Title: Clear

Chapter 7: Trouble

Pairing: Harry/Draco

Rating: R for slash themes

**WARNING**: THIS STORY CONTAINS SLASH THEMES – WHICH MEANS HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TWO MALE CHARACTERS. YOU ARE ADVISED TO LEAVE IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS.

Disclaimer: The characters portrayed in this story do not belong to me, but to the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. This is all FICTION; none of it is true. No profit was made from this story. I bear no responsibility for anything you may claim from this story, you have been warned.

LAST WARNING. SLASH. HOMOSEXUALITY. LEAVE IF YOU DON'T LIKE.

Notes:  Much thanks to J for beta-ing! Welcome back, dude! Thanks to the reviewers!!!! Thank you just so, so, SO much! Much thanks to May, the very evil bunny, ClarKeRaVen – thank you for your very kind review!, alistar, Evil Laughter, efa, Summer, Anne Phoenix, Lady Malfoy II, someone who's too lazy to login, Heavens_beyond, GlacierFlame, bondagechic, IncubusSuccubus, in-a-crushd-tin-box, Patchfire, Marionette, Gwendolyn Malfoy, Lunadeath, mellony melody, Sera Luanma, Hoshikio-Malfoy, J (BleedingEros), Moonblade, Sienna of Lothlorien, Zany, pottergirl, Mistic, random reviewer, ILLk, and Hoshiko-Malfoy – thank you for your review, too! Nice to know people are reading!!!

And in answer to your question, ILLK, of what Harry was thinking when he heard about the ring, it was that "Malfoy is attached to another boy!" even though Ron says that the ring is usually worn on the right pinkie and not on a chain around the neck. I think that by then, he's not really absorbing what everyone else is saying, and is just heartbroken and thinking over and over, "Malfoy is with another boy," etc, etc, etc…anyway, westward, ho! And please ask if you have any more questions…!

This continues on from the last chapter. If there is any confusion about the timing of this chapter, please email me at the address specified in my profile. Thank you!

***

The next night saw Draco in the same room, standing, holding his violin in the rest position, in the same position as the night before, only that his gaze was at the window and the scene outside. That was how Potter found him, slipping in as silently as before, and dropping his Invisibility Cloak. Draco heard the sound of silk rushing towards the floor, and, without turning, said, "Good night once more, Potter. Back again for an encore?"

Potter nodded resolutely. "Yes."

***

Harry entered the room, removing his Invisibility Cloak once he was safely inside. Malfoy was sitting down tonight, back against the wall, facing the door, violin cradled in his arms as he plucked the strings.

"Well, hello, Potter," he said, without looking up. "What will it be tonight?"

"Whatever you want it to be, Malfoy."

Malfoy looked up inquisitively.

"Whatever you want it to be."

***

"You know, I never knew that," Draco said, astonished. His violin was on the window sill that was really a seat because it was so roomy.

"Not much people do," said Potter, shrugging. "I guess they just don't really like to think that their wonderful Harry Potter would be living like that. Or maybe they can't imagine that their golden boy would"

"Really? Well, when I was young, I used to imagine you living a horrible life because I hated you so much."

Potter looked at him with large, luminous eyes that seemed to consume the whole room, swallowing Draco in their entirety. "And do you still imagine a horrible life for me now?"

Draco only stared back.

***

"So I blamed Dobby for it – and my father actually believed me! Honestly, though, no house elf would be bold enough to even think of such a thing, much less do it. I simply can't imagine why my father fell for it."

Harry couldn't answer – he was laughing too hard, sprawled onto his back, clutching his stomach, streams of tears flowing down his cheeks, which already hurt from laughing too long.

Malfoy scowled at first, but couldn't hold the expression and instead pounced to kneel over Harry, knees on either side of him, and pushed down on Harry's shoulders to prevent him from wriggling around so much. Malfoy smirked. "What are you laughing at, Potter?"

Harry's laughter stopped rather abruptly at the sight he met when he finally forced his eyes open. Wiping them hastily, he grinned somewhat lopsidedly. "You."

Malfoy sat down on his stomach, hard. "I was only four, Potter!"

Harry's grin grew. "I know. I was laughing even harder trying to imagine what you looked like back then."

Malfoy growled, and tackled.

***

"What do you think of love, Malfoy?"

Malfoy gave him a strange look with those weird silver eyes of his glinting dangerously. "What sort of question is that, Potter?"

"I don't know. I was just wondering."

The two of them were sitting on the window sill, facing each other, looking out into the night sky above. "What about you, Potter?"

"I asked you first." Harry seemed timid all of a sudden. "Malfoy, do you believe in love at all?"

"I don't know. I guess not, not really."

"Oh." Somehow, Harry felt rather disappointed. "I do."

"Really?" Malfoy looked at him again, the same strange look in his eyes.

"I do. I believe in love. True love, love that is everlasting. Real, pure love. I believe in it. And I believe that everyone is blessed with it."

"Everyone, Potter?"

"Yes," Harry said, firmly. "Everyone."

"Everyone including me, Potter?"

"Everyone."

***

"Is that why you wear it?" Potter whispered.

Draco nodded solemnly. "I mean, it's no big deal here. Of course, I don't think Muggles have any idea what it means, and I couldn't care less about them, either, so it all works out."

"Oh," Potter whispered again. "But you don't have a boyfriend now?"

"No, but I have my eye on someone." Draco turned his head and stared at the opposite wall.

"Really?"

"Yes, Potter, and would you stop whispering? No one's going to hear us anyway."

"Well," he said in his normal voice, "I was just being careful. Anyway, who is he?"

"What do you mean, who is he?"

"You're blushing, Malfoy!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"Am not!"

"Am too!"

"Am not!" Draco swiveled round to glare at Potter defiantly.

Potter shut up and leaned back, eyes fixed on Draco's face, making him feel decidedly uncomfortable. "Well, since you told me that…I'll tell you something, too."

Draco sat back as well, relaxing his posture. "What?"

There was a hesitant pause before Potter spoke. "Well. Me too, I guess."

Draco went to bed that night, head full of Potter as he drifted off to sleep.

---

He was being kissed. He was being kissed by the most delicious, luscious lips ever to grace Earth. He could feel them moving against his, the tip of a tongue licking occasionally, shooting electric tingles through his entire body. He opened his mouth to the sweet ministrations and hesitantly touched the tip of his tongue to the other. This ensued a deep, trembling groan from the other, and Draco felt a warm weigh on him as two hands clutched at his arms and he was body-tackled, falling backwards onto a soft bed.

"Do you know what you do to me?" came a husky whisper.

Draco couldn't resist smiling. "That is such a cheesy line," he opened his eyes, "Potter."

Potter laughed and Draco could feel the laugh in the body on top of his. "I know. But I just had to say it." He buried his face into Draco's shoulder, voice dropping back to its low whisper. "You turn me on so much. Can you feel it? Can you feel how much I love you?" Potter let his full weight fall flush onto Draco, moving his hips just slightly, just slightly enough to make Draco shiver.

A heated blush flamed Draco's cheeks. A tiny "Oh!" of surprise escaped his lips, and his blush deepened. It seemed to be a signal of some sort, as Potter kissed his earlobe softly, licking and pulling, teeth barely scraping sensitive skin. Unable to resist, Draco wrapped his arms around Potter, holding him closely.

more

He wanted – no, he needed more. He needed more of this closeness, more of this heat, more of this raw, naked passion. He shifted under Potter, accidentally pushing up at him with his hips, eliciting a deep moan from Potter, who rocked back, unembarrassed, unashamed, and who kept on rocking and moving back and forth, gently, until Draco couldn't take it anymore, he was going to burst, and he felt his muscles tighten, and small whimpers were forcing themselves out, and then and then and then and then

oh oh oh oh oh

---

Draco woke up.

"Fuck."

***

Draco was in the same room once more, and at the same time, but his violin was on the floor in a dark corner, silent and invisible. It did not bring him salvation tonight. He sat on the large, roomy windowsill, leaning onto the closed window. A single piece of parchment drifted from his shaking fingers, floating gently to the floor, words still facing up, staring at him mockingly, angrily, sneering up at him from where they lay.

He turned his head away and closed his eyes as he felt two hot tears trail down his cheeks. His defiance was worth nothing, was for nothing, and came to nothing. No use, no use. It was all no use. Nothing would save him now, not even the illustrious Dumbledore, or the golden Boy Who Lived. Draco buried his head in his arms, tucking his knees in close to his chest, and thought about Voldemort's sick desire for him, thought about his father's willingness to sell him, thought about the weakness of his mother and thought about The End Of It All.

He didn't notice the door that opened and shut swiftly, silently, or the soft breathing that came afterward. He was too busy rocking back and forth, holding himself tight, humming a favorite song of his in a broken voice to try and calm himself.

---

Harry entered the music room, excited and exhilarated, wanting more of the quiet closeness he had for the past six nights stemming from the one where he dared to reveal himself in the music room. Instead, he found Malfoy curled into a tiny ball on the windowsill, swaying unsteadily, cradling himself in his own arms. Bits of a song wandered over to Harry's ears, but they were sung by a voice so cracked that he could not distinguish a tune.

Harry pulled off his Invisibility Cloak. "Malfoy?" he whispered.

There was no answer, nor was there a change in movement of the other boy that indicated he even knew Harry was there.

"Malfoy?" he said again, louder.

Malfoy unfolded his head from his arms, eyes narrowed, lips and cheeks a deadly shade of white. "Potter," he said hoarsely, tersely. "You're here."

Harry took a step forward, letting his Cloak slip from his fingers onto the cold stone floor. "Of course. I came to see you, Malfoy."

Malfoy gave a short laugh. "Ha." The clouds outside shifted and a shaft of pearly moonlight struck Malfoy's face, drawing deep shadows and highlighting the tear tracks on his cheeks. "I'm not really in mood for music and chatting tonight, Potter."

Harry took another step. "That's alright, Malfoy. I'll just stay here with you." And he sat down on the floor, right beneath Malfoy's window seat, knees curled up just like the other boy's.

They were silent, as Malfoy watched the stars outside, and as Harry watched the boy above him. Suddenly aware that he had been staring for too long, Harry frowned slightly and looked away, staring at the violin in the corner, wondering why it had been banished from Malfoy's little world by the window. He caught sight of a piece of parchment on the floor next to his left foot; clearly, it was a letter, hidden in the shadows.

Malfoy looked down at him. "It's alright, Potter. Just read the letter. It will explain everything. And it will save me the trouble of having to explain it to you myself."

Harry frowned. "Malfoy, your voice…"

"Just a bit of a sore throat, Potter. If you're not going to read it, then just sit, or leave."

"No, I'm reading it." Harry snatched the parchment off the floor and scanned his eyes over it before reading it carefully once more, just to make sure he didn't miss any of it.      

Draco,

You will be coming home for the Christmas break, I assume? Your mother and I

will be waiting for you at the platform; I have some free time to spend. Did you

receive mother's gift for this week yet? If you have, you must remember that

the box of sweets should be shared. Sharing is very important. I know you like

dark chocolate, so I sent you two boxes. One of them has a very small pink

mark; it is dark chocolate filled with wine. I know that those are your favorite.

On the doily covering the wine chocolate is mother's letter. It is regarding your

Christmas-Eve birthday, we have something very special planned for you.

Don't forget mother's Christmas gift this time, try not to be lazy again and not

bother getting her anything. You know she will give you grief if so. It is no use

resisting, or she WILL have Jacques redecorate your room in red and gold.

Our house elf Pupai has been sent away. She dared to embarrass me in front of

Lord Nemberfaul. Do you remember him? He visited seven years ago, and he

has already promised attend your seventeenth birthday. Mother has already

ordered decorations and preparations for the ball, and the cake's design has

already been decided.

Must go now, so see you soon.

Your father,

Lucius Malfoy

"Um, Malfoy?" Harry looked up at Malfoy questioningly. "The letter…"

"Did you read it, Potter? Did you read it carefully, word for word?" Malfoy was looking up at the sky again.

"Yes, but –"

"Now read it again. And only read the first word on each line. Read it aloud to yourself, to tell yourself that the message is real, that it is real and that it is meant for me."

Harry read over the letter again, mouthing the words to himself one at a time.

Draco,

You

will

receive

the

dark

mark

on

Christmas-Eve

Don't

bother

resisting

Our

Lord

has

ordered

already

Harry bounced up from his seat. "Malfoy!"

"Do you get it now, Potter?"

"Yes, Malfoy, but –"

but what it says couldn't possibly be true

"It's final, Potter. When Voldemort says it, it's final. Whatever my father wanted of me I could defy, I could disobey, but when it comes to Voldemort…" Malfoy trailed off, and Harry wanted to know what he was thinking just then.

"Why don't you go to Dumbledore? He'll think of something, something, I know he will."

I know he won't let me down he won't let you down he won't let me lose you not now not ever

"Dumbledore? I think not. He won't be able to do a thing. Probably tell me I'm just going to have to be a casualty of war." Malfoy's tone was cynical, and he hadn't moved from his seat, nor had he turned away from the window.

"Malfoy…" Harry trailed off. What was he supposed to say?

"Forget it, Potter. Forget me as well. Forget me, and hope that I stay forgotten when we have to face off in the final battle."

"Malfoy," Harry said again, softly. "Malfoy, I won't lose you. I won't let them take you. I won't."

Malfoy finally looked away from the window, turning instead to Harry. "Oh?"

Harry nodded firmly. "I won't let anything happen to you."

To Be Continued!!!!