So, last one was early, this one was late. I'm a bad person. Now, I gotta hurry this so I can head to bed. First track meet tomorrow, and all that jazz.
Also, I'm posting the fic I wrote instead of updating this. I hope you like it. I'm very proud of it.
Oh, and Go read November02's recently completed fic 'Unknown' Not only is it wonderful, but she's wonderful. That and if you know the plot than you can read the lemon I'm writing for her. So! Read the story so you can read the lemon!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything related to Harry Potter doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Goddess J.K.Rowling who will hopefully soon bestow us with Book Six. Freesia op.2 doesn't belong to me either. It belongs to my beloved Gackt-san. Aburey, however, does belong to me. I created him years ago, and I love him very much. So, please don't steal him or he'll put up the kind of fight you won't like.
Warning: OOC!Draco. Will be Draco/Ron slash. They are going to have sex, but that'll come after they get together, which isn't in the close future, unfortunately.
And since I'm a copy/paste whore, I haven't forgotten this.
"blah" Regular speech
/blah/ Fwella speech.
"blah" Mermaid speech.
None of what I try to use to separate works!! (Cries) (----) Will now be my lame separator.
Freesia op.2 by Aloh Dark
Fwella found Draco sitting with his back against the gate.
/Hullo lovely. What're you doing?/ She asked as she gracefully landed on a space left clear for her. She settled down to sit. Draco had the sudden image of a young lady wearing an old-fashioned dress smoothing her skirts out around her as she sat.
"I've been thinking." Draco said.
/So that explains the beads of sweat./ Fwella said, teasing.
"Fwella." Draco said with raised eyebrows.
/I get it. Serious time. I'm sorry./
"That's okay. Just hear me out." Draco said. Fwella nodded. "I have to tell them. Not now, but soon. I can't keep this a secret much longer."
/But Draco. They'll freak./
"You think I don't know that?" Draco asked. "But lately, I've just.."
/Gotten restless with lying./
Draco looked up at the sky. "You know how long I've kept this a secret."
/Two years or so now./ Fwella answered even though it wasn't a question.
A silence stretched between them. Draco was looking up at the clouds and Fwella was looking where she pleased but keeping an eye on Draco. It was a few minutes before either of them spoke.
"Pansy broke up with me." Draco said.
/Why, I thought she liked you?/ Fwella asked.
"Something or another about neglecting her. That was a bunch of rot though. She started dating a sixth year Ravenclaw a few days later. Well, he's seventh year now."
/It's alright though. You only started dating her to keep people from guessing who you really liked./
Draco snorted. "I never told you who that was, did I?"
/Not a breath./ Fwella said.
"Well, I don't like him now so it doesn't matter. Want to know about him anyway?" Draco asked.
/Of course I do. I'm always curious as to what's happening in your love life./
Draco made a small jump and turned so he was sitting on the railing. He locked his feet around the bars and held onto the rail. There were all sorts of spells so he wouldn't fall, but he just liked to be sure since one could never know. "He was beautiful." He said. "Inside and out. He was a Ravenclaw with the heart of a Hufflepuff. I thought he was absolutely brilliant."
/But who is he? What does he look like?/ Fwella demanded.
Draco rolled his eyes at her. "Ruin the moment, why don't you." Fwella snorted. "His name is Jason Hoskings. And now he's about... Six-one. Brown hair, brown eyes and tan-ish skin. Happy?"
/Sounds cute./
"He is." Draco said. "I admire him."
/But you don't like him anymore?/
"No. He's a good person but I grew out of the crush long ago. Some things aren't meant to last."
/So lovely, who is it now that you like?/
Draco just winked and smiled. "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie pop?"
/Have you gone mad?/
"The world may never know." Draco laughed at his little joke and winked at Fwella. "It's a muggle thing."
/You and your sudden fascination with everything muggle./ She said with a shake of her head.
"I don't see what's so bad about muggles. They're useful for amusement." Draco told her with a shrug.
/That why this summer has been one act of rebellion after another?/
"That and that I'm sick of playing the role Father has painted for me." Draco said.
/Lets think about this. A fifteen, nearly sixteen, year old boy wants to become his own man. He doesn't want to listen to his father anymore. He wants the freedom to find himself. Oh how cliché./ Fwella teased.
Draco rolled his eyes. "It's still true."
/I never said that clique's weren't true! They're clique because they've been proven true so many times./
Draco stood and turned back to look over the railing. "I hate this life." He said softly.
/I know love. But soon school will start and you can make a new you there, away from your father. And in just two short years you'll be free of school and your father if you wish. You can travel the world, if you so desire./
Draco closed his eyes and let the sun soak into his skin. "I couldn't do that. It's be too much like running away and abandoning everything."
/Then stay here and look for yourself. But I promise you, as long as you live under your father, you'll never be free./ She told him.
Draco turned and looked straight into her eyes, knowing how right she was. "I can't fight this war alone."
/You don't have to./
(----)
"Crabbe, Goyle." Draco said in a highly annoyed voice. "Get over here you doddering fools."
"Sorry, sorry. I just-" Crabbe began.
"Saw something shinny?" Draco cut in.
Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other as Draco turned on heal and continued at a crisp pace.
Draco wasn't usually cruel to them, but he wasn't in the mood for anyone. He and his father had had a row the night before and over breakfast. He was on edge and angry and Crabbe and Goyle presented easy targets to vent his rage on.
"Where are we going?" Goyle asked.
"The Split Tongue." Draco said.
"But that's over on Falling Star Avenue." Crabbe said.
"You think I don't know that?" Draco asked. "Remember, I've been roaming these streets a lot longer than either of you."
"But Falling Star opens into the Circle of Lights." Goyle said.
Draco rolled his eyes and gave a loud huff of annoyance. "Listen and get this through you're thick skulls." He said, turning on heal towards them. "We are not going into the Circle of Lights. We are going to The Split Tongue on Falling Star. No further." Draco turned back on heal and hurried along.
Crabbe and Goyle looked after him, stunned, before following. They hurried down Diagon Alley and across Knockturn. They walked down and past a few other streets to get to Falling Star.
Falling Star Avenue consisted of pubs and clubs only. It had its own entrance to the muggle world for easier, and more secretive, access. It was near deserted at that time of day but in a few hours it would begin to come alive, as would the Circle of Lights which Falling Star opened into.
"Why are we here?" Goyle asked.
"I have to meet an associate of mine. We have business to conduct." Draco said as turned towards one of the only buildings open at that time of day. They hurried into the darkly lit building. Draco stood in the doorway until his eyes adjusted to the dimness.
Over in the darkest corner was the only person in the room. A man wearing a Victorian style suit sat lazily, staring at the trio.
"Aburey." Draco said in greetings.
The man stood up and turned out to not be a man at all. He had reddish-brown skin which, under his cloths, was criss-crossed with thin white scars. His eyes glowed yellow-green in his hauntingly human-like face. Four long claws protruded from his hands. Pointed ears jutted out from the sides of his head and laid flat along the sides of his skull. Long, translucent, white-ish hair was pulled back from his face with a velvet ribbon.
"Draconis." He said with a slight bow and silky, untraceable accent. "You kept me vwaiting long enough."
"It's not exactly a few meters away from where I'm supposed to be." Draco said.
"Vwell, I suppose vwe can let it slide diz time." Aburey said. "Sa back?"
"Take a seat." Draco said to the boys behind him. "I'll be right back." Draco proceeded Aburey into a back room.
"There's only two things this particular potion is used for." Draco said, walking over to the bare table in the room. He lightly jumped onto it and faced Aburey from his sitting position.
The seven foot six inch tall demon walked over to the only chair and sat in it, facing Draco. "I know zat. Vwhy do you sink I asked?"
Draco took out a silver flask with an inlaid cross design on it. Aburey laughed at the joke and shook his head. "Now where's mine?"
Aubrey reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a vodka bottle filled with a royal blue liquid. He lightly threw the bottle at Draco, whom caught it easily. He opened the bottle and lightly sniffed. Satisfied with the smell he closed it again. "I expect you will be hanging around Hogsmeade in a while."
Aburey snorted and walked over to Draco. He towered over the boy and forced Draco to look up with a claw around his neck. "Only if I get this." He whispered, accent free. One of his clawed fingers gently ran up and down the pulse in Draco's throat.
Draco smirked and didn't move away. "You could kill me in the twist of hand." He whispered frankly.
"Vwhich is vwhy you like to play." Aburey said, taking his hand slowly away.
They stared into each others eyes as Draco walked across the room. They kept eye contact until Draco shut the door between them. He quickly shoved the bottle into his bag before walking towards the main doors. Crabbe and Goyle followed instantly behind him.
On the way back to Diagon Alley, they burned to question Draco about the demon but didn't dare. They knew it was none of their business and if Draco wanted them to know, he'd tell them.
When they reached Diagon Alley, they rushed to Flourish and Blots, where they had to meet up with Mrs. Goyle. They found her waiting for them outside of the building with a house elf in tow.
"There you three are." She said. "Give your things to it and let it take them back to the carriage. It won't due to have you carrying them about." Crabbe, Goyle and Draco gave their bags to the house elf she'd mentioned before following her inside.
Inside the shop there were several families and lone shoppers looking over the books. One new bookcase proudly exclaimed 'Hogwarts Course Books.' Eight rows of books gracefully stood at attention. The topmost row was made of the elective class books while the bottom seven had a row for each year.
Mrs. Goyle grabbed the managers arm as he walked past and forced him to halt. "Be a dear and help us. My boys need their books."
"Just a minute, Ma'am." He said with a nod before walking to the register. A pair of second years stood before the counter with their books piled on the top. They paid for their books and the manager placed them in bags before he walked back over to Mrs. Goyle
"Now boys, give the man your list." She said in a false sweet voice. The manager rolled his eyes as he took the list from them. He made quick practiced work of grabbing the books and banishing them to the register. He double checked the lists to make sure he'd gotten them all before leading them over to the three piles of books. The boys paid for their piles separately and Mrs. Goyle made arrangements for them to be delivered to their separate houses.
Draco led the way out of the shop. Crabbe asked him a question just as he opened the door so he turned to answer him while taking a step out. He was stopped abruptly and knocked off balance as he walked into someone. Draco turned to find a very angry Hermione staring up at him.
Draco grinned. "Why if it isn't Granger. And all alone, too. You're getting brave."
Hermione stood up and dusted off her pants before picking up the bag she'd dropped. "I don't need to be brave. There's nothing here to be afraid of."
Draco lost half his grin but turned it into a half smirk. "Careful. Thinking like that will get you dead." He said softly. "Come Crabbe, Goyle. We have better things to do." He said loudly before walking off.
Hermione watched them walk off in a state of shocked surprise. It was only as she walked into the book store that she realized he'd called her 'Granger' instead of the usual 'Mudblood.'
(----)
"How was your day with the Goyle's dear?" Narcissa asked over dinner that night.
"It was fine. Nothing happened but nothing didn't happen." Draco said before taking a sip of wine.
"Did you get everything you needed?" She asked. "Everything you wanted?"
"Yes Mum." Draco said his mind slipping to the blue bottle hidden in his school trunk. He quickly banished those thoughts away.
Narcissa opened her mouth to say something more but was cut off by Lucius. He'd slammed his hand down on the table, causing things to dance before settling down. He slowly glanced at each of them in turn before resuming to eat. Nothing more was spoken over dinner that night.
(----)
Draco packed his trunk for the trip back to Hogwarts that morning. Vek was standing in the corner looking affronted that Draco was packing and not letting Vek do it for him. Draco ignored Vek's glaring as he continued to pack. He'd been packing his own trunk for the past several years and Vek always acted like it was an insult every time.
Draco carefully placed the box full of compositions at the bottom of the trunk. He placed his violin on top of the box and looked longingly at his piano. He wanted very badly to take the piano with him but knew he couldn't. He also knew a little charm to turn tables into piano's so it wasn't necessary. That piano had been given to him by Nicodemus himself, his ghost in all actuality, and Draco hated to part with it for so long a time.
When Draco had finished packing away everything he considered fragile, he let Vek finish packing for him. He knew he had to make an appearance for breakfast and needed to get down there. He was barefoot with old comfortable cloths he wore when he was working on a composition. He knew he looked no better than a peasant but didn't care. He was comfortable and he wasn't going to change for his father.
Draco walked into the Breakfast Hall and walked over to his seat across from his mother. The two of them exchanged morning greetings and waited for Lucius to show. After a few minutes a small house elf showed up and told them he wouldn't be coming to breakfast or be going with them to Kings Cross.
"Well, then I guess it's just the two of us." Narcissa said with her eyes sparkling.
"Then I shall have the pleasure of your company all to myself." Draco said with a wink as he held up his glass of milk.
Narcissa held up her glass to finished the toast. They brought the goblets to their lips and sipped before beginning to eat their meal. They ate their meal while keeping up a lively conversation. Narcissa was a lively woman when she wanted to be and excellent company when she was. Draco only hoped it lasted all the way to the Hogwarts Express.
After breakfast Draco went back to his room to change. He'd need to wear muggle cloths since they would have to walk through a bit of muggle London to reach the station. Instead of wearing a suit like he did for the last five years, Draco choose the cloths Ron had given him.
He pulled on a pair of blue satin boxers before pulling on the pants. He spayed cologne on before picking up his shirt. He turned it around so it would be on right and pulled it over his head. He walked to his dresser and slipped his watch around his left wrist. He tied some royal blue string loosely around his right wrist before putting his two necklaces on. One was a simple silver chain from his mother with a silver dragon charm with green eyes hanging from it. The other was a thick, many linked chain that laid heavily around his neck.
He looked himself over in the mirror as he picked up his gel. He was about to squirt some into his hand to smooth his hair back but decided against it. He brushed his hair and let it hang loose. He carefully applied light touches of makeup to enhance his features before declaring himself ready.
He walked down to the Entrance Hall where he knew his mother would be waiting for him. He found her in a stylish pants and vest suit with her hair in a loose bun at the nape of her neck. She was standing next to, of all people, Mrs. Zabini and Blaise. Blaise was looking completely board with what the mothers were rambling on about.
Draco knew the second that Blaise realized he was on the stairs. Blaise raised an eyebrow and began to walk towards him. "What on Earth are you wearing?"
Draco grinned. "Clothing. And a little bit of cologne."
Blaise rolled his eyes. "I can see, and smell, that." He said. "But where did you get those? I know you couldn't have gotten it from a relative. They'd've been skinned alive by your father."
"No, of course not. Do you think that any of my relatives would pick any of these clothes out for me even if they weren't afraid of Lucius?" Draco asked.
Blaise laughed softly. "You've got a point. Your family does seem to have more... Elegant taste in clothing no matter who it's for."
"Are you boys coming or not? We'll be late if we don't start moving." Narcissa said.
"And no wants to be late for school now do they?" Mrs. Zabini asked.
Draco and Blaise looked at each other and smiled. They put their hands to their foreheads. "I feel faint." They said in unison.
Mrs. Zabini rolled her eyes. "Get a move on before I make you feel faint."
Draco and Blaise laughed at their own antics and followed their mothers. It was good to be among friends.
TBC
Thanks, as always, to my beloved readers. Thanks especially to….
StrangeMi!!!! Ah!!! The bribes were wonderful!! Too bad it didn't work. Maybe if I (mutters along to self) Anyway, thank you!!
Faint Hate!!! (drools with you) I know, I know!! I've been so hungry for fan service that I had to do it myself. Lol, yes Molly just got into the way.. (dreams of all the smutt she could have written)
ElvenGirl2!!! Loves you!! Thanks a whole bushel too!
Meirta!! I'm so glad you like it enough to keep reading even when you're not a big r/d shipper! That really makes my day to hear that!
I Heart DM 11!!!!! Hahaha!! I didn't mess up the 1's and !'s this time!! (dances) Yes, wet boys are very very hot. Though, sadly, I couldn't fit any fan service in this chappy.