A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

~London Beckoned Songs About Money Written by Machines~



**(Panic!: meet the press)

It's time for us to take a chance

It's time for us...**





--





Two heads bent, foreheads coming together in a silent conspiracy. The sound of even breathing echoed in the lavish room around them.





“Are you sure about this, Harry?”





“I’m sure, Draco.”





The blonde bit his lip, trying not to stare incredulously, but he just couldn’t feel completely right about this decision. If he were anyone else he might understand the idea. Hell, if HARRY were anyone else, he would probably go through with it without thinking. What did he care? It wasn’t as if his father could simply disown him over a matter like this. He was the only legitimate heir to the entire Malfoy fortune, and his mother was dead. He was it; the line stopped here and there was nothing Lucius could do about it.





However, this was not an ordinary situation. This was Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy in a secret love affair. This was Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy wanting to be not-so-secret anymore. Sure, people would frown at their decision to enter a romantic relationship with another man, but there was nothing technically wrong with it. Not to mention they were both considered highly powerful wizards; Draco for his influence and money, and Harry for his experience and heroic status. There should be nothing wrong with their desire to come out to those they loved, and to the nosey public who felt they owned a piece of their lives as well.





The problem came in to play when you consider that this is Draco Malfoy AND Harry Potter in a secret love affair TOGETHER. Draco just couldn’t help but think that there would be trouble for them. Nobody would be able to reconcile the fact that a family with known connections to Dark Arts could ever be in liaison with the man who as a boy killed the Darkest of the Dark.





Not to mention, Harry’s friends would never accept him.





“I just don’t think they’ll like me.”





Harry was surprised by the whine that exploded seemingly out of nowhere.





“What are you talking about?”





Draco had the grace to blush slightly at his outburst.





“Your friends, Harry. Won’t they hate you for doing this?”





“What, being with someone who makes my heart sing?”





They had long since gotten over their manly, proud embarrassment concerning sweet nothings and lovers’ endearments. They understood how they felt about each other, and also understood that when you’re in love you sometimes say things you just don’t understand.





A soft smile graced Draco’s lips at the comment, and his eyes turned on his lover.





“I’m not entirely sure they’re going to phrase it quite like that.”





“What does it matter? I love you, and as lovely as your room is, quite frankly I’m tired of sneaking in here every time I wish to… spend time with you.”





A suggestive eyebrow wiggle provoked a giggle from the blonde, before he was able to turn slightly more serious.





“You and I both know I wasn’t the nicest of guys while we were in school, particularly to you and your friends.”





“Yeah, but I forgave you didn’t I?”





“You fell in love, and I’m sorry but I just CAN’T bring myself to flash those charms in front of Weasley and Granger.”





At this Harry burst out laughing, and as contagious laughter usually does, it lifted a smirk on Draco’s lips.





“What?”





“I just don’t think you and Ron would get on quite as well as we did.”





Draco’s smirk melted into a blanched sort of horror, and this only served to further Harry’s amusement.





“Alright, alright, cut it out Potter,” Draco almost growled, “We’ve got a real matter on our hands here. If you’re sure you can handle your friends’ criticism over me, and you don’t care about the press judging you and you don’t mind my father looking down his nose at you…”





“Oh wait, he already does that,” interrupted Harry.





Draco’s eyes narrowed.





“I’m trying to be serious, and you’re being jovial about this whole affair. I want to make sure you don’t do anything you will end up regretting.”





He turned soft, lowering his eyes to the plush carpeting beside his massive poster bed.





“I love you, Harry. I don’t want you to get hurt and blame me for your friends leaving you.”





The brunette scooped his fickle lover into arms, nuzzling gently behind his ears smelling the sweet scent of the blonde hair.





“If they did, which I highly doubt, then I can assure you, as this was my idea, I would never blame you. I would remember this conversation and know that I coerced you into it against your will and if anyone had the right to hate anyone over it, it would be you.”





Draco twisted and pressed a chaste kiss against his lips.





“If you’re sure you’re comfortable with this, than I don’t mind at all. I’d love to stop skulking around and disguising myself just to get some time with you.”





Harry smiled against the lips pressing themselves to his. Another bout of pressure, a small sealing of their decision, and he pulled away.





They looked into each other’s eyes and heaved a sigh only someone facing an arduous task ahead could muster.





“So… papers?”





“Papers…”





**





“Bloody fucking timing.”





Draco stood in the center of his room, eyes closed to the world around him. He tried to breathe even, measured breaths but all he wanted to do was scream and throw something. At his father’s head… And watch his skin break away, and his skull cave in, and the blood to pour out so that he could run his fingers through the crimson liquid and laugh as his father’s last breath was taken from him, the sick fuck!





Wait… what?





He put a finger to the bridge of his nose, and sighed away the image. Entertaining demented fantasies of patricide over this little speed bump was not going to help matters. He was a Malfoy, dammit! And a better one than his father… Malfoys knew how to get what they wanted, and if Lucius managed this much, surely he could do better.





“Bastard!”





A random vase shattered to his left, and he ignored it. Malfoys usually kept their tempers under check, and he wasn’t used to his Accidental Magic ruining things, but this was the fifth object in the last quarter-hour.





He paced a little, hoping it would settle down his nervous energy. Of course it didn’t work, and another outburst caused the wood on the door to rattle fiercely.





Just that morning they had been talking of going to the papers; coming out (so to speak) to the entire world, including their families, and before anything can happen that bloody bastard of a father of his had to go and ruin everything. EVERYTHING.





The tosser had even gone as far as to tell him his plans. He had explained quite patiently that he knew all about the two of them, and how utterly disgusting it was. He talked at length about how he wouldn’t allow his family’s name to be polluted by the acts of a pervert and he was going to set things right. He was going to obliviate him and he would go back to being a good little pure-blood and marry a woman, and have a legitimate heir and they would never have to discuss the name Potter ever again.





Luckily, Lucius didn’t count on Draco not being an utter idiot and before any spells could be fired by the elder Malfoy, his son cast a quick Expelliarmus and dove for the relative safety of his room. Of course a strong locking ward on his door, boosted nicely by his incredible anger, saved him from his father’s incessant spells blasting at the portal. Finally the enraged cursing and shouts and sparks dwindled to nothing, and a final shout of,





“You’re not safe yet, Draco! Don’t get comfortable!”





before he stormed off.





Draco shook under the intensity of the situation. The only thing he could think of was that he wanted Harry’s arms around him, but he needed to let go of yearning just then. He couldn’t be anything but strong under these circumstances. He knew that he needed to fight back. He knew that he needed to protect himself from his apparently insane father. He never expected a reaction like this. Never had anything his father ever done or said ever let on that he would treat his only son like this. Draco was apparently mistaken when he thought his status as sole heir would protect him. He was sorely mistaken, and now he had to get to Harry.





**





Harry woke up with a sharp inhale. He leaned up to look around when pain blossomed on the back of his head. His groan of pain brought a person to kneel beside him, which helped him realize he was low, probably on a sofa. The familiar smell of the room hit him and he realized he must be on his own sofa. A small hand pressed him down as he tried to sit up again.





“Whaagrapenn?”





“It’s alright, Harry. Just stay down. Here, take a sip of this.”





His vision finally cleared and he saw the red hair, brown eyes, and pretty smile of his best friend’s little sister.





“Ginny?”





“Here.”



She shoved a cup in front of him and he pushed it away, head still swimming slightly.





“Hold on.”





He managed to push himself upright, even though her insistent hands tried to keep him down.





“What’s going on?”





“You need to drink this Harry, I’ll explain everything.”





He took the cup and placed it to his lips, but he got a sniff of it and pushed it away.





“What is this?”





“It’ll… help with your head.”





He gave her a dubious look and pulled to get off the sofa. He needed to stand.



“What am I doing back here? I was just at… wait…”





“Harry, please drink it. I’ll tell you everything that happened, but you need to drink it now. I won’t have you with any lasting effects!”





“Effects of what?”





“Just drink the damn potion already!”





Harry stared at her evenly, still not fully getting it, but he knew she wanted him to drink the potion.





As he had absolutely no reason not to trust her, he did just that.





**





Ginny heard the groan and rushed to his side, picking up the cup she’d poured the potion into. She couldn’t believe she was going to go through with this, but she was too far in to back out now. She needed him to drink it right away before he started asking any stupid questions. She was shaking and her insides were jell-o. There was absolutely no way she was going to last long.





When he finally seemed coherent enough to understand her, she shoved the cup into his hands. She was so close, he was so close to taking a sip, but then he sneered at it and turned his head away.





“What is this?”





She panicked. For some reason she had not factored in the possibility that he would ask about the actual potion. She floundered for something, anything to tell him that wouldn’t cause any more questions. She remembered the obvious groan of pain earlier.





“It’ll… help with your head.”





She saw the look he pulled at this, and was even more alarmed as he rose unsteadily to his feet. He muttered to himself; she saw the confusion still clouding his gaze and suddenly he turned to her. A sharp suspicious stare pierced her already fragile sensibility.





“Harry, please drink it. I’ll tell you everything that happened, but you need to drink it now,” she fought for something authoritative, something that would convince him to do what she needed him to do, “I won’t have you with any lasting effects!”





He quirked an eyebrow.





“Effects of what?”





She gritted her teeth, quite tired of dodging things and just wanting it over.





“Just drink the damn potion already!”





She watched with nervous energy as he stared at her, face quite blank. Suddenly he moved the cup to his lips slowly, and drank the potion.





--





Harry swallowed the liquid in his mouth, never breaking his stare with Ginny. A moment passed, then his face slackened minutely. His eyes went blank, dull and lifeless. Ginny was about to reach out to touch him on the shoulder, see if he was okay, when he breathed in so sharply she drew back in fright.





She’d not actually been given any details as to what the potion was supposed to do EXACTLY. She belatedly realized it could do anything, even cause Harry Potter to explode and never have existed. She mentally berated herself for trusting any sort of Malfoy, but especially the patriarch of the family. If Harry died she had no idea what she would do.





She continued to stare at him, deathly afraid of what was going to happen, when his eyes glittered back to life. His features took on an angelic, wistful sort of expression before smiling dazzlingly bright at her.





“Ginny….” He all but whispered at her.





“Harry?”





“Ginny… you’re… beautiful…”





Her eyes grew wide, alarmed.





“Harry, are you okay?”





“Ginny… I love you… I’ve always loved you.”





She wasn’t sure what to think. She certainly hadn’t wanted a blindly loyal little puppy… She had wanted Harry as he was to love her with all his heart. She was afraid she’d gotten into more than she could handle. She realized he was whispering to himself.





“Yes… I’ve always loved you… Ginny…”



He stepped forward, and she stood still; not moving backwards, not rushing into his embrace. He moved forward, arms wide, and scooped her up, tilting her head back in a fierce claiming kiss.





‘Well, I could get used to this…’





He pulled back, eyes shining with emotion, and looked down at her. She looked back up, smiling widely, thinking it might not be too bad, when his features slackened again, only slightly.





“Harry?”





“Ginny…?”





He dropped his arms and fell slightly sideways, slightly backwards, and hit his head for real with a sickening thump that caused the small red-head to jump.





“Shit…”





**





Draco apparated as near to Harry’s house as he could guess. He’d never actually been there before, but he missed by not too much. He ran to the door he knew had to be his, when the scene through the large bay window, curtains spread, caused him to pause in his mission to ‘get to Harry before Lucius did’.





Unfortunately for our hero, he only got there in time to see a widely smiling Harry Potter grab an obvious Weasley (the long red hair gave it away) into a bear hug. He couldn’t see her face so he never saw her surprise, but he did see the intensely passionate kiss he gave her. That she returned.





He took a deeeep breath before swearing loudly, disturbing a flock of pigeons. He turned, disapparating on the spot, never getting the chance to see a glassy-eyed Harry Potter fainting in a most unnatural way.





--





**Start talking "a sensationalist"

Oh he's slightly clever to just a certain extent

Well keep quiet let us sing like the doves

Then decide if it's done with purpose or lack thereof.**