I'm Not Buying

DISCLAIMER:Nothing is mine, not the characters (JK got there first) not the song (Darius got there first). Yup this is a songfic to a Darius song – don't say it!

AUTHOR's NOTE:Here be slash, obviously. But seriously, I warn you that what follows is shamelessly fluffy and unapologetically illogical, but hopefully someone will like it. I've had this hanging around my computer for ages and wanted to post it so I could do other things. Feedback – good and bad – much needed so I can make it better!

I'm Not Buying

or Strange Ways

"Potter." Snarling, angry.

"Malfoy" Resigned, ready.

So many times we find ourselves here –

Looking just about anywhere

But in each others eyes

I'm wondering why…

HERMIONE

Everyone in the school knows about Harry and Malfoy. Well not everyone, I guess, but everyone from fifth year up, I'm sure, with maybe three exceptions. And the people above us knew too, ever since our fifth year people have known about them. It is impossible to conceal it really, it is so apparent in every look, every exchange of words. Electricity crackles whenever they are together. You can feel it in the air, along with tension, passion, lust but most of all love. Like I said, I can think of only three people who don't know. Ron, of course, has no idea and he would freak out, I'm sure, but the other two are more complicated. I admit I'm not totally convinced of Ron's ignorance but the other two definitely have no idea that Harry and Malfoy are in love, which is unfortunate as they are Harry and Malfoy. So that makes things easier.

So many chances brushed then wasted

So many matches almost won in injury time –

Nobody cried

"Harry, you OK?"

"Great 'Mione, just great," he smiled slightly, holding a tissue to his bleeding lip.

"Why do you do it, Harry?"

"What do you mean?"

"Talk to him sometime Harry, you could be … friends."

"Not this again 'Mione," he rose to his feet but she grabbed his arm in one last attempt.

"Why not Harry? Afraid you might like him? You need .." but he was gone.

We've tried to tell them, really we have. I mean, at first it was OK because of the war, which was far more important than any repressed feelings. But the war's been over for more than a year now, and we were all on the same time. Malfoy bought almost all the so-called 'junior death eaters' over to our side, securing not only the Slytherins but the Ravenclaws as well. It must have been a severe blow to Voldemort, I don't think any of the Death Eaters realised the consequences of conditioning their children to follow Malfoy. But anyway, once the war was over we started talking and it seems the Slytherins had drawn the same conclusions we had. I've lost track of the times I've tried to get Harry to talk about Malfoy – even mentioning him causes Harry to change the subject. Pansy has the same problem with Malfoy. We've changed our tactics over time, cornering them after a fight, trying to take advantage of the euphoria created by the surging adrenaline and it's paid off a few times. Harry is not immune to Malfoy's charms, nor Malfoy to Harry's, but as soon as we touch on any admission they brush it off.

We're kicking pieces out of each other,

Instead of kicking the pain in our hearts –

Where do we start?

RON

Hermione thinks I'm oblivious to it all, I know she does. It's kind of insulting really, because anyone would notice being hit over the head with a sledgehammer and that's what it's like when you're around them.

The magic crackles in the air whenever they are together, showing how clearly their magical selves have recognised what they share. It's just the human side which is rather dense, or stubborn.

I've grown up a lot, hell I must have done if I can see that Harry belongs with Malfoy, that I can accept that sometimes Slytherins and Gryffindor's are meant to be together. But then again I've had to. The war - well it wasn't a war by muggle standards but it was the most brutal thing seen in the wizarding world - lasted less than half a year and I was fortunate enough not to lose anyone I cared for. But there were injuries and I've seen things that I never want to see again.

I also saw how Malfoy stood beside Harry and kept the Death Eaters back, giving him time to kill Voldemort. And I saw their eyes meet after Harry had driven the Sword of Gryffindor through Voldemort's heart. He looked ready to give up for a moment, but then Malfoy looked over, caught his gaze and sneered.

That was all it took.

Harry was up on his feet and ready to fight with Malfoy like nothing had happened.

So I will admit that I am a lot of things, but oblivious is not one of them.

So many fixes come too easy

Leave us so unsatisfied

Chasing the kite, addicted to high…

HARRY

I think they are beginning to despair of me, of us.

I know what they are after and I know he knows it too, but some things aren't that easy.

Draco Malfoy.

He is, well it sounds too dramatic to say he is my reason for living but there's something in that. I mean, when I killed Voldemort I was ready to give up, my role in the wizarding world was fulfilled and the muggle world clearly didn't want me. Then I saw him, sneering at me, challenging me, daring me to quit. Well I couldn't give him the satisfaction could I?

He is...my bit of normality. There has been one constant in my world since my eleventh birthday and that was him. Godfathers came and went, alliances were broken and new ones formed, people used and manipulated me, others I misjudged, but he was always there in the background, waiting for me. Watching me. Challenging me. He waited for me to fail, tried to help me to it and yet was always there to make sure I couldn't.

Was it intentional? I honestly don't know but the fact remains that no matter what else was going on I knew I would always have him to fight with. He is my benchmark, take everything else away, build my life again from scratch and as long as he is there, opposing me, tripping me up, then the rest will fall into place.

So knowing all that, knowing that life is normal only when he is my enemy, how can I consider the possibility of loving him?

So many pitches we have worn

So many promises still born

We're so blind, we kill more than time

DRACO

It wouldn't work.

Why am I the only one who sees that.

It wouldn't work. Potter and me don't work.

Not together anyway.

I mean really, could you imagine us strolling through the park hand in hand, settling down to live a life of bliss marred only by press clamouring at the door for the secret to our perfect union. I certainly haven't...um, couldn't.

And I am happy this way, it gives life a normalcy which, when you've abandoned the beliefs you were raised with and been disowned by your family, is much needed. I may not be a lot of things, but I will always be his enemy and he mine. It's comforting in a strangely disturbing way.

He is easy to fight with too. We just push all the wrong buttons. I mean, I saw the guy kill Voldemort and he looked fit to drop and all I could do was glare at him, casting up his exhaustion as a fault, a flaw. Because that's what it was. The Golden Boy who was ready to drop after killing his nemesis was not the hero he made out to be. The challenge was there: my enemy would get up. Are you my enemy? Are you worthy?

Of course he was.

And that's why it wouldn't work.

I know that, he knows that, so why do I want it to work more than anything?

Intoxicated, drowning each other –

Instead of drowning the pain in our hearts

Where do we start?

"It wouldn't work," Harry spoke out loud without even meaning to.

"What," Hermione looked up, shocked at the sudden outburst.

"Malfoy and me, we only work when we're enemies. It's the one crazy thing in this crazy world that makes sense. So how can we take that and destroy it for something that doesn't stand a chance?"

"Why not," Hermione was ready to dance, to shout it out, let everyone know that Harry was finally talking about the same topic as the rest of the school. "Surely there is a reason everyone is waiting for it. We're not just trying to piss you off."

"Because it's...because we're...we both know it wouldn't work and we are not about to fool ourselves."

And he left.

And half the common room followed.

We'll walk with innocence

We'll leave the ignorance

We'll run together, lets break this silence

"I'm meant to be his enemy," Draco spoke out loud without even meaning to.

"What," Pansy looked up, shocked at the sudden outburst.

"Potter and me, it wouldn't work. So there's no point looking at me like that, watching, waiting for us to fall into each others arms."

"Why doesn't it," Pansy was ready to dance, to shout it out, let everyone know that Draco was finally talking about the same topic as the rest of the school. "Only love sprung from only hate and all that. I just think that sometimes you need to give the impossible a chance because it just might end up being the only thing possible in the end."

"No. It wouldn't work, we both know it even if no one else can see the truth, and we are not about to fool ourselves into thinking something good could come out of it."

And he left.

And half the common room followed.

Don't wanna fight no more

Wanna feel the light some more

Lets run together and break this silence

Both boys stormed out of their common rooms, ignoring the people that followed.

Naturally they walked into each other.

And suddenly their audience had backed off.

"It wouldn't work," Harry said it but the line could easily have been Draco's.

"It would be nice though."

"Yeah."

They stood their, looking at each other when it would have been natural to be looking anywhere else.

"It wouldn't work," Draco repeated finally.

"They seem to think it would."

"What do they know?"

"A hell of a lot it would seem."

"Hypothetically," Draco began, "could you see anyone else with you? If we met in five years time, who would be on your arm."

"Hedwig," Harry grinned. "What about you?"

"No one." A pause, then, "so what does that tell us?"

"That nothing else would work," it was so strange a conversation that Harry felt obliged to offer some sort of an explanation for those (blatantly) eavesdropping, "because when I look into the future all I want to see is you."

"Divination is an imprecise art..."

"...I see nothing but still I know that if I looked harder I'd see you. And not because I want to."

I'm holding out for you

Reaching out for you

No way that this is through –

If we just if we just

We can reach we can reach

"So if we work at it..."

"...this could work."

"I like that conclusion."

It was all too simple really.

It made no sense.

But then again what is more senseless, two people who are clearly meant for each other fighting to keep apart, or those same two people deciding to be together after a senseless conversation about dreams and hopes for the future?

Exactly.