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Learning Life Over	By : Meander Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 69712 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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
- 5
- 6
- 7
Thanks again for the reviews on these chapters! I�ve tried
to answer most questions in the story itself; if I can�t, I�ll answer them at
the end of the chapter.

Chapter 6- Like Butter

�� Putting on
pyjamas was a small sacrifice to make for breakfast with Harry, Draco thought,
especially when Harry took one look at him and ducked his head, flushing. Draco
snorted in amusement. He knew the pyjamas were silk, but Harry seemed more
embarrassed by the sight of him in them than he had by the sight of Draco mostly
naked.

�� Perhaps
it�s just because he has to imagine me now, instead of seeing me, thought
Draco, and faked a yawn so that he had the excuse of lifting his arms to
stretch over his head. Harry was looking; perhaps he didn�t even realize
what he was doing yet, but he would.

�� I�ll
make sure of that.

�� Trippy,�
he said to the house-elf, who had retreated into a corner of the room once she
realized that, as she would say, �Master Harry is being a good boy,� �will you
fetch the breakfast that I asked you to prepare from the kitchen? And have
Hoppy help you bring in the table.�

�� Master
Malfoy,� said Trippy, and bowed low, vanishing in the middle of the bow.

�� Turning
back, Draco surprised a slightly disgruntled expression on Harry�s face.
�What�s the matter?� he asked, prepared for an argument. Everything had been
going well so far, if one ignored the large, purpling bruise on his cheek. That
meant they were due a disagreement, because nothing with Harry was ever this
easy.

�� I�m just
used to living without house-elves, I suppose,� said Harry, and waved one hand
as if to dismiss the matter.

�� Draco
didn�t wish to dismiss the matter. �And you think that I should be, too?� he
asked. �Just because you don�t have a sense of taste, or, for that matter,
inherited house-elves- �

�� I had
one,� Harry interrupted calmly. �Kreacher. He used to belong to the Black
family.� His eyes glittered with something Draco didn�t exactly like. �But I
freed him. He didn�t take kindly to that.�

�� Draco
leaned forward. Even though Harry had undoubtedly meant to start trouble, this
was the perfect chance to bring up something that had puzzled him since he
began his study of Harry. �What happened to the money Black left you, Harry?
And your own fortune? I know the Potter vault was considerable at one time, and
I don�t suppose you could have given all of it away to orphans and
widows.�

�� Harry
flushed.

�� Draco sat
down hard on the edge of the bed. �You did,� he said. �You really did,
didn�t you?�

�� Harry
shrugged, avoiding his eyes. �It was- there were many people who suffered a lot
more than I did during the war, Draco,� he said stiffly. Draco had to hand it
to him; he made it sound as if the name belonged to a person he only mildly
disliked, rather than utterly detested. �So I used the money to supply a group
of wizards who searched out the neediest cases and helped them replace what
they�d lost. Sometimes that was missing limbs, sometimes that was a destroyed
home. Or- other things.�

�� You can�t
possibly have done that,� said Draco flatly. He considered himself an expert on
all things Harry Potter after two years� study. �You would have had constant
owls flying to your flat, and the only ones I saw came from the Ministry and
the Daily Prophet.�

�� Harry
raised an eyebrow at him. �Do you think I wanted my name associated with it? Of
course not. Then the wizarding world would have only seen the work they were
doing in the shadow of my name, and not as what it was: the will and dedication
of a few very good people. I wanted to set them absolutely free. And I did.�

�� They would
have had to report to you on the funds they were spending, at least, and ask
your advice about particularly hard cases- �

�� Why?�
Harry�s other eyebrow rose to join the first. �They were the ones doing the
research, not me. I wouldn�t trust them to complete Auror work without first
knowing the truths about cases, and it would be the same thing with me and
philanthropy. The most useful thing I could do was give them the money and get
out of their way. Besides, all their work is public. If they were misusing
money, I would have heard about it by now.�

��

�What group did you start,
Harry?� By now, Draco had a nasty suspicion growing in the back of his mind.

�� They call
themselves the Aesculapius Foundation,� said Harry. �Someone with more
education than me chose that name, I�ll have you know. Had to look up what the
ruddy word meant.�

�� Draco put a
hand over his eyes and gave a small groan. �They contributed part of the money
for Mother�s legal fees when she was arrested, despite the Ministry having no
evidence against her,� he muttered. �And they helped supply Severus- Snape- with
some of the money he needed to survive, too, though I suppose you won�t be
pleased to know that.�

�� And
neither will Severus. Draco had long since resigned himself to the fact
that Severus found the persistent living of the Boy-Who-Lived a personal
insult.

�� I got over
my grudge against him long ago, Malfoy.�

�� Draco
removed his hand from his eyes. Oh, no, you don�t. �But not against me,
it seems,� he pointed out. �Since you can�t even bring yourself to say my first
name.�

�� Harry
flushed again. He spent a lot of time doing that. Draco liked it, but would
have preferred that it happen for other reasons. �I did get over my grudge
against you from Hogwarts,� he muttered. �My grudge against you now is much
more recent, and founded on your being a nutter.�

�� I prefer
�eccentric,�� said Draco, and then turned his head as Trippy and Hoppy popped
back into the room, carrying the table and the breakfast. He would doubtless
have to teach Harry proper appreciation of money, too, at some future date, but
that could wait. �Ah. Set it up in the middle of the room, please. Trippy,
fetch some chairs.�

�� Yes,
Master Malfoy!� Trippy set down the seven plates she held in the middle of the
table, while Hoppy, a younger house-elf whom the Malfoys had only owned for
five years, fussed about the legs of the carved table.

�� That�s a
breakfast?� Harry asked, his voice faint.

�� Hmmm?�
Draco studied the plates. A selection of fresh fruit, including strawberries
and blueberries. Eggs as fresh, scrambled on one plate and poached on a second.
Bacon that could, honestly, rival what Hogwarts produced. Toast cooked to a
very soft gold; Draco hated it when it was too crispy. Two platters of
pancakes, one for either of them. Hoppy waved a hand, and the eighth plate
floated over and joined the rest; this held butter, cream, molasses, and two
cups of pumpkin juice. �What�s the matter, Harry, not see something you like?�

�� It�s too much.�

�� Draco
snickered and moved over to the far side of the table. �I don�t think so,
Harry. Now, join me before I decide that you aren�t keeping our side of the
bargain and tie you to the bed. Please.�

�� Harry said
something else under his breath, but luckily gave in and sat down on the other
side of the table (Trippy had brought the chairs and vanished again).
Cautiously, he picked up the nearest goblet of pumpkin juice and took a sip,
then speared a strawberry with his fork and looked at it as if he didn�t know
what happened next.

�� Eat,
Harry,� said Draco, concealing his own interest in Harry�s side of breakfast
behind his pancakes. He prepared them just the way he liked, with a dash of
whipped cream here, a set of blueberries to be covered with butter there, and
of course eggs and bacon and toast to alternate with them in between bites.
�It�s not going to attack you.�

�� Harry made
a noise that might dispute the truth of that statement, but raised the fork to
his mouth and took a bite.

�� Draco saw
his eyes widen in shock. �Good?� he asked mildly, as if he didn�t actually
care.

�� That�s not
a strawberry,� said Harry, pulling back and staring suspiciously at the fruit.
�I�ve never tasted any so sweet.�

�� You
haven�t been eating fruit from the Manor�s gardens before this,� said Draco,
and bit into his pancakes. Then he sighed and paused to let the flavors burst
in his mouth. The pancakes would have tasted good even without what he added,
of course, but together, they broke apart, made the pancake sag and then collapse
into softness, and loaded his tongue with a mixture of smooth and sweet and
silky textures. Draco licked his lips and reached for his pumpkin juice.

�� Harry
cautiously ate the strawberry. Then he tried some blueberries, and then a piece
of toast, and then he spread butter on the pancakes as if trying to decide
whether they were more or less likely to spontaneously combust if he did that.

�� Draco
rolled his eyes when Harry licked his fingers, but otherwise watched in quiet
satisfaction. Harry didn�t even seem aware of the fact that he wasn�t hurrying
through this breakfast as he�d hurried through too many of his meals in the
recent past. He nibbled the strawberries with a thoughtful expression, and then
ate several blueberries as if he wanted to compare the tastes. And even while
he muttered something about �wasteful,� he ate five pieces of toast, more than
six pieces of bacon, and more than half his pancakes.

�� Draco
pushed the plate of poached eggs at him. Harry shook his head. �I don�t know
how you still look so slender, Draco, if they prepare this much food all the
time,� he muttered.

�� Why, thank
you for noticing,� Draco said, keeping his attention firmly on his plate. He
enjoyed Harry�s blush without even looking up, so pronounced was it. �As a matter
of fact, though, this is large. Trippy and Hoppy are excited about
having you here, after hearing me talk about you for so long.� He looked up in
time to surprise a trace of the blush on Harry�s cheeks. �But this is what you
need, Harry. Besides, I didn�t hear you say that you weren�t still hungry.�

�� I
shouldn�t eat any more,� Harry murmured.

�� Why?�
Draco surreptitiously cast a spell that would waft the odors of the eggs
towards Harry, who turned his head to avoid them. �Who is saying that you can�t
eat more, Harry, except you?�

�� I still
have to be able to run when it�s necessary,� Harry said obstinately. �I�m going
back to the Ministry when this is done, Draco, remember? They won�t accept a
fat Auror.�

�� Draco
snorted. �You�re carrying a habit of limiting yourself with you into a place
where I�ll only tell you no when I think something�s unhealthy for you. I
promise, I don�t intend to let you sit around and grow your arse, Harry. I
think you should start learning to say �yes� instead of �no.��

�� Harry
rolled his eyes. �Another one of your lessons?� He sat back, nursing his
pumpkin juice, and steadfastly ignored the eggs.

�� You have
no idea,� Draco muttered, and Vanished the dishes back to the kitchen. Then he
cast several spells at the table so that it grew lower and wider. Harry watched
in confusion, only looking suspicious when Draco cast a Cushioning Charm on the
surface.

�� What is
this, Malfoy- Draco?� he corrected himself, quickly. �One bed not enough for
you?�

�� This is
for you, not me,� said Draco patiently. �I�m going to give you a massage.�

�� Oh, the
look on Harry�s face was priceless.

*

�� Absolutely
not,� said Harry flatly, lowering his glass of pumpkin juice to the floor in
preparation for a hasty exit. �When I agreed to- to attend the lessons that
you�re intent on giving me, I didn�t say anything about letting you touch me.
Besides, I should exercise today. I spent all day yesterday in bed.�

��

�� Not all of
it,� said Malfoy, which made Harry remember the pool, which made him flush
again. Damn him. �Besides, I do plan to let you exercise, Harry, in ways
that you�re not even imagining right now.� Harry frowned, but before he could
pursue what he thought was probably the innuendo for some kinky sex act, the
other man added, �But you agreed to go along with what I wanted from you, and
to try to feel it. Otherwise, Harry, what incentive do I have to let you
go at the end of a month?�

�� Harry took
a deep breath, and tried to ignore the memories of the dream and the pool,
which suggested things about his own sensitivity to touch that he hated, and to
remember that he�d made this bargain because he had to get Malfoy to trust him and
to win. Backing out of it an hour after making it wasn�t in the plans.

�� He started
to lie down on the table, but Malfoy clucked his tongue. �Remove the pyjamas,
Harry,� he said. �You can keep your pants on.�

�� Harry was
beginning to wonder when he would faint from all the blood in his body
constantly rushing to his face. Malfoy�s eyes held a silent challenge, though,
which made Harry start stripping.

�� His Auror
instincts jumped up and down in his head and screamed. Rendering himself naked
before an enemy was not the smartest thing he�d ever done, Harry knew. But if
he wanted to continue to be good at his job, the only thing he really cared
about, then he would have to go through with this. Skin crawling, he lay down
on his stomach without looking at Malfoy.

�� Hands
promptly gripped his shoulders, not rubbing yet, just seeking- for a good place
to begin, Harry supposed. He shivered, and then shrugged, an entirely
involuntary movement. He didn�t want someone touching him like this.

�� Relax,
Harry,� Malfoy breathed into his ear.

�� Harry had
to close his eyes. �Just get on with it, Malfoy- Draco,� he said. Maybe I�ll
have to start thinking of him as Draco. When I think one thing and try to say
another, it doesn�t work.

�� Draco
snorted, but didn�t say anything. The fingers kept on probing. Harry was
growing more confident as moment after moment passed and they found no place to
alight, though. He was too tense for this to work, and Malfoy- Draco- ought to
know that he couldn�t just let himself go limp on command.

�� Then Draco
made a pleased sound, and the fingers pushed down and seemed almost to pry
apart Harry�s muscles. Harry yelped, and wondered how in the world this was
supposed to be soothing.

�� Then
Draco�s thumbs both sank into the same place, and it was-

�� It was like
a pot of hot butter being upended in the middle of his back, Harry thought
hazily. Suddenly, those fingers were working with his muscles, not against
them, coaxing them to relax, driving them towards warmth and softness. Harry
became aware he was moaning, softly, and hoped that the fact he had his face
buried against the table would muffle it.

�� Draco�s
hands worked at his shoulders until Harry couldn�t imagine being able to shrug
again, then slid lower, towards the middle of his back. Harry frowned. He
thought that was a bad thing, but he couldn�t remember why. He was drifting
somewhere between bliss and paradise.

�� Then Draco
located a knot of tension that made him buck as it suddenly released, and
groan, a sound he couldn�t have kept in. One hand rose and traveled through his
hair. Harry made some nameless, happy sound, and flopped back on the mattress
like a boneless fish.

�� More,� he
muttered.

�� Draco
chuckled, but Harry didn�t know why, and he didn�t particularly care. His whole
body seemed greedy for more of that touch, sucking it in like earth
sucking in water. But it wasn�t cold and wet like rain, it was edged with
warmth and compassion and such pleasure. Harry buried his head in his
arms for a few minutes, then let them simply dangle over the edge of the table.

�� He lost
track of time, of everything but those hands working on him, and the fact that
he wanted more and more of it the more it went on. At some point, though, he
realized he was drifting towards sleep, and he stirred anxiously. He�d spent
all of yesterday asleep; he wanted to stay awake now, and feel more of that
touch.

�� It�s all
right,� Draco�s voice whispered. �We can exercise tomorrow, and I won�t let you
sleep the day away. We have dinner with Mother tonight, remember? For now,
though, relax.�

�� Harry
exhaled, and breathed out tension, and breathed in rest.

�� He did try
to remember, before he fell asleep, when he�d last felt this good, and sunlit
memories of Hogwarts, even softer with distance, were the only things that came
back to him.

*******

Madlodger: Thanks for the reviews, and the questions! And
no, Draco doesn�t have any other responsibilities- he�s living on inherited
money- and yes, he is scarily obsessed.
- 5
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- 7
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Learning Life Over