AN: Please Note; WARNING, this short fic contains implied SLASH and Strong Language. Rated M/R.
This is Segment Six in my ongoing Prequel of Beauty in Perfection; Stand by Me. It is just a group of short drabbles that bring together the characters featured in that fic. Enjoy. Blessings. LL
Summary: Draco . . . The Threaded Connections of our lives often take us to surprising places to encounter new experiences and people.
Special Note to DemonRogue: Thank you for your review of the last segment, Draco v Piers; Outlander's Threshold. I woke up this morning with this drabble bouncing around in my head and it would not go away until expressed. I promise I will update my major fic, Beauty soon. I hope I don't lose readers as I bounce about. Blessings. LL
Perspectives; Draco v Piers
by imLittleLily
Hogsmeade; Here We Come . . .
Draco stood in front of the mirror in his dorm contemplating his newest winter cloak. He sighed. He was becoming so accustomed to wearing Muggle clothing that to don the heavy and very bulky robes of his station in life seemed to create a smothering blanket.
Today was a Hogsmeade weekend. A very special Hogsmeade weekend because he would be meeting up with Dudley in the Outlander's Threshold for their first time together into the small wizarding village of Hogsmeade. He had given Dudley a map of the village the last time they had met in the forest at the Threshold. He thought back to that day . . .
"Here's a map of the village; I want you to be able to get around as if you have been doing it for years."
D. studied the map and looked up as he asked, "Are you sure about this, Draco?
"Yep . . . as sure as I will ever be."
"Okay then. Just so long as you're there."
"The other guys will be there, too, D. You'll be fine."
Draco sighed once more and left to meet Blaise before going into the forest. The others would meet them at the Three Broomsticks this afternoon.
Dudley looked at his reflection in the mirror that Draco had conjured. He scowled. "Do I really have to do the black hair thing? What's wrong with my own color?"
Blaise snickered.
Draco shook his head and replied, "Dark brown and green simply won't do. Your hair has to be black."
Dudley glared. This black hair thing has simply gotta go if it comes to this. He continued to glare as his gaze went back to his reflection. "You guys have me looking like some biker dude." He actually liked the black leather trench coat, but all the chains were another story. His gaze went to Draco in the mirror to see him smirking at him. "What?"
Draco feigned innocence and shook his head.
Blaise snickered once more.
"Well," Dudley said shrugging, "as long as I don't have to have a tattoo that says, 'I -- heart -- Loony--Somebody or other,' then I guess it's all right."
Draco's blond brow rose sharply.
Blaise laughed out loud and tried to stand from his chair. He failed miserably because he seemed to find something very funny that Dudley had no comprehension.
Draco smirked at Blaise's mirth and returned his attention to the biker-dude and said, "No tatts, yet."
"Humph!" Dudley turned back to the mirror and studied his reflection once more. He definitely didn't look like Dudley Dursley. He was still bulky, yet there was a different air about the tall dark reflection before him. He really did seem to take on the stance of a rough riding biker. His earring was a sterling snake wrapped around a dragon. It came in accompaniment with a heavy sterling snake that gave the impression that it was alive and slithering around his neck. His chains gave the appearance of someone who would not hesitate to use them as a weapon if need be. Then there was the black messy hair with green highlights. He glared at his hair once more and then noticed the look on Draco's face. He snorted. Slytherin innocence, HA -- now there was an oxymoron if ever there was one.
Draco finally pulled his gaze from his biker dude friend. "We should go. It'll take at least ten minutes to walk there from here."
As they exited the cabin D. asked, "What if I see Harry?"
Draco smiled as he replied, "You most likely will see Harry. Just act like you don't know him."
"But what about . . . "
Blaise broke in as his laughter was finally calming down and said, "He needs a name Draco."
Draco stopped before he stepped down from the porch of the cabin and looked around them as if he were searching for something.
"Great, I finally get a nickname from you guys."
Draco smirked and replied, "What, Didums doesn't work for you?"
Dudley scowled, ever since Draco had over heard his mum call him that, he'd been trying to live that nickname down. This was the second time that Draco had used it and he was not pleased.
"No? Well, what about Thresh -- short for Threshold? Thresh/Thrash can mean to beat soundly with or as if with a stick or whip." He paused to smirk at Dudley's chains. "It fits."
Blaise grinned and said, "So be it." The two Slytherins nodded to each other in agreement.
Dudley looked from one to the other and realized that it was already set, his input was not needed. He sighed and thought, Well, at least it is better then Didums. He didn't reply to their looks of inquiry, instead, he stepped down from the porch and led the way to Hogsmeade.
Harry sat in the back corner booth of the Three Broomsticks and glanced around the bar. He liked this booth because he had an unobstructed view of the whole bar and most particularly the door. He felt Ginny, who was sitting next to him, nudge him in inquiry. He turned and gave her a reassuring smile as he noticed her red cheeks. They had just spent the earlier part of the day doing some early Christmas shopping and had planned to meet up with the others here when they were done.
Hermione asked, "Are you okay, Harry?"
"Yeah. I actually found Ron's gift. Now, I won't have to worry about it anymore. How about you, did you find everything?"
She shook her head and wrapped fingers around her mug of hot chocolate. "I'll most likely have to owl post it. I did find some interesting needlework in a shop up the street my mum will probably like. I like to give my parents things from the wizarding world to help them feel a part of everything. You know I always give them floss from Honeydukes and they like that."
Harry nodded as he grinned at her.
"Harry," Ginny asked, "what about that appliance thingy you said you wanted to get for dad. Did you decide which it will be yet?"
Harry nodded and said with a grin, "Yeah, I got him a portable CD player, some batteries and even some CDs. I thought about getting him two players, you know, one to take apart, but I decided not to. He'll just have to decide on his own which way he wants to play with it." He smirked as he thought of the dilemma that would create for one of his favorite wizards. Double the enjoyment.
As Harry paused in their conversation to take a sip of his warm butterbeer, the door opened to admit bright afternoon sunshine . . .
The brightness was reflected off of the very silver and light of Draco Malfoy's nimbus.
Harry inhaled sharply, resulting in a quick intake of warm butterbeer. The effect was an unpleasant influx of butterbeer that went down the wrong way. Harry began to choke. His eyes teared as he tried to gain some semblance of control. Through the haze he saw two other blokes enter behind Malfoy. One was Blaise Zabini, the other was a stranger. Harry felt a sharp electrical sensation go down his spine as his gaze rested on the stranger. It wasn't necessarily sexual -- more like -- recognition? He frowned as his eyes met the chocolate gaze of the stranger across the bar.
"Who . . . ?"
The three wizards made their way to a table across the bar.
Harry stared at them from across the bar.
"Harry?"
No response.
Ginny was frowning at the trio across the bar and trying to get Harry's attention. "Harry," she hissed at him as she nudged him firmly in the ribs, "who is that?"
Harry's attention finally seemed to come floating back to Ginny and Hermione as he replied, "I don't know."
"Looks like just another snake to me," Ginny said.
"He isn't from Hogwarts, Ginny," Hermione said as she dragged her eyes away from the stranger.
Harry's gaze went back to the dark haired stranger who was laughing at something that Blaise had said. He frowned as the sound carried across the bar.
"Who's the snake?"
Harry looked up to see Ron standing next to their booth. Apparently, he came in while Harry was distracted. Harry shook his head and said, "We don't know."
Ron sat and grumbled something about there being too many snakes in the world. The waitress came and took his order in the midst of the growing curiosity of the stranger who had come in with Malfoy, The Slytherin Prince.
Dudley entered the Three Broomsticks for the first time to see a pleasant atmosphere for people to gather in. The first person he actually saw within its walls was Harry. "It figures," he whispered softly to Draco.
Draco nodded vaguely and headed to a table well away from Harry Potter.
As they sat down, Blaise whispered, "Do you suppose it's the black and green hair he seems to like or is it the snake?" His voice was tinged with amusement at the-boy-who-lived's interest in the stranger.
Draco shrugged and grinned at the waitress as he told her, "We'll have three warm butterbeers."
She nodded and left to get their order.
Thresh allowed his gaze to travel around the bar once more as another group of students entered through the door.
Blaise laughed out loud when he spotted one of the girls.
Draco grinned and shook his head at him and said, "Not yet, Zabini."
Thresh asked, "Not yet, what?"
Draco smirked and replied as he projected his Slytherin innocence, "Simply put, not yet, everything must happen one step at a time and it isn't time yet." Draco shrugged as his glance traveled casually across the bar.
Thresh glared and hissed, "Cryptic much?"
Blaise just continued laughing as he lifted his mug of butterbeer in a mock toast to Draco. He nodded as he winked. He wouldn't go there again. He changed the subject by asking, "So, Thresh, what did you think of Zonko's Joke Shop?"
"It was kewl, of course." Thresh replied as he took another drink of his butterbeer. He frowned when someone started up the juke box -- Twisted Sisters began to blare through the bar as some of the students made their way to the dance floor for some energetic enjoyment. He watched them wistfully for a few minutes before his gaze traveled to Harry across the bar. His brow rose as he realized that Harry was staring at him. He turned to Draco.
Draco was frowning -- hard.
Thresh swallowed when he saw the look of anger on Draco's face. "Draco," he whispered, "what's wrong?"
Blaise looked between them and stood to go dance. He would let them work the new problem out between themselves.
Draco remained silent within the shroud of his anger. The atmosphere and temperature around their table dropped several degrees.
"Draco . . . "
Slowly, Draco's focus came back to his friend. He continued glaring as he hissed, "Well . . . isn't this interesting?"
Thresh flinched in response to Draco's projected anger. He said, "Draco, I don't think . . "
"Well now," a voice interrupted them, "who do we have here?"
Draco passed his glare up to Pansy as she stood next to their table raking her gaze over Thresh. "This," Draco said in anger, "is my friend Thresh. Bugger off, Pansy, we don't want you around right now."
Pansy smirked at Draco. She wasn't intimidated by his grouchy mood. She smiled at Thresh and asked him, "Do you always have such an abrasive effect on Draco?"
Thresh shook his head and started to speak only to find himself interrupted.
"Would you like to dance?"
Very slowly, as if he was suspended in a time warp, Thresh raised his eyes to meet the emerald gaze of the-boy-who-lived -- his cousin -- he swallowed.
Draco kicked him under the table.
Thresh glared at his friend and returned his attention to Harry. "Um . . . I don't usually," he hesitated and looked back at Draco quickly before continuing, "um . . . dance, well, you know."
Draco glared at both of them and hissed out in very cool anger, "Bugger off, Potter. You aren't wanted over here. My friend isn't interested in the Golden Boy."
Harry glared at Draco and said stubbornly, "He has a right to dance with whom ever he pleases, Malfoy." Harry turned to Thresh and purred in a calmer voice, "It isn't like we are getting married or something, it's just a dance." He arched his black brow at him and stood back as he waited for Thresh to rise and join him.
Draco's glare became fiercer -- if that was possible -- as he delved into Thresh's dark eyes.
Thresh swallowed once more under such fierce scrutiny and then looked up at Harry. He said, "Well, I guess it's only one dance." He stood slowly as he avoided Draco's glare and walked past his cousin thinking, Blimey the world is so fucked up. Draco is going to kill me if I ever survive dancing with my cousin. UGH! At least it isn't a slow dance. He jumped as a hand reached for him.
Harry leaned in close and purred in his ear, "What's your name?"
Thresh gave a weak smile and answered, "Thresh." He hesitated as he inhaled and then asked, "What's yours?" He couldn't seem to wrap his brain around that question as he thought, Blimey this is insane . . . but maybe it'll work . . .
Harry flashed him his sexiest smile and answered, "Har--ry."
Thresh tripped as he finally reached the dance floor. The inflection in Harry's voice was way too disturbing.
Draco projected his icy glare across the bar at his friend and his most favorite nemesis. He growled low in his throat as Blaise took his seat and murmured, "Aren't they a cute couple? Two matching peas in a pod." He smirked at Draco's anger and shook his head.
The other dancers on the floor seemed to step back and watch as they began dancing. Their likeness seemed to bring curious glances from other patrons in the bar who had not noticed Thresh before.
Blaise smirked once more as he studied the couple on the dance floor.
The musical resonance of the heated beat from the current song seemed to be amplified within the bar.
Draco growled -- this time more audibly as Harry's hand came up and caressed Thresh's snake necklace and whispered something.
Thresh jumped as the snake moved. His eyes flew to Harry's expressing his surprise.
Harry smiled and whispered sensually, "It's okay, he's your protector. His name is Fire-Eater. Way kewl." Harry's face was now closer to Thresh's and as he whispered his gaze fell toThresh's lips.
Thresh jumped back as a voice cut through their intimacy . . .
"I would like to cut in. Now."
"Draco . . . it isn't . . ." Thresh looked into Draco's broiling sterling cauldrons and thought, Shit, he is madder then I thought he'd be.
Harry stepped between them and hissed at Malfoy, "I'm not finished yet, Malfoy. Go find Parkinson or Zabini."
Thresh shook his head and said, "Har . . . "
"Now, Thresh."
"Ah, I better go. Nice to meet cha, Harry. Bye." He was startled when Draco grabbed his hand and pulled him to the exit. The fleeting thought chased through his mind, Damn - I'm dead . . .
"What the fuck was that all about! ?"
They had trekked through the forest to Outlander's Threshold in silence. Silence that was very palpable with anger singeing its edges with icy fervor.
Now Draco was glaring at his friend with icy daggers seemingly being flung from his eyes as his words still hung within the confines of the small cabin. He glared at Thresh waiting for an answer.
Thresh glanced at Blaise to see what his reaction to this burst of ice was, only to find that Blaise was studying his friend closely. "Draco . . ." he said as he turned back to him, "it wasn't really anything. You should know that. Hell, he's my cousin and you know damn well that I don't swing that way." He studied Draco's angry countenance once more.
Draco huffed and sat in one of the chairs as he turned his face to stare into the frozen flames of the fireplace.
Blaise's black brow rose sharply. "Draco," he asked, "what exactly is going on?"
Dudley bit his lip. He pulled the leather trench coat off as he tried to shed his Thresh persona. "Draco," he whispered softly to his angry friend, "come on man, its okay." He didn't like the fact that Draco's anger seemed to dissipate and fizzle into dejection. He reached out and touched Draco's shoulder, shuddering at the coldness, he whispered, "I'm sorry."
Draco's chin came up as he attempted to project defiance and pride.
His friends knew better.
Blaise stepped in front of Draco and asked his question again, "Draco, what exactly is going on?" When his question was still answered with silence, Blaise turned to Dudley.
Dudley. looked at the floor and bit his lip once more.
"D.?"
Dudley swallowed and looked at Draco. He sighed and whispered, "Should I tell him?"
Draco shook his head vehemently and stood up.
Blaise scowled at Draco and asked, "Well?"
Draco looked into D.'s eyes pleading only to find determination there. He shook his head and then turned to Blaise and said, "I like Harry. D. was just trying to get me to admit it."
Blaise relaxed visibly and quirked his brow as he quipped, "Oh that's all. Well, I agree with D."
Draco glared at both of his friends and stalked out of the cabin . . .
TBC?
AN: In Beauty in Perfection, Chapter Twenty-one, Harry tells Draco . . . "Your hair, is your nimbus," he smiled at Kat's arched brow and whispered, "a nimbus, is a luminous circle, like a halo around the head. You are my Guardian Angel."
Now Little Lily must duck and run because somebody has to get serious and work on Beauty in Perfection. Bad girl.
Reviews are like Chocolate Frogs . . .
there is a surprise card in each package.
Let me know what you think. Thank You . . . Blessings. LL
Blanket Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co. and all other characters within Potter World do not belong to me. No infringement is intended. I am making no money here; just having fun. Kudos and blessings to the literary genius JKR. This disclaimer is meant to be effective throughout this whole fic. Where mentioned it also includes Pepsi, India Spice Tea and the Psycho Ballistics Delta .68 and last but not least, the Clifford the Big Red Dog book series. Use of these names is solely for entertainment purposes and isn't an endorsement of the product. I am making no money from them either.