desire .

Swimming In The Rain

ao3 author: JulietsEmoPhase

summary: In the months following the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry is sick of the endless PR events he is forced to endure, and takes a rare opportunity to sneak out of the latest party. He doesn't realise though, he's not the only one.

The party was too loud, and no one seemed to notice when Harry slipped out between the French doors into the night.  His head was ringing and he was sick of the champagne he’d been forced yet again into drinking.  He pulled out his wand and transfigured it into water, taking a long gulp before melting into the shadows, letting the din of the crowd drift away behind him.  Now he was out in the cool air with a bit of peace and quiet, his pounding headache was already subsiding and he took a long, deep breath to calm himself as he wandered between the topiary. 

   Harry hated these gatherings.  All he’d wanted after Voldemort’s demise was to try and reclaim some sort of a normal life, focus on his Auror training, attempt to rekindle his relationship with Ginny.  But his career had been put on hold and his love life had fizzled out, leaving only this insufferable string of PR events that seemed unending both in their frequency but also in their monotonous repetitive nature. 

   He’d lost track of whatever mansion he was at now, or even who was hosting this charity gala in honour of ‘The Boy Who Lived’.  Wherever he went now, every week or two, he was expected to give the same old speech, drink with the same old people, smile until his face ached and pretend like everything was fine. 

   Hermione and Ron felt the same he knew, but they had each other now, and Harry had to respect their blossoming courtship because he loved them.  Even when they made gooey eyes across the table and he felt like jamming spoons into his eyes.

   He sighed and drained the last of his water from the champagne flute.  He wished he had more, but a light drizzle was starting to fall giving the air a moist taste that managed to wet his tongue a little.  He didn’t know where he was going, but he was happy to be away from the throng at least, alone with his own thoughts. 

   That was, until he turned a corner and came across a most bizarre sight.

   It seemed he wasn’t the only one who had decided to ditch the party and wander the grounds.  A figure he recognised almost immediately as Draco Malfoy was stood by the edge of a large kidney shaped swimming pool, trailing a bare foot through the rain-spotted waters.  His other foot was shoeless too, as was his chest under his unbuttoned black shirt.  In one hand he held a champagne glass just like Harry’s, although his still had alcohol in it, and in the other he shielded himself against the drizzle with a large black umbrella. 

   Harry wasn’t sure why he was so put out by seeing his former school nemesis; he was trundled out to all these events as well after all.  But normally there was a crowd between them, loud music, dinner tables.

   More clothes.

   As if hearing his thoughts, Draco looked up and grinned, sloshing his toes through the waters again.  “Hello Harry,” he said with a grin and took another swig of bubbles.  He obviously wasn’t as sick of it as Harry was.  Judging from the warm pink flush on his cheeks, he’d probably had several glasses already.  “Come to escape as well?”

   Harry blinked, little rain droplets clinging to his eyelashes.  Despite seeing him all the time, Harry wasn’t sure he and Draco had spoken since he and his mother had thanked him after speaking at their trails.  “You don’t want to be alone?” he said, coming a little closer.