Coercion and Confusion

*


The rest of the week passed slowly. Harry was still unsure about what he wanted to do. Did he want to pursue Draco Malfoy? Maybe he should just snog Seamus; that might work. By the time the weekend came Harry was just as confused as he'd started out, maybe more.

Ron and Hermione met him in the entrance hall Saturday morning. They walked down the frost covered lawns and into Hogsmeade. Harry managed to shake them off at the bookstore, saying he needed a new book. Hermione wanted to come with him, but Ron dragged her away to Honeydukes. Harry sighed in relief as they disappeared down the lane.

He ducked into the shop, relishing in the quietness that befalls bookstores. It was so serene and peaceful. He walked slowly down the aisles, browsing the titles. When he was with the Dursleys and they had gone into book stores, he never got the chance to just look. They were always intent on leaving as though they might catch something from the numerous books.

Harry disappeared down an aisle and casually studied the titles. He pulled out a nonfiction book on Muggles and flipped through it, laughing at the incorrect references. He replaced the book and moved on. About halfway down the row he saw someone whom he didn't particularly want to meet.

"Well, Potter, never thought I'd see you in a book shop. I suppose the Mudblood is rubbing off on you," Draco sneered at him and Harry glared. He wasn't really interested in exchanging insults, not when he was so close to Draco and a step away from an answer.

"You'd be surprised what you could learn from Hermione," Harry replied easily, not looking at Draco, but inspecting the shelves of books closely. Draco sneered again.

"Oh I'm sure she's taught you lots of things, I'm sure the Weasel is gaining from her knowledge as we speak," Draco inferred. Harry scowled at him.

"You don't have to talk about her like that; you're not much better you know!"

"Au contraire, Potter, I am much better. I don't advertise my triumphs, not that the Weasel is much of a gain," Draco drawled.

"You're such a git, Malfoy!" Harry told him. Draco simply smirked. Harry scowled and rolled his eyes. He turned back to the books, hoping that if he ignored Draco he would go away. Draco did no such thing. He kept standing there, leaning against the bookshelf with his arms crossed, looking so sexy and incredibly snoggable.

"Are you going to leave anytime soon, Malfoy?" Harry asked in annoyance after about five minutes. Draco shrugged.

"I happen to like making you uncomfortable," Draco replied smoothly. Harry felt a faint blush appear on his cheeks and hoped to Merlin that Draco didn't know what he was doing. Harry turned to face him and glared at him to make up for the blush.

"God, you are annoying," Harry said angrily and Draco smirked.

"It's what I do best, well, that's not the only thing," He said and chuckled at his own joke. Harry furrowed his eyebrows. This was getting too hard. He felt an enormous urge to kiss Draco once and for all just to see. Harry hesitated for a second, wavering on whether to do it or not. Draco was still smirking and Harry was strongly compelled to wipe it off of his face.

Harry walked toward Draco and pinned him against the shelf. Draco raised an eyebrow at him, looking as though he was waiting for something.

"Yes, Potter?" He drawled, bored. Harry pressed his lips against Draco. The kiss wasn't very good, being that Harry had only ever kissed Cho. His lips were dry and Draco didn't respond, but a second later Draco pushed him away.

"Naughty, Potter, a fairy. Oh, this is good," He said, an evil smile curling his lips and his silver eyes glittering maliciously. Harry blinked, confused. Draco backed away, still smirking.

"Wait!" He called after him, and Draco paused just before rounding the corner. "Don't tell anyone," He pleaded. Draco smirked wider, and he came back to Harry.

"And why not?" He asked silkily. Harry cast around his head for an answer, not finding one he said whatever came into his head.

"Because I'm not," He said. Draco scoffed.

"Potter, you just kissed me, and now you're not?" Draco drawled.

"I just wanted to see," Harry said lamely. Draco smirked again.

"If you really wanted to see, you should have picked someone who cared. I'm sure Finnigan would do it. Blaise even might if you're lucky. I am no indicator, I am what you get if you're good." With that Draco turned on his heel and strode away. Harry stared, dumbfounded, after him. He left the shop in a daze.

It had started to snow outside and the street was frosted in a tiny layer of pure white snow. Harry wandered aimlessly down the lane to the end where he sat on a boulder and looked over the fence to the miles of frosty, white fields in the distance.

He was no closer to figuring this out than he was last week. The kiss had done nothing. He hadn't felt anything, but there hadn't been anything to feel either. Perhaps Malfoy was right. He needed someone who would help him. Harry thought about asking Seamus, but decided they were too close for this kind of thing.

Blaise was a safe choice though. Granted he was a Slytherin, but he was good-looking. He had dark hair and a nice golden tan. His eyes were a pretty hazel color with green specks. The more Harry thought about it, the more Blaise seemed like a better choice. Now the only problem was getting Blaise to agree to such a stupid activity...

***

Harry agonized over his decision for a week after the Hogsmeade weekend. Even if he could get Blaise to help him, what would it prove? That he liked blokes? If he did, then shouldn't he like someone? Harry looked around the Great Hall, pondering.

No one in Gryffindor would do, he was too close with all of them. Hufflepuff, 'nuff said. They were nice and all, but not exactly what Harry would call exciting or attractive. Ravenclaws, they had potential. Michael Corner was very good looking and Harry could possibly picture himself with him.

Harry's eyes slid over to, and rested on, the Slytherin table. Draco's white-blond head was visible next to the darker skinned Blaise. Harry found himself watching, almost wistfully, as Draco sucked on a strawberry. He shook himself out of it. He'd already proved that Malfoy did nothing for him, right?

Harry glanced over at Ron and Hermione, who were twined tightly around each other. He rolled his eyes at them and stared at his plate. Seamus leaned over quietly.

"How's everything going?" He asked, with a raise of an eyebrow. Harry scowled. "Ooh, that bad, huh?" Seamus asked sympathetically. Seamus glanced over at the Slytherin table and back to Harry. "Don't worry about Malfoy, he likes playing hard to get." Seamus winked at Harry and Harry stared at him.

"I don't want Malfoy!" Harry hissed vehemently. Seamus smiled knowingly and it enraged Harry. "I don't! You are crazy, Seamus." Seamus shrugged, still smiling. Harry huffed and left the table, seeking the solitude of his dormitory.

Harry was about halfway across the entrance hall when he spotted Blaise leaving down to the Slytherin dungeons. He hesitated for half a second, but the desire to prove Seamus wrong was burning in his chest.

"Blaise!" He called. Blaise stopped in mid-step and turned around to face Harry. He gave him a surprised and scathing look.

"Potter, what do you want?" He asked, in half-curiosity, half-disgust at being addressed by a Gryffindor. Harry took a deep breath.

"I wanted to ask you a favor," He said. Blaise raised his eyebrows and a smirk crept across his face.

"A favor? And why would I do you a favor, Potter?" He asked, interestedly. Harry shuffled his feet nervously.

"I just need some help," Harry mumbled and Blaise laughed derisively.

"That much is obvious," He replied scathingly and Harry glared at him.

"Look, if you don't want to help, fine! I'll ask someone else," Harry exclaimed and made to leave.

"Wait!" Blaise called and Harry stopped. "Okay, Potter, tell me, what exactly do you need help with?"

"I need to find out if I'm gay," Harry said quietly, and Blaise broke into hysterical laughter. Harry frowned at him as he bent over, clutching his stomach. "You know what? I don't think I need your help after all." Harry was pissed at his reaction.

Blaise tried desperately to control his laughter and straightened up, holding the wall for support.

"No, no, Potter, I'll help you. Just give me a minute, okay." Blaise took a few calming breaths, but would still start laughing every other breath. Finally, he gained enough control to look at Harry directly. "Okay, Potter, what is it exactly that you want to do?" He asked.

"Er...well, I just need to know if I am or not, so just kissing, I guess." Blaise nodded, looking thoughtful.

"I suppose you'd rather not do this in public?" He ventured. Harry nodded and Blaise thought some more. "Meet me in the Astronomy tower tomorrow at midnight." Then Blaise left and Harry returned to his common room.

Harry flopped on his bed and thought about the situation. He felt a little excited at the prospect that by tomorrow he might know once and for all. He only wished it was Malfoy he got to snog. 'Wait a minute, I don't like Malfoy, remember?' His brain yelled at him. At least Blaise was being nice to him, right? Sort of.


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A/N: don't worry, it's still a HP/DM fic...hehe...