The Ties That Bind Us DRARRY

Chapter 3

"Walk!" Sprout barked as Draco managed to disentangle himself from Potter. However, since they were still bound tightly together, Draco was forced to hug Potter and grab his hip for support and he couldn't move his right leg forward unless Potter moved his left at the same time. After struggling for a minute, they managed to make one tiny little step.

"You should go to the hospital wing, Mr Malfoy," Sprout said, eyeing Draco's face.

Right on cue, Draco's jaw started throbbing. Reminded of Potter's vicious blow, Draco stepped sharply forward with his right foot. Potter cried out in pain as his left arm was pulled and he stumbled, choking, as he was forced to bend down. Unfortunately, that made Draco lean forward, as well, and as Potter suddenly straightened, Draco received a nose full of black hair and a punch in his sore jaw. He would have retaliated, but he was temporary distracted by the scent of apples that filled his nostrils. It made him feel . . . hungry.

Potter glared at him, so Draco glared in return as they panted heavily, nursing their injuries.

"Oh, never mind," Sprout said and sighed. Draco barely heard her over the noise the other students made by laughing and shrieking excessively. "Here . . ." Sprout strolled toward the nearest classroom and checked to see if it was empty. It must have been, because she waved her wand toward it, beckoning them inside.

It wasn't very far, but it took them forever to get there. Not to mention it was a painful trip. Draco's right leg throbbed and Potter looked like he would die of asphyxiation at any moment. Their first step into the classroom was greeted by cheers and a thunderous applause.

"Settle down," Sprout chided, but she, too, sounded amused. "Go on, take a seat," she instructed, indicating the nearest set of chairs.

Draco heard Potter groan and he couldn't help sympathising. It would have been so much easier to walk if Potter's hand wasn't stuck between Draco's thighs. Embarrassment aside, it was just plain uncomfortable. Draco wasn't used to being touched there. Sure, a girl or two had fumbled around his bits, but what bothered Draco now was the continuous male grip that wasn't fumbly or tentative but rough and threatening. It was Potter, after all, who had already threatened to castrate him. Draco couldn't escape the looming sense of menace that Potter's tight grip presented. He felt exposed and oddly vulnerable every time Potter's knuckles brushed against his crotch. And that happened a lot. Every tiny touch of Potter's hand disturbed Draco greatly, mostly because the almost caresses were oddly stimulating. Merlin, what if he got hard? Potter would feel it instantly and the git would draw the wrong conclusion. Because even if Draco did get hard, it would only happen as a result of a natural reaction to an intimate touch, not as a result of an unnatural reaction to Potter's touch.

Draco closed his eyes for a moment and tried to concentrate on reaching the damn chairs. 

It was another long struggle. Potter reached them first and sat down, rudely pulling Draco with him. Their heads collided and Draco felt the softness of Potter's cheek beneath his lips for the briefest moment before they both pulled away and scowled at each other. They tried to sit as far away as they could but that was impossible. In the end, they had to pull the chairs even closer together because otherwise the rope around Potter's neck prevented the git from breathing. Which would have been fine with Draco, but Potter retaliated in his normal way — by pressing firmly against Draco's bits — so Draco had no choice but to snuggle up to Potter and let his right arm hug the ball-squeezing idiot.

"Stop groping me, Potter," Draco whispered furiously.

"Stop choking me," Potter whispered back.

"Stop leaning so heavily! You're squishing my arm!"

"Stop crushing my hip!"

Draco blinked and quickly released Potter's hip. There was no need to continue holding it. Draco should have remembered that. What was wrong with him? Potter's blow must have damaged his brain.