A Throne of Blood and Stars

Chapter Fifty-Seven

"Yes," he says after another beat of silence.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Get on with it."

"I was wondering what...it was like."

"What?"

"What?"

Draco's eyes roll into the back of his head and stay there for a second while he sighs. "What what was like?"

"You see," Ron's cheeks stain red, bright red, enough to give his hair a run for its money, and Draco can't believe it. "Me and Blaise..."

"Blaise and I," Draco corrects, amused. Any traces of annoyance are long gone, replaced by mirth stemming from the realization of what Ron is asking him.

The redhead stops to stare wide-eyed at his friend, blinking rapidly as he stammers for a response. "What?"

"You said me and Blaise. The grammatically correct formation of the clause would be Blaise and I."

"Right," he clears his throat, spares his hands a quick glance. "Blaise and I have been talking for some time now."

"I am aware."

"And he's quite brilliant, you see. He likes...flaunting. Without knowing it, of course. But still."

"He has confidence, yes."

"Yeah," Ron ignores the small yes that Draco mumbles. "And he's also very...fit."

"A gross outcome of years of pure-blooded inbreeding, as fetching as he is."

"Right. Breeding," the Gryffindor looks off as he repeats the word, and Draco purses his lips to keep from laughing. "And we've already been in a few situations where a cover-up was necessary, if you know what I mean."

"Of course."

"And I happened to enjoy," he clears his throat, avoiding Draco's eyes as best as he can. "Happened to enjoy our times very much. But we haven't really made it...that far yet."

"I would have assumed."

"And, well, the truth is, I'm quite...inexperienced."

"As we all are, at some point, Weasley."

"Right. So, that's why I was wondering, you see. What it was like."

"You are going in circles, Weasley, I have no clue what you are on about."

Draco tacfully smirks when Ron chokes on his breath, knocking on his windpipe helpfully.

"Easy, now."

"You know."

"Know what?"

"How to...do it."

It's difficult for Draco to keep his facade, but he does, and he thanks his father's lessons for that. He gives Ron a faux look of confusion. "Pardon?" 

"It. Malfoy, it. How to do it."

"What in Salazar's name is it?"

"You're really making me say it, aren't you?"

That's Draco's breaking point. He breaks down in chortles, loud chortles and broken words in Ron's red face.

"Bloody sod," Ron grumbles. "Thought you'd gone daft."

"Sweet Circe, your face!"

"Why did I even bother?"

"Oh," Draco wipes a tear from the corner of his eye. "That was gold. Pure gold. I am rich, now. You have made me rich."

"Be serious for a moment," the redhead whines.

"I am, I am."

"Help me."

"What, you want me to guide you?"

"No," Ron grimaces. "No. I just need to you tell me what to do. Where it goes."

"Weasley, it is not potion brewing. Girls have two of them, boys have one. It is almost like putting a puzzle together. You find the shape of the thing and you push it into the slot."

"You're disgusting."

Draco cackles again, his head is thrown back and he smacks his hand on the table repeatedly. "You asked for my help!"

"Yes, for your help. Not a mental abhorrence!"

He immediately ceases to laugh, looking at Ron with wide, serious eyes. "I promise you, once you are skin to skin with him, if you truly adore him as much as you say you do, your only goal will be to make him feel as good as he makes you feel everyday."

Ron blinks, the atmosphere surrounding them feeling heavier with the amount of earnest Draco is speaking with.

"And you do not need me to guide you," Draco adds, his eyes sincere and trusting. "When you and Blaise get to that bridge, you will know what to do. Just follow your instincts."

******

Draco sighs as the door closes behind him. "I should have known you would stay awake."

"I wanted to make sure you made it back."

"That was not a complaint," the Slytherin grins, walking closer to the bed and sitting next to Harry. "Sleep?"

The Gryffindor exhales, closing his eyes and just feels the aura of his mate. Draco reaches over and runs his fingers through Harry's hair, smiling when he relaxes further into the mattress. "Lay with me."

"Guess what Weasley asked me about," the Slytherin says as he pulls the covers over his body and adjusts himself next to Harry.

"I could feel his embarrassment tenfold," Harry mumbles, sleepily nuzzling his face into Draco's neck and inhaling his scent. "I'm assuming it had to do with Blaise."

"Glorious," Draco chitters excitedly. "It was glorious. Do you realize how long I can hold that over his head?"

"Until they do it."

"Exactly. Which, with Blaise, I doubt they will soon."

"He is your friend, you know."

Harry blinks his eyes open when Draco's hand smacks down on his mouth, his eyes glaring. "Do not. I have no friends but Blaise."

"You can stop with the lone-wolf sob story, you know," Harry mumbles through his mate's fingers, rolls his eyes. "You're not fooling anyone."

"I am a Malfoy."

"You are."

"And I am feared. Should anyone cross me, I shall show no mercy."

"Of course, love."

"I am a ruthless mercenary, I stop at the expanse of no one."

"Money maker, yep," Harry snuggles further into Draco's shoulder, closing his eyes. "Got it."

"I will destroy everything you love."

"Sure you will."

"Harry."

"Okay," Harry snoozes, his body lax in the arms of his mate. And then, while Draco is trying to find something else to protect his reputation; and his ego, Harry mutters something else that would have gone unnoticed if it weren't for the extreme serenity surrounding them. "I love you."

The entirety of Draco's body seizes, tenses up like never before, worse than when he was expecting punishment from the Dark Lord. He quickly moves his eyes down to the unruly mess of black curls of his mate, where his little breaths are hitting the side of his neck rhythmically.

"Harry?"

Draco shakes his shoulders, but Harry only holds him tighter, sighing in content. Draco sighs.

He settles back, his body relaxing with every puff of air that hits his skin, accepting Harry's affection. His arms hold him closer, and he drops a soft kiss to Harry's crown.

"What have you done to me?"