For 16 Galleons

Chapter Eighteen

By Christmas time, Harry and his master were the undisputed Lords of the Hex as far as the rest of Third Year was concerned. Even some Fourth Years felt that way. For two years now they had been practicing hard in their duelling classes and both had come a long way individually. This year something seemed to have clicked between them and they now routinely wiped the floor with their opponents in their combined classes.

They had developed an awareness of each other that allowed them to support each other in a duel instead of inhibit. Their magical strengths were different, just as their physical ones were different, but complimentary in a fight. Harry had more power and less finesse, skills that lent well to him using shields and devastating blows. Draco was quicker and deadly accurate, which led to him handling most of the attacks. Draco was also a better overall strategist while Harry seemed to have extraordinary luck. There were other individuals who were more powerful or better strategists but together they were about as good as 13 year olds could get. It was really too bad that the Weasel didn't have a slave and wasn't in the class.

Harry was quite proud of his skill at duelling. It was one of the few times he didn't have to hide his extra knowledge. No one thought it odd for him to know more hexes than some of the other slaves. They just assumed that the Malfoys, Draco in particular, were teaching him in order to keep Draco safer. That was fine by Harry. He had every intention of keeping his master as safe as possible.

It didn't take too long for word of their skill to get around the school. Apparently, the Weasel just couldn't stand it. One evening after dinner, as they left the Great Hall, the boys were startled when Draco was shoved up against a wall and Harry found himself facing the tip of a wand.

"Tonight, 11 o'clock, in the Trophy Room, Malfoy," growled Weasley as he squeezed Draco's collar. Harry barely twitched in his master's direction before Smith, Weasley's best friend, shoved his wand hard up under Harry's chin.

"Nah, ah, ah," Smith said with a wicked grin.

"Fine, Weasel. Who's your second this time?"

"No seconds. Me and Logan against you and your boy."

Harry and Draco exchanged a glance and relaxed a bit. "All right then. You're on."

Weasley let go of Draco and Smith backed off. Harry sneered at him and watched closely as the two boys left.

Harry and Draco were anxious that evening. The clock seemed to have been hit with Impedimenta, it moved so slowly. All of Slytherin was now aware of the upcoming duel and the prefects had arranged to be out in the corridors to make sure no one got near the Trophy Room.

When it was almost time to leave, the boys were subjected to many well wishes. There hadn't been much time for betting to take place but, apparently, a few of the upper years had been able to contact the older Weasley twins and there were a few Galleons riding on tonight's duel. Harry and Draco weren't the least bit concerned.

Victoria, one of the Seventh Year prefects, escorted them to the Trophy Room shortly before 11 o'clock. Weasley and Smith hadn't arrived yet. She wished them luck and blended in with the shadows to watch for professors or Filch. Harry and Draco used the time to get into the proper mindset. They were going to trounce Weasley and Smith.

The two Gryffindors arrived seven minutes late.

"You're late, Weasel," Draco snarled.

"We had to avoid Snape, twice," Ron answered.

Harry smiled to himself. Their Head of House knew what was going on tonight and had probably run into the two Gryffindors on purpose to throw them off balance. Slytherin was not known for its cunning for nothing. The other houses didn't seem to realize just how well Salazar's students discreetly worked together.

"Whatever, Weasel. Are you ready or are you going to back out?"

Weasley and Smith glared at them and got into duelling position. Harry and Draco remained standing nonchalantly, slightly back to back, with their wands held carelessly.

"Are you ready, Malfoy? We can start anytime now."

Draco and Harry inclined their heads to the other boys, who bowed. As they were standing up, Harry caught the flicker of wand movement from Smith and knew the boy was casting a body bind. Harry began erecting a shield as Draco cast a quick stinging hex at Smith to disrupt his concentration. Weasley cast a Jelly Legs but Harry's Shield Charm was already in place. Draco followed up with nice Horn Tongue hex at Smith and the boy was effectively out of the duel. Weasley tried Rictusempra but both Harry and Draco dodged it. Harry hit Weasley with a strong Stupefy while Draco hit him with Expelliarmus. Harry used the same hex on Smith and both Slytherins bowed to their defeated opponents.

They laughed on their way out the door. Victoria and Johan, another Slytherin prefect, stepped out of the shadows grinning.

"I see you have won," commented Johan.

Draco held up the two wands they had captured and grinned. "They were easy. They don't know how to work together and their level of hexes is far below ours."

"Just leave the wands out here..."

"I'll take those, Mr. Malfoy," came a low, sinister voice from behind them.

Harry gulped and saw Draco go pale. "Yes, sir," the blond said as he handed over the Gryffindor wands to his Head of House.

"It was kind of you to pick them up. I'll make sure they get back to their rightful owners," Professor Snape said with a smirk. "I'm glad to see the younger year students helping the Prefects with their patrols occasionally. Good idea. Ten points to Slytherin."

All four students grinned. "Thank you, sir."

"I think it's time for you to get back to your dorm rooms. Have a good night."

"You too, sir," the Prefects answered and they all headed back to Slytherin. Before they had rounded the first corner, they could hear Professor Snape bellowing at the two Gryffindors left in the Trophy Room. It had been a very good night.

They got back to the Common Room, followed by the other four prefects who had been out 'patrolling'. There were only a few people up but they had a short impromptu celebration for the victory. There was much shaking of hands and Pansy took the opportunity to plant a kiss on Draco's lips. Harry almost laughed himself silly at the way Draco's eyes got huge and the boy almost fell over backwards trying to get away from her. He made the strangest squeaking noise before finally shoving her back.

Later, Harry couldn't resist teasing his master.

"What a lady's man you are, Master Draco," he snickered.

"Oh, get bent, you prat," Draco grumbled. "I have one word for you, Harry - Lisa."

Harry glared at Draco for a minute. "Well, at least you didn't knock Pansy on her bum. I bet they still harass you about Pansy for days."

Draco smirked, then frowned. "I'm just pissed that my first kiss was wasted on Pansy. Damn it! I wanted it to be something special."

"Yeah, I can sympathize."

They looked at each for a moment, then smiled and shook their heads.

"So who did you want to be your first kiss - the Great Lord?" Harry asked.

"Nah, he would never want to kiss a boy. I wish it could have been Professor Snape but that's pretty impossible too. I'm not sure if he's with Thibault, Professor Lupin or Madam Hooch. I just can't tell." Draco looked pensive for a bit. "Who did you want to be yours?"

"At the time I didn't want it to be anybody. I wasn't even really thinking about kissing. This summer I wanted it to be your father. I can't say I'd be upset if it was Professor Snape, though," he finished.

Draco looked up at him startled. With a haughty, indignant look, he accused, "You mean someone has replaced my father in your affections? I will have to be sure to tell him."

"Don't you dare! Er, please, Master? It's embarrassing enough that the whole Manor knows I had a crush on him. I don't need you to add to it."

Draco laughed. "So you think Snape is hot, too?"

"Well, yeah. He's got that whole 'tall, dark and mysterious' thing going on plus that 'I'm so powerful I don't need to even acknowledge your presence' attitude."

"Boy does he," Draco replied. "Have you seen the way his robes swirl around him? He doesn't walk. He stalks or glides. It's just incredible."

"I know. It's like he's part vampire or something, all dangerous and sexy."

Draco laughed. "I thought I was the only one who would refer to Snape as sexy."

Harry snorted. "Hardly. You should hear Hermione go on about him." In a horrible falsetto voice, he continued, "Oh, he's so gorgeous. His eyes are like onyx. His hair is like raven's wings. His hands are so graceful. His voice is so sexy. Oh, Professor Snape..."

Both boys collapsed on their beds, laughing too hard to sit up. They kept trying to talk, but all that came out were breathless squeaks.

Finally Draco caught his breath and noted, "She does have a point about his hands. Wouldn't you love to have him touch you?"

That sobered Harry up. "Sometimes I wish I was one of his potions, you know? The way he concentrates on them and is just completely focused..."

With a deep sigh, Draco agreed. "Do you ever think of him when, you know..."

"Sometimes," Harry confessed, "I can hear his voice right next to my ear like the other night when he caught us outside the trophy room. Most of the time it's not really anybody, though. What about you?"

"Hmm, pretty much the same. It's always a guy, though. What about you? Do you ever think of girls?"

"No, just boys."

They sat there silently for a while longer.

"Master Draco?"

"Hmmm?"

"If you only like boys, will you still have to marry Miss Pansy?"

"I suppose so. Mother has been pretty clear that I'm supposed to grow up and get married and have children."

"How are you going to do that if you don't like girls?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll find out. I wonder if you'll have to get married."

Harry looked over at him confused.

"You know Father has been talking about you marrying Sally Ann." Harry nodded. "Well, slaves don't usually have to get married. Since the Malfoys are so influential, though, Father wants you to be respectable."

"Oh joy," Harry grumbled. "Think he'll change his mind if we tell him I think I'm gay?"

Draco looked over at Harry. "You 'have' met my father, right? Do you think he would change his plans just because we don't agree?"

"Oh. Right."

The two boys chatted a while longer and slowly drifted off to sleep. Both of them dreamt of a tall, dark man swooping out of the shadows behind them and speaking to them in a menacing but arousing voice. The next morning the house elves would have to change the sheets.

To be continued.