Title: The Importance of Fashion Accessories
Pairing: Harry/Neville (very brief and at the beginning), Harry/Draco (preslash)
Rating: R
Era: ‘8th year’
Word Count: 1100
Warning(s): none I'm aware of
Summary: Draco sees something unexpected that opens up worlds of possibilities. What is at first awkward turns promising.
Disclaimer: This piece of fiction is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made, no copyright or trademark infringement, or offence is intended. All characters depicted in sexual situations are above the age of consent.
Author’s Notes: For
leo_draconis , in celebration of her birthday. We were discussing
this tweet by Matt Lewis recently, and it inspired this little ficlet. There is a sequel, but it won’t be up for a couple more days. Much thanks to
laliandra for the quick beta.
The Importance of Fashion Accessories
After searching for an acceptable means of entertainment for twenty minutes, Draco gave up. His assignments for the week were complete, and there was no one in the 8th year common room. Granger and Weasley were snogging out by the lake, an image he wished he could forget. Boot and Abbot were together in the library. Finnigan, Finch-Fletchley, MacDougal, and that insufferable Brown girl were practicing a new Transfiguration spell in one of the spare study rooms in this wing. Everyone else was just missing. Even if he had cared for company, there was no company to be had. Potter had a new book on advanced Quidditch techniques that looked interesting, and he had said they should share their things, since they were sharing a dorm. With a sigh, Draco headed to their room, hoping that the book was in the last place he had seen it-on the small table next to Potter’s bed.
Instead of finding the book sitting on the table, with Potter’s things strewn around his bed and edging closer to Draco’s part of the room, Draco walked in to see Potter’s surprisingly toned arse, the boy thrusting into someone bent over the unmade bed.
“Merlin’s bollocks!” he exclaimed, dropping his wand. He closed his eyes against what he was seeing, but still all he saw was Potter, trousers around his ankles, hips pumping. And the sound: flesh slapping flesh and harsh breathing. It somehow was the assurance that what he had walked into wasn’t some hallucination. It wasn’t the fact that he had just seen Potter’s back half in the nude that was upsetting. In fact, in another time and place, it would have been quite welcome. It was just the utter shock of walking into that situation.
“Wait! It’s not what it looks like!”
Draco didn’t care to hear Potter’s sorry excuses. If they were going to engage in that sort of behaviour, then that was their business, but the least they could do was use a simple privacy charm, or Merlin forbid, actually lock the door. He backed quickly out of the room, wishing he could unsee the image burned into this brain. He stumbled to the common room’s sofa and put his head in his hands. Well, now he knew that the Golden Boy wasn’t quite as virtuous as he appeared. It also looked like his stint dating the ginger bint was over and done with. The person underneath Potter had looked, from Draco’s admittedly short and limited glance, to be Longbottom. How disappointing. Draco thought Potter deserved someone better. Perhaps a certain Slytherin roommate.
Harry tumbled into the common room, looking dishevelled and flushed, but at least now his trousers were on. “Malfoy, I’m sorry. That wasn’t what it looked like.”
Trying hard not to think about every detail of that second, Draco raised his eyebrows. “That wasn’t you shagging Longbottom on your bed?”
Potter turned scarlet. “It was, I guess, yeah. But it…it all…it was kind of an accident. More of an experiment. Kind of both.”
“What, you tripped and fell into him? Dozens of times, without trousers or pants?”
Potter now very much looked as if he wished he could disappear. “No, see, we were looking for something I had lost, and I moved to squeeze by him because I thought I saw it, and my belt buckle caught the back of his belt, and…”
“And?” This so far sounded like the worst excuse Draco had ever heard. Worse than Potter tripping and falling into Longbottom.
“And it got stuck, and there was all this moving and friction…”
“And you decided to fuck.” May as well not beat around the bush, Draco thought.
“No! I mean yes. I mean something happened, and we had had a talk a while ago about wondering if we were both really all that into girls, or if there might be something to shagging other blokes.”
“And you decided to try this experiment?”
“Sort of, yeah.” Potter looked mortified. Draco supposed it said something for his courage that he had even bothered to come out here and explain things to his roommate. Well, courage and a healthy dose of stupidity. Then again, that combination had probably been the only reason Potter had survived this long. It worked for him.
“And?”
“It turns out Neville’s not actually gay. He’s now pretty clear on that point, actually.”
“And you?” It was like leading a small child into conversation, starting all these lines with ‘and’.
“And it seems that I am.” Potter dropped his gaze and stared at the ground instead.
The crush Draco had gently been nursing became something a bit more intense, now that logic dictated some of the tension Draco had been feeling between them might be something significant. It felt like his body was suddenly too large for his skin. “But you won’t be shagging Longbottom again anytime soon?”
“Definitely not. Really, if you could manage to keep this between us, Malfoy, I’d appreciate it. I’ve not exactly told anyone else. I’m kind of still adjusting, myself. And I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“This was your first time doing anything like this, wasn’t it?” A year ago, it would have been a taunt, something hurled at Potter to embarrass him. Now it was a gentle question.
“Of course it was. Look, we can drop it. This probably isn’t a conversation you thought you’d be having.” Potter laughed then, an attempt to make light of the incredibly awkward conversation.
Draco smiled slowly. “You’re right on that one. But it’s not a finished conversation yet.”
“It’s not?”
“No. How would you like to experiment further?”
Potter shook his head. “There’s no way Neville’s going to let that happen. He’s a great friend, Malfoy, but there are limits.”
“Not him, you idiot. With me. How would you like to experiment with me? Learn a few things?” Potter could be so dense sometimes. No surprise he hadn’t made it into Ravenclaw, at least.
Potter’s head whipped up to look Draco directly in the eye. “What?”
“You heard me. Unless that shagging somehow made you hard of hearing. What do you say?” It was a risk, opening himself up like this, but it might be a very worthwhile one.
“You’d want to?”
“I did make the offer, didn’t I?”
“Yeah. Yes, then. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”
“Potter, I would not have offered if I wasn’t interested. I just hadn’t figured you were an option.”
Potter seemed to be struggling to process this new information. Draco was surprised he couldn’t see Potter’s brain liquefying under the pressure. “You…?”
Draco felt a moment of pity and decided to help Potter along. “I find you attractive. Sharing a room with you has made me realise you are not as much of a tosser as I had always assumed. You’re still a git, don’t get me wrong, but that’s not an immediate disqualifier. I enjoy your company. And I think I could teach you a few things. But only if you want me to.”
“I want you to.” The reply was immediate.
Draco smirked. “Then it’s settled. How about tonight? We could go about it after everyone else is asleep. Using privacy charms this time, though.”
Potter flushed again. “Right.”
“Good. Meet me in our room at ten. I believe I’m going to take a nice long shower before bed tonight. You should do the same.”
“Okay.” Potter nodded, looking like thought was slowly coming back to him.
There was a noise coming from their bedroom, and Draco suddenly remembered Longbottom. He waved his hand. “Go. Take care of it.” Potter nearly sprinted out of the common room. “Oh, and Potter?” he called as the other boy retreated.
“Yeah, Malfoy?”
“Bring your belt.” He smirked, enjoying the flush and the small smile on Potter’s face. Tonight was going to be fun.