"It is a strange world, a sad world, a world full of miseries, and woes, and troubles…Ah, we men and women are like ropes drawn tight with strain that pull us different ways." —Bram Stroker, Dracula
ALL BUT DEATH
XI
LIKE ROPES DRAWN TIGHT
Dinner was silent. Not a single person said a word as everybody picked at their food, frowning down at their plates as an air of hopelessness hung over the room. Across from Harry, Draco sat hunched in on himself, and Harry noticed that he was not even pretending to eat. He had not picked up a utensil or ever once lifted his gaze from the table since the moment they had sat down. Harry wanted to reach across the table and touch Malfoy's hand just to make sure he was okay, but Malfoy's hands were out of sight where they sat in his lap and Harry could not reach that far.
Sighing, Harry continued to mindlessly push the food around his plate with the heavy fork he held in a loose grip, the metal of the utensil gleaming and cold as it shone up at him. He twisted the fork from side to side, watching it catch and reflect the light, the silver shining nearly white in the bright glow of the nearby fire. Harry set it down on the table in the shadow of his arm, watching as the reflected light was immediately extinguished, the fork becoming nothing but a dark piece of metal once more. Moving his arm, he watched as the light fell upon the fork and lit it up once again with the bright reflection, but the moment he moved his arm back to its original position, the white light vanished. Harry repeated the action several more times, sighing to himself once more as the fork went dark. He wasn't sure why the sight of the light vanishing and reappearing was so entrancing, but he knew the sight was far better than staring at the blank expression on Draco's face. Harry wanted to pull Draco into another room so he could speak with him but wasn't sure how to do such a thing whilst surrounded by so many others. Zacharias was most likely going to demand to know where they were going and what they were doing before accusing Malfoy of having Imperiused Harry or some rot, and the other Slytherins would not be okay with being left alone with everyone while Harry and Draco went off to speak privately.
God, Harry was exhausted. He hadn't slept at all the night before and could feel his body screaming at him to close his eyes. Outside, he could hear thunder rumbling and the sounds of raindrops striking the windows. The wind howled and screamed as it shook the glass panes and left the house groaning and creaking beneath its furious rush.
And Harry could no longer just sit there.
Climbing to his feet, he crossed to the window and peered out at the storm-black night, ignoring the many eyes he could feel on his back. He wondered if Draco was staring at him or if he was still looking down at the table. Turning his head, he caught Draco's eye for the briefest of seconds before the other man's gaze was once again directed at the table, and Harry wasn't sure what to make of any of it or why it left him feeling strange.
With a sigh, he turned back to the window, listening to the sounds of the others behind him beginning to stack the dishes and take them to be cleaned. The group in charge of washing up was only gone for a short time before they came trooping back inside, and Harry could hear the scrape of chair legs against the hard floor as they once again took their seats.
"Okay," Hermione said, and Harry heard her push her chair back and climb to her feet. "We need to decide where we'll be spending the night. I think—"
"I'm not spending it with them," Zacharias interrupted, and Harry turned to find him glaring at the Slytherins. "And I'm not spending it anywhere near Corner, either."
"Well, isn't that just a fucking shame," Michael said sarcastically.
"A shame that you seem to have found yourself lumped in with them?" Smith sneered. "Yeah, it really is."
"Honestly, Corner," Zabini drawled, "the fact that he seems to despise you so much only makes me respect you. Anyone that he actually likes I really don't think I would care for."
"And anyone who actually likes him is even worse than he is," Nott added. "So it's a good thing he hasn't got any fucking friends in this world, isn't it?"
Smith's face reddened as Harry slipped his wand into his hand, readying himself to cast either a shield charm or an expelliarmus.
"We are not fighting!" Hermione interrupted, glaring at everybody. "We're in more than enough danger already without creating any more for ourselves!"
"I am not sleeping in a room with them!" Zacharias snapped, slamming one fist down on the table, and Michael glared viciously as Padma jumped at the unexpected sound.
"And yet we were asking so politely to sleep near you, weren't we?" Zabini replied sardonically. "Because you're just so fucking delightful to be around, aren't you, Smith?"
Zacharias opened his mouth to respond but Michael spoke up before he could. "He's right, Smith," he said through narrowed eyes. "You are way too comfortable making enemies. Do you even realize how many people here you've completely alienated yourself from?"
"And that was all without even having to try," Nott said in a bored voice. "Congratulations on your personality, Smith."
"This is not what we're meant to be talking about!" Hermione cut in, sounding frustrated. "Nobody is here to further antagonize anybody, and we are certainly not here to pick sides! We just need to decide where we'll be sleeping!"
"The five of us will be spending the night in Draco's room," Zabini answered. "You lot can spend it wherever the hell you want."
"I don't think—" Hermione began, but Zacharias interrupted her.
"I don't trust anyone here enough to sleep in the same room as them!" he declared. "Justin and Kevin are the only ones I trust not to kill me!" At the statement, both Justin and Kevin looked decidedly uneasy, sharing a glance before looking away from everyone.
"I really don't think—" Hermione started, but was once again interrupted, this time by Anthony.
"And I trust less than half of you," he said. "I don't trust most of the people here enough to spend the night with them."
"Anthony, Padma, Parvati, and I will find somewhere to sleep tonight, just the four of us," Michael nodded.
"No—" Hermione began.
"You girls can spend the night with us," Dean offered. "Seamus and I will find somewhere to set up and you girls can come too if you want. And Neville too, of course. And you three," he finished with a nod to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"We are not—" Hermione said angrily but was cut off once more.
"We can look out for them," Michael argued, reaching out to Padma sat beside him and clasping her hand in both of his. "I won't let anything happen to you, Padma, I swear it."
"I won't let anything happen to you either," Anthony promised, and Padma nodded with a grateful look on her face.
"I know you won't," she said softly. "I trust the both of you."
"Parvati?" Seamus asked. "You know that Dean and I won't let anything happen to you either."
"I know," she agreed. "I trust you two. But…but I…" She glanced between her sister and the two Gryffindors, and Harry could see the indecision within her warring on her face. "I—I need to go with Padma," she said in a rush.
"Then we're coming too," Dean shrugged, looking to Michael and Anthony, who exchanged a glance. "We promised the two of you that we wouldn't let anything happen to you and we wouldn't let you out of our sights."
"We won't let anything bad happen to you, Parvati," Seamus added. "And if Padma's going with these two and you're going with her, then we're coming with all of you."
"Thank you," Parvati said softly, eyes suddenly glistening with tears, and Dean leaned across the table to squeeze her hand.
"Well, Justin, Kevin, and I aren't spending the night with any of you," Zacharias cut in, and everyone turned to glare at him.
"You weren't invited to," Michael snapped. "I don't care where the bloody hell the three of you sleep, but it sure as fuck won't be with us."
At the statement, Harry saw both Justin and Kevin's expressions tighten, and he wondered if they were more upset by the harsh words or more upset at being forcibly grouped in with Zacharias.
"Why don't you try asking those two where they would like to sleep instead of deciding for them?" Zabini said sarcastically, and Zacharias narrowed his eyes at him before turning to the two Hufflepuffs expectantly.
"Erm…" Justin said helplessly, turning to Kevin.
"Well, I mean…" Kevin hesitated, appearing unsure what to follow the three words up with.
"I suppose so," Justin sighed heavily. "I mean, we can't leave Zacharias on his own, can we?" Kevin nodded in reluctant agreement, looking unhappy.
"No, we can't," he mumbled.
At the acquiescence, Zacharias visibly sagged with relief, and Harry felt a twinge of pity for the man at the obvious gratitude he was doing his best to hide.
"No, we shouldn't be splitting up!" Hermione protested but was quickly drowned out by everybody speaking over one another.
Circling around the table, Harry approached her and leaned in close to speak in her ear. "Hermione," he said, and she half-turned her head to show she was listening. "I think you and Ron and Neville should spend the night somewhere, just the three of you. You three barely slept at all last night. You should go somewhere you can ward tight and not have to worry about staying up to watch over everyone. I know that not a single person here can get past your wards. I think it will only create more problems at this stage to try to force everyone to stay together."
"I'm all for that," Ron said quietly, leaning in to speak. "I'd feel much more comfortable just the three of us and Neville spending the night together."
Harry shook his head, opening his mouth to inform Ron that he was going to spend the night with Draco and the others, but the redhead was speaking before he could get a chance. "Oi, Nev," he called, and the room silenced as everybody turned to him. "You're coming with us, mate. The four of us are gonna find somewhere private to kip as well."
"Potter?" a quiet voice asked, and Harry turned to find Draco staring at him with a blank expression, eyes hooded as he gazed at the brunet.
He could feel every eye in the room staring at him, but Harry was unable to look away from Draco as he wondered desperately what the man was thinking. Had he been expecting Harry to spend the night with the Slytherins? Did he want Harry to spend the night with them in Draco's bedroom? "I…" he began uncertainly, having no idea what to say next.
"Where are you spending the night, Harry?" Hermione asked, reaching out to touch him on the arm.
"With us of course," Ron answered for him. "Right, mate?"
"Potter?" Draco repeated, not even blinking as he stared at Harry.
"No, Ron," Harry said in a quiet voice, still unable to remove his gaze from Malfoy's. "I'm going to go with them." A corner of Malfoy's mouth turned up in a tiny smile in response, and Harry felt suddenly lighter at the sight.
"You don't have to—" Ron began, but Harry cut him off.
"You don't need me there," he murmured, leaning in close to speak only to Ron and Hermione, the latter of whom he saw cast a Muffliato around the three of them. "It'll be the two of you and Neville, and you'll have Hermione warding you in. You three won't be targets and you can definitely handle yourselves. But that lot…"
"It's okay, Harry," Hermione said softly. "I trust you to be able to look after yourself, and if this is what you feel you need to do…"
"It is," Harry said firmly, glancing over at Malfoy to find him still staring at Harry.
"Fine then," Ron sighed. "But you should know that I don't agree with this, Harry. You may trust them, but I don't. Have you really thought this through? Do you really know what you're doing?"
"Yes," Harry said as confidently as he was able to, wondering if he really had thought it all through. He was certain that the Slytherins weren't the ones responsible, but did he really trust them enough to lock himself up in a room with them to sleep?
Looking back to Malfoy, Harry felt his resolve tighten. He trusted Draco. He knew with certainty that Draco was not the one behind it, and he trusted that Draco would not harm him or knowingly allow any harm to come to him. He trusted the man, and by extension, the other Slytherins.
"I'll be fine," he said to the other two Gryffindors.
"You can't sit up all night again," Hermione warned. "You need to sleep, Harry. And while I trust your judgment and your ability to handle yourself, are you sure that you'll be able to sleep in a locked room with them?"
"I'll be fine," Harry repeated. "I promise."
"Just spend the night with us, Harry," Ron argued. "They'll be fine. And there's no question of you not trusting us or not being able to sleep near us."
"No," Harry shook his head. "I've sort of promised to look out for them. And now that Zacharias and who knows who else knows where they sleep…I'll just feel more comfortable about it all if I'm there with them tonight."
"All right," Hermione said in the same soft voice she had been speaking in. "But Ron and Neville and I will choose a room nearby, just in case."
"Okay," Harry agreed. "That's fine with me."
Nodding, Hermione canceled the spell around them, allowing the noise of the room to rush back in once more. "Is everyone okay then with the current arrangements?" she asked, receiving nods in return as everyone exchanged glances with one another. "Good. Then I suppose everybody is decided. We should go up to bed then, it's been an exhausting day. Everyone is now responsible for the other members of whatever group you've placed yourselves in. Nobody goes anywhere alone. Everyone washes up as a group, am I understood?" Everyone nodded in response. "Good."
At the finality in the word, everyone rose to their feet but halted in place as Malfoy's voice cut through the room like a knife.
"The bedrooms are upstairs," he said as he stood, slanting a cold look in Zacharias's direction. "The east wing is fine for you to set up in, but nobody steps foot in the west wing. This is the only warning you will receive. Anyone wishing to continue having access to the food and facilities of this house would do well to remember that. Any unlocked bedroom is fine for you to choose, but there will be extremely unpleasant consequences for anybody I find attempting to break into a sealed room. And if I find a single item of my property damaged or missing, you will be held responsible for it. That's all."
Ignoring them, Draco sat back down and turned to face the other Slytherins, none of whom had risen from their seats. They spoke in quiet, hushed voices as the others filed through the doorway until finally, it was only the four Gryffindors and the five Slytherins left in the room.
"We need to know where the six of you will be sleeping," Hermione said. "Ron, Neville, and I will choose a room nearby."
The five Slytherins shared a long look with one another, seeming to hold an entire silent conversation before Draco nodded with a sigh. "Very well, Granger. Since Potter here already knows the location of my bedroom, we will extend the same courtesy to the three of you, if only to assuage any concerns you may have for his safety."
Hermione nodded but said nothing, gesturing for the others to stand and lead them from the room.
"So, Granger," Zabini began as they rose to their feet, "does this mean that you two really don't believe us to be the guilty ones if you're allowing Potter to spend the night in our company?"
"I can make decisions by myself, you realize," Harry said with a roll of his eyes, "without even having to ask permission first or anything."
"Untwist your knickers, Potter," Nott drawled, "we all know what a big impressive grown-up man you are. Right, Draco?"
Harry turned to give Nott a flat look and saw Draco blush out of the corner of his eye, glancing over to find Malfoy now staring down at the floor.
"He has spent a night in your company already," Hermione answered, "and I trust his instincts. If he feels comfortable enough to spend the night with all of you, then I trust his reasons for doing so and trust that he's able to handle himself." The Slytherins exchanged surprised looks as Hermione continued speaking, "And whilst none of you have exactly been excluded from my list of suspects, you're certainly nowhere near the top of the list, based on more than one factor."
"Really, Granger?" Parkinson asked with obvious skepticism weighing heavy in her voice.
Hermione smiled wryly. "I at least trust that none of you are foolish enough to attempt to harm Harry when everybody in this house knows where and with whom he'll be spending the night."
"Well, thank god for you and your logic," Parkinson said, and Harry noticed a somewhat pleased expression cross Hermione's face at the words.
"Yeah, otherwise it'd just be us and Smith's stupidity," Nott added.
"You mean blind fucking cowardice," Zabini corrected. "I'm not sure if I've ever met a person so ruled by fear before. He's a danger to everyone around him."
"Too bloody right," Ron agreed, earning a look of surprise from the Slytherins. "Hey, I know a dickhead when I see one," Ron shrugged at the five of them, "and I don't think there's a single person in the world who wouldn't say he's not the reigning king of all dickheads."
Nott snorted a laugh and Harry couldn't help but look at him in surprise. He wasn't sure if he had ever heard Nott laugh before. He wasn't sure if he had ever really seen Nott express amusement before. Or any sort of emotion, come to think of it. "I'm sure if he ever one day finds a girl with enough self-loathing to actually let him touch her, he'll be entire kilometers less angry."
"There isn't enough self-loathing in the world," Parkinson responded dryly, and Nott snorted again in agreement.
"He's just scared," Harry said in a quiet voice. The five Slytherins turned to him as one to give him matching looks of incredulity.
"So are the rest of us, Potter," Zabini pointed out. "We're all in the exact same amount of danger and we all have the exact same lack of answers. And yet, we're not all acting like massive cunts right now, are we?"
"I suppose he just can't help who he is as a person," Malfoy said lightly, staring straight ahead of himself.
"We all managed it, didn't we?" Zabini said. "We're all different from the people we once were."
"I dunno about that," Nott said in a bored voice. "Pansy still cheats at cards."
"No," she glared, "you just still suck at cards."
"No, you suck at cards," he shot back, "which is why you feel the need to resort to cheating so often."
"As if anyone would need to cheat when you're playing cards, Theo," Davis said, appearing serious although Harry could hear a smile in her voice.
"Just you two wait 'til we get back to Draco's room then," Nott returned. "I'll show you who bloody sucks at cards."
"Blaise," Parkinson said to the dark-skinned man with a weak smirk, "he's threatening to show me things I don't want to see."
Shaking his head in amusement, Zabini opened his mouth to respond but Harry was already tuning out the conversation around him, circling to his left to fall into step beside Draco, who appeared to be deep in thought but glanced over as the brunet reached his side.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked quietly, tugging on Draco's sleeve to slow him down and allow the others to pass on ahead.
Malfoy shot him a wry look. "Why ever would I not be, Potter?"
"Well…" Harry sighed as he raked a hand through his hair, wondering if he should simply back off from the conversation; Malfoy did not appear to be in the talking mood. "You just seem…extra not okay, I suppose."
"Well, my apologies, Potter, I'm sorry if my 'extra not okayness' is bringing down the energy of the house," Malfoy said sarcastically. "I know that it's been such a party atmosphere around here up until now, so I apologize if my negative outlook and fear for my own life is somehow ruining the general fun for everyone."
"Fine," Harry muttered, feeling like a fool for trying to comfort the man. "I get it. You don't want to talk to me. Sorry for asking." Preparing to catch up to the others, he had only taken two steps when he was stopped by a hand reaching out to grasp his arm. Turning in surprise, he saw Malfoy staring at him from only inches away, biting his lip and appearing contrite.
"I'm sorry," he said in a low voice. "I shouldn't have responded like that when you were only trying to help." As Malfoy spoke, Harry stood perfectly still, unwilling to pull away from the other man's warm touch. He was holding onto Harry's arm just above the elbow, and Harry couldn't help but shift closer.
"It's fine," Harry said, glancing away from Draco's face. "I understand if you don't want to talk to me about these sorts of things."
"It doesn't mean that I don't appreciate your concern," Malfoy said, copying Harry and shifting slightly closer as well. "But I just…" he paused, searching for words for several long seconds, "sometimes you just feel too much to talk about it, you know? Sometimes there's just too much to say, and it's simply easier to not say anything at all."
"I get that," Harry nodded. "But if there's anything I can do, Draco, I want you to tell me. I just want to help."
"Why?" Malfoy asked, tilting his head as he considered the brunet.
Harry felt his nose scrunch up in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Malfoy said slowly, appearing uncertain so to whether to voice the question or not, "Is this something you would do for everyone? Or are you wanting to help me specifically?"
"I…er…well…" Harry hesitated, feeling helpless beneath his own uncertainty. How honest was Malfoy wanting him to be? How honest did Harry want to be? How ready were either of them for such honesty?
"It's fine, Potter," Malfoy said shortly. "I understand now that it was nothing personal."
"But that's not true," Harry blurted, hating the way that Malfoy had dropped his arm and taken a step back. "It, er, is personal, actually. I-I mean…" he took a deep breath, "I do want to help you, Draco. You, specifically."
"Me, specifically," Draco echoed, eyes searching Harry's face in a way that made Harry's cheeks heat.
"Yeah," Harry shrugged uncomfortably, "you, specifically."
"Why?" Malfoy asked in a soft voice, and it wasn't until that moment that Harry realized how quiet the corridor was. Glancing around himself, he noted in surprise that there was nobody in sight. Had the others already reached Draco's bedroom? How long had Harry and Draco been standing there?
Cheeks flushing red, Harry dropped his gaze to the floor. "I, er, think we should probably catch up with the others. They'll be wondering where we are and I don't want them to think that anything bad has happened to us."
Without having to look, Harry could feel Draco studying his face, and he cursed the fierce blush he could still feel painting his cheeks. "As you wish, Harry," Malfoy finally said in the same soft voice, stepping around Harry and continuing along the same path the others had disappeared down. The journey was made in silence, with both men occasionally sneaking peeks at one another out of the corners of their eyes, and both blushing when they inadvertently met the other's gaze.
Up ahead, Harry could see the others all grouped together in the corridor, none of them appearing to be speaking. As Harry and Draco reached them, Hermione stepped forward.
"There you two are," she said in relief. "We were just about to come back to look for you."
"Er, sorry," Harry apologized, ruffling his hair as he shifted his weight between feet.
"What were you two doing?" Nott asked in a bored voice, but his eyes were strangely bright and amused as they darted between the two men.
"Nothing," Harry said defensively, fighting the urge to cross his arms over his chest. "Just talking."
"Right," Nott smirked. "Talking. Sure."
"Fuck off, Theo," Malfoy said lightly, but there was an underlying warning in his voice that Nott seemed to recognize, although the smirk did not fade from his face.
"Well, we found a room for the three of us to take," Hermione cut in. "It's right next to yours, Draco."
Draco nodded. "Very well, then. Every bedroom has an en suite attached, so there's no need to leave the room to wash up. If there's anything you need, you best ask for it now, otherwise, it will have to wait until morning."
The three Gryffindors traded glances. "I think we're okay," Hermione said. "You six be careful. And if anything happens, send us a Patronus. We're only a door away."
"You three be careful as well," Harry said, surprised when Hermione stepped forward to wrap him in an embrace.
"I hope you know what you're doing," she whispered into his ear.
"I do," he whispered back. "It'll be fine."
"Okay," she breathed, squeezing him once more before letting go and stepping back. "Good night then. And thanks, Draco."
Appearing surprised, Draco inclined his head in silent acknowledgment, the six of them watching as Ron, Hermione, and Neville turned and strode into the nearest room. The sound of a lock sliding shut was heard before the entire corridor fell silent, Harry straining his ears in an attempt to hear Hermione warding the room, but he could hear nothing; the only sounds were the six of them breathing in the darkened hallway.
"Come on then, you lot," he muttered, and the five Slytherins turned as one and made their way into Draco's bedroom. The door was immediately shut behind them and Harry watched as Zabini and Malfoy warded it shut rather impressively, although Harry did add a final ward to the door that he was taught in Auror training.
"So," Nott said, cracking his neck and glancing around, "what do we do now?"
"I kick your arse in cards," Parkinson replied, cracking her knuckles, and Harry noted with amusement that Zabini seemed to cringe at the sound of her joints popping.
"How have you five been sleeping?" Harry asked. "The arrangements, I mean," he clarified upon receiving nothing but confused looks.
"Tracey and I have been Transfiguring the sofa into a bed and sleeping there," Parkinson answered, "and the other three have been sleeping in Draco's giant bed together."
"In a purely heterosexual way, of course," Nott drawled in his usual bored-sounding voice. Both Draco and Zabini rolled their eyes at him.
"Too bloody right," Draco sniffed. "You have never been invited into my bed whilst non-heterosexual things are happening in it."
"I already know for a fact that I'm not the one in this room you wish to invite into your bed for such things," Nott replied, and Harry felt his heart speed up at the implication. Surely Nott could not have been talking about Zabini, who had been in a committed relationship for several years. And if Nott wasn't talking about Zabini or himself, then the only man left in the room for him to be talking about would be…Harry.
Fuck. Harry felt a blush sear his cheeks as a matching one spilled across Draco's features at the same moment a fierce glare fixed onto his face, one that Nott seemed unaffected by.
"So, er," Harry croaked, suddenly feeling like the room was a thousand degrees, "how will we be sleeping tonight then?"
"I'm not sleeping in one bed with three other blokes," Zabini declared.
"Yeah, I have to say," Nott spoke up, "that sharing a bed with you two is getting rather old. I think I'll Transfigure my own bed tonight. I can only hope that you'll be able to sleep without me right next to you. Try not to miss me too much tonight, Draco."
"I am about two seconds away from making you sleep in the bathtub," Malfoy declared, crossing his arms.
"I second Theo's idea of not having to sleep next to a bunch of blokes any longer," Zabini stated. "I think I'll go with you girls tonight," he nodded to Parkinson and Davis. "Pansy can sleep in the middle of us, Trace, if that's all right with you."
"Fine with me," Davis shrugged. "I know that even if you were to try anything, Pansy would kill you before I would even get the chance."
"Too bloody right she would," Parkinson agreed.
"Er, so…" Harry felt as though his face was on fire. Was he meant to spend the night in Draco's bed with him? Harry stared at the bed. It was enormous. But even if it was a kilometer wide, it would still be a bed. That they would be sharing. In Draco's bedroom. It was all far more intimate than Harry was used to. The only person he had ever shared a bed with was Ginny, and that was when they were together. He had never shared a bed with someone in a situation that wasn't sexual or intimate, and he felt nearly light-headed by how hard his heart was hammering.
"You can Transfigure your own bed if you would prefer." Draco's quiet voice cut through Harry's mounting panic. "I won't be offended, Potter."
Harry turned to stare at him, noting the pink flush in Malfoy's cheeks and the way he kept biting his lip nervously. "No," he said after several moments, relieved as his heart finally began to slow. "It's fine with me, Draco."
A single nod was his only response, but the blush in Malfoy's cheeks had only intensified.
"Remember," Nott said indifferently, "no non-heterosexual activities, please. I would like to remind you now that the two of you will be sharing that bed in a room full of people."
Malfoy gritted his teeth. "Fuck off, Theo, go sleep in the bloody bathtub already."
Nott smirked. "So touchy, Draco. I was only offering a friendly reminder."
"So, are we playing cards then or what?" Harry interrupted before Malfoy could respond to Nott.
"Only if you're prepared to lose," Parkinson said, one half of her mouth pulled up in a grin.
Harry grinned back. "Oh please, I lived in a dorm with Seamus for six years. I think I can hold my own."
"I like your new best mate, Draco," Davis said mildly. "He's at least confident, if not moronic."
"I think you mean new bedmate, Trace," Nott corrected.
"Can she not mean both?" Parkinson asked. "My bedmate is also my best mate."
"Well now she could be talking about either of us," Davis said to Zabini, one half of her mouth pulled up in a small grin.
"I would like to remind the three of you as well that you will also be sleeping in a room full of people," Nott said flatly. "So no orgies please, because if I hear a single sound resembling anything even close to sexual kinkery, I will have no choice but to be sick all over every single one of the perpetrators."
"And you say we're kinky," Zabini snorted. "I never knew that was the sort of thing you were into, Theo."
"No wonder you and Tracey have never shagged," Parkinson said lightly, ignoring the flushed glare from Davis. "I can't imagine her into ever being on the receiving end of such an act."
"Hey, Trace," Nott shrugged, "you'll never know until you try."
"Can we please stop talking about Theo's preferred method of shagging by sicking up on people?" Malfoy demanded, and Harry felt a rush of gratitude to the man for putting a halt to the, frankly, disturbing conversation.
"You're no fun, Draco," Parkinson pouted. "This is the most interesting conversation we've had all day."
"I'm with Draco," Harry said.
"Yes, we know," Nott said indifferently. "We're all very aware that you're with Draco. In his bed. Probably spending the entire night lying awake fighting the urge to rub up against each other or whatever it is that you bent blokes do."
"At least we won't be sleeping in the fucking bathtub, you giant git," Malfoy shot back.
"Theo is just jealous because nobody wants to rub themselves up against him," Parkinson soothed. "Unless Tracey is feeling either particularly kind-hearted or self-hating at the moment, of course."
"My heart isn't that kind," she snorted, but Harry thought he could see a slight blush dusting her cheeks.
"Has nobody else noticed," Nott drawled, "that Potter has not yet bothered to deny any of the allegations about his questionable sexuality or the fact that he and Draco are so obviously lusting after one another?"
"I think," Harry said, heart pounding furiously, "that the thing you should really be worried about is explaining why you seem so obsessed with Draco and who he's lusting after. I feel like you have more to confess to the group than we do."
"Trust me, blondes aren't exactly my thing," Nott said in a dry, apathetic voice, "even if I really was bent. Which I'm clearly not."
"And yet you do know what denial actually says about you, don't you?" Zabini smirked, eyeing Nott in amusement.
"If it really did say what you're implying it does," Nott shrugged, "then all that would really say is that you've been spending almost every night we've been trapped here in a bed with two bent blokes."
Zabini shrugged carelessly. "I warned you before we all decided on the sleeping arrangements that sharing a bed with me would only lead you to question your sexuality, Theo. You can hardly blame me for being correct, can you?"
"That's what I warned Tracey as well," Parkinson sighed, reaching out one hand to twirl a lock of Davis's hair around her index finger. "Poor girl is now hopelessly smitten."
"You fucking wish," Davis sniffed, rolling her eyes.
"Are we going to actually play cards or what?" Draco said, copying the eye roll.
"Only if you're prepared to lose, darling," Parkinson answered with a smirk.
"We'll see," Malfoy said, summoning a pack of cards from somewhere as the others took seats along the sofa and armchairs before the fire. "Coming, Potter?" he asked Harry, turning to the brunet with a single raised eyebrow.
For some reason, the challenging set of Draco's pale features flickering in the light of the fireplace sent an odd shiver through Harry, and he gulped as he glanced between Malfoy and the enormous bed awaiting the two of them.
Nodding, he swallowed again as he followed the blond to where the others sat, unable to help but glance back at the bed once more. The bed they would soon be sharing. Harry couldn't help but wonder just what exactly it was that lay in store for him later that night after finishing whatever card game the others would choose to distract themselves from the horrors of their current situation. Part of Harry hoped the game would go on all night and that they would simply never get around to actually going to sleep or forcing Harry to deal with the reality of sharing a bed with Draco Malfoy. The thought of sleeping next to another man, let alone Draco Malfoy, made Harry swallow dryly as he felt his pulse speed up.
Whatever else happened, Harry knew that it was going to be an interesting night.
A/N: And an interesting night it shall be, that I can promise!