Hey everybody! I'm so so sorry that it took me so long to update (a year andfour monthsbut who's counting?). Real life combined with my sudden insecurity as a writer prevented me from even touching this fic (though I did think about it). Then all of a sudden today I thought – "No. I want to write it. I feel bad for not writing it. Let's write it". I just wanted to say thankyou SO MUCH to everybody who has reviewed/harassed me during my absence. It's because of you that I'm back. The guilt finally got too much for me to handle. Sorry to everybody because I can't reply to you all personally (that's not allowed anymore is it?). But thankyou again.
Without further ramble, here it is: Chapter 16 of In the End!
Chapter 16
Harry POV
A tap dancing hoard of hippogriffs woke me up. At least…it felt that way considering the relentless pounding in my temples. What the hell?
I frowned, trying to dredge up a few memories that might explain the pain in my head and the fact that my sheets were suddenly softer than they'd ever been. Unbelievably soft actually. I nuzzled into them. What were they made of? Where could I get some? Whose were they?
A rush of panic tingled to my toes. Oh shit. Whose were they? I attempted to open an eye. And retreated to the pillow quickly as my vision exploded. Oww, Fuck. That hurt! I barely held back a whimper – only even tried because imagine if it got out to Voldemort that my one weakness was none other than a hangover. Drinking shots with Voldy waiting for my impending death didn't sound like my idea of a good night out. Damn my only irresponsibly teenage irresponsibility. Well alright…not my one weakness. The other was a bit more human, blonde and appealing.
I cursed inwardly. Though apparently even he wasn't a weakness that stopped me from giving into other things like a stupid drunken Irishman who I didn't even really like anyway.
"Fuck," I managed, voice muffled but still sounding as though I'd eaten a bottle-worth of glass along with its alcoholic contents. Actually…probably more like a crate-worth because I was beginning to feel quite sick as well. Though that may be more to do with the fact that I'd slept with Seamus – Seamus bloody fucking –
"Already? You clearly aren't as hungover as I thought."
My eyes shot open and I sat up, feeling the bed lurch under me impressively, "Draco!" I squawked, pulling the sheet up to my neck and then lowering it again as I realised how stupid I looked.
"Harry," he acknowledged calmly from a chair nestling against the bed.
"Draco!" I repeated dumbly, meeting only blankness in my stupefied (sadly not literally) mind.
"Harry." Frowning now and quirking an eyebrow at me in a manner so Draco that it did something strange to my stomach.
And it all rushed back to me. The charms classroom. The stumble back to Draco's room, alcohol and hormones combining in a particularly challenging…challenge. Unable to stop touching each other, fingers brushing against shoulder, stomach, cheek, lips until all I wanted to do was grab him, push him down on the floor and –
He coughed subtly and I wrenched my attention to him, trying to will the flush from my cheeks.
"You don't remember then?" He was staring at the floor, face impassive; eyes harder to read than they'd ever been before. It was hard to tell what he was feeling. The light from the window (how'd that happen? Weren't we underground?) was hitting him from the side and I got an eyeful of moody-head tilted-cheekbone outlining beauty. Christ…he was just…hot.
"Remember what?" I murmur, distracted by the sight of a bruise that looked remarkably like the shape of my teeth on the side of his neck.
There was a flash of anger? hurt? in his eyes and I hastily shook off the niggling desire to lick him. "Of course I remember," I reassured quickly, "How could I forget? I mean it was…" I trailed off, swallowing as the urge to lick him resurfaced a thousand times more potent.
"Yeah," he agreed softly, a smirk tilting the corners of his mouth, "it was, wasn't it?"
I nodded vacantly, suddenly very aware that, for the first time I was in Draco Malfoy's bedroom and I wasn't fighting this and he wasn't fighting this and we both wanted to –
"Wait," I said, alarmed by my own assumptions, "You aren't going to run away again are you?"
The reply was not immediately forthcoming so I launched in again, "Because I won't let you! Goddamn it Draco you can't keep doing this to me! Don't you get it? I want you. And it isn't fair – you can't keep leading me on like this. Well alright…" I said hurriedly, "you can…because frankly I'll take what I can get but – you can't!" Back on track, I raced, "And if it means that I have to go and face Voldemort now – this very moment I will!"
"Now?" he drawled, "don't you think you'd better put some clothes on first?"
Stunned off-kilter I stopped, unable to believe his response. That was, until his face dissolved into a grin. Confused, I made a series of faces at him (hopefully ones that related in some way to my feelings).
"Who ever said anything about running away?" he offered in response.
"Oh." Ten points to whoever can point to the sheepish Gryffindor in the room.
"You idiot," he said fondly with that lopsided smirk, "What – did you think I was going to shag you then dash out of here as fast as my aristocratic legs would carry me?"
Well…grab his broom and leave a few twigs behind in his haste but basically yeah.
"Contrary to popular belief I don't just want you for sex."
"But it's a part of our unique relationship that you enjoy and want to keep practising at, right?" I said hopefully.
"Let me rephrase," he replied huskily, "I don't want you just for sex, but it's quite a good selling point."
"I thought I already had you sold."
"You do," he whispered, breath warm against my cheek, "I thought I made that fairly clear when I changed time, my allegiances and my Slytherin-only policy for you."
"Mm," I replied breathily, as his fingers brushed up and down my hip, "I think I need more convincing than that."
He scraped the skin in my inner thigh softly and I held back a groan, already hard.
"Convincing hm? I could be up for that," he looked down and smirked, "I see you already are."
His fingers brushed against me teasingly and a moan escaped my lips.
"That's right," he said softly, voice husky, "I want to hear exactly how convincing you find me." With that he licked a long teasing line up my throat and – as I opened my mouth to reply in an appropriately cutting manner – closed his hand around my erection.
"Gwaagckh," I said instead.
Needless to say…I found him fairly convincing.
Draco POV
There comes a point in life where you have to stop fighting the inevitable and just let it take its course. That was my new mantra anyway. One I repeatedly muttered under my breath whenever a pinprick of guilt surfaced. Not that this was as frequent as I'd anticipated due to the sheer enormity of Harry's –
Wand? My brain finished somewhat unhelpfully for me. Unhelpfully only because it was quite a distracting thought to be having whilst in Snape's office. I shifted guiltily in my seat, trying to pretend that I wasn't thinking about the fact that Harry Potter was –
Hung like a donkey.
I coughed and Snape narrowed his eyes at me. I offered a weak smile, readying myself for telling him the inevitable. And that would be that Harry and I are together, not the size of his –
"Is there something the matter Draco?"
"Matter? No. Of course not," I managed to stutter out, "Why would anything be the matter? I wasn't thinking about anything."
Snape's eyes tapered even more and I squirmed beneath his gaze. "I don't think I've heard such ineloquent rambling since the last cursed time I was required to have a conversation with Potter."
"Really?" I asked, heart thudding, "How nice."
Arms folded, he glowered. "Bearing that fact in mind, is there anything you need to tell me?"
"Tell you? No. Sir." Technically I didn't need to tell him anything. I had been planning on it yes, but suddenly it seemed like a very bad idea. As did the fact that I'd just called him 'sir'. What was I doing? That was probably more of a giveaway than allowing Harry to spell out 'property of Harry Potter' in lovebites on my neck. And the last thing I wanted right now was to let Snape know. Having only just come to terms with the idea of allowing the relationship myself, I could do without Snape's pessimistic (because let's face it – he would be) ranting on the matter.
"Is that so?" he frowned, "You do realise of course, Mr Malfoy," (I winced), "that when I told you to go to the party and flirt with a sickeningly attractive boy to make Potter jealous, I did not in fact mean go to the party and watch Potter flirt with a Gryffindor idiot you are worth a thousand of and then go mad with jealousy yourself?"
"I do realise that. Sir," I added for good measure.
"Then would you care to explain to me why that did happen and why, you subsequently dragged Potter from the room and did not return?"
"Not particularly," I said carefully, ready to dash from the room at the first sign of real danger. The man had been a Death Eater after all and just because I was his godson didn't mean I was safe if he found out exactly what Potter and I had done in the Charms room, and the corridor to Slytherin…and my bed…and…
"Not particularly?" He hissed.
I nodded tentatively.
"May I just take this opportunity to remind you that you are in fact supposed to be staying away from Potter so that both of you are not immediately murdered by Voldemort. That in fact, you are a spy and a Death Eater and that fraternising with Potter in this way is going to get one, if not both, of you in serious trouble from which you will not be able to remove yourself."
Ooh Merlin there was that guilt resurfacing again.
"Accept the inevitable," I muttered reassuringly to myself, "Stop trying to fight fate."
"What was that Mr Malfoy?" Snape looked as though he was about to die of an apoplectic fit.
"My new mantra?" I offered.
He sat down heavily. And looked at me. And kept looking at me.
"What?" I asked petulantly.
"There are reasons I give you advice Draco."
"I know there are – "
"And I am glad to see that you have – as anticipated – ignored every shed of sensible guidance I gave you."
" – what?" I goggled.
Snape sent me a smug look.
"You mean you knew this was going to happen?"
He scoffed, "of course I knew. You've clearly been spending too much time with Potter's lot if you think for one moment I don't act in a premeditated way. I knew the second I told you to go to that party that no good could come of it – I knew that in that unfortunate emotional state you were in you wouldn't be able to resist Potter's attempts to irritate you and I knew that Potter would only be trying to irritate you so that you would snap and drag him away to some deserted classroom…" He looked at me meaningfully (there was meaning within the sneer anyway) and I gulped.
"You know about that?" I exclaimed, horrified.
"I know about everything Draco. Although for my own sanity I will pretend that I have no possible idea what you could be talking about and go back to extolling Potter's vices."
I stared at him blankly. "You mean – you don't mind?"
"Mind? You got what you wanted didn't you?"
I nodded, more confused than I'd been in a long time.
"Then why would I mind?" Snape sat back with a flourish.
I couldn't help myself. "Because you hate Harry and want him to suffer and me to lead a Potter-free existence?"
"I," Snape began, looking indignant, "just want you to be happy you ungrateful little brat."
Both touched and disturbed I stared at him.
He sniffed, "Of course there is the added bonus that I get to feed him slowly and torturously to all manner of beasts if he hurts you."
Reassured, I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now run along and make the most of my dignity's sacrifice. And for Slytherin's sake get rid of that ridiculous grin."
I couldn't help it. I rather wanted to hug him but decided that as this whole thing had been far easier than I thought it would be there was no reason to make it difficult so close to the end.
"Thanks Severus," I said instead, still slightly more fuzzy happiness in my voice than would have made him happy.
He nodded stiffly in acknowledgement and turned back to the pile of papers on his desk, scowl still very much evident.
I let a fond smile cross my lips and stood and left the room, thanking the power that clearly was in the world somewhere, that I'd always had my godfather and always would.
"There you are." Harry's voice broke into the silence of the furthest corner of the library I'd inhabited.
Startled, I looked up to see him, flanked by Hermione and Weasley (in a manner that a year ago would have been an omen of several trips to see Madame Pomfrey but one that now didn't bother me).
"Hey," I greeted sleepily, moving a pile of books off the chair next to me so he could sit down.
He did so immediately, leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to my lips. Weasley made a small noise of protest and there was a noise that sounded suspiciously like Hermione's hand hitting his shoulder.
"Hey yourself," Harry replied, a silly grin on his face. The same one that I imagined was on my face too.
"Hey," I repeated, feeling slightly flushed.
He bit his lip, fingers moving and brushing gently over my nose and the curve of my cheek.
"You had dust on your nose," he muttered shyly at my startled look.
"Oh," I said dumbly, his closeness making me feel rather dizzy.
"Yeah."
Oh well. At least Harry sounded just as idiotic as me.
The stifling (sexual!) tension in the air hit my stomach and I drew in a sharp breath. Harry was leaning forward slowly, almost unconsciously and I let my eyes flutter shut as I felt the warmth of his breath fan across my face.
Only to be abruptly removed as someone coughed pointedly.
Hermione I assumed, as Weasley had his eyes very firmly screwed shut.
"Do you two have to do that here?" Weasley ground out, opening one eye when Hermione tugged on his sleeve.
"No," Harry drawled, in a manner so reminiscent of me that I blinked, "we could go to Draco's room and do it on his bed instead."
"You can stay it's not bothering me," Weasley said quickly, the images clearly being too much for him.
"Good."
Hermione snickered and took a seat at the other side of the table, opening one of the books I'd scattered and leafing through it.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked me curiously, taking in the sheer number of volumes around me.
"Work."
"What kind?" He leaned closer, pressing his arm against mine.
I stretched into the touch, casually so I didn't offend Weasley's delicate sensibilities. Though he was so busy staring at Hermione I didn't think he'd notice. "Transfiguration essay."
He looked confused for a moment and then his face took on an expression of horror, "That's not in for days!"
I shrugged, rubbing my arm slightly against his, "Never to early to get a headstart."
"You sound like Hermione," Harry sounded slightly disgusted.
"Really? That's not what you were saying last night," I said teasingly, injecting as much innuendo into my voice as possible.
It worked. He flushed and darted a quick look across the table before leaning into me further and dropping his hand to my thigh. "Well last night I wasn't thinking straight."
"Hm. Well, left to me, you'll never think straight again."
"Is that a challenge?" he whispered breathily.
"It's a promise," I returned, mirroring his gesture and sliding my palm up his thigh.
"Hmm," his breathing jerked, "well what's to say I can trust your word? You are a Slytherin after all."
"Good point," I move my hand higher, "But isn't that what makes it exciting, Potter." I brushed my thumb over his crotch.
He whimpered, biting down on his lip in an attempt to keep the noise in. "And who says I want it to be exciting Malfoy?"
"Well," I drawled, "you haven't told me to stop yet have you?" I was rubbing him now through the rough denim of his jeans and he looked as though he wasn't going to be able to keep this conversation going for very long. "You're getting off on it, aren't you Potter? I bet you'd love it if I was to drop to my knees and suck you off right here, wouldn't you?"
Another whimper is my only response.
"If I took you in my mouth – so hot and wet – and licked every inch of you. I know how you like it Potter. I could get you off before they even realised I was gone."
"Oh shit – Malfoy – "
"Um…guys?" Hermione's voice broke in. I looked up. Her and Weasley were staring at us as though we'd gone mad. Which I supposed we had. I'd practically been about to give Harry a handjob in the library. I jerked my hand away as if I'd been burned, face turning red. Harry looked even more embarrassed if that was possible.
"Sorry," he muttered.
Weasley looked on the point of passing out through sheer horror. For once I could't blame him. If the tables had been turned I think I'd have vomited watching him and Hermione…ugh. Surprisingly it was him who spoke the first coherent sentence.
"Do you think maybe you guys should…" he waved a hand, "you know…go and…you know…"
Ok perhaps not that coherent but I could have kissed him anyway. Could have. Didn't.
"Excellent idea." I declared, grabbing Harry's hand and my essay simultaneously. "Say goodbye to your friends Harry."
He barely manages to lift a hand before I whisk him out the library, planning exactly what I'm going to do to him the second I get him on a bed.
So there we go. That was it. Random, I know. It's un-beta-ed but hopefully I didn't do too many stupid things in it. Though I doubt that, as I am indeed myself and just wrote this and haven't read it through yet. Damn.
Thanks for reading and please please review (even if only to say you're reading) because I need all the encouragement I'm going to get!