hd inspiration for liz_chan (2)

[hd_inspired_mod]

Author: Anonymous
Recipient: liz_chan
Title: You Can Run But You Can't Hide (Part 2 of 2)

You Can Run But You Can't Hide Part 2 of 2

In a way, it was kind of nice having a companion. He wouldn’t have called the panther a pet necessarily, because that sounded much too harsh. A pet was an animal that was tied to a lead or put into a cage. But this panther…was free to roam as it pleased. And that was what was so magnificent about it. Draco couldn’t help but envy the creature for its mysterious nature. Where it went when it didn’t come to visit the garden was beyond him. It sounded better to say the panther was his friend after all. One that he could talk to about whatever was on his mind, even if the panther only nodded or listened to him most of the time. And in return, Draco brought out a bowl of ice cream for it on a daily basis.

It had started with Draco sitting under the birches as usual, flipping through Hogwarts, A History. He remembered it had been one of Granger’s top favourites, which made him cringe as he continued to read. On one side of him lay the panther, and on the other, a bowl of strawberry ice cream. It was rare for Draco to have sweets, as the mere taste was enough to make him sick. Sweets brought back the nauseating smell of the cellar, where prisoners and dead bodies had been held. But the strawberry ice cream was light and simple. It was also made from scratch, thanks to the expertise of the house-elves.

“I can’t believe I’m actually reading this rubbish,” commented Draco, spooning some ice cream into his mouth. He licked his lips slowly relishing the taste before going for another spoonful. “And yet, it states the truth. No Apparition within school grounds. Filch’s rules…area size of the castle…no wonder Granger was always up everyone’s arse about everything.”

The panther poked its head up, baring its teeth as it growled ferociously. Draco raised his eyebrows, leaning back a bit. It was interesting…first Potter, now Granger. It was like this panther knew everyone Draco did.

“Easy there. I was just saying…unless you knew her, you probably would have agreed she was a bit mad too! She read the whole bloody book before classes even started in our first year! Half of us couldn’t even read properly!”

The sound of a loud purr eased Draco as he began reading as a section about secret passages. He couldn’t help but shiver as he skipped over the tale about the Chamber of Secrets. All he really knew about the place was that his father had had something planned for it. Some of the pieces had added up, but for the most part, it remained an unsolved mystery to this day. Draco could only attribute it to that leather journal his father used to carry everywhere until he dumped it in Weaselette’s cauldron at Flourish and Blott’s. Why he did that, Draco had chosen not to ask his father. Lucius Malfoy wasn’t stupid to give control up that easily, but there had been something dodgy about the whole scandal, if Draco could call it one. Eavesdropping on his parents had only gotten him so far…to find out that the Dark Lord was behind this somehow. But he hadn’t been able to figure out anything else.

He had already known what lived in the Chamber, a basilisk, but the master…well, his identity remained anonymous. Only an heir of Salazar Slytherin could have had access to control the creature. And as much as a coincidence it was for Potter to speak to snakes, it didn’t fit. It still didn’t fit. If it had been Potter, why had he killed the basilisk? And Potter wasn’t a hater. That much had been obvious, as Potter hung out with riffraff like Weasley and Granger. Potter had only been playing his role as the hero, to Draco’s disgust. That was something that never changed, even now.

Draco frowned, dwelling on these last thoughts about this incident as he set his book down. Mind occupied, he blindly reached for his bowl, except his hand met solid grass instead.

“What the hell?” exclaimed Draco with annoyance. “I just left it here!” The nudge against his left thigh, however, told him otherwise.

“Hey! That’s mine! How did you…?”

But the panther paid no attention as it happily licked Draco’s bowl clean, savouring the last few drops left of melted pink ice cream. Since when did animals fancy ice cream as a treat? Sighing, Draco could only pet the panther, rubbing its fur before picking up his book again. Before he knew it, he was being tackled, a long, wet tongue trailing his cheek. He scrunched his face as he chuckled, trying to push the animal away as it continued to playfully lick him.

That was one of Draco’s favourite moments, one that had actually made him remember what happiness meant. To be completely carefree without any worries or doubts…he was glad to have his panther friend as an ally. Not like he had any to begin with. And it was with this memory that motivated Draco to currently cross through the garden, with book and ice cream bowl in hand. He looked forward to today, just to enjoy the warm weather and some quiet company, which was far better than holing himself in the manor like he had done only days ago. Just when he was about to sit down, he heard the leaves of the bushes rustling next to the trees

“Who’s there?” demanded Draco at once, dropping his things to the ground. He hated the terror that quickly rose within him, making it hard to breathe. Of course, he was being stupid, but he didn’t trust anyone. It was better to be safe than sorry. If only he had a fucking wand…

But there was only the still silence as Draco waited. He tried again.

“Who’s there? Show yourself, you bloody bastard! I don’t have time to play games!”

“So I’m still a bastard, eh?” asked Potter, revealing himself from behind one of the birches.

“What are you doing here, Potter?” hissed Draco, glaring at him. “The door is at the front, not in the fucking woods!”

“I wasn’t going to give up the opportunity to give you a fright,” replied Potter, giving Draco a sly grin as he walked up to him.

“Give me a fright?” repeated Draco with a derisive laugh. “Please. Nothing is as scary as the Boy-Who-Lived.”

“Fuck you,” muttered Potter with a dark expression spreading on his face. “You and the rest of them…it would be best to do without that label, thanks.”

“You don’t fancy it?” inquired Draco obliviously, though he knew better. It wouldn’t hurt to pull at Potter’s strings a bit, after all. Call it revenge. “I bet you used to love basking in the spotlight of The Daily Prophet, loving every second of attention people gave you. What happened to that?”

“You’re wrong. If you actually enjoy being on the front page, fine. But I’m sure from experience, you would know how unpleasant it is when you hear people whispering behind your back. The people at your trial weren’t offering up compliments, y’know.”

Draco tightened his jaw, picking up his book and gripping it until his knuckles turned white. Potter only glared at him. The git was absolutely impossible! One minute he was playful, the next, he was an arse. If Potter was like this with other people, they wouldn’t like him either. Draco cleared his throat, moving the bowl of now melted ice cream with his shoe. It spilt over, staining the grass and splashing onto his trousers. He exhaled loudly.

“What do you really want, Potter?”

“Well, a bowl of ice cream would have been fine. It seems like you’re through with yours though.”

“Stop playing games! What’s your real reason? Or do I need to break your nose again to get it out of you?”

“You think I would go as low as you to pull that stunt?” challenged Potter, raising an eyebrow. “You were just going to leave me to bleed to death on the train during sixth year. At least I saved your arse when there was fucking Fiendfyre.”

“Why do you keep bringing that up?” Draco exploded, the fury running through his veins. “Why the hell does it still matter whether you saved me or not? I know what you did, Potter! I know I owe you a fucking life debt, maybe two at that, but just stop mentioning it! If you wanted something, just tell me!”

That was enough to shut Potter up. He closed his mouth abruptly as the anger in his eyes instantly disappeared. Draco could see a new kind of emotion though, one he had seen once before when Potter had found him in the bathroom. If it was a flash of desperation, or even concern, Draco ignored it. Potter was stalling for time, and if he stayed any longer, it was possible he would be delaying the arrival of the panther. Draco was getting impatient.

“If that’s all you have to say, then I think we’re done here.”

“No, it’s not-”

“Goodbye, Potter.”

“I came by for-”

“Enough is enough. Leave.”

Draco turned around to head back to the manor, only to be stopped when he felt fingers gripping his wrist tightly.

“Don’t. Please…Draco.”

Potter dug his nails into Draco’s flesh, his palm pressing into the forearm. Draco jumped, observing the intimate interaction between them. Had there been a Dark Mark instead of pale, smooth skin…the very thought was disturbing. Draco snatched his wrist away from Potter, holding it up to his chest. Potter glanced down at the ground, worrying his lip between his teeth. Interestingly enough, the subtle gesture attracted Draco’s attention. He watched as Potter licked his chapped lips, pressing them together before licking them again. It seemed like Potter had done this before at school, something Draco should have noticed more closely before. Come on, Draco, focus! Focus to the present…not Potter’s bloody lips!

He jumped again when he felt something hard and long being thrust into his hand. Draco looked down, only to see his beloved hawthorn wand right before his eyes. He looked back up, staring at Potter, who had turned away to walk back to the birches.

“Potter!”

Draco quickly set the wand and his book down before chasing after Potter into the outskirts of the woods. He pushed a few branched out of the way and grabbed Potter’s shoulder. Potter stopped.

“Why?”

“Why not? This was all I wanted to do,” mumbled Potter to the trees.

“But why now?” persisted Draco, trying to get Potter to turn around. Potter only struggled against him, shoving Draco’s hand out of the way so he could back up.

“You might need it,” was all Potter said as he began to walk away again.

“Like I didn’t need it before?”

Potter only shot Draco a sad yet apologetic look as he grew further and further.

“Potter! Come back here!”

It was no use though, because Draco soon found himself alone in the woods. He sighed dejectedly as he made his way to the garden again. He glimpsed at his polished wand, which was lying on the grass where he left it. For a fleeting moment, he wasn’t sure if he wanted it back anymore. But still, if that was all Potter wanted, Draco was sure he would not bother him again for a while. He tried to feel a little happy about that, but deep down, he could feel his heart weighing down. Maybe that news wasn’t as good as he liked it to be.

Draco pulled at his hair with frustration, not caring that he pulled a few strands out. He was such a mess. He had even begun to like Potter, even if it was only for a few minutes. Draco swore as he ground his teeth together. This was going to be a long night.

~~~~~

The next day was filled with a void. So was the day after, and then the day after that. Draco still came outside, of course, secretly hoping to get a glimpse of the panther even for a moment. But the panther never came. Perhaps Draco really was foolish to depend on a silly animal for comfort. He was better than that, wasn’t he?

After a while, when the sky transformed into a mix of blue and purples, Draco snapped his book shut and got up, brushing off his trousers. He tried using his wand for the first time, barely levitating the usual bowl filled with melted ice cream into the air. It shook dangerously as it dumped its contents onto the ground. And then it dropped and shattered. So much for being a wizard again.

~~~~~

He decided to go into the woods for the first time in a while…since the last time he saw Potter. It was dark tonight with the sky painted a rich indigo, but honestly, Draco couldn’t care less. He had gone through a surge of emotion over the last couple of weeks, and he was fed up. He had blamed Potter for this, as it was quite possible Potter had set up a curse to make his life miserable. And if that was so, Potter definitely had to do with the panther’s disappearance. Which was why Draco was in the woods…so he could find it again. Just to make sure it hadn’t been killed or sold off to some other country.

If he really felt like confronting the truth, though, he only wanted to find the panther so he didn’t have to be alone. He missed the long-winded talks about things he would never confess to anyone else in a million years, from secrets and fears to small stories about last year when he was under the Dark Lord’s rule both at the manor and Hogwarts. It had at least been something to find that panther in the first place, as a way to let everything he had been holding back for so long finally escape. But now Draco was stuck again, this time feeling wounded and abandoned. Maybe this had all been planned. Maybe this was the way to see how long it would take before Draco would break. Maybe…

Draco barely had time to survey his surroundings before someone grabbed him by the throat. At once, Draco’s body seized up with panic as he felt fingers squeezing harder and harder. He could barely make out the shadow of what had to be a tall man…or wizard. One with familiar robes…the kind of robes he had seen so many people wear for over a year…

“Shite,” Draco croaked out painfully.

“Language,” cooed a deep, hoarse voice. “It’s not polite to use such foul words with your elders.”

“Let go of me!”

“No, I don’t think so. We finally meet again, Draco.”

With that, the man pushed back the hood that concealed his identity.

“Yaxley?! I thought you were dead!”

“Well, hello to you too,” replied Yaxley, grinning at Draco enough to bare his disgusting, stained teeth. “It seems like you have been living quite well.”

“Fuck off, and get your filthy hands off of me!” gasped Draco, trying to feel for a leg. When he did, he managed to kick it hard.

“Ow! Son of a…why you little twit!” growled Yaxley angrily, grabbing Draco tighter as he shoved him against the trunk of the nearest tree. “You knew this wasn’t going to last forever. Someone was bound to come after you.”

Draco tried to retort, but all he could do was make gagging sounds. He was beginning to feel light-headed, while the rest of his body tingled. He could hear Yaxley’s haggard breathing, smell the scent of dead rats clinging to the air…and that was enough to make him feel nauseous.

“You think Potter did you a favour?” continued Yaxley, pushing Draco’s back harder against the tree. “Did Lucius and Narcissa really think they were going to get away without punishment? The Dark Lord would not have permitted this…”

But Draco was barely listening. He desperately tried to grasp at the fingers closed around his throat, but Yaxley slapped his hands away. And then he slapped Draco across the face before dropping him to the ground all together. Draco could only wheeze as he took in big gulps oxygen, crying out when a foot kicked him in the stomach.

“That’s for kicking my shin, boy,” sneered Yaxley, brandishing his wand. “And for that…well, why don’t I take care of you now before I move onto your parents?”

“Like the hell you will!” rasped Draco, wincing at the pain from speaking. “You’ll be down before you even do a damn thing!”

With the quick reflexes Quidditch had taught him as a Seeker, Draco took out his own wand, pointing it at Yaxley’s chest, right where the heart would be. Yaxley gaped at Draco, stunned for a moment. And then he shook his head and laughed.

“What are you going to try to do, Draco? Are you going to try to kill me? That didn’t go over too well when you tried that on Dumbledore. Or maybe you’ll attempt another runaway? You can run all you want, but you can’t hide-”

“Confringo!”

The blast of force from Draco’s wand was strong enough to knock down Yaxley, but then again,Yaxley was no idiot. He dodged the spell just in time so that it hit the tree next to him instead before ricocheting. To Draco’s horror, his own spell was heading in his direction…fast. He ducked just in time as sparks flew right above his head, just barely brushing a few locks of blond hair into his face.

Draco glanced around quickly, realising how difficult of a fight it was going to be now that the sky had turned black. The stars weren’t much of a help for light. He would have to deal with it though. Draco didn’t train himself to perfect his dueling skills for nothing. He continued to fight fiercely, determined not to give up even though his muscles ached. Yaxley seemed to be just as alert as he was.

“Crucio!”

“Impedimenta!”

“Confundo!”

“Duro!”

“Is that the best you’ve got?” taunted Yaxley as he tumbled off to his left. “Turning me into stone, eh? A shame, really, when the Dark Lord has taught you so much…” And then he muttered another spell that was powerful enough to make its red light travel toward Draco’s face in mere seconds.

“He didn’t teach us anything!” shouted Draco, jumping behind a tree just in time. He heard a crack when the tree was hit, listening to the slow split of wood. Draco tumbled forward to hide behind another tree when Yaxley tried to strike again. “Voldemort could hardly hold a decent duel!”

“You dare to say the Dark Lord’s name?” spat Yaxley incredulously, his eyes bulging out madly. “What makes you think you’re worthy of that?”

“Better to be a fighter than a coward,” Draco simply stated, levelling his wand toward Yaxley. “Oh and by the way, watch out. Furnunculus!”

Yaxley’s eyes widened as he tried to deflect the spell, but he was too late. Almost immediately, his face began to spread with big, bumpy boils. There were even more boils on his hands, and whatever other parts Draco could see of the man.

“Fuck! You’re going to pay for this!” Yaxley screamed furiously, clawing at his face roughly with his nails so that a few of the boils began to ooze. “I am going to kill you if it’s the last thing I do! Traitors like you don’t deserve to live!”

“D’you really think so?” questioned Draco sardonically, taking a few steps toward Yaxley with his wand still in front of him. “That seems rather ironic, given the fact that actual Death Eaters have killed far more than traitors have. I would say Death Eaters are much worse. Those are the people who do not deserve to live.”

“If the Dark Lord was here-”

“And what does it matter? He’s already dead!”

“Is that what you think, boy? You’re too naïve to realise what is in front of your face!”

“You seriously think you can replace-”

“Incarcerous!”

Almost at once, Draco felt thick ropes binding his wrists and ankles together. Trying his best to escape, he tried to hop away. His foot caught onto a tree root though, making him trip. He dropped his wand and ripped his now grimy robes. By now, he was sure he was covered in gashes. How bad they actually were…well, he didn’t care about that at the moment. Now it was Draco’s turn to swear as Yaxley came closer, standing above him with a disturbingly evil smile. He was so doomed. If he had to die like this, then Draco would be prepared to do just that. Except he didn’t want to die like this, if only he could get these fucking ropes out of the way…

Just when Yaxley opened his mouth, something large and black jumped out of nowhere. Then, it disappeared, and so did Yaxley. Draco blinked, and then he heard a screaming wail as he saw Yaxley being dragged by what looked like some kind of animal. It was too difficult to see though in the dark, and his only incentive now was to find his wand somehow. Draco rolled onto his side a couple of times, attempting to crawl with his elbows and knees. Still no sign of his wand. If only he were able to use wandless magic! He had been trying to learn during his spare time within the school year when Death Eaters weren’t teaching Unforgivables, but he still had a long way ahead of him. Even making the damn thing light up would have sufficed.

And then in the distance, Draco heard a series of cracks, followed by running. Several voices began to rise at once as the sound of chains clacked. Probably for Yaxley, just as an extra precaution. That bastard was a tricky one, and ropes hadn’t stopped him before.

“Yaxley! What the hell are you doing here?” he heard Lucius’ loud voice demand at once. “I told you not to step foot on my estate!”

“You should be in Azkaban, my dear friend,” replied Yaxley nastily. “It makes no sense that these fucking Aurors are after me, rather than you or Narcissa, ones that have done more than enough damage to this world!”

“And the Wizengamot have been generous enough to see to our intentions as good ones,” Narcissa retorted defensively. “We saved Potter while you and the rest of the lot tried to kill him!”

“I did as the Dark Lord wished. I obeyed him!”

“And so did Bella! Look what happened to her!”

“She was always so greedy…always trying to please the Dark Lord…trying to be his dearest pet-”

Draco heard a slap, followed by a whimper. He stayed still, kneeling on the dirt so he could listen some more.

“Don’t you ever talk about her like that! She was still my sister, you…you-”

“That’s enough, Mrs. Malfoy,” interrupted the voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. “Williamson, Savage, you have him chained up tightly? Good…that looks good. Arthur? What d’you reckon?”

“I find it interesting,” answered Arthur Weasley with curiosity. “It doesn’t exactly make sense…but we were able to Apparate here on time, just when Yaxley was dragged here. You can tell by the marks coming from nearby the birches.”

“Looking for something, were you, Yaxley?” said Lucius accusingly.

“Yes, why were you in the woods?” added Shacklebolt’s deep voice. “What are you doing on the Malfoy estate? They have already gone to trial. You, however, have not.”

“And I never will!” responded Yaxley spitefully.

Suddenly, the voices began to escalate all at once, drowning out all of the interrogation Draco was able to hear. He pulled at the binds digging into his ankles and wrists, only to irritate his skin even more. He hated dealing with rope burn. Fucking Yaxley. And now that everyone else was too busy arguing over the prick, Draco would probably be left in the woods to starve and then die. Fantastic.

“Draco.”

Draco stopped moving again, just enough so he could hear footsteps approaching from behind. He squinted, seeing nothing. Well, if this was his night to get murdered, it seemed to be going pretty well. Draco swallowed hard. He quickly made a jump onto his feet, almost losing his balance. He hopped toward the nearest tree trunk, hoping that it was good enough to conceal himself.

“Draco, c’mon! Stop being such a nancy!”

If this was who he thought it was, Draco was pretty sure he was imagining things. He kept still, pressing his back into the tree trunk until he felt the bark against his back. He held his breath.

“If you think pretending to be a tree is going to stop me from finding you, then that’s pretty stupid,” muttered Potter’s voice in Draco’s ear.

Draco jumped, looking around but not seeing anything at all. If this was some idea of a prank, Potter was definitely going down. He would make sure of that, once he could get rid of these ropes and actually find his damn wand. Why did he have to be so useless and pathetic at a time like this?

“Potter, get out from under that bloody cloak of yours and untie me,” hissed Draco with frustration. “I would rather not become prey for the werewolves and other animals that roam these woods.”

“Fine,” agreed Potter before revealing himself casually.

Draco could only gape at Potter as the moonlight hit his face, almost illuminating it. Potter was looking good, even with his ruffled up hair from being under that cloak for Merlin knows how long. Sure, Potter had been known to be clumsy, but even with the dirt on his shirt and jeans, they fit rather well on him. A change from the past, for sure.

Another thing though was Potter’s scent. Draco could actually smell Potter along with some sweat, and whether it was his, Potter’s or a mix of both, he didn’t care. Potter’s eyes seemed to be shining with something…something he honestly couldn’t put his finger on. All Draco knew was that Potter had never looked at him like he was now. With longing or with…what was Draco thinking? Who knew what Potter wanted from him at such an inconvenient time like this?

“Get these ropes off of me,” Draco simply whispered, wincing as he tried to pull against the ropes again.

“Evanesco!” muttered Potter, pointing his wand at Draco’s wrist and ankles. “Better?”

“Yeah, but now I’ve got to find my wand.”

“Accio, Draco’s wand!”

Something long shot through the air from a few feet behind them, swishing by and barely missing Draco’s head. Draco watched as Potter snatched it with his hand, twirling it with one hand, and storing his own wand in his back pocket.

“Take it.”

“Why can’t you just hand it to me?” asked Draco, massaging his wrists.

“Wandlore won’t allow for that happen, I found out,” Potter answered, holding Draco’s wand tightly. “You have to take it from me by force. It’s what I did to you, so you have to return the favour.”

“What kind of shite is that?”

“Ollivander told me when I asked. Your wand can still recognise me as its master, only because I gave it back to you. That was my mistake.”

“Potter…”

“Take it from me, alright? Trust me on this!”

And Draco did just that. He had already had enough for one night, and he didn’t need Potter to fuck around with him anymore. He was tired of trying to figure him out, just tired of being…tired of everything. He seized the wand from Potter, feeling a surge of magic tingle at his fingertips before it rushed through the rest of his body.

Draco was so intrigued by this that it took him a few moments to realise Potter’s hand had been resting on top of his. Potter took the hint and pulled away, probably from embarrassment judging from the way Potter was shuffling his trainers. Draco found it quite endearing.

“Lumos!” he spoke softly, enough for his wand to cast a dim light. “I reckon this works properly now. More powerful and all.”

“It should be,” concurred Potter. “You’ll be able to cast stronger spells than the ones you have cast already. So, I guess I’ll be going-”

“You came here for something,” stated Draco firmly, stepping in front of Potter to block his way. “You untied me, and then helped me with my wand. But there’s still something else, isn’t there?”

“Draco…”

“And you’ve been calling me by my name.”

“That is your name, isn’t it?”

“We are not friends.”

“But we’re not enemies either.”

“What are you on about?” inquired Draco suspiciously, his heart racing. “You’ve done your job here. Congratulations…Harry Potter saves Draco Malfoy from being stranded in the woods. Cheers to that!”

“It’s not a joke. Yaxley would have killed you if I hadn’t…” Potter began, but immediately stopped to shut his mouth.

“You were there?”

“Sorry?”

“You saw him try to attack me?” persisted Draco, wanting to know exactly how Potter was connected to this whole incident. If this was just for show…if it was some set up to humiliate his family even more, he was definitely going to have Potter’s head on a plate.

“I followed him,” replied Potter, shrugging his shoulders. “I’ve been watching him for a while, and honestly, if it weren’t for me, the Aurors and the rest of them wouldn’t have known Yaxley was still roaming around Wiltshire, looking for vengeance.”

“Stalking people again, are you?”

“Not stalking. Monitoring, if you will. I know a Death Eater when I see one. And you were never a Death Eater,” added Potter more quietly.

“No?”

“If you were, you would have killed Dumbledore. And you would have killed me before I could slice your chest open. You were supposed to hate me. But you wouldn’t have given it a second thought when you spared my life not once, but twice”

“I didn’t spare your life,” Draco objected at once, trying his best to brush off the comment. “It was a cover. I was not going to let the Dark Lord kill you in my home.”

“But you cared,” insisted Potter, stepping so close to Draco that their chests were touching. “You were going to let us escape from your manor, weren’t you? And the next time, you let us escape from the Fiendfyre. You were going to sacrifice yourself.”

“Think whatever you want, but you are delusional.”

“Am I really?’ asked Potter, reaching for Draco’s collar and tugging it. “Because I thought I heard you confess this to your panther companion a couple of weeks ago.”

“How do-”

“Confessions like those are pure. They aren’t made up. I would know, because I can tell.”

“Potter, if you’ve been stalking me this whole time again-”

“I haven’t,” admitted Potter, releasing Draco before resting a trembling hand on his shoulder. “If you want my confession, I’ll tell you. You’ve been talking to me for the last few weeks.”

“Right,” said Draco, his mind focusing on the black panther and its emerald green eyes. For some reason, he had a very bad feeling about where this was going. If his thoughts were correct…he hoped that they weren’t. “This is ridiculous. I have only spoken to you twice within that time span.”

“Those are the only times I came to you in person.”

“And I’m supposed to believe you can turn into a panther, and that I’ve been feeding you strawberry ice cream all this time rather than to some lonely panther that happens to fancy my company?”

“I’ve actually grown fond of the flavour. It’s almost as good as Fortescue’s.”

Draco simply stood rooted to the ground as he stared at Potter. Had Potter really heard all his secrets? Had Draco seriously enjoyed spending time with him? This was a disaster. If Potter knew almost everything about him…how could Draco be so gullible? How could he have actually fallen for a trap like that? He was pissed off now. No, beyond that. Draco was livid.

“You violated my privacy,” he responded stiffly, jabbing his wand into Potter’s chest. “What the hell is wrong with you? You could have just asked me questions in person or…”

“You wouldn’t have listened to me,” Potter pointed out, pushing Draco’s wand hand away. “The two times I did come to visit you, we ended up having either rows or physical fights. You would never have given me the time of day, just because you think I’m an arse.”

“You are such an arse.”

“Well, arses don’t do this.”

That was when Potter grabbed Draco to kiss him hard on the lips. Draco didn’t know what to do. The lips against his were surprisingly soft and full. He shuddered when Potter’s tongue swiped across his lower lip, eliciting a moan Draco didn’t know he was holding back. Potter’s eyes were closed, though Draco could see the long, dark eyelashes behind the round metal frames that were pressing against Draco’s cheek. But Draco didn’t mind. Wand in one hand, Draco used the other to slowly thread his fingers through Potter’s hair. It didn’t feel anything like a birds’ nest, but rather, it was silky and smooth like his own. Potter certainly cleaned up well. So Draco just let everything go and closed his eyes.

He pulled Potter closer, his arms wrapping around him. Draco still had grip of his wand, but then pressed it against Potter’s back. He could feel a hand cup the side of his face, a thumb stroking cheek, which made Draco grin. But those lips…no wonder there had been a reason why Draco had looked at Potter’s lips before. It was because Potter could snog, and he could do it pretty well. Who would have known? It was a pity that Chang and Weaselette…wait a minute…

“Stop,” Draco tried to tell Potter, who took the opportunity to trail his tongue down Draco’s jawline before planting small kisses along his throat. “Potter..s-stop…you really-oh-”

“Why?” asked Potter, nibbling on Draco’s skin to irritate it. “I’ve been watching you for a while now. And now that I finally have a chance to do this-”

“What about your girlfriend?”

Potter stopped all together, taking a step back from Draco. He adjusted his glasses before exhaling nervously. Draco tapped his foot impatiently. This was seriously messed up. Talking to a panther was bad. Talking to Potter had been worse. But finding out that Potter fancied him enough to make Draco realise he actually liked blokes, more so Potter, was just too much.

“Well?”

“Ginny isn’t in the picture, Draco,” admitted Potter, rocking back and forth on his heels. “War changes you, and you end up wanting different things afterward.”

“Meaning you dump her and then go after me for some random fuck?” bit out Draco as he lowered his wand. “Nox!”

“Hey! I wasn’t finished explaining-”

“I don’t need your fucking explanations, Potter,” Draco interjected, spinning on his heel to walk away. “My parents are probably looking for me. I prefer to inform them I am alive, instead of allowing them to believe that Yaxley murdered me.”

“Yet, it was me who dragged him out of the woods before he could do that,” answered Harry with agitation, grabbing for Draco’s arm. “It was me who conjured a Patronus to let Kingsley and Mr. Weasley know something was wrong. I did it because I wanted to, not because I had to, or because I was conveniently here at the right time.”

“So you were looking after me? How sweet, Potter.”

“Are you really that thick?”

Potter pulled Draco toward him, cupping Draco’s face with both hands this time.

“Your girlfriend isn’t going to appreciate this,” snapped Draco, trying to push Potter away again.

“She probably wouldn’t have cared much about whether I actually got seriously injured or not. Ginny hated it when I went into hiding last year. You already knew though. You cared more than she did. A lot more since you managed to keep me alive. She thought I was lying when I mentioned what you did for me.”

“She did?”

“Yeah,” confirmed Potter, resting his forehead against Draco’s. “I didn’t need to be with someone who wouldn’t support me. Don’t think I saved you because I felt sorry. I mean, I don’t know…I tried to figure you out during the battle, and I knew you didn’t really…have a side. You just wanted to get out alive, just like everyone else.”

“And that made a difference? Even if I couldn’t fight back? Even though I ran?”

Potter gave Draco a small grin before going in for a small kiss. Draco returned it quite enthusiastically, prodding his tongue against Potter’s lips, only to break away.

“What does that say to you?” Potter finally breathed out, looking into Draco’s eyes with trepidation.

“You know my secrets…so…”

“Those alone were enough to win me over. There’s a reason why I’ve put up with you for seven years of my life.”

“It was a bit difficult to tell with Weasel and Granger trailing behind you like whining puppies.”

“They’re not puppies. Ron is…just Ron, and Hermione tends to worry about me a lot.”

“So you’re basically saying I was never good enough for you?”

“Wrong again,” corrected Potter with amusement. “It’s just the opposite actually. You are always up for a challenge. And that’s something I simply can’t resist.”

“Oh, smooth, Potter. Is that a line so you can get a good shag?”

“You wish.”

“That’s not the answer to the question.”

“I’ll try again then. Scared, Malfoy?”

“In your dreams, Harry.”

Draco could only smile as he reached down to search for Po-Harry’s hand. Draco should call him by his name, at the least. Harry let his own hand slip easily into Draco’s, giving it a squeeze. If he could say the same to Potter about his feelings now…well, perhaps Draco would find the right words one day. He would just see where this would take him first.

And if Harry was being completely honest with him, then it was only fair for Draco to give him a chance. He would need time to get to know him, not as Harry Potter, but as Harry, the person Draco had always wanted to befriend. Here was his opportunity, along with something more. Take it or leave it.

This time, Draco was definitely going to take it.