Funerals and Weddings

For disclaimer, summary, story codes and other information, please see the prologue.

A/N: Warning: Het scene ahead! Don’t worry, the clothes stay on!

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Chapter the Fifty-second: Winning a Bet
20 January


Blaise Zabini stomped his feet and shoved his gloved hands under the folds of his heavy cloak. He couldn’t believe he was standing outside in the freezing cold. Draco owed him big for this. He hunched his shoulders as a biting wind cut through his weak warming spell. He cursed the fact that he was shite at warming spells. Why hadn’t he practiced harder in Charms? Because he’d never expected to be standing outside in sub-zero temperatures voluntarily, that’s why! Blaise cut his eyes in the direction of the door leading into the Quidditch locker room. He could probably get through the locks, but didn’t really want to walk in on anything…personal.

‘Do me a favour, Blaise?’ Blaise mocked Draco’s voice inside his head. ‘Keep a lookout outside the changing room after Quidditch practise tonight—I need a few minutes alone with Harry.’

“Few minutes, my arse,” Blaise grumbled, then winced at the thought of ‘arses’ in relation to Draco and Harry. “Nope, not going there. And Draco has five more minutes, then I’m outta here and they’re on their own. And Draco still owes me in a major way for this.”

Trying to distract himself from the cold by thinking of ways Draco could repay him for this favour, Blaise was surprised to hear a voice call his name. Squinting through snow tossed up by a sudden gust of wind, Blaise saw a black blob making its way toward him from the other end of the building.

The wind died down and the snow settled. As the black blob stepped up to Blaise, it pushed the scarf covering the lower half of its face down and shoved its hood back a little. Blaise was pleasantly surprised to see Katie Bell’s face emerge from its dark cocoon.

“Hello, Zabini, fancy meeting you here,” Katie joked. Her breath puffed out in clouds of white.

Blaise snorted. “What the hell are you doing out here, Bell? Looking for Potter?”

“No,” she answered, then stepped closer to Blaise. “Did you cast a warming spell? It’s a little warmer here.”

“Yeah, but it’s useless against the wind. It’s not so bad until the wind blows.”

“Mind if I cast one too? Maybe doubling it up would help,” Katie offered.

“Sure,” Blaise said. “Hope you’re better at them than I am, though.”

Katie laughed as she fished her wand out of her robes. “Lucky for us, Charms is one of my best subjects.” She cast the spell and Blaise immediately felt warmer. “Ah, that’s some better. Still bloody cold, though.”

“No kidding. I was just about to leave when you showed up. What are you doing here, anyway?” Blaise asked.

Katie shrugged. “I just got done cleaning up after practise and saw you standing down here, so I thought I’d drop by to say hello. See what you were doing, standing outside in the cold. What are you doing out here?” She looked at him, her expression curious.

Blaise rolled his eyes. “Draco suckered me into playing lookout while he has a bit of ‘private time’ with Potter. I can’t believe he actually talked me into it.”

“Ah, a little post-practise shower snogging,” Katie arched her brows suggestively, then laughed. “Not very nice of them to leave you out here all alone in the cold though. Want me to stay and keep you company?”

Blaise grinned and thought that this favour he was doing for Draco might actually end up having some side benefits for himself. “Yeah, yeah, sure. Especially since you’re a hell of a lot better at warming charms than I am!”

“Still awfully cold, though,” Katie said, stepping a little closer to Blaise. “Do you happen to know any other ways to keep warm?” The look she gave him was decidedly flirtatious.

Blaise smiled slowly, then pulled his hands out of his robes. Stepping forward, he slid them under Katie’s cloak and rested them on her hips. “Well, they say sharing body heat is one of the best ways to keep warm.” He pulled Katie forward just enough to have their bodies bump together.

Katie slid her hands up his chest and rested them on his shoulders. “I think I’ve heard that somewhere. ‘Course, I’ve also heard that…physical activity…is a great way to keep warm as well.”

Blaise lowered his head and let his lips hover a fraction of an inch above Katie’s. “Let’s find out.” He crushed his mouth down on Katie’s, sliding his arms around her waist as he did so. He felt Katie rise up on her toes and link her hands behind his neck as she returned his kiss eagerly. Blaise forgot all about the cold as he explored the warmth of Katie’s mouth with his tongue.

When the need to breath became imperative, they separated, each breathing heavily. Katie smiled and pressed herself against Blaise’s body again. “I’m definitely warmer now.”

Blaise grinned. “Me too.” Shifting, he pressed Katie back against the wall of the building and took her mouth in another passionate kiss. Moaning, Katie arched against Blaise’s firm body. Blaise’s hand had just closed over Katie’s breast when they were interrupted by a loud cough from behind them, followed by a voice neither of them wanted to hear: Severus Snape.

“I think that’s 25 points from Slytherin and 25 points from whomever you’re slobbering all over, Mr. Zabini.”

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Draco rested his forehead against the slick tiles of the shower wall and groaned. Steam billowed around him as the hot water beat down on his back. Bracing his palms on the wall, he arched his back and pushed back against Harry’s fingers.

“Now, Harry!” he growled.

He shuddered as he felt Harry withdraw his fingers from his arse, then moaned when he felt the blunt head of Harry’s prick breach the ring of muscle that guarded his entrance.

“Wait!” Draco gasped. He felt Harry freeze behind him, then start to withdraw. “No, don’t move!” He twisted his head to look over his shoulder at his lover.

“Draco, what’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” Harry asked, his face tight as concern warred with restrained passion.

“No,” Draco panted. “That just feels so good…I want you to do it again.”

“What, this?” Harry pulled out, then pushed just the head of his cock past the tight entrance of Draco’s arse.

“Yes—that—do it again,” Draco gasped, pressing his cheek to the wall again. “Feels so good.”

Harry withdrew, then repeated the action with a short, hard thrust. Draco’s moan echoed off the shower walls. “Again.”

Happy to do whatever gave his lover such pleasure, Harry complied. Besides, the repeated squeeze on the head of his erection felt amazing. He continued his hard, shallow thrusts until Draco suddenly pushed back hard against him and gasped, ”Now!”

Pulling out completely one last time, Harry rammed himself hard and deep into Draco’s channel. He felt the head of his cock brush against the small, sensitive bundle of nerves. Draco’s back arched as he cried out, ”Yes!”

Tightening his grip on Draco’s hips, Harry began to piston his own hard and fast. He grunted each time he slammed himself into Draco’s tight, welcoming tunnel. Draco was keening and moving his hips in counterpoint, thrusting backwards as Harry thrust forward. Harry saw Draco’s hand reach back and begin to stroke his erection in time with Harry’s thrusts. Within minutes, Draco’s orgasm was crashing over him, his spasming muscles triggering Harry’s own climax. Shouts echoed throughout the shower room as white jets spurted against the shower wall and deep inside Draco’s body.

Exhausted, Draco sagged against the shower wall. He felt Harry’s arms wrap around him and he was pulled against Harry’s chest. Then Harry was sliding them both down the shower wall to sprawl bonelessly on the stall floor. The warm water of the shower cascaded over them as they recovered.

Eventually, Draco roused himself enough to sit up. He gave Harry a smacking kiss, then pushed himself to his feet. “C’mon, Harry, get up. We can’t stay here all day. I’m getting all wrinkly.”

Rolling his eyes, Harry took Draco’s proffered hand and allowed himself to be pulled upright. He wrapped his arms around Draco’s waist and returned the playful kiss. “Can’t have that, now can we?”

Draco gave Harry’s arse a light slap and reached around him to shut off the water. “No, we can’t. Besides, we’ve kept Blaise waiting way too long as it is. He’s going to kill me.”

“If he’s still there,” Harry said as he passed a towel to Draco. “Wouldn’t surprise me if he’d left by now.”

“If he has, he’d best be thanking his lucky stars that no one walked in on us just now,” Draco muttered.

The locker room was chilly and he and Harry dressed quickly. Bundled up in his heavy cloak, Draco headed to the door as Harry finished lacing up his Docs. Poking his head out, he started to call out to Blaise, but the words froze on his tongue. Carefully shutting the door again, he turned to see Harry giving him a curious look.

“What? Is he not there?” Harry asked.

Draco let a smile spread slowly across his face. “Oh, he’s there all right. And I think he’s helping someone win that bet you told me about.”

Harry looked blank for a moment, then his eyes widened as he realised what Draco meant. “You mean he’s out there—snogging someone from Gryffindor? Who?”

“Take a wild guess, Potter,” Draco said dryly.

Harry grinned. “Katie. Damn, this I gotta see.” Pushing past Draco, he pulled the door open a crack and smirked as he Blaise push Katie up against the locker room wall. Shutting the door, he turned to Draco and said, “Well, well. Another Gryffindor-Slytherin couple. Think we’re contagious?”

“I hope not!” Draco laughed. “I can’t wait to give Blaise a little of his own medicine—he’s been taking the piss about the two of us ever since he found out.” Suddenly, his eyes lit up mischievously. “Oh, and I know just the way to do it.”

Harry lifted a brow. “Why do I not like the sound of that?”

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“I think that’s 25 points from Slytherin and 25 points from whomever you’re slobbering all over, Mr. Zabini.”

Blaise’s hand dropped away from Katie’s breast as though he’d been burned. Turning quickly, he prepared to face the wrath of his head of house. “Sir, I…”

The words died on his tongue and his jaw dropped. “What the hell?!” he sputtered.

Draco started snickering. Harry couldn’t hold back any longer and let loose laughing. “Your face,” he gasped. “Priceless…”

Gobsmacked, Blaise looked back at Katie, who looked as bemused as he felt. “What the…I could have sworn I heard Snape. Didn’t you?”

Katie nodded, then narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, but Snape’s not here. How did you guys do that?”

Draco put on his best innocent expression and looked at Harry, who had finally stopped laughing. “Snape? I didn’t hear Snape. Did you, Harry?”

Smirking, Harry raised a brow and drawled in his best Snape-voice, “Why, no, Mr. Malfoy. Perhaps locking lips with a Gryffindor has divested Mr. Zabini of his brain.”

Blaise and Katie gaped at Harry. “Holy fuck! How the bloody hell did you do that, Potter?” Blaise asked.

“Harry,” Harry reminded Blaise with a grin. “And it’s just a little gift I have, born from many, many nights in the dormitory bitching about His Greasiness.”

Katie stepped forward and gave Harry a smack on the arm. “Damn, Harry, you nearly gave me a heart attack! I had no idea you could do that!” Then she grinned. “Can you do anyone else?”

“No, but Seamus is spot on with his McGonagall,” Harry replied. “Speaking of Seamus, I see you’re the winning contestant in the bet, Katie.” He grinned and winked knowingly at her.

“Bet? What bet?” Blaise wanted to know.

“Remember, the one I told you about,” Draco responded. “Finnigan set up a bet as to which Gryffindor would be the first to snog a Slytherin.”

“Oh, yeah,” Blaise said slowly, then turned to look speculatively at Katie. “That wasn’t—”

“No,” Katie said firmly. “I wasn’t even thinking of the bet when I kissed you.”

Blaise met her gaze, then nodded. “Good,” was all he said.

“Yeah, very good,” Harry laughed.

“Why’s that, Harry?” Katie asked, curious.

Harry gave her a wicked grin. “Because you guys just won that bet for me!”

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It was much later that night when Harry tumbled, exhausted, into his cozy bed in the Gryffindor dormitory. After announcing he’d bet on Katie as being the first to snog a Slytherin, she’d chased him, laughing, all the way back to the castle. She’d taken a lot of ribbing from the others when Harry had burst into the Gryffindor common room and unceremoniously announced that he’d won the bet. Though she swore revenge on Harry, her eyes were dancing and the happy smile never left her face.

After the bet had been settled (Harry had netted himself a satisfactory six Galleons and four Sickles—which he planned to use to buy Katie something nice), Harry had excused Katie and himself, saying he’d promised Katie a tutoring session in defence.

In reality, they’d met up with Draco and Blaise in the Room of Requirement (Blaise being suitably awed, as it was his first visit). Harry and Draco had practiced Occlumency while Katie and Blaise worked on their own homework between flirting and kissing. Harry might have been envious, had Draco not taken to kissing him as a “reward” each time he successfully blocked him from his mind.

So even though both his body and head throbbed from the day’s exertions, Harry went to bed happy. Blocking his mind from intrusion, he tumbled into dreams as soon as his head hit the pillow.

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It was late when Ron jolted awake from a sound sleep. Mind muddled by sleep, he tried to figure out why he was awake. He listened for a few moments, but heard nothing except the snores of his dorm-mates. Rolling over, he had just about fallen back to sleep when he was jarred awake again. This time, Ron knew immediately what had disturbed his slumber: Harry’s voice.

‘Damn,’ he thought as he threw off his blankets, ‘I hope Harry’s not having another nightmare.’

Climbing out of bed, he heard a moan issue forth from behind the curtains enclosing Harry’s bed. Grimacing, Ron tip-toed over to Harry’s bed. As he lifted his hands to the curtains, he heard Harry sigh, then mumble something in his sleep. Parting the curtains just enough to peer inside, Ron let his eyes adjust to the inky blackness and waited to see if Harry would say anything else. He was beginning to think that Harry might just be dreaming—not having a nightmare—because his best friend’s face looked peaceful and he wasn’t thrashing about as he usually did when trapped in a dream about You-Know-Who. Just as Ron started to close the curtains and go back to his own bed, Harry tossed his head on his pillow and Ron’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he heard Harry murmur: “Mmm…Draco…”

Letting the curtains drop, Ron stumbled back a step. Shivering, he turned and jumped back into his own bed, shutting the drapes securely. Burrowing under the covers, he tried to process what he had just heard.

‘Harry’s dreaming about…Malfoy?’ he thought. ‘And that didn’t sound like he was dreaming about fighting with Malfoy—especially since he called him Draco and not Malfoy! In fact, with that moaning he was doing, it almost sounded like a…sex dream. Is Harry dreaming about Malfoy like that? Why?’

Suddenly, something else clicked in Ron’s brain. ‘That love bite on the back of Harry’s neck! That couldn’t be from….Malfoy, could it? I suspected Harry was seeing someone on the sly—he has to be, one doesn’t get love bites like that from wanking—but could it be Malfoy? Why the hell would Harry be with that git? Harry hates Malfoy! Malfoy supports You-Know-Who! Why in the world would he ever get involved…like that…(Ron shuddered) with Malfoy? Should I ask him?’

Ron debated silently with himself for a moment, then decided against it. ‘No, he’ll just deny it, even if it is true. And I really think it might be. After all, he has been spending time with Malfoy—supposedly working on DADA assignments—and he sure got his knickers in a twist that night at dinner when Hermione and I were on him about being careful around that ferret! And the truce! Harry seemed awfully happy when we agreed to a truce with Malfoy and Zabini. It’s all starting to add up: Harry disappearing for hours at a time, the truce, spending time with Malfoy, the love bite, and now, tonight, moaning Malfoy’s name in his sleep! Merlin! Harry’s got something going with Malfoy. Argh! What do I do now?’

Rolling over, Ron punched his pillow in frustration. ‘Nothing. I can’t do anything. Not until I’m sure. I don’t have enough proof to say anything to Harry just yet. The last thing I need is Harry pissed at me for nosing in his business, especially if I’m wrong. I’ll just have to keep a closer eye on Harry and see if I notice anything else. If I do…then I’ll ask Harry about it.’

Decision made, Ron drifted back to sleep, sincerely hoping that he was wrong in his suspicions, but afraid that he was right.

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In the dank dungeons of the rotting Lestrange mansion, Bellatrix smiled grimly as she stirred the dark, thick potion brewing in the ancient cauldron. It was almost ready. It was fortunate that almost all of the ingredients she’d needed had been successfully stolen from that shop in Ireland, despite the Order of the Phoenix’s surprise attack. As for the two ingredients that hadn’t been stolen, she’d been able to procure them from Knockturn Alley, while disguised as a hag.

Withdrawing a phial from her robe pocket, she studied the final ingredient she’d just gotten from her unwitting sister. It had been so easy. Pay a visit to her poor, widowed sister, wait until she’d gone into the kitchens to check on refreshments—then snatch what she’d needed. Her Master would be so pleased when the potion was finally ready and she was able to put her plan into effect. It was so beautifully simple—she was guaranteed to succeed. Slipping the phial back into her pocket, Bellatrix turned to leave and relay the good news to her Dark Lord.

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A/N: Thanks for the reviews—they are always welcome!

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