The Dragon Games

Harry felt his stomach drop. "Try it the other way."

Draco did, and still, it wouldn't fit inside. He threw his hands on his face and screamed, "Bloody hell!"

"You lucked out," Sarah said, laughing.

Draco and Harry shot the girls dirty looks.

"What are we going to do?" Harry asked, feeling completely helpless.

"Fuck!" Draco shouted.

The girls started to laugh harder.

"Poor lost little boys," Holly said in a singsong voice.

"Now they'll never get out of here alive," Sarah said in chorus.

"I swear, if you two don't shut up..." Draco growled at them. Harry watched him narrow in on Sarah's hands, where the box was. "Harry, a moment please."

Draco and Harry moved away from the two girls who just giggled after them.

"Okay, I have a plan," Draco said.

"Yeah?"

"Grab a hold of Holly," he said, and he started towards Sarah.

"What?" Harry said, bewildered.

Draco stopped. "Grab her, and I'll take down the other one."

"She's a little girl, I can't like tackle her!"

"Yes, you can! Now go!"

Draco ignored his protests and lunged for Sarah, and Harry had no choice but to throw his arms around Holly.

"Let me go!" Holly said in a piercing voice, struggling to move away.

Harry didn't let her go, and he looked up to see Draco wrestling with Sarah for the box.

Suddenly he felt Holly's presence vanish from his arms, and he looked down to see the girl had disappeared.

"What the..." Draco said as Sarah disappeared as well, and he was attacking nothing at all. He pulled out his wand as he scrambled to his feet, looking around. "Where'd they go?"

"Over there," Harry answered, watching the girls materialize a few feet across from them, smiling. "They're messing with us, Draco. We need to plan this rationally."

"Rationally?" Draco grumbled. "I say I curse them and see what happens."

"Well, you could do that," he said, biting down his sarcasm. "But I think we should look for an alternative."

"Like what?"

"Like you calming down for a moment."

Draco paused and took a deep breath.

"What's up with you?" Harry asked.

Draco sighed. "I dunno. This just reminds me so much of all the tests my dad has put me through. He'd get pissed if I stopped a moment to think; I'm supposed to be quick on my feet."

"You are," Harry assured. "But this is a different sort of test. This one, if we don't use our heads, we wind up dead."

"I know." Draco sighed. "Alright, you say we need an alternative. We could try talking to them."

"We can try," Harry said, doubting it would work.

The two boys advanced towards the girls, both holding their breathes, trying to think of something that could possibly get them the box.

"You're mean!" Sarah said as they approached.

"You ought to be better losers," Holly grumbled. "It's not the first time anyone has failed to get the right key."

"Can we negotiate for the key?" Draco asked.

"Negotiate?" Sarah laughed mirthlessly. "After you just attacked me?"

"I don't think so!" Holly said sternly. "Go away and enjoy your last few days of life."

"We're not going to die in here," Harry told her. He crossed his arms and watched her with determined eyes.

"Oh, silly, silly boy." Holly shook her head. "Of course you are."

"I don't think you heard me," he said. "We're not going to die in here."

Holly narrowed her eyes and Draco glanced at him.

"I believe you've done enough talking," Sarah said sharply. "Go away."

"Leave us the key and we will," he insisted.

"You're very determined," Holly said, grinning as if a thought had just come to her. "Sarah, what do you say to playing a little game?"

"What sort of game, Holly?" Sarah asked, playing along, not taking her eyes off Harry.

"Me against this one," Holly said with a gesture towards Harry.

"Or me against this one," Sarah said, turning to Draco.

"What sort of game?" Harry asked.

"Shh!" Holly hushed. "A race through the swamp maze."

"I'll take her on," Draco spoke up.

"You sure?" Harry asked.

Sarah nodded. "Then he and I shall enter the maze, and whoever comes out alive is the victor."

"Deal," Draco said. "Let's go."

"Draco," Harry said, eyes pleading, "be careful, alright?"

Draco nodded. "I will, Harry."

Sarah smiled and led Draco away, leaving Harry behind with Holly. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and face blank.

"Want to have a little fun?" Holly asked, a broad grin beginning to spread across her face.

He frowned, realizing that something was snaking up his legs. He looked down to see vines creeping up on him, pulling him down. A jolt of fear rushed through him as he fell to the floor, trying desperately to break free.

Holly bent over him as he struggled.

"Do you scream, Harry?"

---

Draco had just entered another so-called "arena" of the swamp, and as Sarah said, "On your mark, get set, go!" both took off, on a search for the gold box.

There was a lot more fog towards this area of the swamp, and a lot more water. He couldn't make out much except the glow around Sarah.

He could very easily do as his father had taught him: curse the girl and take the key. But just because he could, didn't mean he should. Harry wouldn't approve, and a thought had also crossed his mind that any spell probably wouldn't work on this girl.

He caught up to Sarah, who was walking calmly through the swamp as if she wasn't racing anyone.

"I could let you win if I wanted to," she said calmly.

"Oh, could you?" he asked. "Why don't you let me, then?"

"Because." She shrugged. "I could win if I wanted to as well. Right now, in fact."

"Why don't you do that, then?"

"Because it's fun to see you scurry," Sarah said, laughing.

"Of course." He rolled his eyes.

"You know, you won't be able to find the key unless I want you to," she told him, her voice grim.

"Well," he sighed. "Are you going to tell me how to get the key from you?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Brilliant. How?"

"Would you kill me?"

---

Harry had been lying on the ground for what seemed like ages, the vines digging into his flesh, coiling around his arms as it tightened around him.

Holly had transformed. She was no longer small and angelic-like, but a demon. A little red, ferocious-looking demon that had been torturing him slowly. Harry now had small cuts across his body and a large bruise on his forearm.

The Holly demon was peering down at him, holding a flame in her hand.

"You like fire?" the demon asked him.

He didn't respond; if he didn't say anything, the demon took longer to attack.

"Come now," it said.

He heard a low buzzing noise and the demon quickly turned back into the angelic-looking girl that she was before, and the vines uncoiled and disappeared back into the earth.

Harry picked himself off the ground and noticed that the cuts were gone- well, not the giant X across his chest, but just the things that Holly had done to him.

"Harry." Draco was calling him.

He looked up, disoriented, to see a fazed-looking Draco coming towards him with a key in hand.

The two boys didn't need to tell each other to go. They just went, taking each other's hand without a word, both reflecting on what had happened in silence.

She asked me to, Draco told himself. She was being held captive.

Draco shot a menacing look to Holly over his shoulder, who just stared back at him, blanked-faced, as if she knew what he had done to her slave sister.

He put the key into the lock, and he and Harry were engulfed in a bright flash of white, and they landed back in the attic of Grimmauld Place.

---

The two held each other's gazes in silence for a moment.

"I'm glad you came back," Harry said, finally breaking the quiet.

Draco nodded. "Me too."

Harry needed to talk to Lupin again; he had to sort out the plan for the war and what was going to be happening, without losing his head. He glanced at his watch and found it was three in the afternoon.

"They're going to be wondering where we are," he said.

"Of course they are," Draco said dryly.

He ignored the comment, and the two made their way downstairs and found Hermione and Ginny talking on a couch. The two girls looked up at them.

"Hello," Ginny said, a hint of teasing in her voice. "Where have you two been?"

Harry just shook his head. "Nowhere."

Hermione looked at them, and almost accusingly asked, "In the attic?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Where are the others?"

"Ron, Bill, and Percy are talking up in your room," Ginny said, "and Fleur, Tonks and Lupin are in the kitchen."

Harry turned to Draco. "Hey, could you entertain yourself for a while? I need to talk with Lupin again."

Draco shrugged. "Yeah, alright." He paused. "What should I do?"

Harry grinned. "Talk with these two."

Hermione shrugged. "As long as we keep things civil, I'm fine."

"Okay," Draco said. In a lower voice, he said to Harry, "Just don't take too long."

Harry agreed with a nod and left the room. He entered the kitchen where he found Lupin, Tonks and Fleur.

"'Ello, 'Arry," Fleur greeted as he came in.

"Hi," Harry said. "Hey Tonks, Lupin."

He turned his attention to Lupin, who nodded.

"Have a seat, Harry," Tonks said softly. "I hear Remus gave you a hard time last night."

He sat, but didn't say anything.

"I didn't mean to put that much pressure on you, Harry." Lupin sighed. "It's just- things are getting out of hand. People are dying, and there's just so much to cover that we need someone to give us direction. I thought you were ready for it-"

"I'm not yet," Harry said. "But I will be soon."

Lupin nodded.

"Hey!" Bill said, coming into the kitchen. "Has anyone seen my mum's clock?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Kreacher probably stole it." Lupin sighed, clearly in a state of distress. "Him, or Mundungus."

"Kreacher was here a month or so ago," Harry said, just as confused as the rest of them. The spell had clearly worked the way it was supposed to, as he couldn't remember a thing about the clock or the details surrounding it.

"Well," Fleur said, "we most certainly will not be getting any 'ouse-elves if zis is how zey act."

Bill grinned at her. "Not all house-elves are like Kreacher, darling."

Fleur made a tutting sound, and Bill laughed.

"Oh, Harry, your guest appears to be getting hammered with questions in there," Bill said, turning to him. "You might want to go rescue him."

"Oh, no," Harry said, quickly leaving the room.

He found Ron, Hermione, and Ginny talking to an annoyed-looking Draco.

"I did not!" Draco exclaimed. "I only dated Pansy!"

"What's going on in here?" Harry asked.

Draco's eyes flashed in gratitude for his presence, and Ron looked up as if Harry were accusing him.

"I wasn't doing it, mate!" Ron said quickly. "It was all Ginny."

Ginny blushed. "I was keeping it civil... I just asked him how many girls he's dated."

"She accused me of shagging half the girls in Slytherin!" Draco said, outraged.

"Well," Harry said, hiding a grin, "let's stop the twenty questions, shall we?"

"Yes, please," Draco said. "Or we could turn the twenty questions onto you, Weasley."

Ron looked horrified. "Let's not."

Harry assumed Draco had said this to make him remember about the prophecy, but he hadn't forgotten. He also hadn't forgotten how much he had been neglecting his friend.

"Okay, here's the question for you, Ron," Harry said slowly. "What exactly does that prophecy say about you?"

Both Ron and Ginny shot nervous and confused looks at him.

"Shh!" Ginny said quickly, in a manner that reminded him of Holly. He twitched a little. "Percy is still around; if he hears you talking about that, we'll be killed!"

So Percy was the one who told them about the prophecy.

Hermione shook her head. "Percy left. He apparated when you and Bill came out here."

"Oh," Ron said, breathing a sigh of relief. "How do you know about the prophecy, Harry?"

Harry looked at Draco, and then back at Ron. "Draco."

Ron countered on Draco. "How do you know about the prophecy?"

Actually, that's a very good question, Harry thought.

Draco just shrugged.

Harry frowned and turned to Ron. "What did the prophecy say?"

Ron took a moment and the two boys stared at each other, realizing just how much hadn't been said over the last few months.

Finally, Ron started to explain to him all about the prophecy. The reasons why he had been avoiding Hermione in the hospital wing became clear, and the reason Ginny had been avoiding Harry. Ron's power was to enhance people's thoughts, and Ginny's was to read them.

"Merlin," Harry said.

Draco and Hermione had stayed quiet during their discussion.

"I know what you mean, mate," Ron said, running pushing a hand through his hair.

Hermione rubbed his shoulders, trying to relax him a bit. The conversation died away once they heard footsteps approaching.

Fleur stepped into the room. "Excuse me, but could I borrow Ron and Ginny for a moment? We need 'elp in zee kitchen."

"Sure," Ginny said.

Ron stared at Harry for a moment, then nodded as well.

"I'll talk with you later, Harry," he said before leaving.

Harry was left alone with Hermione and Draco, who were staring at him.

"It's about time you asked about that," Hermione said softly.

Draco looked at her. "I was just going to say the same thing."

Harry didn't know what to say. He felt self-conscious and uneasy about everything he had just heard.

"Did you guys get together that Hogsmeade weekend you tried to get rid of me?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

"Oh." Hermione turned slightly red. "Yes."

He noticed Draco making surreptitious head signals and realized he was trying to get him to leave the room with him. Harry thought for a moment, and knew this was his chance.

First, he mouthed to him, we tell her.

Draco studied him for a moment before turning to Hermione, who was looking at them suspiciously.

"Harry, what's going on?" she asked nervously.

"I have something to tell you," he said with finality.

Draco stood up, and to Harry's surprise, came to his side.

Hermione's eyes darted between the two of them. "Yeah..." she said.

"I'm dating Draco," Harry said, holding his breath.

To his surprise, Hermione didn't have the same look as Ginny did; in fact, she looked like she had known all along.

Of course, he thought. Trust Hermione to have figured it out.

Hermione started to giggle. She put a hand to her mouth and doubled up laughing. Both boys stared at her, unsure of what to say or why she was having a giggling fit.

When she got a grip, she straightened up, took a deep breath, and opened her mouth to say something. And burst into a fit of laughter again.

"Hermione, what are you laughing about?" Harry asked, laughing bemusedly.

Draco frowned. "Yeah, Granger, do tell."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, calming herself. "It was just the surprise on your face when I didn't react the way you expected... Harry, Ginny told me this morning. I'd guessed something was going on, especially with you two disappearing all the time."

"So, you don't... care?" he asked slowly.

"Of course not, Harry," she said. "I support you, even if you make... strange decisions."

Draco shot her a glare but kept his mouth shut.

"You can like whoever you want, Harry. I can't stop you, and I won't," she said.

"Thanks," Harry said gratefully.

"You might want to try a better approach in telling Ron, though," she said. "He'd have a heart attack if you told him the way you just told me."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said.

"Oh, let's do it!" Draco said excitedly. "Come on, it'll be amusing. The look on his face! And then I can kiss you-"

"Draco," Harry said warningly, but he was smiling. "No."

Draco groaned but shrugged it off.

There was a call from the kitchen that Harry couldn't make out.

"Come on," Draco said.

Harry paused. "Huh?"

"Before they come and nab us, let's have some alone time," Draco said, tugging him up.

Hermione stared at them for a moment. "I'll cover, I guess."

"Thanks," Harry said, smiling.

They heard footsteps coming, and Draco and Harry rushed out of the room.

"Come on!" Draco urged him, tugging on his hand.

The two boys went up the stairs and quickly ducked into a spare family-like room and Draco muttered a spell that locked the door behind them. They laughed and pulled each other to the center of the room.

"Alone at last, Harry," Draco said in a semi-dramatic tone.

Harry laughed and kissed him quickly. "Thank God!"

"Did you know..." Draco said, taking Harry's hand again and leading him towards a couch, "that I think you should give me a back massage?"

"You think that, do you?" he asked, laughing as Draco slid onto the couch and lay on his chest. "What's in it for me?"

"Oh, I could think of a few things," Draco said teasingly.

Harry's face burned and his stomach flip-flopped.

"Pretty please?" Draco batted his eyes. "Come on, you know I don't like to beg."

Harry grinned and moved towards Draco. "No, you just want to get things your way."

Draco smiled, and his heart fluttered like mad.

"Be captivated by my beauty later," Draco said snobbishly. "Massage now, please."

Harry chuckled. "Off with your shirt, then."

Draco gave him a sly smile. "You just want to see my body."

He shrugged. "You want a massage, we'll have to compromise."

Draco sat up and pulled off his shirt, and Harry caught a quick glimpse of the X across Draco's chest before he lay down again.

"I dunno if I'm any good at this," Harry said as he straddled Draco's lower back.

"Give it a go and we'll see," Draco said in a soft voice.

Harry started to rub his shoulders and a few moments later, Draco slid out from underneath him and stood up.

"Okay, that's it!" Draco said, almost annoyed. "Take off your shirt and lay down."

"What?" Harry said, baffled.

"I'm going to show you how to do this properly."

Harry, embarrassed, took off his shirt and lay on his chest on the couch. He felt Draco's warm body around his hips and his fingers touch his shoulders. A shiver shot down Harry's spine, and he relaxed as Draco moved his hands along his back, causing him to fall into a peaceful place.

"How's that?" Draco asked into his ear.

"Mmm," was his reply.

Draco chuckled. "Good."

Draco's fingers slid down next to his stomach and made a fluttery motion.

"Hey!" Harry said in protest to being taken out of his relaxed state. He turned over so Draco would stop tickling him.

Draco smirked, hunger in his eyes as he placed his hands on either side of Harry's shoulders and bent down to kiss him.

Harry drew him in, wrapping his arms around Draco's neck. Draco leaned down against him, moving his hand across Harry's chest. Every touch was like sparks of electricity running through him, everything was so right, nothing mattered anymore...

A startling knock came at the door. Both boys jumped in shock and pulled apart.

"And thus concludes our alone time," Draco said, annoyed at the interruption, moving off Harry and retrieving his shirt.

The knock came again.

"Harry." It was Hermione.

"Just a minute," Harry shouted. He grabbed his shirt from the ground and pulled it over his head.

"Dinner's ready," she called from the other side of the door. "Come down when you're ready."

Hermione's footsteps quickly died away.

"Oh, she so thinks we're naked," Draco said, laughing.

"Shut it," Harry laughed.

He headed for the door and Draco cleared his throat loudly.

"Harry, your shirt, darling." Draco winked, opened the door, and left.

Harry looked down to see his shirt was put on backwards. He groaned, going red again, and quickly pulled his arms in and turned it around. When he finished righting himself, he met a grinning Draco on the stairwell. They went down and joined everyone in the dining room, Harry feeling thoroughly embarrassed.