Rest In Peace, Blaise Zabini

Blaise was completely unaware that he had just walked into a confrontation of father and son, of two death eaters, both waning in allegiance.

"Hey Dra---ohhhhh. Who is this hot guy?" he asked with Blaise-like idiocy as he looked from Draco to Lucius to Isabelle and back again; "Are you two related?"

Draco gaped and lowered his wand, though his neck was still strained under his father's harsh grip.

Pouting, Blaise said, "Is that a 'no'?"

Lucius Malfoy turned, dropping his son and sighing. With frustratingly quick reflexes, he hissed, "Petrificus Totalus," before turning back to Draco. "Kill him."

Paling slightly, the Slytherin stammered, "I've never...I don't know how."

Lucius rolled his eyes and harshly pushed his only son towards the boy on the ground. "Kill him."

Raising his wand in what appeared to be blind obedience, Draco called upon the darkest and most powerful magic he knew. Green light lit up the woods as he shouted, "Avada Kedavra," his eyes still oddly glazed and blank as usual twilight returned.

The head death eater raised his hand as the light appeared, and when the dusky evening returned, it found the man's lithe fingers tangled in his son's hair, as he so often did while the boy slept. The next moment, Lucius disapperated and Draco was left standing before the corpse, quite alone.

Isabelle ran towards him, her eyes hovering on the empty shell of Zabini, and they shone even more vividly green than Draco remembered. "Dammit," she whispered, as her left hand slipped of Draco's shoulder, for he had pocketed his wand and moved to the base of a nearby tree, several feet away.

Some twenty feet away, Harry Potter sat behind an oak tree and allowed a fleeting thought to serve as his farewell to the strange Slytherin, before he circled around the tree to see Draco.

First night

It had been an experiment.

Harry had come to the prefect's bathroom on whim, turning for some reason at the stairs, and making his way on that only too recent path to the forbidden bathroom. Speaking the password, he entered the room, oddly feeling as if he were meant to be there, not as he had the night before, when his senses would perk up at a single sound, jittery with the feeling as if he ought not to be here.

But tonight was different. Harry entered the bathroom with a quiet mind; he was not consciously thinking, but that the night was rather beautiful, and to waste it would be a pity. Then he saw that the bathroom was occupied. It was a wild fear that gripped him for nearly three seconds, as he realized that he had forgotten to think, that it made perfect sense that someone would be bathing at this hour. He quickly turned to leave, nerves now on edge.

And it was Cedric. Cedric Diggory, his rival, emerged from the large bathtub and with a single word, brought Harry's feet to rest.

"Wait."

Lost, as there was no routine answer to such a request, Harry had no choice but to turn around, for the boy's voice was so full of untouched innocence and a hint of mystery. He turned, and nearly sat down hard on the tiles, for Cedric was unmodestly naked--of course he was naked, he was taking a bath--but it was the simple way he stood there, on the third rung of the ladder leading into the pool, that made Harry's head swim and turn it upsidedown. Harry's mind went blank, and he stared in awe at the handsome boy before him, submerged from waist down but whose torso was glistening with water droplets, hair tousled and mussed yet all the more alluring.

The fact that their encounter was unspoken but for the single word by which it was initiated only heightened and italicized the sensuality of it.

This was a discovery, Harry's stunned mind thought as he moved closer to the edge of the pool. Cedric never moved, but clung to the rails of the ladder, even as the Gryffindor approached him to the point that their faces nearly touched. The room was warm (Harry did not quite recall it being so hot when he had entered), and for a second the two boys just looked into one another's eyes, all need for spoken conversation gone.

(to be continued...)

Harry's background

He had shared a kiss with Dean last year before they had all left for home.

Before that, in the prefect's bathroom the night after Harry had figured out the egg's clue, he and Cedric had shared an intimate moment in the bathtub, much to Moaning Myrtle scarcely concealed delight. Harry resembled Billy Budd...the naive and beautiful young sailor who aroused nearly all his crewmates. (Snape=Claggart)

Harry remained almost unaware of his homosexuality until Isabelle Desiree came along, and with a shock, Harry found himself unattracted to her. Instead, Draco Malfoy began to look more and more desireable. This sudden awareness brought denial. Harry retreated into his mind, which as filled to the brim with warnings of his enemy, his heroic potential and expectations...

Quidditch Shed

Harry had flown around the Quidditch pitch a couple times to clear his head. It was effectively cleared; he stepped out of the shower and began to dry himself, silently humming a nonsensical song. Draco had seen a broomstick leaning against the outside of the Gryffindor Shed and, curious, had peeked inside. Seeing Harry, he stopped and watched (he's not a Malfoy for nothing, you know) with interest. Harry was busy humming and drying himself with a rather undersized towel, and jumped about ten feet when Draco's drawl reached his ears.

"You having fun, Potter?"

Instinctively, Harry threw his towel at Draco's head, in the exact manner Oliver had thrown it at him the first time he caught Harry watching him intently in the shower. (After that, he let him.)

"Malfoy!" Harry yelped, caught off guard.

Draco grinned a rather twisted kind of grin, stepped inside the shed, and closed the door behind him. He stared at Harry, his mind conspicuously and suspiciously very very blank at the moment. Crossing his arms over his chest (which was so ineffectual as to be humorous), Harry frowned at Draco.

"Well, there seems to be a lack of basic respect for other's modesty in here."

Draco leaned against the door of the shed and replied, "There is? I didn't notice."

Harry slowly backed away, almost nervously. "I would ask you why you're here but I think that's pretty self-explanitory at this point..."

In return, Draco opened his mouth slightly, then changed his mind and thought for a moment before answering, "Why am I here, then?"

Unwilling to answer, the wet boy stomped over to his locker and threw clothes on himself. Lots of clothes.

Draco wondered if Harry could hear his heart hammering from over there.

"You going somewhere?"

"Away from here."

Draco moved from the door and stood, relatively (meaning 'not very') balanced in a standing position, feet below, head above. "Any particular reason?"

Harry stopped gathering his things together and turned to look at Draco. In an even and serious tone, he asked, "Why should I play stripper for you?"

The other boy blushed.

"I wasn't...I...I didn't mean to catch you in here, I just kind of 'did'." Silently, Draco added, and 'it wasn't my fault you weren't wearing anything either'.

Harry interrupted Draco, "But you did, and you stayed." Silently, Harry added, 'and it's not like I'm going to start taking showers clothed just to keep you from walking in on me'.

Draco felt unfairly berated. "What was I supposed to do?"

Harry gave him a faint smile.

"As a servant to the Dark Lord you should have taken advantage of my weak position and inattention and killed or stunned me on the spot. But you didn't." He looked into Draco's stunned face. "You're too emotional."

Stunned at Harry's words, Draco caught the other boy by the arm as he tried to pass. The Gryffindor stopped, and could hardly look straight at his friend without feeling tears threaten to surface. But Draco didn't look at him."Please don't leave."

Harry silently damned Draco for making the moment even more awkward, though now he felt less so now that he was fully clothed. His conscience could not hold back his next thought; no matter how hard it strained, the word still came, biting and harsh.

"Why?"

His hand slid off Harry's arm. "I don't want you to leave."

Harry sat down on the bench and watched Draco with his piercing green eyes.

"Please don't talk about that," Draco whispered. He went and sat down next to Harry, who turned sharply to look at him.

"I don't understand you, Draco Malfoy." And everything that had been bothering Harry about his friend came out.

"One day you're a laconic, sharp-tongued enemy who, it seems, will do anything to hurt others, then you become this emotionally reserved, angsty teenager whose problems are so selfish and single-minded that it's hard to have sympathy for you. I dunno, Draco, maybe I missed a vital part of your development into a different person but all of a sudden you're this irrational, moody child. It scares me. I know that's not who you are, and it's not who you want to be."

His gaze fell and he took Draco's left arm in his right hand, and mercilessly pulled the sleeve down to reveal the tattoo of a skull with a serpent in it's mouth. The charmed marking, normally faint, glowed a deep black, probably due to the proximity of such an enemy to its master. Draco's eyes watched the monstrosity on his forearm, as it appeared to writhe, and pulse in intensity from second to second.

"What do you want me to do? Maybe I missed something too."

"How could you misread your own feelings? How could you be so irrational?" Harry jabbed a finger at the disfiguring mark.

"You see what you are now! You're a finger, a recruit in his following of Death Eaters. Do you believe in the cause? Are you going to risk your life for that....that thing?"Silence ensued between them but lasted for not even a moment.

"Are you going to destroy the people you love then?"

Eyes blazing, Draco wrenched his arm from Harry's grip and stood up. "How do you know it wasn't for something else!" he asked, fully aware he was yelling. "You always assume everyone is out to get you, Harry! Not bloody everyone wants to kill you!"

Harry stopped sitting. "What am I supposed to believe? All my life I've been hidden, been charmed for protection, been locked away so that Voldemort couldn't reach me, and Dumbledore has warned me every year for the past seven that I have to stay on the offense!" He approached Draco slowly. "Tell me why you did it."

"Because I fucking love you, Harry!"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

Draco sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, eyes averted. "I don't want to argue with you. I did what I think is right, and that's all that matters. I'm sorry that you can't trust me more."
He turned away from Harry and walked toward the door. "But now I'm sorry I even came in. Just stay away from me, Potter."

Turning on heel and without another word, Draco stode out and closed the door silently.

Nice funny good quotes

Lillen: If you get cold, just find a lovely boy to cuddle with...
Asherah: How old are you?
Lillen: I didn't say 'generate friction by being naked and under the covers with!

Draco: No more secrets, Isabelle. I'd have liked to known about this monkey obsession earlier.

Harry: Any other obsessions we should know about, Isabelle? How about the one with Draco and Australia? And making him cry?

Harry: If the thing that made you is hot, I'll eat my sock.

Draco: Izzy? I'm a guy remember? We can do whatever the hell we want to each other and I won't get pregnant.

Draco: I'm not adopting a squirrel, you cannot persuade me.

Harry:You can want me along with all the other witchs of England but none of you will have me.

Harry: You would be Drac. The asexual Malfoy.

Harry: Voldemort? *cocks an eyebrow* The moment he thinks you'll be loyal to him is the day he's gone off the deep end. Not that he hasn't been there since the day he woke up and thought, 'I'll kill everyone who doesn't like me!'.

Draco: Okay, okay. So maybe you're having the 'epiphany of the century', I'm a little more observant.

Harry: *purrs* How do you want to act, Draccy?

Draco: Heavens, no. Cherries are disgusting.

Draco: What relationship? The one where you say something stupid and I smack you across the face?

Harry: Damn you, Draco, and yet....you're still not as hot as Howie.

Isabelle: You know, one quick spell and your pants could be gone for good.

Isabelle: What? Can you only be swooned by Harry, then he takes your pants off!? This is soooo unfair.

Draco: I probably should be worried on getting on the bad side of a crazed, balding maniac, but I'm really not.

Harry: *is not a dead kisser* *goes over to Draco and kisses him full on the lips to prove him wrong*

Draco: You make it sound so nice, Harry. When does the picnic start?

Harry: You're hiding something........shit, you're always hiding something.

Harry: Why, you want to kiss me again?
Draco: Yes. That doesn't mean I'm going to.
Harry: Nice to know you're exercising self control.

Draco: *follows Isabelle's gaze to Harry and then back to Isabelle, back to Harry, back to Isabelle* *grins* Hey Isabelle. That's mine.

Harry: Fank you...
Draco: Wonderful idea there.

Harry: *confused* Wait wait. *looks appeasingly at Draco* Fanking Isabelle is a good idea?
Draco: Eat your pie.

Draco: No. I've cut your saliva out of my diet.
Fridays are still on, do not dispair.
Harry: But my favorite part is killed by diets!
Draco: Friday will be my exception.

Harry: Interesting, Isabelle. You associate idiocy with insults about chickens! HA! What an insight into the ISABELLE MIND, HA!

Harry: Nice to know you have a heart, Malfoy.
Draco: But no soul.
Isabelle: Like heart candy, with writing on them.

Harry:Prove him wrong.
Draco: Prove me wrong what?
Isabelle: Prove Draco wrong?

Harry: I'm game to strip poker actually. *eyes Draco's attire*

Harry: Over-confidence killed.......killed something I'm sure.

Draco: Harry, I'm not fighting with you over my shirt in your bed.

Draco: Well Isabelle, shall we leave Potter in peace with his book?

Harry: *Harry salutes and watches as they descend the stairs. He settles back into his bed and pauses for a second. Then he gets up and goes to his chest of belongs, pulls out proper pajamas and puts them on.*

Draco: Harry, now that doesn't look like mine. *turns quickly to Emanuelle, framing her in his fingers*
You on the other hand.... *to Harry* Now, what's been going on while I'm gone?
Harry: No, I would never allow you to wear pink, Draco. It's gaudy.

Harry: Taken? You mean recently? *walks over to his dresser* Let's see, here's one of Snapes, oh, and here's Dumbledore's nightcap, can't remember how that one got in there...let's see, what else.......oh, Ginny's.....oh my.......things I haven't seen in .......ages....oh, here Draco.... *tosses Draco his cloak* That's been inhibiting my sprees...

Isabelle: Draco, shut up! I don't want to know all the gross details of what you and Harry do to each other.

Harry: *touches the place where Draco hit him* It's no more than I deserve. I'm sorry, Draco.

Draco: *rudely* You want to see Harry again, please take your business elsewhere.

Harry: *Harry lost it* Kiss him, Isabelle, or I will!
Draco: There's an idea.

Harry: Do you not realize that you are at my mercy? Why must you torture me so??!
Isabelle: Are you going to kiss me, Harry?
Harry:....well I was planning on putting pressure on your head and watch it explode and then your bodily fluids ooze out and all over Draco's shoes.

Draco: Yay! I have destroyed the Death Star!

Harry: Oh good, 'will'. What an indefinite future verb!!

Harry: Are you giving up the possibility of children later in life for the sake of pride today?

Harry: You looked like you needed a little self-pity.

Harry: So when's the wedding?
Draco: *accusingly* When you propose.

Harry: My, you're ambiguous today. Well not really. Damn, I'm the one being ambiguous today, aren't I?

Harry: I would inquire as to what 'it' is but I really really do not want to know.

Draco: I need a leash.

Harry: Because I don't want you to rape me with your eyes.

Draco: That explains the little missing gaps of dialouge.

Harry: Well my conclusion is that you're actually straight so I don't have to explain myself to you.

Draco: Think I would have to use Harry's book as a shield. *thinks* Wait. *holds up Harry's diary* I mean this book. Hell, forget what I said.

Yulien: Great! Just let me get out my shotgun. I think I left it in my sock, let me get it out now....

Lillen: Now, now, Isabelle. What would be the fun of killing someone in their sleep? Besides, Voldemort does have rather unsavory tastes. I mean, I'm all for the serpentine look, and having captivating eyes is a good thing . . . but really. And a skull with a snake coming out of it? Please. It's a bit overdone, don't you think? 'Oh, I'm so big and scary! Death! Snakes! Run and flee in terror!

Draco: *comes wandering down the boy's dormitory staircase* So it's not Friday. Wish someone would tell me these things. Whoa! Congregation time.

Draco: Sorry for stealing your guy Isabelle.

Draco: They're hiding in their mushrooms.

Draco: I am not vunerable to wrinkles.

Harry: You have no holiday spirit, Draco Malfoy.

Draco: What is this strange device, Harry? (lysol)

Harry: I much prefer denial to you.

Draco: Silver and gold, go perfect together.
Harry: Oh god, please let the gold mean Isabelle.
Draco: Oh, stop fooling yourself.

Draco: Well, it's not like I can order them [men] specifically how I want.

Lillen: If not kind, not aggressively unpleasant.

Yulien: Who doesn't want a stupid crowd to support them?

Draco: Ah, but I'm not naked.

Harry: Oh yeah, then how can they manage to wear thongs?

Harry: Because you enjoy non-sexual harrassment by gay men.

Harry's Reply to Draco

You know, Valentine's day is coming up....

Harry's Diary Entries

15/VI/96

I HATE THE DURSLEYS!!!

16/VI/96

Hid a sock in Dudley's pasta. He ate it. Am grounded. Dudley sick.

17/VI/96

*many many doodles*

Hey, that last one looks almost like a samurai warrior. I wonder if it's normal for an almost 16 year old boy to dream about being a samurai warrior. As Ron would say, yes, but if you dream about being a drag queen then no. Of course, this was two years ago, and I remember seeing Malfoy in really tight trousers and I remember thinking...

Hold it. No, not...ahh...I hate words. They can always have a nasty meaning if you have a nasty mind. Cue the Hermione lecture. Wow, I've been in captivity long enough. I'm starting to feel like Hedwig. I think I'll sing some show tunes until Vernon yells for me to shut up.

19/VI/96

Am so tired of being in same room for days.

20/VI/96

I hate everyone.

21/VI/96

Everyone and everything.

22/VI/96

Everything and everyone is stupid and no one ever understands me!

23/VI/96

Mooned a passerby this morning.

24/VI/96

Butt sore because Vernon whacked it with an American camcorders. Evidently the person outside who saw my naked backside called the police and thought it was Dudley. My ass is not FAT!

25/VI/96

Still angry about yesterday.

27/VI/96

Why the hell am I still in my room? That sock thing was over a week ago!!

28/VI/96

Looks like I'll be spending my birthday in here as well. How happy.

29/VI/96

30 hours to go until I can officially hate the world.

30/VI/96

I wish I could go outside.

31/VI/96

Make a wish, Harry. Owls been pecking at window all day but I can't open it. I think I've lost all the muscle mass in my arms for being cooped up in here for so long. What a nice way to start the new school year, like a scrawny 16 year old chicken.

I hate everything.

1/XI/96

Took train to Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione are boring this year. They just snog snog snog in front of me and, truthfully, I'm getting sick of watching the two couples.
So I went to a new compartment where this hot transfer student was. She was really hot. Really really. I think her name was Isabelle Desiree. Very hot. Also very stupid. Or ditzy. Or something. It was very refreshing after Hermione's "therefore's" and "whereas's". I don't think Isabelle even knows how to do school work. She probably just sleeps with her professors and they give her A's.

I could see her doing that.

Anyway, she was going on and Malfoy. She kept defending him in front of lesser first years. I thought she said she was related to him but when he actually came into the compartment (yes, he actually came into the compartment), she acted like she wanted to impress him. Like she had to with those looks....of hers.