Bitter

A/N: Well, here's chapter 2. I'm flying by the seat of my pants on this one. Don't really have it planned out. I hope it will come together.

Thanks to Paigey, thrnbrooke and freelancer360.

Zoo! I'm still around. Glad you liked!

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Bitter Taste

Draco apparated straight to his flat in Kensington. The place was his sanctuary away from the Manor. He’d never brought his wife here.

Draco took off his cloak and headed to the large master bedroom to change his clothes. He put on a pair of the finest woven black silk pajamas, embroidered with the Malfoy crest.

He headed back to the sitting room and called, “Dobby!”

Dobby popped into the space. “Former Master Draco Malfoy, sir?”

“Dobby, please make Harry’s favorite late night supper and dessert. The strawberry torte will be fine.”

Dobby nodded eagerly. “Harry Potter is returning to Draco? Dobby is most pleased! Harry Potter isn’t being very happy when former Master Draco isn’t being around.”

“Yes, he’ll be returning. And make sure everything is perfect for his arrival. You know what he likes.”

“Yes, of course sir.” Dobby disappeared.

Draco walked to his fully stocked bar and poured himself a drink. He knew that Harry would be coming, if only to beat him senseless for the stunt he’d pull tonight. Harry’s anger was still legendary, but Draco welcomed it. At least he’d gotten the Gryffindor’s attention, something he hadn’t been able to do the last few months.

Harry had been furious that Draco had married Felice. But what choice did he have? The Malfoy trusts were based on his marrying and producing a heir to take on the family name. If he didn’t marry, he would never inherit the Malfoy holdings. What was left of them anyway.

Draco didn’t particularly care one way or the other, but his mother had begged that he find a wife. The Malfoy name had been tarnished heavily after the war and they managed to find a family in france who was willing to marry their daughter to Draco. Felice Delacour was a cousin of Fleur and Gabrielle. And part Veela.

Draco sat down in his recliner, absently swirling his drink. Harry would come, but how angry would he really be? Too angry to listen to reason?

His musings were interrupted by a roar in his fireplace and Draco nearly spilled his drink on the plush carpet. His head snapped around in panic. He hadn’t expected Harry so soon. Surely Weasley gave him the dickens longer than that.

But it wasn’t Harry after all.

The head of Pansy floated in his hearth. “Draco! I know you’re there, so you might as well let me through.”

Draco sighed and opened the wards to allow Pansy through.

The woman stepped out of the floo and teetered dangerously. Draco was on his feet in an instant to help steady her.

Pansy was eight months pregnant.

Draco helped her into the nearby chair. She murmured, “Thank you.” And then she punched him in the jaw.

Draco rubbed his jaw. “What was that for?”

“Guess who I saw in Diagon Alley today?”

Draco shrugged and sat back down, still rubbing his jaw. “I should have you arrested for that. How plebian to resort to hitting.”

Pansy ignored his comment. “I saw Blaise today, Draco. And aside from him looking absolutely ghastly, he told me a very interesting story.”

“How’s Theo doing these days? Looking forward to the litter that you are no doubt expecting.”

“Fuck you, Draco. And your attempts to distract are not going to work. Blaise told me that you’ve been avoiding him. That you’re distracted from your work. And…that you haven’t been…as attentive as you once were.”

“God, what is he, a girl? What else did he say? Did you two compare knicker colors?”

“You’re following him, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“Don’t be coy, Draco. It doesn’t suit you. You’re still after Potter.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Pansy pulled some parchment from her robes and tossed it onto the coffee table. Last week’s The Daily Prophet blazoned headlines read,

Potter’s Princess: Harry Potter to wed Ginny Weasley

Underneath the caption was a picture of Harry leaving some restaurant with Ginny. The couple was holding hands and Ginny was smiling brightly for the camera. Picture Potter looked annoyed and kept trying to move out of the frame, but picture Ginny held his hand tightly, forcing him back into view.

The newspaper whooshed into a ball of flames and turned to ash.

Pansy rolled her eyes as Draco pocketed his wand.

“I don’t read that rubbish.”

“Bull! You read it, just like everyone else did! And now you’re stalking him, just like before!”

“Pansy, stop being so dramatic.”

Pansy narrowed her eyes. “You’re awfully smug tonight. What gives?”

“This is my usual self. If you feel me to be smug-“

“Oh Draco, please! I’ve known you too long for you to try to get anything over on me. You did something tonight…I can tell.” She leaned in closer, as far as her huge belly would allow. Then her eyes opened wide. “You saw him and…you slept with him again! Didn’t you!”

Draco rose gracefully from his seat. “Pansy, you’re hormonal and delusional. Isn’t it time to feed the kid or something?”

“The baby’s not born yet, you idiot! You slept with Potter tonight! Or whatever it is that you do with him! Draco!”

Draco walked towards the fireplace. “Pansy…just stay out of it.”

Pansy struggled to sit up in the low seat. “Draco! You have to stop this madness! What are you doing? What about Felice? And Blaise?”

Draco turned towards her. “What about them?”

Pansy huffed. “Felice is your wife! Blaise is your…boyfriend, isn’t he?”

“Yes, Felice is my wife, which everyone seems to want to keep reminding me about. I was there at my wedding. And Blaise is…was a…distraction.”

“Blaise loves you, Draco. How can you be so cruel?”

Draco snorted. “How can you of all people ask me that? I never promised them anything. I never told either of them I loved them or that I would be faithful. Blaise should know better. He’s a Slytherin, even though he isn’t acting like one.”

“God, Draco! School is over. He can’t help it if he’s in love with you. He’s hurt that you’ve simply dismissed him without any kind of explanation. And I warned you.”

“Didn’t you just come in here lecturing me about my marriage? Now I’m supposed to show loyalty to Blaise? Make up your mind, Pansy!”

“You’re one of my oldest friends, along with Blaise. I don’t want to see him hurt. I don’t want you to get hurt either!”

Draco scowled and picked up his glass. “I’m doing just fine, Pansy. You must have me confused with some Hufflepuff.”

“You haven’t been fine since this whole thing started! Please…let it go, Draco. Let him go. Have your boy thing with Blaise. Potter…he’s trouble and you know it.”

Draco looked at the ice in his glass. “Yeah…Potter has always been my downfall.” He looked back at Pansy. “It’s all Tracy’s fault!”

Pansy gestured for Draco to come closer to her. When he did, she grabbed his hand and looked into his silver eyes.

“Have you told him that you’re in love with him?”

Draco stared back at her without answering.

“Is he in love with you?”

Draco set the glass back down on the table. He pulled Pansy up and gave her a hug.

“When you see Tracy, tell her I’m going to kill her.”

Pansy tried to turn her head to look at Draco. To make sure he was joking about killing their friend.

Pansy looked closely at him, scrutinizing his face. Draco had filled out nicely, losing the pointed, angular shape of his face. He’d grown his hair long, but normally kept it pulled back in a ribbon. Gray eyes were framed by long colorless lashes. But Pansy could see past the physical with Draco. His icy mask had melted long ago before her eyes. She could see the pain and the vulnerability.

“Don’t blame Tracy for this, Draco. If I recall correctly, you were pretty on board with this from day one.”

Draco sneered, “I was not! It was all her fault…and yours too.”

“Funny I don’t quite remember it that way.”


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Four years earlier

It was Tracy Davis that started the whole thing. Tracy was a Slytherin from Draco’s year. She was quiet girl and no one had paid much attention to her during their years at Hogwarts. She was best friends with Pansy and Daphne Greengrass, but that was about it. Her family was a minor pureblood one, having no significant ties to any of the ancient, noble lines. Or to Voldemort.

So it came as shock to Draco when Pansy told him that Tracy wanted to become an Auror. No one in Slytherin had become an Auror before, so this was major news. Draco couldn’t figure out for the life of him why Tracy would want to do such a ridiculous thing.

So when Pansy told him they were going to her Auror graduation, Draco didn’t put up a fight. At the time, Pansy was still his de facto girlfriend, even though they had both decided that it wouldn’t work between them. Pansy already had her eye on Blaise and unbeknownst to her, so did Draco.

So Draco sat in the large banquet hall at the Ministry, dressed in business robes, munching away on delectable Hors d'œuvres and sipping champagne. It wasn’t the good stuff, but it was OK.

Tracy sat at the table, smiling happily and rubbing Theodore Nott’s arm. Theo was already on his fifth glass of champagne and was looking for something harder. And dinner hadn’t even started yet.

Draco signaled the house-elf for another glass. He was turning away from the tray when he saw a familiar head of ginger, sitting not two tables away.

It was Weasley.

Draco grimaced and then realized the bushy hair next to him must belong to Granger. Now that he looked, he saw the whole table was full of ginger-haired monstrosities. God, he needed another drink.

Pansy touched his arm. “For Merlin’s sakes Draco, slow down. How many of those have you had?”

Draco pulled his arm away. “Shut up. You made me come to this travesty of an affair. The Ministry? You have noticed how many people have hissed at me or called me Death Eater. I need a carriage load of these just to make it through appetizers. And don’t look now but we are in the same breathing range as those uncouth Weasleys.”

Pansy wrinkled her nose, but Tracy smiled at him. “Ron wasn’t so bad, Draco. Once you get to know him. He was actually quite nice. He helped me on a lot of things during class.”

Draco choked on his drink. “Weasley’s an Auror?? My God, the Ministry really has gone to the dogs! They must have been totally desperate. Was it open house or what?”

Tracy frowned. “Don’t be like Draco. He worked really hard. We all did. And Harry worked the hardest of all. I would’ve thought they would have handed it to him, but he really proved himself.”

Draco grabbed another drink from the tray. “Pansy, don’t wake me up until we get home, OK. I don’t want to be conscious for any of this. I’d rather be Crucio’d .”

Pansy smirked and popped a cucumber sandwich in her mouth. “For once, I’d have to agree with you.” She reached for a drink also.

Draco poured the champagne in his mouth and his eyes moved involuntarily to the ginger table. He wasn’t going to admit that he was looking for the tell-tale head of messy black locks.

A shadow fell across the table and Draco looked up. Only to choke again on his beverage. Pansy had to whack him on the back.

Potter stood at their table with a drink in his hand. He was looking at Tracy with a big grin on his face.

“Davis! Congratulations to you. Glad this is done, yeah? You were a great partner in Stealth and at trials.”

Draco was so busy choking that he didn’t notice the blush that had crept across Tracy’s face.

“You weren’t too bad yourself, Potter. I’m glad it’s done. I’m ready to get to work.”

Harry nodded and then looked at the remaining members at Tracy’s table. He grinned at them and took a swig of his champagne.

“It’s Pansy, right? Well, I won’t hold it against you that you wanted to turn me over to Voldemort. I still lived and he still died. Guess you didn’t see that one coming.” He smirked and Pansy reddened.

He looked briefly at Theo. “You I’ve never met before. But they call you Nott, right? You’re Tracy’s boyfriend? She’s great. Lucky you.” He nodded at him and Nott stared back at him, dumbfounded.

Then he turned to look at Draco. Draco found that he was quite speechless.

Draco hadn’t seen the boy since that final battle at Hogwarts when he’d kill the Dark Lord. But in the three years since that time, Potter was definitely not a boy anymore.

Potter had grown into quite the man.

The messy locks were gone. Potter had gone for a short, spiky look. His glasses were gone and Draco had never looked directly at Potter’s stormy green eyes before. He wore a Muggle suit, complete with a tie. And the way the suit clung to his shoulders and thighs…

“It’s been a long time, Malfoy. Good to see you’re still around. I’m going to have my eye on you.” He then gave Tracy a wink, downed the rest of his champagne and walked away.

Pansy rolled her eyes. “Well, of all the nerve. He’s a cocky little shite. Just like always.”

Draco found his voice at last. “Who the devil did he think he was talking to? Am I supposed to be scared or something? Well, I’ll show that fucker where he can put his threats!”

Tracy laughed with a voice that no one had ever heard before. “He was just kidding, Draco. Relax. We’re not at Hogwarts anymore. We’re adults now. Harry’s a great guy.”

Nott mumbled something about the loo, stood up and left the table.

Tracy leaned back in her chair and gazed at the retreating back of Potter. Pansy’s eyes widened in shock.

“Tracy Davis! You fancy him, don’t you?”

“Shhhh…keep your voice down, Pansy!” She looked around anxiously. “You still have the biggest mouth around!”

Pansy grunted in comment. “I can’t believe this! You fancy him!” She looked hard at Tracy, who blushed crimson and tried to look away. “You shagged him, too! Don’t deny it!”

Tracy leaned in and pulled Pansy close. “Pansy! Be quiet!”

“You shagged Potter! Oh my god. How was it? I’ve always wanted to know.”

Draco glared at Pansy’s back and the young lady stiffened, as though she could feel Draco’s eyes on her flesh, burning her. “Oh shush, Draco. It’s purely out of curiosity. I mean…come on. He’s…Potter. Everyone wants to know what he’s working with.”

“I don’t want to hear about Potter’s little bits.”

“Ohhh…they’re not little. Not at all.” Tracy’s eyes glazed over. “It wasn’t very romantic how it happened though. Our team got pissed one night. Jennings smuggled in some FireWhiskey. Anyway, I helped Harry back to his tent. He was bombed. It just sort of…happened. But…oh my god! It was…incredible. If I’d have known Gryffindors were so…”

Pansy squealed in delight. “So…it was…big?”

“I was sore for two days! But it was the good kind of hurt. It was great!” She looked sullen for a minute. “It was too bad that he barely remembered it the next day though.”

Draco snorted in laughter. “Goodness Tracy, I can see how you can find him so attractive,” he drawled, “your evening was positively to die for.”

Tracy rolled her eyes and Pansy smacked his arm. “Oh, like you haven’t had drunken episodes, Draco! Need I remind you about Millicent-“

Draco held up his hand. “Pansy, I swear if you say one more word…”

Tracy giggled and then leaned in conspiratorially. “And that’s not the best part. Not only did I get the best shag of my life, so did Ernie McMillian.”

Pansy almost spilled her drink. “What?? You shagged someone else that same night? You slut!”

Draco reached for another glass and popped a crab puff in his mouth. “When are they going to serve dinner?” He looked around impatiently.

Tracy whispered, “No, I didn’t shag him. Harry did.”

Draco gagged on the crab puff that sent pieces of chewed crab on the table. He groped for some water.

Tracy eyed him with some concern, but Pansy barely noticed her choking boyfriend. Her eyes shone with malicious glee.

“OH MY GOD! You’re joking! He shagged McMillian! How do you know?”

“I watched them! Ernie was Harry’s roommate for that trial. So he was already asleep in the tent when we got there. We did our thing and Ernie was all offended that we were there. So Harry asked him what it would take to shut him up. So Ernie blushes and he was trying not to look at Harry’s cock. It was so obvious what he wanted. I didn’t think that blokes could get hard again so fast! The next thing I know, Ernie’s on his back and Harry’s screwing him through the ground. God, I was so turned on!”

Draco had managed to stop choking and was now wiping the tears that had leaked from his eyes. He took a deep breath and sipped some water.

His mind was reeling though. Potter had shagged a bloke? What the hell! He’d never heard a whisper that Potter liked blokes. It must have been a fluke.

Draco scoffed. “How turned on could you be at his amateurish fumbling with some bloke? God, you’re making me ill.”

Tracy grinned. “He was no amateur, Draco. That I assure you. I’d never seen that before. Two boys together like that. Ernie sucked him a bit and Harry was so hot! Then it looked liked Harry fingered him or something. You should have seen Ernie! He was whining like a little girl! Crying and begging and all that. And then Harry just…he was so gentle and passionate at the same time.”

Draco’s mouth suddenly felt dry and he noticed a tingling in his nether regions. He shifted slightly.

“Go on,” Pansy urged. Draco looked at her in annoyance. Why was she encouraging this ridiculous tale?

Tracy let out a little moan and licked her lips. “Ernie’s legs were over his shoulder and Harry was shagging him like there was no tomorrow. By the end, Ernie was telling Harry that he loved him! After that night, he followed Harry for weeks. He hated me of course. He actually confronted me, telling me to stay away from Harry! Harry was so good about the whole thing. He tolerated Ernie for a bit, but then Ernie finally went too far.”

Theo returned to the table and sat down. “Food’s not here yet? I’m starving.”

Draco belatedly realized that he was hanging onto Tracy’s every word. He turned to Nott and barked, “Don’t ever leave me here with these shrews again! I’ve been subjected to horrors that you can’t imagine.”

Theo laughed. “Better you than me.”

Draco smiled without showing his teeth and reached for his glass. But he wasn’t looking at the bubbling beverage. His eyes had found Potter all the way across the room.

Dinner, dessert and the ceremony finally came and Draco had never been so happy in his life. Pansy saw some family friend and she begged Draco to “give her a moment”.

Draco watched as Theo stood stoically by Tracy as well-wishers circled the graduates. He turned away in disgust and headed for the atrium. It was mostly deserted, except for a couple that was obviously engaged in some sort of “activity.”

Draco leaned against the marble fountain and sighed.

He started when he heard a familiar voice.

“Well what was so important that you had to pull me out here?”

“Harry, please. Training is over now. I know you said you didn’t want to complicate things. But now we can be together.”

Harry sighed and Draco inched closer to the couple, who were standing in a shadowed alcove. It must be McMillian, Draco thought.

“No, Ernie. We can’t be. I’m sorry, but I don’t get involved with classmates or co-workers. We’re going to be working together. Try to understand.”

“I love you, Harry! How do you expect me to just forget about what happened between us?”

“Ernie, it was one night! And it was a long time ago. I’m sorry if I hurt you, but…there’s nothing between us.”

“It’s because of Ginny, isn’t it? And what about Davis? You just use people and then drop them? Is that it?” Ernie asked angrily.

“OK, we’re done here. I tried to be nice about this, but you’re going on about…just drop it.”

“It’s not over, Harry! You’ll pay for this,” he cried out, sounding desperately pathetic and girlish.

Draco’s eyes widened in surprise when he heard a thud. The sound of Ernie’s back hitting the wall.

Harry’s voice came out low and tight. “Don’t threaten me, McMillian. You’ll find I’m less Gryffindor these days. Leave me the fuck alone.”

Draco shuddered at the dangerous sound of Potter’s voice. He grimaced at Ernie’s whimpered response. “I’m sorry, Harry…I…just love you so much.”

“Go away, Ernie.”

Draco watched as Ernie scampered away with his tail tucked between his legs. How pathetic.

“Didn’t anyone tell you it’s rude to eavesdrop, Malfoy?”

Draco blinked and found himself staring into the narrowed eyes of a pissed off Potter. Harry had rounded the corner so quickly that Draco hadn’t had time to disappear. He hadn’t even known Potter had seen him enter the atrium.

Draco pursed his lips and looked Harry up and down. “Don’t be mad at me because you don’t know how to keep your men in line.” He smirked as Harry winced.

“Shut it, Malfoy. It’s not what you think.”

Draco grinned broadly. “Who says I’m thinking anything? Your perverted sex life is hardly on my list of things that occupy my time.”

Harry’s lips quirked up at the edges. “Well, make sure you keep it that way.”

He turned to go and then stopped and sniffed the air. He turned back around and moved in close to Draco. Draco took a step back, but Harry grabbed his shoulder.

“Let go of me!”

Harry leaned in and ran his nose around Draco’s neck. “Sandlewood and a hint of…vanilla.”

He stepped back and let go of Draco’s arm. Draco struggled to control his breathing. He wasn’t sure if he was panicked because he thought Potter was going to hex him or because of…something else.

“What the bloody hell was that? I would rather appreciate if you kept your hands off of me!” He brushed invisible germs from his robes and sneered.

“I have your scent now. I’ll know if you’ve been in the vicinity.”

“What are you, a bloody hound?”

“I’m watching you, Malfoy.”

Harry turned and walked out of the atrium, whistling a tune.

Draco willed his throbbing erection to go down.

He later wished that he hadn’t worked to hard to make it go away. Pansy was insatiable that night, no doubt turned on by Tracy’s stupid story. Draco never had problems in the bedroom, but the little dragon was not cooperating. The sight of Pansy’s full breasts and the feel of her wet pussy was not working.

Draco finally let his mind wander and images that he had only recently allowed himself to notice filled his mind. Blaise, one of his best childhood friends, had been a distraction to him lately. Pansy had been courting him and Draco had found that he liked the curve of his ass and his muscled biceps when he wore short sleeves. Blaise in a towel had stirred his little dragon to life one morning and Draco nearly had a heart attack.

Now he was summoning up the image of his friend and he felt the stirrings and he sighed in relief. But just as quick, another image came to his mind.

Intense green eyes. Spiky black hair.

And the image of a thrusting cock into another man on the floor of a tent, legs over shoulders. Only the man on the ground looked a lot like himself.

Draco groaned and pulled Pansy to straddle him.

“Someone’s excited,” she whispered as she lowered herself onto the incredibly hard cock of her lover.

“You have no idea. Ride me hard, like you’re fucking me.”

Draco closed his eyes and saw only green.