Disclaimer: Really, if I were J. and came up with all those wonderful characters, I'm pretty sure I would have better things to do than to write at fanfiction- for example writing the seventh book and earning a lot of money, so no, I don't own this.

Author's Note: I definitely won't update tomorrow because a.) I have practically no time to write anything and because b.) my computer and I are at war at the moment and Erwin (that's my computer) won't let me open my Words without several new starts...

I hope I will be able to update on Friday and that my brother fixes that problem, but don't be angry if it doesn't work out.

Also it was pointed out to me that I referred to Hermione as Mrs. Weasley in the last chapter, but I fixed it now and all I have to say in my defence is oops.

Then Luna also kind of slipped into the Defence lesson and I'm too lazy to rewrite it and since she doesn't appear very often anyway I'll leave her where she is.

I think that is all for now, thanks for your reviews. I promise I have read them all and thought about it, but right now I'm too tired and on top of that too busy to answer them. I hope you understand. I really, really appreciate your comments and I sincerely thank Cateria for helping me with my punctation and Buffy's Knitting Kneedles for pointing out the mistakes in the last chapter (and for your information, I am German and yes I think this rips-thingy has something to do with my pronunciation: I once was at the university to see what it is like and all this stuff and there was this professor, who told us that Germans to say the last syllable very hard, like instead of saying dog we say something like dock or in this case instead of saying ribs we say rips). Well, I could go on thanking all of you, but then I could reply your reviews just as well and please don't think that I appreciate your commments any less just because I didn't mention it here.

35. QUIDDITCH

The afternoon found Harry, Jack Sloper, Andrew Kirke, Rudolphus and Rabastan standing at the Quidditch pitch, each with their broom in one hand and a bat in the other.

"Okay, Andrew, Jack, I conjured up a target over there", he pointed at one side of the pitch, where there was indeed a wooden wall with five rings on it, "We will throw those balls in the air for you. They are exactly like Bludgers only that they don't attack so your task will be to hit the aim, preferably in the middle. Okay?"

The two boys nodded and mounted their brooms, hovering on eye-level with the aim while Harry gave the Lestranges each two balls.

"Do you have a shield up?", Rabastan whispered while they all flew over and Harry nodded, throwing the first Bludger, which Jack bet into one of the seats on the sidelines.

Gradually the shots became more focused and after one and a quarter hour the hit rate had increased to seventy-five percent.

"Come down", Harry called, catching the last Bludger before it hit the ground, "Those last few ones were pretty good. I think we can try something else now... Do you have a bit of time, Rudolphus, Rabastan, or do you have something else to do?"

"Not really", Rudolphus squeezed Harry's hand encouragingly, "We're up for the next round."

"Great, I want you two to try to hit us with the fake Bludgers", Harry said calmly, "And no, I haven't lost my mind- and we will shoot them back. Come one, not so slow! You do want to win against the Slytherins, don't you?"

"We always won against Slytherin", Andrew whined, "Their team isn't any good."

"Things change", Harry scowled at them, "They have better brooms, they have a better Keeper at least when they have unsettled Ron only once and they definitely have better Beaters. And I have no desire to be hit by a Bludger shot by my own team-mates so you will train if you don't want me to quit the team."

"Alright, alright", the burly boy held up his hands in surrender, "No-one denies that we need training."

They once again pushed off the ground, this time all armed with bats and started their training, though not before Rudolphus and Rabastan both had woven their own Protection Spells around Harry's lithe form, who tolerated it scowlingly.

"Hey, Potter, we booked the pitch for today", Harry dodged the Bludger aimed at him and scooped down to where the whole Slytherin team stood with Draco in the lead, "Take your little puppies and clear the field for the pros..."

"No need to be rude", Harry landed next to the tall blond, "And I need the field, too, so since you are here to find a new seeker I'll help you and you help me. This way everyone will be happy."

"Who says I need your help?", Draco asked testily.

"I say so", Harry kissed his cheek, "Trust my judgement. Oh, Vince, Greg, it's great you are here will you help my two Beaters? Please? You can hit them as hard as you want as long as you don't break their bones. It's a good training for you, too, isn't it? Oh, thank you", he hugged the two tall boys, who obediently climbed their brooms.

"Harry, could you at least allow me the pretense that this is still my team and my decision?", Draco pouted and Harry immediately stepped back: "Of course, I'm sorry."

"I make a deal, okay?", the blond said, offering his hand, "Your beaters can have one side of the pitch and Vince and Greg will help them. In exchange for that you'll help me find a suitable Seeker and you answer one question, just one question and you can veto two times, deal?"

"Okay", Harry said in a small voice, wincing slightly when Blaise arms' closed around his waist: "We only want to help you, Harry, promise. Let's sit down! Half of Slytherin signed up for the trying-outs, this'll be a long day..."

The dark-eyed boy sat down crossed-legged and settled the smaller boy between his long legs, wrapping an arm around the slim waist.

It indeed was a while till the number of possible future seekers had decreased to four: the oldest a seventh year girl, Ivy, though Harry thought it would be stupid to take someone who was writing their Newts and who would be gone after that year; then a rather small fifth year with the name Isbell; a boy in the same year with curry-coloured hair and eyes of almost the same colour called Silas and the last one Gerid, a fourth year. Harry's personal favourite were the two fifth years, but he had kept mostly quiet so far and let Draco handle the Quidditch players.

"So, how do you suggest we find the perfect Seeker, Harry", the blond had his hands on his hips and tapped his foot as if he had already waited for an hour or so.

"Let them catch the Snitch blindfolded", Harry shrugged nonchalantly.

"And how are we supposed to do this, Potter?", Ivy said rather neutrally, "It's not possible. You have to see the Snitch."

"No, you have to feel it", Harry corrected, "You have to hear the little flutter of wings, feel the slight breeze when it's near you, the magic radiating around it. Close your eyes, I'll show you."

He stood up and summoned the golden Snitch from the box, catching it with ease while Ivy after she had received a nod from Draco closed her eyes.

"I'll let the Snitch circle your head with a distance of one metre", Harry said, holding the tiny ball in place with his wand, "Point at it."

Ivy frowned, scrunching her forehead up in concentration before she slowly pointed straight ahead to where Harry stood: "No, I'm directing the Snitch with my wand. Listen to the sound, don't you hear the buzzing?"

Everyone seemed to be holding their breathes as the Seventh year cocked her head to the side and then hesitantly pointed to her left.

"Good, now I'm going to move it, try to keep pointing at it", Harry nodded and slowly levitated it around her head and though she lost it a couple of times, the general direction was mostly correct.

After her Gerid tried his luck, but for some reason he always pointed too much to the left and he sighed disappointedly, though Harry told him that he would learn it with training. Isbell was next and she did pretty good, however not as good as Ivy, but Silas after a short while of orientation had his finger trained on the Snitch almost all the time.

"It's not that bad as long as the Snitch is so near you, but how are we supposed to find it when it's on the other end of the pitch?", he said after he had finished, "I doubt that anyone can do that."

"You just have to listen more closely", Harry shrugged, "Of course it's different with all those people around you screaming and cheering, but it's still a handy additional skill. We wouldn't want to have the Snitch hovering over your ear and you not noticing it, would we, Draco?"

"I'm shaking with laughter", deadpanned the blond, "If you say it's possible, show us, catch the Snitch blindfolded!"

"I don't mind", Harry smiled at him and released the Snitch, which immediately disappeared, and allowed the other wizard to wrap a black cloth over his eyes.

He carefully mounted his broom, pushing only slightly off the ground before hovering back down in order to judge his altitude and then spiralling up in the air. He stopped in mid-air, searching for that small tingle of magic that betrayed the presence of the Snitch.

At the moment it was too far away, but before he had time to change his position he heard the sound of something speeding towards him, something much bigger than a Snitch and even before he registered the shouts from Rudolphus and Rabastan he dodged the stray Bludger so that he sat on his broom upside down, his legs wrapped around the broomstick.

Everyone gave a collective sigh and someone even cheered as he regained his seat and continued his search. Five minutes or so later he distinctly noticed the fluttering of wings and the characteristic signature of magic almost directly under him near the ground and dived, pressing himself flat against his reliable Firebolt, a carefree smile spreading across his face and a small whoop of joy escaping his lips. It became more difficult to locate the Snitch with every metre he dived because of the magic of the Slytherins, which covered that of the Snitch, though now he could rely more on his hearing and when he became aware that the Snitch was preparing to move again, he just let go of his broom, falling freely for the last metre, and landed safely in Draco's arms, smirking up at the shocked look that met his eyes after he had taken of the blindfold, the golden ball still clutched in his hand.

"And that, my dear Draco, is the reason why Gryffindor will win the cup", he kissed the blond's cheek and handed the Snitch over.

"Harry, never do something like this again", Rudolphus screamed horrified, shaking the small boy by the shoulders, "You can't just drop off your broom like that. What if Draco hadn't been there?"

"I knew he was there", Harry said softly, "Please stop shaking me."

The muscular man stopped immediately: "Sorry, I guess I'll just go back to shoot some Bludgers", he mumbled and turned around.

"I didn't mean to scare you", Harry hugged him from behind, "But I knew what I was doing. I'm not suicidal."

"It looked like that for a moment", Rudolphus said lowly, "What would we do without you?"

Harry didn't answer that question and just tightened his hold: "What would I do without you?", he whispered back.

"We won't leave you, Harry", he ruffled the black hair, "Go, sit with Blaise while we try to teach your Beaters so that they don't shoot anymore Bludgers at you."

Harry hugged him once again before he sauntered over to the oldest Slytherin boy and snuggled against him, watching sleepily as the four possible Seekers tried to catch the Snitch, though not blindfolded. Soon after his eyes closed completely and his breathing evened out- this pregnancy made him more tired than he was used to, though the nightmares were a lot better now- maybe he was finally healing.

"Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead", Draco murmured in his ear, "I thought you wanted to help me? Who should get the job?"

"Silas", Harry mumbled sleepily, "He's got potential and enough time to make something out of it."

"That's what I thought", Draco agreed and went to inform his new team-mate while Harry once again snuggled into Blaise, who chuckled lightly: "Am I comfortable?"

"Mhm", Harry looked up at him, "Where are Rudolphus and Rabastan?"

"They left ten minutes or so ago because Kirke has a meeting with the Gobstone club or something like that", Blaise answered, "They said that if you wanted to train later you should just come and find them."

"Okay, next training is Monday five o'clock", Draco called and the Slytherins nodded, "Silas, you should use the time until then to fly a bit on your own. See you then."

The other students recognised it as the dismissal it was and went to either take a shower or back to the castle while Harry got to his feet and helped Blaise up: "I guess you want your answer now."

"Yes, I'll just ask you three questions and you can chose which one you want to answer, okay?", Harry nodded stiffly, his hands clenched into fists, "Why were you so afraid of Vince and Greg? What happened to you at your relatives'? What is your darkest secret?"

"That is three times the same question only worded differently", Harry said painedly, "You'll get your answer- I need to fetch something first."

He turned away from them, walking quickly back to the castle, ignoring their calls and only walking faster when they tried to catch up with him. He hissed the password to the secret passageway and immediately walked into their bedroom, ignoring Tom's surprised greeting. The Dark Lord followed his small husband concernedly, but left him alone as he found him sitting on their bed with a simple black book in his lap. He had seen Harry writing in it quite often and decided to give him some privacy, resuming his position in his armchair.

Just as he had settled comfortable and inked his quill with his preferred green ink, hovering centimetres over the Defence homework of some Gryffindor first year (the only good thing about those were that they weren't very long yet) there was a frantic knock on the door.

"Is Harry here?", Draco asked, not granting himself the time to greet the Dark Lord.

Tom raised one black eyebrow, but answered: "He's writing his diary in the bedroom, but you can wait in here for him. I don't want anyone to get suspicious, because you're lingering in front of a blank piece of wall."

He stepped to the side, granting them entrance and motioned to the sofa. The two students looked quite worried, which in turn made him worried about Harry.

"Did he look upset?", Blaise asked nervously after they had sat a while in silence.

"As far as I know he only writes in his diary when he's upset", Tom returned, "What, pray tell, did you do to him?"

"We made a deal with him and now he has to answer a question out of three", Draco sighed, "I guess it wasn't very fair of me to just put the same question in three different ways."

"No, it wasn't fair", Harry said from the steps, the little black booklet in his hand, "But I got your answer. Read this, everything you want to know", he threw the book at the blond, "And now go, it's not like you will want to have anything to do with me after you know how fucked up I am. Go!", he let the door swung open and stared at the two boys once again tuning out their words until they dejectedly walked out and closed the door behind them.

Harry slumped over and leant heavily against Tom, who had went to embrace him.

"Hey, shh, don't cry. Whatever they might find out they will not abandon you", Tom murmured, combing through Harry's hair while the small boy shook with tears.

"They'll hate me", Harry sobbed harder and clutched to Tom's robes, who had moved them to the sofa and pulled Harry into his lap, "They'll hate me!"

"They don't even hate me, Harry", he tried to reassure him, "Whatever you think you did wrong can't be worse than what I did."

"Yes, it can!"

"Did you kill someone? Did you torture someone? Did you humiliate someone?", Harry shook his head each time, "What could be worse?"

"I did nothing", the small boy cried, "I allowed it to happen."

"I'm sure you did your best to protect everyone but you", Tom said softly, "I'm sure you blame yourself, though it really is not your fault. And I will kill them if they hurt you."

"I don't want you to kill them- they are my friends", Harry's grip tightened almost painfully.

"And that is exactly the reason why they won't hate you", Tom answered, rubbing his back.

They sat in silence for over ten minutes before Harry looked up at him through pain-filled eyes that almost broke his heart: "Do you really think that?"

"Of course, precious", he kissed the mop of wild hair.

"Thank you", Harry mumbled and pressed himself closer to the warm body, "Can... Can you please hold me for a while?"

"There's nothing I would rather do, kitten", he whispered to the small boy and closed his arms more firmly around the delicate body.

They sat like this for a short eternity until Harry lifted his head from the now wet, black robes and kissed Tom on the lips, blushing and ducking his head as he became aware of what he had done: "I'm sorry."

"And I'm delighted", Tom put a finger under Harry's chin and made him look up at him, "I kiss you all the time, Harry, and if you want to kiss me you're more than welcome to do so. May I kiss you?"

Harry blushed an even darker shade of pink but nodded nonetheless, purring appreciatively as Tom's quick tongue slipped into his mouth while his hands caressed his back.

"Let's go to bed, okay?", Tom asked after he had regained his breath, "Why don't you change into your pyjamas?"

"Okay", Harry mumbled and got up, making his way over to the door that led out into the corridor.

"What are you intending to do out there?", the red-eyed man asked from the sofa.

"My pyjamas are still in the tower", Harry replied, "I wanted to fetch them."

"It's already past curfew and I think you were upset enough for one day", he pulled him back to the sofa, "I'll look for something suitable to wear, okay? I'm sure I'll find something and in the meantime you can take a shower. I'll put them in front of the door and I promise I won't even look in that direction."

"Thank you", Harry hesitated a moment, but then once again pressed their lips together before he hastily locked himself in the bathroom; Tom couldn't contain a chuckle.

Review? Perhaps? Maybe? Please?