Harry Potter and the Shard of Magic.
By Wihstrum
Chapter ten: Disturbing Thoughts
Detention with Snape. That basically meant cleaning cauldrons without magic. That was bad. But do you know when it gets really bad? If you serve it with your archenemy. Alone.
"This is all your fault, you know," Harry stated, with his head down inside the cauldron he was scrubbing, voice echoing.
"My fault?" Draco snarled, flinging his rag down in irritation. "How is this my fault?"
"You petted me!" Harry replied sharply.
"For Merlin's sake Potter I didn't pet you!" he growled in frustration "Even if I did, get over it!"
"Sorry, it's just a little hard to comprehend if your archenemy - whom by the way delivered a death threat barely three months ago - is stroking your hair! Does that make sense?"
Draco winced and started to scrub a particularly stubborn stain in the cauldron. "You took that too serious…"
"Oh I'm sorry but You're dead Potter sounds a little serious to me!"
For once, the Great Draco Malfoy didn't know what to say. So he blurted the first thing that came to his mind "You're just touchy…" Great Malfoy, simply brilliant.
"Touchy?" Harry screeched "Touchy? Dammit Malfoy, your daddy wants my head on a silver platter to get in Voldemorts good graces and you're saying I'm touchy?" his breath hitched and he didn't realized he'd stood up in the progress "Or are you implying you didn't mean it? Six fucking years of taunting me, but you didn't mean it?"
Draco sighed and didn't respond. Stupid Potter. Stupid Cauldron. Stupid Detention. Stupid life. Stupid last name.
"Well?"
"Shut up Potter." He repeated mutely.
And shockingly enough, Harry did, remembering what said Hermione last Monday. Deep down he knew Malfoy only picked fights with him because he was scared… it was an instinctive reaction for him.
Both of them stubbornly scrubbed their cauldrons. At long last Harry spoke up "What kind of bird did you think I was?"
"Eh?" Draco peered over the edge of his cauldron.
"You heard me…"
"An ostrich…" the Slytherin declared gleefully.
"Oh hilarious Malfoy, simply hilarious…" but he couldn't help a small smile curling around his lips. God was he glad he'd got his head in this foul-smelling cauldron. Okay not glad, but you know.
He heard the snickering echoing in Malfoy's cauldron, then a little quieter he added "A raven."
"I'm touched Malfoy, did you know that ravens are the smarter kind of bird?"
"Trust me Potter it had anything but to do with your intellect… it was because of your hair."
Harry sat up straight and arched his back, hearing it crackle from sitting bend over. He ran his hand trough his hair causing the black strands to stand up even more haphazardly than usual. "Guess that makes sense…"
"Yes it does Potter, it does…" he said mysteriously.
.
.
.
"Malfoy."
"That happens to be my name yes."
"How long have we been scrubbing these darn cauldrons?"
"An hour and half… we're not even halfway yet."
"Interesting…"
"What?"
"You and me being in one room, no bloodshed nor nasty insults…"
"Dear Merlin… We're losing our touch… But if you'd like, I can come up with an appropriate insult in no time…"
"Nah… don't feel like fighting…"
"Neither do I, but eh, let's just act like we did tomorrow." He arched a pale eyebrow "I for one have a reputation to maintain…"
Monday Morning. Charms. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.
Harry suckled on the end of his sugar quill as he vaguely caught snatches from the explanation Flitwick gave them about the new spell. He hadn't had enough sleep this night; the detention had lasted over midnight. And although he felt psychically drained, he hadn't been quite as happy in a long while. It was because of the vulnerable state of agreement he and Malfoy had come to last night. He knew it probably would be a let down, impulsive as Malfoy seemed to be, but he didn't know he'd cared so much about the fact that they hated one other. Or used to hate each other?
He scribbled some notes from the board and couldn't suppress a huge yawn. He wondered whether or not it had been an act from the Slytherin's side.
This afternoon there would be another two hours of Potions and therefore another two hours to be spent with Malfoy.
Monday Afternoon. Slytherin Dungeon. Almost running late for Potions.
Alex banged on Draco's door. "What the hell are you doing in there?" she tapped her foot impatiently.
"Damn woman just wait a minute." Came a muffled reply from the other side.
"It's been more than a minute, more like 23 minutes and 47 seconds. Blaise already left!"
"I'm almost done, only my hair."
"Stop acting like a pouf and leave the hair blondie."
"I will certainly not leave the hair; I'd end up looking as idiotic as you do."
"The problem being?"
"I, for one, have a reputation to maintain." He snapped.
"Alright, that's it, I'm comin' in!" She opened the door and spotted Draco standing in front of the mirror messing with his painfully perfect hair.
"What are ya doin'? It's fine, leave it."
"It's just not as it is supposed to be lying."
She snapped her fingers and his normally slicked back blonde hair fell around his ears, bangs brushing his forehead and framing his eyes.
Draco stared horrified into the mirror "AAH! What did you do?"
"I de-gelled your hair. Told you before that it can't be good for your brains Drakie-poo."
"BUT WHY THE HAIR?"
"It's nicer like this." She wiggled her nose "And if you'd wipe that scowl off your face you'd be even more charming."
Draco paused his protests and quirked an eyebrow up "You think I'm charming?"
"Yeah yeah… Of course I do." She waved him away and headed for the door. She abruptly froze in her tracks.
"Okay…" she swallowed audible "WHAT IS THAT?" she pointed at his bed.
"What?" he saw the object of her horror and scowled at her "C'mon it's time to go."
"Did I just saw a thong… with hearts?"
"No you did not. Now get out." He tried shoving Alex out of his room.
"Please tell me you have to use them in some kind off really disgusting potion for Snape."
"Someone send them me last year as a Valentines gift." He explained quickly.
"That's just plain sick. I mean they are so small and tiny… And those hearts…It's disgusting, it's sadistic...it's just plain wrong man!
"Can you imagine how I felt?"
She wrinkled her nose. "You should burn those." She nodded "You should burn those like… Right now."
"Let's just get to class…" Draco snarled as he dragged her out, kicking the tong under his bed in the progress.
"Potions." Ron muttered "Did I ever inform you how much I loathe potions?"
"I grief with you." Neville sighed and put his cauldron on the table.
Harry, Hermione and Ron went to sit on their usual spots, at the far end of the class and thus as far away from Snape as possible. Harry was still suckling at the end of his Sugar Quill.
"And please remind me why we are taking extra potions class from Snape?"
"Because we want to be Aurors?" Harry answered gloomy.
Ron groaned and rubbed his temples. "I curse Finbar for picking Divination…"
Harry snorted "I for one don't regret picking Divination only 2 hours a week… I do wonder why Finbar chose 6 hours…"
"He's a natural, trust me, even Firenze has trouble not getting obvious about the fact he's impressed…"
"Oh Merlin..." Hermione's hand flew to her mouth, her brown eyes wide.
"What?" both boys asked.
'Mione simply pointed at the door.
Alex and Draco entered, heading for their places. And Draco's hair was… loose. As in Free of Gel. As in not-plastered-to-his-skull-like-some-bird-shit-on-it-and-it-wouldn't-come-out-any-more.
Ron opened his mouth as to say something but gaped like a fish.
"Malfoy? What's with the do?" Blaise asked; an odd shimmering light of mischief and disbelief in his eyes as he fought a smile.
"Leave the do, no talk." He sneered and threw his bag on his desk.
Alex grinned and tousled his hair affectionately while Draco tried to bat her hands away with his copy of 'Magical Drafts and Potions' by Arsenius Jigger.
"Do I have to remind you that you're ought to be sitting next to Mister Malfoy instead of staring at him or would you prefer another detention?" Snape hissed next to his ear, causing Harry to jump up, startled. Both he and Ron hurried over to their new appointed places. Harry ploffed down next to Malfoy whose face predicted not much good. He opened his mouth to say something but Malfoy was faster…
"Say something about the hair and I'll rip your lungs out…"
"Yes oh gell-less one…"
"Do you find this amusing Potter?"
"As a matter a fact, I do." He snickered at the frustrated snarl coming from Malfoy.
A good hour later Alex sighed as she saw Draco and Harry bicker over something concerning their potion. The blonde of course was being a complete asshole, as always. She frowned at the scene and Ron apparently thought the same. "You know, ferret boy is being a complete asshole again…" echoing her thoughts.
"Nothing new…" she sighed and added some Rosemary to the mixture; she and the red haired Gryffindor made a good team, their last potion had earned an 'O' from Snape. She didn't want to go into an in-depth discussion about her friendship with His Royal Iciness –knowing it would be in vain- so she slickly changed the subject.
"So…" she glanced sideways "When are you going to ask her out?"
Ron's head snapped up, his cheeks starting to flush. She snickered, having to admit he was kinda adorable. The Gryffindor tried to regain his composure by trying to pretend he didn't know what she was talking about. "Ask whom out?"
"Hmmm lessee… she has thick, brown curly hair, deep brown eyes, small frame, kinda bossy and right now she's straightening her prefect's badge for the 35th time this day."
"Why would you think I'd want to ask her out?"
"Oh c'mon Ron! You two are obvious… I even have a bet going with Ginny that you will be a couple before the end of the year…"
Ron rumpled his freckled nose and quietly whispered: "Don't know how I should ask her…"
"What about: Hi 'Mione, would you like to be my date for the Ball?" Alex provided him, an amused grin flashing over her face.
"When you put it that way, it sounds easy…" he hesitated and lowering his voice even more he continued "I want her to feel special, I don't want her to feel as a last resort."
Alex briefly touched his arm so he looked her in the eye. "That's nice Ron… and if you tell her like you did to me now, I'm sure she would love to accompany you…"
They both shared a true moment of pure friendship, smiling warmly at each other. "Who're you gonna ask?"
Alex' brow furrowed. "Don't know really…"
"Right…" he rolled his eyes heavenward.
"No really… I thought about it…" she added a sniff of garlic. "D'ya think Finbar would… you know."
"Aha, Finbar eh?" he waggled his eyebrows.
"Well, he's nice, he's friendly, he's got a sense of humor and he's cute as well… But then again you've got Blaise, he's odd, but he's a friend y'know." She shrugged, not really worried. "Ah we'll see; it's still 3 months ahead of us…"
Thursday evening. Gryffindor tower.
Harry finished the last up his push-ups, scrambled to his feet and flopped on his bed. He'd picked up the habit of doing push-ups and sit-ups everyday, not wanting to let down Moony, after all the werewolf sacrificed his whole Saturday morning and a big deal of the afternoon mentoring him. He closed his eyes, listening to the blood rushing trough his veins, his heart beating violently against his chest.
"Good evening hot stuff, I see you're trying to catch my attention as always…"
Harry promptly threw a pillow at Finbar, whom ducked it, snickering. "Idiot…" the raven head muttered. He recalled the day Finbar returned after 'falling down the stairs', his face so pale and miserable… the transformation really must be terrible.
"So."
"So?" Harry repeated.
"Have you told them yet?" Finbar sat down at the end of Harry's bed, giving him a stern look. His hands were up in his dark hair, tying a ponytail.
The Gryffindor stared at the miniature dragon parading on his nightstand, a little ashamed of himself. "No… I haven't…"
"Why not?"
"How am I supposed to tell them? Hey Ron, 'Mione, did you know I'm bisexual?" he said mutely.
"O c'mon Harry, you can do better then that. They are your friends…" Finbar leaned over and prodded him hard in the ribs.
"That's sexual harassment, Mister, and I don't have to take it."
"Oh like you don't want me to sexually harass you…"
"Finbar, don't make me hex you into next week!"
"Did you day 'hex' or 'sex'?"
Harry sat up and narrowed his eyes "I don't like you, I don't like you at all."
"Kidding, kidding!" he held up his hands defensively. "No really, you should tell them. So I herby command you to tell them by the end of October!"
"Oooh… I'm impressed…"
"Don't make me take off my shirt…"
Saturday Evening. The Lake
Somewhere, between preparing DA-meetings (which the first 'new' one was settled for next week Friday), Quiddich practice (Ron was a tyrant…), learning Occlumency (in which he had improved spectacularly. Poor Alex though hadn't at all…) and Moony's training sessions Harry found some time for himself on Saturday evening. Time for himself and therefore time to question himself over the mirror. He stared at his own reflection, his tanned face frowning back at him. He vaguely registered that he was 'growing up'; the once innocent face now that of a young man, his jaw line strong and well chiseled, his deep, mysterious, green eyes once again clear and bright, his ebony black hair quite long now, yet sticking up in all possible directions. If he would care he'd be extremely satisfied. But the Gryffindor didn't care; the only thing on his mind was Sirius' healthy and handsome face in the mirror, smiling up at him. "Sirius."
Nothing.
Harry had a weak feeling in his stomach. "Please… Sirius."
Silence.
Harry grunted and could barely rein his growing frustration so well known for its temper. He briefly thought about throwing it into the lake, but settled with a negative, knowing that he'd regret it later on. Had he really imagined it himself last week? But I couldn't have been Finbar; he'd entered when Harry had already seen it. "I'm so, so sorry Sirius…" He looked in it for a long time, but only his reflection kept frowning back at him.
Suddenly the mirror was pulled from his hands; someone had grabbed them while standing behind Harry. He wheeled around and stared into Malfoy's grinning face.
The blonde snickered. "Didn't know you'd be the kind to gaze at yourself for hours into the mirror… Narcist."
Normally Harry would have registered the playful tone –for as far Malfoy could some playful- in the Slytherin's voice and then he'd probably even laughed about it himself. But now… It was the mirror… Sirius' mirror.
"Give it back Malfoy." He didn't raise his voice, but he could hear it waver slightly.
"Can't have enough of yourself can't you?" he snickered while he shook his head; his blonde hair tickling his cheeks.
"Please, give me back the mirror."
A familiar smirk crossed over his lips, while he pulled up a pale eyebrow. "It's not like it's such an extraordinary looking mirror…" he examined it, turning it around a few times.
"Accio Mirror!" he'd said it completely out of habit and as soon as the second word rolled over his lips, he realized he'd left his wand up in the tower. Imagine his surprise when he was holding the mirror after all.
"Bloody Merlin!" Draco cussed "Why can everybody do that 'cept me?" He awaited some sort of reaction from the Gryffindor, but the youth just kept staring at the item in his hands. Draco slowly saw the expression change form surprised to utter shock. Just as he was about to ask him what was wrong, Harry started coughing hoarsely and hunched over. He made a weird gargling noise. Suddenly the green grass under the Seeker's feet turned velvety red. Blood. He was coughing up blood. Instinctively Draco reached out, hooked an arm around his chest pulled him carefully upright. Blood dripped sickingly out of his mouth, drenching his white blouse, eyes teary from the effort of trying to keep from fainting.
It took me ages to get Potter to the hospital wing, supporting him completely while his blood colored my ivory white skin mockingly scarlet red. I talked to him all the way up, trying to keep him conscious. His face was drained from all color and the most frustrating thing was that, of course for once, I didn't encounter anyone in the hallways, so I suspected it was Dinner. When we finally did arrive at Madame Pomfrey's, his breathing became shallow and his heartbeat weakened. I swear to Merlin I've never, ever felt like I do now. I even can't describe how I feel. Empty?
I awake shuddering once again. I've tried several times, but always comes his face back, blood streaming over his lips as he starts hissing in parseltongue that it is my fault that he's dying. That it is my fault that everything that is good is rotting away…
A shimmer on my nightstand catches me eye. The mirror. He'd dropped it somewhere along the way up and I collected it when I left him in Poppy's care. I swing my legs over the edge of my bed and run a hand trough my silvery hair before I reach out to pick it up. I still wonder what fascinated him about this mirror and even more; was it the mirror that almost killed him?
Why keep I feeling guilty?
Draco pushed himself up from his bed and quickly slipped on his favorite grey cotton shirt, before tiptoeing past his roommates beds. Crabbe roared a hideously loud snore and the blonde had to keep himself from throwing the lithe mirror at the meaty head. The door screeched softly when he opened it and left the room, hearing Crabbe's snoring wan as he did. Now the next part; down the stairs and into the common room. Alex was curled up in a ball, her white hair hanging over the edge of the couch as a white waterfall. He fiercely tried blocking away every emotion or thought, not wanting to wake her up. He whispered the password blearily audible and hopped lithely trough the portrait hole. He padded trough the freezing, dark hallways, always on his guard.
Very, very quietly he opened the door to Pomfrey's domain with an 'Alohamora'-spell. He absentmindedly wondered why the place even had a door if it could be opened with such a simple trick. He stood unnaturally still after a few steps in the room, listening intently whether or not the nurse was around. After making sure the place was abandoned his eyes followed the numerous beds; until he saw in the uttermost a familiar mop of black hair. He swiftly strode over and pulled a chair next to the bed, the action giving him a déjà vu about the first Thursday of the school year. He sat down and looked at Potter's pale face. The Gryffindor simply looked awful… although his face was wonderfully different without the hideous glasses Draco hated so much. His unruly black hair -which was due for a haircut in the Slytherin's opinion- was draped over the white pillows supporting his head, a few wisps stray in his face. Stupid Potter.Annoyed, he brushed a strand of ebony out of the pale face.
Potter stirred and his eyes fluttered open.
Damn.
"Malfoy…?" the green eyes locked with the grey ones. "What are you doing here?"
"Checking whether you've finally died…" he replied smartly.
Harry snickered yet a pained expression flew over his face as he did. "You are such a brat…"
"Yet a cute one at that!" Draco countered. He frowned as a nervous expression settled over Potter's face. "Anyway," he said, ignoring Potter's odd behavior "I have something that belongs to you…" He dug out the mirror and handed it over to Potter who accepted it, an anxious look on his face.
"Sirius!" was the first thing he said.
Draco's brow disappeared in his blonde hair at that. Black? The bloke whose name got cleared this summer? He saw Potter's jaw clench as something didn't seem to go as it should.
Harry placed the mirror on his nightstand without much love and grumpily pulled himself straight up, surprised at the effort it seemed to take. "Malfoy… Why did you… bring it back?" within this one question were a thousand more.
Draco's face fell for a second. Actually, truthfully… he didn't know. And for the first time this night he wondered why he even got down here in the first place. "I have no use for it…" Well, that was a fair answer, wasn't it?
Harry studied Malfoy's sharp face as a small smile settled on the pink lips and that was all the Gryffindor needed to know. Truce. Their endless, idiotic, useless and senseless bickering was over. Malfoy was not a cold, heartless person whose only purpose in life was to cause pain to others and he was human too, even if he chose to hide it… even if he was rude and obnoxious and stuck up… even if he was Lucius' son.
The Slytherin's voice snapped him back to the present "I'm leaving, don't want to get whipped by Pomfrey…" he moved to stand up, but Harry quickly caught his wrist.
"Malf-… Draco." He nodded at the mirror "Thanks."
Sunday Morning.
Draco ran his hand in slow circles over the bare chest beneath him. Marveling at how soft his skin was while the steel muscles rippled appealingly beneath the soft layer of tanned skin at every movement the other made. He leaned down to brush his lips over his lovers', a soft yet most perfect kiss ever.
"You're mine Harry." He growled deep in his throat.
He gazed into the emerald deep pools before kissing him more passionately on the lips. He felt Harry's strong hands roaming over his back while the soft lips trailed off to his neck… Sending shivers down his spine as he stopped at the blonde's ears, breath ragged and warm. Draco closed his eyes and arched into him as he made all the pain and loneliness evaporate into the starry sty.
As the morning crept through Draco's curtains, he crooked an eye open. He was sweaty and disorientated. Suddenly he shot up with jolt, causing him to fall right off the edge of his bed.
Oh Merlin. I did NOT just dream that I was shagging bloody Potter. Did I?
I did… I dreamed that, Bloody Merlin… Okay that's it, I've officially gone mental.
He swiftly scrambled up to his feet and grabbed clean robes so he could take a very hot shower and try to wash away all of the disgusting thoughts.
Must admit that he was looking quite lovely. All sweaty and needy and naked and… scratch that, better make it a cold one.
He snapped out of his train of thought, jumping slightly as Alex poked her head over his shoulder. He also noticed now that his roommates had apparently awoken before him and were attending breakfast.
"Happy Sunday mate!"
How did she get in without making a noise?
"Would you be so kind to remind me, what you are doing in my room?" He growled, rubbing his temples.
"Trying to let you know that's there's no escaping me?"
"Fabulous."
"I know."
Draco grunted and headed for the bathroom.
Great Hall. Breakfast. Slytherin Table
Draco pushed his bacon and scrambled eggs around his plate absently.
Me and Potter? Impossible. It was just a dream right? Dreams are just dreams.
But why had the mere touch of Potter's hand on his wrist triggered a warm sensation in his chest that spread out to every part of his body and made his head tingle? He shook his head tiredly. This was ridiculous. He though about Potter grabbing the snitch a split second before him, he thought about Potter turning him down when he'd offered his 'friendship', he thought about Potter being in the spotlight all the time, he thought about Potter being loved by half of the wizard community, he thought about Potter beating him up last year and he thought about Potter being the one who saved him as well, yet only briefly and without even knowing it. An ugly scowl spread over his face. That's better. I can't stand Potter, but I don't hate him anymore… Right?
He saw Alex smiling at him in a knowing manner. Damn girl is a menace. He though vengefully.
PleasePleasePlease reviewreviewreview!; you don't know how much it means to me! I'm getting on my knees… please? Pretty please review? And those who've already reviewed: You guys are the best ; thank you sososososo much! What did you think? Was it awful? Should I re-write? Was it too soon? pulls hair tell meeeeeee!