Fiction - Never turn your back on me (Harry Potter) P30
INFO and links to previous parts.
Thanks to off_that_bridge for beta. (At this point it's a rush beta job.)
Feedback would be very nice. The final wordcount was 32,100 words
30. Go
The main room looked even gloomier than it had earlier. Outside the sun was setting and the dwindling light cast long eerie shadows across the floor. Draco sat in his father's overstuffed chair by the massive fireplace. Potter and his merry band of Gryffindors had not followed him into the manor. They were all probably consoling the little crybaby Weasley.
Draco stared deep into the empty hearth. When he was very young, he used to like to sit at his father's feet, a roaring fire driving the chill away. His father would invite him to sit in his lap and tell Draco stories of his days at Hogwarts, vowing that not only would Draco one day go to Hogwarts, but that he'd be their most prestigious pupil. How wrong his father had been. It hurt to find out that his parents had been wrong about so many things.
Footfalls echoed through the room and Potter stepped around the great chair to stand and stare down at Draco.
"That was totally unnecessary," Potter said. He pulled his wand from his robe sleeve and pointed it at the hearth. "Incendio." With that one word, flames erupted in the cold depths.
"Where are they? Not causing trouble, I hope," Draco sneered up at Potter.
Potter tucked his wand back in his sleeve and stared into the flames.
"They left to take Ginny home," Potter muttered.
Draco stood and turned with a flourish, gestured at the chair. "I'm afraid this is the only seat in the room."
Potter eyed him warily then slowly sat down in the offered seat, his shoulders sagging.
"You didn't have to treat Ginny so poorly," he whispered, his gaze falling on Draco. Potter was watching him for a reaction. It was so obvious that he was checking for something, perhaps remorse. If that were the case, Potter would be looking for a very long time.
Draco leaned casually against the hearth and stared into the flames. "What do you want, Potter? Why are you still here?" He wanted to look into Potter's eyes, but instead he continued to stare into the fire, watching as the flames hungrily licked the charred stones.
"I want you to join me in the fight against Voldemort," Potter said after a long silence.
Draco turned his gaze on Potter, glaring. "For what purpose?" he curled his lips in disgust. "You seriously think you can take Voldemort down?"
Potter stared up at Draco, unblinking. He looked tired. His eyes reflected years beyond his age. What had he been up to in the few weeks since that day in New York? Draco knew Potter wouldn't sit still for very long. He had probably done many foolish things since that day on the turret. It was the burden of a hero.
Potter stood and reached for Draco's sleeve, his fingers curling around the fabric tightly.
"I sent that note to the Ministry so that you would be free to join me," Potter said.
"You mean join you and your merry Gryffindor clan," Draco snarled coolly.
Potter took a step closer to Draco, forcing him to step back. So this was Potter's plan, to coerce Draco into complying with Potter's wishes. There was nothing Potter could threaten him with to make him join his hopeless crusade.
"We're not all Gryffindor," he added.
Draco snorted. "Right, some of you are Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. How wonderful." He turned his gaze back to the flames. "And they all have reasons to hate me."
"I don't care," Potter said firmly.
Draco inhaled a deep breath and crossed his arms. "Nothing good ever came from Slytherin house, remember?" He glared into Potter's eyes, satisfied when he caught a glimpse of remorse.
"Don't you want revenge?" Potter asked as he stepped closer. This time Draco didn't move. He stood his ground and didn't flinch when he felt the gentle brush of Potter's fingers on his own hand.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Draco whispered.
Potter turned Draco so they were face-to-face. He reached up and brushed at a loose strand of hair that had fallen on Draco's cheek.
"What the hell are you playing at, Potter?" Draco said. He hadn't been paying attention because Potter had managed to corner him.
"It's been a few weeks," Potter lowered his voice. "If it were a love potion, it would have worn off by now."
Draco ineffectually pushed at Potter's chest, but Potter only leaned in closer. His lips grazed Draco's mouth and the tip of Potter's tongue darted out, licking slowly.
"Is that what this is all about?" Draco whimpered, eyes widening as Potter took one last step, reaching up with both arms to cage Draco up against the wall. The look in Potter's eyes was alarming. Draco gulped and reached up to push at Potter's chest again, only his hand rebelled. Instead of pushing Potter away he stroked Potter's chest, and hooked his free arm over Potter's shoulder.
"No," Potter licked Draco's mouth again, a look of confidence on his face. "I'm here to ask you to help us." Potter pressed him hard up against the wall and before Draco could respond, Potter leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. There was nothing else to do but submit. Draco tilted his head and parted his lips to allow Potter to plunge his tongue deep into his mouth. Potter had him firmly in his arms.
When they broke apart, Draco felt dizzy, but he told himself it was because he hadn't eaten all day. It was definitely not because of the kiss.
"It's not a love potion, Malfoy," said Potter. Draco was glad for the privacy. His parents would have cursed Draco into oblivion if they could see their son now.
"Do you have to call me that? Can't you call me by my given name?" Draco teased.
Potter pressed their foreheads together and smirked. Just out of the corner of his eyes, Draco could see his white-blonde hair mixed with Potter's black, messy locks. It looked brilliant.
"Maybe after I shag you, I'll call you by your given name," said Potter confidently. His eyes sparkled with mirth.
"Really, Potter. You've spent entirely too much time with me," Draco purred, sliding his hand down to caress Potter's thigh. "I've completely corrupted you."
"Not enough time," Potter whispered as he kissed Draco again.
End
Thanks to off_that_bridge for beta. (At this point it's a rush beta job.)
Feedback would be very nice. The final wordcount was 32,100 words
30. Go
The main room looked even gloomier than it had earlier. Outside the sun was setting and the dwindling light cast long eerie shadows across the floor. Draco sat in his father's overstuffed chair by the massive fireplace. Potter and his merry band of Gryffindors had not followed him into the manor. They were all probably consoling the little crybaby Weasley.
Draco stared deep into the empty hearth. When he was very young, he used to like to sit at his father's feet, a roaring fire driving the chill away. His father would invite him to sit in his lap and tell Draco stories of his days at Hogwarts, vowing that not only would Draco one day go to Hogwarts, but that he'd be their most prestigious pupil. How wrong his father had been. It hurt to find out that his parents had been wrong about so many things.
Footfalls echoed through the room and Potter stepped around the great chair to stand and stare down at Draco.
"That was totally unnecessary," Potter said. He pulled his wand from his robe sleeve and pointed it at the hearth. "Incendio." With that one word, flames erupted in the cold depths.
"Where are they? Not causing trouble, I hope," Draco sneered up at Potter.
Potter tucked his wand back in his sleeve and stared into the flames.
"They left to take Ginny home," Potter muttered.
Draco stood and turned with a flourish, gestured at the chair. "I'm afraid this is the only seat in the room."
Potter eyed him warily then slowly sat down in the offered seat, his shoulders sagging.
"You didn't have to treat Ginny so poorly," he whispered, his gaze falling on Draco. Potter was watching him for a reaction. It was so obvious that he was checking for something, perhaps remorse. If that were the case, Potter would be looking for a very long time.
Draco leaned casually against the hearth and stared into the flames. "What do you want, Potter? Why are you still here?" He wanted to look into Potter's eyes, but instead he continued to stare into the fire, watching as the flames hungrily licked the charred stones.
"I want you to join me in the fight against Voldemort," Potter said after a long silence.
Draco turned his gaze on Potter, glaring. "For what purpose?" he curled his lips in disgust. "You seriously think you can take Voldemort down?"
Potter stared up at Draco, unblinking. He looked tired. His eyes reflected years beyond his age. What had he been up to in the few weeks since that day in New York? Draco knew Potter wouldn't sit still for very long. He had probably done many foolish things since that day on the turret. It was the burden of a hero.
Potter stood and reached for Draco's sleeve, his fingers curling around the fabric tightly.
"I sent that note to the Ministry so that you would be free to join me," Potter said.
"You mean join you and your merry Gryffindor clan," Draco snarled coolly.
Potter took a step closer to Draco, forcing him to step back. So this was Potter's plan, to coerce Draco into complying with Potter's wishes. There was nothing Potter could threaten him with to make him join his hopeless crusade.
"We're not all Gryffindor," he added.
Draco snorted. "Right, some of you are Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. How wonderful." He turned his gaze back to the flames. "And they all have reasons to hate me."
"I don't care," Potter said firmly.
Draco inhaled a deep breath and crossed his arms. "Nothing good ever came from Slytherin house, remember?" He glared into Potter's eyes, satisfied when he caught a glimpse of remorse.
"Don't you want revenge?" Potter asked as he stepped closer. This time Draco didn't move. He stood his ground and didn't flinch when he felt the gentle brush of Potter's fingers on his own hand.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Draco whispered.
Potter turned Draco so they were face-to-face. He reached up and brushed at a loose strand of hair that had fallen on Draco's cheek.
"What the hell are you playing at, Potter?" Draco said. He hadn't been paying attention because Potter had managed to corner him.
"It's been a few weeks," Potter lowered his voice. "If it were a love potion, it would have worn off by now."
Draco ineffectually pushed at Potter's chest, but Potter only leaned in closer. His lips grazed Draco's mouth and the tip of Potter's tongue darted out, licking slowly.
"Is that what this is all about?" Draco whimpered, eyes widening as Potter took one last step, reaching up with both arms to cage Draco up against the wall. The look in Potter's eyes was alarming. Draco gulped and reached up to push at Potter's chest again, only his hand rebelled. Instead of pushing Potter away he stroked Potter's chest, and hooked his free arm over Potter's shoulder.
"No," Potter licked Draco's mouth again, a look of confidence on his face. "I'm here to ask you to help us." Potter pressed him hard up against the wall and before Draco could respond, Potter leaned in and kissed him on the mouth. There was nothing else to do but submit. Draco tilted his head and parted his lips to allow Potter to plunge his tongue deep into his mouth. Potter had him firmly in his arms.
When they broke apart, Draco felt dizzy, but he told himself it was because he hadn't eaten all day. It was definitely not because of the kiss.
"It's not a love potion, Malfoy," said Potter. Draco was glad for the privacy. His parents would have cursed Draco into oblivion if they could see their son now.
"Do you have to call me that? Can't you call me by my given name?" Draco teased.
Potter pressed their foreheads together and smirked. Just out of the corner of his eyes, Draco could see his white-blonde hair mixed with Potter's black, messy locks. It looked brilliant.
"Maybe after I shag you, I'll call you by your given name," said Potter confidently. His eyes sparkled with mirth.
"Really, Potter. You've spent entirely too much time with me," Draco purred, sliding his hand down to caress Potter's thigh. "I've completely corrupted you."
"Not enough time," Potter whispered as he kissed Draco again.
End