There's an urban legend that's been circulating for years about a taxi cab that doesn't take you where you want to go, but where you need to go. One night [insert character] gets into the cab.
Nightmares were a way of life for Draco after the war. He was constantly bombarded with the stench of death and the faces of his parents desperate to reach him. The opportunity to speak with his father since that day had been stripped from him, even the most pleading letters to the Ministry ended in him being turned away once again. It was a favor they didn't throw him in an adjoining cell so why should they extend a hand further than was necessary? Usually when he woke up in cold sweats he would go down to the kitchen for a cup of tea or head out to the garden to see what flowers his mother had arranged earlier in the day.
The two remaining Malfoys often ate in the garden to avoid the dining table where so many memories plagued the grand room and those next to it. Draco wasn't sure why his mom kept the house though he assumed it was only her need to keep something constant after their lives had been upturned. Regardless, he was tired of playing the perfect son and nothing made his life harder than avoiding what had been taking place a good portion of his life throughout these halls. Malfoys were never on the light side but they had at least maintained a sense of dignity throughout the years that was lost in the second war. He wasn't altogether convinced that it was just because they had lost this time.
Tonight when he awoke it wasn't with a start or because his throat felt constricted. It was just an overwhelming sense of uselessness. No one would trust his intentions after everything he put them through. Harry Potter may have stood up for him in trial but even his word fell on deaf ears when it came to those who lost family members in the Battle of Hogwarts. Everything seemed so long ago yet the effects hadn't dimmed at all. He needed some fresh air and a change of scenery.
Moving from his warm bed was difficult but he knew sleep wouldn't come again. Stars littered the sky and his eyes searched out his constellation as he threw open the curtains without him giving the gesture a second thought.
"Trena," he whispered into the darkness. He needn't turn around to know the house elf stood behind him waiting instruction. "Please fetch a change of clothes appropriate for venturing out." It wasn't a minute later that a third crack signified her task had been completed. He glanced to the bed in approval when he saw the dark dress clothes pressed and ready next to a thick cloak along with gloves and a scarf. The nights cold had a way of permeating even the warmest of cloaks on nights like tonight. He had lost some weight since he had last been to the tailors but a few well placed charms would work for now. It couldn't be but 3 a.m. and anyone who would possibly lay eyes on him would never know who was underneath the fabric anyway. It took six minutes for him to complete his routine and slide into his outfit before he was out the door and into the hall.
Draco checked up on his mother's room first, casting a charm to let him know should she wake before descending the stairs to the grand entryway. A back door would have been less conspicuous but a Malfoy shouldn't sneak about like a cretin and Draco always had a flair for dramatics. When he pushed the grand doorway open to its full extent and let the wind blow his hair off of his forehead, it felt as though he was releasing a part of himself to be free. Tonight he would go where he pleased, honor be damned. Maybe he'd even go to a muggle bar. He had heard stories from Blaise about such establishments and though he never thought it'd be useful information, tonight he craved something different. Walking down the long drive without shutting the door, he explored such memories and tried to remember a name. He couldn't apparate there since he wasn't quite sure where he wanted to go and such mixed feelings might get him splinched but maybe a cab driver would know a good area. Once he reached the Malfoy boundaries he apparated into Wilshire's center and cast the calling spell he knew would bring a cabbie to his location.
Wizarding cabs worked much like the Night Bus. They would take you wherever you needed at a breakneck speed and while it may give a person the spins, it was much more convenient than the muggle way. Draco never truly held his father's contempt for all things muggle but he did question the way they went about things several times each time he felt bothered enough to think about it. How inconvenient must their lives be?
When the cab pulled up he shook his head to clear his thoughts and pulled his cloak tighter around him. Neither of the remaining Malfoys fancied venturing out much and he didn't want someone to get ahold of his recent adventuring so when he got in he spared no look at the driver's seat in case they might look to meet his eyes. Glamours always messed up his hair and made it impossible to style correctly for at least a day so he opted on just avoiding eye contact.
"I need to go to the nearest muggle party district." There wasn't a reply but the cab started away from the curb and Draco rested his head against the cool glass pane of the window before closing his eyes. The most recent nightmare came back to the forefront of his mind and he gave a fruitless effort in shoving it away before succumbing to it's pull.
Bellatrix was the first through the cabinet but it wasn't until Fenrir came through that he began to feel the bile rising in his throat. The cruciatus curse would leave several of his classmates writhing in pain but he had been submitted to it often enough in his aunt's months of occupying the manor that it seemed insignificant compared to the life altering change that Fenrir could bring about, assuming he left enough of a person together for them to survive. It wasn't a full moon but Draco had seen enough torture in his own dungeons under the manor to know that anyone bitten still developed wolf-like tendencies that plagued them during any phase of the moon and in some ways, that was worse than the forced transitioning since Wolfsbane could at least release some of the wolf's hold on your mind during those scant days.
By the time he came out of his Fenrir induced thoughts, the last of the Death Eaters were filing through and a few of His inner circle had climbed the towers of random artifacts and left belongings and started on a speech. It was unnecessary as everyone in attendance besides Draco seemed already eager for blood and he worked to dispel the remaining thoughts of his classmates writhing in pain because of him. He had to prove himself and this was the way. His family had to be on the winning side, regardless of what cost it may take of him.
He was thrown forward in the most undignified way when the cab screeched to a halt and it dispelled any remaining untoward thoughts. Reaching in his cloak, he meant to grab his coin purse but the door of the cab had already opened and his eyes finally met the spot where a driver was to sit. It was empty. There hadn't been enough time between the stop and the door opening for the driver to have crossed around the vehicle but Draco looked outside anyway. He wasn't in Wiltshire anymore and a playground was the only thing he could see in the fog that dusted the ground in front of him but he assumed this was the place he specified. If not, there would be a call directed at this company's owner in the foreseeable future. He got out, wondering what exactly he was to do about pay but the door closed behind him with a loud snap and before he could get the company name, it had vanished. Peculiar.
It didn't take him long to get lost and even his point-me spells seemed to get confused as he wandered about in this unfamiliar area. He always ended up back at the playground. Taking it as a sign, he sighed and dropped into a swing after the same set appeared before him for the fourth time.
"It's only my luck that an enchanted cab would deposit me into the middle of nowhere." He pinched himself to ensure he wasn't still asleep but it didn't jolt him aware in his bed, rather it left him with an unsightly red area. Draco was sure his cheeks were taking on the nasty rosy hue they adapted in the cold and his fingers were quite frozen as well but he made no move to leave the area. None of his childhood had taken place on a playground and yet he felt safe in such a place. Maybe it was the fact that these structures held no sort of memories. Only freedom and children's smiles graced the metal swings or the wooden castle. He pushed his legs out and tried to propel himself forward just a bit but ended up losing his seating and fell onto the ground. A sigh escaped him and he closed his eyes for a moment, wondering why he didn't feel the need to get up and brush off. He just wanted to be free for a moment of all his torments and it wasn't until he heard the telltale crunching of the frost beneath someone's boot that he scurried to get up.
"I was going to ask if you were alright but I see you are just fine." Draco knew this voice and though he wasn't facing the his polar opposite, he knew what waited for him the moment he turned around. He attempted to walk away but a broken voice sounded out after him, "It's okay if you don't want to talk but please provide me with a little company. I won't bother you with any more talking but I don't want to scare you off either. I come here often to clear my head and I assume you're here for the same." Draco pulled himself together as best as he could before pulling his hood down and rounding on the voice.
"It's you that may not want my company." Harry Potter gave a start but he maintained his composure better than Draco may have thought he would.
"You may be the last person I would have suspected to walk upon laying in my playground but I wouldn't mind your company. Aren't we passed our old rivalry?" Draco was almost transported back to the hallway outside of his hearing a few months back before catching himself and pushing the next words out before they had formed a coherent thought.
"I'm the reason your grandson has no parents and your adopted family has a part werewolf in the family. I am the reason Dumbledore died and we were all ripped of the rest of our educations. You may have testified for me and even called a truce but I am far from someone you want to hang out with on a freezing swingset." Harry let out a small sigh.
"I know you go see Andromeda and Teddy every Friday," He continued after reveling in the start Draco gave, "and that you give them anonymous donations on the first of every month on top of the social security they get for both of his parents being gone. You should know that the Weasleys accept Bill and every one of his newfound traits and Fleur loves doting on his scars. Makes him look like more of a badass on top of his curse-breaker scars I guess." He chuckled to himself before continuing. "I was there when Dumbledore died, and no, I do not want to give you all the details but I know you backed down and couldn't do it. Snape did it and I later saw his memories so I don't need you trying to convince me to hate him either. There were seventh year classes made available to everyone that Hermione is taking as we speak. So come sit down Draco, you're making me uncomfortable standing there looking like a bat."
"I do not look like a bat." This made a burst of laughter erupt from Harry.
"Out of all the things I said, it was the bit about appearances that made you want to argue the most. It's so Malfoy that I almost feel relieved. I thought you may have turned into less of a pointy git when I realized it was you who was laying on the ground." Draco didn't feel the need to comment this time as he knew the nuances in Harry's voice and that the barb held no malice. He took a seat next to the boy who used to be his greatest rival. "For a moment when I recognized you, I figured you were here to see me but then you seemed eager to leave. What are you here for then, Malfoy?" Draco almost didn't catch the way Harry reverted back to his last name but took the information and stored it in the back of his head. Tonight seemed like a night to remember, even if he never made it to his original destination.
"Blaise was to meet me in a muggle part of town but I think the cab deposited me elsewhere and I can't seem to find my way." Harry narrowed his eyes at this.
"You can borrow my owl if you would like. I'm not sure I can help you find it but you did manage to find a muggle area."
"And where exactly am I?" He tried to lift his chin at this but it seemed to hold no effect as Harry broke out into a grin.
"I knew you were lost but that lost Malfoy? Did you apparate here? You're in the London Borough of Islington."
"Oh bloody hell. I don't know how that stupid cabbie even brought me here. I said the nearest muggle recreation area, not bloody London." Draco stood as if to leave and Harry rose to meet him.
"You can just borrow my owl and send Blaise a message. I have a car. I can take you." He didn't comment on Malfoy's foul language because it brought a smile to his face to see Draco so out of sorts. He also didn't comment on the fact that Blaise was on vacation in America with Ginny and had been for the past week and a half. Maybe it was the rivalry making an appearance just wanting to see Draco squirm but he reckoned it probably had more to do with the massive crush he had on the guy.
Harry had figured out his sexuality by accident a few months prior and it was probably the only good thing to come out of walking in on Hermione and Ron and losing all of the contents of his stomach. He thought at first it had to do with the fact that he saw both of them as siblings but Hermione had confronted him the next day and demanded why he found her so revolting. Why she was so offended, he didn't understand but throughout the conversation he found himself questioning a few things himself. He had never before seen Ginny as someone to take to bed. Of course, they had kissed and he had even reached under her shirt before but he called it off due to the war and everything going on before he had even started to have the beginnings of thoughts along that route. But then again, most boys fantasized about their crushes in bed the moment puberty hit so he was probably behind. It only took three days of harsh questioning from Hermione for her to finally put the pieces together and after another three days of beating around the bush, she confirmed what he suspected by sliding a few glamoured magazines underneath his door one day Ron was out. He never heard about it but he was sure it was her and he didn't feel obliged to thank her, rather, he prefered if she stayed far away from his sex life in the future.
It was the day of the hearing that he realized his feelings for Draco. In the months that had passed since then he had replayed every night of following the other boy the previous year. Harry knew nothing would ever come of it but to have Draco here, practically appearing on his doorstep, was too much to pass up after all the restless nights spent trying to compose a letter. He knew the signs of Malfoy still blaming himself when he appeared in the Ministry and in the few times he had spotted Draco out and about in Diagon Alley or the sorts, he always looked drawn and paler than usual. It wouldn't surprise him in the slightest to know that Draco had nightmares that rivaled his own. His own nightmares where what drove him to this playground every few nights in search of something beyond what his eyes could see. The cold had almost stripped him of his desire to go out that night but he had seen the figure lying down on the ground and his hero complex had flared into life once more.
"Why were you lying on the ground, Malfoy?"
"Anyone who claims to know as much about me as you do should refer to me as Draco. I rather think I have outgrown the Malfoy name anyway."
"You're avoiding my question Draco." He rolled the name around on his tongue and Draco gave him a strange look before heading off in the opposite direction of Harry's house. "You're also going the wrong way." Draco flushed a deeper red than the what had blossomed there due to the temperature. It rather suited his features to have some color but Harry knew better than to point that out. He rushed forward to catch up to Draco's strides and laughed to himself about the defensiveness the other boy had adopted. Leave it to a Malfoy to appear totally in control when he knew absolutely nothing about his surroundings. Draco may feel like he outgrew the name, whatever that meant, but he still acted every part of it. Haughty and self-righteous. Somehow this was exactly what Harry needed in his life. Someone who wouldn't walk on eggshells around him or constantly profile him like Hermione was wont to do. He wanted this cocky bastard in his life so he had to come up with a plan quickly. Grimmauld Place was only a few more paces in front of them and once inside, Harry wanted to ensure Draco stayed.
Once the doorway loomed in front of them, the fidelius charm rendered useless without Dumbledore, Harry decided it was all or nothing. "Why so quiet?"
"Why so inquisitive, Potter?"
"It's not everyday you have your arch nemesis on your front doorstep. I'm just trying to be amicable. Call me Harry if I'm to call you Draco." He turned the key and opened the door carefully. He wasn't trying to wake Mrs. Black's portrait along with the rest of the house. Hermione and Ron were probably still fast asleep on the third floor and he intended on keeping it that way. At least until Draco tripped over the damn umbrella stand that was just big enough to encroach on the doorway and cause everyone to stumble. Harry wasn't fast enough with his silencing spell and the noise woke up Walburga quicker than anything else Draco could have possibly done. He wasn't even fully across the threshold yet, frozen in place by the screams.
Harry grabbed his arm and pulled the stunned man into the entryway before storming over, yelling as he went right back at the woman, to slam the curtains closed. No helping it now, Hermione and Ron would be down in a moment and he needed to hide Draco before they saw him. He didn't have many options but the kitchen was just down the corridor.
"Come on." Draco still didn't know what to do with himself but he prided himself on his response to direction in dire circumstances and right now he considered the situation dire. Who on earth had such a ghastly portrait hanging in their house? He was starting to seriously reconsider his choice at following his raven haired counterpart when said boy grabbed his arm once again and shoved Draco in front of him down a dark corridor. Maybe Harry was going to stun him and leave him in a broom closet for the golden trio to harass later. This could have all been a ruse. A ruse he came up with at three a.m. when Draco had surprised him. Maybe not then, Draco wasn't sure Harry could actually come up with something like that quickly, even as crude as he imagined. Instead of contemplating his life further he just accepted Harry's directions and ended up crouched in a kitchen behind a great big wooden hutch with the said other beside him, breathing heavily.
"What are we doing Pott-Harry? Is this even your house? Who was that portrait and why did they react like that? I am not getting arrested with you. You can go down alone, Mr. Saviour of the Wizarding World." Draco looked positively gorgeous, even in such a situation, but Harry would never tell him that. Instead he treasured the look of contempt in a way he never had before and it took him a second to regain his surroundings.
"This is my house but Hermione and Ron live here too. Third floor. And you're more closely related to that portrait than I am. Permanent sticking charm." He was whispering and though his words didn't quite make sense to Draco, he let it go when he heard footsteps descending the staircase he had seen in passing and getting closer to the duo with every passing moment. Harry pushed a finger to his mouth and neither spoke.
"Hermione, you know it was probably Harry. The bars close at 3 and if I had nightmares as bad as his, I would want to get trashed before trying to sleep too. You've heard his screaming before." Harry dropped his head into his hands and bit down on his cheek to stop from groaning. Just let Draco know all of his secrets right off the bat then. "Maybe he brought a fellow home. You don't want to walk into that. Just come back up. The wards will keep away anyone we don't want here." Draco shot Harry a look at this but Harry studiously avoided his gaze and watched the shadows moving as Hermione lit up the hallway leading to their place of hiding.
"Ron, you know the reporters have been able to crack our wards before and what if it's a stalker or something? They are getting quite bad. I just want to make sure it's Harry." She seemed to question her own motives and for the first time Harry wished she was a bit less prone to their safety. He realized at this point that he was still holding Draco's hand and the other was staring at their clasped hands questioningly.
"You could've checked the wards from bed. Please Hermione, I'm not comforting you when you see something you don't want to." Hermione's shadow finally stopped in it's tracks and turned around.
"Oh, I suppose you're right. I don't see him anywhere but it sounded like him yelling at Mrs. Black." That was exactly why Harry had done it. She headed back the way she came and exterminated the light before climbing the staircase. Harry released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and then took in how funny the situation was. He hadn't seen the source of his crush in almost a month and hadn't talked to him in several yet here he was, crouched behind a hutch in his own home holding Draco's hand in his own. Draco's hand was covered in a glove but Harry's had no such luck and had suffered the cold outside without protection. He let out a breathy laugh and finally let Draco go to blow some hot air into his hands. Best to start a fire then.
"I think we're safe now." He moved about and stood up before heading over to the wood pile they kept on the other side of the room. He didn't need a light for he was down here in the middle of the night often but he forgot that Draco had never been inside the house for that matter, let alone his darkened kitchen. He sent a lumos out and watched Draco extract himself from where they had been crouched with far less elegance than Harry was accustomed to seeing from him.
"Well that was fun." His tone was dry but he didn't seem too upset at the situation as he seated himself at the table. He was currently trying his hardest to think of a way to get out of sending an owl to Blaise. Maybe he would just call it a night. He was starting to get tired anyway. "Pott-Harry. I shouldn't have expected anything less odd than that from you but yet I am astounded." Harry just flashed him a grin.
"Well I am full of surprises."
"Including the fellow surprise." Shit. He had hoped Draco would look past it but apparently he had no such luck. "Do you often bring your shags home at ungodly hours of the night like a heathen or am I the exception?" His brow rose and Harry caught on a moment later that he meant it as a joke. Draco Malfoy was sitting in his kitchen making jokes about shagging Harry. The world must've ended. What would he even say to explain himself should Hermione hear voices and come back down. He doubted either of their voices would reach the ears of the other occupants but maybe she might feel the need later to ensure it really was him who came home.
"Uh…. hot chocolate? While I go get my owl?" Malfoy's brow only rose a bit higher in response. Harry floundered for a moment. "Maybe tea or something else? I'm not sure what you drink, I'm sorry."
"I'm sure you don't have any Gyokuro on hand so maybe something like Earl Grey? And no need to fetch your owl, your antics for the night have left me quite tired and I'm not likely to actually go out tonight." Harry didn't know what the first tea entailed but he did have Earl Grey laying around so he set a teapot to boil and turned to his guest.
"You aren't even going to tell him you aren't going?" Harry held a bemused expression on his face that made Draco blush. He refused to think about the fact that Harry liked blokes.
"No, I feel at this hour he has already determined that for himself."
"Well it's only 1 where he's at." Draco attempted to hide his confusion but Harry still sae through it.
"And where do you think that may be?"
"He's in New York. With Ginny. I figured you'd know since he's your best mate but apparently not." The words stung Draco a bit, he hadn't kept in contact with any of his old friends, unsure of what to say after everything had transpired. In fact, this meeting was probably the longest he had held a conversation with anyone since he barricaded himself up in the Manor. Conversations with his mother were always terse affairs that he avoided at all costs except at mealtimes. He didn't want to destroy his relationship with the only family he had this side of prison bars but he also didn't want to subject himself to the torture that was a mix of politics and pointed barbs at his sexuality. A sexuality he found he shared with the fit male across the kitchen. Perhaps this night wasn't wasted after all.
"You've seen through my disguise. Do you have any firewhiskey you could spare for your quaint tea selection?" His voice lacked menace still and he wondered if he and Harry would always talk like this or if there would come a time they could speak as if he were Hermione or Ron. On a second hand, he never wanted to compare himself to either of them again. He shuddered as Harry answered.
"Yeah, let me fetch it. It's in my room." He disappeared before Draco could find a chance to respond.
"I guess tonight's going well." All of a sudden a cabinet creaked open and a strange looking creature pulled itself from it's confines. Draco stood abruptly and the chair clattered to the floor behind him. "What in blazes are you?"
"Master Malfoy, welcome to the home of Black." It bowed and Draco realized it must be a house-elf. What other kinds of monstrous things were lurking in the halls of Harry's home? Draco finally put two and two together and figured out he must be in Grimmauld Place. Sirius had control over the house previously since his mother chose to reside in Malfoy Manor and take his father's name so it only made sense that Harry inherited it. He wondered if the Potters had any other properties and why Harry didn't choose to live in one of those instead. "I hope you feel at home but I have been ordered to take off some time by that filthy- by Mistress Granger." He looked appalled and Draco almost pitied the sad soul in front of him before it retreated back into it's decrepit looking hole. The teapot started whistling and Draco thanked the heavens that Harry had left the cups on the cabinet beside the stove. He moved over to pour it over the bag, leaving room for a healthy dose of firewhiskey. As if sensing he was needed, Harry slid into the kitchen having shed his shoes. He glided over to where Draco was standing and reached around him to empty some of the bottle into each cup.
"There we are. Maybe not as good as what you would've gotten at whatever bar you were trying to find but it'll still do the trick."
"Harry, I am simply trying to warm myself from the cold. I was not trying to go on a bender tonight."
"Riiiight, you were just searching for a muggle shopping mall at 3 a.m." Harry chuckled and took a swig of his tea concoction, noting Draco's cheeks were still tinged red, though from the lingering cold or embarrassment he couldn't tell. A few teas later found them both in the parlour, Harry draped over the lounge facing Draco and Draco perched on the edge of a chair like he was going to sprint away at any moment.
"Why are you sitting like you have a stick up your arse Malfoy?" He saw Draco flinch but it was too late to correct his name and Harry was too far gone to particularly care.
"Why am I sitting here at all hours of the night in Harry Potter's house? I'm sure tomorrow the prophet will read 'Gay Death Eater Takes Control of Our Lord and Saviour' or some bull like that." He looked very uncomfortable at that but Harry felt a spark of hope actually flare up in his chest. Maybe his crush was returned after all.
"Draco… are you bent?" He couldn't possibly have said it any cruder. He dropped his head into the arm of the lounge before Draco's peal of laughter sounded.
"Oh, finally caught on, have you? It wasn't the thousands of rumors that circulated around Hogwarts or the fact that I have more style and elegance than most women but a joke gone wrong that finally lets you in on a fact the world has known for years. Why do you think I haven't married yet?" Harry's face drew up at that and Draco guessed his thoughts before he could voice them. "You thought 'who would want to marry a death eater, regardless of his pureblood status' didn't you? It's quite alright, I get enough of it everytime I leave the house. I'm used to people's criticism at this point but I really rather thought you were beyond that." He finished off his glass before standing to excuse himself. "I really should go. Thank you for treating me tonight."
"Draco, I didn't mean it like that and you've had more glasses than I have. How are you to get home? You surely don't mean to apparate?" He had but that was none of Harry's business.
"I'll just take a cab. Really, it's fine."
"Draco, this is a muggle area. You can't call a wizarding cab here. And theirs won't get you home without an arm and a leg payment along with enough time for you to sober up and then some." Draco knew he was right but he stumbled out of the room anyway. He just felt constricted in this house. Thoughts of the war became more prominent again and he just wanted to sink back into his silk bedcovers more than anything. He didn't realize so much time had passed but his mother would surely awaken soon and he didn't want to be caught out of bed like some rebelling teenager. "Stay tonight. I can make up a room really quickly and Ron and Hermione both work today so they'll be gone before either of us really wake up." Draco stopped and sluggishly turned to face him.
"What did you say? What if they come into my room before you wake up? Hermione will have my head before you even think about waking up."
"Well… you could stay in my room. I could sleep on the floor and you can have the bed? I know an esteemed being such as yourself wouldn't stoop to lying on the ground." Harry moved past him into the hall with a grin that made sure Draco knew he was referring to earlier on the playground. "But one more cup for me if I'm to deal with the hard floor for the remainder of the night." Draco didn't respond for a moment, just followed him back into the kitchen. Harry took the teapot and made as if to pour himself another glass but nothing came out. "Oh well, can't be helped." He grabbed the firewhiskey off the counter with his other hand and took such a big swig Draco wondered for the first time why the bottle had been stored in the man's bedroom. He had never pinned Harry as an alcoholic but then he kept surprising Draco at the strangest times. Was he really supposed to take Harry up on the offer to sleep in his bed? Oh, how so many people had probably dreamed of being propositioned to in the same way by the saviour himself. How could he pass up a chance to gloat? His hazy mind prevented him from seeing all of the many faults in his logic and before he knew it there was a bottle presented to him and he quirked an eyebrow before matching Harry's earlier shot. It burned and seemed to open a sense of fearlessness inside of him that he never realized he had. It wasn't often that Draco drank and it was always socially so to say he was a lightweight was a bit of an understatement.
When Harry grabbed his arm to lead him to his bedroom, Draco pulled his arm back so they were hand in hand instead. Harry turned a questioning look on him but Draco just shrugged and they continued on their way. Draco didn't know where they were going at all and felt a bit like a lost puppy who had wandered too far from home but Harry's hand in his made it a bit less overwhelming. When they finally reached the floor Harry's room was on it took a few moments of stumbling into each other and whispered apologies before they actually made it into his room. When Harry popped the light on, Draco was met with yet another surprise from him. Everything was done up in Slytherin colours. From the bed hangings on the four poster to the accents in the walls and carpet.
"Blimey Harry. Are you sure we are in the right room?"
"I should be asking whether you got switched up with Ron on the way if that's the way you're talking. Didn't you always say you had a bigger vocabulary than to-" He was cut off with a kiss.
"Don't even compare me to him again," was whispered against his lips and his drunken mind cleared enough to let him know what was happening was significant and he should probably not let his instincts take over and pin Draco to the wall. It took another four minutes for him to actually follow through with that train of thought.
"Draco, we can't." His head dropped against the blonde's shoulder and tried to catch his breath. Draco didn't seem inclined to want to listen though. He grabbed Harry's hair and pulled his head back up to eye level.
"Are you telling me you don't want to or your hero complex is somehow twisting this around and you feel we shouldn't?" His grey eyes glinted in the moonlight and Harry took to staring back at him without answering. He wished Draco didn't know half as much about him in that moment. "Harry, I will punch you if it's the second. I won't pull any just because I want to shag you just as much as punch you." His words were slurred and slow but his eyes were so clear Harry had trouble remembering why he had stopped. Draco slowly inched them towards the bed, Harry's hair still wound about his fingers, until he felt the the edge come into contact with Harry's knees just before he pushed. As soon as Harry had righted himself on the covers Draco climbed over him. "Tell me no again, Potter."
Harry didn't. For some reason, their kiss was softer this time around. It was competitive but Harry found himself lost in it. He didn't know how to proceed. He had always been the one to take control in his other late night trysts but it had never been in his own house, contrary to Ron's earlier words, and he had never found himself crushed into the mattress. He had never known them or cared. When his mind turned from lust-driven to caring, he didn't know. Was Draco a top? Harry had never done things quite like that before and he found himself second guessing how he imagined the night was going to end. He slowed down the kiss and reopened his eyes but he didn't get the chance to tell Draco his thoughts.
"Fuck." Draco held up his wrist where a thin line was glowing blue. "My dearest mother is awake." He rolled off of Harry and onto his back.
"I feel like a teenager who just got caught doing something dirty. Draco, you're out of school and working, why does it matter if your mom is awake?"
"I just never go out. Especially at night. She's going to think I've run away or done something stupid and an owl won't get to her fast enough but I definitely don't want to fire-call her at this hour. I don't even think I could walk straight still."
"Just send a patronus. It'll reach her quickly. Don't go yet." Draco twisted back to face him and he slung his arm around Harry.
"I never learned. I can't." Harry thought back to all the talented things he had seen Draco do and how talented he had been at charms. He guessed it made sense and if not for Lupin he wouldn't know either. "Harry, say something. I just admitted I can't do something you learned in your third year." He didn't realize how uncomfortable Draco really was.
"I only learned out of necessity and I'll send it to her." Their eyes met and Draco wore an incredulous look on his face.
"Yes, let's send Harry Potter's patronus to my mother. That sounds brilliant."
"There have got to be loads of stag's running about even if she knew the shape of it. How would she know it was mine? You would be doing the talking anyway." It started to make more sense the longer Draco's muddled senses took it in.
"Okay, let's see the great Harry Potter work his magic."
"This is all on one condition." Draco nodded as he sat up expectantly. "Quit calling me by my full name. You of all people know how much of a farce it is and I don't like it anymore than you like being the only one taking care of the Malfoy name." Draco just quirked his lip up into a sneer that looked more like a smile and gestured for Harry to get on with it. He did so without reaching for his wand, wherever he had left that. Draco stared hard at the man across from him for a few moments when he kept up the spell with seemingly no effort, wandless. Harry didn't look like this was the slightest bit unusual and after Draco sent his words flowing into the magic being and it had departed, he rounded on the other.
"How am I supposed to call you anything besides Harry Bloody Potter if you go around pulling stunts like that? I can't even cast the spell and you go around casting wandless! Do you even use your wand?" He felt as though he could pull out his hair.
"I use it out in public," Harry trailed off for a moment and started to turn red, "I found out I could do it once Voldemort died."
"The Dark Lord didn't die, you killed him." Steel eyes met green ones and Harry mumbled something Draco couldn't hear. "Pardon?"
"I didn't want to kill him. It was him or me. I don't care what he did, I didn't want to take someone's life. It makes me kind of like him in a way as if it wasn't bad enough sharing thoughts, emotions, and long lost traits that turn the school against you."
"Are you still a Parselmouth?" Draco was suddenly desperate for a topic that was as far from the Dark Lord as he could get. He may think Harry was fit and not so annoying anymore but it sure didn't mean he was ready to discuss the war they had been on opposing sides during, let alone the madman that resided in his home for months.
"Yeah, I can."
"Do you maybe want to… demonstrate?" Harry's flush returned and he started mumbling again before a few hisses emerged. Draco smiled at him and asked him what it meant with no luck.
"Get me a little more drunk first." Draco's laugh sounded out before Harry realized what time it was and that Hermione and Ron were probably going to wake up soon, if they weren't already. "Actually, probably not. The other two will be up soon and I don't trust my inebriated self to be able to stop Hermione, let alone Ron, if they decide to snap at you."
"Silencing spell?"
"There's a permanent one on my door." Draco gave him a suspicious look and it was Harry's turn to laugh before becoming somber. "Not what you're thinking of Draco. I wish though. Maybe if you'd come over more often?" He tried to wink and Draco pulled his hands up to his face before sinking back into the pillows he had been propped up on.
"Jesus, talk of my mom and the Dark Lord didn't put you off at all, huh?" Harry just grinned, not that Draco could see it. "What other things can you do wandless? Anything special?" Draco's curiosity finally got the best of him and he uncovered his eyes.
"Basically everything up until fourth year that we learned. Charms are harder for me, I didn't get my mother's skill in it, but I can still do them and that's what I usually show people who find out. Stuff like this," He waved his hand and looked away so Draco couldn't read the spell off of his lips. The entire room slowly faded, the sunlight that had started to filter in through the curtains disappearing slowly until it was pitch black. Draco reached out for Harry and then pulled him over towards him so they were laying pressed together.
"What does this one do?" Both of their minds were finally starting to clear from the drinking but they were tired after their late night. Draco could finally feel the tug of sleep trying to reel him in but he fought it.
"Keep watching. It takes me a minute to form." A peal of laughter sounded from their right side near Draco and he turned to face it, startled.
He, or rather, his younger self, was sitting at a long table surrounded by all of his Slytherin friends and Blaise had just dumped a pitcher of water over Theodore Nott's head.
"That ought to teach you not to talk about her like that." Blaise looked furious but the real Draco was captivated by himself sitting across from it all, looking like a zombie. His eyes were red and downcast while his hands shook a bit where they were clasped at his chin. Everyone was either laughing at Theo's predicament or ignoring the situation and going about their day but Draco, in the center of it all, looked a right mess. He remembered this day with clarity because it was the day Pansy officially "broke up" with him. She had always followed him around, not believing a word he would say about his sexuality until that night she stumbled in on him and Theo that night.
Draco began to blush, hoping that Harry wasn't performing Legilimency on him. It hadn't been more than a recieved blow-job that night but all throughout fifth and sixth year Theo would appear next to his bed every few weeks and demand to forget. Draco had found a soft spot for the boy throughout these encounters and though he didn't feel he would ever fall for the boy, he really enjoyed Theo's company. Theo was the closest Draco ever got to being neutral in the war. He didn't have to put up a front to please the boy or try and save face around him. They were just boys exploring each other and occasionally he would stay in the safety of Draco's bed hangings and whisper the things he wished for. Eventually Draco became too involved in the Death Eater happenings and Theo backed off. All Theo had wanted for those two years were to be able to approach his Ravenclaw crush and leave with him. To go someplace far away from his father and the war. He was rejected by the Ravenclaw but the last thing Draco had seen of Theo was in a hallway leading up to the Room of Requirement as the battle was raging around him. He was holding the lifeless body of his longtime crush. Draco had cast a concealing spell and ran even faster into the depths of the castle.
When Draco tuned back into reality there was another scene vanishing before him but he had missed it and didn't want to ask Harry to backtrack. The next thing Draco could see was the lake on the grounds of Hogwarts. Snow drifted about but it wasn't quite sticking to the ground yet. He looked about for what he was supposed to be focusing on but there wasn't anyone there.
"All of these were my memories. This spell is a bit like a pensieve except you cast it to be viewed in your surroundings and you can manipulate it. Took me a while to do and it always takes a lot of energy but I wanted to show you how much I knew essentially. I followed you all sixth year and at first it was because I suspected you were a death eater but then, after the bathroom incident, it was because I was so drawn to you. I never wanted to admit it but you captivated me long before that. It might be the last dregs of alcohol speaking because I didn't think I'd ever say this, but I really want you to know that inviting you here wasn't just a whim on my part." Draco was overwhelmed. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth and he couldn't speak. He was happy Harry couldn't see him as he buried his face into the other boys shoulder. "Draco, I really want you to be happy. I'm not asking for a relationship. I just want you to know I understand you. I've never felt this kind of way about someone and I would like to explore it with you but I would also like to just be there for you as a friend." Harry had slowed down at this point and with each further sentence he seemed to regret talking more and more. "I don't know what I want Draco. I want you but I want you to be free and I want-" Draco cut him off for the second time that night with a kiss.
"Just be quiet Harry. Please. Let me take it in." He had only been paying attention to one scene but he was almost glad he didn't have to suffer through more. Theo had been hard enough to think about. He released Harry and turned over to his back before reaching underneath him and pulling the covers down and around the both of them. Harry curled up against his side and didn't press an answer. Together, they listened to the sounds of Hermione and Ron getting up and ready for work. The snow still fell around them and it was the last thing Draco saw as he fell asleep to Harry's heartbeat.
When he awoke, he was alone. The curtains were drawn so he could only imagine what time it was. He closed his eyes again and tried to process everything that happened last night. Harry Potter had confessed to him. He had never been in a relationship before, no matter what Pansy had insisted. No one had ever dared to get that close to him and he had been a bit preoccupied with the war and pleasing the madman residing in his house. He wanted to talk to Harry but the man was nowhere in sight. Sighing, he pulled himself up and to the edge of the bed and let his legs hang off. There was a note on the bedside table.
I figured you'd want some time to yourself to get ready and think about everything. There's a hangover potion in the bathroom across the hall and spare things for you to use. If you want to talk, I'll be in my study on the second floor. If not, the apparition coordinates for the closest wizarding point and a picture are on the back of this note. I'll lift the wards from the back left corner of the garden out back.
-Harry
He looked around and spotted the outer clothes he had shed last night in the study as well as his shoes. Harry really was considerate but he felt the familiar weight coming back to settle on his heart. He had been the cause of so many deaths, many of them on the very side Harry fought for. There was no way the public would accept them either, let alone anyone Harry was close to and had seen firsthand the destruction Draco had caused. He gathered his clothes and slipped into his shoes before directing a point me spell to the garden. He only paused for a second on the second floor landing before carrying on.
When he got to the spot he assumed Harry was talking about, he turned and apparated out. There would be no way to mend his cowardice now. He now stood in the middle of a busy street and snow was falling. It had been chilly at Grimmauld Place but no snow has graced the grounds. The first snow of the year.
"Mister, why are you standing there alone? Go see your girlfriend. The first snow is always special. Buy her a flower too." Draco looked over the old woman at the flower stand for only a moment before going over and purchasing a bundle. He chose Ambrosia, Forget-Me-Not, and purple Hyacinth though he didn't imagine his meanings would be picked up on. It didn't matter. Getting back to Harry mattered. He apparated again and was surprised when he came face to face with the intended party. Harry's green eyes were sparkling as if filled with unshed tears and he was looking straight at Draco. His chest tightened and he couldn't imagine how long Harry would have stood here in his t-shirt before fixing the wards and going back inside.
It only took two strides to get close enough to pull Harry flush against him and he did just that. Harry's heartbeat pounded harshly against his chest and the flowers were dropped, forgotten as Draco reached up to cup his face. He didn't know quite what this was, what this would turn into, but he wanted to try and he told Harry such before kissing him deeply.
"I thought you weren't going to come back."
"I wasn't."
"Why then? Draco, I care about you but I don't want to be played with."
"It would be foolish of me to turn away the first person who had ever expressed interest in the broken parts of me."
"Is that all there is?"
"It's the start of something I won't let go easily, Harry. Unless you insist on talking every single time I try and kiss you." Harry smiled up at him and this time it was him that leaned forward. Draco felt the tug of apparition pull him for the third time that day before he landed on the same bed he had departed from less than twenty minutes prior. "Already assuming I'm up for everything Potter." Harry just smiled and shrugged before trying to roll on top of Draco. "Not bloody likely."
Draco pushed both of Harry's hands above his head with his left hand and used the other push his hips back against the bed. He leaned down and bit a patch of skin on Harry's neck before soothing it with his tongue. Harry tasted faintly of smoke but mainly of strawberries and firewhiskey. It was so unique and intoxicating Draco couldn't pull away, not that Harry minded. He felt himself arch off the bed and he reached up to grab at Draco's hair.
"Dra- Draco. I've never done it like this before. Just- Just be easy, please." Draco slowed but Harry didn't think what he said had registered yet. When Draco finally pulled Harry's shirt off and discarded his own Harry figured it was pointless to say again. He was okay with it and it sure wasn't causing him pain yet. His pants soon followed and when he felt Draco lick a strip from the base of his cock to engulf the tip, stars exploded behind his eyelids.
"Harry, open your eyes." He did just that and his mouth fell open with the sight before him. Draco's usually perfect hair was now mused and his grey eyes had taken on a silver sheen. His pride didn't seem the least bothered by the fact he had Harry halfway down his throat, he seemed to enjoy it all as much as Harry. It was the sexiest thing he had ever seen when Draco released him with a pop and smirked at him.
"You need to stop that right now or I'll fucking cum already Draco." His smirk grew wider and he completely disregarded Harry for the third time this morning. Harry felt his stomach tighten and he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. His head fell back when Draco's fingertips started dusting patterns across his inner thighs and the sensations grew to be too much. He came less than a minute later with Draco's name, pouring out into the blonde's mouth as he swallowed against the tip of Harry's cock.
Draco crawled back up to pull him into a kiss and Harry tangled his fingers into blonde hair. Everything about Draco was soft and yet he was so sharply defined. Harry found himself eager to find and exploit every little kink Draco may want to hide from him. He wanted to make the blonde feel just as good as he did in his post-orgasm high but Draco's pants kept him from what he wanted.
"Please take them off?" He looked at Draco with his best puppy-dog eyes and got an eyeroll in return but as soon as Draco moved to pull the offending clothing off, Harry flipped them over with the muscles he had gained through flying. He kept one arm across Draco's chest and traced a line between his hips just above the pants with his tongue. He swiped patterns across Draco's torso, occasionally biting down as Draco had with his neck earlier. He forced himself to look at Draco's crisscross scars and kissed down each one. An apology was on the tip of his tongue as well but Draco stopped him with a quick shake of the head. This wasn't the time to talk about it.
He finally took one of Draco's nipples between his teeth and rolled it about as he reached to unbutton the pants. This had gone on long enough. He wanted to taste Draco. His length sprang free in the next moment and Harry swore in Parseltongue. He was going to elaborate what he meant but he felt goosebumps rise on Draco's skin and he shuddered beneath Harry. Oh, this was going to be fun. He began speaking as well as caressing every place he could with his hands. He moved down to continue his ministrations on Draco's lower half but he avoided the place Draco was begging him to touch.
"Har- Harry. Please. Please." His name had never sounded so good before. He finally let his right hand graze Draco's sac and his tongue touch the tip of Draco's cock.
"It's my turn to make you come." He never imagined Draco to be such an expressive lover. Maybe it was the pureblood upbringing or the fact that he had always been on Draco's bad side but he decided at that moment not to let anything come between them to prevent him from seeing this side of Draco again. Harry had to keep a firm hold on his hips as he worked with one hand and though he couldn't take all of Draco into his mouth, he used his other hand to work around the base. Draco's words fell upon his ears in constant encouraging and he had Draco undone faster than he himself had cum. Feeling proud, he flopped to the side, only to be attacked by Draco.
"I don't think we're done here." In fact, Harry was already half hard again but he figured Draco would need a cooling off period before they continued. No such thing was needed apparently as he found Draco pushing his legs up to his chest. He watched in fascination as a line of spit fell from Draco's mouth and into his hand before he started kissing up and down Harry's exposed thighs. "You've never done this before?" Harry shook his head. So Draco had heard him earlier. "Harry, I'm going to take care of you. It might hurt a little bit but I need you to just try to relax, okay? Think back to the blowjob and even about past experiences where you've been in my position. They enjoyed it, right?" He was massaging Harry's legs with one hand while the other hovered right above his entrance. Harry nodded but Draco waited for him to speak.
"Draco, I want it, please," He felt Draco's tentative touch and he forgot the other's just spoken words after a few seconds. Draco leaned down to kiss him and started whispering all the things he found attractive about Harry and soon he was lost reveling in the experience. All of the tension had left his body before he felt the first finger enter. Draco had pulled back a few minutes back and coated his hand in what was assumed to be lube but Harry had forgotten about it until this moment. It felt a lot different than he had expected but it wasn't anything bad until Draco added a second finger and started to try and really stretch him.
"Draco, it hurts. Can you… maybe go a bit slower?" He didn't want to ruin the moment but Draco complied without a complaint and began peppering Harry's face with kisses.
"I like your perseverance. It doesn't matter whether you have a dragon chasing you or you're riding one out of Gringotts, which, mind you, I don't really believe, but you always looks things straight in the face. You thought I was a Death Eater and instead of running away you followed my movements closer than even my friends did. You are really good at sucking my cock Harry Potter and I wish I could tell everyone that their hero is not only into blokes but he's into me." He went on and on until Harry felt comfortable to keep going and when he added the third finger he also began bringing Harry's cock back to life with deft strokes. "I can't wait to be inside of you. I don't know if I will last all too long, this sight is already almost too much." Harry blushed under the weight of being so exposed and so well cared for. Even in his fantasies, neither of them had been this gentle. He felt his heart pound to the rhythm of Draco's whispered words and when Draco finally pulled his fingers free, Harry groaned from the loss. It had begun to feel good and now he just felt empty. That was, until Draco lined himself up and began to push in inch by inch. He was thinner than Harry but he was longer. Even coated in lube, it still stung a bit.
"Are you okay Harry?"
"Yeah, just give me a second." His eyes were pressed closed and he could feel his erection diminishing even under Draco's ministrations but he just tried to relax. He just needed to relax and it would feel just as good or better than Draco's fingers. Draco shifted before pulling out a bit and when he pushed back in, he hit a spot that made Harry cry out. "There, oh god! Draco!" Draco laughed, he didn't expect to find it so soon but he was happy to oblige.
He started out slow until Harry was rutting against him in want for more. Harry's cock was leaking into his hand and he used that to lubricate between their bodies and he pushed closer to Harry until their stomachs were touching and he was using just his hips to thrust into the tight heat surrounding him. It had been almost a year since he had even had the chance to think about doing anything sexual with someone else so it was no surprise when he felt his core tightening and stars dance in front of his eyes. He was going to cum but he was determined to make this as good for Harry as he could. He released his hold on Harry's legs and instead wrapped them around his hips. The change in position still allowed him access to Harry's prostate but he didn't have to go quite as deep so it gave him a bit of a break. During this time he paid special attention to pumping Harry's cock and his words went from soothing words of encouragement to an endless supply of dirty talk and moaning.
His release hit him hard and his movements stuttered for a moment before Harry rolled them over and began riding him to completion. Harry's cum spread between their stomachs but Draco couldn't be bothered to care at the moment. When Harry climbed off of him he shivered before pulling Harry down to lay in his arms.
"So you're a cuddler, huh?" Harry chuckled but he sounded as exhausted as Draco felt.
"I'm just cold. Shut up and enjoy it." He smiled into Harry's hair and he knew even though it may be hard to explain later, he just wanted to enjoy himself now and sleep a bit longer holding the boy who challenged him at every move.