Chapter Five:
Promise What You Will
A/N: Please read, review and enjoy!
Clover-night - hehe, I know doesn't it make you just *squee!* it's so hot/cute at the sametime...hehe
Angelsrm - xD I'm glad you're enjoying it
Darloudasha - I'm trying to update A.S.A.P so you *don't* have to wait for more! ^^
allieb23 - Heh, I'm glad it seems like you're enjoying it !!
thrnbrooke - Happy that you like it xD
cascol3 - Thanks, I tried to make it as 'plausible' as possible haha
RebeccaMarieCullen - I hope you continue liking it, thanks! =)
Lately she don't care for a warmer breeze
Or shade around the base of the maple trees
Spring was on the mountain we climbed upon
Stopped to see how high and how far we'd gone.
I said "love is waiting and better days"
She smiled and placed a kiss on my waiting face
Promise what you will something good for me
Time will take it all and it will you'll see.
Rain had come and gone again. The ground was still wet, puddles of mud lie between the gaps of trees. The bottom of their trousers were soaked and caked with dirt, but they didn't seem to notice as they made their way through the area. Harry regularly walked with his short off now, tucked away with his cloak which he had magically shrunk to put into his pocket.
His back muscles were rippled now, it must have been from all the carrying of wood to prepare a fire each and every night the two stopped. It wasn't just him. Draco was becoming much more toned as well, though he was always generally lean as a figure.
Harry always seemed to lead the two, with Draco babbling on about whatnot behind him with Harry intently listening though barely responding. He was becoming more thoroughly enjoyed to hear Draco's voice, and when the blonde got really excited about a story he would be telling it'd echo through the landscape. Harry especially liked that.
It was obvious by now that they weren't being found, and that didn't irk them one bit. It was also obvious that they were nearing the end of the Nagril forest. With Draco's calculations, it'd only take a week or two longer to reach their next path of travels. They were equally excited to see what was waiting for them in the future.
The whole aspect of returning home was dulled now, to the boys they were on an adventure all to themselves. Rustling through thickets of woods, capturing their food and eating it over their fire. Draco felt barbarious, but in the best of ways. He felt content and connected with the Earth, and the way Harry's smile always reached his eyes now, Draco knew he felt it too.
Ever since they had stripped naked and bathed together in that river, which was more than three weeks ago now, they were always nervous around each other to a certain degree.
"Ever gone to the Muggle movies?" Harry quipped curiously.
"Why would I have done a thing like that?" Draco sneered, not liking having his story about one time Pansy had gotten smashed at a winter gala.
Harry shrugged with a smirk, "Well, neither have I," he responded, Draco raised an eyebrow at this and caught up to the brunette so he fell into stride beside him.
"So what were those Muggle relatives like growing up anyway? Probably spoiled you rotten," Draco grumbled, it was those thoughts he had haboured every since First Year - the jealousy of The-Boy-Who-Lived. In his mind, he always separated that person from Harry, who was entirely different to him now.
"I'd rather not talk about it," Harry said sharply, "At least not yet," he added with a sort of soft sadness.
Draco shrugged and let that be, but he kept his pace beside Harry. He shot a sidelong glance at him and saw the distraught in his emerald eyes, against his soft skin smile, however, it didn't look as harsh. "You don't like your past, do you?" Draco asked gently, Harry looked over at him with a surprised expression.
"Who does?"
"Good point," Draco smiled lightly, "So why did you ask that anyway?"
Harry merely shrugged, Draco watched the muscles clench and relax in the bruentte's back - he found himself flushing. "Lets have a rest, shall we?" Harry offered, gesturing towards one of the larger tree trunks.
The two slouched against it, sliding down onto the ground a foot or two apart, they took in their surroundings. Everywhere they had been in the past few weeks looked the same, but they knew they were at least making progress.
Draco leaned his hand on the ground and promptly into a puddle of mud, he withdrew it with a sour look on his face as he held his soiled hand in front of him and sneered, "Yuck. That is absolutely vile," he cursed, flinging off the wet dirt as Harry chuckled. "What, what are you laughing at Potter?"
"Heh...nothin', s'just you've been sleeping in the dirt on hyde for...how long, now? And you think mud is yucky?" Harry chuckled moreso, covering his mouth to muffle it as Draco turned to him with a harsh glare.
"It is mud, it is disgusting and gross feeling and it ruins the pores," Draco huffed angrily, he took out his wand and directed it as his brown hand, "Scourgify," he hissed and was magically wiped of the dirt.
Harry, however, was too amused by the blonde's disgusted face that he found himself leaning sideways to lunge his own hand into a puddle of mud. Draco watched him curiously and then his eyes went comically wide as Harry grabbed a handful and turned towards him with a mischevious grin, "Don't you dare, Potter, or else I will..."
Draco didn't get to finish his sentence, because Harry had promptly smeared the mud on the side of the blonde's face and pieces of it fell into the platinum hair. Draco growled and turned angrily at Harry (who was giggling at the others infuriated expression).
"What the fuck was that for, Potter?" Draco demanded, readying his wand to Scourgify his face.
"When you're angry you're just so...cute!" Harry giggled, attempting to muffle it with his hands which were both clasped over his wide grin.
Draco furrowed his eyebrows in anger and then he did something unexpected. He grabbed a handful of mud and threw it harshly at Harry's face, making his grin only widen as Draco sprang to his feet. "See? Doesn't feel so nice, does it?" Draco cursed, but he couldn't surpress his playful smirk which found its way onto his face.
"Oh, you're in for it now Malfoy..." Harry began lowly, wiping the mud off his face with the back of his arm.
"Only if you can catch me," Draco smirked, and then with a wink he was off at a run into the thicket of trees.
Harry found his grin turn into a wide smile with flushed cheeks, he grabbed one more fistful of mud and jolted after Draco. He found the blonde breathing heavily from his sprinting between what he thought was thick enough brush to hide him, Harry snuck up from behind and from a meter away threw the mud at his back. Draco turned around in a flurry but there was a smile on his face. A real smile.
Harry's head stopped completely for a second, his breath caught in his throat.
With his bright blonde hair glinting in the sunlight, falling around his mirthful silver eyes, his thin pink lips were pulled into the most beautiful thing Harry had ever laid eyes on. Draco Malfoy smiling, and meaning it.
Draco caught this and found himself exploding with glee, but it was quickly over won by the need to get Harry back. He quickly bent down and in a flash there was a mixture of mud and dried, dead leaves all over Harry's front.
The brunette blinked a few times but as Draco scurried away from him gleefully, he sprang into action and followed. "Oi! Get back here!" he screamed and heard Draco respond with laughter.
This went on for the better part of the hour, that was until Draco tackled Harry and pined him to the ground threatning to smear the handful of mud in his face. Harry was looking up at Draco smiling largely, not exactly minding being in such close contact and beneath the Slytherin who was holding his arms back with his hands roughly on his shoulders.
Draco found something stop inside of him as he peered down at Harry. The boy was smiling goofily, his emerald eyes were simply dazzling in the sunlight.
Without proper thought, Draco found himself leaning down and breathing his hot air on Harry's lips which the brunette licked. Harry suddenly found his arms released and his immedate reaction was to slink them around Draco's waist.
Draco completed their distance and allowed his eyes to flutter shut, he pressed his lips to Harry's and was entirely surprised by the response.
Harry pulled Draco's body fully down ontop of himself, he opened up his lips and began to suckle on Draco's bottom one. Feeling utterly lost in the heat that was electrifying itself through his body, Draco flicked out his tongue and was grateful when Harry opened his mouth wider to allow access. There was no battle for dominance as they kissed, there was only the perfection that moved from their mouths outwards.
Draco was breathing hard now, but he didn't want to stop something that felt so good. He couldn't explain it at that moment and never could, what it felt like to kiss Harry Potter willingly, all he could tell was that his body wanted so much more. Before he could do anything else, as he was still lost in their heated kiss, Harry flipped Draco onto his back and stradled the startled boy.
They were parted, Harry's raven hair was falling down and the ends of it were tickling Draco's forehead as he looked wordlessly up at the beauty above him. "Mmm...much better than mud," Harry licked his lips as he smiled brightly and leaned downward to capture Draco's surprised lips once again.
Draco moaned eagerly up into the touch, he pulled Harry down as he began to wrap one of his hands in that messy hair, his other hand slid down his naked back. He was becoming more thoroughly aroused by the taught muscles he was stroking, and Harry seemed to enjoy it just as much as he hissed into their kiss. He stopped momentarily and pressed his forehead to Draco's, leaning on his elbow he allowed his free hand to slide up Draco's blouse and they both gasped at the sensation of it all.
Draco closed his eyes and threw his head back fully into the ground now, Harry bucked his hips into Draco's pelvis as his hand made its way up to the blonde's right nipple. Harry pinched it lightly, he fingered it around as Draco moaned and thrust himself upwards needily. Harry's mouth was suddenly occupying itself with Draco's neck, he was sucking just below his earlobe and nibbling.
They were both amess with new sensations they had never felt before, the incredible need to be closer and feel more of their skin pressed together. Draco was openly moaning now, his lips drawn apart as he breathed heavily and jerked erotically up into Harry who didn't protest, but actually grinded back down in response.
And then Harry quickly pulled back with an uneasy expression, he wasn't looking down at Draco who was staring up at him hungrily. Harry's head jerked to the Southeast, he suddenly climbed off of Draco and had his wand out in a matter of seconds. Draco followed his lead and quickly righted himself.
"It sounds like...I'm not too sure, but something big," Harry whispered in exlpanation, he began to slowly walk forward, his eyes scanning the flat landscape.
Draco peered around and then his eyes narrowed in on something in the distance. "Look! There!" he hissed, pointing not far from that at...
"What the bloody hell is that thing?!" Harry squeaked nervously.
Draco's eyes were as wide as saucers as the image of the beast in the distance came fully to him now, "If it sees us, we are so dead," Draco shook his head in disbelief.
"Why, what is that thing?" Harry demanded, but his voice had apparantly carried itself to the creature several yards away and its head jerked in their direction and its eyes landed fully on them.
Draco went stilled with fear, "That's...a Chimaera. It's very dangerous and...it's only been killed once before, and the Wizard didn't live to tell the tale," Draco exlpained as best he could.
"What?! What the fuck...holy shit it's coming towards us!" Harry screamed, "Run!" he jolted around in the opposite direction but Draco stayed rooted to the spot, Harry turned to him in frustration. "Malfoy, run for cripes sake!"
"No way, Potter. It will most definitely catch us, we have to stand up for it or we will just end up making it angrier," Draco swallowed heavily. He knew there was no easy way out of this situation, but he also knew that running when they had been spotted was an even worse idea than standing up to the creature.
Harry stood stiffly beside Draco now, who had also retrieved his wand. The creature's lion head was completely concentrated on the two. Its goats body bounded towards them with its spiked red dragons tail. It was the strangest mesh of creatures Harry had ever laid eyes on. It's entire body was a golden colour, and if it weren't looking viciously at its prospective meal, Harry would have found it extremely beautiful. Its mane and fur looked silken and soft, but then there was its spiked red tail which made it look menacing.
Swallowing heavily, the creature bounded its large hooves towards the boys who were absolutely stricken with fear. 'Pfft...what a moment killer,' Draco thought to himself, but it was quickly pushed away as the thing roared in offensive nature.
It was standing only three meters from the boys now, its tail wagging as if it were happy and playing a game of cat and mouse. Its back hooves were grinding into the dirt, readying itself for a charge. Harry knew, just like Voldemort, that whatever this Chimaera thing was it was getting ready to attack. And he understood, just like the Dark Lord, that if he was quick on the up take that there was a possibility of getting out of there alive.
With his mind reeling, Harry raised his wand at the thing which was huffing angrily at them. Apparantly they had invaded its territory and it was quite ready to defend it. "Make a Patronus!" he ordered Draco who was numb with fear and confusion, "Expecto Patronum!" Harry screamed and it echoed in the forest. The Chimaera was completely distracted by the white light that erupted from Harry's wand and morphed into that of an enormous stag, and Prongs charged after the dumbstruck monster. Draco sent out his Patronus, a large fox, and it charged in right after and there was an explosion of white light that blinded the creature momentarily with utter confusion.
"Extraho Rabies!" with Harry's yell, Prongs and Draco's Patronus suddenly seemed to morph. The white light became condensed to only the figure of the fox and the stag, and they seemed to become more solid like. The Chimaera was watching in utter fascination, but it was still growling in defense but it was distracted from the less menacing boys to the very menacing magical entities. The Patronus' grew hot red light around them, Draco was watching just as confused as the beast, and then there was a roar.
Draco couldn't tell where the roar had come from. Harry, The Chimaera, the stag, the fox, deeper in the forest, all he could tell was that it vibrated through the trees and the ground and afterwards the Patronus' seemed to utterly implode with energy that radiated off of them in pulsations and all of that red and white light bursted with a flash at the howling Chimaera.
Looking flushed and worried, Draco turned his panic-stricken face to view a very calm Harry who stood with his wand still outstretched as he watched their Patronus' push light into the Chimaera who attempted to lash out with his hooves and his tail whipping at them. It was roaring now in frustration, for everytime it attacked it was blinded by light and knocked off its feet and would have to get up again.
Harry very calmly swished his wand, "Vitualamen," and with that the red-white Patronus' fully charged at the Chimaera now and the entire surrounding area was engulfed in this light. Draco's vision went momentarily, and when he blinked his eyes open again the Patronus' were gone and the Chimaera was breathing heavily on the forest floor, seemingly suffering from internal fatal injuries.
"Avada Kedavra," Harry whispered, and a jet of green light extracted what little life the Chimaera had left in it. Harry sighed with relief and ignored the completely dumbstruck look Draco was sending him.
"So what exactly is this thing again? It's real bloody weird," Harry mused, tucking his wand back into his pocket and making his way over to the lifeless creature. It wasn't much larger than a full-grown lion.
"It-it's a Chimaera. They are supposed to be impossible to kill. What eactly happened right there, Potter?" Draco stuttered, slowly approaching from behind Harry with his eyes locked on the mystical creature.
"I reckon you can call me Harry, now," he grinned, "And it's just a spell Remus taught me that gives a persons Patronus its full potential. It's called 'The Dragon's Fury', tacky, I know. But the Chimaera seemed to be easily distracted by magic, so I thought not only would our Patronus' become intensified but the added energy would definietly through the thing off its guard," Harry was smirking down as he reached out and stroked the belly of the beast, and then his eyes trailed along to its spiked tail. 'Wow...it's magnificant if you really take a good look at it,' he said to himself.
"Well, Harry, that is highly impressive to say the least. And quick thinking on your part," Draco said sincerely, his hand pressed into Harry's lower back and the brunette found himself automatically leaning against the touch with comfort which caused a smile to twitch on Draco's face. "What was that last spell you did?"
"Oh, I made the Patronus' sacrifice themselves to thrust all of their magic at it. Really knocks the wind outta things," Harry smirked.
"I see why you are supposed to defeat the Dark Lord...you may not be the smartest, but you certainly are the quickest thinker in ridiculous situations," Draco complimented, a faint blush crept up Harry's face which the blonde caught a sideways look at and decided he very much enjoyed it.
"Er, thanks...Draco," Harry breathed and then felt the hand on his back crawl up to his shoulder and then down across the front of his chest. Harry sighed as Draco pulled his back into his front, Harry leaned lightly on the boy behind him whose head rested lightly on his shoulder, their cheeks almost touching.
Draco was surprised that Harry hadn't pushed him away when he embraced him so intimately, but he was also eternally grateful. "So what are we going to do about this thing now? Just leave it?"
"Well...do you think it's safe to eat?"
"Uh, I don't think we should do that just in case. Magical creature meat is much different from regular animals," Draco explalined as Harry nodded, his hand was now resting upon Draco's nervously not doing anything besides resting there.
"Rigth, well...bury it then?"
"That would take way too long and I am too exhausted for that. Can't we just burn it?"
"Alright, whatever you want Draco," Harry sighed resignedly, "But do it quickly because I think we should at least get a little more walking in today, we've been kinda slacking..." he blushed as he thought back to their heated kisses, he didn't know he could act so boldly upon whim.
"Mmm..." Draco flashed back to the memory of it too and closed his eyes blissfully, "It's your fault that you are so damn irresistable," he smirked as he felt Harry completely stiffen with embarassment in his arms. Chuckling lightly, Draco stood up and pulled out his wand again to point it at the Chimaera. Harry sat dumbly still for a moment before pulling himself off of the ground and stepping back. "Incendio" the creatures lifeless body burst into flames and Harry backed up to stand beside Draco to watch it burn.
When it was finally reduced to a pile of soot and ash, Draco lifted the spell and saw that Harry was frowning. "Such a beautiful creature, these Chimaera's. It feels like a waste to have killed it," he sighed with his hands in his pockets.
"Just keep in mind that it was a bloodthirsty beast that wanted to viciously eat us for dinner. Just keep that in mind," Draco winked and nudged him lightly, "Lets get walking, shall we?" and with Harry's curt nod, they started off in the South direction again leaving behind them a pile of black ashes.
They walked on silently for about fifteen minutes before Harry's eyes caught something strange looking. "Draco? What's that?" he asked, his head cocked skywards at into the branches of a wide tree not far ahead of them.
Draco followed Harry's gaze and his eyes widened at what he was looking at. It was what resembled a nest, but it was quite a large birds nest. "It almost looks like a Fwooper nest," Draco commented, but "Accio res," he had pointed his wand at the nest and was surprised when a large golden egg descended swiftly from the nest and came floating in front of them.
Harry automatically reached out his hands and caressed the hovering egg before taking it fully into his hands, it was heavier than he had expected. "What kind of creature d'you suppose it is?"
"Well Harry, I think I know now why that Chimaera was so keen on protecting its territory. That's a Grade A Non-Tradeable Good, a Chimaera egg. Really one of a kind, and extremely rare," he explained with wide silver eyes, his hand reached out to stroke the smooth surface of the egg and his fingers landed on Harry's hand, he let them stay there momentarily before dropping his arms to his sides though the blush on Harry's cheeks didn't go unnoticed.
"So-we killed its Mother?"
"It was either her or us, Harry, your choice," Draco shrugged.
"I know that I'm not sad it's just...what about this baby now?" Harry's face was scrunched up in thought and his shoulders were slumped, Draco watched him with curiousity as his fingers were rubbing the egg. "I think we should keep it," he firmly said, looking up at Draco hoping the blonde wouldn't protest.
"Fine by me, but I am certainly not carrying it," Draco shrugged nonchalantly. It's not like it was about to be born, then there would be streaks of white on the egg. They had a few more weeks until that, so they could find a suitable area for it to birth by then.
Harry smiled at the acceptance and began to walk out again, the egg held firmly in his hands. Draco kept his pace beside the brunette this time and neither talked the rest of the day or night, but they couldn't help but smile and blush whenever they accidentally grazed by one another.
'Oh, this is turning out to be quite the adventure...'
I said "love is waiting and better days"
She smiled and placed a kiss on my waiting face
Promise what you will something good for me
Time will take it all and it will you'll see.