History Repeats Itself

Authors Note: Many thanks to Shannon who not only beta'ed this chapter but also requested the fic in the first place. yay Shannon!

Chapter 6 Fractured Friendship

“You look better,” Shannon noted the minute I sat next to her at lunch.

“I feel better,” I replied, failing to mention that I felt better because I just had had a sexy rendezvous with Harry in the prefect’s bathroom. It was almost impossible to imagine him as my enemy anymore; I couldn’t even remember why I had hated him for so many years. Since he was no longer my enemy though, what exactly was he? Boyfriend, lover, friend with benefits? None of those titles seemed to describe what I felt for him.

“Shannon, can I ask you something sort of strange,” I asked.

“Erm, sure I guess,” she replied with her green eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“What would you call it if you hung out with a person, and you hadn’t had sex yet, but you wanted to, and you thought about this person all the time?” I asked and then regretted it right away.

“Does Draco Malfoy have a girlfriend?” she asked at once, a huge grin plastered on her pretty face.

“Hardly,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “I was just asking what you would call that person, if that person were to exist.”

“Right,” she replied with a laugh, drawing the word out to be several syllables. “Well, then you would call that person your girlfriend… unless it’s not a girl,” she amended with a giggle.

I laughed, and I tried aiming for sarcastic ‘right, like I would be interested in boys’ laughter, but I think it ended up more nervous like ‘can she tell I’m a flaming poof?’ kind of laughter.

“So who is this mystery girl?” Shannon asked.

“I just told you, there is no one,” I groaned.

“Give me a hint, I won’t tell anyone,” she whispered.

“No, no hints. There isn’t anybody, I should have just kept my mouth shut,” I told her, shaking my head in my hands.

“Light hair or dark?” she asked.

“Dark,” I responded automatically and groaned in disgust at myself.

Shannon just giggled and nudged me lightly in the ribs. “Slytherin?”

“No,” I replied quickly with a curt shake of my head.

“Gryffindor then,” she amended. I looked at her curiously and without me even saying a word out loud she answered my question. “Gryffindor and Slytherin are just two sides to the same coin.”

“That was vague enough to come from the Headmaster,” I noted.

She rolled her eyes and continued to question me and I proceeded to get more and more nervous. “Short hair or long?”

I smiled to himself, as this one would be the cincher. “Long,” I said, because Harry’s raven locks were long for a boy, but the answer would throw Shannon off the trail.

She scanned the Gryffindor table and hummed to herself as she pondered. “This is hard. Eye color?”

“Green,” I replied, “-ish,” I added, because I didn’t need her to actually figure out that I liked the green eyed Gryffindor Hero.

She looked over the table and luckily Harry’s back was to us. “Okay, I give. Who is it?” she asked sweetly.

“Get back to me when you figure it out,” I replied, laughing at her severe pout. “So, are you coming to practice tomorrow night?” I asked, attempting and succeeding at distracting her.

“Mhmm, when should I meet you out on the pitch?” she asked.

“We can walk out together,” I offered. “We can leave right after Transfiguration and be back by dinner.”

“It’s a date,” she replied with a smile, going back to her meal, and I swallowed thickly.

Did Shannon think of me as more than a friend? I thought back along our time together and grimaced. We were very close, and even Harry thought we were dating, though he was mostly being paranoid. Plus I had just told her that I liked a girl with long dark hair and green eyes, which I suddenly realized matched her description quite well, and I was probably far too quick to say it wasn’t a Slytherin.

I silently groaned to myself and nodded at her date comment, blushing slightly. I wasn’t sure what to do. With Pansy I always made my lack of interest fairly clear with rude comments and ignoring her completely, but I did like Shannon, just not in the romantic sense, whereas I could barely stand Pansy so I didn’t care if her feelings got hurt.

The day drug on as I pondered my new predicament. The boy I wanted I had to keep secret and now the girl I only wanted as a friend liked me as more. What the hell did I do to bring this onto myself?

Oh that’s right, I’m Draco Malfoy, son of a Death Eater and all around bad guy. I guess some would say this is precisely what I deserve.

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Shannon was humming softly as we made our way out to the pitch the following night. My Firebolt resting easily on my shoulder and the breeze lapping around my body made me feel more at ease than I had all day.

“It’s a little chilly,” she noted and slipped her arm around my waist.

Normally this was no big deal, in fact I was used to touching Shannon, we often walked around the castle with arms linked or sat very close whispering conspiratorially with one another, but ever since my revelation earlier I was trying to keep a fair amount of distance between us.

I didn’t think it was fair to make her think I wanted to date her when I didn’t. I pretended to lose the balance of my broom so I could pull away, and before she could resume her position on my arm I cast a quick warming charm around her.

“Better?” I asked.

She looked at me curiously, and with a slight frown, but nodded. She was a clever girl, she would get the point soon for sure and hopefully we could still be friends.

As we made our way through the entrance to the pitch I showed her the way up to the stands where she could see everything the best and I headed over to the changing rooms. Most of the team was there already and we only had to wait on a couple housemates before we were zipping and looping around the pitch.

I pushed myself to the limit, taking steep dives at breakneck speeds all to get ready for Potter. In just a few months time, Slytherin and Gryffindor would battle for the house cup and dammit if I wouldn’t finally beat Harry to the snitch. It was even more important to me now that we were dating, or whatever it was we were doing.

After a little more than and hour the team started whining about being hungry so I let them head back to the changing rooms. I waved at Shannon and flew over to her seat in the Slytherin bleachers. “Ready to go?” I asked.

“Sure,” she replied. “You’re brilliant on a broom, Draco.”

I beamed at her, the thrill of flying making me abandon my earlier concerns about her attachment to me. “Hop on,” I told her and hovered closer.

She grinned and climbed onto the back of my broom, clinging to my waist as I flew us slowly to the ground. “Harry Potter was here,” she called over the wind whipping around us.

“What?” I asked incredulously. I couldn’t believe he would dare to show up at one of our practices. Someone might actually see him and find a way to link us together.

“Yeah. And he was watching you in particular,” she said and I could hear her smiling.

“He was probably trying to steal tactical moves,” I muttered, knowing for a fact that Harry didn’t need to spy on my team. Harry’s pure natural skill was enough to usually win the game for his team; loath as I was to admit it.

“Maybe,” she mused. “But he looked pretty intent on something.”

I tensed and landed us quickly on the ground, scanning the pitch for any sign of the Gryffindor Golden Boy.

“He snuck away before you all stopped practicing,” she said, watching my expression.

“Who, Potter?” I asked, feigning innocence.

She rolled her eyes and climbed off of the broom. “Yes, who else?”

I merely shrugged. “I should grab a shower and change. Do you want to wait or meet me in the great hall?”

Shannon seemed to think about it for a moment before answering. “I’ll meet you in the Great Hall,” she responded at last.

I nodded and waved as I walked toward the showers. Most of the other Slytherins had either left or were close to leaving when I walked in, and by the time I had stripped and stepped under the hot spray of water the room was empty.

I loved the feel of a hot shower after a long fly in the cool autumn breeze. The feel of slowly thawing from chest to fingertips was exhilarating. As I turned off the spray I felt the shock of a cold hand on my arse and I whipped around angrily only to be greeted with piercing green eyes and thick black curls.

I relaxed at once as Harry pulled me against him and kissed me deeply. The feel of his soft robes against my wet naked skin sent a shiver down my spine. “You are so hot,” he whispered against my lips as he trailed icy fingertips along my torso and sides making me squirm.

I couldn’t help but blush as I realized just how exposed I really was to his probing emerald gaze. “It’s hardly fair that only one of us is naked,” told him with a pout.

“You’re right,” he replied with a smile, but made no move to strip, so I smirked and started taking care of it myself.

Slowly I removed his robe and shirt and let them fall to the still wet floor, marveling at his tanned and chiseled chest. I kept my eyes locked on his as I unbuckled and slid his trousers from his hips and when I reached for the band of his underwear I found none.

My smile reached all the way up to my eyes as the realization that I now had Harry Potter naked and all to myself crashed into me like the Hogwarts Express with no breaks. I took a step back and drank him in, every line and every curve was flawless, even the scars grazing his beautiful sun-kissed flesh were just another uniquely lovely thing about him.

I pushed him into the white tile wall and pressed our entire lengths together, skin to skin, head to toe I could feel him; every inch. It was like lightning striking between us and I watched as his brilliant eyes glazed over with lust and I leapt at his mouth, devouring every bit of him.

When my mouth left his it was only to kiss hot trails along his neck and chest, and as I kneeled in front of him I decided to finally return yesterday’s favor. His cock was flushed crimson and purple and as I lowered my face into the crease of his legs I could smell the unique fragrance of Harry; that exotic mix of pice, grass and sweet berries that made me want to bite him, so I did. I bit him on the thigh and he jumped and hissed. I chuckled lowly to myself as the hiss turned into a moan as I ran the flat of my tongue along the top of his prick, swirling it once around his head before moving back to look up into his face.

His eyes were boring into mine, piercing green orbs that could probably see straight into my soul. I wondered briefly what he might see there and if he would stay with me once he saw it.

I kept my eyes locked with his as I took him into my mouth for the first time, slowly letting in an inch at a time until I couldn’t fit anymore. He tried to hold my gaze but eventually failed, his head lolling back and his eyes fluttering closed.

It took time to find a rhythm that seemed to make him writhe, and after a few strokes my jaw began to tingle and ache. I paid no mind to any of that though, because Harry was starting to tense and moan above me, and all I could think about was how sexy he was and that he was all mine. I dug my fingernails into is arse cheeks and he threaded his fingers into my hair, thrusting harshly one last time into my mouth as his orgasm hit and his body shuddered its release.

I sat back on my heels and slowly rose to my feet, feeling the ache from both my position on the floor and the one in my jaw.

“Fuck,” Harry whispered, his eyes still closed and his head leaning against the wall.

“Already? I thought you might be tired,” I teased.

Harry opened one eye and shook his head. “Never too tired for that,” he corrected.

I chuckled and kissed him roughly, letting him taste himself on my tongue as he had done to me the day before.

“Shit, Draco, I’m sorry. I should have warned you first,” he added with a blush. “We hadn’t actually discussed it.”

I chuckled and shook my head. “You think I couldn’t tell it was coming?” I asked with a grin.

Harry blushed again and wound his nimble fingers around my cock, but I shook my head. “It’s my turn to bail.”

“What?” He asked with a frown.

“I promised Shannon I would meet her for dinner. She’ll worry if I don’t show,” I told him.

He frowned and stepped back, folding his arms across his chest. “I thought you said she was just a friend. But she comes to your practice, she sits with you in class and at every meal, she even holds your arm between classes. She seems more like your girlfriend then I do,” he muttered.

I smiled wickedly. “Is that what you are? My girlfriend?” I asked teasingly, remembering my conversation with Shannon the previous day.

Harry rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. It’s not fair. I think about you all day, dream about you all night, but she’s the one who gets to spend all her time with you. Are you sure she doesn’t want more?”

I grimaced at the question and ignored it leaning in to kiss Harry once more. “Do you really think about me all day?” I asked seductively in his ear.

“You know I do, and quit changing the subject,” Harry demanded. “Does Shannon have designs on you?”

“I think she might,” I finally admitted with a shrug. “I like her though, and I don’t want her to be angry with me, so I’m trying to be easy about letting her know I’m not interested.”

“And you’re not, right? Interested, I mean?” he asked, looking nervous.

I trailed my still damp fingertips along his still naked body and shook my head. “No, I’m not. Only one person holds my romantic interest and it’s not Shannon.”

Harry looked at me innocently and batted his eyelashes in jest. “Oh, and who does?”

I kissed him, and in doing so poured everything I felt for him through my lips and into his mouth, doing everything I could to make him believe it, whatever it was. Part of me knew I already loved the boy, but the rest of me knew that I had no grasp on what love really meant, so I dared not say it out loud.

When we broke apart Harry was smiling contentedly. “Are you sure you have to go?” he asked.

I nodded and pulled reluctantly away from him, casting a quick drying charm on his dampened clothes still strewn on the floor. “I do.”

“Can’t you just tell her you got sick?” he asked before faking a cough and grinning at me.

“How about I tell her I’m not interested in her instead?” I offered, handing him his now dry clothing.

His face lit up and his smile was infectious. “How do you plan to do that?”

I shrugged; feeling genuinely perplexed as Harry slowly redressed himself. “How would you let Granger down if she decided she liked you as more than a friend?”

Harry shuddered slightly and grimaced. “Thank Merlin that never happened. Good luck,” he offered unhelpfully and winked, leaving the shower and waving one last time before slipping under his invisibility cloak.

“Prat,” I shouted after him but was only answered with a soft chuckle from the exit.

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“Potter’s watching you again,” Shannon whispered halfway through dinner.

I let my eyes flicker up to meet his and gave him a pitiful look, to which he had to turn away from before he laughed.

I still hadn’t figured out the best way to tell Shannon that I wasn’t inclined to date her and that I only wanted to be friends. She was so sweet and thoughtful that I hated to upset her, which went against everything I used to be. It was official, Harry had ruined me. I was so gods damn sentimental I should be re-sorted into Gryffindor, or worse, Hufflepuff.

“What do you think he wants?” she pressed when I didn’t respond.

“Who knows?” I replied with a shrug. “Probably trying to cast wandless magic at my head.”

She snickered and nodded. “Right, I’m sure that’s exactly what it is.”

Stabbing my Sheppard’s pie with a fork I continued to look up every now and then to see if Harry was still looking at me. He had situated himself on the other side of the table tonight so that he could look up at me without being very obvious but at present he was otherwise occupied listening to Ginevra and Ron bicker about her latest boyfriend. I watched as the youngest Weasel looked at Harry every time she mentioned her new bloke, and how frustrated she got that Harry didn’t notice her feelings about him.

“Because he’s mine,” I muttered to myself.

“Sorry?” Shannon asked, leaning in to hear me better.

“Nothing,” I responded and placed a bite of food in my mouth in order to keep from explaining further.

Dinner went lousy as I tried to both talk to and avoid Shannon all at once, and then the evening got worse when we got back to the common room. There were only a smattering of people that hadn’t yet gone to bed and they were all otherwise preoccupied as Shannon and I lounged on the giant sofa by the fireplace.

“So,” she began as she looked across at me and pushed her glasses back, another thing about her that reminded me of Potter. “I hear rumor that there will be a Yule ball this year.”

I swallowed thickly, dreading the words that would next come from her mouth, and my response, which would effectively end our friendship. “I think so, yes.”

“Are you taking your new love interest?” she asked demurely and mockingly at the same time.

“About that… Shannon, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” I started, still not sure what I was actually going to say.

“What about?” she asked, looking genuinely curious.

“I’m just not really interested in you that way. You’re a brilliant friend and I love you to death, but I don’t love you, love you… does that make sense?” I asked, my face fiery red with embarrassment. I felt like I had taken a cue from Weasley.

She blinked once, and then several more times before bursting into a fit of giggles.

I didn’t know what to say, or what to do for that response. I had predicted a great many rude words and gestures to counter, but laughter had never been an option. Did she not believe me? “The thing is: I’m gay,” I blurted, never having intended anyone at the school to have that particular bit of information, let alone someone I was effectively breaking up with but her giggles threw me off guard.

The laughter subsided slightly and Shannon had tears in her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and tried to catch her breath. “I know, Draco.”

“I never meant to hurt you, or to lead you on, or… what? What do you mean you know?” I asked her incredulously.

“Draco, come one. It’s not as though you’re the height of macho masculinity,” she mused, still giggling.

“Wha- you’re serious? You just assumed I was gay?” I asked her, slightly offended even though her assumption proved true.

“Not exactly. I got little hints here and there. It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she told me as she settled back into the sofa.

“Obviously you haven’t met my father,” I muttered, thinking he would have an altogether different opinion of what was and wasn’t shameful. “So you knew?”

Shannon nodded and grinned widely. “Since I met you.”

“Then why were you trying to get me ask you to the Yule Ball?” I asked, genuinely perplexed.

Shannon rolled her eyes and kicked me lightly in the shin. “I wasn’t. I was trying to get you to tell me if you were inviting Potter.”

“Potter? Why in Merlin’s name would you think that?” I stuttered, looking away.

“Because I’m observant,” she offered. “It’s pretty obvious you’re attracted to him, and if the way he was staring at you earlier today is any indication, he feels the same.”

“How was he staring at me?” I asked and then immediately regretted it.

“Ha! Caught you. I knew you liked Potter. Oh, I am going to have so much fun setting the two of you up,” she boasted.

“No need,” I admitted.

“What do you mean? I have to; you’re my best friend now, that’s what friends do for one another. Plus, it’s only fair since I’m going to make you help me write a letter to Jean Claude back in France. I plan to invite him to the Yule Ball,” she giggled.

I laughed; utterly relieved that Shannon and I were still friends and that suddenly I had someone I could share my Harry secret with. “No. I mean no need, because there really is no need. We’re already together,” I told her.

Her green eyes widened behind her glasses and I smiled at the reaction. “Seems there are some things I didn’t know about you. Sneaky Slytherin,” she teased.

“Apparently so,” I replied with a smirk.

“How long?” she asked excitedly.

“Technically since the day you arrived,” I told her, blushing slightly.

“I guess I’m your good luck charm,” she replied with a grin. “So, are you taking him to the ball?”

“Merlin no,” I shouted. “I can’t even tell anyone else about him. If my father knew…” I groaned. “Well, I don’t even want to think what could happen if he found out.”

Shannon rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Draco. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“You mean aside from Voldemort killing me directly, or worse, putting me under the Imperious Curse in order make me bring him Harry and then killing us both? Nothing much,” I responded sarcastically.

Her eyes went wide again, looking horrified and I wondered if not liking her romantically was actually not the news I should have been worried about telling her. “Is it true, then? That your father is a Death Eater?” she whispered.

I nodded. “And Voldemort’s right hand man. In fact, last I heard, he’s staying at the Manor indefinitely.”

She put her hand on my knee and I felt a sudden rush of relief as I seemingly dodged breaking her friendship twice tonight. “Draco, that’s awful. You should go to the Ministry, or to Dumbledore and get protection.”

I laughed harshly. “Right. As if anyone would offer protection to me. No, the best way to be with Potter and keep us both safe is to keep it a secret,” I assured her.

She nodded solemnly and pulled me into a hug. “I’ll keep your secret as long as you want me to, but you have to know that it’s going to come out eventually right?”

“I know,” I replied with a sigh. “But I’d rather cross that bridge when I’m being thrown over it.”

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Authors Note: I was inspired by Kimiko-chan001 yesterday for today's gift. For reviewing, I'm handing out 'turn on toffees' from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. They leave a warm gooey feeling, but not in your mouth.