It was nice to spend an evening with Ron and Hermione again, fooling around and joking with each other; it was relaxing, to stop worrying about what would happen next and just fall back into normal patterns. Every so often, though infrequently, Draco would whisper something in the back of my head, but that didn't seem to disturb my tranquility. It too had become normal to me. But all my anxieties, my concerns, I'd let go for now; I spared no thought for worry or the future or what ifs or emotional stress of any sort. Ron, Hermione and I laughed freely for the first time since before the whole potion incident began, and overall it was the best evening I could remember having.
Late that evening, we hauled ourselves, still laughing, to bed. As I fell into mine Draco's scent surrounded me and for the first time that evening I remembered I had been supposed to go to bed early.
:Oh love, I'm sorry. I forgot! I'm so sorry!:
:I know. It's okay. I saw. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself so; you needed it. But if you don't drag yourself out of that bed and over here right now, I'm going to have to make you very, very sorry indeed.:
:...Er...how so?: I really was awfully comfortable, and my eyelids were drifting closed despite myself...
Until they flew open, and I sat straight up in bed before reaching for my clothes.
:I thought that would get you up.: My head was still full of the images he'd wafted seductively through it, and my body was definitely awake now.
:That wasn't nice.:
:I never said I was nice, did I. I'm a Slytherin. I'm effective, not nice. Now, are you going to get over here, or shall I just go to sleep now?:
:I'm not sleeping, and you're not sleeping. Especially after that. Sadist. And my pants don't fit now. Damn you.:
He felt smugly satisfied. :I'm sure you'll pay me back...somehow.:
:Oh, you've not the faintest idea.:
:Don't I?:
:...Okay, maybe you do. Shut up, I'm trying to get dressed again, and it's not working, and I'm going to be walking all funny in the halls.:
:Good thing you've got an Invisibility Cloak, isn't it?:
:If I didn't, you'd be coming here. Or else. Or...I'd...gods damn it, I'd probably be doing just what I am now, except it would be a lot more embarassing.: I pulled my cloak on and walked as silently as I could out of the dormitory. Thankfully Ron had fallen asleep the instant his head hit the pillow; I could hear him snoring faintly. I evaded a third-year on the stairs and managed to sneak out the portrait hole during a burst of activity in the common room with no one noticing. The Pink Lady was used to me leaving in my Invisibility Cloak by now and didn't bother saying anything.
The walk both felt agonisingly long and was over before I realised it. Physical torment and urgency mixed do odd things to time. I paused in front of a section of stone wall.
:Not there, three paces further. The password's 'draconis argentum'. Don't laugh, I didn't make it up.:
I moved three paces on and whispered "Draconis argentum," at the wall. It obligingly slid aside for me. I was afraid that someone in the common room would notice me entering (or rather the door opening and no one appearing to enter) but I'd forgotten that the focus of the Slytherin common room was the fireplace; no one was looking at the door at all.
:We dislike having our comings and goings observed, so we generally ignore the door,: Draco said. :And it's not like most of us are going to give anyone else the password, now, is it?:
:Good point. Now where?: He directed me to a stone passageway at the back, leading downward to a spiral staircase. It smelled faintly musty, and I took the stairs carefully; they felt like they ought to be slippery, whether they were or not.
:The sixth door down. As I'm sure you could guess.:
At last I reached the sixth door. I felt like I was in some faintly threatening catacomb, like the Muggle book I'd read, The Tombs of Atuan.
:Very literary. Are you going to open the door, or just stare at it?:
:Shut up.: I pushed the door open and stepped into utter blackness. Not being entirely stupid, I stepped off to one side of the door silently, so that anyone entering or leaving wouldn't walk into me, and waited for Draco to tell me where to go. Or, failing that, for him to snicker, so I'd know where to go to beat the hell out of him.
:No need for that.: At the ceiling, green lights sparked slowly into being, until they finally lit the whole room faintly. The Slytherin sixth-year dormitory was the same as ours, but reversed; the beds were on the right hand side of the door, not the left, and all the hangings were deepest green brocade with silvery patterns. Then again, the whole room glowed a soft sickly green in the light.
I'd had enough. :Which one?: I growled.
The farthest curtain opened just a crack, held by one slim, long-fingered hand. I strode towards it, forgetting to be silent, forgetting everything except my need and fury.
Draco was waiting, nude and beautiful and smiling. Waiting for me to seize him and repay him. I didn't disappoint.
* * *
"Are you coming to breakfast, Draco?"
The gutteral voice roused me in an automatic state of alarm. I wrenched my eyes open a tiny crack to see Draco half-swathed in the sheets beside me, wide-eyed. He leaned over and grabbed his wand, made a dismissing gesture with it, then answered "No. Go on without me. I want to sleep in today." He managed to sound irritated.
Two heavy sets of footsteps shuffled away. :What do you mean, 'managed to sound irritated'? I AM irritated.:
:Forgive me for thinking you might be alarmed at the idea of them opening the curtain to see us together.:
:I trained them well in first year not to EVER open my curtains when they were closed, no matter what. I see that you either managed to sleep through an Early-Waking Charm, or we forgot to set one.:
:The latter. Although, I see, we remembered to set a Silencing Charm.: I grinned.
:So much for avoiding questions.: Draco didn't seem horribly repentant either. :Much as I would like to stay in bed, we should get up, though. We've got to get you back to Hermione and Ron and think of a decent excuse for being up before them.:
:...I thought you were going to SLEEP IN.: I emphasised this with some creative fondling. Draco sucked in a breath and managed not to hiss curses too loudly.
:I thought I was supposed to be the seducer.:
:It's my turn. Now shush. Or reset the Silencing Charm.:
He chose to do the latter.
* * *
It wasn't actually that long before we were finally ready to emerge and face the world again—somewhere around midmorning. Sometimes a quickie behooves everyone. :So how are we going to do this?: I asked.
:Just follow close behind me until we get out the door. Then we can split up at any point.:
:Sounds good to me.:
Our exit went smoothly. I spent the time trying to think of a good excuse for missing breakfast.
:So, where were you all morning?:
:Couldn't sleep, so I got up early and did a bit of flying, then walked around the grounds.:
:Plausible enough. I'll see you later, Harry.:
:So you shall.: I gave him a quick kiss just outside the door to the Slytherin common room and was off.