Fic: All-Inclusive (Part 2 of 4)

[bleedforyou1]

Title: All-Inclusive
Summary: 18 Days, 2 Boys, 1 Magical cruise-ship. All aboard!
Author:  bleedforyou1 
Prompt: Given by kayoko_chan for the travel fair: post-hogwarts; peppermint tea, hat, foam noodle
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Word Count: 15, 634 {yes, this is my longest H/D fic!!! :) It's posted in 4 parts}
Rating: R 
Warning: Slash, sex, profanity, bit of angst, some rimming, some fluff.
Author Notes: This is my first fest fic, and I'm so proud of this chunk of writing, it's not even funny! Thanks so much to kayoko_chan for the prompt, it was so great, and such a pleasure to write. I hope you like it! And thank you times a billion to the best beta in the world, thisgirl_is. She was brilliant, amazing, and every other synonym of awesome you could think of. Love you! This was written for the 2010 Travel Fair, supported by hd_fan_fair. The mods were wonderful as well! Here we go...I hope you enjoy it!



Nothing in the world could have prepared Draco to see a mud-covered Potter grinning in the sunlight and wiping his face with a white towel.

In fact, he was quite damn sure that the image was burned into his brain forever.

"Potter, you look like a caveman," he commented as the man in question walked up to him.

"Malfoy. You have no idea how much fun this thing is. If you didn't have such a stick up your arse, I'd tell you to try it."

"I do not -- " Draco spluttered before stopping himself. "You think I wouldn't?"

"I know you would never join in on such a frivolous activity," Potter sneered, trying to imitate Draco's own formal language.

"Oh you think you have me all figured out, Potter?" Draco glared at him.

"Not all the way figured out. For instance, I never quite figured out why you're such a pain in the -- "

"You know what, Mr. I-know-everything-about-everyone? I'm going to prove to you that you know nothing about me!"

With anger ringing in his ears, Draco made his way to the slide, toeing off his shoes and gingerly reaching up to cling to the rope. He slowly climbed behind the other men and women to the top of the slide, feeling slightly nauseous. Curse Potter for getting such a rise out of him. He was always the one who challenged and angered Draco the most -- because Potter represented everything Draco had ever wanted.

"You ready?" A man already covered in mud asked Draco, thumping him on the back.
Draco scowled, looking down at Potter, who was grinning from ear to ear and waving at him mockingly.

"Stupid Potter," he grumbled.

"What was that?" The man next to him asked as they continued through the line of people.

"Nothing, nothing. How does this contraption work, anyhow?" Draco asked.

"Well, you just kind of... slide!" The man said, losing his balance in the mud and accidentally knocking Draco down as well.

And he most certainly did not just shriek like a small girl. Did he?

~OoO~

"You -- And the slide... oh Merlin! And that scream?! You sounded like a five year old girl!"

Harry gasped out in between roars of laughter.

When he looked at Malfoy again, this time covered in sopping mud and grimacing, he broke out into a fresh peal of laughter.

"Yes, have your laugh, Potter. It's not my fault that oaf practically pushed me down -- "

"Pushed you? He nudged you with his arm! Damn, Malfoy! If I knew that was going to be so hilarious, I would've brought a camera!"

"Shut up, you insufferable prat! This is your bloody fault!"

"Why? I'm not the one who told you to go up there -- "

"Still!" Draco insisted. "That was insane! And now I'm all...dirty!"

Harry snorted in laughter as he watched Draco's blood rush to his cheeks in a blush.

"You're such an idiotic prat! I hate you."

"You hate me?" Harry suddenly stopped laughing. "You're the one who went up there on your own, git. Still not owning up to your own choices, huh Malfoy?"

"What? I -- you..." Malfoy spluttered. "You have no right to talk to me that way, Potter."

"Why? Because if I remember correctly, your choices nearly got people killed on more than occasion." Harry didn't know where the anger was coming from, but somehow, Malfoy hating him made him angry beyond belief.

"Really? I remember also, Potter. I remember your choice to use a dark curse on me when I was vulnerable -- "

"Vulnerable? You were using an Unforgivable on me!"

"You were stalking me!"

Harry suddenly closed his eyes, taking a sharp breath. He willed himself to calm down rather than pulling his hair out. Or Malfoy's hair.

"Screw you," Harry said finally, opening his eyes. He watched as Malfoy grit his teeth and glared at him.

"You're insufferable. Just stay away from me."

"Gladly."

Harry turned on his heel, practically stomping away from the annoying arse in a rush of what was not entirely anger -- a bit of hurt might've been a part of it too.

~OoO~

Over the next four days, they ran into each other everywhere. After quite a few verbal sparring matches, Draco was forced to admit it was tiring to have to be angry all the time. Sometimes, when Draco was slightly drunk from firewhiskey at night, he wished it was different between him and Potter -- that maybe it wouldn't have to be fighting and anger all the time. And then the next day, he would see Potter and feel pissed off all over again.

On the fifth day of the cruise, they ran into each other again. Literally. Draco was on his way back to the house-elf serving ice cream in the restaurant to ask him for an extra cherry when Potter crashed quite forcefully into him. He felt the hot peppermint tea that Potter was apparently drinking splash all over his body.

"Oh fuck!" Draco yelped, causing many of the patrons of the restaurant to glare at him. If his mother had been there, he would've got a brutal hex.

"Ahhh!" Draco cried out, feeling the still-steaming-hot tea splash onto his crotch. His eyes almost crossed in pain.

"Blimey, Malfoy! I'm sorry -- "

"Potter?! What the -- "

"Damn, damn, damn," Potter muttered, casting several cooling spells on Draco. At last, relief flooded down Draco's skin and he released the breath he had been holding.

"Wait just a minute -- is this peppermint tea, Potter? You actually drink this stuff?"

"Hey, shut up about my tea choices, Malfoy."

"Well, I consider it part of my tea choices as well, since they're apparently going to be dumped on me."

"It was an accident and you know it," Potter said, putting out his arm to help Draco up. Draco considered pushing the arm away, but a small part of him wanted to know what it would be like to touch Potter like that.

The second Draco pulled on the arm, a small girl ran past much too excitedly, causing Potter to slip and let go of his arm. Draco's arse would hurt for the next two hours -- at least.

"Oh, sorry, sorry!" Potter grimaced, helping him up again.

"Shit, Potter. Me being around you is bad luck," Draco said crossly, as he finally stood up. Potter had pulled too hard apparently, because he found himself fully encased in Potter's arms.

"Yeah, well," Potter mumbled practically into Draco's hair because of their closeness. Draco pushed back and stumbled slightly, though he'd never admit it.

"Merlin, that tea smells foul. I'll be washing the scent of peppermint off my skin for days." Draco sighed. He tried to think of something disparaging to say to Potter, but he couldn't think of anything. Well, there are firsts for everything.

"What do you have against peppermint, Malfoy?" Potter laughed.

Draco looked up at the man, slightly put off guard by the laugh. Potter, laughing at him, never ceased to make Draco's blood boil, but somehow, it was different this time. Like he wasn't laughing at him.

Before Draco could wonder about that, a house-elf appeared next to him, handing him a towel.

"I have nothing against it... it's just a very strong scent."

"Right," he said, walking away before Draco could respond.

Draco gritted his teeth -- something he rarely ever did unless around Potter -- and tried to ignore the weird bubbling in his stomach when Potter had held him for that moment.

~OoO~

The next time Harry saw Malfoy was later that day, when they had reached the Faroe Islands and stopped for the day.

Harry had been relishing the view of the small, greenery-covered island when he spotted Malfoy arguing with one of the vendors on the boardwalk. He smirked when he saw Malfoy putting his hands on his hips -- it was quickly becoming one of his signature poses in Harry's mind.

Draco the Drama Queen, indeed, Harry thought, feeling slightly vindictive. Regardless of the not-hate he felt towards Malfoy -- it was hard for Harry to say he hated anyone nowadays -- he still loved to irk him.

"There is no way I'm paying you twenty galleons for that!" Malfoy was arguing with the vendor, who was scowling at him.

"The price is twenty, sire. Either pay or don't," the elderly man grumbled.

"Malfoy." Harry was pleased when the man jumped slightly and turned to glare at him. "I didn't have you pegged for a bargainer."

"Just another thing you don't know about me, Potter." He sneered before turning back to the vendor.

"Fine, I'll give you 15, but I'm not going a knut above that!"

"Fine, fine, sire. I live to help tourists such as yourselves." The man rolled his eyes slightly. Harry bit down a laugh and watched as he packed up an amazing piece of jewellery.

"Oh, that's pretty, Malfoy. Is it for your boyfriend?" he teased, wanting to string him up. He felt, more than saw, Malfoy tense up next to him.

"No, I'm single at the moment. Not that it's any of your business. It's for my mother, actually. But I'm glad you've refined your taste, Potter. It'll help in the long run," he said, paying the vendor and making to leave.

Harry was startled at his words -- so Malfoy really was gay? He hadn't been sure, but it was just fun to rile him up.

"Wait." Harry reached out to stop him. The soft feel of the pale arm made Harry backtrack slightly.

"What now, oh, Savior?" Malfoy's cutting sarcasm made it all the more fun for some reason.

"I was wondering..." Harry racked his brain for something to say. "Have you heard about the whales?"

"The whales? What is that supposed to mean?" Malfoy looked curious so Harry cheered internally. He also wondered to himself why it mattered if he got Malfoy's attention or not.

"Come on, I'll show you." Harry leaned closer to him, and pulled on his arm.

"Okay, but quit with the manhandling. If you want to touch me, you have to buy me dinner first," Malfoy practically growled. Harry wondered if he was really joking or not.

They walked closer to the other side of the port, where the island's own ships were. On the far side was a giant pier, and underneath it the sea was blood red.

Malfoy gasped out loud and Harry turned to see him staring at the pier in horror.

"What is going on over there?"

"The Muggles call it 'whaling' or something like that. It happens on small islands like these. They cut down pilot whales in the water and use them for food and other stuff." Harry scowled.

"They hunt the whales...and kill them like that? But...that looks painful. Look at the sea! It's covered in blood!"

"Yeah...but that's a big part of their diet."

"Merlin... Muggles are so stupid and cruel."

Harry turned to him, raising an eyebrow.

"There's no need for that, Malfoy. I mean, yes, some Muggles are bad, but you can't just generalize like that."

"Are you not seeing this?" Malfoy gestured towards the ocean. "Muggles are bloodthirsty, barbaric and -- "

"Enough," Harry shook his head. "It's not like that with all of them. You see what you want to see, Malfoy. Not all Muggles are like the ones you've seen. There are some who are saving lives and others who are really good people. We're all human."

"Oh cut the crap, Potter. You seriously believe that they're on the same level as us?"

"Yes, I really do!" Harry snapped. "You were raised in a way that makes you believe they're dumb, that they're lower than us. But in actuality, they are on the same level! They've discovered things that we've never dreamed of -- "

"And yet they kill for no reason -- "

"Are you telling me, you of all people, that wizards don't do the same? There are plenty of wizards who kill for less. Tell me, Malfoy. Hasn't your father killed for less?" Harry demanded, crossing his arms.

"Don't you dare speak about my father, Potter! You don't understand anything about what happened to him -- "

"Yeah. I really don't understand how someone can follow a lunatic like Volde -- "

"You don't get it!" Malfoy practically shrieked. "My father didn't have a choice! You couldn't just quit being His follower! Once you're in, you're in for life! If he hadn't followed Him, the Dark Lord would've killed not only him, but his family, his friends... Father made the wrong choice when he was young, and he told me that! We all made mistakes, and now everything is gone! How do you think we're supposed to go on in a world that breeds pure hatred for us?!"

Harry stood in shocked silence, and then cleared his throat.

"Your choices make you who you are -- "

"And everyone deserves a second chance," Malfoy said, his voice hoarse. He turned on his heel and left Harry standing in the middle of the beach.

When Harry closed his eyes, the rush of water seemed to dissipate his anger and he sighed. In his mind, he saw Malfoy's face through blurry eyes, back at the Manor. When he had looked right at Harry and told his father that it wasn't him. It occurred to Harry then that maybe Draco was asking for a second chance.

~OoO~

Draco tried to remember the one time his parents had taken him to the beach, when he was seven years old, and he had built a sandcastle. Pushing his hands through the dense sand, he tried to recreate the same structure. He gave up doing it by hand and pulled out his wand, looking around to make sure no Muggles were around. He had chosen a secluded part of the beach, of course, where he sat and pulled the sand closer to him.

"It's more fun if you do it without magic."

The voice behind him made Draco drop his wand in the sand. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling slightly anxious in Potter's presence. He had no idea what had made him spout out all of that earlier in the day, but he just felt the need to make Potter understand somehow.

"Of course you'd feel that way," Draco muttered, picking up his wand and going back to his transforming spells.

As he was working, he felt more than saw Potter sit a few feet away from him, watching silently. He finished with another turn of his wand, sitting back to admire his work.

"It looks like Hogwarts," Potter said.

"That's because it is Hogwarts, idiot."

Potter sighed and looked away, but Draco didn't feel all that guilty. Potter really was an idiot sometimes.

"I thought... I don't know. I've changed since the war. I thought you wouldn't have changed at all -- but you have."

Draco looked up to stare at Potter, who was still looking away.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I mean...bloody hell, I'm no good at this." Potter shook his head, smiling slightly. "I just was--I mean... I was being pretty shitty earlier."

Draco waited for more from the man, but he seemed to be all talked out.

"I suppose... I was being rather... pig-headed as well. It's hard not to fight with you. Maybe it's in my blood."

Potter looked at him suddenly, and Draco winced. "Bad choice of words?"

The man laughed, shaking his head.

"And you call me insufferable."

"Well yes. You are."

~OoO~

It was beyond weird to actually have a conversation with Malfoy without insulting him. Well, maybe they insulted each other a little. In the end though, they walked back to the ship with a weird sense of understanding.

The next day, it was Iceland. Seydisfjordur, Iceland, to be exact.

"Try saying that five times fast," Harry said to Malfoy as the tour guide walked them around the very small town.

"Shut up," Malfoy snapped. "I'm trying to listen."

Harry rolled his eyes. The town was interesting, if you were a traditional type of person. Which, Harry guessed, Malfoy was.

When they were walking back to the ship, Harry felt Malfoy trudge up behind him. Harry slowed down and allowed Malfoy to walk next to him. "Potter. Have you been to that...Snitch Lounge?"

"Er..." Harry blinked. The Snitch Lounge was a dance club on the cruise that opened at night for the adults on the ship. "I haven't yet. You?"

"No... but I was going to. Tonight."

Was Harry imagining it, or was Draco Malfoy asking him out to a dance club?

"Yeah?" Harry was surprised to see his voice more husky than usual. "I might join you... that is, if you're asking."

"Well, if you just happened to be there around... 10:30, and I happened to be there, why would I mind?"

"10:30, huh? Well, I might just be there."

Malfoy suddenly smiled at him, and Harry felt his insides clench almost painfully as he smiled back.

~OoO~

Draco still had no idea what urged him to ask Harry Potter out on a date, but there you had it.

It was already 10:00, and Draco still couldn't choose an outfit. He had two laid out on his bed, but for the life of him, he could not choose.

After a small battle with himself, he finally picked out a silky silver shirt and a pair of tight-fitting black trousers.

By the time Draco got to the club, the music was in full swing and the patrons were dancing enthusiastically. He peered above the many intertwined bodies, searching for a glimpse of that crazy hair.

After a few moments of searching, a disappointed Draco headed over to the bar. He had somewhat hoped to arrive after Potter, in order to be fashionably late, and appear to not care about the date at all. On the inside, he was a nervous wreck. What will we even talk about? Will he ask me to dance? CAN he dance? The questions were swirling around in Draco's head until he suddenly stopped short in front of the bar.

Potter was sitting on a bar stool, looking absolutely lethal. Draco was slightly weirded out at the sight of Potter in dark washed skin-tight jeans and black shoes. As his gaze went up, his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he read what was written on the tight black t-shirt: How long will it take you to remove my shirt?

Merlin, tell me I am NOT attracted to Potter. Tell me I don't want to remove his shirt. Draco thought desperately. Except he really did want to.

Trying to appear cool-headed, Draco made his way to the bar and sat down next Potter. He felt a thrill when the man's eyes trailed down Draco's body just as he had moments before.

"What are you drinking?" Draco asked, remembering not to add a sneer to the question. It was so difficult with Potter.

The man grinned and turned fully towards Draco, holding up his glass. Draco looked down and blinked furiously. He could feel his cheeks heating up in a blush -- the jeans left no imagination towards the shape of Potter's crotch.

Draco looked up and into the eyes of an entirely too cheerful Potter.

"Scotch whiskey. What'll you have?"

"Mai Tai," Draco recited automatically. Potter stared at him for a moment, simply smiling but before Draco could ask what he was smiling at, the man turned and asked the bartender to fetch Draco's drink.

"So," Potter threw back the rest of his drink and Draco raised an eyebrow. "What brought you on the 'Magic of the Sea'?"

Part 3 here