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 22 – reconciliation
It took Tiger two weeks to get Draco to totally forgive him for his behaviour on Sunday. In front of everyone else, the blond was his typical sneering and charming self - always considering whom he was with, of course - but when they were alone he always had a biting comment for Tiger. They still slept in the same bed, though, and Tiger still made Draco leave hurriedly to the bathroom every morning. He even put more effort into his little 'morning cuddling' than usual to get on Draco's good side again, but other than that, there was no physical contact between them in any way. Draco didn't even wait up for Tiger to come back from his 'detentions' with Snape. Only when Draco fell asleep in the common room on the second Thursday after their fight, did things change again.
Tiger didn't hesitate for a second before he closed the book the blond had been reading, put it to the side, and picked the boy up in his arms, carrying him to their dorm. He magically unclothed the two of them down to their boxers and lay them down on Draco's bed, the blond still cradled close to him. Ever since their fight it had been Tiger who had laid in Draco's arms, but tonight the blond shifted even closer to Tiger when they lay down. Softly stroking the other boy's back, Tiger hoped that would be a sign that Draco had forgiven him for good.
-------
The blond boy had forgiven Tiger after that night, but there still was something between them that Tiger couldn't name.
"One good thing came out of all this after all," Tiger mused while he sat in Defense Against The Dark Arts watching Remus ignore him for all he was worth. "My problems with Draco have been a good distraction from my problems with Remus."
The two hadn't spoken more than a few words in the last two weeks. Every time Tiger tried to talk to Remus, the werewolf had another excuse why he had no time for Tiger to visit, or even to talk for a few minutes. Tiger had even gone so far as to get detention from Remus to get time to speak to him, but when the boy had come to the Defence classroom, he had found that it wasn't Remus that was supervising the detention, but Filch. Fortunately, his Professor had already given him an essay to write so that Filch could not make him clean anything.
Yesterday Remus had avoided him once again, but this time Tiger was determined to speak to his professor and friend. The moment the last student left after the class ended, Tiger waved his wand at the door, speaking a locking and silencing charm over it.
"We have to talk," he said to Remus, without looking at him.
"I know," came the direct answer. Surprised, Tiger looked up at the front of the classroom to find Remus sitting at the edge of his desk. He was already looking at him.
" You're not going to try to escape?" Tiger wondered.
"If you've just this much of your mother," he held the thumb and forefinger of his right hand a few inches apart from each other, "then you won't leave me alone until we've talked this through."
"You're right. I won't." Tiger stood up and went to the front of the room, sitting down opposite of Remus on one of the student's desks. "Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked softly, not wanting Remus to shy away again.
"Because it hurts to remember," Remus answered in a whispered voice.
"To remember what? It can't be because of the diary. You told me that you wanted to read it the moment Ron and Hermione gave it to you."
"No, it's not because of Sirius' diary."
"Then what is… Did that have something to do with Narcissa and Lucius?" Tiger asked, when he remembered what had happened just before Remus had thrown him out of his rooms two weeks ago. He didn't miss the slight flinch in Remus' features when he had mentioned the Malfoy's names. "That's it, isn't it?"
Remus didn't answer but lowered his head.
That was all the answer Tiger needed. "What happened?"
"We had a few disagreements in the past. That's all I can tell you."
Tiger wanted to urge Remus to continue to speak, but he resisted his curiosity because he realised that it was a topic that really didn't concern him.
"If I promise not to ask about the Malfoys, may I come visit you again? Maybe we could talk sometimes and read Sirius' diary."
"Of course you can come. I'm sorry that I refused you the opportunity to read the book."
"Thanks." Tiger smiled at Remus just as there was a knock on the door.
"Are we alright again?" Remus asked, only removing the charms from the door when Tiger nodded.
"Enter," he called out to whoever was standing outside.
The door opened, and Draco peered in. "Sorry to interrupt, but there are a bunch of annoying Fifth Years waiting to be taught. Oh, and by the way; I'd like to have this young man back, if you are finished." Draco pointed at Tiger, smirking at both of them.
"Take him away. He can be really persistent, if he wants."
"Hey!" Tiger turned to Remus with a fake hurt look, but his eyes gave him away.
"Come on," Draco said, grabbing Tiger's hand and led him out of the room.
"Goodbye, Professor," he called.
"Goodbye Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Ryan." Remus smiled at them, and the two boys left the room.
"You've kissed and made up, I presume?" Draco asked, as they headed for their next class, still holding Tiger's hand.
"We made up." Tiger stopped all of a sudden, tightened his grip on Draco's hand, and pulled his arm back.
Draco stumbled closer, but Tiger stepped aside and swirled the blond around. With a small "Ow!" Draco's back hit the wall.
Tiger took a step forward so that he was only inches away from Draco. "But we didn't kiss. There is just one pair of lips I want to be placed on mine," he said softly. His breath against Draco's lips made the blond shiver. "Do you want to know who I'm talking about?" He moved closer, so that Draco felt every spoken word against his lips.
"Yes," Draco mouthed, unable to make his voice work, and not daring to nod for fear of losing the tender touch against his lips.
"Seamus," Tiger said joyfully, and took a step back.
"What?" Draco asked, hurt.
"How are you?"
"Fine, thanks," Seamus answered, then he turned to Draco.
"Hello, Malfoy."
"Finnigan." Draco nodded, his Malfoy mask already fully in place again.
"Tiger, tell me, what were you two up to, anyway?" Seamus asked Tiger, ignoring the blond boy.
"I thought it was obvious," Draco retorted, glaring at Seamus, who glared right back.
"Let's walk together to class. I'm sure Professor Snape won't be too harsh with you if you enter with us." Tiger hooked one arm under Seamus', who smiled at Draco triumphantly, and with his other hand he grabbed Draco's again, and the three walked down to the dungeons.
Draco smirked at the angry look Seamus shot at him, swinging his and Tiger's clasped hands just enough for Seamus to see them with every step they took.
Before they entered the Potions classroom, Tiger pulled both his hands back, and turned to Draco. "It's you," he said, and placed a quick kiss on Draco's lips before he entered the classroom.
The two remaining boys looked at each other.
"You won," Seamus stated, a bit disappointed.
"It wasn't a game," Draco answered angrily.
"Then I think it's for the best how it came out. I promise I won't interfere." Seamus followed Tiger through the door, leaving a dumbstruck Slytherin behind.
"Mr. Malfoy; if you'd please?" Snape stood at the door and watched Draco as he entered the room, and sat down beside Tiger. "At last," Snape sneered. "That will be five points from Gryffindor for being late, Mr. Finnegan. Now get to work," the potions master said, before he turned and went to his desk.
Tiger gave Seamus a sympathetic smile before he started his potion of the day.
-------
After class, Draco and Tiger went out of the castle, to the lake.
"Finnigan said he would back off," Draco said, as they sat down in the grass.
"Back off from what?" Tiger asked, confused.
"From hitting on you. He said I won."
"He… you… what?" Tiger jumped up and glared angrily down at the blond. "What did he mean 'you won'? Don't tell me you've bet over me, or something."
"No, no, no." Draco stood up too, and tried to calm Tiger down. "I would never bet on something like that."
"Then what did he mean by that?"
"I don't know. Honestly," Draco added, when Tiger snorted sceptically. "I would never do anything that would hurt your feelings. I really don't know what Finnigan meant by that. Ask him yourself. I swear I wouldn't hurt you in such a way, ever. You're far too important for me to risk what we have."
Draco's declaration calmed Tiger down' "You're sweet," Tiger said with a smile, and kissed Draco's cheek. "Our friendship means a lot to me, too." He sat back down on the grass, feigning ignorance to Draco's disappointed look.
Getting his feelings under control, Draco sat down too, and turned to Tiger. "Are you going to the beginning of the year party on Saturday in the Slytherin common room?"
"Are you sure it will work this time?" Tiger asked, as he remembered the last week's 'punishment' and why the party had to be postponed. "What did you offer the twins to get them to not damage the common room again?"
"Let's say that we had a little agreement within the family."
"You bribed them," Tiger exclaimed, mock shocked.
"Damn right," Draco answered proudly.
Shaking his head amusedly, Tiger said, "I wanted to visit Remus Saturday afternoon, after our wandless magic lesson, but I promise I will come by eventually," he added, when he saw Draco's disappointed look.
Immediately the blond's face lit up. "Do you prefer anything; butterbeer, firewhisky, chocolate, chips in any particular flavour?"
"I like white chocolate," Tiger said, as he leant closer to Draco, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I like it when that pale candy melts on my tongue when I lick it. Or when I wrap my lips around the sweet piece and pull it in and out, sucking on it, and tasting the flavour all around in my mouth." By now Tiger was leaning over Draco, one leg on either side, not touching, supporting himself on his elbows.
The blond was lying flat in the grass, his gaze locked on Tiger's lips.
"What else?" he whispered, as if in trance.
"I also like burning berries. I love the feeling of something hot on my tongue." He licked his lips seductively. Draco moaned softly at the sight. "All that, I would wash down with wish-flavoured beer: after all that licking and sucking, I need something strong and salty to complete the taste
Draco was biting his lip by the time Tiger had finished. He had closed his eyes, and was obviously fighting not to pounce on the other boy here and now.
"Draco, are you all right?" Tiger asked worriedly. He sat back on his heels; mere inches above Draco's groin, and looked down at the blond. "You're all sweaty, and you're breathing as if you've been running for hours. Should I take you to the hospital wing?"
"No," Draco groaned. "I'm alright."
"Are you sure?" Tiger smirked.
"Quite." Draco growled and shoved Tiger off of himself and stood up on unsteady feet. "You're the most evil person I've ever met, Tiger Ryan." He glared down at the smirking boy.
"Don't be mean to me, Dragon." Tiger pouted, but his eyes betrayed his act of innocence. He was about to stand up, but Draco shoved him again, and he landed back on his bottom. "Hey!"
"Go to hell!" Draco said, and stormed off. There was a smile in his voice, though, which reassured Tiger that the blond wasn't too angry.
"But what would you do without me?" Tiger asked. He got to his feet and followed the blond.
"I would live in peace and satisfaction."
"Your right hand would hurt with time," Tiger said, provoking him.
"I'm left-handed," Draco countered coolly. He was halfway back to the castle when Tiger caught up with him. They walked on, side by side.
"What about the cuddling?"
"I'd buy myself a teddybear." He smirked at the boy beside him.
"And the kissing?" Tiger stepped in front of Draco, effectively stopping the blond. "What about the kissing?" he asked again, with a sweet smile on his lips.
Draco seemed to think about it for a while before he answered. "That's not good enough to put up with your constant teasing." He stepped around the dumb-stricken, dark-haired boy, and continued on his way to the castle.
"I'll show you 'not good enough'," Tiger growled, when he had recovered from the shock. He ran after the blond, and tackled him to the ground.
"Ah!" Surprised, Draco landed flat on his stomach, Tiger landing on top of him.
"What was that for?" he asked. But the only answer he got was Tiger turning him around, and attacking his lips in a mind blowing kiss.
After two minutes or so, Tiger released Draco's lips, and sat back on his heels - this time pressing down on Draco's groin. He looked down at the blond, and smiled.
"Was it worth it?"
"Lead the way. Hell, I'm coming."
Laughing, Tiger lay down on Draco and whispered in his ear. "Not here, I hope, or you'd have to explain to your godfather why your robes are all wet and sticky."
"What?" Draco looked confusedly at Tiger, then he followed Tiger's gaze, and saw his godfather and Professor McGonagall staring down at them.
"Sev."
"Mr. Malfoy; Mr. Ryan," Snape sneered at them. McGonagall looked in another direction, looking a bit flushed.
Draco shoved Tiger off of him, and jumped to his feet. Tiger stood slowly and smiled sweetly at Snape.
"Hello, Professor. We just wanted to get some fresh air."
"That I saw, Mr. Ryan. What a nuisance that lessons started again ten minutes ago."
Shit."
"Language, Mr. Malfoy." McGonagall found her voice again.
"Sorry, Professor."
Snape looked Draco up and down. "Draco, go in and make yourself presentable again," he said, before he turned to Tiger.
Blushing, Draco went into the castle.
"You, Mr. Ryan," Snape said to the dark haired boy, "have the pleasure of visiting my office for an extra hour of detention tonight."
"Yes, sir." Tiger lowered his head, seemingly ashamed, but smiling to himself for not really being punished, because he stayed longer than one hour with Snape anyway.
"Off with you, then."
"Yes, sir," Tiger replied.
"Good day, Professor McGonagall," he added.
"Good day, Mr. Ryan."
Tiger walked the first metres to the entrance of the castle slowly before he began to run when he heard McGonagall mention that Snape hadn't taken any points from the boys.
-------
"I don't understand!" Draco exclaimed, defeated, throwing his hands in the air. He watched in amazement as the cushion he was supposed to levitate flew up in the air, hitting the ceiling, and falling back down, right on Tiger's head.
"Hey. What was that for?" He asked mock hurt as he rubbed his head.
"Ha! I did it! It works!"
"Yeah, but do you really want to have to get angry every time you want to use wandless magic?" Remus asked amusedly. It was their first wandless magic class, and Remus was teaching them, or trying, in Draco's case, to levitate things without their wands.
"You don't seem surprised that it worked after all, Professor."
"Draco, I told you to call me Remus while in private lessons."
"Should I let you two alone for your private lesson?" Tiger teased.
"Very funny, Harry."
"Tiger."
"Sorry. It's really hard for me, you know. As a werewolf, I identify people mostly by their smell. And yours says that you are Harry Potter."
"I know, Remus, but it is really important that you learn to call me 'Tiger'. It isn't only me who would be in danger if the secret came out, but also Draco, Narcissa, and especially Lucius would be at great risk. If Voldemort finds out, he'd put two and two together and work out that Lucius is spying for Dumbledore."
"Tiger." Draco looked at him, shocked that the boy had revealed his father's secret.
"Don't worry, Draco," Tiger reassured him, "nobody can hear us in here with the privacy spells up."
"But," the blond nodded towards Remus while the older man wasn't looking.
Tiger followed Draco's head movements and smiled. "Remus knows. And he wouldn't say anything. He wouldn't betray Dumbledore's trust. Even…" He stopped himself before he could say too much.
"Even?" Draco prompted.
"Nothing," Tiger answered. He looked at Remus, who pleaded with his eyes for Tiger not to tell.
Remus smiled, relieved, when Tiger didn't went on.
"To answer your question, Draco," Remus said, effectively bringing the conversation off of the topic, "I wasn't surprised when your wandless magic worked when you were angry. Magic depends on emotions; especially wandless magic. If your emotions rise to a drastic height, positive or negative, your magic becomes hard to handle. You were still lucky with the outcome. It normally would have exploded, or something like that."
"But how did Tiger manage it?"
"Because I know how to handle it," Tiger whispered in Draco's ear, as he passed him on his way to the window.
Draco shivered when he felt Tiger's breath against his skin.
Remus watched the two boys with a sad smile, remembering his own…
'No,' he told himself 'Don't think about it. It's in the past. You have no reason to act like that. It was a good time, but what did you expect - to live happily ever after with…?'
"Remus?"
The werewolf startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and looked at a concerned Harry - 'No, Tiger.'
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine." He smiled faintly. "I think that's enough for today. Practice the levitating, and opening and closing doors for next week." He turned, and began to clean up the room.
"Goodbye, Remus."
"Goodbye, Draco," he answered, without looking around. He sighed in relief when he heard the door close.
"Are you really all right?"
"Goddamn it, Tiger!" Remus jumped around startled.
"Sorry." Tiger smiled sheepishly, and started to help Remus clean up.
Remus returned the smile, and went back to work. "I'm fine," he said eventually. "I just remembered something from my own youth that made me sad."
"What was it?"
"Don't be offended, Tiger, but I think you will learn enough about my schooldays from Sirius' diary, that you can let me keep this secret."
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to…"
"No need to apologize," Remus said, as he replaced the last chair in his classroom. "Shall we, then?" he asked, and opened the door for Tiger.
Excited, but also a bit nervous, Tiger exited the room to go to Remus' private chambers.
-------
They had been talking for a while about Tiger's schoolwork and life at Hogwarts, when Remus went to his desk to get Sirius' diary. He gave it to Tiger, and the boy looked at it for a few minutes before he opened it to the first page.
Taking a deep breath, Tiger began to read to himself.
'Dear Harry,
Happy 17th Birthday. I've started writing this journal - it's not a diary because I'm not a girl - when you left Grimmauld Place for your fifth year. There is so much I wanted to tell you, and so little time, that I decided to write it all down.
Originally I wanted to give it to you for Christmas already. But I had so much more to write still, that I decided to give it to you for your birthday.
In this journal you will find all kind of stories about the Marauders and our schooltime in general.
I tried to write it chronologically. It is mostly a summary of our schooldays, but sometimes I switch because there was something I remembered, and wanted to write down immediately.
There is nothing too personal in this book, so you can share it with your friends. And maybe with Remy. I think old Moony could use a few memory-refreshments sometimes.
I have one request, though. I want you to read the journal for yourself first, because there are some topics that you should decide for yourself whether to share, or speak to the person involved about it, before anyone else reads it.
If you have any questions, or want to know more, come to me and I'll tell you everything you want to know.
Once again, Happy Birthday
Love,
Sirius'
As he finished the last sentence, Tiger had tears running down his cheeks.
Remus lay an arm around his shoulder, and pulled him close.
"I miss him so much."
"I know. I miss him, too." Remus held Tiger until his tears had stopped, and the boy had calmed down. Tiger's head lay in Remus lap. He was paging through the book, now.
"Would you read to me?" Tiger asked, in a small voice.
"But Sirius wrote that. You should read it for yourself, first."
"I know you're dieing to read it. I doubt there is anything in there that you didn't already know; at least on the first pages, which are about how you met." He held the journal up to Remus, and the werewolf took it.
"Are you really sure?" Remus asked once again, as he opened the book to the first real entry. When Tiger nodded, he began to read.
"Well, here we go."
"Start already," Tiger said impatiently.
"I did. That's what is written here; 'Well, here we go'."
"Oh, sorry."
Remus just smiled, and went on.
'I'll start with how I met your father, Remus and Peter. (I really hate the rat, but I can't leave him out of this, and I can't talk bad about him when I remember our youth, because one day he was a really good friend to all of us.)'
"I hadn't thought he would think that way," Remus said to himself. Then he continued.
'Your dad and I were friends long before we went to Hogwarts. We met in primary school, where we became friends immediately. We looked so much alike then that everybody thought we were brothers. Some even thought we were twins. Within the first week we had a reputation as pranksters, and didn't lose it until after Hogwarts. Or, like Moony likes to remind me, never.
Oh, yes; Remus was always the one to tell us when to stop.
When we met him on the train ride, he sat on his own in one compartment of the Hogwarts Express. He seemed so small and breakable. And he looked really ill. (Later we got to know that it was because of the full moon, which had been two nights previous.)'
"I remember that. I felt extremely bad, and those two stomped into the compartment and didn't shut up until we arrived in Hogsmeade."
They both smiled before Remus continued.
'I think he thought we were the two most annoying people in the world at that moment. We talked and talked and talked, but Remus didn't really listen, let alone participate.
At one point he snapped at us to shut up for only five minutes.
That had to have been the hardest five minutes in my life.'
Laughter interrupted Remus' reading. "Did they make it through the whole five minutes?" Harry asked.
"Not without a lot of hard work. Listen." He read on.
'The first two minutes, James and I had to stifle our laughter, because every time we looked at each other we had to laugh. But one glare from Remy, and we stopped. There was something about him; a calmness that helped us to keep quiet.
Despite his glaring and snapping, there still was no sign of really being angry. That was what fascinated me about him.
For the last three of the five minutes I was glued to his eyes, and I had no need to speak again.
That didn't stop us from screaming and crying the moment Remus told us the time was up. We laughed together, and that was the moment when I knew that Remus, despite his innocent appearance, was a real prankster.'
They read on for almost two hours. At the end, they had finished the Marauders third year.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x
A/N – That's it for now. What do you think?