Hi. This piece is slightly different than my others in that it has a coherent storyline. Yay! Warning: It's SLASH, so if you don't like Harry and Draco kissing, please leave. Flames will be deleted and ignored. Disclaimer: They're not mine, and I'm not getting any money :( It's rated PG-13, but it's got a bit of language. It's not quite as humorous as my other fics, but it's not dark, either. So enjoy.
Then There's What We Like to Call, "The Harry Factor"
It was a dim, cloudy, breezy Saturday morning. The Gryffindor Quidditch team was scheduled to a match against Ravenclaw. This game determined the winner of the Cup, Slytherin being defeated by both teams earlier that year (Hufflepuff had been no obstacle). They were all heading to the broom shed before entering the pitch. Harry Potter, the sixth-year Seeker for the team, was the last to arrive, after finding his Quidditch robes tied in horrible knots, no doubt a good luck present from the Slytherins. Pushing back his glasses with one hand, the slim teen reached into the dark gloom of the shed for his Firebolt with the other.
An elegant, long-fingered hand shot out from the depths and gripped Harry's arm. A petite figure detached itself from the shadows with a serpentine grace, and Harry knew now that it was Draco Malfoy.
His rival had changed some in the course of two years. He no longer went out of his way to insult Harry and his friends, unless one of them did something particularly stupid. He no longer carried the air of a spoiled brat, though he was by no means pleasant. He was taller, but not much, still quite short for a 16-year-old. His body was still elfishly thin, skin still milky-white, a sneer permanently affixed to his finely-chiseled features whenever a Gryffindor was in the vicinity.
Harry had changed, too. He was slightly taller than the blonde boy, and his gawky frame had filled out a bit. He wasmore mature, and devoted most of his time to his studies. Flying was a rare joy, and thankfully Quidditch was still maintained to keep student morale intact in these troubled times.
Harry tried to jerk his hand away, but Malfoy had a death grip on it. He reached into his pocket for his wand, but at that moment Malfoy rushed at him, knocking the wind out of him.
"Oof." Harry exhaled. The pale teen took advantage of Harry's temporary confusion and dragged him quickly into the nearby Forbidden Forest. He stopped when they were deep in the woods, the school grounds not visible. Releasing Harry's arm, he swung around to face him. "Malfoy, what the hell are you doing?" Harry asked, frowning.
"Get out of here, Potter. Go that way." He pointed in the opposite of Hogwarts. "Eventually you'll get to Hogsmeade, but don't stop there."
"What are you talking about?" Harry said crossly. "The game's about to start." He turned back in the direction they had come from. Warm fingers caught his wrist.
"Wait. *Listen*." Draco's voice was low and fast and filled with urgency. Perplexed, Harry turned around and saw and unnamed intensity shining from storm gray eyes. "Your broom's been spelled to be a Portkey. If you touch it, it will take you to the Dark Lord."
"Rubbish." Harry dismissed with the wave of a hand. "How would you know that?"
"Because I magicked it, stupid." Sudden alarm in those too-green eyes.
"Why-?"
"I was ordered to. Get out of here!"
"Then how-"
"I mussed your robes so you'd be last and I could stop you. Is that enough? Now leave, before He gets impatient and comes here Himself." The pale boy shuddered.
"Yeah right." The dark-haired youth crossed his arms over his chest. "This is just some elaborate scheme to keep me from the match. I'm leaving." He announced.
"Damn it, Harry!" He blinked at Malfoy's sudden use of his first name. "D'ya know what He'll *do* to you?! Can you even comprehend the *torture* He's got planned for you? He knows you're a key player in the Fight, and He'll get what He wants. Oh yes." A pale hand unconsciously gripped his left arm. Harry studied him from beneath lowered lashes.
"Why should I trust you? Going into the forest could easily be a trap." Draco grimaced.
"You don't have time for this!" he cried. He strode over to the taller boy and grabbed his shoulders, pulling Harry's face down to him. The wizard panicked, trying to escape, but again he was captive in Malfoy's strong grasp. However, his struggling ceased, shocked into stillness, when Draco pressed his hot mouth over Harry's. Lips sliding over his, silken and fiery. Draco's tongue demanded access to the warm cavern of Harry's mouth; the dark-haired youth willingly gave it. The kiss *burned*, laced with desperation.
Draco pulled away, breathing heavily.
"Now do you believe me?" Harry nodded dumbly. "Then GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Draco yelled, and Harry nodded again, understanding flooding his emerald eyes.
"Thank you." he whispered, voice low and uneven. "I'll come back for you." He swiftly kissed the other boy, cutting off any protests, and then fled into the woods.
Draco listened as the sound of Harry crashing through the undergrowth gradually receded into silence. He smiled grimly to himself and pulled out his wand. He turned around to go back when a figure blocked his path.
"Father." Draco greeted, his face expressionless. Draco's hand shot up without warning and from his wand streaked red sparks highly visible in the overcast sky.
"You are very foolish." Lucius hissed. Draco shrugged.
"Must be a family trait." His father lunged, and picked him up by the collar of his robes.
"Little bastard. You can't possibly win."
"So you say." countered Draco, unperturbed though his feet were dangling in the air.
"Why?" asked his father, shoving his face close to his son's and peering at him. "For *him*?" smooth voice incredulous, angry, and curious all at once. Draco hesitated.
"Partly for him. But more because on his side everyone is treated like an equal. No one bows down to another." he sneered. His father dropped him and he fell in a heap to the ground.
"You've the Malfoy pride." Lucius observed ruefully as Draco picked himself off the ground with great dignity and smoothed his robes.
"Go back to your master. Dumbledore will be here soon." said his son.
"He's your master, too. And you're coming with me." the older man said icily. Draco snorted.
"What do you think will happen when they find both Potter *and* me missing? Where's the first place they're going to look? And He's not my master, and He never was." the young one stated firmly. "Goodbye, Father. Give my love to Mother." Both Malfoys heard the noise of approaching footsteps in the distance. His father smiled oddly.
"I will." he promised, and then he was gone. Diapparated. Draco heaved a sigh of relief as he saw Hagrid crashing through the brush at breakneck speed, followed closely by Professors Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore. Harry was safe.
"Harry's okay." he said at the three worried faces (Snape's lips were pressed into a tight line, but he hardly looked worried). "He's in the forest. His broom's a Portkey." Dumbledore nodded, then turned to Hagrid.
"Hagrid, go and get Fang and track harry down, please. Minerva, you take care of that broom. Severus, if you'd please take Mr. Malfoy inside, I myself will cancel the match." Having dispatched his orders, the Headmaster set off, leaving Draco chuckling. This was a *lot* better than licking the boots of some insane 50-year-old wizard. And of course, there was the Harry factor. *That* looked very promising indeed. A wicked grin appeared on Draco's face as he followed Snape up to the castle and to the Infirmary ("Just in case."). He was still there when, two hours later, and exhausted Harry was deposited in the bed next to his. Everyone fussed over him, asking questions and offering comfort, as Madam Pomfrey tried to shoo them away. Harry shot him a secret smile in the midst of his hurricane of attention. Draco flushed and looked away. He had been staring.
After Madam Pomfrey had succeeded in driving everyone away, Harry slipped out of his bed and padded over to Draco's. He sat down and gave the pale youth a tentative smile. Draco gazed back silently. Harry reached out with a quivering hand and brushed one strand of cornsilk hair behind an ear. Suddenly Draco seized him and pressed him to the mattress tightly and kissed him, plundering this sweet treasure he had discovered, then pulled back. Harry looked up at him through half-lidded eyes.
"Why, Draco, I didn't know you cared." he smirked coyly.
"That's the first time you've said my name." Draco whispered mostly to himself.
"What, Draco? I love it. Draco, Draco, Draco..." The pale teen rolled his eyes and kissed him hotly and Harry immediately shut up. He pulled Draco down next to him and snuggled against the slim boy. As the teens drifted off to sleep, Draco murmured into soft, raven-black hair,
"I didn't know I cared, either."
~Finis~
Can you Apparate in the Forbidden Forest? I don't remember. Oh, well, just pretend, okay? And I estimated Voldemort's age. I wanted to write a strong Draco, not a helpless, needy, "misunderstood" Draco. So this is my attempt. Hope you liked it. I did. Please review. Until next time...