Enlightened Future

Enlightened Future: Chapter 2- Worth the Risk

It had been a miserable day. Draco could not pay attention in any of his classes and Alethea had to keep groping him so that he would not drift off again. He was still reliving that night by the Gryffindor dormitories and more than anything he wanted to lose himself in Potter. But, that was not acceptable for a Slytherin, and most certainly not for a Malfoy.

Draco got into bed and pulled his covers up to his chest. He reached for a book on his bed stand and opened it to where he had placed a large silver bookmark the night before. Quidditch Through the Ages was an interesting book. He felt that he needed to know all 713 ways of making a foul and various scenarios in which they were presented so that he could perfect them. His eyes roamed the page, looking for something that interested him but he found nothing. Tossing the book back on the nightstand, he blew out the candle and closed his eyes.

The rich green eyes like sparkling emeralds locked with Draco's, which had the shine of polished steel. The right hand brushed the dark tangled locks out of those eyes. That same hand reached forward and ran along the edge of Draco's smooth, pale jaw. Draco was pressed against a wall as his lips met with two rosy ones. The mouth was warm and soft, sending shivers up his spine. Draco could not resist any longer and when the lips parted he slid his tongue into the mouth, engulfed by the sweet humidity within. Draco lost himself in the sensation of the kiss and trembling hands running up the sides of his body and caressing his lower back.

"Harry," he sighed and he jerked back into consciousness. His pupils were completely dilated leaving only a ring of silver iris showing. He sat up and tried to catch his breath. The sweat on his body began to cool and it chilled him to the bone. He looked about wildly hoping that nobody was awake. When he saw all of his housemates asleep, he breathed a sigh of relief. He thanked whatever powers that be that he had a fairly chaste fantasy and did not end up screaming anybody's name in ecstasy.

He threw the blankets off and walked swiftly down the hall to Alethea's room. If anyone could make him see sense it would be her. He loved her room. She had been given one all to herself with soundproof charms because she had a tendency to predict the future in her sleep. He smiled as he remembered her first night at Hogwarts that year. She had kept the of whole Slytherin House awake with her predictions and then received so many death threats the next morning that Dumbledore had given her a special room. He could tell her anything he wanted about anybody in that room, and it was assured that his secret was safe.

He reached her door and gave it a swift knock before barging in. Alethea was sitting on her window sill, clad in a low-cut satin nightgown in bright rose pink. The straps on the garment were so thin that they were barely visible and the fabric hung to the floor with a long slit exposing her right leg. Draco's eyes nearly jumped from his head as he scanned Alethea's slender figure approvingly.

Alethea blushed at Draco's thoughts and looked at her best friend across the room a look of awe on his face. Her eyes wandered from his face and down to his silk pajama clad body. All the buttons on his top were undone. She cocked an eyebrow at him and smiled a little. She watched lust and troubling thoughts chase about in his head. She knew something was wrong and that he had to face it.

"Since you can not read my thoughts I will tell you what I am thinking," she said trying to lighten the mood a bit. "I think you look dead sexy with your pajama top open like that." Draco did not smile. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Alethea's glasses were off and she could see him perfectly at that distance. His fists were clenched and the lust had gone from his eyes. Only confusion and pain lay there now. She got up from the window sill and walked over to him, draping an arm over his shoulders. "Something is wrong. Please tell me," she urged.

Draco pulled her arm off of him and cleared all emotion from his face as his father taught him to do. He turned his head away when she tried to look into his eyes and he clenched his fists tightly by his sides.

"Do not pull an ice-prince on me. I know you have a problem and you are going to tell me about it or I will beat it out of you." Her voice was as cold as she could make it.

"What will you beat it out of me with, a wet noodle, your wand or perhaps your bare hands? I bet you can't wait to get your hands all over me." Draco's eyes held a malicious glint. He was wrong about Alethea. He did not want to talk about it; he knew she could read his mind so she should just be able to give him answers. Most of all he did not want her pity. He felt weak enough when he needed help and hated it when he had to explain his every action.

Alethea was mildly affronted and stared at him with cool unfeeling eyes. "Don't you even dare and give me that crap. You're a selfish little bastard and I have no idea why I waste my time on you, trying to help you. You are an ungrateful git with all the decency of a brothel girl. How could anyone like a son of a bitch like you?"

Alethea was determined but not really angry. She wanted him to open up and sometimes verbal abuse was what it took. His composure would break. It was risky business getting to Malfoy's softer side when he was in pain. She remembered how he grabbed her wrist in Potions and she grimaced inwardly when she glanced down at the tender bruised flesh. She risked some serious injuries now, but he needed a release. Her black eyes were staring into Draco, searching for that little crack in his mask.

He hit her hard across the face and sent her hurling to the ground in pain. Her expression did not change and she held back her tears. She rubbed her right cheek slightly but was certain she could soften Draco, and kept her eyes locked with his. Draco looked away from Alethea. He could not bear to see how much he had hurt her and marred her soft skin.

She had blocked her link with his mind, he could feel it. She wanted him to be alone with his painful cruelty. Draco's lips twitched into the smallest of smiles. That was why he liked her. Alethea was as manipulative as the Dark Lord and just as cruel, but it was always to heal him, give him some release. He thought of her as a blessed enigma willing to endure anything for him.

Alethea saw his smile and let out a sigh of relief. He always felt more open after doing something he would regret. Guilt would seep into his icy heart and he would give in. She was bothered by the fact that it took so much to help him but knew that his parents were not the most likeable of people and had probably beaten the coldness into him at a young age. She could let him be angry and scared but she would never let him cry. Alethea blinked for the first time in what seemed like a millennium and smiled at Draco. "Will you tell me now?" she asked softly.

He turned to look at her and gracefully lowered himself to the floor by her side. His hand turned her cheek towards him and he softly kissed the bruise on her cheekbone. Damn. How could I be so cruel to her? My closest friend! I nearly fractured her cheekbone with that blow. Alethea put her right hand over Draco's and he winced at the sight of her injured wrist.

"I am troubled. I keep dreaming of Harry, erotic dreams. I can't focus. All I think about is him and what it would feel like to be with him. Not just in his bed but other things, holding his hand on a walk, watching Quidditch practice together, just spending time with one another. I hate him though. He's my bitter enemy. I act cruelly just to get him on his ear, make him mad, make him hate me, give me competition. I don't want to lose that, but I want more. Merlin, what will father say?" Draco breathed a sigh of defeat. He felt sick to his stomach at the thought of his father's response.

Alethea looked at Draco slightly amused.

"You are positively, absolutely..." Draco cowered closing his eyes. He was positive she would say that he was crazy or cursed, "...besotted with Potter. I am tempted to go as far to say that you're in love." Draco let go his breath but then drew it back in sharply.

"What," he asked incredulously. "I... no, I can't be. I would be... what would my father say? Who gives a shit about that? What would Harry say? He would think I am positively bonkers. I really...Alethea, please tell me how to get rid of this." Draco had begun to hyperventilate and Alethea put her arm around his shoulders to steady him.

"There is no cure. You just have to act on it. As I have said at least a thousand times today, tell him! You have nothing to worry about, that Malfoy charm can win anybody in the world."

Draco still looked worried. Usually compliments made him feel better but he was so nervous and apprehensive. Alethea could sense that he wanted to tell Potter and did like him. She closed her eyes, knowing that there was only one thing to do to help him overcome that fear. I am going to regret this, it will change everything, but I have to. Her mind slipped from the room and into the dream world where she found the future. Draco watched her assume her cross legged position of meditation. A smile formed on her lips and she let out a laughing breath when she found what she was looking for.

"You will be powerful and forever young by his side. He will be your support as I have been your solace and he will sacrifice everything for you. You will love and be loved. Rich emeralds entwined in tempered steel. You will be his source of strength and," she coughed, "entertainment. Two souls will be one but two hearts and two bodies. I..."

Her eyes flew open and she was frighteningly pale. She breathed in short gasps and sobs. Draco put his arms around her and held her, hoping she would calm down. He knew what she had done. Alethea had told him the future, and in that future he would be with Harry. He smiled broadly and looked at Alethea who still looked distressed. His smile faltered at her trembling.

"Are you all right?" he asked with deep concern.

"I am fine, dear. I just saw something that I wish I hadn't. It does not concern you and I'm not going to dwell on it any longer." She calmed and a smile shaped her face. Draco smiled too.

"Well, it looks as though neither of us will be able to sleep tonight. The girls and I still have a week of even temperedness before the moon changes our mood. Why don't we get them up and we'll have some fun, huh?"

She squeezed Draco's hand and the two of them ran out the door to where the girls slept. They quietly pushed the door open and went over to their beds. Draco and Alethea shook their friend's shoulders only to get unpleasant responses. Cynthia muttered something that bared a remarkable resemblance to 'sod off' and Emilie simply raised two fingers in rude response. The two night lurkers gave little snorts of laughter at their reception.

Suddenly a brilliant idea came to Alethea and she smiled her most evil smile. Draco knew that she had come up with something good and when Alethea motioned with her eyes to put a sound barrier around the area he complied. When it was done he turned back to Alethea giving her a nod to continue. Alethea cleared her throat and smiled brightly.

"Oh my God, Oliver Wood just walked in the door!"

The two sleeping girls jumped out of bed as if they had been struck by lightning. They looked about the room frantically for the handsome keeper only to find two inappropriately dressed people clinging to each other, convulsing in laughter and crying in mirth. Cynthia walked over to the two and flicked Alethea on the head.

"You are such a bitch! You both are! I hate you," cried an irate Cynthia.

That only sent the two off in another fit of laughter and Emilie soon broke down laughing and joined them on the floor, all rolling about like mad. Cynthia stood over them with her arms crossed over her chest and glaring. Alethea shot her a quick glance between laughs and soon Cynthia softened and laughed with the group. "You're still a bitch," Cynthia laughed and gave Alethea a hug.

Ten minutes later they had finally calmed down and were walking back to Alethea's room. Emilie looked at Alethea and shook her head with a laugh. "That was really low you know really, really low. You are almost as evil as the Dark Lord himself," she teased. Draco shook his head with a loving smile. "More so," he said softly, giving Alethea a huge hug and kiss on the cheek as they were walking. "More so."

Alethea returned his embrace and knew that for now, the worst was over. But there was still her vision and she knew that she had to get Draco and Harry together fast, before the real trouble began.