Third Place - Angst

Harry got his bath that night. He wasn't particularly happy about it. But then, he wasn't particularly happy about much at the moment. Hermione had gotten in Draco's face and Draco had gotten mad and stormed away. Then had gotten even angrier when he had to come storming back to get Harry who had sat down to control his crying urge. Thankfully no tears were spilt and Draco had not commented. Even when Harry told him to get his dirty hands off of him.

Draco was true to his word and a quarter pound of fudge awaited Harry when he had gotten into Draco's room. Harry had most of it down his gullet before Draco had taken his school robe off. Then Draco had had to strong-arm him into the bathroom, with out any touching, of course, and got him into the bath. So now Harry was sitting in a steaming bath with a murderous glare on his face and a smudge of fudge on his lip.

"Are you staying in there all night?" Draco asked from the doorway.

"Why are you being all patient and stuff?" Harry asked sharply.

"I'm not being patient. I want your ass out of the tub so I can take a shower," Draco said as he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb.

"No, you're not acting like a jerk. Why? And if you say something like not wanting to make me cry I'll kill you!"

"Merlin, would you calm down," Draco huffed. He uncrossed his arms and went to sit on the toilet lid. "I'm acting this way so that you won't get all freaked out, idiot."

"Don't call me names!"

"You probably didn't let that bitch, Granger, explain anything and you have never been one to actually sit calmly and read a book, or even listen to any inner voices. But just so you know, you can do a lot of damage right now, and I really don't want to be on the receiving end of it." Draco ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"What damage?" Harry's face contorted in horror. "Oh no, I knew it. I'm going to go into a blood frenzy, aren't I? Hermione lied so I wouldn't get scared but it's going to happen, isn't it?"

Draco sighed heavily. "No, Potter, you are not going to go into a blood frenzy. You cannot go into a blood frenzy. So settle down." A hand raked through his hair again. "You are just really emotional and because you are an Indago you have a lot of strength behind you that can come out if you're provoked."

"Provoked? You provoke me all the time. Can I rip your head off?"

"You can try," Draco sneered. Then sighed again. "No, you can not rip my head off, you idio-" He bit off his words. "Alright, listen. Because you are in the first stage, you're touchy. And because you are an Indago, you are strong. So, put the two together and you have trouble, got it?" Harry nodded. "So, even though you can't do any major damage to me, I'd still rather not have you try. You could get hurt."

"Why do you care if I get hurt?" Harry asked, slumping back down and pouted. "You're always pulling my hair and shoving me and hitting me."

"I don't hit you!"

"You do so! You hit me the night that you-," Harry stopped and bit his lips. "When you hurt me that first time," he mumbled.

"I didn't-," Draco took another deep breath. "Okay, look, I was... not... very... nice." His words seemed to taste awful as they were drug out. "But you didn't say no, Potter." Water splashed as Harry sat up fast. "Alright, alright!" Draco threw his hands up in a calming gesture. "You couldn't say no, okay, I got it. Relax." Harry threw him a nasty look and sunk back down into the water.

"In any case, I don't want you hurt. Didn't I already prove that?"

"You were just protecting your piece of ass," Harry said nastily.

"Yeah, well, that's important, right?" He ducked as a wet flannel flew at his head. It hit the tile with a splat and slid down to the floor. "That wasn't very mature, Potter."

"Piss off, Malfoy!"

"Gods, you screech like a girl!"

"I am a girl! I mean I'm the girl in this... Argh! Just shut up!" Harry flung water at Draco, which didn't quite reach but did make a nice mess on the floor. Then he felt the overwhelming urge to cry again and that made him even angrier which made him want to cry more. Harry truly hated his life more than he ever had in the past and he really wished that Voldemort had stuck around instead. Okay, except for the hurting innocent people part. That was a really selfish thought; to keep Voldemort around just because Harry didn't feel like crying. Well, he did feel like crying, he just didn't want to. But right now he felt horrible for his selfish thought and a good cry sounded about right.

"Harry, would you just calm down."

"No!"

Draco sighed again. "Look, if you calm down I'll get you another piece of chocolate, right?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because, you tit, I don't want you upset! For what ever reasons, it is just really wrong for you to be upset right now!"

"Well, shouting at me is making me upset!"

"Fine, I'll stop shouting!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Silence reigned as both of them drew great lungfulls of air in. Draco kept raking his fingers through his hair and Harry realized that he was being treated to a frustrated and bemused Draco. Suddenly, gray eyes lifted and looked at Harry.

"Why do you want to study snakes?"

Harry suddenly became bemused himself. "What?"

"I thought you wanted to be some great and dashing Auror and right the world's wrongs and catch all the evil. So, why all of a sudden do you want to go slithering around in the dirt with a bunch of ruddy snakes?" Draco looked as if Harry was trying to pull a fast one.

Harry narrowed his eyes in thought. "Why do you care?"

"For fuck's sake, Potter! Would you stop asking me that?" Draco took another deep breath and visibly fought for calm. "Right, I just want to know because it's something you said you wanted to do and I assume will take some extra studying and what-all. It's also a huge change of career choice. So, I am just wondering why it has changed for you." Draco purposefully kept his voice low, calm and slow. There was only the tiniest amount of bite in his tone. But it was all Harry needed to get nasty right back.

"Because, I had enough of going after the bad guy with Voldemort." Harry was actually a bit impressed that Draco didn't flinch at the name, but then realized that it was because he had been a junior Death Eater and that re-ignited his ire. "I had my fill and I don't really have any other skills. So, why shouldn't I study snakes?" He asked the last question in a definite challenge.

"You're just going to chuck all the fame and accolades in the rubbish and go hide under a rock?" Draco asked skeptically. Harry splashed more water out of the tub as he sat up again.

"I didn't want all of that! When are you going to get that through your stupid blond head?" Draco's eyes narrowed but Harry didn't let him interrupt. "Before my eleventh birthday I had never even heard of Hogwarts, Voldemort, or that my parents had died in anything other than a car crash, you prat! When I came here, all I wanted to do was finally have some friends for once, be a good student and have fun and freedom! I never ever wanted to be the bloody Boy-Who-Lived! What kind of stupid moniker is that? Great! I'm special because I breathe! Do you think I wouldn't give it all up in a heartbeat to have parents or a normal life? I mean, look at this!" Harry flung water about the room as he waved his hands about. "I am now some freaky animal human thing that is P.M.Sing and enslaved to two people who have done nothing but hate me and the only thing I am grateful for is that that stupid bug didn't do damage before Voldemort kicked it and used me as a lap dog!" Harry threw more water at Draco in pique and then flung himself back down into the tub.

Silence again reigned as Harry tried to control the urge to burst into tears again. Draco got up and walked out of the room, but before Harry could give in to the tears, Draco was back.

"Here," he said quietly. He held out a bit of fudge. Harry glared mutinously at Draco for a moment before snatching the confectionary out of the Slytherin's hand and popping it into his mouth. Draco seemed to almost smile at that and went back to his seat on the toilet lid. Harry chewed and swallowed without looking at him.

"Why didn't you have any friends before coming to Hogwarts?" Draco asked calmly. Harry narrowed his eyes and he looked at the blonde.

"What?"

"Why didn't you have any friends before Hogwarts?" Draco asked again, just as calmly. "You're a likable chap and everyone wants to hang around you. So, why did you just say that you wanted to 'finally have some friends for once'?"

Harry looked away in anger. He was angry with himself for opening his big fat mouth. He really didn't need to give Draco more ammunition.

"Harry, answer me."

"Why do you care?" Harry asked sullenly.

"I swear to fuckin..." Draco rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. "I just want to know, right? Were you diseased as a child? A shut in? Horribly disfigured? Not able to handle filthy muggle children?"

"No!"

"Then what?"

"My cousin was a pig who was taught to hate me and taught the other kids to hate me too, okay?" Harry yelled.

Draco looked at him as if he were crazy. "Taught to hate you? Who the hell taught him to hate you?"

"Who taught you to hate me?" Harry threw back.

"Nobody but your snobby self!" Draco said angrily. "You had your little hero worshipping clique right off the train and couldn't be bothered with mixing with others!"

"You were the snobby jerk!" Harry sat back up again. "You made fun of Ron because he wasn't as rich as you!"

"He made fun of my name!"

"Yeah, well you... you..." Harry stopped and thought a moment. "You made fun of Hagrid!"

"I what?"

"In Madame Malkin's. You made fun of him. He was my first friend and gave me my first birthday cake and even a present and you made fun of him, you bastard!"

"You remember Madame Malkin's?" Draco looked surprised.

"Yes, and you were a mean little snob who wouldn't shut up about bloodlines and all that!"

"My father taught me the importance of bloodlines and that they shouldn't mix."

"Exactly!"

"Exactly what?"

Harry lay back down in the tub with a smug expression. "Now you know."

"For the love of... Know what?" Draco seemed to be barely restraining pulling his hair out.

"Who taught my cousin to hate me."

Draco appeared vexed beyond measure. He took a deep breath, let it out, and then comprehension lit his eyes. "Your family taught your cousin to hate you and actively thwart you having friends?" Harry nodded. "Why in hell in would they do that?"

Harry shrugged. "My Aunt and Uncle hate anything to do with magic. They taught Dudley, my cousin, the same thing."

Draco was thoroughly confused. "Wait, why would they hate magic?"

"Why do you hate muggles?"

"Because they are inferior," Draco immediately answered.

"Exactly."

"We're not doing that again," Draco growled. Harry sighed.

"My family thinks the same way you do. They think that wizards and witches are freaks, something to avoid because they are not decent people. My aunt hated my mother, her own sister, because of my mother's ability. When I was dropped on their doorstep, they were not thrilled." Harry closed his eyes and realized the water temperature had dropped. He would have to refill it or get out. Or cast a warming charm, but his wand was on the counter and he didn't feel like asking Draco for anything or even moving for that matter.

"They had the fucking savior of the world given to them! They should have thanked every deity known for such a privilege!" Draco seethed.

"Well, they didn't think so."

"So they tortured you your entire life?"

Harry opened his eyes, startled. "I didn't say they tortured me my entire life."

Draco gave him a look. "You didn't have to. You just got done comparing them to my family and me. Therefore, I would assume they would react the same way we would have in a similar situation. So, they probably made your life a hell, right?"

Harry bit his lip at unknowingly giving too much away. "Yeah," he mumbled.

"Did they beat you?" Draco asked smoothly, eyes darkening.

"No, not really." Harry looked away so he wouldn't have to look into those far too perceptive gray eyes.

"So then what?"

"What what?"

Draco banged his head back against the tile behind the toilet. "I swear..." He brought his head back down and glared at Harry. "So then what did they do? Besides the whole no friends thing?"

"Why do you care?"

"Right! That's it." Draco stood up and strode towards the door. "You don't have to tell me. I'll find out on my own." He drew his wand, pointed it at the Gryffindor, and before Harry could flinch, Draco cast a warming spell on the bath water.

"You're sleeping on the bed, Potter." Draco walked out of the room.

Indago - Chapter 27

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