Here is chapter ten, and in honour of it being the tenth chapter, and because your amazing reviews passed the five hundred mark, I have made this chapter twice the usual length!!! Well, actually, I just kept on writing, and though my roommate thought I should I split it into two and hold the second half for review-ransom, I said 'No! I cannot do that to the good people of the fanfiction community! Never would I be so cruel!' Okay, I didn't really say that, but wouldn't it be cool if I had? So here it is, all thanks to your reviews (see? They do work), and hopefully I've inspired you to keep the comments coming!
Allow me to give a brief summary of this chapter: it's about sex. And that's about it. Enjoy!
Harry was sitting at a long table in one of the university's libraries, across from Mike and Tim. An array of aging books and crumpled articles lay before him, and he clutched a bright orange highlighter in his hand. It wasn't until he turned the page in his textbook and recognized his excessive orange highlighting that he realized he had already read this chapter. Harry gave a weary sigh.
" Problems, Harry?" Tim asked, looking up from his distressingly large pile of notes.
" No, not really," Harry replied. He let his head fall onto the table with a thunk.
" It's about sex, isn't it?" Mike said knowingly.
Tim interjected, " Not everything is about sex you know. He could be worried about school, his friends, his work, money, anything at all."
" Well actually…" Harry said, beginning to blush.
" I don't believe it," Tim said.
" Ha! See? I can recognize the symptoms blindfolded. Good thing you came to the expert. Now, are you having trouble getting it up?"
" What? No," Harry replied, mortified. " And could you keep it down? We're in a bloody library."
" Having problems keeping it up then? Or maybe getting it to go back down?"
" Oh leave off," Harry said. " Forget I said anything."
" You see I would, but now you've got me hooked, and I'm afraid I won't stop pestering until you tell me."
" I'd listen to him Harry. He's like a bloodhound following the scent of perversion down to its most minute portions," Tim said.
Harry shifted in his chair, looking from Tim's staid countenance, to Mike's overeager expression. Harry put his forehead to the table, and wrapped his arms over his head. He mumbled something that neither of his friends could understand.
" Could you repeat that Harry?"
" I said: I want to see Draco naked."
Tim and Mike looked at each other and burst out laughing. The librarian at the counter frowned at them disapprovingly.
" Let's go get some coffee, yeah? You can explain more fully on the way," Tim suggested. The trio quickly gathered up their belongings and slipped out of the library.
" I can't seem to concentrate on anything else," Harry said. " I wake up, think about him naked, drink coffee, imagine him naked, eat breakfast, wish he was naked, sit in class, picturing him naked, can't do my homework, as I'm too busy thinking of ways to get him naked. Naked, naked, NAKED! What the hell is wrong with me?"
" You're going straight to hell for sure, Harry. Imagine, picturing your boyfriend in the buff – I've never heard of such depravity, have you Mike?" Tim asked, voice practically dripping with sarcasm.
" I sure haven't, Tim. Oh, except from everyone else on the planet! Jesus, Harry, you enjoy feeling guilty far too much. But I do have one question: what's stopping you from getting a glimpse at gorgeous-boy?"
" I don't know. I just can't seem to come up with a good way of going about it."
" You two have been… well, you've been getting closer, haven't you?" Tim asked. They had reached the coffee shop by this time, and were sitting at a small table by the window. A waitress came and took their orders before Harry answered.
" Yes, we've been… rather involved I guess you could say."
Mike seemed to be bursting, wanting to shout out tips and advice, but Tim kept quelling these impulses with well placed glances.
" Has Draco seen you naked?"
Harry decided to maintain his blush for the rest of the conversation, just to save himself time. " Partially."
Tim was thoughtful for a while, and their coffee arrived. There was the usual brief interlude as they prepared their coffees according to taste. Harry took a careful sip and gave a small contented sigh. Coffee could fix almost anything.
" I think what it is, is that Draco is a little more… aggressive. He knows what he wants, and at the moment what he wants is you. He probably hasn't considered the removal of his own clothes yet, so if you're serious, you're going to have to be a little aggressive yourself, and take the initiative. Do you follow me?"
" Yes, but I still don't know where to begin. I mean, I can't just say: 'hey Draco, I want to see you naked. Strip, please."
" Sure you can! I could even be with you when you say it – purely for emotional support, of course," Mike said.
" Of course," Tim said, rolling his eyes. " Harry, the way I see it, you've got three options. You can be honest, and tell him what you want; you can do nothing, and hope it happens on its own, or you can be brave and go for it the next time circumstances provide."
" Or you can wait until he's asleep, steal all his clothes, throw them out the window, and then dump water on his pyjamas so that he has no choice but to walk around without a stitch on. I volunteer to help you in this noble pursuit – shall we say midnight?"
" Do you have any shame?" Tim asked.
" Tim! I'm appalled. I have no desire to see Draco's nude form – though I imagine it's delectable. I'd be doing this entirely for Harry's benefit."
" I never knew you were so altruistic," Harry said.
" I'm terribly unappreciated," Mike said. " Yet I live to give."
All three of them started laughing then, even Mike though he couldn't remember if he'd meant to be serious or not. Tim and Mike spent the next little while teasing Harry good naturedly, Mike being more then a little surprised at the pace of Harry's and Draco's relationship.
" Not everyone ends up in bed together on the first date," Tim said, finally coming to Harry's aide.
" Didn't hear you complaining," Mike said. This time it was Tim who was blushing.
" Well, thanks for the advice. I think," Harry said, standing up. He dropped a few coins on the table to pay for his coffee. " But I must be off. I've got things to do, people to see, and boyfriends to debauch."
" Now you're talking," Mike said.
" Okay, I'll see you two later," Harry said. Harry had made it to the door, when Mike yelled out to him across the shop.
" I thought of another plan. Two words: strip poker!"
A few of the coffee shop's patrons snickered, and Harry ducked his head down into his coat collar before hurriedly escaping into the cool outdoors. As he walked home, Harry alternated between thoughts of Draco naked, and ways that he could kill Mike.
When Harry walked into the flat later that evening, he knew instinctively that something was wrong. No, not wrong, he clarified for himself, just different. It didn't take him long to figure out that Draco was gone. Harry found a note on the kitchen table, that he read out loud as he rummaged in the kitchen cupboards for a snack.
" Harry, I went out for a walk. I feel like there ought to be fanfare playing, some applause at least to mark this auspicious event, but I've waited and still nothing. Anyway, I should be back before you, but if not, can you heat up the stew that's on the stove? And stop eating biscuits, you'll spoil your appetite." At this point, Harry guiltily swallowed his third chocolate biscuit, and dutifully returned the package to the cupboard. Wiping the counter to remove any stray crumps so that Draco wouldn't know what he'd done, he continued with the note, " Then again, I'm not sure it's possible to ever give you too much food, considering your stomach is like some kind-of infinitely large black hole."
That was the end of the note, and Harry couldn't help but wonder how Draco managed to come across, in such a short note, as being both arrogant and considerate. Chuckling somewhat, Harry folded the note and put it in his pocket.
Harry lifted the cover off the pot on the stove and inspected the contents. The smell of a rich beef and barley stew wafted up to his nostrils, and he breathed in the smell appreciatively. Setting the stove to low, Harry grabbed a wooden spoon and slowly stirred tonight's meal.
Draco walked into the flat, and headed for the kitchen where he heard Harry humming tunelessly. Sliding stealthily up behind Harry, Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's waist, and rested his chin on Harry's shoulder.
" Smells good," Draco said.
" That's what I thought – looks appetizing too," Harry said. Draco placed a small kiss on Harry's neck; biting gently and delighting in the shiver that coursed through Harry's trim body.
" Are we talking about the stew or you?" Draco asked rhetorically. Reluctantly, Draco gave Harry a final squeeze before stepping back. " You hungry now? Or do you want to wait until later?"
" I could eat," Harry said.
Harry laid the table, and Draco ladled them both out some stew along with thick slices of soft bread to sop up the gravy.
" Did you have a good walk?" Harry asked conversationally.
" Not bad," Draco said. " It was weird at first, but I think it's getting easier. It's best when I can just distract myself, so that I'm not so hyper-aware of every little movement."
Harry nodded his understanding, and then the conversation stalled. They ate in silence for a while until Draco ventured another topic to talk about,
" You seem preoccupied; you have all week come to think about it. Something bothering you?"
Harry smiled, " Just thinking."
" Well don't hurt yourself," Draco replied.
" I'm surrounded by comedians," Harry complained.
" Oh really? Who's my competition?"
" Mike," Harry replied.
" Should have guessed. What words of wisdom was he spouting today?" Draco asked. They began clearing the table, and Harry started washing the plates. Draco hopped up onto the counter and watched.
" Oh, the usual stuff," Harry replied. Inspiration seemed to strike Harry all at once, and he glanced slyly at Draco, " Do you want to play some cards tonight?"
Draco nodded his agreement, and only just missed Harry's smug little smile, which was unfortunate since if he had seen it, Draco would have known that Harry was definitely up to something.
Draco and Harry sat cross-legged on the floor in the living room, facing each other, a new deck of exploding snap cards between them. The radio was playing softly in the background, and the lighting was dim. They sat so near to each other, their knees practically touched.
They played a few games, but the novelty of the exploding cards soon wore off. Snap was a game of chance, after all, and Draco soon got bored. He sighed tiredly, and wondered if Harry would mind if they quit soon.
" Bored?" Harry asked.
" A little," Draco admitted, as he picked up the cards and shuffled them.
" We could up the stakes a little," Harry suggested tentatively.
" What do you mean?"
" We play through the deck, and the person who gets the most explosions has to… remove… some clothes," said Harry, amazed when he got the sentence out more or less coherently.
" Didn't think you had it in you, Potter," Draco said coolly. Draco dealt the newly shuffled cards and placed them neatly within reach. " You're on."
The game took on a new feel, and both players would readily admit that the altered rules made things much more exciting. Harry lost the first few games, and had to remove both of his socks and his belt. Draco lost a game finally, then Harry again, who removed his jumper. Draco was dismayed to discover that Harry was wearing a T-shirt underneath. Draco then lost a series of games, one after the other, until he ended up with the same amount of clothes remaining as Harry. They both knew the next game was crucial – whoever lost was going to have to remove a significant item of clothing.
" Damn," Draco muttered. Six explosions, to Harry's four. Of course, the delighted expression on Harry's face compensated somewhat.
" Quit stalling," Harry teased. Draco scowled at Harry, and stood up. Rather calmly, he reached for the button on his trousers, pulling down the zipper, and eventually dropping the pants to the floor. He folded them quickly, and set the pants aside, before sitting back on the floor in his boxers.
Harry licked his suddenly dry lips, and tried not to stare. Stammering slightly, he said, " I thought… I thought the shirt would be the next to go."
" Something wrong with my legs?" Draco said. The tone was deliberately light, but Harry detected a faint uncertainty behind his words.
" No. Definitely nothing wrong," Harry said, still staring. Draco waved his hand in front of Harry's glazed expression and smirked,
" Can we keep playing then?"
Harry nodded, and reshuffled the deck. The following round of playing was intense, the defeats almost as enjoyable as the wins. Harry however felt the game was unfair – he had no chance of winning when faced with such a serious distraction.
" Ha! I win, strip Harry," Draco crowed happily. Harry sighed and removed his glasses, before yanking his t-shirt off over his head. Draco's eyes widened, and Harry grinned. At least in the next game they were both going to be similarly handicapped.
" Ready to play again?" Harry asked. Draco tried to form words, but his mind kept drawing a blank. " Draco?"
" Screw the game," Draco said quickly, and launched himself at Harry. They collided roughly, Harry being pushed onto his back with a blond fury resting heavily on his chest. The cards lay in disarray under Harry's body, as Draco crushed his mouth over Harry's.
Harry returned the kiss before pushing away slightly, needing to talk.
" But we haven't finished the game," Harry said plaintively. He'd been so close to finally getting Draco naked.
" Yeah, but wouldn't you rather do this, then play some silly game of snap?"
" Ouch!" Harry squealed, and Draco's expression grew concerned.
" What's the matter?"
" When you said S-N-A-P one of the cards exploded. Right under my butt too," Harry explained. He then started to giggle, as the explosion wasn't so much painful as ticklish.
" Oh dear. I think I'd better inspect the area for injury," Draco said seriously.
" I really don't think that's necessary," Harry said, smiling.
" You don't want me to kiss it better?" Draco asked, voice wobbling slightly.
" Don't you dare pout, you know I can't resist that," Harry replied. Draco stuck out his bottom lip a little further, and redoubled his efforts at looking pathetic.
Laughing, Harry grabbed hold of Draco's shoulders and rolled, succeeding in switching their positions so that Draco was underneath. Not to be outdone, Draco wriggled out of Harry's grasp, before pouncing again. The result of this was a prolonged mock-wrestling match, with neither partner too overly concerned with who was winning. Somewhere along the way, however, Draco had managed to undo the top of Harry's pants without Harry noticing. As they took a breather, Draco saw his chance and slid his hands under the waistband of Harry's pants and boxers, deliberately placing his cold hands on Harry's pleasantly curved backside.
" Whoa! Cold hands! Down pants!" Harry said, eyes wide.
" Glad you noticed," Draco said smugly. " Just checking for damage. I have to say though, that everything feels pretty good to me."
" Are you… going to do anything else while you're down there?" Harry asked shyly.
" I would, except that this is as far as I got in my planning, so I'm at a bit of a loss over what to do next. Damn my lack of foresight." Draco gave Harry a pinch, and then removed his hands entirely, much to Harry's disappointment.
" What are you talking about?"
" My plan. To get into your pants," Draco explained patiently. Harry grinned,
" You had a plan to get into my pants?"
" Well, I'd say it was more of a mission. Though to be honest I was so sure it was never going to happen that I never did get around to pondering what I would do if I ever did find a way in."
" And to think, I've been struggling all week to find a way of seeing you naked," Harry said.
" You have?" Draco asked, rather stunned. Harry scheming for a peek at his body didn't sound like the Harry he knew. Then his gaze narrowed shrewdly, " Let me guess, the strip snap was all Mike's idea?"
" Well he suggested poker, but yeah, other then that it was Mike's plan. Then you had to go spoil it all by trying to jump my bones mid-game."
Draco blushed, " It's your own damn fault. Nobody should look that good without a shirt."
" I wouldn't mind seeing you without a shirt," Harry admitted.
" Really?"
Harry chuckled, " You sound surprised."
" Well, you've never tried to get my clothes off before. And contrary to popular belief, I'm not supremely confident in my appearance – I've got a few insecurities like everyone else. My chest for one; an area in which I don't think we really compare," Draco said honestly.
Harry propped himself up slightly to better look at Draco's expression. It had quite honestly never occurred to him that Draco would ever feel the slightest bit self-conscious. Harry, after all, thought Draco was the most gorgeous individual he had ever seen.
" That's ridiculous. You've seen my scars – definitely not a selling feature." Harry adjusted his position so he was lying on his side next to Draco, rather then crushing him from above. " I was really relieved when you didn't seem to mind them. You don't, do you?"
" No. At least, not in the way you mean. I am sorry you got hurt," Draco said. He lightly touched one of the faded scars that ran across Harry's shoulders. " How did you get them?"
Harry sighed, and let his head fall to rest against Draco's shoulder. " Here and there. The one that goes from my back right around to my stomach was caused by a fire-whip – stung pretty bad. The curved one on my shoulder was a knife wound meant to hit my heart, but I twisted around just in time so it only grazed me. The one that runs straight down my spine I did when I was a kid, when I was fooling around at a playground. Funny that I remember that one better then the ones that came later. I've got more scars on my legs. I was never too intent on self-preservation – I'm more of an act first, think later kind-of person."
" That I would believe," Draco said.
" But what you said before… about comparing us, and being worried because of that. That's just stupid, because," and here Harry paused for a breath, hoping he didn't sound completely moronic, " You'll never be anything but beautiful to me."
Draco stopped breathing for a moment; Harry could tell because Draco's chest paused in its regular pattern of rise and fall. Then Draco went into a flurry of motion, touching Harry everywhere with shaky but determined fingers.
" Need to feel you're real," Draco muttered, running fingers through Harry's hair, and down the planes of his face. When he had touched and assured himself of the reality of Harry, Draco had to repeat the process just in case.
Both Draco's actions and his words caught Harry by surprise, but when he realized Draco was quaking with some strong emotion, Harry responded immediately. Harry held onto Draco tightly, gently stroking Draco's back until the shaking subsided.
" Did I say something wrong?" Harry asked.
" Quite the contrary," Draco whispered. Draco took a few deep breaths, surprised at his emotional outburst. Recovering his infamous composure, he said, " However, when you said beautiful, you really meant ruggedly handsome or outrageously sexy, right? Beautiful isn't a very manly attribute."
" How about I just punch you in the shoulder or something next time," Harry suggested. Draco glared at him, and Harry laughed.
" Now you're just being ridiculous. Time for bed, I think," Draco said. Harry yawned, and let himself be helped off the floor. He glanced at the pile of discarded clothes, both his and Draco's, and at the scattered cards, before deciding to clean up tomorrow.
" I do have one question," Harry said, as they were climbing into bed, and settling under the covers.
" What's that?"
" How did you get my pants undone so fast?"
Draco snorted, " You forget who you're dealing with. I'm a Slytherin – ambitious and sneaky to the end."
" Who knew there would actually be an advantage to being in that house?" Harry said. Despite the fact that it was obvious Harry was teasing, Draco still scowled darkly.
Harry woke up some time later in the middle of the night because Draco was tossing and turning slightly in his sleep. Never one to sleep too heavily, as nightmares came just as frequently to Harry as they did to Draco, waking up because of Draco's twitchings was not an uncommon occurrence.
Except that now Harry's eyes had adapted to the gloom, it was clear that Draco was not experiencing a nightmare, but an altogether different sort of dream. The kind-of dream that made Harry feel as though he should turn his back and give Draco some privacy. But he didn't turn around and he didn't stop watching. The shallow but hurried breathing, the flush of red across Draco's delicate cheekbones, and the tight curling of Draco's fingers into the bed-sheets, were soon not just events to be witnessed by Harry, but shared in. Though Harry lay immobile, watching every single one of Draco's spontaneous movements, he could feel the heat building in his body. Draco made a tiny mewl of noise, and Harry groaned. Harry slid forward a little on the bed, uncaring that the closer he got to Draco's seemingly scorching body, the higher the temperature rose. A steady rush of blood began pooling low in Harry's stomach. Every twitch, every sound from Draco, was stoking Harry to greater arousal. The steady ache was becoming painful, but though he wanted release, he didn't see how that was possible seeing that the object of his desires was still unconscious.
Draco turned suddenly onto his back, pressing an arm across his eyes, and letting out a heavy sigh. Harry held his breath, and tried to quiet the racing of his pulse. Draco let out another deep-seated sigh, before he shifted again, this time to rub the sleep from his eyes. His gaze darted instinctively to the clock by the bedside, and then just as quickly he turned to look at Harry to make sure his dreaming hadn't woken the other man. Obviously it had. Draco's eyes met two green orbs burning with such intensity that Draco had to look away. Unfortunately, this meant that he noticed the telltale bulge in the blankets. Blushing madly, Draco looked desperately back at Harry, hoping beyond hope that Harry hadn't noticed. Once again, Draco's hopes were for naught. Harry's gaze had shifted also, latching onto the sight of Draco's arousal, which twitched under the scrutiny. Draco shut his eyes, blocking out the scene, wishing that embarrassment alone could put him out of his misery.
He hadn't spoken in his sleep, had he? Hadn't moaned Harry's name over and over again the way his dream self had? So intent was Draco in worrying about what Harry would think of him and his erotic fantasies, he didn't notice when Harry sat up. Draco also barely registered that the blankets and sheets were being drawn down to the foot of the bed. It was when Harry touched him, that his mind came screaming back to the here and now. Grey, passion-filled eyes flew open and absorbed themselves in watching Harry trace tentative fingers up and down Draco's sensitive length. Far too soon, Harry pulled back, and sat carefully in the middle of the bed, refusing to meet Draco's eyes.
Draco's mind was screaming at Harry, begging him to continue. Harry's mind was filled with conflicting thoughts – the fierce desire to touch, to possess, warring with a misplaced sense of guilt, and an all too real sense of fear. What if Harry did something wrong? What if he already had?
" Why?" Draco asked, not realizing he had spoken out loud until Harry responded.
" I was… just curious," Harry said, shame-faced. Harry felt angry with himself, and disgusted with the lie he had just told.
" That's all it was? You were just curious?" Draco asked. Though he would have preferred almost any other answer then the one Harry had given, Draco tried not to sound upset, tried not to sound dejected. Something in his voice, however, must have given Draco away. Harry looked up; the hurt in Draco's voice made honesty more important then his insecurities.
" I did it because I really wanted to touch you," Harry said simply. Draco smiled very softly, and shifted over to where Harry sat. Draco's fingers gripped Harry's chin, and tilted Harry's head upwards until their eyes met. There was a determined set to Draco's shoulders, and a certainty in his voice that Harry found reassuring,
" What you want, Harry, I want too."
Harry swallowed nervously before placing his arms carefully around Draco's waist and drawing him closer. The bed creaked as Draco slid forward onto his knees. Draco touched the side of Harry's face in silent appreciation, before he brought his mouth down upon Harry's. The kiss was clumsy at first; too much passion to be tender, too much need to go slow.
Being on his knees on a soft mattress made Draco's balance more then a little precarious. As the kiss deepened, Draco instinctively pressed further into Harry's embrace, at which point he overbalanced and ended up toppling into Harry. Their teeth clacked together uncomfortably, and Draco thought he might have bit Harry's lip rather harshly.
Harry pulled back, apologetic. " Sorry. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing, but I want to do it anyway."
" I don't know what I'm doing either," Draco admitted. He grinned suddenly, " But I bet I'm really good at it, whatever it is."
With that said, Draco climbed into Harry's lap, locked his legs around Harry's waist (which was definitely an easier position to maintain), and resumed the kiss.
Draco's attitude went a long way towards conquering Harry's doubts. Harry felt a little like he had that night Draco had first asked him to dance. He felt the same fear caused by an unknown situation, and he felt the same protectiveness coming from Draco. Even the solution was the same; Harry let the last of his walls crumble and gave himself over completely into Draco's care.
Draco groaned into Harry's mouth when he felt the rest of Harry's restraint melt away. It felt so good to touch Harry, to touch that body with complete freedom. It was better then imagined, better then anything Draco could ever have hoped for. He wanted the little noises that escaped Harry's mouth, wanted to feel the beating of Harry's heart, wanted to know what skin on skin really felt like. Tonight, Draco wanted Harry; it was as simple as that.
And Draco wanted to be taken in return. Very gently, handling the being in his arms as carefully as he possibly could, Harry leaned forward and placed Draco on his back on the bed. Harry settled himself over Draco's body.
They were pressed together; hip to hip, chest to chest, mouth to mouth. It was as though they were trying to make a world entirely unto themselves by eliminating all space between their bodies. If they could just get closer, if they could just wrap their arms and legs tight enough, then maybe they'd sink into one another, and disappear into one entity. Leave the world to everyone else, because all they needed was right there in that room, in their arms.
As much as Draco wanted to touch and be touched, he still felt protective of Harry. Draco was careful to move slowly, letting the passion grow naturally, giving Harry ample time to decide whether he wanted to continue or call a halt. Harry didn't want to stop. When Draco began pushing Harry's t-shirt up, Harry helped by shrugging out of it.
" Hey Harry, remember this?" Draco said, twisting softly the gold ring adorning Harry's nipple. Harry let out a ragged breath, unable to keep from thrusting slightly into Draco's hips. Draco's moan of appreciation led Harry to repeat the action, rocking his hips slowly and rhythmically.
" Did I finally respond right?" Harry asked, voice low and whispery. Draco's back arched off the mattress, meeting Harry's thrusts with movements of his own. The pleasurable friction left them both too breathless for words, so Draco just nodded, pressing his lips eagerly to the side of Harry's neck.
Harry braced himself on one arm so as to not crush Draco, and with his one free hand he began undoing the buttons on Draco's flannel pyjama top. He cursed under his breath when the difficult task was made near impossible by the shaking of his overeager hand. Draco squeezed Harry's hand briefly, before proceeding to help with the removal of his shirt. With the buttons undone, Harry brushed the fabric clear of Draco's chest.
Harry went over every inch of bared marble flesh with first his eyes, and then his fingers. He looked up at Draco who seemed anxiously awaiting some kind-of sign from Harry. Harry smiled and lowered his head, licking a path down the smooth column of Draco's neck, down the sharp lines of his collarbones, and further still, hesitantly taking one of Draco's nipples in his mouth, encouraged by Draco's quickened breathing. Sliding up again to kiss Draco's swollen lips, Harry shivered, feeling the drag of bare skin as their chests met.
" You're shivering," Draco said, breaking free from the kiss. " Stand up and we'll get under the blankets."
Harry tried to protest, explaining that it was not the cold that was the cause of his shaking, but Draco was not to be denied. Harry stood up and waited as Draco reached for the blankets that were twisted at the bottom of the bed. Draco stood up too as he straightened the sheets, and tossed the blankets back into some kind-of order. When finished he pulled back the covers enough for them to climb back in, and Harry kissed him, eager to continue where they had left off.
" Wait," Draco mumbled. He pushed Harry back slightly, and then seemed to pause. Glancing around the room, Draco focused on a spot on the carpet, rather then risk a look at Harry. Harry waited as patiently as he could as Draco finally sucked in a steadying breath, and took action. Draco hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his pyjamas and pushed them down until they pooled at his feet. Stepping out of the pyjama bottoms, Draco sat down on the bed and waited.
Draco looked so vulnerable at that moment; naked and fragile, he was completely at Harry's mercy. It went straight to Harry's heart, the trust that Draco was so obviously giving him. And though it should have terrified Harry, this significant step of intimacy, it didn't. All Harry wanted to do was to reassure Draco, to hold him and keep him safe. In short: to love him.
Harry tugged down his own boxers, and stepped over to the bed,
" Move over," Harry said, and Draco finally dared raise his head. They locked eyes for a moment, before Draco slid a little further onto the bed, and under the covers, holding the blankets up so Harry could climb under them too. Draco reached his arm around Harry and firmly tucked the blankets around them both.
" You should be warmer now," Draco said.
Harry pulled Draco back into his arms, responding softly, " Yes, thanks, I am."
It didn't take them long to come the first time. Their nerves and senses had been kept at too keen a pitch for too long, for them to expect to last once their bare skin connected. Friction alone was enough to bring them to release the first time, but it didn't end there. They continued to kiss and cuddle, and touch and explore, unwilling to part for more then a few seconds.
Draco was determined to use his hands to bring Harry to a second release; he wanted to give that pleasure, wanted to feel what it felt like when Harry came. When Draco touched him, Harry gasped, and it was the most wonderful sound Draco had ever heard, next to the sound Harry made when he came, a soft sound that was partly a whimper, partly a moan – a sound Draco could happily spend the rest of his life trying to decipher.
Harry lay on his side, resting his head on Draco's shoulder. His limbs felt heavy, tired, and suffused with a pleasant tingling, which meant his muscles would only consider moving for extreme purposes. Harry summoned unheard of energy reserves, and roused himself.
" What are you doing?" Draco asked.
" Returning the favour," Harry said, giving Draco a quick smile. Draco's toes curled in anticipation. There was touching, certainly, a hand that stroked and caressed much as Draco's had, but the moist heat of Harry's mouth was something that startled Draco into near incoherence.
" Harry… what?"
" Am I doing it wrong?"
" Hell no," Draco said, perhaps a little too forcefully, but Harry grinned at the tone.
The sensations quickly became too much, and Draco shut his eyes, part of him wanting to make the moment last, the other part begging to have the climax crash over him. When it did hit, Draco fell back against the bed, revelling in the warm glow that seemed to permeate his very soul. Harry dragged himself alongside Draco, and placed a simple kiss on Draco's mouth. Draco was too tired to respond much to the kiss, both their bodies now pleasantly sated, but when Harry lay down heavily next to Draco, it was Draco who wrapped pale arms around Harry's waist and drew them closer.
" You didn't have to," Draco said sleepily.
" I know, I wanted to," Harry said, feeling his eyelids droop. " And I figured… it would be less messy."
" You remembered," Draco said, slightly awed.
" Of course," Harry said. Harry snuggled in closer to Draco, pulling the blankets tightly around them both. They probably would have spoken more, but sleep claimed them both before they could even utter their goodnights.
The next morning, Draco woke up and everything was different. Same place, same time, same warm body next to his, but still, everything was different. Maybe it was just that everything was better. He was up before Harry, which was not at all surprising. Draco usually awoke earlier then Harry, and he had been known before to watch the other man sleep. Never had he watched, however, with such a goofy grin on his face. Harry was on his stomach, head turned towards Draco, the blankets drawn down to his waist. It sent a delicious thrill through Draco's body to know that underneath those blankets Harry was completely bare. Harry's famously messy black hair was even more mussed then usual, but because Draco knew it was his own fingers that had caused the disarray, he wasn't going to complain. He looked, Draco thought, taking in the faint scar on Harry's pale forehead, the toned muscles, and the gently bruised lips, like something out of an erotic dream. It was certainly something out of one of Draco's dreams, and he couldn't believe he actually got to be the first person ever to wake up to a Harry that looked like this.
Harry's eyelids fluttered open, green eyes gradually becoming accustomed to the morning light. The first thing he saw with his imperfect vision was Draco, lying on his side and propped up by an elbow, studying him. Harry was soon wearing a smile that matched Draco's.
" Hey," Harry said.
" Hey," Draco returned. The blond moved a little closer, coming into focus to Harry. Draco put a lazy arm across Harry's back and placed his head on Harry's pillow, their faces only inches apart. " I didn't think it would be like this."
" Like what?" Harry said, tucking a blond tendril of hair back behind Draco's ear.
" I thought the first thing I'd want to do was take a shower. I thought I'd be nervous and shy around you; that I'd try to sneak out of bed and dress before you woke-up. I thought I'd be better able to resist touching you. But it's not like that at all. I don't want to get out of bed, I don't feel self-conscious, and I want to touch you even more then I did before."
" I know the feeling," Harry said. It did feel surprisingly comfortable lying there next to each other: warm, cozy, and intimate. In fact, there was nowhere else Harry wanted to be. Harry couldn't understand how anyone could be casual about sex; he couldn't imagine sharing this moment with anyone other then Draco. It just felt right, somehow.
They dozed a little, cuddled a little, and thought a little. Draco eventually got up, slid on his pyjama pants and went to make coffee. He brought the mugs back to the bedroom, giving Harry a cup, and sitting himself down with the bed's headboard against his back.
" So, how's it feel now that you're not a virgin anymore?" Draco asked, when they were sufficiently more awake due to caffeine.
" We didn't, uh, well you know. You think what we did counts?" Harry asked, giving a contented sigh when he tasted his coffee. Naked in bed, Draco at his side, and hot coffee in his hand – could life get any better?
" You know, I think this would be a perfect test to see how well you know me. What do you think my answer to that question is?" Draco asked.
Harry pondered slightly, " Well, obviously since you were the one to ask in the first place, you think we've lost our virgin status. So, I'm guessing that you feel that it's not the act itself that matters, but rather what a person thinks. Another one of those 'conditions of the mind'," Harry said. Draco was nodding along, very pleased with Harry's answer so far. His confidence bolstered, Harry continued, " So you probably think that virginity is something you have to consciously choose to give – it can't be taken by force or by accident, it happens when you deliberately decide to give your body and your mind to someone else, and let them touch you."
Draco gave Harry a quick kiss, " Excellent deduction, Holmes. Quite right on every particular."
" So I'm not a virgin. Because I did that last night; I gave myself to you."
" I did too," Draco said, leaning in for a longer kiss. Harry shot up, and he would have spilled his coffee had the mug he was holding not been drained dry.
" We have to celebrate! Have a 'We are not virgins anymore' day," Harry said excitedly.
" W.A.N.V.A? Couldn't you have chosen words that would make a better acronym?" Draco replied glibly.
Harry rolled his eyes slightly, " Come on, it'll be fun."
" What does one do, exactly, on such a day?" Draco asked, humouring his partner.
" Umm, well, we could go to breakfast," Harry said, making up a plan on the spot. He glanced at the clock and made some calculations, " Well, actually, by the time we would be ready to go, it would be closer to lunch… We could have brunch. Eat really sickeningly sweet things like waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. Then we could go shopping, or something. No, wait, we could go downtown and check out the museums. You'd like that, I bet."
" Could we go to another movie?" Draco asked.
" Sure!" Harry said, glad that Draco seemed to be getting into the idea. " We'll go to a late matinee somewhere."
" And can we have dinner out? Stop for dessert somewhere? Sit at a little café and drink espresso, and make fun of the people who walk by?"
" Absolutely. Anything we want," Harry said.
" Can we wear t-shirts with great big flashing arrows pointing at each other that say 'I lost my virginity to this bloke'?"
" Of course we can…" Harry trailed off when what Draco had actually said finally registered. His eyes narrowed, " You're mocking me."
" Just a little," Draco conceded. " Fortunately, I am feeling very, very, content so I'm prepared to be generous. Besides, you know I like to spend money frivolously."
Once the decision was made, Draco and Harry showered (separately) and got dressed to go out. Soon they were sitting at a restaurant where Harry did indeed get his waffles smothered in red strawberries and thick fresh cream. Draco had eggs and sausage, and tried to do the crossword in the newspaper. Later they took the underground downtown, and visited the natural history museum, followed by the national art museum. With the intellectual portion of the day taken care of, they went and saw an action film that had more explosions then dialogue, and if there was a plot, neither Draco nor Harry picked up on it, not that it mattered much. The movie let out in the early evening, and feeling hungry, Draco and Harry stopped at a Chinese take-away before heading home.
They set out the food on the coffee table, choosing to eat out of the cartons in front of the telly, rather then at the table. Neither felt like doing dishes on their 'W.A.N.V.A.' day.
At the end of their meal, Harry tossed Draco a fortune cookie, and they broke into them, though Draco made some cynical comment about fortune cookies being even sillier than divination class. Harry had to agree, but at least fortune cookies, as a general rule, didn't tell him of an upcoming gruesome death, unlike certain divination professors.
" 'You will find happiness with a new love'," Harry read out loud. " Wow, sorry Draco. That sure was fast, huh?"
" Ha ha, very funny," Draco said, breaking into his own cookie. " 'Crisis is just another word for opportunity. Seize the moment'. Well, you heard the cookie. Let's go to bed."
Harry laughed, " It's seven-thirty! Bit early for sleep, don't you think?"
" Oh my poor, sweet, idiot Harry. When are you going to learn that going to bed and going to sleep are two entirely different things?" Draco asked. Draco didn't wait for an answer as he dragged an un-protesting Harry to the bedroom to show him the distinction.
If you asked Harry what he learned in class that week, what work or the weather was like, or any other question that didn't have to do with Draco, then he wouldn't have been able to answer. He had a one-track mind that week, and all thoughts, regardless of origin, always circulated back to Draco. Mike teased him incessantly about it, recognizing the love-struck expression that seemed to be a permanent feature on Harry's face. It made a welcome change to Harry's usually gloomy and brooding behaviour however, and despite all his teasing, Mike was very happy for his friend.
" Harry, I've got an idea for this weekend," Mike said, snapping his fingers in front of Harry's face to be sure he had the other man's attention.
" I've already got plans," Harry replied. " I'm playing rugby with Tim on Saturday, remember?"
" This would be after, a night-time thing. See, there's this eighties themed night that the university is promoting, and I thought with you being such an eighties fan, it would be fun to get the four of us dressed up. I've got the costumes all planned out, so you don't even have to do anything. Please, say you'll come? It'll be such a blast!"
" It does sound fun, but I get the feeling you're hiding something. What's the catch?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow sceptically.
" Harry! I would never try to keep something from you…"
" Mike," Harry said threateningly.
" Fine. It's at Dudley's club. But it'll be packed with people, I'm sure we could avoid him," Mike said pleadingly.
" Let's go," Harry said decisively. " I don't want Dudley to stop me from doing something I want to do."
" That's the spirit!" Mike said happily, jumping out of his chair. " We'll come to the flat on Saturday night and get you two ready before leaving, yeah?"
" Sounds good," Harry said. " In fact, I'll go home and tell Draco about it right now."
Having said his goodbye to Mike, Harry headed for home, and told Draco of the plans. Draco also picked up on the fact that Harry was trying to keep some important fact about the evening secret.
" What aren't you telling me?"
" Dudley's going to be there," Harry admitted with a sigh. " He works as the bouncer at the bar we'll be going to. The club's only a few blocks from the one we went to last time. Usually when he's not working, Dudley sticks to his own club because he gets his drinks for half-price. That night we ran into him, though, wasn't the first time Dudley had strayed to a different club."
" That explains why Tim and Mike knew about Dudley, at least. But if you still want to go, then I don't see any reason why I should refuse. This time though I'll remember to duck that right hook of his," Draco said.
" If it comes to that, then ducking would definitely be a good thing," Harry said, giving Draco a kiss. " I like your face the way it is."
Friday came quickly for both Draco and Harry. Harry was working on a thousand different projects it seemed, and Draco was just as busy preparing the latest collection of snack food for Mrs. Cooper. The fist shipment had met with enormous success, and Mrs. Cooper had had to phone Draco and ask for another order of everything after only one day. They had finally settled on prices and quantities, and while it was more work then Draco had counted on, it was also more money then he had expected. Draco derived a great deal of satisfaction from doing something productive and valued for a change.
Next week, Draco was even going to start taking shifts at the bookshop, manning the coffee counter for a few hours during the busier parts of the day. He was a little apprehensive about undergoing that much social interaction, but he wanted to do it anyway, maybe just to prove that he could.
Harry came home to a flustered Draco. It wasn't often that Harry got to see Draco this way – usually Draco was flawlessly organized and impeccably composed. Tonight, however, Draco was irritated, the kitchen was a mess, and there was flour on the tip of his nose. Harry thought he looked adorably dishevelled, but knew any comment like that was likely to get his head ripped off. He wisely said nothing and let Draco vent.
"… And then I ran out of milk, just as I reached the correct boiling stage, so I had to scrap the whole batch while I ran out to the store. I tell you, it's been just that kind-of day."
" Do you need me to pick up something for you now?" Harry asked, trying to be sympathetic.
Draco took a deep breath in, more relaxed now that he had been able to complain to someone. " No, actually everything's under control now. I just have to wrap everything up and it'll be all ready for me to drop off tomorrow morning. Did you invite Tim and Mike for dinner tomorrow, and are they coming?"
Harry started cleaning the kitchen, while Draco gratefully sat down at the table and wrapped his baked goods individually in plastic wrap, sticking small white price tags to each one.
Draco had thought since Mike and Tim were taking them out tomorrow night, and coming to the flat early anyways to bring them their costumes (Draco was a little leery of that aspect, as was Harry), that it might be nice to make a meal for all of them first.
" Oh right, I invited them and they said yes, rather enthusiastically I might add. I said to come about six, is that alright?"
" Perfect, yes," Draco said. " But it means omelettes or something for tonight. I didn't have time to cook something for us, and what I did make I need to save for tomorrow."
" Ah, but that's why I picked us up a frozen pizza on my way home," Harry said, picking up a plastic bag that had gone unnoticed on the floor.
" My hero," Draco said grandiosely.
The following morning, although it was Saturday, both Harry and Draco were up early. Harry was heading for a pick-up game of rugby at a nearby field, with Tim and some other friends from their school. Draco was going to the bookshop to drop of his baked goods.
" How do you play rugby, anyway?" Draco asked.
" Oh, we don't really follow any rules when it's just us lads," Harry said. " If you want and if you have time, you could stop by the field later and watch. That would be easier then me trying to explain."
" I might just do that," Draco said. After Draco had visited the bookshop, and after a rather long chat with Mrs. Cooper, during which he caught her up to speed on all things Harry related, Draco did indeed head for the public athletic pitch.
When Draco arrived, he noticed that there were four girls sitting in the one small block of bleachers, obviously girlfriends come to watch their men play. Draco curled his lip a little in disgust, not liking that he was about to join this feminine audience. He sat on a bench that was as far away from them as possible and turned his attention to the field. After watching Harry and the others tackle each other into the muddy and wet field, he decided that he was better off on the bleachers, even if it was damaging to his reputation.
" You look a little lost," said a cheerful female voice. Draco looked up into a face that was vaguely familiar. Obviously the girl recognized him as well. " I remember you, your name's Dragon, right?"
" Close, it's Draco. And you're Katie, correct?"
" Draco… I knew it was something a little odd. And you're right, it's Katie. You remember my friend Becky? She was on the train that night as well."
Draco nodded a greeting to the other girl. The two other women were introduced, and before Draco knew it, well-intentioned females, all chattering, surrounded him on all sides away. Knowing there was little he could do to escape, he decided to take advantage of the company, and asked about the rules of the game. The girls happily filled him in on all they knew, which was quite a bit as they had had to listen to their boyfriends go on and on about sports at one time or another, and also provided him with a substantial amount of gossip about every single player. Harry's description particularly amused Draco: generous, clueless, sweet, drop-dead gorgeous, and tragically gay. Draco couldn't help but chuckle
" You know Harry then?" Katie asked.
" Yes. He's my boyfriend," Draco said.
" So you were right that night when you said you weren't my type. Figures," Katie said morosely. " Yet another perfect specimen lost to womankind."
" Sorry," Draco said.
" We'll live," Katie said teasingly. " Besides, my boyfriend's the jealous type, and I don't want him to think I've been flirting instead of watching him."
" You haven't been flirting? I'm crushed," Draco said, smiling.
" I said I don't want him to think I've been flirting," Katie said, winking broadly. Attention slowly returned to the match, and Draco relaxed enough to appreciate the rather rough game. At first, he watched all the players, trying to figure out the strategies, who the better players were, and that sort of thing, but eventually his focus became entirely fixated on Harry. Harry was not the best player, but he wasn't the worst either. Draco liked how lit up he looked, and he could hear Harry's rich laughter even from where he sat.
Draco shifted uncomfortably, becoming horribly aware that he was getting more then a little turned on watching Harry's exertions. It was beginning to rain; a fine gentle mist that made the field even muddier, and the player's clothes even wetter. Harry's shirt was plastered to his chest, his hair pushed back from his forehead in dark, wet ringlets. Draco noticed for the first time that Harry was wearing his contacts, so there was nothing hiding his brilliant eyes. Draco could see every muscle ripple as Harry drew back his arm to toss the ball down field. He could almost feel the powerful surge of Harry's legs as they sought purchase on the increasingly slippery terrain. Draco began willing the game to be over soon.
" Damn this weather," said Paul, Katie's boyfriend.
" Yeah, it's getting worse. Are we calling it quits for today?"
" Might as well, I have to get to work in half an hour anyway," chimed in another voice.
" Same time next week people?"
" Yeah."
The group began to splinter apart, people calling out their goodbyes as they made their way off the field. Tim, Harry, and Paul, walked off together. Paul was a big man, taller even then Tim, and just as strong. Harry had only met him once or twice, but he'd always seemed friendly, though a little disturbed by the whole gay issue. Paul was as straight as they came.
" Who's that with my Katie?" Paul asked suddenly. Harry and Tim followed Paul's line of sight, and saw Draco sitting calmly next to Katie. Harry allowed himself a moment to drink in the sight of his boyfriend, before realizing that this was probably not the best time to be distracted. " I'll kill him."
Paul began striding purposely across the field, forcing Tim and Harry to run after him.
" Paul, wait!" Harry cried out.
" Katie! What's going on?" Paul bellowed.
Katie remained totally unfazed, " Calm down, you lunk-head. This is Draco, a friend of mine."
By this time, Harry and Tim had caught up to Paul, and they were all standing at the bottom of the bleachers. Draco jumped down from the stands quickly, heading urgently towards Harry. Paul intercepted Draco.
" Who are you?" Paul asked demandingly. Draco, despite being several inches shorter then Paul and not nearly as muscled, didn't back away. In fact, Draco was about to say something rude and scathing, but Harry reached out and clapped a hand over Draco's mouth.
" He's with me Paul," Harry said.
" Doesn't mean I trust him," Paul said. Katie just rolled her eyes, and swatted Paul upside the head.
" No, I mean he's with me," Harry said emphatically. Seeing that his point was failing to reach Paul, Harry grabbed Draco's shoulders and started kissing him roughly. Paul coughed and looked away, turning a slightly green colour.
" See? Nothing to worry about. Now let's go buy me something pretty, since you just acted like such an idiot," Katie said. Katie may have been a small slip of a girl, but she managed to drag a repentant Paul of the field with ease.
" Ahem," Tim grumbled loudly. Harry and Draco were still lip-locked, and it was beginning to reach a fervour that was inappropriate viewing for most audiences. Harry broke free, and smiled sheepishly,
" Sorry Tim."
Draco was still a little dazed from the kiss, and didn't say anything.
" No problem. See you guys tonight," Tim said. Draco began dragging Harry down the street towards their flat. They were all but running, and Harry figured he must be in trouble since Draco was being so impatient and because they weren't speaking. Maybe Draco hadn't appreciated being manhandled following the game? Harry did feel a little embarrassed for giving into the rash impulse, but his adrenaline had been running high from the exercise, and Draco had looked so good covered in that sheen of soft rain…
" You. Shower. Now," Draco said tersely. Harry was amazed to discover that they had reached the flat already. Feeling a little angry at Draco's gruff manner, Harry decided to take an extra long shower and use up all the hot water.
Having tossed his wet and muddy clothes into the hamper, Harry eventually stepped out of the bathroom, a bright blue towel wrapped around his waist. Before he had taken even three steps towards the bedroom, he was pushed roughly back against the bathroom's doorframe.
" What the…?" Harry managed to get out, before a hungry mouth made speech impossible. Harry's back hurt where it had hit the wall, and he was shivering slightly seeing as how he was dressed in only a towel while standing in the draughty hallway. The warm blond pressed against him, however, was more then enough compensation.
" I thought you'd never get out of there, you inconsiderate…"
" Me inconsiderate? You're the one who dragged me down the street, and shoved me into a shower as though you couldn't stand my presence. Why are you so mad at me?"
" Mad at you?" Draco started to laugh incredulously. " You think I'm mad at you?"
Harry nodded, not sure why Draco was laughing so hard. " Harry, watching you get pummelled by a large group of virile men – speaking of which, did they have to touch you so much?"
" It's called tackling, so yes, they do," Harry said.
" Whatever, anyway, watching you out there got me… well, shall we say excited? Then, in addition to that, you kiss the life out of me just seconds after the game, which didn't improve my problem much at all. So I was really hoping that after the game we could hurry home so you could help me fix this little dilemma."
Draco pressed his hips against Harry's thigh, and Harry's eyes widened.
" Oh, so that's why we nearly broke our necks getting home. But why then did you make me take a shower?"
" Harry, anxious as I was, and, quite honestly, still am, you were filthy - covered in sweat and mud. But now you're all squeaky clean, and your skin's all nice and warm and fresh smelling… Harry, please?" Draco asked, knowing he sounded desperate, but too far along to care overly.
Harry pretended to think it over and watched Draco's face get even more stricken. Taking pity on Draco's obvious need, Harry said,
" I suppose it's the least I can do to make up for such a gross misunderstanding."
Harry didn't waste time undoing Draco's loose fitting jeans, preferring to simply slide his hand down the front of them, under the waistband of Draco's jeans and shorts.
" Oh," Draco said, exhaling sharply. Draco buried his head in the crook of Harry's neck, both arms around Harry's shoulders, in preparation of his knees growing weak.
Harry knew Draco wouldn't last long, not if he'd been telling the truth and had been hard ever since the rugby match. Still, it was quite flattering when, within moments, Draco shut his eyes tightly and came violently. It was even nicer when Draco needed to hold onto Harry for a moment to let the tremors subside.
" Worth the wait," Draco said quietly. He grinned at Harry, " Now why don't we take this to the bedroom, and get me out of these clothes?"
" And why would I want to do that?" Harry asked jokingly.
" Because otherwise you're just a naked man in a deserted hallway, and that's just pathetic," Draco said. Harry looked down, about to protest that he still had a towel on, when Draco reached out and snatched the towel away.
" Hey, give that back!" Harry said, and proceeded to chase Draco. Harry caught Draco rather easily (Draco was not trying very hard to escape, after all), and wrapped his arms tightly around Draco's waist. The towel lay forgotten on the floor as Harry kissed Draco's mouth, and began guiding him towards the bed.
All of a sudden, a loud buzzing noise filled the room. Draco and Harry both looked up, startled at the intrusion.
" The intercom," Harry muttered, slightly puzzled. Tim and Mike weren't due for several hours, and they weren't expecting anyone else. " It's probably just some solicitor, hoping someone will let him past the security door. Ignore it; if it was important, they'd ring back."
Draco nodded and they tried to fall back into the rhythm of the kiss. The buzzer sounded again, and Harry cursed.
" I'd better see who it is. Don't forget where we are." Harry grabbed his towel and rushed to the intercom. Draco followed him out, curious about the identity of their visitor.
" Yes?" Harry snapped into the speaker. It was clear by his tone that he was more then a little irritated at the interruption.
" Harry? Is that you? Look we're sorry to just burst in on you like this, but we only got in yesterday, and we've got great news to tell you." The voice was immediately familiar to Harry.
" You sure this is how you work this thing, Herm? Shouldn't we be yelling?"
" I told you Ron, it's like a telephone. You don't have to yell," Hermione said, scolding Ron, and forgetting to release the intercom button so Harry ended up hearing every word. " Oops, now look at what you made me do! Harry, sorry. You still there?"
" Uh, yeah, I'm still here," Harry said. His shocked expression was mirrored perfectly by Draco's.
" So are you going to let us up? I mean we're not interrupting anything are we?" Hermione asked.
" No," Harry said, still finding it difficult to get his thoughts into order.
" Then what took you so long to answer?" Ron asked, shouting into the mouthpiece.
" I was… uh, on the balcony?" Harry said. Draco covered his face with his hands, disbelieving that anyone could lie so incredibly badly.
" Why didn't you just say you were getting out of the shower?" Draco hissed at him. Harry winced, realizing that Draco's excuse made a lot more sense.
" Harry? What's going on? Look, if this is a bad time…"
" Let them up," Draco whispered. " They're beginning to think something suspicious is going on anyways."
Harry nodded dumbly, before speaking into the intercom again, " No, sorry. I'm buzzing you up right now."
Harry hit the button that released the security door downstairs, and then turned to Draco.
" What do we do?" Harry said, panicked beyond belief. Here they were standing in the hallway, Harry nearly naked, Draco obviously in need of clean clothes, and no time to come up with a plan. In summation: they were screwed. " They'll be here in about thirty seconds!"
" Well, first thing we do is get you dressed," Draco said. He was also rather frantic, but he was trying to keep it together for Harry's sake. They ran to the bedroom, where Draco threw an outfit at Harry.
" Shit!" Draco muttered, seeing the state of his clothes. " I need a shower."
" A shower? Now? They're probably at the door!"
" No, actually, it's a good thing. You get dressed, and I'll go take a shower. You can explain to Ron and Hermione all about me while I'm occupied, so they have some chance of getting used to the idea before they see me. Can you handle that?"
Harry nodded, nearly falling over as he tried to pull his pants on. Draco grabbed some clean clothes and a towel, hurrying to the bathroom. Harry finished getting dressed, forgoing socks and not even attempting to brush his hair.
" Harry?" Draco asked, sticking his head back into the room, a strange expression on his face.
" Yes?"
" Just so I'm prepared, what are you going to tell them about us?"
Despite the mad rush, Harry took the time to smile and pause. " I'm going to tell them the truth: that we're together, and that I love you."
Draco blinked once, then twice, before hurrying across the room, and kissing Harry passionately.
" I love you too," Draco said, wishing they had chosen a better time to express themselves, but happy nonetheless. Harry kissed Draco back, and they forgot all about Hermione and Ron until there was a rather loud knock on the front door.
Harry and Draco leapt apart, Draco letting out a rather girlish scream (which he later emphatically denied ever making) before scrambling to the bathroom, tripping all the way. Harry stubbed his toe, and swore loudly as he hobbled to the front door. As Harry reached for the doorknob, all he could think was that things were about to get… interesting.
End of Part Ten
No promises on when the next chapter will be out. I have this pesky little thing called 'final term at university' – and if you can believe it, they actually expect you to do some work or something. I will try though, and as my roommate will testify, I DO spend an awful lot of time writing. Scenes to look forward to? Who doesn't want to see Tim, Mike, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Draco in eighties style outfits and going to a club? Special thanks to 'the Red Mitten Girl' (you know who you are!) for letting me brainstorm that particular idea!
