Ch.2

Title: Tribulation

Author: yourxsweetx6x6x6

Category: Harry Potter

Summary: HPDM its after the war, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are forced to stay in the same house, there was sure to be trouble...

Disclaimer: none of the characters mentioned are mine, they belong to J.K Rowling

Chapter: 2

The next morning a loud knocking on the door of his room made Harry wake with a start. He heard Ron grumble something unintelligible before the door swung open and crashed against the wall.

Fred and George appeared in the doorway, and Harry barely had a moment to scramble to his feet before Fred pounced at the spot he'd been sitting a second before. Ron wasn't so quick, George landed heavily on his younger brothers stomach.

After much yelling and swearing, the twins ran from the room laughing and Ron was up and out of bed.

As they reached the kitchen a table full of food, and the entire household, minus Malfoy greeted them.

"Where's the Ferret?" Ron asked, yawning.

"Ron, I will not tolerate that sort of talk, he must be feeling very uncomfortable about this whole situation. Imagine how you would feel if you didn't have Harry or Hermione or anyone, and the Malfoys took you into their home?"

Ginny spoke from her seat opposite Ron, "yes mum, but that's the difference, the Malfoys would never take Ron."

Harry could have sworn George mumbled something that sounded like "who would?"

Apparently Mrs Weasley heard it too, because she lightly biffed George over the head and proclaimed in a loud voice that there would be no further discussion on the matter.

"Now somebody go and fetch Draco." Everyone averted their eyes and sat down quickly in a mad game of musical chairs, which, by some cruel twist of fate, Harry ended up losing.

Mrs Weasley looked at him expectantly while everyone else snorted with suppressed laughter at the horrified expression on his face.

"Go'n 'Arry" Ron managed through the mouthful of food he had already stuffed into his mouth.

Harry sighed huffily and flounced back out of the kitchen towards Draco's room.

He hesitated outside the door, his confidence leaving him now that he didn't have Ron beside him.

After a few moments he knocked loudly on the door. There was no sound from behind the door. So he knocked again…

After a few more seconds he began to feel a bit worried, what if he'd left during the night? Then where would he go? It wasn't like there were many places to go from the Burrow.

So he turned the handle and slowly pushed the door open.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a sleeping figure on the bed in the corner. As Harry contemplated how to wake him, Malfoy turned over and slowly opened his eyes. He jumped about an inch when he saw Harry standing in his room. He sat up quickly and pulled the blankets up.

"What the hell are you doing Potter?"

Harry blushed furiously and backed out of the room saying as he did

"um breakfast is ready.." He reached the door, turned and slammed it as he walked out.

Draco sat where he was, stunned. Thinking about how much he'd rather be at home, how annoying Potter was and how cute he looked when he was embarrassed. He stopped and retraced back to that last thought before mentally slapping himself across the face. He decided that he may as well make an appearance, and got dressed before leaving his room.

Harry ran back down to the kitchen as fast as he could, absolutely mortified. He contemplated jumping out a high window, or maybe just joining the ghoul in the attic and becoming a hermit until Draco left, which, he thought bleakly, could be a really long time. He groaned and ran his hand through his hair, before entering the kitchen and sitting in the empty chair next to Ron.

A few minutes later, Draco sauntered in and Mrs Weasley conjured a chair in between Ginny and Joyce. Ginny subtly inched her chair away.

Harry turned his eyes towards his food and didn't look up until Mrs Weasley told them they didn't have anything they could help her with today so why don't they all get to know each other a bit better.

Obviously, seeing as the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione had known each other for years, she was really telling them to spend time with Draco.

The twins looked murderous, Ginny and Hermione exchanged a look that said 'this is going to be funny' and Harry could see Ron pause with food halfway up to his mouth and felt a sharp jab in his side.

Malfoy wasn't very happy about it either, judging by the way that he stabbed his scrambled eggs.

Mrs Weasley, either not noticing the reaction, or choosing to ignore it, continued.

" I know, how about you kids go down to that river, it's pretty hot today."

Harry could see the twins physically cringe and Malfoy looked uncomfortable. Ginny looked as though she was trying hard not to laugh, Hermione replied

"Of course we will Mrs Weasley, that's a great idea." She sent everyone at the table a stern look and returned to her breakfast.

After breakfast, they left the Burrow, the twins leading the way, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny behind them and Draco following from a distance.

When they got to the river, which was really a deep stream, everyone jumped, pushed and fell fully clothed into the freezing cold water.

Everyone, that is, except Draco, who remained standing a safe distance away, under one of the old shady trees lining the shore.

Everyone was too busy trying to drown each other, to notice, or really care. So he sat facing away from them and started reading a small black book that he produced from his pocket.

An hour later, they emerged slipping and laughing from the river, Draco couldn't help but notice when Harry pulled off his wet shirt, exposing his smooth stomach.

Now only in his baggy black jeans and studded belt, his hair wet and messy, Harry was a sight Draco couldn't get out of his head, even when he looked away.

Harry was walking past Draco when one of the twins shoved him.

Harry slipped and crashed on top of Draco. There was a lot of frantic shoving, Draco ended up lying flat on his back, Harry kneeling with one leg either side of his, his hands flat beside Draco's head, their faces close enough that Harry's wet hair was tickling Draco's forehead.

They paused in that position for split second, looking in each other's eyes before Harry jumped up, his face a priceless image of horror.

Everyone else was almost bent double with laughter, as Draco slowly sat up, rubbing his head where it had hit the ground.

"If-only-we-had-a-camera" Fred managed though hysterical laughter. This only made Harry blush a deeper red and everyone laugh harder. Even Ron was finding it hard not to smile as he half-heartedly yelled at them to stop laughing.

Eventually they stopped and the twins announced that they should start home before it got any hotter. Draco stood up and gingerly brushed the leaves away from his wet clothes.

Harry started off at a brisk walk and Ron and Hermione jogged to catch up with him. Fred, George and Ginny walked after them, still chuckling.

And Draco was left standing under the tree, smiling inside. George turned around,

"Move your ass ferret, mum'll kill us if you get lost and die."

He said it as though he didn't think the idea was so bad.