Death of a Plot Bunny

Harry slipped down the hall away from the chatter and noise and leaned against the wall. It was the night before his Hogwarts graduation and he wasn't the least bit excited about it. After the Great Battle and his defeat of Voldemort a month ago, it all seemed so anticlimactic. So here he was, 'The-Boy-Who-Lived', hiding in a musty hallway of Hogwarts so as to avoid his friends and their families. The night before the actual graduation ceremony was to take place parents and family were invited to share a great feast in the Hall. Even though Harry was, for all intents and purposes part of the Weasley family, he still felt out of place amidst all the goings on. He peered around the corner and let his eyes roam the room.

In one corner Neville's Gran was straightening his tie while Pansy was hanging onto his arm and looking adoringly up into his eyes. Harry made a face, he still couldn't quite get used to those two. On the way to dinner he had once happened upon them snogging under a stairwell; that image stayed burned into his brain for far longer than he would have liked. Ever since Neville saved Pansy's life during the Battle you couldn't pry her away from him. To hear her side of the story: she had been outside trying to outrun a Deatheater when she had stumbled over a root. She lay there pleading for her life with a wand pointed at her. Then out of nowhere Neville jumped the Deatheater and knocked him unconscious to the ground. Of course, only a few close friends knew the truth of it. Neville himself had been running from an attacker when he plowed right into the aforementioned Deatheater, who had Pansy at his mercy. By the time Neville had the courage to tell her the truth himself, she said it didn't matter; he was her hero.

Harry's eyes scanned to the right where a red-faced Ron was talking to Hermione's parents. Harry silently chuckled to himself. After dating Hermione for over a year and spending half a summer at her home Ron still was not comfortable around them. Hermione reached over and gave Ron's hand a gentle squeeze. Those two were really great for each other, Harry thought. Hermione did her best to keep Ron on the straight and narrow. She even helped him improve his study skills, so he had done quite well on his N.E.W.T.s. Ron, of course, did his best to get Hermione to loosen up. He had stopped her from keeping her nose stuck in a book all year. Over the Holidays, he had even convinced her to help him with a plan for a prank to play on Fred and George. After making it obvious that he and Hermione wanted to be alone he led her up to his room. Fred and George, reliable as ever, had snuck up behind them. Not being able to hear anything through the door they pulled out their extendable ears to listen. What they didn't know was that Hermione had cooked up a spell. She and placed it on those ears while Ron had gotten the boys outside by having an 'impromptu' Quidditch match. Once the long ears were put on, they would not come off for twelve hours. So, the twins were forced to walk around for the better part of the day with two-meter long latex ears dragging along behind them. Harry didn't know what had been worse for them: the wrath of Mrs. Weasley for using 'those things' in her house, or the fact that Hermione and Ron had pulled one over on them.

His gaze left the Weasleys and flicked over the crowd. There was Parvati and Padma with their family, and Dean Thomas with his. His eyes narrowed as they landed on Malfoy laughing and talking with his mother. It was hard to let go of a hatred that had gnawed away at you for the better part of seven years, even when that person had saved your life. Draco had turned away from his father's direction and gone to Dumbledore for help. While keeping his father in the dark about his new loyalties, Draco had found out many useful things for the Order to use against Voldemort's army. Ultimately, it had been this information that led to The Dark Lord's defeat. Harry had been told of a weakness in Voldemort's power and how to use it to destroy him, which he did. If he had known at the time that Draco had been the source of this report he wouldn't have trusted it. Which is precisely why Dumbledore hadn't told him until afterwards. As he looked away from his nemesis his eyes were captured by a set of blue ones. Narcissa Malfoy was a beautiful woman, Harry thought to himself, how could she have given birth to such an insufferable git? Not too mention she married the evil prat that had been Voldemort's top man. He watched as a small smile played about her lips as if she knew what he was thinking, and then she winked at him.

Harry jerked his head back around the corner and leaned it back against the wall. He must have imagined that. Malfoy's mother did NOT just wink at him. As Harry glanced around the corner again he realized she was gone. He quickly scanned the occupants of the room; Draco was now deep in discussion with Snape and Dumbledore. The Weasleys and the Grangers were grouped together, but no Narcissa Malfoy. Harry sighed. Maybe it had been an illusion, he hadn't been feeling that well lately. All this talk of family made him miss Sirius more and more. Tonks and Lupin had come to support him, but that just made the absence of his godfather more obvious. He looked out across the room and was a bit surprised to see them holding hands while talking to Mr. Weasley, interesting he thought. They reminded him a bit of Ron and Hermione. Yes, he decided with a smile, if anyone could pull Lupin out of the depression he had been struggling with since loosing his best friend, it would be Tonks.

He heard a tinkling laugh from down the hallway, he turned to see who it was but just caught a flash of silver disappear around the corner. Wanting any excuse to get away from the crowd, Harry headed off in the direction of the laughter. After following the sound down several corridors he glimpsed a door shutting. With a puzzled expression he stood in front of it. Why would someone need the room of requirement tonight? Harry pulled out his wand and slowly pushed open the door. The room was entirely dark except for the glow from a multitude of candles burning around a large bed that sat upon a pedestal. Exotic smells assaulted his senses; musk and jasmine filled the air. As if in a trance Harry walked over to the bed. Sheer gauze hangings curtained it, and it was covered with an assortment of jewel toned silk pillows. Harry tentatively reached out his left hand to touch the fur coverlet across the bottom of the bed. He heard the door shut firmly. With wand raised he turned to face his attacker. His jaw dropped; there in front of him was a vision in silver and blue.

Narcissa Malfoy reached behind her and turned the key in the lock. "Hello, Harry."

He couldn't form any words; they all just seemed to stick in his throat. She smiled and tilted her head at his wand, "You're not going to hex me, are you?"

Harry's face turned redder than Ron's as he stuffed his wand into his dress robe pocket. He also managed to close his mouth, which he realized had been gaping open.

Narcissa glided over to stand next to him at the foot of the bed.

"Obviously, I shouldn't be here. Please excuse me Mrs. Malfoy, I'll just head out before whoever it is you're waiting for comes in." Harry briskly headed towards the door, but as he turned the knob on it, he realized it was locked. He looked hopefully at the woman across the room. "You wouldn't happen to have the key?"

Narcissa held her right hand facing up with the small golden key resting in her palm. Harry watched her lean over her hand, purse her glorious red lips, and with her eyes locked on his she blew softly. With eyes wide open, he watched the key disappear as gold dust floated out of her hand and swirled around the room. She turned her hand sideways until the last of the gold flecks drifted to the floor. He looked back up at her eyes. She was staring at him with such intensity that it made him feel very warm. He reached up to loosen his tie a bit. She raised her wand and Harry involuntarily flinched. She flicked her wand towards a fireplace he hadn't noticed before, instantly a fire was blazing.

"You know Mr. Potter, I've heard many things about you. Most of it was biased mind you. Lucius used to ramble on and on about 'that Potter boy'. In the beginning it was because he knew you were a threat to Voldemort, but ever since you tricked him into setting Dobby free it became more personal to him. He became quite irrational about it really." She walked towards him slowly, her hips swaying. She stopped just in front of him. He had grown up a lot in the last year, but even though he was just shy of six feet tall, her eyes were level with his. She smiled and lightly ran her fingers over his hair and down his shoulder.

"I think that was, in part, what prompted Draco to turn away from his father: he finally realized the futility of serving the Dark Lord. For that, I thank you." Her fingers glided over his neck, up his cheek, and across his lips. She slowly leaned forward, tilted her head, and softly pressed her lips to his. She broke the contact and walked back to have a seat on the bed.

Harry wasn't sure which thought to process first. He was definitely attracted to the woman sitting on the bed. Her long pale hair reached down to her waist, her face was a vision, with porcelain skin, ruby red lips, and clear blue eyes. She leaned down and removed her shoes. Harry held his breath as she pulled the hem of her robe up to her lap. She flexed her right leg out in front of her and slowly rolled her stocking down her leg. Harry's hands started to shake and he felt a bead of sweat trickle down his back between his shoulder blades. As she started to work on her other stocking he realized his glasses were fogging up. He took them off and wiped them with his robe. When he put them back on he was startled to see her standing in front of him. Her back was turned and she looked over her shoulder at him. "Could you get my zipper for me Harry?"

Harry couldn't help but remember a bit from a movie he had seen while staying at the Dursley's. He had been left alone with Dudley and strict orders not to leave his room. Realizing how hungry he was he had crept downstairs for a bite. Dudley was of course up late eating most of the contents in the fridge. As he went to head back up to his room he had noticed a woman in naught but her knickers on the telly, while a confused young man stood on the other side of the room and said, 'Mrs. Robinson - you are trying to seduce me.' Harry had sniggered at that, but now he seemed to understand the confusion he had seen on that bloke's face.

"I'd rather not, Mrs. Malfoy." Harry tucked his hands in his pockets fighting the urge to reach up and touch her. "Mrs. Malfoy, I feel a little funny. You know, in here. . . um. . . with you."

"Come now, Harry, what are you so scared of?"

Myself, Harry thought, to use one of Ron's favorite sayings 'Bloody Hell'. Yes, her husband had been dead for over a year now, but he had been a Deatheater. Not to mention that she was Draco's mother.

"Please Harry, it's hard for me to reach." With a shaky hand he reached up to slowly pull the zipper down. His fingers brushed along the smooth skin of her back and she shivered. She gave him an odd questioning look over her shoulder.

"Well then, there it is." Harry stepped back away from her. She walked behind a dressing screen that was set up near the fireplace. From behind it, she placed her dress over the top of it. When she stepped out she was wearing a long blue silk robe.

She walked towards him, and he retreated backwards until he was up next to the door. She leaned into him; he could feel the softness of her breasts pressing against his chest. Her lips hovered next to his ear as she whispered. "Once again, thank you, Harry Potter." Harry closed his eyes bracing himself, trying his best to fight the temptation of the smell and feel of her.

Then he felt her reach behind him, unlock the door, and turn the doorknob. She stepped back, gave him a soft smile, ruffled his hair, and walked back towards the bed. "Could you shut it behind you Harry?"

He opened his eyes to see her busying herself with arranging the pillows on the bed. After a quick shake of his head, he turned and walked out the door, quietly shutting it behind him. He hid behind the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by trolls that was hanging on the opposite wall. He just had to find out who Mrs. Malfoy was waiting on. He didn't have to wait long. He heard footsteps coming quickly down the hall and stood still. When they stopped he cautiously peered around the corner. Blimey, thought Harry. He blinked twice to make sure he was seeing correctly. Yes, it was still Snape opening the door and quietly slipping in. Once the door shut Harry rushed over and put his ear to the door. He refused to believe that she was waiting for Snape. He still couldn't hear anything so he pulled an extendable ear out of his pocket. It was silent for a moment and then. "Severus, what took you so long?"

"Well, my dear, I had to find the right opportunity to sneak away."

"Ohhhh Severus." This was followed by what sounded suspiciously like wet noisy snogging. Harry put the ear back in his pocket and slowly walked down the hall. Sod it all! Now that's an even more disturbing picture than Pansy and Neville. Harry quickly decided, that it would be worth facing Voldemort again, if it would only get the picture of Snape and Mrs. Malfoy out of his head. It was a shame he couldn't Obliviate himself.

Harry headed back to the graduation do to get rat arsed drunk. He was sure the twins had brought a bottle of Ogden's Old Fire Whiskey to spike the punch with.