Title: Angelus an Diabolus
Author: Eris Mackenzie
Rating: R
Disclaimer: See first chapter.
A/N: Thanks to my reviewers: ktmb20, FireStorm00X (ha, I have a story called Fire and Storm), DemonRogue, Lisa14, Stephanie, Dark Lady of Griffindor, SlytherinGoddessRoseThorn, BloodyBlackTears, fife spice, love-orthelackthereof, Ariwood, lady sakura cosmos, Arigazi, csiyaoi, myniephoenix, CrazyLoon, and Yana5. You guys, as always, rock! I just wanted to say how much I really appreciate my reviewers (looks pointedly at the people who fav but don't review. Because, really, people; I need reviews.) You are what keeps us writers going.
Also a note, haha, I never said that flying was out in the last chapter, just delayed. -
Now, read, and if you enjoy, review! ;)
CHAPTER SEVEN
By the time the two aerials stumbled out of the Slytherin Common Room and through Pansy and her incessant questioning, it was nearly 5:30.
"Man, does she not ever shut up?" Harry asked a bit irritated at the girl. Also at the fact that Draco was so absolutely cozy in Pansy's presence, but not in Harry's own. Draco was power-walking beside him, clutching his Firebolt in one hand so hard that his knuckles were white.
"Well, you have to realise - ," He said somewhat breathlessly from having to actually run from his dormitory and out the entrance to get away from Pansy. " - is that Pansy and I are nearly inseparable. We do everything together, and it irks her that she doesn't know everything."
Harry didn't say anything for a few moments, dreading the answer to the question he was going to ask next. "Malfoy… you two aren't, weren't, whatever, dating, are you?"
Draco looked at Harry oddly like he didn't understand why he was asking and said, "No. We're just really good friends. She's like a sister to me, I would never date her. I mean, we tried one year, but it didn't work out. …Why?" He asked curiously.
Harry ducked his head quickly to avoid Draco's eyes and shrugged. "No reason. Although… how does she know so much? About us being aerials, that is?"
"Potter," He drawled, taking his time. "Although you don't keep track of school rank, everyone else knows that Pansy is almost as smart as Mu - Granger. She's as high ranked as I am, which, in case you didn't know, is second to only Granger."
Harry blinked at this new-found fact. "Oh." Was all he could think of saying. "Really?"
"Yes," Draco nodded. "And it's not like she wouldn't have found out anything anyway if she wasn't smart, I mean, I sprouted wings and fangs right in front of her, I think she would have researched it."
"Malfoy…" Harry said slowly, not knowing if it was appropriate to ask just yet, but he tried anyway. "Your father… what's he going to do about this?"
The instant after he said it, he regretted it, as Draco's face suddenly hardened into a cold impenetrable mask, his relaxed almost amused demeanour vanishing.
"That -" Draco said frostily. "- is nothing that concerns you."
Harry's curiosity was killing him, but he knew that he shouldn't push anymore. Even as interested as he was, he just sighed as they continued walking past the great stone doors to the outside in an uncomfortable silence; hoping that Draco would open up, just a little, soon.
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By the time they got to the Quidditch fields, the blonde had somewhat warmed back up to Harry, but the green-eyed boy knew Draco would rather eat flubberworm mucus than apologize. He also knew that while the subject was at a halt, it was not yet resolved, but Harry just left it at that for the moment.
"Hey, do you wanna just fly around here?" Harry asked when they reached the west end of the pitch. The sun was shining here and it was just as good as any for flying. Draco stopped a few feet ahead and nodded absentmindedly. He swung his broom ahead of him and straddled it, barely sparing a glance behind him as he took off; Harry following a second behind.
Draco threw back his head with the wind and closed his eyes. The freedom of flying was coursing icy hot through his veins leaving his whole body tingling. He did a dive and felt his stomach drop out. He laughed, though no one could hear him, as the wind swept away the small sound. This was him, just him. The air was where he had always belonged.
Flying fast, he just barely heard Harry shout, "Go over the lake!" but Draco took off in the direction his instincts told him to, not even bothering to open his eyes, not needing to. He loved the feeling of being somewhat weightless in the air, suspended. It comforted him.
He did open his eyes, however, to the sight of blue-green water skimming under him so fast the ripples were magnified and compressed together. He grinned as he saw the shapes gliding just under the water, and laughed as a teeny orange scaled fish jumped out of the water and almost hit his shoe. They were following the him.
Draco turned his head as he heard a wild, care-abandoned laugh echo and caught sight of Harry grinning at the fish, his hair flying back and hitting him in the eyes. Harry flew as wonderfully as he was clumsy on the ground. Whatever poise he lacked was more than made up for the sheer strength and beauty he portrayed in the air. Whereas Draco flew with elegance and skill, practised to perfection, Harry flew simply because he loved it and it showed. Draco didn't think he'd ever really amount to that level of flying.
As if he knew he was being watched, Harry turned his head and caught Draco's stare, his grin changing to a soft smile that was just as joyful. Draco couldn't smile back as his gaze was riveted to Harry's face and a thought came unbidden to his mind and the words seemed to flash before his eyes. God, he was so beautiful…
The sight of Harry so happy in his presence forced it's imprint onto Draco's soul and the Slytherin knew that this would be how he would always remember him, whether he hated him or not. He realised he wanted him to be happy.
He flew straight over to Harry, who was looking at him pleasantly, still smiling, and yelled loud enough so he could hear, "Follow me!" Draco did a sharp turnaround and headed back toward Hogwarts. He surprised Harry when he veered right straight toward the Forbidden Forest.
Flying high over the trees, Draco sped up, flattening himself against the broom, watching as Harry did the same. Without saying a word, both started to race against the other. It brought back years of Quidditch games and Draco felt the familiar sensation of competition and the need to excel and win, even though there was no goal.
He swiftly dropped into the trees, whizzing and dodging branches, hearing Harry fall in behind him before speeding up. Draco could feel small branches and twigs hitting against his arms, legs, hands, face, anything they could reach, the places where they came into contact stinging and burning. The adrenaline coursing through his system though didn't allow for pain and he grinned even as he felt a tiny trickle of blood circle down his cheek.
Neither said anything to the other as they raced, just to see who could fly faster. They were nearly side-by-side, their legs, hips, and arms bumping together, when Draco suddenly smashed into a huge branch. He had been distracted when he glanced over to the other boy and seen him gaining. The air burst out of his lungs in a whoosh and his broom flew out from under him. His eyes opened in panic and he saw himself falling through the trees, Harry seeing him and rushing as fast as he could to grab him…but he was too far away… he couldn't reach him…
Draco felt another branch slam into his back and he screamed as he banged his side. He was tumbling and slamming into trees left and right and sideways and he lost count of how many times he hit. He barely felt a tearing in his back and then -
He wasn't falling.
His head lolled back, blood splattering out of his nose as he stared groggily up through the branches. His wings were beating softly behind him, keeping him afloat, but the unused muscles were tiring quickly, not able to support him yet.
"Oh, my God, DRACO!" Harry screamed as he flew through the trees. Merlin, where WAS he! He had seen the Slytherin hit the branch out of nowhere and slip off. His lungs squeezed painfully as he searched for Draco. What if he was hurt? Or unconscious? Or dead? Oh, God, please ---
"I'm here, Harry…" Came a small, tired voice just a few feet below him. Harry almost fell off his broom as he caught sight of the bloodied face and quickly flew to him.
He was a little surprised to see him using his wings, but he could see that the other aerial was quickly tiring and reached out for him a bit cautiously. Draco's wings were starting to droop and he was steadily lowering by a few centimetres and Harry grabbed him around the waist and awkwardly pulled him on the broom in front of him.
"Oh, God, baby, are you okay?" Harry asked worriedly. There were gashes all over his arms and a few on his face, though it was hard to see through the blood that was gushing out of his nose. He had looked bad far away and worse close up.
Draco collapsed against him, his head and body pounding and bruised, and nodded as much as he could. "I'm fine," He managed to say before he started coughing. "Ow…" He winced and curled himself into Harry's chest. His wings hadn't yet retracted and made holding Draco somewhat awkward for Harry, forcing him to oddly angle his arms, but he didn't want to further irritate his mate and allowed Draco to shape a semi-barrier with his wings, forming a blanket of feathers. It was a comforting mechanism it seemed for Draco. He liked the cool darkness that his wings provided as they covered his face.
He felt along his face as Harry manoeuvred them through the forest as swiftly as possible and he winced when he felt all the sticky blood caked around his nose. He remembered his face smashing into the side of a tree and knew it was most likely broken. Three long gashes were on his right cheek that stung and bled when touched and another was just along his jaw line, extending all the way down to his neck. The rest of his body was in a state as well. He sighed. Well, he sure got himself in a mess.
Draco kept hearing an odd sound next to his ear from where it was mashed against Harry's chest and realised Harry was purring like a cat. Wha - ? Then Draco also realised that the sound was calming his body down, and his wings slowly uncurled. Once the black feathers were out of his face, he looked up at Harry, who didn't seem to know he was purring.
Draco didn't mind and he closed his eyes to the soft sound.
To be continued...
A/N: Sorry for this being so short. But I hope you enjoyed it anyway. I'll try getting something longer out sooner to my wonderful fans! (snort) Hehe... I love hurting the boys... as long as they get comforted, of course!
