Title: Burdenless Love

Author: Queen Delphina

Email: possibly R for later chapters

Warnings: Slash (this means boy/boy love! Stop now if this squicks you!)

Disclaimer: I do not own anything besides the original characters. I do own the rights to the word 'Burdenless' (not really). This story is based on the characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I'm just holding the characters hostage for the duration of this and any other fics I intend on writing.

Summary: Harry gets himself kicked out of the Dursleys and finds himself at a Muggle café. The same café that Draco Malfoy frequently visits.

Author Notes: Thanks and dedication go out to Macai for the plot bunny this story was hatched from and for initially corrupting me with slash. Also big thanks to Poca, Princess Jewel and Queen Sunny for keeping me on task and being my dedicated betas!

Morena Evensong: Dobby told all of the house elves that MAlfoy was someone who could hurt Harry, and the house elves would do anything to protect the Boy Who Lived. And yes, Dumbledore has many flaws!

Immortal Tears of: I'm glad you like it. An omelet craving? Yay! I can be persuasive. Wait til this chapter!

Enchantress of the dark: Wiked? Cool! I'm glad you like it!

Fefs Mafoy: Of course they are still fighting, although I didn't want them to be...I'm glad I listened to my betas! Enjoy!

Angel 174: I will update again on Friday!

Chappy 5

Firewhiskey

"Hey, Potter! Loo' what I found," Draco called from somewhere in another room. He reappeared minutes later, arms laden with fire whiskey.

Harry gently laid down the novel that he was reading. He had become enthralled in it during the past week. "Malfoy, I don't think-"

"When do you think?" Draco sniggered. He pointed to the novel; in gold embossed lettering, the title stood out as Ella Enchanted by the famous witch Gail Carson Levine. "You do realize that it's a story that girls read?"

Harry glared, making his eyes very narrow. "Your point is?"

"Never knew you were a girl."

Harry scowled.

"Oh, come on, Potter. Live a li'l." Draco's eyes were slightly glazed over as he held up the Firewhiskey bottles triumphantly.

"Have you already had some?"

"'f course." Draco stumbled over to the couch. "Here you go." He tossed a bottle towards Harry.

Harry caught it quickly, his seeker reflexes kicking in.

"No," Harry said, sitting the bottle down on the table.

"Fine. More for me." Draco took the bottle.

"Hey!"

"Snooze, ya lose." Draco said, hiccupping.

Harry grabbed a bottle lying next to Draco.

'Ah hell,' Harry thought. Popping the cork off, he drank some of the liquid, which burned his mouth, making it feel like it was on fire. The second sip eased the burn and the third tasted…bubbly. Harry kept drinking, soon finishing off the entire bottle.

Malfoy was already on his third. There were no more left on the couch.

"Malfoy, you're right," Harry said finally.

"'m always right." He smirked.

Harry scooted closer to him, snatching the bottle from Draco's hand.

"Hey!" Draco yelled. "That's mine!"

Harry laughed. "You'll have to get it!"

Draco leapt at Harry, sending the bottle smashing down to the floor. At the same time, Draco fell on top of Harry and their lips nearly met.

Harry quickly pulled away, feeling dizzy from the rush of emotion.

Draco cocked his head to the side and asked, "What's wrong?"

Harry shook his head, making him feel even more light-headed. Draco grabbed his arm to steady him.

"There's more of that stuff in the cellar place," Draco said, trying to change the subject.

"I'll race you!" Harry said, stumbling over his feet.

It took a long time before either boy made it to the cellar with all of the occasional stumbling and falling they both did, coordination lacking on them.

"What is this place?" Harry asked with awe when they had finally reached their destination.

"It just kind of well, appeared," Draco answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Cool." Harry sat down roughly on the cold floor.

Draco seized another bottle.

"Where's mine?" Harry pouted.

"Get your own!"

Harry stumbled to get up, but managed to grab his own firewhiskey.

"Mmmm," Draco said savoring the first sip in the bottle.

Harry popped the lid on his own, sipping fast, to quench his sudden thirst.

"Why are you here?" Harry asked finally.

"I found this place."

"Oh. Right." Harry scratched his head, trying to remember why he asked. Alcohol clouded his mind and he gave up.

"This stuff is good." Draco said in ecstasy. "Haven't had any since Father found out I was taking it from his private stash."

"But it's illegal!"

"So? You've done illegal stuff."

Harry giggled.

"Well?" Draco finished off another bottle.

"I set a snake on my cousin once."

"How?"

Harry laughed. "I talk to them."

"I once told my mother she was a servant." Draco tried to change the subject so that the spotlight was on him.

Harry's stomach roared with laughter.

Draco laughed too, not knowing why it was funny.

Harry's laughter turned to gasps. He clutched his stomach, feeling the urge to be violently sick.

He pushed it away fiercely. "Who was your first kiss on?" he asked.

Draco thought for a moment. "Pansy."

"Figures." Harry attempted to roll his eyes.

"You?" Draco asked.

"Ginny."

"Figures." The two continued to laugh.

Draco gasped a couple of times controlling his laughter. "How many people have you been with?" he asked. "I've been with about a dozen."

"Ten people?"

"Sure."

"Do you mean as boyfriend girlfriend?"

Draco shrugged.

"'ve only been with two."

"Who?"

"You first."

Draco listed several people, some female and some male.

Harry felt himself blush. "Cho and Dean." Then he felt sick again. The whole part of him he had kept locked up inside had just been unlocked. He stood, stumbling, and headed out of the room in the direction of the bathroom.

Several minutes later, he heard footsteps behind him, but he continued to empty the contents of his stomach into the porcelain toilet.

After Harry felt he could no longer throw anything else up, he headed in the direction that he hoped was his room, although without his glasses (which had been forgotten in the room) and his direction skills that were fuddled with alcohol he wasn't sure even when he reached a soft warm bed and climbed in with his clothes still on.

Draco sat by the toilet in the bathroom after Harry abandoned it, willing himself not to throw up. Finally, after he dozed off three times, he headed for his room. So tired, he didn't bother to pull back the covers. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

The next morning, Harry slowly awoke, reaching for his glasses like always, but a lump blocked his path. Still half asleep, Harry simply reached over the lump to grab them, but they weren't there. He tried to remember where they were and remembered drinking and laughing but nothing else. His head throbbed. Next to him, the lump groaned and eventually sat up.

"What did you do?" moaned Draco.

Harry finally managed to open his eyes to face the blond Slytherin. He collected his scrambled thoughts in an attempt to answer. "I really don't know," admitted Harry. "All I remember was a lot of firewhiskey."

"Me too."

Harry paused and looked around, admiring the green draperies and sparse silver furniture. "Malfoy, is this your room?"

Draco opened his mouth and promptly closed it again.

"Did we…did we…do anything?" Harry asked timidly, suddenly remembering their drunken conversation about past lovers. He blushed.

"I doubt it, Potter," Draco sneered, inwardly cursing himself for getting drunk last night. Any number of things could have happened.

Harry sighed with relief. "Thank the gods. I wouldn't want that one on my conscience."

"Why would it be on your conscience, Potter? Because it would be your first shag?" Draco asked tauntingly.

Harry turned scarlet. "I'll uh, go put on some coffee...to help with the headaches."

"You might want glasses," Draco said.

Harry glared.

"You left them last night." Draco held out Harry's glasses that had been on the floor where Draco had dropped them when he fell asleep.

Harry snatched them and then left the room. He set the coffee pot to boiling and walked to the cupboard to grab two mugs. When the coffee was ready, Harry poured the hot liquid into them. He took both mugs and headed to the table. At the same time Draco strolled into the room. Neither saw the other until they collided. Harry screamed as the glasses flew out his hands.

"You scream like a-" Draco screamed as the hot water touched his bare, pale chest. Harry found himself unable to move. Draco grabbed a towel and began patting the brown liquid off of his chest.

"Gods, Potter! Look what you've done now! First you get me drunk, then you sleep with me, now this?"

Harry didn't process what Draco said right away; his eyes were still transfixed on the pale chest before him that was slowly being covered by large blisters.

"Wait…it's MY fault? I seem to remember you finding the Firewhiskey!" Harry shouted.

Draco sneered. "I never wanted to be holed up with 'Precious Potter' in the first place!" He winced as the burn worsened. He reached for his wand, which lay on the counter, and quickly said the healing spell.

"And I wanted to be kept prisoner with a Death Eater's son?"

"It's settled. Dumbledore can take you somewhere else."

"Me? Why not you?"

"Because…I have no other place to stay," Draco let escape.

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but a sudden, stabbing pain in his scar halted the argument. He was about to 'see' something through Voldemort just like he had been able to since Voldemort's return. He could feel a strong sense of anger overwhelming him.

"Scar--hurts," Harry managed to gasp out before the floor rose up to greet him.