Title: Without Rhyme or Reason

Author: Kindli

Date: 2/03

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Harry/Draco

Rating: NC-17

Warning: D/s, some S&M

Summary: Draco blackmails Harry into dominating him. Can it become more?

Beta thanks: to Ladyluck and Mariem, and special thanks to Phoenix for the title.

Notes: This was written for the Veela Valentine's Day challenge.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all other characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm making no profit from writing this.

Without Rhyme or Reason
by Kindli

Harry's POV

I was reading the Daily Prophet that evening when an unfamiliar owl settled onto the armrest of my chair. I accepted the envelope and it flew away.

"Read me alone" it read. I glanced around. Ron was playing chess with Dean while Hermione was off in the library. Curious to see what was such a secret, I broke the wax seal and opened it. I pulled out the photograph first, and then realizing what it showed, I grabbed the note.

"Meet me in the Trophy room at midnight. Come alone, or I'll send a copy to Snape."

There was no signature. I glanced at Ron, thinking to talk it over with him, but decided against it. He would insist on coming along, regardless of what the note said, and I couldn't chance Hermione's expulsion.

The photo showed Hermione in Snape's storage room, taking some ingredients for a potion we had created a month ago. Snape could have her expelled for stealing, or at the very least, strip her of her Prefect status, either of which would crush her.

At 11:45 that night, I donned my invisibility cloak and made my way to the appointed room. Entering quietly, I glanced around. Next to one of the glass cases stood Draco Malfoy. I should have known. I removed my cloak, gaining the Slytherin's attention.

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

This wasn't going to be good. If it was Malfoy that was planning to blackmail me, I was in deep trouble.

He walked towards me, his wand casting light. It almost looked like he was nervous. "I want you to have sex with me."

"What?" I demanded, outraged. Bloody Malfoy, who exactly did he think he was to suggest something like this? That insufferable git was going too far, even for him.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. Apparently, now that I knew what he wanted, he wasn't nervous anymore.

"I refuse to..." I started to protest, intending to make it very clear that this was unacceptable, but he interrupted me.

"I want *you* to fuck *me*."

"Absolute... what?" I paused, unsure if I could have heard him correctly. What was going on in his head?

"Have you ever heard the term 'top' before?"

I had, actually. Last summer, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were gone for the day and Dudley and Piers decided to watch an adult movie they found in Vernon's study. I wasn't *allowed* to watch the video, but I heard Dudley tell Piers he wanted to be a *top* someday. It obviously had to do with sex, but that's all I knew. "I've heard the term before," I acknowledged, "but...." I let it trail off, hoping he would maybe decide not to bother. Why was Malfoy even suggesting this? The only time we talked to each other was to throw insults.

Malfoy bit his lip, evidently mulling over his options. Finally, instead of speaking, he grabbed my arm.

I tried to pull away, but his hold was firm. I decided to listen to the tiny voice in my mind demanding I find out more. The Slytherin led me down the Charms corridor and pulled back a heavy curtain to reveal a painting of a small unicorn.

"Juniper Berries," Malfoy whispered.

I was intrigued. I couldn't remember seeing this room listed on the Marauder's map.

We stepped into a chamber the size of the Gryffindor sixth year dorm room. A large bed dominated the far end of the room, while two of the other walls held shelves. There were shelves with different sized dildos and chains and clamps and things I didn't recognize on one wall. Another wall displayed different sized paddles, some sticks of different widths, a whip, ropes and even more things I didn't recognize.

Malfoy was quiet as I took it all in. Finally I turned to him and he said, "As a top, you would use these on me."

"You want me to whip you?" I couldn't believe this.... what exactly was this *top* business, anyway?

The blond nodded. "Sometimes."

I guess I now understood why Dudley wants to be a top then. I knew the concept should disgust me, as this was obviously some sort of twisted sex game; but then again, I couldn't deny my curiosity either. The idea of hurting the prat standing by my side had its own appeal, especially if he wanted it. "Sometimes you want to be whipped? Does it turn you on?" I
asked sarcastically.

"Sorta, yeah. When it's not done too much," Malfoy replied, blushing.

I had never seen him blush with embarrassment before; in anger, but never in embarrassment.

"Have you been.... into this long?" I wondered, knowing this room must have taken ages to fill.

"No, just last summer."

"What about this room?" I demanded, calling him on the lie.

"My father's."

I couldn't believe it. No way would Lucius submit to anyone but Voldemort.

At my expression, he continued, "He doesn't realize what side of the whip I prefer. He and his 'bottom' used this room while he was a student."

I could believe both statements, so I suppose he might be telling the truth. I still couldn't understand why he wanted to get *me to do this with him. "Why me?"

"I need someone I can trust will stop if I can't handle it. You're an honorable Gryffindor," he explained.

It was obvious he believed what he said...I just couldn't understand why. "I'm a Gryffindor who despises you. Are you insane?"

"You won't be afraid of hurting me, so you won't hold back. But, because of who you are, you wouldn't ignore me if I use a safe word."

This was his logic for choosing me? I stared at him silently, waiting to hear more.

"It was either you or Weasley. But, while Weasley would be happy to hurt me, if he got too involved and I used my safe word, it might not register until too late. I trust you not to get so involved in your own pleasure that you would ignore me."

My biggest rival trusted me to hurt him, but not too much? Finally another fact sunk in. "Let me get this straight. You're blackmailing me, so that I'll hurt you?"

He nodded and added, "I want you to fuck me, too."

Finally it all clicked. I would be hurting him for sexual gratification. I would be getting off on it, too. Could I even get interested in him? I had never had a male lover before; for that matter, I had only had one girlfriend. As I thought of having Malfoy at my mercy, a jolt of lust went straight to my groin, solving that dilemma. "What is this 'safe word'?" I demanded.

"A word I would use to stop you, if you go too far."

"What's wrong with saying stop?"

"Potter, you would be whipping me, or something just as painful. Of course I'm going to beg you to stop. I don't actually want you to, though, unless I use my safe word."

I couldn't help grimacing at the ease with which Malfoy mentioned being whipped, so to distract myself, I asked about the safe word, "Which is?"

"Gryffindors rule."

I felt my brow rise to my hairline without conscious effort. "Really?" I drawled, enjoying the flush that made another appearance on his cheeks.

"It's not like I want to say it," he defended himself.

True enough. "I'll do it." The things I do for my friends.

He smiled, honestly looking pleased. I couldn't understand why he was so set on this, but I liked seeing him smile. After seeing him smirk more often than not, this smile really transformed his face. He was actually attractive.

To distract myself from such ridiculous thoughts, I glanced at the wall with sex toys. "Where did these all come from?"

"Father collected this stuff for the last three years of his schooling. There are both magical toys as well as manual toys," Draco explained proudly. He then took my arm and led me to the wall holding the majority of dildos and such and explained how the magical ones worked.

I found myself staring at a whip on the wall. It looked vicious and quite painful. "You actually want me to use this on you?" I asked in disbelief.

Instead of actually answering one way or the other, he retorted, "I would think you would enjoy seeing me in pain. You've wanted to hurt me in the past."

"That was different," I sputtered. "I was pissed at you those times!"

"So, aren't you pissed at me now? I'm blackmailing you!" he reminded me.

I was about to deny it, when I realized he was right. At the moment, I did want to hit him, but the anger wouldn't last very long.

No matter, I agreed to do this; and I wasn't so far in denial that I thought it was just for Hermione.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, after breakfast, I got Hermione alone and asked her, "Do you know where I could find out about... um, sex where one guy wants another guy to hurt him?" I could feel my cheeks burning as I glanced away.

"Two guys? S&M?" she asked, giving me a curious look.

I nodded, praying she wouldn't ask for an explanation.

"I have some books on it," she acknowledged finally. "Wait here and I'll get them for you."

She ran to her dorm and returned with two books. I accepted them and stuffed them into my bag. "Thanks, Hermione."

"Uh-huh." She paused, "Harry, if you, um... get into that, do not tell me, okay?"

I blushed. "I won't," I assured her and quickly made my way up to my dorm. I closed my curtains and put a locking and distraction spell on them. No way was I reading *these* in public. But, I decided that if I planned to get into this with Malfoy, I would do it right. I didn't want to seem innocent and naïve. I didn't want to have *him* tell me how to be a top.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, I laid down the rules.

"If we're going to do this, we're going to start using each other's first names."

"Okay."

"I've been thinking about this, and I don't think I can hurt you, just for the sake of hurting you," I was pretty sure I had a workable solution, too.

Draco tilted his head to the side. "Then how are we going to do this?"

"The only times I really want to hurt you are when you piss me off. So, if this is going to work, it's going to have to be because I'm punishing you."

Draco thought for a moment and then asked, "If I want you to hurt me, and you're using the hurt as a punishment, won't you be encouraging me to misbehave?"

I had already thought of that. I told him what I had realized. "I don't believe my *punishing* you is going to make a bit of difference to how you behave. You'll be a prat whether I punish you for it or not, so I don't see it as being a problem."

Draco was quiet as this sunk in, and then he nodded his agreement.

"Another thing, I did some reading on this stuff and it said to establish boundaries, titles and stuff."

"Okay," he agreed.

"First off, you will call me Harry. Nothing else. No Mr. Potter, or Sir, or Master. I want you to always remember you're with Harry, not some fantasy person in your mind. Also, I will call you Draco. Not Boy, or slut, or any other ridiculous name. I want you in the room with me, not some character you are pretending to be. As for boundaries; you can use your safe word if I go too far. If that happens, the night is over. You'll leave immediately and wait until the next time I owl you. Anything that happens or is said in this room will stay in this room. I won't tell Ron or
Hermione or the others about you and you will afford me the same courtesy. If you wish to end this, it ends. That is the only control you have. I decide when and how often we'll meet. I will decide what we do and for how long." I checked each item off with a finger.

Draco?s eyes widened. "Yes Harry," he agreed, a tremor in his voice.

I was a bit surprised at his easy acceptance, but didn't comment on it.

Now, to find out if this would work. The books I had borrowed were informative and very detailed. I was pretty confident that I could manage this without looking too stupid. I hoped. "Get undressed, Draco."

Draco didn't even look startled when I made the command. He stripped, folding each item of clothing as he removed it. Once naked, he stood before me, eyes downcast, waiting for the next order.

I circled him, taking in the creamy white perfection of his skin. No scars or blemishes showed anywhere on his body. I reached out and ran a hand over his back, trailing it down to his arse. He shivered beneath my touch but didn't try moving away. I continued circling him, letting my hand caress his skin as it moved from his arse to his hips and then his groin. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't too weird, his skin felt a lot like mine, and his cock reacted just like mine. I couldn't believe I was doing this, though, not only was I in a secret chamber with another bloke, it was Draco Malfoy of all people. I thought this would be a lot different, since he enjoyed pain. I expected him to need more stimulation, but he was half hard already, just from being touched.

"Clasp your hands behind you."

They moved from his sides to his back. I moved to cup his balls and lightly stroked his cock. A violent shudder went through him and his cock became fully hard.

I looked into his eyes, which were wide with surprise.

I smiled at his reaction and released him. "Turn around and press your hands against the wall." I pointed at the one clear space of wall, near the four-poster bed.

Draco moved quickly, his hands pressing against the wall. His back was straight and his legs shook slightly. I remembered the positions shown in the book and pressed on his shoulders until he bent over a bit and used my foot to nudge his legs further apart.

I wasn't sure what to use to hurt him with, as I certainly didn't have the confidence to use the whip. I would have to go look at the other wall again to make a decision. But first... I looked around the room and saw a long strip of fabric. Perfect. I accio'ed it and stepped in close to Draco.

"Close your eyes, Draco."

He shut his eyes and as I tied the blindfold around his head, I felt a shudder travel through his body.

"Don't move." I stepped away from him.

He remained where he was as I backed away, so I felt confident enough to turn and examine the wall.

Nothing looked particularly appealing to me. Then again, I didn't find pain pleasurable, and that probably made a difference.

I ignored the whip, knowing I was going to have to work my way up to that sort of thing. Draco would have to accept what I was willing to do to him; it was as simple as that. I looked at the different switches. One was as thick as a walking stick; a specific walking stick came to mind and with a shudder, I passed it over. There was a belt, a nice thick, leather belt, but I shook my head at myself. I needed full control for our first time; the belt had as much control as a whip, even if it might not do as much damage to the skin. If I had to do this, then I was going to do this right and establish control the first time around. Being unable to aim would not cement my dominance.

Next were the paddles, and I nodded in satisfaction. Now, which one? Not too thin, or he wouldn't take me seriously. It couldn't be too thick, because I couldn't handle the idea of hearing bones crack... and if I took the thickest on the wall, that's just what would happen. Finally, I took the easy route, and grabbed the paddle in the center.

I turned back around and walked back to Draco, paddle in hand. Even from eight feet away, I could see he was shivering; but with the temperature in the room, he shouldn?t be cold. Then I noticed the quivering of his shoulders.

I laid a hand on his lower back, "H-Harry?" he whispered, choking on the word.

Was he actually crying? "Yes?"

He let out a relieved sigh, a hiccup escaping. "I thought you might have left me."

I rubbed his back lightly, before I realized what I was doing and quickly pulled away from him. "If I leave, I'll let you know first."

"Thank you, Harry." He sounded grateful.

"Mmm?" I hummed, not sure what to say. Obviously one of his other lovers had left him like this. A strange twisting sensation occurred in my stomach, so I decided it was time to get on with it.

A quick glance showed his erection was flagging, probably in reaction to his suspicion of having been abandoned. If he liked pain as much as he claimed, the next few minutes would certainly help.

I took hold of his hips and pulled his arse out a bit, giving him a quick pat before releasing him. A short breath, sounding expectant and nervous, escaped him.

I made sure my hold on the paddle was firm and took a deep breath. How many times was I supposed to hit him? Should I have decided already? I would have to watch his reaction, and hope I would know when it was enough. I didn't want to seriously *hurt him. It would certainly be nothing to be proud of, if he felt it necessary to actually use his safe word.

Now, I just needed to talk myself into doing it. I made myself think of all the cruel things he had said to Hermione and Ron just the other day.

I didn't tell him what was coming, and he couldn't see the paddle in my hand, so the gasp of pain and shock that followed the first blow wasn't a surprise. It made a loud crack and white turned to red in a heartbeat. I swung to hit the other cheek this time and he made the same sound. I was surprised when the first ten met with quiet gasps and nothing else.

After the first ten, though, the gasps became soft sobs, and he was biting his lip. I hesitated, lowering the paddle to rest my arm and wonder if I should stop. He was crying; I didn't expect him to cry. He said he would beg me to stop, and to ignore him if he didn't use his safe word. He hadn't said anything about crying. I wondered what his other lover's had done. I wondered if I was even measuring up. Of course, thinking about them got me thinking that maybe I wasn't doing enough to make him beg me to stop; maybe the tears were more of frustration than pain. Well, let's see how he dealt with more.

When I started again, he was trying to stifle his sobs, and I swung a bit harder. After fifteen, he was crying out loud again, and he was begging me to stop. I was a little worried about continuing, but he hadn't used his safe word, so I determinedly kept going. I didn't want him to think I was soft.

By the time I had counted to twenty, he was begging, promising me anything if I would just stop. I paused to again rest my arm, and also to see the results of the last ten minutes. His arse was beet red, his legs were shaking with strain, hands were clenched and his shoulders were heaving. There was no blood, but I had this feeling it was time to stop. I hated not knowing if I had gone too far, or not far enough, and I could hardly ask Draco. He hadn't used his safe word, so evidently it wasn't too much, but what would another blow do? I finally decided that if it was enough for me, it should be enough for him. Besides, my arm was getting too tired to do
more. I swung the paddle one last time. He cried out again, and his whole body began to shake. Well, I guess I had my answer. I threw the paddle to the bed, and reached out to rub a hand over his back.

The book suggested rewarding a good sub with praise for obedient acceptance. No problem there, since I felt compelled to both praise him and calm him down.

I could feel his body calm as I rubbed his back and spoke to him. "Very good, Draco. I can't believe you were able to take so much. You did very well, I'm very pleased," I murmured, saying anything that came to mind. That last comment caught his attention and he turned to face me, the blindfold still in place. His face was flushed, and wet with tears and sweat. I untied the cloth and he blinked in the light, his eyes red with tears.

"You're pleased?" he asked, sounding surprised.

I nodded.

"Even though I begged you to stop? It didn't make you angry?" he sounded like couldn't believe it.

I wasn't sure why that should surprise him. "I expected you to beg me to stop. You even told me you would," I reminded him.

"You aren't upset that I couldn't keep my mouth shut?" he asked wonderingly.

I wondered why. "I didn't tell you to remain quiet. Draco, I want to hear your reactions. It lets me know if I'm really hurting you," I explained, reaching up to push a lock of blonde hair away from his forehead.

He moved into my touch, and the expression on his face could only be described as amazed.

I was worried when I glanced down and noticed he still wasn't hard. He said the pain turned him on. Had I gone too far, after all? Was he hard earlier in the paddling, but got soft again, when it got too much? I promised myself that from then on, I would pay more attention to his arousal, and less to his words. I wasn't sure what to do. The books didn't prepare me for *this* contingency. Was I expected to fuck him, without him wanting it? Did I even want to?

I still had my hand on his cheek and noticed he was practically purring. How could a human make that kind of noise? At least it made it obvious that he wasn't expecting me to leave just yet.

"Undress me," I said, decisively.

"Yes, Harry."

I helped him pull off my shirt, and then watched as he sank to his knees. He untied my shoes and I stepped out of each one. It wasn't until he reached for my pants that I felt like an idiot. I was wearing a pair of Dudley's over-sized pants, held up with just a belt. I although I tried to
hide it, I could not help blushing as he unfastened the belt. Once it was done, the pants fell to my ankles. I stepped out of them while he rolled up the belt. His eyes were lowered as he handled the belt, and I wondered if he was trying not to laugh. The stress and embarrassment considerably lessened my own erection, and I was beginning to wish I had never agreed to this. This whole evening was a nightmare, in my opinion.

I couldn't just give up, though. Not if I wanted to have the upper hand in the future.

"Look at me, Draco," I demanded, needing to know if he was amused.

He looked up nervously. "I'm sorry, Harry."

What was he sorry for? He didn't look amused, or like he was trying not to laugh. "Don't be sorry, just get on with it."

"Yes, Harry. Thank you." He sounded relieved. He carefully lowered my briefs. I stepped out of them and he folded everything and set them next to his own, still on his knees. Draco acting submissive was doing wonders for my erection. Not to mention the fact that he really had a nice arse.

I knew the mechanics of what I was expected to do next, but I couldn't help but worry if I would do it right.

He crawled back to me and knelt up again. I was relieved when I saw he was completely hard again.

I reached out and ran a hand over his hair. He stopped using gel sometime in fifth year and it felt like silk between my fingers. He leaned toward my touch again and I realized how much he liked to be touched. I filed that in my memory for later and pulled his head to my groin.

Without my saying a word, he licked his lips and opened his mouth. He eagerly took my cock into his mouth and began sucking it.

I was relieved he did it on his own, because I hadn't been looking forward to telling him to suck me. It sounded so cliché. I looked down at the blond on his knees and felt my cock get even harder in the moist cavern of his mouth. His eyes were open and watching me while his tongue swirled around it. His eyes were calm and he actually looked content. I didn't want to come in his mouth though. Finally, I said, "Enough." My voice was raspy and I was gritting my teeth.

After one final lick, he pulled away, licking his lips again.

"Get on the bed, on your hands and knees."

He crawled over to the bed and got on. On hands and knees, he waited for me. I grabbed my wand from the night table and sent the paddle back to the wall. Then, kneeling behind Draco, I used the lubricus spell on my fingers. It worked just like the book promised. I looked at my fingers and then at Draco's hole, suddenly realizing where I was supposed to put them.

"Harry?" Draco whispered nervously, his head twisted at an odd angle to look at me. I probably looked as uncomfortable as I felt.

I shook my head. No turning back now. "Hush, Draco," I muttered and began preparing him. After the first minute, the embarrassment faded and I started to understand the reason for stretching him. One of the books stated preparation was vital, the first few times, especially if one of the members was a virgin. It probably didn't mean me, but I wasn't taking any chances.

Draco squirmed a bit and I realized he was getting impatient. I did the spell again on my cock and positioned myself behind him. Taking a firm hold of his hips, I pressed in slowly. It was a lot tighter than when I had sex with my ex-girlfriend last year. Once I was buried as deep as possible inside Draco, I paused, needing some time to gain control. He was so tight and it felt fantastic.

"You like that?" I was pretty sure he did, but didn't want to make assumptions.

He sighed, sounding happy, and nodded.

I remembered telling him to hush. "You can speak, Draco."

"Thank you, Harry. Yes, I like it."

I pulled out just a bit and pushed back in. "What do you like about it?" I asked, when he gasped and pressed back against me. I hoped I could last through this. The books said to prolong the time I was inside him, make him beg for it, but I didn't want to embarrass myself by waiting too long.

He hesitated, so I slapped his arse. He gasped and his whole body jerked beneath me. "Oh!" he paused. "I like being full. I feel like I... like I belong to you. Please, Harry."

I pulled out again and as I pushed back in, I rubbed against the heat of his sore buttocks. It felt so good against my skin.

A soft hiss escaped his lips. "Oh yes, please, Harry."

That was enough teasing, I was going to lose it any minute. I began to quicken my movements until I was thrusting in earnest. I belatedly remembered to reach around and jerk him off, too. It was strange, holding someone else's cock in my hand; as well as empowering. He trusted me to
make this good for him, and to not hurt him. The last few thrusts, I angled for a spot identified in the books as the prostate. I must have hit it perfectly, because he yelled out in pleasure. Even in my haze of lust, I felt satisfied to have found it so easily. I came only moments after he did.

I pulled out and collapsed on the bed next to him. He remained on his hands and knees, looking unsure. Hell, that was one of the most intense orgasms I had ever had. I pulled him down to lie next to me. He lay stiffly at my side until I tugged him in for a kiss.

His kiss was enthusiastic and I felt comfortable licking his lips and pushing against them. He opened his mouth immediately, letting me in, but he didn't return the kiss the same way. I wondered if he wasn't familiar with this type of kissing and didn't push him. I certainly hadn't expected to even want to kiss him; maybe his other lovers hadn't wanted to at all. Well, they were gone now, and I was here.

This evening, awkward as it was, wasn't too bad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first few weeks were filled with lessons and revelations. Because I had honed my people reading skills while living with the Dursleys, it wasn't too hard to identify what Draco wanted and needed. It became quite apparent that he wanted acceptance and yearned for approval. Meanwhile, it didn't take long for me to realize how much I was enjoying this 'top' role. I used
what I had learned from books and twisted it to fit with our situation.

It didn't take long before I realized Draco wasn't into pain so much as he was into being dominated. He wanted me to tell him what to do and he wanted me to use him as I wanted. Spells to induce specific pains did nothing for him, and getting whipped didn't make him hard, but it also didn't get rid of a current erection.

A little over two months had passed when Draco asked me if I would help him become someone I would *like. I certainly hadn't expected that. Our time together was usually spent with his 'punishment' and sex. He had never before expressed an interest in wanting more from me. I disliked him and his actions; he knew this. It hadn't seemed to bother him before.

I wondered if *anything* he did could change how I felt. I had learned to enjoy dominating him and the sex, but never imagined it becoming more. Suddenly it dwelt on my mind for the next week.

I really wasn't sure how I felt anymore. I certainly didn't detest him the way I did in the beginning, but I didn't really like him, either. Thinking about it, I decided most of the reasons I didn't like him were because he was always so mean to everyone. I didn't expect him to become a saint or anything, but he was too vicious.

I owled him to meet me again, and that evening we talked.

"You're disrespectful to the professors. You are mean to the other students and you constantly insult Ron and Hermione. That has to stop," I explained. "So far, I've punished you for these offenses, but never asked you to understand why. From now on, you'll explain the reasoning for the punishments. You'll learn to understand why such actions shouldn't be repeated...also, the punishments will become much more severe, so you won't enjoy them as much," I finished.

We both knew he preferred the strap to the whip. He didn't like anything that cut his skin or made him bleed. The fact that we healed everything before leaving the room didn't change that fact.

"Yes, Harry," he agreed without protest. Oddly enough, he looked excited.

The following month saw him changing. He stopped talking back to the professors, including Hagrid. I was impressed. Fewer cauldrons exploded when he stopped sabotaging the Gryffindors' potions.

The biggest change occurred during the third month though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was almost midnight on a Saturday. I entered the room and removed my invisibility cloak. I glanced around and saw Draco step out of a corner to stand before me. He was naked and his eyes were cast downward, while his hands were clasped behind his back.

"Offenses?" I asked, my voice harsh.

A stuttered breath escaped before Draco spoke. "This morning, I insulted Goyle when he woke me in time to get to breakfast. Then, before entering the Great Hall, I shoved into Weasley and insulted him...twice. I then insulted Granger for being muggle-born." He continued to list off people he had picked on, finishing with, "and I tripped Terry Boot outside the library."

"So, not counting my friends, you picked on twelve Hufflepuffs, two Ravenclaws and only two fellow Slytherins?" I asked, disbelievingly. Daily, his victim numbers were decreasing, and I honestly wasn't sure if I believed him or not.

He thought for a moment and hesitantly added, "I teased Crabbe at supper for taking a sixth helping of potatoes and...oh, Pansy tried cuddling up to me in the common room, asking me to take her to Hogsmeade. I shoved her away and told her she not only looked like a dog, but smelled like one, too."

I was pleased, but kept my tone business like, "All right, then. Twelve times three is thirty-six. That makes it twelve lashes to your legs, twelve to your back and twelve to your ass."

"Twelve times four," Draco whispered.

"Thirty-six isn't enough for you?" I demanded.

"Well, yes. More than enough! But you want me to be honest, don't you?"

"Yes Draco. I want you to be honest and I'm pleased that you made the effort. Pansy doesn't count. You belong to me," I explained, watching his expression, "which means she's attempting to steal *my* property. Defending yourself against unwanted advances is acceptable behavior. In fact, if you didn't defend yourself against other people's advances, I would have to punish you," I finished, surprised but pleased when he didn't flinch at my possessive words. I was slowly bringing the games out of the bedroom and into the school and he was participating fully.

"I understand."

"Do you also understand how I came to thirty-six lashes?"

"Twelve Hufflepuffs times three Slytherins," he replied.

"Good. Do you agree that it's fair?"

Draco nodded.

Now came the hard part, for him anyway. "Tell me that you want it, and why you need it," I commanded.

"I need to be punished when I misbehave, so I learn not to repeat the error. I want you to punish me as you see fair, because I deserve it," Draco choked out.

I turned to walk along the far wall. I had yet to decide what to use tonight. I glanced at the paddles, but since I would be hitting his back, as well as his legs and butt, I passed them over. One of the birch switches grabbed my attention, but it would draw blood too quickly and I had other plans for tonight. Then I saw the belt. It would raise welts and only a little blood. Perfect. I returned with the heavy leather belt and lifted it to Draco's lips. Without instruction, Draco kissed it.

"Good boy," I allowed a small smile to be seen. Then, I glanced at the bar that now floated above his head. "Grab the bar and spread your legs," I ordered.

When Draco had a firm grip, I used my wand to raise the bar until Draco was balancing on the front half of his feet.

Then, I began. The first few blows weren't very hard; stinging but not painful. Then I swung the belt harder, counting in my mind as I listened to his reactions. At first, he bit his lip, air hissing through clenched teeth. Next came the whimpers, soft as he attempted to stifle them. As I continued, they became louder, turning into sobs and pleas for me to stop.

As I counted, I admired the grace with which he moved his body...in the futile attempt to escape the belt. The welts stood out blood red against the creamy white of his skin. He wept aloud and pleaded for me to stop, but I never heard the safe word.

In the last three months, he had yet to use his safe word, but I couldn't make assumptions.

When I finished, I turned Draco to face me. His face was red and wet with tears. He continued to cry softly, unashamed to let me see him with tears in his eyes.

I remembered the first month, when Draco would try and hide his face when he cried. I knew I couldn?t allow that. I needed to see his reactions to the punishments, so I could decide on my next move. The first month had consisted of training Draco not to hide from me. The next month I spent convincing him that crying didn't make him weak.

"So pretty when you cry." I brushed a finger across Draco's cheek. He leaned into my touch and I smiled. "Get on your knees, Draco."

Immediately, the Slytherin released the bar and fell gracefully to his knees. He lowered his eyes again, waiting for my next command.

"I'm hard for you. Take care of me."

Draco reached for my pajama bottoms, pausing to glance up at me. I nodded and he carefully lowered them to free my erection. He leaned forward rather tentatively and licked at the tip before taking in the head and slowly working the rest into his mouth.

I struggled to keep my hands to myself and not show any expression. Draco loved giving head, and was very proficient now. He needed a challenge. I let my eyelids close half way and looked down at the blond sucking me. My lack of emotion made him work harder, his tongue licking the underside of my cock, as he attempted to please. When he deep throated me and began to hum, I lost it. Grabbing him by the hair, I pulled half way out and then shoved in hard.

Draco gagged at first, but immediately accepted the loss of control, allowing me to fuck his mouth. I shoved in a few more times and with a shout, I came.

He swallowed quickly, licking my softening cock until I couldn't take it anymore. "Enough!" I moaned at the over-stimulation.

Immediately, Draco pulled away and lowered his eyes to the ground again.

I lightly brushed a hand over his soft hair, smiling when he pushed into my touch, silently asking for more. "Very good, Draco. That was very good."

He glowed with pride at the compliment. At times like these, I knew without a doubt that he loved giving head. Currently he was rock hard and practically vibrating with need. Unfortunately for him, his punishment wasn't yet complete.

Remembering my duties, I shook the fog out of my head. "Stand. It's time to finish your punishment." While Draco moved to obey, I pulled up my pants again. I waited until he stood before me, eyes lowered, hands clasped behind him and said, "Two insults to two different Ravenclaws, yes?"

"Yes, Harry."

"Four lashes to your stomach. To Ron, three insults, yes?"

Draco nodded and this time, his response was whispered. "Yes, Harry."

"Three lashes to each nipple."

Draco's eyes widened and he gasped in surprise.

I didn't know why he looked so shocked. "What did I tell you would happen if you couldn't learn to control yourself around Ron?" I demanded, a bit annoyed at his reaction.

"You promised to whip my nipples," he whispered again.

"Exactly. It would be rather inconsistent of me if I broke my word, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, Harry. I'm not protesting, I swear. I am only glad I remembered to behave after breakfast," he promised, sounding desperate to be believed.

I suppose it is possible he was imagining what would have happened had I decided to do this just last week; but I doubted that was the case.

I retrieved the belt again. "Ask me to punish you again and explain why you deserve it," I ordered, while shortening the belt by wrapping it around my fist.

Draco took a shaky breath and said, "I deserve to be punished because I haven't learned to control my mouth. Please punish me, Harry. I need this."

"Keep your arms behind you, but grip your left elbow with your right hand."

Draco obeyed me, his chest now exposed and heaving with nervous tension.

"Chin high, Draco. I don't want to accidentally smack your face."

Draco obeyed again, and now stood before me, completely vulnerable.

I suddenly realized how completely he trusted me. I took a deep breath and began. First the four lashes to his stomach, then two to one nipple and two to the next, then one each.

Tears were streaming down Draco's cheeks and he had bitten his lip so hard that it bled, yet soft whimpers still escaped.

It always amazed me to see him suffer so silently. I threw the belt into the far corner and pulled my Slytherin into an embrace. While petting his hair, I murmured soothing words into his ear as he shivered with hushed sobs.

"You're so obedient, Draco. You did well, I'm very pleased with you," I promised, rubbing his shoulders. "One more punishment, Draco, but it'll wait," I decided, pressing my lips to his in a kiss.

Draco melted into my embrace, as he did every time I kissed him. I led him to the bed and he crawled on to the mattress on hands and knees. I quickly shed my clothing and moved to kneel behind him. I licked at some of the welts on his ass. It didn't take long to get turned on, with him both whimpering and pleading with me.

"Do you want this?" I asked, paying special attention to one of the welts on Draco's lower ass cheek. I loved that something like this could drive Draco to stutters and pleas.

"Yes! Please, Harry, fuck me. Merlin, please!" He pressed back against my tongue. I grinned and kissed that same welt before moving away to grab the lube from the bedside table. I slathered some onto my cock and then took some time to prepare Draco. I listened to the sounds he made while being stretched and when I determined he was ready... quite a bit later than he had determined himself.. I positioned myself to push in. Draco moaned and pressed back, trying to get more. Once I was in balls deep, I paused, rubbing against the welts, the heat from his skin pleasantly warm against my body. He sighed softly, waiting impatiently for me to fuck him. I reached around his waist and wrapped my hand around his engorged cock.

"Getting bored?" I teased, stroking it a few times.

"Haa...rry," he dragged out my name, "please!" I took pity on him and began to move. His whole body tightened as I continued to jerk him off and I knew he wouldn't last, so I licked his ear and whispered, "Come for me, Draco."

That was all it took and his cock began pulsing out his orgasm as I continued thrusting. Not a minute later, I followed him.

Pulling out, I collapsed onto the mattress while he remained in position on the bed, panting softly. I chuckled and swatted his butt. "Get down here and let those welts rub against the sheets. They're supposed to burn."

Draco obeyed slowly, and rolled onto his back, moving slightly to face me.

We lay there silently for a few minutes, until I decided it was time to get onto the hard part. "Last punishment," I started, keeping my voice as steady as I could.

Draco looked at me curiously.

"You insulted Hermione for being a muggle-born, again." I reminded him.

Evidently he remembered. His whole posture tensed, going from satisfied to expectant in moments. "Yes, Harry," he acknowledged, sounding apologetic.

I wouldn't believe he was actually sorry though, unless he walked directly up to Hermione and apologized. Not that I planned to tell him that. "Nothing I've done seems to have made a difference," I said.

"It's habit," he whispered, his eyes cast down again.

"A habit to break!"

"Yes, Harry."

"You're not your father, and talking like him is unacceptable. You begged me to give you a chance to prove you're nothing like him. How many chances do you expect me to give you?" I asked, impatiently.

"I'm sorry, Harry. Please, don't give up on me yet," he pleaded, sounding panicked.

I reached over to caress his shoulder. "I haven't given up on you. But this punishment will be much more harsh than the others," I warned. It had taken over a week to finally decide on a punishment that might work. Of course, it would only work if Draco were serious about wanting to change.

Draco swallowed nervously. I could tell my touch was the only thing that stopped him from panicking. If I was still willing to touch him, then he wasn't lost. "What will you do?" he asked.

"It's what I won't do. I don't want you to heal yourself tonight. No numbing or healing charms. I'll cast a concealment charm to hide the welts, but you'll be able to feel every one of them."

"But, I can't move without pain, right now," Draco protested, sounding worried.

"That's the point, Draco. If you feel tonight's punishment, tomorrow when you're confronted with her or any of the other muggle-borns, you will think before you speak. If it's merely habit that has you saying the insult, you'll be able to stop yourself. If you ignore the pain and insult her
anyway, we'll know it's something more malicious than habit."

"If I'm hurting, I might lash out so others will hurt too," Draco confessed, his voice small.

This was true, but I wasn't going to back down. "You'll just have to learn to control yourself then, won't you?"

Draco said nothing, but he looked dubious.

I was annoyed. I had started to believe Draco when he said he was willing to do whatever it took, to break his father's training. Evidently, they were just pretty words. "Draco, this is your choice. I'm not going to force you. If you're more concerned with your own comfort, you can ask me to heal you; you know I will. But, if you want to please me and show me that you want to try and be better, then you'll agree to the punishment," I deliberately challenged him, knowing he wouldn't want to back down. Hopefully he wouldn't disappoint me.

"I agree to the punishment, Harry. Really I do," Draco rushed to agree.

I breathed a soft sigh of relief. Maybe he wasn't just leading me around then. I moved to straddle him, making sure to graze the stripes on his stomach. "Now explain to me why the punishment is necessary."

Draco winced as I moved, but hesitated for only a moment before replying. "Because wizards born of muggles didn't choose their parents and shouldn't be insulted for something they can't change."

"Good," I backed up, until I was kneeling on the mattress, between his spread legs. "Why else is it wrong?"

Draco lifted his legs and wrapped them around my back. "Because it upsets you?" he offered, hesitantly.

"That's true as well, but tell me the main reason you shouldn't use the derogatory form for muggle-born," I commanded, moving to position myself so I could enter him.

Draco thought for another moment before asking, rather than answering with, "Because muggles as a race aren't responsible for the atrocities done to wizards. Only muggle-borns with evil muggle relatives should be insulted in such a fashion." He sounded unsure, but hopeful.

I sighed again. He *was* trying to understand, but it was difficult getting through his upbringing. "Close enough," I agreed, pressing into his ass. He was still loose from earlier, and his soft sigh assured me he suffered no discomfort.

I decided to draw this out. One of the things about fucking that Draco especially seemed to enjoy was being pinned and taken, being filled. So, I moved slowly, pressing in further, watching his eyes as he accepted the possession. I settled in place, waiting for Draco to squirm for more action.

Draco did the expected and twisted his hips. I pulled out and then pushed in again, just as slowly as before. I liked teasing him, though I wouldn't get away with it, had I not just come twice in the last hour. Likewise, he wouldn't be able to handle it had he not just done the same only ten minutes ago. He moaned my name, his legs tightening around my back, trying to pull
me in further. I pulled out half way again, and pressed in hard this time. Draco gasped his appreciation and closed his eyes for a moment. I stayed exactly where I was, until he opened his eyes. Then I did it again. "Haaarrry," he drew out my name again. I went still, quirking a brow at him. He sighed in exasperation. I was about to move again, when he suddenly said, "I don't get it."

Well, that was different. "Don't get what?"

"Why should the wizard be insulted for something done by the muggle relatives?" he hesitated.

I knew he had more to say, and since it sounded like progress, I didn't interrupt.

"Shouldn't it be the muggles themselves that we insult?"

I couldn't believe it. He finally understood. This definitely deserved a reward. "Excellent observation, Draco. I'm proud of you." I agreed, and taking hold of his hips, I changed my angle and thrust in, hitting his prostate.

"Harry!" Draco shouted in true shock, his legs tightening around my back.

I smirked and repeated the action.

When the sensation repeated itself, Draco's gray eyes widened in amazement.

"Merlin, Harry. How did you do that.... I thought *that* only happened before coming," he admitted.

I couldn't help but be a bit amused at Draco's innocence. Evidently, he had never experimented before it had been forbidden during the previous summer. The prostate was one of the first things mentioned in all of Hermione's books. I had simply made the decision early on, that I wouldn't use the prostate to encourage anal sex. He instead liked it because it gave him a sense of being possessed, more comfort than actual pleasure. I never disillusioned him, when he made the assumption that it was a natural occurrence to happen just before orgasm. But now, I was too pleased with his new understanding to mislead him.

"That is known as your prostate, Draco. It's a reward for being good.... or in this case, it's a reward for finally realizing the muggle born shouldn't be insulted for something they can't help, and didn't do." I reached out to twist one of his bruised nipples.

Draco's eyes rolled back in his head and his body jerked.

I grinned, not having expected such an intense reaction, and I shoved in hard, intentionally grazing his prostate again. "Don't come yet, Draco," I hissed, before need overwhelmed me and I began thrusting in earnest, wanting to come again.

Vaguely, I heard him whimper my name, but I felt his hand reach down to grab his own cock, and I trusted him to do as he was told. One last time, and I came with a loud cry. I pulled out and lay to Draco's side, panting. There were tears in his eyes as he continued to restrain himself. It was rare that I didn't allow him to come while being fucked, and I knew he was confused, but I wanted to reward him, a reward that would be focused on him, not the both of us. He squeezed his balls and winced, biting his lip in pain.

"Harry, please?" he whispered, staring straight into my eyes.

"Very good, Draco. Shh..." I hushed. "Do you want me to let you come?"

Having just been told to be quiet, Draco nodded.

"Then spread your legs and grab the bed frame with both hands."

I couldn't help chuckling at the speed with which the commands were obeyed. I leaned in and kissed the moist lips, lingering when they yielded to me. Pushing my tongue into his mouth, I tasted myself, and an essence that was purely Draco. It amazed me, every time Draco submitted to me. A shudder went through the body beneath me, and I knew Draco was too close for much play. I could make him come, simply by kissing him, but I didn't want that,
not this time. I pulled away from his lips and proceeded to trail kisses down his neck. I paused to lick at some of the welts on his chest, biting a nipple and could hear him panting. Sometimes his breath would come out as a hiss when he clenched his teeth. His hips were jerking, and I continued kissing and licking my way down his stomach to my goal.

Draco's cock was almost purple and leaking pre-cum. I didn't want to tease him, as he was hanging by a thread as it was; but I had done this only twice before, and both times, Draco had worn a cock ring. I took his hips to hold him down, and opened my mouth. With a deep breath, I began to take the cock into my mouth. I used a swallowing method I had read about, it helped me to not feel as if I were choking and I knew from experience that it was pleasurable. Nothing like deep-throat, but I knew I couldn't manage that much. I used one of my hands to play with Draco's balls and that did it. Without any further stimulation, he gasped and came into my mouth. I continued swallowing until it was over and pulled away.

There was a moment of silence while I crawled back up to face Draco. He was still holding the bed frame, so I nodded at his hands and he released his hold.

"Did you mean it?"

"Hmm?" I tried to remember what I might have said earlier, but was coming up with a blank. I wondered if I should be insulted that his mind was so clear.

"You said you were *proud* of me. You didn't say pleased, you said proud," he hesitated and softly added, "Did you mean it?"

"Yes, Draco," I confirmed, moving to straddle him again. "I *am* proud of you." I leaned down and proceeded to kiss him senseless.

When I felt Draco"s arms wrap around my back, I didn't pull away. He pulled me even closer, until I was practically crushing him with my weight. Instead of smothering him, he seemed to feel safe this way. The kiss continued until we needed to breathe.

"Thank you, Harry," he panted.

"For what?" I asked, though I was pretty sure I knew.

"For being proud of me. No one has ever said it to me before."

I pressed my forehead against his and stared into his eyes. Once so secretive, they now revealed all emotions to me. It was a hard won privilege. I kissed him softly before rolling off him and onto my side.

I couldn't help but wonder about these men he had experimented with last summer. One of the important rules, according to one of the books, had said to always let the bottom know if he was doing what the top wanted. I regularly told Draco I was pleased with him, when he did well. I intentionally did not tell him I was *proud* of him, simply because I wasn't *proud* of him. But, my reasons were personal. It didn't make sense that others should treat him the same way.

I realized that I not only felt jealous of these other men, I also felt a bit angry with them.

"Draco," I spoke softly, getting his attention. I made sure to rest a hand on his hip, to keep him calm for what I was going to ask.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Do you belong to me?"

"Huh?" Draco blinked in confusion. "Of course I do," he finally replied.

"What about those people you experimented with last summer?" I probably sounded jealous but I couldn't prevent that.

"One man. Actually, Father told us to. His father and mine were the two who used this room. Father wanted his son to initiate me."

That sounded a bit odd. "Lucius wanted *you* to sub?"

"No Harry. He thought the son was like his father. He expected me to learn to top."

"What happened?"

"The man, Isaac, began training me that afternoon. I really didn't know what to expect, but when I realized what was about to happen, I tried to get away to tell Father. But, he was stronger and more powerful than I was. Anyway, I got a taste for being a bottom, so I didn't tell.?

"What about this coming summer then? Will you be with him again?"

A shudder went through Draco at the thought. "Not if I can help it," he whispered.

I recognized the distress in Draco's reaction and rubbed a hand along his flank. "Why not?"

"I don't trust him," he said shakily.

I didn't like where this was headed. "What happened, Draco?"

"When I realized what he planned, I tried to get away. He used a binding spell to stop me, and then tied me up. He punished me for attempting to escape. It turned him on, hurting me and listening to me cry and beg, so he fucked me. Then he punished me again for not making it good for him," Draco said all this in one breath, and I believed him. He continued, sounding frustrated, "I couldn't make it good for him, though. It hurt and I didn't know what was happening. I never had sex with a man before!"

"Your father didn't do anything about it?" I was surprised Lucius didn't curse the man into oblivion for what he had done.

"I never told." His eyes were downcast.

"Why not?"

"I was ashamed! Especially when I realized it wasn't *all* bad. Master Isaac just didn't take his time, and he didn't care if I enjoyed it or not. That was one of the things that bothered me about it. Also, I wasn't allowed a safe word, and I wish I had been. But, if we spent enough time together, I liked it."

Considering that he enjoyed being dominated, more than pain, this made sense. I was impressed that he was so determined to find someone that would do it right. Though I couldn't understand what made him think I was that person. "What made you decide to find someone in school? Why me?"

Draco's eyes, which had been looking into mine the entire time, shifted to the side and he tensed, as if waiting for a blow. "Some nights, the only thing to get me through was to pretend Master Isaac was you."

"Me?" I asked. I was skeptical, but if I wanted him to continue talking, I didn't dare sound too suspicious. I knew that the only thing keeping him from panicking was my touch, so I kept rubbing his hip.

He blushed, but without hesitation, he said, "I've had a crush on you since...forever. You were never impressed with my money or family. You never let me get away with shit," he took a breath and continued, "It started off as this childish fantasy, that I would help you defeat the Dark Lord and you'd fall in love with me, too. But as I grew older, well, other than the fact
that I'm blackmailing you to be with me... this is exactly what I want."

I didn't think I had ever heard Draco say so much at one time before. Usually it seemed that getting a full explanation out of him was like pulling teeth. Draco only babbled when he was really nervous, and never this much. I decided to take a chance, and believe him. So, I made a
confession of my own. "It's been a long time since I thought of Hermione as being my reason for being here. I enjoy what we do here. I'll admit that at first, I enjoyed hurting you, more than the sex...but as you've matured and changed, I've enjoyed the sex more than punishing you."

Draco let this sink in, before speaking again, "You know how cunningly mankind is planned. We have one loving and one hating hand. The loving hand is made to hold each other like; while with the hating hand, we strike."

"Where is that from?"

"Robert Frost, a squib poet from America."

It was a good quote and I thought it fit our relationship pretty well.

The clock dinged out the time as 1:00am and Draco closed his eyes briefly. "I can't believe I told you so much," he muttered.

"I'm glad you did," I confessed, and began to sit up.

Draco grimaced as he sat up. I knew his skin was burning, but he didn't complain. "Will I see you tomorrow...er this evening so you can heal me? Or shall I allow it to heal naturally?" he asked.

"This evening, regular time. We have a Quidditch game in two days, you'll need to be able to sit on your broom," I reminded him, pulling on my nightclothes.

"Thank you, Harry." He began dressing, wincing every so often.

Once I was dressed, I retrieved my wand from the dresser, and cast a concealment spell on his wounds.

We headed toward the door, but before we reached it, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back for another kiss. He relaxed against me, opening his mouth for my tongue almost immediately. I noticed that his own tongue was always so tentative when in my mouth; it now occurred to me that this Isaac fellow probably had something to do with it. I had visions of this stranger biting, or punishing Draco for being too forward. After a moment, I released him, and brushed a finger across his cheek. He leaned into the touch and sighed when I finally released him.

"You won't disappoint me this time, will you?" I asked, softly.

He shook his head. "No, Harry. Not this time," he assured me, sounding determined.

I hoped he was telling the truth. I had decided that the following day would determine where we went from here. Tonight had been filled with many revelations, but if he couldn't get along with my friends, we could have no real future. I hoped this would work, because I was really finding myself wanting to be with him in other places than this bedroom.

I took my cloak and flung it over my shoulder, pulling the hood to cover my head. I opened the door, and Draco followed me into the corridor. I cautiously checked around the curtain and made my way to the tower. Draco returned to the dungeons.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning at breakfast, I watched for Draco. When he finally arrived, his guards flanked him. He looked tired. I suppose he had trouble sleeping, since he couldn't comfortably lie on his back, or front for that matter. He headed directly for the Slytherin table without speaking to
anyone.

I certainly hoped he didn't think he was going to get through the day by ignoring everyone. He ate sparingly, but made no move to get up until Goyle and Crabbe were finished. I noticed he had started that a few weeks ago. They, in turn, didn't eat as much anymore. Possibly not to push Draco's newly found patience.

My first class was Divination. We were reading bones and I had just cast mine when Trelawny came by.

"Oh my," she murmured, gazing at them.

Ron and I rolled our eyes, waiting to hear what type of death I would suffer this time.

"Looks like you'll be lucky in love,? she said, and walked on to the next student.

"Eh? What did she mean by that?" Ron demanded.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but I hope she's right."

He gave me a look but didn?t ask more. I wondered why.

I didn't actually see Draco again until lunch. He was chatting with Blaise. I noticed Pansy approach him and my hands clenched into fists.

"Oi, what's wrong mate?" Ron asked, turning to look towards the Slytherin table as well.

I ignored him in favor of glaring in Pansy's direction. She set her hand on Draco's shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear. Draco jerked away and pointed his wand at her.

Snape interfered at just that moment and it looked like he was demanding an explanation.

Draco responded quietly and Snape nodded his understanding. Pansy tried to grab at Draco's arm again, looking insistent.

Draco pulled away from her, and with a voice loud enough to be heard by everyone, he said, "*You* have no claim on me. I don't belong to you!" He sounded furious.

"Who *do* you belong to, Draco?" she demanded.

Goyle surprised everyone by grabbing her arm and pulling her away from Draco. His voice wasn't as loud, but I heard it anyway. "Don't ask questions you don't want answered."

I turned to see how Draco would react. He looked gobsmacked.

Snape stared at them all suspiciously, but when it was apparent there would be no more fighting, he went back to the head table.

"Hey! Harry!" Ron shook my arm.

"Huh?" I turned to look at him.

"Have you got a crush on Pansy?"

I stared, my mouth falling open; I probably looked like a fish.

"You looked furious....and jealous. You were watching the Slytherins," and then softer, he added, "you?ve been sneaking out almost nightly and since you haven't told me who it is, I assume it's someone I wouldn't approve of. So, is it Pansy...or Malfoy?" he demanded, the last added in realization. His eyes burned with anger when I remained silent.

Well, this certainly wasn't how I imagined telling Ron about it.

Hermione had been silent until now, but before I could speak, she asked, "Is this why you borrowed those books?"

I raised a brow at her, "I thought you didn't want to know."

She grimaced.

I looked at the clock and sighed with relief, it showed a simmering cauldron. "Let's go, or we'll be late for Potions."

Neither looked happy with me, but I really didn't want to get into this. Especially since I didn't know what would happen today.

We walked down to the dungeons, still actually having plenty of time. Unfortunately, we bumped into Draco, Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco nodded at us in acknowledgement, but didn't say anything. Crabbe and Goyle followed his lead and they moved to pass us.

Well, I couldn't actually complain. He hadn't ignored us.

"Cat got your tongue, Ferret?" Ron snarled.

I saw Draco tense. He hated to be reminded of that incident. I wondered what he would do. I couldn't actually blame him if he said something insulting, even though I didn't want him to.

Draco turned and with a voice dripping in sarcasm, he said, "My apologies, Weasley. I didn't realize you required a verbal greeting. Hello Weasley, how are you? Isn't the weather fine? Well, I must be going, I'll see you in class." He then turned to leave.

I was impressed. Not one insult left his mouth. Instead, he simply used a tone that left nothing to the imagination.

I moved to follow him when a red blur flew past me. Ron attacked him, jumping on his back. I winced, thinking of the beating I had given him yesterday. When Draco fell to the ground with a cry of pain, I jumped, but was frozen in place.

Hermione rushed forward. "Stop it!" she demanded, trying to pull Ron off of Draco. Ron had flipped Draco onto his back and was hitting him in the face and pounding on his chest with his fists.

I noticed Goyle was watching me, as if waiting for my reaction. Crabbe moved forward to defend Draco, but Goyle grabbed his arm and nodded in my direction. What the hell was that all about? I shook myself out of my stupor, staring at my best friend in disbelieving anger. What did Ron think he was doing, and why? I pulled out my wand, fully ready to hex him. Goyle
grabbed my arm and Crabbe moved forward to grab Ron. He was big enough that Ron didn't have a chance. He pulled Ron off and set him on his feet without hurting him.

Ron was shaking with anger, but he looked just as confused as Hermione and myself.

Deciding to ignore him, I moved to kneel next to Draco. He had a split lip and a black eye. I quickly cast some healing spells on both.

"Thanks," he whispered.

I nodded, and helped him sit up. I carefully watched his face as I ran a hand over his chest. He flinched, but didn't pull away. I cast another spell to heal bruises. He sighed as it worked. "You okay, now?" I asked.

"Yes, Harry. Thanks," he smiled at me without resentment.

I was amazed at his reaction.

We stood up together, and he winced a bit. I had healed the new injuries, but not the marks from the night before. He was obviously feeling them now.

Hermione began scolding Ron and dragged him to Potions. Crabbe and Goyle followed them.

Classes hadn't started yet, but it was going to be close.

"I don't think it's much of a secret anymore," Draco whispered.

"Not to them, anyway."

We walked in together, but separate. I was certainly glad Snape was never *in* the room when class started. We hurried to our own desks and were surrounded by people who thankfully thought we were fighting.

"I can't believe you can cast those spells with such ease!" Hermione hissed in my ear, just as Snape strode into the room.

"Today we'll be working on a potion to relieve headaches," Snape said, and immediately began listing off ingredients. "You'll be working in pairs that I choose." He paused for the groans, and began pairing us off.

Goyle ended up with Hermione, Ron was with Pansy and Crabbe was paired with Neville and I was with Draco. I almost felt sorry for Crabbe, but not quite.

We worked quietly and efficiently. Finally, while it was brewing, I asked him, "What's with Goyle?"

"I have no idea. He's been acting odd for over a week," he whispered back. "At lunch, he helped me get rid of Pansy when she tried latching onto me again, and said something really..." he paused.

"Telling?" I offered.

"Yes, exactly. Did you hear already?"

"I was watching."

"You saw I didn't encourage her, right?" He sounded worried.

"Yes." I nodded, and then added, "I trust you not to cheat on me."

Before he could respond, Snape came to check our potion. He peered in, and sniffed it. "Good color, and it smells right. Mr. Malfoy must have done most of the work, hmmm?" He sneered at me.

Wisely, I decided against responding.

"Thank you, Professor," Draco said, his cheeks flushed.

Snape stared at him a moment, and then glared at me suspiciously, before turning away to check on Hermione and Goyle's potion.

We didn't get another chance to talk though, as the potion had to be tested and then we had to clean up. Before the dismissal of class, he whispered, "I'll see you tonight?"

I nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After class, I walked with Ron and Hermione. We had a free period, and they decided it was the perfect time to get answers out of me.

"What's going on with you and Malfoy?" Ron demanded.

How was I going to answer that? Maybe if I were as blunt as possible, he would decide he didn't want to hear about it? "So far, sex. But, it might become more," I finally decided to answer as honestly as possible.

"It's already more to him," Hermione informed us.

Both Ron and I turned to look at her curiously.

"Goyle and I were talking in Potions. Draco talks in his sleep, Harry. Anyway, because the power has shifted from Draco's dad to *you*, he and Crabbe will be taking their cues from you," she explained.

"He said that?" I asked, disbelievingly.

"Not in those exact words, but yes. Why do you think they didn't defend him from Ron today? It's because Ron is *your* friend, and they didn't want to upset you, by hurting Ron."

"Why do they care?" Ron demanded.

"According to Goyle, Draco has been a lot nicer lately. I quote, 'he don't hardly never yell at us anymore.'" She rolled her eyes. "They like the changes in Draco's personality, and have decided to keep you two together."

"The Deatheaters want Malfoy and the 'Boy who Lived' to remain together? Gee, I wonder why," Ron muttered sarcastically.

"They aren't Deatheaters, Ron. Not yet, anyway," she snapped at him. Then to me, she said, "he told me that this morning, Draco told them that he didn't want to hear any of them use the term 'mudblood' again."

That surprised me. "Did he say why?"

"It seems he had a sort of revelation last night. He told Goyle, 'A wizard is a wizard, regardless of their family.' Did you have something to do with that?" she demanded.

I shrugged, not really sure if I wanted to answer, or not.

"Harry, if he's publicly changing his viewpoints to please you, he has more at stake than just sex. He's defying his father for you," she chided me.

Before I could respond, Ron interrupted. 'He really said that to Goyle?"

Hermione nodded, though her focus remained on me.

"I really wasn't sure if he was serious or not." I muttered.

Hermione gave me one of her looks. "I think it's pretty safe to say he's serious. There's no way he would chance his father's wrath for a crush."

I had to agree with her. Last night he finally understood my reasoning, and this morning, he shared it with Crabbe and Goyle. Not only did he understand what I was trying to get through to him, but it sounded like he believed it, as well.

Hermione turned to Ron. "Did you notice he called you Weasley, instead of Weasel? Even after you called him Ferret."

Ron thought about it and eventually nodded. "Yeah, he did. Maybe he is trying to make an effort, Harry."

I nodded. "Yeah, he is. You won't try attacking him again, will you?" I decided not to tell him what I had almost done earlier, and hoped he wouldn't make it necessary. Ron was my best friend, but Draco was...well, he was mine.

Ron blushed. "I guess not. Not unless he starts something," he added the last, sounding indignant.

Hermione glared at him. "Today was *your* fault. He tried to be civilized and look what you did."

Ron looked at her in dismay; he turned to me for support, but I agreed with her.

"You should apologize to him," Hermione stated decisively.

We both stared at her.

"He hasn't apologized to us," Ron argued.

Apologizing had never occurred to me. Would Draco be willing to do it?

"So, prove you're better than he is," Hermione suggested.

They argued about it, while I thought of Draco.

Quite obviously I had the support of his closest friends, and possibly my own. The main thing that had always turned me away from Draco was his hatred for muggles and muggle-borns. If last night and today were any indication, he didn?t actually hate them as a whole, anymore.

Now that he no longer tried to get me detentions when we end up partnered together, we worked quite well together. Sometimes we talked at night, and it seemed that we were of like minds on important subjects. This was something that had surprised me to no end, and had me wondering if he were saying what I wanted to hear, or what he truly believed. Then, of course,
there was the sex. Sex had always been good, even in the beginning. I enjoyed dominating him as much as he liked to be dominated. As for feelings, I did like him, and it seemed that my feelings were deepening every moment I thought about it.

"Harry!" Ron yelled in my ear, finally gaining my attention.

I rubbed my ear. "What?"

"You'll be seeing Malfoy tonight, won't you?"

What was this about? "Yeah," I said cautiously.

"See if he's willing to meet up with us tomorrow. I want to apologize." He choked out the last word and sent a pleading look at Hermione.

She gave him one of her looks and Ron sighed.

"Okay." I thought about talking to Draco about apologizing, too.

"Let's play Exploding Snap," Ron suggested, obviously anxious to change the subject.

I had no argument and that was the last we spoke about the subject until Hermione cornered me after supper.

Ron was discussing Quidditch with Seamus so I had no rescue.

"Those books you borrowed a few months ago," she began, hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Were they helpful?"

Leave it to Hermione to *have* to know, even if she didn't *want* to. I thought of how best to answer her, without really telling her anything. "In some ways, yes."

"What do you mean? Is some of the information wrong?" she sounded worried.

I carefully did *not* roll my eyes. "Not that I know of. I just mean we have our own way. It's not so cut and dried as the books suggest."

She accepted the answer with a small nod. Then a small glint entered her eye that I knew to worry about. "Harry, what made you decide to get into that? It's not like you just woke up one day and said, 'I want to be a sadist', did you?"

"Sadist?" I repeated, not sure where I had heard the word before.

"A person who derives sexual gratification from hurting someone else," she recited as if reading from a textbook.

Ah, that. "I'm not technically a sadist," I hedged, not wanting to explain about the blackmail. I wasn't sure if I should have been relieved or worried when it grabbed her interest, distracting her from her original line of questioning.

"What do you mean?"

Hell, what did I mean? "I don't... get off on hurting him. Like I said, we have our own method. Really, Hermione," I complained, sure my face was as red as Ron's hair.

She refused to back down though. "You healed his wounds with the speed of a medi-wizard. If it's not for *your* enjoyment, then why are you involved?"

That was enough. I was not going to tell her about the photograph; this really wasn't her business, anyway. "We had to experiment, Hermione. It's not like we just immediately knew what the other would like or want."

"Oh." Her brow furrowed as she thought this over.

"Oi, Harry!" Ron ran up to us. "How...bout a game of chess."

I followed him to the Gryffindor Common Room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That evening I walked into our special bedroom and glanced around. I saw Draco standing next to the bed, getting undressed.

His pants fell to the floor and he bent down to pick them up and fold them. I had a nice view of his ass as he turned to set them on the floor, and admired it as he moved. The marks from last night were still raised and red against the white of is otherwise flawless skin.

He turned around again and moved to stand next to the bed. He lowered his eyes and clasped his hands behind him. It took me a moment to understand why he didn't acknowledge me, until I realized I was still wearing my invisibility cloak.

This was the first time I had ever observed him before my arrival. Always in the past, he was here early.

I stepped up close to him and his eyes jerked up. "Harry?" he whispered.

I pulled off the cloak and smirked at him. He frowned at me, looking unsure of how to react. I leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss.

He smiled shyly. "When did you get here?"

"Couple of minutes ago. You were taking off your pants." I shrugged.

"Did you like what you saw?" he asked with a raised brow.

*That* was my Draco. He knew he looked good. "Uh-huh." I grinned and pulled him into a hug. "Always." I kissed him again, this time with intent.

His whole body relaxed and he leaned into the kiss and me. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I wrapped my arms around him tighter and deepened the kiss. He opened his mouth and I pushed my tongue in...this time I actively encouraged him to do the same. He was hesitant at first, but I consciously relaxed into his hold as well and he grew bolder. We parted for air a few times and then returned to the kiss.

This was one of the longest kisses we had ever shared, without already having sex, and it was one of the best. He participated fully and by the time I pulled away to undress, he was fully hard. I tore off my clothing and returned to him.

His chest and stomach was raw looking and I realized he had been rubbing the welts against my clothed body during the kiss. It was obvious he didn't regret it though, when he repeated the action against my now nude body. He hissed, in what I assumed was a pleasurable pain, as his body shuddered and he moaned against me. I pressed in for another kiss, and at the same time,
urged him to the bed. We laid down, still kissing and I pulled him in closer, wrapping a leg over his. We got the hang of breathing through our nose about the same time, and the prolonged contact made everything more intense. He moaned into my mouth when I reached down to guide his hand to my cock. When I took hold of his cock, and rubbed the head, spreading the
pre-cum, I was rewarded with a strangled groan. This was the first time we had kissed each other to completion, and I hoped it would work.

We jerked each other off, tongues still in each other's mouths, both of us attempting to devour the other. He came first, his seed spurting over my hand; I came only moments later.

We finally broke the kiss, panting for air.

"That was good." He grinned at me.

I couldn't help grinning back. Nice to know he wasn't bored. I pulled away from him, so I could actually look at him. Finally, getting my breath back, I said, "Let's talk."

Draco looked at me quizzically but rolled onto his side to face me. "Okay."

"About today, with Ron, I mean." I wasn't sure where to start.

He glanced away, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry. I tried, but I got upset."

Draco thought I was angry with him? "Don't be sorry for today," I hurried to assure him. "He was at fault, this time. You reacted with style. I was very proud of you when you didn't insult him back."

"Really?" He looked shocked. "I was being sarcastic though."

"Yes, I know. But, you weren't being vicious, or even mean about it. Besides, it was in reaction to what he said. I thought you were going to lose it. You didn't." I kissed his forehead.

"Thank you, Harry." He sounded relieved. "How did they react when you explained your actions after the fight?"

I wasn't sure how to answer that. Possibly telling him about Goyle would explain the rest. "Did you know you talk in your sleep?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"You remember in Potions, how Goyle was paired up with Hermione? Well, they got to talking. Apparently Goyle thinks you?ve changed for the better. He told Hermione why he and Crabbe didn't move to defend you right away this afternoon, and he told her what you had said this morning about muggle-borns. After some sarcastic comments, Ron decided you might be all
right. Hermione is willing to accept it, too."

"Does that mean they know I like to be punished, then?" he asked, sounding worried. "If father hears about this, he's going to be upset."

I shook my head. "The way it sounds, Goyle and Crabbe have decided and accepted that I'm now in charge, instead of your father, but they don't know why.... unless you were begging to be whipped, in your sleep."

"What about your friends? Is Weasley going to make digs about it, whenever he gets mad at me?" he asked, biting his lip.

"Ron just thinks we like each other and that you're making an effort to please me. Hermione has an inkling, but when she called me on it, I tried to be as vague as possible."

"How could she have an inkling?" He sounded annoyed, now.

"The books I read, back when we first started; I borrowed them from her. Then, when she saw how quickly and easily I healed you today, she put two and two together," I explained.

"You didn't tell her anything about what we do in here, or why I'm trying to change, did you?"

"Of course not, Draco. Remember when we started, I told you nothing we said or did in this room would be told to my friends. I meant it," I told him, starting to get annoyed, too.

Evidently, he picked up on my irritation, because he blushed and immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Harry. I just want what we do to be private.... special. I didn't mean to sound suspicious, or like I don't trust you. I do trust you," he promised, sounding distressed. His whole body was
tensing, and I realized we were almost a foot apart from each other.

I reached out a hand to touch his cheek. He leaned forward, trying to get closer. I encouraged him to curl up next to me, so he inched forward and put his head on my shoulder. I rubbed his back, and heard him hiss in pain. I stopped, realization hitting me that I hadn't healed him yet. Still holding onto his hand, I pulled away so I could lean over the mattress and grab the wand from my robe. Turning to face him, I recited the spell to heal the welts on his body. I rolled back over, and pulled him close again.

He sighed contentedly. "Good for sex, but not for cuddling. Thank-you, Harry." He laid his head on my chest.

I rubbed his back, the skin smooth again. "Are you busy tomorrow?" I asked, deciding not to procrastinate any longer.

"No, Harry."

"Ron asked me to bring you around. Would you be willing to try again?"

Draco didn't say anything for a moment, but finally he said, "Yes, Harry. I'll try again."

"Could you try and apologize to him?" I asked, crossing my fingers.

He was quiet for a few minutes, biting his lip as he thought it over. He looked up at me, then away, and then back up at me. Finally, he sighed and began pulling away from me. "Gryffindors Rule," he whispered, his eyes cast downward. He sat up, his shoulders hunched in a bit, and he began crawling to the edge of the bed.

"Huh?" I was confused for a moment, before I realized he was using his safe word. A word he hadn't used for three months, regardless of the pain and punishments I dealt him. He was willing to leave though, rather than apologize. Of course, the fact remained that he was *trying*. I couldn't expect Draco to completely change for me. To be completely truthful, I had never believed he would get this far. It wasn't fair for me to try and make him into someone he wasn't.

Now he was about to leave me, as per my own rules for the usage of the safe word. So I decided to change the rules. Back then; I didn't need him as much as he needed me. That had changed. I reached out to grab his wrist. "Draco...that was a request, not a command. You don't have to apologize. Now come back here." I tugged on his arm until he was next to me again.

He let me urge him onto his back again. "You still want me?" He sounded shocked, but his body molded itself back against mine without hesitation.

"Ron wants me to bring you by so he can apologize. It was why I thought maybe you could apologize for insulting him in the past." I saw him open his mouth to speak, and cut him off, "It's all right if you don't. It's how you act and treat him now that's important. Not before. He's going to apologize for not letting you be polite when you made the effort." I was nervous. I didn?t want him to give up completely, just because he didn't want to apologize for the past.

He leaned up and kissed me quickly. It was tentative and shy; the first time he had ever initiated a kiss. "Thank you, Harry. If he truly apologizes, I'll do the same. He's your friend, I want to get along with him."

I hugged him, tightly. All this time I had been suspicious of his motives, and he had been making an honest effort to change. To go from being despised to being loved. My heart told me he had succeeded.

He gasped, startled when I squeezed tighter, but he slowly returned the embrace.

"Mine?" I asked, probably sounding as needy as I felt.

One of his hands moved to caress my hair, and I felt him smile against my neck. "Always yours."

~~~~FIN~~~~