A/N: Usual disclaimers apply. First thank you to everyone who so faithfully reads & reviews this and my other stories, you guys are really the motivation that keeps me working on these stories even when I hit rough patches. There are two small drabbles in my Drabbles & Shorts that take place in the future of this Universe that I think everyone will enjoy. Chapters 52 & 55.
Things get a bit steamy in this chapter, so remember that this is rated M for a reason.
o.o.O.o.o
"Just admit it, I'm hopeless." Harry sighed, sitting down in one of the chairs in Theo's drawing room. He'd been coming to Nott Manor for weeks now, and Theo had arranged for a whole host of partners for him to try and learn to dance better than he had at the Yule ball. Tracey had been nice enough, but he knew her feet had to be killing her after the number of times he'd stepped on her.
Theo came back in after walking Tracey to the floo. "You're not hopeless, just extremely challenged," he said and poured them both a drink. "You just need to figure out a sense of rhythm. Once we get that settled, you'll be fine."
"I feel like I have four left feet," he muttered.
"You don't. Try not to get discouraged," Theo said, clearly mulling something over.
"We have less than a week before Hermione's ball, and I don't even have a date." He raked a hand through his already messy black hair. "I should just skip it."
"Hermione would hunt you down, and have your hide if you tried." Theo smirked wickedly. "Drink this." He offered him some fire whiskey. "There is something we can try, but I swear if you tell anyone Potter, I will eviscerate you."
"You say such nice things, Theo." Harry chuckled. "Seriously though, I'll try anything," he said, taking a deep sip of his drink.
"Ok." Theo leaned against the fireplace and savoured his own drink. He hadn't had this much trouble with someone since the entire fourth year had tried to teach Vince to dance. Between him, Draco, Blaise, Professor Snape, and all the girls, they'd at least managed to teach him a basic waltz, but it had been painful. At one point they had seriously considered the Imperius curse as an acceptable training method.
"Do you think she'll be there with him?" Harry asked quietly.
Theo nodded. "They need to put in an appearance. The engagement was announced and unless they're willing to admit that they were screwing around on you, they need to be out in public. It sucks, but you'll have to at least wish them well that night." Theo knew it was a lot to ask of the Gryffindor.
Harry nodded. "I want to hex him into oblivion," he admitted.
"Blaise isn't a bad guy. He just doesn't always think about what he does," Theo said. "There's no excuse for what they did, but it does no good to dwell on it. Better to just accept it, and move on."
"You sound like you have some experience with that," Harry said.
"I do and trust me, it's better to figure it out sooner than later." Theo sighed. "I fell for someone that was expressly not interested in me. It hurt, but at least I knew upfront that it wasn't ever going to happen and we managed to stay friends."
"Who was it? Tracey?" Harry asked.
"That's none of your business, Potter." Theo chuckled. "But no, not Tracey." He finished his drink and went over to the record player and looked through the selection of music, trying to find just the right thing. He put on an old record and walked over. "Ok, come and stand here in front of me," Theo said, a little nervous about this but he really couldn't think of anything else to try. He just wished it didn't feel like stepping out onto a very precarious cliff.
Harry set his empty glass aside and went over, standing directly in front of the taller wizard.
"Close your eyes," Theo said and reached over, taking Potter's right hand and resting it on his chest. "Dancing is just moving to a set of steps, timed to a rhythm. The most basic rhythm we all know, is a heartbeat," Theo said, tapping two of his fingers against the back of Potter's hand in time with his pulse. "Do you feel it?" he asked.
Harry nodded, frowning a little as he concentrated.
"Now, focus on that beat, and one, two, three, one, two, three." Theo started to move him through the basic waltz step. Harry stumbled a little, but started to relax, letting Theo lead him. "Good, just listen to the music, feel the beat." He coached him, watching with fascination as a blush crawled up Harry's neck. Now, that was intriguing. He shifted, taking Harry's hands in a dance hold now, moving him through the room. "You can open your eyes now." He smiled.
Harry was still blushing as they danced around the room.
"Now, you lead." Theo switched their hands, and let Harry take over. Again there were a few stumbles, but he started finding his rhythm again. As the song finally ended, he was moving much better.
"That was…thank you," Harry said, eyes dropping down as he let go of Theo.
"You're very welcome." Theo stepped closer, mentally he prepared to get hexed, but he moved smoothly and caught Harry's lips in a kiss. He took advantage of his shock and walked him backwards until the shorter teen's back hit the wall, deepening the kiss. The fact that Harry was returning the kiss, enthusiastically, stunned Theo. He tasted like fire whiskey and cinnamon. Only when he felt Harry's hands press against his chest did he moved back. His hazel eyes took in the bewildered expression on Harry's face with a fair bit of satisfaction.
"Theo…I…" Harry's eyes couldn't help but fixate for a moment on Theo's lips. His eyes fell closed as Theo brushed his thumb across his bottom lip. "I've never done this before."
"If you don't like it, we can stop," Theo said, a smirk crossing his lips as he could feel just how much Harry liked it.
"But it's not right," he protested somewhat weakly.
"Says who?" Theo chuckled and leaned in kissing him again. "There's nothing wrong with snogging another bloke, whatever those horrid muggles might have told you. Wizards are a little more…liberal at least in that sense." Magic solved a lot of issues. "Just tell me one thing, did kissing the Weaselette ever feel this good?" He brushed his lips against Potter's ear.
"Fuck Theo…" Harry moaned, a cry catching in his throat as he felt Theo's teeth nip a spot just below his ear that made his knees buckle.
"That's not an answer, but a very interesting invitation," Theo teased.
"Merlin…" He shuddered and shook his head. "No, it didn't." He answered.
Theo moved back. "I meant it, there's nothing wrong with fancying other blokes, but I won't kiss you again unless you want me to." A little bit of insecurity showed on his face, it was literally painful to display it but Harry was a Gryffindor and he could sense he needed to see it.
Harry reached out and took his hand. "I do want you to. I just…can we take this slow?" he asked quietly.
"Of course." He smiled and squeezed Harry's hand. "Stay for dinner?"
Harry nodded. "I'd like that."
Theo smiled and stole one last soft kiss, before leading Harry out of the drawing room and towards the study where they could relax until dinner. Theo had always been intensely private about his preferences, and only a few of his closest friends knew. Opening up to Harry had been a calculated risk, but he was relieved that it had worked out. He enjoyed spending time with the young Lord Potter, and more often than not they'd spend the night in his study sipping fire whiskey and talking about the state of the Wizengamot. Harry was going back to Hogwarts in September to finish his schooling, and was looking forward to focusing on his studies, but Theo bemoaned the fact that he'd see significantly less of him.
"Professor McGonagall offered me the position of Head Boy." Harry said as they sat down together in the matching leather armchairs.
"You'd mentioned that you thought she might. What did you tell her?" Theo asked, his gut told him that Harry had refused.
"I declined," he said. "I don't deserve it, and even *if* I did, I just want to be a normal student for one year," Harry said quietly. "I won't have Hermione there to keep me on track, so I'm going to have to rely on myself for once."
Theo nodded. "Hermione and I will be doing our own studying, so we can both send you reminders."
Harry chuckled. "I think you'd have to tie her up to keep her from nagging me about homework actually." He ran a hand through his hair. "So, since I can't take you to Hermione's ball…have any ideas?" He looked over at Theo.
Theo grinned. "I know someone that would be willing to go with you, but she's a Slytherin." His grin turned a little wicked. "Willing to trust me?"
"I do trust you, Theo," Harry said and nodded. "Who is it?"
"Daphne, she's a good friend and she told me that if I could manage to turn you into a passable dancer, she would agree to appear in public with you," he quoted his friend with a chuckle. "I think we can call you passable."
Harry snorted. "What did you mean when you said the wizarding world was more…liberal than the muggle world?" He swallowed and asked.
"Part of the stigma in the muggle world comes from the simple fact that two men engaged in a sexual relationship cannot reproduce, the same is true for two women. Add some religious guilt in there, and you have the muggle attitude against homosexual relationships. Magic makes it possible for a same-sex couples to have children. For two witches it's the simple matter of a potion, for two wizards…they need to find a surrogate to carry the child, but with the aid of potions the child is the blood heir of both men," he explained. His father had…educated him about that when it had been clear he had no interest in witches. While his father had expressed a desire for him to marry some nice witch for appearances sake, he hadn't outright forbidden him from seeking a male partner. "Of course it causes some talk, but that only matters if you let it."
Harry nodded, watching the fire burning in the grate.
"To be honest, a lot of us in Slytherin were wondering if the reason you and Draco butted heads so much was because there was something going on between you two." Theo grinned.
Harry blushed crimson. "No! Not with that ferrety git." He made a face.
Theo laughed, inwardly relieved that Harry wasn't secretly attracted to the Malfoy heir. He'd been down that road and it had not ended well. If he was going to get involved with Harry, he had no intention of sharing him with anyone. The laughter dispelled the awkward atmosphere and Theo allowed himself to imagine what a relationship with Harry might end up looking like.
o.o.O.o.o
Having Draco home was a mixed blessing, in Lucius' estimation. While it was a relief to know his son was safe and healing, it had understandably put quite a damper on his time with Hermione. Thankfully, she seemed to understand that they needed to be extremely discreet around his son, and hadn't taken offence at his necessary distance. However, he missed spending time with her and all the afternoons spent alone in his study would have greatly improved with her company.
Tonight he had given up on the proposed legislation that was currently up for consideration, and decided to turn in early. He was curled up with a novel when a light knock sounded at his chamber door. He stood and crossed the room, opening it and feeling a smile curve over his lips. "Miss Granger, please come in." He moved back to allow her entry.
Hermione smiled and breezed past him. She was wearing one of her new dresses, this one a pale blue. "I hope I'm not interrupting you," she said as he closed the door behind her.
"Your company is always a welcome interruption. Please, have a seat," he said and went to pour them both a glass of wine. She settled onto the settee and accepted the glass of wine from him. "How was your meeting with Lord Travers today?" he asked, and settled down in the chair opposite her. He had promised to take his time with her, and he refused to let her feel pressured. He was not some green boy, unable to control his baser urges.
"It went well. I'd like for you to look over the employment contract he gave me, just to be sure I didn't miss anything. Overall though, I'm excited to begin working with him. He has a lot of intriguing ideas that I think could do a lot of good." Hermione smiled and sipped the wine.
"I'd be happy to read it over for you tomorrow," Lucius said, watching her eyes light up with anticipation of working for positive changes in their world. "I think you'll do quite well working with Marcus, he's got a good head on his shoulders and he is very protective of his people. When you're ready to really get into the Ministry, he'll be a valuable ally."
She smiled and nodded. "His wife just had a baby, I was wondering if it would be appropriate to send a small gift?"
Lucius nodded. "It would. As you are merely an acquaintance, something small like booties or a baby blanket would be acceptable." He smiled, his own gift had been sent yesterday after seeing the birth announcement in the Prophet.
"Thank you," she said.
"How is young Mr. Potter handling the loss of Miss Weasley?" he remembered to ask. It had been nearly two weeks since the minor scandal had hit the papers, and he applauded both Mr. Potter and the Weasley's for their efficient handling of the crisis. The story had been spun in a way that left little to ruin anyone's reputation, and the girl had been quickly and quietly engaged to Mr. Zabini to avoid any further whispers about the girl's reputation.
"He's not as upset as he thinks he should be, and I think he's more upset about that than anything else." Hermione admitted.
Lucius nodded. "It's for the best then." He savoured his wine, understanding what Hermione meant. It was hard to lose something, only to realize that you didn't really miss it at all. "I'm sure he'll find his feet again."
"I hope so," She said. "I just can't believe Ginny would do something like that to him, it makes me want to throttle her."
"You care very much for Mr. Potter, to your credit." He smiled softly. "The heart heals, and in time he'll find someone else to make him happy. All you can do it be there for him in the meantime."
"I've missed our talks," Hermione said softly.
"As have I, and I regret that I've had to keep my distance outside of your dance instruction." He stood and moved over to sit with her, unable to resist the pull of her presence any longer. "It's so soon after his mother's death, and I fear what he might do if he suspected the truth of my attachment to you." He reached over and took her hand, lifting it and brushing his lips against her knuckles.
"I understand, and I wouldn't want to hurt him," Hermione said, eyes drawn to Lucius' lips.
"He'll be back at Hogwarts in less than a month, and we can return to our usual breakfasts together," he promised, slipping his fingers through hers. He'd had many affairs over the years, but none had felt like this. They'd been purely sexual, driven by physical need and quickly sated. This was softer, and purer than anything he'd experienced in his life. He desired the young witch, of course he did, but more pressing was the need to protect her, to take care of her. She presented such a valiant front to the world, but he'd seen glimpses of her vulnerability, and he knew just how fragile she truly was. He didn't want to see the world break her down, shatter her façade, and lay her pain bare for all to see.
"Severus knows, doesn't he?" Hermione asked, noticing that Draco was being stated as the only obstacle to their continued closeness.
"He knew that first night, and threatened to hold me to account if I should ever hurt you." Lucius chuckled a little at the remembrance. "I assured him that I would never willingly cause you pain, and I meant it." His silver eyes grew serious.
"I know." She squeezed his hand softly. "You make me feel safe, Lucius."
Lucius lifted her hand up to his lips again, turning her hand over and pressing a kiss to her palm. "I will do everything I can to ensure that you always feel that way here. That much I can promise."
Hermione sat her glass down and bit her bottom lip as she shifted closer, gathering her courage and kissing him tentatively.
Lucius reached down, setting his wine glass on the floor and bringing his hand up to thread through her hair. He returned the kiss, lips teasing hers and gradually deepening it. He slid his other hand down her back, pulling her up to sit across his lap, and rest against the arm of the little loveseat. He nipped at her bottom lip, loving the little sounds she made in her throat as he deepened the kiss. He felt her hand steal up his chest, sliding up his neck and into his hair. Her touches were delicate, unsure, and so very innocent. Merlin he wanted her.
He broke the kiss and stroked his thumb along her cheekbone. "Are you all right?" he asked softly, searching her eyes for any indication that he should stop.
She managed to nod, "Better than alright." Hermione said, her fingers stroking the nape of his neck.
"I do aim to please," He smirked at her before leaning back down and teasing his lips against hers. It would be so easy to seduce her into his bed, her body was rising to meet his every touch and her lips answering every kiss. Deep down he knew it was too soon, that pressing her before she was truly ready would send her away from him forever, and Lucius was a jealous creature. Now that he had her here in his arms, warm and willing, he would not ever be able to let her go. He broke their kisses when he felt a soft moan slip past her lips and he rested his forehead against hers.
"Don't stop…" she whispered, her voice ragged.
"I don't want to, but I should." He whispered and carefully shifted their position so he was cradling her against his chest, her head tucked under his chin. "You deserve so much more than rushed fumblings, and desperate caresses," He whispered. "I told you that you were worth the wait, and I meant that. I hope that you feel the same about me."
Hermione nodded against his neck, her heart slowly starting to slow and some reason crept back into her brain. Lucius was right, of course, and it made warmth wrap around her that he clearly cared enough to be the voice of reason when her own was on vacation. "You are, Lucius," she whispered against his skin. She'd never felt such instant need before, and always laughed when her dorm mates had talked about sex and making-out. The ache low in her stomach was easing but still undeniably there. She flushed with embarrassment realizing her panties were wet, and hoped to Merlin he didn't know.
"You should return to your rooms," Lucius' said with clear regret.
"I don't want to, but I probably should." She echoed his earlier words with a bit of a smile, moving back out of his arms. A slightly trembling hand tucked a few loose curls back behind her ear. She was glad to see an easy smile on his lips.
"One night we won't have to part, but for now," he picked up her hand and kissed it softly, "I wish you pleasant dreams."
Hermione couldn't help but melt a little, but she made herself get up off the couch. She took a moment to smooth her dress back down where it belonged and then she beat a hasty retreat before she said or did something to embarrass herself. She made it back to her room and she went through to her bedroom, falling back onto the bed and closing her eyes as she relived the heated exchange with Lucius. He knew just how to steal her breath away, always careful not to go too far, but making her wish desperately that he would. She rubbed her thighs together, relishing the delicious sensations it created and she imagined him slipping a hand down her thigh, dragging the edge of her skirt up and ghosting his touch along the edge of her panties.
Guiltily she moved her hand away and sat up. She'd just have a nice hot bath, and curl up in bed with a good book. Maybe that would help settle her mind back down into safer areas.
o.o.O.o.o
Blaise reached out and tucked a strand of Ginny's hair behind her ear. They were sitting in the orchard behind her parent's home, taking a breather before the dreaded family dinner. His mother was currently having drinks with Arthur and Molly, and he was eternally grateful that she approved of both the match, and his cunning in arranging everything so neatly. His only regret was that it had caused Ginny pain. He truly hated to see her cry, and silently promised that he would do everything he could to keep from ever being the cause of her tears again.
"It will be alright, amore," he said softly.
Ginny didn't respond, she simply curled closer and rested her head on his shoulder, cuddling in close.
"I know this isn't what you wanted, but you know that I care about you…very much," he kept speaking, wrapping his arms around her slender form and resting his lips against her temple. They were a study in light and dark, the two of them. She burned as bright as the sun, and he was the shadow that obscured even the moon. Fire and ice. It had been her passion and defiance that had drawn him to her. He'd spent his whole life learning to hide his feelings, and control every single expression. She was open about everything: her love, her hate, and even her fears. Her warm brown eyes snapped with fury as easily as they did with passion and he loved igniting them. It didn't matter if it was with an argument or sweet kisses designed to make her lose all sense.
"I know Blaise, I know," she whispered in return. "I just never wanted to hurt him, and I know that I have. It's my fault."
"There is enough blame to go around, but it does no good to dwell on it. Done is done," he said firmly. "You're mine now, and I want the whole world to know just how happy that makes me."
"I think the whole world *does* know now," she said a little bitterly. The howlers had been arriving non-stop, until Blaise had shown her father a handy spell designed to destroy them as they attempted to pass through the wards.
"Good. In time they'll forget the details, and all that will matter is that you are Mrs. Zabini, the most beautiful, talented Seeker in the world," he promised her. "I won't ever let you regret it, I swear."
Ginny moved back and gave him a small but genuine smile. "I do love you, Blaise," she said softly. "I know I've never said it…but I do."
He smiled and picked up her right hand, placing a soft kiss on her palm. "Quando il buio della sera maschera il mio viso, solo allora potrei dirti certe cose," Blaise's full lips caressed the words, the sinful tone more sensual than any touch possibly could be.
"I really need to learn Italian." She blushed. "What does that mean?"
"It means 'When the darkness of the evening obscures my face, only then can I tell you such things.' In essence, truths are easier to speak in the dark," he said and pressed her hand over his heart. "I love you, Ginevra Molly Weasley, more than I think you know." His dark eyes were intense in the dimming light of the orchard. The shadows played off his exotic high cheekbones, and the darkness of his skin. The warmth of his tone spoke to the truth of his words though.
"We'll be ok then?" she said, hearing her mother calling for them in the distance.
"No, better than ok," he promised and then stood, offering her his hand. "I intend to make you the happiest witch in all of the world." Blaise meant every word. He'd make her forget all about Harry Potter, and replace him as the center of her heart. He really did owe Theo a massive thank you for removing his rival.
TBC