Work Header

I really couldn’t care less

Work Text:

“This is getting ridiculous, Draco,” Pansy said as she murmured the incantation to heal Draco’s palm. Draco said nothing. He was still gritting his teeth. As soon as Pansy was finished, he snatched his hand out of her grip.

“Thanks a lot,” he said waspishly.

“Hey, I’m not the one who made you smash that glass. Show a little more gratitude. You’re being a brat,” she said with a scowl.

“Nobody made me smash that glass. The glass was… fragile.” Draco mentally rolled his eyes at himself.

“Right,” Pansy replied flatly. She looked over her shoulder and Draco couldn’t help but follow her gaze. His eyes landed on Potter, sitting at the bar and chatting animatedly with some bloke. Draco balled his hands into fists. This seemed to be his natural reaction to seeing Potter like this. It was how he had accidentally smashed that glass he had been holding.

“I need another drink,” Draco muttered. Pansy’s head snapped back around.

“Oh no, you don’t. Don’t go over there. You’ll embarrass yourself.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Draco growled as he watched the bloke stroking Potter’s arm. This was it. Now he definitely had to go over there.

“Draco,” Pansy called after him, but there was no stopping him now.

As he pushed several people out of the way, he felt more anger coursing through him. When he reached the two barstools he hadn’t let out of his sight, he narrowed his eyes. He was standing behind the bloke Potter was talking to. And although Potter was facing him, the prat was solely focused on that sandy-haired troll. He was grinning at him stupidly. Draco felt like he was going to explode. Potter ignoring him like this made his chest hurt more than he’d liked to admit.

He slammed his hand onto the bar, right beside the bloke’s elbow. He and Potter jumped. A little smirk tugged at Draco’s lips as the troll finally stopped stroking Potter’s arm and turned around to look at Draco. Only… he wasn’t a troll at all. He was rather handsome. Damn it. Draco felt another tightening in his chest.

“Can we help you, Malfoy?” Potter asked. We. He had just referred to them as we. They probably just met! Draco could barely keep from baring his teeth in a grimace. He took a deep breath and put on his best sneer.

“I didn’t take you as a bloke who would go for a peeping Tom.”

“What?” Potter spluttered.

Draco mentally chuckled.

“I wasn’t talking to you, Potter,” he drawled, locking eyes with the sandy-haired eye candy. “Did you know that this one,” he nodded his head once in the direction where Potter was sitting, dumbfounded, “once watched me undress while he was under his invisibility cloak?”

Potter’s eyes widened as he undoubtedly remembered the train ride in their sixth year.

“Oh, and in third year, he almost fell off his broom when he saw me walking onto the Quidditch pitch,” Draco smirked.

“Excuse me,” Potter exclaimed, “you were dressed as a Dementor! And I cast a Patronus charm at you!”

“You did?” Eye Candy said, obviously impressed. Draco wrinkled his nose.

“While we’re on the subject of Quidditch,” Potter continued, ignoring the admiring look Eye Candy was giving him, “did you know I beat this wanker every single time we played against each other?”

Draco scowled at him.

“Well, did you know that this so-called Saviour stalked me for almost a year?”

“You hunted me down in my compartment on the Hogwarts Express every year!” Potter almost shouted.

Well, Draco couldn’t exactly argue with that.

“And don’t think I’ve forgotten the way you used to watch me, every time I entered the Great Hall,” Potter added.

Draco felt his cheeks heat up. This wasn’t going as planned at all!

“Wow, clearly I’m getting myself in the middle of something here,” Eye Candy said, raising both of his hands.

“Then maybe you should just leave,” Draco shot at him, regretting it immediately. He sounded way too bitter. This was getting out of hand. Why was it that Potter always made him lose control like this? This wasn’t like Draco at all! He had to get away from him. Now.

He gave Potter one last venomous glance, before he turned on his heels and marched back to where Pansy was sipping her drink.

Draco placed a hand on her hip, drawing her close, which earned him a skeptical look.

“What are you doing, Draco?” Pansy asked.

“Can you please not ask any questions?” Draco muttered.

“So you did make a fool out of yourself,” she sighed. Draco ignored her and cupped her cheek with his other hand instead.

“Draco, what are you doing?” she repeated.

 “Will you just shut up and kiss me?” Draco growled. Pansy’s eyes widened.

“What? No! Ew! Draco!” She turned her face away from him, giggling. Draco exhaled loudly, letting his hand drop to his side and resting his forehead on Pansy’s shoulder.

“You’re a lousy friend,” he mumbled.

“If that means I don’t have to kiss you in a pathetic attempt to make Potter jealous, I’m fine with that,” Pansy snickered, patting his back. Draco suddenly realised what this must look like. Like Pansy was comforting him. He didn’t want Potter to get any ideas. He straightened himself, took Pansy’s drink and downed it in one gulp.

“Hey,” she protested as he handed the empty glass back to her with a grimace.

“Ugh, that is disgusting,” Draco spluttered.

“Well, you owe me a drink now,” Pansy retorted. Draco rolled his eyes fondly at her,  brushed his fingers over her cheek once and headed for the back entrance of the bar. He needed some fresh air.

Once outside, he finally felt like he could breathe properly. Closing his eyes, he leaned against the brick wall and let his head drop back. Maybe he should just forget about Potter. Well, easier said than done. Hadn’t he tried to do that for years now? And every time Draco had thought he was fine, he had bumped into Potter again and had lost his ruddy mind. Every bloody time. Especially when he had seen Potter flirting with somebody else.

Draco had no right to be jealous, he knew that. But he couldn’t help it. The more he tried to hide his feelings, the more they threatened to burst out of him. He just wished he could turn them off somehow. Stupid, stupid Potter!

Draco suddenly felt something warm pressing against his left arm. He looked sideways and startled when he saw Potter leaning against the wall beside him. He was standing so close, their arms were touching. Draco’s mind reeled.

“Pansy? Seriously?” Potter chuckled. Draco kept staring stupidly at him, not registering that Potter was talking to him. “I would have liked it better if you had continued trying to embarrass me with old tales of our mutual obsession.” Potter was grinning. Why was he grinning? It wasn’t a taunting grin. It was… flirtatious? Draco tried to fight down the butterflies in his stomach, because there was just no way Potter was trying to be flirtatious.

“But I guess trying to make me jealous with Pansy was also kind of cute.”

Draco’s eyes widened. He was suddenly torn between snapping at Potter for being ridiculous and finally giving up his stupid charade and admitting that that had been exactly what he had tried to do. Well, old habits die hard.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Potter,” Draco shot at him with a scowl. “Who said I was trying to make you jealous? Maybe I was trying to steal that bloke you were talking to right from under your nose.”

Potter chuckled again.

“If that was your plan, you did a very poor job.”

“Well, he’s not with you anymore, is he?” Draco snapped.

“No. He went to another bar, actually. So you’ll have to find yourself another target.” Potter’s tone was highly irritating. He was teasing Draco.

“Such a shame you’ll be going home alone again tonight then,” Draco shot back.

“Oh? So you have been stalking me again?” Potter said amusedly.

Damn it! Why was Draco unable to think before he spoke whenever Potter was around?

“You just make such a pathetic sight, it’s hard to overlook.” Draco knew how lame he sounded, but he was getting more and more nervous. And angry. Couldn’t Potter just go away already? “Just go home now and spare yourself any further embarrassment.”

“Given our history, I would have thought you’d be delighted to see me embarrass myself. What do you care if I go home alone or not?” Potter said with a piercing glance. Draco swallowed.

“I don’t,” he sneered. “I really couldn’t care less.”

“Great. See you inside then. I actually saw a rather handsome bloke on my way out here,” Potter shrugged.

Draco snorted. He was bluffing. On the other hand… what if he was not? What if this conversation with Draco had made him determined to prove he just had to snap his fingers and everybody would rush over to worship him?

The thought made Draco pant with rage. He couldn’t stand the thought of being the one who had pushed Potter into the arms of another man. That would be the opposite of what he truly wanted.

“Damn it, you should be going home with me!”

Draco only realised what he’d said after Potter turned around to look at him. Bloody hell, he had practically shouted the words at Potter. They stood there in silence for a few seconds, before Potter suddenly moved.

“Finally, you stupid git,” he whispered as he lunged at Draco.

Draco didn’t know what was happening when he felt warm lips on his and strong arms encircling him. He was stunned. Never in a million years had he expected… this?

Draco shuddered as Potter’s tongue traced the line between his lips. He melted into the sensation and closed his eyes. He opened his mouth to draw some much needed breath and immediately felt Potter’s tongue on his. It felt better than he had ever imagined. Apparently, Potter didn’t feel the same, because he made a displeased sound.  

Draco opened his eyes and saw that Potter was making a face. Draco froze. Why was Potter making that face? Had the kiss been that horrible? How was that possible, when Draco still felt tingly all over?

“You taste awful,” Potter muttered, “what was Pansy drinking?” Before Draco could reply, Potter grabbed his wand and flicked it once. Draco suddenly tasted peppermint on his tongue and then Potter latched himself onto Draco again.

“We should get out of here,” Potter breathed after a moment. Draco shuddered again.

“I see you’re wasting no time, Potter. Do you usually move this fast, or is it just me who’s getting you so excited.” Draco had intended to sound like he was teasing Potter, but it had sounded more like he was begging Potter for affection. Gross!

He was letting his jealousy get the best of him. Again. He wanted Potter, yes, but the thought of how many others had kissed him, had seen him naked, had heard him moan, made Draco want to vomit.

“Hmmm,” Potter hummed amusedly. Damn it, he was probably seeing right through Draco. “You know just as well as I do that we probably should have done this a long time ago.”

Draco’s eyes snapped up to Potter’s. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Had Potter just admitted to being attracted to Draco… for a while? How long? Draco burned to ask him. But he couldn’t do that. He wasn’t some sentimental sap!

Draco almost stumbled when Potter grabbed his hand and tugged him forward.

“Come on, let’s go,” he said happily. “Oh, and just so you know,” he added, grinning over his shoulder, “I’m not really into casual stuff. Your arse is mine now, Malfoy!”