Tiger & Dragon

By loverstouch

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to J.K Rowling. The story is based on Rowling's work, but the plot of 'Tiger & Dragon' comes from my own sick brain.

Summary: In the summer after his fifth year Harry is taken from the Dursleys to live with the Malfoys. The next day the Daily Prophet's headline read 'Boy Who Lived Died In Death Eater Attack' …

Rating: R

This is my first "Slash" fanfiction and the first fic I have published at all, so please go easy on me.

The story begins in the summer after Harry's fifth year, which means yes; it is post OoTP, but has nothing to do with HBP.

I'd like to thank Draeconin for being the beta for my story. I'm really grateful for your help.

Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 17 – The Bet

The days until their departure to Hogwarts were uneventful, and September first drew nearer.

After Severus had left for Hogwarts, three days ago, Narcissa had stayed with them to spend a few more days with her beloved son. In those three days, she and Tiger had somewhat warmed up to each other and she had accepted him as 'whatever he is to Draco'.

They had a heart-to-heart conversation the day before the boys left for Hogwarts, and Narcissa had apologized for everything she had said about and to Tiger. She had asked him to write her once he was at school so that she could get to know him better. And she was looking forward to the days she'd spend with Severus at Hogwarts, where she hoped she could spend some time with Draco and Tiger, as well. When Tiger had given her a confused look, she'd smiled and explained.

"Did you really think Severus and I would see each other only on Christmas and summer break?"

"Well, I've never thought about a teacher's private life." 'Especially not Snape's', he nearly added, but stopped himself in time.

"Oh, I think I wouldn't want to do that either." Narcissa smiled. "The thought of-"

"Please, no; stop, Mrs. Malfoy," Tiger interrupted frantically. "Just the thought of Professor Snape kissing someone… someone other than me, that is" he added with a mischievous smirk.

"You know, that was quite a show, actually." Narcissa smiled at him. Tiger couldn't help but smile back.

"Well, you know, it just was too tempting. He was looking so horror-stricken just when he saw Draco and I…" Tiger trailed off when he realized what he was about to say. "Oh. I mean, I, eh, Draco and… Oh, bugger." He buried his head in his hands, and wished for the ground to swallow him, or for Voldemort to perform Avada Kedavra on him – whichever was the faster death. A suppressed giggle brought him out of his suicidal thoughts. When he looked up, he found Narcissa, face red, and tears of mirth running down her cheek, giggling madly behind her hands.

"Sorry," she apologized, regaining her composure, and smiling at Tiger merrily. "It's just that… Well, you are so bold to kiss a total stranger and provoke him afterwards," Tiger grew redder and redder with every word Narcissa spoke, "and you flirt with Draco openly on every possible opportunity, but you can't stand to talk about kissing your boyfriend with his mother."

At that last comment, all blood left Tiger's face, and he stared at Narcissa, shocked.

When Narcissa saw the look on his face, she smiled at him reassuringly. "Don't worry, Tiger. I know you aren't boyfriends." The word 'yet' hung unspoken between them. "It's just the easiest way to express it." Tiger let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, which caused Narcissa to laugh again. "You're really an incredible young man," she said, once she'd calmed down.

"Thank you." Tiger smiled a bit uneasy. There was a moment of silence in which Tiger debated with himself whether he should ask the question which was on his mind. In the end, he just blurted it out. "I've never imagined you so…" he trailed off, losing his bravery when he saw Narcissa's expectant expression.

"Straight-forward?" she presented.

"'Blunt' was what I had in mind. But yes, I think that's what you could call it."

"I'm sure you thought I must be some stuck-up, well-bred 'lady'."

"Something like that, yes."

"Well, I was raised to be the perfect little lady, wife to a respected rich pureblood, and all. But I still had fun in my life." At Tiger's questioning look, she continued. "Before I went to Hogwarts, my cousin Sirius and I…"

Tiger paled at the mention of his late godfather, but Narcissa didn't notice.

"…spent every free second together, and rummaged through the forest of my parents' estate, or pulled pranks on anyone who dared to near us. When we got caught it was always him who was punished, because a 'little lady' would never do something like smuggling snakes into dear Aunt Blacky's bed: oh, Sirius' mother hated it when I called her that," she remembered with a smile, "or steal grandfather's wand to transfigure every single toy of cousin Regulus' into white mice."

Tiger couldn't help but laugh out loud. He hadn't known that Sirius and Narcissa had been good friends, once. He'd always thought Andromeda was his godfather's favourite cousin. He concentrated on Narcissa again.

"It broke my heart when I had to stop being around him when he came to Hogwarts, when I became a second year."

At Tiger's unspoken question about why they had to stop seeing each other Narcissa explained

"He was sorted into Gryffindor, which was like betraying our family. The Black family is Slytherin. That's the way it has been ever since the Black family started going to Hogwarts. Sirius is the 'black sheep' of the Black family." Narcissa chuckled at her own joke, but she wasn't really amused. "I missed him dearly. We had been so close, and then it all stopped with one single word."

'Gryffindor,' Tiger thought.

But he was corrected when Narcissa said "Slytherin. I've never belonged in Slytherin. It was horrible. I had no friends in my year - just a few in the years below. But then in my fifth year, I was introduced to Lucius, a sixth year, and was told to marry him. I wasn't shocked about the arrangement. I knew my parents were looking for a husband for me, and Lucius was a really nice guy."

"But you didn't love him," Harry guessed.

"We went out a few times during my sixth year, and at the beginning of my seventh, when he was at home from his 'secret missions'. Later, I found out he was working for Voldemort. But we both felt that there wasn't more than friendship between us. Then during the Christmas break in my seventh year, I confessed to him that I was in love with Severus. I knew Lucius didn't love me, but I feared that he would prevent my being with Severus. But all Lucius did was kiss me on the cheek, and congratulate me for my luck. Later I learned that he hadn't had that much luck in his love life. His partner for over two years had left him when our marriage plans were published."

"Why didn't he explain that-"

"He tried, but didn't succeed. After all, in public we were the happiest couple. His partner wouldn't, or couldn't, believe him. He couldn't understand why Lucius would go through all that."

"You did it because you had to produce an heir."

"Yes. We married after my graduation, and I've lived with Lucius ever since. Severus moved in with us after he had a fight with his parents, because he didn't want to marry the girl his parents had picked for him. Lucius talked him into following Voldemort, because he thought it was a good thing."

They never heard the door to the room open, or see two blond figures enter.

"Lucius told me his reasons for why he'd joined the Dark Lord, and why he stayed with him afterwards," Tiger explained, when he saw how hard it was for Narcissa to speak about it. Thankfully Narcissa dropped the subject, and went on.

"Anyway, officially Lucius and I are married, of course, and nobody knows about our little arrangement. It took us three years to tell Lucius' father the truth. After I got pregnant, we told him that I was in a relationship with Severus. He only wanted to know whether my baby was Lucius', and when we told him that yes, it was his grandson or –daughter in my belly, he accepted the situation."

"He must have been a really great man."

"That he was."

They both turned around, and found Lucius and Draco approaching them. Lucius looked at his wife questioningly, and when he got a smile and a nod in return, he sat down beside her and laid an arm around her. Draco went up to Tiger and sat close beside him, but not really touching.

"You were talking about how we told my father about Severus?" Lucius asked his wife.

"I told Tiger how we arranged our lives after my graduation and our marriage." Narcissa smiled. "Would you like to hear more?" she asked Tiger.

"Please, Mrs, Malfoy."

"Call me Narcissa, dear."

"Please…Narcissa, tell me about Draco's youth. I saw the portrait of you three in the ancestor room; he seemed to be a really lively boy."

"Mum, no, please," Draco begged, but his mother just smiled and began her tale.

"Oh, he was unbearable, sometimes. There wasn't a passing day when he hadn't managed to discover a new secret passage in the manor, or a way to torment his nannies. But I just couldn't be angry with him. His big silver-blue eyes and his pouting lips were my undoing," she said, going into raptures, which caused Draco to bury his head in his hands.

"Mum, stop it," came his muffled protest.

"Oh, isn't he cute?" Tiger ruffled trough Draco's hair and smiled at the boy's parents. "I bet he was your 'little dragon'?" Tiger asked, with a mischievous smirk.

"Actually he was-"

"No, Dad, don't do that to me, please." Draco's head had snapped up immediately after Tiger's question, and he was now pleading with his parents to stop talking about him.

"He was our little prince," Narcissa finished, adopting her own Malfoy smirk, which wasn't all that threatening as compared Lucius' and Draco's, or even Tiger's.

"Oh, god, kill me. Please kill me right now." Draco's head fell back into his hands.

"Isn't he sweet?" Tiger laughed, while he stroked Draco's hair. "Little prince, eh?" he whispered in the blonde's ear.

"Bugger off," Draco responded trough his hands, which got Tiger into another fit of laugher.

"I don't think little princes are allowed to swear, young man," he scolded the blond.

Draco raised his head and glared at Tiger. "Don't you dare talk to anyone about this."

"Don't worry, Prince." Tiger smiled, when Draco flinched at the nickname. The black-haired boy leaned closer to the blond and whispered. "I just wanted to know whether you have any childhood related memories when I call you 'my Dragon'." Tiger's smile grew in a smirk when Draco blushed at this comment.

"Oh, god, I hate you," Draco cried out, and buried his face against Tiger's chest. Tiger just smiled, and put his arm around the blond to pull him closer. He lowered his head and whispered once again.

"No, you don't. And if your parents weren't watching us from the other couch, I would prove to you just how much you don't hate me."

A groan was Draco's only answer.

Tiger looked over to Lucius and Narcissa, who were smiling at him and their son. He remembered his previous conversation with Narcissa about whether he and Draco were boyfriends, and blushed slightly. He gave the two elder Malfoys a weak smile and buried his head in the crook of Draco's neck, when he heard them laughing mercilessly.

The rest of the evening was spent with some more stories from Lucius and Narcissa, and some more embarrassing moments for both boys; especially when Lucius stated that the couch was big enough, and the two needn't share the little space where they were sitting. And then some time later, after they had lain down in each other's arms, he had said, "You know, that wasn't what I meant when I said you could use the whole couch."

-------

The next morning at platform 9 ¾, Narcissa held Tiger back for a minute to talk to him once more. She apologized once more for her behaviour, and thanked him for their conversation the day before. She even gave him a kiss on the cheek, and said, "Promise to take care of my little prince," when she said goodbye.

Now Tiger was sitting in a compartment on his own, still caressing his cheek where Narcissa had kissed him. 'She trusts me' he mused.

"What is such a lovely creature doing here all alone?" An Irish voice brought him out of his thoughts. Tiger looked up and smiled, when he recognized the newcomers.

"Hi! I'm Tiger Ryan. You're Seamus Finnigan, right? And you must be Dean Thomas?" Dean and Seamus looked at each other, and then looked back at Tiger.

"That's right," Seamus answered, and sat across from him. "How do you know?"

"You were at Harry Potter's funeral. Ron and Hermione pointed you out to me."

"Then you must be the one who saved them from the Dementors?" Dean asked, and sat beside his best friend.

"Yeah, that's me," Tiger answered, somewhat apprehensive. He remembered the consequences that had for Lucius.

"You haven't answered my question." Seamus brought him back again, smiling curiously. "Why are you on your own? You said you know Ron and Hermione. Why aren't you sitting with them?"

"They're at the prefect's meeting, as is Draco, whom I'm waiting for."

"Malfoy?" The two boys exclaimed as one.

"Yes, of course. Draco Malfoy. Or is there another student with that name? I thought it was pretty rare," Tiger said, trying to lighten the mood.

"He's the only one; but why would you want to be with him, when you're friends with Ron and Hermione?"

"Does the one exclude itself from the other?" he asked, naively.

"Yes, of course."

"Why?"

"For one thing, he's a Slytherin, and we're Gryffindors."

"We're in the same house as Ron and Hermione, you should know," Dean explained.

"Then there is the fact that they have hated each other since day one, because Harry made friends with Ron, and not with Malfoy. And last but not least, he's a junior Death Eater."

"Are we telling fairytales again, Finnigan?"

Tiger smirked inwardly when he heard the familiar voice of Draco approach. He turned around to be faced with not only Draco, but also Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. He smiled brightly when he saw them all.

"Hermione, Ginny, Ron, nice to see you."

The three smiled at him, and entered the compartment to sit beside Seamus and Dean – Hermione on Ron's lap, and Ginny on Dean's, which didn't suit her brother at all.

"Boys, you've met Tiger Ryan?"

"Yeah," Seamus growled, not looking away from Draco. "He's a friend of Malfoy's."

"You must have a really bad reputation when no friend of yours would be accepted," Tiger joked, standing up and taking the few steps to stand beside Draco.

"What can I say?" Draco smiled at Tiger. "I have had to hold my nose high, to live up to my characterization as a junior Death Eater. Let's go find an empty compartment, where I can corrupt your innocent little heart."

"Is that a promise?" He smiled and followed Draco out of the compartment. At the door, he turned around again, and winked at Hermione and Ron. "See you at school," he said, as he closed the door and followed after Draco.

"Did Draco Malfoy just make a joke?" Seamus looked dumbstruck at the closed door, and Dean just nodded in disbelief.

"There is more to Draco Malfoy than we all know," Hermione said in her teacher's voice. "Maybe Tiger was a good influence on him."

-------

Tiger and Draco found an empty compartment at the very end of the train, after they'd stopped twice at other compartments; first at Blaise and the other sixth year Slytherin's, and then at a compartment full of first years, including Castor and Pollux Malfoy, Draco's twin cousins.

Now they were both lying on the seats and reading in some books. They enjoyed the train ride and the calm, but after a few hours of silence, Draco got bored, and sat up to look at Tiger, who was lying across from him.

"Let's do something; I'm bored," he whined.

"Go read a book, or torment the first years, but let me read this book," Tiger answered, without looking up from his book.

"You can read it whenever you want."

"That's why I'm reading it now."

"Oh come on; let's talk about something. Please?" His whining changed to wailing and his lower lip trembled heartrendingly.

"No," Tiger replied, still not looking at the blonde. But he had to fight to not smirk mischievously.

"Tiger, please?" Draco stood up from his seat and sat down beside Tiger, grabbing his book and pulling it down so that the other boy had to look at him. "Pretty please?"

"You know that this isn't fair: you're just too adorable to ignore." Tiger closed his eyes and sat up, shoving a beaming Draco off the seat.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"For beating me at my own game." He held out a hand and pulled Draco back up beside him. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know." Draco thought for a moment, then looked back at Tiger. "What House do you think you will be in?"

"I don't know what House the Sorting Hat will put me in."

"But what would you like to be put in - back to the Gryffindorks?"

"Don't say that."

"Sorry. So?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Ron and Hermione are there, after all." Tiger watched as Draco's smile subsided. He smirked inwardly, and went on. "Or maybe into Huffelpuff. I've found that their loyalty is really great. But Ravenclaw is more likely. After all, all the books I'm reading lately, and all." By now Draco had turned away from Draco and looked down at his lap. "What's wrong, Draco?" Tiger asked naively.

"Nothing. Go on. What about Slythierin?" he asked, without looking up.

"I don't think so." Draco's head snapped up at that comment but he lowered it again when Tiger continued. "I can't think about anything that connects me to Slytherin." That was too much. Draco stood up and turned to the door.

"I have to go for a walk. My legs are totally stiff."

Draco had his left hand at the doorknob, when Tiger grabbed his right wrist and pulled him around so that they were standing face to face. But Draco didn't look up at him. Only when Tiger put a finger under his chin and softly pushed his head up did he look at him. His eyes were a bit glassy.

"Do you really think I want to be anywhere but where you are?" Tiger asked softly, stroking Draco's cheek with a thumb. "Even if I hadn't promised your mother to take care of her little prince," Draco groaned at that comment, "I would still want to be with you." He paused and smiled at Draco, who smiled back. When the blond opened his mouth to reply, Tiger went on. "Anyway, who would influence you with kindness if I weren't around you?" Now he smirked again, and Draco scowled.

"Don't do that," Draco said, and put a finger over the other's mouth.

"Make me," Tiger mouthed against his finger, and his smirk grew.

Draco didn't wait to think about what he was doing, and took his finger away to replace it with his lips. He still felt Tiger smirking against his lips so he wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss.

Startled, Tiger gasped, and now it was Draco's turn to smirk against Tiger's lips. But the dark haired boy didn't mind at all. He put his arms around the blonde's shoulder and caressed his neck tenderly with his thumbs. Tiger parted his lips slightly, and licked his tongue softly over Draco's lips, begging for entrance – which the blond granted immediately.

"Do you know how sexy you two look when you're doing that?"

The two boys sprang apart, and turned around to find Blaise Zabini standing in the compartment door, already clothed in his school uniform. Tiger blushed and ducked behind Draco, who glared at Blaise.

"What are you doing here, Zabini?" He demanded to know, his tone really angry.

"I just wanted to say that we're nearly there. You two should get changed in your uniforms."

"Thanks… not." Draco said, and rummaged in his bag for his uniform. He put it over his Muggle clothes, and sat back down on the seat, Blaise beside him. Tiger sat opposite of them, but he hadn't changed.

"Should we leave so that you can get changed?" Blaise asked, irritated.

"No. I won't wear my robes tonight."

"What?" They both exclaimed at once.

"I said I won't-"

"We heard what you said," Draco interrupted him.

"But why?" Blaise asked.

„Because I like my Muggle clothes better than robes. I like it when they cling to my body, and everyone can see it," Tiger replied. Absentmindedly, his hand wandered up and down his chest.

"Stop it this instant, Tiger," Draco exclaimed, and put a hand over Blaise' eyes, who had been following Tiger's every move with his gaze.

"Can you do that again?" Blaise asked after he had freed himself from Draco. But when he saw Draco glaring at him, he backed off. "Never mind."

"Tiger, you can't wear Muggle clothes at Hogwarts. Not at the Welcoming Feast, at least. On weekends you might do it, but in classes and at official meals we have to wear our uniform. That's the dress code at Hogwarts."

"I'll just say I didn't know," Tiger said, uninterested.

"Tiger, you'll get into trouble," Blaise tried to explain.

"I'll explain to them why I don't want to wear my robes. I think they will understand."

"Sev will kill you." Draco said.

"He might try, but he won't succeed." Tiger smiled.

"You can't be serious." Blaise gasped.

"Don't you have any faith in me, Draco?" Tiger's voice quivered and his eyes filled with tears. He sat down beside Draco and looked him deep in the eyes.

"Don't play this game with me, Tiger Ryan." Draco stood up, and sat opposite of the other two.

"Who wants to play a game?" Tiger asked naively, standing up and sitting beside Draco once again.

"You, obviously." Draco, too, stood up again, and sat back down in his previous seat. "The game 'how to get myself detention on my very first day at Hogwarts.' They'll make you wear the robes."

"Then I will wear Muggle clothes the next day again."

Their game continued. With every new comment, they switched seats. Blaise watched them, fascinated.

"And they will punish you again."

"Let's see who has more patience."

"I'll bet you won't last a week."

"You'll bet?" Tiger asked curiously, halting on his way to sit beside Draco.

"I'll bet," Draco answered, standing up and facing Tiger. He didn't miss the mischievous glint in Tiger's eyes.

"What are the conditions?" Blaise asked all of a sudden, and the two boys look at him as if they'd just noticed he was still there. "What?" he asked innocently. "Someone has to supervise your bet." He took a piece of parchment out of his pocket, and tipped his wand to it once. "So, what are the conditions?"

Tiger and Draco looked at each other, then the blond spoke, never breaking eye-contact with the other boy.

"I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, bet that Tiger Emerald Ryan won't last a week on his rebellious trip where he insists on wearing Muggle clothes at Hogwarts between classes, at meals and any other official gathering where uniforms are required." Every spoken word appeared on the parchment Blaise was holding, as if written with an invisible quill. When Draco didn't continue, Tiger spoke.

"I, Tiger Emerald Ryan, accept the bet, but to make it more interesting, I insist on prolonging the deadline until Halloween Eve." Again, every word appeared on the parchment. When Tiger stopped, Draco spoke again.

"I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, accept the change of date."

Now it was Blaise' turn, as he sealed the bet. "I, Blaise Sebastian Zabini, will supervise the bet and its outcome, and will look after keeping the conditions, which are:"

There was a moment of silence in which both Tiger and Draco thought about a possible stake.

After a while, Draco smirked at Tiger and spoke. "Remember our last bet?" When Tiger didn't answer right away, he continued. "You had to do whatever I wanted." Tiger nodded slowly when realisation hit him, and Draco addressed the parchment once again. "I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, say the conditions for the bet will be that the loser will be the winners slave for one week."

Tiger swallowed hard, before he nodded. "I, Tiger Emerald Ryan, accept the stake, and add that there will be no exceptions. The winner will have the right to do whatever he pleases to the loser."

Now it was Draco's turn to swallow, but he accepted nevertheless.

Blaise, who had gone terribly red while the other two had spoken, ended the charm, duplicated the parchment, and gave both boys a sealed copy.

The train stopped, and Draco and Tiger looked at each other once again.

"Let the game begin."

-------

Upon arriving at Hogwarts, Tiger, Draco and Blaise entered the Entrance Hall, and were stopped short by a stern voice.

"Mr. Ryan." Tiger turned around, and saw Professor McGonagall walking up to them. "I'm Professor McGonagall," she introduced herself to Tiger. "You will follow me, and I will take you to a room were you can wait until it is time for your sorting."

Tiger nodded, and smiled at Draco and Blaise before he followed the Transfiguration teacher. On his way, he saw Hermione, Ron, and the others who were in their compartment. Ron smiled at him, and Hermione reminded him to get changed before he entered the Great Hall.

Tiger just smiled at her and continued on his way, which he assumed might lead him to the little room connected to the Great Hall, where he had to go after his name had been pulled out of the Goblet of Fire in his – no, Harry's - fourth year.

When they entered, McGonagall turned to him. "Wait here until I come to get you. I assume you will change in your school uniform before you are to be sorted?"

Tiger just smiled at the deputy Headmistress.

"Thank you, Professor. I'll wait here then until you come to get me."

"Very well." If she had noticed that Tiger hadn't answered her question, she didn't comment on it. She went back to the door, followed by Tiger, who opened it for her.

"Thank you, Mr. Ryan. Please make yourself at home while I'm gone. It will take a while, because I have to bring the First Years to the Great Hall first, and supervise their sorting as well."

"Thank you again, Professor," Tiger said as he smiled kindly.

"You're welcome, Mr. Ryan," she said before she left, her face just a shade more red than usual.

-------

Nearly an hour later, McGonagall came back to take Tiger into the Great Hall.

The black haired boy had waited patiently for her to come back. He had talk with some of the portraits, especially with Violet and the Fat Lady from the Gryffindor Portrait who was visiting her friend. The three chatted for a while, and Tiger turned on his old charm. The two women at once took him in their hearts, which was exactly what Tiger had hoped to achieve: one never knows when such a connection could come in handy.

When he had heard McGonagall enter the Great Hall with the First Years, he had eavesdropped on the door. There was a bit of chaos when Malfoy, Castor was called forward, and the sorting hat wouldn't put him in a house because he wasn't who he pretended to be.

For a moment Tiger feared he wouldn't get through the sorting when the Sorting Hat recognized him, but when he continued listening to what happened in the Great Hall, he found out what had caused the trouble. Obviously the twins had switched places, and the Sorting Hat had noticed it.

There was some murmuring and laughing, and the sorting only continued when Dumbledore had asked for the students to be quiet. After that, both twins had been sorted into Slytherin.

When the sorting was over, Tiger heard Dumbledore speak, and announce the new Defence Against The Dark Arts Professor, Remus Lupin. The Hall erupted into applause, which continued on for several minutes. After that, Dumbledore told them that there would be one more sorting that day. That was the moment when Tiger went back to his armchair, and waited for McGonagall to come get him.

"Mr. Ryan, it is time," she said, without really looking at him.

Slowly Tiger stood up from his chair, and walked over to the door. Only when McGonagall was about to reopen the door to let him into the Great Hall did she notice that he wasn't wearing his uniform.

"Why aren't you wearing your uniform?" she asked, a bit irritated.

"Oh." Tiger looked down at himself as if a bit surprised. "I must have forgotten to change. I'm sorry, Professor, I'll just get…" He was about to go back to the chair when they heard Professor Dumbledore call his name.

"There is no time for it, now. Let's go."

"But Professor, what about-" Tiger said, smirking to himself inside.

"I'm afraid you'll have to present yourself in your Muggle clothes. Now come along, Mr. Ryan."

Smiling to himself, Tiger left the room behind Professor McGonagall, and entered the Great Hall.

The Room went totally quiet for a second when the students saw him. A few gasps and murmurs, followed by some catcalls, and one particular comment replaced the silence.

"Bite me, Tiger!" Blaise growled seductively, which earned him a slap on the back of the head from Draco, which again caused everyone to laugh.

Smiling, Tiger walked in front of the students and sat down on the stool. McGonagall put the Hat on his head, and for the first time, it didn't drop over the eyes of a 'new' student. Tiger held his breath when the hat began to speak.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? That's interesting."

'Draco is hot! Draco is hot! Draco is hot! Draco is hot!' Tiger repeated in his head. He wasn't sure whether the hat would recognize him, and to not give it any opportunity to, he tried to think about nothing related to Harry Potter.

"Naughty thoughts, Mr. Ryan."

Tiger let out his breath, and relaxed a bit after hearing his name.

"Hey, I can't help myself. Look at him, he is hot." He smirked and looked at Draco, who was sitting with Blaise and the other sixth years at the Slytherin table. As if the hat really did look at Draco, it straightened itself and turned for a moment towards the blond. When Tiger felt it settle back on his head, he saw the blond looking at him questioningly. It didn't help at all when Tiger began to laugh out loud when the hat answered that, indeed, Draco was hot.

"Anyway, on with it." The hat continued. "Like I said you're a very interesting person, Mr. Ryan; loyal like a Hufflepuff, studious like a Ravenclaw, brave like a Gryffindor, and cunning like a Slytherin. I ought to put you in all of the four houses, but that is neither possible nor what you want, am I right?"

"Remember, 'There's nothing hidden in your head the Sorting Hat can't see'," Tiger stated a line from the hat's song – which had also been in its song in Harry's first year.

"Right you are Mr. Ryan. Well then, there is nothing more for me to say, than…"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Thank you."

Smiling, Tiger stood up and took the hat from his head. He handed it to McGonagall and smiled at the Head Table, catching a bemused-looking Dumbledore, a smiling Remus, and a slightly angry Snape looking at him, before he turned to walk down to the Slytherin table. On his way there, he looked at the Gryffindor table and saw Ron, Hermione, and their year mates whispering to each another. When he sat down at the Slytherin table beside Draco, the blond looked at him questioningly.

"What?" Tiger asked, amused.

"What took you so long? Why was the hat looking at me?"

"We had a little chat about you." He smiled innocently.

"I beg your pardon?"

"We talked about you. I was thinking about how hot you are, and after examining you, the Hat agreed." Tiger's smile grew, when he noticed Draco blushing.

"…" Draco wanted to respond, but Dumbledore stood up once again, and gave his yearly warnings: and then the food arrived. While Draco was eating silently, Tiger bent over and whispered in his ear.

"You really are hot, you know." Nearly choking on his food, Draco glared at Tiger but then lowered his head back down when he saw those terribly seductive eyes gleaming at him and blushed in a nice Weasley red.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

A/N – That's it for now. What do you think?