A/N: Finally an update! I was a little disappointed by the last chapter's shortness. This may make up for it. Nothing big yet (yet! okay?) but soon; kindaboringchapter but it sets up the plot. The next chapter, I assure you, will be better. Man, I'm gonna have fun with that one...hehe.
Perfect Enemy
Chapter Four: The Agreement
Draco didn't sleep well that night. Daunted by dreams of ceaseless replay of his worst nightmare, he finally woke with a start. He laid in a considerably large but comfortable bed that was packed with plush pillows in a dimly dawn lit room. Towering glass windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling allowed the rising sun to convey its striking rays, illuminating Draco's pale face, brightening the dull glow of his hair, and his silver eyes to glisten.
Draco left the placated bed, wandering back and forth across the emerald rugged floor in deep strides. Thoughts of death occupied the blond boy's mind as he did not take in the sun's inspire. The death of his parents frustrated him, made him sullen, and not having the patience to hold these emotions within himself, Draco let loose his twisting emotions.
Stopping his strides before a life-size mirror, he gazed at his pathetic reflection. Mourning behind the eyes contrasted against the false image of insincerity, body weighing with his past against a body stiff with pride, and a confused mind storming with self-fault was unmatched by his lucid and carefree complexion. This artificial façade earned a glare for it portrayed false pretense.
Draco was not wise, but he acknowledged his faults and learned from them. In this way, he had developed a compassion unlike before. Body language was in many ways misleading and though he may look arrogant, Draco was the average failure. In contrast, his face was the most complex. Despite his confounded thoughts, he had the mask of one who was blithe and unburdened by regrets. If that was how people saw him, it was all mistaken, and seeing himself in this way made Draco feel disgust.
Snapping his wrist that held his wand, the mirror shattered into a thousand broken shards. Mirror fragments performed a deadly dance as they descended, and the sun struck them with strings of pure light. The pieces clunked to the rug and lay cluttered around Draco's bare feet. Walking out of the wreckage, Draco did not leave unscathed. He left a trail of blood in his wake across the emerald floor.
Storming around his room, Draco also broke vases, chairs, desks, and even his bed post. However, after he ruined every crafted furniture and porcelain sculptures, Draco started to restore it. Soon enough, everything, with the exception of the mirror, had recollected itself as if they have not been mutilated to begin with.
It was an ear-piercing rampage and a tinkling mend, but this relieved Draco. Yet, he pondered on the thought what magic could and not do. He gazed transfixed at the looming glass windows, and pacing forward, leaving the seemingly untouched room behind, he positioned himself at the base of the window. Yes, magic could break – kill, and rebuild the broken, but no, it could not return the dead. Of all things great, magic couldn't restore lost souls. Not a single soul.
Reverberating with fury from this injustice, Draco poised himself for the destruction of the unfortunate window. However, before the course of action was taken, his bedroom door sprang open to reveal an unhappy and irritated Harry. Not the morning type, see.
"What the bloody hell was that racket you were making?" Harry demanded darkly and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he adjusted to the morning light.
"What racket?" Draco asked innocently. The rush of adrenaline started to fade from him as he stared at Harry's fuming face.
Harry examined the room and realized nothing was damaged, save for a broken mirror. But he felt the presence of enchantment all around him and was about to state it when something caught his eye. "Did you break that?" he asked pointing to the puddle of glass shards. When Draco didn't reply, Harry stated coldly, "It was expensive."
Draco shrugged, "I guess so is everything else in this room, but that didn't stop me from destroying them." Oh crud…
Harry had guessed correctly. "You used magic? And you destroyed my property!" Harry hissed marching forward heatedly.
"Yes, but I put them back together again see," Draco said in monotone waving his wand about. "And I planned on breaking this window here too if you hadn't barged in."
"This is my house. I have the right to do what I want, but what gives you the right to raze my place when you are only a guest?" Harry paused when he saw the rough outline of dried blood trailing away form the shattered pieces of glass.
Draco answered boldly, "I am Draco Malfoy and he is free to do what he wants wherever he goes." Not really though cause that would contradict the incident of almost bad-mouthing Hermione the previous night when Harry threatened him to throw him out and he actually listened to him.
Harry was still glancing down at the blood trail and only looked up when the trail ended at Draco's bare feet. "From now on, since you are staying here, I forbid you to do any magic," Harry ordered as if he hadn't heard Draco's words. "Death Eaters can trace your magic to this place, so don't even raise your wand within a circumference of 20km around the mansion if you wish for a guaranteed safety. "
Draco didn't care because at the moment he felt like a rebel, which he already was... He needed the return of the rush to demolish the window. Staring at Harry with impassive eyes and twirling his wand around, he asked an irresistible question, "Right now, what do I look like?"
Harry looked blankly at him like that was the most obvious thing to answer, "A prissy rich arrogant bastard that's living in my home."
Though obviously the wrong answer.
The window exploded and the most dazzling sound of breaking glass reached Draco's ear, but it came crashing down into a billion pieces all around him. He stood, however, unfazed at its destruction or the fact that it was hailing down on him. He knew it was brilliant despite the fact that Harry didn't think so.
Nonetheless, the Auror performed a shield spell above Draco; it hovered over him gracefully. The sight was peculiar for it was like rain pellets bouncing off an umbrella, except you couldn't see the umbrella. It was invisible. He glowered coldly at the satisfied Draco, "You realize what this means?"
"You're a hypocrite?" Draco offered. He was some-what stunned Harry carried out a shield charm for him, but that was all in the employment.
Before Harry made a move, Hermione rushed in and grabbed hold of Harry's wrist, snapping him back before any harm was inputted on their blonde guest. "Harry!" she exclaimed almost angrily and with disbelief. Then turning their backs so they could talk privately, she asked in a hushed voice, "I haven't seen you act like this since our sixth year. What's your problem?"
"He's exactly my problem," Harry fumed, but settled a bit at her presence. "He obliterated my window!"
Hermione looked to where Harry was pointing and frowned, "Harry, what are you talking about?"
"Yeah Potter," Draco agreed mockingly. "What window?"
Harry looked almost stunned as he observed the once broken window. A while ago, it was in pieces, but in a flash it was quickly repaired. He growled at Draco's seemingly guiltless expression. Hermione tugged him back to the conversation.
Harry had told her everything last night and she had a decent insight about the two, "You should've known this would happen," she stated folding her arms. "Why, again, did you assign yourself to him?"
It wasn't a difficult question Harry couldn't answer, "Because -"
"Exactly, now shush up," Hermione warned.
"How can I?" Harry asked slightly tweaked. "He drives me crazy the moment he set foot here…"
Meanwhile, Draco stood, perhaps a distance of five feet away and heard everything. He was mildly curious with Harry's 'because-' and wondered a 'because why?' This query floated along in his mind until he could find no answer for it. Suddenly, he felt a wave of vertigo sweep over him and he collapsed, quite dramatically, on to the floor.
Simultaneously, Hermione and Harry glanced behind them and saw that their guest - was on the floor…
"Draco, what happened?" Hermione asked crouching to his level so she could examine him. Harry slowly walked behind Draco.
However, when she reached to touch him, Draco hissed, "Don't touch me, filthy Mudblood!" As Hermione scowled, his fists clenched tightly and he rolled his eyes up to glare at her. At the same time, he tried to fight the wooziness that threatened to lock down his eyes. He had spent most of his remaining energy with his words to Hermione. For a moment, he couldn't understand his condition and thought that maybe he was under attacked, but he would have definitely known if he were. There was a train of irrational possibilities before he realized that his feet had grown frighteningly icy numb.
"Dr. Hermione, his feet are bleeding," Harry stated in a mock-serious voice. He loomed above Draco with folded arms and examined his crimson colored feet.
"What?" she said worriedly looking at his feet, and stunned, asked, "How the bloody hell did that happen?"
"You know the racket he was making? He broke a mirror and 'intentionally' stepped into the broken fragments – barefooted apparently," Harry answered coolly.
Draco wanted to spit at Harry. He made him sound like a masochist. And just as Draco began to retort, Harry's forest eyes ensnared him. The depth of his emerald eyes warned him to comply with 'Dr. Hermione'; hesitating, Draco snapped his mouth shut.
He couldn't help thinking how distracting those eyes were, how controlling and silencing they were. If Harry was fuming, the deadly calm of his forest does not emerge, Draco noted. Though one of the puzzling characteristics of Harry was how he was capable of switching facial expressions with expertise.
Draco didn't complain as Hermione helped him up and rested him on the bed. He unwillingly let his blonde head snap back for a moment's black out and laid breathlessly on the feather mattress. Feeling dumbfounded, the blonde stared at the canopy above him.
"Harry could you get me the first aid kit please?"
Harry went to a mahogany glass cabinet near the window and extracted a white box with a scarlet cross on its hood. Bringing it back, he glanced down at the red upon the green canvas. It was like an foreign invader of a peaceful land. Unwanted but made you wonder how it got there and that thought gave Harry the serenity he needed.
"Here Hermione," said Harry kindly handing the kit over and plunked himself beside Draco. His voice fell below a few degrees as he spoke to the injured blonde, "Hermione's the top witch doctor in St. Mungo's Hospital so you better treat her with respect. And as a reminder, you can't use magic." With that, Harry unarmed Draco of his wand and shoved it into his pocket.
"Try to live with out it Malfoy, it's much more convenient if you do, so your fellow Death Eaters can't trace you whenever you cast a spell," explained Hermione helpfully as she disinfected Draco's foot and wrapped his feet with bandages. "You may consider using Muggle technology to getting through the day. It isn't difficult once you get the gist of it."
Draco couldn't believe his ears. Using Muggle technology? What kind of bullshit is that! He was a wizard! Not a wiz kid –
"I'm pretty sure that's not too difficult for a great wizard like you…"Harry began somewhat sarcastically, "but it would be such a shame if you couldn't put that big head of yours to good use."
Draco growled at Harry, wanting to vomit fire at him, but he concentrated more on the fact that he was losing blood and a Muggle witch doctor was helping him.
Within a few short days however, Draco caught the general basics of daily technology such as the cell phone, the computer, several game stations (for his spare time), the wonders of a refrigerator, a dishwasher, an MP3, and a toaster. Harry had watched amusingly as the days progressed and Draco expressed unforgettable looks of dismay and astonishment to man's creations. His thoughts of his parents distinguishing.
Draco had now clue where his wand was stored, but he didn't have the time to think where it was. He was much too occupied with the new-found technology. He agreed cell phones were more convenient than using Floo powder, but the dishwasher, you could just wash it with magic. He found the game stations and the computer interesting; the refigrigerator odd (Draco described it as a box full of ice and there was simply no logic in it. Uh…what about magic?) and the MP3 wonderful to listen to.
Above all these inventions stood the toaster. Though making toast traditionally on a pan by magic was more superior, Draco delighted in watching the tanned bread spring from the interior of the toaster. He secretly kept this a hobby of his and turned his back when making breakfast in the morning. Despite Draco's efforts of concealing his secret pleasure, Harry discovered it but didn't taunt him like he would have. Those days have passed long ago; Harry was a man of a new era.
During a succession of 5 days of enlightenment, Draco participated in a total of 56 arguments. 11 with Hermione about the dishwasher and her hazardous cooking (both Ron and Harry agreed with him. That night, Hermione didn't speak to the two but they ordered pizza instead, and surprisingly she didn't complain), 15 with the returning Ron about video games and computers (Ron, the gaming master, refused to be defeated by Draco who conquered the virtual world within a few short lessons and continuously challenged Draco to rematches deep into the night) , and the rest was with Harry about – everything he had to complain about.
Besides that, Draco returned to the Ministry of Magic department on a private jet, which he couldn't believe he was on. The appointment was delayed for 5 days due to the capture of the newly found Death Eaters. Practically through the first five minutes, he protested about how Apparating would be so much more convenient than riding on a stinking 'plane'.
Harry had drugged his drink after the first five minutes, and Draco fell dead to the world. Later, he awakened in the room he was held captive in before. Negotiations were made: Draco would pay Harry for his expense in body guarding him, but Harry refused, saying he was volunteering. Draco insisted in returning something (mainly because he made him feel incompetent and poor, which he wasn't…), but Harry altered Draco's way of thinking.
"The Ministry is high on funding, so you might want to keep your money if you know what's good for," Harry commented in his ear. The ministry people looked skeptically at him, wondering what he could've been talking about. "However, they'll be gladly to squeeze every penny from you."
That placed Draco in a firm decision to allow Harry to volunteer, and somehow, along that very same day, they managed to argue with each other. More heated than usual and complex, about matters that actually mattered. Draco couldn't exactly remember what, but he recalled Harry answering one of his long awaited questions: Why was he doing this? How would he benefit from protecting him, a Death Eater?
It was simple once Draco caught the wind of direction. Harry wanted to know more of Draco's previous master, the Dark Lord, Tom Riddle, – Voldemort.
He should've known, seen it, but Draco had the feeling it was something more. The way Harry seemed to stare at him with those shady forested eyes, urged Draco to try and brush away those draping braches that hid his true side.
He wanted to know what he didn't know what he even wanted to know about something that may not even exist (if that makes any sense at all…?). So when Draco heard the reason, he felt somewhat annoyed, disappointed, and frustrated. Yet he didn't know why. Simply upset and hurt.
Out of rage, Draco brought his provoking notches higher. He scoffed at Harry, "If you think you can get information from me, think again. I'm not as half-dimwitted as you think. No Slytherin frees secrets so easily."
"That's expected, so what do you want?" Harry asked knowingly.
Draco growled at his archenemy's all calculating ability, "You said you'd protect me? As payment, since I don't like being cheap, I'll let you in on some things I know of on one condition: You can't allow a single spark of harm touch me for an entire month."
Harry's forest seemed to rustle, disturbed, but he shrugged nonetheless, "I'm sure you'll need the protection."
As they entered the jet, Draco snapped at him, "What's that suppose to mean! Are you implying that I'm incompetent?"
Harry passed where he predicted Draco would sit and saw the refilled cup of their previous trip. "Not really…"He disagreed, raising his hand over the cup as a slight gesture, and seated himself near the window seats. "Just easily fooled…"
Draco glared at Harry before he huffed and took the plastic cup before placing himself beside Harry near the window seat. "I'm not a fool," he stated as he gulped down the water. Preparing himself for the long trip back and the uproar that will accompany it, he suddenly wondered why he zoned out so suddenly before. When they left the Black Mansion, it was 7am and 9am when he had awoke at the department of ministry. What happened within those two hours? Draco wasn't an easy sleeper…
That Potter did something to me…
Harry gazed out the window before turning to look at the dozing Draco. "I'm sure you aren't…" He muttered and gazed at Draco's pale face, drained from lack of sleep and death's depression. Harry praised him for the strength he demonstrated the past days, despite the pain he was going through; in many ways other than that too…
Harry stared at Draco's big forehead, a trait Harry found strangely adorable. Leaning over slightly, Harry tucked Draco's blonde hair back, somewhat stunned by its silkiness, and paused before kissing the large area above his eyes. Draco released a soft sigh and Harry withdrew quickly. Turning, his head to look out the window to a world of white clouds, one much like his blank mind, he questioned his actions.
Hey, I won't be updating in the next long while 'cause you know, exams.So please review and lighten my spirits so I can get through exam week (and study week...shudder)! I'll try my best to update more quickly.