Draco never tried to make Harry feel guilty, nor did he keep reminding him of all the nice things he had done for him and how hard he had tried to fit into the Muggle world. It couldn't have been easy, and Harry wasn't sure he would have done so well if he had been in Draco's position to begin with. Mostly, Harry was just really taken aback by how little Draco ever complained—he was sure this was one of the things that would continue into their relationship, but it never did. When Draco was in his own world intently reading a book or washing the dishes the Muggle way, Harry couldn't help but feel saddened at the prospect of Draco leaving everything and everyone for him, but at the same time he felt proud, because anything that the blonde did, he did with determination.
Harry had been watching Draco once more, with his sleeves rolled up, and the silky hair falling in his face. He looked calm and peaceful, and it made Harry so happy. Draco felt his arms around him suddenly, as he was cutting up fruit in the kitchen. When he was done, and went to wash his hands, Harry still held onto him the whole time. He turned in the embrace and kissed his nose.
"Well you're just the persistent little ol' leech today, aren't you?" Harry brushed strands out of Draco's face as the blond leaned in for a slow kiss.
"How are you okay with all this?"
"What, have you relapsed? I've kissed you before, Harry." He smiled in response.
"No, I mean all this—me, and living in London, and giving up your life in the Wizarding world."
"There is no life without you, anywhere. It really wasn't easy at first—I felt ridiculous, like a kid, having to learn to use money all over again and all that shit, but this is what I want to be doing. It's exciting in so many ways because it's an entirely new life, and I know just how lucky I really am."
"Yeah, but when we fight and when you're by yourself—do you ever regret it?"
"I've fought with you since the day we met, and you're still here," he kissed Harry, "sometimes it just reminds me of all the nights I used to curse you because I just didn't know how we could ever get over ourselves and be nice to one another. Besides, I have learned so much from you and from being here that I never would have if I had stayed there thinking that since I was a spoiled pureblood everything would be fine."
"So you have a lot to learn from me?" Harry asked teasingly, expecting Draco to offer an equally arrogant remark.
"Yeah, I do." He responded simply, leaning into Harry more and kissing him on the cheek before he took a bite of an apple. Harry was more than a little stunned. Even though Draco had been honest with him since the beginning, he kept certain things to himself until he was certain that his trust would not be betrayed, and since then, Draco never ceased to amaze Harry with his thoughtfulness. In his signature style, when Draco was devoted to something, he never faltered.
"I love you so much, you know that." Draco smiled and nodded in response. The pair proceeded to move and lay on the couch together. Although the bed would have been a better option, they liked being squished like this despite Draco's feigned distaste for wrinkled clothes.
"Hey, do you remember the first time we were nice to each other? Man, I was so ecstatic over that—Ron and Hermione thought I was going crazy." Draco laughed in response kissing Harry and snuggling closer.
Harry was at 12 Grimmauld Place, reading when he heard voices and figured that he should get some dinner. When he began walking downstairs, Harry saw Draco Malfoy seated in an armchair with Tonks prompting him for the details of what he had overheard.
"Yeah, they said they'd strike again in two days."
"At the ministry?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure you weren't followed here?" Draco nodded in response.
"Are you okay? Must be terrifying. We won't let you go out there on your own again okay?" Draco nodded once more, and Tonks went into the other room to undoubtedly share this news with the other members of the Order. Harry walked and sat opposite Draco, speaking in almost a whisper.
"I'll protect you." Much to Harry's surprise and delight Draco did not argue. He simply looked up at Harry and back down on the floor.
"Look, you can borrow some of my clothes," Harry offered, noting Draco's appearance and knowing how much he hated being dirty and disheveled. Draco simply nodded in response.
"C'mon." It was as simple as that—he followed Harry to his room, and neither of them protested, feeling finally at peace with one another. Harry now had the chance to see Draco for what he hoped was true of him all along—meaning that he was not a dark wizard.
"Sorry, I only have T-shirts, some old sweaters, and trousers, they're not much, but—"
"They're nice." Draco interrupted still looking at the floor, as Harry looked at him and simply nodded.
"Here, you pick out what you want, you can clean up in the bathroom down the hall, or I can leave—"
"Thanks," Draco said smiling, weakly took the clothes, and headed down the hall.
After half an hour or so, Draco returned to the room where Harry had brought up his dinner.
"I figured I'd spare you the questions and stares, so I just brought it up here," said Harry over the top of his book, as he lay next to the food on the bed.
"Thanks, I'm really hungry." Draco sat with his hair dripping from the shower and ate as Harry looked at him.
"I like your sweater," he teased as Draco looked down at the "H" Mrs. Weasley had knitted for him, and smiled. Harry knew that Draco was tired, but this extent of niceness was really something. He figured this type of behavior really ought to be rewarded so he retrieved a towel and handed it to Draco so he could dry his hair. The blond simply smiled at him, chewing. After he was done with his dinner, Draco placed the tray on the floor and proceeded to lie down next to Harry. This was a bold move in Harry's opinion, but then again, this was Draco Malfoy—he always did what he wanted.
"Is there a free room I could stay in?" He asked Harry, while the brunette shook his head 'no'.
"You can stay in here—I bet you're excited to spend lots of alone time with me." Harry teased, snorting.
"I am."
"What?"
"I said I am." The room fell silent and Harry wasn't entirely certain that Draco wasn't about to jump up and yell 'gotcha!'
"I realized that as easy as it would be to continue playing games, we might not really have that kind of time, and instead, I should just start acting the way I feel and stop putting on a show for everyone else." Harry lay there dumbfounded, the book that he was supposedly reading entirely forgotten.
"Oh." He responded lamely. "So, um…how do you feel?"
"Well, I like you, and there's no use pretending otherwise."
"Yeah," Harry said, "I'm not so bad, if I do say so myself." Draco laughed at this, rolling his eyes and elbowing Harry in his side.
"Hey, you're the one who suggested it in the first place!"
"Yeah. I guess I did." Draco offered simply.
"Well, it's okay, because I like you too."
"How?"
"What?"
"How? How do you like me? As a friend? Like you like Ron? Or like Snape, because you have to stand me since I'm here? How?" Harry's throat tightened.
"Well, I don't know," he lied. Draco turned towards him trying to gauge his reaction.
"It's okay, I'm not really expecting anything, you've done more than enough already, but I like you as more then a friend." In response to Harry's wide eyes and silence, Draco figured he should continue.
"I just think you should know because all I could really think about while I was working for the Order is that if I never got to see you again, how sorry I would be for not telling you when I had the chance." Harry's heart was fluttering intensely and he was sure that Draco could hear it beating.
"Really?" Harry asked a little too quickly for his liking as Draco nodded in response. Harry didn't know what to say to his so he simply stroked Draco's hand with the back of his fingers.
"I have feelings for you too—"
"I'm not expecting anything, really—"
"No, I just didn't want to say anything because I didn't know if you were playing with me or what." Draco nodded in response and stroked Harry's hand in return. Both of them simply lay there, with their heads touching as they looked at the ceiling and traced patters on each other's hands.
Harry awoke in the middle of the night shivering, only to find that Draco's hands were frozen as well. He retrieved the spare blankets and as he pulled them over himself and Draco, the blond snuggled in even further, resting his chin on Harry's shoulder. The Boy-Who-Lived to see Draco Malfoy tell him that he liked him as more than a friend, contemplated this situation, noting how close their lips were to one another's, until sleep took over once more.
Draco awoke the next morning to find himself touching foreheads with Harry Potter, and kissed the other boy's shoulder before resuming watching him sleep.
"I loved watching you sleep. Still do." Draco whispered close to Harry's mouth.
"Well, that's because you always wake up first."
"That's because I'm not the one making sure neither of us is cold during the middle of the night or about to fall off the side of the bed, for that matter." They both looked at one another sharing soft kisses.
"Yeah, but that doesn't change the fact that you're always so good to me."
"Well, what can I say, I have to make up for all the shitty things I did to you. How noble of me, don't you think?" Harry simply laughed, shaking his head.