Coveting Thy Enemy

Chapter 20: Ire

When Harry awoke the next morning, it was with a start. Not used to these surroundings, he sat up quickly, taking in the emerald and silver brocaded bed hangings that were wrapped around his peripheral vision with dazed confusion. It took a moment to register that he was in Draco's room in the dungeon. And with this remembrance came other memories; the curve of an alabaster hip, the stormy hue of silver irises, the impassioned murmur of his own name, and finally the confessions. Last night had been a paradox, just like everything with Draco was. It had been Heaven and Hell.

Harry lay back down, pulling the coverlet up to his chin. Draco had rolled away from him when he sat up, so he reached over and pulled the blonde boy toward him gently as to not wake up his slumber. Draco needed this rest after what he had shared the previous night, a healing salve after a heartbreaking confession. Harry gulped and tried to swallow the anger and revulsion that came over him when he thought about Draco's initiation. No one should have to go through something like that. All this time, Harry had felt his life was rough. For six years, he had looked upon Draco Malfoy as being a spoiled brat who got whatever he desired, had even envied him for it. He had never realized that Draco's life had been much harder than he could ever imagine. It was then that Harry realized that Draco was probably the strongest person he had ever known. An ordinary person would have cracked from the endless torment he had suffered, or would have eventually succumbed to it. But, not Draco. Draco had stood up to that torment, gazed it defiantly in the eye, and given it the proverbial middle finger. Sure, he was suffering now, but eventually it would make him even stronger. Harry wanted to be there to see that happen; he wanted to be there for as long as Draco would allow.

As if sensing Harry was thinking about him, Draco stirred. Rolling himself on his back, he reached his arms above his head in a stretch that nearly gave Harry a hard knock in the jaw. Yawning sleepily and rather sexily, he turned to the Gryffindor as if just realizing he was there. Meeting an emerald gaze, Draco did something he hadn't done since he was a child. He blushed.

"What's wrong, love?" Harry asked, although he knew. After all, he had been blushing himself just a few minutes ago.

Draco reached up and smoothed a wayward curl away from Harry's forehead. "Nothing. I just remembered everything that happened last night, is all."

"So, what's so embarrassing? What we did, or afterward?" Harry asked. Although he didn't wish to embarrass Draco further, his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"All of it," Draco said, blushing further. "Last night was a lot of firsts, Harry. The first time I made love, the first time I ever told anyone about my childhood, about my initiation. And, today is the first time I ever woke up with anyone before."

"Is it that bad?"

Draco sighed rather heavily and shook his head. "No, it's wonderful. Just a little disconcerting is all. You know, this is the beginning of something . . . there's no going back now."

Harry pulled the silver-haired boy to him and did his best to kiss away his embarrassment. When he pulled away, he said in a whisper, "For me it began a long time ago, Draco, when I first tried to kiss away your sadness during the first snowfall."

Draco leaned into him then and kissed him rather deeply, running his fingertips through the tangled bird's nest of Harry's hair. When they pulled away for the second time, Draco put a little distance between Harry and himself. He could feel the stirrings of passion rising up within him like the sea trying to burst through a dam, but he knew their relationship, the sexual part of it, was too new to explore during the daylight. After all, the night has its own magic about it that eased fears and stoked passion to overwhelming proportions. Daytime brought about uncertainty, fumblings, and awkwardness. That wasn't something he wanted Harry to experience yet. Not when their first experience had been so magical.

"What time is it?" Harry asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He had just realized he had slept with them on.

Draco pulled the bed curtains aside and looked at the clock on his nightstand. "Well past breakfast. We have less than thirty minutes if you want to eat lunch."

Harry sat up and groped for his clothing on the floor. Pulling on his underwear and pants he said apologetically, "We probably should make an appearance at lunch. Not making it to breakfast on a Sunday is one thing, but lunch . . ."

"I know," replied Draco. "I just wish you didn't have to go, or at least we could have lunch together."

Harry stood up now fully dressed. "Well, why can't we? Sit with me at the Gryffindor table. Everyone knows we're friends."

Draco shook his head. "Weasley . . ."

". . . will have to grin and bear it."

"Fine."

Harry nodded and gave Draco a warm but hurried kiss on the lips before quickly pulling on his shirt and shoes and leaving for the Gryffindor tower.

Both Draco and Harry were surprised by the indifference the Hogwarts' students had shown at their seating arrangement. It would seem that their friendship was now accepted, albeit grudgingly. Hermione even sat on the other side of Draco and talked with him about the upcoming NEWT's. Harry almost groaned when she mentioned this because he had been so caught up with his and Draco's budding romance that he had completely forgot about the gruelling exams that were coming up. He knew Hermione had been studying for them since the beginning of the school year, but his selective memory had helped him forget this descending doom.

Ron walked in during the midst of the conversation and plopped himself down beside Hermione. He managed to fill his plate and drink half of his pumpkin juice before he realized who was sitting with them. Choking and spitting orange fluid across the table at Ginny, he sputtered, "What the HELL is he doing here?" All the time, he was pointing a finger at Draco as if he were wishing it were the barrel of a revolver.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Weasely? I'm eating," Draco drawled. Harry winced. He could tell Draco was trying to restrain his tone, but he wasn't quite successful. The Malfoy superiority was still beneath the surface, and it seemed to enflame Ron even more.

"Why don't you slither back to your own table, Malfoy?"

Draco shrugged. "My friends are here, Weasley," he said, glancing back and forth from Harry to Hermione. Hermione actually smiled when she realized she was included in Draco's estimation of friendship.

Hermione put a hand on Ron's shoulder as if restraining him from jumping out of his seat. "Calm down, Ron. Draco and I were having a nice conversation about the upcoming exams. Something you should be thinking about, I might add." Although Hermione was usually able to salve Ron's nerves, it wasn't going to happen this time.

Ron brushed Hermione's hand from his shoulder and stood up, glaring at Draco. His voice had risen to a pitch that even the Hufflepuffs at the end of the room couldn't ignore. Still pointing his finger, he yelled at Draco, "First, you steal my best friend, Malfoy. Now, you're trying to worm your way into the Gryffindor area and steal my girlfriend!"

Draco put his hands up in a gesture of truce. "I'm not trying to steal anything, Weasley. I'm just eating lunch."

"Bullshit!" screamed Ron. His anger had finally taken over his logic. He grabbed Draco by the collar and yanked him to his feet. "All right Malfoy, let's settle this once and for all," he said, balling his fingers into fists.

"This is ridiculous, Weasley. I'm not fighting you," Draco said in a calm tone. He folded his arms on his chest and gave Ron a blank look.

"The hell you aren't," Ron yelled and pulled his fist back. But, before his fist could meet with Draco's face, Hermione stepped between them. She wasn't able to do anything but register shock before Ron accidentally knocked her out cold.