Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue…please?
Pairing: Eventual Draco/Harry…
A/N: This story was started before the release of OotP, so now it became sorta an AU fic…I'm not gonna revise it even when I finish OotP because it'll require a major plot change, so I'll just let it be.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed: sw, seelie, Lady.of.the.stars, Sparkler, Kimmy, Remmy, Lanevaly, Lily Evans Potter Black Lupin, CrazyAce & Twylyght, CrUsHeDvElVeT, Lunadeath, SilverPrincess, paws10081, Ice Lupus
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
What the hell…??
Chapter 3: Hand in Hand with Poker Night
That typical Saturday morning ended with Harry and Draco stepping into the Great Hall for lunch together, chatting amicably. Hundred pairs of eyes strayed to them once again, with raised eyebrows, not unlike a few days ago when they came in laughing like crazy, although the cause today was only for being somewhat friendly towards each other. Harry was slightly annoyed for becoming the latest source of entertainment for the rest of the school. Why is everybody watching us like that? As if we'd had done something wrong, well, not wrong, but definitely disappointing. He mused, I wonder what their faces would be like if we arrived hand in hand one day? Harry's jaw dropped and cheeks reddened suddenly at the totally random thought. Where did that come from?
Harry lowered his head and hurried to his seat at the Gryffindor table. Beside him, Ron was watching him worriedly, but he didn't say anything. Although Harry had no doubt that Ron considered him crazy enough for a permanent placement in St. Mungo's psychiatric ward for associating with Malfoy. Hermione, however, was smiling encouragingly at him, as if she approved his friendliness towards the Slytherin. Harry was surprised to find that his friends' reactions were exactly what he'd expected. Ron acting all protective and skeptical, and Hermione would be the understanding and forgiving one. No questions were asked, none were needed, just the complete trust between them that developed from years of standing by each other, fighting evil dark wizard.
Warmth spreaded in Harry's heart, and he suddenly felt more confident than ever. He looked up to the rest of the school, scanning across the Great Hall, gazing straight back at those who had stared at him, as if to challenge them for questioning or doubting his choice of friends. Finally, his eyes locked with those of Terry Boot.
Harry was slightly taken aback by the way Terry was looking at him. There was no trace of nosiness or disapproval in his deep black eyes, only calculation. He was observing him like a piece of specimen. Harry fidgeted under his intense scrutiny. He couldn't figure out why the hell the Head Boy was examining him like that, but he was sure it must have something to do with Draco. He grew more and more curious at what happened last night at Lisa Turpin's party. All he knew was that somehow Terry had discovered Draco's silly little crush on him, but what about him? Did he like him back? Draco hadn't mention Terry's reaction to the news. Although, judging from Draco's extra buoyant attitude this morning, it should have been extremely promising. But what exactly was the status of their relationship now? Were they boyfriends? Harry frowned, No, they couldn't be, at least not yet. Somehow, the picture of Draco and Terry together didn't seem very…pleasing.
Harry refused to dwell further on this subject. Knowing his curiosity would not be satisfied until the next time his saw Draco, Harry opted to satisfy his attention-deprived stomach at the time being, and ignored the Ravenclaw, hoping he would soon grow tired of analyzing him.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Over the next two weeks, Harry had spent more time with Draco Malfoy than he had in seven years of knowing the boy put together. Not just at the arranged meetings for doing their potions project, but whenever they happened to pass by each other in the halls, or during prefects meetings, or in the same class, they'd talk. But no matter how much Harry asked or tricked, what happened that night in the Ravenclaw common room still remained a secret. Draco was just too stubborn and careful to let anything slip.
The more they talked, the more Harry found himself actually enjoying their conversations. Well, at least the parts where the name Terry Boot was not mentioned, which, Harry was relieved to notice, was occuring more and more often. Maybe Draco had finally caught the look of displeasure on Harry's face whenever this topic surfaced, or maybe this topic was just not as substantial as he once thought. After all, Terry Boot was definitely not that much of an interesting person, at least not to Harry.
Now, Draco, on the other hand, was truly fascinating. To those he deemed worthy to be his friends, he'd showed a completely different side of him that no one else had the privilege to see. He was caring and considerate. He'd squeeze time to tutor Crabbe and Goyle in between his busy schedule, he'd help Pansy take care of her cat when she was occupied, and he'd patiently explain a particularly confusing part of their assignment whenever Harry had trouble with it. Surprisingly, Draco did not considered Crabbe and Goyle his lackeys, he was geniuely fond of them, and Pansy Parkinson, although Harry could not fathom why. He knew Draco would never admit it out loud, but the way he talked about his friends betrayed a deep affection he held for them.
He was also painfully straight-forward. Unknowingly, and unintentionally, he'd offend others, and end up antagonizing himself to those who mistook his bluntness as arrogance.
Truly a Slytherin, Draco was spiteful and scheming to those he disliked, which, Harry had soon discovered, was not a category exclusive to Gryffindors, although that constituded a large portion. There were quite a few Slytherins that Draco found utterly annoying. He also had the ability to dislike someone for apparently no reason at all, which disturbed Harry a little.
Harry never noticed that Draco's expression could reveal all his feelings. Like during class when he was concentrated, his brows would knot and his tongue would stick out ever so slightly. Or when he was feeling playful, his smile would become a smirk and his eyes would have a mischievous glint. Whenever he was around Terry though, his smile would become shy, and he'd lower his head so slightly such that a strand of his silver hair would fall over his eyes.
Draco was…just too complicated to be described. Whenever Harry thought he had him figured out, he managed to surprise him again. Like a mystery that took forever to solve.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Harry was distressed. He had became the object of Terry Boot's constant scrutiny. It seemed that time did not cease the Head Boy's sudden burst of interest in Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry inwardly sighed as he felt Terry's gaze following him yet again. He tried to ignore it. However, he couldn't ignore the hand that stopped him in the middle of the corridor when he was walking back to his dorms. He turned around to see Terry Boot standing in front of him.
"Yes?" Harry knew that sooner or later, the Ravenclaw would approach him, and he had a feeling he knew why, "Is there something you wished to ask me?" Harry inquired politely. Truth be told, he wanted this confrontation to be as short as possible, Terry Boot was really creeping him out.
He nodded, and asked, "Are you and Draco…friends?" He was eeriely calm, but an undertone of mild hostility was detectable in his voice.
Harry was confused. Is that what he wanted to ask? There seemed to be another underlying implication masked by the question….
Harry's eyes widen as realization dawned. He is jealous!! He thought me and Draco….So, he does like him back. There was a pinch of bitterness in his thoughts that he couldn't identify the source from, and he felt the overwhelming need to clarify their relationship, to reassure the other boy, "Yes, as unbelievable as that sounds, we are friends. Just friends." As if that wasn't convincing enough, Harry ranted on, "There's nothing more between us. You know he likes you, he couldn't stop talking about you sometimes. I'm not at all interested in him –eww, no, of course I'm not, definitely not, no way!- if that's what you are worried about, I mean, there's nothing…"
"Ok, I get it!" Terry almost had to shake Harry to stop his babblings, "Thanks." Although his demeanor was still aloof and composed, the relief was evident in his tone.
"N-no problem."
Then Terry walked away, leaving Harry alone in the halls wondering why his palms were sweating and his heart beating faster than usual.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
That night was Tuesday, which meant another potions project meeting. As Harry sat in the classroom, waiting for Draco to arrive, he made a mental note to tell the Slytherin about his encounter with Terry earlier that evening. Draco will surely be delighted to learn that his object of affection was jealous. Can't wait to tell him…
He snapped his head towards the entrance when he heard the distinct creakings of an opening door. But it wasn't Draco that came in, it was Pansy Parkinson.
"Oh, hi, Pansy." The said girl raised an eyebrow at the obvious disappointment, "Where's Draco?"
"He said he couldn't come tonight. He's sick." With a smaller, and somewhat amused, voice that wasn't intented to be heard, she added, "At least he claimed to be." She turned to leave.
Harry, confused and concerned, asked, "Wait, is he alright? He was fine this morning in Care of Magical Creatures."
Pansy was surprised by Harry's concern, but she didn't show it. A mischievous gleam flickered in her eyes when a sudden idea occurred to her. She said, as sincerely as possible, "I assure you, Draco is fine. Say, Potter, do you want to visit him?"
Harry knew that any Slytherins with oddly glinting eyes, which was usually a promise of highly unpleasant events, should be avoided at all cost, but he was also worried about Draco. After a not-so-long mental argument with himself, he agreed. Pansy gestured the Gryffindor to follow her.
As Pansy led him down further and further into the dungeons, Harry's sense of foreboding grew stronger and stronger. But he couldn't back down now that he was so close to their destination. Finally, they reached the stone wall that marked the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Pansy whispered a password and the wall slid open. Harry was suddenly reminded of the time in second year when….
His nostalgia was interrupted when the strange feeling of being watched descended upon him again. He looked around, frowning, who is it this time? Just as he thought he saw a familiar pair of intense black eyes around the corners….
"What are you waiting for, a red carpet?" Pansy drawled when she noticed Harry didn't follow her cross the threshold.
Harry didn't answer. Before he stepped into the common room, his eyes darted back to the dark corners again, but those eyes were already gone. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. I talked to Terry already, there's no reason for him to keep spying on me.
Harry entered the Slytherins common room, and he was pleased to note the familiarity from the scene that greeted him. Green lights that shone abnoramlly bright, hang from the stone ceiling, casting a soft warm emerald glow to the otherwise hard and cold surroundings. All were not so different from what he remembered.
Pansy led him to the front of the mantelpiece where a round table were set up, around which four students were sitting together. And they were…playing Poker!! Harry stared wide-eye at the gambling Slytherins whom he recognized as Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, and a very pretty silver-haired girl in a muggle dress who looked remarkably familiar.
Upon seeing Pansy and Harry, the girl jumped up from her seat and started yelling at Pansy, with a voice that sounded disturbingly like Draco, "What the fuck are you doing bringing him here?"
The three Slytherin boys were also gaping opened mouthed at Pansy, who suddenly exploded in howling laughter.
"You are so dead Pansy!" The girl said through gritted teeth. Her voice low and drawling, her silver eyes flashing, cheeks flushing with fury, a look that was just too familiar for Harry to dismiss.
With a timidly shaking voice, Harry asked, "D-Draco?"
The person in question buried his face in his hands and dropped to the floor, "Oh God, this is so embarrassing!!"
A moment of silence passed, with Harry gaping at Drag Draco, and Pansy's dying laughter in the background, while the Slytherin boys seemed to be at loss at what to do. At last, Harry found his voice, "What the hell are you doing, dressed up as a muggle girl, playing poker, and then told me you were sick, while you should be doing potions project with me?"
Draco stood up and said indignantly, "Hey, it's not my fault! I have a perfect explanation for the drag thing!" He gestured toward his dress, which, Harry silently admitted, quite suited him. Draco let out a sigh, "I lost a bet to Pansy and I have to dress like that till midnight tonight, that's why I didn't come for the project, alright?" He turned his attention to the smugly smirking Pansy, "And next time you lose a bet, I'll think of something so humiliating that you'll wish you've never been born. And you'll beg me…"
Harry could've swore that this was supposed to be a hilarious situation, but he didn't laugh.
Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from Draco's make-up adorned features. His already long eyelashes were emphasized even more by the mascara, his delicate lips glossed by lipsticks, his hair just long enough to tie back as a pony tail….Harry marveled at how much Draco looked like an actual girl. It must be illegal for a seventeen year-old boy to look this pretty….
During Draco's speech, Zabini had came up beside his friend and put a hand around Draco's waist and whispered calming words to the blonde. Draco stopped ranting, pouted, still glaring at Pansy, and relaxed slightly at the intimate touch that lingered a tad too long.
"Whatever, Draco, when have I ever been scared of you idle threats?" Pansy turned to Harry, "So, Potter, since you are here and otherwise unoccupied, you want to join us?" She jerked her head towards the poker table.
Harry looked over at Draco, who was standing too close to Zabini. He didn't show any signs of objection, so Harry agreed. He haven't played poker in a long time, and was itching for a game.
"Cool." Pansy said. "Let's gamble. C'mon Draco, don't sulk, or you won't win…"
Harry pulled up a chair between Draco and Zabini, who shot him a look that he couldn't comprehend. After only a few games, Harry discovered that Draco and Pansy were really good at poker. Their ability to bluff could be considered an art. They could make you believe their hand was a royal flush when it was actually nothing but crap. Blaise Zabini on the other hand was always expressionless, while Crabbe and Goyle couldn't bluff even if their lifes depended on it. But surprisingly, and frustratingly, Crabbe and Goyle were always the ones winning. It seemed they would never run out on luck.
Harry discovered that betting was some sort of a habit, a ritual between the Slytherins, especially between Pansy and Draco. Somewhat like playing chess was a way of bonding with Ron, making stupid bets were their way of bonding. And they had been doing that since they were childrens. It seemed that their favorite stake was the public humiliation of the others. In fact, Pansy revealed that that offer of friendship in their first year, when Draco had barged into Harry and Ron's compartment on the train, had merely been a bet between the two Slytherins. Harry should have felt insulted, but instead he found himself asking what Draco had to do since he obviously lost the bet.
"He had to yell 'I love Dumbledore' twenty times in the middle of the common room" Pansy smirked at Draco, who had been scowling at her the whole night. No wonder he hated me….
Vince and Greg and Blaise sniggered at the memory.
"You know what, Draco?" Pansy commented suddenly. "Sam would look exactly like you right now, if she'd grown up." And everyone froze. Draco lowered his head slightly, while Blaise frowned at Pansy for mentioning that name. "What? He does!"
Draco muttered a faint "excuse me" and left the table. Harry stared at his retreating back, wondering what happened. He turned to Pansy, hoping she'd satisfy his inquisitiveness. She didn't disappoint him.
"Samatha Malfoy. His little sister. She died during the war with his parents." Pansy said, while Blaise sighed, obviously disapproved Pansy for divulging the information.
"Why do you always have to bring this up?" Blaise said tiredly, shaking his head, "You know he'd get depressed…"
"He had to learn to live with it sooner or later. Avoiding the subject doesn't change the reality…"
Harry ignored the arguing pair and went after Draco. He opened the door to the room which he saw Draco entered. Before he could announce his presence, Draco, who was staring at a mirror, asked, "Do you think I look like her, Blaise?"
"I don't know. I've never seen her before. And I'm quite sure I'm not Blaise." Harry walked up beside Draco, who jumped at his voice. "Pansy told me about your sister. Don't be mad at her, she was just trying to help."
"Don't worry, I'm not mad at her. She's the only one who dare say her name in front of me. And I love her for it."
Harry smiled, then something caught his eyes. Draco was holding a muggle doll, a damaged muggle doll.
"It was a birthday present for Sam when she was six. She had wanted something muggle, and I bought this for her. Without our parents knowing, of course. She used to hide it under her bed at the Manor. That's why it's only partly damaged." The Malfoy Manor had been one of the battle grounds during the war. Now, the house was completely detroyed. "it's the only thing I have of hers left." Draco said softly, his hands caressing the burnt fabric of the muggle doll.
"Why didn't you try to repair it?"
"It's too damaged to be repaired. It'll only fall apart faster."
Sadness flooded from Draco's eyes, and Harry had a strong desire to rid that emotion from him. And he knew exactly what would cheer him up. "You know who came to me this evening?" Harry waited until he had Draco's attention before continuing, "Terry Boot."
Draco's eyes widen, grief tempoarily forgotten. Harry silently congratulated himself. "Talk, now, Potter!" Draco demanded, and Harry complied.
"So you think he was jealous, eh?" Draco asked, after he forced Harry to recount every little detail about his encounter with the Head Boy. His eyes flashed with joy.
"That would seem most likely." Suddenly a loud buzzing sound emerged from behind Harry, startling the brave Gryffindor.
Draco jumped and slapped something behind Harry, then bounced out of the room yelling, "It's midnight!! Pansy!!"
After some swish-n-flicks later, Draco was returned to normal. And Harry decided it was time for him to retire, so he did.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Draco walked into the Great Hall hand in hand with Terry Boot.
Along with the rest of the school, Harry gawked at the couple, an odd pang of disappointment made itself known in his heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Sorry for the long and crappy chapter. Please do not kill me for the Terry/Draco thing…it hurts me to write it too. I promise it'll definitely be Draco/Harry later…later….Reviews, Please?
BTW, many of you said in your reviews that you noticed mistakes, please let me know where the mistakes are, I wanna correct them. Thanks.
And, I've been told that my '??' and '!!' are really annoying. I'm sorry if this is true, it's just a weird habit of mine to double the '?'s and '!'s. Anyone noticed I tried to cut back on that already? Hehe…