We All Burn Sometimes

Chapter 6: Discovery

Harry Potter woke up on his own bed for the first time in three days. Yawning, he stretched luxuriously and sat up sleepily. He grinned as he fingered his red and gold bedcover. He did miss his bed a little. For the past two nights, he had been sleeping on Draco Malfoy´s magnificent bed with its Slytherin colors. The sneaky blonde had found an unoccupied dorm room at the Slytherin dungeons and claimed it for his own, allowing Harry and him to vent their lusts on each other in private. Draco had looked for the room after they were almost caught by Blaise and Gregory on Draco´s bed the night after the game. Luckily, Harry had been able to duck under the covers and a blushing Draco made his roommates leave the room for a while so the "lady" could make herself scarce. Harry escaped with his invisibility cloak which he had brought for this exact reason.

Harry had insisted on their spending the night in their own rooms last night, much to Draco´s annoyance. The Gryffindor was afraid that his housemates might be getting suspicious about his whereabouts. He couldn´t possibly tell them that he forgot the password and spent the night in an empty classroom for the third night in a row. It was a lame excuse but, well, Harry was Harry.

Harry shivered as he threw off the covers and slipped his feet into thick bedroom slippers. Ron was still asleep on the next bed, his tall frame sprawled almost gracefully except that his mouth hung open a bit. His best friend looked like a child in his sleep--rather endearing, really. Harry remembered the "secret" that Ron was hiding from him and Hermione. He had forgotten about it for the past few days, his mind occupied with thoughts of his Slytherin lover.

Thinking back, Harry realized that his friends have been behaving rather oddly. They took no notice of Harry´s short disappearances the past two weeks, accepting his stupid alibis without batting an eyelash. In fact, if Harry had not been so immersed in his sexual pursuits, he would have seen this long ago. Ron was sneaking out to the library and the owlery habitually, writing an incredible amount of letters to someone whose identity he seemed afraid to reveal to his friends. Hermione had also been quite distracted most of the time, like she had a problem but was unwilling to share it with anyone.

While Harry dressed after a quick hot shower, he resolved to spend more time with his friends. He may have an indubitable addiction to Draco Malfoy but this was just sex. His friends meant more to him. He already felt guilty for spending so much time with the Slytherin.

In truth, Harry felt more than a little confused about Draco. While together, their insults towards each other had lessened considerably. They were more inclined to have fun and joke about things. Aside from the fact that Draco had a very colorful vocabulary during intense physical highs, Harry had learned that the Slytherin also had a decent sense of humor. They kept their conversations in bed light, mostly sex talk, refusing to talk about serious things as if they were afraid to know each other more deeply than they already had. But it was impossible not to notice the Slytherin´s winning personality even during their banter. Draco didn´t seem like the same boy who Harry had fought and traded insults with the past five and a half years of his life. In fact, he had difficulty connecting the smirking asshole in the classroom with the smiling blonde under the covers.

Harry frowned as he realized the direction his thoughts were going. He felt a little strange, discovering that his hatred for Draco Malfoy wasn´t as intense as it used to be. Actually, he wasn´t sure if he still hated Draco Malfoy. True, he was skeptical about the fact that his father had turned sides last year, during their fight with Voldemort. Ron had conjectured that the Malfoys were merely trying to save themselves since siding with Voldemort was a lost cause--the Dark Lord had been on the edge of losing. But, admittedly, Lucius Malfoy´s help with the Ministry contributed to Harry´s beating Voldemort, finally destroying the being who killed his parents. Now, the Malfoys were keeping a rather low profile since most of their Death Eater friends had died in the war.

But he shouldn´t let his doubts on Lucius Malfoy color his opinions on Draco. As far as Harry remembered, the boy had not done anything connected with Voldemort. He had been too young, then, to be a Death Eater. Nope, Harry didn´t hate Draco because his parents had been Death Eaters, he hated Draco because he was such an annoying, insufferable git who insulted him and his friends and even went out of his way to create trouble for them. But then, Draco had been rather quiet the past two weeks. His insults were few and far between, and they lost their angry edge. He had called Hermione a Mudblood only once and that was when she bumped into him in the corridor, making the Slytherin drop his jar of beetle eyes. Unless Harry was mistaken, Draco Malfoy seemed to hate him a lot less since they started this funny affair.

As he tried to comb his hair, Harry conceded that it was probably for the better. They were getting too old for petty fights and insults. Maybe they were just growing up. Yup! That was the reason... and he was not (!) getting attached to Draco Malfoy!

As this seemingly random thought entered his head, Harry banged his brush on the dresser, making Ron turn and mumble incoherently. Was he? Was he growing sweet on the Slytherin?

"Oh, Harry..." he looked at his reflection sadly as he said this, "That would be foolish. Very foolish indeed."

He must not let his emotions intrude in their relationship. He may not know Draco well, but he knew him well enough to be certain that Slytherin merely considered their liaison as one for physical satisfaction. Draco loved Harry´s body, not Harry. He had to be careful about letting his affections run amok. He should be more like Draco--cold and uncaring.

Harry resolved not to think any more about Draco and he left the bedroom soon to check if Hermione was up.

***

Draco Malfoy awoke on his old bed in the room he shared with Vincent, Blaise, and Greg. He disliked sleeping alone in the other room after spending the past six years with his friends. Vince had dubbed that room "Draco´s Love Nest" after he told them that he brought girls there. He didn´t have to make Harry pass through the common room after he had discovered a passage leading from the corridor directly to the room.

Draco surveyed his reflection. His skin glowed more than usual. His eyes looked brighter, more silver than blue. He smirked at his mirror image.

"Draco, my boy, regular sex has made you more handsome--something I wouldn´t have thought possible."

He dressed carefully, making sure that he looked impeccably neat and put together. Draco put great pride in his appearance. Good looks went with the attitude.

Strolling jauntily, he waved at Pansy and Millicent in the common room before joining Blaise on the couch.

"You didn´t get any last night?" the dark-haired Slytherin inquired with a raised brow.

"I was tired," Draco replied airily.

"Ready to tell us who you´re shagging?"

"Nope."

Blaise´s eyebrows wiggled a little more before he finally transferred his attention back to a copy of the Daily Prophet.

Draco put his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. Come to think of it, he hadn´t shagged anyone else since he started with Harry. Did this mean that he was becoming monogamous? Nah! Impossible. It was unlikely. The world would have to resurrect Voldemort before it makes a faithful Malfoy. Besides, what´s to be faithful about? It wasn´t as if he and Potter had a serious relationship. As far as Draco was concerned, they were having a very convenient arrangement.

***

"C´mon, Ron, tell us... who are you sweet on?" Hermione begged.

Harry and Hermione had cornered the hapless redhead in the corner room after breakfast to try to convince him to spill his secret, whatever it was. They had been going at it for ten minutes now and, so far, Ron remained tight-lipped about the whole thing.

Ron sighed, "I´m sorry guys but I can´t. I´ll tell you someday but I´m just not ready yet."

"But, Ron, we´re your friends. We tell each other everything." Harry added for effect, trying to make Ron feel a teensy bit guilty.

Ron´s eyes narrowed. "Oh, really? Then what are you two hiding? Don´t think I haven´t noticed anything."

That shut them both up.

For the next minute, the three of them stared at each other distrustfully before Harry sighed, breaking the tension.

"I´m sorry. I have been really selfish. Expecting you to tell me when I haven´t been very honest myself."

Hermione nodded mutely. She seemed slightly afraid to talk.

Harry looked at his two friends, both unwilling to say anything more and looking quite guilty about it. He understood them. He felt the same way. He wasn´t ready to reveal everything but he supposed he could tell them a little.

"I... I have been having an affair with someone." He looked down, unsure whether his friends could accept the next words he was about to tell them. "It´s nothing, really. Just a physical thing. We sleep together sometimes, no strings attached."

He looked up. Hermione looked shocked.

"But, Harry, that is so unlike you."

Ron nodded. "Yes. I thought you disapproved of that kind of relationship."

"Yes, I did but," he looked at them searchingly as he said this, "I can´t seem to help myself with this one."

Harry took a deep breath and continued, "It started suddenly, quite unexpectedly. We decided to enter this together. I´m sorry but I cannot reveal who he is. I promised him. But when the time´s right, I´ll tell you."

"He?" Hermione asked gently.

Harry smiled faintly. "Yes, a guy. Does it bother you?"

"Nah. Whatever´s okay for you is fine with me." Ron put an arm around his best friend while Hermione nodded in agreement.

Harry felt touched. He didn´t expect them to take this so well, especially Ron who he had thought to be a bit sensitive when it came to his friends´ love affairs. He was so lucky to have such nice friends.

"Okay, Herm, it´s your turn."

Hermione blushed and cleared her throat. "I am seeing someone. I´m not sure if it´s serious but I am getting rather attached to him."

"So what´s the problem?" Ron prodded.

She sighed, "Everything. We are so unsuitable for each other. We are so unlike in every way. People would go crazy if they knew we were together. I´m afraid we might ruin everything we´ve both built if we go out publicly."

"Do you care about him, Hermione?" Harry asked. He was concerned for her. Sometimes, Hermione put too much importance for what was proper, forgetting to let herself go.

"I think so. But he hasn´t said anything yet."

"Well, good luck to you." Harry turned to Ron, "Now, you."

The redheaded Weasley flushed and stammered, "I have this pen pal. We´re not sure either but were getting to know each other through the letters." He reddened even more after Harry gave him a lecherous look.

"Any chance of our meeting that pen pal of yours?" Hermione grinned.

"Maybe. We´re working on it." Ron shut up after that.

After their respective confessions, the three Gryffindors talked more easily. They had re-bonded their trust to one another. They may have their secrets, but they also had each other. Friendship really was a wonderful thing.

***

"Draco..." Harry whispered to the prone figure under his blanket, "Draco, wake up. It´s almost time for dinner."

Draco mumbled something, turned, and went back to sleep.

Exasperated, Harry rubbed the Slytherin´s cheek. "Do you want to be caught here? I´m serious. Get up now or I´ll--"

He stopped short as Draco grabbed his hand and started licking his fingers. Harry groaned.

"Look, I admit that you are turning me on incredibly right now but, unfortunately, we do have to make an appearance at our respective tables."

Sighing, Draco sat up.

"Spoilsport," he muttered under his breath and started looking for his clothes. He stood beside the bed and put on his pants, his back to Harry.

Harry shook his head resignedly and picked up Draco´s cashmere sweater. His hands caressed the soft, dove grey material. The sweater was so Draco: fragrant, expensive, and formal.

"I love this sweater," he said to nobody in particular.

"Really?" Draco paused, still not facing Harry.

"Yes. It´s so you. I mean, it reminds me of you." the Gryffindor finished softly, looking at the lightly muscled back in front of him.

"Oh." Draco pulled his robe over his body. "Well, you can keep it then . See you tomorrow."

He gave Harry a peck on the lips before leaving.

Shocked, Harry stood open-mouthed, clutching the sweater that still smelled like Draco, staring at the shut door of his bedroom.