Eighteen years of vigorous fitness training be damned, Harry was well past the point of out of breath. He hadn't stopped running for nearly two hours, twice the amount of time it should have taken him to get home. He couldn't help himself. Sweat drenched his body, but he didn't have time to care. No way in hell was he taking any shortcuts to get home, not after what he just did. His parents wouldn't believe what he did. As if he'd be telling anybody. No way. Not happening. No one could ever find out. He'd be locked in the castle until the end of time for how careless he had been. Rule #1 was to never, under any circumstances, speak to the enemy, let alone reason with them or trust them, let alone…make a certain type of deal with them.
It took Harry longer than he'd like to admit to move his feet after the Death Eater left the abandoned flat. His mind was too busy racing in a thousand different directions to command his body to move. Rather than properly process any of those thoughts, Harry was stuck feeling everything at the same time.
Anger. Guilt. Panic. Fear. Excitement?
He dared not think too hard about that last one. By the time he was able to will himself to leave, he had decided he wouldn't stop running until he made it home. And that's exactly what he was doing. He chose to take as many redundant apparitions as he could, just to be sure to take even more care than he normally would. The paranoid man couldn't help but feel certain that his enemy immediately returned to his team to have them follow Harry home. Not to mention that running was a great distraction, not that he'd ever mention that he needed one. The numbing pain in his legs took his attention away from the thoughts he wasn't ready to address just yet. For now, he just needed to be home. It was getting late.
After finally being satisfied with his overly complicated path to lose any potential trackers, Hogwarts was in sight. He went straight inside to report to his father, who no doubt would be wondering where he'd been all this time. Fortunately, Harry was met with a surprise that very quickly helped calm down his worries.
Harry found his dad back in the common room conversing with his godfather, Sirius. James and Lily had told their son all about how Sirius had saved their lives. It was a no brainer to appoint Sirius to head the best of the scout teams. Sometimes, the animagus would be gone for days or weeks at a time. Harry hadn't seen him in almost a month, so that excitement of having him home was a welcome distraction.
"Padfoot!" Harry called out and stretched out his arms for a hug.
Sirius looked up from his conversation and his eyes widened. "Pronglet!"
The two held each other tight in a warm embrace. "'Bout time you found yourself back here!" Harry said, only half joking.
"Yeah, I figured you lot missed me enough." The older man said.
James rolled his eyes but couldn't help but laugh at the joke. "It totally wasn't because you ran out of food and came running back home with your tail between your legs." He added.
"Oh, hush now Prongs. Let me have my moment."
Harry felt worlds better at home. He'd have time to worry about other things later. Nothing could have overshadowed Sirius' visit. The animagus was given one of the most important jobs for the resistance, which Harry had only learned about this year. Sirius led the team that located Horcruxes. It was a bit complicated, but from what Harry could understand, Voldemort had managed to splice his own soul into seven pieces. It was a nasty task, and only the most powerful wizards were able to create a single Horcrux, let alone seven different ones. The resistance was incredibly lucky to have received this intel years ago from a double agent that was ultimately loyal to the Hogwarts team. Harry never met the man since the meetings were so covert. Only the more elite resistance members were cleared to go off the grounds to meet with him. Through this agent, they were able to not only learn about the three Horcruxes hidden away in the castle, but also the identity of three more. He never was able to learn exactly how to destroy them, or what the final one was, but the information he gave was more than helpful. Unfortunately, though, the resistance had reason to believe that the man was discovered and killed for his treachery.
They could only hope that he kept his promise to never tell the Dark Lord what he shared. Harry would never admit this aloud, but he could tell that whoever the man was, he was clearly a friend of his mothers. She was noticeably gloomy for a while after they realized what must have happened when the agent had missed a meeting. No one outside of the elite circle knew the man's name, for fear of a Death Eater one day being able to force the information out of someone. For now, the Resistance had Slughorn to fill in the gaps left behind. So far, all but the last Horcrux had been at least located. Even so, most of them couldn't be removed from their location until they were ready for the final fight. The moment Voldemort caught wind of their attempts on his soul pieces, he would surely not hesitate to attack. The resistance needed to make sure that that only happened when they were most ready.
"Harry, how was your trip? It's been a while since you've stayed out that long. Molly would have killed you if you were late for dinner. Not to mention your mother was ready to eat my head." James asked his son.
"Sorry dad. I did find the apothecary, but a couple of thugs were out patrolling that area. I'm not sure it'd be safe or worth it to go back."
"Are you okay? Did they see you? No one followed you right?" James asked, now worried both about his son and his community.
"Well…they did see me. They were faster than they looked. I may or may not have dropped one of them from a second-floor fire escape." Harry answered with a sheepish grin, only mildly ashamed of his actions.
"Well done, my boy!" Sirius cheered and threw an arm around Harry. "See Prongs? He would've made a perfect second-generation Marauder!"
James once again rolled his eyes at his best friend but took a deep breath. "While I'm glad you're safe, you know you really must be more careful. One day, you might anger the wrong Death Eater. They can be incredibly unpredictable and are ultimately very cunning and dangerous. You can never fully trust that you would be able to get out of a dangerous situation."
Harry swallowed a lump from his throat, but not for the reason the adult men thought he was. "I know. I'm sorry. I did find some good stuff though."
The three of them took a moment to go through Harry's satchel full of gathered materials, sorting them depending on which team they would be given to. Harry had decided to keep the potions kit shrunken in his coat. He'd have to decide what to do with it later. After that, Harry got to listen to some more stories from the two men's school days. He loved hearing all about how exciting and beautiful the castle used to be. The stories helped him imagine what his life could have been without the war, going to classes, taking exams, making friends and being a normal kid. It made him sad to think about sometimes, but it was nobody's fault except Voldemort's. Mrs. Weasley's voice eventually interrupted their conversation.
"Come and get it!" She shouted from the Great Hall with more volume than any man three times her size could ever muster up. Those housed at Hogwarts tried their best to come together for dinner, even though most other meals were held separately due to different schedules. This ensured that morale was kept as high as possible, given the circumstances. It was a terrific way to make sure everyone got to spend time with each other and stay connected. Harry was looking forward to telling his friends what he found.
The Hall was brightly lit with hundreds of candles across the long wooden tables. Families and friends were already starting to gather around the plates flying through the air to settle in their places.
Harry loved magic.
After spending plenty of time stuffing his face and telling Hermione all about the Chinese Chomping Cabbage, Harry decided the perfect way to end the day would be a bath. He stunk of sweat and ash from the burnt down village. He gathered the few personal items he owned and snuck out to the old prefect's bathroom. The man in the painting that once guarded the entrance with a password had long ago left his post, the portrait now an empty landscape. However, a few years back, Harry found a way through the wall in a particular spot of brick that hadn't been well kept. He slid past the gap in the wall to find the glamorous bathroom he loved so much. It was a pleasant break from his otherwise not-so-lavish life. But unfortunately, today, he wasn't exactly showering alone. In here, it was quiet enough to hear his own thoughts, finally forcing him to deal with them since he returned home.
He couldn't help but run his hands all over himself searching for any type of tracker that could have been planted on him. After that, he scanned himself with his wand for any trace of curses or trap spells. No luck. He only realized after the fact that he definitely should have done all that before returning home. While it was a good thing that he didn't come across anything, it was only mildly comforting. With that, he could move on to prepare his bath. The water was perfectly warm and soothed his aching legs. Next time, maybe he won't run home so frantically.
Next time. He thought to himself. Would there be a next time?
Maybe there didn't need to be? What exactly could the Death Eater do if he just never showed up again? He already got the potions kit. One could argue that that alone was plenty compensation for what he subjected himself to in that dusty old flat. He could easily break it up into smaller pieces and 'bring home' distinct parts of it each day. That way, no one would bother asking him where he got such a complete and intricate kit. And then, he wouldn't have to deal with all these worries that the one visit had created. More visits would only make things worse.
Yes, that would be best.
Then again, that one kit would only last so long. Eventually, he'd have to go back to his normal scout runs. The alternative would be to trust that the strange horny man would keep his end of the bargain, never try anything fishy, and not show up with a team of his Death Eater buddies to torture him. There was just far too much to risk. Was it really worth it? The kit was nice enough, and that was just the, for lack of a better word, deposit for their transaction. Surely there were even better possibilities as things went further. Harry shuddered at that thought. He was so busy thinking of the safety implications that he ended up almost purposefully ignoring what his own end of the bargain would be. Was he willing to stoop that low?
His mind wandered back to what exactly had happened today, trying his best to push all the talking and stress out of his mind and just focus on the actions. Harry wasn't lying when he told the man about his experience level. When exactly was he supposed to explore sexuality while on the less fortunate side of a lifetime-long war? Sure, he'd had the occasional kiss with a random girl during some stupid drinking game Ron had come up with. It had never gone farther than that. In fact, it was only today that Harry had time to even consider that he would also fancy men. He definitely knew he liked girls, but he forgot that liking both was an option. He hated the fact that the blond must have had a relatively simple and normal life to be able to think about stuff like that. Anger built up inside him thinking about how his people had to live in squalor while the other side sat around acting like life was perfect. He wasn't even entirely sure he believed what the other man had claimed; that he had never in his life killed anyone. Then again, he made a good point, hell, a few good points. If it were so easy for Harry to know so certainly that he himself would never be able to kill anyone, why is it so hard to imagine someone else his age feeling the same? As a matter of fact, where would they both be right now had the war not started? It's very possible they would have attended school together. For all he knew, they could have been friends. But that life was no longer possible. A reality that would never come true. He had to focus on the now.
He knew that he ultimately trusted himself before all else. Even after mulling over everything, something inside him still told him to go through with it. Harry was more than capable of handling himself if anything were to go awry. He also knew he wasn't so much of an idiot to try and convince himself that he didn't enjoy the…activities. On top of that, he was at least getting something else out of the deal as well. The main reason would of course be to acquire resources for the castle, but who's to say there couldn't be more? He certainly would not be able to let his guard down easily, and there would have to be various boundaries he would have to set with the man to assure the arrangement did not lead to any sort of betrayal. But that's not to say he couldn't at least attempt to enjoy himself. Nobody would know. Why was he even trying to make himself feel guilty? Maybe a part of him craved that exploratory side of being a teenager that he never got? Maybe he just wanted a break from the world around him? Was that so bad?
Far from where Harry was having his own personal crisis about the day's events, Draco Malfoy was having a vastly different experience. Leaving his new toy at the old flat was easy enough. The blond knew there was no real danger in returning home by himself. The hard part was having to be at home with his family and their less than pleasant cohorts. Draco could remember how beautiful Malfoy Manor was when he was a child, before it was converted into a sort of unofficial headquarters for the Dark Side. By no means were the Death Eaters short on space, but the Dark Lord himself had said that he simply preferred the grounds of Malfoy Manor. No one was particularly in a place to speak against him, so that's how Draco was forced to live his life.
His favorite part of the property used to be the stunning library, but that was before it was turned into a meeting room that was always full of people. There was no longer any peaceful space within the walls of what once was his peaceful and luxurious home. On top of the annoying presence of far too many people in his home, there was both a spoken and unspoken expectation for Draco's behavior. His mother and father had made that perfectly clear long before the Dark Lord arrived, and it only got worse after that.
Beyond the basic fact that he must always look presentable, he was also never to speak against anyone above him. Although, that didn't apply to many, since the Malfoy senior was The Dark Lord's right hand man. Overall, Draco had one of the highest statuses within the Dark Side, which understandably angered some of the less fortunate. Around every corner was another group of Death Eaters that either despised or feared Draco's presence, depending on who they were. Draco didn't particularly care for what they thought of him. While he would sooner smite anyone than admit it, but he'd prefer this war had never been started in the first place. It was an incredible inconvenience to him.
For most of his life, he was stuck within the grounds of his home, mostly just trying to find anything, or anyone, to entertain him. Finally, after almost seventeen years, he was allowed to leave the property on makeshift scouting missions. His father never saw a need for it since their own numbers were great enough. Draco was certain Lucius had only agreed to let his son go because he was tired of being asked. That day, the older Malfoy had attempted to lecture his son on his less than perfect behavior.
"Draco, Malfoys never beg for anything. They simply take what they want and answer to no one. Do you understand me?" He had said very matter of factly, certain that this would cause his son to leave him alone.
Draco promptly took the opportunity to call his father's bluff with his own reminder. "Well then Father, I will be leaving the grounds." He stood straight and tall, making sure not to falter in his words. His father had only glared in response, clearly disapproving of the answer he got. Before Lucius was able to answer, his mother spoke first.
"Lucius calm yourself for once in your life. The boy is nearly eighteen. He is more than capable of doing as he pleases. It's not like you allow him to do much else." Narcissa offered, clearly annoyed at the repeated exchange. She gave her son a half-hearted smile before shooting him away to return to the book in her lap. Lucius couldn't be bothered to argue after that. That conversation happened a year ago now and was never spoken of again.
Draco knew that his parents cared about him, but not as much as good parents should. To them, especially his father, their status amongst the Death Eaters were far more important than keeping their son happy. He had long become accustomed to being a second thought in their minds, though it just meant that he could live his life as he pleased. Well, for the most part. Even though his life wasn't like the one the freedom fighters had, it surely wasn't normal. By the age of sixteen, he was told who he would be marrying to continue the Malfoy line. "To keep the bloodline clean." His father had said.
Astoria Greengrass was a fine witch. She was smart, kind enough and for the most part pleasant to be around. Draco had no problem with her, and in fact had become good friends with her since the arrangement was announced. Ironically enough, they had bonded over the fact that neither of them wanted to be arranged to marry anyone. If she'd had her choice, she would never marry, finding it unnecessary and trivial for a woman such as herself. As for Draco, the only real thing that made Astoria undesirable was her being a woman. She was the only one that he had trusted with the truth about his sexuality, and she didn't care. Anyone else would have easily turned to his father to rat him out, who would surely banish him to the dungeons for the rest of his life. Maybe one day this wretched war would be over and his father along with that bastard Voldemort could be rotting in the ground. But for now, it remained a secret.
Which is why he had to contain every bit of un-Malfoy-like excitement as he returned home. His face showed no signs of any emotion or evidence of any events happening. Inside, he could have skipped down the halls like a young schoolgirl. His year of being able to go outside had been mostly uneventful, especially when his father forced him to be unaccompanied by any idiot thugs. As annoying as they were, Draco did find them useful for carrying out any of the harmful tasks. The blond took care to never participate in any torture, let alone murder of any resistance members. He hadn't lied to that spicy little brunet he'd just met today, not that he had any reason to.
He couldn't help but happily hum to himself as he thought back to the day's events. It wasn't planned in the slightest. Draco first saw a man around his age climbing the fire escape in effort to get away from the two Death Eaters that he hated the most. He couldn't help but laugh as Greene fell two stories down and landed flat on his back. By that alone, he knew this boy would be interesting, and started to plan. The rest went relatively well. The brunet was for the most part agreeable, but still had that bite that Draco couldn't help but be excited about. The hard-to-get types were the best out there, unlike the disgusting Death Eater women that threw themselves at him regularly. He also greatly respected the other man's intelligence. It didn't take a genius to realize that he must be relatively high up in his own ranks, having the skillset of a well-trained soldier. Thankfully for the resistance, Draco couldn't care less about politics, he was far too excited about his plan working out. His pleasant musings were unfortunately interrupted by his father's voice.
"Draco, where have you been?" The older Malfoy drawled.
"Out, Father. Chasing around some resistance kid that your idiot underlings managed to lose." Draco offered with the same emotionless tone.
Lucius glared but seemed to internally decide not to take the bait. "I see. Well, we're expected at the table promptly."
"Understood." Draco answered plainly, using every ounce of his training to hide his disapproval of having to attend another meeting. The two of them moved to the library and took their usual chairs close to the head of the table.
Draco was never needed or even remotely addressed while the older members discussed the boring details of the day. Which meant that as long as he made himself look focused, he could let his mind wander. The waiting period between seeing the emerald-eyed boy wouldn't be fun, but that gave him plenty of time to imagine everything he planned to do with his new plaything. For the first time in Draco Malfoy's 18 years of life, he finally had something to look forward to.
The next day went by far faster than Harry would have liked. Before he knew it, it was the day he was meant to meet up with his mystery man.
No. Enemy. No? Business partner?
Harry had thought up every possible name and excuse for what he was about to subject himself to. 48 hours turned out to not be enough time to clear his head of all the terrible scenarios Harry imagined happening if he were to go through with showing up at that flat.He had spent the whole of the last two days distracting himself with training, working out, helping Hermione, even attempting to get drunk with Ron, which he usually hated. It was stupid of him to think that any of those activities would have stopped time, or hell, at least convinced him to get over himself. No matter how many times he had ultimately come to the decision that he would in fact man up and go, he would still manage to bring the argument back up, as if his own brain were his greatest opponent in a battle to the death. And he managed to lose every single time.
C'mon Potter, get over yourself. You're not some street whore. You're doing this for your people. That Death Eater scum owes it to you for ruining your life. So what if you also happen to get something out of it?
The brunet audibly groaned at that thought, catching the attention of Luna Lovegood, who at some point had sat down near him. Having fallen too deep into his own musings, he had forgotten there were other people in the Great Hall gathering for breakfast. Harry jumped when the unusual girl spoke to him.
"Everything all right Harry? Seems like the Wrackspurts have gotten to you again. Poor thing, that head of yours." Luna said with a soft, very matter of fact tone.
"Good morning to you too, Luna. I've just got a lot on my mind right now, you know, the war and whatnot."
Luna nodded her understanding. "Make sure you drink your pumpkin juice. Wrackspurts hate the stuff. And whatever it is that's troubling you, it seems to me that it is really important, which means it can't be all that worth worrying about. I can tell you that it is going to turn out."
Harry couldn't help but lower his eyebrows at the girl's very backwards logic. But for just a moment, he could see in her eyes that she was clearly serious and fully confident in her answer. Harry's expression softened and he took a deep breath. "You know what, thank you Luna."
"Anytime, Harry. We are friends after all, are we not?"
"Of course. I'll see you around?"
Luna nodded happily and went back to her meal as Harry stood to leave.
His father should be dishing out responsibilities for the day any minute now. He made his way through the halls and back to their usual meeting location and listened to his parents discuss the goals for the day. Luna's words were still fresh in his mind as he waited his turn. It did more than he was sure she realized, or maybe she knew exactly what she was doing? No one was ever sure exactly what was ever going on in that girl's head. Most were unsettled by her, but Harry found her comforting. He believed what she said. His conclusion about this 'appointment' was that if it did not go as planned, he had every bit of confidence that he could quickly end it.
James went around finishing his assignments, almost hesitant to let Harry resource scout again after what happened the other day. However, it was hard to not be biased to his son. He knew Harry was most productive and most happy when he was given his independence. "And Harry, I've got a map for you. I would hope you're capable of getting home earlier than last time?" he asked with a raised brow.
"Aye aye, captain." Harry said, hoping to ease the tension both in himself and his father.
With that, everyone was dismissed. Teams began to pair up and leave the room together. Harry followed closely behind, not entirely sure he was ready for his day out to start, but not prepared to put it off any longer.
It didn't take long for Harry to arrive back in the old alleyway where he had last run for his life. Thankfully, it wasn't raining today, which made it significantly easier to keep his steps light as he carefully traversed up the stairs to the flat that he hadn't been able to forget about. The halls were mostly dark, save for the door at the farthest end of the hall. There, a soft light stood out. Next to the door, was the very reason Harry had struggled to think straight for the past two days. He gathered all of his remaining mental strength, took a deep breath, and cautiously started towards the Death Eater with his fingers wrapped tightly around his wand. As Harry got closer, he could make out more details on the man. He still wore those ghastly black robes, but the hood was down, showing off his platinum blond hair. He was leaning back on the wall next to the door, hands in his pockets and eyes shut in a state of peace that was almost infuriating to Harry.
"You're late." The lithe man managed to say before Harry could speak.
Harry scoffed. "You never gave me a time, Princess."
Draco laughed at that but didn't move from his lounging position. "Well, well well. I'm glad you decided to bring your wit with you Darling."
"Well, I just want to know what you brought for me. That was part of the deal, of course."
Draco finally stood up straight and turned to face Harry, silently sizing up the shorter man. "Why such a rush? Do you have a curfew or something? Need to get back to Mummy?"
Harry's hands curled tightly into fists. "You know what you bastard, deal's off. I should've known you'd be too much of a pompous git to keep up your end." Harry turned to start walking back, but Draco was just fast enough to loop a finger through one of Harry's belt loops and yank backwards. This brought Harry almost entirely off his feet, forcing him to fall back onto the other man. Draco, of course, was hoping for this and was ready to catch him.
"Falling for me already? Calm yourself, Emerald. I'm only teasing. You'd do well to learn to get used to it. I was simply hoping to show you something first." Draco said with a smooth tone, contrasting to the way he spoke to Harry during their first meeting.
Harry could only blink in surprise at his current position. Once he came to, he quickly stood up to brush himself off. "Well then, get on with it". he said flippantly, trying to distract himself from his shaken state.
Draco smiled, content with the reaction he received. Without saying anything else, he reached over to the door that had been closed since Harry arrived. The door opened and warm light poured into the dark hallway. Harry was fully expecting to see the decrepit abandoned room he had seen the other day, but that room was no more. Inside was a room that looked like it never got the memo that there was a war going on outside. The lights were fully functional and inviting, and the walls were no longer filled with holes. The flooring looked as if it had just been finished and was accented with ornate rugs. Candles and décor scattered around the room perfectly matched the lush furniture. A fireplace sat on one wall and was surrounded by a chaise lounge and couch, decorated with throw pillows and blankets. Harry's stomach sank when he saw the main focus of the room. Centered on the wall opposite the fire, was an aggressively dramatic four poster bed, complete with heavy looking elegant curtains with tiebacks.
Draco's words brought Harry out of his amazed stupor. "Like what you see?" Harry struggled to find words to match how he felt. He wasn't sure if this made the fact that he was essentially whoring himself out to his enemy better or worse. On one hand, nobody in their right mind would prefer a dank old building to…do the deed in. On the other hand, this changed Harry's entire idea of what this was going to be. The bed and the furniture and everything else made it a little too real. "I-I just-I. Why?" Was all he could muster up to say.
Draco pondered the words for a moment before answering. "Well, did you think anything would be happening on a rotting wooden floor? Far too many splinters for my liking. Besides, I don't know how you run things in the Resistance, but we are in fact wizards. We can do anything we like in this world. So, I decided to make it how I liked." The man said this as if their whole situation was as normal to him as waking up in the morning. That put a whole new thought into Harry's head.
"You've done this before haven't you. How many other people do you have trapped in some kind of sick transaction?"
"You wound me, dear. You are the first, and the one and only. It does concern me that you see my quite simple attempt at trying to make the space welcoming as a sign of promiscuity. Effort does not equal deception, you know?" Harry listened very carefully as Draco spoke. "Besides, as I told you at our first meeting, this is strictly a two sided 'transaction' as you so brazenly put it. I tried making it perfectly clear that I will only participate with willing partners. If at any point, you decide that you do not want anything to continue, you simply tell me exactly that, and we both walk away from this. No questions asked." Draco paused, waiting to see if that at all eased Harry's anxious mind.
While it didn't solve everything, hearing that again aloud was admittedly comforting. "And how do I know you won't immediately turn tail and alert whatever thugs you have following you around?"
"Respectfully, I could ask the same of you. You forget that there are two parties here taking the risk of making a deal with the enemy."
All those hours thinking things over, and this man was so quickly mentioning points that Harry would never have thought about. He was so busy thinking about his own side that he never took a moment to consider anything else. Without anything to say, Harry chose to walk around the room in an attempt to put some distance between them.
"Would it be at all comforting to know that the doorway is illusion locked?"
Harry turned with a surprised look on his face. "Why do you care about my comfort?"
"Good gods, Emerald. You're so tense. Is it really so hard for you to think for one second that I'm not planning to kill you? Do you think I would've gone this far to just do that?" Harry didn't bother answering such a stupid question.
"Well then, if you're so committed to the deal, I'll ask you again to show me what you brought."
Draco smiled and shrugged off his robes and let go of them in the air. The robes floated over to a hook on the wall. For the first time, Harry could get a proper look at his opponent. Partner? Ugh, names again. The Death Eater may have been taller than him, but much lither. He had clearly never had to work out in his life but made up for it with a well-cut waistline. A white button-down shirt clung to skin perfectly, probably due to the fact his clothes were most likely custom tailored. Dark pants with perfectly planned pleats hugged his long legs and perfectly kissed the top of his shoes. A black leather wand holster was tightly buckled around his waist and draped over his right hip.
Harry swallowed the saliva in his mouth that was unconsciously pooling on his tongue. Well, I guess that fully clears up that question. Nothing wrong with liking women AND men, right?
"I should tell you it's rude to stare, but I suppose that given the circumstances, I'll allow it." The blond drawled, clearly nowhere near genuinely bothered by the attention.
Harry nervously averted his gaze before he knew what he was doing. His eyes only came back when the other man started to gently roll up his sleeves, folding the creases carefully. Harry couldn't tell if he was taking his time in an effort not to wrinkle the fabric, or if he was dragging it out knowing he had an audience.
"I have a couple options for you. I don't quite have a handle on what you'd prefer, nor do I have any idea of what kind of priorities you people have. I imagine you don't want to tell me, do you?" Harry answered the question with silence. "That's what I thought."
The blond moved over to a satchel resting on a table by the fireplace and opened it up. "Pick your favorite, darling." He offered two boxes to Harry, both the size of a book that Hermione would drool over. "One of them is full of food, the other is more ingredients that go along with the kit from before."
Harry eyed the boxes cautiously, pondering. "What is it with you and the pet names? Is it really necessary?"
Draco laughed. While Harry had to mentally admit that the taller man had an attractive laugh, he had the privilege of keeping the information to himself. "Well, you didn't seem too excited to give me your name. I could change up what I call you, but I promise the new names won't be nearly as tame." He answered with a kind of smirk that made Harry's insides turn. He didn't even want to try to imagine what kind of sick thoughts were going through this guy's head.
"Ugh never mind, you perv. Just give me the ingredients. Don't really have a need for food." Harry said before he could think. It was true. For the most part, Molly had a good handle on feeding everyone, but was that sensitive information? Most likely not, but you never know. Harry made a mental note to reevaluate how to keep his mouth shut around this guy.
"Noted." Draco said with a smile.
Harry took the box from him and inspected the contents carefully. He determined nothing was cursed and shrunk it down to fit in his coat. He took a deep breath, not fully knowing what was going to happen next, but worried regardless.
"So tense. You should really relax, you know?"
"Yeah, yeah let's just get on with it. I suppose you get to do as you please." Harry crossed his arms defensively, not sure how this was going to work.
"Watch yourself, Emerald. How many times do I have to tell you that I don't fancy one sided endeavors?" The other man said coldly. With the box Harry didn't choose back in its satchel, his hands were now shoved deep into his pants pockets.
"I thought that was just your way of trying not to be called a rapist. What part of any of this would make me think it would be anything other than you having your way with some random you found on accident just because you were bored?"
"Firstly, you can't possibly think that little of yourself. You have much more going for you than your everyday vagrant." He started with a smirk, eyeing Harry suggestively, putting another layer of meaning to his words. "Secondly, I must say I adore the thought of you already fantasizing about me, but don't worry darling. We have all the time you like to build up to your fantasies."
Harry nearly choked on the brazen statement. This had more or less thrown a wrench into his plan of trying to dissociate through the entire process. "What is that supposed to mean?" He barely mustered.
"Calm yourself. I simply mean that, assuming you have no interest in ending our appointments, I would like them to continue for as long as possible. In other words, I intend to take my time with you." The blond crossed the room gradually, continuing his explanation. "I'm not sure what exactly you were expecting, and I know this isn't exactly the finest of establishments, but I have no intention of this being some kind of…" He paused for a moment looking for the words. Before he spoke again, he had ended settling back into the chaise by the fire. "Back-alley transaction. Does that clear everything up?"
For the first time during all this, Harry was the one laughing. "Maybe Luna was right, and they've gotten to my head, but yes. I must admit it helps. So, what does that mean as of right now?"
"I'm not sure who this Luna person is, but I'm glad they helped you come to your senses. As for us darling, it means that I am only looking for one thing from you today." Draco had fully relaxed in his sitting position, gracefully crossing one leg over the other and stretching an arm across the back of the seat. Without a word, he gestured to the empty spot next to him with his eyes, his implication clear.
Harry involuntarily swallowed thickly. This was it. This is what he would be doing to help provide for his side of this war. At this point, turning back would be ridiculous. He forced his feet to obey him and cross the room. The chaise was plush and luxurious. His hands sat neatly in his lap with his back straight, feigning as much confidence as he could. The ruse was apparently amusing to the other man who scoffed at him. Harry glared and spoke again.
"So, what now, hm?"
"You and I are going to talk."
It took every bit of control Harry had to stop his mouth from falling open. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Conversation. Discussion. Communication. Whatever works for you."
"B-but. What about everything else?"
"Patience, now. Don't get me wrong, I'm thoroughly enjoying seeing you wound so tight, but trust me, we'll have plenty of time for that later." Harry felt his face flush as Draco spoke. "For now, I'd like to know more about you. Today, I promise you that nothing too exciting will happen. I would much prefer we save that for after we know each other better."
Harry blinked, unsure how to respond to this new development. Draco sensed the confusion and decided to continue explaining.
"Would you like me to start? Would that help?" With a nod from Harry, he continued. "We've established that we're not up to sharing names, so I have no problem with you calling me Dragon. As for some boring details, my favorite activity is reading, and I have a natural affinity for potion brewing. I'm an only child and on track to be the family disappointment considering I can't be bothered to even imagine myself ever being with a woman. Now it's your turn. That's usually how conversations work."
Harry took a deep breath and tried to release the tension in his spine. "Well, I guess I can get over the Emerald thing. I don't get much out of reading, and potions and I don't really get along. I do like wizard's chess and my friends say I'm really good at dueling. Just keep that in mind." he said quickly, finally looking up to meet the blond's gaze. They were fully focused and hung on every word Harry said. A soft smile sat beneath the slate gray eyes. "Anyway, I'm also an only child, but something tells me we have different opinions about our parents."
"You'd be correct, but don't linger on that too much. Go on."
"Okay. Well, my favorite thing in the world is flying. Nothing beats that."
"Oh, really?" Draco asked, amused by Harry's sudden show of excitement.
"Yeah. We have some brooms, but not a lot of time to mess around." Harry added cautiously. He was taking extra care not to spill any important information.
"Can I ask if you play quidditch?"
Harry chuckled at that, finding himself pulling one leg up into his chest to rest his arms on. Was he actually having a normal conversation with a Death Eater? Why was it getting easier? Why wasn't he feeling guilty? "Yeah, we do when we can. The problem is, I haven't found anybody who can out fly me."
"Ah, cocky, are we?"
The brunet jumped out of his cozy spot to turn towards the man. "No, really! I play seeker and in all my years of playing, nobody has ever been able to outmaneuver me. Between you and me, it can get boring sometimes." It wasn't a lie. James and Sirius started teaching him everything they knew as soon as he could balance on a broom. It wasn't long before he started surpassing that.
"Interesting. I already get the privilege of holding onto a secret?"
That damn smirk was on his face again, and this time it didn't annoy Harry as much.
"Don't ruin it." he snapped with no real bite to it.
The two of them continued to talk for longer than either of them planned to. Over time, the incredibly odd scenario of a Resistance member and a Death Eater talking slowly became two young men enjoying each other's company. For a while, Harry forgot about who he was talking to and what exactly he had gotten himself into. This man that was supposed to be his enemy turned out to be much more interesting than he thought. He was funny, charming, and paid great attention to detail.
"So, what I've learned here is that you've got a lot more to offer than just your looks, Emerald."
Harry shifted in his seat nervously. At this point, he had been able to relax a bit and there wasn't as much space between them as before. "Well, maybe I misjudged you just a tad. You're not as one-dimensional as I thought."
"Why, thank you, darling." Draco gently brought his hand up towards the side of Harry's face. The brunet tensed but didn't shy away from the touch. Long fingers took hold of a lock of dark hair and thumbed it playfully. "As much as I enjoy this, there are a few things we need to discuss before I let you go today." he said very matter of factly.
Green eyes widened in confusion. "What kind of things?"
"Calm yourself, nothing you need to worry yourself over. I'm only looking to cover the terms and conditions of our agreement, specifically the dirty details." He smiled at the reaction this elicited from his conversation partner. "We are going to very clearly lay out any and all personal boundaries before anything comes up."
Harry looked confused. "I mean, don't smite me? That just about sums it up for me."
Draco chuckled and released Harry's hair. "No, no. I mean sexually, of course. What's your hard line?"
This only made the question stranger. "Excuse me?" Harry managed.
The blond shifted to sit up and better look at the other man. "Listen very closely. I plan on our interactions being pleasurable for the both of us, not just me. I will not, under any circumstances, do anything to you that you explicitly tell me not to do. I'll give you an example, there are some people that enjoy spitting, or being spit on. To me, nothing sounds more disgusting. So, I am telling you very clearly that if you even think of doing such a thing to me, I will make sure you pay for it. Understood?"
"Loud and clear." Harry snapped back, not really worrying about being able to handle the empty threat.
"Good boy. Now, does anything come to mind? Bondage? Blindfolds? Toys?"
Harry was once again taken aback by this man's behavior. Not only was he being uncharacteristically respectful for a man of the Dark Side, but he was giving Harry a chance to have some control. The only problem was, he had absolutely no idea what to tell him. It was bad enough knowing that he had never been able to have sex. Now there's all this other stuff he was supposed to know about? When the hell was he supposed to learn about it between lessons, scouting and training?
"Uhm, I guess there isn't really anything?" he offered.
"Oh darling, I'm sure there's something. I suppose I forgot you weren't exactly familiar with this. I will tell you; it will be much better for you the sooner you figure it out. That does make something clear to me; you'll need a safe word."
At this point, Harry felt utterly stupid. "Huh?"
"How eloquent." Draco took a hand and fully carded it through Harry's hair. "It's a word that you'll be able to use in any event of you deciding you were uncomfortable. If, for whatever reason, you choose to use the word, I stop. No conditions, no questions asked, no matter what we're doing. I'll even allow you to make the choice of what word to use. It needs to be a word that would not commonly come up in conversation."
Harry had to take a minute to think. He couldn't bring himself to think about what sort of 'activities' they would be doing that would cause him to essentially tap out. It also wasn't easy thinking straight while the Death Eater was running a hand through his hair. So, instead, he focused on coming up with a word. "Wrackspurts."
This time, it was Draco left confused. "Pardon?"
"It's something a friend of mine says a lot. You're the one that asked me for something uncommon."
"You're correct. I suppose that will work. And you understand that you're free to use that word at any point if you're looking to stop?"
"I think you're taking this a little too seriously. Or maybe you're just trying to scare me just because you found out I wasn't some kind of sex addict. Either way, it's not helping your case."
"Just answer the question. It's very important to me that we both understand the ins and outs of our interactions and that you understand the concept. Trust me, you'll be thanking me later. It is ultimately for your comfort."
Harry blinked at the sudden brazen tone in those words. "Oh, okay. I get it."
"Good boy. I think it would benefit you to consider anything that you believe would fall into the category of off-limits while between our meetings. Consider it your homework."
Harry shifted nervously in his seat, unintentionally moving back towards the edge of the seat away from the blond. "I'm sorry." he said before he realized what he was saying. "This isn't exactly easy for me."
"Oh, trust me." he said huskily. "I fully understand. It certainly is an enticing feature for me. One of my favorite pastimes with a partner is putting in the work to help discover what makes them melt." His voice was thick and sultry.
A mix of feelings reeled in Harry's head with the admission. Could he actually handle this? This was becoming a little more than he had initially bargained for. His imagination led him to believe it would be a few quick ruts with a stranger that he could write off as a sacrifice for the Resistance. What it turned out to be was something far more real. This was a long-term exchange that he would have to fully commit to.
"Don't stress yourself, darling. How about this? What would you say to a little taste? Something slow to help you lean into this. If I remember correctly, there weren't any complaints last time." His well-manicured brows were raised, clearly musing over his performance from just a couple days ago.
"I-uhm." Harry stuttered clumsily, trying his best to ignore the way his hands were suddenly sweating. The literal war going on was suddenly much preferable to what Harry was dealing with here. Without any real warning, the other man stood up. He took the time to straighten out any wrinkles in his dress shirt before offering a slender hand down to Harry, who reluctantly took it. With a swift tug, he was yanked upward to bring their chests close together. Simply sitting next to each other wasn't nearly as intimidating as this new position. Having to look up into steely grey eyes almost entirely negated the comfort he found in their casual conversation. For the first time today, their faces were mere inches apart. Harry was suddenly very aware of the smell of what could only be an incredibly expensive cologne.
The two stood in silence for a minute with their hands remaining intwined. Draco watched his partner's confusion for a moment before speaking. "Well? Are you up for a little experimentation? If I promise to behave?"
This caused Harry to swallow thickly in anticipation and his breath quickened beyond his control. His eyes darted down to dusty pink lips involuntarily. "I-I don't know. What exactly are you looking for?" Harry asked, not entirely sure that was the correct way to enquire, but still, he could bear the silence no longer. He was so uncertain of what would be asked of him that he couldn't even stand still. He shifted nervously from foot to foot.
Draco dipped his head to bring his nose closer to his partner's. The hand that was not busy holding another came up to gently settle on Harry's cheek. "To be more direct, I am asking you if you'd like me to kiss you again. Maybe to remind you of how I made you feel last time we met?"
This was it. It was getting increasingly harder for Harry to convince himself not to dive into whatever this was. The adrenaline, the danger, the unknown. It was all a wild level of excitement that he had never experienced before. All the arguments he'd had with himself back at the castle were suddenly long gone. Ultimately, this was a segment of his life that he hadn't been allowed to explore before, and yet here it was right in front of his face. The decision was made. He nodded quickly; eyes still focused intently on the taller man's face.
His opponent smiled smugly and the hand holding his cheek grasped more purposefully. The other hand released Harry's hand and instead wrapped around to tightly grip the small of the brunet's back. "I need an answer. Do you want me to kiss you or not?"
Harry's jaw set. His response hurried out of his mouth at a barely-there whisper before he could change his mind. "Yes. I want you to kiss me...again."
In the same moment he finished his words, the gap between them closed. Harry's eyes slammed shut. His arms remained rigid at his sides, hands clenched into tight, unsure fists, while Draco did not. Slender fingers moved from Harry's cheek and up into the hair on the back of his neck. The grip behind his back kept their bodies pressed firmly together. Blood rushed in one direction throughout Harry's body and the world spun. Eventually, he found the courage to knot his hands in the tailored white shirt and held on as if life depended on it. He couldn't stop himself from letting a sigh escape his lips. The sound greatly pleased Draco, who smiled into Harry's lips.
Gaining bravery from the unspoken praise, Harry leaned up, parting his mouth to flick his tongue persuasively over his companion's lips, which parted in answer. Hands started making their way across his body intently. Dragon's movements were slow, but meaningful, with every touch sending fire through the brunet's skin. Harry melted into the embrace, a moan tearing from his lips. Deft fingers ran across his chest, towards his waist, and down to grip his hip.
Harry had never felt this alive before. This was just a kiss, so simple sounding and yet it was so much more. Letting out a small, unsteady gasp, Harry found his skin trembling with unfamiliar shivers even as his body stood firm and determined. This was far from what he'd gone through the first time they'd done this. That time, he'd allowed it to happen, feeling more like a prop than an active participant. This felt more like a skillful dance. Suddenly, a low growl shot through the blond's lips, brushing against Harry's mouth before he jerked his head away.
Harry frowned and went to step back but couldn't with the arm still holding him in place. "What's wrong? What did I do?"
Draco scowled down at his own forearm and took a deep breath. With an exhale, his expression softened, and he brough his gaze back up to Harry's concerned face. "Nothing at all. You, darling, were perfect." He strengthened his words by planting another deliberate kiss on Harry's lips, making him flush. "Unfortunately, though, there are some other people in my life that are less than perfect. I'm afraid I'll have to cut our afternoon here short."
"Why? What happened?"
"To put plainly, someone is trying to get my attention and if I don't respond, you might not see me again in one piece."
Harry finally realized what he was talking about. Green eyes dropped down to look at the arm his partner was glowering at. An inky black mark lay there, and it was clearly causing the man discomfort. Seeing that was the snap back to reality Harry needed. This was a Death Eater that he was moaning for not a moment ago, and he was being called back home by more Death Eaters, or worse. Harry shivered at the thought and separated from the other man. If he had been paying attention, he may have seen Draco frown slightly before turning to retrieve his robes from the hook on the wall. Harry wrung his hands with the nervousness his realization brought on.
"If it makes you feel any better, I would much rather stay here with you."
Harry laughed at that. "Yeah, sure." he said awkwardly.
Draco strode back towards him determinately. "I'll make you believe me one day. I've got plenty of time to do that next time." He paused, seemingly waiting to be corrected on his last statement. Harry thought for a moment but nodded carefully, silently agreeing to their next meeting. "So, then I'll be seeing you in two days' time?"
"Yes." Harry said softly, staring hard at the floor to avoid the conversation. In front of him, leather dress shoes came closer to him. A hand came up to grasp his chin and lifted it slowly. When he looked back up, grey eyes were locked onto green.
"I do hope there'll be a little more enthusiasm next time." Draco said softly.
"And I hope you continue to bring your end of the bargain." Harry said firmly.
"Why of course, darling. Anything for you. Would his highness have any special request for our next date?"
Harry rolled his eyes and detached himself from the hand holding his head in place. "Well, you could just talk to your boss for me and tell him to throw himself off the nearest cliff?"
"Ha! My dear Emerald, I don't think you would have a career in comedy. How about I just surprise you again?"
That damned smirk was going to kill Harry if they kept this up too long. He thought for a moment about what he could possibly need. The answer was essentially anything. The castle was always in need of something, so he supposed a surprise wouldn't be too terrible while he still had the potion kit to break up. "I suppose that will suffice." he answered in his best 'pompous git' impression.
"Gods, Emerald, I knew I made a good choice not letting those idiots find you. I'll certainly miss you during our time apart. You're far more interesting than anyone I've ever met."
"You must not know many people." Harry bit back.
"You'd be surprised. Unfortunately, you've kept my attention long enough. I will be looking forward to our next encounter." With that word, the Death Eater brought his lips down onto the freedom fighter's. Harry sighed again, allowing himself to clutch the front of those robes one last time. They lingered only a moment before parting, neither wanting to separate so soon.