The Thin Line

Title: The Thin Line

Summary: There's a thin line between love and hate. Is Harry about to cross it? Harry/Draco. Dominant!Draco. Rated M for sexual content, strong language and such. Destined to be novel length.

Author: The Silly Bitch Called Potter.

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"Malfoy," Harry growled, "Just get the hell out of my sight."

Straightening his Slytherin tie (the prat even managed to make that simple gesture seem regal) Malfoy taunted, "It's true, Potter. Everyone knows now. You dumped the Weaselette for apparently no reason - though the fact that you're obviously bending the other way; wonder if she actually turned you gay, the ginger shrew - and the whole school saw you snogging Smith from Hufflepuff a good forty six seconds longer than prudent from a bloke who claims to be 'straight'!"

By now, a large crowd had gathered around the cruelly mocking Draco Malfoy and the evidently irate Harry Potter. Mostly, the spawn of Satan's (well, that's what Harry thought of him) expression held contempt and mirth, but a flicker of something else hid in his grey eyes. Harry's stare held rage and spite, but a smidgeon of insecurity lurked in the background of his wide malachite eyes. Hankering for Harry's attention, Ginny was at the head of the mob, alternatively shrieking at Malfoy and telling Harry to come up to Gryffindor tower and ignore the pushy blond Slytherin bastard. As Ginny's right hand woman, Hermione subconsciously glared at Malfoy, and looked with concern at Harry and coaxed, "He's not worth the shit he causes, Harry. Come with us."

"Fine," Harry grumbled, and, stepping into stride with Ginny and Hermione, they stalked away from Malfoy and to the nearest set of elegant spiral staircases. Just as the trio were about to sprint up the fragile looking steps, Malfoy taunted from afar, "Oooh, go off with your henchwomen, Potter. Go off and deny yourself. 'Cause, you know, one day you'll wake up and you'll realize that I'm right."

In outrage, Harry made as if to turn around and pound right back down the stairs again, but Hermione pulled at his arm gently, and said, "Harry, he's just a stuck up bastard. He's not worthy of our time." And with that, Hermione and Ginny proceeded to stalk up the stairs, keeping Harry fully in their sights.

After what seemed an eternity, they finally arrived at Gryffindor Tower, and Ginny breathlessly muttered the new password (optimus quod validus, which incidentally was Latin for 'noble and strong'), pushed Harry through the portrait hole and clambered through herself. Ignoring the silly Fat Lady's indignant cries, Hermione quickly stepped through the quite small hole - or was she just getting larger? - and seated herself down where Ginny and Harry were currently sitting; a small alcove near the brick fireplace.

"Man, he is a bastard," Ginny sympathized with Harry, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him faintly before moving away. "Everyone now knows you're gay - he didn't need to flaunt it like that!"

Somewhat down spiritedly Harry replied, "Yeah, bet everyone'll be mouthing off about this for weeks."

"And the way he humiliated you!" Hermione put in suddenly, her tone a little angered. "He had no right!"

"But that's just what he does, isn't it?" Harry asked rhetorically, his voice a little forlorn, which heightened Hermione and Ginny's never dwindling curiosity. "Torment me, mock me, put me down and eventually float off after he gets bored and decides that he could do better than to bully me again." He sighed. "And now he knows this, he's going to use it for sure!"

Ginny spoke up, a little hopefully at that: "But Harry, the Wizarding community is much more tolerant of homosexuality than the Muggle world. Practically three fifths of Wizarding Britain are gay." Casually she rested a slim pale hand on her cheek as she talked.

Subconsciously, Harry let his downcast mood lighten a little, but inside he was practically drowning in turmoil. Tenderly, Hermione gazed at her joint best friend - where the hell had Ron gone, anyway? - and wondered. Malfoy ... and Harry ...

Could he possibly ...

No, surely not.

Yes.

No.

Yes.

Hermione made her excuses to a somewhat bewildered Ginny and Harry, and ran off to the coziness and comfortableness of her beloved - no, not Ron, silly. The Library!