Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or anything of JK Rowling's. But I do like her work.
2
A week later, Draco found himself in close proximity with Harry again. They were serving detention together Thursday night because of a disastrous accident in Herbology that afternoon. They were now in the greenhouse pruning the remaining Snap Gardenia's, a dangerous and smelly business. Harry and Draco moved about the task in silence, at opposite ends of the table.
Suddenly, Harry dropped his clippers and grasped the edge of the table with both hands. Draco watched, intrigued as Harry's body trembled, and breathing increased rapidly. As quickly as the episode started, he stopped shaking, and put his palms flat on the table. Draco picked up the fallen clippers and looked down at Harry, who was short for a seventeen-year-old boy. He hadn't really grown at all since fifth year. Draco, on the other hand, was now 6'3". He would have been taller than his father, if Lucius had still been alive.
"Long day Potter?" he remarked, trying to act casual. Draco's voice snapped Harry out of his thoughts. He glanced up at Draco with scared eyes.
"I… Yeah, I guess," answered Harry, stumbling over his words.
"You want to take a break and get a breath of fresh air? It smells horrid in here. I am going to throw these robes out when I get back to the dorm." Harry chuckled, and followed Draco outside. They both stood in the cool breeze, a little astounded to be talking like normal seventh years, and not like the Harry and Draco of the past.
"Professor Tinder needs to take that stick out of her ass. Detention for watering the gardenias with water instead of apple juice. We learned that like three years ago!" said Harry as he glanced back at the greenhouse. Neither of them had known water was the last thing you gave a Snap Gardenia. Draco laughed.
"I hate Herbology. Ever since Longbottom started doing better in it than me. And now we have to listen to this crotchety old woman who probably cannot tell the difference between a Purple-winged Porcupine and an Austrian Cactus. I cannot wait until NEWTS are over and we are out of here," said Draco.
"Mmmhmmm… done at Hogwarts" murmured Harry. Draco couldn't tell if he sounded happy or sad. Instead, he found himself staring at Harry's defined jaw, and then noticing how much larger his lower lip was than his top.
"Is there something on my face?" asked Harry without turning. Draco blushed. He had just been starring at Harry Potter's lips! He had to say something fast, an insult, something.
"Just wondering if you ever ate. You like a fourth year," said Draco, icily. Harry wrinkled his brow at the insult. They had been getting along for five whole minutes.
"I guess we should finish up," Harry turned to go in, and found himself very close to Draco's body. He looked up to Draco's face, confused. The tall frame towered over him. Harry tried to comprehend the glint in the Slytherin's eyes. Suddenly his lips were gently kissed. Startled he jerked his head back, and with wide eyes he looked at Draco. He didn't move, and Draco leaned in again. Harry closed his eyes and Draco took Harry's lower lip between his, gently he nibbled it and then became more aggressive, prying Harry's mouth open with his tongue and sliding it inside.
Harry had never had a kiss like this. With Ginny it had been different, more innocent, confusing, awkward. Draco was determined, less affectionate, less chaste, and more demanding. It sent a chill down his spine. And then, Harry's mind reminded him he was kissing Malfoy.
He stumbled backwards and tripped. He landed on the ground with a thud and pain shot up his elbow. There was what seemed an unending moment of silence, and then Draco offered his hand. Harry looked up at it and into Draco's face that was half hidden in shadow. The features blurred, and transformed. It became wider, and the eyes turned dark. The lips thinned, and Harry found himself looking up at Lucius Malfoy's face. The outstretched hand held a wand aimed menacingly at his heart.
He froze in horror. He knew the words crucio were coming. He could almost feel the pain.
"Potter, you'd better get up, someone's coming."
Harry blinked and Draco was standing in front of him, looking aggravated and then glancing over his shoulder towards the main doors of the castle. Harry scrambled to his feet and sprinted towards Hogwarts.
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Harry's grades were abysmal. He hadn't slept well in weeks and kept finding himself staring at Draco when he wasn't having one of those blackouts that were becoming more and more frequent. He would be sitting in Transfiguration, and suddenly find himself getting up from Charms. A whole day of classes would have passed, and he couldn't remember any of it. He hadn't taken any notes, he had sometimes participated in class exercises, but often his mind was distracted, in two places at once, or no place at all. Hermione and Ron had tried to talk to him, but he'd resisted. Shrugging his shoulders and making excuses about homework, he'd rushed to the library.
In fact, he had just done that, and was now sitting near a section of the library that to his amusement, was filled with Lockhart's books. He stared at his transfiguration homework, not making any progress. He couldn't remember anything from the entire weeks of Transfiguration class. An essay on Dynamic Air Schisms and their first uses. What was an Air Schism? The door creaked, and he looked up to see Malfoy walking toward him. The color drained from his face, and he tried not to let his hands shake. Malfoy sat down opposite him.
"Harry, I want to talk about-" said Draco, but Harry cut him off.
"Since when am I Harry?" he asked bewildered. Draco flushed, but tried to continue nonchalantly.
"Whatever. Do you prefer 'The Golden Boy'?"
"No…I… don't call me that," replied Harry twirling his quill, not looking up at Draco.
"Alright, well, I thought we should discuss what happened… I did not mean to hurt you… so… I apologize." Draco said, looking out the window.
"It's okay," stuttered Harry amazed that Malfoy had just apologized to him about anything at all. Pigs were flying somewhere.
"What, exactly, is okay?" asked Draco raising his right eyebrow in a graceful arc. His eyes flashed in laughter, as Harry looked quizzically at him and then flushed.
"Umm… I don't know," Harry replied, and he didn't know. He had avoided thinking about that night in general. First of all, since when was he gay? That was a newsflash. Harry knew he was dense, but this level of self-ignorance seemed a little extreme. Maybe he wasn't necessarily gay. Maybe he just enjoyed kissing Ma- no that was definitely wrong. He had just been taken by surprise. This was MALFOY. If he couldn't even fathom getting back with Ginny, who had been supportive of the decision, but crushed all the same, and ignored him now, why would he even consider anything with Malfoy. Why was this even up for discussion? Why were they having this conversation?
"If you enjoyed it Potter, it is not a crime." Harry went even redder. He stammered a few words, and then remembered seeing Lucius in front of him and not Draco. What if he'd seen Bellatrix, or Voldemort? What if he'd attacked Draco? He could have more hallucinations. He was dangerous, and shouldn't be alone with anyone.
"I'm dangerous," said Harry.
"I'm not scared of you, Potty, just attracted" said Draco with a sly smile. Harry's mouth dropped open before he brightened the color of the Gryffindor scarf he was wearing. This conversation was getting out of hand, thought Harry. This was some sort of Slytherin joke. Rita Skeeter was hiding behind that massive Goblin dictionary and was going to take photographs when Draco jumped him. He could put a stop to this easy as pie, and not even have to face anything about his feelings, attractions or sexual confusion, by just going the safe route. He was definitely dangerous. He shouldn't be kissing Ginny, Draco or anyone for that matter.
"You should be, Malfoy. You're a smart guy. For Merlin's sake, you're Head Boy." Harry's voice was soft, but ferocious, startling Draco. "I'm not exactly stable," continued Harry. "You shouldn't come near me. No one should. You should go to dinner."
Draco stared at Harry with an unreadable expression.
"I already ate," he said as he got up swiftly, and left the library.
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