But it was far too late. Snape grabbed him and dragged him out. He was still screaming. He screamed for a long time…

Draco gasped and snapped up from the pillow, his body drenched in sweat. He hadn't had that dream in a long time, though it really wasn't a dream. If it were only a dream, it could be shrugged off and forgotten. It didn't have to be relived when he was asleep and when he was awake. He stifled a sob. He didn't want to wake the man beside him, but when he looked, he saw that Harry Potter was awake anyway.

Harry sat up and put his arm around him. "Draco? Are you okay?"

Draco didn't ponder it. With anyone else he might have shrugged it off, but not to this man. He shook his head and lowered his face into Harry's naked shoulder. Harry tightened his arm around him. He didn't ask, didn't need to. He embraced Draco as he wept, kissed the top of his blond head, and then rested his cheek there, simply allowing Draco to cry in the safe haven of his arms. And it was better for Draco that way. He'd never been able to cry like that. There had been no one to cry to. Not until Harry Potter re-emerged into his life.

He let himself cry for a long time until there was nothing left. He wiped his face and sat up, raising his eyes to Harry. Harry didn't say anything. What was there to say? They each had their own nightmares, to be sure. It had all really been a nightmare until he met up with Harry again, and that was all a bit strange in itself. It hadn't been love at first, because Draco wasn't aware of his sexuality. It was only through spending time with the compassionate Harry that he had come to know who he really was.

He smiled at Harry and kissed him. "Thanks," he said quietly.

Harry hugged him tightly for a moment and then pulled Draco down beside him again. He took Draco in his arms and lay with him that way, leaving feathery kisses on his face.

"You know," said Draco into the dark, "sometimes I simply can't believe my good fortune. I mean there's you and Hogwarts, the very two things I should have been terrified to be involved with and now I can't imagine life without them."

"It's funny that way, all right."

Draco chuckled, his tone changing. "Not for you, though. You had a 'thing' for me after all. Since fourth year, didn't you say?"

"You like to keep bringing that up."

"It's just the thought of you pining away for this little Slytherin. I could just imagine the little fantasies that swept you off to sleep while you were touching yourself."

Harry squirmed.

"I'll bet you wished you could have used that invisibility cloak to good advantage, spying on me."

"Well…actually…er…I did. Once or twice."

Draco sat up so fast Harry fell back. "What?

Harry bit his lip. He always looked blind without his glasses but now he looked particularly vulnerable in the half-light of the moon. "I…ah…I used the cloak to…ah…to…sneak into the Quidditch changing rooms and watched you…um…undress."

Draco stared in disbelief. "Why you little slut! How many times?"

"Er…a couple."

"Potter! How many?"

Harry grimaced, his face crimson with embarrassment. "Okay, ten! But that was all!"

"Ten! Ten! I should have you arrested! What is the statute of limitations on being a sex criminal?" Mortified, Harry dropped his face in his hands. Draco was enjoying it too much. He shook his head. "I never suspected. It's always the quiet ones, isn't it? I'm picturing you panting and rubbing yourself under that cloak."

"Oh shut up! I was hormonal and a secret homosexual. And bloody lonely. And…a little obsessed, okay! I couldn't help myself."

"You were sick and depraved…And I wish to hell I'd known."

"Oh yeah. So you could beat me up and hex me. And kill me. You weren't quite prepared then to welcome me with open arms, remember?"

Draco smirked. "Oh yes, back then I certainly would have killed you. Now, of course, it gives me an entirely different reaction."

Harry looked down at the tented blanket. His eyes widened. "Oh I see. Now I'm not so sick."

"But you're still a slut. Just the way I like you." He took Harry in his arms and threw him down beneath him. He straddled him and sat up. "So you like to watch, do you, Potter?"

"Draco…"

Draco threw off the blankets. His white body gleamed in the moonlight. "Well. What do you think now?"

Harry's eyes, even without the glasses, seemed to focus on what he needed to. "I would say it's better than sneaking a peek. After all." He smiled and shook his head, eyes never rising above Draco's waistline. "You never looked like that at school. Not that I could see, anyway."

"You see. Good things come to those who wait. And I've waited long enough." He bent down for a kiss and took a long drag on his lips. "Now let's see," he said, eyes gleaming. "What shall we do? We have a choice here." He smirked and lightly ran his fingers over Harry's belly, dragging them lower until they tangled in his dark pubic hair. "I could shag you or I could straddle that massive cock of yours and have you shag me. What's it to be, Potter?"

Draco had wrapped his fingers around Harry's thick shaft and stroked gently. Harry's eyes were looking a bit glazed. "Whatever you want, Draco. I'm a little at your mercy at the moment."

"A little? Too right, you are." He pulled on Harry's hard flesh and his lover lifted his hips below him, raising Draco up a few centimeters. "You know, I think I fancy a bit of a ride. Let me show you a little trick I learned, something the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher might well wish to know himself." He incanted a spell that effectively lubricated the both of them. Harry's eyes widened.

"Very neat, Malfoy."

"Thought you'd like it. Let's see how it works." He rose up on his haunches and slowly lowered, spearing himself on Harry's cock with a deep gasp. "Oh…I'd say…it works…just fine." He pushed further until he was firmly seated on the stiff erection. Harry's face reflected the pleasure at the tight embrace Draco's body offered.

"That's…so perfect," he exhaled. "Oh Draco. You are so tight."

"And you, my Harry, are so, so thick." He moved. Harry threw his head back and gasped. His slick flesh slid past Draco's tightness and when Draco moved again he was firmly inside once more. "Oh Merlin! You're killing me!"

"Only with kindness. Shall I do that again?" Draco reared up as slowly as he could and dragged past Harry's cock almost to the tip before he slowly lowered and slid down the shaft again. He reached behind and teased his bollocks, raking his nails up the goosefleshed sack.

"Oh my God!"

"Does that mean you approve, Mr. Potter?"

Harry couldn't speak. But he nodded instead, eyes tightly shut. Draco repeated and Harry bucked upward, shoving his taut flesh high up into Draco's warm cavern. Draco made a giddy laugh as it scraped over his prostate.

"I see…I found something…you like," Harry gasped.

"Oh yes. Just the spot."

Harry did it again and Draco laughed out loud from shear pleasure. "Oh you cunning Gryffindor! Oh my!"

They tried to outdo the other; Harry thrusting deeply into Draco and Draco shimmying over Harry, pumping up and down on his thighs. But soon, it didn't matter what the other did because they were both coming almost at the same time. Harry made several little thrusts gasping out an "Ah…ah…ah…" and Draco shut his lips and keened in his throat. Draco arched over Harry, holding on to the last vestiges of his orgasm and squirming over his groin before he couldn't hold himself up anymore. Reluctantly, he let Harry slip out of him and crumpled to the bed beside him, dropping his face to his thigh. He kissed the flesh were he landed and ran his arm over his pelvis, hugging his hip. It tasted like sex and Draco even licked the moisture, unsure if it was Harry's spunk or his own.

"Do I really have to say how amazing you are, Draco?"

Draco drew his tongue up Harry's thigh, just tasting the saltiness of his skin and enjoying the rough, wiry hair against his mouth. "Likewise, Harry. Too amazing. I so love this."

And to prove it they began again after a quiet interval.

* * *

Harry was still asleep when Draco arose. Malfoy had to floo back to his own rooms as classes would start in a few hours and he had to get cleaned up and dressed. They'd both been teaching at Hogwarts now for three months and despite some unusual events in the first few days of September, all had gone well since. Harry was happily teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and Draco taught Potions. But for all anyone knew at the school, Harry and Draco were just friends and colleagues. Unusual friends, but friends. Except, of course, for Dumbledore. Harry had had to tell Dumbledore about him and Draco, and it was a good thing. They never would have known about the Hogwarts inter-fireplace floo network if they hadn't, and that was certainly better than creeping around the corridors at night. That had caused enough trouble.

"Stop-in the name of lo-o-ve, be-fore you break my heart…think it ow-ow-ver!" Draco squeezed the water from his sponge over his head while he bathed, singing one of his favorite Muggle "Motown" tunes. He never felt tired after he'd been to bed with Harry. Sex with him always invigorated. He was definitely ready to face the day and when he left the bath and dried off he dressed in his black clothes: the dragon leather pants and black silk shirt. He just assumed he would teach in the same vein as his favorite teacher Snape, but Draco had found his own style, somewhat dangerous but not too far from friendly. Students weren't afraid to ask him questions but he kept just enough distance to his liking. And as head of Slytherin house, he had to spend a lot more time with the little darlings than he thought he would, but he found he didn't mind that either. Since he used to play Quidditch, he was certainly interested who was on the team and how they played. Had he still had Malfoy money, he would have bought the entire team new brooms, but now that was out of the question.

Today was Friday, so it was also the day he had to take private lessons from McGonagall after all his classes for the day. He certainly didn't look forward to them, but Dumbledore required it since Draco had missed the end of sixth year and all of seventh-too busy trying to destroy the Wizarding world as one of Voldemort's Death Eaters.

He strode into the Great Hall for breakfast and caught sight of Harry running in, trying to tie his tie and stuff it into his knit waiscoat. He veered toward Draco and whispered harshly, "Thanks for waking me up!"

"But you looked so sweet asleep."

He sneered at Draco who chuckled and took his place at the opposite end of the table. Owls arrived and more than the usual number dropped their letters before Dumbledore. It had begun like that a few days after term started and Draco knew exactly why. It was because of him. Parents had complained almost nonstop at Dumbledore's appointment of a former Death Eater teaching their children. Some had even pulled their children out of Hogwarts. The war had scared too many people, affected too many. They weren't willing to trust Dumbledore when the Ministry had lied to them so often. Draco had offered on more than one occasion to resign but the old wizard always waved him off, saying that the parents would eventually get used to it. But the piles of letters today didn't look to Draco as if any of the parents were getting used to it at all.

Dumbledore noticed him staring and he turned to him. "An over abundance today, to be sure. But it's nothing to worry over."

"How can you say that?" Draco's eyes roved over the pile. "At this rate, there won't be any students left at Hogwarts."

And it was true. The benches were emptier than ever. There were less than six hundred students now. That was far below the average of some thousand and more.

Hagrid who sat next to Draco waved his hand. Draco felt the air move as it swished by him. "You can't worry over what some fool parent thinks, Malfoy. Dumbledore'll win them over to his way of thinking. Just you watch.

"But I have been watching, Hagrid, for the last three months. How are your classes looking?"

Hagrid mumbled into his beard. "Well…I admit. A might sparse."

"It's not fair to the rest of you. I really should-"

"This must be Friday," said McGonagall, dabbing her serviette at the side of her mouth. "Malfoy is about to tender his resignation."

Draco stared at her open-mouthed. Flitwick giggled behind her. "That's not funny, Minerva. You think I like being the cause of this?"

"No. But I don't think the headmaster likes convincing you every week that he needs you. He is well aware of what the others think."

"Besides," said Madam Pince, and her next words were chorused by all the others on Draco's end of the table:

     "You Can't Find Another Potions Master This Late In The Year."

Draco frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "All right! I get it."

McGonagall patted him on the back. "It's only because we care, Draco. Now buck up. You can't face your students with that attitude."

"Right. Attitude. Kiddies first." He grabbed his goblet and tossed back his pumpkin juice, wishing for all the world that it was firewhiskey.

It was time to go to Potions and Draco made his way to the dungeons, not much cheered by the show of encouragement from his fellow teachers, though it was a far cry from the way they treated him when he started. He supposed if he had won them over in three months he might win over the parents in ten. That gave him an idea and he made a mental note to talk to Dumbledore about it later.

The first years hurried in and took their seats. Draco had come to know the majority of them, and he enjoyed especially their quick and eager minds. Most of them anyway. The petite dark-haired Antonia Adams still proved to be problematic, but Draco was determined to change her attitude. She was the one Harry dubbed the "female Draco Malfoy."

Reggie Baskem sat up straight, his bright blue eyes fixed on Draco. Baskem always wanted to do well, but he always somehow managed to foul it up. He reminded him of Harry but was a sort of Neville Longbottom only smarter and Draco seemed to have a soft spot for the boy. Ursula Smelting, a red-haired Ravenclaw who was almost his Hermione Granger except that she didn't exactly Know It All and didn't seem to care if she didn't. And then there was Quisten Rogers whom Draco was sure was dyslexic, Timothy Twillum, a tall thin Ravenclaw, who was an average student in almost every sense, including his looks, and blond Frestus Florenz who showed the best aptitude for potions but didn't seem interested in it enough to matter.

"'Morning, all," said Draco flipping through his potions book. His lesson plan today called for a hair removal potion, but he decided he wasn't in the mood for that-and all the trouble he was certain it would wreak (Baskem seemed to have a glint in his eye Draco didn't like the looks of). "A little change in plans," he said still flipping. Maybe it wasn't a first year potion. He hoped it was. Ah! There in the very back. "For the last three months we've been doing our damnedest to turn out some really useful potions and I think we can all agree that we've done a pretty good job-except for those spectacular blunders-" and he squinted good-naturedly at Baskem, who blushed furiously. The others laughed. "But today we need to shake things up a bit. Turn to page four hundred and twenty-seven, nearly the last potion."

"Attitude Draught?" read Adams disdainfully.

"And never have I had a more appropriate editorial," said Draco, glaring at her. "Yes, Miss Adams. It is because of that very attitude. And I want you all to brew this in pairs…and then drink it."

The class gasped.

Draco's smile slithered across his mouth. "Indeed. This time you will actually have to taste your own poison-I mean…potion." He smiled again. "So I suggest you follow directions very carefully. And then I expect a suburb attitude adjustment in all of you. Even you, Adams."

She twisted her ring and stared at him.

The students paired up and Draco left them alone to prepare for a while until he started seeing bubbles popping over the cauldrons. He walked between the tables, hands clasped behind his back. The students looked nervous, knowing they would have to drink the potion. But Draco knew it wasn't a difficult potion to brew and any unpleasant side affects from doing it wrong wouldn't last long and wouldn't show.

But suddenly, Adams reared up with a cry of frustration and pushed over her cauldron. Poor Twillum didn't know what to do as the potion ran across the floor, sizzling.

Draco glowered at her. "You stupid fool! What do you think you are doing?"

"Getting a zero," she said with a defiant lift to her chin.

"Yes, but you also earned Twillum a zero, something he surely didn't deserve."

"Then you shouldn't have put us together."

"That's twenty points from Slytherin and detention! Now clean up this mess-without your wand! Maybe that will improve your attitude."

Draco was furious. That stupid girl deliberately spoiled her potion so she wouldn't have to take it. And she was certainly the one who needed it the most!

Class was almost over and Draco moved to the forefront. "Time, ladies and gentlemen. Who has enough faith in their potion to drink it?" No one stirred. Draco punched his fists into his hips. "All right then. Who has the courage? How about you Gryffindors? You're all supposed to have the heart of a lion. Let's see you prove it."

Florenz stood up. "I will, sir." But his face betrayed his fear. He nervously swallowed, took a ladle, and scooped up some of the mild-smelling potion. Sniffing it, he closed his eyes and pressed the ladle's bowl to his lips. Everyone watched him without a sound. He swallowed the potion and waited.

Draco swept his gaze across the room. He laid his hand nonchalantly over his mouth to keep himself from laughing. They all acted like it was the Draught of the Living Death.

After a moment, Florenz opened his eyes and they seemed to sparkle with new life. "Hey," he said, rolling his shoulders. "That's not bad."

"How do you feel?" asked Rogers his partner, also a Gryffindor.

"Well…it's like…I'm suddenly not afraid of it. Like everything will be okay." He smiled up at Draco.

Draco smirked back. "Well done. Ten points to Gryffindor." He turned to the rest of the class. "The rest of you lot. You aren't going to be outclassed by Gryffindors, are you?"

Around the room, students tentatively sipped their potions and each one's face suddenly lighted with new fervor.

Draco smiled, pleased. He turned to Adams. "If you hadn't been such a coward, you'd be feeling good now too."

"I'M NOT A COWARD!" she cried, pulling her wand.

Draco backhanded it out of her fingers. It flew across the room and hit the wall. "You just got yourself a week of detention. And I may have to confiscate that wand. You can pick it up in the headmaster's office at the end of the day."

"But I need it for-"

"Rule number one," he said, leaning low at her, his nose almost touching hers. His voice dropped to a deadly tenor. "Never cross a Malfoy." He held her in his gaze a moment more before he straightened to his full height. "You all have homework. Give me twenty-five reasons for using the Attitude Draught. Adams, you're going to give me fifty. Class dismissed."

Despite the effects of the potion, the rest of the class left in a subdued manner. Adams glared at Draco. She kept looking at her wand across the room. If looks could kill…He was certainly glad she was too young to have learned non-verbal hexes.

When she finally left, he walked over to where her wand landed and picked it up. It looked very similar to his old wand, the wand Ollivander had said he wasn't attuned to anymore. He wondered what was inside it. "Probably a hair from Voldemort." It had been a joke, but on second thought, it wasn't so funny. He pocketed it and readied the dungeon for the next class.


On to Chapter Two
"The Defense Teacher"

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