A/N: The price of this chapter was a pie. *evil grin* Ah, the joys of being
an author! Once more, the story plan has been...extended. Two more chapters
will follow this one. Possibly three.
Thank you
Special thanks to Dylan for baking me a pie. Key lime- my new favorite. ^_^
***
Justin sat beneath the fragrant snow tree in Greenhouse 13. The diaphanous, white petals drifted down, occasionally catching in his hair. The Hufflepuff frowned. "Are you okay?" Harry inquired. "Did he hurt you?"
"I'm fine. I'm glad you showed up when you did. All the same, I don't think he would've hurt me."
"Didn't you hear him? He wanted to- He wanted-" but what Draco had wanted, Harry couldn't bring himself to say. To mention something so heinous in connection with Justin was unthinkable, so Harry settled for biting his lip instead.
"I heard what he said," Justin replied, shaking petals out of his hair, " and it certainly felt that way, but-"
"If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and-"
"Is named 'Malfoy', it might be a duck-billed platypus," Justin chuckled softly, looking up through his eyelashes in an unintentionally flirtatious gesture.
"What does that mean? " Harry asked, scooting closer to Justin.
"It means that Draco's motives are only known to himself no matter how obvious they may appear."
"So even though he drugged, kissed and groped you against your will while implying that he wasn't going to stop there, you still think his motives are good?" Harry asked incredulously.
"It's possible," Justin mused.
"It must be great to live in your world, " Harry replied, charmed. Justin blushed and pouted.
"I'm serious. I know Draco a lot better than you do."
"And I know his family history a lot better than you do."
"Draco is not his father," Justin said firmly.
"Yet. Next you'll tell me that Voldemort is just misunderstood and wasn't hugged enough as a child."
"I'm optimistic, not stupid," Justin snapped.
"Then you are blind and optimistic. Malfoy has done some awful things-"
"He's done stupid and immature things. That doesn't make him evil." Harry smiled and shook his head.
"You think I'm an idiot, don't you?" Justin sighed. Harry laughed.
"No, I think you're incredibly naïve and adorable."
"I'm naïve for refusing to believe someone can be innately evil?"
"No."
"Then I don't understand. What makes you the authority on good and evil?"
"I don't know about being the authority, but this certainly adds to my credibility!" Harry said, pointing to his scar.
"Oh. I forgot."
"It's alright. You get really worked up when it comes to Malfoy. Are you sure you don't like him instead of me?" Justin gaped at Harry. Harry chuckled. "Seamus kinda spelled it out for me today."
"I should've guessed."
"He said he was sick of your 'blasted shyness'."
"Subtle is not Seamus's strong suite."
"No. And hiding things isn't yours. You do like him, don't you?"
"I like you," Justin replied. Then he did the boldest thing he had ever done in his life: He kissed Harry. Harry kissed him back softly and then pushed him away gently.
"Far be it from me to reject kisses from adorable Hufflepuffs, but you still didn't answer my question. Do you like Malfoy?"
"Of course I d-" Don't. That was what Justin meant to say. It was what he was trying to say. But it wasn't easy when Harry was staring at him with patience, understanding and that easy charm that had gotten Justin into this mess to begin with.
"No, I don't," Justin said at last. Well, it was true. He didn't like Draco. Draco was far too exasperating to ever be liked. He held himself to high standards and expected them others to live up to the same standards. He was aloft and untouchable and insufferably proud. He was honest- painfully honest. His smile was rare and slightly crooked and his clothes fit him too nicely. It should be illegal for someone to look that good all the time. And he had this annoying habit of being nice when it was most needed and least expected and he tasted like…Damn. Damn. Damn. Fuck. Damn.
"You are the worst liar in the entire world," Harry said softly.
"I don't like him," Justin insisted. Harry grinned.
"No, you don't. You love him," Harry gasped. "Justin and Malfoy sitting in a tree, S-O-D-D- ouch!" he cried, rubbing his arm.
"Don't be crass," Justin said primly. "We get quite enough of that from Seamus, which reminds me…" Justin reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a shiny set of handcuffs. "Here you are." It was Harry's turn to blush.
"How did you-"
"Ron found them somewhere. Where on earth did you get those?"
"Present," Harry mumbled.
"From who?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"Hermione gave them to me for my last birthday."
"Whatever for?" Justin giggled. Hermione, Miss Propriety, was into bondage. It was too funny.
"She said they might be useful in getting certain blondes to stay still long enough for a decent shag." Justin gasped.
"Liar! She didn't!"
"Those were her exact words."
"Certain Irish blondes?" Justin inquired. Harry was silent. "With names that start with 's' and end in 'eamus'?" A telltale blush crept up to Harry's ears. "Looks like you're the one in the tree. Handcuffs, leather pants…All you're missing is a whip."
"No, I'm not," Harry replied, running a hand through his hair. Justin laughed so hard he was in tears.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get that hyperactive Irish twit!" Justin said, or sobbed rather.
"And you," Harry said sternly. "Do something to Malfoy." Something? Justin's eyebrows rose and an uncharacteristically evil grin passed over his face.
"I will," he promised. Harry kissed him swiftly on the cheek and after being convinced Justin no longer needed his assistance, left.
***
So…comments? Suggestions? I'm all ears. Review!
Love,
J. Silver
Thank you
Special thanks to Dylan for baking me a pie. Key lime- my new favorite. ^_^
***
Justin sat beneath the fragrant snow tree in Greenhouse 13. The diaphanous, white petals drifted down, occasionally catching in his hair. The Hufflepuff frowned. "Are you okay?" Harry inquired. "Did he hurt you?"
"I'm fine. I'm glad you showed up when you did. All the same, I don't think he would've hurt me."
"Didn't you hear him? He wanted to- He wanted-" but what Draco had wanted, Harry couldn't bring himself to say. To mention something so heinous in connection with Justin was unthinkable, so Harry settled for biting his lip instead.
"I heard what he said," Justin replied, shaking petals out of his hair, " and it certainly felt that way, but-"
"If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and-"
"Is named 'Malfoy', it might be a duck-billed platypus," Justin chuckled softly, looking up through his eyelashes in an unintentionally flirtatious gesture.
"What does that mean? " Harry asked, scooting closer to Justin.
"It means that Draco's motives are only known to himself no matter how obvious they may appear."
"So even though he drugged, kissed and groped you against your will while implying that he wasn't going to stop there, you still think his motives are good?" Harry asked incredulously.
"It's possible," Justin mused.
"It must be great to live in your world, " Harry replied, charmed. Justin blushed and pouted.
"I'm serious. I know Draco a lot better than you do."
"And I know his family history a lot better than you do."
"Draco is not his father," Justin said firmly.
"Yet. Next you'll tell me that Voldemort is just misunderstood and wasn't hugged enough as a child."
"I'm optimistic, not stupid," Justin snapped.
"Then you are blind and optimistic. Malfoy has done some awful things-"
"He's done stupid and immature things. That doesn't make him evil." Harry smiled and shook his head.
"You think I'm an idiot, don't you?" Justin sighed. Harry laughed.
"No, I think you're incredibly naïve and adorable."
"I'm naïve for refusing to believe someone can be innately evil?"
"No."
"Then I don't understand. What makes you the authority on good and evil?"
"I don't know about being the authority, but this certainly adds to my credibility!" Harry said, pointing to his scar.
"Oh. I forgot."
"It's alright. You get really worked up when it comes to Malfoy. Are you sure you don't like him instead of me?" Justin gaped at Harry. Harry chuckled. "Seamus kinda spelled it out for me today."
"I should've guessed."
"He said he was sick of your 'blasted shyness'."
"Subtle is not Seamus's strong suite."
"No. And hiding things isn't yours. You do like him, don't you?"
"I like you," Justin replied. Then he did the boldest thing he had ever done in his life: He kissed Harry. Harry kissed him back softly and then pushed him away gently.
"Far be it from me to reject kisses from adorable Hufflepuffs, but you still didn't answer my question. Do you like Malfoy?"
"Of course I d-" Don't. That was what Justin meant to say. It was what he was trying to say. But it wasn't easy when Harry was staring at him with patience, understanding and that easy charm that had gotten Justin into this mess to begin with.
"No, I don't," Justin said at last. Well, it was true. He didn't like Draco. Draco was far too exasperating to ever be liked. He held himself to high standards and expected them others to live up to the same standards. He was aloft and untouchable and insufferably proud. He was honest- painfully honest. His smile was rare and slightly crooked and his clothes fit him too nicely. It should be illegal for someone to look that good all the time. And he had this annoying habit of being nice when it was most needed and least expected and he tasted like…Damn. Damn. Damn. Fuck. Damn.
"You are the worst liar in the entire world," Harry said softly.
"I don't like him," Justin insisted. Harry grinned.
"No, you don't. You love him," Harry gasped. "Justin and Malfoy sitting in a tree, S-O-D-D- ouch!" he cried, rubbing his arm.
"Don't be crass," Justin said primly. "We get quite enough of that from Seamus, which reminds me…" Justin reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a shiny set of handcuffs. "Here you are." It was Harry's turn to blush.
"How did you-"
"Ron found them somewhere. Where on earth did you get those?"
"Present," Harry mumbled.
"From who?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"Hermione gave them to me for my last birthday."
"Whatever for?" Justin giggled. Hermione, Miss Propriety, was into bondage. It was too funny.
"She said they might be useful in getting certain blondes to stay still long enough for a decent shag." Justin gasped.
"Liar! She didn't!"
"Those were her exact words."
"Certain Irish blondes?" Justin inquired. Harry was silent. "With names that start with 's' and end in 'eamus'?" A telltale blush crept up to Harry's ears. "Looks like you're the one in the tree. Handcuffs, leather pants…All you're missing is a whip."
"No, I'm not," Harry replied, running a hand through his hair. Justin laughed so hard he was in tears.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get that hyperactive Irish twit!" Justin said, or sobbed rather.
"And you," Harry said sternly. "Do something to Malfoy." Something? Justin's eyebrows rose and an uncharacteristically evil grin passed over his face.
"I will," he promised. Harry kissed him swiftly on the cheek and after being convinced Justin no longer needed his assistance, left.
***
So…comments? Suggestions? I'm all ears. Review!
Love,
J. Silver