Sparks 8
Title: Sparks 8
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): Suggestion
Word count: 1000
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This drabble/fic was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Written as a birthday gift for jedipm, who asked for more of this arc.
Summary: Hermione tells Harry what she learned from Blaise.
Harry waited until his libido had sufficiently cooled before making his way back to the castle and the Common Room. The others had already returned from their evening spent investigating. Harry didn't see Draco, but the door to their room was closed. It was possible Draco had wanted to be alone. He should sit with the rest of Dumbledore House to discuss what, if anything, the others had learned tonight, but he really wanted to find out what had caused Draco to bolt. As Harry was trying to decide if he should confront Draco or give him some space, Hermione approached him.
"Harry, we need to talk," she said quietly.
"Those are the words no bloke wants to hear," Harry joked. He belatedly noticed the serious expression on his friend's face and sobered immediately. "What is it?" he asked, wondering if she had news about the missing mermaid.
"Let's walk," Hermione urged, tugging Harry's sleeve. They exited the Dumbledore Common Room and strolled down the dimly lit corridor. Hermione sat on one of the wide window ledges and drew her knees up, and Harry sat down next to her.
"I asked Blaise why Pansy has been so withdrawn," Hermione began. She went on to tell him what she knew of Pansy's predicament.
"That's horrible!" Harry exclaimed, aghast at how Pansy had been treated by her stepmother. "There must be something we can do to help her."
Hermione cleared her throat and twisted her hands nervously in her lap. "Blaise and Draco have already come up with what they feel is an ideal solution," she said.
Harry smiled in relief. He should have known the former Slytherins would be clever enough to concoct a plan. "Fantastic. What is it?"
Hermione bit her lip and glanced up at him. "Draco is going to marry Pansy at the end of term."
~*~
Harry hesitated outside the door to the room he shared with Draco, but he didn't dare put this conversation off. He resisted the urge to knock and instead walked in to find Draco seated at the small desk by the window. "Hey," Harry greeted.
Draco lifted his gaze and dropped it again. "Hey," he responded softly.
Harry sat on his bed and leaned forward with his hands clasped between his knees. "Hermione told me about the problems Pansy has been facing."
"Yeah?" Draco glanced at Harry again. "Did she tell you what we're going to do about it?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, she did." Draco looked away, and Harry stared at the floor. "It's a brilliant plan," Harry ventured.
Draco looked at him in surprise. "Do you really think so?"
"Yeah," Harry replied. "It's something I would do." Draco gave him a shy smile. Harry dropped his gaze to the floor again and asked, "Does Pansy know you're gay?"
Draco's face flushed, but he answered, "Yes, she's aware that I...like boys. It actually works in our favor," he added. "This is going to be a marriage in name only. It will remain unconsummated, and then we can have it annulled when Pansy turns twenty-five."
"That's seven years of your life that you're not free to follow your heart, Draco," Harry felt obligated to point out.
"I know that, but I'll still be young when I've done my duty by Pansy."
Harry's heart ached for his new friends, and other parts of his body ached for Draco in particular. "Where does that leave us?" he asked, not daring to meet Draco's eyes.
"Us?" Draco repeated faintly.
Harry raised his eyes. "You can't deny there's something between us," he insisted. "A spark, an attraction, or whatever you wish to call it. You feel it, too, don't you?"
Draco's face reddened again, but he nodded and admitted, "I feel it, too."
Harry felt a faint flutter of hope, which he tried to suppress. All his instincts were telling him this could only end badly. Still, no guts, no glory. "Is there any reason we can't spend time together until then?"
"I...I don't see why not," Draco replied hesitantly.
Neither of them mentioned the possible ramifications of exploring their attraction for one another while knowing full well that they had only until the end of term to be together.
"Come here," Harry said, scooting over to make room. "I want to see if our second snog is as amazing as our first one was."
~*~
Hermione plopped next to Ron on the sofa and watched as Harry disappeared into the room he shared with Draco. The door closed softly behind him.
"What's going on?" Ron asked.
"What makes you think something is going on?" Hermione stalled.
"You and Harry went out in the corridor to talk, and now he looks like his crup just died."
Hermione wondered how much she should reveal to her boyfriend. Perhaps Pansy didn't want everyone to know about her problems. Hermione had only told Harry because she could see he was falling for Draco. "I told Harry something that Blaise said to me," she tried.
"Has Zabini been bothering you?" Ron demanded, glaring at his Housemate. Blaise and Greg were playing Exploding Snap with Dean and Neville, while Seamus and Pansy were observing.
"No, of course not," replied Hermione. Blaise was a flirt, but he'd never made her feel uncomfortable. "I think he fancies your sister," she added absently. Hermione felt Ron tense beside her.
"I'll kill him," he snarled.
"You'll do no such thing, Ronald," scolded Hermione. "Ginny is seventeen and well able to take care of herself." As Ron subsided into grumbles, Hermione returned her attention to the others. Neville was looking up at Pansy and laughing at something she had said. His eyes were sparkling with humor, and Hermione's stomach sank.
More than one heart was going to be broken by the end of term.
~tbc~
Sparks 9
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Harry/Draco, Ron/Hermione
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): Suggestion
Word count: 1000
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This drabble/fic was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Written as a birthday gift for jedipm, who asked for more of this arc.
Summary: Hermione tells Harry what she learned from Blaise.
Harry waited until his libido had sufficiently cooled before making his way back to the castle and the Common Room. The others had already returned from their evening spent investigating. Harry didn't see Draco, but the door to their room was closed. It was possible Draco had wanted to be alone. He should sit with the rest of Dumbledore House to discuss what, if anything, the others had learned tonight, but he really wanted to find out what had caused Draco to bolt. As Harry was trying to decide if he should confront Draco or give him some space, Hermione approached him.
"Harry, we need to talk," she said quietly.
"Those are the words no bloke wants to hear," Harry joked. He belatedly noticed the serious expression on his friend's face and sobered immediately. "What is it?" he asked, wondering if she had news about the missing mermaid.
"Let's walk," Hermione urged, tugging Harry's sleeve. They exited the Dumbledore Common Room and strolled down the dimly lit corridor. Hermione sat on one of the wide window ledges and drew her knees up, and Harry sat down next to her.
"I asked Blaise why Pansy has been so withdrawn," Hermione began. She went on to tell him what she knew of Pansy's predicament.
"That's horrible!" Harry exclaimed, aghast at how Pansy had been treated by her stepmother. "There must be something we can do to help her."
Hermione cleared her throat and twisted her hands nervously in her lap. "Blaise and Draco have already come up with what they feel is an ideal solution," she said.
Harry smiled in relief. He should have known the former Slytherins would be clever enough to concoct a plan. "Fantastic. What is it?"
Hermione bit her lip and glanced up at him. "Draco is going to marry Pansy at the end of term."
~*~
Harry hesitated outside the door to the room he shared with Draco, but he didn't dare put this conversation off. He resisted the urge to knock and instead walked in to find Draco seated at the small desk by the window. "Hey," Harry greeted.
Draco lifted his gaze and dropped it again. "Hey," he responded softly.
Harry sat on his bed and leaned forward with his hands clasped between his knees. "Hermione told me about the problems Pansy has been facing."
"Yeah?" Draco glanced at Harry again. "Did she tell you what we're going to do about it?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, she did." Draco looked away, and Harry stared at the floor. "It's a brilliant plan," Harry ventured.
Draco looked at him in surprise. "Do you really think so?"
"Yeah," Harry replied. "It's something I would do." Draco gave him a shy smile. Harry dropped his gaze to the floor again and asked, "Does Pansy know you're gay?"
Draco's face flushed, but he answered, "Yes, she's aware that I...like boys. It actually works in our favor," he added. "This is going to be a marriage in name only. It will remain unconsummated, and then we can have it annulled when Pansy turns twenty-five."
"That's seven years of your life that you're not free to follow your heart, Draco," Harry felt obligated to point out.
"I know that, but I'll still be young when I've done my duty by Pansy."
Harry's heart ached for his new friends, and other parts of his body ached for Draco in particular. "Where does that leave us?" he asked, not daring to meet Draco's eyes.
"Us?" Draco repeated faintly.
Harry raised his eyes. "You can't deny there's something between us," he insisted. "A spark, an attraction, or whatever you wish to call it. You feel it, too, don't you?"
Draco's face reddened again, but he nodded and admitted, "I feel it, too."
Harry felt a faint flutter of hope, which he tried to suppress. All his instincts were telling him this could only end badly. Still, no guts, no glory. "Is there any reason we can't spend time together until then?"
"I...I don't see why not," Draco replied hesitantly.
Neither of them mentioned the possible ramifications of exploring their attraction for one another while knowing full well that they had only until the end of term to be together.
"Come here," Harry said, scooting over to make room. "I want to see if our second snog is as amazing as our first one was."
~*~
Hermione plopped next to Ron on the sofa and watched as Harry disappeared into the room he shared with Draco. The door closed softly behind him.
"What's going on?" Ron asked.
"What makes you think something is going on?" Hermione stalled.
"You and Harry went out in the corridor to talk, and now he looks like his crup just died."
Hermione wondered how much she should reveal to her boyfriend. Perhaps Pansy didn't want everyone to know about her problems. Hermione had only told Harry because she could see he was falling for Draco. "I told Harry something that Blaise said to me," she tried.
"Has Zabini been bothering you?" Ron demanded, glaring at his Housemate. Blaise and Greg were playing Exploding Snap with Dean and Neville, while Seamus and Pansy were observing.
"No, of course not," replied Hermione. Blaise was a flirt, but he'd never made her feel uncomfortable. "I think he fancies your sister," she added absently. Hermione felt Ron tense beside her.
"I'll kill him," he snarled.
"You'll do no such thing, Ronald," scolded Hermione. "Ginny is seventeen and well able to take care of herself." As Ron subsided into grumbles, Hermione returned her attention to the others. Neville was looking up at Pansy and laughing at something she had said. His eyes were sparkling with humor, and Hermione's stomach sank.
More than one heart was going to be broken by the end of term.
~tbc~
Sparks 9