Lingering Effects

It all started as a perfectly normal morning at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At first. Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, Harry and Ron joking about naked Quidditch and Hermione, as usual, with her nose in a book. Life was grand. Harry had led the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory against the Ravenclaws the day before, and was prepared to spend his Saturday relaxing before Sunday came and he would have to do his homework. Ron, who had made the Quidditch team as a Keeper this year, was enjoying his first victory on the team. Hermione was excited because the Library finally got a delivery of new books. She'd finished reading the rest of the library, after all.

It was a nice warm day, not too hot like their first days, nor had the cold of winter hit the school. It felt deceptively like spring to the students, and this lazy Saturday morning found many of them relaxing at a leisurely breakfast. Even the pumpkin juice seemed a bit sweeter to Harry this morning-- Life was just beautiful. Ron trying to get Hermione's attention was beautiful. Ginny staring at her corn flakes was beautiful. Draco Malfoy walking towards Harry was beautiful. McGonagall--

Wait a sec.

Malfoy?

Typically, when Draco Malfoy approached Harry Potter, his face was twisted into a sneer, first years screamed, and lightning crashed. On this particularly beautiful morning, though, Draco appeared to be transfixed, the first years continued prattling on, and birds twittered (or at least, Harry imagined that they did. There weren't any birds in the Great Hall. Except owls occasionally, but they don't twitter.)

As Harry completed this thought, Malfoy completed his journey and stood next to his arch-rival, looking for all the world like someone who just found the meaning of life.

"Er...Malfoy? You, uh, okay?"

"....Harry?"

Harry blinked. What happened to 'Potter'? Harry opened his mouth to reply with a "yes?" but quickly found a foreign pair of lips pressed on his own, as well as an alien tongue wiggling in his mouth. Well, that was unexpected...but not entirely bad, either. Forgetting where he was and who was watching, Harry allowed himself to enjoy the kiss.

Years passed, or at least three seconds anyway, before the two boys' minds seemed to click back into gear at the same time. With equal expressions of horror on their faces, they pushed apart. Draco landed on his rear on the floor between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables, while Harry managed to land under the Gryffindor table. A stream of swear words left both mouths as the rest of the school looked on in shocked silence. At last, the silence was broken by the swift and determined footsteps of one Professor Snape.

"Were I a muggle English teacher, I would commend you for your creative uses of our language just now. As I am not, however, I am going to take fifty points away from Gryffindor for that...that...disgusting display of affection and the subsequent display of expletives!"

Harry's head poked out from under the table, his face red with anger and embarrassment. "I assure you, Professor...it wasn't MY idea!" He turned to Draco. "What ARE you on about, Malfoy?!"

Draco, who had remained sitting through this exchange, was staring at the floor, eyes wide open. Without looking at Harry, Snape, or anyone else in the room, he said in a near monotone, "I don't know."

Snape stormed off to the Malfoy's empty spot at the Slytherin table and sniffed at the vacated goblet. Muttering to himself, he stomped over to the Gryffindor table and sniffed at Harry's goblet. "Love potion," the students nearest to him heard him say. "Very weak one." The Potions professor turned to the two young boys, who were avoiding each other's eyes and resolutely pretending that no one else was staring at them. "Well, I certainly wouldn't expect Potter to recognize a Love potion when he tastes it," Snape began, his voice loud enough for the entire hall to hear. "But YOU, Malfoy, should have recognized the sweetness immediately!" Malfoy looked as though he wanted to slink into the floor. Fortunately, the person who concocted this brew was clearly not very good at it-- or we would all likely be attending your wedding."

At this point, Professor Dumbledore stood. "This is an extremely serious matter. The creation and use of Love potions is strictly illegal and can lead to a three year sentence in Enton-- not to mention expulsion. Whoever created this potion would do well to see me in my office as soon as possible. It will likely make their punishment lighter if they confess it immediately. Everyone else, please go back to your dorms." With this, Dumbledore left the room.

* * *

"Harry, for God's sake, come out!" Hermione pounded on the fifth year boys' dormitories. "How on EARTH do you expect Ron and the others to change clothes and go to sleep if you won't let them into the room?!"

"I'm never unlocking that door again!" Or at least, that's what Hermione thought he said-- his voice was muffled and she had no doubt that he had curled up under his covers, as he often did when tragedy-- or Malfoy --struck.

"Don't be silly, Harry, if you don't come out you'll fail ALL your classes, and then they'll kick you out of the school. Honestly!"

"You know, I really don't blame him," Dean, who was huddling with the other fifth year boys next to Hermione, whispered in her ear. "If I'D been caught snogging Malfoy in the Great Hall, I'd lock myself up too-- in St. Mungo's!" Harry had opened the door at "been caught" and, hearing what was being said, slammed the door and started to cast the locking spells again. Hermione, however, took charge and forced the door open.

"Harry, if you lock yourself away feeling sorry for yourself, you'll just be considered a coward for the rest of your life!"

"Fuck that! I can kick Voldemort's ass four times and still be considered a coward?!"

"You can kick Voldemort's ass four times and still be scared of your classmates?" Hermione sighed. "Honestly, Harry, I'm only surprised that something like this hasn't happened sooner!"

Harry turned and stared at his friend. "What do you mean?"

Hermione gave Harry a Look. "You're kidding, right?" When Harry continued to look confused, she was taken aback. "Well, Harry, I knew at some point your...admirers" she sniffed disdainfully, "would take matters into their own hands eventually. Though I did expect for one to try and make you fall in love with herself before any tried to make you fall in love with another guy."

Harry blinked a few times. "Well...if it was a girl trying to make me fall for her, then...well, at least it would make a LITTLE bit of sense! What kind of person would want me to fall for MALFOY? Some kind of sadist, or what?"

"Err...well, Harry...Harry, are you aware that...some guys like to see girls kiss? Like, lesbians?"

Harry was vaguely aware of such a phenomenon, mostly from overhearing his roommates, and said so.

The bushy-haired brunette was starting to get a little frustrated at the obliviousness of the Boy who Lived to be Confused. "Well...there are some girls who particularly like seeing guys kiss. Especially pretty ones."

Harry made what Ron referred to as his "fish face," eyes wide and mouth gaping. After another moment, his mouth closed and narrowed his eyes. Hermione thought that perhaps he was finally figuring out what she meant, but no--

"Wait a minute, are you saying I'm pretty?"

That was enough. "Oh, for god's sake, Harry, yes, you're pretty, now get over it! The point is that some girl probably thought it'd be really hot for you and Malfoy to snog and made the potion!"

As Hermione spoke, Harry rummaged through his trunk and put some things-- the Marauder's Map and his Invisibility cloak, Hermione supposed --into his robe's oversized pocket (some enterprising wizard had noticed the popularity of muggle "Cargo Pants" and created "Cargo Robes," which had pockets that could store a tank, according to advertisements). Without another word, the Boy who Lived brushed past his best friends and roommates and stormed out of Gryffindor tower.

The boys' hall was silent for a moment after his departure, until Seamus broke the silence with "You know, I'd kill to have snogged Malfoy."

* * *

Harry stomped through the castle testily, not caring about being seen by teachers-- after all, it was still before hours. He planned to stay out very late, however, to be sure no one was awake when he crept back into the dorm, so he brought his Invisibility cloak along. He made his way towards the room that Professor Lupin had used as his classroom, currently unused by any teachers. Harry had begun to use this room as his sanctuary-- a place to go and get away from everyone else. After all, Harry thought, no one would ever look for me here.

"...Potter?"

Harry, hearing Draco Malfoy's voice at the door behind him, tripped over a chair he was walking past and fell to the floor. He quickly jumped up and faced the blonde Slytherin, face red with embarrassment at his tripping and at their last, er, 'encounter.'

"Malfoy? Were you following me?"

"Of course I was following you, you daft sot. What makes you think I'd ever want to come back to the room where that pack of scraps attempted to teach?"

"Fuck you, Malfoy, don't talk about Lupin that way."

Draco waved an elegant hand dismissively. "Whatever." Three steps forward and suddenly Draco was mere inches away from Harry, who instinctively stepped back until he realized that there was a desk in the way. "Potter, I have something important to ask you."

Harry could feel Draco's breath on his lips and attempted to control his blushing (among other things). Why did he blush so god damn much, anyway? "What is it now, Malfoy?" Harry attempted to infuse as much annoyance and disgust into his words, but felt that he managed only to sound whiney.

"Are you still feeling the effects of the love potion?"

Harry blinked. It had never occurred to him that the effects of the potion might linger. It would explain his current, er, reaction very nicely. "...Yes...I suppose s--mmph?"

The blonde's pale lips were on Harry's before he could finish. Harry's first thought was, "I'm getting interrupted an awful lot today." His second was, "Draco Malfoy is an Extremely Good Kisser." Then his thoughts dissolved away as he relaxed into the kiss. Draco pushed him back until he was sitting on the desk and climbed onto his lap, never once letting his lips leave Harry's.

Draco moaned into Harry's mouth as he felt the green-eyed boy's erection growing underneath him. Harry was quickly losing his balancing capabilities and laid back on the table, Draco lying on top of him, their groins rubbing against each other. At this Draco finally broke the kiss, letting out a small gasp. Harry took advantage of the momentary mouth freedom to voice a question.

"Er...how long do the potions' effects...last, anyway?"

Draco, slightly startled at the sudden words, eyed Harry for a moment before answering. "Could be as long as a week, Potter." With that, Draco attacked Harry's neck, nibbling and sucking the sensitive flesh for all he was worth.

Harry was unable to make any comprehensible sounds for the rest of the evening.

* * *

Several weeks had now passed since the 'incident,' and Harry and Draco had met every single night. When the potion hadn't worn off after the first week, Draco did some more research and told Harry that it might even last as long as two or three months. Harry would have liked to have talked to Hermione about it, but was really too scared.

Fortunately, the rest of the Hogwarts population seemed to have forgotten the whole affair, for lack of a better word, so the two boys went about their true affair more or less unmolested. Er, perhaps that should be rephrased. The two boys went about their true affair without being bothered by anyone else.

Despite the fact that much of their time had been spent on snogging and even a bit of handplay, Harry and Draco spoke a great deal as well. Harry learned more about Slytherins in those weeks than he'd ever thought there was to know. For example, they each had their own rooms-- after all, they had the entire bottom floor of Hogwarts, essentially, and the Gryffindors had only a tower. When Harry was surprised that any of the houses had different housing arrangements, Draco chuckled and told him that Ravenclaws slept two to a room, whereas Hufflepuffs were often stuck with as many as ten in a room.

They talked about Quidditch. They talked about classes. They talked about their friends. As it turned out, Goyle was brilliant at inventing charms, and Crabbe was something of a poet-- both tended to be thought of as dumb because they spoke rarely. "They are pretty slow," Draco told Harry, "but what they actually come up with is just as brilliant as what anyone else does, if they're just given enough time." Draco also admitted to thinking that Hermione had been quite beautiful at the Yule Ball in fourth year.

Harry did a good deal of talking, too. He told Draco about his guilt over Cedric's death at the end of fourth year, about his life at the Dursleys, about his growing fear that if Ron and Hermione started the relationship that they seemed to be heading towards, he'd end up just a third wheel-- something that had been urgent in his mind for much of that year. He even found himself recounting how he had tricked Draco's father into freeing Dobby, a tale that sent Draco into peals of laughter. "I'd love to throw THAT into Father's face some day," he managed to choke out between laughs. Apparently Draco had as little family love at home as Harry, except that instead of being dead, his parents were simply never home.

In short, Draco and Harry were becoming secret friends. The snogging would continue until the potion wore off, Harry supposed, and then they would remain friends. Perhaps even in public, eventually.

One night, he was playing chess with Ron while Hermione sat, reading another new book from the library. Suddenly, she let out a small yelp.

"Harry! Harry, I think this is the love potion that whoever-she-was must have used that on you and Malfoy! Look! Short term love potion, can be specified for a certain person...good LORD, this is complex. Even more than the Polyjuice potion was. I can't believe this book isn't in the restricted section! 'Potion lasts from one minute to five minutes, making it a very useful potion for disorienting someone for very short periods of time, but rarely used for any sort of long-term romantic relationship.' How very bizarre..."

Harry had dropped the bishop he was about to move. The phrase "One to five minutes" flashed through his head, as did Draco's words: "It could last as long as two or three months." Draco's declaration that he was a genius at potions also popped into his mental process.

I can't believe I totally fell for it, Harry thought. Then thoughts of the talking and the snogging-- especially the snogging --made its way into Harry's head. After a few more minutes of thinking along this line, Harry was in desperate need of a decision. Well, that and a wank.

Well, shit, the Boy who Lived thought. Why should I tell Draco that I know, anyway?

* * *

EPILOGUE:

Ron and Hermione got married and had a gazillion kids who were all named after famous dentists and Quidditch players. They then had a nasty breakup and divorced, though they still keep in touch with Harry and share the kids.

Professor Snape got locked into a storage room and, finding no one to let him out and nothing else that appeared edible, tried to eat his hair. The grease alone killed him.

Sirius died choking on a rat that turned out to be Peter Pettigrew. His sentence was revoked (for no apparent reason, since he was dead now), and he was awarded the Order of Merlin, first class.

Voldemort killed Professor Dumbledore, and was killed in return by a maddened and leather-clad Professor McGonagall. *shudder*

The Whomping Willow continues to Whomp ass on the Hogwarts campus.

Skeeter was drafted and killed in Vietnam. Snoogins.

Remus died as an old man sitting in a rocking chair. Well for god's sake, SOMEone has to die peacefully around here.

Harry and Draco were married in spring 2008, after the fall of Voldemort. They were both quite wealthy and therefore held no jobs and, having so much free time, adopted two children who they named Severus and Sirius after their respective godfathers. They thought that this was quite a hoot, and were sure that their godfathers would have approved had they not died so tragically. They remained happily married until their deaths in 2178 at the ripe old age of 190 each. Draco died first, and Harry died several weeks after, once his affairs were all in order.