Blood is Thicker Than Fear

Harry awoke to the blaze of the noon sun the next morning, after the best night’s sleep he had ever experienced in his entire life: no nightmares, no tossing and turning; just dreams of Draco. He stretched out on his bed and sighed contentedly. He would take a shower (a cold…very, very cold) shower, head down to lunch, and see Draco. Though, he felt rather guilty that he was the only one satisfied last night…he would see to that.
Harry got off of his bed, and pulled off his t-shirt on his way to the bathroom. After he had shut the door behind him, he shed himself of his boxers, and started the shower. As the cold water streamed over his skin, he was reminded of Draco; a cool rush in the midst of a hot, sticky moment. Amazing; he was still at a loss as to exactly when he had begun being civil with Draco—and he him. It just…happened; like he was under a spell; in the muggle, figurative sense, of course.
He stopped the tap, grabbed a towel from the shower curtain rod, and draped it around hi waist. As he had just taken a cold shower, there was no fog on the mirror. ‘a first,’ Harry thought to himself. He brushed his teeth, and after rinsing, he noticed the marks on his neck and shoulders left by Draco last night. He smiled to himself as he remembered the amazing—beyond amazing sensation of having his…okay, he had to stop there or he’d need another cold shower.
Still smiling manically to himself, he left the bathroom and headed to his wardrobe. After Hermione and Ginny forced him to go shopping after coming out (goddamn stereotypes) he no longer possessed any hand-me-downs, or too loose, or too tight clothes. They even replaced his circular glasses with “stylish” horn-rimmed ones. Ginny had said, ‘you should always dress to the music you listen to—you always listen to punk/angsty music…so here you go!’ she handed him a fish-net shirt gleefully. He held it up before him and stared at it disgustedly. ‘I am not wearing this.’ ‘oh, yes you are.’ He folded his arms and rolled his eyes to the ceiling of the ‘fuck-the-mainstream’ store. ‘no…I’m really not.’ She then imitated a very Mrs. Weasley pose and said, ‘you don’t wear it by itself....’ she grabbed a near by t-shirt, ‘you wear it under stuff. It’s very sexy.’ ‘sex isn’t my primary concern, at the moment.’ Hermione sighed and put her hands to her cheeks, ‘I wish you were straight…’
So, here he was, changing into a fishnet shirt, and short-sleeved black t-shirt with a communist symbol on it. What could he say—he was a lover of irony…that would explain Draco. He laughed to himself again as he pulled on his faded jeans, and headed out the door to breakfast…or lunch…or dinner…or whatever.
On his way to the great hall, he was stopped by Nearly Headless Nick. “Good day, young master Potter. Slept in, I see!”
“Oh yea. I haven’t slept that well since…well…that’s depressing, isn’t it?”
Nick chuckled and bowed. “Quite. Well, Master Malfoy is still in the Chamber of Knowledge, currently being trained by Masters Black and Snape.”
Harry snorted. “That must be a riot…hey…how did you know I’d be looking for Draco?”
“Well, when you’ve been around as long as I have, sir—you notice things.”
“Hmm…well, see you around Nick!” Nick bowed in reply, and Harry set off at a light jog to the great hall. Everyone had already eaten—there was just a solitary plate set for him, enchanted to keep warm along with a glass of chilled pumpkin juice. ‘God,’ Harry thought, ‘do they ever serve anything other than pumpkin juice?!’
He sat down and nibbled on a piece of toast pensively. The full moon was out tonight…maybe that’s why Remus had been acting so strange lately. But he had been acting strangely for a while though—it couldn’t have been moon-related. Before he could finish his train of thought, he was interrupted by Sirius, who took a seat beside him. He looked exhausted—and as though he had the sit scared out of him. Half of his robes were singed off, as well as one of his eyebrows. He was panting as he reached for Harry’s glass of pumpkin juice. He drained it in ten seconds flat. Harry laughed as he looked his godfather up and down. “Gave you a run for your money, did he?”
Sirius turned to him and gave him a sarcastic smile. “Shut up.”
Harry was about to retort, when Snape plopped down beside him. “that’s it—Remus can take it from here—at least he’ll be able to keep up with him.” Snape looked around, suproised at something. “where is wolf-boy, anyway?”
Sirius sighed and closed his eyes. “He said he didn’t feel like getting up today—I don’t know what’s wrong with him; usually, I can read him like a book…”
“Maybe he’s evolving.” Snape added as-a-matter-of-factly. Harry and Sirius looked at him confused. “I thought he was done evolving.” Sirius asked.
“Well,” Snape began as he poured himself a cup of coffee, “maybe, given the current situation, his subconscious finds it necessary to further evolve, to compensate for the…less that desirable circumstances.” He took a sip and continued, “it’s not uncommon.”
Sirius seemed satisfied, because he continued to eat Harry’s breakfast, but he wasn’t. “What do you mean, ‘evolving’?” Sirius put down his toast and began, “You know how in wolf packs, there are different ranks of wolves in the unit to keep order, based on strength, stamina, and leadership ability; like alpha, omega, and all that jazz?”
Harry nodded.
“Well, werewolves go through different…evolutions. Remus came to Hogwarts as an omega: basically human, except for he turned into a wolf once a month. When he turned sixteen…after that whole ‘me trying to kill Snape thing’ he evolved into a sigma. He still had no control over his monthly morph, but began to develop keener senses. As a human, he became stronger, faster, developed better eye-sight—that sort of thing. Then, that day at the ministry, when he saw me attacked, he further evolved into a beta which is further than most people ever go; now he doesn’t have to change during the full moon—he changes at will. Now, since he had just evolved, evolving again, as Snape said, in light of the current circumstances; it is more difficult. After witnessing him go through ‘the change’ several times, I can tell you it is a lot like menopause. So, if he’s ever mean to you, don’t take it personally.” He finished with a flourish, and began drinking Snape’s coffee.
Snape rolled his eyes and continued for Sirius, “Only four werewolves have ever evolved to the alpha level that we know of; one of them being Helga Hufflepuff.”
“Oh…” Harry said, “that makes sense. So what now—is Remus going to be an uber-werewolf?”
“yup.” They said in unison. Snape pushed his chair back from the table and stood. “well, I’m off to the lab.” Sirius nodded to him and stared after him until he shut the doors of the great hall behind him. Sirius turned back to Harry and said, “stupid git—he merely got me killed, you know. ‘here, Sirius, let’s let Draco have some target practice!’ gods, I hate him.”
“You seem to be getting along though”
“Yes, well…after all he’s done for Remus lately; I kind of feel bad being mean to him.”
“Sirius?” Harry asked, swirling his finger on the table. “Yea, Harry?”
“Where’d Draco go?”
“Back to his dorm to take a shower, I think.” Without another word, Harry got up and left the hall, leaving behind a bemused Sirius. He shook his head. “Everyone has gone insane.”

After running to the dungeons, Harry stopped before the hidden entrance to the Slytherin common room. “Kerberos”, he said and the secret entrance way revealed itself. He heard running water upstairs. He followed the sound to a single bedroom. Apparently, Slytherin prefects had their own rooms...bastards. He sat himself down on Draco’s queen-size bed, on the green-satin sheets. Knowing Draco, his shower would take forever. He looked around the room. Apparently, he was like his father in that he was very studious. He had a large cherry desk laden with books and scroll upon scroll of parchment. On his nightstand, he had a simple candelabra, a framed picture of him, Blaise Zabini, and Pansy Parkinson smiling and waving with their arms wrapped around each other. Next to that, was a rather tattered leather journal. Curiously (his mind was screaming at him—‘NO! You know what happens when you touch journals? It ends bad, that’s what!’) but he opened it anyways.
The first page just had his name, and an ornate drawing of a thorny vine, covered in blossoming red roses. He had no idea he was such a talented artist. He flipped through the pages quickly, to find that it was mainly poetry, with accompanying drawings. Intrigued, he ceased his flipping at a random page somewhere in the middle. At the top, there was a drawing of a beautiful, male angel, with only one wing. It was beautiful to look at, but very tragic as well. He looked to the writing beneath it, on Draco’s aristocratic, delicate hand.

\"In Sleep I Dream of Terror\"

(20/4/95)

Scarlet waters teeming, streaming over blinded eyes
Down ashen meadows, cascading over broken bones
Flaxen hair, splitting, falling, from a once noble crown
Shattered lips, bloody fingertips, gracing your smooth, white skin

I cannot take this anymore; being the epitome of desolation, ugliness
Alone in a world of beauty, held hostage by monsters and its own fear
Throat dry from calling out to my mother in my nightmares,
Only to know she will never come for me

Tattered sheets, teary pillows, ashen face, scarlet eyes
Only they keep me tied to this pitiful excuse for a world
If I could but feel pain, taste victory, be loved
I would not be abandoned to the barren fields of my nightmares.

Ah yes…the fields.
Grey meadows specked with indigo flowers, engulfed by the scarlet skies
Looking up to the onyx-black sun, grey-pink clouds
The wind screams a banshee\'s scream, when it flies past your ears
The rain rains only blood, the snow snows only tears

My nightmares are what hold me--hold me to my mind
For pure fear is the only escape; the last escape from this sad world
In sleep I dream of terror.
In life I dream of snow.
How can I ever know that I\'m happy?

If misery is all I know….

Harry’s heart suddenly stopped beating when he heard the water stop running, and Draco step out of the shower. Hurriedly, he replaced the journal and stood outside the bathroom door. The door creaked open, and Draco stepped out, soaking wet, with a white towel draped loosely on his hips. Harry walked furtively behind him. Just before Draco was about to remove his towel to get dressed, Harry snuck up from behind him, and wrapped hi arms around his wet, toned waist. “boo.” He whispered into his ear. Draco sighed, tantalized, and reclined his head so it rested on Harry’s shoulder, exposing his smooth, white neck. Harry began planting kisses on the exposed flesh as Draco stretched out his arms to wrap them around his neck. Harry moved his hands upward, over his toned abs, across his chest, over his nipples, hard with anticipation of what would happen next and through his silver hair. He began massaging his scalp and Draco groaned and closed his eyes—caught up in the relaxing, yet arousing, event.
“How was training?” Harry asked softly. He was responded with a, “mrrrrrmmmmm”.
Harry grinned and spun Draco around so he was facing him. Draco looked at him with a mix of disappointment from the lack of massaging of the scalp, and pleasure at being so close to Harry. “You know…I still have to get even with you for last night…” Draco smiled coyly and pulled Harry into a spine-tingling kiss. He wrapped his arms firmly around Harry’s waist, and began playfully biting his neck. Harry groaned in response to the sudden contact.
Draco pulled back, considered him for a moment, and then pushed him aggressively onto his bed. Harry grinned seductively as Draco pounced onto him, took ff his glasses with a flourish and threw them onto the floor. He lied on top of him for a moment, with his elbows propped up on his chest, supporting his head. “You know,” he began, “I really think you’re wearing too many clothes—it’s not fair.”
Harry smiled coyly, “And what are you going to do about it, hmm?”
With a devilish grin, Draco grabbed the collar of Harry’s shirt with both hands, and ripppppppppppppped it down the middle, exposing Harry’s abs, toned from so much quidditch. “I’ve always wanted to do that…”
Draco removed the rest of the shirt, as though he were mad at it, for separating him and Harry. Once he had freed his torso, he pecked him on the lips, and began making his way down his neck, leaving a hot, slick trail down his jaw-line and throat. Harry grabbed onto the bedposts, so tightly that his knuckles turned white, when Draco began sucking his hard, right nipple. He began to pull at it with his teeth, which made Harry clench to the bedpost even harder, only to move on to the left. “Oh, god, Draco…” he moaned through clenched teeth as he moved down to his love trail, and unbuttoned his pants. He pulled off the imprisoning clothes, to leave Harry in just his boxers. He was about to free his erection, when Harry stopped him.
“No way.” He said, grinning devilishly, “it’s your turn.” Draco was caught off guard when Harry straightened up and pulled Draco by the neck to him. He began to bite at his neck, as he placed his hands on his warm, wet back, and began sliding them down…down …down, until he reached his towel. He slipped his hands underneath and stripped Draco of his towel. He rolled over on top of him, and looked down into Draco’s flashing, silver eyes. He smiled coyly and began sucking his neck. he moved his mouth over Draco’s body, leaving a hot, slick trail over his torso.
He stopped just before Draco’s immense erection, only to begin licking up and own his shaft, lubricating it. Draco’s hips thrusted upward in pleasure and he began to moan, “Har…please….Harry…” Harry ceased his ministrations, and pulled himself back to Draco’s level. Draco’s silver eyes were screaming, ‘you fucking cock-tease’ but he ignored it. “Draco,” he began sincerely, “I want you.”
Draco captured his breath, only to lose it again. “What?”
“I want you…inside me…please, I need you.”
Draco had no idea what he meant by that. “You’re—you’re sure?”
Harry’s face was solid. “Yes.” Draco smiled up at him and rolled over so he was on top. He muttered a lubricating charm (he, apparently, did not require a wand) and returned to sucking Harry’s neck. He moved his hand down his torso, and wrapped his articulate fingers around his shaft. Harry groaned and threw his head back as his erection became painfully, irresistibly hard. Draco then moved his hand beneath him, to his entrance. One finger…two fingers…three…
“Draco…please…” Harry moaned. Draco gave him a reassuring kiss on the lips and placed himself at his entrance. They both gasped as Draco was partly engulfed by Harry’s, tight flesh. Draco paused and looked into Harry’s gleaming eyes, “are…are you alright…?”
“…yes…”
Draco continued to slide into Harry, until his shaft was completely engulfed by his warm, tight, flesh. Draco moaned with the overwhelming tightness and heat, pressing up against his member. Harry shifted his hips to allow Draco even further entrance. With an insistent bite n the shoulder from Harry, Draco slowly began to pull out of him, and slowly entered him again. After Harry adjusted he growled, “…faster, Draco…!” he acquiesced. He began quickening his thrusts and put more power behind them. With every thrust he made, Harry groaned in ecstasy as he repeatedly hit his prostate. Harry began contracting against his shaft in time with Draco’s thrusts. “so…tight….” Draco panted. He let his fingers crawl down Harry’s chest toward his erection, and grasped it firmly. He began thrusting it into his hand in time with his own thrusts. Harry grabbed onto the bed sheets with clenched fists to keep from screaming Draco’s name. The bed began to creak with the beats of their love making. After a few more thrusts, Draco moaned, “oh gods, I can’t…I can’t…HARRY!” he came, shuddering inside Harry as Harry came into his hand.
Draco fell in forfeit onto Harry and began breathing heavily into his chest. He pulled up his hand and licked his lover’s seed from his fingers. “I love how you taste…” he growled seductively. Harry pulled him into a tight embrace, supporting him on his hip. Draco closed his eyes and rested his head on his shoulder. “Draco…” Harry whispered.
“mmm…”
“I love you.”
Exhausted, Draco had already fallen asleep beside him. Harry stroked his hair and smiled at his sleeping form. “I always have.”