Stand Up For Judas

Stand Up For Judas

8
The Forbidden Forest

     Harry came around gradually, his head throbbing. He groaned, lifting his face off the floor, the imprint of the tiles on his cheek. He rubbed the back of his neck as he sat up, blearily trying to remember why it was he had been asleep in the cubicle of a toilet. His eyes fluttered over his copy of Advanced Potion Making, which was open, upside down and half hanging off the closed lid of the toilet, with several suspicious new stains on it's cover.
     Consciousness seared through him as if he'd been injected with Wit-Sharpening Solution. Fractured pictures of his Potions lesson came back to him; Malfoy, eggs, Ron, Amortentia, Malfoy, bathroom, wanking, spells, Malfoy. Malfoy. Harry's fists clenched again, so hard that his nails dug in to the palm of his hand, and his whole body started to shake. He was going to kill Malfoy for what he'd done to him, reducing him to a quivering, lust-crazed mass. And he'd actually thought that poncey Slytherin bastard had feelings for him! Harry could feel tears welling up in his eyes. He punched the wall of the cubicle, angry at himself for getting so emotional over the boy who was supposed to be his rival, and earning himself a set of grazed knuckles and a jarred wrist.
     He stood up abruptly, shakily pulling his trousers up from around his ankles, the shame of what he'd just done finally kicking in. Harry thought his legs were going to give out again as his body was racked with sobs. What had happened to him? Just three days ago everything had been normal, now he was slumped in some godforsaken toilet stall, jacking off over thoughts of Malfoy.
     The throbbing in his hand dragged him out of the self pity he had been falling into. He looked down blankly at his bleeding knuckles, then flexed his fingers. He wasn’t going to cry over that twat, not ever again. He yanked at the toilet roll, succeeding only in making the dispenser spill half it’s load onto the floor. Cursing, Harry ripped off a few sheets and scrubbed at the congealing globules on his Potions book. Malfoy was going to pay.

     Harry marched straight out of the bathroom after cleaning his book, not even bothering to check his appearance. He was going to find Malfoy, and when he did, he was going to hex him in to next week, from where wasn’t going to come back.
     The corridors were empty as he stormed towards the entrance hall. Harry wasn’t complaining, he would prefer it if the whole school wasn’t teeming around him as he killed the fucking bastard, it’d make things harder. He presumed it was the middle of a lesson until he saw the first window, through which no light was spilling.
     ‘Shit,’ He thought ‘How long have I been asleep?’ That thought stalled him slightly, Hermione and Ron would probably be going frantic with worry. In fact, the whole school probably would be. He was expected to be the savoir of the wizarding world, so why wasn’t there are huge search party out looking for him?
     He rounded the final corner, still confused as to what was going on, and saw the very boy that moments before he’d been thinking about killing slipping out of the double doors and into the grounds. At that, Harry stopped completely. It had been one thing contemplating murder in the cold, stark dungeon toilets, but upon seeing Draco himself, without even the faintest trace of a smirk on his face, the anger started ebbing from his body, leaving behind only confusion.
     ‘What’s wrong with me!’ Harry thought frenziedly, ’One minute I want to kill him, the next - god knows what!’ He had no idea what was happening with his head, but in that instant he knew he wasn’t going to find out on his own. All the rage and confusion and hate and self-pity that had been boiling up in him over the past three days seemed to overflow out of his mind and through his whole body, taking over his actions. He found himself heading to the front doors, not even thinking to go back for his invisibility cloak, and following the blonde out into the grounds.
     It took Harry a minute to locate the other boy, who was already nearing the Forbidden Forest. For the first time, he wondered why Malfoy was sneaking around, but he could figure that out later, there were more important things to do at that moment.
     He set out after the blonde, shivering slightly in the cold breeze that was blowing across the lawns. It was a quiet night, and Harry could hear his footsteps on the grass as he walked steadily towards Malfoy, not hesitating once. It was time he got some answers.
     By then, Harry‘s quarry was at the edge of the forest, and would soon vanish amidst the dense mass of pine trees. Harry put on a burst of speed, he wasn’t going to let Malfoy get away his time, he needed to know what was going on.
     Harry entered the forest cautiously, not knowing what Draco, nor any of the forest’s inhabitants, would think if he suddenly appeared as if from nowhere. Failing to watch were he was treading, though, Harry stepped on a dry twig, which snapped with a loud crack.
     ‘Who’s there?’ Draco spun round from feet ahead of him, lighting his wand. Harry cursed to himself, he wasn’t sure what to do now. He wanted to talk to Draco, but had no bloody idea what he was going to say.
     ‘Potter!’ Draco exclaimed, his beam of light suddenly falling across Harry’s face.
     ‘Who else?’ Harry replied without thinking ‘Now would you put that out, I can’t see a damned thing.’ And to his complete surprise, Draco did so. The two boy’s stood in silence for what seemed like hours, the wind whistling around them, both looking firmly at the floor, until Harry finally said something he’d never thought he’d hear coming out of his own mouth.
     ‘Do you fancy me, Malfoy?’
     ‘What?!’ The Slytherin gabbled. Harry looked up at his face, which was blushing intensely, much like Harry had been that morning. Harry grinned, Draco looked damn hot when he was so self-conscious.
     ’C’mon, Malfoy, you’ve groped me, winked at me, stroked a spoon handle at me. That‘s not something boys who don‘t fancy other boy‘s do.’ Harry’s grin widened as Draco continued to blush. He didn’t have the faintest clue what he was doing or why, the words just seemed to be pouring out of his mouth. ‘Hey, what happened to all that bravado?’
     ‘Well I didn’t expect you to come following me around!‘ Draco snapped.
     ‘Who wouldn’t?’ Harry was almost laughing at how uncomfortable Draco looked. Somehow, he wasn’t scared that he was going to be rejected, or mocked, or killed. He’d never seen Draco blush before.
     ‘What about you then, Potter?’ Draco shot back at him ‘Do you fancy me?’ Harry was caught off guard by that. How on earth had Draco failed to notice how he felt?
     ‘Draco’ He said incredulously ‘I told you I thought you were attractive, I’ve been staring at you for the past three days and I got a stonking great erection whilst perving over you getting in a bath!’
     ‘I don’t know!’ The blonde replied, frustrated, throwing his hands up in the air, ‘I thought maybe- I just- I don’t bloody know! And stop grinning at me!’
     ‘Sorry, sorry’ Harry said, completely failing to do what Draco asked.
     ‘I- wait, did you just call me Draco?’ The other boy stopped in his tracks.
     ‘Er, maybe’ Harry said, knowing he had done, then adding, quietly ‘Would you like me to?’
     ‘I don’t know.’ Draco looked at him with a mixture of fear and something that might possibly have been longing in his eyes. Harry took a step towards him, and Draco retreated, only to find himself backed up against one of the forests towering pines.
     ‘Draco.’ Harry said, savouring the word. The slighter boy shuddered, looking away and pressing himself further back against the tree. Harry leaned forwards, cupping Draco’s face with his hand.
     ‘Draco.’ he whispered this time, rubbing his thumb over the blonde’s bottom lip
     ‘Please, Harry-’, Draco looked up at him, his silver eyes just as Harry had dreamt them.
     ‘Shh’ Harry breathed, leaning closer, feeling Draco’s hot breath on his own lips.
     ‘Harry-’ The blonde didn’t get to finish the sentence because Harry gently placed his lips on Draco’s in a slow, lingering kiss.
     ‘I think that answers my question.’ Harry smiled as he pulled away. He’d kissed him. Ten minutes ago he’d wanted to kill him, and he’d just bloody kissed him. He felt so weak, the intensity of what had happened draining everything out of him.
     ‘So, what was with the bi-polar act?’ Harry asked eventually, still gazing at Draco.
     ‘Hmm?’ The blonde looked up at him, seeming faintly puzzled.
     ‘One minute you’re avoiding me, the next you’ve got your hands all over my arse, what was that all about?’ Harry said, only half teasing.
     ‘Well I couldn’t exactly jump on you in the middle of the Great Hall, could I?’ Draco scoffed, regaining some of his former arrogance ‘Oh yes, I can just see the next issue of the Profit “Draco Malfoy: Heir to the Malfoy Estate or Raving Pooftah?”’
     ‘So you do fancy me, then?’ Harry asked simply.
     ‘Don’t push your luck, Potter.’ Draco grumbled
     ‘It’s Harry to you,’ Harry teased ‘And I know you do, you’re blushing again.’
     ‘I am not!’ Draco retorted, but seemed to catch himself. He sighed. ‘Look, I should go’
     ‘Wait!’ Harry caught his arm as he turned to leave, ‘You can’t, this doesn’t explain anything!’
     ‘I’m sorry’ Draco sighed ‘I do fancy you, a lot, I just- I need to sort some things first, okay?’
     It wasn’t really okay, but Harry had little choice in the matter. He slowly let go of Draco’s arm and watched the blonde walk away over the grounds

     A few minutes later, Harry had followed, walking slowly back up to the Gryffindor tower. His head was full of questions, but at least he knew that Draco liked him. It was the strangest feeling he’d ever felt, his stomach was doing back flips, but at the same time he was so worried that Draco was going to turn round and go back to exactly how he’d been before. But he’d seemed so sincere, so genuine.

     And they’d kissed.

     Harry kept replaying that moment in his mind; The way Draco had looked at him, and the feel of Draco’s lips against his - it was more amazing than the spell he’d used earlier, and much more magical.
     The thoughts of the kiss were still filling Harry’s mind as he absently said the password to the Fat Lady and stepped up into the common room.
     ‘Harry!’ Harry was knocked backwards, almost back out of the portrait hole, by a flurry of bushy hair and Gryffindor robes.
     ‘Er, Hermione, I don’t think jumping on him is going to make things any better’ Ron said carefully, standing a little way away.
     ‘Where have you been!’ Hermione quizzed, looking thoroughly worried as she disentangled herself from him, ‘I know you really like this girl, but its 11 o’clock, Harry! We were really worried about you!’
     ‘I know, Hermione, I’m sorry’ Harry said, finally understanding why he hadn’t been hunted down beforehand. ‘You covered for me though, right?’ He added, grinning cheekily.
     ‘Yes’ Hermione huffed ‘But don’t expect me to do it again. You’re not putting a relationship before your studies, not with Voldemort - oh Ron don’t be so pathetic - on the loose.’
     ‘You’re right’ Harry said ‘In fact, I should head up to bed, now, make sure I’m bright eyed and bushy tailed for tomorrow’ He grinned at her again, then ran up the boy’s staircase before she could give him another lecture.
     ‘Oi, Harry, wait for me, you haven’t told me all the gory details!’ Ron cried, sprinting after him.


Authors Note: Gah, managed to do it -.- Sorry if this chapter is a bit crap, I’m currently running on four hours sleep, two cans or red bull, several cups of coffee and so much paracetamol I’ve probably got permanent liver damage. Anyway, please review, I wanna know if this chapter is believable, ‘cuz I’m not too sure if it is or not =

Oh, and although I’m now home for the summer [yay!] I’m gunna be pretty busy for the next 6 weeks [boo!] so I don’t know what’s gunna happen to this fic. With any luck I’ll still have time to write =]

Edit: fixed the typos. And I've started chapter nine - be happy XP