Bond

Chapter 9

October 26 - October 29

Day 28, Monday

"You've spilled juice on your tie," Draco said as he finished putting his books into his bag.

"Oh - thanks," Potter waved his wand quickly and cleaned his tie, not pausing in his search through his desk. "Have you seen my inkwell?"

"No idea. Have you seen my tie?" Draco asked, and Potter thought for a moment before pointing to the sofa in the sitting room. "Thanks."

"Ready?" Potter asked quietly a moment later, having evidently located his inkwell.

"Yeah. Let's go." They headed out and nodded a quick thanks to Sir Xander as he wished them well. They walked in silence down the long empty seventh-floor corridor. Draco paused at the top of the staircase.

"Did you forget something?" Potter asked, and Draco shook his head. Not knowing how to say what he felt, not knowing why he was stopping at the top of the stairs.

It didn't matter, he told himself. There was no need to mark the fact that once they went down those steps, they were effectively re-entering the outside world and no longer in this odd semi-solitary confinement that had seemed so dreadful an idea four days ago but had ended up as a sort of... well, there was that stupid word again, 'honeymoon', for lack of a better term...

"No, let's go," he said brusquely, starting down the steps. Stopped as Potter put a hand on his shoulder. "Yes?" he looked up at Potter.

Potter's eyes were veiled, his expression impossible to decipher. Draco waited for him to speak, and was about to say something when Potter stepped closer, gently tilted Draco's chin up, and took his mouth in a long, slow kiss. Draco closed his eyes and surrendered to the kiss willingly for a few moments before reluctantly drawing back.

"Er, bad idea, Potter, we've got Potions, remember?" he said, a little breathlessly. "I really don't feel like coming in late our first day back."

Potter smiled. "I know. I just - it just seems like - like we-"

"Yeah. I - I know," Draco said quickly. "Me too. But - don't. Just don't." Potter nodded, running a hand through his hair and starting down the stairs, and Draco reflected that that little exchange hadn't made any kind of sense.

But he didn't want to know if they'd been speaking about the same thing at all. Because he suspected they had.

ooooooo

"I've got notes for you for Thursday and Friday," Pansy said as they made their way into the half-empty Potions classroom, and Draco nodded.

"Great, thanks." He busied himself setting up his text and quills and ink, then looked over the scrolls of notes from Pansy, grateful for the excuse to not engage in conversation with anybody as the room filled.

"Turn to page 394," Snape said, stalking into the classroom, and anything else Pansy - or anybody else - might have wanted to say was thankfully squelched by his entry.

Good thing, too, because Draco was feeling a lot more uneasy about this than he'd anticipated. Somehow he hadn't realized how odd it would be to return from their suspension as though nothing had really changed, when it had. He and Potter were sitting with the same people, in the same classroom, same teacher, same subject - but they themselves were different. Far more so than the day they'd walked back in here newly bonded, because then there was nothing but a spell between them.

Not a good topic to be thinking of, he told himself firmly, and busied himself trying to follow Snape's lecture. It seemed they were past the anti-flu potions and were now deep into potions meant to produce sensory illusions. Which were quite fascinating. He'd read up on the topic on his own over the summer, but hadn't realized they'd be working on it in class this year.

Potter yawned and Draco glanced at him. "You all right?" he murmured.

"Yeah, just bored," Potter murmured back, running a hand through his messy hair. "And lost."

"Don't worry about the theory part, we can go over that tonight," Draco said. "Just concentrate on the properties of the ingredients."

Potter nodded absently, scratching out part of his notes and listening with renewed attention to what Snape was currently saying. Draco went to fill his quill again, catching an odd exchange of looks between Pansy and Blaise.

"What?" he whispered to Pansy. She shook her head, squinting at the board.

"And why is it imperative to stir counter-clockwise in this particular manner... anyone?" Snape didn't even bother to look away from Granger as she stuck her hand in the air and waited. "Anyone?" He paused. "Potter?"

Draco suppressed an impatient snort. First day back, of course Snape had to pick on Potter. Perfect opportunity to humiliate him, and of course Potter immediately got tense. He touched Potter's arm lightly and projected calm and Potter glanced at him quickly before frowning in concentration at the notes on the board.

"Because..." he said slowly, figuring his way through the question. "If you don't, the venom destroys the hawthorne... and then the potion can't induce the auditory illusion because the fairy magic animating it is destroyed."

There was a profound silence.

Snape's eyes flickered between Potter and Draco, his face unreadable.

"Yes," he said, and turned back to the board, continuing his lecture.

"Draco..." Pansy's voice was uncharacteristically very soft and she didn't look up from her notes. "Watch yourself."

Draco, after a startled moment, removed his hand from Potter's arm and continued taking notes. Moved his leg to rest against Potter's under their desks, hooking his ankle around Potter's, not meeting Potter's questioning gaze.

ooooooo

"This is not good," Potter whispered into Draco's neck. They were both trying to remain upright and awake and hoping nobody came into the unused classroom they'd ducked into after Transfiguration, where they'd had a somewhat frantic groping session that had resulted in this current lethargy.

Draco leaned his head back against the wall, every impulse he had telling him to just slide down the wall with Potter and close his eyes and give in. "We'll be completely useless during Charms too," he said, clumsily taking out his wand and trying to remember the cleaning spell.

"We'd be useless anyway, two classes is too long, I can't concentrate when you're - when, um..." Potter's eyes were closing of their own accord even as Draco spelled both of them clean.

"No, don't go to sleep-" he poked Potter with his wand.

"No, I won't, just - I'm tired."

"We'll need to ask Pomfrey for Pepper-up."

Potter sighed wearily. "And what if she says we shouldn't risk it reacting with the fucking bond?"

"Potter, we can't go to classes like this. We've even missed lunch."

"I wasn't hungry anyway. And we'll go back to our room as soon as class is over."

"I thought you wanted to go back to the Tower."

"I did... I do. But let's have a nap or something before going there."

"Right." Draco fought to keep his eyes open. A nap sounded like heaven right about now.

"Actually..." Potter trailed off and Draco was about to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep standing up when he spoke up again. "I think..." he said slowly, "I think we should go to Slytherin tonight."

That woke Draco up. "Are you insane?"

"You've been away for a month," Potter pointed out, face still buried against Draco's neck.

"And?"

"And I know how your social status is doing among the Slytherins. You're in danger of losing it."

Draco leaned back again and closed his eyes. Yes, he was. He'd been away too long. He wasn't there to keep his place in the hierarchy, play the games, and now... getting along with Potter was the only way to survive this bond but unless he did something to counterbalance it, his new and improved relationship with his spouse was going to sink him as far as his survival as a Slytherin player. And thereby weaken his family even more.

"Why do you care?"

"What?"

"Me losing face with the Slytherins, my family losing standing... that can only be good for... for what you're supposed to believe in."

Just like that, there it was, the thing they really couldn't talk about. Potter bit his lip, straightening up, and refused to meet Draco's eyes. There was a very long, strained silence.

"It won't help me any if you get upset because your house mates start to shut you out," he finally said brusquely, then checked his watch. "We've got to get to Charms." He slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and tugged Draco away from the wall. Draco wearily picked up his own schoolbag and headed for the door behind him.

ooooooo

"Gryffindor for break?" Weasley asked, falling in with the students leaving Arithmancy a few hours later.

"What?" Potter blinked, fighting exhaustion.

"You've got a double break before Astronomy. Are you coming to the common room?"

"Oh - no, I think-" Potter glanced at Draco. "I think we're going to... er... go to our room. I'll see you at Astronomy."

Behind them, Theodore Nott smirked and walked a little closer to Draco. "You little devil, you," he said, low enough for only Draco to hear him. "Sneaking off to shag twice in one day. Your little holiday convinced him of your charms and now he's gagging for it all the time, is he?"

Draco almost stumbled as a totally unexpected surge of indignation shot through him. He bit his lip to keep from snapping at Nott, opting instead for what he hoped was a casual tone. "We just have schoolwork to catch up on."

"Oh, is he still putting up a fight?" Nott smiled nastily. "Malfoy, do you have any idea how much money was riding on you deflowering Potter before coming back to classes? Blaise will shit."

"Nott-"

"Maybe Draco's just exhausted him," Millicent said slyly as she and Pansy joined them. The group halted as a large group of first-years filed past behind Madam Hooch.

"No need to ask where you put your bet, Bulstrode," Nott said, and Potter and his friends turned around curiously. Draco shook his head at Potter, motioning for him to turn around again and pay no attention to the Slytherins.

"Fine, let's see who's won, then." Nott took out his wand and pointed it at Potter. "Virgo Acclaro," he said, and laughed as Potter's face lit up with a faint blue light.

"What are-" "Nott!" "Bloody hell!" Potter and his friends spoke over each other.

"I told you, Bulstrode," Nott shook his head in mock sympathy. "Potter's a stubborn little blighter-"

Harry lunged towards Nott and Draco grabbed and forcefully pulled him back, whipping around and glaring at Nott. "Nott, what the fuck is that??" he demanded.

"Self-evident, I'd think. Virgo Acclaro," he pointed at Draco before Draco could duck, and Draco felt an odd tingling and the world around him turned faintly reddish. "Pathetic baby blue for little virgins and nice earthy red for real men." The first years had all passed by but nobody was moving, the seventh-year students standing gaping at Draco, Potter and Nott.

"Nott," Pansy snarled, "you've got all the subtlety of a knee in the groin, which is what you're going to get if-"

"Oh, you're right, and it's not sporting to single these two out. Why don't I just-" Nott quickly waved his wand in an expansive circle and muttered a few more words, ending in Virgo Acclaro, and laughed as the faces of all the students started to glow amid exclamations of dismay and anger. Draco quickly glanced around, curious despite his indignation. Interesting. Goyle, Millicent, Ernie Macmillan and, surprisingly, Parvati Patil, were all glowing blue. Nott, Pansy, Crabbe, Susan Bones, Padma Patil, Granger, Weasley and, inexplicably, Neville Longbottom, were glowing red. And Draco wasn't the only one checking everybody's faces.

"Nott!!" about ten different voices spoke angrily and several wands came out to point at him.

"Finite incantatum," Nott said quickly. Everybody breathed a sigh of relief, and a few very curious looks went around the group. "It did decide today's bet status though, didn't it?"

Draco took a deep breath, ready to tear a strip out of Nott - then felt Potter's hand on his shoulder and Potter hauling him back urgently. "Don't," Potter whispered fiercely into his ear. "Don't. Walk away. Please. Just walk away."

He swallowed, a million different thoughts and impulses flying through him. How dare Nott - what the hell business was it of his - what did it matter whether - who the hell did he think he - and then Potter's words from a few hours ago echoed through him as well. "And I know how your social status is doing among the Slytherins. You're in danger of losing it."

He shook Potter's hand off and stepped away from him, and glared at Nott. "Try that shit again," he said coldly, "and I'll set a couple of revealing charms on you that you won't forget. There's a few things about third year I haven't forgotten yet," he said menacingly, and had the distinct satisfaction of seeing Nott blanch a little. He turned away from Nott and stalked off, Potter following close behind him.

"Malfoy?" Potter said cautiously as they got to their floor.

"What??"

"Malfoy, he's not worth it-"

"Shut up!" Draco snapped, almost walking right past Sir Xander. "Hades!" he barked, and Sir Xander hastily swung open. They stepped through and Draco threw his schoolbag onto the floor.

"Malfoy, get a grip!" Potter said. Draco whipped around.

"Don't tell me to get a grip!"

Potter backed away, his hands up. "He was doing it to embarrass me, not you, you git. And judging from the reactions of the rest of the people there, he didn't make a lot of friends spreading the spell around either. I thought Bulstrode was going to burst into flame."

Draco laughed, unexpectedly. Millicent's expression had been pretty priceless. Potter came closer. "Malfoy, he's not worth getting upset about."

"That's not - it wasn't just aimed at you, you don't understand-"

"Yeah, I know, it was also meant to make you look like you can't do the simplest thing like consummate your own bloody marriage. But honestly, I don't think that's what most people will remember, after what he did at the end."

Draco let himself sink down into one of their armchairs and lay his head back against the headrest, aggression draining out of him. Potter tossed his own schoolbag down and sank down into the chair next to him.

"Still think we should go to Slytherin tonight?" Draco asked dryly.

"Yeah."

Draco turned to Potter incredulously. "Fancy walking around with your face blue all the time, do you?"

Potter shrugged. "I'm getting pretty thick-skinned about Slytherin mockery, for some reason. And what I said before still stands. Even more after Nott's performance, and you know it." He ran a hand through his hair. "Now, are we here to talk about housing and Theodore Nott, or are we going to take advantage of our privacy? Because if so we may as well get on with it, or we'll be useless at Astronomy."

Draco laughed again, his mood inexplicably lifting, and then Potter was suddenly on his lap and latching onto his mouth. "Fuck, Potter!" he managed breathlessly between kisses. "You're all subtlety and romance today, aren't you?"

"No time for either right now," Potter said tersely, and started unbuttoning Draco's clothing. Draco decided he had a point and hastened to help.

ooooooo

"You're... you're going to Slytherin?" Weasley repeated Potter's words at dinner time, as though he couldn't quite believe it.

"Yeah," Potter said nonchalantly. "We'll probably be back in a few days, but it's only fair - he's been away from Slytherin for a long time."

"He didn't seem that broken up about it before. And I'm surprised he wants to go, after what happened with Nott today."

Draco leaned forward so he could see Weasley around Potter. "Weasley, I'm reading at the dinner table because none of you have anything remotely interesting to say, but I haven't actually done a silencing spell."

Weasley started, and frowned at Harry. "Did you know?"

"What?" Potter asked irritably.

"That he hadn't done the spell?"

"I'm not his bloody keeper, Ron," he muttered, pushing his dinner around his plate some more. "And he's being polite to you by letting you know he can hear you. You might want to say thank you." He put down his fork and rubbed his eyes.

Weasley's eyebrows climbed a little higher and he exchanged a look with Granger, sitting across the table from them, but he cleared his throat and, with an air of humouring the slightly confused, leaned forward. "Thanks, Malfoy."

"Harry?" Granger said cautiously. "Are you all right?"

"What? Yeah. Fine."

Granger peered from Potter to Draco and back. "You haven't eaten much." She hesitated. "Either one of you. And you both look rather tired."

"Long day," Potter said curtly. "And it's going to get longer, we both have a lot of catching up to do." He started to get up. Draco gave his unappetizing stew one last perfunctory stab, closed his book and followed suit.

"Did you want to go over the Arithmancy-" she began.

"Tomorrow, Hermione," Potter snapped tiredly, then caught himself. "Tomorrow, all right?" he repeated, in a slightly more polite tone.

"All right..." Granger trailed off, looking at them worriedly as they left.

"Does she always do the mother hen business?" Draco muttered.

"Yeah, she does," Potter said absently. "Lucky you, now she's doing it to you too."

"I don't need a Mudblood-" Draco started to say, then blew out his breath at Potter's pained glance. "Oh excuse me, Muggle-born know-it-all nosing about my health, thanks."

"It's how she shows affection."

Draco grimaced. "You're right, we do need to go to Slytherin, if Hermione Granger is taking a shine to me. How disturbing."

ooooooo

"Draco? Oh my god - Draco!!" Pansy screamed as he and Potter stepped into the Slytherin common room. All conversation came to a complete stop as Pansy flew across the room and skidded to a stop in front of him, shouting "Fuck this fucking curse! I'd hang off your neck for about an hour if I wasn't afraid of landing you in the hospital with fucking burns!" and Draco burst out laughing.

"No I think Madam Pomfrey's seen enough of me lately," he said, and the common room came to life again, laughter and conversation erupting all over the room. Draco was mobbed by a rush of Slytherins welcoming him back and he accepted their greetings graciously, making sure to note those who hung back - and let them see that he was noticing them. A few, like Theodore Nott, merely stared back at him. He was pleased to note that most of them pasted on smiles and hastened towards him instead.

"Look, right, I'm happy to be back, but I've got to put my things down," he said after a few minutes, and turned to Potter, who had been mostly rather pointedly ungreeted thus far. "Come on," he nodded towards the dorms, and Potter followed him silently.

"Not quite like Gryffindor, is it?" he murmured to Potter once they were in the dorm room.

"Didn't expect it to be."

"Good." He put his things into the trunk at the foot of his bed, straightened up. "Ready to go back in?"

"Yeah, no problem," Potter said lightly, grabbing his wand and his Astronomy textbook.

"Draco?" Pansy called out. "We've got butterbeer!"

"Coming," Draco said, and rejoined his friends, taking a seat near the fire and making room for Potter next to him. Potter nodded briefly to the few people who bothered to look at him, tucked himself into the corner of the couch, and spelled himself into a silent bubble.

"So why isn't Potter whining about missing his little friends?" Blaise said, glancing at Potter disparagingly.

"Don't know, don't care," Draco shrugged, and quickly changed the subject, falling into the rhythm of his common room far more easily than he would have suspected.

Such a relief, being among his own people again. Not that the Gryffindors had been that unpleasant, but it hadn't been the same. Only seeing Slytherins in class and at the Great Hall for so long... he hadn't realized just how much he'd missed them.

This was wonderful. And so much fun, playing the games, figuring out who was doing what, who wanted or needed what, competing for power and status. Also a little scary, seeing just how out of the loop he was. For example, when had Queenie and Nott become an item? And how long had Crabbe and Goyle been hanging around with Millicent? Those two were hopeless, really. Latching on to Millicent Bulstrode. Yes, she had a forceful personality. She also had all the elegance, subtlety, and people skills of a mallet. It seemed that without Draco's leadership, Crabbe and Goyle were utterly lost.

"The Sorting Hat's not joking about the bravery of Gryffindors, is it?" Blaise said some hours later, nudging Millicent. Draco glanced at Potter as Blaise added, "Brave, but remarkably stupid."

Draco bit his lip, caught between various immediate reactions: laughter, alarm, exasperation, and a grudging... affection, for lack of a better word. Because Potter had fallen asleep. In the middle of the Slytherin common room, surrounded by seventy hostile students, most of whom hated him on house principle and many of whom hated him as a personal preference or political necessity, he was deeply asleep, still neatly tucked into a corner of the couch, his Astronomy book discarded by his side.

"Merlin, Potter," Draco snickered and shook his head, deciding that amused condescension was probably the wisest reaction in public right now. He took Potter's book and marked his place but decided to leave his glasses in place.

"Not clever, are they?" Nott remarked. "I mean, really. Falling asleep? Here? We could do anything to him. Here, shove over, Malfoy-"

"He's not quite that stupid," Draco said lightly, fixing Nott with a pleasant smile. "He knows I won't let anything happen to him. Never underestimate your enemy, Nott."

There was a rather charged silence.

"Nott tends to do that a fair bit," Pansy smiled maliciously. "Runs in the family, I've heard."

Draco suppressed the urge to wince. None of them was above using whatever they could against each other, and this wasn't the first time Pansy had used Nott's unfortunate family circumstances to taunt Nott, but Pansy had no idea just how hurtful it was to be reminded that your father was in Azkaban. Thanking his stars that Father wasn't there any more, and that Pansy was on his side, he turned a bland face towards Nott, who had flushed and then gone white with fury.

"You all right, Nott?" he said innocently.

"Fine," Nott bit out.

"I'm telling you, Bryant's actually worse than Weasley when he first started as Keeper, it's unbelievable," Blaise said loudly, apparently picking up a conversation he'd been having with Millicent, who followed his lead almost smoothly.

"Er - yeah, the rest of the Ravenclaw team's not bad though," she said. "We'll be lucky to beat them, their Seeker's got ours beat by a mile," her mouth twisted in disgust. "We're totally lost without you this year, Draco."

Draco frowned, not sure how to take that last remark. On the one hand, it pointed out that he was a damn good Seeker and was sorely missed. On the other hand, it certainly reminded everyone that he couldn't play this year, and why.

Then again, when the reason he couldn't play was sleeping right next to him, he supposed there wasn't much that wouldn't remind the rest of them of the fact. And Millicent really wasn't devious enough to do backhanded compliments.

"Yeah, thanks, don't remind me," he said breezily.

"You should do more Seeker's Games," Pansy said. "They got very popular over the weekend. Made the Gryffindors see red, it did, to see that with no team behind him, you're more than a match for their precious little Potter. We cleaned up thanks to you."

"Why'd you switch to five-game sets, though?" Blaise asked. "You were doing seven-game on Saturday."

"Too much bloody homework," Draco said wryly. "I'm still so far behind it's not even funny. As a matter of fact," he checked the time, thankful it was decently late, at last, "I'm going to have to wake up Sleeping Beauty and go study. I know," he held up his hands as his friends protested, "but I've been off for four days and I've got to catch up some time." He shook Potter's shoulder. "Potter."

"Mhm - wha?" Potter jerked awake, a little disoriented.

"Trusting soul, aren't you?" Draco said, and his friends tittered. "Get up. I'm going up to study." He projected calm at Potter, still holding on to his shoulder, hoping he wouldn't act too daft.

"Right." Potter sat up, only slightly flustered, and looked for his Astronomy book.

"I've got it. Come on, let's go." Draco waved good night to his house mates and started down the hall to the dorm.

"Malfoy?" Potter said blurrily. "You all right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You feel really tired. I mean, you know, through the bond-"

"Washroom's this way," Draco interrupted him, and led him in. He leaned close as they took out their toothbrushes and started to get ready for bed. "I'm fucking exhausted, but we're in the dungeon, can you try to remember that?" he whispered. Potter's eyes widened slightly and he nodded quickly.

"Right. Sorry, forgot."

"Don't."

"I'm sorry, all right? I just woke up."

Draco rubbed his eyes tiredly, feeling the energy he'd been using to keep up with his housemates seeping away inexorably.

"Malfoy, forget studying, you're going to have to go to sleep as soon as-"

"I wasn't really going to study, you twit. I just said that to get away. Come on." They entered the boys' dorm room and almost fell into the bed, drawing the curtains and setting the privacy spell on them. Draco closed his eyes thankfully, disturbed by just how drained he felt.

"Malfoy?"

"What?"

"I'll take that as a no."

"To what?"

"To whether you wanted to... er... you know..."

"You must be joking."

"I had a nap," Potter said apologetically.

"I didn't."

"I know..."

Draco sighed as he realized that at least one part of his body hadn't received the owl about just how wiped out he was. "You know it's a bloody good thing you didn't get bonded to a girl," he muttered, turning towards Potter. "'Whether you wanted to, er, you know' - that's smashingly romantic."

"You're the one who made fun of marriage being romantic."

"Maybe you've corrupted me," he said, failing to suppress a yawn.

"And maybe you've corrupted me. Because right now I'd very much like a hand job, thanks, and I don't much care to butter you up in order to get it."

Draco snickered, picked up his wand, and muttered a few spells at the curtains.

"What are you doing?"

"You don't think I'll trust the flimsy standard privacy spell, do you? Now, about that hand job," he yawned hugely. "You take my clothes off and I'll pay you back."

"Right, then," Potter hastily removed Draco's clothing as well as his own, with all the coy seductiveness that normally went into stripping for a medical examination, and immediately started kissing and fondling Draco.

"Charming," Draco gasped as they stroked each other. "You'd never know you glow blue under that stupid spell." He tossed his head back. "Mind you, I'm - oh... I'm not complaining. Not at all. You just didn't seem this... efficient during our suspension - ah-"

Potter gave a shaky laugh - and then a bright orange light and a muffled scream made them both jump.

"What the-"

Draco laughed. "It's good to be home," he said fondly.

"What was that?"

"Whoever has the words Pervy Voyeur on his forehead tomorrow? That's who just tried to undo our privacy spell."

Potter looked at him askance. "How can you live with these people?"

"They keep you on your toes," Draco said absently, pulling Potter close again. "Potter, I don't much want to talk about them right now."

"No, neither do I," Potter said hastily, and they picked up where they'd left off and finished fairly quickly.

Draco felt the now-familiar flood of lethargy and was about to fall into it unprotesting when Potter cleared his throat.

"Oh, what now?"

"Nothing." Potter was silent for a moment, then blurted out, "Does it bother you, that we still haven't... you know, that I still glow blue?"

"Not right now, it doesn't," Draco yawned. He rolled over and took Potter into his arms, sleepily running a hand through Potter's messy hair. "Really, Potter, can't we talk about this tomorrow?"

"Um. Yeah," Potter said, and pillowed his face on Draco's shoulder.

"Good night, Potter," Draco said, and gave in to the darkness.

ooooooo

Day 29, Tuesday

"That's lovely, Blaise," Malfoy laughed the next day as he and Harry emerged from behind their curtain. Blaise threw him a dirty look as Crabbe and Goyle guffawed appreciatively.

"Very funny, Draco. Mind taking it off?"

"Oh no, it looks dashing. Think of it as advertising. Exhibitionist girls are going to flock to you in droves." Malfoy and Harry headed for the washrooms and Blaise stood at the door to block them.

"Come on, Draco, please. You'd've done the same thing and you know it."

"Probably."

"Look, I'll do your Transfiguration essay for you-"

"Please. I could do that one in my sleep," Malfoy said, and Harry rolled his eyes as they fell into serious bargaining.

"Malfoy," he broke in, "do you mind doing this in the washroom so we don't show up late to Transfiguration?"

"Yeah, all right," Malfoy said, and they drifted into the washroom, still talking.

It was fascinating to watch the interactions here, Harry thought as he got ready for school while Malfoy and Blaise argued over how much Blaise was willing to pay for the removal of the 'Pervy Voyeur' mark. Everything was so calculated. Not a single move was made without weighing the social ramifications. No honest and spontaneous interactions among friends, like in Gryffindor.

And Malfoy was completely in his element here. If Harry hadn't seen him with barriers lowered during their suspension, he would've sworn that this was the only way he could be. And if he hadn't had their bond to give him a clue as to Malfoy's true feelings, he would've sworn that whatever showed on his face was genuine. That his calm look of condescension towards Nott this morning was for real, and didn't mask a fair bit of trepidation. That his smooth takeover of Goyle and Crabbe didn't carry with it grim determination to bring them to heel quickly and completely and publicly, to show the rest of the Slytherins that although Crabbe and Goyle might have drifted to Millicent Bulstrode's side during his absence, they were his minions and not hers.

He would've even thought, without a bond, that when Harry's face turned blue again in the common room, that it really didn't bother Malfoy at all.

"That's a good colour on you, Potter," he laughed. "Goes well with your eyes." He glanced around the common room, where a dozen students of all ages were moving about getting ready for breakfast and commenting on Harry's glowing face, and cleared his throat, expecting, and getting, the undivided attention of every student in the room.

He looked around one more time and sighed with mock disappointment. "Too bad. Nott's nowhere to be found, so I suppose I can't pin this one on him." The others laughed appreciatively. "Let's get one thing straight, shall we?" He smiled sunnily at the room in general. "Any time Potter gets that lovely tinge to him, I will personally Virgo Acclaro everyone within reach. So don't use the spell unless you don't mind announcing your sexual status - and that of all your friends - to the world. Are we clear?"

It really looked like he was merely amused and going along with the regular Slytherin power plays. Nobody else could tell that Malfoy was seething, and it wasn't all based on the damage to his reputation. A part of him was, as far as Harry could tell, genuinely angry at the thought of somebody trying to make Harry look like a fool.

When had that happened? When had they become close enough that Malfoy would feel like that about Harry? Like Harry himself mattered, and not just because he reflected on Malfoy? For that matter, when had they become close enough that Malfoy would trust Harry with things he didn't tell his house mates? That Malfoy would consciously be different with Harry than with the outside world?

When had they become a couple?

ooooooo

"Harry," Hermione murmured into Harry's ear during Gryffindor Herbology class. "Is he all right?"

Harry blearily turned towards Malfoy to find that he was asleep, his head pillowed on his arms, his quill about to drop from his lax fingers. Harry smiled tiredly, taking Malfoy's quill and placing it neatly into his inkwell.

"What's wrong with him?" she murmured worriedly.

"He's just tired." Harry took a thick textbook from his schoolbag and carefully placed it under Malfoy's arms so that he wouldn't feel too uncomfortable when he awoke, and, without being conscious of it, stroked his hair off his forehead.

"He never falls asleep in class," Hermione said. "He's too tired. And so are you," she said accusingly. "Harry, what's going on?"

Harry rubbed his eyes wearily.

"Harry," Ron whispered from the other side. "What's wrong? Why do both of you look like you haven't had a good night's sleep in a long time?"

"We're fine."

"Harry-"

"Look, I can't tell you, all right? Not without talking to him about it first."

"Why not?"

"Married, remember?" Harry snapped tiredly. "I owe him a bit of discretion. He's not exactly your biggest fan; he probably wouldn't be terribly happy if I starting telling you all about our private life."

"You're keeping secrets from us because of him?" Hermione said slowly.

"No, it's not - that doesn't-" Harry stopped. "Yeah, I am."

Ron and Hermione stared at him.

"Look, I'm the one who has to live with him. That's part of why were away for four days, remember? So we could learn to live together without killing each other. And if that means I have to keep some things from you, that's the way it has to be. You're my best friends, but he's my - spouse. I didn't ask for this and I'm not happy with it, but I have to side with him once in a while. Sorry."

"But-"

"And he'd do the same for me."

"Somehow I doubt that, Harry," Ron said bluntly.

"You don't-"

"If you mean things like casting that stupid spell on the whole room during Arithmancy today when somebody did it to you-" Hermione began.

"Yeah, things like that. And like not letting anybody do anything to me when I fell asleep in the Slytherin common room yesterday."

"You fell asleep in the Slytherin common room?" Ron's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

"I was tired-"

"But why?"

"And why - you don't have to spend all your free time with him, Harry," Hermione said. "Nobody's expecting you to-"

"I'm not spending all my free time-"

"We only ever see you in class any more," she said. "You keep disappearing in between - you don't even have meals in the Great Hall since you came back."

"Everybody wants to know where you're disappearing to," Ron said.

"Our room, all right? We go to our room to - you know, because it's bloody impossible to concentrate if we don't all day long. And I really wish people would stop asking things like that like they have every right to meddle." He bit his tongue, hoping that hadn't come out too cross, but knowing it had.

"Harry-"

Malfoy stirred slightly, his brow furrowing, and Harry put a hand on his shoulder, resting his head on it, wishing he could go to sleep too. Malfoy's eyes fluttered open and he met Harry's gaze, and smiled drowsily at him. He raised his head slightly and kissed Harry, still half-asleep, and Harry leaned into the kiss, not particularly caring who saw them. Not even caring when he heard Ron make a strangled noise of dismay. Malfoy's hand came up to play with Harry's hair for a moment, then he broke the kiss with a yawn.

"Um, sorry," he yawned again. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, slowly orienting himself. "How long was I out?"

"Not long, I don't think," Harry told him. "Don't worry, you can borrow my notes."

"Mm. Wish we were in the greenhouse. Too hard to stay awake in this bloody class," he yawned.

"Malfoy, what's wrong?" Ron said quietly, and Harry gave him a tired glare.

"What?"

"You don't fall asleep in class."

Malfoy glanced at Harry. "You haven't told them?"

"No - you don't mind?"

"No, go ahead."

"You haven't told anybody in Slytherin."

"I know my housemates," he said dryly. "I also know your little cronies would rather gut themselves than hurt you. Tell them whatever you like." He picked up his quill, glancing at the board and trying to figure out where Sprout was in the lesson.

"Tell us what??" Hermione said, beside herself by now.

"Sh. We're just - Pomfrey's not really sure what's going on, actually-" and Harry found himself grateful for their concern, as he confided his worries to his two closest friends.

ooooooo

Day 31, Thursday (dawn)

Draco awoke, vaguely aroused and confused. That one had been... interesting. Not terribly vivid, but there was something... something warm about it...

He checked the time. Three in the morning. Potter was fast asleep beside him, and Draco drew close and pulled him into his arms, smiling slightly as Potter murmured and automatically tucked his head into Draco's shoulder. Draco slowly stroked Potter's hair, closing his eyes and expecting to drift off again, but his mind kept buzzing around the edges of the dream he'd been dreaming. Yawning, he frowned in irritation.

He needed to sleep. Their energy levels were getting lower by the day, and Pomfrey was asking all sorts of questions. Pepper-up worked somewhat, and being in Slytherin helped Draco a great deal - the challenge of having to compensate for his bond was rather bracing - but the fact was that they were weakening steadily. Hopefully Esposito would figure something out before too long, or they'd have to go back to Gryffindor before the Slytherins noticed anything was wrong.

He slowly ran his hand down Potter's naked back, finding sensual pleasure in the feel of skin on skin. Moved his legs between Potter's, and felt a tug of arousal as his hip brushed against Potter's groin and touched something hard.

Potter was dreaming again, apparently. And Draco needed to go back to sleep before he got too excited about it. He closed his eyes, popping them open again as Potter stirred against him and moaned.

"Potter?"

Potter awoke, startled to find himself embraced so firmly, and immediately started to rub himself against Draco. Draco chuckled.

"Randy bugger, aren't you? Merlin, Potter, it's three in the morning."

"My body doesn't know that. I was just dreaming it was early afternoon and you were doing, er, afternoon things. At the lookout point."

Draco's pulse sped up a little. "Potter, we've got to sleep."

"You know what'll help us sleep?" Potter said, and ran a hand down to Draco's groin. Draco hastily grabbed at it.

"How on earth you can still glow blue is a mystery to me."

"I could explain it to you, but I'd much rather do something that'll make us both go back to sleep."

"Fine," Draco gave in to Potter's logic. "But hang on-" he grabbed his wand off the night table and waved it over both of them, murmuring a quick spell.

"Only you would know a spell for getting rid of sleep-mouth," Potter took advantage of the spell and kissed Draco thoroughly.

"What do Muggles do about it?"

"How would I know?" Potter started to lick his way over to Draco's ear, and Draco sighed and revelled in the sensations, realizing that there really was no way he'd be able to go to sleep now without taking this to its logical conclusion. Virgin or not, Potter was becoming very good at getting what he wanted from Draco. Which suited Draco just fine. Other than the whole energy drain thing, which really wasn't a problem when they had about four hours before they had to be awake and functional again.

Draco closed his eyes, feeling his body responding to Potter, heat gathering under his skin... this was so good... so much nicer than hurried gropes in unused classrooms or up against trees... in fact...

"Potter. Stop." Draco drew back, placing a hand on Potter's chest. Potter groaned in frustration.

"What?"

"I want to... um, I'd like to go back to our quarters."

"What? Why?"

"Because I don't want to be worried that my roommates will interrupt us."

"It's three in the morning."

"I know. But if any of them put a spell to let them know when we-"

"Malfoy, come on. I don't like to say this, but let's be realistic; this won't take long. And then we can-"

"I want it to take a little longer."

"Why?"

God, Potter was thick sometimes. Draco took a deep breath. "Potter. How many times are you going to be turned blue in class before you get tired of it?"

"I'm already tired of it, but-" Potter broke off and Draco could almost see a little candle light up in his head. He slowly withdrew and sat up.

"Malfoy... I, you said you wouldn't pressure me-"

"I'm not. I'm just suggesting-"

"Look, I-"

"Lumos," Draco said, and winced as their small curtained chamber lit up. He sat up and handed Potter his glasses and Potter put them on warily, squinting at Draco through the bright light.

"Malfoy-"

"I'm not pressuring. But I'm ready, and I want to - I want you."

"I, I want you too, but-"

"You can top, if you want."

Potter blinked.

"Makes it a little different, does it?"

"Er... yeah." Potter rubbed a hand through his hair nervously. "But... but I've never-"

"Neither have I. We'd be even."

"Malfoy, I - what if I hurt you?"

"You won't, I trust you." Potter gave him an incredulous look and Draco smiled slightly. "As far as this is concerned, I mean. I trust you. You won't hurt me. More than - more than you have to."

Potter hugged his knees to his chest and looked down, and Draco could feel the conflicting impulses within him. He put a hand on Potter's arm and waited.

Finally Potter looked up at him, still nervous, but resolute, and nodded.

Draco reached for their portkeys as Potter gathered their clothing and schoolbags. Draco ended the light spell and handed Potter his key.

"You should take the privacy spells off and open the curtains," Potter said.

"Why?"

"So your dorm mates won't waste their time trying to get in to wake us up tomorrow morning. Not to mention getting caught in whatever other hexes you've set on the curtains."

"You're no fun," Draco said, but he ended the spells he'd set and opened the curtains. They activated their portkeys and instantly found themselves in the now-familiar surroundings of their bedroom.

"Lumos," Draco said, and they put down the clothing and schoolbags they'd brought from the Slytherin dorm. They faced each other, kneeling on the bed, suddenly shy.

"You're sure about this?" Potter asked softly, taking Draco's hand in his.

Draco took a deep breath and nodded.

"Do you want to do the trance the Healer suggested?"

Draco nodded again, and they both reached for their wands. They got closer and rested their foreheads against each other, closing their eyes.

Draco cleared his mind, breathing in deeply, and began the Incantation to Tranquility the Healer had taught them a few days before. Potter joined in, and soon their murmured words filled the air around them, an almost physical presence. Draco could feel serenity flowing into him, sounding like very gentle waves along a tranquil shoreline, leaving almost no room for extraneous thoughts or fears.

They repeated the incantation, falling deeper into the trance, their breathing slowing down and their lips getting closer until they were whispering against each other's mouths, stopping to kiss between words, entering a sort of flowing state of clarity and peace.

A third repetition, and they were done. They put down their wands and continued to kiss, drawing together, and Draco pulled Potter back until they were entwined on the bed, Potter's full weight on Draco.

Draco let his head drop back, concentrating on the feel of lips moving down his neck, hands caressing him everywhere. He pulled Potter closer, one hand entwining itself in his hair, one foot slowly rubbing up and down his calf, everything so very slow and so incredibly sweet. No words, only sighs and faint moans and the whisper of fingers against skin and waves against the shore.

Potter raised his head and looked down at Draco, wordlessly asking permission to continue, and Draco nodded, closing his eyes as Potter sat up and reached for a small bottle of honey-scented oil the Healer had given them. He felt Potter lie down next to him, and then he felt warm hands ghosting over his chest, his belly, leaving trails of scented oil glowing warmly on Draco's skin as they moved slowly downwards. Draco opened his eyes and reached for the bottle, pouring a bit onto his own hands, and slowly traced patterns onto Potter's chest, around each nipple, up to his neck, smiling at the way Potter's breath hitched a little as Draco's fingertips found sensitive spots but Potter's hands never stopped their slow, steady task of spreading the oil onto Draco.

Potter raised one eyebrow, asking for permission again, and Draco parted his thighs, feeling no fear as Potter's hand went lower and he started to rub the oil between Draco's legs. Another questioning look and Draco nodded, tensing a little in pain as one finger entered him, and Potter stopped and his eyes questioned, did Draco want him to stop - but Draco pulled him closer and kissed him, breathing slowly to accept the pain and relax, let it flow through him, and feel secure in the knowledge that the pain would pass, that there was nothing to fear.

Then Potter did something and a sharp bolt of pleasure seared through Draco and he gasped. Potter drew back, relaxing as he saw that Draco wasn't in pain, and repeated what he had just done. Draco grabbed his shoulder convulsively, a groan escaping him and his breath coming faster, almost hearing the sound of the surf disturbed a little as if by a sudden gust of wind, but soon settling back to the soothing rhythm of before.

Potter's eyes were questioning him again and he drew back, and Draco nodded and started to turn onto his stomach, then changed his mind. The Healer had explained that it would probably be easier to do it that way their first time, and it had seemed a good idea at the time, but now... no. He needed to see Potter, read his emotions, be able reassure them both. Potter frowned, puzzled, as Draco lay back again, drawing Potter back onto him and smoothing some of the oil onto him and smiling as Potter accepted the change and closed his eyes to concentrate on the sensations.

Potter drew closer and their mouths met again, and Potter brought one hand up to caress Draco's cheek and temple, stroking his hair back from his face, using his other hand to slowly guide himself into Draco. Draco tensed as a sharper pain burned through him, and he hissed into Potter's neck, nails digging into Potter's shoulders but pushing himself forward, accepting him into his body. Potter held very still, his lips silently brushing against Draco's temple, and Draco could feel him sensing along Draco's own emotions to reassure himself that Draco was OK, that he just needed a bit of time to adjust.

Draco took a deep breath, blew it out, and another, and another, following the rhythm of the almost inaudible gentle waves, the pain lessening and starting to make way for a sense of peace and belonging. Which the Healer had said was a natural reaction, and a good one. He sought out Potter's lips again, his legs coming up to Potter's hips, drawing Potter in further and gasping as the jolt of pleasure hit again, stronger this time and mingled with pain. Too strong.

"Shh..." Potter soothed him, but Draco felt a sob rising in his chest despite the trance, despite everything they'd shared so far - it was too much, it wasn't in his control, it was an invasion and wrong and he couldn't take it - but Potter was still there and still holding him, still inside him, drawing him gently back into the trance, back into them, back into trust. "Shhh..." Potter kissed his temple, took one hand in his, lacing their fingers together, still steady. Now gently rocking them together, the jolts more bearable, the soothing sound of the seashore gradually coming back. Coming back and then starting to grow louder as the sensations got more intense, but not so frightening this time.

Draco opened his eyes to find Potter gazing at him, his entire being focussed on keeping Draco from panicking. He smiled and brushed Potter's hair away from his forehead, tracing his scar and allowing their rocking to gather heat and intensity, hesitantly pulling Potter deeper into the trance, into trusting the trance to keep them safe as they started to lose themselves in the movement, the sound of the surf starting to grow until it felt like the shore during a storm, and then a thunderstorm, and they were starting to drown in it, be consumed by it - images that should've been terrifying but instead were exciting and exhilarating.

Although Draco was starting to sense that Potter was still steady, but in danger of getting overwhelmed by what he was experiencing. It was Potter's first time too, after all, and Tranquility Spell or no, he needed Draco's help as much as Draco needed his.

And Draco at least knew a little bit of what Potter must be feeling right now; the dizzying novelty of being inside another person, the impossibility of being required to slow down and control something almost uncontrollable: the body's burning need to thrust hard and fast and come as soon as possible. The Tranquility Spell could help with some of that, but it wasn't enough. He ran a hand down Potter's chest, soothed him, gentled away the tremors shaking him as Potter bit his lip and concentrated on not going too fast, not hurting Draco, not ending this before Draco was ready.

Except Draco was pretty sure he was ready. For just about anything. He pulled his legs closer, drawing Potter deeper inside, arching his back as exquisite sparks of lighting started to chase through him, urging Potter to follow his instincts and just let go. It was almost like they were trying to control the thunderstorm together, Draco thought as Potter shuddered and reached out with his mind, trying to make sure that Draco wanted him to move, that it was OK to let go, and then they were thrusting against each other and it was all was too hot to hang on to, they were getting burned, they were both going to burst into flame-

Draco caught Potter's mouth with his own, and was unable to hold back a scream as the lightning seared down every nerve and his back arched off the bed and with a hoarse cry Potter pulsed inside him, lightning enveloping them and almost obliterating them both with its bright heat, for endless moments, until they were spent and bonelessly exhausted.

And then it was over. Small fires still coursed through them, no longer overwhelming; almost soothing. Enveloping Draco in waves again, warm and safe and sweet. He slowly ran his hands over Potter, still on top of him and inside him and breathing softly into Draco's hair. And the sleep that came swelling towards him was comforting. He dropped into the darkness willingly.