Hey guys =). Here's Chapter 8! I hope you like it so far. Please review and let me know how you think it's going. I think I have a plot in mind, although right now it's a little hazy. So if you think I'm just blabbing, let me know!
Also, I just realized the crap setting out of the last chapter and it was because I had uploaded it has a "plain text" so I'll do it differently this time and hopefully it won't look like crap!
Disclaimer: Look at the first chapter =D.
.....HD......HD = interval break
THIRD PERSON
Draco breathed heavily as he leant against the entrance door to the healing room. 'Oh good job Draco! You just bloody kissed Harry; he's probably having a fit inside' Draco thought. Running his hand through his immaculate hair, he told himself he'd deal with it later; seeing as he was sure Harry would approach him about it. And with that, he strode back to the arena.
BACK IN THE HEALING ROOM
What the bloody Merlin just happened?
Harry twisted his head and looked around. Had he just slipped into some alternate universe? He pinched himself on the arm; only to be rewarded with a wince and a red mark.
Ok...so he hadn't slipped into some other universe.
He stared at the ceiling and thought back to the feeling of Draco's lips. They were soft...softer than expected. The odd sensation in his stomach had only intensified after that kiss. Harry was almost certain he had figured out what that feeling was, but he really wasn't sure whether it was genuine or whether it was...a "rebound" feeling. The whole situation with Ginny had been abrupt and...well disastrous.
And what would happen if Ron had found out about what had just transpired? Harry was confident he wouldn't be too pleased; not to mention the general public...and Ginny and Hermione and the Weasley's...
A sudden realization came across Harry. He bolted upright; ignoring the slight throbbing across his chest.
He was gay?!
Well....no he couldn't be. He had dated several women. Perhaps bisexual? But wouldn't you know if you were bisexual? It doesn't just come smacking you in the face does it?
And why oh why did this have to happen NOW? Now of all time!? Honestly, he was still trying to recuperate himself after finding out about Ginny. For Merlin's sake, he hadn't even gone back to his own home yet!!
Right, well the first step would be to talk to Draco he thought to himself. See where he's standing in all of this.
Harry nodded to himself. 'Yes' he thought to himself. 'Take it one step at a time.'
And with that as his last thought, he shut his eyes and tried to sleep away all the problems that had suddenly come bursting forth.
......HD......HD......HD......HD......HD......HD......HD......HD......HD......HD......HD......HD......HD......HD......
The sound of a bustling trolley came into Harry's mind.
He slowly opened his eyes to see a trolley of food being wheeled to the side of his bed.
Sitting up he reached for a cup of tea and a finger sandwhich.
"Ah Harry". Kinsley said as he strode in, the clicking of his shoes echoing in the large room. "I hope you're feeling better; if you feel up to it there's another hour left in the arena before the rest finish their paper work." He continued as he stopped at the foot of his bed.
"Yeah I'm feeling better, the migraine's gone and everything's healed up; I'll just finish this sandwich up and I'll be down in 5." Harry replied confidently.
"Alright." He nodded and headed out. "Oh! And Harry; remember, if you're not feeling too well, please don't come in to work. To be honest, and you probably know this; you're the most talented Auror in training, I hate to see you get hurt like that." And with that, he was out of the room.
Harry sighed before swallowing the last bite of egg salad finger sandwich.
He was in the midst of pulling Draco's fixed shirt back on and folding the healing gown on the bed when the door swung open and Draco walked in.
"Harry." He said as acknowledgement. Harry nodded in return; he knew Draco was the master of pretending things just didn't happen.
"Let me take one last look at your wounds before you leave back to the arena." He said as he waved his wand over his chest, his right thigh, his arms and finally his head. "Ok, you seem to be fine; energy wise, how are you feeling?" he asked.
"Fine, I feel...great actually. Revitalized." Harry replied, neutrally staring at Draco's face.
He nodded before saying "Great. Looks like you didn't need that head potion." He reached for the potion on the bed side table.
There was a moment of silence before Harry broke it.
"Listen Draco, about before; I just wan-
"You should head over to the arena Harry, Kinsley's waiting for you." Draco interrupted him.
After a moment of another silence Harry said "Ok. But we're talking about this later Draco. I know what you're trying to do right now, but don't think it's going to work again."
Draco nodded in return before allowing Harry to pass by him. As he passed by, Harry's hand brushed past Draco's and the feeling appeared back in Harry's stomach with a vengeance.
He had to walk double-time towards the exit to stop himself from turning around and talking to Draco.
He briskly walked out into the hallway and before he knew it he stood outside the arena door. Opening the door he headed over to Flitwick.
"Potter...not surprised o see you back here after this morning. You always were the strangely courageous one." He said before giving Harry a quick once-over of his now recovered injuries. "Ok, well since you're here I assume you want to get back in?"
Harry nodded at this. He felt he really needed to let of some steam.
"Right; the simulation is still the old building. You know the rules; no Unforgivables, no Dark curses and everything else is allowed." Flitwick almost recited.
Harry gave a quick nod before running in.
He ducked a Bat-Bogey Hex from one of the ex-Durmstrang students and cast Expelliarmus followed by Incarcerous on a momentarily confused Seaumus before diving behind a broken down pillar to avoid a Confundus charm sent by Ron.
Spinning around on his feet he spotted another man running away from him. Lying flat on the ground he cast Levicorpus at him before rolling to his right to avoid a Rictusempra from a now recovered Seamus.
He jumped to his feet and quickly yelled Protego around himself as he bolted for another pillar. He leapt over a huge piece of broken building and simultaneously cast Locomotor Mortis at an ex-Beauxbatons student before awkwardly landing on the balls of his feet.
He just managed to avoid an Obscuro by Ron by diving to his left but wasn't as lucky as he felt a Stinging Hex hit his knee. With a cry he managed to semi-crawl his way behind another pillar before quickly casting Finite Incantatem.
Glancing around he saw Ron and Seamus locked in an intense duel, ignoring everyone else. He shook his head. Harry smirked to himself as he thought, 'After almost 3 yrs, and that Gryffindor competition is still there'.
"STUPEFY!"
Harry looked up to see a jet of red zoom right past his head and explode a statue. He quickly ducked, rolled behind a bush and looked up to see who the caster was.
The ex-Durmstrang student came charging at him; wand raised.
"CONFUNDO!"
"TARANTALLEGRA!" Harry yelled as he blindly tried to run from the bush.
Harry; being Harry, was lucky enough to miss the Confundus charm but unlucky enough to run straight into Ron's Rictusempra that was actually targeted to Seamus who; ironically enough had run into the Confundus charm.
Harry went down giggling.
Seamus dropped his wand in confusion.
And Ron was left standing smug.
At that, the simulation stopped and they were once again lying in an ordinary room. The only sounds being the panting and grunting, [and giggling] of the Auror's in training.
"Alright come on! Up we get. Finite Incantatem!" Flitwick cast at Harry and then proceeded to move around the room helping others.
Harry pushed himself up and grimaced at the once-again ripped and dirty of shirt of Draco's before meeting half-way with Ron and heading over to the adjoined healing room.
"That's the Harry we know mate!" Ron said with a smile clapping him on the back.
Harry had no physical injuries, apart from the small cuts and bruises that he'd gotten from diving so much. Despite Ron being one of the last ones standing at the end, he had slashes all over his back and was limping slightly from a fractured ankle.
Once again, they were last to be treated.
"Weasley, come forward and just sit here." Draco said, indicating towards the bed. Ron gently placed himself down as Draco elegantly waved his wand over his ankle and his back before repairing his shirt. He handed a yellow-y looking potion to him. "Your ankles been healed but this should remove the throbbing." Ron nodded before gingerly hopping off the bed.
Draco moved his focus to Harry.
"Potter, please step forward." Draco said slightly stoically.
Harry resisted the urge to shake his head but stepped up the same.
"Well, this is more like it." Draco said whilst doing a very brief check-over.
"Told you Harry was one of the best." Ron said smugly as he downed the potion.
"And I never doubted that statement Weasley." Draco mumbled as he repaired his ripped shirt that Harry was currently occupying. He was trying very hard not to stare at his chest as he did so, although this proved difficult as the shirt did sit very snugly on Harry.
As he finished up Seamus poked his head through the door.
"Hey guys, we're on lunch, wanna go?"
"Yeh sure, come on Harry." Ron said as he started heading out through the door.
Harry was still subtly staring at Draco.
"Ok, um...wanna come Draco?" he said. He knew Ron and perhaps Seamus wouldn't be too pleased at this, but he really wasn't thinking about that right now.
"Sure." He said as he cleaned up the last of the supplies before following Harry out.
They walked side by side down the hallway listening to Ron and Seamus's conversation about the better Quidditch team; the Falcons or the Cannons.
As Harry reached the floo point and was proceeding to reach for the floo pot a small voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Harry?"
Harry slowly turned to be faced with a cautious looking Ginny who had clearly gotten up from the table she was sitting from. He couldn't believe his luck; someone really wanted to make his life a living hell.
He frowned slightly and turned to the rest before saying "You guys go first, I'll catch up with you guys later." They all shuffled slightly before nodding and disappearing with a big poof of green smoke. Draco gave a wary face at them before following.
Harry turned and faced Ginny.
"I don't want to be rude Ginny, but you have to stop coming into my work and trying to talk to me now cos you know...I've been inconsistent enough these past few days. Kinsley wouldn't like it." Harry said before taking seat and prompting Ginny to do the same.
"I know, I'm sorry Harry; this is last time I promise." She said clasping her hands together.
"Ok...so, why are you here? I thought we figured out we needed time apart and from what I saw, you were doing fine at that." Harry said, a little bitterly.
"Harry I don't even know what I'm doing here! I just...I know I've betrayed you, but I just want you to know I tried! It's not like I just gave in really quickly. I just want you to know that." Ginny burst out, her eyes going wide in desperation.
"Yes...but you STILL gave in." Harry said in return.
"Doesn't the fact that I tried count for anything?" She said loudly.
"Well, I guess not really because the mature thing to have done if you were tempted was to TALK to me about it! And if you were really curious about how you felt about Dean, then the right move was to break up with me and go out with him; not that I would've liked it. But it would've been the mature way to handle the situation. Not "try" then give up and go behind my back and have sex with him! Not only that, the second we tell each other we need time apart you're already snogging his face off." Harry yelled; he was now standing up and towering over Ginny.
Usually in arguments, Ginny always had something to say. This case, however...
She simply sat there staring at Harry's towering figure and glowering face before looking back down at her clasped hands.
"I'm sorry Harry, I really am. I didn't mean to hurt you the way I did. You're right; we just need a break from each other. I promise I'll just stay away and not do anything...silly." Ginny finally said staring back at Harry.
He slowly sat back down; in slight shock.
"Ginny; I think you and I both know the break we need from each other is going to be permanent." He said slowly, hoping she'd just get the hint and not go all dramatic on him.
Her eyes widened in realization.
"Wait. Are you saying you don't EVER want to get back together?" she said softly.
"Ginny you were the one who told me that you love me but you don't love me. And I told you in return that I didn't feel that way towards you, I thought we made that clear." He said firmly.
"Yeah but that doesn't mean we can't give it another chance!" she said, now standing up.
"Honestly! What the hell?! I can't keep up with you! One minute you're saying you don't love me; fair enough! The next you go make-out with Dean and now you're back to saying you want me again! What is going on with you?!!" Harry hissed, standing up and bracing his hands on the table in front of him.
For a moment it looked like she was going to yell back. But she didn't; she simply blinked in confusion before slowly backing away from Harry.
"I'm...I'm sorry Harry, I don't know what's going on." She stuttered, backing away further; eyes wide.
Harry frowned.
"Ginny, are you feeling ok?"
"Um... Yeah I'm fine, I'm sorry I don't know what just happened...I don't..." She looked around for a bit.
"Ginny...seriously, what is going on?" Harry said, this time forcefully. She seemed really....confused. Almost confounded; but not.
But just like that, she was fine again.
"I'm fine Harry, sorry. But yeah, like I said, I'm sorry I betrayed you like that and I'm sorry that I hurt you the way I did, but; I like Dean now. I feel bad keeping the house so you can just keep it and I'm moving in with Dean tonight. He's going to give me a magical room so Maria won't know." She said matter-of-factly, like nothing odd had happened.
Harry stared at her as though she'd grown another head.
"Wh-
"I'm sorry Harry, but I think it's finally just over between us." She said a little sadly before reaching over and giving him a brief hug.
Harry was too bewildered to even register it and before he knew it she had softly said goodbye and disappeared into the floo.
Harry looked around. What in Merlin's beard had happened? Today had to be the weirdest day of his life. Draco had kissed him, he was having....feelings in his stomach whenever Draco was near, Ginny had just stated she wanted one thing before acting as though it had never happened.
Something was not right. Specifically, something wasn't right with Ginny. She had looked really confused at herself for a while as though she'd been charmed or something.
He had forgotten it was lunch and was going to head over to his office to just think things through before the floo burst open in flames again and 3 people stepped out.
"Harry! You didn't come so we just decided to come back, after a huge lunch of course." Said Seamus, seeming oblivious to Harry's bewildered look that seemed to have permanently stuck to his face.
"Mate? You ok? You look like you've been confunded." Ron said with concern as he approached Harry.
Draco stayed at a distance, but his face said differently.
"Yeah...yeah I'm fine, just umm...I'm gonna head over to my office." Harry said, slightly stumbling into the hallway.
"But you haven't had lunch!" yelled Ron has Harry disappeared around the corner.
The three of them looked at each other; Draco was about to say something before Kinsley barged in and told Ron and Seamus to do their paper work.
As they headed off, Draco was considering going back to the Healer Department [as he wasn't needed at the Auror's for the rest of the day] but the look on Harry's face before stopped him.
Taking a quick glance at the empty hallway, he briskly strode towards Harry's office trying to look inconspicuous; a little difficult if you're wearing a long white coat and looking impeccable.
He gave a sharp tap on Harry's door.
It slowly swung open to reveal Harry going through some paper work. His eyes widened slightly as he saw Draco standing there.
"Draco? What's wrong?"
"Does there have to be something wrong for me to come visit?" Draco said casually, strolling in the room and shutting the door behind him.
"Well...no, but this is the first time you've visited." Harry said, watching Draco as he sat down on a chair on the other side of his table. "Listen it's nice for you to visit but I really gotta get this pape-
"What happened between you and Ginerva?" Draco said boldly, interrupting him.
"What?! Nothing happened!" Harry said; trying to sound convincing but failing miserably as he yelled the sentence instead of saying it.
"Come on Harry, I don't want to pry but I know you're lying and I know something happened because you looked paler than snow when we came back from lunch." Draco said, leaning forward.
Draco's grey-silver eyes seemed to penetrate right through Harry.
"Nothing happened, she was just...acting weirdly that's all." Harry said cryptically.
"Cut the bullcrap Harry. What happened?" Draco insisted.
"What! Why should I even tell you?! YOU don't even want to talk about what happened earlier this morning when I tried to ask you! And now you're demanding to know what happened between me and Ginny? I don't think so!" Harry half-yelled, trying to change the subject but only succeeded in acting defensive.
There was a slight pause before Draco spoke.
"Ok. I think you can't deny that there's a little something between us. Don't lie and tell me you didn't feel anything when I kissed you in the Healing Room." Draco said, looking Harry square in the eye although he had leaned back a bit.
"But I'm not gay." Harry blurted out.
"Does it have to be about being gay? So maybe you like both women and men; what's the big deal? That's not even the problem." Draco stated.
"I've dated women all my life; I can't just suddenly LIKE men. It's doesn't...and what about Ginny? This whole has been a huge disaster. What if....what if this is just...you know a rebound thing?" Harry softly said.
"Well that's up to you to decide if it's a 'rebound thing', but you should let me know, I refuse to be rebound material. I am, still; after all, a Malfoy." Draco said, sniffing a bit.
"But what about Ginny?" Harry said standing up and running his hand through his hair. It seemed he had forgotten the purpose to his conversation with Draco and was more talking to himself.
"What about Ginerva?" Draco said, hoping to get something out of him.
"Well she wa-
He paused and stared at Draco.
"Oh good try Draco. I don't think so." Harry said as he sat back in his chair.
"Why won't you tell me? Have I given you reason so far not to trust me? And I just answered your question about what happened this morning. There's probably more to talk about but I answered the main part." Draco slightly demanded, standing up.
Harry hesitated before slowly standing up. "Ok fine, but Merlin don't tell Ron I told you before I told him, he'll probably throw a fit about it; not to mention what he would do if he found out about what we did this morning."
Draco nodded in agreement.
"Ginny and I had decided the other day back at the Three Broomsticks we needed a time-out. We both told each other we didn't feel that strongly for each other anymore. And you remember the next thing we knew Ginny and Dean were snogging like eels. She came in today to tell me she didn't mean to hurt me and then seemed shocked and upset when I told her our time-out would most probably be permanent. Then she got really confused...like she was confunded or something; but not. And then the next second I know she's saying she loves Dean, she's sorry she hurt me, she's going to move in with Dean without telling Maria and she's whooshed into the floo and disappeared." Harry ranted with his hands in his hair.
"She sounds indecisive to me." Draco said.
"No...no it wasn't that. She genuinely seemed confused as to what was going on; like her feelings. She didn't seem to know what was going on with herself." Harry said, eyebrows furrowed.
A small beeping sound went off.
Draco waved his wand elegantly and the alarm went off.
"One of the training Healers need attention, I assume I won't be seeing you until after work. I'll see you back at home. And have a think about what I said." Draco said before turning around.
"Wait! Draco surely you know I can't just go...doing things with you when I'm in this mess. I don't even know if I'm bisexual, Ginny's acting weird a-
Draco's lips were planted on Harry's. His hands resting on his cheeks.
He slowly pulled away. "Stop acting so noble and think about what you want for once." He pulled away from Harry and walked towards the door. Before he left he turned back around, "Think about what I said Harry. I'm a selfish guy, I want you to myself; I can't be with you and have you still half-pining and thinking about Ginerva. But I am a patient guy and I can wait."
With that he left the room and closed the door with a soft click.
Harry dropped into his chair, he felt as though all the energy in him had left when Draco had kissed him.
With realization to what that meant, he groaned in frustration; pulling at his hair before grudgingly going back to his paperwork.
Ok I'm going to stop it here because it's past 2 in the morning and I feel like a zombie. I know this Chapter might seem a little disjointed, but I tried my best! I promise it'll get better!
IMPORTANT: yes I am "thevampiresweetie". I changed my penname due to some reasons. But I'm not some other author stealing a story!
Please review =). Since I haven't touched this story in a while, I'd like to know if what I'm writing now is linking smoothly to what I wrote before.
And I have a plot planned for the next few chapters so there won't be such tautological waffle anymore! -=D.
