Title: Waving Affections

Pairing: Harry/Draco

Summary: Harry and Draco are at it again, though Draco wants it to stop. The war is approaching and the cards have been dealt - Harry's on one side, Draco's on the other.

Author's Notes: This is a partially AU 6th year - Draco is still working on the vanishing cabinet, but their relationship has very much changed. The story goes back and forth between two different periods of time, one is narrating Harry and Draco meeting in the charms corridor after all of their detentions, after all of their games, and coming face to face - the other is how they came to that point. I hope it's clear, but let me know!

This was recently written as an ode to my addiction to sleeping pills and a long drawn out breakup, but it turned out being the sequel to a whole different ballgame. It's almost a song fic, I never thought I'd do one of the things, but this song is amazing. Even if you don't read any further, check out the song. True Affection - The Blow. Tell me what I want to hear, as your feedback powers my keyboard!


WAVING AFFECTIONS

I wanted a junction and often there was one.

You'd surface face first and we'd share thought bubbles.

I still believe in the phrases that we breathed, but I know the distance isn't fair to cross.

When Draco Malfoy reminded Harry about his deceased parents and called his friend a dirty mudblood for the thirteenth time that week Harry liked how angry it made him. When Harry Potter called Draco Malfoy a slimy coward who wasn't fit to lick the mud off said friend's shoes Draco liked it even more how incensed he became. It was their little game. Push and push and push and then it happens. Harry is on top of Draco and Draco is on top of Harry, though they both still claim it's fighting. It stopped being fighting long ago, but to say it was anything more... it would be a poor excuse for affection.

After the second detention they started with little things. Tripping eachother in the halls, stealing eachother's books, and hexing one another under the tables just so they would have an excuse to go beat the bloody pulp out of each other. It was an unspoken agreement, that it was just between them. All the hexes, pranks, and acts of revenge done to one another's friends... Harry answered to Draco and Draco answered to Harry. Soon enough, all the acts of retaliation each house committed against the other - Draco and Harry were responsible for, at least towards eachother. The first couple times Ron tried to get involved, though Harry stopped him before he could dish out the vengeance he most desperately wanted to. The very first time was in the charms corridor when Draco elbowed by Hermione, knocking her over, and Harry intervened.

He helped Hermione up, gave Draco a dirty look, and informed him that, "This isn't over," before turning away to make sure Hermione was ok. It wouldn't do to be fighting out in the middle of the charms corridor, especially considering the tendencies of their struggles.

Ron tried to go after Draco, but Harry grabbed his arm and said, "Leave it, Ron. I'll get him back, I have detention with him today. We're going to be late anyway."

Ron shrugged, deflated, and Hermione asked Harry not to do anything rash, but they were all on time for transfiguration.


The detention after the incident with Hermione that Tuesday proved eventful. Once again Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were sorting through another cabinet, this one containing mostly dragon parts and different flowers, when Harry calmly explained to Draco through clenched teeth and glaring eyes that he wasn't acting a perfect gentleman by shoving Hermione, and he would greatly appreciate it if he would refrain from doing so in the future. Actually, that wasn't exactly what it said, it was more like this:

After forty five minutes of stony silence, save for the delicate clinking of vials, Harry gave in, glowering, "What do you think you're playing at? Pushing her over in the hallway! You're SO much more civilized than I thought you were. I thought you pureblood royalty were supposed to have manners."

"That filth walked in to my elbow, I'm the one that should be traumatized. It will take weeks to get it clean again," Draco responded dramatically, and then added after a glance at infuriated Harry's face, "Considering yesterday, I don't even think we should be talking."

Draco's mouth was pushed up in disdainful disgust, not that he noticed - Harry told himself. It was at that moment Harry decided he would not say anything more to Draco Malfoy, as recently in the potions classroom, without the presence of one Severus Snape, he had known what that mouth felt like more that he would ever like to think about. Draco seemed to have caught onto his train of thought because his haughty expression morphed into that of a bug being squished under the heel of an exceptionally large boot, and both boys furiously continued inventory.

After their chair splintering melee the day before, it had taken them fifteen minutes to put the classroom right again, and another hour to finish the inventory of the cabinet. It was an entire hour and fifteen minutes too long, considering both had wanted nothing more than to sprint out of the room at the very moment their higher brain processes kicked in.

The rest of the detention continued in the same rushed manner, and right before the last shelf was done, Harry saw Draco turn on his heel and stride from the room. It was the only detention that would end that way.


x


Two weeks and fifteen altercations later, the boys began finding each other at night to dispense and right the injustices of the day. It always started the same. Malfoy had pinched Hermione passing by in the hallways, Ron kicked Goyle when partnered with him in potions, Harry got Draco in trouble during Care of Magical Creatures, Draco managed to get 20 points taken from Gryffindor in one potions class, or Pansy was sending in gossip about Harry to Witch Weekly - and it usually ended the same. This evening found Harry and Draco casually walking towards one another from opposite ends of the hallway outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Potter."

"Malfoy."

"I hope you brought with you Ginny's herbology project."

"Seeing as Pansy's mouth is still clamped shut, I don't know what you're talking about, Potter. Did you get tired of her spilling your secrets to Witch Weekly?"

Draco Malfoy didn't steal Ginny's herbology project, Blaise Zambini did, after she refused to go to Hogsmead with him. And it wasn't Harry that spelled Pansy's mouth closed, it was Seamus Finnigan after she started telling everyone about their little tryst in the seventh floor boy's bathroom the previous Tuesday. These facts don't matter though, to Harry it was always Draco's doing and to Draco, Harry always had a hand in it.

"Oh, yes, because I tell her all my secrets," Harry retorted. He'd had enough, Malfoy wasn't coming clean and he didn't have anything to do with Pansy's mouth so it would, as it always did, come to blows.


It was after their third detention that Harry decided to take it upon himself to learn some basic healing charms. After emerging from the portrait hole more than slightly battered and with a rapidly purpling eye, Hermione rushed upon him. Wringing her hands, she lectured him - surely he couldn't find a better outlet than getting into fisticuffs with Malfoy, and oh, how much trouble he could get in.

It was also at that point that Ron stopped getting involved so much as representative and vindicator against the Slytherins. Ron felt Malfoy was getting his come uppance, and that he probably looked worse for the wear than Harry did. Though he wouldn't admit it in front of Hermione, Ron was glad that Harry was dishing it out to Malfoy and secretly egged him on.

Little did he know exactly how Harry was dishing it out to Malfoy, and it went something along the lines of this:

Both Harry and Draco arrived to the potions room in a sour mood. Malfoy was disappointed that Goyle did not save the last pumpkin pastie his mother sent for him, and Harry was upset at having to miss quidditch practice. Snape stood from the desk, and stared at them appraisingly. As he stepped out from behind the desk with several first year essays in his hands he informed them that they knew what to do, before rapidly clearing himself from the room without another word.

Draco rolled his eyes, and Harry sighed before rolling up the sleeves of his robes. They unstacked the vials carelessly depositing them on the ground. Harry accidentally tossed a bottle of frog brains a little too haphazardly, and the glass shattered upon impact with the floor, leaving a splat of green chunks on the stone imbedded with glass.

"Nice one there, Potter, that vial costs more than Weasley's house!"

"Shut up, Malfoy, I'm really not in the mood for this... so don't push me tonight if you know what's good for you," Harry said as he angrily, as he drew his wand to clear up the mess. His face was reddening with anger, and Harry's patience was visibly thinning.

"Now, now, Potter, you know Professor Snape said we had to do everything by hand... I would think that would apply to cleaning up your messes as well," Draco said happily. For once that evening, Draco looked somewhat pleased. Harry had noticed in his classes that despite Draco's outward animosity towards him, he was looking more drawn and pale than ever. He'd stopped snickering with the other Slytherins in Care of Magical Creatures, and he had even overheard him arguing with Snape. As much as he wanted to get to the bottom of what Draco was up to, he did not have the patience to work with him, let alone fish for information.

"Shut it," Harry said in warning as he strode across the room to grab a rag and a bucket. He began mopping up the goopy mess on the floor, his fringe following over his eyes. He gingerly placed the broken glass into the bucket.

"That a boy. Oh! You might want to clean this up while you're down there," Draco said mocking him. He let the bottle of reindeer urine slowly slip from his hand, and it hit the floor just close enough for droplets to hit Harry in the face, without actually showering him with broken glass.

"You SPINELESS GIT!" Harry roared, leaning back on his heels and his face was contorted with anger. Malfoy's face was blank, as Harry slowly stood up and waved the mess away with his wand. Harry suddenly feined looking startled at the door over Draco's shoulder and called out, "Professor Snape!" only for Draco to whirl towards the direction of the door, giving Harry just enough time to close the distance between his fist and Draco's jaw.

Draco stumbled backwards onto the floor, clutching his face with his hand.

"You'll pay for that, POTTER!" he said through gritted teeth, and he gathered himself up and threw himself onto Harry.

It was Harry's turn to stumble backwards, though he didn't fall to the floor. Draco was pummeling Harry's sides with his fists, as Harry tried to push him backwards. Once again the two of them were tangled together stumbling, staggering, and banging into the desks and chairs closest to them. Harry finally gained a modicum of control as he moved his grappling forearms from their defensive position against Draco's torso, and managed to wrangle Draco into a choke hold against his right side. It didn't last for long, as Draco becoming desperate in his trapped position sunk his teeth into Harry's side.

Crying out in pain, Harry immediately let go of Draco, who shoved him onto the floor. Draco began kicking Harry in the side, laughing, and causing Harry to once again cry out, eyes watering from the pain. Thinking quickly, Harry grabbed Draco's foot as he tried strike him. Draco promptly lost his balance and was deposited on the floor. Harry clambered on top of Draco, pausing to catch his breath, as Draco seemed to be slightly stunned from the blow to his head he sustained from hitting the floor. Ready to strike, Harry drew back his fist; however, he noticed Draco was slowly blinking his unfocused eyes. His hesitation would cost him, he let his grip on Draco's shoulder relax, and Draco used it to his advantage as he leaned up and pushed Harry onto his back. It was now Draco sitting on top of Harry, and he didn't hesitate to swing his fist and hit Harry's nose with crunch. Harry spluttered as blood started welling up, pouring in rivulets from his nostrils.

Draco leaned close into Harry, staring him down with a look of utter loathing etched across his face. He had some blood from his nose dripping down his chin, and there were several dark bruises beginning to form on his cheek.

He leaned in close enough for Harry to feel his breath across his face as he uttered, slowly, quietly, and with a great deal of venom, "This. is. what. you. get. Potter, next time you fucking mess with me." His lips curling in a cruel smile, and his eyes roving around Harry's face in disgust, though they lingered slightly on his open mouth and the arch in his eyebrows indicating surprise.

Before Draco could pull his arm back and land another blow, or clamber off of Harry, Harry snaked his hand up to grasp the front of Draco's robes. Though his intention, he told himself upon later reflection, was entirely contrary to the events that unfolded. Harry's unexpected grip on Draco's front had the effect of yanking Draco down on top of him, and once again their lips brushed together as Draco collapsed onto him.

Draco's eyes closed as he drew back trying to right himself, and his lips grazed dangerously across Harry's. Draco paused and pushed his lips with ever so slight pressure down on Harry's. Moments later, Draco's eyes flew open as he felt Harry's fist collide with his rib cage, though Harry didn't let go of the front of his robes. In fact, Harry was very much pulling down on them holding Draco's mouth tightly against his own. Draco let out a groan of pain into Harry's mouth, and Harry's tongue was under Draco's. Their tongues rolled back and forth in a sloppy kiss as their hands continued the battle. Harry's left hand remained curled tightly around the neck of Draco's robes grazing his collarbone, as he fended off swings and grabs from Draco's hands. Draco's soft wet lips were still moving against Harry's, they both tasted metallic - the blood intermingled with their mouths in their frenzied exchange. Harry summoned enough strength to push Draco backward with the hand that had been clutching at the front of Draco's robes. He rolled on top of Draco, though their mouths didn't separate as Harry's mouth followed Draco's lips pressing so forcefully against them, their tongues could barely meet. Their mouths were taking turns sliding open and closed, and all Harry could feel was the cool wet of Draco's delicate mouth against his own. Draco was halfheartedly fighting back under Harry with one arm, despite this, his right fist was clutched in Harry's hair, pulling Harry's face roughly against his own and his jaw line follwing beneath his skin up and down mirroring Harry's as their lips pushed and pulled against the other's.

Feeling the kiss shift from explosive fighting to something else entirely, Draco realized that it was just that, a kiss - what he and Harry had been doing for quite some time. Irately, he bit down on Harry's tongue and lower lip drawing more blood. Harry recoiled, and then came to the same realization Draco had seconds earlier, horrorstruck. I mean, once could have been an accident, but twice...

"Potter," Draco whispered with abhorrence, his eyes wide, "You're a fucking pervert."


Day four, detention four, Thursday, or whatever you want to call it ended about the same, except this time Draco and Harry waited until after detention to resort to their usual outpouring of six years rivalry, enmity, and name-calling, this time Harry was pushed up against the stone wall right outside the potions classroom. Draco was spitting words of hatred in his face and growling about revenge against the recent Gryffindor victory in the charms corridor, where Flitwick caught Crabbe hexing Hermione with a particularly nasty vesuvius boils hex. The temporary truce, brought about by the boys' determination to finish the detention without the need to spend extra time finishing the task in the company of the other, villiorated the minute they stepped into the corridor.

Before they knew it, the two boys were shoving each other up against the walls cursing and yelling, too overwhelmed as always to bother with magic. This time it was Draco who, as he told himself upon later reflection, accidently clamped his mouth down on Potter's. Their hands were tearing at the other, with animosity, with intensity.

Harry had the bruises to prove it, even almost a week later in the quidditch changing rooms Ron asked what the hell happened to him, eyeing the finger shaped brown lines adorning his shoulders, and rib cage.

"Er, I dunno," Harry replied awkwardly.

"Is it You-Know-Who? Harry, have you been having dreams again?" Ron asked, unknowingly helping Harry with an excuse.

"Uh, yeah, I suppose so. I guess he must be trying to get to me," Harry fumbled quickly.

"Merlin, Harry, do you think you should tell Dumbledore? He's never gotten this far," Ron replied with concern.

"I'm sure he knows what's going on, I wrote him over the summer and stuff," Harry said muffled, as he pulled his quidditch robes over his head, "I didn't even know they were there, actually."

"Oh, well I reckon if it's not painful-" Ron continued, though Harry wasn't paying attention. He was remembering Malfoy's fingers as they gripped his shoulders, squeezing his body under his robes. He remembered Malfoy's mouth forcefully against his own, harsh and overwhelming. He remembered Malfoy's body flush against his, and as they broke apart panting, the pained look in his slate eyes before the flash of anger and stream of insults, before he footed it back to his common room in the dungeons.

"Harry!" Ron yelled, waving his hand in front of Harry's dazed face.

"What?" Harry blinked his eyes, and they came back into focus.

"I just asked if you thought Hermione would go to Hogsmead this weekend with me. You know, like, together?" Ron asked skeptically.

"Oh, er, yeah. I don't see why not."


x


Their detentions ended the same, some antagonizing by a thinly veiled panicked Draco, and an overly panic ridden Harry speeding from the room after a more things were exchanged besides words. It stopped mattering that they weren't getting done what they were supposed to, the detention wasn't the important part. The detention wasn't why they were there. At the end of two weeks, with significantly less inventory conducted than expected; surprisingly, Harry did not receive any indication that their time served in detention was unsatisfactory.

So they started meeting outside detentions. Finding reasons to find each other, and exact revenge. Friends of Harry and Malfoy could say that they were obessed with settling the score that no one kept track of, school rivalries were at an all time high, thanks to Harry and Draco. Their triumphant returns from their detentions bearing battle scars sparked a long chain of rumours now floating around Hogwarts. Draco had become more and more withdrawn from Hogwarts, but that didn't stop people from speculating about his Death Eater ties. It was no secret that Voldemort was back, and it was no secret that the wizarding world was becoming divided. Draco had been seen quarrelling with Crabbe and Goyle, and the dark circles under his eyes were becoming more and more pronounced.

Regardless, they would meet. During the day, they tried follow every move of the other, so when the time for justice was nigh, they would gain the upper hand. Battle of the wits, words, and something else they couldn't quite put their finger on. When Harry found Draco in some obscure part of the castle at some obscure hour - then, that was it. Though every confrontation turned into groping, biting, tongue sucking, hair grabbing, up against the wall. They figured it out long ago, and eventually stopped even trying to hard to find reasons to fight. When they met at night, all the stresses of the day - of the wizarding world, were forgotten. Harry would find Draco, they would rattle off a couple of insults, and there they'd be - fighting as they had in all of their detentions. Kissing and tearing into each other's mouths, lines of their jaws under the skin rotating with the pushes and pulls of their mouths together.

This meeting, this was different. Harry found Draco in the owlery. Draco was waiting, and the mood was solemn. The owls were all out hunting, their empty cages swinging in a slight breeze. A shiver ran down Draco's spine, though he tried to ignore it. More and more muggles and wizards were disappearing every day. His father was still in Azkaban, and his lack of progress on his task soon would cost him his life.

"You know, Potter, I'm growing tired of our late-night clandestine meetings," Draco began softly, and Harry grimaced at him, though he said nothing. "I'm afraid this has to come to an end. You know as well as I do that there is so much more at stake. We can't pretend any longer," Draco said casually, "I just don't see it necessary to be scrabbling over such things."

"But you hate me, I hate you... is this just supposed to just go away, just because you think-"

Draco cut him off shortly, "There are more important things happening, and we may share some sort of mutual detestation, but there are just some lines that are not meant to be crossed. I will be leaving Hogwarts in several weeks time... I shouldn't have even told you, that much but it won't matter any," Draco's face was pale and somber. Harry suddenly realized that he was the only person Draco hadn't alienated himself from in the past several weeks. He was the only person Draco hadn't severed all his ties, their relationship hadn't changed - it did, but it wasn't the slow disconnect he had been watching Draco do from a distance.

"Draco," Harry began, and Draco looked up, startled by his use of this name, "this isn't over, isn't over by a long shot. If you leave here, I will hunt you down and-" Harry snarled, but was interrupted.

"What? Beat me within an inch of my life, and then initiate the inappropriate grasping of one another in the confused aftermath. We want to boil eachother's blood. We just happen to find that works equally as well, I suppose in the spirit of competition. That's all it is. You're staying here, and I have to go. Our lives are no longer Potions with Snape, Potter, and you know it." Draco sighed, and ran his hand through his blond hair; it fell disheveled in front of his eyes. This was not the Draco Malfoy that tried to get Hagrid sacked in third year, he was not the Draco Malfoy that made 'Potter Stinks' badges in fourth year, and he was certainly not the Draco Malfoy who broke up the DA as Umbridge's spy.

"Draco! I fucking hate you," Harry suddenly shoved Draco closer to the wall, "I'm not letting you get away with this. So that's it, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy - just don't give a damn anymore? We just go off to war, and that's that?"

"I hope this isn't your tactic with you know who, he doesn't get detentions much, and snogging him with your sick perversions isn't going to banish him to the ends of the earth. Be a man, Potter, we can't keep playing these school yard games anymore," Draco tried to reason, though Harry's hands in him reminded him distinctly of another time...

The last time they fought, Draco had been on the floor with Harry's tongue diving into his mouth, and Draco found himself unabashadly sliding his hand up and down Harry's thigh before he even realized what was going on. He was even more horrified that he didn't stop at this realization, and began to reach under Harry's shirt, Harry's hands were curled in his hair tugging his head forward - he growled, no that wasn't helping this at all.

"What are you even talking about. I hate you, you hate me. What the hell does that matter if we find ourselves in extremely comprimising, and unexpected positions halfway through. That's the nature of who we are, Draco, always fighting - always starting a fire and getting at eachother any way we can. Sometimes I think it's all that's holding me together these days..."

"Shut up Potter, the only thing we have in common are the days of the week. So I don't want to hear about your life story, or your bloody feelings! Get a grip. This is going too far and we both know it. This isn't a relationship, it's a mutual loathing. I have my future and you have yours. What we do, is something we are supposed to do with people that aren't you and me. "

"Draco, some things change, it doesn't have to be like this. You don't have to leave, I know we hate each other and I know no one else acts like this. I want to see you lose at quidditch, and fail a potions test. I want to trip you in the hallway and knock out your teeth. You want it too. It's who we are."

"Potter, stop using my first name. Just because you've soiled me and rolled around like an idiot on top of me doesn't mean you know who I am," Draco said shakily. He was beginning to look more panicked, "Just suck it up and go be the savior boy that you know you want to be."