Title: Like It Like That

Author: Yih

Disclaimer: All rights are JK Rowling, just borrowing the characters for some slashy goodness!

Warning: This is slash! M/M relationship! Don't bother flaming since this is your warning, got it?

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2: Life is Short (July 15, 2003 to July 16, 2003)

Surprisingly the defeat of Voldemort had come very easily and without much pain, anguish, or death. That was what Harry had thought until he began to realize that something was very wrong with him. That whatever the last thing that the damn man that wouldn't die had uttered at him was making him lightheaded and weak.

He had had no choice but to go to the manipulative Dumbledore and let the Headmaster examine him for any trace of a dark curse. What the old coot had found had astonished them both. Lucky for both of them, Voldemort had foolishly underestimated the strength and numbers in Dumbledore's Army in using the draining but extremely painful curse. That was the only thing truly lucky thing about that night.

Not only had Voldemort placed a dark curse on him, it was so ancient and obscure that there was no counter curse. This was permanent and its affects were permanent. Nothing could be done, nothing at all. Usually the curse wasn't fatal, but for someone with Harry's magical capacity it would prove lethal. One simply didn't get his magic leeched away without going into shock, the sort of shock that would eventually kill Harry.

At best, Dumbledore concluded that Harry would indefinitely remain comatose after all his magical energy had been drained from him, and that was the positive outlook. But even despite that less than cheery assessment, Dumbledore had wanted to keep him locked up at Hogwarts while he had dark curse breakers check him out when he had at best a few months to live. Harry was not going for that at all!

Even though he was less than full strength, Harry was still a power to be dealt with. But it'd taken a very, very powerful memory charm on Dumbledore to even hope that the cunning Headmaster would forget. It had also taken from him a great deal of his magical essence to hold the memory charm. Why couldn't the stubborn old man just let things be?

The truly devious part of the curse was that it didn't only rely on time to suck the magic away, but also on magical use. The more Harry used his magic, the weaker he would become. But it was going to happen anyway, everyday since the first he felt less magic for him to access. Simply put it, every wizard had a sort of magical battery that was replenish with enough rest time in between but his battery was leaking out at a rate that couldn't be restored.

Using magic only drained him further, magic he couldn't get back. But the pain of the memory curse on Dumbledore was well worth the black out he'd suffered afterwards. And it'd prove quite successful with a few modifications. It had also proved quite draining, and hazardous to maintain. It was good for him that Dumbledore had eventually stopped fighting the memory charm after a few months. If he had kept it up a little longer, Harry would have been facing a much shorter life expectancy.

As it was, he thought, staring up at the wall with detached abandon, he probably had a few weeks left--- maybe only a few days. He didn't really know. All he knew was that he had no appetite, which was why he was getting so thin, and that he didn't think he could perform the simplest spells anymore without feeling weak in the knees.

But that still didn't stop his sex drive or his insatiable lust for Malfoy. He'd admit, it was more than just desire that kept him coming back for more. It was the way that the platinum blond was, rough yet smooth, sleek yet commanding. It also didn't hurt that Draco wouldn't be spilling the story to the press, not unless he wanted it to be known that he was screwing the Boy Who Lived.

His stomach growled weakly, despite not really desiring to consume any food. It was empty; he was empty. That was, he was full of nothing until he met up with Draco later tonight to start over what had been a continuous cycle for the past few weeks. If he'd known how much simple pleasure he would derive from the arrogant prat, he would have seduced him sooner. Too bad he couldn't go back and do it all over again. He might have changed a few things.

~

"You know," Blaise remarked as he glanced over to where Draco was frantically pacing up and down the length of the room, "I've never seen you like this before."

Draco threw a deadly Malfoy scowl at his roommate and the only Slytherin that he still spoke to on a regular basis, but since it was Blaise it failed to produce more than a glimmer of amusement. Damn Zabini becoming too use to him! His glare was not suppose to be humorous, it was suppose to be fiercely menacing. "What do you mean?"

"You're not usually so anxious about anyone."

"I'm not anxious," Draco muttered back far too swiftly, "about anyone, damn it!"

Rolling his eyes with enough of an exaggeration that even a person more than half blind would have a hard time missing, Blaise let his best friend know that he hardly believed a word that Draco was saying. "Yes," he drawled, "you're just pacing up and down the foyer because you enjoy pacing back and forth. Sure, Draco, I believe you all right."

Draco growled at the comment, but didn't say anything just continued to pace around the length of the wall since he had nothing better to do than to be anxious. And why the bloody hell was he anxious anyway? It wasn't like he hadn't proved that he could make sweet golden boy Harry Potter scream with ecstasy enough to rock a house. He done it, more than done that. The problem was that this wasn't just any average day. It was their 6 month anniversary. Not that it meant anything other than to tell how long they'd been fucking each other's brains out.

But still it meant something, didn't it? At least, Draco would like to think so even if he didn't want to admit it to anyone besides the most inner aspect of his conscious being. No, he'd never admit it unless he was forced to take Veritaserum. And Blaise was right on the spot when he'd said that it'd never been like this before. He was never anxious about anything, anyone--- it was usually like that for the other person. Damn Potter. "Bloody Gryffindor," he muttered underneath his breath.

"I think your serious about him," Blaise stated only the overly obvious with a grin appearing on his lips. When he heard Draco grumbling at the statement, his grin only increased in size. "You've never been in a relationship as long as you've been with him, even if you are just shagging him. You've got to feel something for him or you wouldn't stay with him that long."

No kidding, Blaise, Draco's mind thought mentally. Only a minute slow, getting better at the pick up game, eh? But it wasn't like he was going to spill his guts to Blaise, even if the Slytherin was his best friend. "It's just sex."

"Sex wouldn't keep you together for 6 months," Blaise observed quite perceptively.

Draco had forgotten that unlike the majority of the Slytherins in their year, Blaise had a brain. "I hate that golden boy," he protested with such weakness that even he was laughing at his attempt.

"There's a thin line between love and hate," Blaise pointed out cleverly.

"So said the man who can't get laid," Draco retorted back.

Blaise threw Draco a glare that said: 'you are being an impossibly arrogant Slytherin prat and despite that you think I don't know, I do know what you're thinking because in case you haven't noticed I bloody well live with you and I'm your bloody best friend!' "You are such a stubborn git!" Blaise exclaimed, staring daggers into Draco.

"Touché," Draco responded without any hint of humor. But as if a silent alarm had gone off in his head, he stopped in mid stride and stared down at his watch. A bizarrely wolfish smile came onto Draco's sensually thin lips. "It's time for me to meet him. I've got to go," he called out as he moved toward the front door. "Don't stay up and wait for me. I won't be home tonight."

Shaking his head hard, Blaise knew precisely why that was the case. Why else would Draco want to come back to a flat to simply hang out with his roommate when much more exquisite bedtimes remained with a certain gorgeous Gryffindor? He didn't blame Draco, he'd be doing the same if he had the same choice. "Then go, why don't you? What are you waiting for? My approval? Why wouldn't I approve? At least one of us a bloody sex life."

Draco grinned and waved his hand careless. "Bye, Blaise."

"Bye Draco," Blaise echoed after him as he watched the platinum blond leave. "And," he whispered softly, "I still think your in denial." His eyes bore holes through the solid wood door. "Even if you don't realize it, you've fallen for him."

~

Author's Note: Yeah, still bored and because you asked here's the next chapter! I don't expect this series to be long, no not at all. But isn't it a delightfully complex yet sinfully delicious HP/DM little series? How do you like Blaise? First time I've inserted him into a story. Any thoughts would be very much appreciated!

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Thanks to SilverDragon, covetous creature, Erica, Agent0069, Starlight, Lanevaly, Cassa-Andra, IamtheLizardQueen (wow, you like this? Your story's brilliant BTW), VenomZ, Eaiva le Fay, icklechuck, Kicki, JJLL, Quickjewel (too hyper in the morning for me), FantasyChick, blackumbridge (haha too early for me too), abraxis (draco's reaction will have to wait), Tempest (- blushes- thanks), and Tarnished Silver (glad you stuck around).