When Snow Melts

~When Snow Melts~

Summary:
...What does it become? Harry and Draco fight, fight, fight, and find eachother by mistake. Prophesies are uncovered and the line between love and hate is crossed hesitantly.

Pairing(s): Draco/Harry, Ron/Hermione
Rating: NC-17 or so. This is not a lighthearted tale. Sex will be involved, drug use is also involved, if you count potion-taking as a drug. XP Death might be included as well, but not Draco or Harry\'s.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything created by J. K. Rowling.
Warnings: M/M, Slash, Anal, Oral, MPreg implied, Pre-HBP for convenience issues, Drama
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AN: First off, I want to truly thank all of you who reviewed and enjoy my story so far. I really hope I don\'t disappoint. The idea for this story came to me quite suddenly, and it\'s the only HP fiction I\'ve wrote so far, though I do get ideas often. Maybe I should set up a challenge sometime. But right now I want to concentrate on this story. I\'m sure all of you who are liking my story will agree that I should focus on writing and getting this story out to the public.

I didn\'t think I would enjoy writing this so much, but I really am. Please stick with me on parts you may dub \'boring\', it will get better, and everything is, indeed, falling into place. In fact, I\'ve already discovered the reason Ron was talking about Draco before, but I think it will be some time before it is revealed in my story. Just stick with me and I\'ll try to keep it interesting. As I re-read this chapter before setting it out here for you to read, I found that the conversation between Harry and Ron was a bit long, if not obnoxious, but it\'s needed I suppose. I hope it isn\'t too dull for you all that expect something to read that doesn\'t waste your time.

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Chapter Two: Condemn
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The Gryffindor common room was uncharacteristically vacant, all except for one. A mop of onyx tresses which shown, in a very askew direction, from just above an extensive chair placed before the fireplace was the only indication of the sole presence of another. The red-orange glow flickered off the disgruntled boy\'s face as shadowed evergreen oculars stared into their dancing depths. \"He doesn\'t know what he\'s talking about.. pairing me against Malfoy for the entire week.\"

Flames seemed to heighten their ascent in the fireplace, appearing to battle wildly instead of dance heatedly. \"What is he trying to do, get us both expelled?!\" He spat harshly.

A spark of embers threw themselves in a suicidal way from behind the grate which held the hissing flames, fading from existence the moment their landing claimed them.

\"Harry..!\" Came a panting voice from just behind him, alarming though it would have been had said boy heard it, he seemed to be mesmerized by the raging war between flames; the urgent voice passing his, for a lack of better term \'selective hearing\'. Fury welled up inside him as the seconds ticked by, only to be shaken rather disturbingly at the second harsh grasp to his shoulder he received in one day. Spinning around in his chair, eyes aflame with green fire, Harry snarled. \"What is it you want, Ron?\"

\"So you did hear me..\" The red-headed wizard acknowledged, a puzzled look on his face.

\"Of course I heard you,\" Harry lied, \"I just didn\'t want to talk to anyone.\" Ron looked oddly hurt by that statement, though he should have been used to Harry\'s irrational behavior when enraged by now.

\"I...sorry, mate.\" Ron apologized, forgetting what he came for.

\"Well?\" growled Harry, looking pointedly at Ron for an explanation.

\"What?\" Came the response Harry was \'not\' looking for.

\"What have you come to tell me that couldn\'t wait until later?\" He encouraged the response bitterly, unknowingly tightening his fingers on the arm rests of the chair. \"Oh..\" Ron thought for a moment. \"That.\"

Harry sighed heavily. Ron hurriedly continued. \"Did you, by chance, get a good look at Malfoy before Snape grabbed you?\"

Oddly enough, Harry\'s anger seemed to slip, only to be replaced with honest bewilderment and curiousity. \"No, I didn\'t. What was it you think you\'ve seen?\" Ron\'s face paled as he uttered in a low whisper, \"Malfoy.. he..\"

\"There you are!\" Hermione bellowed, cutting through the silence as she stomped her way through the portrait hole and over to where Ron and Harry were. Fists were pressed into her hips as a condescending tone was adopted, \"Harry, what is going on? You haven\'t been paying the least bit of attention to Ron or me, and we\'re both very worried about you!\"

\"Speak for yourself, Hermione.\" Ron groaned, pale complexion darkening to an embarrassed glow of soft crimson. \"What?\" She snapped, \"Are you saying you aren\'t concerned for Harry\'s sake?\" If possible, Ron blushed even more.

\"\'Mione, let it alone, will you?\" His pleading tone caused Hermione to freeze a moment before taking on a sympathetic look. \"I\'m sorry, Ronald. But you really ought to tell him.\"

\"Tell me what?\" Harry interjected suddenly, getting used to watching the \'tennis match\' between Hermione and Ron as they argued by now.

Both Ron and Hermione glanced quickly to Harry as if they hadn\'t noticed his existence before. Hermione was the first to recuperate. \"Harry, Ron needs to tell you something.\" Harry\'s brows drew together slightly.

\"I know, that\'s what he was trying to- well, until you came barging in here.\" Bad attitude reappeared causing Hermione and Ron to groan in unison.

\"Harry, you need to work on your anger. I\'m going to the girls dormitory. If you need me, send someone.\" And with that, she spun around, bushy hair following as she left the commons to join her dormitory.

***
***
***

Ron watched Hermione leave until he could no longer see her, unenthusiastic about returning to his and Harry\'s conversation. \"Well?\" Questioned Harry in an attempt to draw his friend\'s attention back to the present. \"What was it about Malfoy that you and Hermione want me to know?\"

At that, Ron\'s head whipped around as he stared openly at his mate. \"N-No, that\'s not..that is to say..Er.\" He let his hands grasp the back of Harry\'s chair as he peered down to him, serious expression demanding his attention and it was only now that Harry realized Ron\'s eyes were eerily blank.. devoid of all emotion. \"Hermione was on about something else.\" Harry looked, if able, even more confused than before. \"Then what..?\" He started, before Ron interrupted.

\"She wants me to tell you about something..stupid.\" He took on a gloomy expression which caused Harry to wonder what was making him so..down. But just as he was about to ask, Ron interrupted yet again.

\"You don\'t really know much about Malfoy, do you?\" The question took Harry aback. \"What?\" He whispered, suddenly without a voice at all.

\"He\'s not really everything he makes himself out to be.\" At this, Harry found the irresistable urge to swallow, if only his throat didn\'t feel so full. If only that lump would disappear. \"Ron, tell me what you\'re saying. None of this is making any sense.\" Ron looked unsympathetic, \"It should make loads of sense.\"

Standing suddenly, Harry glowered.

\"I\'ve just endured the worst Potions class imaginable, and not because it was horrible like always, but because it was lacking it\'s usual catastrophic nature. Hermione asked me a question that I didn\'t even hear, you tried to get me to look at Malfoy with nothing short of an \'awed\' expression about you, and Snape didn\'t take house points away, but condemns me to hell with Malfoy as my guide!

Now tell me, what could be going on? At a time like this, where nothing seems right, I almost \'wish\' for Potions to return as it was!\" Clenching his fists and slamming one against the back of his previously inhabited chair, hitting just between Ron\'s two hands, Harry yelled into his face, \"JUST TELL ME AND GET THIS OVER WITH, WHY DON\'T YOU!? OR DO YOU WANT TO MAKE ME AS MISERABLE AND NONPLUSED AS EVERYBODY ELSE HAS TODAY!?\"

Ron backed away from Harry\'s anger-spouting face as soon as he regained control of himself, his face was bright red with anger and a mixture of something else as he pulled his hands away from where they were close to Harry\'s fist, locking his own furious eyes onto Harry\'s, trembling slightly. \"Fine then! See if I tell you anything again.\" Before Harry could throw back an angry retort of: \"You didn\'t tell me anything to begin with!\" Ron was already walking away, into the boy\'s dormitory.

Harry groaned loudly, running his fingers through his ruthless locks of ebony while glancing surreptitiously at the clock. Cursing under his breath, he took off out of the Fat Lady\'s portrait and to his first detention with \'Malfoy\'. Oh, how he hoped never to think of that sentence again. It sounded as if Malfoy had authority over him. Well, he\'d be damned if that were ever true. Completely, entirely damned.


[AN: Yes, this would be a good place to end this chapter, but I hate it when chapters end just when it starts getting good. -_-; Besides that, Draco wasn\'t even included yet. So I shall continue a bit more for this particular chapter. Hope you\'re all happy. ^_^]


When Harry reached his assigned destination for detention, the Potions classroom, he didn\'t even bother to make eye contact with a very obviously waiting Draco Malfoy who was perched on Snape\'s desk, one leg crossed over the other and undoubtedly giving Harry a haughty expression without even having to look to confirm.

\"Finally you decided to show, Potter.\" Malfoy spat visciously, \"I really want to sit here all night waiting, you know.\" The sarcasm bit into his already spiteful words and Harry ignored the comment, heading toward a student\'s desk, but no longer having the notion to sit in it, not while Malfoy sat on the teacher\'s desk, looking to be in charge of the situation.

\"Get down from that desk, you prat.\" Harry grumbled, turning to view Malfoy for the first time since he\'d entered the classroom. He almost half-expected Malfoy to be wearing something to intimidate, or enhance his role as \'teacher\', but was surprised (and relieved) to see he was just wearing his school robes and regular spot-free, form fitting clothing.

Harry contrasted this appearance by wearing jeans and an over sized sweatshirt, enjoying and hating the loathful sweep of Malfoy\'s eyes as they gathered his appearance and only knew he was preparing to demonstrate his unworthy attire by comparison to his own when suddenly, the door flew open and in stepped Severus Snape, expressionless visage firmly in place, he stalked to his desk, waving a hand at Malfoy as if he were a pest before adding, \"Take a seat.\"

Malfoy, sneering slightly, did just that, making sure to sit a few desks away from Harry in the process.

\"Now then,\" Snape announced, \"your first detention.\" He gave a moment\'s pause, studying the two before him, his eyes finally falling onto Malfoy\'s own.

\"I know it\'s an inconvenience to be made an example for one of my incompetent understudys as I\'m sure your free nights will seem to be put to waste, but I\'m sure someone of your...capabilities can find some...amusement in the lessons you are to give Mr. Potter.\" If Harry didn\'t know better, he would say Snape was going to smile, nevertheless it was only a small twitch in his lips that gave anything away.

Not bothering to raise his hand, he poked his way, uninvited, into the directed statement to his rival. \"Sir, I am aware Malfoy is going to be... \'showing an example\'...\" Harry threw a bit of resentment into these words, teeth clenched unconsciously against the mere thought, \"But with all do respect, he is \'not\' a teacher, and I don\'t have to take orders from him as such.\" Harry could almost feel the tangible presence of Malfoy\'s eyes drilling holes through his head as he kept his own green ones connected expectantly to Snape\'s narrowed ones. Ferocity evident in the Potions master\'s face.

\"Kindly keep your unannounced opinions to yourself, Mr. Potter...I don\'t recall giving you the permission to speak.\" Taking satisfaction in his own words, Snape then turned to Malfoy, lips twitching once more, which Harry noted as purely unsettling, before his smooth voice slid from his throat to further drive the figurative nail into Harry\'s coffin.

\"As your teacher, I hereby give you the liberty to do as you see fit to inject whatever knowledge you are able into the uneducated mind I set as your pupil for tonight and the remainder of the nights to come that I have scheduled for appropriate detention.\"

The look on Malfoy\'s face could be no closer to blissful as the desired sentence fell from Severus\' lips and entered the young Slytherin\'s eager being. Harry almost identified an anxious squirming from Malfoy, which caused handfuls of denim to suddenly be caught up between a pair of squeezing fists. He\'d wanted to interject, but bit his tongue in the attempt to keep himself from entering further punishment.

\"Thank you, sir.\" Malfoy smirked to his favorite professor. They both watched as Severus stood, eyeing them cautiously. \"Now I take leave for the night, but if you have any problems with Mr. Potter, you are to relay this information straight away and I will see to it that he will not upset you again.\"

A threatening gaze caught onto Harry\'s eyes, no.. his mother\'s eyes. Lily\'s damned eyes. If anything, Snape looked even more venomous as he spouted his last words for the night. \"Remember to keep Potter as long as necessary each night without going too many hours without your much needed sleep..\" He said this directed at Malfoy, but without looking at him directly, instead absorbed at glaring into Harry\'s despised eyes.

Harry suddenly tasted the pungent flavor of iron as his teeth cut into his tongue, spilling a small amount of blood into his tightly shut mouth.

Turning back to face his favorite student, Snape shared pleased expressions with Malfoy before the Potions professor left the two rivals alone in the classroom.

***

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\"Well, well,\" Malfoy started, the power-induced glee already mingled in his tone. \"Five nights, you and me, so much to teach you in so little time.\" He smirked vilely. Harry shuddered in fury.

\"No need to gloat, Malfoy. Teach me what you need to and release me from this horrid prison-like dungeon you and your Slytherins call their own.\"

\"Cold, Potter?\" Malfoy chuckled wickedly, standing in one fluid motion from his desk and moving confidently to the front, reclaiming his seat on the teacher\'s desk from before.

Harry didn\'t respond, merely glared at his enemy with hate.

\"Hm, right, I should start my lesson. You\'re so eager to learn from your master I see.\" Harry gave a jolt. \"You are in no way my master!\"

A slow smirk spread over Draco\'s face. \"Of course not.\" He replied, though his words held no amount of belief from their speaker.

Harry felt doomed. Surely a battle would strike soon between them, ending in injuries.. fatalities, perhaps? Snape was foolish to put them against eachother in such a disorderly and unsupervised fashion.

\"Tell me, Potter.\" Malfoy started, \"When snow melts...what does it become?\"

\"Excuse me?\" Harry\'s eyes widened up at Malfoy. \"What did you say?\"

His \'teacher\' smirked further, \"I said, what are the ingredients and steps to take to form the Polyjuice potion?\"

Harry stared in disbelief for several moments before prompted from Malfoy to answer. \"Well?\"

\"You said no such thing.\" Harry spoke in a lowered voice.

\"Answer me now, Potter.\" He spat. Harry was now tearing at his fistfuls of jeans, trying as hard as he could to keep from jumping over his desk and forfeiting his wand to punch the daylights out of Malfoy.

Silence grew between them before Malfoy had had enough of waiting and drew his own wand from his inside his robes. \"Don\'t force me to use this, Potter. You know I will take far too much pleasure in correcting your actions that I may as well never stop hexing you once I start.\" Harry growled audibly, causing one of Malfoy\'s elegant white-blonde brows to arch in a confused raise.

\"Did you just \'growl\' at me, Potter?\" Harry looked even more furious. \"So what?\"

Malfoy stuffed his wand back into his robes and let out an amused snicker. \"Didn\'t know you had it in you, scarhead.\"

It may have been the laugh, the name calling, the fact that he disarmed himself, but whatever it was caused Harry to let his head fall with a loud smack against the desk as he mumbled tiredly into the wood, \"Just get this over with.\"

Malfoy stifled his laugh any further as he calmly resigned to agreeing, just this once. \"All right. Do you have your book with you?\" Harry shook his head against the desk in the negative.

\"Then your first lesson is..to be more responsible.\" The honesty in the statement, not the snotty tone it was said in, was what caused Harry to nod against the desk.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes. \"Don\'t act like you\'re too lazy to even keep an acceptable posture in class, Potter. Sit up straight.\" Harry grumbled, but did as he was told. Accepting the fact that it would be quicker and less painful if he just followed through with the horrible detention, for who knows how long. That\'s right, how long was this going to last? Snape had told them it would go on for as long as Malfoy allowed, but just how long was that?

\"How long are you going to keep me for?\" Harry glared at his \'teacher\', who replied with an air of importance, \"As long as I feel necessary. Ask that again and I will add on a few more hours than I already planned.\"

Not wanting to stay here any longer than what was absolutely required of him, Harry snapped his mouth shut, clenching his teeth and fists in a way that revealed he was anything but willing to go through with the dreadful detentions a moment longer. Malfoy grinned cruely,

\"Don\'t act like you\'re not excited to learn the valuable lessons from my ingenius, pureblood mentality. Surely you\'re anxious to learn. Well, aren\'t you?\" Harry growled again which left a small half-smile on Malfoy\'s face.

The pair locked gazes for what seemed like minutes before Malfoy reached behind himself, tossing a book at Harry deftly...who caught it with his face.

\"We\'ll have to work on your reflexes as well, being a seeker and all I would have expected you\'d been able to catch that.\" He sneered victoriously, Harry didn\'t give him the pleasure of a response, simply taking the book up and squeezing it instead of his unfortunate jeans, slamming it onto the desktop and staring at Malfoy expectantly. \"Well? Which page shall I turn to, Professor Malfoy?\" He inquired with spite, but Malfoy seemed to be pleased with the title either way.

\"Just go to where we left off earlier this evening.\"

Harry groaned before flipping back to that familiar page, his eyes landing immediately on the out-of-place question: When snow melts, what does it become?

\"Now, what don\'t you understand here, Potter?\" Before his \'student\' could answer, Malfoy continued, \"All of it, then? Fine.\" And he began reading the material outloud, explaining in extraordinary detail, as one would a toddler, all he knew of the following text...skipping suspiciously over the odd question, which caused even more unease to settle inside Harry. Was he the only one who saw this question? ...Or heard it?

Malfoy cast a look over the top of his own textbook, watching the bit of confusion flitter across his face when he purposely skipped the question he knew Harry had been looking for. His amusement only increasing as the night went on...

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To Be Continued...
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AN: Okay, there\'s the second chapter. It was a little lengthy. Sort of? A little boring as well, which is why I ask that you stick with me while we go through the necessary boring parts. Hope I didn\'t put any of you to sleep.

Again, reviews of all kinds are welcome.