Pine-fresh

Pine-fresh

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Part 2

"How did you do it?"

Draco smiled confidently at the question. "Unlike other people, I have a knack for diving, it seems," he drawled and played with one of the taps, causing the water to warm up a considerable bit and turn a deep purple.

"I may not be a good diver, but I know that nobody could have survived that long underwater without help, Malfoy," Harry shot back, frowning. "Was it a spell?"

Rolling his eyes, Draco replied, "No, I'm actually an enchanted starfish and have managed not to let any of you notice all these years. Of course it was a spell, idiot. I'm a wizard, it's what we do. Oh well, I guess you wouldn't know anything about that, what with your living with Muggles and all, but I thought you would have learned something during your time here..."

"What kind of a spell was it, Malfoy?" Harry interrupted him, trying not to sound as desperate as he felt at this moment. Draco just might have the solution to all of his problems, without being aware of it.

"Why is that so important to you?" Draco asked, his eyes shining with curiosity, and Harry shrugged uncomfortably.

"No particular reason."

"Right," Draco said slowly. "Not for any particular reason, and definitely not because it might have to do anything at all with the Triwizard Tournament."

Harry was not very happy about the fact that Draco had guessed the reason for his interest so quickly, but he tried not to let the other boy notice this. "I just thought it might come in handy one day," he said lamely, trying to avoid Draco's piercing stare. "So, are you going to tell me or not?"

Draco raised his eyebrows, taking his time before answering. "If I do, what do I get in return?"

This was something Harry had not considered at all. The thought of being indebted to his arch enemy made him more than uncomfortable, and for a moment he was tempted to just tell Draco off and leave. However, he'd spent weeks trying to unravel the riddle whose solution now suddenly seemed well within his reach. Could he really let this opportunity slip past him?

"What do you want?" Harry asked, reassuring himself that there was still plenty of time to back out of any nastiness that Draco might think up for him.

"Well, let's see, what could I possibly want from you..." Draco smiled, obviously enjoying every second of this. "All depends on how much you want this spell, doesn't it?"

He moved a little closer to Harry, and Harry involuntarily backed away until he was stopped by the pool's brink. Gritting his teeth, Harry answered, "Just spit it out, Malfoy, I don't want to spend all night here with you!"

Draco raised one of his eyebrows. "Don't flatter yourself, Potter, I don't intend to waste more of my time than absolutely necessary."

"Well?" Harry said irritably, and waited for the undoubtedly improper, unfair and embarrassing proposition that was about to come.

"Have you ever kissed someone, Potter?"

"Huh?" Harry stared at Draco, wondering if he'd lost his marbles. Draco merely looked back at him, his grey eyes piercing.

"Well, of course," Harry replied, stuttering slightly. He didn't feel comfortable at all under Draco's gaze. And even less when talking about his kissing experience, which amounted to exactly nil, if one didn't count the times he'd dreamed of Cho Chang. "Sure I've kissed people."

"You should practice lying without being so bloody obvious about it," Draco said dryly. "I think you've never been kissed, except maybe by your Muggle aunt when you've been a very good boy."

Harry tried to get the image of Aunt Petunia out of his mind quickly. "As if you've kissed so many people," he shot back, getting angry. "I'd rather live in celibacy than kiss anyone like Pansy Parkinson or Millicent Bullstrode!"

"If you think I'd touch any of those disgusting birds, your grip on reality is even looser than I thought," Draco snorted. "I have standards, after all."

He moved even closer still, even though Harry hadn't thought that would be possible. Any move on his side would result in touching Draco now, and that was something he wasn't too keen about.

"The question is, do you?" Draco said, his eyes sparkling maliciously. "Or is winning the Tournament so important to you that you'd do anything? Even kiss someone whom you'd rather punch in the face, given the chance? Another bloke, even, though I'm sure your Muggle folks have told you time and again that's unnatural and just plain wrong?"

"I'm sure I'd never stoop that low," Harry said through clenched teeth. Something flashed in Draco's eyes, and for a moment Harry was sure the other boy would hit him, but the blow never came.

"Right." Draco said, his voice dangerously calm. "I'm glad we sorted that out." He backed off and waded to the ladder. Grabbing the railing, he turned his head around to Harry once more.

"I'm really looking forward to that Tournament now. I'll make sure to sit in the first row and enjoy every second of your miserable failure, knowing it was all just because you were too much of a scared little shit to go for the chance I offered you."

"I'm not scared!" Harry gave back sharply, before he could help himself.

"Aren't you now?" Draco said softly, his eyes never leaving Harry's. He came closer again, once more crowding Harry into the pool's brink.

"Prove it."

Harry inwardly cursed himself and the mess he'd gotten into. Was there any chance for him to back out now and remain even a shred of his dignity? This was just a kiss, after all. Just a kiss. *But, Draco Malfoy!*, insisted a voice inside him that sounded oddly like Hermione. *You're playing right into his hands, can't you see that?*

Just a kiss. Close your eyes and think of the Triwizard Cup.

Banishing all thought from his mind, Harry leaned over and covered Draco's lips with his own.

He was prepared to feel disgusted. What else could kissing someone you hated be like, after all? He was not prepared to enjoy the sensation of Draco's warm mouth on his.

But he did.

Draco's lips, soft and warm, slightly sucking on his, that was nice. Draco's hands reaching up, running through his hair, very nice. His arms around Draco's waist, Draco's skin hot under his fingers, their lips parting, nice didn't quite cover it. Draco's tongue, unexpectedly teasing his lips. Harry gasped and for the briefest instant their tongues met, sending a tingly feeling searing through his body, from his groin to his very fingertips.

He quickly broke their contact, feeling his ears burn. Draco slowly let his arms sink, his face splitting into a smirk.

"Your glasses are all steamed up."

"Uh, well..." Harry was too busy blushing at first to realize that Draco was moving away from him, until the other boy climbed the latter. Even through his wet, foggy glasses Harry could see that Draco was stark naked.

*Of course he is, he was taking a bath when you came in!* Still, this did little to ease his embarrassment. In the meantime Draco snatched a towel, briefly dried himself and began to dress. It took Harry a moment to realize what was wrong with this picture.

"Hang on a moment, what do you think you're doing?" he asked incredulously while climbing the ladder himself, rather self-conscious about the way his boxers clung to his lean frame.

"Well, I'm getting all wrinkled, guess it's time to leave," Draco said pleasantly, buttoning up his shirt.

"All right, tell me about the spell now, then," Harry retorted, his voice getting sharper.

Draco slid into his slippers and walked towards Harry, who had to work very hard not to back away. Draco suddenly resembled a cat who had just enjoyed a whole bowl of cream, and Harry didn't like that look one bit.

"Oh, Potter," he said with a sigh, sounding like a grown-up explaining something to a very young child. "Just think for a moment about what you're asking here. *Me*, giving *you* the clue to winning the Triwizard Tournament and prove yourself to be the national hero once more? Honestly, did you believe for a minute I'd do that? I never thought you'd be that daft."

"You bastard." The words didn't come out as more than a whisper.

Draco just seemed to soak up the rage that crackled around Harry like electricity. He turned around, still smiling and made for the door. Harry willed his feet to follow, to slam Draco into the next wall and slowly strangle him until the damned smile left his pale face, but they wouldn't obey him. Draco left the room unscathed.

The moment he'd left Harry's body was wracked with shivers so strong that he had to sit down on the nearest bench. He felt cold. Used. And completely drained.