Of Horses And Waterfalls

26. Honesty & Horses

Draco opened the front door with his shirt wide open.  He had loosened the buttons because of the heat, and the sight made Harry want to pin him to the kitchen table and lick him all over.  He had a glass of what looked like whiskey in his hand, and took a sip waiting for Harry to explain his incessant hammering on his door.  Harry tore his eyes away from his chest, because he would pay attention to that later.  Fuck yes, he would, and looked the man in his eyes.

"Sorry to disturb you Mr Malfoy.  There was a man just here.  Said he was your father.  Taking photos of the ranch, saying that you don't have much time left and that you are going to fail at this..", he said, excluding the part where his father said he failed at everything.  He didn't think his boss needed to know that he had said that.  "Do you want to tell me what's going on?", he sort of demanded, hoping that his boss would relent and give up all his dirty secrets.

Draco paled when he said that, and Harry was sorry for the words he had used, but Draco had to know what had transpired.  "Mr Malfoy?", he asked again, after hearing no response.  Draco raised his eyes, and with a flash of anger snapped at his head rancher.

"It's got fuck all to do with you Potter, now kindly piss off", and with that he slammed the door in Harry's face.  Harry was past the point of no return now, he wanted answers, and dammit, his boss was going to give them to him.  "Malfoy, I need to know what's happening.  The workers need to know", he shouted, all the while pounding on the door.  His words and fists were met with silence, and after a while, after realizing that the door wasn't going to be opened any time again soon, he turned on his heel and left.

Pansy had seen how Draco's attitude had changed when he walked back into the lounge area.  She held out her arms and he sunk down into them.  "What happened Draco?", she asked with worry.  

"My father was just here.  He told Potter that I don't have much time left, and that I would fail.  Fucking prick", he spat out.  

"Who?  Potter or your father?", she asked seriously.  

He looked up at her and said, "Both", making her chuckle.  

"Potter is demanding answers", he said.

"Maybe he has a right to ask and receive them", she said.  "He is the head rancher Draco, I'm not sure you can keep something like this from him.  The others don't need to know, but he does.  He's been working his arse off for you, for this ranch.  It seems fair to let him in", she explained.  Draco said he would think about it.  He buttoned up his shirt, took a fresh bottle of whiskey, and said that he was going for a walk.  Don't follow him.

Harry was so angry, and he knew that he would have to get rid of his anger before he returned to his cottage.  It wouldn't do well if his colleagues saw him like this.  He donned a saddle and bridle again after taking Trinity from his stable, and got him ready for the time of his life.  It was Sunday, and he was going to stay away for the rest of it.  He would go home when he was calmer, and only then.  Had his boss been lying to him this whole time, and did Pansy know.

Questions reeling through his mind, he climbed onto the horse's back, clicked his tongue, squeezed his thighs, and braced himself for a long overdue horseback ride.  Galloping towards some sort of freedom, some sort of serenity, that he craved, because yet again, he wasn't deemed fit to be told the truth.  Yet again, he had been told to piss off Potter, because you are not worth it.  Not worth my time, and definitely not worth anything.

Harry had told Malfoy in the interview that he was worth it, and for a while it seemed that he had delivered, and had been believed.  What the fuck was his problem now.  Talking to him like he was a child.  Christ Almighty, he hated it, and the cold feeling of being shut out came back to him in waves.