False Weakness

"WHAT!?" Draco sputtered, stepping back.

Harry rolled his eyes, "I said a proposition didn't I? Don't jump to conclusions yet, you act like I'm going to rape you."

Draco's eyes narrowed, "Explain, Potter, and be quick about it."

Harry grinned, "Ok, here it goes. I want you, for a week only mind, to pretend to be my lover after which you may have me for whatever you want afterwards. I don't know, publicly humiliate me, use me as your slave or something that is equally cruel and degrading. Of course, even pretending to be my lover means more than words or handholding. Lover means lover. You can turn down the proposition, of course, wouldn't want to hurt your precious ego."

Draco turned towards the window and drummed his fingers thoughtfully upon the sill. What Potter proposed was very tempting to say the least. Draco could easily say that during the week the two of them had been 'lovers' Draco had been tying Potter in. The look on his fathers face when he brought him Potter with no resistance! Then he would surely be proud of his only son. There would have to be public humiliation first, as Potter suggested, it would be the only way to rectify his reputation…but…

Draco turned and faced Harry once more, "What's the catch, Potter?"

Harry laughed, "I knew you were going to ask that!" He shook his head, "Anyway, the catch…. Right, the catch I suppose would have to be the fact that, this has to look real. Very real. No one will believe it if we just say we're lovers, even if we hold hands and kiss there might be doubts. So basically, for a week, you will live with me, eat with me and, more than likely, make out with me in public. Other than that there's no catch. After the week, I'm yours." he said in a sing-songy falsetto voice, clasping his hands to his chest and collapsing back into seat.

Draco snorted and sneered, "So that's it? It's not much of a deal, Potter. I could screw you over so easily it."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "That's kinda what I was hoping for."

"I mean that I could kill you! How thick are you, Potter!?"

Harry grinned, "Very thick actually. Do you think I would offer this proposition to you, almost my worst enemy potentially in contact with my worst enemy, without first assaying the risks?"

"Why then?" Draco demanded.

Harry absently stared at the ceiling for a moment, chewing on his lip, "Because, they would never approve. Because I'm not supposed to."

"That's it?!"

Harry locked eyes with Draco, his manner suddenly very serious, "Yes, that's it. I'm tired of being the golden boy. I lived through a death curse when I was a baby that's nothing to be proud of, my parents died to save me. I had nothing to do with it. Now everyone expects me to be the hero and go out and kill this horridly powerful man that's been killing people for longer than I can imagine. I want to be something different than that. I want to do something that they would never approve of and damn the consequences! Foolish, yes but I've made up my mind."

Draco paused for a second then nodded, "I think, I would like in on this proposition of yours, Potter."

Harry smiled once again and held out his hand, "We have a deal then?"

"Yes," Draco clasped his hand with Harry's, "a deal."