Chapter three: Of dust and the past

"Hermione, could you fetch us some scotch tape?" Harry called while buried in what was by noon, a pile of boxes. Draco was examining anything that seemed interesting to him, which was a green striped dildo for the time being. Harry was trying too hard not to look at the blond, who was touching with extreme care items that were openly made for sex. Kinky sex. They were sex toys for Merlin's sake, not teddy bears! He chanced a glance at him from the corner of his eye, sighing inwardly at how his slender frame always stood with such elegance; you could swear he had cast a permanent charming spell all over him. He was now holding a blindfold by its strings, examining the texture with his fingers. Harry shivered. Draco smiled at himself, obviously lost in thoughts Harry was better off ignoring. He'd better stop the Slytherin before he got his lower regions too excited.

"Draco, could you help me with these?" he held an armful of packed dildos, nodding to Draco to take them from his hands. The blond put the blindfold down and rushed to help Harry. He offered his hands and Harry lay them down to him, accidentally brushing his skin against his. Their eyes met, and Harry could feel his cheeks flush red. He looked away and back in the box.

"So where should I put these?"

Harry looked up, a cunning smile on his lips.

"And try not to be too blunt about it" Draco scolded playfully. They laughed and Harry showed an empty place in the shelves.

"Hermioneee, the tape please?" he called again.

"Yes Harry I'm sorry, I'm coming!" she answered anxiously. The phone rang. She picked up. Harry knew he should go get the fucking tape on his own. He approached Hermione who looked at him apologetically, still on the phone. Harry had started searching the drawers when Hermione hung up.

"Ron is sick"

Harry looked up.

"Oh shit. A cold?"

"Yes, he is running a fever and his throat is soar. Harry, I think I'll have to go to him"

Harry felt as if bucket of icy water was thrown on him, soaking him from head to toe. He was to be left alone with Draco Malfoy, in a sex shop, and then in a dark empty club, cleaning up the dust of a century. He rose to his feet and grabbed Hermione by the shoulders.

"You can't leave. No-no you can't. We can't do this without you! You can't leave me alone!"

"You're not alone! Draco will help, it's his job! You're both wizards Harry, you can fix this in no time!" Harry was thinking about falling on his knees and begging Hermione to stay when Draco appeared.

"What's going on?"

"I have to leave, Ron is sick"

"Oh" Draco merely said, looking hastily at Harry. It seemed he shared a bit of his anxiety.

"I guess we'll make it on our own" he added.

"I'm sure you will. Now if you'll show me the club, I'll be on my way"

"Lock the door up here" Harry said. They both looked at him questioningly. "They'll steal our dildos if we are all underground." He joked.

Hermione locked and followed Harry at the back of the shop. Draco followed as well. Next to the storage area, was a pile of old boxes that reached the ceiling. Harry made to move them, and Draco helped. Behind them, loomed an iron door. Harry took a key out of his pocket, and turned it once, twice in the lock. Draco looked mesmerized. He pushed the door open, and light traveled through the darkness ahead, tearing it. The door opened to a spiral staircase, dusty and rusty. Hermione shrugged, obviously feeling better that she wouldn't have to clean anything of these. Harry descended first, casting a Lumus to allow them to see. Draco and Hermione did the same.

"Do you think there are mice down here?" she said, disgusted.

"Definitely." Laughed Draco. They had reached the floor.

"Where do you think the lights are?" Harry looked around, searching.

"Allow me" Draco's footsteps vanished somewhere to the left, and then light flooded the room. Five big round lights were turned on, while floodlights and spotlights remained dark. Harry had been down there before, with the boss, so the space was not totally strange. It has a huge, open space, featuring a stage and a catwalk, cages hanging from the ceiling and a bar with empty bottle shelves at the left of the stage. Harry was familiar with the place, while Draco…Draco was moving in it as if he owned it. He walked back to them.

"It's kind of…spooky" Hermione admitted. They all looked around. The air was heavy.

"I suppose time took its toll on it" Draco shrugged.

"Why did they close it in the first place?" Harry asked.

"It attracted infamous people. Infamous customers make an infamous place."

Silence fell between them, but no one asked more questions. Finally, Hermione spoke.

"I think I'll head off…Tell Mickey I said hi"

Draco crooked his eyebrow "Who's Mickey?"

"Mickey Mouse. The muggle cartoon!" for a second they both looked at Draco, fearing his pure blood would kick in and spit some insult, but none came.

"Oh sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about"

Tension left Harry. Hermione smiled and waved goodnight.

"Lock again once you're gone!" Harry yelled before she vanished at the top of the stairs.

The door closed behind her and they stood in silence. Draco finally moved, heading for the catwalk, with Harry's eyes trailing his back. Everything was silent. The footsteps in the dust echoed in the empty space, sounding ominous in Harry's ears. Draco climbed on the structure and stood tall again, looking around. He took his wand out and pointed at somewhere behind the stage. There was a click, and a sad, soothing melody echoed in the background.

"Is this the right music for a club?" Harry smiled, warily. Draco returned the smile.

"Not really. I was the last one to leave the club, when it closed. I left that disc in there, couldn't bring myself to turn it off. I let it play."

There was a melancholy in his voice, and Harry wondered if the Sin Vault had meant so much to the blond, or if there was something else behind Draco's behavior. He fidgeted.

"What's the song called? It sounds sad"

"It's 'Greensleeves'. An old traditional English song"

"I see." They fell silent again, with the sounds of piano filling the air. Draco walked to the pole of the catwalk, and trailed it with the tips of his fingertips. It should be terribly dirty, but he did not seem to care. He then sat down, squatting, hugging the pole loosely, and resting the side of his head on it. Harry could only think about how beautiful he looked, how magical. He chose to look away, before he was smitten.

He pretended to examine the bar, when Draco's voice rang above low the music.

"Are you gay, Harry?" Harry froze where he stood, shocked by the straightforwardness of the question. What should he say? His mind worked feverishly, but his mouth was faster.

"No I'm not" he said, coughing. Draco did not seem to suspect him though.

"I am" he merely shrugged, and Harry turned, shocked for the second time at how much Draco had changed. He was really telling him stuff about himself, let alone so personal stuff. He walked closer. Draco was not looking at him, but at the floor, on which he was drawing circles with his fingers on its dust.

"Always been. My parents knew before I even suspected, I guess. So they tried to prove-frantically so-that I was useful, that I was of some worth, even if I was sick, as they used to say."

Harry was being constantly hit. "They called you that?"

"Well not in my face, no. I had overheard them though a couple of times. They forbade me to let anyone know, or even suspect that I was a freak"

Harry winced at the characterization.

"Don't say that word"

"Ok, that I was you-know-what" he smiled bitterly. Harry waited.

"I tried to live up to my father's expectations, but we can both agree that I failed in that. They really wanted you Harry."

"What are you talking about?"

"When they thought the Dark Lord was gone forever, you were the new attraction. The Baby that was strong enough to kill off Voldemort. They counted on me to be close to you, get to know you…We can also agree I failed there too"

Harry smiled bitterly. Draco did not seem to pay attention. He looked around.

"This was my first job, and I frickin loved it. I was 18 and out of their lives"

"Why a stripper?" he hoped it did not sound too blunt

"Because I could finally declare who I was, what I liked, Harry. I was free. And if I wanted to dance around in my boxers, I would dance around in my boxers. If I wanted to hit on 20 guys per night, I would do so. Sex shops and sex clubs and phone sex services, I've done it all. Because in this new world, I am not a freak. Not when hundreds of sweaty bodies reach out just to touch an inch of my skin"

Harry fell silent. Draco as well. The music kept on playing.

"I'm also gay" Draco looked up. Harry locked eyes with him, apologetically. But Draco did not look insulted. He smiled, knowing that having won some part of Harry's trust was more than he could hope for.


So there. I couldn't throw them in without them talking, it seemed just wrong! I hope you did not get too bored, I have some nasty plans for the chapters to come :P

Review, and I'll make Draco strip :P Well I don't know about that :D