Author: Gryphnwng
Title: Gryphon Baiting
Rating: R (NC-17 at my yahoo group and adultfanfiction.net)
Status: Work-in-progress
Pairing: Harry/Draco, some mentions of others.
Note: This is SLASH! Meaning male/male pairing. If you don't like, I'm not forcing your eyes to this page to read. I've had enough readers ask for this pairing in my Prophesy of the Serpent story that I decided to write a short, one shot, no plot included fluff piece to appease them. At least, that was what it was supposed to be. Now, it's turning into a story in it's own right, with a plot! So help me, how do I get into these messes?? Well, I hope yall enjoy! The floodwaters have receded!!! Actually, they've been gone for a few days. I've just been waiting for the phones to come back so I could get online. Dial-up sucks.
Summery: 7th year AU ficlet- Ron and Hermione are worried about Harry, and his still seeming innocence to the way the world works. Worried for his safety, they follow him to a midnight rendezvous with Draco, and get an eyeful.
Archive: Please do! Ask for permission first though ^_^
Chapter 5:
A seriously serious idea for Sirius! (wow…a title…dang…)
~Previous chapter
"Now, I think there may be a way that we can get this whole fiasco fixed. You'll have to hang tight, though Draco, it may take all summer."
"What do you mean?" Both Harry and Draco asked, both boys curiosity piqued.
"I have an idea."~
~Gryffindor common room~
A stunned hush fell over the assembled crowd. Draco, who had been narrating, stopped his version of the events in confusion.
"What did I say? You're all zombies…"
Harry took pity on his blonde boyfriend and explained. "It was the fact that Siri had an idea. Doesn't happen all that often, you know. It's kinda like Gryffindor legend. Remi was the brain of the marauders my dad was the leader, and Pettigrew did the grunt work. As much as I love my godfather, I must say all he contributed was his looks."
All the girls, and a few of the boys present all swooned or sighed, making calf eyes to thin air. He may have not been the brightest bulb, but he was the prettiest.
Draco nodded in understanding. "Ah. That would explain what happened." Both young men laughed, and Harry took up the thread of the story again. After they had woken up the swooners, of course.
"So, there we were, in the middle of the fanciest restaurant in town when Siri gets an idea to help Draco."
~Back to story, Harry 3rd person~
Harry blinked. Siri, his undeniably cute, though not quite bright, Godfather had an idea? Boy, maybe he should rethink this whole vacation idea… Thoughts of staying at the burrow, surrounded by redheads, pranked sweets, Chudley Cannons paraphernalia, and smothering mothers quickly changed his mind. His wayward thoughts were quickly brought back on track by his Godfathers next couple words.
"Harry, I'll have to leave you on your own for a bit until I get this done. Draco, you can take my half of the reservations and stuff and go with Harry. The way I figure it, you both could use the vacation."
His announcement was greeted by a stunned silence. Siri made good use of this to quickly gloss over the specifications of his Idea.
"I've a, um, good friend back home who's a layer, helped me get back all my stuff from the MoM. The way I figure it, he can help me get your stuff back too, Draco. But I need to see him in, well, in person, if you get my drift. You two just hang tight here for a while, go do all the things I had booked, and just de-stress. I'll take care of everything."
The implication of this was not lost on Harry. This old friend of Siri's was probably a new love-interest that he wanted to shag. Also, the words "I'll take care of everything" somehow weren't very comforting. In fact, they sent cold chills up his spine. Looking at Draco, he saw that they did the same to him. He was currently shuddering, and a bit blue around the gills. Siri bouncing up interrupted further contemplation.
Having taken the further stunned silence for agreement he bounced up from his seat and put some money on the table. With a grin splitting his face he backpedaled away from the table, calling as he went. "Don't worry about your job, Draco, I've got everything covered!" Harry gaped at his Godfather, barely able to utter his one feeble protest of "But!"
Sirius waved, and mouthed one word to his Godson. "Blondes!" Harry groaned and let his head fall onto the table with a loud thunk. Perhaps if he got a concussion, it would all go away? No such luck, all he ended up with was a headache.
Before Draco could pick up his fallen jaw to protest Sirius had gone off Merlin knows where, leaving alone the two young men. In other words, they were doomed. Two young men with a history of hexes between them were alone. Alone on a world tour vacation. With a considerable amount of money to spend. And did we mention that they had some bad karma between them? Indeed, this would be a summer to remember, if both young men came back alive and relatively unscathed that is.
~~~~~~~~
Sirius' grin could not have gotten any wider if it tried. After risking life and limb in the chaos that was the restaurants kitchen, and being hit upon by most within, (including the scary looking overweight male covered in tattoos and greasy hair) he managed to find Draco's manager. It took but a few minutes persuading, and some of the local currency to get him to go without the young man's help for the rest of the summer. That token care of he apparated away as quickly as he could from the increasingly persistent scary greasy dishwashing male and back to England. Mentally cackling and rubbing his hands he headed for the office of the lawyer who had been so helpful last time. If all went well, he'd get Draco his inheritance back, and he'd get some back! This was turning into a good summer indeed, even if it meant sacrificing quality time with Harry.
~~~~~~~~
The two young men were still in shock when Draco's manager came by the table to inform the blonde that he had enjoyed having him as an employee, and here was his pay in advance. Draco spluttered, trying to force out a general denial of all that had happened but his manager waved away his protests with a smile.
"No, no, Draco, you are wasted here. Go take care of your family business, I understand. Come back again sometime when you've things settled, on the house."
Jean nodded again and left the table. True, loosing one of his best servers was hard, but not critical. Another would come along soon enough. Thoughts of the young man were soon crowded out by the clamor demanding his attention elsewhere in his restaurant.
Draco felt his jaw snap shut on the last of his protests as there was no-one left to protest to, except for Potter. Speaking of whom, was now grinning like a loon at the bemused and slightly irked face of his companion. A former shadow of his old sneer tried to grace his lips, but it fell through rather badly, which led Potter off into a fit of laughter.
"What's so funny?" Draco snapped, tiring of the giggles."
"Your face, of course. That was the sorriest sneer I ever saw in my life!" Harry tried, really he did, but he couldn't keep his lips from twitching, and he started laughing again. "You used to make sneering an art form."
Draco's own lips twitched slightly. "I suppose I did, didn't I? Well, Potter, forgive me if I haven't gotten quite up to standard just yet. It has been a trying summer." A genuine, albeit small, smile briefly graced the blondes lips before disappearing, though his eyes continued to hold some amusement."
"Of course. Though mind you, I expect to see the real thing by the time school starts again. Hogwarts just won't be the same without it. It would be rather hard to keep up the whole rivalry thing, ya know." Harry grinned, teasing Draco lightly. In his heart though, he didn't really want to continue on with the ridiculous rivalry they had. There really was no point to it after all, was there?
Draco nodded in turn. Agreeing, again smiling slightly at Potter's bantering. He too, though, secretly wished to be done with the whole rivalry, though he'd be damned if he said so first!
As neither Harry nor Sirius had yet ordered their dinners when startled by the appearance of Draco, the two young men decided to stay at the restaurant for dinner. Money was no issue, as Sirius had left plenty for Harry and Draco's use for the rest of the summer. All they had to do was lay back and enjoy. Which they managed to do quite well. For two formal rivals who had hated each other, they got along remarkably well. Draco refrained from mocking Harry's friends, and Harry replied in kind. It was easier as their friends weren't there to egg the other on.
Dessert proved to be a bit of a challenge for the estranged Malfoy Heir. Potter had ordered some confection, which included several chocolate dipped strawberries on it. Draco blinked as he watched the handsome brunette sensuously eat the chocolate drenched fruit, pink tongue darting out to lap up stray juices and chocolate from his lips. Draco didn't know if Potter realized how it looked to others the way he ate those berries, but it was rather quite erotic. He realized he was starring and quickly looked away, concentrating instead on his tiramisu. Harry's little impromptu performance had stirred the interest of more then just his brain, and he found he had to shift a bit uncomfortably in his chair. 'Since when the hell is Potter sexy? Must be just a fluke, no way is Potter fit for fantasies.' Draco kept a mantra of 'Filch and Dumbledore, in tutu's' running through his brain until things had calmed down a bit.
Harry meanwhile was unaware of the discomfort his dining companion was in at the moment. He was lost to the world in his strawberry passion. Who could blame him though? Chocolate covered strawberries deserved to be treated like the royalty among desserts that they were! Licked of their chocolate coating, then eaten nibble by nibble to prolong the sweet satisfaction. It was no wonder his little display had Draco twitching.
By the time the bill arrived and they were leaving Draco's problems had been cured for the nonce. The cool night breeze off the ocean helped things a bit as well. Both young men arrived at the hotel feeling a general sense of sated lethargy that only comes from a good meal. That soon gave way to confusion at the utter chaos the place was in. Harry hailed down the flustered looking concierge to ask what the problem was. It was not good news. Or it could be, if one was cruel and sadistic and enjoyed torturing innocent young men.
Harry snagged the sleeve of the man as he rushed by. "Excuse me, but what is the problem here?"
Looking at the young man who currently had hold of his arm, the man paled even further then he already had been. "It iz terrible, young sirs, but ze 'otel 'as been overbooked. A large conference gather haz arrived, and there iz no roomz available! I'm afraid we 'ad to move your things to a smaller room. We are terribly sorry for ze inconvenience, we shall give you a return on your money, Messieurs." Looking between the two young men, he frowned briefly, taking a handkerchief to mop his brow. "Excuze me, but where iz ze older Messier?"
Pushing back the flare of annoyance Harry answered, growling only slightly. "He had some urgent business to take care of, but an old acquaintance of ours will be taking his place." He gestured to Malfoy who arched an elegant brow and snickered at Harry's choice of terms. The concierge nodded and pulled from his pocket a new set of keys, and a reimbursement check.
"Very good, sir. I 'ave ze new key to your room, and the money 'ere. Again, we apologize for ze inconvenience to you. Good night." The poor flustered man was gone before either could say another thing. He had good survival instincts indeed.
Getting rather annoyed now Harry ran his hand through his hair, tousling the waves and messing up his previous hard work. Glancing at the number on the card key he growled to Draco "Come on." And led the way to the new room. The door it led to was rather unornamented, unlike the original, and walking in it was apparent why.
The room was tiny.
Smaller even then one of the rooms of the suite he and Siri had. Walking in fully, the boys realized the full cruelty Murphy can do when inspired.
The room had only one bed.
A rather small, barely twin sized bed.
And no couch.
Draco and Harry stared at the room, then each other, and then stated their thoughts on the matter.
"Oh Fuck."
Yes, long time in coming, I know. Sorry about that. Work has been hectic lately, and I am uninspired. Though the coming chapters should be getting fun again reeeaaalll soon! Vacation shall only be a few more chapters, and then it goes back to present time. Yay! Sometime this weekend or early next week I SHOULD be done with Prophesy, I may have found a beta! *rejoices* We'll see. Till then, adios!
~Gryph~