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Ethereal Desire	By : Etherea Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 9460 -:- 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
- 4
- 5
- 6
Ethereal Desire

Author: Etherea.

Rating: T � PG-13
(Slight Sexual connotations and Foul Language; nothing unbearable.)

Disclaimer: Don�t own.
Don�t sue.

Author Note: Thanks so,
so much to Enchant for Beta-ing this chapter after my
many whims and changes. You�re the best, Sweet!

Another Author Note:
Sorry for the lateness, everybody, and thanks so much for your reviews!
This chapter proved to be nearly impossible to write; what with Book 6 coming
out and the consequent blow to my heart (I remain hopeful, though!) On this
note, I want to warn you all that, from now on, this story is even more AU than
it could possibly have been. ED has had a year on the making, and it has been
thought out this way since then, so hopefully you guys will be tolerant about
this: Ethereal Desire won�t change to fit the new cannon, but
will continue to evolve within its own universe. With that said, I would
also like to dedicate this chapter to �the Greatest Wizard of the Age� and to
the �Half-Blood Prince�. No matter what JK says or plans, they were both my
favorites (besides my two beautiful boy toys, of course) and they will always
be.

Draco: Harry, you
realize our relationship is now cannon, love? You�re now officially obsessed
with me! Ether thinks it�s just wonderful! �Adopts innocent look and bats
eyelashes at his boyfriend�

Harry: �Scowls� Don�t get too happy, you brat! It was just a plot device
from JK. �Blinks repeatedly� And I�m not obsessed with
him! �Glares at Etherea, who is now trying to look as
inconspicuous as she can, typing slash scenes at her computer. She fails
miserably and starts chuckling at Harry�s affronted expression�

Harry: Ether! Stop
that! Stop encouraging him!

Etherea: What? I�m not doing anything! �Pouts� And he�s
right, you know. Now I can write as many slash fics
as I want; what with you being obsessed with Draco and all... �Winks at Draco,
who winks back -smiling devilishly- without paying much attention to his
boyfriend�s outrage�

Harry: I. Am. Not. Obsessed. With. Draco! �Hisses, glaring at the two friends laughing in
his face�

Draco: �Sighs as if resigned� Yes, love; whatever you say. Just
remind me that next time you start screaming my name, begging me to keep doing
that thing with my tongue you love all over your...

Harry: Draco!

Draco: I rest my case.
�Smirks smugly�

Etherea: Boys... �Shakes her head, amused, and resumes her writing�

��

Ethereal Desire

Chapter Four

Saved
By the Old Coot

Harry Potter
never imagined he would ever be so glad to see the acidic man that was Severus
Snape. This was certainly one day
full of surprises.

Disappointment:
that was the main emotion Harry was feeling right at the moment. Dra� Malfoy,
Harry realised, hadn�t changed one bit. He was the same arrogant, hideous
bastard he had known for most of his life; worse yet, the same man who hated
him for no given reason, or at least that�s what Harry thought. Three years. It
had been three years since the last time they had laid eyes on each other, but
somehow it felt longer than that. Still, why hadn�t Malfoy gotten over that
stupid enmity between them? For Merlin�s beard, they were supposed to be adults now, not eleven-years-old
pranksters. They didn�t lead antagonist crowds anymore. They were no longer
captains of rival teams. They didn�t have the weight of others� expectations on
their backs any longer. Moreover, the war and its horrors were in the past, and
even though the scars were still there, Harry would have thought all these
years would have helped heal the wounds. Isn�t that what Time is for, anyway?
Doesn�t it make you older, stronger, wiser?

Harry snorted to
himself at his thought. Wiser. Now, that was one thing
he was definitely not being at the
moment.

Perhaps it was
because of the fact that he had wasted so much �time� thinking that his days
were numbered that he found most things irrelevant nowadays. When you�re merely
a boy and you wake up every morning thinking that you could be facing the last
day of your life, your priorities are bound to change. You start giving
significance to things that truly
matter, not trivial issues like school rumours, the next Quidditch match, or
trying to outwit the stupid git that is your school nemesis every time you
cross each other�s path in the corridors. Maybe Malfoy just viewed things
differently. Maybe he was just the type of person who could hold a grudge for a
decade; literally. Nevertheless, even when Harry didn�t understand what was
going on in Malfoy�s mind, the murderous glare and the wand tip currently
pressed against his chest were sending a clear message: Draco still loathed
him, and with a vengeance.

Yes, he felt
like quite the idiot at the moment. Here he was, trying his best to stop
himself from jumping on the undeniably beautiful man in front of him, whilst it
was rather obvious the Slytherin only felt tempted to slit his throat and dump
his lifeless body in the Forbidden
Forest. Figures it could
only happen to him: to feel so incredibly attracted to the one man in the whole
world who simply couldn�t stand him. But what else could he have expected? What
was it he wanted anyway? Would he have preferred to have Malfoy reciprocating
whatever it was Harry was feeling towards him? Wouldn�t that just make his life
even more complicated? Wasn�t it just not
worth it? There were other things, important things, in Harry�s life now.
Things that truly mattered: his
fianc�, for instance; the family that had taken him as one of their own; his
career; his future... Hell! Hadn�t he made a promise to himself just last
night; that he wouldn�t permit his stupid thoughts and dreams to take those
things away from him? Well, Malfoy, and
whatever Harry was feeling for him, were amongst the �Don�t Even Think about
It� list; right on top, actually.

However, Harry
was trying desperately to forget the fact that he was still pinned against the
tiled wall of a bathroom by his -armed- childhood archenemy and that he hadn�t
lifted a finger to remedy that, just as he was trying with all his might to
forget that he didn�t mind at all, that he didn�t feel one bit threatened, that
he was actually enjoying it; that
Ginny, his career, and his future were the last things that mattered to him
right now, and that it was all because of Draco�s bottomless grey eyes, and
Draco�s tempting cerise lips, and Draco�s firm, assertive touch all over him,
and� well, just Draco in his entirety. He had nearly forgotten that he was not
alone with the Slytherin anymore when a sound came from somewhere next to him
and it brought him back to his senses, or what was left of them anyway.

Severus Snape
stood by the now closed door of the bathroom; his onyx eyes appearing as mere
slits of black and his thin mouth set in a jagged line of gritted teeth. There
were a few dots of perspiration on his brow and over his upper lip, and his
breathing was somewhat ragged, which betrayed the fact that he had run all the
way there. The deadly glare didn�t seem to have any recipient in particular,
for it kept darting to each one of the two young men standing not five meters
from the tip of his readied wand. Draco, to his merit, appeared quite blas�;
his hold on the Gryffindor not loosening one inch; although he did seem a bit
annoyed by the interruption.

�Draco, I said step back,�
the Potions Master said in a low, warning voice. �You don�t want me to make you
do as I say.�

Draco�s eyes
remained locked with the emerald gaze in front of him, not turning to address
his godfather. �This is none of your concern, Severus. Potter and I are merely
solving a disagreement.� His voice was cold and unwavering, and he pushed
closer against the Gryffindor - if that was even possible- to convey his point,
his face set in his trademark scowl.

�Draco�� the
Potions Master warned once more; his wand clutched tightly and steady in his
hand.

�As I already
said, Severus, don�t bother yourself. You may leave us
now.� Draco�s tone turned patronizing, and his godfather didn�t seem to like
the affront one bit.

�Step back, I
said!� the Potions Master bellowed, and with it, a pale blue ray dashed from
his wand, hitting Draco�s with astounding aim and sending the wooden stick
crashing against the wall. It fell onto the floor with a resounding clatter.
The blonde�s eyes widened with both surprise and anger. He released his hold on
Harry with a harsh push and turned swiftly towards his godfather, visibly
fuming.

Harry�s shock at
his former professor�s actions made him ignore the intense bolt of pain he felt
when his head made hard contact with the wall. If anything, he would have
expected the obscure wizard to join his godson in the impromptu party. Not that
he minded his sudden appearance, actually; even though he loathed admitting it,
he doubted his self-control would have lasted much longer, and acting on his
most basic �albeit completely unwelcome, honestly!-
instincts would have surely warranted nothing short of Avada Kedavra from the
incensed Slytherin; although it would have been absolutely worth it if at least
it meant he had had one chance to taste those succulent, cherry lips of his�

Oh, bloody Hell! That�s it! I�ve lost it, he growled to himself as he let himself slide onto the floor
against the wall, rubbing his eyes under his glasses.

�What the fuck
is your problem!?� Malfoy�s face was contorted with rage as he lashed out at
his godfather, who merely looked at him with a devious, knowing smirk on his
face. �Since when did you start defending this git? He hexed me, goddamn it! I won�t let him get away with it!� That
particular word caused the emerald-eyed wizard to react. He jumped up from his
spot on the floor, looking as miffed as he could manage.

�I did nothing
of the sort!� he retorted heatedly. �What is the matter with you, Malfoy? Did
you spend too much time in the Mediterranean sun? You are surely
hallucinating!� Draco turned once again to the Gryffindor and Harry could have
sworn there was smoke coming out of his ears; the blond seemed ready to knock
him out with his bare hands. Severus Snape�s pitch-black eyes darted from one
wizard to the other, perplexed, before he spoke again.

�Stop it, both
of you!� he spat, this time placing himself between the two raving wizards. His
feral glare rested on the Gryffindor. �Potter, leave now before I regret saving
that piteously wasted skull of yours,� he said in that condescending, caustic
tone he seemed to reserve especially for the raven-haired hero. Of course, even
though the obscure wizard had given Harry the chance for the quiet exit he knew
he should have been wishing for the
moment he saw Draco Malfoy broken and vulnerable on the bathroom floor, Harry
couldn�t bring himself to leave, and not only because it meant he would be
doing the Potions Master�s bidding; he was quite intrigued, now. What had Draco
been talking about? Hexed him? Harry
knew he had to get to the bottom of it.

�I�m sorry, Mr.
Snape, but I�m afraid that won�t be possible,� Harry said firmly,
accentuating Severus� last name so the git would remember he was not his
student anymore, and also because he was plain sick of the Potions Master�s
condescending attitude towards him. �As the Auror in charge of this case�s
investigations, I�m in charge of Mr. Malfoy�s vigilance as well. You must
understand that due to present circumstances I just can�t allow him free reign.
It would hardly be very professional of me,� he added with a satisfied smile
that could very well have been a smirk when he noticed Snape�s darkening
features. �Also, Mr. Malfoy here just attacked my person, a Ministry Officer.
That alone is enough reason to put him behind bars,� Harry finished
matter-of-factly, trying to suppress his laughter. The look on Malfoy�s face
was enough for him to keep up the charade, Harry realized with a wave of
satisfaction. The blond was totally livid; his otherwise impassive, patrician
features were set in a contorted scowl of indignation, and the slight pink of
his tanned complexion didn�t hide the angered tinge on his cheeks and neck. Not
mentioning, of course, that he kept opening and closing his mouth in complete outrage,
seemingly lost for words; which was probably a first for the young Malfoy.

He looked
absolutely ravishing.

�You... you...�
Draco seethed as he glared poisoned daggers at the Gryffindor.

�I what, Malfoy?� Harry crossed his
arms over his chest; a cheeky smile on his face. �I�d watch my mouth if
I were you.� Harry realized in that exact moment, when Draco�s upper lip
started quivering in his overruling wrath, how much he had missed this game of
theirs; how much he had missed.... well, yes; Draco Malfoy.

The blond was
about to retort �and quite caustically for that matter- when Snape stepped in.
�Pardon my godson�s actions, Potter. You must understand that Mr. Malfoy is
under a lot of... stress,� he said, for once sidestepping his disgust
for the wizard in favour of some �rather necessary- diplomacy and trying to
silence his godson�s undoubtedly immaterial comments with a quick glare in his
direction. �I completely understand your distrust, but I assure you, your extra
precautions won�t be necessary. I hold myself responsible for any unwanted
situation should there be any, which I highly doubt. Now, if you�ll excuse us,�
the Potions Master took a step forward towards Harry, his face set in a hard
scowl and his wand pointing at the door, �but I need to discuss some matters
with my godson. Surely a defendant is allowed some privacy with his
counsellor?�

Harry didn�t
appreciate the dark wizard�s intimidating tactics one bit, so he stood
straighter, facing the now too-close-for-his-comfort Potions Master
confidently.

�You�re quite
right, Mr. Snape, but your godson just accused me of hexing him. He�s claiming
a serious offence; the fact that I�m an Auror only makes it even more serious,
and I simply refuse to leave until he explains the grounds on which he is
basing his accusations.�

�How typical of you,� the blond spat
viciously all of the sudden, ignoring his godfather�s poisonous glare, �to use
your position as leverage. Is that how you get everything you want, Potter? Using the pitiful slack of power and fame you have
to sidestep your responsibilities and the accountability of your actions?�

Now, that was low, Harry thought as his anger flared. No, that
was rich coming from the same lad who led the Inquisitorial Squad in fifth
year! Did Malfoy just hint he was a despot? When, for Merlin�s beard, had he abused his position for
his own gain? Never! Not once, not ever! How could he say something like that!?
How... how... how dared he!?

�You will take
that back, Malfoy,� Harry said lowly as his wand also appeared from his robe
pocket and was held firmly in front of him. The blond just smirked maliciously.

�Did I just hit
a nerve, Potter? You know what they say: If the cap fits...� Draco�s sentence
and whatever retort Harry was planning to make were cut short by Severus� roar.

�Enough is enough!
Draco, do shut up!� he said,
directing his godson with a petrifying look that nearly smacked him backwards
before turning to a somewhat gobsmacked Harry Potter. �And you better lower
that wand and get out of this bathroom this instant, Potter, or I�ll be more
than pleased to file a complaint on your unwarranted behaviour to your Head of
Department!� Snape�s black eyes weighed down on him, but he stood his ground
firmly.

�You can file
all the complaints you want, Snape. For all I know, I was just doing my job
when Malfoy attacked me for no given reason, and not only that, but he also
made unfounded allegations against me,� he seethed.

�Then remind me
when it was appointed to you to follow my charge and invade his privacy.
If I�m not mistaken, that�s called harassment,� the Potions Master said lowly;
his voice in the subzero spectrum and his face set in a knowing smirk.

Harry blinked
repeatedly, feeling his bravado deflate like a pinched balloon as cold
lightning ran across his stomach.

Surely Snape
wouldn�t say he had come looking for Draco without orders? Surely he wouldn�t
expose him like that?

Damn the
bastard!

�Well, Potter?� Severus prompted, and
noticing the hesitation in Harry�s eyes he was unable to suppress a wide,
twisted smile of triumph. That�d teach the insolent fool not to cross him.

�You have five
minutes,� Harry finally said, seething, after a short, defiant silence before
pocketing his wand and walking straight-backed to the door. He waited until
Snape removed the locking and silencing charms he had placed, and then opened
it slowly, mindful of the group of reporters standing outside. The sight of the
fevered flashes and the assault of questions made his stomach do an unpleasant
turn. As he stepped carefully outside and heard some of the journalists�
comments �which were all along the lines of �Draco Malfoy and the
Boy-Who-Lived: locked together in a bathroom�, he closed the door swiftly
behind him and started down the crowded hallway, not smiling at the cameras and
not responding to the devious questions, but wondering how the hell he was
going to explain all of this to Ginny once she read the evening paper.

��

�What in Hades�
name was that all about? Why did you take it out on me!?�

Draco lashed at
his godfather the moment he saw the door closing behind Harry Potter. Severus
was busy placing new charms, and by the look on his face he was not... pleased.
He turned to his godson after he had finished; wand stored and arms crossed.

�You nearly
attacked Harry Potter, who was unarmed, whilst in the middle of judicial
procedures. I thought you were a clever man.� Draco gave his godfather his most
infamous scowl.

�So I can�t even
defend myself, now!? He was the one who did something wrong!� he yelled,
outraged.

�I don�t see why
you would have fallen for it,� Severus drawled. �Like I said, I thought you
were a clever man.�

�If I nearly
hexed him �thanks to you- it�s because he did it first! He cursed me somehow! I
don�t know exactly what hex he used; it was... well, is some sort of
emotion-mixer, but I�m sure I can figure it out. I could go to St. Mungo�s and
have the personnel do some tests, confirm it. I won�t let Harry Potter get away
with this! He�s done enough, and I�m fucking tired of him always screwing up my
life! I don�t give a damn if he is the bloody saviour of the Wizarding World!
I�ll make him pay for this! I will...�

�Are you even
listening to yourself?� Severus cut in, his onyx eyes narrowed. �If there�s any
curse inflicted upon you it is the curse of voluntary stupidity, apparently,�
the older wizard sneered. He leaned casually against the sink counter. �What is
it you say you felt?�

The blond merely
looked at him, his face set in an astonished grimace.

�I don�t think
that�s any of your business, if you are so reluctant to believe me,� Draco said
at last, crossing his arms in a dignified manner and leaning against the same
wall he had Potter cornered against moments ago. Severus suppressed the urge to
roll his eyes and sigh in irritation.

�I�m not saying
that I don�t believe you. I just want to know what could have possibly happened
to make you think you were hexed,� he said between clenched teeth. Draco looked
uncertain for a second, but relented to his own curiosity. He didn�t understand
what had happened to him, so maybe the two-faced bastard he had for a godfather
could enlighten him.

Oh, yes. If he
had been mad at Severus Snape before, now he was furious!

�I... really
don�t know,� he started; cantankerous and not minding that he was showing his
full annoyance. �I just... looked at him and suddenly I started feeling all of
these... emotions or something, and then I had these visions...�

�Visions?�
his godfather asked, appearing to be quite intrigued. �What did you see?�

�Well,� the
blond blushed and nearly lowered his gaze. �I don�t know. They were like visions, but they weren�t
real. I mean, I surely don�t think I�ll ever be as fucked-up in the head enough
to kiss Potter!� Severus stared at him with unreadable eyes, which made him
feel somewhat uneasy. Draco couldn�t help but hate his godfather�s enigmatic
nature sometimes; not when he knew that it was something related to him which
was shrouded in mystery.

�What about
those emotions you mentioned?� Severus asked. It seemed his irritation had
abated somewhat. Draco wanted to punch the wall. What was it with all these
questions? Hadn�t he made it all clear already?

�I don�t know!�
he said, exasperated. �I just started feeling this� sadness; it was complete
misery! I felt like I had been hurt. Emotionally hurt. And when I was having
those... visions, I felt... well, I felt everything, as if I was really
experiencing them,� he finished lamely, put out by his sudden lack of
eloquence.

�And you�re
absolutely, positively sure it happened the instant
you saw Harry Potter?� Severus asked; that strange, pensive expression still
plastered on his pale face.

�Have you
been listening to me?! I told you, it was Harry Potter! Why else would I be
having visions of him, of all people!? He was the one who hexed me!�

Draco was
completely taken aback when he stopped his rambling to notice that his godfather
had started chuckling. Chuckling, for Salazar�s beard!

�Are you mocking
me?� Draco hissed, fists closed at his sides, mercury
eyes narrowed into mere slits, and blond locks falling over his face. Severus
looked at his godson�s �intimidating� pose and merely shook his head, looking
for all he was worth as if he was having a great time at his godson�s expense.
Draco was about to snap something very offensive, no doubt, when his godfather
rose a hand for silence.

�Why would Harry
Potter hex you, Draco?� The blond seethed.

�Because he hates me? Because he has always hated me? Why would I know, anyway?
How can I know what�s going on in that twisted, scarred head of his?!� The
moment those words left his lips, he suddenly remembered noticing that Potter
didn�t have a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead anymore� but that was
highly irrelevant. Severus chuckled
softly once more.

�And apparently, you are not using that pretty head of yours,� he said with a patronizing
smile.

Draco stared at
him, mouth agape, as if he had just been hit.

Of all the cheek
in the world!

�And now you�re
calling me thick!?� he snapped; his frozen eyes locked with those of his
godfather.

�I never said
you were, nor have I ever thought so, but I might start believing otherwise for
you�re certainly acting as thick as you could possibly be,� Severus retorted
superciliously. �You�re not putting matters in perspective; you�re not looking
from the right angles. I thought that was one of your finer traits?� he added
with a raised eyebrow.

What the hell
was he talking about?!

�I�m not
completely sure I understand what you�re saying, Severus. My hypotheses are
confirmed: Senility has finally caught up with you,� Draco said icily.
His godfather laughed, ignoring the cheeky remark, which only aggravated Draco
even more. If there was one thing he hated the most in the whole world, it was
being treated like a helpless, foolish child, and somehow his godfather had the
annoying tendency to do just that whenever he could.

�No, Draco. It�s
you who isn�t acting sensibly, but I guess it�s understandable,� he said, and
Draco noticed a spark of amusement shining in his black eyes. It puzzled Draco
no end.

�You�ll see it
in its due time; when you�re ready to face the truth.� He moved towards the
door under Draco�s perplexed glare and started removing the charms without
another word.

�What truth?�
the blond asked between grit teeth, mostly out of habit, as a strange, tickling
sensation in his stomach started spreading up his spine, leaving goose bumps in
its wake. Severus looked at him, smirking.

�The truth
you�ve been waiting for all this time, Draco. The truth that will change your
life forever... if it hasn�t already,� he said cryptically, his pale face now
stern.

Severus was
about to say something else, but seemed to changed his mind. Instead, he
adopted his trademark snarling expression and said in a disgusted tone, �I will
take care of those damn reporters. You wait here a moment until I signal the
way is cleared.� With that, he opened the door and stepped outside; a sudden
burst of flashes and movement greeting him just as he closed the door behind
him.

Draco found
himself alone in the bathroom, feeling claustrophobic all of the sudden. Cold
dread running freely through him, he stared in disbelief at the closed door,
for once utterly quiet.

��

Ron Weasley
glared at his best friend and soon-to-be brother in law as the raven-haired
wizard finally took his seat next to him after his rather unorthodox
intervention at the witness box. The hearing had resumed ten minutes ago, but
not without incidents. Apart from the sudden disappearance of the young Auror
after Malfoy�s supposed indisposition and subsequent break in the procedures
�which apparently the emerald-eyed wizard didn�t care to clarify as of yet-
Harry had come back to the courtroom quite dishevelled and in a foul mood. He
had just sat there, looking pensive and irritated, not answering any of Ron�s
questions about his whereabouts. Then, the obnoxious defendant had finally
showed up, accompanied by his equally irritating godfather, and Ron noticed
that Harry didn�t seem to be able to do anything other than stare at his
annoying person the whole time. The blond, for his part, appeared almost, if
not completely, upset about something, and Ron had caught him stealing furtive
glances at his best mate, looking for all he was worth as if he was...
constipated. Yes, that would be the word.

Next, once the
hearing had started again, strange comments started raining down from the media
box; stuff about a �mid-hearing bathroom rendezvous� in between Harry�s and
Malfoy�s names that certainly didn�t do shite to alleviate Ron�s discomfort. To
top it all off, Harry finished his intervention by acting very rudely towards
Luton -who was practically royalty in the Department- stating that �the Auror
Force had found nothing against Malfoy�, that that was all the git (that would be,
the prosecutor himself) needed to know, and that if he was allowed to state his
personal opinion, the whole hearing was a complete fiasco. With that, Harry had
left the witness box without waiting for a dismissal -signalling the end of the
witnesses� declarations- and Ron had practically dreaded that his best friend
would give the one-fingered salute to the cameras just to wrap it all up. Thank
Merlin that didn�t cross the Golden Boy�s mind; it would have certainly made a
statement, alright. Still, to say that Ron, Seamus, and Angelina were
completely outraged was the understatement of the year.

�Are you happy
now, mate?� Ron said between clenched teeth, his freckles practically invisible
in his anger. Harry merely scowled at him and resumed his �supposedly
inconspicuous- staring at Malfoy, who now seemed even more constipated than
before, in Ron�s opinion. Or maybe that�s just the way the git always looked;
to him, at least.

�What the hell
was all that about, Potter?� Angelina hissed. �Do you realise you just made a
fool of yourself; of the whole department for that matter?!� Harry turned to
look at her, his scowl deepening.

�If saying the
truth translates into acting like a fool, then by all means, I am proud to be
one. I�m sick and tired of Luton twisting this
whole thing to his advantage, and I�m sick and tired of you guys siding with
that prick,� he said firmly, his whispers turning louder with each word.
Angelina narrowed her dark eyes at him.

�That is
insubordination, Potter! And Luton is merely
doing his job!�

�No, he�s not!�
Harry spat. �He�s playing with an innocent man�s life, tricking everybody into
thinking what he wants them to think, and I don�t plan to just sit back and let
him do it if I have any say in the matter!�

By now, some of
the attendees and journalists sitting around the Auror group were turning to
listen at the commotion taking place next to them. Ron looked up and saw Malfoy
staring at Harry, and couldn�t help but feel his anger flare even more.

�It was that git,
wasn�t it!?� he snapped lowly; his face contorted with rage and his whispers
hoarse as the need for subtlety forbade him to yell like he wanted to. �Malfoy
hexed you into this! He placed you under Imperio to make you defend him! He�s
using you!�

�What?!� This time Harry did
yell, eliciting a tidal wave of murmurs and exclamations all over the courtroom
and interrupting the quiet debating taking place at the presidium. Soon enough the rusty �Order!�s started once again, and the sounds of gavel hitting wood
were completely overtaken by the buzz and fuzz going on inside the tribunal.
Harry, to his merit, didn�t pay one ounce of attention to it all, but he did
lower his voice. �What the fuck are you talking about? He did not! Does
somebody have to be under Imperio to do the right thing? Are you saying that
the fact that I�m vouching for justice means that I�ve been hexed? Even if
Draco had tried to place me under Imperio, did you forget I can fight it off as
easily as I can perform a Wronsky Feint?� Harry spat,
noticing just a bit too late that he had said Malfoy�s given name out loud, not
to mention the look of utter astonishment on his best friend�s face...

He blanched as
realisation dawned.

Oh, Gods! Could
it be? Could it all be just a spell or a curse or something? Had Malfoy hexed him
somehow, and that whole act the blond had pulled in the bathroom was just a
trick, a trap to get him to help Malfoy out of this mess?

Had he been
tricked into another of Malfoy�s games?

�Order! Order! Order!� the old wizard
at the presidium roared, looking like he was on the verge of having cardiac
arrest. �I�ll say this one more time, and it will be the last: this is a tribunal,
not a Quidditch match! Another interruption and I�ll call for a mistrial. Is
that understood?� the Wizengamot warlock said firmly, and his stern expression
conveyed that he really wasn�t expecting a response. By some strange miracle of
the Providence,
silence reigned once again; although muffled whispering could still be heard
from the media box.

�Now, before I
lose the little bit of patience I have left, I call for the defendant to the
box for his declaration,� the wizard said hastily. Malfoy appeared to have been
expecting this moment. His face set once again in an impassive mask, he exchanged
a few words with his godfather, stood up gracefully from his chair, and walked
towards the witness box, confident and poised as the Malfoy he was, and not
letting show an ounce of the inner turmoil eating at his insides.

��

Draco
stood up in front of the guard, and subjected himself to the oath and the
golden wand procedure. Once the guard was done, he took his seat at the box,
but he could still feel the wary eye of the officer on him, which annoyed Draco
to no end. What did the moron think he�d do? Jump out of the box, blast a hole
through the wall, escape out of a fully-guarded building, and actually make it
to the next apparition spot unscathed? Bloody git.

It was a strange
feeling, being �for once- the focal point of every pair of eyes in a room where
Harry Potter was also present. Draco felt the little hairs standing at the back
of his neck, and decided that he didn�t like the attention, not only because
every face in the room appeared to have been sculpted into a nasty glare or a
disgusted grimace; there was his godfather at the defendant box, staring at him
as if expecting he�d do something stupid, and there was... Potter; Potter and
that annoying, worried expression plastered on his face. If the git thought
Draco would thank him for that little performance of his five minutes ago, he
was completely mistaken. Although, Draco did thoroughly enjoy the Pig�s face
when Harry called him a git!

Wait a
second... Did I just say...? Did I just called Potter �Harry� and not drop dead
in the process?

And there
it was again, the cold dread and mortification his own thoughts elicited, and
the memory of his godfather�s words echoing in his mind: �The truth you�ve
been waiting for all this time...�

Truth.
The word that had had so many different meanings throughout his life; the one
word he feared with all his being. Draco had learned in his short existence
that the truth is not always one and the same; it�s variable and customizable,
according to people�s needs. And there are many types of truths: half truths,
shadow-truths, apparent-truths, and truths that just� are; the �ethereal�
truths, as he called them; the truths you can�t prove, refute, or understand;
the ones that just exist because it�s intrinsically mandatory, like the air;
you can�t deny them or you�d be denying yourself.

Those were the truths Draco had never known.

His life
as a pureblood wizard, as the Malfoy Heir, had been an apparent-truth. He had thought
it real, solid and unshakable, until one trivial turn of Fate revealed it for
what it truly was: a well-constructed lie. His work as a spy, on the other
hand, could be deemed as a half truth: even with all the �good� he had
supposedly done, his actions had lacked conviction, had lacked the purpose of a
truly felt ideal; he had done it all for the wrong reasons -maybe he even
hadn�t had any reasons at all- so he could not call himself a �true� hero, even
when others might think otherwise, should they know �the truth�. Shadow-truths
had been a part of his life since he was a child, as he had been trained to
conceal his real thoughts and emotions under carefully-crafted facades, showing the world only what he
wanted them to see: a shadow of himself; an illusion that was too perfect to be
false, conceived to confuse and dissuade, to keep others at bay; to lie, to
cheat, to take advantage of every situation. Shadow-truths were the tricky
ones, but he had mastered the art, as every Malfoy was supposed to.

And then,
there was �the truth� of his life; a truth so delicate, so fragile, Draco
sometimes wondered if it was true at all; if somehow he hadn�t lost his mind
with so much hoping, with so much wishing it was real. He had a Soul Mate; someone who completed him in every aspect, someone
who was meant for him and him alone� or at least, that was what Animus Salutor
was supposed to mean. He didn�t know why it had happened to him of all people,
or what he had done to deserve it. Yes. Years and years of cold, objective
reasoning always seemed to get in the way, and even when he knew the
�irrefutable facts�, he was sometimes adamant to accept the �truth�; because,
let�s face it, it is damn-right scary believing in such a subtle thing as Love.

And it
was precisely that, Love, the truth
�he�d been waiting for all this time�. The �ethereal truth� of his life; the
one truth that was unchangeable, unavoidable, and undeniable; the only thing he
had ever wanted in his world of shadow-truths and half-lies; that something
real, precious; that something that would give his life some meaning, true meaning. The
truth that had become the greatest wish of his heart. But he had to
admit, he was scared of that truth; scared he would be inadequate, scared he
wasn�t worthy, scared it would turn out to be just another lie like so many
things in his life� so he refused to call it an ethereal truth as of yet. For
the moment, it was just his� ethereal desire.

Still,
was he closer to that truth than he realised?

�Mr. Luton, you
may start your questioning.�

Draco was
brought back to reality, and the next thing he knew, the repulsive man
�baptized as �the Pig� in his head- was now right in front of him; his chubby
arm placed in the balustrade and his greasy face scowling at him. It was in
times like these when Draco seriously reconsidered the fact that he was gay.

�Mr. Malfoy, so
we are face to face at last,� the Pig ventured with a grotesque smile that
showed his yellow teeth in all of their� disgrace. The blond
merely scowled, disgusted, and Luton�s smile
widened in a mocking sort of way. �Even when our dearest Saviour, Mr.
Harry Potter, has so vehemently told us that his team at the Auror Department couldn�t
find any evidence against you, there are a few matters we�d like for you to clarify
for us.� He paused for effect, leaning against the box. �Will you please tell
us of your activities during the war?� he said hastily, taking Draco a bit by
surprise. He hadn�t thought the man would jump to the climax so fast!

�What about
them?� he retorted haughtily, trying to gain some time to adjust his mind-frame
and rethink his strategy. Luton nearly
laughed.

�What about
them, he asks!� he guffawed to the audience, and people would have laughed with
him if it hadn�t been for the look on the Wizengamot wizard�s face and the
suddenly raised gavel in his hand. �How about, what were they, exactly?�
the Pig actually purred, and Draco
was suddenly scared he�d choke on his own vomit.

�I was a regular
student at Hogwarts
School during that time,
so you may say that my �activities� were of the academic type,� he responded
easily, gesturing casually with his hands. The Pig narrowed his eyes at the
blonde�s cheek.

�So, are you
trying to convince us that you were just a �regular� student in a world at war,
that you never participated in any of it by any means whatsoever, even when
your whole family was involved with the Dark Side?� he asked lowly.

�Not everyone in
my family was involved with the Dark Side, Mr. Luton,� Draco retorted smartly,
�but other than that, yes, I believe I am.�

It was too much.
The audience exploded in whispers. �Order!� the warlock yelled, but he didn�t
use the gavel, nor he called for a mistrial. Draco loved the outraged
expression on the Pig�s face, but his satisfaction was half-felt as he started
getting a strange itch on his face, as if dozens of tiny ants were running over
his nose and cheeks, but he suppressed the urge to scratch; it would be
completely undignified of him to do so in front of people.

Luton breathed in a couple of
times before he continued. �Ok, Mr. Malfoy, let�s change the line of
questioning. What about your three-years vacation in Greece? You were living in the
region of Macedonia,
weren�t you? To be more specific, in a Muggle area called �Naousa�. Why would
you live amongst Muggles, when there is such a large magical community just in
the outskirts of Athens?�
he asked, hissing, and looking intently at Draco.

�My mother�s
grandmother, Saldivia Rosier, owned a small vineyard
in the area, which my mother inherited. The property had remained abandoned for
several years, and she thought it would be a nice idea if I went there and
re-established it. She wanted me to live on my own, to learn to be independent,
so to speak. It wasn�t as if we had the same luxuries and riches anymore, and
as I knew it would be quite hard for me to make a proper living here in England
due to my surname, I accepted,� Draco said a little too harshly, mostly
irritated at the now impossible-to-ignore itching on his face, and trying hard
not to relent to the scratching urges.

�So you�re
saying you were not actually running away?� Luton
said flatly, his eyes weighing on Draco.

�Why would I?
It�s not like I had something to hide! So what if I lived three years in a Muggle
area? It�s not like we�re not always surrounded by Muggles anyway!� he spat,
ignoring the outrage in the courtroom. Oh, that awful itch! Draco was sure his
hands must be shaking under the table! Gods! Was he having an allergic reaction
or something? Worse yet, was it Potter�s hex doing it? He chanced a look at the
aforementioned idiot, and the git was shaking his head at him, as if
incredulous, his eyes as wide as saucers. Draco merely narrowed his eyes at him
with contempt. What the fuck was that all about? Oh! Bloody itch!

Would he look
incredibly plebeian if he scratched his nose... just a little bit?

�Ok. You were
not running away, but we have proofs that you didn�t use magic during all those
years. Was it so we couldn�t trace you; so we couldn�t know where you were?� Luton asked in his feminine tone, the signs of a
satisfied smile appearing at the corners of his lips as he watched the
defendant carefully. Draco looked at Luton
sharply, his brow gleaming with perspiration.

�I just fancied
a sabbatical from the Wizarding World,� he hissed. The itching was almost
unbearable, and his thoughts were starting to mingle together in his
desperation. Every pore on his face felt as if it was alive, tickling and
churning and demanding attention. He couldn�t stand it any longer. He had to do
it. He just...

�Oh, bloody
Hell!� Draco suddenly yelled, and his hands were all over his flushed face in a
flash, scratching and scraping to make that horrible sensation go away. He
scratched and scratched until it hurt, until he was sure he�d drawn blood, but
at least the itch was gone. Relieved and breathing deeply with satisfaction, he
finally looked up to the courtroom.

The first thing
he noticed was Luton�s triumphant, flamboyant
smile. That annoyed him. The second thing he noticed was the deadly silence,
and the astonished faces in front of him. That confused him. The third thing he
noticed was Severus� scowl and his hand pressed against his face in a �I-knew-this-would-happen� pose. That irritated him. The
fourth thing he noticed �and he didn�t care to wonder why he had looked in that
direction in the first place- was the look of utter horror and disappointment
on Potter�s face. That... scared him. And the last thing he noticed was the
guards standing right beside him, wands out and apparently ready to apprehend
him. That did it!

�What the...� He
didn�t finish his sentence.

�Mr. Malfoy, you
are under arrest for lying under oath in a judicial procedure. You will be held
in Azkaban Prison for interrogation under Veritaserum until your sentence is
decided according to our findings,� the Wizengamot wizard said in a slow,
despondent voice.

What? He didn�t
lie! Well, not much anyway! Not about what mattered! What was going on? What..?

�No! Wait a
minute! I didn�t lie!� Draco said, hating his own voice for sounding so shaky.
As if on cue, Luton appeared from nowhere and held a mirror to his face, and
Draco saw with complete bewilderment that the word �Perjurer� was written all
over his countenance with countless red blisters.

Oh. The itch.

The golden wand with the funny blue light.

Draco didn�t
have time to react to this awful realisation: In an instant, the guards grabbed
him forcibly by the arms, and he winced as he felt rough fingers digging into his
skin. The courtroom was in total chaos; there were shouts, people rushing
around, and flashes coming from all directions, blinding him. Suddenly, he had
Ronald Weasley�s face in front of him.

�Don�t you dare
put your filthy hands on me!� Draco snapped, but to no
avail: the redhead just smirked viciously at him as he rummaged in his robe
pockets and took his wand away. Then, the Weasel grabbed him by the collar of
his robe and dragged him out of the box with the help of the guards as Draco
twisted and turned to free himself, only achieving worse treatment with his
actions.

Next thing,
Harry Potter was standing in front of him; his face set in a blank, unforgiving
mask as he started casting a binding charm on Draco�s wrists. Draco couldn�t
remember seeing that cold expression on Potter�s face before, even when he had
always been the recipient of many a glare and insult from the Golden Boy. He
didn�t know why, but seeing that disappointed look terrified him. He knew he
had to do something, but wasn�t sure what.

�Potter�� he
ventured, but the Auror just ignored him. Draco felt his heart do a
summersault. Potter had defended him, had called the Pig a git to his face for
him, risking an admonition from his superiors, to say the least. Now, he
probably thought he had done everything in vain; he probably thought that Draco
was just like his father! Oh, no, no, no! I�m not a bloody criminal! �Potter, I�m not�� he said, his voice
breaking and fraught, and for a second, those emerald eyes locked with his at
the same time as he felt a cold weight on his wrists. Potter looked away and
stepped back. Somehow, what truly made Draco flinch were not the shackles tying
his arms together, but the flicker of hurt that flashed almost imperceptibly
across his childhood enemy�s face.

Draco felt dread
rising, and he started kicking and trashing even more. �I am not a Death
Eater!� he tried to say, but nothing came out of his mouth. Somebody had placed
a Silencing Charm on him, and he looked to his right to see Ralph Luton smirking
at him and waving his wand playfully in one hand. �You don�t want to say
anything you�d regret later,� he said, mockingly, and Draco glared at him with
all the hatred he felt. Bloody Bastard! Sweet Athena, what was he
going to do!? Why didn�t he just tell the stupid truth? Stupid, stupid,
stupid! He didn�t want to go to Azkaban! He wasn�t his father! He wasn�t,
goddamn it!

In all the havoc
of journalists, attendees, guards, and Aurors, he couldn�t find Severus. He was
being dragged through the centre aisle -no doubt towards the side door he had
used when he had first come into the courtroom- and his desperation rose
considerably when he saw a Dementor standing by the open door. Hadn�t those
awful things been banned or something?

This isn�t happening. This isn�t happening!

Draco was
starting to really panic; he was
making it very hard for his captors to handle him. He would not go down
easily, for Salazar�s prick! In that moment, he cursed his father for paving
this road for him. He cursed his mother for sending him away, for dying on him.
He cursed the Wizarding World for stigmatizing him. And he cursed Harry Potter,
just for good measure: for having always bested him, for destroying the life he
knew, for� what, exactly?

He was starting
to find some other relatives and inconsequential people to curse inside his
head as the guards pushed him brusquely towards the side hallway leading to the
special door where the Dementor �and Luton, he noticed with alarm- were waiting
for him, when the main doors of the Wizengamot tribunal burst open. A ruffle of
gold and red flew across the ceiling in his direction, just as a melodious
trill resounded inside the courtroom, overpowering the pandemonium beneath.
Draco felt a sudden weight on his shoulder, and he looked up to see that what
was perched there, wings spread and never faltering in its singing, was a
large, beautiful phoenix.

�Release that
young man this instant,� someone bellowed. Draco turned sharply towards the
voice.

Standing in the
doorway, star-splashed purple robes billowing in an invisible breeze and
twinkling blue eyes powerful and stern, was Albus Dumbledore.

��

TBC�
- 4
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- 6
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Ethereal Desire