Draco and Harry's Escort Service

Chapter Six

Draco stalked back to the tent, cursing himself for six kinds of a fool. He had gone after Potter like jealous idiot, hoping to stop him from... what? He halted before the innocuous-looking tent and ran a hand through his platinum hair. Draco had to let go and stop wishing for something that could never be. If Potter decided he wanted Cho Chang, there was nothing he could do about it.

He stooped and entered the tent, which was a lovely two bedroom flat on the inside. Luna glanced up from the sofa on which she reclined.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Draco scowled.

"What do you mean?"

"You look upset."

Draco froze. Bloody hell, he really was losing his mind if his emotions were that easy to read.

"Nothing. I'm going out to hunt. Potter should be back shortly. Maybe." He managed to control the bitterness in his voice. He hoped.

He left the tent and entered the woods looking for something to kill.

ooOoo

Harry had built a bonfire outside the tent and the darkness was complete before Malfoy returned with a brace of partridge. Draco barely nodded at Harry before ducking inside to prepare dinner. Potter had been banned from food preparation after Malfoy had tasted Harry's cooking. Draco cooked like a bloody gourmet chef, another of his limitless talents. Cho stayed outside with Harry, even though he wasn't in the mood for company, but he kept the conversation safely on Quidditch. Cho had several stories about the Tutshill Tornadoes that managed to get Harry chuckling after awhile.

Luna came out to announce dinner. When they went inside to eat, Harry found that Draco had already retired for the night. Harry was disturbed, wondering what Malfoy was upset about and how long he planned to sulk. He and the women ate and cleaned up. Cho and Luna entered the guest bedroom and Harry went to find Draco asleep--or feigning sleep--in the master suite.

He debated waking Malfoy for a brief moment, but knew the consequences would be unpleasant. Either Draco would snarl at him in ice-cold rage, or he would simply hex Harry into unconsciousness, or worse. Harry wasn't willing to risk either option, so he sighed, undressed, and climbed into his own bed where he lay awake for several exasperating hours listening to the sound of Malfoy's breathing.

ooOoo

Draco rose early after a mostly sleepless night. He dressed quietly and paused before leaving. Harry was sprawled across his bed with the blankets twisted haphazardly over his legs. His bare back rose and fell in a steady pattern. Malfoy sighed and went out. He cooked a quick breakfast and ate alone; hoping to escape before the others awoke, but Harry caught him in the kitchen doorway. Potter was disheveled and shirtless and Draco nearly had to clench his hands into fists to keep from touching him.

Harry's green eyes flashed.

"How long do you plan to avoid me?" he demanded.

Until you beg my forgiveness and promise to love me forever, Draco thought wryly, but what he said was, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Harry reached out a hand and Draco, who had never back down from a challenge in his life, considered bolting, but the matter was taken out of his hands.

"Good morning," said Cho Chang, pulled her long hair back into a horse's tail as she approached. She looked pretty as a ripe peach. Harry's hand fell away and Draco escaped the tent as thought chased by the hoards of hell.

ooOoo

Harry watched him leave in growing annoyance.

"He's about as pleasant as a rabid werewolf, isn't he?" she asked.

"Yes, mostly," Harry agreed, trying not to recall the dozens of times Mafloy had been the exact opposite. When this job was over, Potter planned to tie Draco up and torture him until he got some straight answers. The mere thought of doing so made Harry feel a bit lightheaded, so he hurriedly fetched a plate and loaded it with sausages, potatoes, eggs, and toast. Luna joined them and they ate quickly before Malfoy decided to dismantle the tent around them.

As expected, Draco was completely prepared and impatiently waiting by the time they finished. The pleasant weather had already turned and a light drizzle greeted them outside.

When Luna spotted Draco, she happily threw her arms around him and planted a kiss on his mouth. Malfoy and Potter shared a glance of total surprise at her gesture before Harry's brows drew down in displeasure.

"Good morning, Draco!" Luna said brightly. "Thank you for breakfast--you're a fabulous cook." She snuggled against him for a moment. "You're warm, too. And you smell good. Can I ride with you today?"

The urge to hex Luna was strong, but Cho spoke before Harry could react.

"Luna! Don't be ridiculous!"

Luna looked at her without releasing Draco.

"What's ridiculous about it?"

Draco raised a brow at Cho with a hint of his emblematic smirk. Harry opened his mouth to comment, but then Draco's hand rose to the small of Luna's back and he gave her a small pat. Words escaped Harry in a flare of white-hot rage that took him completely by surprise. Luna watched him with curious interest. Harry spun away and began to tear down the tent automatically. He could barely see what he was doing and his thoughts were in turmoil. Malfoy's words kept ringing in his head.

Flesh is flesh. Need is need.

Apparently Draco's amusement with Harry had come to an end and Malfoy was ready for a new game. Potter suddenly wished the elemental would return and encase Harry in a tomb of stone and earth. He felt suddenly, completely damned.

Malfoy had saved his soul with a kiss and stolen it away with those that followed.

ooOoo

To Draco's relief, Luna did not insist on riding with him. Once Potter began to dismantle the tent, Luna patted Malfoy on the cheek, released him, and fetched her broom. Draco watched Harry with narrowed eyes for a moment. Potter didn't seem to be bothered in the least by Luna practically mauling him. Draco berated himself. What the hell did he expect? A jealous tirade? Hair pulling?

Cho Chang continued to shoot him venomous glares, as if by merely touching Luna he had tainted Cho's friend. Malfoy ignored her, which wasn't difficult in the least. He mounted his broom once Potter had finished packing and turned an expressionless green stare on Draco.

The final obstacle to Hogwarts was reached before midday. A null-magic zone prevented flying and they would have to walk through an unpleasant stretch of swampland inhabited by Cornish pixies, dugbogs, and occasional bugbears. Nothing terribly dangerous, but quite unpleasant. Draco found the muck to be far more irritating that the inhabitants.

Draco allowed Harry to explain the situation to Cho and Luna while he calmly unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up a bit. The cloudy, damp day had grown damnably hot and humid.

Several fried pixies and dead dugbogs later, they stopped for a short break on the first dry hillock they encountered. The girls collapsed, panting from the exertion of walking through calf-deep water and clinging mud. Harry leaned on his broom, looking tired. Draco was reluctant to stop moving. He wanted to get to Hogwarts and shed himself of his companions as soon as possible.

"I'll scout ahead a moment," he said and walked onward, using his wand as a machete to cut offending branches from his path. He hadn't gone twenty steps before a hand on his arm halted him. He turned and was not surprised to meet Harry's eyes. Draco tried to pull away, but Potter's grip tightened. Draco took a step back. Instead of solid ground, his foot dipped into a hole and Malfoy lost his balance with a sharp intake of breath. His back slammed into a tree trunk and the movement jerked Harry forward by his hold on Draco's arm. Their torsos banged together and Draco dropped his broom to keep Harry from toppling them sideways into the swamp.

Potter's startled face hovering before his was an opportunity Draco didn't dare let go to waste. Without hesitation, he took Harry's lips in a searing, possessive kiss.

ooOoo

The instant Draco's lips touched Harry's, he was lost. He had followed Malfoy with the intention of forcing a confrontation. He didn't expect to fall headlong into him, although he shouldn't have been startled at Draco's response. He wasn't at all surprised by his own capitulation--he clung to Malfoy like a lifeline and devoured him even as he was being consumed.

Harry could no longer think--all he could do was feel, and taste, and touch. His hands tugged at Draco's shirt and a low moan burst from his throat when Malfoy's mouth left his to burn a hot path down the side of his neck.

Draco paused at the open throat of Harry's shirt long enough to nip off a single button. Startled, Harry began to laugh. Malfoy straightened and kissed him again. Harry felt the button on Draco's tongue and took it with his own, still chuckling.

They froze when an approaching voice interrupted them.

"Harry?"

It was Cho. Malfoy broke the kiss and looked at Harry with eyes of silver flame for a moment.

"I really hate that woman," Draco said. An instant later, he had picked up his broom and was gone. Harry stared into the undergrowth where Malfoy had disappeared and reached up in bemusement to take the button out of his mouth. He grinned and slipped it into his pocket instead of reattaching it.

Harry felt strangely content. While he hadn't exactly gotten the intended confrontation, it was at least obvious that Malfoy still wanted him.

"Harry? What are you doing?" Cho asked when she came into view. "Are we moving on already?"

"I... needed to talk to Malfoy for a minute." Harry made as though to return to Luna, but Cho stopped him with a hand on his chest. He looked at her curiously and waited.

"Harry. I wanted you to know... in school I was something of an idiot," she said.

Potter wondered why she was bringing it up. Frankly, he had no desire to remember the days when she had acted like a human hosepipe.

"I really liked Cedric," she went on. "But I didn't realize until much later... that I liked you more."

Her hand on his chest slid up to rest on his shoulder and she leaned closer.

"I like you even more now, Harry," she murmured breathily and raised her lips to kiss him. It was lucky her eyes were closed or she would likely have been shocked to see Harry's eyes widen in astonishment. Her soft lips pressed gently against his and Harry couldn't help but compare the kiss to Draco's possessive, scorching, demanding kiss from moments before.

Cho pressed harder and parted her lips a bit, as if seeking a response, but Harry felt completely wooden. He couldn't even raise his arms to hold her.

She broke off and stepped back to look at him in hurt bewilderment.

"You don't want me, do you?" she asked.

"It isn't your fault," he whispered.

She turned and fled while Harry remained where he was, feeling mortified and confused. He hoped she didn't spend the rest of the journey sobbing.