Chapter 3 -- Always away from you

Draco sighed heavily, laying in the empty bed. The sheets beside him were still messy, the pillow still holding the indent of another's head. And that other was now in the shower, still yelling at him. He closed his eyes.

"- and if you hadn't been such an ass about this all, daddy would've let us have the boat or whatever it's called. I don't see why you two are always bickering, it does you no good." The woman stepped out from behind the door, steam rolling out behind here. Water still ran down her, and Draco had to admit that her presence in his bed was more then enough for putting up with her father.

"Darling, he's the one who starts it. And what good is a boat? You don't even like water." He was now propped up on his elbow, one arm lounging lazily on his side. "Come back to bed, and I'll make it up to you." He gave a small smirk.

Her green eyes flickered back to him, and she shook her hair, water droplets spraying. Letting the towel fall, she moved over onto the bed like he'd suggested. Laying cuddled up to him, she mumbled into his chest, her kisses following the words. "That's not the point."

Green Eyes, he thought listlessly to himself, falling back against the pillows as she crawled over him. Green... His brow furrowed lightly as he tried to remember where he kept getting that thought from. His slight noise of dismissal was soon turned into a gasp though as Lindsey slid a hand under the blankets.

Screw green eyes. He had this green eyed, blonde beauty here. Green Eyes was years ago, and long gone... or so he thought.

.

Harry laid in the dark. He was staying with Dannie, and currently laying in the dark of night. The clock next to him ticked merrily – that is until Harry picked it up and threw it against the wall. Dannie didn't rouse, or at least make a move towards the room, because the door remained closed. And now Harry sat, propped up on his elbow. Two am. Snape had always said lonely people loved the night. And that nightmares loved lonely people. Harry growled lowly. Everything came back to Snape, Sirius, Draco, Ron, Hermione, Hogwarts. His entire life had circled around that, and he hated it. Hated it with a passion... And now..? Now he'd been dragged right back into it. Rubbing his forehead, he leaned back, the clock laying on the other side of the room now.

And the memories! The stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid memories... So he lay there, thinking over and over about how stupid things just really were, pitying himself, wallowing in it. Though in his mind, he had all reason to believe that he was in the right. Things had always been plotted against him in fate, and he'd always needed to keep an upper hand... Sometimes he wished he could just roll over and die.

But... It seemed fame wasn't everything. Groaning one last time, he squeezed his eyes closed. Tomorrow, they were going to Diagon Alley. Well, he was. Dannie would probably go to, knowing him. He'd been ecstatic to get back into the city, and had been bouncing off the walls practically since they first stepped foot into the house.

And so on that note, Harry drifted... and fell asleep. Or as asleep as one with such heave thoughts could get.

.

"Potter!" Draco's voice had been surprised. Hell, Harry had been surprised. In the back of his mind, he nodded to himself in confirmation. He'd made the move. He'd kissed Draco.

He'd carried himself into it. Though Draco hadn't stopped him. The rushed kiss before had brought on another, and a few more. Harry let his thoughts drift along that line of thought for a moment... Draco had such wonderful lips – and his hair had been soft, a little grown out, but still.

So Harry had sat, Draco leaning over after Harry had pulled him down. He didn't know where the hell the rush of it all had come from, but he'd suddenly wanted to very badly just... touch Draco. In general, mind you. He wasn't thinking of doing all that they ended up doing that night.

In the years after, he'd blamed it on Hermione. After seeing her and Ron like that – well, he was distraught. He'd naturally wanted something to cling onto. And seeing Draco in a state worse then his had clicked something. Or so he tried to think. He thought it might be something more, but he was Harry Potter. He was the boy who had most of the girls falling over him in his 6th and 7th year, and even after that.

But no. Then Draco was reacting to him. He knew that wasn't a figment of his imagination. Draco had pulled him down, rather roughly, and kissed him. Yes. Draco Malfoy had kissed Harry Potter... And Harry liked it. It was rough, sloppy – and just what he'd needed. And then they'd walked. They'd moved, and they'd left, and they clung to each other for dear life...

.

"No!" Harry bolted awake, the sheets twirled around his legs from his tossing and turning. The sun was shining in the windows, slanting on the end of the bed. The sky was blue, a pure beautiful sea of aqua that danced. And Harry was sick. Sobs came then, from everything combined.

He didn't want to remember what he and Draco had done. He didn't want to remember his parents, or Hermione, or Ron or Draco! Bloody hell, what was he, 18 again? The sobs kept coming though, and his legs were bent, folded in a bit, the sheets preventing him from moving anymore. Harry kept wiping his eyes, his knuckles brushing over the tears, trying to push them away.

But God, it felt good to cry.

Dannie stood in the door, watching Harry cry. His lips were pursed together as he moved and at sat on the edge of the bed. An arm slunk around Harry's shoulder, and Harry leaned in. "We-we didn't mean to..." The choking sobs had stopped, though a few tears had made it past Harry's motions, and now sat on his cheeks, making him even more pitiful. Yes, Harry could be pitiful.

And then he was aware that he was indeed laying pressed up against Dannie. And Dannie's hand patted his shoulder before he pulled away. "Sorry, mate. Maybe if I didn't have a wife." He smiled lightly, though almost seemed intimidated as he pulled the door closed behind him.

Harry blinked as Dannie left. Well, that was unexpected, he thought to himself as he looked at the clothing he'd basically dropped on the floor the previous night. Great. Now Dannie thought Harry was gay. But who didn't these days? Slamming back against the pillow, he wiped his eyes again. That's what he got for crying randomly.

Randomly. Yes. Denial was good. Staring at the ceiling, he sighed, trying to breathe through his nose. "Today, is going to be a long day."

.

Green Eyes. Yes, that's what he'd been thinking of. In the stupor of the after-sex blank all around feeling, he could see the image again. Green Eyes... Glasses? Yes. There'd been glasses... And long, dark eyelashes... Yes... Yawning, Draco rubbed Lindsey's back as he looked out the window. He had to go to Diagon Alley today... He was feeling all sentimental towards Lindsey, and he knew just which chocolates she liked.

Pushing Green Eyes and the mystery that surrounded her, he drifted off to sleep. He'd gone through many women. Some had escaped him. Green Eyes was one of them. Though it wouldn't take long for him to remember... He always did have a rather good memory.

So with a smile on his face, Draco lulled off again, nodding to himself.

A rather good memory indeed.

.

Harry entered the store with caution. The last time he'd been in this store, he'd almost been eaten alive by a pair of socks. Not fun, he noted. "Allo? Anyone in here?"

And then there was Fred and George. One of them, Harry wasn't sure which, one had stepped out first, and the other had soon followed, shoving the other over a bit. "Move it, ye oaf." The one shoving growled, before looking up. His face lots enthusiasm as he realized that it wasn't who he'd been looking for. But soon a confused glance was given. "George – is that Harry?"

"It'd seem so Fred!" Said the other, both of them catching onto excitement.

"Well, that's just-"

"dandy." Cut off George. They were both smiling now. Odd, Harry thought. He'd never remembered just how annoying they could be. But maybe it was just his pissy mood kicking in. He couldn't be sure. "Yeah... So how's business going?" Harry finally asked.

They both grinned and replied at the same time, "Great!"

"Oh, and there's this new store across the way – absolutely divine."

"Right."

Harry just blinked. He'd lost track of which was which already. Shaking his head, he just asked a simple question. "Have either of you seen Dra – I mean Malfoy – as of late?"

At his question, both of the boys pondered for a second, then replied, "Nope."

From there, one of them started speaking quickly. "I'm Fred, Harry, so don't get all confused and a blank look again." Smirking as George chuckled and picked up an exploding chocolate from beside him on a shelf, looking over to the door. As another customer walked in, George slunk off, bellowing out, "Welcome to Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes! Tricks, pranks, and other things to love and cherish..."

Fred looked back to Harry, shrugging lightly. "Anyway, that new store, ya know? It's got sisters running it! George is drooling over the older one, but I like the younger one. She's much nicer." And at that, Fred blushed. Yes, a full out creeping blush that started at his neck, and hit his cheeks and nose, where only a few freckles remained. "Added bonus, it's a candy shop. Got lots of sweets they hadn't even dreamed of when we was younger." Fred grinned, thinking more so of the girl then of the candy that they sold.

Harry nodded, brow furrowed. Perhaps he'd go check it out... He'd always been fond of wizard candy. "Yeah... Thank's mate. I'll see ya around then." Harry backed out, almost stumbling over a pair of monster slippers, and worked his way out of the shop. He never knew that investing that money into them would start such a fiasco. Shaking his head, he looked down the street. Yes – there was a new shop. And from the looks of it, there was a lot of business going into it at the moment.

Walking down the street, he ignored the glances. A few women stopped to stare, and Harry blushed. It wasn't their attention he was vying for today though. He could only hope his plain jacket and slacks would've made him a bit more... the norm.

It appeared they didn't.

.

Draco looked over the chocolates that the woman had presented. Lindsey was fond of just about anything chocolate, though the hazelnut sprinkled ones were always something she could appreciate. Nodding to the woman, he stated simply, "I'll take a dozen box." After that he continued browsing along the store as she prepared the package. It was easy and simple to have them wrapped too, which saved Draco quite a bit of work. He never was one for wrapping.

Paying the girl his dues, he nodded, a small smile of thanks, and then he was walking towards the door. There was a lot of business today. Most likely for a holiday of some sort that Draco never took care to notice. Yes, that was probably it. Looking down to put the box in his coat pocket, he fumbled a bit, and knocked into someone.

Glancing up as he gave a rough, "Sorry," he stood for a second, blinking. He was no more then two feet out the door, when he was suddenly looking into a pair of green eyes. The long eyelashes were there – the glasses. And the scar, yes. and the light dappling of freckles that had faded with age.

"Draco?" A stuttering voice sounded, and Draco looked down. Potter. Harry Potter was standing there, looking at him. Their even height made no difference for their stare's, though Harry's was probably more so leaning towards scared. Blinking a couple more times, Draco opened his mouth, then closed it without saying anything. And it all came back.

.

He'd been pressing against Harry. They were in some random corridor which Draco would be able to find with his feet only if he was there. But yes – that's it. And those green eyes had been staring up at him, hungry for something. And Draco had wanted to stop that hunger – for that small amount of time. It'd been him pressing at Harry's neck with his lips then, since Harry had become passive.

Draco didn't bother asking anything. He just did it. Maybe that's what ticked him. Maybe. He was used to passive women. Women? Harry was hardly a woman, and that was showing. His fingers danced quite differently across his skin then someone other then Pansy.

But no – he'd been weak. He'd been caught at a moment of despair. In that sense, he'd loved his mother. In that way that he'd yell at her, she'd call him a spoiled brat, and life would move on. But when she died, he had a hole left in him. He thought it odd. But he'd still lost something. She'd been there for him, when she got in her sappy moods. Which wasn't often.

She was gone though, and Potter was there. And he couldn't help himself. Even when Harry had given him the chance to stop, he hadn't. He'd just pressed him harder, moved his hands further along, and shoved their little fling right along.

A fling. That's all it had been.

.

"Watch it, Potter." Draco replied gruffly, moving past Harry before he could see the denial that had sunk into his eyes. Green Eyes... Draco ignored that side of his thoughts and kept walking, at a lazy pace, as though seeing Potter had done nothing more then interrupt his path. And maybe the source of an upset stomach. Though not that good kind when you're looking at someone you'd like to screw randomly. More like that kind when you learn that your parents screw while you're home type. Which wasn't a good thing in Draco's book.

Harry watched Draco go, his mouth still open. He didn't know what to do. He'd never expected to run into him so soon, and if he did – he wasn't expecting such a cold refute. Swallowing back his urge to call out to him, and follow him, tackle him at that – Harry turned away and walked into the candy store. Fine then, he thought to himself. If nothing mattered to Draco about Harry, well, he could equal that. Harry was good at games. He'd cheated a prophecy of death, cheated love, and many things. He could out do Draco.

.

Draco walked into the empty house then, slamming the door behind him. Lindsey wouldn't be back for a while. She'd gone shopping with some of the girl's, and for that, Draco was grateful. Growling to himself, he tossed the box of chocolates onto the table, watching as they slid a bit. As he made his way up to main bedroom, he grumbled to himself in his mind.

Potter was nothing to him, and he knew that. He didn't get butterflies, or swoon over him in any way like that. That one day in the hallway had been an accident. He'd dubbed it that from the beginning, and that's what it would stay as.

Flopping onto the bed, the sheets still rumpled and in a general disarray under him, he let his elbow rest over his eyes. What he needed was just plain sleep. Then maybe he could stop thinking about Green Eyes. For soon his own Green Eyes would be home, and he could screw away, and not have to think about Harry again. Bollucks! Potter, not Harry! Potter, Potter, Potter... These thoughts lined Draco's mind as he finally drifted into sleep.

He might be able to straighten his thoughts out, but his dreams were fresh and anew, awoken by the sight of the one who always starred in them.

A/N: So, there's chapter 3. I know, it's kinda jumpy and switches from points to flash back, to present pretty rapidly. I think it's pretty damn easy to follow though. Or at least I hope it is. If it isn't, tell me, and I'll start adding more obvious things. I think from here on, Harry will start getting a little less whiney... - It's time for him to accept reality.

Nick: Hehe, here ya go, minion. Content for another day or so?
Starting Anew: Glad you like it !
Rebel: Indeed, you got a cookie. And here's a bit of a longer chapter to make up for that short annoying one. xX;