LOVE ATROCIOUS
by Yih

This has been beta'd by Blackumbrage (formerly known as Blackumbridge). She knows she's my bunny block.

Tom Note: Tom is Lord Voldemort. 

Correction #1: I should have corrected all the vague he pronoun references.  Sorry last time I was lazy.  I didn't go through and check it myself and I just used "find and change" option.  And my beta wasn't much better I'm 'fraid. 

Possession

It is an emotional whim
He feels it only at times
But when it comes, it comes
Its power is that of an avalanche
It won't stop 'til it's over

I don't understand where it comes from
Sometimes it's utterly unexplainable
It makes no logical sense
Such a random feeling
That comes when it comes

He demands ownership
How intolerably selfish
There is no giving countenance
He takes and takes and takes
And in the end, he only wants more

I receive nothing; I give everything
I am made barren
I am a shell he has stolen from too long
Does he want me drained? emptied?
A doll for him to control?

Chapter 3
Jealousy is a Fickle Goddess

"I prefer my father."

            Not that it really mattered that much, his statement to Dumbledore about which parent Draco wished to stay with.  At the age of 17, if he wanted to live on his own--- he could.  But with that simple and direct assertion, a disastrous mess was averted.  Thank goodness.  Unfortunately, the statement landed Draco at his flat.  Another added craziness to his life. 

Now Harry was sandwiched between youthful arrogance and honed egotism.  Lovely.  Absolutely smashing.  Too bad Draco had reached an age where he no longer required schooling unless he wanted to go on.  A pity Draco had taken Lucius up on his offer for a year sabbatical to travel with them anywhere they went.  Two Malfoys, how was he going to survive?   

Ding dong.  Oh god, it was Snape.  It was precisely 7:00 pm.  Wasn't he one for promptness?!  And where were his shoes?  Damn it.  Having Draco staring at him in blatant amusement wasn't helping either, the incorrigible monster!  Instead he was lazing on the couch with the air of a general insolence.  Couldn't Draco find it in his heart to help him find his darn shoes?

            Draco quirked an eyebrow up.  "You look almost nice today, Harry.  A date tonight?"  Irritating brat!  But he was far too old and far too gorgeous for his subconscious to take his mental statement seriously.  Truly, he was a carbon copy of Lucius.  The only difference was his nose was a bit more pert and feminine, as much as Draco hated when it was pointed out that he had his mother's nose.  Everything else though was trademark Malfoy.

            "I do," Harry muttered.  "Why don't you help me and get the door for me?"

            "I'd rather not," Draco stated blithely.  "I'd rather you not go out at all and come back to bed with me."

            Red flush swept over his cheeks.  What was with Draco and insinuating innuendos that were nothing of what they seemed?  The only darn reason Draco was sleeping in his bed in the first place was that he refused to sleep on the couch or to let him do the same or was willing to share his father's bed.  It was Harry's, or Harry could always sleep with his father.  Draco was decidedly the lesser of the two evils and as Harry had added--- he had slept with Draco when he was a young hormonal teen.  And as he retorted, Draco was still a hormonal teen! 

            "You are…"

            "Impossible?" Draco suggested.  "Horrid?  Unbearable?  Outrageous?  Utterly divine?"

            "You wished."

            "I do not wish that what I am." 

            "You are an excessively wordy Eton graduate who needs to seriously stop hanging around poetry blathering idiots whose only definition of self worth is that they can compose a sonnet in admiration of their person without scarcely a thought because they've memorized their heady composition by heart."

            Draco smirked.  "You're saying I'm wordy?"

            "It was meant to be a blatant example, moron."

            "Name calling is quite childish, doll."

            Ding dong.  Ding dong.  As much as Harry would have enjoyed getting into a verbal tumble with Draco, Snape was calling and he had promised to go out on a date with him.  Why in heavens had he said yes?  Oh yes, he remembered now--- Snape had asked nicely.  That had been rather unexpected, and when the unexpected happened he did weird things.  It made sense in a vague sort of way.  The situation was slanted so his response was tilted.

            And… ding dong ding dong ding dong… he really had to get the door before Snape tired his old door bell out.  Most people he knew just knocked.  Then again with the way Snape was going at it with the doorbell, he probably didn't want him to knock.  Snape might be a lanky man, but he didn't look weak.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  Good with words too.  His recommendations weren't too shabby. 

            "Your lover," Draco drawled lazily, "is quite impatient." 

            "Shut up."

            "I know you adore me and my pretty words."

            "Damn you."

            "And you know, you're in bloody Britain.  You ought to use the slang, as you Americans call it.  So instead of shut up, it should be sod off or instead of damn you, fuck you.  For all your independence and freedom, you Americans are an amazingly moralistic lot." 

            "And is that such a bad thing?" Harry retorted, finally making it to the door and opening it. 

            "I would say it is a very bad thing!" Draco commented cheekily.

            Snape gave him a measured look, a look that was not only curious but also exasperated.  "Your company," he stated blandly, "seems to impair your door opening abilities." 

            "Hey!" Draco exclaimed.  "You didn't tell me your boyfriend was funny."

            Oh god, the way in which Snape rolled his eyes--- it was insanely perfect with the way the aggravation spun off his eyeballs.  Harry was almost tempted to applaud.  Lucius could take a few lessons on being an absolute caustic bastard from Snape.  He had thought Lucius's eye rolling was good, but it was nothing compared to Snape's.  But god did he want to strangle Draco!  Snape wasn't his goddamn boyfriend!

            "Don't mind him," Harry muttered, "he's got this tongue that he doesn't know what to do with."

            "Oh," Draco murmured sensually, "I know exactly what to do with this tongue."

            Harry had to get out of there before Draco made him turn redder than he already was.  He grabbed Snape's hand and shot Lucius's son a sharp glare before dragging Snape out of his flat with him.  "Let's go," Harry declared.  "It's getting late."

            "Yes," Snape agreed, "no thanks to your procrastinated door opening skills."

"This is unbearably awkward."

            They were sitting (at the posh restaurant).  They were not eating (since there was no food).  They weren't talking (as he had no idea what to say to him).  He had only commented to break the uncomfortable silence.  If the whole evening was going to be like this, he'd be bored out of his mind.  And he knew that it wasn't suppose to be like this.  If anything, Snape was suppose to chew him up with his sharp words. 

            "I apologize," his posture stiff, unforgiving, "I do not date."

            "Then why this?"  He gestured at the stylish surroundings.  "If you do not date?" 

            "Because," his voice tight, "your audacious and acerbic commentary demanded my attention." 

            Now, Snape was certainly a different man.  He appreciated his sarcasm?  That was almost shocking.  Harry studied him, carefully.  Not a kind man, undoubtedly, but a man who understood the value of truth unhidden.  Maybe this evening wouldn't be so bad.  If he could survive Lucius's imploded ego, Snape's harsh sincerity would not be unduly difficult.  He even dared to hope that this date might be remembered fondly in later years.  He had few worthy dates to reminisce on. 

            "The service is atrocious."

            "The wine is good."

            "It is satisfactory," he murmured, his lips curling up with distaste as he tasted the aged red wine.  "It is not that good."

            "It's better than what I usually drink."

            "Then heaven forbid your taste," Snape sneered.  "This vintage is not up to my standards, but few restaurants carry what I consider worthy of my taste buds."

            "You sound like Lucius."

            He looked affronted.  "I am nothing like Malfoy."

            "Are you so certain?" Harry teased. 

            Snape gave him a measured look that said of course.  "He is a preposterously arrogant bastard that…"

            "Is good at what he does," Harry finished for him.

            "He is reasonable at what he does," Snape amended.

            "I'd say that he's better than reasonable."

            "And you're biased."

            Harry inclined his head.  He had to give him that.  "I will concede that I am."

            "If you did not, then you are blind," Snape retorted.  "And I knew you'd not be."

            "Such confidence…"

            "That is not misplaced," he murmured.

            A blush, Harry could not help.  He was being kind again, unexpectedly.  Such surprises were pleasant and pleased him.  "I endeavor to keep it that way."

            "I think you will."

            "Oh shall I?" Harry queried teasingly.

            Snape smirked.  "You have done nothing but extended my admiration for you with your adept handling of an egotistical actor such as Malfoy.  If I had the horrible misfortune to switch places with you, I would be exceedingly ill-humored.  How you manage, I can only continue to be taken by amazement." 

            "It's a daily struggle, I assure you."

            "I can imagine.  How do you desist strangling the conceited fellow?"

            Harry giggled, thinking that not too many days ago he was dreaming of just that.  "It's hard, very hard.  There are those days, you know, when you get up and you already wish that the day was over." 

            "It must be too often working for Malfoy."

            "He isn't…"

            Snape waved his hand in a manner that said, I won't listen to your defense when I've got my opinion already so move on--- so he did.  What use was it when his mind was formed?  Much like Lucius's was of him.  Thinking of those two locked in a room together with no key would be insanity. 

            "Well," Harry continued, "those particular days, just thinking about having to deal with Lucius's moods is unfailingly, indisputably, and absolutely a depraved existence." 

            "I concede all points as accurate."

            Harry smiled.  Snape smiled.  "Snape…"

            "Severus."

            "Un--- Severus," he murmured, his name feeling strange but not wrong on his tongue, "you are a strange man."

            "Are you not a weird man?" Snape---Severus countered.

            "You are impossible."

            "And yet you are here with me at this horribly slow restaurant chatting with me."

            "Yes,  I am."

            "So, I must conclude that you like strange men."

            "And… you must like weird men."

            "I don't," Severus stated bluntly, "but you are the special exception."

            "Oh I am?!  Am I?"

            "You most certainly are," he confirmed.  "If you weren't, you wouldn't be here at this extravagantly expensive restaurant that thinks it will only become more of the place to eat by continuing on with its terribly slow service." 

            "If they're slow," Harry commented with wry insight, "it keeps the chairs filled with arses and makes them look busier than they are because no one's about to leave when they've waited this long for their food."

            "I'm about to," Severus growled while his stomach grumbled.  "I'm famished."

            "You sound like it." 

            Harry's stomach whined.  "And yours cries for food." 

            "At least mine doesn't gripe."

            "I can't help it!" Harry exclaimed, feeling foolish and afraid that Snape was going to think him an idiot.  "I mean," he remarked lamely, "my stomach's hungry."

            "There's nothing wrong with your stomach expressing its needs," Severus murmured.  "Isn't that what life about?  Expressing its wants." 

            "An Epicurean theory."

            "I'd say more like carpe diem."

"Seize the day," Harry whispered. 

            "Indeed," Severus stared at him with the intensity of a challenge, "every day should be seized, every evening and every night too." 

            "And are we?"

            "I say that we are."


Where was Harry?  It was midnight!  He never stayed out this late.  If he did, he called to let Lucius know where he was.  But he hadn't called and bloody hell!  He was getting worried.  And he wasn't the worrywart--- Harry was!

            Draco had told him that he had gone out on a date with Snape.  They had left sometime around 7:00 pm.  Dates didn't last that long for him.  Harry got bored too easily, he said.  Indeed, Lucius couldn't remember the last time Harry had been on a date with anyone.  How long had it been then?  Several months ago.  On the last occasion, he had come back early, very early. 

            "Maybe he forgot to call," Draco suggested.

            "Harry never forgets!" Lucius growled, still impatiently stalking up and down the hall.  "He always tells me where he is.  I don't know why he hasn't yet.  He could be hurt or something and need help." 

            "I highly doubt that," his son drawled.  "Harry is quite capable of taking care of himself no matter what kind of situation he finds himself in." 

            "But---" he bit his tongue when the door wobbled open and he saw Harry's dark head.  Whatever interest he had with word sparring with his son dissipated.  His anger and his anxiety needed a vent.  And who was always his vent, but him?  "WHERE THE FUCKING HELL HAVE YOU BEEN YOU BLOODY BINT?" 

            Harry dragged his head up to look at him.  He was tired.  His throat was parched.  And what did Lucius do but scream at him like an emotionally psychotic actor.  Lovely.  Did he realize that he was staying in his flat and that if he were anyone with a tad bit less patience, he'd be out on the street at the mercy of his merciless fans?  "Out." 

            "Where?"

            Harry rolled his eyes with keen exaggeration.  "Dinner."

            "Dinner doesn't last 5 sodding hours!"

            His shoulders shrugged.  "The conversation was good."

            Lucius wanted to scream, but frankly--- he'd already done that.  He'd like to yell, but that was must like screaming.  Again, he'd already done that.  He'd like to take Harry and shake him hard, but he looked too exhausted to stand it.  He wanted to bloody well do something, but he knew that he ought to let him sleep.  They had a long day tomorrow.  "Go to bed!"

            "Yes, papa," he slurred slightly, more in weariness than from any type of alcohol tipsiness.  "Righty-o." 

            "Draco," Lucius snapped, "help him." 

            "Might as well," Draco muttered, "I was only waiting up so he wouldn't wake me up when he returned."  Even though he sounded less than pleased, his touch was gentle and caring as he guided Harry to their shared bedroom.  "Good night, papa."

            Lucius decided Harry did have one good idea this night.  Eye rolling was not overused, if anything--- it was underutilized.  He rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair viciously.  It bothered him, he decided with severe aggravation, that he thought the conversation was good at dinner.  He… damn it, he wanted to be the only bloody bloke he had any meaningful verbal communication with. 

            It didn't help that he thought that Snape was an absolutely unbearable git.  What the fuck did Harry see in him?  Lucius didn't understand.  Snape insulted him.  He acted like he had one too many objects stuffed up his ass.  The man was simply constipated.  His teeth grinded together and he clenched his fist.  Bloody hell, he was jealous!  He squeezed his eyes shut.  He was old enough to be Harry's goddamn father. 

             He itched for liquor.  Vodka especially.  Something hard that he could drown down his throat and let throb away his thoughts.  Too bad he couldn't get splattered.  Tomorrow was a busy day.  If things went to plan they'd be preparing to leave for his next movie set.  One shot or two, he mused, wouldn't hurt.  He downed one.  In a few days, he could forget about Snape.  He wasn't going to see him for at least three months.  He smirked and let the second shot burn his throat.  And… sets always ran longer than planned.  This time he was glad. 

Sunlight streamed in, flooding his room with a golden glow.  Harry stretched leisurely like a cat.  Nibbling on his bottom lip, he found it hard not to grin like an idiot.  Last night had been not wonderful or fabulous or anything cliché like that--- the first date had been droll.  There had never been a boring moment once the wall of silence had been breeched. 

Talking about breeched silence… Draco was softly snoring next to him.  Harry leaned up onto his elbows and studied the gorgeous young man.  Draco appeared almost innocent when he was sleeping, but he knew the truth beneath the angelic beauty.  He didn't have an innocent bone in his body.  He wasn't surprised when he'd tried to shock him with the tidbit fact that he'd lost his virginity at 14.  It only made him snort with indifference.  He expected no less from a Malfoy.  They were born with this innate screaming sensuality. 

            Harry smiled and it only widened when he noticed what was on the bed stand.  Foolish boy.  Reaching over to grab the glass of water, he briefly considered if it would be too mean of him to wake Draco up at 7 am.  Then again with how relentlessly Draco'd teased him last night when he was rather tired out from going from 5 in the morning to 1 the next morning--- a total of 20 hours spent awake, he'd had every reason to be exhausted.  But the brat had nagged him and he deserved a good drowning this morning.  Bottom's away!

            Draco sputtered.  His arms flailed.  It was an endearing sight to see the usual grace of a Malfoy totally slaughtered this early in the morning.  Served him right for always calling him a disastrous morning person.  So what if he stubbed his toe making his way to the bathroom or always stumbled over him when trying to get him out of bed?  At least he wasn't a grump in the morning like Lucius!

            "Fuck you, Harry."

            "Good morning to you too, Draco." 

            Draco grinned and dragged him back down to the bed with him, promptly flipping Harry underneath him.  It didn't matter that he was older than him, that didn't make Harry bigger than him.  He was actually quite a bit smaller than him and Draco was still growing.  He groaned as Draco proceeded to try smothering him with the pillow he'd drooled on.  Egh.  Some of the drool was new… gross--- morning drool.

            When Draco finally let him up, Harry gagged.  "You are so utterly un-sexy in the morning."

            Draco stuck his tongue out.  "Says who?"

            Harry laughed.  He liked it when he was charmingly childish instead of trying to be sophisticatedly snobbish.  "Says the drool on the pillow."

            "I do not drool."  Draco raised his nose up like a prissy queen.  "You kick."

            "You snore."
            "You…" he pursed his lips together, thinking intently, "babble."

            "You… I what?  I babble?"

            "Ya, you talk in your sleep."

            "Really?"
            "Yup," Draco confirmed.  "Downright freaky."

            "What do I say?"

            "Bwaha… agekdw….. eotijdfslgka!"

            "I do not!" Harry cried out, insanely offended to think he spoke incoherently like that.

            "Do too!"

            "Do not!"

            "Do too too too!"

            "Argh!"

            "You say that too, so there!"  With that, he took another pillow and hit him in the face with it.  "And you say…"  Draco didn't get a chance to finish what he was saying because Harry had retaliated by smashing his pillow into his face and had somehow managed to flip him over and straddle his hips to keep the pillow mashed over his chattering lips. 

            "I DO NOT BABBLE IN MY SLEEP, DAMN IT!"

Everything was packed and ready.  The last of the custom made Snape wardrobe had arrived this morning, and he'd already neatly folded them and placed them into one of the various suitcases that Lucius insisted that he needed.  Harry sighed exasperatedly.  He swore Lucius packed more than a socialite off on his high society honeymoon.  It was ridiculous.  They didn't need four suitcases when he was going to be wearing period costumes for the entire production.  But he insisted and Harry… was merely his assistant.  Who was he to say no?

            Thank goodness, they'd be gone later this afternoon.  If they stayed here any longer, Lucius might want another suitcase.  At least, Draco was more sensible and had decided that he only needed one suitcase as he had no qualms about raiding his father's designer clothes.  He had decided on one suitcase as well, so that they wouldn't get slammed with extra baggage fees.  He was under and so was Draco, they could each claim one of Lucius's suitcases.  Two a piece… they were good to go. 

It could be worse, Harry decided.  Lucius was actually looking forward to this role too.  True, it was a return to him as a villain--- but the role wasn't that much of a traditional bad guy.  Lucius was more of a sadistic prick with leanings toward morality when it suited his purposes.  It was an intriguing and challenging role.  Something that was worthy of his ability, he thought, worthy of him. 

            "Are you ready to go?" Harry inquired.  "We ought to start heading toward Heathrow." His hand startled Lucius briefly as it rested on his shoulder.  "Jumpy today," Harry commented with amusement, "aren't you?  You nearly spilt your coffee this morning when I walked in on you in the bathroom.  You aren't," he gasped, shocked, "getting prudish in your old age, are you?"

            Lucius scowled.  As if he'd ever be that.  "I'm not old, first off," he replied sharply.  The only reason he'd been taken by surprise was because he'd been lost in thought--- reflections about Lucius, actually.  "Secondly, I'll never be prim and proper like you.  The real question is are you finally getting up to the raunchy level a young man of your age is suppose to be?" 

            "Your idea of raunchiness," Harry murmured darkly, "would land you in prison."

            "You, my dear," Lucius retorted, "are essence of innocence."

            Harry shrugged. "Better than being depraved like you."

            "Aren't you going to protest that you aren't that innocent?" Lucius jeered.

            "Severus says that my innocence is lovely," Harry remarked. 

            Lucius snorted and rolled his eyes.   "So it's 'Severus' now?" 

            "He asked me to call him that." 

"So you'll do everything he asks of you?" Lucius snapped. 

"What's gotten into you?" Harry retorted.  "It's like you have a cane up your ass." 

"Pardon me," Lucius spat, "if I find Snape impossible to handle."

            The same might be said about him, Harry thought unkindly but with a vague sense of amusement.  He didn't understand what Lucius had against Severus, other than that Severus seemed to derive much joy from criticizing Lucius.  But didn't he do the same?  He rather thought they'd get along famously, if they talked.  They were a good deal alike, snappy and witty, not to mention having vile tongues on their person.  Now, if only they could get past their atrocious stubbornness.  Harry frowned, like that was ever going to happen. 

 "Hey!" Draco exclaimed loudly from outside the bedroom.  "Are you two almost done?  We do need to get to the airport.  I don't know about you two, but I don't fancy missing the bloody plane."

            Harry sighed and grabbed the passports.  As if he was going to trust Lucius with them after the fiasco with the last film production they'd done out of the country.  Not a rat of a chance.  Last time had been simply hellish.  Lucius had forgotten his passport, having left it next to his dresser and they had had to miss the first flight and been postponed for a day waiting for the next one.  "C'mon," he urged, slapping his shoulders lightly, "let's go."

            "Getting feisty, aren't you?"

            "You can make any comments you want in the car," Harry grumbled.  "But I don't want a word out of you 'til we get all your impossible luggage in the trunk."

            "Yes, Master," Lucius replied docilely. 

            He glowered as if!  "Nice try," Harry responded blandly, "but you have no master but yourself."

            "If you know that," Lucius muttered, "why do you even bother?"
            "If I don't, who will?" 

To Lucius's intense displeasure and Harry's shocked delight, Severus was waiting for him at the gate with a single orchid.  What in the world was he doing here?  Harry hadn't thought he'd see Severus at all… certainly not for several months, and even then he had his doubts about him waiting for him.  It wasn't like he was that great of a catch.  Hell, he couldn't even choose an outfit that Severus didn't disparage with his acid humor. 

            "I don't know why your eyes are ridiculously enlarged," Severus commented caustically.  "I have the common courtesy to say good-bye, even if you don't." 

            He smiled anyway.  Dependably snide Severus.  Underneath that exterior and interior sarcasm, there was a somewhat romantic layer--- however thin that it was.  It did get him to do some utterly sweet things, like coming to the airport just to give him an orchid.  Harry really hoped that the months apart didn't ruin the friendship they were starting to have.  As much as he'd like a relationship with Severus, a week of knowing each other and months apart didn't make that particularly realistic. 

"I did say good-bye."

            "A message on my answering machine hardly suffices." 

            Harry quirked an eyebrow up.  "What will satisfy you then?" 

            "This," Severus whispered, tilting his chin up and lowering his lips upon his, "only this."

His thoroughness seared Harry's resistance.  For a first kiss, Harry had to admit, Severus was rather good.  It was remarkable, actually.  This was how he imagined a kiss with Lucius would be like.  Warning bells went off in his head.  He should not be thinking about another man's kisses while he was getting headily kissed out of his mind.  Really, Severus was doing amazing things with his tongue.  If his arm wasn't firmly wrapped around his waist, he felt he'd rather be a puddle of boneless bliss on the floor. 

            Who would have thought such a rigid and icy man would be such a fabulous silky and hot kisser?  Then again, he did have that dark mysteriousness going--- oh god that tongue of his--- for him.  Mmm… he was melting, utterly melting.  He decided fervently if he had to die, this'd be a nice way to go--- drowning in a kiss that burned and flamed and scorched indelibly.  The question was: what was the sex going to be like?! 

Whoa, Harry's prudish side yelped, he'd only known the man for a month. 

Yeah, yeah, but this was a damn fine kiss.  And it wasn't over yet…

"Public displays are low class," Lucius sneered from where he was standing with his son watching the ostentatious embrace.  What in heaven's name was Harry doing letting that vile man kiss him like that in a place that was very, very public?  Was he crazy?  Wasn't he always the one that was so staunch for 'proper and meticulous' behavior in public?

            Draco wrinkled his nose.  "You're despicably jealous."

            A narrowed eye glare was aimed at his impetuous son while Harry and Severus continued to snog without any regard to the passengers watching them with interest that was on par with the two blond Malfoys.  "And why ever would you think that?"

            "Because your eyes are spitting fire."

            "I have no idea where you get your blunt tongue," Lucius remarked sharply.

            Draco shrugged.  "Everyone says I am your likeness, so most likely from you."

            "I am not jealous." 

            "You are," Draco stated calmly.  "You are very jealous."

            "And you are very wrong."

            "I am a Malfoy; therefore, I am always right."

            "You are right when you are not speaking to the Malfoy."

            "Arrogant, aren't you?" Draco mused.

            "And you aren't?"

            "At least I'm not the one that's unwilling to admit envy when it's sodding obvious."

            Lucius gritted his teeth and growled, "I am not jealous."

            "Oh, but father," Draco murmured, "you are.  You truly are."

            "If I am, then you are crazy."

            "Crazy right, perhaps."

            "Do you intentional try to be the bane of my existence?" 

            His son smirked.  "I am your bane.  It's been truly hard though."

            God Draco was despicably irritating at times.  He had to have inherited it from Narcissa, there was no way he'd gotten all those annoying traits from him.  No matter what Harry said that his son was his younger clone.  "If it's so hard, then cease to be such a pain." 

            "It's hard when you're being a git," Draco muttered.

            "And you're not, you immature prat?" Lucius retorted.

            "I'm immature?!" Draco exclaimed.  "You're the adult, father."

            Lucius pursed his lips together into a straight line and had that particular expression that Draco knew too well meant he had scraped off all his father's limited patience away.  "It would be wise," he began insidiously, "my son, to not try my rather lacking patience when you will be stuck with me for months without the opportunity to run off somewhere." 

            "Who says I cannot?" Draco remarked, knowing full well he was pushing all the wrong buttons and not caring one whit.  He was confident that he could get Harry to help him if he really needed to escape his father's terrible temper.  "Even if you're filming in bloody America?" 

            "You don't know your way around."

            "Father," he drawled, "I can find my way around."

            "You will not disobey me, Draco Malfoy!"

            Draco blinked carelessly and decided that maybe he ought to back down just a bit.  "So how long do you think they're going to go at it?" he questioned.  "I'll wager you that Snape will stop the kiss." 

            "I believe Harry will," Lucius responded instead.

            "So what's the stakes?"
            "Must you persist in being immature?"

            "Betting is for adults, daring is for children."

            Lucius glared at his son.  Sometimes Draco's cheek was too much. 

            "So the bet?"

Drowning was a nice word, Harry decided, especially when it was drowning in a kiss of fire.  A flush of disappointment streamlined his body when he felt Severus withdrawing from him, his lips leaving his own.  It was all he could do not to sag against him.  Rather humiliating how solid like jelly he felt in the knees.  It was enough that he was using him as a support post. 

            "That was a proper good-bye," Severus whispered.  "I'll see you in a month."

            "A month?" Harry questioned, confused.  He was going to be gone longer than a month, a few months and perhaps even several if things got delayed as they sometimes tended to do.  "I'll be gone for three at the least." 

            Severus smirked.  "You'll be in L.A.," he reminded Harry.  "It's hardly an out there location for fashion." 

            "Oh!"  Harry hadn't even considered that.  "You'll be in L.A.?"

            "In a month," Severus repeated sardonically.  "You sound drunk."

            Harry almost giggled, but he restrained himself.  "Why?"

            "For a premiere." 

            "I'll see you then." 

            Severus tucked the orchid into Harry's pocket.  "Good-bye." 

            "Bye." 

            The way Severus walked, he glided like he was the most important (and most arrogant) person there.  Reminded Harry quite a bit of Lucius's posture.  It was eerie how similar they were to him.  They had the same confident (sometimes overconfident) mannerism.  However, Severus was not as prone to snide comments when riled--- though Harry had yet to see him get pissed at anyone.  Lucius, though, was very emotional when he was angered.  Didn't happen often, but he lost it with him more often than anyone. 

            A cold finger traced the back of his neck.  Lucius.  "That was quite the farewell kiss," Lucius stated sarcastically.  "Quite the performance.  I had no idea he was your boyfriend.  How much practice did it take on your dates?" 

            "Leave off, father," Draco cut in sharply.  "Stop being such a jackass." 

            Harry smiled, ignoring Lucius's sullen tone.  Instead, he turned to Draco and informed him happily, "That was a wonderful first kiss." 

            Bloody hell, that was some first kiss.  Lucius scowled deeply inside.  He wasn't about to give his son any further ammo over him in this silly argument about how he was jealous of Snape with Harry.  He didn't mean anything to him.  Nothing!  Absolutely nothing!

            Draco turned to Lucius and smirked.  "You know, you lost the bet."

            Bet?!  He narrowed his eyes and scowled at Lucius.  "What bet?"

            "Oh, it's nothing," Draco added slyly, "just a small wager."

            "A wager on what?"

            "Your love life," he answered with intentional naiveté as he gazed meaningfully at his father who was pointing the finger at him.  "That's all."

            Harry's eyes whirled over to Lucius and he yelled, "LUCIUS MALFOY, HOW DARE YOU?!?"

TBC

Author's Note: This chapter is about a thousand words shorter than normal.  Sorry, but it took more than 3 weeks to write it and there's nothing more I can say than what I've already said for this chapter.  It's not that short, still quite longer than my other stuff so no complaints?  Schoolwork is piling up on me and a virus wiped out my harddrive (luckily I had this backed up so I didn't lose too much, but I lost enough to make it QUITE painful.  Anyway I'll be trying to push my icky grades up (because they're in the dumps right now) and I'll see if I can fit in a 30 minute session every now and then.  Let me know what you think of Harry's and Severus's date, Draco's timely appearance, the dynamics of Harry's and Draco's friendship, and Lucius's jealousy.  That's all!  Reviews are wonderful. 

Thanks to my super AWESOME and INCREDIBLE reviewers (I couldn't do this without you): Ilucia (b/c I don't think he should be working when he's 15, and it's important HOW long Lucius and Harry have had a working relationship), NegaQueen Voldemort (glad I keep up to expectations), ncgal, Kaze (more on Voldie will be discussed later), frizzy (ty), Sarah, C.M. Aeris Queen of Insanity (git says hand's off), Eternalfiresong (if you want HP/LV go read Fallen, the relationship here will be strictly father/son.  I never said it would end up a threesome but there will be moments when Harry's in the midst of two ongoing battles.  I haven't decided yet.), Nemati, Aquarra (egh… I have an overactive imagination), Quoth the Raven (Harry's past will bite him soon), Eaiva le Fay (Sev doesn't know about Harry's unconditional love for Lucius, he will though), Moonlady, Quill, Wynter Nite (Yes Lucius is temporarily living w/ Harry, but it's not such a big deal as they're almost always together in some way or another as Harry's Lucius's assistant/agent/everything), anonymous (thanks, I like this one a lot too), Lindiel Eryn (yes Tom is Voldemort), Sky, Lady of Hogwarts, lack_agia, sigildagger, SiLvErFaTeD, Perona, M14Mouse, The angelic vampire (update yours and I'll update mine ;p), NymphGirl, GY (can't tell you, but no one dies in this one), agge (as this is novel length, there's plenty of time for me to discuss Lucius and Severus, but remember this is mainly told in Harry's 3rd POV), chekita, Shuki-aka Quickjewel, TigerBlak, Kemis (Happy Early Birthday), ntamara (Draco's a god), crissy (more like a ferocious daddy bear), IncubusSuccubus (no Sev knows what he wants when he wants it.), dawn (yes, realize that I switch POV's, most don't comment on it anymore since that's the way I write, and it's never in the middle of a paragraph though.  I've been working on it, but sometimes it's nice to see another character's POV.), devilish angel, athenakitty, pussbb (probably no randy producer), aryth (believe what you will, I haven't planned that far ahead), tati1, Redrum, MoonlightDream, silaqui, care (sorry, but it's not easy being my beta).

You may contact me (to chat, to ask questions, etc.) here… AIM (sevviepooh) or MSN (wan_mei_zhu_yi @ hotmail.com). 

Chapter 4 should be out sometime early April (that's tentative and I'm hoping that is the latest it'll be out, but I don't know…)