Harry rolled the pearl in his palm. He had never seen anything quite like it. As a secondary prize for reaching the Final Four, each of the teammates had been allowed to select a single pearl acquired from the diving challenge. Harry had taken one the jeweller had referred to as "peacock". The colour was quite remarkably green and it was almost perfectly round. He frowned and made a note to purchase necklaces for Hermione, Ginny, and Luna before they left Bora Bora. They had been allowed to shop with their own funds, as long as none of the items were sent away or used during the Race.
Malfoy had purchased several works of art from the Hermitage, which would be sent to him once he returned home. And they both planned to order massage oil from Finland.
Harry sighed and placed the pearl back into the velvet lined box. It was almost time for dinner, which was supposed to be some special outdoor event. He needed to get ready.
After a quick shower, Harry dragged a comb through his hair and changed into a pair of white shorts he had purchased at a kiosk near the main hotel building. He and Malfoy had both bought new outfits, using funds from their Incredible Race bank. Harry worried they wouldn't have enough Galleons left to reach their final destination, but Malfoy rationalized that they could always sell their pearls. Harry balked at the idea, but gave in when he thought of wearing the same clothing one more time, even cleaned and Transfigured.
He added an aqua coloured shirt and then fluffed his hair with his fingers, hoping to dry it a bit, but knowing he had probably only succeeded in making it look as though he had slept on it. He considered casting a Drying Charm - their wands had been returned after the challenge - but those tended to make his hair too dry and poof up in a Hermione-esque fashion. He would just have to live with it damp.
A magical chime sounded, hastening him toward the door. He hurried out, foregoing shoes because they would only fill with sand, and most people seemed to go without them. A directional will-o-wisp bobbed in front of him, leading him up the beach until he reached a group of palm trees that jutted out over the water.
Near the trees sat a small table, topped with a white cloth, two gleaming white place settings, and a tropical floral display. Malfoy stood next to the table, looking somewhat self-conscious - and incredibly gorgeous. He wore white linen trousers with cuffs that exposed his bare ankles and feet, and a pale silk button-down shirt in some sort of iridescent colour that seemed to change from blue to green like the sea with each ripple from the breeze. The sleeves had been rolled back to mid-forearm. He looked like an advertisement for casual elegance.
Malfoy smiled as Harry approached and he waved a hand to indicate the spread. "Apparently we are being treated to seaside dining. It seems a bit romantic, but this is the tropics and they seem to require such displays."
"Are you opposed to romance, then?" Harry asked with a grin.
Malfoy shrugged. "Not really. It has its uses."
Harry laughed. "Spoken like a true Slytherin."
Malfoy snorted. "As if Gryffindors don't use flowers and chocolates and pretty sonnets to gain access to a girl's knickers."
"Or a boy's," Harry blurted and then flushed.
Malfoy's gaze was piercing and Harry avoided it by walking forward and tugging a chair away from the table. He sat down on the white-cushioned seat and looked at the array of shining silverware, decorated with a seashell motif.
Malfoy sat across from him just as a smiling native approached. She was portly and had a mass of black hair held back with a flower-bedecked band. Somehow she reminded Harry of Mrs Weasley.
"Bon soir, Mssr Malfoy and Mssr Potter. I am Amura and I will be serving you this evening. Would you care to start your meal with a speciality cocktail? We also have beer and wine, both local and imported."
"How about it, Potter? Are you up for something that contains impaled fruit?"
"I'm game if you are," Harry shot back.
Amura listed a selection of drinks and they settled on one that contained banana, mango, strawberry, and a generous amount of rum. Amura padded away, but returned quickly with the drinks.
Malfoy lifted his glass and clinked it against Harry's with a smirk. "To romance."
Harry blushed and covered it by drinking quickly. God, Malfoy couldn't be flirting with him. Could he?
Amura dropped off two dishes, one of which held poisson cru, which Malfoy pronounced to be raw tuna marinated in lime and coconut milk. Harry thought it was delicious. The second dish contained small egg rolls with a variety of dipping sauces. They ate in comfortable silence for a time and Harry found his gaze straying to the lapping waves in order to keep from ogling his dinner partner. When half his drink was gone, he vowed not to touch it again, because getting drunk around Malfoy would be a very bad idea.
"So, Potter, how many boys' knickers have you tried to get into?" Malfoy asked.
Harry had just taken a bite of poisson cru, which Malfoy had to have known, and he nearly choked on it. After a minute or two of coughing, which drew Amura with a worried flutter of hands and concerned questions, Harry glared at him.
"Tosser," he said.
Malfoy laughed. "Not going to answer the question, then?"
"Absolutely not."
"I assume you would if the answer was 'none'."
Harry only cocked a brow at him and bit into an eggroll.
Amura brought out a selection of meat dishes, including swordfish, pork curry, and chicken with papaya. Harry tried to resist stuffing himself, but it was difficult. The food was amazing. He felt pleasantly full by the time small mango cakes were presented, along with a cooked banana dish that had a delightful coconut and vanilla flavour.
"I think I'll move here," Harry commented.
"It is gastronomic bliss," Malfoy said agreeably. "I fear I would do nothing but eat and lounge around on the beach. It's a wonder everyone here isn't rotund."
"Some are," Harry said with a chuckle. "I think swimming keeps the others svelte."
"I need a walk on the beach after that meal. Care to join me?" Malfoy asked.
Harry shrugged and nodded. In truth, his exhaustion had melted away, even though he felt pleasantly lethargic after such a fine meal. They both thanked Amura and started up the beach, away from the bungalows.
Harry wandered closer to the water. It was easier to walk on the wet sand, and the incoming waves washed over his ankles. Malfoy hugged the wet edge to avoid getting his trousers wet.
"It's really beautiful here," Harry said, pausing to admire the rocky peak that jutted into the darkening sky. The sun had set while they ate.
"Easy to see why they call it paradise, but you would get bored of it soon enough with no one to save. You love being an Auror, don't you?"
Harry glanced sidelong at him and shrugged. "I suppose. I do like saving people, although doing that is much rarer than simply tracking down belligerent drunks or foolish spell-casters. Do you remember the bloke that was experimenting with Vanishing Cr me and made his wife's nose disappear?" Harry laughed. "She kept beating him with her handbag until we had to restrain her."
"He was lucky it was only her handbag. If she'd been closer to the kitchen he probably would have been brained with a cooking pan. Did they ever retrieve her nose?"
Harry nodded. "The Healers put her to right. I don't think she let him test any concoctions on her after that."
"I should hope not," Malfoy said. They exchanged reminiscences and amusing Auror stories until turning back simultaneously when another trio of palms blocked their path, not stopping until they reached the dock that led to the bungalows. They stepped onto the wooden pier and walked until they reached the branching path that led to Malfoy's hut.
Harry stopped, feeling suddenly awkward. "Are you very tired?" he blurted.
"Not particularly. Why?"
"There is a hot tub on my deck. I thought you might want a soak."
Malfoy snorted. "My bungalow doesn't have a hot tub. Preferential treatment for the Great Potter?"
Harry started to retort, annoyed, but Malfoy held up a hand.
"Never mind. As long as I can reap the benefit by association, I'm fine with it. Really. I'll be along in a few, yeah?"
Harry tamped down his irritation. He supposed he had been given the choicest room, since it was the farthest from the beach and had the most privacy, as well as the hot tub. Harry nodded and continued on to his bungalow where he quickly stripped out of his clothing and put his now-dry swimwear back on. After a moment of indecision, he tapped the magical menu on the desk to order a bottle of red wine, which appeared almost immediately with two crystal glasses on a silver tray.
The price would be deducted from their already dwindling Galleons, but Harry was feeling just reckless enough not to care. When Malfoy knocked, Harry opened the door and let him inside, trying not to admire Malfoy's bare skin, which was difficult considering how much of it was on display.
Malfoy raised a brow at the wine and Harry shrugged. "Hopefully it's not too common for your taste, but it seemed the thing to do." Harry extracted the cork with his wand and poured the wine while Malfoy wandered through the doors to the deck. Stairs led to a lower level where the hot tub perched. It had a glass bottom, which allowed a view of the sea floor where tropical fish darted amongst the pilings.
Malfoy stepped into the water and sat down, peering through the glass to admire the fish. Low lights lit the deck and kept Harry from tripping down the stairs. He handed Malfoy a glass and then joined him in the water, sitting near enough to touch, but not close enough to warrant comment.
They both sipped the wine and said nothing. Harry leaned back with a groan, soaking in the delicious heat.
"Shouldn't it have bubbles?" Malfoy asked.
Harry opened his eyes and looked around for instructions, which were written on a metal card attached to a post behind Malfoy's head. A single word triggered the spell and the tub fairly exploded into motion. Harry grinned. "Bubbles, your Majesty."
"Stuff it, Potter."
Harry smiled. He took off his glasses and set them next to the tub, even though the Impervious Charm prevented them from fogging up. He and Malfoy remained in the tub, drinking wine, but saying nothing, until Harry started to feel boiled alive.
"I need to cool off," he admitted and left the water to walk to the edge of the deck. He stepped off and plunged into the cooler lagoon. It was a bit of a shock to his overheated skin, but felt refreshing once his body adjusted. He surfaced just in time to receive a face full of water as Malfoy joined him. When Malfoy's head broke through the water next to him a moment later, Harry said, "I don't think the Insect Repelling Charms extend this far."
Malfoy nodded and waved off a hoard of mosquitoes before sinking back beneath the water and swimming to the ladder attached to the deck. Harry followed.
He admired Malfoy's arse as they climbed. "How do Muggles deal with ravenous insects?" Malfoy asked. He grabbed a white towel from the covered chest near the ladder and handed one to Harry.
"I don't know. Some sort of repelling ointment, perhaps?"
"Poor Muggles."
Harry's lips quirked. "Sympathy for Muggles? You are a surprise, Mr Malfoy."
"Sympathy for Muggles was hammered into me during Auror Training, as you well know," Malfoy said, towelling off his hair, which looked far more adorable in a mussed wreck than should have been possible. "I need a comb."
"Inside, on the table."
Malfoy took the stairs after picking up his wineglass and dropping the towel over a nearby railing. Harry retrieved his own glass and followed. "Why did you become an Auror?" he asked, realizing he had never bothered to find out.
"To annoy everyone, at first," Malfoy admitted, disappearing into the dark bungalow. "But later... I was surprised to find I enjoyed it."
Harry entered the room, which was only dimly lit by a row of candles on one wall near the bed. He intended to set his glass on the dressing table, but Malfoy snatched up the comb and turned back so quickly that Harry walked into him. Wine tipped from Harry's glass and splashed on Malfoy's chest.
"Sorry," Harry said and lifted his other hand to wipe at the liquid, catching the droplets before they trickled down to Malfoy's left nipple. Shocked at his own temerity, Harry raised his fingers to his mouth and licked the wine away, locking his eyes with Malfoy's as he did so.
"Fuck," Malfoy said on a breath and then his hand was in Harry's hair, gripping tightly, and their lips crushed together. Malfoy lapped at him, as if trying to remove every trace of wine from Harry's lips, and Harry let him, opening up to allow access to his tongue, which gleefully returned the favour by sliding into Malfoy's mouth.
It was brilliant. Probably crazy, possibly wrong, but altogether amazingly brilliant. Harry's pent-up frustration seemed to unleash itself. His hand cupped the back of Malfoy's neck, tucking into the soft hair at his nape while his other hand stretched out, hoping to place his wineglass on the nearby table. He felt resistance and heard the bump of glass against wood, so he let go, only to hear a crash as the wineglass hit the plank floor and shattered.
Harry barely noticed. Hands free of encumbrances, they began to roam over Malfoy's skin, sliding over his muscular back and feeling the curves and valleys he had been dying to touch for days.
The gentle flicks of Malfoy's tongue inside his mouth ignited heat that threatened to burn him alive. One of Malfoy's hands curved over his arse cheek and pulled him closer, tearing a gasp from Harry and causing him to stare at Malfoy in dazed surprise.
"Do you want to... stop?" Malfoy asked, sounding less than confident and just as astonished as Harry felt.
"God, no. Do you?"
For answer, Malfoy crushed their lips together once more, hand still locked in Harry's hair in a grip that was slightly painful but altogether erotic. It was something of a revelation to Harry that apparently he liked it a bit rough, which Malfoy seemed more than willing to accommodate. The point was driven home when Malfoy squeezed his arse once more and shifted his hips forward to bring Harry's growing hardness into contact with Malfoy's erection. The jolt of sensation was electrifying.
Gasping for breath, Harry tore his lips from Malfoy's, but he wasn't given a moment to think when Malfoy's hot breath and, oh god, his teeth, ghosted over Harry's throat. A gentle nip tugged the skin where Harry's neck became his shoulder and his fingers tightened convulsively on Malfoy's back.
He bites, Harry thought dazedly and then pushed his hands over Malfoy's damp flesh, lower and lower, until they reached the waistband of Malfoy's shorts. Harry prized the fabric away with his thumbs, trying to ignore the gentle bites Malfoy trailed over his neck, or the hardness pressing against his groin. His hands dipped beneath the fabric and gripped Malfoy's arse, digging his fingers in and grinding his hips forward in the same motion.
Malfoy made a guttural sound and shifted his feet.
"Wait!" Harry said.
"Hmmm?" Malfoy's response was lethargic, and his fingers moved over Harry's arse as though seeking a way inside.
"Glass. On the floor."
"Bed," Malfoy said and managed to sound both uncertain and confident in a single word.
Harry took a careful step in that direction and Malfoy did the same. They broke apart, but not completely. Harry kept one hand on Malfoy's waist and the warm touch on his arse remained, even as Malfoy's other hand detached from his hair.
When they reached the bed, however, Malfoy turned and sprawled upon it, looking gorgeous in the dim light from the candles. His hair was beginning to curl as it dried. Harry crawled onto the bed and straddled him. He looked down and smiled with one hand on each side of Malfoy's head. In the next moment, his mind went completely blank when Malfoy's hand cupped his erection. Malfoy's thumb stroked over the crown, sensitive even through the barrier of the shorts.
"These need to come off." Malfoy's fingers hooked into the edge of Harry's waistband and snapped it back.
"Yeah," Harry said and then held his breath as Malfoy gripped the material in both fists and shoved it downward. The clingy, wet fabric was difficult to escape, so he used one hand at a time to help Malfoy, until at last it reached his calves and could be kicked away with a couple of jerks of his feet. "Yours, too," Harry said and pulled at Malfoy's shorts. He obligingly lifted his hips to allow Harry to yank them off.
When Malfoy's clothes joined Harry's on the floor, Harry paused before regaining his position, needing to look his fill at Malfoy, finally completely exposed. His cock was a thing of beauty, long, straight, and surprisingly thick. Harry wanted to touch it, so he reached out tentatively and stroked his fingers lightly along the length. Malfoy's breath hitched. With a surge of lust, Harry wrapped his hand around it and stroked experimentally. Malfoy tipped his head back and arched his back slightly - a good sign. Harry stroked harder and then slipped his hand down to cup and squeeze Malfoy's balls the way he liked to do his own. He tugged them lightly and Malfoy groaned.
"God. How long, Potter?"
Harry wasn't certain what he meant and didn't feel like asking for clarification. Instead, he bent down and pressed his lips to Malfoy's cock. His skin was cool with a leftover chill from the water, and velvety soft. Harry pressed open-mouthed kisses along the vein, feeling a strange mixture of awe and nervousness as he reached the crown and pushed his tongue against the curved ridge.
A hand curled in Harry's hair again and tightened when Harry wrapped his lips around the head in order to flick his tongue against it. The act was not horrifying, as he had expected. It wasn't bad at all, actually, and he suddenly wanted to see how much he could take.
He sucked Malfoy's cock in, pulling it deeper and deeper, until it triggered his gag reflex and he pulled away abruptly with a choking noise, eyes going wide.
Malfoy chuckled. "All right, you've never done that before, have you?"
Harry shook his head and Malfoy dragged him forward by his hair to crush their lips together. Harry kissed him and gasped into his mouth as Malfoy's hand returned to his cock, unencumbered by fabric this time. He stroked several times, very lightly, just a tease, until Harry bucked into his hand, seeking more friction.
Malfoy chuckled wickedly and tightened his grip. "Come here, virgin boy."
"I'm no virgin," Harry growled.
"You might as well be. Don't worry, I like it. I quite like the idea of touching Harry Potter the way no one else ever has."
The words were like a blow. Harry pulled away, but Malfoy held his cock and squeezed, holding him in place. "Is that what this is? Just a game? A conquest?"
Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "No. I didn't mean it that way. I meant..." Malfoy sighed and pulled him into another kiss, gently this time, teasing the tension away from Harry's mouth until he surrendered.
"You'll just have to trust me," Malfoy murmured. "All right?"
"That's not so easy, you know?" Harry replied softly, following it with a moan because Malfoy's hand had been busy the whole time and delicious quivers were travelling through his nerve endings, turning him into a panting wreck.
"Yes, but we have to start somewhere. And we've been a bloody brilliant team so far, don't you think?"
Harry was rapidly approaching the point where he would agree to anything, so long as Malfoy continued doing that. He gasped brokenly as Malfoy's nails dragged over his testicles.
"Yes," Harry murmured in a near-whimper. "God, yes."
"I'm not sure if that was an answer to my question or simply a reaction to this," Malfoy said and repeated the motion. Harry kissed him to shut him up and then reached for Malfoy's cock to apply some of his own torment. Soon the kissing degenerated into rough panting into each other's mouths, followed by quick swipes with wet tongues, and an occasional nip on one lip or another.
Harry's palm dragged over Malfoy's cock and he raised his head to look at the bedside table. "Accio, lotion!" he said, letting go of Malfoy's erection long enough to catch the fancy-looking bottle.
"Very clever, Potter. And wandless. I'm impressed."
"Shush, you," Harry said and flipped the cap with his thumb before shaking some of the silken liquid onto Malfoy's chest before smearing it over his fingers. The rich scent of coconut filled the room. Harry rubbed his hand in it and then returned to stroking Malfoy's cock, which slipped through his fingers easily. He quickened the pace, twisting the shaft and plucking at the crown as he swirled his fingertips over it.
Malfoy made a startled groan and grabbed the lotion to pour some into his hand. "Someone has been wanking."
Harry made a noise of agreement. "Nice to know all those lonely nights haven't gone to waste."
Malfoy's hand wrapped around his cock and although it had been a delicious, slow build, it became a competition. Each of them stroked and rubbed and twisted, determined to bring the other off first. Their knuckles banged together one too many times and finally Malfoy opened his grip and reached around both their cocks. Harry followed suit and it was so much better, sliding their hands in unison, or discord when one felt like being contrary.
Harry's breath panted against Malfoy's neck. God, he was so close. He needed to hold off a bit longer - Malfoy's other hand left Harry's hair and wrapped around his balls before sliding back to tease over Harry's hole.
"Fuck!" Harry muttered and pressed his face into Malfoy's neck to muffle his cry as he came. His vision went dark and he heard nothing but a roaring in his ears as the orgasm exploded through him. Suddenly it made sense why the French called it "little death" - he wasn't sure he could survive.
Malfoy cried out and then his teeth sank into Harry's shoulder, savagely, biting as he quivered beneath Harry, who dimly recognized it as one of the hottest things ever. He collapsed on Malfoy's chest, not minding the accumulated lotion and come smearing between them.
Malfoy tugged his hands free and ran them over Harry's back. Harry's hand had moved to Malfoy's hip and curled there, thumb stroking gently over the hollow of Malfoy's hipbone. His other hand brushed against Malfoy's shoulder, tingling from holding his weight during his exertions.
Harry slowly came down from his euphoric high, feeling languid and catlike, especially with Malfoy caressing his back. Even so, he was getting chilled by the breeze allowed in by the open door. He rolled away from Malfoy and started to get off the bed, but Malfoy caught his wrist and dragged him back. His expression was oddly intense and Harry smiled.
"I'm just closing the door and grabbing our wands." He leaned down and pressed a kiss against Malfoy's lips before pushing away and heading toward the patio.
"Mind the glass," Malfoy warned.
Harry froze. He nodded. "Wands first," he said. "Accio wand!" It snapped into his hand, damp from his sodden shorts, and he used it to retrieve Malfoy's, which he tossed over the bed. Malfoy snatched it out of the air.
Harry used a quick Cleaning Charm to sweep all the glass bits into a pile, and then tried a Reparo to see if the glass could be fixed. It looked whole enough in the darkness, so he set it on the dressing table next to Malfoy's and then spelled the door shut and locked.
Malfoy had already cleaned himself up and was seated on the edge of the bed. Harry walked over and gestured to his abdomen. "I'm crap at skin Cleaning Charms. Do you think you could...?"
Malfoy nodded and cast. A gentle tingle rushed over his skin, eradicating all traces of lotion, semen, and sweat. He made a note to have Malfoy teach him that particular spell.
"I should go," Malfoy said and got to his feet.
"Don't," Harry said.
"What?"
"Don't go." Surprisingly, the words didn't sound foolish, at least to Harry, and he reached out to curl a hand around Malfoy's neck before leaning in for another kiss. He figured kissing Malfoy was something he could do regularly and never get at all bored with.
"Okay," Malfoy said.
Harry smiled and dragged the blankets back to climb into the bed. He scooted over to make room for Malfoy, who joined him, dragging the covers back up around them.
They lay silently for a moment, watching one another, and then Harry shifted closer, dropped an arm over Malfoy, and snuggled against Malfoy's chest with a satisfied sigh.
"You're a cuddler?" Malfoy murmured. "Why is this not a surprise?"
Harry dragged his teeth over Malfoy's skin in a warning almost-bite. "Go to sleep."
Malfoy sighed, wrapped his arms around Harry, and did so.
~TBC~
Author's Note: I told you this chapter would be worth it! And guess what? This fic ain't over by a longshot, so hold onto your keyboards! LOL! :D And thank you for all the keysmashing reviews! You guys make my day. I wish I could reply to them all but I AM WRITING MORE STUFF! *runs off to scribble the next fic*