Lockers Full of Thorns

Chapter Nine: A Twist of the Knife

Feeling good, like I should

Went and took a walk around my neighborhood

Feeling blessed, never stressed

Got that sunshine on my Sunday best

Draco finished his Tiktok and posted immediately. No editing, no dancing, no POV. Just him and Colin Creevey, making out to an intense degree.

Draco came up for air. So far, his relationship with Colin, though a stunt, had been smooth sailing. The other boy was frequently over-chipper, sure, and he used far too much Axe body spray, but he actually had some redeeming qualities - he was great at giving compliments, he sat still through the entirety of Mass, and he was actually super good at filming Draco's Tiktoks. He had a real eye for graphic design. That being said, though, nothing about Colin had stopped Draco for wanting to sail in a rougher, choppier, more stonily masculine sea named Harry Potter.

Luna Lovegood sat across from the couple, taking pictures. "Draco, I'm running out of camera space."

"Well, find some more," he snapped. "My dad got you into Duke TiP, remember that?"

"I know, but that was in fifth grade," Luna whined. "What has he done for me lately?"

"What has he done?" Draco was apoplectic. His father had supported him through everything - he'd bought bot followers to kickstart Draco's TikTok, he'd bought the local pride parade and moved it to Draco's birthday when Draco came out as bi - and yet his classmates seemed to regard Luke as a relic, a dopey and boring pastor, when he was so much more. "My father owns a bank! He's producing the sequel to Hillsong! He's financing your lacrosse and your education, and don't forget about the vending machines on the second floor - thank him for those! He's friends with the owners of both the hardware and software stores! Because of my father, this town keeps running!"

Luna backed down. "Okay, I get it." She began scrolling back in her camera roll, presumably to delete old photos and free up space.

"Kiss me again," Colin whispered, pulling Draco back down into the dandelions under the Kissing Tree. They kissed tenderly, but Draco's eyes stayed open. He stared at the tree above. This wasn't who he'd wanted to sit under the tree with. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

But you know what, this was just one step in his plan. Every posted kiss, every picture in the paper, brought him closer to Harry.

He let himself slip into the moment, caressing Colin's back, twining his hand around the other boy's, grass blades between their fingers. Luna paused the photo-taking for a moment, sensing a genuine connection.

Then Draco pulled back up. The lunch bell had rang.

It was time to take this show to a captive audience.

                                                                                                       ***

The cafeteria smelled like broccoli and stale bread. In other words, it was normal. Teens sat in rows, unaware of the spectacular display of romance that was about to go down.

Draco sat on a bench with Colin, Luna sliding in next to him. Across the table were Greg Goyle and Vinnie Crabbe, Draco's best friends, and Millie Bulstrode, Greg's girlfriend. Millie was a star basketball player, so she was a perfect complement to quarterback Greg, and Vinnie was to Draco as Colin was to Harry: he had a smaller Tiktok account where he posted bad comedy. The group was sharing a tray of fries. Colin grabbed one, swiping it through the ketchup before tossing it into his mouth. Draco offered him a mint.