A Lesson Learned

This is in response to Lady_Diablo’s Sticky!Situations Challenge

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“Fix id.” Draco whined as he tried to stem the flow of blood from his nose.

“I can’t. My wand was taken just like yours was.” He growled almost angrily dragging Draco behind him and to the painting of the Fat Lady. He growled the password at her and she swung open. Hermione, Ron and several others were sitting in the common room and stopped talking when they saw him enter, Malfoy in tow.

“Er… Harry? What happened?” Hermione asked tentatively. Harry glowered at her.

“ ‘e broge my node.” Draco whined holding his hand over his bleeding nose. Hermione turned shocked eyes on Harry and then to someone standing behind Harry.

“Is this true, Mr. Potter? Did you break Mr. Malfoy’s nose?” Professor McGonagall asked coldly from the doorway. Snape was standing behind her. Harry turned panicked eyes on Hermione and Ron but didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say.

“You just heard Draco admit to it, Minerva. The boy is a menace.” Snape growled. “Potter, we are going to the Headmaster.”

McGonagall looked resigned and motioned for Harry to come. “Mr. Malfoy, please join us as well.” She sighed. Harry and Draco shared a shocked look but obediently followed their Heads of House out of the door. As the portrait swung shut, the pair heard muffled laughter coming from the Gryffindor common room.

Draco glared at Harry. “Dis is your fault.” He hissed and then winced at the pain. Harry glared back at him.

“Oh, really? Whose idea was it to-“

“Stop arguing! Let me see your face, Mr. Malfoy.” McGonagall said sternly. Draco pulled his hand away from his nose and he knew it was bad when even Snape winced.

“Episkey.” She said, with a wave of her wand and Draco stifled a scream of pain as his nose straightened. Then they followed the teachers up to Dumbledore’s office. On the way, they exchanged meaningful glances, trying to decide what to say. After all, the truth was worse than detention with Filch.

They reached Dumbledore’s office and were ushered in and made to sit in front of his desk, the professors on each side of them. Dumbledore looked at them over his half moon spectacles. His eyes were twinkling. Dumbledore waited until McGonagall and Snape had said their fill before turning to the young men in question. He gave them a smirk worthy of any Slytherin.

“So, boys, tell me how the broken nose came to pass…”

Draco and Harry shared a glance.

Harry cleared his throat. “You want to know, Professor?” he said awkwardly. “I’m not just going to get detention?”

Dumbledore nodded. “Of course I want to know. We want to make sure we prevent this in the future.” He said solemnly.

Draco started to choke and Harry gave him a worried look. Snape slapped his back a few times until Draco was fine again.

“Tell him, Harry. Tell him how you broke my nose.” Draco said in a choked voice. Both Professors were giving him concerned looks but the Headmaster looked amused. Harry glared at Draco, knowing what he wanted him to tell.

“Are you sure, Draco. I mean we didn’t tell before because…”

“He is sure, Mr. Potter! And what do you mean before? This has happened before and no one reported it? You should be expelled!” Snape said coldly. Draco started choking again and Harry was looking amused. He kept Snape’s gaze.

“Well, not the broken nose. That was an accident but the other stuff, yes, has happened before.” He drawled in an imitation of Draco that wasn’t too badly done.

“So what happened? Tell us what led up to this.” Dumbledore requested.

“Fine… Draco and I met in the Room of Requirement at nine o’clock like we always do on Wednesdays.”

They pretended not to hear Draco’s muttered comment of “And all the other days of the week too.”

“Hermione took our wands, like always. It’s safer that way because then we don’t hex each other.” He paused. “Then Draco pulled out this book. What was it called again?” he slyly turned to Draco, whose eyes widened.

“uh… I don’t remember?” Draco lied.

“Mr. Malfoy, it is obvious that you remember from the look on your face. Please do not play these games with us.” McGonagall said scathingly. Draco glared at her and then smirked.

“Oh yes, that’s right. It was the Wizarding Kama Sutra, Spells, Potions and Positions to improve your sex life. You see, Harry wanted to try something new. We tried several positions and finally found one we liked but the ropes broke and we fell. Harry’s elbow smashed my nose. He couldn’t fix it because Hermione had our wands. Is that what you wanted to know?” his question was met with silence and then a solid thump. McGonagall stared at him, her mouth open. She looked frozen. Snape had fallen out of his chair. He had a glazed look in his eyes that worried Draco.

Harry snickered. “I don’t know why you wanted me to tell them. You did just fine.” He said to Draco accusingly. Draco leered at him.

“Because you look so damn sexy when you are blushing. Can we return to what we were doing, Professor Dumbledore?” Draco asked politely. Dumbledore was doubled over in laughter but waved them out. Harry paused to look at the Professors on his way out. McGonagall was still staring into space with her mouth opened and Snape looked as though he was catatonic.

“Thank you, Professor Dumbledore.” Harry said with a wink as he followed Draco out.

“Did that really happen?” Snape asked weakly from the floor. He pulled himself up and back into his chair.

“Yes it did, Severus. Minerva, are you alright?”

McGonagall shook her head. “I don’t know.” She admitted.

“Well, either way, I hoped you have learned your lesson?”

“What?” Snape asked, confused.

“The lesson of minding your own business.” Dumbledore said as he walked to the door. “I hope they remember to return the book to me too.” He murmured as he left the room. He smiled as he heard two loud thumps this time and closed the door.