Title: The First Thing They Ever Publicly Agreed On
Author:jtsbbsps-dk
Beta(s): Amaterazu Setsuko, guest-beta: clarex-ama.
Pairing:Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy
Rating:R/M – for later chapters, not nearly there yet!
Warnings: Slash, explicit M/M sex later on.
Disclaimer:Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers and so on and so forth. I own nothing, except a perverted imagination and a laptop. This fic is only written for fun, no profit is made. Author is not responsible for underage readers.
Summary: H/D, EWE and "8th" year. McGonagall lifted her wand and Draco fortified himself, in what he thought of as his last moments of freedom. Well, let's see if I can go to hell and come back alive… It's not like I haven't been there before. When our boys find themselves in the most unusual detention, they can only agree on one single thing.
Authors Notes: This fic is dedicated to two people. First, Amaterazu Setsuko for magically emerging in my life and sharing my interest in HP and fanfiction. Without your enthusiasm and company during boring math-classes, this would never have been written. Thank you! Secondly, to the wonderful clarex-ama for amazing e-mails and many laughing fits. I wouldn't know what to do without your encouragement! And thanks a lot for reading this over, both of you!
Thoughts
"spoken words"
--- change of POV
...::Chapter One: The Detention::..
Chapter rating: K+
Words: 2348
A bright red beam narrowly missed its target. Harry was returning the fire the next instant. Why does Malfoy still have to be such a pain in the arse? The war is over, but I guess some things never change. His shield-charm bounced off the blonde's curse and shot it back towards him. Can't he just understand that NOBODY thinks calling Hermione "mudblood" is cool anymore?
Their duel was intensifying, and the crowd that had gathered around them was beginning to draw back from fear of backfiring spells. Suddenly one voice cut though the surrounding noise.
"Potter, Malfoy, stop this instant! Accio wands!"
---
Great, just great Draco thought bitterly when he saw his borrowed wand fly towards the headmistress. I'm so getting expelled now, won't mom rejoice?
He remembered all too clearly the strict wording McGonagall had used in the letter he had received just two weeks before start of term. It gave him the unique opportunity to come back to Hogwarts and finish his education, IF he could behave.
Why does it have to be so hard to get rid of old habits? That blasted little word just had to slip off my tongue and of course Draco was mentally rolling his eyes towards the ceiling was fate so cruel that Potter, of all people, overheard. But the Boy-Who-Just-Wouldn't-Die had actually not been that mean, when he had asked Draco not to use that particular word,he thought, reflecting back at earlier.
But it is Potters own fault that Draco had answered in such an offending way, decided Draco If Potter only wasn't so bloody annoying. And didn't have that way to get under his skin and send his blood straight to the point of boiling with a mere gaze and a sharp tone from his voice, which nobody else had, they wouldn't be in this mess.
They had been ordered to follow the headmistress to her office, and Draco was currently staring at her back while walking along a corridor. He could feel Potters strong, blazing gaze on him from behind and he wondered why he hadn't caught fire yet.
---
Stupid, arrogant, blasted git! Why does he keep making me so angry, I just HAVE to begin shooting spells at him? Stupid temper! He can really get under my skin like no one else, that blond, pig-headed, egoistic, dim-witted… Harry kept soundlessly swearing at said blasted git all the way towards McGonagall's office, while staring fiercely into the back of Malfoy's neck, determined to burn a hole in the wanker with the mere power of his eyes, now that he was in lack of a wand.
Finally reaching the stone gargoyle, the headmistress said "Night lamp" and Harry immensely missed Dumbledore's lighter and sweeter passwords. It made the whole 'you're-wanted-at-the-headmasters-office-experience' a lot less terrifying. When they entered the office, Harry's eyes immediately sought Dumbledore's portrait. He soundlessly sighed in relief as he saw the characteristic twinkle behind the half-moon spectacles. He sat in one of the two chairs opposite the desk, McGonagall had motioned them towards. But then again, Harry thought, it also had the I-have-a-hidden-agenda-that-I-find-amusing perspective to it, and that rather worried Harry and he twisted slightly, forcing his gaze away from Dumbledore, as the current head of the school coughed a little and folded her hands on the table.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, now that you are both of age and there is no longer a war between you I had seriously expected a better behaviour. I had foolishly hoped you would be able to reconcile. It is, though, my deepest wish for the both of you to be able to remain at Hogwarts, but this behaviour cannot continue. I am left with only one solution". She stretched her back against the wooden armchair and placed her hands with fingers widespread and palms upon the desk, looking sternly at the boys. Harry caught himself thinking:
I'm doomed.
The reason was the combination of the merciless and unbending look in McGonagall's eyes and the, now even more outspoken, twinkling in Dumbledore's, which was accompanied by the corners of his mouth twitching upwards rather obviously. "This special kind of detention has rarely been used and only in hopeless cases. But it's always had a satisfying outcome, so I dearly hope it will prove itself infallible yet again."
Now Harry was terrified. Not because of McGonagall's words, although they weren't exactly nice to hear, but because he now held the knowledge that Dumbledore had the ability to look…
…
smug!
There was simply no other word for it.
"In 24 hours, you will be chained to each other"
"THAT'S THE MEANEST DETENTION IN THE HISTORY OF HOGWARTS!" They roared.
---
Draco felt, as if he were falling. 24 hours with Hero-Potter!?! I'm going to die!
How could he otherwise, if only the mere thought of it made him dizzy? But luckily his white-knuckled hands were squeezing the headmistress table, was it his last life-line.
"Even though it is nice to see that you can agree on something, would you both kindly sit back down, so I could give you the practical informations". Then Draco realised that both he and Potter had subconsciously stood up, while expressing their outrage. As soon as they both sat down, Potter began his protests.
"But what about lunch? How are we to sit at two different…" McGonagall interrupted him.
"Don't worry about such nonsense, you will have a private two-person table when dining in the great hall and nothing practical shall come between me and this detention, it has been done before and I intend to do it again! Now, if you both will calm down… No, Mister Malfoy, I intend to tell your mother about this… so I can conjure the chain"
How had she known I was going to ask her, to spare my mother of the news? She has enough to worry about already (such as trying to help Father survive in Azkaban) and doesn't need the knowledge of me getting myself almost expelled. Draco took a deep breath, trying to calm his boiling rage. Okay, I need to keep my eyes on the goal: not getting expelled. It's the rest of my life on the line here, 'cause no-one would seriously consider expelling the Golden Boy.
He ripped himself out of the flowing thought-stream, as their headmistress rose and went around the large desk, drawing her wand. He glared out of the corner of his eyes and saw Potter opening and closing his mouth several times, but at last he shook his head, as if he realised that this was one thing he couldn't avoid. Well, at least Draco though he'll hate this as much as me…
McGonagall lifted her wand and Draco fortified himself, in what he thought of as his last moments of freedom. Well, let's see if I can go to hell and come back alive… It's not like I haven't been there before.
She spoke an incantation and suddenly his left ankle was very cold. Draco looked down to face his doom and his eyes followed a thick iron chain emerging from his left ankle, twisting slightly over the floor only to disappear under the lower right trouser leg of the Savior.
"Your first assignment…" McGonagall started, but was interrupted by Draco. "Assignment? Assignment? Is this" he gestured towards the chain "not punishment enough?" Crap, why can't I keep my mouth shut? That was what started this mess. If I keep this up I'm definitely getting expelled. Draco groaned inwardly, but shut his mouth securely, so he wouldn't make yet another mistake. Unexpectedly, Potter started to support him. Well, that's a first, but in this case we want the same. Survival.
"Professor, this is already a harsh punishment, there's really no need…"
"Potter! Malfoy! If you continue to interrupt me, I will make the time-span longer!" That efficiently shut them up. "As I said, your first assignment will be answering these questions", she waved her wand and to identical rolls of parchment emerged out of thin air "and reading each others answers afterwards. And I'll let you know that each and every time you try to lie, the parchment will glow red and the lie will be erased, and this specific assignment plays a vital part in this particular detention, so there's no way of getting around it."
Draco swallowed. Was he going to be forced to spill his secrets to Potter, of all people? God, I hope it's some innocent questions..!
"Since you will need to be doing this during lunch…" With another wave of her wand a plate of sandwiches appeared on the desk. "Oh, and you'll be needing quills and ink…" As she spoke, the items were in front of them on the desk. "And now, I will go to lunch and I expect my office to be in the same spotless condition when I return! You are not to leave the room until you are further instructed." She gave them a look that killed all objections, and went out the door, closing it behind her.
Draco saw Potter crossing his arms on the desk and resting his head on them with a groan. Half a minute passed, where Draco just sat in the chair, gazing stubbornly forward, desperately hoping to wake up from this nightmare. Then he heard Potter sigh and saw him reach for one of the two scrolls. So he's just going to ignore me for as long as possible? Well, I'm not totally opposed to that. He snatched the other scroll and dipped the nearest quill in the conjured inkbottle.
---
Harry gazed down towards the first question.
What is your full name?
Harry James Potter, he wrote, giving a small sigh of relief. There could have been worse questions.
Where did you grow up?
4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.
Who are/is/were (in case you are of age) your parent(s) and/or guardian(s)? Harry sighed. What an annoying question. He started to write:
James and Lily Potter, Petunia and Vernon Dursley and Sirius Black.
Do you have any siblings?
No.
Were you always treated well by your parent(s) and/or guardian(s)?
What kind of question is that? Harry inner voice raged. I really don't want Malfoy, of all people, to know about my childhood! Harry's misery was suddenly interrupted by Malfoys parchment glowing red. Harry saw him stiffen and glare menacingly at a question. Oh, what Harry wouldn't give to know what Malfoy was trying to hide. But I will know he smirked. Now it suddenly wasn't as bad answering the question:
James and Lily Potter: Yes.
Petunia and Vernon Dursley: No.
Sirius Black: Yes.
If 'no', how were you not treated well?
Oh dear god! thought Harry, as he groaned and rested his head in his palm. What had he done to deserve this? His groan had earned him a look and smirk from Draco, who, Harry realized, sat way to close to him. But then again, looking down at the chain, they couldn't really get much further either. Well, there's really no way around it… And he started to write:
In 10 years of my life I slept in the cupboard under the stairs. I was bullied…
Every time he thought that now, he must have written enough, the ink just vanished as he tried to answer the next question. Every time he tried to use another word than the obvious, to sound less whiny, the parchment glowed red. At last, Harry was almost ready to rip his hair out with frustration. He really, really didn't want Malfoy to read this. But when he looked at the other boy out of the corner of his eyes, it didn't seem like he had noticed Harry's distress. No, Malfoy looked every inch as frustrated as he felt. He even bites his lower lip.
When he finally was done with, what he would like to call 'the-evil-and-completely-unnecessary-childhood-questions', he turned his attention towards the next, while chewing on some sandwich.
What do you think of your detention-companion?
I hat…
He wasn't even done writing the word, as the parchment grew angry-red. Harry choked on his sandwich. His eyes grew wide as he watched the 'hat-' disappear. Harry swallowed and groaned yet again, as Malfoy's parchment grew as red as his own. They glared at each other and both turned towards their now-normal-colored parchment. Harry sighed and planned on another word-war with the veritaserum-paper. He armed himself with a dipped pen, but then paused.
If I don't hate him, then what? He frowned and began eyeing the blond in question. The slightly pointy chin, the flawless skin, the never-bushy eyebrows, the straight nose. Then he realized. I've seen that face radiating fear and heard that voice keeping my cover, saving my life. And without his wand, I'd never been able to defeat Voldemort, so I guess I owe him that. And he couldn't kill Dumbledore. His body stiffened as it hit him. I actually have a tiny amount of respect for the prat, don't I? Redipping his quill, he sighed as he started writing and couldn't help feeling that he was writing his own death sentence.
As he finally put his quill down, after finishing the more or less embarrassing and personal line of questions, he noticed a change. Malfoy's steady scribbling had also ceased. Then he heard McGonagall's confident stride on the stairway and looked at his wristwatch. His eyebrows rose. They had spent the entire lunch break, and then some, in hands reach of each other and they hadn't ended up in the hospital wing. I wonder if we can continue that for… let's see… nearly 23 hours?
"Now, young men, have you finished your questions?" They both nodded courtly as the headmistress once again placed herself behind the desk. "Then you may swap scrolls." Harry could feel the reluctance in the air and held tightly around his answers. Then Malfoy sighed, sensible enough to acknowledge his defeat, and handed Harry his scroll. He took it, and pushed his own towards the blond. Well then, here goes…
End of chapter one.