AN: Yes, i'm not dead! It's amazing! Believe it or not both this story and Openly Confused are not abandonded stories! They were just on hiatus for a little (long) while. I got out of writing and just couldn't write something that didn't feel like it wasn't written by an 8 year old, so I hope this chapter is still up to standard.
Chapter 10: Narcissa's Bodyguard
Harry sat at the bottom of his bed putting his shoes on, and for what seemed like the hundredth time, glanced up at his reflection in the long standing mirror opposite. He once again found himself frowning at the reflection, which of course frowned straight back at him.
'Why are you going on this date?' his reflection seemed to be asking him, and Harry got up from the bed, grabbed a black jacket hanging on the back of his swivel chair, and ignored his reflection.
It was coming up to 7pm, the time Seamus wanted him out by the front doors ready to go on this double date. Why, just why, did he agree to go? This is what his reflection was asking him every time he looked in the mirror. He was about to go on a date with Zacharias Smith. The stalker from the internet. The guy who did nothing but glare at him every time they passed in the corridor after Harry had turned him down. The guy who, apparently, couldn't take no for an answer, and now Seamus was setting him up with him, and Harry had agreed to go.
Vaguely wondering if he'd eaten something that had made him go loopy for the afternoon, Harry glanced back at his reflection once more and sighed. Well, like all of his other dates he'd had, he knew already he wouldn't get into it, and it's not like he'd made an effort with his appearance, at least done nothing special anyway. He was still going in jeans, and only put on a decent shirt at the last minute knowing he'd get stick from Seamus if he didn't make at least a little bit of effort. He'd done nothing with his hair, in fact thinking about it, he hadn't even brushed it this morning. He looked over at his desk at the rarely used hair brush teetering dangerously over the edge, and shrugged. He didn't really care, hopefully the lack of effort would give Zach the hint, finally.
So, grabbing a crimson red scarf from the hook at the back of his door, not wanting to freeze to death out in the snow, and running a hand through his messy as ever hair, Harry walked out his room ready to face another disaster in his long line of disastrous dates.
Thank God Seamus and Dean were going too, he sure as hell wouldn't have gone anywhere with Zach on his own, he didn't trust him at all. Still, it would be amusing to watch Seamus get smashed and start blurting out random love songs on the pubs karaoke machine, as he done for the past 11 times they'd been down there. Seamus was one of those rarities where he actually sung better when drunk. The owner of the pub, Madame Rosetta, never minded, probably because she had a slight crush on the overly enthusiastic (yet very gay, as Dean liked to point out to her regularly) Irish boy.
As Harry headed down the many corridors, hands shoved in his jean pockets looking like he was about to face a death sentence rather then a date, Draco as usual walked by his side un-noticed. Even though it was very obvious that Harry had no interest with this date even though he'd agreed to go, didn't stop the jealous Draco who had his hands clenched into fists as he walked, with images of a burning Zach Smith screaming and flailing and begging for mercy flittering across his mind.
Not that Draco was bitter or anything.
Date. Draco spat at the word. Who did this Zach guy think he was? Did he think he was worthy of Harry? Only Draco was worthy of Harry and the little bastard better remember that. Draco had sat smugly on Harry's bed leaning against the wall, watching Harry's total lack of enthusiasm for this date. Harry only had eyes for Draco, not that he realised that, and Draco knew that Harry wouldn't betray him. He hadn't so far, so he had no excuse to do so with someone he didn't even know or like that much to start with.
Still, although Harry was a sure case to be disinterested, Zach Smith certainly wasn't, and Draco didn't trust the blond for a minute. Draco even scoffed at that too. Blond. The guy didn't know the meaning of the word blond, Draco practically invented blond, and Zach Smith was a horrible blond! Like someone had liquefied sand and dyed it onto his messed up hair just to see what would happen. He wasn't blond, he was a sand pit. Draco was the only blond, pure and as silvery as the moon, the only blond worth having Harry's fingers run through, not this cretin standing leaning against Dean's car looking like the preverbal cat that was about to get all the cream he'd ever want.
Draco practically snarled.
But still he followed Harry as he walked up to his two friends and his date, standing out in the snow waiting for him. Draco was very glad those two friends were going with Harry, but just to be sure, Draco was going to tag along too. Besides, as he had always been hanging around waiting for Harry to arrive back at the castle, Draco had never been outside the castle walls since he was alive, and was now suddenly rather interested at how much Hogsmeade had changed since his time, now he didn't have to worry about missing Harry.
"Bloody hell took you long enough!" came Seamus's voice, who was bundled up in a huge fur collared coat, arms wrapped around himself, jumping up and down on one spot and shivering like mad, "I thought you might have chickened out!"
"What? I'm not late." Harry said, glancing at his watch, only to find it was 7.20pm Wow, he must have walked slower then he thought.
"Okay, the main man's arrived, let's get going." Dean said, standing with the drivers door open and obviously itching to get down to the pub.
"Just a sec, I want to introduce Harry to his date."
If it wasn't for the fact he didn't like his date in the first place, Harry would have laughed at Seamus's enthusiasm. Seamus was so hell bent on finding Harry a date, and the thought occurred to him that things must have really got desperate if he was hooking him up with his stalker.
What the hell was I thinking?
"I already know my date." he forcefully smiled in Zach's direction, who returned a slightly sneering smile that made Harry feel very uncomfortable, and made Draco growl again beside him.
"Yeah I know but you've got to do these things properly. Harry, this is Zach." Seamus said, placing his arm around Harry's shoulders and moving him forward, "And play nice Harry." He leaned and whispered in his ear.
"You should be saying that to him." Harry whispered back through clenched teeth, forcing another smile at Zach.
Draco stood to one side with his arms crossed, glaring daggers at Harry's so called date, who seemed to have a cool and calm aura about him that just pissed Draco off even more.
Zach slowly stood up straight and put his hand out for Harry to shake, "Hey." He smiled, an all too sweet smile this time.
Harry eyed his offered hand cautiously and glanced over at Seamus, who nodded encouragingly at him. Harry mentally sighed and took Zach's hand, "Hey." He said back.
They shook hands for a moment, the sharp icy wind whipping round them. Seamus seemed to immediately freeze to the spot, and Dean, noticing his boyfriends distress, walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist and held him closely.
After a while it seemed Zach wasn't going to remove his hand from this hand shake, and Harry looked up at him to see a rather sneaky looking smirk on his face, and quickly retracted his hand, standing there staring at him looking and feeling rather odd.
"Look erm…" Zach began, not removing his eyes from Harry, "I'm sorry about the whole, internet thing, I didn't mean to freak you out or anything."
Harry eyed him cautiously again, "Yeah," he said slowly, "It did get kind of annoying."
Zach smiled, what seemed like a genuine smile now, "Yeah, I'm sorry, I wanna make it up to you." He placed one hand behind his head in a nervous gesture, "I know Finnigan is calling this a date, but it doesn't have to be, we can just chat and stuff, I just want get to know you, not scare you off." He chuckled light heartedly.
"Right." Harry eventually replied, still not convinced, but on seeing the guy laughing and slightly embarrassed, maybe Harry could at least make it through the evening without anything disastrous happening.
Draco on the other hand, was now being held back by Fred and George, who had only come outside to see what was going on, only to find Draco trying to kick Zach in the balls with of course no effect whatsoever, having fallen through him and through the car behind him.
"I'll kill him! If he lays one hand on Harry I swear I'll pick up a knife and stab him with it!" Draco was exclaiming as he tried with every effort to get out of Fred and George's clasp.
"Now now Draco," George said with mock authority, "Can't have you breaking the golden rule now can we? No showing ourselves to human kind, which includes any signs of floating objects when we pick them up or knifes murderously stabbing towards people."
"What do you two care?" Draco spat at them "You break that rule all the time!"
George gasped dramatically, "We've never gone on a murderous stabbing spree!"
"The floating thing you idiots!"
"Ah yes, but we are discreet in our floating things," Fred said, "making sure little Ronnikins or the all the glorious Hermione doesn't find out."
"Yes but…but he's- if that idiot…if he so much as – ALL RIGHT LET ME GO! I won't do anything!"
Fred and George released Draco at the same time, causing their Prince to fall forward slightly and stumble. He quickly regained his composure though and spun around to face them, glaring at them dangerously as he straightened his shirt out.
"Alright people, everyone in before Seamus turns into icicle." Dean announced, practically shoving Seamus through the opened door on the passenger side.
Casting one furtive glance at Zach again, Harry followed his friends and got into the back of the car, Zach following him and getting in the other side. As Dean tried to start his car, a few random swear words escaping him as his little car tried to will itself into life; Harry glanced back at the castle, frowning slightly. Now he was here, Zach sitting next to him, he felt guilty. He had that strange feeling he was cheating on someone again, which was just stupid. But as the car finally rumbled into life, and headed off down the small hill towards the open gates, Harry pushed down that guilty feeling and decided, for once, just to try and enjoy a night out.
Once again though, Harry didn't realize that he had in fact been staring directly at Draco out the window of the car, to whom was now doing the one thing he hated doing as a ghost: float.
Floating was one thing Draco had never got the hang of. He could do it, sure, but he just didn't like to. It felt, un-natural, to which Fred and George had always told him was a ridiculous thing for a ghost to feel. Still, dead or alive, Draco could not run as fast as a car, but he could keep up he floated up off the ground after them. So for the first time in a very long time, Draco was now following along behind the car, floating a good six foot of the ground, trying to keep as close as possible so he could keep an eye on Zach through the back window to make sure he didn't try and put his arm around Harry, or anything else.
"Hey Princey," the twins chorused as they came up beside him, Draco flatly ignoring them and glaring at Zach as he shuffled a little in his seat making him sit slightly closer to Harry.
"What do you want?" Draco growled.
"Oh, well, nothing important," Fred said casually, now turning over on his back, zooming alongside Draco as he hurried after his reincarnated boyfriend, "it's just that, I'm guessing you haven't tried to leave the castle grounds before have you?"
Don't you date get any closer, Draco growled to himself, glaring daggers at the back of Zach's head, "What?" he said distractingly.
"Well, you know those gates that they're about to go through?" George continued, and at that moment as the car past the iron gates, a bright white wall of light shot up in front of Draco, who only had a split second to register it had appeared before crashing straight into it.
The twins slowly floated back down to the ground, having already known to stop, and were trying to hold back their laughter as Draco sat on the floor, cringing and holding his head in his hands where he had literally gone head first into the wall.
"Well, you see, we can't leave the castle grounds, we found that out many many years ago." George finally finished.
Draco said nothing for a moment, just sat on the ground, holding his head in pain. Pain. That was strange, he shouldn't feel pain as a ghost. Carefully he opened one eye, to see the wall had now gone, and watched as the car disappeared through the forest towards Hogsmeade.
"Why didn't you tell me we couldn't leave? And why the hell did that hurt so much!" he snarled angrily.
"You never asked." Fred replied, grinning, and Draco fought the urge get up and strangle him.
Removing one tentative hand from his head slowly, he reached out in front of him, only the have that wall spring into life again as he rested his palm against it, blocking him from leaving, the white light emanating brightly.
"Maybe it hurt cos it's a spiritual wall, us being sprits and all I s'pose we can feel it." George answered Draco's second question.
"What the bloody hell was that?"
In another bright light Ron suddenly appeared above them, white wings fluttering in panic as he looked around to see what had caused so many alarm signals to go off in his brain. As he took in the scene before him, his brothers grinning up at him, and Draco sitting on the floor rubbing his head, he sighed.
"You're not trying to leave again are you?" Ron directed his question towards the twins.
"Don't look at us…" Fred said.
"…t'was his royal highness this time." George finished.
Draco finally got up off the ground, the throbbing in his head finally subsiding, and looked up at his Guiding Angel. He was about to ask why Ron hadn't told him either that he couldn't leave, when he noticed what he was wearing. Ron wasn't wearing the usual long white tunics that he always wore, but was in fact wearing…
"Ron," Draco inquired curiously, "Why are you wearing a tuxedo?"
Ron seemed to pause for a moment, before his freckled face blushed intently and he crossed his arms and looked away, "None of your business." He said, but of course the bait had now been set for Fred and George.
"Yeah why are you all dressed up little bro?"
"Applying for a new job?"
"Can't handle his highness huh?"
"Wouldn't blame you."
"You trying to impress the lady angels eh? Eh?"
Ron blushed a little deeper at that, and Fred and George grinned at each other. Bingo.
"Ah so it is a girl!"
"Anyone we know?"
"Yeah come on Ron give us some gossip here."
"Aww our little Ronnikins is growing up."
"She pretty?"
"You don't stand a chance mate."
"SHUT UP!" Ron finally yelled at them, "I do so stand a chance! If you must know you've just interrupted me on a date with Hermi-" Ron quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. He wasn't going to say who it was he was with!
The grins on the twins faces widened, the sparkle in their eyes growing, "You're dating an Arch Angel?" they chorused, before exploding into fits of laughter.
Ron just floated there, pouting, "Shut up." He said quietly, his brothers laughter annoying him to no end, "Just because you're jealous that you can't get a girl down here."
"Ah who needs girls when you've got a castle full of unsuspecting victims to keep you entertained." Fred chuckled, before picturing his little brother with the almighty Hermione and bursting into tearful laugher again.
Draco smirked up at his Angel and crossed his arms, "Wow, she must be desperate." He chided, and Ron glared at him.
"If you're just to mock me I'm going back to my date thank you," he said sternly, and turned away.
"Wait!" Draco called out, before Ron whined and turned back around.
"Oh what? I'm on a date didn't you hear me!"
"Well as you're here, I just…"Draco began, looking back towards the now empty road Harry and his friends had disappeared down, "I was just wondering, why does this Harry look slightly different to my old one? I'm not complaining, at all, I'm just curious. Like his hair colour?"
Ron blinked at him, "I never told you?"
Draco stared at him flatly, "There were a lot of things you didn't tell me."
"Hey I was new at this remember!" Ron defended himself, "Can't a guy make a few mistakes?"
"Not after 900 years you ingrain!"
"Okay, okay, fine!" Ron gave in angrily, "But if Hermione yells at me when I get back I'm gonna tell her it was your fault and to get a move on getting you back to Limbo to be judged!"
Draco sat on Harry's bed staring at his mirror, reflecting nothing but the bed and wall and not himself, and thinking about Ron's explanation. He'd explained that reincarnated souls are always sent down to fill the body of an un-born baby, still in the womb of its mother. Although the memories of the soul would alter the baby's physical appearance at that early stage, it would not be exactly as it used to. After all, the baby had its own parents, its own life, and would still contain attributes of its birth parents. The child could look the same as it's previous self, but he could also look completely different, maybe having only one thing that was still the same, like the same eye colour. All it took was one difference to be a different person, one different DNA strand, so when his Harry had finally appeared, detention in Professor Snape's office, Draco had been so glad that Harry looked pretty much the same.
There were a few differences, like hair colour for one thing. His previous Harry had a rich oak brown hair that shone slightly lighter in the sun. His new Harry had hair as black as the night sky, but Draco kind of liked that colour. It made those same bright green eyes of his look even brighter. He was also slightly taller. Not by much, maybe half an inch, but he was taller, and you wouldn't really be able to tell that much if they stood next to each other. He'd discovered this when he'd kissed Harry on New Years, he didn't have to lean down a little like he used to. He couldn't tell before then.
That was about it, as far as he could see anyway. Of course his new Harry had been raised differently too, so some aspects of his personality were different. Nothing Draco didn't like though. This Harry was slightly shyer, not as cheeky as his previous Harry was, but that was ok. He still had that same dazzling smile that would make Draco melt through the floor.
Literally, being a ghost and all.
But the main thing he was glad had stayed the same, were his eyes. Harry's eyes had always been Draco's favourite physical feature about him. He could spend hours just staring into those emeralds, they were just so mesmerizing, another part of him that made him melt through the floor.
However there was one very big difference that affected everyone around the new reincarnated soul. Ron had told him that the Reincarnation Division (and this was only what he'd heard as that wasn't his department), had what they called a 'Time Turner.' A small, hand held item that was giving to the soul in Limbo before sending it back down to earth.
The one thing that had to remain the same was the name of the soul. A soul could take a different body, but it could never be known as anything else then what it was originally called. The Time Turner changes the memories of everyone who would know about this new baby, changing history. If the baby had to be called Harry Potter, then of course, the parents surnames would have to be Potter, and the Time Turner would change that right back to the very first member of that family, changing every memory, history record, everything. And, of course, the parents would have to name the baby Harry, so the Time Turner would plant the name in their heads, changing the name they may have originally called their child.
It was totally confusing as far as Draco was concerned, and apparently, Ron as well. Ron had said he was always glad he was never put in the Rec Dev to work, he wouldn't have been able to handle that pressure of changing history. One little mess up and BLIP, an entire soul could be lost in history somewhere.
Draco was very glad that the name had to stay the same, it would have been weird to call Harry anything else, especially if he had looked different as well, it wouldn't have been 'him'.
Still, least that explained the slight differences; now all he had to do was wait for Harry to come back home. Draco was fidgety sitting on Harry's bed, he wanted to be with him down in Hogsmeade, wanted to watch Smith like a hawk. He looked at the clock on Harry's desk and sighed. He'd been down there for three hours now. Getting up Draco turned to look out the window, leaning his elbows against the stone sill, watching the iron gates for that one little car to come back. Harry had been down to Hogsmeade before of course, but never on a date, and Draco was…jealous, and…upset. It would be alright if he could be there, but just waiting here, not knowing what was going on, he hated it.
He wanted to be the one going on a date with Harry to Hodsmeade, and the thought that that would never happen just made him feel even worse.
Harry had been correct in the fact that Seamus would get drunk and get on the Karaoke machine again, but the difference was that this time, Dean had joined him. The guy had got so fed up of Madame Rosetta eyeing his boyfriend up and down that he decided to get just as drunk and start singing too, for at least that way Seamus was in arms reach.
Harry, considering Zach was sitting next to him at the bar, was having a really good time! He was pretty drunk himself, and cheering and clapping along with everyone else to Seamus and Dean's drunk rendition of "Only Women Bleed". Zach was laughing along too, nursing only his second beer and definitely nowhere near as drunk as Harry. Harry had lost count on how many beers he'd had, but right now he didn't care, as long as his glass was full and the world was a happy shining place, then everything was fine as far as he was concerned.
"Harry, your glass is empty." Zach grinned at him, as Harry wondered why no matter how much he tipped his glass back nothing was coming out of it, "Fancy another?"
"Well ashuallly I sink-" Harry slurred badly, before loosing his balance on his bar stool as he tried to turn back to the bar and slipped off, Zach quickly catching him.
"You alright there?" He chuckled at him, placing him back on the stool and holding his shoulders to steady him.
Harry blinked un-coordinately to try and get Zach's face in focus, before he suddenly leant forward, Zach having to quickly move his head backwards so they wouldn't collide. Harry stayed like that and stared at him intently. "You know…" he said slowly, swaying slightly, "…you have purwty eyes, but dey should be grey, not blue."
Zach blinked at him before laughing, "Well thank you, but I have to say no one has ever said I should have grey eyes over blue." He said as he pushed him back again so he sat properly on his stool.
"Well I sink…I….I'm…not sure what I sink…" Harry frowned for a moment at himself, before he smiled happily, "Can I have another drink?"
Zach smiled back at him, "Sure."
"You know you're a lot nicer den I sought you'd be," Harry continued as Zach ordered another beer, "You keep on buying me drinks." Harry grinned.
Zach grinned at him through the corner of his eyes as he paid Madame Rosetta, before Seamus and Dean had apparently finished their song and the pub erupted with clapping again, and Harry spun back around on his stool to clap too.
This was quite handy for Zach, because now Harry was looking away, and Madame Rosetta had resumed watching Seamus, he had no one to watch him as he placed a small white pill into Harry's glass of beer, watching it dissolve for a moment, before smirking to himself and picking it up.
"Here ya go." He said, Harry happily taking the glass, "To Friendship." He said, holding up his own glass, watching as Harry grinned at him as they clinked their glasses, before gulping down his beer.
Zach sipped his much more slowly, watching Harry over the top of his glass. After all, it wasn't himself that he needed to be drunk and helpless tonight.
19th July 1098
Draco stared at himself in the full-length mirror, standing on a small, slightly raised wooden platform in his tailor room. His mother was busy pacing up and down at one side of the room, giving orders to maid's as she thought of them, flowers, decorations, jewelers, anything and everything being planned for her sons wedding.
Other random servants darted in and out of the room, gathering up the discarded cloth on the floor, and bringing in garments that James Potter, busy working in the Potter's workshop making wedding attire, was making per request.
Holly was of course no longer helping her father. Soon to be wife to the Prince and future Queen of England, she could not be seen doing mundane tasks. She was off with her mother and some other royal chamber maids and teachers, being shown the proper way to act like a Queen, to teach her what is expected, and like Draco was currently doing, being fitted for her Wedding garments.
Draco sighed for what felt like the billionth time, and continued staring back at the reflection of his own eyes, for fear that he moved to look else where, he'd see the reflection of the young man currently kneeling on the floor beside him, placing pins around the hem of the base of his left trouser leg, measuring the length for them to be brought in slightly, his bright green eyes narrowed in concentration.
Draco's eyes softened in sadness for a moment. The image of Harry walking away down their secret passageway, back turned, ending their relationship; it was an image that wouldn't leave Draco's mind, no matter how much he tried to think of something else. Anything else.
Days had turned into weeks, weeks into months, and still Draco felt just as heart broken as that one dreadful morning three months ago. He had spent his days moping around the castle, ignoring his mother's demands of coming to see his father once again, ignoring her questions of what he wanted for decorations and music for his wedding. He didn't know why she was asking him, whatever he chose she'd have her own way in the end anyway. Besides, he only wanted one thing at his wedding; and not only was it not possible to have that one thing, it would seem that one thing wouldn't be there even if it could come.
Harry was everywhere, at least it seemed that way. Where ever he went in the castle, Harry was there. Walking out of rooms, walking down corridors, passing him in the courtyard outside, and every time Draco's heart would leap out of his throat, an automatic smile reaching his lips just wanting to see those green eyes flicker up to meet his, but every time, he was ignored. Every time Harry would quickly change direction and walk another way, or if there was no other way but past him, would not even look up, only keep his head bowed just like everyone else as he walked past, fixing his eyes on the floor.
Every time Harry ignored him, another part of Draco's heart crumbled away.
He kept on hoping that it was a bad dream, or if it wasn't a dream, just hoped that Harry would come to his senses, would come back to him. Sure Draco would yell and scream at him for doing this to him in the first place, but he knew as soon as that was out of his system he'd just pounce on him, dragging him over to the bed and just snuggling up beside him, just wanting to be assured that he was there and not going away again.
Unfortunately for Draco, Harry hadn't changed his mind, and that bed remained with just one person in it. Draco couldn't remember the last night he'd had without crying himself to sleep. He'd never realised how lonely he was before Harry came along, never realised just how many days he spent alone, watching the world go by. His large, overly elaborate room, full of so many expensive items and rich tapestries, felt so solitary now. He'd sit in his bed, looking around him, and there'd be no sound. It was so deadly quiet, no sneaky footsteps coming up their secret passageway, no warm laugh floating through the air as Harry crawled over to him on the bed.
No whispered words of a forbidden love as they willed away the nights together in each other's arms.
Nothing.
He never realised how big his bed was until Harry wasn't there to share it with him. Everything felt so wrong. He was being forced into a marriage he didn't want, and being forced away from the one person he loved. The one person who, seen as no one but Sirius knew about their secret relationship, Draco couldn't convince his mother that he didn't want him around, for he didn't have an excuse. It was painful. While James made the clothing, Harry had been assigned to fit them, so throughout the whole of today, Draco had simply stood in front of a mirror while the one person he wanted to hold walked around him, measuring, sewing, making sure that the outfit he was to wear on his dreaded wedding day was perfect.
Draco felt so skittish. Every accidental touch, every time their eyes accidentally met in the mirror's reflection, just every time Harry would get close, Draco felt like curling up into a ball on the floor and crying, just wishing the world would go away.
They'd been at this all day, trying different clothes, his mother saying how handsome he looked, but then what else had he expected? For his mother, he was nothing but a doll, to dress as she wished and to do as she wished, to have no say in the matter of what he actually wanted. It was all for appearances, that's all he was ever for.
Harry was the only one to have ever seen him otherwise.
He sighed again and stared dolefully back at his reflection. He looked tired, his eyes dull, and no smile. He noticed out the corner of his eye Sirius standing by the doorway, as always eyes fixed upon him, and sighed yet again. Life was back to how it used to be.
And he hated it.
Suddenly, Draco felt a hand curl its way around his inner thigh, and he froze. His eyes darted to his mother, who was staring out the window waving her hand to random servants behind her as she dictated an invitation list, before he slowly glanced downwards at his reflection.
Harry was still kneeling beside him, but he had stopped working. He had his eyes closed, leaning his head against Draco's left leg, as his arm had snaked its way around his leg, his hand resting on Draco's thigh.
Draco stood there, eyes wide, heart beating rapidly in his chest. What the did he think he was doing? He watched almost breathlessly as Harry seemed to nuzzle his leg, but his expression was not one of contentment, he looked…sad. He watched as Harry placed a gentle kiss on the fabric covering his leg, before slowly opening those sad emerald eyes and staring straight up at Draco's reflection, locking gazes with him.
Draco tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his thought as he stared down at Harry's reflection. The warmth radiating from Harry's hand so close to that 'particular' area, and his stare that bore straight through his soul, wasn't helping much as his body started to react to that feeling, to that touch, to Harry.
His breathing quickened as he stared back into those eyes. He couldn't look away, Harry's eyes were like fire, like green flames dancing. Draco swore he could feel his legs start to tremble, that stirring feeling in his stomach whenever they were together making him what sink to the floor, but this time, instead of curling into a ball, to tackle Harry and kiss him like there was no tomorrow.
Harry had said he still loved him when he left, that he was only leaving because he couldn't do this to this sister, so maybe…maybe Harry was finding Draco harder to resist then he thought? He still loved him, was just choosing not to be with him for his family right?
A very evil and very sneaky thought suddenly entered Draco's mind.
"So Draco…" came Narcissa's voice, and immediately Harry's hands moved as if he was measuring the size of Draco's thigh, then comparing it to another trouser leg on the floor.
Narcissa walked up to the other side of Draco and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "What do you think of this outfit then? I think it looks rather dashing on you and would suit you just fine for the wedding, don't you agree?" she asked with a toss of her head to the other servants in the room, and there was a low murmuring of "Yes your Majesty" that echoed around the room.
Draco lingered on his reflection for a moment, before glancing down at Harry. He still knelt silently, this time with his head down and gaze averted, but he still had his little finger curled around the bottom of Draco's trouser leg.
A part of Draco wanted to melt and forgive him for everything all at once, but another part of him, a much more sneaky "I'm out for revenge, how dare you leave the Prince" part of him, smirked and had a different idea.
"No mother, I don't like it, it doesn't flatter my legs at all." He said casually, glancing a quick furtive look down at Harry, who seemed to swallow rather to hard at the emphasis on 'legs'. "I wish something else to be made."
Narcissa sighed, "Oh very well. Boy, up on your feet, go tell your father we need more wedding attire for your Prince."
The Boy, or Harry as he was mostly referred to, quickly jumped up and bowed, "Yes Your Majesty." before hastily running out of the room.
As Narcissa decided to start on a rant about how pernickety Draco was being, Draco simply smirked to himself. The more clothes he didn't like, the more clothes he would have to try, which meant getting undressed more in front of Harry, and having him nearby so he could casually and innocently flirt with him, knowing he can't do anything and knowing it would be driving him mad.
The part of him that wanted to melt earlier was trying to tell Draco that what he thinking of doing was actually very cruel, and that Harry had only left to do the right thing for his family, but sneaky Draco was in full mode now, and had no intention of making life for Harry Potter easy until he gave in and realised how much he missed him.
Draco had had enough of crying, he wanted his Harry back, and if teasing and playing with him was the only way, then that is exactly what would have to be done.
Little did Draco know though, that even that gentle caress of Draco's leg, and the stare into each other's eyes, and in fact the general three months of being forced to ignore him, to try and fall out of love with him, already had Harry missing him more then he could stand.
Four days later, and James Potter was one very busy bee.
With his son helping the Prince, and his daughter about to be wed to said Prince, James had to hire some extra help in his workshop to meet the demands of that said very demanding Prince. Every single outfit that was made for him Draco turned away, "It's not the right colour", "This doesn't go with my hair," "Are you trying to make me look hideous?" James wondered if he was losing his touch as a tailor, but his wife Lilly had assured him every outfit he'd made was lovely, so just had to continue on with his work.
Four days later, and Draco was in a surprisingly good mood.
Every outfit he disregarded, had Harry being able to touch him more, having to help him dress in the overly extravagant garments, and not making it easy for him either. Casually brushing his hand over Harry's chest as he dressed in a shirt, having Harry stand directly in front of him to lace it up, leaning in to him, a small playful smirk on his lips as Harry tried to look anywhere but at him. Eyes, chest, neck, anywhere!
Four days later, and Harry was a nervous wreck.
Draco's flirting had not gone un-noticed on Harry, Draco was sure of it. It had got to the stage that Harry's hands were actually shaking when he dressed him. Draco had even gone so far as pretending to lose his footing when trying on another pair of trousers, and had fallen backwards in Harry's arms, fluttering his eyelids as he looked up at him with a small, "I'm glad you're here to save me" line, his trousers round his ankles. Being so close Draco could practically see the want in Harry's eyes, and could definitely see his adams apple move as he gulped in nervousness.
It wouldn't be long now, he was sure of it!
Considering Harry still hadn't given in to him after a week, Draco was still in high spirits. Harry was definitely cracking under the pressure, his hands were so shaky as he did up the clasp on the cloak around Draco's neck today, as Draco subtly licked his lips.
Slowly.
Any day now he'd lose it and come running, begging for Draco to take him back, apologising over and over again saying what an idiot he was and that he loved him and wanted to spend forever with him. Draco glanced around quickly for anyone as he walked down a corridor, before giggling quietly to himself. He was going to have Harry back, somehow, he would have him back.
He loved him so much, and Harry still loved him, so as soon as he got the whole "protecting brother" thing out his system, he'd come back again.
"I can't Sirius."
Draco paused at the hushed whisper, coming from the door he'd just passed. Turning around, he listened again, wondering if he'd misheard, because it sounded like Harry.
"Why not?"
"I've told you why!"
It was Harry! And Sirius! What where they doing in a room together? And why wasn't Sirius following Draco around? His post was to protect him, what was he doing with Harry? Slowly and quietly Draco walked up to the door, which was open slightly, and peered in through the slit of light. He saw Harry leaning back against a table, he couldn't see Sirius though.
"I understand your reason Harry, I do, but I see what this is doing to His Highness, he needs you."
"I wish you'd make up your mind Sirius." Draco heard Harry snap, "Last time you spoke to me you asked me to leave him, now you're asking me to get back together with him. You don't even like us together!"
"You're right, I don't. It's wrong. His Highness must marry and produce an heir for the royal family to continue. If he doesn't this country will be left open and I cannot let that happen!"
"Then why are you asking me to go back to him?" Harry yelled, the whispering apparently forgotten.
"Because it is obvious that he loves you. Surely you can see that?"
"Of course I can see that, and I still love him, but as I recall when you asked me to leave him last time I didn't, so why should I do what you want now?"
There was a pause in the conversation, and Draco drew closer to the door, his breathing slow as he listened. He heard Sirius sigh.
"Because I am more of a father to him then his real one ever was. I watched him grow from a baby to the man he is now, and throughout that whole time I have only ever seen one thing make him smile. And like any father who puts their child first, even though I must ensure that His Highness marries and produces an heir, I put his happiness next." He paused again, "His happiness is with you. His smile is yours." He said softly, and Draco saw Harry lower his head slightly, staring at the floor.
Draco didn't know what to think when listening to this. So Sirius had asked Harry to break up with him before? Heh, well that didn't surprise him, even Harry had just said that Sirius doesn't like them together, but now he wants them back together again? Why would Sirius want that? He didn't understand.
"I realise the situation you are in Harry. You wish your sister the very best even though you know she is entering into an unloving marriage, and the very thought of you being with His Highness, happy, while she eventually realises the misery she will face for the rest of her life, is unbearable for you, however…" Sirius paused again, before walking into Draco's line of sight as he stood in front of Harry. He placed one hand on Harry's shoulder and Harry looked up at him.
"If you do this, if you return to His Highness, I promise you that I will take care of your sister. I will not let her be troubled, I will help her in anyway that I can, I swear it. And I know that His Highness would never mistreat her, and in fact, with his record of rule breaking, can guarantee she would never turn out like Her Majesty."
Harry smiled weakly at that.
Sirius placed his other hand on Harry's other shoulder, "Your sister is about to lead a very different life Harry, but that doesn't mean you have to disregard your own because of it. I asked you to leave His Highness last time before I realised what an impact you were having on him, before I realised that, despite my wishes against this, you are in fact the best thing that has possibly ever happened to him."
Draco felt his heart flutter at that, and couldn't help the smile reach his lips. Was he really that more obviously happy when with Harry? Harry must have had the same thought, because he was smiling too. Sirius smiled back at him, and stepped to one side, sitting on the table next to him.
"I realise this would be a very carefully guarded secret, that it is a big risk to both yourself and to His Highness, and in fact to me for even to daring to say any of this, but I strongly believe that this is the best for both His Highness and for you."
Harry remained silent as Sirius watched him for a moment.
"What do you feel you should do now?" Sirius asked.
"That I should go back to my sister and forget about Draco, to make sure her happiness comes first." Harry replied instantly, "but…" he paused, frowning sadly, "…I want to go back to Draco and never leave him again too."
Sirius smiled gently and got up off the table, turning to Harry again, "Well I cannot decide for you which one you should follow, but I will say this. I would rather see two people happy then one, and if you and His Highness are separated, it will not be a happy life for either of you. I know you feel guilty for wanting to be with His Highness when he will soon be your sisters, but neither your sister nor His Highness had any part in the decision to be wed, so there is nothing that you should be feeling guilty about, it is all completely out of your, and their, hands. You can still be with His Highness and love and protect your sister, but if you chose your sister alone, I'm afraid I will have to make sure you do not come anywhere near His Highness again, for I know it would be too unbearable for him. You would have to leave the castle."
Harry placed his head in his hands and seemed to scrunch his hair in frustration, "I can't do this, I can't decide! I don't know what to do! I can't cheat on my sister, but I don't want to leave, I don't want to not be with Draco! I love him, I love both of them, I don't know what to do!"
Draco watched Harry, mid conflict with himself on the right thing to do, and found that he finally understood why Harry had left. The poor guy was tearing himself apart trying to decide between his love and his family, something Draco had never had to face, seeing he would have chosen Harry over anyone in his family. But seeing him like this, knowing he should do the right thing but knowing if he did it would leave him miserable for the rest of his life, Draco felt….guilty. Guilty that he had been playing with him over the last few days, guilty that he thought Harry didn't care when he'd left, that it had been a simple decision for him that just left Draco in pieces, while he continued happily with his own life.
Draco wanted more then ever to hold him again then. To tell him that everything was going to be okay, that he forgave him, and that he hoped he could forgive him for teasing him. Why couldn't life just be simple?
Suddenly there was a small crash from somewhere to his right, and he quickly snapped his head round to see if there was anyone down the corridor. Seeing no one but the faint pinks and purples filtrating through the windows from the sunset outside, Draco went back to listening.
Sirius was staring at the confused Harry with a very strange expression on his face. A worried, yet slightly nervous expression, and as if he'd finally come to the conclusion of something, he sat back down next to Harry.
"Let me tell you something, something that you must swear you will never let anyone, especially His Highness, find out."
Harry slowly looked up at him curiously, and Draco, now knowing he wasn't supposed to hear this, snuck a little closer to the door, pushing it ever ever so slightly to see more into the room.
"I swear." Harry nodded.
Sirius seemed to take a deep breath, as if to calm his nerves, before speaking. "I know, for a fact, that His Highness will turn into an unloving, uncaring soul if you leave because…" he paused again, looking at his hands in his lap, "Because I have seen this happen to Her Majesty when…when I left her."
Draco couldn't hold in the gasp that immediately leapt forward from him, and prayed they hadn't heard him. Luckily it seemed his gasp was covered up by Harry's own one.
"You were with Her Majesty?" Harry exclaimed, and Sirius nodded gravely.
"Before His Highness was born I was…Narcissa's, bodyguard." He said her name slowly, a precious word as he had not been allowed to call her that since her coronation. "She was a Countess at the time, having just been chosen to be wed to His Majesty and now living in the castle. She was a bright, intelligent young woman, with a smile that made any man who crossed her path wither at her beauty. We had already been together, in secret, for three years prior." Sirius paused and looked up at the ceiling, closing his eyes in memory as a small smile found his lips, "Oh I loved her dearly, as did she love me, but when it came to making the decision to stay with her in secret after the marriage…" Sirius stopped and lowered his head, looking down to the stone floor. "I chose what was right, over love, and I left her."
"I'm sorry." Harry whispered, although he didn't really know what he was apologising for.
Sirius half smiled and continued with his story, "I thought she would be okay, she was now the Queen of England after all, had everything she could want, riches and servants, power and the highest rank of respect one could have, next to the King of course. But as the years went by and His Highness was born, I never once saw her smile again. She treated me just like any other servant, as she should have done, and assigned me to look after His Highness, to protect him. I could do nothing but watch as her bright spark slowly faded, her intelligence withering away now having no use for it, and her smile, her beautiful smile, was never shown to anyone again."
Draco was in total shock! Sirius? And…and his mother? But that was…he…she…that was impossible! His mother was an obsessive, controlling demon as far as Draco was concerned, had she really changed to that from someone who sounded so lovely and warm?
The air was silent again between Harry and Sirius, Harry giving him some time to think over what he had just admitted.
"Do you still love her?" he eventually asked softly.
Sirius smiled at him, "I love her more then anything else in this world, but knowing I can never be with her again, all I can do is make sure her son is happy. It is the only atonement I can do for abandoning her when she needed me the most. I see so much of her smile in His Highness, but again, it is only a smile that appears when he is with you." He said softly, Harry looking sadly down at the floor, "I ask you, not to make the same mistake I did, for once you have gone down that path, you can never turn back."
Harry looked back up at him, eyes thoughtful and sad, before nodding slowly, "I think I'm going to have to really think about this." He said, and Sirius nodded.
"Well, I've said what I wanted to say to you now, so I'll go and find His Highness." he said, getting up of the table, "It has been many years since I have left his side, but it was for his cause."
Harry looked up at him and nodded silently, but as Sirius turned to leave, Harry said one last thing.
"Thank you." He said softly, "And err, I promise I won't tell anyone about your story."
Sirius nodded curtly at him, before both of them, and Draco outside who was poised ready to leg it when he saw Sirius coming towards the door, heard a thunderous crash from the corridor, and someone shouting, "RAIDERS! RAIDERS ARE IN THE CASTLE!"
Just as Draco looked down the corridor to see five men dressed in shabby clothing with swords in their hands, looking around before settling their darkened eyes on Draco, Sirius came bursting out of the room halfway through his sentence of "I MUST FIND HIS HIGH-" before spotting Draco crouched on the ground by the door.
A split second of knowing passed between them, before the cry of "GET THE PRINCE!" drove Sirius to raise the sword from his hilt and pick up Draco by the scruff of his neck with the other. Without a word he shoved him into the room with Harry still inside it, and slammed the door shut, stanced and ready to protect his Prince outside the door.
As Draco stumbled backwards, the ominous sound of clashing swords outside the room, he fell back into Harry's arms, who quickly took him to the back of the room away from the door. He found himself pulled to the floor behind a stone alcove, practically sitting in Harry's lap as he held him from behind.
No words were spoken as the fight continued outside the door, but Draco could hear soldiers outside the window below running into the castle, while more swords and the swish of bows and arrows flooded the grounds outside.
This really was an attack. They were after him. Draco could feel Harry's arms tense around him, holding him as close as possible, and despite the danger he was in, Draco felt…safe. He absently leaned back, resting his head on Harry's left shoulder, and closed his eyes, trying to will away the shouts from outside and instead listen to Harry's breathing and his heart beat.
It was calming, being with Harry like this, he always felt calm and safe in Harry's arms. Even though he hadn't held him like this in over three months, being here now felt like they'd never stopped. He didn't know how long they stayed liked that, but Draco didn't care, as long as it never ended.
"Draco?" Draco turned at Harry's gentle whisper, as Harry seemed to nuzzle Draco's hair with his cheek, "I…I'm…sorry." he stuttered, but before Draco could ask what he was sorry about, there was a loud thump coming from the door, as if someone had slumped against it, before Sirius's voice rang out.
"Your Highness! It is safe, I'm opening the door now!"
Indeed, the shouts coming from outside the window had stopped as well, seemed the soldiers had been victorious. Both boys reluctantly rose from the floor and each others arms, and walked into the centre of the room, watching as the door to the room opened and Sirius hobbled inside.
"Sirius," Draco gasped softly as he got closer to his bodyguard, "You're injured!"
"It's nothing." Sirius insisted, waving it off, tenderly sitting down on the table again "Are you alright Your Highness?"
"Yes I'm fine!" Draco snapped, looking worrying at the gash on his right thigh and shoulder, both bleeding profusely, "But you're not! Go and get help immediately!" He demanded.
Sirius smiled weakly, "Yes Your Highness."
"Got 'cha!"
Three pairs of eyes fell upon the raider standing in the doorway, his bow pulled back taught. His eyes were fierce as he glared at Draco with a satisfied smirk, but before Sirius could hobble forward off the table to protect his Prince, the bow was released. Within a split second the arrow rushed passed Sirius's head, bull's eye straight for Draco, who had frozen to the spot. When the cry of pain echoed down the corridors and Sirius spun round, he found it wasn't Draco who had cried out, but Harry. Harry clung to Draco tightly, arms wrapped around him, while Draco stared with wide, shocked eyes at the tail end of the arrow, which was the only thing he could see of it as it had buried itself in Harry's back.
Before the raider could even comprehend that he'd missed, Sirius leapt forward despite his injuries, and slashed his sword across the invaders chest, dead before he even hit the ground, lying amongst the others that Sirius had killed. He could hear running footsteps coming down the corridors as the soldiers finally figured out where the raiders had gone, even though it was too late.
"Draco…" Harry weakly strained, eyes screwed up tight against the pain.
"Why did you do that?" Draco asked softly, still in shock as he stared at the arrow, his brain frozen as well as his body, unable to think of anything but the image of that arrow flying towards him, and Harry jumping in front of him and wrapping him in his arms to protect him.
He could feel Harry smile feebly against his neck, "I'm…sorry." He said, and Draco could feel his arms begin to loosen around him, and although panic bubbled in his chest, he could still find no movement.
"For what?" he asked breathlessly, as Harry began to slowly slip to the floor.
"For leaving you…" he whispered in his ear, before dropping to the floor, just as the soldiers and nurse maids came running into the room.
To Be Continued…
AN: Don't worry, you know Harry doesn't die here (wink).
