Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/10019381.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage, Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Harry_Potter_-_J._K._Rowling
  Relationship:
      Draco_Malfoy/Harry_Potter
  Character:
      Dudley_Dursley, Fred_Weasley, George_Weasley, Harry_Potter, Petunia_Evans
      Dursley, Ron_Weasley, Vernon_Dursley, Blaise_Zabini, Draco_Malfoy
  Additional Tags:
      Slash, Explicit_Language, Sexual_Content, Angst, Tragedy, Horror,
      Supernatural_-_Freeform, Romance
  Collections:
      HPFandom
  Stats:
      Published: 2006-05-15 Words: 1897
****** Sacrifices ******
by Dantesinclair [archived by HPFandom_archivist]
Summary
     Harry sacrifices a part of himself for the person most important to
     him. But will his affections be returned or will he be forced to
     suffer alone? Non OC, past abuse, Ron bashing
Notes
     Note from SeparatriX, the archivist: this story was originally
     archived at HP_Fandom, which was closed for health and financial
     reasons. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its
     works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I
     e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but
     may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator,
     please contact me using the e-mail address on HP_Fandom_collection
     profile.
Disclaimer: I own nuthin’. So? Wanna fight about it?
This is a non original-character story! There will still be the acceptable
amount needed for a fan fiction, of course, but I managed to make real
characters the main characters. Proud? *=grin grin=* I’m so totally awesome.
(puts on a burger king crown) Worship the greatness of K!
*X*
Harry Potter, Savior of the Wizarding World, Witch Weekly’s Most Camera-Shy
Hotty, and the resident Gryffindor Golden Boy had a problem. Not that having
problems was anything new to him, in fact things going well would be a welcome,
if unexpected surprise. But he had never had a problem quite like this.
He looked down at the swimming shorts that Hermione had managed to magic him
into, and then down to the water below him. “This sucks.” he murmured,
clutching the edge of the wooden dock so hard that his knuckles turned white.
“Oh my fucking Merlin this sucks major arse.”
“Come on Harry!” exclaimed Fred, who, with the assistance of his twin, was
attempting to hold Lee Jordan on their shoulders, above the water. “Come help
us with our pyramid!”
“Yeah!” called George. “You can be on top! After all, you’re the only one- - -”
“- - - Small enough hold up at the same time as him!” finished his clone.
Harry shook his head, giving them his most reassuring fake smile. “Naw, I told
you before, I just ate!! I’ve still got a while before I can get in.”
“Don’t be a wuss, Potter!” called Malfoy from not far away. To the immense
relief of every one at the lake, Crabbe and Goyle had opted to spend the day
sleeping in. “Don’t tell me the Boy Who Lived is afraid of getting his hair
wet?”
Harry sent the blonde a half-hearted glare. This was day 2 of the fabled,
Gryffindor/Slytherin lake trip. All students years 6&7 would be partied with
another House to go on a camping trip on the island in the middle of Hogwarts
Lake. Harry had been dreading it for weeks, for reasons other than the close
proximity he would have to the Slytherin Ice Prince, a.k.a. Draco Malfoy,
a.k.a. his five year crush. He had been in love with the prat since second
year, when he had disguised himself as Goyle and was able to watch Draco while
he was almost completely at ease. The pureblood had been beautiful,
intelligent, and amazing. Qualities Harry had somehow overlooked before.
Ever since that day Harry had learned to mask his feelings and expressions.
When watching him work masterfully over a cauldron, looking for all the world
like he had trained his entire life for the task, Harry would force anger and a
hint of jealousy into his eyes. When they argued, he forced himself to look
disgusted. When they were forced to work side by side on one project or
another, he looked begrudging or resigned, all the while in complete awe of his
‘rival’s’ many skills.
But as was wont to happen when one lied too extremely for too long, Harry had
slipped. The day Buck-Beak attacked Malfoy (whether he had it coming or not) he
had felt such utter horror and fear that Hermione had figured out what was up
within seconds. Being an exceptionally bright witch, and one that was
accustomed to being at the bad end of foolish prejudiced views, Hermione was
completely accepting, choosing only to make a few choice remarks on occasion
about his taste in men.
But as most people know, a secret kept by two is rarely as well kept as one by
a single person. Hermione had decided one day in fourth year to pull him aside
and chew him out about his stubbornness and told him just how much petty
arguments and trivial fights would help the two of them get together.
Unfortunately for them, she had chosen the hallway that housed the infamous
twins Weasley’s secret Experiment Room. They heard the whole conversation with
the aid of their Extendible Ears, and fully supported their surrogate younger
brother’s sexuality and choice. Hence a disturbing number of pranks to be aimed
at the homophobic Ron(who didn‘t know), and a considerable decrease on one
Draco Malfoy (who he had every intention of never ever telling).
But no. As problematic as that situation was, it couldn’t hold a candle to the
one he was in know. The problem that had kept him tossing and turning in his
sleep for well over a month.
Harry was afraid of water.
His fear had been brought on from his past experiences, all of which he found
to be perfectly reasonable. From being thrown headlong into deep end of the
local pool by Dudley, held beneath the surface in his bath by Vernon, to nearly
drowning as Petunia turned to aim the spray of the garden hose in face, he had
always had a natural aversion to it, as he did with the all kitchen utensils
and a large number of gardening tools. But it was his experience in the
Triwizard tournament two years ago that had drove it home. The damned Merpeople
and Grindylows had made it a set and unshakable fear in his heart. He could
swim to save his life, if need be, but otherwise the simple thought of going
under was enough to get him shaking.
So, needless to say, being forced onto an island surrounded by water on all
sides with the only escape being a rickety bridge the length of the Great Hall
and no where near as wide. And not only was he in the single worst place
imaginable, he was also going to be forced to keep his I-So-Totally-Am-Not-In-
Love-With-A-Guy-And-A-Slytherin-At-That mask up for a grueling four days. It
was almost enough to make him consider siding up with Voldemort. At least he
was predictable, and probably wasn’t the Camping Trip type.
Harry was torn from his self-pitying thoughts as a splash of lake water hit him
in the face. He jumped a foot in the air, shocked, nearly falling off of the
dock. In fact, he sort of did. His body completely tumbled off of the now-wet
wood, but a moment of quick thinking allowed him to grab hold of it and keep
his torso up. “Shit….” he murmured in relief. Not even his feet had gotten wet.
He heard a crow of laughter and new immediately who had done it. “God damn it,
Ron!!” he shouted, scrambling back up to his supposedly safe perch. “You scared
the crap outta me!”
“Oh loosen up, Harry! Don’t let Ferret-Face ruin our fun!” Ron said, jerking a
thumb in said Slytherin’s direction who was currently floating lazily on his
back, drifting farther from shore. “See? He’s way over there. Nowhere near
close enough to try and pull anything.”
“I heard that Weasel.” drawled Draco in annoyance, not bothering to even sit
up.
“And it’s a bloody good thing, too!”
Harry rolled his eyes, resting his chin on his knee, making it clear to all the
world that he favored sitting on the dock to getting in the water any day.
“I’ll get in later, okay? Just let it go.”
Ron nodded tiredly, before a smirk played across hits lips. “You know, Harry,
the Giant Squid hardly ever attacks anybody these days.”
Harry glared at him, before standing up and turning around. “I’m going back to
camp. I think I left my- -” he trailed off, as if whatever it was was
important, and hurried away from his friends.
*X*
Harry scowled at his duffel bag, resisting the urge to kick it. ‘I HATE MY
LIFE!!’ he shrieked inside his head, knocking his head against his knees. “Why
does the whole world suck?”
“Oh really Harry.” said a familiar voice. “It can’t be- -”
“- -All bad.”
“After all, you can still- -”
“- -Stare at Malfoy all day. That’s gotta be- -”
“- -Worth something.”
(a/n: if you don’t know who’s talking at this point, you probably can’t read
anyways.)
“I guess.” sighed Harry. “But Draco’s arse can only do so much.”
The twins gained conspiratorial smirks. “Oh Harry, I sure that- -”
“- -his arse does more for you than- -”
“- -You let on.”
Harry blushed, covering his face with his hands. “Guys! Come on, someone’ll
hear you!”
“Oh, no one’ll hear us.”
“Everyone’s down at the lake.”
“Where you should be. Which reminds me- -”
“- -Why’re you locking yourself away- -”
“- -in a dinky little tent? Why aren’t you- -”
“- -taking advantage of your only chance- -”
“- -to stare at your crush why’ll he’s- -”
“- - Completely and utterly topless?”
Harry scowled at them. “None of yer business! Sod off you bloody ogres!”
“Aw! Come on Ickle Harry-kins! What’d we ever do to you- -”
“- -Besides the occasional prank or two?”
Harry stared at them. “Did you two just rhyme?…. On purpose?”
Fred and George looked at each other. “No actually.” said one.
“That was a bit creepy, huh?”
“Just a bit.” he said, smiling a tad.
“But seriously Harry. What’s wrong?”
“You’ve been acting weird since we got here.”
“It’s nothing guys. Don’t worry about it.”
“Tell!”
“We won’t!”
Then they both stuck up their right hands in a ‘loser’ sign, and recited
together- “Weasley Twin Honor!”
Harry rolled his eyes. “You swear you won’t tell?”
“Yes! Gred, set up the silencing wards!”
“Right-o, Feorge!”
“See!? Now spill!”
Harry rolled his eyes, sitting Indian style. “Okay, you wanna know? I’m… well…
I’m sort of afraid of water. Happy now?”
Both boys cocked they’re heads to the side, like a pair of bright orange,
freckled puppies. “Why?”
Harry shrugged uncomfortably. “I dunno. A few too many near-drowning
experiences I guess. Don’t ask me.”
“So you won’t go into the water because you can’t swim?”
“I can swim a little. Enough to keep my head up or whatever. But not by a lot.”
“What’d you mean by near-drowning experiences? You mean the 2nd task?”
“No. The Dursely ’s.”
“Those people should be shot!”
“You’re telling’ me?”
“Well, anyways, just because you can’t swim- -”
“- -Doesn’t mean you still can’t have fun.”
“Yes it does. Not only could I do nothing more than sit all by my lonesome on
the dock, but now I’ve gotta worry about being knocked off by Ron or someone
else. Sorry, but I’d rather not drown if it’s all the same.”
“Ah, but Harry! If something happens- -”
“- -we’ll be sure to come to your rescue. After all- -”
“- -what are brothers for?”
Harry smiled slightly to himself. He loved being a part of the Weasley family,
even if it was only in an adopted sort of way. He didn’t know why everyone
complained about Fred and George. They were his absolute best friends, even a
tad before Hermione. “Fine.” he sighed “But only if, after your done saving me,
you make life for whoever did it a living hell.”
“Why, of course Harry!”
“As if we’d just let them off the hook.”
“We’ve been looking for some knew guinea pigs anyways!”
*X*
HA! I did it! A non-OC story! You people’d better read it, ‘cuz it’s really
hard to not throw in random, made-up characters! I had some odd inspiration for
this. I swear to everything Otaku that I thought of it while I was watching
that Fairy-Mermaid-Barbie commercial. Seriously. I’m not joking. Anyways,
please read and review while I get to work on chapter 2, K?
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!