Benefits

Chapter Nine

Harry was woken up at twelve, being shaken harshly by someone.

"What?" he groaned, curling in on himself and shoving his face into his pillow, frustrated.

"You need to get up," a female voice said above him, "are you...naked?"

Harry looked up to see the blurry outline of Hermione standing above him, looking a little impatient and now, embarrassed.

Harry sighed and turned onto his back, "yes," Harry muttered, "nowadays, I'm naked quite often-."

"Didn't need to hear that," Hermione muttered.

"Then don't come into my apartment unannounced, you might see something you don't want to," Harry said with a smirk. Hermione rolled her eyes and left the room, closing the door behind her so Harry could put his clothing on.

(***)

"Now, why exactly are you here?" Harry asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose tiredly.

"You're getting married," Hermione said, "may as well start planning the wedding."

Harry scowled, looking down at the ring on his finger. It shone brightly, "really, you wake me up so I can plan my wedding?"

"It's important!" Hermione exclaimed, "Besides, you should have been up and awake hours ago."

"I had a busy night," Harry said with a smirk.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch, papers scattered in front of her.

Harry sat down next to her, "what's with all the paper?" he asked.

"Invitations," Hermione said with a smile, "and just general planning papers," she said, motioning a hand towards them, "today; you're going to get all of this prepared and you're going to pick a date," she said, "Draco told me to make you do it, while he go and searches for another job," she frowned, "what happened to his previous one?" she asked, "where did he work?"

Harry sighed and stood up, "if we're playing twenty-one questions, I'm going to need coffee."

(***)

Draco came home from job searching, a grin on his face, just when Harry and Hermione were trying to pick a date.

"What do you say about October fifth?" Harry asked, "It's two months away, I think that's plenty of time."

"That's plenty of time, if you have people doing the work for you," Draco said, his grin falling, "I don't have money to pay people-."

"I have money," Harry muttered, "in case you haven't noticed," Harry said, motioning towards the state of the apartment, "I have a metric fucktonne of money that I'm more than happy to spend on our wedding."

Draco frowned, but didn't want to have this argument in front of Hermione. It would only make her more suspicious.

"Fine," he said, sitting down next to Harry and holding his hand. It was becoming more of a habit now, than actually having to force his body to do it just because they had company.

"October fifth," Draco muttered, "why that date in particular?" he asked.

Harry shrugged, "nobody is doing anything that day," he said nonchalantly.

Draco frowned at Harry suspiciously, but didn't say anything.

(***)

Hermione and Ron left at around ten o'clock at night, having had dinner with them. Ron had come over at five, trying to help as much as he could. He seemed happy for Harry, but Harry couldn't forget how much Ron had hounded him.

Harry sighed and sat on the couch, holding an envelope in his grip. He was waiting for Draco to get out of the shower.

There was a tap on his shoulder, which made him jump. He turned around hastily and saw Draco grinning down at him. Pyjama pants riding low on his hips, he wore nothing on his torso. Harry swallowed harshly and turned back to the envelope as Draco came to sit down next to him.

"What's that?" Draco asked, looking down at the envelope suspiciously.

Harry gave him the envelope and didn't say a word.

Draco slowly opened it, cutting his finger on the paper. He brought the bleeding finger to his mouth and sucked it, Harry tried not to watch. He bit his lip softly and looked at the far wall.

Draco opened it and read the contents, frowning at first. Then, slowly, his jaw began to slacken and his eyes began to tear up.

"How did you-?"

"Well, seeing as you're getting married, it's cruel to not let your parents come to the wedding," Harry shrugged, "so they're no longer getting deported, as long as you marry me and stay married for about six months," Harry said, coughing slightly in an attempt to hide the words.

But Draco wasn't even mad. He flung his arms around Harry and hugged him tightly, "thank you," he muttered, "thank you so much."

Draco froze, "but how did you know?" he asked, "I never told you they were getting deported."

Harry smiled, "let's just say after you snooped through my stuff, I snooped through yours," Harry muttered, his face heating up, "so, are we even now?" he asked.

Draco nodded, not even annoyed that Harry had gone through his things, "we're even."

(***)

Harry couldn't help but think how weird things were. While pretending to be madly in love with each other; eternally the happy couple, engaged to be wed, probably with the possibility of children in their future- he and Draco had become friends. To think that it had all started with a drunken one night stand and had escalated to this point made Harry wonder what would have happened if he and Draco hadn't both gone to that gay club that night.

Their growing friendship was unconventional, but Harry liked it.

He wondered maybe, if would actually grow into a relationship. Did he want to be in a relationship with Draco Malfoy? He seemed plenty nice now; like he would make a good boyfriend and future husband- at least nicer than Lucas- but was it just an act to make sure Harry didn't squirm out of the deal? Even if Draco was being a complete dick, he wouldn't squirm out of the deal; unless he was abusing him. But if it was generally his dick-ish self, like he had been in school, Harry would have just rolled his eyes and dealt with it; like he had done in school.

Harry turned to his side, looking out the window of his bedroom and wondering to himself. Would an actual relationship with Draco Malfoy be such a bad thing?

Did he like Draco Malfoy?

Harry laughed to himself, no, surely not.

He felt an arm wrap around his waist and a body pull itself closer to him. He looked over his shoulder, hissing slightly as a muscle spasmed in his neck. Draco was asleep, unconsciously dragging himself closer to Harry.

Harry smiled softly at the blonde before turning back to the window and looking out it. Making himself more comfortable in the blonde's relaxed grip; he closed his eyes.

The question still rang repetitively in his mind. Did he like Draco Malfoy?

(***)

Every morning Harry would walk down the stairs from his apartment and encounter multiple photographers from different magazines. The people at the front desk were constantly confused, wondering generally why he was so important.

Harry wondered the same thing every day.

Today, he was meeting Hermione at a shop which had wedding dresses and tuxedos.

Harry admitted to himself that he was excited to get married, even if it would only last for about six months and then they'd get a divorce and go their separate ways. He'd always wanted to get married and start a family; he'd hoped that'd happen with Lucas. He shook his head, now was not the time to think about Lucas. Now was to think about the fact that he was at least getting married.

Maybe after he divorced Draco he'd find someone who would be willing to marry him and start a family, even if he had been married once before.

He made his way to the store, seeing as he lived reasonably close to it. Hermione was waiting, sitting in a comfortable looking blue faux leather lounge, standing next to a row of mannequins cheesily posing in tuxedos.

"I think I'm afraid of mannequins now," Harry said, walking up to Hermione.

Hermione looked up, "I really don't blame you," she smiled up at Harry, "you ready?" she asked. She picked up the portable coffee mug sitting next to her on a small table next to the lounge, she took a sip and looked at the magazines below, "they're meant to help you pick if you aren't stuck on any of these."

Harry shrugged, "I'm really not picky."

Hermione beamed, "good, because I am!" she said, standing up, "now let's get you trying on some tuxedos or suits."

(***)

Harry settled on an ash coloured suit with a white tie. It brought out the green in his eyes and the darkness of his hair in a way no other colour would. He was pleased with it, and bought it without trying on another suit and tuxedo.

"Good choice," Hermione said with a smile. Her eyes looked a little moist. Harry shook his head fondly, "don't you dare get emotional on me," Harry said, rubbing her back softly.

"Sorry," Hermione said with a small laugh, "but you're getting married."

Harry felt a pang of guilt flow through him. Here was Hermione, all excited for him. She had thought from the beginning that it was a fake relationship, but she must have changed her mind. She was being nicer to Draco, taking Harry out to buy suits...and to think he'd only be getting divorced six months after the wedding...

Harry shook his head; he couldn't let Hermione change his mind. He'd come up with an excuse for when the time came.

He still felt guilty.

(***)

Draco had already bought his suit, a while back when he thought he was going to marry Lucas. It sit on Harry's bed, it looked depressing. The suit was black with a green tie; Draco used to love it but now he hated it; and it didn't feel right when he put it on.

Draco stood back in his underwear looking at it. He sighed, frowning at it before levitating it above the floor and setting it aflame.

He was not wearing that suit to his and Harry's wedding.

Even if it's fake, he reminded himself.

He heard the door open in the lounge room and hurried to get his clothes back on.

Why? He thought to himself, Harry's seen everything before.

Draco rolled his eyes, continuing to get his clothing back on.

The door to the bedroom opened just as he was getting his shirt back on.

"Hey Draco-, are you alright?" Harry asked, cocking up a brow. He was holding a bag which Draco assumed held his suit, "and what's with the ash?" he asked, pointing towards somewhere behind Draco. Draco turned around and remembered the pile of ash that used to be his suit.

"Long story," Draco muttered, "nothing you have to be concerned about though. I promise."

Harry frowned, "right...okay..." he slowly walked back out of the room, closing the door as he did so.

Draco sighed and made the pile of ash disappear with a flick of his wand.

(***)

"I quit," Draco said, standing in front of the mirror in Harry's room. He straight his usual work tie for the fourth time in a row and flattened his work suit, "I. Quit."

"You really have to practise that in front of the mirror?" Harry asked, lying in bed reading a book, "it's not that hard."

"I want it to have some effect," Draco said with a shrug, "I want him to know I'm never, ever coming back."

"How about you say, 'I quit you piece of shit,' and then strut out," Harry said, "He'll never forget you."

"I'm not that much of a drama queen," Draco said with a frown.

Harry bookmarked the page he was on and looked up at Draco with an amused expression, "you could have fooled me," he muttered.

Draco sized and whipped off the tie, paused, then took off the rest of his clothing, stripping down to just his briefs and hoping into bed. Groaning and throwing his head into the pillow, "why is this so fucking hard?"

Harry subconsciously moved his hand away from the book he was holding and began playing with Draco's hair. Normally Draco would slap his hand away, but he let it go on this time.

"You've been working there for a while," Harry muttered, "of course it's going to be hard," he continued to play with the blonde's hair as he slowly began to relax; his breathing becoming less erratic. He turned to look at Harry; the look was gentle, maybe even a little thankful. Draco grabbed his hand and placed it on the top of the bed before tracing patterns softly up and down Harry's forearm.

"D-did you find someone who would hire you?" Harry asked, stammering slightly. It tickled.

Draco nodded, "Witch Weekly, funnily enough," he said with a small smile, his face flushing red slightly, "thought it would be fun if I did an article on us, about my deep and passionate love for you."

Harry laughed, "I look forward to reading about it."

Why the fuck did I say that?

"You better be," Draco said with a grin.

Draco you cannot flirt with Harry.

Is he flirting with me? Harry wondered; enjoying the way Draco's fingers traced his skin. He shuddered slightly when Draco touched a really sensitive spot. Though, the ex-Slytherin didn't seem to notice, and if he did he didn't let it on.

Draco was looking at him funnily; Harry gazed back at him calmly. Draco licked his lips and Harry wondered if Draco was going to kiss him.

"Well, I guess I have a big day tomorrow," Draco said, "I have to pick out a suit for this wedding now don't I."

He stopped moving the tip of his finger across Harry's skin and buried himself in the bed sheet before turning off the lamp on his side of the bed. Harry sat there dazed, as Draco buried himself to the point where Harry could only see a tuft of blonde hair protruding from the top of the duvet.

Harry sighed quietly before placing the book he almost forgot he was holding on the bedside table and turning off the lamp on his side of the bed. He didn't bury himself into the covers like Draco had done, but he didn't bury himself a decent amount before closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep.

He dreamt of fingers trailing softly against his flesh, hands in his hair and lips on his neck.