Welcome to Paradise
Alright, this is hopefully the first of an unknown amount of chapters, in the aforementioned... I'm really trying to get this no-holding-back thing but I'm just so apprehensive. Hopefully forcing out a little juice will clear the way, it's been an odd day and I finally set up a consult for my tattoo!! Ack..
Title: Welcome to Paradise (1/?)
Author: me, of course ^_^
Rating: PG (for now...)
Word Count: 3,616
Warnings: None yet.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Not for money. Only JKR can claim that right.
Summary: An accidental encounter exposes comradery between enemies, amongst other things...
Notes: I feel rushed, even at 3,000+ words, do I sound rushed? They're going to get a lot more nasty to each other before it gets nice.
Beautiful mirrors echo their reflections
And the twinkling stars envy every forgotten glade
We're perfect for the passion in our fingertips
And the same gods smiled when we were made
>>><<<
The hall outside the Room of Requirement was quiet, scarcely visited. Harry stared longingly at the plain wall, thinking back on the many times he had come to face what this room supplied him. He smiled slightly, this, of course, would not fix his problem. At some point he would have to come back out and summon up his courage and face...
He shook his head. “Just do it.” he urged himself quietly.
Slowly he began to walk before the wall, taking special care to make his needs known, 'I seek sanctuary...' 'I need sanctuary...' He clenched his fists and eyelids and his footsteps echoed in his ears. 'Sanctuary.' he thought fervently. He had paced three times before he even realized it and carefully he cracked an eye, there was still no one in the halls. Harry smirked in a manner all too Malfoy.
The door itself was unassuming, gray and faded, it almost looked like stone, but was perfectly boring in detail. There wasn't really a door handle, the ashen colored material merely faded away in a spot, to a dark little hole. Harry hoped foolishly that nothing lived in that hole and all but reluctantly pushed it ajar. It let out a resistant, dull grind, as if it had not been opened in some time and he stepped inside before anyone happened upon him.
The first thing he noticed about the sanctuary was the smell. The air seemed fresh and alive, more so than he had smelled in all his life and he already felt better at it's flooding into his lungs. His smiled broadened even further as he took in the rest of the room. It seemed to be a ruined cathedral, the plants were doing a good job of taking over, and on the far wall a glittering stained glass sun shone like the real thing batting its eyelashes from behind a cloud.
The color of the crumbling stone matched that of the door outside and Harry ran a gentle hand across the wall as he made his way towards the altar. Disbelief followed his gaping mouth as he took in how far up the ceiling went, and found that it didn't and all that was visible was pale light streaming through a patchy canopy.
“Potter!”
The voice was like bitter poison in this beautiful palace. In place of an altar there was a young Japanese maple, its leaves were red-black and shiny like leather. One was currently spinning madly in the hand of Draco Malfoy, who stood upright and annoyed under it's low boughs.
“What are you doing here!?”
“What are YOU doing here?”
Harry scowled, it wasn't really much of a sanctuary if Malfoy was here. Actually...that was the very definition of sanctuary. -Away from Malfoy.- “I was looking for someplace to relax...” he growled from gritted teeth, “but that's not likely to happen now.”
Malfoy charged forward, the leaf in his hand pointing like a weapon, “So was I, Potter. And I'd like you to leave. Now.” He motioned roughly to the door.
But if there was one thing Harry wasn't doing, it was leaving, especially if it's what Malfoy wanted. His feet suddenly became glued to the spot. “That's not going to happen.”
“I'll make you if I have to.” the blonde seethed, his hand sneaking into his robes and pulling out his wand. The maple leaf floated gently to the ground, forgotten. Draco's wand pointed straight to Harry's chest but he made no move to defend himself..
“I don't think so Malfoy.” a knowing smirk flashed quickly across his features, “If this is the place I wished for, then I think that wand will be quite useless.” He looked down at it as if it were a two inch twig and equally impressive.
“Petrificus Totalus!” Malfoy screeched in response, gasping slightly as a fizzing white mist swirled lazily from the tip. He waved it madly again to the same result, “Damnit Potter, I certainly didn't ask for it!”
Harry's feet began moving again, and he started a slow circle around the angered Slytherin, “Actually Malfoy, your presence here indicates that's exactly what you asked for.” Draco's wand returned to it's place inside his robes, and he stared resolutely at the door back to the seventh floor. “In fact, in order for us to even turn up in the same room we must've been asking for the exact same thing.”
Draco flinched slightly as he said this, but unable to bring himself to say anything affirming or contrary. Harry reached out a hand and shoved Malfoy playfully forward, “Sanctuary.”
The Slytherin wheeled around and pointed a resentful finger, “Don't you touch me again Potter, or I'll throttle you, with or without a wand.”
“Does that mean you're not leaving either?”
Malfoy snickered, “You wish.”
Before Harry could control himself, his fist was flying forward, happily meeting the flesh of Malfoy's stomach and he doubled over, a look of supreme malice in his cool eyes. Harry thought he could hear a guttural snarl but was unsure of whether a person could actually make such a sound, when Draco leapt violently, propelling himself into Harry, and threw him to the ground in a flurry of pummeling.
Vengeful grunting and angry breaths filled the massive room and pretty soon were the only sound in the cathedral as the finches in the trees quietly watched the two boys scuffle ferociously. Every once in a while one of their hands would make contact with something important belonging to the other and their interest in hurting one another would be renewed.
Harry's fist cracked painfully against Malfoy's face and the blonde suddenly scrambled away, clutching his nose, “This is stupid...we'll just end up killing each other.”
Harry wheezed, unmoving from his little patch of lawn, a bruise beginning to form on his cheek, “I thought that's what you wanted, Malfoy.”
Draco had retreated to the maple tree having discovered that his nose was not in fact harmed and he scoffed lightly at Harry's comment, “I would like very, very much for you to disappear, but...”
“But you don't want me dead...?” it was only half a question, and almost a promise. Harry ran a hand through his black hair and sniggered. “That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me Malfoy.”
Draco's Slytherin sneer returned immediately, “Don't get all sentimental, I'm only being nice cause we're stuck here...together.”
Harry's voice lilted up from the ground, “That was nice?”
“Well, it's the most you're getting out of me.”
Two flashing emerald eyes looked up from their position amongst the gently twisting blades of grass and lit up as they realized the view of the ceiling above. Harry choked out a whisper, “It's beautiful here.” as he admired every mote of light that floated down to touch him.
Draco nodded along, “Yes, it is isn't it?”
Harry sat up quickly, turning to face his anti-thesis, “Wait...am I to understand then that this is a..truce?”
Malfoy shrugged his shoulders, only mildly defeated, the coy smirk on his lips becoming slightly less so, “I guess so.” Harry felt a pressure from his shoulders lifted suddenly, and his heart was lightened even more when Draco said, “There's no real use for squabbling in here, is there?”
Knowing now that he didn't have to be concerned about Draco's presence, he collapsed back against the ground and sighed, his arms reclining above his head. Slowly, delightfully, his worries seemed to slip away, and he smiled in a carefree way that he hadn't dared in quite some time.
“Why'd you come here anyways?” Harry's apparent relaxation seemed to intrigue Draco who sounded almost interested.
The raven haired boy made no move as he asked, but replied politely in keeping with the serenity surrounding him, “Do you have any idea what it's like to have so many people asking so much of you all the time?”
Draco's eyes stared vacantly forward, “I do.”
But Harry didn't appear to have heard him, “It's not that I don't want to be who I am...it's just that sometimes it's nice to not over-think it so much...you know?”
Malfoy moved to sit down next to the Gryffindor, the grass crinkling around him. “You can't even shut up long enough to hear what other people are saying, can you Potter?” It was a goodly distance away, but Harry still grimaced at the uncharacteristic action.
“I heard you.” Harry said pertly. “It just doesn't surprise me that you came here to get away from your family...”
The blonde stiffened, confused and a little annoyed, “It doesn't?”
“No, it's all pretty obvious, even to me...what with your perfect father being shipped off to Azkaban.” Harry guessed that this comment would ignite Draco like a firecracker, but instead he simply sighed and lied back on the ground. Harry even ventured saying a bit more, “You know, you don't have to listen to everything he tells you...”
Malfoy was silent for a moment before saying a thing, an offish sigh withering on his lips, “Potter, if I listened to everything he said you would be dead right now. Besides, it's not like listening to him is the problem anymore...” Harry shifted, his face contorting, he clearly didn't understand, “You idiot...” Draco mumbled under his breath and he moved his robes aside, sliding the sleeve of his shirt gingerly up his arm.
The dark mark.
Harry seethed, sitting up and looking Malfoy in the eyes properly, “Are you stupid or something? Taking orders from Voldemort is better than taking orders from your father?”
Draco returned the same sentiments and sat up, facing Harry bitterly, “You don't understand.”
“What don't I understand? That you're a power hungry, pure-blood fool who thinks the Dark Lord is going to rise up and save all who serve him!? He'll crush you underfoot just like everyone else.”
Seeing that was Harry was certainly in no mood to give a crap, Draco pulled his knees up against him, helplessness suiting him quite unexpectedly, “I'm not joining them because...it's...my mother.”
The Gryffindor ceased his raving instantaneously, “What?”
“I don't care so much if they kill me, but if my actions somehow bring about her death...then I don't know...”
Malfoy's stunningly cool exterior had melted into a twisted mass of sadness and Harry was baffled, “You don't care if they kill you?”
His eyes glanced down quickly to the dark mark on Draco's arm and the blonde noticed embarrassingly, and moved it from Harry's view, “It's the least of my worries right now.”
A vast, and foreboding realization swept over Harry. All these years he had quarreled with Malfoy he was merely quarreling with a misled and misunderstood youth, not so dissimilar from himself. He felt the taste of bile rise up in his throat, and he unconsciously mimicked Draco's fetal position, hugging his legs up to his body.
The Slytherin noticed his change immediately, “Don't get all soft just because I said that.”
“I'm not getting soft...” Harry sighed, his eyes searching once again for the mark on Draco's arm, “I just...I understand.” It was all he could manage to cough out.
The air cooled slightly, and a subtle breeze blew past them, ruffling the blonde strands falling over Draco's face, but the birds still weren't singing. It smelled like rain, Harry thought, could it rain in here?
Before Harry could comprehend what he was doing, his own fingers reached out and drew an arm away from Draco's body. The blonde made no move to stop the inquisition, being content to sit in the grass and hide from all the entanglements that threatened him. The mark was fresh, probably having been administered this last summer, and he tried to hide a shiver as Harry ran a cautious hand over it, stopping in the spots where the skin was still pink and stitched.
“Did it hurt a lot?” the Gryffindor asked stupidly, and Malfoy replied with a venomous look, wrenching his arm back. “Right...of course it did.”
“I told you not to touch me Potter.” Draco carefully brought the sleeve back over his arm, ending any and all explorations of his Death Eater initiation rituals. But his word were far less malicious than before.
A moment of silence was welcomed and Harry returned to lying on his back, staring dreamily up at the hazy and kaleidoscopic swirl of trees above them. It was so comfortable on that grass that he thought he might close his eyes and drift off into sleep. That is if Malfoy wasn't there. His eyes quickly darted to the other boy but Draco was uninterested in him. Harry wasn't the only one enthralled with the surrounding landscape.
The birds in the trees finally began a simple song and a consuming calm spread itself over Harry's entire body. He found himself wondering things he shouldn't wonder about, like why he never noticed Malfoy's relationship with his mother, or how sad his blue eyes could look when he wanted them to. Draco eventually returned to lying down himself and tranquility, for once in a lifetime, ruled the two of them, rather than opposition.
Harry smiled broadly, this wasn't so bad.
“Potter?”
That tone was entirely foreign to him.
“Eh?” he squeezed out as few syllables as possible.
Draco seemed to be dancing around asking him anything outright, as told by his hand nervously stroking a nearby patch of grass. “I...uh...”
Was Malfoy actually having a hard time getting this out? Impossible.
“Why didn't you want a friend like me?” If Draco could see his face he wouldn't likely be pleased. Harry would be laughing about this all night. Despite his lack of response though, Draco seemed to withdraw even further, “Forget it.”he said tensely.
A tiny leaf floated down onto Harry's cheek and for a moment he forgot about all the excess baggage brought about by lying here next to Draco Malfoy of all people. So when he finally spoke the harshness in his voice was purely unintentional, but ushered in by habit, “Well for one thing, you're the biggest piece of racist filth I've ever had the misfortune to witness.”
There was a tiny noise of acknowledgment, and what sounded like the rabid scratching of earth.
“I mean, how can you expect people to like you when you treat them the way you do?”
Draco snorted, he obviously didn't want to deal with this can of worms. “Potter, you still don't get it. That mudblood stuff, it's all just a vehicle for the odd wheeze. When you come from where I come from, it's a strong suit.”
“That's it then? You insult people because it makes you look good to your friends?”
At this choice of words, Draco shifted uncomfortably, trying to find a way to deny it. And he found one, albeit, the wrong one, “Ha, you're wrong. They're not my friends.” but the moment he said it he realized what an ass he sounded like.
“So why didn't it matter that I was half-blood?”
His answer came all too swiftly, “That's easy Potter. You're famous.”
“And that would've worked out really well for you, if you had me by your side? Even though all that celebrity stuff is complete rubbish?”
Draco seemed surprised at Harry condemnation of his own popularity and scoffed a little, “You've been milking that status for all it's worth for as long as I've known you, don't try to deny it.”
“If you see it that way that's your problem. It still stands though that you've made it your mission to taunt and torment anyone and everyone you chose, just because you want to impress a few cohorts...” Harry's smile was still as beamy as ever, it was getting quite easy to push Malfoy's buttons. He thought back on all the times Hermione had been the brunt of his many jokes...justice was just on the horizon.
Draco's mouth grasped for words, but Harry interrupted his thoughts before he could speak. “I was raised by muggles, but you still would've done anything to be my friend...wouldn't you have?” Harry was pleasantly surprised at himself for the resolve he was showing, where before there was only frustration. But perhaps that was because Malfoy would never normally stay in the same room with him for so long.
A little voice squeaked to life inside Harry's head, speaking slowly and softly, like the whispering tune of the birds in the trees, “Let him get annoyed...” it said. “Let him react like he always does...and we can start fighting again...like usual...”
But Draco didn't defend himself, quite the contrary. “You're right.”
Hell was freezing over right now, and Harry kept a laugh of pure astonishment from escaping.
Draco sensed his shock, and laughed himself, “But that's not the point. Like I said, it's about appearances.”
“Will you just stop using the word mudblood, especially around the first years?”
“I'm sorry, Potter, I can't do that. And you, of all people, can't make me.” now Malfoy was just being contrary. Harry had clearly made him think but he was much to cowardly to admit such a thing.
So the Gryffindor didn't fight him on it, he simply shook his head.
“At least stop dishing out all the 'Boy Who Lived' crap in class, it's starting to get old...”
“You crave attention, and you know it.” Draco offered.
But Harry, finally getting fed up with this constant banter between them, turned over onto his stomach, resting his head in his hands, and sighed, mimicking Malfoy's annoyed tone from before, “You just don't get it...” Their eyes met for an instant and Harry found, much to his chagrin, that there was a lighthearted humor to the exchange instead of the normal reactionary abhorrence. He looked away anxiously.
“Potter, don't think for a second you're telling anyone about this.” and Draco smiled at him in a way never before seen, completely without hate, completely filled with potential.
Harry drew in a deep breath, once again reminding himself of where he was lying, on the grass in the empty, overgrown cathedral...Malfoy was just a side note. “I wouldn't dream of it.” A private side note. For he really had no intentions of mentioning the Slytherin's presence to anyone.
And then something disturbing happened. Draco laughed. Then Harry laughed. And they were laughing together. Laughing like Harry laughed with Ron and Hermione, and overlooking that they usually laughed at those they picked on, how Draco laughed with his goons, Crabbe and Goyle.
Suddenly all sound ceased, and Harry felt Draco moving closer. Where have the birds gone, he thought randomly, he could tell their robes were touching now. The light above them seemed to waver for a moment and everything dimmed as Draco leaned in above Harry and gently, painfully, pushed their lips together.
Demanding to catch up, the sounds of the room blurred together and sped up and Harry pushed Draco away like a burning piece of trash. Things were not going to change just because they happened to spend one not so atrocious time together. He was about to spit something out about how disgusting that was, regardless of whether it was so or not, when Draco flew up from the ground...
“Forget this Potter, you're not reeling me into your sick melodrama any longer.” and he started for the door.
“Wait a minute! You kissed me...what the hell-” Harry began to say but Malfoy wouldn't have it.
“Don't try a weasel out of it Potter! By tomorrow everyone will know you tried to grope me in here...” his words were desperate to show how much he despised Harry but something about the hidden apprehension in his voice actually made Harry doubt his honesty.
“You think I wanted you to do that!?”
It was like Draco couldn't even hear him. “Don't worry about me coming back here...cause it's not going to happen!” But there was red flush to his pale cheeks betraying something besides ordinary chilled anger.
“Fine then! Be a bastard like usual!” Harry screamed at him, “Walk on out the door and try to forget what a complete and utter git you are!”
Draco's bottom lip quivered slightly, like he was one step away from break down, but he kept his mouth shut and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.
Harry pounded his head against the grass, what exactly had just happened? Kiss Malfoy? He had never even entertained the thought before...but now that he was thinking about it...Malfoy was a much better kisser than Cho.
His own fists smashed into his head, “Shut up! What the hell are you thinking!?”
The birds seemed annoyed by the recent turn of events, their singing had turned into erratic squawking, but Harry didn't really care. Carefully, he rose from the ground and righted any wrinkled fabric.
“This was a terrible idea. Just go back out there...and forgetting anything ever happened.” he actually thought that by saying it aloud it would make it easier to believe.
He walked to the door, forgetting the beautiful scenery behind him, forgetting all the things Malfoy had kindly revealed to him, even forgetting all those things he came here to escape.
“I'm not coming back...” and with that final thought Harry pushed on the door and slipped back out to the corridor.
Title: Welcome to Paradise (1/?)
Author: me, of course ^_^
Rating: PG (for now...)
Word Count: 3,616
Warnings: None yet.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Not for money. Only JKR can claim that right.
Summary: An accidental encounter exposes comradery between enemies, amongst other things...
Notes: I feel rushed, even at 3,000+ words, do I sound rushed? They're going to get a lot more nasty to each other before it gets nice.
Beautiful mirrors echo their reflections
And the twinkling stars envy every forgotten glade
We're perfect for the passion in our fingertips
And the same gods smiled when we were made
>>><<<
The hall outside the Room of Requirement was quiet, scarcely visited. Harry stared longingly at the plain wall, thinking back on the many times he had come to face what this room supplied him. He smiled slightly, this, of course, would not fix his problem. At some point he would have to come back out and summon up his courage and face...
He shook his head. “Just do it.” he urged himself quietly.
Slowly he began to walk before the wall, taking special care to make his needs known, 'I seek sanctuary...' 'I need sanctuary...' He clenched his fists and eyelids and his footsteps echoed in his ears. 'Sanctuary.' he thought fervently. He had paced three times before he even realized it and carefully he cracked an eye, there was still no one in the halls. Harry smirked in a manner all too Malfoy.
The door itself was unassuming, gray and faded, it almost looked like stone, but was perfectly boring in detail. There wasn't really a door handle, the ashen colored material merely faded away in a spot, to a dark little hole. Harry hoped foolishly that nothing lived in that hole and all but reluctantly pushed it ajar. It let out a resistant, dull grind, as if it had not been opened in some time and he stepped inside before anyone happened upon him.
The first thing he noticed about the sanctuary was the smell. The air seemed fresh and alive, more so than he had smelled in all his life and he already felt better at it's flooding into his lungs. His smiled broadened even further as he took in the rest of the room. It seemed to be a ruined cathedral, the plants were doing a good job of taking over, and on the far wall a glittering stained glass sun shone like the real thing batting its eyelashes from behind a cloud.
The color of the crumbling stone matched that of the door outside and Harry ran a gentle hand across the wall as he made his way towards the altar. Disbelief followed his gaping mouth as he took in how far up the ceiling went, and found that it didn't and all that was visible was pale light streaming through a patchy canopy.
“Potter!”
The voice was like bitter poison in this beautiful palace. In place of an altar there was a young Japanese maple, its leaves were red-black and shiny like leather. One was currently spinning madly in the hand of Draco Malfoy, who stood upright and annoyed under it's low boughs.
“What are you doing here!?”
“What are YOU doing here?”
Harry scowled, it wasn't really much of a sanctuary if Malfoy was here. Actually...that was the very definition of sanctuary. -Away from Malfoy.- “I was looking for someplace to relax...” he growled from gritted teeth, “but that's not likely to happen now.”
Malfoy charged forward, the leaf in his hand pointing like a weapon, “So was I, Potter. And I'd like you to leave. Now.” He motioned roughly to the door.
But if there was one thing Harry wasn't doing, it was leaving, especially if it's what Malfoy wanted. His feet suddenly became glued to the spot. “That's not going to happen.”
“I'll make you if I have to.” the blonde seethed, his hand sneaking into his robes and pulling out his wand. The maple leaf floated gently to the ground, forgotten. Draco's wand pointed straight to Harry's chest but he made no move to defend himself..
“I don't think so Malfoy.” a knowing smirk flashed quickly across his features, “If this is the place I wished for, then I think that wand will be quite useless.” He looked down at it as if it were a two inch twig and equally impressive.
“Petrificus Totalus!” Malfoy screeched in response, gasping slightly as a fizzing white mist swirled lazily from the tip. He waved it madly again to the same result, “Damnit Potter, I certainly didn't ask for it!”
Harry's feet began moving again, and he started a slow circle around the angered Slytherin, “Actually Malfoy, your presence here indicates that's exactly what you asked for.” Draco's wand returned to it's place inside his robes, and he stared resolutely at the door back to the seventh floor. “In fact, in order for us to even turn up in the same room we must've been asking for the exact same thing.”
Draco flinched slightly as he said this, but unable to bring himself to say anything affirming or contrary. Harry reached out a hand and shoved Malfoy playfully forward, “Sanctuary.”
The Slytherin wheeled around and pointed a resentful finger, “Don't you touch me again Potter, or I'll throttle you, with or without a wand.”
“Does that mean you're not leaving either?”
Malfoy snickered, “You wish.”
Before Harry could control himself, his fist was flying forward, happily meeting the flesh of Malfoy's stomach and he doubled over, a look of supreme malice in his cool eyes. Harry thought he could hear a guttural snarl but was unsure of whether a person could actually make such a sound, when Draco leapt violently, propelling himself into Harry, and threw him to the ground in a flurry of pummeling.
Vengeful grunting and angry breaths filled the massive room and pretty soon were the only sound in the cathedral as the finches in the trees quietly watched the two boys scuffle ferociously. Every once in a while one of their hands would make contact with something important belonging to the other and their interest in hurting one another would be renewed.
Harry's fist cracked painfully against Malfoy's face and the blonde suddenly scrambled away, clutching his nose, “This is stupid...we'll just end up killing each other.”
Harry wheezed, unmoving from his little patch of lawn, a bruise beginning to form on his cheek, “I thought that's what you wanted, Malfoy.”
Draco had retreated to the maple tree having discovered that his nose was not in fact harmed and he scoffed lightly at Harry's comment, “I would like very, very much for you to disappear, but...”
“But you don't want me dead...?” it was only half a question, and almost a promise. Harry ran a hand through his black hair and sniggered. “That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me Malfoy.”
Draco's Slytherin sneer returned immediately, “Don't get all sentimental, I'm only being nice cause we're stuck here...together.”
Harry's voice lilted up from the ground, “That was nice?”
“Well, it's the most you're getting out of me.”
Two flashing emerald eyes looked up from their position amongst the gently twisting blades of grass and lit up as they realized the view of the ceiling above. Harry choked out a whisper, “It's beautiful here.” as he admired every mote of light that floated down to touch him.
Draco nodded along, “Yes, it is isn't it?”
Harry sat up quickly, turning to face his anti-thesis, “Wait...am I to understand then that this is a..truce?”
Malfoy shrugged his shoulders, only mildly defeated, the coy smirk on his lips becoming slightly less so, “I guess so.” Harry felt a pressure from his shoulders lifted suddenly, and his heart was lightened even more when Draco said, “There's no real use for squabbling in here, is there?”
Knowing now that he didn't have to be concerned about Draco's presence, he collapsed back against the ground and sighed, his arms reclining above his head. Slowly, delightfully, his worries seemed to slip away, and he smiled in a carefree way that he hadn't dared in quite some time.
“Why'd you come here anyways?” Harry's apparent relaxation seemed to intrigue Draco who sounded almost interested.
The raven haired boy made no move as he asked, but replied politely in keeping with the serenity surrounding him, “Do you have any idea what it's like to have so many people asking so much of you all the time?”
Draco's eyes stared vacantly forward, “I do.”
But Harry didn't appear to have heard him, “It's not that I don't want to be who I am...it's just that sometimes it's nice to not over-think it so much...you know?”
Malfoy moved to sit down next to the Gryffindor, the grass crinkling around him. “You can't even shut up long enough to hear what other people are saying, can you Potter?” It was a goodly distance away, but Harry still grimaced at the uncharacteristic action.
“I heard you.” Harry said pertly. “It just doesn't surprise me that you came here to get away from your family...”
The blonde stiffened, confused and a little annoyed, “It doesn't?”
“No, it's all pretty obvious, even to me...what with your perfect father being shipped off to Azkaban.” Harry guessed that this comment would ignite Draco like a firecracker, but instead he simply sighed and lied back on the ground. Harry even ventured saying a bit more, “You know, you don't have to listen to everything he tells you...”
Malfoy was silent for a moment before saying a thing, an offish sigh withering on his lips, “Potter, if I listened to everything he said you would be dead right now. Besides, it's not like listening to him is the problem anymore...” Harry shifted, his face contorting, he clearly didn't understand, “You idiot...” Draco mumbled under his breath and he moved his robes aside, sliding the sleeve of his shirt gingerly up his arm.
The dark mark.
Harry seethed, sitting up and looking Malfoy in the eyes properly, “Are you stupid or something? Taking orders from Voldemort is better than taking orders from your father?”
Draco returned the same sentiments and sat up, facing Harry bitterly, “You don't understand.”
“What don't I understand? That you're a power hungry, pure-blood fool who thinks the Dark Lord is going to rise up and save all who serve him!? He'll crush you underfoot just like everyone else.”
Seeing that was Harry was certainly in no mood to give a crap, Draco pulled his knees up against him, helplessness suiting him quite unexpectedly, “I'm not joining them because...it's...my mother.”
The Gryffindor ceased his raving instantaneously, “What?”
“I don't care so much if they kill me, but if my actions somehow bring about her death...then I don't know...”
Malfoy's stunningly cool exterior had melted into a twisted mass of sadness and Harry was baffled, “You don't care if they kill you?”
His eyes glanced down quickly to the dark mark on Draco's arm and the blonde noticed embarrassingly, and moved it from Harry's view, “It's the least of my worries right now.”
A vast, and foreboding realization swept over Harry. All these years he had quarreled with Malfoy he was merely quarreling with a misled and misunderstood youth, not so dissimilar from himself. He felt the taste of bile rise up in his throat, and he unconsciously mimicked Draco's fetal position, hugging his legs up to his body.
The Slytherin noticed his change immediately, “Don't get all soft just because I said that.”
“I'm not getting soft...” Harry sighed, his eyes searching once again for the mark on Draco's arm, “I just...I understand.” It was all he could manage to cough out.
The air cooled slightly, and a subtle breeze blew past them, ruffling the blonde strands falling over Draco's face, but the birds still weren't singing. It smelled like rain, Harry thought, could it rain in here?
Before Harry could comprehend what he was doing, his own fingers reached out and drew an arm away from Draco's body. The blonde made no move to stop the inquisition, being content to sit in the grass and hide from all the entanglements that threatened him. The mark was fresh, probably having been administered this last summer, and he tried to hide a shiver as Harry ran a cautious hand over it, stopping in the spots where the skin was still pink and stitched.
“Did it hurt a lot?” the Gryffindor asked stupidly, and Malfoy replied with a venomous look, wrenching his arm back. “Right...of course it did.”
“I told you not to touch me Potter.” Draco carefully brought the sleeve back over his arm, ending any and all explorations of his Death Eater initiation rituals. But his word were far less malicious than before.
A moment of silence was welcomed and Harry returned to lying on his back, staring dreamily up at the hazy and kaleidoscopic swirl of trees above them. It was so comfortable on that grass that he thought he might close his eyes and drift off into sleep. That is if Malfoy wasn't there. His eyes quickly darted to the other boy but Draco was uninterested in him. Harry wasn't the only one enthralled with the surrounding landscape.
The birds in the trees finally began a simple song and a consuming calm spread itself over Harry's entire body. He found himself wondering things he shouldn't wonder about, like why he never noticed Malfoy's relationship with his mother, or how sad his blue eyes could look when he wanted them to. Draco eventually returned to lying down himself and tranquility, for once in a lifetime, ruled the two of them, rather than opposition.
Harry smiled broadly, this wasn't so bad.
“Potter?”
That tone was entirely foreign to him.
“Eh?” he squeezed out as few syllables as possible.
Draco seemed to be dancing around asking him anything outright, as told by his hand nervously stroking a nearby patch of grass. “I...uh...”
Was Malfoy actually having a hard time getting this out? Impossible.
“Why didn't you want a friend like me?” If Draco could see his face he wouldn't likely be pleased. Harry would be laughing about this all night. Despite his lack of response though, Draco seemed to withdraw even further, “Forget it.”he said tensely.
A tiny leaf floated down onto Harry's cheek and for a moment he forgot about all the excess baggage brought about by lying here next to Draco Malfoy of all people. So when he finally spoke the harshness in his voice was purely unintentional, but ushered in by habit, “Well for one thing, you're the biggest piece of racist filth I've ever had the misfortune to witness.”
There was a tiny noise of acknowledgment, and what sounded like the rabid scratching of earth.
“I mean, how can you expect people to like you when you treat them the way you do?”
Draco snorted, he obviously didn't want to deal with this can of worms. “Potter, you still don't get it. That mudblood stuff, it's all just a vehicle for the odd wheeze. When you come from where I come from, it's a strong suit.”
“That's it then? You insult people because it makes you look good to your friends?”
At this choice of words, Draco shifted uncomfortably, trying to find a way to deny it. And he found one, albeit, the wrong one, “Ha, you're wrong. They're not my friends.” but the moment he said it he realized what an ass he sounded like.
“So why didn't it matter that I was half-blood?”
His answer came all too swiftly, “That's easy Potter. You're famous.”
“And that would've worked out really well for you, if you had me by your side? Even though all that celebrity stuff is complete rubbish?”
Draco seemed surprised at Harry condemnation of his own popularity and scoffed a little, “You've been milking that status for all it's worth for as long as I've known you, don't try to deny it.”
“If you see it that way that's your problem. It still stands though that you've made it your mission to taunt and torment anyone and everyone you chose, just because you want to impress a few cohorts...” Harry's smile was still as beamy as ever, it was getting quite easy to push Malfoy's buttons. He thought back on all the times Hermione had been the brunt of his many jokes...justice was just on the horizon.
Draco's mouth grasped for words, but Harry interrupted his thoughts before he could speak. “I was raised by muggles, but you still would've done anything to be my friend...wouldn't you have?” Harry was pleasantly surprised at himself for the resolve he was showing, where before there was only frustration. But perhaps that was because Malfoy would never normally stay in the same room with him for so long.
A little voice squeaked to life inside Harry's head, speaking slowly and softly, like the whispering tune of the birds in the trees, “Let him get annoyed...” it said. “Let him react like he always does...and we can start fighting again...like usual...”
But Draco didn't defend himself, quite the contrary. “You're right.”
Hell was freezing over right now, and Harry kept a laugh of pure astonishment from escaping.
Draco sensed his shock, and laughed himself, “But that's not the point. Like I said, it's about appearances.”
“Will you just stop using the word mudblood, especially around the first years?”
“I'm sorry, Potter, I can't do that. And you, of all people, can't make me.” now Malfoy was just being contrary. Harry had clearly made him think but he was much to cowardly to admit such a thing.
So the Gryffindor didn't fight him on it, he simply shook his head.
“At least stop dishing out all the 'Boy Who Lived' crap in class, it's starting to get old...”
“You crave attention, and you know it.” Draco offered.
But Harry, finally getting fed up with this constant banter between them, turned over onto his stomach, resting his head in his hands, and sighed, mimicking Malfoy's annoyed tone from before, “You just don't get it...” Their eyes met for an instant and Harry found, much to his chagrin, that there was a lighthearted humor to the exchange instead of the normal reactionary abhorrence. He looked away anxiously.
“Potter, don't think for a second you're telling anyone about this.” and Draco smiled at him in a way never before seen, completely without hate, completely filled with potential.
Harry drew in a deep breath, once again reminding himself of where he was lying, on the grass in the empty, overgrown cathedral...Malfoy was just a side note. “I wouldn't dream of it.” A private side note. For he really had no intentions of mentioning the Slytherin's presence to anyone.
And then something disturbing happened. Draco laughed. Then Harry laughed. And they were laughing together. Laughing like Harry laughed with Ron and Hermione, and overlooking that they usually laughed at those they picked on, how Draco laughed with his goons, Crabbe and Goyle.
Suddenly all sound ceased, and Harry felt Draco moving closer. Where have the birds gone, he thought randomly, he could tell their robes were touching now. The light above them seemed to waver for a moment and everything dimmed as Draco leaned in above Harry and gently, painfully, pushed their lips together.
Demanding to catch up, the sounds of the room blurred together and sped up and Harry pushed Draco away like a burning piece of trash. Things were not going to change just because they happened to spend one not so atrocious time together. He was about to spit something out about how disgusting that was, regardless of whether it was so or not, when Draco flew up from the ground...
“Forget this Potter, you're not reeling me into your sick melodrama any longer.” and he started for the door.
“Wait a minute! You kissed me...what the hell-” Harry began to say but Malfoy wouldn't have it.
“Don't try a weasel out of it Potter! By tomorrow everyone will know you tried to grope me in here...” his words were desperate to show how much he despised Harry but something about the hidden apprehension in his voice actually made Harry doubt his honesty.
“You think I wanted you to do that!?”
It was like Draco couldn't even hear him. “Don't worry about me coming back here...cause it's not going to happen!” But there was red flush to his pale cheeks betraying something besides ordinary chilled anger.
“Fine then! Be a bastard like usual!” Harry screamed at him, “Walk on out the door and try to forget what a complete and utter git you are!”
Draco's bottom lip quivered slightly, like he was one step away from break down, but he kept his mouth shut and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.
Harry pounded his head against the grass, what exactly had just happened? Kiss Malfoy? He had never even entertained the thought before...but now that he was thinking about it...Malfoy was a much better kisser than Cho.
His own fists smashed into his head, “Shut up! What the hell are you thinking!?”
The birds seemed annoyed by the recent turn of events, their singing had turned into erratic squawking, but Harry didn't really care. Carefully, he rose from the ground and righted any wrinkled fabric.
“This was a terrible idea. Just go back out there...and forgetting anything ever happened.” he actually thought that by saying it aloud it would make it easier to believe.
He walked to the door, forgetting the beautiful scenery behind him, forgetting all the things Malfoy had kindly revealed to him, even forgetting all those things he came here to escape.
“I'm not coming back...” and with that final thought Harry pushed on the door and slipped back out to the corridor.