Chapter 11
For the rest of the week Harry maintained a careful distance from Draco. Even though they'd agreed to forget it, Draco still felt the sting of Harry's rejection each time the raven-haired boy would avoid meeting his eyes or leave the room when he entered. Draco had learned to expect as much. Anyone that got even a little close to him would surely see the rot and decay that riddled the boy's soul. Unable to hide behind his money and status anymore he was exposed; his flaws, his sins, bared out there for everyone to see. Every time he'd glimpse a Quibbler article denouncing the cowardly Malfoys, every time he heard the other students snickering and jeering at him, every time he was the victim of an anonymous hex, he was reminded.
It was Saturday now, and Draco strode purposefully to the library.
"Draco. Wait up." A voice called out from behind him. He turned to to greet Blaise, who was jogging to catch up to him, Pansy in tow. Lately the two had been inseparable, snogging each other every chance they got. He wasn't quite sure exactly when it happened, though as he'd reflected on it, he'd found he wasn't surprised.
"Hey man where ya' headed?" Blaise questioned him now that they were face to face.
"Oh, I was just going to go to the library and do some homework." Draco replied nonchalantly, gesturing to his bag.
"Homework? On a Saturday? You sound as bad as Granger. C'mon. Pans and I have a better idea." Blaise said grabbing his arm.
Draco raised an eyebrow at Pansy, challenging to her explain where they were now headed. But Pansy just smirked and gestured for him to come on. Draco sighed and allowed himself to be carted off by the pair.
It didn't take Draco long to notice they were headed back towards their dorm. "Where did you say we were headed?" Draco asked uncertainly. What are these two idiots up to?
"We didn't say." Pansy chimed with a wink.
But, to his surprise, before they reached the common rooms they veered into a narrow hallway he hadn't noticed before. Curious, he reached his hand out, as if to confirm that the space actually existed. Noticing Draco's interest Pansy broke in again.
"Wondering why you didn't notice it before? It has a perception filtering spell on it. We think they used it for storage and roof access during construction. Blaise and I discovered it by mistake when we were looking for a place to..uh...study," she finished giggling, a Cheshire grin wide on Blaise's face.
"Yeah, studying." Draco said with a sly, knowing smile.
"What about you?" Blaise spoke now, continuing to lead them through the hallway, which had ended with a small closet and stairs leading up. Draco looked up at him confused.
"He means, have you found a *study* partner yet." Pansy teased, jabbing him lightly in the ribs. "Any girls you fancy?" she continued, dropping her voice, "Or boys?"
Draco's jaw dropped slightly and Blaise laughed. She knew? Well, I guess she probably put it together when we broke up.
"I think I hit right on the money." Pansy laughed now too. Draco felt his cheeks filling with the heat of embarrassment.
"Aw, come on, Draco, we're your friends. You don't have to hide it from us." Blaise said, facing him now with a genuine look of sincerity splayed across his face. "So who's the lucky guy?" His tone was light and casual.
"There is no lucky guy. Period. End of story. No one would ever have me anyways." he muttered the last words, eyes falling to the ground.
"You've got to stop being so down on yourself man, the war is over."
"Of course I know its over," he retorted, suddenly irked. "It's everyone else that won't let me forget it."
"Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I just want you to, you know, lighten up, have some fun. Look, were almost there." Blaise said reaching the top of the stairs.
"Alohamora," Blaise chanted, pulling out his wand and pointing it at the simple door in front of the trio. He pushed it open with ease and the three of them stepped out.
Draco was instantly moved by the sight; they were now standing at the top of Dumbledore Spire, overlooking the whole grounds of hogwarts, in a hidden shallow balcony that stretched all the way around the spire. After taking it in for a few minutes however he turned to his friends with a look of irritation.
"This is what you wanted to show me?" he demanded. "I've seen the view from Hogwarts a dozen times on my broom, what makes this so special."
Blaise tsked at him. "Wheres your spirit of adventure?" He asked. I think I've had enough adventure this week, Draco snided in his head.
"First of all," Pansy said, glee filling her shrill voice, "It's private." She reached her hand into her cloak now and drew forth a bottle of fine mead.
"And secondly," Blaise cut in, before Draco had time to react to Pansy's revelation, "there's that." Blaise finished his voice trailing off. Draco turned his head to follow the boys eyeline and made a small gasp. The balcony they were standing on was above the 8th year common room, and the dorms several stories below jutted out from it, like a halo around the spire. From their position they could see into each one of the dorms large bay windows, including his own.
"You voyeurs!" He shouted incredulously at the pair. His initial admonishment, however, quickly turned to a mischievous excitement. He watched with fascination all of the going-ons below them. People chatted, studied, snogged.
Pansy cracked the lid off the mead and withdrew three matching silver goblets, filling each glass and handing them out. "To voyeurism!" she snickered, "Cheers!"
The boys obediently clanked their glasses with hers. "You know, I think this is exactly what I needed." Draco said his eyes shifting to his own dorm, where Harry had just entered. "I tried drinking alone, trust me. It didn't go well." Harry was looking around the room, floors down from where they were sitting, as if he'd misplaced something.
"We know." Blaise and Pansy said in unison. Draco quirked his head at them, his eyes sad to leave Harry's form. "When did you guys say you found this place?" He asked, his suspicion mounting.
"Tuesday night." Pansy replied, sounding a little too pleased with herself. Draco's eyes drifted back to his room searching unconsciously again for Harry. "Enjoying yourself?" She inquired. "We thought this might cheer you up. Especially considering what we saw happening in your room that night." Dawning fully filled the petite blonde sending a hot flush across his cheeks.
So you guys were spying on me!" he bellowed. "I can't believe you." But then he laughed too, "On second thought, I can." He finished taking a swig from his glass of mead. He swished the liquid around lightly in his mouth, letting the flavor sink in. "This is really good, Pansy. You been in your parent's stash again?"
Pansy just smiled.
"So how long have you fancied potter?" Blaise blurted out, unable to contain himself any longer.
"I don't fancy Potter!" Draco cried out indignantly, practically shouting.
Several stories down Harry sneezes and rubs his ringing ears.
"I dunno, that's not how it looked from where we were sitting." Pansy added, firing Draco back up.
"It was a mistake! He hated it anyway! You should have seen at least that much!" Draco was fuming now. He knew his friends meant well, but he couldn't help but feel a tug on his heart at the memory of Harry's rejection.
"I don't know," Blaise began quietly, after a long minute. "He looked like he was enjoying it until he pushed you, And you didn't see the look on his face after you left. Or the hard-on he had."
Draco looked thoughtful for a moment. "Look, just drop it, please." His eyes were pleading. "It would never work out." He said wistfully as he watched Harry leaving his room below.
The trio sat there the rest of the afternoon, drinking mead and forgetting the woes left for them by their fathers in the aftermath of the war.
