Disclaimer: I swear, I don't own Harry Potter and co. If I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing stories for fanfic… I'd be too busy writing the seventh Harry Potter book! And then, of course, I would start writing the Marauder's years at Hogwarts! Seriously, if you're reading this J.K Rowling, please consider it!
Warning: Contains slash this story does. I love Yoda speak! –grins-
A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing: Dark Angel's Blue Fire, Domina Malfoy, spiritualwitch, Marchingchick, female half – breed, SaphirePhoenix, AngelFYI13, Irite4uall, Creshton Street, hittocerebattosai, Fate Weaver 42, slashslut (love your penname!), Black Sorceress, fred2829, Katsy15, Lady Pheonix Ice Angel – LPIA, HermioneRox1357, All-Knowing Alien 2, MilitaryChick08, loveGD, Artemis, a-fan-of-dan, Ryn ryn and bluelightdragon. Phew! That took ages, lol. Thank you for all your support, I love you guys:-) This is actually the longest chapter in 'Not a Malfoy Anymore'! I'm quite proud… lol. :-) Oh, and by the way, I have upped the rating to 'M', not because there's heaps of sex and stuff, just 'cause I want to be on the safe side. :-) I am totally sorry for keeping you waiting so long, and wouldn't blame you if you had given up on me. But, I promise, I'm still here! Anyways, on to the chapter. :-)
~Chapter Fourteen: Denied of a Steamy Shower (but not of a snog in a broom cupboard!)~
Ginny, Hermione and Ron's hushed whispers washed over Draco. He wasn't listening. There was no need for him to. Draco's concentration was on only one person in the room, and that person was currently lying unconscious on the bed in front of him. Draco kept his face blank and smooth of emotion; completely opposite to his emotions inside. They were falling all over the place, barely stopping themselves from spilling over the sides.
To name one of these emotions, Draco was fucking scared. Literally clenching his fists to stop himself from screaming; although, he hid his fists inside his jacket. He couldn't believe that Harry had just collapsed in his arms like that. What was wrong with him? Draco didn't know the answer to that, because Harry hadn't even stirred once since Draco had brought him back to Grimmauld Place. It had been… nearly… 12 hours? Yes. Draco checked his watch to confirm this thought, and saw that it was just past one in the morning.
Yes, 12 hours of silence.
Draco closed his eyes in an attempt to clear his mind. However, the incident started replaying itself in Draco's mind, and Draco couldn't stop it in its tracks.
His heart was beating wildly. Draco leapt out of the fireplace and hurriedly scanned the room. One pair of witches stopped mid-conversation and gaped open mouthed at Draco, but Draco didn't care about that. His eyes darted around, searching for his emerald eyes, his rumpled hair, for Harry to walk up to him and tell him he was ok…
A distant thump jolted into Draco's thoughts, and his eyes flicked up to the staircase. There he was. Harry was nearly falling down the stairs, eyes closed and with a deathly pale face. His knees were crumpling, his chest was drooping.
Draco dashed around the tables, crashing into a waiter who promptly smashed two glasses of firewhiskey. The firewhiskey splashed up on Draco ankles, but he didn't stop. The waiter's curses faded as Draco became deaf to everything but Harry. He reached out his arms desperately as Harry started to fall, and Draco caught him tightly.
For a moment, Draco just stood frozen, his eyes shut but still able to see a near-blinding green light from below his chin. He hugged Harry to him, trying to reassure himself, but Harry's body was limp and unconscious. But then Draco came back to reality and realized that people were gasping, talking in shocked voices… about him.
Draco opened his eyes and inhaled a deep breath to calm his mind. More composed, he knelt down and slipped his left arm under Harry's knees. Draco then nudged Harry's arm around his shoulders, and turned his eyes on the room.
Ignoring the tremors of fear shaking his body, Draco tightened his grip on Harry and struggled his way through the tables, the astonished diners and the livid waiter. Draco bit his lip to try and block out the anger he was feeling; why couldn't everyone just go back to whatever they had been doing? He stumbled over an over-turned chair and started to run to the fireplaces. A small and unspeaking crowd followed him.
Because of the uncontrollable trembling in his hands, Draco nearly dropped the bag of floo powder a number of times. However, Draco soon had a handful of it and threw it into the flames. He took a step into them and half turned so that the crowd came into view. They were now over the initial shock and were gossiping curiously, sneaking glances at Draco. Draco closed his eyes to them and whispered, "Number 12 Grimmauld Place."
More gasps greeted Draco when he stopped spinning. He slowly opened his eyes and put up no fight as Ron said nothing but took Harry from Draco and started for the staircase to the bedrooms. Hermione ran worriedly behind him but Ginny turned to Draco.
"What happened? Is he ok?" She asked him, wringing her wrists nervously. Draco couldn't speak; he merely shrugged his shoulders. No one knew if Harry was alright except Harry.
Draco jumped slightly as someone touched his arm. He opened his eyes, and Ginny's freckled, anxious face peered into his.
"Hey, Ron, Hermione and I are going to go to bed," she said softly. "Wake us up if Harry wakes up."
Looking up, Draco saw Ron and Hermione standing by the door, Ron's gaze on Harry but Hermione's gaze on Draco.
"Will you be ok?" Ginny's voice asked, and Draco turned back to her. He nodded, and cracked a tiny smile for her, to reassure her. Ginny hesitated, but she straightened and walked over to the door, to Ron and Hermione.
"Don't stay up all night," Hermione advised with a serious expression. In other words, she was saying 'I know you will but don't!'
Draco gave them a little wave as they left, and he heard Ron's voice say, "Why isn't he talking? Do you think someone put a silencing spell on him?" Two impatient snorts came, and Draco could imagine the rolling of her eyes as Ginny said, "Honestly Ron, I feel so sorry for whoever ends up marrying you…"
He smiled a bit at that, but when he looked back at Harry, Draco sobered up. For the first time he was alone with Harry. Tentatively, Draco stood up and padded gently to the side of the bed. Harry's face was still pale, but not as colour-drained as it had been when Draco first found him.
"Harry," Draco whispered, feeling that if he spoke any louder a sort of charm would be broken. "I'm sorry for not getting to you earlier." He paused for a second, kneeling down next to the beauty beside him. "I… I'm sorry for not doing more to make you not go. I was angry that you didn't listen to me, so I just made myself not care…"
Draco took a shuddering breath, and blinked to try and shut out any tears interested in escaping.
"I should have stopped you; I should have realized your dream meant something important… what if you don't wake up?"
'No, don't think like that, you know it's not true,' Draco thought fiercely as he suppressed a sob. Mrs Weasley had come very soon after Draco arrived with Harry and did some healing charms to try and wake Harry up. That didn't work, but she did find out that he wasn't dead (as Draco had ultimately feared) but just in an enchanted sleep. She had no idea about how long he would be asleep for, however.
"Harry," Draco pleaded, tears slowly falling on to his cheeks. "Please wake up!"
Suddenly, Draco saw a change in the peaceful face in front of him. Harry's head turned to the side slightly, and his nose twitched. And then… Harry's eyelids fluttered… and finally opened.
Harry smiled at Draco as they passed a garden full of blood red roses. Draco took Harry's hand a squeezed it lightly. They continued to walk down a stone cobbled path.
Suddenly, Harry and Draco were at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, and they were in their bedroom. Draco led Harry to a bed, grinning happily. He pushed Harry down on to the bed, and Harry kissed Draco. When he opened his eyes, Draco was sneering at him, and then Draco wasn't actually Draco at all, it was Oliver standing over him, sneering and smirking evilly…
Harry struggled within Oliver's hold but Oliver held him tight around the throat. He ripped Harry's shirt off and Harry tried to shake him off, but Oliver's grip was too strong. However, Draco came bursting in the room right then, and punched the lights out of Oliver. He grabbed Harry and helped him stand up. Draco then led Harry downstairs and took him along the corridor which changed into a stone cobbled path with white lilies lining it. Draco randomly sat down and put his head in his hands and cried out, "Harry!" Harry turned his head slightly…
Harry opened his eyes. White lilies were still in his mind, but as they faded, Harry realized he was in a room, a dark room with only a lamp lit, on a bed… he blinked and looked around. What he saw made the memories tumble back.
Draco was kneeling beside him, so that his face was about a foot away. His face was one of shock and uncertainty.
"Harry?" Draco whispered disbelievingly, quickly wiping tears from his cheeks. "Harry… are you awake?"
Sitting up a little, Harry saw that he was back in Grimmauld Place, in his and Draco's bedroom.
"Yeah," Harry answered softly, turning to look at Draco's hopeful face and offered him a grin. "It's ok… I'm ok." Draco smiled a true, relieved smile and stood up to sit on the bed next to Harry. He lent into Harry and kissed him, Harry feeling the obvious glad emotion through Draco's kiss.
"Thank gods you are ok," Draco murmured, sitting fully on the bed now and his head resting on Harry's shoulder. "I… I was afraid that you –"
"I think it was only a sleeping potion," Harry said when Draco trailed away. "I'm fine, really." He took Draco's chin with his fingertips and locked gazes with him. Draco smiled (like an angel, Harry noted fondly) and then blinked as though ending the spell.
"I have to go and tell Ron, Hermione and Ginny you're awake," he said with a hint of regret. "I promised I would." Harry nodded and started to stand up. "No, you stay here!" Draco added hurriedly. "You're still very pale." With a smile lit up on his face, Draco stood and walked briskly to the door.
When he had left, Harry rubbed his eyes and his heart sank as he remembered what news he had to tell them. There was no way, however, that Harry would tell them that Oliver had almost raped him. No. They didn't need to know that.
Draco returned within three minutes with Ron, Hermione and Ginny following at a run. Harry smiled bemusedly at their thankful expressions and let Ginny and Hermione hug him at the same time, even if it was a bit suffocating.
"Thanks guys," Harry said grinning as Ron clapped him on the back, as always.
"We were all so worried," Hermione said, shaking her head but with a small smile.
"I know," Harry replied quietly, exchanging a quick glance with Draco before smiling at them all. "But… well, I have something to tell you."
"Oh?" Ginny raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. "What would that be?"
"Well," began Harry after a pause. "Um… Oliver is a Death Eater. He is branded with the dark mark and everything."
Ron's jaw dropped in amazement, Hermione gasped, sounding upset, but Draco and Ginny merely looked grim, like they were expecting it.
"Bloody Hell," Ron said bluntly after another pause. Harry nodded and looked down at the blankets, suddenly feeling weary. He didn't say anything; what was there to say at a time like this, when you've just found out that an old school friend, a friend you trusted had turned dark?
"We should go to bed," Hermione suggested eventually. "I'll tell Mrs Weasley in the morning – the proper morning, that is."
The other four agreed, and left for their respective bedrooms. After they both changed into boxers, Draco slipped into bed beside Harry and they settled down under the blankets.
"You're probably not tired, after that twelve hour sleep," Draco said with a tiny smirk as he snaked an arm around Harry's waist.
"Actually I am," Harry said truthfully. "I don't think enchanted sleep is very refreshing."
And with these words, and Draco comfortably resting on his chest, Harry closed his eyes, forgot about Oliver Wood, and relaxed into quite a peaceful sleep.
When Harry awoke later there was sunlight streaming into the bedroom, making it look much brighter than its usual gloomy self. Harry smiled and rolled over to find that Draco wasn't in bed. Singing from the bathroom seemed to confirm Harry's thought that Draco was in the shower, and his smile grew into a thoughtful smirk.
After fetching some clothes, Harry went over to the bathroom door and lightly knocked on the door. He opened it without waiting for a response, and grinned as he faced the shower.
"I was wondering if my very hot boyfriend would be willing to share his shower with me," Harry said attempting to sound sultry. A small gasp of surprise was heard as the occupant realized there was someone else in the bathroom, and then a voice came that was trying to hide giggles, and that was definitely too feminine for Draco.
"Why I'd love to, Harry darling," she said before bursting into laughter. Harry backed into the closed door and gulped.
"Er… you're not Draco…" he said hesitantly, not knowing what else to say.
There were more giggles as the person replied.
"No, I'm not. Well spotted."
"Ginny?" Harry stammered, horrified as he finally recognized the voice. A choked "Yes," was heard in between giggles, and Harry instantly went an embarrassing red.
"Er… I, um, I'm sorry… I'll – I'll just… er…" And with that very intelligent speech, Harry scooted out of the bathroom at top speed, and collapsed onto his bed, groaning.
Five minutes later Ginny emerged from the bathroom, clearly trying to hide her grin but failing spectacularly.
"I'm sorry to have denied you of a very steamy shower," she said, the wickedness in her voice evident.
Harry groaned again as he stood up and avoided her gaze.
"Er…"
"The reason I was in there was that Ron was in his bathroom, Hermione was in our bathroom, and you and Draco's bathroom was the only free one. Draco offered it to me, because you obviously were still asleep… I just didn't know how horny you could be just after you'd woken up," Ginny grinned, and Harry blushed redder than he knew he could.
"Um… I – I'm sorry…" he mumbled, trailing off into nothing.
"It's fine, you sounded so cute," Ginny giggled. Harry buried his face his in clothes and rushed into the bathroom.
"Cute," Harry muttered as he shut the door. "That is not a good word to be called when I was trying to sound sexy. Oh, and now I'm talking to myself… great…"
Harry just hoped that Ginny wouldn't tell anyone…
The scent of coffee filled Draco's nostrils as he lifted up his second cup of it. He shook his head marginally to flick a small lock of platinum blonde hair out of his eye. Yes, Draco's pink hair had finally gone back to blonde (for which he was secretly thankful).
"Ah, what would the world be without coffee," he sighed contently, taking a sip before returning it to the table. Hermione smiled, and Ron actually laughed; he seemed to become slightly warmer towards Draco after he arrived back with Harry yesterday.
"A big mess, that's what," Ginny answered, walking into the kitchen with a grin on her face. "Everyone needs it to wake up… especially Harry right now."
"May I inquire as to why?" Draco asked curiously, and Ginny let out a giggle, nearly spilling her own cup of the stuff.
"Let's just say he mistook me for you," Ginny said, trying hard not to smile. Ron looked up from the Daily Prophet interested and Hermione had her eyes on Ginny also, but Ginny pretended to not notice them. She sat down next to Draco and daintily took some waffles and golden syrup. As she leaned over to set the syrup back on the table, she whispered into Draco's ear,
"You would have had a very enjoyable shower if it had been you, not me. He was going to seduce you. Lucky the shower isn't see-through." Ginny laughed when she had said this, and Draco grinned at the thought of poor Harry as he discovered that he had a very feminine person in their shower instead of his boyfriend.
"Thank you for letting me use your shower, by the way," Ginny said lightly to Draco as she started eating. Draco smiled in return and Ron choked on his pancake.
"You what?" Ron spluttered, wiping the masticated piece of pancake from the newspaper on to the floor. "What the hell were you using his shower for?"
"It was the only free one," Ginny replied, raising her eyebrow at Ron's indignation. "Why?"
"I think it's extremely suspicious – " Ron started to say, but an argument was spared by Harry choosing to enter at this moment.
"Er… good morning," Harry said, but when he caught Ginny's eye he blushed and busied himself with making a cup of coffee.
"Good choice Harry," Draco remarked, as Harry sat down on his other side. Harry looked up at Draco and blushed again. Draco smiled innocently, and sipped his coffee, his little finger flicked out in the tiniest way. Ginny shared a look with Hermione and the both started giggling, trying to muffle it by covering their mouths with their hands.
"What?" Ron asked, perplexed, looking from Ginny to Hermione to Draco to Harry. "What are you all laughing at?" The girls laughed harder, and Draco concealed a smile by lightly biting his bottom lip and looking interestedly at the ceiling. Harry cleared his throat and attempted to steer the conversation.
"Anything worth reading about in there?" he asked Ron, faking casualness as he nodded at the Daily Prophet.
"Uh…" Ron quickly shut the paper and joined Draco in looking at the ceiling. "Well… not really…"
"Is there something about me?" Harry asked sharply, and Ron sighed before reluctantly handing over the Daily Prophet. There was a moment's pause as Harry scanned the paper, and then he calmly placed it to the side. "Just some rubbish about me seeking attention by fainting in the Leaky Cauldron and some pink haired god coming to save me," Harry gave Draco a lopsided grin as Draco stopped his pretence of finding the ceiling interesting.
"Of course," Draco said, laughing. Ginny laughed too, but Hermione flashed Harry a look of warning that clearly was meant to remind them that Ron was still in the room. Harry's mouth opened slightly as he realized that he and Draco were flirting, and he hurriedly picked up his coffee and nearly choked on it.
"I think you need more than one cup to wake up," Draco teased, standing up and fetching the coffee pot. Ginny locked eyes with Draco and for a few seconds, they struggled with themselves, but they couldn't help it; the pair dissolved into laughter again.
"Why am I always left out of everything," moaned Ron, looking decidedly grumpy.
"You're not," Hermione tried to reassure him, but Draco and Ginny didn't help the matter, and neither did the fact that Hermione also was smiling.
"Do you really want to know the reason why they're laughing?" said Harry quietly. His tone was so serious and out-of-place that Draco ceased his laughing fit immediately. He turned to Harry, and saw that Harry was looking cautious but determined.
"Yes!" Ron said with emphasis, putting down his pancakes (which truly showed how badly he wanted to know).
"Uh…" Draco said, feeling his previous happy emotion melting into uncertainty. "Harry, can I just talk to you for one teensy moment?"
Harry blinked and looked up, as if startled out of a trance.
"Oh. Sure," Harry quickly agreed. He stood up and Draco followed him out of the kitchen and into a small broom cupboard which came off the corridor. However, before Draco could say anything, Harry kissed Draco and slid his fingertips into Draco's restored blonde hair. Draco shivered and lent into the kiss, moving his hands under Harry's shirt.
"I'm glad your blonde hair is back," Harry murmured into the dark. "Pink hair is cool, but I can't imagine you keeping it forever."
"Thanks," grinned Draco, and kissed Harry along his jaw line. "Um… Harry? I was just wondering… are you actually going to tell him?"
After a sigh, Draco heard Harry say softly near his ear,
"Yeah. I can't stand hiding things from Ron. I have to. Do you understand? Like, I won't tell him if you don't want me to." Draco instantly shook his head, then remembered he was in the dark and said,
"No way! You can't not tell him. I think you should. I support your decision," Draco whispered.
"Thanks," Harry said in a relieved voice, and easily found Draco's mouth, even in the dark. Draco kissed him back, but then broke away.
"We should get back out there. But… before we do… are you going to tell me exactly what you did this morning?" Draco said amusedly. A groan of embarrassment came from Harry.
"Not now. Maybe later, if we have nothing else to be happy about," Harry answered with a tinge of sadness. Harry started to open the door, but Draco caught his forearm.
"Hey," Draco said gently. "Ron will be totally fine with it, I'm sure. He's your friend, he'll accept it. Don't worry, ok?" Harry nodded after a pause, and let Draco push the door open fully.
"Now c'mon, I can't wait to see the look on Weasley's face." Gaining a grin from Harry, Draco squeezed his hand lightly and turned to walk into the kitchen.
Once again, I am really sorry for keeping you waiting so long! School is so annoying, lol. :-) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter… please review, I like to hear your feedback! Sometimes it even reminds me things that I've forgotten completely, and therefore the story sometimes would not make sense… so please keep those reviews coming:-) Thanks to all who stay with me, I'll try my best to get back into the rhythm of updating regularly!