To Love A Lion
Chapter Three
(Goodbye to the sky, I know I can't fly, but I feel love do you know how I feel? you are my Achilles heel)
Harry awoke with the bitter taste of fire brandy in his mouth and haziness to his vision that had not been there the previous night. He felt a dull ache stirring behind his eyes and he remembered the night before a groan rising to his lips.
(Hello to below, I feel love flow like a river flow you and I standing still you are my Achilles heel)
Why had he turned to the bottle again? He thought he was past that, he remembered all too well where he had spent many a day in an alcoholic infused haze wishing he was somebody else.
It all stemmed down to one person of course, just as it always had done. Although he wished with all of his might that he could just erase him from his mind Draco Malfoy just refused to leave him be.
(Feeling free, yeah, what about me? well you gotta give it up cause I feel love do you know how I feel? you are my Achilles heel)
Swinging his muscular legs over the side of the bed he rested bare feet into the plush carpet and stood. The room spun and he had to steady himself with his hand.
"Fuck" he swore as he sat back down. He'd promised himself never to get like this again and here he was with the hangover from hell brought on from a night of drowning his sorrows.
He raked his hands through lank ebony hair and decided to liven himself up with a shower. Standing again he made his groggy way to the en-suit bathroom and closed the door casting a locking spell on it in case Alexis felt the need to check on him.
(Goodbye to the sky I know I can't fly, but I feel love do you know how I feel? you are my Achilles heel)
Stripping off his briefs he turned the shower on and watched with a sort of detachment as the water fell in a steamy droplets.
He caught sight of himself in the bathroom mirror and stopped. His eyes ran down the length of his reflection stilling on the small tattoo just below his hip bone.
The name Draco glared back at him the letters a mixture of fiery red and silver.
His eyes closed so that he didn't have to see the pain that he knew would flash across them. For he knew that in gleaming gold and green Draco bore the name Harry in the same place, their house colours mixed to symbolise their seriousness.
It had been a sign of their commitment between one another, a commitment that went horribly wrong.
(For there's a child in your eyes and the child never dies so keep the dream alive)
Where had it all gone wrong?
(With the aid of second sight I can push with all my might to make a statue in the sky of my Achilles heel)
Turning his eyes away from his reflection he walked into the shower. He let the heat scorch and burn his skin yet he couldn't feel any of it, even as it turned from bronze to a dull red.
He rested his hands on the cool tiles and dipped his head under the spray, just feeling the water run in rivulets through his hair down his body and swirl as it disappeared down the plug.
He had to stop doing this to himself.
(Small fry, don't know why gotta get high - just to love life you are my highs and lows from my head to my toes)
He tasted salt mixed in with the heat and knew he was crying, as he had done long ago…as he had done just the other day.
Why now? Just when he'd learnt to cope with the pain. Why when he didn't have the constant reminder of what he had lost staring at him so blatantly in the face.
Why did it have to come back to haunt him? Threatening to crack the carefully constructed walls that he had spent years building.
Why?
(I said hey la, will I go far? will I go far - cause I love life do you know how I feel? you are my Achilles heel I said oh no no, will I go slow? will I go slow, when the feeling flows)
He closed his eyes and all he saw was his face, his smile the way his hair ruffled in the light breeze the way his laugh slid down the spine and how the slightest touch sent spirals of tingles shivering through his body.
The way he had ached for more when they had kissed. The way his lips tasted like the finest of wines upon the tongue.
(For there's a child in your eyes and the child never dies so keep the dream alive)
Sighing he turned the water to cold; he stood under the now icy water and felt his skin pucker in goose pimples. He began to shiver slightly but at least it meant that he was feeling something.
He heard movement in the adjoining bathroom and knew that Alexis would be awake, he was so thankful that she had helped him through his lowest moments. Without her he really would have crumbled.
(With the aid of second sight I can push with all my might to make the statue in the sky of my Achilles heel)
Leaning over he switched the shower off and just stood there letting the droplets fall off his body, feeling a slight chill to his skin.
He'd just have to try and rise above. He'd show Draco that he had gotten over him…even though he hadn't…but Draco had destroyed him once he couldn't let him do it again
He sank down into a ball in the rapidly drying cubical hugging his knee's tight to his chest. He let himself immerse in the years of harboured tears for everything he had lost.
"Oh Draco please...leave me in peace."
(Well you're feeling free so what about me? I said hello and goodbye but I don't know why well while we're small fry on the line with my Achilles heel)
Draco tried to paste a smile on his face as he looked down at the paper in his hands but he was sick with nerves.
Ron had provided him with the address of Harry's new residence and that's where he found himself now. Standing outside wondering what the hell had possessed him to come here.
Hidden beneath his invisibility cloak he looked up at the house and blinked rapidly when a half naked Harry Potter appeared in the window. His bare chest was open and exposed to Draco's hungry gaze, silver-grey eyes drank it all in committing it once again to memory.
He closed his eyes as images paraded themselves through his mind.
"I'm so sorry Harry" he whispered lifting a hand to caress the air where Harry's figure stood. His heart clenched in pain as Alexis appeared behind him wrapping her arms around his chest.
Harry ran his hands up and down her arm but continued to look out towards the distant horizon.
Draco shifted slightly and Harry's gaze instantly spun to his direction. He stared intently at Draco his eyes narrowing on the spot where he stood holding himself motionless hardly daring to breath.
Harry shook himself and turned away from the window leaving Alexis standing there for a moment before she too vacated.
Why had he come here?
What was he hoping for by torturing himself like this, by thinking things that could never be again? Yet here he was his heart in his eyes as he looked at his ex-lover.
Turning he made to walk away, he'd taken two steps only to have his invisibility cloak whipped off him.
Wide eyed Draco swirled round his silver-grey eyes clashing with angry jade green ones as they bore into him with all the intensity their owner could muster.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Draco didn't know what to say, he made to turn away but was caught by a strong grip that pulled him back. They held him in a vice-like grip making movement impossible near enough.
"Taking a walk I didn't think that was illegal" Draco ground out.
"In an invisibility cloak oh I don't think so Draco. You have a lot of explaining to do" with that said Harry Potter dragged Draco back towards his house his anger etched out so clearly on his face leaving Draco no choice but to be propelled along.
It was going to be an interesting meeting.