I have reposted this story with no changes to content, only grammar and spelling.
I am also planning on writing more stories in the coming months =) [25/8/10]
Hope you enjoy this.
'Breakfast as usual,' thought Harry with a sigh. 'Some things never change, even on Valentine's day.' The owls had flooded into the room a moment before, leaving piles of valentines and chocolates in front of each of his friends. Red hair was apparently a very popular choice amongst the girls, and the image of Hermione at the Yule Ball was still imprinted in the minds of many of the guys. Harry sighed. With all the nasty comments floating around about him, and because it was now halfway through the year, he had no admirers anymore.
Finishing off his bacon, eggs and toast, Harry looked around. He could feel someone watching him, but couldn't see who it was. He subconsciously blushed, before leaving the room, with a muttered 'See you in Transfiguration,' to his friends. The pair of storm grey eyes that had been watching him before continued to follow the famous boy's back as he left.
"What was that Draco?" said Blaise Zambini, noticing the focus of his best friend's attention.
"What was what?" Draco stuttered, his concentration broken. Blaise gave him a look that clearly said 'you've been caught, and you know it'. "What?" Draco's response was half hearted. "I was surprised to see that Potter had no valentines. Seems his fan club finally gave up on him." Blaise rolled his eyes in that ever sarcastic 'yeah… whatever…' way, and Draco was pleased that no fault could be found with his cover story.
Finally Harry reached the Griffindor common room after a bit of kerfuffle with some of the staircases. They seemed to be in a troublesome mood today, and he had ended up passing the same confused portrait about 5 times. He ran up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, remembering the only reason he was here was because he had forgotten his books for Transfiguration. As he opened the door, he saw an owl fly out the window, leaving a letter behind on the red and gold sheets of his bed. Harry blinked.
'Post usually comes during breakfast, even on Valentine's day' he thought, assuming it was just a plain letter. He knew it wouldn't be from Sirius, his godfather, because he was on the run from the ministry again.
Leaning down, Harry picked up the plain white envelope and opened it. His eyes showed glints of shock as he read the fluent and cursive green ink.
Dear Harry,
Happy Valentine's Day. I was never really the person to support this kind of holiday, with all its mushiness and pinkness. But then again, maybe I should. It gives me a chance to talk to you as though we were both just friends. No one can get suspicious of a simple anonymous letter. I want to be your friend, Harry, but I doubt you would ever let me. Too much bad history I suppose.
Anyway, just letting you know that you ARE my Valentine, and it's entirely your choice as to whether you acknowledge me or not. Wow… I wish I could see your face as you read this.
Love… A Distant Admirer.
A light blush spread across Harry's face, which was pale from the mid-February chill. Somewhere in the subconscious regions of his mind, Harry felt a flare of recognition. Unfortunately, his conscious mind refused to tell him the details. Scattered emotions could be seen behind his eyes, the most visible of all being shock.
He walked to class, still clutching the letter tightly in his left hand, his books under his right arm. People gave him confused looks as he passed, and every casual "Hi Harry" was completely ignored. He sat down once he reached the transfiguration class and waited. No one would be here for another five or ten minutes. In the mean time, he decided to search his mind for who it could be.
As the class arrived, Ron and Hermione ran straight over to Harry, seeing the shock, and now annoyance, that his eyes held. Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Harry, are you okay?" she asked, feeling concerned that her best friend was in this state. "Harry?" He didn't seem to want to respond. Instead they sat down in the seats either side of him and waited for the lesson to begin. Harry could keep up with the lesson, even answer all the questions the teacher asked him, but he wouldn't tell anyone what was wrong, no matter how hard they tried to get an answer out of him.
"Just get lost!" was the best answer anyone got from him, and that was Fred and George, because they refused to give up.
Later that day, grey eyes watched green. Grey sensed the confusion of green. No hidden recognition passed between the two, not even a look of disgust. Grey turned to storm, retreating to his mind, emotion becoming a mere memory once again.
Five months had passed since Valentine's Day, and now the Hogwarts Express waited as the thestral-drawn carriages drew ever closer. Robed student after robed student climbed out of the black stagecoaches, walking towards the red steam engine, mixed expressions being displayed on their faces. Many were happy to be going home, to see their families again, though some were sad to leave the castle.
Draco hadn't quite been himself since Valentine's Day; he never quite cared about anything now. He still found time to snap at anyone near him, even Harry, though he was reluctant to do so when it came to him.
Now, he stood in front of the door of his carriage, his mood slightly affected by the darkening clouds, thinking about the holidays and what it would be like to return home. The image that immediately reached his mind was of his father, the usual expression of anger and disappointment on his face. First there would be a few discussions, a few beatings for not doing quite as well as he could, maybe a few curses for lack of emotion ('for what death eater in their right mind would want an emotionless son' said the image of his father). He imagined himself apologising, being beaten some more for lack of backbone (what Draco loved to refer to as 'snobbish qualities'), and then, quite suddenly, the thought turned to memory.
This image showed his six-year-old self standing, beaten, bruised and crying in front of his father (amazingly the man's appearance hadn't changed over the past 7/8 years). "Please daddy, no more, I promise I won't play with muggles, just please, no more!" the child begged. A tear slipped down the older Draco's cheek. "I promise… I promise…" he muttered.
Draco shook his head, clearing the image from his mind. He didn't need to remember that now. Looking up, he realised that everyone was already on the train; there was no one out here. He walked quickly towards the vehicle, brushing away the drop of wetness that he hadn't noticed previously. Damn those memories. It wasn't right for a prefect to be late.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny climbed out of their carriage and walked towards the train, casting disbelieving and almost worried glances at Draco as they passed. There seemed to be no reason for Draco to have climbed out of his carriage and stopped there. It was obvious he wasn't admiring the scenery, or staring up at the castle with regrets about going home.
As they reached the train, they spotted a large group of people gathering near one of the doors to the train. They could hear someone shouting over them.
"Looks like Lee has his tarantula out again," Ginny muttered under her breath, but loud enough for the others to hear. Ron gave an involuntary violent shudder, earning him a small chuckle from Harry as Hermione rolled her eyes.
"What?" said Ron accusingly, glaring slightly at Harry, who was trying not to laugh out loud. "Look," he said seriously, "Just because I faced that monster of a spider, Aragon or whatever her name was…"
"Aragog," muttered Harry, slightly annoyed that he had to bring up that memory.
"Whatever…" Ron glared at Harry. "Anyway, just because I faced that monster of a spider and her evil mutant spawn in second year, doesn't mean that I got over my fear of them. I'm surprised you aren't scared of them, Harry."
"I'm only scared of them when they try and eat me," Harry retorted, immaturely sticking his tongue out his best friend. Hermione rolled her eyes again.
"Just get over it, you two," she half snapped at them.
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered to Harry, "What does that woman want?" Harry snickered, as did Ginny, although subconsciously and for a different reason. She was taking after the twins, planning yet another prank to catch her youngest brother with.
Finding a compartment at the back of the train the group sat down and began discussing the holidays, with Ginny being pulled away shortly after to go join some students in her own year.
Hermione and Ron began discussing the arrangements for when Hermione would come and visit; while Harry sat quietly opposite them staring blankly out of the window and wishing the train would start. His wish was granted as the grating of the ancient wheels began. They all winced for a few seconds, until the noise died away.
About five minutes later, the quiet sound of the door opening made them look up, wondering who it could be. The expressions of confusion turned to shock as they watched the blonde Slytherin boy sit next to Harry, not a word said. The shock registered in their brains as they all thought 'Draco Malfoy just walked into our compartment, and sat down. There are a few things wrong with this picture. 1: Malfoy hasn't spoken. 2: He didn't kick us out of here. 3: He hasn't insulted us. 4: His henchmen are missing, and 5: He is sitting NEXT TO Harry.'
Draco stared absently at the wall next to him, not realising who he sat with. He didn't really care as long as they weren't Slytherins. He didn't feel the need to find out who they were anyway, though he felt slightly annoyed about the stares they were giving him. Finally he felt them turn away.
About ten minutes later, Ron looked over at Harry, mainly because his conversation with Hermione, which they had continued after Malfoy's arrival, had just finished. "You alright, mate?" he asked, looking worriedly over at Harry. "You look a bit pale." Harry faked a smile.
"I'm alright, I think…" Harry seemed uneasy for some reason. The rain from the storm they were now experiencing pounded on the windows, reminding Harry of the beginning of third year. "I just don't like the look of the weather… Brings back memories…" An image of his godfather passed through his mind, or rather several images. The first was of the wild savage that he thought had wanted to kill him, followed by the black dog that was Sirius as an animagi, the man in a completely different light as he rode off on Buckbeak, once Harry knew it wasn't Sirius' fault Harry's parents had died, and the heart-wrenching image of the man Harry hoped to live with as he fell through a mirror. Harry could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, but he refused to let them run down his face.
Suddenly the lights went out as the train screeched to a halt, making its occupants wince again. "Umm… Anyone thinking de-ja-vous?" Ron said quietly sounding scared. "Third year?" he heard the sound of robes shifting as Harry and Hermione nodded. They really hoped that there wouldn't be a repeat of the Dementor incident. Harry had put up with enough teasing because of the Dementor's affect on him.
"Umm… I'm going to check this out…" muttered Hermione shakily, with a very squeaky 'wait for me!' following shortly after from Ron.
Harry sat in silence for a few minutes, wondering if Malfoy had realised that the train had stopped moving, or that the lights were off. He seemed to be caught in his own little world.
Draco had been thinking about the whole Valentine's thing ever since he got on the train. How could that idiot not known who the letter was from? It seemed so obvious the way he had set it up. The ink colour should have been a major giveaway, as well as the plainness of the envelope, and the reference to bad history, the lack of appreciation for the holiday, etc.
The train was rocked by a sudden violent gust of wind. As the lightning flickered with the rocking of the train, Harry managed a glimpse out of the window. Looking down he realised that the train was on a bridge. Another flash of lightning told him that it was the bridge that was a good few hundred, possibly thousand, metres off of the ground. If the train fell now, it could be painfully fatal.
Draco looked up. The train was obviously not stable and he was surprised. He hadn't realised that the train had stopped, or that the lights were off. Looking around he could just make out the outline of someone standing by the window.
"You know," Draco called out. "Considering the fact that the train could fall off this bridge any minute, I don't believe it would be such a good idea to stand by the window."
"Oh, are you finally paying attention to the world around you?" Harry said, attempting a sneer, though it came out in more of a concerned tone than an angry one.
"Harry… I mean Potter?" Draco asked, feeling a blush creep onto his cheeks. Okay, so Slytherin was his first choice not to sit with, but Harry was definitely second on that list. He began to feel a bit nervous, thinking that if Harry was here, Hermione and Ron either are or were here, and if they were no longer here they were sure to come back sometime.
The train rocked again, this time tipping further than before. Draco was flung across the compartment in the darkness, a flash of lightning showing that he had been thrown to the floor. Harry leaned over offering a hand to Draco, attempting to help him up. Another violent gust of wind almost sent the train flying. Draco had been half standing at the time, but ended up being flung back onto the floor, with Harry landing on top of him.
"Ow," Draco muttered, feeling a sharp pain across his ribs.
"Sorry," Harry mumbled. "Your rib?" he asked, and this caused Draco to blush. Not only was Harry showing concern for him, but he was also lying on top of Draco and his head was directly over Draco's.
Apparently this was a convenient time for Ron and Hermione to come back into the compartment, and because they didn't know about Draco and Harry's current… position… Ron managed to step on the back of Harry's head.
"Umm… I think I just trod on something…" Ron muttered as he sat down next to Hermione, although his mutterings remained unheard by the two people lying across the floor.
As Ron's foot had come down, Harry's head was forced closer to Draco's, pushing their lips together. The pressure came off of the back of Harry's head, but Harry was too shocked to pull away. His eyes were wide as he fully took in what had happened. The feel of Draco's lips against his own was… soft… and definitely unusual. He was almost regretting losing his first kiss to his arch enemy, but then again, the tingling sensation that had gradually been growing since Ron's foot had moved seemed to want to make him believe otherwise.
Draco gradually closed his eyes, experiencing something entirely new to him. He understood the idea of going out with someone, the kissing part, and the dumping part. What was new to him was the fact that you could kiss someone because you liked them. Well… He had always known that you could, he just never really believed it possible for a Malfoy. He saw it in other couples, and it made him feel sick. He had thought the reason for the sick feeling was disgust, because mushiness was never quite his thing, but he began to realise that it was more jealousy, not of the people, but of the feeling itself.
Harry felt something against his lips. 'Draco's tongue,' his subconscious mind informed him. The movement was cautious, as though the blonde didn't know what to think. It didn't seem like the tongue was beggingfor entrance, more asking politely. Harry slowly parted his lips, and Draco's tongue began to slip into his mouth.
The lights blinded Hermione and Ron as the train began to work again, and the screeching of the wheels as the engine began moving gave them a headache. After their eyes had adjusted, they looked down and saw the two enemies lying flat on the floor, Harry on top of Draco. Ron nudged Harry with his foot. "So that's what I trod on earlier…" he mumbled.
"Hang on… If they were lying like that and you trod on something… You don't think it was Harry's head do you?" Ron nodded, confused. "Umm…" Hermione was reluctant to point out the fact that the boys' lips were meshed. "Just take a look for yourself…" she turned away.
"BLOODY HELL!" the shout, or more like a loud exclamation, was enough to disturb the two on the floor, yet not to be heard outside the compartment. Harry turned his face upwards.
"Erm… hi?" he said, his face turning a violent shade of crimson. He sat up, Draco sitting up next to him. They both stared sheepishly ahead, trying not to meet either Ron or Hermione's gaze. Ron was fuming with anger, and Hermione seemed to be mentally calculating the chances of both Harry and Draco being gay. Draco, feeling slightly braver, wrapped his arms protectively around Harry, pulling the darker haired boy onto his lap. Harry tensed for a moment, before realising he felt safer like this.
"Geez," Draco said, regaining his slightly arrogant tone. "You look like we were doing something forbidden." Ron tried to interrupt. "Since when was it illegal for two guys to kiss?" Hermione gasped at Draco's forwardness. She hadn't expected either of them to admit it.
"But you two are enemies!" Ron sounded disbelieving.
"Were," Harry supplied, his subconscious mind reeling with its newfound knowledge of Harry's sexuality. Somewhere on the way it stopped, backed up a few paces and acknowledged the writer of the Valentines letter. "Wait… Draco…" he returned the glare he was receiving from Ron. "It was you wasn't it? The one who sent that letter?"
"Yeah," he replied. "You mean you hadn't worked it out already?" Draco seemed astounded at the idea. All those obvious clues and Harry still hadn't got it?
"I sort of knew, but didn't know, if you know what I mean," Harry tried hard to explain it. He realised how difficult it is to explain about ones subconscious.
"No, I don't," Draco said bluntly, turning sideways to look at Harry.
"Well you don't have to be so… obnoxious about it!" Harry said, slightly annoyed. A blush crept onto his face. Embarrassment. That was the last emotion Harry wanted to feel right now. "What I meant is," he said, calming down a little, "Is that the subconscious part of my brain knew who it was that sent the letter, but it refused to let my conscious mind acknowledge this. It really upset me though. I knew that I knew who it was from, but I wouldn't tell myself…" Harry thought about the reasoning behind this for a moment. "I wouldn't tell myself because I thought it might end up being a horrible joke you and the rest of the Slytherins had come up with to try and show I had a weakness." This was muttered so quietly that only Draco could hear. A gentle blush settled on his cheeks.
Draco gave him a shocked look. "Didn't you notice that after that I ended up avoiding everyone? I felt genuinely bad about it…" Draco once again had no shame in admitting anything. "Look, don't worry about it. It's fi…" He was interrupted by the sound of the train screeching to a halt. All four of them got up and left the compartment, Harry reluctant to move far from Draco's side.
After a frantic five minutes, in which Ron managed to lose his luggage seven times over, they pushed through the barrier onto the muggle platforms. Soon Hermione and Ron had found their respective families and rushed off into the warm July evening.
Draco gave Harry a quick kiss, before saying "I'll owl you over the holidays, and I'll see you on the train in September, though in my opinion that's too long to wait."
"Oh well, you'll have to deal with it, wont you?" Harry said cheekily, before giving Draco one last goodbye kiss and watching him walk off to the large green and silver limo waiting for him.
"See you soon," Harry whispered after him. He turned towards the place he knew his aunt and uncle would be waiting for him, and he walked, knowing that he would soon have to face questions and enquiries from annoyed and confused best friends.