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A Secondary Education	By : Thunderbird Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 27880 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any affiliated characters. I make no profit from this story.

Chapter List
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A/N: Sorry my updates are taking so long! RL is crazy busy right now. But I promise I'm still chipping away at these chappies, slowly but surely.
I know many of you are anticipating when things are going to come to a head and either fall apart or come together as they should. We are definitely building to a turning point and it's going to come in the next few chapters. So just a little while longer. In the meantime you can enjoy the Drarry as it currently exists. And I hope you do!
Thank you, as always, to my awesome reviewers. This chapter's for you!
Lesson 11: It’s All in the Timing
It was midnight, and Draco was sitting on his sofa. He was sitting on his sofa, sipping Ogden’s as slowly as he could manage, and waiting for the paper dragon on his coffee table to roar.
It had been silent since around 8:30 that evening, when Harry had written him:
Something has come up with one of my students. I think I’m going to be late tonight.
Draco had written back saying that he understood, and that Harry should write when he was finally on his way.
That had been over three hours ago.
Draco stood up to get more firewhiskey.
He knew Harry wasn’t simply blowing him off. Harry wouldn’t do that. There was no doubt in his mind that something really had come up (one of the Gryffindors acting out, in all likelihood), and as head of Gryffindor house it fell on Harry and perhaps the Headmistress to handle it.
He also knew he’d be better off trying to get ahead on his marking, or reading, or doing anything other than sitting in front of his paper dragon and waiting for it to roar. But he couldn’t seem to help himself.
It’s pathetic, he told himself as he sipped his whiskey. Pathetic and stupid and… pathetic.
And yet still he sat, and watched, and waited.
It was just that things had been a bit trickier for them lately, having returned to Hogwarts and gotten back into the full swing of the new term. They’d enjoyed about two weeks of a more leisurely pace right at the start of the term, when they could meet up regularly. It still felt very different from being together at Grimmauld, where they’d spent every night in Harry’s bed, sometimes not even having sex but just talking or sleeping.
But now it was back to coordinating schedules and sneaking around Hogwarts at night. Draco was finding it more stressful and less enjoyable than he remembered from the previous term. A part of him wished that he and Harry were out in the open so they wouldn’t have to deal with this aspect of it, so they could have each night in one or another’s quarters and not worry if people saw them constantly visiting each other.
He knew Harry was feeling the same. Only a few mornings ago Draco made himself roll out of Harry’s bed before the sun was even up, and Harry had groused about it, seeming genuinely bad-tempered.
“If I’m going to stay the night,” Draco had said impatiently, “then I have to leave early, so no one sees. You know that.”
“Oh, just let them see,” Harry had grumbled in return. “Honestly, who would even care?”
“I care,” Draco had snapped. “And so do you. You said so yourself, and we agreed.”
Harry was silent in bed while Draco finished getting dressed. He closed his eyes, feeling guilty for being short with Harry. It was early, and Draco was not in the best of moods about having to leave so early either, but that wasn’t an excuse. He came around to Harry’s side of the bed and sat down. Harry sat up a little, propping himself against a pillow and watching Draco with sleepy, but wary, eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Draco said, placing a hand gently against Harry’s neck. “I know this isn’t the easiest way to do this, but I’m just not ready. I’m not ready for people to know about me yet.”
“About us?” Harry amended, guiding Draco’s hand lower until it rested on Harry’s bare chest, right over his heart.
Draco had to swallow. Harry probably didn’t realize what an intimate gesture this felt like to Draco, and Draco wasn’t going to say anything about it. Harry had a way of taking very intimate things for granted, sometimes, of saying words or doing things he’d probably said and done with a dozen other lovers without thinking twice. But to Draco it meant more, and he had to remind himself that it didn’t to Harry, lest he get carried away.
“About any of it,” he hedged. “I don’t want to be beholden to my parents’ wishes for me anymore, but I will still have to deal with a lot of fallout if I come out as bisexual. And then there’s how things will change, and perhaps get more difficult, for us here at Hogwarts if people find out. We just… can’t reveal it right now. It’s not the right time.”
“I know,” Harry said with a sigh, gripping Draco’s hand. “I know that.”
“I’m sorry,” Draco said again, leaning in and giving Harry a soft kiss.
“It’s all right,” Harry said. “It will get easier in the summer again, I suppose.”
Draco stifled his surprise. Harry expected to have enough to teach him that they would last through the summer? Not that Draco was going to complain. He had just been sure that Harry would break it off before then, or that they both would. Harry would want to return to his other lovers eventually, and Draco would want to put what he had learned to good use with other people as well, wouldn’t he?
That doesn’t mean we can’t also still sleep together every now and then, he reminded himself.
“Yes, it will,” he said, which he felt was just the right amount of noncommittal. He wasn’t going to get his hopes up or come to expect anything. That wasn’t what this arrangement was about.
Draco stared at the paper dragon now, willing it to move, and remembering the feel of Harry’s heartbeat under his hands as he had sat there a moment longer, on that bed, looking at Harry. The sun had been threatening to rise, and he knew he had to leave, but there had been something in Harry’s eyes that held him there, unable, or not wanting, to move.
Is this arrangement getting out of control? he asked himself. It was past midnight now, Monday night having just tipped into Tuesday morning, and he should have been asleep by now. But he couldn’t stop waiting. He couldn’t stop hoping.
The dragon roared.
Heart leaping, Draco tapped on it with his wand and leaned over the page to read Harry’s message.
I’m really sorry. That meeting went longer than I thought possible and I’m completely knackered. We should probably just reschedule for another night.
Draco stared at the words, his hope deflating. Harry wasn’t coming.
He sighed and looked at the clock. He couldn’t exactly blame the man, given that it was well past midnight and they both had classes in the morning. Still, it made him feel like a fool for sitting here and waiting for him.
Pathetic and stupid, he admonished himself. Still, he wasn’t about to let Harry know what he was feeling.
He erased Harry’s message and wrote one of his own.
Rescheduling would be best. Let me know what nights you are free.
He sent that off, then waited a few minutes for a reply. Nothing came.
Feeling dejected and more than a little annoyed, he went off to bed. He wasn’t going to wait around to hear from Harry any longer.
***
The next morning, as he was having a quick breakfast in his quarters before his first class, Draco saw that the dragon on his coffee table was moving again. He nearly pulled out his wand to read the message Harry had sent him, but then stopped himself. He’d had to wait around all night for Harry, only to have him cancel, in the end. So maybe Harry should have to wait around until Draco felt like replying.
He watched the dragon rear up and paw the ground as he finished the rest of his Danish, ignoring the slight anxiety it induced in him, the need to tap on it and see what Harry had to say. He would have control of himself. He would not be beholden to anyone’s whims, and that included Harry’s.
He took the last sip of tea, called for a house elf to retrieve the dishes, and left his quarters without looking back.
***
Harry tracked him down while Draco was on his way to lunch. One moment Draco was walking along, considering the project he’d just assigned to his fifth years in preparation for their OWLs at the end of the term, when he felt a gentle hand on his back and another on his arm, guiding him out of the corridor and into an empty classroom.
“What-“ he began but was cut off as he caught a glimpse of heated green eyes and a half smiling mouth, a mouth that took his in a warm, deep kiss.
Draco let himself relax. He’d never minded Harry grabbing and kissing him when he wanted, and he wasn’t about to start now. He returned the kiss and then the smile as the brunet pulled away after a moment.
“Did you get my message this morning?” Harry asked him.
“This morning?” Draco asked, playing innocent. “Sorry. I must have missed it.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t reply last night. After I sent that first one off I crawled into bed and just passed out. I was exhausted.”
Draco looked properly at Harry’s face and saw that there were bags under his eyes, perhaps from fatigue, or stress.
“I’m really sorry about missing last night,” Harry said. “I really wanted to see you. I’d been thinking about it all weekend.”
Draco nodded. He had been too. It had just been bad luck that they’d both been on duty at various times on both Saturday and Sunday and couldn’t meet up until Monday.
“And then this issue came up, one I thought had been handled, and it turned into a whole… thing.”
“Is everything all right now?” Draco asked.
Harry sighed. “Not yet. There are still things to resolve. It was fallout from a scuffle between one of my Gryffindors and a Slytherin over the weekend. By all accounts the Slytherin had instigated it, and Francesca took care of it as far as discipline went. She gave the Slytherin a week’s worth of detention, which I thought was fair. But then my Gryffindor, Roger Paine - I’m sure you’re familiar with him.”
“Ah, yes,” Draco said. Paine was not a bad kid, per se, but he did have quite a sense of entitlement, and a tendency to blame his shortcomings on others rather than be accountable to them himself. “He’s one of my OWL students.”
“Right. So, he wrote his parents, telling them what happened and what punishment was given, and his parents got all in an uproar because the Slytherin student wasn’t punished enough, they thought. On top of that, yesterday a number of Paine’s friends decided to get revenge on the Slytherin in the meantime-“
“Oh no,” Draco said, clearly seeing where this was going.
“Yeah,” agreed Harry. “They put the Slytherin student in the hospital wing with multiple injuries from hexes. It was a right mess. I spent the entire night last night with Minerva and Francesca and those blasted students, trying to sort through what happened and doling out punishments accordingly. It took forever to get the full account of events.”
“That sounds awful,” Draco said. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s the one thing I truly hate about being a head of house,” Harry said with a shake of his head. “And it’s not over yet. Francesca and I have a meeting with the students’ parents on Thursday. I’m really not looking forward to it. Students I am happy to deal with, but difficult parents are far worse.”
Draco snorted in amusement and agreement, remembering the way his father had interfered for him at Hogwarts when Draco was a student. He’d liked it at the time; he felt it was the way his father showed him he cared about him. But looking back he could see how truly obnoxious the man’s behavior was.
“Anyway, I’m sure you’ll be getting the full story at our next staff meeting.”
“I’m sure I will,” said Draco. “In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you? Anything that would help?”
Harry grinned. “Well, now that you mention it, a long night of passionate shagging would definitely do me some good.”
Draco laughed. “I think that can be arranged.”
“Good. I have patrol tonight, so maybe tomorrow?”
“Can’t. That’s when I have patrol.”
“Bugger,” Harry said under his breath. “And I have the parent meeting Thursday, and I have no idea how long it’s going to last.”
“So it’s Friday, then.”
Harry nodded. “Friday. I wish it was sooner, but…” He cupped Draco’s jaw with one hand. “I’ll take what I can get.”
“We’ll make it count,” Draco said.
Harry kissed him, long and lingering. “Until then, I suppose I’ll just have to pull you into dark corners occasionally and snog you, to take the edge off.”
Smiling, Draco leaned forward for another kiss, and Harry obliged with a soft moan.
“It’s getting more difficult, isn’t it?” the brunet said when their lips parted. “I don’t remember it being this difficult last term.”
“We got spoiled at Grimmauld,” Draco said. “We got used to having every day. And we can’t have that anymore. So it probably feels more difficult now, to not have as much time.”
Harry watched him a moment, his face soft and considering. “I miss Grimmauld,” he said finally, simply.
One of Draco’s hands played at the collar of Harry’s robes, not far from his heartbeat, unable to help the strange, sweet ache kindling inside him.
“So do I.”
***
Draco and the rest of the staff did in fact hear all the details of the incident at the staff meeting on Wednesday, along with another interesting tidbit of information.
“As you all know, our dear Pomona is going to be retiring after this year,” McGonagall said, looking around the staff table.
Most of the staff tittered and nodded, giving Sprout, who had announced her retirement before the end of last term, wistful smiles.
“And I am now excited to announce,” the Headmistress continued, “that the position has been filled for next year by a promising young Herbology Master, one of Pomona’s best students: Neville Longbottom.”
There were sounds of delight and surprise around the table, but Draco didn’t join in. It wasn’t that he disliked Longbottom these days; he didn’t really know the man. But Longbottom would have every reason to dislike him, what with the way that Draco bullied him in school. And he knew Harry and the other Gryffindor were good friends and had been since their school days.
I hope things don’t get awkward, he thought with some anxiety.
“Neville will be coming for an orientation on Friday,” McGonagall told the group. “He’ll sit in on Pomona’s Friday classes to observe and then will spend the weekend with her getting familiar with the greenhouses. Please be kind and welcoming to him, and let him know how excited we are that he’ll be joining our ranks. He knows he has very big shoes to fill and he wants to do the job well. He’ll need our support and encouragement.”
The staff nodded along to that, everyone in agreement. Draco snuck a glance at Harry to find that he was listening to the headmistress with a relaxed smile on his face, his eyes crinkling and flickering with happiness. Of course, Harry would be glad his friend was coming to teach at Hogwarts.
And if I want to keep Harry, then I should be kind to Longbottom, and make amends if I have to.
The thought shocked him. Keep Harry? Since when had he been worrying about keeping Harry?
As a friend, he clarified, for his own sake. I do want to keep him as a friend, of course.
***
When Longbottom arrived on Friday, however, Draco found it a bit difficult to be nice to him.
For one thing, he was far more strapping and handsome than he really had any right to be, considering the pudgy and blundering adolescent he had been not so long ago. All of his baby fat had turned to muscle, it seemed, and his face had thinned out enough that it made his asymmetrical features ruggedly, unconventionally attractive. He was tan, even though it was winter, and seemed to have a glow around him that hinted at his life of spending a great deal of time out of doors. Draco imagined that if he were to get close enough, the man would smell like nature, like earth and sun, fresh and healthy.
For another, Harry was positively beaming at him all morning, as the staff gathered in the teacher’s lounge to greet him before breakfast, and Longbottom was beaming right back. Harry had quickly pulled him into a full embrace upon seeing him, and the two men kept smiling at each other as they talked and chatted with the other teachers, occasionally patting each other on the back or clapping each other on the shoulder in a way that hinted at a long and deep-rooted intimacy.
Have they been lovers? Draco kept asking himself, unable to help it. Has Harry slept with him?
Or worse, maybe Harry hadn’t, but had always wanted to. Maybe Harry was finally thinking he would get his chance.
Calm down, Draco insisted to himself. You don’t even know if Longbottom is gay. He thought, with some relief, that he had heard about the Gryffindor dating a woman recently, some Hufflepuff, if he remembered correctly. He could have sworn he’d heard that somewhere. So the man couldn’t be gay.
Then again, Draco wasn’t gay either, and he’d wound up in Harry’s bed anyway. There were no guarantees.
Merlin’s hairy bollocks, he thought to himself. He couldn’t wait for Longbottom to leave.
Still, he made an effort, reaching out a hand for the Gryffindor to shake and congratulating him on the post. Longbottom was more than gracious, friendly even, and said that he was looking forward to all of their joint work together, as the Herbology and Potions professors had considerable overlap in their subjects. Draco had managed to smile and return the sentiment, though inside he was rather bitter at the reminder. If Draco stayed on at Hogwarts past this year, as he had every intention of doing, he and Longbottom were going to be working together closely. And Draco was going to have to find a way to live with that.
The last straw came at the end of the morning gathering, as the teachers were getting ready to leave for the Great Hall and supervise breakfast. Longbottom was talking about his schedule for the weekend, and what an intensive day Saturday was going to be.
“I can’t believe Hogwarts has five greenhouses to manage now,” he was saying to Harry and Francesca, who were both listening intently. “Five. One of them is all nocturnal plants, did you know that?”
“I didn’t,” Francesca replied.
“It will be a late night for me Saturday,” Longbottom said, “But it’s worth it, for the breadth of the education the students will get, of course.” He turned to Harry. “Still, since I can’t do Saturday, maybe we could have drinks tonight instead? It’s been forever since I’ve been to the Three Broomsticks.”
Draco’s heart sank. Of course Longbottom would want to go out and have drinks with Harry the one night that Draco and Harry had found to spend time together that week. Harry locked eyes with him a moment, an apology clear in them, and Draco realized the inevitable. They were going to have to reschedule again.
After all, what was Harry supposed to say? “Sorry, can’t tonight. Draco and I have plans to shag each other until we can’t move”? No, he could hardly say that. And what other way would he be able to get out of it?
That’s if he even wants to, Draco thought, then scolded himself. Harry wanted him. He wanted to spend time with him. And even if he was interested in Longbottom sexually, why should Draco even care? They weren’t exclusive. Why was he getting so riled up about this in the first place?
“It’s settled then,” Longbottom was saying now. “Drinks tonight, before all of my hard work begins. Anyone who wants to should come. That includes you both.” He indicated Draco and Francesca. “I’d love to catch up and reminisce about our Hogwarts days.”
Draco found that hard to believe, considering he and Longbottom hadn’t exactly been copasetic back then. Still, he accepted the invitation. At least it meant that the two Gryffindors wouldn’t be getting drinks on their own.
Longbottom was a dominating presence all through the day, monopolizing Harry’s time during meals and remaining the center of attention with most of the teachers. Draco breathed through it, mustering his patience, and managed to occasionally participate in the conversation. Mostly he just listened, though, and ate quietly and unobtrusively.
The one saving grace was that he would look up every now and then to find Harry watching him, not paying all that much attention to the conversation either. When Draco caught him at it Harry would smile, a secret warmth in his eyes that would make Draco blush and stare down at his plate. Then Longbottom would get Harry’s attention again, and Harry would return to the conversation without missing a beat.
They were small moments, but they told Draco that Harry still had him in his thoughts and wasn’t simply smitten with Longbottom and his arrival at Hogwarts.
Someone else was quite smitten though: Francesca.
“That Neville Longbottom is rather something, isn’t he?” she said to Draco as they walked through the castle together Friday evening, making their way outside and towards Hogsmeade. Draco had offered to walk with her to the Three Broomsticks, since Harry and Longbottom were already there, and she had been happy to take him up on it. “Kind, intelligent, handsome… and a pureblood to boot. The total package.”
“You have eyes for Longbottom?” Draco asked her, more surprised than anything.
“Well, why not? Like I said, he’s quite a catch. And he’s going to be teaching here next year. That leaves plenty of time for us to get to know each other.” She eyed him a moment. “Do you have something against him? You’ve been rather quiet since he arrived.”
“We just didn’t get on in school,” Draco said. “I don’t really know anything about who he is now. I pass no judgments.”
Francesca made a considering noise but otherwise didn’t reply. They walked in silence for a bit, now in the entrance hall. The large oak doors opened for them, and they stepped out into the cold winter night. Draco pulled out his wand and cast some warming charms over the both of them as they walked.
“I was just surprised,” Draco said. “That was all. Yes, he’s a pureblood, but he’s also a Gryffindor.”
Francesca arched a brow at him, and then broke into full on laughter. Draco waited patiently for that to subside.
“You’re one to talk,” Francesca said finally, after she’d gotten herself under control.
That made Draco pause, and he turned to her. “I’m sorry?”
“Oh, don’t play coy with me, Draco. I already know you have your very own Gryffindor you’re spending time with at least once a week.”
Draco was speechless. Francesca knew? She knew about him and Harry?
“You must think me spectacularly unobservant, if you thought I had missed it,” she said. “It’s in everything you do: the way you look at each other, the way you talk to each other… It’s obvious. Not to mention, I’ve never seen Harry so besotted before. You… you’re a bit harder to read, it’s more subtle. But it’s there. What you two have is obviously something quite special.”
“I… don’t know what to say,” Draco said. It seemed pointless to deny it. Francesca wouldn’t believe him if he attempted to, and all in all she didn’t seem to have a problem with it anyway. Still, there was a chance she had gossiped. “Who else knows?”
“I don’t know,” the witch replied. “If anyone else has noticed the same things I have, they haven’t said anything to me about it. And I haven’t said anything to anyone. I figured that if you wanted people to know, you would have told them yourself.”
Draco nodded. “We would have. But at this point, it needs to remain a secret.”
“I understand. And I assume it’s because there are people in your life who don’t know about your sexuality?”
Draco huffed a laugh. Francesca was a shrewd woman. “A lot of people don’t know. Most people.”
Francesca sighed and nodded. “I can understand that too. The pressure of the pureblood world, and all. But still, it… saddens me. You should get to be who you are, in all parts of your life.”
Draco gave her a small smile, showing her he appreciated the sentiment. “Maybe someday,” he said.
“Perhaps,” she replied. “I do wish I had known sooner, though, if only to avoid making a fool of myself.”
Draco reached out and squeezed her hand. “You didn’t make a fool of yourself.”
“Oh, I did, a bit,” she said, her smile self-deprecating. “You gave me hints, but I ignored them. You were trying to be a gentleman. I appreciate that about you. It shows your good breeding and, more importantly, your inherently kind nature. But I would have been better off if you’d simply told me you were gay. I could have moved on more quickly.”
Draco was speechless again, unsure if he should correct her and make it clear that he liked women as well as men. Then again, it was a quite convenient lie of omission. If Francesca believed him gay, that would spare her some feelings of rejection.
“I’m not blaming you,” she said, misreading his silence. “I wouldn’t have expected you to tell me when you’ve hardly told anyone else. I’m only saying… well, it doesn’t matter.”
They were entering Hogsmeade now, and it seemed the right place to end that portion of their conversation.
“Longbottom would be a fool himself not to fall madly in love with you,” Draco told her, the Three Broomsticks within their sights as they made their way down the main thoroughfare. “If he’s struck your fancy, then I say go for it.”
She placed a hand gently on his arm. “Thank you, Draco.”
“Although I thought I had heard that he was dating someone. You’ll have to do some reconnaissance. I’m sure Harry knows the details.”
“I’ve already done some. He was dating Hannah Abbott for a time, but they’ve broken up. I heard Neville talking to Harry about it.”
“Well, there you are then. Now’s your chance.”
“I’ll at least plant the seed,” she said. “He may need some time to get over Abbott. But we’ll be spending all sorts of time together next year and beyond. I’ll make him fall in love with me eventually.”
Draco grinned. “It’s the long game you’re playing then, with this one.”
She smiled back. “With men like him, it’s worth it.”
Draco opened the door to the pub for her and she stepped inside, thanking him with a nod. He followed behind her.
Longbottom, Gibbs, Babbling, and Harry were already gathered around a table, drinks in hand. Draco and Francesca were greeted warmly when they arrived.
“You sit,” Draco said to Francesca, pulling out a chair for her that was directly next to Longbottom. “I’ll get us drinks. What will you have?”
She gave him a demure but grateful smile. “Mulled wine, please.”
“Coming right up.”
Draco went to the bar and ordered Francesca’s wine, plus a firewhiskey for himself. He felt someone come up beside him and lean on the bar, and when he turned to look, he saw that it was Harry.
“Hi,” the man said.
“Hi.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to catch you all day. With Neville here, it’s been tricky.”
“It’s all right. I understand.”
“And I’m sorry about tonight. I couldn’t find any way to-“
“It’s all right, Harry. Really.”
There was a beat of silence before Harry said. “Well, in truth, it’s not all right with me. I… needed tonight. With you. It was getting me through the week, thinking about it.”
Draco felt his chest tighten pleasantly. “I needed it too,” he admitted.
“Gods, Draco,” Harry said, leaning in, his voice barely audible. Still, it was clear enough that Draco could hear perfectly. “Just seeing you every day and not being able to… If you knew how much time I spent wanking this week, thinking about you. I’ve been aching to have you inside me again. You have no idea.”
Draco bit back a groan. “Harry,” he said, trying to keep his voice soft while also making it a warning. “You can’t talk to me like that here.”
“Why not?” Harry asked him. “No one can hear us.”
Draco caught his eye, aware that his cheeks were flushed. “Because right now I want to jump you, and we both know this isn’t the place for it.”
“You want to jump me, then jump me,” Harry said, his tone challenging. “Anywhere you like. Just take me into the bathroom and-“
But he cut himself off, because the barmaid was approaching with the drinks Draco had ordered. She put them in front of Draco and he smiled his thanks at her, all the while breathing deeply and trying to get his painful erection to subside.
Harry ordered a firewhiskey from the barmaid, then turned back to Draco. “Tomorrow night, then? If you won’t take me here, tonight, even though I’m begging for it, then it will have to be tomorrow, won’t it?”
“You’re killing me, Harry,” Draco said, but he was fighting off a wide smile. “Tomorrow night. I don’t want a quickie in the loo. I want to be able to take my time with you.” He gave Harry a dark look. “And you’d better be ready, because now you’ve got me all worked up, and I won’t be holding back.”
The barmaid put Harry’s drink in front of him. He thanked her and paid, then leaned into Draco again.
“Is that a promise?” he asked, his voice deep with lust.
“You bet your fine arse, Potter,” Draco said.
Harry laughed, then turned and made his way back to the table. Draco followed.
Francesca was deep in conversation with Longbottom, but she did spare him a thankful glance when Draco put her wine in front of her. Draco situated himself between Babbling and Harry, and though the Ancient Runes professor immediately engaged him in conversation while Harry joined in on Longbottom and Francesca’s, the brunet’s presence was never far from Draco’s awareness. Their knees kept bumping and brushing under the table, and Harry would occasionally sneak his foot up Draco’s trouser leg, the toe of his shoe rubbing along the blond's ankle. Harry even snuck a few caresses with his hand, teasing Draco’s thigh with light touches.
It drove Draco wild, making him think that maybe finding a way to haul Harry into the lav for a quick shag wasn’t such a bad idea after all. But he did his best to hide this as he talked teaching with Babbling for a while, then struck up a debate about illegal creature breeding practices with Gibbs.
Eventually both Babbling and Gibbs called it a night, leaving the younger staff members to enjoy the waning evening. To Draco’s surprise, Longbottom then situated himself next to Draco and asked him what he thought about the latest research on venomous tentacula. Draco, who’d just read an article about it in Herbology Today, was happy to give his opinion.
It turned out that Longbottom had seen the same article, as well as a few others. In fact, the man was surprisingly well-read, and now had an avid interest in Potions that he’d never had as a student. Draco mentioned as much to him.
“It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested in Potions,” the Gryffindor said, turning a bit pink, “but I didn’t… well… Professor Snape and I weren’t exactly… we didn’t have the greatest working relationship.”
That was an understatement, of course, considering that the late Potions master had thought the young Longbottom a complete dunce and absolutely useless. Though Draco would always love and miss his godfather, looking back on it he could see how he had thwarted the education of some of his students through his prejudices.
“He was a brilliant teacher for those he favored,” Draco replied. “But for those he didn’t… there were a lot of missed opportunities, I think. To give all students a proper education.”
Longbottom stared at him a moment in surprise, but then his expression softened into gratitude. “He was a… complicated man.”
“That he was,” Draco said with a sigh. “And we were growing up in complicated times. It’s not like that at Hogwarts anymore, you know. Inter-house unity is strongly encouraged. There is still some rivalry, especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin,” he added, thinking of the incident with Roger Paine that Harry was still dealing with, “but it’s not encouraged by the staff. Exactly the opposite, in fact.”
“That’s good to hear,” Longbottom replied. “I don’t think I would want to teach in the same climate I was educated in.” A shadow passed over his face momentarily, and Draco found himself struck with some actual sympathy for the man. It couldn’t have been easy to be the adolescent Neville Longbottom, the screw-up, the victim of bullies, living in the shadow of heroes like Harry Potter and the rest of the Golden Trio. And yet he had found his own way, had become a war hero in his own right. It was… impressive, Draco had to begrudgingly admit.
“The teachers don’t play favorites by house anymore,” Draco assured him. “In fact, one of my favorite students is a Gryffindor, if you can believe it.”
Longbottom grinned. “Really? What’s he like? Give me a sense of the students right now. I’d love to hear all about them.”
“She is brilliant. At least a year or two ahead of her peers. Harry knows.” He nodded at the other Gryffindor, who was chatting with Francesca on the other side of the table, but looked up as Draco said his name. “I’m taking about McNeal,” he told the brunet.
“Ah, yes, quite brilliant, that one.”
That roped both Harry and Francesca into a conversation on their favorite students, and Longbottom listened intently like a man taking detailed mental notes.
All right, Draco admitted to himself. Longbottom is a decent bloke after all.
Conversation moved from the current students to those the four of them had gone to school with and what they were doing now, as well as some good-natured remembrances of their early days at Hogwarts, before the war.
Eventually Francesca declared herself tired and ready to call it a night. She eyed Longbottom hopefully, perhaps expecting him to offer to walk her back up to the castle. But Longbottom had just ordered another drink and seemed content to stay out a bit longer.
“I’ll escort you, if you don’t mind,” Draco told her. “I’m rather tired as well.”
“Thank you, Draco, that would be lovely.”
Draco looked around at the other two men, giving Harry a significant look. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”
“Tomorrow,” Harry replied, a promising heat in his gaze.
“I’ll be in the greenhouses most of the day, but I’m sure I’ll see you at meals,” Longbottom said. He smiled at Francesca. “It was a pleasure talking to you, Francesca. I look forward to working with you next year.”
Francesca gave him a coy smile. “As do I, Neville.”
They took their leave, walking mostly in silence back up to the castle. Francesca, Draco could tell, was fighting a pleased grin. Apparently the night had gone well for her, and Draco could be nothing but glad. He and Francesca were never meant to be, and he simply wanted to see her happy.
***
What will I do first? Draco wondered to himself as he paced his rooms, waiting for Harry to arrive. It was Saturday evening and Harry would be coming to him any minute.
And we’ll be coming together not long after that, he thought with satisfaction. He was confident Harry would show up. He… he had to show up.
But what will I do first? A hundred possibilities ran through his mind, images of him pinning Harry against the door and snogging him until his lips were raw or bending him over the back of the sofa and immediately plunging inside him. Or maybe he would tease Harry in bed, torment him with his mouth and hands until he was desperate and incoherent, then take him with delicious, merciless slowness while Harry sobbed Draco’s name and begged to come.
He’s the teacher, he reminded himself. Harry likely had something specific in mind that he wanted. But that was fine too. Whatever Harry wanted, Draco was happy to do it.
There was a knock on the door.
Oh, thank Merlin, Draco thought, his cock twitching at the very thought of what was about to happen.
He opened the door and Harry was there, smiling gently at him. He looked, if Draco was honest with himself, a bit worse for wear. The bags under his eyes had become more pronounced since the previous day, and his eyelids were nearly at half-mast. But he looked quite happy to see Draco anyway.
“Finally,” Harry said, stepping into the room. He gave Draco a deep, slow kiss that made the blond moan. Harry pulled away, licking his lips as though savoring Draco’s taste. But he still looked quite tired.
“Are you all right?” Draco asked, because he felt he needed to.
“I am now,” said Harry, kissing him again, though more briefly this time.
Draco stared at him a moment, then reached up and ran a thumb under his eyes gently. “Are you sure?”
“It’s fine, really. I’m just a bit worn out. Everything with these students of mine, you know. The meetings with parents and…” He sighed.
“Yeah. I know.”
“And then Neville kept me up late into the night last night.”
“Oh?” Draco said, trying to keep his tone offhand.
“Yeah. Talking about Hannah.”
“His ex?”
Harry nodded. “They just broke up. I mean, they’ve been having problems for a while, which I’ve heard all about already, but they’ve just made it official. It’s been hard on him. I don’t blame him for wanting someone to talk to…” He trailed off. Draco took him by the hand and led him over to the sofa. Harry sat down on it with a grateful sigh and continued. “He needs someone to talk to. And we’ve always been there for each other. Merlin knows he’s been there for me, and I love him like a brother, but…”
“It wasn’t what you needed right now, on top of everything else?” Draco ventured.
Harry gave him an appreciative smile. “Exactly. Any other week, honestly, I would have been happy to talk him through it. But this week… all I could do was nod and hum sympathetically and try to think of something helpful to say, and all the while I was thinking about how you and I could have been shagging like kneazles right then, if it weren’t for him.” His smile turned sheepish. “Is that wrong of me? It sounds wrong.”
“It sounds exactly right to me,” Draco said lightly, making Harry chuckle.
“What can I say? I have selfish thoughts sometimes. I am, in fact, an imperfect person.”
“Thank Merlin for that,” Draco murmured as he played with Harry’s hair. The Gryffindor closed his eyes a moment, as though enjoying it. “I’m surprised Francesca didn’t stay out with you and keep Longbottom company herself,” he added after a few moments of silence.
Harry blinked at Draco as the blond continued to stroke his hair. “She did spend a good portion of the night talking to him, strangely enough, didn’t she?”
Draco smirked. “She fancies him.”
Harry perked up a bit at that, his neck jerking off the sofa. “Really. How do you know?”
“She told me.”
“Really.”
“Yes, really.”
“Does that mean she’s… you know, over you?”
“It would appear so.”
Harry let out a slow, relieved breath. “Good. That’s very good.”
“She realized she needed to move on.”
Harry nodded absently. “Sure.”
“Because she knows about us.”
Harry’s head jerked up again, more violently this time. “What? How?”
“She… figured it out.”
“Just from watching us?”
“Yes.”
“I suppose we haven’t been as careful as I thought, then,” Harry murmured, almost to himself.
“To be fair, I think she pays both of us more attention than everyone else at the school. She probably noticed things others haven’t.”
“Or everyone knows, and we’ve just been fooling ourselves.” He was watching Draco warily now. “Are you… does it bother you? That she knows?”
Draco chewed on his bottom lip. Did it bother him? He hadn’t really thought about it. “I don’t think it does. In some ways, I’m glad. I didn’t like thinking that I was hurting her and would have to outright reject her at some point. This makes it easier. Although now she is assuming that I’m gay, and I haven’t bothered to correct her.”
Harry raised surprised eyebrows before thinking that over. “To spare her feelings?”
“Yes.”
The brunet nodded, resting his neck against the back of the sofa again. He closed his eyes, a half-yawn forming along his jaw.
“Harry,” Draco said softly.
“Mm?”
“You’re quite tired, aren’t you?”
Harry opened his eyes again. “I want to be here. I want to be with you.”
“I never said you didn’t.” Draco gave him a gentle smile. “I’m just pointing out that you might be too tired to properly enjoy it.” Draco wanted Harry. He wanted him badly. But he also had a feeling if he and Harry tried to shag now, as they had been planning to do, that Harry would fall asleep halfway through. And Draco had no interest in fucking an unconscious Harry. That would hardly be any fun, would it?
Harry opened his mouth, as if to begin protesting, but lost his motivation quickly. He sighed. “Perhaps you’re right.” He looked at Draco from under his eyelashes. “Are you angry with me?”
“No,” Draco said, stroking a hand across the other man’s cheek.
“Do you need me to leave?”
“Definitely not.” His hand moved down to grip Harry’s wrist. “Come to bed with me. We’ll get a good night’s sleep and see what happens in the morning.”
Harry smiled sleepily at him and allowed himself to be pulled off the sofa by the arm and led to the bedroom. Draco helped Harry undress and then undressed himself. The two men climbed into the bed, both naked and sighing happily. Draco waved his wand to extinguish the lamps and found a comfortable position on his back, and Harry immediately rolled over and curled around him. As he nuzzled into Draco’s neck Harry let out a sound of contentment, somewhere between a sigh and a moan.
“Draco,” he said softly. It wasn’t a question or a way to get the blond’s attention. It was simply an expression of happiness.
“Harry,” Draco replied, and closed his eyes.
***
Draco was floating. He wasn’t sure where; there were trees looming above him, full of lush, leafy branches, and the water was warm and pleasant, cradling him like large, soft hands.
He drifted along, watching the branches of trees pass slowly in and out of view while the pure blue sky changed not at all.
It’s a bit warm for February, he realized. The branches should have been bare and glittering with ice; the sky should have been gray. The water he was floating in should have been frozen.
He felt something tickle his thighs, and he started only a little, too relaxed to get truly worked up.
What was that, some sort of creature under the water?
And then something wet and soft brushed along his cock, and he realized he was naked.
I wasn’t naked before, was I?
But that stopped mattering when he felt more sensations on his shaft, swirling around it and eliciting spikes of throbbing pleasure from deep inside him.
“Oh,” he groaned aloud.
He looked down, but the scene jumbled and faded before he could really see what was going on, and that’s when he realized that it was a dream.
The disappointment lasted only a moment when more pleasure was drawn out of the darkness, focused in his now turgid member, and Draco managed to blink open his eyes. He was in his bedroom at Hogwarts, half covered by his duvet, and there was someone under there, a head bobbing up and down on his excited cock.
“Harry,” he moaned, and lifted the covers for a good look.
Harry paused to smile up at him, Draco’s cock bumping against his face. “Good morning.”
“Mm, good morning to you. You certainly know the best way to wake a man.”
Harry’s smile turned to a grin. “I’ve been waiting over a week for this. And I thought your cock might have felt rather neglected as well. I wanted to take good care of it.” And with that he returned his attention to Draco’s erection, taking the shaft into his mouth and sucking with relish.
Draco threw his head back and gave into the sensations. His cock really had been neglected, and no one took better care of it than Harry.
But don’t you want to be inside him a different way? a voice in his head asked. Hadn’t he been thinking about coming inside Harry’s arse all week?
But then Harry swallowed him down even further, and Draco gasped and clutched at Harry’s hair, and decided he didn’t care at the moment.
“Oh Gods, Harry. I missed you.”
It was a stark admission, one Harry’s mouth had drawn out of him. Harry hummed against the base of his shaft as he continued moving up and down, his expert tongue and lips taking Draco to new heights.
And then he stopped, pulling his mouth off the cock completely.
Draco let out a sound that was meant to be a groan of frustration but merely came out a whimper. He opened his eyes to see that Harry was now kneeling in front of him. Their eyes met.
“Can I ride you?” Harry asked. “I know you probably had something different in mind and you wanted to take your time, but…” A teasing hand danced along Draco’s abdomen and down to his erection. “I want to ride your cock so badly. Can I, please?”
Draco swallowed, many responses getting stuck in his throat, and settled for a wordless but vigorous nodding of his head. Harry clambered on top of him, straddling him so their cocks brushed together. Harry moaned softly and then reached for his wand, conjuring lube to prepare himself.
Draco didn’t realize it would so sexy, watching Harry finger himself, but it was. The brunet worked himself on his fingers with his eyes closed, letting out small huffs of breath as he probed deeper. Draco meant to take in the whole picture, but he found himself fixated by Harry’s parted lips and the tongue that kept darting out to wet them. And then Harry obviously hit his own prostate, because he released a cry of pure pleasure that made Draco have to grip the base of his cock to keep from coming, worked up as he already was.
He teased his cock and Harry’s as the other man finished preparing his opening, and this made Harry’s mouth twist in that carnal smirk Draco loved so much. Harry opened his eyes and stared down at the blond.
“Ready?” he asked hoarsely.
“When you are,” Draco said, his voice equally rough. He ran his hands down Harry’s thighs, giving them a possessive squeeze. “Ride me, Harry.”
Harry wasted no time, scooting forward enough to align his entrance with Draco’s cock. He gripped it, just enough to keep it steady, and then began to sink down.
Draco’d had women ride him like this before, and he never got tired of that heat engulfing him, inch by inch, until it was holding him completely inside. But this, with such tightness as well, and the vision of Harry’s red and bobbing cock, his lean, muscled body taking Draco in, and the expression of pure bliss on his face… this was so much better.
Harry started slow, squeezing Draco with every upward thrust in a way that made him gasp and clutch at Harry’s hips. His hands played along Draco’s chest, occasionally tweaking his nipples, which only adding to the bollock-twitching pleasure already building between them.
“Faster, Harry,” Draco begged, thrusting his own hips up to encourage the brunet.
Harry smiled down at him with delight and need and did as Draco asked, bouncing faster while still letting his internal muscles do most of the work. Draco was being pulled deeper inside now, helped along by the fact that his hips were still thrusting of their own accord, with the intuitive need to be buried inside Harry.
Green eyes were closed in concentration, trying to find that sweet spot inside him. On instinct Draco sat up, changing the angle slightly of how his cock entered Harry’s arse.
Harry bent enough to kiss Draco passionately, their thrusts faltering a little as their tongues collided. But then Harry found his rhythm again, as well as his pleasure center, and let out an ecstatic sob.
“Draco,” he moaned, working the blond’s cock with his insides unlike ever before. “Oh Gods, Draco. Right there. So good.”
Draco felt his climax approaching already, and focused instead on holding Harry steady with one hand and teasing his cock with the other. It wasn’t enough to make Harry come yet, but it was enough to make him keep moaning Draco’s name, and that was exactly what Draco wanted.
“Harry,” Draco groaned in return as the brunet wrapped his legs around him for leverage. “Fuck, it’s so deep like this. You’re incredible. You’re fucking incredible.”
Harry shuddered and rode him harder, seeming too far gone for any kind of coherent response. Their movements became erratic as each of them reached for more pleasure.
“N-need to- to come,” Harry managed to gasp out.
Draco took Harry’s heavy, bouncing cock in hand and began to pump. It only took three strokes and then Harry was stilling on top of him, squeezing around him hard enough that it only took one small thrust of his own hips to trigger Draco’s orgasm as well. Cum painted Draco’s chest and stomach as he felt himself pulse inside Harry, emptying a week’s worth of anticipation and pleasure into that supple arse.
Harry went boneless atop him, and Draco rolled them both over while still inside so he was on top. He wasn’t quite finished yet, and he thrust deeply and slowly a few more times into Harry, getting all the pleasure he could, wringing out every last drop. Though worn out, Harry still lifted his arms and wrapped them around Draco, holding him as the blond trembled and moaned, his face pressed against Harry’s sweaty neck.
Finally spent, Draco collapsed, slipping out of Harry as gravity pressed their bodies together. They lay that way, panting, for long minutes, until both of their heart rates had settled. Draco kept thinking about moving but had a hard time mustering the wherewithal. Harry’s arms were still wrapped around his back and the brunet smelled like sex and musk and… himself in the best possible way. Draco was finding that he was quite content where he was.
When Harry shifted under him Draco finally decided to at least prop himself up on his elbows and get a good look at the thoroughly ravished man.
“Worth the wait?” he asked, giving Harry a soft kiss.
“Yes, definitely,” Harry replied, looking up at Draco with eyes still glazed from pleasure. “But I have no interest in waiting that long again.”
“Nor do I,” Draco agreed. “But it seems some weeks it may be unavoidable. Things can get busy around here.”
“It comes in bursts, I find.” Harry shifted again, and Draco slid to the side so he was only half lying on Harry. “Mid-terms, finals, and some events in between. Some weeks will be very busy. But that’s exactly why I think we should take advantage of the times that aren’t.”
“Sure,” said Draco. “Of course.”
Harry didn’t say anything for a moment, and Draco wondered if that was the end of the conversation. But then Harry turned his face to Draco and their eyes met, only a few inches apart.
“I think we should…” He shifted again. “I think we should just agree that any night that neither of us have patrol we should plan to spend together. That way when we do end up with a bit of a dry spell when things get busy, it won’t seem so bad.”
Draco stared at him. “All right,” he said finally. “But I can’t spend every night having sex. I don’t have that kind of stamina, for one thing. And for another I do have… you know, marking and such to get done on a regular basis.”
“Yes, but there’s no reason we can’t mark together, or whatever else we have to do. And then afterward we can go to bed and do whatever we feel like. If we want to fuck, we fuck, and if we’re tired and we just want to sleep, we do that.”
Draco stared some more, unwilling to say aloud what he was thinking. This doesn’t sound like lessons anymore. It sounds like a relationship.
But he didn’t say that, because Harry was skittish when it came to things like this, and Draco didn’t want to scare him off. Especially when he knew better, when he knew that this was about satisfying their current needs rather than building something for the long term.
Neither of them were looking for long-term. Draco wanted to end up with a woman, and Harry wanted… well, Draco wasn’t entirely sure what Harry wanted. To be free, he supposed, unencumbered. Harry wanted room to do whatever pleased him.
So this wouldn’t be a relationship. But, Draco thought, it could certainly look like one, if they wanted it to. If that was what made them happy for right now, it could look however they wanted it to look.
“I think that would be fine,” he said. “So long as it doesn’t make me fall behind on my marking and other duties. If it does, we’ll have to reassess.”
“Of course,” said Harry.
“Does that mean I get to see you tonight as well?” Draco asked, kissing the brunet’s shoulder lightly.
“I don’t see why not. I’m on duty for lunch and dinner today, but after eight I’m free.”
“Perfect,” said Draco, his fingers now teasing along Harry’s stomach. “Because I can already tell I’m going to want you again soon. The sooner the better.”
Harry hummed happily and pulled Draco fully on top of him again. Ankles hooked around Draco’s calves, holding him in place.
“In that case, maybe we need a quickie right now, before I have to go and get cleaned up and ready for my day. You know, just in case.”
Draco smirked down at him. “Or,” he said, “we kill two pixies with one spell and just shower here, together.”
Harry’s grin widened. “Shower sex? That wasn’t in my lesson plan for today.”
Draco shrugged atop him. “At this point, does it matter?” Draco knew what he was risking, questioning this, the very nature of their arrangement. But Harry wanted them to spend more time together, and it was foolish to think that they would all be “lessons.” Maybe it was time they accepted that the educational part of this had nearly run its course, and this was now about their mutual pleasure more than anything.
And with the way Harry’s tongue was now tracing the shell of his ear, and the way those calloused hands roamed freely over his skin, and the way that hard body felt pressed against him, Draco was thinking that was really just fine with him.
After all, if he was honest with himself, their encounters had really stopped feeling like lessons a long time ago.
goddess-of_dragons: Thank you! Yes, I know you are patiently waiting. Just a few more chapters from now some big decisions will be made. For now they’re happy to continue the lessons more informally; there are, as you said, still a few things for Draco to learn :)
I’m glad you liked Dudley’s appearance. The Dursleys will be a factor again later on in the story, I promise.
Nowsthethyme: Thanks!! And good catch with the password! I honestly forgot about that until you mentioned it, though I do always like for stuff like that to have hidden meaning when it can.
Feel free to reread as many times as you like. It makes me so happy knowing I’m keeping you interested and entertained. I hope this installment was up to par!
Teddy-Potter95: Thank you so much! Yeah, that was an emotional one, and I’m glad you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think of this one!
Redbecksy: Thank you! Your review gave me that final push to finish the chapter that I desperately needed. It’s good to hear you like the slow-burn quality of the romance element of this fic. I wasn’t sure if it was going to work how I wanted it to at first. They are both going to be realizing some things very soon, as for what those things are, you’ll just have to wait and see!
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A Secondary Education