Beautiful Shards (A Drarry Fanfic)

Chapter 30: A Little Quid Pro Quo

A/N: I'm switching to third person POV for this chapter, just to see if the style fits the story better than first person. I'd appreciate seeing some opinions on which works best in the comment section. I'd probably still do a some of each, but most chapters would be written in the POV that the majority prefers.

Previously: "You're late."

Draco froze as a shadow detached itself from the darkness beneath one of the pillars and prowled towards him, stepping into the patch of moonlight streaming in from a tiny round window high up on the wall. The room was somewhat small, round, and had four tall, ornate Corinthian columns stretching up to the ceiling above. The circular window was the only source of light, casting pale shadows across part of the space and throwing the other parts into inky blackness. Will Forrest stood in the moonlight, his back to the window, which caused his face to remain mostly shadowed and made his already pale skin look nearly translucent. He was gradually drawing closer to Draco, causing him to back away until his back hit the cold stone of one of the four columns. Draco tried to formulate a plausible excuse, but nothing came to mind, so he stayed silent.

Will growled and tilted his head down so he was whispering in the smaller boy's ear. "Why were you late?" When Draco still didn't respond Will stepped closer, pressing him further against the column, the cold of it seeping through Draco's robes and into his skin, sending a chill throughout his body. "Answer. Me," he hissed angrily, his voice dropping dangerously low. Draco flinched.

"I had- I had to w-wait until Harry fell as- fell asleep." He just barely managed to stammer out his reply, but it was clear the dark-haired boy wasn't satisfied with his answer. Draco spoke up again before Will could further question him about his lateness. "Wh-why uh, why did y-you- you want to, um, t- to meet me?" Will grinned lazily.

"Patience, Draco. We'll get to that." The blond shuddered at the sound of his name on Will's lips. It sounded dark and oily and slippery, so different from the gentle way it rolled off of Harry's tongue. He hated it.

A sudden surge of reckless courage rushed through him and he looked up into the other boy's face, his eyes flashing defiantly. "Get to the point. Your game's over, just tell me what you want." Will laughed, a menacing sound that chilled Draco to the bone, and his confidence left just as it came, suddenly and without warning, immediately replaced by a deep regret. His eyes widened in shock at his own words, just as a hand connected with the side of his face. Will had slapped him, hard. That drained away any remaining resistance. It reminded Draco of his father, of being back in Malfoy Manor, of darker times and longer days, of orders to be followed and expectations to be met, of days spent in his room when his father was angry, just to stay out of the way. Of days that he didn't stay in his room, because it was him or Mother. He bowed his head submissively and fell silent once more.

"This "game" is over when I say it's over, and I say it isn't," his tone was full of both a boiling rage and a cold, calculated cruelty, and it was obvious he took great joy from the power he had over the boy in front of him. "Besides, you're not exactly in a great position to be making demands, are you?" Will pressed Draco backward once more until one of the ridges of the column was digging painfully into his spine. He squeezed his eyes closed, just waiting for this to be over. Unfortunately, when Will noticed his lowered head he tugged harshly on Draco's hair, tilting his face up and slamming his head back against the stone, just as he'd done in the corridor earlier that day. Though a pained expression flashed across his face, Draco's eyes remained tightly shut. Will bent his head to whisper in his ear again.

"Look at me, Draco," he commanded, his voice soft and breathy, as he raised a hand to caress Draco's cheek, his other hand reaching out to rest on the pillar, caging the small boy between it and Will. Draco whimpered quietly but did as he was told, tentatively raising his eyes until he was gazing into the other's face but still avoiding eye contact. He loathed being where he was, powerless, at someone else's mercy, but it was nothing new. He could handle it, or at least that's what he was trying to convince himself, even as he trembled and shook under Will's touch.

"Please..." he begged weakly, "please just tell me what you want."

"Oh, but this is what I want. Or at least part of it. I just want to have a little fun, and you, Draco, are so much fun. I was thinking, maybe we could have a little quid pro quo. This for that. I'll be here, same time, every night. So will you, if you'd rather your little boyfriend be kept out of this. In exchange, I leave him alone. Otherwise..." He trailed off, letting the unsaid end of the sentence hang in the air. At Will's veiled threat toward Harry Draco's breath caught in his throat. That was the moment he knew for sure that, no matter what Will demanded of him, he would comply. He would do what he could to keep Harry away from whatever game he himself had now been ensnared in.

"One more thing. I want you to stop talking to Potter." Time seemed to stop for a moment as the small blond struggled to comprehend what was said. The idea of not talking and laughing and hanging out with Harry was near unfathomable, as he now played a fairly large role in Draco's life. "At the very least when it's even remotely avoidable."

"B-But why?"

"Because it amuses me, and I've been rather bored lately, and because I can make you do whatever I want. I'd listen if I were you. I'll know if you don't." Draco nodded obediently, once again training his gaze on the floor. Will leaned down one last time and said, his lips brushing lightly against the other's ear, "Tomorrow. Midnight. Don't be late." And then he stepped back, turned, and vanished, the door swinging shut behind him.

A/N: Okay, what did you guys think? Was this one better or worse than the chapters that are written in first person? Any input would be great. Thanks for reading, and bye for now!!