The Bet
Chapter XIII - Love Will Weather Any Storm
Harry/Draco, Harry/OMC, Harry/OFC, Draco/OFC, Seamus/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, Neville/Luna
R/NC-17 | 7,291 words | 2004-present
Beta: MachiavellianOrange, mrjones and IcyAurora
Summary:AU. Post-war. It all started with a little bet. Draco Malfoy has never been one to back down from a perfectly do-able bet. But when that bet involves Harry Potter? Draco is realising that this bet is not as cut and dry as it seems, nor as easy...
Notes: Written before HBP and DH.
Dedication: To MachiavellianOrange. Without you, MO, I think I would lead a rather boring and contrite life. And I just had to use your name somewhere in my story, so here it is! Here's to fun conversations, long e-mails, sex, and MNH. All my love and hugs and kisses to you forever.
***
30 September 2003
Thirty minutes later.
Raven and I just fought.
She didn't bother answering my question, and even managed to insult
me by shoving her 'rescue' in my face. Then she walked away before I
could come back at her. I'm so fucking pissed off, but then someone
had to show up and stop me from going after her, actually managing to
make me think about things before lashing out; not to mention giving
me more to think about.
Hermione Granger.
Dammit! It's not like
I fuckin' wanted to talk to her in the first place--it's not like I
could tell her about the bet, she'd hex me before I could twitch an
eyebrow. But she still managed to get me to talk. Not that she wouldn't
have figured it out anyway. NO, I didn't say a thing about the bet,
but she knew something had happened between Raven and I, and proceeded
to stick her overly curious Gryffindor nose into it. I'm pretty sure
she didn't actually hear anything though. If she had...well, like I
said, I wouldn't be here right now.
And then she gave me
that 'more' for me to think about. She said that if Harry cared about
me, then so would she. I think that was her way of saying that if I
needed advice on women, that I could go talk to her. Ha! I don't need
advice on women, I need advice on Potter. Raven I can deal with, regardless
of how she hurt me. I realise now that she probably didn't mean it.
The way I approached her probably wasn't the best way; I think I let
some of my sexual frustration show through without meaning to, and that
set her off.
Oh, fuck. Here comes
Potter now.
***
Harry wasn't quite sure what
had been going on with Raven, but he did see her come out of the library
as he left Number One, and so he quickly made his way inside said building,
just as the wind and rain started to get worse.
He saw Draco at his usual
table near the back, and headed straight for him, but someone grabbed
a hold of his robe sleeve before he could make it much farther into
the large room.
Whirling around, he came
face to face with Hermione, who was between the first two rows of books.
Smiling, he greeted, "Hermione!
What's up?"
Hermione returned his greeting
with a solemn gaze, and the smile immediately dropped from Harry's face.
"You're going to see Draco, aren't you?" she asked quietly.
"Er...yeah," Harry
answered, a bewildered frown growing on his face. "Is there a problem
with that?" he asked with a little edge in his voice.
"No." She answered
curtly. "I just thought I'd warn you that he and Raven just had
a little tiff, and so I don't think he's in the best of moods."
"Oh, I see. Yeah, I
just saw Raven outside, looking rather upset, and I was wondering what
had happened."
Hermione nodded. "Just
tread carefully." Harry nodded and moved to step away. "Oh,
and Harry?" Hermione called.
"Yeah?"
"Malfoy's still a right
prat, but if you see some good in him, then I'll try to too." It
was said with a small smile gracing her lips.
Harry smiled. "Thanks
Hermione. That means a lot. I'm assuming Ron's talked to you about this
morning?"
Hermione blushed slightly
and nodded. "Yes. He's...well; he's still having a hard time getting
over it, Harry. He's just really worried about you. And so am I."
She paused slightly, before continuing, "We're here if you need
to talk to us, Harry. About anything."
Harry leaned forward and
gave Hermione a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I know
'Mione. And I appreciate it." Then he stepped away and was gone,
continuing on to his original destination.
Hermione sighed. She hoped
beyond all hope that things would work out. For all parties involved.
***
"Raven!"
Blaise was now a sopping
wet mess of Zabini goo, trudging through the mud, rain, and leaves,
trying to get to Raven. It wasn't that she was so far away from him,
it was just that she seemed to know the path through these woods quite
a bit better than him, and he was finding it hard to manoeuvre through
all the fallen logs and bushes in his path. It was like every step he
took only slowed him down.
"Raven!" he called
again against the wind, hoping that the girl would finally hear him
and stop.
"GO AWAY, BLAISE!"
she screamed back. Oh good. She did hear me...
"NO!" he yelled
back, and through the rain and grey darkness of the woods, he saw Raven's
darker form fall down a few metres ahead. "RAVEN!" He pushed
through the leaves and branches harder, stumbling down next to Raven's
kneeling form, and gathered her up in his arms. She was crying, her
legs and skirt and robes covered in mud and leaves, her dark hair plastered
to her forehead and shoulders.
"Raven...Raven, what's
wrong? What's happened?" Blaise asked gently in her ear, rocking
her back and forth.
"I just...I...Draco
Malfoy's an absolute jerk!" She gripped his robes tightly,
pressing her face into his chest.
Blaise sat there stunned
for a moment before chuckling. "Oh? Raven, I hate to say this,
but how could you not realise this before?"
Raven looked up, blinking
the rain and tears away. "What do you mean?" she frowned.
"Raven...I've watched
the two of you become closer and closer, and I swear I was just waiting
for it to blow up in your faces. You guys have been in love for so long,
and yet you've never fought. Not about relationship things, in any case.
You dance around each other using your natural Slytherin charms, yet
neither of you knows how to act in a real relationship."
"And when did you become
such an expert on relationships, Blaise? I can't remember any particular
relationships of yours getting past the 'let's just fuck' phase."
Raven said bitterly.
Blaise had the good grace
to blush but flippantly said, "I've had a few...but they were all
at Hogwarts." He shrugged and quickly waved her next string of
questions off. "Anyway, even though my relationships haven't always
been the best, I have noticed that every couple has to really
fight at some point; I'd think there was something wrong with you and
Draco if you hadn't."
Raven sniffed. "Jeeze,
thanks a lot, Blaise. Now I can go running back into Draco's arms and
live life happily-ever-fucking-after."
"Okay, let's try this.
What were you guys fighting about?" the dark-haired man asked,
holding Raven closer as they both shivered.
Raven sighed and rubbed the
tears from her face, leaving mud trails in her wake. Blaise chuckled,
and said before Raven could reply to his question, "How about we
go inside first, and get you all cleaned up. Come on," he urged,
shifting to stand and help Raven up.
Raven just rolled her eyes.
"You know, for all the Slytherins in the world, I swear you and
Draco are the vainest. And you're both men. I was perfectly happy rolling
around in the mud like a pig."
Blaise laughed. "There's
the Raven I know. Never one to stay sober for long."
"Oh shut up, you twat."
They trudged back through
the mud and leaves, Raven occasionally shifting them in the right direction.
After about ten minutes, they were more soaked by rain and mud than
before, if that was even possible. Blaise led them to Number Three,
which was closest, and using a quick cleaning spell, Raven had both
of them rain and mud-free and ready to take nice hot showers.
"You take the bigger
one," Blaise offered, leading Raven upstairs and into the larger
bathroom, which sat just next to Draco's room. "Here, I'll get
you a towel." And the Slytherin left, coming back a moment later
with a few towels, leaving again for the other bathroom.
Raven stared at the closed
door for a moment, and then turned to the mirror, taking in her bedraggled
appearance. Slowly, she peeled off her clothes, until all that was left
was her bra and knickers. Gazing at herself, dark hair contrasting pale
skin contrasting black undergarments, she let the tears well back up
in her eyes, not bothering to wipe them away this time. Sitting down
on the toilet, she cried, not knowing what it was exactly she was crying
for.
***
"Hey, Draco."
"Potter."
Harry sighed. "Okay,
I know you just had a spat with Raven, so I'll let it go this time."
"Oh? So you talked to
Raven, then?"
Harry shook his head and
sat down. "No. I did see her though. She ran into the woods."
Draco glanced out of the
large window next to him where all he could see was darkness, with the
occasional white of the water breaking below them. The rain and wind
were rattling the glass, and Draco turned back to Harry with a scowl.
"And you let her?"
"Blaise followed her
in."
Draco looked away again and
breathed out heavily through his nose. "So who told you then? It
must have been Granger. I tell you, she's about as nosy as Gryffindors
come."
Harry smirked. "Yes,
I suppose she is. Even to me. And yes, she's the one who told me. You
wanna talk about it?"
Draco shrugged, still not
looking at Harry. "It doesn't matter, now. I started the conversation
off aggressively, and Raven retaliated in kind, we both said things
we didn't mean, and she left. The only way to deal with it now is to
either ignore it, or talk to her."
"You mean apologise?"
Draco's head snapped to Harry's
face, and he glared. "No. Slytherins don't apologise, Potter. We
get even."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Look,
Draco, I may not be an expert on relationships, but I have a feeling
that 'getting even' with her is not the correct way to go about things."
Draco sighed and squeezed
his eyes shut, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I know, I know.
I'm just...I'm not good at this sort of thing. I automatically want
to fall back into old habits."
"I understand."
Harry paused for a moment before asking, "Do you think Raven feels
sorry for whatever she said to you?"
The blonde's eyes opened,
and he shrugged. "I'd hope so. In fact, I'd assume so, if she ran
into the forest after talking with me."
Harry nodded. "She looked
rather upset. I think that you're both sorry."
Draco nodded absently. "I
think so too."
Harry turned his gaze to
the window, noting that almost all he could see was his reflection against
the glass. "Do you think practice is cancelled?"
Draco followed Harry's gaze.
"Looking at that, I'd hope so. I don't care if there is a game
this weekend. I'm not going out in that."
Harry grinned. "Always
the vain one, aren't you, Slytherin?"
"Always the brave one,
aren't you, Gryffindor?" Draco shot back. The men smiled at each
other for a minute before something clicked in Draco's brain and he
suddenly started packing his things.
"Draco? What's wrong?"
"Raven...Raven and Blaise
are out there in this..."
Harry's brain seemed to click
as well, and they scrambled to collect their things and get outside
before the storm got any worse. They burst through the library doors
and headed straight for the forest, ignoring people's stares and calls
as everyone tried to get inside, away from the storm.
***
Raven let the hot water wash
away the tears and chill, easing her mind, and warming her skin. Thinking
back on what had happened that evening, it became apparent that she
needed to apologise to Draco. There was really no excuse for her harsh
words. She knew she didn't mean what she said, and what Draco had said
to her certainly didn't warrant that kind of response. She
wasn't quite sure why she lost her cool; perhaps it was a lot of things--stress
from school, pressure from Draco, and his obvious jibe about her intent
regarding the two men, not to mention the strange dreams that she'd
been starting to have...
It was a wonder she wasn't
just about going insane.
Turning off the water, she
stepped out of the tub, wrapping herself in a towel. Looking at the
fogged-over mirror, she took a hand and wiped a bit of the condensation
off where her face was, gazing in contempt at her reflection. She had
never before felt any self-hatred towards her looks, more than enough
men had told her she was beautiful, and were probably doing it just
to get into her skirt (not that it did any of them any good; Raven may
have loved getting compliments, but she didn't sleep around). Experimented
with many boys at Hogwarts, maybe, but sleep around...no. Yet today;
looking at her fair skin, sprinkled with freckles; her dark green eyes,
dull with many troubles; and her long black hair, falling heavily around
her shoulders; she felt an unfamiliar bubble of disgust rise up from
her stomach. How could Draco stand to love her, when she could hardly
find it in her to love herself anymore?
Sighing heavily and shoving
the very uncharacteristic thoughts away, she went about drying her hair,
twisting the long locks in a towel. A knock on the door sounded, and
Blaise's voice was heard from the other side.
"Raven? Are you done?
I have a spare set of clothes for you to hang out in if you want."
Raven walked over to the
door and opened it. Blaise was standing there in dark blue pyjama pants
and tee shirt, holding a pile of clothes.
"Do you have a brush
too?"
Blaise chuckled. Running
a hand through his short spikes, he answered, "I have a comb...is
that alright?"
"Yeah, that'll be fine."
Blaise held out the clothing.
"Erm...they'll probably be a little big on you...but the pants
have a drawstring, and you can roll up the legs..."
"That's fine, Blaise.
Thank you." Raven took the pro-offered clothing and closed the
door, saying, "I'll meet you down stairs in a bit. Bring your comb."
"Okay."
As Raven found out, Blaise
was indeed right about the clothing being a bit too big for her. Blaise
was about four inches taller than she was, and so the dark green pants
he gave her had to be rolled up. Their waists were actually pretty close,
and once the pants were over her hips, they stayed up just fine. But
it was the matching shirt that was the problem. It was long sleeved,
but was pretty tight around the chest, whether she had a bra on or not.
She actually opted without one--she'd never really liked the blasted
things anyway. So she unbuttoned the top two buttons to alleviate some
of the pressure on the closures.
Once she was dressed, she
grabbed her things and the dirty towels and headed downstairs to the
lounge area, where Blaise was sitting on the couch nearest the hearth.
A bright, warm fire blazed inside, casting the darkened room in shadows.
Blaise looked up when she entered.
"I sent everyone else
upstairs, so we could talk," he said, standing up and taking the
towels from her.
"Oh, you didn't have
to do that," she replied, setting her bag down and charming her
clothes dry and folding them on top.
"Nonsense. Of course
I did. You're family to us, Raven. Well, the Slytherins at any rate.
They understand. And..." Blaise turned around, picked up a mug
from a table, and handed it to her. It was filled with hot chocolate.
"Oh, Blaise...chocolate...every
woman's first love."
Blaise grinned. "I thought
you might like some. To help warm you up a bit more."
Raven sipped a bit of the
smooth liquid. "Hmm, yes, this is just what I needed."
Blaise threw the towels on
a nearby chair as he and Raven settled down on the couch. "I have
that comb you wanted," he said, taking the object off of the low
table in front of them.
Raven twisted around in her
seat so that she was facing away from Blaise. "Could you?"
she asked.
"Sure," he replied,
and moved closer to the girl and started running the comb through her
hair.
"Ow! Blaise, you're
supposed to start from the bottom and work your way up."
"Sorry. I'm not a girl;
my hair's never been past my ears, how was I supposed to know?"
"You weren't, mistake
on my part. I should have told you." She sipped more from the mug
in her hands. After a moment of silence, Blaise finally spoke again.
"So...you wanna tell
me what happened?"
Raven sighed. "Draco
and I fought, is all. I barely said hello to him, and he started firing
off questions at me. And...it startled me, I guess. Threw me off. I
reacted badly. So badly, in fact, that I think I should have been disowned
as a Slytherin for a moment, there," she chuckled sadly.
"Hmm..." Blaise
murmured, still working through Raven's long hair. "May I ask what
kind of questions he asked to make you react so badly?"
Raven shrugged. "Stuff
about Harry. Stuff about me. He made an assumption about how well he
knew me, and it pissed me off. So I...I shot back at him with a jibe
about the...the 'liberation.'" The last was said quietly, laced
with shame.
Blaise nearly dropped his
comb. "You what?"
"I know."
"Raven..."
"I know,"
she said, her voice sounding pained. "I know I shouldn't have said
that. Gods, I must have hurt him so badly...I just...I wasn't thinking."
She dropped her head into her free hand.
"You were most certainly
not thinking, Raven!" Blaise reprimanded. "I...I
can't believe you said something like that..."
"I know, Blaise. I know.
You don't know how sorry I am that I even thought of saying such a thing."
It was a silent agreement
between the three Slytherins not to mention Draco's 'liberation' or
'rescue' from his father that night, all those years ago. And if it
ever was mentioned or referred to, it most certainly was not ever
used to hurt one another. There was no reason to even think about using
it that way. But Raven had crossed that line, and she regretted it more
than anything.
Blaise resumed the combing
of Raven's hair. "You're going to apologise to Draco, right?"
he asked, his tone brooking no argument.
"Of course. As soon
as he comes home."
And as lucky and cliché
as it was, Draco and Harry, at that moment, burst in through the front
door, sopping wet, and both looking muddier than even Blaise and Raven
had been. Upon seeing Blaise and Raven through the open entryway of
the lounge, immense looks of relief spread on both of their faces, and
Harry closed the door behind them, both of them slumping to the ground
in shivering heaps.
"Draco! Harry!"
Raven shot up from her position on the couch and scrambled over to the
two men, dropping her hot chocolate on the floor. "Oh my god...what...oh
Merlin, it doesn't matter. I'm just so glad you're both safe!"
Draco's eyes flashed with
hurt and anger, but he smiled wryly up at her anyway. "I'll forgive
you as soon as I'm clean and warm."
Raven and Blaise sighed in
relief. It was a start, anyway.
***
Draco and Harry tried their
hardest to follow the correct path to the cove, and even spread themselves
out a little to make sure they were covering their bases. But their
search was becoming more and more daunting as they approached the cove.
The wind was picking up, and although they had a bit of shelter amidst
the copse of trees, the rain continued to pour harder, feeling much
colder and icy when the wind managed to sweep below the branches and
leaves.
At one point, Harry found
some footprints in the mud, and an area where the leaves were churned
up in the mucky substance, looking like a rather unappetising forest
stew. They couldn't see signs that the 'trail' led any further into
the forest, but Draco refused to go back--there was always the chance
that one of them got hurt, or one made it to the cove, and one didn't--with
the dense brush lining the forest floor, it was hard to tell just where
they had gone without crawling through the muck themselves.
So they continued on, calling
for Raven and Blaise, and becoming more and more panicked as they neared
their destination. When they finally made it to the cove, they were
flooded with relief that no one was there, as looking down, they saw
that the cove was filled with water, the wind sweeping down into the
cul-de-sac and breaking the sea hard against the rocks below.
Unfortunately, their relief
was short lived, as they still had not found the pair of Slytherins,
so they quickly turned back around and went back the way they came,
moving as fast as their mud-bogged legs and feet would let them. Draco
mused aloud as they broke through the forest and headed to Number Four
that they were probably worried about nothing--they were wizards, not
to mention ex-Death Eaters, they should be able to take care of themselves,
right?
Of course, Harry had answered,
running up the steps to Number Four and knocking harshly on the door.
But again, their relief was
short lived, as neither Raven nor Blaise was there. So they quickly
said thanks to a bewildered Daphne Greengrass and pushed themselves
the last few yards to Number Three, practically falling through the
door.
Draco's first thought upon
seeing the two in the lounge was, Oh, thank Merlin, they're both
safe... and his second thought was, Is he brushing
her hair? And of course, his third thought was, Wait, I'm supposed
to be mad at her...so why have I been so worried? But leaning back
against Harry as they both slumped to the floor, Draco couldn't find
himself to care so much. Especially not with that worried look Raven
was giving him right now.
"I'll forgive you as
soon as I'm clean and warm," he said, finally relaxing as Harry
chuckled in his ear, and Raven and Blaise sighed out loud.
***
After the boys had showered
and dressed in clean, dry pyjamas (Harry borrowing a green pair from
Draco), all four of them proceeded to squish onto the couch, Blaise
and Harry on the ends and Raven and Draco in the middle. All it took
was a glance between the two dark-haired men, and while Harry held nothing
against Blaise, Blaise decided to look over any harsh feelings he was
currently harbouring against the Gryffindor, so the two could work together
to get Raven and Draco on good terms again.
They all sat on the couch
for a few minutes, talking amicably, as if nothing was wrong between
any of them at all. But after a few minutes of describing just how they
had missed each other in the last hour or so, they quickly lapsed into
silence, all of them knowing that the reason behind it all would need
to be discussed at some point.
Feeling rather uncomfortable,
Harry started to fidget slightly. "Erm..."
Draco, who was sitting next
to him, rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Oh honestly, you two. We
all know that you're about to spout a stupid excuse about having something
else to tend to, so that Raven and I will be alone, so why don't you
just bugger off already. We're adults, I don't think things will come
to blows."
Harry blushed and Blaise
laughed.
"Alright, alright. C'mon,
Potter. I'm sure none of us has eaten yet tonight. You think you're
up for cooking?" Blaise stood and stretched.
Harry stood as well. "It
depends. There isn't necessarily anything I can make that's spectacular,
but I'll help."
The two men started walking
out of the room. "Perfect. I think I'm going to make my Nonna's
Chicken Cacciatore..."
Once they were out of the
room, Raven looked down to Draco and said, "Well, aren't they a
happy little couple?"
Draco snorted. "It's
doubtful. Harry told me when we were upstairs that Blaise issued somewhat
of a threat before going into the forest to find you."
Raven raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm..."
They sat in silence for a
while before Raven spoke again. "I know you've always told me not
to do this, but I want to apologise. For what I said to you. Regardless
of what you said, it was completely uncalled for."
"I agree."
"Draco," Raven
deadpanned, nearly glaring at the man sitting next to her.
"What? Look, Raven,
you know I'm no good at this. I just..." he sighed, running a hand
through his freshly washed hair, causing the carefully brushed strands
to become dishevelled. "I agree that what you said was completely
uncalled for, but I also know that I came at you a little too harshly.
So I...I'm sorry."
Raven leaned over and crawled
into Draco's lap, straddling his hips and looking him directly in the
eye. "Draco...the questions you asked were fair. And knowing you,
you were probably trying to catch me off guard," she smiled wryly,
and he returned the expression. "So...I'll answer you. But before
I do that, I want you to understand that as much as we know each other,
there are still things that I have not told you. Not about my past...you
know all about that. But there are things...recent, bothersome things
which I haven't talked to you about."
Draco looked up at Raven
and wrapped his arms around her waist, running his hands over the silk-covered
skin. "Can you tell me these things? Do you want to?"
Raven nodded and cupped his
face in her hands. "Yes. After I've answered your questions."
"I can wait."
"Okay." Raven took
a deep breath, and began speaking very softly, so that only Draco could
hear her. "I won't bother telling you half-truths. I originally
thought of starting the bet mostly on a whim; I had been watching Harry
for a while, and knew that I was starting to like him. Part of it was
and is genuine concern, and the other part is sexual. I find him very
attractive, Draco. And insatiable and Machiavellian as I am, I wanted
to see if he was seducible."
"Why not just seduce
him yourself?"
Raven smiled wily. "A
few reasons. One, I knew that you'd be hurt and beyond confused by my
actions, and two..." her smile grew wider and more sinister, "I've
always wanted two men to myself."
"Oh, so you're man hoarder,
are you?"
Raven shrugged. "Call
it what you like. Anyhow, I noticed you looking at him that day, and
then it hit me--I already knew that Harry wouldn't--not in a million
years--want to be in any type of relationship with you, and you him,
so...how do I fix that problem? Well, have you seduce him instead. Get
you both used to the idea, not to mention get past your silly animosity
with each other."
"Killing two birds with
one stone."
"Precisely." Raven
stroked Draco's cheek with her thumb lovingly. "However, there
was no way you'd just agree to do it, so what do you do to get a Slytherin
to do what you want them to?"
"Challenge them. Make
them think they can't do something."
"Exactly. You see, Draco,
you knew exactly what I was doing, you just chose not to recognise it
for what it really was. I said that you couldn't seduce Potter.
I challenged your seducing ability. After I already had you
thinking about his appearance, his body. And you took it, just like
any Slytherin would, just like any man would, just like you
would."
Draco playfully glared at
his girlfriend. "So you got me. I promise you, it won't happen
again."
"Oh, I don't doubt that."
"So the actual bet was
just a whim?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"And two hot guys going
at it? Does that have a part in that whole nympho-driven mind of yours?"
"Oh, of course. That's
just an intriguing bonus."
Draco raised an eyebrow.
"I see."
"So...did I answer your
questions?"
"Yes. I suppose it'll
have to do," he said with a grin, leaning up and capturing her
lips with his. As their lips moved across one another, Draco snaked
his hands under Raven's shirt, splaying his fingers out and lightly
massaging the smooth plains of her back. She moaned into his mouth,
shifting to get closer to him, twining her tongue with his. They sat
for a long moment, losing each other in the sensations of kissing, finally
pulling away when they desperately needed air.
"So," Draco said
a little breathlessly, "would you like to tell me some of those
other things now, or later when you stay over?"
Raven giggled. "Was
that an invitation, Draco Malfoy?"
"Why yes, love, 'twas."
"Then I accept."
She kissed him again and said, "Most of those things are really
just stupid, like the fact that N.E.W.T.'s are coming up this year,
and I still don't know exactly what I want to do with my life.
I love painting, and writing, but those things just seem so..."
"Mundane?"
Raven scrunched up her nose.
"Muggle-like, actually. Like I could have been born a muggle and
done the same things. Like what I want to do isn't anything wizard-like,
other than the charms and potions to make things move."
"Are you saying you
don't like muggles, Raven?" Draco asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Didn't you just tell me on Friday that you had picked up muggle
photography?"
"Yes, yes. I have. Actually,
that's another thing. A thing I'd actually like to talk to both you
and Harry about."
"Oh? Ready to take those
pornographic pictures of us?"
Raven laughed. "Perhaps.
I'd like to do a few paintings based off the pictures, actually. I think
taking the pictures and blowing them up to paint from would be easier
than having you two sit or stand there for hours on end. A lot more
comfortable for you, too."
"I would probably have
to agree."
"Yes, so...I'll talk
to you guys after dinner about that."
"Anything else?"
Harry suddenly poked his
head in and said, "Dinner's ready, guys."
"Thanks," Draco
said over his shoulder, glancing back to look at Harry, managing to
catch the longing look on the Gryffindor's face before he turned back
towards the kitchen.
"Did you notice that?"
Draco asked quietly, still looking at the now empty entrance to the
lounge.
"You mean the look on
Harry's face when he saw us?"
"Yeah."
"Yes. I noticed."
Draco turned back to Raven.
"That's what you've been talking about, isn't it? The thing about
Harry?"
Raven smiled sadly. "I
believe its part of it, yes." She pressed a quick kiss to Draco's
lips before moving off of him. "Nothing to be done about it at
this very moment...we'll just have to wait. Oh, and to answer your question:
yes, there's more, but I think we should discuss it later. After dinner."
"Alone?" Draco
asked, as he stood up and stretched.
"You really want to
get me into bed, don't you?"
"Oh, I've already had
you in my bed. I'm just waiting for the feature presentation."
"Oh Gods, Draco! And
you call me insatiable."
"Babe, you call yourself
insatiable. I just happen to fall not far from the same tree."
***
The second Harry and Blaise
got into the kitchen and out of earshot, Blaise took Harry roughly by
the arm and said in a low voice, "Look, Potter, Raven and Draco
are like family to me, so I just want to make sure you understand that
I'll do anything to make sure that they're happy. And if that includes
dealing with the fact that they've decided to incorporate you into their
lives, then I'll live with it. But if you dare to even think
about fucking with their relationship-"
Harry frowned and pulled
his arm from the bigger man's grasp. "Look, Zabini, I'm not sure
why you dislike me so much, but I can assure you that I feel the same
way about Raven and Draco. I may not know them as well or as long as
you have, but that doesn't mean I care for them any less. I won't lie
to you; things are still a little awkward between Draco and I. We're
both having problems getting used to this new change in the status of
our relationship, but I'm trying. And so is he. I really don't think
you have anything to worry about." He smirked. "Besides, I'm
a Gryffindor, do you really expect me to set up an elaborate plot to
befriend Draco and Raven? To 'fuck' with their relationship? There'd
be no reason to. The war's over, we've all chosen our paths, there's
nothing more to get past than our misguided animosity."
Blaise gazed blankly at Harry
for a moment before his brow straightened and a smirk danced at the
corners of his mouth. "You know, Potter, you make an awful lot
of sense for a Gryffindor." Harry's smirk turned into a grin. "But
that doesn't mean I like you."
Harry laughed. "I'm
not expecting you to, Zabini. I don't think I'd be able to handle another
Slytherin dying to become my friend after so many years of nothing."
Blaise chuckled. "Good.
'Cause it's not happening. It's not a matter of like or dislike, I just
don't see the need to force things."
"Makes perfect sense.
If you have no inclination, why bother?"
"Exactly. Well--how
about we get going on that dinner?"
"Chicken Cacciatore,
you said?"
Blaise nodded, going to the
charmed cupboards where all the perishables were kept. "My Nonna's,
actually. One of Raven's favourites." He stood, pulling out an
array of veggies and some chicken.
"Do you cook for your
dorm often?"
The Slytherin shrugged. "About
once a week, usually on the weekends. The rest of the time, we're all
too busy to really make one huge meal, so..." He pulled out a few
cutting boards and a few knives, handing one of each to Harry, along
with a few green peppers. "Cut this into half inch pieces."
"Do you all get along
pretty well?" Harry asked as he went to work.
"You mean us Slytherins
and Ravenclaws?" Blaise started chopping up some onions.
"Yeah."
Blaise shrugged. "Pretty
well, by now. Why? You can't tell me you Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs
aren't all sunshine and daisies over there in Number One."
Harry laughed. "No,
we're all fine." Harry paused in thought before saying, "Blaise...have
you ever noticed how we still associate ourselves with our houses from
Hogwarts? Like...everything we do is just a representation of what are
houses were...we're never really individuals. Does that make sense?"
Blaise shot a bemused sidelong
glance at Harry. "No...I can't say I have noticed, but now that
you mention it... Is it something you've been thinking of lately?"
Harry frowned. "No,
not really. I guess I just realised that a lot of the little barbs Draco
and I still throw at each other are always insults, but we always call
one another by our old houses."
"Can you give me an
example? I'm not sure what you mean."
"Like...I'm always calling
him vain. So I say, 'always the vain one, aren't you Slytherin?' and
he'll say something back, but using the name Gryffindor."
Blaise chuckled. "You
know, Raven said something similar about both Draco and I earlier. She
said we were the two vainest Slytherins she knows." Blaise handed
Harry some olives, and took the garlic cloves for himself. "Could
you chop the olives?"
"Sure." There was
a pause as the strong smells of onions and garlic filled the air. Finally,
Harry said, "So are you?"
"Am I what?"
"As vain as Draco."
Blaise snorted. "I like
to look good. There's nothing wrong with that." Harry caught the
glance Blaise cast his way, which was more like a once over, pausing
slightly at Harry's head.
"Don't even say it,
Zabini. If I hear one more comment about my bloody hair..." Harry
finished his chopping and set the olives aside.
"Well...since I certainly
don't want to acquire bodily harm, I'll say the other thing that's on
my mind." Blaise finished as well, and moved to get a large skillet.
"Oh? What's that?"
"You look good in green.
And silk. Wear it more often."
A strange thought passed
through Harry's mind, but before he could decide on whether or not to
voice it out loud, his mouth decided for him. "You're not gay,
are you?"
Blaise dropped the pan loudly
on the old stove. Gazing blankly at Harry he said, "No. Are you?"
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Not that I'm aware of."
"Hm." Was all Blaise
said, before pouring water into the pan and setting the logs in the
belly of the stove ablaze.
Harry gazed at the Slytherin,
watching him work as he added some type of pasta to the boiling water,
and then methodically added the freshly chopped garlic, green pepper
and onion. Blaise asked him to cut the tomatoes into halves, and when
he was done, Harry turned to the sink and started washing the knives
and cutting boards, along with his hands.
"I wonder how they're
doing," he mused quietly.
Blaise answered, "You
hear anything?"
"No..."
"Then they're fine."
"You sure?"
Blaise nodded as he stirred
the mixture. "They're rather nasty when they really fight. They
nearly come to blows, sometimes."
Harry gaped at the man. "You're
kidding."
"Nope."
"I can't imagine them
fighting like that. What do they fight about that gets them so riled
up?"
"Oh, they used to fight
about some pretty serious stuff. During the war."
"Oh."
"Yeah. But now they
fight about stupid things, like clothes and hair."
Harry burst out laughing.
"God, with Draco, I can so see that." As his laughter died
down, he said, "I'm assuming they don't fight very often."
"Nah. Even before they
started dating they were as loving and playful as kittens, really. It
was quite sickening to watch, actually."
"Hmm...Draco said that
he and Raven aren't really the type to show their affections outwardly."
Blaise shot a look at Harry
before magically extracting a majority of the water from the mixture
and adding in the tomatoes Harry had cut. "Yeah, I suppose they
aren't. But they show their affections differently than most other couples
do, I'd surmise."
"Like how?"
"The little things.
Looks, brief touches, words..." Blaise added a few different spices
Harry didn't really know the names of to the mixture. "Well, words
that have double meanings, anyway. I think they like to talk in riddles,
sometimes."
Harry chuckled. "I can
see that. Is there anything else I can do to help?"
"Set the table, I guess.
The plates are over there," and he gestured over his shoulder to
some cupboards. "I'll get the rest here."
"How many should I set
it for?"
"I dunno. Ask upstairs
if anyone wants some."
"I don't think I feel
comfortable just wandering around your dorm, Zabini."
Harry didn't see it, but
Blaise rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay. Cut the chicken into one-inch
pieces, and once this simmers, add that, the olives and some of this
Parmesan. Can you handle that?"
"To use the reference
that I absolutely abhor, 'If I can take down the darkest lord of our
time, I'm sure I can handle this.'"
Blaise smirked. "I'll
go get everyone else." And with that he was out the doorway and
up the stairs.
Harry did as Blaise asked,
and just as he was finishing up, Blaise came downstairs with Graham
Pritchard, Theodore Nott, Kevin Entwhistle, and Stewart Ackerley. "Michael's
not here, so it'll be eight of us tonight."
"Alright," Harry
said. "This is ready, I'll just go get Raven and Draco."
"Okay," Blaise
replied, and took over the cooking helm.
Harry walked through the
kitchen and foyer and tentatively poked his head into the lounge, seeing
Raven sitting on Draco's lap, talking quietly. "Dinner's ready,
guys," he said, and watched as the two lovers' reverie was broken,
and Draco replied.
Harry's gaze lingered for
a moment longer, inwardly smiling and cursing that he had to go fetch
them. He was happy for the couple, yet the normally hushed aching need
for the something Harry hadn't quite bothered to look into
had blossomed suddenly into a strong longing that he realised he had
felt all along. His heart twinged slightly, and as much as he wanted
to think it was just because he thought he was having feelings for Raven,
he knew that that wasn't it. He wasn't jealous of Draco. He was jealous
of the both of them. For having something that he couldn't
seem to find.
Turning away from the room,
he shuffled back into the kitchen to see Blaise putting the Chicken
Cacciatore in a serving dish, and the other four boys finishing setting
up the table in the dining room. Blaise looked up at him when he entered.
"Are you alright, Potter?
Something's wrong with your face, I think."
Harry grimaced. "No.
I'm fine. I always look like this."
"You didn't walk in
on them having sex, did you?"
Harry's pained look quickly
turned into one of shock. "What? No! Oh gods..."
He shook his head as his cheeks flushed pink at the sudden visuals running
through his head. "No. No, I didn't. They were just all snuggly."
"Who was all snuggly?"
Draco's voice came from behind Harry.
Harry jumped slightly, turning
around and catching Draco's gaze before quickly averting his eyes.
Blaise responded when Harry
didn't. "I was just teasing Potter here. He had a funny look on
his face, so I asked if he'd caught you two in the act."
Raven scrunched up her nose.
"You're such a Neanderthal, Blaise. No class and no tact."
Then she winked at Harry who had glanced up at her. "We weren't
just having sex, we asked if he wanted to join in."
The pale shock on Harry's
face caused Draco to burst out laughing, and soon they all started joining
in, the men in the dining room coming in to see what the commotion was.
Blaise handed a serving dish
and spoon to Graham, and hooked an arm around Harry's neck. Pulling
him into the dining room he said lowly in Harry's ear, "Maybe you're
not so bad, Gryffindor."
Harry finally smiled, although
it was wryly. "Always one to laugh at another's expense, Slytherin."
"I wouldn't be a Slytherin
if I didn't."
"And I wouldn't be a
Gryffindor if I took it lying down."
"Too true. Now, let's
eat!"
They all settled around the
table, Harry between Draco and Blaise, and Raven on the other side of
Draco, where they sat holding hands. When Harry smoothed down his napkin
on his lap, he felt another's skin brush against the back of his hand,
and looked down to see Draco's fingers tracing circles on his skin.
Looking up, he caught Draco's eye, who smiled at him, and took Harry's
hand in his. Looking further down the table, he saw Raven grinning at
him as well, the look in her eyes signalling her approval of Draco's
gesture.
Squeezing Draco's hand back,
some of the longing in his chest abated, and he felt a kind of belonging,
sitting there with Draco and Raven that he hadn't felt in a long time.
Things are definitely
changing.
But I think it's for the better.
|
