I give my heartfelt thanks to anyone who has read this story and especially to all of you who had encouraged me in whatever way to update it –bows–. And I'm very well thank you, just got a lot of work to do…
NB All comments and criticisms are always greatly appreciated.
Phase 9
As the holiday ended, students returned to school and the Quidditch season continued. The game between Slytherin against Ravenclaw in the end of January was a tough one. Ravenclaw had prepared their own tactics to counteract Slytherin's strategy, so the spectators were presented with an even and exciting game. Seekers from both teams had spotted the Snitch several times, but they never succeeded in catching it.
After nearly two hours, the game still went on. Suddenly Draco dived down, leaving Ravenclaw's Seeker who assumed that he was performing a Wronski Feint. That Seeker and the other Ravenclaw's players could only gape subsequently when Draco finished his supposed Feint and raised his hand, showing the Snitch in his grasp to the whole audience. 270-120 for Slytherin's victory.
Immediately after he finished changing into his school uniform, Draco went outside the castle and met Harry and Ron who had been waiting for him.
"Nice work, Draco," said Harry, patting Draco's shoulder.
His fiendish fiancé responded with a smirk and said, "Professor Snape sent a note for Gryffindor to start polishing the Quidditch Cup, because he would like it spotless and shining in his office."
Ron curled his lip. "Don't get your hopes too high, Ferret. We won't know the end result before your match against Hufflepuff."
"It's time to wake up from sad denial, Weasel. For your solace, I'll let you beat Harry as much as you like – it's his fault that all of you are in a deep hole right now. Just don't kill him."
"Whoa, you're so kind," Harry scoffed.
"Course I am," Draco smiled sweetly at his pouting fiancé. He brushed some snow crystals from Harry's shoulder before kneading it gently. His affectionate gesture made a small smile break on Harry's face. Spontaneously, Harry reached out to clasp Draco's hand on his shoulder.
Ron watched the interaction with curiosity. "You two honestly haven't done anything during the holiday?"
Draco gave him a condescending look. "What if we have, Ronniekins?"
"As long as you don't start snogging each other in public, I won't-"
Draco gasped and with a shrill "Kiss me, Harry!", he threw his arms round Harry's neck and pursed his lips, making loud kissy noises.
While Ron instantly eww-ed and looked away, Harry mustered all his will power not to ram his mouth into Draco's puckered lips. There was only an inch or so between their lips, their misty breaths mingling within that space.
For those few seconds, Harry racked his brains trying to find excuses in case his self-control suddenly slipped away. 'He's practically inviting me to kiss him! I'll just say I thought he really wanted me to kiss him. Or… that I just wanted to help him teasing Ron further, or…'
In the end, he didn't even get the chance to lose control because the blond hastily removed his arms from around Harry's neck and stepped away from him. He wondered for a moment if Draco had sensed something dirty in his mind, but then when Harry saw a grinning Hermione approaching them, he knew for sure why Draco did that.
"Nice work, Draco," Hermione said before she gave him a pat on the shoulder. The three boys stared at her momentarily and Draco replied with a grin matching Hermione's, "Thanks."
She suddenly grabbed Draco's arm and smiled at Harry and Ron as she pulled Draco with her. Standing in the distance from the other two, Hermione whispered to Draco, "You know what? When I was watching you flying, I got this idea of you and Harry up in the sky on your broomsticks, as you two are being wed."
Draco gulped nervously as he was reminded of an inevitable fact. Remus Lupin had come to Hogwarts the other day to tell Harry and Draco that everything went as planned, and they would be able to perform the bonding marriage in early April.
"Err…" Draco's attempt to say something was cut off by Hermione, "You always look good when you're flying, and so does Harry. It's going to be very beautiful; the two of you side by side in the sky, while the bonding ritual is performed."
"Really?" said Draco weakly. He wasn't too keen on getting wed on a broomstick, but Hermione seemed to differ with him on that.
"Oh, wipe that miserable expression off your face! It's just a suggestion," and she added under her breath, "though I think it's brilliant."
"I actually agree," Draco sighed, "that Harry gets his best looks when he's flying."
Hermione's pout turned into another grin at the disarming confession. "I see that now you don't hide your attraction to Harry anymore, at least not in front of Ron and me."
"It's not what it looked like!" was Draco's protest, but Hermione brushed it aside. She walked back to where she had come from, leaving the faintly blushing Draco behind.
"Do think about my suggestion, will you?" she called to Draco. And then she flashed a charming smile to Harry and Ron as she passed them.
"Lately Hermione looks even more self-confident than she normally is," Harry stated to Ron. "Your holiday together was definitely a success."
As the affirmative, Ron scratched the back of his head and flushed. Meanwhile, Draco had moved back to stand next to Harry.
"What did she suggest to you?" asked Harry. Draco only shrugged and said, "Something silly, which isn't supposed to come out of the Hermione Granger I know. Wonder what's going on with her."
"Most likely that's just how she is when in love," replied Harry, smirking at Ron but watching Draco out of the corner of his eye. Realizing the situation, Draco put on his mask and smirked along with Harry. But at the same time, he felt his chest knot. He wondered if Harry felt that too…
---ooooo---
Later on, after dinner, Harry went to Draco's room. When nobody answered the knock on the door, Harry took the liberty of opening the unlocked door and walking inside. Ice welcomed him enthusiastically as it jumped from Draco's desk to run towards Harry with its surprisingly agile feet. Harry noticed that Ice had been eating a Shepherd's Pie which he strongly suspected was never intended to be a hamster's food.
Letting Ice finished the pie and stroking Lorelei briefly, Harry looked around for his fiancé who was nowhere in sight. Without thinking, Harry opened the bathroom door and immediately found the person he'd been looking for.
The scene that greeted him enchained him at once. Draco was inside the bath, surrounded by sweet-smelling bubbles, and he was singing the same song Harry had sung for him in his birthday, but in a slightly different tune. Some of the bubbles floated up leisurely towards the ceiling, as if they were dancing along to Draco's singing. This was the first time Harry heard Draco's singing voice, and he could understand what had made Hermione so thrilled when Draco sung for her.
'Not even an angel could have such a voice,' Harry thought with profound appreciation. Unconsciously, he leaned with his side against the wall and folded his arms as he thoroughly and secretly enjoyed this rare performance. 'This voice should be illegal.'
After a while, Draco became aware of another person's presence inside his bathroom and stopped singing. He turned his head and saw Harry near the doorway, leaning on his side and smiling.
"Hey," Harry greeted casually. Draco only stared at him for a while before he realized the situation they were in. Harry had been there without giving out his presence, and he must've been watching Draco's show for a while.
Harry wasn't wearing his robe at the moment, and the first thing Draco did was directing his attention towards Harry's groin – which showed no sign of indecent activity.
"You're not aroused," Draco stated plainly out of impulse and astonishment. The next second his own comment dawned on him. His already burning face blushed even deeper and he drowned himself below the bubbles. Harry chuckled at his action, although the black-haired boy couldn't stop blushing either.
"Aroused for what? For your singing?" Approaching the bath, Harry said playfully, "But I didn't know you'd expect that sort of appreciation. I definitely won't mind an encore."
Draco's head bobbed up only long enough to say, "Not on your life!" before he sank below the bubbles again.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Cocco. You looked so beautiful, but I was far too fascinated by your voice to get randy."
Slowly Draco emerged and after wiping his face from the bubbles, he muttered, "Liar. If you don't find my male body attractive, just say so."
"Not necessarily. You just need to make the show a little bit more enticing. Know what I mean?" Harry suggested with a mischievous wink, and earned a splash from his indignant fiancé in the bath.
Laughing, Harry grabbed Draco's arm and tried to pull him up. "Come on, you've already finished. Get out from there."
Draco wrenched his arm off. "No! You get out first!"
Grinning impishly, Harry said, "Do you realize I can still take a peek even from my own bedroom?"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Well… You wouldn't know."
"You… Urgh! Harry! Seriously! You can't! You…!"
"Yeah, yeah. Relax, I was kidding. Like you said, I wouldn't dare."
Actually the remote-viewing magic required plenty of energy, and Harry didn't intend to waste his energy for useless activities. Harry kissed Draco's nose and muttered, "I love you." He stood and walked out the bathroom.
Still not moving from the bath, Draco raked his fingers through his wet hair, very ashamed that he'd acted like a girl. 'He was only teasing me. Probably he isn't really interested to see another boy's body… Huh! So what?'
Actually Draco felt a bit disappointed at that thought, but he forced himself to shake it off. Hadn't Harry said that he always found Draco beautiful beyond words? Draco bit his bottom lip to repress a smile. He didn't know before that he still remembered almost every word Harry said to him on the day after his seventeenth birthday. Well, it was easy to make sweet nothings etched on your memory when you knew for sure the feeling of the person who said them to you.
When he stepped out of the bathroom, he found Harry looking outside the window to the evening sky. The Gryffindor boy was standing next to Lorelei and holding Ice against his chest. The light from the full moon fell upon the three creatures, and Draco paused at the mesmerizing sight. Ice's silvery fur and Lorelei's red feathers reflected the moonlight, making it as if they were glowing, but Draco had his eyes focused on Harry. He felt that Harry at that moment was even more beautiful than when he was flying.
Harry suddenly sneezed, and the spell was broken. Noticing the presence of his fiancé, Harry put the hamster down and walked towards Draco. "Are you tired, Cocco?"
"Why? Do I look as if I've just spent 2 hours riding a broomstick?"
Harry effortlessly ignored the reply and said, "You must be very tense from such a long game, though other people would've been refreshed after an equally long bath. Let me give you a massage."
Draco frowned. "Massage? You can massage people?"
"What makes you think massaging needs a special talent? So yeah, I can. Now open your shirt."
His fiancé looked at him defiantly. "Why should I? You can massage me with my shirt on."
"I want to use this massage oil. So no, I can't." Harry showed Draco a lovely glass bottle filled with transparent liquid.
Eyeing the bottle, Draco imagined how good it would be if someone massaged him right now. The bath he had just had before didn't really help relaxing his muscles. He placed an annoyed pout on his face while opening his shirt, then he let Harry guide him to lie on his stomach.
"This is embarrassing," Draco grumbled. His fiancé raised an eyebrow.
"It's just a massage. It's not like we're going to sleep together, although we've done that before."
"Done what? 'Sleep together'? We slept on the same bed, that's all!"
Opening the bottle containing the massage oil, Harry shrugged. "That's what I meant." His face suddenly brightened and Harry enthusiastically suggested, "Hey, let's do it again tonight. But in my room."
Draco groaned and buried his face in the pillow. "You… Stop making it as if we were talking about... about naughty things!"
Harry snorted, placing the massage oil in his palm and rubbing his hands together. "Is that how you interpret my words? You actually have a dirty mind despite acting like a virgin all the time."
"Are you really that anxious to make me hex you?"
"Back to threatening," Harry responded nonchalantly. "No wonder Professor Snape is very fond of you."
Draco wasn't allowed to retort because Harry's cold hands had started kneading his bare shoulders. It felt surprisingly and extremely good. The oil was scented with a blend of neroli, rose, and other herbs, sending a relaxing smell everywhere. Meanwhile, Harry was applying his fingers skilfully. There was no denying that it was lovely and sensuous. To prevent humiliating himself, Draco used his mouth to speak instead of letting out a moan.
"Who taught you how to massage? Dobby?"
"Hermione did," replied Harry.
"Hermione? I see. What can't she do then?"
"The list gets shorter each passing day. Not to mention, she's become more and more beautiful, hasn't she?" Harry felt the muscle under his palms tense, just as expected.
"I guess so," Draco answered a short while later. "But you're still more beautiful than her."
Harry couldn't repress a smile gracing his face. "I'm flattered."
"You should be."
"Does it mean that you would still prefer me to her in case this bond never existed?"
"That's a tough question," Draco mumbled. "Seriously, Harry, I have given up on her."
Harry didn't lose his smile when he replied, "Right."
"It was just a little crush, you know." Draco maintained his casual tone, wondering if Harry would think that his words were contrived. "I completely understand our situation. I understand that I'm going to start a new life with you. I think… I want to make you happy."
Harry's eyes and smile turned wistful. Slowly he lowered his head and kissed Draco's bare shoulder, revelling in the shiver he felt under his lips. He whispered, "That's great."
Feeling greatly embarrassed for saying those things just now, Draco immediately tried to shift the topic.
"Harry," he asked, "What've I done wrong-"
"Many things, that's for sure."
"Wait till I finish, Potty. I mean my Patronus." Draco groaned, "It's still the same balloon with that suspicious tail. That can't be a valid corporeal Patronus, right?"
The boy straddling his back chuckled, "I think it's rather cute." As Draco whipped his head to glare at him, Harry added, "Remember, even in that state your Patronus is strong enough to repel the Boggart-Dementor."
"Indeed," Draco sneered. "We should only remember that every time it was Tonks' laughter which destroyed those pathetic Boggarts. And what do you think had made her laugh?"
"Hey, I'm trying to encourage you."
"But if I didn't make progress soon, I wouldn't be able to live up to your expectation in the war against Voldemort."
Harry's face softened. "Your forte isn't in Patronus Charm, so you just have to make it up in other fields. You're already a master in Apparition. And I think you're splendid in casting Stunning Spell, Reductor Curse, and many more. Not to mention your speciality lies in Dark Arts."
Draco snorted. "Who has ever thought that one day Harry Potter will endorse someone to master the Dark Arts?"
Harry didn't reply until he finished massaging his fiancé. Then he sat up and handed Draco his shirt. As Draco put his cloth back, Harry eventually said, "Actually I don't want you to be immersed in Dark Arts. If the situation were different, I'd force you to stop practising them at all. However, I still believe that it is your intention which matters the most when you cast any kind of spell. Those Dark Arts spells you've mastered fortunately don't require evil intention."
Draco closed his eyes thoughtfully. A pair of big green eyes and bat-like ears flashed behind his closed lids. Sammy. She was his first motive that made him banish the evil inside his heart, causing him to stop deriving pleasure from others' misery. And after Sammy, there was Hermione…
"Thinking about Hermione again?" Harry remarked playfully.
"No," Draco lied effortlessly. "I'm thinking about another girl named Sammy."
"Eh? Who's that? Your house-elf?" Harry was just joking.
"Yeah, she was," Draco sighed. His eyes unconsciously strayed to the drawer next to the bed.
Harry sensed sorrow from the boy sitting next to him, and he softly asked, "Was she a nice girl?"
"She was the nicest girl I've ever known. I must say that I'm much obliged to her for making me the way I am today."
"Really? She must be an extraordinary house-elf to be able to change the great Draco Malfoy. When will I be able to make you feel obliged to me?"
"You still have a long way to go, Harry."
"Right. Once a git, always a git."
"What? You still think it's better to be Mr Goody-goody? Hah! Can you even see how unbelievably silly Gryffindor teachings are?"
"You… you've just insulted me and my House at once," Harry gasped, and promptly declared, "That's it! You're asking for war!"
Without any further ado, Harry pounced and started tickling Draco.
"Harry! Hahahaa! Stop it! This is so childish!"
Harry muttered with a grin, not even pausing in tickling the other boy, "Say first… Gryffindor rules."
"Hahahaa- What? No way!"
"Say it."
"Not even in your dreams!"
"I don't think so." He increased his effort, clearly enjoying this. Draco looked positively delectable, squirming and laughing without frontier. Harry took a breath and whispered to Draco's ear, "Say it, Cocco."
Breathless, Draco eventually conceded, "Okay! Okay! Gryffindor rules…" As Harry eased his attack, Draco took the opportunity to wriggle away and finish his sentence: "…NOT!"
Draco scampered away from Harry, who sat up on the bed, shaking his head. Harry muttered, "Slytherin."
The reproved Slytherin blew a raspberry at him. In return, Harry abruptly stood up and strode menacingly towards Draco. The blond widened his eyes and pointed at somewhere behind Harry, exclaiming, "Professor Snape!"
Although Harry knew that it was obviously a trick, he still acted following his first instinct to whip around. Not wasting any second, Draco pounced on his fiancé. Harry was thrown on his back with a sharp intake of breath, and by the time he realized it, Draco had had him effectively pinned on the floor, arms and legs locked securely.
"Gotcha," the Slytherin breathed. "Gryffindor rules, eh? Never."
"You cunning snake," Harry chided. "You even involved Professor Snape. Use any means to achieve your ends."
Grinning widely, Draco nodded. He soon realized something about their present position. Somehow, it felt so good to be here, on top of the gorgeous Boy-Who-Lived. The playful mood had not been dissipated, and another urge to make Harry blush erupted inside his head. Slowly, Draco lowered his face.
"Guess what, Harry," he murmured in a deep husky voice, "You make such a ravishing view from up here."
Draco's sultry breath caressed his face, and Harry's heart jolted. His mind screamed in frenzy to grab Draco's face and ravish those seductive lips senselessly, but his body couldn't move, and this wasn't due to Draco's restraint.
What really made Harry freeze was Draco's true feeling behind those teasing words, rushing to his own mind through their bond. 'You make such a ravishing view from up here' – Draco didn't say it in jest. This might be just a simple appreciation, but for Harry it came as a delightful shock. Coupled with their promising proximity, it produced a new, maddening sensation which effectively nailed Harry on his spot. He wished time would stop right now.
And then suddenly Harry sensed the problem which came naturally with this kind of situation. He got a mild case of erection.
Sheer mortification made Harry acquire his lost mobility. Blushing wildly, he shoved Draco from on top of him with all his might.
Before he could react, Draco had been sent sprawling on the floor. He gasped and instantly lifted his head to stare at Harry with open mouth, feeling totally confused and miffed.
Harry sat up with his back facing Draco, knees drawn up and fingers unconsciously clawing at the carpet. He looked momentarily at Draco and stammered, "I h-… uh… I h-had…"
He never finished the sentence. Harry couldn't meet Draco's eye any longer with his entire body flushing madly. He felt unbearably hot, yet a chill ran along his spine because he was scared of what Draco might think of him now.
Although Harry couldn't give the full explanation, Draco understood what was wrong. It made Draco aware that he almost got an erection as well.
Draco thought he was supposed to be blushing too, but it seemed that Harry had been red enough for both of them. Biting his bottom lip to suppress a laugh, Draco raised his body from the floor. He crawled towards his fiancé and caught a bashful glance from the other boy before Harry hastily dropped his eyes.
Draco swivelled around in his kneeling position behind Harry and sat down on the carpet. Unceremoniously he leaned against Harry's back and breathed deeply. The two boys now sat with their backs against each other, and neither of them tried to steal a look at the other. Lightly placing his hand on top of Harry's on the floor, Draco held his head up and gazed at the familiar ceiling above him. Pleasant scent of neroli was still hanging in the air of this room.
"You know what?" Draco said quietly, a small smile playing on his lips, "I still like you more and more as every second goes by."
They continued sitting on the floor like that, facing opposite directions. Harry was silent for quite a while, but he was smiling with tremendous joy. Slowly entwining their fingers together, Harry closed his eyes and whispered, "Thanks."
---ooooo---
"You're smiling by yourself, Harry. That's scary."
It was on the next day, during their break after an Advanced Transfiguration class, when Ron threw the comment. Harry and he had been sitting near the lake, leaning their backs against a huge tree under the clear winter sky. Hermione was attending Arithmancy class which came soon after the Advanced Transfiguration, and so was Draco.
Harry's smile only grew wider hearing Ron's statement. He patted a green monkey-like creature with short horns and grinning mouth that sat between Ron and him – a Clabbert.
That Clabbert was Hagrid's new pet, and its name was Husky. Ron and Harry didn't see anything husky about this Clabbert, just like they never saw anything fluffy about Fluffy, but they made no comment about it. Hagrid was so proud when he showed the Clabbert to his friends, saying it was one of a kind. The half-giant entrusted Husky to the boys for a couple of hours, since he had something else to do and couldn't be there to feed Husky on time for its lunch. Before long, Ron and Harry had discovered that this Clabbert had an unusual taste of meal, sometimes gave a sound like a laugh without reason, and liked to lick itself clean like a cat. Although it was tame and seemingly lazy, Husky was kept on a lead to prevent it running away.
"Thinking about the young and beautiful Mr Malfoy?" Ron asked, inwardly a bit disgusted with himself for describing Draco like that, despite his realization that it was an honest portrayal.
"Well…"
"Something good happened?"
"Hmm…," Harry seemed to be lost in thought before he finished his reply. Ron sighed.
"I've just realized I don't know anything about your physical relationship with Draco. It won't kill you to tell your best friend about that, Harry."
Harry suddenly looked alert. "It won't kill me, but I'm not going to embarrass myself, thank you very much."
There was a mischievous smirk on Ron's face as he concluded, "In that case, I can safely assume you've gone quite far ahead."
"Not too far. We even haven't kissed yet. Not properly, at least."
Ron fixed Harry a blank stare. "You two have never kissed?"
"Not on the lips," Harry answered bashfully.
"I see," the redhead nodded wisely. "This is the fourth month after your engagement and you haven't properly kissed; that sounds a bit far-fetched. Do you feel awkward because it's about kissing another boy?"
"It's Draco who keeps refusing me. You know, Draco is not just another boy for me. I still think he's attractive even without his shirt on." Enjoying Ron's sickened expression, Harry added, "I even enjoyed giving him a massage when he was shirtless. I've kissed his neck. He always smells good."
'Didn't he just refuse to embarrass himself?' Ron wrinkled his nose. "Bravo. So you've been in this level. Have you ever asked Draco why he refused a kiss on the lips?"
"I have, but the only answer I can affirm is that he expects a super special moment for his first kiss. But I believe for sure there is another reason; a stronger and somehow more crucial reason."
"I think he's just scared that he won't be a good kisser," Ron guessed with a smirk. Harry looked doubtful that Draco would be that insecure, so Ron proposed another theory, "Maybe whenever you tried to kiss him, he wasn't in the mood. Or maybe you acted too aggressive and scared him."
Harry almost snapped. "I've never forced him! I usually asked for his permission first! And I always gauged the mood before I made a move." Then in a miserable tone he questioned, "What if Draco think kissing another boy is something nasty?"
"I must say that's possible. But he's never complained whenever you touch him, hasn't he?"
"You're right. Besides, he was always blushing whenever I touched him… intimately. That must be a sign that he actually kinda liked it," the black-haired boy recalled those intimate moments and couldn't suppress his own blush.
Ron pointedly snorted at Harry's dreamy expression. "Even after seeing you sing a love song for Draco, I'm still amazed how soppy you can be, Harry."
Harry could feel his cheeks flush even more, but he ignored it. "Seriously now, when one day I actually kiss him, what if he feels disgusted?"
His best friend immediately responded, "Well, Draco isn't exactly a grateful person, but he'd better appreciate your Sex God reputation."
Somehow Harry looked rather insulted. "This has nothing to do with that ridiculous reputation! I'm still wondering where this title came from, and who's responsible for it!"
"The problem is: you only have yourself to blame, Harry. You pull the girls as if you were the only man in this world," his friend kindly reminded him.
"I wish my charm worked on my own fiancé. Seriously, Ron, what if Draco really dislikes kissing with me?"
"If he can bear you kissing his neck, of course he'll at least tolerate you kissing his lips. By the way, you only worry about Draco's reaction. Are you sure you will enjoy snogging him?"
At this, Harry gave him a look which Ron translated correctly: "Okay, I get it. Your greatest pleasure lies in touching the irresistible and gorgeously shy Draco Malfoy. You can hardly restrain yourself from shagging him on the spot. Why ask about a mere kiss?"
"I'm glad you understand so perfectly without me saying anything at all."
"Seven years is not a short period, mate."
Both boys grinned at each other just like two closest friends in the world, and then turned to watch the frozen lake ahead of them. At that moment, a small bird flapped its wings, approaching Harry. The bird calmly perched on his shoulder and tilted its head to look back at the boy who was staring at it. 'A Redwing. It has a pair of beautiful eyes,' Harry thought absently.
Ron watched the Redwing on Harry's shoulder too, wondering why that bird was so tame. Strangely, Husky suddenly scampered away as far as his lead allowed him to go, panic apparent in its eyes. Both Harry and Ron noticed that the large pustule on Husky's forehead flashed red. If only these two boys read the books like Hermione did, they would've known that it meant the Clabbert had sensed danger. But both of them regarded this as another quirk of Husky's already odd behaviour.
Ron simply ignored the Clabbert, which was trying in vain to climb the tree higher, and said to his friend, "It's strange when you're acting all soppy, Harry. But yeah, it's even stranger that you and Draco haven't kissed yet. Your wedding will be in April, right? No matter what, you two are going to live together, like husband and wife."
"Like husband and wife… Our souls are entwined, but I can't say the same for our hearts," Harry said with a crooked smile, and Ron couldn't miss the slight desperation behind it.
"Ever since you two were bound, you're the only one in his life and he's the only one in your life," the redhead said quietly. "It's just a matter of time. I can tell that he's come to like you quite enough, and before long he'll be able to love you like you love him. Don't forget that he's all yours, Harry, for eternity."
Harry twiddled his thumbs and nodded in silence. Nevertheless, his face expressed gratitude for Ron's relentless support.
"Err, Harry…," Ron started hesitantly a moment later, fiddling with Husky's lead in his hand. "By the way… can you give me tips on… kissing?"
"Why? You want to kiss someone?" Harry asked in sham nonchalance, which earned him an annoyed glare from his friend.
"Ah, forget it. I don't think you can help me anyway. Seeing that you've been unsuccessful with your own fiancé…"
"I'm not the one who's never kissed a girl."
"Can you, or can't you help me?"
"It depends on whom you're going to kiss. If it is Draco, of course I won't help," Harry challenged.
Ron huffed, "As if I would ever kiss him! Whom else do you think?"
"Hmm… Lavender? Susan? Colin? Dunno."
"You dunno, indeed. I wish you too could understand everything without me having to say it."
Harry beamed at the sulking boy beside him and eventually conceded, "I think, regardless of whom you are kissing, it's all ruled by your feelings. The technique doesn't matter, because everyone may have different preference. As long as you mean it, the kiss should be good."
Ron gave a deeply unsatisfied look. "You're deliberately not being helpful."
Harry noticed that the Redwing on his shoulder looked as though it was listening patiently to their conversation. A thought that this bird was sweet and eerie at the same time flashed through his mind before he responded to Ron, "Sorry, Ron, but this is all I know. As long as you really care about this person, you won't need any tips in kissing with her."
"So much for the Hogwarts Sex G…" Ron didn't finish his sentence, because a sudden movement next to him snatched his attention. Husky had successfully freed himself from the lead, and in a blink of an eye dashed away from the boys.
"Hey! Stupid Clabbert! Come back here!" Ron shouted in exasperation.
He immediately ran after Husky, leaving Harry chuckling in amusement. However, when Ron had not returned after fifteen minutes had passed, Harry rapidly grew more and more worried. He stood up, ready to look for his friend. The Redwing bird on his shoulder flapped its wings and flew off, having decided that it should leave as well.
Harry had just walked several feet when Ron appeared from the distance, dragging the Clabbert by the lead. The redhead was wearing a very pleased look on his face, as though he had just discovered a hidden treasure.
"You okay, Ron?" Harry quickly approached his friend with concern. "What took you so long? Were you lost?"
"Nope. This ugly pest is pretty fast, but I managed to follow him."
"So that's why you keep smiling?" Harry frowned curiously.
"I… sort of discovered something interesting. But I won't tell you what it is," Ron's grin had grown wider.
"Really? You think the time has finally come for us to start keeping secrets from each other?"
"Take it easy, Harry. It won't be a secret forever, but I want to keep it from you for a while now."
"Oh… Right." Harry was disappointed that Ron suddenly hid something from him, but he saw Ron's bright face and realized that this must have something to do with Hermione. Harry couldn't help but smiling along with his best mate.
---ooooo---
In Hogwarts castle, Arithmancy class for the seventh year had just been over and students poured out of the classroom. Draco intentionally waited for Hermione who was still talking to Prof. Vector about their previous lesson.
However, after she finished talking to the Professor, Hermione's attention was drawn to a rather foggy window in the classroom. A big smile broke across her face, threatening to split her face into two, and she waved her hand in front of the window. From another window, Draco took a glimpse of Ron Weasley waving back to her. The redhead wasn't with Harry right now, although Draco thought those two best friends spent the break time together.
Immediately Draco walked out of the classroom, leaving Hermione behind. Soon he reached the usually deserted corridor which led to his room and Harry's. He stopped there, suddenly having a serious urge to bang his head against the stone wall next to him. He had grown to care about Harry more and more, and he had grudgingly developed real admiration for his fiancé too. He thought he had got over his feelings for Hermione, at least partially. However, when he saw her sparkling with happiness because of another boy, a cutting emotion emerged inside his heart.
'Get a grip, Draco! Remember Harry J. Potter? That's your fiancé, or in poetic words: your one and only – like what you've told two- three other people. Open your eyes. Harry is better in almost every aspect than Hermione.'
Instead of being alleviated, that pain racked him even more. 'Give me a break. My one and only… how true, thanks to that damn Amora Aevus. Besides, he's a boy. What I really want is to be like him, not to be with him… Oh, somebody please help me!'
Draco banged his head against the stone wall, albeit rather softly.
"What's the matter with you?"
He abruptly whipped his head towards the source of that familiar voice. Hermione was standing a few feet away, wearing an amused expression.
"Erm, nothing. I'm still a bit miffed that my Arithmancy homework didn't get a full mark," said Draco.
"That's tough," Hermione nodded in mock sympathy. "But not every day you'll see someone hurt their own head only because of a regular homework. Even I won't go that far." She suddenly giggled and added, "You know something? You reminded me of Ron!"
"He banged his head on the wall because of his homework too?" Draco asked dryly.
Hermione laughed harder before she proceeded to tell Draco a few stories about Ron and the extremely amusing things he had done.
'Eww. She's really into Ronniekins,' Draco thought, thoroughly displeased, as he endured Hermione's delighted face and occasional giggles when she was talking for nearly ten minutes straight, all about Ron. 'Ron, Ron, and Ron… I wonder if you talk about me when you're with Ron.'
"Draco, are you still listening?" Hermione enquired when she noticed that Draco suddenly looked pensive. The boy had been berating himself for having inappropriate thought like that once again.
"Yeah. I know this is the boy you fancy, but it can be a bit too much for me if you keep talking about him like now."
"As you said yourself, this is the boy I fancy. Humour me."
He had an impression that Hermione knew that he secretly carried a torch for her, and she was indirectly passing him a message to go dig a hole and bury that unrequited feeling in it. Striving to keep his composure, he replied, "As you wish. I rather love Weasel myself."
"He loves you too, you know?"
"And you?" Draco couldn't stop himself, "Do you love me, too?"
Hermione gazed thoughtfully at Draco. "Is that serious look necessary? You're my best friend, Draco. You saved my life. Of course I love you," she eventually replied.
"It's wonderful having the three most famous Gryffindor love me," Draco drawled, feigning indifference.
"It can't be helped, since you're no longer the pathetic git you used to be." She chuckled as Draco huffed, before continuing with a dreamy expression in her face, "Three more months before your wedding day. I can hardly wait!"
"It's not you and Ron who'll be getting married on that day. More importantly, I don't think anything will change between Harry and me after the wedding."
Hermione gently touched Draco's arm. "One thing's going to change. You will like Harry more and more, I'm sure of it."
Draco wondered if Harry talked a lot to his friends about his relationship with Draco. He nodded, and then added in quieter voice, "This Love for a Lifetime prevails over anything."
She gave him a reproachful look. "It most likely does, but that's because Harry loves you. Not only that, Ron and I will always pray for your happiness with Harry."
"Ron and I…," repeated Draco. He folded his arms and asked, "Is your relationship with Ron really progressing smoothly? Will we hear from you soon that you two are officially an item?"
"I suppose so," she smiled bashfully. "Maybe one day we can go on a double date. Isn't that great?"
"That's only going to be embarrassing for me." He smiled at Hermione's disappointed face and finished his reply, "But as long as you're happy, I'll go with it."
That effectively brightened up her face. Draco marvelled at how easy it was to deceive somebody who wasn't connected with him by a soul bond.
At that moment, unnoticed by anyone, a small Redwing with a pair of haunting eyes swept to the sky.
---ooooo---
Near the curfew, the present Hogwarts Head Boy was enjoying his solitary stroll along the lake. The full moon shining down from the sky lightened the night and accompanied Harry's walk. It snowed heavily in the evening and now an untouched thick blanket of snow lay on Hogwarts ground.
It was a beautiful night, and Harry could fully appreciate that fact because it had been a nice day for him. Somehow, Draco was all over him the whole time since the afternoon break. When it was snowing outside, they basked in the warmth of Harry's room and cuddled up together under the blanket. They talked about many personal things: the forthcoming wedding, their dream careers, even all about their future home and how to sort out their different preferences when living together.
He had known that no matter what, he would love to live his life with Draco for ever. Right now, Harry felt that he would live a deliriously happy life with Draco for ever. They still didn't have a lot of things in common, they still argued with each other about trivial matters, and Draco probably still didn't love him as much as he wished. Nevertheless, it was all right because they still would spend the rest of their lives together and he loved Draco unconditionally.
One day, he was certain that Draco could love him back. Today, Draco had shown that he enjoyed being with Harry and planning their future together. The previous conversation about where they would live and how they would arrange their home brought a smile to Harry's face. Vivid pictures of the future were playing in his mind, where he and Draco would spend peaceful days, working in related jobs so they could always be near each other, and they would grow old without any regret for the bond that tied their souls to one.
So lost in his imagination, Harry didn't watch carefully where he was going. He would have tripped over a protruding tree root if an amused familiar drawl hadn't warned him: "Mind your step, Mr Potter."
Harry turned his head and then approached the object of his utmost affection. "Good evening, Mr Malfoy. Fancy meeting you here."
Gesturing with his head to the sky, Draco replied, "It's been a while since the last time I watched the moon from my secret place."
"It's almost curfew. You'd better go back now and make a better plan for the future."
"That's rich, coming from a regular curfew-breaker. So, wanna break the curfew together tonight?" Draco winked.
Harry pondered the idea for a moment before he answered with a smile, "Well then, if you insist."
Draco chuckled and reached out his hand to ruffle Harry's hair. In turn, Harry entwined their fingers together and they walked rather hastily to Draco's secret place, hand in hand.
They went past the foliar veil and entered the passage through the grove which led to their destination. Both of them stopped simultaneously as they became aware of fresh footprints in the snow covering the path ahead of them.
Draco and Harry stared at each other and shook their heads, frowning. Neither of them had been here recently.
Harry noticed that the footprints came from two persons, most likely a male and a female, and it aroused a suspicion in his mind. 'Husky did run to this direction.'
He was about to ask Draco to return back, but his fiancé had continued walking towards the clearing in front of them. Harry scratched the back of his neck and followed Draco. During that time, in the sky, clouds had moved and covered the moon, leaving only dim light barely enough to illuminate the way. The two boys used their wands to help them move forwards.
They reached the edge of the clearing encircled by the strange trees and saw those familiar glowing fairies in the distance, buzzing actively around that place despite the coldness of the winter. The fairies gave light to the surrounding area, so Harry and Draco didn't need to use their own magic anymore. Stealthily both of them looked around and eventually saw two silhouettes embracing each other in the middle of the clearing.
Draco pursed his lips and prepared to hex those intruders. These two persons, obviously lovers, dared come here and infringe his privacy. They were even obviously going to have some romance, as their faces went closer and closer. As the two silhouettes finally locked lips, the clouds parted to give way for the stream of moonlight, revealing those lovers' identities. That moment, Draco forgot all about the hex he was going to throw.
What he saw had upset him more than the fact that his secret place was breached by unwelcome guests. There, before his very eyes, was the sight of Hermione and Ron kissing below the moonlight.
---ooooo---
Draco had been frozen on his spot, desperately wishing that somebody was just trying to pull his leg. It stung him so much. He knew there was no point in feeling this way. It wasn't like he could ever have Hermione, anyway. He had been bound to Harry for eternity. Still, it tore him apart watching her kissing another guy.
Harry saw everything too, including how Draco reacted to the sight before them. And just like Draco, Harry felt a terrible stinging pain clawing his heart. He approached his fiancé silently and took Draco's arm, gently pulling him away from there. Draco moved in a trance as Harry led him back to the castle.
The way back to the castle was eerily silent. Neither of the boys spoke and their steps were equally quiet. Draco didn't know what to think, he had just received a double blows to his heart. First, it was confirmed that he still loved Hermione, still wanted her, despite being unable to act upon it. Second, he found out that Hermione had been together with Ron, and to make it worse they made out right on his cherished private spot. That last one was an extra blow itself.
Without realizing it, Harry and Draco had arrived in front of Harry's room. Harry uttered the new password so quietly that even Draco couldn't hear it. But Draco himself was still lost in his own world, and he wasn't really aware when Harry tugged him to step into the room.
They stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment in front of the fireplace. Neither of them looked at the other.
"How did they know about that place?" Draco's voice broke the silence.
"I guess… Ron found the way there this afternoon. Sorry, Cocco. I should've known…"
"Never mind. It's not like that place is out of bounds, other people who have found it can be there anytime they want. I should've followed your advice to place a ward or concealing charm around there." A short while later he continued, "I'm not supposed to be upset like this. They're our friends. But I wish they hadn't gone there to… to… "
"Snog," Harry callously finished for him.
Draco's lips twitched a little at this. Something was strangling him from the inside, making him sick and unhappy. Silence stretched out again.
All of a sudden, an unanticipated single tear rolled down Draco's face. Automatically he wiped his cheek, forgetting Harry's presence next to him.
"What's the matter?" The soft whisper sent panicking chill along Draco's spine.
"Err, something got into my eyes…" Another tear threatened to come out, and Draco turned around to avoid Harry seeing it. But he couldn't avoid the memory of the kiss he'd just witnessed erupting into his mind. A small hiccup passed his lips, and at that moment Draco couldn't hold back his tears any longer. Along with the tears, all his frustration, his secret desire, his dreams and hopes for a certain brown-haired girl flowed out of his heart. 'Stop it! Stopitstopitstopit!'
"You're crying," Harry observed with outward calmness masking the searing pain which had been racking his heart.
Receiving no answer from Draco, Harry went on, "Does it really hurt seeing Hermione and Ron in action?"
Wiping his tear-streaked face furiously, Draco turned to face Harry and retorted, "This has nothing to do with them!"
"Actually, that was a rhetorical question."
Harry stepped forwards and lifted Draco's chin to see his face. The eyes were shining with tears which made them look even more silver than usual. Harry couldn't help thinking that Draco's eyes got more beautiful when he was upset. As jealousy and anger overpowered him, Harry began to lose his coolness.
"We all know they've got closer recently. Well, the point is: you're bound to me. Whatever happens with Ron and Hermione is none of your concerns. What's so difficult about forgetting your little crush?" Harry's voice was icy, but not as freezing as his eyes.
Draco gulped with fear and guilt. He repeatedly cursed the bond between them which made it impossible for him to lie to Harry. He also cursed tonight, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and himself. Draco tore his chin away from Harry's grip and took a step back, looking at anywhere but Harry's face.
"I know… but…"
Awkwardly Draco moved from the brighter spot lit by blaze from the fireplace to stand in front of the room's windows. He raised his head to the far-off sky, where the moon reflected a soft silvery glow and a few stars were visible. There was nothing beautiful about the moon according to Draco at that point. It even failed to serve as a distraction. He noted miserably that Harry had followed him.
Standing behind his fiancé, Harry burst out, "You said you had given up on her and wanted to start a new life with me. Did you lie about that? What else must I do to make you forget her? Why can't you forget her?"
"I've tried to! I thought I've got over my… this feeling. I like you, I really do. But… I… I really don't know."
He lied, because he knew. He knew now why he could never bring himself to kiss Harry on the lips. However special the time and the place would be, he would never let Harry kiss him. Even on that New Year's Eve, under Aurora Borealis, when he felt like kissing with Harry, it would not have happened even if Pansy hadn't disturbed them.
Because for him, his first kiss was a priceless gift he would give for the person he truly loved. Deep inside his heart, beyond his control, Draco had always reserved himself for this person… who was not the same person with this handsome boy who loved him so much.
'How stupid of you, Draco Malfoy… How very stupid…' But he couldn't help it. He just couldn't win against his heart's command. And to think that he was heartless all those times…
Draco couldn't conceal the agony he was suffering right now from Harry. It wasn't Draco's expression reflected on the window's glass which informed Harry about it, but the damnable magic bond which connected their souls. Feeling his heart shatter, Harry grabbed Draco's arms and turned him around.
"Stop it, Cocco, stop thinking of her. Think about me, just me. I love you." His voice was laden with despair and suffering, especially on the last three words. Draco couldn't look at Harry's face. It had been unbearable just hearing his pleas and confession of love. He realized he had hurt Harry and it hurt him too, but what could he do to control his emotion?
He freed himself from Harry's grip and took a step backwards. "Please give me more time. I need it to get myself sorted."
"How much longer do you need? You've been wasting your time since the beginning, because we all always know she doesn't love you!" Harry shouted the last phrase.
"But I don't love you, either!" Draco shouted back, impulsively.
If only Draco had known that it would literally make his heart ache seeing a tear trickling down Harry's cheek, he wouldn't have said that. It didn't hurt because of Harry's dejected feeling surging through Draco from their shared bond. It hurt because he fully realized that it took a helluva great pain to make Harry Potter cry. It hurt more because this time he was to blame for being the said helluva great pain. 'Just when I was supposed to lie… Merlin, I'm really stupid after all…'
"I know. But I love you," Harry said after a moment of silence. Tears kept flowing down silently from those green eyes, and he continued with a quivering voice, "I love you more than anything. You can't forget that. And you can't forget that our souls are bonded and we're going to be together for ever."
The moon still shone brightly in the sky, but a mass of dark clouds had been drifting closer. Harry suddenly became aware that his face was uncomfortably wet and he abruptly turned his head down, wiping his eyes and cheeks with his sleeve. He sniffed softly and took a deep breath, restraining himself from looking even more pathetic.
As for Draco, everything that Harry did only ripped him apart more and more.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it," Draco said with a hitch of breath.
"Yes, you did," Harry remarked bitterly.
"I don't want to hurt you, Harry. I'm really sorry…"
Harry said nothing, and he suddenly felt Draco's fingers grasping his sleeve. The blond boy stepped closer to his fiancé.
"Do something." Harry didn't quite catch the whisper coming past Draco's trembling lips. He lifted his eyes and saw Draco looking at him with unreadable expression.
Draco repeated more clearly, "Do something."
"What?" Harry croaked.
"Anything."
Draco had just given him a permission to kiss him, somehow Harry understood that. "Why?" 'Why just now?'
"Because…" 'I must forget her.' "… I'm only yours, aren't I?"
'Since when?' Harry felt like making a derisive snort. He definitely didn't want pity from Draco. But he wasn't the only one who was hurting. Both of them were hurting. Moreover, the pain had become unbearable for him and he couldn't leave Draco's challenge unanswered. No longer caring of anything else, Harry tossed away his self-restraint and let all the pent-up feelings inside him determine his next move.
Fastening his hand at Draco's nape, Harry pulled their faces together. He glanced for one second at the distressed grey eyes before forcefully meshing their lips together.
Draco didn't push him away, nor did he kiss back immediately. Harry sensed the guilt flowing from Draco's heart, which added to his own feeling of being rejected. He felt like a rapist. He shouldn't kiss Draco like this. He had to stop this foolish and desperate act. But that was just the instruction from his brain, whereas his heart and body told him the opposite. Don't stop.
Sudden nervousness attacked Draco, causing his body to be devoid of strength although his heart was racing like mad. This intimacy was something he had not been able to cope with. The closeness of their bodies, the blending of their lips, the way Harry plundered his priceless gift – on his own request. He could taste Harry's salty tears on his mouth, could taste Harry's desperation mixed with his own. This was what drove him to start kissing back.
Draco's response produced an immediate effect on Harry. Harry felt his whole body ablaze, his passion heightened. Soon he pried open Draco's lips and thrust his tongue into the warm wetness of his beloved's mouth. Draco was alarmed yet unable to pull back. He let Harry's tongue roam around and tentatively touched it with his own tongue. Before long both of the boys moaned simultaneously in agonizing pleasure from the ardent kiss, but neither of them heard it.
The moon had been hidden since a few minutes ago, leaving only dim light from behind the dark clouds. Only several distant stars remained in the gloomy sky to illuminate the two bonded souls who shared their emotional first kiss amid tears and despair.
---ooooo---
It was a mile away from the perfect kiss Draco had dreamt of. It was wet, with both tears and saliva. It involved dark cloudy sky and no romantic moonlight. It even happened in Harry's Head Boy chamber – a place he had vehemently avoided as a location for his fantasy first kiss. In spite of everything, Draco didn't regret having his first kiss happening without splendour like this.
Because it was dizzying. Making him scared, his chest hurting, and his mind occupied. Making him breathless. It made him forget about her and his total foolishness to keep his hopes. One more thing, Harry didn't seem to find kissing with him unpleasant.
It was a mile away from the perfect kiss Harry had expected. He was crying during the kiss and his chest constricted painfully. To be objective, this was more terrible than his first kiss. Yet, the kiss was indescribably wonderful. It was ten thousand times better than everything he had imagined before.
Because it was mind-blowing. Making him want it more and more, making him delirious and light-headed, making him feel complete. It made him helpless and hopeful at the same time. More importantly, it reminded him of his unconditional love for Draco, the person he cared about the most in the whole world. The person he wanted to have completely. It reminded him of his determination to win Draco's heart, to make Draco love him back – reason or no reason.
One more thing, Draco didn't seem to find kissing with him unpleasant.
And so, five minutes after that unpremeditated kiss, both boys were still standing near the window in each other's arms. Draco felt exhausted and extremely dizzy. His knees had gone weak; if it wasn't for Harry's support, he would have dropped to the floor.
The moon slowly showed itself as the cloud moved, and Harry shifted a little to glance outside the window. He felt Draco's arms round his waist tighten. Turning back to his fiancé, Harry placed a soft kiss on Draco's cheek. Draco lifted his eyes and they gazed at each other.
Harry smiled shyly, and Draco perceived blissful satisfaction accompanying mischievous sparkle on those emerald eyes. At that moment, Draco realized that the best thing about his first kiss was the fact that it made Harry so happy. And since he sensed that happiness directly, coupled with the knowledge that it was because of him, Draco automatically became happy as well.
That moment, Draco toughened his resolution. He might have no control over his heart. But now he knew what his heart wanted, knew that it would never be fulfilled, and knew that he must place his logical reasoning over it. He had been bound to Harry for ever, that was the only thing for certain. He had already given his first kiss to Harry, which meant he had been one step closer to giving his heart as well. Maybe he wouldn't be able to love Harry as much as Harry loved him, but he must be able to love Harry more than he loved others. Tonight he had gained the strength he needed to do that.
Meeting Harry's eye, Draco asked quietly, "Why don't you hate me, Harry?"
Harry averted his eyes from Draco before answering, "Can't do that."
"I'm sorry for being an idiot."
Harry was still looking away when he replied, "It's okay. You're not the only one."
Draco suddenly burst out laughing. Once he subsided, he said, "I happen to remember that I told you once: I won't let you suffer. You remember that?"
"…Yeah. So?"
"I promise, Harry. I will forget her. I don't want to make you cry again."
This time Harry couldn't respond, because he was too busy fighting back another chain of tears. Draco instinctively brought their faces closer and gave Harry a gentle kiss.
"Course it's perfectly fine if you cry because of happiness."
Smiling, Harry rested his chin on Draco's shoulder. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the familiar scent of his beloved. He whispered, "Stay here tonight, Cocco."
And Draco stayed.
---ooooo---
It was about 10 o'clock in the morning when Draco returned to his own room. He and Harry had dreamless sleep for a few hours and were unable to continue sleeping afterwards. So they lay in, chatting quietly about trivial matters before a long silence fell on them. Somehow, they acted as if they were just acquaintances instead of two persons who had already known the taste of each other's lips and mouths.
He had started feeling uncomfortable to stay in that room with Harry, so Draco said bluntly that he wanted to go back to his room. Harry had nodded without showing resistance to it. He had smiled contentedly to Draco, looking gorgeous and unruffled, so Draco was certain that now everything was all right.
Once Draco had left, Harry closed his eyes and released a sigh. He had just realized how tired he was. He hadn't cried for a long time, and he didn't know before that hope could be as exhausting as emotional pain. He opened his eyes and squinted against the sunlight brightening his bedroom through the window. Spring would arrive soon, and the day wouldn't be as cold as it was now. It was indeed exhausting, but he had determined to hold onto this hope for as long as he needed.
Alone in his big room, Harry suddenly felt lonely. At this moment, he wanted to see his father and mother. He wanted to have Sirius beside him. He wanted to talk with Ron and Hermione, with Lupin, with Dumbledore. He wanted to know what the Weasleys would say to him. He wished his family were there.
Meanwhile, as soon as he was inside his room, Draco took a deep breath. Ice dashed to him, obviously expecting food. He lifted the hamster and brushed his cheek against its soft silvery fur. Realizing that Draco didn't intend to give it any treat, Ice bit his ear and leaped down.
"Merlin's beard! You really love only Harry, don't you? Ungrateful bogus rodent…," he grumbled, nursing his ear. If Ice wasn't so small and cute, he would've kicked it.
His eyes were immediately drawn to his other pet. Lorelei was resting on her usual spot, but there was one thing totally unusual. She had been completely ignoring Draco from the moment he returned to the room. Instead, the phoenix was gazing intently out of the window. Draco approached her and looked outside too, trying to find out what had bound Lorelei's attention to such extent.
"What are you staring at, Lorelei?"
A Redwing bird perched at a leafless Elm tree, close enough to Draco's window. Draco was pretty certain that it was the Redwing which stood in the end of Lorelei's line of gaze. The small winter bird hopped from branch to branch and Lorelei's eyes followed its movement.
"Are you watching the Redwing? Hah! I thought there was another phoenix out there, or something equally extraordinary. Stop it, Lorelei. You look as if you were in love with that bird. I don't even know whether it's a male or a female," Draco rambled without expecting his phoenix to respond, and he walked away from the window. Perhaps Lorelei had never seen another winged animal before.
From the Elm's branch, the Redwing glanced at Draco's window for one last time before it unfolded its wings and flew away.
---ooooo---
"Amora Aevus, you said? Are you sure?" Lord Voldemort was sitting on his throne, those red eyes gleaming dangerously in that large but dimly lit room.
"Absolutely," came deep nasal voice from a lanky figure in front of the Dark Lord. A man stood there with both hands in his robe's pockets, showing a vaguely bored expression. Albeit having completely grey hair, he wasn't older than about 35 years old, well-groomed with alluring looks. Nevertheless, there was something sinister about this man, which matched the evilness of Lord Voldemort himself. "Of course, if you doubt me, certain people can give you the confirmation you need."
The Dark Lord shook his head, "I don't doubt you. But a little confirmation indeed won't hurt." He turned to his servant standing on the corner and ordered, "Wormtail, call Lucius here immediately."
Wormtail bowed and scurried away to carry out his Master's order. Just like most other people, he was excited at the prospect of seeing Lucius struggling to explain in front of the Dark Lord. Lucius and his family had caused many of Lord Voldemort's followers, including Wormtail, to go through hell.
Voldemort's expression was a mixture of displeasure and excitement. "Who knows that one day we will be grateful that we have not killed Potter?"
"We don't need to be grateful for anything, my Lord. Amora Aevus probably caused the Erased Moon to protect Potter as well, so we couldn't kill him no matter what," the other man breathed.
Lord Voldemort didn't appear to mind that man's cheeky tone. Instead, he responded, "You don't seem to be affected at all knowing about this piece of facts. Can't you see how valuable it is? Our next plans depend on this."
"Pardon me, but this piece of facts has lost its novelty in my eyes."
"I see," Voldemort stepped down from his throne and walked towards the grey-haired man, his red eyes never leaving the other man's face. "I sense a thirst for more adventures in your mind right now. Have you already had certain plan to do?"
"I'd like to return to Hogwarts either tomorrow or the day after."
"You are going back to Hogwarts? I personally don't see the need to do so. Besides, Dumbledore might have tightened the security."
"Yes, but where there is a will, there is a way. I might be able to gather more interesting information, and Metatron is lonely without me." He absently swept his fringe from his forehead and said, "Well, my Lord, Lucius will be here soon. I suppose you'd like to interview him in private, wouldn't you?"
"You may leave if you want to. I know you cannot stand being in the same room with Lucius for long, and vice-versa."
The grey-haired man smiled, revealing a dimple on his left cheek, before he bowed and turned around. He halted on the doorway as Lord Voldemort called, "Tell me what makes you so eager to return to Hogwarts, Fabriel."
The man named Fabriel smiled wider than before. His striking azure eyes twinkled with dark mischief and he replied, "The Valentine's Day."
TBC
A/N time, though I doubt people still remember what they'd written in their reviews…
--- Für Viridiana: Hugs you back, and thanks for being the first one who asked for update in 2006. For me, there is no such thing as stupid theory. Who knows that anything you mentioned can serve as my inspiration:-D
--- Für Sara: Ciao, Sara. Now you've got answers to two of your questions. And I think I've kind of hinted at what made Voldemort interested in Draco. It's as if I'd been writing this chapter exclusively to satisfy your curiosity ;-)
--- Für VRENDA-SAN: Love your suggestion, and I was particularly thrilled reading that "a little more of angst is always appreciated" :-)
--- Für Euphory: Oh no, there goes my dream of writing an unforgettable story… ;-) It would be great if you want to get reacquainted with this fic.
--- Für NATWEST: I'll try writing more soul-searing kisses, though they might not be up to your expectation. However, I don't plan for any baby in the future. Hehee… sorry.
--- And marlee, the idea of sex-fiend!Draco and dismayed Snape sent me ROFL. I thank you for that, and for loving this piece of crap even after such a long time.