Empty Spaces

Chapter 15

Trying to remain calm and keep his head down without looking too far down, Draco followed Andor through the gilded doorway. It was crowded, which Draco supposed was ultimately a good thing. Maybe he could just slip through unnoticed... Stupid. Stupid and careless. One disaster to another. What the hell is wrong with you??? So much for keeping things subtle.

"Everything alright, liebling? Come have a drink, relax," Andor put something in his hand and Draco automatically took a sip. "Are you tired from the day? We don't have to stay long, just enough to make some connections..."

Trusting the crowds to hide him and hoping everyone who would recognize him was behind bars anyway, Draco allowed himself to be escorted through the lobby and into the ballroom, toasting with a whole slew of people he didn't know and trying to avoid catching the eye of the many whom he recognized. Deciding Lucius was bound to figure it out sooner or later anyway, he eventually gave in and drained his drink in an attempt to quiet the increasing whispers in his head. What's going to happen, what's going to happen, what's going to happen... At some point, another drink appeared in his hand. And another. He had a vague recollection of being scooped up and brought to their room, all the while the voices screaming at him... How could you be so stupid!? What the hell is wrong with you? All that planning and scheming and then you go and blow it all, just for the first guy you sleep with!? Lucius will find out, Lucius will come for you, Lucius will...

But Lucius wasn't there, it was just himself and his handsome Hungarian, and if he was going to go down, he was going to go down in flames.

"I should get you drunk more often, mein liebchen," Andor whispered in his ear the next morning. "Who would have thought??"

Draco groaned and rolled over, burying his face in his lover's chest, pulling the blanket over his head.

"What time is it?" he asked into the darkness.

"Do you really want to know?"

"It's a school day."

"Seven-thirty."

"Ahh.... shit... ," Draco mumbled. Potions started in half an hour.

"Oh, just stay here, liebling," Andor purred in Draco's ear, "What's one day going to do? Come back to sleep, I'll order us some breakfast, get you a pepperup potion... Come, mein liebchen, come over here, stay with me..."

It was too good an invitation to pass up. He'd already fucked up beyond repair. Since he was going to hell anyway, might as well go all in. After some more sleep, a dose of pepperup and some breakfast, Draco felt... well, physically he felt better enough to face another day. Inside, who knows what. But so far so good– he'd half been expecting Lucius to show up that morning and drag him back to the Manor so he could get married and produce an heir already... The one thing that always stopped Lucius from going one step too far was that his son was only useful to him if he was alive. But no, it was just Draco and Andor this morning... So far, so good. Right?

They went back to Hogsmeade around midday, where Draco hastily pulled on his school robes and headed to campus after promising to meet Andor for dinner that night. Thankful that it was Friday, he headed straight for the lake– he hadn't bothered telling Andor that he only had morning classes on Friday– and hoped Potter might be willing to share his notes from Potions. Maybe he could even get Granger's notes from Arithmancy. Not so bad. Yea you fucked up, but it's fixable. Right?

"Where were you this morning?" Potter demanded, rivaling McGonagall or Holmberg in the directness of his question.

"Oh, what the fuck, Potter. What's it to you?" Draco sat down on the grass. His headache still wasn't quite gone and was now starting to come back with a vengeance. Or maybe it was just Potter.

"I told you, remember? He hurts you, you come straight to me," Potter said.

"He hasn't done anything, idiot, we were at a... party last night in London," Draco dismissed.

"He got you drunk on a school night?" Potter observed. Really, Potter? What the hell?? For someone who can walk straight past a hippogriff and not notice it, how are you managing to catch on to every little stupid thing???

"What's it to you? And yea, there were drinks at the party, but I got myself drunk. Can I see your Potions notes from today?" Draco said, desperate to change the subject.

"You are unbelievable," Potter rolled his eyes, "Fine. Yes. Here," he dug through his bag, "But only because I don't believe your story. You... You can do better than that, you know. You deserve better..."

"Shut up, Potter," Draco warned.

"No, you shut up," Potter continued, holding his notes just out of reach as ransom, "You're not a bad person, Draco. Don't allow anyone to tell or treat you otherwise."

"He doesn't," Draco retorted, "That's the point."

"He controls your life! You're cramming your homework in at school so you can go back to him and do whatever the hell it is you guys do together, he takes you out and gets you drunk ON A SCHOOL NIGHT and makes you miss class, oh, and remember last month when you missed practically every assignment when you started seeing him?? I'm guessing that's not a coincidence. Wake up, Malfoy, he's no good for you!!!"

"AT LEAST TO HIM I'M JUST ME," Draco took his left arm and rolled up his sleeve, revealing his tattoo. "Who else would look past this???? You???? Yea, didn't think so. I'll get the notes from Holmberg tomorrow. Shove off, Potter."