Coveting Thy Enemy

Chapter 18: Tremors

Harry and Draco sat on the side of the bed silently. Draco watched Harry, trying to ascertain his emotions, but the Gryffindor was staring morosely at the wall, seemingly lost in thought. Draco had looked forward to that night all week. When Harry had asked him out on a date, a real date, he had never predicted it would end anything like this. Although he had never admitted fear to himself before, he did so now. The two thugs that attacked them made them feel as if their relationship was dirty, like getting caught masturbating in the school bathroom in between classes. He had gotten past that feeling when he had attacked, then kissed Harry in the empty classroom on the night of the Yule Ball, and damned if he was going to move back to that position in their relationship because they had almost fallen victim to a hate crime! After all, they didn't live in the Muggle world, they were wizards, and wizards were more accepting to differences. But, still he was unsure how Harry felt. After all, Harry had lived longer as a Muggle than as a wizard. And, Harry had been the one with the knife to his throat.

And because he knew he would have to speak sooner or later: "Harry . . ."

Green eyes sliced to silver ones. "Don't. Don't speak. I know what you're going to say, and I'm not ready to hear you say it," Harry interrupted.

"Harry . . ."

"I said shut up, Draco!"

Since Draco didn't know what else to do, he acted on impulse. Grabbing Harry by the shoulders, he rolled him on his back at the bottom of the bed. Harry's hands were trapped by Draco's body, which was lying on top of him. Draco put his hands over Harry's mouth. "You're going to listen me, Harry, and you're not going to speak until I'm through," Draco said, his face a mere inch away from Harry's. Harry's emerald eyes were wide as he stared at the boy who held him pinned. "Now, I'll take my hand off your mouth if you promise you won't say a word until I'm finished. Is that a deal?" Harry nodded. "Okay," Draco removed his hand.

Draco paused a moment, as if daring the boy beneath him to go back on his word. He didn't. "Harry, I know what happened scared you. Hell, it terrified the hell out of me. But not because I thought I was going to be hurt. I didn't think about myself; I was so worried about you. To tell you the truth, I haven't placed myself first in a long time. Not since . . . Well, not since I started seeing you." Harry seemed to be having trouble breathing, even though Draco had removed his hand from his mouth. Draco paused and eased up his weight a little. "Christ, Harry. Don't let a couple of Muggles make you change your mind about us. I don't think. . . I don't think I can handle that."

Looking down at Harry, Draco waited for him to speak. Then, he realized he had made him promise not to speak. "You can talk now, Harry."

"Will you get off of me?"

"Yes," Draco said and rolled off of Harry, he lay on his back next to the Gryffindor.

Harry spoke to the ceiling. "Of all the things I thought you'd say, that was the farthest from my mind."

"Why?"

"Well, I thought you'd be the one having second thoughts."

Draco sat up and looked down at him, forcing their eyes to make contact. "Why would you think that?"

"You were the one who had trouble with our relationship in the first place," Harry pointed out.

"True, but not now. You were the one who was attacked."

"Right. Actually, it's all my fault. I knew how some Muggles react to homosexuality. We should have never flaunted ourselves like that."

"We weren't flaunting."

"No, we weren't. But, to them we were. I should have thought about that. I know how you hate Muggles and all . "

Draco grabbed Harry by the arms and pulled him up to a sitting position. "I don't hate them Harry, not anymore. Muggle Studies has helped me to understand them a little better. And after tonight, what happened, any dislike I had for them is gone."

Harry looked confused. "But, they attacked us!"

Draco sighed. "I know. A normal person would probably hate them after that, but I don't. I can't explain it, really. I think I feel sorry for them."

"You're kidding."

"No. Think about it. Anything they don't understand, they attack. This-this 'thing' between us," Draco gestured with his hands from Harry to himself, "feels so right, but all they can see is wrong. I can't hate them for that. Hell, I was like that once. For seventeen years, actually."

Harry still looked a little confused. "And now?"

Draco laughed and hugged Harry to him, speaking over the brunette's shoulder. "And now, I think I've been resurrected." He kissed a curl behind Harry's ear and then continued to speak, now in a whisper. "I thought I was going to lose you tonight. I almost did lose you."

"It's going to take more than a couple of thugs to keep me away from you, Draco," Harry said softly over Draco's shoulder. He reluctantly pulled himself out of Draco's embrace and squared his shoulders. "Now, you wanted to have a talk about the rest of the year?"

"Yes."

"Well, go on . . ."

"Harry, it's just. I'm just so damn tired of all this sneaking around nonsense. I want what everyone else has. I want to be able to be seen with you, as your boyfriend. I never thought I'd say it before, but I want what Granger and Weasely have. They can kiss in the hallway, hold hands . . ."

"You mean you want to come out."

"Yes. I mean, I know it would cause quite a stir and all, but once the gossip wears out . . ."

Harry brushed a strand of silvery-blonde hair our of Draco's eyes. "Draco, I would like nothing better than to tell the world, but we can't."

"Why not? Shit, don't say anything, I know why not. It's because you're a Gryffindor and I'm a Slytherin. Am I right?"

"No, that's not it at all. If truth be told, I was almost placed in Slytherin myself. Think about it, Draco. If it came out that we were a couple, how long would it take for your father to find out?"

"About as quick as an owl can fly."

"Right. All we need is one Death Eater's son or daughter to find out, then your father knows, then Voldemort knows. Then. . ."

"All hell breaks loose," Draco muttered with a heavy sigh. He knew all these reasons already. He had been mulling them over in his mind for two months. "You're right, Harry. It's just. . . I hate not being able to touch you, to kiss you when I pass by you in the corridors. I hate having to put up a pretence of friendship with you just so I can spend some time with you outside of closets and empty classrooms."

Harry looked at his boyfriend sadly. "I know exactly how you feel. I've been feeling the same way. But, if it's any consolation, Hermione knows."

"Granger knows?"

"Hermione. And, yes, she figured it out a while ago."

"I bet she was pissed."

"Actually, she wasn't. She seems to like you a lot better now."

Draco whistled through his teeth. "As if that doesn't beat all. Granger knows, and she approves. That makes me almost want to apologize to her for everything I've done."

"You will apologize to her."

"I won't."

"Yes, you will," Harry said, and leaned over to kiss Draco softly on the mouth.

"Alright, I will. But, what about Weasely?"

Harry shrugged. "He doesn't know, and I'm not ready to tell him."

"Why the hell not," Draco asked, getting angry.

"He's not ready yet, Draco. Hermione already mentioned something to him, and he refused to believe it."

"Shit. I was getting excited there. I mean, if Granger knew and Weasely knew, at least we wouldn't have to hide it in front of them, and . . ."

"And," Harry finished, "I spend a lot of time alone with them. I understand, Draco. What we can do, though, is try to work on your relationship with Ron."

"What relationship?"

"Exactly. Right now, you two ignore each other. You need to start talking to him. And by talking, I mean no insults."

Draco smiled. "That could be rough."

"Well, it's a start. When you two are able to be friends, or at least tolerate each other's presence, then maybe we can tell him what's been going on. Until then, he's better left in the dark." Harry said. "Alright?"

"Alright, agreed."

Now it was time for Harry to laugh. "No agreements, please, Draco." They shared a laugh.

Draco lay down, at the head of the bed this time and raised his arms to Harry. "Come here, Harry." Harry sidled over to him and laid his head on Draco's chest. They lay like that a long time. "You know, I really had a good time tonight, minus the whole gang fight and everything."

"Me too," Harry replied. He raised himself up on one elbow and began running his fingers through silky blonde hair. "Is this your real hair color?"

"Of course it is," Draco snorted. "Why?"

Harry smiled down at stormy eyes. "It's just so beautiful. You're so beautiful, too beautiful to be real."

Draco blushed, an unbecoming red marring his alabaster complexion. "You seem to have a way of embarrassing me, do you know that?"

"I don't mean to, I just say what I feel."

Draco looked up at him, his eyes almost transparent due to their luminescence. "How do you feel now?"

"I feel . . . I feel warm, safe, and completely flustered."

"Yea, me too. " said Draco, and he pushed Harry on his back, straddling him. He then leaned over and began planting soft kisses from Harry's neck down to the collar of his shirt. "Damn," he said, "We'll have to get this out of the way." Graceful fingers began plucking the buttons of Harry's shirt open. When the shirt was completely unbuttoned, Harry shrugged out of it, and Draco pushed it off the bed. He then fingered the silver chain around Harry's neck. "You're still wearing it."

"Yes. I don't plan on ever taking it off. What about you? Do you still have yours?"

Draco leaned up and pulled his cardigan off, then the T-shirt underneath until he was completely bare from the waist up. He was wearing the claudaugh. "Yes."

Harry's pulse became even more rapid as he gazed at the Slytherin. Draco was a vision he could get used to seeing. He never knew of anyone so pale, so sculpted, so perfect. He looked up to notice that Draco was appraising him in much the same way.

Draco couldn't believe how muscular Harry was. He had a Quidditch player's body, all slimness and sinew. Harry had definitely grown from the skinny kid he had met when he was eleven. He leaned down, sharing his weight with Harry's abdomen and his own elbows. Still on his elbows, he reached out a hand and stroked the pulse at the base of Harry's throat. He realized that it beat at the same rhythm as his own, fast and irregular. Harry reached up, pulling Draco off his elbows until they were skin to skin. Draco gasped at the new sensation. He never realized lying naked, or nearly naked, with someone could feel so incredible. Then Harry kissed him. It was a gentle kiss at first, then grew more demanding. He felt Harry's tongue knocking at the door of his mouth, and he opened up to let him in. Their tongues intertwined, and Draco heard a groan. He wasn't sure if it was him or Harry, maybe it was both of them. When he pulled back to look in Harry's eyes, Draco became quite aware of Harry's situation, he could feel it against his thigh. "Harry," he whispered, "What do you want?"

"You, Draco. I want you." Harry's eyes were gleaming a shade of emerald Draco had never seen before.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Harry whispered.

"Have you ever done this before?"

"No."

"Me neither."

Harry's green eyes clouded with confusion. "But I thought you said. . ."

"Shhh," Draco said, planting a small kiss on his mouth. "I said I'd had sex before, with girls. But, I've never made love before."

"Oh," Harry said. He looked up at Draco, noting the nervousness apparent in the boy's eyes and body. Draco was propped up on his elbows, but he couldn't be for long because his arms were trembling violently"

"You're shaking."

Draco smiled. "I know. So are you."

Harry realized Draco was right when a tremor pulsed through his body that was twenty times greater than any cold chill he had ever felt in his life. "I guess I am," he whispered, overwhelmed by passion he only felt when he was around the alabaster god that was before him. "Please, Draco. Please, make love to me."

"As if I could do anything else, Harry," Draco said and leaned down to kiss the brunette underneath him. Halfway through the kiss, his arms finally gave out, and he collapsed on top of him.