Harryrella

A/N: A few things to point out in this chapter. Firstly, thanks again to all who have read and reviewed, I know you're all waiting for this part. Secondly, I know Lucius's speech makes no sense in this, he's pissed okay? So no flaming please. And last, but certainly not least, one of my reviewers had asked me to try to include Snape in this somehow. Well after shuffling this chapter around a few times, I managed to shove him in at the last minute. So because of that, I would like to dedicate this chapter to 'mendacity'. Hope you like your Snape in this hun.

Again, thank you so, so much to shadow_samurai for not just looking this over at least four times, but for all her help and advice. Hugs.

Additional warning: This is a health warning, hysterical laughter can seriously cause spasms and broken bones from falling off chairs etc, read at your own peril. The words to the song are not mine, they belong to Enrique.

Now, on with the show.

Chapter 4

Prince Draco’s eighteenth birthday party was in full swing. Many of the guests had spent the first couple of hours fawning over him, and he was clearly pissed off by this. Just when he thought his party was going to hit rock bottom, it happened.

“What the fuck is that?” he asked his two assistants. They looked at each other in confusion before following Draco’s gaze to the doorway of the ballroom. Peels of laughter echoed around the large room as the three boys tried to compose themselves. “I’ve never seen anything like it! Oh my God, tell me I’ve made a huge mistake here, lads, please!” Draco pleaded.

They made their way across the busy dance floor to greet the newcomers. It took Draco a lot of restraint not to burst into fits of laughter again, in front of the two that had just shown up. His face became expressionless as he extended his hand in greeting.

“Hello, I’m Draco. Pleased to meet you, and welcome to my grand home, or should I say my stately palace? Help yourselves to food and drink,”- here he stared at the whale-like boy to the left and turned his nose up in disgust, “and erm… just enjoy yourselves. Oh, and thank you for coming.” Draco turned to walk away, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“It is rude to turn away from your guests without knowing their names, Draco.”

Draco froze, wondering who had the audacity to question his manners. He turned to stare at the person who had spat his name. The first thing he noticed was the mop of dark hair, then the cruel smile that graced the lad’s lips, and finally the blood red shirt he was wearing. ‘Humph! He thinks he’s some powerful leader with that shirt. Powerful, my arse, he’s just after my fortune, the same as all the rest of these small minded fuckwits here,’ Draco thought to himself. However, he nodded his head and accepted the hand of the young man in front of him.

“I’m Tom Dursley, and this is my younger brother, Dudley. Thank you for the invitation and we will, of course, enjoy ourselves, won’t we Dudders?”

Dudley was speechless. He was standing in front of a prince, a gay prince at that, and he automatically covered his large rear end with his hands. Tom nudged his brother to get his attention.

“Uh… yeah… erm… where’s the food at?” Dudley asked. Draco finally realised what this fat lump of lard reminded him of, and what had caused the earlier bout of raucous laughter.

“Excuse my ignorance here… Dudley,” Draco drawled, “But I was under the impression this was a birthday party and not an audition for the part of Big Bird in Sesame Street!” At Dudley’s blank look, Draco continued. “The yellow suit? Is there a point to it? You look like a fuckin’ canary. I’m afraid there’s no bird seed at the buffet table, but I’m sure you’ll find plenty to chirp at. And please refrain from preening your feathers all over my furniture. Good day to you!” Draco stomped off before either stunned male could retaliate.

‘This is not going to be my night. Bloody leeches, the lot of them,’ Draco huffed. He sat at a table with Crabbe and Goyle, watching his guests dancing. He’d been asked to dance umpteen times, but had politely refused. Goyle even asked him to dance. That thought made Draco even more nauseous than the whale with the yellow suit. Draco scanned the room and his eyes fell upon the whale sized canary. The large bird looked a little hot under the collar and Draco couldn’t resist the opportunity to ruffle his feathers, just a bit. He stared at Dudley until their eyes connected, and then Draco smirked, winked at him and blew a kiss in his direction.

Dudley bolted from his seat and quickly sought out Tom. Draco doubled over in laughter. ‘Bloody arsehole. As if I’d be interested in him. I mean, come on, he’s so not Elijah. Speaking of which, I’ve seen no one here yet that resembles my ideal man. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe Elijah is unique, and nobody else is like him in any way at all. I think if I don’t get laid tonight, I’ll watch my little Frodo Baggins on TV and wank off whilst looking at pure perfection.’

***********

“Mr Potter… Mr Potter? Will you please wake up? MR POTTER!”

“Huh? Wh… where am I?” Harry rubbed at his eyes and calmed his racing heart. He’d been woken by someone yelling his name and he had no idea where in the world he was. The man in front of him looked as scary as hell and was hovering over Harry, sneering in distaste at the sleepy teen in front of him. No, he didn’t like this man at all. Something about his cold exterior made Harry shiver. He was dressed all in black and looked somewhat bat-like. His shoulder length greasy hair was tied back in a black ribbon and he was currently standing with his arms folded impatiently across his chest.

Harry let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “I’m sorry, sir, I was um… tired. Where am I?”

The bat unfolded his arms and pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘How in hell’s name did I get the job of dealing with Draco’s imbecilic guests? Lucius Malfoy is going to have to find another bloody butler to skivvy for him. I’ve had enough.’ He regained his composure and stared at the bewildered boy.

“I’m Severus Snape, the Malfoys' butler. You are at Malfoy Manor, so when you decide to remove your scrawny arse from the carriage, I will escort you to the ballroom. Some time this evening would be appreciated, Mr Potter.” Harry nodded and silently climbed out of the carriage before turning to look at the huge white mansion in front of him.

He blanched at the sight. He could feel his stomach churning and immediately dodged behind the carriage to vomit spectacularly onto the path. ‘I can’t do this! Oh God please, I can’t do this,’ his inner voice was telling him. Harry tried to control his breathing, but looking across at the man named Snape made it worse. Snape’s obsidian eyes bore into Harry’s, causing him to whimper like a kicked puppy.

“Oh for the love of God. Pull yourself together, Potter, it’s a bloody party. Stop behaving like a girl and compose yourself,” Severus sneered. He reminded himself that this was the reason he hated kids. ‘Blubbering, snotty nosed idiots. No wonder I’m celibate,’ he added as an afterthought.

“Take me home, sir, please. I… I… c… can’t… go… in there. Please!” Harry pleaded. Severus just shook his head and stormed off, leaving a nervous, quivering Harry Potter behind.

Harry sat down on the cold stone path and lowered his head into his hands. ‘What are you thinking, Harry? Now is not the time to get cold feet. Where’s that wicked sense of humour you have when dealing with your idiotic family, huh? Get a grip, you moron. What’s the worst that can happen?’ his inner voice mocked.

Harry rubbed at his eyes. “Apart from Tom and dumb Dudley recognizing me, you mean? Oh, that’s nothing to you though, is it? You’re only in my fuckin’ head; you don’t have to deal with this. I do, now bugger off and leave me alone.” He sat for a few minutes, wondering just what it would be like, dancing with a prince and meeting so many single males. He felt sick again.

*******

Draco looked at his watch. Nearly nine fifteen and still no one had caught his eye. ‘Time for a father and son talk. Speaking of which, where the hell is h…? Oh my fuckin’ hobbit, what the hell?’ Draco’s jaw dropped to the floor as he spotted his father dancing- not just dancing, but smooching as well- with an inflatable leprechaun that Seamus used as a prop whenever they were on stage. Ignoring the pawing of a spotty eighteen-year-old, who had been trying desperately to get his attention for the last ten minutes, Draco stalked over to his father and pulled him from the dance floor.

“What the hell are you doing, Father? You’re making a total tit of yourself. Put the leprechaun down. NOW!”

Lucius just stared at his son with a vacant expression and clutched the inflatable closer to his chest.

‘Desperate times call for desperate measures’, Draco thought. He grabbed the microphone from the stand in front of Seamus, causing the music and chattering to stop. “Step away from the leprechaun, Father. We have a situation.” Draco grinned as he watched the colour drain from Lucius’ face, and he turned towards his son in embarrassment.

The music started up again, as did the dancing, and Draco motioned for his father to join him at his table. “Where’s Mother?” Draco asked. Lucius shook his head, as though trying to dislodge a brain cell or three, before trying to answer. It was at this point Draco realized just how drunk his father was.

“Sheesh, um, erm… hic! Um… danshing wish um… the he-devil, hic!” Lucius grinned through bouts of hiccups. “Ooooh, Dra… hic… co, I wantsh to do shum I… hic… rish danshing. Y’r legsh go all whee and ooh it’sh called puddle danshing… hmm, I… shink.”

Draco stared incredulously at Lucius. It was amusing seeing his role-model so pissed that he could barely speak. Draco cleared his throat before correcting his father’s mistakes.

“First of all, Father, it’s ‘Riverdance’ not ‘Puddle dance’, although I can see the comparison. And secondly, who the hell is the He-devil?”

“Um… red shit… oopsi… I mean shirt. Looksh like a devil, he jusht neesh horns, ha ha!”

Draco shook his head as he spotted his mother in the arms of Tom Dursley. He seemed to be flirting with her, whispering in her ear as she blushed furiously and giggled like a smitten schoolgirl.

“That’s disgusting, Father! Are you going to just sit there and let him paw Mother to bits? He’s all over her like a bout of fucking chicken pox. And I need to talk to you about… oh my god!” Draco stopped mid sentence as his eyes fell on the man of his dreams, who had just stalked nervously into the grand ballroom. For once, he was lost for words.

“Draco!” Lucius tugged on his son’s sleeve, trying to get his attention. Draco just stared, dumbfounded, at the beauty making his way over to the table with the food.

The sparkling lights from the chandeliers danced across the newcomer’s hair and perfectly styled suit. Draco’s mouth watered and as he picked his chin up from the floor, he finally acknowledged his father.

“Umm…, F… Father? Did you um… er, happen to uh, invite Elijah Wood to my p… party?” he stuttered. ‘Not very Malfoyish, if I do say so myself. Malfoys do not stutter,’ Draco thought.

Lucius’ vacant expression turned to one of complete confusion. “Who?” he asked.

“Bloody hell, don’t you ever listen to a word I say? There’s a guy who has just walked into my party, and he’s the spitting image of my fantasy that is Elijah Wood! And my cock has decided to wake up for the first time tonight. Wonderful!”

Draco continued to stare. He needed to introduce himself, but for the first time ever, he found himself rooted to the spot and unable to pluck up enough courage to go over and speak to this hot guy. ‘He looks like an angel. A beautiful, incredibly hot, angel. His suit is stunning and that black hair just makes him stand out. One thing’s for sure, he’s not just here for my fortune, or he’d have been licking my shoes right now. Maybe he could lick something other than my shoes a little later.’

“Elijah’s wood? Who the hell is Elijah and when did you see his wood, Draco?” Lucius asked.

Draco rolled his eyes and quickly straightened his tux. He turned to his father and grinned. “Elijah Wood, you bloody drunken half-wit. Jeez. Oh, wait, I have an idea.” Draco sauntered over to Seamus and whispered something in his ear. The Irish man nodded and as the lights went down, Draco elegantly made his way towards the raven-haired beauty that had his back to him.

The sound of Seamus’ gravelly voice kicked in. “This is especially for the guy in the white suit, requested by our very own Prince Draco Malfoy.”

The first few bars of the song began to play as Draco tapped the young man on the shoulder. Harry turned around and came face to face with the most stunning person he had ever seen. His pale skin was flawless and his black tuxedo clung to his toned body perfectly. Harry gazed into crystal clear grey eyes and he felt his knees buckle.

“Um… hi… would you care to dance?” Draco asked, holding out a delicate hand for the young man to take.

Would you dance,
if I asked you to dance?
Would you run,
and never look back?
Would you cry,
if you saw me crying?
And would you save my soul, tonight?

Harry felt sick, again. ‘Ooh Potter, you’re blushing. Harryrella has found his Prince Charming. What? No come back! Harry? I’m most displeased, I was hoping to have a fight with you, but it looks like I’m being pushed aside. Huh, don’t ever come to me for advice again, you ungrateful little turd!’ For once, Harry was able to ignore his inner voice as he took the offered hand and let himself be pulled towards the dance floor.

“Um… I… I’m not very good at dancing,” Harry mumbled. But it didn’t stop him clutching Draco’s hand and following him to the centre of the room. He was trembling and his face flushed with embarrassment at being chosen by the prince himself to dance.

Draco watched curiously as the young man shuffled his feet and gazed downwards. He placed his finger under the smaller lad’s chin and lifted it gently to look into piercing green orbs. His voice stuck in his throat as he saw the intensity behind the gaze of this green-eyed angel. He whispered softly, “Relax, I won’t bite,” and began to sway with the music.

‘Maybe I want you to bite,’ Harry thought to himself. He let himself be led around the dance floor slowly and felt himself finally relax.

Flashback

It had taken a lot of courage for Harry to set foot inside the plush surroundings of the manor. He’d sat on the path for what seemed like an eternity, fighting an inner battle with his head. He didn’t know how many times he had said, ‘should I?’ or ‘what if?’ before he finally decided to stumble his way up the path and nod to ‘The Bat’ before being shown into the ballroom.

He didn’t want to meet anyone’s gaze so he kept his head down and wandered over to the wonderful spread of food. Having not eaten much that day, save for dry cereal, he was famished. Harry picked up a plate and filled it with small portions of finger foods, trying to keep to the shadows in case he saw the Chuckle Brothers. The last thing he wanted was to have them recognize him and be chastised by the whale, probably brutally, before being sent to his cellar to talk to himself, again. When he felt a tap on his shoulder, he froze, almost dropping his plate. But the sultry voice that accompanied the tap made him turn round. Then his mouth fell open, his eyes became unfocused and he thought he was going to pass out.

End of flashback

Would you tremble,
if I touched your lips?
Would you laugh?
Oh please tell me this.
Now would you die,
for the one you love?
Hold me in your arms, tonight.

“So, what is your name? Please tell me it’s not Elijah.” Draco smirked, hoping to break the ice a bit.

Harry felt the colour rise to his cheeks. ‘Damn my emotions. He’s only asked me a bloody question and I’m a quivering mess.’ He raised a questioning eyebrow. “Elijah? Um, no, sorry to disappoint you, but my name is um, James.” He hated lying, but he had no choice. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Chuckle Brothers looking at him curiously. ‘They know… fuck, fuck, fuck, I’m doomed.’

I can be your hero, baby.
I can kiss away the pain.
I will stand by you forever.
You can take my breath away.

Draco grinned. He had finally found the person he’d been dreaming about. Although ‘James’ seemed a little shy and nervous, Draco could tell he wasn’t like the rest of the guests who were now merry or pissed. This young man was the real deal. He could just tell by looking at him. There were no unwanted gropes, or requests to leave his party for a snog. No offers of sex either, for which he was grateful. ‘James’ looked like he needed to be loved and cherished, and that’s what Draco was going to do.

He wanted to be ’James’s’ hero, his knight in shining armour. He wanted to wrap him in his arms and shower him with kisses, and never let go. ‘Bloody hell, where is all this coming from? I hardly know the guy, but I intend to get to know him better,’ he mused.

Would you swear,
that you’ll always be mine?
Or would you lie?
Would you run and hide?
Am I in too deep?
Have I lost my mind?
I don’t care...
You’re here, tonight.

I can be your hero, baby.
I can kiss away the pain.
I will stand by you forever.
You can take my breath away.


“Uh… Tom, erm, does Snow White there look familiar to you?” Dudley asked, pointing at Harry, who was wrapped in the arms of the prince.

Tom nodded. “Yeah, although there is no way he could have got here. Besides, Potter wears those hideous glasses and his hair is never that sexy looking. I think he has a double, but this one isn’t as geeky. I’m sure that his Royal Arsehole would have better taste than Potter, don’t you think, Dudders?”

Dudley thought for a minute before he sighed. “I guess you’re right. Poor guy, imagine having someone like Potter the Snotter looking like you,” he chided. “And anyway, Tom, why haven’t you asked ‘El Pricko’ to dance with you yet?”

Tom choked on his champagne at his younger brother’s choice of words. “I’m not a bloody pouf, Dudley. Wealthy or not, I won’t bend over for him. I have standards you know.” They continued to watch the couple dance until Tom decided to try his luck with the beautiful Narcissa again.

Oh, I just wanna to hold you.
I just wanna to hold you.
Oh yeah.
Am I in too deep?
Have I lost my mind?
Well I don’t care...
You’re here, tonight.

I can be your hero, baby.
I can kiss away the pain.
I will stand by your forever.
You can take my breath away.

I can be your hero.
I can kiss away the pain.
And I will stand by you, forever.
You can take my breath away.
You can take my breath away.

I can be your hero.

Draco started to let go of the man in his arms as the song ended, although it was with obvious reluctance. He really didn’t want ’James’ to go anywhere. He gazed into those intoxicating green orbs and lowered his head a fraction to whisper in Harry’s ear. “Erm… can I kiss you, James?” he asked.

Harry gasped, but before he could answer, Lucius had made his way onto the dance floor, trying very hard to stay upright. He took the microphone from Seamus and invited everyone onto the floor. Draco kept hold of ‘James’s’ hand as everyone turned to look at the head of the Malfoy family.

“Than’ you, Mr Fannygan.” Draco was affronted at his father’s blatant drunken verbal mistake. “I would like my son, Draco… hic… oops shorry folksh, to come out here and get his preshent from my shexshy wife”- here he paused to point at Tom- “and you keep your filthy hansh off her breasts, he-devil.” He glared then quickly returned to his speech. “Draco… join us, please?”

Draco let go of Harry’s hand and walked over to his father. He felt so exposed, so embarrassed, mostly at Lucius’ lack of decorum, but also at the silence that had fallen around him. “Father, I already have the best present I could ever wish for, and he’s right over there.” Draco pointed to Harry and smiled the most beautiful smile that would light up the night time sky on a rainy day. Harry blushed and prayed Draco wouldn’t ask him to stand beside them. His cover would definitely be blown then, and that was not worth thinking about. To his relief, Draco didn’t, and he watched silently with the others as Lucius handed his son a small box. Taking it in his shaking hands, Draco opened it and pulled out a set of keys. He turned to face his parents with a look of confusion in his eyes and his brow furrowed.

“What are the keys for, Father? Have you two bought me a shag pad out in the country?” he smirked, knowing his father would become flustered at his question.

“We most certainly have not. They are for your Porsche Boxster parked outside, in the driveway. Happy Birthday, Draco.” Narcissa said.

“My what? I…” Thud.

Draco fainted, just like that. Out cold, on the dance floor. How embarrassing. No one moved, except Harry.

“Give him some room, will you? Move! He needs to get some air.” Harry stooped over Draco and gently caressed his cheek. “Draco, come on, it’s okay. Can you hear me, Draco? It’s Ha… James. Come on, baby. You’re gonna crease your lovely tuxedo. C’mon, I want to dance with you again.”

Draco could feel a clammy hand stroking his cheek. Visions of a white suit, emerald green eyes and black ‘just shagged look’ hair filled his mind. Slowly, he opened his eyes and found all of his guests looking at him anxiously. Harry helped him to his feet and was rewarded with a beautiful smile. “Hello, Draco, welcome back,” Harry said with a grin. Draco had never felt so humiliated in his life.

‘You fainted, Malfoy. You are an absolute tube. Malfoys DO NOT faint,’ he chided. Taking a few deep breaths, Draco thanked his parents and apologized to his guests for making a complete and utter twit of himself. They brushed it off easily and continued to party.

********

A handsome, dark skinned young man watched the proceedings from the opposite end of the room. Now was his chance. He’s been stalking his prey all evening before that excuse for a white knight showed up and put a spanner in the works. He knew he’d be bedding the blond aristocrat before the end of the evening. Taking a few steady strides, the young man made his way over to a wobbly-looking Draco.

“Excuse me, Draco. Are you alright? My name is Blaise, and I’ve been watching you all night. I want to ask you to dance.” Blaise smiled.

Draco bit the inside of his lip, trying desperately not to spit out an angry retort. If the guy had been watching him all night, then he would have noticed the looks that he couldn’t help sending ‘James’s’ way. “So ask then, Blaise,” Draco sneered.

Blaise cleared his throat and grabbed Draco’s hand. “Draco. Would you care to dance?”

The blond gazed across at ‘James‘, catching his eye. He turned to Blaise and in his loudest voice - just to get the message across, you understand - he said, “Yes, I would love to dance, but I have my partner for the night. Now fuck off and find another guy to dance with. At least ninety-eight percent of them are gay here anyway. Take your pick, but the Greek God over there is mine.” Draco smirked as he pointed in Harry’s direction.

Blaise sauntered off and sought out Dudley, who shrieked like a banshee and ran from the room, holding onto his arse.

********
Draco watched the man in his arms as they danced slowly to the soft music. Lucius was now squashed between Narcissa and the inflatable leprechaun, trying to figure out which one to snog. Draco chuckled before bringing a calloused hand to his lips, and kissing it softly. He noticed the ring that adorned his hopefully soon-to-be lover’s finger, and asked him about it.

“Your ring is beautiful, James. Did you know it glows when I touch you?”

“…”

“See, right there.” Draco lifted the hand, held tightly in his, and watched as the ring turned a vibrant shade of green.

“Um… maybe it just reflects the colour of my eyes or something along those lines. It’s made of glass, so it’s probably a reflection,” Harry said with a slight frown. He remembered what his fairy godfather had said to him about the ring. ‘It has a spell on it, Harry. Only you must wear it, and it must stay on your finger at all times.’ He wished he knew what kind of spell though.

Albus Dumbledore had failed to tell Harry the real meaning of the ring. He had to figure it out for himself. But being the meddling old coot that he was, Albus had spelled the ring to glow when Harry had found his one true love. Not just anyone, but someone worthy of his love, devotion, and most of all, his soul. Once he’d found his soul mate and the love of his life, it would continue to glow around this person, but only if it was on Harry’s finger. No one else would get it to work, even if they tried.

Draco continued to gaze at the ring, mesmerized by its beauty. He didn’t realise the music had stopped until he looked around and found some of his guests in romantic clinches or quietly talking with one another.

Seamus decided it was time to liven up the party. He jumped down from the stage and grabbed hold of a butler before handing him the mic, and then he shoved a blonde wig and large fake boobs on the unsuspecting victim.

“This is preposterous. Take these things off me right now, you bloody fool.” Severus Snape was seething with rage. Draco was clutching his sides, cackling with glee as he watched his father make a beeline for their butler. Seamus was doubled over with laughter and as he made his way back to the stage he bellowed…

“My lady and gentlemen, please welcome Miss Dolly Parton, tits an’ all.” The ballroom erupted as the backing track to ‘9 to 5’ began to play.

“Ooh, Sevvie pooh, can I squeeze your boobies?” Lucius screeched, whilst trying to grab onto Severus’ fake cleavage. The greasy-haired git, although a bit embarrassed, had begun to calm down. That was until Lucius opened his big bloody gob.

“You most certainly cannot, Lucius. How dare you! Get lost, you freak! Go and touch ‘Cissa’s breasts. And what are you two laughing at?” Severus yelled, red-faced. Harry and Draco stopped giggling instantly when they saw the murderous look that crossed Snape’s face.

Draco took this opportunity to lead Harry from the ballroom and up a flight of stairs, before stopping in front of a set of mahogany doors, beautifully carved with dragons and ancient drawings. He gently pressed Harry against the doors and closed the gap between them. He cupped a flushed cheek in his hand and placed his other hand behind Harry’s neck, pulling him closer into a soft kiss. At Harry’s surprised gasp, Draco took a chance and ran his tongue over the boy’s bottom lip, then gently sucked on it before pulling away.

Harry’s eyes were glazed and a goofy grin graced his now very flushed face. “Wow, that was… mmm, do it again, Draco.”

“Let’s take this into the bedroom, shall we?” Draco said, rather breathlessly. Harry didn’t say anything. His mind was racing, his heart was beating way too fast and he felt like a puddle of goo.

‘What the bloody hell am I thinking? We’re going into his room. There’s a bloody bed in there and… oh bugger me gently… he’ll be expecting us to shag. Noooo, I can’t even remember what underwear I have on. Is it yesterday’s or are they clean on today? Jeez, I’m doomed. Wait, I think… yeah, my white satin boxers, to go with my suit,’ Harry’s inner voice spoke. ‘Thought you’d abandoned me, huh? What? Hoping to get a free view? Bugger off and get out of my head.’

“Now, where were we? Oh yeah, somewhere around here,” Draco said as he leaned in for another kiss. Harry was too lost in the feeling of Draco’s lips, and the shaking hand that was gliding softly and gently down towards his crotch, that he didn’t hear the clock on the bedside table strike midnight. But once his brain registered the third ‘dong‘, Harry froze, let out a startled yelp and bolted for the door.

“Eep!”

Harry ran full pelt through the long corridor and didn’t stop until he was outside. He dived head first into the waiting carriage and yelled, “Go, now, move it!” to the surprised coachman. Taking large gulps of air and wiping the sweat from his forehead, Harry caught sight of his right hand. His eyes widened and his heart beat became erratic once again as he stared at the bare finger that had, up until a few moments ago, adorned a beautiful glass ring.

“I’ve lost my fuckin’ ring. I don’t believe it. Oh, no. I can’t go back for it, that’s out of the question. What have I done? Not only did I lie to Draco, I also left him standing, in the middle of his room, shocked and puzzled. I didn’t even say goodbye. I’m a complete arsehole. Aaaargh!” Harry closed his eyes and tried to stop the tears coming.

‘You know, Harry, or should I call you James?’ Harry growled low in his throat, but the mocking voice failed to give up. ‘You’re not the brightest bulb in the box, are you? Draco’s not interested in you. He just wanted a quick fuck and once he’d got that, you would have been out on your arse. You are the most clueless person I know.’

“SHUT UP, JUST SHUT UP! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT DRACO WANTED! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE. GO AND FIND SOMEONE ELSE’S HEAD TO HAUNT. YOU’RE A NUTCASE,” Harry yelled. He hoped the horseman couldn’t hear him or it wouldn’t be Privet Drive he’d be staying at tonight. It would be the local loony asylum.

**********
‘What the bloody hell just happened? One minute we were making out, the next he was fleeing in haste as though he was being chased by a herd of rampaging bulls.’ Draco sat with his head in his hands. He had been too shocked to go after ‘James’ when the boy ran from the room. ‘Did I take it too far, too soon? I like him; I really, really like him. And now he’s gone. I have no idea where he’s from; he could be from Mars for all I know. Shit, I have royally fucked up. Hello, what’s that?’

He bent down and picked up the object that had caught his eye. Inhaling sharply, Draco clenched his hand around the glass ring and held it close to his chest. “His ring. He must have dropped it in his hurry to get away from me.” A choked sob escaped from Draco’s throat. He didn’t feel like going back to his party. Instead, he slipped out of his tux and pulled on a pair of dark green silk pyjamas, then crawled into his huge empty bed. Curling up on his side, Draco held ‘James’s’ ring in his closed hand and whispered, ‘goodnight, James‘, before closing his eyes and falling into a restless sleep.

TBC