Harry and Draco started throwing balls at each other. They ran around the yard.

They ended up near Hagrid’s cabin.

They were tired of running around in the snow, they had barely hit each other with the snowballs.

Hagrid was cutting wood. He had seen the boys playing and was glad that Harry was not fretting about Ron going back home. He knew Malfoy’s father was a snob… But his kid… Well the kid surely was a snob also… But… Harry was a good boy and it wouldn’t harm the kids to play in the snow… As they ran near he said…

“Hey Harry…would you like a cupo’ tea? I’ve a very nice crumb cake…”

“That would be nice Hagrid… Thank you…”

“I am about to finish ‘ere, Harry… why don’ you two boys get inside and get comfortable… Fang could use some petting. I’ll be right inside…”

Draco looked at the big man that was the Grounds Keeper of Hogwarts… He won’t go into his house… Something might bite him… his father would be very angry if he were to find that his only son and heir had tea with this man… It would be so…

“I have to go back to the castle Potter… I have things to do… Thanks for the game…”

He did not acknowledge Hagrid before he turned and ran towards the castle.

Harry thought that Malfoy had been very rude, he looked at Hagrid and said:

“Don’t mind him… I will go in to play with Fang.”

Hagrid did not like the way the young Malfoy had looked at him so he was glad that he had not gone inside his house with Harry.

He finished with his wood and went in to give Harry some tea and cake. He believed that school had suited him all right, he looked healthy and happy!

They talked for a while and Hagrid was happy to find out that Harry knew that Professor Snape had not tried to make him fall from the broom at the Quidditch game. It was good that Harry had someone taking care of him. Maybe he should have the professor for tea and tell him about what he saw when he picked Harry up for his Hogwarts shopping… those muggles did not seem to be the loving family that the child needed… Not giving him his letters and trying to hide from him…

Harry rested for a while with Hagrid.

“What’cha gonna do now Harry?”

“I don’t know… I guess I’ll go back to the castle; I have to start with my homework.”

“Well Harry… I’ve a small sleigh beside the cabin…. You may borrow it to slide on the snow for a while… if you ask Fang nicely he may ‘elp you pull it up…”

“Really Hagrid? That would be great!”

“Come with me Harry… I’ll show you the best of places…”

---

It was really fun to slide down the small hills… Harry had tied a cord to the sleigh and was pulling it up to slide down once again… he was startled by Malfoy who was waiting for him up the hill.

“What are you doing here? Weren’t you too cold to play? Have you finished what you were doing?”

“Yes…”

“What are you doing here then?”

“I would like to slide in your sleigh.”

Harry looked at the blond boy….

“It’s not mine… It belongs to Hagrid and you were quite rude with him a while ago.”

“I bet that I could slide farther than you….”

“In your dreams, Malfoy!”

Harry allowed Malfoy the sleigh. And they both had fun taunting each other about speed and bravery.

It was getting late, they knew that dinnertime was close, but thought that it was too early to get back inside.

“There is another hill over there, Potter, do you see it? Near the lake?”

“I’m not blind, Malfoy, but…”

“You are not scared, are you?”

“Of course not, Malfoy let’s go.”

The hill ended beside the lake and there was a small part of the lake that was frozen.

“Let’s both get on the sleigh it will go faster that way…”

Malfoy was seated in front and Harry held onto the blond’s waist.

The boys sledded and started gaining speed then the sleigh hit the lake and they dashed to the other side of the lake near the forbidden forest.

“Stop it Malfoy!”

Draco tried to slow the sleigh using his feet, he felt his left foot bend backwards as they hit a stone and stopped. The impact made them crash toward the frozen ground.

Harry felt something warm oozing from his nose, without moving much he placed his hand over his nose and saw blood. Then he heard a whimper and tried to sit up. His head took time to settle. He used the sleeve of his robe to clean the blood on his face. He looked for Malfoy.

The boy was lying on his back. He stirred as Harry went to him.

“Malfoy…?”

“Potter…”

“Are you hurt?”

“Am I alive?”

“Can you sit?”

“My foot… It hurts!”

Harry helped him into a sitting position.

“We need to go back. Try to stand up… I’ll help you…”

Harry helped Malfoy stand. The injured boy tried to walk, but after a couple of steps he sat back down on the ground.

“I can’t walk. It hurts.”

“Your ankle? Can you move it?”

“I think it’s not broken, but… it hurts too much to place it down, I can’t walk. I need help!”

Harry was breathing through his mouth, his nose felt like it was swelling.

“We have to go back… it’s getting dark.” He had to make the blond boy move.

“They will notice we are missing and come to help us.”

“Nobody knows we are here Malfoy. It’s too dark for anyone to see us.”

Harry looked at the sleigh, it was not broken. He put it upright.

“Sit on the sleigh, I will pull you.”

Malfoy sat on the sleigh. He was in pain. He wanted his bed.

“Now, try not to be too heavy…”

Harry pulled him, ‘it was not that far’ he thought.

Soon Hagrid’s cabin was in sight.

“Hagrid will help us.”

Malfoy had his doubts. The man would help Potter, but he was not sure about Hagrid helping him…

Harry knocked at the door, but none answered. He was tired. He wouldn’t be able to pull Malfoy all the way to the castle.

And he couldn’t leave him alone either… If there only was a way to call for help…

“Can’t you send one of those silly notes that you send in class?”

“They do not fly far, Potter… Don’t you know anything?”

“I was raised by muggles, remember? You must know of a way to do it, Malfoy, after all you were raised by wizards!”

“I have never needed to ask for help, Potter!”

“Well, neither have I…” I always knew that no one would help me.

“I think that my ankle is a little better… I can try to walk.”

Harry was grateful of that.

He helped Draco up and he could limp a little. They walked slowly toward the castle.

Harry’s only thought was to get close to the castle and he was glad as they were approaching that it looked friendly even in the dark.

He saw a light.

A door had been opened.

He also saw a dark figure going out.

Oh! My! They were in trouble!

Snape distinguished the small figures and realized they were hurt by the way they were moving.

He ran to them.

“Professor!”

“What are you doing out at this time? Can’t you see that there is a storm coming?”

He saw their faces then.

He had to get them inside fast. He thought about conjuring stretchers for the boys, but Potter was walking all right, he got hold of Malfoy and carried him inside.

---

They arrived to the infirmary and Snape placed them in adjacent beds.

Madam Pomfrey ran some diagnosis. The boys were cold and a little wet.

She dried their clothes.

Neither had any broken bones. She examined Harry’s nose and placed a charm to help with the swelling. Harry could breath after the charm.

The same happened with Malfoy’s ankle.

She gave them both pepper up potions and told them to get their dinner and an early bedtime.

They were fine.

Snape had only hovered behind the mediwitch. He tried to suppress his anger. The boys were fine. A little battered up and cold, but… fine.

He felt the kids’ glances. They knew they were in trouble…

“All right, kids. You may go now. Just come to see me tomorrow to see how your injuries are doing.”

“Don’t you want us to stay for the night Madam?”

Malfoy knew he did not want to face his head of house now.

“Not necessary, Mr. Malfoy. You would be more comfortable in your own beds.”

I doubt it, thought Harry. Not if they were going to bed after a spanking. He looked at Malfoy and saw they shared thoughts. Snape was too quiet for his liking.

Snape escorted them out of the infirmary still in silence.

They had to walk near Gryffindor tower. Harry knew that he had a chance to go to his common room and delay the encounter with his appointed guardian… Just around the corner. He had to be ready to run.

Harry was waiting for the corner and then he felt Snape’s hand on his neck. He was startled.

“Not so fast, Mr. Potter.”

Malfoy looked at him and shrugged… he would have tried to run too, if his common room were not on the way to Snape’s quarters.

Snape made them sit at the table in his kitchen. He then used his wand to make two plates of chicken broth and vegetables appear.

“Eat slowly, it will help you to get warm inside.”

He also poured them each a cup of warm milk.

The boys started eating, once started they remembered that they were hungry. They also realized that once the food was finished the lecture would start. So for once they followed Snape’s instructions, they ate slowly.

Snape poured himself some tea also. And sat in front of them. His fingers drumming over the table, he was considering what to do with them. He was considering their injures. He needed more information. He looked at them with his piercing eyes and asked.

“Were you fighting?”

“Mmm?” Potter denied with his head.

“No, Sir.” At least he could trust Malfoy to remember his manners and answer respectfully.

“Explain to me what you were doing then?

“We were playing in the snow with a sleigh.”

“It was a lot of fun…”

“Hagrid lent it to me.”

“We had an accident.”

“Where were you when this ‘accident’ occurred?”

Potter and Malfoy looked at each other. The last hill, near the lake and the forbidden forest has been too steep… Snape was not going to like to know about it.

“We were a little farther than Hagrid’s cabin…” said Harry.

“How much farther?” Snape knew that they were trying to hide something.

“I couldn’t control the sleigh because we arrived over the frozen lake…”

“You were together in the sleigh?”

“Yes Sir.”

“It was going so fast…! I was in front… My foot hit a rock and that is when it got hurt…”

“I don’t know what happened… we crashed and I kind of went flying. I guess my face hit the ground.”

“We couldn’t ask for help… It was getting dark and I couldn’t walk… Potter pulled me on the sleigh until I could walk a little…”

“I could walk all right, but we were almost in the Forest so… I couldn’t leave him.”

“You were close to the Forest!”

“Just a little. We landed there after the accident…. Hagrid was not in his cabin…”

“Potter helped me walk back…”

Snape covered his face with his hands.

How was he supposed to keep these boys safe if they were to place themselves in danger?

He felt the warmth in his room and saw how shaky the two kids really were. They were tired and in pain, even after Poppy’s ministrations. They needed their beds. Were they shaking because of the adventure or were they afraid of the consequences? They were looking at him, with big saucer eyes, waiting for the axe to fall. He was going to have to disappoint them.

“Get into your pajamas and get ready for your beds.”

The boys kept looking at him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at 9 sharp in the potions classroom, I expect you to be showered, breakfasted and ready to prepare potion ingredients and to wash cauldrons. We will talk later about the appropriate places where you may slide and play safely in the snow.”

“Yes, Sir.” said the two boys (in unison).

They both went out of the room and to their different common rooms and beds.

Harry found a cup of hot chocolate by his bed on his night table. He drank it all and liked the feeling than enveloped him. He wondered if that was how it felt to be tucked in.

---

Harry and Draco found each other at the breakfast table, it was early and the rest of their schoolmates were enjoying their beds for another while, after all they did not have classes to attend or detentions to fulfill.

“What took you so long, Potter? Did you get stuck between your blankets?”

“What time is it?”

“8.40, Professor Snape said to be there at 9.”

“I still have 20 minutes.” Harry shrugged.

“It will take us 5 minutes to go to the dungeons.”

“My feet don’t hurt, Malfoy. You can go alone for all that I care. I can run.”

“He said he wanted both of us on time.”

“So what? He won’t be angry with you if I am late. I have to have breakfast first… I’m sure that he will be in a bad mood anyway.”

“That is why I do not want to anger him more…”

“We’ll be in detention all day, Malfoy, what can be worst?”

Malfoy finished his glass of milk. Looked at Harry and said, “He did spank you the night of the duel, didn’t he?”

“Yes, he did. But he won’t do it this time. We did not break any rules… There was a cup of hot chocolate by my bed…”

“So what? I had chocolate last night too.”

“Do you think that he would? He said that we would have to prepare potion ingredients!”

“I know what he said… but I don’t want to risk it.”

Harry buttered some toasts and placed marmalade on them. Then he drank his milk.

“There… we can go to the dungeons now.”

“That was not an appropriate breakfast, Potter…”

“My! You are sounding like Hermione!”

“Don’t you dare compare me with that…”

Harry felt that someone was standing behind him, he knew it was Snape because Malfoy closed his mouth.

“If you are done with your breakfast, Mr. Malfoy, you can accompany me now.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Mr. Potter, you have 15 more minutes, eat some eggs and porridge.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Harry served the eggs and started eating them before Snape and Malfoy were at the Hall’s doors.

---

Snape sat them at separate tables. Harry had to cut flobberworms and Malfoy to prepare bug innards.

Snape sat at his desk reviewing essays. He could see the animosity between his charges. He sighed. He had thought that last night they had arrived at some kind of agreement…

He left them alone half an hour before lunch, with instructions to finish with their respective ingredients.

“My fingers hurt, they are numb…I am not used to this kind of job!”

Harry’s fingers hurt also. He was used to cutting ingredients for his aunt cooking but any way they had been at it for more than 2 hours…

“My foot hurts. I am going to tell him that I need to go to the infirmary.”

“Stop whining, Malfoy…it was your idea to slide there…”

“Who got the silly sleigh…?”

“I did not invite you to play, Malfoy. And it was your fault it crashed.”

“How could I steer it, Potter? You kept screaming in my ears!”

“Have you finished gentlemen?”

“No, Sir.”

“Then I would advice you to work less with your mouths and more with your fingers.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Ten minutes later Snape said, “Mr. Malfoy you may leave. You are not authorized to go out to the castle grounds for the rest of the day. Take care of your ankle. Is that clear, Mr. Malfoy?”

“Yes, Sir.” Malfoy left the room.

“Mr. Potter.”

“Yes, Sir”

“Behind you, over the counter you will find cleaning implements. Please proceed to wash the cauldrons in the sink. Remember to wear the gloves.”

“But, sir…?”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?”

“It’s not fair… You allowed Malfoy to go. Why do I have more punishment?”

“I had not told Mr. Malfoy that he was not to skip any meal, Mr. Potter. You knew that you had to get inside the school yesterday before it started getting dark. Regardless of how much fun you were having, you knew that you had to be on time for dinner. I expect more responsibility from you, Mr. Potter. You know that it’s important for your health. That is why you won’t leave until those cauldrons are clean.”

Harry went to the sink and started washing the cauldrons. He was angry. He had never seen cauldrons so… Disgustingly dirty! He bet that Snape kept them until he had a poor victim on detention. Why couldn’t he clean them with magic…

“Because magic shouldn’t be mixed with the potions that were brewed in those cauldrons, Mr. Potter. It would create a very bad reaction to use magic for that.”

Harry stopped cleaning. It was so scary when Snape read his thoughts!

“And yes… I keep a collection of dirty cauldrons, Mr. Potter, they stay hidden until I have disobedient little boys that need to learn to follow the rules to help me clean them.”

“It’s not fair any way.”

“It’s so sad. But you must know by know that live is not fair.”

There were three cauldrons. Harry finished two and was going to start the third when he said.

“It’s lunch time Professor. You said that…”

“Yes, Mr. Potter?” Harry knew that he was being cheeky, but had to say it.

“You said that… I shouldn’t skip meals, Sir.”

“I’m glad you remember, Mr. Potter. Or I would have to bring out some more dirty cauldrons from my collection… For you to wash after lunch. Clean your hands and come with me. Lunch must be ready in my quarters.”

Snape had asked for several kinds of sandwiches and French fries.

Harry did not know what to think about this. It surely was a treat… but why? This was getting confusing, and more when Snape said that they could have some ice cream at the end of the lunch.

Snape allowed him to leave after lunch. He only told the boy that he needed to ask him if he wanted to go out of the castle. Even if he only was going to go and visit Hagrid.

Harry was going to protest that surely Malfoy wouldn’t need to ask for permission. And Snape said.

“I am not Mr. Malfoy’s Guardian Mr. Potter.”

Harry left the rooms feeling as if he just had drank a cup of hot chocolate.