Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Prized

Chapter Thirty-Five - Attraction

When Draco had woken up that morning, he had never expected to be granted the opportunity to watch the most flagrant display of manipulation he'd ever seen Harry engage in, and all for the sake of a handful of snakes.

"Please?" Harry was practically pouting at the Dark Lord, and Draco felt as though it really wasn't something he should be watching. For one thing, Voldemort might remember he was there and hex him for seeing the way that he was clearly wanting to give in to Harry's wishes.

"Harry," Voldemort started, then shook his head. There seemed to be genuine regret in the gesture. "As much as I would love to indulge you in this, there's no possible way that we can do it. It just wouldn't be safe."

Harry let out a dramatic sigh and flung himself back in his chair, crossing his arms. "But I'm bored," he said, and now he definitely was pouting.

Draco couldn't help the small snort that escaped him. Harry was… To say that he'd changed since coming out from under the ritual's control was something of an understatement. It was as though he'd had the majority of his emotional controls stripped from him, and when he stopped to think about it, Draco knew it was horrifying, but at the moment it was… rather endearing, actually.

He looked away when Harry sent a betrayed pout in his general direction. "And I guess you think it's too dangerous too, don't you?"

Draco swallowed, suddenly even more uncomfortable than he had been. "I didn't say that," he hedged. "I just… don't necessarily disagree that it's a bad idea, that's all." And then Harry's face crumbled just a little, and Draco winced. "I think it's doable, though," he said, so quickly that it was more of a squeak than a set of distinct words.

"Doable doesn't make it a good idea," Voldemort protested. But it was said with the sound of growing defeat, like he knew he was about to lose the battle once and for all. "Harry, I can't go out in the Muggle world. It's just too dangerous. And I don't know that I'm at all comfortable with letting you go there without me."

"I'm more than capable of navigating the Muggle world," Harry said earnestly. "And I really want to go and see the snakes at the zoo. I want to free them."

Where Harry had heard about the snake exhibit, Draco had no idea. But once he'd gotten the idea into his head, there was no getting it out. He'd been asking about it for almost a week, and while Draco wanted nothing more than to give him everything he'd ever wanted, he just didn't know that it was practical to give him that.

For one thing, the number of Death Eaters who could successfully navigate the Muggle world was incredibly small. For another, Draco was almost certain that the number of wizards who wanted Harry dead would increase exponentially as soon as people realized that he wasn't a prisoner in Hogwarts.

"While I admire your goal," Voldemort was saying, in the tone of someone who'd said it numerous times before, "It just isn't practical. Harry, we can't go and free all the snakes."

"I know that! I just want to free some of them," Harry said earnestly. He sat up and stared at Voldemort, his green eyes going a little wet.

Draco didn't know if he was faking or if the forming tears were real, but it practically didn't matter. It was… a very appealing look on Harry, as it happened, and Draco had to look away. Voldemort, too, seemed affected by the expression, judging by the shuddery sigh that he let out.

"Okay," the Dark Lord finally muttered. "We can go rescue the snakes at the exhibit you've been talking about." Voldemort sounded begrudging, like he couldn't imagine that he was actually saying what he was saying, and Draco couldn't blame him.

But Draco thought it was probably worth it, giving up on the matter and giving Harry his way, because Harry brightened immediately, his face going practically incandescent in happiness. It hurt Draco to see him that way, because he knew that he would never cause that expression to appear on Harry's face. It was clearly reserved for Voldemort, and Voldemort alone.

He let out a shuddering sigh and looked away, down at his hands. "Guess I'd better get ready for a trip to the Muggle world, huh?" he asked, joking a little. He assumed that he'd be drug along on this mad venture.

"Of course," Harry chirped. "Thanks for volunteering to come! I know we'll have fun with the snakes."

"It really doesn't count as volunteering if he knew I was going to make him suffer through this as well," Voldemort said dryly. "We'll go tomorrow, Harry. Don't make me regret agreeing to this."

"I won't!"

Draco already regretted that the agreement had been made, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Besides, spending a few time amongst a people he didn't particularly care for was a small price to pay to make Harry happy.

And anything that made Harry happy, he deserved. Including, apparently, a relationship with Voldemort. Even if, in the privacy of his own mind, he knew he would be so much of a better match for Harry. He'd take such good care of him…

It didn't matter. He wasn't what Harry wanted, and he needed to get used to that sooner, rather than later. He was a friend, and nothing more, and he was okay with that.

He was determined to be.

ooOOooOOoo

Voldemort didn't think that Draco saw the way that Harry looked at him when he wasn't looking, and he knew that Harry didn't see the way that Draco looked at him. They were so oblivious, it was almost comical to watch.

But then, they were teenagers, and weren't teenagers always a bit oblivious when it came to matters of the heart?

If Voldemort were a better person, a less selfish person, he would say something. He would do something other than watching from behind the ridiculous 'hoodie' he had to wear to keep Muggles from seeing his face. He would give them the push they so obviously needed to take the step that both of them wanted to take.

But he wasn't a good person, and giving them that push would mean stepping aside. Because Harry was so clearly too young for him, and it was the right thing to do, but Voldemort wasn't known for being interested in the right thing to do.

But shouldn't he want that for Harry's sake? Shouldn't he want Harry to have the best possible relationship for him, even if that relationship wasn't with him?

Voldemort sighed, drawing the attention of both of the teenagers in front of him. Harry thought he was bored and asked, cheerfully, "Would you like to vanish the glass the next time?"

Truthfully, Voldemort wasn't at all bored, because watching Harry sick snakes on unsuspecting Muggles was actually hilarious. "I'm fine," he said honestly. He offered Harry what he hoped was a genuine smile. "I'm glad that you're having a good time."

Harry shot him a suspicious look, but didn't say anything else. Voldemort still wasn't that good at reading him, and couldn't tell if he'd intended to say nothing more, or not.

Draco, however, knew. "Harry," he prompted gently. He always knew when Harry meant to say something else.

Another sign that he was the right one for Harry, Voldemort supposed. If he were the type to believe in signs and prophecies and that sort of thing. Which he didn't like to think he was, but then… well. There'd been the whole prophecy that had led him to attack Harry in the first place, so maybe he was that kind of person.

Harry, meanwhile, started a bit. "But are you having fun?" he asked Voldemort, like there'd been no break in the conversation.

Voldemort's smile was a bit more genuine. "Of course I am," he said gently. He reached out and gently ruffled Harry's hair, then shoved his hands into his pockets once more. "Go on, now. I think there's a cobra over there begging to be let loose next."

Harry brightened immediately, and as Voldemort watched with an unfamiliar ache in his heart, he seized Draco's hand and dragged him off in the direction of said cobra. Draco followed, looking thunderstruck.

Voldemort massaged his forehead, trying to stave off the sudden headache he was getting. He had to say something. Harry wanted Draco, that much was clear. And what Harry wanted, Harry deserved. He wouldn't allow his Harry to be hurt because of his selfishness.

ooOOooOOoo

Draco didn't know what to expect when he was asked to meet Voldemort in his office while Harry went to sit in on one of Lupin's defense classes, but he was sure that it couldn't be good news. He tapped on the door, trepidation making his hands shake, and wasn't surprised to receive an immediate, curt command to enter.

He slid into the room, letting the door fall closed behind him, and dropped into an immediate kneel, his knees hitting the carpeted floor of what had once been the Headmaster's office. "My lord, you wished to see me?"

"I did," Voldemort said coldly. "Get off the ground, Malfoy, and come sit. You and I need to have a very frank conversation, one that I doubt we can have if you're bowing and scraping the entire time." He sounded mildly irritated, and frankly, that was terrifying.

The Dark Lord wasn't known for his tolerance at the best of times, and when he was irritated was hardly the best of times.

Draco swallowed, stood, and got in the seat immediately. "What can I do for you, my lord?" he asked carefully. He didn't want to further irritate the Dark Lord, and he didn't know how best to do that. His main goal, at that point, was avoiding finding himself under the Cruciatus Curse.

"I'd like to talk to you about Harry," Voldemort said. He set his quill down and leaned back in his chair, finally giving Draco his full attention. The amount of focus was more than a little terrifying. "In particular, I'd like to know why you haven't acted on your attraction for him."

Draco started to cough, choking on air. He hadn't been expecting… "Sorry?" he managed to gasp out as he got himself under control. Harry wanted him? What in Merlin's name was Voldemort talking about?

"You should be," Voldemort snapped. "He clearly wants you, and you clearly return his desires, so I don't see why you should be torturing him by making him wait."

Draco tried to get his breathing all the way under control, and only just managed it. "My lord," he started, his eyes wide. "I didn't… I mean, I don't…" He stopped and took a deep breath, then let it out in a long, controlled exhale. "I don't know that I agree that Harry wants me," he said carefully. He didn't look at Voldemort as he added, "It seems to me that there's someone else that Harry is a bit enamored with, and I wouldn't want to step on any toes."

It wasn't like he could say to the Dark Lord's face that he should be getting in a relationship with Harry, even though Draco was almost positive that Harry wanted him more than anything else.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Voldemort said blankly.

Draco almost wanted to throttle the man. He suppressed the urge, however, because that would only have a very poor outcome. "I just think that perhaps there might be someone more suited to Harry out there," he said, as blandly as he could. "Someone who might be ignoring Harry's feelings for him out of a misguided sense of propriety?"

He couldn't imagine any other reason why Voldemort would be refusing to act on Harry's obvious desire for him. The Dark Lord wasn't known for his morality, but judging by the way he treated Harry, he would be the one person who could inspire some sort of misguided morality from the man.

Voldemort just stared at Draco, a flicker of anger entering his red eyes. "I'm sure that I don't know what you're talking about," he said, and this time there was a growl to his voice.

Draco immediately dropped his eyes once more. "Of course, my lord," he said quickly, smoothly. "My sincerest apologies."

"Accepted," Voldemort said curtly. "Now go. And give Harry what he wants, because Harry deserves to get everything he wants, and that includes you."

Draco was almost certain that he should protest to that, because he wasn't a commodity to be given away, but decided that discretion was definitely the better part of valor. He'd basically been given permission to pursue Harry romantically, and even though he was certain that Harry would eventually choose Voldemort over him, both because he wasn't sure that Harry actually had any secret affection for him and because the two seemed to be meant to be together, he could at least have a few months, maybe even a year of his life.

He would make sure that it was the best year of Harry's life, if that was all he was going to get.

He stood and dropped into a low bow. "My lord, it would be an honor to give Harry exactly what he wants." Then he stood and left the room, and tried to ignore the fact that he heard something shatter against the door as he left.

It might be selfish of him, but he found himself hoping that Voldemort would hold onto those foolish feelings of morality for at least a little while longer. Long enough that he could at least have a shot at cementing Harry's affections before Voldemort took him away.

ooOOooOOoo

Harry left Remus' class humming. It had been a good few days. He'd freed a number of snakes, and watched as they wreaked havoc on the people who thought of them as toys to play with and watch, and he'd had lots of fun in Defense class. And he was getting a bit better about talking when he meant to talk! He'd only messed up a handful of times in the past week, which was a good thing.

And Draco was always there to remind him. Speaking of… where had Draco gone?

"Harry," Draco said, appearing just as he rounded the corner. The blonde seemed a bit out of breath, and there was a slight pinkness to his cheeks.

Had he been… with someone? Harry fought down the jealousy that flared up at the idea. Draco deserved to have romantic interests; he couldn't stay with Harry forever. "Hi," he said, as brightly as he could manage.

He still wasn't good at faking his emotions, judging by the look that Draco gave him. "Can we talk?" Draco asked.

Harry winced. He didn't like the sound of that. Conversations that were going to be good never began that way. "I guess," he muttered, a bit sadly. Maybe Draco was going to say that he didn't want to share a room with him anymore. That he wanted his own place, where he could have a proper relationship, without having to worry about Harry.

Draco smiled at him, the expression gentle. "It's nothing bad," he said. He wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders and steered him in the direction of their room. "I promise."

They made it up to the room without Harry saying anything more, and then Harry was surprised when Draco settled them both on his bed. Normally, Draco avoided joining him on the bed. "What's up?" Harry asked, his voice a little shaky. Something seemed different; the atmosphere seemed almost charged. He didn't know what to do with that.

"The Dark Lord brought something to my attention today," Draco said softly. He hadn't removed his arm from Harry's shoulders, so the two were nestled close together.

It was nice. Harry almost never wanted it to end. "What did he say?" Harry asked, his voice a little shaky.

"He wanted to know why I hadn't done anything about the way we feel about each other," Draco said. His voice grew lower, taking on a rougher note that made Harry shiver. "Harry, are you attracted to me?"

Harry let out a small squeak, his cheeks flaming. "I…" He swallowed, and chanced a glance at Draco from the corner of his eyes. He could feel Draco's breath against his cheek, brushing it with every exhale. "Yes," he managed to squeak out.

"Good," Draco murmured. He tilted Harry's head so that Harry had no choice but to look at him. Draco was smiling, the expression softening his face. "I'm very much attracted to you as well. And I would love the chance to have a relationship with you."

Harry's eyes widened, and he knew that his smile had to be blinding. He had no mask left to cover his feelings, and he wasn't particularly interested in trying at that moment, anyway. "Oh," he breathed. He leaned forward, hesitantly, and brushed a quick kiss over Draco's cheek. It was nice.

He thought about kissing Draco on the lips, but the one time he'd tried it with Cho, well, that had gone very badly. And Harry didn't want to make Draco cry.

But then Draco leaned in, holding his chin in place, and pressed his lips to Harry's. It was a soft, gentle kiss that lingered, and it wasn't too wet and Draco didn't burst into tears. When he pulled back, he was smiling.

Harry smiled back, the expression a little helpless. "That was nice," he said shyly.

Draco let out a soft, breathy little laugh. It wasn't mean, it was almost gentle, and Harry couldn't help but laugh a little as well. "Do you want to do it again?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded, still a little shy. "Very much so," he said.

Draco kissed him again, and Harry felt like he'd never been happier in his life, and like he never would be so happy again.