[ Chapter 4 ]
How did you know cause I never told. You found out. I got a crush on you.
Lucas was antsy all through class. Class he had done before. Budding relationship with a boy? Now that was new territory. He sat between Blaise and Crabbe, more or less ignoring them both as he thought about the thirty seconds in the hallway with Draco that had completely thrown him for a loop. Malfoy moved fast. And he liked it. He stared at his hand, searching for any signs of what had happened. There was nothing. Only the tingling sensation that he was sure he was imagining. He imagined the encounter over and over again, staring into space with a dreamy smile on his face as he did so. He rubbed the back of his hand absently and felt a note slip under his arm. He looked down, annoyed at being pulled out of his trance and read the lines of the note.
Luke, Professor Shubert has been lecturing for almost an hour and you don't have anything written down. Are you okay? Why aren't you paying attention?
-Blaise.
Luke turned his head to look at the pretty brunette on his right and she shot him a quick look in between scribbling down some notes, her eyebrows knitted together. He realized that class had been indeed going on for almost an hour and that far from him taking any notes, he didn't even have his parchment out of his bag yet. He scrambled to get everything out and began taking notes, not understanding a thing. He soon found himself drawing tiny hearts around the edges of his parchment and writing cursive D's. He heard laughter coming from Blaise and couldn't help smiling himself. Soon she was scribbling again.
Let's talk later. You make me laugh. I like boys who make me laugh.
Xoxo Blaise.
Lucas scribbled back.
Sure, but don't get your hopes up. I prefer my women with a little more penis.
Xoxo Lucas.
Blaise snorted loudly at that and the class turned to look at them. Lucas shrugged and smiled. Blaise hid her face behind her hand. Harry never had this confidence back in the day. Sometimes it's just better living the lie.
* * * * After class Lucas wandered the same hall aimlessly, trying his best to look lost until he heard light footsteps and a familiar soft laugh in his ears. It was Draco. Lucas let his heart skip a beat before he turned around.
"Hey Luke. Lost?" Asked Draco with laughter in his voice.
"Hey tiger." Luke said with a wink. Where the hell did that come from? He thought. But then he just ran with it. Draco's jaw dropped open and Luke almost died with laughter. He walked up to Draco's side, grabbed his hand and lead him down the hall to their next class. About halfway there Draco turned to him, finally recovered.
"Wait, I thought you were lost earlier?" Luke stopped.
"Lucky guess." That explanation seemed to suffice and they continued. Draco taking the lead and Luke lagging slightly.
"Here we are. Your favorite class." Draco said, stopping in front of the door. Luke forced a smile, knowing full well that Transfiguration was NOT his favorite class, but knowing that he now had to fake it because of his big mouth. They dropped each others hands and walked into class. They were more than a few minutes late.
"Mr. Malfoy. Please explain to me why you are so late." Professor McGonagall called while turning around from the board she had been teaching at. She notice Luke.
"Ahh, Mr. James! Our new student."
"I found Lucas in the hall, lost and I offered to show him how to get here." Professor McGonagall seemed to be considering whether or not to believe that, but in the end she waved her hand and they headed to their seats.
As she turned back to the board she called out, "The only available seat for you, Mr. James is Harry Potter's former seat next to Hermione Granger. Sit down. No arguments." Lucas hadn't planned on arguing, but it seemed that all of the Slytherin's had been about to. Luke took his seat next to Hermione. He tensed his body and prepared to lie to the person who knew him best.
"Hello Hermione." Luke said quietly. "How are you?"
"Just fine, Lucas. Thank you for asking."
"Call me Luke." Harry said quickly. She nodded.
"These are the notes you missed. When you were with...him." She nodded her head towards Malfoy. Luke tried to play dumb.
"You two aren't friends?" He asked.
"Absolutely not." She stopped short to keep herself from offending her partner's newest friend. Slowly, she continued. "The Malfoy I know is a horrible little brat."
"Really?" Luke asked. "He always seemed alright to me."
"He's been tamer since you've gotten here. He hasn't been torturing people like usual." She gave him an appraising look and waited for him to say something.
"Maybe he was just bored before." Luke said, returning to copying his notes. Hermione stared at him.
"Maybe so." She whispered. They continued the rest of the class in silence. When Professor McGonagall dismissed the class she stopped before leaving their desk.
"Let's be friends Luke." She said to him. He nodded, smiling.
"I'd like that." Hermione smiled back at him and was then pulled out of the room by Ron.
* * * *
Later that night, long after dinner, Luke and Draco sat on Luke's bed talking.
"Let's play a game." Luke said from his sprawling position at the end of his bed.
"What kind of game?" Draco asked skeptically.
"A question game, so that we can find out more about each other."
"Well what are the rules?" Draco asked, now sitting up.
"Who said anything about rules? I just want to ask some questions. Do you always make things this complicated?"
"Is that your first question?" Draco asked laughing.
"Fine, the rules are, three questions a piece, every day. No matter what you have to answer the question, and you have to answer it truthfully. Agreed?"
"Agreed, me first." Luke nodded, waiting for him to begin. Surprisingly, Draco already knew his question.
"Are you gay?" Draco asked, flat out.
"Duh." Luke said, laughing. "Next question." Draco smiled sheepishly and thought about his next question.
"Have you ever been in a relationship with a boy?" Draco asked. Luke thought for a while, as Harry he had not, as Luke, who knows. So again, he made it up.
"Yes. One back at ASW. Morgan and I were together for five and a half months before I left to come here. We both knew that long distance relationships wouldn't work. I'm over him though. Our relationship really wasn't that big of a deal anyway. His mum didn't like me too much. We were-"Luke stopped and realized that his elaborate story was going to be difficult to remember and stopped it there.
"What was your next question?"
Draco stared at him, taken aback because of all that information. He had run out of relationship questions.
"What was your mom's name?" He blurted out, at a loss for ideas.
"Ruth." Luke answered. Where did that come from? "My turn now, first two questions same, and then how many relationships in general."
"Yes, no and two, Pansy and a girl named Heather." Draco answered. "Well that was dull. Wait until tomorrow after twenty-four hours of thinking about my questions." Draco stood up. "But it's late. I'm going to go to sleep and I'll see you in the morning." Luke smiled and pushed himself under his blankets as Draco slipped out.
"Good night, Draco." Luke said quietly.
"Night, Luke." Luke closed his eyes and began dream about certain people. So caught up in his thoughts he didn't hear Draco approach the bed again. With his eyes closed, he didn't see Draco open the bed hangings. He did feel, however, Draco's lips touch his own briefly.
By the time he snapped his eyes open, the curtains were swishing shut and all he saw was a flash of blonde before he closed his eyes again, smiling himself into a new dream.
* * * *
The next morning was uncomfortable to say the least. After Luke drug himself out of bed and watched Draco walk in to the bathroom wearing just a towel, he decided he was clean enough and was not in need of a shower that morning. As he pushed closed the snaps of his pants he heard Draco walk back out into the dormitory and he froze momentarily. Should he look up and say hi? Should he pretend like nothing had happened? After all, it had been late when the "kiss" had taken place. Maybe Draco had forgotten. Luke looked up to see Draco smiling at him and immediately dropped his head back down again. Blushing furiously, he ignored the sounds of Draco's snickering and continued putting on his clothing hastily. "So what are our plans for today?" Draco asked mockingly. "Well, since it's Saturday, I was thinking of going for a walk around the lake." Luke replied. He looked up at Draco to see his reaction. "Alone." "Oh. Right. I guess you do have some *things* to think about." Draco laughed at Luke's departing figure. And Luke blushed some more.
* * * *
Once outside, Luke looked around for a familiar face and immediately spotted Hermione and if for nothing other then instinct he hurried over to the form of her reading by the lake. He slowed down when he got nearer to her and finally sat down beside her, leaning back on his hands and taking in the unexpected sunshine. He heard her close her book next to him, but didn't move. "Hi Luke. To what do I owe your presence.?" "Nice day, isn't it?" He said, looking at her briefly and the turning his squinting eyes back to the sky. She looked at him with bewilderment for a while and then too, turned her eyes to the sky. After a few moments of gazing, Hermione started the conversation again. "I don't really know what to make of you." "How do you mean?" "Well, you're a Slytherin, but you're nice. You hang out with Draco Malfoy, but you're nice. I don't know what to do with that information." Luke laughed. "That's a first." Instead of insulting her intelligence by explaining himself to her (he was sure she'd figure it out sooner or later) he changed the subject...sort of. "You're friends with Harry Potter, right?" Hermione turned her eyes away wistfully. "Yes." She sighed. "I really do miss him you know." "I"m sure he misses you too." Luke murmured to her. "Yes, I'm sure. I just wish he was able to write more. Did you know him?" She turned her eyes to him again and waited for his answer. "No, I hadn't the good fortune."
* * * *
"Jealous, Weasley?" Blaise asked mockingly. "Shut it, Zabini. Once I figure out what you're playing at, and I will, The New Kid's in for it." "Good luck with that one, Luke is about the purest Slytherin you'll ever meet." The two looked on at Hermione and Luke sitting side by side in front of the lake having a laugh at God know's what. "That's it, I'm going over there." Ron said, storming away. Blaise watched him walk over to the pair, tap Hermione on the shoulder, nod curtly to Lucas and then head off towards the castle, Hermione in tow. Luke headed up to her.
"Hey stranger." Blaise called out. Harry smiled. The Sytherin's were really not at all the same when you were one of them. "What was that all about?" Blaise asked him when Luke had finally reached her. Luke just shrugged. "I have some news." He told her grinning. "Ooh what is it?" She asked eagerly. "It's about Draco." "I'm listening." "We kissed, last night. Well actually he more kissed me, and I didn't know he was going to do it, I was almost asleep. So it was more like a rape kiss. Only not, because I wanted him to. And it was just -" Blaise cut him off with her hand and then proceeded to squeal with delight. Lucas had found his fag hag.
How did you know cause I never told. You found out. I got a crush on you.
Lucas was antsy all through class. Class he had done before. Budding relationship with a boy? Now that was new territory. He sat between Blaise and Crabbe, more or less ignoring them both as he thought about the thirty seconds in the hallway with Draco that had completely thrown him for a loop. Malfoy moved fast. And he liked it. He stared at his hand, searching for any signs of what had happened. There was nothing. Only the tingling sensation that he was sure he was imagining. He imagined the encounter over and over again, staring into space with a dreamy smile on his face as he did so. He rubbed the back of his hand absently and felt a note slip under his arm. He looked down, annoyed at being pulled out of his trance and read the lines of the note.
Luke, Professor Shubert has been lecturing for almost an hour and you don't have anything written down. Are you okay? Why aren't you paying attention?
-Blaise.
Luke turned his head to look at the pretty brunette on his right and she shot him a quick look in between scribbling down some notes, her eyebrows knitted together. He realized that class had been indeed going on for almost an hour and that far from him taking any notes, he didn't even have his parchment out of his bag yet. He scrambled to get everything out and began taking notes, not understanding a thing. He soon found himself drawing tiny hearts around the edges of his parchment and writing cursive D's. He heard laughter coming from Blaise and couldn't help smiling himself. Soon she was scribbling again.
Let's talk later. You make me laugh. I like boys who make me laugh.
Xoxo Blaise.
Lucas scribbled back.
Sure, but don't get your hopes up. I prefer my women with a little more penis.
Xoxo Lucas.
Blaise snorted loudly at that and the class turned to look at them. Lucas shrugged and smiled. Blaise hid her face behind her hand. Harry never had this confidence back in the day. Sometimes it's just better living the lie.
* * * * After class Lucas wandered the same hall aimlessly, trying his best to look lost until he heard light footsteps and a familiar soft laugh in his ears. It was Draco. Lucas let his heart skip a beat before he turned around.
"Hey Luke. Lost?" Asked Draco with laughter in his voice.
"Hey tiger." Luke said with a wink. Where the hell did that come from? He thought. But then he just ran with it. Draco's jaw dropped open and Luke almost died with laughter. He walked up to Draco's side, grabbed his hand and lead him down the hall to their next class. About halfway there Draco turned to him, finally recovered.
"Wait, I thought you were lost earlier?" Luke stopped.
"Lucky guess." That explanation seemed to suffice and they continued. Draco taking the lead and Luke lagging slightly.
"Here we are. Your favorite class." Draco said, stopping in front of the door. Luke forced a smile, knowing full well that Transfiguration was NOT his favorite class, but knowing that he now had to fake it because of his big mouth. They dropped each others hands and walked into class. They were more than a few minutes late.
"Mr. Malfoy. Please explain to me why you are so late." Professor McGonagall called while turning around from the board she had been teaching at. She notice Luke.
"Ahh, Mr. James! Our new student."
"I found Lucas in the hall, lost and I offered to show him how to get here." Professor McGonagall seemed to be considering whether or not to believe that, but in the end she waved her hand and they headed to their seats.
As she turned back to the board she called out, "The only available seat for you, Mr. James is Harry Potter's former seat next to Hermione Granger. Sit down. No arguments." Lucas hadn't planned on arguing, but it seemed that all of the Slytherin's had been about to. Luke took his seat next to Hermione. He tensed his body and prepared to lie to the person who knew him best.
"Hello Hermione." Luke said quietly. "How are you?"
"Just fine, Lucas. Thank you for asking."
"Call me Luke." Harry said quickly. She nodded.
"These are the notes you missed. When you were with...him." She nodded her head towards Malfoy. Luke tried to play dumb.
"You two aren't friends?" He asked.
"Absolutely not." She stopped short to keep herself from offending her partner's newest friend. Slowly, she continued. "The Malfoy I know is a horrible little brat."
"Really?" Luke asked. "He always seemed alright to me."
"He's been tamer since you've gotten here. He hasn't been torturing people like usual." She gave him an appraising look and waited for him to say something.
"Maybe he was just bored before." Luke said, returning to copying his notes. Hermione stared at him.
"Maybe so." She whispered. They continued the rest of the class in silence. When Professor McGonagall dismissed the class she stopped before leaving their desk.
"Let's be friends Luke." She said to him. He nodded, smiling.
"I'd like that." Hermione smiled back at him and was then pulled out of the room by Ron.
* * * *
Later that night, long after dinner, Luke and Draco sat on Luke's bed talking.
"Let's play a game." Luke said from his sprawling position at the end of his bed.
"What kind of game?" Draco asked skeptically.
"A question game, so that we can find out more about each other."
"Well what are the rules?" Draco asked, now sitting up.
"Who said anything about rules? I just want to ask some questions. Do you always make things this complicated?"
"Is that your first question?" Draco asked laughing.
"Fine, the rules are, three questions a piece, every day. No matter what you have to answer the question, and you have to answer it truthfully. Agreed?"
"Agreed, me first." Luke nodded, waiting for him to begin. Surprisingly, Draco already knew his question.
"Are you gay?" Draco asked, flat out.
"Duh." Luke said, laughing. "Next question." Draco smiled sheepishly and thought about his next question.
"Have you ever been in a relationship with a boy?" Draco asked. Luke thought for a while, as Harry he had not, as Luke, who knows. So again, he made it up.
"Yes. One back at ASW. Morgan and I were together for five and a half months before I left to come here. We both knew that long distance relationships wouldn't work. I'm over him though. Our relationship really wasn't that big of a deal anyway. His mum didn't like me too much. We were-"Luke stopped and realized that his elaborate story was going to be difficult to remember and stopped it there.
"What was your next question?"
Draco stared at him, taken aback because of all that information. He had run out of relationship questions.
"What was your mom's name?" He blurted out, at a loss for ideas.
"Ruth." Luke answered. Where did that come from? "My turn now, first two questions same, and then how many relationships in general."
"Yes, no and two, Pansy and a girl named Heather." Draco answered. "Well that was dull. Wait until tomorrow after twenty-four hours of thinking about my questions." Draco stood up. "But it's late. I'm going to go to sleep and I'll see you in the morning." Luke smiled and pushed himself under his blankets as Draco slipped out.
"Good night, Draco." Luke said quietly.
"Night, Luke." Luke closed his eyes and began dream about certain people. So caught up in his thoughts he didn't hear Draco approach the bed again. With his eyes closed, he didn't see Draco open the bed hangings. He did feel, however, Draco's lips touch his own briefly.
By the time he snapped his eyes open, the curtains were swishing shut and all he saw was a flash of blonde before he closed his eyes again, smiling himself into a new dream.
* * * *
The next morning was uncomfortable to say the least. After Luke drug himself out of bed and watched Draco walk in to the bathroom wearing just a towel, he decided he was clean enough and was not in need of a shower that morning. As he pushed closed the snaps of his pants he heard Draco walk back out into the dormitory and he froze momentarily. Should he look up and say hi? Should he pretend like nothing had happened? After all, it had been late when the "kiss" had taken place. Maybe Draco had forgotten. Luke looked up to see Draco smiling at him and immediately dropped his head back down again. Blushing furiously, he ignored the sounds of Draco's snickering and continued putting on his clothing hastily. "So what are our plans for today?" Draco asked mockingly. "Well, since it's Saturday, I was thinking of going for a walk around the lake." Luke replied. He looked up at Draco to see his reaction. "Alone." "Oh. Right. I guess you do have some *things* to think about." Draco laughed at Luke's departing figure. And Luke blushed some more.
* * * *
Once outside, Luke looked around for a familiar face and immediately spotted Hermione and if for nothing other then instinct he hurried over to the form of her reading by the lake. He slowed down when he got nearer to her and finally sat down beside her, leaning back on his hands and taking in the unexpected sunshine. He heard her close her book next to him, but didn't move. "Hi Luke. To what do I owe your presence.?" "Nice day, isn't it?" He said, looking at her briefly and the turning his squinting eyes back to the sky. She looked at him with bewilderment for a while and then too, turned her eyes to the sky. After a few moments of gazing, Hermione started the conversation again. "I don't really know what to make of you." "How do you mean?" "Well, you're a Slytherin, but you're nice. You hang out with Draco Malfoy, but you're nice. I don't know what to do with that information." Luke laughed. "That's a first." Instead of insulting her intelligence by explaining himself to her (he was sure she'd figure it out sooner or later) he changed the subject...sort of. "You're friends with Harry Potter, right?" Hermione turned her eyes away wistfully. "Yes." She sighed. "I really do miss him you know." "I"m sure he misses you too." Luke murmured to her. "Yes, I'm sure. I just wish he was able to write more. Did you know him?" She turned her eyes to him again and waited for his answer. "No, I hadn't the good fortune."
* * * *
"Jealous, Weasley?" Blaise asked mockingly. "Shut it, Zabini. Once I figure out what you're playing at, and I will, The New Kid's in for it." "Good luck with that one, Luke is about the purest Slytherin you'll ever meet." The two looked on at Hermione and Luke sitting side by side in front of the lake having a laugh at God know's what. "That's it, I'm going over there." Ron said, storming away. Blaise watched him walk over to the pair, tap Hermione on the shoulder, nod curtly to Lucas and then head off towards the castle, Hermione in tow. Luke headed up to her.
"Hey stranger." Blaise called out. Harry smiled. The Sytherin's were really not at all the same when you were one of them. "What was that all about?" Blaise asked him when Luke had finally reached her. Luke just shrugged. "I have some news." He told her grinning. "Ooh what is it?" She asked eagerly. "It's about Draco." "I'm listening." "We kissed, last night. Well actually he more kissed me, and I didn't know he was going to do it, I was almost asleep. So it was more like a rape kiss. Only not, because I wanted him to. And it was just -" Blaise cut him off with her hand and then proceeded to squeal with delight. Lucas had found his fag hag.