caring
Title: Caring
Rating: PG 13
Genre: Romance/Humor
Length: 8077 words, oneshot
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Disclaimer:Not mine, not mine, not mine, though I'd like to think the idea is.
Summery: Harry and Draco get stuck taking care of a fake baby for a school project.
Note: Writen for hump_day101 challenge using the prompt 'It takes a(n)' and making it fluff.
Also, twistedm remixed this into Caring: The Hot and Heavy Remix
Increasing knowledge of the future.
That’s what Dumbledore called his new little project. Of course, no one really knew what that meant, save for the teachers, who weren’t allowed to say. Half the school thought they would be learning spells for the war. The other half thought it had to do with figuring out what career to go into. The few other students not included in the halves didn’t care because it was an idea of Dumbledore’s so it would be stupid. Those, unsurprisingly, were some of the Slytherin’s and a very angry Ravenclaw.
Harry was wavering between the two halves. He rather hoped it would have to do with the war because if he couldn’t get through that what was the use of figuring out what his career would be. Hermione kept telling him it would be about careers because who would teach first years spells and such for war. Ron agreed with Hermione because it was Hermione who said it and Hermione was never wrong. Harry still hoped.
Draco was one of the Slytherins who didn’t care because no matter what it would be a stupid idea. It was, after all, Dumbledore who thought of it. Draco would rather it have been about the war though. All the more spells to throw at Potter and his pitiful friends. Though, knowing Dumbledore, it would be the career one.
Draco was rather unhappy to find out the real thing.
Harry was confused about the real thing.
“Wait, we’re carrying around baby dolls for a week?” Ron asked, as perplexed as his best friend was.
“In the simplest terms, yes,” Hermione muttered out of the corner of her mouth. Ron gave her a look that clearly said ‘why the bloody hell would we do that?’
Professor Sprout gave him an exhausted look. “Actually Mr. Weasley, they are ‘baby dolls’ with charms on them to cry, wet itself, and drink-”
“Even better,” Seamus murmured too loudly to Dean sitting beside him, not realizing he’d stopped Sprout in her tracks. “One that goes pee and makes annoying noises.” Dean stifled his laughter because he was more observant than his friend.
“While this project may be annoying to some of you, it is a very demanding project that will take a lot of your time and-” Once again she was cut off by a voice, this time, from the Slytherin side.
“Time? Just slip a silencing charm on it and be done with it,” Draco scoffed, his fellow housemates chuckling.
“It takes a lot of tender loving care and responsibility. You cannot put a silencing charm on it. This is counted as twenty percent of your final so I would suggest you take this seriously. Plus it records what happens to it.” Neville raised his hand. “Meaning if you let it cry for an hour, don’t feed it for a day, or don’t clean it when it wets itself it will be recorded and deducted from your grade. Plus it records touches so if you never touch it or hold it by its arm I will know.” Neville’s hand fell down.
Seemingly satisfied that none of the students were asking questions, granted they were grumbling and moaning, she turned and walked to the large box on the only table cleared of plants.
“Taking care of a baby is a lot like taking care of a plant. You must make sure it is healthy, feed, watered, and comfortable. Only if this baby dies, yes it can die, you will receive a bad grade. Remember: twenty percent of your final,” she concluded to mass grumbling. “There’s no use complaining,” she said cheerily, clapping her hands together. “Now, you will be getting your partners and the babies in this class.”
Harry looked over to Ron, confirming their partner status but Hermione shook her head thoughtfully. “She said you will be receiving your partner, not picking them.” Seamus dropped his head to the table only to leap out of his seat with a howl.
“Aw, crap!” There, in the middle of his forehead, was a finger length splinter. Dean had to bite his lip to hold back laughter.
“Now, now, don’t be such a baby,” Sprout said, rushing over at Seamus’ outburst. Harry and Ron looked at each other, promptly letting out a burst of laughter. Hermione tutted. They turned around at the Professor’s glare.
Draco looked over to the Gryffindor side, watching Sprout spell a splinter out of Seamus’ face. Gryffindor’s were the biggest idiots around. “Could you get any stupider?” he asked Goyle.
“Erm, did you want me too?”
Draco rolled his eyes and ignored him to instead send brain waves to the Professor to partner him with Blaise or Pansy. Anyone but a Gryffindor or Crabbe or Goyle.
“Now,” she said, returning to the box, “You will be partnered. I will not partner you but,” faces fell, “you will be choosing your partner out of a hat.” And with that a pointed school hat floated over to hover in front of her. The class looked at it as if it were a particularly evil thing which, depending on your partner, it very well could be.
Neville looked at it in freight as Pansy stood up and pulled a slip of crisp folded paper out of the hat. “Please don’t put me with a Slytherin. Please don’t put me with a Slytherin…”
Harry nudged his foot and smiled reassuringly at him. Seeing Neville paired with a Slytherin wouldn’t be good considering he was so easy to insult and got worked up about it. Then again, Harry didn’t want to be paired with a Slytherin either.
“Lavender Brown,” Pansy questioned, looking to the teacher.
“Yes, go sit with your partner.”
Pansy walked jerkily over, Lavender’s face in confusion too. The rest of the class stared at Sprout for an explanation.
“Is there a problem?” She walked from behind the table to stand before the three girls.
“Erm,” Parvati started, not surrendering her seat to Pansy. “But she’s a girl.”
“Great observation, Patil,” Draco sneered.
“Your remarks are not needed, Mr. Malfoy.” She turned back to the girls. “The sex of the partners doesn’t matter for this project. You’re taking care of a baby, not getting married.” Snickers followed this. Ron, along with a few other boys, looked like that’s exactly what they wanted to see.
“I better not be paired with a boy…well, you‘d be fine but…” Ron muttered to Harry, who nodded his agreement. Now he had the potential to be paired with Malfoy. He looked over at the blond boy and they locked eyes. Apparently he just had the same thought.
“Honestly, Ron. It doesn’t matter,” Hermione said from his other side.
Harry broke the eye contact once Draco started glaring.
Blaise nudged him in the ribs. He tore his eyes away from watching Longbottom’s arm tremble pleasantly to glower at Blaise. He loved watching Gryffindors tremble.
“I bet we both’ll get paired with boys.” He nodded smugly, leaned back in the chair, and crossed his arms, turning to see Neville’s shoulder slump in relief as he called out “Hermione,” and rushed to squeeze Ron and Harry over so he could sit beside her.
“What makes you so sure?”
“Divinations.”
Draco snorted. It was rather unlike him to do so, but the sentence was so ludicrous that it deserved it.
“Watch,” Blaise pointed to the front of the room where Ron was looking gloomily at his paper.
“Blaise Zabini.” He glanced up to see Blaise sweeping his hands at the chair Draco was in.
“What!” Draco said incredulously, but Blaise simply pushed him off, landing him on his bum on the floor. Glaring through his bangs he saw Ron standing before him, holding a snicker back. On his way up Draco made sure to kick him in the shin. Twice. One of them for Blaise of whom he couldn’t reach.
Blaise tugged Ron’s sleeve, sending him onto the chair. He opened his mouth in protest but Professor Sprout cut in, calling Theodore Nott to the hat. Draco quickly took his vacant seat, brushing his robes off and looking tartly at Daphne’s face glowing with humor.
Once Theodore sat beside Seamus, forcing Dean to take Ron’s ex-seat Harry was called up. Sparing a glance behind him he shot a look of mirth at Malfoy, still finding the image of him on the floor hilarious.
A crumbled piece of paper hit Draco on the back. He turned to see Blaise jerking his head towards Potter, Weasley beside him looking confused. Blaise mouthed “Watch” to both of them.
Harry opened the paper then, a bout of panic climbing his spine, furtively tried tossing it back in and grab another one, but at the Professor’s look he locked eyes with Draco for the second time and stared.
“What!” Draco outburst. “No way. I refuse.” He leaned back with a huff.
“And I don’t?” Harry exploded back at him.
“Take a seat. Gregory Goyle, you’re next.”
Passing Goyle on his way back Harry looked at Draco then his own seat. Draco raised his eyebrows, turning his attention to the front of the room. Goyle received Daphne as his partner. He smiled goofily at her.
Plopping into the seat beside Draco, Harry breathed out heavily, the damned paper still clutched in his hand. Draco looked at it in irritation. “This is all your bloody fault,” Draco said to the paper and Harry.
Harry stared in the other direction, successfully ignoring Draco till something hit him in the back. From behind him Blaise shrugged, mouthing “Told you,” to Draco, who’d turned around too. Ron shot Harry a sympathetic look, rolling his eyes at Blaise. Harry smiled back at him. At least both of them were stuck with annoying Slytherins. Though, Harry felt, he’d gotten the nastier end of it.
Dean became paired with Parvati and Goyle with Millicent. All the groups, save for the few paired with someone from their own group and Seamus were quiet. Nott looked ready to throw Seamus out the greenhouse windows if he didn’t shut up. He never was much of a talker.
“Told you what?” Harry questioned, perplexed at Blaise’s mouthing. Not that he expected Draco to answer. Draco didn‘t disappoint him.
“Here’s your child,” Sprout said, gently laying the ugliest doll Harry’d ever seen on the table. It was faceless, hairless, and a very bright shade of white. It didn’t even resemble a doll.
Draco’s eyebrows rose. “That’s our child?” She nodded tartly and handed Blaise and Ron theirs. Draco glanced at Harry from the corner of his eyes. “I’m never having a child with you again, Potter.”
“What are you talking about, it looks like you.” He grabbed one of the white arms. “Look, same skin tone.” Draco scowled and shoved the baby out of his hands. “Hey! You’ll break it!”
“Yes, be more careful, Potter, because I am not getting a T on this project or anything below an O.”
“Maybe you should do it by yourself, then.”
“Maybe I will.”
“Good.”
“It’s a group project,” Professor Sprout stressed. “If you don’t work together you’ll both get the bad grade.”
“You know,” Ron started, walking beside Harry down the hall to their next class, potions, “Since they all look the same you can just switch them with someone else’s if you do something to yours.”
Harry smiled and Hermione swatted his shoulder. “You will do no such thing Ronald!” she shrieked.
Ron grimaced. “Sure, Mum.” She just scowled at him.
Harry held his white disfigured baby up, dangling it by its foot. “I don’t know how they’re even supposed to be a baby. Looks more like something that came out of a fire.”
“Minus the black burns,” Ron added
“Don’t ho-” Hermione got out before she was cut off.
“I’m not getting a T, Potter,” Draco scowled, ramming into him and catching the baby before it hit the floor. “Hold your arms out,” he demanded before Harry could straighten back up.
“What? You can’t order me after you just run into me!” Harry looked in amazement at him.
“I can do whatever the hell I want.” And with that he shoved the doll into Ron’s arms and roughly tugged Harry’s arms out, making sure to grip tight enough to leave bruises. Harry gritted his teeth but didn’t give Draco the satisfaction of hearing him complain.
“Fuck off!” Ron shouted in confusion. He looked torn between the baby and the floor. Should he drop it or not? Before he could make up his mind, Draco snatched it out of his hands, but not before somehow jabbing him in the ribs. He placed it in Harry’s hands so that he was cradling it.
Harry stared at him. “What the…If you want it done right you carry it.”
Blaise rounded the corner, stopping beside the four of them. Hermione quickly snuck off, seeing Neville trying to balance the baby and his textbooks in his arms, Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind him, cracking their knuckles.
“No way will I be seen carrying a doll in the halls, or at all,” he added when Harry opened his mouth in protest.
Nudging Ron, Blaise raised his eyebrows and jerked his head to Harry and Draco. “Lover’s spat.” The pair glared at him, Ron staring at them in confusion and horror.
Harry followed Ron’s eye to his own arms. Draco was resting his hands there from when he’d strategically put the baby in them. He cleared his throat, turning quickly and setting off down the hall, pretending not to notice. He heard Draco exploding at Blaise for the comment and Ron hurrying after him.
“So, um, do you want to do it or sho-”
“Utercumque eyes.” Draco waved his wand and an exact replica of Harry’s green eyes appeared on the baby’s face. Draco snorted. “Of course.”
He did it again and again till its face was finished. The baby turned out getting Draco’s blond hair but Harry’s thickness, Draco’s pointed facial shape, and Harry’s darker skin. They couldn’t figure out whose ears it was.
“Oh God, it’s got my eyebrows,” Harry moaned, staring at the deep contrast between that and its hair.
Draco turned his head to the side thoughtfully. “Your right, it does,” he mused. “All thick and bushy. Utercumque fingers.”
“What! My eyebrows are not thick and bushy.” His hand flew up to his eyebrows to make sure. Draco laughed and did the spell for the toes.
“Yes, I forgot. It’s Mudblood’s that is.”
Harry’s hand snapped down, pulling Draco’s wand out of his loosely gripping fingers. “Don’t call her that,” he growled lowly. Draco might have uttered the name with less malice then usual but Hermione was his friend and it bothered him greatly. Why’d he have to take his anger out at his friends when it was him who Malfoy was usually mad at?
“Ten points from Slytherin,” Snape said silkily, gliding over to their table. “I’d ask you to reframe from touching Mr. Malfoy’s wand but I’m sure you’d have trouble doing that anyway.” He stared smugly at him till he handed the wand back to Draco, not even needing to look at his face to know he was smirking.
Once Snape glided over to Neville and Hermione, no doubt hoping to get Neville for something, a piece of paper hit Harry on the back. Again he turned to see Blaise and Ron looking over. Ron waved his hand to indicate it was him and mouthed “Snape’s a bastard.”
“I’d be careful if I were you Weasel. I can read lips,” Draco whispered. They were only a table behind Harry and Draco.
“You were touching his wand?” Blaise questioned, heavy emphasis on the last word.
“What?” Ron asked in confusion.
“What!?…Eww.”
“Ten more points for your outburst, Potter,” Snape said in the middle of his berating Neville. Harry ignored him to instead glance at Draco out the corner of his eye.
“Took you long enough. You Gryffindors are way too innocent.” Draco rolled his eyes, Blaise mimicking him. With a sigh he turned to explain to a still confused Ron.
“Is it done?” Harry indicated the baby. At Draco’s nod he continued, “It’s ugly….Takes after you.”
Draco opened his mouth when Snape cut through. “Now that everyone is done I will tell you which sex your ‘child’ is and you will pick the name.” Harry looked at Draco, just imagining what horrid names he would want.
“Thomas and Patil, yours is a girl. Granger and Longbottom, boy. Parkinson and Brown, boy. Goyle and Greengrass, girl. Malfoy and Potter, boy. Crabbe and Bulstrode, girl. Zabini and Weasley, girl. And Nott and Finnigan, boy. Now get to work, you have fifteen minutes left.”
Harry picked at his nails, trying to come up with a name. He rather liked Brian.
“Its name is Antal,” Draco announced.
Harry sputtered. “What kind of name is that? How about Brian or Brent?” Nice normal names that he could pronounce would be preferable.
Draco scrunched in nose in dislike. “So unoriginal. Oh! Adalrico. It means noble, powerful, and rich. Noble for you, and powerful and rich for me.” He smirked and leaned back in the chair under the mislead thought that the conversation was settled.
“Powerful?” he snorted. “Yeah, okay. I want a name I can pronounce-”
“It’s not my fault you need lessons in spee-”
“I want Brian or Brent. Something normal. Not Alrico.”
“Adalrico.”
“Whatever.”
And since neither wanted to give in they simply sat there, backs at each other, not talking and not appointing a name. Two minutes before the end of class Harry began to panic a bit. He knew if they didn’t have a name Snape would somehow blame it on him and take points off of Gryffindor, but he didn’t want to give Malfoy the satisfaction of getting his way.
Draco really, really wanted his name. Not sure why, he propped himself up on the table and gently kicked Harry on the leg. He turned around and glared at him.
“What? Decide to give in?” His lips curled upward in a smile.
“No,” Draco purred, fluttering his eyelashes lightly. “I really, really want to name him Adalrico.” He trailed his foot up Harry’s leg, enjoying the way his eyes widened, shooting rapidly between Draco’s face and his foot climbing up his leg. “I promise to make you feel really, really good.” Right as his foot reached the inner of Harry’s thigh he stood up suddenly, bating Draco’s leg away.
“Yeah, I-I guess Alrico is fine.” Harry rubbed at his knee that had hit the table on his way up.
“Good.” He leapt off the table and started to head up to Snape to inform him of the name and have him perform the spell for the baby to start working.
Harry narrowed his eyes, willing his blush to disappear. “But it gets my last name.”
“What! No way. It’s not going to be a Potter.”
“Well, it’s not going to be a Malfoy.”
“You’re the girl so it gets my last name!” Harry retorted, referring to Draco’s softer looks.
Draco smirked lazily, quirking an eyebrow. “Don’t be making promises you can’t keep.”
Harry gapped open mouthed for a few seconds before snapping it shut. “It’s not - I meant - You’re unbelievable!”
“Thank you.”
“It’s not a compliment,” Harry deadpanned.
“But I’m taking it as one.” Snape announced the end of class. “So what is it?”
“Alrico Brian Malfoy-Potter.” Harry started gathering his stuff together.
“Adalrico!” Draco considered it. “If you take the baby today it can have your last name.”
“Sure.”
Draco nodded and headed up, telling Snape it was Adalrico Antal Malfoy-Potter. Snape raised his left eyebrow in question but said nothing, simply murmuring a spell in the direction of the baby. When Draco turned around Harry was gone and the baby was sitting on the table, crying.
Blaise laughed wildly. Draco hit him upside the head, cursing stupid Potter and wishing he’d changed the last name to his own.
The three friends flopped onto the chairs at the fireplace. Hermione with a book in her lap and Harry and Ron with nothing, though they had plenty of homework upstairs to do.
“I can’t believe you have Malfoy for a partner.” Ron grimaced, fingering his baby’s red hair, luckily it hadn‘t cried at all since he‘d had it. It looked just as ugly as Harry and Draco’s. Red hair, the only thing of Ron’s that the baby seemed to have, didn’t look right with Blaise’s looks. “Then again, I got Blaise. He’s…weird.”
“How so?” Hermione asked.
Ron stared at the fire. “He just is.”
Ignoring Ron’s strange reaction she turned to Harry. “What were you two arguing about? You know, when he was on the table and you leapt off your seat as if it were on fire?”
Harry blushed, turning to watch Colin take pictures of Parvati and Lavender with their babies, which somehow turned out looking nice. “Erm, he was just being a prat, as usual. Can you believe he wanted to name it Alrico? Or Adlico. Something like that.”
“You didn’t let him name it that did you?” Ron asked, shooting his head from the fire to scrutinize Harry.
“Erm, yeah,” Harry answered, feeling sheepish. Now he wished he hadn’t changed the topic to that. It just made him think of Malfoy’s foot trailing up his leg. It had felt…nice. It had kind of tickled…in a good way. Harry shook his head, answering defensively. “The class had ended. I just wanted to get out of there without any more points deducted.”
“He decided to take the baby?” Hermione glanced up from her large tome to look unbelievably at Harry.
“Well, no. I was supposed to take it.” He smiled slyly, glad to have done something right. Making Malfoy mad was good. Letting him run his foot up his leg was not.
Ron opened his mouth, struggled for a few seconds, then blurted, “Blaise says you two have sexual tension and will resolve it by the end of the week!”
Harry and Hermione both stared at him.
“Is it true?”
The book fell off Hermione’s lap with a plunk; she was laughing so hard. Harry wondered if she had seen the leg thing. “No! I mean, that’s disgusting. I’m straight and it’s Malfoy.” He shivered.
“I mean,” Ron said in a rush, “If you’re gay that’s fine, I guess but it’s Ferret.”
“Exactly, and I’m not but thanks for the vote of acceptance. I think.” Harry had an internal struggle. He really wanted to know. “Why’d he say that?”
Hermione smirked, moving from her seat to perch on Ron’s chair’s arm. “Maybe Malfoy has a thing for you. Maybe…he wants to trail his foot up your leg,” she said to Harry’s horror, demonstrating on Ron. Ron shivered and pushed her leg away, blushing profusely.
“Completely nutters that one,” he muttered, getting up shakily, Harry following, not wanting to be left with the all-knowing Hermione.
“Aw, come on guys. I was kidding.” Harry and Ron didn’t stop in their pursuit up the boys’ staircase. “Get back here. You’ve got homework due tomorrow to do!”
“What’s gotten into her?” Ron asked by means of ignoring Hermione’s homework remark. He rubbed at his leg, biting his lip. Harry shook his head.
“My class is where your child will be checked for damages,” Professor McGonagall announced the next day, after everyone sat next to their partner. “Now, today I’m going to check. This will just be checking for outward-” she broke off as Daphne and Goyle’s baby started wailing. She continued louder, “For outward damages, not internal such as not handling which will be checked at the end of the week.”
She headed to the front group, Hermione and Neville. The former was patting Neville on the arm sympathetically, though looking like she was trying to conceal her anger, while he moaned about something, gesturing wildly to the baby.
“Why’s he have a band aid on his elbow?” McGonagall asked, starting to peel it off the baby. Neville muttered something inaudible.
Draco snickered joyfully, practically wringing his hands in delight at the prospect of Granger being deducted points.
“That’s not nice,” Harry spoke for the first time since they’d sat together.
“Neither is you leaving me the baby after you said you’d take it,” he retorted, his face changing dramatically from delight to anger in a split second. “For that you get Adalrico for two days.”
Feeling guilty, Harry agreed.
“Aww, shit!” Ron exclaimed from the table beside them. Blaise scrunched his nose.
“Language, Mr. Weasley,” McGonagall barked, pausing to write in her grade book before moving on to Lavender and Pansy.
“What happened?” Draco asked Blaise. “Weasel finally realize his family is - Ow! What the fuck, Potter?” he growled, turning to stare at Harry, his hand itching to throw a curse him but knowing full well that McGonagall had turned her attention to them. He ignored McGonagall’s “Language”; his foot was throbbing wildly. He aimed a kick at Potter’s groin but anticipating something he managed to leap off the stool and stand behind Ron.
“What’s up?” Harry asked, shooting an anxious look Draco’s way.
“Chasity peed,” Ron moaned, shoving her at Blaise, whose nose scrunched, if possible, further.
“No, way. Professor,” Blaise called out. “Where do you keep the spare diapers? Ron needs one.” He indicated the baby and Ron standing in front of it, looking forlornly down at it.
At the instructions he bounded off and returned with them. Harry slipped back to his table, not wanting to find out if they really looked like babies under the clothes. He suffered a kick in the shine for his lack of judgment.
Suddenly Harry stopped rubbing his shin and looked up at Draco, who was watching Ron’s attempt to change the baby’s diaper, amusement playing in his eyes.
“Do you think there’s anything between us?” Harry blurted the question that’d been in the front of his mind ever since Ron told him about their so called ‘sexual tension.’ Just what had made Blaise think they had any? Was Harry simply not seeing it?
“Besides air?” Draco answered, not taking his eyes off of his source of enjoyment.
“No.” Harry fidgeted, wishing he’d never brought it up. “I mean. Emotional, I guess.”
Quirking one eyebrow, Draco switched his amusement to Harry. “I hate you. You hate me.”
“Um…like tension.” Why couldn’t he stop talking? Draco stared at him, thinking. “Never mind.”
“No, wait. What are you getting at, Potter? I can only think of two types of tension.” He leaned forward, analyzing Harry closely. “Do you mean our hating tension…or sexual.”
Harry blushed. “We don’t have any.”
“No, I guess you’re right.”
“Bloody hell!” Ron spat liquid out of his mouth. Blaise doubled over in laughter. Their baby was shooting pee out all over Ron. “This had better not be real pee!”
Blaise actually fell on the floor. “It smells like it!” he choked out.
Draco looked in curiosity at Goyle. His baby was wrapped in a blanket. Only the tuff of its hair was sticking out.
“It got a cold?” Draco scoffed, trying to sound witty but not succeeding because he was too curious.
Goyle stared at him. “No. Can they get colds?” He bit his lip in worry, looking down at the baby and Draco was reminded of the night before when he’d walked into his dorm room. It wasn’t something he ever wanted to see again.
Of course he had to decide to go to bed early on the exact night when Goyle was naked in bed with the curtain wide open and Daphne strewn across him.
Draco shivered from the memory. He was definitely scarred for life.
“Get with your partner,” McGonagall said, standing in front of the first desk.
Draco moved to sit with Harry because he didn’t want to be sitting there when Daphne walked over. Together they made so many rolls of fat that Draco had a nightmare of bread rolls flattening him. He didn’t need anymore reminders of yesterday.
Harry looked up in shock when Draco sat next to him but didn’t say anything. Draco was grateful because the Goyle Daphne tryst was running through his head and he felt like he was going to be sick. Then Professor McGonagall shouted at the source of his sickness. Draco felt slightly better.
“You killed your baby! On the third day!” Goyle and Daphne had the grace to look ashamed. Draco didn’t want to think about what they were doing that caused them to neglect the baby, therefore, having it die. But of course he did.
“What?” Harry asked, noticing Draco’s shiver.
“Nothing.” He turned to peer at Harry. “At least you didn’t kill Adalrico. Did you?”
“If I did will you take him back?”
“No, because he’d be dead and I’d have to kill you.”
“He’s fine….He peed on Ron last night.” Harry smiled at the memory. McGonagall’s shouting in the background made them speak quietly so she wouldn’t, in a fit of rag, turn to them and deduct points. She started into lecture mode after all and no one was supposed to interrupt her then.
Draco smiled. “Did he?”
Harry turned in his seat, facing Draco. “Yeah. I thought he might have already gone because he kept crying so I had Ron come over to help. At first he didn’t want to because he was afraid he’d have a repeat of the day before but the crying was driving him crazy so he changed the diaper and got peed on.” Harry chuckled softly. He felt guilty for telling it to someone who would surely use it against Ron but it was funny.
Draco patted Adalrico on the head. “Good boy.”
And they both burst out in laughter because Draco was still slightly unnerved at what he’d seen last night and anything that distracted him from it was good, and Harry found the sight of Draco looking tenderly at the baby made his stomach feel funny so he laughed, hoping it would go away.
It was one of those times when once you started laughing you couldn’t stop. McGonagall lecturing on about how to take care of an animated baby doll made everything more funny, causing them to gasp for breath. The class turning to stare at them made them fall against each other for support, Draco grabbing Harry’s hand to stop himself from slipping off the seat. Blaise, nodding smugly and gesturing wildly to Ron didn’t make any sense to them but Ron’s horrified face was funny. McGonagall looking confused and asking them what was so funny made Harry’s back hurt and tears come to Draco’s eyes.
Once they managed to compose themselves McGonagall took ten points from each of their houses, checked their baby for damage, and passed to the next group after finding none.
Harry was feeling giddy when he left the classroom, Adalrico in tow, and met up with Ron and Hermione. Had he really laughed with Draco Malfoy? Had he actually enjoyed himself? What the hell had been so funny? But his hand felt weird, and it was a good weird, and he didn’t care.
“So, erm, what was so funny?” Ron asked once they sat at the Gryffindor table and started eating supper.
Harry slowly deflated. “I don’t know.” He transferred Adalrico to his other arm.
“It was strange. Almost like you two were getting along.” He looked at Harry as if waiting for his disagreement but none came because, where they getting along? They were.
“Oh, Ron. It’s not impossible for people to get along,” Hermione huffed, aspirated.
“When it’s Harry and Malfoy it is.”
It was the third day straight that Harry had Adalrico with him and he was slightly mad. Just what made Malfoy think he could disregard their - their, not Harry’s - project when he was the one so set on getting an O.
Harry sighed and sat on an overturned bucket in the broom closet. He wasn’t really supposed to be waiting for Draco in the closet but he got tired of standing in the charms corridor and the closet next to him had a nice seating spot.
“What are you doing in the closet?” Draco smiled.
Harry, not registering the innuendo, replied tersely, “Waiting for you.”
His eyebrows shot up. “I’m already out of the closet. Don’t plan on going back in.” He pretended to think then shook his head. “No, not even for you.”
“You just came from a clos - Oh.” Awkwardly Harry held out Adalrico. Draco took him and swiftly turned to go, realizing that he’d just admitted what he’d only told his Mother and closest friends. Harry stopped him in his track with, “You’re gay?” His voice rose up a few octaves on the last word.
Draco’s shoulders slouched but quickly he composed himself and faced Harry. “And so help me, if you tell a single soul I’ll curse you so hard your parents will feel it in their grave.”
Scowling Harry turned around but it wasn’t enough for Draco. He needed to know that Harry wouldn’t tell because if his Father found out he would be beyond pissed.
All Draco could figure out was that if he made Harry look like he was gay or think he was gay then he wouldn’t tell. No, if Harry was involved he wouldn’t want to tell anyone for fear of sounding like he was gay.
So Draco did what he thought he would never do but had been thinking about since Harry asked if there was any tension between them. He lunged across the small closet at the exact moment Harry stood up to leave and latched his lips on top of Harry’s.
Unconsciously, Harry’s eyes closed but he stiffened. Not a thought was running through his mind except for ‘What?’ Then Draco’s slick tongue rubbed against his lips and Harry gasped, Draco taking that moment to slip his tongue inside. And it was like nothing Harry had ever felt. The other boy tasted like chocolate and mints and his hair was thin and smooth and when had his hand twisted in the blond locks?
Draco gently dropped Adalrico onto the bucket, opting instead to put his hand on Harry’s arse. He squeezed, loving the mewling that came forth from the boy. Then Harry started kissing back and Draco couldn’t help it, he jumped up, locking his ankles together around Harry’s waist.
Stumbling a bit at the extra weight Harry was about to put Draco down when he jerked his lower body against Harry’s. Harry hadn’t even realized he was hard but now - oh now - he felt it and it felt so good when Draco did that.
Draco thrust forward again, reveling in the hardness pressed against him when he felt himself falling
They landed on the ground, Draco sprawled across Harry. Something hard and sharp was pressing into Harry’s back so he rolled over onto Draco. He couldn’t hear anything; his ears were roaring.
But he did hear Draco yelp.
Draco snatched his hand back from the offending floor to see red droplets rolling off it. Standing up he kneed Harry in the groin and started sucking on his hand, searching for what he’d cut it on.
“Shit.”
“Hmm?” Harry asked, finding the situation highly embarrassing suddenly. What the hell happened?
“Adalrico,” Draco moaned, pointing to the floor where their baby lay in five pieces.
“Oh.” Harry didn’t see what such a big deal. What could be bigger than what had just happened between the two of them? But Draco looked so sad that Harry suddenly found he cared a bit and tried to think of something. “We can just Reparo it.”
Draco stared at him so Harry tried. And tried. And for good measure he tried again, pushing through his clouded mind to perform the spell perfectly.
Nothing happened.
“If you break a real baby into five pieces is it going to Reparo back together?” Draco yelled, his face going splotchy. “You….You….Erg!” And he stomped off yelling over his shoulder, “Do something before tomorrow!”
Harry stared at Draco’s retreating body. He reached his fingers up and touched his lips hesitantly.
McGonagall reached between them to pick up Adalrico, now wrapped in a blanket similar to what Daphne and Goyle’s had been in. The moment she picked him up a leg fell down, clattering loudly on the table. Everyone stared at the leg.
McGonagall slowly sat Adalrico back down and unwrapped him, revealing the busted baby. Many people started laughing. Blaise let out a ‘Whoop!’ and Ron tried not to smile. Hermione looked sternly at them, questioning Harry with her eyes. Neville looked relieved while Daphne and Goyle looked happy.
“What happened?” she asked, voice rising dangerously.
Harry opened his mouth, Draco pinned him with his gaze and Harry blushed, shutting his mouth.
“Potter fell on him,” Draco stated calmly.
“What!” Harry shouted, enraged. There was no way he would get blamed for this when, “You jumped on me!”
“You - You were annoying me,” Draco faltered, cheeks turning pink slightly.
“How?” Harry tapped his foot in irritation. Everyone was staring at them as if they were a particularly interesting Quidditch match. McGonagall looked like she was debating on cutting in or not.
“With your talking.”
“I wasn’t talking!”
“And your,” he cast around for a word, “everything! You’re just plain annoying and frustrating.”
They stared each other down.
“Potter accidentally fell on him. I didn’t jump on him.” He shook his head slightly for Harry not to interrupt. Draco looked at McGonagall. “We’re terribly sorry. An owl had flown in at that moment and spooked him.”
She gazed sternly down her nose at them, not believing a word. “Fine. You may show up here tomorrow at eight for extra credit.”
Harry and Draco didn’t talk to each other till class ended, when Harry turned and spat, “Fuck you” because he was mad that Draco tried to pin it all on him and made it all his fault.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Potter?”
“You’re the one who jumped on me.” Which was exactly what Draco was thinking.
That night Draco was getting ready for bed when Blaise plopped on his bed. Draco scowled and shoved at his arm. Blaise simply smiled up at him, crossing his arms behind his head and getting comfortable.
“So, how far’d you get with Potter?” His eyes tinkled mischievously.
“What!” Draco shrieked, eyes going wide. Gaining control he said, “What are you talking about.”
“Don’t play stupid. How far’d you get. Please tell me you’ve snogged so far. Little under the clothes? Groping? Stop me when I’ve got it. Hand job? Blow job? Sex?” He raised an eyebrow, sitting up. “You got further? What? Did you make love?”
“What! We didn‘t do anything. Why would we?” For good measure he shivered.
“You like him. Or he likes you. Or you both like each other. It’s one of them. I’m not stupid you know.” He patted Draco’s arm sympathetically.
“Could have fooled me.”
“But you can’t fool me.” He stared thoughtfully. “Are you not saying because you actually care for him? You know you can tell me.”
“What makes you think I feel anything besides hate for Potter? And what the hell brought this up?”
“The conversation in class today. What really happened? He was telling the truth wasn’t he? You jumped on him? Draco, Draco…”
“What,” Draco moaned, already regretting jumping on Harry and not needing Blaise to point it out.
“Do you like him?” He tugged at Draco’s shirt, pulling him to sit on the bed next to him.
Draco thought. He was pretty sure that five days ago he didn’t. Sure he’d found himself looking at Potter every now and then but he did that to any guy who looked good, even Hufflepuffs. But then Harry had to be all blushing and questioning about their tension. And two days ago when they’d laughed about nothing, causing everyone to think they’d gone insane.
And there was the kiss.
It had been hot and fast and Harry’d been a lousy kisser, but he made up for it in excitement. Draco’d enjoyed it so much he didn’t register anything else till he cut his hand. And what did that mean?
“No,” he replied, knowing at that moment he did on some level care about him.
“Aw well,” he sighed, patting Draco’s hand.
Suddenly irritated Draco snatched his hand back. “Why do you think that anyway?”
“Saw it in the crystal ball.”
“Divinations! What the…You’ve got to be kidding me,” Draco muttered, shaking his head.
“No, it really works, actually. The other day I read in the tea leaves that-” But whatever he read Draco neither cared nor wanted to know so he walked out, intent on clearing his head. Maybe if he rammed his head against the wall a few times his feelings for Potter would go away.
Then, of course, Potter had to be walking in the hallways with the Weasel. Draco clenched his fists, unable to hold back the image of them kissing in the closet. He wanted to do it again, just to be sure it wasn’t his hormones acting up the first time.
But the Weasel was there and he would surely talk if Potter hadn’t already.
Harry looked behind him, meeting Draco’s eyes. He stumbled a bit in shock, Ron grabbing his arm to steady him.
“What?” Ron turned around.
Draco was stalking up to them, his eyes glinting with…something that made a tingle run down Harry’s spine.
He stopped barely a foot length away from Harry. Ron stepped back but Harry stayed.
“I don’t like you,” Draco breathed into his face.
Harry closed his eyes. “Ditto.”
“In fact,” one of Draco’s fingers twisted around Harry’s shirt button, “I despise you.”
“Same here,” Harry rasped.
“Erm,” Ron cleared his throat. “Guys? Harry?”
“Shut it, Weasel,” Draco spat. Harry scraped his finger off the button. “Leave.” He leveled his gaze over Harry’s shoulder at Ron, whose eyes widened comically before he dashed off, almost dropping his baby in the process.
“Don’t call him that,” Harry said, backing away after Ron.
“It’s all your fault,” Draco said, ignoring Harry’s comment.
“What is?” He allowed Draco to step closer.
“Everything.” Slowly he leaned in and brushed their lips together but only for a second for Mrs. Norris skidded over and Harry stumbled away in fear of Filch wheezing over. He couldn’t stop looking behind him at Draco standing in the middle of the corridor, silently watching him leave.
“You will be writing an essay,” Professor McGonagall slapped a piece of parchment, quill, and ink on the table in front of them, “on why the project didn’t work and what you should have done differently for it to work. You will be writing this together so you may talk but quietly. You have thirty minutes.”
Draco looked anywhere but across the table at Harry. He was ashamed at the way he had acted the night before. Since when had he lost all self control?
Harry stared steadily at Draco, wondering if last night had meant anything. Were they…an item?
“Come on,” Draco muttered, grabbing the quill and starting the essay with ‘The owning and caring for a baby project didn’t work for us because we didn’t work together as a team.’ He passed the paper across the table to Harry.
‘What are we supposed to write?’
Draco scowled. “We can talk you know.” Harry nodded and mouthed “I know.” “Well, if you would have been listening you would have hear-”
“I was listening,” Harry protested. “I just don’t know what to write.”
“Fine,” Draco grumbled, placing the quill to the parchment again he scribbled out Harry’s writings and put, ‘The project also didn’t work because Potter didn’t care about what grade we got.’
Harry snatched the paper and scribbled, ‘And Malfoy didn’t want to take care of the baby that he named.’
‘And it was a lovely name.’
‘It was Alrico!’
“Adalrico!” Draco cried. McGonagall shoot them a stern look. They both sat in silence, not working for the next ten minutes till Harry picked up the quill.
‘What we should have done differently was not allow Malfoy near the baby.’
‘Or let Potter have it, seeing as he killed it.’
‘Yes, but Malfoy jumped on me, causing me to crush the baby.’
‘Well, maybe if you wouldn’t have been so jumpable!’
‘Jumpable?’
‘You know what I mean.’
‘No, I don’t.’
‘For this to work I should have been partnered with someone who’s not clumsy.’
‘You mean falls over after someone foolishly jumps on them.’
‘You liked it.’
‘Tuh! Why woul- Harry broke off as Draco’s socked foot climbed stealthily into his lap. Harry sat stock still as the foot made its way lazily to his crotch and stroked. Harry stiffened a breath, feeling his cock harden.
Draco smirked at him, sliding down his seat to reach him better when he heard McGonagall’s heels clack on their way over.
“This is not a time to sleep, Mr. Malfoy,” she reproached.
Nodding he straightened up, foot falling away from its previous activity. Once she sat back in her seat Draco pulled the paper towards him and wrote, ‘I’d do it again if given the choice.’
Harry read it, frowning slightly. ‘For this to work I wouldn’t want to just do it again. I’d want more.’
‘Me too.’
“Look,” Seamus said, pulling his baby in front of Harry. “Theodore threw Cyle at me yesterday. He just had to throw him at me the day before the project was over. Now we’re going to get a bad grade.”
“Why’d he throw it at you,” Harry asked, peering at Seamus’ baby, which was in many more pieces than their baby had been. The biggest piece was its elbow.
“Said something about me talking too much. Whatever.” Seamus then turned to chat to Dean, the latter of them and Harry sharing a grin.
Professor Sprout walked in and Hermione had to elbow Harry in the side to get him to stop staring at Draco and pay attention, but before he turned around he saw Draco try to hide a smile while looking determinedly in the opposite direction. Harry smiled brightly, turning to the front. Hermione shook her head, amused. Ron picked at his baby girl’s hair.
Sprout clapped her hands for attention. “Now, everyone, return your child to the box, gently.” The groups minus the two without babies and Theodore Nott rushed up, eager to rid themselves of the little terrors. Parvati and Padma looked unwilling to give theirs up. When Seamus tried putting his baby pieces in the box Sprout tutted and pointed to the wastebasket.
“Now,” the Professor started once everyone settled down again, “let’s have a class discussion. It takes what to raise a child with someone else?”
Neville shyly raised his hand while Hermione shot hers up, Ron smiling wearily at her excitement.
“Mr. Longbottom,” Sprout smiled warmly.
“It takes a lot of commitment because you can’t just let it alone when it cries.” Neville beamed at her following praise.
“Ms. Granger.”
Hermione sat a little higher in her seat. Harry tried to sneak a glance at Draco without looking obvious. Blaise smirked at him from next to Draco. “It takes a nurturing nature since you are caring for the baby.”
“Yes, anyone else?” No one’s hands went up. She looked around, eyes stopping on Draco. “Mr. Malfoy. It takes what?”
Draco sighed in boredom. Blaise muttered loudly, “It takes a whole lot of something he’s not got since he couldn’t keep his alive.”
Draco elbowed him, finally allowing his eyes to meet with Harry’s. “Well, it helps if you actually like the person.”
“Which was a problem for you, wasn’t it Draco?” Pansy spoke up from her spot in front of him.
“No. That wasn’t the problem. Something else, but we settled it.” He smiled at Harry.
Sprout asked Lavender what it takes. Blaise whispered to Draco, “It takes a fake baby to get Draco and Harry together?”
Draco bit his lip, barely believing it himself as Harry beamed back at him, waving. “Yes, it does.”
Rating: PG 13
Genre: Romance/Humor
Length: 8077 words, oneshot
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Disclaimer:Not mine, not mine, not mine, though I'd like to think the idea is.
Summery: Harry and Draco get stuck taking care of a fake baby for a school project.
Note: Writen for hump_day101 challenge using the prompt 'It takes a(n)' and making it fluff.
Also, twistedm remixed this into Caring: The Hot and Heavy Remix
Increasing knowledge of the future.
That’s what Dumbledore called his new little project. Of course, no one really knew what that meant, save for the teachers, who weren’t allowed to say. Half the school thought they would be learning spells for the war. The other half thought it had to do with figuring out what career to go into. The few other students not included in the halves didn’t care because it was an idea of Dumbledore’s so it would be stupid. Those, unsurprisingly, were some of the Slytherin’s and a very angry Ravenclaw.
Harry was wavering between the two halves. He rather hoped it would have to do with the war because if he couldn’t get through that what was the use of figuring out what his career would be. Hermione kept telling him it would be about careers because who would teach first years spells and such for war. Ron agreed with Hermione because it was Hermione who said it and Hermione was never wrong. Harry still hoped.
Draco was one of the Slytherins who didn’t care because no matter what it would be a stupid idea. It was, after all, Dumbledore who thought of it. Draco would rather it have been about the war though. All the more spells to throw at Potter and his pitiful friends. Though, knowing Dumbledore, it would be the career one.
Draco was rather unhappy to find out the real thing.
Harry was confused about the real thing.
“Wait, we’re carrying around baby dolls for a week?” Ron asked, as perplexed as his best friend was.
“In the simplest terms, yes,” Hermione muttered out of the corner of her mouth. Ron gave her a look that clearly said ‘why the bloody hell would we do that?’
Professor Sprout gave him an exhausted look. “Actually Mr. Weasley, they are ‘baby dolls’ with charms on them to cry, wet itself, and drink-”
“Even better,” Seamus murmured too loudly to Dean sitting beside him, not realizing he’d stopped Sprout in her tracks. “One that goes pee and makes annoying noises.” Dean stifled his laughter because he was more observant than his friend.
“While this project may be annoying to some of you, it is a very demanding project that will take a lot of your time and-” Once again she was cut off by a voice, this time, from the Slytherin side.
“Time? Just slip a silencing charm on it and be done with it,” Draco scoffed, his fellow housemates chuckling.
“It takes a lot of tender loving care and responsibility. You cannot put a silencing charm on it. This is counted as twenty percent of your final so I would suggest you take this seriously. Plus it records what happens to it.” Neville raised his hand. “Meaning if you let it cry for an hour, don’t feed it for a day, or don’t clean it when it wets itself it will be recorded and deducted from your grade. Plus it records touches so if you never touch it or hold it by its arm I will know.” Neville’s hand fell down.
Seemingly satisfied that none of the students were asking questions, granted they were grumbling and moaning, she turned and walked to the large box on the only table cleared of plants.
“Taking care of a baby is a lot like taking care of a plant. You must make sure it is healthy, feed, watered, and comfortable. Only if this baby dies, yes it can die, you will receive a bad grade. Remember: twenty percent of your final,” she concluded to mass grumbling. “There’s no use complaining,” she said cheerily, clapping her hands together. “Now, you will be getting your partners and the babies in this class.”
Harry looked over to Ron, confirming their partner status but Hermione shook her head thoughtfully. “She said you will be receiving your partner, not picking them.” Seamus dropped his head to the table only to leap out of his seat with a howl.
“Aw, crap!” There, in the middle of his forehead, was a finger length splinter. Dean had to bite his lip to hold back laughter.
“Now, now, don’t be such a baby,” Sprout said, rushing over at Seamus’ outburst. Harry and Ron looked at each other, promptly letting out a burst of laughter. Hermione tutted. They turned around at the Professor’s glare.
Draco looked over to the Gryffindor side, watching Sprout spell a splinter out of Seamus’ face. Gryffindor’s were the biggest idiots around. “Could you get any stupider?” he asked Goyle.
“Erm, did you want me too?”
Draco rolled his eyes and ignored him to instead send brain waves to the Professor to partner him with Blaise or Pansy. Anyone but a Gryffindor or Crabbe or Goyle.
“Now,” she said, returning to the box, “You will be partnered. I will not partner you but,” faces fell, “you will be choosing your partner out of a hat.” And with that a pointed school hat floated over to hover in front of her. The class looked at it as if it were a particularly evil thing which, depending on your partner, it very well could be.
Neville looked at it in freight as Pansy stood up and pulled a slip of crisp folded paper out of the hat. “Please don’t put me with a Slytherin. Please don’t put me with a Slytherin…”
Harry nudged his foot and smiled reassuringly at him. Seeing Neville paired with a Slytherin wouldn’t be good considering he was so easy to insult and got worked up about it. Then again, Harry didn’t want to be paired with a Slytherin either.
“Lavender Brown,” Pansy questioned, looking to the teacher.
“Yes, go sit with your partner.”
Pansy walked jerkily over, Lavender’s face in confusion too. The rest of the class stared at Sprout for an explanation.
“Is there a problem?” She walked from behind the table to stand before the three girls.
“Erm,” Parvati started, not surrendering her seat to Pansy. “But she’s a girl.”
“Great observation, Patil,” Draco sneered.
“Your remarks are not needed, Mr. Malfoy.” She turned back to the girls. “The sex of the partners doesn’t matter for this project. You’re taking care of a baby, not getting married.” Snickers followed this. Ron, along with a few other boys, looked like that’s exactly what they wanted to see.
“I better not be paired with a boy…well, you‘d be fine but…” Ron muttered to Harry, who nodded his agreement. Now he had the potential to be paired with Malfoy. He looked over at the blond boy and they locked eyes. Apparently he just had the same thought.
“Honestly, Ron. It doesn’t matter,” Hermione said from his other side.
Harry broke the eye contact once Draco started glaring.
Blaise nudged him in the ribs. He tore his eyes away from watching Longbottom’s arm tremble pleasantly to glower at Blaise. He loved watching Gryffindors tremble.
“I bet we both’ll get paired with boys.” He nodded smugly, leaned back in the chair, and crossed his arms, turning to see Neville’s shoulder slump in relief as he called out “Hermione,” and rushed to squeeze Ron and Harry over so he could sit beside her.
“What makes you so sure?”
“Divinations.”
Draco snorted. It was rather unlike him to do so, but the sentence was so ludicrous that it deserved it.
“Watch,” Blaise pointed to the front of the room where Ron was looking gloomily at his paper.
“Blaise Zabini.” He glanced up to see Blaise sweeping his hands at the chair Draco was in.
“What!” Draco said incredulously, but Blaise simply pushed him off, landing him on his bum on the floor. Glaring through his bangs he saw Ron standing before him, holding a snicker back. On his way up Draco made sure to kick him in the shin. Twice. One of them for Blaise of whom he couldn’t reach.
Blaise tugged Ron’s sleeve, sending him onto the chair. He opened his mouth in protest but Professor Sprout cut in, calling Theodore Nott to the hat. Draco quickly took his vacant seat, brushing his robes off and looking tartly at Daphne’s face glowing with humor.
Once Theodore sat beside Seamus, forcing Dean to take Ron’s ex-seat Harry was called up. Sparing a glance behind him he shot a look of mirth at Malfoy, still finding the image of him on the floor hilarious.
A crumbled piece of paper hit Draco on the back. He turned to see Blaise jerking his head towards Potter, Weasley beside him looking confused. Blaise mouthed “Watch” to both of them.
Harry opened the paper then, a bout of panic climbing his spine, furtively tried tossing it back in and grab another one, but at the Professor’s look he locked eyes with Draco for the second time and stared.
“What!” Draco outburst. “No way. I refuse.” He leaned back with a huff.
“And I don’t?” Harry exploded back at him.
“Take a seat. Gregory Goyle, you’re next.”
Passing Goyle on his way back Harry looked at Draco then his own seat. Draco raised his eyebrows, turning his attention to the front of the room. Goyle received Daphne as his partner. He smiled goofily at her.
Plopping into the seat beside Draco, Harry breathed out heavily, the damned paper still clutched in his hand. Draco looked at it in irritation. “This is all your bloody fault,” Draco said to the paper and Harry.
Harry stared in the other direction, successfully ignoring Draco till something hit him in the back. From behind him Blaise shrugged, mouthing “Told you,” to Draco, who’d turned around too. Ron shot Harry a sympathetic look, rolling his eyes at Blaise. Harry smiled back at him. At least both of them were stuck with annoying Slytherins. Though, Harry felt, he’d gotten the nastier end of it.
Dean became paired with Parvati and Goyle with Millicent. All the groups, save for the few paired with someone from their own group and Seamus were quiet. Nott looked ready to throw Seamus out the greenhouse windows if he didn’t shut up. He never was much of a talker.
“Told you what?” Harry questioned, perplexed at Blaise’s mouthing. Not that he expected Draco to answer. Draco didn‘t disappoint him.
“Here’s your child,” Sprout said, gently laying the ugliest doll Harry’d ever seen on the table. It was faceless, hairless, and a very bright shade of white. It didn’t even resemble a doll.
Draco’s eyebrows rose. “That’s our child?” She nodded tartly and handed Blaise and Ron theirs. Draco glanced at Harry from the corner of his eyes. “I’m never having a child with you again, Potter.”
“What are you talking about, it looks like you.” He grabbed one of the white arms. “Look, same skin tone.” Draco scowled and shoved the baby out of his hands. “Hey! You’ll break it!”
“Yes, be more careful, Potter, because I am not getting a T on this project or anything below an O.”
“Maybe you should do it by yourself, then.”
“Maybe I will.”
“Good.”
“It’s a group project,” Professor Sprout stressed. “If you don’t work together you’ll both get the bad grade.”
“You know,” Ron started, walking beside Harry down the hall to their next class, potions, “Since they all look the same you can just switch them with someone else’s if you do something to yours.”
Harry smiled and Hermione swatted his shoulder. “You will do no such thing Ronald!” she shrieked.
Ron grimaced. “Sure, Mum.” She just scowled at him.
Harry held his white disfigured baby up, dangling it by its foot. “I don’t know how they’re even supposed to be a baby. Looks more like something that came out of a fire.”
“Minus the black burns,” Ron added
“Don’t ho-” Hermione got out before she was cut off.
“I’m not getting a T, Potter,” Draco scowled, ramming into him and catching the baby before it hit the floor. “Hold your arms out,” he demanded before Harry could straighten back up.
“What? You can’t order me after you just run into me!” Harry looked in amazement at him.
“I can do whatever the hell I want.” And with that he shoved the doll into Ron’s arms and roughly tugged Harry’s arms out, making sure to grip tight enough to leave bruises. Harry gritted his teeth but didn’t give Draco the satisfaction of hearing him complain.
“Fuck off!” Ron shouted in confusion. He looked torn between the baby and the floor. Should he drop it or not? Before he could make up his mind, Draco snatched it out of his hands, but not before somehow jabbing him in the ribs. He placed it in Harry’s hands so that he was cradling it.
Harry stared at him. “What the…If you want it done right you carry it.”
Blaise rounded the corner, stopping beside the four of them. Hermione quickly snuck off, seeing Neville trying to balance the baby and his textbooks in his arms, Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind him, cracking their knuckles.
“No way will I be seen carrying a doll in the halls, or at all,” he added when Harry opened his mouth in protest.
Nudging Ron, Blaise raised his eyebrows and jerked his head to Harry and Draco. “Lover’s spat.” The pair glared at him, Ron staring at them in confusion and horror.
Harry followed Ron’s eye to his own arms. Draco was resting his hands there from when he’d strategically put the baby in them. He cleared his throat, turning quickly and setting off down the hall, pretending not to notice. He heard Draco exploding at Blaise for the comment and Ron hurrying after him.
“So, um, do you want to do it or sho-”
“Utercumque eyes.” Draco waved his wand and an exact replica of Harry’s green eyes appeared on the baby’s face. Draco snorted. “Of course.”
He did it again and again till its face was finished. The baby turned out getting Draco’s blond hair but Harry’s thickness, Draco’s pointed facial shape, and Harry’s darker skin. They couldn’t figure out whose ears it was.
“Oh God, it’s got my eyebrows,” Harry moaned, staring at the deep contrast between that and its hair.
Draco turned his head to the side thoughtfully. “Your right, it does,” he mused. “All thick and bushy. Utercumque fingers.”
“What! My eyebrows are not thick and bushy.” His hand flew up to his eyebrows to make sure. Draco laughed and did the spell for the toes.
“Yes, I forgot. It’s Mudblood’s that is.”
Harry’s hand snapped down, pulling Draco’s wand out of his loosely gripping fingers. “Don’t call her that,” he growled lowly. Draco might have uttered the name with less malice then usual but Hermione was his friend and it bothered him greatly. Why’d he have to take his anger out at his friends when it was him who Malfoy was usually mad at?
“Ten points from Slytherin,” Snape said silkily, gliding over to their table. “I’d ask you to reframe from touching Mr. Malfoy’s wand but I’m sure you’d have trouble doing that anyway.” He stared smugly at him till he handed the wand back to Draco, not even needing to look at his face to know he was smirking.
Once Snape glided over to Neville and Hermione, no doubt hoping to get Neville for something, a piece of paper hit Harry on the back. Again he turned to see Blaise and Ron looking over. Ron waved his hand to indicate it was him and mouthed “Snape’s a bastard.”
“I’d be careful if I were you Weasel. I can read lips,” Draco whispered. They were only a table behind Harry and Draco.
“You were touching his wand?” Blaise questioned, heavy emphasis on the last word.
“What?” Ron asked in confusion.
“What!?…Eww.”
“Ten more points for your outburst, Potter,” Snape said in the middle of his berating Neville. Harry ignored him to instead glance at Draco out the corner of his eye.
“Took you long enough. You Gryffindors are way too innocent.” Draco rolled his eyes, Blaise mimicking him. With a sigh he turned to explain to a still confused Ron.
“Is it done?” Harry indicated the baby. At Draco’s nod he continued, “It’s ugly….Takes after you.”
Draco opened his mouth when Snape cut through. “Now that everyone is done I will tell you which sex your ‘child’ is and you will pick the name.” Harry looked at Draco, just imagining what horrid names he would want.
“Thomas and Patil, yours is a girl. Granger and Longbottom, boy. Parkinson and Brown, boy. Goyle and Greengrass, girl. Malfoy and Potter, boy. Crabbe and Bulstrode, girl. Zabini and Weasley, girl. And Nott and Finnigan, boy. Now get to work, you have fifteen minutes left.”
Harry picked at his nails, trying to come up with a name. He rather liked Brian.
“Its name is Antal,” Draco announced.
Harry sputtered. “What kind of name is that? How about Brian or Brent?” Nice normal names that he could pronounce would be preferable.
Draco scrunched in nose in dislike. “So unoriginal. Oh! Adalrico. It means noble, powerful, and rich. Noble for you, and powerful and rich for me.” He smirked and leaned back in the chair under the mislead thought that the conversation was settled.
“Powerful?” he snorted. “Yeah, okay. I want a name I can pronounce-”
“It’s not my fault you need lessons in spee-”
“I want Brian or Brent. Something normal. Not Alrico.”
“Adalrico.”
“Whatever.”
And since neither wanted to give in they simply sat there, backs at each other, not talking and not appointing a name. Two minutes before the end of class Harry began to panic a bit. He knew if they didn’t have a name Snape would somehow blame it on him and take points off of Gryffindor, but he didn’t want to give Malfoy the satisfaction of getting his way.
Draco really, really wanted his name. Not sure why, he propped himself up on the table and gently kicked Harry on the leg. He turned around and glared at him.
“What? Decide to give in?” His lips curled upward in a smile.
“No,” Draco purred, fluttering his eyelashes lightly. “I really, really want to name him Adalrico.” He trailed his foot up Harry’s leg, enjoying the way his eyes widened, shooting rapidly between Draco’s face and his foot climbing up his leg. “I promise to make you feel really, really good.” Right as his foot reached the inner of Harry’s thigh he stood up suddenly, bating Draco’s leg away.
“Yeah, I-I guess Alrico is fine.” Harry rubbed at his knee that had hit the table on his way up.
“Good.” He leapt off the table and started to head up to Snape to inform him of the name and have him perform the spell for the baby to start working.
Harry narrowed his eyes, willing his blush to disappear. “But it gets my last name.”
“What! No way. It’s not going to be a Potter.”
“Well, it’s not going to be a Malfoy.”
“You’re the girl so it gets my last name!” Harry retorted, referring to Draco’s softer looks.
Draco smirked lazily, quirking an eyebrow. “Don’t be making promises you can’t keep.”
Harry gapped open mouthed for a few seconds before snapping it shut. “It’s not - I meant - You’re unbelievable!”
“Thank you.”
“It’s not a compliment,” Harry deadpanned.
“But I’m taking it as one.” Snape announced the end of class. “So what is it?”
“Alrico Brian Malfoy-Potter.” Harry started gathering his stuff together.
“Adalrico!” Draco considered it. “If you take the baby today it can have your last name.”
“Sure.”
Draco nodded and headed up, telling Snape it was Adalrico Antal Malfoy-Potter. Snape raised his left eyebrow in question but said nothing, simply murmuring a spell in the direction of the baby. When Draco turned around Harry was gone and the baby was sitting on the table, crying.
Blaise laughed wildly. Draco hit him upside the head, cursing stupid Potter and wishing he’d changed the last name to his own.
The three friends flopped onto the chairs at the fireplace. Hermione with a book in her lap and Harry and Ron with nothing, though they had plenty of homework upstairs to do.
“I can’t believe you have Malfoy for a partner.” Ron grimaced, fingering his baby’s red hair, luckily it hadn‘t cried at all since he‘d had it. It looked just as ugly as Harry and Draco’s. Red hair, the only thing of Ron’s that the baby seemed to have, didn’t look right with Blaise’s looks. “Then again, I got Blaise. He’s…weird.”
“How so?” Hermione asked.
Ron stared at the fire. “He just is.”
Ignoring Ron’s strange reaction she turned to Harry. “What were you two arguing about? You know, when he was on the table and you leapt off your seat as if it were on fire?”
Harry blushed, turning to watch Colin take pictures of Parvati and Lavender with their babies, which somehow turned out looking nice. “Erm, he was just being a prat, as usual. Can you believe he wanted to name it Alrico? Or Adlico. Something like that.”
“You didn’t let him name it that did you?” Ron asked, shooting his head from the fire to scrutinize Harry.
“Erm, yeah,” Harry answered, feeling sheepish. Now he wished he hadn’t changed the topic to that. It just made him think of Malfoy’s foot trailing up his leg. It had felt…nice. It had kind of tickled…in a good way. Harry shook his head, answering defensively. “The class had ended. I just wanted to get out of there without any more points deducted.”
“He decided to take the baby?” Hermione glanced up from her large tome to look unbelievably at Harry.
“Well, no. I was supposed to take it.” He smiled slyly, glad to have done something right. Making Malfoy mad was good. Letting him run his foot up his leg was not.
Ron opened his mouth, struggled for a few seconds, then blurted, “Blaise says you two have sexual tension and will resolve it by the end of the week!”
Harry and Hermione both stared at him.
“Is it true?”
The book fell off Hermione’s lap with a plunk; she was laughing so hard. Harry wondered if she had seen the leg thing. “No! I mean, that’s disgusting. I’m straight and it’s Malfoy.” He shivered.
“I mean,” Ron said in a rush, “If you’re gay that’s fine, I guess but it’s Ferret.”
“Exactly, and I’m not but thanks for the vote of acceptance. I think.” Harry had an internal struggle. He really wanted to know. “Why’d he say that?”
Hermione smirked, moving from her seat to perch on Ron’s chair’s arm. “Maybe Malfoy has a thing for you. Maybe…he wants to trail his foot up your leg,” she said to Harry’s horror, demonstrating on Ron. Ron shivered and pushed her leg away, blushing profusely.
“Completely nutters that one,” he muttered, getting up shakily, Harry following, not wanting to be left with the all-knowing Hermione.
“Aw, come on guys. I was kidding.” Harry and Ron didn’t stop in their pursuit up the boys’ staircase. “Get back here. You’ve got homework due tomorrow to do!”
“What’s gotten into her?” Ron asked by means of ignoring Hermione’s homework remark. He rubbed at his leg, biting his lip. Harry shook his head.
“My class is where your child will be checked for damages,” Professor McGonagall announced the next day, after everyone sat next to their partner. “Now, today I’m going to check. This will just be checking for outward-” she broke off as Daphne and Goyle’s baby started wailing. She continued louder, “For outward damages, not internal such as not handling which will be checked at the end of the week.”
She headed to the front group, Hermione and Neville. The former was patting Neville on the arm sympathetically, though looking like she was trying to conceal her anger, while he moaned about something, gesturing wildly to the baby.
“Why’s he have a band aid on his elbow?” McGonagall asked, starting to peel it off the baby. Neville muttered something inaudible.
Draco snickered joyfully, practically wringing his hands in delight at the prospect of Granger being deducted points.
“That’s not nice,” Harry spoke for the first time since they’d sat together.
“Neither is you leaving me the baby after you said you’d take it,” he retorted, his face changing dramatically from delight to anger in a split second. “For that you get Adalrico for two days.”
Feeling guilty, Harry agreed.
“Aww, shit!” Ron exclaimed from the table beside them. Blaise scrunched his nose.
“Language, Mr. Weasley,” McGonagall barked, pausing to write in her grade book before moving on to Lavender and Pansy.
“What happened?” Draco asked Blaise. “Weasel finally realize his family is - Ow! What the fuck, Potter?” he growled, turning to stare at Harry, his hand itching to throw a curse him but knowing full well that McGonagall had turned her attention to them. He ignored McGonagall’s “Language”; his foot was throbbing wildly. He aimed a kick at Potter’s groin but anticipating something he managed to leap off the stool and stand behind Ron.
“What’s up?” Harry asked, shooting an anxious look Draco’s way.
“Chasity peed,” Ron moaned, shoving her at Blaise, whose nose scrunched, if possible, further.
“No, way. Professor,” Blaise called out. “Where do you keep the spare diapers? Ron needs one.” He indicated the baby and Ron standing in front of it, looking forlornly down at it.
At the instructions he bounded off and returned with them. Harry slipped back to his table, not wanting to find out if they really looked like babies under the clothes. He suffered a kick in the shine for his lack of judgment.
Suddenly Harry stopped rubbing his shin and looked up at Draco, who was watching Ron’s attempt to change the baby’s diaper, amusement playing in his eyes.
“Do you think there’s anything between us?” Harry blurted the question that’d been in the front of his mind ever since Ron told him about their so called ‘sexual tension.’ Just what had made Blaise think they had any? Was Harry simply not seeing it?
“Besides air?” Draco answered, not taking his eyes off of his source of enjoyment.
“No.” Harry fidgeted, wishing he’d never brought it up. “I mean. Emotional, I guess.”
Quirking one eyebrow, Draco switched his amusement to Harry. “I hate you. You hate me.”
“Um…like tension.” Why couldn’t he stop talking? Draco stared at him, thinking. “Never mind.”
“No, wait. What are you getting at, Potter? I can only think of two types of tension.” He leaned forward, analyzing Harry closely. “Do you mean our hating tension…or sexual.”
Harry blushed. “We don’t have any.”
“No, I guess you’re right.”
“Bloody hell!” Ron spat liquid out of his mouth. Blaise doubled over in laughter. Their baby was shooting pee out all over Ron. “This had better not be real pee!”
Blaise actually fell on the floor. “It smells like it!” he choked out.
Draco looked in curiosity at Goyle. His baby was wrapped in a blanket. Only the tuff of its hair was sticking out.
“It got a cold?” Draco scoffed, trying to sound witty but not succeeding because he was too curious.
Goyle stared at him. “No. Can they get colds?” He bit his lip in worry, looking down at the baby and Draco was reminded of the night before when he’d walked into his dorm room. It wasn’t something he ever wanted to see again.
Of course he had to decide to go to bed early on the exact night when Goyle was naked in bed with the curtain wide open and Daphne strewn across him.
Draco shivered from the memory. He was definitely scarred for life.
“Get with your partner,” McGonagall said, standing in front of the first desk.
Draco moved to sit with Harry because he didn’t want to be sitting there when Daphne walked over. Together they made so many rolls of fat that Draco had a nightmare of bread rolls flattening him. He didn’t need anymore reminders of yesterday.
Harry looked up in shock when Draco sat next to him but didn’t say anything. Draco was grateful because the Goyle Daphne tryst was running through his head and he felt like he was going to be sick. Then Professor McGonagall shouted at the source of his sickness. Draco felt slightly better.
“You killed your baby! On the third day!” Goyle and Daphne had the grace to look ashamed. Draco didn’t want to think about what they were doing that caused them to neglect the baby, therefore, having it die. But of course he did.
“What?” Harry asked, noticing Draco’s shiver.
“Nothing.” He turned to peer at Harry. “At least you didn’t kill Adalrico. Did you?”
“If I did will you take him back?”
“No, because he’d be dead and I’d have to kill you.”
“He’s fine….He peed on Ron last night.” Harry smiled at the memory. McGonagall’s shouting in the background made them speak quietly so she wouldn’t, in a fit of rag, turn to them and deduct points. She started into lecture mode after all and no one was supposed to interrupt her then.
Draco smiled. “Did he?”
Harry turned in his seat, facing Draco. “Yeah. I thought he might have already gone because he kept crying so I had Ron come over to help. At first he didn’t want to because he was afraid he’d have a repeat of the day before but the crying was driving him crazy so he changed the diaper and got peed on.” Harry chuckled softly. He felt guilty for telling it to someone who would surely use it against Ron but it was funny.
Draco patted Adalrico on the head. “Good boy.”
And they both burst out in laughter because Draco was still slightly unnerved at what he’d seen last night and anything that distracted him from it was good, and Harry found the sight of Draco looking tenderly at the baby made his stomach feel funny so he laughed, hoping it would go away.
It was one of those times when once you started laughing you couldn’t stop. McGonagall lecturing on about how to take care of an animated baby doll made everything more funny, causing them to gasp for breath. The class turning to stare at them made them fall against each other for support, Draco grabbing Harry’s hand to stop himself from slipping off the seat. Blaise, nodding smugly and gesturing wildly to Ron didn’t make any sense to them but Ron’s horrified face was funny. McGonagall looking confused and asking them what was so funny made Harry’s back hurt and tears come to Draco’s eyes.
Once they managed to compose themselves McGonagall took ten points from each of their houses, checked their baby for damage, and passed to the next group after finding none.
Harry was feeling giddy when he left the classroom, Adalrico in tow, and met up with Ron and Hermione. Had he really laughed with Draco Malfoy? Had he actually enjoyed himself? What the hell had been so funny? But his hand felt weird, and it was a good weird, and he didn’t care.
“So, erm, what was so funny?” Ron asked once they sat at the Gryffindor table and started eating supper.
Harry slowly deflated. “I don’t know.” He transferred Adalrico to his other arm.
“It was strange. Almost like you two were getting along.” He looked at Harry as if waiting for his disagreement but none came because, where they getting along? They were.
“Oh, Ron. It’s not impossible for people to get along,” Hermione huffed, aspirated.
“When it’s Harry and Malfoy it is.”
It was the third day straight that Harry had Adalrico with him and he was slightly mad. Just what made Malfoy think he could disregard their - their, not Harry’s - project when he was the one so set on getting an O.
Harry sighed and sat on an overturned bucket in the broom closet. He wasn’t really supposed to be waiting for Draco in the closet but he got tired of standing in the charms corridor and the closet next to him had a nice seating spot.
“What are you doing in the closet?” Draco smiled.
Harry, not registering the innuendo, replied tersely, “Waiting for you.”
His eyebrows shot up. “I’m already out of the closet. Don’t plan on going back in.” He pretended to think then shook his head. “No, not even for you.”
“You just came from a clos - Oh.” Awkwardly Harry held out Adalrico. Draco took him and swiftly turned to go, realizing that he’d just admitted what he’d only told his Mother and closest friends. Harry stopped him in his track with, “You’re gay?” His voice rose up a few octaves on the last word.
Draco’s shoulders slouched but quickly he composed himself and faced Harry. “And so help me, if you tell a single soul I’ll curse you so hard your parents will feel it in their grave.”
Scowling Harry turned around but it wasn’t enough for Draco. He needed to know that Harry wouldn’t tell because if his Father found out he would be beyond pissed.
All Draco could figure out was that if he made Harry look like he was gay or think he was gay then he wouldn’t tell. No, if Harry was involved he wouldn’t want to tell anyone for fear of sounding like he was gay.
So Draco did what he thought he would never do but had been thinking about since Harry asked if there was any tension between them. He lunged across the small closet at the exact moment Harry stood up to leave and latched his lips on top of Harry’s.
Unconsciously, Harry’s eyes closed but he stiffened. Not a thought was running through his mind except for ‘What?’ Then Draco’s slick tongue rubbed against his lips and Harry gasped, Draco taking that moment to slip his tongue inside. And it was like nothing Harry had ever felt. The other boy tasted like chocolate and mints and his hair was thin and smooth and when had his hand twisted in the blond locks?
Draco gently dropped Adalrico onto the bucket, opting instead to put his hand on Harry’s arse. He squeezed, loving the mewling that came forth from the boy. Then Harry started kissing back and Draco couldn’t help it, he jumped up, locking his ankles together around Harry’s waist.
Stumbling a bit at the extra weight Harry was about to put Draco down when he jerked his lower body against Harry’s. Harry hadn’t even realized he was hard but now - oh now - he felt it and it felt so good when Draco did that.
Draco thrust forward again, reveling in the hardness pressed against him when he felt himself falling
They landed on the ground, Draco sprawled across Harry. Something hard and sharp was pressing into Harry’s back so he rolled over onto Draco. He couldn’t hear anything; his ears were roaring.
But he did hear Draco yelp.
Draco snatched his hand back from the offending floor to see red droplets rolling off it. Standing up he kneed Harry in the groin and started sucking on his hand, searching for what he’d cut it on.
“Shit.”
“Hmm?” Harry asked, finding the situation highly embarrassing suddenly. What the hell happened?
“Adalrico,” Draco moaned, pointing to the floor where their baby lay in five pieces.
“Oh.” Harry didn’t see what such a big deal. What could be bigger than what had just happened between the two of them? But Draco looked so sad that Harry suddenly found he cared a bit and tried to think of something. “We can just Reparo it.”
Draco stared at him so Harry tried. And tried. And for good measure he tried again, pushing through his clouded mind to perform the spell perfectly.
Nothing happened.
“If you break a real baby into five pieces is it going to Reparo back together?” Draco yelled, his face going splotchy. “You….You….Erg!” And he stomped off yelling over his shoulder, “Do something before tomorrow!”
Harry stared at Draco’s retreating body. He reached his fingers up and touched his lips hesitantly.
McGonagall reached between them to pick up Adalrico, now wrapped in a blanket similar to what Daphne and Goyle’s had been in. The moment she picked him up a leg fell down, clattering loudly on the table. Everyone stared at the leg.
McGonagall slowly sat Adalrico back down and unwrapped him, revealing the busted baby. Many people started laughing. Blaise let out a ‘Whoop!’ and Ron tried not to smile. Hermione looked sternly at them, questioning Harry with her eyes. Neville looked relieved while Daphne and Goyle looked happy.
“What happened?” she asked, voice rising dangerously.
Harry opened his mouth, Draco pinned him with his gaze and Harry blushed, shutting his mouth.
“Potter fell on him,” Draco stated calmly.
“What!” Harry shouted, enraged. There was no way he would get blamed for this when, “You jumped on me!”
“You - You were annoying me,” Draco faltered, cheeks turning pink slightly.
“How?” Harry tapped his foot in irritation. Everyone was staring at them as if they were a particularly interesting Quidditch match. McGonagall looked like she was debating on cutting in or not.
“With your talking.”
“I wasn’t talking!”
“And your,” he cast around for a word, “everything! You’re just plain annoying and frustrating.”
They stared each other down.
“Potter accidentally fell on him. I didn’t jump on him.” He shook his head slightly for Harry not to interrupt. Draco looked at McGonagall. “We’re terribly sorry. An owl had flown in at that moment and spooked him.”
She gazed sternly down her nose at them, not believing a word. “Fine. You may show up here tomorrow at eight for extra credit.”
Harry and Draco didn’t talk to each other till class ended, when Harry turned and spat, “Fuck you” because he was mad that Draco tried to pin it all on him and made it all his fault.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Potter?”
“You’re the one who jumped on me.” Which was exactly what Draco was thinking.
That night Draco was getting ready for bed when Blaise plopped on his bed. Draco scowled and shoved at his arm. Blaise simply smiled up at him, crossing his arms behind his head and getting comfortable.
“So, how far’d you get with Potter?” His eyes tinkled mischievously.
“What!” Draco shrieked, eyes going wide. Gaining control he said, “What are you talking about.”
“Don’t play stupid. How far’d you get. Please tell me you’ve snogged so far. Little under the clothes? Groping? Stop me when I’ve got it. Hand job? Blow job? Sex?” He raised an eyebrow, sitting up. “You got further? What? Did you make love?”
“What! We didn‘t do anything. Why would we?” For good measure he shivered.
“You like him. Or he likes you. Or you both like each other. It’s one of them. I’m not stupid you know.” He patted Draco’s arm sympathetically.
“Could have fooled me.”
“But you can’t fool me.” He stared thoughtfully. “Are you not saying because you actually care for him? You know you can tell me.”
“What makes you think I feel anything besides hate for Potter? And what the hell brought this up?”
“The conversation in class today. What really happened? He was telling the truth wasn’t he? You jumped on him? Draco, Draco…”
“What,” Draco moaned, already regretting jumping on Harry and not needing Blaise to point it out.
“Do you like him?” He tugged at Draco’s shirt, pulling him to sit on the bed next to him.
Draco thought. He was pretty sure that five days ago he didn’t. Sure he’d found himself looking at Potter every now and then but he did that to any guy who looked good, even Hufflepuffs. But then Harry had to be all blushing and questioning about their tension. And two days ago when they’d laughed about nothing, causing everyone to think they’d gone insane.
And there was the kiss.
It had been hot and fast and Harry’d been a lousy kisser, but he made up for it in excitement. Draco’d enjoyed it so much he didn’t register anything else till he cut his hand. And what did that mean?
“No,” he replied, knowing at that moment he did on some level care about him.
“Aw well,” he sighed, patting Draco’s hand.
Suddenly irritated Draco snatched his hand back. “Why do you think that anyway?”
“Saw it in the crystal ball.”
“Divinations! What the…You’ve got to be kidding me,” Draco muttered, shaking his head.
“No, it really works, actually. The other day I read in the tea leaves that-” But whatever he read Draco neither cared nor wanted to know so he walked out, intent on clearing his head. Maybe if he rammed his head against the wall a few times his feelings for Potter would go away.
Then, of course, Potter had to be walking in the hallways with the Weasel. Draco clenched his fists, unable to hold back the image of them kissing in the closet. He wanted to do it again, just to be sure it wasn’t his hormones acting up the first time.
But the Weasel was there and he would surely talk if Potter hadn’t already.
Harry looked behind him, meeting Draco’s eyes. He stumbled a bit in shock, Ron grabbing his arm to steady him.
“What?” Ron turned around.
Draco was stalking up to them, his eyes glinting with…something that made a tingle run down Harry’s spine.
He stopped barely a foot length away from Harry. Ron stepped back but Harry stayed.
“I don’t like you,” Draco breathed into his face.
Harry closed his eyes. “Ditto.”
“In fact,” one of Draco’s fingers twisted around Harry’s shirt button, “I despise you.”
“Same here,” Harry rasped.
“Erm,” Ron cleared his throat. “Guys? Harry?”
“Shut it, Weasel,” Draco spat. Harry scraped his finger off the button. “Leave.” He leveled his gaze over Harry’s shoulder at Ron, whose eyes widened comically before he dashed off, almost dropping his baby in the process.
“Don’t call him that,” Harry said, backing away after Ron.
“It’s all your fault,” Draco said, ignoring Harry’s comment.
“What is?” He allowed Draco to step closer.
“Everything.” Slowly he leaned in and brushed their lips together but only for a second for Mrs. Norris skidded over and Harry stumbled away in fear of Filch wheezing over. He couldn’t stop looking behind him at Draco standing in the middle of the corridor, silently watching him leave.
“You will be writing an essay,” Professor McGonagall slapped a piece of parchment, quill, and ink on the table in front of them, “on why the project didn’t work and what you should have done differently for it to work. You will be writing this together so you may talk but quietly. You have thirty minutes.”
Draco looked anywhere but across the table at Harry. He was ashamed at the way he had acted the night before. Since when had he lost all self control?
Harry stared steadily at Draco, wondering if last night had meant anything. Were they…an item?
“Come on,” Draco muttered, grabbing the quill and starting the essay with ‘The owning and caring for a baby project didn’t work for us because we didn’t work together as a team.’ He passed the paper across the table to Harry.
‘What are we supposed to write?’
Draco scowled. “We can talk you know.” Harry nodded and mouthed “I know.” “Well, if you would have been listening you would have hear-”
“I was listening,” Harry protested. “I just don’t know what to write.”
“Fine,” Draco grumbled, placing the quill to the parchment again he scribbled out Harry’s writings and put, ‘The project also didn’t work because Potter didn’t care about what grade we got.’
Harry snatched the paper and scribbled, ‘And Malfoy didn’t want to take care of the baby that he named.’
‘And it was a lovely name.’
‘It was Alrico!’
“Adalrico!” Draco cried. McGonagall shoot them a stern look. They both sat in silence, not working for the next ten minutes till Harry picked up the quill.
‘What we should have done differently was not allow Malfoy near the baby.’
‘Or let Potter have it, seeing as he killed it.’
‘Yes, but Malfoy jumped on me, causing me to crush the baby.’
‘Well, maybe if you wouldn’t have been so jumpable!’
‘Jumpable?’
‘You know what I mean.’
‘No, I don’t.’
‘For this to work I should have been partnered with someone who’s not clumsy.’
‘You mean falls over after someone foolishly jumps on them.’
‘You liked it.’
‘Tuh! Why woul- Harry broke off as Draco’s socked foot climbed stealthily into his lap. Harry sat stock still as the foot made its way lazily to his crotch and stroked. Harry stiffened a breath, feeling his cock harden.
Draco smirked at him, sliding down his seat to reach him better when he heard McGonagall’s heels clack on their way over.
“This is not a time to sleep, Mr. Malfoy,” she reproached.
Nodding he straightened up, foot falling away from its previous activity. Once she sat back in her seat Draco pulled the paper towards him and wrote, ‘I’d do it again if given the choice.’
Harry read it, frowning slightly. ‘For this to work I wouldn’t want to just do it again. I’d want more.’
‘Me too.’
“Look,” Seamus said, pulling his baby in front of Harry. “Theodore threw Cyle at me yesterday. He just had to throw him at me the day before the project was over. Now we’re going to get a bad grade.”
“Why’d he throw it at you,” Harry asked, peering at Seamus’ baby, which was in many more pieces than their baby had been. The biggest piece was its elbow.
“Said something about me talking too much. Whatever.” Seamus then turned to chat to Dean, the latter of them and Harry sharing a grin.
Professor Sprout walked in and Hermione had to elbow Harry in the side to get him to stop staring at Draco and pay attention, but before he turned around he saw Draco try to hide a smile while looking determinedly in the opposite direction. Harry smiled brightly, turning to the front. Hermione shook her head, amused. Ron picked at his baby girl’s hair.
Sprout clapped her hands for attention. “Now, everyone, return your child to the box, gently.” The groups minus the two without babies and Theodore Nott rushed up, eager to rid themselves of the little terrors. Parvati and Padma looked unwilling to give theirs up. When Seamus tried putting his baby pieces in the box Sprout tutted and pointed to the wastebasket.
“Now,” the Professor started once everyone settled down again, “let’s have a class discussion. It takes what to raise a child with someone else?”
Neville shyly raised his hand while Hermione shot hers up, Ron smiling wearily at her excitement.
“Mr. Longbottom,” Sprout smiled warmly.
“It takes a lot of commitment because you can’t just let it alone when it cries.” Neville beamed at her following praise.
“Ms. Granger.”
Hermione sat a little higher in her seat. Harry tried to sneak a glance at Draco without looking obvious. Blaise smirked at him from next to Draco. “It takes a nurturing nature since you are caring for the baby.”
“Yes, anyone else?” No one’s hands went up. She looked around, eyes stopping on Draco. “Mr. Malfoy. It takes what?”
Draco sighed in boredom. Blaise muttered loudly, “It takes a whole lot of something he’s not got since he couldn’t keep his alive.”
Draco elbowed him, finally allowing his eyes to meet with Harry’s. “Well, it helps if you actually like the person.”
“Which was a problem for you, wasn’t it Draco?” Pansy spoke up from her spot in front of him.
“No. That wasn’t the problem. Something else, but we settled it.” He smiled at Harry.
Sprout asked Lavender what it takes. Blaise whispered to Draco, “It takes a fake baby to get Draco and Harry together?”
Draco bit his lip, barely believing it himself as Harry beamed back at him, waving. “Yes, it does.”