Moments

28. 'Harry-Expelliarmus-Potter'

(997 words)

'You've changed your aftershave,' Potter said.

'Really, now is the time you notice...'

Their training mission had gone terribly wrong and now they were back-to-back on two chairs in a bare interrogation room, rope binding them tightly together. A one-way mirror dominated one of the depressing-grey walls; no doubt they were being observed. Merlin knows where their wands were; Rickshaw had disarmed them far too easily. They were alone but escape seemed impossible.

'Why didn't you use "Expelliarmus"? You always use "Expelliarmus". Everyone knows you use "Expelliarmus". You're Harry-Expelliarmus-Potter... yet, today, you decide to be Harry-Bat-Bogey-Potter... what the fuck were you thinking?'

'It was a very good "Bot-Bogey", caught them off-guard.'

'It made Renton angry.'

'I know,' he said gleefully. 'And...'

Draco paused. They had learnt a startling amount of information before Rickshaw'd recovered and they were dragged here unblindfolded by the disconcerted Aurors.

'Anyway, Malfoy, why d'ya change your aftershave?'

'Really?'

Humour me. Draco swallowed as Potter used Legilimens again. Wandless Leglimens.

Really?

Just... even in his head, Potter had gritted teeth.

'I'd run out. It's yours.'

'Does it smell like that on me?'

'Like what?'

'Like trees and wood and stuff,' Potter answered.

'I guess. What do I normally smell like?'

'Dunno, vanilla and spices...'

Draco felt the ropes loosen on his wrists.

Catch so don't fall on floor.

'Why's my aftershave important?'

'Why do we change our routines?'

The ropes around their torsos loosened considerably.

'Because if we don't try things, we don't know?'

'Yeesss...' Potter said. 'It also gives the element of surprise...' ...and advantage. Rickshaw left-handed. Wands in thigh-holster. Renton loses temper easily and injured left leg, limping. Way out right, past two interrogation rooms, map room, and munitions store. Two guards outside. On cue, stand up, step left. Need move quick. Remember what Sakura taught on Wednesday.

Renton pushed open the door and drawled smugly, 'some element of surprise! It got you tied to a chair and wandless...'

'That wasn't the surprise,' Potter smirked.

FINITE!

It happened fast. As soon as they stood up, the ropes disappeared and Potter kicked one of the chairs at the open metal door to stop it slamming shut. As Draco swiped Renton's bad leg from under him, Potter disabled Rickshaw's left-arm and retrieved the wands from his leg holster.

'I hope you secured those other two better than this, you bloody shoddy idiot,' Rickshaw growled but Renton was groaning from his bad leg.

The Aurors found themselves back-to-back on the floor with Draco's Incarcerous binding them particularly tightly.

'Shall we, Malfoy?' Potter mimicked Renton's drawl and indicated towards the door, 'I believe our other two team members need rescuing from B5...'

As the door closed behind them, Malfoy smiled to hear Renton complain about being left in an Incarcerous once again by bloody Potter.

They ran past Booth with his clipboard in the corridor, grinning happily.

That evening, as Potter rooted in the fridge, Draco asked, 'why did you keep asking about my Aftershave?'

'Distraction. I assumed we were being monitored. I didn't want them picking up on me working the ropes,' he smirked slyly.

'Why haven't you told them you can do wandless magic?'

Potter sat down heavily opposite him with two Butterbeers. 'Because I can't always do it, it's not reliable. Why set myself up?'

'They might be able to train you.'

'Who, Renton? I doubt it.' Potter sneered.

'You're a powerful wizard, Potter.'

'And? So are you. Your duelling skills have always been phenomenal, right back to second year; you've mastered Occlumency better than anyone I know; you've been doing non-verbal magic since fifth year; your transfiguration and potions skills are something else... Do I need to go on?

'Observant, aren't we?' but Draco was blushing.

'Why do you play down your talent, Malfoy?'

'Because it's better to keep things like that low key. People get ideas.'

'Exactly.'

And Draco understood; he saw the expectations that Potter was under. Everyone wanted him to be a powerful wizard and there was no doubt he was, but he didn't want to be put on a pedestal for it. Things like that can be dangerous, they can go to one's head. He'd witnessed the adoration of power close to, it was uncomfortable at best, perilous at worst. 'So that's why you ripping through the Hogwarts' Wards is never mentioned...'

'Yes.'

The following silence was blunt and Draco knew that topic was closed.

'When did you learn Legilimency?' It'd been bothering Draco for a while.

'There was a realisation that Voldemort and I had a connection. In fifth year, Dumbledore charged Snape with teaching me Occlumency.'

'Your remedial potions classes...'

'Exactly. That didn't exactly encourage me and, as you can imagine, our mutual animosity was a nightmare. I was petulant, Snape was cruel. And my temper meant I pushed back...'

'You saw into Snape's mind?'

Potter shrugged, 'he started putting his memories into a Pensieve and, shortly after, the lessons stopped.' Draco was certain that wasn't the full story. 'In the seventh year, I used what I learnt to push into Voldemort's mind, I could only do it when his defences were down, when he lost control of his emotions. My skills are rudimentary but useful in our circumstances.'

'And have you... do you connect with anyone else?'

'No. I can feel a connection with you, as if you're open to me. Sometimes I can just sense you. It works, that's all.'

Draco wasn't sure what to make of that admission, it felt incredibly intimate but, somehow, it also felt right and that made him feel secure. He couldn't deny the insecurities he'd felt since he'd realised he didn't align with his father's beliefs and the worship of Voldemort. Potter might be nonchalant about this connection but it meant an awful lot to Draco. To him, it reinforced he was right to have taken his own path and not his father's.

'Why my aftershave?' Draco asked.

'Because you didn't smell like you. It was unsettling.'

*****