Thank you to ALL my reviewers and to ALL my readers!
Disclaimer: see previous chapter.
Thank you to Merlin, GoldenSunnyGrl, and Malombra for being such great BETA'S.
AU.
ENJOY!
CHAPTER NINE
Draco loved the town of Aspen, Colorado so much that he had decided to stay. That had been almost two years ago. He now had a nice quiet job in a library that though was boring, helped pass the time. He had learned to ski, though not very well, and he had made a few friends. He was not altogether happy but he was content.
He was a squib. He had never been able to use magic since that night but he could feel it in him. He would pass it on to his children if he ever decided to have any. He somehow doubted he would.
He sat at his desk at the back of the library going over the books. He sighed as he pushed a stray lock of long blond hair behind his ear, it seemed another book fair was in order, damn he hated book fairs. It was three in the afternoon and time for him to go home. He put up his paperwork and with a brief nod to Sam, the old helper, he headed down the snow covered street to his small apartment to get ready to go out with his friends.
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Two minutes after he had left, the door to the library opened and a man entered. He looked around and seeing Sam gave him a slow nod. He walked around until he found a book he wanted to get and then he made his way to the check-out counter.
"Afternoon, sir." Sam said in his gruff voice a leftover from a bout of cancer last year.
"Good afternoon." The man said softly as he handed the book to Sam.
"First time here?" Sam asked as he rang up the purchase.
"Yes, this is quite the lovely town."
"You're from England or such, right?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
"My boss, Mr. Foy, sounds like you." Sam said. He missed the excited look that crossed the other man's face as he put the book into a bag.
"Oh, what part of England is he from?" The man politely enquired but there was a tenseness about his face.
"He don't talk about himself much but I know he's from around London." Sam said with a grin that revealed a few missing teeth.
"Is he here?"
"No, he's left for the day. Won't be back for two days. It's his weekend off." Sam said with a grin. "He's probably going to go skiing again, break his leg like last time, and be off his feet for a few weeks. Or he'll go out, get drunk, and have a hangover all week. It's usually a toss up between the two."
The man laughed with him and took the bag when it was handed over to him. "Thank you."
"No problem, Mr. Weasley, enjoy your stay here."
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Draco cursed his hair. He loved it here but the environment played havoc on his hair. He had let it grow so that it now was just touching his shoulders. He kept it pulled back in a ponytail while he was at the library but tonight he had wanted it hanging loose. For some reason he felt energized and somewhat antsy.
Turning from the mirror in disgust he stomped to his dresser and rummaged through the pile of hair bands there. He scowled when his hand choose a silver barrette. It was a beautiful barrette, the scrollwork on it was of Celtic design. Harry had given it to him.
Cursing the fates again he grabbed the barrette and stomped back to the bathroom. Of course, the barrette matched his outfit, so being the fashion conscious young gay man that he was, he snarled and cursed again and pulled his hair back and fasted the barrette. This day had gone downhill since he had left the office.
He stepped back and admired his still lithe frame. The tight black cotton pants made his legs look slim and long, not to mention his arse looked fabulous in them. The silver short sleeved button up was the same color as his eyes. The black buttons and collar blended the outfit together.
Normally he dressed just a little bit more daring than this, leather pants and mesh shirts that barely covered his stomach, but, once again, something had him picking out this outfit. He sat on his couch and pulled on his favorite black boots and had just settled back with a glass of fine wine when the knocks came.
Grinning, he yelled 'enter!' and laughed as the door was flung open and his friends, Jennifer and Lee came running in followed closely by Caleb, Drew, and Joe. Jennifer and Lee ran to the couch and threw themselves next to Draco.
"Dray! Love! Let's Party!" Jennifer and Lee reminded him of the Weasley twins. The only way he could tell them apart was if they were sober, which they rarely were.
Caleb rolled his eyes at the pair as he took a seat. "Get a grip, you two."
Draco laughed at them all before getting up to get his jacket. He was still lost in his earlier thoughts and didn't notice Joe follow him until an arm wrapped around his waist and he was pulled back against a firm chest.
"Not going to say hi?" Was whispered into his ear.
Draco sighed, "hi, Joe," as he stepped foreword quickly, making the man behind him either let him go or fall.
A short grunt and Draco was turned around and pushed up against the wall with a body pressed up against his. "Why do you always play hard to get?"
Draco looked over the man in front of him and asked himself that very same question. Joe was a picture perfect male specimen. Dark blonde hair, blue eyes, fine chiseled features and a body to die for. And Draco was just not interested.
"I don't play, Joe. And frankly, I'm getting tired of telling you the same thing over and over. The answer is no. N. O. And it will always be no." Draco drawled as he pushed the other's hands away from him. He got his coat out of the closet and turned to see the lust filled look on Joe's face. Draco smirked and then rolled his eyes as he stepped around him.
"I'll have you, just wait and see." Joe whispered as he followed Draco back to the living room.
The walk to their favorite bar took only ten minutes and in that time Draco had to push Joe away three times. Finally, at his wits end, he turned to him and snapped, loudly, "will you leave me the fuck alone before I beat the piss out of you."
Without looking at any of his other friends he turned and walked away. The thought of having that man's hands on him made him shiver in disgust. He wasn't allowed, damn it! Draco pushed all thoughts of his past life out of his head as he walked.
"Dude, if I were you, I'd leave him alone." Caleb said before following the furious blonde. Everyone threw him disgusted looks before walking off after the other two.
The group waited in line tensely, not speaking to each other. After finding a table big enough for the group, drinks were ordered and a stilted conversation began.
Draco ignored the looks Joe was sending him and looked around the crowded bar. Maybe if he found someone for the night, Joe would leave him alone. Draco was a very popular man and he always had someone wanting to dance and play around with him. He had been with no one but Harry. He had yet to find someone who interested him enough to sleep with.
Not fifteen minutes after they sat down he was approached by someone to dance. He wasn't in the mood, anymore, but anything to get away from the tense atmosphere at the table. Ignoring the foul look Joe sent the man, Draco accepted the invitation.
He danced with the other blonde for three songs before excusing himself to go the restroom. He came out of the stall to see Joe standing at the sink glaring at him.
"For fuck's sake Joe! Drop it will you." Draco snarled as he stepped around the man.
Joe was standing there, arms across his chest, seething in anger and sexual frustration. "Dance with me?"
"No." Draco's said flatly.
"Why?"
"Because I don't like you, Joe. One of these days you will get that through your thick head and leave me alone." Draco said quietly as he turned to leave the restroom.
Suddenly he was thrust, face first, against the dirty wall. A voice hissed in his ear as he felt the erection pressing into his back. "Why the fuck must you play hard to get?"
As soon as Joe was done talking he started to nip at Draco's neck. Draco was being held very tightly against the wall and he was beginning to see spots. Joe had him held tight enough that the feeble attempts for him to move were ineffective. Feeling anger that he hadn't felt since the day he found out that Harry was alive rise in him, Draco managed to push the effects of not being able to breathe away as he struggled to move.
Joe jerked his head back by the hand he had tangled in his hair, exposing his throat. Draco snarled as he gasped for breath. He would not let this man win over him. He managed to get a hand between his chest and the wall and with a hard push and a stumbling step back he was able to get his arm up for better leverage.
Not caring anymore about the pain of Joe's grip on his hair, Draco ripped his head to the side at the same time he pushed with his trapped arm and brought a leg up behind the other man for a kick. Joe's grip loosened and Draco was able to move easier, he hit out with his elbow while turning and grazed Joe's chin with the end of his elbow. Not stopping at that he came around with a punch that laid the other man out on the cold bathroom floor.
Draco watched as Joe wiped the blood from his spilt lip and snarled, "if you ever touch me again I will kill you."
Joe went to get up and Draco put his foot on his chest and pushed down. "Don't get up."
Joe coughed and tried to get up again by pushing Draco's foot off of his chest. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"I said stay." Draco's voice was cold and he could see Joe hesitate before trying to get up again. Using the momentum from him pushing his foot away, Draco swung around and with a solid roundhouse kick to the jaw, left the other man, bleeding on the dirty bathroom floor without a glance back.
Draco made it back to the table, turning down offers on the way, and sat down with a sigh. Caleb gave him a questioning look and Draco just shook his head. Now, he just wanted to go home.
"Would you like to dance?" Came a faintly familiar voice from behind him.
"No, I-" Draco started to say as he turned to face the speaker. His voice cracked on an unmanly squeak and his jaw dropped. With wide, frightened eyes, he took in the man standing before him. He slowly stood up.
"Ron?" Draco croaked out of his suddenly dry throat. His gaze darted frantically around. Normally where you saw one you saw the other but Draco didn't see Harry anywhere.
"Bastard." Ron said in a deceptively calm voice. the anger in his eyes belied the calmness of his tone.
Draco's gaze snapped back to Ron and he took in the furious look. He nodded in agreement. He was a bastard. He said nothing in response to that as sometimes, there is no refuting the truth.
Long seconds passed before he tried to speak, "I-."
What the hell could he say anyway? He noticed the silence from his friends and he turned back to them. He sighed as he introduced the red head to everyone. With a look of impatience Ron cut short the introductions and taking Draco's elbow steered him to the dance floor. Ron stopped as far away from the pounding music as he could get and stood there angrily eyeing the other man.
"Why did you run?" Ron asked.
"Ron...it doesn't matter anymore." Draco said tiredly. He ignored looking directly at him, he didn't want to see the accusation in his eyes, he knew it was there and that was enough.
"Doesn't it?" Ron snapped. Draco shot him a confused glance.
"No, it doesn't. If you don't mind, I'll go back to my friends." Draco's voice had gone back to the emotionless tone of his school days and without waiting for an answer went to walk around Ron.
Ron reached out and placed a restraining hand on Draco's shoulder and the blonde couldn't take it any more. Between Joe's attack in the bathroom and the tension and fear of seeing Ron, his nerves were shot. He needed a stiff drink, now. He didn't look up to meet Ron's eyes he just whispered loud enough for him to hear the pain in his voice. "Please."
Ron let his hand fall and Draco stepped around him.
"He still loves you." Ron said loud enough for Draco to hear. Draco paused and felt his heart clench but did not acknowledge that he had heard him.
"I still love him, too." He whispered when he was sure that Ron couldn't hear. He somehow made it back to his seat and sat, staring at his drink, not even hearing his friends questions.
That night the nightmares came back. And so did the tears.
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Please, check out my new story entitled 'Fool'. I hope that you like it.
Thank you to ALL who read and I apologize for the long delay. I had a lot of trouble getting this out. I didn't realize how discouraged I had become until I would sit down to write. And couldn't.
To everyone who encouraged me to continue you do not know how great that made me feel.
Thank you,
Leah
ENJOY!
LMG