Chapter 6: Punishment, Revelations & The Dream
Disclaimer: All of the extraordinary characters belong to J.K. Rowling, as well as all of the extraordinary places. The not-so-extraordinary plot is owned by me. I'm not J.K. Rowling and I'm making no money from this little piece of fiction.
Author's Note: Hello again all! Just want to say a special thank you to everyone who has stuck around and continued reading. Especially those who have added me to their Author Alert List, that's just really cool and I'm glad that you seem to care when I manage to get a new one of these things posted! The Superman scene is based on my crazy friend David P. and his crazy mind. He's quite the comedy genius. Harry's dream is partly taken from the scene in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", what he and Lupin say up until Lupin turns into Dumbledore is from the book, so as to add realism. Anyways, read away, and I hope you all continue to enjoy!
Warning: SLASH
---------------------------
After having been found "fighting" in the Potions classroom, Snape had dragged Harry and Draco to the Headmaster's office, where they were told to stay put while Snape retrieved Dumbledore from the Great Hall.
"…and under no circumstances are either of you to move from those chairs! Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes sir." They both responded.
"Good." Professor Snape fixed them with a suspicious glower before exiting the office in a final swish of his robes.
Harry and Draco sat silently for what seemed like hours, neither willing to be the one to speak first. Writing off the closet incident had been difficult, but not impossible. They were both tired, caught off guard, and that closet had been very hot. A second occurrence however, was harder to dismiss. As far as Harry was concerned, that was that. He should just have someone take him away to St. Mungo's right now, and quickly, before he hurt anyone. Because gods, if he was now kissing Malfoy of his own free will, who knew what he might do next? Harry did not want to live in a world where kissing your arch-enemy was accepted as a fairly regular occurrence.
The tension in the room was quickly reaching unbearable. Malfoy coughed suddenly and Harry jumped in his chair, startled out of his thoughts. Malfoy looked over and smirked, causing Harry to roll his eyes and give Malfoy the finger. Malfoy merely raised his eyebrows in mock horror.
"I hate you." Harry said dully.
"Back at ya" Malfoy replied just as unenthusiastically.
Harry considered this for a moment. Seeing as they both hated each other, you wouldn't think they'd have managed to find themselves in a situation like this. Harry was having a hard time sorting out his thoughts on the matter, as they came rushing at him from all directions. Secrets, consequences, and little details he'd rather not think about. "You taste like raspberries." He said finally, completely out of the blue. He immediately regretted it the moment it came out of his mouth.
Malfoy started. "What the hell's wrong with you?" he said, a bit shaken by Harry's forward comment.
"Merlin, I wish I knew." Harry mumbled, mostly to himself.
The silence returned, but this time Draco was the one to break it.
"You taste like yams." Malfoy said after some thought.
Harry looked over, more than a little taken aback. He hadn't expected Malfoy to respond like that.
"Yams?" he asked. Draco nodded.
"Fantastic. Nice to know I remind you of an oddly shaped orange vegetable."
Malfoy grunted. "I like yams." He commented offhandedly.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Harry said sarcastically. The direction this conversation was headed was starting to dawn on him and he desperately didn't want to go there. Unfortunately, Malfoy seemed intent on his path.
"So…" Malfoy said conversationally. "That fight didn't really go the way most of our fights go."
"Yeah," Harry said. "Not really."
Malfoy huffed in annoyance. "Look Potter, I still think you're a tosser and all, but what the hell was that back there?"
But before Harry could answer, Dumbledore entered the room, followed by Snape.
"…which is where I found Potter attacking Mr. Malfoy. If you don't trust my word…"
"I believe that you saw what you say you did Severus, but I think that there may be more to it than that." Dumbledore sat down at his desk and regarded the two boys carefully. "Now Harry, is it true that you attacked Malfoy?"
Harry hesitated. "Well, yes sir, but-"
"Ha! See, I told you Albus, didn't I?"
"But I was provoked!" Harry exclaimed, then glancing at Malfoy uneasily. The other boy was being unusually quiet.
"What was said Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry faltered as he remembered. He couldn't very well tell Dumbledore that Malfoy had said he moaned like a whore. "Err, I don't remember exactly, but-"
"What kind of a defense is that Mr. Potter?" Snape sneered. "I-don't-remember wouldn't hold up in a court, and it won't hold up here. You-"
"Severus, please. Let's try to be fair."
Snape turned to Dumbledore. "Albus, the boy is clearly guilty. Surely you wouldn't think of letting a student get away with this kind of behaviour?"
Dumbledore smiled wearily. "No, I would not. However, it takes two to tango."
Harry was the only one who understood – Snape and Malfoy both appeared bewildered.
Dumbledore smiled again, though more cheerily this time. "Muggle expression. Two to tango. Very true." His eyes twinkled. "Therefore, both houses will lose 20 points, and both boys will be working together cataloguing books in the library."
Malfoy sputtered. "For how long?!"
Dumbledore looked at him reproachfully. "Until the job is finished Mr. Malfoy. I trust you would be more than pleased to help Madam Pince in this way?"
Draco grunted, obviously put out.
"That's all boys, you may leave now."
Harry and Draco got up sullenly, and made their way out of the office, with a seething Snape only a few steps ahead of them. They walked in silence until Malfoy reached the entrance to the dungeons, where the Slytherin Common Room was located.
"Midnight, Astronomy Tower." He hissed at Harry, before following Snape into the dungeons. "Be there."
---------------------------
That night, after dinner had been eaten and homework had been completed, the Golden Trio sat together by the fire. It was getting pretty late and all of the other Gryffindors had already retired to their rooms. However, Harry and Hermione had found themselves in the middle of a never-ending explanation regarding Superman. Although the concept was simple enough, Ron continued to insist that none of it made any sense whatsoever.
"I still don't get it!" Ron complained, entirely frustrated with the conversation they were having.
"It's just a made up story Ron, Superman doesn't actually exist." Hermione explained patiently.
"No, I get that part. It's the people who are saying 'It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!' that I don't get."
"What's there to get?" Harry asked. He was getting pretty fed up with this.
"Well, I can understand getting excited about Superman, but who are the two idiots who got excited about the bird and the plane?"
Hermione tried to contain her grin. "What?! I'm not being stupid, it's a good point!" He practically shouted.
"It is a good point Ron." She said seriously, yet somewhat patronizingly.
"I mean what, is there some person out there going 'Oh, it's Superman? Darn, I thought it was a bird!'"
"You're right, it doesn't make any sense. They should change it." Hermione managed to say with a straight face, while Harry choked into his hot chocolate in an attempt not to laugh outright, which would only infuriate Ron further.
"Well they should." Ron grumbled.
"It's getting late, we should probably go up to our rooms." Hermione said, looking up at the clock and rising to her feet.
Ron pulled himself up off the couch, still muttering to himself about Muggles and their crazy nonsense, and stumbled up to bed.
"Coming Harry?" Hermione asked.
"I'm just going to sit by the fire a bit more." Harry replied.
"Alright, well try to get to bed soon." Hermione advised him.
Harry smiled weakly. "Okay 'Mione, I will."
Once they had left the room Harry pulled his Invisibility Cloak out of his pocket and threw it on, exiting the Common Room in a hurry. He hadn't expected Ron and Hermione to stay up so late, and as a result it was already 13 minutes past midnight. He just hoped that Malfoy would wait. Only so that they could sort this whole mess out, not so that they could get into any funny business. No funny business. Whatsoever.
---------------------------
At that exact same moment Draco was pacing the length of the Astronomy Tower, beginning to feel anxious, not that he would ever admit the fact to anyone. What if Potter didn't show? What if he stood him up? What if at this very second Harry was sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room laughing with his friends about how Draco Malfoy just couldn't wait to get in Harry's pants? Malfoy shook his head. That wasn't what this was about anyways. Before they'd been interrupted in Dumbledore's office, Draco had asked an important question. One that he hadn't gotten an answer to. In the past 24 hours his entire world had been twirled around, thrown against a wall, and then beaten repeatedly with a large stick. No wonder he had a headache. He wanted to know what the hell was going on, and Potter was the only one with answers at this point.
Finally Malfoy decided that if Potter wasn't going to show, he wasn't going to just wait up here all night. Gathering up what was left of his dignity, Malfoy stalked towards the stairwell door, determined to simply go back to the Slytherin quarters and throw things at his wall until he cooled down. Or possibly a good round of 'Bop It' with Crabbe and Goyle would knock him back to his senses.
"Nyaagh!" He exclaimed as the door he was just about to open was instead flung into his face as Harry ran into the room.
"Oh bollocks! Are you alright?" Harry asked, kneeling down next to Malfoy, who had crumpled up against the wall.
"Yoob kild by dose!" Malfoy managed to get out, clutching his nose and rising weakly.
"Sorry." Harry apologized sheepishly. "I didn't think you'd be standing right there."
"Ab I bleeding?" Malfoy asked, still very much concerned about his nose.
"No, you're fine. Don't be such a pansy." Harry said.
Malfoy sniffed. "Didn't see you getting flattened against the wall."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Look Malfoy, I haven't got all night. What's up?"
Malfoy shook his head in disbelief. "What's up? What do you mean what's up? Where have you been the past 24 hours Potter?"
Harry rubbed his temples. "Look Malfoy, we really need to forget about all that. Find a few good memory charms and it'll all be peachy again."
Malfoy had had just about enough of this. "Look Potter, I don't know about you, but I'm not an absolutely oblivious prat-"
"Hey!" Harry interjected.
"- which means," Malfoy continued, "That I can tell this isn't going to go away with a few good memory charms. If you can't deal-"
"There's nothing to deal with!" Harry yelled in exasperation. "Nothing happened!"
Malfoy was positively outraged. "Nothing happened? Oh, nothing happened?!"
"That's right, nothing happened!"
"You…I…and…" Malfoy stammered. "I taste like raspberries!" He retorted, not entirely sure he was at all in control of the situation anymore, if he even wanted to be, or if he had any clue what he was saying.
Harry just stood there shaking.
"And you taste like yams!" Malfoy continued accusingly.
"Okay okay okay!" Harry yelled. "Stop yelling!"
"You're yelling!" Malfoy screamed back.
They both stood there in a very unstable silent truce for a beat before anyone spoke again.
"We have obviously both gone insane." Harry said unsteadily.
"Don't I know it." Malfoy muttered.
Harry heaved a sigh. "Look Malfoy, what's your grand plan? What do you want to do? Because as far as I'm concerned, it can't get much worse than this. If Hermione and Ron-"
"Oh believe me, I've thought about what would happen if anyone found out. My father would…" Malfoy trailed off. "Well, there wouldn't be a party."
Harry looked up from his hands, which he had been wringing nervously. "If you've got so much to lose then why aren't you dropping this?"
Malfoy was quiet. "Don't know." He said at last, taking a few slow steps towards the other boy.
Harry took a step back. "'Don't know' isn't good enough Malfoy." He said, unknowingly echoing Snape's words from earlier that day.
Malfoy continued to advance and Harry continued to retreat, until the Gryffindor's back hit hard, solid stone and he was left with no other form of escape.
"Well it's all I have right now." Malfoy said quietly, his breath ghosting over Harry's lips, causing him to shiver.
"This isn't happening" Harry said shakily.
"You're right, it isn't" Draco replied sardonically.
Having previously been avoiding Malfoy's eyes, Harry finally met them. At first glance they appeared grey, but under closer inspection they were more of a silver, with tiny flecks of blue. As he looked into the other boys smoky orbs Harry found something. It was then that he understood.
"I'm not a hero." Harry said seriously.
Malfoy's brow furrowed, not understanding.
"I can't save you" Harry said gently.
"I don't want you to" Draco whispered. It was at that moment, staring into Draco's eyes, that Harry stopped fighting. He wasn't sure who moved first, but the next thing he knew, his tongue was being massaged by Malfoy's, gently at first and then more insistently as they both grew more confident. Draco pressed himself into Harry, aligning their bodies perfectly in an attempt to get as close to the other boy as physically possible, despite their bulky robes. Robes which Harry soon decided were unnecessary. He broke their kiss to rid Malfoy of the offending garment, letting it pool at their feet as he moved to the shirt, roughly unbuttoning it in his haste. He kissed his way from Malfoy's mouth to his jaw line, to his Adam's apple, and finally to his chest, where he nipped at one of the sensitive buds and then the other, earning a yelp from the Slytherin and an uncontained groan.
Taking advantage of his upper hand, Harry chose that moment to rotate positions, pushing Malfoy up against the wall he had previously been pressed into. Malfoy glared at him, clearly annoyed at having been tricked into the more submissive of roles. However, Draco quickly rectified the situation by skipping a few steps and going right to groping Harry through the fabric of his trousers. Unlike the other night however, this advance wasn't met by disgust followed by death threats. Quite the contrary, as Harry jerked against Malfoy's hand, unable to control his moaning, as Draco continued to do those ungodly things. Vaguely wishing he was up against the wall again, which would have offered some much needed support at this point, Harry claimed Malfoy's mouth once more. As he deepened the kiss he smiled to himself. Draco did taste like raspberries.
The next part is NC-17, which is not allowed here, so if you would like to read it you can find this chapter with the NC-17 part included at thegeocities site that's on my author profile page.I really do not want to be removed from , but I'm sorry to those who are inconvenienced. If you'd rather not read NC-17, then simply continue reading, the plot is not affected by the removal of the rest of this scene. I would advise reading it though, it's pretty good if I do say so myself, and you get a better sense of the characters. To those who do read it, please remember to come back and review!
---------------------------
A little later that night Malfoy entered his room, only to find Romeus, his father's owl, waiting for him on his bed. In his beak was a letter, which Draco snatched impatiently. Romeus gave him a reproachful look when it became apparent that no treat was forthcoming, and flew from the room in revolt. Tearing the seal, Malfoy's eyes darted back and forth quickly, taking in the information. With disgust, he threw it onto the floor, where it quickly burst into flames, leaving no trace of its previous existence. Draco flopped onto his bed, suddenly feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders once more.
It seemed he would be forced to choose sides more quickly then he'd have liked.
---------------------------
That night, Harry dreamed.
The room was in chaos. Death Eaters and Order members dueled in a frenzied blur of wands, curses, shrieks, and pain. Yet, to Harry's ears, all of that noise was blocked out, he was privy only to the ominous glowing light that surrounded Sirius as he was hit by a red jet of light, square in the chest. He fell back in slow motion, his arms outreaching, trying to grasp for something, anything. But his hands closed around air, and in silence he disappeared behind the tattered black veil.
"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. "SIRIUS!"
Bellatrix Lestrange was shrieking in triumph, but Harry ignored her as he rushed for the archway, determined this time that he would not be stopped, that he this time he would reach his godfather before it was too late.
But Lupin stopped him, grabbing Harry and holding him back. "There's nothing you can do, Harry-"
"Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!" Harry pleaded in desperation, lunging for the dais on which the ancient doorway stood, the veil still fluttering and swaying in the non-existent breeze.
"It's too late, Harry." Lupin said, his voice breaking in grief.
Then it wasn't Lupin who was holding him anymore, it was Dumbledore. Harry knew in the back of his mind this wasn't what had happened, it had been Lupin, not Dumbledore, who had prevented him from getting to Sirius. But he continued to struggle.
"Let me go, I can save him!" Harry yelled once more, writhing in the Headmaster's grasp.
Then suddenly there was nothing holding him back. As he rushed up the raised stone dais he heard Dumbledore yell after him, "I tried to protect you."
The phrase echoed ominously around the chamber, but Harry was already there, and he heard others call his name, shouting warnings and begging him to let Sirius go. But he went on, and as he hesitated for a moment before the veil he heard the faint whisperings again coming from behind the black curtain, beckoning him to enter.
And so he did.
Harry woke up in a cold sweat, his heart beating frantically. He sat up in bed, his breath ragged and coming out in pants. He wiped his brow and was trying to calm himself down as it suddenly dawned on him what he had just done, and what he had just seen.
He knew how to get Sirius back.
---------------------------
Whew! Now come on guys, you've got to have an opinion now! This is probably the biggest chapter so far (length-wise and event-wise). So review and let me know what you think. Especially those who read the NC-17 part! I need at least 10 more reviews before I post the next chapter, so get reviewing! Yes, I'm horrible. But you love me anyways. Right? … Guys? …