Draco Finds Jesus

Chapter 8: Slash in a broom-cupboard! Among other things.

'We are going to talk this out,' Draco whispered menacingly. 'Get it out of the way. Without Potter-fans to run and tell tales to your Weasel about the nasty man.'

'Get what out of the way?' Harry replied defiantly. Draco smirked.

'Well, the wand in your pocket to start with.'

'What w-. Oh. Sod off.'

'What was behind that little foray on the Quidditch pitch? You said you wanted to talk.'

'I lied. I wanted to confuse and embarrass you so you'd leave my friends alone.'

Draco's voice was level. 'So you knew I liked you and you thought you'd play with my feelings.'

'No, I didn't know, Seamus persuaded me. And I was only trying to protect my friends.'

'Oh, well that's much better. So you all sat around and laughed at me for liking you, and decided to turn my life, identity and religion upside down. To protect your friends. It didn't occur to you to Hex me, or tell the teachers, or have another slanging match. You see, this is the bad thing about loyalty. You stand by your friends but then you forget that those who aren't your friends are still people too. And we hurt just as much as you do. Even the baddies, even when we deserve it, it hurts just the same.'

'Oh, don't be so self-involved. The innocent hurt too. What did Neville ever do to you that you bully him so? If you're so bothered about not hurting people, why do you lash out in all directions?'

'Because people lash out from all directions at me. I don't expect you to have noticed, but I am actually making an effort here. I haven't done a thing to punish your friends for that latest prank.'

'It's only a matter of time.'

'Oh, great. And you wonder why people persist being baddies. Ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy, Potter? You're in one of your very own. You're doomed to play the hero, even if your presence endangers. The baddies count on it, and they'll trick you by it.'

Harry hung his head. 'They already did,' he said. 'You're only telling me what Hermione tried to.' He tried not to think about Sirius, how it was his "playing the hero" that got Sirius killed.

Draco looked disconcerted for a moment, but then continued, his tone softer this time. 'You want to know what Neville did to me? He got you for a friend. You rejected me the *first day* at school, and I got stuck with Crabbe and Goyle just following me around. Neville's just the only one of your friends lets me get to him, and that's the only way I can get to you.' He barked a laugh suddenly. 'My, aren't I the self-analyst today. It's all this religion business, making me bloody reflective. I even got a visit from my conscience the other day.'

Harry smiled in spite of himself. 'Your conscience?'

'Yeah, I know, I didn't think I had one either. Bloody annoying it was too. Well.' He stretched his arms out in a "no weapons" gesture. 'This isn't quite what I had in mind when I pulled you into this broom cupboard and stop smirking Potter I wasn't thinking of that either but anyway it's out now. I guess the darkness makes me less inhibited. I said stop smirking! You have a dirty mind! ANYWAY here it is, my soul laid bare. (Yes, Potter, just my soul). If I can't trust you to do the noble thing I don't know who else there is. I mean it, Harry. You betray me now and I don't think I'll ever trust again. Come to think of it, I can't remember a time I trusted before. Ah well. There's always Jesus of course, he's pretty trustworthy. What do you think?'

Harry paused. 'Can't we shout some more? The sexual tension was really rather fun.'

'You git!' Draco laughed as Harry giggled. 'That's all you can say?'

'Why waste time on speech?' Harry leaned in and took Draco's chin with his right hand. 'I'm not going to betray you, you idiot. I won't tell a soul.'

Harry moved his hand back behind Draco's head and pulled him forward for a kiss. And then a few more kisses. . .

'Take back what you said about my mother.'

Draco pulled back. 'Since I'm trying to restrain myself from ripping your robes off with my teeth can we just assume I don't hate you and all past enmity stemmed from envy and desire?'

'So you won't say it again?'

Draco pulled further away. 'Oh come on, Potter. That's how we always argue. We'll be quarrelling about something or other and I'll bring up your mum and then you bring up my mum and then someone has to break us apart. Don't fight tradition-boys and men have been doing this for hundreds, probably thousands of years.'

Harry moved round to nibble Draco's ear.

'Yeek!' Draco exclaimed. 'Don't do that!'

'Sorry.' Harry sounded concerned. 'Did I hurt you?'

'No, it's just that if you do that again I'll probably promise you anything.'

'Oh, shut up,' Harry replied, and kissed him.

(Fade to black).

They awoke, 3 hours later to light streaming in through the door. Squinting up at the doorframe in shocked horror they beheld the figure of Professor McGonagall.

'You found something more effective than sleeping potion then,' she remarked dryly.

'P-P-Pr-Pr-' replied Harry.

'You may be surprised to know that we have no rules about kissing. We do, however, have rules about disobeying teachers and the inappropriate use of broom cupboards.' She looked at them sternly. 'I hope I have discovered the cure and not the cause of your insomnia. On this hope, I will not punish you past deducting 5 points from your respective houses. Mr Potter, please return to your common room. Mr Malfoy, you will have to-.' She sighed. 'I will intercede with Professor Snape. You also will return to your common room.'

'Th-Thank you Professor,' Draco managed. Harry nodded mutely.

McGonagall turned to go. 'And your robes are inside out, Harry,' she muttered as a parting farewell.

The two grinned shyly at each other and quickly gathered themselves together, Harry removing his outer robe again and turning it the right way out. Draco stuck his head out of the cupboard and surveyed the corridor. 'No-one there,' he reported. 'Come on out.' One quick kiss and they hurried off their separate ways. 'Hey, you kissed me in the light, Potter,' Draco called after Harry, who waved, and turned the corner.

* * *

The Gryffindor Common Room was enjoying a rare evening of tranquillity. Seamus had gone to bed with a headache.

Ron was thrashing Neville at chess. Their peers were working, at least theoretically (Lavender, bored, had started to plait Parvati's hair). Ginny was reading a book with her friends. The younger Gryffindors were also making good use of the quiet - reading, working, or talking quietly. Seamus didn't get headaches often. There was even a game of Chinese whispers by the fire - impossible in usual conditions.

Hermione looked up from her work as a beaming Harry entered the room. 'Harry!' she exclaimed. 'Where have you been? You weren't at Supper.'

'Don't I know it!' he replied. 'I'm starving. Anyone got any spare chocolate frogs?'

'Oh, Harry! Don't you want anything more substantial?'

'No he doesn't!' interceded Ron. 'Chocolate frogs contain all the essential nutrients a young lad needs: Chocolate and . . . no, just chocolate.' He grinned at Harry. 'You can have some of mine, mate.'

'Ta, Ron.' Harry took the frogs off Ron and sank into an armchair, still grinning. He bit into the first one and sighed with pleasure. Lavender looked up interestedly. 'You sound like a woman,' she remarked.

'Chocolate releases the same brain chemicals as falling in love,' Harry said enigmatically.

'You sound like Hermione,' giggled Lavender.

'What are you grinning for?' asked Dean curiously.

Harry stretched out luxuriously. 'Am I not allowed to revel in the company of my friends?'

Hermione glanced up. 'You know, at another time I might be intrigued. As it is, I'm too fascinated by my homework. I'll find out eventually. I always do.'

'I'll be the last to know,' sighed Neville. 'I always am.'

'Is it a girl?' asked Lavender.

'It's that new Hufflepuff beater, isn't it?' guessed Parvati.

'Thank you, I'm not a paedophile,' Harry replied, but still grinning.

'Please, please,' Ron said in a lofty voice. 'Move on, there's nothing to see here. Every girl in the school is after Harry. If he has had his wicked way with one of them, this is nothing to remark upon. I only hope he's being careful of the wizarding world will be overpopulated by little Harrys in a few years.'

Harry blushed, but delivered a mock bow in Ron's direction. As he rose, Ginny caught his eye and smiled at him. He nodded slightly and smiled wider.

'I bet you're knackered, aren't you, mate?' Ron asked sympathetically.

'Am a bit,' Harry agreed, glad that Ron had joked him out of the difficult task of explaining where he'd been.

'I am too, mate.' He moved a piece on the chessboard. 'Checkmate, mate,' he said to Neville, who groaned. 'That means I have to do my Potions homework now,' Neville said. The dormitory curtains were still open and the moonlight fell over the beds nearest the window. Only Seamus' bed was occupied. 'Seamus,' Ron said, walking down to the end of the dorm. 'Hey, Seamus!' There was no answer. 'Good,' Ron said, his voice low. 'And no first years around either. Well then.'

He turned to Harry, who walked over to him. 'Harry. I'm glad to see you're smiling again. I don't need to know why. Hermione's better at the talking thing.'

'No Ron, Harry replied. 'I want to tell you. You won't believe it - and you might not like it - but I feel I'll burst if I don't tell you.' Ron sat down on Harry's bed, followed by Harry.

'Well,' Harry began nervously. 'It wasn't a girl, it was. . . Draco.'

'Malfoy? I thought something was weird between you since. . . I thought you liked girls, though.'

Harry grinned again. 'It seems I like both. You don't mind?'

'I've been thinking since - you know. I don't like the bastard but as long as you're smiling. . . If he breaks your heart, I will kill him,' Ron replied matter-of-factly. Harry impetuously hugged him. 'Geroff,' came Ron's muffled voice from Harry's neck. 'Save it for darling Draco, can't you.'

* * *

Draco's face contorted. He was happy, and this was attempting to manifest itself in a smile but somehow, in the presence of the other Slytherin, his face kept warping into a cold gloat. This really did no justice to his feelings, so he tried again. Nope, a sneer this time. This endeavour was repeated several times in quick succession. Goyle watched with dim-witted interest. He whispered to Crabbe next to him on the sofa.

'What's he so angry about, do you think?'

Crabbe gazed stupidly at Malfoy. 'Is he angry? I mean, more than usual?' he whispered back.

'Course he is. He can barely contain himself.' At this point, Draco's face tried a new tactic - the open mouth smile. 'See!' Goyle said triumphantly. 'He's baring his teeth with rage!'

'Well,' said Crabbe slowly. 'It'll be Potter, won't it. No-one gets him so hot and bothered as Potter.'

Draco has closed his eyes, and was smiling properly, blissfully, again.

'Is it Potter?' asked Goyle loudly.

Draco jumped. 'What?' he asked guiltily, eyes wide open now. Goyle looked worried.

'I only. . . are you angry at Potter?'

Draco sighed with relief. 'No,' he said simply. 'I'm not angry at all.'

Crabbe and Goyle looked predictably confused.

* * *

'I swear it's true! That's what he said! I heard it with my own ears!'

'Of course you did. You really ought to see Madam Pomfrey to get your ears syringed.'

A nearby 3rd year Hufflepuff girl tittered. 'Come on, Joseph. Harry and Malfoy snogging? Next you'll be telling us McGonagall and Snape are secretly in love.'

'But Caroline heard it too,' insisted Joseph. 'And Michael Hessel, and Chad, and Helen.'

The other boy laughed. 'Of course! I'm sure you're all in on it together. Well you won't fool me, little Jo. I remember you telling mum about the hippopotamus in the sky.'

'I was 8 then,' Joseph muttered mutinously. 'Damnit! What's the good in having some juicy gossip if nobody will believe you.'