Title: Rock-a-by Lurve
Author: Quiridion ()
Furniture: sleeping bag.
Rating: PG-13
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.
These characters are copyrighted to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. apart from the ones I invented (which are free to a good home).
Notes: Note stunningly original title! Parts of this fic are dialogue-only and we all know who was the first person to use that technique in an HP fic, don't we? Repeat after me Armchair: "Lady of Shalott,we loff you!" *bows* We are not worthy! We are not worthy!
Snape glared down his hooked nose at the piece of parchment he held in his potion-stained hands. The corners of his mouth curved slightly upwards. McGonagall stood to one side beaming. The Durmstrang teacher, Herr Schweinehund, looked on apprehensively. He wasn't too sure how his students would fair, being paired with this riff raff from Hogwarts. The sun shone down brightly on the clearing where the two parties were gathered. It did not make a difference; the students were still shivering.
"Aah...let's see." Snape smiled nastily. "Who's first? Hmm...Ah yes! Granger and Zebowski."
Standing beside Ron, Hermione gave a little yelp of despair. Parvati and Lavender grimaced in sympathy, while Ron's mouth flapped open and shut in a silent protest. Everyone knew that Astrid Zebowski was one total BITCH. You didn't want to mess with that six-foot-cubed monster if you could avoid it. Reluctantly, Hermione stepped forward, smiling awkwardly at Astrid, who glowered back at her.
"Here's your map," said McGonagall cheerfully. She handed Hermione a large piece of parchment. "Now remember, there are to be no wands used in this exercise. You are to follow the clues and complete the orienteering trail. If you complete the course then you should be at the final meeting point by midday tomorrow. If not, then you can of course use your wand to cry for help." She handed a large rucksack to each of them. Astrid shouldered hers as though it was filled with feathers, whereas Hermione seemed to have trouble lifting hers. "There's a sleeping bag and some basic provisions in there as you shall need to camp out overnight. And the tent is in your bag, Ms Zebowski."
Astrid gave a grunt and set off into the woods with Hermione, who threw a desperate glance at Ron and Harry before disappearing into the trees. When they'd gone, a heavy silence once again descended upon the clearing. Snape gave a greasy smile.
"Now who's next?"
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Snape moistened his index finger with his tongue and used his finger to flick through the leaves of parchment. The tension in the clearing was palpable. With only a dozen or so students left, Harry was running out of hope of getting paired with anyone decent. They seemed to be pairing everyone off with a member of the same sex, much toHarry's relief. He didn't think he could have coped with having to spend a night in the Bulgarian countryside with a GIRL! The remaining guys from Durmstrang did not appeal however. They were all big and gruff; in short, they were Bulgarian versions of Crabbe and Goyle. Speaking of which...
"Potter and Malfoy."
"WHAT!"
"I SAID," Snape hissed dangerously, "Potter and Malfoy."
"Excuse me, Professor, but is this some sort of sick joke?"
Snape chuckled. McGonagall, however, did not.
"No, it is not a joke, Mr Malfoy," she snapped. "Now you and Mr Potter will kindly both come here and collect your sleeping bags, tent and map and set off on your way."
"There's absolutely no way I'm sleeping ANYWHERE with him, let alone in the middle of the bloody Bulgarian outback!"
"Oh yeah, and I'm overjoyed too, Malfoy."
"ENOUGH!" Snape's shriek brought their bickering to an abrupt end. "Now for once in your life, Potter, you shall do as you are told and partner Malfoy in this expedition."
"But...um...excuse me, Professor, but shouldn't Potter and I both be paired off with a Durmstrang student? I thought this was an exercise in cooperation and improving International Relations." Malfoy smiled smugly.
"No, Mr Malfoy," replied McGonagall drily, "it's an exercise in cooperation between wizards, full stop. And there's no one here who needs to learn to cooperate better with one another than you and Potter. Are we agreed?"
Malfoy didn't answer. The grin disappeared from his face to be replaced by a petulant frown. He folded his arms across his chest but was quickly forced to unfold them as McGonagall thrust a backpack at him.
"Potter, you take the tent. I'll take the map." Malfoy seized the parchment from McGonagall and, without a backward glance at Harry, he stalked off into the woods, map and nose held high.
Harry shouldered the tent bag. It was heavy and he had to keep hoisting it up. He wiped some moisture off his brow with his sleeve and followed Malfoy into the forest. He caught one last glimpse of Snape's leering smirk before disappearing into the trees. It was going to be a long day.
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"Are you sure we're going the right way, Malfoy?"
"Are you doubting my map-reading skills, Potter?"
"Too right I am! We've passed that tree three times now!"
"Bollocks! I'm good at map-reading I'll have you know. Plus, I'm not the one with glasses."
"Suit yourself."
"Glad you agree, Potter...Right. Refreshment stop."
"REFRESHMENT stop! We've only being walking for half an hour."
"So! I'm thirsty. Plus I need to get some stuff out. Hang on."
"Ugh." Harry put his bags down and sat down on the grass. He watched as Draco pulled out a bottle of water and took several large gulps out of it. He could see the crystal water glinting in the light through the bottle and the way Draco's Adam's apple moved up and down as he swallowed. Draco screwed the lid back on the bottle without offering any to Harry and took a tube of something out of his pocket.
"What is that?" asked Harry, frowning.
"It's 'Delia Merryweather's Alchemical Anti-Burn Lotion'," Draco said, slapping cream on his arms. He finished his arms, added a bit to his nose and then put the tube back in his pocket and stuck a pair of expensive-looking sunglasses on his now-shiny nose. This was too much for Harry; he burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Oh shut up, Potter. You'll be laughing on the other side of your face when you get all burnt and start peeling and get wrinkles in old age."
"Hahahaha. You're ha...such a...hahaha...girl, Malfoy."
"So bite me." And with that Draco stalked off down the hill, leaving Harry to run after him. Clearly the refreshment stop was over.
-------------------
Things didn't exactly get better as the day wore on, but they didn't get worse either. The banter kept them going. Their bodies ached all over from carrying the bags and climbing the hills. They were constantly thirsty and the heat beat down on them cruelly. Neither would give up though; they would push each other to the limit. Harry found some water of his own at the bottom of his rucksack, but he was mildly touched when Draco silently handed him the tube of anti-burn lotion. He applied the sweet-smelling cream and handed it back to Draco, mumbling 'Thank you.' He didn't get a 'You're welcome' but he noticed that Draco's eyes had followed his every movement as he'd smoothed the cream into his skin.
They walked on, stopping to eat some sandwiches along the way, fighting over the map, taking gulps of water and not looking at each other; they stared at the horizon instead.
In the early evening dusk, they came to a narrow river. It flowed merrily along, gargling and bubbling. It wasn't very big but it was still too wide to jump across.
"Where's a broom when I need it," sulked Malfoy.
"We!"
"What?"
"Where's a broom when WE need it," Harry corrected him.
"Indeed. So? Any bright ideas then, Potter?"
"Well, we could swim across," Harry suggested.
"Hmm...Yes, there's always that. Then again, we could just use THE BLOODY STEPPING STONES!"
"Oh, I didn't see those."
"Tsk. Well on you go then! Ladies first, Potter."
Harry scowled back and started across the river, hopping nimbly from one mossy stone to another. His foot skidded slightly at one point, but he lept quickly onto the next stone and the next, crossing the river in no time. He turned around. Malfoy was still on the opposite bank, looking at the water. Harry put his bags down and shouted across at him.
"What's wrong, Malfoy? Not scared of getting wet are you?"
Malfoy looked up. His eyes met Harry's and for a split second Harry read something in those eyes, but then they hardened.
"You wish, Potter." Malfoy stepped onto the first stone.
He moved with none of his usual haughty grace. Instead he stepped awkwardly from stone to stone, testing each one cautiously with his big toe. Harry was on the point of shouting out some derogatory remark but something held him back. Malfoy seemed to be getting the hang of it; he was almost half way across.
Draco glanced up then. He saw Harry on the bank and smirked. "It's a piece of cake, Potter," he shouted, grinning. His body twisted to meet the next stone. His foot tested and retested and then...slipped. His arms flailed in a wild windmill dance and his feet skipped the air, his face mouthing an inaudible 'oh' before he fell into the river and disappeared under the water.
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"Draaaco!" Harry screamed. Then he saw Draco's blond head appear above the water again and wondered why he'd screamed. He started to laugh. Draco was in no danger afterall; he was standing shoulder-deep in water, spluttering and rubbing his wet hair back from his face. He looked mad as hell.
"Hahahaha!"
"You rigged that stone, didn't you, Potter?" Draco started wading towards the bank, grimacing. "You're a dead man--it's bloody freezing in here!"
"Hahahaha!"
Draco dragged his sodden form onto the bank and then launched into a fit of swearing that almost made Harry blush. The situation could have turned into a nasty argument if Draco hadn't dried up in the midst of his tirade when Harry pointed out that Draco's backpack was gone.
"Oh fan-bloody-tastic!" They peered into the water and searched up and down the bank a little way, but there was no sign of the rucksack.
"Don't worry. At least we've still got the tent," Harry said. Draco didn't look encouraged, however. The sky had darkened and there were no clouds. A steady breeze lent a chill to the night air. Draco was shivering in his wet clothes.
"Come on," said Harry. "I think we should pitch a tent and light a fire in this clearing. Before it gets dark."
Draco nodded. His teeth chattered. They began to erect the tent.
--------------------
"You're still shivering."
"So! What do you care?"
"I'm just saying."
"I told you we should have lit a fire, didn't I?!"
"How? We can't even find any wood without a light. I didn't think it'd get dark so quick."
"God, you're thick, Potter! We're wizards...well I am anyway...we could use the Lumos spell!"
"No we can't! McGonagall said no magic. Remember?"
"Stuff the rules! I'm bloody freezing to death here!"
"Ahem...uh...you could share my sleeping bag if you want."
"WHAT!"
"Nothing."
"Did you just offer to let me share your sleeping bag with you?"
"No! As if!"
"You DID! Hahaha! Oooh Harrrrrrry! I didn't know you cared."
"Oh shut up, Malfoy!"
"OK then. Not OK I'll shut up, but OK I'll share your sleeping bag."
"..."
"Well...?"
"Well...get on with it then."
"Where are you? I can't see you."
"Here. Right in front of you. Oww! Watch where you're standing!"
"Hehehehe! Sorry."
"What are you doing? You can't come in like that--you're all wet."
"Well what am I meant to do then? Take all my clothes off?"
"Well..."
"..."
-------------------
"No looking, Potter!" It was pitch black inside the tent but Draco could have sworn that Harry was grinning at him through the darkness. He was glad that it was so black; he could feel heat rushing to his cheeks. He struggled to free himself from his wet garments. He hesitated a fraction of a second before taking off his underwear. Did he really want to end up starkers in Potter's sleeping bag? He pulled off his boxers and threw them to one side.
He tiptoed over to where Harry lay. He knelt down and felt a lump of warm, smooth material beside him.
"Budge over," he whispered. He felt Harry move away from him. He fumbled for a second or two until he found the entrance to the bag. He slipped inside.
The warmth was delicious. He felt his limbs tingle and come back to life. His teeth stopped chattering. Beside him, he could feel Harry's jeans brushing his leg, and Harry's hand...
"Oops! Sorry!"
"That's OK."
"No, I mean, it was just an accident."
"Of course...Here, can you move your leg a bit."
"That better?"
"Yeah, thanks."
"You're still shivering a bit," Harry sat up, leaning on one elbow.
Draco did the same. Maybe his eyes were adjusting to the darkness, or maybe it was just that he was closer to Harry now, but he thought he could make out his mop of hair and the glint of his glasses.
"Lie closer if you want." Harry whispered the words. He didn't know why.
Draco shifted closer. He could feel Harry's t-shirt against his torso, and through the fabric he could feel Harry's bodyheat. They lay back down.
They did not speak again and when they fell asleep they did not dream. They slept peacefully, until the dawn came.