Leaving the library, poetry book in hand, Harry and Draco walked down the empty fourth floor corridor.

"This seems odd," Harry commented, surveying the quiet and empty hall.

"Who would have thought we'd be the only two students here over Holidays?" Draco responded, clearly feeling the same anxiety as Harry.

Harry snorted, "Well no one wants to be around the 'Heir of Slytherin' you know."

Draco rolled his eyes, "Please tell me you don't believe that nonsense. Just cause you're a parseltongue doesn't make you Slytherin's heir."

"I'm well aware that I'm not going around petrifying people, Draco." Harry shook his head in disgust before a small smile spread over his lips. "Though, for awhile Ron and Hermione thought it was you."

"What!" Draco's surprise was obvious as though he couldn't imagine why anyone would think that about him.

Harry nodded his grin growing, "Yep. They were even going to make Polyjuice and sneak into the Slytherin Common Room in order to prove it."

"Unbelievable," Draco said, mouth open in disbelief. "Your friends really are idiots."

"My friends! Let's talk about yours!" Harry gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fist. How dare the stupid prat call his friends names! With a low voice he continued, "Don't call my friends idiots, Malfoy."

"Or what, Potter?" Malfoy shot back, coming to halt in the middle of the corridor. "You'll attack me again? Aren't you in enough trouble as it is?"

"Shut it, Malfoy," Harry said through gritted teeth, his fists clenching and unclenching by his sides.

"What's wrong, Potter? Can't handle the truth?"

Harry wanted nothing more than to lash out. To wipe the smirk off the Draco's face using the stone walls. He could practically feel the impact his fist would make on Draco's jaw.

Before Harry could act on his impulses a voice stopped him.

"I'm sorry I can't help you, Severus." The friendly voice of the Muggle Studies teacher echoed from around the corner Harry and Draco had been about to turn down.

Looking at Draco with wide green eyes Harry immediately forgot about their argument in favor of avoiding his guardian. Grabbing Draco's arm he quickly ducked into the closest doorway pulling Draco along with him.

Unfortunately, the door Harry choose led to a small storeroom filled to capacity with boxes. He and Draco were pressed together in a small space right up against the barely closed door. They didn't have time to find a better spot; however, since Harry could hear the clicking of boots approaching their hiding place.

"Did you check with Aurora, Severus?" Charity Burbage inquired. "You know how much students enjoy the view from the Astronomy Tower."

"I was on my way there, actually, I was merely curious if you'd seen them," Snape sighed and Harry imagined the man's long fingers coming up to message his temples, though he couldn't actually see the two professors. "I can't believe they'd both just run off like this. Especially with what's been going on recently."

Harry was rather surprised to hear the Muggle Studies teach give a short laugh. "I'm sure they'll be in the Great Hall for lunch like always. Besides, they're children, Severus. What did you expect from them?"

"For them to think, Charity." Snape ground out, though Harry had a feeling his anger was directed more towards him than the Muggle Studies professor.

"That's asking a lot from two twelve-year-olds."

Harry heard Snape's snort even through the wooden door.

"Don't give me that. Its true and you know it." Harry had to cover his mouth his with hand to keep from snickering at the scolding tone Burbage was using on Snape. "Think back to when you were twelve, Severus. Did your mortality ever enter your mind? I'd bet a months salary that you did plenty of foolish and reckless things and had your father pulling his hair out."

"Remind me, why did I ask for your opinion on this matter?" Snape bit out in a tone that would have made a normal Hufflepuff cry.

Burbage laughed, and Harry wondered if she were suicidal.

"Because we're friends, Severus."

Harry couldn't hear Snape's reply, but waited for a couple more minutes before slowly peeking around the edge of the door. Once assured that Snape was indeed gone, Harry opened the door completely, allowing him and Draco out of the confined space.

Draco immediately jumped out and gave a shudder, while dusting off his sleeves. "Did you see all the spiders in there? It's like some kind of infestation."

"They're just spiders, Draco." Considering their previous argument Harry thought it best not to mention that Ron also had a fear of spiders.

"Snape is going to kill us, I hope you know." Draco commented a moment later once satisfied that he didn't have spiders crawling all over him.

Harry scoffed, "What happened to you saving my skin?"

Draco shrugged, "The deals off. He's pissed at both of us now, so it doesn't matter."

"Wonderful."

"So what do we do now, oh mighty explorer?" Draco asked and despite his words his tone was surprisingly friendly.

Harry shrugged, rather disappointed he wouldn't be finding a beautiful and restful place today. "I suppose we should just go to his quarters or the Great Hall and wait for lunch."

"The Great Hall," Draco said resolutely with a nod of his head. "He's less likely to tear us limb from limb in front of witnesses."

"But it's still an hour before lunch, Draco," Harry commented in an almost whining tone. "Let's go outside for a bit."

"Are you mental?" Draco asked, sounding very much like Ron. "He's angry enough as it is!"

"Exactly. He's probably not going to let us out of our rooms for the rest of the Holidays anyway, so we may as well enjoy our last hour of freedom."

Draco looked skeptical. Harry sighed in relief, however, a moment later when Draco nodded his head in acceptance.

SssssssssS

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Harry took careful aim before launching his perfectly made snowball at the tree Draco was hiding behind. The snowball exploded against the ancient bark sending snow in ever direction.

Harry ducked behind his tree just as another snowball splattered against it. Harry couldn't help but laugh. This was the most fun he'd had since he'd attended stupid Lockhart's stupid Dueling Club. Making another snowball and wishing he had a better pair of mittens to ward off the cold, Harry ran from behind his tree and towards Draco's not even looking as he launched another frozen projectile.

Draco hadn't been expecting this kind of attack, and even though Harry's snowball missed the blond, Draco tackled him around the legs causing Harry to fall into the snow. Before Harry could retaliate Draco was on top of him smashing a handful of snow into his face while laughing. Unable to throw the larger boy off, Harry grabbed two handfuls of snow and threw them in Draco's face.

After several minutes of rough housing and rolling in the snow like playful puppies, they heard someone clearing their throat. Sitting-up close together in the snow they look up with wide eyes at the black robed figure.

"Having fun gentlemen?" Snape asked with his arms crossed over his chest.

Harry gulped, but stood up forgetting that he was covered with snow.

"Morning, Sir," Draco said, as though oblivious to the trouble they were in.

"Morning?" Snape repeated, raising an eyebrow and taking a step closer to the boys. "It hasn't been morning for two hours. Lunch was served an hour and a half ago."

"Oh," Draco said, taking a small step back.

"Yes, 'oh'," Snape said, his voice icier than the air around them.

Harry remained silent as Snape glared at both him and Draco. In the frigid air Harry watched as Snape's breath came billowing from his hooked nose. Flames of rage could be seen in the obsidian eyes of the professor, and all Harry could do was wait to be consumed by the fiery words that would roll off the man's tongue when he opened his mouth.

"Inside. Now." Snape's mouth barely opened when he spoke, his voice a low growl.

Harry moved past Snape slowly, half expecting the man to reach out and smack him as he walk past. But the professor remained still, and didn't turn around to follow until both Harry and Draco had taken several steps towards the castle.

Harry hoped they'd be incinerated quickly.