Paint it Black

Paint It Black
Chapter Three: There Once Was A House

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Harry and Draco had, after a long argument with Hermione, been forced into spending the entire train ride to Kings Cross sitting together. Alone together. Hermione had pointed out, just before they boarded the train that, though Draco and Harry had practiced till they were sick of the entire idea, they had never talked truly one-on-one for more than ten minutes without beating on each other. They could only agree, since, as usual, Hermione was very correct. Ron, however, loudly protested saying that the two boys would kill each other before they were one quarter of the way there. The boys sat in silence on opposite sides of the cabin with the shades drawn so no one in the narrow corridor in the middle could see them.

"Don't look at me like that," Draco said, narrowing his eyes at Harry.

"I wasn't looking at you," the Gryffindor protested, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke.

"What were you looking at then, Potter?"

"Nothing," Harry said turning his head to look out the window, "and you can't call me 'Potter' when we are at your house, unless you want you father to see right through all this."

"I know that," Draco spat, "I'm not as half-witted as you may think I am."

"No," Harry said, "I do give you credit for being quite tricky. After all, who but a Slytherin would come up with this idea?" He smiled, though he was still gazing out the window at the scenery flying past. "No, Malfoy, you're quite smart, I'll admit that much."

"And am I not gorgeous also?" Draco asked jokingly.

"Oh, Draco, I've never seen someone as naturally beautiful are you!" Harry teased as he turned to face his adversary again, "You must tell me how you stay to lovely."

Draco didn't reply, but burst out in laughter, which, in turn, cause Harry to join in. They laughed together for what must have been near to fifteen minutes at the least before Draco took a deep breath and stood to walk across the cabin and to the window. His vision blurred a bit as he stood and then everything went black for a few seconds. When his vision came back to it's normal state, he was lying on the ground with Harry leaning over him.

"Ouch..." Draco mumbled rubbing his head as he propped himself up on one arm, "What happened?" he asked, looking toward Harry.

"You collapsed," Harry began, "just a few seconds ago. I guess you used all your strength up laughing. Or maybe you stood up too fast." Draco chuckled at this and began to stand up, but Harry grabbed onto his shoulders, pulling him back down. "You might not have the strength," he said, "After all, you did just collapse. Stay sitting for now."

Draco smiled at Harry and then looked toward his shoulder where Harry was holding him. "Since when," he began, "do you care about what happens to me?"

"Since now," Harry replied with a smile as he moved forward and gently placed a kiss on Draco's right cheek. As he sat back, he noticed Draco's eyes were like to puddles reflecting a cloudy sky - beautiful and sad. He shook his head and sat back in the seat he had been in until Draco collapsed and the blonde followed his every move with great intrigue.

"Harry...?" Draco whispered, still looking at Harry.

"Hmm?" Harry asked, turning his gaze to fall upon Draco who had stood up.

"Listen" Draco began, but said no more. Instead, he sighed quietly to himself as he closed the meter between himself and Harry. Reaching down, he gently took Harry's hands in his own, grinning at the contrast of his enemy's tan skin compared to his own milky exterior.

"Malfoy," Harry began, but Draco, dropping one of Harry's hands, placed his fingertips on Harry's lips.

"Shh..." he whispered and he straddled Harry's lap, a leg, bent at the knee, on either side of Harry. "We should practice," Draco said in a husky whisper and Harry, with a quick nod, agreed.

Sliding his fingers along Harry's jaw line and down the soft contours of his neck, Draco gently placed his lips over Harry's. And, for the first time, though Hermione had made them kiss passionately at least ten times, they both thoroughly enjoyed it.

Harry's free hand slid up Draco's thigh, making the blonde press harder into the kiss, over his hip, and finally came to rest on the small of his back. Draco's hand had traveled down from Harry's neck, over his shoulder, and was now pressed against Harry's chest. He space between them was absolutely nothing, aside from the six centimeters between their torsos.

After what seemed like eternity, Harry pushed Draco away from him, a look of dejection across his face. His eyes were cast down and his lips formed a slight frown. Draco looked at him with a questioning expression, and subconsciously placed a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder.

"What," Draco began, but never finished talking before Harry began.

"Will Lucius try to seduce me like he did Pansy?" Harry asked directly.

Draco sighed and looked away from Harry. "It is possible he'll try," Draco said, "because he revels in trying to take anything that make me happy, or seem happy anyway." This statement cause Harry to sigh in despair. "But," the blonde continued, "I know you won't let him do it, and I won't let him either."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Don't question me, Potter, not right now," Draco said, tucking a stray bit of hair behind Harry's ear.

"What happened to 'Harry?'" he asked, noticing Draco had called him by his first name before and switched back now.

"Harry," Draco repeated with a broad smile.

And Harry kissed him.

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When the train finally pulled to a halt at platform nine and three quarters, and student were beginning to cross through the barrier, Hermione and Ron said goodbye to Harry, wishing both him and Draco good luck over the summer. They waved goodbye, evoking a few strange glances from surrounding students. Once they had re-acquired all their belongings, including Hedwig and Draco's owl, they too headed though the barrier and onto platform ten of King's Cross.

"Took you long enough, boy," came a voice from behind a nearby archway column. Draco suddenly went pale and looked to Harry with foreboding.

"Father," Draco said, looking away from Harry and toward the voice, "you're on time this year."

"I am always on time, Draco," Lucius said as he stepped out from behind the column, "My time. I arrive exactly when I intend to, no sooner or later."

"Yes, Father," Draco said, hanging is head low. Had he not, he would have noticed that Harry had turned to face away from his father and had gone eminently paler than Draco had gone. His eyes were wide and his palms were sweating. Harry knew what was on the inner arm of the tall, blonde man, and it scared him. It scared him senseless.

"Let's go then Draco," Lucius said, taking notice of Harry for the first time, "and you too, Mr. Potter." The mention of his name, made Harry jump.

"Y-yes sir!" he responded, not knowing what else he should say.

They crossed through the platforms all dressed in Muggle clothes, as Harry and Draco had changed on the train, going unnoticed by those around them. After a short pause in which Lucius lectured the boys about what was and wasn't off limits at Malfoy Manor, he climbed into the backseat of a black sedan which pulled away as soon as the door closed. A tall, sinister looking man opened the door to a smaller black car into which Draco and Harry climbed.

"I've heard that damn lecture every single summer, and it never changes," Draco said, cracking a small smile.

Harry chuckled a bit and smiled back, "But I didn't understand any of it!"

"I'll show you where we can and cannot go when we get there, but until then, just enjoy the ride," he said, nodding to the tall man, obviously the driver, that they were ready to disembark from the station.

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The scenery along the winding dirt roads they traveled along was breathtaking, even more so, since Harry had never really been able to see and appreciate the country side. There were green pastures where farm cows grazed or pet horses ran in small packs behind cross-rail fences. They even drove very near to a chicken farm where free-range hens pecked merrily at the dirt in hopes of picking up a stray bit of feed.

After about two hours of driving through the country, and after the farms faded, a huge stone structure began to build from the top downward on the horizon. Harry watched in awe as the manor came closer and they pulled through the gates. When the car was parked, Harry and Draco both stepped out. Though Draco walked to the back to help the driver unload the trunk, Harry stood staring at the house.

The entire structure was made from grey flagstones and had hundreds of intricate windows set into it. Harry could only wonder how many there were all together. The roof was slate, or perhaps wood grayed with age. From where Harry was standing, what material the roof was made from made no impact upon his impression. Standing on either of the sides of the large front stoop were large carvings of lions in mid-roar with snakes coiling up their legs. The doorknocker was also a snake.

"Wow..." Harry said slowly as he began to try to count the many stained glass windows that so captured his eyes more than anything.

"There once was a house,
A bright happy home.
Something bad happened,
And now it sits all alone," Draco said as he walked over to where Harry was standing.

"What happened?" Harry asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

"Nothing, nothing," Draco said with a small smile as he put one arms around Harry's shoulders and lend him toward the doors.