Title: Just Once More
Author: Rustic Foetida
Summary: In just one night of significantly shocking event, Hobo! Harry and Draco found each other. Now, they have to figure out what kind of role will they play in each other's lives. HPDM. Not sure if there would be some action and lemons but definitely a lot of lime. Rated T for some more chapters.
Disclaimer: Anything written here are stories of fiction and any reference to the original characters of Harry Potter are definitely part of the plan. I don't own suppose I would earn money writing this stories, nor would claim any right to bits and pieces of the original book as my own.
Author's Notes: Looking for a great beta so I won't force you into reading a pitiful grammar! I'm dreadfully glad I'm having a vacation as I can write lots of stories. This would be my first plunge at HPDM pairing though I'm an avid fan for the last something something years. Hope ya like it!
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Ward A, Room 1: An Unexpected Meeting
It's his fate, he just knows it. Hearing a man cry in the sights of the choking darkness and the stillness of the observing moon, Draco Malfoy just doesn't really care anymore. He was far more intent on going back home and taking his long-deserved rest. That man, for many days now, have not stopped crying on that blasted corner of the street. As if nobody would be bothered by him, the git or he is just waiting for someone to care and wipe away his tears. His sneered at the air in front of him and got on his way. He really has heartless thoughts when alone and tired.
Draco inserted the key into his apartment, careful now not to wake his partner. Blaise Zabini, his only lover for the past 3 years, was one of the celebrated young lawyers of the year. Their small apartment was now crawling with certificates and awards. It just started when Blaise was suddenly hired by Deborah Mortos. She was one of those actresses caught on some drug deal and Blaise has cunningly altered some facts and manipulated people to win her the case. It was both a victory and a loss for Draco.
"Hmm…"
"Don't…"
Draco stilled. Those voices belonged to Blaise… and another more familiar person. He reached for the door knob and watched with clinical detachment as a naked Blaise humped another man with eagerness that Draco hadn't felt in the past few months.
"Love, why are you trying to dirty the sheets?" Draco asked with cold building fury to his dark-skinned boyfriend. Blaise's head hadn't whipped fast enough to catch the fist aiming at him. Draco smirked at the man Blaise exchanged him for. He was a thin, bony thing that Draco pitied from the first sight. He aimed another fist to him too. He also didn't meet any resistance, thanks to the swiftness of his attack.
Theodore Nott.
"Draco… what are you…do you know what have you done?" Blaise shouted through his bleeding, broken nose.
"Of course, dear. I was only trying to help you two build up some heat." Draco didn't know how he could make snarky comments at a time like this but his brain hasn't been functioning at its fullest since the incident happen.
"You've lost your fucking mind, Draco! This is Theodore Nott!", screamed the Italian raised man. He waved his hands for emphasis and glared daggers to Draco. Said man couldn't care less. The blonde looked straight into his eyes and said, in the coldest tone he could muster, "You bastard, take that pitiable person you call a boss away from my person this instant. Grab some clothes while you're at it because I don't want to fucking see you in this place one more minute!"
His glare turned into something more sinister as each word passed his lips and Blaise could do nothing more than stare in fear for a second and scramble to drag his boss away.
As the two left the room, Draco huffed into a nearby chair and collapsed. He would never show a sign of weakness to that fool. He rubbed his eyes and pretended that he wasn't hurt by the incident. He knew this was coming. He has seen the hesitation in Blaise's eyes and the unbelievable hours he spent in the office. Draco knew but he didn't want it to end. That man was the only person who can withstand Draco's temper tantrums and could reason well enough so that Draco would listen. He needed that presence.
The very same thing that bound them to each other was also the same thing that broke them. Ambition. They met in college and agreed that they would both become the best in their profession. Draco in med school and Blaise in law. They were both cunning students, excelling in the subjects that most found difficult. Draco found Blaise's way of manipulating people very attractive. He didn't hesitate in expressing his desire and soon, they found themselves graduating and renting an apartment close to their works. Draco looked at the tidy picture frame enclosing the only evidence of their relationship. He shook his head and the heaviness in his chest told him of what he has lost. Narrowing his eyes, he snatched the frame and threw it in the window.
"You're not that handsome anyway."
His eyes landed on bed, his mind labeling it as the scene of the crime and proceeded to tear the sheets into shreds. He felt pathetic inside, some of the happy memories with Blaise were now tainted with malice and he couldn't help himself from twisting those honest moments into something grim. He stopped abruptly and stared at his hands.
As if sensing defeat, Draco withdrew from his tearing and got up from the bed. He couldn't hear any more sound coming from the outer halls. Blaise hadn't even taken his clothes. Draco walked slowly, as if processing every detail of their apartment and strode toward the door.
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Harry sat in cold cement floor. He was shivering, not from the weather but from sheer emotion he has been feeling. He felt so alone. He was sure he had never felt so alone like this before. He scratched his face, trying to will away the tears that started falling anyway. His eyes, though without any kind of nourishment for almost two days have never tired of producing tears. Harry was sad to note that not all of the sadness he is experiencing right now is understandable. He hiccupped twice and wiped snoot IN his sleeves. At least he was wearing clothes, half of his mind reminded him.
Harry didn't know who he was. Only the name written on a piece of torn paper that had fallen on his toes was the only clue he have on his identity. He wasn't sure if that is his name or something else. He really have no memory of what happened to him up to this point. His body was fatigued, though he doesn't know why. His forehead hurt the most and it has almost became a habit of massaging it time and again. His eyes roamed the street but his body never left the spot when he has found his consciousness. He was half-hoping that the people who left him there would come back and maybe he could find a clue in them somewhere.
His body was screaming for some shelter but his mind doesn't want to let go of the familiarity of that spot. He has found no harm in the place for two days and though it would leave him starving, safety is the only thing that's driving Harry into some minute form of hope.
There was no nearby light post in that part and though Harry desperately wanted to see anything, he could not do a thing. He wished that his glassed weren't broken. Rummaging in his pockets, he felt the metallic surface of the frame and his finger lazily traced the curved it was molded into.
He heard more than saw the footsteps of a person coming to a halt at his side. Harry for one thing was sure that that person was not a robber. What could a robber be doing with a virtually worthless man? His eyes shifted upwards to gaze at the standing man and Harry thought he saw blonde hair. He squinted a little more and was convinced that this was the one who always walk on this road during the wee hours of the night and the wee hours of the morning. he didn't particularly liked the aura the man radiated and Harry gingerly tried to put distance from this danger. Said danger had absent-mindedly sat on the cement road beside Harry and he winced as if he had hit the hard road a bit suddenly.
Harry goofily grinned at that display. His sole entertainment was playing with his broken glasses so no one could blame him for actually be delighted with another person's company.
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The miserable man surnamed Malfoy sat on the cement floor with a wince. He hadn't anticipated the cold surface and certainly not its hardness. He stared at the man in front of him and though the atmosphere is scathingly dark, he saw a bright set of teeth aimed at him. The man he saw was grinning at him.
Draco thought that those actions confirmed his beliefs. This person here only wants attention and now that he has it, he was rejoicing. A simple fool but one who got what he wanted anyway. His feet hurt from wandering around aimlessly. He feet dragged him towards Walnut Street, circling the wide boulevard and strode towards Sumer back to the familiar lanes he had always taken after work.
The man stared at him some more without breaking idiotic expression on his face. Draco sighed. He could endure this man's company more than the loneliness he felt at the apartment. There were so many things, memories he would recall if he came back.
He lolled his head to the side and talked.
"Hullo. What's your name?"
The grin vanished and Draco was faced with another set of silence. It's as if the man was weighing the options of telling him his name and considering Draco's presence was lacking of something important. He arched a carefully sculpted brow at that dirty man and knew that he was thinking ridiculously. It was his own mind attacking him. He wished he has some rest before finding out that his partner had an affair. It would make matters more organized and Draco could take on the burden a bit better.
The man shifted on his spot and murmured, "Harry" softly into the space. Draco turned his focus on him and acknowledged the offering. At least there's someone willing to talk to him. His companion for the time being was now grinning again and as his eyes adapted to the darkness, Draco saw another interesting attribute to the man.
He has incredible eyes, Draco nodded to himself. Those green eyes are worth staring at for some time. Those eyes blinked and was scratched harshly before a yawn was emitted by its owner.
"You alright?" Draco wondered out loud. He didn't know where that parcel of kindness came from but for now, he was willing to grace this man some of it. He held out a hand and coaxed the man to accept it.
"Come on, let's move you up someplace where it doesn't stink."
The man didn't move but shifted uneasily in place. He gaped at the hand offered to him but made no action to indicate he would accept it.
Draco was growing impatient. He didn't expect to be distrusted. He knew from a corner in his mind that he was being unfair and that he needed to calm down but the surge of insecurity and cold was quite not hard to ignore.
He groped for the man's hand and hauled him into standing. The man whimpered and struggled to break loose but Draco was stronger.
"What's wrong with you? Can't you see I'm trying to help you?" His frustrations was getting out of check but Draco pushed on. He was hurting that man and he felt gratified.
"Ple…please stop…" The man was trembling. He looked so weak and despite his anger, Draco's temper began to subside and the violence halted.
"I, I'm sorry." He let go of the arm he has somehow grabbed, stepped back and looked properly at the person begging for his pity.
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Harry was struck with fear. He knew he couldn't fight, he was weak even to stand up and hurry away from him. He was trying his best to dislodge the man from bruising his arm. He never knew that even as penniless as he could still attract trouble.
He struggled some more and pleaded for mercy. He was no more aware of the growing fury his captor held and Harry was even more desperate to go away. His plea soon did a trick and Harry watched with morbid fascination as the grip on his arm loosened and finally let go. He sniffed, aware that at some point in that incident, he started crying again. The man uttered an apology. Harry heard the pity blended into the raspy yet melodious voice. He knew that he looked utterly pathetic and even if he thinks himself sane, the man would think otherwise.
His shoulders trembled as he inhaled and shied away from further contact. No more than a minute or two, Harry felt an arm draped around his shoulder feeling the warmth it emits and he started to calm down.
"Shh.. I won't hurt you anymore. I just…wanted to do something. Here, grab on to me. Do you want to sit down?"
Harry didn't understand this man more than he could understand his own. He was gently put down again on the cement floor and he couldn't help himself from seeking more warmth from the body next to his. He crawled onto the man's lap and attached his arms with strength he didn't know he had.
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Draco wasn't ready for this attack. Or so his mind said. His mind was still in a state of shock of the events and a man crawling into his lap and attaching limps on his neck wasn't helping things at all. He tensed at the assault of smell that invaded his nose. He help up his chin a bit higher so as not to be infected by someone's stench. His hands found no purchase on the immediate surrounding but found one on the man's shoulders. He shook that man gently, afraid to hurt him further but to no avail.
He tried several times to shrug off the extensions and several times asking the man to put those dirty arms away. His winced as he pictured himself and this bloke as if sharing an intimate moment with each other in the darkness of the night. He wriggled his arms to bring back circulation and tried once more.
"Harry? We can't stay like this permanently. You need to stop this right now. I have to sleep."
"then rest here," came the stubborn answer.
Once he had uttered the word sleep, Draco was reminded of his lack thereof. He grabbed the man's shoulders, albeit more forcefully and tried to lessen down his resistance. The man wasn't actually doing anything more than hold on to Draco. He was just there, comfortably sitting on his lap as if mimicking a restful sleep.
Draco is really getting impatient. He doesn't want to be stuck here. Being literally in the arms of a stranger, a smelly one at that, and being forced to endure stress any more than is necessary, Draco made up his mind.
"If you don't want to fall, hold on a bit tighter. Though your grip should be good enough, mind you." Draco then proceeded to stand. His charge, in Draco's utmost satisfaction, became animated again. The man's emerald eyes appeared startled and started whimpering.
"Oh hush! You've already lost any right for my patience. Now, if you don't want to be left here alone, then you should come to my home."
Draco wondered then why he is acting nice to someone who at normally circumstances would be in serious danger from him. Simply the thought of hugging disgust Draco but this person currently entangled with him held the warmth he has needed. It was foolish, really. His ancestors would turn in their graves if they saw him right now. Of course that ancestry is nowhere significant to him right now.
He had been an heir to a business empire built by his grandfather and further enlarged by his father. Draco never wanted to take part on that success. Once he saw the inner workings of the business, a chain of hotels and restaurants, Draco immediately shifted his course from business management to medical technologist. His first step in being a doctor. He had only one person to turn to for years, his mother and though he was supported with enough money to survive, he felt lost in all of his ambition. His father was so enraged by his change of heart that he threatened to disown him many times, though he haven't done it until this time.
He longed for his family but before he could do that, Draco would have to first prove himself to them. And with a cold smugness, Draco would tell his father that he in no terms would he be willing to continue the business as well as the Malfoy line. His father and mother would have no choice but to swallow it. Well, so much for dreams.
Draco shifted Harry in his arms and walked home. Appearing at the front steps, he found that he hadn't even locked the door. He used his elbow to push the door open and deposited Harry on the couch. Draco switched on the lights and seated beside the man he supposedly saved from starvation.
He shook him gently as the emerald-eyed man seemed to have slept during the journey. He sighed as his companion became conscious and his eyes drifted open. He slowly turned his head towards Draco and again scratched his forehead.
Draco's own grey eyes widened in realization. With the convenience of a good light, he had no trouble identifying who this "Harry" is. His jaw seemed to have touched the floor as his mind experienced another shock.
"But… you're Harry Potter…"
Harry curiously stared at Draco, not knowing this was his one chance to find a new life.
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Author's note: okay, that's the first chapter. Don't know when I would post the next one though. Reviews and effective criticisms are surely acceptable. Thanks! Oh, and to those who have read this who appeared to have not liked the storyline, please tell too. I'm not really good at showing emotions in both verbal and writing, so tell how to improve.