A Series of Connecting the Dots

Authors Note: Hooray! It's Laurel's turn to answer my challenge from chapter 5, though I think I went a bit light on her last time. As usual, review here or on her profile (DreamingInColour), either way we both love reading them.

Chapter 6 Harry – The Battle but not the War

I knew what happened in that bathroom had bothered Mike more than he let on. He never said anything more about it, but I could see it in his eyes sometimes when Malfoy was nearby. Mike would casually observe the blonde Slytherin – not staring at him or anything, just noting when he was in the room – and surreptitiously check if I was ‘casually observing’ the ice prince as well. The hardest part for me was that, well, I couldn’t help but notice Malfoy everywhere I went.

Breakfast the next morning was no different. Malfoy was watching me like I was a chocolate pudding that he wanted to roll around on his tongue and Mike was watching him like he was the devil incarnate. All these exchanged glances were making me nervous, I felt like something was going to happen, but I didn’t know what and I didn’t know which one to watch first, so I compromised and ended up watching them both.

I hung back after breakfast that morning, like I had the last few mornings, to wait for my roommates – namely Ron – to get their books from the common room before I went in to get mine. I dawdled a little too long this morning though, and I was almost late to Potions. I made it just in time to slip unnoticed into my seat beside Malfoy.

“So, how have you been?” he asked me. I hoped I didn’t look as tired as I felt, but if I did he didn’t say anything about it.

“Since last night?” I asked him with a saccharine smile. I wondered if I might actually fling myself off the Astronomy Tower if I let myself think about how bad my life had gotten; I mean things must have been bad if Malfoy’s company made me feel better, right,? “Fine. You?”

“More than fine I’d say,” he replied. He had this smug look on his face like he’d gotten laid last night. Maybe he had. It wouldn’t surprise me.

“How nice for you,” I replied unimpressed. For some reason the idea of Malfoy having sex with someone else didn’t sit right with me. I shouldn’t care: it certainly wasn’t my business, and I was with Mike anyway.

He just shrugged and started preparing the next stage of our potion, so I followed his lead and we worked together in silence.

I wondered who he was sleeping with and if they meant anything to him. Probably not, I mused to myself; the only person who meant anything to Malfoy was Malfoy. It was probably Blaise Zabini: he was always hanging off him and he was such a bicycle; I’d even heard of straight boys having a go with him. I remembered the night where he’d propositioned to Ron at a Gryffindor party that some of the Slytherins crashed in their usual fashion. Ron went on about it for weeks afterward: that was how I knew I could never tell my best friend that I was gay; Ron was a complete homophobe.

As if Malfoy would degrade himself by risking catching something from someone like Zabini! No, if Malfoy had sex last night it was definitely not with that… that whore of a Slytherin. He wouldn’t do that, would he?

… Would he?

To tell the truth, I actually didn’t know. According to the rumor mill, Malfoy was about as loose as they came; but, those were just rumours… right? Well, he was certainly smart enough to keep it under wraps if it wasn’t just rumours, not like Zabini who practically screwed people in the middle of class for everyone to see. Actually, Malfoy was smart enough to keep a lot of things under wraps. More than once I’ve thought he was smarter than he let on, Hermione always thought he accidentally let pieces of information slip – I never said anything to her, but I always disagreed. I never really admitted it to myself either, but sometimes I had gotten the impression that Malfoy only let the world see what he wanted them to see.

“What?” Malfoy asked, frowning at me with a strange emotion flitting behind his eyes. I think I must have been staring at him. Damn.

I was still wondering what the real Malfoy was like: the one he kept to himself. “Tell me something?” I requested, suddenly determined to get closer to Malfoy, to learn more about him, to learn who he really was. Strictly for the purpose of taking Voldemort down, I told myself.

“Tell you what?” he asked, still frowning, but his face seemed softer.

“Something, anything, but it has to be honest,” I continued.

He just shook his head at me and laughed. “Does this mean you don’t think I’ve been honest?”

“Should I?” I retorted; Malfoy wasn’t renowned for his honesty. He just laughed at me again.

“That’s not really for me to decide,” he replied.

“Then tell me something,” I pressed.

I didn’t really think he would oblige me, at least not in the way I wanted, but he surprised me by telling me a story from his childhood. It was total crap, of course. He used to think he was going to be put in Gryffindor because he had a dragon that he named after a lion? Pull the other one, Malfoy! I could talk to snakes and the hat didn’t put me in Slytherin! … Okay, maybe it tried to, but … oh shut up!

I stand by my original assessment. Malfoy is full of shit.

It kind of hurt that he couldn’t tell me something honest, even for a second, even when he got to choose what he told me. He could have told me that he secretly still collected chocolate frog cards even though it’s usually something only first years do and I would have been happy. But no, he has to make up some nonsense about a dead pet dragon?

“Malfoy, that’s so sad,” I whispered playing along; I didn’t want to call him on it: we’d only end up fighting about it. I couldn’t look at him. I’d been truthful with him nearly this whole time and he couldn’t even … argh! He was so infuriating!

“It’s life, Potter. We live until we don’t anymore,” he shrugged.

Yeah, trust the next generation of Death Eaters to have such a flippant attitude about the value of a life. We worked in silence for a little while longer, before he spoke again. “So Potter, top or bottom?” he asked me.

Oh, God. I’m blushing. I knew he was getting bolder with me after his little act in the bathroom the other day, but to bring up sex in the middle of class… that was a little too bold. My mind flicked briefly back to my earlier thoughts about Blaise Zabini and I suddenly felt kind of hunted.

“Pardon?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

“Sex, Potter,” he said frankly, as if he could somehow tell I was trying to dodge the subject and he didn’t want to let me; this whole mind-reading thing needed to stop. “You got to ask me something personal, now it’s my turn. Are you a top or a bottom?”

Like that’s any of his business. He didn’t even tell me the truth. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” I replied. I could still feel my face burning as I wondered if one day it might be his business – he certainly thought it would be; perhaps he was trying to see if we were compatible?

“I would, that was sort of the point of my question,” he insisted.

“How about you, then?” I asked, determined to switch the focus of the conversation.

“Top, always,” he answered without missing a beat. “Your turn.”

I might still be a virgin – technically – but I did know I was ‘versatile’, as they say; I would find just as much pleasure in either position. “What if I’m a top, too?” I asked, trying to throw him off. If he thought he might have to bottom for me perhaps he wouldn’t be quite so keen.

“Are you?” he asked. He looked sort of surprised; trust Malfoy to just make assumptions like that. He thinks he knows everything about me. If he did he’d know I like equality in my relationships, give and take: 50-50.

I rolled my eyes to show I wasn’t impressed with his assumptions or his personal questions. Questions he expected answers to when he couldn’t even honestly answer mine. Why should I reciprocate? “Well, I’m afraid you’ll never find out, as I have a boyfriend, remember?” I said; even I’ll admit I sounded kind of childish.

“I remember, but if I’m not mistaken you also had a boyfriend that day I pinned you in the bathroom and you were certainly welcoming it then,” he replied smugly.

I felt my cheeks flush all over again. I didn’t think he’d noticed. If he had I was sure he would have taken me, gotten what he wanted right then, but he hadn’t.

I went for the usual tactic. Deny. Deny. Deny. “I think the operative word there is pinned, Malfoy,” I said, trying to sound unfazed.

He just laughed at me. “I’m not daft, Potter. You enjoyed every minute of that,” he said. “You’re plenty strong enough to have refused me, but you just stood there like a limp doll waiting for me to take you as my own.”

“I was not,” I argued, suddenly angry that Malfoy was making me sound like a weak little fairy boy just begging for him to bend me over the desk.

“Are you sure about that?” he whispered into my ear. His breath on my earlobes combined with his deft fingertips which had – at some point - started caressing my thigh made me shiver. I couldn’t believe he was molesting me in the middle of class. My eyes flicked over to where Snape stood at the front of the room, but he wasn’t looking; I’m not sure if I was glad about that or not.

His fingers gripped my upper thigh tightly and his nails dug painfully into my flesh, dangerously close to my cock, which was only betraying me mutinously as it grew in size. I’d never known pain to feel so damn good, if his nails broke my skin I swear I might lose complete control. As it was I still had to nearly bite down on my tongue as I sharply inhaled and tried not to act on the various ways I imagined tearing through Malfoy’s robes.

“Does Corner make you this hot?” he asked. He sounded sexy, but the mention of my boyfriend had me crashing harshly back to reality.

Just a tip Malfoy, if you’re trying to seduce somebody else’s lover don’t remind them they’re cheating: it’s kind of counterproductive.

“Mike’s a good person,” I said, trying to remind myself as much as Malfoy.

“Clearly the same can’t be said about me, but I think I have more to offer than you’ll ever get from Corner,” he answered confidently. His fingers still pushed painfully into my skin, but now it didn’t feel half so good – I felt bad about Mike.

“Like?” I snapped at him. I knew I couldn’t blame him entirely for this: he was being aggressive in his pursuing of me, but deep down I knew I hadn’t discouraged him half as much as I should have. This was all on me, but I took some sort of sick pleasure in taking it out on him.

“I can challenge you in ways he never could. You and I are a matched set, Harry,” he whispered passionately. “We’re two sides to the same coin. Dark versus light, hot versus cold; our passion could burn brighter than any flame you’ve ever seen.” His voice was on fire and had I not been drowning in ice-cold guilt right now, it would have set me alight instantly.

“I don’t want a challenge,” I replied. “I want someone to hold me and care for me and love me.” That was true. I did want that. I wanted it more than I’d ever wanted it before simply because I knew it was something I could never have.

Over the last few days I had resigned myself to the fact I wouldn’t survive my encounter with Voldemort for no other reason than the fact that I didn’t want to; I had no reason to live beyond the fulfillment of my prophesized destiny. I would defeat him for my parents, for Sirius and for those that I still loved even if they no longer loved me, but I would not hope to survive it. I had nothing to live for anyway.

“What if I could provide that as well?” he asked, raising his eyebrows as though demonstrating the sincerity of his offer.

“You can’t,” I answered quietly. No one can.

“Are you so sure?” he asked, finally releasing his grip on my thigh and letting it move almost tenderly to my waist.

“Yes, I’m sure,” I replied determinedly pulling way from his touch. “At most you and I can be friends, but that’s all.”

“That’s not good enough,” he said almost petulantly.

Oh, Malfoy, the spoiled rich boy until the end. “It’s that or nothing,” I told him seriously. You can’t have everything you want this time.

He smiled at me and touched my face a little, but I could see the anger in his eyes at being denied; I guess it’s not a daily occurrence for young Lord Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin and all-round childish brat. If he could look outside of his own needs at the world around him, I might actually consider it. “If that’s what you want,” he said, actually looking hurt, which I must admit I found surprising.

We continued with the rest of our potion without exchanging any significant words other than ‘pass this’ or ‘what direction do we stir’. When class finished Malfoy shot me a “see you later” and disappeared before I could respond.

Not that I planned on it, anyway.

-

Malfoy ignored me at lunch. I guessed he was still mad at me for rejecting his advances. I’m not a mean person and part of me did feel bad that I had upset him, but I felt better about being with Mike after saying no to Malfoy. I never liked playing both Ginny and Mike at the same time and I vowed never to do it again. Besides, I knew Malfoy would get over it once he found himself another conquest. At least I thought so, until dinnertime that evening when Malfoy watched me eat nearly every bite of my meal. If only Mike hadn’t stared him down the whole time, I would have just found it irritating. As it was, it made me so uncomfortable that I kept glancing between the two of them and shifting in my seat.

Nothing good could come of that.

Breakfast the next morning was the same: more unpleasant staring contests between Malfoy and Mike while I looked on warily - just waiting for one of them to crack under the pressure. I think the teachers noticed too: they were keeping a close eye on the two of them. I actually think that was the only reason nobody drew their wands; I had mine next to my dinner plate in case I needed to intervene – although intervene how I didn’t know at the time. Would I have told Malfoy to back off … or Mike?

Mike took it upon himself to one up Malfoy in a different manner, however, and as he got up from his seat and started walking towards me I knew what he wanted to do; he really did belong in Ravenclaw, my beautifully brilliant boyfriend.

“Hey, baby,” he smiled at me when he reached my table. I’d already put my fork down and swallowed my last bite of eggs in anticipation of his kiss.

I grinned at him, trying not to laugh out loud at the rainbow of colours I imagined Malfoy’s face turning right about now. “Hey,” I replied as he pulled me up from my chair and into his arms. “You little devil,” I purred. He just smiled and drew me into a gentle kiss.

I left my hands resting on Mike’s waist since this kiss was about him letting Malfoy know I was already claimed. Normally I wasn’t too keen on being claimed, like I was owned by someone or belonged to someone other than myself, but in this instance I felt it was necessary. I knew Mike didn’t actually think of me like that, but I was certain Malfoy did; if I wanted him to let up on the flirting I needed to speak his language. Of course, this could ruin everything and Malfoy may decide never to speak to me again, but I figured if the only way I could get close to Malfoy was by screwing him then I’d rather find another way to Voldemort.

Mike was very gentlemanly about our first public kiss: he didn’t use his tongue or grab my arse or anything. He simply tenderly kissed my lips with his, over and over again, and it gave me chills. I don’t know how long we stayed that way – it felt like forever and no time at all, all at once – but we broke apart hastily when I heard a banshee-like scream and then a clatter of a goblet hitting the stone floor.

I looked up in time to see a very red-faced looking Ginny storming violently from the Great Hall, her pumpkin juice splattered carelessly across the floor and her goblet rolling towards the Hufflepuff table. It was then that I noticed the rest of the students in the Great Hall – this display was meant only for Malfoy, but it seemed everybody stopped to watch. The entire Hall was silent and they were all looking at me; I felt my cheeks heat up and I knew I must be bright red. I buried my face into Mike’s shoulder as he held me and whispered ‘oh my god, oh my god’ over and over into his robes.

Clearly, I didn’t think this through well enough.

If we left together now it would look like we were running off to ‘get a room’ so to speak, so instead I quickly sat down and pulled Mike down next to me while I finished eating my breakfast. He stared at me worriedly the whole time like he hadn’t really thought it through very well either and he was only now just starting to think about the scandal we had created with that kiss. I could see the Prophet headline now Harry Potter shocks Hogwarts students with public GAY kiss!

Great.

My only consolation was that Malfoy looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. His mouth was pursed tightly like he was trying to physically restrain any words from escaping. I didn’t dare glance down the table at Ron after witnessing Ginny’s reaction. I couldn’t bear to see him look at me with even more hatred than he had for me already and didn’t want to encourage any more nasty comments from him; my heart wouldn’t cope.

Instead, I quietly finished my breakfast and grabbed Mike by the hand to lead him out of the Great Hall. We had Charms together today – the only class we shared – and I couldn’t have been more grateful for his company.

-

Charms had been blissfully uneventful. Most people had stared at Mike and I sitting together and some had even whispered about us, but stares and whispers I can handle much better on a smaller scale. That terrifying moment in the Great Hall had just been a little too much for me.

After Charms, however, now that was different altogether!

Malfoy must have been hovering outside the Charms room waiting for me and, for some reason, Mike unknowingly played right into his hands when he left me alone so that he could make a detour to the boys’ bathroom. I barely had time to blink before Malfoy slinked up beside me, still looking annoyed, but vastly calmer than before.

“What an adorable show you put on at breakfast,” he cooed overdramatically. I knew he knew I was mortified about it and I guessed he was just rubbing it in some more.

“Thanks,” I smiled, trying to keep him on his toes.

“Surely even you recognise a sarcastic tone when you hear it,” he drawled, a superior sneer dominating his face; I knew it was his attempt to hide whatever disappointment and jealousy he might be feeling.

“Yes, I do,” I said, still smiling. I hated that he was beginning to feel the need to comment on every aspect of my life.

To my surprise he smiled back at me and I took immense pleasure in removing that scowl from his face; it made him look ugly. “He’s not good enough for you, Harry,” he told me, actually sounding sincere. He swung his arm over my shoulders and tried to pull me closer to him. It still unnerved me, hearing him call me by my first name; I’ve yet to use his even to myself.

“And you are?” I asked incredulously, ducking out from under his grasp. I saw Mike coming out from the toilets and I knew he’d seen Malfoy hugging me – kind of – but he hung back.

“Perhaps,” Malfoy smiled. “Don’t you think it’s worth finding out?” He still hadn’t noticed Mike who was casually making his way over with his eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Honestly?” I said quickly, trying to say what I wanted before my boyfriend arrived. “I think we need to work on the friendship thing, before-” I cut off my sentence as Mike got within earshot of our conversation; I watched him walk over and Malfoy finally noticed him approaching.

“You need to learn to keep your hands to yourself, Malfoy,” Mike snapped angrily.

“Where I keep my hands is my business, Corner, not yours,” Malfoy retorted haughtily.

“It’s my business when you’re keeping your hands on my boyfriend,” Mike shot back.

I wondered if it always felt like this to be fought over by two gorgeous men or if it was just my own vanity, but I got a bit of a thrill out of watching these two bare their fangs over me. Although, on the other hand, I was a bit annoyed that nobody thought I should have a say in any of this.

“Oh, he doesn’t mind, do you Harry?” Malfoy smirked and threw me a wink.

That was a cheap shot; I knew he was referring to the bathroom incident and that little grope he’d had in potions yesterday. I glanced around as we started to draw a crowd. I was going to need to break this up soon.

“Stay. Away. From. My. Boyfriend.” Mike growled. This was not going well.

“How exactly are you going to stop me, Corner?” Malfoy teased flippantly; he knew exactly how to rile him up.

I knew it was time to throw myself into the mix when Mike drew his wand out of his robes and Malfoy quickly followed suit. It’s not like I wasn’t expecting it though so I was already poised to pounce on both of them when it happened. Exchanging words is one thing, but crossing wands is quite another.

“Whoa! Okay! That’s enough!” I said firmly. I focused my coercion on Mike, I knew Malfoy wouldn’t do anything unless he was ‘provoked’; he liked to have an excuse to hide behind when a professor starting dishing out detentions. “Come on, Baby,” I pleaded with Mike, stepping into him and placing my hands on his waist. I tried to lock his eyes with mine so he would stop focusing on Malfoy. “It’s okay. Let’s just get out of here, alright?”

He didn’t respond to any of my pleading and he didn’t even look at me like I wanted him to; I think we both knew once he did the fight was over. I would lead him away and he would follow. “Let’s go, Baby,” I cooed. “Just you and me okay?”

Finally he caved, dropping his gaze from Malfoy and locking eyes with me instead. I felt his body relax instantly into mine and he followed me willingly as I directed him through the gathered crowd and into the privacy of an unused, empty classroom. I locked the door behind us.

As calm as I was before, I was suddenly overwhelmed with a confusing mixture of emotions. I was flattered by the showdown that had just occurred over me, but I was furious that at least thirty students witnessed it and I was hurt that Mike trusted me so little around Malfoy that he felt the need to publicly mark me as his territory like a dog pissing on a tree. Although even I wasn’t entirely sure I could be trusted around Malfoy; but not trusting yourself and not being trusted by your boyfriend are two completely different things!

“What the hell was that?” I asked angrily.

“Nothing,” Mike replied, dropping his gaze from mine in shame.

Nothing? Was he there? That wasn’t ‘nothing’.

“Mike! You nearly took on Malfoy!” I scolded him.

“What? You think I couldn’t beat him?” he asked me defensively.

“Of course you could,” I sighed, but I wasn’t sure if that was true or not. “But it’s Malfoy! He would only fight dirty and you’re too good for that!”

“So you don’t think I could beat him?” he frowned, pouting like a child.

“I didn’t say that!” I huffed. “What has gotten into you? I know you hate him but I thought you trusted me more than that! I can handle Malfoy; I don’t need you making a scene!”

“He was the one that got me involved in this!” Mike snapped at me. “I didn’t just take it upon myself to attack him: he started it!”

“What do you mean he started it?” I asked carefully. Obviously something else has happened that I hadn’t been told about.

“That Slytherin arsehole told me he wanted you,” Mike replied, his voice cracking with emotion. “He said he was going to get you because ‘Malfoy’s always get what they want’. Fucking bastard, as if he thinks he can steal you away from me!”

“As if either of you think the decision of who I’m with has nothing to do with what I want!” I snapped, instantly furious about being referred to like an object. Seriously! I should just give them both the flick!

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Mike sighed shamefully. He reached out for me, but I was too annoyed with him and I stepped out of his grasp.

“It sure sounds like it!” I continued my rant, ignoring his unspoken apology. “I tell you what, why don’t you and Malfoy set up a game of Chess, I’ll be the prize and whoever wins gets to fuck my brains out. How does that sound?”

“Harry,” he whined, trying to reason with me.

“No, really!” I snapped. “I mean it. Let’s do it. Come on; let’s go see if Malfoy is up for it,” I growled as I started stalking back towards the door. I wasn’t really going to leave and Mike knew that, but he played along with me anyway.

“Okay! I’m sorry!” he pleaded, rushing up and grabbing me from behind; he wrapped both his arms tightly around my middle and pressed his chest up against my back. “I get it. I’m an arsehole,” he said, almost purring into my ear.

My resolve melted instantly and I turned in his arms so that I could face him. “You’re not an arsehole,” I assured him with a light peck on his nose. “You just need to trust me. Malfoy could tell you he was going to sprout wings and turn into garden fairy, but that doesn’t mean it’s true.”

Mike chuckled. I imagine he was picturing the same thing as I was; Malfoy the Garden Fairy. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to me. “I know Malfoy’s a wanker, but he’s fucking hot and when he told me he wanted you I just lost it. I couldn’t bear losing you, and I mean who wouldn’t pick Malfoy over me?”

My heart was thumping in my chest. For I second there I thought Mike was going to tell me he loved me. I was ashamed of myself when I found that I was inwardly relieved that he didn’t say it; I knew I couldn’t return his feelings yet.

“Arrogance is not hot,” I quipped.

“What if you shoved a sock in his mouth while you fucked him?” he teased me.

“Shut up, you,” I said, lightly telling him off. The idea of fucking Malfoy while he moaned through a sock was actually making me hard and I felt guilty all over again. “Come here,” I demanded. “As annoyed as I was by your little outburst, seeing you all protective like that kind of made me horny.” That was actually true, but it went both ways, I was equally turned on by the two of them battling it out for my affections. Who knew I was such a damsel?

“Did it now?” he purred.

“Why don’t you dig through my robes and find out just how much?” I replied seductively.

My cock was thickening rapidly at the memory of that fight, the image of Malfoy gasping into one of my Gryffindor socks and the lust filled look Mike was giving me now. For a moment, I thought of the ultimate possibility – if those two didn’t hate each other so much – me, Mike, Malfoy and king-sized bed. And that was it, no more stimulation required.

“You are hard!” Mike groaned as he squeezed my cock through my robes. I don’t think I’d ever been so hard in my life.

Mike dropped to his knees and dug through my robes furiously, eventually claiming his prize and taking me into the warm folds of his mouth. I groaned in pleasure as his tongue soothed the aching I felt, but ignited the fire that sent tingles of ecstasy through my limbs. I was naturally vocal when it came to sex, even when I was going solo, but I had learned quickly to bite my tongue for fear of being caught. Not this time though: we were alone in this room and nobody usually ventured this far down the corridor since these classrooms weren’t used anymore. I threw my head back as he worked on me, sending shivers up and down my spine and I moaned freely into the dusty air.

I leaned back up against a heavy wooden table, supporting myself with my left hand and using my right to guide Mike’s mouth up and down the length of my cock. God, he felt even more incredible than usual and he had always been good at this. I wasn’t going to last very long.

I’m not sure why I did it, but as I felt the pressure building in my groin, as I felt myself reaching my climax, I looked up at the doorway. There was a glass panel set into the door, but it was blurred so you couldn’t see exactly through it, but enough to know what was going on.

I saw someone standing on the other side of the door watching me; it was Malfoy, I recognized his trademark blonde hair. He was gone as soon as he saw me looking at him, but it was that image that set me off. Just knowing Malfoy was watching me get a blowjob drove me crazy. I screamed my pleasure into the still air of the classroom and hoped Malfoy could hear me as he stormed off.

Author's Note: I haven't given her anything this evil yet! I'll have to up the anty. My poor Draco forced to watch Harry get off with another boy. Whatever shall I do?!