And so a new chapter begins! I was planning on uploading it last night but an error occurred on the site! I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting!
Draco has returned to Hogwarts just in time to catch the end of the wrestling tournament! Who will be crowned champion and receive the house points? The outcome may surprise you!
Also, house points may not be the only prize to be earned :)
...
It was a bright, sunshiny day at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Pixies were zipping through the air, students were bustling out to the grounds, and Draco felt like throwing up. Ever since his little talk with Voldemort his stomach had been painfully queasy.
'I'll be watching you,' Draco thought as he massaged his stomach, 'How am I supposed to do anything knowing that someone like him is watching?' Draco walked slowly to the Great Hall for lunch, hoping to find some ginger ale before returning to his dorm room to sulk.
Draco was feeling very irritable for many reasons, but he wasn't sure which was more prevalent. Was it the fact that he no longer had a personal life? That Voldemort could peek in whenever he wished? Or was it that his whole family was depending on him to follow out the Dark Lord's orders? And little did they know that his mission was to get it on with the boy they were trying to kill.
As the young Malfoy pushed open the doors to the Great Hall he sighed, knowing that none of those reasons were the most aggravating. What Draco was really upset about was the fact that he was being forced into this. As much as it embarrassed Draco he really wished that he had the option to take things slower. Now that he had come to terms with his feelings he knew that pursuing Harry would be a very delicate operation. Undoing years of hatred towards each other was no small feat.
Yet, based on Potter's actions in the recent past Draco had a feeling it might not be as difficult to win him over as he feared.
Suddenly Draco came to a stop. He glanced around and was surprised to find that the Great hall was completely deserted. It had almost been a week since he had returned to Hogwarts… but he hadn't recalled any Quidditch matches being scheduled for today.
Draco pondered this for a moment until a bitter chill swept across him. The young Malfoy shivered violently and goose bumps exploded across his skin. He looked up to see the translucent figure of the Bloody Baron.
"What are you doing here, boy?" The Baron barked, crossing his arms and glaring down at Draco. The blonde was momentarily at a lose for words. He had never had any extended contact with his house's ghost and was shocked at his sudden appearance.
"What is the matter with you, boy?" The Baron bellowed, leaning over, his hands at his hips. "Can't you speak?"
"Y-yes, sorry sir," Draco replied clearing his throat.
"Why aren't you outside partaking in the festivities?"
"Festivities?" Draco said questioningly, "Is there a Quidditch match?"
"Heavens no!" The Baron said with a deep chuckle, floating through Draco again, heading towards the door. "But either way, all students are required to be out on the grounds at this time to watch the tournament."
"Tournament?" Draco said, utterly confused.
"You ask too many questions," the Baron groaned, waving his silver hand dismissively. "You'd best be heading outside before you are reported by a ghost that is less friendly than I." With that, the Bloody Baron faded through the door. Draco's mouth hung open, slightly insulted and perplexed. He decided to head outside and put his questions to rest.
Draco dashed towards the doors that lead outside, his upset stomach temporarily forgotten. He moved quickly through the courtyard, disturbing some of the owls that were resting by the fountain. When Draco could no longer hear the rustling of their feathers he picked up on another noise. As he got closer to the grounds he heard a dull roar, but when he crested the grassy hill before the remaining land, the Black Lake, and the Forbidden Forest he was hit full force with the frenzied cheering of a massive crowd.
Below Draco were over twenty tents, hundreds of red mats, and the entire teacher, staff, and student body. Hesitantly Draco continued forward having even more questions than before. As he looked around he noticed that almost all of the students were in their regular street clothes. They were all laughing and walking around, carrying food that, as Draco observed, was being served at the tents. Draco felt very out of place in his black cloak and uniform. He decided to step to the side and gain his bearings.
Draco took off his cloak, gray sweater vest, and tie, balling them together and placing them at the trunk of a tree. He leaned against the cold bark, watching the goings on from the shade. He crossed his arms and wondered what the hell was going on. He had only been at home for a few days and the school decided to have a fair or something?
Then suddenly, something caught Draco's eye. He watched wide-eyed with one eyebrow cocked as several students walked by in a strange uniform. It looked like an old fashion one-piece swimsuit and the colors seemed to be representative of the house colors. Also, they had on strange white headgear that resembled earmuffs. Draco put his head in his hands wondering what other oddities he would see that day.
"Draco!"
The Malfoy looked up when he heard a familiar voice calling him. He felt his jaw drop as Blaise jogged over to him. Draco could clearly see the top half of the strange uniform stretched across his broad chest, the bottom half covered by Blaise's gray sweat pants. The sun glistened off the Slytherin's rich, brown skin and Draco had to look away.
"What in Merlin's name is going on here?" Draco said with honest exasperation, trying to hide the rosy blush on his cheeks.
"Oh, that's right, you were gone this week, huh? Well Dumbledore's gotten all excited over this muggle sport so he decided to have a school wide tournament. We've been wrestling for the whole week. To be honest it was pretty unfair of him to spring this on us so suddenly. The preliminary rounds were sad because so many students had no idea how to-"
"Wrestling?" Draco asked, still feeling lost. Of course he knew the word, but he couldn't imagine it being formed into an organized sport.
"Yeah," Blaise said, glancing over his shoulder, "The students voted and it's been split up into gender and age divisions. The only competitors left are the sixth and seventh year boys. Speaking of which, it's about time for us to head over to the mats."
"Hold on, 'us'?" Draco said indignantly, "I don't think so. I'm going to sit this one out."
"Oh come on, Draco," Blaise said with a sigh, "I know you haven't been here but Dumbledore's handing out A's just for participation. You probably need it after being absent for so long."
"Honestly, Blaise, I couldn't care less," Draco said, crossing his arms and glaring off into the distance. After a long pause, Blaise sighed and answered.
"Suit yourself, Draco, but you'll regret it."
"Some how I doubt that," Draco replied. Blaise was just about to head towards the mats when a wrinkly old hand clasped his shoulder.
"Ah, Mr. Zabini you've located Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said in a singsong voice, a smile beaming underneath his beard. He was dressed for the occasion, Draco noticed, (trying not to laugh) in a purple tracksuit with gold strips, his large silver whistle hanging from his neck. He turned to look at a very unhappy Draco, his gray-blue eyes twinkling. "Couldn't stay away from all the fun, ay Mr. Malfoy?"
"Er, actually Sir," Draco began, floundering for an excuse, "I uh, well you see, while I was er visiting home I caught a um… I caught a little stomach bug so I was just about to return to the dorm rooms and-"
"Nonsense!" Dumbledore exclaimed, placing his hands on the boys' backs, pushing them gently towards the mats, "You absolutely must experience this sport first hand! And I just feel so distraught that you missed out during the week. If you give it your all today, Mr. Malfoy, I will overlook your absences and give you at least passing credit for this section."
"Well, then I suppose I must participate," Draco said through clenched teeth and a tight smile. He felt a groan wriggling around in his throat. This was the last way he wanted to spend his first day back at Hogwarts.
As the three wizards came closer to the mats Draco noticed a large group of scantily clad older boys. He felt his eyes scan the crowd, concluding that Potter must have been somewhere hidden within. Not that he was exceptionally excited, but he figured he should be aware of his target at all times.
"Mr. Malfoy, I'll be sure to leave your match until the end. During that time take a moment to stretch and watch the other students to see how it's done. Of course, I'm certain that Mr. Zabini will be glad to explain the rules." With that, the old Headmaster scuttled through the crowd of teens and began to read the match ups off of a clipboard.
Draco glanced around again. He was too busy doing this that he didn't notice Blaise pull out his wand and flick his wrist. Suddenly, Draco's clothes began to shrink. His pant legs rose until they were above his knees and his buttons disappeared, his collar dipping low. Draco jumped looking down at his own strange uniform while his shoes became soft and almost cloth like. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his tie inch across the ground towards him. It slithered up his body until it reached his head, curling into headgear.
"Hmm, not bad," Blaise noted, looking the blonde up and down, "although your singlet is black not green…"
"Can this day get any worse?" Draco spat under his breath, feeling terribly uncomfortable to say the least. Blaise hadn't heard the comment so he began to explain the basics of wrestling to Draco. Or at least he tried…
"The first match up is Harry Potter and Seamus Finnegan," Dumbledore's voice floated over the gathering of students. Draco's head instantly snapped towards the mats.
"You know, Blaise," Draco began, taking several nonchalant (or so he thought) steps towards the wrestling area, "I think I would understand it better if I actually watched a match or two."
"Sure," Blaise answered, sounding slightly put out, although Draco didn't notice. He shoved his way, almost violently, through the crowd before sitting defiantly on one of the viewing benches, managing to make his face look as bored as possible.
However, Draco was in no way anxious to see this match. Certainly not. He only had a mild curiosity, like one might have at the zoo of while playing a board game during bad weather. He merely needed a way to pass the time. And he wanted to be sure he knew where Potter was, for the sake of his mission, of course.
Blaise eased his way through the crowd and took a seat by Draco, looking slightly irritated. Draco's attention, although, was elsewhere.
The young Malfoy felt his heart stop as his 'target' stepped out onto the red mat. His eyes were momentarily stunned, not sure of what to take in first. Seeing Harry after time apart was like a shock to his system. Draco wanted to see it all. He wanted to memorize every inch and angle.
There stood Potter in all his half naked glory. The uniform was tight and left almost nothing to the imagination. Draco could see the very top of his abs peaking out of his uniform as if to say 'this is what perfection looks like'. Draco felt his breathing become labored as he looked at all of Harry's muscles. This sport had done him good.
Draco couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there seemed to be a glow about Harry. His skin glistened with sweat from warm ups and the Boy Who Lived seemed to have a spring in his step. Draco watched intently as Harry shook hands with his classmate.
"Try and go easy on me, Harry," Seamus said with a nervous smile.
"No promises," Harry replied with a sly grin before they both got into position. Dumbledore counted slowly to three until-
PWWWEEEEEEEH!
Draco saw a fire light in Harry's eyes as he lunged forward, his hands grasping Seamus's shoulders, the muscles in his arms rippling. Draco swallowed thickly, his mouth watering. Harry seemed to be in his element as he tussled around with his classmate. His face said it all. Harry was definitely enjoying the fact that he so clearly dominated this sport.
Draco recognized the look in Harry's eyes. Whenever there was a challenge to be overcome or a game to be won those green eyes would shimmer. Harry's drive to succeed was palpable. Draco realized that he was the only one who could correctly interpret that look, and it gave him a sense of smug satisfaction.
Until now, though, Draco had only seen that devious expression when Harry wanted something from him. He was beginning to realize that he was becoming more accustomed to that devilish glint in the eyes of the raven-haired boy. In fact, it was beginning to have very strong effects on Draco.
From the very beginning those eyes had stimulated Draco. He felt precum drip down his hard cock. He wanted so badly to touch himself. Better yet, he wanted Potter's touch. He tried desperately to keep his heavy eyes open while arousing thoughts consumed his mind. For the life of him, he couldn't remember how or why he had managed to resist these obvious temptations for so long.
Draco knew then that he had to have Harry. He would wrestle him, win, and then take his body as the prize. The roles would reverse and Harry would be Draco's slave, begging for more of his strokes and caresses.
Then in an instant the match was stopped. Harry had Seamus pinned, their bodies wrapped closely together, both boys panting. High-pitched screaming could be heard from the other side of the mat from a gaggle of girls who held up posters with Harry's name writing on them. Harry threw his fist up in the air and hammed it up for his fans. Draco smiled at the ear-to-ear grin on Harry's face, surprised to see him so unreserved in front of others.
"Wasn't that spectacular?" Dumbledore gushed, appearing suddenly at Draco's side. "You know, Harry is the best Gryffindor wrestler. If you try hard, Mr. Malfoy, you may even be able to wrestle him."
Draco nodded with a cheeky grin, feeling very confident. He was sure that he could win the competition. This muggle sport didn't look so tough.
~About one hour later…~
"Ah, better luck next time, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said with a forlorn look on his face, "I must apologize for throwing you into this so unprepared. I just became so caught up in the excitement of a wild card competitor that I… oh well. We'll discuss other methods of earning extra credit later." Then the old wizard turned and walked slowly away.
Draco sighed. Thinking back, he admitted that he had probably misplaced his certainty in himself. Once the clarity of defeat calmed his senses Draco realized it wasn't surprising at all that he had been beaten in the first round. After all, the other students had had a week to at least practice the sport. Not to mention, Draco was fairly distracted during Blaise's explanations. He had barely heard a word what with his thoughts being so overpowered by Harry.
And so, Draco sat on the benches, his uniform back to normal, waiting for the final, deciding match. He was slightly upset that his plans weren't falling into place exactly, but he would definitely follow through on the last part. That was all that mattered. There was no way that he would back down at this point. Suddenly, Blaise made his way through the crowd and plopped down on the bench in a thud, looking sweaty and very pissed off.
"You alright?" Draco asked, somewhat hesitantly.
"One bloody point," Blaise fumed, wiping his neck with the wet towel on his shoulder. "I don't know what got into Weasley but he wrestled like a monster. I might as well have insulted his mother the way he-"
"Weasley? That's who you wrestled?"
"Yeah. I told you early but, you didn't bother to listen," Blaise retorted, his eyebrows furrowed, "But anyway, now he's off to wrestle Potter in the final round. It's so unfair. Now the house points will go to a Gryffindor no matter what."
"Weasley's wrestling Har—er Potter?" Draco asked, some what dumbfounded. The idea of Ron that close to Harry did not sit well with him, what with the situation as it was. Although very few probably knew the red head's true feelings, Draco did and he could practically feel himself turn green with jealousy.
'So what if they're wrestling,' Draco thought to himself, 'Harry and I have done much more than that… Not that I'm happy about it! Although I suppose I am now but… I mean I have to enjoy it now! I've been commanded to… even though I had already promised myself I would pursue this further…' Draco ran his fingers through his hair feeling very confused. It was hard maintaining a prideful front when you were trying to get close to someone you used to hate… but still kind of hate… although things were changing to be the opposite and… oh forget it.
Draco shook his head willing the conflicting thoughts to subside. Now was not the time to rethink things. He knew he would have to charge forward with this plan before he came to his senses.
Then, out of nowhere, a bright light exploded above their heads. The sky lit up with millions of multi-colored lights. Draco realized that he had been so absorbed in his thoughts that the sun had sunk low in the sky and that all of the teachers were casting illumination spells into the air.
"Let us commence with the final match!" Dumbledore's voice boomed over the crowd, his wand held to his throat. A roar of cheering erupted from all around and students herded towards the mats, some even watched from above on their brooms. Draco was thankful he already had a front row seat.
Several red lights burst in the sky and rained down on the grounds as Lee Jordan appeared beside Dumbledore and announced the competitors.
"In this corner, the Chosen One, The Boy Who Lived, we all know him folks, give it up for Harry Potter!" Screams surged towards the mats in waves as students nearly lost their minds cheering. Harry stepped onto the mats waving at all of his supporters and then stretching his arms and cracking his neck.
"In the other corner, Harry's sworn best friend, Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, his hair as fiery as his fighter's spirit, let's hear it for Ron Weasley!" Surprisingly to Draco, an almost equal amount of applause sounded as Weasley stepped up to the mat. Ron didn't even so much as glance around. His eyes were locked on Harry and weren't going anywhere soon. Draco's teeth clenched as he dissected the expression on Ron's face. It was a mix of lust and pure bliss.
"Although it has been guaranteed that the Gryffindor house will gain the spoils of competition," at this all of the red and gold clad audience members wooted and cheered, "an exciting match is still ahead. Who will emerge victorious? Will it be Potter who has natural talent, or will it be Weasley who has fought his way through the ranks to reach the finale? Only time will tell! And remember, this is an instant elimination match. The first wizard to make a point wins! Now, without further adieu, let the match begin!" The screaming began once again as the two boys got into position.
Despite his personal pep talk, Draco still felt ruffled as he wondered what the outcome of the match would be. He didn't have time to think on it for long. Dumbledore was already standing between the two friends and at the count of three.
PWWWEEEEEEEH!
The two wizards latched onto each other, hard muscles bulging as they struggled to gain the upper hand. Draco took deep breaths and told himself to relax. The way Harry wrestled told him that this match would be over quickly.
However, to both Draco and Harry's surprise Ron wasn't going to make things easy. In a flash of red Ron slipped out of Harry's grip and managed to affix himself to Harry's back. The two fell to the ground, Ron maneuvering his way on top of Harry. It had only taken seconds for Harry to be on his knees and for Ron to be on top of him, grasping onto his arms.
Draco then noticed that his tightly clasped fists were shaking, his knuckles white. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants before resting them at his sides on the bench. He slipped his fingers into the smooth wires that comprised the bench and held them tightly. Just in case he felt the urge to curse Ron he figured he should be ready to stop himself.
The match continued on, both boys getting nowhere as far as scoring points. They both seemed so evenly matched. Not to mention the fact that Ron wouldn't let Harry get more than a few inches away at a time. This was an effective way to keep Harry from using his full ability on the mats. This was also an effective way to make Draco furious.
'Damn that Weasley,' Draco thought, forgetting to hide the rage that was portrayed on his face. 'Stop looking so bloody pleased with yourself.'
And it was true. Ron what overjoyed to finally be this close to Harry. It was hard for him to maintain control of himself. Ron wanted nothing more than for the crowd to disappear and for him to be able to truly feel his friend. But just as soon as those thoughts surfaced he was sobered by the fact that he was only pressed against Harry because of this sport. This unexpectedly wonderful muggle sport.
Somewhere deep inside Ron knew that this was a one time event. This would be the only circumstance where he could touch Harry with this much passion and intimacy. As he wrestled, Ron was beginning to come to terms with what needed to be done. After this he would have to let go. Not just for Harry but for himself. To continue this one-sided love affair would eventually kill the lanky red head and he knew it.
So he savored every moment of this match. It would mark the first and last time Ron would feel and experience Harry's body, muscles hot and taunt beneath his; Harry's skin, damp and salty under his fingertips; Harry's wild eyes, blazing green with determination.
And then in an instant, the match was over.
A silence blanketed the crowd as the two wizards were still except for their heaving chests and open mouths. Harry looked up at Ron, his expression somewhat stunned. Ron smiled down from above, his cheeks red and sweat plastering his bangs to his forehead.
"No offense mate, but I knew that if you won I'd never here the end of it," Ron said through his panting, a small grin stretching his lips. Harry blinked and then after a pause he smiled wide and toothy. The boys got to their feet and Harry shook Ron's hand, congratulating him.
At this gesture the applause picked up once again. Suddenly, as though the grounds could no longer contain them, the students spilled forward onto the mats. Talk of celebration and exclamations of Ron's name spread through the air. Ron felt an honest smile strain his cheeks for the first time in what seemed like forever. Harry noticed and felt a small smile grace his own lips. Then the hyper witches and wizards began to migrate towards the castle, some opening butter beers and others casting firework spells into the air.
Harry watched Ron get swept away by the student body. The red head had his hands so full of fans and questions and reliving his victory that for the first time his mind wasn't on Harry. Although Harry himself didn't know this, he could tell that his friend was more cheerful, so he let him go. He was happy that he had released some of whatever had been keeping him down lately.
As the crowd dispersed there were only a few wizards left, two of which being Harry and Hermione. They stood together, quietly watching the stars for a moment.
"Please tell me you didn't let him win," Hermione said, the sounds of the rowdy students evaporating into the air.
"You know… I actually didn't," Harry said, removing his headgear and running his fingers through his wet hair.
"You sound surprised," Hermione noted, turning herself away from the sky to look at Harry's profile.
"Well, from the beginning I was thinking of throwing the match. Ron's just been so down lately that I figured he could do with a pick-me-up."
"But…?" Hermione supplied.
"When we started to wrestle, Ron was actually beating me all on his own. It probably sounds egotistical of me to say I was surprised… but now it just makes me… well, proud of him I guess." Harry turned and smiled down at Hermione. She smiled back, hoping that this release of emotion would allow Ron to move on from Harry. And although, Harry didn't know the whole truth, Hermione was glad that he had picked up on Ron's emotions.
Hermione asked Harry if he was going to join in the celebration but he declined. Harry thought it best to give Ron a night of space. Plus he needed to get cleaned up. The two friends wished each other farewell and Hermione headed towards the castle while Harry headed towards the Quidditch pitch to gain access to the showers. He wanted to relax and turn in for the night.
… However, the Boy Who Lived had no idea what was to come that night. As he walked across the grounds he wasn't the only wizard wandering around in the moonlight. And that other wizard had some feelings of his own that needed releasing.
...
Ok, before anyone kills me for yet another cliffhanger, may I just say that the next chapter is almost finished as I type. I just figured that since it is so steamy it needed its very own chapter to contain all of the sexiness. So do not fear! Draco's plan will commence in the very next chapter.
Also, I hope no one is too upset at Ron's victory. I felt bad for him. Since Draco gets Harry I wanted Ron to at least have some closure.
Hope you're looking forward to the next chapter :D It's a good one!