..oo00oo..
Oliver
Shit, shit, shit! I knew I forgot to do something last night! And unfortunately it was the most important thing- set the alarm…
Draco and I had literally jumped out of bed and scrambled to get ready and get to the King's Cross station in time, Fuck, Bullocks and hell! The only good thing is that we packed our stuff the day before last so that we didn't have to start doing all that now. We didn't even have time to catch breakfast before we flew out of the door and hailed a taxicab to take us to the station.
We managed to reach there, looking dishevelled and sleep deprived with less than five minutes to spare and I barely managed to give Draco a kiss before shoving him through the wall between platforms nine and ten. I took a few seconds to compose myself before following him in.
Platform 9 ¾ was busy as usual, full of rushing people, while the big scarlet engine was blowing clouds of thick grey smoke. If I didn't know better I'd probably feel like my first year all over again- I was nearly late then too, but not through a fault of mine, Eva insisted we buy new socks for me on the way over.
"Oliver? Is that you?" I turned around in surprise to see who would be talking to me and saw the telltale red head heading my way- Molly Weasley. A good thing about the Weasleys- they could never lose one another in a busy crowd, not with that flaming hair of theirs.
"Hello, Mrs. Weasley." I greeted her warmly, smiling broadly, it's been a while since I've last seen her but she's always a face I'm happy to encounter.
"Hello, dear," She hugged me tight when she reached me, Arthur lining up behind her for his turn of a hug, "How was your holiday? How come we didn't see you at Christmas, I thought you'd come with Tonks?" she jabbed her finger in my chest in admonishment,
"Yes, well, I spent Christmas Eve in Glasgow."
"That's so nice of you. How is your dear mother?" Molly has met Eva a couple of times and they took an instant liking to each other, needless to say both me and the Weasley twins found it quite terrifying,
"Mad as usual." Molly smiled and slapped my arm playfully, "After I came back to London I've been quite busy, Molly, I'm sorry I didn't have time to drop by." Not a complete lie, not an entire truth either…
"It's quite alright son, Molly still like to think that all her kids are perpetually twelve." Arthur said good-naturally, "She refuses to accept the fact that her loved ones are growing up and moving on to do other things in their lives." I smiled and Molly rolled her eyes. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds and I tried to think of a proper way to say my goodbyes and board the train before the really awkward questions would begin,
"Oliver, have you by any chance…" Damn, too late. Molly was fidgeting on the spot and Arthur looked uncomfortable and I just tried to keep my face blank and repeated in my head, 'Don't ask about Charlie, Don't ask about Charlie',
"Molly, please drop it." Arthur pleaded and I saw the look they exchanged and wished I did took the floo at the Leaky, somehow suffering from a full blown panic-attack over the spinning of the floo seemed less terrifying than facing whatever Molly had in store for me at the moment,
"I can't Arthur, I need to know. He hasn't kept in touch with Tonks, maybe he wrote Oliver, or..." Damn, I wish she was talking about Charlie… Oh, hell this is worse than I expected, and with a train to catch in less than a minute, this was really not the time to discuss the 'black sheep' of the Weasley family.
"I'm so sorry Molly. I haven't had any contact with Percy since we left school."
"Well, I just thought… You two used to be such good friends…" She dabbed her eyes in her handkerchief and I felt even lower, because Percy and I weren't in fact the best of friends, but seeing his mum crying like that made me want to track him down and punch some sense into his thick head.
"Molly, stop. I'm sorry Oliver, don't mind her. You best go on board before the train leaves without you." Arthur said and placed a consoling hand on his wife's shoulder. I gave him a tight smile and after a brief squeeze of Molly's other shoulder I practically ran to board the train before it left.
I wobbled my way through the train as it jolted and shook around me, trying to find a relatively empty compartment to sit down and wallow in my misery of how lousy this day is. Luckily for me the last compartment was empty and I could sit by the window and look out to see the train leaving London in a blur of grey. I felt really bad for Mrs. Weasley, she's an amazing woman and a very doting mother and she doesn't deserve this kind of treatment from any of her sons, no matter what his political opinions are.
"Hey there, care for some company?" I lifted my head to see Harry standing at the door of the compartment, looking a little lost,
"Sure, come on in." He did, trying his best to keep his balance and smiling sheepishly at me before he managed to slump gracelessly onto the seat opposite me.
"You look a little down, bad holiday?" He asked conversationally and I pulled out of my dark reverie,
"No, not at all… It's just that Molly caught me on the platform, to ask about Percy." I answered solemnly, and Harry gave me a sad, understanding smile,
"Yeah, she's been harping on in the entire holiday." Well, now I'm extra glad I didn't go the Burrow…
"Poor woman." We both nodded, a slow pause stretching between us. "So, what's new? How come you're alone?" I asked, just to break the tension, I really don't want to think about Percy and Molly right now.
"Nothing's new. Ron and Hermione are on the prefects' carriage." He explained. The prefects' carriage, of course… Draco is currently there, most likely brewing a fight with Ron.
"Right, I forgot she's Head Girl." Harry gaped in mock surprise, green eyes going wide,
"How ever did you manage to forget that? She could practically blind people with that badge of hers." I laughed at his antics, because that was just the way Percy behaved when he got his Head Boy badge, driving us all insane.
"So, what's new from the last time we spoke? I didn't get the chance to talk to you before the holidays. Heard you're dating the young Weasley girl. I take it the wolf is out of the picture?" I said slyly and watched amused as Harry's cheeks turned from ivory to pink to bright red in a space of three seconds. This is going to be fun.
"Don't be ridiculous." He said with a brave attempt of nonchalance, "Lupin was never in the picture, he's a teacher!" And dating teachers is a bad thing… Hear that Draco?
"Yes, well, it's quite a leap of faith from fancying your male teacher to your best friend's little sister." Harry sighed deep and morosely,
"It's more complicated than that. Ginny is… She's a good friend and a great girl…" He added hastily, as if I doubted his words,
"But not girlfriend material?" I ventured a guess,
"Oh, she's complete girlfriend material; I think the problem is me." Yes she is, and yes, you're probably right.
"Why?"
"Something happened, a week before the Yule Ball. I…" He flushed red again and I fought hard to keep a straight face, gods but this boy is entertaining. "I kissed someone." He finished with a gulp and didn't dare to look me in the eyes.
"I'll hazard a wild guess that this someone was a boy?" Gods sometimes I sound just like Eva… Spooky.
"Not just a boy, Michael Corner." Wait, I know that name… OH… damn.
"That Ravenclaw boy?" Harry nodded,
"So, what's the problem? He's cute." And getting cuter the furthest he keeps away from my Draco.
"He's also Ginny's ex." Ooh, plot thickens. Nice. I could feel the little Rita Skeeter in me raising her head, primping her blond curls and sharpening her nails, Quick-Quotes-Quill on the ready,
"I see."
"Exactly." This is just so like Harry to get himself messed up with a relationship that will ruin him because of his own ingrained honour and integrity. Sometimes I think that Draco does have a point about us Gryffindors.
"Did you like it?" Harry raised his head in confusion, "Kissing him, I mean." He shrugged and blushed again.
"Yes… but… I freaked out." He started twiddling his fingers together nervously and I swallowed the urge to break his hands apart because this was driving me a little crazy, "I mean I bloody ran away! Some Gryffindor I turned out to be." He finished lamely with a little sniff in his voice, which was my cue to slip into an "older, wiser mentor" role and reassure him,
"That's bullocks! You just discovered your attraction to the male physic that could be quite terrifying."
"Was it terrifying for you?" Not playing fair here, Potter!
"I never found girls even remotely attractive; I always knew I liked blokes." At that Harry slumped even lower in his seat and heaved a great sigh of defeat,
"What am I going to do?" He nearly wailed, and I really took pity of him, he shouldn't have to deal with this sort of thing, on top of what he's already dealing with just by being Harry Potter,
"Do you want him? More than you want her?" I asked tenderly and Harry shifted his gaze, looking out of the window for a while before answering,
"I don't know. I think I do, but I completely bollixed things with Michael."
"Are you sure?" Harry looked at me like I was demented or something, which I knew he would but it didn't make it any less funny,
"I ran away, I bolted!" He explained in a sort of "are you shitting with me?" kind of voice,
"Did you initiate the kiss and then ran away?"
"Hmm, not exactly… He kissed me first but then I plunged in for the 'actual kiss'."
"So, basically you never thought of kissing him on your own." Harry gave this some consideration before answering slowly,
"No, not really."
"Than he's probably still interested." I said with a wide smile. Boy, this match-making thing is quite fun! Perhaps I should go into it full time.
"Hey guys, what's going on?" We both looked up to see the smiling face of Ginny Weasley poking through the door of the carriage. I couldn't really help myself and stole a little glance at Harry, finding his expression bordering on terrified. "Harry, I've been looking for you all over the train!" She declared somewhat accusingly and I found the perfect excuse to bolt.
"Well, kids, I'll leave you to it than, shall I?" I studiously avoided the plea in Harry's eyes, sorry mate, you're going to have to face the music at some point… better do it quick and painless. "I'm off to… stretch my legs." I informed Ginny with a brilliant smile that left her slightly red and exited the carriage as quickly as I could. Phew, dodged that proverbial bludger unscathed.
I walked down the corridor trying to figure out what to do next, now that I've been so thoroughly kicked out of my seat- and through my own doing no less. I wanted to go see where Draco was but I couldn't very well bounce into one of the Slytherin carriages and tell him to step out for a little word, or could I?...
"You look lost; need a prefect to show you back to your seat?" I turned to face the person I've just been thinking of- wonder if I could recreate the success by thinking of a long-term lucrative Quidditch contract.
"That would depend on the sort of seat you're talking about." I told him with a slight smirk and a suggestive eye roll, Draco didn't seem all that impressed,
"I saw you had a little run in with a Weasley down at the station," He gave me a pitying look, "How bad was it?"
"Pretty bad." I admitted before I could fully process his not-so-hidden agenda,
"I bet it was- associating with Weasleys would do that for you."
"No, she was just asking about…" I bit my lip and sighed, not the right person to talk to about this sort of thing, "What say you and me duck into one of the loos and…"
"No." I blinked a couple of times,
"You don't even know what I was about to suggest."
"Because it's so hard to read your seedy little mind," He said with an eye roll of his own, this one albeit more exasperated, "I'm not getting into those shoe boxes they call the loo here even if I actually need to go for a pee, so you can rest assure that I will not go into those damn places for other… things."
"Draco, are you afraid of closed spaces?" I asked with an amused tone,
"I'm not afraid, mister floo-phobia! I just don't like them." He said haughtily and I nodded trying to hide my smile, "Oh, sod it you prick." He cried and turned on his heel and left, back straight and head held high, the sound of my laughter echoing in the corridor around us.
"Hi, Oliver, what's so funny?" I turned to see Hermione at drawing closer at my side, Harry was right; her badge is quite shiny…
"Nothing. How have you been?" I asked and she smiled wistfully,
"Oh, just splendid. Terry and I spent the holidays in France with his family, it was brilliant." Well, the girl can have fun, who knew… Before we had a chance to continue our lovely little chat a red blur crossed the corridor, sobbing and disappearing in the nearby loo. Hermione looked mightily upset over that and even more so when she saw the guilty looking, slump-shoulders figure of Harry standing in the carriage door at the end of the corridor.
"What the hell?" She wondered aloud and I bit my lip, what mess did the boy-who-couldn't-handle-simple-situations got himself into now?
"You go talk to the Weasley girl and I'll sort out Harry, alright?" I asked Hermione brightly and left her standing there before she could come up with a better plan.
..oo00oo..
Draco
I walked into the carriage that held my friends, and before I had time to even say hello, I found myself with an armful of Pansy,
"Draco! How were you holidays, you must tell me everything!" she said with a significant widening of her eyes, and I know I would tell her everything, but not right now- not when what looked like half our Slytherin year was sitting around us.
"It was alright." I said with a shrug and a look that promised her pain if she didn't get the hint right away,
"Just alright? Didn't you spend it with your parents? At this place you go to every year?" To Pansy's credit I can say it was a brave attempt to make up for her quick mouth, but then again, she was always such a disastrous actress, it always fell on me to clear up after her blunders,
"You mean Switzerland? No, I didn't." She gave me half a smile and pulled me to sit beside her; Blaise looked up from his book and gave me a curious look,
"Why didn't you go skiing this year?"
"I had a little… argument with my parents. They left me home alone for the holidays as punishment. No magic." I added for extra pity.
"Damn, man that's cruel."
"Yeah, well. It wasn't all bad, you know, I had a lot of time to… ponder." I said and wondered what I would have done if I really had to stay behind in the manor all alone.
"Is that the Malfoy diplomatic talk for excruciatingly boring?" He asked with a small smile and I gave him half a shrug, let him decide what that meant. From there the conversation turned to the others holidays and I just sat and stared out of the window. I hate this, I really do. I don't want to have to hide the thing that makes me happiest in the world. But I can't tell everyone either- for Oliver's as well for my sake. I have to wait another six long months before there is a slight chance of revealing the truth, and who knows what will happen in six months.
I didn't notice what was going around me until the lights of the train flicked on and I found myself staring at my own reflection in the window. I didn't want to see myself, not naked on Oliver's bed and not like that in the window. I turned my gaze and my eyes met Pansy's, she gave me a small smile which I barely managed to return and she leaned forward and squeezed my hand. Maybe things aren't going to be so bad after all.
When we finally arrived to Hogsmead I tried to find Oliver over the heads of the crowd. He was standing and talking quietly with Potter, while Potter's little cronies stood by sulking. I didn't really care what was wrong; those were Gryffindors for heaven's sake- they're probably just upset that their St. Potter didn't manage to save anyone from mortal danger on the way over here.
I gave him a little smile when I finally caught his eye but before I could do more Pansy showed up by my side and grabbed my arm, dragging me behind her towards the horseless carriages. The ride to the castle was a quiet one, sitting in the stuffed dark carriage with Crabbe and Goyle. I knew that she was bursting to pump me for every bit of information she could lay her little greedy paws on but I wasn't going to make it easy on her, it'll be a good lesson in self-control for her.
In fact, I was quite amazed by the way Pansy managed to keep herself together and not explode and blur something inappropriate out throughout dinner. It's been nearly five hours since we first saw each other on the train and still she couldn't find a minute to corner me alone, but I could see in her eyes that the hour drew near and that both amused and scared me. Not that I had any problem about telling her things, but knowing her, I'd have to tell her things I didn't really intended to.
"Draco!" Yep, time to face the music. I turned around and leaned against the corridor wall, waiting for the bouncing menace to catch up with me. We were heading for the dungeons and I took my time with it, preferring to have the Pansy talk anywhere but our common room. "Draco, darling, how was your holidays?" She panted when she finally caught up with me.
"I already told you, it was fine." I answered with a cheeky smile, I don't know if it's some sadist thing in me or just cruelty but I just love to see Pansy squirming when she's trying to get me to talk, she's just too easy to work.
"Very funny Malfoy, spill!" She demanded with an impatient tap of her foot,
"It was the best time I've ever had." I confessed quietly and her eyes lit up like a "Lumos" spell.
"Tell me everything."
"No."
"Why not?" She pouted, "I would have told you, you know that." She tried to bat her eyelashes and cute herself up for me- considering the fact she wanted to hear how I spent my holidays with my gay boyfriend, I found her antics a little misplaced, but entertaining nonetheless.
"Pansy, this is private stuff, not something I'd spew to just anyone."
"You are one evil bastard, Draco Alexander Malfoy!" She cried out, completely outraged. She even started to hyperventilate, and I decided to take pity on her when she decided to give up, "Oh, go to hell, Malfoy!" She snarled venomously,
"Blow me, Parkinson." I retorted calmly and she took the bait,
"No, thanks, I rather leave this job to your dear boyfriend!" And at that point karma came back to bite me in the arse in the shape of Theodore Nott and Malcolm Baddock who just turned to corner and stopped dead on their tracks at hearing Pansy's last words. Pansy looked torn between mortification and laughter and I vowed to tell her anything she wanted if she'd do something to fix things, right now! "Just fuck off!" She screamed and slapped me hard on the face. I blinked in shock and by the time I regained my composure she was already gone, no doubt to crack up with laughter in private, and the only ones left in the corridor were me and Theodore and Malcolm.
"Bitch!" I cried at the general direction the Slytherin dorms were, hoping this was the direction she headed and I'm not making a complete idiot of myself here,
"Ouch, you must have really pissed her off to get the fag profanities." Theodore said with an amused smirk, the little bugger always got off from seeing people fight,
"She's a crazy… cunt." I'm sorry Pansy…
"A crazy cunt with a pair of knockers to die for." Theodore supplied and I nearly slapped him,
"Hey, watch it! She's still my best friend, you jerk!"
"Ooh, touchy!" He snarled and left with Malcolm in toe, looking royally pissed. I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. Damn, that was close. I don't mind people knowing that I'm gay, as long as they're the right people and Theodore Nott is most defiantly not the right people. If he'll ever find out he'll try to blackmail me for all I'm worth, and that is just unacceptable. After regaining feeling in my wobbly legs I pushed myself off the wall and headed to the Slytherin territory. The common room was full of people, all chatting happily and exchanging holiday stories. I crossed the room and headed straight for my room, I knew that Pansy would come to look for me there and thus I decided to go wait for her. And indeed, I hardly had time to lie down on my bed when a tentative knock was heard and her dark head popped around the door,
"Are you alone?"
"Yes." Pansy flew into the room and jumped on my bed without further qualms,
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," She began her frantic apology, hands clasped together; "I didn't mean to out you like that." I gave her half a smile,
"It's ok; he thought you were just royally pissed." I informed her, and decided to make a few amendments, "By the way, I might have called you some less than favourable names… Oh, and Theo thinks you have great breasts." I finished and Pansy, vain little tyke she is, completely ignored my half hearted attempt to apologize,
"Well, he's absolutely right, they are great. Don't you agree?" She pulled her blouse tight over said breasts puffing her chest proudly and I rolled my eyes,
"Humph." Pansy let out a ringing laughter,
"So are you still mad at me?"
"No, we're cool." Pansy settled herself more comfortably on my bed and propped her elbows on her crossed knees,
"Good, because you know, I really meant it, leaving the blowjobs to Oliver."
"And I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart." I told her regally.
"Oh you do, do you? You've never received a blowjob from me. I'll have you know my skills are legendary!" she tossed her hair back and raised her pointy nose in the air,
"I bet they are, you little tart." At that Pansy tackled me back towards the bed and attacked my ribs with her wicked fingers, a favourite punishment of hers- knowing just how ticklish I am she will take advantage of the fact whenever she could. Unfortunately this time I had something to hide, but I wasn't quick enough before she accidentally touched my chest and I hissed in surprise. Pansy raised an inquiring eyebrow,
"What's that?" I swallowed and tried to feign nonchalance, without much success,
"Nothing."
"Liar." She said gleefully and before I could so much as say a word she simply ripped my shirt open. Shit and I thought it would be a good idea to take off the bandages in the train over here. Pansy's eyes went comically wide and she sat back on her haunches and gaped at me,
"Oh, sweet mother of Merlin, you have a…" I tried to hold back my smile at her evident shock, because really, it was too amusing for words, "You… You… Does it hurt?" She reached a tentative hand and I slapped it away,
"Only when you're manhandling me!" I tried to push her off me but she wouldn't budge,
"Does Oliver know?" She did not just ask that…
"Of course he does. He happens to like it. Very much." Well, at least I hope he will, once he saw the actual ring, rather than a blank sheet of white.
"I bet he does." She said with a devious smile, "This is so sexy." I smiled wide in return, I know! But then Pansy did the last thing I expected her to do- the bloody wench leaned forward and actually sucked in the bloody ring into her mouth. Oh, Merlin, I think I just died in mortification; this is so not fair, this is supposed to be Ollie's job!
"Holy fuck, what the hell is wrong with you woman?" I yelled and gave her a rather vicious shove, "Get off me!"
"Shit, you totally got hard on it!" She exclaimed with shining eyes and I felt like my head might burst in flame,
"Did not!" I cried but it was too late, and by Merlin's beard this was so much more humiliating because I was getting hard, but my best friend no less. Someone just kill me now!
"I've cured you!" Pansy cried out and gave a loud whoop before she collapsed and started giggling madly. I pulled the shards of my shirt, covering myself and scrambling as far as possible away from her, murmuring under my breath,
"Daft wench."
Pansy seemed to sober up when she saw how humiliated I was and tried to pull herself together, though her eyes were still dancing in amusement.
"When did you get it?"
"Last day of the holidays." She reached over to punch me in the shoulder,
"Why didn't you tell me?" She accused in a wounded tone,
"Because it's not for you!"
"Really?" She snorted and I blinked at her with indignation, "What did Oliver get for you?" I let a small satisfied smile to grace my lips,
"A tat."
"No way! You guys are like the kinkiest couple ever!" She exclaimed cheerfully,
"Ha! I wish." Ok, not the best thing to say right now, or ever for that matter. Damn.
"What do you mean? Is that what you were trying to tell me during the holidays?" Suddenly all traces of mischief and joke were gone and we were back at the faithful best friend consulting agitated teen mode of things.
"Yes. No, forget it, it's not important." I muttered and tried to dissuade her form delving in, but of course, Pansy was not one to be so easily thrown off,
"No way, spill, piercing boy." I think the first think I need to do is make sure she would never ever use this nickname again! But I did tell her everything, because she is my best friend and who knows, maybe Eva was right and talking about things does help.