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The cold wind was messing his hair even more than normal, as Harry blushed while staring at his shoes, regretting not taking his woollen hat. A knot of anxiety pressed heavily on his stomach, as he waited Cho's response at his clumsy attempt to ask her to the Yule Ball.

"I’m so sorry, Harry," said Cho with a sad expression, making his eyes snap at her, as she tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear while barely meeting his gaze. "I’m already going to the Yule Ball with Ced…"

"It's alright!” Harry blurted out under her now bewildered gaze, as the knot of anxiety that had been tightening in his stomach slowly dissolved into a sense of relief, leaving him feeling very confused. To cover the strange, but not unwelcome feeling, Harry started to ramble his own unfiltered thoughts to the speechless ravenclaw. “Godric, now i feel like a complete idiot! I’m so sorry I asked you to go with me Cho, i swear I didn’t know you and Cedric were together, else I wouldn't have never asked you. I must apologise to him as well.”

Harry was so worried about covering his relief that he completely missed Cho's angry glare at him, since he kept looking at the Owlery door to not look at her.

“Listen, Harry, it’s not like you think between me and Cedr…” the girl blushed deeply when Harry looked again at at her, seemingly at a loss of words. Cho stammered as Harry lifted his brow in confusion, “I-I… I’ve got to g-go, bye.”

Harry gave her a vague wave, staring at her retreating back and her furiously swishing hair, confused by her words and by the sheer relief he felt at her refusal. Because Harry was pretty sure he’d had a crush on her, at least that’s how it had been last year when he’d faced her in quidditch. He’d been unable to play because of Cho’s smile.

Or maybe she just was a good opponent and Harry completely confused his feelings about her. Because right now he was quite sure that he should be angry, sad and, above all, jealous of Cedric. Instead, Harry felt more and more relieved with every passing second.

Also, why Cho was almost insisting that Harry had misunderstood the situation between her and Cedric? Harry shook his head while a cold, cutting breeze crept under his heavy cloak, making him shiver despite the warming charms woven into it. Harry clenched the letter he was supposed to send to Sirius even tighter in his hands, leaving the matter be, he would apologize to Cedric after dinner and then leave them alone.

He had already received enough hate from the whole school for something that was out of his control, he didn't want to get hated also for this.

Before he turned to send his letter, Harry gave the surrounding forest a last glance. It was a beautiful place in winter with all the snow making it look like one of those Christmas card his relatives received from Marge.

Tilting his head towards the looming castle ahead Harry spotted Cho walking fast, almost as if she was running away. Harry gazed thoughtfully at her receding figure, a little stark point of black against the pure white snow, searching in his heart for something, some kind of emotion beside relief, but coming up short, whilst a slow realisation started to lit up his eyes.

Maybe he wasn't attracted to-

“Well,” said an enticing, drawling voice behind him, interrupting his epiphany, “that was rather pathetic, don’t you think?”

The words were curated like only someone that eavesdropped the entire conversation could do, and Harry spun round to give a piece of his mind to the boy behind him, but the words caught in his throat, stumbling in a constricted cough.

Harry saw Blaise Zabini's slightly upturned black-brown eyes looking at him with a mischievous twinkle, and his stomach became tangled again, a pure mess of flutters.

“What?” said the slytherin nonchalantly, leaning on the stone wall of the Owlery, “I wasn’t talking about you, but about her.” Zabini shrugged a little snow from his dark blue cloak and flashed Harry a dazzling smile complete with dimples, which instantly made his throat go dry and his stomach flutter with insistence.

"Well," Harry said after scraping his throat, "even if you’re not talking about me, it’s still not very nice to say things like that about a girl." Harry tried not to blush under Zabini's amused gaze, even though he’d realised he didn’t like Cho at all, it wasn't fair that Zabini said those things. The slytherin's grin sharpened harshly, and Harry felt the blush creep on him with his hot inevitability.

“Potter, if you only knew about the things she says and does when the teachers aren’t looking." Zabini’s charming, drawling tone had turned cold as the wind lashing Harry’s face, making him frown at his words, whilst another shiver ran through his body. "You wouldn’t be defending her like this, trust me." He paused, pondering his next words as he came closer to Harry, almost like he didn't want to hurt him with his words.

"Not all bullies wear green and silver,” Zabini murmured while smiling sardonically at him, deepening the frown on Harry’s face even further as his words hit too close to home for Harry. “and you know a thing or two about that, don’t you, Potter?”

Harry stalled, knowing all too well what Zabini was talking about. Remembering with a suppressed wince the angry purple and reddish bruises he hid from Hermione that a group of seventh year hufflepuffs, Cedric's classmates, gave him before the first task. Zabini was terribly observant, his black-brown eyes didn't leave Harry's face for a second, gauging his reaction. Harry's heart did a strange flip at the thought that he was worried for him.

“I'm not saying that. But are you saying that Cho, the girl who blushed and stammered to say goodbye, is a backstabbing bully like Malfoy and his cronies?” With words steeped in disbelief and eyebrows raised skeptically, Harry crossed his arms and stared unblinkingly at Zabini, almost certain that the boy was lying about Cho being a bully.

Even though something inside him was whispering that Zabini had nothing to gain by lying to him, that he himself had seen Cho sneer at a couple of first years, that something about her always niggled badly at the back of his head, almost warning him. Harry couldn’t bring himself to believe Zabini, after all even if he seemed worried about him, he was a slytherin.

With a sigh Zabini looked around them, even if they were alone onto the Owlery's entrance the slytherin shook his head, opening the door of the tower as he gestured for Harry to follow him inside.

Harry stared at the charming slytherin with utter disbelief.

Sure, he had a very pretty smile and his eyes sparkled while looking at Harry, but he was mad for thinking that Harry would have followed him to such a secluded place. But when Zabini, before entering the Owlery, turned a little and smiled at him again, Harry’s heart skipped a beat.

“Come on, I won’t bite.” Zabini winked at him before he disappeared behind the worn wooden door, leaving Harry stammering and alone. His face felt hot enough to melt the snow around him, as the flutters in his stomach became a small storm with no intentions of stopping.

Why was Zabini talking and smiling to him more exciting and embarrassing that it was talking to Cho?

Harry kept staring at the door that Zabini left half opened for him, while his thoughts were an entangled mess of half formed words and things he wasn't aware he had been feeling for long, and now they were overwhelming him.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut as tears prickled behind his eyes, he wasn't sure why all of that sudden he felt like crying. It was something small in his chest, something that he tried to shield and take care for, despite how his relatives tried to smother it with hateful words and stinging hands. A small but fierce seedling with strong roots and new leaves, that despite everything had remained true to himself. Harry exhaled deeply and scrubbed at his eyes, not expecting the huge wave of feelings that a couple of interaction with Zabini had brought forward.

Thinking back at the slytherin that was awaiting him, something beneath that smirking look he had given him earlier gave Harry pause for thought, because Zabini looked both hurt and hopeful under his cocky appearance. Harry wanted to know why he had that expression.Shaking his head as if to shake off the last of his doubts, and the annoying little voice in his head that sounded like Ron’s telling him to leave, Harry took a deep breath and walked into the Owlery, startling Zabini.

The slytherin tried to mask his surprise with another cocky smirk, but Harry had seen him jump and startle and smirked back at him. This were the moments he felt the most slytherin of them all.

“You know, I honestly didn’t expect you to follow me, Potter.” Zabini said with the same nonchalance as before, smiling more warmly at him .

“I realised as much, Zabini.” Harry let his surname flow slowly from his mouth as his smile widened while noticing the slytherin’s brown cheeks darken, betraying his hidden embarrassment.

“Yeah, okay, you gave me a fright, Potter. Happy now?” Zabini said through gritted teeth, but his black-brown eyes sparkled with amusement, putting Harry at ease while the little something in his chest pulsed slowly, warming him.

Hedwig chose that very moment to interrupt them with her prideful theatrics. She glided silently from her perch, seeing as Harry wasn’t paying her any attention, landing on his shoulder with a soft thump and began to preen her feathers haughtily. Harry let out an affectionate chuckle at her, even if she snapped her beak at him, and stroked his familiar’s soft snowy feathers, momentarily forgetting all of his troubles and confusing thoughts.

“Sorry I didn’t call you straight away girl, how are you? Is Errol still giving you grief?” She replied with an exasperated hoot as she gently nibbled his fingers, forgiving him. “Can you take this to Siri-”

Harry mentally slapped his forehead as he stopped himself from finishing his godfather's name. The blood ran cold in his veins, for he’d completely forgotten that Zabini was just a few metres away from him, now staring at him in shock.

Harry didn't believe in God, but he still prayed with all his might to whoever was listening that Zabini’s gaze was because he was ignoring him, and not because he’d realised who Harry was sending the letter to. His prayer went unheard.

“Potter, why are you writing to the murderer who tried to kill you several times last year?” Zabini had stalked closer with every word, fear in his eyes and voice, whilst Harry backed away, trying to make up for his slip-up.

“Zabini, it’s none of your business.” Harry came up short sounding harsh. His brain was frying between his fear for Sirius and for Zabini's closeness, he tried to move away, but the slytherin wouldn’t let him.

“Is he blackmailing you? Has he taken someone close to you hostage? Why you haven't said anything to a professor?” Zabini’s voice grew increasingly worried, and Harry raised an eyebrow at his oddly concerned behaviour, not understanding why he cared for him. If Zabini looked worried before, now he was fully panicking. Hedwig choose that exact moment to snatch the letter from Harry's hand, taking flight before the two boys’ eyes.

Deprived of his letter and familiar, Harry crossed his arms while Zabini continued to stare at Hedwig, who was flying further and further away.

Harry hoped in his heart that Sirius was all right. In his latest letters, he’d seemed increasingly worse, that's why he asked Remus to help him before sending him this letter.

Turning his attention to Zabini again, Harry saw that he was still following Hedwig's flight, even if he couldn't see her anymore. Harry wanted to know why Zabini was worrying like this for him, nobody except his friends and Sirius had done it, and the little pulsing beat beneath his ribs perked it's head at the thought. That's why he blurted out the first thing that he was thinking. “Why do you care so much?”

Zabini spun around to look at him at his question, crossing his arms in turn, a calculating expression settling on his handsome face, masking the worry and the panic with too much ease. It looked like something he did normally on a daily basis. “Even if I wanted to tell you why, you wouldn't believe me, Potter.”

"Try me." Harry murmured stepping forward into Zabini's space, face burning. His head was spinning but he still pinned the slytherin with a patient look, waiting for his answer.

"I don't want to be a pureblooded bigot like most of my classmates." Zabini said while looking straight in Harry's eyes, "I know that the Dark Lord is full of shit, and his followers love to roll in it."

A bark of a laugh ripped from Harry at Zabini's crude expression, it was something that Harry had thinked a couple of times and he was happy that he wasn't alone in it. "So you were worried for me because you want me to survive and kill Voldemort?" Harry said lifting an eyebrow at the now sputtering slytherin.

"No, Potter. You're dumb if you think that you could take him alone, you need allies and powerful people to help you." Zabini rolled his eyes at him, talking to Harry like he was a little kid having a tantrum.

Harry shook his head at him, trust a slytherin to talk about strategy in every moment. "They surely won't follow a cheating bastard like me and i don't want others to die for me."

"You're very self deprecating, you know?" Remarked Zabini, his eyes never leaving Harry's as he came even closer to him. He smelled very nicely, like rosemary and incense, a strange but fitting smell for Zabini and Harry fought to not close his eyes and lay his head on the slytherin's shoulder.

He had to answer him, but he wasn't entirely wrong, he was very self deprecating, even if sometimes he didn't realize he was doing it. Hermione called it a defence mechanism, Ron called it humour, but to him it was the little voice that had Petunia's cadence and Vernon's bite that told him that he would never be enough.

"Zabini, just tell me what you had to tell me about Cho and let's go out separate ways." Harry averted his eyes, unfortunately stepping back into the stone wall of the Owlery.

"Potter it doesn't work like that," Zabini started, as Harry tried and failed to get away, since the slytherin had put his hands on the wall next to Harry's head, caging him. "I know that you don't trust me, honestly you have all the rights not to after all my House and housemates had done to you. But believe me when I say that I don't want you getting hurt or in danger, being Black, the Dark Lord, or whoever forced you to compete into this horrible Tournament."

Harry's face was completely on fire after Zabini's passionate little speech. That little something hidden deep in his chest sprouted more leaves, thickening his roots and leaning into the warmth radiating from the boy in front of him. Harry fought the urge to smile and cry simultaneously, while he tried to respond to Zabini's words.

Harry tried to believe that it was all a big manipulation, and that the slytherin was lying to him just for fun, but the utter sincerity glistening into his black-brown eyes crumbled that theory immediately. "T-thanks Zabini, it's more than others told me," Harry lowered his gaze at the other's blinding smile, "I still can't tell you why I am sending Sirius letters, just be reassured that it's not something illegal."

Zabini fixed him with an unimpressed stare, as he puffed out like Hedwig when he ignored her. "Potter. You're writing letters to an escaped convict. There's nothing legal to any of that!" Zabini was gesticulating wildly, fire in his eyes and laughter in the back of his throat, Harry smiled widely at him.

"Bah, technicalities," Harry said in the most posh tone he knew, Malfoy's, as Zabini stopped his rant to look at him with pure disbelief.

"You're infuriating." He muttered while smiling at him, the both of them relaxing even more.

Harry stayed there, with his back on the cold stones of the Owlery wall, eagerly awaiting the next thing Zabini was going to do or say to him, completely forgetting the distrust and the jumbled mess of emotions he felt earlier. Zabini just looked at him speculatively for a couple of moments, toying with the silver earring on his right ear. His black-brown eyes were roaming over him in a manner that seemed calculating, and Harry shivered under their intensity.

"Let's make a deal, Potter, something that the both of us can benefit from." Zabini let the words hang in the air, almost like a beautiful shiny bait, now it was Harry's choice to be caught in it or not.

They looked at each other for another while, but Harry caved faster than Hermione on a new book, blaming entirely his unending curiosity and not the butterflies in his stomach. "What tipe of deal?"

Zabini's eyes shone like pure obsidian as he clearly reached what he was fishing for.

"Let's go to the Yule Ball together," Harry gaped openly at him, but Zabini kept talking, smirk never leaving his handsome face, "like this you won't be forced to dance with McGonagall, and I can help keeping you alive and safe."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Harry murmured to the too sure slytherin that kept smiling at him, "And, most importantly, what do you gain from this deal? To me it doesn't seem fair to you at all, aren't slytherin all for gaining something from somebody?"

Zabini stopped to smile and scratched his chin, as if he was searching for something to gain. To Harry it was strange, still, his offer made that little something perk up happily in his chest, a tiny light in contrast to all the sorrowful darkness he was feeling that year.

"What I have to gain?" Whispered Zabini, reaching a conclusion, "A favour from the Wizarding World's darling, to be collected at my own leisure." Harry smirked, mirroring Zabini's, now he recognized the charming slytherin.

"Okay, I will." Harry said in response to both Zabini's deal and to his retribution, feeling the low hum of magic strumming in his blood, responding to the deal and sealing it.

The smile Zabini gave him was so genuine that Harry blushed and conked his head to the stone wall, hissing in pain. Hiding his embarrassment to the slytherin, he asked for the only thing that could have distracted him. “So, what was it you wanted to tell me about Cho?”

* * * * *

A couple of days after their talk in the Owlery, Harry and Zabini found themselves watching from behind an alcove of one of the abandoned courtyards, hidden in the shadows of the sunset, a young girl with blonde hair so fair that it blended into the snow that had fallen a few hours earlier.

“Her name is Luna Lovegood. Cho and her friends are always picking on her,” Zabini’s expression was sombre, as he kept looking at her, eyes never leaving the small girl. Harry's heart constricted at the thought of her getting bullied like he had for most of his childhood, "she has the sweetest soul, they only target her because she sees the world differently from all of us."

Harry mulled over Zabini's constricted words as he kept watching the girl who, clad only in a thin cloak and a blue and bronze scarf, was walking calmly through the fresh snow, swaying slightly from side to side as if she were listening to some music. Harry found himself smiling as he watched her, her presence was calm and relaxing even from afar, she seemed like the sort of girl he could befriend.

Luna took a few more steps through the snow before turning sharply towards them, her blue grey eyes lighting up with a genuine smile as she spotted them.

“Blaise!” Luna ran towards them, her pale cheeks flushed and blonde hair swishing around her face, clearly happy to have met one of her friends. It was only then that Harry finally began to understand what Zabini had meant by bullying. Luna wasn’t wearing any shoes. Her completely damp feet were clad in blue socks and peeking out of her cloak, and Harry shivered for her, knowing too well the hurt she was now feeling, even if she was masking it.

Harry’s heart went out to the innocent little girl, how could anyone do something so cruel to her in the middle of winter? Did they want to make her ill?

“Harry Potter, you’ve got rid of mostly all wrackspurts, but be careful, they might come back.” Harry refocused his gaze and found himself staring into Luna’s clear eyes, which were alarmingly close to his own, she was leaning into his space like she was telling him an incredible secret. Harry smiled at her, from this distance, he could see the sparse sprinkling of freckles on her nose and the strange red earrings dangling from her ears, they looked like little radishes.

“I won’t let the wrackspurts win me back now that I’ve sent them away, rest assured about that Luna.” Harry grinned at her, whilst Luna nodded wisely and patted him on the shoulder. Harry had no idea what a wrackspurt was, or even if it was real, but the confidence with which Luna spoke of it made it seem so.

“Luna, where have your boots gone?” Zabini’s question made Luna stop in her tracing of Harry's gryffindor crest on his cloak, and she turned to look at him with a slight furrow between her eyebrows.

"Blaise, I’ve already explained it to you," Luna said patiently, like it was something she had repeated already too many times to him, "it was the nargles. There’s too much mistletoe in this castle during this period and they tend to play tricks on everyone. Even you’ve had things go missing mysteriously, it was them."

Harry masked his surprise at the ravenclaw’s statement, because if what Luna was saying was true, Zabini too was being bullied by Cho and her friends, probably because he was friend with Luna. Harry tried to keep his distance from their conversation, Zabini was trying to reason with Luna, but she brushed aside his insinuations and accusations with her light-hearted, calm tone, telling the slytherin not to worry. But then they dragged Harry in it even if he wasn't speaking at all, well, Zabini dragged him inside the conversation, probably hoping that he would have been the voice of reason.

"Potter, what do you think?"

"Hm?" Harry turned to them, not wanting to get entangled into that ongrowing mess, so he blurted out something that was sure could distract both of them at the same time. "Luna looks exactly like a baby unicorn."

Zabini huffed at him and threw his hands in the air, exasperated. Luna instead, turned to him with a huge smile and hugged Harry tightly, making him stiffen. Although Hermione and Mrs Weasley often hugged him, Harry however wasn’t used to the physical displays of affection that no one else seemed to have a problem with. Feeling awkward and embarrassed, Harry gave Luna a couple of light pats on the head as she burrowed more into the awkward hug, like one of Miss Figg's cat.

“It’ll all be alright, Harry.” With those final words Luna skipped away, running away from the discussion she was having with Zabini, and leaving them alone in the deserted courtyard where they’d found her.

Zabini pushed his scarf tighter around his neck, eyes still following the lithe figure of Luna, “I wish I could make her realise that what they’re doing to her is wrong, but her heart’s too kind,” he muttered under his breath like a silent prayer.

Harry's heart clenched for both of them. It was clear that they were good friends and that Zabini cared deeply for Luna, what Cho and her friends were doing to them wasn't fair. Harry's mind returned to the small cupboard under the stairs, the screams and hits that pounded onto him, he didn't want any of them to feel like he had felt for most of his childhood. That's why Harry hated bullies.

Trying to lighten the air that was hanging heavily with sadness between him and Zabini, Harry started to think of a plan to keep the two safe from any bullies, he would have to talk to Cedric. “I didn’t think you were that good-hearted, Zabini, you’re ruining your reputation as a handsome and cold hearted slytherin.” Harry mused aloud, prompting something that seemed a choking noise from the other.

“You think that I'm handsome?” Murmured Zabini to a now deeply embarrassed Harry, his words got turned over by the slytherin that heard just what he wanted to hear.

Harry sputtered, his face becoming incredibly hot but he refrained to fan it, while the little something beneath his ribs shook and grew under Zabini's happy gaze. Harry couldn't take the embarrassment anymore, so he turned and left as fast as he could, accompanied by the distant musical laugh of Zabini.

* * * * *

Almost like someone was guiding Harry in the right direction, he found Cedric in an alcove in a distant and almost dusty corridor, reading a book. Harry ran away from Zabini's question so far that it seemed that he ended up to the other side of the castle.

He fanned a bit his still flaming cheeks, embarrassment flaring up and stomach twisting up in knots at the reminder of Zabini's delighted expression. He tried to calm down before attempting to talk to the sixth year hufflepuff, he had a sort of plan to put in act.

Cedric turned a page of the book he was reading before lifting his eyes and meeting Harry's determined gaze. The hufflepuff frowned a bit, before putting a mark and closing his book, turning fully to face him. "Harry, what brings you here?"

Harry cleared his throat and squared his shoulders, his thoughts about Zabini tucked back behind his ribs, as he readied himself to apologize to the other boy before talking him about Luna and Zabini.

"You know that we can't go the the Ball together, right? We are two champions, professor Sprout told me." Cedric muttered to him before he could even speak, his words embarrassing Harry so much that he hid his face in his hands. Cedric didn't now how to read a room, or a person.

"No Cedric. I'm not here to ask you to the Yule Ball." Harry missed how the shoulders of the hufflepuff dropped down and kept talking, the need to apologize greater than his embarrassment. "I'm here to apologize because I asked Cho, who is your girlfriend, to go to the Ball with me. I didn't know that the two of you were together, so I apologize if I made you and her uncomfortable, it wasn't my intention."

Cedric sputtered and choked in front of him, causing Harry to snap his eyes at him, while helping him not choke to death on air. With his luck it would be pinned on him.

When Cedric regained breath Harry moved away, as the hufflepuff returned to sit in the alcove red faced. "Harry, Cho is not my girlfriend. Sure we'll go to the ball together, but that's because she pleaded me to go with her since we are childhood friends and nobody asked her." Cedric looked at his hands, his voice wavering on the next words, "She can't be my girlfriend because i don't' like girls."

Harry's brain stopped to work for a second, remembering the insane relief he felt with Cho's rejection, making him blurt out something that Hermione drilled into him and Ron the moment they became friends. "You're a misogynist?"

Cedric blinked for a second, bewildered, before bursting out laughing at Harry's now completely dumbfounded face, making him frown. "No, no, sometimes i forget that you're literally fourteen," Harry bristled up a little at that, but then Cedric's kind eyes found his and Harry understood that it wasn't an insult. Cedric was merely stating a fact, after all he was seventeen. "No, I'm not a misogynist, I'm simply gay."

Harry blinked at his words, not sure how to respond to that.

The distant voice of Vernon reached through his memories, sneering scathing insults to the people he saw on the telly that were just loving who their heart wanted. Harry, deep down, felt a kindred sense of kinship with them, because they both attracted Vernon's hate and anger and also because he sometimes felt like one of them. But the horrible threats of Vernon always echoed in his skull in that moments, making him unconsciously smother that part of him to be more safe in that hateful house.

Harry shook himself from those dark thoughts, remembering what he promised himself every time Vernon spoke hatefully of someone. If Vernon hated it, then it was something right.

Cedric was still waiting for his reaction, looking at him with trepidation as he shuffled from feet to feet, uncertain on how Harry was going to act. To reassure him, Harry just smiled and he relaxed immediately. "I don't know what to say in these situations, and i don't want to be rude inconciously. Still, thank you for telling me Cedric."

The hufflepuff beamed at him and Harry sensed something akin to kinship between them, the small thing beneath his ribs vibrating happily towards Cedric as Harry finally understood a bit what he was feeling and what he always felt deep down. Maybe he was gay like Cedric? Warmth spread through him at the thought, as his mind returned to a dimpled smile and sparkling black-brown eyes, making him blush and loose lipped to the only one that could understand his feelings.

"I'm going to the Ball with Blaise Zabini." Harry muttered to the still smiling hufflepuff in front of him, grateful for his lack of judgement as he patted his shoulder in congratulations.

"I'm happy for you Harry. I didn't ask the one I wanted to go with because I was scared that he would reject me, also a little bit because I was scared of coming out to the whole school. But maybe i should just do it, taking a leaf out of your book." Cedric mused, while Harry was still wrapping his head around the fact that they were more similar than he thought and that he probably was developing feelings for Zabini if his swooping stomach and burning cheeks were the indicators.

"And Cho?" Harry said worriedly, remembering the other reason he searched the hufflepuf for, startling Cedric that blushed darkly.

"She'll understand that I'm following my heart, after all she knows me since we were kids," Cedric's tone was sure about it, but Harry thinked about Luna and the way Cho and her friends were bullying her and Zabini. It was time to put his plan in act, despite the good feelings coursing through him he had to protect Luna and his crush, so he looked at the murmuring hufflepuff with worry as he spoke.

"Cedric just be careful, I don't think she'll take it well." Harry declared, his tone knowing and maybe a little angry, as grey puzzled eyes turned to him.

"What do you know Harry?" Cedric didn't sound accusing, just worried, and Harry was sure his plan was about to work right in that moment. Cedric's heart was pure, and Harry felt only a little bit guilty about exploiting him for his means, but he didn't want Luna and Zabini to suffer further. The hufflepuff turned from worried to furious with every word Harry said to him, leaving him seething by the end. Harry's mouth felt dry as the now smouldering eyes of Cedric pierced his.

"Apparently I never knew her." Cedric spat with a down turned frown, hands shaking from rage, "Now I really would like to humble her a little, she really needs a reality check. I was completely blinded by the friendship we had and ignored the ways she changed when we came at Hogwarts. Now it's time I do something about it." Cedric declared, before gathering his things and leaving with determination pouring off of him, waving a goodbye over his shoulder to a frozen Harry.

Only after he left Harry smirked to himself, proud that his plan worked.

* * * * *

Cedric worked faster and deadlier than a slytherin, making Harry a little worried for him and the backlash he would likely receive from his once childhood friend.

The news that Cedric Diggory, Triwizard Champion and Hogwarts sweetheart, dumped Cho Chang in front of the whole school at dinner made the gossip mill almost combust, opening the can of worms that was Cho's real attitude for everyone to see.

She raved madly at Cedric, screaming hateful and homophobic insults when she found out that he asked George Weasley to the Yule Ball, even going as far as hexing the hufflepuff right next to the Transfiguration classroom.

McGonagall was definitely not pleased.

The professor punished Cho harshly, the ravenclaw was forbidden to go to the Yule Ball on top of her three months of detention with the Head of gryiffindor House, making her regret even thinking those awful things.

Luna's things returned all at their place, and the third year skipped happily first to Cedric, hugging him with gentleness. The hufflepuff returned her hug while asking for her forgiveness, she just patted his face telling him to be happy. Then she went to Harry, a slight smirk in her eyes, and squeezed his hand, thanking him for his meddling. Harry just smiled while leaning to the wall next to her, happy that she wasn't bullied anymore.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Zabini's amused voice reached him, warming him from deep inside despite the falling snow. Harry was returning from his visit to Hagrid that evening, Ron was in the castle destroying everyone that dared challenge him at chess and Hermione had mysteriously disappeared that afternoon with a silly grin on her face, leaving him completely alone.

Zabini fell in step with him easily, eyes sparkling with an unnamed emotion while looking at Harry and waiting his response. The little something, that now Harry had become to recognize as the budding feelings he was developing for the slytherin, perked up happily at the fond attention Zabini was giving him. Harry grinned, wanting to make the sytherin work for his answer.

"I don't know what you're talking about Zabini," Harry murmured, smirking to the now grinning slytherin, as he kept walking to reach the castle.

"Very smart going through Diggory to systematically defeat Chang. It was a plan too slytherin for a gryffindor like you." Zabini kept fishing for information, while being extremely correct in his assumptions. Harry decided to keep playing dumb, it was fun watching the changing emotions on Zabini's handsome face.

"Who? Me? The biggest dunderhead in Snape's class?" Harry batted his lashes slowly, aiming for a guileless look but Zabini shoved at his shoulder, reading him better then Harry thinked.

"Potter, I know that you are smart, you downplay your intelligence Merlin knows why." Zabini murmured as he kept walking next to him, causing Harry to hunch his shoulder unconsciously at the reminder. He just kept doing what he had always done since he had been in school, since Vernon beat him up because he had a better report card than Dudley.

"Still I didn't do anything, I just talked with Cedric, apologizing for asking Cho to the Yule Ball." Harry said, hoping to divert Zabini's attention on their original topic. He felt bad enough that he had to point it out to him about his habit, Harry didn't want the slytherin to know how bad his home situation really was. "Maybe I told him some of my worries in regard of my new friend Luna, but the rest it was all his doing."

"Potter, I didn't know you had it on you! It's something too slytherin for the gryffindor golden boy, don't you think?" Zabini was looking at him like he had never really seen him before, and Harry blushed under his attentions, "I'm really glad I asked you to the Yule Ball, It's giving me the opportunity to know you better without being blinded by our different Houses."

The butterflies in his stomach returned with a vengeance, as Zabini's words settled behind his ribs, right next to his budding feelings for him, making them grow. Harry wanted to keep talking with him, even if they were nearing the big, opened double doors of the entrance. So, he decided to shock him.

"Do you want to know something?" Zabini stopped in his tracks and hummed curiously. Harry got up in his tiptoes, getting as close as he dared to the slytherin. The enticing smell of rosemary and incense filled his nose and Harry forced himself to not react, he didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of Zabini. "I was supposed to be in slytherin."

"Mi stai prendendo in giro?" Harry blinked a couple of times as he felt the flush run through him faster than he could comprehend. Zabini had just talked in Italian, and Harry was having really conflicted feelings about it. The rich voice of Zabini was even more attractive with his native language, Harry wanted to keep listening to him, but at the same time he wanted to understand what he was saying.

"Sorry Potter, I didn't mean to speak in Italian. If it was a joke consider it successful, you shocked me so much that I slipped languages." Zabini said with a small laugh, patting his shoulder and leaving his hand there, a small point of heat that was filtering through Harry's thick cloak.

"But it wasn't a joke," the hand on his shoulder tightened harshly, turning him to face the slytherin that was looking at him with pure wonder, "I asked the Hat to not put me in the same House of the murderer of my parents, and also Malfoy had been a prick on the train to Ron, and i hate bullies, so,"

Zabini kept looking at him with a mix of awe and amusement, "It's the first time that I hear something like this, only you Potter could barter with the Hat for the House you wanted." Zabini patted his arm one last time before coming closer to Harry, his eyes twinkling mischievously, "If you ask me, this is the most slytherin thing to do. After all the House is full of pureblood dumbasses and Voldemort fanatics, you protected yourself. Very self preservating."

Harry startled at that.

He never saw it from this point of view, because for him going to gryffindor was a way to remember the shades of his parents, never to defend himself from those who wanted him dead. But Zabini was right, Malfoy was just a posh prat who ate from the palm of his father, a dumb bully, but how many sixth and seventh years were a step from becoming deatheaters without a mark? Harry had seen some of them giving him hating glares when he passed them in the corridors, and a shiver ran unbidden through him, making Zabini frown.

"You never thought about it until now, right?" Harry just nodded at him, "Well, you don't have to worry, you're a gryffindor and those idiots can never reach you into your tower."

Harry relaxed slightly, thankful for Zabini's reassurance, even if it was his fault he started to get stressed.

"Well, let's change the subject, what are you gonna wear for the Ball?" Zabini's grin was bright and Harry momentarily forgot how to breathe as the slytherin tugged at his arm, dragging him inside the warm entrance of the school, "I want our outfit to match, we're going to be envied by everyone when we open the dances."

Harry clammed up at Zabini's words. He had completely forgot that they had to open the dances, in front of everyone, while being dressed up in an uncomfortable dress robe, while being completely unable to dance. His breath came up short and his hands started to tremble at the mere thought, how could he cope that night?

Zabini turned to him with worry written all over his features, as Harry started to bite his nails hard.

"Hey, hey, stop that, you're going to get hurt!" Zabini took Harry's hand between his, taking him in a side corridor, away from the couple of students lingering inside the entrance that were sending them curious looks, "What worries you?"

The calmness on Zabini's tone only grated Harry's nerves further, making him fall in a spiral of anger and fear that was burning through him. "Well I don't know, maybe the fact that I'm going to make a fool of myself and you in front of everybody in this goddamn school! I can already see the trash that Skeeter is going to publish 'The Boy-Who-Lived has two left feet, and has used them both to stomp on young Zabini Heir, diplomatic accident between Italy and England'!"

Harry's throat hurt and he felt the telltale burning of his eyes that meant he was about to cry, although Zabini's bewildered face and slightly gaping mouth made a light giggle escape through his mouth, despite it all.

Great, now Zabini would think that he was crazy.

"Potter, you can't dance?" Zabini's low voice echoed through the corridor, making Harry flinch despite its softness, " There is no need to worry, I can easily teach you."

"You would?" Harry's voice was small, scared, but Zabini smiled gently at him, nodding and patting his shoulder again, his hand lingering. Harry's heart thumped faster, like a fluttering hummingbird behind his ribcage, as he felt his cheeks flush. Zabini was being extraordinarily gentle with him, and Harry's poor little feelings started to bloom, blossoming into something he had never felt for anyone before.

He really had to talk with his friends.

* * * * *

"I'm sorry Harry, I don't think I've heard you well."

They were hidden behind the safety of the drapes of Harry's bed, behind a silencing charm Ron threw before sitting excitedly on the bed, facing them. Well, now he seemed less excited and more prone to get angry. Still Ron wasn't screaming, Harry counted it like progress. He had apologized profusely for being a complete dickhead when Harry's name came out of the Goblet, and now he was putting all of himself in changing for the better.

Hermione instead was just sitting properly on the bed, her hand unknowingly drawing something on the blanket, eyes unfocused and a light blush on her cheeks. Almost like she wasn't listening at all.

"Ron you have heard me, don't play dumb, I don't want to repeat myself." Harry turned to Hermione to see her reaction, but she didn't respond, she just tilted her head and kept smiling.

Harry then turned worriedly to Ron, but his friend shrugged with confusion dripping from his eyes, forgetting that they were about to argue to understand what was wrong with Hermione. So they started to watch their mutual friend, who was still lost in an imaginary land, hoping that she would notice them. Harry had an hunch on what was plaguing her, but wanted to have more proof for his hypothesis. Ron, instead, got tired quickly to wait, so he gently shoved Hermione to get her attention.

It didn't go well, she almost toppled down of the bed with an undignified squawk. "RON!" She screamed, readjusting herself and glaring angrily at the redhead.

Ron grinned at her with his most shit eating grin, Harry though he looked too much like the twins in that moment, before turning to him with his most conspiratorial voice, "Harry, it appears that our mutual best friend here has got a big, fat crush, by the looks of it."

"Oh! That's why she looked so lost in her own thoughts before!" Harry smacked his fist on his palm, suspicions confirmed by his best friend and Hermione's scarlet blush, as his grin surely matched Ron's.

"I don't know what you two are talking about, I don't have a crush on anyone." Hermione said, blushing pinker than before, before turning to Harry with an accusing glare, "And weren't we talking about Harry and Zabini going to the Ball together? I think the one with a crush is you Harry, you're just projecting your worries onto me."

Hermione was out of breath but smirking triumphantly after her little speech, sure of her affirmations, Harry felt his face flush but he was undeterred as he kept poking at Hermione's thigh. "I know that I have a crush on him, probably unrequited, but at least I'm not in denial like someone else here."

"You have a crush on him!" Ron blanched, hands gripped tight on the cushion next to him.

"I'm not in denial!" Hermione blushed even harder than before, glaring at him.

The voices of his best friends overlapped with their exclamations, Harry winced and thanked the silencing charm that was keeping them from waking the whole dorm. "Yes Ron, I'm quite certain of that. Hermione I don't think there is something wrong with having a crush on someone, why are you angry?"

Hermione huffed at him, smiling slightly despite her earlier protests. Ron instead was just staring blankly ahead, he looked like a little kid that was told that Father Christmas is not real.

"I'm not angry. I just hate when you two are ganging on me, it sets me off in the worst ways." Hermione fiddled with the hem of the sleeves her blue pyjamas, blushing again, Harry was sure she was going to tell them the name of his crush, "Harry I'm so happy you decided to trust us with this. I had my suspicions, but this type of matters is better if resolved by themselves."

Harry was floored by Hermione's complete acceptance, his heart warmed happily at her words while she lunged forward and hugged him fiercely. He didn't think that he would accidentally reveal his sexuality to them, but they loved him and he loved them, they went through so much together that deep down he knew they would have accepted him without any problems.

"I was sure you had a crush on Malfoy with all that pigtail pulling between the two of you." Ron murmured next to them, making Harry stiffen at the thought, as Hermione giggled next to his ear.

"He's not entirely wrong," Harry pulled out of the embrace as Hermione started to shake with laughter.

"I would never!" Harry huffed at his friends, Hermione was right, it was the worst when they ganged up together. "You two know that I hate bullies."

"And Zabini is not a bully?" Ron said skeptically, rearranging himself next to Harry on the surplus of cushions he had, crossing his arms in a perfect imitation of his mother.

"No, he is not." Harry fumed at the accusations Ron was leaving up in the air, so he shared the suspicions he had since meeting Luna, "I'm quite sure that Cho and her friends were bullying him because he's friends with Luna."

"He's friends with Luna?" Ron echoed amazed, as Harry and Hermione stared at him, not understanding. "Luna lives next to the Burrow, we have played a lot when we were children, you could say that we are childhood friends. I know her incredibly well, and if she's friends with Zabini, then he is a good guy." Ron's voice was extremely fond while talking of the ravenclaw, and Harry and Hermione exchanged a mutual look.

"Ron, it sounds an awful lot like you have a crush on her." Hermione said with kindness while Harry nodded beside her. Ron hunched his shoulders and hung his head as his ears became red with embarrassment.

"I know, it's just that I'm too scared to try and ask her out, I don't want to lose what we already have. I already forgot to tell you two about her, between the Basilisk in second year and Sirius last year, I also felt like I failed her early this year with my pigheadedness." Ron's eyes were rapidly filling with tears and Hermione lost no time in enveloping him too in a crushing hug, murmuring reassurances to him.

It was the first time the three of them talked about things like this, and for the first time since he was eleven Harry felt like a normal teenager, with crush problems and silly friends. It was nice experience something that didn't threaten to kill one of them for once.

Since Hermione's words weren't having any effect on him, Harry decided to step up, using his own experiences to give him some suggestions. "Ron, knowing Luna she's noticed your crush and she's waiting for you to make a move." Harry nudged Ron's shoulder, hoping that his words would help his best friend, "Why don't you try to ask her for the Yule Ball? Then you could work from there and ask her for a date, maybe on a Hogsmeade weekend."

"When did you became so wise? Hermione he's trying to replace you!" Ron exclaimed, drying his eyes on the sleeves of his worn pyjamas, before turning to Hermione with a grin that rivalled his one from before, "Now that me and Harry have told you our crushes, I think it's time you spill the beans Miss Granger. Don't think I have forgotten about it!"

Hermione pouted, like a good honest pout from a childish tantrum, one of those Dudley excelled about. Harry snickered at her reaction, causing the pout to be even more firm.

"Come on Hermione, we are best friends, we don't discriminate." Harry murmured to the fidgeting witch. She lowered her head like Ron did, her curly hair covering her whole face, so when she did speak, both Ron and Harry thought they hadn't heard right.

"Harry, this time I really haven't heard well." Ron's voice had a slight tremble in it, like he was torn between excitement and rage, Harry felt the same.

"Ron, I hope I'm wrong honestly." Harry took a chance, wishing to not be hexed by Hermione, and parted her hair, fixating on her scarlet face. "Hermione, please just nod if I'm right. You are telling us that Viktor Krum is your boyfriend, not just your crush?"

Hermione nodded weakly, absolutely burning with embarrassment, and Harry was torn. Because he was incredibly happy for his best friend, but at the same time he started to prepare the best shovel talk he could. Harry's eyes met Ron's over Hermione's head, and a silent pact formed between them with that glance, he was sure that when Hermione had disappeared into her dorm the two of them were going to compare speeches.

Almost as if she sensed that their singular brain-cell had started to work to give her grief, Hermione's head snapped up, "I swear to Merlin and Morgana, if you two dumbasses try and do a shovel talk to Viktor I'm going to hex your hair of an hideous colour the day of the Ball." Hermione crossed her arms glaring darkly at both, but Harry and Ron just smiled at her, completely undeterred by her threats.

"Us? Nah." They were so in sinc that they managed the twin talk of Fred and George.

Hermione muffled a scream into the pillow nearest to her.

* * * * *

Zabini was a really patient teacher, that's what Harry was trying to focus on, because if he let his mind wander he was sure that he would have embarrassed himself more than he already had with his uncoordination.

It was practically laughable how he was one of the most graceful quidditch players of the whole school, but down on the ground Harry couldn't follow a simple rhythm. Zabini had winced harshly when he first guided Harry in a slow waltz, the gryffindor managed to crush both of his feet with one of his, making them tumble and fall on the dirty floor of the unused classroom they were using as a ballroom.

Harry wanted to flee then, probably forget he was a wizard and starting to live as a muggle forever, but Zabini just smiled at him, not put off by Harry's complete and utter inelegance on the dance floor.

It was now the fifth dancing lesson they were having and finally Harry was not tripping anymore on anything. Be his feet, Zabini's or simply the air. He kept glancing down, amazed that he had this much improvement in such short time, when the hand that was holding him on the waist slipped, grabbing his chin.

"You can't keep looking down, you have to look your partner in the eyes." Zabini's brown cheeks darkened at the word he used, and he hastily corrected himself, "Dancing partner,"

But Harry's brain caught the word, wrapping it up in several layers of affection, before holding it near to his fast beating heart. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Harry to hide his feelings for Zabini, the more time they spent together talking, quipping fast paced teasing or when they were like this, Harry was sure that he had stars in his eyes while looking at the unbothered slytherin.

Well, not completely unbothered.

Harry had caught him staring at him a couple of times, between the hallways or during lessons, his black-brown eyes almost smouldering, leaving Harry blushing and confused after those interactions. When they were alone Zabini's hands always fell on him, he patted his shoulder a lot and in one very embarrassing instance he shoved his hand deep into Harry's hair when he was making lighthearted fun of him. They were both blushing and hurrying in different directions after that, laughing when they talked about it next time they saw each other.

"I don't want to break your toe, Snape would remove a million points from gryffindor then," Harry laughed, his hands never leaving their place from Zabini's shoulder and hand, eyes meeting the ones above him. His breath got knocked out of him when he saw the complete adoration Zabini was looking at him with.

"I love your laugh," his words were incredibly soft and trembling, bordering on scared. His hand from Harry's chin moved without thinking to his cheek, as Harry's face coloured deep red at the way Zabini was looking at him.

Black-brown eyes dipped from his, resting on Harry's parted lips, and Harry could do nothing but wait and wish with all his might that Zabini would kiss him. Harry subconsciously closed his eyes, as Zabini's breath ghosted his lips, sparks flying beneath his closed lids.

The door banged open and the warmth disappeared from around him. Harry opened his eyes disappointed, only to see an equally disgruntled Zabini glaring at the couple that disturbed them.

Ron was hiding his red face in his hands, meanwhile Luna was grinning mischievously like the Cheshire cat, as though she knew what the both of them had interrupted. "Hi Blaise, Harry." She said dipping her head in what was an apology, before beaming gleefully at them, "Ron just asked me to the Yule Ball!"

Harry congratulated them, smirking at his best friend's completely red face, while Zabini hugged tightly Luna, pure happiness watering down the disappointment he had in his eyes earlier. But then Zabini turned to Ron with an hard glare, and Harry knew immediately what was about to get out of the Italian boy's mouth, he suppressed a grin.

"Weasley, Luna is my precious friend, and i don't care if you two are childhood friends and you know her better than me. Break her heart or make her suffer in any shape or form and you will have no peace. Ti distruggerò." Zabini kept glaring at Ron, whose face circled through a lot of emotions, before settling on determination tinged with a pinch of mischievousness. Harry started to sweat nervously because, like he had known Zabini what was going to say, he knew exactly what Ron was planning.

"I swear I will treat Luna with the utmost care, she deserves all the love in the world." Ron smiled sappily at the ravenclaw that was still grinning at them, like she knew too what was about to happen. "I promised Hermione that we should do this together, but alas, it's time for your first shovel talk." Zabini gaped at him and Harry hid his face in his hands, deeply embarrassed, Ron just laughed at them.

"As Luna is your precious friend, Harry is my beloved brother." Harry's heart filled with warmth at Ron's admission. Sure, the Weasleys had always said it to him, that he was one of them, family, but Harry never believed it fully. There was always that little part of him with his relative's voices that told him relentlessly that they were just doing it to pity him, because nobody would love a freak like him.

"He can totally protect himself if you're being a dickhead to him. But, rest assured Zabini, if you ever hurt Harry's heart, you will have not only nine angry redheads and the brightest witch of our age against you; but also an escaped convict, a werewolf and a very petty owl ready to tear you a new one. So, think twice before doing something stupid."

Ron finished with a little huff, making Luna giggle and give him a kiss on the cheek, rendering him almost useless. Both Harry and Zabini were left speechless, staring at the now stammering redhead that was looking at Luna like she was the only one in the room. Zabini exhaled a breathless laugh, eyes bright and amused with only a small hint of fear in them.

"I will never hurt Harry on purpose," Zabini stopped, face and ears darkening as Harry felt the same happening to himself.

It was the first time Zabini ever called him with his name and Harry's heart was soaring, beating fast paced against his throat, threatening to come out. Zabini looked like Harry felt. The gryffindor chanced a look in his wide eyes and Harry got lost in their dark warmth, wishing for them to be alone again.

Zabi- Blaise. If he called him by his name, Harry could at least think of the slytherin by his first name until he was ready to call him out loud like he did. Blaise cleared his cracking voice, turning to a really unimpressed Ron and a still giggling Luna, "I won't hurt him. Despite what you may think of me, I am not made of the prejudice that come with wearing silver and green."

This time it was Ron the one left without words, while Luna, on her tiptoes, reached Blaise's head to give him a very affectionate pat.

"Now that the shovel talks are out of the way," started Luna with her airy tone as Ron started to shake his head, fear in his eyes, "Blaise please help Ron too, he can't dance!"

Harry couldn't help it, he burst out laughing at the horrified expression Ron had, attracting the redhead's angry gaze on him. Blaise chuckled next to him, bumping their shoulders together, before agreeing, asking Ron to extend the invite to learn to Hermione too.

Harry's breath settled, but his heart was still going faster than his firebolt against his ribcage, watching with pure wonder the two boys starting to argue about height difference and who was going to lead. The small sapling of his feelings was in full bloom, colourful flowers of affection and care blossoming out with the same easiness as breathing, filling his soul to the brim.

* * * * *

The library was utterly silent during the holidays as all the students, even the fifth and seventh years, threw themselves onto the white, snowy lawns and courtyards of the school. Ron had invited him to an epic snowball fight against his brothers but, Harry wasn't stupid, there was no way of winning against Fred and George.

So Harry trudged inside the silent library, politely greeted Madame Pince, and started to pull out books on creatures that could help him solve the clue of the second task. Once his arms were full, he settled down on a table near the window and started to read, hoping to find the solution. Harry had just finished skimming a book on banshees when he felt a warm presence behind him, the smell of rosemary and incense making him smile.

"Harry, why are you hiding out when there is the most incredible snowball fight outside?" Blaise murmured, sitting next to him with a dazzling smile, Harry narrowed his eyes at him.

"Ron sent you here because he's losing, right?" Harry whispered unmoved, Blaise started to snicker silently, "I told him that he was going to lose either way. Even if he's one of the best strategists I know, the twins are pure chaos, Ron can't predict that."

"He also sent me away because I was making half hassed attempts at playing. To quote him I was 'too lost daydreaming of snogging his best mate' to put my all into a losing battle." Blaise whisper-laughed that last part, cheeks colouring darkly, before throwing an hasty glance on the books that were surrounding them.

Harry was just a little disappointed because, after that first failed attempt when they were dancing, Blaise never tried to kiss him again. It was like a little cold shard had snuggled upon his feelings, filling him with doubt. Maybe Blaise had realized that he didn't want to become something more than a date for the Yule Ball for Harry, and this was his gentle way to let him down before things went sour.

Harry turned to Blaise thinking that he was engrossed by one of the books, but instead, the slytherin's attention was all on Harry. His face felt ablaze with the look Blaise was giving him, Harry attempted to cover his face with his hands, but was stopped by a warm palm that settled on his cheek, thumb brushing his cheekbone. Blaise inched closer to him, like he was scared that Harry would run away, he couldn't have been more far from the truth.

Harry's heart was beating madly in his chest as Blaise's hot breath ghosted his lips again, wishing that this time nobody would interrupt them.

"Shove me away if I've read you wrong Harry." His breath was shaky, reflecting the anxiety they both felt.

"You have read me too well, Blaise." Harry smiled at the gasp he heard, before soft lips pressed gently on his, fireworks going off behind his eyes and maybe also around them. His own core felt electrified as Blaise pulled away slowly, happiness reflected into the obsidian pools of his eyes, before he put his forehead on Harry's.

Harry's hand cautiously inched towards Blaise's, interlacing their fingers together under the table. A small laugh escaped Harry's lips and Blaise looked at him quizzically, tilting his head while being still propped on Harry's forehead, causing him to follow.

"I thought we had done it backwards, isn't holding hands first and then kissing?" Harry murmured, blushing.

"Maybe, but since when you stick to the rules, Harry?" Blaise's eyes crinkled in a smile, as his thumb brushed on Harry's knuckles. Harry's face lit up in a huge grin at his words, right as a throat cleared behind them, startling them.

"As much as you two are adorable, if you are not reading these books i suggest you put them in their designated places." Madam Pince's usual frown was smooth, happy, as she looked at them with warmth in her eyes, "You two remind me of me and my wife when we were students here, she was always pestering me when I was studying, telling me to join her quidditch team even if we were in different Houses."

Both Harry and Blaise's faces were darkened with embarrassment at being found out by an adult, shifting a bit further away but keeping their hands linked under the table. Madam Pince kept smiling at them, sighing happily, it was a strange sight.

"Why don't you two get outside? It's a beautiful day, use all the free time you have now before lessons starts again." She moved next to them, starting to regroup the books, but Harry put an hand on the one next to him.

"I can't put them back, I need to solve the hint for the second task, I got a bit distracted." Blaise's hand tightened his grip on Harry's, almost as if he was saying sorry, as Madam Pince hummed with a strange look in her eyes.

She looked at them one last time before turning away from their table, wand swishing, as a lot of books started to float behind her despite Harry's protests.

Blaise tried to say something to the librarian, but she shushed them with a dark glare, frown reappearing on her face. They could only watch helplessly as she took all of the books away. "The library closes in an hour, make good use of it." Madam Pince said before turning a corner with a light smirk, disappearing from view.

Harry whined sadly in his throat, he lost a lot of time choosing all these books!

"Don't worry, we can come here tomorrow with Ron, Hermione and Luna. Together it will be easier to search for the right clues." Blaise murmured, reassuring him, kissing and nuzzling his temple with affection.

Harry tried to not lose heart too much, he still had time and Blaise was right. Together not only it will be easier to search the countless tomes, but also to bounce possible solutions between them. Shaking his head, Harry started to put his things away, tidying up the table with Blaise's help. It was only then that they noticed something peeking from under Blaise's book-bag.

Earlier he had thrown it onto the table heedless of the books, too excited to even look around, and now one of them was trapped under the leather. It was strange that Madam Pince didn't summon this one too, she never forgot her precious books. Harry reached it suspiciously, it was a large, heavy tome with a deep blue cover and engraved silver runes.

"I thought Madam Pince took all the books with her." Blaise had decided to whisper directly into his ear, causing Harry to flinch violently and drop the book on a the table making it open at a completely random page.

There, detailed like only a scientist could do, it was described how saltwater mermaids differed from freshwater mermaids and how their lives differed from one another. Without meaning to do it Harry and Blaise became engrossed with the scientific tome, the way it was written was easy to understand and enticing, so they kept reading until they reached a specific paragraph.

The mermaids have their own language to communicate to one another, under the water it's heard like a beautiful ethereal song but, when they try to speak out of the water, their enticing voices changes completely becoming a series of shrill screeches not dissimilar to a banshee's.

It then devolved to the scientific explanation as to why that happens, but Harry's eyes were fixated on the part where their words became shrill shrieks, exactly like the ones from the golden egg.

"Madam Pince helped us," Blaise murmured next to him and Harry nodded while his veins started to fill with ice as the links were slowly forming into his brain. Blaise hugged him tightly, murmuring reassurances into his hair, as his hands started to shook from fear because the second task was under the lake.

Harry had to warn the other champions, it was too dangerous even for them.

* * * * *

The plan he and Blaise had developed was easy, still Harry was panicking a bit. How could he not? He was about to cheat blatantly in the Tournament, to try and help the other champions, and maybe just a little to get their help back. The fact that he was stowed inside the Durmstrang ship alongside the other three champions made his anxiety skyrocket. The other three towered over him, inadequacy settling deep in his bones, creaking them with uncertainty about what he was about to do.

"Well? What are we doing here? I need to go down the little village to search for something less hideous for Roger to wear." Fleur said, tone haughty and bored, like she was picturing the offending dress robes of the ravenclaw right in front of her. Still, she took a seat in the only plush armchair of the cabin, curiosity hidden beneath her boredom.

"I should hurry," Cedric said looking into the porthole down on the shores of the lake, "I have a date with George and I don't want to anger him." Harry winced in sympathy at the hufflepuff, remembering with too much clarity what happened last time George got angry with someone, the common room hadn't been the same since. They still find splotches of paint and clumps of glitter everywhere, much to the elves chagrin.

Viktor chose that exact moment to return from the little side room he disappeared in a moment before, three glasses full of amber liquid floating behind him along one that was clearly filled with butterbeer. The bulgarian champion's usual frown was even harsher as he floated the last glass towards Harry, after having given the ones with what the gryffindor thought was alcohol to the other two.

"Before we all talk, Harry I have to apologize to you," Harry scrunched his nose in confusion at him as the others started to listen in with more interest, "Yesterday I accidentally eavesdropped your conversation with Mione and Ron." Harry's stomach knotted harshly, he never got to put in act the plan he and Blaise developed, knowing full well what was about to come out from Viktor's mouth. Egoistically he was a little relieved that he wasn't the bearer of those news, "I know that the second task is under the lake."

Cedric paled so fast that Harry feared he might pass out, Fleur on the other hand looked utterly scandalized and gasped at them.

"Come on Fleur, we have all cheated on the first task." Viktor remarked as all of them nodded affirmatively with little reluctance. Despite all the reassurances they gave her, Fleur's terrified eyes still filled with tears, and she started sobbing uncontrollably under their scared eyes. Viktor and Cedric started to console her at the best of their awkwardness, Harry attempted to reach them to help, but something stopped him. Something deep inside him fractured, breaking and burning down to his bones.

Harry groaned, falling on his knees as the burning sensation kept growing, wrapping around his own core. Cedric turned to him with a worried frown, but soon he too was clutching at his chest, pain clear in his eyes. Viktor too followed them, groaning lowly, the only one that seemed unaffected was Fleur. She was calmly sitting in the armchair, drinking from her glass while clumps of flames erupted from her platinum blonde hair.

They didn't know for how much they stayed there, hurting and groaning, they just knew that burning sensation ended the same way it started, abruptly, leaving them all panting and gasping for air. Well, except for Fleur. She was looking at them with the most unimpressed stare that Harry had ever seen, and he had Severus Snape as a teacher.

"What happened?" Harry said, clearing his cracking voice. His arms and legs tingled strangely, in a way that felt almost free of the weight they had since Halloween night.

"What happened is that there won't be any second or third task." Fleur's watery smile became sharper, bloodier, as she patted down the last remains of flames from her dishevelled hair, "It was an implicit secret that the champions of the Tournament cheated, and you know why?"

Harry shook his head, hand finding his wand and relaxing as he felt the rush of power from him to it, scared for a moment that he had lost his magic.

"Because, if the champions admitted it out loud their cheating to each other, the Tournament would be null." Harry gaped at her, while both Cedric and Viktor downed their drinks simultaneously and refilled them with a tap of their wand.

"We are so fucked."

Hearing Cedric, prefect and good, swear in that crude way startled Harry so badly that he started to laugh, infecting everyone with his hysterical laugh. Despite all his laughing, his throat started to constrict between his chuckles, as he felt the telltale burning of his eyes, and tears of relief streamed down his cheeks. "I'm free."

Fleur turned to him, the same relief into her watery blue eyes as she murmured something that stopped the giggles still escaping from Cedric and Viktor. "If I had done the second task, I would have died." Harry's hand reached Fleur's without thinking, squeezing it in support, "I am half veela, fire burn through my veins, water is my natural enemy. They knew that and still decided that that task was a good idea, it's almost like the Tournament is rigged."

Harry squeezed her hand again in support, even if he didn't knew her that well, it wasn't right that who organized the Tournament knew about her heritage and still plowed throw and authorized that task. This were the things he hated the most.

Well, even if someone was trying to rig the Tournament in some way, now they could do nothing about it since there wasn't a Triwizard Tournament anymore. Harry smiled spitefully at the thought.

"The Ministry of Magic can go fuck themselves if this is how they rely the message of unity between the different magical communities." Harry spat, anger coursing through him at the whole situation.

Viktor laughed heartily at his words, replying in his thick bulgarian something that made Fleur's tongue click in distaste as she waved her wand, making all the alcohol disappear from the cabin. Viktor pouted, crossing his arms, exactly like Hermione had done a couple of nights before.

"What do we do now?" Cedric asked being as always the voice of reason.

"I say we tell our headmasters and headmistress the truth and then watch the chaos ensue. They knew about Fleur and still green lit the second task and they knew the way to make me exit the Tournament, and not a single one of them told me. I might be the 'Boy-Who-Lived', but I would like to stay that way!" Harry huffed under the shocked eyes of the other three, "They are going to be held accountable for their negligence." Harry said while smiling innocently, Fleur grinned sharply at him, completely on board with his idea.

"I think your boyfriend is a very bad influence on you." Cedric stated, eyes sparkling with mirth, not denying anything that Harry had said.

"Nah, I've always been like this, Blaise just helped me get the right confidence to be myself." Harry smiled even if Fleur cooed at him affectionately.

Viktor looked extremely giddy, completely different than his normal brooding persona, happy to create chaos at the drop of a hat, "It's going to be so funny!"

* * * * *

The headmaster's office was dead silent, except for Vicktor's poorly suppressed giggles, and the soft swishing coming from the old headmaster's paintings. Fleur was looking at her headmistress with a very angry gaze, smoke coming out of her hair, while the woman did everything to not look her student in the eyes. Harry instead just suppressed a groan because, obviously, the Head of Houses were all there.

"I am sorry, I don't quite understand what you have done, Potter." Snape sneered from his place behind the headmaster's desk, as far away as he possibly could be from Karkaroff.

Harry felt the usual burning rage that accompanied him every time that Snape talked to him. Why the sour professor was so determined to give him the complete fault about what happened? The gryffindor opened his mouth to answer him, probably with more bite that was necessary, but he was interrupted by the other three students.

"It wasn't only Harry's fault!" Cedric was so indignant that Snape looked the other way, crossing his arms with a scowl.

"Yes. It was my fault initially, because I have admitted that we all cheated on the first task." Viktor looked incredibly smug about that, Karkaroff just groaned and put his head in his hands, murmuring something in Bulgarian while lightly pulling at his hair.

"We are all at fault here, but you are the inexcusable ones." Stated Fleur as flames started erupting again from her hair, "You knew that I am half veela and that the second task could have killed me and still you pushed through!" She shook her head as her eyes turned from deep blue to charcoal black, disappointment written all over her beautiful face. Not a single one of the adults said nothing in front of her rage.

Harry decided to give them the finishing blow, "You also knew that I was in the Tournament against my will, put inside by someone who probably wants me dead, still nobody told me that we could null the Tournament with just a few words."

The two judges that had stayed silent with shock up until now startled at that, Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch stared down at Harry with the same vehemence and anger that Vernon reserved to him. Harry shrunk on his chair, scared about what they may do to him with that level of anger.

"You don't understand anything you stupid boy!" Harry flinched hard at Crouch's shout, cowering under his crazed gaze, "The Triwizard Tournament not only is a tradition but also a way to construct magical alliances with other communities, and you all blew it onto our faces because you are a bunch of sheltered and selfish little kids that were throwing a tantrum!"

"To me it seems that the only one throwing a tantrum here is you, Mr Crouch." Cedric's voice was completely cold, his eyes steeled with fury as professor Sprout came to stand behind him when the angry man tried to lunge at him with a snarl.

Harry felt the press of two warm hands on his shoulders and refrained to flinch again, because they were accompanied by the sweet smell of cinnamon, ink and catnip, as McGonagall settled behind him too to protect him. The gryffindor saw that professor Flitwick put himself between Viktor and Fleur with a sharp grin, since their headmaster and headmistress were still panicking in the background.

The only one that remained away from them was Snape, still sulking about being shut down by a bunch of teenagers. But he moved too, quick as lighting, when he saw that Ludo Bagman was pointing his wand at Harry with a crazy desperation in his eyes. Harry was shocked that the professor who hated him the most was now defending him, putting himself in harm's way for him. He must have bashed his head somewhere.

"You don't understand, you have to participate and win or else I will lose all of my money!" Ludo Bagman screamed at him, waving his wand madly under the disgusted eyes of everyone in the small office.

"I think this is enough." Dumbledore rose from his seat, catching the wands that flew away from the raving judges hands. Harry had never saw him quite this angry, the usual benevolent and grandfatherly face was marred by a frown so deep that made Harry shiver down to his bones. He was just relieved that the headmaster's rage was not towards him and the other champions but towards the two angry men that were now bound onto their chairs.

"Unhand me right in this instant Dumbledore! You haven't got the right to do this to me!" Barty Crouch was raving madly at him, shaking the chair he was bound to.

"Yes, I have the authority over someone that tries to attack any of my students. You wanted to hurt physically Mr Diggory and your colleague tried to use the Imperious curse on Mr Potter." Dumbledore's voice was even colder than Cedric's from before, glaring harshly at the now grovelling men that were pleading him, "I would also like to clarify to both my students and to Mr Krum and Miss Delacour that me and the other headmasters didn't know that the second task was about to be under the lake. I was led to believe that it was a search through the whole castle for something."

"I would have never put into harm's way my sweet Flamme," Madame Maxime regained her voice, tear streaked face turning to the now silent men on the chairs, "they made me believe that the second task was into the forest, connards!" She then proceeded to speak to them only in french and Fleur started cackling madly, as Barty Crouch paled further with every word she spoke.

"They told me the same they had told to you Dumbledore, I shouldn't have expected much by who condemns to prison his own son." Karkaroff spat at Barty Crouch, making the man flinch.

"Deatheater, you were the one who sold him off." Crouch grounded out, staring at both Karkaroff and Snape.

"We should have picked up popcorn before coming here." Viktor muttered to the other three, making them giggle despite the tenseness in the room. Dumbledore shoot them an amused gaze, eyes sparkling mischievously as he murmured something, bowls of popcorn appeared for all of them. Professor McGonagall shook her head with exasperation, before dipping her hand into harry's bowl and stealing a couple of popcorn.

Harry watched with interest as headmaster Dumbledore first teared a new one to the ministry officials, aided by the other headmasters and the Head of Houses. Then he proceeded to call the Head Auror, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Minister himself to deal with the utter negligence, gross conduct and attempted assault of the two bound men. The Minister tried to ask the ex champions to continue the Tournament for the sake of it, mostly to save his own face, but he was met with so many angry gazes that he ran away into the green flames of the fireplace.

Mr Scrimgeour and Madame Bones took ahold of the two men that started to trash into their bindings, to take them into their holding cells, ready to get processed into the following days. Harry thought that Skeeter would have a field day as soon as the news reached her too big ears. The office settled again after their departure, but soon became lively with the teenagers laughs, happy to be free of the obligation of the Tournament.

Dumbledore looked at them all with an happy grin under his white beard, "Well, now one of our problems is solved and I am also very close to discover who put your name into the cup Harry. But we still have one last problem." Dumbledore paused theatrically before steepling his hands, "Are you two and your students amenable to remain at Hogwarts even if there is no Tournament going on?" He asked the other two headmasters seriously.

"Oui, without any doubt." Madame Maxine smiled at them while patting Fleur's head, Karkaroff looked more hesitant, but a dark glare of Viktor made him crumble and accept.

"Marvellous!" Dumbledore clapped his hands, before smiling conspiratorially at the students, "It would have been a shame to make the Yule Ball null too. Now, to keep everyone occupied and entertained for the rest of the year, why don't we organize a friendly quidditch competition between our schools?"

Harry, Cedric and Viktor all exclaimed excitedly at those words, what they didn't expect was that Fleur exclaimed too, a sharp enthusiastic grin dancing on her face.

"What? You didn't expect that I played too?" Fleur tossed her platinum hair on her shoulder before smirking at them, "I am Beubatonx's best chaser and captain of my team. I can't wait to trash you all, you puny men!"

The ex champions grinned to each other, ready to the new challenge that expected them.

* * * * *

The entirety of the Magical World was in uproar after the news broke about the annulment of the Triwizard Tournament. Predictably, Rita Skeeter printed countless articles on whatever she heard about the situation, often most being incredibly accurate with her work, too accurate. Madam Bones launched an investigation on her.

The Minister then played it really well, using the excuse of helping poor Harry escape the situation he was put in against his will, making everyone believe a lie. Still the conduct of all his officials got put under scrutiny of the ICW after the news of Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch's trials.

Hogwarts instead was a different matter.

The students firstly were sad and almost angry at the thought of missing the rest of the Tournament, but when they knew about the friendly quidditch matches they lost their minds with happiness. The story of how the ex champions broke the magical binding contract almost on purpose to play quidditch instead, had been exaggerated so much that at one point Dumbledore had to intervene himself. Even if he was making only half hassed attempts to dispel the rumours.

Fred and George bowed deeply to every champion, when they found their hiding place. Firstly to congratulate them for the exquisite chaos they caused into the entire the Wizarding World, and secondly because thanks to them now they could play quidditch again, those quidditch fanatics. Oliver had infected them. George then stole Cedric from his seat from their group with a lustful gaze that made Harry blush down the roots of his hair.

Fred and Ron gagged exaggeratedly next to him, the latter only to get swatted on his arm by both Luna and Hermione. Harry settled with a contented sigh into his boyfriend arms, Blaise squeezed him tightly stealing his right hand and kissing it with a smirk, now it was a bit more difficult to keep listening to Fleur's tale. She was recounting, with all the gruesome details, one of her first quidditch match.

"And then Marinette kept playing with her wrist broken, bent backwards, because we were already short of a player thanks to that idiot of Adrien that flew right onto one of the other team's hoops gaining a concussion." Fleur shook her head in disappointment at her classmate as he kept braiding Luna's hair into a very intricate updo.

They were relaxing into the same abandoned courtyard where Blaise and Harry watched Luna play with the snow last month, warming charms thrown all over the spot they had claimed as theirs. Ron was viciously beating Viktor at chess under Fred's astonished eyes, the professional quidditch player was quite overwhelmed by the ruthless tactics Ron often used.

Blaise kept their hands intertwined as he was still talking with Luna and Hermione about the following summer holidays. Telling them about his beutiful Capri holiday house, inviting them all there and saying that his mother was already expecting them when they started to protest.

Harry had never been this calm and relaxed during a school year. Sure the start of it had been bumpy and sad, not to forget mention terrifying, but now he could keep doing normal teenager stuff like he already planned before he had been shoved into that mess.

He was thankful that he took his time listening to Blaise's proposal that day in the Owlery, pushing back his prejudices and following his instinct. The little something behind his ribs had blossomed into a beautiful sapling of love, sweet flowers of affection filling him every time he and Blaise passed some time together, nourished by their mutual trust.

He turned his head, giving Blaise a small peck on his cheek that left him blushing despite the smirk, "Yes, Tesoro?" The slytherin hummed, interrupting his conversation.

"Nothing, I'm just happy." Harry smiled, ignoring the exclamations of disgust of Ron and Fred, focussing on his boyfriend's rapidly blushing face. He kissed his cheek again, revelling into the sensation of contentment that flowed between them.

Emerald eyes got lost into obsidian one, ready to face the hurdles life would throw at them, knowing that together they could overcome anything.