Disclaimer: Oh yes, of course they're mine. Just as the sun is made of ice
and money grows on trees. Miss Rowling? If you wish to sue please find
someone else, I can't even afford a lawyer let alone a settlement.
Warnings: Nope, none. Boaderline mushy.
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.
.
Blood & Nails.
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Part Eight. Two For Tea.
The first part of dinner had passed in relative silence. Draco had no idea as to what he should say and from the looks of it neither did Harry. Draco had never been one to tolerate uncomfortable silences. He snapped when the dessert was served.
"So Harry? I'm sure you're familiar with my idea of pretending the last few years were actually mine? Aside of the whole messy business of the killings."
Harry's eyes had looked away at the mention but he carried on. "Yes. Hermione rants on and on about how it's not healthy."
Draco smiled. "I'll bet she does. So. Tell me about me."
The dark haired boy frowned. "Um, well, I'm sure you know, that the spirit or whatever was very good at emulating you. I spoke to Dumbledore just this morning and he believes that it had full access to your memories, even the ones you couldn't get to. Which was how it managed to evaluate how you would react in certain situations."
"Yeah. Not very fair huh? It gets mine, but I don't get it's. Then again ..... " Draco trailed off, remembering how he'd frequently dreamed of blood. Or that cold wet feeling washing over him. He didn't understand that one but assumed it had something to do with his body being taken over.
"Well. You wanted to talk about you? You're still a little spoiled, though fighting Voldemort seemed to have forced you to grow up."
"It forced us all to do that."
"Very true. You smoke, you drink and you hate people sucking up to you. You state your opinion when asked and always try to have a good time. Your good at your job and actually enjoy bringing in the bad guys." Harry smiled. "Your a little too arrogant for your own good, you get yourself into trouble constantly."
"Oh, and I bet you're just the opposite huh?" Draco said sarcastically.
"Actually, our friends and family held a poll once. Trying to work out who was a worse influence on who. It fell to Hermione to cast the deciding vote and she said we were both as bad as each other. She said you would have made a wonderful Gryffindor."
Draco sat up straighter. "Well really. I'm sure I was at least civil to her these years. I'll bet I didn't do anything to her that would warrant such abuse."
Harry laughed softly. "If I didn't know better, I could have sworn there was no spirit at all." The smile faded and he refused to meet Draco's eyes. "I guess you haven't changed much over the years. Hardly at all."
Silence threatened to consume them again so Draco decided to change the topic. "As fascinating as the subject of me is, perhaps we should talk about something else?"
Harry forced a smile onto his face and nodded agreeably. "Like what? Whatever you want to know, I'll help as much as I can."
"Tell me about us."
Harry looked up, startled. "What?"
Draco continued calmly, hoping he wasn't pushing too hard or too soon. "I would like to hear about us. If it doesn't bother you that is."
Harry shifted in his chair. "Why should it?"
"Doesn't it hurt for you to see me like this? Without remembering anything about you?"
"Not really. Well, maybe a little."
"Harry." Draco said gently. "You're still wearing your ring."
Harry looked to the ring on his finger. "All right then, it hurts a lot." His was identical to the one Draco had discovered on his own hand the day he had woken up. "I see you're not." The boy said softly.
"No. I'm not. It was ...... scaring me. I kept looking at it and telling myself that I was engaged." Draco titled his head, looking at his bare hand. "But I couldn't even remember receiving it. I couldn't remember what you had said, if anything, when you gave it to me. I assume you gave it to me."
Harry nodded. "We went out and spent the entire morning bickering about what kind to buy. Then we found these. Finally something we agreed on." He smiled at the memory.
It only made Draco more bitter. "So, do you mind talking about us? I'll understand if you don't want to."
Harry shook his head. "You were going to ask one day. I don't suppose it matters when. Anything you particularly want to know right away?"
Draco nodded. "How did we start out? What happened? I mean why ...... how. That's the important one for me."
Harry leant back in his chair getting comfortable. "December 31st, 1996, nearly midnight. We ran into each other while we were walking the halls after dark. Literally. You walked into me while I was in my invisibility cloak. We said a few words, none of them very pleasant, and then went our separate ways. Well, you went your way and I followed."
The dessert plates were cleared and Draco realised with surprise that he had actually eaten his. He hadn't even noticed the taste he'd been to busy watching and listening to Harry.
"You went to the top of the Astronomy Tower and sat on the edge. At first I thought you were going to jump, but I later found out you went there for some peace." Harry smiled. "You must have gotten your spy training from Snape, because you somehow knew I was there. You said I should either show myself or bugger off."
Draco nodded, straining his mind to remember. "That sounds like me."
"Indeed. So I took off my cloak and sat down next to you."
"Why?"
Harry blinked. "Sorry? What?"
"Why did you sit down next to me? Surely you thought I was a Death Eater?"
"Well, yes, I did."
"You didn't think I'd tell you anything did you?"
"No. I knew you never would have."
"So why approach me?"
Draco smiled as Harry blushed but continued on. "It's not important. Anyway, for whatever reason, I sat down next to you. You weren't in a good mood, almost as if you were about to start crying. You didn't of course, but it looked like it. Your eyes had this look, like something had broken inside. We didn't say anything until you turned to me and placed your left hand on the side of my face. You just looked at me, until my mind finally woke up and I asked you what you were doing. You said you were just looking. I asked for what."
~~~~~
"I'm just looking."
"For what?"
"Salvation."
Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"
"If I tell you something, promise you won't tell anyone else?"
Harry nodded.
"No. Say it. Say you promise."
"I promise."
Draco looked away and removed his hand. "I killed a man."
"WHAT? When? What happened?" Harry leaned closer, wondering if he would have to tell Dumbledore. Wondering if he could manage to break a promise he had made to this beautiful boy.
"It was Christmas Day. I was at home, I'd only gone back for the day and then I had to return to Hogwarts that night. This man confronted my father in his study while I watched, concealed in the next room. He knew. He knew and he was going to tell Voldemort. He was going to kill my parents and blow our cover. I had no choice."
"You? You and your parents are spies? For us?"
The blonde nodded slowly. "I didn't want to. But my parents were unarmed, their wands had been taken from them. I didn't have any choice, they were my parents. And I would have lost in a duel, he was much older than me, and probably knew more."
"So you used the Killing Curse?"
Draco turned his grey eyes back to the other boy. "I didn't want to, I swear."
Harry nodded, not looking away from Draco's eyes for a second. "I believe you."
Draco smiled gratefully. "Thank you." He whispered.
Before Harry knew what the blonde was doing, soft lips were against his. He blinked in surprise and then came to his senses, starting to return it enthusiastically.
~~~~~
"And well, then we ....... well, yes. We kind of got away from ourselves from that point." Harry blushed again. "Sorry, it's rather ..... odd, explaining it to you."
Draco nodded slowly, getting the idea of what followed anyway. "I killed someone?"
Harry shrugged. "Well, not really no." And again he wouldn't look at Draco. "But that's what I remember of, um, the beginning of us."
"I don't think I would have done that."
"Huh?" harry looked back, frowning.
"I knew I had to stay away from you. It was too dangerous. I think the phantom got that wrong."
Harry's eyes darkened. "So you wouldn't have wanted me?"
"No, that's not what I meant, um, er, if I had wanted you, I wouldn't have risked it. Too dangerous, for both of us." He added hurriedly.
"*Did* you want me?"
Draco looked instinctively for the exit, wishing his former self hadn't booked the entire restaurant so that they would be alone. "Um, what?"
"When you were sixteen, before the spirit thing, did you want me?" Harry smiled ruefully. "Please, just tell me."
Draco fiddled with the tablecloth. "Um, yeah, I did."
Harry smiled softly. "Do you still?"
"It's sort of strange now."
Harry frowned. "How so?"
Draco shrugged. "It's just weird. I mean, who knows. Maybe I am different to the phantom me. Small things that just haven't been noticed yet, it could change who I am entirely. So maybe ...... " Draco trailed off.
"Maybe what?"
"Maybe you'd love the impersonation of me, and not actually me."
Harry looked down. "I don't think so." He said softly.
Draco finished off his drink as the waiter walked over. He signed for the night to be charged to his account and thanked the staff. Harry took that as his cue to leave and both men walked to the front.
"Well, thank you for dinner." The dark haired man said softly.
"Thank you for telling me a little of my life." Draco experienced the most uncomfortable handshake of his life and then frowned, looking around confused.
"What's the matter?" Harry asked.
"Um, I wanted to walk home."
"So?"
"I went to see Severus for a little while and portkeyed back to platform nine and three quarters so I could catch a cab."
"So?" Harry still wasn't getting it.
"Well, I caught a taxi from the train station to get here." Draco looked to him and smiled. "I don't even know in which direction it is that I live. And there doesn't seem to be any cabs now."
Harry started to laugh softly and waved a hand. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. It's just so weird to see you lost."
Draco gave him a pointed look. "Whenever you're ready."
"I'm sorry Ko, I really am." Harry straightened his face into a serious look, but his mouth kept twitching. "Come on, I'll walk you home."
"My hero." Draco said bitterly. But he smiled anyway as he followed Harry's lead.
It was only a half hour walk that was completed in silence. Harry stopped at the main entrance of the apartment block. "Do you remember your floor?" He asked playfully which earned him a gentle punch to the arm. "Well, I'll just be getting back then." He said, sadness creeping into his voice again.
Draco nodded sadly as well. "Yeah. Oh, Harry?" The dark haired man turned back and Draco dragged up every bit of courage he had. He leant over and placed a soft kiss on the surprised man's lips. It was quick, but still nice. "Happy birthday."
Harry gave a strained smile. "Thanks." He turned and started to walk away as Draco, refusing to let himself watch, headed inside. He walked quietly to the elevator, ignoring how aroused he had suddenly become.
"That felt so familiar." He muttered to himself.
To Be Continued.
Warnings: Nope, none. Boaderline mushy.
.
.
.
Blood & Nails.
.
Part Eight. Two For Tea.
The first part of dinner had passed in relative silence. Draco had no idea as to what he should say and from the looks of it neither did Harry. Draco had never been one to tolerate uncomfortable silences. He snapped when the dessert was served.
"So Harry? I'm sure you're familiar with my idea of pretending the last few years were actually mine? Aside of the whole messy business of the killings."
Harry's eyes had looked away at the mention but he carried on. "Yes. Hermione rants on and on about how it's not healthy."
Draco smiled. "I'll bet she does. So. Tell me about me."
The dark haired boy frowned. "Um, well, I'm sure you know, that the spirit or whatever was very good at emulating you. I spoke to Dumbledore just this morning and he believes that it had full access to your memories, even the ones you couldn't get to. Which was how it managed to evaluate how you would react in certain situations."
"Yeah. Not very fair huh? It gets mine, but I don't get it's. Then again ..... " Draco trailed off, remembering how he'd frequently dreamed of blood. Or that cold wet feeling washing over him. He didn't understand that one but assumed it had something to do with his body being taken over.
"Well. You wanted to talk about you? You're still a little spoiled, though fighting Voldemort seemed to have forced you to grow up."
"It forced us all to do that."
"Very true. You smoke, you drink and you hate people sucking up to you. You state your opinion when asked and always try to have a good time. Your good at your job and actually enjoy bringing in the bad guys." Harry smiled. "Your a little too arrogant for your own good, you get yourself into trouble constantly."
"Oh, and I bet you're just the opposite huh?" Draco said sarcastically.
"Actually, our friends and family held a poll once. Trying to work out who was a worse influence on who. It fell to Hermione to cast the deciding vote and she said we were both as bad as each other. She said you would have made a wonderful Gryffindor."
Draco sat up straighter. "Well really. I'm sure I was at least civil to her these years. I'll bet I didn't do anything to her that would warrant such abuse."
Harry laughed softly. "If I didn't know better, I could have sworn there was no spirit at all." The smile faded and he refused to meet Draco's eyes. "I guess you haven't changed much over the years. Hardly at all."
Silence threatened to consume them again so Draco decided to change the topic. "As fascinating as the subject of me is, perhaps we should talk about something else?"
Harry forced a smile onto his face and nodded agreeably. "Like what? Whatever you want to know, I'll help as much as I can."
"Tell me about us."
Harry looked up, startled. "What?"
Draco continued calmly, hoping he wasn't pushing too hard or too soon. "I would like to hear about us. If it doesn't bother you that is."
Harry shifted in his chair. "Why should it?"
"Doesn't it hurt for you to see me like this? Without remembering anything about you?"
"Not really. Well, maybe a little."
"Harry." Draco said gently. "You're still wearing your ring."
Harry looked to the ring on his finger. "All right then, it hurts a lot." His was identical to the one Draco had discovered on his own hand the day he had woken up. "I see you're not." The boy said softly.
"No. I'm not. It was ...... scaring me. I kept looking at it and telling myself that I was engaged." Draco titled his head, looking at his bare hand. "But I couldn't even remember receiving it. I couldn't remember what you had said, if anything, when you gave it to me. I assume you gave it to me."
Harry nodded. "We went out and spent the entire morning bickering about what kind to buy. Then we found these. Finally something we agreed on." He smiled at the memory.
It only made Draco more bitter. "So, do you mind talking about us? I'll understand if you don't want to."
Harry shook his head. "You were going to ask one day. I don't suppose it matters when. Anything you particularly want to know right away?"
Draco nodded. "How did we start out? What happened? I mean why ...... how. That's the important one for me."
Harry leant back in his chair getting comfortable. "December 31st, 1996, nearly midnight. We ran into each other while we were walking the halls after dark. Literally. You walked into me while I was in my invisibility cloak. We said a few words, none of them very pleasant, and then went our separate ways. Well, you went your way and I followed."
The dessert plates were cleared and Draco realised with surprise that he had actually eaten his. He hadn't even noticed the taste he'd been to busy watching and listening to Harry.
"You went to the top of the Astronomy Tower and sat on the edge. At first I thought you were going to jump, but I later found out you went there for some peace." Harry smiled. "You must have gotten your spy training from Snape, because you somehow knew I was there. You said I should either show myself or bugger off."
Draco nodded, straining his mind to remember. "That sounds like me."
"Indeed. So I took off my cloak and sat down next to you."
"Why?"
Harry blinked. "Sorry? What?"
"Why did you sit down next to me? Surely you thought I was a Death Eater?"
"Well, yes, I did."
"You didn't think I'd tell you anything did you?"
"No. I knew you never would have."
"So why approach me?"
Draco smiled as Harry blushed but continued on. "It's not important. Anyway, for whatever reason, I sat down next to you. You weren't in a good mood, almost as if you were about to start crying. You didn't of course, but it looked like it. Your eyes had this look, like something had broken inside. We didn't say anything until you turned to me and placed your left hand on the side of my face. You just looked at me, until my mind finally woke up and I asked you what you were doing. You said you were just looking. I asked for what."
~~~~~
"I'm just looking."
"For what?"
"Salvation."
Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"
"If I tell you something, promise you won't tell anyone else?"
Harry nodded.
"No. Say it. Say you promise."
"I promise."
Draco looked away and removed his hand. "I killed a man."
"WHAT? When? What happened?" Harry leaned closer, wondering if he would have to tell Dumbledore. Wondering if he could manage to break a promise he had made to this beautiful boy.
"It was Christmas Day. I was at home, I'd only gone back for the day and then I had to return to Hogwarts that night. This man confronted my father in his study while I watched, concealed in the next room. He knew. He knew and he was going to tell Voldemort. He was going to kill my parents and blow our cover. I had no choice."
"You? You and your parents are spies? For us?"
The blonde nodded slowly. "I didn't want to. But my parents were unarmed, their wands had been taken from them. I didn't have any choice, they were my parents. And I would have lost in a duel, he was much older than me, and probably knew more."
"So you used the Killing Curse?"
Draco turned his grey eyes back to the other boy. "I didn't want to, I swear."
Harry nodded, not looking away from Draco's eyes for a second. "I believe you."
Draco smiled gratefully. "Thank you." He whispered.
Before Harry knew what the blonde was doing, soft lips were against his. He blinked in surprise and then came to his senses, starting to return it enthusiastically.
~~~~~
"And well, then we ....... well, yes. We kind of got away from ourselves from that point." Harry blushed again. "Sorry, it's rather ..... odd, explaining it to you."
Draco nodded slowly, getting the idea of what followed anyway. "I killed someone?"
Harry shrugged. "Well, not really no." And again he wouldn't look at Draco. "But that's what I remember of, um, the beginning of us."
"I don't think I would have done that."
"Huh?" harry looked back, frowning.
"I knew I had to stay away from you. It was too dangerous. I think the phantom got that wrong."
Harry's eyes darkened. "So you wouldn't have wanted me?"
"No, that's not what I meant, um, er, if I had wanted you, I wouldn't have risked it. Too dangerous, for both of us." He added hurriedly.
"*Did* you want me?"
Draco looked instinctively for the exit, wishing his former self hadn't booked the entire restaurant so that they would be alone. "Um, what?"
"When you were sixteen, before the spirit thing, did you want me?" Harry smiled ruefully. "Please, just tell me."
Draco fiddled with the tablecloth. "Um, yeah, I did."
Harry smiled softly. "Do you still?"
"It's sort of strange now."
Harry frowned. "How so?"
Draco shrugged. "It's just weird. I mean, who knows. Maybe I am different to the phantom me. Small things that just haven't been noticed yet, it could change who I am entirely. So maybe ...... " Draco trailed off.
"Maybe what?"
"Maybe you'd love the impersonation of me, and not actually me."
Harry looked down. "I don't think so." He said softly.
Draco finished off his drink as the waiter walked over. He signed for the night to be charged to his account and thanked the staff. Harry took that as his cue to leave and both men walked to the front.
"Well, thank you for dinner." The dark haired man said softly.
"Thank you for telling me a little of my life." Draco experienced the most uncomfortable handshake of his life and then frowned, looking around confused.
"What's the matter?" Harry asked.
"Um, I wanted to walk home."
"So?"
"I went to see Severus for a little while and portkeyed back to platform nine and three quarters so I could catch a cab."
"So?" Harry still wasn't getting it.
"Well, I caught a taxi from the train station to get here." Draco looked to him and smiled. "I don't even know in which direction it is that I live. And there doesn't seem to be any cabs now."
Harry started to laugh softly and waved a hand. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. It's just so weird to see you lost."
Draco gave him a pointed look. "Whenever you're ready."
"I'm sorry Ko, I really am." Harry straightened his face into a serious look, but his mouth kept twitching. "Come on, I'll walk you home."
"My hero." Draco said bitterly. But he smiled anyway as he followed Harry's lead.
It was only a half hour walk that was completed in silence. Harry stopped at the main entrance of the apartment block. "Do you remember your floor?" He asked playfully which earned him a gentle punch to the arm. "Well, I'll just be getting back then." He said, sadness creeping into his voice again.
Draco nodded sadly as well. "Yeah. Oh, Harry?" The dark haired man turned back and Draco dragged up every bit of courage he had. He leant over and placed a soft kiss on the surprised man's lips. It was quick, but still nice. "Happy birthday."
Harry gave a strained smile. "Thanks." He turned and started to walk away as Draco, refusing to let himself watch, headed inside. He walked quietly to the elevator, ignoring how aroused he had suddenly become.
"That felt so familiar." He muttered to himself.
To Be Continued.