AWDT: I'll be back.
Title: A Fox in the Hen House (Animal arc, part 16)
Author: enchanted_jae
Pairing: H/D, OCs
Rating: PG
Warning(s): Jealousy
Word count: 915
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This drabble/fic was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Written for this week's AWDT prompt of I'll be back. I worked it into my "Animal arc". This installment follows The Cat's Pyjamas.
Summary: A visit from an old friend titillates Draco and leaves Harry seething.
Over the next couple weeks, Draco settled into the routine of the household. With the benefit of Maeve's excellent cooking and mothering, his gauntness vanished, leaving him sleek and feeling good. Potter continued to be polite, but he kept his distance, which put Draco in a confusing quandary of being at once more relaxed, yet increasingly frustrated sexually. Only the fact that he'd been wanking morning and night prevented him from knocking on Potter's door in search of relief, but he'd been sorely tempted a few times.
After being cooped up in a small cottage in hiding for several months, Draco now spent much of his time outdoors. He'd chosen a favorite from among Harry's horses, a lovely palomino mare named Copper, and he often went for a ride in the afternoons. Occasionally, Harry would join him on his rangy bay gelding. Draco learned that each animal had been rescued, in a manner of speaking. Copper was blind in one eye and headed for slaughter, and Burt, the bay, had become unmanageable by his former owners. Harry had taken both in and with Stuart's help, had schooled them into decent saddle horses.
Draco had learned along the way that both Maeve and Stuart had been "taken in" by Harry, as well. Maeve was a squib, and as such, she preferred to remain outside of wizarding society, yet she didn't fit in with Muggles, either. Coming to stay with Harry and keep house for him had been a perfect solution for her. Stuart had retired as an Auror due to a crippling injury. It wasn't obvious unless one observed him closely, but he had limited use of his left arm. He, too, had found an ideal situation working for Harry. He could still be useful, but was out of the public eye, where his injury tended to draw embarrassing attention to himself.
On one of their more companionable horseback rides, Draco had teased Harry about all of his "reclamation projects". Sobered by his own quote, he had turned to Harry and asked, "Is that what you consider me?"
Harry paused a moment before answering. Glancing at Draco, he finally answered. "Only in that I wish to reclaim you," he stated calmly.
Draco had been speechless after that, and the rest of their ride was passed in silence. When they had returned to the house, he had excused himself to his room, spending the remainder of the day in chaotic contemplation.
~*~
Nearly three weeks into Draco's sentence, a visitor arrived at the country estate. Seamus Finnegan came to spend time with his aunt. Maeve was delighted to see him, of course, and Harry seemed pleased that his friend was there, as well. As they sat around the dining room table at lunch, Draco kept quiet for the most part, simply sitting back and allowing the conversation to flow around him. The lanky Irish boy he remembered from school had matured and filled out, and he was now quite arresting to look at. Draco recalled that Finnegan had engaged in an on-again, off-again relationship with Dean Thomas for most of their sixth and seventh years, and now he found himself wondering if Finnegan had designs on Harry. It soon became apparent such was not the case.
Seamus Finnegan was flirting openly with Draco.
Surprisingly, Draco found himself enjoying the attention. He'd been isolated while in hiding, and to suddenly have a handsome bloke making eyes at him had him almost preening in response. Harry hadn't been paying much attention to him lately...Draco risked a glance at his host, noting the forced smile and the tic in his jaw. Oh ho! So Harry was jealous. Draco was torn between wanting to rub it in his face and being afraid of what the fallout would be. Instead, he contented himself with returning Finnegan's smiles and watching Harry out of the corner of his eye.
The conversation continued well into the afternoon, and Draco joined in more and more, although it was mostly to speak to Finnegan. Maeve excused herself and returned with a fresh peach pie, which they all enjoyed. By the time late afternoon rolled around, steam was virtually coming out of Harry's ears, and Maeve had begun looking nervously between the three young men at the table. Only Stuart seemed unaffected by the tension rippling through the room.
Finally, Finnegan leaned back and smiled at his aunt. "Maeve, it's been good to see you again. Stuart," he nodded to the older man. Turning his attention to his host, he said, "Harry, thank you for putting up with me once more." Harry smiled tightly in response, and Finnegan turned at last to Draco. "Malfoy, a pleasure to see you again, it was," he all but purred.
Draco beamed and opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off before he could form a single word.
"Thanks for stopping by, Seamus," said Harry, rising to his feet. Maeve's mouth dropped at his overt rudeness, but Finnegan himself took it with good grace, pushing his chair back and standing also. He rounded the table and gave his aunt a quick peck on the cheek.
"It was nice to see you, Seamus," she smiled, giving him a hug in return.
"Thank you, Maeve," replied Finnegan. Then, with a wink at Draco, he added, "I'll be back," before he turned and left.
TBC
Wise Old Owl
Author: enchanted_jae
Pairing: H/D, OCs
Rating: PG
Warning(s): Jealousy
Word count: 915
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This drabble/fic was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Written for this week's AWDT prompt of I'll be back. I worked it into my "Animal arc". This installment follows The Cat's Pyjamas.
Summary: A visit from an old friend titillates Draco and leaves Harry seething.
Over the next couple weeks, Draco settled into the routine of the household. With the benefit of Maeve's excellent cooking and mothering, his gauntness vanished, leaving him sleek and feeling good. Potter continued to be polite, but he kept his distance, which put Draco in a confusing quandary of being at once more relaxed, yet increasingly frustrated sexually. Only the fact that he'd been wanking morning and night prevented him from knocking on Potter's door in search of relief, but he'd been sorely tempted a few times.
After being cooped up in a small cottage in hiding for several months, Draco now spent much of his time outdoors. He'd chosen a favorite from among Harry's horses, a lovely palomino mare named Copper, and he often went for a ride in the afternoons. Occasionally, Harry would join him on his rangy bay gelding. Draco learned that each animal had been rescued, in a manner of speaking. Copper was blind in one eye and headed for slaughter, and Burt, the bay, had become unmanageable by his former owners. Harry had taken both in and with Stuart's help, had schooled them into decent saddle horses.
Draco had learned along the way that both Maeve and Stuart had been "taken in" by Harry, as well. Maeve was a squib, and as such, she preferred to remain outside of wizarding society, yet she didn't fit in with Muggles, either. Coming to stay with Harry and keep house for him had been a perfect solution for her. Stuart had retired as an Auror due to a crippling injury. It wasn't obvious unless one observed him closely, but he had limited use of his left arm. He, too, had found an ideal situation working for Harry. He could still be useful, but was out of the public eye, where his injury tended to draw embarrassing attention to himself.
On one of their more companionable horseback rides, Draco had teased Harry about all of his "reclamation projects". Sobered by his own quote, he had turned to Harry and asked, "Is that what you consider me?"
Harry paused a moment before answering. Glancing at Draco, he finally answered. "Only in that I wish to reclaim you," he stated calmly.
Draco had been speechless after that, and the rest of their ride was passed in silence. When they had returned to the house, he had excused himself to his room, spending the remainder of the day in chaotic contemplation.
~*~
Nearly three weeks into Draco's sentence, a visitor arrived at the country estate. Seamus Finnegan came to spend time with his aunt. Maeve was delighted to see him, of course, and Harry seemed pleased that his friend was there, as well. As they sat around the dining room table at lunch, Draco kept quiet for the most part, simply sitting back and allowing the conversation to flow around him. The lanky Irish boy he remembered from school had matured and filled out, and he was now quite arresting to look at. Draco recalled that Finnegan had engaged in an on-again, off-again relationship with Dean Thomas for most of their sixth and seventh years, and now he found himself wondering if Finnegan had designs on Harry. It soon became apparent such was not the case.
Seamus Finnegan was flirting openly with Draco.
Surprisingly, Draco found himself enjoying the attention. He'd been isolated while in hiding, and to suddenly have a handsome bloke making eyes at him had him almost preening in response. Harry hadn't been paying much attention to him lately...Draco risked a glance at his host, noting the forced smile and the tic in his jaw. Oh ho! So Harry was jealous. Draco was torn between wanting to rub it in his face and being afraid of what the fallout would be. Instead, he contented himself with returning Finnegan's smiles and watching Harry out of the corner of his eye.
The conversation continued well into the afternoon, and Draco joined in more and more, although it was mostly to speak to Finnegan. Maeve excused herself and returned with a fresh peach pie, which they all enjoyed. By the time late afternoon rolled around, steam was virtually coming out of Harry's ears, and Maeve had begun looking nervously between the three young men at the table. Only Stuart seemed unaffected by the tension rippling through the room.
Finally, Finnegan leaned back and smiled at his aunt. "Maeve, it's been good to see you again. Stuart," he nodded to the older man. Turning his attention to his host, he said, "Harry, thank you for putting up with me once more." Harry smiled tightly in response, and Finnegan turned at last to Draco. "Malfoy, a pleasure to see you again, it was," he all but purred.
Draco beamed and opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off before he could form a single word.
"Thanks for stopping by, Seamus," said Harry, rising to his feet. Maeve's mouth dropped at his overt rudeness, but Finnegan himself took it with good grace, pushing his chair back and standing also. He rounded the table and gave his aunt a quick peck on the cheek.
"It was nice to see you, Seamus," she smiled, giving him a hug in return.
"Thank you, Maeve," replied Finnegan. Then, with a wink at Draco, he added, "I'll be back," before he turned and left.
TBC
Wise Old Owl