The Aftermath

Chapter 6

Draco was enjoying a perfectly sunny day by the lake. He was with Pansy and Blaise. The only other humans he'd really spent time with since hiding out in the Manor. He found he rather liked the solitude. It was far better than having people stalk him in school in hopes their families could be better of if they connected with him somehow. The whole pureblood thing was much more work than he realised now that he didn't have to act like he cared.

He was sitting on the dock watching Blaise walk over to him. Topless and soaking wet in all his dark chocolate glory. Blaise knew he was the hottest thing in Slytherin house. Malfoy suppressed a glare. He knew Blaise was only doing it so that he'd crack and tell him why he would never get naked with him. Beyond the fact that he was straight as a board. Draco would never give him the satisfaction of admitting he checked him out, mostly because that was obvious, or reveal the name of his crush.  At least not yet anyway.

Pansy was no better. She was sitting beside him, arm draped around his shoulder playing with his ear. She was hoping that if she kept touching him like she was his girlfriend he might get annoyed enough and speak the name of his crush in an accidental outburst. Draco had been friends with them forever so he knew they knew with enough time he might crack. He also knew if he held out long enough they would give up and just come right out and ask him and stop playing games. He had no intentions of losing this situation. Blaise being wet and with clingy trunks showing everything was not helping the situation though. Not at all. This is what you get when you have Slytherins as best friends Draco concluded.

"You're penis is showing," Draco said as Blaise approached. He was at eye level of Blaise's crotch and Blaise made sure to look down and smirk a bit.

"I didn't notice." Draco ignored the obvious and didn't even bother to turn his head. It took a lot of effort cause he could almost feel Blaise standing beside him.

"You can touch it if you want Draco. I'm sure Pansy won't mind." Draco continued to ignore him.

"Don't act like you don't like it."

"I'm a gay man. Obviously I like a good bulge." Draco finally turned his head and kept his face as deadpan as possible before looking back out over the lake.

"It's alright. I've seen bigger." Draco wasn't entirely sure if this was true. It was hard to tell through the swim trunks.

"Fair enough," Blaise said and finally sat down. Pansy pulled him in for a too touchy side hug and sealed it with a cheek kiss. Draco was indeed grossed out but acted like he wasn't annoyed. Besides he was a Slytherin too. Two could play this game. 

A few moments later Blaise got bored and dived back into the water. When he came out this time he rubbed himself into a little Semi. He thought to himself lets see Draco ignore me this time. As he stepped onto the dock he saw Pansy lean in and whisper in Draco's ear. Possibly something sexual and straight enough to annoy him a bit. Draco smiled noncommittally. It wasn't until Blaise got right up on them and saw the change on Draco's face that he knew something was up.

Blaise turned around quickly and there behind him, was Cho. The only girl who could make him uncomfortable. He cursed the day he told Draco this under his breath. Pansy and Draco high-fived eachother. And Cho looked down, and then back up, eyeing him like he was something to be appreciated and devoured like a good piece of desert. This, of course, turned his semi into all its rock hard goodness.

"It looks like you're happy to see me."

"I am so going to get Draco back for this," He mumbled to himself as Cho walked by him to join the others. He made a point to glare at Malfoy on his way over. And sat down in a huff beside Cho. His usually flirty confidence seemed to have disappeared and Draco had suddenly found his voice.  The irony, or not.

Eventually, the day came to a close and it was just Blaise and Draco. The two were in Draco's study filing away information on the plants in the greenhouse. Draco was growing rare and common plants used in potions and even starting to breed animals whose parts were used in potions as well. He reasoned something like a potion shop beyond just plants and liquids would be something. No one else was selling everything in one shop. Why not him? He had a year to sort it out. As they put away the last file they walked to the magical creature farm for feeding. While they were feeding the large golden-haired tarantulas he could've sworn he heard something from Blaise.

"I'm sorry what was that?" Draco asked and Blaise sighed in frustration. He knew Draco heard him and was forcing him to repeat it.

"I said thanks Draco."

"Thanks. Whatever do I need thanking for Blaise?" The look of total confusion on Draco's face annoyed Blaise even more. Draco, on the inside, was going to enjoy this and drag it out as long as Blaise would let him.

"For inviting over Cho."

"Aww. You're no fun." Draco said and nudged him. Blaise side-eyed him. He wasn't about to have anything in this room send him to the hospital.

"You wanted me to drag this out, didn't you. I refuse to give you any more pleasure at my expense."

"Understandable. And you're welcome. I know how bent out of shape you got when Harry dated her." Draco laughed. He found the whole situation rather amusing.

"Seriously. I"ve fucked my way through every house. Some I wouldn't even admit I shagged. Then the one person I struggle to say hi to has a crush on Harry freakn Potter. Yes. I was annoyed. I don't know why I like her so much."

"This is what happens when you play games with me. Now you ow me. If you weren't such a wuss and had the courage to speak to her you wouldn't be in this situation right now. And by owe me I don't mean stopping flirting with me. That does not count."

"Fine. You win. I'll stop. I hate to think of how you plan to embarrass Pansy."

"Oh I've got something extra special planned for her. Trust me. You'll like it."

"Do you think she likes me back though. I mean I could barely speak to her."

"She told you, you could owl her anytime Blaise." Draco couldn't believe he was still nervous about it all.

"I know but it could've been a courtesy invite." Draco shook his head. Blaise was right about sexing his way through every house. Yet here he was.  Stressing over one girl.

"Enough about me, how about you. Still trying to ignore the world with sexual conquest and fire-whisky?"

"You sound like mother. If I want to dull my nightmares with forgettable men and equally forgettable nights that's what I will do."

"Pansy doesn't think it's healthy. And neither do I."

"Your point would be."

"We care about you Draco. Teasing aside. We both know what your father did to you. Mentally and physically,"

"Blaise,"

"It will never be a good time Draco." He remembered his mom saying the same thing only two weeks ago. Even if that was about Harry. Maybe they were all right. Maybe it was time to deal with his Father issues.

"I guess. But it would be easier to forget all the abuse. All the hate. All the disappointment that I wasn't all that he dreamed I'd be. No matter how much he tried to force me to be. I know he's gone but I'm just not ready Blaise." Draco started to leave the building and walk back towards his house. The emotions were too raw and a Malfoy didn't reveal their emotions. That's what his Father... The moment he thought it was the moment he realised his father was the reason he was so fucked up and he was also the reason he was refusing to move on.

"Almost all of your problems stem from that man and how he treated you. Shit, I wanted to jump in and save you sometimes but we all know how that always ended up." Draco nodded. Pansy and Blaise learned quickly if they didn't want to feel the abuse they had to just watch and most importantly not tell a fucking soul. Draco started to cry as they sat on the back porch.

"Just give me some more time to deal with it."

"You mean really deal with it and not try to poison it out of your mind with drinks and sex?"

"Yes. Starting tonight." Blaise nodded in approval and pulled his friend into a side hug. If Draco was finally going to deal with all his suppressed emotions, and both intentional and subconsciously surpressed memories, he was going to need all the support he could get.