Title: Exchange

Author: Mistress Silver

Pairings(s): Harry/Draco/Lucius (No threesomes, leave me alone!)

Warning: The following piece is rated R (for later chapters – AND incest). It contains SLASH, which is homosexual relationships, so if you are offended by that or are not of legal age in your area then please click the back button on your browser and find yourself something else. Constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated but flames will be mocked and ignored.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and all related indicia are property of J.K. Rowling – only Angelica is mine. I am just borrowing them all for a bit and am not making a cent off this. I'm sure Rowling won't mind, if anything she will be (should be) flattered that people like her books enough to write pieces of their own about them.

A/N: I know, I know. I very unfairly disappeared on you, but I have a good reason! I had to get surgery again, and, well…being in constant pain is not exactly the best of muses. Unless you're writing an angsty, non-con fic… Anyways, I apologize once again and hope you enjoy the new chappie. glomps everyone ;

CHAPTER 8 – Puzzle Pieces

Draco seemed to have realized what he said because his eyes widened and began to dart around the room in a panicked gaze. Harry just stared at him, half-turned, hand frozen to the doorknob, his face a mixture of shock, disbelief and a third emotion that was not quite readable. He slowly disengaged his hand and lowered it, not taking his eyes off Draco, who seemed to suddenly compose himself.

"You…what…?"

Draco fixated his face into an unreadable mask of indifference. "What?"

"What did you just say?" Harry asked gently.

Draco's lips twisted into a smirk. "Nothing important."

"No, you…" Harry narrowed his eyes. "You said…"

"Well I had to say something to get you to stay here," Draco snapped suddenly.

Harry looked confused, as if he was unable to grasp what was really happening at the moment. "But…"

"And it worked, didn't it?" Draco sneered. "Here you stand, touched by my words. Like the noble, soft-hearted Gryffindor that you are." He said the word 'Gryffindor' with the same emphasis as one would say the word 'manure'. Harry continued to blink at him, uncomprehending. Draco snorted and shook his head.

"What a twit. Like feeding a baby. Whatever words come out of my mouth you believe without question. You are so naïve. Like a stray sheep being lead by a shepherd. Honestly. How could you even for a second take into consideration that I, Draco Malfoy, would like, let alone love, you? What an idiot. So fucking gullible."

Draco started to laugh but the laughter was cut short into a strangled cry when Harry grabbed him by the collar of his pajama top and slammed him, hard, against the wall. For a split second fear crossed the blonde's eyes. He has never seen Harry this angry. He would always be annoyed with him for a small bickering or harsh words, but this – this was real, raw anger in his eyes. First Draco thought he had gone too far this time, then he wondered why Harry was so angry at this particular remark. He licked his lips nervously but kept his expression lethargic. Harry's breath came in warm gasps on his face but he firmly stared into the twin pools of flickering emerald. But just as suddenly as Harry grabbed him, he let go. He did not say a word. Just picked up his things and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Draco let out a breath he did not realize he was holding and slowly sank to the floor.

"Too close this time," he muttered aloud to no one in particular. "It's for the best really, but now I've lost my bodyguard..." He tried to sneer but ended up biting his lip to fight back tears.

Draco slammed his book shut, rose from the table and went to look for Harry. This could not go on. It has been a week and four days and Harry had not said a single word to him. In fact he had completely ceased to acknowledge his existence altogether. One of the days, when Narcissa went out to visit a friend, Lucius had molested Draco right in the middle of a hallway, and Harry had not even looked at him then. This had to stop. Not just because Draco needed someone to stand in the way of his father's perverse intentions, but because he simply could not stand Harry ignoring him like that. He could not sleep properly. He practically stopped eating. Merlin help him if he could concentrate on any of his homework. He just kept thinking about Harry and the look in his eyes that night when Draco seemingly overstepped his boundaries. And the worst part of it all, was that he could not explain why he felt this way. This was Potter, after all, they had been enemies since the day they both first set foot on Hogwarts five years ago. What was wrong with him?

He found Harry in the owlry, scribbling a letter to Ron and Hermione. He walked over to him quietly and peered over his shoulder.

"…everything is fine, don't worry, I will tell you all the details when I see you. Meanwhile, send all your letters to Malfoy Manor. Will explain that as well…"

Draco opened his mouth to say something but Harry beat him to it with his first words in almost two weeks, "I'm busy."

"I know, I just – "

"I'm, busy."

"Yes, I can see that, however – "

"Please leave. Right now."

"Harry – "

"Now!"

"No, dammit, I want to talk to you!" Draco said spinning him around by his shoulder. Harry's cold gaze startled him.

"Fine. Talk."

Draco studied his face for a moment. It looked careworn, pale, and his eyes were dark with a nameless emotion.

"I just…wanted to see how you were doing," Draco said and immediately regretted it after seeing the expression on Harry's face. Oh that's great, Draco, you wander around half the Manor trying to find the man, practically force him to speak to you, and the best you can come up with is a mundane greeting? Harry seemed to have been thinking the exact same thing because his eyebrows narrowed and he crossed his arms.

"Did you come all the way over here just to waste my time?"

"No, I really want to know how everything is with you. Sleeping okay? Eating well?" Draco felt like tearing his hair out. Smooth. Real smooth.

Harry scowled. "Since when do you care? You don't even remotely like me, remember?" He turned around to his letter again but Draco thought he caught a glimpse of hurt in his eyes. He gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"Look. Harry. This can't go on. You haven't spoken to me in nearly two weeks. We are supposed to be trying to get along, not fighting, else we'll never reverse the spell."

"If I recall correctly," Harry said turning to face him. "It is you, not I, who has been ensuing nothing but arguments since the day I came here. So who the hell are you preaching to?"

Draco sighed. "Whatever I said, I apologize."

Harry shook his hand off his shoulder. "Bullshit. I don't want to hear it. Now kindly leave me alone."

Draco was beginning to get frustrated. "Look, I said I was sorry, what more do you want me to do?"

"I want you to realize that I am a human being!" Harry exclaimed whirling around abruptly. "I want you to realize that you can't just say that to a person and then just – " he stopped, not seeming to want to go on, and turned away from Draco again. "Just leave me alone. Please. Please."

Draco frowned, trying to put the pieces together in his head. What was Harry going on about? Did he mean that last time they spoke, when Draco said that he…

"Harry…"

He did not turn around. He made no response at all, merely scribbled away at his letter.

"Harry, listen to me…"

Harry continued to ignore him.

"Harry, listen, about that night…"

Harry stiffened but resumed to write, even started to write faster, almost frantically.

"About what I said…"

Harry slammed his quill down and turned to yell at Draco to leave him alone but Draco's lips covered his own before he could say anything. He swallowed Harry's surprised moan and plunged his tongue into the Gryffindor's inviting mouth, placing his hands behind his neck. Harry did not have time to think, nor did he even want to, and merely wrapped his arms around the blonde's thin, lithe waist, pulling him close until their hips touched. Draco groaned as his loins collided with Harry's and his pale fingers dived into the brunette's messy hair. Harry began to run a hand beneath the Slytherin's shirt when Draco suddenly pulled away from him, eyes wide and head shaking side to side, and bolted out of the room.

Harry stared after him, his face unreadable, and then fell to his knees on the cobblestone floor, his head hung. He remained motionless for a few seconds. And then the owls' slumber was rudely disrupted by his anguished cry.

"Dammit, Malfoy!"