hey all! hope you enjoy this chapter, that i wrote under the influence of a lot of wine. Its got a little light comedy aspect cause I thought i was being a little depressing, plus, the next chapter will be draco meeting his dad so thats not likely to be a barrel of laughs is it?
Emerald raven: thats one long assed review you gave me, lol. I dont advise trying to make faces at Draco, he might try and hex you... heres another chapter, enjoy!
slushie blue: lol, thanks for your review, heres another chapter!
Peaceful Angel: then listen to music with no words! thanks for your review, hope you like this chapter.
Al-Behd-Rikku: little star is in the middle of being re written, just cause i was 13 when i was writing that and I think its a bit sucky, good plot, just not well written. thanks for reviewing I hope you continue to like this fic, ill update you about little star soon!
CDW: Lol, sev is cool in this, yeah! Sev ismy best mates fave character in the books so he is especialy cool for her. here is some more, please enjoy.
Eliora: yes, sour skittles indeed rock, and anderson sucks. enjoy the chapter
Crowley Black: very cliche indeed but still good to hear, thanks for reviewing!
Black Majik: Sometimes I truly worry about you, but then i remember you are from Walker Drive, so you are bound to me a little mad. love you xxx
Isa: this is what happens next, I hope you like!
Jen-Red-Robe: indeed this is the first chapter you havnt read yet! I hope you like it xxx
And to everyone else, I hope you enjoy the chapter, even if you dont review
Poisoned letters 8
Vanilla.
Draco had been standing outside the Gryffindor house for just over half an hour before he spotted one of the in mates.
"Hey, hey you, girlie!"
The girl turned to look at him, one foot into the painting, "who me?"
"Yes you, could you let Ginny Weasly know that the Duck man is here to see her and that he is very sorry and would like to cleanse her soul's weary feet."
"Erm, ok…"
The Girl, called Emily Tranwit, ran into the common room and up the stairs to the fifth year girl's dormitory, barely able to catch her breath she knocked timidly on the strong wooden door.
"Yes?"
Emily entered to find only Ginny herself in the room. "Em, excuse me, But Draco Malfoys down stairs, he wants to see you so he can wash your feet…and something about ducks…or something like that"
"Right, thank you."
Ginny got up and swung her dressing gown onto her shoulders and made for the stairs.
Draco was counting backwards from 100 to calm his nerves when Ginny showed at the door. "What is it? Some wee first year says you've come to wash my feet."
"What?" Draco frowned "No Iv come to cleanse your soul… If you'll let me that is."
"Draco stop talking in riddles, why are you here?"
"To ask if you'll be friends again? I'm sorry I'm such an arse sometimes Gin-gin, I'm just a moody cow…"
Ginny folded her arms, and raised her eyebrows at him "there was no need in how you spoke to me and David earlier."
" I know and I m sorry…"
"But then, there was no need in the way I spoke to you, I'm sorry Draco, I never meant to sound so insensitive, its just, I have no way to know how you feel just now.
"There's not many who can, but one of the boys in this house does. Can I come in, Ginny, I want to apologise to Pott… Harry."
Ginny noticed the difficulty Draco had with calling him Harry, and gave him a look, before standing aside to give him room to enter.
As Draco strode confidently into the room, three first years that were yet to go to bed let out a shrill shriek and ran up the stairs. Ron Hermione and Harry all turned towards where the first years had sent fevered looks of fear.
"What the…bloody hell?" said Ron, standing up suddenly and knocking a disgruntled Hermione off of him.
"Ginny, control your gimp." Draco said, sounding bored; at Ron's deepening angry look he added, "chill out bitch, I'm not here to see you."
"Ginny doesn't want to speak to you." Ron spat, she told us how you spoke to her earlier, and if you think-"
"Oh shut up, she does want to speak to me, piss face, because unlike you, I can string two sentences together, and don't talk out of my ass 24/7"
"Your just lucky my sister likes you, or I swear I would-"
"What? Cry?" Draco Smirked, "or would you just tell your Daddy?"
"At least I have a 'Daddy' to tell, you insufferable rat faced prick, and I think-"
Hermione suddenly kicked him, "shut up Ron, no one cares what you think."
Ron was about to have a go at her too, when he saw she wasn't looking at him, but Malfoy. Turning back to look at Draco he saw the boys eyes had gone blank, and the smirk that was usually plastered on his face had melted away.
"Jesus…. I'm sorry, that was… That was really harsh…are you ok?"
"Oh yes, I'm fanbloodytastic." Draco snapped, turning his face away from the group on the sofa, Ginny gave Ron a look that could kill a giant. Ron suddenly felt very, very ashamed of himself.
"I'm really sorry, what can I do to take it back?"
"Hit yourself. Hard. In the face."
"What?"
"Do it, hit yourself in the face" Draco was grinning now, but the smile wasn't reaching his eyes. It seemed to put Ron at ease however, and the boy sat back down on the sofa with a bump.
"Actually, I came to apologise to Po..Harry. You know, for smacking you earlier. Bit out of line, sorry and all that. Shouldn't have taken it out on you…" Draco was obsessively pulling strings out of his jumper, and looking anywhere but at Harry. Damn it was hard to apologise; especially to Harry, it wasn't natural.
Harry shrugged, "you had a kind of reason… even if it wasn't all my fault… and you cut my face."
"Did I? How?" Draco gave him a puzzled look.
"Well, we're not sure, but I do have the Malfoy family crest imprinted in my face."
"Ah, I see." Draco grinned sheepishly, "It could have been worse, it could have been, say, a butterfly."
"Do you actually own a butterfly ring?"
"I could do."
"Well", Hermione cleared her throat, "come and sit down then. Tea?"
"Uum, no. Vodka?" Draco said hopefully. Ginny gave him a stern look.
"No Draco, no more Vodka, bad."
Draco let his head hang down. "Aww… firewhisky?"
"NO DRACO!"
"A drop of sherry, perhaps?"
"DRACO!"
"Its not my fault I'm a raging alcoholic!" Draco said, pouting, and throwing himself down next to Harry, he tried to whisper very quietly that he would like rum in his tea, but Ginny caught him.
"I heard that! Listen, Me and David are bloody sick of having to put you to bed EVERY night, do you know how long it takes to unlace those BLOODY boots of yours? DO YOU?"
"GIN, THEY HAVE ZIPPERS!" Draco paused, "do you have any gin?"
Ginny shook her head, "I give up, fine, drink yourself into an early grave but-"
"Thank you." Said Draco, lifting up one trouser leg and detaching a flask from a strap around his leg. The group gave him a look, "oh I'm sorry, would you like some?"
Ron narrowed his eyes, "What is it?"
"Pinacolada."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"IF YOU LIKE PINACOLADAS! AND GETTING CAUGHT IN THE-"
"Shut up shut up SHUT UP!"
Hermione couldn't take any more singing, it had been two hours since Draco had poured Ron a drink, and he hadn't stopped pouring since.
"Why? Why hasn't that flask emptied?" she cried desperately
"Is a bottomless fask, It'll NEVER EMPTY!" Draco shouted with a drunken slur, falling over, even though he was already sitting on the floor. "I shoe go to bed, is very late, an Weasly… I mean RONALD'S hair, is binding me."
Draco attempted to stand up, and fell straight back down again. "How did I get dow here?" he asked, more to himself than any one else.
"Jush push me ow the fat woooooman… and I'll get to bed… 'Ventually.
"Oh come on Draco, its far too late for you to go through the corridors now, if Flitch catches you your dead" Ginny said, frowning and biting at her lower lip, a look that usually got her anything she wanted. Draco raised an eyebrow at her, telling her that the look wasn't going to work this time.
"Yeah I know tha, but Im not seeping on sofa, can you imagine for ONE minute the chaos in the mornin' when 500 Gryffindorks find the so called "prince of Slytherin" gettin' some booty seep on their seating area? I'd be killed...KILLED" He spun around to emphasise his murder, and fell back down, "Hello again carpet!"
"He's got a fair point you know" Ron said, kicking his feet up onto the table between the two couches and missing "If I came down stairs and found a sleeping Slytherin, I'd kill them."
"I'd like to see you try." Mumbled Draco into the carpet.
"Well then he'll have to sleep in your dormitory then wont he?" Hermione said, the glint in her eye showing that she already sensed her boyfriends reaction.
"WHAT? NO WAY" Ron and Draco shouted at the same time, before giving each other a look that could kill a dragon, Draco turned to Hermione and said scathingly "an I suppose we shall jus' snuggle up together and swap stories about boys and share teddy bears and all will be fine and dandy, yes?"
"Well your not snuggling up to me that's for sure"
"Aw Weasle-ee I is disappointed, I thought we were getting sooooo close... was going to ask you to be my date for the ball and everything." Draco said his voice dripping with very drunken sarcasm.
"Shut up, ferret boy." snapped Ron, throwing one of the plumped up pillows at him.
"Oh no, not an insult that's almost two years old! Please, stop it Weasly, you're hurting my feelings!"
"Barbie doll"
"Ginger face"
"Nancy boy"
"Closet gay"
Harry caught the pillow that had been going back and forth like a tennis ball "Enough! Enough already, he can share with me; just stop with the half assed insults! Im tired and I want to SLEEP"
Draco pouted under his extremely tousled hair "but he called me a barb-"
"Enough! You two are not allowed to talk to each other for the rest of the night
"Oh the pain"
"The torture."
"Right come on, Ron get up, Draco… wait a minute, stay there" Harry said, helping Ron up onto his feet.
"no problem." Said Draco, lying back down.
"Now Ron, go upstairs quietly, then wake up the guys and tell them Malfoy's staying, or they'll freak in the morning."
"Right you are, captain!" Ron saluted him before stumbling over to the stair well and running up it, making more noise than a wild rhinoceros.
"Right, ok, Draco?" Harry kneeled down beside him, Draco grinned and prodded Harry's nose
"BEEP"
"Yes, quite, now Draco listen, I'm going to lift you up, ok? And carry you up the stairs, cause I don't think you can walk-"
"No, YOU can't walk"
"-So you've got to help me a bit, ok?"
"Ok, but your not allowed to drop me, even if it would be funny"
"Ok, I promise not to drop you." Harry grabbed Draco around his waist and painstakingly slowly managed to get Draco up in a fireman's lift, "you ok Draco?"
"The only thing I can see is your ARSE!"
"Im going to take that as a yes, right, night night Ginny, Hermione."
"Take care of Ron and Draco, ok?" asked Ginny, she looked miserable, and had in fact, looked miserable since Draco had brought up drink.
"Is he always like this then?" asked Hermione, watching as Draco tried to pull Harry's belt off.
"No… well yes, increasingly it's the only way he can get any sleep, you see, he has these…"
"Nightmares?"
Ginny frowned, "yeah. How do you know that?"
"Doesn't matter, come on, time for bed, Its almost two in the morning."
Harry made for the stairs, Draco started counting every stair they climbed, and then started laughing.
"What?"
"If a year ago, or even six months ago, someone said that you would be carrying Draco Malfoy up to your dorm room to throw him down on your bed, what would you have said?"
Harry gave a small smile, "I wouldn't have said anything. I would have hit them."
Malfoy laughed, no, giggled, and Harry felt his heart skip a beat, then shook that wicked thought out of his head, the thought that told him that he could make Draco make that noise again tonight.
Where the hell had that come from?
When Harry and Draco entered they found all of the boys up, in dressing gowns, and ready to attack.
"We thought maybe Ron was having a laugh, but obviously we were wrong," Dean said, narrowing his eyes, "why under God is he here?"
"Because Ron and Draco decided they could out-drink each other, and they did, but then they kept drinking, so now we have to look after this", He slapped Draco's thigh, "and that." He pointed to Ron."
"Oh for Gods sake." Dean threw his arms up and stormed back to bed.
"Um, is he ok?" asked Neville timidly.
"Neville, my friend, I have never been better" Said an upside down Draco. Harry had forgotten for a minute he was there, Draco may even have been lighter than his school bag…
"Alright Draco, I'm going to put you down now ok? Don't fall"
"Don't you tell me what to do!"
Once Draco was finally the right way round the other boy's could see what kind of a state he was in, he smiled sheepishly and gave them a little wave. "Harry, where's the bathroom? I shoe go throw up"
Harry pointed to the door of the bathroom and Draco stumbled off, as the door closed behind him, Seamus widened his eyes "well, would you look at the state of that?"
"Hey" Harry whisperd, "leave him, he's had a shit day."
"And so turning to alcoholism is of course, the best option."
"You should understand, Seamus, you're Irish."
"HEY!"
A few minutes later Draco emerged from the bathroom, looking a little better, "I used the green tooth brush, I washed it and stuff, just thought I ought to tell you."
"That's my one," said Neville quietly.
"Oh, ok, sorry. Nice colour choice though. Well Harry, I'm in drastic need of some pj's… and a obliviate charm…"
"Why?" asked Seamus.
"So I don't remember what an arse I made of myself tonight." Draco grinned, "Do you think I can just say I was under the imperio curse…."
"We won't tell if you don't." laughed Harry, "ummm, I think the only other pyjamas iv got are like, twenty times to short for me, so they wont fit you."
Draco smiled, "let me show you something" Draco sat down on one of the beds, and started to unzip his boots, kicking them off he stood up and to Harrys surprise, barely came up to the boys chin, "hello up there" grinned Draco
"Damn you're short."
"Why thank you, now, pj's?"
Harry dived into his trunk to look for them, and brought out a pair of blue and white striped pyjamas.
"Nice, " said Draco, taking them into the bathroom, "and not cliché at all."
Harry had just got ready for bed when Draco came out; the pyjamas were even a little long for him.
"Which side of the bed is yours?"
"What?"
"What side do you sleep on?"
Harry had a think, "I don't know, I just spread out… just get in the bed."
"Ooh, forceful," Draco fluttered heavily made up lashes, "I like it."
"Shut up, drunkard."
In bed, Harry couldn't help to think how weird this all was, this morning he had seen Draco in tears, then in the afternoon he'd been bitch slapped by him, this evening he had sat and watched him get steaming drunk, and now he was in bed with the boy.
"This is weird," voiced Draco, "well, night night Harry, sweet dreams, if you try anything I warn you I know Tai Chi.
"Do you even know what Tai Chi is?"
"I know that I'm deadly at it."
Harry grinned into his pillow, "Ok, Ill try keep my wandering hands off you then." He lowered his voice" god forbid you should breath me to death"
"What?"
"Nighty night Draco."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Its was five am and everyone in the castle was asleep, in a tower in the west of the castle, two boys lay sleeping, having identical dreams, stirring in his sleep, the blond boy moved in closer to the raven haired on, his face turned upwards, the dark haired boy smiled, lent down and kissed him softly on the lips. In the morning, this dream would not be remembered.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! FOR THE LAST TIME WILL YOU PLEASE, PLEASE WAKE UP!"
The whole of Gryffindor sixth year were unsuccessfully trying to wake up Draco Malfoy, they had been trying for the last half hour, Neville had been kicked in the stomach, and Dean had just missed what would have been a very nasty upper cut, just then, Ginny entered the room, looking a little flustered, "I'm SO sorry! I forgot to tell you how to get him up!"
"GINNY! We have been trying to shift him for half an hour!" Ron shouted at his little sister, then held onto his head and groaned, "please just get him to wake up, ok?"
Ginny leaned over Draco, "this is what me and David learned after staying over with him a couple of times, this is what Draco's alarm sounds like" she brought her want up to her throat, muttered a spell that Harry recognised as a voice changing charm he learnt in fourth year and shouted in Draco's ear.
"DRACO MARVELO RUPERT XAVIER LUCIFER MALFOY, GET UP OUT OF YOUR PIT NOW OR SO HELP ME I WILL BEAT YOU WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE!"
It was Draco's Mother's voice, and Draco was up in a flash.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm up I swear- "He opened his eyes and saw Ginny, "you utter bitch! I almost died of a heart attack!"
"Yes well, you've got to get up, class is in an hour."
"Oh right. Thanks." Draco shook his head as if to clear away the sleep, and got up, "Ill go shower then…"
He walked through into the bathroom and all five boys turned to Ginny.
"What? I would get up too if it was that woman telling me to."
The boys shrugged and Ginny stood back up.
"Ginny… why is Draco so frightened of his mother?" Asked Harry frowning.
Ginny paused, looked as if she was going to say something, then stopped, as she walked towards the door, she turned and said "have you ever noticed that Draco always smells of vanilla?" then she left.
"Now what kind of freaky assed comment is that to make?" said Dean as he checked his hair one last time in the mirror, "I'm going to breakfast, see you cats there."
"Wait a minute, I'll come to, need to find my cloak" once he had found it, Seamus and Dean left to go to breakfast. Neville shifted uncomfortably.
"I know what she meant." He said, "But I don't think I should tell you, it's not fair." With that, Neville turned to go.
Ron looked at his retreating back with a puzzled look, "well I'm ready, want to go to breakfast?"
"Naw, I think we should wait for Draco, in case some fellow housemates try to jump him in the common room."
"Aw, but I'm hungry! Oh all right, but if we miss breakfast I'm going to continually prod you throughout first period."
The boys waited for almost another half hour for Draco to come out of the shower before Ron lost his temper, "I'm going in there to tell him to HURRY THE FUCK UP!"
Ron slammed the bathroom door open and went to storm in when he stopped, frozen on the spot, Draco's head snapped up and a look of panic rushed into his face. They stood, looking at each other, for what seemed like the longest five seconds of their lives, before Harry came in to see what was wrong.
With a towel wrapped around his too skinny waist, Draco was applying liberal amounts of some sort of lotion to his arms, chest, legs and was attempting to get it on his back; the whole room stank of vanilla. But it wasn't this that had stopped Ron, or had forced Harry to turn away violently in anger.
It was the cuts. The deep and angry looking red lines that criss-crossed over Draco's body, the bites and the burns and the bruises, and it couldn't have been any clearer who had administrated them, because etched across his back was the one word, 'Betrayer.'
"Please don't look at me like that." Draco broke the silence suddenly, "please, anything but that, Hate me, or laugh at me, or pretend I don't exist, just don't pity me."
He was talking to Ron, who had a look in his eyes Harry had never seen before, because when you had a best friend who got as jealous as Ron did, you hardly ever saw him feeling sorry for anyone but himself.
"Please don't stop hating me, you're the only thing that hasn't changed this year."
Draco's voice was quieter than even a whisper, and Harry couldn't stand it, he almost whished Draco had just become a death eater, he wished he could hate him, but seeing the wreck of a boy in front of him, he couldn't find the strength.
Without saying a word, Ron stepped over, and taking a handful of the vanilla smelling lotion out of the small tub beside Draco, began to smooth it all over Draco's back, the smaller boy shivered, and Harry watched the Goosebumps appear then fade away as he got used to the cold feeling.
He always smells of vanilla.
So that's what that sweet smell had been last night, hidden under the harsh aroma of cigarettes and alcohol, Harry had lain awake, staring at Draco, wondering what it was in the boys features to have made him so truly fascinating, now he knew, it was that undeniable sadness that was reflected in every curve, every contour, every smile and every strand of silvery hair.
Harry turned around, walked out of the room, and went down to breakfast.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Harry sat down to breakfast, his head swarmed with images, Draco sneering at him the year before, Draco the bully, Draco the outcast, Draco laughing and joking with David and Ginny, Draco angry and screaming on top of him, hating him, Draco the scared little boy, Draco drunk and helpless lying on the floor, Draco begging, Draco crying…
Then last night, in a strange dream where he hadn't been happy, or sad, but contented, and lying on greener than green grass, his hair like sun light spilling on to it, he could remember nothing else from the dream but that image, the first time he'd ever seen Draco looking… peaceful.
Ron and Draco were in the great hall 15 minutes later, Draco went over to see David, and Ron plonked himself down between Harry and Hermione.
"What happened after I left, what did you talk about?" Harry whispered, so Hermione wouldn't over hear.
"We didn't. We didn't talk." Ron replied blankly
That was all Ron would say about the incident. The only trace that it had ever taken place was a faint smell of vanilla.
ok, so it wasnt all cheer, but i hope you liked, also, skarla has put up PoIsOnEd LeTtErS on her site and has very kindly said i can put up some art work of poison there, which i will do once my scanner gets fixed, my point is, if any of you like to draw, I would love it if you felt like doing a drawing to go with my fic, and ill put it up on skarlas site.
cheers!
El
xxx