Chapter Twenty-Two: Vacation's Conversations
Harry blinked as a muffled "thud" pounded through the walls of Malfoy Manor. A few minutes later a muffled "crash" followed. This time Harry put down his quill from the letter he had been writing to Ron and waited a minute. When he heard the muffled explosion he got up from where he'd been lounging on the bed and made his way into Draco's room. Draco was nowhere to be seen so Harry continued walking down the staircase into Draco's potions laboratory. Draco had spent the large part of three days in there, so Harry was not surprised in the least to find him there working on… something.
Despite the loud "smash" that shot through the room as Harry opened the door, Draco looked as if this was quite normal.
"I suppose you wanted those small explosions to happen" Harry commented as he closed the door behind him.
Draco nodded absently as he dropped something green into the bubbling cauldron, a silver one Harry noted. Harry opted to sit on one of the many stools in the room as Draco continued working on whatever it was he was working on. Harry had learned that when Draco was working on a potion that was either particularly intricate (never "difficult" because that would imply that there was a chance for failure) or one that reacted to certain steps particularly quickly he would soon forget that there was anyone else in the room. And when Draco didn't think there was anyone in the room, all his facades fell down to reveal a boy that Harry thought was absolutely beautiful. Had Harry been a poet he could have easily written an ode to the way the light of curiosity seemed to sparkle in Draco's eyes, making them seem like molten silver. If Harry had been the best artist in the world, he was sure that he could not have done Draco justice in the art media, nor the way the candle-lit room provided a glow that seemed to dance around his face and fingers as he stirred whatever he was brewing or chopped something with a fine silver knife. And Harry knew that these kinds of thoughts about Draco Malfoy would have scared him out of his skin back during the first week of school, but he realized he didn't mind them now.
Draco realized Harry was watching him again. Harry had been doing that off and on for the past few days. It was obvious to Draco that Harry was attracted to him at least but Draco wasn't sure how far that attraction went. It was rather frustrating. At times like this, when Harry's eyes stared at him in an almost unblinking fashion, as if afraid to miss one detail, or when he would awake in the morning to find Harry doing the same type of thing as he had slept, Draco was sure that Harry's emotions ran deeper. But when Harry knew that Draco was… well alert to his surroundings Harry was just amicable. It was rather frustrating because Draco didn't know how to respond to Harry when he flip-flopped through emotions like this. Like right now for example. If he stretched just a bit… yes, he could see Harry gulp ever so slightly. That didn't happen normally. It was almost like Harry couldn't make up his mind.
Draco didn't really blame Harry for this, because he was in the same boat really. Oh, he knew Harry was attractive, in a very different way than Draco himself was attractive, but he didn't really know quite where his feelings for Harry lay. There was also the small fact that neither Harry nor he himself had really broached yet: the fact that whether they fell in love with each other eventually or not, they were stuck together for life.
There would be no way they could hide this for all that long after they graduated Hogwarts… Merlin, Draco didn't even know how they were going to hide it through the summer when his friends were going to find it rather strange that Harry Potter just happened to be at the Manor they hadn't yet discussed how they should let the public view their relationship of sorts.
Draco's eyes quickly fell to the clock at his right. If there was another explosion in two seconds-
A loud smash rose from the swirling contents of the cauldron.
Yes, it was done. Draco fought back the urge to crow with glee as he looked at the swirling purple contents of his cauldron. He'd found this little thing in the back of one of his father's potions books and thought it would be fun to try it sometime.
"So what's the point of this one?" Harry's voice questioned from over his shoulder.
Draco was hit with a truly Slytherin idea and smirked over his shoulder at Harry. "Watch."
And Draco tipped the entire contents of the potion onto the table. Harry yelped as the potion began to spread rapidly. Draco pulled off his shirt and grabbed Harry around the waist, wings spreading outward from his back as he did so. His wings had grown enough to somewhat support him in flight so he was able to lift Harry off the floor and hold them both aloft as the potion continued its coursethrough the room.
The swirling purple substance spread throughout the room,crawling across anything it touched, until the entire room was a swirling purple color.
Harry's breath had caught in his throat when Draco had picked him up off the floor, and as Draco held him he tried to make his heart slow its frantic beating.
Draco fought down a smirk. He could feel Harry's heart pounding in his chest, and knew that wasn't only because he was surprised at what the potion did.
"Rather pretty" Draco breathed in Harry's ear. Harry tried to ignore the sensation of hot breath on his neck as he nodded.
"Is it permanent?" That sounded a little raspier than Harry had wanted it too.
"No, it goes away in a few hours" Draco replied, touching back down on the floor of the room now that the potion had settled.
Harry was surprised the next day when Draco appeared through the wall that separated their rooms.
"I'm going swimming. Want to come?"
Harry looked at Draco incredulously. "In the snow?"
"Yes, in the snow" Draco repeated as if he was talking to a little child.
"Isn't the water frozen?"
Draco smirked at Harry's confusion. "Just put your swimsuit on under your clothes and come on."
"I don't have a swimsuit," Harry pointed out truthfully.
"The House Elves will get you one" Draco replied as he disappeared back through the wall.
The House Elves had done as Draco said, and Harry found himself following Draco through the foot-deep snow towards where Draco had pointed out a lake. As they neared the lake Harry had to stop for a moment when he realized that it wasn't frozen, in fact, there was no ice to be seen anywhere in the lake, yet the snow reached right up to its banks.
As they neared the lake, the temperature seemed to rise… yet the snow remained on the ground and didn't melt. Warm snow… It was the strangest thing Harry had seen in a long time, and he said so.
"It's a long range warming charm" Draco replied "The House Elves are really good at it."
When they reached the bank of the lake, Draco calmly stripped off his outer clothing and plunged into the waters. Harry followed at a slightly slower pace.
"You act like you've never been in the water before" Draco commented as he surfaced a few feet away.
"I can count on one hand the times that I've gone swimming."
Draco blinked. "But you do know how to swim, right?"
Harry gave Draco a lopsided smile. "Yes, Draco, I do know how to swim."
Harry meandered into one of the libraries(the red one) and paused in the doorway to see Draco lounging on one of the couches. A book was spread across his lap but he wasn't reading. He was staring off at one of the bookshelves, clearly not really seeing it. He didn't move as Harry walked into the room and sat down on one of the chairs.
"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked softly.
Draco started and turned slightly to look at Harry. "What?"
"What are you thinking about?" Harry repeated.
"Oh." Draco turned to look at the bookshelves again. "We're going back to school tomorrow."
Harry waited for Draco to continue.
"I'm wondering how long we can hide this from everyone."
"We've done pretty well so far."
"That's fine for during school, but what happens when the year ends? Or, if we somehow manage to keep it a secret that long, what about after we finish school Someone is going to find out, and the longer we keep it a secret, the more fuss people are going to make… and the wilder the stories are going to be."
Harry frowned. Draco did have a point. The more they hid it, the more scandalous it became in the eyes of anyone looking in.
"Well, the rest of the school knows about you being a Veriae" Harry pointed out.
"Do they? The only book in the entire school about Veriae is in the Restricted Section. How many people in Hogwarts do you think have read it?"
"You, me, and Hermione."
"Exactly. They know the name but not the meaning. All they are going to see, or focus on, is that two boys who have disliked each other immensely over the years they've known each other are living together. If that doesn't spell scandal…"
"Well, the other sixth year Gryffindor boys all know that I'm not in Gryffindor tower anymore" Harry pointed out.
"But do they know why?"
"No." Harry idly wondered what conclusion they came up with on their own to explain his absence. "Why are you worried about it anyway?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'd like to be prepared for when it happens."
Harry was silent for a moment. "What kind of books do you like to read?"
"Huh?"
"Well," Harry began, "Roommates are supposed to know things about each other, right? So, if we are going to be prepared for when people find out about our arrangement, then we should know each other."
"Historical novel. You?"
"I don't like reading much… but I'd say fiction."
"Favorite subject?"
"Defense Against the Dark Arts… when there's a good teacher. You?"
"Potions."
"Should have known that. Least favorite subject?"
"Ancient Runes. You?"
"Potions."
Draco snorted. "Right. Favorite color?"
"Red."
"Silver."
"Least favorite color?"
Draco smirked. "Neon pink."
Harry wince. "Same."
"What do you want to do when you get out of school?"
"Become an auror, I guess."
"Get a mastery in Potions."
"No wonder." Harry paused for a few moments.
"It's your turn to ask a question Harry." Draco reminded him.
"I'm thinking… If you had to be stuck on a deserted island with either Trelawney or Filch, which would you pick?"
"What? Neither, I'd throw them to the sharks. Where did you come up with that?"
"I dunno. It was random."
Draco thought for a moment. "First crush?"
"Cho Chang" Harry replied immediately and sullenly.
An eyebrow rose. "I won't ask. King Arthur."
"Huh?"
"There was this picture of him in a book I read a long time ago… I always thought Guinevere was so stupid to leave him for Lancelot."
Harry boarded the train to Hogwarts and was pulled through the train towards the group of "Gryffindor" compartments by his enthusiastic friends.
"How was your vacation, Harry?" Hermione asked as she closed the door.
"It was fine."
"Malfoy didn't do anything? Because if he did, I'll pound him-"
"Really Ron, it was fine."
"Hi Harry."
Harry smiled up at Ginny and Dean who walked into the compartment and were shortly followed by Neville and Seamus.
Pansy looked a little annoyed when she walked into one of the decidedly Slytherin compartments to see Draco seated quite comfortably between Crabbe and Goyle. Blaise, who was already seated across from them laughed at the look on her face, causing Draco to look up. He shot her something between a smile and a smirk.
"Maybe next time, Pansy dear."