Hello! Thank you for all the fantastic reviews...they're a great incentive and they make me bounce around the place like a lunatic (though I don't think there's any doubt about that.) In this chapter I've tried to give more information and details on their past...hope you like.
Oh, yeah, and warnings for sexual references and offensive language. Though I think you already knew that...and if you were offended you'd have complained by now...ah well. What the heck. That reminds me, I have to put up warnings and disclaimers at the beginning. I'll do that, I promise.
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Draco turned over once again, pummeling his pillow. He had been tossing and turning for what felt like forever now, and he still couldn't get to sleep. He remembered the last time he had insomnia...but that was more a fear of the terrible nightmares he used to get. Screaming, slaughtered faces shrieking blood curdling screams into dark, stormy nights...and he had hated the fact that he was considered an adult, and still felt like running to Mummy after a scary dream. Mummy, however, could be considered part of the problem.
He sighed, pulled his blankets away, and slipped out of the sanctuary of his warm bed into the nippy air. He really needed to fix that damned Muggle , was it? Strange name, Draco thought. Or at least buy a book on housekeeping charms and spells. He wondered if the neighbours or mailman would think it strange if he got a house elf.
He wandered into the lounge, and was about to turn on the "television" (Muggles were so strange) when he heard a muffled 'Hello' from the couch.
'Is that you, Potter?'
A haystack of dark hair sprung up.
'Who else would it be?' said Harry.
'Well, for a moment there I thought you were Dumbledore.'
'Don't you get sarcastic with me, Mr Malfoy. It was a dumb question.' Draco noticed the slightest slur to his words.
'Have you been drinking, Potter?' Draco asked. 'Bad first night, huh?'
'Nah. Don't have any.' Harry said.
'Do you want to?'
Harry turned his head around and grinned. 'Sure.'
Draco wandered to the cupboard. He cast a spell, and another little cupboard appeared out of nowhere, and in the cupboard was...nothing.
'Did you take my firewhiskey, Potter?'
'Oh, I just moved it. It's over there.' said Harry, gesturing to the bench.
'Oh.' said Draco, relieved, making his way to the couch. He plonked himself down next to Harry, who absolutely reeked of the stuff.
'You had some, Potter?'
'I couldn't sleep.' Harry muttered.
'You do this every time you can't sleep?'
'No. Otherwise I'd be drinking constantly.'
'You never sleep?'
'Not really.'
'Me neither.' Draco said, and poured himself a glass.
'Don't need glasses. Just swig from the bottle.' Harry said.
'What, and get some disgusting disease?'
'I know all the spells to cure them, Malfoy.'
'I'm sure you do.' Draco scoffed.
'No, really. It was part of my training. Meningitis gone in the blink of a...wand.'
'Uh huh.'
Harry sighed. 'Fuck, this is weird. Who'd a thought, aye? That day back on the train, that we'd be here?'
Draco scowled. 'When you turned me down.'
'You insulted Ron.'
'He deserved it.'
'What did he ever do to you?'
'He hated me.'
'With good reason, I'd say.'
'No. He hated me because I was a Malfoy. He hated me because I was bound to be a Slytherin. He hated me before he knew me. Before he'd talked to me. He was biased, and prejudiced, and completely narrow minded.' Draco sniffed. 'And he laughed at my name.'
Harry sighed. 'I think it was just easier to have the world black and white, then. It was easier to think Slytherins: bad. Gryffindors: good. There weren't manipulative, life endangering Headmasters, or saviour Potions Masters. There were the good guys, and the bad guys.' Then Harry chuckled. 'And I mean, come on...dragon?'
'Excuse me!' Draco huffed. 'But who's the one here whose name means to wander around aimlessly annoying people?'
Harry blinked. Draco sighed.
'Yours, Potter.' he clarified.
'What?'
Draco sighed again. 'Harry. Meaning to annoy. You harry someone; you bug them. Potter. Potter around, doing odds and ends. Wandering around aimlessly. Harry Potter. Honestly, what were your parents thinking?'
Harry sighed. 'I wish I could ask them.'
Draco groaned. 'Oh, God, don't go all melodramatic on me now.'
'Excuse me?'
'I don't want to take part in a "Potter pities himself" session.' Draco smirked. Harry put his head in his hands, remembering the last time Draco had said that.
'Oh, why oh why did I save you?' he muttered into his cup.
'What?' Draco exclaimed.
'Don't worry.' Harry muttered.
'Oh no, I heard you, Potter. It's just, you seem to have got everything wrong.'
'What?'
'I saved you, Potter.'
'That's not how I remember it!'
'Well, how do you remember it, then?'
o Flashback o
Harry slipped out from the castle into the cool, dark night. He stalked quickly to the secluded spot by the lake, where he usually came when he couldn't sleep. He knew no one else would ever be there. First of all because it was night, second of all because it was rather too near the lake for most people's liking, and thirdly because it was rather too near the forest for most people's liking. In fact, it was rather a bit too near the forest for Harry, too, but sometimes when he just needed to be alone, it was the best place to be. Even if some strange noises terrified him sometimes. He sighed, and brought a hand up to his face, wiping away his tears.
'Need a hanky, Potter?' drawled a low voice from the shadows. Harry whirled around.
'Malfoy?' he said, incredulously.
'Nice observation, Potter. If that's all you want, I'd be glad to see you fuck the hell off.'
'I'm not going anywhere.' said Harry, crossing his arms over his chest. 'This is my spot, Malfoy. I don't even know what you're doing here, but if you don't mind, I'd rather see you fuck the hell off.'
'Aren't we the intimidating one? I'm shaking in my boots, Potter.'
'Just leave, Malfoy. I want to be alone.' Harry sighed.
'Why, so you can cry your poor little heart out over your little mudblood?' Malfoy smirked. 'I'm not leaving.'
'Well, if you're expecting me to go-'
'Actually I was hoping we could have a picnic.' Malfoy said, sarcastically.
'I'm not leaving. You don't have any power over me, Malfoy.' Harry said, adamant.
Malfoy smirked. 'I weren't aware we were having a little "power" battle. In any case, if we were, I would win.'
'You wish.' shot Harry. Malfoy sighed.
'I'm not here to start a petulant argument, Potter.' he said in a theatrically pained voice.
'Why are you here at all?'
'Why are you here at all?' Malfoy drawled. 'I thought you wanted to be alone. So go and piss off and have your wank somewhere else.'
Harry cheeks reddened. 'I wasn't coming out here to wank.' he said.
'Keep telling yourself that, Potter.' Malfoy sneered. 'What else would you be doing?'
'I came out here to think, Malfoy.'
'How sickeningly sentimental.' Malfoy spat.
'Well what were you coming out here to do? Wank?' Harry retorted.
'Actually, yeah.' said Malfoy, his wandering hand coming to rest at his zip. Harry's face reddened again. Malfoy laughed. 'Oh, I forgot. Special, innocent, untainted Potter. Sorry if I corrupt you, oh Saviour.' he smirked. 'Though I bet Weasley's already done that for you.' he added.
'I have never done anything...like that...with Ron.' said Harry, furious.
'Not for lack of trying though, I'll bet.' said Malfoy, coolly. Harry suddenly realised he could get the upper hand in this conversation.
'Yeah, that's all you think about, isn't it Malfoy? Getting it on with boys...I've heard all about you and your exploits. What were you going to do, throw your head back and cry out Ron's name?' Harry asked, smirking.
'You read me like a book, Potter.' said Malfoy, his mouth twitching at the disgusted look on Harry's face. 'So, if you don't mind...' he motioned with his fingers for Harry to turn around and leave.
'I'm not leaving.' Harry repeated. 'Like I haven't heard wanking before. We go to a boarding school, Malfoy.'
'Hoping for a free show, were we?'
'No.' said Harry, trying to keep his voice even. 'I'm not letting you intrude on my private space.'
'I'm the one intruding? Who's the one walking in on someone about to indulge in themselves in a secluded spot and demanding to stay?'
'This is my spot, Malfoy!'
'I don't see a name anywhere.'
'Now who's being immature? Petulant?'
'I'm not. I'm being logical.'
'Damned if I can understand your logic.'
'Well, be sure to say hi to the Devil for me.' Malfoy drawled. Harry sighed, and threw himself down on the ground. 'If you're planning a little heart to heart where we tragically begin to understand one another, fuck the hell off.' said Malfoy.
Harry snorted. 'You wish.'
'Well, then, excuse the noises.' and Malfoy began to undo his zip. Harry stared at him, aghast.
'You're not...actually...going to...'
Malfoy smirked, happy to have shocked Harry. 'No. You think I would let you have that pleasure? Why, people would pay more than you've seen in your life to merely hear me, but for you to get a free show...free? You're out of your mind.'
Harry let out a sigh of relief. 'Good.' he said, then smirked. 'It wouldn't have mattered. I wouldn't have been able to see anything anyway.'
Malfoy's eyes narrowed. 'Whoever you've been talking to, they're lying.' he said lowly.
Harry laughed. 'Touch a nerve, did I? Hit on a weak spot?'
'As if, Potter. Anyway, I don't think being a virgin at your age qualifies you to make that statement.'
Harry reddened. Malfoy smirked.
'Touch a nerve, did I? Hit on a weak spot?' he mocked.
'At least I'm not the town bike.' he hissed. Malfoy laughed.
'Better than being the town library. Possibly quite useful...but old, dusty and forgotten.' Malfoy sneered. Harry was too busy thinking of a reply to see the possible compliment in there. He then smiled, taking a lead wherever he could find one.
'Well, maybe it's time this library taught you something, huh?' he asked, and, flinging his robe open, began to undo the buttons on his trousers.
Malfoy's expression remained the same, smug, but his face paled a little.
'You wouldn't dare.' he said, his voice not nearly as strong as before.
'Oh, I think I would.' said Harry.
'You think I can learn something from you? Yeah right, Potter. Although I suppose maybe I might. All these years the rest of the world has been exploring interactions with other people, but Potter has been left alone, so he's probably getting quite skilled at bringing himself off.'
'I'd always wondered what you were like when you got uncomfortable. Obviously, you start to ramble, almost incomprehensibly.' Harry said, undoing the buttons on his trousers. Malfoy looked away.
'I don't want to see that, Potter.' he said.
'Then go away.' said Harry, simply.
'Is this what your life is like constantly? Repeating yourself and situations?' asked Malfoy.
'Nope.' replied Harry. 'Though I'm sure it is for you. All those Death Eater meetings...'
Malfoy's eyes glinted. Then he looked at Harry.
'Yeah, that's right.' he said, obviously trying to look dangerous. 'Death Eater meetings. I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. I know a lot more that you'd think.'
Harry laughed in his face. 'You don't scare me, Malfoy. Nor do they, actually. They're all just a bunch of cowards, who are too scared to do anything other than listen to the big bully.'
Malfoy stood up. 'Don't you dare call my father a coward again, Potter!' he sprayed, pulling his wand out of his robes and pointing it at Harry's face. Harry stood up slowly, and smirked.
'People only get offended at insults if they're true, that's the point of them.' he said, slowly getting out his own wand.
'What?' hissed Malfoy.
'Insults are designed to insult, Malfoy. To hurt. That's what they do. You say something to someone because you know it's the truth, and you know they know, and they will be hurt by it.' Harry replied, in a calm voice he knew would drive Malfoy insane. 'And just now,' he continued, 'you were immediately furious for me calling your father a coward, but if he wasn't, you would have laughed it off.'
'You mean like when you get angry for me calling Hermione a mudblood, Ron a poor sucker, and Hagrid a stupid oaf? You're annoyed because it's true, then?' Malfoy replied swiftly.
'I get angry because you're trying to insult people who have never given you a reason to try and hurt them.'
'Your friends are idiotic, biased pigs, Potter. The insult the wizardring world by merely existing.' Malfoy countered. Harry opened his mouth to retaliate, but the full impact of Malfoy's words hit him. It's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean, he heard his father's voice say. He was unsure what his sudden realisation meant.
'What's the matter, Potter? Suddenly realised those you've been hanging around with are scum?'
'No, you just sounded so much like my Dad.' Harry thought absently, then cursed himself as he realised he had said it aloud.
Malfoy frowned, clearly surprised by the statement, but then he sneered. 'Starting to sound like Potter's father? I'd rather be dead.' he said.
'Well, he is.' said Harry softly, and sat down again.
'Oh, save me.' said Malfoy. 'Am I about to witness a little Potter self pity session?'
'No.' said Harry, shortly. Malfoy opened his mouth to reply, but then snapped his mouth shut as a strange sound shrieked through the air, his face alert and watchful.
'What was that?' he asked, his voice a little shaky.
'It's times like these I feel proud to be a Gryffindor.' said Harry. 'I don't wet my pants every time I hear something scary.'
'Yes, but whilst you idiotic morons go charging in unafraid, getting yourself killed, we Slytherins save ourselves. Cunning, is what we are.'
'Scaredy pants, is what you are.'
'I'm not scared, Potter.' Malfoy hissed. 'I'm merely alert. Conscious of my surroundings. And why so quick to blame someone else for feelings of fear? Trying to find a scapegoat?'
'No,' said Harry, but didn't manage to finish his sentence as the strange shrieking ripped through the air again.
'You must have heard that.' said Malfoy, sharply.
'Of course I did. I'm not deaf.'
'You are dumb, though.'
'Shut the fuck up, Malfoy.'
There was a pause, as both boys listened to the strange sounds. Then:
'You should know what that is, Potter.'
'What? Why?'
'Well, none of us listen in Care of Magical Creatures, because we can't understand the great oaf, but you listen, you understand giant speak. We must have covered whatever...whatever that is. Especially since it seems to be in the forest.' said Malfoy.
'I believe you just tried to hide an acknowledgement of my superior intellect in a few insults there, Malfoy.'
'Superior intellect? You've got to be kidding me. I meant that since you had such a low intellect that you could converse with giants by grunting and pointing, rather like trolls, that you might perhaps be able to tell me what that-' (another shriek startled them) 'horrible bloody noise is!'
Harry paused and listened again. 'Oh, no.' he whispered.
'Oh no what?' asked Malfoy.
'Oh, no.' Harry repeated.
'What? What's wrong?' asked Malfoy again, starting to sound a little hysterical.
'I think...I think...'
'Clearly you don't! What the fuck is wrong, Potter?!'
Harry gulped.
'I think we should run.' he said weakly. Malfoy stared at him.
'Run...?' he asked. Harry nodded, but as he went to turn around he froze. 'What?' asked Malfoy.
'Be...be...behind you...' Harry whispered, rooted to the spot, staring at something behind him with fearful eyes. Malfoy froze as he heard the same shrieking sound emit very loudly from something that was clearly right behind him.
He turned around slowly, and screamed. Like a girl.
o End of Flashback o
'I did not!' Draco said, indignant.
'Yeah you did,' Harry laughed, 'Was the most high pitched squeal I've ever heard, and that's saying something, I was friends with Ron.'
'Well, even if I did squeal, which I most certainly did not, I proceeded to turn around, stun it, slow it down-'
'Woah, woah...what? You did not! I stunned the bloody thing.'
'Oh yeah? And when did you do that?'
'When you were fuckin' shrieking in my ear!'
'Malfoy's do not shriek, Potter.'
'Well, squealing, then. And then I blinded it-'
'Using what?'
'A powerful Lumos spell.'
Draco scoffed. 'Sure, sure.'
'Those beasts have very sensitive eyes.' Harry pointed out.
'Eyes? Didn't it only have one?'
'It has eyes on the ends of its fingers, too.'
Draco laughed. 'And you did a Lumos and blinded it?'
'Yes, I did.' said Harry, adamant. 'And then...'
Draco smirked. 'And then it came charging blindly towards you-'
'Yes, blindly.' Harry interrupted.
'And before it got to you I cast the Cruciatus curse on it-'
'Which you didn't need to do!'
'Yeah, if I wanted you to die!'
'Didn't you?' Harry asked quietly.
'Not all over my shirt, no.' Draco smirked.
'Ha ha.' Harry said. 'It wouldn't have got me.'
'Yes it would, Potter.'
'But you remember what happened after that?'
'It lay there twitching and I escorted you, shaking and mumbling, to the infirmary.'
Harry snorted. 'Bullshit. You walked up to it, and started making fun of it, as it lay there and twitched, and it coiled one of its long tentacles around your leg-'
'Funny looking thing, wasn't it?'
'And, I believe, you still have the scar to prove it.' Harry said, pointing down to Draco's pale leg, which indeed sported a large scar around the lower calf. Draco huffed. 'And then,' Harry continued, 'it started dragging you, wailing, kicking and bleeding, to it's enormous mouth, which it still managed to open and begin to insert you into, even though it was supposedly "out" from your brilliant curse.'
'Hey, it was a pretty good curse, Potter. You couldn't have done it.'
Harry snorted. 'Sure I could.'
'You mean like on Bellatrix Lestrange?'
'Who told you about that?' Harry asked, blushing slightly.
Draco smirked. 'Word gets around the Death Eaters.'
'But I thought you weren't one.'
Draco shoved his arm in Harry's face. 'I got the Mark.'
Harry gasped. 'When?'
'When I was working as a spy, I told you. I wouldn't have made a very convincing spy if I had just said, Nah, I'd rather not have it, thanks.'
'I suppose not.' Harry agreed.
'So, getting back to your blatant lies.'
'I'm not lying, Malfoy.'
'Yeah, you always were too stupid.'
'Shut up.' said Harry, chucking a pillow at Draco's head. Draco laughed.
'So?' he prompted.
'So, anyway, as I was saying, it was dragging you towards its mouth-'
'This sounds like some cheesy muggle film.' Draco interrupted, chuckling.
'I didn't know you went to muggle films.'
'Sure I do. Tons of people get stood up to movies, you know.'
'What, so you lurk around, waiting to take advantage of sad and lonely little boys?'
'Men, Potter. Boys simply do not interest me anymore.'
Harry didn't want to ask what the "anymore" stood for in that sentence.
'So anyway, I cut its tentacle using a severing charm, reduced it, stunned it, and tied it up.'
'You can't use reducio on something that big!'
'Sure you can. It's just really difficult.'
'But of course, you can manage it.'
'Of course.' Harry laughed. 'And then, I picked you up-'
'In your arms? Oh God, I feel tainted.'
'You were awake, if you remember.'
'No, I don't.'
Harry shrugged. 'Ah well. You were.' he said, looking down at his hands.
'And?' Draco prompted.
'And I took you back to the hospital wing.' Harry said simply.
'You carried me all the way back to the hospital wing. In your arms.'
'There's not much to you, you know.'
'Oh God, Potter knows the contours of my body!'
Harry winced. 'I wouldn't go that far.'
'Why didn't you just levitate me back?'
Harry shifted slightly. 'I wasn't very good at that charm then. I was kinda worried it was going to fade and then I'd have to face your maniac of a father charging me with murder of his son because you cracked your head on the stairs.'
Draco snorted. 'Yeah, right. You just wanted to feel me up.'
'You were the one who begged me to.' Harry snapped.
Draco choked, and leapt up. 'What?!'
Harry eyed Draco wearily, but then his lip started quivering and he burst out laughing. 'The look on your face is priceless!' he howled. 'I was joking, Malfoy!' and he continued on guffawing into his hand.
'Oh.' Draco said, and, feeling extremely foolish, he sat down.
'Fell right into that one.' Harry said, still giggling.
'First one in forever.' Draco snapped back.
Harry sighed. 'So anyway, I took you to the infirmary, and, well...that's the last time I saw you since the bar. I went looking for you the next day, but you were gone.'
'Yeah, well...that's when I got the letter my parents had died.' Draco said quietly. Died? his mind said to himself, No, died is when you get cancer, or you die in your sleep. Your parents were murdered. Slaughtered. By each other. By themselves.
'Both of them?'
'Yeah.' Draco muttered. 'So one thing in common, we have.'
Harry nodded, then swallowed. 'Uh, how did it happen?'
Draco sighed. 'Well, Dad...I mean, Lucius-'
'You can call him Dad if you want.' Harry said.
'I don't want to.' Draco said, harshly. 'The Dad I had...the father I knew...he wasn't anything like the Lucius Malfoy the world knows. So I'll call him Lucius.'
Harry nodded. 'Go on.'
'He...well, let's face it, Potter, he wasn't always the nicest man.'
Harry tried not to snort.
'And not very nice men get a strange sort of...thrill out of plotting things, and killing things, and hurting things. And since you were safe and sound in your little bed at Hogwarts, unable to be touched by anyone,' Draco said, waggling his eyebrows to voice the double meaning of his words, 'He...found something to help compensate.' Draco sighed. 'He started stealing muggle children, and bringing them back to Death Eater councils to...play with.' Draco said, grimacing. 'They'd usually be unrecognisable by the time they were finished.' Draco swallowed. 'They never went home.'
Harry nodded, gritting his teeth.
'Well, Mother didn't approve. She said it was...inhumane. They had many fights about it, amongst other things, and one time...well, it got out of hand. Lucius started beating my mother worse than he normally did,' Draco said quickly, but Harry still noticed the "normally did", 'And mother threw a curse at him to protect herself, and he was caught off guard, and he, well...he died.'
Must have been a lot worse than a Jelly-legs curse, Harry thought.
'Of course, if the ministry had got involved, she wouldn't have got into trouble. Well, not for that, anyway. It was...you know, self-defence.' Draco sighed again. 'But Mother couldn't stand the fact that she had killed him. Bastard or not, she loved him. So she...well, she hanged herself.'
Harry gasped. It wasn't unusual in the war for people to be driven to suicide, but he couldn't imagine someone like Draco's mother ever considering it.
'And the Dark Lord didn't even care.' Draco spat. 'Just continued on. The Death Eaters hardly cared, either. And that's when I realised maybe he wasn't such a great guy after all.' Draco said. 'And then I realised the reason my father was such an arsehole, what had tore them apart, the reason my parents were dead, the reason the world is that way it is, prejudiced and ridiculous is...well, Voldemort.' Draco said. 'So, after reading the letter that my mother had written to me moments before her death, I decided to change sides. I believe I got the Mark that day.'
Harry almost laughed at the contradiction in his statement.
'I left school. I couldn't be bothered going back. Fooling the Dark Lord was going to take a lot of strength and courage. Severus helped me a lot.'
Harry snorted, and then gulped. Draco shot a look at Harry.
'What? Think it's funny?'
Harry shook his head. 'Not at all. It just sounds strange hearing you calling him Severus.'
'I hear you did too, after a while.'
'What?'
'Oh yes, he told me all about your "remedial potions".' Draco smirked.
'They were! I needed it to get my Potions NEWT.'
'Were you a top or bottom?'
Harry blushed, angrily. 'That's disgusting, Malfoy.'
'Oh, he's not bad. He's a nice guy, and all.'
Harry raised an eyebrow.
'See! There! Perfect imitation of Severus. Oh, I have to get a photo.' Draco laughed.
Harry scowled.
'Another one! Mind you, you learned from a pro.'
Harry glared at Draco.
'Did you study Potions or him, Potter?'
'Very funny, Malfoy.'
There was a small silence.
'So, what happened after that?' Harry asked.
'After what?'
'After you joined Voldemort.'
'Pretended to.'
'Yeah, after you pretended to. What happened?'
'Well, there was a war.'
'Very funny.' Harry frowned. 'How did you manage to keep out of that?'
'Severus.' Draco said. 'He insisted he needed my help on a complex Potion that would group the Dark Lord's power together and concentrate it so he could once and for all wipe out the deadly Harry Potter. It didn't matter if we brought it late, just as long as we brought it.' Draco chuckled. 'There is no such Potion, of course.'
'I didn't think Voldemort was that stupid.'
'Oh, he's not. We got old textbooks written, and studies done and aged, and ingredients made up. He trusts Severus with Potions; Severus knows everything. And we got extremely good at lying.'
'So, once again you weasel your way out of everything.'
'Would you liked me to have been there, fighting against you?' Draco retorted.
'No.'
'Exactly.' Draco sighed, and then smiled. 'The day we...well, the day you won was one of the greatest days of my life. That's when I got this tattoo.' Draco said, gesturing to his back.
'Why?' Harry inquired.
'I spent a long time lying, Potter. A long time. Probably all my life, there's been someone I had to lie to, something I had to fake. This tattoo says exactly how I'm feeling, all the time.' Harry noticed Draco leant back into the couch, covering his tattoo from view. 'It helps me to remind myself that I'm a free man. And I know I can never get into that again. The tattoo never lies.'
Harry nodded.
'And so what have you been doing?'
'Not much, really.' Draco said, truthfully. 'I guess you could say I'm living a normal, Muggle life. My father's probably turning over in his grave.'
'So you don't use magic at all?' Harry asked, shocked.
Draco smiled. 'Well, maybe a little bit.' he said, taking a swig from the bottle. Harry smiled and nodded. He suddenly gave a shiver.
'God, it's a bit cold in here, isn't it?'
Draco smirked. 'Maybe if you put a top on, you'd be warmer.'
'Hey, you can't talk.' Harry said, gesturing to Draco's equally bare chest.
'I'm not the one complaining.' said Draco. Harry sighed, picked up his wand from the floor, and gave a flick. The wood in the fireplace burned in soft, amber flames.
'Wait a minute...I didn't know we had a fireplace.' Draco said.
'You didn't.' said Harry. 'But you do now.'
'Oh.' said Draco. 'Cool.'
There was a comfortable silence, as both young men stared into the fire.
'So, what about your side of the story?' Draco asked.
'There's not much to say.' Harry said.
'Oh, sure there is. You were the saviour of the wizardring world, after all.' Draco said, a slightly mocking edge to his voice.
'No. I stayed on after you left, to finish my NEWTs, and the rest of the year. I had training from Snape, and Dumbledore, and McGonagall, and Moody...everyone was recruited to cram my head full of as much as possible. Bit ironic, really.' Harry said. 'After the war, I had nowhere to go. Remus...I mean, Professor Lupin had been reinstated at the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and he said I could stay with him at Hogwarts, so I did.'
'I'm sure love bites from a werewolf are much more interesting, hmm?' Draco asked.
'There wasn't anything like that between us!' Harry said. 'That's...disgusting! He's my father's friend!'
'Whatever you say, Potter.'
Harry glared at Draco, but continued. 'I just kind of hung around for a while. I helped Snape with his Potions,' said Harry, ignoring Draco's raising eyebrows, 'I helped coach the Quidditch team, bustled around after Madam Pompfrey for a while...but after a few years, it felt like I didn't really belong anymore, extending my welcome, sort of thing. So I left. Everyone was shocked that I didn't want to become an Auror, but honestly, getting rid of one Dark Lord is enough for me.' Harry smiled. 'When I told Ron and Hermione that I was heading to Muggle London they were stunned.'
'Bet they'd be even more stunned now.'
'Hmmm?'
'Can't you imagine the conversation with Weasel? Hello, Weasel, I'm living with Malfoy...you wouldn't need to say anymore, he'd have died of fright.' Draco smirked. 'Hey, why don't you tell him now?'
Harry's face fell. 'I suppose I will have to tell Ron.'
'Don't you dare bring him or his family anywhere near here.'
'What do you have against them?'
'You know, Potter.'
'There's something else, though. I can tell.'
'Oh, all right! You've got me! They have terrible fashion sense. And red hair! I mean, honestly, in this day and age?'
Harry glared at Draco. Draco sighed.
'He killed Vinny and Greg. He didn't need to.'
'What?'
'Those oafs had no idea. They'd follow anyone who gave them instructions. They weren't to blame for their actions. They were mainly following me, anyway. When I found out that as soon as that Weasel creature killed them instantly, before the damn battle...it's like hearing he killed a child.'
'Who are we talking about here?'
'Crabbe and Goyle, Potter.'
'Oh.' said Harry. 'I think Ron just got a bit nervous-'
'I can't forgive him, Potter. They were my friends.'
'It was a war, Malfoy!'
'He didn't need to.'
'That's ridiculous.'
'No, it's not.' insisted Draco. 'There were so many children of Death Eaters who had no choice in their lives. Many young children who, if they ever so much as thought about joining Dumbledore, would be killed by their own parents instantly, regardless that they were their own flesh and blood. Many of us were forced into it, Potter.'
'Yes, I know how the world works, Malfoy. But you've got to remember, if Ron hadn't killed them, they would have killed him.'
Draco frowned, and opened his mouth, but Harry stopped him. 'In a war, it's a matter of either I kill you or you kill me. There's no time for pity and sharing life stories.'
Draco sighed. 'I suppose so. I just don't think they deserved it.'
'Did Professor McGonagall? Did Dean Thomas? Did Terry Boot?'
'Hell, yes. Nasty little snot, he was.'
Harry glared. 'You're missing the point.'
Draco waved a hand. 'Not at all. I'm just sick of discussing this.'
'Fine,' Harry said, 'What do you want to talk about?'
Draco shrugged. 'Whether we're going to regret this heart to heart in the morning.' He groaned. 'Oh, God, I so am.'
Harry chuckled. 'No regrets...they don't work...no regrets now...'
'Oh God, so help you if you dare sing Robbie Williams around me again.'
'He's not that bad.'
'Oh, now I remember why I hate you! Because you're stupid!'
'Some of his songs are nice.'
'And brave? And loyal? And sickeningly sentimental?'
Harry sighed, and didn't reply.
'Finally given up?'
'If you can't beat em, and you can't join em, then you fuck the hell off.' Harry said, standing up.
'Oh, Potter, don't go. I was just beginning to work at your weak spots.'
'Goodnight, Malfoy.'
'I can't drink this all by myself, Potter.'
'That's a lie, and you know it.'
Draco smirked. 'Well, yes. What I meant was, we both know that I can drink all this, and I will drink all this, so save me, Potter, save me. I don't want to have a killer hangover all tomorrow and be pissed off when they arrive.'
'They? Who are they?'
'Oh, didn't I tell you? Some friends of mine are coming over.'
'You always were a hypocrite.'
Draco grinned. Then he frowned. 'If you happen to be around...do you have anything decent to wear?'
'What does it matter to you? To your friends? Why should they care what I wear?'
'It's a reflection upon me, Potter. Do you have any decent clothes?
'Of course I do. All my clothes are decent.'
Draco raised an eyebrow.
'What?' asked Harry.
'Either we go shopping tomorrow-'
'I don't think so.' scoffed Harry.
'Or you borrow some of my clothes.'
Harry snorted. 'Goodnight, Malfoy.' he said, turning and walking down the hall.
Draco smiled at Harry's retreating back. 'Goodnight, Potter.'
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Did you like? Please review! I'm very much looking forward to writing the next chapter...;)...so if you want more, tell me so! Also if there are any things I need to work on? I'm not sure this chapter flowed well....hmmm...
