The Harm in Trying

Summary: Harry's body is changing in ways he doesn't understand and it has nothing to do with veelas or being Snape's son. It is most likely his own fault, and that's far more terrifying. Not epilogue compliant. SLASH

Part 1

Harry Potter of Number 12 Grimmauld Place was glad to say that he was perfectly smashed, thank you very much. The ceiling had begun to spin and Harry was fairly certain that he wasn't supposed to be looking at it in the first place. A sleep sounded good right about now, and with any luck it would be dreamless.

"Oi!" the man behind the bar broke Harry from his dozing. "You aren't passing out on my floor again."

Harry groaned and rolled over.

"I mean it," the man said. "I'm calling the cops this time. They'll know where to bring you even if it's a cell for the night."

Why wouldn't the man just shut up? Harry groaned again. Thankfully a shadow came across his face, blocking the harsh fluorescent light from his sensitive eyeballs.

"That won't be necessary," a new male voice interrupted.

Had Harry been more lucid, he would have known that nothing good would ever come of this encounter. As it was, the shadow seemed pretty good right now as it was certainly conducive to sleep.

"And who are you?" asked the barman suspiciously.

"A friend from work," the shadow explained. "Tony here is my marketing manager."

The barman's eyes narrow. "That's funny, because I'm pretty sure he told me his name was Harry."

The shadow is unfazed. "He's drunk. Besides," the shadow continued. "You wouldn't actually want to call the cops, would you? It would be too bad if they found out you'd served him alcohol until he was this far gone. They might not think it was entirely responsible."

The man behind the bar shrank back at the thought of losing his licence. He pushed most doubts from his mind before he said "Tell him he can come back for his keys tomorrow." There was more than a hint of threat in that little statement.

The shadow remained unfazed. "Of course." The shadow lifted Harry from the ground easily and carried him outside, unable to suppress a smirk.

x X X x

Draco Malfoy looked down the muggle street distastefully. He hated being there, but it was the only place where he could get what he wanted without arousing suspicion. He continued walking, eager to find some disused corner to apparate from. In his next glance, Draco spotted an alley and sped up in anticipation of a quick getaway.

Unfortunately, this shadowy corner was far from being disused. Draco was about to find a different one when a passing car's headlights illuminated the scene further, stopping Draco in his tracks. As if in slow motion, he saw two men: one with his pants around his ankles, and the other unbuckling his own belt one-handed while supporting the other. The first man's head lolled to the side and Draco recognised him immediately.

"Potter?" he gasped out involuntarily.

The strange man turned toward him, a menacing look upon his features. "Piss off," he snarled, baring his incisors. "Can't you see that we're busy?"

Draco took a step forward, and at the same time wondered why he was about to do what he was about to do. "I can see that you're busy. But it doesn't look like he is."

The stranger loosed his hold on Harry and let him fall to the ground. He turned to Draco and raised his hands threateningly. If Draco wasn't a wizard, he might have been scared. After all, the second man was a lot bigger, meaner and stronger looking than he was. But Draco was a wizard, so he stupefied the muggle before he could get any closer. Draco knelt to take a look at Potter. There wasn't a scratch on him, but he seemed out for the night. From the smell, Draco deduced that Potter had had a few too many to drink. He used his wand to pull Potter's pants back up, then lifted the unconscious wizard to his feet.

Deciding that it was probably best not to leave any evidence, Draco obliviated Harry's attacker (the stunner would wear off by morning) and was finally able to apparate back home, an armful of Harry Potter in tow.

x X X x

Harry Potter awoke with a blistering headache, alone in a strange bedroom with no recollection of what had happened the night before. Lately this wasn't an uncommon occurrence, and Harry found that he rather enjoyed the feeling of freedom that not remembering left him. It was with practised ease that his eyes slid across the room in search of his clothes, and the exit. Before they found either, though, they landed upon the blank face of Draco Malfoy. An older, less angular Malfoy, but Draco Malfoy all the same.

What the hell?

Malfoy handed him a vial of what Harry recognised as hangover potion. He downed it gratefully and it was with re-energised eyes that he gazed up his one-time rival. "Please don't tell me we had sex last night."

Malfoy smirked. "I won't."

Harry groaned and buried his face in one very soft, sweet-smelling pillow.

"Relax, Potter. Nothing happened."

"Then why the hell am I in your bed?" As if just realising that he was in the same bed that Draco Malfoy slept in, Harry scrambled out of it, thankful that he was still in his undershirt and boxer briefs.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "While technically I own all the beds in Malfoy Manor, that particular bed isn't one that I sleep in."

Harry blushed. Of course Malfoy Manor had guest rooms.

"And now that I see you're able to stand on your own two feet, I think it's time you left. Floo's over there," he pointed toward a fireplace to his right. "I'd also appreciate it if we never speak of this again." Malfoy turned to leave.

"Wait!" Harry cried, stepping between Malfoy and the door. "You didn't tell me how I got here."

"Apparition, Potter. You may have heard of it." Malfoy attempted to go around Harry, but the second man stopped him again.

"I meant," Harry said in a low voice. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Believe me, Potter. I have no idea." And with that, Malfoy left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Harry followed him, but by the time he'd gotten the door open, Malfoy was out of sight. Deciding not to chance having to wander Malfoy Manor's corridors for all eternity, Harry grudgingly returned to the room he'd awoken in, grabbed his clothes and apparated home.

x X X x

Kreacher greeted Harry, taking yesterday's clothes from him and indicating that there was breakfast ready in the kitchen.

Harry shook his head. "I've already eaten."

Kreacher frowned at this. "Kreacher is knowing when master is being lying."

Harry ignored the house elf, and made his way upstairs.

Kreacher snapped his fingers, and Mrs Black's curtain flew open, her wailing filling every corner of the house. This usually led to Harry racing back down the stairs to stick her curtains shut, but not this time. There was no movement upstairs.

"Kreacher is being very worried."

x X X x

Harry was sprawled across his bed, desperately trying to remember what had happened last night. He usually didn't spend so much time trying, but he also usually didn't end up at Draco Malfoy's house. He remembered that he'd slept all day, as usual, then taken his car to a muggle pub. His car! It was probably still there.

"Kreacher!" Harry called his house elf.

The house elf appeared with a pop and a knowing look. "Is master being hungry now?"

"No," Harry shook his head. "Were my car keys in the clothes I came in with this morning?"

Kreacher shook his head, his face the same ugly grimace it always was when the subject of Harry's muggle contraption came up.

Harry hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Please don't tell me I left them at the Malfoys'."

Kreacher perked up at the name. "The Malfoys is a good wizardy family."

A flash of inspiration struck Harry. "Can you ask their house elves if I left my car keys there this morning?"

Kreacher seemed torn between going to visit 'a good wizardy family' and touching Harry's car keys.

"Just go, Kreacher," Harry commanded, taking the choice from the elf's hands.

Kreacher disapparated with another pop.

Harry sighed. "What happened last night?"

x X X x

Kreacher returned shortly with no keys in hand. "Kreacher is speaking to Bitsy and Bitsy is seeing Master Harry Potter arrive and Master Draco is taking off master's clothes, and Bitsy is seeing nothing else. Not even master's wand," Kreacher tacked on accusingly.

"You know I leave it here whenever I go into the muggle world. And did you just say that Malfoy undressed me? The bastard said that nothing had happened."

"Kreacher is wondering how master is knowing that Master Draco is being conceived before Master Lucius and Mistress Narcissa is being married?"

Harry looked at the elf. Malfoy was conceived out of wedlock? "I could ask you the same thing."

The elf looked indignant. "I is being the most faithful elf to the Black family for generations."

"Sorry," Harry apologised and stood. "I'm going to get my car now."

With a snap of Kreacher's fingers, Harry was fully dressed in formal wizarding robes.

"Very funny," snapped Harry, heading to his wardrobe and changing into a far more casual outfit of t-shirt and jeans.

"Master is always being under-dressed," Kreacher moaned. "Master is bringing shame on the Black name."

"Then it's a good thing I'm a Potter," Harry quipped before apparating out.

x X X x

Retracing his steps didn't do much toward rekindling Harry's memory. Harry knew he could use magic to transfigure a new key and change the locks, but he didn't like the idea of someone out there having his keys whether they worked or not. Too bad a summoning spell would be too obvious. Even now, when wizarding and muggle borders were beginning to open up, everyone still had to be very careful about how they used magic.

Harry made his way into the pub he was sure he'd been at last night. There was only one man there at this time of day nursing a pint, and the owner's daughter behind the bar wiping glasses dry.

"I think I left my keys here last night," Harry said to her.

"What did they look like?" she asked.

"Red and gold key ring," he said.

"Hang on." She set down the glass dish towel, and headed into the back room. "Dad!" Harry heard her yell. "That bloke you want to talk to is here."

The owner wanted to speak with him? Soon enough, the barman and his daughter came out to the front.

"Harry!" the old man exclaimed, obviously pleased to see him. "So you got home alright then?"

Harry nodded. "I'm not really sure what happened, though."

The pleased expression falls from the barman's face. "So you didn't know the man you left with?"

Harry blinked as he tried to remember. Somehow he just couldn't imagine Malfoy walking into the dingy muggle pub and taking Harry with him. "Was he about my height? Blond?"

The man shakes his head. "Much taller than you. With hair as dark as yours."

Harry frowned. Unless that was Malfoy in a complicated disguise, someone else had taken him from the bar.

"I don't remember that man," Harry stated. "Did he say who he was?"

"He said he worked with you. And he called you Tony."

Harry's eyes widened. What had Malfoy stumbled upon? Harry took his keys, thanked the barman and left. He needed to talk to Malfoy right away.

x X X x

After taking his car back home, Harry flooed to Malfoy Manor. He was greeted by a house elf, and told to wait because Master Malfoy was busy. But Malfoy was at home, so Harry was sure that it was some sort of delay tactic. With this single-mindedness and a quick "Point me", Harry quickly stumbled upon Master Malfoy himself. A semi-dressed, panting, mid-coitus with another man Draco Malfoy. Harry was shocked, and disgusted with himself for not feeling disgusted by what he saw. In fact, Harry was feeling kind of turned on. It was rather terrifying.

It wasn't long before Malfoy's fuck buddy noticed their visitor and pulled away, drawing Malfoy's attention to Harry. There was an expression on his face that Harry had never seen before, which surprised him. During their years at Hogwarts, Harry had thought he'd seen every expression Malfoy could muster. He'd prided himself on being able to break through the mask Malfoy usually maintained. But the sex face... Harry hadn't ever managed to provoke that one. And even more surprisingly, Harry really wished he had.

"What is it, Potter?" Malfoy grouched. "You might have noticed I'm in the middle of something." And he literally was. Malfoy's penis was still erect, still between his partner's buttocks. The other man was by now limp and seemed rather embarrassed by the whole thing.

"I need to talk to you," stated Harry, ignoring the strange man. By diverting his gaze, he noticed that the clothing strewn about the room was entirely muggle in nature. It seemed Malfoy's trips to the muggle world were more frequent than expected.

"Well I don't need to talk to you," Malfoy said. "Go away." He dismissed Harry with a wave of his hand.

"Not until you agree to talk to me," Harry bargained.

Malfoy rolled his eyes and finally pulled out of his partner, who seemed to be making a connection between the two of them. "Maybe I should go," he suggested.

Malfoy growled angrily. "No. You were actually invited into the house, unlike the plebeian over there."

"I can hear you, you know," Harry pointed out.

"Piss off, Potter!" Malfoy stood and advanced on Harry.

Harry hated his eyes, then. And his subconscious, too. They were examining Malfoy's penis and proudly noting that Harry's was actually bigger. They were noting the muscle definition in the chest peeking through the unbuttoned business shirt Malfoy was wearing. And then they finally noticed that the other occupants of the room had noticed him noticing. "Put some pants on," he said belatedly.

"Why?" Malfoy smirked. "Jealous?"

Harry scoffed. Perhaps Malfoy was a little more defined than he was. Harry could be that fit if he wanted to be. But he hadn't wanted anything in a long time. Besides, Harry was bigger where it counted anyway. "Just realising that your tough guy act was just you over compensating."

"I have nothing to be ashamed of," Malfoy uttered. "You, on the other hand..." he trailed off and noticed that his fuck buddy was looking a little insecure. "And I like my men to have smaller penises."

"What?" Harry goggled, sure that curiosity was going to kill him one day.

"I meant what I said," Malfoy stated.

This conversation was quickly falling into territory that Harry was sure he didn't want to get into.

"Whatever, Malfoy."

Taking that as a dismissal, Malfoy turned back to his lover, beginning to whisper reassurances into his ear while stroking a hand across his stomach.

"I wasn't finished!" Harry clenched his hands into fists.

Malfoy turned back to Harry slowly. "You don't exercise much, and you could stand to put some weight on."

"What?" Harry was incredibly confused.

Malfoy smirked. "I thought we were listing your physical flaws."

Harry's eyes widened. "You did undress me last night!"

Malfoy looked quickly to his lover before grabbing Harry and dragging him to the next room, locking the door and activating the privacy wards. "What do you want, Potter?"

"I want to know what happened last night."

"I found you passed out. I didn't want to deal with your little friends, so I took you home."

"That doesn't make any sense," Harry frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It makes perfect sense," Malfoy countered, mimicking Harry's pose.

"You're Draco Malfoy. If you find me passed out, you're supposed to leave me there. Remember sixth year?"

"Well, that wasn't in muggle London. I didn't want you threatening magical security."

"Bullcrap. Just tell me the truth, Malfoy."

"Alright, fine. I was looking for somewhere to apparate home from, saw you in the alley with some strange man, realised you didn't want to be in the alley with said strange man, so I stupefied him. Then I brought you back here and I hope you're smart enough to figure out the rest."

Harry was stunned into silence as easily as if Malfoy had stupefied him. "Were you trying to protect me?" he asked, timid.

Malfoy's scowl deepened. "Of course not. I was protecting myself. And you'd better not tell anyone I did that."

"Who'd believe me, anyway?" asked Harry.

"Everyone."

"Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy." He paused. "But I guess I should thank you."

"Not on my account."

"Thanks Malfoy," Harry said genuinely, looking him straight in the eye.

"So you're leaving now?" Malfoy said impatiently.

"I'm going, you horny bastard." Harry unlocked the room and was startled to find Malfoy's lover right beside the door, most likely attempting to eavesdrop. "Sorry about that," Harry apologised to the man. "Just a little misunderstanding. I'll let you two get back to it now."

The man just nodded.

But Harry didn't make it two more steps before he collapsed.

The strange man looked thoroughly freaked out.

Draco merely glanced at his prone figure. "Damnit Potter!"

x X X x

A/N: So there's part 1. Updates will come whenever I feel like it. Reviews will make it come out faster since I'm mostly finished with it, I just need to type it up.