Abandoned Innocence

Chapter 8: Sweet Dreams

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something

Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused!

I wanna use you and abuse you
I wanna know what's inside you

"I assume you got my present in perfect condition?"

Harry turned away from the mirror to face the living monstrosity that was Lord Voldemort. He just gave him a lopsided grin before walking around the room, inspecting everything as he went along; there were several doors on both sides, each probably leading to different caverns of Voldemort's mind.

His fingers trailed over the grey walls, he felt Voldemort shiver as the walls rippled against his fingers. Harry smiled in satisfaction at having such power over the-one-whom-all-feared.

"Of course," he said. "Though it wasn't very original now, was it?"

Harry felt the surrounding walls close in him, the anger radiating around him made his hair stand on end. The anger dissipated as quickly as it had started, of course Voldemort was no fool, he knew anger was weakness, all he had to do was give in to the fury for a single moment and Harry would have an opening to strike.

"This is only the beginning, Potter," his whispers ricocheted off the walls. "Come join me. You'll have this power and much, much more, there is an untapped darkness in you, so vast..."

He had crossed the room and was now standing behind Harry, his emaciated digits caressing Harry's face from behind. He gently turned him around until he could look deep into the green pools.

What was standing before Harry wasn't a withered shadow of a once powerful entity, instead he found a boy his age, maybe a bit taller, looking at his eyes, staring into them. The person in front of him was no stranger; the face was still fresh in his memory, nothing had changed since that fateful night in the Chamber of Secrets, Tom Riddle still possessed the same unruly brown curls, the same brown eyes that had stared at him in hatred three years ago.

"We are so much alike," he said. "You and I. Don't tell me you don't enjoy the power of holding a life in your hands, tell me you don't feel pleasure at being the deciding factor between life and death." He leaned forward his eyes shinning brightly with a light of their own. "Tell me you don't want to want to rip Dumbledore's throat out and relish in the glory, to feel the rush as his blood runs down your fingers."

"What is it you're really after, Riddle?" Harry stared into the depths of his enemy's eyes, felt the hatred return full force at the mention of Voldemort's father's name. Harry broke the eye contact and moved towards the dark corridor at one side of the room, knowing it led to the darkest of Voldemort's memories.

To defeat a foe, one must know the foe. He almost expected Voldemort to stop him but the other figure didn't make a move other than follow him with his eyes, which meant there was something he wanted Harry to see.

The corridor was dimly lit with eerily green light. There were still doors on each side, yet there was one door right at the end of the long path that was shrouded in darkness so thick it was hard to penetrate. Harry cautiously walked towards it; he felt Voldemort behind him but didn't turn around. The darkness seemed to engulf him; the smoky wisps cradled his hand as it reached out to touch the door. His fingers made contact with the wood...

Harry found himself falling again, he heard time rushing past his ears until it all stopped suddenly and he found himself in one of the Transfiguration rooms. It was like being in Tom Riddle's diary again; everything was black and white, the room held only two occupants. Harry sensed fear in the room, something he had not experienced before in connection with the Dark Lord. His eyes narrowed as he found a much younger looking Tom Riddle, probably in his third year or so, pushed on his back on one of the desks, devoid of everything except for the mask of terror on his face.

It took a moment for Harry's brain to register whom his eyes were seeing. If it wasn't for the long beard though darker and the half-moon spectacles, Harry would not have recognised Albus Dumbledore, a man treated as God himself, looking down at a pitiful boy with lust in his eyes.

Harry moved to touch Dumbledore but before his hand could make contact he found himself in the room again. Tom Riddle looked down at him with a blank expression, he waved his hand through the air and in front of Harry an image appeared of Dumbledore's corpse, sunken and withered, in a pool of dark blood.

"This is what I'm after, Potter," he hissed, the image melted and reappeared showing a destroyed Hogwarts, the walls had crumbled and it looked no less than a graveyard of stone. "And this is what I will get."

~*~

"Are you going to run away from destiny, Ra? Remember you were born to be great but the greatness itself comes from within...embrace your destiny, defy it even...don't escape it..."

"I'm lost, Grandma..."

"You'll find your way...you always do."

He had been endorsed a great responsibility, against his will it maybe but it didn't change the fact nonetheless. He was sick of just accepting what fate threw his way, it was time to get answers, and it was time to see beyond just the surface. He had to know who he was.

Who he is.

The cold of dungeons didn't affect him; it never had as he walked briskly towards his destination. Draco knew it wasn't fair to burden his Head of House with what he was about to do but there really was no other choice, even if Severus Snape ended up hating him for the betrayal he was about to commit, Draco just had to know.

He spoke the password to the painting of Salazar Slytherin that was guarding Snape's private chambers before a wooden door was revealed. With determination Draco entered the large room that was not dissimilar from the Slytherin Common, though with less furniture. He walked towards a door at the other end of the room, thankfully it wasn't locked, and Draco peaked inside it to find that Snape's bed hadn't been slept in. Draco blinked a couple of times to get adjusted to the darkness even though the sun had risen there were no windows to indicate the time of the day.

Draco stood for a moment wondering if his professor had gone down to his Potions classroom already, he shook his head and walked through the bedroom to the two doors on either side of the fireplace. He knew which one led to Snape's private study and lab.

As thought, Snape was busy chopping away beside a bubbling cauldron; his head came up in surprise when he found Draco leaning against the doorframe. He quickly wiped his hands with a rag and moved towards the blonde.

"Are you alright?" he asked in concern only reserved for Draco. The unnatural gleam in his student's eyes unnerved him a bit as Draco pushed away from the doorframe gracefully and walked towards the cauldron. "Draco?"

"Sevvus," Draco hardly used the nickname anymore, Snape stared at him in suspicion. "There's something I want you to do for me."

"You know I'll help you in anyway I can."

"What I'm asking is...difficult," he said in hesitance, "but if there was any other choice, I would never ask you to do this, please understand."

Now more worried than just concerned, Severus walked towards Draco and grabbed him by the shoulders, looking the boy over to see if he was hurt. When Draco wouldn't meet his eyes he grabbed his chin and made him look up.

"I want you to look in my mind," he whispered.

Snape let go as if burnt, he knew Draco wasn't just referring to Legilimency or any other mind-reading technique; there was only one other way that Draco's mind could be breached and there was no way Snape was going to do that.

"Please."

"Absolutely not," Snape barked. "How can you even ask me to do that?"

"I'm sorry." Draco grabbed the cutting knife on the desk and with one quick motion he had made a cut on the side of his neck. Velvety rivulets of blood ran down his pale skin, he saw his Potion master's eyes dilate as they followed the blood running down Draco's neck, his mouth opened up and two fangs appeared where there should have been normal canines. Draco turned his head to better expose his neck and Snape's hands cradled his face as his mouth descended on his neck.

As Snape took the first sip, he was thrown inside Draco's mind. Just like during Legilimency images swept in front of Draco's eyes, he didn't mind Severus seeing his memories or thoughts; there wasn't anything he hid from his Uncle.

Snape delved deeper in Draco's mind, but he couldn't go any further, it was as if a wall was blocking Draco from what he so dearly wanted to know. He tried to push against the wall, a blurred image came in front of Draco's eyes...an altar, a body he couldn't see the face of...blood dripping from a wrist into a golden chalice...just a bit closer...

Severus was thrown back against the wall on the other side of the room as Draco slumped to the ground. The professor groaned in pain as his head throbbed against the stone wall. He felt a hand holding his face and opened his eyes to see Draco's pale face through his blurry vision.

Draco tried to regain his breathing, he was so close to finding out the truth or at least one part of the puzzle that was his life but it seemed he just wasn't meant to know. Yet.

He managed to half carry, half drag his Potions Master in his bedchambers while sprouting a string of apologies.

"I'm so sorry, so so sorry!"

"And what exactly can your apology do now." Snape glared at him. "What exactly were you hoping to accomplish?"

Draco winced at the older man's tone and looked away in shame; he rubbed the fang wounds on his neck to find that he was still bleeding.

"Shit."

It was a known fact that Draco didn't stop bleeding easily after he got hurt, something he had been aware of all his life. Hence he avoided all injuries and any physical confrontations, not due to lack of courage, as Gryffindors so believed but because it was all such a nuisance what with the awfully tasting Blood Replenishing Potion.

"It's in the cabinet by the door and for Merlin's sake, put something over the wound to cover it," Snape growled.

Draco did as he was told and came back to sit beside the pale professor. An inner battle of guilt and anger was taking place within him, guilt for what he did to his professor and anger at the fact that even after all he went through, he still wasn't wiser than when he had started out.

"Mind telling me what all that was about?"

Draco sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly for he had no sleep the previous night whatsoever.

"I'm just frustrated, tired and angry. I - I thought that maybe you could break through whatever that's blocking my memories. It's like something lingering at the edge of my mind but slipping just when I think I've grasped it. It's just so fucking annoying!"

"And you thought by -"

"Look I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up old memories. It's just that..." he trailed off.

"I don't think I can deal with classes today." Snape sighed.

"Neither can I. tell you what, I'll cover for the day, this way I have an excuse to miss my own."

"No, you should rest. I was concerned when you left last night."

"I'm fine, just needed to sort things out." Draco gave him a reassuring smile knowing the other man could see through his mask. "I'll see you soon."

~*~

Hermione watched the back of Harry's head. She was worried about him, had been ever since they got back to school but this morning he hardly looked recognizable. Even Ron had to notice the lack of...well everything...in Harry's demeanour. His eyes were blank and glassy; he hadn't touched his food, just sat there as if due to obligation staring off into space.

When she had touched his shoulder to get his attention, he had flinched away as if burnt. She just didn't know anymore what to do, he wouldn't talk about Sirius, and it was as if the old Harry didn't exist anymore. The person who sat, spoke and at times ate with them was just a shadow of who Harry Potter had once been.

Hermione just hoped it wasn't too late for Harry, hoped that they hadn't lost him to the dark side -

"Take your text books out, today's practical has been cancelled."

Hermione's eyes moved away from Harry's silent figure to that of his potion partner's. Malfoy strode with as much ardour as Snape did when he came into the room minus the billowing robes though he was dressed in black from head to toe.

"What are you all staring at?" he sneered.

"What do you think you're doing, Malfoy?" Hermione asked.

"That's Professor Malfoy to you Miss Granger," he replied. "And I don't think what I asked was too difficult to decipher. Take. Your. Textbooks. Out."

"You can't tell us what to do."

"I can and I am, I've been given authority by Professor Snape to cover all his classes for him today as he is not able to attend due to undisclosed reasons," he explained to the whole class before turning to the black board behind him.

"You're just a student, Malfoy, the same as us," Hermione insisted. "Professor Snape has no right to -"

"Granger, unlike you we want to learn," she heard a drawl from the Slytherin side. "So why don't you just shut the fuck up and maybe Draco, I mean Professor Malfoy can get on with it."

"How dare you -"

"Thank you, Mr Zabini." Malfoy smiled sweetly. "Now, if there aren't any further objections may we get on with the lesson?"

"Dumbledore will never stand for -"

"The Headmaster is well aware of the current circumstances, if that wasn't the case; I assure you I wouldn't be in this position."

"What about the qualifications needed?"

"Have you questioned your other teachers' qualifications?" Malfoy narrowed his eyes.

"No, but -"

"Have you questioned their ability to teach?"

"No -"

"Well then, when you obtain such evidence, do come and find me and I will gladly show you my qualifications." He turned around and started writing on the board.

Hermione turned a murderous glare at the Slytherin side of the room where she was faced by triumphant smirks. She stubbornly refused to write and looked at where Harry was sitting; annoyed by the fact that he didn't defend her. He was mindlessly copying Malfoy's neat writing. Out of curiosity she started reading what was being written and to her astonishment found that she had never come across this particular potion.

Malfoy turned towards the class and at once his eyes narrowed and zeroed in on Hermione.

"Miss Granger, if you refuse to actually be productive in my lesson, please do excuse yourself from our presence," he hissed in anger. "You lot," he pointed at the Gryffindors whom other than Neville were following Hermione's example. "Should be grateful that I am actually letting you use my personal notes that I have organized over the summer but even then if you insist to be just a waste of space, leave."

Hermione heard quills scratching around her and grudgingly picked up her own. Malfoy threw an infuriating smirk at her, knowing that she was not about to pass up an opportunity to copy his notes. After all he was the top student in Potions.

The lesson passed fairly quickly from then on with Malfoy commenting every now and then, his teaching style was uncannily similar to Professor Snape though it did come as a surprise that he wasn't as biased towards the Slytherins as Snape usually was.

"I actually understood," Neville said in wonder as they filed out of class, leaving Malfoy to prepare for the second years. "I can't believe it actually makes sense."

"Yeah, I have to admit Malfoy's not a bad teacher," Dean said. "I'll take him over Snape any day."

"Well I think, Malfoy's nothing but a rude, arrogant and completely biased Slytherin," Hermione said angrily.

"I don't think he's that bad." Neville blushed when Hermione turned her glare towards him. "Well he wasn't," he protested. "Today."

"I can't believe you guys, first of all I can't believe Dumbledore would actually give him the authority to actually teach classes and anyways, are we forgetting who we're talking about? Malfoy. Are you guys forgetting all the pureblood philosophies he's always sprouting?" she asked her voice becoming increasingly shrill with each passing second. "You're a muggleborn too Dean, surely you agree what I'm saying."

Dean fidgeted uneasily from one foot to another, trying to avert his eyes from Hermione.

"Dean?"

"Hermione, to be honest, he's never treated me differently, in fact all the times I've come across him he's always been the opposite, indifferent." He sighed. "At the end of the day you're only angry because he calls you mudblood, right? Come on, Hermione, you're the clever one here, tell me does your blood really become muddy by his saying so?"

"That's not the point - "

"No the point is, it doesn't matter. Mudblood. That's such a ridiculous word; I've heard playground children come up with better insults. You're right I'm a muggle and so are you, surely you should be the one scoffing him off rather than getting agitated by him."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "I've never heard you siding with Malfoy before, what are you trying to prove?"

"That's because you don't talk to me enough to have heard me say anything before," Dean's face turned hard. "And anyways, when I first found out about the wizarding world, I didn't have any preconceptions about bloodlines nor did I get involved in these prejudices after wards. For your information, I do have friends in Slytherin, in fact I'm on quite good terms with most of them like Theodore Nott."

"You're friends with Slytherins? Not to mention that queer - "

"Hermione, where I come from we defend our friends. Just as I would defend your honour if anyone said anything about you, likewise I hope that whatever your beliefs are about my friends, keep them to yourself." Dean turned around and left, Seamus gave a helpless look towards Hermione before following his friend.

"I - I'd better go," Neville stuttered before he too scurried off.

"Can you believe the nerve of them?" Hermione asked Harry who seemed to have been unaware of the argument that just took place.

"You're always telling me and Ron to grow up." Harry looked at her through bottomless pools of green. Hermione felt herself freeze up by his intense stare and try as she might she could not dispel the sense of fear that was slowly finding residents in her heart. "Take your own advice. Grow up!"

Hermione was left staring at the retreating back of her best friend. Something was really wrong, everything just seemed so...wrong. "What is this world coming to?" she sighed.

~*~

Hands grabbed Ron's hair as he found his mouth once again crushed against another set. He eagerly opened his mouth to allow access to the probing tongue. A guttural moan of desire escaped his throat, only to be swallowed by the mouth latched upon his.

The cold stonewall dug in to his back but the only sensations he was aware of were those of the lips against his and the hand roaming under his second hand robes. He wasn't aware of another hand creeping towards the belt of his trousers until he felt cold fingers wrap around him. Ron's eyes widened at the same time as his body became rigid. The hand didn't relent, as it started moving faster, bringing Ron towards his building orgasm.

Ron held on to the broad shoulders in front of him and buried his head in the crook between the person's neck and shoulders to prevent his moans from escaping. He found an arm slip around his waist to support him as he felt his knees give out beneath him. He came with a loud moan, which was suppressed by the piece of flesh he was currently sucking on. Both of them slid to the ground with Ron breathing heavily into the other person's neck.

"Enjoyed that did you?" He heard the words whispered in his ear and shuddered against the hot breath that lingered a tad longer than necessary.

"We really should stop doing this." He sighed as he cast a cleaning charm on himself and started to sort himself out.

"You always say that but you come back each and every time."

"That's because you keep dragging me into dark corners, catching me completely off guard."

"You can always walk away, you know."

"But I - I'm not even gay..." he protested weakly. The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he had said the wrong thing. He watched in dread as the brown eyes in front of him darkened in anger.

"I know who and what I am, Ronald Weasley," he heard him hiss. "It's time you figure out what exactly do you want, I'm not going to wait forever and during the time I'm waiting if you come and find me, we'll go from there."

He turned around and left the dark alcove he had previously dragged Ron to. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on, he couldn't deal with homework now. Damn his Ravenclaw-ishness that made him ask for extra credit work as if he already didn't have more things to be worried about. Wonder what time it is...

"Boot."

He turned around and found the most unlikely duo walking towards him. "Malfoy."

"What are you doing out so late?"

"I'm a prefect as well, Malfoy."

"A prefect who doesn't seem to be taking his duties very seriously." Draco gave him a pointed look. "By the looks of it, you seem to have been very busy."

Terry blushed. "Yes well..."

"Don't get caught next time." Draco rolled his eyes.

"And..." Terry raised his eyebrows, waiting for the catch.

"I'll owl you my Charms research paper." He smirked. This time it was Terry's turn to roll his eyes, he had already done his so all he would do is copy it again and since they were in different classes Professor Flitwick wasn't likely to catch on. "Don't stay out too long."

Draco gave him a parting node before turning away and Harry dutifully followed. The blonde glanced towards his companion for what seemed to be the hundredth time but the other gave no indication whether he noticed this. Though it was refreshing to be walking in relative silence, it seemed forced, almost oppressive. He was just itching to start an argument but a whole day of teaching had really taken its toll on him especially since he didn't have any sleep for over twenty-four hours.

"Potter, you act as if someone's died," Draco finally said. "Though around you it must be a normal occurrence, eh?"

Harry deliberated over answering him, knowing it would eventually lead to an argument but he was curious about what happened the previous night and also he just needed an outlet after that encounter with Voldemort, he just needed to speak to someone, needed someone to make some sense out of it for him. He couldn't trust Dumbledore, the one person he had relied on beyond life itself had now turned out to be another false act.

"Malfoy, what would you do if you suddenly found out that everything you believed in was one big, elaborate lie?"

Draco was taken back from this answer, or rather question; he hadn't expected Harry to reply, well certainly not with what he just said.

"I accepted it and moved on," he replied. Harry gave him an odd look, for it seemed Draco had just admitted that he too had found himself in the same predicament.

"You mean..."

"What I mean is that no matter what fate throws your way, you can't let it hold you back." He didn't really expect a straightforward answer from Draco. "I can't believe the Mighty Potter is asking me for advice."

"Even Gods fall from grace and I'm only mortal after all." Harry moved towards one of the windows looking out on the Quidditch pitch. "You're right, it seems as if death follows me around. First Cedric, then Sirius and now countless other Death Eaters." Harry was speaking to himself more than Draco, but the blonde was still listening to him.

"You're not the only one," he said softly. Harry turned to look at him but Draco moved past him to look out of the window. "We're not so different after all."

"Yes we are, Malfoy," Harry said from beside him. "We're worlds apart, the one you live in is at war with mine. We're very different."

"I suppose." Draco sighed.

It had been quite long since Harry had had the opportunity to enjoy companionable silence, the sort of silence where worried looks weren't shot towards him nor questioning glances cast his way. He came to the rather astonishing conclusion that he could tolerate Draco's company and even come to enjoy it in a distorted sort of way, only problem was that Harry couldn't let anything come of it knowing that one day he would be facing Draco across a battle field and probably would have to kill him too.

"This is depressing," he heard Draco chuckle. "Might as well get my Ancient Runes homework done while we're at it."

He took an object out from his pocket and enlarged it so that a small wooden box was sitting on his palm. Glowing characters danced across its mahogany surface, surrounding the box with a green glow.

"What's this?"

"It's a box."

"I meant, what does it do?" Harry asked in irritation.

"Nothing, it's just an ordinary box."

"Malfoy..."

"Curious, aren't we?" Draco chuckled again. "Actually I'm supposed to try and unlock it using different Runes."

"Can't you just use Alohomora or some other unlocking spell?"

"I can but that's not what we're supposed to do," Draco explained. "Runes are like puzzles, like a series of knots. To undo a knot, you'd have to reach deep inside the magic and open it. Kind of complicated."

"You seem like a good teacher," Harry said casually.

"So you were paying attention in class today and not just copying my notes like a mindless zombie."

"I never let my guard down, Malfoy."

Draco nodded, "Do you want to try it? I've been trying to unlock it for days, not that you'd be of any help, but there's no harm in trying I suppose."

"Thank you so much for the confidence you just placed in my magical abilities." Harry rolled his eyes. Draco just gave him an insolent grin. He removed his palm from under the box and instead of falling, it remained hovering in the air.

Draco grabbed Harry by the shoulders and instantly felt him stiffen but didn't let go, he steered him so he was facing the box.

"Now place your hands on each side of the box, your palms touching the wood." Draco instructed but instead of letting Harry follow on his own accord, he grabbed his hands and placed them on either side of the box, with his own pale hand covering the tanned ones.

Harry had never been this close to Draco before; he shivered at the cold emanating from the body pressed behind him. There was no warmth that would be associated with a human body but a chill that seemed to cut through the layers surrounding Harry. He was surrounded by a sweet and spicy fragrance that he hadn't smelt before, it seemed to fill his senses.

"Can you feel it?" Draco whispered in his ear. Harry closed his eyes and let his magic trail through his outstretched hands and flow into the box via his palms. He felt another aura mix in with his magic.

He could feel the Runes twining between his fingers, barely touching his skin before sliding off. He felt Draco's hands direct his, until he came across a huge jumble of knots. Harry didn't know how but simply through his will he started pulling apart the locked Runes and the more he removed the hotter it got until he couldn't stand the heat. Harry's eyes flew open and he withdrew his hand but Draco's remained in position, he turned around to face him.

The moment his lips brushed against cold ones, it seemed as if time froze. Harry stared at the pale face in front of him, it seemed Draco was still lost in the maze of Runes, Harry dare not move lest he opened his eyes. He didn't know what this kind of confrontation would result in, Harry was brought out of his stupor when he felt those cold lips move against his, and he realized that Draco's mouth was moving wordlessly, his warm breath seemed to caress his own.

From this point, Harry could see how carelessly Draco's eyelashes fell against his pale skin. He noticed that his nose wasn't really as pointed, as it seemed from afar; it was actually button-like and curled adorably at the tip. Draco's skin was milky pale, Harry never noticed before but there was no flaw, not one blemish on his alabaster skin. Harry unwittingly found himself wishing that Draco would open his eyes; he wanted to see beyond the thunderous depths, he wanted to find Draco Malfoy.

"Harry!"

Harry moved away in a flash and knocked into the box, Draco's eyes flew opened and Harry couldn't help but stare into them as if mesmerized. Suddenly he felt unbelievably cold, the silvery orbs seemed to pull him in. Within the grey of Draco's eyes, Harry didn't know how it was possible but he could have sworn that he got a glimpse of countless souls...

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Harry slipped out from Draco's gaze to stare back at him. "What?"

"I said, did you find what you were looking for? With the way you were looking, it seemed you were searching for something. So did you find it?" Draco's mouth was turned upwards in an amused grin.

"No."

Harry looked beyond Draco's shoulder to see the cause of distraction. Draco followed his eyes and turned around to see Cho Chang standing there with a confused look on her face.

"D-Did I interrupt something?" she asked fearfully.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her, "Not at all, Chang." He then walked past Harry and picked up the box, the lid had sprung open. The Runes that had been a locked knot were now displayed in a single line, ready to be locked again. "Potter, you really were useful. Look, we opened it."

But Harry wasn't looking at him, his gaze was directed towards Cho, wondering how much did she see. Harry could still feel the burning sensation on his lips, he didn't want to rub his lips in front of the girl lest she get the wrong idea. Draco seeing that the other two occupants were clearly immersed in themselves threw a suggestive wink towards Harry before leaving. Harry could not understand how Draco was acting so nonchalantly after what just happened, which only meant one thing that the other boy hadn't felt a thing. It was hard for Harry to decide whether to be relieved or disappointed.

"So, Cho what are you doing here?" Harry asked neutrally while walking towards her.

The Asian girl blushed and looked at her feet, the slight bow of her head making her midnight black hair fall around her face. Gaining some courage she looked up and gave him a smile.

"I - I know things didn't start of very well with us last year, I was confused and depressed and I shouldn't have used you the way I did," she rushed on. "But you have to believe me, I really like you Harry and would like us to try again. I promise I won't let you down, Harry, we can make each other happy."

"I'm sure we can." Harry grinned.

~*~

Harry watched the soft waves break over the lake's shore. The thin slice of moon reflected against the black water, casting an ethereal glow everywhere. Harry sighed and leaned back on his elbows, letting the light wash over him. He heard a rustle behind him and sat up straight.

He turned around and smiled as Draco walked towards him, he was dressed all in black again, seemed as if he hadn't taken his 'teaching outfit' off yet. He came and sat down beside Harry.

"What's in there?" Harry asked pointing at the brown paper bag in Draco's hands.

"Oh, just fruit, I missed dinner so grabbed some from the kitchens," Draco said as he picked out a strawberry from the bag and bit into it. Harry watched the red juice spill from the corner of his mouth and trail down to his chin. "Do you want one?"

"How does it taste?" Harry swallowed, watching the red juice trail further down the pale neck and over the pale, bobbing apple's adam.

Draco leaned forward so his breath tickled Harry's neck. "Why don't you tell me?"

Harry found his mouth filled with sweet and sour goodness, his tongue lapped at the juice that threatened to spill from his mouth. He closed his eyes tightly as he felt the sour taste tickle his taste buds.

"Don't open your eyes," he was commanded. "Now tell me what it tastes like?"

"Very sour," Harry rasped. "But sweet at the same time." He swallowed the strawberry at last and opened his mouth for the next bite. A bean shaped fruit was placed in his mouth, his tongue mapped around it and he came to the conclusion that it was an orange slice. Harry bit into the soft orange and a moan escaped his throat as the juice burst in his mouth.

"What about this one?"

"Sweet. Very sweet."

"Hmm..."

Harry once again opened his mouth, he heard a snicker from in front of him making him wonder what Draco was up to but he didn't open his eyes. He found something placed upon his tongue, it was thin and flat, the skin was smooth and pebbled on one side, while the other was rough and had strings coming from it. Harry frowned and then taking a chance bit into the piece. His mouth was filled with bitterness so strong, he almost choked.

"Don't open your eyes," Draco said. "How does it taste?"

"What the hell was that?" Harry asked while spitting the thing out. Though the taste remained in his mouth.

"Orange peel," Draco replied.

"Urrghh, that was disgusting."

"Do you want something better?" Draco teased.

"Anything." Harry pleaded, "Anything to take that horrible taste away."

"Ok, but whatever you do, don't open your eyes." Harry nodded. He opened his mouth and felt Draco shuffle closer, he felt warm breath on his face before he found his mouth filled with a taste of strawberries and something else.

His mouth closed around the soft flesh and his lips came in contact with another set of smooth lips. He sucked on the tongue, trying to devour the taste and dispel the bitterness in his mouth that refused to go away.

Harry was pushed back on the ground his lips still moving against Draco's. Their tongues dancing around each other, licking and caressing. Harry sighed in Draco's mouth just before the blonde pulled away. He finally opened his eyes and looked at the blonde, the pale light of the moon reflected Draco's own platinum locks making it look as if his face was surrounded by a halo.

"So what did that taste like?"

"It was like..."

Harry's eyes opened, his breathing came in short, harsh gasps. It took him a while before he could make out his surroundings. One thing was clear, he wasn't in his own bed, this one seemed larger, less soft.

He licked his dry lips and tasted sweat; indeed he was feeling very hot. He pushed the covers of him to reveal a large erection. Harry groaned and closed his eyes, the heat was becoming unbearable. There was someone beside him contributing to the heat, he looked to his side and his eyes went comically wide.

Long, black hair graced the pillow; he bent over the figure and came across a familiar face. The events of the hours before came back to him in a flash, he closed his eyes against the images yet they did not go away, one thing they did do was calm his erection. Harry felt nauseous, not to mention hot, he quickly got out of the bed and started looking for items of clothing.

He cast one last glance at the naked figure of Cho Chang before turning and leaving the Room of Requirement. His heart was beating like crazy, he couldn't believe he just had sex with Cho Chang, his very first time and he was leaving her like that to wake up alone.

"What's happening to me?" he whispered in the night as flashes of his dream replayed themselves in front of his eyes. "This isn't real."

"Potty's gone potty." He heard a singsong voice and looked up to find Peeves floating above him. Harry ignored him and pushed himself off the wall, his feet directing him towards the Gryffindor Tower and the sanctuary of his own bed.

In the morning it will all seem like one, big, absurd dream.

"Potty's gone potty."

...to be continued...