Captivation
Author's Note: Be prepared for a super-long chappy:-)
Small Disclaimer: The site I use in case I forget something in Harry Potter, like potions, people, magic, etc. is an ultimate HP website called The Harry Potter Lexicon! You all should visit it! Very great site! Just google it, since FF won't let me use a URL.
Warning: Sexual content in this chapter.
Chapter 17: Inevitable Test
The time for the second Quidditch match came and the team was from Switzerland. They were even more prepared than the Japanese team. Twice Harry lost sight of the snitch and the other team nearly had it, if it hadn't been for the bludger that sped by and scared it out of their reach. Harry managed to catch it just barely before the other player the third time around since he had a faster broom. After the game, however, it didn't get easier. Studies became more difficult because of exams coming up before Christmas. Both Harry and Draco were constantly busy but sometimes they'd get together with Tavis and Lucas and the others for study groups. Occasionally, for some alone time, Harry went into Draco's room late at night. Many times they had sex (probably because of the stress) but sometimes they were both too exhausted so Harry just slept with him.
The third and final Quidditch match (for that semester in order to win a trophy) was scheduled for the day after Christmas. December was rapidly approaching and still he and Draco were together—or as together as they could be. The blond had his good days and his bad ones. Harry knew it would still take more time before Draco completely trusted him so for the most part he was just thankful when they did have some time to talk or kiss.
That night, two weeks before Christmas Eve, Harry snuck into Draco's room. Because of their busy schedules he hadn't been able to do it for past few weeks, but just seeing him in class or during study groups wasn't enough. If they wanted an actual relationship, they'd have to see each other even during times of stress. So Harry decided to visit him at night, as a little surprise. Their exams were during the next week, which thankfully ended the day before Christmas Eve.
Harry was incredibly grateful that Draco didn't make it a habit of locking his room, since he came in and out quite often (and occasionally Harry visited him after Quidditch practice). So he crept inside and saw that the blond was resting in his bed. Whether or not he was fast asleep Harry couldn't tell, but slowly he approached the bed. It was only a little after ten thirty so he hoped Draco wasn't entirely asleep. Bending down, Harry ghosted his fingers across the blond's forehead to lift his bangs. Draco's eyes were closed and he didn't seem to stir from the gentle touch.
He brushed his lips across the blond's cheek and saw his eyebrows furrow for a brief second. So he was asleep. Harry sighed then shrugged. They hadn't spent some quality time together in the past couple of weeks due to studying and Quidditch so he figured just this once he'd wake the blond. Waving his wand, Harry made his clothes vanish so that he was only in his boxers, then he slowly got up on the other side of Draco and slipped beneath the covers. Harry scooted closer until he was right behind the other boy. Carefully, he lifted a hand and began caressing the blond's back with his fingertips.
Draco made a noise in the back of his throat and slowly turned over. His eyebrows furrowed and as Harry pressed a kiss to his lips, Draco's eyes opened slowly.
"Potter," he whispered groggily. "What are you—"
Harry kissed him again. "I decided to surprise you since we haven't spent some quality time together in a while."
Draco blinked and stared at him, seemingly tired and annoyed. "So you had to wake me?"
"Yeah," Harry said, reaching out a hand to push back the blond's bangs.
Then wordlessly Harry put a hand on Draco's cheek and leaned in for another kiss. The blond's lips were warm and slowly he parted them. Harry then took the initiative and slipped his tongue inside the warm mouth. His arms wrapped around Draco's back and began pulling at him to signal that he wanted him to move. Still a bit tired, Draco raised his body up slowly and lay down on top of him. Harry was grateful the blond slept in his boxers for it was easy to pull them down.
Once Draco lay naked on top of him, continuing to kiss him languidly, Harry began easing his boxers off as well. Their warm, bare skin touched and Draco let out a breathless sound as Harry moaned.
"Draco," Harry breathed as he broke the kiss. "You want to try a different angle?"
The blond raised an eyebrow. "Like what, Potter?" he asked gently.
Harry gazed up at him, marveling how there didn't seem to be a sarcastic expression on his face this time around.
"Er, I'm not sure. You would know better than I would."
Draco snorted in amusement and then bent down and retrieved his pillow. "Lift up," he said, gesturing to his hips.
Harry did as he was told and the blond slipped the pillow beneath his lower back, allowing his hips to be raised a bit. Then Draco lay back atop him and Harry wrapped his arms around his neck. He already spread his legs, knowing what was to come but he allowed the blond to initiate it. Harry gasped as Draco proceeded to enter him slowly and was amazed at how the slight change in angle made a difference. Harry's eyes rolled back a bit as the blond struck a pleasurable nerve. Groaning, Harry didn't even have to lift his hips as Draco slid all the way in and then came back out. Harry tightened his grip around the blond as the pace began to pick up.
Draco was obviously tired since the last time they had sex the blond had nearly thrust into him in one go. Harry's neck tilted back as Draco moved inside of him, creating friction easily with the new angle. The blond was groaning softly by his ear. A sudden wave of euphoria swept over him as Draco roughly hit a very sensitive pleasure-region and Harry moaned and clenched his muscles. The blond suddenly hissed, arching his own back up as his erection was squeezed tightly from Harry's reaction. Draco grunted and rolled his hips forward, causing Harry to let out another moan.
Their pace quickened even more and Harry was soon panting and grunting. His eyes were shut and his neck was still arched from the pleasure. Draco suddenly grabbed the back of his right thigh and thrust into him with more force. Harry's whole body shook and he groaned loudly.
"God! Nnuuhh!" Harry moaned as the blond continued to thrust in quick motions.
"Unh!" Draco grunted, flexing his back muscles as he thrust in deeply.
The blond arched up and shut his eyes while tilting his head back. He wasn't completely on top of Harry, he had risen up as he arched, though Harry kept his arms wrapped around him. As Draco thrust in deeply again, rocking their hips up, Harry released his orgasm seconds before Draco did. The blond remained inside of him until he finished and then slowly pulled out and rolled off of him, panting breathlessly. This time, Draco was the one to grab his wand from the bureau and wave a cleansing spell over the bed.
Harry then turned, still breathing heavily. "Draco, did you think about spending time together over Christmas?"
The blond was staring up at the ceiling and turned his head to face him. Even in the dark, Harry could make out his features.
"Aren't you going with your friends Potter?" Draco asked, after a moment's hesitation.
Harry inhaled deeply then sat up, staring down at him. "I've figured out a solution just don't freak out on me, okay?"
Draco just stared at him and Harry continued: "Okay…my friends are expecting me to visit and they told me I should invite my boyfriend too."
Draco snorted. "Like hell that's going to work. Even if I wanted to go, which I don't, your friends would have a fit."
"I know, but hear me out. I was thinking, since I know that place in Knockturn Alley, Borgin and Burkes, sells illegal items and dark items. Well, I'm quite sure they have some Polyjuice potion that you could use to disguise your—"
Draco sat up instantly. "Are you mad Potter? First off, Borgin and Burkes isn't exactly cheap and if anyone finds out you're buying Polyjuice potion it'll be all over the papers and the Ministry will be breathing down your neck! Second of all, I'm not going to take some disgusting potion to pose as your boyfriend at the Weasel's house!"
"Draco, please! It's the only way we can spend time together over Christmas!" Harry pleaded.
"I don't care! I'm not going to step foot near the Weasel!" Draco exclaimed angrily. "And I don't want to pose as somebody else either!"
"I know this is a big favor and I've already asked a lot of you—"
"Yes, you have! And it is a big favor—too big!" Draco exclaimed, slumping back down onto the bed.
Harry sighed and scooted a bit closer to the blond, whose back was facing him. Gently, he put a hand on the blond's shoulder.
"Listen, I just need to show my face there, alright? And this way we can spend the holidays together. You told me you didn't have anywhere else to go, right? I mean, you could stay here, but the probability that more than a few people are going to stay here as well is unlikely, which means you'll be pretty much alone," Harry said quietly near his ear. "Please, Draco. Please just give it a shot and if something happens I'll take full blame."
Draco wheeled around and glared at him. "If the Weasel so much as even attempts to get on my nerves, I'm leaving!"
"Deal," Harry answered instantly, smiling.
Draco rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance. "So who the hell am I going to be?"
"Lucas," Harry replied. "Since Ginny thinks he's my boyfriend. If I come there with somebody else she'll call me out."
"Fantastic," Draco quipped with sarcasm. "And how are you going to achieve this Potter?"
"Well, I'm going to need you to get the potion from me," Harry said hesitantly.
Draco's eyes snapped onto him and his gaze darkened.
"It's because, well, since Knockturn Alley is really mostly for Slytherins, or most Slytherins shop there, I doubt Mr. Borgins is going to sell me anything."
"Potter, if I'm seen buying anything—"
"Alright, fine I understand. I know your family is already in trouble with the Ministry so I don't want you to get in trouble. I guess I could just use a temporary charm that makes me look like somebody else. It'll only last up to a half-hour, but that should be enough. And I'll get the potion, then when I say goodbye to Lucas for the holidays I'll just grab a piece of his hair. Then I'll have to use a cloning spell on it, as well as the potion, because you'll have to keep taking it while we're there. But if anything feels like it's going to go wrong, of you get sick of it, we'll leave early and make up an excuse, okay?" Harry asked.
"Fine Potter, I'm only agreeing to this because I have nothing better to do. And this way I can see what sort of new house his family has bought."
Harry rolled his eyes. "You mean so you can criticize it? Might I remind you, you can't call him Weasel while you're there, nor make snide comments, nor call me Potter? You'll have to act nicely otherwise they'll figure it out."
"Whatever," Draco muttered. "I'm not going to stay there overnight, Potter."
"Er, well presents don't come till the next day."
"Please tell me you're joking?" Draco hissed, staring at him with an annoyed look.
"Look, if you do this for me I promise you the Christmas present I get you will be really good."
The blond stared at him then rolled his eyes a bit and turned over.
"Fine," Draco murmured quietly. "Now can I get some sleep?"
"Yeah," Harry sighed, lying down beside him.
The two elapsed into silence and as Harry stared at the back of the blond's head he thought about what he could possibly get him. Suddenly, he remembered just how badly Draco wanted that new broom. Now that it was out for sale, it'd be easy to pick up. And obviously since the blond didn't have any money he could use, since his mother controlled everything and she had probably taken his inheritance anyway, Draco couldn't buy it for himself. That was a good present for him.
Normally, people got their boyfriends or girlfriends something romantic or sappy, but Draco wasn't that kind of person. He showed his feelings in a different way and wasn't always direct. Still, because the broom was for sale now it was probably much cheaper, which meant he could pick up a little something extra too—something with sentimental value, but not anything sappy. He wasn't a sappy person either, but he wanted to show Draco he did care about him.
As if paying for him and sleeping with him isn't obvious enough.
Harry just smiled softly. Draco needed more proof than that—that was probably why it was taking a while for him to open up completely. Growing up, the blond most likely hadn't experienced any love from his parents so for him to see that Harry cared for him was difficult. He just needed to be patient and in time Draco would see that Harry deeply cared for him; perhaps he even…
His thoughts trailed off as sleep overcame him. The next days passed slowly since Harry didn't get to spend any more quality time with the blond (except during study periods or in the dining hall). Harry was also busy studying. He was keeping his grades up nicely—Hermione would be very proud of him. Of course it helped that none of his classes involved Potions or Divination so he was eager to learn all he could about Quidditch. Still, there were many challenging aspects, especially when it came to testing.
The exam week came and Harry and Draco were both stressed out to the point where they hardly spoke much. Harry even found himself studying notes while eating and looking through old graded essays in his room before bed. By the end of the week, Harry was so grateful that exams were over that he wasn't even concerned about the fact that he had to get the Polyjuice potion. It was simple enough to use a quick concealment charm—it wasn't strong at all and it was very easy to detect. However, because Mr. Borgins dealt with nasty customers all the time, he probably wouldn't be suspicious of him and therefore wouldn't sense the charm.
It was the day before Christmas Eve and Harry slipped out of the school (since his last exam was over) and headed to Knockturn Alley (back in England) by way of train (since it was obviously too far to fly or apparate). Before entering, however, he used the charm to turn his hair blond and it grew long, to his shoulders. He made sure to keep long bangs to cover his scar (since he didn't know how to use the charm to hide it). Since he didn't have his glasses on, he looked different anyway. That was all he could do with the charm anyway. It wasn't like what a metamorphmagus, like Tonks, could do. It was very limited.
Harry walked into the store, making sure to keep his long, blond hair covering the sides of his face. He walked to the counter to see a tall, lanky older man with a bald spot in the middle of his head. He had narrowed eyes, deep brown but they appeared black from a distance. And his hair was white with gray specks. However, he walked arrogantly and held his body straight. He spotted Harry and immediately a sneer came to his face. Harry prayed that was how he greeted all his customers.
"My young fellow, is there something you want?"
"Yes, actually," Harry said, forcing his words out with a Scottish accent (rather than English) to better hide his identity. He was thankful for being around Tavis to know what a Scottish accent sounded like. "I am looking for some already-brewed Polyjuice potion, if you have some."
"Mmm, Polyjuice potion?" the man's eyes glittered as his smirk widened. "And what is it you need it for?"
"Nothing illegal, if that's what you're referring to. It's for…a little prank on my annoying younger brother, for Christmas."
"A prank?" Mr. Borgins sounded intrigued.
"Yes, I'm going to disguise myself as this boy he's afraid of in school and…well, the details aren't important. So, do you have any?"
"I might," Mr. Borgins said, coolly stringing his hands together. "But you know, ever since…," he hesitated and looked around before continuing. "Ever since You-Know-Who's defeat, I've gotten so much less business. It was lot more fun before, you see, since I carried many illegal items. The Ministry has since checked out every store in Knockturn Alley to make sure no…riots or vengeance schemes are being plotted, and they took several of my illegal items. However, I do have a few items that aren't very rare, but…I'm short on them, since it'd be hard to brew any potions at all."
Harry inwardly rolled his eyes but didn't dare do it in front of the man. "How much are you asking me to pay for a bottle?"
"Hmm, well since I only have two bottles left…how about two hundred galleons?" Mr. Borgins grinned toothily.
"For one bottle? That's a bit pricey. Look, it would be a lot cheaper for me to make it on my own, but I don't have a month. So, I'll give you one hundred galleons for it, nothing more."
Mr. Borgins pursed his lips and slowly disappeared behind the curtain that led to the back room. When he came back out, he was holding a small vial. He grinned as Harry approached the counter.
"You make quite a bargain," Mr. Borgins narrowed his eyes. "I haven't ever seen you around here boy."
"That's because I'm not from around here. I'm visiting for the holidays," Harry said, keeping his Scottish accent hopefully convincing.
"I see," the man sneered. "Well, do come back again."
Harry took the vial after handing him the money and nodded. Then he left the store and felt rather relieved. That was until he caught sight of somebody very familiar. It was Narcissa Malfoy, who still held her nose up in the air as if she smelled dung. Harry felt the charm wearing off and immediately he ran to a corner to hide. If he was spotted at all in Knockturn Alley so soon after Voldemort's defeat he'd probably be attacked. He watched as Draco's mother entered one of the robe shops. As much as he wanted to spy on her, if he got caught staring, even if he put another charm, it wouldn't look good. Quickly, he apparated out of Knockturn Alley and appeared in Hogsmeade where he went to the same shop as before, Broomsville, to get a broom. The shop had a few people in it and the man behind the counter spotted him.
"Welcome back Harry," he smiled.
A couple people turned and Harry quickly flattened his bangs to make sure his scar wasn't showing. He approached the counter and the man chuckled softly.
"Don't want people to know who you are, ey?"
"Er, yeah," Harry shrugged. "I actually wondered if I could buy another Volare3000."
The man's eyebrows rose. "Did the other one not last long?"
"Oh no, it did, but…well…it's for a friend for Christmas," Harry said, smiling.
"I see," he smiled back. "There's a couple left, actually. Most professional Quidditch players want one—every team wants one—but they can't make that many of them, because they take so long to make. So that's why you're lucky to have bought it now while in school. Once you get out there, some Quidditch team is going to like the fact that you have the broom. Of course that's not the only thing they'll look at, but you'll probably have an advantage over other teams. Well…until all teams start recruiting new youngsters like yourself," he chuckled with a shake of his head.
He summoned one from back and smiled. "That'll be five hundred galleons."
Harry smiled and signed a parchment again, since he didn't have that much left on him (since he spent two hundred on one potion). Then the man wrapped it up nicely for him.
"Thanks," Harry smiled. "Erm, do you happen to know of any really nice jewelry stores around?"
The man cocked his head in thought. "Yes, I believe there's a small one across from that Owl store, you know a couple blocks from The Three Broomsticks. I heard it was nice."
"Okay, thanks," Harry waved to him.
"Come back again," the man smiled.
Harry left and followed the man's directions. The man was right. A small shop sat at the corner with charmed glass that gleamed in the sunlight. Harry opened it and heard a melody answer for a few seconds. The door was obviously charmed to sing as well. The moment he entered, Harry knew it was perfect. Not only could he find something for Hermione, but for Draco as well. Although it was small, there were different sections. One of them had jewelry made from Dragon bones and scales. Another section had one made from phoenix feathers and other creatures. A young woman with deep brown hair and green eyes appeared nearby and smiled.
"Welcome young man. Can I help you find something?"
Harry blinked, not having seen many people with the same eye color. Hers was a bit lighter, but it still caused him to stare.
"Er, do you have any suggestions for getting something for a girl?"
"Oh, of course," she smiled brightly, probably thinking it was for his girlfriend. "Over here there are lovely necklaces, rings and bracelets made from rare gem stones found in the eggs of a hippocampus."
"What's that?" Harry asked, not finding it familiar.
The woman perked up. "Oh, well it's a Mer-horse—lives in deep, cold waters. Sometimes it moves and they're often very hard to find, but if you can find one who has recently laid eggs then there could be gems in them. Because the Mer-horse has the ability to keep predators at bay by using a shimmering powder that turns to mist underwater, sometimes when it lays eggs its mild power forms into a gemstone. They're hard to come by though."
"How do they know which eggs have them?"
"Well there's a slight glimmer to the egg, but you have to look closely. And if you're wrong it could kill the unborn Mer-horse. However, if there is a gem in there, it has to be taken out by magical methods or else the unborn Mer-horse will swallow it and you won't get it back," she chuckled.
Harry looked through the jewelry in that section and picked out a bracelet with glimmering Mer-horse gemstones. There were several colors—pink, golden-yellow and pale blue. Some of the shapes were interesting and they glimmered brightly, especially in the sunlight.
"This looks nice," Harry commented.
"Ah yes, I'm sure your lady friend will like it. The nice thing about Mer-horse gemstones is that sometimes they can change colors, like with the outfit a person wears. Not all of them do that though. Still, this is a nice choice," she smiled. "Would you like me to go wrap this while you continue looking?"
"Sure, thanks," Harry said, handing it to her gently.
Harry chose something else for Ginny—a nice necklace with a glimmering flower. Then for Draco he went right to the dragon section. There, he found a very small section for Serpentine-Dragons. Finding that incredibly perfect, Harry found a pendent that had a silver Serpentine-Dragon and its wings were made out of a glimmering gemstone, as well as its eyes. And in its claw it held a real pearl.
"Ah, this one is incredibly special," she smiled.
Harry felt his heart jump in reaction. She was suddenly behind him looking over his shoulder. Picking it up, Harry felt how smooth it was.
"You know, for an extra fifty galleons you can put a charm on it too."
"What sort of charm?" Harry asked curiously.
"A simple protection charm so that they can't lose it and also it alerts the wearer of danger. It's simple, but still useful. And it holds permanently because when the charm is placed upon the pearl it remains because pearls can absorb magic much more easily than gemstones," she nodded.
"Alright," Harry nodded back. "I'll take it, er, with the protection charm."
"Great, I'll wrap this up too," she smiled.
Harry followed her to the counter where he watched her place it in a square velvet-black box. Then she wrapped it in Christmas paper (which was charmed to show Merry X-mas in blinking gold letters). Harry took his three gifts and thanked her. For Ron he decided to give him his old Firebolt, but cleaned it till it was brand new with his broom kit. He also bought him a poster of the whole Chudley Canon team, which was also signed by the players. He only happened up on that by luck, since he had stopped in the gift store just to pick up a special broom-kit for Ron as well.
He didn't have to worry about Ron's parents or brothers—Molly had told him that many times before, but he of course had to make sure to get his best friends something. And he picked up a magic wizard-camera for Lucas that could take pictures from far away as well. And for Tavis he also picked up a broom-kit. Once he was all set, he headed to the train station which took him back to Scotland. It was already close to evening and Harry was tired. When he got back he gave Tavis his gift, since the next day was Christmas Eve and they both were leaving.
"Thanks Harry," he winked. "Got you something too."
He handed Harry a small box. "Thanks."
After saying goodbye to him, temporarily of course, Harry went to Lucas' common room. He knocked on his room door and the boy answered.
"Hi Harry," Lucas smiled. "Come on in."
"Hey, this is for you," Harry handed him a wrapped package.
Lucas smiled and embraced him. "How thoughtful! It's a good thing I went out shopping a couple days ago. This is for you."
He handed him a wrapped gift as well and Harry smiled. "Thanks."
Harry moved in for another embrace, but when he did he raked a hand through Lucas' hair and pulled out a strand as he kissed the boy's cheek.
"I hope you have a nice trip."
"Thanks Harry," he smiled, scratching his head. "I hope you have fun too. We'll see each other in a few days."
Harry nodded and stayed for a little bit to talk, keeping the strand of hair tucked away in his pocket. Once they said their goodbyes, Harry went back up to his room and cloned both the strand of hair and the potion vial. He was so grateful for learning advanced charms. Of course it was most likely illegal to clone a Polyjuice potion, since the potion itself was considered illegal and somewhat rare (it was a bit hard to make), but Harry figured it was worth it. It wasn't like he was going to do something terrible with it. His friends couldn't know that he was dating Draco…at least not yet.
Getting into bed, Harry remembered that he and Draco (disguised as Lucas) were to meet up at Ron's house by noon. Although Draco wasn't looking forward to it, he had at least agreed to it. And thankfully, thanks to the little bit of knowledge about potions Harry was forced to learn during the war, Harry knew an intensifier (the bezoar plant) to add to the Polyjuice potion so it would last up to five hours. All he needed was a couple strands of it, which he managed to find in the Room of Requirement where he (and other students for Entranced or Cursed) had gotten Veritaserum. Harry wouldn't add the strand of hair until Draco was ready to drink it, which would be right before noon.
Early the next morning, Harry got up and arranged things that he needed. Draco had been complaining a lot about spending the night so Harry opted to bring some things for him, such as Quidditch magazines. After getting dressed into his nice velvet, black pants and wore a new pearl-white blouse, Harry met Draco in his room. The blond yanked open the door. He was wearing silky black pants (made entirely from Demiguise hair—charmed to grow with the person) and a silky, silver blouse.
"If I have to share a room with any of them I'm calling it off," Draco said sternly.
"Fine, fine," Harry sighed. "Are you ready? It's about eleven and it'll take us about a half-hour to forty minutes to get there by train."
"Yeah, ready as I'll ever be," Draco muttered darkly. "Tell me again why we have to spend the night?"
"Because it's Christmas Eve, Draco. According to most family traditions, there's a celebration on the Eve and then the next day is when presents are exchanged and opened," Harry said, crossing his arms as Draco finished combing his hair. "And you look great."
Draco turned to him and snorted. "Not that it matters, right? In a little while I'll look like someone else entirely."
"Do you want to go there as yourself?" Harry raised his eyebrows.
The blond scowled in annoyance. "Hand me the potion."
Harry handed it to him along with the strand of hair. "Wait until we're at our stop and before we get off the train then drink it."
"Great," Draco crinkled his nose in disgust. "It smells horrid."
"It tastes horrid too," Harry said and Draco gave him a look. "Er, never mind. Long story. Okay, let's go."
The two then departed together. Harry was the only one who brought a small trunk to carry stuff in. Draco had said he didn't really need anything except his wand (which he would use to bathe, dress and do everything with). Harry had the feeling it was because he didn't want to touch anything in Ron's house or as little as possible anyway. They apparated to the train station and waited about five minutes for it to arrive. Then they boarded it and managed to find an empty compartment. Draco slumped down into a seat and Harry sat next to him. Looking at the grumpy expression on Draco's face, Harry inwardly smiled and moved closer till he was brushing up against the other boy.
"Oh, I have another favor," Harry said, leaning toward him.
Draco eyed him and gave him a sarcastic look. "You mean besides being nice to the Weasel and his family, eating with them, sleeping over, pretending to be someone else and pretending to enjoy myself?"
"Yes," Harry said, ignoring the look of annoyance that passed over the blond's face. "Will you kiss me in front of Ginny?"
Draco raised both eyebrows. "Is this some kind of revenge?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "No, not revenge. She just needs to get it through her head that I don't like her romantically and that I'm gay. I mean, I even gave her this long, detailed explanation of how I didn't know I was gay when I was with her, but that I still don't have feelings for her like that and that I'm really sorry and all this stuff. I mean, I was sincere and honest with her and she still wouldn't get it through her head! She didn't want to believe I wasn't hers. She's just mad that she can't parade me around as her boyfriend," Harry muttered darkly. "Anyway, that's why I had Lucas pretend to be my boyfriend in front of her."
"And she still didn't buy it?" Draco asked.
"Well, she thought we were together, but she thinks I'm turning gay because I got scared of commitment with her, or whatever," Harry sighed heavily. "She even admitted that I was hers, as if I was property or something. I even gave her evidence why it isn't love that she has for me, but obsession and still she won't give up."
"She needs a slap in the face," Draco murmured, pushing back his bangs.
Harry watched him, a bit disappointed that the blond would have to turn into someone else. He'd have to kiss him as Lucas and although Lucas was a very handsome boy, Harry wasn't in love with him. Wait…in love? Did he…love Draco? Swallowing thickly, Harry just smiled in response to Draco's comment.
"I think once she sees us making out she'll finally realize I'm into you, er…well, Lucas, but really you," Harry said and Draco turned his head to stare at him. "I was thinking like after we get introduced to everyone and start playing games—"
"What? Games? I have to play games now?" Draco retorted, looking violated.
"—and after lunch," Harry continued as if he hadn't interrupted, "you and I should make it look like we're slipping away, but wait until she sees us sneaking out. Then we'll go to a corner or private area and start kissing, okay?"
Draco leaned his head back and rolled his eyes. "Do I have a choice?"
"Technically, yes. So I hope you'll do it. Then hopefully she'll get rid of her obsession over me and let me live my life."
"Alright, fine," Draco murmured.
Harry glanced at him and watched as he raked his fingers through his blond hair. Smiling, Harry leaned closer to him smelling a different cologne than usual—something a bit more mild, but still just as pleasant.
"Draco," Harry said softly.
"What?" Draco inquired, tilting his head to face him.
Harry leaned all the way forward and pressed his lips to the blond's. Almost instantly, he let his hand trail to the blond's jaw, keeping their kiss in tact. Draco kissed him back languidly and Harry then scooted closer, wrapping an arm around the other boy's neck. The train jerked and their kiss was broken. Both of them looked around and Harry faced the blond without pulling away.
"Alright, looks like our stop is the next one. You should probably take the potion now."
Giving him a disgusted look, Draco pulled out the potion and uncorked it. Then he pulled out one hair from a small vial (which contained at least ten hairs since Harry cloned the one strand since the blond would have to take another potion every five hours) and put it into the Polyjuice potion. It dissolved instantly and Draco gulped, making a face as he put the potion to his lips, closed his eyes and downed it in one gulp.
"Egh! God, that's terrible!" Draco exclaimed, shaking his head.
Harry watched, entranced, as the blond's hair slowly began to change, turning black and wavy. Instead of silver oval-shaped eyes, they became wider and rounder. Then his irises became a deep ocean blue. His shoulders broadened as he became slightly taller and his face lengthened. Instead of a round chin he had a slightly pointier chin and his cheekbones rose up a bit as well.
"Wow, amazing," Harry said, smiling.
"Great," Draco stated, sounding exactly like Lucas only sarcastic.
"Now everyone won't keel over from a heart-attack," Harry teased, giving the blond a soft smile.
"Haha, hilarious," Draco said, rolling his new, deep-blue eyes.
"Come on, Draco. Try to act a little more…I don't know, graceful with etiquette."
"Yeah, yeah," the momentarily-not-blond murmured.
The train stopped again and this time the two of them walked off. Then they got out their brooms and flew the rest of five minutes to a slightly larger, not-so-lopsided Weasley house.
"This is their new house?" Draco gazed at it, seemingly unimpressed. "I suppose it's better than the last, but still not very big. And definitely not classy."
Harry laughed softly. "Just don't say that to them."
The
two arrived at the front door a few minutes after noon. Knocking
politely, Harry stood nervously while Draco fiddled awkwardly with
his hands. A second later the door burst open and Ginny stood before
them. Her eyes took in Lucas in recognition immediately and she
nodded reluctantly.
"Hi," she said, forcing a smile. "Come
in."
Draco glanced at Harry, who exchanged a similarly suspicious look. Harry wasn't sure if Ginny was mad, jealous or trying to act like she was completely over him. Either way, Harry shrugged and entered alongside Draco. Immediately, Draco began examining their new house and Harry hoped he wouldn't let anything slip. They walked into the foyer and in the kitchen only a room away Harry heard a familiar voice.
"Ginny dear, is somebody hear?" Mrs. Weasley called out.
"Yes mom, Harry and his boyfriend are here!" she announced loudly.
Harry just smiled to show he wasn't embarrassed and immediately Molly rushed in from the kitchen. Draco stiffened as she came in and caught sight of him. Her hands immediately went to her mouth and her eyes crinkled as if she were about to cry.
"Oh, my gosh," she gasped, clutching at her bosom. "It is so nice to meet you. Welcome to the family," she said, swooping down over Draco and suffocating him in a hug.
Draco awkwardly patted her back as he tried to breathe. "Er…thanks."
"What's your name sweetheart?" Mrs. Weasley cooed, smiling at him as she pulled away.
"Er, Lucas ma'am, er Mrs. Weasley," Draco replied awkwardly.
"Oh isn't he such a dear?" Molly exclaimed, pinching his cheeks. "Harry, he's just perfect!"
Molly went to give him a suffocating hug and Harry saw Ginny roll her eyes at her mom's comment.
"Oh sure, but my boyfriend's not perfect?"
"Oh honey, I've already met Darian. Now, come on in you two. Remus and Tonks are already here and I'm sure they'd love to meet you, Lucas," Molly smiled widely, pinching his cheek again.
Harry squeezed Draco's arm to signal he was doing well and the other boy just gave him a 'help me' look. Ginny had already disappeared as Harry and Draco followed Molly into the sitting area. Remus, Mr. Weasley, Tonks, Bill, Charlie and Ron were all seated.
"Harry!" Ron exclaimed, jumping up.
Immediately all eyes went to him then Lucas. Remus stood up, smiling serenely.
"You must be Harry's boyfriend. I'm Remus Lupin," he said, holding out his hand.
"Hi, Lucas," Draco said, glancing at Harry sideways.
Harry understood the look immediately and realized just what he didn't prepare for. The fact that he didn't know Lucas' last name or anything about his family so if Draco was questioned at all he'd have to make it up.
"By George, what a good looking fellow!" Arthur exclaimed, coming up to pat him on the back.
"You mean like me?" George asked popping in.
"No, he means me," Fred responded, leaning up against the chair.
The two twins grinned at Draco. "So, you want a taffy, Lucas?" George asked (or was it Fred?)
"Er, no. I know not to trust your creations," Draco replied, eyeing the candy as he probably recalled Nicholas turning into a naked woman with floppy breasts.
"Aw, Harry, did you have to tell him?" Fred whined.
"Yeah, that ruins the fun," George added.
Harry just smiled and shrugged. "Sorry."
"How wonderful it is to meet you!" Tonks exclaimed, nearly knocking over the tea-pot as she stood up. "My name's Nymphadora Tonks but you can call me Aunt Dora," she smiled, throwing out her arms to hug him and nearly knocking Remus in the face.
Draco reached out to awkwardly hug her and Tonks nearly tripped over a footrest. Harry managed to grab her arm securely so she and Draco didn't topple to the floor.
"Er, hi," Ron said, approaching him.
Draco stiffened but he gave the red-head a smile. "Hi."
"Nice to meet you, finally," Ron said, holding out his hand.
Draco shook it firmly but briefly and Harry could tell he was a bit nervous in front of them all, especially since he was probably frightened any slip-up would clue them into his true identity.
"So, er Lucas, what's your last name?" Charlie asked, smiling up at him.
"Er, it's…," Draco began awkwardly.
Thankfully he was saved by Molly who came in. "Alright everyone, get comfortable in the dining room it's time to eat!"
Harry saw Draco's shoulders loosen in relief and he squeezed his hand softly. Draco turned to him and gave him a gentle stare and Harry led him into the next room. The two sat next to one another and Ron sat on Harry's other side. Ginny sat across from Lucas and Remus sat across from Harry. Tonks sat next to Remus and Arthur sat at the head of the table next to Mrs. Weasley, who was next to Ron. The twins and Charlie sat on the other side of Ginny while Bill sat on the other side of Draco. Harry noticed that Percy wasn't there.
He had forgotten that things were still awkward between the older boy and his family. Percy still hadn't reconciled with them even after Voldemort came out in the open. In fact, after he had moved to London (and wrote that warning letter to Ron to stay away from Harry) he had almost disappeared off the face of the earth. The only way anyone knew he was still alive was because when Arthur checked his vault after Voldemort's defeat one of the goblins told him that Percy had been in there recently to take out some money (they only revealed that after Arthur proved he was his father). Harry would've thought he'd be there on a holiday though, especially after realizing his parents had been right to question his position as Fudge's assistant (especially after the Barty Crouch incident). Even though time had passed, Percy still hadn't come to terms with the fact that he had been wrong. It seemed that Slytherins weren't the only ones with too much pride.
"So Lucas, tell us about yourself," Molly said, after placing hot plates of roast beef sandwiches in front of everyone.
She summoned tea for herself and then stared at him. Draco didn't answer right away and Harry wasn't sure if he froze with panic. Suddenly, the other boy surprised him.
"Actually, my family is very wealthy," he began calmly.
"Really? And what do they do?" Arthur asked curiously after taking a bite.
Harry immediately answered for him. "Er, his dad's an announcer for the Quidditch championships."
"You don't say?" Arthur exclaimed.
"That's bloody awesome!" Fred exclaimed.
"Fred! No cursing at the table!" Molly warned heatedly.
"And your mother?" Arthur asked.
"Don't!" Harry exclaimed, holding up a hand and glancing quickly at Draco.
The other boy looked at him a bit startled, but kept his expression neutral (just to be safe).
"His…his mother is deceased. He doesn't like to talk about her," Harry said slowly.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Molly exclaimed, gasping. "That must be dreadful! You poor dear!"
"I'm alright," Draco said quietly, making sure to cast his eyes downward as he ate.
"Well, enough personal questions then," Molly said firmly, glancing at Arthur who cleared his throat and looked down as he took a bite.
The conversation steered away from them thankfully as Arthur began to talk about the Ministry and how they were reforming. They were getting completely new and younger members—hopefully stronger and less cowardly members too. And how they were branching off and creating a new Ministry building and adding much more extensive training to become a member or an auror. However, they were in need of aurors in case an uprising occurred. And as this discussion went on Remus and Tonks and everyone joined in and Harry listened on. Occasionally, Ron would ask him a question or direct one at Lucas (mainly about the school).
Once Molly went to clear the plates and everyone was distracted with talking, Harry and Draco glanced at each other. Harry waited till he spotted Ginny glancing at them from the corner of his eye, then he grabbed Draco's hand subtly and they slipped away from the table. Just as Harry suspected, she followed silently behind them to see what they were up to. Harry stopped by the stairs and suddenly wrapped his arms around Draco's neck. The other boy wrapped his arms back around him and the two came in for a deep kiss. Harry made sure to make it passionate and when they broke, Harry smiled up at him and smoothed his hair away from his face.
"Is she still looking?" Harry whispered in his ear.
Draco turned and glanced at the corner of his eye, pretending to pull Harry into a different position.
"Yeah," he responded.
"Alright, just kiss me once more and we'll go back into the room," Harry whispered.
Draco bent down and kissed his passionately, cupping a hand behind Harry's neck. Then when they broke away, Harry smiled and grabbed his hand, leading him back into the other room. When they got there, Ginny hadn't come back, but Harry hoped now that she realized he really was gay.
After all the plates were cleared, everyone sat around for a game of Wizard Snaps. Harry made sure to keep Draco beside him at all times so that they could run into an empty room when it was time for a new potion and also so Draco wouldn't get paired up with Ron. It seemed that Draco was beginning to enjoy himself and it was easier for him to show it (as Lucas) since he was supposed to be pretending to have a good time. However, Harry sensed that he really was. Someday he'd have to tell Draco he knew a bit of Legilmency, but for the time being he was grateful the other boy was experiencing some fun. Ginny came back later to play and didn't say anything about them kissing, but she also didn't roll her eyes as much or make it look like she was angry, so perhaps the kissing scheme had worked.
A little while later Hermione and her family came by. She was ecstatic to meet 'Lucas' and gave him a huge embrace, which Draco offered reluctantly. Harry watched as Hermione gave Remus a hug and then Molly. He saw her turn around in Ron's direction and the other boy glanced down. Then Hermione walked up to him and gave him a brief embrace. Ron patted her back in return. During the greetings, after Harry had hugged her tightly, he and Draco slipped away for the other boy to take his second potion. Then they went back into the room where everyone was conversing.
Draco sat next to him at all times and Harry occasionally whispered something in his ear. It seemed like they were just a couple whispering, but really they had a good reason to whisper.
"Draco," Harry whispered in his ear, "if they ask you anything about yourself again just make it up."
Draco bent down to his ear. "I know."
Harry smiled and then put his lips near the other boy's ear again. "I think it's about time for dinner."
Draco just nodded and Harry pressed his lips completely to the space just below the boy's ear lobe. Draco glanced at him and Harry just smiled.
"Hey you two love-birds! Want to play a bit of Quidditch?" Fred winked.
"After dinner, George," Arthur said, patting his arm.
The boy raised an eyebrow. "It's Fred, dad."
"Er, that's what I said. Fred," Arthur smiled before getting up.
Molly then hurried into the room, wiping her hands on her apron. "Dinner's all ready everyone. Come and eat!"
"Alright!" George exclaimed, apparating out.
"FRED NO APPARATING!" Arthur bellowed.
"Hey! Why not? George did it!" Fred exclaimed, standing right next to him.
Arthur glanced at him surprised and Harry just chuckled quietly. They all went into the dining room and Harry glanced at Hermione who had been unusually quiet that evening. She spotted him and gave him a small smile. At the dinner table, Harry made sure to sit next to Draco. Harry smiled knowingly as Draco's eyes widened at the sight of all the food Molly cooked.
"I know. And she expects you to eat at least three helpings," Harry leaned over and whispered.
Draco glanced at him surprised. "Great. I'm going to get fat too."
Harry just smiled. "Your stomach will feel that way, but the feeling will pass by tomorrow. Besides, you could never get fat."
The other boy glanced at him and Harry smiled coyly. Draco gave him a small smile in return and Harry's stomach fluttered in excitement. Finally, the other boy was opening up even more. Perhaps by tomorrow Draco would be laughing with Ron and the others and enjoying himself like he was among friends. And then maybe he'd give Harry his answer about whether or not they could seriously date—become a true couple in private and public.
During dinner, as everyone piled their plates with steaming hot food, the topic began with work and then drifted to the Quidditch championship. Draco was just as interested to hear how things worked on the inside. Thankfully, no questions were directed at him. However, the conversation soon took a slightly different turn.
"Have you all heard about Lucius Malfoy?" Charlie asked.
Harry's head jerked up and he glanced at Draco who was staring at the other boy in surprise.
"Oh yes, about his sentencing," Arthur nodded.
"What's his sentence? The Demenor's Kiss?" Ron asked eagerly.
"No, Ron. It seems that Lucius again managed to slip through authorities and he's getting House Arrest. There's still one more small trial he needs to go through to get it, but odds are he will," Arthur explained.
Molly clucked her tongue. "It's ridiculous. With all that evidence there that he was serving you-know-who and committed murder and everything…It just makes me ill to think that there are others like him in the world that haven't even been caught."
Draco chewed his food more than necessary and Harry glanced at him to make sure he was doing alright.
"So what does House Arrest mean exactly?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Ah well, it means that he and his wife will live in a house charmed so that they can't apparate out of it. And their magic will be on radar at all times. Not to mention their house will be searched up and down and there will always be a Ministry member or two watching them. If they want to leave the house, they have to contact the Ministry and tell them where they're going. Then the Ministry will have to take their wands and escort them to wherever they need to go. And I believe the sentencing looks like it'll be for twenty years. Lucius was trying to get only five or six years, but there's no chance of that happening," Arthur shook his head.
Ron glanced at his father. "What about Draco Malfoy? Aren't they going to watch him too?"
This time Draco's head jerked toward the red-head and Harry swallowed thickly.
"They don't have to Ron. They questioned him with Veritaserum right after the war ended and found that he had only joined because his father forced him to," Arthur said.
Draco glanced down at his plate and Harry snuck a hand toward his under the table. Gently, he squeezed the other boy's hand and Draco gazed at him looking a bit forlorn.
"Not to mention he didn't even have the Dark Mark. Of course, he's too young anyway," Arthur continued.
"Yeah, but he's at Harry's school now," Ron spoke up and Harry glanced at him.
All eyes turned to Harry, but he just shrugged. "Actually, he hasn't been bothering me at all. In fact, he hasn't been a problem whatsoever."
"Still, his whole family has a history of being Death Eaters—murderers! Just because he didn't have the guts to kill Dumbledore doesn't mean he won't try it on you!" Ron exclaimed.
Draco clenched Harry's hand so tightly Harry choked on his drink.
"Harry, you alright?" Remus asked, concerned.
"Yeah…er, went down the wrong pipe," he said, forcing a smile.
With his other hand he gently grasped Draco's hand and got him to let go of his death-grip. The other boy didn't even look at him. He was staring down at his plate, obviously trying not to show his anger.
"That's true," Ginny spoke up. "I mean, Harry he could easily slip poison into your drink or find out where you sleep at night."
"I'm not worried about that. He doesn't seem like his father at all," Harry said, glancing at Draco who didn't look up.
"Still, maybe you should be careful," Molly said gently. "Looks can be deceiving."
"Er, yeah. Can we not talk about this anymore?" Harry asked.
"Harry's right. This is a festive occasion," Remus smiled. "Let's talk about cheerful things."
Harry inwardly sighed with relief as the topic changed once more. He glanced down at Draco, however, who continued to eat in silence with his eyes cast down on his plate. Harry feared that perhaps the damage had already been done. He reached beneath the table again to find Draco's hand, but the boy pulled away from him. Harry stared at him momentarily with a sympathetic expression, but finally just continued eating in silence as well.
After dinner, Molly began clearing away the plates with her wand. "Everyone stay there. Dessert will be on its way in a little bit."
"Excuse me," Draco said, getting up.
He left the table and Harry immediately stood up. "Er, I'm going to go for a minute too."
"Is everything alright?" Remus asked, as all eyes gazed at Harry.
"Er, yeah, it's just…his grandpa," Harry said quickly. "His grandpa's not doing so well and his family said they'd send an owl if anything happened."
"Oh, how sad," Tonks stated.
"I'll be right back," Harry nodded, slipping from the room.
Once he was away from any eyes, Harry hurried to find Draco. He found the other boy by the door where they had left their things.
"Dr…Lucas?" Harry said quietly.
The other boy wheeled around and Harry saw the anger in his expression.
"I'm not staying here another second!" he exclaimed.
"Shh, let's talk in here," Harry whispered, pointing to a room.
Draco stomped into the room and once they were both inside, Harry put a silencing charm around the entire area.
"Draco, I'm so sorry. They don't know what you're like now. They think you're like your father, but they don't know you."
"I
don't care, Potter!" Draco snarled. "It's not like I want to
know them either! I'm not staying here with them!"
"Draco
please, just a little longer. If they start talking about it again,
we'll change the subj—"
"NO!" Draco seethed, glaring at him. "I won't sit there and smile as they insult me, Potter! I don't care if they know me or not! I don't care what they think of me! And I should have never agreed to this stupid idea!"
"Draco, just calm down. If only they could get to know you—the real you," Harry offered.
"Never, Potter! I never want them to know it's me! I don't want them to get to know me!" Draco exclaimed angrily.
"Draco…they'll have to know eventually. We can't keep doing Polyjuice potion," Harry said.
The other boy stared at him with narrowed eyes and took in a deep breath. "You're right, Potter," he drawled. "We can't keep doing the potion. So why don't we just stop this now!"
Harry's eyes widened, a bit taken aback. "Wait, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying to stop what we're doing!" Draco gestured between them. "We both know it's just a fling—it'll never work out! You're you and I'm me, Potter! Do you understand? If they ever were to find out it was me they'd think I cast some sort of love spell on you or something! And frankly, I don't want to deal with them anyway."
"You want to break this off?" Harry asked, raising his voice. "After everything? Draco, how can you say that? We were doing so well! You were even enjoying yourself!"
"Potter! This is getting us no where anyway!" Draco exclaimed furiously. "And you know it!"
"NO! That's not true!" Harry bellowed, thankful for the silencing charm. "I worked so hard to get you to open up, Draco! Just a while ago you were acting like the real you! Instead of that cold, hard-headed person that hides how you truly feel! I've gotten to know you, Draco. And I know that this has been working out! Yes, it takes time but you know what? I've been doing all the work!"
"Oh really?" Draco drawled, his eyebrows furrowing.
"I'm the one who was man enough to admit I liked you while you still cowered away, using your sarcasm to hide your feelings!" Harry shouted. "And I was the one who initiated the kiss! I was the one who didn't ignore the fact that we had had sex! And I tried to be nice to you, to understand you and to make you feel like you could trust me! I did everything! So fine! Just run away and hide again, like always!"
"Fine! I will!" Draco exclaimed as he suddenly apparated, vanishing from his spot.
Harry stared at the place that he should've been, feeling anger and hurt combined. Finally, he stomped from the room and into the hall. He tried to calm himself down before entering the dining roo.
"There you are, Harry. Dessert is ready," Molly smiled. "Where's Lucas?"
"Er…he had to leave suddenly because of his sick grandpa."
"Oh no! Is his grandpa alright?" Tonks gasped.
Harry shrugged. "I think so. Lucas seemed a bit upset so he had to go."
"Well, I'm glad you managed to make an appearance despite his poor grandpa," Molly said, nodding sadly.
Harry managed a small smile and began eating dessert quietly. He hardly spoke at all. In fact, as the topic of Quidditch came up again Harry had to excuse himself. He felt this pang in his chest and he knew it was from the fact that he and Draco had fought. It was strange how they hadn't gotten into a real fight ever since Harry realized he liked the blond. As Harry walked into the hall he saw Hermione sitting on the bottom step.
"Hermione?"
She glanced up at him and wiped at her eyes. "Harry? Oh, hi. Sorry, I was just coming down from the bathroom."
"Are you alright?" Harry asked, noticing that she seemed upset.
Sighing heavily, Hermione shook her head. "I have something to tell you."
"I have something to tell you too," Harry said quickly. "Let's go into this room?"
Harry gestured to the room where he and Draco had fought and Hermione nodded. The silencing charm was till on it so they'd have privacy. Once inside, Hermione sat down in a chair and Harry sat across from her.
"You go first," Harry offered.
"Harry, I think…," she hesitated. "I think Ron and I are going to break up."
Harry blinked a bit surprised and then nodded. "Is that why you were so quiet?"
"Yeah, I was thinking about it. I mean, things with us were alright, you know? Honestly, it wasn't that different from being friends except for the occasional kissing. And well…we got into a fight. I mean, we've gotten into many arguments, you know, because he's so stubborn," she smiled sadly.
"Yeah, I know how that feels," Harry grumbled. "Was it about the sorcery thing?"
"Well, that was just a little argument before. I mean, Ron gets so jealous easily and sometimes he says stupid things. But I mean, I thought it would work out because we were friends before but it seems like he's a bit different as a boyfriend. I feel like he's a bit inconsiderate to my feelings. He wants me to be happy, but he's got a sense of pride that he has to be smarter and stronger than the girl he's dating and taking care of, you know? And we've fought about many little things, but he was still upset about the sorcery thing. He told me it was his duty to be the man or whatever and I understand he wants to be the "breadwinner" so-to-speak, but I'm not like Molly. I can't be a house-wife. I don't want to have seven or eight kids. And well…
"Then I sort of told him he was a bad kisser. And he blew up," Hermione shook her head. "He got so mad he told me we should just break it off completely because I'm supposedly better than he is."
Harry shook his head. "He's just upset. But you know…it sounds like maybe it's for the best. I've seen you two argue constantly. At first I thought it was just because you both truly liked each other, but maybe it's just your personalities clashing. Ron can be very stubborn at times and a little inconsiderate when he feels jealous. Trust me, I remember that from our forth year."
Hermione inhaled sharply. "You're probably right, Harry. I feel like I want to break if off anyway. He already said we should so now all I have to do is agree to it. But…well, I always thought you and Ron were the only people who truly understood me," Hermione glanced down at her hands.
"That's not true. You just have to find someone understanding, Hermione," Harry said, clasping her hands. "Wait! I have the perfect person for you."
Hermione glanced up and wiped at her eyes. "Really? Is it someone from school?"
"Yes! Lucas!"
Hermione's eyes widened considerably. "Harry, you want to set me up with your boyfriend?"
"No!" Harry exclaimed, sighing heavily. "Lucas isn't really my boyfriend, Hermione. That's what I have to tell you. Lucas and I, in reality, are just friends. Lucas is straight anyway."
Hermione's eyes widened. "But…"
"That wasn't really Lucas," Harry said softly. "It was Polyjuice potion."
"Polyjuice potion?" Hermione gasped. "But…why?"
"Because I asked Lucas to pretend to be my boyfriend to convince Ginny that I really was gay since she wouldn't give me up!" Harry exclaimed, sitting next to her in the large chair. "And since Ginny thought Lucas was my boyfriend, it would look too strange to bring someone else. Especially since that someone else is…well, it was Malfoy."
Hermione's mouth dropped open instantly. "As in Draco Malfoy? That was him?"
Harry nodded. "Er, yeah. He's changed though, Hermione. He's not the mean, arrogant…well, he hides behind that front. Once you really get to know him, he's a nice guy. And I could tell he liked me back. He agreed to be my boyfriend, after all, but…we sort of got into a fight because of where the discussion led us at dinner."
Hermione clasped a hand over her mouth. "Oh gosh! That's right. He must be upset."
"He is! And I know you guys can't imagine him being nice, but…I really liked him Hermione. In fact, I think…I think I might've more than liked him."
Hermione stared at him and then gently placed her hand on his. "Harry, it's your choice who you date. I honestly can't imagine a nice Malfoy, but I believe you. And it seems like you really do care for him, right?"
Harry nodded silently. "Yeah, but I was doing all the work. I was the one who admitted to liking him first and I could tell Draco had some sort of attraction to me, especially after we…er, you know," he said as Hermione blushed and nodded. "And…I was always trying to be the one to start up friendly conversations and show him that he can trust me and that it's okay to like one another…"
Hermione pulled him into a hug. "Harry, listen to me. If he truly likes you back then he'll come back to you. If you've been doing all or most of the work, you have to let it go. You have to wait for him to come to you. Perhaps that's the only way to tell if he truly likes you back. And I'm sure once Draco realizes you're not going to be the one to come to him and patch everything up like you normally do, then it'll be up to him to decide."
Harry smiled softly and nodded. "Thanks Hermione. And I really do think you and Lucas, the real one, would be a great match. If you want to, we can all meet up some time so I can introduce you."
Hermione blushed and looked down. "Well…that would be nice. I mean, he is very attractive."
"Yeah and he's the sweetest guy I've ever met," Harry smiled.
Hermione hugged him again tightly. "Thanks Harry. I'm so glad we're friends."
"Me too," Harry smiled again. "Why don't you go in and talk to Ron about remaining friends. Just get it out of the way so you can enjoy the rest of Christmas. I'll be right there."
Hermione nodded and adjusted her dress before leaving. Harry walked slowly out into the hall and opened his trunk. He found the presents he had gotten for Draco and he sighed heavily. Then he stood up and went to go search for Ron's bird—Pig. Harry found him upstairs in the attic and used him to deliver the gifts. He didn't want Draco to be alone without gifts on Christmas. And hopefully the other boy truly liked him in return.
TO BE CONTINUED…
To Reviewers:
Pixie9: Lol! Yes, Draco's still stubborn, but this is his test! And it would be too OOC if he were smoochy, lol!
Kari-Sama: Lol! He's definitely no 'ray of sunshine', but he is improving. And now this is the test of love!
Goddess Bless: Oh, lol! That's alright. Glad you're liking this still! Hehe!
DestinyEntwinements: Lol! Oh yes indeed…Harry has such dilemmas!
Evil Ball of Fluff: Lol! Oh good, I'm glad you're still liking this! Unfortunately, Ron won't know about Draco…not yet anyway. Hehe!
xoxo-loza-xoxo: Thank you for that! Actually, the website I use for Harry Potter information, such as potions, magic, etc. is the Harry Potter Lexicon. And since I forgot exactly how Quidditch worked, I got the information from that site. But I think I remember it being 150 like you said. Thanks, I'll have to fix that later.
wIthOUt A nAmELol! No, you did review, I went back and put your name in that chapter! I'm glad you still like seeing your name, hehe!
MoonlightGoddess08: Oh, thank you! That makes me feel better that you enjoyed the prologue. I didn't want to jump into the school immediately so I'm really glad to hear that. Thanks!
Rita In Wonderland: Hehe! Yeah, don't worry I promise Draco will get nicer. Trust me! And I'm sorry he didn't wear a Weasley sweater, but it was sort of last minute that Draco decided to go. Lol! I'll continue to update quickly!
GreenEyedCatDragon: Don't worry, Draco will come around! He won't call him Potter forever! Hehe!
Branwen777: Aw, thank you! I'm glad it's realistic still! Unfortunately, it is a slow process, lol!
LadyDragonWolfKnight: Lol! Yes, dear Harry is so cunning to get Draco to reluctantly agree, isn't he? Tehehe!
Walking Through Shadows (Ash): I'm very glad you decided to review, thanks for your input! And I'm extremely glad you're liking this still! Lol! Yes, I thought Tavis was an amusing character too. Haha, I'm glad you like him!
Gbheart: Oh yes, Harry definitely has the patience of a saint…well, as close to one as anybody can get anyway. Now, it's Draco's turn, lol!
Smurff: Yep, you're right! Harry's being a little too patient and now it's Draco's turn! Hehe! Aw, thanks for that! I'm glad my quick updates keep you interested!
Sinful Sakura: I'm so glad you like it! I shall continue to update quickly!
The Earth Mystic: Yep, I completely agree! Harry's been doing too much of the work. Now it's Draco's turn! Haha! Oh, well I was sort of going day by day then week by week, so that's why it was moving slowly. But now it's Christmas so several months have passed! Hehe! Sorry I didn't put Halloween in here. It wasn't that important. From what I know, the UK doesn't celebrate it like America does, lol! It's probably not as big of a deal there. But now comes the test of love! Hehe!
Auctoritas: Thanks for your feedback! You're right, the Quibbler does put a lot of junk in it and weird articles, but since Luna's dad put that article about Harry revealing Voldemort's return, I figure it probably has changed a bit since then. So I figured if Harry asked to put an article in it, Luna's dad would agree. Lol! Oh, well the information I got from Quidditch (since I didn't remember much of how the game was played) was from the Harry Potter Lexicon. I'm glad you liked jealous-Ginny, lol! Thanks again!
Tiger Eye2: Ah yes, drama is inevitable, isn't it? Lol!
Chosen-one4: Hehe! Yep, Draco's coming around..and now it's up to him! Sorry that you didn't get to see Ron's reaction to the truth…not yet anyway.
Cynic387: I'm glad you like it so far! Hope those chapters don't die on you again, lol!
DiscombobulatedpersonLol! How true! Harry's having a rough time, isn't he? But now it's up to Draco! Hehe!
Ghosthly-Shadow: Lol! Glad you're liking the sex, hehe! There is more to come! Of course it's not entirely based on sex, but it is a nice plus!