Title: That Sly, Summer Wind (3/?)
Author: Semirhage
Rating: R for...well, you'll see
Warnings: SLASH! Woohoo! And...Draco, since we all know he needs his own warning. P
Spoilers: All five books
Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Ron Weasley
Disclaimer: You know I don't own them, because if I did DM/RW and SS/HP would be canon.
Summary: Draco wakes up one morning to the wind beating at his window. When he looks upon his lawn, what does he see but a familiar red-haired figure? Slash, DracoRon
Author's Notes: All right. So here's the deal. I was planning on making this a three chapter fic, but that is definitely not going to happen. I decided I'd rather take some extra time to work things out completely...and even work on side plots/issues. Hope I don't scare away any reviewers with some ideas I have in mind for the next couple of chapters. Once again, tell me what you think. I'm always open to suggestions on what I should consider working on, etc. etc. There were some parts of this chapter I was not certain about, several things I ended up editing...but I love the character interaction. ) Oh, and thanks to everyone who has egged me on with reviews! I probably wouldn't be posting this chapter if it weren't for you guys! I really am horrible about getting things done, and the only thing that motivates me is knowing that someone wants to know what's going to happen (since I already have it all figured out in my head ::winks::).
Several hours after leaving Weasley, Draco found himself staring at a page full of charts and figures that all kept blending together. His stack of paperwork was larger than when he had started, and worse, Weasley was the reason he had not been able to make any progress. Slapping the parchment to the desk, Draco leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Nothing had been going right since Weasley had appeared. He could always get caught up on his paperwork -- no, it was the fact that he was obsessing over the other young man what truly disturbed him. The desire to know what had happened to Weasley consumed him until he found himself fabricating wild possibilities, all of which he dismissed as being completely impossible.
On top of the fact that he still had no idea what Weasley had been doing on his lawn, Draco had a meeting with some idiot from the Ministry in fifteen minutes. His eyes found one of the numerous portraits lining the wall, and he sighed. "Sometimes, Father, I just don't think I'm cut out for this... Why can't they just accept that everything's gone? Why do they keep coming back?" He would never understand the way the minds of those idiots worked.
Snapping his fingers, Draco yelled, "Eakley!" He needed to make sure tea and biscuits were being prepared...and to change his clothes into something appropriate to greet his "guest" in.
With a pop, the house-elf appeared. "Yes, Master Draco?" he asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot, each time managing to look like he was about to fall over.
"We're having a guest in quarter of an hour, so make sure fresh tea will be ready along with warm biscuits," he said grimly. Wouldn't want to disappoint whatever sod they sent to check up on me... He stood from his chair, then said, "If you need me, I'll be in my rooms. And make sure Weasley stays out of the way and out of trouble."
Nodding, Eakley said, "Yes, Master Draco!" He offered Draco an enthusiastic smile before vanishing.
Sighing, Draco walked from the room and headed up the staircase. He had the perfect robe in mind -- deep, velvety green with elaborate silver embroidery (Slytherin colours, of course). A wry smile twisted his lips. The representative would not expect anything less, would he?
Not a second less than fifteen minutes later, Draco returned to his office and sat at his desk. As he settled in, he could hear Eakley's voice asking the visitor to follow him.
Tapping his fingers on the solid wood, Draco wondered what Weasley was amusing himself with. Maybe he was scrubbing floors -- that seemed a befitting task for a Weasley. More than likely, he had gotten himself lost somewhere and was shut up in a hidden room (which, thanks to the Ministry, most of which were not quite so hidden anymore). After this meeting was over, he should look for the young man -- perhaps make him take a shower. After all, he had been dreadfully dirty the last time Draco had laid eyes on him. Plus, showers led to a discarding of clothes, which then led to the revealing of a body. Wonder what Weasley would look like naked, Draco mused, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Probably pale, covered in freckles... Long legs -
A sudden, horrifyingly familiar voice interrupted Draco's train of thoughts: "Draco Malfoy? Well, it's been awhile." Draco found his gaze attracted to the speaker's face, from lips that were slightly quirked, to brilliant eyes that were twinkling, and an unmistakable scar that was half-hidden by messy bangs.
With a sneer, Draco jumped to his feet, his chair rolling backwards. "Potter," he scowled. "What are you doing here?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. Why else would Potter be at his house?
Shrugging, Potter let his gaze wander over the walls. Draco noticed that his eyes particularly lingered over the portrait of Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's deceased mother. Finally, he returned his attention to Draco. "As soon as I got back to the Ministry today, they told me I had a job to do and sent me here." He laughed dryly. "Suppose they thought the great Harry Potter could find what no other Auror could. You wouldn't have something to drink, would you? I'm parched."
"Of course," Draco replied stiffly, still stunned. Hadn't Weasley said he was on vacation? Wouldn't Potter have told him if he was returning soon? Instead of voicing any of his thoughts, Draco turned to the house-elf who was shifting his weight from foot to foot again. "Eakley, would you mind serving the tea outside on the balcony?" After the house-elf had left, Draco turned to Potter. "It's the most hospitable place I've got at the moment." Somehow, he felt inadequate standing next to Harry Potter, who must have a very spacious and grand home -- most likely thanks to the Ministry. (Draco had read in the Daily Prophet that Potter had been awarded a very gracious sum for his contributions to the "Cause".) If Potter had been hero-worshipped before, he was practically considered a god now. Everybody else who helped out, like Draco and Severus Snape, got pushed aside and ignored -- although if they had been convicted of being Death Eaters, Draco was sure they would have received more than enough publicity.
"Oh, I don't mind," Potter said. "Truthfully, I'd rather be outside...it's a nice day. And I'm sure my assignments won't be as ... well, relaxing as this one." He paused for a moment, then sighed. "Look, after the war, I didn't get the opportunity to-"
"Save it, Potter," Draco snapped. "You suddenly show back up and think you can make everything right again? Perfect Potter, all he has to do is touch something and it turns to gold."
"Funny," Potter returned, voice soft, "I always thought everything I touched was going to turn to ash."
Taking a deep breath, Draco forced himself to relax and his fists to unclench. "I'm not going to suddenly start being buddy-buddy with you, Potter," he finally said. "But I don't despise you anymore. Not after the war and...everything I - we've all been through."
A surprised look flashed across Potter's face, quickly followed by a delighted smile. "I'm glad you feel that way. After all, we did fight together. And thanks for blocking that one hex. Don't know how I would've gotten that shot at Voldemort if my legs were wobbling crazy."
"Sure, no problem," Draco said. "And, umm...you too. For...you know."
A boyish laugh filled the room and Potter replied, "Yeah. Of course, Malfoy."
A pop resounded in the room and a squeak announced the arrival of Eakley. "Tea and biscuits have been served, Master Draco."
"Biscuits?" Potter grinned. "Brill! I'm rather hungry as well."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Listen, Potter, would you rather go ahead and get the inspection over with or-"
"I don't want to see your house, Malfoy," Potter said flatly, eyes narrowed. He paused for a second, then continued, "Well, as an auror, anyway. Now, if you wanted to give me a tour, on the other hand, I always wanted to know what the Malfoy mansion looked like on the inside."
Draco had to stop himself from rolling his eyes again. No wonder Potter and Weasley were best friends -- they were both idiots! "Sorry, Potter, but it's not much to look at right now. You'll just have to wait until the renovation's complete."
"Ah...so no sneak peaks?"
"No." Draco motioned for Potter to follow him, then left the room, heading up a flight of stairs, then into a foyer that would lead them to the balcony. Opening the door, Draco motioned for the other man to step out. "It's the best view for miles," he said, watching as Potter walked to the rail and leaned on it. "What do you like in your tea?"
"Two lumps of sugar and cream, please," Potter replied instantly; it was obvious that he had done this often lately. "You're right," he said softly. "This view is beautiful." He turned and grinned slyly at Draco. "Right here...under the stars...would be the perfect place to propose to someone."
"Never knew you were a romantic, Potter," Draco said, wondering how people dealt with him. In some ways, he was more intolerable than Weasley. Of course, Weasley makes up for his insufferableness by -- No, there is nothing good about him! Nothing.
"Guess I've just been thinking about that a lot lately..." While he spoke, Potter's eyes were distant, as if he was thinking about being somewhere else...with someone else?
"Then why don't you just ask the whoever the hell it is. Don't know why you Gryffindors have to make a bloody big deal about everything. If you want to get married, just bloody go ahead and do it instead of moping." Carefully, Draco fixed Potter's tea, adding an exact two lumps and stirring in some cream.
"You're probably right," Potter said, walking towards the elegant table. He carefully pulled the chair out and sat down gracefully, folding his hands in his lap.
Watching Potter with an unbelieving stare, Draco shook his head. "Where did you learn manners? Finally get taught proper etiquette while you were out vacationing? I suppose if I were dating you, I wouldn't take you out anywhere in public until you could eat properly, either. You should really help your friend, though. He has the table manners of a dog."
"Have you seen Ron lately?" Potter suddenly asked, eyes filling with curiosity. "How was he? After the breakup, I thought for sure he was going to shut himself up and-" Suddenly, he stopped, eyes widening.
Dropping his spoon, Draco stared at Potter. Breakup? Potter could not possibly mean that he and Weasley had been No way. "What are you talking about, Potter?" He sat down hastily, wondering if there was any way he could get the information he wanted from the other young man.
"I...promised I wouldn't say anything," Potter mumbled. "Besides, why would you care? Even if you did see him, I guess you didn't pay much attention - well, besides to think about his lack of table manners."
Draco narrowed his eyes. Should he tell Potter that Weasley was here? Most likely, he would jump to his feet and go looking for him. No, he wanted information, and that was not the best way to go about getting it. "I happened to see him recently and he looked...out of it. I thought it might have been a result of his vapid mind."
Potter's eyes widened as Draco talked, then his eyebrows furrowed in worry. "I knew something was wrong... He'd told me they had gotten back together and that everything was fine. I should have done something...I had a bad feeling at the time, but..." He cursed vehemently, slamming his palm down on the table.
Narrowing his eyes, Draco asked, "What do you mean 'you knew something was wrong'? You knew and you didn't do anything about it?" Perhaps if he aimed at Potter's sense of guilt, he would reveal more information. Draco was certainly not concerned about Weasley; it was all a part of the act.
Sliding his hands off the table, Potter stared at his lap. "I had a chance to meet his...significant other before I left England. I didn't like h- We didn't get along at all. I always felt there was something wrong in this person's-"
"Merlin, Potter!" Draco exclaimed. "I already know by now, from the way you've been sidestepping all pronouns, that Weasley was with a guy." As soon the words had left his mouth, Draco realised what he had said. Weasley had been with a guy, so that meant he had to be attracted to men. Which means absolutely nothing to me. Why should I care if Weasley prefers blokes?
"Oh..." Potter looked up, his face crestfallen. "Yeah. I...so...I left anyway, even though I didn't feel right since Ron was still with h-him. But I couldn't say anything to change his mind. We even had a row because of it one time. After that, we...didn't really talk about it. I mean, I tried to, but he just wouldn't listen."
But what could this possibly have to do with Weasley waking up on my lawn...unless... Draco took a sip of his tea, motioning for Potter to do the same. "So, did you ever get the impression that he might have been abusing Weasley?" Potter cringed; Draco felt proud that he did not, yet at the same time he felt like cringing. How could someone abuse a person like Weasley? He's so passionate and full of life...so carefree.
Potter raised the cup towards his face, then frowned into the drink. "Abuse...? No. No way...Ron wouldn't let something like that happen. I just never felt they were emotionally right for each other...they seemed to clash too much. And there was something about that guy I just didn't like." His fingers visibly tightened on the porcelain china, then he seemed to remember what he was holding and gingerly sat it back down on the table. His eyes flitted from the cup to the railing to anything but Draco. "I haven't even contacted him in...so long. And seen...not since the beginning of the summer. I should see how he's doing...what he's up to." Without further ado, Potter stood up, unbalancing the chair and nearly causing it to topple over. "Sorry, but I..." He looked devastated, one hand raking through his hair.
Bloody Gryffindors, Draco thought. "Listen, Potter, I'm sure he's alive." Draco thought quickly, wondering if there was any way he could coax anything else out of Potter. He had not meant to get him so upset that he could not live with himself until he found Weasley.
"Sorry, Malfoy. I really had meant to stay and drink some tea and have biscuits, but... Ron..." He looked towards the blonde, his eyes entreating Draco to understand his dilemma.
"Fine, whatever," Draco snapped. "I didn't want you here in the first place, remember?"
"Thanks," Potter said, rushing back inside.
Draco opened his mouth, then shut it with an audible click. A smirk crossed his face. Wonder what he'll do when he discovers Weasley isn't...where ever he usually stays. Abruptly, the smirk vanished. Weasley's here. Hoping that Potter made it out without spotting the redhead - or the other way around - Draco hurried after Potter, attempting to look somewhat dignified as he took to the steps two at a time.
He burst into the main foyer to see Potter standing by the door. Quickly, Draco looked around. No Weasley. He sighed.
"Something...wrong, Malfoy?" Potter asked.
"No," Draco replied smoothly. "Something wrong with you, Potter?"
The other man turned towards the door, frowning. "Well...every time I reach for the doorknob, it moves." He turned back towards Draco, face incredulous. As if to show Draco that he was telling the truth, Potter reached for the doorknob, only to have it zip away to another part of the door.
Rolling his eyes, Draco stepped forward and poked a hole where the doorknob was supposed to stay. Without any hesitation, the door swung open. "The magic in the house manifested in...odd places when the house was invaded. I haven't fixed it yet, and didn't think to tell you because Eakley and I are the only ones who use it...and we both know how to work the door."
A wry smile spread across Potter's face. "Sure you didn't do it just as a humorous prank on some poor Ministry official?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. A door opened, most likely admitting Eakley to ask why they had not finished their tea and biscuits. "Wouldn't put it past you, Mal-"
Draco frowned at Potter, wondering what had caused him to stop speaking, then remembered that the door had opened. Eakley never used doors; he could just apparate into a room, so why would he have used the door?
Closing his eyes, Draco sighed. Great...
At the same time, the two Gryffindors exclaimed each other's name. Fearing he would be caught in the middle of a crushing hug, Draco quickly sidestepped and turned in time to see the two men rushing towards each other, and then there was that famed Gryffindor hug. Next, Draco prepared himself for the long stream of questions they were likely to throw at each other; once again, he was proven right.
"You didn't tell me you were coming back, Harry! When'd you get back?"
"I'm sorry I haven't written you in a while, Ron...how have you been?"
"Where are you staying now? Did you finally get an flat?"
"Ron, I..."
"How are things going with you and your summer lover, huh?"
"...I...need to talk to you..."
"Bet you had all kinds of sex in all kinds of places. Did you do it in a public place?"
"Eww! Gross!" Draco exclaimed, effectively cutting off both of their chatting. "I did not need that mental image! My mind is going to be stained forever. Eew, naked Potter."
Green eyes glared at him. "I could say the same for you, Malfoy."
"Erm..." Ron glanced nervously between Draco and his best friend.
"Listen. If you two want to talk, why don't you head back to the balcony," Draco drawled. "Potter, you know the way. Weasley, don't break anything. I'll have Eakley bring up another cup for you. As for me, I've suddenly developed a headache thanks to your mindless tirade of questions. Talk all you want, then find me in my office." With that, Draco swiftly strode from the room. Was he really going to get a potion? Yes, of course he was, his head really was starting to ache. Was he going to his office? No; like any true Slytherin, he was going to use this opportunity to get information about what was happening with Weasley. If they thought he was not going to be joining them for tea, they would be more likely to talk freely. Well, as freely as they could in a Malfoy mansion. If they thought of that, anyway.
Smirking, Draco summoned Eakley, then told him what to do. Before long, he would know what was wrong with Weasley, and then he would be able to get rid of him. He would, too. He did not want the idiot around; he just wanted to satiate his curiosity before making him leave. He was a Malfoy, and therefore was not dependant on any emotion or person. Well...maybe he would keep him around long enough to have a shag, but after that he was gone. Well...perhaps two, but only if he proved up to par.
end chapter three... Stay tuned for the next installment. )