Friday Evening
04 December 2009
Draco's POV
I was sitting cross-legged beneath the warm, drenching spray of the rainforest shower in my bathroom — it had always been my sanctuary.
My escape.
But it wasn't helping to distract me any from the sobs wracking my body as I cried in a way I hadn't even known was possible until now.
None of it had been real.
Harry had been under the influence of the app almost the entire time.
Fuck.
How had I been so stupid?
Every moment I'd spent beaming at Harry, wondering how I was so lucky and how our life together could possibly be real, only to realise it wasn't.
I slumped down and curled into a little ball, wishing I had never even existed because how the fuck would I ever recover from this?
From Harry?
Maybe I could convince him to stay with me out of pity or hope the app kept him glued to my side, and I snorted and half-choked on my snot as I realised that, despite my heartache, a Harry who wasn't actually mine wasn't the Harry that I wanted.
Well, at least I wasn't a fucking nutter like Williams, I consoled myself.
I hoped that fucker had what was coming for him.
In the few moments before I'd Disapparated, I'd seen Bones and her crew, including Ron and Blaise, coming out of the darkness, advancing on Williams, and I had no doubt he was now in custody, where he fucking belonged.
I wiped at my face again, not for the tears.
The water streaming down from the shower took care of that.
But someone, please explain to me why one's body produced snot in quintuple fold when one was crying ugly tears?
How the fuck did that actually work?
Explain it to me, please.
I really needed a fucking distraction right now.
I lay there, Merlin knows how long, curled up and sobbing beneath the spray, trying to ignore the memories of Harry my brain was flashing at me.
Because there were so many.
I almost laughed, thinking back to the first time we'd fucked, compliments of Grindr, how lucky I'd thought myself, able to live out my schoolboy fantasies for just one evening.
And then, somehow, those evenings had just kept happening.
And now I was so blissfully, stupidly in love with him that I didn't know how I was ever going to get up out of this shower and continue with my life.
Maybe I wouldn't.
I considered the Prophet Headlines.
"Malfoy Heir Incapacitated due to Split with Boy Wonder."
I groaned and sobbed and hiccoughed all at once and curled myself more tightly into a ball as if that would somehow help.
"Draco?"
No.
Fuck me. This wasn't happening.
How the fuck was he here?
I'd adjusted my wards and everything.
I squeezed my eyes shut and curled even more tightly, angling myself so my back was facing him, protecting myself like a wounded animal.
"Draco, hon... oh, no...."
So he really was here, then.
I didn't respond; I just kept myself curled up and hoped I was hallucinating.
"Draco, please," Harry's voice sounded raw. "Please sit up."
"No."
A warm hand covered mine, and I made to tug it away, but Harry clamped down on it.
"Draco," he sounded stern suddenly.
"Sit up, please?" he asked, tugging at my hand again.
"Why are you here?" I complained. "Thought you'd come to rub it in?"
"Rub it in?" Harry repeated, then huffed a great sigh.
"Merlin, no Draco," he tried again. "Absolutely not. Sit up, come on."
"No."
"It's really important. I need to talk to you."
"Fuck you," I sobbed, a fresh wave of tears taking over. "Some nerve you have, coming here to gloat about what a simpering, stupid idiot you've made of me.
"Bit cruel, actually," I sniffled.
"Draco," Harry sighed again, one hand caressing me, gently running from my temple, rounding the curve of my head, and tracing down my back before starting the cycle again.
Fuck, but if that didn't feel wonderful.
Fuck Harry for teasing me so cruelly like this.
And if that didn't make my sobs come out even more wrenching and ugly than they had been.
"Draco," he was crooning, tugging at my arms, encouraging me to sit up.
"No!" I shouted, pulling my arms back and tucking them safely under my body, well away from his prying hands.
"Draco."
"Why are you here?" I demanded, embarrassed at how my voice broke.
Like it couldn't even handle the simple task of talking to Harry now that I knew we'd been a victim of Williams' plan all along.
"I told you," he replied, hands tracing soothing patterns through my hair and down my back.
"I need to talk to you."
"I don't see what we have to talk about," I muttered, leaning into his caress nevertheless.
"We have a lot to talk about," Harry countered stubbornly.
"Draco, look at me," he demanded, tugging at my hands, trying to urge me upright again.
"I don't know why you're being so mean," I mumbled.
"I would never do this to you if our situations were reversed," I added, another pathetic hiccough-y sob tearing out of me.
"Draco," Harry sighed. "I'm not being mean. Will you look at me? Please?"
"No."
I tried to calm myself, but that wasn't fucking happening anytime soon.
"No," I said again. "I can't look at you right now.
"It hurts too much," I added, curling up more tightly.
"Do you know how the app works?" Harry asked, and I did my best to ignore him and focus on not letting the sobs wracking my body be too obvious.
Of course, seeing as how Harry was still trailing his hand through my hair and down my back, he could feel every shudder I was trying to hide, anyway.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked again, so quietly that I'm not even sure Harry heard me.
"They took me in," Harry continued. "For questioning and to run tests."
"Turns out, the app was multi-faceted," and I wondered why Harry was still talking.
Why he was still subjecting me to this torture.
"Please, stop," I gasped, not caring what I sounded like.
"It hits you with a Confundus charm first, which, you know, dazes you a bit."
"Fuck you, Potter," I growled.
"And then he layered it with a modified Amortentia, which is supposed to make the intended positively obsessed with how the other person smells."
Harry leaned down and sniffed at my hair appreciatively, and it was all I could do not to reach up and pull him down and encourage him to continue burrowing his face into my hair and neck like he always did.
"And, the real kicker," Harry continued, sitting up straight again.
"It's, more or less, the Imperius curse that takes all the desires of the other person and makes the intended act them out, all but becoming a perfect lapdog, completely smitten, no mind of their own, just existing and carrying out the caster's fantasies."
"Why are you doing this to me?" I sobbed, giving up all pretence and sitting up, although I still kept my gaze focused on the golden and copper swirls in the marble beneath me.
"I don't know why you want to hurt me so much more," I sniffled, wiping the back of my hand across my nose, not even caring what I looked like or the fact that probably every Malfoy to have ever existed had just shuddered in their tombs because had the reigning Lord Malfoy really just used his sleeve to wipe away his snot?
"I don't want to hurt you, Draco," Harry replied, one hand caressing my face.
"Please look at me," he asked again.
"No."
"Please, it's really important."
"I can't believe you're really such a fucking evil fuckwad that you're demanding this from me," I sniffled.
"Draco...."
But Merlin, how did he make his voice sound so caring when he was such a right fucking bastard.
"Draco," he said again, hand gripping my chin and tilting my head up to look at him, and I, childishly, averted my eyes and continued to refuse looking at him.
Fuck.
I hated him.
So much.
He smiled down at me, hands tugging at my own to pull me closer.
"Draco, please, I know this is really difficult, love, but..." he paused and licked his lips, and I could feel his gaze on me.
"I really want to be looking at you when I say this," he continued, one hand grasping both of mine in his lap, the other tilting my face to look at him.
"Fuck. You." I managed as a fresh wave of tears spilt over because he was a right bastard for making me look at his beautiful green eyes right now.
"Draco," he sounded almost exasperated but kept his grip on my face and hands.
"Imperio doesn't work on me," he said finally, a little smirk appearing on his face.
I just stared at him.
He grinned and tugged gently at my hands again so that I toppled into his lap.
"I mean, I used to have to work to fight it," he continued, hands toying with my hair. "But now, I'm not even sure I'd know someone had even tried to cast it."
I tilted my head to stare up at him in disbelief.
Was he saying what I thought he was saying?
"Hi," he said, grinning stupidly at me, and I couldn't help but grin back, the sense of relief and hope flooding through me making me almost weak and giddy.
"You mean...." I stammered.
Harry nodded.
"This isn't...."
He shook his head, his smirk reappearing.
"They ran a full gamut of tests on me," he admitted.
"Bones and the entire department. To be sure I wasn't under the influence of any curses from the app.
"I'll be honest, the Amortentia apparently hit me hard and stuck... and I've always been a bit miffed at how obsessed I am with how delicious you smell, but if that's the only repercussion, I honestly don't mind."
Harry leaned down and buried his nose in my neck, inhaling deeply, and I had to admit that I didn't mind, either.
"So... this is real?" I asked, glancing up at him nervously.
"Yes," he smiled back, kissing me gently.
"You silly, beautiful man," he chided, kissing me again. "Like you'd need an app to make someone fall head-over-heels in love with you...
"Because I do... I love you, Draco," he declared, green eyes shining earnestly down at me. "And that means you're going to be stuck with me for a long time. You're crazy if you think I'm giving any of this up in this lifetime."
"You're crazy if you think you'll be rid of me after just one lifetime," I retorted, even as I pulled him to me for a kiss, revelling in how warm and soft his mouth was, another shuddering cry rippling through me as I wondered what if I had lost Harry for good and hadn't thought to kiss him one last time before we'd Apparated to the manor earlier tonight?
"Draco," Harry was saying between kisses because neither of us was going to consider stopping for something as silly as talking.
"I'm turning off the water now," he said as we tumbled to the floor, hands and mouths still seeking each other. "It's a tad dramatic, even for you."
"Not dramatic," I replied, chasing after Harry's tongue as it teased and taunted my own. "Soothing."
Harry's fingers were scrabbling frustratedly at my shirt, which was soaking wet and sticking to my body, so I wordlessly reminded him that we were bloody wizards by vanishing all of our clothing away.
Dramatic or not, the water only slicked our skin as we moved together, bodies gliding and sliding as hands frantically sought to touch every centimetre of skin possible.
"Draco," Harry gasped, mouth latching onto my neck, nose nuzzling into the hair at the nape of my neck as he inhaled deeply. "Please."
And next moment, we were in our bed, Harry looking so fucking beautiful as he lay back against the dark blue satin I had to stop and just stare down at him in awe and ask myself once more if he was really mine.
"Draco?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbows, one hand reaching out to pull me back to him, eyes sliding closed in anticipation, thighs spreading wide as I settled between them.
I couldn't help but groan as his long, muscled legs encircled my waist, pulling me closer, while both hands tangled through my hair as our mouths crashed together once more.
I grabbed Harry's bottom lip between my own, tugging gently with my teeth, cock giving an anxious twitch at the gasp he let out, and I returned to lick back into him, tongue exploring and re-mapping every surface and crevice of his mouth.
He responded just as eagerly, all but begging me to continue ravaging his mouth, body pliant and yielding as his arms and legs pulled and clung to me, urging me closer, leveraging his legs and arms to grind his body up into mine as I pressed down, and Merlin, had any two bodies ever fit together so fucking well?
I doubted it.
Harry threw his head back as he arched up into me, and I latched onto the pale column of skin he exposed, biting and soothing with my tongue, marking him because he was mine.
I had no doubt now.
The needy groan he let out at that only made me latch onto him again, and I ran one hand down his side, pulling away slightly as I trailed my fingers lightly over his hip, tracing down his groin, curving around one lush globe of his arse before delving finally into the crevice, fingers already lubed as I sought his opening, circling it gently with one finger, delighting in the way it pulsed and begged along with the rest of him for my fingers to quit teasing.
I latched on to his mouth again as I pressed in, just to the first knuckle, before withdrawing, Kitten mewling and scrabbling at me in protest as I pressed in again, this time allowing my lube-slicked digit to slide in halfway before withdrawing again.
"Draco," he groaned. "Don't tease. Not now."
Yet, despite asking me not to tease, he leaned up and began pressing those signature kitten kisses up into my mouth, and how could I not continue teasing him when he begged and moaned so fucking sweetly?
I continued to taunt him, sliding my middle finger slowly into the tight heat of him just a little over halfway, then withdrawing, and I settled myself on my right side to gaze down at him as he arched and begged beneath me.
"Please," he gasped, eyes snapping open, pinning me with his gaze.
Again, I could only watch how fucking beautiful he was as I continued to fuck him slowly, finally adding a second to work him open wider.
"Draco," he begged again, arching up off the mattress as I began to twist my fingers into him, searching for that spot, committing the look of ecstasy that flitted across Harry's face when I found it to memory, fingers slowing slightly as they sought that bundle of nerves on each lazy thrust in and out.
Merlin, but I loved my Harry like this, incoherent and babbling — almost angry — emerald eyes flashing up at me, he wanted more so badly.
"Draco, please," he whinged, arms reaching up to pull me down to him once more, mouth latching onto mine, tongue rising to tangle with my own as I withdrew my fingers and lined myself up with his entrance, reaching down to slick myself with lube before gently pressing in, groaning, as usual, at how Harry could be so warm and tight while being so yielding all at the same time.
"Gods, you're fucking perfect," I sighed, eyes fluttering shut as I sank myself into him.
Harry didn't reply verbally, only wrapped his legs and arms around me, pulling me closer, body pressing into me, demanding that I keep going, and I began to slide in and out of him with the long, measured strokes that seemed to dissolve my Harry into an incoherent, babbling mess, although that plan quickly went to shambles as I lost myself in him, mouth latching on to his neck as my hips drove frantically in and out of him, his own snapping up to meet mine, still demanding more, tongues tangling furiously as we both approached that edge.
I couldn't stop the strangled cry that tore out of me as I felt Harry's body tighten, legs clamping around my waist as his back arched so high off the bed I heard a few joints crack, and I continued to plough into him as my orgasm finally crashed through me and I collapsed, rolling to one side, pulling Harry with me so that we recovered, panting, facing each other, hands still tracing patterns along arms, backs, and faces as tongues still explored, slowing to a lazy pace, until our mouths were just meeting, gently kissing as sleep finally took over.
***
Saturday Morning
05 December 2009
Draco's POV
I awoke with a start, the way you sometimes do when you've just lived through a traumatic, drama-ridden evening, and your brain - that fucker - forgets to remind you that all was fine and well, and the last thing you remember is that the love of your fucking life wasn't really yours and was under the spell of a bloody lunatic.
But then I saw Harry curled up next to me, head resting on his elbow, tucked up behind his head so he could press closer to me, as he always did, and my heart fucking melted as the rest of the evening came flooding back to me.
Merlin, I was so fucking lucky, I thought, as I leaned down to rub my nose against his, pressing a gentle kiss to his mouth, hand trailing down his back and cupping his arse to pull him even closer.
"Mmm," he murmured, eyes blinking open as he smiled up at me. "Morning."
"Morning," I replied, frowning as my phone pinged.
I grabbed it to see no fewer than one hundred and twenty-seven text messages and missed calls, and I rolled my eyes.
"I think Pansy's worried about me," I drawled, opening my texting app and sending Pansy a quick message to let her know I was okay and to leave me and Harry alone for the rest of the day.
And Mum.
And Blaise.
And Hermione and Ron.
And Micah and Ginny.
"What happened after I left?" I asked, pulling Harry back towards me.
"The Aurors swooped in and got him," Harry replied. "Hermione recorded everything, so I'm sure he's going to get what's coming to him.
"Department Head Bones said that Azkaban is nearly ready to reopen after the renovations, and he'll be there for a long time."
"Ben," I blurted out, sitting up. "Is he?"
"He's fine," Harry assured me, sitting up and threading his hands through my hair, soothing me. "They took him to St. Mungo's and were able to reverse all the spells. He chose to keep his memories. All of them."
Harry glanced up at me.
"They held us in the same room," he explained. "While they were running my tests."
I nodded.
"So, he remembers everything, then?"
It was Harry's turn to nod.
"He said he was surprised you even talked to him, the way he acted."
"I mean, he's right," I frowned. "But also, it was pretty obvious it was a dangerous situation and fraught with Dark magic, so..."
"I'm glad I got to meet him," Harry confided, eyes glancing down shyly.
"What, you're not scared of him anymore?" I asked, tilting his chin up so I could kiss him soundly on the mouth.
"No," he agreed, nodding happily, then smirking up at me.
"Also, it helps that he's, apparently, engaged.... not to mention, I have a feeling anytime I need to vent about a dramatic fit a certain blond is having, he'll understand exactly where I'm coming from."
I glared down at him despite pulling him towards me as we toppled back down into the bed.
"How'd you get past my wards?" I asked, frowning into Harry's thick tangle of hair. "I set them so they wouldn't permit you, specifically."
"I used the key," he replied, burrowing into my neck and inhaling deeply.
"The key?" I frowned.
"Yeah. You gave me one to use for when I've had too much to drink and can't Apparate," he explained. "Wards don't protect against that."
Huh.
Good to know.
"Fuck," I groaned, pulling Harry on top of me as I rolled onto my back.
"What?" he asked, sitting up and staring down at me, confused.
"The Prophet," I groaned. "They're going to be all over this."
"Oh," Harry nodded. "Yeah. They were already swarming St. Mungo's."
He paused and bit his lip, eyes not quite meeting mine, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
Honestly, Harry, my sweet, darling, somehow insecure man.
You'd think I'd been the one to find him sobbing his heart out beneath his rainshower last night and not the other way around.
"I'm not worried about them knowing about us," I assured him, raising up on my elbows to meet him for a kiss.
"I just... well," I sighed. "Whether we like it or not, our private time is over."
He sighed as well and then giggled.
"Well," he quipped. "At least I've got my t-shirt ready."
His hand shot out to catch the shirt from Charlie Weasley, and I burst out laughing as we tumbled back into bed, bodies already meeting, neither of us having any intention of dragging ourselves away from each other until absolutely necessary.
***
The front page of Sunday's Prophet showed a full-page photo of Harry walking into the stadium for the Magpie's match Saturday evening wearing the shirt that declared him an "Official Dragon Tamer."
"The Boy Who Lived in Confirmed Relationship with Ex-Death Eater Draco Malfoy," the headlines proclaimed, and we both groaned.
Naturally, the story about Williams and the Erised App was on the second page.
"Welcome to our new life," Harry quipped, chucking the paper aside and clambering on top of me.
Our new life, I thought happily, as Harry flipped over and pulled me down on top of him.
I rather liked the sound of that.