An Issue of Consequence

Chapter 4

"Not sure if that's a compliment."

"It's fact." Potter kissed him again, properly this time, in a way that made Draco feel like he was at risk of melting into nothing. 

Potter pulled away with a suspicious sort of look. After all, Draco hadn't been kissing him back. He didn't dare. It felt like a line he shouldn't cross. "Are you planning to push me away again?" Potter asked.

"I should," Draco said honestly.

"Why?" Potter cocked his head, placing his lips in the perfect position for Draco to lean in and kiss them. That had to have been deliberate.

"Because you're Potter."

"What a boring, old reason. You know what I think? I think..." Potter pressed something cold into Draco's hand. "I think you should stop thinking so much and just take what's offered."

Draco looked down at his palm. Potter had given him a small phial filled with pearlescent liquid. Draco already opened his mouth to ask what the hell was it — he was imagining Potter morphing into Pansy and giving him a Calming Draught to help with his nerves — but the phial came with a handy label that clearly spelled out what it was. Draco swallowed. Potter was pink-cheeked and worrying his bottom lip.

"You..." Draco tried to make his throat work. "You want..." He looked down at the phial again. "Now?"

Potter laughed, though it sounded nervous. "Potions classroom in the middle of the day? I think breaking in here is enough excitement for one afternoon. I'm leading a simple, unadventurous life these days." He nodded.

Draco stared at the phial, then at Potter again.

"Tonight." Potter licked his lips. "After curfew. Just... be wherever. I'll find you."

Draco looked at the phial again. Potter wanted to have sex. Sex. Of the penetrative variety, apparently. Draco's whole body was suddenly hot and sweaty.

"Or maybe you don't want to?" Potter leaned in, and their noses bumped. The sheer ridiculousness of it startled a laugh from Draco. Potter deepened his voice. "Because I'm Potter," he purred with a teasing smile as though it really didn't matter who they were.

"I..." He couldn't. He obviously couldn't just give in. He had to think of something to get out of it without making Potter angry.

But... Here he was in the Potions classroom with Slughorn's storeroom at his fingertips. He could snatch a love spell antidote and give it to Potter. Later. Once he had an escape route planned. This meeting might be the perfect opportunity. "Okay," he said, and Potter's face lit up like sunrise.

Potter pressed a quick kiss to Draco's lips. "Good. I'll see you then." He pulled back as though to leave, but Draco wasn't letting go. He had wrapped his arms around Potter, holding him in a tight embrace. He hadn't even noticed.

"You call that a kiss?" he asked because Potter had always hated him, and he'd hate him more after he drank the antidote, so another kiss wouldn't make much difference, anyway. Why not take what he could? Potter had said as much, too.

Potter needed no further encouragement. He pulled Draco in a toe-curling kiss, which was nothing like the quick assault in the broom cupboard or the sweet kiss from earlier. This one was slow and promising, skilled in a way that made Draco feel like a fumbling boy. Though once he relaxed and gave in, his tongue slid against Potter's with practiced ease as though his body was one step ahead of his brain and handled the situation much better than Draco's mind. Kissing Potter seemed to come to him as naturally as breathing.

"Mmm." Potter smiled against Draco's lips. "On the other hand, I'd hate a simple, unadventurous life, and we still have half an hour at least." Potter's hips pressed in closer, and Draco could feel Potter was hard.

Panicking, he gave Potter a little push and took a hasty step back.

"More shoving," Potter commented.

"I just... This..."

"Is not the time or place," Potter finished for him. "I know. I was joking."

"Right. Okay. I'll see you later," Draco said because he really needed Potter to leave. He had a nasty feeling that if Potter stayed a minute longer, Draco would end up begging for more. Potter's kisses were a dangerous thing.

Potter didn't look happy about being brushed off, but he nodded. "I'll go first." He moved to the door, walking backwards. "We wouldn't want to be seen together. Because I'm Potter and you're Malfoy." With that, he was off, and Draco promptly collapsed onto a bench to catch his breath and force himself to calm down. He had survived the Dark Lord, war and fire; he could survive being kissed by Harry Potter.