle name." She stated playfully.

His response to her question had her confused, as did the tone he delivered it in. On the one hand, the brunette thought that maybe it was a private matter and he didn't want to share with her. Which really kind of sucked but whatever. On the other hand, her curiosity was killing her. Especially now since it had already been extra piqued already. Deciding not to make a big deal out of it, Sky went for casual. "Well of course I want to know, seeing as I asked." She flashed him an amused grin. "But if you don't wanna say you don't have to." She ended with a shrug, leaving it up to him, but there was a hopeful look in her eye that said she hoped her friend might confide in her.

Eyes lighting up at the idea of a bet, Skyler listened to his terms and eagerly took hold of his hand to shake, enjoying the warmth that spread through her from the contact and giving a slight shiver. "Oh you are so on." She agreed easily. It wasn't like his terms were bad. Dinner with Harry? It would probably be just as great as breakfast with him was, of not more so. Though she had to ask.."Why when everyone else is in the castle? And how is that even possible?" Her face was all curiousness as she looked at him, forgetting the hold she had on his hand.

His friend’s face when she advised him on his crush and how to deal with Vinter seemed a little bit off to Harry. There was something going on here that he didn’t understand. Maybe he would ask Ginny what was going on when he could stand to look her in the eye again. She usually knew what was up.

He was still trying to figure out if the advice she was giving about pursuing his interest or whatever applied to, well, her, when she mercifully shifted the conversation back to quidditch. And then just as quickly she shifted back to the damn question again. And he really wanted to just tell her. But it was a really bad idea. And he was fairly certain that while Draco had really hurt her last night, it wasn’t his place to swoop in this morning and make things worse. Merlin, girls were confusing.

Then she was back on the bet and grabbing his hand. He gave it a little shake, but didn’t let go right away. “Let me worry about how to get us out of the castle and into Hogsmeade,” he said with a grin. “And you need to pick something for me to do in the small chance that you actually manage to beat the best Seeker this school has ever seen.”

Realizing he was still holding her hand, he dropped it and lowered his eyes to stare at the table. He simply couldn’t do what was racing through his mind, not when Sky might still want to be with Draco. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone. He had to swallow his feelings and be the only one hurt by it. He also needed to answer the question, so she would stop looking sad about it and leave him alone.

“The dreamy look or whatever was because of the girl I’m interested in. I really, really want to kiss her, but she kind of has a boyfriend who already doesn’t like me much.” His eyes slowly moved up to Sky’s, almost against his will. “You wanna know the worst part? There’s no way she knows how I feel. I didn’t even know how I felt this time yesterday.” That was probably saying way too much. Actually, it was definitely saying way too much. She was going to figure it out. Harry really needed to say something to cover it up, but he really didn’t want to, so he just stared sadly at his friend’s pretty purple eyes. He would worry about whatever damage this caused later, along with all the other damage of this weekend. There was enough of it to go around, anyway.

Skyler rolled her eyes at him but continued to grin anyways. She really couldn't help it. Harry just had that effect on her. "Fine. But I don't understand why we can't go on the weekend when everyone else does. Unless you're ashamed to be seen with me or something." At that thought, she gave him a mock hurt look. "You're not, are you?" She meant to be playful, and it almost came out as such, but there was a hint of worry in her voice that gave her away.

Her eyes lit up though as she considered what she could make him do if she won the bet. Her brows furrowed together and she bit her lower lip as she considered her many options. Of course, he did say it had to be reasonable. Which limited her greatly. Damn Gryffindor. "Alright. When I win," She stressed the word 'when' to get her point across, in no way prepared to let his cocky self claim victory so easily, "then you have to go Christmas shopping with me when the holidays come around." It probably sounded stupid, but Sky hated shopping with a passion and she would rather drag a friend along to listen to her complain about it.

When he looked away and dropped her hand the brunette felt a brief stab of loss, but shoved it away as she watched his face intently. It was incredible how his emotions flitted across his face, and she felt like she could sit there forever learning how to read him. When he seemed to finally settle on sadness her chest clenched painfully. She didn't like to see him sad, and when he explained she could understand why. She cocked her head at him, meeting his gaze. "Well...that is quite a sticky situation." She allowed slowly. "But I don't know. I mean, life's really about taking chances isn't it? And you'll never know unless you try. You don't just stop chasing the snitch just because a bludger gets in your way."

The wheels in her head were turning rapidly, and Sky was almost certain Harry was referring to Ginny. After the way he had looked at her the precious night during her little show, it sort of made sense. Even though the brunette wasn't sure how she felt towards the red head, she did want Harry to be happy. That's what really mattered. Though she couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't like the idea of it any more than she liked the idea of him with Vinter.

Harry smirked at the Slytherin’s confidence and her terms for the bet. In truth, he loved the village of Hogsmeade enough that shopping was never really a problem. Not that it would matter since he wasn’t losing anyway. “Not ashamed of you,” Harry said with a smile. “I just don’t want to share you with an entire village of students running and screaming from place to place if I don’t have to.” Once again probably giving too much away, but Harry was a few steps beyond caring at this point. If Skyler kept pushing him, Draco was going to stop mattering to him so much.

As if to illustrate his point for him, the Slytherin kept basically pushing him to go after whoever he was interested in, even though she had to know by now that she was the target of his affections. Was she so unhappy with Draco after last night that she had decided it was over with him and she wanted Harry to give her something better or steadier or something to go to? If so, Harry had no idea what to do.

Luckily, he was saved from figuring it out as he realized there was another option. Skyler had clearly noticed how Harry stared at Ginny during the dance last night. She knew they were close friends, but Harry wasn’t sure she knew their whole history together, and even if she did parts of it were confusing to even him. It was entirely possible that Skyler thought she was pushing him towards someone entirely different than she actually was.

“Exactly who do you think we’re talking about?” He tried to sound amused or something as he asked, but wasn’t exactly sure if it worked or not.

Skyler grinned as she thought on it. It made enough sense really. The last time she had been there it had been rather packed, not that she had gotten the chance to really see much of the village, what with her impromptu meeting with her uncle. The brunette pushed those thoughts away forcefully, not wanting to dwell on them at all. "I suppose that seems reasonable enough. Even though it doesn't matter because I'm totally going to win." The teen said this in complete confidence, clearly no doubt in her own skills as a Seeker.

Skyler looked away at his question, not especially wanting to answer because it happened to bring up the topic they were doing so well to avoid. She sighed softly, rubbing the back of her neck in the tell take sign of her nevousness. "Ginny." She answered, voice soft and not meeting his eyes as she explained. "The way you looked at her last night, you know, when she was doing..um..her dare, I guess." Skyler shrugged, finally bringing her eyes to his. "It just seemed kind of obvious if you ask me."

Harry’s mouth opened in shock, even if he had been trying to talk himself into that option. They really were still getting to know each other if she thought he could still want Ginny after that little display of craziness.

He struggled not to laugh when she finally turned to look him in the eye. “You have it totally wrong,” he said, far more happily than he probably should have. “Ginny was probably the reason I didn’t figure it out earlier, though, now that you manage her.” It hurt to mention his fire haired friend. It also really did bring them way too close to last night. Maybe it was time to wrap this little party up before things actually got serious.

“You know what?” he asked, getting up from his seat and giving his friend a small hug as he walked towards the door that led back into the real world, “it’s better if I don’t tell you who I’m interested in. Come find me when you figure it out on your own, though.” With that he gave her the biggest smile he could manage and left the kitchen, hoping he had done her a little bit of good after the horror of last night and knowing that he wouldn’t trade the morning for anything.