Title: Paradise Unveiled
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: PG
Summary: Draco takes Harry to a very special place.
Notes: Written at the crack of dawn. Inspired by the lovely Photoshop manip by rachaeldraco. Thank you Audiaa for the speedy beta! Feedback will be greatly appreciated.
Harry pushed aside a springy branch that hung low by his face and stepped into the archway. Fat tree branches curved above his head creating a roof-like cover so thick that only a spark of sunlight could seep through the leaves. On his sides, wild bushes and shrubs formed dark green walls that kept the passageway private to the forest outside. A small spider was spinning a fine, thin web from one branch to another. Dry twigs cracked under Harry's shoes as he walked further into the woods. He was swathed in the fresh scent of dew and grass after the rain.
In front of him, Draco's strides were confident and purposeful. The blonde ducked under low branches that sprung before him and stepped over moss-covered logs that could have easily been mistaken for shrubs. He apparently knew the area well.
"I want to take you somewhere special this Hogsmeade weekend," he had said earlier in the week. "Mind you, it's kind of far from here. We need to Floo twice and then fly on our brooms to get there. But I can assure you that it'll be worth it."
Adventurous as he was, Harry had immediately agreed to go. The boys had first Floo-ed from The Three Broomsticks to a small village a few miles north of Hogsmeade. From there, they Floo-ed to an even smaller village in Scotland, and finally took off on their broomsticks into the lush forest beyond the village. They had landed on a clearing, where Draco asked Harry to follow him into the leafy passageway.
"Er, Draco, where exactly is this place?" Harry inquired, stepping over a log and nearly slipping on wet leaves.
"You'll see," was Draco's quick reply. "It's coming up soon."
Suddenly the path curved to the left, and once he rounded the corner, Harry had to blink a few times to adjust his eyes to the brightness he had stepped into.
He had entered another clearing. To his right was a river; its crystal clear water shimmered against the sunlight as if there were thousands of tiny diamonds floating above the surface. A shockingly silent waterfall descended into the river, creating big ripples in the water. The sky was a perfect blue; not a single cloud was visible to tarnish the solid, clean-slate look. The grass felt soft and moist underneath Harry's shoes. Little white flowers blossomed on the tips of evergreens, the petals speckled with the faintest tint of yellow. Birds chirped in harmony with the rustling of leaves in the woods, and colorful dragonflies hopped from one petal to another, fluttering around low shrubs and in between tall grass.
Standing in the middle of such rare, magical beauty, Harry was bedazzled. He felt like he was in the kind of place Adam and Eve would live in -- a true paradise.
Three feet to his left, Draco was taking off his shoes, socks, and shirt. He ran towards the river, wearing only his jeans, and dove headfirst into the water. His strokes were wide and fast as he approached the waterfall. He climbed up a gray rock and stood on top of it, water running hard on his head and shoulders. A happy laugh escaped his lips as he put his arms out on his sides.
"Harry!" he called out. "Hurry up and get in!"
Without hesitation, Harry took off his shirt, socks, and shoes, and tossed them to the side to join Draco's pile on the grass. He sprinted towards the river and jumped into the surprisingly warm water. He instantly noticed that his jeans remained dry. The spongy earth under his feet twisted and flexed, sucking him deep into the water, and then sprung his body back up to the surface. Whooting joyfully, he swam a few circles around and then paddled over to the waterfall.
"God, this is gorgeous!" Harry exclaimed. "How ever did you find this place?"
"It was a mere accident. Literally. One Saturday night I decided to fly a few laps around Hogsmeade, but the airstream decided to take me to the opposite way. It was already dark when I realized I had flown all the way to Scotland. Choosing to spend the night in the woods, I aimed to land on something that looked like a clearing from the sky. Little did I know it was actually this waterfall. My broom hit the edge and I was thrown off it -- and fell into this river. I climbed out of the water and decided to sleep on the grass. When I woke up the next morning, I thought I had died and gone to heaven."
"Does anyone else know about this place?" Harry asked. He glanced sideways at the blonde. "D'you . . . take anyone else here?"
Draco chuckled at the question. "I don't take just anyone to a place like this, Potter," he said, though with a loving tone. "You're the first. Besides, I've made a pledge to make this place my sanctuary. I've been coming here almost every Hogsmeade weekend since then. Sometimes I would even sneak out of the Slytherin dormitory to go here to study. It's a long trip--"
"--but it's worth it."
They grinned at each other.
Harry dove back into the water and swam deep. Instead of pebbles like there would be in Muggle rivers, at the bottom of the pond was a putty-like base, light brown in color and coarse to the touch, that followed the contour of Harry's legs, knees, hands, and body when he lay on it. It felt like lying on a foam bed.
When he returned to the surface, he saw Draco getting out of the water and then sat down on the grassy field. Harry quickly swam to the shore. He unbuttoned his jeans and pulled the zipper down to get comfortable, and laid back, his head resting on the V of Draco's knee. Draco's pale hand draped casually onto Harry's bare stomach, just inches above the opening in Harry's pants.
A couple of colorful butterflies flew past. Harry watched them flutter over to a nearby shrub, then hop onto a white flower, and then fly towards the quiet waterfall and disappear behind it. In the woods, birds were singing a wonderful tune that he wished could have been recorded.
"What type of magic did this, do you think?" Draco asked, his hand drawing circles around Harry's bellybutton.
"Dunno," Harry shrugged. "Don't care."
"It's so beautiful here," Draco murmured, gazing into space. The ray of sunlight cascaded through the tree branches fell onto Draco, creating an unearthly shimmer around him, outlining his figure like a halo.
Harry reached up and ran his fingers across Draco's cheek, over his jaw line, and gently pinched Draco's pointy chin. "You're beautiful."
Draco leaned forward and captured Harry's lips in his. They felt smooth and soft against his tongue, and they were moving expertly over his own mouth. Draco's hand snaked its way to the back of Harry's neck, and he pulled the boy closer. Harry wrapped a hand around Draco's waist while the other raked through Draco's silky blond hair.
"Thanks for coming here," Draco whispered, trailing light kisses on Harry's neck. "And for sharing this place with me."
"Thank you for taking me here," Harry replied, pulling Draco's mouth back to his.
A glint of hope flitted across Draco's bright and serious eyes when he looked up. "If we were ever to get married, do you think we could do it here? Just the two of us," he added quickly. "We'd let the dragonflies and the waterfall be our witnesses."
Harry realized what Draco was really asking. He nodded once, mouthed the word Yes, and succumbed to another series of passionate kisses.
Draco knew he had answered to both questions.
-fin-