In the Potions Lab After the War

by Jennasprite

Draco has returned to Hogwarts to complete his seventh year and finds himself dealing with a host of new feelings and the strangest of confidants.

In the Potions Lab After the War

By, Jennasprite

Pairing: Draco/Pansy (featuring Harry/Ginny)

Rating: K

Genre: Romance / Humor

Summary: Draco has returned to Hogwarts to complete his seventh year and finds himself dealing with a host of new feelings and the strangest of confidants.

Author's Notes: Very fluffy! I was just in the mood for some Draco/Harry bickering and Draco/Pansy love! Enjoy!

*.*.*.*

"Don't let that door…" Draco rushed towards the potions lab door and trailed off, "shut." He took a deep breath, acknowledging the presence of his almost savior, and rolled his eyes, "Potter? What are you doing here?"

"Homework…because we're in school…" Harry let his eyes roll to the back of his head and continued nonchalantly, "Now, what about the door?"

"Well, if you had not come bursting through here like a troll you would have heard me trying to tell you to hold the door. Now we're stuck in here together until someone else wanders through the dungeon." Draco took another deep breath and returned to his seat at a back table. He looked up at Harry glaring at him and barked, "I thought you had studying to do? Just forget I'm here."

"Gladly," Harry sighed and walked toward a table at the front of the lab. After a few quiet moments of setting up the brunet looked up and found Draco staring at him. "A bit hard to forget you're here Malfoy, if you're going to be over there gazing at me."

Draco darted him a fierce look in response and hissed, "I was just wondering if you had permission to be here, or if you just wandered in because you feel entitled as usual?"

"Last time I checked potions was not a Slytherin exclusive subject." Harry lit the flame below his cauldron and started adding ingredients listed in his book. "What are you doing here?"

A noise at the door startled them both and Draco blurted mindlessly, "Avoiding Pansy." He turned back to his adversary, surprised that he had uttered such a personal confession aloud. "Mind your business, Potter. Don't you remember what happens when you meddle in other people's business?"

"Yes, Malfoy, I remember all about your foot connecting with my face. It is a bit desperate that you keep bringing it up. Haven't you anything better to throw…?" Harry's wand was in his hand, and pointed defensively before Draco's wand was even completely raised. "I would not advise it. Besides, since the war is over, and I fought for the pardon of you and your family, I thought we were supposed to be one big happy magical family now." Harry rolled his eyes and returned to his potion.

"Talk about desperate…how many times should I plan on talking about the fact that you're the blessed chosen one while we're stuck in here?" Draco slammed back down in his seat and lowered his head to cover the blush building in his face. In truth, he did owe Harry more than a bit of gratitude for many things that had transpired at the end of what should have been their seventh year. Still, having to be civil once they returned to Hogwarts to complete their magical training was difficult at most times.

Harry had barely looked up from his potion while Draco was talking, and paid little attention to the silence that had developed between them. Eventually he looked up at the blond sulking, "What have you done to try and get the door open? It opened easily enough from the outside."

"Well, that's because you're bloody perfect, Potter. Why don't you try then? Have you ever failed at anything?" Draco's chin sank lower into his chest and he took long deep breaths to calm himself. "Oh and don't even bother with your wand…it won't work."

Chuckling with amusement, Harry walked over to the door, drew his wand and whispered a charm. Nothing happened and after a few attempts he reached for the handle when suddenly a voice yelled from the other side. "Draco Malfoy, are you in there?" The door rattled, proving it was stuck, and the ranting on the other side continued, "You had better not be in there with that Greengrass trollop."

Before Harry could even move, Draco pulled him away from the door and whispered, "Be very quiet."

"You have no reason for concern. I don't want her in here any more than you apparently do." Harry laughed quietly and started to return to his table when Draco tightened his grip on Harry's arm.

The blond stared quietly at the door for a moment then whispered, "If you move she'll hear you… and I'm not ready for her yet."

Harry looked at Draco with confused concern. He watched the blond focus on the door then whispered, "Malfoy, take a nice deep breath, and let go of my arm before I break your hand. You're making me incredibly nervous right now."

Draco let go of Harry's arm and rolled his eyes, "Spare me, Potter. You fought the Dark Lord, I'm quite sure you can handle the mindless ramblings of a man who just realized he was in love."

"Did you drink something in here?" Harry's face scrunched with disgust, "Why are you telling me about…anything…especially…with Parkinson? Really?"

"As if your Weasley is some sort of catch," Draco rolled his eyes and looked back at the door when Pansy's voice rang out again.

"I can hear you talking Draco…open up."

The blond's face grew even paler as he looked back at Harry, "Do something. Tell her it's just you in here and that she should go find Filch to let you out."

Harry laughed, but quieted quickly, "Perhaps you've forgotten, but when given the opportunity, your little girlfriend turned me over to a dark wizard. I'm quite certain she would be more interested in freeing you from this lab."

Draco glared in return, "Some chosen one you are. What happened to one big, happy wizarding family? I can't see her until I can just tell her and I can't tell her yet…because I don't do things like love, and romance and emotional." The blond appeared distressed and startled when the door started rattling again.

"DRACO!"

Draco sighed and suddenly Harry rushed to the door. "Eh…Parkinson…Malfoy is not in here. Just me…alone…"

"Me, who?"

Harry looked back at Draco, who was waving him on desperately, then back at the door, "Harry Potter…"

There was a long silence then Pansy finally responded, "Oh…please excuse me…I did not mean to disturb you. I apologize and –"

"Are you begging, Parkinson? When did you decide to become a Hufflepuff?"Draco threw his hands over his mouth and Harry rolled his eyes as he looked back at the blond.

"I KNEW IT!" Pansy tried to open the door again as she continued, "Draco, what are you doing in there with Harry Potter?"

Draco stood motionless, and Harry started to try and cover when Pansy continued, but to someone else who had walked up. "What are you doing here?"

Without hesitation, Ginny's voice could be heard snapping back, "I'm here to meet Harry. And I heard you say his name so what are you doing here?"

"Pretty sure this is the Slytherin part of the castle, Gryffindor. On your way then," Pansy's voice had all the fire and hostility she was known for.

Harry and Draco looked at each other slightly concerned and the brunet shouted through the door before a battle erupted on the other side. "Ginny…the door is stuck. Go find Filch…don't fight with Pansy."

"Harry…are you alright in there?" Ginny's voice was softer and full of concern.

"Fine…just…go find Filch, and, Pansy, I'm sorry, but you'll have to go look for Malfoy elsewhere." Harry reached for the door handle and tried pulling it open when suddenly a book hit him in the back. He turned and glared at Draco.

The blond whispered angrily, "What are you doing? We don't want the door open until she's gone."

Harry opened his mouth to snap back when Ginny interrupted. "Eh…Harry…Pansy just sat down on the ground and started crying. What am I supposed to do?"

"Shut up, Weasley…I'm fine!"

Draco rushed to the door and tried to hear everything that was happening when Harry interrupted. "Why don't you just tell her now? There's a door in between you…how much easier can this get?"

"You're here…forgive me, but this is not how I imagined this happening." Draco rolled his eyes and looked back at the door.

"Believe me, Malfoy…this was not on the top of my things to do before I die list." Harry sat down in a chair next to the door and waved him on, "Who's acting like a Hufflepuff now?"

"I hate you," Draco hissed then turned his attention to the door. He took a deep breath and spoke loud enough to be heard, "Pansy…stop crying."

"Draco, she –"

"Weasley, just…give me a minute to get this out please." Draco took another gasping breath and blurted, "I love you. I have loved you for a really long time, probably since the day that I met you, but I had no idea…until last year. I tried to tell you, a few hundred times, but with everything else going on I just…it never seemed the right time and… Well now certainly does not feel like the right time either, with the chosen one in here and you out there with a Weasley, but…I am tired of making you cry all the time and I just didn't want to wait any longer." A long silence fell over both sides of the door and Draco finally continued, "Pansy…say something."

"I tried to tell you, Draco…she ran away before you even started talking." Ginny's tone was sad, and then suddenly the door flew open and the redhead smiled, "I detest you overall, but that was really sweet and…you should go after her."

Harry moved and stood stunned behind Draco also looking at the open door in amazement. The blond blurted, "How did you do that?"

"There is nothing more powerful than a determined witch in matters of the heart. Pansy ran that way…and she's pretty upset so…good luck." Ginny smiled and gasped slightly when Draco hugged her.

"Malfoy, take your paws off my girlfriend!" Harry moved forward and put his arm around Ginny when Draco released her.

The blond paused for a moment and looked at Harry, "Potter, I…"

Harry's hand flew up defensively, "You're welcome…please don't start being too civil…oh and we're not friends after this…but good luck all the same."

Draco grinned slightly then rushed down the dungeon corridor toward Slytherin. He ran through the common room and up the staircase towards Pansy's room. Suddenly full of confidence he pounded on her door and shouted, "Pansy, open up."

"I hate you! Go away!"

"I've already said this through a door once today and you weren't even there. I will not let you keeping me out stop me from saying what I have to say." Draco was grinning from ear to ear and when the door opened his heart was racing so fast he thought he might pass out.

Pansy glared at him, she reached up to wipe her tear soaked face and rolled her eyes, "What?"

Draco opened his mouth, but suddenly no words were available to him. He panicked, trying to reclaim the very speech he had just delivered, but Pansy's glistening dark brown eyes and the way her fragrance engulfed him took every rational thought from his mind. His smile began to fade slightly, and he felt his heart sinking when suddenly Pansy started shutting the door. His foot moved to stop the door; he reached his hand around to the back of her neck and pulled her into a long, desperate kiss.

Without hesitation Pansy pulled him into her room. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she clung to him with all of her might. Neither could breathe, which seemed irrelevant, but eventually Draco pulled away just slightly. He brushed his hand gently down the side of her face and whispered, "I love you…always have…always will…"

Pansy smiled and tangled her fingers in his hair, "And all it took was an afternoon with Potter to make you finally admit it?"

"No one needs to know about that part." Draco chuckled, though obviously uncomfortable with the afternoon's turn of events. He looked at Pansy's devious smile and arched his eyebrow, "Did you plan for my incarceration with –"

Pansy interrupted him with another long kiss; one of many more to come.

*.*.*.*

Suggested Soundtrack

(Or at least what I was listening to)

Cannonball – Damien Rice

Something – The Beatles

Winter – Joshua Radin

Story Board – The Album Leaf

Everlong – Foo Fighters

I Won't Fall Apart – Ron Pope and The District