Who Would Have Thought

CHAPTER THREE: A Beginning
The Pierce Mansion was a mass of muggle technologies. The heated in-ground pool lay around the corner of the house and while the heaters were magically powered, your average muggle might never have known the difference. The hour was late, but not so late that everyone had already gone to bed. Light shined out through the windows of the house creating a golden cast on the water.

Draco pause for just a moment as they reached the far end of the pool, taking in the surroundings he knew so well. He let his gaze wander the outer wall of the old house in front of them until his eyes reached the window of the youngest Pierce’s bedroom. Benjamin Pierce had just turned eleven and would be beginning school at Durmstrang that year. Draco wished, not for the first time, that he attended the same school as his friends. Ben was like a little brother to him and he would love to be there for his first year –should be there.

“Is he excited about Durmstrang?” Draco asked, nodding toward the window.

“Bloody nervous is more like it.” Ian responded with a chuckle. “He’s been over his list of materials a million times making sure he has everything.”

Draco laughed too as he remembered how seriously he had taken his own first year. He had spent far more time trying to avoid embarrassment than he did just being an eleven year-old kid, but then he had other things that went into coloring the start of his life at Hogwarts. Ben had no reason for similar hang-ups, but it didn\'t stop Draco from worrying.

“I’m glad Eric will still be there.”

Draco nodded. “I wish I could be.”

“I know.”

The conversation trailed off and in unspoken agreement they both started to strip down to their boxers to get into the pool. As they got ready to jump into the water, Draco remembered again the day his father had told him he would be going to Hogwarts with the famous Harry Potter. Lucius Malfoy had made it very clear to his son what was wanted of him. He was a Malfoy, which meant he had to be perfect. He was to get the highest grades, be the most popular, and most importantly, he was to become friends with The Boy Who Lived. From the very start of his first year Draco had done his best to do the exact opposite. Foolish and arrogant in his early days, he had thought that if he got into enough trouble Lucius might reconsider.

It wasn’t until that day in Madam Hooch’s flying class when he had taken Longbottom’s Remembrall that he was informed thatgetting kicked out of school might not be the wisest choice of action. That piece of advice had come from Snape. The Potions Master was no friend of his and had never given him any respite as far as grades were concerned no matter what the rest of the school thought, but he was the only adult that had tried to see beyond his attitude. For that Snape had his respect.

“Draco, are you ok?” The boy looked up, only then realizing that Ian was already in the water and waiting for him.

“Just thinking.” Draco replied with a slight smile as he too got into the water.

Ian smiled back slowly in a way that made Draco forget about his previous concerns. It put him on guard for any mischief his friend might be up to. “You think far too much for summer vacation.” Ian began as he came closer. “You should relax. I’m sure you’ll find the water very refreshing.”

In another instant Dracowas dunked underwater as Ian got a firm grip on his shoulders and pushed him down. Themoment the hands were gone Slytherinsputtered to the surfacewith every intention of retaliating. The next several minutes were filled with splashing and yelling as they fought a small war in the pool. Draco shivered at the feel of Ian’s body gliding against his in the water and the way the older boy’s muscles shifted as he tried to get a grip on Draco and dunk him again. Soon he was splashing and swimming away not just to defend himself in the water war, but also to keep Ian from getting close enough to discover the effect it was having on him.

Draco often found it odd that as close as they were they had never really talked about sex. One would think that such a conversation would be something of a norm between two hormonal teenage boys, but it simply wasn’t. Whatever reason Ian had for not bringing it up was unknown, but Draco had his very own set of reasons for not talking of his desire. It had been in his third year that he had realized he liked boys more than girls and it hadn’t been long after when his sights had been set on one particular auburn haired young man.

It was this very thing that kept Draco from giving up as Ian advanced on him. His arms were getting tired and the water was a constant sting in his eyes, but Ian did not seem to be tiring in the least. The Slytherin soon found himself driven to the deep end of the pool, which might have been a good thing since Draco would have more room to maneuver. However, he made a tactical error by turning to see how close Ian was and suddenly he found himself pressed up against the side of the pool with his arms pinned down at his sides.

“Do you surrender?” Ian asked with a wide grin that Draco found himself returning even as he prayed that this friend didn’t lean in any closer.

“This time, but I’ll get you back for this!”

“Planning to take revenge when my back is turned, ah Malfoy? It won’t be so easy.” Ian said laughing.

Draco laughed too and it felt good to be like this. His closed his eyes as his heart rate began slowing down, but he was still barely aware of the coolness of the water around them. Ian’s warm hands still incased his arms and it felt so nice being this close that it took him a moment to realize why it was odd.

It was just as he started to open his eyes that he felt a firm, moist pressure against his lips. The feeling retreated after only a moment and Draco licked his lips at the sudden loss. It took his brain a moment to comprehend what had just happened. Ian had kissed him.

Looking up at his best friend Draco was surprised at the look of embarrassment on the angular face.

“I’m sorry, I probably shouldn’t have done that.” Ian said as he finally let go of Draco’s arms.

It was almost as if someone else was in control of his body as he reached out to take hold of Ian’s shoulders. The older boy looked startled as he was pulled closer, but Draco kept him from speaking by touching their lips together. His lips moved tentatively against his friends and a second later, he was rewarded as Ian embracing him and he was once again pressed against the side of the pool. This time however, he was not worried about what Ian might feel through his boxers because Draco became aware that he could feel something pressing down there too.

Draco was at once grateful and angry that he and Ian had never talked of sex. It was obvious that the older boy had more experience in at least kissing since he was artfully sucking at his lips and running his tongue along his teeth. Draco had never had anyone at school he trusted to experiment with, though Pansy had groped him and kissed him a few times; he had no interest in girls and so had not felt enough for her to get into it.

Ian was taller and stronger than him and made easy work of pressing Draco hard against the side of the pool. Finally he separated their lips and went to work on his captive’s neck.

“I didn’t realize how you felt.” Ian murmured against his skin.

Draco wanted to reply, but found his mouth once more occupied. Ian’s hips were now grinding into his and he found himself clinging to his friend tightly as he didn’t know what else to do. Maybe it was his lack of participation or maybe it was the way Draco was clutching him, but suddenly Ian became still and looked down at the smaller boy in his arms.

“Draco, have you ever…” Ian’s question trailed off, but Draco knew what he was asking and he blushed as he shook his head, embarrassed by his own inexperience.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.” Ian started as he sensed his discomfort. “It’s ok that you haven’t, just surprising. I would have thought…I mean…I’m sorry, I guess I got a little carried away.”

Draco found himself smiling through his heated blush as he watched his normally confident friend became flustered. “It’s ok.”

“Maybe we should go inside. It’s getting cold.” Ian said after a moment of silence. Draco had thought for a second that the other boy would back off completely, but then he felt hands moving over his arms where his skin had turned to gooseflesh in the cold air.

Without waiting for an answer, Ian started toward the ladder and Draco found himself eagerly following, feeling a little dazed after what had just happened. He watched as his friend grabbed two towels from the pool house. Ian wrapped one towel around his own body and when he reached Draco didn’t bother to hand the other over, but took the liberty of draping it over the other boy himself.

The Slytherin followed as Ian then led him through the side entrance to the house and up the stairs toward the older boy’s bedroom. Draco clutched the hand rail to steady himself on the way up. He couldn’t really describe how he felt except that it was beyond giddy. He couldn’t believe that he had just snogged his best friend and with any luck would end up snogging him again when they got upstairs. This had certainly been an evening full of surprises.

It seemed to him suddenly that the life he was leading now was completely separate from the one he had woken to that morning. He would still have to go back to Hogwarts, still have to deal with Potter and his friends, still get the same looks of disapproval from his father, but somehow it just didn’t matter anymore. Maybe all those things that he hated and dreaded before would still be there, but tonight he had chosen something for himself. That, he somehow knew, made all the difference in the world.