Inside Your Mind

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. If I owned Draco and Harry, do you honestly think I would be spending my time sitting here writing about them when I could be doing other much more fun things with them??

A/N – I am sooo unbelievably sorry!!! Blame my school, they seem to think I’m smart or something so they keep giving us work. Anywaymademade this chapter a bit long to make up for it. Please forgive me lol.

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Chapter Thirteen – Halloween Happenings

It was amazing how much chaos one dance could bring about.

Students were running into each other, muttering rushed, distracted apologizes without even looking at who they had collided with. So there were Gryffindors and Slytherins apologizing to each other, and Slytherins not killing the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws that ran into them. Everyone was working off of nervous energy, and off of their unnaturally high level of excitement, so things were a bit…strange.

Many students had complained that they couldn’t find costumes, so Dumbledore had changed rulerules a bit. It was now to be very formal, and it was mandatory to wear a mask that concealed at least the top half of the face. Any other clothing choices were theirs to make. In a school were students were forced to wear plain black robes for the better part of the day, the prospect of dressing up was welcomed, by both the young men and young women.

Harry was feeling a lot more relaxed about this dance than he had at the Yule Ball in fourth year, which probably had something to do with the fact that there wasn’t a section devoted to him having to dance well in front of a group of judgmental teenagers. Also, during the summer weeks he had spent at the Burrow, Hermione had insisted that him and Ron allow her to teach them how to dance properly. When they had refused, her exact words had been, “I will not let this be a repeat of last time. While you may not care whether or not you look like blundering idiots, I don’t wish to be associated with idiots, so shut up and watch.” Draco had been highly amused by this statement for the several weeks, repeating it whenever he felt like bothering his boyfriend. It had been at that moment, when that statement was said, that Draco had decided that maybe Granger wasn’t so bad. He would never tell her this, for there was no doubt in his mind that she would hit him if he did, but she had sounded rather like a Malfoy.

The other must have heard the direction in which Harry’s thoughts were going, for he heard the blonde laugh aloud in the other room. Apparently, the female Gryffindor’s power over the other two parts of the Golden Trio was still a source of amentment for the Slytherin.

Harry scowled and called out, “You know, that offer to tell everyone in the Great Hall that you like to snuggle still stands.” Draco just snorted. “Now that my father knows, I highly doubt the rest of the school would be high on our problem list.” The Gryffindor swore, knowing that his boyfriend was rigand and also knowing that Draco knew that he wouldn’t have even done it in the first place.

“You know, you really shouldn’t just shout things like that out, Harry,” said a gleeful voice in the living room. Harry grabbed his cloak and mask from his bed and went out to greet Ron and Hermione, rolling his eyes. The blonde, on the other hand, stalked from his room, belongings also in hand, and snapped, “How the fuck did you get in here?” The redhead waved a hand dismissively. “Mione figured it out.” The two looked questioningly at her. “I didn’t figure anything out; I just listened to you say it the other night while everyone else was complaining about how unfair it was that you two have your own quarters.”

“Look, Draco, I didn’t even have to actually tell anyone you like to snuggle,” Harry commented cheerfully. The Slytherin just smirked in response, before turning to a gloating Ron and saying sweetly, “Did you know that Potter gave me the best blowjob the other night?”

The blood immediately drained from Weasley’s face.

“Well, I guess you really wouldn’t know, but it was just bloody incredible.”

Ron’s eyes now looked as though they would pop out of his skull at any given moment.

“He did this amazing thing with his tongue-”

Draco’s mouth fell open in shock as Hermione’s silencing spell went into effect. :Tell her to take this fucking spell off me!: the blonde cried in indignation :No,:No, I think I’ll let her leave it for a few minutes while Ron comes back to life.: Harry replied dryly. :Seeing as you nearly killed him.:

:Fuck you.:

:I’d love to, but we've got somewhere to be.:

Draco rolled his eyes, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. He put on his cloak, then his mask, prompting Harry to do the same. When Hermione turned away from Ron a moment later, her jaw dropped. “Oh, wow…”

Simultaneous grins appeared on the faces of the two in question, and they glanced appreciatively at each other. They had been among the students unable to find costumes, so they had opted for pants, dress shirts, and cloaks. Normal clothing for most, but Harry and Draco were never really normal, were they?

Both wore tight black leather pants that displayed muscular thighs, accompanied by silk dress shirts that clung to their torsos. Both shirts were as black as the Halloween night, and each wore a pair of dragon-hide boots. Each wore a cloak that hung from their shoulders. Harry’s was a beautiful silver, while Draco’s was a deep emerald green, a color scheme that did not go unnoticed by Hermione. To complete the outfit, each wore a black mask that began right above their eyebrows; the bottom began half an inch below each of their right eyes, and then gradually slanted down until it ended two inches below the left eye. The eyeholes were big enough for one to see a glimpse of the colored iris if they looked closely.

“You both look absolutely amazing, but don’t you think people will think something is weird because of the colors of your cloaks?”

Draco opened his mouth to respond, and then remembered the spell. :Harry, love, please tell Granger that I am unable to answer her at the present time because someone placed a silencing spell on me and has yet to remove it.:

The Gryffindor rolled his eyes before saying, “Mione, could you remove the spell so that Draco can answer you?” The young woman flushed and quickly obliged.

“Thank you ever so much, Granger,” Draco said sarcastically before responding to her question. “I honestly don’t care what people think about the colors.” Two pairs of eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yes, really. Now could you and Weasley please put on your masks so we can go already? And by the way, Granger, you look great.”

Hermione beamed at the compliment before picking up her mask. She was wearing a dark blue silk gown that reached to the floor, and she had made her hair straight and it was completely devoid of frizz so that it flowed smoothly past her shoulders. She had even taken the time to put on a fair amount of makeup and jewelry. Her mask was the same style as Harry’s and Draco’s, but it was the same dark blue as her dress.

She helped her boyfriend off the couch, and even Draco had to admit that they made quite an attractive couple. Ron wore simple black pants and a white dress shirt, accompanied by an expensive black silk dress robe that he must have splurged on, and a white mask similar to the other three’s. The two shone together, and it was obvious to any observer that they cared for each other deeply.

The four headed out the door, walking toward the Great Hall. They had decided to meet their other friends there, not wanting to raise too many questions. Harry and Draco walked a few paces behind the other pair, who were bickering about something completely pointless, as usual.

:Draco, I can’t believe you made me wear these pants.: Harry whined. :They’re horribly uncomfortable, and the fact that you’re wearing them too is doing nothing to help the situation.:

When the blonde didn’t respond to the petulant tone, Harry turned to him to find that he was in his own world. “Draco?”

The other turned his head slowly toward his boyfriend, a thoughtful look on his face. “I was thinking…”

“Wow, that’s a huge breakthrough for you.”

“Ha ha, very clever. Like I was saying, I was thinking about what Granger said about people noticing the color of our cloaks.” He stayed quiet for a minute.

“And…”

Draco snorted. “You would think the savior of the wizarding world would have more patience. I was thinking that I want people to notice.”

The Slytherin heard Harry’s sharp intake of breath at his words. “You just want people to notice us, or you want people to notice us together?”

Shrugging, he replied, “Now that my father knows, I could care less about other people’s opinions about our relationship. I don’t give a shit if people approve or not. It’s my life, I’m a Malfoy, I can do whatever the fuck I want. If I want to walk around school holding hands with The Boy Who Lived, then I will.” Finishing his little tirade, he looked questioningly at Harry.

The Gryffindor grinned. “I always loved Halloween.”

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For every person that entered the Great Hall, there was a gasp. The room was dark, except for the dimly lit candles and jack-o-lanterns scattered in the imitation of the night sky, giving everything a soft, intimate glow. This was supposed to add to the anonymity of the evening, though most would know other’s identities by the end of the night.

The murmured whispers of awe and anticipation grew louder the hall as students filtered in. Even the faculty, who had been involved in the planning, couldn’t hold back a gasp of delight at their surroundings. In addition to the cozy lighting, the normally hard stone floor was now black marble that shone in the glowing room. Beautiful wooden chestnut tables were placed variously, leaving a large area towards the back free for dancing. Practically all of the students had taken the formal option, not wanting to miss a chance to look good.

Ron and Hermione made their way to a table, with Harry following until he noticed that Draco was walking in the other direction, toward the Slytherin tables. Reaching out and catching him by the arm, Harry asked, :Where are you going?:

:I’m going to go sit with my unbearable housemates. Thank Merlin for Blaise.: he replied, sighing.

:I thought you didn’t care if people…: The Gryffindor trailed off, his tone full of disappointment.

The blonde disclosed one of his rare, tender smiles, resisting the urge to hug his pouting partner. :Have some patience, love. It will happen.:

A shrill, insufferable female voice broke their stare. “Draco, I’m here! You can have a good time now!” The two turned to see Pansy waving frantically.

:I swear, I will kill her by the end of the night.: Draco said, closing his eyes.

:I’m sure no one would mind if you did. They’d all thank you.:

The Slytherin laughed before saying goodbye and walking towards the tables where the others from his house were seated.

Turning back to his own table, Harry took a seat next to Ron just as Dumbledore stood at the staff table and motioned for quiet.

“Welcome. I hope you are all pleased with the atmosphere we have created.” He paused for a moment as clapping rang through the hall, and then continued. “Halloween is never uneventful at Hogwarts, and I hope this year will prove to be no different.” He took a moment to glace subtly at Harry, and then at Draco, leaving both wondering how the old man knew bloody everything. “We shall start with the feast, and then there will be dancing for those who choose to. Happy Halloween, everyone!” Two claps of his hands made an assortment of food appear on each table. Groans of contentment were heard as people began eating, for the food was better than it had ever been. The hall was practically silent; no one wanted to lessen the pure enjoyment of eating the wonderful meal.

After about a half hour of quiet relaxation, the dinner plates were cleared away and dessert appeared. This is when the music started playing; evidently, eating dessert was optional. An upbeat tune filled the empty dance floor, inviting people to fill the space. The first to walk unto the floor were Pansy and Draco, one beaming while the other looked at her disdainfully. Luckily for Parkinson, even a suffering Malfoy was unwilling to look foolish, and even Harry to admit, albeit reluctantly, that they made a graceful pair. He was suddenly grateful for Hermione’s forced lessons, and he shot her a thankful glance, which she responded to by smiling brightly, knowing what he meant to say. As more students got up the courage to walk onto the floor, Ron stood and nervously shuffled from one foot to the other. “Mione..do you maybe want to…”. He gestured toward the dancing people. She shook her head good-naturedly at the way he made his request, but smiled once more and took his hand, allowing him to lead her away. Harry looked on and grinned, glad that they finally had enough sense to be together.

“Harry?” He looked up at the voice, and stopped short. “Whoa…” Ginny was wearing a slim, strapless deep red dress that reached mid-calf and had a slit that stopped at the middle of her left thigh. It set off the fiery color of her hair, making her look years older. Her long hair was pulled back into a French twist to reveal her petite, ivory smooth shoulders and neck; it also displayed her fine facial bone structure.

The youngest Weasley grinned wickedly at this reaction. She placed herself carefully on Harry’s lap and heard him take a deep breath. “Well, well, I do believe we haven’t lost you completely to the other side just yet.”

:Harry, if she does not get off you and you do not get that look off your face, Parkinson will not be the only person I kill tonight.: Emerald eyes searched quickly for the blonde, and they found silver ones that looked as though they could burn through metal. Ginny followed his gaze, and quickly slid off his lap, blushing. “So, yea…I just wanted to know if you wanted to dance.”

Harry laughed and nodded, leading her to the others. “You really do look amazing. For anyone in particular?” She grinned and glanced back at Neville, who was staring after her. “Him? You’re gonna make him trip over his own two feet the who night in that dress!” Ginny giggled, while reminding him that that was the point.

His one dance with Ginny began his dancing part of the evening. Every time he finished dancing with one person, another was waiting. Luckily, he had a high energy level tonight, and he was actually enjoying himself. Actually knowing what the hell he was doing made dancing a lot more fun. Cho had asked him to dance twice, and she kept shooting looks at him. While he was dancing with Parvati, she had walked past him with Marietta, and he heard her whispering “I wish Malfoy would stop glaring at me like that. I don’t even know why he’s looking at me in the first place.” Harry almost tripped at this, laughing inwardly.

:Draco, you’re realize you’re scaring Cho.:

:That would be the point, Potter.: was the drawled response.

As Harry laughed and began looking for a new dance partner, he found that a masked man with jet-black silky hair and a silver mask was heading for him. While he knew it was no one from the school, he felt a strange familiarity in the way the man moved. Seconds later, the man was in front of him, and the moment he took his arm and began dancing, he knew. The grace with which the man moved was identical to that of his boyfriend. Lucius.

“Potter,” the elder Malfoy began, “you’re probably wondering why I’m here, let alone dancing with you.”

“You think?” Harry retorted sarcastically.

Lucius’s grip on his shoulders tightened. “I’m not going to tell the Dark Lord about my son’s relationship with you.” His partner opened his mouth to speak, but he held up a hand. “Before you ask, I will explain.”

“I know that to you, I always was and always will be an evil bastard. Now, to be fair, I am, but I wasn’t always.” He laughed bitterly. “I actually did have actual emotions at some point.” The elder Malfoy looked down and found that he now had Potter’s complete attention. “Ifre ire is one thing I regret, it will always be that I lost the ability to enjoy things for what they are, not what I can get out of them, but power is highly addictive.” Harry looked up at this man, and was shocked to see real regret in his eyes.

“My wife is not involved in the Dark Arts; she never was and she does not approve of my involvement. Therefore, it’s basically made us silent and passive; we act as though the other does not exist.” Taking a deep breath, he said “I never wanted that. As hard as it might be for you to believe, Potter, I do love my wife and son, no matter what actions of mine have said otherwise, and I know there have been many.”

“The year I fell in love with Narcissa was the happiest time of my life; she was beautiful and intelligent…we would sit and have discussions about things most other students our age could have cared less about. I was lucky that she was pureblood and wealthy; marriage to her would have been forbidden otherwise. So I did marry for love on the inside; on the outside, I married for wealth and status.”

“I do not want my son to have to live a life he will regret; I do not want him to resent me for the life he could have led. I’m not going to be the one that will stand in the way of this relationship, nor will I be one to reveal it. All I saw was one smile on his face while he looked at you, sleeping next to him in bed,” Harry flushed at this and Lucius smirked, “but I am certain that he cares for you, and I do not wish to be the one to ruin his life.”

The Gryffindor looked at Lucius, and he saw sincerity mixed in with the ever-present Malfoy pride. As the man turned to walk away, he spun around for a second to say, “Oh, and Potter? If you hurt my son at all, remember that I already have many reasons to kill you. It would not be wise to give me more.” With that, he was gone, and Harry grinned. Walking up to Draco, he pulled him away into a dark corner while Pansy wasn’t looking.

“Was there something you needed?”

“Does your father take drugs?”

“Congratulations, Potter, that was the most random thing anyone has ever asked me.”

“Does he?”

“Of course not. Why in the world would you even be asking me that?”

“Cause I think he was on something.” Draco looked at him sharply before laughing. “How would you know if my father’s on something now?”

“Because he was here.” This time the Slytherin’s eyes were as sharp as glass. “What do you mean?” he asked slowly.

“His hair was black and he had a silver mask on and he came up to me and started dancing with me. Then he started telling me all of this stuff about when he met your mother and how he really does love her. He told me that he’s not going to tell anyone about us, that he cares about you and he doesn’t want to be the one who ruins your life. He doesn’t want to be the one to stand in your way.”

Finishing the recount of Lucius’s speech, Harry looked at the blonde, who was standing totally still, looking as though he had just been Petrified. He waved a hand in front of his boyfriend’s face. “Draco, are you there?”

The Slytherin snapped out of his stupor. “You’re kidding me, right?”

A shake of a head full of thick, raven hair. “Do you see why I thought he was on something?”

“Yes, I believe I do.”

“Isn’t this good?”

Draco looked thoughtful. “It sounds good, but that’s the thing with Malfoys. Just because what we say sounds good doesn’t mean it is. Honestly, though? Right now, I could care less.” Giving the other a very quick kiss, Draco walked back to where he could be seen.

Confused, Harry contemplated following him, but then decided that Draco had said that it would happen, which meant that the blonde was planning something, and he just didn’t feel like being obsessive and trying to figure out what it was before it happened. So he grabbed Hermione and continued dancing.

Just as he finished a dance with Luna about twenty minutes later, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Turning, he came face to face with Draco just as the music changed to a waltz.

:So we’re doing this now?:

:I can’t stand one more second with Parkinson.:

“I don’t suppose you know how to waltz, Potter?”

“As a matter of fact I do, Malfoy.”

They grinned and fell into the step, moving together to the music. The whispers they had been expecting began the second they put their hands on each other, and grew with every step they took. A minute and a half into their dance, the floor was theirs alone. Everyone stood on the side, either gaping or pretending they weren’t staring so openly. The couple ignored everything but one another, moving as though they were made to dance with only each other.

When the song ended, everything was completely still. The crowd held its breath, watching Draco lean toward Harry slowly. Time froze when their lips met. The moment was as fragile as paper-thin glass; one fracture and everything would be shattered.

That fracture was created by none other than Pansy, who let out an ear-splitting shriek. “DRACO MALFOY, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU-”

“Stupefy.” Snape calmly pocketed his wand while walking over to the now unconscious Slytherin. Without a word, he levitated her body and walked through the doors of the Great Hall.

“I do believe you’ve disappointed someone, Mr. Malfoy,” the Headmaster commented, that damn twinkle appearing in his eyes. This statement shook everyone from their trances, and the whispers once again dominated the room. Dumbledore cleared his throat, and all eyes once again fell on him. “If anyone has a problem with this, I suggest they keep it to themselves.” He eyed the crowd, and it was obvious that the use of the word suggest did not make it optional.

The music resumed, though all eyes were still on Malfoy and Potter, even as people took their places on the floor once again. Harry was blushing deeply as he turned to Draco and said, “Everyone’s looking at us,” making the blonde snort in amusement. “You’re the bloody Boy Who Lived. You’re not used to people looking at you by now?” He shook his head in mock disapproval before leaning in and kissing the Gryffindor so deeply that the blushing young man had no choice but to forget everything else.

A man with jet-black hair stood in the shadows, watching the scene unfold with a somewhat reluctant pride shining in silver eyes.