Staking Claims

Disclaimer: I know I don't own anything HP. I know I'm not making any money off this and don't plan to. Now you Know.

A/N: Minor revision. No need to re-read, just for my own personal sanity. Not as much H/D interaction but I had to do a little setting up. Bear with me and let me know what you think.

***

“Ginny?” Hermione turned her bushy head from side to side around the edge of the door before glancing down. She spotted her freckled friend on the carpet writing in a small leather-bound book. Ginny looked up with a goofy, crooked smile.

“Hey,” Ginny seemed to have calmed down, “what’s up?” Hermione stepped in and closed the door. She sat comfortably at Ginny’s right.

“Nothing, I just wanted to check and see if you’re okay? Are you?” Ginny quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

“Yeah I’m fine. Why, do I look ‘not okay’?”

Ginny had always bounced back easily but her not remembering her flare-up this morning at Grimmauld Place was ridiculous. She had flown off the handle only hours earlier and now she seemed as chipper and personable as ever. Hermione had only just received Harry’s letter, having read between the lines she had an inkling that maybe Draco’s ‘blood lust’ might not have been an innocent accident. Perhaps, she thought, Ginny ought not to know. She appeared to have Harry’s best interests at heart but Hermione knew how jealous Ginny could be. That was one of the reasons she had come to see her friend, who had always been a little jealous of how often Harry talked about or fought with Draco, though she could never understand why.

“Oh, that’s not what I meant, I mean you look fine it’s only…you know, about Malfoy and all. You seemed pretty distraught earlier.”

“Oh that, well I was mad. I really hate him Herm. It’s nothing new.” She shrugged. “By the way, what’s with you all being so nice to him?” She paused, tilting her head to the side slightly and chewing her bottom lip. “You know what? I am a little upset actually. Why in the hell doesn’t anyone else see how fucked this is? I mean, honestly, him suddenly coming over to our side and then we just let him move in with Harry. You don’t think that’s odd? Or stupid?” Hermione had to admit that she had a point.

“Well I guess I just-”

“‘You ‘just’ what? Believe everything Dumbledore says? Don’t care that he fed on Harry? Don’t think it’s sick the way he looks at him? The way they used to hate each other and now it’s all peaches and cream and they’re the best of friends. Did you even notice how he looks at him?!?” Shocked by her friend’s second outburst Hermione thought that she should do a little damage control. Obviously Ginny was upset and like her brothers was trying to hide it.

“Ginny! Relax, slow down. The way, who, looks at who? You mean the way Draco looks at Harry? I haven’t noticed anything peculiar about them really, aside from being civil to each other.” Hermione played dumb; honesty isn’t always the best policy.

“No? Well let me tell you, it’s like he’s sizing up a meal. MALFOY, is nothing but a predator.” She made sure to use his last name and the significance was not lost on her friend. Hermione had been purposely been referring to Draco with his first name, to lessen the animosity and disassociate him a bit from his family. Apparently it had not worked on Ginny.

“DRACO did not choose to be this way. And that was an accident with him and Harry. Harry understands that and so should you. You know I think you underestimate the respect they have for each other.”

“WHAT?!? What respect? Harry has always hated Malfoy and Malfoy has always hated Harry.” Hermione dropped her head in frustration. The note she had gotten earlier from Harry weighed heavy in her mind. She thought Ginny understood them more, she had been mistaken.

“That’s absolutely not true. Draco offered Harry his friendship in first year. Don’t you ever notice that no matter who Malfoy is taunting he forgets the moment Harry walks into the room? Have you ever seen Malfoy lose his cool over anyone but Harry? And Harry, he has such important things to think about, life and death things Ginny, yet he still finds time to fight with Draco! Still, he lets Draco get to him more then anyone, as if he just crawled under Harry’s skin in first year and buried himself there.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. What about all of the times he’s called you a mudblood and Ron and I Weasel, or Weaslette?”

“All to get at Harry!”

“Or what about when he slipped that awful diary into my cauldron?”

“The sins of the father are NOT the sins of the son. Draco has been horrible and he has taunted us and been cruel to us and he has been cruel to Harry but he did not give you that diary. That was Lucius Malfoy, not Draco. I can’t believe you don’t see the similarities between Draco and Harry. I think things would have been different if the situation had been different.”

“Yeah, if Malfoy wasn’t a Death Eater in training and his leader wasn’t a murderous nut job.” Ginny was just like her brothers, honest and blunt and amusingly oblivious.

“Yes and no. If his family didn’t push him so hard to live up to something he’s not and be someone he’s not and maybe if Harry wasn’t the Chosen One.” She trailed off. What else was there to say? Everything would be different if Harry had never had this burden to begin with. “If Voldemort never existed, Gin, they could have been friends. Good friends.”

“No, if Voldemort never existed then Lucius Malfoy would be the Dark Lord, that smarmy bastard! And his son would be the heir to the crazy throne, not that that would be a change.”

“There is no reasoning with you Ginny Weasley!”

“Maybe not.” She was eerily calm, her hands silently gripping and releasing the shag carpet.

“Ginny think about it like this. They are archrivals.”

“Yeah.” She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly.

“Rivals are important to one another. Being a rival means you split your time up between three things: your friends, your family and your rival.”

“So?”

“So, what I’m saying is, Harry must hold Draco in some sort of regard if he puts so much time into worrying about him, and vice versa.”

“I still don’t get it. Harry thinks about him so much because he hates him. You said it yourself, they are RIVALS! Not friends.”

“Ugh. No, Harry doesn’t hate Draco. He HATES Voldemort.” Ginny flinched. “Harry LIKED to fight with Draco in school. It got his heart racing like Quidditch, he liked it,” she spoke slowly so it would sink in, “he likes it.”

“You’re saying Harry is always at odds with Malfoy because…he likes him? Like as a friend?” Hermione smiled. Finally!

“Well, as a challenge really. Draco is a challenge and Harry likes to be challenged. So he respects Draco because Draco makes things difficult for him.” Ginny furrowed her brow.

“Okay, so Malfoy is a challenge and Harry likes that. Does he have to like Malfoy? I- I mean, why?”

“Because…Well I don’t really know. I’m not like either of them in that respect. But a muggle poet, Lord Byron, once said something like,” she paused trying to remember the obscure passage, “now hatred is by far the longest pleasure; men love in haste but they detest at leisure.”

“Boys. Go figure.” Hermione laughed at Ginny’s flippant remark. “Herm, you really are a pool of useless information, you know that right?” She smiled and nodded.

“So you get where I’m going with this?”

“Yeah, but still, something about Malfoy won’t let me trust him. I get what you’re saying and all; he and Harry are like, friends.” She said the word as if it was a foul smelling fungus. “It’s just the way he looks at him that bothers me. It feels dirty somehow. Wrong. You know?” Hermione had a pretty good idea why from Harry’s letter, but she didn’t let on. She nodded in a way that she hoped conveyed understanding.

“Yeah, it’s awkward. I think this might be good for them though. To once and for all end this enmity. It’s draining on them and those around them.”

“I know. It’s like they suck all the energy out of a room and focus it on each other. Weird.” She tucked her hair behind her ears, the way she did when she was called on in class and didn’t have the right answer, before looking back up at Hermione. “Herm, do-do you think Harry likes me?” She was blushing furiously and Hermione wanted to just shake her and scream out ‘HARRY IS GAY!’ But she didn’t. Instead she moved to take Ginny’s hand.

“Love, I don’t know. But even if he does he has too much on his plate right now to think about it.” Ginny nodded.

“He kissed me. Did you know?” She in fact had known. Harry told her. He didn’t seem happy about it, guilty and worried maybe, but not happy.

“Yeah, he told me. Gin I don’t know if-”

“He did it because of Malfoy.” It wasn’t more then a whisper but Hermione had heard and this she had not known.

“What do you mean? Like a dare or something?” She wouldn’t put it past him. The Gryffindor was roused too easily by confrontation.

“No. That I could have handled, but this was…its too weird, I can’t.”

“What?”

“Okay, they were arguing, like usual. You know, almost to the point of actually hitting each other. Anyway they were right up in each others faces and Malfoy said something about Harry being unlovable and cursed because everything he touches dies.”

“Oh Merlin, that’s horrible.”

“Yeah, he must have thought so too because he flipped out. I mean Harry really lost it. He stormed over and grabbed me, none too gentle mind you, and kissed me.” She shuddered. “Herm I could feel him watching Malfoy when he did it, making sure Malfoy was watching.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, it was disgusting. I didn’t know what to do. I still like him, a lot. I can’t help it, but this thing he has with Malfoy is creepy.”

“I’m so sorry.” She leaned over to brush Ginny’s hair with her hand and the girl shoved her away almost in tears.

“Don’t. You don’t know how it felt, with everyone watching us and Harry, Harry watching MALFOY!” She was earnestly crying now but Hermione was afraid to try and comfort her again. Hermione had no idea it had gone this far. She hadn’t known Harry had felt this way before the ‘blood lust’ incident.

“I know Gin, but -”

“No ‘buts,’ its sick Hermione. I’m gonna get to the bottom of it to. Harry can’t live like this and I’m going to show him why.” She wiped her eyes and replaced her tears with a determined glare that frightened her fellow Gryffindor.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m going to confront Malfoy. He’s obviously playing into Harry’s sick obsession because he likes the attention, but it’s got to stop here. If he really wants Harry to beat Voldemort he can’t keep taking advantage of him.”

“Do you think that will make Harry like you?” The Weasley looked mortally affronted.

“You think I would do this to make Harry LIKE me? I wouldn’t and I don’t need to. You may not see it, but I do. Harry does like me and when he stops focusing on Malfoy he will see it too!” Hermione just stared at her obviously unbalanced friend. She was happy she hadn’t mentioned the letter, Ginny would have lost it. Not sure what to say she edged away from her friend and stood up. She walked to the door and before she opened it she turned to give it one last Gryffindor try.

“Gin, do me favor, listen to yourself. You sound crazy. I understand it must have hurt and it was wrong of him, but you shouldn’t get caught up in this. If you really feel you need to confront Draco maybe you should talk to Harry first, but other then that incident it’s really none of your concern. I just wanted to see if you were alright and you obviously are, but you need to maybe calm down a bit and look at this rationally.” Ginny stared abashed.

“You don’t get it! Fine, I don’t care, just leave me to my own and I’ll leave you to yours.” Hermione closed the door behind her and leaned against the wall.

She figured the talk was officially over and it hadn’t gone at all like she had planned. She had wanted to make sure her friend was okay but Ginny was doing worse then Hermione had imagined, definitely beyond her scope of psychological knowledge. She racked her brain trying to figure out what condition would explain Ginny’s mood swings and sudden outbursts. She had scared Hermione twice today, once in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place and once at the burrow. That was two times too many. With so many enemies against the Light she shouldn’t have to be afraid of her friends too. She huffed and decided she would have to have a talk with George; maybe he could help with Ginny and even shed a little male perspective on Harry’s letter.

***

Draco was mangy. That was the only way to describe it. He was sweaty and tired and his hair was sticking up in all directions and he felt totally wonderful. His beautiful mate was sleeping beside him, positively glowing while the bright sunlight coming in through the windows warmed their naked bodies. He had never felt more at peace. He knew that when Harry woke up he’d have some explaining to do but for now he was contented to sit and stare at his stunning lover. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, said lover stirred and blinked his eyes slowly. Draco winced preemptively, just knowing that any second Harry would jump up, realize where he was and what he had done, deny him and deny their hour of ecstasy. There was no way he was good enough for the Golden Boy, he was not only a half-breed Malfoy but a Slytherin to boot.

Harry stirred again and blinked a few times before focusing on Draco who was too nervous to speak. He was let down however when Harry smiled wolfishly and turned over, basking in the warm sun.

“Good afternoon Draco,” was all he said as he stretched languorously on the hard wood floor. The blonde’s mouth dropped open. Harry turned to his lover and lifted an eyebrow. “Good afternoon Draco?” Harry said more firmly with an uneasy question to his voice.

“Oh, um, good afternoon.” He tried to recover by lounging back and yawning theatrically but his veneer had cracked and the brunette knew something was up.

“Draco.”

“Hm?”

“Are you going to tell me why you look so shocked?” Draco just stared unblinkingly. On the one hand he felt horrible for thinking his sweet and lovely mate could be as cruel as to deny him, on the other hand he knew that his mate was the famously brash and impulsive Harry Potter and he didn’t want to give the Gryffindor any ideas. All signs pointed to not telling the truth.

“I thought you might not want to see me.” Damn.

“Why, because you’re a spoiled, arrogant, poncy, brat?” Draco resented that, even if it was the truth. He tried to glare but he could muster no more then a mild sneer that wouldn’t scare a kitten.

“Yes, in so many words.” He was forcefully reminded why he and Harry had never got along; Harry called him on his shit and Draco had always made a point to return the favor. It was endearing actually, their banter had always been a refreshing way to keep them both grounded. Of course that is looking back on it, at the time it was irritating to no end. He looked at Harry now with a glimmer of hope that had never been present during their previous skirmishes.

“I told you the truth earlier. I want you.” Harry shook his head as if to empty it and looked back at the blond with a furrowed brow. “I don’t know why, but I do.” He wrung his hands together and dipped his head, blushing as he tried to ignore Draco’s avid stare. The blond could only gape at his awkward mate. ‘My mate Harry Potter.’ It had a sort of ring to it. Maybe a crazy, suicidal ring to it, but it was a ring.

Draco regained his composure and reached a hand out to gently lift up Harry’s face. The confused look in the green eyes he loves so much nearly bowled him over.

“My mate. My Harry.” It was a soft exclamation filled with tenderness. Harry only stared before he turned away and stood up.

“Not your Harry.” He shook his head sadly as he paced. “Harry, the chosen one, Harry the savior, Harry the golden boy…Harry ‘fucking’ POTTER.” Draco could only smile at his dark-haired partner’s agitation.

“No, my Harry. You were never anything else to me but Harry. Now you’re nothing else but my mate, my lover, my beloved, Harry.” Harry smirked at this.

“I thought I was Potter, when did I become Harry?”

“You’ve always been Harry,” Draco stood up and strode purposely to his lover, “I was just never allowed to say it out loud. That and you were immensely hard to get along with.” The blonde’s flippant response seemed to jar the boy back to reality.

“Yeah,” he giggled in that nervous, post-coital way that lovers tend to do things, “I was.”

“Are.”

“And?”

“And I like it. I could never be with someone always willing to submit and you know it.” Harry smirked and Draco knew that he would never have to worry about his lover submitting too easily in an argument, or letting Draco always have his way. He sighed inwardly, he would never, could never, be bored with his fiery mate. With that wonderful truth in mind he stood up, reveling in Harry’s audible gulp at his nakedness, and stalked towards his mate. When he was less then an inch from Harry’s face he growled and fiercely pulled Harry to him for one final, mind-blowing kiss filled with hot, battling tongues and rough, grasping fingers. When he released the green-eyed boy he smiled genuinely. “Clothes?”

Harry, panting, stared incredulously at his newly acquired lover before answering.

“Clothes.” With that they started on the daunting task of recovering the garments they had so hastily disregarded.