Reckless Abandon (Drarry)

Chapter 22

It was dark when the door opened hours later. Harry peered up from his place on the sofa, huddled under the blanket. He had broken down when Draco left, and ended up curling up into a ball on the sofa. How had something so good turned so bitter, so sour?

Clementine tsked, and flicked her wand at the fireplace, starting a large fire. She set a tray down on the coffee table. "Tea, chocolate ice cream, or firewhiskey. Pick your poison."

When Harry didn't react, she poured two large whiskies and shoved a glass into his hand. "Fucking men, eh? It's enough to make you switch teams, isn't it?"

Her light tone was refreshing, a good contrast to the concerned ones he was so tired of. Harry chugged his whiskey and poured another. "You having men problems too?"

Clementine shot back her whiskey in solidarity. "Yup. Seamus started out great... but then he was so clingy! He was always around, dropping everything to be with me. Such a turn off."

"Yeah, you need a guy who stands up for himself, not a push-over," Harry sipped his whiskey, enjoying the distraction from his own troubles.

"And then Neville...nice, smart, sweet, but lacking confidence in himself..." Clementine sighed, drawing her knees up to her chest, and wrapping an arm around them. "He would dress up so much for our dates, taking me to fancy places, but seemed totally out of his element."

Harry could picture that, Neville nervous and trying hard to please. He had gotten a lot of attention after the war, with people suddenly seeing that he was attractive and had played such a key part. He had gotten better, but his old shy ways were still there. "He's a great guy. Just give him time to get comfortable around you."

"I wish he would just be himself, frankly. Share his interests instead of trying to impress me." Clementine levitated another log on to the fire.

Harry chuckled. "Maybe you need a guy who isn't so 'nice'."

Clementine scoffed, pulling a blanket around her shoulders. "Well, then you get involved with some hot guy and jump into bed way too fast."

That sounded familiar. Harry shifted a bit on the sofa. "Um, well, finding someone you are sexually, um, compatible with, is, um..."

"Really fucking hot?" Clementine finished with a grin. She clinked her glass against Harry's, and downed the shot. She shook her head as she set it down. "I've been there, done that, and it burns itself out after a few weeks. And then what?"

Harry was definitely feeling the effects of the whiskey now. "You are like a modern day Goldilocks with all those guys," he said with a wheezy laugh.

"Yeah, I want a guy who is 'just right'. Not too soft, not too hard."

The comment almost had Harry sputtering on his whiskey. "No, hard is definitely better than soft."

Clementine rolled her eyes at him, but chuckled along. "I want a guy who is confident, knows himself, but still respects me. Someone sexy, funny and smart. Is it asking too much to have all of that in one guy?"

Harry scoffed. "At least you have a good selection to pick from. There aren't that many gay men around my age with all that and also able to handle my, my...," he waved a hand in the air, trying to think of the right word.

"Enormous cock?" Clementine filled in cheekily. "That's such bullocks, Harry. I set you up with dozens of great guys all summer, all fine with your 'fame'."

That was true. Sighing, Harry stretched out, propping pillows under his head to lie the length of the sofa. "Maybe this mess with Draco was for the best. I just needed to get him out of my fucking system. Once I'm over him, I should give those guys another chance."