Incubus Anxieties: Chapter 6
Title: Incubus Anxieties: Chapter 6
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Genre: Romance, humor, some angst, lots of fluff
Rating: R in later chapters, PG-13 for now
Warnings: No beta.
Summary: Draco Malfoy's eighteenth birthday brings with it a surprise: he has inherited his father's incubus gene. The powers this gene gives him, such as the allure that draws others to him, makes him doubt the sincerity of the feelings of those who love him. Unfortunately, the unlucky Harry Potter has chosen this same time to reveal to Draco that he is interested in him. Can Harry convince Draco that his feelings are real before the worst happens?
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or associated characters, nor do I own the world in which they live.
Need to catch up? Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five.
Chapter Six: Plan Number One
While eating breakfast in the Great Hall the next morning, Draco got the uncomfortable sensation that he was being watched. He looked up from his tower of pancakes, and scowled when he realized that every girl and quite a few guys in a three foot radius around him were staring at him.
“What?” he demanded grumpily. They continued staring at him until the girl sitting on his left slid closer to him and ran her hand up his leg.
“You're looking quite stunning today, Draco,” she murmured in his ear.
“What the bloody hell?” Draco cried, jumping to his feet and nearly falling over backwards in the process.
Pansy stifled a giggle and mouthed “the allure” at him.
Oh.
The post came and Draco was overjoyed to see several large owls working together to carry thick, wrapped packages in his directions. His new clothes were here! He was so busy unwrapping them that he almost missed Harry's entrance into the Great Hall. He walked by with Hermione and Ron, caught Draco's eye for a moment, and smiled at him. Draco could have sworn that Harry was blushing. Draco felt his heart sink and land somewhere near his toes.
Oh no. Oh God, no. Not Harry, too.
><><><>
Harry got to Potions class early, crossing his fingers and praying he would get partnered with Draco. He sat down at Draco's usual desk with the vague hope that Draco would come sit with him on his own. He would've before Christmas break, but Harry wasn't so sure he would now.
Sure enough, when a very harassed-looking Draco appeared shortly before class began he took one look at Harry, shook off his rather large posse of clinging girls, and sat in a seat in the back, pulling Pansy down to fill the seat beside him. Harry sighed and turned to face the front of the class.
Snape swooped in, looking ever so pleased that the break was over and his precious students had come back to him.
Well, perhaps not.
He glided up the middle aisle, plenty of sneers in hand for his little Gryffindors, especially the green-eyed one in the front.
“Quiet,” he commanded, his cold black eyes sweeping the silent room. “Due to the number of accidents that occurred on one particular side of the room last semester,” he paused and looked pointedly at the Gryffindor half of the room, “I have decided to assign you all partners. Maybe if you work with one of my students you will not cause things to explode so often.”
The Gryffindors groaned and the Slytherins smiled malevolently-all except Pansy, Blaise, and the blond, panic-stricken Slytherin in the back.
Harry fought a broad grin. This was perfect! And the fact that if Snape ever found out that he had just done Harry a huge favor he would gouge his own eyeballs out with his wand, just made it all the better.
Snape began to read off a list. “Zabini, Granger; Parkinson, Weasley; Malfoy, Potter; Goyle, Finnigan; Crabbe, Thomas...”
Draco seemed frozen in place, so Harry gathered his stuff and moved back to sit by him.
“Hey, Draco,” he said, attempting to sound casual. “I haven't seen much of you since we got back. How was your break?” He noted with interest that Draco's hands were clenched into tight fists.
“It wasn't very good,” Draco said in a tense voice, refusing to even look in Harry's direction.
Harry felt a sadness and hurt so intense, he had to close his eyes against the hot tears that fought to be released. It had taken him so long to get Draco to open up and trust him, and now he felt like all his hard work had been undone. “Draco,” he said with a sigh.
Something in Harry's soft voice made Draco meet his eyes for the first time.
“Oh, Harry,” he said in the most forlorn voice Harry had ever heard anyone use, let alone the unshakable Draco Malfoy. “A lot of things happened over break. I just need to sort them out on my own for a bit before I tell anyone.”
“Pansy knows,” Harry commented, ashamed of how bitter he sounded.
“Pansy was there.”
Harry started to say something else when a smooth voice interrupted him.
“Ten points from Gryffindor, Potter, for talking in class.”
Harry grumbled and stood, walking to the front to snatch the ingredients they needed off of Snape's desk.
><><><>
When Blaise found out he was going to be partnered with Hermione, the first thing he planned to do was ask her if she knew what was going on with Draco. She beat him to it.
He had barely sat down when Hermione demanded, “Okay, what is up with Draco?”
“You don't know either, yet, eh?”
“What do you mean 'either?'”
“Well, he certainly hasn't told me. I think Pansy might know, but she's not telling either.”
Hermione huffed. “I was really hoping you might shed some light on the subject.”
“Sorry, luv. No can do. I'll help you figure it out, though.”
“All right, that sounds good,” Hermione said, brightening. “You sleep in the same dorm as him, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Just tell me everything he does that is out of the ordinary for him. Even the smallest little detail could help us define what he is.”
“Hold up there, luv. What do you mean 'what he is?'”
“Oh, right, sorry,” she said, blushing a little. “Ginny, Harry, and I think that Draco might have the blood of something else-like a magical creature-running through his veins. Well, Harry doesn't believe it yet, but he will once I prove it to him.”
“Seriously? I hadn't considered that. It makes a bit of sense, though. What are our options?”
“Well, Harry's going to test vampire today in class.”
“Really? That could be interesting.”
“Yeah.” Hermione’s brow furrowed in worry. “It was my idea, so I really, really hope Harry doesn't get hurt.” Blaise gave her a look. “Well, of course I wouldn't want Harry to get hurt no mater what, but I'd feel worse if he got hurt because of a plan I made.”
He grinned at her. “Okay, so the only things I've noticed so far is that Draco eats a whole ton of food now. And have you seen him up close yet?”
“No, not really. Why?”
“He is built now. Seriously, he has a six-pack and everything. There is no way that's natural, because he was a scrawny little thing just before break. And I'd swear that his hear is lighter, too.”
“Great, Blaise!” Hermione said, her list appearing in her hand. She wrote down the things he told her. “Thanks so much!”
“No problem. If you find out anything, let me know, will you?”
“Of course,” she said distractedly, her mind already processing the new clues that she'd learned.
><><><>
Harry returned to his chair, still muttering about bats and bastards, making the corner of Draco's mouth twitch. It was the closest he's seen to a smile on the Slytherin's face in a long time, and he couldn't help grinning, too. He set the vials down between them. “Okay, what first?”
“You're really hopeless, you know that, right?”
“Yep.”
Draco shook his head at him. “We need to chop the beech roots and stew the mandrake leaves for five minutes.
“I'll chop the roots!”
“All right.”
Harry was amazed by how well the plan was going. He dumped the thick, twisted roots on the cutting board and started sawing his knife across them. As soon as Draco turned away, he allowed the point of the knife to slip down the length of his wrist, across the vein. Blood started to flow heavily. Harry couldn't restrain a slight hiss of pain, making Draco glance over.
“Bloody hell, Harry!” he exclaimed. “Can't you do anything without getting blood all over the place?”
Harry stared at the blood trickling down his arm, as though fascinated. “I don't think I've ever bled so much before.”
“What is wrong with you?” Draco demanded. “Here, give me your arm.” He grabbed Harry's forearm and waved his wand over it, muttering a spell. It didn't seem to Harry as though it had worked until Draco said, “Scourgify.” The blood disappeared and Harry could see that the cut had healed neatly. “Eeeew, Potter, you got your blood all over my hand; that is disgusting.” He cast a quick cleansing spell on himself as well, shaking his head. “Give me that knife. No more cutting for you.” Draco held onto Harry's wrist a second longer than necessary, then dropped it.
Harry handed Draco the dangerous object, grinning to himself. There was no way Draco could be a vampire.
“Ha!” he said triumphantly to Hermione when they all met up again after class. “Draco is not an evil bloodsucker.”
Ron snorted his disbelief. He was ignored, as usual.
“Yes, I'd have to say you're right. With being only two days into the change, it is highly improbable that he would have been able to prevent himself from attacking you when you were bleeding so heavily.”
“So no vampire,” Ginny commented as Hermione whipped out her list and drew a line through that option. “Now we just have to find out what else he may be.”
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Genre: Romance, humor, some angst, lots of fluff
Rating: R in later chapters, PG-13 for now
Warnings: No beta.
Summary: Draco Malfoy's eighteenth birthday brings with it a surprise: he has inherited his father's incubus gene. The powers this gene gives him, such as the allure that draws others to him, makes him doubt the sincerity of the feelings of those who love him. Unfortunately, the unlucky Harry Potter has chosen this same time to reveal to Draco that he is interested in him. Can Harry convince Draco that his feelings are real before the worst happens?
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or associated characters, nor do I own the world in which they live.
Need to catch up? Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five.
Chapter Six: Plan Number One
While eating breakfast in the Great Hall the next morning, Draco got the uncomfortable sensation that he was being watched. He looked up from his tower of pancakes, and scowled when he realized that every girl and quite a few guys in a three foot radius around him were staring at him.
“What?” he demanded grumpily. They continued staring at him until the girl sitting on his left slid closer to him and ran her hand up his leg.
“You're looking quite stunning today, Draco,” she murmured in his ear.
“What the bloody hell?” Draco cried, jumping to his feet and nearly falling over backwards in the process.
Pansy stifled a giggle and mouthed “the allure” at him.
Oh.
The post came and Draco was overjoyed to see several large owls working together to carry thick, wrapped packages in his directions. His new clothes were here! He was so busy unwrapping them that he almost missed Harry's entrance into the Great Hall. He walked by with Hermione and Ron, caught Draco's eye for a moment, and smiled at him. Draco could have sworn that Harry was blushing. Draco felt his heart sink and land somewhere near his toes.
Oh no. Oh God, no. Not Harry, too.
><><><>
Harry got to Potions class early, crossing his fingers and praying he would get partnered with Draco. He sat down at Draco's usual desk with the vague hope that Draco would come sit with him on his own. He would've before Christmas break, but Harry wasn't so sure he would now.
Sure enough, when a very harassed-looking Draco appeared shortly before class began he took one look at Harry, shook off his rather large posse of clinging girls, and sat in a seat in the back, pulling Pansy down to fill the seat beside him. Harry sighed and turned to face the front of the class.
Snape swooped in, looking ever so pleased that the break was over and his precious students had come back to him.
Well, perhaps not.
He glided up the middle aisle, plenty of sneers in hand for his little Gryffindors, especially the green-eyed one in the front.
“Quiet,” he commanded, his cold black eyes sweeping the silent room. “Due to the number of accidents that occurred on one particular side of the room last semester,” he paused and looked pointedly at the Gryffindor half of the room, “I have decided to assign you all partners. Maybe if you work with one of my students you will not cause things to explode so often.”
The Gryffindors groaned and the Slytherins smiled malevolently-all except Pansy, Blaise, and the blond, panic-stricken Slytherin in the back.
Harry fought a broad grin. This was perfect! And the fact that if Snape ever found out that he had just done Harry a huge favor he would gouge his own eyeballs out with his wand, just made it all the better.
Snape began to read off a list. “Zabini, Granger; Parkinson, Weasley; Malfoy, Potter; Goyle, Finnigan; Crabbe, Thomas...”
Draco seemed frozen in place, so Harry gathered his stuff and moved back to sit by him.
“Hey, Draco,” he said, attempting to sound casual. “I haven't seen much of you since we got back. How was your break?” He noted with interest that Draco's hands were clenched into tight fists.
“It wasn't very good,” Draco said in a tense voice, refusing to even look in Harry's direction.
Harry felt a sadness and hurt so intense, he had to close his eyes against the hot tears that fought to be released. It had taken him so long to get Draco to open up and trust him, and now he felt like all his hard work had been undone. “Draco,” he said with a sigh.
Something in Harry's soft voice made Draco meet his eyes for the first time.
“Oh, Harry,” he said in the most forlorn voice Harry had ever heard anyone use, let alone the unshakable Draco Malfoy. “A lot of things happened over break. I just need to sort them out on my own for a bit before I tell anyone.”
“Pansy knows,” Harry commented, ashamed of how bitter he sounded.
“Pansy was there.”
Harry started to say something else when a smooth voice interrupted him.
“Ten points from Gryffindor, Potter, for talking in class.”
Harry grumbled and stood, walking to the front to snatch the ingredients they needed off of Snape's desk.
><><><>
When Blaise found out he was going to be partnered with Hermione, the first thing he planned to do was ask her if she knew what was going on with Draco. She beat him to it.
He had barely sat down when Hermione demanded, “Okay, what is up with Draco?”
“You don't know either, yet, eh?”
“What do you mean 'either?'”
“Well, he certainly hasn't told me. I think Pansy might know, but she's not telling either.”
Hermione huffed. “I was really hoping you might shed some light on the subject.”
“Sorry, luv. No can do. I'll help you figure it out, though.”
“All right, that sounds good,” Hermione said, brightening. “You sleep in the same dorm as him, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Just tell me everything he does that is out of the ordinary for him. Even the smallest little detail could help us define what he is.”
“Hold up there, luv. What do you mean 'what he is?'”
“Oh, right, sorry,” she said, blushing a little. “Ginny, Harry, and I think that Draco might have the blood of something else-like a magical creature-running through his veins. Well, Harry doesn't believe it yet, but he will once I prove it to him.”
“Seriously? I hadn't considered that. It makes a bit of sense, though. What are our options?”
“Well, Harry's going to test vampire today in class.”
“Really? That could be interesting.”
“Yeah.” Hermione’s brow furrowed in worry. “It was my idea, so I really, really hope Harry doesn't get hurt.” Blaise gave her a look. “Well, of course I wouldn't want Harry to get hurt no mater what, but I'd feel worse if he got hurt because of a plan I made.”
He grinned at her. “Okay, so the only things I've noticed so far is that Draco eats a whole ton of food now. And have you seen him up close yet?”
“No, not really. Why?”
“He is built now. Seriously, he has a six-pack and everything. There is no way that's natural, because he was a scrawny little thing just before break. And I'd swear that his hear is lighter, too.”
“Great, Blaise!” Hermione said, her list appearing in her hand. She wrote down the things he told her. “Thanks so much!”
“No problem. If you find out anything, let me know, will you?”
“Of course,” she said distractedly, her mind already processing the new clues that she'd learned.
><><><>
Harry returned to his chair, still muttering about bats and bastards, making the corner of Draco's mouth twitch. It was the closest he's seen to a smile on the Slytherin's face in a long time, and he couldn't help grinning, too. He set the vials down between them. “Okay, what first?”
“You're really hopeless, you know that, right?”
“Yep.”
Draco shook his head at him. “We need to chop the beech roots and stew the mandrake leaves for five minutes.
“I'll chop the roots!”
“All right.”
Harry was amazed by how well the plan was going. He dumped the thick, twisted roots on the cutting board and started sawing his knife across them. As soon as Draco turned away, he allowed the point of the knife to slip down the length of his wrist, across the vein. Blood started to flow heavily. Harry couldn't restrain a slight hiss of pain, making Draco glance over.
“Bloody hell, Harry!” he exclaimed. “Can't you do anything without getting blood all over the place?”
Harry stared at the blood trickling down his arm, as though fascinated. “I don't think I've ever bled so much before.”
“What is wrong with you?” Draco demanded. “Here, give me your arm.” He grabbed Harry's forearm and waved his wand over it, muttering a spell. It didn't seem to Harry as though it had worked until Draco said, “Scourgify.” The blood disappeared and Harry could see that the cut had healed neatly. “Eeeew, Potter, you got your blood all over my hand; that is disgusting.” He cast a quick cleansing spell on himself as well, shaking his head. “Give me that knife. No more cutting for you.” Draco held onto Harry's wrist a second longer than necessary, then dropped it.
Harry handed Draco the dangerous object, grinning to himself. There was no way Draco could be a vampire.
“Ha!” he said triumphantly to Hermione when they all met up again after class. “Draco is not an evil bloodsucker.”
Ron snorted his disbelief. He was ignored, as usual.
“Yes, I'd have to say you're right. With being only two days into the change, it is highly improbable that he would have been able to prevent himself from attacking you when you were bleeding so heavily.”
“So no vampire,” Ginny commented as Hermione whipped out her list and drew a line through that option. “Now we just have to find out what else he may be.”