It\'s Only Love, What Is Everyone So Afraid Of?

Disclaimer: Nope…not mine





Disclaimer: Nope…not mine. Na-ah.

 

 

A/N: Okay peoples…I would normally sit on this chapter a few
days to make sure everyone who wants to read and review the last chapter gets a
chance to do so and experience the cliff hanger. However, I love you guys and I’m
not going to make you wait too long. Please read and review. And, as always,
thank you for your feedback!

 

Props as always to Jasmine for betaing
this fic and keeping my ass in check. (And keeping my
head from getting too big from all the great reviews) Thanx
Chica!

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 9……………..Observing the very rare Draconius Malfoy in its natural state.

*********************************************************************

 

Ron made it back to the Gryffindor common room without
hitting anything…he took this as a good sign. The more he thouabouabout it…the
more Malfoy pissed him off. This was all his fault
anyways. Now Harry was probably fighting with him. He wanted to go back to
Harry’s room and knock the bastard one for Harry…but he wouldn’t. He knew that
Harry wouldn’t appreciate it, and as much as he hated to admit it…it wasn’t his
business. He did think, though, that between the two of them, Harry should be
the one who didn’t want anyone to know who he was shagging….or not shagging….or
whatever.

 

Hermione was waiting for him, sitting in a chair with a book
twice her size taking up the rest of the room. She looked up at him and noticed
the scowl on his face.

 

“How’d it go?”

 

“It went fine, until….ugh, not here, let’s go for a walk.”

 

“Okay”

 

*************************************************

 

Harry turned around expecting to see a very angry Draco. He
thought Draco would be ready to scream at him, throw things and storm out. What
he saw was an exceedingly calm Draco casually putting his tie on. He flashed
his award winning smile at Harry.

 

Harry blinked, confused. “Are you okay?”

 

Draco’s smile widened and he spoke as though he’d been asked
if he’d like fries with his Happy Meal. “I’m fine, you?”

 

Harry was worried. He knew what to make of Draco when he was
mad and yelling. If he had wanted to yell, Harry couldn’t say he would have
blamed him. He even knew what to make of Draco when he put up his walls of
casual indifference. It was almost as if Harry could sort of feel what he was
feeling…usually. This was different. This was…nothing. This was….emptiness.
This was the scariest Draco he’d ever seen. He cautiously continued.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

Draco continued fixing his clothes and smoothing his hair.
He tossed another gorgeous smile over his shoulder at Harry.

 

“Everything is perfect.”

 

Now Harry was really worried. Everything was most definitely
not perfect. He watched Draco check his appearance in the mirror after he
finished dressing. The Slytherin headed to leave the room. He held up Harry’s
invisibility cloak.

 

“Is it alright if I borrow this to get back to the dungeons?
I’ll leave it on your desk before potions tomorrow…your little friends
shouldn’t find it odd…seeing as how they’ve already been informed apparently.”

 

Harry almost asked him to stay until it was clear to leave,
wanting to explain to him…explain how Hermione could be trusted and how Ginny
had seen them and how Ron would never do anything to hurt him, and therefore
would keep their secret… but decided against it since the tension in the room
was already unbearable. If Draco had wanted to stay…he would have said so.

 

“Sure”

 

“Thank you, Potter.”

 

Harry winced at the use of his surname. Draco headed for the
exit with the cloak slung over his arm. He moved so fluidly, like a cat
almost…even nHe mHe moved with purpose and his steps were brisk and sharp.
Harry had a horrible feeling that if Draco left this time…he wouldn’t be back.
He grasped the blonde boy’s arm in desperation as he passed him.

 

“Don’t go”

 

Harry knew Draco was strong…however, he had underestimated
his speed. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen *anyone* move that fast. He grabbed
Draco’s arm, asked him not to leave, blinked and the next thing he knew, he was
backed up into a wall. Draco waesseessed into him, pinning him to the wall and
smiling that awful, deceitful smile.

 

He continued to smile at Harry. It wasn’t a smirk, or a
grin…it was a smile. The smile the Devil wears when he wants your soul.

 

Draco moved his right hand to Harry’s throat and stroked the
skin there, while using his left one to keep Harry pinned to the wall. Harry
wasn’t struggling though. The closely matched boys would probably have quite a
wrestling match had Harry attempted to fight back. But he didn’t. He wasn’t
sure he could have moved if he had wanted to anyways. Draco dipped his head
down to Harry’s ear and continued to caress his throat. His voice sounded to
Harry like a cyanide laced purr.

 

“I have things to do Potter. Graduation is coming up you
know.” He nipped Harry’s ear, causing him to shiver, before running his thumb
up Harry’s neck until it pressed into the dip under his chin a little
painfully. Draco pushed harder and Harry bit his lip as Draco used the grip to
force his head to the side, bearing his neck to him. The Slytherin ran his nose
along the length of Harry’s neck before coming back to the ear to speak again.

 

“The Gryffindor Golden Trio…such loyalty
to each other.”

 

Harry was disturbed by many things at this point. The thing
that disturbed him most was his reaction to Draco’s assault. He found it
somewhat arousing, being pinned to the wall with Draco whispering to him like
that. Surely this kind of reaction isn’t normal. He couldn’t figure it out for
the life of him and he tried to concentrate on the matter at hand. It would do
no goodugh,ugh, as Draco’s hand made a trail from his throat to the arousal in
his jeans. Harry was confused, but couldn’t find his voice to ask any questions
and was left to simply listen as Draco continued.

 

“It’s touching, really, how you three share everything…all
your secrets…putting each other before all others…I’ve never been one for such
allegiances myself. The chattering and gossip sharing behind everyone else’s
backs…it’s not really my style.”

 

He started to lightly stroke Harry as he went on.

 

“The thing about Slytherins though…is that if I want to…”

 

*stroke*

 

“…fuck you,…”

 

*stroke*

 

“…I’ll do it to your face.”

 

He released Harry with one quick motion, stepping back and
suddenly putting feet of space between them when just before there had been
only centimeters. Harry almost fell forward from the abrupt change. Draco
looked Harry in the eye and smiled that damned smile again.

 

“Lucky for you…I don’t.”

 

And then he was gone, having vanished under the cloak. Harry
hadn’t heard the portrait, so he knew Draco was still in the room somewhere. He
called out to the invisible boy.

 

“So that’s it? You’re leaving? You’re just giving up on all
this?”

 

He heard Draco’s voice as the portrait opened.

 

“How can I give up on something that never happened in the
first place?”

 

From out of nowhere, Harry saw what appeared to be a severed
hand out from the cloak. The long pale fingers Harry loved so much held
something he couldn’t quite make out at first. It took him a moment, but he
realized it was a coin…a gold coin. The hand retained every bit of it’s
elegance as it flung the coin at Harry. As he caught it in air air with his
seeker reflexes, he heard Draco’s voice again.

 

“For your trouble.”

 

And he was gone.

*************************************************

 

Hermione gasped. “Are you serious? Ron! You should have been
careful…poor Malfoy…”

 

“POOR MALFOY?!” Ron exploded. “What
are you talking about Mione? This is all his own
fault…he better not hurt Harry…” Ron cracked his knuckles to emphasize his
point.

 

Hermione stopped walking and put a hand on her boyfriend’s
shoulder. “Look Ron…how would you feel if you’d been groomed your whole life to
think what you are is wrong? You finally find a way to
be yourself and its scary…then you find out people know…it’s got to be embarrassing
and infuriating all at the same time.”

 

Ron thought back to Harry’s reaction when he found out that
Ron had already known about him. Why could he forgive Harry’s anger, but not
Malfoy’s? Ron quickly dismissed the thought; Malfoy was just such a…git….

 

He and Hermione continued wandering. They’d set out for
nowhere in particular and had been just walking about the castle and talking,
not even really aware of their surroundings. Ron was rolling his eyes while
Hermione went on about how he could be ‘so insensitive’ when the duo realized
they had ended up in the dungeons.

 

“Shit”

 

Hermione slapped his arm. “Ron! Language!”

 

“Oh like yours is any better Ms. Head Girl!”

 

Hermione flushed at his last remark. The two looked around
them and silently agreed that neither of them wanted to be there and took off
in a run to leave Slytherin territory.

 

Ron looked behind him to taunt Hermione about not keeping
up, but remained running when he suddenly slammed into something, knocking him
on his rear. He swore and rubbed his behind before turning to look at what…or
who…he had run into.

 

Across from him, also on the floor, was Draco Malfoy…Harry’s
cloak slung over his arm. Hermione made a small gasp.

 

When Draco realized who had run into him…Granger and Weasley…two
of his least favorite people, he immediately prepared to make some scathing
remark. Then it hit him…they knew. They knew about him…god only knows how long
they’d known…they probably laughed at him behind his back all this time. The
thought made him feel dirty and humiliated. He was unable to keep the initial
fear that they would say something off of his face…but, as was the norm with
all Malfoys, it was short lived…soon replaced with the steely indifferent gaze
that was his birthright. He stood and brushed himself off and ran a hand
through his hair, offering no help to the other fallen boy.

 

“You two should really watch where you’re going down here.
Fortunately for you, I have far more important matters to deal with…but I do
suggest you leave the dungeons before someone with nothing better to do comes along and hexes you into next week.”

 

He strode past the two and left them gaping behind him. Just
as Ron was standing with Hermione’s help, Draco turned slightly and called out
to them.

 

“Oh, and one more thing…” He tossed them Harry’s cloak.
“…give that to Potter, would you? It’ll save me the trouble…and I’d hate to
deprive him of the only reminder he has of that dead father of his…” And he
sauntered off, towards his own rooms.

 

Hermione had to put her arm out in front of Ron to keep him
from chasing after Draco.

 

“Ron! No…listen…something obviously happened…we should go
make sure Harry’s alright…”

 

Ron nodded and forced himself to turn and head in the
opposite direction.

 

****************************************************

 

Harry could hear his two best friends outside his room,
currently it was Hermione’s turn to plead to be let in.

 

“Harry…come on, let us in.justjust want to help you…please!”

 

With a sigh, Harry relented, realizing that the two were
just going to beg until he let them in anyways…and he was in no mood to listen
to their pleas much longer.

 

“Fine! Come in.”

 

The two entered tentatively and spotted Harry sitting on the
edge of his bed with his knees pulled up to his chest. His chin rested on top
of his knees and more than anything…he looked tired. Hermione immediately
hugged him.

 

“What happened? We ran into Malfoy in the dungeons and he
acted like…”

 

“Like the bastard he is.” Ron cut her off.

 

Hermione was quick to retort. “No! He seemed like his old
self…what happened Harry?”

 

Harry sighed and recounted the events that had unfolded just
minutes ago in his room. When he finished, both Ron and Hermione seemed to want
to offer moral support, although Ron’s was reluctant.

 

Hermione tried the ‘it could have been worse’ routine.
“That’s not so bad Harry! He didn’t yell at you or anything…maybe he’s not as
mad as you think…”

&nb
R
Ron tried, rather ineentlently, to further Hermione’s
explanation. “Yeah, mate…I mean…I was worried it might come to blows, and I
would have had to jump in…”

 

Harry shook his head and brought his hand up to rub his
temples.

 

“You guys don’t get it…this was worse than all that. It was
like he was so mad, he actually lost all emotion…it was…scary. I mean…I know he
can be cold…but this was unreal…I didn’t know he even had that kind of darkness
in him. It was like *pure* malice. He practically called me his whore.”

 

“WHAT?!” Ron’s face instantly
turned three shades redder than it had been before. Harry's face remained unchanged
though.

 

“I already told you that, Ron.”

 

“No you didn’t! That…that…ferret…I’ll…”
bsp;bsp;

Hermione tapped her boyfriend on the shoulder and pointed at
the coin beside Harry. “The coin, Ron. That’s what the
coin meant…”

 

“Oh….” Ron regained some, but not all, of his color.

 

Harry let out a small, slightly amused laugh. “I suppose we
all know how the Malfoy reacts when truly thenedened huh?”

 

Hermione scowled a bit. “You make him sound like an animal,
Harry.”

 

Harry shrugged. “That…or he could be a computer program…
‘Evil Draco Version 4.0’”

 

Hermione furrowed her brows, convinced Harry was more upset
than he was letting on. Ron jumped into the conversation.

 

“Sorry to interrupt but…a what program?”

 

Hermione waved a hand in the red head’s direction, but did
not look at him.

 

“It’s a muggle thing Ron…So, Harry…what now?”

 

Harry looked up at her. “What do you mean? What is there?”
His voice was sharp and cold…his gaze, empty.

 

Hermione kept her voice and face determined. “Graduation is
very close Harry. I think you should give it another shot. I mean…if this is
it…if it’s really over, then you’ll know it, right? But if you just let it
go…you know what he’ll do after we graduate. Don’t you think it’s worth a
shot?”

 

Ron could not believe his ears. “Hermione!
What are you doing?! Why are you telling Harry to give
*Malfoy* another chance?!”

 

“Shut up Ron. Stick to quidditch and food…leave the love
talks to me…okay?” Hermione smiled sweetly at him, but her eyes warned him not
to argue.

 

Harry flopped back on his bed. “Look…I’ll think it over…but
could you guys just go for now?”

 

Hermione gave him as much of a hug as she could from his
position.

 

“Okay, Harry. We love you no matter what…okay?”

 

“I know.”

 

**************************************************

 

Harry laid there for hours. He hadn’t even noticed he had
missed dinner…although he wouldn’t have gone anyways. He didn’t want to have to
look at Draco. Little did he know that the Slytherin Ice Prince would not be in
attendance ei.
.

 

He thought over what Hermione had said to him. He wanted to
take her advice…more than anything. He wanted his dragon back…he loved him…at
least…he thought he did. But who was that man who left his room hours before?
That had spoken so coldly to him…and acted solely to hurt him? Was that Draco’s
true nature? No, he decided. He had seen Draco’s true nature…at least part of
it…and he knew that the laughing…smiling…moaning Draco he knew was, in fact,
real.

 

But what of the rest of him? It
seemed to Harry that every time he was exposed to Draco’s shadows, they became
darker than before. Harry questioned whether or not he was equipped to handle
such innate malevolence. If he wasn’t…who was? If not him, then who would save
Draco from himself? Was this love? Or was it Harry’s so called hero complex
kicking in?

 

Harry thought of Draco’s face when the Slytherin had told
him he loved him in the rain. He thought of the peaceful smile adorning his
striking face as he slept with Harry’s fingers running lazily through his hair.
He thought of the way Draco said his name. The way the
syllables lingered on his tongue when he said ‘Har-ry’…unlike
when he spat ‘Potter’ in front of everyone.

 

‘No’ Harry
thought. ‘If this isn’t love…nothing is.’


 

The fear soon set in. What if Draco didn’t want him? What if
his love wasn’t strong enough to pull Draco from his so called ‘destiny’? It
would be hard…but Harry concluded that he had to try.

 

*******************************************

 

Harry had tried all week to talk to Draco. The Slytherin had
managed to elude him at every turn, though. He would arrive at meals late and
leave them early…in potions he was always the first out of the door when the
lesson ended and by the time Harry could catch up…he would be gone. When they
did cross paths, Draco would eye Harry a moment before narrowing his gaze and
sauntering off in the opposite direction, leaving Harry gaping and unable for
some reason to call after him. Harry had tried all week…and failed. Now it was
graduation day…and Harry was desperate.

 

Before the ceremony, there were the pre-graduation events
out on the quidditch pitch. Harry wandered from event to event, not really
paying attention to any of them, or to the countless parents he’d been dragged
ove mee meet…many of them the parents of children he hardly knew.

 

He’d passed Draco a few times, but the blonde’s reaction was
different today. Instead of his usual glare and slow waltz away, the Slytheriookeooked almost…fearful…before scurrying off in another direction in a rather unMalfoy like way
&n
 

Harry looked around the pitch, scanning for the blonde hair
belonging to the one he needed to talk to. He soon spotted it…and realized
instantly the reason for Draco’s unusual behavior. The hair he spotted did not
belong to his dragon…no it belonged to the dragon’s sire…Lucius Malfoy.

 

Harry’s confidence wavered a bit, as the Gryffindor could
plainly see now the effect Malfoy senior had on Draco. Harry didn’t know if he
could compete. But he had to try. He spotted the other head of platinum and
prepared to head in his direction…but was stopped by Colin Creevy.

 

“Harry! Great, I found you! I need to get a picture of the
quidditch team captains. Stand right there…I’ll be right back!”

 

Harry snarled in annoyance, but quickly changed his tune
when he realized that a picture of the team captains meant Draco would be in
the photo as well. He waited rather impatiently until Colin returned with the
Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw captains…and a very reluctant Slytherin captain as
well. Colin remained his usual irritating cheery self.

 

“So sorry, but it’s only a picture…it’ll only take a second!
Harry, you and Malfoy should be in the back, with you guys…” He pointed to the
other two captains. “…in front, since Harry and Malfoy are the tallest. Ready?
1…2…”

 

Harry hadn’t a word Colin said. He elbowed Draco in the
ribs. Draco shot him a sidelong glare, but otherwise seemed unaffected. Harry
spoke under his breath.

 

“You’ve got to talk to me some time, you know.”

 

Creevy snapped the picture and released the four captains.
Draco turned and glared at Harry.

 

“I don’t have to do *anything* Potter.” He turnrounround
again and marched off in the direction of his Father.

 

‘Progress’ Harry
told himself. ‘At least he spoke to me.’

 

Harry steeled himself to head off in the same direction as
Draco.

 

‘If he thinks I won’t
come near his father…he’s sadly mistaken.’

 

When Harry reached the Malfoy clan, Draco’s eyes grew to the
size of saucers. He opened his mouth, indisputably to spit some nasty remark
and tell Harry to go away, but didn’t get the chance, as Lucius spoke first.

 

“Harry Potter!” The elegant man spoke. “How
unforte fte for the Headmaster to finally lose his favorite student.
You’ve survived this long, I’m sure Dumbledore was convinced he’d never lose
you.”

 

Harry wasn’t sure if the man’s remarks were insults,
compliments or neither. The ambiguity reminded Harry of a politician.

 

Draco, eyes still wide, shifted his gaze from his Father to
Harry and back and forth over and over again. He shocked himself that he wasn’t
hyperventilating.

 

“Draco?” Lucius turned toward his son, who quickly squared
his shoulders to regain his composure.

 

“Yes Father?”

 

“Did you not tell me that Mr. Potter here was the one who
took those excellent photos of you that were in the Prophet?”

 

“Yes, I took them.” Harry interrupted.

 

“Ah yes…My wife and I were quite
impressed with them. If possible, we’d like copies of them for the Manor. Those
photos of Draco had a…different…feel to them than the photos of the rest of the
team.” Lucius paused. “He must be….naturally…picturesque.”

 

Harry took a step back, feeling an odd vibe from the older
blonde man who smirked at him, looking much like his son, and addressed him
once more.

 

“Very well Mr. Potter…if you will excuse my son and I…we
have some…family business to discuss.”

 

“S..sure”

 

Harry was a bit shocked at how, with just a flick of Lucius’
wrist, Narcissa obediently left her husband and son alone. Her mouth never
opened, and her eyes displayed no emotion. Harry, however, was not so obedient.
He left the two alone, yes, but qly sly snuck around to where he could not be
seen but could clearly hear their conversation. He listened intently.

 

“Draco?”

 

“Yes, sir?”

 

“You are aware of the plans for you after graduation?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Good. I take it you are prepared to fulfill your destiny
then?”

 

Draco’s voice sounded undeniably resolute. “Yes, sir.”

 

“Excellent. I have something to give you in that case.”

 

Harry craned his neck to see what Lucius was going to give
Draco. When he caught sight of the tiny hand carved box, his heart sank. He
only knew one thing small enough to fit in a box that size.

 

Draco opened the box and took a deep breath before looking
his father in the eye.

 

“I thought Mother wore this.”

 

Lucius smiled. “She did…but I’ve bought her a new one…this
is an heirloom and now it is yours to give to Pansy. When your heir is old
enough, you’ll buy her a new one and pass it along again. This ring has been in
the Malfoy family for two hundred years now.”

 

Harry watched Draco exhale slowly and close his eyes before
opening them again and fixing his stare determinedly on his father.

 

‘No, no, no, no, no,
no….’ Was all Harry could seem to think.

 

“Thank you, Father. I will bring honor to our family.”

 

“Brilliant, now put away your broom…the ceremony will began
soon.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

Harry watched Draco pocket the box and head off for the
broom shed. He scrambled after him…not caring if anyone saw him, not caring if
anyone heard him muttering “no” under his breath. He was going to get to
Draco…he had to get to Draco…

 

***************************************************

TBC

 

 

Go on….hit the button….you know wannwanna….

 

Love and Kisses,

 

Reika