Chapter 11
Forbidden Touches
Phoenix stalked back to his dorm in the foulest mood he had ever experienced. He was dripping blood as he walked, clutching his side in pain, yet he refused to turn to the hospital wing or slow his frustrated speedy pace. Phoenix may not be smart, cunning or noble, but he was most definitely stubborn.
-And stupid-
Phoenix scowled and increased his pace.
-Not to mention lazy and incompetent-
Shut up Phoenix snapped at his conscience.
-A hot head, a fool, a pawn, and a dickhead-
I don't need this from you!
-Probably not, but you're doing such a good job of beating yourself up over this, I thought I'd lend a hand-
Thanks now piss off.
-Poor Phoenix. So angry over such a minor thing-
Minor? You were there, you know what happened, what I said. I completely lost control!
-What else is new?-
What!
-Oh come on, you and I both know that control is a meaningless word when it comes to you-
What the hell is that suppose to mean?
-Every time Aether's in the same room with you, you completely loose focus. Your mind struggles with the simplest of thoughts and your body is the only thing left to respond. And that's exactly how he likes it-
Alright now you're really beginning to piss me off.
-That's right Phoenix bottle up more self resentment. Kill yourself with built up anger-
So what if that's my choice?
-Of course it is. Do whatever the hell you want. Just take into consideration all your past decisions for a moment. Just take a quick looksie and see how well they've done you-
…
-See?-
No! They were…fine.
-Bull shit, you fucked up. If you were a smart person you'd have gotten the hell out of this castle a long time ago. If you'd actually listened to me for once and tried to figure out what's going on a lot of this shit could have been avoided-
You know why I didn't leave.
-Oh yeah. Of course. What's your reasoning for everything these days? The embodiment of perfection with a fucked up mind and sissy blond hair. You know I think you've got a death wish-
It's possible.
-You really are a masochist aren't you?-
You just gathered that?
-I mean now. There are better targets for your anger other than yourself-
I'm just putting the blame where it belongs.
-It's not the fist time you gave into him… if fact you always end up giving in. He gets exactly what he wants from you and turns away with a smug face…it hasn't gotten to you like this before. Why all the angst?-
Because…this time, I meant it.
(Flashback)
'Mine,' Aether whispered again and tasted deeper. Phoenix groaned and pressed back against Aether. The blonde reached forward and took Phoenix's erection in hand, he teasingly began to stroke it and tongue Phoenix's entrance in a tantalisingly slow rhythm. Phoenix whimpered. He wanted it so much. He wanted Aether to be inside of him, to feel that complete feeling when Aether was filling him up.
'Please Aether!' Phoenix cried out.
'Mine,' Aether whispered again and bit into Phoenix's cheek.
'Oh Yours Aether please!'
(End flashback)
-Shit. You're in it now mate-
Yeah
-What are you going to do?-
The only thing I can do…will do.
-Ahuh? And?-
It's over.
-…what's over?-
This thing with Aether. It's finished.
-You're joking right? You couldn't possibly end things with Aether. You turn to gellow every time he opens his mouth-
Watch me.
-You and I both know that…-
No! I mean it. I've had it. It's over, like you said before I'm a stubborn prick. And I'm dead set on this, literally. I'll kill one of us if that's what it takes to have this finished with.
Phoenix' conscience thought it best not to correct him at this moment.
-You'd really go to that extreme?-
I'll do anything to get away from him.
-Phoenix…You're in love with him-
I know that, it's one of the reasons why I'm going to do this.
-Phoenix-
Shut up! That's it no more from you, we're here now anyway.
Phoenix opened the door and slipped inside making sure to lock it behind him. He was so rapt up in this inner battle he didn't notice the blood trail he left behind him, not even as it seeped into the ground leaving not a trace of what was.
Harry awoke at sounds ofwood forceablyhitting the floorand exclamations of pain.
'Phoenix?' Harry asked.
'Sorry,' Phoenix excused and sat himself on his bed.
'Did you just get back?'
'No, I had a shower, I didn't turn on the light because I didn't want to wake you,' Phoenix sighed. Harry laughed.
'Well I'm sure Malfoy's grateful,'
'Speak for yourself Scarhead,' Malfoy grumbled somewhere in the dark confinements of his bed.
'Sorry Draco,' Phoenix mumbled. Draco mumbled something like,
'Bloody commoners…nights of sex…naked sleepwalkers…beauty sleep…'
'Poncy git,' Harry spat 'Ignore him he's an asswhole,'
'Mmm,' Phoenix settled in his bed and shut his eyes. Knowing however he would not get to sleep, he turned to Harry.
'The twins told me you're an orphan too?' Phoenix asked.
'…yeah,'
'What orphanage hell did they send you to?' Phoenix asked.
'I didn't get sent to an orphanage, I had to live with my Aunt and her family,' Harry replied.
'Oh…you're lucky then,'
'I never thought so,' Harry spoke aloud.
'How come? I would have killed for a home. Rather then spend my childhood in that shit whole of a place,'
'They weren't exactly the nicest of people. They hated me because of what I was,'
'A baby?'
'Ahh no…Jewish…,' Harry winced at the bad lie.
'Ahh kay,' Phoenix shrugged, he had no idea what a Jewish person was.
'Anyway yeah,'
'Was that it? They just hated you?' Phoenix asked surprised.
'Well no. They umm, well for eleven years my bedroom was the small cupboard under the stairs. I never really had many toys, just one or two. My cousin was showered with affections, at Christmas or birthdays or Easter he'd get mountains of presents. I'd get a toothpick or a piece of string or something like that,' Harry sighed.
'What fuckers!' Phoenix cursed.
'Yeah…,' Harry was surprised at himself. He usually didn't like talking about his past. He supposed because it was with another orphan he could relate.
'I was more like their maid then their nephew. I did all the housework, and get punished if I didn't complete it all on time-,'
'Did they ever hit you?'
'No thank god. They just locked me in my cupboard without meals…sometimes for a couple of days at a time,' Harry spoke.
'Shit! Why didn't you take a swing at them?'
'I was afraid,' Harry answered honestly. 'When my cousin and I went to school he use to get his buddies and beat the shit outta me. I couldn't turn to anyone because my Aunt and Uncle had already told the teachers what a horrible little liar I was. I wish I could have fought back then, but I was way too small and my cousin was the size of this bloody castle,'
'What about now?' Phoenix asked.
'Now…I've got a bit of leverage over them,' Harry laughed to himself. Then he went quiet for a time 'The thing I hate that they did most. That I can never forgive them for, was what they told me about my parents. That they died in a car crash,'
'How did they die?'
'They were murdered,' Harry answered and turned over on his side.
'Mine died in a fire,' Phoenix contributed.
'I'm sorry,'
'Yeah me too,'
Lying in his own bed. Draco was left with a lot to think about.
The next morning as per usual the gang all sat at their long table chatting in their separate conversations. Phoenix made sure to sit at the end of the bench and seat Harry beside him so Aether could not plant himself beside the red head and completely blacken his mood for the day.
'So Phoenix what time did you get back to your room last night? If you got back at all?' Fred asked with a grin on his face. Phoenix completely ignored him and continued with his breakfast.
'Well come on Phoenix. Did our little uke enjoy himself last night?' Casi asked.
Phoenix calmly reached for his apple juice and took a small sip.
'Oh my god Phoenix is sick!'
'That or he's matured vastly in the past ten hours,' Draco stated.
'No fucking way this is some impostor sent to confuse us,' George exclaimed 'He's one lousy actor though. He's begin calm and self composed when his characters supposed to be a hot tempered loose cannon,'
'Harry could you pass the pepper please?'
'Oh dear heaven he's got manners too!' Fred gasped.
Harry passed Phoenix they pepper and the red head shook it over his eggs.
'Phoenix is scaring me,' Chima whimpered.
'Here comes Aether,' Draco pointed out.
'He's got some explaining to do,' Casi huffed. Aether reached them and stood at the end of the table.
'Morning,' he greeted.
'What the hell did you do to our poor Phoenix!' she exclaimed.
'What do you mean?' the blond asked innocently.
'He's undergone a complete change in personalities,' Draco explained. Aether frowned,
'You must be over reacting,'
'Nope Casi called Phoenix a uke and he didn't do nothing! He just asked for the pepper!' Chima recounted.
'He must still be exhausted,' Aether sighed.
'Don't speak as though I'm not here,' Phoenix spoke coldly.
'He speaks!' (Fred)
'Praise the lords!" (George)
'Yes I do, and while I'm at it I will also declare formally that as of now I am no longer… "dating" …that!' he stood and pointed in Aether's direction. Before looking at the blond himself 'It's completely finished as of now,'
'Is that so?' Aether asked amused. Normally this would have pissed Phoenix off and sent him into a rant. However this time he did not rise to the bait and simply nodded.
'Come near me again and I will not hesitate to cut you down,' Phoenix promised. Before turning and leaving the hall.
'Ouch,' Casi smiled broadly 'You just got publicly dumped in the eating hall Aether,'
Aether calmly sat in Phoenix's spot with a small smile on his face.
'We'll see,'
'I'm not so sure,' Draco shrugged 'I've never seen Phoenix like this. He's fully committed to something that things would have set him off or agitated him appear to not even phase him in the least,'
A few hours later a group formed of Harry, Malfoy, Ari, Draco, Chima and Casi headed up toward the castle from the stables. Once again in their own private conversations.
'Why is it always me?' Harry grumbled running his hands up and down his backside. 'I think that horse may be allergic to me or something,'
'No he just doesn't like you,' Chima patted Harry's arm sympathetically 'I've tried talking to him but he won't listen to me,'
'It appears your standing records of trips to the hospital wing doesn't differ on schools,' Malfoy murmured.
'Half those bloody times were your fault Malfoy!' Harry countered.
'In my defence you most certainly had it coming,' Malfoy offered.
'Yes we're all aware how my breathing is a personal insult to you,' Harry spoke then let out a groan of pain. Malfoy rolled his eyes.
'Oh for goodness sake Potter! Go back to the dorm and have a lie down if you're so badly injured,' Malfoy exclaimed.
'But it's lunch and I'm hungry,'
'I'll bring you up a sandwich or something,' Draco huffed. The group fell quiet and Harry stopped dead in his tracks, turning to look at Malfoy.
'You'll do what?'
'I'll bring you up some lunch,' Draco shrugged 'Anything to shut you up Potter,'
Harry blinked.
'Thank-you,'
'Nothing of it,' Draco mumbled.
'I'm confused,' Chima whined.
'I thought they were enemies?' Casi asked.
'We are,' Malfoy confirmed.
'What are Fred and George doing?' Harry asked as the twins in question walked toward them long rods, buckets and other equipment in hand.
'I haven't the foggiest,' Malfoy blinked. Fred and George stopped before them with great smiles on their faces.
'Hello all,'
'What's all this then?' Harry asked.
'Aquatic Equipment,' Fred spoke.
'Ya,' George spoke in a cheesy fake accent 'We've come to clean ze pool,'
The twins wiggled their eyebrows and most of them laughed.
'Why on earth would you-,'
'Detention,' Fred excused.
'Us little boys must be punished,' George sighed.
'Which isn't a terrible thought,' Fred grinned.
'Well we must be off,' George walked past them.
'Tata,' both chorused. And the others continued along the path.
Fred and George reached the outdoor, inground swimming pool and dumped their equipment on the ground. Of course there happened to be trees surrounding the edges of the pool so there was plenty of work to be done. Fred sighed and slumped to the floor by the pool junk.
'Fancy a sunbake instead?' he asked hopefully.
'We don't brown, we freckle,' George pointed out.
'We do have plenty of those as it is,' Fred agreed.
'We could go for a swim?' George asked.
'It's too bloody freezing for that,' Fred shook his head.
'There's no avoiding it then,' George spoke and lifted his shirt over his head, grabbed the long stick with the leave scooper on the end and walked to the edge of the pool. Fred sighed and stood, he grasped the small sponge figuring on doing the least amount of work possible. He stood and faced his brother and nearly fell down again.
The identical image of himself stood but a few feet from him raising and lowering the long stick into the pool. His brothers back muscles showed off deliciously. Skin exposed enticingly. His body was perfect broad shoulders and narrow hips. George bent down to reach the bottom and the top of his crack peeped out above the waist of his pants. Fred gulped the image was entirely too enticing. He realized his thoughts too late and scolded himself. He could not have fantasies involving his brother. It was wrong and it was entirely too clichéd in this situation. Fred shook it off and ridded him self of his own shirt before rushing to the opposite side of the pool from where his brother worked. Forcing his mind on the task at hand. Eventually they lapped the entire pool and met in the middle. Fred sighed.
'That's done,' he grinned.
'Well sorta,' George shrugged. Fred looked up in confusion and groaned.
'Oh man! How do we get the ones in the middle of the pool?'
'Two options,' George stated.
'Yeah?'
'Option number one, we use the net thing and see if that works?'
'And number two?'
George grinned and placed his arm around his twin's shoulders. Fred flushed red before George gave him a shove and sent him clumsily falling into the pool. Fred surfaced coughing and spluttering. George laughed as his victim made his way to the side of the pool and crawled out quickly, body shivering and teeth chattering like crazy. George's laughter subsided as he looked worriedly at his twin.
'Are you alright?'
'…V-very c-c-cold…' Fred managed and shut his eyes tight hugging himself hoping to get warm quickly. George felt guilt hit him like the Hogwarts express and ran to his brother. He placed his hand on either side of Fred and moved him physically from the shade.
'Here, come stand in the sun,'
Fred nodded repeatedly, still shivering. George ran his hands up and down his brother's sides trying to warm him up.
'I'm so sorry Fred,'
Fred nodded again and looked up at his brother attempting a smile. George felt like someone had shoved a blunt knife through his chest. He pulled Fred up against him and wrapped his arms around his little brother in a snug embrace, wresting his chin on the others shoulder.
'I'm really sorry, I'm a stupid prick,'
Fred tried to laugh but failed and instead moved closer into George's warmth.
'I'll tell you what, I'll let you get a free shot in, how's that? No hard feelings if you knock me out?' George offered.
'N-no thanks,' Fred smiled. George looked at his brother's face. Fred's eyes were wide open , filled with vulnerability and need. There was no hurt or betrayal in his eyes. He understood George and had already forgiven him. There was something about Fred that George found beautiful. He was so vulnerable and fragile, water dripping down his face, lips parted slightly, they were so perfect and so close. Before George realized what he was doing he was leaning forward and pressing their identical lips together. Fred gasped in shock. George ran his tongue across his brother's lips and tasted them gently. Both melted immediately. George buried one hand in Fred's hair and the other grasped his shoulder. Fred wrapped his arms around George's waist and parted his lips. George slipped his tongue inside his brother's mouth and a fire ignited when tongue slid against tongue. The taste was amazing and the kiss became heated. Naked chests became pressed together in attempts to get more. Fred's hands slipped down to cup George's behind. They moaned into the kiss and clung tightly to each other. Finally they parted for air, breathing deeply. Fred dropped his head onto George's shoulder and hugged him closely. George let his arms snake around his brother and sigh into his hair.
'Wow,' George breathed.
'Mmm,' Fred agreed.
'I've never felt anything that intense before,' George admitted.
'We…should probably talk about this?' Fred asked.
'Or not,' George offered.
'Yeah, I guess we don't need to,'
'Ahuh,' George ran his hands up and down his brothers back, Fred sighed and pressed a kiss onto George's shoulder.
'On the bright side?' Fred smiled and met his brother's eyes 'I'm not cold anymore,'
A/N: Yes i know the pool bits very cliche'd but i had to do it. Ah well. I go back to Uni tomorrow, how delightful that will be (note sarcasm). On the bright side, i'll have more time to write.
