Expensive Disaster

Authors Note: As you may have already seen (If you read any of my other stories), I'll be on vacation for a few days later this week extending into early next week, so I won't be able to update on those days. But don't pout just yet. Because of that, I'll be posting an extra chapter of each story before Thursday so that none of the stories get behind while I'm away. I'll have all the stories caught up to chapter 8 before I leave. yay! Thanks to my beta Alexandra as who is lovely as always.

Chapter 7 Another Thorn

Harry’s charade with Theo was already turning out to be a nightmare.

He wanted nothing more than to tell him off and make the boy leave him alone, but he knew better. In the week since he made the deal with him, Theo had shown his truly vindictive side, things that went beyond a simple stab in the throat.

He had managed to ferret his way into Harry’s entire schedule, and made it clear on several occasions that Harry’s life would be miserable if he even thought about leaving him.

At best he was clingy, always hanging on Harry in the corridor, or during lunch. He would grope and grab and rub himself against every inch of Harry he could get his little paws on. At worst he was an egomaniacal arsebucket who thought he was entitled to both Harry and Draco.

For instance, the morning after everything was made public about Harry and Theo’s relationship, Theo insisted on joining Harry for breakfast. He kept his hand firmly planted on Harry’s arse on the way to the cafeteria and whispered things in his ear that caused Harry to blush.

Harry made a beeline for Griffin, hoping to patch things up between them, but Griffin took off the minute Harry’s tray hit the table. “Is he really that upset?” he asked Neville.

Neville shrugged. “He hasn’t said a word since he saw you last night. I think he’s just hurt.”

Theo put his arm possessively around Harry’s shoulders and laughed. “He’s jealous. I bet he just wishes he was sleeping with Harry, but he’s not bad looking. Maybe we can make it a threesome? What do you think, honey?” he asked Harry with a grin.

Harry groaned and placed his head in his hands, not dignifying the other boy with an answer. He had made it clear to Theo that under no circumstances would they be sleeping together, and he didn’t appreciate the innuendo.

Harry still hadn’t decided on a costume idea for the Halloween ball. It was closing in on him and Theo was pressuring him to ask him as his date. Harry kept telling him that he wasn’t going, which might not even be a lie. If all of his friends were still angry with him, then he hardly saw the need to bother.

The only thing keeping him at Theo’s side everyday was the fact that when he was with Theo, Malfoy left him alone. It was a significant improvement to their heated exchanges during Harry’s private fencing lessons.

--

“Well, I’m going as a pirate,” Theo said with a wink. They were sitting at lunch, alone again, and Theo had once again not so subtly brought up the dance.

Harry narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care. I’m not going.”

“Oh, come on. You can’t tell me you don’t think that’s funny,” Theo asked, looking genuinely perplexed by Harry’s indifference.

“Why in the world would you dressing as a pirate be funny?” Harry asked.

Theo sighed and shook his head in exasperation. “You know, like butt pirate? I swear, Harry, sometimes I don’t even know why I’m dating you. You’re about as boring as Malfoy.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Well, lucky we’re not really dating,” he hissed. “And by the way, even if you made your joke clear from the beginning, it still wouldn’t have been funny,” he added.

“It was a little funny,” said a voice from behind him.

Harry eyes went wide and he turned around quickly. “Ron!” he shouted and jumped up, throwing his arms around the other boy.

Ron stood awkward and gangly with Harry clinging to him and he laughed. “Down boy,” he ordered playfully.

Harry laughed and let go of his friend and leapt at the other one. Hermione had been standing patiently beside Ron, waiting for her turn.

She laughed as Harry kissed her cheek roughly. “I had no idea you guys were coming by, this is brilliant,” Harry shouted.

He took a long look at his friends. Ron was even taller than he had been before Harry left, which was saying something. His hair, which was usually a vibrant ginger red, was darkened with dye to a deep purple red and streaked with black. He wore black and white striped shorts with reflective straps twisted around both legs. Someone as clumsy as Ron should avoid things like that. He also wore a simple black tank and a set of dog tags Harry had gotten him for his birthday.

Hermione seemed to have put more effort into her look than usual. She wore a short blue and black plaid skirt with a form fitting white blouse and knee-high boots. Typically she didn’t like for anyone to realize she was a girl, so the outfit was quite the stretch for her.

Theo cleared his throat behind him and Harry rolled his eyes. “Theo, this is Ron and Hermione,” he announced dutifully. “They are my best mates from public school.”

“Ew. You went to public school?” Theo asked.

Harry looked at him incredulously. “Where did you think I was before I came here?”

Theo shrugged. “There were rumors that you had been in prison, or going to school in America.”

“And of course you believed them, just like every other rumor,” Harry spat.

“Hey, don’t go mouthing off to me just because your old boyfriend is here,” Theo growled indignantly.

Ron threw up his hands. “Whoa, I love Harry just the way he is, but that doesn’t mean that I like man arse too,” he said.

“I never dated Ron so you can curb the jealousy, Theo,” Harry added.

Hermione laughed. “Well, you may want to rethink that, Harry. We didn’t know you were dating anyone,” she said, shooting a scathing and disapproving look toward Theo. “So we brought someone with us. We didn’t think you would mind,” she finished sheepishly.

Harry’s eyes flicked behind her to the doorway where a beautiful blonde boy stood leaning against the frame and smiled back at him. He was Harry’s wet dream personified. Well, rather, he was the personified wet dream that Harry felt comfortable with.

“Tristan,” he whispered.

The boy smiled wider and made his way over to Harry. His lithe form was so graceful, his pale skin perfect and his blonde hair bounced around his chiseled face. He was only wearing tight black jeans and a simple green top and still looked fuck worthy.

Tristan had been his long-term boyfriend back at public school, and the only boy he ever slept with. It had been awkward and slightly painful, and it was the very next day that Harry had found out abut his parent’s car accident. Harry hadn’t spoken to him sense, and hardly even knew what to say to him now.

He looked at the boy’s clear blue eyes and nearly melted.

Tristan closed the distance between them in a single stride and ran his fingers through Harry’s wild raven curls. “I missed you,” he whispered.

Harry sighed and before he even realized what was happening he was kissing Tristan.

That was, until Theo tore them apart.

The whole school was watching them and Theo had apparently felt the need to assert himself as Harry’s boyfriend. He wrenched Harry away from Tristan with a violent tug and got between them, his eyes narrowed at the blonde.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Theo spat. “Harry’s mine.”

Tristan chuckled and his eyes flickered up to Harry, who only shrugged and smiled. “That’s impossible, because he never stopped being mine,” Tristan said coolly.

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This situation was turning into some daytime drama and it was starting to make him queasy.

A low growl emanated from Theo’s throat. “Well, he’s not anymore.”

“Harry?” Tristan asked, not even bothering to look at Theo. “Did you leave me for this prick, really?”

“Technically no,” Harry started. “I never really thought we would see each other again. But, Theo has no hold over me.”

Theo whipped around and glared at Harry. “The plan?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“Screw the plan,” Harry said. “You can try and get Malfoy on your own.”

“You ignorant little virgin,” Theo spat.

“He’s not a virgin,” Tristan chuckled, putting his arm around Harry. A gasp from behind them brought Harry attention around. Malfoy was standing there, his eyes wide from Tristan’s declaration.

Harry shook off Tristan’s his arm. “Announce it to the whole world why don’t you?” Harry said, stepping away.

It was all starting to be too much for Harry, an overload. He was happy to see Tristan, but the boy was acting as if Harry was his property. He was also happy to be rid of Theo, who was on his knees from having been kicked down by Hermione. Even more than any of that he was glad to see Hermione and Ron, but he just wanted to be alone right then. He wanted the rest of the students to stop staring at him and the hurt in Malfoy’s eyes to go away.

He grabbed his friend’s hands and pulled them along the corridor, leaving Theo and Tristan to work out who got to be Harry’s top next on their own.

--

“Are you really dating that prat?” Ron asked as soon as Harry shut the door to his room behind him.

“No… and yes,” Harry replied. “It’s a long story, but he was sort of helping me with a problem while I helped him… though it really wasn’t worth it.”

“I’ll say,” Hermione added. Harry was still laughing internally from the moment Hermione’s foot flung out and deftly took Theo’s legs out from under him. It was priceless. “He was such a jerk to you, Harry. You deserve better.”

“Right now I wish I had fewer options,” Harry groaned. “It’s not like it was before when there was only maybe two gay boys in the whole school. Apparently it’s the trend here. Plus, since I’m new, I’m sort of the novelty.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “As always you’re underestimating how funny, smart and hot you are.”

“Right,” Harry grumbled. “Just this morning Theo called me boring.”

“Theo’s an arsebag,” Ron said, looking around Harry’s room.

Harry sighed and threw himself onto his bed. “I know. I don’t even know what I was thinking agreeing to date him in the first place.”

“What problem is he helping you with?” Hermione asked.

“Malfoy,” Harry muttered.

“Oh,” they replied in unison. Ron and Hermione were the first people to befriend Harry when he came to their school. Eventually he had opened up to them about the whole incident between him and Draco.

“You said in your letter that he was being nice. Like trying to get you back nice, or trying to get something from you nice?” Hermione asked. She always knew the most intelligent questions to ask.

Harry shrugged. “I don’t really know. It seems like he wants me back… but I can’t go there again.”

Hermione came and sat next to him on the bed and rubbed his shoulders. “I know it might seem hard, but people do change, Harry.”

“You sound like Sirius, or rather, Remus via Sirius,” he muttered.

She straightened up and looked slightly affronted. “Well, Remus is very smart,” she said.

Harry rolled over and faced her. “I know. I just… after what happened… I can’t trust him.”

“Maybe you should just sit him down and tell him so. If he really likes you, he’ll only want what’s best for you,” Ron said.

Hermione and Harry both looked at him incredulously. “When did you start speaking like an enlightened grown up?” Harry asked.

Ron shrugged. “I watch television. They say shite like that all the time.”

The trio fell into a fit of laughter, and Harry felt the best he had since arriving at Veritas Academy.

Authors Note: Is it time for a Draco POV yet? And I know I know. drama drama. I promise it's going to get better soon, for a bit anyhow.