Ulterior Motives

"We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment,
We are choosing to be here right now...
This holy reality, this holy experience.
Choosing to be here in..."

       Parabola--Tool

Harry Potter stood in the opened doorway watching Draco Malfoy slither his way hurriedly up the hallway to the Advanced Arithmancy class. Unflanked by Crabbe or Goyle, he didn't even have his book bag, and the bell in the distant tower had just rung. Harry, knowing he himself was late, had already placed his own bag at his chair, and having seen that Draco wasn't in the room, waited secretly for him at the door. (If anyone were to ask, Harry would easily say he was just getting some fresh air.) Draco bumped people in the process of getting closer-- but he didn't acknowledge anyone --just kept his rushed pace towards his destination, his head bowed, eyes slit with concentration, not a hair out of place.

Harry frowned. What was he up to?

He reached Harry a few seconds later, and looked up with only with his icy blue eyes. He muttered lowly, "Come with me, Potter."

"Huh?" said Harry aghast, letting the door close.

Draco grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him further out into the hall. "I said come with me."

Harry pulled his arm away and rubbed where the other boy had clutched him. "Are you crazy? Class is about to start."

Draco looked at him incredulously. "Do you want to have some fun or not?"

Harry eyed the other boy narrowly. "Fun?"

Jerking back, Draco crossed his arms. "Fun, you know, that feeling you get when you're doing something that you've always wanted to do. The opposite of boring."

"I know what it means, Malfoy!" said Harry exasperatedly. "I just want to know what you mean by it."

"Don't be so suspicious, Potter."

"Why shouldn't I be?"

Draco smiled devilishly. "Because I said not to be." He drew closer to Harry. "Trust me this time, Potter. I want to show you something that just might relax you, but I can't if you refuse to come." He looked to the classroom door, and frowned. "Of course, if you'd rather go back to that boring class, where you'll be tardy again, then by all means, go ahead. It's your choice."

Harry's bewildered face caused Draco to continue. "Oh, come off it, Potter! Be spontaneous for once and come with me!" The blond teenager spun on his heel, and started fastly down the hall. He shouted over his shoulder, "See, it doesn't take much. C'mon!"

Harry's mind was telling him he shouldn't go with Draco but...

Just being near him had made Harry's pulse race.

Eyeing the classroom door, Harry was curious about why Draco had been skipping class lately. Perhaps he could find out what he'd been up to.

That, and just to be around him...

Without another thought, Harry jumped and ran after the other boy; curiosity biting him as to just what was Draco going to show him.

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Draco ran all the way to the center of the Quidditch field, Harry, just a few paces behind him. The field was lonely, silently waiting for its third game this year at the end of the week: Ravenclaw versus Slythrin. Up ahead, in the solid green grass, Harry thought he saw a small patch of bright yellow, but he wasn't sure. Draco stopped a-ways from it, and looked to see if there was anyone around. There wasn't. When Harry caught up to him, they both walked to the patch silently. As Harry drew closer, he saw the yellow area was really an object; long, made of plastic, and looking very much like a fish fin.

"A scuba flipper," they both said in unison.

"Yes," said Draco, smiling brightly at Harry. "It's a port key."

"A port key, really?" Harry said, going red at the knowledge they had connected somehow. "W-Where does it go?"

Draco smiled wickedly. "In ten seconds you'll know. Every 15 minutes it transports there and back again. I managed to conjure it up without my father's knowing."

Harry looked astonished. "But how? I thought only fully trained wizards could do that."

"Ah," said Draco. "There are ways, and there are ways." Draco took a dramatic step closer to Harry. "Go on, grab hold of it."

Harry swallowed hard, feeling his face go red with what he thought Draco meant. "I dunno, Malfoy."

"Oh, pleeeze Potter!" Draco said, instantly grabbing Harry's wrist, "I'm so tired of this!" He and Harry dropped to the ground on their knees and Draco placed Harry's hand on the flipper, telling the boy, "Just go with it!" before Harry could utter a protest. A second later, Harry felt a familiar tug behind his navel and seeing a flash of light, soon found himself flying and twirling amongst color, hand locked to the flipper, Draco still holding on, as he whirred with hue beside him, a smile, big and twisted on his long face, as big and twisted as his mind...

They landed seconds later, knees into grassy sand, and Harry's first thoughts were that Draco had indeed tricked him and he was miles from nowhere. But when Draco let his hand go, he straightened up unsteadily--though remained on his knees--the flipper discarded by the wayside. Harry could see he was partly wrong. They were indeed miles from nowhere, but it wasn't anywhere he didn't mind being. A cool breeze lifted Harry's black hair and caressed his concerned face. It smelled like, like... rotted fish? Harry put his glasses in order, and scanned around him. There was gray water, dark clouds and low flying birds that hovered over them and screeched. A beach? Harry thought. He had to look again, but he was sure they were the only ones there. Harry leaned on Draco's shoulder and rose up.

"Ow!" Draco cried dramatically. He then stood up on his own, rubbing his shoulder. "Well, what do you think?"

They were up on a grassy hill, and Harry could see down below them, at how the beach was an isolated inlet, curved like a half-moon. Harry saw high rocky cliffs that surrounded the bay, seaweed and black stone spotting the moist sand below, and mild white waves that crashed in a fizzle onto the shore. He was speechless. He couldn't recall a time when he'd ever gone to the sea. He knew Dudley had gone many times, he never had. This wasn't anything like the lake at Hogwart's, which had no rocky shores or foamy waves. Harry tried to suppress his smile at the boy beside him, but failed. "It's magnificent!"

"Isn't it?" Draco declared, grinning big, his arms wide like he wanted to give it a hug. "I discovered it two summers ago and have been coming here and swimming every chance I get."

"It's close to winter, Malfoy. Isn't the water cold?"

"No," said Draco, with a sly grin. "It's constantly warm close to the shore."

"B-But how?" wondered Harry.

"Like I said before," said Draco with a smile. "There are ways--" He looked out to the water with a nod and bigger grin. "And there are ways."

Harry shook his head, and stared off into the gray horizon. "Unbelievable."

 Draco shrugged. "Yes it is," he said smoothly. "And other than me, you're the only one who knows so don't go bragging to Weasley."

Harry smiled broadly at him. "I won't tell a soul." He caught Draco's eye and Harry quickly bowed, his face hot with embarrassment. There was an awkward pause, but Harry avoided it going longer by asking, "Why have you told me?"

Draco shrugged. "I don't know. Just thought you needed to relax. C'mon!"

He turned and started towards the water, removing his Slytherin tie, stripping off his robes and sweater as he went down hill. When he became bare from the waist up, Harry saw solemnly Draco's pale skin was not as sallow as he remembered it; it had a darker tinge, perhaps from his many trips to this hidden beach. His chest was carved outward, muscled and slightly bulky, and he had a flat stomach as if he'd been lifting weights and doing sit-ups all summer. How could Harry have not noticed his body when they changed in the locker room at the last match?

Simple really, you pansy, he told himself. You couldn't stare at him and not get teased by the other Quidditch players, now could you?

Harry looked down at his own body, hidden beneath his black school robes. He was nowhere near as muscled as Draco was; he was bony, had a fresh bruise on his shoulder from where his best friend, Ron Weasley had socked him yesterday. His skin was shallow and pale, and he absentmindedly ran a hand down his thin face. His glasses hid his green eyes, and that alone made him cringe with the thought of being bespectacled and plain. And where to begin with his hair... Harry saw Draco begin to unbutton his pants. Quickly he gawked at the water, gulping thickly and forcing his hot face to cool down by immediately dropping the wonder of what lay beneath those slacks...

"You of all people should know how hard it is to swim with robes on," Draco called, now standing in his shorts at the edge of the water. His face suddenly seemed chiseled as it contrasted against the sand and gray liquid; his pointy nose not so prominent, his cheekbones set higher. Draco shivered slightly, his long hands patting his skin to try to keep warm. Harry looked to his face again, but shyly turned away once more.

Draco waded further out, turned and jumped backwards into the water with a hard splash.

Harry's face suddenly cringed, instant doubt crossing his mind. Why had he wanted to bring him here? Should he trust what he had said, that he wanted him to unwind? Since when? Why should this sudden niceness amount to a change in Harry's reservations?

Harry groaned. Because I want it to...

"C'mon in!" called Draco from the water when he resurfaced. "It's fantastic!"

Harry closed his eyes. But what'll happen when I'm finally out there? Will he try and drown me? He doesn't know, will he see? Will it be obvious? He opened them again, terrified to think it indeed would.

Far better thought than thinking about having to undress out in the middle of nowhere. And if he did, Draco would definitely know the real reason he didn't really want to go swimming...

Clutching his robes tighter around himself, he muttered, "Draco, I don't know if I can ..."

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Draco had swum out a-ways when he had turned to call back at Harry.

And woodenly, the teenager had come off the hill, and sat halfway down it.

But after a few minutes more, he still hadn't come into the water.Â

Draco presently decided to swim back to shore to see why he was being such a priss. He emerged wet and cold, and walked to his discarded robe, wrapping himself in it. "Forgot the towels again," he called to the grim boy, but Harry gave no indication that he'd heard. He had that strange look he'd seen so often lately.Â

"Come on. I told you the water's fine. It's bewitched but it's alright."

Harry's robe was stretched over his bent up legs like a tent. He had his shoes off, but of what Draco could tell, that's all he had off. "I-I'm okay," the other teenager said solemnly.

Draco sat beside him and roughly shook his blond hair. The other boy didn't flinch even as drops of water landed on him and his glasses. Draco looked at the other boy through long wet bangs with one blue eye. "No you're not. You're afraid of the water!"

Harry turned on him, his green eyes then squinting behind the spotted lenses. "I am not!"

"Well then?"

Harry breathed deep, took off his spectacles and wiped them on his robes. "Er, it's just that, I-I can't... really swim." After putting them back on, he studied the sand between his toes.Â

"Liar," said Draco. "Didn't you go out into the lake a few years back to save Granger--or was it Weasley?"

"Both," said Harry. "But that was different."Â

"How so?" asked Draco. "Need a desperate situation before you can act, is that it?"

Harry shook his head angrily.

"Well, it couldn't be you're allergic."

Harry stayed silent and Draco thought of another possibility. "Afraid I'm still tricking you?"

Harry looked right at him and shook his head again, this time slightly.

"You're more tense than I thought, Potter." He put his hand on the other boy's shoulder.

Harry reached over, pushed his hand away, and again stared glumly out to sea.

"I'm trying to be nice," Draco said, standing up. "And you're spoiling it." He walked away, mumbling under his breath. After quickly disrobing, he again strode out to the water. "You can go back to Hogwart's if you'd like," he called back. "The port key will activate in a few minutes. But I'm staying here."

Draco then dove once more into the dark gray water.

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When Draco looked back to the beach, Harry was still there; the strange look silent on his face.

He shook his head. The boy was acting like a stuck-up wizard, was not letting his inhibitions go. Draco felt a twinge of resentment... but he stopped it before it could rise into regretful words. Of course Harry was suspicious: all the years of mistrust and bad behavior on Draco's part. But he was being nice today, couldn't he see that?

Draco floated onto his back. He could hear the echo of the ocean run deep, his submerged breathing and his beating heart. If only Harry knew how much being in the water could relax him.Â

Must be all that staring, thought Draco. He's got something on his mind but he refuses to make it known.Â

Draco smiled to himself. Though it was electrifying, finding Harry staring at him that way. He was dying to know why. He suddenly right sided. The other boy was now standing at the water's edge, skinny arms wrapped around his chest, shivering and well he should be, being in his underwear. His long pale toes covered one another as his knobby knees knocked each other. His wild black hair was blowing backwards in the wind, exposing the lightening bolt-shaped scar that Draco had come to admire so much of late.

It's about time, thought Draco. "Lose the glasses, Potter!" he shouted, trying hard not to sound excited.

"I can't see without them, Malfoy!" Harry yelled back.

Draco swam towards him. "Don't worry. I'll guide you around," he sputtered softly into the water. He came in only so far, until the water was knee level. "Well, you can't wear them in the water, now can you?" he called loudly, dripping wet.

Harry looked at the Draco nervously. It took him a few seconds to move, but he went back and placed his glasses on his robes. He then walked down the hill slowly, his hands outstretched, and Draco sighed with relief, grateful that Harry was finally giving in. His pulse quickened at the thought of guiding Potter like a spider leading a fly to his lair.

Draco drew out more and told Harry to follow his voice towards the water, and once near him, grabbed his hand and led him gently out to sea.

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Draco was right; the water was warm.

As much as Harry felt lost without his glasses, he really didn't need to see where he was going, didn't really have to as he listened to Draco's commanding voice. Harry tried not to question the other boy's direction as they splashed water into each other's faces, though Harry missed more Draco than once. They swam out a ways, and dived, surfaced and dived again, enjoying the feeling of freedom in the gray warm liquid; pulled at their legs and feet, pretending to be sea monsters, though once Harry had grabbed a little too high and wanted that game to stop; floated on their backs, and shot water spouts, making a sport of who's was the highest. (Draco said Harry had won, though it was hard for Harry to tell if he had.)

After a half an hour, Harry, not used to such exercise, grew tired and waded ashore. Draco followed close behind, telling him to veer left and up to reach the top of the hill. Harry shook his head of the access water and carefully minding of his glasses, found them and put them on. Then he took his robes, wrapped himself in them, and sat tiredly on the sandy grass.

Draco, having grabbed his robes as he came up the hill, dried off his hair, and stretched them out before falling beside Harry in a heavy huff.

Once his breathing had returned to normal, Harry had to say, "Sorry I doubted you, Malfoy." His hands trembled underneath his cover, but he knew it wasn't just because he was cold.

"It's all right," said Draco. "I knew you'd give in at the end."

"Did you now?" Harry wondered.

"Yes," said Draco, putting his hands behind his head, and closing his eyes. "No one can resist the call of the sea."

"Y'know, I don't think I've ever been to one," said Harry.

"A beach?" said Draco, peering at him with one eye. "Pity. Now you know what you've been missing."

Again a silence grew between them. "How long have we got?" Harry asked.

"How long you want to be out here?"

Harry bit his tongue on the word forever that wanted to leave his lips. "Long enough," he said, hugging his knees.

"Well, let me know when you're ready to go back."

Harry nodded and looked up to the clouds, see the sun trying to poke through. The rays shining down lasted a few seconds, and then were gone.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?" said Harry, looking back at Draco.

"At the school, you didn't protest much. You actually came with me without me twisting your arm or threatening you with bodily harm. Why did you?"

Harry shrugged and pretended to look at the sand between them. "I dunno."

"You do," said Draco, propping himself up on one arm. The water was still dripping from his face and hair, and he pushed it back. "Tell me. Be honest. Or I'll really twist your arm."

Harry could feel his face get hot. Tell him? What exactly did he want to know? Harry tightened his robe. "Really. I just did. I-It sounded like fun." Then before he could catch himself, he said, "That--and I wanted to know where you were going when you skipped class."

"Curious?"

"Yeah."

"Well, now you know."

Harry watched tensely as the boy scooted over in the sand, his ice blue eyes never wavering from their stare. "I'm also curious about some thing else."

Harry tried not to breath heavily, pretending all was normal, all was fine... but he was growing more anxious by the second. Nervous goose bumps were forming on top of the cold goose bumps. What exactly was Draco curious about?

Harry dropped his eyes again to the sand between them, which was now very little of, petrified of the truth Draco wanted desperately to know...

"Harry?"

He looked up. Draco's face was twisted, lips scrunched up, looking like an old witch with no teeth, his blue eyes, mere slits. "Weewl ooo isss mweee?" he said.

Harry immediately backed away, looking at Draco, who was laughing so hard at his reaction, his voice became a high pitched screech. It made Harry want to laugh, but he stifled it.

"Scare you, Potter?" Draco asked in-between guffaws. "Thought I was actually going to kiss you?"

Harry tried to sound amused. "N-No," he said.

"You were!" said Draco, wiping his eyes. When he looked up at Harry, his quickly laughter died as it had come. "Can't you take a joke, Potter?" as he sat up cross-legged on his robe.

Harry remained silent, watching Draco's face grow angry and mad and sad all at the same time. His lips were parted as his icy blue eyes stared hard at him--then at the water when he turned away. He picked up pebble and threw it out towards the water. "It was just a jest. Aren't we a bit touchy?" he mumbled.

Harry continued to gaze at him, at his pink cheeks, his blond hair that was long and now drying around his face. He thought he looked almost...angelic? He wasn't mad at Draco or scared at what he had done. He was just...disappointed.

Draco's eyes suddenly turned and looked at Harry.

Harry felt his face go red at being discovered, but for once, didn't turn away.

"What?" Draco whispered.

Harry swallowed hard, and shook his head. "Nothing."

The silent stare they gave one another was unbearable.

"We'd better go then," Draco finally said and rose up.

Draco put his hand out and Harry didn't give it much thought as he placed his hand in his, though he half-expected the kind of shock there had been earlier when Draco had guided him out to sea. But there was none.

Harry slowly rose up too and saw he was only slightly shorter than Draco. Then he was eye to eye with him, his hand still being held by the firm grip. Harry wanted to pull it away...but he didn't. His mouth fell open when he saw Draco reach up and part his hair to get a better look at the lightening bolt scar on his forehead. His mouth went dry.

"You were right to be wary of me, Harry," said Draco, cocking his head. He lightly traced it, smiling slyly. "I did have an ulterior motive for inviting you here."

Harry's heart was pounding full throttle now, his breathing coming shallow and heavy. He had never before heard his first name used by Draco--unless it was an insult. He searched the other boy's face, trying to read the reason behind the sudden warm stare. But it seemed, he already knew. "Really," he said gently.

"Yes. Want to know what it is?"

Harry shook his head. "No. I want to think I already know," he said breathlessly.

The same hand that had parted his hair clenched Harry's shoulder and slowly drew him near. Harry, in turn, put his loose hand onto Draco's cool face, feeling for the first time, the soft skin of the 17 year old. Their bodies meshed and the cold sensation of contact made Harry gasp. He had never been this close to Draco before, lest they were going to kill each other, and much less when he was barely dressed.

Harry bowed his head and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling lightheaded as Draco maneuvered his hand into Harry's wet hair. He then was pulled forward and instantly went into shock as Draco kissed him roughly--desperately--his lips molding around the other's with fervor and want.

Harry responded, wasting no time in removing his hand from Draco's and placing it on the boy's hip. He squeezed the flesh beneath the cold, soaked cloth, and Draco moaned with pleasure into his mouth, feeling his tongue seek deeper with desire. Willfully, Harry gave in, his heart and mind racing, lost in the embrace of the one he had to admit he had trusted wholeheartedly today.

It was the something Harry had wanted to since start of term, having had his own ulterior motive.