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Teach Me	By : pipdfunnybunny Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 12132 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co. are not
mine�they are exclusive property of the gifted J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this.

Summary: Harry Potter is a poor
young man at wits� end. Draco Malfoy is a spoiled, violent noble who needs a
tutor. A fit of magical temper brings Harry into Draco�s world, and the young
wizard is reluctant to let this apparently ordinary boy go. Is it really up to
Draco, though?

Warnings: Foul language, graphic
male/male sex, and violence. Also, possibly non-consent. We�ll see.

In this
chapter:
All is well in paradise, it seems, but not so far away a storm is brewing and
within the manor something else is coming to a boil...

Author�s Note: First of all, I must offer
my apologies for taking so long to update this story. Real life has been
requiring so much of me lately and the toll on my time, energy, and creativity
have been getting heavier and heavier. I do promise to finish this story,
however. Because I don�t want to leave you hanging for another year or so, it
does mean that some of this will be a little rushed, but hopefully not
unbearably so. (^^,) Please let me know!

�� Also,
on a more productive note, I have finally worked out the mystery of �blond� vs.
�blonde�! Quick, ask me how! *waits a beat* If you try to add an apostrophe and
s to �blond� to connote possessiveness (as in the thing that belongs to the
blond: the blond� +s thing�i.e. �the blond�s head�) in MS Word, it gets
underlined with a red scribble to indicate faulty spelling. Thus I have
concluded that �blond� is an adjective referring to a range of yellow hair and
is thus not capable of having a possessive tense, and that �blonde� is the
proper noun for either a male or female with said hair.

Hmmm.

Moving on...(^^,) By the way, review responses are
at the end of this chapter! (^^,) Along with a very good announcement, I
think�(^^,)

Chapter 3

Attachment

�� Dark
lashes fringed with the sand of sleep fluttered momentarily as the lightest of
touches feathered against them. Still clinging frantically to a pleasant dream
of talking books and quills that wrote whatever one thought about, Harry Potter
ignored the sensation and instead turned to his side and snuggled into his warm
pillow.

�� Thump!

�� Harry
felt a vague sense of confusion at the sound, but ignored it within a second. Strange
as it was for his pillow to be thumping, the sound was surprisingly lulling and
soon he was delving deeper into more dreams, though they were somewhat
different from what he had dreamt about before. �

�� Draco
stared down at the dark head nestled against his chest and took several slow,
deep breaths. A slender hand lifted into the air and hovered hesitantly above
the slumbering tutor�s dark hair before it curled into a fist and its owner buried
it into the pillow Harry Potter had abandoned in favor of Draco�s deep chest.
The blonde blew out a frustrated breath and turned his face away from the
vision as though it would help when he could feel the warm body plastered over
his front.

�� He�d
managed to bully a key from a footman and had entered Harry�s room just after the
crack of dawn. He would have wanted to avoid pushing around the servants as was
his right because it upset Harry for whatever reason, but Draco wasn�t
particularly happy with Harry either. He�d been locking his doors as of
late�which he had never done at all since taking up his position�and it made
Draco suspicious about the cause for such actions.

�� The
closet was empty, the room didn�t smell of perfume�

�� Or of the kitchens, Draco added with an
inward sneer, thinking of several maids he was sorely tempted to dismiss�

�� and
there was no one under the bed or under the sheets.

�� Except
Harry, of course.

�� Draco
heaved another annoyed sigh, feeling overly hot. Checking under the sheets had
gotten him in his current state to begin with. Staring at Harry�s body and then
clambering under the sheets for some God-forsaken reason to be closer to him hadn�t
exactly been wise. Harry chose that moment to murmur something against Draco�s
chest and the blonde went through a deep internal analysis as to whether or not
his situation was as unfortunate as it seemed.

�� It
was close to a month since Draco had first laid his eyes on a rain-soaked Harry
Potter and their interaction had turned out surprising results. Or so his
father had commented, in any case.

�� Honestly! the blonde thought with slight
derision. He acts as though I never had
such qualities to begin with!

�� The
earl had expressed his delight in Harry�s ability to �handle� Draco on more
than one occasion. It didn�t help that he had expressed such sentiments in front
of Draco more than once.

�� I don�t understand,� Draco said for
the fifth time that hour, lifting his nose haughtily and pushing the book away
like it was a bad meal.

�� Harry sighed, getting up from across
Draco and walking around to pull the book back towards his belligerent pupil.
While they had breezed through algebra Draco seemed to just hate geometry with a passion, which
frustrated Harry to no end given his own strength in the subject.

�� Which part, Draco?� he asked
calmly, resisting the urge to rub his temples as he leaned down to be able to
have a better look. At the book, of course.

Draco felt a thrill of that aggravating feeling as Harry�s chest
pressed against his shoulder and he felt the heat from his tutor�s body begin
to seep into him. Trying to focus on the book, he jabbed his finger at the top
part of the page, where several sample problems were listed along with their
particular solutions.

�I see. Now the trick for understanding this particular set should
bring us back to our last lesson, which you understood quite well. Remember
that...�

But Draco didn�t get past the compliment�and it was a compliment...regardless of the fact that he heard it often
from other people he didn�t count as sincere. Blushing, he resisted the urge to
squirm and fan himself as he felt the rumbling of Harry�s chest by his shoulder
and heard the mild voice by his ear.

�...you see?�

Draco blinked and flushed an even darker shade when he realized that
Harry had turned to look at him expectantly. His face was so close Draco could
see the way his spectacles were sliding down the bridge of his nose and the way
his bright eyes seemed to consider Draco in a most...impertinent manner.

�Don�t look at me like that!� Draco snapped, feeling like an even
larger idiot when Harry simply raised his brows and went on staring at him.

�Again!� Draco hissed, turning away and crossing his arms, staring so
hard at the page of the book they were on that he wouldn�t have been surprised
if it burst into flame.

He felt Harry sigh against his neck and fought the shivers that rode
over his body.

�I knew you weren�t
listening,� Harry said wearily, preparing himself to go over the problems
again.

�� Goodness, boy, you�re wearing Harry
to the bone!�

�� Harry jerked upright and jumped away
from Draco, who in turn jerked around to give his father an angry glare. The
look slid right off of Lucius� predictably pristine countenance and the earl
walked forward to make Harry stand upright�the boy was bowing so low he was
half-afraid he was going to keel forward.

�� Usually this boy would simply have
turned that proud nose up and refused to study,� the earl said warmly, clapping
the young man on the back. �Your touch on him is magical!�

�� Harry flushed, disliking the
feelings that sprang up at the word �touch.� Stammering, he thanked the earl
for his praise but insisted that Draco was a fantastic student and was a joy to
teach.

�� Oh, most undoubtedly,� Lucius
agreed, grinning at his child broadly. �He�s a Malfoy, after all. All he needs
are the right incentives to do well.�

�� Then he left them again, with Draco
fuming and Harry torn between embarrassment and confusion.

��

�� Bloody old man, Draco swore in his mind,
absently raising his hand to stroke Harry�s hair before he caught himself and
smashed his fist back into the pillow. Bloody
peasant.

�� As...bearable...as
it was to simply sit there and be (impertinently) held by his tutor, Draco had
other things in mind. And it really was getting too hot because of their proximity. Swallowing hard, he prepared
himself for the daunting task of waking his tutor.

�� Harry�s
pleasant cocoon of warmth was shifting beneath his hands and he frowned as cool
air slid over him in place of his comforting shelter. Instinctively tightening
his hold, what succeeded in rousing him was his curiosity as he heard a soft
gasp. Moments later something painful clamped down on his shoulder.

�� ...otter!�

�� Hnnnnghhhh?�

�� Draco
struggled wildly, trying to disengage himself from the useless, careless,
insolent fool of a peasant that had his arms wrapped around his middle. It had
been one thing to let the man hold him while he was fast asleep�another thing
entirely to let him wake in the blonde�s arms like some...

�� Nursemaid! Draco filled in desperately,
puritanically eliminating the first word that came to mind.

�� When
Harry actually pulled himself up, his eyes fluttering and failing to focus, he
grabbed onto Draco and yanked him close. Draco�s mind stopped functioning. And
his limbs went rigid.

�� Harry
cuddled his pillow close, pleased that he had managed to regain it from
whomever it was that had attempted to snatch it away. Bleary eyes falling shut
again, it wasn�t until something pierced his side with such violence that all
elements of sleep were blown out of his system.

�� Let�me�go!� Draco screeched, digging
his nails viciously into Harry�s side, resuming his struggle. His heart was
pounding, his ears were ringing, and he realized as he squirmed out of Harry�s
weakened hold that he was desperately afraid. And excited. �

�� Draco?�
Harry rubbed his eyes, disoriented by the pain and the sudden jolt from sleep
to wakefulness, more so by the fact that his student was apparently in his bed.
He sat up slowly, alarm beginning to race through his veins. The boy was
decently dressed, thank God, but it didn�t answer the basic question. He was
already forming conclusions as to what had just transpired and what had caused
him to wake, but Draco�s presence remained unsettlingly questionable. He
decided to ignore what he felt about the fact that he must have had his arms around
his student. It wasn�t his fault, after all. �

�� You�� Draco gasped, his chest heaving
as he attempted to find the words with which he meant to flay the peasant
alive.

�� Oh,
don�t even think about pinning this
on me,� Harry cut in swiftly, his voice losing its roughened texture as he came
fully awake. It was always best to intercept Draco�s tirades before they began.
And Harry had the advantage of the facts. �What are you doing in my bed?�

�� Draco
was predictably thrown by that. Harry reached for his glasses, wanting to see
the blonde�s expressive face clearly as he attempted to find a suitable
response. One that Harry was certain wouldn�t be the truth, but was useful in
that it helped him reach for the reality.

�� Waking
you, of course!� Draco burst out, trying to add some indignation to his words
and only succeeding in sounding embarrassed. �Then you hauled me into bed with
you! My father�s going to have your head for this!�

�� Oh,
I�m certain that�s what really happened,� Harry said calmly. He was more than
accustomed to Draco blaming him for everything. �But the point is that it would
never have taken place if you weren�t in here to begin with. I�m certain I
locked my door. How did you get in?�

�� Draco
flushed as Harry seemed to snip at all the loose ends he�d left hanging. �The
door wasn�t locked. You must have been careless.�

�� Of
course.� Harry nodded, though his eyes held an expression that made Draco
squirm. �And as to why you came barging in at the crack of dawn to wake me...?�

�� You�re
my tutor,� Draco replied with as much force as he could muster. �When I want to
study, isn�t it the case that I should come to you?�

�� Draco,
it�s a Sunday,� Harry said, staring at him incredulously. �Aren�t you supposed
to be at church? Or off doing something else?�
he added pointedly.

�� The
blonde�s soft lips jutted out and Harry felt an uneasiness that heralded he was
wide awake. Part of him anyway. And it was very likely Draco was not letting
him go back to sleep anytime soon.

�� I
want to study,� Draco repeated stubbornly. �I want you to read me Hegel or Kant
or Schleiermacher...�

�� Are
you serious?� Harry demanded incredulously. �And why the sudden fascination
with German philosophers lately?�

�� Because!�
Draco snapped, growing increasingly displeased with the conversation and trying
not to blush. �Just read them to me!�

�� Read
them yourself,� Harry said wearily. �I�ve instructed you in German well enough,
haven�t I?�

�� Yes,
but I�m still not good enough to read them as well as you,� Draco said hastily,
trying to keep the wheedling tone in his voice as covert as possible. He didn�t
like to wheedle anyone, even Harry.

�� Unfortunately
for him, Harry knew the tone from the moment it left Draco�s mouth. After all,
for Draco wheedling equated to demanding, so there was no real difference.

�� We�ll
read them tomorrow,� Harry decided firmly. �When we actually have a meeting
planned.�

�� Draco
flushed, ignoring the barb. �But I want to read them today!�

�� Then
do it on your own time!� Harry groaned impatiently, already lying back down and
turning away from the persistent brat. �Today my time belongs to me, and I�m
going to use it to rest.�

�� Draco
resisted the urge to hit him. He�d planned out his excuse extremely carefully and
it had worked well enough throughout the previous week. After all, wasn�t Harry
happy he was so interested in his
studies? He�d been accommodating enough to read to Draco every night the
previous week because of this. The fact that Draco was still not as well-versed
in German to do his readings by himself had made Harry all the more obliging
and Draco all the more grateful to Hegel, Kant, and Schleiermacher. Before them
there�d been the Greek and Latin texts that Harry had picked out...

�� Draco, why haven�t you read them
yet?� Harry asked his belligerent pupil, who gave the thick volumes of Greek
philosophy and several Latin reads a disdainful look.

�� They�re translations,� the blonde
said snootily, as though �translations� was another word for �garbage.�

�� And so?� Harry prodded, his head throbbing with the promise of another
long headache, despite the fact it was only nine in the morning.

�� Draco looked at him like he was an
unfortunate ignorant. �Well if they�re translations, there�s always a good
chance that some of their original meanings will have been lost in the process.
How am I to truly appreciate these great men�s works that way? Wasn�t it you
who told me this when I asked you why you were looking to learn the language of
the Orient to study...what was his name again?�

�� Confucius,� Harry provided before
giving the irritating brat a hard look, �and that matter is different. These
translations are made by men who are not only well-versed in Greek but are
well-acquainted with the cultural and historical contexts herein. Also, these
works have undergone the scholarly tests given by their peers and have met
their high standards, indicating that they�re not as misleading as you would
think�

�� I�m not convinced,� Draco answered
simply. �What if their peers simply don�t know any better and just nod their
heads so that they don�t appear ignorant?�

�� You�� Harry sighed, holding back
what he had wanted to say. You damn
brat, why do you have to suddenly become so intelligent and discerning?

�� Very well,� he acceded after he had
regained his composure. �Let�s study Greek then, so you can study the works in
their original language.�

�� All right,� the blonde said with weariness
that was almost too obvious. �But I�m still curious because you speak so highly
of them. Won�t you read them to me in advance? If they�re as good as you say,
I�ll want to read them myself.� Which
means I�ll study much harder. Draco left the last part of his sentence
unsaid, knowing that Harry would come to a similar conclusion with him having
to voice it.

�� Harry paused, giving the blonde a
long look. Somehow it felt like Draco was outsmarting him�which was never a
good thing. But then again the boy looked eager to learn more, and wasn�t that
what Lord Malfoy wanted for his son? The actual drive to learn?

�� Harry gave the waiting blonde a warm
smile. �All right. Let�s start with Socrates...�

��

�� The
young aristocrat gave Harry�s back a long look. His patented formula for more
time in his tutor�s company didn�t seem to be working. Perhaps Harry had built
up an immunity? Or did he simply dislike the philosophers Draco had chosen? In
which case...

�� What
if you re-read me Plato then?� Draco suggested, remembering that out of the
three classical Greek philosophers that Harry had marked down as �the basics�,
Plato had been Harry�s clear favorite.

�� No�oooooooooooooo,� Harry yawned. �I�m
tired, Draco. Whatever you want to study, we can study on any other day except
Sunday.�

�� Harry...� Draco tugged at the collar of
the man�s night shirt, trying to make the brunette face him with a yank.

�� Harry
made an annoyed sound, agreeably flopping onto his back, though he didn�t do
much else save give Draco a sharp look before letting his lashes meet.

�� Let�s
study!� Draco repeated, his fingers latching themselves to Harry�s eyelids and
the tender flesh just beneath them, attempting to pry Harry�s eyes open. When
Harry merely batted his hands away Draco grabbed his tutor�s shirt and began to
shake the man.

�� I
want to sleep!� Harry growled with annoyance, batting Draco�s hands away again
and pulling his covers up to his chin and closing his eyes determinedly.

�� Well,
we can study in bed,� Draco said practically, yanking the coverlet from Harry�s
grip and snuggling in next to him.

�� Boy,
you��

�� Harry
hissed as Draco�s warm body pressed up against his and the blonde wiggled in
attempt to get more comfortable. Harry wished he could do the same, but there
was no such thing as comfortable without the �un� when it came to Draco being
anywhere near him, moreover glued to his side.

�� Not
bothering to examine the wisdom of what he was about to do, Harry gripped the
young aristocrat firmly by the shoulder and shoved, sending the boy tumbling
off the bed with a violent curse. There was a mild thump as Draco was cushioned
by the sheets he yanked with him as he fell and then Harry saw the heavy duvet
lift and wiped the smile off his face when he met a pair of blazing gray eyes.

�� You
son of a bitch!� Draco screeched. �How dare you!�

�� Language!�
Harry reprimanded, fighting his increasing nervousness as the blonde crawled
back up on the bed. �And I dare a lot, Draco, considering you dare to intrude
on my quarters on a free day.�

�� Draco
snorted derisively, tempted to remind Harry how much he owed him for all he had
now, but for some reason the words wouldn�t leave his lips. Frustrated, he
flopped down next to Harry again and instead tugged at the older boy�s shirt.

�� Let�s
study,� he insisted quietly, trying a different tack. It was the closest to
pleading he�d ever come in his life and Harry knew that. It was why he always
gave in whenever Draco tried that tactic.

�� Harry
smiled down at his student, relaxing now that the boy didn�t seem homicidal.
Draco truly was very, very clever. He patted the blonde fondly on the head but
lifted his hand away when he saw the boy close his eyes and flush.

�� Awkward.

�� No,
Draco,� Harry said firmly, lying on his back once more.

�� Annoyed
by the way Harry pulled away and by his answer, Draco�s eyes snapped open once
more and he went back to shaking his tutor awake when it appeared that the boy
was falling back to dreaming.

�� Harry!�

�� Harry
simply kept his eyes shut and kept his body boneless as the blonde shook him,
knowing that eventually the boy would get tired and hopefully he�d settle for
sulking and just let Harry sleep.

�� Potter,
I demand you get up immediately!�

�� Harry
burst out laughing at the way Draco abandoned that tactic quickly and went back to being an aristocrat. The boy
always fell back on what he knew when he was clueless as to how to proceed.
Harry opened his eyes to look at the boy, letting him see his amusement.

�� Now,
now, don�t get high-handed with me, Princess,� Harry teased, tweaking Draco�s
nose.

�� Draco
flushed, huffing and turning his back on the aggravating man. It was truly
useless to reason with peasants, they never understood anything.

�� Fine,
let�s sleep then!� Draco groused, crossing his arms over his chest and shutting
his eyes as he fell back upon the bed.

�� Harry
gave the boy�s slender back a long look and fought the urge to groan. This
wasn�t exactly what he�d meant when he�d asked Draco to let him sleep.

�� Er...Draco?�

�� What is it now?!� the blonde snapped,
his body tensing as he flung his tutor a thoroughly annoyed look.

�� This
is...er...this is my bed.�

�� It
was early evening and Rufus Scrimgeour was busy going over his maps. He had
been docked longer than he had planned, but perhaps that was a fortunate thing
given the number of unforeseen storms that had blown in over the past month.
His men had enjoyed being landed and Rufus thought that that was an additional
benefit, given that where they were going next they would probably be at sea
for quite a while indeed.

�� Those
who knew Rufus were well-acquainted primarily with his wealth and the
prominence of his shipping company. He was a very wealthy man and his beneficiaries
were such that while he was on land he was bombarded with ceaseless invitations
to weddings, baptisms, parties, and the like that a month had him practically
frothing at the mouth to be at sea. It would have been well if the invitations
were wholly or at least greatly in part to gratitude or actual fondness, but
Rufus knew that many if not all were endeavors to secure themselves in his good
graces. After all, Rufus was a wealthy man but he still went on reckless,
dangerous adventures and saw to risky, unpredictable trade ventures abroad when
he had perfectly able crews to do all of that for him. He was also not as young
as he was once was, and thus less likely to come back well and in one piece. If
and when he finally sailed past the final horizon, so to speak, they wanted in
on what he would leave behind.

�� Unfortunately
for them, he had written his will a decade earlier and had already set out the
primary recipients of his hard-earned fortune: half to charity and the
remainder to be split up amongst all members of his shipping company. Each man
would likely receive enough to tide them over for five years.

�� His
many beneficiaries were ignorant of this will, of course, as they were about
the fact that more than being an expert tradesman and businessman, Rufus
Scrimgeour was an adventurer and explorer. He had learned long ago that only a
certain sort of person could appreciate living with savages and the wild,
vicious environments they still lived in more than bathing in gold and the rest
of the decadence prevalent in his �civilized� home.

�� Pushing
back the spectacles that threatened to slide off his nose, the captain
straightened and walked over to the door, hoping to speak to his first mate
about the course he had set. He winced when the dull ache in his leg seemed to
deepen into a sudden sharpness and he paused to collect himself, wishing he had
agreed to having a bell pull installed in the captain�s cabin. It simply
reminded him too much of the upper-class houses he�d come to know as he had
grown up and he had been unable to shake the disdain he felt for the act of
�ringing� for a person as one would some sort of pet. Still, when the weather
was harsh and it took tolls on old aches and pains, the idea seemed less
revolting.

�� Captain?�

�� Rufus
blinked, wondering if Someone Up There was listening in to his internal
dialogue and He had decided to put him out of his misery. Smiling at the
timing, he moved back towards his maps.

�� Come
in,� he called back.

�� The
door swung open but Rufus� eyes were already on the maps and he was reaching
for his quill, preparing himself to edit the course he had set upon whatever
discussion was to occur between him and his most trusted.

�� About
this next trip,� he said, still not looking up, �I�m thinking it would be
better to circumvent��

�� Captain.�

�� The
soft, almost hissing voice made Rufus� skin crawl and his eyes snapped up even
as he forced his tense body to uncoil. Slowly righting himself, his sharp gaze
found the figure standing behind his first mate, tall and wreathed in garments
so dark he was almost a shadow by the door.

�� His
first mate was a capable man who had been with him for over two decades and was
the closest thing that Rufus had to a son. He knew his first mate was hardy in
both body and mind and was very difficult to scare, yet now the man�s face was
an ashy white and his eyes were bright with an emotion that the captain
recognized as it whispered into his own heart.

�� Fear.

�� And
anger. Anger with himself because he was afraid, but more importantly anger
with the thing that was standing behind his first mate who was causing such
unwanted feelings to take root. Still, Rufus was wise, and he listened to the
part of him that understood fear was useful. He had to tread carefully.

�� Forgive
me,� he said slowly, willing his voice to read calm. �I was not expecting
guests today and certainly not at this hour. Are we acquainted at all...Sir?�

�� No,
and I do apologize for disturbing you at this time,� the soft voice replied
with equal slowness, as though its owner was also taking great care with his
words, �however my visit simply could not be postponed. I see you are preparing
for another voyage and I will leave you to your preparations after I discuss
with you your previous one. Would you indulge me?�

�� Rufus
didn�t want to have anything to do with the clearly unnatural being that stood
behind his first mate, but instinctively he knew it would not help him to
refuse this creature outright.

�� About
our last voyage, you said?� he clarified, his mind already retracing the exact
route they had taken.

�� Yes.�

�� Again,
despite appearances the captain was an educated man with a good head for
business that had given him wealth and respect in many circles of the various
societies he frequented. It was simply that he preferred to handle transactions
as delicate as the previous voyage�s personally. There was also the simple fact
that he missed the excitement and adventure that came with travel and different
places. Staring at the thin, tall figure cloaked in black, he realized it was a
good thing he had gone. Something told him that had it been someone else this
creature had confronted, this creature would have had the upper hand in
anything that took place. Willing away his apprehension, Rufus vowed that he
would not let that come to pass.

�� You
may go,� Scrimgeour said to his first mate, who wiped his brow and scampered
quickly out of the cabin.

�� It
didn�t unnerve Rufus anymore when the door swung shut of its own accord long
moments after the other man had disappeared. He had sensed from the first
moment he had laid eyes on the thing that he was not dealing with an ordinary
person or any person for that matter. His skin was still crawling and his
muscles were still bunched in tight knots, but he wasn�t flustered by the
creature anymore.

�� Step
into the light, if you please,� he said coolly, �and tell me how I may help
you.�

�� The
figure glided into the warm light of the candles in acquiescence, though the
cheerful yellow projected from the bank on his desk seemed to be absorbed into
the darkness of the creature�s cloak. A pale, wax-like face�what he could see
of it, at any rate�was revealed to him from the eyes up, though even those
seemed inhuman, narrowed into slits so that he could barely make out a gleam
from beneath the lids to indicate that they were open.

�� I
understand that upon docking you immediately dispensed of your cargo,� the
creature began promptly, bringing Rufus� focus to the threatening, hissing
voice once more.

�� Yes,�
Rufus replied calmly. There was no point in lying. �We delivered all cargo that
was addressed and sold the rest.�

�� There
was a beat of silence. �The items I am looking for were encased in a very
distinct crate bearing this seal.� From beneath the cloak a slip of paper
appeared, held in a ghostly hand that seemed too thin and too long.

�� Ignoring
the oddity of the hand, he stared at the detailed sketch of the seal. He
recognized it immediately�it had the same eerie effect of raising the hairs on
the back of his neck as seeing it in reality.

�� Yes,
we picked up that crate in India,�
he recalled, more to himself than the creature. �The ragged old man who brought
it kept saying that the cargo was extremely valuable�he didn�t give an address,
though.�

�� The
goods in that crate were meant for me,� the creature said, drawing Rufus�
attention back to it. The slip of paper disappeared into the ominous black
cloak along with the strange hand. �Unfortunately, my servant did not arrive in
a timely fashion to collect the items. May I inquire as to their whereabouts
now?�

�� Rufus
stared at him, unease crawling from his gut to his chest to his throat.
Something told him that things were not going to end well.

�� I�m
sorry, but we�ve already sold those goods.�

�� A
soft hiss filled the room and the captain felt himself feel another
uncharacteristic beat of fear inside him. Suddenly he felt that perhaps he did
need his first mate inside the cabin with him, or at the very least a few
members of his crew. Though the white, bony hand he had held when he had been
introduced and the same hand he had taken a good look at when it had produced
the piece of paper made him think of an old man, the hooded figure across him felt
anything but weak and helpless.

�� Look,�
he explained, as though prompted by an invisible threat, �the crate was packed
with the rest of the general cargo�which my men wouldn�t have done unless
whoever meant for you to receive it had indicated otherwise. There are
procedures to follow when shipping certain goods, and none were given to my mind.
The contents were sold as general merchandise�most of which has already been
appropriated by other dealers or direct buyers. What can you expect me to do?�

�� Those
books are of great personal value. I wish to find the one who bought them and seek
to purchase them back. Were they all bought by one person only?�

�� Rufus
made the difficult choice of turning his back on the creature to dig for the
sales records he had mandated his men to write. Part of him wished that he
hadn�t been so scrupulous�then his dealings with the creature would be over. On
the other hand, the creature would become even more displeased, and then what
would it do?

�� Well,
it�s listed here that the contents of cargo load 21 were sold to a Mr. H.
Potter. Cargo load 21 is the one you�re looking for, from the way you described
it.�

�� Potter?�
the creature seemed to be attempting to conjure up a familiar face. �What did
he look like?�

�� A
tall, bespectacled young man who was here almost until sundown, haggling with
one of my men so he could buy more...but that�s all I can remember of him.�

�� Did
he mention where he was going?�

�� Scrimgeour
shook his head. �He was in a rush to leave, but not because he wanted to. I had
the feeling that he needed to, and considering the number of books he
purchased, he was very likely a dealer.�

�� Suddenly
he felt an odd prickling on his skin that delved straight into shocking pain
within moments. His vision blurred and all at once he sensed a tightly-leashed
anger that he was apparently being made to sample. But the creature was saying
something and the long white hand was laying a sheet of paper on his desk�

�� you
will call me when you learn something?�

�� Scrimgeour
nodded, fighting the haziness and pain that threatened to overwhelm him.

�� When
the agony subsided, Rufus realized that the creature was gone and his first
mate was standing in the room, a glass of water in his hand.

�� Sir?�
his first mate asked weakly, stepping forward and offering him the glass.

�� Rufus
took a long drink, collecting the bits of himself that had scattered in the
face of the creature�s wrath. He had a vague idea of what his first mate must
have seen when he entered the cabin. Rufus knew that he hadn�t slipped into
unconsciousness. He�d fought that temptation, but the pain had been so
all-consuming�

�� Did
you see it leave?� he asked when he trusted himself to speak without wavering.

�� His
companion shook his head. Somehow, that was not surprising. Finishing the glass
of water, he moved about the cabin, gathering some of his things.

�� You
remember the boy who was haggling with Klaus as though his life depended on it?
Do you remember where he said he was from?�

�� Why,
sir?�

�� Scrimgeour
was still for several moments before he reached abruptly for his coat.

�� I�m
going to see an old friend. Don�t wait up for me.�

�� It
was near midnight when Rufus Scrimgeour brought his horse to a stop in front of
a small, rickety gate. The stone path that sprang up from the moment one opened
that gate led to a small white cottage. Around him flowers bloomed in riotous
disarray, the bright moonlight dancing on their proud petals.

�� The
person he had come to see was someone he had not seen in years. The man treated
him as a friend and even Rufus knew that there was no other word to describe
the pair of them, but the very basis of their friendship was something that
Rufus had never been comfortable with. But it was something he occasionally had
to deal with, and when those occasions arrived he came straight to this man.

�� The
old man who was suddenly standing at the door of the cottage, despite the fact
that the door had never opened. Dressed in dark blue robes that were almost
black in the night time, the old man stood quietly as he approached, the
moonlight flashing over the half-moon spectacles balanced on his nose and the
piercing blue eyes staring through them.

�� Rufus,�
the old man greeted, smiling at him warmly as Rufus neared him. �I must say I
never expected to see you of all people at this hour.�

�� Albus,�
Scrimgeour greeted quietly, stopping a few feet from him. �I have a problem...I
believe I may have put a young man�s life in danger.�

�� Harry
felt a shiver of unease travel down his spine and hastily reached up to smooth
down the raised hairs on his nape. Slowly wheeling around in his seat to look
around his room, he only allowed his muscles to relax when he detected no
threat. The fire crackled cheerily at him and the sounds of Lavender rummaging
around in his closet for the shirt he was very sure had not been returned to him reassured him, dispelling the feeling that
someone had just walked over his grave, as far as the old saying went. He
looked back down at the letter he had been writing to his Uncle, which Lord
Malfoy said he could include in the monthly delivery of payment for Harry�s
debt. He had only been instructed not to reveal anything about where he was or
whom he was working for�a condition which Harry was more than happy to comply
with. He could only imagine what his Uncle would demand if he found out Harry
was employed by arguably the most powerful and wealthy lord of Lord Malfoy�s
rank. A large splotch of ink had landed on his last sentence and Harry sighed, crumpling
it up and tossing it in the waste bin.

�� Suddenly
his door came crashing open and Harry�s chair toppled backwards as he flew to
his feet, his arm thrusting out to point his weapon at the attacker.

�� Draco
gave the quill Harry was brandishing like a sword a quizzical look as he shut
the door, balancing several books on one arm.

�� I
think you take the saying, �The pen is mightier than the sword� far too literally,�
he remarked blandly, walking over to Harry and depositing his books nonchalantly
on Harry�s desk.

�� Harry
stared at Draco, taking in the boy�s voluminous white nightgown and the silky
slippers on his feet. Despite the fact that Draco made it a point to traipse to
Harry�s room and jump in bed with him�

�� Literally, not figuratively, a part of him
clarified nervously�

�� at
any time he pleased, he had never shown up less than decent. Harry felt a great
degree of unease with the fact that underneath that white gown was probably pure,
unadulterated, creamy flesh.

�� He
cleared his throat, mentally shaking himself and giving Draco a hard, assessing
look. The boy was looking at him expectantly, as though Harry had happened to
invite him in for tea and was now being a very poor host.

�� Draco,
what are you doing here?� Harry asked calmly, relieved that his voice wasn�t
shaking with the nervousness he was feeling.

�� True
to form, Draco blinked. �I�m here to study with you, of course,� he answered as
though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

�� Harry
lifted his brows, his eyes darting to the Ormolu clock on the mantel. �At half
past eleven in the evening?�

�� Draco�s
brows snapped together. �Why, is there a problem with that?�

�� Don�t
you get defensive with me,� Harry said with equal sharpness. �I know what
you�re doing and it�s not going to work. You can�t bully me into spending the
night awake with you, so if you want to study than do so by yourself�in your room. We�ll discuss what you�ve
read tomorrow.�

�� Draco
pouted, crossing his arms.

�� Damn peasant, the boy growled inwardly. Think you�re so smart...

�� What
are you doing, anyway?� Draco diverted, picking up the balls of paper that
Harry had discarded.

�� Don�t
touch that!� Harry snapped, his hands shooting out to take what had been very
personal letters.

�� Why?�
Draco sneered, dancing out of Harry�s reach, using the table as a shield. He
began to smooth open one.

�� Harry
propelled himself over the desk, his arms locking around his student. Draco
squeaked, dropping all the letters as he came into contact with his tutor�s
solid chest. Suddenly the stupid balls of paper didn�t matter anymore. Draco
had been determined to find out what Harry was keeping from him�now nothing
seemed more imperative than simply staying put.

�� And
feeling.

�� The
way Harry�s arms felt around him, the way Harry�s heart thundered against his
back, the way Harry�s breath raised the fine hairs on the back of Draco�s
neck...

�� Harry
stared down at Draco, thrown by the lack of resistance. He had been certain
that Draco would fight tooth and nail to read the damn letter, but the moment
Harry had touched him the boy had frozen up. The blonde�s shoulders were
hunched and his head was bowed, his slim frame�trembling?

�� Harry
swallowed, afraid and almost certain that he had crossed some unspeakable line.
The boy still wasn�t moving, wasn�t saying anything�

�� He
realized that in his stupefaction he still had not released his student. Which
was probably why the boy wasn�t moving.

�� Harry, you idiot�

�� He
stepped back, withdrawing his arms hastily. �Draco?�

�� The
boy turned towards him at once, but instead of anger or some sort of fear,
there was an expression on his face that sent a multitude of images flashing
through Harry�s mind. Half had to do with the strangely needy, cloudy look in
Draco�s eyes and the becoming flush suffusing the blonde�s cheeks. The other
half had to do with similar gray eyes and blond hair�belonging to the young
boy�s father.

�� Draco,
go back to your room,� Harry said sternly, unable to avoid being curt when he
felt so unsure and lacking in control.

�� Draco
stared at him, the spell broken. An uncommon hurt began to spread through his
chest and he blinked furiously, trying to understand where it was coming from
if it was present in both his chest and
his eyes.

�� Harry, you idiot, he thought furiously, anger
his ever-ready defense. Why had he come in the first place? Wasn�t it to do
something productive? Why was Harry so determined to cast him aside? Draco
conveniently pushed aside the fact that he hadn�t even looked at the books he�d
dragged from his study room before he�d plopped them down on Harry�s desk.

�� No,�
Draco said stubbornly, crossing his arms.

�� Draco��

�� Harry,
I�ve found it! You silly boy, it must�ve fallen! Why couldn�t you simply look
around on the flo��

�� Lavender
froze in the midst of her laughing reprimand as she caught sight of Draco, who
in turn gave Harry a withering look before he whirled around to pin her with his
piercing, wrathful gaze.

�� Is she
why you won�t study with me?!� Draco demanded, his eyes blazing. Lavender backed
into the closet as though it were a safe zone, holding Harry�s rogue shirt up
like a shield.

�� You�re putting aside my education
so you can dally with a servant?!�

�� You
leave her out of this!� Harry answered, his own voice rising. �Draco, I�m not
putting aside your education! You�re being unreasonable!�

�� The
dull pain was near unbearable now, Harry�s words lancing through the numbness
to bring home the sharp, piercing agony.

�� Oh,
I am, am I?!� Draco picked up the
books he had brought and threw them at his tutor. �Fine�fine�FINE�FINE!!!� When
he�d hurled the last book he spun on his heel and ran.

�� Harry
had dodged the books, promising himself that he�d see to them later. His
immediate concern was the way his student�s voice had seemed to break at the
end of his angry outburst, and the suspicious sheen in the blonde�s eyes right
before he�d turned away.

�� Draco,
wait!�

�� But
Draco was already gone.

Not everyone stated they wanted to be notified for
updates, so not everyone got an e-mail. Still, everyone who reviewed the last
chapter is getting a response! (^^,) I�m so happy with the readers in this
section, because they almost always leave a review. It�s the least I can do to
leave a response. (^^,)

Ulla, thank you so much!!! I�m
so glad that you like it, and I can promise you that more HP characters will be
popping up. (^^,) Lupin will definitely make a cameo, hehe, but I won�t tell
you when. Hopefully you haven�t lost interest in this story because I�ve taken
so bloody long. Kisses! (^^,) DragonStar01,
thank you very much! This isn�t exactly �soon�, but I hope you�ll still love
this story. (^^,) sazzy, thank you
so much! I�d have loved to e-mail you, but you didn�t leave me an e-mail and when
I checked your author panel it was hidden. Sorry! I hope you still get to read
this, though. (^^,) thrnbrooke, here
is Chapter 3 at last! (^^,) Lizz/temperthestorm,
thank you very much! I hope you got my e-mail. And thanks for the insight on
blond vs. blonde! (~.^) Stef/Black
Padfoot, thank you so much! (^^,) Unfortunately, Harry�s a straight-up
Muggle in this one, haha. (^^,) I hope you�ll still love him though�and your
definition of blond vs. blonde really helped me figure things out, so thanks
again! (^^,) And your e-mail�s hidden, too! *pout* I still hope you get to read
this, too. (^^,) bleedingheart, I
hope you haven�t lost faith in me! Thank you so much, and I hope this makes the
wait worthwhile. (^^,) paigeey07,
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! (^^,) Thanks! (^^,) Hihi. (~.^) Lilith, I hope you�re
still with me!!! (^^,) I�ll keep the top a top secret, haha. (~.^) But I�ll
definitely have some of my own imagining to do before I decide. (~.^) celestialuna, thank you! (^^,) Please
still be around. (~.^) Night the Storyteller
and momoko, thank you so much! (^^,) I hope you loved this chapter. (^^,) Roe and Justmine25, I�m glad you liked
it. (^^,) I live to amuse. (~.^) lissagal99,
haha, thanks so much! I�ve updated now. (~.^) And sorry that this isn�t exactly
Christmas�(^^,) I hope you found temporary sustenance while I was away. (~.^)
Unfortunately, I�ve only posted this here so far because ff.net has a problem
with yaoi. But if you leave an e-mail I�d have no trouble sending you a note
when I update. (^^,) Shadowama, thanks
for helping me clear that up! (^^,) Mwah. (~.^) Ritinha, thank you so much! (^^,) Don�t worry, I plan to add a lot
of what you suggested in the next few chapters. (^^,) Kermit, I�m so sorry this didn�t make it on Christmas! Still, I
hope you love it all the same. Thank you! (~.^) nursecare, haha, I�m glad you�ll love me either way. (~.^) Thank
you so much! I hope you�re still with me. (~.^) ravenight, THANK YOU! (^^,) I�m really flattered that you think so.
(~.^) Belhana, thank you so much!
(^^,) Don�t worry, I found a way to accommodate all the other things you
love�in another fic. (~.^) Read the announcement at the end of the chapter.
(^^,) Kink-ter, thank you so much.
(^^,) Your review reminded me that it was better I post a somewhat rushed
chapter than keep you guys hanging. Thank you! (^^,)

ANNOUNCEMENT: I will be posing a new fic
next month again with Harry and Draco. It usually isn�t my policy to post
another story when one isn�t finished, but I�ve had this other one under wraps
so long it�s driving me insane. Please look out for it!

Also, if you would like to receive updates, please
notify me and post your e-mail
address in your review. Most of you have your e-mails hidden, so I don�t know
how to notify you. Thank you very much, and please let me know what you
think�good or bad! I thrive on reviews, so the more you talk to me, the sooner I respond! (^^,)
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