Disclaimer: Not mine…don't sue.
A/N: Sorry for the lateness of this chapter. My computer broke and a whole slew of other crap. This chapter kicked my butt to get it online. This chapter did *not* want to be posted! First my computer dies…then I rewrite the chapter at work…only to find that I have *no* way to save the work and move it to a computer where it can be posted to the net. So I have to print it out, take it to Jasmines and re-type it…again…(Massive props to Jasperina here for her mad typing skills), she's almost done…and the lap top battery dies. *sigh* Thank goodness the work was saved. You guys came very close to having to wait even longer for this doomed chapter. I hope it's good after all of this. And I can only pray that some freak ambulance or other vehicle doesn't drop out of the sky and kill me, since obviously some one important was trying to tell me not to post this chapter. DAMN THEM! And here it is!
Thank you all for being so patient with me! *throws kisses at readers and double kisses at reviewers* And thank you to Jasmine. The only sister I know and my beta. *throws copious amounts of kisses.*
Chapter 7 part A.………………'BOY WHO LIVED DROWNS IN DEATHEATER POOL'
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*SPLASH* A very soaked Harry Potter lifted his head to glare after being unceremoniously pushed into the pool by Draco.
"Hey! I could have drowned…how did you know I could swim? Hmmmm? I can see the headlines now if a half-naked Boy-Who-Lived drowns in your pool. Oh the scandal! What would you do then?"
"Draco pretended to seriously ponder the question for a moment. "I suppose you're right, about the scandal and all. I can't have *that* on the Malfoy name…so I suppose I would just *have* to jump in and save you."
Harry grinned. "Aww…you'd save me?"
Draco grinned right back at him, although he tried very hard to keep the arrogant indifference in his voice.
"Purely political reasoning, you understand."
Harry lifted his torso out of the water by planting his hands on the edge of the pool. He stretched up until his lips grazed the shell of Draco's ear and he whispered "Oh…I think I do."
Draco couldn't hold in the soft mewl that escaped him when Harry had whispered in his ear. Keeping one hand firmly planted on the ground to support his weight, Harry ran the other up Draco's sun bathed torso, feeling the warm skin under his fingers. He ran his fingers up from Draco's belly button and over his chest, extracting another soft sigh. When Harry had reached the blonde's shoulder, he gripped tightly. Maybe a little too tightly. This seemed to startle Draco a bit.
"Harry what…" But Draco did not get to finish his sentence. ..or maybe he did, but Harry wouldn't be able to hear it as Draco's head was now underwater.
Harry had to laugh at the surprised expression and indignant squawking come from a very frustrated and adorably wet Draco.
"You scheming little wanker! You'll pay for that!"
Instead of replying or splashing away, Harry took a mouthful of pool water and pushed it out of his mouth in a steady stream, making him look rather like a fountain.
Draco took a deep breath and waited for his left eye to stop twitching before moving forward towards the raven haired Gryffindor. Once face to face with him, Draco reached out his hand, his long fingers grazing Harry's cheek with his nails dragging lightly over the soft skin. With his grip on Harry's chin, four fingers on one cheek, and his thumb on the other, Draco squeezed. Harry laughed a bit as the last of the water came shooting from his mouth. Draco held his gaze though, and kept a tight grip on his chin before stretching forward and closing the distance between them in a hungry kiss.
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"Mione?"
"Yes?"
"Where's Malfoy?"
Hermione froze. She knew she had to be very careful. If she tensed, Ron would know. If she stuttered, Ron would know. If she followed her instincts and averted her gaze to the ground, Ron would know and Harry would hate her. She steeled herself.
"Ew, Ron…why are you worried about *Malfoy*?"
"Well, I haven't seen him all day…and I thought…maybe….you know…."
"I haven't seen him either, but he's probably off shagging Parkinson somewhere or spending obscene amounts of money."
Ron's face regained some of it's color. "Hermione, can we go sit somewhere please…I don't feel so good."
'Damn you Harry, I am tired of cleaning up your messes!' Hermione thought.
"Sure, Ron." And she took his arm to lead him to the Three Broomsticks.
Once settled at a table, Hermione had a question that had been bothering her since their scene in the street.
"Ron? Why did you assume Harry was with a man so quickly?"
"Oh. Well…I never really thought about it before, but in the current situation, it just kind of made sense."
"What do you mean 'made sense'?"
"Well…he's never had a girlfriend, if you don't count Ginny…and even then he looks terrified. The first few years I chalked it up to shyness, and girls seem to find that alluring…but even now? Come on…*every* teenage boy has hormones. When I would get dirty magazines from Fred and George…"
Ron stopped talking and looked at Hermione, who had her eyebrow raised at his admission. He blushed a bit and continued.
"When I would get one from the twins…which was *rare*…which I do *not* do anymore…because now I have you….and I don't need them…"
"RON! Get on with it would you?"
"Well when…you know…he never seemed to care. And he has all those pictures of muggle athletes on his wall in his room…but he never talks about muggle sports."
There was a silence for a moment before "Hermione?"
"Why did Harry tell you and not me? Or did you just find out?"
"No Ron, I've known. I'm a girl…I guess I'm just more sensitive to notice those things. I figured it out on my own and just asked him about it. He was nervous at first, but after a bit he seemed quite relieved to have someone to talk to.
"How long? How long have you known?"
Hermione shifted her eyes away guiltily. "Since last year."
"Last Year? Jesus, is Harry so afraid of my reaction that you would *both* keep me in the dark for so long?"
"Ron, calm down! You mean a lot to Harry and he doesn't want to lose you. Plus you're a boy and boys get freaked out by this stuff. You're always talking about girls or making jokes. You haven't really left him much room to come to you and think he won't be shunned. No one else knows and I guess he thinks it's safer to have one person to confide in until he's ready."
"What about Ginny? She should know, it's not fair for Harry to lead her on just to keep his secret."
Hermione looked away again. "Er…almost no one else knows."
Ron gaped at her, furious. "You mean she knows? Bloody hell! Am I the only one left out of this special little secret?!"
"No, of course not Ron, Ginny only just found out…it's the same as you said…she had to know. It wasn't right to let her continue to chase Harry the way she was.
"I suppose" Ron huffed. He sat quietly, as he seemed to be considering something. Suddenly, he reached across the table to Hermione's hands and tool them gently in his own. She smiled at him.
"I'm sorry Mione. I didn't mean to get so upset with you…it's just a lot to take in. I know you're only trying to be a good friend to Harry…and to me. Thank you." He lifted their joined hands to his lips and lightly kissed her fingers.
Hermione stood from her seat, keeping their hands together, and walked around to his side of the table to sit beside him. She gave her boyfriend a warm smile and rested her head on his shoulder. For the first time that day, all was quiet and peaceful. But Ron still had something on his mind.
"Mione?"
"Hmm? She looked at him.
"Should I tell Harry I know?"
Hermione considered this. She knew if Ron told Harry, he would undoubtedly get angry with her. She also knew how important their friendship was to both of them.
"Do what you think is best Ron. I know you want to resolve this right away, but Harry may not be ready. If you confront him too soon, he may get defensive."
Ron kissed the head of bushy hair against his cheek. "You're right. I'm going to wait. This way I have time to show him that I won't flip out about it, that I'll be there for him. Hell know he can trust me, and you won't get in trouble with him."
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"But I'm scared Harry.... I've never done this before."
"Oh come on.... you'll get the hang of it, I promise."
"You know.... I've never ever been in here before today."
"That's because you've never done this before. I'm sure after this you'll want to come in here all the time.... with or without me."
"But what if I'm bad it?"
"You're a Malfoy.... you're not supposed to be bad at anything"
"I hardly think *this* is what my ancestors had in mind when they decided that rule"
"Quit whining. Now move your hand over it, yes, like that. It should be coated now.... you know.... this highly erotic."
Suddenly the rolling pin Draco had been coating with flour flew at Harry's head.
"What?"
"You actually get me to try and *bake* something.... in my own kitchen.... with my own hands, and not a house elf in sight saying it will be *fun* and you find my misery EROTIC?"
Harry grinned. "Quite.... now all you need is an apron and you'd be the perfect house wi.... er.... guy"
"House-guy?" Draco's eye was twitching again. "Are you insinuating that I remind you of a bloody woman?"
Harry shuddered. "Of course not.... if you hadn't noticed.... women aren't really my thing."
"Good" Draco smirked. "And anyways.... I'm not the one who shrieks like a girl."
"I do NOT"
"Oh?" Another evil smirk. Draco took a handful of the flour and flung it directly at Harry's face. The
now comically white faced Harry had let out a rather unmanly squeal.
"At least I'm not always going on about my hair or wardrobe. It doesn't do you any good anyways." Harry taunted.
Draco stopped dead in his tracks. "What.Did.You.Say.About.My.Hair.?"
"All that effort doesn't do you any good." And Harry, who had been moving inch by inch closer to the flour bowl, picked up a handful of the powder and dropped it directly on Draco's head.
Draco stood still for a moment, his pale skin turning from pink and back to its original color again. He looked up at Harry, eyes gleaming and spoke in a calm voice.
"That's it Potter, I'm feeding you to the hounds." He lunged for Harry knocking them both to the floor.
Draco had pinned Harry underneath him, and his trademark smirk adorned his face once again.
"Take it back" he said
"Take what back?" Harry asked.
"About my hair."
"No." Harry grinned.
"Take it *back*!"
"And if I don't?"
Draco fan his hand along the edge of the table feeling for the flour bowl. Grabbing the rim of it, he managed to scoot it over to him and lift it over Harry.
"Oh no.... Draco...."
"Take it back"
"No!" Harry squirmed underneath him, but suddenly all he could see was white.... the entire contents of the bowl now strewn all over him.
Draco had let his guard down while laughing at the Harry snow man below him, and Harry saw his chance. He lurched forward, knocking Draco back until his back was to the floor. He held his wrists down in this new reversed position, and watched as the majority of the flour fell from Harry's chest and face and onto Draco's. He narrowed his eyes to slits to address the Slytherin.
"You do realize this means war."
"Of course Potter, I was...." Draco was undoubtedly about to make some scathing remark, but was interrupted by his own chest, taking in short breaths, and his nose was twitching from where the powder had left quite a bit flour dust everywhere.
Harry watched Draco twitch for a moment, and then there was a sound. A soft, childlike mewl almost. The kind of sound you'd expect from a baby just waking up. Harry blinked at Draco.
"What was that?"
"It was sneeze Harry, what else would it be?"
"It was cute"
"Cute?" Draco asked, irritated.
"Terribly, disgustingly cute. I think I may die from cuteness poisoning"
"Are we back to the woman thing again? I mmmphhhm...."
Harry attacked. He leaned down and captured Draco's rambling lips in a heated kiss to which Draco instantly relented.
When oxygen became necessary, the two broke apart. Harry leaned down to the ear of his lover and whispered. "I take it back."
Dazed, Draco seemed to have forgotten. "Take what back?"
Harry chuckled a bit. "About your hair." Harry ran his fingers through it eliciting a soft sigh from Draco.
Even when coated with flour, Harry couldn't help but notice the silkiness of the blonde strands.
"So soft.... it's perfect."
"I take it back too.... you don't squeal like a girl."
And the two were kissing madly again. Hands covered in powder, seeking each others skin, and spreading the flour all about them but not seeming to care. Reluctantly Harry broke the kiss and Draco let out a soft moan of protest at the loss.
"Draco?"
"Mnn?"
"This flour tastes disgusting."
The two looked around at the wrecked kitchen, noticing the white that seemed to coat everything, including them.... especially them.
Draco ran his fingers along Harry's cheek for a moment, taking in a last gaze at the disheveled boy above him covered in flour with flushed cheeks and crooked glasses.
"You're quite right, Harry." There was a pause before Draco looked him deep in the eyes.
"Bath?"
Harry wondered why Draco was looking at him so intensely, until he heard the question. He smiled. It seemed his dragon was finally ready to progress things a bit. He nodded down at Draco and got to his feet, helping Draco do the same.
"Are you sure?"
Draco nodded, chewing on his bottom lip
"Lead the way."
Draco took Harry' hand and squeezed it before leading the eager Gryffindor up the stairs.
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TBC
A/N: Short, I know…but after all the trouble this half gave me…my creative juices are tapped out for tonight…and I wanted to post at least *something* for you guys. The next part will be here soon, as I have a laptop to work on now. Thanks for reading!
Love and Kisses,
Reika
