Author's Notes: Slightly shorter chapter this time, I'm afraid. Again (I
keep on saying this, but I feel the need) thank you all for the great
reviews. I live for it, I swear.
Disclaimer: See part one.
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He didn't pull back. Neither did I, surprisingly - I had never been one for sticking to my convictions. His lips were...warm, and he tasted of thunder and lightning. My arm slipped around his waist, pressed him closer to me.
Then I heard someone choke at the door. Harry pulled away from me swiftly, took one look at the intruder, and fled to a shower. I slowly turned to face the door.
It was Blaise Zabini.
I silently cursed the fates. So far I had managed to avoid Zabini as much as possible - I only really saw him during meals and exercise, since he had - I was told - finally learned his lesson about messing with Harry and his friends, and since I was part of Harry's group, he avoided me also. He had been in fights, but few with me or those I now considered 'mine'. Except Rubber, of course - they had an ongoing hatred of each other. I hadn't yet worked out why.
I'd been lucky in avoiding him. But now he stood between me and the door, and there was a malicious glint in his eyes that I didn't like.
And I knew Harry was going to be of any help in the fight that was surely about to come.
Zabini took a step closer to me. "Well, well, well," he said slowly. "You and Potter. I never would have guessed."
"His name is Harry," I said through gritted teeth. "What do you want, Zabini?" His grin widened. Oh yes, I knew that grin. I'd lived in a dorm room with him for seven years, after all. He wanted something to keep quiet about what he'd just seen...and it wasn't going to be something that I wanted to give him.
I heard the squeaking sound of one of the showers being turned on. I glanced at the shower cubicles, then looked back at Zabini. "Get out of here," I said harshly. "You don't have a clue, Zabini."
"Oh, don't I?" He took another few steps towards me. I concealed a grimace at the look on his face. "I know what I saw, Malfoy. What's to stop me from telling everyone?"
I raised my eyebrows as I realised that whatever he said, it didn't really matter. Okay, maybe it would be a bit embarrassing, but it wasn't as if we were the first guys caught kissing in the showers. Heck, the other week I'd walked in on Gary fucking two-seven-one, whose name I could never remember. It was a regular occurrence; we were all men and unlikely to see any female for years. The prison as a whole was okay with it. Except the guards, but they didn't count. The only thing that never happened in here was romance, although there were always definite 'couples'. It was a form of protection...that I had as yet kept far away from. Those of us in closest to Harry usually didn't need to worry too much about protection; Harry didn't tolerate anyone who he liked getting hurt.
Only Harry was ignoring the world only a few metres away. And Zabini's fist was heading towards my face.
I slammed back against the wall, and gingerly rubbed my jaw whilst eyeing Zabini. I realised quite suddenly that I hated the man who had once been one of my best friends. I also realised that he really packed a punch; I felt incredibly sorry for Rubber, who was usually the recipient of Zabini's blows.
"Get the fuck away from me," I seethed. I brought my fingers away from my lip; I saw blood. "Get away from me, Blaise."
Zabini leered at me. "Give me a reason, *Draco*. Just give me a reason." I lifted myself off the wall; he was within reach of me now, and with a smirk I punched him hard. He stumbled backwards, and slipped on a wet patch on the floor - the prison shoes didn't really have any grip on them. I stood over him, glaring.
"Well done," came Harry's voice, sounding oddly detached, from the shower door. Both Zabini and I looked up at him; Zabini scowled, scrambled to his feet, and left the showers at a half-run. I touched my split lip again and winced.
"Here," Harry said, moving closer to me and holding out his damp towel. I took it slowly, and pressed it to my face. He was watching me, a strangely quizzical look in his eyes, but I looked away, and gave him back the towel. He chucked it over to the pile of soiled towels in the corner, awaiting the laundry call in the morning, and lifted my chin, examining the mark on my face.
"Wow," he commented. "He's got stronger since I last fought him." He met my eyes again, and I couldn't look away. "Draco, don't kiss me again."
"Why?" I asked quietly. "Why won't you let anyone in, Harry?" His eyes flashed in that way he had of showing that he didn't like something, and I bit my lip. It hurt. I tasted copper in my mouth.
But he answered. "It's never a good idea to let anybody get close in prison, Draco," he said, a rebuke evident in his expression. "And I don't want that." His voice shook slightly, and I realised something that perhaps I should have realised before.
"Who was it?" I breathed. "Who broke your heart, Harry? Because whoever it was, they're not worth letting your life slip by over."
Harry flinched, as if I had struck him. Maybe I had. "Shut up," he ground out. "Don't talk about things you don't know anything about." He met my eyes one last time, then left me alone in the showers.
I dropped to the floor, and curled up in a ball. For the first time since I had come to Talsgate prison, I cried.
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To be continued.
Replies to reviews:
Chrisseee667, Derelictus, Ciara Moondagger, silentkaos, Eien, janibo, Colibi - thank you all!
bwaybaby79 - You'll find out about why Hermione came to visit soon, I promise. It's a good reason. Sort of. And what you said that I hinted? Remember it.
EnigmaDesdemona7 - *grins* thank you!
Ice - you hit the nail right on the head - when I'm writing Chained I always picture it in black and white, with just a little bit of colour for some things - eg. Harry's eyes. And something is always left to say. Always. And yes, Hermione is a collaborator, not an all out traitor, but you'll find out more about that later when you find out more about the entire political situation in England. Which you will do. I promise. Although I can't say exactly when. *Grin* again though, thank you for your wonderful comments.
black_ink - thank you! *Grins wickedly and nods head* yes, more questions are definitely raised than answered. Although all questions will be answered...eventually. I swear.
Disclaimer: See part one.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He didn't pull back. Neither did I, surprisingly - I had never been one for sticking to my convictions. His lips were...warm, and he tasted of thunder and lightning. My arm slipped around his waist, pressed him closer to me.
Then I heard someone choke at the door. Harry pulled away from me swiftly, took one look at the intruder, and fled to a shower. I slowly turned to face the door.
It was Blaise Zabini.
I silently cursed the fates. So far I had managed to avoid Zabini as much as possible - I only really saw him during meals and exercise, since he had - I was told - finally learned his lesson about messing with Harry and his friends, and since I was part of Harry's group, he avoided me also. He had been in fights, but few with me or those I now considered 'mine'. Except Rubber, of course - they had an ongoing hatred of each other. I hadn't yet worked out why.
I'd been lucky in avoiding him. But now he stood between me and the door, and there was a malicious glint in his eyes that I didn't like.
And I knew Harry was going to be of any help in the fight that was surely about to come.
Zabini took a step closer to me. "Well, well, well," he said slowly. "You and Potter. I never would have guessed."
"His name is Harry," I said through gritted teeth. "What do you want, Zabini?" His grin widened. Oh yes, I knew that grin. I'd lived in a dorm room with him for seven years, after all. He wanted something to keep quiet about what he'd just seen...and it wasn't going to be something that I wanted to give him.
I heard the squeaking sound of one of the showers being turned on. I glanced at the shower cubicles, then looked back at Zabini. "Get out of here," I said harshly. "You don't have a clue, Zabini."
"Oh, don't I?" He took another few steps towards me. I concealed a grimace at the look on his face. "I know what I saw, Malfoy. What's to stop me from telling everyone?"
I raised my eyebrows as I realised that whatever he said, it didn't really matter. Okay, maybe it would be a bit embarrassing, but it wasn't as if we were the first guys caught kissing in the showers. Heck, the other week I'd walked in on Gary fucking two-seven-one, whose name I could never remember. It was a regular occurrence; we were all men and unlikely to see any female for years. The prison as a whole was okay with it. Except the guards, but they didn't count. The only thing that never happened in here was romance, although there were always definite 'couples'. It was a form of protection...that I had as yet kept far away from. Those of us in closest to Harry usually didn't need to worry too much about protection; Harry didn't tolerate anyone who he liked getting hurt.
Only Harry was ignoring the world only a few metres away. And Zabini's fist was heading towards my face.
I slammed back against the wall, and gingerly rubbed my jaw whilst eyeing Zabini. I realised quite suddenly that I hated the man who had once been one of my best friends. I also realised that he really packed a punch; I felt incredibly sorry for Rubber, who was usually the recipient of Zabini's blows.
"Get the fuck away from me," I seethed. I brought my fingers away from my lip; I saw blood. "Get away from me, Blaise."
Zabini leered at me. "Give me a reason, *Draco*. Just give me a reason." I lifted myself off the wall; he was within reach of me now, and with a smirk I punched him hard. He stumbled backwards, and slipped on a wet patch on the floor - the prison shoes didn't really have any grip on them. I stood over him, glaring.
"Well done," came Harry's voice, sounding oddly detached, from the shower door. Both Zabini and I looked up at him; Zabini scowled, scrambled to his feet, and left the showers at a half-run. I touched my split lip again and winced.
"Here," Harry said, moving closer to me and holding out his damp towel. I took it slowly, and pressed it to my face. He was watching me, a strangely quizzical look in his eyes, but I looked away, and gave him back the towel. He chucked it over to the pile of soiled towels in the corner, awaiting the laundry call in the morning, and lifted my chin, examining the mark on my face.
"Wow," he commented. "He's got stronger since I last fought him." He met my eyes again, and I couldn't look away. "Draco, don't kiss me again."
"Why?" I asked quietly. "Why won't you let anyone in, Harry?" His eyes flashed in that way he had of showing that he didn't like something, and I bit my lip. It hurt. I tasted copper in my mouth.
But he answered. "It's never a good idea to let anybody get close in prison, Draco," he said, a rebuke evident in his expression. "And I don't want that." His voice shook slightly, and I realised something that perhaps I should have realised before.
"Who was it?" I breathed. "Who broke your heart, Harry? Because whoever it was, they're not worth letting your life slip by over."
Harry flinched, as if I had struck him. Maybe I had. "Shut up," he ground out. "Don't talk about things you don't know anything about." He met my eyes one last time, then left me alone in the showers.
I dropped to the floor, and curled up in a ball. For the first time since I had come to Talsgate prison, I cried.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To be continued.
Replies to reviews:
Chrisseee667, Derelictus, Ciara Moondagger, silentkaos, Eien, janibo, Colibi - thank you all!
bwaybaby79 - You'll find out about why Hermione came to visit soon, I promise. It's a good reason. Sort of. And what you said that I hinted? Remember it.
EnigmaDesdemona7 - *grins* thank you!
Ice - you hit the nail right on the head - when I'm writing Chained I always picture it in black and white, with just a little bit of colour for some things - eg. Harry's eyes. And something is always left to say. Always. And yes, Hermione is a collaborator, not an all out traitor, but you'll find out more about that later when you find out more about the entire political situation in England. Which you will do. I promise. Although I can't say exactly when. *Grin* again though, thank you for your wonderful comments.
black_ink - thank you! *Grins wickedly and nods head* yes, more questions are definitely raised than answered. Although all questions will be answered...eventually. I swear.