A/N: I've just realised there was a glitch in my updates. All of the section dividers fell out of my document -- it kind of stuffed things around, since I have sometimes been writing from two perspectives in the same chapter (Harry's and Draco's). So if you were wondering why my chapters sometimes had strange discontinuities, then that's why! But hopefully that's fixed now.
Anyway, this is the sequel to the cliff hanger! I won't detain you a moment longer with my unrelated ramblings. (Thanks at the end of the chapter .)
---
Harry stopped rubbing the cream in, but didn't want to remove his hand. His fingertips burned where he'd touched Draco's skin, and he could feel his entire body start to heat up due to the sheer proximity of Draco's naked torso. When he thought of Draco's abs…Harry couldn't help it. He slowly trailed his fingers along Draco's back, snaking his arm around Draco's waist and finally bringing his hand and arm to rest against Draco's smooth stomach, and drawing the blonde boy towards him. Draco didn't resist.
Draco let out a shivery breath, and leant back against Harry, his head resting against Harry's shoulder, his face turned towards Harry's face.
There was a long silence as the boys regarded each other…and then slowly, Draco closed the distance between them and pressed a tentative kiss on Harry's lips.
---
There was the barest hint of pressure as Draco's mouth met Harry's own. Draco's lips were very soft and gentle and slightly unsure. It was only the barest whisper of a kiss, but it was more than enough to send hot waves of desire coursing through Harry's body. (A tiny part of Harry's mind suggested that it really had been a long time since Harry's last girlfriend, if he was getting this worked up over one, tiny kiss.)
Harry brought his hand up to languidly stroke Draco's neck, and then cupped Draco's cheek in his hand and tilted his face slightly upwards. Harry felt an alarm bell sound in the back of his mind, but ignored it; instead, he deepened the kiss and felt Draco moan against his lips.
Harry was entranced. The warm, flickering tones of the firelight played hypnotically across Draco's perfect skin, bathing him in living gold and shadow. The world was completely silent except for the crackling of the fire and their slightly ragged breathing. He was captivated by the beautiful, angular body that he held up against his own, and everywhere their bodies touched, Harry's skin was on fire. Gently, Harry rested both of his hands on Draco's abs, feeling them contract slightly beneath his touch, before slowly moving his hands up again, delighting in the smoothness of Draco's skin, bringing them to rest on Draco's chest…
Something in Harry's brain rebelled, and the scene froze before his eyes. Hold on a moment…that's not…right…
Harry mind wrestled with the truth. He wasn't in Gryffindor tower, and he wasn't in his four-poster bed. And it definitely wasn't a girl in his arms.
He was in the Room of Requirement. And he had been kissing…
Oh no…
The trance was shattered, and reality came crashing back.
Oh my God, Harry thought nauseously, I've been kissing Malfoy!
Abruptly, Harry pulled away to regard the blonde boy in front of him with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Oh man, what was I thinking?
What on earth was I thinking?
---
Draco could see the irony inherent in his situation. Well, this is a turn up for the books. I went for a walk to try and get rid of the confusion…not add to it by snogging Hogwarts' golden boy.
But then Draco's mind stilled as he focused on the kiss. In the back of his head, Draco realised that this was his first kiss. He was uncertain about what he was supposed to do, and so he gladly relinquished control of the kiss to Harry. The other boy's lips were warm, if a little cracked and dry from the recent cold weather. And it seemed that, in his rush to make the Transfiguration exam that morning, Harry had forgotten to shave. Draco recoiled a tiny little bit at that. Draco always shaved, and hated the scruffy look of a five o'clock shadow. But the kiss itself was so filled with desire and had such a passionate insistence. And with Harry's slightly muscled arm pulling him up against the other boy… Not bad, really, thought Draco hazily, for a first kiss…
And then, abruptly, the kiss was no more. Harry had pulled back, a look of increasing mortification on his face.
If this is how Potter reacts to kissing me, Draco thought vaguely, then how much worse is Father's reaction going to be if he finds out?
Draco almost laughed out loud as he imagined Lucius' face – it would be filled with horror and arrogant disgust. His mother might faint elegantly onto a couch. Sorry, Father, sorry Mother, looks like your suspicions were justified. Somehow, he was inordinately pleased at the thought of openly defying his conservative parents and their proud lineage. How would they react when they discovered that their only son would never bear them any heirs? There goes the Malfoy line…and good riddance.
And as for you, Potter…
Draco had a lot of conflicting feelings towards Harry. Long-standing enmity warred with desire, leaving Draco feeling rather angry and confused.
But shining brightly in his memory was the kiss. You annoy me, Potter, Draco thought, with your stupid self-righteousness and your hero complex and one kiss is nothing next to the seven years that you've constantly pissed me off…
…but I'm not finished with you yet. This is not how I want this night to end between us.
Draco sensed that Harry was about two seconds away from running out the door, and deep down, Draco knew that he couldn't let that happen.
Before Harry had the chance to pull away any further, Draco had spun around to face the brunette and had taken his shoulders in his hands.
"Listen to me, Potter!" Draco said quietly. "I can see what you're thinking – "
Harry opened his mouth – no doubt to protest that Draco didn't know a thing about Harry's thoughts – but Draco cut across him. "No, Potter, listen. I get that you're just dying to bury yourself in a mountain of angst and wallow in misery and self-loathing. And normally, I wouldn't stop you."
Now that he saw he had Harry's attention, he continued. "But…you're a good kisser…" Draco paused, and grinned, "even if you are a goody-two-shoes prat. And," he added, before Harry could interrupt, "I know you were having fun." Draco grinned devilishly. "And let's face it, I haven't seen you with a girlfriend for about two months, so don't try to tell me that you don't want to fool around right now."
Despite himself, Harry smiled. "Yes, Malfoy, but – "
"Oh, do shut up, Potter!" Malfoy ordered imperiously – sounding very much like his old self – before covering Harry's slightly resistant mouth with his own.
Right on the edge of hearing, there was a quiet, happy laugh that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. But neither Draco nor Harry noticed.
They were far too busy.
---
A/N: Thank you so much, everyone! I received so many reviews for that last chapter, it was so heartening! Special thanks to:
Potterdownthestreet – Thanks for your review! I hope you like Chapter 6 too :-)
Konflickted – Thanks :-D I've always thought of Malfoy as being a bit beautiful, and I thought it would be nice for Harry to see that, too. Very sorry for the awful cliff hanger!
Paramour Conspiracy – Of course I love you :-P and you're right, cliff hangers are very, very mean. I hope the update wasn't too long in coming!
kawanale – You caught me! Yes, it was very very (slightly unnaturally) lucky that Harry had bruise ointment with him, and on a non-Quidditch day…oh, the plot holes! I was hoping to distract you with the H/D kiss… I guess they're taking it slowly, like, I want it to be believable (they've been enemies for so long, it'll take a while to get over all that) but I also want them to be making progress too :-) Thanks for your detailed reviews! They help me decide how to shape future chapters :-)
SwarmOfFanGirls – Go the rainbow flags:-D Errr…but don't hurt yourself, hey :-) I love your cute, enthusiastic reviews, they're awesome :-)
suki53 – That's exactly why I wrote the bruise cream into the storyline – to get things going! I mean, Harry needed a legitimate excuse to touch Draco…and then things just went from there :-)
LycanthaRose – Yes, I can confirm it, Mie will definitely be coming back :-D As you predicted, one of them did freak out – Harry, in this case – but luckily Draco talked him out of it. After all, I really wanted them to get together too :-D
Sagey – Thanks, that means a lot, especially coming from a long-time H/D fan! I'll keep the updates coming as quickly as I can :-D
And a big cauldron-full of Bertie Botts every flavour beans for headoverheelsinlove – minus the gross earwax-flavoured ones, which are just gross ;-)
Thanks also to death by storm, and Dawn Crow, and to everyone out there who is reading Silver Eyes. Thanks for persevering!
And thanks to my lovely Sparrowhawk…