The Devil Runs Wild

******~Seclusion~

Draco Malfoy sauntered down the winding steps of the Weasley’s home with a downtrodden face. He wasn’t happy about coming down to dinner, but he had no choice. Snape had threatened to hex some very vital body part off if he didn’t. He had only been in his room for two days. It wasn’t like he was hungry…not really. Quite honestly, he hadn’t had time to think about food while his head was full of thousands of other mind-buzzing, irritating, little thoughts.

Every single person in the Weasley’s house had come to knock on Draco’s door in the past days and Draco had opened his door for none of them..not even Potter…especially not Potter. Eventually, Snape being the ever evil man that he was, simply spelled his door off its hinges and ordered him to go eat. That bastard.

Now Draco sat still at a table with the Weasleys, Snape, Granger, and Potter. Of course, the only one that was capable of any sort of decency was Snape. The rest of them were eyeing him as if he would fall over if they said anything to him. Draco glared at them all, but ate silently when Snape sent a look his way.

******
Harry watched Draco eat stiffly and glare at everyone else except him. Draco wouldn’t even look at him.

Draco had secluded himself for two days and wouldn’t acknowledge anybody who came knocking at his door, except Snape. Harry knew it had to do with something about the bond and he had tried to say something to Draco, but speaking to a door really didn’t work well for him. He had even told Draco that he liked him through the door and to that, Malfoy, of course, made no reply. He did like Malfoy. He liked Malfoy enough to be friends with him and to try to get him out of his bloody room, at least. At that thought, Harry glared at Malfoy.

******
Draco noticed out of the corner of the eye that Potter was glaring at him. Draco ignored it. Potter could go fuck himself….and now that thought led Draco to thinking about what other things Potter could be fucking and he became angry with himself, glaring down at his still full plate of food.

******

Everyone in the Weasley household knew something was going on between Harry and Draco, but none of them knew exactly why. The Weasley twins hadn’t even noticed Malfoy hadn’t been coming for meals until Mrs. Weasley had mentioned it just that day.

Draco shifted his fork between his fingers. Severus gave him a pointed look and slightly revealed his wand, that was hiding in the sleeve of his robe and Draco began eating reluctantly.

The Lovers Bond had not shown any effects during the past days, other than being able to slightly sense Potter’s magic when he was standing outside his door, and Draco was a bit bothered by that. He hadn’t been able to sense anything from Potter at all - of course he hadn’t even seen Potter in the past two days, so that might explain it. Draco should be happy that there doesn’t seem to be any unusual effects of the Lovers Bond, but he was hoping for some kind of perk. Like, perhaps, Harry coming crashing through his door to declare his undying infatuation with yours truly? Just his luck that instead, Potter comes knocking on his door saying that he simply “liked” him. Liked! You like a pet too, but that doesn’t mean you’d want to fuck it. And there you have it, coming down to sex once again and Draco worrying about Potter not wanting to be fucked by him anymore. Truthfully, Draco was worried about Potter not wanting something else that Draco wanted to give him as well, but he had spent the past two days brainwashing himself into thinking that all he wanted was sex, so Draco stuck with that idea.

Draco set down his fork as he finished eating and began to stand up and leave, secluding himself back in his little havel but Severus gave him a look and he sat back down. Soon other Weasleys began leaving the table: the unusually quiet twins, that Ginny girl, Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley and soon the table consisted of himself, Severus, Potter, Granger, and the last Weasley. They were alone and Harry was looking at him and Draco knew some sort of communication was about to occur and he decidedly didn’t like it.

“Draco,” Severus started and Draco tightened his jaw. “Your mother has left the country,” Severus said and Draco’s mouth open at the unexpectedness of that statement.

“What?” he asked.

“Your mother had been assisting us, as you know. She left the same night we rescued Potter,” Severus said and Draco could not believe that he had been so wrapped up in thoughts about Potter the past two days that he completely forgot about his mother! His own mother! Draco knew he should just hex himself for his betrayal. Wait! It was Potter’s fault! At that thought, Draco looked up at Potter, seeing the big green eyes looking at him in sympathy and the pouting lips that looked so soft that he wanted to touch them just to feel the soft texture along his fingertips and Draco glared. Hard.

Harry drew back in confusion at the anger Draco radiated at him.

“What?” Harry asked.

Draco just continued glaring.

“Draco!” Severus snapped and Draco’s head turned at the sound. After gaining Draco’s attention back, Severus continued. “Your mother will be gone for a long while, Draco. You know that she has a marriage bong with Lucius and must remain at a far distance to escape detection,” and at this Draco nodded his head. He knew how his parents marriage bond worked. His father had made a special one, with bits and pieces of dark magic. His mother had to leave; she wasn’t safe here. “What’s more, is that we have recently destroyed another horcrux,” Severus said.

“What?” Draco asked confused. He had only been in that room for two days, hadn’t he?

“You expected the world to just stop turning because you had decided to turn yourself away from it?” Severus hissed and Draco winced, but didn’t reply.

“I had discovered the horcrux myself during Potter’s capture, but was unable to gain access to it in order to destroy it. Potter has assisted in that,” Severus said. “You will be assisting the rest of us from now on.”

“Why?” Draco snapped.

Severus glared. “Because if you don’t….”

“Yes, yes, you’ll hex me,” Draco interrupted. “Is that all? Why should I help your little group save the world. Don’t you already have the fucking savior of the wizarding world right here already?” Draco hissed and turned to glare at Potter.

Severus paused to rein in his temper. Draco was being more a brat than ever.

“Draco,” Dumbledore’s portrait said, deciding to wake up and join the conversation. “Harry does not understand why you are so upset with him…” but Draco didn’t let him finish, standing up and storming out of the room.

*******

Harry looked to Dumbledore. “Do you know why he’s upset with me?” he asked quizzically.

Dumbledore nodded.

“Why?” Harry asked.

“He likes you, Harry, and might even love you,” Dumbledore said quietly.

Harry realized that Malfoy, being Malfoy, might be afraid of having feelings for him. “Well, he should get over it. It’s not that bloody difficult to like somebody,” Harry said. If Malfoy couldn’t deal with liking, or heaven forbid “loving” somebody (although, Harry was sure Draco didn’t feel that), he should just get a therapist and stop glaring at him for it! It wasn’t Harry’s fault that Draco couldn’t deal with his feelings.

“Potter,” Severus hissed,, but Dumbledore interrupted.

“I forget how easy it is for you to love, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “Not everyone has such an easy time of it, Harry, and you must realize that Draco is one of those that do not find love to be an easy emotion.”

Harry contemplated that for a moment. He sighed after awhile. He didn’t really get it, but Dumbledore seemed to know more about what was wrong with Draco that he did and he should listen to him.

“Besides,” Hermione spoke up at his side. “I think it’s something more than that.”

Harry looked at her. “Like what?” he asked.

“Well, if I was…well, I think he’s afraid of you not loving him back more than anything else,” Hermione said quietly and looked down at the table, not wanting to see if she had upset Harry with her speculation.

Harry sat still, worrying his bottome lip between his teeth. Could Hermione be right? He looked around the room, waiting for somebody to contradict her, but even Snape seemed to lower his eyes in agreement. If Hermione was right, what should he do about it?

What?