Nervous, Yet?

"Nervous, Potter?" Malfoy asked.

"No." The tone was flat and the green eyes glared the same hatred Draco had seen for the past seven years.

"You should be," Draco snapped. It annoyed him that Potter told the truth. Draco could tell. If the positions were reversed, Draco would have been nervous. Hell, he would have been bloody terrified.

Harry Potter was currently chained to a huge pillar in a cavernous room beneath an abandoned castle in Scotland—Death Eater headquarters. Both arms were spread wide and stretched over his head. Iron manacles gripped his wrists, attached to the chains fastened to the pillar. His feet were spread, also, heels pressed hard against the base of the pillar; iron held his ankles.

He was completely nude. It amused the Death Eaters to keep Harry Potter in such a state of helpless vulnerability. Especially Fenrir Greyback, though he had been forbidden to go anywhere near Potter. For now.

Draco went on. "My father sent me down here to have a go at you."

"Knock yourself out," Harry said in a bored tone. Draco was reluctantly impressed that Potter's Gryffindor bravado had not deserted him. Assorted Death Eaters had tortured Harry throughout the night. To no purpose, of course. One dose of Veritaserum and Potter had spilled his limited knowledge of Order of the Phoenix activities and everything else he knew. The Death Eaters simply felt like softening Potter up for the arrival of the Dark Lord later that day.

"Very well," Draco said. "How about a Cruciatus?" He leveled a burst at Potter, whose body instantly jerked against the chain. Harry rose onto the tips of his toes and his back arched as the agony consumed him. He did not scream, but clenched his jaw and threw his head back so hard it slammed against the pillar. His eyes were tightly shut.

Draco found the sight strangely captivating. He released the spell and Potter slumped in the chains, suspended by his arms. He only sagged for a moment and then carefully got his feet beneath him and stood once more.

He glared at Draco. Potter's glasses were gone, so Malfoy wasn't sure how clearly Potter could see, but the venomous gaze met Draco's intently. Malfoy realized that the Cruciatus Curse would never work on Potter. They could Crucio him until he went mad, but he would never break.

Draco walked forward until he stood directly in front of Harry, close enough to feel Potter's breath on his face. Draco pressed the tip of his wand against the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Nervous yet, Potter?"

"No." The emerald eyes flashed.

Draco traced the scar with his wand and continued the motion across Harry's forehead. The black hair slipped over the wand in a dark cascade. Malfoy followed the hairline to Harry's temple and then down over Potter's chiseled cheek to touch briefly on Harry's earlobe. He paused there and his eyes met Potter's. The green orbs were fathomless.

Draco continued the slow path down the slim line of Harry's neck to the hollow of his throat. He paused again and tugged the wand over Potter's collarbone to the deep groove of his shoulder caused by Harry's upraised arms.

He dragged it gently back over the collarbone to the center of Harry's chest and then downward, over the breastbone and following the trail of dark hair to Potter's navel. The wand tip circled Harry's navel and dropped lower, to touch the curls on Potter's groin.

"Nervous yet, Potter?" Draco asked again, taunting.

"No," Harry replied, but there was an odd look in his eyes. Draco smirked. He might be a Death Eater now, but he had learned a thing or two from his father about subtlety.

He flicked the wand away from Harry's skin and transferred it to his left hand. With his right, he touched an index finger to Harry's scar. Slowly, he followed the same path as the wand, trailing it slowly over Potter's forehead to his temple. The soft hair wafted over Malfoy's hand and Draco found his gaze locked on Harry's.

Draco splayed his fingers and caressed Potter's cheekbone. He sensed Harry's desire to jerk away from his touch, but the Gryffindor pride would not allow it. Draco's fingers brushed Harry's earlobe and slid delicately down Potter's neck to rest in the hollow of his throat. He paused there until he felt a pulse—not quite as slow and steady as Potter would have liked, no doubt.

Draco ran his fingers across the collarbone and back to the center of Harry's chest. He allowed a grin to curve his lips as he trailed his touch lightly downward, following the delicate line of soft hair until it met the thicker hair below. Malfoy dipped his hand into the curls for a moment and stilled his hand.

"Nervous yet, Potter?" he asked huskily.

"No," Harry said, but his voice sounded ragged and Draco saw a muscle in his jaw twitch.

Draco leaned forward and rose slightly on his toes to touch his tongue to Harry's scar. He felt Potter's breath against his throat and nearly shivered—God, but he was getting turned on. For a mere instant he thought of Harry in bed, panting that hot breath against his neck… Draco dragged his mind back to the present before Potter got the bright idea to bite him instead of standing there in frozen shock.

Draco slid his tongue over Potter's forehead, following the path of wand and hand. Harry's soft hair flitted over Draco's face in a gossamer caress.

Malfoy pressed a kiss to Harry's temple and heard Potter's breathing—definitely uneven now—hitch slightly. He moved his lips over the shapely cheekbone to Harry's earlobe. Draco took it into his mouth and nibbled it. He exhaled gently into Potter's ear.

Harry's head tipped back again, giving Malfoy access to the beautiful line of his neck. Draco's tongue glided downward and traced a path to the tantalizing hollow of Potter's throat.

Harry nearly panted now and the puffs of air ruffled Draco's hair as he licked the edge of Potter's collarbone. Damn it all, but he tasted good. Malfoy followed the thin bone to Harry's shoulder and dragged his teeth over the muscle there before sliding his mouth back across Harry's collarbone.

Draco heard the chains clink. He grinned slightly and started downward, nuzzling the fine dusting of hair on Potter's chest. He licked his way to Harry's navel, where he paused to dip his tongue into the indentation.

Potter made a choking sound and Malfoy glanced up to see Harry's head thrown back again—fuck, that was an erotic sight. For a moment, Draco nearly stood up and kissed Potter on the lips… but first things first.

He left Harry's navel and slid his tongue downward into the black curls until his lips grazed the base of Potter's cock, which was standing at attention. Draco had to close his eyes for a moment to steady his own breathing.

He got shakily to his feet and looked into Harry's half-lidded eyes. Draco pressed himself against Harry's body and thrust slightly with his hips so that Potter could feel his own arousal.

"Nervous yet, Potter?" he asked hoarsely.

Draco's triumph was a single, barely audible word.

"Yes."