Twisted Reality
Short story description: A mysterious poem makes Draco's life interesting. It becomes even more so when he buys Potter as his slave in a Helper auction, but then everything suddenly becomes a little messed up as someone curses Harry Potter on Valentine's day. 8th year fic.
Warnings: gay sex, mild violence, mild abuse of a cursed wizard.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or anything else, J.K. Rowling does. And I don't get money for writing this.
Thank you slytherinprincess8870 for being the beta reader for this story!
Thanks for all the reviews and feedback, they warm my icy Slytherin heart, I love you guys *insert heart here*.
Chapter one - The Mysterious Poem
It all started on that faithful January day, when Draco Malfoy was spending his seventh year in Hogwarts, and was looking for a book he desperately needed in order to get the top grade on a Divination essay.
The librarian kindly told him the only copy had been borrowed a week ago, but refused to give him the name of the person who was currently occupying the damned thing.
He spent an hour gazing at the book shelves in the library, trying to find some book that had even a small part of the information he needed, but the search was fruitless.
Draco heard laughter, and his gaze fell to the two Gryffindors, who were apparently playing a game.
Weasley and Potter had their quills on a parchment, and both of them were making sudden movements with the quills, in between the laughs.
Draco snorted and tried to concentrate on searching a book, but soon his eyes returned to the Gryffindors.
Draco swallowed; he couldn't tear his eyes off of Potter's laughing face. Every time he saw Potter, he acknowledged the fact that he owed a life debt to him.
They'd been in civil terms since Potter had testified in Draco's trial during the summer, but Draco still hadn't really found out if the old animosity was gone or not.
The reason why they tried to be polite to each other, was simply because Potter had sent him a note back in September.
In the note he told Draco he wasn't expecting any 'thank you' for the testimonies for their family, but that instead he hoped they could spend their last year in Hogwarts in 'civil terms'.
Draco had agreed to that. Mostly because he owned Potter a lot, and partly because the rest of the school hated him already, so he didn't need Potter taunting him publically on top of all the other shit.
Hermione Granger was suddenly there, leaning over Potter's shoulder, and she whispered to him.
Potter and Granger both lifted their eyes simultaneously, and their gazes met Draco's.
Draco quickly turned his eyes on the book shelf in front of him, and started picking up book after another, if not for any other use than to make it clear to the Gryffindors he was minding his own business, and wasn't interested in their undignified pastime.
Soon his eyes returned back to Potter but this time he saw something else too. A familiar looking book was right there, on Potter's right side and Draco had to creep closer.
He rounded the Gryffindor, behind the shelves and soon he could look at the book properly from the crack between the books.
Mighty Merlin and Salazar, out of all the students in the school, it was none other than the Wonder Boy himself, who had THE book.
THE exact book Draco really needed. He needed to get top grades for his NEWTs, otherwise he would never get any job, being an ex-Death-Eater and all that.
Immediately he started to wonder, if he could somehow steal the book, like… borrow it, just for a couple of days, without Potter knowing about it.
There was absolutely no need to go, and try to have a civil conversation with the insufferable git.
It would be a bit too much, no matter how civil they had been towards each other.
Draco felt, rather than saw someone looking at him, and he lifted his eyes from the book to meet Potter's. He had been caught watching again.
He swallowed and started picking up books from the shelf in front of him.
He tried to pretend he was reading one of them but then there was Potter's voice on the other side of the shelf he was occupying,
"Care to tell me, why you're keeping an eye on me?"
Potter's words quite effectively told everything anyone needed to know about their past.
Even though the Gryffindor had testified on his behalf, here he was asking questions like Draco had been spying on him, like Draco had currently been planning on kidnapping him, and taking him to the non-existent Dark Lord.
"Maybe I've become a fan of yours too, Potter, like everyone else has," Draco drawled and kept his eyes firmly on the book he was currently holding open on his hands.
"Haha, funny. If there's anything you want to talk about, then say so. Otherwise I might assume you're planning something." Potter said firmly.
Potter was clearly doing his best to act civil, like Draco was any other student, someone Potter didn't hate immensely. It didn't quite work.
"I'm reading books. That's what people do in libraries, in case you didn't know that." Draco drawled and kept his eyes on the book, but couldn't really see the words because he was too occupied in wondering whether he could simply run past Potter, and grab the book he needed.
No, that wouldn't work.
"Must be an interesting book you're reading. What's it about?" Potter asked.
There was the evil edge in the tone, even though the words could've been understood as polite – they weren't, the tone was taunting.
"About Potions. Why, you interested in borrowing it?" Draco used the exact same tone, he knew Potter hated that.
He had no idea whether the book was about Potions or not, since he hadn't read even one word even though he kept his eyes fixed on the pages.
"Really? And you like to read it upside down, just for fun?" Potter asked, and Draco's eyes focused on the words on the page. The words were upside down.
"Yes, Potter. The answers are written upside down on the bottom of the page, so those who are useless in Potions, like you, won't read them before reading the questions!"
Draco was becoming a little irritated. Why did Potter have to come, and torment him like this?
Now it was even clearer to him, there was no way he could actually ask Potter to lend the damned Divination book.
This wasn't going anywhere. This might even end up in a fight with Potter, and teachers wouldn't like that, and it might threaten Draco's grades for this term.
"Why are you here anyway, Potter? Surely you've got a world to save somewhere…"
Draco placed the book back into the shelf and gave Potter the evil glare he deserved.
Potter's eyes narrowed in answer, and then he marched away, leaving Draco to glare after him.
ooOoOoo
Draco had been discreetly following Potter for the last two days. He had been planning all kinds of distractions, which he could use, so he could run and grab Potter's bag or something.
His plans were quite pathetic, but he felt tired with trying to plan something.
He followed Potter and his loyal minions, Weasel and Mud – Granger, to the library, and took a seat far away from Potter's table. He spread out a piece of parchment, and opened a book, just to camouflage the fact that he wasn't working, but was planning on getting the Divination book.
It was hard not to take looks at Potter, because it was somehow easier to plan, when you could stare at the target you wanted. Not Potter, of course, but the Divination book!
There it was, open on the table but Potter was playing with Weasley. How dare he keep the book when he wasn't even using it, that insufferable -
Potter was staring at him, and he quickly returned his eyes on the parchment in front of him. When he looked up again, Potter wasn't staring anymore, and Draco released a relieved breath.
About an hour later Saint Potter & company left the library, so Draco packed up his things and left too. He was disappointed in himself.
How hard can it be to get some stupid book? For Merlin's sake, he had once mended a Vanishing Cabinet and whatnot!
Someone grabbed him, hard on the left arm, and pulled him in a narrow, dark corridor.
Draco exclaimed, "Blaise, you have to stop -"
A hand covered Draco's mouth. Although it was suddenly very dark in the corridor, and he was against the wall, someone pressing up against him, he knew it with clarity. It was Potter, not Blaise.
He pulled a hasty breath through his nose, and tried to bite the hand that was covering his mouth.
He couldn't see Potter's eyes in the darkness, but he could feel almost every inch of the Gryffindor's body against him.
Potter's hand was pressing Draco's wand hand firmly against the wall. Potter's tone was low and threatening,
"You listen to me, Malfoy."
Draco knew he could shout if he wanted to, but he didn't feel like taking the risk Potter would shut his mouth by spells, so he listened obediently, and stopped trying to bite the hand.
If Potter killed him, here inside Hogwarts, someone would find it out somehow.
"I sent you a note back in September. Can you remember that?" Potter asked.
Yes, Draco tried to moan but it was an incoherent mumble.
"It's the end of January now, so all you need to do is act civil towards me for the next couple of months, and then it's over. You think you can do that?" Potter asked.
Yes, Draco moaned his muffled answer. Potter let the hand on Draco's mouth loosen, and asked, "What?"
"Yes!" Draco said and wondered why he was here. Why didn't he start pushing the boy away with his left hand when he noticed it wasn't Blaise?
"So tell me. Was this all just another attempt to piss me off by breaking the only thing I asked from you in return?" Potter's hand left his mouth completely, and his lips felt tingly.
"No, it's not that." Draco answered truthfully. He needed the damned book, and hadn't been tormenting Potter on purpose, no.
"So you want something?" Potter asked; he was still pressing firmly against Draco, making sure there was no way Draco could pull his wand out.
He really didn't need to think about the immediate associations of the word 'wand' right now, thank you very much.
"Yes." Draco hissed in annoyance, relaxing under Potter's weight leaning on him.
"What's that then?" Potter's tone was quite calm, and Draco figured Potter believed Draco hadn't been risking their deal on purpose.
"I um…" Merlin how he hated to ask things from Potter, it was so humiliating, "I need… something that you have."
Draco shifted his legs a little, so he could relax better against the wall, and his legs wouldn't be so strained, Potter's knees were pressing on them quite painfully.
Potter got the hint and moved just enough so that his knees were somewhere else now.
"Yeah? Tell me." Potter said, and Draco didn't quite recognize the tone.
It could've been one to start a competition, tantalizing, but he wasn't sure, it was too dark, he would've needed to see Potter's expression first.
"I noticed that you have… the Divination book, which I need." Draco said, and was still a little confused about Potter's tone, so he thought it was better to try to sound civil again.
It he got really lucky, then Potter might even give the book to him.
"Divination book?" Potter asked, and sounded disbelieving. What did Potter think? That Draco was running a secret Death Eater group?
"Yes, the one you had with you in the library tonight." Draco answered truthfully.
"And that's the only reason why you're following me?" Potter still sounded disbelieving.
"Yes! Potter, I'm not planning on anything! I need the damned book." Draco tried to stay calm but it really wasn't that easy, when Saint Potter was around.
"Okay. Okay, I believe you. How about I let you borrow the book for a couple of days, so you don't need to follow me?" Potter said, and sounded quite calm.
Draco was silent for a moment. Potter was offering him the book, just like that?
"You're telling me you're actually willing to lend it to me?" Draco asked.
"Well… yeah. It's not even my property, so if you accidentally incendio it, then you're the one who faces the consequences, and not me."
Potter sounded almost friendly; Draco didn't really know what to make of it.
"Good. Can I have it now?" Draco asked, he really wanted to get the book, and then start writing the essay happily.
"Yes. Unless… there's anything else you need?" Potter asked, Draco didn't recognize the tone and was disappointed he couldn't see Potter's face.
The tone sounded almost nice, didn't fit Potter though.
"Like what?" Draco asked. Was this a competition? What was Potter expecting him to answer?
"I don't know. You tell me." Potter said, but the tone was low, and it made Draco feel hot although cold shivers were travelling down his body.
Suddenly he was fully aware of the fact that his whole body was basically covered under the Gryffindor against him.
He tried to relax some more, and sighed, but Potter's body only seemed to come closer, like Draco's small movements had told him that was allowed and expected.
Draco couldn't really decide if he minded it or not.
He was used to having this specific Gryffindor a little too close, although most of the time they had been in anger.
What on earth was this? Was Potter flirting? Draco could do that! He was actually very good at that, way better than Potter at any rate!
So he released a soft laugh, and used his velvety 'fuck me' tone, "That sounds almost like you're flirting with me."
Potter tensed a little and stayed quiet. Oh, so Draco had misunderstood the tone, well, nevermind.
"I just want the book." Draco said in a more serious tone.
He wasn't in the mood for Potter to start taunting him because there had been rumours saying Draco Malfoy was gay.
"Okay." Potter muttered and pulled away. Then Draco heard the footsteps walking away, and soon there was the Gryffindor's silhouette in the corner of the next corridor, that had faint lights.
"Come and get it," Potter encouraged. Draco walked to him; Potter pulled the book out of his backpack, and offered it to Draco, who took it with a disbelieving face.
He couldn't believe Potter would simply give him the book, just like that.
He raised his eyes from the book, and took a look at the green eyes behind the ridiculous glasses. Was Potter waiting him to say 'thanks'?
"Just… return it when you're finished." Potter said, turned around and left.
"Okay," Draco called after him, thinking that was just as good as a 'thanks'.
ooOoOoo
Draco was lying on his bed, turning the pages of the massive book.
He wanted to get the essay done as fast as possible, so he could return the book to Potter, and then carry on with the civil way, just like he had promised to do, back in September.
On the next page he turned, there was a piece of folded parchment in the crack between the pages.
Probably some student had forgotten his notes there, Draco thought, and grabbed the paper.
He unfolded it and realised immediately that it wasn't study notes, but a very short poem.
He grinned as he read it,
Will it matter anyway All I know is this Should I one day fall for a boy,
They never listen to what I say
Some days I think I'm just too scarred
the memories too deep have carved
And it isn't a bliss;
"What? Where's the ending?" Draco asked to himself and turned the paper around a couple of times.
It was clear that the paper had been cut so that the rest of the poem wasn't there.
How irritating. Where was the rest of it? He started turning the pages furiously, and ended up hanging the book upside down from its covers, shaking it, but no parchment fell from there.
"That's strange," He muttered, frowning. Why would the rest be torn off?
He narrowed his eyes and read the poem again. Scarred? Potter?
He scrunched his nose at the part 'carved', and muttered, "Is that even English? Memories have carved?"
It could have been written by Potter, because there was the word 'scarred', but Draco wasn't sure if this was Potter's handwriting.
If it was, then it had changed somewhat from the last time he'd seen it. But that was of course years ago, so maybe Potter had had practice.
Except Potter had sent him the note in September but Draco had been so infuriated, he'd incendioed it immediately. He sighed at his own stupidity; he should've kept the stupid note. If only he had known!
He lay on his back and held the poem in front of his eyes. Did Potter write this? What would the rest of the poem say?
If he should fall for a boy? As in… fall in love, or have a crush or… was that it? It could be interpreted that way, surely.
"Should I one day fall for a boy…then what?" He muttered and tried different lines to fit, if one assumed there was a rhyme; then it would end in the same sound as 'boy', like…
Employ? Enjoy? Decoy? Malfoy?
The last thought made him smile. Wouldn't it be great if Potter had written a poem, and had his name in there? He couldn't stop smiling.
He needed to find the rest of the poem. But what was more important, was that he needed to find out if it even was written by Potter in the first place.
That night he fell asleep with a great plan in mind, the poem hidden under his pillow.
ooOoOoo
"Potter," Draco shouted at the back of the Gryffindor.
Potter froze before turning around and lifting his eyebrows questioningly. Draco smirked at that.
It was so funny, here they were pretending to be civil, so that no-one around them could see any trace of their past.
"Can I borrow your notes for today's Potions class?" Draco asked, trying not to tilt his head back, and look Potter down his nose.
It was difficult.
Potter had found some new tone, this was teasing but not mean, "Why? Weren't you in class?"
Draco shook his head and wondered if Potter's eyes had always been that green. Quite nice.
Potter lifted his left eyebrow and Draco's mouth almost fell open, because he could swear he'd never seen Potter do that before, and that manner was one of Draco's trademarks!
"Why don't you borrow Zabini's?" Potter asked.
Draco lifted his left eyebrow, partly to show Potter how it was really done, and partly because it was a natural thing to do.
"As it so happens, I and Blaise were both absent. You know everyone hates me, and I thought we might do trade. I give you your book back, and you let me borrow your notes. How's that?"
Draco tried to give a curt smile, but knew it got twisted and looked more like mischievous.
"Bad luck, Malfoy. I wasn't in the class today either." Potter said and smiled innocently.
Then he said, "But I'm pretty sure I could ask Ron to let you borrow his, if you give me my book back?"
Draco's eyes narrowed. He couldn't believe this. How was he supposed to see Potter's handwriting now then?
"Never mind. I'm sure I'll find someone." Draco said and turned to leave.
"The book?" Potter asked, and sounded anxious.
"Oh, alright!" Draco snapped, and pulled the book out of his bag, and pushed it a little too hard on Potter's waiting hands.
He met Potter's green stare just shortly before turning and stalking away.
Did Potter need the book because he had realised part of the poem was there?
Hah, Draco had kept the poem, so Potter would have to come to him and ask for it, if he wanted it back.
ooOoOoo
A couple of days later Draco was sitting on a window sill, bored to death, because he had no ideas how to see Potter's handwriting.
All the pathetic attempts to go sit near Potter in classes, or trying to return a paper to the teacher at the same time so that he could take a glimpse at Potter's handwriting, had gone awry.
Potter possibly already knew what Draco was up to, because he'd given a curt smile, when he'd found Draco standing right behind him when they had returned their exam papers to the teacher.
"Why did Harry break up with… what's her name again?" The name Harry pulled Draco out of his thoughts.
There were two girls talking in the next corridor, but he could hear their voices quite well. He strained his hearing and waited for the next sentence,
"Can't remember, something funny, but I think it began with a G… G something. Anyway I think I heard someone say that he's now openly gay."
Both the girls giggled, then the other one said, "I always thought Harry seemed gay."
The girls started walking and Draco couldn't make out the next line anymore, but it didn't really matter.
Harry, who had been in a relationship with a girl, whose name began with a G, was now openly gay.
He grinned, almost laughed. Well, well, well… that went well with the poem, indeed.
ooOoOoo
"He can't be going out with Trevor now, can he? But Harry Johnson is in Ravenclaw, and I've never heard of a relationship between a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff that would've lasted more than three days." Jeannie said to Margaret.
Margaret giggled, "But maybe Harry and Trevor will make it. Maybe gays are better in relationships, who knows…"
They both giggled, and then Jeannie exclaimed, "Oh, I remember her name now! Wasn't it Gwyneth?"
Margaret laughed, "Yeah, that's it! Poor girl. Left by a gay boy." They both giggled some more, and left for dinner.