The Cracked Cauldron
(Or: Neville, You Just Burned My Bollocks Off)
Warnings: Sex Swapping, Vulgar Language, Dysphoria, Potential Smut, Gore
Author's Note: So I read a fic seven years ago with this premise. It was abandoned. So I took the idea and went with it to (hopefully) see it through to completion, adding my own spin to it of course. I don't recall the original title or author, and if this rings a bell for anyone please let me know.
I do not own Harry Potter or other trademarked names or locations. They are property of Bloomsbury Books, Warner Bros., etc. Please support the original content.
Summary: Neville's lack of skill in potions causes Harry's world to turn upside down. Eighth year. Drarry.
It was a snowy December night that found Harry Potter sneaking back into the Gryffindor common room well past curfew. He had just spent the evening in the astronomy tower with Draco, for the third time that week. The two had been drinking butterbeer and talking about their past – a ritual the two had started doing once they learned that they could not avoid it forever, and it would be better to do it alone, rather than rowing in public. And there was certainly fighting when they got together for these talks. The history between the two was laden with bad blood and emotional baggage, and their new found friendship – that Harry now admitted, at least to himself, he hoped would turn into something more – would not last if they did not hash it out and bury the hatchet once and for all. The first few meetings had been ugly; the night ending with one or both of them biting back tears of fury, the floor sparking with shattered glass from bottles of drink thrown at one another, and the walls bearing a scorch mark or two from emotional outbursts of magic from Harry. Then, they became tearful hours of apologies from both young men, neither one sure of how to atone for the wrongs they had inflicted on the other.
Now the nights together were calm, more often than not finding the two lying on the floor with one's head in the other's lap while they shared stories about their childhoods and simply got to know one another better. Harry's mind was buzzing with the sound of Draco's voice as he recounted stories from when he actually did have fly away from a muggle helicopter once as a child (who knew that was the one part he was not lying about all those years ago), and the look of Draco's mouth as he laughed at his own antics. Harry felt a smile pulling the sides of his own mouth as he shut the portrait behind him.
"All this over Malfoy, eh?" Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a voice near the fireplace. He glanced over to see Seamus Finnegan sitting cross-legged with his head propped up on his fist and a book in his lap.
Harry tried and failed to suppress a smile. "I dunno what you're on about."
"Oh come off it, mate. You spend every day with the bloke making eyes at him. Everyone's talking about how Draco Malfoy's the luckiest person in the school because he's got your attention. Kind of a shame for you, really."
Harry's face had been getting warmer and warmer as Seamus spoke, but his last sentiment left him cold again. "What d'you mean?"
Seamus looked at Harry oddly. "Well, Draco's gay, isn't he? It's the worst kept secret at Hogwarts."
Harry furrowed his brow. "Well, yes, but how does that have anything to do with me?"
"Harry, you're smitten for the man, but you don't have the proper criteria." Seamus shook his head sadly at him. "It's a shame because you'd be such a nice fit, if you were still a bloke."
"But, I am a bloke! Everyone knows I'm still a bloke, regardless-"
"Yeah, on the inside. If you were still just as much a man as you were before, you and Ginny wouldn't have broken up the way you did." Harry looked down, blinking back angry tears. "What you need, Harry, is to date someone bisexual."
"I don't even know what you're talking about."
"A bisexual person is someone who likes both men and women; someone who could appreciate that you're a man but still be attracted to your female body. Might help you get over Malfoy and save yourself the trouble of ruining your new friendship by having him break your heart."
Harry wanted to tell Seamus that he was wrong, that he was just as much a man as he was before, but a traitorous voice in the back of his head was agreeing with the sandy haired Irishman, voicing fears Harry could no longer lock away. He sighed
"Maybe you're right. G'night Seamus," Harry muttered, trudging up the stairs to the dormitories.
The last weekend before the Christmas break was slated to be the second of the school governor's Inter House school sponsored events: the winter festival. Posters advertising it had been posted in all of the common rooms, and on every notice board in the building. The posters promised "food, friends, and festive fun!" in bright blue letters while a snowman and a penguin danced along the bottom of the page. It was to be held on the Quidditch pitch nonstop from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, starting with a fireworks display, and ending with the drawing of raffle winners.
Crews of wizards and house elves had been working tirelessly for days preparing it all, and it was finally the night before the festivities were to begin. All of the students were abuzz on the upper floors of the castle, trying to sneak peeks at the Quidditch pitch to see what the festival was to look like.
All the students, that is, except for Harry Potter, who was taking a moonlit stroll around the shoreline of the lake. Seamus' voice kept echoing in his head, telling him that Draco was going to inevitably reject him if he tried to make their friendship anything more than it already was. Like sixth year all over again, he was quickly becoming obsessed with Draco Malfoy. Only this time, he had a feeling that this obsession was something more than just obsession, or even infatuation. With every moment he spent near the Slytherin, he kept edging closer and closer to a line he had never crossed with anyone before. With every day that passed seeing Harry in Draco's company, Harry came dangerously closer to falling in love.
And if Seamus was to be believed, that was a terrible idea.
"Oi, you're going to freeze your arse off out here, mate."
Harry was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of his best friend's voice. He turned around to see Ron and Hermione, hand in hand, about ten feet behind him.
"Hey guys… what are you doing out here?"
"Keeping you company of course." Hermione replied. "Everyone's on the sixth and seventh floors except you… well, now us as well. You were pretty easy to spot once Draco mentioned he couldn't find you."
"Draco was looking for me?" Harry's heart stuttered for a moment.
"Well, yeah, you two have your potions final tomorrow, don't you? I think he wanted to study." Ron replied. "Can't blame you for dodging him, though, mate. Hermione's had my nose to the books for the past few hours. I think my eyes may bleed."
Studying. Of course. They were just friends, and that's all they would ever be. Harry sighed. "I've got to talk to you two," he said quietly, kicking a pebble onto the frozen lake. Hermione released Ron's hand and linked her elbow with Harry's while Ron wrapped an arm around Harry's slender shoulders.
"We figured that much out on our own, actually." Hermione said, smiling at him sympathetically.
"Let's go inside where no one will drop in on us," Ron suggested, squeezing his shoulders lightly. "Plus, if we stay out here much longer we're going to get ill."
The three Gryffindors trudged back into the castle and hurried into the kitchens, where they were greeted by house elves offering them hot cider and hearty soups. Ron enthusiastically tucked in while Harry sipped on cider and explained both his feelings for Draco, and his insecurities about what Seamus had said the night before. Once he was finished, Hermione gazed into her cider for a moment before speaking.
"First of all, Harry… we knew about your feelings for Draco," she looked over at Ron, who paused eating long enough to nod. "It's been increasingly obvious since Halloween. I mean, I honestly can't blame you. The new side Malfoy is showing us does in fact seem like he really does want to turn over a new leaf, and he treats you like the sun rises and falls by your command."
"Tha' was beaut'ful 'Ermione," Ron said around a mouthful of soup and bread.
"Thank you, Ronald. Now have something to drink before you choke, love." Ron nodded and took a large swig of cider before attacking his soup once more.
"Ron and I have no problem with you fancying Malfoy or even the notion of the two of you getting together. Not anymore." Ron shook his head in agreement. "In fact, I'm surprised I didn't see this coming sooner. I had a notion at the Halloween Ball, of course, but the two of you have been dancing around each other since the day you met. This all feels like it's something falling into place where the two of you are concerned. Ron and I, we just want you to be happy. That's what's most important to us.
"That said… Seamus might have a point," Harry's shoulders slumped in sadness. "I said might! I didn't say he definitely did. I said he might. Ginny did in fact break up with you because of your new body; it's very possible that Draco may reject you for the same reasons. Were I one to gamble, however, I would put my money in favor of the two of you dating before the school year is out."
Ron, who had finished his soup at this point, interjected. "I also overheard Seamus talking with Dean the other night about how fit you are. Seems a little convenient that he'd say something to you about Draco while he's talking about that with his mates, doesn't it?"
"Ron makes an excellent point, Harry. He could possibly be only feeding your insecurities for his own personal gain."
Harry huffed out a sigh in frustration. "Well if he is, then he's an idiot. Hurting my feelings and making me afraid to confront how I feel about someone isn't going to make me rush off into his arms. Even if Draco doesn't feel the same way about me, I still fancy him like mad and it gets worse every minute. The only real way to make it stop would be to stop being around him but now all of us are friends and that would mean spending less time with the rest of you –"
"Harry," Hermione started, glancing behind him.
"Hermione, I know you're going to tell me that you two'd still be my friends if I took myself out of our friend group, but that's not my point."
"No Harry, that's –" Ron tried to interject.
"Would the two of you listen? What I'm trying to say is that I'm stuck falling in love with Draco Malfoy whether I like it or not. His refusal or reciprocation of my feelings has nothing to do with it. It's got everything to do with the bloody incredible git that he is, and all I really want, right now, is for you two to promise to be there for me if and when it all goes pear shaped."
"They're with you whatever happens," came a horribly, horribly familiar voice from behind him. "Isn't that what they said? I may be paraphrasing."
Harry turned around to see Draco in the portrait hole of the kitchens, pale faced and clutching the marauder's map. "Draco, I –" Harry tried to speak, but found his voice stuck in his throat.
"You left this in the Astronomy tower the other night," Draco said after a moment. "I thought since we had plans this evening I would return it to you then. But then you didn't turn up, so I supposed you wouldn't mind me using it to find you. I was worried."
Hermione laid a few sickles onto the table where they sat and rose, gesturing for Ron to follow her. Harry went to rise as well but she sternly shook her head at him, and he remained where he was.
"We'll be in the common room, Harry." Hermione informed him quietly.
"Yeah, I'll sort Seamus out as well," Ron added.
"See to it that you do." Draco responded sharply. Ron raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly, glancing at Harry once more before he and his girlfriend left the kitchens. Draco took the seat beside Harry that Hermione had occupied only moments before. He looked curiously down at the three sickles in front of him, lifting one to inspect it before spinning on the table.
"Does she really try to pay the house elves?" he asked.
"She tips them. She's figured out by now that they're insulted at the idea of actual wages, but she figures tips are a way to compliment them on a job well done? I dunno. She's always been a little weird about house elves."
Harry replied, laughing weakly. He couldn't bring himself to look at the blond beside him, staring instead at the silver coins contrasting on the dark wood in front of him. After what felt like an eternity, he cleared his throat and spoke again. "Er… how long were you behind me just now?" Harry asked, dropping his hands into his lap and picking at his fingernails.
"Well," Draco thought for a moment, "I was listening through the portrait first, in case it was important that I didn't interrupt. That's when I heard Ron talking about you to Thomas. I heard my name so I assumed it would be fine if I interrupted, so I came in, but then you started talking and… well. You can figure out the rest."
"I promise I won't make it weird for everyone if you won't. I can't say I'll get over it, and we can hang out less if it makes you feel better, but I'd still like to be friends with you." Harry's words came out calm and even, but he could feel tears stinging behind his eyes.
"What on earth are you talking about? Why are you so sure I'm going to reject you?" Distantly, a part of Harry's brain registered that Draco was laughing, but all Harry could really focus on was the pounding in his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut.
"Draco. You're gay. I don't blame you for not being attracted to me."
"Well, yes I am gay, but I'm not sure why I wouldn't be attracted to you because of that."
"Are you kidding? I've got tits!" Harry snapped, finally looking the Slytherin in the eye.
"Yes, you have. And they're very nice." Draco chuckled. "Harry. I am a homosexual man; meaning that I seek the romantic and intimate company of men. You, Harry Potter, are a man, are you not?"
Harry didn't say anything, only nodded.
"You also may not be aware of this," Draco's voice was suddenly very unsteady. "But you are the man I have been hoping against hope to be with for a long time. I never thought I would get the chance until moments ago. I feel like I could cast a Patronus right now." Harry watched as Draco reached for his hands, and he let him. He looked back up to see Draco staring at him in wonder. "Harry I will give you all of me if you let me try."
Harry was breathless, and could only nod once more before he was swept up out of his chair and into Draco's arms. The hug crushed his ribs in the most pleasant way possible. He felt Draco's warm breath on his ear as the blond whispered to him. "I'd like to kiss you. Would that be all right?"
"Please," Harry responded breathlessly, and within heartbeats, Draco's mouth was firmly on his, his slender, pale hands cupping the sides of his face while Harry couldn't seem to release him from his embrace. After a long moment, Draco began peppering Harry's entire face with kisses.
"You don't understand," he whispered when his lips were not otherwise occupied, "how long I've wanted just this."
Harry smiled and buried his face into Draco's neck. "Yeah, I think I might."