Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Only the general plot/setting is my own. All characters and other references to 'Harry Potter' are solely the property of J.K. Rowling.

A/N: This is a belated Valentines one-shot for the ever lovely TheNightmareBeforeDawn since she provided me with the cute little prompt.

WARNING: Scenes of explicit sexual content.


Bottle of Love

By

Belle. A. Lestrange

Blaise huffed as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder as his class was dismissed from the potions classroom.

He didn't mind the work or the familiarity of classes being back, but it still left him feeling a little hollow whenever the bell chimed for the end of class. It was strange seeing Hogwarts rebuilt to its former glory, especially when the last time he'd been there the stairs had been bathed in blood and the walls had been crumbling around his head. He had only returned to the school after the Christmas holidays. His mother had insisted on taking extra time to let him gather his thoughts and make an informed decision about his last year of education. He opted to go back as soon as the January term commenced. Pansy had returned much the same time as Draco and despite being shunned, it wasn't half as bad as the letter's she'd written to him, about the punishments Draco was forced to endure.

He had written letters to his blonde friend but had only gotten sporadic responses at best. These alone had worried him, especially when another letter from Pansy did nothing but complain about how Draco was being friends with Harry bloody Potter of all people, and how things for the entire Slytherin house had improved piece by piece. It still wasn't perfect, but he doubted that it ever would be any time soon. Maybe in a few years, but at present it still seemed a long way off.

Rubbing his hand down his face he shuffled over into the Great Hall for lunch just as his stomach let out a ferocious growl. He headed over to the Slytherin table and settled down at the end with Pansy, Draco and Theodore Nott. He couldn't deny he was a little relieved to have at least three familiar faces surrounding him. As he piled food onto his plate and poured himself some pumpkin juice, he couldn't deny he was intrigued by the reddish hue of Draco's cheek that looked as though he'd been punched, albeit, with not much force. Cocking an eyebrow, he asked, "What happened to your cheek, Draco?"

The blonde's eyes flickered up and he pressed his lips into a thin line before answering. "Potter and I met up last night. He'd gotten some bad news."

Blaise suppressed the smirk he felt threatening to crawl onto his lips. He found it amusing that Draco still insisted on calling the four-eyed git 'Potter' around them, as though they would take offence to the fact that the boy actually had a first name. "Any idea what that news was?" he asked, keeping his voice as neutral as possible.

Draco shook his head as he picked at his food. "No, we didn't get around to discussing it, but he was quite angry. Stopped before either of us did any damage, but we relaxed enough before we went back to our dorms."

Blaise straightened up and looked over his shoulder at the Gryffindor table. Potter was sitting over there at his table, hunched over, with some mild bruising around his eye that wasn't completely covered by his weak glamour. Weasley and Granger were seated next to him but appeared deep in conversation with the she-weasel, all of them kept glancing over at their friend. Something was definitely off and bothering the boy. It looked as though a dark cloud was hovering over his head. Clearly he wanted to talk, but with his friends being a couple now and his obvious aversion to the she-weasel's company, he was stumped.

Blaise turned back around to his blonde friend, "Why don't you just go over there and talk to him?" he asked as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Draco and Pansy's head jerked up at his question. "Why would I do that?" he asked after a moment of silence, "He's sitting at the Gryffindor table."

"Yes," Blaise replied slowly, "He is also barely eating and looks as though his eyes are going to burn a hole through the table. Go over there and take him outside. You might as well."

Draco bowed his head. He had been thinking along the same lines but he couldn't deny just how nervous he was to make such a blatant attempt of 'inter-house-unity' in front of the entire school. He'd be the topic of idol gossip again, and that didn't sit too well with him. However, he couldn't deny that the raven-haired boy needed someone to talk to, as he glanced over at the Gryffindor table, and it was clear his friends weren't paying much attention to him to care. They probably thought he hadn't slept well the night before. As true as that was, Draco also knew that he still wanted to talk and get things off his chest.

Maybe he did need to make the first move and reach out to his friend.

With a sigh he pushed his plate away, not that he was eating much anyway, and stood up from the Slytherin table. As he straightened his robes with a flourish, he glared down at his friends. "I hate you all for giving a shit," he snapped before briskly walking away. His heart drummed loudly in his ears as he crossed the Great Hall, noting the numerous pairs of eyes turning to watch him.

Harry looked up at he approached the table and the surprise was bright in his eyes. It softened his stormy features for a moment as he swallowed, "D-Draco? What're you doing here?" he asked as he leaned back in his chair.

Draco cleared his throat but made no move to sit down. The glares from the surrounding tables were burning a hole through the back of his skull, but he couldn't back down. Not now. They had a friendship -a very intense friendship -and he was allowed to talk to Harry whenever he damn well pleased. "I was wondering that, if you were finished, you might join me for a walk around the lake."

Harry was surprised and couldn't deny the way his stomach flipped as he slid out from the bench and straightened his own robes. Ignoring the protests that Ginny started to give, he walked around the end of the table and gestured down the aisle between the tables, "Let's go then."

Without a backwards glance to his friends, Harry followed the blonde man out of the Great Halls and out onto the frosty grounds, the grass crisp and crunchy under their feet. The chill in the air made their breath rise up in front of them but he couldn't deny that he was glad for the escape from the Great Hall. His heart was still stuttering in his chest at the fact that Draco was the one to provide the reprieve, as he'd previously wanted to keep their friendship to themselves. He was glad that Draco was becoming more confident with their friendship, despite how he had often dreamed that maybe they would be able to grow even closer.

There was no denying that there were feelings there, and they both knew it in the gentle moments of the night when they stayed later in the Room of Requirement than they were supposed to. The warmth of the fire and growing magic of the room, helped them to relax with one another and tentatively touch one another. It hadn't escalated past brief hugs and gentle hand-holding but Harry wasn't about to complain about it. They both knew the other was gay, but after everything that had happened before the Christmas holidays, he didn't want to ambush the blonde with emotions.

Last night however, he hadn't been able to restrain himself as he'd read about the latest story Skeeter was spewing about his life, most of which wasn't even remotely true. It had struck a nerve when his guard was down and he hadn't wanted to unleash the anger on Draco, but he found he couldn't stop himself. He'd left as soon as he made sure the blonde was alright.

"I'm sorry I hurt you last night," he finally sighed as the chill rising from the lake made his skin break out in goosepimples.

Draco hummed in response before he flicked Harry's cheek, "By the looks of things I gave as good as I got."

Harry nodded, "Alright then, well I'm sorry I didn't stay around for too long to see if you were alright."

The lake lapped gently as the shore as they settled down on a grassy knoll and looked across the expanse of the glossy grey surface. They remained silent as they both collected their thoughts and tried to ease the tension twisting around in their stomachs.

Back in the Great Hall a lot of the Gryffindors were still murmuring, some about what had happened including the former rival, and the rest about what else was going on in their lives. Unfortunately Theo, Pansy and Blaise were three of the few discussing the unlikely pair. "What were you thinking?" Pansy hissed across the table at Blaise, "Now the whole school is going to hop onto the Slytherin's-cursed-Potter band-wagon."

Blaise waved off her concerns with a flick of his hand, "You're still far too dramatic, Pansy," he stated loftily, "Besides, I was sick of seeing Draco moping around like that."

Theo nodded his head in agreement, "He was being more depressing than usual."

Pansy snorted, "Well it's not like there is anything that can be done about it, is there?"

Blaise and Theo lapsed into silence and returned their attention to their lunch. Blaise hummed and couldn't help but look up when Draco slid back into his seat, looking exceptionally more cheerful compared to when he'd left. For the rest of the lunch break he watched as he blonde's grey eyes kept casting glances over to the Gryffindor table. He just knew at the back of his mind that Potter kept glancing up at their table. He rolled his eyes when he was sure no one was looking. It was so painful watching the blonde growing slowly and surely more infatuated with the four-eyed git. Blaise wasn't homophobic; he couldn't care less one way or another.

It also seemed to help that, since the war had ended along with the trials, pureblood tradition was widely disregarded at present, so it wasn't like same sex relationships would be terribly frowned upon. He couldn't deny his annoyance that the blonde wouldn't just get up and kiss the stupid boy yet. What was stopping him? He was the Savior of the Wizarding World, The Boy Who Lived Twice, and had so many people falling all over themselves just to sit near him. So what was Draco so worried about? Well that wasn't difficult; he was an ex-Death Eater and a Slytherin not to mention a Malfoy.

Regardless, he knew that something needed to be done. He also knew that it was going to create a tidal wave of back lash if they were going to be successful. The other question, when it came down to it, was what exactly could be done that would be so subtle to actually work for Draco and Potter?

He sighed as the bell chimed, the plates vanished, and his classmates stood up to head for their next lesson. Pansy groaned as she fell into step alongside him and Draco as they left the hall. "I don't want to go to Potions with the Gryffindor's," Pansy pouted as they made a sharp turn in the corridor to descend down to the dungeons for their class.

Draco hesitated for a moment, the icy feeling in his stomach hardening and making his heart sink. Pansy looked over her shoulder and then exchanged a look with Blaise. The dark-skinned teen reached out and placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder, "Come on, Draco. It'll be fine." With another squeeze on his shoulder, they managed to ease Draco down into the dungeons for their Potions lesson.

It wouldn't be the same without Snape. Nothing had been the same for the Slytherin's since the man's death.

As they entered the stuffy classroom and settled down to read Slughorn's words on the backboard as the stout main babbled on. That's when the idea hit Blaise. He was surprised it hadn't occurred to him before. He scribbled out a quick note to Pansy and slid it over the desk to her. She frowned over at him and unfolded the note out of sight from Draco who was looking lost and forlorn once again, his pale skin looking sickly in the gloom of the classroom.

'I know how we can sort Draco's problem out for him. Turn to page 279.'

Pansy frowned as she idly flickered through her textbook, turning the pages slowly so as to appear not too eager. She finally settled on the appropriate page and her eyebrows shot up before she gave a smirk over to Blaise. The name of the potion on that page was Amortentia otherwise known as 'The Love Potion'. She was mildly impressed as she skipped the introduction -no one ever read those anyway -and started looking through the basics of the potion. According to the text it would take at least three weeks for the potion to brew properly. It seemed quite extensive for such a simple potion but there was no denying that the Harry definitely had a crush on their blonde friend -as obvious as the four-eyed kid was -and there was no denying that at least SOME of those feelings were reciprocated.

She was jolted out of her readings as Professor Slughorn's voice resounded through the room, "And now I shall read out your project partners so listen up!"

She inwardly groaned that she was partnered up with Granger of all people.

She shared a knowing glance with Blaise when Draco was predictably paired up with Potter. She slipped out of her desk to join Granger, with a note passed over to Blaise declaring that they needed to meet in the classroom again after curfew. He nodded silently as he moved next to Longbottom.

The rest of the day seemed to pass them by almost instantly as they dragged themselves to and from lessons. Potter was hardly ever mentioned, which was ironic considering just how much Draco used to complain about the boy. Now that they were friends -or was it more? -it was almost as though the scarred boy didn't exist to them anymore. Blaise couldn't deny that he sort of missed Draco's childish ramblings. True they had been annoying, but they had almost been a part of every day life. Now it was like a part of the boy was missing, and if getting that back, meant making the sod hopelessly in love with his once-rival, then so be it.

Blaise wanted his old friend back.

~0~

"Blaise are you sure this is really worth it?" Pansy asked one late night a week later. They had been meeting up and reading through their textbooks and mapping everything out so that they would be able to brew the potion in complete and utter secrecy.

Blaise shrugged as he checked the list in his hand and held his wand a little higher, the bleak light from the tip of his wand making the labels glow. He needed the ingredients or the first steps before they were to leave the potion to sit and stew for about a week. It may not be worth it in the long run, but to see the blonde's old obsession reawaken if only for a short period of time would make it all feel like the good old days; before the war, before the bloodshed ... Before the beginning of the nightmares. There was a lot that could go wrong, he knew that, but he reasoned that it was worth a shot.

Besides, it had been a long time since any of them had done something devious for the sake of being juvenile. The war had made them grow up too quickly. It was time to grab their teen years back!

"I think that's everything," Theo grumbled about ten minutes later as he came back from the store cupboard with, what he hoped, would be the last of the jars they needed.

Blaise nodded as he checked over the list, "Yes that's all we'll need for now. Pansy can you start chopping the peppermint for me?"

Pansy huffed but gathered the knife and chopping board and jar of peppermint leaves over onto another desk so as to start her tedious task. She tried not to let it bother her as she chopped the leaves into fine shavings and piled them on the other end of the chopping board. She didn't have any qualms about what they were doing. It was all in jest and they would only be brewing a mild one, regardless, so after Draco's initial embarrassment had simmered down and he'd confessed his 'undying love' for Potter, then perhaps the hostility between the houses would gradually dissipate.

It was a long shot, either way, but even she had missed Draco's grumbling about the Potter boy. It was only a matter of time before his moping got on her nerves and she didn't want any friction to grow between them. War or not, they were all friends first and foremost. She only wanted to see him happy, if only for a week or two.

And if that meant mooning over Potter, then so be it.

~0~

Completely unaware about what his friends were up to every night for the last three weeks, Draco went about his days in a somewhat bored fashion. It was all the same; breakfast, lessons, lunch, lessons, dinner, repeat. The only thing that would really break up the mundane cycle was whenever he would get a letter from his mother or if he would be sent a note from Harry during one of their classes, asking to meet him in the Room of Requirement after curfew. Since the Christmas Holidays, Granger and Weasley had been turning a blind eye to Harry whenever he disappeared during the night. They still supervised sometimes, and had even been getting along better with Draco as well, which he secretly felt proud over.

He couldn't deny it was nice having some people watching out for him, now that he no longer sparked fear in his fellow pupils.

However, none of them discussed their nightly wanderings to the Weasley-girl. Her sheer distaste for anything Slytherin didn't help matters, but whenever she was near Harry she would try to draw him into a conversation that would ultimately revolve around her. It was frustrating for Draco to watch but he didn't comment on it, not outright anyway. He just didn't want to seem bitter towards Harry. He valued the budding friendship far too much to outright badmouth his existing friends, no matter how annoying they were.

He didn't want to be around for Valentines Day though. He could only imagine how much rubbish Harry would get through the post from his numerous admirers.

The thought alone was enough to make his stomach churn and knot inside him, but he forced himself to ignore it. It was growing more difficult, the closer the day drew. Regardless, Draco was determined to keep his cool.

He tried not to think about Harry too much. He couldn't control it, but he did try his best. He tried not to think about Harry when he was sleep in bed, or in the shower. He tried, dear Merlin knew he tried! It was too hard though; those bright green eyes would make his breath hitch whenever the raven-haired teen would look at him across the classroom or the Great Hall. His skin would break out into goosepimples or his stomach would flip. He hated to think what that might mean, but he decided it was because he was finally getting what he wanted; a friendship with Harry Potter.

He just hoped that Harry wouldn't go on any of those stupid dates on Valentines Day. He was planning to ask the bespectacled boy later on that evening if he wanted to go to Hogsmeade for the Saturday afternoon. It would be over-run by couples, but Draco just hoped that that meant that hardly anyone would pay them a second glance. It wasn't a secret that they were friends, but people still held grudges.

Like Ginny Weasley.

Later that evening just as everyone was milling into the Great Hall, Draco leaned close to Harry and pressed a hand into his palm as they went their separate ways on the other side of the door. He wanted to talk to him in the Room later on, and simply wanted to spend some time with him. Their evening meet-ups had been few and far between since the start of term had resumed, and he was anxious to spend some proper time with Harry.

As he settled down at the Slytherin table he caught sight of Harry nodding his head, his lips pressed tightly together to try and suppress his smile.

Clearly he wasn't the only one who wanted to spend more time with the other.

Dinner passed him by in much the same fashion as any of the other meals in the Great Hall. General chatter filled the air as did the scent of the beautifully cooked food.

He listened with half an ear to whatever Pansy was currently bitching about, and whatever Blaise was sneering about concerning the Ravenclaws he'd had in his charms class that morning. He wasn't really paying too much attention, lost in his own thoughts about what could be done over the Valentines weekend in regards to distracting Harry from the love-lorn fans that would no doubt be following him around like starved puppies, and didn't noticed the knowing look Pansy shot Blaise across the table.

Blaise cocked a black eyebrow and bowed his head. It was decided; the following evening would be when the potion would be completed. It was only a matter of time before they could sneak the potion to Draco. The only question was how would they do it? The potion needed to come from Potter's own hand, to make it work properly. One of them needed to approach Potter in an nonthreatening manner in a public place.

In the end it was Pansy who came up with a plan and had thus appointed herself to be the one to approach Potter, despite the resentment that still hung between the two.

All the while, Draco continued to eat completely unaware that his friends were up to anything out of the ordinary. He was more focused on when Harry decided to leave the Great Hall and how long he should wait afterwards before he left too. He knew he was probably acting a little irrationally, but his heart was throbbing in his chest. He felt the words climbing up the back of his throat. He wanted to ask Harry now but could he really do it in front of all his Gryffindor friends? He didn't want to, but he also knew he wouldn't get much or a choice after that evening anyway. He leaned over to Pansy and nudged her arm, "Hey Pansy?"

"Er ... yeah?" she asked nervously, self conscious that the blonde man had heard what she'd been discussing with Blaise. She needed to watch herself. They were too close to accomplishing their scheme, so they didn't need anything disrupting them.

"Do you think I should ask Harry about going to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

Pansy furrowed her brow, looking between her blonde friend and then over to Potter who was conversing with Granger and Weasley most likely about something to do with their current workload, which had double in the last couple of weeks. She hummed to herself, "Well I suppose you could. Is it a date, or just to hang out together?"

She'd struck a nerd. She knew she had in the way his high cheekbones flared a pink colour. His jaw tensed and he avoided his gaze, "N-No, I just want to know if that's a good idea or not. I want to spend more time with him, it just so happens that this weekend is also Valentines day. No big deal, really."

"Right," she nodded knowingly, before shrugging, "Well I suppose you could do. It's up to you to deal with the back-lash if there is any."

He blanched, "You really think there'd be back lash if I asked him?"

She shrugged again, "Well it's you and Potter. You'd be the talk of gossip, either way. So, yeah go for it. Why not?"

Draco still looked a little unsure. He sank back onto the bench and started wringing his hands in his lap. He could easily go over there like he'd done the other week. Sure, the rumor mill had churned up their names once or twice, but it hadn't been too bad. He rubbed at his knuckles once again and bit down on his bottom lip. He could do it. Sure the timing would spark rumors, but other than that would it really harm his already microscopic reputation? He swallowed thickly before nodding, "Okay ... I'll try and catch a spare moment after dinner."

Pansy watched him for a moment or two before nodding her head and turning her attention back to her own dinner.

As soon as the dessert dishes vanished from the tables and all the students were sufficiently full up, Draco felt sweaty and nervous, his ice cream sloshing around in his stomach making him feel ill, as he kept his eyes trained on the messy black hair two tables over. His throat felt thick and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on it. This was it. He needed to make his move. Just as he was moving towards the doors, he milled into the crowd and felt others bump into his back as he craned his neck to look for Harry. He reached out, his fingers ready to snag the sleeve of the younger boy as soon as he got the chance.

"Potter!" he called out in a controlled voice, barely audible over the din of students returning to their dorms. He cursed his insecurities as he reached out and snagged the sleeve of Harry's robe and yanked, "Potter!"

Harry whipped around, his hand straying to his wand. Draco couldn't help but feel and no doubt look hurt. His brain screamed 'WAR WAR WAR!' and he knew it was right, but it didn't matter. How could Harry regard him as a threat so easily? Harry relaxed when he saw that it was Draco and offered a weak smile, "Sorry about that," he mumbled. He looked around them and then stepped out of the way of the door, dragging Draco back along with him. The blonde's breath hitched as Harry's fingers lingered on his wrist. His skin prickled and burned pleasantly at the contact, but before he could indulge himself, the hand was gone. "Did you need to speak to me about something?" he asked gently.

Draco nodded his head, his tongue suddenly sticking to the roof of his mouth. "Y-Yes, I wanted to know if you were doing anything this weekend?"

Harry blinked in surprise but shook his head, "Er no I don't have any plans. What were you thinking of doing?"

"Just going out around Hogsmeade or something. Maybe get food, look around shops, hang out, you know."

Harry cocked an eyebrow, "Like a date?"

Draco immediately felt his cheeks flush pink. He was getting far too hot despite the Entrance Hall almost being completely deserted at this point. He straightened up a little more and looked down at Harry, "Er well I don't know -Would you want it to be a date?"

This time is was Harry's turn to blush a little, "I wouldn't mind going on a date with you. Unless -" his eyes opened wider, "Oh ... It doesn't have to be a date if you don't want it to be."

Draco swallowed. This wasn't going the way he'd planned. He cleared his throat and drew in a few deep breaths to calm his rattling nerves. "Let's try this again, shall we?" he stated in a tight voice, "Pot -Harry," he stressed, "Would you do me the pleasure of going on a date with me his Saturday?"

Harry couldn't help the wide smile that spread across his face. He ducked his head shyly to control his features before peering back up at the blonde, "Yes, I would love that. I'll meet you here in the morning at about ... Eleven?"

Draco nodded his head, "Alright that sounds good. Oh and ..." He glanced around and bit down on his lip before moving closer, almost cornering Harry into an alcove. "If you fancy meeting up later tonight," he breathed, one of his hands trailing up Harry's forearm, "I'd be happy to do that as well."

Harry breathed through a smile and leaned a little closer to the blonde. Now that there were no eyes, it was easier to feel relaxed with the older man. He couldn't deny the way his stomach flipped when they were together, and in recent meet-ups in the Room of Requirement there had been a tension thrumming in the air between them. A tension that surged through him and made him ... eager. It was exhilarating. He felt a rush every time he smiled at the blonde in full view of everyone else. He loved the rush, but he loved the feeling blooming in his chest whenever the blonde returned the smile even more. "Should we say usual time?" he asked, wanting to lean up and kiss those soft pink lips. They'd only gone as far as to kiss one another on the forehead whenever they assumed the other had fallen asleep beside the fire or, in recent weeks, the armchairs that popped up.

It was nice that the Room was slowly regaining it's previous powers.

Draco nodded his head, a little too eagerly. "I'll meet you there," he promised. There was a tense little moment, that ached inside both boys, that could have been easily broken with a gentle kiss. But with a curt nod from the blonde, the moment shattered around them, and they both resigned themselves to going back to their separate dorms.

Later that evening the two met, as usual, in the Room of Requirement. As usual the place was sparsely furnished with nothing but a single large armchair and fireplace in the small space. They rarely needed much else between the two of them. Harry couldn't help but wonder what they would get up to that evening; another duel? No, that seemed unlikely. What else would they get to do then? Of course he had a few fair ideas of what they could do. Despite not wanting to be presumptuous he really wanted to see if there was anything more between them. Or if, perhaps, there could be.

He felt his heartbeat racing in his chest as he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. As usual the room that greeted him was small, quaint and had nothing in it but an armchair, and a small side table facing a cosy fireplace. The blonde looked around in the armchair and smiled when he saw Harry. "Hey," he smiled as he scooted over a little on the armchair. The given space wasn't much, but Harry didn't mind. It would mean getting to touch the blonde a little more. He settled down and curled his legs up before glancing over the blonde's shoulder, "Potions again? I'd think you'd know the syllabus back to front by now."

Draco snorted, not drawing his eyes away from the page he was reading from. "Well it doesn't hurt to be prepared, Harry," he replied smoothly.

Harry rolled his eyes and kicked his shoes off to get a little more comfortable. Their legs touched and they were squished fairly close together in the armchair. The tension was back but Harry tried to ignore it as they continued to talk about everything and nothing, their hands brushing and chests colliding every now and again. The evening was slowly passing them by and it got to the point where Harry was feeling worn out from a long day. He was glad that the next morning he had a free period, so he could sleep in as late as he wanted. He didn't realise he was nodding off until he felt a warm arm wrap around his shoulders and cuddle him a little closer against a strong, firm chest. He hummed and blinked in surprise, "Oh gosh I'm sorry," he mumbled, trying to pull away but Draco wouldn't budge. He held him fast and continued the soft carding of his fingers through his hair.

"Don't be sorry, Harry," he murmured against the raven-haired boys' forehead, "You can sleep a little longer. It's only eleven."

Harry hummed lazily and burrowed closer to the blonde's chest. He felt so comfortable. He wished he could have this moment for more than just a few scattered nights during the month. "Didn't mean to leave you on your own," he whispered gently.

Draco chuckled, the vibrations running through Harry's body, making him feel pleasantly comfortable and almost like he was floating. He couldn't believe that despite everything that had happened in recent months, the blonde was being this open with him. Perhaps their late night anger-management sessions had helped a lot to bring them closer together. Perhaps not as close as Harry would have liked, but he couldn't deny that any progress was a good thing at this point. Especially considering where they had been this time last year. He shook his head, not wanting to remember the Battle. The nightmares were bad enough. Draco drew him back to the warmth of reality with another tender kiss on his brow and the weight of his head resting upon his own. "I don't mind, Harry. If you're tired then sleep. I won't stop you."

Harry hummed, "But it's not fair leaving you alone."

"Well you're here with me now, aren't you?" Draco asked softly with a lazy smile as he raked his hands through Harry's hair. "Although, I do think we need to be heading to bed now."

Harry shook his head, "I want to sleep here with you," he managed through a yawn.

Draco dropped another kiss to his forehead -Merlin, he couldn't get enough of those kisses! -before leaning back in the chair, "Come on. We'll be spending all day together on Saturday, right?"

Harry pouted, "True."

They both sighed and took their time standing up and leaving the Room, the door disappearing as the door clicked shut behind them. As they came to a stop at the staircase, Draco turned to him and smiled softly, "I guess I'll see you on Saturday then?"

Harry nodded and watched as the blonde turned and started to descend the stairs. "Draco!" he called out, not wanting the night to be over, not yet. The blonde looked back up at him with a frown, "I er ... I hope you sleep well."

There was a momentary frown on the blonde's face before he smiled and nodded his head, "Let's see if you can sleep without me, eh, Potter?" and with a cheeky wink, he turned and started on his way down the stairs again.

It took Harry a few minutes of standing dumbly at he top of the staircase, trying to remember how to breathe, before he turned and made his way back up to Gryffindor Tower.

~0~

Saturday morning dawned through the curtain-less window. Harry tried to stay in bed for a little longer but he couldn't ignore the butterflies in his stomach or the fact that he had a huge throbbing hard-on that he took an especially long shower to get rid of before the others had even stirred in their beds. He spent the rest of the morning before breakfast doing some of his homework in the common room much to Hermione's surprise when she came down and saw that he was already awake and dressed. She smiled knowingly and even chuckled softly when he told her just how nervous he was feeling. She dropped a lucky kiss to his cheek just as Ron trotted down the stairs and asked if they were ready for breakfast.

All through breakfast Draco kept his eye on the blonde man, casually dressed in dark pressed trousers and a fitted knit jumper that brought his eyes out beautifully. He was only half paying attention to what Hermione and Ron were planning for their day and he ignored Ginny completely when she was coming out with what she and her latest boyfriend were planning for the little holiday. He didn't care. The only thing that he cared about was Draco and having a great day together, even if nothing more came out of it.

By the time he had finished and went to wait in the Entrance Hall he was getting a little anxious until Draco stepped up next to him, "Hey Harry can you wait a moment? I need to go and try to speak to Slughorn about something for next lesson. You don't mind waiting do you?" he asked, his pale cheeks flushed pink.

Harry shook his head, ignoring the disappointment he felt. "No, that's fine. Just don't be too long otherwise all the carriages will go." Draco nodded and smiled before he went to disappear down the stairs that led to the dungeons. Harry felt his shoulders slump but told himself not to be stupid. He'd be back in a matter or minutes, so why was he worrying?

A knot of uneasiness settled in his stomach when he saw Pansy Parkinson walking up to him, a determined expression on his face. He tensed his shoulders, prepared to either walk away briskly or reaching for his wand. Despite what Draco said, Pansy had still wanted to give him up to the Dark Lord. Scared or not, she should have known that handing him over wouldn't have ended the war, it simply would have made it easier for the rest of them to fail and die. He cleared his throat and stood a little straighter, "Parkinson."

"Potter," she said just as tightly. "Isn't Draco with you? I thought you were spending the day together?"

He patted his pockets down and then widened his eyes mockingly, "Oh no! Would you believe it? I've only gone and lost him again."

Pansy scowled at the sarcasm, "Funny, Potter," her lips wanted to curl up into a sneer but she restrained herself. "I just wanted to know if you'd seen him?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "He went to see Slughorn."

She sighed loudly, her shoulders slumping before casting 'Tempus'. "Shoot," she pouted, "I'm late for meeting Blaise. Here, can you give this to him?" she help out a small smoked glass phial to him.

He hesitated, looking down at him. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's a tonic for his headache. He's been getting them a lot in the last couples of days. Too much stress. His mother sent that this morning, but the owl came late."

With a hesitant hand, Harry reached out for it. "Alright, I'll make sure he takes it." He slipped the phial into his pocket, a chill running down his spine that he reasoned was from the cold air outside the double doors.

"See that he does," she said, as she inclined her head with a firm look before turning on her heel and walking out of the castle. Harry watched her go and only relaxed when she had disappeared down the stairs. His shoulders slumped a little as he waited for Draco to come back to the entrance hall and start the date.

He only had to wait another ten minutes before the blonde came back, looking a little drained but otherwise looking hopeful for the day ahead that they'd planned. He reached Harry and gestured for them to get going. He was about to mention the phial but decided that it could wait until lunch. He wasn't suffering from a headache right that moment. It weighed down in his pocket and bumped against his thigh as they made their way to one of the last carriages, before clambering up inside and sitting down.

The ride into Hogsmeade passes by quite quietly and soon the carriage pulled to a stop at the edge of town. They settled for just milling around the shops for the most part, sharing sarcastic jokes and lightly taunting one another merrily. It was just when they were settling down in the Three Broomsticks -much to some surrounding Gryffindor's chagrin -that Harry remembered the tonic in his pocket. As soon as they'd ordered their lunch and some drinks, he reached into his pocket and handed the phial to Draco. "What's this?" the blonde asked with a frown.

"A tonic for your headaches. Parkinson gave it to me this morning before she left."

Draco frowned, "You really should learn to call her Pansy, Harry. Even if it's just to me. I'm trying with your friends, you know."

Harry let his tense expression soften a little as he pushed the phial across the table, "I'm sorry," he murmured gently, "I know I need to try a little harder. Just take your tonic, would you?" he smiled a little brighter as he took a gulp of his butterbeer.

Draco rolled his silver eyes before downing the tonic and shuddering, "Nasty stuff." He winced after a moment and then his eyes shone a little brighter as he reached for his own butterbeer, "So what else do we have planned for today?" he asked, cocking a blonde eyebrow. For the rest of the day he couldn't help but look at Draco in a slightly brighter light. The stirrings in his chest and stomach gave himself away. He knew his feelings were more than just friendly. He knew that and had done since just after the Christmas holidays but he hadn't wanted himself to believe it. He had never gotten those feeling before, not with Cho or with Ginny. With Cho he had always been scared that she'd cry all down his front or snap at him for no reason. With Ginny it had been different but still felt weird, like she was a sibling. It had felt different but not in a good way.

More like an 'ugly' way.

However, when he looked at Draco as they wandered from shop-to-shop he knew he was falling for the blonde, and falling incredibly fast. He couldn't help but wonder if the older man felt the same way or not. He hoped so. But he wasn't going to put his feelings on the line and risk their friendship for some unrequited love nonsense. He was a big boy and he learned from his mistakes.

Later the evening, Draco hadn't appeared in the Great Hall along with everyone else. For one, Harry Potter, this realization was a little unsettling after the funny looks the blonde had been giving him all afternoon. It was as though he were love-struck or something. But for the other Slytherin's, it was a much needed moment of secrecy that they could duck their heads together and trade information.

"Does he seem any different?" Blaise asked Pansy that evening over dinner. Draco hadn't come up for dinner yet, choosing to mill about in the dorms for a while doing Merlin knew what.

Pansy shook her head, "I watched them for two hours this afternoon, and short of sending each other gooey stares when they think the other isn't looking is about as soppy as it got!" She stabbed at her chicken so roughly that her goblet teetered on the table and a few of the first years scooted further away in their seats. She sighed and threw her fork down on the table, "Are you sure you brewed it properly, Blaise?" she sneered, cocking a dark eyebrow.

"Well we can test it out on you and Theo and see if it works properly?" he replied darkly.

Pansy pursed her lips, glaring daggers at her friend. Across the table from them, Theo's face had paled considerably as his shaking fingers reached to spoon more potatoes onto his plate. Huffing, Pansy dropped her gaze back down to her face and continued to grumble to herself. "Well we still need to determine whether the potion worked or not. He hasn't been acting any different than he usually does."

Blaise frowned as he glanced over at Potter who was looking as normal as he possibly could over on the Gryffindor table. He didn't look embarrassed or that he was trying to hide something. There had been no declarations of love or Draco walking around wrapping in Potter's duvet just 'to feel closer to him'. He leaned a little closer towards his friend and murmured, "Let's give it a couple of days. He might want to do something ridiculous over breakfast. You know how he's an early riser."

Pansy rolled her eyes but forcibly perked up when said blonde walked into the Great Hall with as much grace as he could muster, before dropping down at their table. The conversation flowed back to normal topics, the entire time, Potter and Draco kept sneaking glances at one another. It was getting on Pansy's nerves but she was doing her best to not let it bother her. Or at the very least, to not let it show.

She didn't want to risk giving anything away after all.

~0~

Seven days.

Seven days they had been waiting for Draco to make an absolute fool of himself, and nothing had happened yet. By the third day even Blaise had to reach for his textbook and flip through the pages to the potion to make sure that he had in fact brewed it correctly. He read the instructions several times before frowning heavily, and reading through the footnotes and additional study sections just to see just what he could've possibly done wrong.

There was nothing wrong with what he'd done. According to the textbook he had brewed it perfectly. So why hadn't it worked?

Mulling it over one morning, Theo had simply shrugged across from him, "Perhaps you didn't use a strong enough potion on him. You know how stubborn Draco can be. You probably needed a really strong one on him."

"Weasley is just as stubborn as Draco is," Blaise stated dryly, "And from what I heard, it took a very basic one from Romilda Vane to get to him."

"Well yes, but Weasley is hardly mentally capable of thinking for himself, now, is he?"

Theo hummed in thought before shrugging, "Then we must have missed something vital whilst brewing it."

Blaise slammed his fist on the table, "I already told you, I didn't miss anything!"

Theo held up his hands in surrender, "Hey calm down, I'm trying to list off the possibilities here."

The dark-skinned boy grumbled in reply before frowning, "Where is Draco tonight anyway? I thought he would have been here by now." He glanced over at the doors to the hall but most students were already seated and eating away, completely oblivious to the lack of blonde hair.

The boy across from him hummed and jerked his head at the door, "Well Pansy's here. Bitch to her. She might have some more information for you anyways."

Seconds later Pansy sat down and huffed in agitation, "Whatever happened with that potion, it's making him into one soppy little bastard," she sneered, her lips curling.

"How come?" Theo asked.

"Eurgh, he's been waxing poetic all evening before dinner even started. I almost fell asleep listening to him! He said he was tempted to send Potter some soppy nonsense via owl, but he seemed to realise that Potter doesn't like that sort of public nonsense." She waved the thought away, "Merlin, I'm hungry. Pass me the potatoes."

Just as she was loading her plate up with food, the doors to the Great Hall banged open. Heads craned over to see what the commotion was about from every table. Within moments the hall erupted with the sound of hushed voices whispering about the spectacle they were beholding. Blaise and most other Slytherin's either had sneers on their faces or their jaws were on the ground and refused to reconnect. Standing, framed in the doorway, stood Harry bloody Potter -bold as brass -with a self-confidence that he hadn't seemed to have in recent years, with a very smug blonde Slytherin standing beside him with a protective arm draped over his shoulders. On most people the pose would have looked clingy, but on those two it seemed to look dignified, proud and classic aristocrat. The protective arm was strong and firm and seemed to act like a shield, deflecting the disapproving looks being sent their way.

After the initial shock wavered a little, the two moved forth into the hall and took a seat at the far end of the Gryffindor table, right under the professor's noses. All eyes were on them, the hush in the hall was startling. Nothing seemed to move. That's when someone moved -or rather, two people moved. Hermione and Ron stood up from the middle of the Gryffindor table and edged down the aisle, and after a few hushed words, settled down opposite Draco and Harry.

The silence was deafening.

"We should go over there," Pansy murmured, nudging Blaise under the table.

"Really? At the Gryffindor table?" Theo asked, looking between the two of them.

Blaise nodded, "We might as well before the Weaslette decides to make a scene. At least this way they can have some more support."

As one, they stood up, plates in hands, and moved over towards the Gryffindor table. A wave of whispers followed them but they ignored the voices as they went to sit down on either side of the Gryffindor table. Despite the slight awkwardness, they squared their shoulders and continued to eat and started talking among themselves.

It took a while before the murmurings of the hall came back however it was still tense, only really broken by the abrupt departure of a certain red-haired girl with tear stained cheeks.

That night, despite not getting to ask answer any of the questions fired their way, Harry and Draco stumbled into the Room of Requirement, their hands hot and heavy as they groped one another and scrambling to pluck the others clothes off. They were locked at the mouth, their kisses bruising, hot and damp as they breathed each other in, nipping and biting at one another. Harry pressed Draco up against the wall and started sucking at his throat, the skin soft and smooth between his teeth as he rubbed the older man through his trousers. He was hard and throbbing in the brunette's palm as he rubbed him. "Say it again," Harry demanded in a low husky voice that made Draco moan and thrust up into his palm. Before dinner the blonde had tugged him aside and confessed his feelings and Harry was going crazy with those words running in his head. He felt like he was caught in a dream. It couldn't be true, but it was, and he was relishing in the moment!

"I love you," he gasped out as he felt Harry's fingers stroke over his tight balls. "Oh, Merlin!"

"Again."

"I love you!"

"Louder!" Harry panted as he tugged the zipper down.

"Goddamnit Harry, I fucking love you!" Draco moaned out, his voice echoing in the small room. He gasped and clenched his jaw tightly as his cock was drawn out into the cool air. Harry's hot fingers wrapped around him and started to stroke. He felt his legs turn to jelly as he clung onto the brunette man's shoulders. "You're such a fucking tease," he growled at the back of his throat.

Harry smirked and tugged the trousers down. Draco was longer than he was, but he wasn't as thick. Not that he minded as he ran his tongue over the twitching member. Draco shuddered and sucked in a breath through his teeth. He groaned as Harry lightly grazed his teeth along the length, before sucking energetically at the swollen head. He moaned around Draco's cock as he felt the pale fingers clutching tightly in his hair, urging him so take the cock deeper. He stroked Draco from his base before releasing him with a wet 'pop'.

Draco rolled his head to look down, his cheeks flushed and his eyes heavy lidded. He stroked Harry's cheek, "Let me make love to you, Harry. Let me show you just how much I love you."

Harry smirked, "Wow. I don't know what's gotten into you recently, but you're being so affectionate right now." He leaned in, pressing himself against Draco's slick cock. He rubbed himself against the blonde, "You're so sexy, Draco. And I really do love you. I've wanted to tell you for a long time, but I didn't know if you felt the same." He ducked his head shyly.

Draco tilted his chin up and pressed a firm, loving kiss to the brunette's mouth, "I do love you. So much. God! I literally couldn't hold the words in anymore. It's like I finally got some fucking courage to tell you!" Harry grinned up at him like an idiot as he stepped out of his trousers and started pushing the brunette back, grabbing at his robes and slipping his hand under his waistband and squeezing his arse tightly.

Behind them a chair manifested thanks to the room. The fireplace continued to crackle merrily, warming Draco's naked thighs as he pushed Harry down into the chair and dragged his trousers off his legs. He pressed long, passionate kisses over Harry's mouth, neck and chest as he ripped open his shirts. Buttons teetered over the flagstones, twinkling in the air. Harry panted and tugged at Draco's shirt, his legs spread and quaking with anticipation as Draco leaned over him, finally completely naked and highlighted with the glow from the fire. "Fuck you're sexy," he panted as he reached up and ran his hand down the blonde's muscled stomach.

Draco smirked down at him and slowly kissed him, their tongues slipping together fiery and wet, sending pleasure running straight to Harry's cock as he thrust up. Leaning away, Draco pressed a kiss to the lightning bolt scar before leaning away and running his tongue down the muscled ridges and scars of Harry's torso before taking the thick cock in his mouth, right down to the hilt and making Harry jerk with a gasp. He sucked Harry down over and over again, breathing through his nose, before releasing him and sucking on his fingers. As he knelt down, almost out of sight, and ran his tongue over Harry's balls, he circled his finger around the tight puckered entrance of the brunette man.

Harry gasped and threw his head back against the back of the armchair. He was both ready and petrified for this. His body was sweating and tense. He tried to will himself to relax but he couldn't quite get there. It was hard to do when he felt Draco's long slender finger slip inside his body. He tensed, the tongue rolling over his balls trying to relax him but he was hypersensitive to every touch, every breath. He let out a moan as -very slowly -Draco started to work his finger into a rhythm. Harry's mouth fell open and his eyes rolled back as he let soft gasps whisper out into the air. His heart was speeding up as Draco took his dick back in his mouth. The combined sensation of Draco sucking his cock and fingering his arsehole was enough to make pleasure pop in every muscle.

"Ah, Draco!" he moaned out as the blonde pushed another finger into his arse. It hurt a little, but having his cock sliding down a tight, wet throat was enough to make him dizzy with pleasure.

As soon as Draco had prepped Harry enough with three fingers slipping all the way up to the knuckle, he released Harry with a wet pop and smirked as Harry gasped and looked down at him. Draco smirked, "Are you ready, Harry?" he growled in a husky voice before nipping at the brunette's thighs.

Harry licked his lips and gave a shaky nod.

Spitting into his palm, Draco wet his cock and adjusted himself between Harry's legs. He could feel his own legs aching from where he'd been kneeling on the stone floor, but he wasn't complaining. He was more focused on the tight, hot sensation slowly easing down around his throbbing cock as he gently pushed himself into his lover's sweating, quivering body. Their conjoined groans echoed out around the room as Draco slid into him. Harry's thighs were tense and throbbing under his palms as he fully sheathed himself. "Oh God!" he grunted out, as Harry clenched around him. He jerked and groaned as he grasped the brunettes thighs tightly.

"Oh my God Draco!" Harry moaned out, "Ahh move! Please move!"

Draco ground his teeth together and slowly moved himself back before sliding in again. He slowly started to thrust his hips in a slow rhythm. Harry's panting spurred him on as he quickened his pace, pleasure pooling in his stomach. It was blinding him. He wasn't going to last long but he didn't give a shit. He tried to calm his erratic thoughts to last a little longer. He rocked his hips even faster. "Harry!" he groaned out as the brunette moaned and arched into his thrusts, making them both spasm with pleasure. "Shit, I don't think I'm going to last long," he panted as he leaned over his lover, both of them glistening with sweat as they rocked together. He inhaled Harry's musky scent and pressed burning, sloppy kisses to the other's damp neck and forehead. "Ah, I love you! I fucking love you!"

"I love you too!" Harry whimpered back, tears burning in his eyes. He was at the height of pleasure and was so close to tipping over the edge that he had to clutch the armchair so hard he heard stitched pop. "Oh, Draco! I'm coming I'm -!" He didn't get to finish his thought as a warm stream of cum shot up over his stomach and chest. He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment but soon dismissed it as Draco picked up his pace even more.

"M'close!" the blonde grunted loudly. Mere moments later his orgasm ripped through him and came hot and heavy in Harry's aching, sweating body. He tremored as the orgasm crashed over him with wave upon wave of pleasure, before he was emptied completely and collapsed down onto Harry's naked chest. He leaned up on his arms and stroked a stray strand of Harry's dark hair out of his eyes, "Mmm you're so beautiful, Harry," he murmured, feeling utterly exhausted.

Harry smiled and pressed a kiss to Draco's forehead, "I've got nothing on you, Draco."

The blonde breathed a smile and let his eyes drifted closed for a few moments, relishing in the after-glow of their love-making. They stayed that way for a while, cuddled together, their bodies kept warm by the fireplace as they lay curled in the armchair. At around eleven o'clock when the school clock chimed out over the grounds, they groaned in dismay and slowly disentangled themselves from one another and shuffled about, gathering their clothes off of the floor and pulling it on over their aching, wobbly muscles. As they left the room behind them, the door disappearing as they drifted hand-in-hand down the corridor, smiled grew on their mouths that, no matter how hard they tried, wouldn't go away. At the staircase, Draco turned to Harry, cupped his face in his hand and pressed their mouths together in a slow, exploring kiss that made the brunette's heart sing.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast, okay?" Draco breathed as he stroked his thumb over Harry's soft tanned skin.

Harry smiled, leaning into the touch, before tiptoeing up and stealing another chaste kiss, "Okay, I guess I can wait."

Draco smiled and watched as Harry drifted back along the corridor. "Hey Potter!" he called out when the brunette boy was several meters away. Harry turned with a faint frown. Draco smiled even wider, "I love you!" he called out, his cheeks hurting a little with all the smiling.

The grin that spread of Harry's face was more than enough compensation for it. His stomach flipped when he saw it. "I love you too!" he called back with a wink, before he turned on his heel and hurried back to Gryffindor Tower whilst Draco turned and quickly descended the stairs to the dungeons.

Blaise had been reading by the light of a 'Lumos' charm when Draco drifted into the dormitories. He had the largest, soppiest grin on his face that Blaise cringed a little when he saw it. He watched from his best as the blonde shucked out of his clothes and into pyjamas in a matter of seconds, before collapsing backwards onto his bed with a large, contented sigh. His hair was an utter mess. He looked thoroughly fucked.

He blinked in surprised when a disheveled Draco -with a visible hickey on his neck -reached up to tug his bed hangings closed around him. Reaching down and under his bed he opened his potions textbooks to the page he needed. He never bothered with the introduction to potions, but this time, he took his time reading it over and over again until he could comprehend the printed words.

The Amortentia Potion

(Love Potion)

When brewed correctly the Love Potion will enable the drinker of the potion fall into an intense, deluded state of obsession for the giver of the potion -normally the brewer themselves -This obsession it often confused as a form of love in their intoxicated state. They will go to great lengths to declare their love and intentions of romance to their 'intended' and become besotted.

There is only one case in which the potion itself will fail to work, even when it is brewed properly; that would only be due to the drinker of the potion already having strong affectionate feelings or even love the giver of said potion. A love potion will not work on someone who already has feelings. If it is formed between a single person and another that they have nothing but platonic or even no feelings for, then the potion will be successful. It is uncommon, the cases that do not work, however not entirely rare that it is unavoidable altogether.

The side effects for the already infatuated drinker and the brewer / giver of the potion are increased feelings of sexual desire (akin to that of an aphrodisiac) and will only aid in the acknowledgement of 'real love / feelings' and in some cases increased sexual activity.

Blaise blinked in surprise at the words on the page. So Draco really had loved Potter all this time? And Scarhead had reciprocated? Apparently so, considering the state that Draco had arrived back to the dungeons in. Despite himself, he found himself smiling at the prospect of Draco finally satiated and above all things happy. He was still a little sceptical, however. The following morning at breakfast, when Draco and Harry walked in smiling like utter idiots and matching hickey's just barely visible over their collars -easily spotted when you knew what to look for -Blaise felt himself smirk into his cereal as he ducked his head down. Pansy and Theo hissed questions under their breath but when he was personally asked if he knew anything, he merely smiled smugly, relishing in the knowledge for a little while longer. Not only was it because finally, the sexual tension -for the most part -had been cut in half between the bespectacled git and his blonde roommate, but also because Blaise had actually been right all along.

He hadn't screwed up the fucking potion.

The End.


A/N: I know this is a lot later -almost ten days -than it should have been, but I struggled to complete it on time and then decided it was best not to rush it. Anyways, if any of you are on Facebook and see that meme of the Slytherin's giving Draco a love potion and him acting exactly the same, THAT is what inspired this story along with TheNightmareBeforeDawn's little additions.

Lots of Love

Belle xox