Drarry - It Was All Just A Game (REWRITE - CLEAN VERSION)

CHAPTER 31 - SUPERIOR RED

The awkwardness passed after a few interactions with each other in the hallways, nods, and sneers (per the usual ones). Draco invited Harry to a picnic the next Friday, but Harry declined, to Draco's surprise.

"I'm sorry. Dumbledore asked me to meet with him, I dunno what he wants." They spoke in a quiet alcove after dinner, after Draco gave a weighted sneer across the hall after reading the rejection letter Harry sent. "But it's probably important. It's Dumbledore, you know?"

"Fine." Draco wrinkled his nose, trying his best not to freak out—Did Dumbledore know about him and was he trying to warn Harry? Was he recruiting Harry?

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. What about Saturday?"

This was a way to test out the waters of Phase 2. "How do you know I don't already have plans?" He was supposed to start working on the cabinet on Saturday. What an arse. Did Harry not understand that he was holding off working on murdering Dumbledore because of him?

"Thursday," Harry begged. "Please? I'm sorry."

"Why don't you ask him to change it to Thursday?"

"He's the headmaster."

"And I'm your boyfriend." And he's going to be dead soon. He crossed his arms over his chest, and then he gave in. "Fine." Draco tried leaving, but Harry pulled him back and kissed his cheek.

"See you then."

Draco grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed it, checking the corridor before returning to his dormitory for an uneasy sleep. Plan DBR was already falling behind, thus putting him behind on the stupid cabinet, which he hadn't even located yet.

But this was more important.

Fun. They had to have fun.

Not normal fun. Calculated fun according to Plan DBR's steps.

So, when Draco arrived at their secret cove with a bottle of wine, Harry raised an eyebrow. "What is that?"

Draco read the label, setting the basket down with his other hand. "Superior Red. Had my mum ship it, it's from the Malfoy cellar."

Harry looked amused. "Must be expensive, then."

"You deserve the best, don't you?" Draco didn't say it as genuine, per Plan DBR. Harry looked at him for a few seconds, almost catching on to the subtle sarcasm in Draco's voice, but he didn't acknowledge it. "The Slytherins keep having parties and I have no idea how to drink without grimacing. They keep laughing at me." Draco took a seat next to him on their shared blanket. "And I thought if we were going to have a lovely date, I wouldn't want to bring you cheap wine."

"That's nice of you. Your mum approves of you drinking?"

"My father would be happy to supply the parties if it means higher status for me. Mum just wants me to keep safe and her way of doing so is shipping me the good stuff so I don't fill up on heavy liquor that they usually have."

"Ah, yes. I've heard the method of giving children alcohol to keep them from drinking alcohol works," Harry laughed, laying out on the blanket. His shirt pulled up a bit, revealing skin on his hip. Don't you dare look at it, Draco.

"Alcohol's disgusting."

Harry shrugged. "Haven't tried it."

"Well, now you can if you want." Draco opened the bottle and poured a bit into one of the glasses.

Draco took the first sip and immediately cringed. Harry burst out into a laughter at his bent face. "That's awful."

"No way, I want to try it." Harry grabbed the glass and took a sip, and the taste made him do the same, leaving Draco to laugh, too. "It's so bitter. And people drink this for fun?"