Lesson Finally Learned
"I hate this; I swear on bloody Merlin's grave I hate him!"
Blaise watched the frequently recurring scene of Draco pacing back and forth in front of the hearth in the mostly empty common room -a few younger years were lingering in the corners-. It was by no means an uncommon sight to see Draco Malfoy ranting about the famed Harry Potter, having been bitter rivals and all that. But there was only so much Blaise could take of the blond's furious ranting, especially when it was obvious the ire came from Draco being dropped by the Golden Boy despite Draco's denial.
"Draco."
The blond's head snapped up as his low, growling mantra was interrupted. His grey eyes landed on Blaise and he proceeded to glower menacingly at the dark skinned boy, but Blaise didn't flinch. He'd long since grown used to Draco's bouts of temper and crippling glares.
"Honestly Draco, it's been three weeks. Surely if you didn't give a damn about Potter you would have gotten over him by now!" the boy reasoned irritably, looking back at the animated Ice Prince who's long, pale tail lashed and flickered with agitation. It had barely stopped its aggressive motions since Harry had called off their little affair.
"There's nothing to get over Blaise! I've told you for the last time! I. Don't. Like. Him!"
The snarl caused Blaise to consider a new tactic to broach the subject. He'd learned to read the signs early on in his friendship with the tight-lipped blond and pondered his next move quietly, knowing if he played it right he would finally get some answers. Aware of the angrily glinting grey eyes Blaise lifted his gaze to meet them and calmly raised a brow.
"Well if it doesn't bother you, why are you still so upset about it?" he asked, voice taking on a calm drawl, hoping it would remind Draco that purebloods weren't meant to throw childish temper tantrums. He –as well as Pansy- knew a furious Draco was a dangerous one, especially when he was more than likely to bite, scratch and go for the kill in a fit of rage. "Besides, you have Theo, so I don't see your problem." Blaise shrugged, an expression of innocence and confusion artfully painted on his face.
Draco's posture almost instantly corrected itself. Drawing his shoulders back he seemed to regain some composure and control over his anger. His tail however, seemed to have a life of its own as it lashed and swung, the only display of emotion now that Draco had dawned his blank mask.
"I'm not upset, Blaise" Draco responded curtly, his voice clipped. "Not about the loss of the affair at any rate. And anyway, Theo's hardly the competent lover Harry was.".
Blaise masterfully hid his surprise as he eyed the tense figure while he reached forward to pick up his forgotten quill and essay on the table. Setting it on his lap to study it as he spoke, he reclined in the chair, the perfect image of nonchalance. Silently he watched Draco from the corner of his eye, his imposing figure was softened by the glow of the firelight that touched his pale face and highlighted the strangely wistful expression. The usually alert eyes looked oddly vacant.
"So if you're not upset, why the cursing Potter to hell and back? He's barely said a word to you since he broke it off."
He didn't miss Draco's, ever so slight, flinch.
"That's the thing Blaise, he broke it off. No one ever drops a Malfoy" the blond growled, a dangerous, deep note rolling under his words. His pale ears twitched as he turned to gaze into the fire, folding his arms across his chest as his brow furrowed in thought.
"So you would rather have Potter as a lover than Theodore?" he asked suddenly, surprising the blond by the sudden turn. He noted that Draco didn't respond right away, but looked vaguely indecisive. "I mean, you now have Theo exclusively but you still get worked up over Potter." Blaise pressed.
Draco was hesitant to answer. "He wasn't...he wasn't bad." he stated simply with a one armed shrug. "They were different, Potter was the more interesting lover I'll admit, he was...gentle and considerate." he stated and Blaise looked at Draco fully now, awed by the almost gentle tone. "Yet he would be rough or teasing, he always seemed to catch on to what I was in the mood for...He was attentive" he paused, frowning before shaking his head. "Theo, on the other hand, is always quite rough" he shrugged again, clearly not interested enough to continue with his and Theo's antics. "Theo's not an incompetent not-quite-fuck-buddy" he summarised calmly.
Blaise frowned, eyeing the blond thoughtfully, "You didn't answer the question," he pointed out, "But I think I know the answer anyway".
Draco mirrored Blaise's frown, eyeing his friend with something akin to suspicion.
"Really, and would you care to enlighten me?" he drawled, turning to face his dark skinned friend completely, expression carefully blank yet his eyes were guarded. Blaise shifted in the armchair, setting his parchment and quill back on the table, his expression impassive.
"I think you would prefer Potter" he replied casually, leaning forward to rest his elbows upon his knees. "Because never before have you referred to someone as your lover, and yet you did so about Potter. Twice".
The only response Blaise received was the sound of the common room entrance slamming closed.
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Draco stormed down the corridor while making soft, disgruntled sounds under his breath, a mix of soft growls and throaty 'woofs'[1]. With his ears pinned back, the boy walked with his eyes fixed on the stone floor as he let his feet lead him, his mind racing with thoughts. A Malfoy's mind was never crowded, never disorganised, but Draco couldn't seem to sort out the mass of emotions that raged through him, but never once did they flicker on his face.
'What's going on with me!' his mind hissed through the rabble. He paused briefly to inhale and clear his mind, a trick his Godfather had taught him -no one's mind is as busy as a potion master's. Having successfully pushed his thoughts aside he continued to walk aimlessly, relived that he could now think clearly as he creased his brow and lashed his tail as he recalled Blaise's words.
He never had lovers, never ever. They didn't love him and he most certainly did not love them. Nott and Potter simply wanted to fuck him; that much was clear by how they had no problems with using his body to appease themselves. But Draco's pride refused to let him be the one to be used and tossed aside. Although he hadn't lied, Potter had been an attentive lover.
'No! Not lover! Fuck-buddy, toy-boy but not bloody lover!' he insisted furiously as he ran a hand through his hair, putting it into mild disarray.
"What is wrong with me?" the boy groaned irritably, exhaling deeply through his nose in exasperation.
'They either want a quick shag or to own a fucking Malfoy' the boy scowled, digging his hands into his pockets as he walked through the maze of draughty dungeon corridors. 'Potter would love that no doubt. Fucking Weasley would never shut up about it either and Nott just wants a nice ass and a big Gringotts vault to go with it'.
With each thought, his determination to avoid being bedded by Harry or Theodore grew until he was positive he would never risk indulging his desires. Well, so he thought, until he heard a fierce, thunderous roar echo distantly. Power emanated from the enraged cry and Draco's ears perked, his body peaked with interest. He had to fight the sudden pull that longed for him to follow the sound of one very impressive male.
After battling with the nagging voice encouraging him onward, Draco turned the corner to escape the sound, now moving more urgently. His nostrils flared with his deep breaths as his ears pinned back in agitation. His hand tightened on the strap of his bag, causing his knuckles to pale. With a groan of discomfort, he briefly paused again to try and ward off the unfortunate erection that had immediately arisen at the dominant, powerful sound. Draco's natural instinct knew exactly what it was, fighting males, meaning there was a victor, a very worthy victor.
'No no no! Stop it!' he hissed, moving swiftly before he made a surprised sound of delight when he found he'd wandered to his Godfather's private quarters, although to anyone else it would have simply looked like a statue of a rather surly look snake.
Draco leaned forward, glancing down one the corridor warily before he muttered the password and pressed his index finger to the snake's protruding tongue. He could feel the ripple of magic wash over his hand and he withdrew his finger as the statue slid aside, presenting Draco with a door which he swiftly stepped through.
"Draco?" The blond looked up to see the potions master behind his desk and he nodded in greeting, approaching the comfortable looking black armchair that was positioned in front of the man's desk.
"Severus" The blond responded once he'd sat and rested one ankle over the opposite knee and leant back in the chair, hoping the position would make his erection less noticeable. He also rested his robes across his lap, just in case.
The man placed his quill down, peering at his Godson between the locks of lank black hair. "What can I do for you Draco? You don't look like you're here for idle chitchat" the Potions Master drawled, Draco gave a curt nod of confirmation.
"Have you found an antidote for this curse yet?" the boy growled, a fang protruding over his lower lip as he locked eyes with the man. "I can't stand this anymore; I have no control over my body whatsoever!" He snapped, incidentally revealing a little more than he'd intended. Draco swiftly cut himself off there and Severus pretended not to notice the slightly pink stained cheeks of the student.
"Really? You didn't seem to mind when you were gallivanting around with Potter and Nott in a less that exemplary manner" the sardonic man commented.
Draco's eyebrows shot up. "You know about that!" he asked, impressed, embarrassed, and irritated all at once. He was sure he'd been a bit more inconspicuous than that. Then again, Severus had known him since he was old enough to yank on those greasy locks as a mere baby, he'd probably guessed more than actually witnessed.
None the less, Draco didn't want an answer so continued, scowling. "Well now it's different, I hate being unwillingly attracted to Potter" the boy huffed. "And Nott's getting annoying, he follows me everywhere! I have to get Blaise or Pansy to guard my bathroom door when I'm showering!"
Snape merely shook his head with a sigh. "I'm sorry Draco but you did bring this on yourself, and to answer your first question, I have not yet found an antidote for your...condition" he admitted. "Now it's best we leave, class starts in a few minutes and I believe you have potions next" he intoned, watching as the blond frowned but stood and made his way to the door, but paused at his professor's voice.
"And Draco, just out of curiosity, are you attracted to Nott?" The man asked casually.
Frowning, Draco cocked his head and sneered. "Romantically? Of course not" he drawled.
"Then perhaps you should consider that your attraction to Potter isn't as unwilling as your first thought?"
The implication hit Draco hard and he gazed at his Godfather, mouth open and his expression one of betrayal at the man's words. His look changed into one of fury and with a snarl, the boy slammed the door closed, reminiscent to how a similar conversation with Blaise had went.
"It's a bloody conspiracy" the blond muttered to himself as he slumped into the only available seat in the potions classroom. Having thought it best to calm down and empty his head before attending potions, the blond ended up being the last to class as well as being a few minutes late. But as was expected, Severus turned a blind eye but Draco refused to even look at the Potions Master for the entire lesson.
However despite this, it seemed someone else was intent on looking at him.
A frown touched Draco's lips as his hand stilled mid sentence when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle under a gaze that made his skin tingle. His nose twitched and he could practically smell the testosterone and the strong scent of the lion; it made Draco's mouth water and his loins stir with interest. He bit his lip, cursing and growling quietly as he wrote frantically to try and distract himself.
The eyes remained on him, steady and unwavering and after some tense minutes Draco finally tossed down his quill and raised his head sharply to lock eyes with lurid green, shooting Harry a quelling glare. Shockingly, Harry did not look aware of back down, his ears perked and his eyes darkened with a flicker of lust and, much to his shame, Draco felt his body react to the silent power that emanated from the Gryffindor.
Barely holding back a deep growling sound that wanted to escape, that wanted to beg for him to be taken at last, the blond stood sharply, chair scraping against the harsh stone. This would have caused more interest had the bell not sounded a second later.
Locking eyes with another person in the room, Draco stuffed his things messily in his bag and fled the classroom, not looking back. Although he was sure he heard someone follow him, the footsteps eventually ceased and Draco relaxed.
Glancing down the corridor Draco slipped into a corridor and then through an unlocked door. He smirked as he looked around the empty room but didn't have time to investigate as he was soon pinned to the wall, mouth eagerly taken with a clumsy, hungry tongue.
Draco groaned and grunted as he was shunted roughly against the wall, hips grinding roughly into his own and the blond couldn't help but groan as his hormone strung body reacted immediately to the stimulation. He growled warningly nevertheless as he felt teeth bite quite ruthlessly at his pale neck, making him cry out.
"Nott, for fuck sake!" Draco snarled, squirming slightly. "I told you not to mark me!" The blond snarled in annoyance, growling as the dark haired boy ignored him in favour of biting again, drawing blood this time and Draco tried to forcibly shove the boy away. He gasped in shock and frustration however when the boy pinned his arms to the wall, his body locked by Theo's slightly larger one.
"Shut up" Theo growled, and the dangerously low timbre made Draco comply almost immediately, his breathing heavy despite his attempts to remain calm, Theodore's sneer unnerved him, as well as the hungry glint in his eyes. "You have no idea how long" the boy purred, voice slick and cause Draco to shiver, alarmed. "I've waited months for you, I even put up with sharing with Potter because I knew I'd get you eventually". He chuckled when he felt Draco tense and sneered mockingly. "What? You didn't think I knew about Potter?" he gave a chilling laugh and bit at Draco's shoulder this time, breaking cleanly through his clothes and the skin.
"Ah! Nott. Theodore! Stop it! I don't want this!" he snarled, gasping in astonishment when Theodore slapped him, slicing four neat lines across the blond's previously flawless cheek. Theodore's voice was simply a hiss.
"What makes you think you get a choice?" He snarled before he tore savagely at Draco's robes and shirt, the robes fell from the boy's narrow shoulders and the shirt was torn to shred. In a fit of blind panic, Draco began to thrash, snarling and crying out in dread, a mash of sounds of both a terrified human and alarmed lion.
He felt the stone grate against his bare torso. The remains of his shirt clung to his arms in tatters as he felt a hand grip his belt, neatly unhook it and rip it from his belt loops.
"Stop it! Stop it!" The Slytherin screeched, grunting and squirming fiercely when he felt the boy's hands cup his crotch and squeeze harshly. "Please" Draco was beyond caring that he was pleading with the boy as he felt his trousers and boxers being shoved down, he thought he might have been crying, but he couldn't focus, he just felt panic, heart-constricting, blinding panic.
He grunted harshly as his chest was pressed against the stone as he was roughly turned and he clawed at the wall in his last desperate attempt to escape. Now he knew he was sobbing, he could hear it mixed in with his frightened wails. Theo was going to rape him. He was going to be raped and no one was going to help him. He felt claws pierce his flesh as Nott placed one hand on his hip the other on his shoulder, and locked his jaws tightly on the scruff of his neck. A brutal enactment of a lion's mating ritual. Draco closed his eyes, body shaking fiercely, knowing now as Theodore lined himself up for penetration, that escape was futile.
"Ahh!" Pain tore across Draco's back as Theodore's claws raked across down the length of his spine and he fell to his knees, no longer supported by the other body. Enraged snarls and colliding bodies filled his ears and after some deliberation, the blond unsteadily turned to see Harry and Theodore grappling and raking at each other with a ferocity he'd never seen before. Their Wizarding heritage was forgotten as they clawed, bit and threw each other in a true battle for dominance.
He watched the dark haired saviour, his dark haired saviour tackled the slighter Slytherin to the ground, both were scratched, Harry quite so, but Theo had a variety of bites and a nasty slice over his eye. Their robes were torn and blood stained the white school shirts as Harry lunged for Theodore's neck but was knocked off with a kick from Theodore. Both switched between grappling on two legs and four, whichever was more convenient, both trying to wrestle the other onto their back to expose the tender flesh of their belly and throat.
The battle continued, their enraged sounds echoing loudly off the stone walls until Harry managed to worm his hands to Nott's side's and dug his claws into the soft skin, earning himself a roar of pain from the Slytherin before he was thrown with a hefty grunt and fell against the wall with a crack. Harry snarled, staring at the prone, bleeding form, looking quite battered himself as blood trickled down his face and neck; it even gleamed in his hair.
Swallowing, awed by the display of brute strength and power Draco turned his eyes to the obvious victor.
Breathing laboured Harry looked at him and Draco flinched when he saw the rage blazing in the boy's eyes like an enraged fire. His ears flattened and Draco sat back against the wall, body trembling with shock and he barely reacted in time to catch his trousers and robes that were tossed to him.
"Do you want to know why I stopped the affair, Draco?" Harry's voice was quiet and deep, dripping with contained fury, refusing to look at the blond any longer. "I did it because I was afraid of becoming THAT!" the boy spat suddenly, hand lifting sharply to point at the unconscious male.
"I was afraid of hurting you! Of forcing myself on you! Afraid I would do something you would never forgive me for! That I would never forgive myself for!" the teen snapped. "I did it to protect you! It was getting hard to stop when you demanded, to take it no further so I stayed away so I wouldn't hurt you! But you were too selfish to understand!" Disgust laced Harry's words, striking Draco harder than any of his punches or jibes could have.
He clutched the fabric in his pale hands, looking up to the brunet again and was eased a little –although ashamed to see concern battling with the anger. Draco made an imploring sound but was quickly hushed with a growl.
Grey eyes lowered as the Slytherin sniffed and wiped the remnants of tears from his cheeks and began to dress slowly, but by the time he was finished and had looked up, Harry was gone.
Glancing at the unmoving form of Theodore Draco shivered and quickly left the room. With Harry's words ringing in his ears and feeling like the lowliest creature on the earth he ran, bare foot, to find Pansy. He had no clue what to do next.
He'd never had to say sorry so badly before.
And his heart longed for Harry, for his forgiveness.