Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/163051.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Major_Character_Death, Underage
  Category:
      F/F, M/M
  Fandom:
      Harry_Potter_-_J._K._Rowling
  Relationship:
      Draco_Malfoy/Harry_Potter, Hermione_Granger/Ginny_Weasley
  Character:
      Harry_Potter, Draco_Malfoy, Blaise_Zabini, Hermione_Granger, Ginny
      Weasley, Dean_Thomas, Seamus_Finnigan, Various_Harry_Potter_Characters
  Additional Tags:
      AU
  Stats:
      Published: 2009-02-16 Chapters: 4/4 Words: 74487
****** Coldplay ******
by iamgizy_(saddle_tramp)
Summary
     Rating: NC-17
     Pairings: Harry/Draco, Ginny/Hermione, others
     Summary:
     Songfic (yes, really) series that mostly follows canon up to the end
     of Order of the Phoenix. This was inspired by several songs by the
     band Coldplay, so that’s what I called the series.
     Overall summary: Draco doesn't know who he can trust... Does Harry?
     Warnings:
     Draco OOCness abounds, and there are mentions of past major character
     deaths.
     Also, this Blaise doesn't follow current canon; this was begun long
     before JKR decided to tell us anything but his name and that he's
     Slytherin.
     This story had more planned, but I lost my muse for it. I think It
     stands well enough as it is to share it, though.
     It's not finished the way I originally intended, but it did stop at a
     good point in the story for an ending.
***** Spies *****
 
 
~*~*~
I awake to find, no peace of mind,
I said, "How do you live, as a fugitive,
Down here, where I cannot see so clear?"
~*~*~
 
Draco was dreaming about licking his way up a tanned back towards unruly dark
hair that smelled of sweat and sex when a cold hand touching his bare shoulder
woke him abruptly. He grabbed the wand under his pillow, rolling away from
whoever had touched him and landing on the floor beyond the bed in a crouch. He
blinked when he realized his wand was pointed at a very surprised Blaise Zabini
and then allowed himself to relax a bit. Blaise, while often annoying, wasn't
quite an enemy.
"Merlin!No wonder nobody ever stays long with you." Blaise backed slowly away
from the other side of the narrow bed, holding both hands up and open in front
of him so that Draco would have no reason to hex him. "I don't even have my
wand out, Draco, so don't transfigure me into anything nasty. I just wanted to
thank you and say good night before I left. It's usually considered to be good
manners when one has a nice shag."
Draco stood gracefully and lowered his wand, seeming to ignore the fact that
Blaise was fully dressed while he was naked but for a pair of socks. "Good
night, then." Draco thought Blaise looked as if he wanted to say something
more, so he patiently waited for Blaise to speak again. Long experience had
taught Draco that the other boy would be much easier to get rid of if he
allowed him to say whatever was on his mind. Blaise was sometimes slow to find
the words to verbalize what he was thinking, but he seldom gave up until he
had.
Blaise recognized Draco's patience for what it was and spent a few moments
searching for the right words while he let his gaze roam over Draco's lithe,
perfect body. Blaise knew that it was time for him to find someone with which
to make permanent alliance, now that his schooling was nearly complete.
Blaise's father worked in an important position at the Ministry, but his family
couldn't begin to compare their monetary worth with the wealth of the old blood
families such as the Malfoys and the Parkinsons. Blaise wanted a powerful
consort of course, but he wanted a wealthy one as well and that narrowed his
choices considerably. Draco was the obvious choice for many reasons, not the
least of which was Blaise's refusal to put any more power into the hands of the
Parkinsons. He loathed Pansy.
Draco was by far the most well connected Slytherin of their year. He was a
talented wizard, breezing through the Hogwarts curriculum as if it were child's
play, and would be very formidable with the right encouragement. He had been
born with more money and power than he knew what to do with and ancestral
alliances with many of the powerful old families. Draco had also made many
alliances of his own, earning a soft spot in the heart of many prominent young
Slytherins with his magical abilities or his personal charms, yet he seemingly
had no ambition to make the most of it. Draco seemed to be the first Malfoy in
ages to have inherited everything but the all-consuming ambition Malfoys were
known for. Draco, it seemed, wanted nothing more than to enjoy himself to the
best of his ability.
Blaise would have made a try for the slender, graceful blonde even if his
father hadn't specifically instructed him to get closer to the Malfoy heir.
Draco's contacts would be very helpful to Blaise if he could cement an
alliance, and the fact that he was beautiful as well just made the prospect of
settling down with him that much more attractive. The only drawback, at least
in Blaise's mind, had been that Draco was popular among the less-than-straight
members of their House and known to prefer bottoming. Blaise had expected
Draco's body to reflect that but Draco had instead been deliciously tight,
which had added a bit of extra pleasure to the thrill of shagging someone so
much higher in social rank.
Blaise's blue eyes narrowed slightly and he involuntarily licked his lips when
he noticed the darkening bruises left by his fingers on Draco's hips. He
recalled exactly how he had left those bruises there, and he had enjoyed every
moment of it. It could be decidedly difficult to stay on Draco's good side, but
after tonight he was sure it would be worth the extra effort. Blaise had
shagged many of the less-than-straight boys in the school, even a few
Gryffindors, and considered himself a connoisseur of exactly who qualified as a
spectacular shag. He was quite sure Draco was something special; just then he
wouldn't have hesitated to say Draco was the best lay in the school.
Blaise finally met Draco's gaze again after a few minutes and sighed, giving up
on finding the right thing to say. He had quite enjoyed his time with Draco,
but the patient, almost bored expression on Draco's face wasn't encouraging.
Draco seemed only to be waiting for him to leave so Blaise would oblige him
this time, hoping that by doing as Draco seemed to want him to do he would be
invited back that much sooner. It was possible, he knew. The only boys Draco
shagged a second time were the ones that did exactly as he wanted them to do.
"Good night," Blaise finally murmured. "You know where to find me, should you
want my company. I... I hope you will."
Draco simply nodded, his expression giving away no hint of what he might be
feeling as he wondered how many other people Blaise had said the same thing to
in the last few days. It was likely a high number, considering Blaise's
popularity. Pansy was fond of saying that Blaise would shag anyone who was
pretty enough, male or female, and it was demonstrably true. She also called
Blaise a slut quite often, but Draco thought she was simply bitter. Blaise had
been very drunk when he slept with Pansy, and never gave her a second go-round.
It was easy for Draco to understand why Blaise was so popular. Blaise was very
handsome, tall and pale with features that reminded Draco of a slightly darker
version of his late uncle Aurelius. It was much easier on Draco's state of mind
to note Blaise's similarity to his father's brother and ignore how similar
Aurelius and Lucius had been. If he thought about how much Blaise resembled the
elder Malfoy, he might be sick. Lucius had hinted that he would welcome Draco
to his bed several times, even though Draco found the mere idea revolting, and
the fact he had just allowed someone so similar to Lucius to shag him wasn't
something Draco wished to dwell on.
Blaise wasn't just nice to look at though; he was also from a prominent
Wizarding family with strong connections to those in power. While not as
wealthy as some, the Zabinis were much more low-key about their connections to
Voldemort and as such they still had high standing at the Ministry. There were
few families more respected by the Wizarding world at large, and little chance
for Blaise to marry someone that would further his position politically unless
he married a Malfoy.
Draco suppressed the urge to make a face at that thought, wondering if Blaise
also realized that and was hoping to add the Malfoys to the Zabini family
political network. It was possible, likely even, and Draco hoped his father
wouldn't latch on to the idea as well. The Zabinis and Malfoys both already had
too much power as far as Draco was concerned, and surely didn't need their
heirs to combine it all. Family pride was the only thing that Draco could think
of that might keep it from happening, if he was lucky. Neither the Zabinis nor
the Malfoys would want to give up their heirs' names, especially not to each
other.
Blaise watched Draco's face a few moments longer while Draco waited for him to
speak, wondering what Draco was thinking behind those pale blue-grey eyes that
gave away so little unless Draco wanted them to. He had hoped that Draco would
have more to say, would say something to give him a clue as to what he should
say, but it didn't happen.
After a silence that seemed to stretch on for an eternity, Blaise finally
turned away. Draco had nothing to say to him and Blaise couldn't find the right
words to say what he felt, so he thought he should just go. Once he had made
the decision, Blaise walked the short distance to the door and left Draco's
room, closing the door quietly behind him. He would try again another time and
perhaps, if he were lucky, he would be able to get through to Draco.
Draco sat down abruptly on the edge of his bed as soon as the door was closed,
ignoring the twinge of discomfort the movement caused as he began mentally
berating himself.'Bloody brilliant! Falling asleep with aZabiniin the room!
They're all neck deep with old slither-and-sneak and that makes Blaise
dangerous, no matter how charming he may seem. He could have doneanythingand
you'd not have had a prayer of resisting him because you were bloodysleeping!
You arenot one of those lucky fools who has the luxury of relaxing their guard
after they get shagged within an inch of their lives, and you are luckier than
you deserve to be just to have survived it.'
Draco snorted softly, looking down at the wand he still held in his hands. 'No
more of that for you! No,you will have to stick toMalcolm for the rest of the
term. It can only be a good thing that he is a year younger and quite a bit
less intelligent than Blaise. He reports your every move to that perverted
bastard who sired you, but at least he knows better than to stick around after
he gets off.'
Draco made a face at that thought and stood to pick up the uniform he had left
scattered across the floor, thinking about how it had come to be there.
It had all started because Draco had been horny after Quidditch practice,
something that was an admittedly normal occurrence. He had made the decision to
get laid, preferably by someone new, and he had gone on the prowl the moment he
left the locker rooms. When he caught Blaise watching him on the way to dinner
it had played right into his plans for the evening. Blaise was quite gorgeous
enough to be going on with and had a reputation as a skilled lover, if not a
particularly enduring one. Draco thought that both were a definite plus; he
could get laid properly and then get rid of Blaise to free his evening so he
could relax.
Draco had spent most of the meal flirting shamelessly with Blaise and then left
the dining hall with Blaise following at his heels. By the time they reached
the dungeons, they had already stopped several times to snog in shadowed
corners and Draco had been groped within an inch of his life. Blaise had been
all over Draco as they crossed the common room, so intent on Draco that he was
completely oblivious to the snickers and stares that followed them.
Draco had noticed the reactions of the other Slytherins but he had ignored
them. Everywhere he went people watched him, and he had long ago decided it was
just part of life as a Malfoy. He had been tugging at Blaise's clothes even
before his bedroom door had closed behind them, and both were naked within
moments. Draco hadn't gotten laid properly in several days and had wanted
nothing more than for Blaise to shag him senseless, and Blaise made certain
that Draco got what he wanted.
Draco snorted softly at his own folly and finished retrieving his clothes,
putting thoughts of the last few hours out of his mind. Blaise had been a very
good lay, yes, but for Draco that was as far as it went. He made it a firm
policy never to get attached to anyone before or after he shagged them, and
Blaise would be no different. Sex was one of his favorite ways to pass an
evening, but it was little more than a game to him, sometimes as much fun as
Quidditch but much less important in the overall scheme of things.
Draco moved back to the bed, dropping his wand and most of his clothes on it so
he could begin to dress. He pulled his trousers on quickly, not bothering with
underwear, and then tucked his wand into the specially made pocket along his
left thigh that completely concealed all but an inch of the polished handle. He
picked up his shirt again and shrugged into it, buttoning it efficiently but
not bothering to tuck it in, and then flinched slightly as he moved too quickly
to step into his low half-boots. The silver and green Slytherin tie was next
and he tied it quickly and neatly out of long habit, tugging it mostly snug as
he made the decision not to bother with the jumper. He moved towards the puddle
of black fabric near the door instead and picked it up, checking for the
Prefect's badge to be sure it was his robe.
Reassured that it was, Draco quickly shook out the material and then swung it
around his shoulders, fastening the ornate silver snake cloak-clasp at the
throat before he moved towards his desk. He opened the right hand drawer and
removed a small blue bottle to take a sip of the healing draught he kept there.
He wrinkled his nose at the taste and smell, thinking that there was a reason
the potion called for 'peppermint oil to taste' as he felt a tingle spread
throughout his body and the minor discomfort of his abused arse faded away.
He refused to drink potions made by anyone but himself or Professor Snape as a
rule, and had in fact made this particular potion himself, so he had no one
else to blame for the fact the potion tasted and smelled exactly like pond
scum. He put the bottle away again, remembering his blithe disregard for the
taste when he had made this bottle and resolving to make time for a trip to the
greenhouses soon to replenish his supply of peppermint. He would be shagging
that ham-fisted idiot Malcolm in the future, so he would undoubtedly have need
of the potion more often.
He kept his own store of the potion because he was prone to choosing bed
partners who hurt him, whether accidentally or on purpose, and hated to bear
anyone's mark any longer than he had to. It would have been entirely too
embarrassing to go ask Snape or Pomfrey for a healing draught, especially
Pomfrey, who would insist on checking him out thoroughly. The professors
ignored the seventh years' love lives most of the time, but Draco had no doubt
he would be in some sort of trouble if Pomfrey examined him and found out just
why he most often needed the draught. He couldn't believe that a Slytherin,
especially a Slytherin Prefect whose father was a Death Eater, could get away
with having injuries caused by rough sex. With the way the Malfoy luck was
currently running, Draco would be accused of Imperio-assisted rape and shuffled
off to Azkaban.
He closed the desk drawer and moved to the mirror that hung near his wardrobe
as he pulled a small, ornate silver comb from the pocket of his robe. He began
to work on his disheveled hair, gently combing away the tangles and showing far
more patience for it than most would have expected from him. He inspected his
face as he worked on restoring his habitually neat appearance, eventually
smiling as he decided to leave his hair loose. He knew that he was more than a
bit vain, but he was of the strong belief that all beautiful things cared about
their appearance. He reasoned that if they didn't, they would cease to be
beautiful and that was something he simply refused to do. He had long known his
looks were a decided advantage when dealing with others, either because they
wanted him for themselves or because they wanted to be seen with him, and he
needed any advantages he could get.
When he finally was satisfied with his appearance again, he put away the comb
and crossed to the door, then stepped out into the hallway that led back to the
Slytherin common room. The few younger students that ventured down the
Prefects' hallway usually marveled at the glass wall along one side that
afforded a very nice view of the lake, but the novelty had long ago worn off
for Draco. He didn't even glance at the mermaids that stopped to watch him
pass, and the oddly beautiful landscape of the lake's depths might as well have
been blank stone.
Draco walked quickly along the corridor and then into the Slytherin common room
with his usual grace. Several conversations paused as the students he passed,
some nominal friends and others simply admirers, turned to watch him. Draco
ignored them and passed through the room without once looking away from the
door, seemingly not even aware of his audience.
Within moments he was walking up the darkened stairway that led to the castle
proper, his footsteps ringing quick and sure against the stone stairs. He had
no idea exactly where he might be going, but he intended to get there without
being forced to be polite to anyone.
 
~*~*~
I said, "What do I know?
Show me the right way to go,"
And the spies came out of the water.
But you're feeling so bad 'cause you know,
That the spies hide out in every corner,
But you can't touch them though,
'Cause they're all spies, they're all spies.
~*~*~
 
Draco wandered the castle for over an hour before he noticed a couple -- Seamus
Finnegan and a plain Hufflepuff girl Draco didn't know -- kissing in an alcove
off the second-floor hallway. That gave him a purpose for his wanderings and he
altered his course towards hallways popular for snogging, sending the
occasional couple scurrying back to their dorms with minor hexes to speed them
on their way. He didn't particularly care what they were doing, of course, but
any excuse to hex someone was good enough for him.
He quite enjoyed the sport of 'snogger hunting', but his heart wasn't really in
it tonight and it showed. Normally students he caught had to fear they would be
hit by a difficult combination of charms and spells that a sixth or seventh
year would have to think a bit to reverse. Tonight though, Draco couldn't be
bothered to think up creative new combinations, instead using simple hexes and
transfigurations that he thought any third year would be able to reverse. The
fact that his opinion of what a third year should be able to do was a bit
higher than the norm was completely notwithstanding.
It was well after curfew by the time Draco finally began to climb the stairs
that led to the top of the Astronomy tower. If he looked about up there, he
expected to send at least one more snogging or even shagging couple scurrying
for their dorms. He was beginning to tire when he silently emerged from the
stairwell into the observation area, but he thought it would be a waste to
return before checking the most popular place in the school for a quick shag.
After taking a moment to enjoy the fresh air, Draco began to move forward,
looking around with particular attention to the shadows. He had come up to the
top of the tower twice in the past without catching someone at the very least
snogging, but both times had been so he himself could shag someone in relative
peace. He had only taken a few steps before he stopped in surprise, staring at
the sight before him.
Harry Potter was sitting on one of the battlements, looking a bit melancholy
with his knees pulled up to his chest to support his folded arms and his chin
as he stared out over the lake. He was still dressed in his school uniform,
though messily so, and he had obviously not heard Draco's arrival. The upper
curve of the full moon slowly rising above the forest cast a soft silvery light
on the scene that made Harry look almost ghostly. His tanned skin was
unnaturally pale in the odd lighting and his shining dark hair reflected the
silvery light just enough to make it look almost misted over. The effect would
have been spooky if Harry had not looked so very solid, something that no ghost
could manage.
Draco found himself lingering to admire Harry's profile for several minutes. He
couldn't see much of Harry's face but that didn't bother him as he let his gaze
travel slowly over Harry's muscular shoulders and back to linger a moment at
the almost-hidden curve of his arse. A part of himself that Draco had fought to
ignore for over a year pointed out how well-built Harry was, and how completely
honest, and Draco felt a sudden urge to see what would happen if he broke their
tradition and truly spoke to him. He had no problem finding athletic, handsome
bedfellows, but finding someone he could trust to be honest was infinitely more
precious to him.
'And I reallycould trust him I think, if I dared to be honest with him. I doubt
his sense of honor would allow him to lie to me, and even if he tried, he is
simply theworst liar I have ever seen. I am quite sure he knows it, too;
everyone else in the school does.'
Draco nibbled his lower lip a moment and then allowed his feet to carry him
towards Harry, still unsure of exactly what he would do or say when he reached
him. This seemed to be his night for impulsive action, and Draco was willing to
go with the urge to speak to the handsome young man before him. It was surely
safer than allowing Blaise into his bed had been, so Draco's evening couldn't
get much worse.
The sound of footsteps against the stone took a moment to register in Harry's
mind, but when they did Harry glanced over his shoulder to see who was
approaching. He blinked when he saw Draco moving towards him, surprise turning
quickly to wariness as he watched the taller boy approach. "What are you doing
up here, Malfoy?"
Draco shrugged instead of replying as he watched Harry turn to sit sideways on
the low stone ledge, probably so that he could see Draco better. The light of
the moon glinted off of the Head Boy badge on Harry's robes and the lenses of
his glasses at the new angle, obscuring Harry's expressive green eyes and
making Draco realize suddenly just how much they gave away. With Harry's eyes
behind that silver glare, he found himself barely able to read Harry beyond the
fact that he was understandably wary.
Draco walked over to sit near Harry and then swung his legs around so that he
was facing the lake. He pulled his feet up to rest his chin on his knees then,
not bothering to even look at Harry as he stared instead at the moon. Normally
the wariness he had seen in Harry's expression would have made him smirk, but
this time it just made him feel empty. He didn't want Harry to be wary of him,
not tonight. Draco needed to talk to someone who saw him as an equal, not as
someone to be feared, and Harry was the closest thing he had to a trustworthy
equal, despite their history as enemies.
Harry watched Draco warily for a long moment, searching the other boy's face
and posture for some hint of what was going through his head. Draco's
expression was blank and serious, and Harry's curiosity about Draco's odd
behavior intensified. Draco normally wouldn't have missed a chance to snark at
him, especially when he found Harry alone in the castle's most popular trysting
spot. The Draco that Harry knew, however shallowly, should have at least made a
disparaging remark about Harry not being able to find someone to snog. His
silence was baffling, but more than a little bit intriguing as well.
Harry finally decided that Draco would speak when he was ready and turned his
gaze back towards the moon as well, determined to wait him out. There were many
things that Harry wasn't sure about, but he was sure that he was more patient
than Draco, and he intended to prove it.
Draco was content just to sit and watch the moon slowly rise, oblivious to the
fact Harry was waiting for him to speak. The two of them sat in an oddly
companionable silence for a long while, listening to the soft sounds of the
night or an occasional gust of breeze, and neither of them moved until the
lower edge of the moon cleared the tree line. Draco suddenly turned his head to
look at Harry then, his pale eyes shining silver in the moonlight.
"How many people can you trust?" Draco asked softly. Harry turned his head to
look at Draco, and Harry's surprised expression caused Draco to elaborate a
bit. "I mean those people who you know would give their life for you, without
hesitation. People you could tell anything to and it wouldn't change anything."
Harry just stared at Draco, wondering what had brought that question on and why
Draco chose to ask him of all people. The question made him think about exactly
whom he could trust though, and how much he could trust them, and he took a few
moments to consider his answer. He had met a lot of people through Hogwarts or
the Order, and he had befriended too many of them to count. He had a lot of
friends, especially those still at school, who he knew he could trust his life
to in some situations. They weren't all close friends though, and he most
definitely didn't trust most of them with his secrets. That was a much shorter
list and even harder to get down to a specific count. Deciding whom he could
trust that much took him a few minutes.
"By your definition," Harry finally replied, "I trust eleven people. Any one of
them would do anything for me if I needed them to, and I'm pretty sure that
wouldn't change no matter what I did."
"Who?" Draco asked simply, watching Harry with a closed expression.
Harry looked into Draco's eyes and saw less emotion there than he might have
found in a stone, and suddenly wondered when he had last seen Draco look as if
he truly cared about anything. That brought to mind the question of what had
changed to make Draco so distant, and Harry wracked his brain to try and think
of a reason for it. Harry himself had been rather distant during sixth year,
and he knew that had made him much less observant of other people's problems.
He had spent much of the school year so lost in his own pain and angst that he
barely noticed even Hermione and Ginny's problems, much less anyone else's.
Harry had gone through more than half of his sixth year alternating between
trying to get Ron out of his heart and trying to convince Ron that being a
'poofter' wasn't the end of the world. He had just barely gotten through to Ron
that love was too important to throw away, no matter who it was, before he lost
him. Harry had gone through hell after that and was much more of a loner now,
but he knew he had improved drastically during seventh year. He had decided
early in the fall term that he was more content with a boyfriend, if not
precisely happy, and with his life expectancy such as it was, he had decided to
be as close to happy as possible.
Many still didn't approve of the fact that he was unapologetically queer, but
Harry had decided that life was far too short to try and hide such an important
part of himself. Within the Wizarding world, heirs were expected to marry and
continue their bloodline, no matter what their personal preferences. Magic,
specifically several potions that took considerable skill to brew, could enable
wizards to have children with other wizards, yes, but it was highly frowned
upon. Some experimentation was considered normal, especially while at school,
but to identify himself as queer and state freely that he never intended to
have a wife or children was frowned upon by almost every adult Harry knew.
Despite the sneers and derision his choice of partner sometimes drew though,
Harry was as close to happy as he thought he could be. He usually had a
boyfriend and he always had his best friends, Hermione and Ginny, to turn to
for simple companionship when he needed it. His schooling was going quite well,
and his skill at the practical part of the N.E.W.T. exams was such that he was
poised to make decent marks on them even if he bombed the written portions. The
only N.E.W.T. he was still worried about was Potions, but Hermione was
confident she could tutor him enough to help him at least pass.
No matter how much Harry's life had improved though, he was still usually
absorbed completely by his own concerns and hadn't really noticed Draco's
problems during that time. The only thing he could recall that might have
changed for Draco in that time was the fact that Lucius Malfoy had escaped
Ministerial custody last May.
Harry suppressed the sudden urge to shudder, remembering the casual viciousness
Lucius had shown while escaping his trial and wondering if it had extended to
his family when he returned to them. During his escape, the elder Malfoy had
killed many of the witnesses against him, including Minister Fudge, Ron, Percy,
and Luna, as well as many members of the Order and the Wizengamut. He had
injured or killed dozens of others who were gathered to testify or simply to
observe, including several of his own supporters who had the misfortune to sit
near the targets of Lucius' wrath.
During the collapse of a balcony weakened by the last volley of spells, Harry
and Hermione had both very nearly died because they were too worried about
saving the other people in danger to watch out for themselves. Their injuries
had been severe enough that they missed several weeks of school, staying in a
secluded ward at St. Mungo's with members of the Order constantly watching over
them.
Harry and Hermione had both been hit hard by Ron's death, and while they were
in the hospital their shared grief had drawn them closer together while somehow
pushing them further apart as well. When they returned to school just before
exams, Harry withdrew into himself quite a bit more than anyone thought was
healthy for him. He refused all efforts to 'help' him, growing resentful of the
fact his 'friends' wouldn't give him a moment's peace because they hated seeing
him lonely, and hid from everyone unless he had to be in class. It was the end
of term by the time Ginny convinced everyone to just give him some space and
they finally backed off. Harry had spent the summer in relative peace and near-
solitude at Grimmauld Place, attending meals but otherwise disappearing into
the library for days at a time, even going so far as to ward the doors to
ensure his privacy. The solitude had helped him as nothing else could, and when
term began again he was ready to go on with his life, though on his own terms.
Harry realized suddenly that he'd been sitting there lost in thought for quite
some time and pushed his memories away, turning his attention back to answering
Draco. "Well, there's what passes as my family," Harry said slowly, "which
would of course be Hermione, Remus, and the Weasleys. I'd trust Neville with my
life too. They've all stood by me through everything, even when they didn't
have to."
Draco just looked at Harry in silence for a bit and then shifted to face away
from the lake, putting his feet back down off the battlement. "It must be nice
to have so many true friends."
Harry was shocked. "Draco, you have a lot more friends than I do! Crabbe and
Goyle would think it a treat to die for you, and then there's Pansy, Blaise,
Millicent, and Theodore, just to name the ones in our year..."
Draco calmly watched Harry's animated face as he listed some of the least-
trustworthy people Draco knew, which was saying quite a lot considering who
Draco knew. When Harry quieted again, Draco waited a moment to make sure he was
through and then said softly, "I can't trust any of them as much I trust you,
Harry, and you'd not hesitate to kill me if you thought I deserved it."
Draco stood to go then, quite a bit more depressed than he had been when he
asked the question. Harry's answer, as innocently as he knew it had been
intended, had just reinforced how very untenable his own position was. He had
quite a lot of 'friends' he couldn't trust, a scruple-free father who was a
wanted criminal, and a mother who worshipped said father. When Draco remembered
how he, too, had worshipped his father even just a year ago, it made him wonder
if Weasley had been right all along. Being a Malfoy truly wasn't the wonderful
privilege Draco had thought it was when he was younger; these days it seemed
more like a particularly loathsome curse.
Harry impulsively reached out to grab Draco's right hand before he could take
more than a step away from the battlement, looking up at him. "I'd like to be
your friend Draco, if you'd just let me."
Draco's expression shifted into a slight sneer that somehow didn't seem to
Harry as if it had any real feeling of disdain behind it. "Potter, you knew
better than that even before we were Sorted! Surely, you don't think I am going
to miraculously change into one of the white hats now? It's too late, I've done
too many things I shouldn't have."
"No, it's not," Harry replied firmly as he tightened his grip on Draco's hand.
"It's never too late as long as we’re breathing. What happened before is all in
the past if you're willing to let it be." Harry looked up into Draco's pale
blue eyes for a long moment, wondering at how they seemed to glow silver in the
moonlight, then added softly, "You can talk to me anytime you need a friend,
Draco. If you like, I won't even tell Hermione or Ginny, I promise."
Draco looked down at Harry for a little while, fully aware that a promise to
keep a secret from Hermione and Ginny wasn't something Harry would offer to
just anyone. The two girls were the closest thing Harry had to siblings, and
rumors had gone 'round most of the term that Harry was sleeping with one or
both of them, Ginny in particular. Harry and Ginny often sat exceedingly close
together at meals or wrapped an arm around each other as they walked the halls,
and several Gryffindors had spread it about that Ginny liked to sit in Harry's
lap while they watched Hermione tutor their classmates.
Draco didn't necessarily believe all of the rumors were true, but he did think
there was a seed of truth in them. Harry was closer to Ginny and Hermione than
to any other people alive, spending most of his time in their company and often
getting far more intimate with them than any queer male ought to be inclined.
There was obviously quite a lot of love, teasing, and flirting between Harry
and Ginny, and even Draco had seen enough familiarity and trust between them to
make him long for a friend like that.
Still, a promise from Harry not to tell Ginny or Hermione was as good as a
promise not to tell anyone, and Draco was sorely tempted to spill out all of
his problems right then and there. Draco knew that Harry probably already had
some idea of why he, on approaching his eighteenth birthday, would suddenly
need to talk, so he doubted that Harry had made the offer to listen lightly.
Harry was a major player on the side of the Light, not just because he was the
Boy Who Lived but also because he refused to sit back and not be one of those
in the thick of it.
Draco knew as well as most of the rest of the Wizarding world that Harry had
already had very public falling-outs with quite a few people over how
Dumbledore chose to run the fight against Voldemort. Relations between the two
had grown so strained that the Daily Prophet had taken to reporting that Harry
was a 'wild card' instead of hailing him as Dumbledore's pet savior. Dumbledore
had left Harry in the dark too many times and allowed too many attacks that
could have been stopped, and Harry no longer wanted anything to do with him or
most of the other adults on the side of the Light. They had all lost esteem in
Harry's eyes, going from being the somewhat infallible authorities he ran to
with every problem to little more than sheep, with Dumbledore as their rather
lax shepherd.
Since the beginning of seventh year, Harry had seldom paid any attention to the
restrictions the Hogwarts staff tried to place on him, and he had made it
obvious that he didn't trust any of the professors anymore. He was still at
least moderately respectful to most of the staff, but there were notable
exceptions, such as the new Defense teacher. Professor Vance was an old friend
of Dumbledore's and well known to be in the 'inner circle' that truly ran the
fight against Voldemort. Early in the year when the class was discussing the
first rise of Voldemort, she had said that Harry's parents had been reckless
and he and many others were orphans because of it. Harry had gotten up and
walked right out of class, and he had flatly refused to return until Hermione
stood up at breakfast one morning over a week later and yelled at him to stop
being childish. She had stomped off then and Harry had remained stubbornly at
the table until Dean Thomas said something to him that made Harry finally go to
class.
"What about your boyfriend, Dean?" Draco asked almost as soon as he'd thought
of the tall, dark Gryffindor Harry had dated for the last several months. Draco
had always disliked Dean, though he had never taken the time to try and pin
down an exact reason why. Getting near Thomas made him want to spit in his face
and that was enough for Draco.
Harry, who had been waiting patiently for Draco to think through whatever was
on his mind, shook his head. "He's not my boyfriend, and no, I wouldn't tell
him. He and I don't really talk very much anymore."
Draco's lips suddenly curved into a little smirk, and he stepped closer to
Harry as widening green eyes stared up at him in surprise. "Does that mean
you're single, Potter?" Draco impulsively lifted his free hand, reaching out to
stroke his fingertips slowly along Harry's cheek. There was a sudden flare of
interest in Harry's eyes and Draco's smirk widened even though he would have
been hard-pressed to say why that spark of heat cheered him up so drastically.
"Did you finally break up with that great hulking Beater you've been shagging?"
Draco asked, stroking Harry's jaw again as he waited for a reply, his eyes
narrowing at the way Harry shivered slightly at the touch but didn't pull away.
Harry suddenly realized he was still holding Draco's other hand and let go
abruptly, though he didn't move away from the fingertips lightly stroking his
face. "I did, yes," Harry finally replied, his cheeks flaming as he stared up
at Draco, obviously flustered. "I've no idea why you would care though."
Draco held Harry's gaze with his own and cupped Harry's cheek as he leaned down
as if to kiss him, slowly getting closer until Harry's expressive eyes
fluttered closed. Draco stopped with their lips little more than a hair's-
breadth apart, his lips brushing against Harry's ever so slightly as he
whispered with a smirk, "I do care."
Draco pulled away suddenly and turned in a graceful swirl of robes, walking
quickly to the stairwell and then disappearing down the stairs, still smirking
to himself. Potter was single and wanted him, and that was the best news Draco
had heard all day. He made it almost to the bottom of the stairwell before he
realized that he wanted Harry as well, and quite a bit more than he could
remember wanting anyone, especially someone that he was walking away from.
That thought wiped the smirk right off of his face and sobered him as surely as
a chilling charm would have, stopping him in his tracks. He continued towards
the dungeons after a short pause, searching his feelings and trying to make
sense of them, sure that his life was about to get even more complicated.
Harry remained up on the battlements long after Draco had gone, wide-eyed and
trembling a bit as he tried to decide if he was glad that Draco hadn't kissed
him or not.
 
~*~*~
I awake to see, that no one is free,
We're all fugitives.
Look at the way we fit,
Down here, I cannot sleep from fear, no.
~*~*~
 
Draco sat on the edge of his bed and closed his eyes, gathering his courage. He
needed to read the letter he had just received, but he truly didn't want to.
Seeing his father's eagle owl waiting for him in the common room when he passed
through on his way to dinner had completely robbed him of his appetite, and as
soon as he had retrieved the scroll, he had returned to his room.
Some small part of him was still hoping that he was wrong, but he was almost
certain what his mother's flowing script would say. He had been dreading this
day since his father took it upon himself to inform Draco that all Malfoys were
betrothed by their eighteenth birthday. After the row he had with Blaise the
night before last, Draco had expected a letter would arrive soon.
Draco took another deep breath and then opened the letter anyway, trying to
keep himself ready for the worst.
 
                                      ~~~
Draco-
I was quite dismayed when I heard that you have spurned not only young Theodore
but the Zabini boy as well.
Blaise is quite the catch from what I have seen of him. He is from a wonderful
family, handsome, and very much the gentleman with a reputation of being a
considerate young man. I spoke with the boy when he was visiting his father
last weekend, and he reminds me quite a lot of your father when he was young. I
find it extremely hard to understand why you do not wish to see him again. Your
father would quite like to have him as a part of the family, as would I, and
the Zabinis have made it plain that you would be a welcome addition to their
family as well.
It's very difficult for us to make a good match for a boy of your ...
proclivities ... and I had hoped you would tolerate this one, though I suppose
you'll marry some nice young man with or without my help. Your father seems to
know more than you have told me. He says that you are sure to have made up your
mind by your birthday, and that the match will please me. I had hoped you would
trust your mother with something so important but I was obviously wrong, so I
will not bother you about it again.
Speaking of your father, he already has the entire weekend planned. He has been
quite beside himself waiting! He is going to formally introduce you to some
very important friends. They have quite a lot planned for you from what I
understand, and you should be excited and proud to know they intend you to move
up quickly amongst them. After you have gotten to know everyone, there is to be
a big party for your birthday Saturday night, and a betrothal ceremony on
Sunday with your father's friends as witnesses. Lucius says that our Lord has
plans for you and your betrothed, but he was being annoying and refused to let
me in on what those plans might be or even to whom you will be betrothed.
Do behave yourself this weekend. Your entire future depends on how you act
towards your father's friends. They are very important people and your father
is quite attached to them, as you know. He wants you to become attached too,
now that you are of age, and I think it is quite a good idea.
I wish that I could write more, but I must go; your father says it is time to
leave again. Give Pansy my love, and do rethink your insistence not to marry
her just because she's not your ... type. Your father and I were a Blood match,
and have been quite happy together for almost twenty years now. Pansy would
make a fine mother for your heir, and would be excellent company for myself
while you and your father are off with his friends.
All my love,
Mummy
                                      ~~~
Draco shuddered at the thought of a lifetime of living with Pansy. She was
almost as trustworthy as his father was, and Draco knew quite well that Lucius
would throw him to the wolves without a second's hesitation if it furthered his
purposes. Pansy also was pathologically incapable of being faithful to anyone
or anything but herself, so Draco felt she was an exceedingly bad choice for a
wife. If he were to raise an heir, which admittedly was very unlikely, there
would have to be no doubt of the child's sire. Children in general were a
responsibility Draco didn't particularly want, and raising some other bloke's
by-blow held no attraction for him. In that, he was very like his mother, who
had always wanted nothing to do with any child other than own.
Draco looked back down at the parchment and skimmed the letter again, picking
out the words 'our Lord has plans for you and your betrothed' and 'he wants you
to become attached too' before he tossed the note in the floor. He wasn't
surprised at all when the parchment burst into flame almost as soon as it hit
the dark stone. He watched it burn in silence, his mind totally blank of all
thought except the fact his parents wanted to give him a betrothal and the Dark
Mark for his eighteenth birthday.
Normal people got the gift of a flat, or a job offer, or even a Muggle car, all
of which Draco thought could be quite enjoyable, especially the flat. Draco's
parents had to be different though, of course. Theywanted their precious,
pampered, pureblood son to become the soul-bonded slave of a lunatic. As if
that were not enough to be going on with, they also wanted him to agree to a
binding legal and magical relationship with someone he surely couldn't trust,
and would choose for him if he couldn't be arsed to pick someone himself. The
fact that their choices seemed to be confined to the three worst matches he
could think of amongst his age mates was simply the way Draco's luck ran these
days.
All of it put together into one neatly-packaged weekend showed Draco precisely
how much they cared, and cleared away his last shred of familial feeling for
them. They wouldn't support whatever decision he wanted to make, so he would
have to stand completely alone.
That was probably the most frightening possibility Draco had ever considered.
He had never been on his own in his life, not for more than an hour or two. He
simply couldn't imagine walking away from everything he knew to make his way on
his own merits. He wouldn't miss his ties to his family name or being unwelcome
in polite society, but he hated that he would be worse off than any nameless
Muggleborn. He would never be able to make his own way outside of the Wizarding
world, and there wouldn't be many options open to him within it after his
family connections were stripped away. The fools on the side of the Light had
no clue just how much influence Voldemort had in the Wizarding world, but Draco
knew all too well.
Draco flopped to his back on his bed, gazing up at the moldy ceiling of his
room. He refused to become someone's kept boy, but other than whoring himself
out he had very little hope of getting a lucrative job if he turned his back on
his family. His life would go from pampered ease to scraping by hand-to-mouth
like a werewolf, and it would do so in very short order. Draco's pride could
take many things -- had already taken more of a beating than most knew -- but
living penniless would never be one of them. He simply refused to allow it.
'That's it I suppose,'he thought to himself finally.'I should just slit my
wrists now and be done with it. I can't imagine walking in there like a lamb to
slaughter next week and letting old slither-and-sneak's pets torture me when I
refuse the Mark. Iwillrefuse it, and that old bastard would surely enjoy
watching his pets play with me again.'
Draco sighed and turned his head to the side, looking across the room. His gaze
focused on a simple dagger that lay on his desk, ostensibly for decoration. 'I
knew it would come to this when I bought the blade, so I might as well get it
over with. I'm not going to become anyone's lapdog, no matter how powerful he
may be.'
Draco pushed himself up off the bed and walked over to the desk to stare down
at the small traditional Scots dirk he had bought a few months ago. The handle
was smooth golden curly maple with a matching wooden scabbard and delicately
engraved silver fittings that included a triptych of Epona on the end of the
pommel. Draco had chosen it because it reminded him of the silver trim on the
bridle of his favorite horse in the family stables, a pale grey mare that he
had been given the unlikely name Tar because she was born black. Draco could
remember watching her grow up and later learning to jump on her when she was
still just a youngster herself. She was one of the few things he would truly
miss about Malfoy Manor.
Draco finally picked the dagger up and slid it out of the scabbard, careful not
to touch the edges yet as he inspected the delicately patterned Damascus steel.
The blade was seven inches long and razor sharp along both edges, with a
serrated edge along a short section of one side near the hilt of the blade that
the old witch he bought it from had told him was traditional. It was a plain
blade compared to most daggers Draco had seen, and Muggle-made as well, but he
thought it beautiful in its simplicity.
After staring at it for a few minutes, he lightly ran the pad of his thumb
along the blade near the tip, not even flinching as a red stain slowly spread
on the Damascus steel. 'Good, it's as sharp as that old witch promised it would
be. It should be relatively painless, and impossible for anyone to reverse if I
can manage to keep to myself for an hour or two.'Draco lifted his thumb from
the blade, calmly watching a large drop of blood run down over his skin. 'Late
tonight would be best I think, after everyone else has gone to bed. That way it
will be hours until anyone comes looking for me, and by then I will be well and
truly gone.'
Draco laid the dagger aside and then reached into his pocket for a
handkerchief, wiping the blood from his thumb to inspect the shallow cut
critically before he dabbed at it again and then decided it didn't require a
healing charm. He dropped the handkerchief on his desk and turned away, walking
back over towards the bed. He had only taken a few steps before he paused in
the middle of the room, nibbling the inside of his lower lip as he tried to
decide how to pass the evening. It was relatively early yet, and if he stayed
in his room someone was sure to come check on him, if only to annoy him. If he
wished to be alone, and he most definitely did, he would have to go find
somewhere else to spend the evening.
Draco suddenly remembered what Harry had told him over a month ago and looked
thoughtfully across the room at the door, remembering the night he'd almost
given in to the urge to talk to Harry and see what might happen. He had just
gone with it at first when he realized that not only was he glad Harry was
single again, but he also wanted to kiss the one person who used annoy him
most. He hadn't really thought about his reactions until their lips were almost
touching and he had whispered to Harry that he did care. He hadn’t realized
until after he left that he was telling the truth.
Harry's reactions to his advances had made it obvious that the green-eyed
savior of the Wizarding world wanted Draco, and Draco had purposefully tried to
leave him wanting more. He had been very smug about it until it dawned on him
that he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it could be like to kiss Harry
unless he knew it wouldn't be the last time. For Draco, who seldom walked away
from anyone he wanted and had never had to worry that he would be turned down,
that thought had brought him to his senses as nothing else could have. Harry
had power over him simply by being Harry, with his honesty and impulsiveness
and those green eyes Draco had tried to hate for so long, and it was a scary
thing for Draco to realize.
Draco had gone back to his room with his thoughts in utter turmoil. He had lain
awake that night, trying to figure out when his feelings for his nemesis had
changed. He couldn't really pin down a date, but he finally decided it had been
sometime in the last several months, when the looming realities of his own life
made him begin to understand better how Harry's life might be. It had been a
rude awakening for Draco to realize he didn't know any adults he could trust
and that his 'friends' had motives that were likely based solely on his name
and status. Draco had often found himself wishing he were anyone but a Malfoy
this last year, even as he had been forced by circumstance to play the part of
the lordling heir. He now knew exactly how it felt to hate your name and wish
for anonymity, and what it was like to wish you could just walk away and forget
it all for a while.
Near daybreak that first night he had finally admitted to himself that if he
was going to be anything to Harry Potter, he wanted to be everything to him,
even though just the thought had scared him more than he cared to admit. He'd
spent the following two weeks avoiding Harry, sitting with his back to the
Gryffindor tables at meals and avoiding all public areas in the hopes that not
seeing him would mean he'd stop thinking about him. It had been rather obvious
of him to try so hard to avoid Harry, Draco knew, but he had hoped it would
work because he was afraid of exploring the still-unmapped feelings he had for
Harry. So much of his life was changing that he wasn't sure he wanted to lose
his best enemy as well, odd as that idea might have seemed to anyone else.
The feelings hadn't gone away though, instead intensifying to the point Draco
was plagued by dreams of green eyes that had never been able to hide a thing
and random recollections of Harry's face looking up at him in the moonlight.
The surprised hunger he'd seen in Harry's eyes that night had sparked an
answering hunger in Draco that was beginning to pop into his mind at the most
annoying times. Draco was used to seeing someone and wanting to shag them, but
wanting someone he hadn't even shagged yet so much that he ignored other offers
was a new and scary thing for him.
It had helped that Harry hadn't attempted to talk to him, but Draco still found
himself thinking about Harry almost constantly, particularly while in class.
His fixation had gotten to the point that the aimless doodling he had often
indulged in while others took notes had finally found a consistent target. He
had left a drawing of a lightning bolt cracking a skull on his History notes
one morning, and began a painstakingly detailed sketch of Harry's eyes in
Arithmancy the next day. When Vincent had seen him adding Harry's glasses to
the sketch near the end of class, Draco had been hard-pressed to explain
himself. Since then he had made it a point to actually pay attention and take
notes in his classes in an unsuccessful effort to distract himself from what he
wanted to be doing.
Then, as if he hadn't already been fixated enough, there had been an incident
that had made Draco respect Harry more than he would have ever though possible.
Despite rumors to the contrary, Draco had always taken it for granted that
Harry had the sort of pampered childhood he did. Harry was the Boy Who Lived,
for the love of Merlin, so it followed in Draco's mind that he would have had a
happy, privileged childhood right up until an accurate but very unauthorized
account of Harry's treatment at the hands of his Muggle relatives had been
printed in the Daily Prophet a few days ago.
Reading about the way Harry had been locked away in a cupboard and mistreated
by his cousin shattered Draco’s comfortable delusions. Seeing a Wizarding photo
of the cousin beating up a Muggle boy twice Harry's size had brought home just
how strong the cousin was physically. The cousin bore a disturbing resemblance
to a particularly mean crossbred bull Draco had met as a boy after it plowed
through four fences and the Malfoy boundary wards to get in with his father's
prize-winning Angus cows. Steaks made from Harry's cousin weren't likely to
taste quite as good, but Draco rather thought that would still be the best
possible use for him.
Harry's reaction when someone showed him the paper was even more shocking than
the article itself had been. Draco had expected embarrassment, but Harry had
stood up right there in the Great Hall and looked around as he casually waved
the paper and said it was true, and that the article really made it sound nicer
than it had been. He had walked up then and tossed the paper on the staff table
in front of Dumbledore as he said loudly that someone had obviously been
talking out of turn. He hadn't waited for a reply before he turned away and
left with Hermione and Ginny quickly moving to follow him.
Draco had felt the unreasoning urge to jump up and follow them out, but he had
restrained himself and remained at the Slytherin table, where he had been
forced to use every bit of his acting ability to play the part expected of him.
He had played it flawlessly, laughing along with the jokes about what had
likely been done to Harry even when the proposed scenarios of humiliation and
abuse made Draco nauseous. It had been all he could do to stay long enough to
seem as though he was leaving for his own reasons instead of fleeing his
'friends' and their casual cruelty.
Draco knew first-hand what sorts of things Death Eaters did when they tortured
someone, with magic or not, and that Harry had been forbidden to use magic away
from school until he was sixteen if he was living with Muggles. It was very
easy for Draco to supply images of how Harry might have been treated by those
Muggles to go with the laughing insinuations of his friends, and Draco had
shocked himself with the depth of his reaction. Degradations he had seen his
father visit upon Muggles since he was a small boy suddenly seemed much worse,
the Muggle faces replaced in his memories by a face Draco had seen too often
full of sullen anger, green eyes blazing even when Harry refused to fight back.
It finally made sense that Harry could take so much physical abuse during a
fight and just brush it off and keep going. His relatives had been pummeling
him for most of his life, so Harry was used to pain.
When Draco finally left the Great Hall, he had been almost unable to make sense
of his own feelings. He was angry and upset at memories of his own treatment at
the hands of his father's friends, but he was disgusted with himself as well.
He himself had been well on the way to being just the same sort of person as
his father and Harry's great hulking brute of a cousin, and he had been proud
of that fact until well after he should have been old enough to know better. He
realized after a few minutes that his parents had raised him to be that way
though, brainwashed him into thinking it was the only way to be, and that he
really should be disgusted at them.
That had left only the anger, and Draco had to fight himself not to walk to the
edge of the wards and Apparate to Little Whinging so he could go practice some
of the Muggle torture techniques he'd known seemingly all of his life. Instead
he had gone to an abandoned classroom and kicked apart two chairs, then
systematically destroyed several desks with bursts of pure power. He was barely
aware that his anger was as much because of his own memories of things done to
him by those stronger than he was as what had been done to Harry. He was almost
through repairing the furniture he damaged when he realized that he had handled
the bottled up feelings so very much like a Gryffindor that Harry had likely
done the same thing himself at some point in his life.
That he might be coming to think even a little bit like a Gryffindor was a
scary thought, but the realization he seemed to care quite a lot about Harry
completely overshadowed it. He was a Malfoy, heir to a family that had hated
everything the Potters had believed in for as long as anyone could recall, and
he thought he might be falling in love with the last of the Potters.
Draco had still been recovering from that realization when Ginny Weasley's tiny
little owl had visited him later that same evening, sneaking right into his
room by flying in over Vincent's head. The owl -- Draco thought its name was
Piglet or something similarly asinine -- had ricocheted about the room for
several minutes before dropping the note it carried into his lap and flying out
the door again. He had retrieved the note hurriedly, hoping that Vincent didn't
recognize the owl, and then made an excuse to be alone for a bit. He had felt
such a rush of pleasure at opening the parchment to see Harry's easily
recognizable scrawl that he had suddenly felt like a fool for trying so hard to
stay away from him.
The interest he had seen in Harry's eyes that first night they met on the
battlements made it plain that Harry just might want to test the waters too.
There was really no reason for Draco to avoid him anymore, but here he was
still letting everyone else's expectations run his life. Draco didn't want to
be the man they expected him to be anymore though, if he ever truly had. It had
finally dawned on him as he read Harry's note that it was imbecilic to deny
himself something that he wanted, especially since Harry seemed to want it too.
Draco knew he was quite a lot of things, whether he admitted any of them freely
to anyone else or not, but he simply refused to be stupid. Harry had said in
the note that he was waiting for Draco to make the next move and that he
watched the moonrise every night if the weather permitted, and that he wished
Draco would come talk to him sometime. Draco had spent another sleepless night
thinking about the fact Harry was alone on the battlements and that he had
admitted he was up there wishing for Draco's company.
Draco had done many things he was no longer proud of, mostly at his father's
behest. If anyone but Harry had made the quiet declaration that none of it
mattered anymore, he wouldn't have trusted it for a moment. Harry had made that
simple promise though, and Draco knew from years of exploiting it at every
opportunity that Harry's greatest flaw was being too honest. Draco could trust
Harry's word more than he could trust anyone else he knew. Harry's promise that
he would never pass on anything Draco told him might as well have been an oath
under Veritaserum. Draco wanted, needed, someone he could trust to talk to, and
Harry was waiting and willing to listen.
With Harry, Draco knew exactly where he stood and, once Harry untangled his
thoughts and his tongue enough to make sense, he could trust that what Harry
said was what he really meant. Harry wasn't afraid of him or his temper, which
had admittedly gotten much easier to control as Draco began to realize how few
things were truly worth fighting for. Draco had quite enjoyed the verbal
sparring matches he and Harry had indulged in so many times over the last seven
years, but the times they actually fought each other were no longer anything he
remembered with any fondness.
If he were being exceedingly honest with himself, Draco acknowledged that he
treasured the fact Harry knew him at his worst and still thought he was worth
saving. He never would have admitted it aloud, even to Harry, but just knowing
it made him feel better about himself.
Draco suddenly shook himself from his thoughts and made a decision, turning
towards his door to head for the battlements. It was early yet, but he was sure
that Harry would show up there sometime around moonrise, just as his note had
promised. Harry always kept his promises, if he could, and Draco wanted to see
him one last time.
 
~*~*~
I said, "Which way do I turn?
I forget everything I learn,"
But the spies came out of the water.
And you're feeling so bad 'cause you know,
That the spies hide out in every corner,
But you can't touch them though,
'Cause they're all spies.
~*~*~
 
It was nearing curfew when something roused Draco from the nap he had been
enjoying since dark. What had awakened him didn't really register until he
heard his name being repeated. He jerked completely awake then, mentally
kicking himself as he reached for his wand and twisted around to see who had
spoken.
"Easy, Draco," Harry said hastily, "It's just me!"
Draco turned far enough to see it really was Harry before he relaxed, his
eyebrows going up. Harry's rather large snowy owl was perched on his shoulder,
looking intently at him while Harry stroked its feathers. "Sending someone a
note?"
Harry blushed slightly and shook his head as he started walking towards Draco,
the owl swaying slightly as he moved. She rode the motion calmly enough to make
it obvious she was used to it, and Draco's estimation of her quality went up
several notches. The Malfoy eagle owls were among the best of their kind and
trained by a professional falconer, but as a rule they refused close contact
with humans, preferring to do their job and return to the mews.
"No, I brought Hedwig along for company," Harry replied as he stopped next to
Draco, lifting a hand to stroke Hedwig's feathers again. He wasn't sure what he
would see on Draco's face if he looked at him, so he kept his gaze on the snowy
owl. "We've both been lonely lately."
Draco thoughtfully watched Harry with the owl for several moments as Harry
carefully avoided looking at him. He was wondering how Harry had missed the
fact that owls were seldom treated as anything more important than the
parchment they carried. Most who could afford an owl similar to Hedwig would
have kept her safely mewed unless they needed her services. Draco didn't know a
single person whose owl was anything more than a convenience to them, and one
often taken for granted at that. He realized suddenly just how lonely Harry
must be, to make him feel the need to look to an owl for friendship.
"I'm sorry," Draco blurted impulsively, "I should have come back up here before
now."
Harry turned his head to stare at Draco, his green eyes wide with surprise.
"Did you really just apologize to me, or have I gone mental?"
Draco snorted softly, a slight smirk suddenly curving his lips. "You've always
been mental, Potter."
Harry grinned. "That's better. The Draco I know would never apologize."
"Maybe you should meet the real Drake then," Draco replied, his smirk fading as
quickly as it had appeared. "You should do it soon if you really want to, I'll
not be around much longer."
Harry's grin disappeared then and he tapped his owl's foot before giving a
quick little flick of his fingers. Hedwig immediately took off from Harry's
shoulder to fly off towards the lake. Draco watched her gliding effortlessly
downward, thinking that her responsiveness could be bloody useful as he
wondered how many signals the bird knew.
Harry sat down next to Draco then, distracting Draco from the bird as he asked
with obvious concern, "Draco, what are you talking about?"
Draco shrugged, watching Harry's face a moment before turning away to look out
at the lake and watch Hedwig soar until she was out of sight in the forest.
"Just that my family has planned a singularly unpleasant fate for me." He
pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "I don’t
intend to wait around for it."
"Draco..." Harry didn't even think about it as he scooted a bit closer and put
one hand on Draco's shoulder, frowning. "Tell me you're not planning anything
drastic."
Draco laughed humorlessly, turning his head towards Harry and resting his cheek
against one knee as he tried to ignore the slight thrill that had gone through
him when Harry touched him. "That depends on what you consider to be drastic,
given my only other alternative."
"There are always alternatives, no matter what anyone else might tell you,"
Harry replied quickly, his hand tightening on Draco's shoulder. "People have
been telling me what my life was to be about for the last seven years, telling
me exactly what I should be doing and how I should do it. The times I've made
any progress at all, I've usually done it by not listening to them."
Draco couldn't help but marvel a bit at the fact Harry seemed to be genuinely
worried about him. "Has doing things your way been worth the losses, though?"
Draco asked seriously. "Was losing your godfather worth keeping old slither-
and-sneak from getting that prophesy?"
"'Old Slytherin sneak'?" Harry repeated, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Do
you mean your father, or Voldemort?"
Draco snorted. "Voldemort. My father is nothing but his yappy lap dog." Draco
paused slightly, then added, "And you are avoiding the question, Harry."
"You called me 'Harry'," Harry half-asked, a sudden little smile lurking around
the corners of his mouth.
"Still avoiding the question." Draco resisted the urge to smile back as Harry's
hand started to slide lightly down his back, but he was unable to restrain the
slight tremble that went through his wiry frame. "Was it worth it?"
"I didn't think so at the time," Harry replied honestly as his smile faded
away, his hand sliding almost to Draco's waist before he moved it to rest on
his own knee again. "After a while I started to see it differently though. I
wish Sirius hadn't died -- he didn't have to -- but I can't find a way I would
have changed things that would have been better. I mean, sure, it would have
been better for me if Sirius was still around, and for Remus, but then that
prophesy would still have been out there. Voldemort would eventually have found
a way to get to it and then he would have had access to who knows how many
other things in the Department of Mysteries, including quite a lot of very
dangerous things I saw when I was there. That would have been a disaster for
the whole Wizarding world, not just Remus and I. It had to be stopped, even
though it cost us dearly."
Harry paused, thinking about whether or not to go on before he added, "We won a
lot in the Department of Mysteries, even though I didn't recognize that then.
Most of the prominent Death Eaters were captured and Voldemort's plans were
ruined again. A lot of bad came of it too, but only for a few people; the good
was more general." Harry shrugged a bit. "Besides, Sirius hated being locked up
in that moldy old house. He wouldn't have wanted to live on like that, knowing
the fight he died in could win the Light so much."
Draco was quiet for a while, marveling at Harry’s selflessness, and then
finally murmured, "Isn't it hard to always put everyone else before yourself? I
mean, sometimes, don't you just want to tell them all to stuff it, and then do
what makes you happy?"
Harry nodded as a tiny, wry smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, sometimes,
especially when doing as I'm told gets someone I care about killed. I really
hate being the Brat Who Refuses to Die. Most of the time, I wish I were just a
Weasley, or even a Creevey. Anyone who didn't have to grow up with people who
hated them just so they could be a little harder to find until they had to
start risking their neck to try and kill some barmy old coot whose friends all
have serious delusions of grandeur."
Draco snickered at Harry's description of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. "Why
is it we've never really talked before?"
"You didn't want to," Harry replied simply, looking into Draco's eyes. "You
didn't like my choice of friends so you decided not to like me."
"And if I've changed my mind?" Draco asked softly, his expression a little
wistful. "If I've realized that I've wanted to do more than talk to you for
quite a while now?"
"I would have to ask why." Harry shifted to face Draco, sitting so closely that
his knee was pressed against Draco's ankle. "You've either hated me or ignored
me for nearly seven years."
"I was unutterably stupid," Draco replied with a slight smile. "It took me a
long time to figure out I was backing the wrong side."
"And now?" Harry had a hint of some emotion in his eyes that made them shine in
the moonlight. "Who do you want to back now?"
"You," Draco replied simply, his smile widening just a bit as he thought that
it would be very easy to lose himself in Harry's sparkling eyes. "You're going
to win, Harry. You have something old slither-and-sneak just wishes he had...
Loyal people who stand at your side because they believe in you, not because
they're afraid of you." Draco's lips quirked into a self-depreciating smile. "I
find myself believing in you too, despite everything I've ever been taught."
Harry quietly watched Draco for a little while, and then finally asked very
softly, "Would you stand at my side, Drake?"
Draco's expression shifted into a sudden superior smirk that was so familiar
Harry couldn't help but smile. "Malfoys never stay in the shadows, Harry, even
when they should. We either stand tall in the front line and fight our way to
victory or go down early to our own towering egos." Draco paused and then
asked, "Would you really allow me to stand next to you, as an equal? Your
friends probably wouldn't like that very much. I've been a right arse to all of
them at one time or another."
"I wouldn't want it any other way," Harry replied, trying not to laugh at the
surge of elation he was feeling. "They'll adjust. I think they might even
surprise you."
"Can I have your word on that?" Draco was suddenly serious again. "That you'll
let me fight at your side, I mean."
"If you give me your word that you won't do anything to hurt yourself."
Draco stared at Harry for a moment and then closed his eyes as he murmured,
"You're asking me to give up my only way out, Harry."
"No, I'm not," Harry replied, lifting one hand to touch Draco's hair. Draco to
opened his eyes again, looking into Harry's eyes as Harry slowly stroked
Draco's hair back from his face and then let his hand fall away. "I'm asking
you to promise me you'll let me find you a better way out." Harry grinned
suddenly. "I'm good at finding ways to annoy Lucius Malfoy, you should know
that by now."
Draco laughed despite himself, the first real amusement he had felt in a long
while. "Alright, Harry," Draco said in an almost cheerful tone, "You've got my
word I won't do myself in." Draco felt as though the coldness that had fallen
over him when he decided he had no way out except suicide was melting away,
leaving behind a lightness and freedom the like of which he hadn't felt in
years. He didn't quite know how to handle that sudden feeling of freedom, or
the fact that he was having a strong urge to lean over and kiss Harry, but he
knew he liked it.
"Or let anyone else kill you," Harry added, glad to see the hope shining bright
in Draco’s eyes. "You've got to put up a real fight."
"I promise I won't lay down and die either," Draco said, his pale blue eyes
softening as he smiled at Harry.
"And I promise to stand by you as an equal," Harry said with an answering
smile. "No matter what anyone says."
They just smiled at each other for a few moments until Draco finally broke the
oddly comfortable silence. "So, what do we do now?"
"First," Harry replied as he jumped to his feet with a grin, "we go find
Hermione and get her on our side. Ginny will be easy after that." Harry offered
Draco his hand, green eyes sparkling. "Ginny'll go along with anything that
will make me happy as long at Hermione's not having a fit over it."
Draco took Harry's offered hand with a bemused smile, letting Harry pull him to
his feet. "And second?"
"The four of us will Floo to see Remus in the morning and tell him he's got to
start working on Dumbledore. He'll either make him accept that you are one of
us now, or the old busybody will find himself without anyone in the Order under
thirty," Harry said, smirking.
Draco returned the smirk, his blue eyes twinkling as he looked down into
Harry's eyes. "You, Mr. Potter, are just a bit evil I think."
"Yes, but I'm the good kind of evil," Harry replied, tugging Draco's hand as he
started towards the stairwell. Draco followed without argument, letting Harry
hold his hand as they walked until Harry suddenly let go to shove his hand into
the pocket of his robe. "I'm the sort of evil everyone should be occasionally."
"Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me," Draco said with a little grin as
he walked along with Harry, wondering why he needed to dig in his pocket.
Harry's arm disappeared almost to his elbow after a moment, even though the
pocket seemed to be flat against Harry's leg, making Draco realize that the
pocket was spelled to hold quite a lot more than one would think even a
wizarding pocket could. "I quite like a bit of the right kind of evil. It keeps
things in perspective and makes life more interesting."
"Well, life around me is always that. Annoying, dangerous and just plain
difficult too, occasionally even a bit fun, but never less than interesting."
Harry grinned suddenly and began to pull a rather large piece of shining
silvery cloth from his pocket. He shook it out when he finally got the whole
thing free of his pocket and then draped it over one arm to keep it from
dragging the ground as he offered his invisibility cloak to Draco with a
flourish. "Might I offer milord the most convenient way to get into the
Gryffindor Prefects rooms?"
Draco couldn't help a soft laugh at Harry's cheerful antics even though he made
no move to take the cloak. "You'd trust me with your invisibility cloak?"
"Of course," Harry replied with an irrepressible grin, his green eyes bright
with an emotion Draco couldn't quite pin down. "You gave me your word. I know
you hardly ever promise anything, but if you do it gets done. We may not have
really spoken to each other in the last seven years, but I have paid attention.
You were my favorite enemy, after all."
Draco still made no move to take the proffered garment. "I gave you my word I
wouldn't kill myself,Harry, not that I wouldn't steal your cloak."
"I think one's as good as the other. I've noticed that you're rather single-
minded once you give someone your loyalty, whether they deserve it or not."
Harry stepped towards Draco and flipped the quicksilver shimmer of fabric
around the taller boy's shoulders with such practiced ease that it made Draco
wonder who else Harry had put the cloak on. Harry grinned impishly up at
Draco's apparently disembodied head and said, "Now just shut up, and follow
me." Harry suddenly stretched up to kiss Draco's lips lightly and then flipped
the cloak up to cover Draco's head too, making Draco's shocked expression
disappear as Harry turned away and started down the stairs. "And try to walk
quietly, being invisible does nothing for the noise you might make."
Draco stood still for a long moment, more than a little surprised at Harry's
boldness, and then finally moved after Harry. He was smiling to himself as he
walked down the stairway and wondering just how long he would be staying in the
Gryffindor Prefect's quarters. He was actually looking forward to it, and Draco
hadn't had much to look forward to in a long time.
 
~*~*~
And if we don't hide here,
They're going to find us.
If we don't hide now,
They're going to catch us, where we see,
And if we don't hide here,
They're going to find us.
~*~*~
 
Harry had taken Draco with him when he went to rouse Hermione, who it seemed
was sleeping in Ginny Weasley's bed these days. Draco had not expected that,
not as prudish as Hermione always seemed, but the lacy bits of clothing tossed
about the room and the way the girls were cuddled up together naked as the day
they were born made it obvious that it was not just a friendly sleepover.
Harry had walked into what was obviously Ginny's room without knocking, which
Draco felt was significant, especially when Ginny had awakened immediately and
lit the lamp with a murmur, seeming not to mind Harry's presence even though
she was naked. Ginny tried to shake Hermione awake as soon as she knew Harry
needed to talk to her, but Hermione mumbled something about waiting until the
morning that made Ginny giggle and repeat that Harry wanted to talk to her.
Hermione had finally opened her eyes a moment later, and it hadn't surprised
Draco at all that Hermione was a shrew when awakened in the middle of the
night.
Draco had been a bit surprised when he got a glimpse at what Hermione kept
hidden under her school robes though. Hermione was actually a rather curvy
girl, possibly even going so far as to be plump, with the sort of build boys
would have been drooling over if it were anyone else. Since it was undeniably
Hermione, the few who noticed her curves knew that to say something would earn
them a lecture or possibly even a hex. Hermione didn't take compliments well
unless it had to do with schoolwork, and even then she'd likely just critique
the work in question at some length.
Draco had spared a few lingering glances to try and see more of Hermione's
curves and then occupied himself with admiring the rather leggy redhead she was
sleeping with. He had never really given Ginny much thought beyond the fact she
was rather laddish, but he was seeing the error of that now. She really was
much more attractive than he had given her credit for being, and quite
appealing to his admittedly limited tastes. Her skin was milky pale in most
places with golden tanned bits that set off a consistent smattering of freckles
and served to make the pale swaths of skin look even more pale. He found
himself quite glad he was invisible, as he doubted he would have been allowed
to see nearly as much as Ginny seemed willing to share with Harry.
Ginny had moved to sit up against the headboard once Hermione was well and
truly awake, baring quite a lot of pale, freckled skin including both small
breasts, all of one leg, and an enticing bit of ginger bush until Hermione
insisted that she cover herself. Ginny had rolled her eyes and pulled the sheet
up higher, but she wasn't at all careful about it and left the leg bare to well
above the hip. Draco thought she had quite nice legs, muscular and tanned with
a shimmer of pale ginger hair barely visible against her tan that made it
obvious she didn't subscribe to the prevalent female custom of using a
depilatory. Draco had always confined himself to just looking at girls and
didn't really care if Ginny had a bit of fuzz on her legs, but he did file away
that bit of information. He had a feeling that it said something important
about her, though he had no clue what that might be.
Ginny obviously had no qualms about Harry being in the room with her and her
girlfriend in the middle of the night, even with them both wearing only a
sheet, and that made Draco wonder. He had the distinct impression Ginny
wouldn't have minded if Harry saw them completely naked, and that Harry
wouldn't even have even blushed if he had. He couldn't quite pin down what gave
him that impression, but it was more than the fact that Harry seemed not even
to notice the lack of clothing. Draco might have had a few doubts that Harry
was completely queer before, but after seeing his lack of reaction to two naked
girls he didn't wonder any longer.
Harry had needed several minutes of patient arguing to convince Hermione he
really did need her to come with him. Ginny had watched the discussion with
interest, occasionally snickering at Hermione's grumpy attitude but otherwise
keeping out of it by pretending wide-eyed innocence whenever anyone looked at
her. Draco's respect for Ginny and interest in her as something other than a
Weasley had both increased by the time Hermione was convinced Harry needed to
speak to her in his room. Ginny seemed to be quite a lot smarter than he'd ever
given her credit for being, and she had a good sense of humor as well,
snickering in the places Draco would have if he hadn't been trying so hard not
to be noticed.
Hermione hadn’t been very happy about leaving the bed, but she had finally
accepted the robe Harry offered her and gotten up, giving Draco a glimpse of a
lovely round arse before Hermione could get the robe on properly to follow
Harry down the hall. She had grumbled all the way about Harry's midnight
roamings and how unfair it was to make her leave her nice warm bed just to talk
to him when he could bloody-well talk while she was in her bed. Draco had to
work hard to restrain his laughter at that, thinking that only Hermione would
have complained about leaving the bed instead of complaining she'd had to leave
a pretty, naked girl.
As soon as the three of them were in Harry's room, Harry had warded the door
for privacy and then Draco had shrugged out of the cloak to hang it on a hook
by the door. Hermione panicked when Draco appeared, yelling for Harry to watch
out as she dove out of the way and hit her head on the footboard of Harry's
bed. Harry had just stared at her like she was insane for a few moments while
Draco tried not to snicker, then Harry had asked her to please stop acting like
a psycho because he wanted Draco in his room.
Hermione had been quite cross at that and glared at Harry as she climbed up off
of the floor, muttering about how lucky he was that she didn't have her wand.
She had seated herself primly on the edge of the bed, allowing Harry to cast a
healing charm on her and then insisting on an explanation. By the time Harry
finished talking she had already stood again and begun to pace the room,
obviously still quite agitated and rubbing at her temples as she moved, keeping
her eyes mostly closed.
Her expression made Draco think she probably had a killer of a headache.
Considering the size of the bump on her forehead and the fact the minor healing
charm didn't seem to affect it, Draco thought she was lucky to have just a
headache. He had considered offering to retrieve her a healing draught, but
when he had opened his mouth he got a death glare from Hermione. He had shown
her his empty hands and then given her his most charming smile as he sat down
astride Harry's desk chair, folding his arms on the back. He had held his peace
after that, watching Hermione pace back and forth in her rather frumpy robe
with more than a little interest. He was finding it quite educational to watch
the 'untouchable' Gryffindors from the inside as it were, and wondered if she
was acting different from the way she would have if he were not there.
"Alright, Harry," Hermione said finally without pausing in her pacing, "let me
get this perfectly straight. You want to trust Malfoy, even though he has
always been a prat to us, just because he gave you his word. You intend to
protect him from his father and all the restof the Death Eaters, and if
Dumbledore does not cooperate, you're going to ask the entire D.A. -- current
and past members! -- to go against the Order and fight Voldemort without them.
Did I miss anything?"
Harry was sitting at the head of his bed, grinning and trying very hard not to
laugh at Hermione's theatrics. "I also have definite designs on Drake's virtue.
Or his body at any rate, since I doubt either of us has any virtue left."
Hermione stopped pacing to give Harry a dirty look, ignoring Draco's snicker.
"I was forgetting that part on purpose, Harry! I'd much rather not have to
think about you shagging anyone, least of all him."
"Then yes, you've got the gist of it," Harry said as he grinned impishly at
Hermione. "I came to you first because I may need help convincing Remus. He can
inform Dumbledore that I want this, and that it's not negotiable."
Hermione looked at Harry as though he had sprouted antlers. "Harry, you do
realize you've gone completely mental, right?"
Draco laughed, unable to resist saying, "He was always mental, Granger. You
just didn't notice."
Hermione turned her head and gave Draco a scathing look that quite plainly told
him she didn't want his opinion. Draco grinned disarmingly at her and raised
his hands again, making her sniff and then turn her attention back to Harry.
She stood there staring at him for over a minute before she suddenly moved to
sit on the bed next to him, looking frazzled. "He hates us, Harry. His father
wants us dead, and he's Voldemort's right-hand man. How do I know he hasn't
cast Imperius or something even worse on you?"
Harry spread his arms, giving Hermione an undaunted smile. "Spell scan me 'til
your heart's content. You'll not find anything, I promise. Draco hasn't
attempted in any way to force me to help him. Quite the opposite, in fact. I'm
pretty sure he wasn't intending to let me help him until I insisted."
"That doesn't mean anything," Hermione said impatiently. "He might have been
taught some Dark spell I don't know that's made you think he's sincere."
Draco stood up suddenly and walked over towards the bed. "Here."
"What?" Hermione asked, watching him distrustfully until he drew his wand.
Hermione shrank back away from Draco then but he deftly flipped his expensive-
looking black wand and offered her the handle with a little half-bow and a
smile. "Take this, and do Priori Incantatum on it. You will find the last spell
I did was a transfiguration a few hours ago. One of the sixth year Slytherin
girls tried to talk her way out of detention for, uh … servicing a Hufflepuff
boy in an alcove near the Astronomy tower. I turned her mouth into an extra
ear." Draco smirked. "Most everything before that was either a spell done in
class or an annoyance to students I caught out and about after curfew."
Harry laughed. "That's a good one, I'll have to remember it."
Draco grinned at Harry. "Thank you."
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, looking incensed even as she took Draco's wand
rather more abruptly than was necessary. "That's cruel!"
Draco chuckled as Harry grinned unrepentantly at Hermione. "Not if you cast it
on a sixth or seventh year, they should know how to fix it."
"Fourth and fifth years should know how to reverse such a simple spell as
well," Hermione replied in an almost lecturing tone. She inspected Draco's wand
a moment and then seemed to think of something, looking up to give Harry a
dirty look. "But that doesn't mean I'm encouraging you to hex them!"
"Of course not," Harry agreed, grinning. "You'd never do that, I know."
Hermione gave him another dirty look, and then held out her hand. "Wand."
Draco's eyebrows went up at that abrupt order, wondering why she would need to
compare the two, but Harry didn't hesitate to hand his rather worn-looking wand
over to Hermione. She immediately pointed it at Draco's wand and said clearly,
"Priori Incantato."
Draco's wand rapidly began to spit out small shadows of simple spells, hexes,
or minor transfiguration charms that would be very effective at making people
avoid the seventh year Slytherin Prefect.
"How the bloody hell did you do that?!" Draco exclaimed. "I thought wands were
specific to their owners!"
Hermione gave Draco a superior little smirk and then went back to watching the
spells his wand was spitting out as she said calmly, "Quite a lot of people
believe that." Hermione was surprised to see that none of the spells so far
were really harmful to anyone, but she tried not to show it as she went on.
"Neville proved it wrong by using my wand after his was broken in the-- well,
after his was broken. I thought that if Neville could do it, any of us should
be able to. We tested it amongst our friends and discovered that more than half
of us can use other people's wands."
Hermione paused, frowning as a sickly green form began to emerge from Draco's
wand, but when it took the shape of a nasty looking spider bigger than her hand
the frown cleared away. "It works best if you borrow the wand of someone you're
close to emotionally, though I've not yet figured out why. I can always use
Harry and Ginny's wands just like I'd use my own, but a spell may not work
quite as it should if I borrow someone else's. If they're from another House,
especially Hufflepuff or Slytherin, it often won't work at all."
"Why didn't you share it with the rest of the school?" Draco asked as he
watched Hermione finally delete the spell ghosts floating around the room,
wondering how she got her hands on a Slytherin's wand. She returned Harry's
wand then, but Draco was completely unsurprised that she didn't return his as
well. He knew she was too intelligent to blindly trust a former enemy and
expected to have to earn it somehow.
Hermione looked up at Draco as she crossed her legs primly and rested her hands
on one knee. She began lightly tapping his wand against her bare, shapely shin
a moment later, trying to decide how much was safe to tell him. "A lot of
reasons, really," she said eventually, "but foremost because we really don't
share any of our discoveries with anyone except Remus. He decides what must be
passed on and what is safe to keep just amongst ourselves. Ours is a stand-
alone study group that concentrates on Defense."
"And you lead it I suppose?" Draco moved to get Harry's desk chair, dragging it
a bit closer to the bed and then straddling it backwards again, facing Hermione
and looking interested. "You're definitely the smartest in our year. Well,
except possibly Morag, but she never takes her nose out of her Arithmancy book
long enough to prove it."
Hermione tried hard not to show how much she enjoyed hearing Draco say she was
the smartest in their year as she replied disdainfully, "Of course I don't run
it. Nobody would want to join a study group with me in charge; I'm too boringly
bookish. No, Harry's in charge and I and a few others help him develop new
spells or techniques before we introduce them to the group."
Draco's eyebrows went up and he looked at Harry, who shrugged, smiling. "Wasn't
my idea. Hermione roped me into it a few years ago." Hermione sniffed again at
that and Harry grinned at her before he looked back at Draco. "I do enjoy it,
though. It's a lot more interesting learning and teaching new things than it is
doing real schoolwork."
Draco laughed, the sudden sparkle of amusement in his eyes surprising Hermione
as she realized she hadn't ever seen Draco look so relaxed. "Doing your own
thing is always more fun, Harry," Draco said with an impish grin that made him
look a few years younger and quite a bit more approachable. "You should know
that by now."
Hermione looked from Harry to Draco and back again, finally registering the way
they were looking at each other, and then made a decision and stood up. "I'll
do what I can to help, Harry. I certainly hope you know what you're doing,
trusting a Malfoy."
"You just trust me, Hermione," Harry replied with a smile. "I'll worry about
Drake, okay?"
Hermione nodded, wondering how long Harry had been considering this. If Draco
truly were on their side, it would be a definite boon for the Light. If he was
not, then Harry was setting them up to fail rather spectacularly the first time
they relied on Draco's aid. She trusted Harry with her life though, and with
everyone else's lives, and she knew he took that burden very seriously.
"Alright, Harry." She walked towards the door, still carrying Draco's wand,
then when she reached Harry's desk she suddenly whirled to face Draco again.
"If you hurt him, I'll see to it myself that you don't sire an heir."
Draco's eyebrows went up, a little grin taking the sting out of his words as he
replied, "Just a mite overprotective there, aren't you, Granger? Harry's a
grown man, I'm sure he can make his own decisions and castrate his own blokes,
if he thinks they deserve it."
"Just remember what I said," Hermione replied firmly, ignoring Harry's
snickering. She turned back towards the door as she tossed Draco's wand onto
Harry's desk, not quite able to make herself give Draco a wand. "Tomorrow is
Sunday, so I'll Floo over to talk to Remus in person after breakfast. I'm sure
he'd like the company anyway, staying in that musty mausoleum."
"Thanks," Harry said quickly, grinning at Hermione's retreating back. "Make
sure I'm up, please. I'd like to go along."
"Of course," Hermione replied as she opened the door. "I'll wake you in time
for breakfast."
"Thanks," Harry repeated. "I really appreciate your help, Hermione."
"You're quite welcome, Harry, but you never have to thank me." Hermione gave
Harry a quick smile. "You know I'll stand with you no matter what hare-brained
idea you've gotten into your head." She grinned and left before Harry could
reply, closing the door behind her.
Harry turned his attention back to Draco as soon as she was gone, and they just
looked at each other for several minutes. Harry was the first to speak when he
finally asked, "Would you like to stay here tonight?"
Draco grinned wickedly at Harry, standing up and moving over to sit on the edge
of the bed next to him as Harry leaned back against his pillows. "I think that
it would be very safe to say I want to stay with you."
Draco leaned to kiss Harry, licking at his lips almost immediately to see how
he would react to it. Harry let out a low pleased sound and lifted one hand to
slide his fingers into Draco's soft blond hair. He pulled Draco closer to
deepen the kiss then, opening his mouth to lick delicately at the tip of
Draco's tongue. Draco growled softly and thrust his tongue into Harry's mouth,
completely taking over the kiss and then almost roughly plundering Harry's
mouth as Harry moaned and went boneless under him. Draco was a little surprised
by how completely Harry submitted to the kiss but he didn't hesitate to explore
Harry's mouth thoroughly.
They had been kissing for what seemed like hours before Draco finally realized
that Harry was making soft little hungry whimpering noises. Draco pulled away
to look down at Harry, unable to help a smug little smirk at what he saw.
Harry's lips were wet and slightly swollen from kissing and his eyes were
closed, his breathing irregular as he tried to get control of himself.
Draco leaned to lick again at Harry's reddened lips before he gave him a slow,
lingering kiss and then pulled away just enough to whisper, "Good night,
Harry."
Harry opened his eyes at that, blinking and trying to clear away the desire
that so visibly clouded his thoughts. "Huh?"
"So eloquent." Draco's smirk widened, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
"I said good night, Harry." Draco pulled away from Harry and then stood to go,
adjusting himself as he moved towards the door.
Harry sat up, obviously confused. "But... I thought you were going to stay."
"I'd like to." Draco picked his wand up off of Harry's desk and tucked it into
his pocket as he looked back towards the bed. He paused, again taking in the
way Harry looked with his lips puffy and reddened, his cheeks flushed and his
green eyes bright with desire. "But, I shouldn't," he finished finally, licking
his lips as he watched Harry move one hand to the obvious erection tenting the
front of his loose trousers.
Harry watched Draco's face as he rubbed at the bulge slowly, his tone almost
petulant as he said, "I want you to stay."
Draco groaned, tearing his gaze away from Harry's crotch to look into his eyes.
"Harry, I'm trying to do the right bloody thing here. You're not making it very
easy for me."
"Forget doing the right thing," Harry answered quickly, shifting to brace one
foot against the bed to better display his crotch, his hand still slowly
stroking. "Stay with me tonight, Drake."
Draco looked sorely tempted for a long moment and then shook his head, turning
back towards the door. "No, Harry, I can't. I'm only going to get one chance
with you, and I don't want to screw it up before we even begin. I'll see you
tomorrow."
Harry sighed and abandoned what he was sure had been a clumsy seduction
attempt, flopping back onto his bed in defeat and looking up at the ceiling.
"Then at least take my cloak, Drake, you're likely to need it. Snape loves to
catch people this time of night as they head back to their own dorms after a
shag."
Draco stopped at the door, looking at where the cloak hung next to it and then
turning back towards the bed. "Are you sure, Harry?"
"Definitely," Harry replied, propping himself up on one elbow again to look at
Draco. "I'll feel better knowing you have it if you need it." Draco hesitated a
moment longer and then reached for the cloak as Harry added, "And in case you
missed it before, the password to the Fat Lady is rutabaga. You're welcome here
any time you need to get away."
Draco faced Harry again as he swung the cloak around his shoulders, an odd
expression on his face. "Thank you, Harry. I'm going to do my best to be sure
you won't regret your faith in me. Wizard's honor."
Harry smiled, his green eyes still brighter than normal. "And I promise you the
same thing, Drake. Be careful, I don't want you getting yourself killed now
that you've finally stopped being such a prat."
Draco laughed and opened the door, nothing visible of his body except his head.
"I'll try to stay alive for you."
Harry grinned, liking the way that sounded. "You'd better." He watched as Draco
started to pull the cloak up over his head, then added impulsively, "I'll be
thinking about you."
Draco smiled at him a moment, then lifted the edge of the cloak to cover his
head. "I've no doubt I'll be thinking about you as well, Harry. Sleep well."
"You too," Harry replied softly. He felt Draco pass through the wards and
watched the door close before he let himself flop back onto his bed, looking up
at the ceiling again as he murmured softly, "If anyone's up there listening,
take care of him for me. I really want this."
Harry lay there silently for a few more minutes before he suddenly rolled out
of bed. He stripped efficiently and then walked towards his tiny bathing room,
wondering what would happen when the rest of the students found out Draco had
finally slipped his father's leash. The whole school would find out, that was
inevitable, Harry just hoped that they could keep things relatively normal
until after the N.E.W.T.s.
The exams were to begin three weeks from Monday and, depending on the
schedules, finish up by that Wednesday. After he completed his N.E.W.T.s Draco
could either disappear into a safe house or one of the guest chambers at
Hogwarts and not have to worry any longer about school, but he truly needed to
stay in classes until then. That would likely become very difficult after Draco
didn't go home for his birthday, but Harry intended to see that Draco was safe
even if it meant missing every one of his own classes.
 
 
***** Trouble *****
 
                                        
~*~*~
Oh no, I see,
I spun a web, it's tangled up with me.
And I lost my head,
Thought of all the stupid things I said.
~*~*~
 
Draco was awakened by someone banging on his door. He shifted to lift one hand
to rub his eyes and then blinked blearily as he slid his hand under his pillow
to hold his wand, calling out, "Who is it?"
"Goyle," a familiar deep voice replied. "You got an owl."
Draco groaned and hid his face against his pillow. He had already had enough
bad news for this weekend, really he had. He lay there for a moment and then
lifted his head again with a sigh, rolling over to lie on his side as he pulled
his wand out from under his pillow. Dragging his feet wouldn't change anything,
so there was really no reason to make Greg wait. He pointed his wand at the
door, muttering the unlocking charm before he called out with obvious
reluctance, "Come in, Greg."
Greg opened the door and looked around it warily, then crossed the room to
offer Draco a small scrap of folded paper. It had the words 'Deliver to Draco
Malfoy, urgent!' scribbled on the outside, and had been sealed with green wax
and an unfamiliar seal that looked as though it might be a stylized dragon. "I
didn't recognize the barn owl, but it looked like it had flown a long way. I
thought this was probably pretty important."
"Thanks Greg," Draco replied as he took the note and then he yawned and looked
up. "What time is it?"
"Around seven-fifteen," Greg replied. "Vince and I were on our way to breakfast
when the owl came in."
"Why don't you go ahead and go, then?" Draco sat up, scratching his belly and
oblivious to the fact that the sheet was barely covering his crotch. Greg had
seen it all anyway and wasn't the least bit interested. Draco was too pretty to
suit him, which was perfectly fine with Draco. "I'll be up in a little while,
unless this note says I have to go somewhere."
"Sure." Greg nodded, turning away to walk back to the open door, where he
paused to look back at Draco. "You let me and Vince know if you need us, okay?"
Draco nodded, not really paying attention to Greg as he looked at the odd
little seal on the note and tried to remember where he had seen it before.
Greg watched him look at it a moment and then added more sharply, "Drake,
listen to me." Draco looked up, surprised by the tone, and then Greg said
firmly, "You let us know if you need us, for anything. You've stood by us and
we're not going to forget it, no matter what."
"What are you on about, Greg?" Draco kept his expression carefully unconcerned
even as his mind raced, trying to figure out exactly what Greg knew or had
guessed and how many others might have made the same guess. If it was common
knowledge that he didn't intend to join Voldemort, he was in very deep trouble.
Greg stepped back into the room and closed the door, then did a quick silencing
charm. "I'm talking about how your father expects you to spend your birthday.
We're both supposed to be there for the same reason, and so is Blaise. I don't
know about the others for sure, but several of them have been making noises
about 'joining the ranks' so they just might be planning to go too."
Draco lifted his wand again and reinforced the silencing charm to be extra sure
nobody could listen in to what they were saying. He looked at Greg again then,
his expression serious and guarded. "Greg, are you trying to say you don't want
to go?"
"I'm saying Vince and I have got your back, no matter what you decide to do,"
Greg replied immediately. "We trust you not to lead us wrong."
"What about Blaise?" Draco asked after a long moment of silence. He had been
searching Greg's expression for some hint that he might not be telling the
absolute truth, but he found nothing other than Greg's usual blunt sincerity.
"Blaise could go either way." Greg shifted uncomfortably. "He likes you but I'm
not sure if he'd go against what he's been told to do. He trusts his father
andyours, so I think he'll do as he's told even though he doesn't really like
the idea of being Marked."
Draco gazed thoughtfully down at the note for a moment and then looked up at
Greg again. "Are you and Vince sure about this, Greg? You could both get killed
if you stick with me."
"We'd definitely both get killed if we sign on with old lizard lips," Greg
replied, making Draco laugh. "We'd probably be told to kill you first thing,
and he would sic his cronies on us both when we refused to do it."
"You two have really thought about this, then," Draco half-asked, surprised. It
seemed he had two more real friends than he had thought he did, and the two
people he most often took for granted at that. He could hardly remember a time
when he hadn't had his 'cousins' following him around. They had been set to
protecting him because Narcissa worried so much over the fact he was 'delicate'
as a baby and wanted to be sure someone kept him safe even when he was playing.
Draco had actually had bodyguards before he knew what they were, but he had
never had a problem making use of them, often to bully the bigger children
until he grew up to be one of the 'big' children himself, in power and height
if not in size.
"Yeah Drake, we have," Greg replied with a grin, bringing Draco out of his
thoughts. "We play the part of your gorilla bodyguards, but we both really can
string together a whole sentence."
Draco laughed. "I know you can, Greg, I just forget sometimes. The memory of
tutoring Vince in Transfiguration quite overpowers the fact that he tutored me
through Arithmancy."
"Merlin knows I love him, but he's very nearly hopeless with anything that
doesn't involve numbers," Greg agreed, chuckling. "And he's waiting in the
common room, so I should go and let you read your letter. Remember what I said
though, okay boss?"
"You know I hate it when you call me that," Draco said, wrinkling his nose.
"But go, get some breakfast. I'll be along." He remembered then that Harry was
going to see Professor Lupin that morning and added, "Unless I have to go
somewhere. I might, if this note is what I think it is."
Greg nodded and turned towards the door again. "See you." He stepped outside,
pulling the door almost closed behind him before he leaned just his head into
the room to smirk at Draco as he added, "Boss."
Draco laughed and pointed his wand at the door in mock threat. "Out!"
Greg closed the door quickly and then Draco gazed down at the note again,
scrutinizing the odd sigil. He thought the symbol was some sort of bird after
closer inspection, not a dragon, but he still couldn't recall where he might
have seen it before. He performed a comprehensive revealing charm on it to be
sure there wasn't a trap spell built into the seal, but there was nothing there
other than a simple ward so that only he could break the seal. He dropped his
wand on his pillow and opened the folded scrap of parchment, laughing softly as
he began to read it.
 
                                      ~~~
                                        
Duck--
Come with me this morning, please? Once everyone calms down I think you'll get
on fine, and then our resident expert on everything won't have to try so hard
to convince people of something our expert doesn't quite believe yet
themselves. Of course, the vaunted expert doesn't truly believe anything that
hasn't been written in at least two books, preferably four. Bit of a handicap,
that, but dead useful sometimes, too.
Anyway, if you come along I thought we could take the afternoon to do something
fun, far away from moldy old castles. I promise to get you back into your
dungeon by curfew so you'll not turn into a pumpkin.
That is, if you want to go back. I happen to know somewhere else you'd be very
welcome, if you like.
Bucket
p.s. -- If you're coming along, come to my room. I'll be there until nine. Oh,
and do you like Muggle music? If so, dress as Muggle as you can. We might go to
a club a pair of friends invited me to. They've been after me to go for months,
and I think it could be fun to go together.
 
                                      ~~~
 
Draco chuckled and read it again, thinking that 'duck' was a rather obvious
mutation of 'Drake' but wondering how in the world Harry had gotten 'bucket'
out of his own name. Of course, he didn't know of any nicknames Harry might
have other than the ones he had given to him, and somehow he didn't think
'Bucket' had anything to do with Potty or Scarface. After thinking about it for
another minute he dismissed it, deciding that the easiest thing to do would be
to just ask Harry.
He dropped the note next to his wand and slid out from under the blankets,
completely baring his lithe, graceful body as he stretched. He had often been
accused of being an exhibitionist, but he was simply at ease with his own body
and preferred to go naked whenever he was alone in his room. That occasionally
bled over into times when he was not alone if people came to his room
unexpectedly, but he didn't think that was anyone's fault but the one who had
bothered him.
Draco let out a slow yawn that turned into a groan as his back popped, then let
his hands fall to his sides and rolled his neck to stretch a slight kink out of
it as he walked over to his wardrobe. He opened it and started looking for
clothes for the day, flipping past his school things to the meager selection of
Muggle clothes he had built up over the last few years. His father didn't
approve of wearing Muggle clothing for any reason so Draco had to hide what
little he had very carefully when he went home, both from his father and from
the house elves.
Draco pulled the plain grey t-shirt he wanted to wear from the wardrobe,
tugging it on quickly before he reached into the wardrobe again to get his
black denim shirt to wear with it. He shrugged into the denim as he moved over
to his dresser and then opened a drawer to get out a pair of boxers and some
socks. He put the underpants on and then bent to dig through a drawer full of
school trousers, standing up after a moment with his only pair of black button-
fly jeans. He quickly stepped into them and then tucked the pair of socks under
one arm before he walked back over towards the bed, buttoning his jeans as he
went.
He paused next to the bed, looking around the room as he tried to remember
where he had left his boots. After a moment, he decided they were most likely
under the bed. He dropped the socks next to his wand and the note and knelt on
the floor, flipping the covers out of his way and grinning when he spotted his
Doc Marten boots under the bed. He leaned to grab them and then moved to sit on
the bed to put his shoes and socks on. He had found the boots in the window of
a little shop in London last summer and hadn't been able to resist buying them.
They might not be as perfectly comfortable as Wizarding boots were with their
sizing and cushioning charms, but Draco still preferred them. The solid noise
they made as he walked was satisfying, and he quite liked the way they looked.
A few minutes later Draco grabbed his wand and stood, stomping into his boots
to be sure they were laced tightly enough before he moved over to the mirror.
He quickly combed his hair, not bothering with a holding charm, and then moved
to his desk. He muttered a spell to dissipate the ward on the bottom drawer and
then opened it to take out Harry's cloak. He shook the cloak out and pulled it
around his shoulders before he closed the desk, his eyes falling on the dirk,
scabbard, and bloodied handkerchief still there from the night before. He
stared at them a moment and then picked the dagger and handkerchief up,
brushing the dried blood off the tip of the blade. He threw the handkerchief
into the small dustbin by the desk and then slid the dagger into its scabbard,
hesitating a moment before he laid it back on the desk.
Draco turned away then, sobered a bit but definitely still looking forward to
the day as he remembered the note he had left on the bed and went to get it. He
tucked it into his pocket and then moved over to the door, pausing there to
cast a silencing charm on himself and pull the cloak over his head. He listened
closely to see if there was anyone out in the hall before he eased his door
open and then slipped out. He walked down the short hallway to the common room
and then past a handful of students in various states of alertness that were
sitting around waiting to go to breakfast with their friends.
Several others were on their way towards the door, and Draco had no problem
falling in behind a first year and following her out of the common room.
 
~*~*~
Oh no, what's this?
A spider web, and I'm caught in the middle.
I turned to run,
I thought of all the stupid things I've done...
~*~*~
 
Draco walked quickly through the school, concentrating on dodging the
Gryffindors pouring down the stairs. He was so intent on not being bowled over
by Seamus Finnegan and Colin Creevey that he missed the shocked look directed
at his back after he passed Dumbledore near the second floor landing. If he had
noticed he would have been worried, but Draco remained completely oblivious as
Dumbledore stepped further out onto the stairs and watched him until he was out
of sight.
Draco reached the Fat Lady's portrait without anyone else noticing him and
slipped into the common room just after Lavendar and Parvati walked out. They
were chattering loudly to each other about a séance they were to attend that
afternoon, singing the praises of Trelawney and making Draco snicker silently
as he wondered how often they needed to refresh the air in their heads.
Draco had to be careful to get through the crowd of students in the Gryffindor
common room without being run over. He had no idea why so many of them were up
early on a Sunday, but he thought fully half the House was in the common room.
He headed down the hallway that led to Harry's room, and was surprised to see
the doors to most of the Prefects' rooms were open. The Slytherin Prefects
seldom left their doors open, and when they did no one would have dared to
wander in because of the nasty wards some of them used. That was obviously not
the case amongst the Gryffindors.
Draco saw a dozen younger students in the first open room he came to and paused
next to the door, watching curiously. The group of students seemed to be made
up completely of first years, other than the lone Prefect in the room, Dean
Thomas. The younger students were talking animatedly to Dean and handing him
slips of paper and various coins, confusing Draco for a moment until one of the
first years finally said something that made sense. Evidently, Dean was running
errands for the younger students, and the pieces of paper were lists of things
they wanted him to get for them.
Dean let them all hand him their money and scraps of paper, checking to be sure
each scrap of paper matched up with the amount of money noted on it, then asked
if they had all remembered the deal included a ten percent tip for him. One of
the smallest first years piped up then, telling Dean that it was robbery for
them each to have to pay him ten percent to do their shopping. Dean just
smirked at the younger boy and offered him a slip of paper and a few coins,
making the boy glare at him and say it was 'bloody low' to tell all of the
other seventh year students not to go buy things for them. Dean responded that
it was just smart business and then one of the others shoved the little boy who
had spoken and told him to shut up because Dean charged half what Colin did and
he'd hike the price if they weren't careful.
Draco laughed silently to himself as he started towards Harry's room again,
shaking his head slightly. He wondered why the Slytherin Prefects had never
thought of scamming the students who couldn't leave the castle grounds yet. It
looked as though it made good money, and there was no doubt in his mind that
the first and second years would pay someone to get what they wanted. Having
things owled from home was always an option of course, but parents were
unlikely to approve of most of the contents of Zonko's and waiting for owl post
was an unnecessary ordeal when seventh years could just make a trip to town.
Harry's door was open as well when Draco reached it and he stopped just outside
the doorway, surprised at what he saw. Harry was wearing jeans and a t-shirt,
sprawled on his stomach on the bed with a book open in front of him. Ginny was
lying draped across his back with her arms around Harry and her chin resting on
his shoulder. She was wearing jeans and a pale green halter-top that showed off
her freckled shoulders quite well, smirking as she murmured something into
Harry's ear. Harry's cheeks each had a spot of bright color in them as he
resolutely stared down at the book, the little grin on his face the only thing
giving away the fact he might be listening to her.
They seemed comfortable together, much more so than Draco would have been with
a girl draped all over him. The look in Ginny's eyes made Draco think that she
felt a lot more than friendship towards Harry, which was at odds with what he
had seen from them the night before. Draco had been sure then that Harry was
queer, but seeing him with Ginny again made Draco wonder, especially since he
knew how close Harry was with all of the Weasleys. The rumors about Harry and
Ginny being involved suddenly seemed like they might have a bit of credence to
them after all, though Draco could hardly imagine a prude like Hermione being
involved in a threesome. Of course, until the night before he hadn't been able
to imagine her with anyone, so he was obviously no expert on what Hermione
might or might not approve of.
Draco heard a slight noise and moved closer to the door to see that Hermione
was also in the room, sitting at Harry's desk by the door. She had her back to
the bed, slowly flipping through a notebook as she scanned down each page
looking for something. She didn't bother to look up as she said abruptly,
"Harry, are you sure that we studied the antidote for the Polyjuice Potion at
the end of last term? I don't remember making it."
"Yes," Harry replied as he glanced up from his book, looking relieved when
Ginny stopped whispering. "I just revised that lesson, I know it's there. We
both missed the class and never did the practical, that's why you don't
remember it. I copied my notes from Dean. He got an Exemplary on that potion,
so they should be up to your standards."
Hermione twisted around to look at Harry then, and her cheeks flushed as she
saw the way Ginny was draped over Harry's back. "Ginevra Molly Weasley! Get off
of him this instant!"
Draco snickered silently to himself at Ginny's full name, thinking that he knew
Hermione better than he had thought. Obviously, Hermione didn't approve of the
way Ginny seemed to be flirting with her 'brother'.
Ginny just grinned at Hermione and didn't make any attempt to get off of
Harry's back, her hazel eyes sparkling with mischief. "Why? It's not like
Harry'll make an attempt on my virtue, and I'm comfy. He's all warm and solid,
but he's cuddly too and he doesn't mind me using him for a pillow while he
reads."
Harry looked wryly amused and murmured, "I don't recall anyone asking me."
The girls both ignored Harry as Draco laughed silently and stepped into the
room. "I'm not worried about your virtue and you know it, Ginny," Hermione said
quickly, so intent on frowning at Ginny that she missed the sudden hopeful look
Harry directed at the doorway.
Draco's eyes widened and he wondered if Harry's glasses were charmed to see
through invisibility cloaks. He had heard that could be done, and that
Dumbledore in particular could see through cloaks and most invisibility spells,
but he had thought it to be a very difficult spell. He lifted one hand and
waved to see if Harry would respond, but Harry showed no reaction. Draco
decided then that there must be a ward on the door to alert Harry when anyone
entered his room and made a mental note to make sure of it later. That would be
a very useful ward to learn, if that was the case.
Draco turned his attention back to the girls when Hermione went on, "I'm
worried about your reputation, and his. It's unseemly, especially while the
door is open."
Harry turned his head to look at Ginny then, giving her a little grin. "Humor
her, Gin. It's time you two should head to breakfast anyway. You can use me as
a pillow later."
Draco moved to stand near the foot of the bed as Ginny brightened and rolled
off Harry's back, jumping to her feet. Ginny grinned at Hermione with obvious
enthusiasm and said, "Oh yes, let's! I'm starving."
Draco normally was not very interested in girls, but even he liked the way
Ginny's rather short red hair and tall androgynous body combined with her long,
muscular denim-clad legs. He noticed as she moved towards Hermione that she had
a shapely arse as well, and he took a lingering second look as he muttered
silently to himself, "Damned shame she's a girl." He appreciated the
attractions of a pretty woman, but he had never been able to abide actually
getting close to them. He had attempted sex with a girl only once, and gave it
up as a bad job afterwards because of all the drama. He was perfectly happy to
look at lovely ladies from afar and stick to shagging blokes. It made his life
much simpler.
Hermione gave Ginny a look that made it plain she was about to lecture her
girlfriend, but Harry rolled over to sit up and interjected quickly, "Go ahead,
Hermione. I'll find the right notes for you while you're gone. That way we'll
be ready to go that much sooner."
Hermione gave Harry a suspicious look as she stood up. "Why are you so eager to
be ridof us all of a sudden?"
Harry's green eyes widened as he gasped in feigned shock and dramatically put a
hand to his chest. "I'm wounded! As if Iwould try to get rid of my two best
friends in the whole entire world..."
Ginny giggled, grabbing Hermione's hand and tugging her towards the door. "He's
probably hoping we'll go away and let him wank in peace. Boys do that
constantly you know, especially when they've not got a steady."
Draco snickered silently as Hermione's face turned bright red and Harry hotly
denied, "I do not!" Draco noticed that Harry didn't blush and smirked,
wondering how hard it was to really embarrass him.
Ginny stopped at the door, grinning wickedly at Harry. "Oh, you want us to
stay? That could be fun actually, I've never gotten to play with a real co--"
"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, her face still flaming as she shoved Ginny out the
door. "That is it, you're not hanging out with Seamus any more!" Hermione
closed the door behind them before Ginny could say anything else, leaving Harry
and Draco alone.
Harry reached to take his wand off the bedside table and then cast a locking
charm on the door and a silencing charm on the room. He looked around then,
looking hopeful as he asked, "Draco, that was you that passed my wards, wasn't
it?"
Draco took off the cloak, stepping towards Harry as he said, "Yes, it was me."
There was no sound and he made a face, tossing the cloak onto the foot of the
bed as he pulled his wand from his pocket. He pointed it up at his own throat
and muttered the counter spell, but again there was no sound. And, since that
particular spell required the spoken word, absolutely no effect.
Harry started laughing at the way Draco's eyes went wide with shock. "Cat got
your tongue?"
Draco gave Harry a dirty look. "It's not that funny, Potter. Unlike you, I
actually have something useful to say occasionally."
When Harry couldn't hear what was obviously meant to be scathing, it just made
him start laughing even harder. He fell back on the bed, his wand falling from
his fingers to land on the floor with a light clatter as he wrapped his arms
around his own belly.
Draco glared at Harry, but the glare quickly faded into a slight smile. That
gave way to laughter of his own after only a moment as he realized how very
ridiculous he had probably looked, and how funny Harry looked rolling on the
bed laughing. It had been much too long since Draco had had a good laugh and he
enjoyed it, but he still recovered his composure well before Harry did.
It only took him a few moments after that to realize that Harry also looked
quite irresistible lying there on the bed holding his belly, his cheeks
slightly flushed and his hair in disarray. Harry was trying to get control of
himself again but he was still giggling as he looked up at Draco, flashes of
bright green eyes glistening with mirth showing every time he blinked. Draco
found himself suddenly wanting to kiss Harry again, and since he couldn't think
of a reason why he shouldn't, he climbed onto the bed. He moved to straddle
Harry's hips and smirked down at him as he braced his hands on the bed near
Harry's shoulders.
Harry giggles faded away but he was still smiling as he asked, "What do you
think you're doing?"
Draco's smirk widened into a grin as he leaned down towards Harry and mouthed,
"Kissing you."
Harry got a bit wide-eyed at that and his smile disappeared as Draco leaned
down, but he didn't even attempt to stop him. His gaze shifted to Draco's lips
as Draco got closer, and Harry watched them until they were scarcely an inch
from his own lips. Harry's eyelids finally fluttered closed in anticipation and
Draco hovered there with Harry's breath warm against his lips until Harry's
eyes opened again, looking disappointed. Draco smiled then and kissed Harry,
drawing a soft pleased noise from him as their eyes closed.
Draco kept the kiss gentle and chaste even though Harry's lips were soft and
yielding against his own, wanting to savor the moment instead of starting
something more serious. Harry lifted both hands from the bed after a few
moments to slide them into Draco's hair while he sucked gently at Draco's lower
lip and shifted under him slightly. Draco pulled away from the kiss to look
down at Harry, his expression smug. "Want more, do you?" he murmured
soundlessly as Harry's eyes flickered open, a smile curving his lips.
"I can't hear you," Harry replied calmly, "so shut up and kiss me."
Draco snorted, pulling away a little further. "Why should I?"
That was simple enough Harry could easily read his lips, and Harry's smile
widened as he ran his fingers through Draco's hair and replied, "Because you
won't get to kiss me again until tonight, maybe?"
"Are you that sure that I want to?" Draco spoke slowly, amused.
Harry smirked and moved under Draco, tightening his grip on Draco's hair as he
lifted his hips to press up against Draco's erection. "You did start it, and I
know you're enjoying it." Harry tugged Draco's hair gently, adding, "Now shut
up and kiss me, like I said."
Draco laughed silently and let Harry pull him down for another kiss as he
shifted to sprawl inelegantly over Harry, getting comfortable for a more
extended snog.
The tiny corner of Draco's mind that was still noticing details registered a
bit of surprise at how solid Harry felt under him even though Harry was several
inches shorter. Draco had always had the vague idea that Harry was sort of
small and unimpressive, but he was forced to revise that opinion now. The
muscular chest under him was quite a bit more developed than his own and
Harry's shoulders were wider as well, making it likely that Harry outweighed
him. Had Draco taken the time to really think it out, he would have realized
that the school robes blurred body shapes and Harry was short enough that most
failed to notice the breadth of his shoulders. As it was, his mind was rather
occupied with such important things as how Harry tasted and how much he liked
feeling that muscular body beneath his own. The reasons he had never noticed it
before were a consideration for barely a second, if that.
Neither of them were in a hurry and it showed in their lingering touches as
they continued kissing, exploring each other's mouths as hands roamed slowly
over clothing. It was quite some time before Harry decided to take things
further, sliding his hand underneath Draco's t-shirt to explore the smooth,
firm skin of his back. Draco arched into Harry's touch, loving the feel of
strong Quidditch-callused fingers stroking his skin, and he soon began to rock
his hips slowly as their kisses became more demanding.
Draco was the first to pull away again, this time to scatter feather light
kisses along Harry's jaw towards his neck as Harry's hands slid further up
Draco's back, pushing his shirts up. Draco bit down gently on Harry's throat
then, growling softly as Harry moaned under him and dug his blunt fingernails
into Draco's back, flexing his hips. Draco made a mental note that Harry quite
liked having his neck nibbled on as he smiled against Harry's throat and then
licked and bit at the spot again. Harry made a soft encouraging noise as he
tilted his head further to the side to give Draco more access, dragging his
blunt nails lightly over Draco's back. Draco licked and sucked at the sensitive
skin of Harry's throat, purposefully marking him while Harry whispered Draco's
name.
After a few moments Harry's pleased murmurs grew a bit impatient and Draco
began to kiss and nibble his way further down Harry's neck, one hand sliding up
under Harry's t-shirt to tease a pebbled nipple. Harry gasped and arched under
him, his fingers digging into Draco's shoulders again as Draco lightly stroked
his thumb across Harry's nipple. Harry thrust up against Draco's thigh, his
breath hitching as he shuddered and writhed, trying to get closer.
Draco smiled against Harry's throat, delighted by how responsive he was, and
gently pinched Harry's nipple as he swirled his tongue into the hollow between
Harry's collarbones. Harry repeated his name again in a soft, impatient tone as
his hands stroked Draco's back in long, slow arcs while Draco's lips, tongue,
and fingers languidly explored as much of Harry's body as they could get to.
The doorknob rattled then, but the sound didn't really register to either of
them. Draco was completely absorbed in Harry as he nuzzled aside the collar of
Harry's shirt, nibbling gently at soft, pale skin while Harry arched under him
again, moaning softly. There was a loud knock at the door a moment later
though, and then Dean's familiar voice called loudly, "Harry?"
Draco groaned silently and lifted his head as Harry's lust-filled green eyes
opened quickly, surprised. He looked up at Draco, meeting Draco's gaze just as
Dean called again a bit louder, "Harry! Open the door!"
Harry ran his hands again over the smooth muscles of Draco's back as he
murmured, "If I don't answer, he'll go away." He was trying to convince himself
as much as he was trying to reassure Draco. He knew Dean could be very stubborn
when it suited him.
"C'mon, Harry," Dean said clearly. "Hermione said you're in there, and she
agreed with me that we need to talk. I want to fix this, and she thinks we
can."
Draco felt like someone had slapped him when he heard that Hermione had
encouraged Dean. He knew she didn't like or trust him, but he had hoped that
she wouldn't actively work to get Harry away from him so soon after they
started whatever this was. It looked as though he had been wrong. He tried not
to let how that realization made him feel show as he pulled away from Harry,
muttering silently, "He sounds pretty determined to me."
Harry's hands tightened on Draco's back before he let him go with a sigh,
watching Draco move away to sit leaning back against the headboard. Harry sat
up then, straightening his shirt and looking wistfully at Draco as Dean's voice
clearly said, "Harry, please. I'm really sorry."
Harry didn't seem to be paying any attention to Dean as he looked into Draco's
suddenly uncertain blue eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Drake, please. What
he and I had was fine while it lasted, but sex doesn't mean the things to him
that I thought it should. I couldn't take it anymore, so I broke up with him."
Draco looked at Harry for a moment and then asked slowly, "What did you want it
to mean?"
"I wanted it to mean he loved me enough not to lie to me, but he didn't," Harry
replied simply, leaning forward to pick Draco's wand up off the bed. Draco's
eyes widened as Harry pointed it towards the door and murmured, "Finite
Silencio." Harry paused a second to give the spell time to dissipate fully and
then raised his voice as he said, "Dean, I don't want to talk about it."
"I knew you were in there," Dean responded immediately, sounding relieved. "Let
me in, Harry, please. It's been over a month and we need to talk this out.
You're one of my best friends. I've been miserable not being able to talk to
you."
Draco snorted, still silenced, and folded his arms across his chest as he
muttered to himself, "He sure didn't look very miserable when I passed his
room."
Harry didn't notice Draco's reaction, his attention on the door as he said
firmly, "I never said we couldn't still be friends, Dean.Youare the one who
started avoiding me once I wasn't putting out anymore. I'm not going to try and
be friends with someone who likes my arse better than he likes me."
"Harry, no, it's not like that," Dean protested, sounding upset. "I thought you
were mad at me, really I did. You know I'd never hurt you."
"I thought I knew that Dean, but then you did hurt me," Harry replied. "You
knew when you slept with Seamus that it would hurt me, and you did it anyway.
As if that wasn't bad enough, you lied to me about it and didn't stop sleeping
with him even after I told you how I felt about it."
"It was just sex, Harry. Seamus and I have been best friends for seven years
and --" Dean began reasonably, but Harry cut him off.
"And you knew that I expected you to be faithful, Dean. He's your best friend,
sure, but I was your boyfriend. You should have thought about that if you
wanted to keep me." Harry paused a moment and then added, "Hermione and Ginny
are my best friends, but you won't ever find me shagging Ginny just because
she's feeling adventurous."
Draco nodded, thinking that he had been right that Ginny was interested in
Harry. He also thought that Dean was none too bright to have turned his back on
Harry for that Irish idiot. Finnegan was tall and built like a brick outhouse
now that he had lost most of his baby fat, true, but he was still a complete
arse. The whole school knew Finnegan had the morals of a whore when it came to
relationships, and a cheap one at that. Finnegan would shag anyone who was
willing, whether he was dating anyone or not, and he wasn't even very
particular about looks.
"Harry, let me in so we can talk about it face to face and I can explain," Dean
said after a minute, sounding a bit desperate.
Harry pursed his lips, frowning. "I don't think so, Dean."
"Please?" Dean pleaded, "I hate seeing you disappear every night to go sit on
that tower and mope. You need someone you can be with, Harry. Hermione says
you've been much too lonely."
"You don't need to worry about me being lonely, Dean." Harry looked at Draco
suddenly. "I've found someone else."
Draco just looked into Harry's eyes in the silence that ensued after that,
trying to read exactly what Harry was feeling. There hope and something that
Draco was surprised to find himself thinking might be real feeling for him
plain in Harry's green eyes. It made some of Draco's uncertainty and worry
dissipate.
The silence dragged on for several long minutes before Dean finally said, "He'd
better treat you well, Harry."
"He will," Harry replied, still looking at Draco. "I think this might be the
start of something that'll last a while."
Draco finally smiled again and murmured silently, "I'd like that."
Harry smiled back at him, his green eyes brightening even further, and then
suddenly turned his head back towards the door. "Go to breakfast, Dean. We can
talk tomorrow."
"Promise?" Dean asked after almost a minute, defeat obvious in his voice even
with it muffled by the door.
"Yes, I promise. We'll talk tomorrow morning after breakfast," Harry replied,
rolling his eyes. "You can walk me to Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid won't
mind us standing a bit away from the class to talk, we're just to watch the
girls get to know the new unicorn foal."
"Alright, I'll see you then." There was a moment of silence and then Dean added
quietly, "Enjoy your day."
"I will. Have fun in Hogsmeade today," Harry called and then listened until he
heard footsteps moving away. He recast the silencing charm on the room with
Draco's wand and then pointed it at Draco, finally countering the silencing
spell on him.
"It's about time you did that." Draco smiled, holding out his hand. "Can I have
my wand back now?"
Harry looked surprised, then laughed and nodded, handing it to Draco. "Of
course. I hadn't even noticed it wasn't mine."
Draco filed that little bit of information away as he took the wand and tucked
it into his back pocket. He watched Harry in silence for a little while and
then asked suddenly, "Did you really mean what you told him? About thinking
this might last?"
Harry nodded slowly, giving Draco a searching look. "I want it to. I feel
something when you kiss me that I've never felt before."
Draco gazed into Harry's eyes as he tried to decide how to reply, hesitating
several long minutes he finally admitted, "So do I." He paused and then added
even more quietly, "I can't get you out of my head anymore."
Harry smiled, his green eyes lighting up again as he moved towards Draco and
said simply, "I'm glad."
 
~*~*~
I never meant to cause you trouble,
And I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
Oh no, I never meant to do you harm.
~*~*~
 
"I can't believe you were snogging him shirtless and let him mark you somewhere
so obvious," Hermione muttered for the fifth time.
Harry, Hermione, and an again-invisible Draco were walking quickly down the
hallway that led to Professor Flitwick's office. They intended to use his Floo
while Ginny had him distracted with a discussion about her Advanced Charms
project. Ginny had taken a page out of the twins' book -- literally, as it
happened, since she had stolen George's notebook -- and she was attempting to
create a portable desert. The spell kept misfiring and making a single block of
sandstone instead, and Ginny had been meaning to ask Professor Flitwick for
help anyway.
"You knew I would be," Harry replied reasonably, looking at Hermione. "Besides,
we were bored waiting for you two." A slow grin spread across his face as he
added, "You took forever, you know. Are you sure all you two did was go eat
breakfast?"
Hermione's cheeks tinged slightly at that and Draco snickered, making her blush
even redder. "That doesn't matter," she said primly, "I told Remus we'd be
there sometime after nine, so we won't be very late."
Harry snorted. "And if I'd been the one to make us nearly an hour late, you'd
be going onandon about how discourteous it was of me."
"I'm sorry!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly, blushing even redder. "I know it's
wrong to make him wait, but we'll be gone all morning. Ginny wanted to kiss me
goodbye and then one thing led to another..."
"And you wound up doing a lot more than kissing," Draco finished for her
quietly, smirking even though he knew that no one could see his face. "She
looked rather ... happy."
Hermione's face flamed even more as Harry snickered and agreed, "You can say
that again."
"No, don't, please," Hermione said quickly, mortified. She opened the door to
Flitwick's office and led the way inside only to stop abruptly a few feet into
the room, making Harry put out one hand to stop Draco as he tried not to run
into her.
All three of them stared wide-eyed at Professor Dumbledore, who was leaning
against the desk and holding his wand. "Do close the door, Mr. Malfoy,"
Dumbledore said calmly, the tip of his wand moving to point at Draco. "I think
we would rather keep this conversation between the four of us." Draco closed
the door as Dumbledore looked disapprovingly at Harry and added, "And you can
remove that cloak as well, Mr. Malfoy. I had thought Mr. Potter was wise enough
to make certain it didn't fall into the wrong hands, but I see now that I was
quite mistaken."
Draco took off the cloak, draping it over his arm. He moved to stand next to
Harry while Harry frowned at Dumbledore and said, "It is my cloak, sir." Draco
was a little surprised by the amount of disrespect Harry could put into such a
simple word as 'sir', but his face showed no reaction even though Hermione
flinched. "I believe I can let my boyfriend use it if I like."
Dumbledore gazed sadly over his glasses at Harry. "I am very disappointed in
you if that is, in fact, true."
"So be disappointed," Harry replied, his expression stubborn and annoyed. "It's
my life and I'll live it as I please. At the moment, it very much pleases me to
be with Draco. Sir."
Dumbledore looked at Harry for a very long time and then turned his gaze
towards Hermione. "Miss Granger, do you still stand on the side of the Light,
or have I somehow erred so dreadfully that I have lost you both?"
Hermione was shocked by the question, but her shock quickly turned into anger.
"It's no wonder Harry wants nothing to do with you anymore!" she exclaimed,
"Even his enemies know him well enough to know he'd never go over to
Voldemort!"
Dumbledore seemed unperturbed by her outburst. "If that is not the case, would
you care to explain what is going on, Miss Granger?"
Hermione stared at him in silence for few moments, fuming, then said abruptly,
"No, I don't think I would. Harry's right, it's no use talking to you anymore.
You'll just think whatever you want to think, no matter what I say."
Dumbledore sighed, looking down at the floor with an expression that looked
almost like regret. He lifted his gaze again after a few moments of silence,
this time to look intently at Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, would you care to tell me how
someone such as yourself has come to be keeping company with Harry Potter?"
Draco shrugged and said very politely, "He's very good company, sir."
Dumbledore frowned. "That is not much of an answer, Mr. Malfoy."
"It wasn't much of a question, sir," Draco replied immediately, making Harry
smile.
Dumbledore sighed again, turning his attention back to Harry and looking
critically at the reddish-purple mark high on the side of Harry's neck. "Do you
care to explain anything at all Mr. Potter, or shall I just wait until the
whole story is in the Daily Prophet yet again?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I did explain," Harry answered quickly, "So I
really see no point. Sir."
"You could make the attempt," Dumbledore said quietly, finally meeting Harry's
gaze directly again. "I will not say it is owed me because I know it is not,
however I would like to point out that it would show good intentions on your
part."
Harry met Dumbledore's gaze for well over a minute before he finally shrugged
and said bluntly, "Draco was suicidal because he thought he had no way out of
an untenable situation he never should have been put in. I decided to make sure
he gets a second chance."
Hermione looked at Draco quickly, surprised to hear he had been suicidal. She
had only seen him looking happier and more at ease than she could ever remember
him being.
Draco didn't notice her sudden scrutiny, instead watching Harry's face as Harry
went on, "I know what it's like to feel like you haven't got any choices left
in life. I intend for Drake to have the same chances I do to choose his own way
to stand for what he believes in."
Dumbledore turned his head to gaze at Draco. "And what exactly do you believe
in, Mr. Malfoy?"
Draco smiled, his pale blue eyes calm. "Harry."
Dumbledore watched Draco in silence for a short while and then pushed away from
Flitwick's desk to walk towards the door. "I trust that Remus will continue to
pass along what little you wish me to know of your endeavors."
"Of course," Harry replied, pausing just a bit too long before he added, "Sir."
Dumbledore opened the office door to leave and then turned to look back at
Harry as he said quietly, "I have always done what I thought was best for us
all, Harry. I could not follow the best course for you alone, though I often
wished to."
"I know." Harry's expression was very calm, and he kept his tone of voice even.
"You've just decided that I shouldn't be a part of figuring out what that
course might be, even though my life is usually the one on the line. The
prophecies say that I'm the one who has to stand against Voldemort, and I think
that makes it all my business. I'm willing to fight and die to save my friends,
but as I've told you before, I refuse to be anyone's pawn."
"You are very much more than a pawn in this game, Harry," Dumbledore said
sadly. "You, and to a lesser extent your friends, are the last and best hope
keeping our side from checkmate."
"And now we're even stronger," Harry replied confidently, "with one more person
willing to stand next to me when I need him."
Dumbledore looked at Draco, surprised. "You intend to publicly stand with
Harry? Against your father?"
"I'm certainly not some nancy boy who's going to hide in the shadows with
Pettigrew and pray that both sides kill each other off." Draco's icy tone of
voice made it very obvious that he was annoyed at Dumbledore's low opinion of
his courage. "I'll stand with Harry against the whole bloody world if I have
to, including you." Hermione smiled suddenly at that as Draco followed Harry's
lead, pausing long enough to be insulting before he added, "Sir."
Dumbledore sighed and then turned towards the door again, not looking at the
three students as he spoke again. "I could wish that you all trusted me, but I
well know that it is my own fault you do not. I shall leave you to whatever
brought you here this morning and hope that it is not anything foolishly
dangerous. Good day." He left without waiting for an answer, closing the door
quietly behind him.
Harry's shoulders slumped slightly as he finally relaxed again, turning towards
Draco with a sudden little smile as he said softly, "Thank you."
Draco smiled back and moved closer to Harry, resting his hands on Harry's
waist. "I'm the one who should be saying that, Harry. You don't have to believe
in me or trust me, but you do."
Harry's smile widened as he swayed even closer to Draco and Hermione smiled as
well, wondering if Harry and Draco even remembered she was in the room. They
definitely seemed not to notice her as Harry moved his hands up to Draco's
upper arms and looked up into Draco's smiling eyes.
"I could say the same thing to you, Drake," Harry said softly after a moment,
"and it'd be just as true."
Draco shook his head. "There's a bit more to it on my side, Harry. If you
hadn't been there last night, my family would be planning a funeral today. I
had everything planned and ready, I just went to say goodbye."
Hermione's expression sobered at that, looking down at the floor. Draco wasn't
her friend, no matter what he might mean to Harry, but it made her sad to hear
that he had almost killed himself and she hadn't even known he was unhappy.
Draco was one of the most gossiped about people in the school, and Ginny loved
to gossip. Hermione knew all about his recent fights with Theodore Nott and
Blaise Zabini, but no one had passed any whispers about how desperately unhappy
he must have been. It made her wonder how many other students, ones who weren't
popular enough to be common fodder for the rumor mill, might be in need of help
and no one knew it.
Harry was oblivious to Hermione's reaction as he swallowed hard, his smile
fading away. "And I'd be in shock, wondering what would have happened if I had
done something differently when you almost kissed me a month ago instead of
letting you walk away."
Hermione looked up again, trying not to show how surprised she was by that
revelation. She wondered suddenly if Draco almost kissed Harry before or after
Harry ended his relationship with Dean.
Draco smiled, lifting one hand from Harry's waist to cup his cheek. "I'm sorry
about that night," Draco said softly. "I couldn't admit yet that I really did
want to be with you, not even to myself, so I ran."
Harry leaned into Draco's touch, sliding his hands up over Draco's shoulders
and then draping his arms loosely around Draco's neck. "I wanted you too,"
Harry replied quietly. "Almost as much as I'd like to kiss you right now."
"What's stopping you, Harry?" Draco asked with a smile, running his thumb
across Harry's lower lip. "I'm not running anymore, not from you."
Harry smiled and tightened his arms around Draco's neck, pulling his head down
as he said, "Which is good, because I'd just have to make a fool out of myself
chasing you."
"Mm, don't want that," Draco murmured with a smile, lowering his head the last
little bit to allow their lips to touch.
Hermione didn't make a practice of watching other people kiss, but she watched
Harry and Draco without hesitation. She was surprised at the stark contrast
between how Harry kissed Draco and the way Harry and Dean had acted together
throughout their relationship. She had seen Harry and Dean snogging quite a few
times and Dean had always been in charge while, as Ginny was fond of saying,
'making a go for it'.
Draco, like Dean, was taller than Harry and seemed to have a more dominant
personality, but he wasn't obviously in charge or pushing Harry for more. Draco
wasn't groping Harry's admittedly perfect arse within moments the way Dean
always had, or acting as if he intended to eat Harry alive. In fact, neither
Harry nor Draco seemed in a hurry to go past a simple kiss as they slowly
explored each other's mouths, every movement slow and gentle.
Hermione soon realized that the way Draco kissed Harry reminded her of how
Ginny often kissed her. They looked as though they wanted nothing more than to
spend forever kissing, something she knew Dean hadn't ever encouraged with
Harry. Harry had complained about Dean's decided lack of foreplay several times
that Hermione knew of, and Harry and Ginny usually discussed boys when she
wasn't around so she was sure it must have been a major concern for Harry if he
had allowed her to know about it, too. Harry had few secrets from Ginny
anymore, but some things he didn't discuss with Hermione because he knew it
would embarrass her.
Harry was, to use Ginny's expression, an utter sap. He liked to cuddle and kiss
and wanted to be with someone that wasn't at all ashamed to show how they felt
about him. Dean had liked everyone to know he was with Harry but he had thought
cuddling and kissing was too girly, especially in public. Hermione suddenly
realized that Dean probably had wanted to be with Harry for the sex and
notoriety, not because he loved him, and hoped that Harry and Draco wouldn't be
too upset with her for encouraging Dean that morning. After seeing Harry and
Draco kiss, she wouldn't be encouraging Dean any longer. Draco at least seemed
to be making Harry feel like Draco cared deeply for him and that was more than
Dean had ever bothered to do.
Harry and Draco finally ended their kiss to pull back and look into each
other's eyes, and Hermione decided that whatever the two of them felt for each
other would be given the chance to grow, even if she had to fight tooth and
nail for them. She knew how lonely Harry had been since Ron died, even after
Harry finally began dating, and the look in Draco's eyes made her think that he
truly could be the one to fill the empty places in Harry's life and his heart.
Harry needed quite a lot more from a boyfriend than just the sex or friendship
that Dean had been willing or able to offer it to him. Harry didn't just want
to get laid, or to be able to say he had a boyfriend. Harry had been forced to
grow up faster than most of his classmates, and unlike most boys his age he was
looking for a lasting commitment from someone who loved him. He wanted a
partner he could rely on the way he had always relied on Ron, especially
towards the end of Ron's life.
Harry had lost Ron just when they had begun to admit that the love they had for
each other was so much more than friendship or even brotherly love. When the
pain Harry felt because of Ron's death had finally faded enough that he could
talk about it, Hermione had found out that Harry's greatest regret of their
time together was that he and Ron had never done anything more than kiss. Ron
had been hesitant and Harry had loved Ron so much that he didn't want to hurry
him into anything he wasn't yet ready for, thinking that they had their whole
lives ahead of them.
After he lost Ron so suddenly, Harry had realized that Ron's fear of doing
anything 'really queer' had cost him something he could never replace. Harry
had seized opportunities with much less hesitation since then, fighting for
what he wanted not because he wanted to rebel but because he knew he might well
die before he had the chance again. He wanted to live life as fully as he
possibly could in whatever time he had. That meant that he took risks that were
not necessary, yes, but it also meant that he had achieved things that more
careful people never would have even attempted. Harry gave everything his all
now and even though he had been lonely this last year, he had experienced quite
a lot and was enjoying his life as best he could. He savored whatever happiness
he could find for himself and valued the good things in life much more than
most his age did, forgetting the bad as often as he could. It wasn't perfect by
far, but Harry had learned early that life, or at least his life, never was.
Hermione and Ginny both loved Harry as much as Ron had, just not in the same
way. They were close to him but they weren't in love with Harry and he wasn't
in love with them, so they could never be to Harry quite what Ron had been.
Harry needed a partner that was his equal, someone who would fight next to him
when things were rough or laugh with him when life gave him a reason to be
happy. He needed someone who would let him be his own person, but could still
tell when Harry needed someone to take care of him and do it whether Harry
liked it or not. Most importantly, Harry needed someone who loved him, not his
fame, and was completely unashamed to show that love in public no matter what
the response to it was.
Seeing how Harry and Draco looked at each other made Hermione seriously wonder
how much of their fighting the last seven years had been them trying to
convince themselves they weren't attracted to each other. As far as she knew,
Harry had never looked at anyone with such obvious love as was on his face just
then. She knew that Harry had never dared to let his love for Ron show so
freely in front of anyone, probably not even Ron. Harry had accepted during the
summer before their sixth year that being queer was just one more way he was
different, but Ron had really struggled with admitting he was bisexual. He had
tried very hard to fight his feelings when he realized he loved Harry as
something other than a friend or brother, and hadn't really accepted it until
just a few weeks before he died.
Hermione had never seen Draco with someone he cared about before, but she
couldn't help but think that the soft look in his pale blue eyes and the gentle
smile he was giving Harry were inspired by love. It was definitely an emotion
that she had never seen on his face before, and now that she had she couldn't
help but like him a bit more. Just seeing him look at Harry like that was
enough to earn her aid, if not yet her trust, and she intended to do all she
could for them.
She owed it to Harry.
 
~*~*~
Oh no, I see,
A spider web and it's me in the middle.
So I twist and turn,
Here I am, in love and in trouble.
~*~*~
 
Draco sneezed as he stepped out of the Floo into a rather large kitchen,
dusting himself off as he moved to stand next to Harry. He was so intent on
dusting off his clothes that he didn't notice the shocked looks he got from the
people sitting at the table across the kitchen until he heard the sudden scrape
of chairs.
"Just put your wands away," Harry said then, "and give me time to explain,
please?"
Draco looked towards the table in surprise to see Fred, George, Remus, and a
girl he vaguely recalled was one of his own cousins all pointing their wands at
him. They were looking murderous, especially the twins, and reacted with
obvious distrust when there was another whoosh of green flame in the fireplace.
Hermione stepped out, coughing a bit and dusting off her clothes as she
muttered, "Honestly! Next time we walk to the forest and Apparate like
civilized wizards."
Draco ignored her arrival, instead watching the obviously hostile members of
the Order as he lifted his hands, palm out to show that he wasn't holding
anything. He thought now would be a very good time to make it plain that he had
put his life in Harry's hands. He tried very hard to sound calm and friendly as
he said, "Harry, take my wand. Please."
Harry gave the twins, Remus, and Tonks all a wry look and then moved closer to
Draco. "Where is it?"
"In my back pocket," Draco replied giving Harry a reassuring smile and then
looking back at the four furious-looking members of the Order. He was careful
to keep his hands up high enough that the four standing near the kitchen table
could all see them as Harry brushed Draco's denim shirt aside and took his
wand. "I'm not going to bother anyone, you've got my word."
"A Malfoy's word is worthless." The twin who spoke, which Draco thought was
George, continued glaring at Draco even after Harry turned to face him again.
Harry took one look at the twins' faces and decided it would be prudent to stay
in front of Draco so no one would hex him.
"Please everyone, sit down and give us a chance to explain," Hermione said
then, her tone reasonable. She moved over to stand with Harry in front of
Draco, resisting the urge to pull her own wand even though she was afraid she
would need it. These were her friends and she didn't want to hex any of them,
so she hoped that putting herself in harm's way with Harry would be enough to
prevent them from doing anything drastic to Draco.
Harry nodded with a bit of a hopeful expression even as the other twin glared
at Hermione and exclaimed angrily, "I'm not sitting down with that bastard! His
father killed Ronnie and Percy!"
"And then over the summer hols he used Cruciatus on me quite a few times
because I hadn't broken him out of Azkaban and didn't help him free himself
during the trial," Draco replied fairly calmly, drawing all eyes back to him.
"Every time the shakes started to wear off he did it again until Voldemort
finally decided he wanted to keep me sane. He told Father to find a new toy
then, but I am quite sure he only protected me because he wanted to use me for
something else later." Draco paused a moment and then added more quietly, "I
have no lingering love for my father or Voldemort, I promise you."
Hermione stared at Draco, shock and revulsion plain on her face as she
whispered, "That's so awful. How could anyone do that to their own child?"
Draco, who was still holding his hands up in plain sight, shrugged elegantly as
though it didn't bother him despite the empty look in his eyes. "He's never
seen me as anything more than a fashion accessory. All the best families have
an heir, so of course he wanted one."
Harry made a decision and suddenly reached for one of Draco's hands, pulling it
down and then tugging on it. He began to guide Draco towards the nearest chair
then, putting his other hand on Draco's back as he looked across the table at
Remus. "I don't expect you to trust Drake yet, despite the fact you can, but if
you trust me you'll put your wands away and let us explain."
Draco sat down where Harry indicated, hoping that by doing exactly as Harry
asked of him it would make the others feel he was 'tame' so to speak. He was a
bit surprised to see that Tonks was the first to tuck her wand away up one
sleeve and return to her seat, her distrustful expression fading away so that
she merely seemed curious. Remus frowned at Harry as he lowered his wand a
moment later, but he didn't put it away or sit down. The twins continued to
glare at Draco with their wands pointed directly at him, and Draco watched them
in silence for a moment before he looked up at Harry and said, "Bind me to the
chair."
"I will not!" Harry exclaimed indignantly, frowning at Draco. "They've got to
decide whether they trust me or not, I'm not going to beg them. If they can't
trust me, they can leave my home so we can talk to Remus in peace."
"Oh bloody hell, you're all being ridiculous," Hermione said impatiently as she
walked briskly around the table to stand next to Tonks. She gave Fred and
George a stern look and said in a no-nonsense tone, "Put those away before I
have to make you. You're acting like idiots."
The one Draco had thought was Fred glared at Hermione. "Think you can?"
"I bloody well know she can, Freddie, and so do you," George answered before
Hermione could, reaching for Fred's wand to deftly twist it out of his hand as
Draco silently congratulated himself for being able to tell them apart. Fred
turned his angry look on George, who added with obvious annoyance, "I trust
Harry and Hermione, even if I don't want to be in the same room with that
smarmy bastard. Let's give them a chance. If they're so sure they can trust
him, maybe we can."
Fred stared at George a moment and then sat down, still frowning. "I trust
Harry and Hermione, but that's as far as I'm willing to go." He looked at
Harry, his expression unreadable. "Is that good enough to be going on with?"
"Yes Fred, it is. Thank you," Harry said quietly, sitting down next to Draco as
the twins seated themselves in the chairs they were standing by. Harry tucked
Draco's wand into his waistband next to his own and then Draco realized
suddenly that Harry had been holding it the entire time. His lips twitched into
a ghost of a smile and he stared at Harry a moment, wondering if Harry would
have used it on his friends just to protect him. Harry glanced in his direction
and gave him a quick reassurring smile then, and Draco couldn't help but smile
wider in reply.
Remus still seemed quite wary, but he had already sat down across from Draco
and put away his wand. He had been watching Draco through the silent exchange
with Harry with narrowed eyes, picking up on the warmth in the boys' eyes when
they looked at each other. He wasn't at all sure he trusted it or approved, but
he somehow doubted that saying so would be the best way to handle the
situation. He spoke up after a few moments, purposefully distracting Harry from
smiling at Draco. "Harry, surely you have an exceedingly good reason for
bringing him into --"
"Our home," Hermione finished for him quickly, making everyone look at her. She
walked around the table to sit next to Draco as she went on briskly, "And we do
have a good reason, we just didn't expect you to have company."
Remus raised an eyebrow at her, his expression quizzical and still a bit wary.
"And what exactly would that reason be?"
Hermione opened her mouth to reply, and then closed it again, suddenly thinking
better of trying to explain it herself. She looked over at Harry and Draco as
she smiled and asked brightly, "Wouldn't you like to explain it all, Harry?"
Harry gave her a level look as he replied insincerely, "Gee, thanks." Draco
snickered at that and Harry reached over and popped Draco lightly on the back
of his head, turning to grin at him as he said, "And you can stop your
snickering, unless of course you want to explain."
The shadows along Harry's neck shifted when Harry turned his head, allowing the
others at the table to see the rather large love-bite on his neck that Harry
had completely forgotten about. Draco was oblivious to the way the others were
staring at Harry's neck as he grinned impishly at Harry, his blue eyes
twinkling. "But you do such a good job of talking yourself into a corner,
Harry," he said cheerfully. "You don't need my help."
George and Remus exchanged concerned looks as Harry mock-glared Draco, trying
not to let his amusement show. "Drake, you have two choices right now: shut up
and let me talk, or tell them by yourself."
Draco gave Harry a charming smile. "Completely up to you, Harry. I'm just here
because you asked me to be."
Harry snorted, the sparkle in his green eyes giving away just how close he was
to laughing. "That smile won't work on me, especially when I've got your wand
and know how to use it."
"You can't, though," George said then, unable to keep from butting in even
though he was morbidly fascinated by watching Harry and Draco as he tried to
figure out whether or not Draco had given Harry that bite on his neck. "We
tried using confiscated Death Eaters' wands, remember? They won't work for
anyone on the side of the Light."
Harry frowned as he turned his attention to George and said firmly, "Draco is
not now, nor has he ever been, a Death Eater. I can use his wand quite well."
"Prove it," Fred said then, his expression disbelieving.
Harry shrugged and pulled Draco's wand from his waistband, pointing it at a
pile of dirty breakfast dishes at the far end of the table as he said clearly,
"Lanxiwasi!"
Everyone watched as the plates levitated off the table and then Harry gestured
with the wand to guide them across the room to the sinks, where the plates
stacked themselves neatly on top of an already prodigious pile of dishes. Harry
looked back at Fred then and asked with a smug expression, "Proof enough?"
Hermione sniffed, then muttered, "Show off."
Harry grinned at her and then turned his attention to the others, waiting
patiently for someone to speak as Remus, Tonks, and the twins all stared at
him.
Remus was remembering his own experiments with wands and the fact that he had
been able to use only his own and his lifemate's, even though he had tried a
dozen. Hermione had speculated that it was because Remus didn't truly believe
it was possible, but Remus thought that it was because he wasn't close enough
to anyone else emotionally. He had a lot of friends, yes, but he had very few
that he shared his thoughts and feelings with, something that he privately
thought was important if you wished to share wands. A wand was an intensely
personal thing to him, and he was still of the old school in that he was
reluctant to allow anyone to casually handle his wand.
George finally spoke up then, pulling Remus from his thoughts to stare in
surprise as George asked, "May I try it?"
"If you promise not to screw up my wand," Draco answered before Harry had a
chance to say anything, making everyone look at him again. "If you think it'll
be too tempting, George, then I'd rather you not touch it."
"I won't do anything to it," George said, looking at Draco with an inscrutable
expression. "You have my word."
Draco nodded and smiled. "Be my guest then."
Harry tossed the wand to George, his voice calm as he said, "Try something
simple. If Remus' theory that a relationship is necessary to use someone's wand
is correct, you'll likely not be able to do much with it."
George nodded, not liking the hint that Harry had a strong emotional tie to
Draco, or vice versa. He knew a bit of how lonely Harry had been and that he
and Dean had broken up, but for Harry to start something with a Slytherin,
especially Draco, was simply wrong in his eyes. George tried to clear his mind
of all the reasons he didn't like Draco though, instead concentrating on the
spell he wanted to perform as he pointed Draco's wand at his teacup and said
clearly, "Wingardium Leviosa."
The cup rattled against the table and then slowly lifted barely an inch before
it fell, cracking when it landed on the table and causing the tea it held to
begin seeping out. "Reparo," George said then, but there was no effect so he
repeated it again more firmly only to cause the cup to shatter completely.
"Give it to me," Hermione said abruptly, reaching across the table towards
George, who gave her Draco's wand after only a short pause. Hermione pointed
Draco's wand at the mess in front of George and said clearly, "Reparo." The
shards of porcelain slowly reassembled themselves into a cup and then Hermione
tossed George a napkin as she gave him a reassuring look and said in a
familiarly superior tone, "You've just got too much of a grudge against the
wand's owner, that's all."
"Does that mean you actually like me, Hermione?" Draco asked teasingly, raising
an eyebrow at her with a little smirk.
Hermione pursed her lips slightly, looking at Draco for a moment before she
said, "I believe that's the first time I have ever heard you call me by my
first name."
Draco laughed. "Would you rather I keep calling you Granger?"
"No, you can call me Hermione if you like," Hermione replied quickly, smiling a
bit as she handed Draco's wand back to Harry. "As for your question, yes, I
suppose I do like you well enough now that you're behaving yourself. I quite
like how you've been treating Harry, at any rate. He needs someone he can count
on, and I hope it's you, for both your sakes."
Draco smiled. "Well, if all I have to do to keep on your good side is treat
Harry well, we should get along fine."
Remus spoke up suddenly then, half-asking, "Harry, am I to assume that you are
in a relationship with Mr. Malfoy?"
Harry looked at Remus, nodding. "Yes Remus, I am."
"And is this a new development, or have you been hiding this from us?" Remus
asked seriously, his expression unreadable.
"It's new, but strong," Harry replied immediately, calm and confident. "I know
it has to be hard for you to understand, but I trust him and I want to be sure
that my family knows I care about him quite a lot. I'm not asking you to like
him or to become his best friend or anything, I'm just asking you to accept
that he's important to me."
Remus sighed and gazed at Harry silently for several minutes before he finally
spoke again. "Surely you understand how difficult this is for us, Harry. He has
never shown any sign that he was anything other than your enemy. Now suddenly
he's your boyfriend and you want us to accept him into, well, our lives. You're
asking us to put a lot of faith in him that I'm not at all sure he's worthy
of."
"No, I'm not," Harry countered, "I'm asking you to trust me enough to put your
faith in me."
"You already have our trust, Harry, and our faith," Remus said, surprised.
Harry smiled. "Then you should have no problem trusting me when I say Draco is
my responsibility. If anything goes wrong, I'll handle it myself."
"If he turns on us, can you kill him?" Fred asked suddenly, watching Harry
intently.
"I won't need to," Harry replied, "but I'm still better at dueling than Draco
is, so I'm sure if I had to I could disable him."
"You know, that's your biggest weakness, Harry," Draco said suddenly then,
drawing attention back to him. Draco ignored the others, meeting Harry's gaze
with a slightly worried expression as he added, "You're too soft. If anyone on
your side goes bad you need to be ready to deal with it, not just slap them on
the wrist as you say 'play nice next time'. That's what your parents did with
that rat Pettigrew, and it got them killed. I don't want you making the same
mistake, not even for me."
"You're nothing like Pettigrew," Harry said, giving Draco a reasonable smile.
"Besides, I can be tough enough to do whatever I have to do, Drake. Don't worry
about me."
Draco looked at Harry a moment longer and then smiled. "I won't, but only
because I intend to take care of the things you're too soft to handle. I'll not
mind putting an end to any of that barmy old bastard's lapdogs, so you'll be
safe enough with me watching your back."
Harry laughed softly at that as Hermione said, "Hey! What about Ginny and I?!
We're not chopped liver you know."
Draco grinned at Hermione and replied teasingly, "You ladies can help if you
like, I suppose. Just be certain you stay behind us when curses start flying,
so we can protect you."
Hermione snorted, trying not to laugh. "Draco, you're a bit of a chauvinist
pig, aren't you?"
"Why yes, I am!" Draco replied cheerfully, giving Hermione a little seated bow.
"I'm so very thrilled you noticed."
Harry snickered and reached out to poke Draco in the side. "Stop being an
arse."
"I actually thought I was being rather charming," Draco replied, smirking at
Harry. "And I was only telling the truth. I am a bit of a chauvinist, and quite
unashamed of it. Women do not belong in wars. Dying isn't at all pretty, and
I'd much rather they weren't exposed to it at all."
"We'll break you of that, Draco," Hermione said primly then, making Harry and
Draco both look at her. "Gin and I won't stand for being treated like fragile
femmes."
"Draco, why the sudden change of heart?" Remus asked suddenly, cutting Draco
off just as he opened his mouth to answer Hermione. "As far as I knew, even up
until a month ago you were still quite loyal to your father."
Draco gave a little half-shrug, his smirk fading away with his amusement.
"Everyone is supposed to think that. I had no one I could turn to outside my
father's influence, or at least no one that I thought would listen to me. I did
what I had to in order to stay on his good side." Draco made a face and added,
"Though that is much worse than being beneath his notice."
"How long have you wanted out?" Tonks asked then, curious.
Draco's expression settled into the almost emotionless look that was all most
people had seen from him for quite some time. "Since just after last term
ended. Let's just say my welcome home was extremely unpleasant and leave it at
that."
"Yes, you did mention your father's use of Cruciatus," Remus agreed, looking
almost sympathetic. "The lingering effects of prolonged use are quite
unpleasant."
Draco laughed humorlessly. "That was later, and it wasn't so bad, really.
Father started toughening me up to the Unforgivables when I was five. No,
Voldemort’s special pets, the Lestrange brothers, handled my welcome home long
before Father risked seeing me himself. They make Father look tame, and are the
ones you'll really have to watch out for in my opinion." He paused slightly and
then added, "I've spent too long trying to forget the nightmares to tell you
exactly what they did. Suffice it to say I have seen Hell, and came out the
other side realizing that many of the things I thought I knew about myself were
nothing but lies and stupidity."
Harry impulsively reached over and covered Draco's hand with his own, causing
Draco look at him and see the sad, sympathetic look on Harry's face. "You don't
have to tell us more, Drake," Harry said softly. "I know what it's like to have
things you just want to forget."
Draco nodded, giving Harry a slight smile as he turned his hand over to lace
their fingers together. "I know you do." Draco turned his gaze back to Tonks
after a moment and went on, "To answer your question, Tonks, I've wanted out
for nearly a year, but it was a note from my mother that moved me to finally
act. I was informed yesterday that the plans have been finalized and my doting
family plan to celebrate my birthday by forcing me to take the Mark and a
fiancé I don't want. I decided I was finally going to open an artery or three
and get it over with." Draco shrugged slightly. "I knew Harry would be on the
battlements and wanted to talk to him once more to say goodbye, so I went up
there to pass the time until no one would be awake to interrupt my plans. When
Harry realized what I had planned, he decided he didn't like it." Draco looked
back at Harry with a sudden soft smile that was completely at odds with his
slightly put-out tone. "He bullied me into promising him my life."
Harry just smiled at Draco. "I didn't, I made you promise not to kill yourself
or just lay down and die. That's different."
Draco laughed. "Same thing, Harry. The moment my father finds out I've turned
on him my life will be worthless with anyone on Voldemort's side, and most of
the neutrals as well. You're the only one on the side of the Light that thinks
I might be worth salvaging, so my life is worthless to your friends, as well.
That leaves me rather definitely in your pocket." A glimmer of real amusement
appeared in Draco's blue eyes as he added, "Not that I'm complaining mind you,
I quite like your pockets, especially the back ones."
"You don't need to be salvaged," Harry said with a frown, ignoring Draco's
gentle teasing for the moment. "You've been a prat, yes, but Professor Snape
has done quite a lot that was much worse than the things you've done Drake, and
he's been one of us for ye--"
"Harry!" Remus exclaimed, his amber eyes going wide in shock.
"What?!" Harry asked, looking at Remus in surprise.
"I can't believe you just did that!" Remus exclaimed, his shock fading quickly
into anger. "Sev has put his life on the line for you over and over again, how
can you endanger him like that?! Malfoy could switch sides again tomorrow, and
your stupid thoughtlessness might cost Severus his life!"
Harry frowned and opened his mouth to reply, but Draco beat him to it, asking
quietly, "Professor Lupin, what would it take for you to trust me?"
Remus was surprised enough by the question and the title that he was taken
aback. He looked thoughtfully at Draco for several minutes as everyone watched
them in silence before he finally admitted, "I'm not sure anything you say or
do could make me trust you, Draco. I have known your father for most of my life
and you are very like him, as I am quite sure you know. He and Severus were
very close as youngsters, especially when Sev was your age..." Remus trailed
off and paused a moment before he half-asked, "You did know that your father
and Severus were in a relationship at one time, correct?" Draco nodded and then
Remus went on, "Well, your father has lied successfully to Severus even though
they've known each other all of their lives, and on many occasions I might add.
I truly see no way for us to know you aren't lying right now."
"What about Veritaserum?" Hermione asked suddenly, causing everyone to look at
her in surprise. "I've been thinking about it since last night. If he took it,
he would have to tell the truth, no matter what other influence he might be
under, because Veritaserum voids even the strongest Imperius. Then there would
be no reason left for anyone to doubt him, and no reason not to accept him
completely as one of us, like Harry wants."
Remus looked thoughtfully at her for a moment and then turned his gaze back to
Draco. "Would you take it?"
"Of course, sir," Draco replied immediately, nodding. "Right now if you like.
It would make life much easier for me as well. I want you all to know you
needn't expect me to turn on you."
Harry sighed. "You shouldn't have to take it, but it would simplify
everything."
"Then someone should contact Professor Snape," Draco said decisively, "and
whoever you would like to be witnesses for the Order and Harry's Defense club."
Tonks and the twins started slightly in surprise and Remus gave Harry an
annoyed look, obviously unhappy Harry had revealed so much to someone they
weren't sure they could trust yet.
Draco went on as though he hadn't noticed. "My life is going to get very
difficult to hang on to as soon as anyone on the other side discovers I've so
much as talked to Harry without trying to kill him. I would quite appreciate it
if I didn't have to worry about his friends trying to kill me as well."
Remus stood. "I'll go find Albus and Severus then, they'll both need to be here
for the Order." Remus looked at Harry and asked, "Are there any members of the
D.A. you would like to be here?"
"Ginny, definitely," Harry replied and then looked at Hermione. "Should Dean be
here?"
"I don't think so," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Once Ginny accepts Draco
publicly everyone else will follow our lead, including Dean." Hermione gave
Draco a regretful look, adding, "I doubt they'll like it though, at least at
first. You've quite a lot of enemies."
"I know," Draco said calmly as Harry gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm quite used
to not being liked."
"Right then," Remus said, nodding as he walked around the table towards the
fireplace. "Is Ginny at Hogwarts today, or has she gone somewhere?"
"She's at school," Hermione answered with a quick smile. "She and Dennis were
going to spend the morning in the Library after she spoke with Professor
Flitwick about something. She lost a bet and has to help the fifth years study
for their O.W.L.s."
Fred and George both snickered at that while Tonks grinned and said, "I'm sure
she's not happy about that."
"Not very, no," Hermione replied, giggling.
"Then I'll have someone tell her we need her to come by." Remus reached for the
pot of Floo powder next to the fireplace, taking out a handful as he glanced
back at the people gathered around the table. "I shouldn't be too long, Sev is
grading papers today and Albus should be easy to find as well. While you wait,
I would like to suggest cleaning up a bit, it will pass the time and would be
quite a helpful to me."
"Of course," Hermione said, standing up. "And I'll make sure a fresh pot of tea
is ready for the Headmaster."
"Thank you," Remus replied with a smile. He turned his back to the others and
dropped the handful of Floo powder into the fireplace, then stepped into the
green flames as he said clearly, "Severus Snape's quarters, Hogwarts!"
Remus disappeared in a whirl of flames as Tonks jumped to her feet, grinning at
Hermione and pretending she didn't notice when George nearly fell out of his
chair trying to catch hers before it fell to the floor. "I'll do the dishes!"
Harry, Hermione, and Fred all exclaimed, "No!"
"Why not?" Tonks asked, giving Fred a dirty look. He was her boyfriend after
all, or one of them at any rate, and she felt like it was his job to support
her decision even just volunteering to do a simple chore.
Fred's eyes widened slightly as he stammered wordlessly while Hermione said
firmly, "Thank you, Tonks, but I'll do the dishes. Remus will need to use them
again."
Harry tried hard not to laugh as Tonks turned her attention away from Fred and
stuck her tongue out at Hermione. "I can do the dishes without breaking them
all!"
Hermione smiled disarmingly, reminding Harry quite a lot of Molly Weasley as
she said tactfully, "I'm quite sure you could, but we'll need someone to keep
the twins in line and you're best at that. Why don't you take them up and make
sure the upstairs drawing room is presentable? I think that'll be the best
place for everyone to gather."
Tonks rolled her eyes and muttered, "Yes mum," then grabbed the material of
Fred and George's sleeves to pull them towards the door. "Come along you two,
she's right, you'll need a keeper. Send you up there alone and you'd be
shagging in a heartbeat, and the room never will get set to rights."
Draco's eyes widened and he watched interestedly as the twins blushed and
stood, letting Tonks drag them towards the door.
"And we're not going to play at all until the room is clean," Tonks added
firmly, "so don't even ask."
Tonks dragged them out of the room, leaving Harry and Draco alone with
Hermione, who tactfully withdrew to the sink to begin the dishes.
Harry looked seriously at Draco and asked, "Are you sure about this, Drake? The
Veritaserum I mean? It can be a bit overwhelming from what I've seen of it..."
Draco nodded, smiling as he gave Harry's hand a squeeze. "Definitely. Don't
worry, Harry, I've got a feeling everything will turn out well."
"I hope so," Harry replied, trying to return the smile and not quite
succeeding. "I want it to."
Draco gave him a confident grin. "Trust me."
 
~*~*~
Singing, I never meant to cause you trouble,
I never meant to do you wrong,
And I, well if I ever caused you trouble,
Oh no, I never meant to do you harm.
~*~*~
 
Draco returned to consciousness slowly a few hours later. He couldn't quite
make sense of the soft noises in the room or where he was, but he thought they
were voices, or perhaps a wireless. After a moment, he realized that he was
sitting on something hard and leaning back against someone's chest with his
head on their shoulder. He was very warm and the arms wrapped around him made
him feel so safe and loved that he was suddenly sure it must be Harry holding
him. He relaxed again as he tried to remember how he had gotten here, but his
mind was oddly blank.
Draco tried to open his eyes after a few moments, which caused him to notice
that there was a cool cloth covering them. He shifted slightly and started to
lift one hand to remove the cloth as he tried to lift his head off Harry's
shoulder, then let out a soft noise as the movement caused a sudden stab of
pain in his head. He felt lips against his temple then and flinched as Harry's
voice spoke very softly against his skin, sending another stab of pain through
his head despite Harry's evident attempt to stay quiet.
"Easy, Drake," Harry whispered softly, "be still. Professor Snape said you'll
have an awful hangover, but he had to wait until you were awake to give you
something for it."
The other noises in the room -- Draco was sure now that they were voices -
- fell silent as he nodded slightly, flinching when the movement sent another
stab of pain through his head. If this was what a hangover felt like, Draco was
suddenly very sure he never wanted to get truly drunk. It simply could not be
worth it.
"I'm awake, Harry," Draco muttered, "Bring on the potion." Draco felt Harry
move one of his hands up to the cloth covering his eyes, sliding it up to rest
on Draco's forehead instead.
Harry chuckled very softly against Draco's hair as Professor Snape's familiar
dry voice said, "Open your eyes, Draco."
Draco opened his eyes, blinking a few times to focus on the form of Professor
Snape kneeling next to him as he tried to ignore the throbbing behind his eyes
and the way his stomach roiled. It hadn't done that until he opened his eyes,
and the rush of nausea made him close them for a moment before he opened his
eyes again and carefully reached for the teacup Professor Snape was offering to
him.
"Thank you, sir." Draco put the cup to his lips and wrinkled his nose as he
drank the contents quickly, barely registering the smell because of how
positively awful it tasted and the throbbing pain in his head. When the teacup
was empty, he handed the cup back to Professor Snape. "Remind me not to take
Veritaserum again."
Professor Snape snorted and rose gracefully to his feet, walking towards the
door. "You should not be asked to. You proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that
you have been quite truthful with everyone except perhaps your parents. Lying
to Lucius without getting caught is an admirable accomplishment as far as Iam
concerned. I would think your success at that this last year should be seen as
a definite plus to the Order." Professor Snape left the room without giving
anyone a chance to reply to him.
Draco finally realized he was sitting in the floor then, and he smiled as he
laid his head back on Harry's shoulder and closed his eyes to wait for the
potion to work.
Harry nuzzled Draco's temple and then kissed his cheek before he murmured into
his ear, "You were brilliant, you know." Draco didn't even attempt to move as
he felt a tingle sweep through his body and the potion began clearing away his
headache and nausea, but his smile widened a bit. Harry nuzzled his ear,
nibbling gently at the edge of it before he whispered almost soundlessly, "I
knew I was right about you."
Draco opened his eyes finally and turned his head to look at Harry, who was
leaning back against the front of the chair Draco vaguely remembered sitting
down in while they waited for Dumbledore to join them. "So, I passed?" Draco
asked, smiling and feeling much as he had before he had taken the Veritaserum.
Harry gave Draco a quick kiss and then grinned at him. "With flying colors."
Harry's green eyes were sparkling so brightly that Draco found himself grinning
back and wondering if it had been something he said that had made Harry so very
happy.
"Yeah," Ginny agreed nearby, sounding amused. "You're definitely among
friends."
Draco looked towards her voice to see Ginny and Hermione were curled up
together on a small loveseat a few feet away. Fred and George were seated on
the couch further across the room, and Tonks was seated sideways in George's
lap with her legs resting on Fred's thighs. All five of them were grinning at
him, and that was such a complete about-face when compared to how the twins in
particular had acted before he took the potion that Draco couldn't help but
ask, "What'd I say?"
"Oh, a lot of things," Ginny answered, smirking. "The most important part was
that you're in love with Harry and you'd die to protect him. You're really
quite a sweetie when you're telling him how wonderful he is."
Draco's eyes widened and he pulled away from Harry to sit up straight, staring
at Ginny a moment before he turned to look at Harry. "Please tell me someone
directed the questioning away from what I want to do to you. I don't mind them
knowing I'm a sap, but there area few things I don't want to share with your
family."
Ginny, Hermione, and Tonks all giggled at that while Harry laughed, his eyes
still sparkling happily. "You tried several times to tell us, Drake, but
Professor Snape and the Headmaster mostly managed to keep you steered towards
safer subjects."
"Mostly?" Draco asked, looking a bit worried.
Harry grinned. "I don't think you scandalized Hermione too badly."
Draco relaxed a bit, relieved. "Oh, good."
"Ginny and I will just have to try the handcuffs and chocolate sauce though,"
Hermione said with a wicked little grin, making Draco turn quickly to look at
her as his blue eyes widened in shock again. "And I want to borrow that book
you mentioned, the Indian one? It sounds quite interesting."
"Oh, Merlin," Draco said feelingly as a bright pink flush spread across his
cheeks, not quite sure if he should be mortified or not. "I don't want to know
about anything else I said. Ever." Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks started giggling
again as Fred and George laughed, causing Draco to give them all a dirty look
as he said firmly, "It. Did. Not. Happen."
Harry smirked and scooted forward a bit, sliding his arms around Draco's waist
and resting his chin on Draco's shoulder. "But Dra-ake," he whined teasingly,
"I'd like to hear a bit more about a few things..."
"I'll tell you anything you want to know," Draco replied immediately as he
turned his head just enough to look at Harry, trying very hard to ignore the
way his face was burning. He just knew he was blushing all the way to the
collar of his shirt, and when he blushed he got all blotchy. "Just so long as
we're alone when you ask, alright?"
Harry grinned. "Deal."
 
~*~*~
They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me,
They spun a web for me.
~*~*~
 
Almost a week after his experience with Veritaserum, Draco was sprawled on his
stomach across his bed, theoretically studying for his History of Magic
N.E.W.T.. He did have his History of Magic book in front of him, but there was
a sheet of parchment laid on it and he hadn't looked at the book itself in
almost an hour. The sheet of parchment had his History notes, such as they
were, from that morning's class at the top, but if someone had taken the paper
and asked what the notes said, he couldn't have told them.
He was completely absorbed in drawing with a pencil he had snitched from Harry.
He had begun with just a sketch of Harry on his broom, but the Muggle pencil
was so much more versatile than drawing with ink that he had soon branched out.
First, he had added a tree line in the background, and then Hedwig and a moon,
which had encouraged him to darken the sky and add stars. He had stared at that
a bit, changing small details occasionally, then he had had an idea that made
him grin and he began drawing below the rest of the sketch.
'Harry' was now flying above a dozen bodies, each wearing dark robes and Death
Eater masks. Each body had turned out a bit differently as he experimented with
shading, and he quite liked the effect. He was having such fun drawing with the
pencil that he intended to have Harry show him the Muggle artist's supply shop
he had mentioned. He could hardly wait to find out what other sorts of things
Muggles had come up with. His father had always insisted that they were
completely inferior, but Draco had finally realized Muggles must be rather
ingenious to have accomplished as much as they had without the aid of magic.
To the casual observer, Draco would have seemed perfectly at ease as he laid
there drawing, but anyone who knew him well would have noticed a dozen little
things that indicated how nervous he was. The biggest tip-off was the fact that
he was wearing his boots with his school uniform, including the robe, even
though he was completely alone in his room. The room was also much too clean,
and items such as the dagger and papers that normally littered his desk were
conspicuously absent. There were no dirty clothes in the hamper and the bed was
missing Draco's thick dark purple comforter, instead covered by one of the
school-issue green blankets with a large Slytherin crest in silver. Overall his
room looked as it usually did the last day of classes, after he had already
packed away his things for the summer.
Draco had just set aside his drawing and was humming softly to himself as he
started another sketch when the door to his room banged back against the wall
loudly enough it made him jump. Draco grabbed his wand and rolled off the far
side of his bed, scattering the pencil, scrolls, and notes across the floor.
Blaise stormed into the room and stopped next to Draco's bed, the pencil
crunching underfoot as he stepped on it. He was fuming and had a reddened
handprint on his cheek that contrasted sharply with how pale he was. "Draco,
right now I could cheerfully flay you alive. Your father is very unhappy with
you and your gorillas."
Draco rolled his eyes at that but he didn't attempt to speak as Blaise went on.
"Your father and mine are also both angry at me for not making sure you left
when I did, even though no one told me it was my bloody job to be your minder.
I most definitely will get you moving if that's what they want of me, though.
Get up and get some decent robes on this instant! We've got to get those
numbskulls and be back at the Manor within ten minutes!" Blaise whirled away,
every movement making how completely livid he was even more obvious as he
walked over to sit on the edge of Draco's desk.
Draco slowly rose, his wand pointing at Blaise as he said calmly, "I'm not
going."
"What?!" Blaise exclaimed, straightening up again just as Greg stepped into the
room and closed the door Blaise had left open. "You can't be serious! The Dark
Lord will be there in half an hourand your father expects us to be there so he
can present us to him!"
"Then the old bastard's going to be disappointed." Draco flicked the tip of his
wand at Blaise as he added with almost palpable disdain, "It's going to take a
lot more than a bootlicker like you to force me to go anywhere, Blaise."
Blaise straightened indignantly, his face flushing. "Stop acting the fool,
Draco, and get into some decent robes."
"No," Draco replied, perfectly calm. "Toss your wand to Greg, or I'll have to
disarm you." He paused for a moment, moving to stand near the foot of his bed
while still keeping his wand on Blaise, then added, "Carefully though, you
wouldn't want us to think you're trying anything. We both know I'm quite a bit
better with a wand than you are."
Blaise stared at Draco for a long moment and then drew his wand carefully with
two fingers and tossed it towards Greg, who only fumbled slightly as he caught
it. "Your father will kill you for this, Draco, and your pets, too." Blaise
took a few steps towards Draco as he added nastily, "He'll probably give you to
the Lestranges first, though. I understand Rabastan has been asking about you.
Rumor is he's looking to marry this time though, not just sample the goods.
Rabby quite enjoyed having his own pet Malfoy last summer, though from what
I've heard you didn't like it very much." Blaise sneered. "Was he too much man
for you?"
Draco's expression hardened as he fought down the urge to make Blaise regret
that remark. "Stupefy!" Blaise collapsed bonelessly to the floor and Draco
moved quickly towards his desk, kicking Blaise in the hip on his way by as he
muttered, "Arsehole."
"Vince is waiting in the common room with Pansy and Millicent," Greg said then,
watching Draco. "We need to get out of here. When he doesn't come back to the
Manor they're sure to contact the others."
"I know, I know," Draco replied, hurriedly spelling open his desk drawer. He
took out Harry's invisibility cloak and tossed it over his shoulder with one
hand as he reached with the other hand to take out the last thing in the
drawer. His hand reappeared a moment later with a folded piece of maroon linen
that Draco had no doubt Harry had nicked from the Great Hall, since he had seen
Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors using identical napkins every day for
years. He quickly unfolded the napkin to reveal a rather long silver chain that
had a simple pewter ring strung on it, then picked up the necklace and tucked
the napkin into a pocket. He lifted the chain over his head, settling it around
his neck as he looked at Greg and asked, "Did the others know why Blaise was
coming in here?"
Greg nodded, his expression serious. "You'd better use that cloak, Pansy was
gloating over how unhappy you'd be to be dragged out by the ear like a first
year."
Draco growled and took the cloak off of his shoulder, swinging it open and over
his shoulders in one smooth motion. "I will be so very glad when the day
finally comes I never have to see that bint again. Silence me so I won't be
tempted to kill her."
Greg snickered and pointed his wand at Draco, muttering a silencing charm
before he tucked his wand away and glanced around the room to see if they
needed to take anything else. His gaze fell on Blaise's inert form after a
moment and then he walked over to him, bending to grab Blaise by his collar and
waistband and then dragging him none too carefully around to drop him behind
the bed. Greg turned back towards Draco and the door then, grinning. "Now if
they look in here, they'll likely move on his room the first time."
Draco laughed silently as he pulled the invisibility cloak up over his head and
moved to the door, opening it and going out with Greg right behind him. He
stepped aside as soon as he was in the hall, letting Greg go on ahead and then
following him to the common room, which was deserted except for Pansy,
Millicent, and Vince.
Pansy was sitting on the couch wearing her uniform skirt with a rather tight
blouse that was unbuttoned to show off her cleavage. Millicent was seated next
to her in school robes that did little for her tall athletic body and made the
contrast between her build and Pansy’s petite form seem even more drastic.
Vince was wearing school robes as well and sitting in a nearby chair with an
expression on his face that made him look as though he were a simpleton, even
though he wasn't.
Pansy and Millicent had been waiting for Draco to leave ever since Blaise had
left for Malfoy Manor alone. They had ignored it when the rest of the House
left for supper, electing to stay behind and watch for Draco as they discussed
how the Death Eaters were going to react to his obvious unwillingness to go
take the Mark. When Blaise came back in a huff with the handprint on his face
they had been given even more to gossip about, and they had completely ignored
Vince when he sat down nearby. Pansy and Millicent had come to the conclusion
there was no way Draco was going to go without being forced, and had just begun
discussing who might have to make him go when Greg walked in with an invisible
Draco at his heels.
Pansy flipped her black hair back with a practiced toss of her head and asked
haughtily, "Goyle, is His Highness going to get off his arse and go take it
like a man, or is he going to make the boys drag him to the Floo?"
Greg shrugged as though he didn't care, walking towards the door. "I dunno.
Blaise said that supper was already served at the Manor and Draco skipped
lunch, so he told me to go get him a snack."
Millicent snickered. "Oh, I should start selling tickets right now! Watching
the boys drag him into the Floo will be the most fun!"
Vince stood up then as he said, "I'll go with you. I could stand a bite to eat,
myself."
Greg nodded, glancing over his shoulder at the girls on the couch. "If he asks,
we'll be right back."
"Whatever." Millicent gave him a vague wave and then she and Pansy went back to
gossiping.
Greg opened the outer door and then paused to wait for Vince, giving Draco time
to slip out into the hallway. Greg and Vince left the common room, closing the
door, and Draco fell into step behind them towards the main stairway, touching
them each on the shoulder to let them know he was there.
"Do we know where we're going?" Vince asked quietly.
Greg nodded, walking quickly as he answered, "We're going up to give Potter a
message, then we're to go directly to Dumbledore's office."
"Oh." Vince was quiet a few moments as they walked along the deserted hallway
that led to the main stairs, waiting until they had begun up the stairs to
speak again. "What are we supposed to tell Potter?"
Draco snickered silently behind them, shaking his head as Greg said patiently,
"We're not really supposed to tell him anything, Vince. We just have to go
pretend to talk to him so Draco can sneak into his room."
"Oh," Vince repeated, understanding dawning across his face. "Do we wait out in
the hall for him?"
"Why would we have to wait?" Greg asked, surprised.
"Potter'll be in the Great Hall eating with everyone else," Vince replied,
acting as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He won't be in the
tower for us to pretend to talk to him yet."
Draco groaned and muttered silently to himself, "We really should let Vince in
on our plans more often."
Greg looked thoughtful for a few moments as they quickly climbed the stairs
between the first and second floor, then said, "Well, I suppose we'll have to
ask the Fat Lady if he's in there, and if he's not, we'll just have to wait
outside."
As soon as Greg had suggested it, Draco realized that it would be a terrible
idea for Greg and Vince to hang about in the hall by the Fat Lady. It would be
extremely conspicuous of them, and would positively scream where the Slytherin
seventh years should go looking for Draco. That was definitely not something
they wanted, so when they reached the second floor landing Draco put his hands
on Greg's shoulders and got him to turn towards the door.
Greg went through the door and Vince followed him, both obviously confused even
though neither hesitated to let Draco steer them along the hallway. Draco
guided them straight to the narrow door near the Defense Against the Dark Arts
professor's office. Draco knew the office and the tiny storeroom next to it
would be empty because Professor Vance always took her meals with the other
teachers, so he thought it was a convenient place to talk.
The three of them crowded into the storeroom, and then Draco closed the door
and pulled off the cloak as Greg drew his wand, murmuring, "Lumos."
Greg and Vince both looked around the room curiously then, wondering why they
were there, but Draco ignored their surroundings completely. He had ducked into
this particular storeroom occasionally in fourth year while avoiding Mad-eye
Moody so knew exactly what he would find if he looked around. The floor area of
the tiny room was barely larger than one of the beds in the dormitories and had
moldering old books on recessed shelves along the walls that looked as if they
had been there for centuries.
Vince was the first to lose interest in looking around, turning to Draco as he
asked, "Why did we come in here?"
"I'd tell you, but Greg silenced me so it would be a waste of time," Draco
replied silently, bemused that they had forgotten so quickly that they couldn't
hear him.
Greg laughed and ended the spell. "Sorry, Drake, I forgot."
"It's alright, Greg, no harm done," Draco said, smiling, then looked over at
Vince. "And I brought you both here because it's a very bad idea for you two to
go lurk about the Gryffindor common room waiting for Harry to get back. Not
only will that annoy almost every Gryffindor in the school, it will also as
good as shout where I've disappeared to. Since I fully intend to remain in
school, having everyone know where I'll be hiding before I even get there isn't
in my best interests."
Greg frowned at that, nodding thoughtfully. "Good point. Didn't think of that."
"I know," Draco said with a smirk. "You two go on to Dumbledore's office; the
password is petit fours. I'll make my own way up to the tower and sneak in
behind one of the Gryffindors like I usually do."
Greg nodded again, moving past Draco and Vince towards the door. "Do you want
me to silence you again?"
"No Greg, if I'm to be waiting up there alone until dinner ends, I'd rather be
able to use my wand if I need it." Draco pulled the cloak around his shoulders
again. "Dumbledore is supposed to see to it that you both get to a safe house
where Professor Lupin, my cousin Tonks, and the Weasley twins will keep an eye
on you. You'll stay there until either the danger is over or until it's time to
return to take your exams. They promised me that you'll be safe, but you won't
have much freedom to roam, I'm afraid."
"We're not worried about roaming." Greg stopped with his hand on the door
latch, looking at Draco's disembodied head. "I've been thinking about that. We
might as well not even take the N.E.W.T.s, neither of us are going to get very
many anyway."
Vince nodded, but Draco shook his head and replied firmly, "Well, you can just
forget that idea, you'll need all the credentials you can get. Voldemort and
his pets aren't going to be out there forever and you'll need something to fall
back on once we don't have to worry about him anymore. Even one or two will be
better than none at all."
Draco didn't add that he intended to get all the N.E.W.T.s he possibly could.
He was sure that Greg had figured that out already from the way he had begun
studying borrowed notes in every free moment. Narcissa was completely loyal to
Lucius and had control of the Malfoy fortune now that Lucius was in disgrace,
which meant that Lucius still ran the Malfoy estate, just by proxy. Draco had
never been allowed to have a key to the Malfoy family vault at Gringotts and
knew quite well that the goblins wouldn't allow him to withdraw a single knut
without one. That meant that Draco would have to either live on what money he
had now or work for a living. He knew that what he had stowed away in his trunk
wouldn't last more than a few months even if he went Muggle, so he wanted to
have as many options as possible open to him for earning more.
Greg looked at Draco for a moment and then nodded. "We'll see you the day of
the exams then." He paused, wanting to ask Draco something, then thought better
of it. "Take care."
"I will," Draco replied as he the cloak up over his head, sure that Greg would
ask whatever was on his mind eventually. "You two stay out of trouble."
"We will," Vince replied as Greg nodded and opened the door.
Draco slipped out behind them when they moved out into the hall, closing the
storeroom door and watching them until they had reached the gargoyle at the far
end of the hall. When it began to move, Draco turned away and headed quickly
back towards the stairway, walking only a few yards before he realized how loud
his boots were against the flagstones and paused. He thought about it for a
moment, debating how to muffle the sound of his boots, and then drew his wand
to cast a silencing charm on them to see if something so simple would work. He
stomped against the flagstones to check and then smirked, tucking his wand
away. He started towards the stairs again then and murmured to himself, "Should
have just done that to begin with. Now all I have to do is remember not to
laugh at any of those barmy Gryffindors on my way through their common room."
The walk up to the Gryffindor tower was extended by two of the moving
staircases, but Draco still reached the painting of the Fat Lady well before
there was any traffic heading up from dinner. He settled into a comfortable
slouch leaning back against the wall nearby to wait for someone to come along,
thinking about how things would change now that his choice would become common
knowledge. He fully expected the school to be teeming with gossip by curfew
about his refusal to go home for his birthday, and he knew there would be
trouble with the Slytherins. He had serious doubts that they would even allow
him to make it to the Great Hall for breakfast tomorrow without a fight, and he
was in no hurry to make the attempt even though he had no doubt that things
would go well. Harry was sure that his defense club would stand beside him,
even with Draco in the mix, and Harry had assured him that they had nothing to
fear from the Slytherins.
'I wonder how long Dumbledore will allow me to stay up here? It'squiteagainst
school rules, but then, so is most of what goes on in the Slytherin dorms these
days.'Draco ran a fold of the cloak through his fingers, marveling slightly
over the way the cloth felt like water. 'I suppose it isn't so odd that he
agreed when Harry said I'd be staying with him though, he seems to let Harry do
pretty much as he likes. I wonder how much of that is because Harry just
doesn't ask for permission, and how much is because Dumbledore finally
understands Harry is better at countering Voldemort than he is? The old fool
can be aseriouspain in the arse, but he usually does the right thing when it's
needed, even if he drags his feet about it.'
Draco heard voices approaching then and looked up to watch as Ginny, Hermione,
Harry, and Dean walked towards him. He was soon frowning slightly at the way
Dean was looking at Harry, listened intently when they finally moved into
earshot
Dean was saying earnestly, "Come on Harry, you know it'll be fun..."
"Dean, I'm not going to a party with you," Harry said patiently, ignoring the
looks Dean was giving him. "I'm taken, remember? Ask Seamus, or Colin."
"Seamus is going with Colin," Dean replied, making a face. "And besides, you
need to get out. You've gone from disappearing to staying in your room every
night and that's even worse. Whoever that idiot you're dating is, he shouldn't
leave you alone all the time."
Draco smirked, not at all surprised by the sudden little grin that appeared on
Harry's face, and moved carefully away from the wall as the four Gryffindors
reached the nearby painting. Harry had been spending hours every evening in his
room during the last week, yes, but he hadn't been alone most of that time.
Draco had been making good use of the invisibility cloak so that the two of
them could study together between long, lazy make-out sessions that had taught
them almost as much about each other as the hours they had spent talking.
Draco had learned quickly that Harry was very responsive to a loving touch and
would have happily done anything for him, and Harry knew now that Draco wanted
quite a lot more than sex from him. Draco had even admitted late Thursday night
that he wanted to be able to stay the night when they made love the first time.
He had admitted that he wanted Harry to be the first thing he saw when he woke
up the morning afterwards, expecting to be teased about being a sap, but Harry
had just kissed him and then asked if he knew how perfect he was.
After the rather extended snogging session that followed, Harry had explained
to Draco that he had had sex with Dean often, but that he had only slept with
him a few times because Dean didn't want to hold him or really even touch him
after sex. Harry thought sex should be something special two people shared
because they loved each other, even if only a little bit, but Dean said all
that 'mushy shite' was for girls. Harry had hated feeling as if he wasn't
welcome in the same bed with Dean, and it had soured him on staying in Dean's
room or inviting Dean to stay in his.
Dean had, whether consciously or just because he was an unthinking prat, done
quite a lot more that had made Harry feel as though he was only good for sex,
but refusing to hold him had bothered Harry the most. Harry simply couldn't
imagine liking someone well enough to shag them and call them your boyfriend
and yet not wanting to hold them. He had constantly felt as if Dean wanted to
shag him but otherwise didn't really like him. The fact that Dean had stopped
talking to Harry after they broke up had just reinforced that feeling for
Harry, and even after they finally began talking again Dean hadn't done
anything to change Harry's mind.
Draco was determined after hearing the way Dean's macho posturing had affected
Harry that Harry would never feel that way with him. He quite liked touching
Harry anyway, so he made no attempt to curb his newly-discovered affectionate
tendencies, trusting that Harry wouldn't mind being petted or kissed or just
leaned against while they studied together. Draco was soon spending almost
every free moment in Harry's rooms touching Harry in some way, and Harry was
blossoming so obviously that half the school was gossiping about it. After it
was realized that Harry was sporting fresh hickeys on his neck even though no
one visited his room, at least two betting pools as to whom he was snogging
were started. The 'Boy Who Lived to Mope' was obviously floating on cloud nine
for the first time since Ron died, and Harry was asked at least a dozen times a
day who had put the smile on his face.
Harry's voice jogged Draco out of his thoughts, and he couldn't help but smirk
as Harry said, "Dean, I've told you, I'm quite happy with the way things are
between myself and my new boyfriend. We see eye to eye on much more than you
and I ever did, and he really suits me much better. It's quite nice not to be
told I'm acting like a girl every time I want a little affection." Draco
smirked at the way Dean flinched at that, but Harry seemed not to notice it as
he grinned at the Fat Lady and added, "Good evening, ma'am. Rutabaga."
The Fat Lady smiled. "Good evening, Harry. Hello Hermione, Ginny, Dean. Did you
enjoy your dinner?"
There was a general chorus of agreement as the portrait swung open, then the
four of them walked inside. Draco slipped in after them, careful not to make
any noise as Dean asked, "If this bloke is so great, then why won't you tell
anybody who he is?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Harry answered with a little grin. "Until you
do, you'll just have to take my word for it."
"And ours," Ginny said then, smirking. "It's always fun to see how much he
loves Harry. You'd never expect it."
Hermione giggled and nodded. "Or how sappy they are together, they can be
almost sickeningly sweet. It's really very adorable." Draco blushed and made a
mental note to tease the girls a bit about their own relationship as Hermione
added, "I never would have believed they could be such a good match until I saw
it, but now I'm quite glad that they've got each other."
"I still want to know why you twoget to know who it is," Dean said petulantly
as the four of them walked towards the Prefects' rooms. "Why won't Harry tell
me? I think I have a right to know."
"Oh yes, because everyone I've ever dated must be given all of the details when
I start dating someone new," Harry said, snorting loudly and then giving Dean a
look that clearly said he was being stupid. "We'll have to go visit Professor
Trelawney next, and have her tell Ron about you. He's sure to be thrilled that
I let you turn me into your own personal bottom boy."
Draco bit his lip rather hard to keep from laughing out loud. He was more than
a little surprised that Harry could joke about Ron's death, but he was even
more surprised when Hermione giggled while Ginny grinned and said, "Good one,
Harry! You tell him!"
Dean rolled his eyes and stopped. "Fine then, keep him a secret. I'm going to
go see if Justin will go with me. He and Mandy broke up again a few days ago
and I hear he's been looking for a rebound to make her jealous."
"Have fun," Harry replied, his tone so perfectly unconcerned that Draco had to
smirk while Ginny and Hermione turned away again to hide their grins from Dean.
"See you tomorrow, if I'm here. I might go spend the weekend in London."
Hermione and Ginny grinned at each other and then continued down the hallway as
Dean gave Harry a surprised look, asking, "Does your boyfriend live in London?"
"Now why would I want to answer that?" Harry replied, grinning suddenly as he
turned away and started after Hermione and Ginny. "Have fun."
Draco started after Harry, smirking as Dean turned towards the door again and
muttered, "I was a damn fool."
Draco resisted the urge to agree with him, following Harry down the hall
towards Ginny's room, which Draco had learned that Hermione supposedly shared
with her because there was a dreadful draft from the fireplace in the room
normally reserved for the Head Girl. Harry had waited until after Hermione and
Ginny left his room that night to tell him it had taken Hermione weeks to make
her fireplace drafty enough that Ginny noticed. Hermione had given herself a
dreadful cold in the process, but Ginny had been only too happy to keep her
warm while she recovered.
Draco stepped into the doorway just as he heard a shriek of laughter, which he
had discovered was a rather normal occurrence when Ginny had Hermione in
reasonable privacy. Ginny quite liked to make Hermione laugh and she had
discovered early that she could get Hermione to laugh anytime she liked simply
by tickling her. Being reduced to a helplessly giggling puddle embarrassed
Hermione rather dreadfully in public, so Ginny usually behaved herself until
they were in Harry's room or their own. In the last few days Draco had
graduated from 'public' to 'friend', and he had been allowed to watch and
snicker with Harry several times.
Draco grinned and lounged against the doorjamb, watching as Hermione tried to
avoid Ginny's tickling even though that only encouraged Ginny to take more
drastic measures. Ginny pushed Hermione down on their bed, as usual completely
unmindful of the fact they were both in skirts as she climbed up on the bed as
well to pin Hermione down, baring quite a lot of leg. She sat on Hermione's
thighs and began to tickle her in earnest while Harry stood a few feet inside
the door, laughing.
"Ginny!" Hermione gasped between giggles, pushing weakly at Ginny's belly in an
attempt to get her to let her up. She was giggling too hard to really do
anything effective, which obviously suited Ginny just fine. She quite enjoyed
having Hermione on her back squirming around under her, and didn't care who
knew it as long as no one told her Mum. Ginny still hadn't figured out how to
explain to Molly that her only daughter was utterly in love with another girl. 
Draco soon tired of watching the girls play and turned his attention to Harry,
who was still laughing. Draco stepped into the room, closing the door carefully
before he shrugged out of the cloak. He moved over to Harry then, making Harry
jump when Draco slid his arms around him from behind.
Draco grinned and kissed Harry's cheek as Harry laughed softly and turned his
head to look at Draco, smiling. "Merlin, youstartled me."
Ginny looked over towards the door and then stopped tickling Hermione to watch
Harry and Draco instead while Hermione giggled, hiccupping slightly as she
tried to catch her breath.
Draco smirked at Harry, both of them oblivious to their audience as Draco
tightened his arms around Harry, pulling him back against his chest. "I'd
expected you to call me Drake, but I suppose you can call me Merlin if you
like. Bit kinky, though."
Harry laughed and kissed Draco's jaw, leaning back against him comfortably and
laying his hands over Draco's where they rested on his belly. "What are you
doing here?"
Draco shrugged, his smirk fading into a smile. "It's Friday, and the shite has
hit the proverbial fan." He laughed, adding, "Though I've never quite
understood why one would be fanning shite."
Ginny giggled at that as Harry's eyes widened slightly, his grin disappearing.
"Is everything alright?"
"Oh yes, all to plan," Draco reassured him quickly, smiling. "Blaise is going
to be rather unhappy when he wakes up and might have a bruise or two because
Greg was less than careful when he hid him, but he didn't give us any real
problem." Draco smirked again. "He's got a rather nice handprint on his face,
though, which I gather he got from Father. Pissing Malfoys off is a rather
Blaise thing to do, I gather."
Ginny and Hermione both snickered while Harry, who was still concerned, asked,
"Did the others get away okay?"
"Yes, they did," Draco replied, nodding. "I made sure they reached Dumbledore's
office and got past the gargoyle before I left them."
Harry smiled again, relieved. "Great, they should be at Grimmauld Place within
the hour then."
Draco nodded again and then pouted artfully as he added, "But now I've got
nowhere to sleep for the night. It's a sad, sad day. A Malfoy is reduced to
being a homeless vagabond."
Harry laughed then as Hermione teased, "You could always stay in London with
Gregory and Vincent. There are quite a lot of empty rooms there and you would
be perfectly safe."
Draco looked over at Hermione with an innocent smile, his pale blue eyes wide
and guileless. "But then we couldn't trick the Munchlings here into revealing
themselves. That's much too important for me to muck it up just so I can have
my own room again."
Ginny and Harry both snickered while Hermione sniffed and said, "Draco,
honestly, you can't pull off the innocent look at all. We all know you just
want an excuse to sleep with Harry."
Draco smirked again, shrugging one shoulder a bit. "He seems like he'd be very
nice to sleep with." Draco nuzzled Harry's ear and murmured more quietly, "I
know he's quite wonderful to hold."
Harry looked down with a little grin at where his hands rested on Draco's as
Ginny smirked and said, "Nobody's denying that Harry's eminently shaggable,
Drake. It's your innocent act we don't believe."
Harry blushed, looking up with a shocked expression. "Ginny!"
"But I'm such a gentleman!" Draco protested, trying not to laugh at the leer
Ginny was giving Harry. "Why can't my motives be sweet and innocent?!"
Ginny burst out laughing at that as Hermione giggled and said, "You can be
quite sweet, Draco, no one is denying that, but you're almost as innocent as
Harry is. I love him dearly, but he’s truly not very innocent at all."
Draco's eyebrows went up and he smirked suddenly at Harry, whose blush was just
beginning to fade from Ginny's last comment. "Mmm, tonight should be fun."
Harry's eyes widened and then he blushed again, making Ginny laugh even harder.
Hermione giggled and said, "Just so the fun starts after you're in Harry's
room. There are some things I don't want know about either of you."
"We'll be good in here." Draco's smirk turned positively wicked as he nuzzled
Harry's ear again then and asked more softly, "But are you ready to go to our
room?"
Harry purposefully didn't look at Ginny or Hermione, his cheeks still quite red
even though he couldn't help a little bit of a grin at hearing 'our room' from
Draco. "I could be persuaded."
Hermione and Ginny watched as Draco nibbled delicately at Harry's earlobe
before licking slowly along the curve at the back of his ear. Harry's eyelids
fluttered closed after a moment and he let out a soft sound, then Draco
whispered into his ear too quietly for the girls to hear, "I'll make a meal out
of you once we're alone, if you'll let me."
Harry swallowed hard as Draco nuzzled behind his ear, then he opened his mouth
to tell Draco he'd have to work for it just as Draco kissed the sensitive spot
below the corner of Harry's jaw that always made Harry melt so satisfactorily.
Harry shuddered and felt his knees go weak as Draco sucked gently at his
throat, tipping his head to the side to give Draco easier access as he
completely forgot what he had intended to say and instead half-moaned,
"Drake..."
"I'm right here," Draco whispered against the soft skin of Harry's throat, then
gently bit down on a reddened spot still there from the night before.
Draco chuckled knowingly when Harry shuddered again, his knees buckling a bit
as he tightened his grip on Draco’s arms and leaned his head back on Draco's
shoulder. He started slowly stroking Draco's arms a moment later as he relaxed
back against Draco’s chest and let him do whatever he wanted. The fact that
Hermione and Ginny were most certainly watching them didn't even occur to him;
he was so absorbed in what Draco was doing that he wouldn’t have cared if half
the school were watching.
"Harry," Ginny said after another moment, smirking, "it's no wonder Dean's been
following you around all week. You're so easy it's scary."
Harry blushed very red and quickly lifted his head off of Draco's shoulder,
pulling away from him in embarrassment.
Hermione giggled, swatting at Ginny's thigh. "Ginny, that's not nice."
"But it's true!" Ginny replied with a giggle of her own. "Draco just kissed his
neck, and Harry turned to putty. I'd love to see what happened if Draco
actually did anything interesting. Harry would probably cream his pants."
Harry's eyes widened, his blush deepening even further as he said, "I'm going
to pretend I didn't hear you say that."
Ginny just snickered.
Draco rubbed his cheek against Harry's, running one hand down Harry's belly
towards his crotch as he corrected Ginny with a wicked little grin, "He doesn't
go completely boneless, Gin. He just loses his knees."
Harry stopped Draco's hand, his face flaming as he turned his head enough to
look at Draco. "Drake, no."
Draco pouted. "But, Harry, I just want to play a bit."
"So we'll go to our room," Harry replied, resisting the urge to kiss Draco's
pout away. "Where we'll not have Ginny having a go at trying to make me blush
all the way to my toes."
"Which is always fun," Ginny said with a grin, "but you know I only do it
because I love you."
Harry snorted, giving her a dirty look. "You only do it because you get away
with it,you mean."
Ginny grinned wider, completely unrepentant. "Yes, well, that too."
Draco chuckled and then kissed Harry's cheek. "I'll be good." He let go of
Harry and moved over to where he had dropped the invisibility cloak, bending to
pick it up while Harry and Ginny watched him with obvious interest. When Draco
straightened and turned back towards them he raised an eyebrow, asking, "Why
are you both looking at me?"
"You've quite the nice arse," Ginny replied with a smirk, making Hermione roll
her eyes as Harry gave Draco a little grin and nodded in silent agreement.
Draco laughed, his blue eyes twinkling as he swung the invisibility cloak
around his shoulders without bothering to close the front. "Do you think I
qualify as eye-candy, Harry?"
"Most definitely," Harry replied, his grin widening as he moved towards the
door. "And if you can make the school uniform look that good, I can't wait to
see you in something that suits you."
Draco smirked, looking down at what parts of himself weren't invisible as he
straightened his tie. "I do make this look rather dashing, don't I?"
Ginny laughed. "Harry, I don't think feeding that ego is the best idea you've
had today."
"His ego can't get any worse than yours," Harry replied immediately, grinning
at Ginny and reaching for the doorknob just as Draco disappeared under the
cloak.
"Mine!?" Ginny exclaimed indignantly, making Hermione giggle.
Harry nodded, smirking. "Yes, yours. 'Mione's so gone on you, she's got you
thinking you walk on water."
Hermione giggled even harder at the way Ginny snorted, folding her arms across
her chest. "Just wait, Harry, I'll get you for that one when you least expect
it."
"I have no doubt," Harry replied, laughing as he opened the door, then his eyes
went wide and he looked at the doorjamb in front of him, blushing. "I'm going
bed now. Good night."
"Good night," Hermione replied, still giggling as she looked towards the door.
"Remember your wards."
The expression on Harry's face made Ginny quite sure that Draco was doing
something dodgy, so she began looking more intently at Harry, trying to figure
out what it was. Harry's eyes were still a little wide and he seemed to be
trying to keep his body turned away from her and Hermione as he nodded quickly,
glancing back at the girls. "I will, first thing."
The material of Harry's trousers began moving against his crotch seemingly of
it’s own accord then and Ginny smirked as she said, "Good night, Harry. Enjoy
yourself."
"Oh, he will," Draco's voice said, sounding quite smug.
Harry nodded quickly, swallowing as he twisted away from Draco's hand. He
looked at Hermione and Ginny then, trying to ignore the way his face was
flaming as he asked, "Wake us up for breakfast?"
Hermione nodded, looking a bit confused. "I will."
Ginny snickered as Harry squeaked and jumped as though someone had done
something unexpected to his arse, then he said quickly, "See you then!"
The door had barely closed behind Harry when Hermione looked up at Ginny,
resting her hands on Ginny's thighs as she asked, "Why was he just acting so
oddly?"
Ginny smirked, bracing her hands on either side of Hermione's head and leaning
forward as she looked down into Hermione's eyes. "Draco had himself a rather
sensitive handful, and Harry was just a bit distracted."
Hermione's eyes widened. "You're joking."
"Nope," Ginny replied as she began to lower her head towards Hermione,
grinning. "I couldn't see his hand, but I definitely saw the results."
"And why were you staring at Harry's ... results?" Hermione arched an eyebrow
at Ginny as she absently ran her hands up Ginny's thighs, sliding her skirt up
higher.
Ginny smirked again, lowering her head to nuzzle Hermione's cheek. "Is somebody
just a little bit jealous?"
"Maybe," Hermione replied with a pout, turning her face away and acting unhappy
even though she knew Ginny wasn't really going to make a move on Harry.
Ginny loved Harry quite a lot and thought he was, as she had been known to say
rather often, 'sex on a stick', but it was never going to go beyond cuddling
and flirting. Even Draco had quickly picked up on that and soon participated as
naturally as if they had always been friends, teasing Ginny at least as much as
she teased the others. Other people were not as certain of Ginny’s intentions
as Harry, Draco, and Hermione were, but then, what other people thought really
didn't matter to any of them. They knew that any playing about would never go
past teasing and flirting no matter how closely Ginny skirted the line between
friends and lovers, and that was all that was important to them.
Ginny trailed feather light kisses along Hermione's jaw, red-gold hair brushing
against Hermione's face, then she nuzzled Hermione's ear as she whispered, "You
shouldn't be, he's so not my type."
Hermione turned her head back towards Ginny, half-smiling. "Are you sure? He
used to be."
Ginny smiled, looking into Hermione's eyes. "A hundred percent certain. His
name's not 'Hermione'."
Hermione returned the smile. "I love you, too."
"I know," Ginny replied with a sudden smirk, making Hermione giggle before
Ginny silenced her with a kiss.
 
 
***** Yellow *****
 
 
Harry had barely closed Hermione's door when Draco moved closer and opened the
invisibility cloak to swing it around Harry's body as well, causing him to
disappear from the neck down.
Dean stopped at the end of the hall, his eyes going wide as he got a glimpse of
Harry's head and pale blond hair just before Draco flipped the cloak up over
their heads and they both disappeared. Dean stood frozen in the shadows at the
end of the hallway, watching in shock even though he couldn't see anything. He
heard a little surprised exclamation he recognized as Harry's voice and then a
muffled thud and a low growl that sounded somehow teasing, followed by a soft
murmur he couldn't make out. A moment later a familiar laugh was followed by
what he recognized as Harry's voice.
"Drake, not in the hallway!"
Dean closed his eyes and swallowed hard as he realized he really had seen Draco
Malfoy under Harry's cloak, the same cloak Harry had often refused to use when
Dean had wanted to sneak around. He couldn't count the number of times Harry
had told him that he wouldn't use it unless he had to and that he simply would
not loan it out to anyone, not even Dean. Evidently Draco rated quite a bit
higher and was worth the use of Harry's treasured cloak.
There was a long moment of near-silence punctuated only by a low needy moan,
then Dean heard a voice he was fairly sure he would have recognized as Draco
even if he hadn't already been sure it was him. "Then get your lovely arse in
our room so we can shag in peace."
Dean flinched again at hearing Draco say 'our room', remembering that Harry had
never even hinted either of them should move into the other's room. Other than
a very few times he'd just been too tired to walk to his room, Harry hadn't
ever wanted to stay the night with Dean, though the invitation had always been
open. Dean knew that Harry had said repeatedly that he wanted more emotionally
from him than he had gotten, but he still didn't really understand what it was
Harry wanted. He liked Harry and thought that should have been enough for him.
"I would," Harry's voice suddenly replied to Draco, "if you'd stop pinning me
to the wall." Harry sounded amused and more than a bit breathless, and Dean
realized that they had most likely been snogging the entire time he was
thinking.
That made him think about the way Harry had constantly wanted to just cuddle
and kiss when they first got together. He recalled one time in particular that
Harry had come to him in the common room while he was talking to Seamus, not
saying a word or getting in the way, just sitting on the couch next to Dean and
leaning against his side. Seamus had teased him about his 'girlfriend' after a
few minutes and Dean had replied that he didn't date girls because he hated all
of that 'sappy shite'. He had asked Harry then if he was horny or just bored,
and Harry had replied that he was bored. Harry hadn't acted as though he was
upset then when Dean suggested he go play chess with Ginny, but Dean realized
now that he hadn't tried to get close to him very many times after that.
Now Harry was with someone else, and Dean felt his face heat up as he realized
it was his own fault Harry hadn't wanted to stay with him. Harry -- and Ginny,
who had bawled Dean out quite a few times when Harry wasn't around -- had told
him a hundred times that Harry needed Dean to be more affectionate, but he had
resisted. He'd thought that Harry would get used to it and learn to be happy
without it, but evidently he had been very wrong. Ginny had always told him
that he was a bastard to Harry and he hadn’t ever really thought that was fair
of her, but now he had to wonder. If it was so important to Harry that he would
ask for it, maybe Dean really had been selfish to ignore it.
Draco laughed then, distracting Dean from his thoughts and making him wonder
what Harry had said or done. Dean listened intently and watched the seemingly
empty hallway through a long stretch of silence, then Harry's door opened
suddenly. There was another pause before the door swung nearly closed, then
suddenly opened again as Draco stuck his very visible head back out into the
hall, smirking, and called cheerfully, "Oh and Dean? Justin won't go to that
party with you, he and Mandy are visiting her parents this weekend to announce
their engagement. You might try Derek Fenton, he's enough of a slut to go with
you."
Dean glared at Draco as he clearly heard Harry's voice exclaim, "Drake, that
was mean!"
Draco pulled his head back into the room, still smirking as he replied, "No
Harry, simple truth. Derek's always up for a meaningless sha--" The rest of
whatever Draco said was cut off abruptly when Harry's door closed.
Dean stared at the closed door in silence for a bit, thinking about how very
stupid he had been and wondering if Draco would make the same mistakes.
Eventually he decided that Draco probably wouldn't. Draco had a reputation for
being a bit of a nancy-boy, and a bottom to boot, and to Dean's way of thinking
that meant he was more than a little girly. He had also seen with his own eyes
on more than one occasion that Draco was completely shameless, so he doubted
that Harry could truly embarrass Draco by getting too sappy. Then, of course,
was the fact he just couldn't see Harry allowing Draco into his life unless
Harry knew first that Draco was able to give Harry what he needed: love and
complete commitment. Ginny had told Dean that Harry needed exactly that a
hundred times, often while kicking him in the shins or cuffing the back of his
head.
'Which I should have given to him,' Dean thought as he looked down at the
floor. 'Icould have given himall he wanted, it wouldn't have been so difficult.
He never asked me for much, just a little affection. He's been through so much,
lost so much, and all he wantedwasfor me to show him and everyone else that I
cared about him. I could have done it so easily...'He sighed softly and pushed
away from the wall. 'Could have and should have won't do any good now though.
He's moved on, and I suppose I have to as well.'
Dean quietly walked the short distance back to his own room, going inside and
closing the door behind him. Going to the party suddenly seemed much less
important than it had an hour ago. He hated to go to things like that alone.
 
*~*~*
Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah, they were all yellow.
*~*~*
 
"-- meaningless shag, Harry. Dean hasn't got the brains to look for more."
"Drake, that was a bit harsh, don't you think?" Harry asked, giving Draco a
reproachful look. "Dean is very intelligent, he just doesn't think sometimes."
He didn't add how much that particular trait of Dean's reminded him of Ron.
Draco already knew that Harry had begun dating Dean mostly because Dean and Ron
were so alike.
"Intelligence is worthless if you haven't the good sense to think before you
act," Draco replied calmly, moving closer to Harry to rest his hands on Harry's
waist. "Derek's just the type to be shagging his best friend while 'dating'
someone else, so Dean should be about his speed."
"But it wasn't nice to have said so," Harry murmured, still looking a bit
unhappy. "Dean is one of my closest friends, even now, and I want you to be
friends with him too."
Draco snorted. "I won't lie to you and pretend I sympathize with him, or
apologize for thinking he's a fool. I'll not think differently of him until I
see some indication he's learned to think a bit instead of just following his
prick."
Harry sighed and then said quietly, "I'd never break up with you for him. You
don't need to dislike him just because he and I used to shag."
Draco looked surprised, then laughed and kissed Harry quickly before smiling at
him as he said, "Harry, I'm not jealous of him or worried that you'd go back to
him."
"Then why do you hate him?" Harry asked, confused. "You barely know him, other
than the fact he's one of my friends."
"I dislike him because he hurt you just so he could shag Finnegan," Draco
answered with a soft smile, lifting one hand to stroke Harry's cheek. "I'd not
be impressed by him no matter who he had cheated on Harry, but the fact it was
you just makes me that much more certain he's got a pronounced lack of common
sense."
Harry looked into Draco's eyes for several moments before he suddenly asked,
"How long have you liked me, Draco?"
Draco smiled and leaned in to kiss Harry gently, lingering as Harry returned
the kiss. He finally pulled away a bit to murmur against Harry's lips, "Rather
longer than I want to admit, really. I've wasted quite a lot of time trying to
make you as miserable as I was when I should have been being happy with you
instead."
Harry smiled and kissed him quickly, and his eyes were soft and shining with
love he hadn't yet dared to really admit to. "We both have, but now we can make
up for lost time."
Draco's smile suddenly shifted into a wicked little grin as he lifted one hand
to remove Harry's glasses, then tossed them onto the bedside table. "Then we're
wearing way too many clothes."
Harry laughed softly at that and opened his mouth to agree, but Draco was quick
to silence him with a kiss. Harry made a soft pleased sound and they swayed
closer together, their hands already roaming as they began to undress each
other.
 
*~*~*
I came along,
I wrote a song for you,
And all the things you do,
And it was called "Yellow."
*~*~*
 
Ginny slid one hand into Hermione's open shirt to cup her breast as she slowly
ran the tip of her tongue along the curve of Hermione's ear, making her shiver.
Ginny's sharp teeth closed gently on Hermione's earlobe a moment later and
Hermione let out a breathy little moan as her hands tightened on Ginny's hips.
Ginny's lips curved in a little smirk and she nuzzled Hermione's ear, blowing
gently across the damp skin before she licked and nibbled at her earlobe again.
Her thumb lightly stroked over a lace-covered nipple a moment later, causing
Hermione to arch her back as her hands slid up Ginny's sides to tug at her
jumper.
"Gin, take this off," Hermione murmured. "I want to feel you."
"Mm, yes." Ginny gave the soft little hollow below Hermione's ear one last lick
and then sat up, gazing down into Hermione's eyes. She lifted both hands to her
jumper, pulling it up and off quickly before she moved her hands to begin
unbuttoning her simple uniform blouse. Hermione reached up to tug Ginny's
blouse free of the waistband of her skirt and then began to help unbutton it,
her fingers deft and sure on the buttons. Ginny shrugged out of the confining
material soon after that, letting it fall across Hermione's knees behind her.
Hermione moved her hands to Ginny's waist then, her fingertips ghosting along
lines of muscle before she slowly ran her hands up over Ginny's smooth, firm
body. She watched the path her hands took for a moment, her brown eyes soft and
luminous, then lifted her gaze to Ginny's face and whispered softly, "I could
look at you for hours." Hermione palmed Ginny's small, high breasts as she
added, "You're beautiful."
"Only to you," Ginny replied, smiling even though her cheeks pinked a bit as
she reached for Hermione's blouse to finish unfastening it as well.
"All the things you can say or do and just smirk, and yet even after seven
months I can say two words and you'll blush," Hermione said teasingly, smiling
as she pinched Ginny's nipples. Ginny squirmed and arched into her touch as she
licked at her lips but she didn't otherwise respond, trying to concentrate on
removing the rest of Hermione's clothes. "I should think you'd be used to me
telling you that you're beautiful by now."
Ginny blushed even further as she finished with Hermione's blouse and tugged at
the button of her skirt, unzipping it as she murmured, "I don't think I'll ever
be used to it. I'm not."
"You are to me," Hermione replied immediately, just as she always did when
Ginny said that. They had a conversation very similar to this one several times
a week, and Hermione was determined to keep telling Ginny she was beautiful
until Ginny believed her.
Ginny would never have admitted it, not even to herself, but she loved to hear
Hermione tell her she was beautiful. She knew that she was quite unlike most
girls with muscle and bone in the places she was supposed to have soft curves.
She couldn't help the way her body had matured when she finally began to shoot
up in her fifth year amidst daily Quidditch practice, growing leggy and muscled
up when other girls were getting curvy and sexy. Ginny had always been told she
looked like the twins when she was younger, and then suddenly one day she was
almost as tall as Bill and still androgynous enough to pass as a boy if she
tried. Realizing that she was in love with one of her best friends definitely
hadn't helped, but the fact that the friend just happened to be a girl had been
icing on the cake.
Hermione stroked her hands down Ginny's sides as she repeated, "I love to look
at you." Ginny's cheeks were flushed bright red under her freckles but she
didn't say anything, so Hermione took the opportunity to add, "I love how
athletic and graceful you are."
"Athletic is just another word for boyish." Ginny tugged at Hermione's skirt as
Hermione helpfully wriggled under her to let her pull it up. "Everyone knows
boys aren't beautiful."
"I don't like boys as you well know," Hermione replied as she sat up, "so I
think I might notice if you were boyish." She shrugged out of her open blouse
and then allowed Ginny to tug her skirt up and off, leaving Hermione naked but
for her sensible cotton panties and a lacy scrap of material that passed for a
bra.
Hermione knew that being built very similar to a boy was one of the things
Ginny thought least attractive about herself. Until Hermione took him aside and
told him off, George had spent most of Ginny's fifth year joking whenever he
saw her that she was the youngest Weasley boy who had just been given the wrong
plumbing. George had been truly sorry when Hermione told him how much it hurt
Ginny, who was having a hard time then anyway, but the damage had already been
done.
George's teasing, light-hearted as it might have been intended, really got to
Ginny because lot of the time that was how she felt. She simply did not enjoy
most things girls were supposed to like. She liked to wrestle and to play
Quidditch, and she enjoyed playing pranks and talking dirty almost as much as
she liked teasing Harry. She led when she danced, was more than a little
possessive of Hermione if anyone dared to flirt with her, and she had been
known to loom and snarl a bit when boys got too close, much to Hermione's
amusement. Ginny had thought she was something of a freak until Hermione
educated her about Muggle sexuality and lesbianism in particular, a subject
Hermione had found an interest in while doing research after Harry told her he
was queer.
Hermione slid her arms around Ginny's waist and then leaned forward to nuzzle
her throat, smiling. "You are slim, and graceful, and athletic," she murmured
against Ginny's skin before she licked and sucked gently at what she knew to be
a particularly sensitive spot, causing Ginny to tip her head to the side a bit
and lean closer, wordlessly asking for more. Hermione nuzzled Ginny's neck,
lips curved into a little smirk. "But, you haven't got the dangly bits to be a
boy, and," her hands slid down over the curve of Ginny's arse, "you've got
curves in all the right places."
Ginny giggled and lifted one hand to stroke Hermione's hair as she reached
around and skillfully unfastened Hermione's bra with the other hand. "Small
curves, but they are where they belong at least. None up 'round my ears or on
my elbows."
Hermione nipped Ginny's collarbone and then pulled back to look into Ginny's
eyes as she removed her bra the rest of the way. "You have very nice curves
that are just perfect."
Ginny looked into Hermione's eyes for a moment and then said softly, "I love
you."
Hermione smiled. "I know."
 
~*~*~
So then I took my turn,
Oh what a thing to've done,
And it was all yellow.
~*~*~
 
During the previous week, Draco had spent every moment that he possibly could
with Harry, which often meant that he was with Hermione and Ginny as well.
Draco had discovered that he quite liked at least one Weasley and learned a
goodly bit about Harry's romantic past through Ginny's blunt honesty.
Draco had quickly discovered Ginny wasn't ashamed to discuss anything he was
willing to ask, which led to quite a bit of blushing for Hermione and even
Harry. The reddest they had gotten so far had been on Tuesday evening, when
Ginny and Draco had begun a discussion of which sort of lube was more fun. That
topic had sent Harry and Hermione running for the library with a quickly made-
up excuse that they needed to find another source for Hermione's extra-credit
treatise on healing charms.
Once Draco and Ginny had stopped laughing at Harry and Hermione's precipitous
escape, Ginny had started a more serious discussion about Harry and his old
boyfriends. She began by telling Draco more of how things had been between
Harry and Ron, including the fact they had never really done anything beyond a
little fairly innocent kissing. She went on to add that Harry had briefly dated
several boys before Dean, giving Harry a bit of experience but not what he
really needed. Ginny thought the boys had treated Harry reasonably well, at
least up until Dean, but they weren't serious about sex like Harry was and he
hadn't dated any of them for long. Ginny had asked Draco then if he and Harry
had shagged yet, and when he said they hadn't she had kissed Draco's cheek and
called him a sweetheart.
Draco had been a bit confused by that so Ginny explained that Harry's
boyfriends, other than Ron, seemed to have all been cut from Dean's sort of
cloth. Harry had been spending a lot of time alone during the term, even while
theoretically dating someone, because he hadn't been made to feel loved by any
of them. She was very glad Draco was different, and made sure that Draco knew
she thought Draco was good for Harry so she was definitely on his side. Draco
had admitted to her then that Harry's romantic past was very similar to his
own, except he had wanted it to be that way because he couldn't trust anyone.
He thought Harry had too soft and trusting a heart for his own good, and the
fact he had a simply gorgeous body and fame to boot meant that he was bound to
draw attention from the wrong sort. It didn't help at all that, in Draco's
opinion at least, Harry seemed to have inordinately bad taste in boys.
Ginny hadn't been able to resist teasing him for that remark and had pointed
out that most of Harry's friends would agree with Draco, but would lump him
into that 'bad choice' category right at the top of the list. Draco had
pretended not to hear her, instead commenting that it seemed like a great waste
for Harry to be with anyone who didn't treasure him. Harry and Hermione had
returned then, hoping that the two of them would have the embarrassing talk out
of the way, and Ginny had promptly declared to them that Draco was her honorary
brother. Harry had beamed at that declaration and given Draco a kiss that
curled his toes and made Ginny whistle appreciatively, and Draco's
determination that he wasn't going to treat Harry like his other boyfriends had
grown just a bit stronger.
Draco thought that Harry, who was so obviously starved for affection that even
just a smile would make him beam as if Draco had given him half of Gringotts,
deserved to have someone take the time to just enjoy being with him. Draco
quite liked to spend time with Harry and his 'sisters' and he intended to be
that someone. It was much more than a point of pride to Draco, so he had made
it his priority to show Harry just how he felt about him at every opportunity.
The fact Draco could do so just by dropping his usual facade and being
completely honest was just an incidental benefit.
Judging by Harry's responses, Draco was doing a very good job. Harry had
quickly relaxed into letting himself enjoy the affection Draco gave him,
returning it at every opportunity. Even though they hadn't actually had sex
yet, they had done everything else and were very comfortable with each other,
content to spend hours together just talking and touching between lingering
kisses. They often leaned against each other while they studied during the
evenings and sometimes they laid aside the books to just cuddle while talking
about whatever went through their heads. Draco had learned quite a lot about
Harry in the last week and every little thing he learned made him want to know
that much more. Ginny teasingly said it was because he was so completely gone
on Harry, but whatever the reason, Harry fascinated him as no one else ever
had.
Draco had grown to feel as though he truly belonged in Harry's room and his
life during the last week, and was learning that he liked many things he had
never really dared to try before. He had discovered it was very enjoyable to be
able to laugh, tease, cuddle, and completely let his guard down even though he
was not alone. He'd found himself realizing that his wand was across the room a
dozen times, and that he still felt completely safe and at home, and he liked
that feeling of freedom that gave him. For the first time in his life he found
himself feeling as though a girl, a Weasley even, was someone he would trust
with his life. Ginny was smart and funny and intensely loyal, and she obviously
liked Draco quite a bit, treating him as one of her brothers and including him
in the teasing affection that she gave to those she loved.
The fact that Ginny had become one of the best friends he could ever remember
having was not Draco's most surprising realization during the last week though,
far from it. The change that surprised him the most was such an intensely
personal one that he hadn't even dared to really think too hard about yet, much
less admit to anyone else. He might eventually have to discuss it with Ginny,
if only to get his own thoughts straight, but if he did, he wanted have that
talk while they were alone. Some of the things he would have to admit to in
order to tell her what had changed were a little embarrassing even to him, and
he just didn't want to have Hermione try and butt in with advice when he tried
to talk about it. Ginny would listen if he got the nerve to talk to her about
it, and she would give him advice that was founded in her rather intimate
knowledge of Harry.
Draco's new realization was a rather simple one, really, but it said something
very important about the way his life was changing. He had taken the dominant
role in relationships from the first time an older boy propositioned him
because he hadn't trusted anyone enough to give up control of what happened to
them. He had mastered the art of topping from the bottom long before his
sixteenth birthday, and he had happily earned a reputation as a very pushy
bottom that liked variety. Boys he shagged learned quickly that if they didn't
do exactly as Draco liked, they'd not get near him again and would likely wind
up in detention as well the next time he caught them breaking the rules.
When Draco had leapt into a relationship with Harry, it was the first time he
had ever become involved with anyone because he cared about them. He hadn't
really thought about exactly which of them would be dominant until one of his
talks with Ginny, when she pointed out that Harry was used to being a fairly
submissive bottom. That was something that Draco never would have believed
Harry could be until he had actually seen it for himself. Draco thought that
Harry's submissive streak had probably begun as a power trip for one of his
previous boyfriends, and that Dean's habit of pushing Harry away unless he
wanted to shag him had only complicated it. Dean liked to top and he hated to
cuddle and Harry hadn't argued with him over either one nearly as much as he
should have.
Doing anything more than making out with Harry had been an adventure in more
ways than Draco had expected. The first night that all of their clothes made it
into the floor, Draco had given Harry a dozen opportunities to take over only
for them to be ignored until Draco decided he would have to be very blunt. He
had pinned Harry to the bed and then sat on his chest while he explained in
very small words that he wanted Harry to be completely open with him and never
hold back. Draco had then moved away and told Harry that either Harry could
start doing that or Draco could go, because he refused to dominate Harry just
because Harry had become convinced people should push him about in bed.
Harry had argued then that they should be equals and that he didn't want Draco
to restrain himself either, especially not in bed. That suited Draco fine and
he had said so, but he had made sure to point out that being equals did not
involve him always taking the lead. Harry had teased him about stating the
obvious then, so Draco had pointed out all of the opportunities he'd given
Harry to take over and the fact Harry hadn't taken advantage of any of them.
Harry had blushed and mumbled something about not wanting to scare him off, and
Draco hadn't been able to resist a smirk as he replied that Harry couldn't get
rid of him if he tried. Harry had tried not to hold back after that, and Draco
hadn't quite been prepared for what he felt when Harry pinned him down a little
while later and proceeded to explore.
Draco was normally a very strong-willed person, but there was something
liberating in feeling safe enough with someone to surrender completely. Harry
seemed to have very good instincts for finding all of Draco's most sensitive
places and his single-minded attention to Draco's pleasure made it very easy
for Draco to forget everything else. The fact that Harry was willing, playful,
and enthusiastic about finding every single way he could drive Draco crazy just
insured that Draco encouraged him shamelessly. Now that he knew Draco didn't
mind, Harry seldom let Draco take the lead for very long simply because he
enjoyed giving Draco pleasure and all the ways Draco made it obvious he loved
every minute of it.
Harry hadn't yet made any move to take control that evening, but Draco was
content to take charge until Harry got to the point he would take over. He knew
that Harry could turn the tables in a heartbeat when he felt like it, so there
was no reason from him not to enjoy the lead while he had it. Within moments of
the last of their clothing hitting the floor, Harry was flat on his back on the
bed with the blankets kicked into a pile near his feet and Draco sitting on his
hips.
Draco smirked down at Harry and rubbed his arse slowly against Harry's cock,
his hair falling loosely around his face as his hands slid up over Harry's
belly and chest. "You look quite good enough to eat."
Harry grinned, arching slightly into Draco's touch as he reached up to cup one
hand around the back of Draco's neck. "So do you." He pulled Draco down towards
him, staring up into Draco's eyes as he added cheekily, "Now c'mere, tease."
Draco followed the pull, still smirking as their lips met and then thrusting
his tongue into Harry's mouth without any preamble, groaning softly when Harry
just hummed and sucked on his tongue. They spent quite a while kissing after
that, exploring the familiar contours of each other's mouths while their hands
slid over smooth, firm flesh. They got so lost in each other that neither of
them was aware of how much time passed while their bodies slowly rubbed against
each other, enjoying the slow build of heat and need between them.
Draco was the first to finally pull away, looking into Harry's lust-clouded
eyes as he murmured, "It's only teasing if I don't follow through."
Draco didn't wait for a reply before he leaned down to give Harry a quick,
hungry kiss and then began to kiss his way down Harry's body, shifting
backwards to move down the bed. He was intent on giving him an expert blowjob
to start their first full night spent together, and Harry didn't seem as though
he were getting ready to argue. Draco was in no hurry though, and took his time
making his ways towards Harry's cock, exploring Harry's chest while Harry
stroked his shoulders. He continued licking and sucking at Harry's nipples,
switching sides randomly and occasionally nipping the sensitive flesh just hard
enough to make Harry's hips jerk.
Harry quite liked to have his nipples pinched and was soon squirming under
Draco's determined assault, but he stayed nearly silent other than the soft
sounds of his ragged breathing. Draco had yet to figure out why Harry was so
quiet in bed, but he thought it probably was something Harry had picked up to
please his old boyfriends. He had a suspicion that Harry was one of those
people who liked to talk in bed and thought that it must have bothered someone
he was with, most likely Ron. He knew that Harry and Ron had been living in the
dorm still when they were starting out, and he thought that Ron had probably
been skittish enough not to want to hear what was going through Harry's mind.
Draco was determined to figure out how to get him past that strange silence
more quickly, regardless of who had caused it. He loved to hear Harry's
responses to what he was doing and wanted Harry to feel comfortable enough to
just let it out.
Draco shifted to kneel between Harry's legs as he moved further down the bed to
more easily explore Harry's body, trailing teasing, feather light kisses and
sharp little nips along Harry's abs before he slowly licked a twisting path
through the dark hair around Harry's navel. Harry shivered as he moved his
hands from Draco's shoulders to the bed, fisting the rumpled sheets and lifting
his hips in wordless encouragement as he gasped softly. Draco settled his hands
high on Harry's thighs to hold him down, lingering to lick slowly into Harry's
belly button and explore it thoroughly while his thumbs lightly stroked tense
muscles. He eventually moved to nuzzle through the trail of dark hair that led
downwards, his cheek brushing against Harry's erection where it jutted up along
his belly.
Harry finally groaned then and tried to shift his hips as he murmured hoarsely,
"Drake, please."
Draco smirked, feeling victorious for drawing Harry out of that odd silence as
he held Harry's hips still and rubbed his cheek against hard, velvety flesh,
enjoying the way it throbbed against his cheek. "Please what, Harry? Tell me."
Draco didn't wait for a reply, moving away from Harry's cock to nibble gently
down the soft skin on the inside of his thigh as Harry squirmed and moved his
legs further apart. He loved the desire-drenched tone of Harry's voice as Harry
groaned and then replied huskily, "I want to feel your mouth."
Draco decided that was quite a good idea and kissed his way back up the inside
of Harry's thigh, listening to Harry's sudden intake of breath as muscles
rippled under the skin. Harry had a sheen of sweat blooming on his body by the
time Draco's hands tightened on his hips, holding him down as he moved to lick
slow circles on Harry's balls. Harry let out a surprised gasp and then a
throaty moan, his muscles flexing as he tried to move his hips.
Draco smirked inwardly and nibbled at the sensitive skin, drawing a soft little
strangled noise from Harry before he lowered his head a bit further and closed
his mouth around one of Harry's testicles. He immediately began to swirl his
tongue against the underside of Harry's sac, suckling while Harry whimpered.
Draco sucked a bit harder and then released the mouthful of sensitive flesh,
blowing across it and watching Harry shudder as his cock twitched over the dark
hair on his belly. He smirked and lowered his head to repeat his attentions on
the other testicle, listening to Harry make soft little noises that caused
Draco's cock to throb as he wondered how Harry would sound when they actually
made love.
When Draco finally moved to lick at the base of Harry's cock, Harry groaned,
muttering in a rough, exasperated tone, "Drake, please." He lifted his hips,
pushing against the restraint of Draco's hands as he tightened his grip on the
sheet and twisted handfuls of soft cotton. "You're driving me crazy."
Draco smirked but didn't reply, instead putting his mouth to much better use as
he dragged the flat of his tongue up Harry's erection. Harry groaned again more
loudly and tried to move, his cock throbbing against Draco's lips as a bit of
precome dripped onto his belly. Draco swirled his tongue against the sensitive
underside of Harry's cock, loving the little encouraging noises Harry was
making as his muscles bunched and strained under Draco's hands. Draco licked up
to the head of Harry's cock and then closed his lips around the slit just as it
pulsed again, humming appreciatively as droplets of precome dribbled onto his
tongue.
Harry let out a low impatient noise and braced one foot on the bed to get more
leverage, forcing Draco to tighten his grip and lean on his hands to hold him
down when Harry tried to thrust again. Draco slowly licked up over the crown of
Harry's cock, lingering for several moments as he explored the sensitive flesh
with his tongue. He enjoyed the taste and feel of Harry's cock against his lips
as he flicked the tip of his tongue along the slit, another droplet of precome
erupting against his tongue as he groaned softly. He took just the head of
Harry's cock in his mouth then, swirling his tongue against the velvety flesh
to get the last traces of precome.
"Drake," Harry growled softly, sounding more than a little frustrated as he
lifted his hips off the bed in a short thrust even though Draco was still
trying to hold him down.
Draco decided he quite liked the growly note in Harry's voice and tilted his
head to look up along Harry's sweaty body at his face. The naked lust in
Harry's green eyes caused him to swallow hard, and he let Harry's cock slip
from his mouth with a soft pop. "What, Harry? Tell me what you want and I'll do
it."
Harry's eyes narrowed slightly. "I want you to stop larking about, Drake,
before I take matters into my own hands."
Draco smirked at that, his pale blue eyes sparkling with sudden amusement. "Is
that a threat?"
"It's a promise," Harry replied immediately, pushing his elbows against the bed
to half sit up and giving Draco a challenging look. "I'm about this far..."
Harry shifted his weight slightly and lifted one hand from the bed to hold his
fingers about half an inch apart. "... from throwing you down and seeing if I
can't make you forget everything but my name."
Draco slowly lowered his lips almost to Harry's cock, smirking up at Harry as
he moved one hand to slide his fingers into the coarse dark curls surrounding
it. Harry watched him with glittering, hungry eyes as Draco's breath ghosted
against the sensitive flesh of his cock and Draco whispered, "What is it you
want me to do, Harry? All you have to do is tell me."
Harry licked his lips and moved his free hand to slide his fingers into Draco's
hair, brushing it back so he could see Draco's face better as he replied
huskily, "I'd really, really like for you to suck my prick. Please?"
"Mm, so polite," Draco teased softly before he pressed his lips to the crown of
Harry's cock again, sucking gently and drawing a deep groan from Harry. Draco's
lips curved as he closed his hand around the base of Harry's cock and then he
lowered his head to take more of it into his mouth, keeping up a constant
suction.
Harry watched Draco's mouth on his cock as he carefully rocked his hips,
pushing deeper into the wet heat of Draco's mouth with a soft little
inarticulate sound. He let his head fall back, closing his eyes and tightening
his grip on Draco's hair as he lifted his hips again and whispered, "That feels
so fucking good."
Draco's only reply was a low purring noise, the vibrations drawing another
groan from Harry as his hips rocked a little harder. Draco squeezed Harry's
cock and then loosened his hold before squeezing again as Harry began to thrust
more strongly, muttering huskily, "Fuck, yes, just like that."
Draco hummed in reply as he moved his head in time with the rocking of Harry's
hips, keeping up a steady suction as he rhythmically squeezed and stroked
Harry's cock. It didn't take long before Harry's hips were jerking completely
off the bed as Harry cried out wordlessly, his cock pulsing in Draco's mouth.
Draco let the first spurts of thick liquid fill his mouth and then pulled off
slowly and swallowed with a low groan before he began to suck again, milking
Harry's cock with his hand. He swirled his tongue slowly against the underside
just below the crown, savoring the taste as Harry shuddered and thrust slightly
with the last pulse of his cock.
Harry finally relaxed back onto the bed and was still as he tried to catch his
breath, his cock softening in Draco's mouth. Draco took his time licking
Harry's cock clean and then moved his attentions to Harry's balls again,
lingering when Harry made low appreciative noises. Harry finally lifted his
head after a bit, tucking one hand behind his head to prop his head up as he
watched Draco with heavy-lidded eyes. Draco licked up Harry's softened cock one
last time and then swirled his tongue around the crown before he began to kiss,
lick and nibble his way up Harry's sweaty body, a smug smirk lingering at the
corners of his mouth.
 
~*~*~
Your skin,
Oh yeah, your skin and bones,
Turned into something beautiful,
And it was all yellow.
~*~*~
 
Draco's attempt to explore Harry's body a second time had only lasted until
Harry caught his breath, and then the tables were turned rather abruptly. Draco
barely had time to register the evil grin on Harry's face before he found
himself on his back with Harry's lips around the base of his cock, the muscles
of Harry's throat closing tightly around the head as Harry swallowed him whole.
Draco cried out and came almost immediately, too aroused by the hummer he had
given Harry and surprised by Harry's actions to resist the sudden rush of
pleasure.
Harry took advantage of Draco's post-climactic bliss to roll Draco to his belly
and begin rimming him, giving Draco no chance to gather his scattered wits.
Harry had him pressing back towards his probing tongue before Draco had even
caught his breath, and he was soon mumbling how wonderful it felt and making
noises that made Harry's cock twitch with renewed interest. Harry took his time
reducing Draco to gasping whimpers between pleas for more, then suddenly moved
up against Draco's back to put his lips against Draco's hair where it fell
across his ear.
"I'm going to fuck you senseless," Harry murmured, then nuzzled Draco's hair
aside to lick slowly along the curve of his ear as Draco lifted his hips to
press back against him. "Unless, of course, you have a better idea."
Draco quite liked the idea of letting Harry top, so he replied hastily, "Oh no,
I don't."
Harry smirked but didn't reply immediately as he rubbed his fingertip against
Draco's wet entrance, teasing him. Draco let out an impatient noise and tried
to push back onto his finger after Harry had stroked across the puckered muscle
a few times, but Harry was having none of it and just moved his hand away.
Draco muttered, "You're evil, teasing me like this. Just fuck me already."
Harry grinned and rested his hands on Draco's hips, pressing his cock along the
curve of Draco's arse. "Patience. It'll be worth the wait."
Draco groaned, obviously frustrated as he shifted so that Harry's cock was
against the crack of his arse and then began to grind back against him. "I've
never been patient, Harry. Just do it!"
Harry chuckled and kissed Draco's back, then lifted his hand to suck on his own
fingers a moment before he swayed away from him a bit and moved his hand back
down to slide his fingertips along the cleft of Draco's arse. "Pushy bottom,
aren't you?"
Draco turned his head to look over his shoulder at Harry, his expression
showing his frustration even though he was amused. "However did you guess?"
Harry grinned. "Used my brilliant powers of deductive reasoning." He rubbed the
tips of two fingers against Draco's entrance and then pressed them inside,
smirking at the way Draco moaned. "Like that?"
"Fuck yes," Draco murmured, pushing back further onto Harry's fingers.
Harry smirked and pressed closer to Draco again to rub his cock against Draco's
upper thigh, his fingertips teasingly avoiding Draco's prostate as he murmured
into Draco's ear, "It only gets better." He began trailing kisses and gentle
nips along Draco's shoulder, his fingers slowly moving as he stretched Draco
with more care than was strictly necessary. He knew that Draco was used to
little or no preparation before rather rough sex, but he still wanted to
prepare him the right way. He wanted to see if the unexpected care could make
Draco loose control completely and beg. He thought it would, possibly even
before he was shagging him properly.
Harry licked a path up the middle of Draco's back, enjoying the taste of the
sweat on Draco's skin as he twisted his fingers and then slowly began to ease
them free of Draco's body. He intended to go get the lubricant, but Draco let
out a soft noise and rocked backwards, pushing Harry's fingers deeper into his
yielding body instead. "Harry, no," Draco murmured, "don't stop now."
Harry kissed Draco's shoulder, stroking Draco's side with his free hand. "I
won't." Draco's hair tickled Harry's nose and Harry lifted his free hand to
impatiently brush Draco's hair aside, baring the sensitive skin at the nape of
Draco's neck. Harry's breath tickled against the wispy hairs there and Draco
shivered as Harry began to kiss slowly along Draco's hairline, his fingers
pressing deeper into Draco's willing body. He smirked against Draco's skin a
few seconds later when Draco arched back towards him suddenly, murmuring
breathlessly, "Oh yes, Harry, right there..."
Harry pressed his lips against Draco's neck, sucking at the skin and swirling
his tongue against as he flexed his fingers inside of Draco. Draco's hips
bucked back towards him again as Draco let out a low noise, and Harry slowly
stroked the firm nub of flesh again to encourage Draco to move again. Harry
lifted his lips from Draco's skin again after a few moments, dragging his
tongue across the reddened mark he had made as he rubbed his cock slowly
against Draco's hip. Draco pressed back towards him, grinding against Harry's
fingers and cock as Harry nuzzled Draco's ear and whispered, "I want so badly
to be inside you right now."
Draco whimpered, tipping his head back against Harry's shoulder as he arched
his back and gasped out softly, "Please."
"Please what?" Harry licked at the edge of Draco's jaw, enjoying the taste of
clean sweat mingled with that indefinable something that was simply Draco.
"Tell me."
"I want you in me," Draco whispered, turning his head towards Harry to kiss him
hungrily before he murmured against Harry's mouth, "I need it. I need
you,Harry."
Harry groaned softly and kissed Draco as though he wanted to eat him alive,
quickly withdrawing his fingers from Draco's arse and then pulling away
completely as Draco moaned at the sudden loss of Harry's touch, shivering.
Draco missed the heat of Harry's body against him and had to remind himself
that Harry would be right back as he turned his head to watch Harry climb off
the bed, licking his lips at the way Harry looked in the candlelight. The sweat
sheening Harry's skin caught the light and made every muscle seem to stand out
in sharper relief, turning him into a fascinating pattern of light and shadow
that rippled with every move.
Harry moved over to the dresser, jerking open the top drawer and digging around
a bit before removing a tube of Muggle lubricant and then turning back towards
Draco. He paused then to stare at Draco, his green eyes bright with desire as
he admired Draco's pale, lithe body in the flickering light of the candle by
the bed. He stood there for several moments before he finally moved towards
Draco again and murmured, "You're so beautiful. Pale golden perfection."
Draco leaned towards him instead of replying, their mouths meeting in another
hungry kiss as Harry climbed back onto the bed. When Harry ended the kiss he
immediately moved kneel behind Draco again as he impatiently opened the small
tube of Muggle lubricant, squirting some on his fingers before closing the tube
and tossing it in the general direction of the bedside table. Draco twisted,
leaning back towards Harry, who pressed up against Draco's back and met him for
another kiss, sliding his tongue into Draco's mouth.
Harry groaned softly when Draco sucked hungrily at his tongue and moved his
slick fingers to Draco's entrance again, pushing two inside and earning an
approving noise from Draco as he rocked back onto them. Harry didn't tease
Draco this time, his movements gentle but efficient as he stretched him again
until Draco suddenly groaned into their kiss and whispered against his lips in
an amused, breathless tone, "Harry, fuck me already."
Harry made a soft noise of agreement and kissed Draco once more before he
pulled his fingers free, looking down as he moved his hands to gently spread
the cheeks of Draco's arse and shifted to press the head of his cock to Draco's
entrance. Harry looked back up then and opened his mouth to say something just
as Draco arched his back and rocked back towards him with a sudden smirk. Harry
let out a low groan as his cock slid into Draco's welcoming body until his
belly was against Draco's arse, and he moved his hands to Draco's hips to hold
him still. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be inside someone, and
just the feeling of Draco's slick heat clenching tight around his cock was
almost too much to bear as he fought for some shred of control.
"God," Harry whispered after a few moments, pressing his lips to the nape of
Draco's neck in a soft kiss. "This isn't going to last long, you feel too
good."
"Doesn't have to," Draco replied softly, his head falling back onto Harry's
shoulder as he flexed his hips. "I love finally feeling you inside me, but I'd
love it even more if you'd move."
Harry nibbled gently at the reddened bite on the nape of Draco's neck before he
murmured against his skin, "I'm going to try and make you see stars."
Harry suited his actions to his words, pulling back smoothly and then thrusting
into Draco with barely controlled force, smirking a bit at the sound of Draco's
answering groan. Draco held still as Harry's hips drew back and then he rocked
backwards as Harry thrust again, letting out a soft cry when he felt the sudden
shock of pleasure as the shift in angle caused Harry to hit his prostate. Harry
pulled back to thrust into him again without waiting for any other
encouragement, and soon the soft sounds of skin hitting skin were drowned out
by the noises they both were making.
They settled into a quick, erratic rhythm that was punctuated by low grunts of
effort and soft cries of pleasure until Draco felt Harry's teeth sink into the
nape of his neck. Draco cried out softly then, arching back against Harry as
Harry licked and sucked at the darkening mark on Draco's neck. Harry slid one
arm around Draco's waist then and thrust harder into him as he moved his other
hand to Draco's cock and began to stroke it quickly. The slight roughness of
the broom calluses on Harry's palm and fingers rubbing along Draco's over-
sensitive erection caused more than enough friction to send Draco over the
edge. He jerked under Harry as he cried out, spurts of semen hitting the sheet
under them as his arse clenched almost painfully tight on Harry's cock. Harry
bit down on Draco's shoulder and drove his cock into him as deeply as he could
only a few more times before he came with a low groan, sliding his arms around
Draco's waist to hold him tightly as he shuddered through the aftershocks.
The muscles in Draco's shoulders began to tremble with the strain of holding
them both up after a few moments and Harry lifted off of him, pulling carefully
out of Draco's body. He flopped down on the bed next to Draco with a low
satisfied purr then, watching Draco lean towards the bedside table for his
wand. Draco quickly performed cleaning charms on himself, Harry, and the bed,
then laid the wand aside again and he collapsed next to Harry with a groan.
Harry chuckled softly and rolled Draco to lie on his side, then spooned up
behind him and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist.
Draco settled back against Harry's chest with a soft sigh, smiling as he laid
one hand on Harry's to lace their fingers together. Harry pressed his lips
against the mark on Draco's neck in a gentle kiss, squeezing Draco's hand as he
felt Draco relax completely in his arms. They were both content to just lie
there together as their breathing returned to normal and the sheen of sweat on
their bodies began to evaporate.
Draco was the first to break the silence a little while later, murmuring, "I
love having you hold me like this."
Harry nuzzled Draco's ear, smiling. "So do I. Makes me never want to let you
go."
Draco turned his head to look at Harry, his pale blue eyes gentle and full of
love. "I might hold you to that."
"You'd better," Harry murmured softly in reply, and he was smiling as he kissed
him.
 
~*~*~
You know,
You know I love you so,
You know I love you so.
~*~*~
 
Harry and Draco slept quite late the next morning, peacefully oblivious to the
world and pressed so closely together, even asleep, that they both took up
little more of Harry's bed than Harry would have alone. Harry had rolled over
to sprawl on his belly sometime during the night, and it hadn't been long at
all before Draco had followed to lay half on top of him. He was soon using
Harry's shoulder for a pillow, with his arms around Harry's waist and one leg
hooked across Harry's thighs.
After he had draped himself over Harry's back, Draco had fallen asleep again
without bothering with any covers, and he got rather cold before he woke up
enough to pull up the sheet and thick quilt. As soon as the warming charm in
the blanket began to take the chill out of his body, Draco drifted back into a
deep sleep, oblivious to the fact that Harry had barely noticed him moving
around. For the first time in his life Draco was sleeping with someone he could
trust, and the feeling of safety that gave him made it very easy to relax
completely.
Harry and Draco didn't so much as twitch when someone knocked on the door
shortly before noon. Even the slight tingle of magic as Hermione took down
Harry's wards didn't cause them to stir, and Hermione calling Harry's name as
she opened the door a few moments later received no reply.
Hermione blushed furiously as she stuck her head into the room to glance
quickly at the bed, sure that she was about to see a lot more skin than would
be comfortable. She let out a relieved sigh when she saw the blankets were
pulled up high enough that only Harry's shoulders were visible and Draco was
covered completely except for the back of his head. She immediately opened the
door all the way and stepped inside, murmuring a spell to open the curtains on
Harry's window and letting in a flood of bright sunlight.
Ginny walked into the room carrying a tray just as Draco made an annoyed noise
at the sudden light, pulling the blankets up to cover his head. Harry groaned
and hid his face in his pillow as he muttered something that sounded vaguely as
if it was supposed to be words, but it was so muffled by the pillow that it was
unintelligible. Hermione closed the door more loudly than was necessary and
began to efficiently put Harry's wards back up, starting with the silencing
charm.
Ginny ignored Hermione's activities and set the tray on Harry's desk, smirking
as she walked over to the bed and said brightly, "All right, lovebirds! You've
slept until noon, time to wakey-wakey!"
Harry turned his head towards her, blinking blearily as he muttered, "Go away."
"Nope," Ginny replied cheerfully, "you need to eat a bite and hear the latest
gossip, it's quite interesting."
Hermione rolled her eyes and moved to Harry's tiny bathing room as she said
calmly, "It's past time for you to make an appearance today, Harry. People are
beginning to worry you've gone wherever the seventh year Slytherins are, and
McGonagall wants you in the common room by noon."
Draco uncovered his head as Harry tried to will away the last of the sleepy fog
in his mind and make sense of what Hermione had said. "All of the seventh year
Slytherins are gone?" Draco asked, his voice slightly rusty with sleep but
otherwise quite alert.
"Yes, they are, everyone is talking about it," Hermione replied as she draped
Harry's maroon bathrobe over her right arm and stepped back out into the room
to walk over to his wardrobe. "Three Ravenclaws are gone as well: Sandra
Fawcett, Stephen Cornfoot, and Su Li." Hermione began rummaging around in the
wardrobe as she added, "Those three left notes saying they were going home
though, and written requests to have their grades averaged so they could take
their N.E.W.T.s at the Ministry. The Slytherins just Flooed out without any
explanation."
Hermione finally gave up on finding another robe and pulled a faded old dark
blue flannel shirt from Harry's wardrobe instead. She pulled her wand,
transfiguring the shirt into a robe before she turned towards the bed to look
at Harry as she tucked her wand away, her expression quite serious. "Professor
Snape was livid this morning when the seventh years didn't show up for
breakfast. One of the younger Prefects told him they were gone, and then
Professor Flitwick said that it was all Professor Snape's fault for not
monitoring his charges and leaving their Floo open. They got into a terrible
row right there in the Great Hall, and looked like they were going to start
throwing cursesby the time the Headmaster stopped them.
"Dumbledore said then that all the students were instructed to spend the day in
their dorms today except for meals, and the Floo system has been closed off to
the whole school. Until further notice, first years must be in the company of a
Prefect if they are outside their dorms and all students are supposed to run
directly to a Prefect or one of the professors if they see any of the missing
Slytherins or Ravenclaws. If there is an attack on the school, the fifth and
sixth year Prefects are to gather as many students as they can and take them to
the kitchens to hide with the house elves, who have been ordered to protect us.
The seventh year students are all to go to the Great Hall to help with
defense."
Draco rolled off of Harry's back, obviously wide-awake, and scooted up the bed
as Hermione tossed the robes at them. "Happy bloody birthday to me," Draco
muttered, catching the robes. "Stuck in a dorm full of Gryffindorks for the
weekend."
Hermione sniffed as Ginny smirked at Draco and said, "Don't worry, Drake. We'll
be sure to annoy you so you can snark at us a bit. Ought to make you feel
better."
Harry sat up then, chuckling softly as he leaned towards the bedside table to
get his glasses and then blushing when he saw the tube of lube was lying there
in plain sight.
Draco didn't notice Harry's blush, instead giving Ginny a dirty look as he
handed Harry the blue robe, wanting to keep the one that Harry normally wore
for himself. "Gee, Gin," Draco drawled as he untangled the maroon robe, "thanks
everso. Wouldn't know what to do without you."
Draco gave Ginny one last pointedly annoyed look that was at odds with the
amusement in his eyes and then began shrugging into the worn maroon robe,
unobtrusively inhaling as he enjoyed the fact it smelled like Harry. Ginny saw
Harry's blush and the reason for it, and her wicked smirk made it obvious she
was probably going to needle him a bit when she opened her mouth to say
something.
Harry dropped the lube into the table's drawer, feeling as if his face was
flaming as he cut her off quickly. "What does the rest of the House have to say
about everything?"
Harry quickly pulled the blue robe on while Hermione replied, "Professor
McGonagall is quite unhappy that you missed breakfast, and took points when I
wouldn't wake you because I thought you'd need the sleep."
Hermione's cheeks pinked slightly at that admission and Ginny smirked at Harry
as she added, "You should have seen her stand up to the old cat, Harry, you'd
have been so proud! It was definitely worth twenty points."
Harry grinned and tied the belt of his robe. "Good for her."
Hermione went on, trying to ignore Ginny and Harry. "Dean's told Seamus that
you've got your boyfriend in here, but won't say who it is. Seamus told
everyone and they're sitting in the common room now, waiting with most of the
rest of the House for us to get you to come out so they know who won the
betting pool."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Lovely."
Ginny grinned. "Right now the twins are winning out as the best bet, with Bill
a close second and Charlie in third, even though he's out of the country. Seems
that most everyone is sure you're going to wind up with a Weasley." She
snickered. "I've bet that no one will guess who it is, and got very good odds
on it. Dean is keeping his mouth shut because I promised him a share when I
win."
Draco snorted softly, smirking as he settled back against the headboard. "I
believe I'm the one who won, and no one would mistake me for one of the Weasley
sons. I'm much too pretty."
Harry chuckled, looking at Draco as he added, "And much too insufferably smug."
Draco just grinned at Harry, his blue eyes sparkling as he folded his arms
behind his head, the movement causing his robe to come untied. When the robe
fell open, the other three could plainly see where the covers rode low against
his hips, exposing most of the pale golden curls below his belly button and a
hint of more. "Not smug, just very … satisfied."
Harry laughed and turned towards Draco, leaning to kiss him quickly and then
settling back again to pull at Draco's robe with a smirk. "Quit flashing my
property at my best friends," Harry said firmly as he tied the robe shut.
Ginny snickered at that and Hermione rolled her eyes, expecting Draco to have a
fit, but Draco just smirked back at Harry. "Are you going to brand me next?"
Harry reached out to slide his hand under Draco's hair and run his fingers
along the nape of Draco's neck, grinning wickedly. Draco shivered at the touch
on the sensitive skin just below the rather spectacular bruise Harry had left
there as Harry said rather smugly, "I already did, but I can come up with
something more permanent if you'd like."
Draco got a definite glint in his eyes and opened his mouth to say something
but Hermione beat him to it, blushing as she said impatiently, "You two can
discuss marking each other later! You need to eat and get dressed, McGonagall
is supposed to be checking the dorm at noon because she wants to make sure
we're all here before she sends us down for lunch. She told me to be sure you
were there Harry, or you'll be serving detention the rest of the term."
Hermione glanced down at her watch, which pointed to 'You're nearly not going
to be early!'then looked back up as she added, "You've got only a few minutes."
"Okay, okay." Harry groaned and turned away from Draco, swinging his feet to
the floor while making sure his robe was staying shut. "Why don't you take the
food back in the common room and give it to someone in there? If it's nearly
noon we'll just wait till lunch."
"Ginny, would you get the tray?" Ginny nodded and moved to pick it up off the
desk again as Hermione looked at Harry and said firmly, "And no fooling around,
Harry. McGonagall is not in the mood to let me stall for you again today."
"We'll behave," Harry replied with a quick grin. "It'll only take us two shakes
to pull on some clothes."
"See that you hurry." Hermione opened the bedroom door, letting Ginny go out
ahead of her with the tray as she looked back towards the bed and added with a
sudden little smirk, "You'd best take time to find Draco a comb though, he
looks like he's been in a windstorm."
Draco's annoyed exclamation was cut off as Hermione closed the door, but she
was sure she heard Harry snickering.
 
~*~*~
I swam across,
I jumped across for you,
Oh what a thing to do,
'Cause you were all yellow.
~*~*~
 
Draco had just finished combing his hair in Harry's tiny bathroom when Harry
stepped up behind him, reaching around Draco with one hand to hold what looked
like a pencil-thick silver ribbon about four inches long between Draco and the
mirror. "Wear this in your hair for me," Harry said simply, smiling at Draco's
reflection in the mirror.
Draco looked into the reflection of Harry's eyes in the mirror as he took the
ribbon, surprised that it seemed to be flexible metal. "You just want to show
off that bite you left on my neck."
Harry brushed Draco's silky hair aside to kiss the bruise before he met Draco's
gaze in the mirror again, sliding his arms around Draco's waist as he corrected
softly, "I want everyone to know you're mine, and that the only mark you'll
ever bear is one I've given you."
Draco suddenly wanted quite badly to hear Harry say something, but he was half
afraid to come right out and ask despite the fact he thought he knew what Harry
would say. He pushed away the urge though, wanting Harry to say it without him
having to ask, and instead kept his tone light and teasing as he said, "You
make it sound like we'll always be together."
"I hope we are," Harry replied softly, looking into the reflection of Draco's
eyes. "I never want to spend another moment without you."
That wasn't quite what he had hoped for but Draco couldn't help a smile anyway,
thinking that was definitely close enough to be going on with. He turned around
to look directly at Harry then, his blue eyes soft with love. "I love you,
too."
Harry leaned in to kiss him and then gave Draco an impish little grin, his
green eyes sparkling with sudden happiness. "You'd better, or you'll get quite
tired of shagging me at all hours of the night." Draco laughed softly at that
and Harry gave his waist a squeeze, then let go and moved towards the bedroom.
"Now finish your hair so we can go, I think I hear Hermione fussing from here."
Draco watched Harry go and then turned back towards the mirror, grinning like
an idiot at himself as he ran his fingers through his shoulder-length hair and
pulled it back into a neat ponytail. He started to wrap the short silver ribbon
around it only to let go of it in surprise when he felt the ribbon move under
his fingers. He realized then that it must be charmed and turned his head to
look at it curiously in the mirror, wondering exactly what Harry had given him.
He couldn't help a smirk when he saw that it had turned into a snake and
watched as it wrapped itself several times around his ponytail before biting
its own tail, securing his hair firmly without being at all uncomfortable. He
leaned closer to the mirror as he craned his neck to the side to inspect the
snake out of the corner of his eye, admiring its jewel-bright green eyes and
the delicately outlined suggestion of scales. He wondered why Harry had such a
Slytherin thing for a moment before he pushed the question out of his mind,
quickly pulling back from the mirror. All that mattered was that Harry asked
him to wear it; what it was or where he had gotten it wasn't important.
Draco inspected himself critically in the mirror one last time, straightening
the Prefect's badge on his robe and tightening his tie before he turned and
walked out into the bedroom. He smiled when he saw Harry leaning against his
desk waiting for him, glad that it was a Saturday. Harry had dressed in jeans
and a white t-shirt instead of the school uniform, and was wearing an
unbuttoned green plaid flannel shirt over it. The sleeves of the flannel shirt
were rolled up to bare Harry's muscular forearms, which were tanned and
liberally dusted with the same black hair that covered Harry's legs. Draco had
quite enjoyed discovering that Harry wasn't nearly as furry as his arms had
made Draco expect, and had had a bit of fun teasing Harry about the fact he had
a veritable forest of hair on his forearms, lower legs, and crotch but very
little elsewhere.
"Ready?" Harry asked with a little grin, pulling Draco's attention away from
his arms as he offered Draco his wand.
"As I'll ever be," Draco replied with an answering grin, taking his wand and
tucking it away.
Draco wondered then if Harry's dressing Muggle today was because Harry wanted
to remind everyone that he was above the rules, or if it was because Harry
wanted to stand as himself, not as the Head Boy of Hogwarts. Both were true;
Draco knew the professors wouldn't have approved if Harry dressed Muggle on a
week day, and that Snape at least would surely have taken points, but no one
could make Harry wear the uniform if he decided not to. He also knew that Harry
was shrewd enough to work both angles at once, but he found himself thinking
that today Harry probably wanted to stand only as himself. Harry was the Boy
Nobody Could Kill after all. Today he would be shaking the very foundations of
how Hogwarts was run by having a Slytherin openly sharing his room and his bed,
and it couldn't hurt to remind all of them who he was.
"No time like the present," Harry said, drawing Draco out of his thoughts
again. Harry moved to the door and opened it, then stepped out into the hall
and held the door with a smile, waiting for Draco to join him.
Draco chuckled and walked out into the hallway, pausing while Harry closed the
door and then walking towards the overly noisy common room with him.
"Especially since Hermione will have kittens if we keep her waiting for long."
Harry laughed, nodding. "Or a cow..."
They both heard a shocked gasp from the second year girl who was standing at
the doorway of Colin Creevey's room, but they walked calmly down the hall past
the girl as if they hadn't seen her. She turned away as soon as they had passed
and called quietly to the others in the room that Harry was up, and the
students in there, including Colin, scrambled to see. Harry and Draco both
ignored the students who crowded out of the open Prefect's room and followed
them down the hall, instead talking to each other.
"She really needs to sort out her priorities," Draco said with a grin for
Harry. "Keeping McGonagall happy isn't always the best course of action."
Harry grinned, remembering someone else who had told him the same thing a
thousand times. "She's got them figured much better these days. Six months ago
she would have rousted me out of bed at dawn, no matter who I was with."
Draco laughed just as he and Harry stepped out of the Prefects' hallway into
the noisy common room. The babble of voices died away suddenly as every student
there turned to stare, many moving so they would have a better view. Harry
pretended not to notice their audience and put a hand at the small of Draco's
back, making who was in charge subtly obvious when Draco deferred to his
direction. Harry guided the taller blonde across the room to join Hermione and
Ginny, who were standing near the smallest fireplace where the three of them
most often studied.
Harry and Draco hadn't made it even halfway to Hermione and Ginny when Seamus
called, "Harry, what's he doing here?"
Harry stopped then and Draco paused next to him as Harry turned back towards
where Seamus stood near the hallway. "Drake's here because I want him to be,"
Harry said very calmly, "and nobody was willing to try and stop me."
There were scattered snickers at that because everyone knew that there was very
little Harry couldn't get away with. Neville was the first to ask, "Harry, is
Draco your, well, boyfriend?"
"At least," Harry replied immediately, giving Draco a sudden smile that Draco
returned before Harry turned his attention back to Neville. "And hopefully to
be a lot more in the near future, but I've a ring to buy before then."
Draco surprised everyone then by grinning at Harry and saying, "I never thought
I'd see the day you would try to make an honest man of me without using at
least one hex." Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and a few others laughed at that as
Draco smirked and added, "But I feel I must warn you that I simply refuse to be
married before I'm twenty."
"A long engagement then," Harry replied, his green eyes sparkling as he grinned
at Draco. "Two years will give us plenty of time to take care of that barmy old
coot and his Munchers, and then we can decide which of us looks better in a
wedding dress."
Quite a few of the students snickered at that as Draco snorted, giving Harry
look that clearly said he thought Harry was crazy. "I'm not wearing a dress,
Harry, not even for you."
"Whyever not?" Harry asked, grinning. "They're not much different from wizard's
robes, really. Long and flow-y in pretty fabrics with way too many buttons."
Draco snorted again, then smirked suddenly. "Alright then, you wear the dress."
"But I haven't got the waistline or the legs to pull it off, and you do," Harry
replied reasonably, his green eyes dancing with amusement.
Ginny laughed loudly before she covered her mouth, snickering behind her hand
as Draco gave her a dirty look. "Don't encourage him even a little bit,
Weasley," Draco said firmly, "or I'll be forced to conspire towards getting you
into a wedding dress."
Ginny went wide-eyed and stopped laughing as most of the sixth and seventh
years, including Harry and Hermione, laughed.
McGonagall's unmistakable voice suddenly cut through the laughter as she
called, "Everyone sit down!"
The students all quieted and everyone but Harry and Draco moved to find a seat,
many winding up in the floor as McGonagall started across the room. She made
her way quickly to where Harry and Draco stood, pursing her lips at them in
annoyance for a moment before she spoke. "Mr. Potter, why were you not at
breakfast with your House?"
"We slept in ma'am," Harry replied calmly. "It is Saturday after all, and
neither of us had anywhere we needed to be."
"Yes, well, you do now, Mr. Potter," McGonagall replied sharply, seemingly
ignoring Draco's presence. "As Head Boy it is your responsibility to know what
is going on amongst the students of this school. Get with Miss Granger and find
out. You picked a very poor morning to lay abed."
"That won't be necessary, ma'am," Harry replied, making McGonagall's eyebrows
rise. "We've already spoken to Hermione. We know all about the seventh year
Slytherins -- except for Drake -- and three seventh year Ravenclaws
disappearing. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that the Ravenclaws knew
trouble is coming and got out while it was still safe to run. The Slytherins
are probably all at the Riddle Mansion with Voldemort."
"Mr. Potter, please do refrain from saying that name!" McGonagall said testily.
"Since you are so well informed, it should be no trouble for Miss Granger and
yourself see to it that the students from all fourHouses make it down the to
the Great Hall for lunch. After the meal, the Headmaster would like to speak to
Mr. Malfoy and yourself in his office." She paused, and her gaze finally
flickered to Draco and then back to Harry as she added, "I'm sure you'll be
pleased to know Headmaster Dumbledore has instructed the staff not to attempt
to separate you from Mr. Malfoy for any reason. Despite the fact Mr. Malfoy's
presence in your room breaks a dozen school rules, he is to be allowed to
remain until end of term."
"Yes, ma'am," Harry replied with a smile that was very nearly a smirk. "I would
hate for outdated ideas of propriety to cause us both to be expelled with end
of term only two weeks away. It would be a shame for the students to be harmed
because we weren't here to help protect them."
McGonagall sniffed, her expression giving the impression that she had inhaled
something nasty. "You needn't worry about that. It's beginning to seem that you
might as well run the school, Mr. Potter, if not quite a lot more." Draco
smirked then, but McGonagall pretended not to see it as she added acerbically,
"It remains to be seen whether that is good or bad. Please do get everyone to
the Great Hall soon. The meal cannot begin until all of the students are there
and the house elves have gone all out to make up for the missed Hogsmeade
weekend."
"Yes ma'am," Harry replied, trying not to smirk but not succeeding very well.
McGonagall turned away with another little sniff and walked quickly out of the
common room. The door had barely closed behind her before most of the students
began laughing or whispering as Seamus called across the room to Harry,
"Headmaster Potter has a nice ring to it!"
"The Boy Who Kicked Voldemort's Arse And Then Went On To Teach Quidditch In
Peace has a better ring to it," Harry replied with a wide grin, making most of
his closer friends laugh. "Prefects, each of you get your lot organized and
make sure everyone's accounted for, then get them down to the Hall. Neville,
you take Ginny's group, she'll be with me."
The Prefects -- Colin, Dean, Natalie, Kathleen, and Michael -- moved with
Neville to gather up their students. Hermione had devised a plan within a day
of receiving her Head Girl badge that made each Gryffindor Prefect responsible
for one year's worth of students within their House, watching the seventh years
herself. The plan had made keeping track of everyone's behavior much easier
because each Prefect had a specific group of students to watch out for. It also
made getting the entire House ready for an emergency much easier, since seven
groups of students were much easier to control than an unorganized horde and
the older students could easily be separated out to protect the younger.
Hermione called out, "Prefects, make sure you use the defensive ordering!
Seventh years, I know we're all here, I saw you all at breakfast. You can help
the Prefects get their groups together and then take the lead." Hermione and
Ginny moved to join Harry and Draco then, making their way easily through the
milling students.
Draco looked around curiously, watching the students begin gathering around the
Prefects assigned to their year and looking pleasantly surprised. "You've got
your lot rather organized, Harry. I'm impressed."
Hermione and Ginny reached them then as Harry grinned at Draco, his green eyes
sparkling. "Yes, well, blame it totally on Hermione. She's very predictable
that way, and came to school this term with it all planned out. Only took a
month to get them disciplined enough to keep her satisfied."
Hermione reached out and swatted Harry's shoulder, smiling as she said, "Let's
get moving. We've three other Houses to get down to the Hall, and they'll not
be as organized as ours is."
Harry made a face and gestured towards the door, where the last of the second
group to go, the fifth years, were already disappearing. "As you can see, Head
Girl, ma'am, we've got to wait for the crush to pass before we can go."
Ginny rolled her eyes and pushed Harry towards the door. "They'll get out of
your way, Harry. A person would think you didn't know that every one of them
would try and fly without a broom if you told them to!"
"Which is, of course, how I like it," Harry replied, grinning as he let Ginny
push him through the crowd towards the door. Hermione and Draco followed them
through the throng of students, laughing.
 
~*~*~
I drew a line,
I drew a line for you,
Oh what a thing to do,
And it was all yellow.
~*~*~
 
The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, although not as organized as the Gryffindors,
were still rather easy to set on their way, leaving Slytherin for last. Harry,
Hermione, and Ginny more than half expected trouble from them, but Draco was
calm and confident as the four of them paused at the blank wall that hid the
door to the Slytherin common room.
"Just follow my lead," Draco said quietly, looking first at Harry and then at
Ginny and Hermione. "I expect that, given that I am the senior Slytherin left
at school, most of them will go wherever I tell them. There are only a few who
may make trouble until they know the fate of the other seventh years, and I'll
handle those numbskulls."
"Or I will," Harry added, looking at Ginny and Hermione and ignoring the
bemused look Draco gave him. "You two stay out of it unless we ask for help,
alright?"
Ginny snorted. "We're girls, not helpless."
Hermione nodded. "And better with a wand than any of the Slytherins remaining
at school, except possibly Draco."
"And if you three let me handle it, we'll not need wands," Draco said, trying
not to laugh at their Gryffindorish charging into the fray. "Most of them are
scared senseless of me because I've caught them out at one time or another and
sent them scurrying back to the dorm with a hex or two at their heels. Even if
they aren't afraid of me personally, I am still a seventh year and a Malfoy.
They all know I can overpower any of them without much effort."
Draco turned towards the wall again without waiting for a reply and murmured
something that the others couldn't quite make out, causing the wall before them
to dissolve into a large, ornate wooden door. Draco opened it immediately as he
visibly straightened and squared his shoulders, drawing himself up to his full
height. He hadn't quite reached Lucius' impressive height yet, but he was
definitely nearing it and his lessons in personal carriage as a child made
certain that he could cut a haughty, impressive figure when he wished. When
dealing with the other Slytherins, Draco knew that being imposing and using
every possible advantage was a vital necessity.
Ginny saw the difference in the way Draco carried himself, and suddenly
realized that he had been very nearly slouching, which made her wonder why he
wasn't willing to do so in front of the Slytherins. She would have thought that
Draco would be less worried about what they thought of him now, especially
since they had seen him act in a much more undignified manner. She had heard
the rumors about how Draco acted when he was on the prowl and knew he had done
a lot worse than slouch a bit around them.
Everyone already in the Slytherin common room, including Professor Snape, who
was standing near the main fireplace, looked over in surprise when Draco pushed
the door open. Draco was oblivious to the thoughtful look on Ginny's face as he
swept elegantly through the doorway and into the crowded but quiet common room
with Harry at his heels. Professor Snape turned to face the door, raising one
eyebrow as he watched Hermione and Ginny follow Draco and Harry into the common
room.
"Ah, it seems you've decided to return to us after all, Mr. Malfoy," Professor
Snape said dryly, "Though I do wish that you hadn't chosen to infest our House
with quite so many Gryffindors when you did so."
"One grows used to them, sir," Draco replied calmly, ignoring the disgusted
looks from many of the gathered Slytherins. "Harry would be quite difficult to
be rid of even if I wished to, and Weasley and Granger are almost as
tenacious."
Professor Snape's lips twitched. "I must admit I had noticed that Potter is
quite difficult to get rid of." Harry snorted at that and Professor Snape gave
him a sardonic look before he turned his attention back to Draco. "I trust that
your presence here and your generally unscathed appearance indicates that the
rumors you were in your room when it was ransacked are untrue. As such, I feel
it my duty to warn you that very little seems to be left, apart from your
school trunk and its contents. Even your furniture was reduced to little more
than kindling."
Draco nodded, not at all surprised. "I expected as much when I left, sir.
Everything important is in my trunk. I doubt even Harry could open or move it
without taking some time to think about it. It was quite safe from Voldemort's
newest lapdogs."
Harry grinned at that backhanded comment as several Slytherins muttered darkly,
quieting abruptly when Professor Snape glanced at them before returning his
attention to Draco. "I assume there is a reason you have returned."
"Yes sir," Draco replied, "Professor McGonagall instructed Harry to be sure all
the students went to the Great Hall for lunch."
"And you felt you must handle our House for him, I suppose," Professor Snape
half-asked, one corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
"Yes sir, that is my responsibility as a Prefect." Draco paused and then added,
"Also, as the eldest Slytherin student remaining, it is my duty to my House to
see that their behavior does not shame us."
"Quite," Professor Snape agreed, moving towards the doors. "Carry on as you
intended then, Draco. I will expect you in the Hall in no more than five
minutes." Professor Snape glanced back at the other Slytherin students, giving
them a piercing look as he added, "All of you."
"Yes sir," Draco replied and then watched Professor Snape leave before he
turned to look at the rest of his House, taking in the unfriendly looks on many
faces. "You heard him. Prefects, make sure everyone in first through sixth is
here and then get them moving."
Draco didn't wait for any replies or even bother to watch as the Prefects began
looking about and counting heads, instead turning away to walk towards the hall
that led to the Prefects rooms. He wasn't the least bit surprised when Harry,
Hermione, and Ginny all moved to follow him across the common room and into the
corridor that led to the Prefects quarters. It was a very familiar feeling to
have people following him and watching his back and it was easy for him to
pretend there was nothing unusual about those people being Gryffindors.
Ginny and Harry looked out into the lake interestedly as they walked into the
glass-sided hallway, watching the Great Squid float serenely past as Harry
asked, "You trust them to go without supervision?"
"The Prefects won't let them get into trouble, not when Professor Snape and I
just reminded them that they'd be responsible," Draco replied, giving Harry a
quick grin. "It's a Slytherin thing. Besides, their motives and honor would be
called into question if they messed up now. I doubt seriously that any of them
would risk that today."
Hermione ignored the lake and Draco's response to Harry's question, which she
had already figured out for herself. "Why are we going to your room now?"
"I want to get my things while I'm here so I won't have to come back," Draco
replied as he reached a doorway that was very obviously minus a door. He paused
long enough to draw his wand and mutter a shielding spell before he stepped
inside, looking around curiously.
Harry drew his wand and cast a similar spell, following Draco into the room
only to stop just inside the door and look around wide-eyed at the destruction.
"Bugger me," Harry murmured.
Draco smirked over his shoulder at Harry. "Later, if you like."
Harry grinned at Draco as Hermione and Ginny joined him by the door, both girls
seemingly oblivious to the exchange as they looked around at the hand-sized
pieces of charred, shredded furniture and bedding that covered most of the
floor. The largest thing left in the room was Draco's dark green trunk, which
sat against one wall and was quite unscathed. The stone surrounding the trunk
was scorched and pitted, mute testimony that someone had tried to obliterate
the trunk as well.
"Wow," Ginny said, looking shocked.
Hermione began to run a spell-scan on the room, checking for traps. "Someone
was rather annoyed."
"They really did a number on this place," Harry agreed as he stuck his wand in
his back pocket.
"Blaise did this, I'm sure," Draco said, seeming to ignore the destruction as
he walked to his trunk. "He has quite a petty sense of retribution and I'm sure
he woke up very annoyed with me. I wasn't here for him to punish so he took it
out on my things."
"I'm amazed they could do this without setting off the castle's wards,"
Hermione said then, finally tucking her wand back into her robes as she moved
further into the room to look at the pitted stone around the trunk. "Offensive
spells strong enough to damage the flagstones like that should have had the
wards screaming and brought every one of the professors down here."
Draco tapped his trunk with his wand, ending the wards he had keyed to respond
only to the touch of his own wand and magic. "Most of the school wards don't
extend down here," Draco replied matter-of-factly, then murmured, "Reducio."
The trunk shrank to about the size of an egg and then he bent to pick it up,
putting it in the pocket of his robe as he turned towards the other three.
"What do you mean most of the wards don't extend down here?" Hermione asked
incredulously as she, Ginny, and Harry stared at Draco in surprise. "How could
that happen?!"
Draco shrugged elegantly and walked back towards the door, his expression
amused. "I haven't the slightest, I just know they don't. Spells can be cast in
the deepest dungeons or the Slytherin Prefects' rooms that don't work anywhere
else in the castle, including the Unforgivables. Blaise has been known to cast
Cruciatus on anyone who sufficiently annoys him, and I believe you'll remember
that I used the Killing Curse recently?" Hermione nodded, wide-eyed, then Draco
continued, "I cast it here in my room, and no one the wiser." Draco paused,
suddenly thoughtful. "I haven't tried to Apparate from here so even that might
be worth a try, if someone were standing by in case of splinching..."
"Oh my," Hermione murmured, then she shivered and moved closer to Ginny,
swallowing hard. "May we go now, please?"
Draco grinned as he said cheerfully, "Yes, we can run like rabbits now if you'd
like. I'll be perfectly happy never to set foot down here again now that I have
my trunk. I prefer Harry's bed to any of the ones I've been in down here."
Harry laughed, earning a glare from Hermione before she and Ginny quickly moved
out into the hallway.
Harry grinned at Draco and said, "It's no wonder Snape lets you lot get away
with murder. He's not got a way to stop you."
Draco snickered and put one hand on the small of Harry's back, guiding him out
the door and then urging him down the hallway after Hermione and Ginny. "No, he
just can't be bothered. Says we're supposed to learn to take care of ourselves
and we can't do that with someone standing guard over us at all hours. We're
not allowed to maim or kill each other, but virtually anything else is
tolerated."
"Seems to have worked pretty well," Harry said, giving Draco a little grin as
they neared the common room. Hermione and Ginny stopped abruptly a few feet
into the room then, and Harry and Draco stopped behind them, looking over
Hermione's shoulder. "What's the hold up?" Harry asked.
Hermione sniffed, giving Harry and Draco a level look as Ginny shrugged and
gestured to the obviously hostile students that were still filing out the door.
"This lot isn't likely to clear out for us. We've got to wait our turn."
Draco snorted and gave Harry's back a little push, guiding him around Hermione
and Ginny towards the door. "Not bloody likely! I'm the ranking Slytherin here
and I am famished." Draco raised his voice, adding roughly, "Make a hole you
lot!"
Students moved aside with annoyed looks and Draco smirked, guiding Harry out of
the room.
Ginny and Hermione followed them closely as Ginny muttered, "I could have done
that."
Hermione giggled and hooked her arm through Ginny's. "And quite as well as he
did, I'm sure."
 
~*~*~
Your skin,
Oh yeah your skin and bones,
Turned into something beautiful.
~*~*~
 
Ginny and Hermione both stopped abruptly when they stepped into the hallway and
practically ran into Draco and Harry, who had stopped just outside the exit to
the Slytherin common room.
Harry pulled Draco to one side of the hallway to let the Slytherins by. "It's
my responsibility to be sure everyone gets to lunch," Harry said, and then he
looked at Hermione and Ginny. "You two go on ahead and check with the Prefects
to see how the other Houses did. Draco and I will be along as soon as all of
this lot is on their way."
Hermione nodded, giving Harry a quick smile. "Very good, Harry, the Headmaster
will be proud."
Harry made a face. "If you're trying to persuade me not to bother..."
Draco and Ginny both snickered as Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "We'll
save seats for you."
"Make sure the four of us can sit together," Harry replied with a quick smile.
"Yes," Draco agreed, ignoring the Slytherins who were still slowly straggling
by and making no pretense at not listening to them. "I insist that I have at
least three mildly intelligent neighbors to talk to."
A stocky fifth year that had just stepped out of the Slytherin common room
snorted and muttered, "Don't sit with them then."
Draco quickly moved to block the fifth year's path, forcing several other
students stop as well as he stared the boy down and asked in his coldest tone,
"What was that, Bundy?"
Kasey Bundy gave Draco a distasteful look, trying not to be obvious about
sliding his hand into the pocket of his robes to touch his wand. "You obviously
heard me, Draco."
"To you, Bundy, my name is Sir, Prefect, or Mr. Malfoy," Draco said with a
familiar superior sneer. "And if you've not got the brains to even try and get
out of it, you can serve detention with Professor Snape. I believe he mentioned
yesterday that he needed some unfortunate soul this weekend to scrub the
seventh year workroom and clean up Longbottom's latest disaster."
"That's bloody unfair!" a burly sixth year named Malcolm Baddock exclaimed,
moving to stand next to Kasey as he glared at Draco.
The other Slytherin students still lingering in the hallway decided then that
heading for the Great Hall post-haste was the better part of valor. Malcolm was
a Slytherin Beater and had a long and well-known past with their Seeker.
Innocent bystander or not, being hit by random hexes was a distinct possibility
when Draco and Malcolm fought, and they fought quite a lot more often than they
shagged.
"Just because you've gone over to their side and become Potter's new fuck-toy
doesn't mean we have to like him, or his slut girlfriends!" Malcolm sneered as
he added, "We're not all blood traitors."
Draco drew his wand as he said coldly, "I know it will be very difficult for
you, Baddock, but as long as you don't do anything stupid in my presence I
couldn't give a rat's arse whose side you're on. You don't have to like my
lover or my companions, but you will not insult either one in my presence or
you'll live to regret it. Understood?"
"Quite," Malcolm replied, his lip wrinkling in disgust. "Stupidest thing I ever
did was shagging you."
"I would watch what I say if I were you, Baddock," Harry said suddenly, making
the three Slytherins look at him. Harry had a hard look in his glittering green
eyes and was holding his wand pointed directly at Malcolm's forehead. "I don't
take kindly to anyone insinuating such things about my boyfriend."
"Insinuating, hell!" Malcolm exclaimed. "Half the blokes in the school have had
a go at his arse, that's fact! He's a bigger slut than Finnegan, and that's
bloody well going some."
"No, he's not," Harry replied, walking over to stand next to Draco. He ignored
the height difference even though Malcolm was quite a bit taller than he was,
glaring angrily up into Malcolm's eyes as he continued, "He's mine now and I
don't share, especially with the likes of you."
"That's not what I hear," Malcolm replied with a nasty smirk. "Dean 'shared'
all over the school while he was with you."
"I don't care whatDean did." Harry was easily as angry as Draco had ever seen
him, and he had purposefully provoked him more times than he could count. "Dean
can shag the whole bloody school for all I care. Draco is mine. If you so much
as touch him the elves will be digging pieces of you out of the walls for the
next month. Unlike Draco, I don't like you well enough to let you live."
Malcolm sneered, trying not to show how unnerving it was to look into angry
eyes the same shade of green as the Killing Curse. "You can have him, Potter. I
can do quite a lot better than him."
Harry's eyes narrowed as he spat out flatly, "You're not good enough to lick
his boots."
Malcolm spluttered a moment, then he managed to find his voice and he stepped
menacingly towards Harry, balling his fists at his sides. "You little bastard,
I'll kill you with my bare hands!"
Ginny and Hermione glanced at each other and then moved back towards the
Slytherin common room to get behind Malcolm and Kasey, drawing their wands as
they walked and intending to put a stop to it if things went much further.
Harry was quite able to handle Malcolm if they dueled, but neither Ginny nor
Hermione was willing to let him physically fight the burly Beater. Harry was
tough, yes, but Malcolm was huge and had a reputation as a brawler.
"Not bloody likely," Harry said with a disdainful sneer for Malcolm. "Tougher
people than you have been trying to kill me since I was born, but I'm still
here."
Draco snickered as Malcolm flushed an unbecoming shade of purple that reminded
Harry quite a lot of his uncle Vernon. "You think you're so special, Potter,
but just wait until the others get their hands on you. You'll wish you'd never
stuck your nose into our Lord's business."
Harry snorted, unimpressed. "In Voldemort's dreams, possibly." He flicked the
tip of his wand, drawing Malcolm's attention to it again. "Get your ungrateful
arse to the Great Hall where it belongs. I'd hate to have to deduct points for
what's left of you dirtying up the hallways."
Malcolm raised his fist with a low growl, obviously intending to punch Harry,
but Kasey quickly grabbed his arm. "Let's just go!" Kasey said urgently, trying
to drag him away. "You'd be in more trouble than it's worth for getting into a
fistfight in the hallways today, especially with the Head Boy! You know Blaise
said to lay low a while."
"This is your lucky day, Potter." Malcolm let the younger boy pull him down the
hallway as he muttered something to Kasey that the others could not hear. He
spared one last angry glare over his shoulder at Harry and Draco and then he
and Kasey rounded a corner and went out of sight.
Hermione and Ginny moved to rejoin Harry and Draco, relieved that a fight had
been avoided as Draco gave Harry a wry look and said, "I could have handled
him, you know."
The annoyance in Harry's expression vanished as though someone had flipped a
switch and he grinned impishly at Draco. "Yes, Drake, I know, but I wasn't
going to let you. I can get away with turning him into something unpleasant,
but I'm not so sure you could."
"Too late, Harry," Ginny said then, "Someone else already did." Draco, Harry,
and Hermione all laughed as Ginny smirked and added, "And I'm starving, so I'm
going to go see just what this special feast the house elves whipped up is."
Ginny started down the hall and the others moved to join her as Draco said,
"You think you're starving, I haven't had a bite to eat since breakfast
yesterday!"
Hermione raised an eyebrow as she looked at Draco. "I thought Harry was going
to call Dobby so you could have dinner together last night?"
Harry smirked. "I had better things to do."
"Namely me," Draco added with an almost identical smirk. "And it was quite
worth missing another meal, I assure you."
Hermione blushed as Ginny laughed and gave Harry a firm pat on the back. "Good
for you, Harry! It's about time you got some."
"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, her face heating up even more.
"It's the truth love, and you know it," Ginny replied with a smirk for
Hermione. "Dean quite liked to brag about what a good a bottom boy Harry was
for him, even though he's really not the type."
"Harry is a natural top," Draco agreed helpfully, smirking. "When he gets all
dominant and growly he can make even me melt into a very happy puddle, and I've
never been accused of being submissive."
Harry blushed hotly at that even though he was grinning, and Ginny giggled as
she said, "I so knew it!"
"Well, I didn't want to know it," Hermione said primly, her cheeks still
flaming. "Draco, please don't take this the wrong way, but do shut up."
Draco moved a bit closer to Ginny as they walked down the hall, smirking as he
draped one arm across her shoulders and stage-whispered, "Bit of a prude, isn't
she?"
Hermione let out an indignant little noise as Ginny grinned smugly at Draco and
loudly whispered back, "Only about boys."
Harry laughed as Draco snickered and whispered, "Does she ever lose control?"
Ginny's eyes got a wicked little glint in them and she opened her mouth to
reply, but Hermione's hand covered her mouth before she could. "Worry about
Harry, Draco, not me," Hermione said, blushing furiously even as she gave Draco
a dirty look. "I'm taken care of quite well."
Ginny licked at Hermione's hand and Hermione jerked it away from her mouth,
then Ginny grinned at her and said cheerfully, "I love you."
"You'd better," Hermione replied, wiping her hand on her robes and trying not
to laugh.
Draco ignored the girls' exchange as he slung his other arm around Harry's
shoulders and pulled Harry closer, his pale blue eyes sparkling with mischief.
"You lot need a keeper, and I've just appointed myself to the job."
Harry slid his arm around Draco's waist as they walked, leaning into his side
with a grin and not bothering to watch where they were going. "It's a thankless
task, you know. Many have tried to keep us out of trouble and all have failed."
"Who said anything about keeping you out of trouble?" Draco asked with a soft
laugh, raising one eyebrow. "Getting in trouble's quite a lot of fun if you do
it right, and with me watching out for you that'll be a given."
Ginny giggled at that, putting an arm around Hermione's waist and pulling her
closer. "The last two weeks of term are going to be so very much fun."
Hermione snorted softly. "No, it won't. We'll probably spend the entiretime in
detention."
The other three laughed as they kept walking along the hallway, moving into one
of the intersections near the Great Hall. A familiar voice spoke up then,
making the four of them pause and turn to look along the side hall that led
towards the main stairways. "I am quite glad to see you four getting along,
make no mistake about that, but please do put a bit of distance between
yourselves," Professor McGonagall said dryly. "This is a school, and as
Prefects you are supposed to set good examples."
"Yes ma'am," Hermione said immediately, blushing as she moved away from Ginny.
Ginny let go of Draco and put about a foot of space between them as she added,
"We're just friends, ma'am, really."
"That is very good, Miss Weasley," McGonagall replied, then looked pointedly at
Harry and Draco.
Draco made as if to let go of Harry but Harry tightened his arm around Draco's
waist, making it obvious he didn't want him to move away. Draco relaxed,
keeping his arm around Harry's shoulders as Harry leaned against him a bit more
and looked Professor McGonagall in the eye. "I'd rather not, Professor."
McGonagall pursed her lips in obvious annoyance and asked sharply, "Are you
daring me to give you detention, Mr. Potter?"
"No ma'am," Harry replied evenly, "but other couples are allowed to walk about
the halls together. I see no reason why Draco and I can't do the same."
"As Head Boy you are expected to set an example, Mr. Potter," McGonagall
replied with a frown. "Walking about the halls hanging all over someone, least
of all another young man who happens to be a Prefect, is not the sort of
example expected of you."
"Perhaps the expectations should change then," Harry said calmly. "We're not
doing anything wrong or breaking any rules by walking together. It shouldn't
matter that we're both male, or even that we're both Prefects."
McGonagall began heatedly, "Mister Potter--"
"They are not harming anyone, Minerva," Headmaster Dumbledore interrupted
quietly from behind the four students, making them all look towards his voice
to see him walking towards them. “And Mr. Potter is quite right that he is not
breaking any rules.” He continued past the students, giving McGonagall a
cordial smile. "I have just come from the kitchens, and the elves have quite
outdone themselves." He offered McGonagall his arm, effectively closing the
subject as he added, "Come along, Minerva. Everyone should be in the Great Hall
by now." McGonagall pursed her lips but didn’t argue, taking Dumbledore's arm
as he looked towards the four students. "I believe it would be best for you to
use the main entrance, Harry. Hurry along now, we have guests for lunch and it
will not do to keep them waiting."
"Yes sir," Harry replied, subtly urging Draco to continue the way they had been
going. Hermione and Ginny moved to follow them, and all four of them walked
quickly away as Dumbledore and McGonagall went the other direction.
"Guests?" Draco asked as soon as Dumbledore and McGonagall were out of earshot,
looking at Ginny and Hermione. "Did you know about that?"
Harry pulled away from Draco a bit to make it easier for them to walk quickly
as Hermione shook her head and replied, "Nothing about guests was mentioned at
breakfast."
Harry frowned and sped up a little more, seeming not to notice that the other
three were very nearly trotting down the hall to keep up with him as he thought
about who might be visiting today of all days. He could think of no one except
possibly a Ministry official sticking his or her nose into the fact the entire
seventh year of the Slytherin House seemed to have declared for Voldemort. That
meant that whoever it was would very likely be spreading rumors, whether good
or bad, the moment they left the school. It also meant that Harry and Draco
needed to make an impression on them that could not be quickly forgotten. Draco
was widely known to be the only student in the school besides Hermione and
Ginny who might be Harry's equal with a wand, and having Draco so very publicly
defecting to Harry's side could only boost confidence in Harry's position.
The drone of voices from the open doors of the Great Hall increased quite a bit
as they rounded the corner. Harry stopped suddenly a few feet before he would
be within sight of anyone in the Hall, grabbing Draco's hand to stop him.
"Hermione, Ginny, you two go in first and along the wall to our usual seats. I
doubt anyone will notice you once Draco and I walk in, and then if there is
trouble you'll be able to direct our lot without having to yell past the
Hufflepuffs."
Draco gave Harry's hand a squeeze and murmured, "Very smart."
Ginny and Hermione seemed not to even hear him as they nodded and continued
towards the door. Hermione looked over her shoulder at Harry just before they
reached the doorway and said, "Be careful."
Harry grinned at her. "Always. If things get rough, keep your head down."
The two girls turned to go into the Hall as Ginny grinned at Harry and said,
"She will."
"Do you really think there will be trouble?" Draco asked quietly as soon as the
girls stepped out of sight, making Harry look at him.
"Not really," Harry replied with a reassuring smile as he stepped closer to
Draco. "Not here with the staff and all of Gryffindor to muck up any attempt.
Even the first years would try to help, and some of them are pretty good."
Draco chuckled softly and Harry grinned, moving his free hand to Draco's chest
and leaning up to give Draco a lingering kiss before he pulled back to smile at
him. "I do think that we need to make a rather strong impression on whoever the
guests are, though. Ready to take a nice long walk with me?"
"Almost," Draco replied, lifting his free hand to cup Harry's jaw as he kissed
him again, parting Harry's lips with his tongue. Harry moaned softly and swayed
closer, his hand tightening on Draco's robes as their tongues slid slowly
against each other. They continued to kiss leisurely for a little while before
Draco finally pulled away to give Harry a wicked little grin. "Alright, now we
can go."
Harry laughed softly and gave him a quick kiss, then let go of Draco's robe and
straightened it, keeping his gaze about the level of Draco's collarbone. His
expression grew suddenly serious and after a moment he said very softly, "I
know I haven't said it yet, not while you were awake anyway, but you do know I
love you, right?"
Draco's smile became soft and gentle as he ran his fingers down Harry's cheek
and then under his jaw, tipping Harry's chin up to make Harry meet his gaze.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I haven't been wanting to hear you say it."
Harry swallowed, staring up into Draco's eyes for almost a minute before he
finally said simply, "I love you." Draco's smile widened and he brushed his
thumb along the curve of Harry's chin as Harry returned the smile and added, "I
want to spend my life with you."
"I know," Draco replied with a sudden little grin, "You've said that several
times, as well as proposing marriage."
Harry let out a soft laugh. "I have, haven't I?" Draco nodded, obviously smug,
and Harry leaned up to kiss him quickly before he said, "Well, you see, it's
been on my mind quite a lot since that talk you had with Dumbledore and Snape
last Sunday, among other things."
Draco blushed slightly and quickly changed the subject. "We should go in, Gin
and Hermione will be sitting down by now."
Harry grinned and said teasingly, "You'd rather face an army than talk about
the things you said, wouldn't you?"
"Yes," Draco replied, unable to help an answering grin as he moved his hands to
Harry's waist and gave him a little push. "Facing the entire school sounds
quite inviting by comparison."
Harry laughed and leaned up to kiss Draco quickly, then turned away and moved
towards the door as he said cheerfully, "Let do it then. We're going for
confident."
Draco smirked as he followed Harry, walking to his left and a bit behind him.
He waited patiently until they had stepped into the Hall and people nearest the
door were beginning to go quiet and turn to look at them, then he said quietly,
"You look confident, I'll just be beautiful."
That comment was why the first thing everyone saw as they turned towards the
doorway was Harry looking over his shoulder at Draco, laughing.
 
~*~*~
You know,
For you I'd bleed myself dry.
For you I'd bleed myself dry...
~*~*~
 
Harry realized almost immediately that the Hall had fallen silent and turned
his gaze towards the staff table, still grinning about what Draco had said as
he and Draco walked further into the Hall. His eyes widened slightly behind his
glasses when he saw one of the two people sitting at Dumbledore's right, but
otherwise he tried very hard not to show any reaction. Harry had more than half
expected to see a high-ranking Ministry official, so Kingsley Shacklebolt's
presence wasn't completely unexpected. He had retired from being an Auror to be
the Minister of Magic's personal assistant and he often handled things Madam
Bones felt weren't worth her personal attention.
The man sitting next to Shacklebolt, however, was a complete shock. Antonio
Zabini was giving Draco a look that could have curdled milk, and the cane
laying on the table next to his right hand as good as screamed that he was
there at Lucius Malfoy's behest. He was wearing ornate robes in the Slytherin
House colors that combined with his bearing and his handsomely refined features
to make him seem like a dandy of Lockhart's sort instead of someone to be
feared. Harry knew that his appearance was deceptive though, and knew better
than to take his presence as anything less than a direct threat. Zabini had
been one of Voldemort's most trusted servants while Lucius was in Azkaban and
Harry would never make the mistake of dismissing the man lightly.
Harry and Draco continued though the center of the room in complete silence
other than the sound of their footsteps until they had almost reached the end
of the tables. Zabini finally tore his gaze away from Draco then, looking past
Kingsley at Dumbledore as he said rather more loudly than he needed to,
"Headmaster, when I arrived I thought you said all of the seventh year
Slytherins had left the school. Draco seems to be here, and I am quite certain
he's in the same year as my Blaise."
"Indeed he is," Dumbledore replied cheerfully with a smile for Harry and Draco
before he turned his gaze to Zabini. "I was not aware of it myself until just a
few moments ago, but I must say I am quite proud of him for following his own
convictions."
Zabini's eyebrows drew down at that and he looked back at Harry and Draco in
time to see the two young men turn to walk together across the front of the
room. Zabini's eyes widened with surprise and he just stared at them until they
had almost reached the Gryffindor table before he finally exclaimed, "Draco!
Surely you're not going to sit with himinstead of sitting with your own House."
Harry and Draco both stopped and turned to look at Zabini as Draco smiled and
said calmly, "Yes sir, I am." Zabini spluttered, obviously angry, and Draco
pretended to misunderstand it for concern as he added, "It's quite okay, sir. I
have permission to eat with Harry and our friends."
"I-- You--! What about Blaise?!" Zabini asked indignantly. He stood up then and
grabbed Lucius' cane off the table to hold it in front of him in an unconscious
imitation of Lucius, completely oblivious to the fact several of the older
students drew their wands. "You're to marry my son, Draco, not that half-
blooded fool. It's all been arranged, even the Ministry permissions for you to
carry an heir!"
Draco looked at Harry and quirked one eyebrow questioningly at him, mentally
filing away the information that he had evidently been intended for Blaise, not
Rabastan as he had feared. Harry reached for Draco's hand with a smile and gave
him a slight nod, and Draco's smile widened into a grin as he looked back up at
Blaise's father and said calmly, "I'm sorry sir, but that will never happen. I
intend to marry Harry Potter." Harry squeezed Draco's hand as a low surprised
murmur went through the assembled students, and Draco couldn't resist the
sudden urge to sneer and add, "Perhaps my father should have asked me before he
made promises about my life that I never had any intention of keeping."
"We'll see about that once you're back at the Manor," Zabini said then, roughly
shoving his chair back and then moving to walk quickly along the table towards
the end closest to Draco and Harry. "I am sure Rabastan will be quite happy to
see you again. As I recall, he had no problem teaching you your proper place. I
am quite sure he can do so again."
Draco's expression grew very still and almost blank as he shuddered slightly at
the memory of the last time he had been alone with Rabastan, the summer before.
Voldemort had decided that the debacle at Lucius' trial had been at least
partially Draco's fault and set Rabastan to teach him the error of his ways.
Draco had spent nearly a week being systematically abused and degraded until
Rabastan could find no fault with his obedience and willingness and finally
declared him 'retrained'. Draco had obtained healing potions from the house
elves as soon as he was certain Rabastan was really gone, but the memories of
what had been done to him had supplied him with nightmares for months after the
bruises faded.
Harry felt the shudder go through Draco and moved to stand protectively in
front of him, glaring at Zabini even though he wasn't exactly sure what the man
was talking about. He remembered that Draco had said something about the
Lestranges being Voldemort's special pets and that they had mistreated him the
past summer so thoroughly that Draco couldn't even stand to speak of it. Given
the fact that Draco was able to speak easily about the sort of things that
would have had most in tears, the idea that Zabini would threaten Draco with a
repeat visit to the Lestranges made Harry want to kill the man then and there.
McGonagall moved as if to stand then but Dumbledore patted her arm and shook
his head at her, making certain she sat back down before he went back to
intently watching Zabini stalk around the end of the staff table. He wanted to
see how Harry and Draco would handle a direct threat.
Hermione watched Harry and Draco as Zabini moved menacingly towards them and
something in Draco's expression and the way Harry was standing in front of him
caught her attention. She thought back over what Zabini had said as he rounded
the corner of the table, then her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered that
one of the Lestranges was named Rabastan. She jumped to her feet then, drawing
her wand and gesturing towards the nearby Gryffindors for them to rise as well.
Ginny stood and moved immediately to one side to back Hermione up, even though
she hadn’t quite figured out why Harry and Draco were reacting they way they
were. She could tell that Zabini was threatening Draco and that was enough for
her. No matter what Draco might have done in the past, he had become one of her
best friends and she wasn't going to let him stand alone.
Zabini stopped abruptly as the rest of the Gryffindor Prefects stood and
pointed their wands at him.
"That's quite far enough," Hermione said coldly. "I would suggest you not point
that cane at anyone."
"And I would suggest that you leave," Ginny added, giving Zabini a deceptively
pleasant smile. "Your kind isn't welcome here."
"My kind?" Zabini repeated angrily, drawing himself up to his full height as he
glared at Ginny. "Have you any idea who you're speaking to, girl?"
"She's speaking to a Death Eater," Harry answered for her in a hard tone of
voice that made him sound almost like a different person, ignoring the gasps
from some of the people in the Hall. Zabini turned to glare at him instead as
Harry continued, "We all know what you are, Zabini, and have for quite a long
time. We've just kept up the polite fictions because our elders weren't ready
to make a stand."
Zabini and most of the students looked at the Headmaster then, but Dumbledore
made no move to say anything. Zabini turned his attention back to Harry and
smiled hatefully as he said, "They knew they would lose if they did, boy."
Harry returned the smile, his expression almost friendly in comparison to
Zabini’s even though there was still something hard as steel in his eyes and
manner. "No, they just hoped I would kill off that barmy bastard you call Lord
before they had to involve any more of my generation." Quite a few students
snickered at that and a few muttered to their neighbors as Harry continued, "I
thought that was a bloody stupid idea. Fifty on one are not odds I like, even
if it is fifty idiots, so my friends and I took things into our own hands. We
gave Dumbledore an army whether he wanted it or not."
Zabini snorted and gazed disdainfully at the Prefects standing at the head of
the Gryffindor table. "You think a few wet behind the ears Gryffindors will do
you any good against the Dark Lord?"
Harry let out a laugh that somehow didn't carry any amusement and then spoke,
obviously very confident in his words and himself. "My Gryffindors can do quite
a lot more than you think, but they'll have plenty of help." He glanced around
the Great Hall then, raising his voice as he called, "D.A., on your feet!"
Harry looked back at Zabini with what could only be called a smirk, and watched
the older man’s face go very pale as students began standing up. Within less
than a minute most of the Gryffindor table, approximately two-thirds of the
Ravenclaws, and just over half of the Hufflepuff students had gotten to their
feet amidst rustling noises. There were students of every year among them, but
the upper years were best represented with every Prefect and almost every
seventh year still in the school standing, as well as most of the fifth and
sixth years.
The staff was as shocked by the show of numbers as Zabini was and the Great
Hall was completely silent for a little while as everyone waited for someone
else to make the next move. Professor Sprout was finally the first to speak,
sounding very pleased as she called, "Oh, good show, Potter!"
Several of the other professors shushed her as Harry gave Sprout a tight grin
and then turned back to Zabini and spoke, finally drawing Zabini's attention
away from the standing students. "We're not afraid of Voldemort, and we're not
afraid of you and your fellow slaves, either."
"You should be, Potter," Zabini replied, still very pale. "He won't like that
you've done this, not at all."
"Then he's quite welcome to come and try to teach me a lesson," Harry replied
firmly. "I'm not at all hard to find." Harry paused and then added, "Unless of
course he's afraid to face me and my friends."
"The Dark Lord isn't afraid of a bunch of children," Zabini protested quickly,
glaring at Harry.
Harry smiled. "Then he knows where to find me, doesn't he?"
Zabini stared at Harry for a moment and then seemed to make a decision and grew
very calm. "Yes, he does. You'll pay for this with your life, as will your
pet."
"I'll expect to see him quite soon then," Harry replied, reaching a hand out
towards the Gryffindor table. "Ginny, a goblet."
Ginny picked up a goblet off the table and tossed it to Harry, who caught it
without even bothering to look. He released Draco's hand finally to draw his
wand, touching it to the goblet as he muttered, "Portus ContactusRiddle
Mansion."
The goblet glowed blue and Harry lifted his gaze to meet Zabini's again,
throwing the goblet at him without a word before the glow of the Portkey being
activated had even faded.
Zabini's eyes barely had time to widen before the goblet hit the back of his
hand and then he was gone.
 
~*~*~
It's true, look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine for you,
Look how they shine...
Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And all the things that you do.
~*~*~
 
The silence in the Great Hall was almost deafening as students stared either at
Harry and Draco or at Dumbledore, depending on where they were in the room and
whether or not they could actually see Harry. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the
professors, and the Headmaster were all watching Harry with varying expressions
of shock.
A very few of the professors had expected to see Draco walk in at Harry's side,
but none of the staff had known that more than half of the school was in the
D.A. and loyal to Harry. The fact that Harry had created a Portkey, which was
still quite against the law, right in front of them was also worrying enough to
get their attention. The most troubling thing of all was that Harry hadn't even
pretended to defer to Dumbledore before essentially challenging Voldemort to
attack Hogwarts. Even the Ministry deferred to Dumbledore on anything
concerning Hogwarts, but Harry Potter seemed to have decided he didn't have to
any longer and had an army of children to back him up, which was a very scary
thing indeed.
Harry was ignoring everyone else, watching with a slightly worried expression
as Draco stared off into space. Draco’s expression was closed but Harry saw
something in his eyes that he didn’t like, remembered fear and pain and
something else that Harry couldn't really define. His first instinct was to
pull Draco into his arms and reassure him that way, but Harry wasn't so naïve
as not to know that Rabastan had likely hurt Draco physically. Being held while
he was remembering what had happened might upset him further, so Harry just bit
his lip and waited for Draco to fight his own demons.
Draco finally noticed the silence, blinking a bit as the expressionless mask
he'd worn since he heard Rabastan's name fell away. He gave Harry a reassuring
smile before he turned his head to scan the faces of the professors. Seeing
that they all looked shocked, Draco glanced around at the students and then was
the first to break the strained silence, his voice sounding overly loud in the
quiet Hall as he said, "You lot can sit down now, you know. The big bad Muncher
is all gone."
The almost involuntary laughter from many of the students standing, especially
the Gryffindors, lessened the tension in the Hall by half. Students began
sitting back down, those who had drawn their wands tucking them away again as
they took their seats.
Harry knew that now definitely was not the time to ask Draco about exactly what
had happened with the Lestranges, but he made a mental note to ask him later if
he would talk about it. Harry knew that Draco wouldn't want to but he thought
that talking about it might help Draco put it behind him. It wasn't quite the
same thing, but talking about Sirius and Ron's deaths had helped Harry, and he
thought that it might help Draco to tell someone what had happened to him.
Draco finally looked at Harry again then and smiled, his eyes the only thing
giving away that he wasn’t completely calm again as Harry marveled at how
strong he was. "I adore you," Harry said quietly, smiling.
Draco’s smile turned more than a bit smug at that, the shadowed look in his
eyes beginning to fade a bit as he replied, "Yes, I know. I'm simply too
perfect for you to resist." Harry laughed softly and then Draco gestured
grandly towards the Gryffindor table, where most of the students had already
taken their seats. "Shall we?" he asked, smirking at Harry as his blue eyes
finally began to show a sparkle of good humor again.
"Yes, let's," Harry agreed and then turned to walk towards the Gryffindor table
with Draco at his side. They both ignored the staff members as though what they
wanted did not matter in the least, even though Harry fully expected to be
called to task as soon as the adults had a chance to absorb the events of the
last few minutes.
"Boys,” Dumbledore said calmly, rising to his feet as the entire Hall fell
silent again. Almost everyone looked expectantly towards Harry and Draco, but
they just ignored Dumbledore's non-specific summons and kept walking. The
Headmaster frowned, speaking again more sharply as Harry and Draco reached the
end of the Gryffindor table. "Mr. Potter!"
Harry stopped immediately and turned towards the Headmaster. "Sir?" Draco
turned as well, not really even thinking about it as he took an extra step to
stand so close to Harry that their arms and hands brushed against each other.
Dumbledore looked at them both for a long moment before he finally said, "I
would like to speak to you in my office please, Mr. Potter. I would like for
Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, and Miss Weasley to be present as well."
Hermione and Ginny moved as if to stand again but Harry glanced at them and
shook his head, making Hermione bite her lip and then sit back down as Ginny
did the same. McGonagall scowled at their open disobedience as Harry turned his
attention back to the Headmaster and asked calmly, "Can't it wait until after
the meal, sir? Draco and I haven't eaten since yesterday and we would like to
do so with our friends."
"That is quite your own fault," McGonagall said suddenly, obviously angry as
she started to rise from her chair. "Breakfast was served this morning as it is
ev--"
Dumbledore reached out to put a restraining hand on her arm and she closed her
mouth in mid-word, sitting back down abruptly. The Headmaster nodded quietly to
Harry, his expression showing an odd mixture of surprise and what looked like
respect. "At the end of the meal then, Mr. Potter."
"Yes sir," Harry replied as Draco tipped his head respectfully to the
Headmaster, who returned the nod and sat down, staring at the boys
thoughtfully.
Harry turned back towards the Gryffindor table and walked over to sit down
across from Hermione. Draco followed him, sitting down in the open seat between
Harry and Ginny only a moment later. Harry and Draco looked back up towards the
staff table once they were seated, unsurprised that almost everyone there was
still watching them, then the Headmaster finally looked away.
Dumbledore let his gaze roam over the rest of the students, making his voice
overly cheerful as he said loudly, "Tuck in, everyone."
A very generous banquet appeared on the tables, finally distracting everyone
from staring at Harry and Draco. Students began talking amongst themselves in
excited murmurs and filling their plates but Harry ignored the food and looked
out over the assembled students as he searched out faces of D.A. members
amongst the crowd to try to gauge their morale. He was more than a bit
surprised to see the way they were acting as platters were passed about and
plates were filled, but he was glad of what he saw.
Harry had feared everyone would be as serious as he felt now that everything
was sinking in, but the only students he saw who looked scared were Slytherins.
The majority of the students who weren’t in the D.A. were talking and laughing
almost as though nothing had happened, seeming not to care that Harry had sent
Zabini back to Voldemort with a challenge, or that he had blatantly broken the
law against the creation of Portkeys to do it. That made Harry wonder if they
were just too self-absorbed to understand the implications of what he had done
or if they really had that much faith in the ability of the D.A. to protect the
school. He hoped that it was the latter, that they had too much faith in the
D.A. to worry, but he suspected that most of the students simply didn't believe
it was their problem.
Ginny had begun filling her plate when everyone else did, but Hermione and
Draco both watched Harry throughout his inspection of the other tables. Harry's
serious expression and the uncertain look in his eyes made it obvious to them
both that he was having second thoughts. After a few minutes, Draco decided
Harry had brooded about what had just happened quite long enough and elbowed
Harry to get his attention. Harry looked at him, obviously surprised, and Draco
smiled, reaching over to nick Harry's wand. He would have had to stand up to
free his own from his robes and didn't want to draw everyone's attention to
himself again so soon.
"What are you in the mood for, Harry?" Draco asked almost cheerfully. "I think
I'd like a steak, myself."
Harry looked at Draco, his expression growing wistful. What Harry wanted most
just then was quite against the rules, but he wanted to be honest so he told
Draco anyway. "A snog," he finally replied, a slight smile curving his lips.
"You look more appetizing than any of the food."
"Alright." Draco leaned closer to Harry with a little grin, giving Harry barely
enough time to widen his eyes before Draco's lips were on his and their eyes
fluttered shut. Harry leaned closer to Draco with a soft little noise and
lifted one hand to rest his fingers against Draco's jaw as he deepened the
kiss, sucking on Draco's tongue. There were gasps and exclamations as people
noticed and began to direct their neighbors to look, a few even standing up to
get a better view, but Harry and Draco ignored them.
Hermione glanced at Ginny for help and then rolled her eyes when she saw Ginny
was blithely eating her lunch as she watched Harry and Draco kiss, obviously
enjoying herself. Hermione sniffed and then looked covertly towards the staff
table to see what their reaction was. She bit her lip at the expressions on the
professors' faces, especially McGonagall, who looked completely outraged, and
hoped that Harry and Draco weren't getting themselves in even more trouble.
Hermione looked back at Harry and Draco, trying to decide whether she, being
the Head Girl, should ask them to stop. It was theoretically her responsibility
to see that students did not break the rules, but Harry was her equal as Head
Boy so she might have a bit of an excuse not to interfere with what he chose to
do. She usually didn't anyway, often even helping him break the rules, and the
entire staff knew it quite as well as she did herself. Besides, she didn't
really want to make them stop. The look on Harry's face as he told Draco he
wanted a kiss had made her think he honestly needed one, for whatever reason,
and she really saw no harm in it.
Harry and Draco were oblivious to Hermione's quandary and everything else
around them as they changed the angle to deepen their kiss. They were obviously
in no hurry to end it, but the Headmaster suddenly cleared his throat quite
loudly and called, "Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, would you please be so kind as to
refrain from such behavior at meals?"
A chorus of surprised murmurs went through the Hall as Draco slowly pulled away
from Harry, ending the kiss and then looking up at Dumbledore. "We'll try,
sir," Draco answered in a calm voice that was obviously meant to carry.
Harry gave Draco a mildly annoyed look because he hadn't intended to concede
even that much, but Draco pretended not to see it. Dumbledore watched them with
an inscrutable expression for a moment before he replied, "Thank you, Mr.
Malfoy. Your cooperation is sincerely appreciated."
"You're welcome, sir." Draco turned his attention back to Harry, lowering his
voice to a more normal conversational tone as he smiled and said, "Oh, don't
glare at me, Harry. I said we'd try, I didn't say how hard."
Harry's frown cleared away and then he gave Draco a little smile as he said, "I
suppose I can live with that."
"You can, I'm quite sure," Draco replied with a grin. "And I’ve just gotten his
unspoken permission to snog you anywhere else I like, so it was quite worth
it."
Harry looked surprised and then grinned, suddenly much happier with the
situation. "You're a bloody genius!"
Draco smirked, preening smugly. "Yes, I know. It's a very difficult job, but
one of us has to be the smart one."
Harry laughed and elbowed him playfully before he looked across the table at
Hermione, who was watching them with a bemused expression. "Pass the roast,
would you please?" Harry asked, still grinning. "I'm starving."
"Really, Harry..." Hermione reached for the nearby platter of roast and then
offered it across the table to Harry. "You should at least make a little bit of
an effort to behave."
Draco chuckled and tapped his own plate with Harry's wand, saying clearly,
"Steak, medium rare, with mushrooms and onions."
There was a soft pop as Draco's order appeared on his plate and then he laid
Harry's wand on the table between himself and Harry. Draco picked up his knife
and fork to begin slicing his steak, completely oblivious to the surprised
looks he was getting from the few Gryffindors close enough to have noticed he'd
taken Harry's wand without asking and then used it as if it were an everyday
thing. That Draco could use Harry's wand at all was surprising enough, but that
Harry would let him was unheard of. Unless there was a very good reason for it,
Harry didn't let anyone touch his wand except Hermione and Ginny.
Harry was oblivious to the attention Draco's use of his wand had garnered as he
snorted at Hermione's statement, picking up his fork to move several thick
slices of roast beef to his plate. "I am making an effort to behave myself,
Hermione. If I wasn't, Draco and I would be in our room right now eating in
peace where it wouldn't matter if we felt like occasionally taking a break to
snog."
Draco looked up from his plate to grin at Harry, his blue eyes twinkling. "That
sounds like a very nice idea for dinner."
Harry returned Draco's grin as he passed the platter of roast back to Hermione
without looking at her. "Better yet, afterwards." Draco's eyebrows went up and
Harry's expression grew positively wicked. "Dobby would be quite happy to
obtain a few fun desserts for us to share."
Draco's grin grew just as wicked as Harry's, causing Hermione to throw up her
hands as she exclaimed, "I give up!"
Ginny swallowed a mouthful of chicken and then grinned at Hermione. "It's about
time! You haven't a prayer of winning against these two when they're working
together."
Hermione sniffed and started filling her plate, pointedly ignoring the way
Harry and Draco snickered.
 
 
***** Shiver *****
 
*~*~*
So I look in your direction,
But you pay me no attention, do you?
I know you don't listen to me,
'Cause you see straight through me, don't you?
*~*~*
 
The uproar in the crowded staff room after lunch was even worse than Harry had
expected it to be.
Several of the senior members of the D.A. were invited to the meeting, there at
Hermione's suggestion to observe and add their support for Harry. Hermione had
told them on the way to the meeting that she and Ginny trusted Draco implicitly
and then Harry had asked for their support, and that was enough for them. Susan
Bones and Ernie Macmillan had come to represent the Hufflepuffs, with Terry
Boot and Padma Patil there for the Ravenclaws and Ginny and Hermione both there
to represent the Gryffindors. Draco had joked that he could try to find a
Slytherin to accompany him but really didn't recommend it because most of them
were nasty little snakes, which made Harry reply that he would stand as the
second Slytherin if he needed to, causing the others to laugh.
The 'adults' present at the meeting consisted of the school staff and Kingsley
Shacklebolt, and they all seemed to have a different opinion on the current
situation. Shacklebolt had a personal grudge against the entire Malfoy family
and seemed to have decided to take it out on Draco as best he could by refusing
to recognize that he might be on the side of the Light despite Dumbledore's
assurances that he had tested Draco himself. McGonagall was still upset about
Harry and Draco's 'display' in the Great Hall and the fact that she had not
been apprised of the true extent of Harry's defense club, so she had taken
Shacklebolt's side. Professor Vance spent most of the discussion sitting in the
corner with a cup of tea pointing out how reckless Harry was being, and kept
saying that he would get more people killed despite the fact she said the D.A.
had her whole-hearted approval. Snape just stood back and sneered as he
listened to everyone argue, seemingly enjoying the chaos and making no move to
aid anyone's cause.
Dumbledore himself was not terribly happy, but he had been impressed by how the
boys handled themselves and by how organized Harry's club seemed to be so he
was finally willing to listen to Harry's plans. Professors Sprout and Hooch
were firmly on Harry's side and quick to praise him before they sat back to
listen, but only Professor Flitwick seemed to agree with them so they were
definitely in the minority. Professor Flitwick listened to all of the arguments
for almost ten minutes, trying the entire time to get a word in edgewise, and
then finally levitated himself up onto the table and told Harry quite loudly
that he thought he was doing a brilliant job. Flitwick had jumped down and
stormed out of the room then, followed by several other professors who were
already tired of the debate and willing to just wait and find out what
happened.
The room had quieted for only a few moments after Flitwick and the others left
before the 'discussion' was in full swing again. Fifteen minutes later there
still had been little or no headway made because of all the arguing and talking
over each other that was going on. Harry was right in the thick of it but the
other students remained quiet for the most part, listening to the adults argue
about things that the students didn't really think were important anyway. The
meeting was very educational for the D.A. members and for Draco, who had heard
Harry scorn Dumbledore's reaction to Voldemort but had never seen it for
themselves.
The D.A. was a bit surprised to find themselves very unimpressed with the Order
members who were present, despite the stories Harry and Hermione had told them
about meetings. No meeting of their group would ever get so completely out of
control and off subject. They always had a limited time to discuss things and
they were very used to structured, almost moderated meetings where Harry and
Hermione kept everyone in check and made certain all viewpoints were heard. The
chaos of the meeting with Dumbledore wasn't just disappointing to the senior
D.A. members, it was frightening. If Dumbledore had so little control over his
professors and his right-hand man in the Order, then how was he supposed to
defeat the Death Eaters?
"I still think the boy should return to the Ministry with me and be checked out
by the Unspeakables," Shacklebolt said loudly for the fourth time, his deep
bass cutting through the other arguments going on around the table. "He can't
be trusted until they've gotten the truth out of him, whatever they have to do
to get it."
"Over my cold, dead body," Harry said angrily, glaring across the table at
Shacklebolt. "You are not going to take Draco back to the Ministry, or anywhere
else. He's staying with me."
The D.A. members were no more pleased by Shacklebolt's threats than Harry was,
despite the fact they had no reason to trust Draco other than Harry and
Hermione's word. To them, Harry's word would have been enough to give Draco a
chance. The fact Hermione and Ginny had been present while Draco was questioned
under Veritaserum and now claimed him as family told the D.A. that his
reliability was set in stone. All of them were giving Shacklebolt dirty looks
until Hermione muttered something about thickheaded men that made Ginny, Padma,
and Susan giggle.
"It will be over your dead body it you're wrong about him, boy." Shacklebolt
glared right back at Harry, ignoring the D.A. members and the quelling look
Dumbledore was giving him. "His father's the worst of their lot, and he's just
as evil as--"
"Do be quiet, Kingsley," McGonagall said suddenly, cutting Shacklebolt off mid-
word. She had been backing Shacklebolt so staunchly until then that the others
in the room all looked at her in surprise. She took advantage of the quiet
moment to go on, "Have you not listened to a word Albus has said this morning?"
"The boy was questioned quite thoroughly under Veritaserum," Snape added
calmly, finally tossing in his knut's worth. "He is no more a Death Eater than
you are, Kingsley."
Shacklebolt snorted and folded his arms across his chest, obviously unconvinced
as he stared at Snape. "And how are we to know that you and Potter both aren't
thinking with your ... affections ... for the boy?"
Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you attempting to hint that I might
have untoward intentions towards one of my students?"
Shacklebolt rolled his eyes, completely unimpressed by Snape's cold tone. "I'm
not sure you have 'untoward feelings' towards anything, Snape. I do know the
boy is your godson though, and that you've often protected him before when he
should have been punished."
McGonagall blinked, looking from Snape to Shacklebolt and back again. "Draco
Malfoy is your godson?"
Snape gave a short nod. "Yes, he is. Lucius insisted upon it when he was born
because we were friends in school and I have no living relatives. I fail to see
what bearing that has on the current situation."
"That's because it really has nothing to do with anything," Hermione said
suddenly, taking advantage of the gap in the adults' arguing and bringing
everyone's attention to her. "There can be no doubt that Draco would die to
protect Harry. He swore an oath while under Veritaserum that he loves Harry and
would die to protect him, and that makes him at least as trustworthy to us as
any of you."
Ginny nodded while Terry Boot added quickly, "Harry's not as stupid as you lot
in the Order seem to think he is, either. He'd never rush into something like
this unless he was sure he could trust the bloke he was putting his faith in.
Jumping in feet first would break the most important rule of the D.A., and
Harry would never do that."
"And what might that rule be?" McGonagall asked, curious despite the fact it
had little to do with the current problem.
All of the D.A. members except for Harry spoke up immediately, very nearly in
unison. "Don't get killed!"
Shacklebolt rolled his eyes as the D.A. members all grinned at each other, then
Susan Bones went on in a lecturing-to-idiots sort of tone, "If Harry were to
date a Death Eater or even someone who might possibly sympathize with them, he
would be signing his own death warrant andours too, and he knows it. He
wouldn't do that. No matter how reckless he might be with his own life, he
cares too much about the rest of us to put us in harm's way."
Padma nodded. "Harry says we can trust Draco to help us all, and we all trust
Harry. The D.A. is behind them both one hundred percent."
"Thank you," Harry said, smiling warmly at Padma and then at the other D.A.
members. He looked back along the table towards Dumbledore and Shacklebolt
after only a moment though, and his voice grew hard as he continued, "So,
there's no reason to continue arguing over how to 'handle' us. The D.A. stands
together, as always, and Draco stands with us. Either you trust us all, or you
don't trust us and there's no reason for us to be here wasting our time. Where
you stand in the coming fight is completely up to you. We stand against
Voldemort and all he believes in, and intend to kill him."
"I know exactly where I stand." Shacklebolt stood and leaned one hand on the
table as he pointed with the other hand at Draco. "And I'm taking that Death
Eater in training back to the Ministry for questioning."
Harry leapt to his feet, drawing his wand almost too quickly to follow and
pointing it between the burly Auror's eyes as he spoke in a soft, dangerous
tone that few in the room had ever heard him use. "Don't make me hurt you,
Kingsley. You're supposed to be on our side. Act like it."
"Do sit down, both of you," Dumbledore said then, frowning at them both.
Shacklebolt made no move to obey as he gave Harry a calculating look, trying to
decide whether on not Harry would really curse him, and Dumbledore spoke again
much more sharply. "Kingsley! Sit down this instant!"
Shacklebolt continued to glare across the table at Harry and Draco, but he sat
down in his chair again rather abruptly.
Dumbledore turned his attention to Harry then and said in a calm, firm tone,
"Harry, do sit down, please. We are not here to fight. No one will force Draco
to go anywhere, so I rather think he will be staying with you."
Harry snorted, lowering his wand but making no move to sit down as he glared at
Dumbledore. "I see no reason why I should sit down, none of you are really
listening. You were there, sir, you saw Draco take the Veritaserum and you
personally asked him every question you could think of to double-check his
loyalty. You know just as well as I do that he can be trusted. All of this
arguing and threatening about what will be done to him is nothing short of
offensive, and I see no reason for us to stay here and tolerate it."
"Be that as it may, Harry," Dumbledore replied calmly, "that does not
completely excuse your behavior today. That is what we are here to discuss, not
young Mr. Malfoy's allegiances."
"And your behavior in the last hour has been abominable," McGonagall added
immediately, frowning.
"It has not been so terrible as that, Minerva," Dumbledore disagreed, gazing at
McGonagall over his glasses. "The boy is protecting someone that has no one
else to turn to, someone whom he feels is in desperate need of his care. He
should be commended for it, however misguided you may think him to be." He
turned his attention back to Harry and added calmly, "Please do sit down,
Harry, so we might discuss this rationally."
Harry sat down even as he said, "Sit here and let you lecture me, you mean."
Shacklebolt snorted. "You need lectured, boy. Trusting a pretty piece of tail
just because he's good on his back is going to get you killed."
Harry bristled angrily again, and was about to speak up when Dumbledore said
quellingly, "That is quite enough, Kingsley. Harry is correct to point out that
I helped to question Draco. However unlikely it may seem, Kingsley, I do
believe young Mr. Malfoy to be loyal to Harry. You may believe that, or leave
the room. Your current behavior is doing nothing to help the situation we find
ourselves in and will no longer be tolerated in my presence. Do I make myself
perfectly clear?"
"Yes, sir. I will accept your word," Shacklebolt said grudgingly and then was
silent, obviously still suspicious but evidently able to control himself when
he needed to.
"Thank you," Dumbledore said quietly. "I will admit that I did not trust the
boy's motives when I discovered Harry had become attached to him, but Severus,
Remus, and I were all unable to find any evidence whatsoever that he was under
the influence of any outside magic. He willingly allowed himself to be
questioned under Veritaserum, answering every question posed to him with no
hint of reluctance and often supplying much more information than was asked
for. Unlikely as it may seem to those of us who know his father, Draco Malfoy
is a reasonably honest young man who fully supports Harry Potter."
"Thank you, sir," Draco said quietly, giving the Headmaster a respectful nod.
Dumbledore smiled. "You are quite welcome, Draco. I may not approve of some of
Harry's actions recently, but I find that I do approve of his attempts to help
you escape your father's plans for your future."
"If that is true," Shacklebolt finally said after a few moments of silence,
"that only leads me to question Harry's motives."
"Oh, fuck you," Harry said suddenly, leaping to his feet again so quickly that
he toppled his chair backwards. "I don't have to stay here and listen to this."
Harry whirled away and moved towards the door to leave but Draco stood and
moved after him more quickly, stopping Harry after only a few feet and moving
to stand in front of him. "Harry, stay, please. You need to know what they're
planning. We all do."
Harry stared into Draco's eyes, ignoring the other people in the room. "I will
not listen to that smug bastard try and make us both out to be Death Eaters
while they all just sit there and let him. He's not going to listen to us or
change his mind, so it's best I just leave."
"No, Harry, it is not," Dumbledore said firmly, causing Harry and Draco to both
look at him. "Draco is quite right, you need to put aside your differences with
the Order and be aware of what is happening." He turned his attention to
Shacklebolt without giving Harry a chance to respond. "I believe you owe them
both an apology, Kingsley, and then I think that it might be best for you to
wait in my office."
Shacklebolt looked as if he had just eaten something quite nasty. He stood and
said in a clipped tone, "Potter, Malfoy, I regret anything I might have said
that was not true, and apologize." He didn't wait for a response before he
turned away and stalked to the door that let out into the main hallway, closing
it behind himself much harder than was necessary.
Draco silently urged Harry back to the table so they could take their seats as
Snape smirked and said, "Well done, Albus. It's rather nice to see someone else
with their tail in a twist for a change."
Dumbledore gave Snape an amused look. "I believe it will be good for him."
McGonagall sniffed. "Kingsley is entirely too certain that his opinions are the
correct ones, much like another young man I might name." She looked pointedly
at Harry. "Some young men seem never to learn that they should listen to their
elders and do as they are told."
"No one likes to be ignored between bouts of being ordered about like a pawn on
a chessboard," Ginny said firmly, looking at McGonagall. "Harry's not the best
strategist on our side, but at least he knows that and leaves the chess games
to those who are better at it."
Terry Boot nodded. "We tell Harry he's got to rethink his position all the
time, ma'am, and he does because he knows we take his point of view into
consideration. Harry is the one that the prophecies say has to kill Voldemort,
so it's only fair that he be a part of deciding how best to do it. "
"Harry learns as much from being wrong as he learns any other way," Padma
added, grinning suddenly. "We shoot his theories and ideas down all the time."
Harry gave Padma a wry little smile. "You'd think that eventually I might come
up with the perfect plan."
"You're not dead yet, Harry," Ernie replied, grinning at him. "You've still got
a chance."
Draco snickered softly at that and Harry elbowed him lightly. "Shut up, you.
You're just supposed to follow me around and back me up, not help them laugh at
me."
Draco's pale eyes were twinkling with amusement as he said mock-seriously,
"Harry-love, I would follow you through the very gates of hell with only a
snowball to fight the fires, but I'm still going to laugh at you. It's one of
my favorite hobbies."
"Smart-arse," Harry replied, trying not to laugh.
Draco smirked. "And quite proud of it, thank you." He looked around at the rest
of the room and then went on in a businesslike, reasonable tone. "Now, if you
ask me -- and yes, I know that no one has, but I'm putting in my two pence
worth anyway because he's my..." He searched for the right word and then just
smirked. "... Harry. I think the Order has been going about things the wrong
way for quite a long time now. Voldemort knows you lot are more concerned with
delaying the fight than you are with winning, and he's using it against you.
While you've sat back and debated how best to keep from all-out war, he's put
men in the Ministry and taken over businesses that are vital to Wizarding
society, quietly taking control of the country right out from under your noses.
If you lot don't stop delaying things and end it soon, you just might find that
killing him doesn't do you any good to speak of. You'll be living in a country
owned and operated by Death Eaters, and they will fight on without him. I know
of several men who could easily step into his position if given as little as a
few weeks to consolidate their backing."
Terry nodded quickly, leaning forward in his chair. "That's exactly what we
think, too, Draco." He turned his gaze towards Dumbledore and went on with
barely a pause, "We've discussed it in the D.A. quite a lot this term, sir, and
came to a unanimous decision on when and where we should make our stand. The
Order may think Harry acted a bit rashly today, but we all believe today's
incident works in our favor and that he did the right thing. We agreed months
ago that the best place and time to face Voldemort is here at Hogwarts sometime
before Harry leaves school. We're ready for this fight and have a plan ready to
be put into effect on half an hour's notice, day or night. The wards around the
castle will give us that much time even if they catch us by surprise, and keep
them from using the worst Unforgivables, so there's nothing to worry about.
Remus made several copies of a map that will show the location of everyone on
the grounds for us, and Dobby has promised that he will get the other elves to
help us move quickly around the castle to get into position to defend it. The
Death Eaters won't have a prayer."
Everyone was quiet for a few minutes then as the D.A. members settled back and
waited for the adults to digest what Terry had said. Dumbledore was the one to
finally break the silence, watching the students gathered at the far end of the
table and looking somewhere between surprised and wry. "Children, I believe you
finally have our undivided attention. Please, tell us more."
Terry looked questioningly at Harry, who laughed and made a shooing motion
towards him. "Keep going, Terry, you're on a roll. You've always been better at
the strategy than me. I just play target, remember?"
Terry grinned at Harry and then turned his attention to Dumbledore again and
began to explain the plans the D.A. had made while the adults in the room hung
on his every word.
 
*~*~*
And on and on,
From the moment I wake, to the moment I sleep,
I'll be there by your side; just you try and stop me.
I'll be waiting in line, just to see if you care.
*~*~*
 
Harry flopped down on the couch nearest the main fireplace with a groan,
letting his head fall back to stare up at the ceiling. "I never want to do that
again. Not ever!" He pretended not to notice there were at least thirty
students scattered about the Gryffindor common room listening in to find out
what had gone on in the meeting. Harry hoped they would lose interest soon so
he could be with Draco and his friends without feeling like he was in a
fishbowl.
Draco snickered and sat down next to Harry, reaching to ruffle his hair. "Poor
baby, had to think."
Harry snorted and turned his head to give Draco a dirty look. "I've got a
pounding headache from listening to that lot. I'm not very much fun when I've
got a headache. Just so you know."
"Understatement of the century," Hermione said, looking amused as she walked
past Seamus to sit on the arm of the chair Ginny had just claimed as her own.
Ginny slid an arm around Hermione's waist as she grinned at Draco, adding, "He
either bites everyone's head off or turns into a whiny brat and wants someone
to feel sorry for him, but he always refuses to take a potion for it. It's
really rather annoying." Harry lifted one hand and flipped her off without a
word, making Draco laugh as Ginny smirked at Harry and said, "Sorry
sweetcheeks, I'm taken."
Seamus snickered. "Good one, Gin."
Harry's nose wrinkled into an expression of disgust as he lifted his head to
look at Ginny. "Sweetcheeks?"
"Thank you, Seamus. It was shamelessly stolen from my eldest sib. He's got a
bit of a knack for things like that," Ginny replied, still smirking. "And it's
another way of saying that you've got a lovely arse, Harry."
Harry blinked and then laughed, letting his head fall back against the couch
again as he closed his eyes. "Gee, thanks. Now let me suffer in peace."
Draco snickered and stood up, looking down at Harry as he drew his wand.
"Alright you, I can see that I'm going to have to teach you how to get rid of
excess tension."
Harry opened his eyes and looked up at Draco, suddenly grinning a bit despite
the pain still evident in the lines around his eyes. "Does this involve privacy
and a decided lack of clothing?"
"You wish," Draco replied, laughing. "Lay down on the couch, face down."
Seamus smirked. "Ooh, you like an audience. Kinky."
Draco rolled his eyes at Seamus. "In your fondest dreams only, Finnegan." He
looked back at Harry, gesturing with one hand for Harry to move. "Come on,
then, I'm about make a believer out of you."
Harry shifted on the couch to stretch out on his belly even though he looked a
bit wary. "A believer in what?"
Draco smirked again, looking positively wicked. "Something I learnt from
watching the Weasley twins in the locker room after Quidditch matches, though
I'm sure they hadn't the slightest idea I was there."
Ginny grinned, suddenly interested. "Are you going to give him one of those
ghost-foot massages George does that turns people into a pile of goo?"
Draco laughed and nodded. "Yes, I thought I might. It works rather well on my
headaches, though it is a bit tricky to cast it on myself." He pointed his wand
at Harry, smirking at him as he asked innocently, "Do you want me to silence
you, or do you think you can handle it?"
"Uhm..." Harry looked warily at Draco a few moments and then said slowly, "I
think I can handle a massage that doesn't involve getting undressed."
Draco smirked. "Alright then." He pretended not to notice the students moving
closer to watch as he waved his wand in a complicated little pattern and
murmured the spell under his breath.
One of the girls watching over the back of the couch gasped as an obvious
footprint appeared on Harry's back, then another joined it on the other side.
The 'ghost feet' began to move on Harry's back then, moving Harry's flannel
shirt about a bit as they flexed and moved, and Hermione leaned closer to
watch, fascinated. "Draco, you must teach me how to do that."
"Of course, Hermione," Draco replied, smiling as he tucked his wand away in his
robes again and moved to sit on the arm of the couch near Harry's head. "It's
really not that difficult if you can get the wand motion right. Just let me
know when you'd like to work on it."
Hermione gave him a quick smile. "I will, thank you."
Harry, who had been rather rigid and unresponsive to the massage, suddenly let
out a groan as the feet found the tension in his shoulders and then said in a
low awed rumble, "Oh wow."
Draco snickered, reaching down to deftly take off Harry's glasses and then
beginning to polish them on a handkerchief he seemed to produce out of thin
air. "It is rather nice, isn't it? Brings entirely new meaning to letting
someone walk all over you."
Draco completely ignored the looks he was getting from Seamus and then Dean,
who had just walked over to join the group. Draco knew Harry usually didn't let
anyone else handle his glasses but he also knew that Harry trusted him enough
that Harry wouldn't mind him holding them for him at the moment. He was aware
how important Harry's glasses were to him because of Harry's near-blindness
when he wasn't wearing them, but they would be uncomfortable while Harry was
lying face down on the couch. As long as Harry's glasses were in Draco's
possession, Draco would stay within an arm's length of Harry -- about the
distance Harry could see clearly without them -- and he would make sure no one
bothered Harry seriously.
"If it was always this nice, I'd not mind it at all." Harry's voice was little
more than a pleased rumble as he lay there and let the 'feet' continue the
massage, tension visibly draining out of him as they worked. "I can only think
of two things that feel better than this does."
Draco smirked and looked down at the back of Harry's head, his fingers still
busily polishing the glasses. "And that would be...?"
Harry turned his head to give Draco a languid smile. "Shagging you and feeling
that lovely talented mouth of yours on my --"
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, blushing bright red as several of the students who
had been watching giggled. "There are children around!"
Harry smiled beatifically. "So tell 'em t' go away."
"Honestly!" Hermione sniffed, giving him a dirty look. "This is the common
room, that means they are allowed to be here."
"Then they're old 'nough to hear wha' ever I mi' say," Harry mumbled, still
smiling as the ghost-feet moved back down his back, kneading muscles and
working out tension he hadn't even realized was there.
"I'm of the firm opinion that nosy little blighters deserve whatever education
they get by listening in. I learnt quite a lot that way myself, after all, and
I'm quite sure I was younger at the time than anyone here might be." Draco
looked decidedly smug as he tucked the handkerchief away in his robes, then
folded Harry's glasses neatly and hooked one earpiece into the collar of his
jumper as he looked at Hermione again.
Hermione pursed her lips, trying not to be amused by the way Draco had taken
possession of Harry's glasses. "That doesn't make it right, Draco. You
shouldn't have learnt some things so young either."
Draco tilted his head as if conceding the point but he was still obviously smug
as he replied, "Be that as it may, I did and it was because of my natural
curiosity. I've never been one not to watch or listen just because I knew I
shouldn't, and I'm not about to start. Knowledge -- all knowledge, not just
what they choose to teach us in school -- is power, and I intend to be a very
powerful wizard one day."
"Y' are already," Harry murmured, his eyes closed and an expression on his face
that made it look as if he had just gotten shagged fabulously well. "N' body
'round 'ere can beat you in a duel 'cept me."
Draco smirked down at Harry, running his fingers through Harry's hair in a
decidedly possessive way as he noticed that the spell had ended. "We are rather
well-matched, I think."
Harry purred and nodded slightly, his green eyes opening to look up at Draco as
he smiled again. "I agree." Dean rolled his eyes and looked away as Harry
lifted one hand to grab Draco's wrist and tug on it, adding, "C'mere, let me
use you as a pillow."
Draco laughed. "You shouldn't go to sleep here, Harry. There's a perfectly good
bed in our room, and you can actually stretch out there."
Harry let go of Draco's wrist, getting a mulish look on his face as he rolled
onto his side and looked up at Draco. "I don't wanna go to bed yet, not unless
I'm getting to shag you properly for my troubles. I just want a nice cuddle."
Draco snickered and gave Harry's shoulder a bit of a push. "Budge up then,
you've not left me room to even sit down."
Harry shifted to sit up and waited for Draco to sit down next to him, then made
a purring noise and crawled half into Draco's lap, wrapping both arms around
him. "Mm, much better." He kissed Draco softly and then laid his head on
Draco's shoulder with a happy little sigh and closed his eyes.
Hermione and Ginny watched them, both grinning as Draco stroked Harry's back
languidly and murmured with obvious amusement, "I'm so glad you approve of my
pillow abilities."
Ginny giggled at that as Dean snorted and asked pointedly, "Hermione, are you
going to tell us what the professors had to say, or are you just going to watch
the bloody lovebirds?"
Harry opened his eyes to look over at Dean and said very calmly and clearly,
"Don't be an arse just because you didn't want me while you had me. If you
don't want to see us together, learn to look at someone else."
Dean bristled a bit at that but he didn't have a chance to reply before Draco
added just loudly enough for Dean to hear him, "Don't take your idiocy out on
Harry, or anyone else for that matter. They all tried to talk to you, and you
ignored them. You know as well as I do that it's your own fault you're standing
over there and I'm the one holding Harry, just as well as you should know I'm
not going to make the mistakes you did and leave him feeling like he's just a
convenient piece of arse."
Dean stared at Draco a long moment, his anger draining away to leave nothing
but hurt in his eyes. "That was cruel even for you, Malfoy."
"The truth often is," Draco replied calmly. "Perhaps if it's pointed out to you
often enough how much of a bastard you were to Harry, you'll not make your next
boyfriend so miserable he sits on a tower contemplating what might happen to
his family if he stepped off."
Harry jerked his head up to stare at Draco, blurting, "How did you kno--" He
broke off suddenly as he realized that everyone was staring at him and turned
bright red, hiding his face against Draco's neck. "God," he said, his voice
muffled by Draco's robes, "I hoped no one would figure that out."
Draco kissed Harry's hair and then said quietly, "They need to know. You should
never have hid it from them that you were so unhappy, Harry. It would kill them
to lose you like that."
Hermione looked worried as she nibbled her lower lip for a moment, and her eyes
were suspiciously bright when she finally spoke. "Harry... Why didn't you say
anything?"
Something in her tone of voice made Harry turn his head towards her and he
looked stricken when he saw her glistening eyes. "Oh, Hermione, no, don't cry.
It was just me being stupid one night, not every time I went. I never even got
close to jumping."
"But Harry, thinking about suicide is just as bad as trying." Hermione blinked
a few times, obviously trying to keep control of herself. "How could you even
think about it?"
Harry swallowed hard and looked down, unable to meet her pained gaze as he said
softly, "I just-- I felt like there had to be some reason Dean didn't want me
like I needed him to, that maybe there was something wrong with me and I'd
always be miserable and lonely. That was just so depressing that one night I
found myself looking down at the ground and wondering if my magic would save me
whether I wanted it to or not."
No one but Seamus noticed Dean quickly leave the common room then as Draco
snorted and said to Harry, "There is quite a bit wrong with you, you prat."
Harry looked at him, surprised and a little hurt, but Draco didn't give him a
chance to speak as he went on firmly, "You won't ask for help half so often as
you should, you constantly let people walk all over you just because you like
them, and you have simply atrocious taste in clothes."
Ginny snickered, adding, "Don't forget the shoes."
Draco nodded to her, grinning suddenly. "Yes, quite." He looked back at Harry,
his pale blue eyes twinkling. "And you have the most god-awful shoes it has
ever been my misfortune to stumble over at four in the morning."
Hermione couldn't help a little giggle at that as Harry blinked a couple of
times and stared at Draco. "You noticed my shoes at four in the morning?"
Draco let out a short laugh. "No, I noticed them when I tossed them in the
floor last night. I stumbled over themat four in the morning." Draco snorted,
grinning as he added, "It would have been bloody embarrassing to get away from
the Munchlings without a scratch and then trip in the dark and wind up in the
infirmary with a broken neck."
Harry snickered and said with a little grin, "Oh, I do love you."
Draco preened. "Yes, of course you do. I'm perfect."
Hermione giggled again at that as Ginny smirked and said, "Careful, Drake,
you'll be needing to buy new hats before too long."
Seamus spoke up suddenly then, interrupting them and making them all look
towards him as he said in a very flat, angry tone, "I can't believe you just
laid that all on Dean. He treated you as best he knew how, Harry, and cares
about you quite a lot more than any of you are giving him credit for."
Harry frowned and looked at Seamus. "It was the truth, Seamus. It might have
seemed to you like Dean treated me perfectly fine -- and I'm glad for his sake
that's so, since I'm pretty sure the idiot's in love with your oblivious arse -
- but I needed more than someone who liked to shag me and show me off at
parties. Dean was too busy worrying about whether or not you might want to shag
later to be bothered with someone as 'demanding and girly' as I am, and he's
better off without me."
Seamus stared at Harry, his eyes wide as he spluttered incoherently, then he
finally managed to ask, "What do you mean, in love with me?! He's in love with
you, you git!"
Harry snorted. "Not bloody likely. If he was, he'd not have acted like I wanted
him to kiss a snake every time I tried to get near him while you were around."
"Dean hates snakes," Seamus said, still looking a bit shell-shocked as he
latched onto the one bit of what Harry said that made sense to him.
"Yes, Seamus, I know he hates snakes," Harry said, rolling his eyes and
speaking slowly as if Seamus were an idiot. "He hated being with me any time he
thought that you might pay attention to him, too."
"I --" Seamus blinked a few times, then turned suddenly and started towards the
Prefects' quarters, oblivious to the whispers among the younger students.
Ginny waited until Seamus was out of sight before she said conversationally,
"Someone should have done that a year ago. I hope you picked the right time,
Harry."
Harry turned towards her, shrugging a bit. "It needed to be said. I'm tired of
Dean following me around like a kicked puppy every time Seamus leaves him
behind to go run about with someone else. Dean deserves better, and Seamus is
gone on him anyway, he just wouldn't admit it because he's gotten it into his
head Dean's not interested in him for anything but a shag every now and then."
"You're sure of that," Hermione half-asked, looking unconvinced.
"Yes, I am." Harry relaxed comfortably against Draco, resting his cheek against
Draco's collarbone again and watching Ginny and Hermione under Draco's chin.
"Dean was the first bloke Seamus shagged, and the only one until summer hols,
when Dean couldn't keep it in his pants and decided to shag some bloke he's
lived next door to since he was five."
Draco gave Hermione and Ginny a slightly surprised look. "You know, he might
have a point. I never heard rumors about Seamus shagging around until this
term, but I thought I just hadn't paid attention."
"No, he didn't do it," Neville said then, standing from where he'd been
tutoring a fifth year in Herbology and walking over to sit on the hearth,
looking at the others. "Seamus never shagged anyone else until after Dean came
back raving over the bloke he shagged all summer. Seamus started shagging his
way through the Houses not long after that, and then Dean started panting after
Harry." Neville gave Harry an apologetic look as he added, "And shagging
around."
Draco snorted, somewhere between amused and annoyed. "Here I thought it was
Seamus who couldn't keep it in his pants, and it was Dean that's a right prat
to his boyfriends..."
Ginny murmured quietly, "They're both pretty bad at relationships, I think. Sex
is easy for them to figure out, but admitting the way they really feel scares
them."
"They're rather like Ron, that way," Harry said with a nod, adding, "Merlin
knows I loved him -- still do, even -- but he was hopeless at admitting how he
felt."
Neville looked sheepish and amused. "It's a guy thing, Harry."
"Hey!" Harry exclaimed, laughing. "Are you trying to say I'm not normal?"
"Do I need to?" Neville replied, grinning suddenly. "I will, if you didn't
already know."
Harry spluttered as Ginny crowed with laughter and even Hermione started
giggling.
Draco watched them all for a few moments before he said with a smirk, "It's
alright, Harry. I love you anyway."
For some reason, Harry wasn't very mollified by that.
 
*~*~*
Oh, did you want me to change?
Well I changed for good,
And I want you to know that you'll always get your way,
I wanted to say…
*~*~*
 
Seamus didn't bother to knock when he reached Dean's room, instead checking the
door to see if it was locked and then slipping inside quietly. He paused just
inside the room to close the door, letting his eyes adjust to the dim lighting
before he walked over to sit on the bed next to Dean. Dean didn't react, just
sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees and looking down at
his hands.
They were both silent for a while before Seamus finally asked quietly, "Are you
alright?"
Dean let out a little noise that might have been either a sob or a laugh and
then murmured thickly, "Oh, just ducky, mate. My ex-boyfriend, who just happens
to be the Boy Who Bloody Lived, just told all of our friends that he nearly
killed himself because I treated him like shite." Dean looked up finally then,
giving Seamus a bleak look. "Did you want something, or are you just here to
ask questions you know the answers to?"
Seamus tried to keep his voice level and calm. "Harry had to be lying, Dean.
You didn't treat him so ba--"
"Do shut up," Dean interrupted, looking away. "You know Harry wasn't lying.
Besides the fact he has no reason to--"
"Other than hurting you," Seamus interjected a bit more heatedly, "which he's
done quite well."
Dean went on without looking up. "-- everyone in the school knows he's a bloody
awful liar." Dean looked at Seamus again, adding, "And we both know he'd not
lie about something like that. Harry is very many things, but he's not cruel
and he doesn't lie to his friends."
Seamus looked into Dean's eyes for a few moments as he tried to think of a way
to make the pain in them go away, then finally half-asked, "He won't lie to us,
hmm?"
"You know that," Dean replied quietly, resigned. "Not about anything
important."
"Then I suppose you really are in love with me."
Dean's eyes widened and he stared at Seamus, opening and closing his mouth
twice before he finally managed to find his voice. "Harry told you that?"
"Harry just told everyone that," Seamus replied softly, still looking
searchingly at Dean. "Said a few things that made me wonder a bit, truly, but
that was the most important. Is it true?"
"I--" Dean broke off and stared at Seamus a moment longer, then nodded
silently. He wasn't sure he could say it aloud, not until he knew how Seamus
would react.
Seamus blinked and then punched Dean in the shoulder, hard. "You bloody
bastard!" He tackled Dean then, knocking him to the floor and sitting on his
belly to start swatting Dean's head and shoulders just hard enough to make it
sting without really hurting him. "You're such a worthless git sometimes!"
"Seamus, quit!" Dean covered his head with his arms, trying to keep Seamus from
swatting him. "Jesus, you made your point, stop hitting me already! I knew
better than to tell y--"
"I'm not mad because you told me, you arse." Seamus swatted Dean once more on
the side of the head rather harder than he had been hitting him and then
prodded Dean in the chest with one finger hard enough to make Dean yelp. "I'm
mad because Harry had to tell me!" He poked Dean again, adding a bit more
heatedly, "And I want to know what the bloody hell you were thinking, shagging
Harry and half the rest of the school! If you love me, why haven't you been
shagging me instead of slutting about like a tomcat with an itch?"
"Maybe because you were busy shagging the other half of the school?" Dean
replied immediately, swatting Seamus' hands away. "You're just as much of a
slut as I am, Seamus, so don't even start! Besides, why shouldn't I shag
around? You're the bastard who told me that you wanted to shag everyone in our
year at least once except Hermione and the Slytherins."
Seamus blinked, then snorted and folded his arms across his chest, settling
more firmly on Dean's stomach and giving him a level look. "That's not good
enough. If you're in love with me, you should have said so."
"Oh, right," Dean replied, rolling his eyes and resting his hands on Seamus'
thighs without really thinking about it. "I can just see how that would have
gone. 'Seamus, I think I'm in love with you.' 'Oh really? That's nice. Blimey,
Colin's arse is looking good today... I'll be right back, I just remembered
someone I have to do.'"
Seamus cuffed the side of Dean's head again. "Arsehole. I'm not that shallow."
He snorted. "And you never tried it, so how could you know what I'd say? It's
not on to just assume the worst, Dean, not on at all."
Dean looked up at Seamus a few moments and then said very slowly, "Alright,
then." He took a deep breath and then closed his eyes. "Seamus, I think I might
have gone and fallen for you."
Seamus leaned down, planting one hand on either side of Dean's head and looking
at him with an exasperated, annoyed expression. "Dean, open your eyes." He
waited for Dean to look at him and then said firmly with more than a little bit
of annoyance, "That makes two of us. And you could have saved us both a lot of
trouble if you had said that a long time ago."
Seamus didn't give Dean a chance to respond before he kissed him rather hard,
drawing a little squeak from Dean, who was too surprised to respond as what
Seamus had said really sank in. Seamus started to pull away when Dean didn't
respond, then Dean suddenly moved his hands to the sides of Seamus' head and
began to return the kiss, kissing back just as hard and earning a low purr from
Seamus.
Dean was the first to break the kiss, pushing Seamus back and giving him a
firm, almost angry look. "You're not shagging anyone else, not anymore. You
hear me?"
Seamus snorted and pulled out of his grip with an impatient little jerk. "No
shite, Sherlock. Has anyone ever told you that you talk too bloody much?"
Dean spluttered, indignant, and Seamus kissed him again to stop whatever he was
going to say, snickering. It didn't really matter. They had finally said the
most important thing. Seamus figured the rest would either come naturally or
one of their friends would point them in the right direction again.
Sometimes, having friends who cared enough to slap some sense into you was
really a very good thing.
 
*~*~*
Don't you shiver,
Shiver.
Sing it loud and clear,
I'll always be waiting for you.
*~*~*
 
Harry stretched slowly and purred, then nuzzled the side of Draco's neck and
cuddled closer to him on the couch as he murmured, "What time is it?"
Draco opened his eyes to glance at the clock on the mantle, amused despite the
fact he was feeling rather drowsy himself. "Nearly time for dinner, why?"
Harry sighed, remaining quiet a few minutes before he admitted, "I was sort of
hoping we'd missed that."
Draco snickered and kissed Harry's hair just as Hermione's voice spoke up
primly from behind them. "No such luck, Harry. You both really should go make
yourselves presentable. Dinner's in ten minutes."
Harry groaned and just stayed where he was a moment before he suddenly lifted
his head off Draco's shoulder to give him an appraising look. "Ten minutes,
hmm?"
Draco smirked. "Plenty of time, if we get right to it."
Harry grinned and jumped up off the couch, grabbing Draco's hand to drag him up
too and then leading him quickly towards the Prefects rooms. "We'll be along."
Ginny snickered as Hermione called after them exasperatedly, "Don't dawdle!"
"I'd not heard it called that before," Draco said cheerfully, making Ginny
laugh harder.
"She's not very likely to say 'don't shag him silly, Harry'. 'Don't dawdle' is
really much more Hermione's style." Harry grinned over his shoulder at Draco
and then called back to Hermione, "And we'll not be too long about it."
Hermione snorted and went back to her revisions, muttering to herself about
boys and their hormones while Ginny snickered at her.
Fifteen minutes later, Hermione was pacing impatiently near the door of the
deserted common room, scowling. "Ten minutes I told them, not fifteen. We'll
likely have to go in after them."
Ginny smirked, leaning comfortably against the wall nearby and watching
Hermione pace. "Sounds like fun, want me to go?"
"No!" Hermione replied quickly, turning her scowl on Ginny. "You stay right
here with me. You're already seen them naked quite enough for today."
Ginny snickered, then heard a door in the Prefects hallway and looked that way
curiously. "Sounds like th--" She broke off, her eyes widening just a bit as
Dean and Seamus walked out into the room.
Dean looked just as he usually did, complete with his habitual good-natured
grin. Seamus seemed back to normal as well other than the fact the robe he was
wearing was too narrow across the shoulders and he had to leave it open down
the front. Dean and Seamus both looked decidedly cheerful as Seamus grinned at
Hermione and Ginny, his earlier anger seeming forgotten. "Waiting for Harry,
then?"
Hermione blinked and nodded, nonplussed. "Uhm, yes, we are. Everything
alright?"
"Right as rain," Dean replied, smiling at Hermione. "Tell him I said thank you.
I'll make my apologies myself, next time I get the chance."
Seamus nodded to Hermione and Ginny, adding with a grin, "We owe him one."
"Or ten," Dean corrected with a snort, looking at Seamus.
Seamus just snickered and pushed Dean to the door. "Oh, go on with you. One's
enough, if it's a good one."
They left without another word and Hermione blinked a few more times before she
turned to Ginny. "Men really are quite odd."
Ginny laughed. "Men say the same thing about women, love."
"Only because it's true," Harry said cheerfully, walking out of the hallway
with Draco at his side. "Why are men odd at the moment, though?"
"Dean and Seamus said to say thank you." Ginny smirked at Harry and Draco,
noticing that they both looked as if they had dressed hurriedly despite the
fact that Draco's hair was as immaculate as ever. She was amused to notice the
silver snake was still holding Draco's ponytail and wondered if Harry had told
him it was spelled with several powerful protection spells. She doubted it.
Harry was just the type to give someone a seemingly innocent gift and not tell
them that he wanted them to wear it because it would protect them when he
couldn't.
Harry grinned widely, looking smug. "Ha! Rather nice to get it right for a
change."
Draco snickered and pushed Harry towards the door, gesturing for Ginny and
Hermione to precede them. "Yes, yes, you're a marvel of stating the obvious,
Harry. Dinner is waiting and I seem to have worked up an appetite again, so
walk while you congratulate yourself."
Ginny snickered and grabbed Hermione's hand, leading her towards the door while
Hermione muttered to herself, "Very, very odd."
 
 
 
 ~ The end, or a reasonable facsimile thereof.
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