Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Contains spoilers for IP9 you should have read that first before reading this for it to make any sense.**

Summary: What if... the trunk didn't open as easily as it did?

Author's Note & Dedications:
Here is an evil plot bunny that ran astray near the end of IP9, and it gnawed at my ankles until I finally relented and wrote it. An alternate ending to IP9, if you will definitely a whole lot more snog-alicious, so it's a treat for all in the "Just Snog Already" camp.

This AU scene was partly inspired by the all the fantastic responses I got for IP9, so this is dedicated to everyone who reviewed the chapter so far thanks for the wonderful comments and feedback. I loved every bit of it :)

Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of

~ An IP9 alternate ending scene ~

By Rhysenn

       

They lay in silence for what seemed like another eternity; Draco withdrew his hand, his trembling fingers disentangling themselves from Harry's.

Finally, when the vibration of his wand in his pocket had stilled, Draco spoke up, his voice still slightly shaky. "Okay, you can open the lid and get off me now."

Harry let out a small sigh of relief. "Finally." He moved slightly off Draco so that he could nudge the lid of the trunk open with his elbow. He was partly glad that he was getting out of the trunk the mounting awkwardness, not to mention physical tension, was becoming hard to bear; but at the same time... wait a minute this lid, it's

"You can get off me now," Draco repeated, his voice somewhat weary. "Go on."

"I can't," Harry said, now slightly alarmed; he tried harder to push the lid off his back, but it didn't budge at all. "Damn, the lid's stuck!"

"Oh." Draco said dully. "That is not good."

Draco half-heartedly wriggled his leg out of its entanglement with Harry's, and used his foot to prod at the trunk; a sharp upward tap should have managed to tip the lid open, but nothing happened. The cover of the trunk was well and truly jammed.

Draco swore under his breath. "Okay, it looks like we're trapped. So now, we have two options we either wait for the limited supply of oxygen inside here to run out, or we can holler and hope someone comes in to rescue us."

"And find us like this?" Harry said incredulously. "Are you crazy? No way." He groaned in despair. "I knew getting into a trunk with you was a bad idea from the start."

>From the mildly desperate tone of Harry's voice, Draco guessed that he was rather claustrophobic.

"Let's try this," Draco offered. "Why don't you move off my left arm a bit, so I can use my fingers to pry the lid open from inside?"

"Won't work," Harry grumbled irritably. "I've felt the edges of the lid there isn't a catch that can be picked at from inside. It's just plain jammed, that's all." He paused for a moment, angling himself into a better position. "No, I've got a better idea it's an old trick."

"And what's that?" Draco asked.

"Just push really hard." Harry replied.

"You mean push upwards... or downwards?" Draco suggested with mock innocence; he promptly received a sharp poke in the ribs from Harry. "Oww! That hurt."

"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry said through gritted teeth.

Harry positioned both his hands and knees flat against the base of the trunk so that he could have better leverage, and took a deep breath to gather his strength there was a very long pause, filled with an expectant silence.

"Okay, you can start pushing the lid now," Draco finally prompted, sounding impatient.

"I already did," came a muffled grunt from Harry. "It won't budge."

"Oh." Draco sounded subtly smug. "Well, it was a trademark Gryffindor plan, anyway."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Harry said crossly. "At least I'm trying my best to get us out of here. All you're doing is lying there making snide remarks. Somehow you don't seem to grasp that it's imperative we get out of this trunk and back to our dorms, as soon as possible. It's almost bedtime and people will wonder where we are, and then come looking for us, and when they find us inside here, assuming they eventually do, it's going to be "

"Potter." Draco's voice was perfectly calm.

"What?" Harry snapped; he'd now resorted to trying to hammer the trunk open using the back of his heels.

"I just wanted to let you know this is purely in the interest of us getting out of the trunk." Draco said solemnly.

Harry blinked, nonplussed. "What is "

Draco raised his head and captured Harry's lips in a passionate kiss, cutting off his words he slid his hands up along Harry's waist, over his back, and moved them to hold Harry's head so that he couldn't turn away. Draco closed his eyes and kissed Harry deeply, his body arching upward to press against Harry's, in perfect alignment as the kiss melted between them.

Draco could feel Harry's body go rigid for a long moment; then ever so tentatively, Draco felt Harry's lips move against his, articulating his uncertainty, but still sharing the kiss nonetheless. Draco's hands moved down Harry's back, deftly pulling Harry's T-shirt up and away, and his fingers trailed lightly over Harry's bare skin, and Draco felt the involuntary jolt of pleasure go through Harry's body, rested on top of his...

Then suddenly, Draco moved his right hand away and, without warning, reached in between them, yanked down Harry's zipper and thrust his hand inside Harry's jeans.

Harry let out a strangled gasp and jerked backwards violently, reflexively; his back slammed up against the lid of the trunk with such force that it burst open, and the darkness fled as silvery moonlight streamed in through the dusty glass pane of the solitary window in the storage room.

Harry bolted upright, breathless, his eyes wide with disbelief, both at the fact that the trunk lid had been flung open, as well as that Draco's hand was still inside his jeans. He stared at Draco for a moment, too stunned to react then sanity came rushing back, and Harry leapt out of the trunk and stumbled a few steps away, looking stung and horrified.

"What the hell do you think you doing?" Harry panted, looking extremely flustered. His face was flushed red.

"Getting us out of the trunk," Draco answered calmly, although slightly breathless as well. He gave a small shrug. "And I succeeded, by the way."

"But you you stuck your hand in my " Harry sputtered, still looking wildly at Draco. "And you kissed me, and "

"Ends justify the means, Potter." Draco had an odd half-smile on his face, and he looked very pleased with himself as he gracefully got out of the trunk and dusted himself off. "Bottom line is that we're out of the trunk, aren't we?"

Harry shot Draco an injured look. "You play dirty, Malfoy."

Draco couldn't suppress a grin. "Who wants to play straight?"

"Argh." Harry buried his face in his hands. "I still can't believe you did that."

"Believe it, Potter. If it felt that good, it had to be real." Draco smirked.

"But you " Harry seemed to be having trouble getting the words past his lips, which were still warm and tingly from the heat of Draco kissing him, only just moments before. "I mean, you you "

"Oh, why can't you just say it out loud, Potter?" Draco rolled his eyes. "I put my hand into your jeans, and you reacted extremely well indeed. And, by the way, your fly is still open."

Harry let out an embarrassed yelp and rushed to zip his jeans, doing it with such haste that the zipper caught the fabric and got stuck halfway up the track.

Draco arched his eyebrow, and watched Harry with amusement. "Need help?"

"No!" Harry said quickly, backing away. "No, that's quite all right, I can manage myself, thank you."

"Yes, I quite agree, you do manage yourself very well." Draco gave Harry a sultry smile, deliberately eyed Harry's jeans, and winked suggestively. Harry almost tripped and fell over.

"Um, um..." Harry finally got his jeans zipped up, and sidled toward the door, looking very uncomfortable. "I should get going before, uh, someone comes. Not that way! I mean, comes into the room. Ah, never mind." Harry turned a new brilliant shade of red. "I really should go."

Draco chortled. "Yes, Potter coming and going, you do it all."

"Erp," gurgled Harry in choked voice, as he quickly opened the door. "Anyway, I'll see you later."

Draco grinned as Harry disappeared (or rather, positively fled) out of the room. He truly hadn't expected Harry to react so spectacularly to taking Draco's hand down his pants, verbally or otherwise nor had he anticipated how flustered Harry was be afterward. Very interesting, indeed.

Outside, Harry gently shut the door, but didn't take his hand off the doorknob; he slumped against the doorframe, shrouded by the hooded shadows woven with flickering torchlight.

"Damn," Harry whispered softly, closing his eyes and taking a slow, deep breath. "Now I need a cold shower."

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