Title: To the Point of Exhaustion
Author: Yih
Disclaimer: All characters belong to JK Rowling, but this plotline is my own.
Beta: Quickjewel
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
3: Meeting Harry (August 23, 2003 to August 24, 2003)
He rued the day he had ever said that Hermione was his best friend. Why had he ever agreed to this? Because it was virtually impossible to work against his father, Hermione, and Blaise when they were coordinating their efforts against him. Blaise was easy to pushover, being more easygoing than anyone else Draco knew but Hermione was another case all together. Combining her with his father made it not even worth arguing with.
He tried to use his CFS as his trump card, but that ended up being used against him. It was supposedly because of his CFS that he needed a companion to keep him from being lonely. Didn't they understand that he wasn't lonely? That he really did want to wallop in his self imposed misery? It gave him time to curse his existence; it gave him the opportunity to get all his bitterness out before he exploded at them.
Who cares if that lame Dumbledore said it wasn't good for him to keep it all inside of himself? That damn Dumbledore didn't understand how vital it was for him to ride. Riding was his life! It was the very air that he breathed! To prohibit him from riding was suffocating him. He didn't blame his father, even if his father enforced it. It was all Dumbledore's fault. If the doctor hadn't said it wasn't good for his health to ride, he'd still be training and at least keeping up his form.
He wasn't that weak! He wasn't. He knew he could still ride, maybe not competitively--- not until he got better. But if he didn't ride while he was recuperating, how was he supposed to keep up with the other riders? He'd be rusty and used up! It was horrendously difficult to play catch up on the circuit level he'd been riding on. It was hopeless.
There was one conclusion he had made, he was going to have to make this Harry Potter completely wretched so that he'd leave him alone. Even a saint couldn't put up with an irritated and frustrated Malfoy that just wanted to be left alone. Bring it on. He'd show Harry; he'd show Hermione- -- they should have listened to him when he said he didn't need anyone. He didn't. He didn't!
Outside of his room, he heard the doorbell rang. His eyes glanced up and he saw with a bit of annoyance that Harry was punctual. No one could be perfect, he reminded himself. He was sure he could find something that was wrong with Harry that he could use as the reason why Harry wasn't good enough. And if Harry was as nice as everyone said he was, he had to be butt ugly.
Draco had never met someone that was genuinely kind that hadn't been given the poorer side of the looks department. It wasn't a great complaint, yet if that was the only thing he could complain about he was going to milk it for all it was worth. What else could he do? If making Harry utterly miserable didn't work, then he'd use complaints to get Harry out. Something had to give.
A steady knock on his door forced him to say the words he dreaded, "It's open. You can come in."
A dark head with unruly hair popped in and whatever Draco had been thinking died as he absorbed the vision before him. Shit. Where the bloody hell had Hermione found such a fucking gorgeous piece of male specimen? He let his silvery eyes roam over the young man's slender and trim form. Exquisite. Truly divine. Of course, Draco wasn't about to say that this boy was better looking than him but he was pretty darn near his level of perfection.
That was saying a lot considering the careful line breeding his ancestors had gone through to maintain their blond beauty. That this ragamuffin from who knows where could look this good impressed Draco almost to the point that he forgot that he didn't want a companion. It was hard to keep that thought when those brilliant green eyes were staring at him sweetly and those luscious lips were saying words in a melodious voice.
"Are you Draco?" asked the young man softly. "Your butler told me that I could find you here, but if you're not him I apologize for disturbing you. If you could tell me where Draco Malfoy is I'd be eternally grateful." His eyes crossed and he got the strangest look on his face before he firmly pressed his lips shut. "Oh," he abruptly added as his eyes uncrossed and the weird expression left him, "I'm Harry Potter, I was hired to be his companion."
Draco scowled deliberately, but it was kind of hard at the same time. Normally people that chattered like that annoyed and frustrated him. However, Harry's ramblings hadn't bothered him. Then again it didn't hurt that he had a harmonious voice either. The pitch was just right, not too soft not too loud, not too high not too low--- perfect.
"The one you're looking for is me," Draco drawled carelessly. "I'm Draco Malfoy."
Whatever Draco had been expecting, it wasn't for those glittering emerald eyes to light up like he'd just received a wondrous present. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Draco!" Harry exclaimed, his joy almost infecting Draco. "Hermione's told me so much about you, and this is a wonderful opportunity for me. It's not everyone that'll give a job to someone without any references or experience."
Interesting bit of information, Draco thought as he stored that away for use at a later time. Harry was definitely an intriguing character, far different from him. A bit too honest and eager to please. He wondered how eager to please Harry was. His lips smirked at the nasty turn of thought. Maybe he'd find out before he booted Harry out. Now that he couldn't ride and was pent up in the house all the time, he did have a bit more energy and that'd be a pleasurable way to use it.
"You wouldn't even be here if it weren't for her," Draco sneered heavily. "I don't need someone to keep me company. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which means I get tired easily. It does not mean I need to have someone hang around me every minute of every day. What Hermione doesn't seem to understand is that having you around will make me even more exhausted."
If he was expecting Harry to be upset with his sharp words, he was sorely mistaken. Instead of being put off by his derogatory comments, Harry looked genuinely perturbed that he might bother Draco. "I did know that you had CFS, and Hermione's been kind enough to get me a slew of books that informed me of the syndrome. I would hope that I wouldn't tire you out," Harry muttered, his eyes flaring with concern. "I hope I would be able to help you."
"The only help I need is getting better," Draco snapped impatiently and bitterly. "That means I'll get to ride again and start training to get back to where I was. I can't believe that I haven't been on a horse in months, I can't ever remember not riding. My earliest memories are when I was in the saddle."
"My earliest memories," Harry mumbled softly, "are of getting gruel in a soup line." Draco usually was beyond irritated when someone interrupted him, but he certainly hadn't expected Harry to say something like that. Soup line? That was like stuff for orphans! "It wasn't that bad," Harry continued onward. "In my orphanage, the older kids looked out for the younger ones. It was really nice there most of the time. The sisters were really kind as well."
"You were an orphan?" Draco queried, curious despite not wanting to seem any friendlier to Harry.
Harry nodded. "My parents died when I was really young, and I don't remember them." He sighed, his light-hearted spirit seeming to drain out of him. For a moment, Draco felt bad for reminding him of something that was obviously a weak spot with him. Then again if this was a weakness, he could exploit it. That was what Malfoys did after all. Anything to get rid of Harry, no matter how enticing this Harry was.
"I've learn to live with it," Harry murmured softly. "And I think from the adversary I've faced that I can help you get through the hardships you've been forced to face. Even though all I know about CFS is through the books Hermione has bought me, I still think I can help you. Maybe all you want to do is talk, or maybe I'll just sit beside you in silence. I can do anything you want me to do."
"Anything?" Draco asked casually, his mind spinning with various wicked thoughts. Poor innocent Harry didn't know what he was getting himself into. Didn't he know that there was a double meaning to companion depending who was doing the thinking? "Anything at all?"
The smile that blossomed on Harry's lips truly made Draco's mind delve deeper into his substantial considerations. It wasn't everyday that he was given the opportunity to command around possibly one of the most good- looking young men in Britain. Had his father gotten a good look at Harry beforehand? While he knew his father had been madly in love with his mother, it was no secret that his father had a penchant for attractive men.
It was no wonder he had an extreme fondness for his sex. It was probably in his genes, not that he minded. Malfoys were known for their appreciation in beauty and who was to say that both sexes weren't gorgeous creatures? They were both beautiful in their own different ways, ways that Draco fully appreciated and had sampled from time to time.
"Anything at all," Harry repeated with a cheerful smile.
Hearing his words said back to him made his dirty thoughts take a decidedly new direction. It was so tempting, but did he dare? From what he'd gathered from looking at the beautiful young man before him was that Harry was pure and innocent. He would probably be horrified with what he was suggesting. What a pity. However, it was an excellent plan to alienate the young man.
"Come here then," Draco urged with a sensual undertone. "Come to me, Harry."
It pleased Draco to see that there was no hesitation in Harry's movement to him. Good, he didn't like people that were shy in bed. People that tended to be shy in personality tended to the same in bed. At least Harry was displaying none of those tendencies. He'd like to get some pleasure out of this before he booted Harry out of the house. Some payment for his pain.
"Kiss me," he commanded with steely silver eyes that gave no room for argument or backing out. Harry had said he'd do anything, and Draco wanted to taste the sweet flavor of pure innocence. "Kiss me, Harry."
Harry was torn, that Draco saw clearly. "You said you'd do anything," Draco reminded him. "You didn't honestly think that Hermione chose you just to keep me in verbal company, did you? If she was going to pick someone as tempting as you are, she had other things in mind for you. She knows that I like boys, and you are a very enticing example of one."
Still Harry did not move, Draco was beginning to get irritated. "Come here," he snapped. "You said you'd do anything, are you going to chicken out of one little kiss?"
He took a step closer, and that was all that it took for Draco to reach for Harry by the shirt and drag him toward him. Draco ignored the wave of dizziness that overcame him briefly from that physical exertion and instead focused on the honeyed taste of Harry's lips. Harry had done what he'd asked, he pressed his lips against him but in such a chaste manner.
That wasn't what Draco wanted. What Draco wanted, he took. Even though it took energy--- energy he probably didn't have--- he wrapped his arms around Harry and dragged him closer to him. Using his skillful tongue, he plundered Harry's wet warmth boldly. Kissing was an art he'd taken time to perfect, and it didn't surprise him at all when he heard Harry moan. Responsive, wasn't he? Good. He liked them like that.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Author's Note: Yeah, this is moving quickly along. This was never planned to be a very long series, probably not as short as LILT, but no where near as long as MOP is that this point. Hopefully it'll be a short and sweet novella. But I don't know. As long as I have ideas, I'll keep working on this one. So how did you like the chapter? Getting better?
Thanks to newtypeshadow (no, I don't read McDaniel), Eaiva le Fay, ~B, DarkWaterAngel1, GaBrIeLa2, Blue Dream1, Shell B, Alle, RaynieceMalfoy, tati1, Shelli, Ace (good the ending was intended to be a cliffhanger), DR asia, Ms. Padfoot, holidayinspain, Melanie, Catmint, Faby, Tempest8, Redmeadow, Sei Hishida, ntamara, Quickjewel, Stephanie, Ice Lupus, NayNymic
Samhain Vampiress: Ron will not be interested in Hermione, if that's what you think. He'll most likely show up in the story in some fashion.
Janey: I never rode very much, but I love horses. Didn't have the $$$ to take lessons very long. My big love is horseracing, so you're gonna see that a bit. But I like 3-day eventing and etc. too.
Malakai: Hehe, Thanks. Blaise is really a blank slate. Hermione being new money explains her sort of "muggleborn" status in canon HP. Harry's a bit odd in this one.
MistWalker: No, I don't have CFS. I knew someone with CFS (not very well) though. But she was a student at my school. I do have low blood pressure though, so I can speak of experience in the dizziness spells.
Author: Yih
Disclaimer: All characters belong to JK Rowling, but this plotline is my own.
Beta: Quickjewel
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
3: Meeting Harry (August 23, 2003 to August 24, 2003)
He rued the day he had ever said that Hermione was his best friend. Why had he ever agreed to this? Because it was virtually impossible to work against his father, Hermione, and Blaise when they were coordinating their efforts against him. Blaise was easy to pushover, being more easygoing than anyone else Draco knew but Hermione was another case all together. Combining her with his father made it not even worth arguing with.
He tried to use his CFS as his trump card, but that ended up being used against him. It was supposedly because of his CFS that he needed a companion to keep him from being lonely. Didn't they understand that he wasn't lonely? That he really did want to wallop in his self imposed misery? It gave him time to curse his existence; it gave him the opportunity to get all his bitterness out before he exploded at them.
Who cares if that lame Dumbledore said it wasn't good for him to keep it all inside of himself? That damn Dumbledore didn't understand how vital it was for him to ride. Riding was his life! It was the very air that he breathed! To prohibit him from riding was suffocating him. He didn't blame his father, even if his father enforced it. It was all Dumbledore's fault. If the doctor hadn't said it wasn't good for his health to ride, he'd still be training and at least keeping up his form.
He wasn't that weak! He wasn't. He knew he could still ride, maybe not competitively--- not until he got better. But if he didn't ride while he was recuperating, how was he supposed to keep up with the other riders? He'd be rusty and used up! It was horrendously difficult to play catch up on the circuit level he'd been riding on. It was hopeless.
There was one conclusion he had made, he was going to have to make this Harry Potter completely wretched so that he'd leave him alone. Even a saint couldn't put up with an irritated and frustrated Malfoy that just wanted to be left alone. Bring it on. He'd show Harry; he'd show Hermione- -- they should have listened to him when he said he didn't need anyone. He didn't. He didn't!
Outside of his room, he heard the doorbell rang. His eyes glanced up and he saw with a bit of annoyance that Harry was punctual. No one could be perfect, he reminded himself. He was sure he could find something that was wrong with Harry that he could use as the reason why Harry wasn't good enough. And if Harry was as nice as everyone said he was, he had to be butt ugly.
Draco had never met someone that was genuinely kind that hadn't been given the poorer side of the looks department. It wasn't a great complaint, yet if that was the only thing he could complain about he was going to milk it for all it was worth. What else could he do? If making Harry utterly miserable didn't work, then he'd use complaints to get Harry out. Something had to give.
A steady knock on his door forced him to say the words he dreaded, "It's open. You can come in."
A dark head with unruly hair popped in and whatever Draco had been thinking died as he absorbed the vision before him. Shit. Where the bloody hell had Hermione found such a fucking gorgeous piece of male specimen? He let his silvery eyes roam over the young man's slender and trim form. Exquisite. Truly divine. Of course, Draco wasn't about to say that this boy was better looking than him but he was pretty darn near his level of perfection.
That was saying a lot considering the careful line breeding his ancestors had gone through to maintain their blond beauty. That this ragamuffin from who knows where could look this good impressed Draco almost to the point that he forgot that he didn't want a companion. It was hard to keep that thought when those brilliant green eyes were staring at him sweetly and those luscious lips were saying words in a melodious voice.
"Are you Draco?" asked the young man softly. "Your butler told me that I could find you here, but if you're not him I apologize for disturbing you. If you could tell me where Draco Malfoy is I'd be eternally grateful." His eyes crossed and he got the strangest look on his face before he firmly pressed his lips shut. "Oh," he abruptly added as his eyes uncrossed and the weird expression left him, "I'm Harry Potter, I was hired to be his companion."
Draco scowled deliberately, but it was kind of hard at the same time. Normally people that chattered like that annoyed and frustrated him. However, Harry's ramblings hadn't bothered him. Then again it didn't hurt that he had a harmonious voice either. The pitch was just right, not too soft not too loud, not too high not too low--- perfect.
"The one you're looking for is me," Draco drawled carelessly. "I'm Draco Malfoy."
Whatever Draco had been expecting, it wasn't for those glittering emerald eyes to light up like he'd just received a wondrous present. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Draco!" Harry exclaimed, his joy almost infecting Draco. "Hermione's told me so much about you, and this is a wonderful opportunity for me. It's not everyone that'll give a job to someone without any references or experience."
Interesting bit of information, Draco thought as he stored that away for use at a later time. Harry was definitely an intriguing character, far different from him. A bit too honest and eager to please. He wondered how eager to please Harry was. His lips smirked at the nasty turn of thought. Maybe he'd find out before he booted Harry out. Now that he couldn't ride and was pent up in the house all the time, he did have a bit more energy and that'd be a pleasurable way to use it.
"You wouldn't even be here if it weren't for her," Draco sneered heavily. "I don't need someone to keep me company. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which means I get tired easily. It does not mean I need to have someone hang around me every minute of every day. What Hermione doesn't seem to understand is that having you around will make me even more exhausted."
If he was expecting Harry to be upset with his sharp words, he was sorely mistaken. Instead of being put off by his derogatory comments, Harry looked genuinely perturbed that he might bother Draco. "I did know that you had CFS, and Hermione's been kind enough to get me a slew of books that informed me of the syndrome. I would hope that I wouldn't tire you out," Harry muttered, his eyes flaring with concern. "I hope I would be able to help you."
"The only help I need is getting better," Draco snapped impatiently and bitterly. "That means I'll get to ride again and start training to get back to where I was. I can't believe that I haven't been on a horse in months, I can't ever remember not riding. My earliest memories are when I was in the saddle."
"My earliest memories," Harry mumbled softly, "are of getting gruel in a soup line." Draco usually was beyond irritated when someone interrupted him, but he certainly hadn't expected Harry to say something like that. Soup line? That was like stuff for orphans! "It wasn't that bad," Harry continued onward. "In my orphanage, the older kids looked out for the younger ones. It was really nice there most of the time. The sisters were really kind as well."
"You were an orphan?" Draco queried, curious despite not wanting to seem any friendlier to Harry.
Harry nodded. "My parents died when I was really young, and I don't remember them." He sighed, his light-hearted spirit seeming to drain out of him. For a moment, Draco felt bad for reminding him of something that was obviously a weak spot with him. Then again if this was a weakness, he could exploit it. That was what Malfoys did after all. Anything to get rid of Harry, no matter how enticing this Harry was.
"I've learn to live with it," Harry murmured softly. "And I think from the adversary I've faced that I can help you get through the hardships you've been forced to face. Even though all I know about CFS is through the books Hermione has bought me, I still think I can help you. Maybe all you want to do is talk, or maybe I'll just sit beside you in silence. I can do anything you want me to do."
"Anything?" Draco asked casually, his mind spinning with various wicked thoughts. Poor innocent Harry didn't know what he was getting himself into. Didn't he know that there was a double meaning to companion depending who was doing the thinking? "Anything at all?"
The smile that blossomed on Harry's lips truly made Draco's mind delve deeper into his substantial considerations. It wasn't everyday that he was given the opportunity to command around possibly one of the most good- looking young men in Britain. Had his father gotten a good look at Harry beforehand? While he knew his father had been madly in love with his mother, it was no secret that his father had a penchant for attractive men.
It was no wonder he had an extreme fondness for his sex. It was probably in his genes, not that he minded. Malfoys were known for their appreciation in beauty and who was to say that both sexes weren't gorgeous creatures? They were both beautiful in their own different ways, ways that Draco fully appreciated and had sampled from time to time.
"Anything at all," Harry repeated with a cheerful smile.
Hearing his words said back to him made his dirty thoughts take a decidedly new direction. It was so tempting, but did he dare? From what he'd gathered from looking at the beautiful young man before him was that Harry was pure and innocent. He would probably be horrified with what he was suggesting. What a pity. However, it was an excellent plan to alienate the young man.
"Come here then," Draco urged with a sensual undertone. "Come to me, Harry."
It pleased Draco to see that there was no hesitation in Harry's movement to him. Good, he didn't like people that were shy in bed. People that tended to be shy in personality tended to the same in bed. At least Harry was displaying none of those tendencies. He'd like to get some pleasure out of this before he booted Harry out of the house. Some payment for his pain.
"Kiss me," he commanded with steely silver eyes that gave no room for argument or backing out. Harry had said he'd do anything, and Draco wanted to taste the sweet flavor of pure innocence. "Kiss me, Harry."
Harry was torn, that Draco saw clearly. "You said you'd do anything," Draco reminded him. "You didn't honestly think that Hermione chose you just to keep me in verbal company, did you? If she was going to pick someone as tempting as you are, she had other things in mind for you. She knows that I like boys, and you are a very enticing example of one."
Still Harry did not move, Draco was beginning to get irritated. "Come here," he snapped. "You said you'd do anything, are you going to chicken out of one little kiss?"
He took a step closer, and that was all that it took for Draco to reach for Harry by the shirt and drag him toward him. Draco ignored the wave of dizziness that overcame him briefly from that physical exertion and instead focused on the honeyed taste of Harry's lips. Harry had done what he'd asked, he pressed his lips against him but in such a chaste manner.
That wasn't what Draco wanted. What Draco wanted, he took. Even though it took energy--- energy he probably didn't have--- he wrapped his arms around Harry and dragged him closer to him. Using his skillful tongue, he plundered Harry's wet warmth boldly. Kissing was an art he'd taken time to perfect, and it didn't surprise him at all when he heard Harry moan. Responsive, wasn't he? Good. He liked them like that.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Author's Note: Yeah, this is moving quickly along. This was never planned to be a very long series, probably not as short as LILT, but no where near as long as MOP is that this point. Hopefully it'll be a short and sweet novella. But I don't know. As long as I have ideas, I'll keep working on this one. So how did you like the chapter? Getting better?
Thanks to newtypeshadow (no, I don't read McDaniel), Eaiva le Fay, ~B, DarkWaterAngel1, GaBrIeLa2, Blue Dream1, Shell B, Alle, RaynieceMalfoy, tati1, Shelli, Ace (good the ending was intended to be a cliffhanger), DR asia, Ms. Padfoot, holidayinspain, Melanie, Catmint, Faby, Tempest8, Redmeadow, Sei Hishida, ntamara, Quickjewel, Stephanie, Ice Lupus, NayNymic
Samhain Vampiress: Ron will not be interested in Hermione, if that's what you think. He'll most likely show up in the story in some fashion.
Janey: I never rode very much, but I love horses. Didn't have the $$$ to take lessons very long. My big love is horseracing, so you're gonna see that a bit. But I like 3-day eventing and etc. too.
Malakai: Hehe, Thanks. Blaise is really a blank slate. Hermione being new money explains her sort of "muggleborn" status in canon HP. Harry's a bit odd in this one.
MistWalker: No, I don't have CFS. I knew someone with CFS (not very well) though. But she was a student at my school. I do have low blood pressure though, so I can speak of experience in the dizziness spells.