#2 The One Where Malfoy's A Slut
Written By: CJ
Notes: This is another one of the ones I rewrote. Please feel free to leave feedback.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. All credits go to JK Rowling.
"It's only after you've stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow and transform." -Roy T. Bennett
"Harry!" A woman's voice called. Harry made his way to the table where Pansy Parkinson stood and hugged him. "Harry, it's been forever!" She cried dramatically. He just laughed.
"It has, Pans. What's this all about?" He asked as they sat down. Pansy hadn't requested to speak to him alone for some time.
"Oh, I just wanted to catch up, and, you know, maybe I could interview you for Witch Gossip Daily?" Her eyes sparkled.
"Oh, Pansy, the gossip queen as always," Harry teased and laughed. Pansy stuck out her bottom lip and begged.
"Fiiiine," Harry agreed, smiling.
Pansy had grown from the child she used to be. She no longer had a chubby face and body, but was now tall and thin. Her lips were coated in red lipstick, and she wore a green business jacket with tight gray business pants. Slytherin to the end. Pansy had managed to find work in Witch Gossip Daily, which was, as anybody could guess, a magazine full of the freshest, juiciest gossip. Harry had once joked about it being right up Pansy's alley. She just batted her eyelashes and told Harry to stop being so nice.
"Well, what do you want to talk about?" Harry questioned, looking around at all the fallen leaves all over the ground, crunching loudly under people's feet as they passed by the cafe.
Pansy beamed and pulled out her notepad and quill. Harry eyed it nervously; he couldn't help it, Rita Skeeter's abuse had hit a nerve all those years ago.n
"So, witches everywhere have been wondering about your relationship with Ginny Weasley. Are you going to pop the question?" Pansy's eyes glowed with excitement.
"Um, well, I've-"
"Is it true you've been seeing her for four years now?"
"Uh, yes."
"So, are you going to propose?"
"Um, maybe... We haven't... Discussed it." Harry was slightly uncomfortable about this topic, but he wasn't even sure why. He was going to marry Ginny eventually, wasn't he? Everyone expected it.
"Ooh, hear that, girls! Harry may be getting married!" Pansy clapped her hands excitedly like a five year old being told there's free cake.
"Maybe!" Harry defended. Pansy talked on and on for another ten minutes, then finally packed away her pad. The waitress, a pretty blonde with hazel eyes, brought them coffee, winked at Harry, then left.
As she walked away, Pansy shouted, "Don't even think about it!" Harry just blushed in embarassment, then rubbed his temples.
"Headache?" Pansy asked. Harry nodded in confirmation. The journalist pulled a small vial out of her purse and handed it to him.
"Thanks," he said, chugging it. The effects instantly hit him. "Ah, much better."
"So... did you hear the news yet?" Pansy squirmed in her seat excitedly.
"What news?" Harry knew she loved knowing things nobody else did.
"Draco Malfoy is back!"
"Uhhhh..." After a moment of dumbly fumbling with his words, he finally said, "I saw him yesterday."
Pansy's face fell slightly. "Oh... well, did you know he actually was living in some muggle place called Colorado?"
"No. I didn't talk to him. I mean, I did, but I didn't. I mean-"
"Don't hurt yourself, Harry," Pansy laughed. "What do you mean, talked to him?"
"He came into the bookstore. I helped him. He was looking for a book for his son."
"Scorpius?"
"I guess? He didn't mention a name." Who the hell names their kid Scorpius?
"Well, that's interesting."
"Why?" Harry saw nothing weird about buying a gift for someone. Unless it's a head on a platter. Then that'd be an issue.
"Oh, no reason." Pansy's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Well, I gotta run. Business and all that." She stood to hug him and left.
Harry didn't move for another ten minutes.
Draco Malfoy is back. But for how long? And why?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE ONE WHERE MALFOY'S A SLUT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry stuffed his hands in his pockets, walking down the sidewalk, head down. He was passing a park, and could hear the children screaming and hollering and whooping. A small girl, about five or six years old, Harry guessed, was running and tripped. She landed right next to his feet. He reached down and picked her up.
"Are you alright?" He asked. She nodded and wiped off her knee.
"Tank 'ou!" She smiled. She turned and chased after another little boy her age, who ran away yelling, "Ew, cooties!"
Harry turned and walked away. For a moment, he thought of Ginny. When Pansy had asked if he planned to propose, it'd been awkward because, yes, he did love her, but they were both so busy and it'd be difficult to hold up a family. He wondered how Ginny would feel about this. He decided he would ask the next time they spoke.
Harry then remembered Scorpius Malfoy, the supposed son of Draco, and wondered if it was difficult for Malfoy to hold up his family. Harry found himself wondering if Draco was even married, and who Scorpius' mother was.
Why would he move back? Surely he knows nobody here wants him here. Even if he wasn't charged with anything.
Why do I care?
The bell above the door to the store he entered rang as he pushed the door open. He held the door open for the four kids leaving, then went to find the owner.
"Hey, mate," George Weasley greeted him.
"Hey. How you doing?" Harry hugged George briefly.
"Okay, I guess. The store's super popular these days." They looked at the kids running around, laughing and squealing.
"Fred would have been proud," Harry said softly, knowing what was on his friend's mind.
"I miss him," George sighed. I do, too.
"Maybe we could go for a drink later," George commented.
"Let's do that. We could both use a break." Harry sounded kind of far away, even to himself.
"What's up, mate?" George asked.
Harry didn't know what to say, so he instead asked, "Did you hear Malfoy's back?"
"No, really?"
"Mhmm. He was in Colorado. With his son. Scorpius."
"Who names their child Scorpius?" George made a face. Harry laughed.
"Exactly. But then, Malfoy never made much sense anyway."
"Got that right." George yawned. "Wonder why he came back."
Harry shrugged. "Good question."
"Maybe he's running from something." George climbed a ladder to reach something for a customer.
"Why would he do that?" Harry said in confusion.
"I don't know. Maybe he killed someone."
Harry froze. "No."
"No?" George stared at him strangely. "We both know Malfoy."
"He never killed anybody, though," Harry didn't know why he was defending the blond. Being a death eater wasn't exactly a model life choice. "I've got to go," Harry suddenly said. "See you at 3?"
"Sure. Bye, mate."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE ONE WHERE MALFOY'S A SLUT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The streets were crowded, and the noise gave Harry a headache. He found a good place to apparate and did so.
So good to be home. Harry collapsed on his couch. He was mentally exhausted. All this Malfoy crap was tiring. Harry passed out.
He woke to innocent people screaming for help. Voldermort! Harry's heart was beating way too fast, he thought he might faint or have a heart attack. After a moment of panic, Harry realized it was just the TV. He sighed with complete relief and switched off the TV. He checked the time. It was 2:30. He'd been passed out for almost 2 hours. He stretched and decided to take a quick shower before meeting George.
When he got out of the shower, he pulled on blue jeans and a red hoodie. He yawned tiredly as he pulled on his trainers. He attempted to tame his hair and gave up after 30 seconds. He dashed to the fireplace, threw down a handful of floo powder, and called out, "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes!"
George stood outside, the shop already locked up. Harry walked up to him.
"Ready?"
"Yeah."
"Geez, you look terrible. Let's get you a drink," George began to sing off-key, and teasingly, "Harry is tired and looks like utter craaaap!" Harry elbowed him but laughed.
"I wish I was deaf," Harry teased.
"Ooh, a deafening potion! Great idea! Fantastic!"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Can I sign up now to NOT test it?"
George chuckled. "Oh, you won't. Ron will."
"Does HE know this?"
"No." George grinned even bigger, and reminded Harry of the Cheshire Cat.
"I feel sorry for him," Harry joked.
"Harry!" Dean called. "George! What's up?"
"Making plans to prank Ron." Dean laughed.
"Of course. Why would I expect anything else? Come on, Seamus is here!" George and Harry followed Dean to the booth and sat across from them.
"So," Seamus started after they'd all gotten their drinks. "Did you guys hear Malfoy is back?"
Harry wished this topic would disappear. Was this all anybody was talking about?
"Really?" George asked.
"I... saw him yesterday," Harry informed them reluctantly.
"Yeah, apparently he moved from Colorado or something." Seamus sipped his beer.
"Don't get drunk," Dean warned.
"Yeah, yeah. You're one to talk. Oh, I heard something else!" Seamus grinned.
"What?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"Malfoy is a HUGE slut!"
Harry choked on his beer. "What?!"
"Yup!" Seamus seemed very proud. "Heard it from Blaise, who heard it from Pansy!"
"How... would Pansy know?" Harry asked, uncertain whether he really wanted to know.
"She has a friend who claims he saw Malfoy in a bar, making sexual advances on people."
"How do we know this person isn't just trying to start something?" Harry was desperate for the slut thing to not be real, but he didn't know why.
Everyone looked at him funny.
"Why are you trying to defend him, mate?" George asked.
"I'm not! I'm just... I don't believe it. I saw him. He was very polite and professional."
"People act weird after hours, mate," Seamus said.
"I wonder if he's gay," Dean wondered aloud.
"Yeah, I always kinda thought so," Seamus agreed.
Harry groaned and slammed his head on the table. "Why are we talking about this?" He complained. George laughed at Harry's discomfort.
"Well, we could make bets on how big his penis is," Seamus casually commented.
"EW!" Harry cried out. Everyone else laughed.
"Five inches," Dean said after a few moments.
Harry gagged. "What, no! Maybe four," George disagreed.
"No way, totally six!" Seamus said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh my god, stop talking!" Harry begged, feeling like he was going to throw up.
The others cackled.
Two and a half hours later, Dean and Seamus had both managed to get drunk, and Harry was ready to go home. He said goodbye to his friends (or tried, Seamus and Dean were about three seconds away from doing it in the booth), and left. Harry decided to walk a while.
The night was cool, and leaves blew across the ground. The streets were mostly empty. Every so often, Harry saw a couple holding hands walking by or talking softly. The crickets hummed their tune, and Harry breathed in deeply.
Stopping at a corner, Harry saw two dark figures in the distance on a park bench. The bench was located under a tree, making the two seem like one. Nobody else was around. The moon was coming out, not a cloud in sight. Harry looked at the stars, smiling at how gorgeous the night was.
When he glanced at the couple on the bench, the moonlight had revealed their activity. They were having sex. The female had dark hair, and the male had blond hair. Harry couldn't stop himself from gasping, and ducked behind a tree to avoid being seen, should they have heard him. He suddenly could only picture steel gray eyes.
Harry apparated immediately and buried himself within his sheets, willing the memory to go away. He didn't remember when or how, but Harry eventually fell victim to slumber, dreaming of crickets singing to their mates and hauntingly gray eyes that beckoned Harry closer.