Time to Kill

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Time to Kill: Chapter Five

~Johnny Doggspitt~

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A day had passed, and finally, it was time for it to be released to the general population that Harry was "dead".

As much as he disliked them, Draco had to admire Ron and Hermione's acting skills. They did a remarkable job acting as though they hadn't seen Harry, and they managed to get quite a few other people very worked up.

I wonder how good their acting will be tomorrow! Draco thought, grinning.

The Slytherins and Gryffindors were in the middle of Transfiguration. Currently, they were transfiguring toadstools into rats, for no apparent reason other than to please Professor McGonagall.

Suddenly, Professor Flitwick burst into the room. He ran up to McGonagall and yanked her down to his level to whisper something in her ear. Her eyes went wide and a look of horror came over her face.

She straightened up, trying to regain her composure. Flitwick nodded sadly and hurried out the door, possibly to alert more teachers to whatever was going on.

McGonagall got a hold of her emotions and addressed her class. "I have just received some...terrible news," she said softly. "You all shall report to the Great Hall, where Dumbledore will inform you of the circumstances. Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, you will stay here, and I will tell you myself. They rest of you are dismissed." The class got up, whispering worriedly and wondering what had happened.

"Oh, and Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall called to him, "perhaps you had better stay, too."

Draco stopped packing up his things and walked to the front of the classroom. When all the students were gone, McGonagall crossed the room and shut the door. "Well, that was a fine bit of acting, if I do say so myself."

"What?" Harry asked from somewhere on Draco's right.

"The students are being informed that your body has just been found outside the gates of Hogwarts."

"Then why am I here?" Draco asked. "It's not like anyone thinks I care about him. I'm supposed to hate him!

McGonagall fixed him with a harsh stare. "Your reason is that you are being investigated for murder, as your prefect badge was found on the ground near him. You will be cleared, however, when we decide that your alibi checks out."

"And...what's my alibi?"

McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "That's for you to decide, Mr. Malfoy. I daresay one of your friends will cover for you."

Draco rolled his eyes. "They'll be only too willing when they find out that I killed Potter," he smirked.

Harry chuckled and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist.

"This is going to be too weird," Hermione commented.

"You two will have to be pretty good actors," Harry warned Hermione and Ron. "You're going to have to act as though I really did get killed."

"Good luck at that," Draco muttered.

"You're going to have to act too, Malfoy," Harry said with a bit of laughter in his voice. "You're going to have to brag to the Slytherins that you killed me. You're also going to have to strut around as if you won the school, but that shouldn't be too hard for you, should it?"

Ron looked at them, confused. "Wait, I thought you were together!"

"We are, Ron," Harry said.

"Then why are you still calling each other by your last names?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Well, I thought that should be obvious. I happen to think his last name is better than his first. I mean, come on, Harry? That's such a common, ordinary name!" Harry promptly smacked Draco on the head. "Oww! Damn it, Potter, I was joking!"

"Well, don't joke like that, then!" Harry said grumpily.

"How long are we going to have to stay in here?" Ron asked exasperatedly.

"Actually, I was about to leave," McGonagall said, checking her watch. "But you three...I mean, four, should stay here." She waved her wand and a plate of sandwiches appeared on her desk, along with a pitcher of pumpkin juice and four cups. "The plan is for you to stay here for lunch, and I am to tell anyone who asks that Ms. Granger is unable to control her emotions, and Mr. Weasley is consoling her over lunch."

"In other words, I've gone hysterical, is that right?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I suppose so, yes," McGonagall agreed. "So, when we do say It's alright for you to come out, make sure you look like you've been hysterical, as you put it."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione consented.

The professor nodded and swept out the door, already putting on a sorrowful face.

"So," Ron said, picking up one of the sandwiches. "What are we going to do until Hermione composes herself?" He grinned at her.

Draco shrugged. "No clue. Sit here and stare at each other, I suppose."

"I'm game for that!" Harry said instantly. "But only if I get to stare at Draco!"

"Can it, Potter," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, let's not do that," Ron said, looking slightly green.

"Ok, what do you propose we do, Ron?" Harry asked.

"I dunno. We could sit and talk, as long as Malfoy promises to be civil, for once in his life."

"What do you mean, civil?" Draco asked indignantly. "I am always civil."

Harry released his boyfriend with a sigh and two sandwiches floated up, seemingly of their own accord. "Of course you are," he said mockingly. "Have a sandwich."

"I am always civil," Draco protested sulkily, but took the sandwich and sat in a chair.

The talk progressed from there, mainly sticking to subjects that Draco couldn't insult them on, which annoyed him, but not as much as he thought it should. He found himself slightly enjoying talking with Ron and Hermione. I'm losing my mind! he thought unhappily.

After an hour or so, McGonagall came back in.

"How did they take the news?" Harry asked immediately.

"Oh, as well as can be expected. Quite a few girls broke into tears, most of the students are mortified...the Slytherins are cheering..." She rolled her eyes. "All in all, pretty well." She looked at Hermione. "You should start looking like you've been crying now. As soon as you're ready, you may all come out." She walked back out the door.

"Good luck, 'Mione," Ron said sarcastically.

"You need to look sad, too!" she said, mussing up her hair a bit. "Imagine that Harry really is dead."

A mortified look came over Ron's face and he stared at her in horror. "But...but...that would be awful!" he exclaimed.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to Draco. "I need you to insult me," she said, as though this was the most common proposition he ever got.

Draco started. "You what, sorry?"

"Insult me! Think of the most horrible thing you can, and hit me with it."

He almost grinned. This would be too easy! "Granger, you are by far the filthiest piece of slime I have ever had the misfortune of meeting! I cringe at the amount of air wasted on your pitiful existence. I am thoroughly horrified that a Mudblood like you could be suffered to live! You shall live a short, loveless life, and then you will die like the wretch that you are, and no one except your beloved cat will mourn you!"

By the time he had finished his speech, Ron was staring daggers at him, and he was sure that Harry was, too. But Hermione looked entirely nonplussed.

Draco stared at her. He had just thrown the best insult he had ever thought up at her, and she was staring at him as if he were a new type of insect that needed to be studied.

Draco desperately raked his brain for a better insult, but he had already used his best. "And...and...you're stupid, too!" he said juvenilely.

Hermione stared at him strangely for a second, and burst out crying.

Draco stared at her in a alarm. He hadn't meant to make her cry! He wasn't entirely sure why he felt so bad about it. He didn't particularly like Hermione, and he usually loved to make people cry, but watching Granger cry gave him a horrible feeling in his heart. "Granger...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry! I was just doing what you asked me to!"

"I know..." she sniffed. "I just...(sniff) needed to look (sniff) like I was crying!"

Ron walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, still glaring at Draco.

"I swear, I didn't mean any of it!" Draco insisted. Why am I apologizing to her? he wondered.

"It's ok, Malfoy," Hermione assured him, wiping her eyes. "Ok, Ron and I will go out first, and you can come out in a little bit."

Draco nodded, still feeling awful, and Ron and Hermione walked out.

Once they were gone, Draco plopped into a chair and buried his face in his hands.

"It's ok, Drake," Harry said, draping an invisible arm around his shoulders. "She wanted you to make her cry."

"I don't know why I feel so bad about it!" Draco confessed. "I've been making people cry my whole life, and it's never bothered me before!"

"Maybe you're not such a monster anymore," Harry suggested, laughing.

"I never was a monster, Potter, what on earth are you talking about?"

Harry let out a long sigh. "If you say so, Draco." He pulled off the hood of his cloak long enough to drop a soft kiss to his forehead. "You should probably go out now. Don't forget to look smug."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yes, mother," he said, striding out the door and putting on a gleeful smirk. He could definitely have some fun with this. Pretending that he had killed Harry would be fairly easy.

~*~

Walking into the Slytherin common room was like walking into the party after a Death Eater initiation. Everyone crowded around Draco, asking him where he'd been when the news had been announced.

"Come on, Draco!" Blaise yelled over the noise. "You can't keep it a secret! Tell us where you were!"

Draco smirked. "I don't mean to brag, but I was being interrogated by the Ministry."

Pansy gasped dramatically. "Oh, Draco, what for?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Well, let's think. Harry Potter is dead, my task was to kill him, and I was being questioned when they let the news out to the rest of the school. Put it together, Parkinson."

Her eyes lit up. "Ooh, Draco, you didn't!" she squealed gleefully. "Why you, though? Why do they think you did it?"

"I was stupid enough to accidentally drop my prefect's badge next to his body," Draco said, scowling. "But fortunately, once they hear my alibi, I'll be let off straight away."

"And...what's your alibi?" Crabbe asked.

"What is an alibi?" Goyle asked stupidly. Crabbe shrugged, and they both looked up at Draco, who sighed.

"An alibi is when someone accused of a crime claims that they were in another place at the time the crime was committed," he explained. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him and nodded slowly, obviously not comprehending. Draco sighed again. "Anyway, my alibi is that I was in the library with you two."

"But...why would Vincent and Gregory be in the library?" Blaise asked.

Draco pondered that. "Hmm...you're right. I'd better change it to you and Pansy."

"Oh, sure, Draco, just assume we'll back you up!" Pansy complained.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "You are going to back me up, aren't you?"

Pansy opened her mouth, but Blaise elbowed her sharply in the ribs. "Of course we will, Draco." He smiled. "Now, come join the celebration!"

The party lasted well into the night. Quite a few illegal substances were passed around, and more than one person passed out before the party ended.

Draco tried his best to act happy about the party, but finally, he lost interest in it.

Yawning and making up an excuse about needing to send a letter to his father, he trudged up the stairs to his private room, waved his wand to light the candles, and flopped down onto his bed.

"Nice to know I'm missed," he heard a voice say sarcastically.

Draco sighed. "Harry what the bloody hell are you doing in my room?"

"Admiring it," Harry said simply. "Why do you get your own room?"

"Because I'm a prefect in Slytherin and because Professor Snape is my godfather," Draco replied, as though this was absolutely obvious.

"He's your what?" Harry asked.

"My godfather, Potter. Do you need me to explain what that is?" he asked sarcastically.

"No, I know what a godfather is!" Harry said. "I used to have one." The bed bounced a bit, and Draco could only assume that Harry had plopped down on it. He waited for the boy to say something else, but he was silent.

"Harry?" he said worriedly, sitting up slightly. "Is something wrong?"

His boyfriend sighed. "No, I'm ok."

Draco felt a hand on his chest, pushing him back onto the bed, and suddenly, lips were covering his own, kissing him insistently. He opened his mouth and Harry willingly slid his tongue in.

All too soon, the kiss was over, and Draco fell back, panting. "Good lord, Harry! What did I do to deserve that?"

"I'm not really sure," Harry admitted.

"Well, whatever it was, I'll have to figure it out soon, so I can do it more often! I'm just worried about what I'll have to do to get you to shag me!"

The pillow flew out from beneath Draco's head and whacked him in the face.

"Oww, Harry, that hurt!" Draco whined, clutching his nose.

"Aww, poor baby," Harry said patronizingly. "Do you want me to kiss it and make it feel better?"

Draco stuck out his bottom lip in a way that he hoped made him look innocent. "Maybe..." Inside, he was screaming, YES! PLEASE DO!!

Harry chuckled, leaned in, and kissed Draco softly on the nose. "There. Feel better?"

"Maybe..." Draco said defiantly, not wanting to admit that it felt a lot better.

Harry laughed again and planted a kiss on Draco's forehead.

"Harry, if you're under the invisibility cloak, how can you be kissing me?"

"I'm not wearing my invisibility cloak. Snape made up some invisibility potion. It's easier that way."

"But now you can't become visible if you want to!"

"Well...I think it's a small price to pay if it keeps you safe."

"Harry!" Draco exclaimed. "You really shouldn't have done this for me!"

"Yes, I should have! I'm not going to let you get hurt anymore! And I don't particularly want to die," he added as an afterthought. "As long as we're both safe, then I'm happy."

Draco sighed. "If you say so, Harry."

"Oh, come on, Drake, you can't honestly tell me that you don't think it'll be fun!"

Draco rolled his eyes at him. "First of all, don't call me Drake. Second of all, I don't see how it could be fun! It's more like...confusing."

Harry was silent for a second. "But...I like calling you Drake!"

Draco sighed. "Sometimes, Potter, you're an idiot."

"I know." He lay down on the bed and snuggled up to Draco. "But I'm your idiot!"

"And you're quite clingy, too," Draco said, not without affection.

"I'm not clingy!" Harry protested. "I'm just loveable and cuddly."

Draco chuckled. "Sure...we'll go with that."

Harry yawned. ""You Slytherins party longer than the Gryffindors!" he said sleepily.

"Well, of course! We have more stamina than you lot. Plus, you're dead. Of course we're celebrating long and hard! Imagine how you Gryffs would party if Voldemort died!"

"Mmhmm..." Harry muttered, obviously almost asleep.

"Aren't you going to go sleep in your own dormitory?"

"Uh uh..." Harry said, shaking his head softly. "You're warm."

Draco decided to let him stay.