Title: Worth the Trouble
Author: Nemkiss ()
Artwork: Trouble by Ali
Rating: PG.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Harry Potter looked around the dark room and grimaced.
Honestly, what in Godric's name had Seamus and Dean been thinking? To trust those blasted Slytherins.
It was times like these when Harry knew beyond the shadow of a doubt just why the pair had been placed in Gryffindor. Too idiotic for Ravenclaw, too mischievous for Hufflepuff, and too naive for Slytherin...
It had been Ron who'd come up with the brilliant idea of the pair throwing themselves on Harry's mercy and begging him to save them. Luckily, the redhead hadn't actually told them that he had an invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map (an anonymous Christmas gift fifth year). He'd simply explained that the Boy Who Lived had a knack for getting around the castle undetected. Otherwise, the world would be short a Weasley.
Seamus and Dean were good friends, really. And Dean, at least, was too quiet to really cause much of a problem. The Irishman on the other hand...
Well, the twit gossiped more than any of the girls had ever dreamed of.
There was no way in hell that Harry trusted Seamus to keep a secret as closely guarded as his Map and Cloak. He might as well go tell Malfoy himself. At least then he'd get the pleasure of seeing those pointed features twist with jealousy before the little snake managed to pull that bloody frozen mask back on.
His lip curled in disgust at the thought of his nemesis.
Draco Malfoy had annoyed the hell out of him for years and the prat had simply gotten colder as time passed. Harry would have done just about anything to make the Slytherin lose that now infamous cool.
"Bloody Hell," he breathed out as he tripped over an uneven stone.
"Lumos!"
The dark haired Gryffindor froze as a familiar voice cast the spell and the room lit up suddenly. Barely breathing, he watched the triumph in Malfoy's face turn to confusion when the illuminated room appeared to remain empty.
"What the..." The aristocrat moved around in a wide circle, carefully checking every nook and cranny of the potions classroom.
At one point, he came so close to Harry that his wand actually brushed over the invisibility cloak, but he didn't seem to notice.
Back at the center of the room, the Slytherin was fairly vibrating with anger.
"You might as well quit playing hide and seek, Potter. I heard you clear as day."
Sighing faintly, he hesitated only a moment longer before pulling the cloak from his head only. He'd forgotten that Malfoy knew he had the ability to be invisible. Seeing someone's floating head near a known haunted house was probably something that stuck in one's mind. Hopefully, the blond didn't know exactly how.
"I figured you had something to do with this, Malfoy," he ground out as he moved further into the light. "So, what was the plan? Call Snape in and get them detention? Hold it over their heads as blackmail for the rest of their lives? What?"
Malfoy smirked. "Hardly worth the effort, don't you think? What could either of those two Mudbloods have that I'd want?"
That stumped Harry for a second. "Then why in Merlin's name did you bother?"
Despite the annoyingly smug look that remained firmly planted on the pale face before him, Draco was shifting slightly as if he was uncomfortable; but the Gryffindor couldn't pinpoint exactly what could be causing that reaction. His attention focused back on the matter on hand when the prat spoke again.
"I knew those two dimwits would realize the trouble they could get into at some point. And then they'd go running to the goody-goody Gryffindor Golden Boy to save them." There was that shifting again, only this time Malfoy was gritting his teeth like he was biting back something.
"How did you know I wouldn't just leave them to their fate?"
He decided not to be insulted by the amused snort that caused. His more ruthless side wasn't exactly well known, and he liked it that way.
It was better to be underestimated and overlooked. Oh, Harry Potter would never do that!
Turning, he moved over to lean against one of the desks.
"Would you please stop that?!"
"Huh?" Startled green eyes flew up to meet disconcerted silver ones.
"That... that.. Floating thing. Either become fully visible or stay still. It'sr ather macabre to be watching a head float around the room."
Lips twitching, Harry fought his laughter valiantly. Really he did. But there was little he could do about the snickers that escaped. Malfoy just looked so damned unsettled.
"You... should... hehe.. see your face!" he gasped out.
The glare aimed in his direction wasn't the least bit intimidating, and only made him laugh harder.
"Shut up, Potter. You're going to get us both in trouble!" A much-alarmed Malfoy rushed over to his side and clamped a hand over his mouth and nose, cutting off both his laughter and his air supply.
Harry pulled at scrabbled at the hand, but was unable to remove the iron grasp. When it came to physical strength, he just couldn't quite overcome his malnourished childhood. Indignant and badly in need of oxygen, he poked his tongue out and between the slender fingers, liberally coating them with saliva.
The blond Slytherin jerked away as if he'd been burned, his silver eyes wide and his mouth gaping. "Why the bloody hell did you do that?!"
"I couldn't breathe, you prat."
Nose wrinkled in disgust, Malfoy carefully wiped his fingers off with the edge of his robes. "Well, don't do it again. You do realize that there is nothing less sanitary than the human mouth, don't you? Saliva carries all sorts of germs."
Harry raised a brow in amusement. "How on Earth do you ever manage to kiss without getting someone's saliva in your mouth?" The other boy's disgust had changed to outright horror, and suspicion crept into his mind. "You have kissed, right?"
"Of course, I have! Properly, with closed mouths and no exchange of germs."
He wondered if he looked as bowled over as he was. Draco Malfoy had never been properly kissed?! Harry himself wasn't exactly the most experienced person in the Gryffindor dorm- he'd never even gone as far as having sex- but he had kissed. Quite a bit, actually. He'd kissed all of the Gryffindors in his year at least once, male and female. Kissing Ron and Hermione had squicked him a bit, seeing as how they were like family to him, but other than that he'd always enjoyed a good snog.
With a grin, he ignored Malfoy and moved over to put the unicorn blood back in its proper place while his companion was still too distracted trying to get the imaginary germs off slim hands to stop him.
He knew exactly how to mess with his rival now. Besides, it was his duty as the goody-goody Gryffindor to show Malfoy the error of his information. Annoying prat or not, no one should go through life without having had at least one real, honest-to-goodness kiss.
Tossing his cloak onto one of the desks- and taking careful note of where it landed so that he could find it again later without Draco seeing it- Harry walked back over to where his nemesis was now carefully examining his fingers.
"Hey, Malfoy?"
"Hmm?"
Good, Harry thought, he's still distracted.
Seeker swift, he reached up and grabbed the Slytherin's face, pulling it down to meet his own.
Soft lips had parted in surprise and Harry took ruthless advantage of that.
Later, he'd wonder that he hadn't gotten his tongue bitten off but at the time, he was concentrating more on utilizing every ounce of skill he'd developed over the years.
Malfoy's hands clenched at his shoulders, at first in protest, but as the kiss deepened they were pulling the Gryffindor as close as human bodies would allow.
Shifting away a bit to change the awkward angle Draco had pulled him into, he grinned at the sound of loss his companion uttered as their lips parted.
Before they could continue however, they were interrupted by the loud clearing of a nearby and turned to find a very flustered and annoyed-looking Snape glaring at them.
"Bloody Hell." The twin exclamations caused the professor to raise a brow, but whatever amusement might have lurked in his expression was quickly covered with renewed glaring as he raised one hand and pointed out towards the hall.
"I've come to expect such blatant disregard for the rules from Mr. Potter, but I'm very disappointed in you Mr. Malfoy. Both of you, come with me. I'm sure the Headmaster will want to know why I've taken fifty points from both of your houses and assigned you both detentions."
With a sigh, Harry gathered up his cloak and followed Snape out of the classroom. Draco was right behind him, although he could tell it was more automatic than anything else. The blonde Seeker wore a dazed expression that did wonders for his ego. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw those elegant fingers reach up to touch the reddened lips, an expression almost like wonder on the pale face.
He smiled faintly.
It had been a good kiss.
Despite Draco's lack of skill, there had been something there. Something.... Magical.
His smile widened and it was only his natural restraint that kept him from doing something truly silly, like skipping down the halls or whistling a jaunty tune.
It was worth fifty points and a detention, he decided.
And maybe, just maybe, their detention would be shared, and he could show Draco some more.