Not Only In Dreams
By Goddess JacquesPierre
Chapter Five
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated and/or non-associated things that I don't own do not belong to me. Perhaps it was redundant, but it certainly beats my English substitute, whose comment "Partners is definitely sufficient enough" led me to lose all respect I may have had for her. Anyone who uses the phrase "sufficient enough" should be shot (not necessarily lethal except in the case of the repeat offender. As far as I am concerned, the breed of people who perpetually mix up 'lose' and 'loose' belong in the same category). Moving along, they belong to their respective owners, who are not me. My writing, sarcasm, witty remarks, not-so-witty remarks, comments, ideas, and other creative property, however, do belong to me, and anyone caught filching them without permission will be sentenced to the same fate as those select few for whom loosing their lives is not sufficient enough. (So I didn't feel like coming up with something new. Bite me.)
-----
Back in Slytherin, Draco drew the curtains around his bed and cast an Imperturbable Charm on the hangings. Then, he let the tiny figure out of its glass bottle and glared at it. "Well, that went well, didn't it?"
The fairy landed lightly on the bed. "It's not my fault. There's all sorts of potential for a relationship there."
Draco snorted. "We've had a relationship for the past five years! We've been enemies!"
"Draco, why do you hate him?"
There was silence for several minutes.
"I don't hate him, do I?" Draco said out loud. "I just though I did, because I was miffed he rejected my friendship..."
"Exactly. And the only reason he rejected your friendship was that you didn't know any better than to insult one Ronald Weasley. The past five years have only been your frustration and his retaliation."
Draco sighed. "I suppose that makes me a bit of a cad."
"It's understandable."
There was another silence while Draco considered that. After a bit, he said, "Even supposing all the tension between us is only because of a misunderstanding, I don't like him."
The fairy smirked. "Don't you? You said it yourself-- there's tension between you. It hurt that much that he didn't want you. It hurt you so deeply you haven't been able to let it go."
"It only hurt because no one had ever done it before. I'm a Malfoy; we always get what we want."
"Then why didn't you let the enmity go when you let all the other Malfoy-related hatred go? Besides, he's gorgeous. Just look at him-- green eyes, soft lips, great body... you've seen him fly."
"He's still Harry Potter."
"Do you know what we do, Draco Malfoy? Do you know what the power of an Eros's Helper is? All we can do is recognise love that should be and manipulate dreams to try and make it happen. I'm sure you knew that much. You don't know how we do it. What we do is we remove all the barriers to the relationship in the dream-- psychological stuff that shouldn't have happened-- and let the two souls interact normally. You're the one who pounced Harry in the Forbidden Forest. I didn't do that. You're the one who gave him detention so you could..."
Draco held up his hand. "Enough. I've got enough to think about. I'll sleep on it."
"Can I go, then?"
"What if I want to find you again?"
"My name's Tina. If you want to find me, call me, and as long as you and Harry have not yet reached peace, I will be there." She broke the Imperturbable Charm around Draco's bed and flew off. He gazed moodily at her until she had disappeared.
Harry walked through the portrait hole in such a bad mood that people in the common room moved away from him slightly as he walked across the room. He tapped Hermione on the shoulder. "What do you know about Eros's Helpers?" he asked.
"Why?" she replied, only half listening. "You haven't got one tampering with your dreams..." She looked up. "You HAVE! Oh, that explains everything! I can't believe I hadn't thought of it earlier!"
People were beginning to look at them strangely. Harry said, "Look, Hermione, want to take a walk, and then you can tell me what you've figured out?"
"Yes, it's not exactly good material for common room discussion. Let's go."
They walked out of the common room and ended up in the empty Charms classroom.
"So... why are my dreams suddenly so easy to interpret?" asked Harry.
"You've been... sort of lucid dreaming and sort of not. This is going to sound a bit cheesy, but what has been happening is this: you and Malfoy have been put in situations you both remember where emotions have run high. Due to all the fighting you two have done, you must have loads of memories like that. The only difference is, it's only your soul in the situation. Your dream self is basically you doing what you would have done if you hadn't been conditioned to hate Malfoy. Your waking self can watch these dreams. The idea is that if two people haven't been getting along who should be, they'll see how things could be and find that it's nicer than fighting."
"So... that little glowy thing is trying to brainwash me into liking Malfoy?"
"It's not trying to brainwash you, Harry. It's trying to help you."
"How is liking Malfoy going to help me?"
"Having the 'little glowy thing', as you put it, around means that you and Malfoy have a strong natural attraction to each other. What the 'little glowy thing' is trying to do is get you to see something that is right in front of your nose and act on it!"
Harry shook his head. "I'll think about it, Hermione, but Draco Malfoy showing me Tinker Bell in a jar is not going to convince me I should start liking him. I've never been attracted to men, I don't see why I should start now."
Hermione shrugged. "Believe what you'd like, Harry. I think it makes a lot of sense. Come on, let's get back to Gryffindor before we're caught."
-----
Harry sank into bed. It had not been a particularly good day, but he didn't want to go to sleep, not if Malfoy was waiting for him behind his closed eyelids.
Even so, as he tried to stay awake, sleep crept up on him and claimed him. He dreamed.
-----
It was second year, and he and Ron were in Slytherin common room as Crabbe and Goyle. Harry noticed the Polyjuice Potion beginning to wear off, and he prodded Ron hard. "Go! It's wearing off!"
Ron sprang up and ran out of the door. "Medicine for my stomach," he grunted, and without further ado, he sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled himself at the stone wall, and dashed out.
Harry and Draco watched him go.
"Well, well, well, Harry Potter. I didn't know you had it in you. That must have been a Polyjuice Potion... very tricky, and you're always horrible in Potions. I suppose Granger must have helped you a great deal... but now you're here, and that's what you wanted, isn't it?"
Harry stared at Draco. He really was pretty... silver-blonde hair, long eyelashes that didn't show from far away because of their colour...
Draco stood up. "Went to all that trouble to get into Slytherin, and don't have the nerve to say anything, Potter? Never mind, come with me." He offered his hand to Harry, and Harry took it. They were the same height, and, Harry guessed, had very similar body structure under their robes, based on how Draco looked when he flew. It was amazing, like they were almost negative images of each other....
Draco led him into his dorm room. "I don't know what you've done with Crabbe and Goyle, but if it'll last a while, we've got the entire House to ourselves."
"Mmmm... Sleeping Draught in two chocolate cakes. We left them in a broom closet."
Draco laughed. "That'll keep them for at least a couple more hours." The laughter was musical and pleasant-- with a start, Harry realised that Draco was smiling, his face lit and radiant even in the dim light of the dungeon. It was the first time he'd ever seen Draco really smiling-- not smirking or sneering.
Harry pulled his wand out of his pocket. "Lumos," he said simply. Draco seemed to glow, the sheen of his hair threatening to blind innocent passerby.
"Admiring me, Potter?"
"Mmmm. Yeah. You're beautiful."
"You're full of surprises today, aren't you, Potter? You've just displayed some amount of good taste."
"Shut up, Malfoy."
"You mean Draco."
"Fine, then. Shut up, Draco."
"Why should I?"
"Because I want to do this." Harry kissed him.
Some time later, they came up for air.
"I'd call that a good reason," mused Draco. He started fiddling with Harry's clothes.
"Draco, what are you doing?"
"I'm trying to figure out how you tied this. Honestly, it's worse than my five-year-old step-cousin's sneaker knots."
Harry blushed. "Wizards wear sneakers?"
"This one'd trip and break bones if he didn't. I don't know where he gets the energy."
Ten minutes and several 'sneaker knots' later, Harry wasn't wearing anything except a calculating look. "Mmmm... Draco... I don't know about this."
"Embarrassed?"
Harry stretched languidly, fingering Draco's cloak. "No... it's just that I don't like the feel of wool on my bare skin."
"Ooh, Potter, I like that one! We'll make a hedonist of you yet."
"Besides, it's a bit nippy in the dungeons."
Draco pouted. "That would be an argument for putting the cloak on, not taking it off."
Harry smiled. "Not the way I plan in doing it."
In about ninety seconds (Draco's knots were neater than Harry's), Draco was naked.
"Well, Potter, that was fast."
"Mmmm. Now, you're probably cold too. So, come here." Harry turned back the covers of Draco's bed, snuggled into it, and motioned for Draco to join him.
As skin met skin under silk sheets ("My god, Draco, did you bring these from home?"
Draco smirked. "Of course I did. I couldn't bear to sleep on anything else"), the temperature rose quite nicely.
"That was not a bad idea, Potter," said Draco.
Harry smiled. "I'm glad you think so." He brushed his lips over Draco's.
Draco promptly pressed closer to Harry, tangling their extremities together. "I have a better idea."
"Have you?"
"Let me show you."
Afterwards, Harry stretched languidly. "Mmmm... that was nice."
"It was," agreed Draco sleepily.
"If you fall asleep like that, I'm not going to be able to move." There was a note of warning in Harry's voice.
"I'm not falling asleep, but I have no intention of letting you go anywhere."
"Crabbe and Goyle won't stay asleep forever."
"If they come in, let's hex them."
Harry felt like there was something wrong with that idea, but he certainly couldn't come up with what it may have been. "Okay."
After about half an hour, Draco spoke. "So... up for another go?"
"You're insatiable, you know that."
Draco was not about to be distracted. "I know I am. So, how about it?"
Harry grinned. "All right... but this time, I'm on top."
"Sounds fine to me."
-----
Harry woke up. Sun was coming through the window at an angle that told Harry it was eleven o'clock in the morning. Then, the dream he had had the night before hit him. Urgh. They had been acting all... mushy. He resolved not to sleep again.
However, one thing was clear from the dream. He would have to figure out how to tell Ron that he was gay.
-----
Draco woke in his bed in the dungeons, feeling quite good. He had just had the most amazing dream... if that was what sex with Potter would be like in reality, he definitely wanted it. It didn't matter if he actually cared for Potter, if the sex was that good, it was definitely worth winning the Gryffindor over for.
He pulled a piece of parchment out of his book bag and wrote a very specific request. He folded it into an envelope shape, slipped some gold into it, and tied it to his owl's leg. "Off you go, quick like a bunny," whispered Draco, and then he felt silly for having said it. He NEVER said cutesy things like that! The owl regarded him as if she were uncertain as to what he wanted. "Well, you heard me! Move! I want that delivered within an hour!" There. That felt more like the self he knew and loved-but who wouldn't love a Malfoy? The owl flew off with a squawk. Draco smirked.
-----
That evening at dinner, Draco carefully positioned himself so he could see Harry. Just as he had requested, a pure white owl he didn't recognise swooped low over the Gryffindor table, bearing a box about the size of a softball and dropped it on Harry's lap. Harry picked it up and examined it-- it was beautifully wrapped in shimmering silver paper with a green ribbon around it. Cautiously, he untied the ribbon and took off the paper, careful not to damage either. Draco smiled in delighted surprise as Harry tucked both away into a pocket.
As Harry lifted the lid off the box, Draco stared intently. Harry's eyes widened, and Draco could somehow hear the soft gasp across the crowded room as he looked at the contents. It was a perfect model of a Snitch in dark chocolate-- almost the best available, Draco knew, and the best within a day's flight by owl. He watched as Harry broke off the tip of one of the wings and put it in his mouth. It was if the rest of the school had ceased to exist, and he and Harry were the only ones there.
The moment the chocolate touched his tongue, Harry's eyes fluttered shut and his head tipped back slightly. A soft moan escaped his lips.
Draco observed this from across the room, ecstatic. That had gone far better than he had anticipated-- who would have guessed that the Boy Who Lived had a weakness for dark chocolate?
Harry swallowed. As he opened his eyes, they met Draco's across the room. Silver coolly met astonished green.
Harry mouthed, "You?"
Draco nodded slightly.
"Why?"
Draco just smirked.
Harry wonderingly put the lid back on the box and returned to the conversation at the Gryffindor table. It had gone all quiet around him.
"What was that, Harry?" asked Ron, prodding him in the arm insistently.
"What was what?"
"That whole thing about the chocolate you just got, you dolt! That was really weird, like you were in a trance or something!"
An expression of panic flickered across Harry's face for a split second. Ron didn't catch it, but Draco, who was still watching Harry, did. "It was nothing, Ron. Just the best thing I've ever tasted."
"Wonder who sent it to you?"
Behind Ron, Hermione sent Harry a knowing look. Rather too quickly, Harry said, "I don't know. No idea at all."
Ron accepted this. "Bet it was Snuffles! He sent you the Firebolt without a card!"
Harry and Hermione exchanged looks over Ron's head.
Hermione said, "Ron, why would Snuffles send Harry chocolate?"
Ron seemed to be bemused for a moment. "I dunno, um, is it some special day today? Like maybe your parent's wedding anniversary?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't think so, Ron, who in their right minds would want to get married in November? Besides, in the picture I have of their wedding, it was sunny."
A thought seemed to hit Ron. "Harry... you're not sleeping with him, are you?"
Harry was flabbergasted. "What?"
"Well... it's obvious he's fond of you, and..."
Hermione looked both devilish and thoughtful. "Well, Harry, now that he's not painfully thin anymore, he is quite nice-looking..."
"Hermione, he's old enough to be my father! He was my father's best friend!"
"Who knows? You could be into older men..."
"Maybe if he were twenty years younger, Hermione, but--"
Ron was watching this exchange, looking horrified. "You ARE queer!" he exclaimed, pointing at Harry. "I can't believe you'd do that to me! Ugh! It was bad enough when Bill came out..."
"Bill's gay?" asked Hermione, looking oddly disappointed.
"Yeah, that Fleur girl was so upset... not for long, though, she hit it off with my other brother, Charlie... but still... that's so weird! You're my best friend, Harry! Does this mean you're going to start hitting on me?"
Harry looked shocked. "Merlin! What made you think that? You're practically my brother, Ron, honestly!"
Ron didn't look convinced. "Well... if that's how you feel..."
He suddenly looked at the box. "Wait... was it a bloke who sent you that?"
Harry looked uncomfortable. He started fidgeting in his seat. "I told you, I don't know who it was," he said dully.
Ron looked at him, not sure whether to believe it or not. "Well... I hope it's not a girl." He surveyed the Great Hall. "Then again, I don't see anyone sobbing and running to the loos to have a cry... so..."
Harry deliberately turned his attention to dinner. "Let's not talk about it anymore, shall we?"
Draco, from his vantage point at the Slytherin table, struggled to keep from laughing. That was certainly interesting...
He pulled out a scrap of parchment and furtively scribbled something on it. In the press of the post-dinner crowd, he slipped it into Harry's back pocket.
Harry, feeling a hand on his ass, jumped and caught Draco's eye as the Slytherin smirked and disappeared into the crowd.
The note said: "Meet me tomorrow at eleven PM, outside the Potions dungeon." It smelled like cinnamon and Draco.
-----
Well? Well? Did you like it? This one is flowing a lot more easily than my other story... though I meant for Ron to be completely freaked out and horrible, I just couldn't do it to poor Harry... also, I couldn't work in a sly reference about Bill's sexuality if I let Ron be horrified. So, to keep Ron tolerably in character, he did the whole intolerant-then-got-over-it bit when Bill came out, so Harry isn't so much of a shock.
In any event, thank-yous!
zina-- Actually, I am one of the lucky ones. Very few people hate me in real life to my knowledge, mostly because I choose not to spend time with people who would be the sort to hate me. The only person I can think of is an individual called Tim, and that's just his personality (he wears a trench coat and dispenses death threats more often than vending machines dispense soda). If I am sarcastic, it is one of the reasons people love me. I am, oddly enough, the best beloved of both my teachers and classmates for asking questions carefully designed to disrupt lessons. Either that, or I just have a magnetic sexuality that draws people towards me. But that's probably just me putting on airs. Anyway, thanks very much for the lovely review; it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
chisox727-- Actually, I don't consider writing work-- I derive sexual pleasure from coming up with sarcasm and Draco's biting remarks. Kidding there-- glad you enjoyed it, and also glad that you have morals (several of my friends have lost theirs-- perhaps they could borrow yours?). I must say that Draco in the books or in fanfiction is much more appealing than Tom Felton, though it was during the first movie that it hit me-- of course Harry and Draco are sleeping together! Thanks so much for the lovely review. I'm glad that someone is following and enjoying the madness.
JWGrey-- wow, you used the 'shift' key in your penname-- these are few and far between. OK, it's not that bad, but still. That, however, is just me being a bit obsessive (names are proper nouns and as such should be capitalised!) And you said 'please'! How wonderful! I hope this satisfies your urge for 'more' and also for 'quickly', which wasn't exactly specified but was implied. Just FYI, things that make me write more are as follows: new Harry Potter books, new Harry Potter movies (guess what triggered this fic), reviews, and chocolate.
By Goddess JacquesPierre
Chapter Five
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all associated and/or non-associated things that I don't own do not belong to me. Perhaps it was redundant, but it certainly beats my English substitute, whose comment "Partners is definitely sufficient enough" led me to lose all respect I may have had for her. Anyone who uses the phrase "sufficient enough" should be shot (not necessarily lethal except in the case of the repeat offender. As far as I am concerned, the breed of people who perpetually mix up 'lose' and 'loose' belong in the same category). Moving along, they belong to their respective owners, who are not me. My writing, sarcasm, witty remarks, not-so-witty remarks, comments, ideas, and other creative property, however, do belong to me, and anyone caught filching them without permission will be sentenced to the same fate as those select few for whom loosing their lives is not sufficient enough. (So I didn't feel like coming up with something new. Bite me.)
-----
Back in Slytherin, Draco drew the curtains around his bed and cast an Imperturbable Charm on the hangings. Then, he let the tiny figure out of its glass bottle and glared at it. "Well, that went well, didn't it?"
The fairy landed lightly on the bed. "It's not my fault. There's all sorts of potential for a relationship there."
Draco snorted. "We've had a relationship for the past five years! We've been enemies!"
"Draco, why do you hate him?"
There was silence for several minutes.
"I don't hate him, do I?" Draco said out loud. "I just though I did, because I was miffed he rejected my friendship..."
"Exactly. And the only reason he rejected your friendship was that you didn't know any better than to insult one Ronald Weasley. The past five years have only been your frustration and his retaliation."
Draco sighed. "I suppose that makes me a bit of a cad."
"It's understandable."
There was another silence while Draco considered that. After a bit, he said, "Even supposing all the tension between us is only because of a misunderstanding, I don't like him."
The fairy smirked. "Don't you? You said it yourself-- there's tension between you. It hurt that much that he didn't want you. It hurt you so deeply you haven't been able to let it go."
"It only hurt because no one had ever done it before. I'm a Malfoy; we always get what we want."
"Then why didn't you let the enmity go when you let all the other Malfoy-related hatred go? Besides, he's gorgeous. Just look at him-- green eyes, soft lips, great body... you've seen him fly."
"He's still Harry Potter."
"Do you know what we do, Draco Malfoy? Do you know what the power of an Eros's Helper is? All we can do is recognise love that should be and manipulate dreams to try and make it happen. I'm sure you knew that much. You don't know how we do it. What we do is we remove all the barriers to the relationship in the dream-- psychological stuff that shouldn't have happened-- and let the two souls interact normally. You're the one who pounced Harry in the Forbidden Forest. I didn't do that. You're the one who gave him detention so you could..."
Draco held up his hand. "Enough. I've got enough to think about. I'll sleep on it."
"Can I go, then?"
"What if I want to find you again?"
"My name's Tina. If you want to find me, call me, and as long as you and Harry have not yet reached peace, I will be there." She broke the Imperturbable Charm around Draco's bed and flew off. He gazed moodily at her until she had disappeared.
Harry walked through the portrait hole in such a bad mood that people in the common room moved away from him slightly as he walked across the room. He tapped Hermione on the shoulder. "What do you know about Eros's Helpers?" he asked.
"Why?" she replied, only half listening. "You haven't got one tampering with your dreams..." She looked up. "You HAVE! Oh, that explains everything! I can't believe I hadn't thought of it earlier!"
People were beginning to look at them strangely. Harry said, "Look, Hermione, want to take a walk, and then you can tell me what you've figured out?"
"Yes, it's not exactly good material for common room discussion. Let's go."
They walked out of the common room and ended up in the empty Charms classroom.
"So... why are my dreams suddenly so easy to interpret?" asked Harry.
"You've been... sort of lucid dreaming and sort of not. This is going to sound a bit cheesy, but what has been happening is this: you and Malfoy have been put in situations you both remember where emotions have run high. Due to all the fighting you two have done, you must have loads of memories like that. The only difference is, it's only your soul in the situation. Your dream self is basically you doing what you would have done if you hadn't been conditioned to hate Malfoy. Your waking self can watch these dreams. The idea is that if two people haven't been getting along who should be, they'll see how things could be and find that it's nicer than fighting."
"So... that little glowy thing is trying to brainwash me into liking Malfoy?"
"It's not trying to brainwash you, Harry. It's trying to help you."
"How is liking Malfoy going to help me?"
"Having the 'little glowy thing', as you put it, around means that you and Malfoy have a strong natural attraction to each other. What the 'little glowy thing' is trying to do is get you to see something that is right in front of your nose and act on it!"
Harry shook his head. "I'll think about it, Hermione, but Draco Malfoy showing me Tinker Bell in a jar is not going to convince me I should start liking him. I've never been attracted to men, I don't see why I should start now."
Hermione shrugged. "Believe what you'd like, Harry. I think it makes a lot of sense. Come on, let's get back to Gryffindor before we're caught."
-----
Harry sank into bed. It had not been a particularly good day, but he didn't want to go to sleep, not if Malfoy was waiting for him behind his closed eyelids.
Even so, as he tried to stay awake, sleep crept up on him and claimed him. He dreamed.
-----
It was second year, and he and Ron were in Slytherin common room as Crabbe and Goyle. Harry noticed the Polyjuice Potion beginning to wear off, and he prodded Ron hard. "Go! It's wearing off!"
Ron sprang up and ran out of the door. "Medicine for my stomach," he grunted, and without further ado, he sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled himself at the stone wall, and dashed out.
Harry and Draco watched him go.
"Well, well, well, Harry Potter. I didn't know you had it in you. That must have been a Polyjuice Potion... very tricky, and you're always horrible in Potions. I suppose Granger must have helped you a great deal... but now you're here, and that's what you wanted, isn't it?"
Harry stared at Draco. He really was pretty... silver-blonde hair, long eyelashes that didn't show from far away because of their colour...
Draco stood up. "Went to all that trouble to get into Slytherin, and don't have the nerve to say anything, Potter? Never mind, come with me." He offered his hand to Harry, and Harry took it. They were the same height, and, Harry guessed, had very similar body structure under their robes, based on how Draco looked when he flew. It was amazing, like they were almost negative images of each other....
Draco led him into his dorm room. "I don't know what you've done with Crabbe and Goyle, but if it'll last a while, we've got the entire House to ourselves."
"Mmmm... Sleeping Draught in two chocolate cakes. We left them in a broom closet."
Draco laughed. "That'll keep them for at least a couple more hours." The laughter was musical and pleasant-- with a start, Harry realised that Draco was smiling, his face lit and radiant even in the dim light of the dungeon. It was the first time he'd ever seen Draco really smiling-- not smirking or sneering.
Harry pulled his wand out of his pocket. "Lumos," he said simply. Draco seemed to glow, the sheen of his hair threatening to blind innocent passerby.
"Admiring me, Potter?"
"Mmmm. Yeah. You're beautiful."
"You're full of surprises today, aren't you, Potter? You've just displayed some amount of good taste."
"Shut up, Malfoy."
"You mean Draco."
"Fine, then. Shut up, Draco."
"Why should I?"
"Because I want to do this." Harry kissed him.
Some time later, they came up for air.
"I'd call that a good reason," mused Draco. He started fiddling with Harry's clothes.
"Draco, what are you doing?"
"I'm trying to figure out how you tied this. Honestly, it's worse than my five-year-old step-cousin's sneaker knots."
Harry blushed. "Wizards wear sneakers?"
"This one'd trip and break bones if he didn't. I don't know where he gets the energy."
Ten minutes and several 'sneaker knots' later, Harry wasn't wearing anything except a calculating look. "Mmmm... Draco... I don't know about this."
"Embarrassed?"
Harry stretched languidly, fingering Draco's cloak. "No... it's just that I don't like the feel of wool on my bare skin."
"Ooh, Potter, I like that one! We'll make a hedonist of you yet."
"Besides, it's a bit nippy in the dungeons."
Draco pouted. "That would be an argument for putting the cloak on, not taking it off."
Harry smiled. "Not the way I plan in doing it."
In about ninety seconds (Draco's knots were neater than Harry's), Draco was naked.
"Well, Potter, that was fast."
"Mmmm. Now, you're probably cold too. So, come here." Harry turned back the covers of Draco's bed, snuggled into it, and motioned for Draco to join him.
As skin met skin under silk sheets ("My god, Draco, did you bring these from home?"
Draco smirked. "Of course I did. I couldn't bear to sleep on anything else"), the temperature rose quite nicely.
"That was not a bad idea, Potter," said Draco.
Harry smiled. "I'm glad you think so." He brushed his lips over Draco's.
Draco promptly pressed closer to Harry, tangling their extremities together. "I have a better idea."
"Have you?"
"Let me show you."
Afterwards, Harry stretched languidly. "Mmmm... that was nice."
"It was," agreed Draco sleepily.
"If you fall asleep like that, I'm not going to be able to move." There was a note of warning in Harry's voice.
"I'm not falling asleep, but I have no intention of letting you go anywhere."
"Crabbe and Goyle won't stay asleep forever."
"If they come in, let's hex them."
Harry felt like there was something wrong with that idea, but he certainly couldn't come up with what it may have been. "Okay."
After about half an hour, Draco spoke. "So... up for another go?"
"You're insatiable, you know that."
Draco was not about to be distracted. "I know I am. So, how about it?"
Harry grinned. "All right... but this time, I'm on top."
"Sounds fine to me."
-----
Harry woke up. Sun was coming through the window at an angle that told Harry it was eleven o'clock in the morning. Then, the dream he had had the night before hit him. Urgh. They had been acting all... mushy. He resolved not to sleep again.
However, one thing was clear from the dream. He would have to figure out how to tell Ron that he was gay.
-----
Draco woke in his bed in the dungeons, feeling quite good. He had just had the most amazing dream... if that was what sex with Potter would be like in reality, he definitely wanted it. It didn't matter if he actually cared for Potter, if the sex was that good, it was definitely worth winning the Gryffindor over for.
He pulled a piece of parchment out of his book bag and wrote a very specific request. He folded it into an envelope shape, slipped some gold into it, and tied it to his owl's leg. "Off you go, quick like a bunny," whispered Draco, and then he felt silly for having said it. He NEVER said cutesy things like that! The owl regarded him as if she were uncertain as to what he wanted. "Well, you heard me! Move! I want that delivered within an hour!" There. That felt more like the self he knew and loved-but who wouldn't love a Malfoy? The owl flew off with a squawk. Draco smirked.
-----
That evening at dinner, Draco carefully positioned himself so he could see Harry. Just as he had requested, a pure white owl he didn't recognise swooped low over the Gryffindor table, bearing a box about the size of a softball and dropped it on Harry's lap. Harry picked it up and examined it-- it was beautifully wrapped in shimmering silver paper with a green ribbon around it. Cautiously, he untied the ribbon and took off the paper, careful not to damage either. Draco smiled in delighted surprise as Harry tucked both away into a pocket.
As Harry lifted the lid off the box, Draco stared intently. Harry's eyes widened, and Draco could somehow hear the soft gasp across the crowded room as he looked at the contents. It was a perfect model of a Snitch in dark chocolate-- almost the best available, Draco knew, and the best within a day's flight by owl. He watched as Harry broke off the tip of one of the wings and put it in his mouth. It was if the rest of the school had ceased to exist, and he and Harry were the only ones there.
The moment the chocolate touched his tongue, Harry's eyes fluttered shut and his head tipped back slightly. A soft moan escaped his lips.
Draco observed this from across the room, ecstatic. That had gone far better than he had anticipated-- who would have guessed that the Boy Who Lived had a weakness for dark chocolate?
Harry swallowed. As he opened his eyes, they met Draco's across the room. Silver coolly met astonished green.
Harry mouthed, "You?"
Draco nodded slightly.
"Why?"
Draco just smirked.
Harry wonderingly put the lid back on the box and returned to the conversation at the Gryffindor table. It had gone all quiet around him.
"What was that, Harry?" asked Ron, prodding him in the arm insistently.
"What was what?"
"That whole thing about the chocolate you just got, you dolt! That was really weird, like you were in a trance or something!"
An expression of panic flickered across Harry's face for a split second. Ron didn't catch it, but Draco, who was still watching Harry, did. "It was nothing, Ron. Just the best thing I've ever tasted."
"Wonder who sent it to you?"
Behind Ron, Hermione sent Harry a knowing look. Rather too quickly, Harry said, "I don't know. No idea at all."
Ron accepted this. "Bet it was Snuffles! He sent you the Firebolt without a card!"
Harry and Hermione exchanged looks over Ron's head.
Hermione said, "Ron, why would Snuffles send Harry chocolate?"
Ron seemed to be bemused for a moment. "I dunno, um, is it some special day today? Like maybe your parent's wedding anniversary?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't think so, Ron, who in their right minds would want to get married in November? Besides, in the picture I have of their wedding, it was sunny."
A thought seemed to hit Ron. "Harry... you're not sleeping with him, are you?"
Harry was flabbergasted. "What?"
"Well... it's obvious he's fond of you, and..."
Hermione looked both devilish and thoughtful. "Well, Harry, now that he's not painfully thin anymore, he is quite nice-looking..."
"Hermione, he's old enough to be my father! He was my father's best friend!"
"Who knows? You could be into older men..."
"Maybe if he were twenty years younger, Hermione, but--"
Ron was watching this exchange, looking horrified. "You ARE queer!" he exclaimed, pointing at Harry. "I can't believe you'd do that to me! Ugh! It was bad enough when Bill came out..."
"Bill's gay?" asked Hermione, looking oddly disappointed.
"Yeah, that Fleur girl was so upset... not for long, though, she hit it off with my other brother, Charlie... but still... that's so weird! You're my best friend, Harry! Does this mean you're going to start hitting on me?"
Harry looked shocked. "Merlin! What made you think that? You're practically my brother, Ron, honestly!"
Ron didn't look convinced. "Well... if that's how you feel..."
He suddenly looked at the box. "Wait... was it a bloke who sent you that?"
Harry looked uncomfortable. He started fidgeting in his seat. "I told you, I don't know who it was," he said dully.
Ron looked at him, not sure whether to believe it or not. "Well... I hope it's not a girl." He surveyed the Great Hall. "Then again, I don't see anyone sobbing and running to the loos to have a cry... so..."
Harry deliberately turned his attention to dinner. "Let's not talk about it anymore, shall we?"
Draco, from his vantage point at the Slytherin table, struggled to keep from laughing. That was certainly interesting...
He pulled out a scrap of parchment and furtively scribbled something on it. In the press of the post-dinner crowd, he slipped it into Harry's back pocket.
Harry, feeling a hand on his ass, jumped and caught Draco's eye as the Slytherin smirked and disappeared into the crowd.
The note said: "Meet me tomorrow at eleven PM, outside the Potions dungeon." It smelled like cinnamon and Draco.
-----
Well? Well? Did you like it? This one is flowing a lot more easily than my other story... though I meant for Ron to be completely freaked out and horrible, I just couldn't do it to poor Harry... also, I couldn't work in a sly reference about Bill's sexuality if I let Ron be horrified. So, to keep Ron tolerably in character, he did the whole intolerant-then-got-over-it bit when Bill came out, so Harry isn't so much of a shock.
In any event, thank-yous!
zina-- Actually, I am one of the lucky ones. Very few people hate me in real life to my knowledge, mostly because I choose not to spend time with people who would be the sort to hate me. The only person I can think of is an individual called Tim, and that's just his personality (he wears a trench coat and dispenses death threats more often than vending machines dispense soda). If I am sarcastic, it is one of the reasons people love me. I am, oddly enough, the best beloved of both my teachers and classmates for asking questions carefully designed to disrupt lessons. Either that, or I just have a magnetic sexuality that draws people towards me. But that's probably just me putting on airs. Anyway, thanks very much for the lovely review; it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
chisox727-- Actually, I don't consider writing work-- I derive sexual pleasure from coming up with sarcasm and Draco's biting remarks. Kidding there-- glad you enjoyed it, and also glad that you have morals (several of my friends have lost theirs-- perhaps they could borrow yours?). I must say that Draco in the books or in fanfiction is much more appealing than Tom Felton, though it was during the first movie that it hit me-- of course Harry and Draco are sleeping together! Thanks so much for the lovely review. I'm glad that someone is following and enjoying the madness.
JWGrey-- wow, you used the 'shift' key in your penname-- these are few and far between. OK, it's not that bad, but still. That, however, is just me being a bit obsessive (names are proper nouns and as such should be capitalised!) And you said 'please'! How wonderful! I hope this satisfies your urge for 'more' and also for 'quickly', which wasn't exactly specified but was implied. Just FYI, things that make me write more are as follows: new Harry Potter books, new Harry Potter movies (guess what triggered this fic), reviews, and chocolate.