Title: Mr. X

Chapter: 6

Author: Arawna

Disclaimer: Anything pertaining to Harry Potter and Co. does not belong to me, rather to JKR and anyone else who has stuck their hand into this cauldron.

A/N: Aw, look Harry's getting better with his texting; I know you're all rapturous and morose at the same time. Well, deal with it.

yea, i think she'll accept whatever…feelings i may have for Malfoy. but i know ron's not gonna like it.

Harry's phone closed with a snap. It'd been all of about fifteen minutes since he began his conversation with X, and he was already feeling a little less anxious. He'd started by telling him about the way Hermione worried over him and her obvious attempt at letting Harry sort things out for himself. He also told of his own confession that the other man was right and that there may be something more to the feeling of emptiness than he'd originally thought. Of course, X responded with a narcissistic remark about always being right, despite what his hair color lead others to believe.

The phone vibrated.

Well, if he doesn't like it, tell him to sit down, shut up, and accept it/tolerate it, or he's no reason to be in your life. I had to do that to one of my friends, because she just couldn't accept that there was no way I was going to follow through with the marriage contract our fathers had made. In fact, I don't think it was that completely…wait, yeah it was. She just wanted to have little Slytherin-bound heirs running around. Anyway, after the little 'chat', she quit with all the comments and let me be. Maybe it'll work for you, too.

Well, that was about the only way to handle Ron when he gets into a mood where he thinks everyone else is wrong. Harry thought back to their fourth year. Yep, definitely the only way to handle him.

i'll try that, thank you. you know, it's funny, not three days ago, i thought you were some creepy guy with a hero complex, and now we're discussing my love life, or lack thereof.

Harry laughed slightly to himself. It was funny. He'd never get so close with a stranger so quickly, and he's already at a level where he can talk about things he won't even discuss with his friends. Then a thought came to his mind. What if it was because he's a stranger that Harry feels so comfortable with the near private conversations? It's not like he could let the other man down – or so it seemed – because he didn't know what X expected of him.

Aw, would you look at that, you're using big words like 'complex' and 'discussing' and 'thereof'. tear They grow up so fast.

Harry laughed again. The other man seemed to be the melodramatic sort.

bite me

Oh, I would if it weren't for the distance between us.

Of course, he hadn't meant it as any sort of sexual innuendo, but X's answer made him blush a bit.

if i weren't so infatuated with Malfoy, i think i'd allow it. which sounds odd, given i have no idea who you are.

He had to confess, he had a certain fondness for the wit and jibes of the other man. Idly, Harry wondered if X could match Malfoy in those same aspects.

Another big word! Rejoice! …okay, so you admit that you are infatuated with Malfoy? Finally.

Harry scoffed at the screen as he punched in his reply. Hadn't he, not twenty, admitted to having some sort of feelings for his childhood nemesis?

what do you mean 'finally'? i already admitted it.

But not in such words. Alright, now that it's set, you now need to tell me about this Malfoy character. He seems sketchy, all Slytherin and everything about him. He almost seems too 'bad' for the goody-two-shoes Gryffindor. I need to make sure he's good enough for my Harry.

Again, he scoffed. The audacity of some amused him – slightly.

since when did i become 'your' Harry?

Since I quickly typed in 'my' without really meaning to. Now tell me. (No, I am not whining.)

He grinned as the other man nearly begged – despite his denial – to hear of 'this Malfoy character.' He thought about it for a moment, but one word mainly came to mind, so that's how he ended up describing Malfoy.

fine…he's an arse – that's the first word that comes to mind when i think about him, really. but he's also got some redeeming qualities…i don't know any, but i'm sure they're there. he's always been able to get my blood pumping, but it was usually out of anger.

He thought back to the many fights and whatnot they'd had between the two of them back in school. However, during the War, those fights diminished and vanished entirely, only because they were too busy. After everything was said and done, though, they went back to trading the scathing insults. In fact, the statement Malfoy had departed with made his blood boil. Even now.

That would make for some hot sex.

If the response to his 'bite me' comment was embarrassing, this was all out…well, worse. Harry felt his whole face heat up and could feel it creeping down his neck.

…erm, WHAT!?

He hadn't particularly wanted to think about sex with Malfoy – of any sort – despite his confession. He was quite content at the 'I'm finally comfortable with my feelings, now let me bask in them before I move any farther' stage of things for the moment, thank you very much.

What? Never heard of 'angry sex'? It's really hot…well, not that I myself have experienced it, but my best mate seems to like to describe his private life to great detail, especially when it comes to great sex. Only problem is that it's always with women.

His mind screamed that it wanted to take this slow - and probably never reveal his feelings to Malfoy - but his body had different plans.

ooookay. i have to go take a shower, now. thanks.

You're welcome. Talk to you tomorrow.

Closing the phone with a pseudo-sneer, he tossed it on the bed and made his way to the bathroom.

TBC…