Cracking the Gold

Author\'s Note: I\'m missing ONE post I apparently forgot to save!!! I have put ---- in the line where it goes, and I\'ll replace it as soon as my partner comes online--assuming she has the convo\'s saved... X_X Anyway. ^_^ Enjoy!!

EDIT: I have fixed the missing post!! *dances happily*

Disclaimer: See Introduction.

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Harry almost replied that it wouldn\'t have been his fault if he\'d known where he was going, but he didn\'t want Cookie to be in trouble. So he simply scoffed to himself. He found it rather amusing that Malfoy couldn\'t eat until he was there. Maybe he\'d just not show up at the next meal. Starve the starch white creep.


Draco arched a brow slightly at the sound, \"Use real words pet.\"


Harry\'s head didn\'t move, but his eyes turned to glare in the direction of Malfoy. \"Fuck off,\" he muttered. He was sick of this whole game. He\'d had his fun, now he just wanted to be left alone.


He arched a brow at that, catching Harry\'s ear and giving it a sharp tug. IT wouldn\'t do any real damage of course, just a sudden sting, \"Mind your language pet.\"


He winced slightly, but turned his head back to the ground, mimicking Malfoy in his head, only his lips moving silently. And of course that look that went with it.


Draco nodded once, slicing a few shreds of chicken and putting them on a plate which he set in front of the other man.


Harry looked at it like he had never seen food before and he was disgusted that he\'d be offered such edible things. He didn\'t touch it, though he knew he should. He kept his hands clamped tightly in his lap. What if it was poisoned?


Draco sighed heavily, \"Eat pet, or I\'ll have to force it down your throat.\"


Harry rolled his eyes and picked it up, munching on it hungrily, however trying not to show it.


Draco smiled slightly as he went about eating his own dinner. Occasionally settling a few more scraps onto Harry\'s plate, not about to try hand-feeding the other man just yet.


Harry ate everything hungrily, slowly becoming hopeful and realizing that Malfoy wasn\'t trying to kill him--at least just yet. His stomach growled happily, as if in thanks to the other.


Even if he were, poison just wasn\'t his style. The houseleves returned to clear the dinner dishes, and Draco unfolded from his seat, fingers brushing against the nape of Harry\'s neck, \"Come along pet.\"


Harry\'s eyes fluttered for a moment before he blinked and stood, stretching his legs happily.


Draco padded to one of the sitting rooms, where a fire was burning in the grate, and a plate of small desserts had been placed on a side table.


Harry followed, still in a rather awe of the beauty of everything, however much he tried to be annoyed with everything. He had become accustom to walking with his hands...covering himself from drafts.


Draco settled in the armchair beside the table with the desserts, nodding for Harry to take the cushion beside the chair.


Harry groaned and tried to take his time to get there for his poor legs. He eventually flopped beside him again, annoyed. He fiddled with the outfit constantly to keep himself warm and comfortable, but in no way revealing anything.


Draco chuckled softly at that, eating a chocolate petit four in two bites, offering Harry a creampuff with the tips of his fingers.


Harry groaned mentally, but he loved any sort of sweets so he reached for it.


Draco of course lifted it out of reach when Harry reached, brow arching as he tutted, shaking his head.


Harry gave that look a kid usually gives when they\'ve been told that they have to go see their dreaded relatives and they don\'t want to, but they know they have no choice. Head tilted back, eyes almost rolling, mouth curled in disgust and defeat.


Draco\'s brow remained arched as he lowered it again, watching the brunette intently


Harry sighed in defeat, closed his eyes and slowly leaned forward to take it in his teeth, trying not to touch Malfoy at all.


Draco smiled slowly at that, almost purring as he nipped another petit four in half, tongue flicking out to catch a smear of chocolate.


Harry savoured the taste, trying to draw it out in hopes that he wouldn\'t have to be tempted again to eat from....Malfoy\'s hands. That was almost, disturbing.


Draco waited until he\'d chewed and swallowed before offering him another, brow still arched, just to see if the other man learned from his mistake.


Harry sighed inwardly before reluctantly biting the sweet again. He kept his eyes low in shame. He couldn\'t believe he was reduced to this.


Draco smiled, deciding that perhaps he\'d have to do this more often, considering that he quite liked the almost blush that kept tinging Harry\'s cheeks.


Harry sighed inwardly before reluctantly biting the sweet again. He kept his eyes low in shame. He couldn\'t believe he was reduced to this.


Draco smiled, deciding that perhaps he\'d have to do this more often, considering that he quite liked the almost blush that kept tinging Harry\'s cheeks.


Harry\'s eyes remained down, closing when he had to lean forward for the food. This was humiliating... He constantly fumbled with the fabric on his lap, tugging at it, smoothing it, scrunching it in his hands...anything. But he loved sweets!


Something that Draco planned to use against him at every turn. He smiled slightly, thumb sweeping across Harry\'s lower lip to collect a smear of custard that had escaped the cream puff, pausing only a moment before nudging his thumb past Harry\'s lips and pressing it against his tongue, \"Missed some.\"


Harry\'s eyes widened for a moment in surprise before he reluctnatly but quickly got the sweets off Malfoy\'s hand and pulled his head back, trying not to gag himself at the thought of having a guy\'s hand in his mouth, Malfoy\'s hand....even if it was simply a thumb.


Draco chuckled softly at that reaction as well, shaking his head once more and nibbling at a lemon square, just eyeing the other man for the time being.


Harry settled himself half contently for the time being licking his lips of the sweets, still toying with his outfit. When he realized he was fiddling a lot, he changed to tracing his scar with his finger idly over and over and over and over and....

Draco finally sighed, catching the other man\'s wrist, \"Oh stop that, you won\'t be able to rub it off no matter how hard you try.\" He offered the last bite of the lemon square then, brow arched just slightly.


Harry whimpered low in his throat. He knew Malfoy was doing this on purpose now. But...sweets! He licked his lips a bit before leaning forward and biting the edge of it, in attempts to just pull the rest into his mouth.


Draco smiled again at that, letting him have it without much fuss, though he did brush the crumbs from the corner of Harry\'s mouth with the pad of his thumb once more.


Harry tried to pull away from the thumb, but he was too preoccupied by the lucious taste washing over his mouth. God was that good... Sure, he might rot his teeth out eventually...then he\'d simply make Sweet Shakes. ^-^


Draco smiled more than a little smugly, \"You like that then pet?\" He tilted his head, indicating what was left on the tray, \"Anything else you\'d like to try?\"


Harry looked at it hungrily. Oh they all looked good! Harry bit his lip and reached for a Ton-Tongue Toffee.


Draco sighed, shaking his head, though he didn\'t say anything. There was a reason those were untouched.


Harry blinked and adverted his reach to the Ice Mice.


Draco smirked faintly then, sitting back in his chair, \"Do you always go for the commercial treats pet?\"


Harry grabbed one and sat back. \"I like knowing what to expect...\" He flicked a glare at Malfoy before munching on his treat.


Draco chuckled, shaking his head, \"Cookie makes the desserts usually. She\'s quite good at it, hence the name.\"


\"I\'ll have to give my thanks to her...\" Harry nodded, making a mental note, then proceeded to fiddle with the beads on his sleeves. He was fussy when he was nervous...and bored....and...nervous.


Draco chuckled, shaking his head again, \"Well to do that properly, you\'d have to taste something she actually made.\"


\"Then what did she make?\" He was cautious. He trusted Cookie...just not Malfoy. And besides, like he said, he like to know what to expect.


Draco smirked, \"The cream puffs, which you\'ve already sampled, the petitfours, the lemon squares, anything that doesn\'t appear to have come out of a box really.\"


Harry rolled his eyes. \"Then I have tried something--two somethings.\" Cheater. Harry sat back, trying to ignore the sweets.


Draco laughed softly, shaking his head, \"And she\'ll be thrilled that you like the store-bought stuff I\'m sure. So easy to please they are.\"


Harry ignored him. He wasn\'t going to con him into anything, as good at they looked. Malfoy wasn\'t in control of him and he had to prove it somehow. How, he was still working on that plan.


Draco shrugged, nibbling at another petitfour, humming softly to himself.


Harry stared at the ground. Remove temptation from sight, remove the temptation. Oh he wanted to rest again...


Draco smirked faintly at that, trailing his fingers through the other man\'s hair again, he really did adore how it felt against his fingers.


His eyes reluctantly fell closed, the soothing feel wasn\'t helping how tired he felt.


Nor was it supposed to, except perhaps to help him fall asleep after all that.


After barely a minute of that, Harry\'s head was almost toppling him over from fatigue. He had been quite spent that day--literally.


Draco smiled, fingers caressing the nape of Harry\'s neck, \"Such a good pet. We\'ll have even more fun tomorrow I think.\"


Harry finally toppled over onto the pillow where he was supposed to be kneeling. With a yawn, his hands tucked beneath his head like a child and his breathing steadied.


Draco smiled slightly once more, shaking his head, he\'d let the other man sleep there for the night, considering that he was likely to fall asleep in his chair not long after.


Harry opened his eyes groggily, still from the cramped position he\'d falled asleep into. It took him a moment to remember where he was, but that moment was becoming quicker each day he woke up. He rubbed his eyes, still amazed that he could see and looked around.


Draco was still dozing in his chair, though he would likely wake at any moment, considering that it was near enough to breakfast time.


Harry spotted him, then thankfully noticed to pull his outfit down as it had ridden up during the night. Blushing, Harry sat up, stood and looked around the room quietly.


Draco murmured something in his sleep, shifting just slightly, brow creasing slightly.


Harry didn\'t notice, instead he continued wandering around to look at the decor, possibly to find a way to escape...


Not that he got far however, as one of the houselves came hurrying in to drag him off to dress for breakfast. They didn\'t want him to get in any more trouble apparently and were planning on having him waiting when Draco showed up to eat.


Harry stumbled after them, confused as to why he needed a new outfit all the time. It was rather annoying--just when he figures out how to get rid of drafts and exposure in one...he has to get changed!


The one they gave him that morning was much the same as the one he\'d worn to the garden party, though blues instead of greens. Apparently Draco was planning on having some fun with him later on.


Harry put it on nervously, but quickly so to reduce the time naked...though he constantly FELT naked. Harry was reluctant to follow the elves to the dinner room. He was afraid of what this day would bring...and something else. he couldn\'t put his finger on it, but he felt odd about something else too.


Draco hadn\'t arrived to breakfast yet, so the elves hurried Harry to his cushion beside the blonde\'s chair, thankful that they\'d saved the brunette from some horrible fate.


Harry seemed confused, but he sat and rested his head in his hands tiredly. He\'d rested, but it felt like not enough. Plus this was annoyingly boring sitting by Malfoy all the time.

Draco entered the room for breakfast some ten minutes later, he arched a brow to find Harry already there. He smiled then as he settled, \"Good, you\'re learning.\"


Harry jumped a bit, having dozed off. \"Humm? ...oh...you.\" His mind seemed to be fragmented at that moment. He blinked and ran his hands through his hair, keeping it from his eyes.


He chuckled again, shaking hsi head as he went about serving himself breakfast, once again filling a small plate for the other man, setting it in front of him, \"Eat well pet, I\'ve more training in store for you.\"


Harry had taken one chew when he heard those words...and he swalloed the rest of it whole. Training? He had to be kidding...right? Maybe....maybe he meant Quidditch. He hoped so. He hadn\'t flown in so long.


Draco arched a brow slightly then, \"That eager are you? Don\'t choke yourself.\"


Eager? Hell no...scared was more like it. Harry picked at his food occasionally, eating only when his stomach really protested.


Draco rolled his eyes then, shaking his head, \"Though you should eat something pet. Just don\'t swallow it whole.\"


Harry blushed. He hadn\'t meant to! He prodded the food some more as if coaxing it onto the fork, then ate, finally hungry and eating.


Draco smiled, eating his own breakfast as calmly as ever. Smug more than anything.


Harry finished quietly and sat there, staring at that spot in his lap. He had it memorized by now. Curve here, wrinkle there, shading here and there...


Draco smiled slightly, offering him a segment of tangerine, brow arched just slightly.


Harry bit it less reluctantly than before, chewing the juices happily. His throat was dry, so he enjoyed this.


Draco smiled slightly, apparently he found this quite entertaining, and planned on keeping it up.


Harry leaned back, lowering his head. He didn\'t want to eat from malfoy anymore--it was humiliating. >_<


Draco smiled, trailing his fingers through the other man\'s hair again, \"Not hungry anymore pet?\"


Harry tried not to show how much he seemed to actually enjoy his hair being toyed with. \"No...n-not really.\"

Draco half smiled again, still petting, \"Ah well. Ready to go about training then are you?\"


Harry glared at nothing. \"No.\" Not fun. Not going to go. Nope. no way. Nada.


Draco arched a brow, tutting and shaking his head, \"Well that\'s what we\'re doing today. Come along.\"


Harry sat put. He was bored, yes, but he wasn\'t about to do whatever Malfoy ordered. He crossed his arms.

Draco arched a brow, pausing in his movement, \"Come here pet.\" He felt that was really all he needed to say to have himself be understood.


Harry glared at Malfoy. \"No.\" His scar twitched, but he remained firm in his spot. Fuck him.


Draco\'s brow arched further, clicking his fingers, \"Come here pet.\"


\"Go fuck yourself Malfoy.\" Harry felt himself talking, heard it, and knew he should shut up ten minutes ago. Yet he didn\'t. Nope, simply dug himself deeper, and inside he was frightened because he knew this.


Draco tutted, shaking his head, \"I was hoping we wouldn\'t have to repeat this, but apparently you only learn things the hard way.\" It was only a moment\'s time before Draco\'s wand was free from his sleeve and pointed squarely at Harry\'s chest, \"One last chance pet. Come. Here.\"


Harry\'s gut instantly was in his throat. What had he done? What would Malfoy do? Surely not... Harry stepped forward slowly, obviously having to force himself to. His eyes were clenched shut as he remembered the curse....the pain. God, that felt like it had been forever ago....


Draco smiled, tucking his wand away again as he took Harry\'s arm, \"Good boy.\" And with that he led the other man back to the room where they\'d been the afternoon before.


Harry\'s mind panicked, yet calmed at the feelings from the day before. No. That had been wrong--he\'d been tricked. Malfoy was disgusting. Never again. Harry stiffened immediately at the door, hesitating in refusal to go a second step inside or closer to anything among...well, anything in there.


Draco simply resorted to hauling him bodily into the room, circling once, fingers trailing around Harry\'s torso, \"What\'s something you always heard about at school, but never had any idea what it was?\"


Harry\'s skin trembled under Malfoy\'s fingers, goosebumps encircling his waist. He honestly couldn\'t really think of anything...not that he really wanted to either. He simply stuttered.


Draco chuckled then, \"Speak up pet. Can\'t understand a word you\'ve just said.\"


Harry\'s eyes clenched together. he hated that word. So degrading and...nothing. Pet. Ugh... \"I...I don\'t know...\" He spoke quetly, but enough to be heard.


He shook his head then, fingers trailing along Harry\'s jaw, \"Oh come now, there must be something...some little tidbit of information that you heard passed on and on and down and never knew quite what it meant or was.


Harry tried to turn his head away. Now that he thought about it...there was. A few things. Only one he\'d voice. \"You\'re a descendent of Slytherin...\"


He blinked twice then, and twice again, \"What? That\'s preposterous.\" He shook his head then, \"And wasn\'t what I was talking about at all.\"


Then he was confused. He had no idea. Why could he speak parstletongue....? That was one....and why had Voldemort won, when he knew that one or the other of them had to die in order to really lose...


Draco sighed heavily, shaking his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as if he were cultivating a headache, \"How did you manage to stay so bloody innocent?\"


Harry winced sharply as Malfoy pinched him, trying to back away from it. He clenched his teeth in order to keep from spitting on the other in annoyance.


Harry looked at the ground. Sure, he felt showed up in classes all the time, especially by Hermoine.... Harry missed Hermoine. He shook his head and cleared his head of those thoughts. But, showed up, or down, by Malfoy...he felt sick.


Draco sighed, shaking his head again, fingers resting against Harry\'s shoulder, \"Nothing? You didn\'t hear anything?\"


Harry was slightly freaked out by this. He took a few steps back, trying to avoid Malfoy\'s hands and fingers. He looked at the ground. He hated this. He knew what Malfoy was meaning now...he should have picked up sooner. What else would he be talking about in this room? \"No...\"


Draco sighed, shaking his head again, fingers resting against Harry\'s shoulder, \"Nothing? You didn\'t hear anything?\"

Harry was slightly freaked out by this. He took a few steps back, trying to avoid Mafloy\'s hands and fingers. He looked at the ground. He hated this. He knew what Malfoy was meaning now...he should have picked up sooner. What else could he be talking about in this room? \"No....\"


Draco chuckled at that, shaking his head, \"You\'re such a liar.\" He shrugged then, \"I\'ll let you cling to your delusions however. Though I can\'t make any promises as to how long they\'ll last.\"


Harry felt afraid. He didn\'t like what that might mean, or entail. He was itching to make his way to the door, to get away--but with Malfoy having so recently threatened the curse again, Harry was frozen on the spot, goosebumps on his skin.


Draco smiled slowly, he liked having the other so terrified really, mean he was well on his way to the first step of breaking him, something that most thought was impossible.


Harry only caught a glimpse of that smile, and that was all he needed to freak our inside. What the hell was with Malfoy? Had he been this screwed up and---and freaky the whole time? His green eyes fell closed tightly as his mind decided to show him all the odd and creepy smiles Malfoy had given him over the years...


Well, he was a Malfoy after all, demented things like this were in their blood. He chuckled softly at that, shaking his head as he circled the other man once more, \"What shall I do with you today?\"


Harry\'s eyes remained closed as he tried to push the images from his mind, but his mind was set on finding those moments in which it had seen Malfoy\'s \'queer\'er side at school, whether Harry had just been stupid and ignorant or whether Malfoy was really---quite possibly smarter that he\'d ever thought.


He sighed then, flicking Harry\'s ear sharply, \"I asked you a question pet, it would be best to answer it.\"


Harry jumped, his hand going to his ear to protect it --too late-- or to ease the sting. \"You could let me go...\" Yea, right. He knew the answer to that, but it was hopeful...weakly hopeful.


He chuckled once more, shaking his head and ruffling a hand through the other man\'s hair, \"Well, I could but where\'s the fun that pet?\"


\"The...the fun is...n-not having to look after anyone...\" He stammered for the response, and added on something he swore he wouldn\'t let happen, \"...and...and the f-fun could be c-catching......me again....\" Right about reaching the word \'fun\' his voice was nearly whisper quiet. But he wouldn\'t let Malfoy catch him again...or the \"Lord\".


He laughed aloud then, shaking his head, \"After all the trouble we had catching you the first time? The second would hardly be fun pet. Not now that we have you anyway.\"


He\'d tried, that was all he could really do at that point, but he was a tinsey bit worried why Malfoy was suddenly saying \'We\', but he shook the thought off, crossing his arms over his chest self consciously.


Draco smiled again, circling the other man slowly once more, \"Not sure what to do with you really. Had fun yesterday though didn\'t you?\"


Harry tried to pull in closer to himself, to make himself smaller from the possibility of Malfoy touching him again. He scowled to himself at the mention of yesterday. Yesterday had been a mistake that would not happen again. A mental fist in his mind pounded down the rising voices mentioning that he had rather enjoyed the feeling.


Draco chuckled again at the posture, shaking his head and ruffling his fingers through Harry\'s hair again, giving it a sharp tug, \"What should I do with you pet?\"


A small gasp escaped his throat witht he unexpected tug as he had been subconsciouly enjoying the feeling prior---not that he would admit it even to himself. He tried to think of something else to say for he knew if he let the other choose, it wouldn\'t be good. But all he could do was stammer at that point.


Draco chuckled once more, shaking his head as his fingers trailed down the back of Harry\'s neck, kneading against skin gently, \"Well?\"


His eyes fluttered slightly at the feeling, but he forced them open fully again. His fists balled at his sides, arms still crossed protectively. \"Nothing.\" It was the last thing he could think of...


Draco grinned lopsidedly at that, shaking his head, \"Suppose I\'ll have to choose then.\"


His mind screamed in protest, but he did nothing. All he could do was sink to the floor via his knees, head lowered and praying to himself that this was all a dream somehow. Wait...a nightmare...that was what he\'d meant--right?


Draco arched a brow at that, then smiled slowly, ruffling his fingers through the other\'s hair again, \"Ah, good idea, perfect.\" With a simple flick of his fingers he\'d re-attached a lead to Harry\'s throat, the end flicking up somewhere, apparently hanging from the ceiling.

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Responses to reviews on this chapter.

ura
I like the story, but it should have some purpose. What\'s behind the games of Draco?

^^; Umm...gods am I embarassed by this question... Umm...to be honest I\'m not sure, as my counterpart knows that one. Showing his power, gaining love, breaking down the Boy Who Lived...it\'s sorta hard to say... *hangs head in shame for not really knowing this*

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LPhoenix
yet another amazing chapter, looking forward to the next!

*blushes* ^^; Thanks, I appreciate the compliments!! ^^;

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Sarryn
This story is enthralling and delicious beyond the capacity of human language.

^-^ Thankies! *hugz all*

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thrnbrooke
\"We\"? What does Draco mean by \"we\"? Poor Harry. Yet Draco seems to be a better master then the others. I would hope anyway! Can\'t wait for chapter 14!

Took me a while to realize she meant (I think) Voldemort. ^-^