Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter.
A/N as promised last night, I got another update to this thing. Last chapter was rushed, and I honestly think it should be right in here with this chapter but whatever... It can stay that way cause I''m to lazy to go fix it. Yay for lazyness! Oh thankies to my reviewers :P Glad ya like it. Harry is... one tough cookie to crack and I felt it's damn well time he cracked. Hope you like it.
"So Draco, decided on what you want yet?" Blaise asked, looking at Harry Potter with curious eyes, as if testing something. Kevin was sipping his coffee slowly, Draco didn't know the guy really, but he seemed okay.
"Yes, I want the Harry I knew back right this minute so I can woo him into my bed and shag him senseless." Draco growled out, frustrated with how Harry was making a point to ignore their table by keeping busy with other things, such as pouring one guy sitting on a bar stool way too much coffee than was good for his health.
"Can't help you there, Draco. But try the raspberry Danish here, they are the best." Blaise replied, as he held up a menu and pointed to the heading 'Delicous Danishes'. Draco frowned, and doubted he'd be eating anything else anyway, better to let Blaise tell him what was good here.
"Fine, I'll order a danish, how the heck did you know Harry worked here anyways?" Draco asked, finding it very odd that when he'd called Blaise up this morning to help him find out where Harry worked, he'd known right away.
"Oh, Larry, the guy who owns the place, is always complaining about Harry. You hear 'Fucking Harry Potter' come out of Larry's mouth at least five times a day." Kevin said, setting his cup down and looking at Harry with a frown.
"Followed by 'he's such a lazy ass,' or 'he's too apathetic,' and my personal favourite 'I'm going to fire the dickhead tomorrow, I swear I will.'" Blaise added, catching Marie's attention with his hand. She motioned that she would be with them in a second while she picked up an empty coffee cup from a now deserted table.
"And Harry's still so special that he never gets fired no matter how many times he's threatened." Draco said, a bit of disgust in his voice. Blaise shrugged and Kevin shook his brown hair.
"I heard Hermione Granger talking to her little blonde friend at the office, Luna Lovegood I think it is, and the way she made it sound was that Harry's in a permanent depression, one he seems happy to be in." Blaise commented, watching Draco's reaction carefully.
Draco looked thoughtful for a minute, before Marie came over and asked, "So what can I get you?" She held a pad of paper and pen, reading to take down Draco's order.
"I'll have a raspberry danish and a glass of this tropical punch stuff." Draco responded, handing her the menu back. She nodded, taking the order while tucking the menu under her arm and moving to where Harry was sitting, seemingly doing nothing.
Draco took a closer look and noticed Harry was holding a pen and marking stuff down on a sheet of paper. He strained his hearing to hear what the girl was saying, and caught the last sentence she said. "Finally helping Lenny out, eh Harry?"
"Just because I'm doing an income statement does not mean I like him anymore." Harry said grudgingly, but Marie only laughed and went to get a danish for Draco.
'I'm going to have to figure out what the hell happened to Harry to make him so.. uncaring. That's not even the word to describe him, though! I'll help Harry, and hopefully he'll let me get close enough for one kiss, one kiss is all I ask!' Draco thought, praying to an unnamed god that he would get his one kiss from Harry Potter before he died.
Harry watched as Draco, Blaise, and the other younger man got up, leaving a tip for Marie on the table and walked out the door. Draco didn't look back at him once, which for some reason pissed Harry off.
He had to let it go, though; maybe Draco was still a little shaken up by what he'd seen with Mathew. Harry didn't know what he was going to do about Mathew, he'd given in to him and, knowing Mathew, he didn't take no for an answer easily.
Harry spent the rest of the day attempting to actually look interested in doing his work, but honestly, Harry didn't care. He didn't care if Lenny fired him, and he didn't care if he never got another job, and he didn't care if he died right now.
It wasn't like he was going to kill himself, but if it happened, he wouldn't spare it another thought.
Harry was finally done his shift at six, long after Marie had left. He worked longer then her because he needed the money, he knew he needed the money, and while he had a job he spared enough thought to how much money he needed.
Harry walked back home, glaring at the bright sun as it still hadn't set. He couldn't wait to get home, back to his darkness, back to his 'lair.' But when Harry got back to the apartment, he found his door open.
Harry inched the door open wider, looking into the apartment suspiciously. Had he been robbed? Who the hell would even try to rob him? Harry Potter, the man who killed the Dark Lord Voldemort. No it would be stupid to try and rob Harry, he did have very strong protection wards against thieves around his home.
"Draco?" Harry called out, stepping into the room to find a hand covering his mouth. Harry started to struggle, kicking and screaming, but his screaming was muffled by the strong hand.
"God damnit, Harry, I didn't mean to scare you. Could you stop clawing at me like some feral beast?" Harry sighed, and looked around to see Draco standing there, looking rather annoyed. But he did seem to be holding his ankle up a bit.
"Well, you know, a simple 'Heya Harry, it's me Draco,' the greeting most normal people would give, would have been good enough." Harry snapped back, feeling Draco deserved the bruise he'd gotten. You don't sneak up on someone like that damnit!
"We always used to do that, don't you remember?" Draco asked, sighing at how much he remembered and Harry did not.
"No, why would I remember that?" Harry asked, looking confused. It seemed like a dumb thing to do in the first place, why would he have remembered it?
"Because you found it endlessly amusing to scare the shit out of me in seventh year…" Draco said, feeling yet again hurt. Harry was such a cold fucking lunatic. Most of the things that came out of his mouth sounded apathetic, like he didn't care about anything in this small little world.
No one was there to tell Draco that it was more or less the truth. Harry was apathetic, couldn't stand being close to other people on a usual day, which was the reason Harry believed something was wrong because he wanted to be near Draco.
No one was there to tell Draco that Harry was terrified by it.
Nighttime found Harry and Draco eating on Harry's couch in front of the telly. It was what Harry always did, and Draco found it kind of funny. Harry never did anything else. Draco fidgeted in his seat, staring at the covered windows with yearning. He wanted out of this place!
Draco looked over at Harry, who was sitting in on the couch and watching the bright screen as if it was the most fascinating thing ever. He sighed, and Harry looked up. "Tired?" Harry asked, wondering who the hell could be tired at eight in the evening, he sure as hell couldn't be.
Draco looked up from the wall, staring at Harry's form, which was turned towards the telly. What the hell did he find so fascinating about the thing? "No, I want to go outside, you know? Out into the world, maybe we could take a walk?" Draco asked, hopeful Harry would go for it.
"A… walk?" Harry asked, looking skeptical. Why Harry seemed to act like the idea of a walk for enjoyment was beyond comprehension Draco didn't understand, but he'd rather go for a walk then stay in this stuffy place.
"Yeah, a walk. You know, what your feet are for?" Draco said, smirking and acting like his old sarcastic self. Harry blushed, nodding and looked at the telly mournfully. Harry ran his hand through his black hair, sighed, and got up to turn the telly off.
"You look like I'm dragging you through a swamp with a thousand and one mosquitoes in it, Harry." Draco commented, laughing as Harry scowled darkly and made a noise that sounded like 'bastard.'
"I don't… like to go out." Harry said, shuddering when he thought about leaving his beloved sanctuary, but it sounded tempting for some reason. Harry remembered going out on nights like this while he lived with the Dursleys, just to escape them. Now he tried to escape from the world and hole himself up inside his apartment.
"No shit, Harry." Draco laughed, grabbing his coat and putting it on quickly. He was eager to get out, and was practically jumping for joy while Harry, who had tagged behind him, was disgruntled.
"Some people skip, some people run, some people even jump, Draco. I, I like to sit on my arse." Harry said, locking his apartment door. The turned down the hall and walked to the elevator, getting in slowly.
Once out of the building, Harry looked towards the park just a few buildings away. "I'm guessing you'd like to go down through the park?" Harry said, and Draco nodded gleefully. He was outside in the fresh air!
"At least someone's happy about this." Harry grumbled, only to have his hand taken and be dragged down to the park's gates. Harry usually didn't care who touched him, but Draco touching him felt weird. Like it was, and wasn't supposed to happen.
Draco was a few steps ahead of Harry, looking at the path and greenery while pulling Harry along, secretly enjoying an excuse to hold Harry's hand or wrist; whatever, they both applied!
They walked down the paved sidewalk, the wet grass still smelling of the water that the sprinklers had doused it in earlier that day. Draco was breathing in the fresh air happily, Harry was trying to ward of bugs with slaps and flicks of his fast fingers.
The sky seemed darker then normal, and though they couldn't hear thunder, they knew dark clouds were above them. It was humid enough for rain to start falling, but they both had not heard a forecast for it so they ignored the telltale signs of when rain is on its way.
Harry finally protested that they stop, even though the lamps were lighting the pathway and they could go on through the peaceful park. Harry wasn't the type to be able to walk for very long without deciding to fall down onto a bench, or if need be, the ground.
Well there hadn't been a bench around, so Harry resorted to huffing and puffing on the cool grass, laying down and looking up at the inky blue sky. Draco sat down beside him. Unlike Harry, Draco didn't fall to the ground in one fluent motion; he sat down gracefully and watched where the heck he was landing.
"So, Harry, what do you usually do for fun?" Draco asked, and Harry caught his breath a little more before answering.
"Uh, I hang out with Alex or Mathew sometimes. I used to get piss drunk with Alex before I realized what a total waste of my life that was." Harry responded, and Draco got the impression Harry had talked, or been lectured, by Hermione on that one.
"Hermione, eh?" Draco knew all he had to do was say the word, and Harry was bursting out laughing. Draco was admiring Harry's hands, staring at them happily. He was listening to Harry, but he was also staring at his friend with an appreciative gaze.
"Oh you have no idea! She's like a rabid dog, only she's good for you!" Harry said, and Draco snorted at that analogy. Hermione probably should never be allowed to hear that one though.
"I'll agree with you on that one. We were never great friends, but we tolerated each other…" Draco said, smiling at Harry who was shrugging. Draco had never been friends with Harry's friends, but at least they didn't attempt to kill each other painfully.
"Doesn't matter. " Harry replied, staring up at the sky again, laying down on the damp grass.
"No, no it doesn't." Draco replied, sitting down with his hands in-between his thighs.
They sat there, talking about random things as Harry slapped his skin angrily, not noticing the bugs were only going after him.
"You know, all you need to do is cast a charm to repel the bugs away Harry." Draco pointed out, getting annoyed with Harry's constant swearing. You would think a great wizard would remember that bloody spell!
"Oh, right…" Harry said, blushing as he remembered the spell and picked his wand out of his pocket where he kept it, just in case he ever needed it.
"Repello pests" Harry whispered, tapping his wand on his arm two times. After a few minutes Harry noticed the difference, the bugs had left him alone. This spell worked better then bug spray and Harry had forgotten about it! He really had to start using his wand more again.
Harry looked over at Draco, who was staring at the bushes with interest, and it gave Harry time to speculate at how nice Draco's body really was. Even though he knew those were dangerous thoughts to think, he couldn't help himself. He was human after all right?
Harry started to shiver and felt it was time to go back, thinking it rather odd how fast the air suddenly cooled off. "Can we go back now? I've had enough of the outdoors." Harry said, getting up and dusting his pants off of the grass that had gotten stuck onto the material.
"This is a park, Harry! God, what the hell would you be like in woods of some kind?" Draco asked, dreading the thought. Harry had never been so dependant on technology before, Draco swore Harry had been taken by aliens and replaced by someone else.
"Oh I went on a camping trip with Ron and his brothers a summer back, and it was horrible. I'll never go on one again; there is absolutely nothing to do!" Harry cried, and Draco raised his eyebrows.
"There's a lot to do! Like exploring trails, swimming, biking…" Draco named off all the things he liked to do, and it was weird, because when Draco was younger he'd never had enjoyed camping. Ever.
"Well good for you and your outdoorsy ways. But I, I'll stick in my lovely dark apartment where the sun don't shine!" Harry replied, walking away from where they had stopped and back to the apartment.
"Harry, Harry wait up!" Draco called and ran off to follow the black figure walking to the gates of the park.
The door opened after being unlocked, and two soaked men came rushing into the warm apartment. "Exactly why I hate the outdoors, I'm freezing!" Harry grumbled, taking off his coat and walking towards his room, pulling off his shirt.
Draco's eyes followed Harry's moves, and he hoped Harry wouldn't see him looking. Harry hair was matted and wet, the pants clung to him with vengeance, and his back was soaked with water droplets.
Draco even forgot that he too was soaking wet and everything was clinging to him horribly as well. Harry turned around and raised a dark eyebrow in his direction, looking at Draco's wet clothes.
"Take of your clothes, Draco, you're soaking wet. I'll hang them up in the bathroom." Harry said, pulling a leg out of his pants and fumbling with the other one. It was hard because the material seemed to want to stick to Harry's leg, and not let go.
Draco wasn't going to take off all his clothes, now that would be a little embarrassing to do in front of Harry, but he took off his shirt and pants easily enough, and handed them to Harry.
Harry took the clothes in his hands and went into the bathroom in nothing but his boxers and hung up the soaked clothes. Draco was watching Harry hang the clothes, and noticed he was a little too short to get them all the way up. "Need help there, Harry?" Draco asked, smirking.
"Shut up you! And yes I do.. damn I hate being short. How come you're tall and I'm not?" Harry complained, but Draco shook his blonde hair, flinging water droplets around onto the floor and walls.
"At least I'm not like Ronald Weasley. Now there is a guy way too tall for his own bloody good." Draco said, taking the clothes from Harry and draping them with ease over the shower curtain rod.
Harry laughed, and bumped into Draco as he was trying to get out of the bathroom and put some dry clothes on. Draco turned around quickly, aiming to seemingly lose his balance, even though he was actually placing his feet very carefully.
Draco fell on top of Harry, causing them to crash to ground. Draco tried to act innocent, tried to mask his face with shock, and inside he was hoping Harry wouldn't run this time. Harry's mind was strictly in chaos mode though. Harry's green eyes stared up at him, not telling what he felt.
Draco stared back at Harry, leaning forward towards Harry's mouth, and couldn't imagine his luck when Harry didn't pull away. Hopefully Harry would stay in the state of pleasant shock and he would forget that they were 'friends' for a few minutes.
Harry's lips grazed Draco's, Draco forced his lips down on Harry's a little bit more and they had a tentative kiss. Harry grazed his lips around Draco's bottom one and sucked, realizing he was doing this, and he shouldn't be doing this. It would end up like it always did, hurting him.
And Harry, being the stupid idiot again, ignored this voice of reason and let Draco wrap his arms around him and kiss him more forcefully on his bathroom floor. Harry let down his walls, something he never forgot to do, especially when dealing with emotions.
Harry didn't know it, but he was letting someone in that he had let in a long time ago. His forgotten emotion, or lost love.
Okay, I tried to make Draco as cunning as he can be... First draft it was so damn cliche it made even me weep at how bad it was. Hope this better -nods- And review! Like it? Hate it? I don't care just lemme know.