This chapter is a bit longer, sorry for the delay! I've been swamped with work the last week. :( It sucks.
They drew wands simultaneously, green eyes glaring into grey. Draco spoke first, his lip curling in distaste. The sight was weird. Harry wasn't used to that mouth being so bright red and it unnerved him.
''If you tell anyone, that picture will find its way to the prophet!''
Harry smirked.
"Fair enough," he said lightly, lowering his wand a bit. "What are you doing?"
Malfoy turned a delicate shade of pink and turned back to the mirror.
"What does it look like?" He snapped.
It was Harry's turn to blush and he moved closer so he was standing mere inches behind Malfoy.
"You're wearing make up."
Malfoy rolled his eyes.
"And a dress."
He spun around at that.
"Where's the dress I gave you?" He demanded. Harry took a step back.
"It's in my room, what do you think? I just carry it around with me?"
Malfoy's gaze was calculating and then he said, quite stiffly, "You should go get it and come back."
Harry's ears were filled with an odd buzzing noise.
"Go get it?" He repeated.
"Yes, Potter. Go get the bloody dress and return."
Harry ducked back under his cloak and departed. He was getting the dress to return it. That's all. It was only right that he give it back to, Malfoy. He kept repeating this in different ways inside his head, hoping it was true but a small part of him knew that wasn't really the case. He wasn't going to return the dress.
The journal was almost forgotten, until Harry went to use that hand. How had Malfoy missed that it was in his hand? Harry considered trying to put it back in the bag but thought better of it. What other chance would he get to see inside Malfoy's head? He had to take the opportunity. So he stuck it in his truck, wrapped up in some of Dudley's old shirts and under some old textbooks. No one would accidentally stumble on it there.
The dress was laying on Ron's bed, someone, probably Hermione, had tossed it there after they departed. Harry grabbed it and made his way back to the second floor bathroom.
Malfoy was impatiently waiting, tapping one foot against the ground. Harry was unnerved to see he was wearing high heels. He swallowed the large lump in his throat and held the dress out. Two, pale, eyebrows shot up into Malfoy's bangs.
"Put it on, then."
"I..."
He hesitated. This wasn't normal by any standards, was it? He was considering dressing up as a girl with his enemy, who was dress as a girl! Harry's mind was having a hard time wrapping itself around these events but Malfoy snapped him out it.
"Scared, Potter?"
It was barely a whisper but it had the effect Malfoy was looking for. Harry set his jaw and kicked off his shoes.
"You'll want to shave your legs."
Harry scowled.
"What's with everyone and my legs?" Harry yelled. Malfoy's lip twitched.
"Is the Weasel checking out your legs, Potter?"
"No," Harry replied stiffly as he threw his shirt on top of his shoes.
"The Mudb-"
He didn't get a chance to finish the word before Harry had him by the throat and slammed against the wall.
"Say it again, Malfoy, and I'll put your face through the mirror," Harry snarled. Malfoy's eyes were wide with surprise. Evidently, he hadn't expected such a reaction. A moment passed and then Malfoy shoved him away, rubbing at his throat where angry red marks were appearing. Harry was panting heavily.
"Fine, Granger," he spat the name out.
Harry decided not to answer, instead unbuttoning his trousers.
"What spell do you use on your legs?" he asked, not looking at Malfoy. He felt himself blushing again. Malfoy helped him with the spell, the same one as he used for his face, like Ron and Hermione said it would be. He then picked up the dress. Malfoy wrinkled his nose.
"You can't wear those," he said, pointing at Harry's pants. "You'll need knickers."
"And where am I going to get them? Steal Hermione's?" Harry snapped. Draco gagged.
"No," he said. "I have some, I'll give them to you."
"I'm not wearing anything you've-"
"They're new!" He snapped but his eyes were twinkling. "I know, we'll do your makeup."
Harry took a seat that Draco had gestured to. The blonde came over and his dress rode up on his legs as he straddled Harry's lap. He blushed and made a squeaking noise but Malfoy just grabbed his face, pulled his glasses off, hissed at him to be still as he started to apply eye liner. He wanted to protest, but he was worried Malfoy might stab him in the eyes if he did and he wasn't sure where his glasses had gone. When he was done, Draco tried to grab for lipstick, but Harry grabbed his wrist.
"No, just-just the eyes I think."
Malfoy shrugged and grabbed the eye shadow instead, a similar shade of green as that of the dress and Harry closed his eyes for him. It was weird, he thought, as he felt the soft, pad brush across his eye lids. Any other time, he wouldn't trust Malfoy to be this close, to have him on his lap, eyes closed, and wand out of reach. But here, Malfoy was proving to be gentler than any other time they had interacted. He was slightly insecure and flighty but not mean spirited.
"You can open them, I'll get those knickers for you," he smirked and winked at Harry before moving off his lap and toward his felt a flutter of panic. There was a dreadful pause in which Draco had stopped moving and his ears tinged pink. Harry swallowed and quickly looked for his trousers before Malfoy had enough time to register what must have happen-
He ducked to grab his trousers just as a spell shot towards him, it hit the wall with a loud pop. Harry looked up. Malfoy was standing stiffly, wand drawn, his grey eyes narrowed but otherwise no emotion showed on his face. He was like a statue.
"Where is it?" He said quietly.
Harry's first thought was to ask, "Where is what?" but could tell this would be a horrible thing to respond with, likely resulting in a duel. He swallowed thickly instead.
"It's in my trunk."
Malfoy twitched his wand, as though he couldn't help the movement. His eyes closed briefly and when he opened them he said, "You took it up there when you got the dress?"
Harry nodded.
"Potter, if I don't have that journal back in my hand in the next 10 minutes, I will make sure you regret it."
"Can I -"
"You better run," Malfoy said coldly.
Harry pulled the Cloak out his trousers before dropping them. He pulled it over his head as he dashed out of the room. He was still only in his pants, he could only thank his father and Dumbledore for the Cloak. How awful would it be to explain to anyone why he was running around almost naked? Unfortunately, Ron and Hermione understood why the portrait would swing open and there being no one there. They had followed him up to the dormitory. He kept the Cloak on as he dug through the trunk and pulled out the journal.
"Harry, are you okay?" Ron asked as they closed the door.
"No time, explain later!"
He pushed past them and sped down the steps again.
"Open the portrait, yeah?" He called up. "Hurry? Please!"
He saw his friends exchange concerned looks but Ron jumped down 5 steps and sprinted to the portrait.
"We'll come with," Hermione said. Harry looked at her in alarm.
"NO!" He hadn't meant to shout but Malfoy would send the picture off if they showed up with him. No doubt about it. The fragile...Well it wasn't trust, but the mutual blackmail would go in Malfoy's favor. He grabbed Ron's arm.
"Don't let her follow me. I'll be back, I'm okay, and I'll explain later. I have to hurry though!"
Ron nodded and blocked Hermione's way. She stomped her foot.
"Honestly!"
Harry didn't hear anything else as he ran around the corner. His worry of how long he had been gone was strong, but curiosity quickly won out and Harry ducked into an empty classroom to skim through the journal.
To his great surprise, most of it was about him.
'Potter was being infuriating, again. That cow, McGonagall, is giving him special treatment. Snape would have docked Gryffindor points.'
'Snape told me Potter get a T on the last quiz. HA.'
"I hexed Potter after Potions. He's so dim, he didn't realize who did it.'
'Potter grew his hair out. I can't stand it. I think I'll charm it shorter. Potter isn't allowed to look fit. It's not appropriate.'
Harry read that part twice more as a buzzing noise filled his head. In a daze, he shut it and slowly made his way back to the bathroom. It occurred to him that he was surely over the 10 minutes but he couldn't make himself move faster.
Fit?
Malfoy-Draco? Thought he was fit.
Should he call him Draco?
He still called him Potter...
He was biting his lip as he walked into the bathroom. Another spell flew at him. Harry started and looked down. He hadn't bothered to put the Cloak over himself, he had been dragging it. He winced at his stupidity.
"Malfoy, I got the-"
But Malfoy slammed him into the wall and put his wand between Harry's eyes.
"You bastard," he snarled. "You read it, I can see it all over your face."
"I-I didn't-"
Malfoy laughed.
"You're going to lie? You're that much of a coward, all of a sudden?"
The pressure Malfoy had been using to press him against the wall lessened. His face was twisted with some emotion. He wouldn't meet his eyes. It was belatedly, that Harry realized Malfoy was staring at his lips.
"Well, since you know."
He pressed himself against Harry once more and captured his lips in a kiss. Harry froze. His brain didn't seem to be processing anything at all. A sort of white noise was roaring in his ears and his eyes were wide open in surprise. Malfoy's hand was gently cupping his face and then he pulled away, taking a couple steps back.
"I thought you'd hit me," he said dully.
From somewhere far, he could hear Malfoy but it was as though one of them was under water. It was probably him, he thought. He needed to breathe. It was then that he realized he had been holding his breath. He blinked and exhaled, finally focusing on Malfoy.
Harry tossed the Cloak on and left. The journal had fallen out of his hand at some point. He didn't concern himself with where, just made his way back to Gryffindor, still only wearing pants. He moved slowly up the stairs and ignored Ron and Hermione as they badgered him for answers. The only response given was his wand poking out from under the Cloak.
He then yanked his curtains closed and fell face first on the pillow.
Things were going too fast in different directions. He was just understand this new look, understanding how far he wanted to take things, testing his limits, and then he's got Draco Malfoy, in a dress, snogging him. Draco Malfoy writing about how fit he was...
He put his fingers to his lips and pulled them away. Lipstick clung to them. Was it smeared on his face? It was a good thing he hadn't faced Ron and Hermione. What they would see would be difficult to explain and yet he'd have to tell them something, eventually.
He pulled the Map out from under his pillow after casting some charms to give himself some privacy. Malfoy was still in the bathroom. Harry stared at the little black dot labeled Draco, it seemed to be pacing. Malfoy had to be upset, he reasoned. He'd be upset. Anxious. He was anxious as well.
He folded the Map back up and tucked it under the pillow once more. He had to be dreaming. When he woke up, none of this will have happened, he thought firmly. His eyes squeezed tight. His mind kept replaying the scene as he'd drift off, it would come to the surface until finally he succumbed to the memory.