Virago 3
Title: Virago 3
Author: enchanted_jae
Character(s): Harry/Draco
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): Angst
Word count: 1040
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Written as a birthday gift for tarajw, who asked for more of Virago. You may wish to at least skim the first two parts.
Summary: Harry realizes what a monumental error he's made.
Harry's remorse vanished in an instant. He had been feeling rotten about the cruel trick he'd pulled on his husband. However, Draco had beaten the snot out of him before abandoning him alone and wandless in a hotel room. To make matters worse, the Muggle police had shown up to investigate the sounds of a disturbance, and Harry had been arrested, interrogated and humiliated. He'd come home, dispirited and contrite, but now his husband had just appeared to verbally castigate him for being gone all night long. It was the last straw.
"Where have I been?" Harry repeated, voice gone dangerously low. "I'll tell you where I've been, Draco. After you left, the Muggle police came to the hotel room to investigate a report of a disturbance, and I spent the night in jail." It had been one of the worst nights of his life, and Harry was still seething about it.
Unexpectedly, Draco threw his head back and laughed. Harry pivoted and slammed his fist into the wall. He was so angry, the pain barely registered. Draco had stopped laughing, but his own eyes had narrowed, and it was obvious Harry would get no sympathy from his husband. He stormed past Draco and up the stairs.
~*~
Harry stood under the hot, pounding spray of water in the shower of the guest bathroom. His hand no longer throbbed, because he'd healed it before stepping into the shower. Of course, that was after he had reclaimed his wand from where Draco had left it on the bureau in the master bedroom. Harry had done nothing to heal his face, however. For some perverse reason, he wanted Draco to see the damage he'd inflicted.
The longer Harry stood in the shower, the more his tense muscles relaxed. Having time to think about his actions the previous night, Harry realized he'd done his husband wrong with the trick he'd played. He was still angry about his own experiences after, but Harry knew he'd brought it on himself. He could have simply confronted Draco about his snooping, instead of trying to teach his husband a lesson. Harry supposed he should be grateful that Draco hadn't hexed him the moment he'd walked through the door this morning. He was also thankful that Draco hadn't left him.
Harry turned the water off and swept the shower curtain back. He reached for a towel and dried himself, wincing at the scrapes and bruises he encountered. Harry wrapped the towel around his hips and padded across the hall to the master bedroom. He was mildly disappointed to find that Draco wasn't waiting for him there, although it wasn't surprising that his husband was in no mood to kiss and make up.
Harry dressed in clean clothing and went downstairs. Draco was waiting in the parlor. He was seated at his favorite small table with a cup of steaming tea and the Prophet opened in front of him. Harry sat down across from his husband with a weary sigh. Draco merely cocked an eyebrow at him.
"I apologize for my behavior last night," Harry said, looking down and drawing idle patterns on top of the table.
"What in the name of Merlin possessed you to do such a thing?" Draco asked. That his voice remained calm didn't alleviate Harry's anxiety in the least.
Harry folded his hands in his lap to keep from fidgeting. "Ahem. I noticed you were snooping through my bureau and my study, and I wanted to teach you a lesson," he admitted. When his confession was met with silence, Harry chanced a glance up. He immediately regretted it. Draco's expression was livid.
"I snooped through your drawers because I was concerned for your safety, and you responded by making me think you were in mortal peril?!"
Harry cringed. Hearing things from Draco's point of view made him feel like even more of a lout. Luring Draco to the hotel by snipping a lock of his own hair and including it with a note that he'd been abducted seemed rather extreme in hindsight. "I'm sorry," Harry mumbled.
"You're sorry," Draco said flatly. "You're sorry?!" This was said with more vehemence. "At what point did you begin to feel sorry?" Draco snarled. "When I pummeled you? Or was it when you got arrested by Muggle police officers? Did you feel at all sorry when you saw how sickened and frightened I was that a stranger was demanding I strip for him to save my husband's life?!"
Harry's stomach dropped. He had noticed Draco's stricken expression last night, but he had foolishly forged ahead with his scheme to punish his husband. All along, Harry had planned to reveal himself to Draco, but even he was unsure now how far he would have allowed the scenario to go. He'd gotten so caught up in the act of watching Draco undress that he had neglected to consider the turmoil Draco must have been experiencing.
Harry felt lower than Grindylow shit. He was an awful person, and he deserved whatever retribution Draco wished to mete out. Harry spread his hands and stared beseechingly at his husband. "I'm sorry for all of it," he said. "However, I'm most sorry for the pain and anguish I put you through. If I could, I'd use a Time Turner and go back to undo it, but I can't. All I can do is apologize and plead for your forgiveness."
Draco's lips thinned, and his nostrils flared. "I'm not ready to forgive you," he said.
"I understand," said Harry, dropping his eyes to the table top again. "I don't blame you for being angry with me." He looked up again. "Is there something I can do to make things better? To make things right?"
Draco appeared to actually be considering it, and Harry's heart filled with hope.
Draco leaned forward, gray eyes snapping with temper. "There is a way you can begin to make it up to me," he said. "Strip."
~tbc~
Virago 4
Author: enchanted_jae
Character(s): Harry/Draco
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): Angst
Word count: 1040
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Written as a birthday gift for tarajw, who asked for more of Virago. You may wish to at least skim the first two parts.
Summary: Harry realizes what a monumental error he's made.
Harry's remorse vanished in an instant. He had been feeling rotten about the cruel trick he'd pulled on his husband. However, Draco had beaten the snot out of him before abandoning him alone and wandless in a hotel room. To make matters worse, the Muggle police had shown up to investigate the sounds of a disturbance, and Harry had been arrested, interrogated and humiliated. He'd come home, dispirited and contrite, but now his husband had just appeared to verbally castigate him for being gone all night long. It was the last straw.
"Where have I been?" Harry repeated, voice gone dangerously low. "I'll tell you where I've been, Draco. After you left, the Muggle police came to the hotel room to investigate a report of a disturbance, and I spent the night in jail." It had been one of the worst nights of his life, and Harry was still seething about it.
Unexpectedly, Draco threw his head back and laughed. Harry pivoted and slammed his fist into the wall. He was so angry, the pain barely registered. Draco had stopped laughing, but his own eyes had narrowed, and it was obvious Harry would get no sympathy from his husband. He stormed past Draco and up the stairs.
~*~
Harry stood under the hot, pounding spray of water in the shower of the guest bathroom. His hand no longer throbbed, because he'd healed it before stepping into the shower. Of course, that was after he had reclaimed his wand from where Draco had left it on the bureau in the master bedroom. Harry had done nothing to heal his face, however. For some perverse reason, he wanted Draco to see the damage he'd inflicted.
The longer Harry stood in the shower, the more his tense muscles relaxed. Having time to think about his actions the previous night, Harry realized he'd done his husband wrong with the trick he'd played. He was still angry about his own experiences after, but Harry knew he'd brought it on himself. He could have simply confronted Draco about his snooping, instead of trying to teach his husband a lesson. Harry supposed he should be grateful that Draco hadn't hexed him the moment he'd walked through the door this morning. He was also thankful that Draco hadn't left him.
Harry turned the water off and swept the shower curtain back. He reached for a towel and dried himself, wincing at the scrapes and bruises he encountered. Harry wrapped the towel around his hips and padded across the hall to the master bedroom. He was mildly disappointed to find that Draco wasn't waiting for him there, although it wasn't surprising that his husband was in no mood to kiss and make up.
Harry dressed in clean clothing and went downstairs. Draco was waiting in the parlor. He was seated at his favorite small table with a cup of steaming tea and the Prophet opened in front of him. Harry sat down across from his husband with a weary sigh. Draco merely cocked an eyebrow at him.
"I apologize for my behavior last night," Harry said, looking down and drawing idle patterns on top of the table.
"What in the name of Merlin possessed you to do such a thing?" Draco asked. That his voice remained calm didn't alleviate Harry's anxiety in the least.
Harry folded his hands in his lap to keep from fidgeting. "Ahem. I noticed you were snooping through my bureau and my study, and I wanted to teach you a lesson," he admitted. When his confession was met with silence, Harry chanced a glance up. He immediately regretted it. Draco's expression was livid.
"I snooped through your drawers because I was concerned for your safety, and you responded by making me think you were in mortal peril?!"
Harry cringed. Hearing things from Draco's point of view made him feel like even more of a lout. Luring Draco to the hotel by snipping a lock of his own hair and including it with a note that he'd been abducted seemed rather extreme in hindsight. "I'm sorry," Harry mumbled.
"You're sorry," Draco said flatly. "You're sorry?!" This was said with more vehemence. "At what point did you begin to feel sorry?" Draco snarled. "When I pummeled you? Or was it when you got arrested by Muggle police officers? Did you feel at all sorry when you saw how sickened and frightened I was that a stranger was demanding I strip for him to save my husband's life?!"
Harry's stomach dropped. He had noticed Draco's stricken expression last night, but he had foolishly forged ahead with his scheme to punish his husband. All along, Harry had planned to reveal himself to Draco, but even he was unsure now how far he would have allowed the scenario to go. He'd gotten so caught up in the act of watching Draco undress that he had neglected to consider the turmoil Draco must have been experiencing.
Harry felt lower than Grindylow shit. He was an awful person, and he deserved whatever retribution Draco wished to mete out. Harry spread his hands and stared beseechingly at his husband. "I'm sorry for all of it," he said. "However, I'm most sorry for the pain and anguish I put you through. If I could, I'd use a Time Turner and go back to undo it, but I can't. All I can do is apologize and plead for your forgiveness."
Draco's lips thinned, and his nostrils flared. "I'm not ready to forgive you," he said.
"I understand," said Harry, dropping his eyes to the table top again. "I don't blame you for being angry with me." He looked up again. "Is there something I can do to make things better? To make things right?"
Draco appeared to actually be considering it, and Harry's heart filled with hope.
Draco leaned forward, gray eyes snapping with temper. "There is a way you can begin to make it up to me," he said. "Strip."
~tbc~
Virago 4