The Snake's Clan

Chapter 5: Spying

Monday, October, 5^th

"Harry! Finally I found you. Come, quick!"

The black-haired student turned around in his chair, to see Seamus running towards him.

Ten minutes ago, Hermione, Ron and himself had reluctantly emerged from the mediwizardry class.

With a war looming round the corner, the Headmaster had judged of great use, the creation of a medicine class. As expected, it had been an utter success.

The questions came pouring in, even after the bell rang. Madame Pomfrey was far too overwhelmed by the success of her class to refuse the student's enthusiasm.

But seeing Hermione had Muggles Studies afterwards and, though the boys were cringing at the thought of Prof. Trelawney's inane babblings, they too had a class to endure, the trio had been forced to make their way out. Ron insisted on escorting Hermione to her lesson, Harry went directly to the North Tower. And there, as he patiently waited for his best friend, Seamus had suddenly appeared and dragged him along the corridor without a word of explanation.

Compelled by the pleasurable thought of missing Divinations, Harry followed Seamus without a word of complaint. He quickly recognized the way towards the infirmary. Suddenly he felt sick to his stomach. The infirmary's door creaked open and Hermione rushed out, red-eyed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Mione?! What happened?"

"Harry!" She hugged him tightly, hiding her tear-stained face in his neck, "Ron... He had just left me in the classroom when I heard his screams in the hallway. By the time I re-opened the door, I found him lying unconscious on the floor. I don't understand what happened. Oh my god, Ron..."

"Did you informed Dumbledore?"

"Yes, He just left."

"Is Ron's case severe?"

"Madame Pomfrey said he's in a coma, and she doesn't - she can't wake him up! Oh, Harry..."

"Did you see anything in the corridors when you found him; something that might be of a clue?"

"No the corridor was empty bef... Malfoy! I remember! I saw him turn the corner some distance ahead of us."

"Malfoy! I'm heading down to the dungeons."

"Harry, no! The situation could completely backfire on you. I know you're in... in rather good terms with Malfoy right now, but Madame Pomfrey thought this may be a case of very powerful dark magic. What if he decides to hex you?"

Harry stoked her hair reassuringly, "you're right, but we need information to cure Ron. Maybe Dr... Malfoy saw someone, and, after all, it isn't the first time I've had to infiltrate the Slyth's wing."

She sighed worriedly, "just be careful."

Harry threw a you know me grin at Hermione, and went away.

On his way to the dungeons, - covered by his Cloak, with the Marauders Map clutched tightly in his hand - Harry thought back to his sixth year. A time when Death-Eaters' attacks were growing more and more numerous and murderous.

Flash-back

When new of Lord Voldemort's departure to Romania reached them, the entire British Wizard population sighed with relief et being left alone. But then, Charlie - the only Weasley residing in Romania - suddenly stopped writing to his family. Two months later, out of desperation, Arthur Weasley convinced the Ministry to send Aurors to investigate. Not a trace of Charlie was ever seen again, much like the many before him, and another name was added to the long list of the Death-Eaters' victims.

Then, at the return of a tearful Yule holidays, Ron noticed a familiar pendant around Malfoy's neck, one that he remembered as belonging to Charlie.

The entirety of Ron's bottled up sorrow burst forth as a torrent of anger. Possessed by a livid madness, he threw himself at Malfoy, causing them both to tumble on the floor on impact.

At the end of their not-so-long albeit, Draco's head was brutally knocked against the pedestal of a statue. As Ron continuously pounded the blond, Harry caught the sight of a thread of blood dripping along the plinth.

Harry tried to restrain his friend from killing Malfoy, but upon the sight of the red-head's tear-stained and inflamed face, he knew he wouldn't be able to make his friend see reason.

Harry watched in horror as a puddle of blood silently spread under the grayish and bruised body of Malfoy, seeming corpse like in every aspect. Uncertain and afraid, of what he did, he stupefied Ron.

During the twenty-four hours that Malfoy remained resting in the hospital wing; Harry had somehow convinced the headmaster to question the Slytherin about the pendant. All the young man had revealed was that Charlie had offered it to him; he didn't say anything about the life, or possible death, of Ron's brother. Dumbledore had refused the use of Veritaserum and had given Ron four months of detention.

End flashback

In his heart, Harry didn't believe Malfoy could have hexed Ron. Why would he change into being his old rotten bastard of a self again? But then, Harry was still puzzled at what caused the blond to change, in the first place.

Harry stayed outside the Slytherin common room for a good ten minutes until an anonymous second year decided to get out. He inconspicuously slipped through the now open entrance. In the common room, a group of first years were assiduously working on their homework, supervised by Malcolm Baddock, a fourth year.

Harry discerned who he was looking for, in a shadowed corner of the room. A blond head, bowed down, was engrossed in an engaging discussion with Blaise Zabini and the Bloody Baron. Harry couldn't make out their conversation, due to the lack of volume. It sounded like Latin.

"That will be all for today, end of the meeting," concluded Malfoy, stretching his arms, "and I need a shower."

Blaise arched his eyebrows, "a shower? It's not even six o'clock yet!"

Draco adopted a haughty attitude, just as a colonel interrogating his troops.

"Do you mind when I shower, soldier?"

"No, chief!"

"So get off my ass, soldier!"

"Yes, chief!"

They grinned at their exchange and Draco happily turned away.

Harry suddenly realized where he was standing: ahead the slightly opened door of the bathroom. He was also trapped in the corner, with Draco coming towards him. Without thinking, he sneaked into the room, followed by the blond, who locked the door. Harry was trapped.

Slowing his breathing, pressing his back against the wall, Harry was wondering how to get out of this shit. He certainly wasn't ready for little hormones-Harry showing up.

'Oh... It seems we'll finally glean some information by coming here; such as, is he as hot as you heard he is?'

Harry gulped when the seductive blond slowly removed his robes, which fall on the floor in a rustle. He closed his eyes when Draco started unbuttoning his shirt, feeling his blood starting to boil and inappropriate hot wicked thoughts rampaging in his brain. The shirt joined the robes and soon the pants came next.

'Hmm... Touchy, touchy, aren't we? If you just extend your hand some inches, you have his cute butt... Yes, really cute.'

'Shut up!'

'Okay, okay...'

Harry bit his bottom lip, trying to detach his thoughts from the now utterly naked sexy silver-headed Apollo, but imprinted on his mind was how this perfect milky skin would feel under his hand, and how these thin rosy lips would taste on his tongue. And seeing that slender and delicate body yet with signs of toned muscles, in front of him was making Harry grow hard with incredibly speed.

'Moaning Myrtle, think of Moaning Myrtle in bikini.'

To Harry's immediate relief, and somewhat disappointment, Malfoy finally entered the shower and, as a result was partially hidden from his sight.

Putting his thoughts in order, he scanned the Marauder's map - still covered by his cape; and saw the Common Room was now empty. He caught Malfoy's wand, which was placed neatly between his stack of clothing and exited the bathroom. Harry was out of the dungeons in minutes.

Under the shower, the handsome Adonis's lips curved into a smile.

Back in the Gryffindor's common room, Harry found Hermione waiting for him. He detailed the happenings of his journey, omitting - of course - first, that they were in the bathroom; second, that Draco was naked; and third, all the embarrassing reactions of his body.

"But why did you take his wand?" she finally asked, astonished.

"Hum... I thought that if we had his wand, he would answer our questions about Ron..."

"And he wouldn't have answered without us blackmailing him?"

"Ah... Yes..."

"He would have if you... Malfoy!"

Harry turned his eyes from the Slytherin's wand he was holding to the direction Hermione was looking in and found a freshly washed, cologne smelling, platinum blond.

"Malfoy!" he exclaimed in resonance, "how did you get in?"

"Opening the portrait door, as everyone else?"

"How could you know the password?" Harry's tone was suspicious.

"Maybe we could talk in private."

Casting a worried glance over Harry, Hermione left.

"Passwords are the last of my problems. You, yourself don't care much about them, do you, Harry?"

"You..."

"Yes, Potter, I know. I know you were in the Slytherin tower, just some minutes ago. I know you spied on me..." he grinned mischievously, "... and, by the way... did you appreciate the show?"

Harry's face was now redder than a ripe tomato. Draco continued to stare at him, the thin smile gracing his lips turning into a smirk.

"But I have other things to attend to. May I have my wand back, please?"

Harry opened his mouth to retort but the words stayed stuck in his throat as his eyes fell down on Malfoy's chest.

"You're gaping, Potter."

Harry slowly raised his eyes to meet the seductively smiling gray ones of his counterpart.

"What are you doing starker?"

"Starker? Potter, you're exaggerating, my shirt is slightly opened. But now that I'm informed of your interest, if you're kind, tomorrow I'll open it a little more just for you."

Harry could only mumble incomprehensible nonsense. "No, I, that's not, I, what you..."

"Okay, okay, I got it, Potter. You want another show?"

Harry's face illuminated, "yes... No!" he frowned the eyelids, "and stop doing this!"

Draco took a step forwards, "doing what?" he asked with big and deviously smirking puppy eyes.

And Harry a step backwards, "That! Being kind and smiling and stripping and... Why did you strip if you knew I was here anyway?"

"You were funny."

"Funny?" Harry felt his heart crack and tears pooling into his eyes, "you played with me..."

"I? You're inverting the roles, Potter! Must I remind you of who was spying on whom?"

"..."

Malfoy sighed at the silence, "I confess, I played on you. Are you happy, now?"

"No."

"No?"

"No, I'm not happy, you cold-hearted Slytherin bastard! You played with me! That's... I hate you!"

The second he said it, was the second he regretted it. Now, Malfoy would know how he felt about him. The blond would laugh at him again, the same way he must have laughed when Harry had rushed out of the bathroom.

Harry flung down Malfoy's wand and turned his back at him.

"Go away," he said with the most convincing and threatening voice he could produce at the moment.

Silence dominated the common room. Harry was trembling but hoped it wouldn't be visible.

Just when Harry had sorted out the confusion within his heart, he discovered the one in it only wanted a good laugh. Hot tears rolled down his ashen cheeks.

"I'm sorry."

Harry spun around with shock, too surprised to care about the tear-residue.

"What did you say?" he whispered, breathlessly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

The blonde's face was serious. He picked up his wand, pocketed it in his robes, and held out a handkerchief.

Draco crossed the few steps that separated him from Harry and, wordlessly, he tenderly dried the trickles of tears.

And there, bordering on immobility and caressing, Harry kept still for some seconds, resisting the desire to place the entirety of himself against Draco, to touch him with all his skin.

At last, Malfoy spoke, "so, why did you spy on me?"

"I was searching an evidence of who could have hex Ron..."

"It isn't a Slytherin."

"Do you know who attacked him?"

"Not exactly, but I know the spell and the antidote."

"R.. Really?! Would you...no, of course..."

"I accept, but at one condition."

"Which is?"

"That he doesn't come near any of the Slytherins again. He disturbs them."

"Is that all?"

"That's already a lot for him, I'm sure."

"Okay, I agree."

Draco took a small sachet out of a pocket and handed it on to Harry.

"Dilute a pinch in a glass of water and pour it in his mouth slowly. He'll wake up some minutes later."

"Thank you, " Harry's eyes were sparkling with happiness.

"You're welcome."

- - - - - - -

Wednesday, October, 7^th

Harry was in the Gryffindor common room, sitting on a couch in front of a lit and warm fire. Ron entered through the portrait and sat by his side.

"Harry"

"Hum?"

"Can we talk for a moment?"

The Gryffindor detached his eyes from the Herbology book he was holding and looked at his best friend. "Sure, what do you want to know?"

"Hum... Actually, I just wanted to talk, you don't need to tell anything if you don't want to, but I didn't know who to speak about this but you, so..."

"Ok, I listen."

"It's about Malfoy."

Harry flushed a little and silently thanked the stars that Ron was currently contemplating at the ceiling.

"Do you think he has changed?"

"Hum... I see what you want to say. I think... He's not his usual git anymore and he helped us to save you."

"Is that all?"

'No, he's also damn sexy when he smiles' "Yes, why?"

Ron sighed, "I was searching for Ginny. I wanted to know if she had received a letter from Mum. But when I was going to enter the bedroom, I heard them. There was almost all of the Gryffindor's girls in the room and many boys too that I don't want to name. They were discussing girl's stuff, as what they wanted to wear for the ball in a month, or... or who they fancy."

Harry smiled, "so, which one for you?"

"No one."

"Oh, Ron, I'm sorry, I..."

"No need, I've already Hermione and, by the way, you're in the same case."

"Ah? But who do they like, then?"

"One guy, only one guy, ... Malfoy."

"Ma... Malfoy..." Harry flushed, 'No wonder why, I've never seen someone as ...'

Hermione, entering the room, interrupted his thoughts. She watched them for a moment.

"Oh, I don't like your looks. What are you up to, this time?"

"Nothing!" snapped Ron

"Ron," Harry casts a reproving glance in his friend's direction, "will you sit with us, 'Mione?"

She sat in front of them.

"Is this right that... hum...that three quarters of the house fancies Malfoy?"

Harry crossed his legs, aware of his shivering body as some of his dreams came back in his mind.

"Hum..." she thought for a while, "yes, I think so."

"But... why?" asked Ron, "why this slimy rotten bastard? I mean... Everyone seems to like him when, last year, they all hated him... It's just too much for me to take, you understand..."

Hermione turned his eyes towards him. It was so strange to see him like that, so miserable. He had matured in three days, as the account of Malfoy's behavior and no longer got excited as before. She had a comforting smile.

"Because... I must admit, Malfoy has always been handsome, or sexy, as you want it. He has manners, style, presence, natural leadership, good-looking aspects, and since he's not a git anymore..."

Harry looked at Ron with an I told you so smile.

"...He's the number one on the shaggable student list. And..." she saw Harry, flushing more than was humanly possible, clutching his hands, then clutching them again as they came undone. Hermione cast a look at Harry's legs he put closer and closer together. She smiled mischievously, a lightening glint into the eye, "and I think that does it."

"And you?"

She watched Ron, "what me?"

"You fancy him too?"

She grinned, "Ron, you're jealous!"

It was his time to flush and, lowering his gaze, he whispered a nodding.

"I don't fancy him. I just think that he might be better than what we were thinking about him. And besides, I already have a wonderful boyfriend."

Ron's face lightened again and he stood up, "am going to bed, Harry, you coming?"

Harry was going to follow him when Hermione cleared her throat, "Harry, I need to speak to you for a moment if you don't mind."

"Hum... sure Hermione," he sat again.

"So, what do you think of Malfoy?"

"M... me? I.. I don't know. We barely fought this year. Why?"

"Why? Oh, but you know why, Harry. Malfoy is attractive, in a way or another. There's not a single girl in all Hogwarts who doesn't think so."

"Even you?"

"Even me. But what I want to say is that half the boys also feel that way towards him."

"Ah... So many?"

"Yes, so many," she grinned, "must I include you in the number?"

"No!"

"Harry, Harry... I know about the love life of half the Gryffindors, I know about yours... Watch me right in the eyes and tell me again you don't fancy him."

He watched her "I... I..." and turned his eyes away.

"Whoa... The Boy Who Lived wants to get into his arch nemesis's pants!"

"Hermione, not so loud..."

"Harry, there's no problem in that."

He stood up in a jump.

"No problem? There's no problem in wanting to have sex with a Slytherin? I mean, he's been kind and all but he's still a Slytherin and the others wouldn't..."

"Harry, calm and sit down."

He does.

"Since you actually have not been paying attention to the rumors, you mustn't know the real nature of Malfoy."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that if he's the sexiest student Hogwarts have had in years, if not in centuries, he also uses his charms well."

He raised en eyebrow, "I don't understand."

"In one month, he's been bedding at least a quarter of the seventh years, all houses mixed."

"You... You've got to be kidding..."

"No, I'm serious. I also think that he's infatuated with Seamus."

"Seamus? You mean, my roommate has sex with Draco?"

"Oh, that's Draco, now?"

He flushed, "huh... no, I..."

"It's all right, but Harry, I must know one thing: what do you sincerely and truly want from him?"

"I...I..." he hesitated a bit then, "I dream of it, I dream of it every night, him doing all this incredible things to me, with his hands, with his tongue, with his..." he stopped, embarrassed.

"I get the picture. You got him under your skin."

He sights, "you don't know how hard it is when we're paired in potions. It's driving me mad. I just can think of one thing: to grab him and to tell him to have his wicked way with me, there, even in the front of the entire class."

"Oh my... Harry, you're obsessed by him, you've always been but..."

"Always? I was not obsessed by him!"

"Yes, you were! He was the only one able to make you feel alive, I've seen your eyes lightened before each Quidditch match against the Slytherin. Even when you were depressed, one single fight against him and you got better. He made you live, Harry, you can't deny it! And now that he isn't arguing anymore and that you're grown up, the needs change. And his bloody to die for body doesn't help you."

"But... what can I do, Hermione?" he withdraws his arms over himself, "I can see him, I can smell him, I can feel him... If Ron discovers that, I'm..."

"No. Harry, please, think by yourself. You're the only one concerned here."

"Yes... But there's nothing I can do. Draco... He's a Malfoy and I'm Harry Potter, we're to be enemies, people will never see it another way. I come to a deadlock."

"You never cared about what others think before."

"But he does. He won't agree to tarnish his image by hanging out with me."

"He saved Ron, remember. He saved Ron because you asked him to, and moreover, if you can't seduce him sentimentally, you can try the bodily way."

Harry's eyes opened wide, "what..."

"I've heard that he has a... rather insatiable sexual appetite."

"Hermione!"

"What? It's the truth! Rumors say he's out every nights and I've seen it, he goes to the fifth floor very often."

"Seen?"

"I'm Head Girl, Harry, I must know when students are out at night. Did you know he had refused the Head Boy's post?"

"No, why?"

"I don't know. It must have been too much responsibilities for a guy who doesn't respect rules."

"Hum..."

"Harry, think about it a while, what you really want from him. Then, we'll improvise."

"OK... am going to bed, if you don't mind."

"Good night... or rather good dreams, not too much shagging, Harry, we have Herbology and DADA tomorrow."

"I'll remember it 'Mione, g'night."