Title- A Tale of Drarry and Coming Out
Chapter- One; Ah, That Would Be Telling
Author- JessicaLouisePotter
Rating- T
Word Count- 6647
Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, don't worry I'm not about to steal it from Rowling, I'm simply borrowing the characters to play around with for a bit. Oh God, that sounded wrong. Sorry, I have a bit of a dirty mind. Enjoy my story and I hope I don't abandon this at a cliff hanger, if you're reading this in 2024 and I haven't updated for seven years I'm sorry.
Harry tightened his red and gold scarf about his neck before taking a deep, shivery breath. Steeling heightening nerves, he took a small step forwards. The night seemed to curl itself around his lithe form, covering him and coating everything in sight with a deep midnight-blue colour. Trees swayed slightly in a breeze that chilled Harry right to the bone. The grass seemed to follow in this dance; flowing about his ankles, tickling them in a strange greeting. Looming golden hoops stood firm high above him; stark in contrast to the dancing of the plants.
Removing his trusted holly and phoenix wand from its holster and holding it firmly between slim fingers, Harry muttered a word, watching as the light of his wand mingled with the fog left by this breath.
"Lumos."
All at once, he could clearly see the Quidditch pitch in all its glory. Large, colourful stands filled with rows upon rows of polished benches, shimmering ever so slightly when he moved his wand in their immediate direction.
"Finally, I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost," An amused voice came from the direction of the hoops, "I am glad to see you made it however." A pale-faced blond-haired head swam into view, held in place by Harry's wand light.
Harry scoffed, "Of course I came, Draco. You know I wouldn't miss this."
Stepping closer until he was standing directly opposite Harry, moving his head so their lips where almost touching, able to feel Draco's breath on his skin, "I'm glad you think that way." He whispered, claiming Harry's lips with his own.
Breaking apart, Harry gently took hold of Draco's hand, revelling in the heat that seemed to radiate outwards from him. Harry reached downwards, clasping his free hand around the shaft of his Firebolt. Holding the only gift Sirius had ever given him out, Harry asked, "Do you want to steer or can I?"
"You. You're the more proficient flier out of the two of us," Draco replied easily, letting go of Harry's hand and motioning towards him, "Come on, we haven't got all night." He joked as Harry climbed on the broomstick, to be followed seconds later by Draco's solid warmth.
HPDM
Smoothly dismounting, an act that had taken rather a lot of practice given Harry's natural clumsiness, Harry turned to Draco and kissed his wind-flushed cheek, grinning at Draco's apparent speechlessness. "We'd better go in now, we have classes at eight and we need to get some sleep." Draco nodded dumbly in a Crabbe-and-Goyle-like way. He was clearly still shocked after Harry had taken a sixty-foot dive right down to the ground at about eighty miles an hour, skimming the thick blades of grass with their toes, only to stop right at the last second. Draco had screamed hysterically all the way down and would've likely woken the whole castle if it weren't for the silencing charm Harry had previously cast on the entire pitch; just a precaution, Draco.
"Come on then, I can't walk you all the way but I can take you to the Entrance Hall." Harry coerced Draco into walking and only left for his own House when he was sure Draco wouldn't fall over. Having completed this act, Harry set of for Gryffindor Tower. Jumping on the trick step that Harry was pretty sure had something to do with Fred and George, Harry continued on his way to the Tower, stopping to wake the Fat Lady and give her the password. He knew full well that she was likely annoyed to be woken up at such a ridiculous time. Nevertheless, he also knew that she would not tell anyone, having made a deal with her back in third year. What Harry was not prepared for however, was the figure sitting in a squashy armchair facing the portrait-hole.
HPDM
Hermione Granger didn't miss a trick. Everything that went on at Hogwarts of some importance was stored away in that marvellous mind of hers and kept for future reference. Really, Harry shouldn't have been as surprised as he was when he spotted her, siting in an overstuffed armchair facing him when entered the common room that night. She spoke only one simple word.
"Explain."
Harry decided that playing dumb might be his only chance of getting out of this alive. "Explain what?" He asked, feigning confusion.
"Harry James Potter don't you dare play dumb with me. You know exactly what I mean." Hermione hissed as she stood up from where she had been sat, arms crossed over her chest, murderous glare marring her soft features.
"Umm… well, you see… I," Harry scratched the back of his neck nervously, Hermione always made him tell the truth, especially when he didn't want to.
Hermione raised an eyebrow. Harry hadn't even thought up an excuse. It was going to be easy for her to evict the truth from him, it was playing chess with Ron, and no matter how hard Harry could try he would never win. Harry sighed wearily.
"Okay, fine, I'll tell you where the kitchens are and you can rally the house elves together." Harry tried, regardless of the fact that Hermione already knew where the kitchens where locate, but Harry was willing to ignore that factor.
The glare on Hermione's face deepened. "Don't even bother, Harry. You know what I want to know so don't give me that crap." Harry winced as she swore. Hermione never swore, only when she was livid enough to start throwing curses around.
"I-I've been meeting with… someone every evening because… because we're dating." Harry rushed out the last part, a dark blush racing up his neck, staining his cheeks, only deepening to a shade familiar to deep crimson velvet when Hermione's eyebrows shot up into her hairline and she forgot to glare at him, such was her shock.
"Y-you and… and this person you refuse to mention have been dating? For this long? Why didn't you tell me? I would have wanted to know! It might have been nice to know that you where dating someone, you know!" Hermione exploded, that o-so familiar glare returning to aid the look of a battle stance.
But now Hermione would want to know who it was, what gender they were, how long he'd been dating them. The list went on and harry only hoped it didn't take them all night. He sank into the worn red sofa near the fire, relaxing in the warm embrace that it provided. Since Harry was bisexual, Hermione had no way of telling who the person was, hell, she couldn't even guess based on gender. Hermione had a brilliant memory of little things people had told her, errant comments and thoughts were locked away for reference at a later date. She was certainly going to use this to her advantage.
"So, who's the lucky man or woman that gets to date my baby brother?" Regardless of the fact they were close enough in age to be in the same year, Hermione delighted in being able to call him her 'little brother'. Even if they weren't biologically related and especially since Harry felt slightly embarrassed each time she said it; he hadn't been shown any love as child so he was still working on knowing how to react when people told him things such as ' I love you' or even just 'how are you'. This was why he blushed faintly each time Draco told him he loved him; it was special every time and each moment stood out in Harry's mind.
"I'm going to make you guess, 'Mione. First clue: they are male. Second clue: they are not in Gryffindor." Harry watched as Hermione's face puzzled over his hints and searched her vast knowledge of the student body to figure out just who Harry was with.
"Ummm, well you said last year that you thought Terry Boot's arse was nice, is it him?" Hermione tried, brow crinkling in thought, desperate to know.
Harry was absolutely mortified that she had somehow managed to remember that fact. Hiding his red face in the glow emitting from the dying fire, Harry spoke with amusement laced in his tone, "Nope. I'll give you another clue." Harry scooted a little further towards the embers, "They're in Slytherin."
Hermione gave a small gasp of surprise before a smug look snatched her features. "No way. Harry Potter and Draco bloody Malfoy."
"Ten points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger!" Harry exclaimed, "The only reason I didn't tell you was because I didn't know how you'd react to Draco." He spoke softer, more quietly this time, as if afraid that speaking too loudly would cause a bad reaction.
Hermione's face lost any trace of smugness but now only held a sympathetic expression. She stepped over the book she dropped when he had walked in and gave him a hug. "You know I'd still love you regardless of who you where dating, Harry, you're my brother and I only want to know one thing." She replied, holding back tears.
Harry tensed slightly within her embrace. "What is it?" He asked, fearful of the repercussions.
"Does he treat you well?" Hermione leaned back so she could view his reaction.
Harry could have laughed outright. "Yes, Hermione, he treats me fine, I swear."
"Good." Hermione patted his shoulder and gave him a watery smile, excusing herself to go to bed before she got over emotional about next to nothing.
Harry bade her goodnight and settled back on the settee, feeling stupidly happy about the outcome of his conversation. Hermione had taken the news unexpectedly well, wanting only to know if Draco treated him well. Thoughts of how other friends could react. He imaged Seamus jumping up and going crazy like the eccentric Irish man he was. Harry amused himself with these thoughts for a moment, contemplating. Suddenly, he came crashing back down into the harsh folds of reality as he realised- he still had to tell Ron.
HPDM
Ron Weasley came stumbling down the stairs from the boy's dorm the next morning to find his best mate curled up on the couch, covered in a red blanket and fast asleep. Harry was still wearing his robes and scarf, his cloak laying forgotten on the plush carpet.
Ron shook Harry's shoulder to wake him. "Mate, you need to get up, classes start in an hour."
Harry blearily opened his crusty eyes and blinked twice before realising Ron had just woke him up and he needed to get to class. Harry cast a sleepy gaze around the partially empty common room, a table coated in a layer of books do deep it had to have been last used by Hermione greeted his vision. Stranded firsties milled around with each other in small groups, figuring their time tables and deciding what to write in their essays.
Slowly but surely, the events of the previous night came flooding back to him, causing a dopey smile to spread across his features. Ron looked at him funny as he headed to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Standing, Harry took the stairs two at a time up to his dorm, harried and anxious to get the class on time, knowing he had Potions and that Slughorn might look kind-hearted, but he absolutely despised late-comers.
HPDM
As always, Harry joined his friends at the Gryffindor table for breakfast, ignoring the knowing look Hermione sent his way in favour of watching Draco over at the Slytherin table. Harry had always admired the way Draco's hair caught the rays of light cutting through the high beams of the ceiling and catching the dust particles in the air.
Hermione clicked her fingers in front of his face impatiently. "Harry? I asked you if you were going to eat something."
Harry started. Both Ron and Hermione where giving him funny looks now.
"You completely zoned out on us, mate." Ron commented, stuffing another sausage into his already crammed mouth.
"Oh, sorry, 'Mione, what did you say?"
"Are. You. Go. Ing. To. Eat. Some. Thing." She repeated it slowly, extenuating each syllable like one would if one was speaking to a particularly petulant child.
"Probably not." Harry shrugged, taking a glass of pumpkin juice in favour of the array of foods on the table.
Hermione frowned at him, returning to her own plate after he shot her a withering glance, knowing he wouldn't listen to her. Harry was far too stubborn for his own good sometimes.
Harry snuck another look at the Slytherin table; loving the way Draco's fringe fell over his eyes as he inspected the front page of the Daily Prophet. The corners of his mouth turned downwards slightly; he had seen something he disliked.
Harry got up from the table, pushing his chair back and almost toppling it over was his hurry to scoop up his bag from under it. Swinging it over his shoulder, Harry bid his friends goodbye and left the Great Hall for Potions. Hermione, surprisingly, had allowed Professor McGonagall to convince her from taking Potions. Hermione didn't really need it anyway; she was planning to be a Charms Mistress because Flitwick might have mentioned that he was getting older and was planning to retire within the next ten years, leaving Hermione enough time to get her Charms mastery and train to be a teacher.
Ron had dropped it for obvious reasons and anyway, he wasn't nearly good enough, according to Professor Slughorn. Ron desperately wanted to be an Auror, dark wizard catcher, ever since the fake moody in fourth year. It was his biggest dream but however Potions as a requirement; Ron hoped his OWL scores would be enough to land him a place on the Auror training programme in a few years.
Harry, however, had no clue what he wanted to do with his life, having completed the Prophesy and fulfilling his destiny. Harry felt like he had completed his role in the world and felt oddly empty for it. Maybe he could be a Healer, saving lives instead of ruining them. No matter how much anyone tried to tell him it wasn't his fault, Harry couldn't shake the feeling of guiltiness in his gut for all the deaths during the war. Yes, a Healer sounded like a great idea.
On his way to the dungeons and a sweaty double period, Harry walked past a cluster of whispering girls. He only caught the first few words but it was enough to unsettle him.
Love potion….Harry Potter….Tonight.
Shuddering and vowing not to go to the Great Hall for lunch or dinner and instead to go directly to the kitchens in an attempt to avoid the girls, Harry came to a halt outside the Potions classroom. He was ten minutes earlier than needed and would have to wait outside for the time being. Harry sighed and sank against the stone wall of the dungeons, pulling a book from his bag in order to distract from the cold now creeping in through his robes.
HPDM
Draco watched over Harry leave over the top of his paper. Damn. He'd never catch him up now. In no way did he look it but Harry was an exceptionally fast walker. On the other hand, Draco wasn't at all fast, preferring to take his time. Draco sighed is resignation. Folding his paper up he realised he hadn't finished his plate of food and in actual fact, didn't have time to. Potions would start in twenty minutes but Draco was hungry, dammit.
"Draco, will you stop staring at the Gryffindor table for a second and talk to me?" Pansy whined at him. She was a valuable friend, really she was, but sometimes Draco just couldn't stand her.
"Maybe, if you stop screeching in my ear." He snapped back.
"No need to get all precious with me, Draco Malfoy." Pansy replied forcefully, not prepared to take any of his bullshit.
Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Sorry, Pansy. I'll walk to class with you." He offered, praying she would take his apology.
"Okay, then. Really, Draco? You haven't eaten anything, I'll take some toast for you." Pansy looked disdainfully at his still-full plate of food.
"Yes, Mother." Draco drawled, smiling. He was glad his best friend wasn't mad at him.
Pansy stood, gathering toast in a napkin as she went. Slinging her bag over her shoulders, she handed Draco the toast and the two headed out of the Great Hall towards Potions.
HPDM
Slughorn droned on about the importance of acromantula venom in certain potions but Harry wasn't paying attention. Usually at this stage he and Ron would have been playing a game of hangman or noughts and crosses. Except Ron wasn't here. Harry was alone, save for Draco but no one knew about them yet and he sat on the other side of the classroom to Harry. Pansy was laying half on the desk, head on the crook of an elbow. Harry had made an agreement with Pansy to be civil towards each other since Draco and Harry were dating. Nevertheless, it wasn't needed. He and Pansy got on like a house on fire. Harry would have made Hermione talk to Pansy too, they both had very similar minds, contrary to popular belief, but he had only just gotten round to telling her he and Draco where dating in the first place. He'd do it eventually, he promised himself. Slughorn had stopped talking and was instead staring Harry right in the eyes. His watery blue irises seemed to watch Harry's every move, eliciting a shudder from Harry, who found it creepy.
"Mr. Potter, what is the main ingredient in the Draught of Living Death?"
He had no idea. Trying to think back to Snape's old textbook, Harry attempted to recall the answer but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was.
"I don't know, sir." Harry mumbled, attempting to not look Slughorn in the eye as he said it, knowing full well that Slughorn was probably just lecturing them about it when Harry wasn't paying attention.
"Hmm, not good enough," Slughorn returned to lecturing, leaving a relieved Harry to bask in the glory of not having lost any points.
Meanwhile, Draco slouched back in his chair, only giving half an ear to Slughorn's lecture. He much preferred practical lessons but he supposed they couldn't do a practical every lesson.
Draco was bored, plain and simple. Everything Slughorn was droning on about he already knew and had known for a while.
He opted to watch Harry's beautiful form as he stretched back and raised his arms above his head, exposing a sliver of skin around his waist where his shirt rode up. Pansy nudged him with a sharp elbow, and it was then he realised that class was over.
Draco picked up his bag and made for the exit. Transfiguration and DADA before lunch. Then he had the afternoon off. Bliss.
Pansy preceded him out of the room, giving Draco enough time to brush Harry's hand with his own as he passed. What are friends for?
HPDM
If anything was going to go wrong it was going to be in Defence. Spells where flying everywhere in a haze of coloured light and spoken incantations. They were practicing duelling with partners. Having not a cat's whisker about Harry and Draco's relationship, Snape had paired the two together, thinking it would rile them up. So he was suitably surprised when nothing happened; leaving them to get right on with the work without complaint.
Despite having been told not to use any dangerous or dark spells, some students had decided to test the limits of this particular rule. Unfortunately, one stray spell shot in the wrong direction.
Harry felt the impact as a blue beam of light hit him square in the back and he felt when his head dropped to the floor, along with the rest of him.
All at once, the light show stopped. People craned over to look what had happened, whispering to friends. Professor Snape snapped at everyone to be quiet and pushed his way to where Harry was lying on the floor. Drawing his wand, Snape proceeded to cast spells over Harry's semi-conscious form in an attempt to figure out what was wrong with him. Vaguely, Harry could feel something warm and sticky making its way down his temple.
After a few moments of lying there, the class speculating and Snape hovering over him, Harry felt strong arms lift him up; heard Hermione walking next to whoever was carrying him, nattering about what sort of spell it was. However, it wasn't until the person holding him so securely snapped at her to stop talking did he realise who was clutching him; Draco's solid chest he could feel. Only then did he allow himself to leave unconsciousness.
HPDM
Snape called out the duelling partners from a list clutched in his bony hands. The last pair was…
"Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter." Snape's monotonous voice echoed eerily around the large classroom.
Inwardly grinning at the situation, Draco waltzed over to Harry and they squared up, ready to duel. It didn't matter that they were dating, both boys where extremely competitive and defence was Harry's best subject, even with Snape, so both where looking forward to this.
"Impedimenta!" Draco ducked the jinx and shot back towards his boyfriend.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry rolled to the side to avoid the disarming curse and so it continued.
So engrossed was he in their mock duel that Draco was as unprepared as Harry was when the light blue beam of light hit Harry in the back, rendering him useless.
Draco gasped. Harry was lying motionless as Snape marched over and began checking him over. Draco couldn't move even as he noticed the slow trickle of blood coming from where Harry had hit his head on the concrete floor. Slower than even the blood on Harry's head, Draco's brain clicked back into focus and he moved, zombie-like, towards Harry and, after checking with Snape, lifted Harry's lifeless form and headed in the direction of the Hospital Wing.
The Mu- Hermione moved to follow him, chattering on about what spell it could have been, only to fall silent when Draco snapped at her. He didn't like being short with Harry's friends anymore, but he needed to get Harry to Madame Pomfrey; she wasn't being helpful, talking his ear off like that.
They walked in silence the rest of the way, occasionally Hermione had to point him in another direction to the one he was going in, such was his anxiety at Harry's situation that he was forgetting the way around the place he had lived for almost seven years.
By the time they reached the large oak doors of the Hospital Wing, it was the end of class and the corridors where filling up. Draco was glad to get inside the hospital, people had started staring at the boy-who-lived being carted around by Draco Malfoy.
Madame Pomfrey ushered them in, threatening the lingering crowd with a real reason to visit the hospital as she closed the doors.
HPDM
Harry blinked open sleepy eyes, wincing at the intensity of the light now filling his sight. It all seemed familiar. Soon, he realised he was lying in a bed with starchy white sheets. The ceiling was burred and Harry realised he wasn't wearing his glasses. Quickly, the events of the defence lesson came flooding back. Draco had brought him here. To the Hospital Wing.
Turning, Harry noticed a card sitting lonely on his bedside table. Harry wondered who it was from but before he could investigate further, he was interrupted from his musings by Madame Pomfrey exiting her office and spotting him sitting up in bed.
"Oh good, you're awake." She bustled about, checking him over with her wand.
"How long have I been out, Poppy?" He was now on a first name basis with the stern 'dragon lady' of the Hospital Wig on account of Harry being in here 'much too often' and that she had 'seen more of him than anyone else'. The latter had made a furious blush creep up Harry's neck to stain his cheeks.
"Oh, only overnight. It's just gone seven in the morning now." She answered, smiling when he called her Poppy; it took him ages to get used to that.
"What was wrong with me?" Harry asked, curiously.
"You had a slight concussion from hitting your head on the floor and a fractured wrist where you hit it at an angle," That explained the bandage wrapped around his hand and wrist. "But other than that you're perfectly fine. Yes, you can leave," She had answered his unasked question; Harry knew what was coming next.
"But I want you to eat a bowl of porridge first. I might even let you have honey on it, but just this once." Poppy smiled, summoned a house-elf and proceeded in asking politely for some porridge and honey.
Once the house elf had returned, Harry ate up his porridge as quickly as possible and even managed to stop for a minute to check who his card was from ,(Hermione and Draco), while Poppy's back was turned.
Harry scooped up the last of his porridge and ate it, not wanting its taste to linger in his mouth. He swallowed fast. Hospital food really wasn't that great even with honey on top.
HPDM
Harry decided that today was the day. The day he was going to 'announce' his and Draco's relationship to everyone. Everyone in Gryffindor anyway but things spread bloody quickly in Hogwarts so everyone would know by the next morning at the very latest. Harry decided that he and Draco would leave the Great Hall before anyone in Gryffindor so they could make it to the common room first and snuggle on one of the squishy armchairs by the fire. In full view of everyone. And he was going to kiss Draco. In full frontal view of everyone. Okay so maybe Harry was a little, fine, a lot nervous about this but he knew it had to happen sometime soon.
Besides, they could not continue to lie to friends about where they went almost every evening; it wasn't a good habit to keep. If they wanted to live together after graduation then keeping an entire relationship hidden would prove to be entirely unprosperous.
Now all he had to do was convince Draco to go through with it.
HPDM
"No, absolutely not." Draco spoke firmly, clearly stating that he didn't and wasn't going to go through with Harry's 'master' plan.
"Draco, you certainly well will do this." Harry pushed, just as firm with his view as Draco was with his. Draco knew Harry had a stubborn streak a mile wide but what he was about to discover was just how stubborn and damn Slytherin Harry could really be. "Besides if you don't I'm sure Ron would love to see the photos of that time I accidentally charmed your hair electric blue." Harry had a large, devious smirk settled on his lips and a devilish glint in his eyes.
As Harry had expected, Draco's mouth formed a perfect 'O' and his eyes widened like saucers. "You wouldn't." He whispered, shocked.
"You better believe I would," Harry smirked a little wider, "Or maybe Ron would prefer the photos of you with that 'I love muggleborns' sign that Hermione charmed to float above your head."
Draco was cracking slowly but certainly, much like an egg when you bash it continuously on the edge of a bowl.
"Or even that one time…" Harry started but Draco intercepted.
"My parents wouldn't be as accepting as you think they will Harry." Draco attempted to argue a long-tried point but Harry wasn't having any of it.
"Each and every time you discuss your parents you say just how much they love you and that your mother had so much trouble conceiving you that they would do anything to keep you happy. Basically, they will accept you for who you are and what you want." Harry was a stubborn as a mule so he wouldn't back down until Draco agreed with his plan.
"Okay, fine I'll go through with this ridiculous plan of yours if only to appease you." Draco sighed; Harry leaned over and hugged him tightly.
"Ha, 'if only to appease you', yeah right." Harry snorted, "More like 'if only to stop you blackmailing me'" Draco sighed again, his warm breath ruffling the jet-black hair he always complained about but not so secretly loved.
HPDM
Harry wolfed down his dinner that night, wanting to meet Draco in the Entrance Hall. Ron took absolutely not notice, too busy piling food into his own mouth to notice his best friend eating speedier than usual. Meanwhile, Hermione did notice but having already been clued in, didn't say a word.
Thinking back to the saying 'butterflies in your stomach', Harry inferred that actually far from butterflies he felt like an entire Quidditch team was flying around his insides, causing intense nervousness. Harry stood quickly, having only eaten a negligible amount which Hermione would likely scold him for later, and exited the Great Hall in search of his errant boyfriend who had left just seconds before he had had a chance.
Tracking Draco down just outside the portrait hole, Harry rapped a finger lightly on his shoulder to announce his presence. Draco jumped slightly before twisting round to face Harry.
"Ready?" He offered a hand for Harry to take, which he did gladly, and the pair made their way in the spacious, luxuriously cosy common room.
Harry led them over to the biggest, squashiest armchair in full view of the entire common room and they both got comfortable. The majority of people were both deeply engrossed in homework and therefore distracted or didn't care enough to comment on the pair. All in all, Gryffindor was pretty accepting of odd and unusual happenings, thanks to Fred and George causing minor to major chaos on a daily basis.
"Now we wait." Draco stated, rubbing circles on the back of Harry's hand to reassure him.
HPDM
Having completed his meal, Ron took a napkin and wiped the excess food from his face, following Hermione towards the common room a stack of homework about as big as he was, Ron reckoned.
Hermione joined their hands when he had caught up with her, squeezing ever so slightly. "Come on, you need to get started on all the homework you've got, Ron."
Ron groaned theatrically, knowing that two pieces out of the seven where Divination and therefore easiest. He could just make the answers up as he went along; the gorier the better in Trelawney's messed up opinion.
Hermione grinned at his antics and urged him to go faster up the marble staircase. She was nervous for her friend and Ron's reaction to Harry and Draco. Ron was infamous for overreacting and she wondered just what he'd make of the two boy's relationship. It was just the fact it was Draco Malfoy Harry was dating. Given the horrible history of animosity between them, she was expecting some kind of minor or major explosion on Ron's part and that would only lead to Harry getting mad and exploding with his infamous temper. Hermione groaned inwardly. This wasn't going to end well at all.
Ron tapped her shoulder harshly, pointing at the common room. She felt a lasting pain in her shoulder where Ron had hit her; he must have been trying to get her attention for ages; she had been suck in her own little world.
"We're here, Hermione." Ron pointed at the portrait once again. Hermione blushed sheepishly.
"Oops, I must have been really out of it." She moved forward and spoke the password to the Fat Lady, herself and Ron entered the Gryffindor common room.
To say Ron was surprised to see Harry and Draco was an understatement. He was totally flabbergasted at the fact that Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret was sitting all cuddly with his best mate and saviour of the wizarding world, Harry Potter.
"Why Malfoy, Harry? It couldn't have been anyone else could it?" Ron spoke with a whiny tone, just like a five year old who had been told they couldn't have any sweets. Actually, Ron had matured into a far more rational human being over the course of the last couple years or so, meaning everyone was deeply relieved to hear no explosion on Ron's part.
Rolling his eyes impatiently, Harry stood and spoke the tone that the metaphorical Mother of the metaphorical five year old would have used, " Because, Ron, I like him that's why," Harry's tone became colder and more matter-of-fact, "And if you don't like that then I guess that's your problem, isn't it?"
Ron blinked twice. "Okay, whatever, date whoever you want, mate." And he walked the few feet between them to pull Harry into a brotherly hug before stating loudly, "Damn and I'd almost forgotten about all the homework I have to do." He moaned theatrically again, causing a ripple of laughter to spread over the gone-silent common room.
Harry was just happy his friend hadn't rejected him in anyway. However he hadn't been that worried; Ron was an incredibly loyal and accepting friend so Harry had felt safe in the knowledge that it wouldn't cause any damage to their friendship.
HPDM
Christmas was fast approaching and Harry was deliriously happy. Snow was flying down from all angles; dancing in its quest to coat Hogwarts in a blanket of white.
Harry woke up one morning feeling alive. Cheering at the sight of fresh snow lying on the grounds, just waiting for someone to build a snowman. He had been most disappointed to realise that he couldn't go out, not today. Harry had a mountain of homework to complete. It was almost like the teachers didn't want them to enjoy themselves. Harry had ranted to Ron about the unfairness of it all. They could be outside in the cold, having fun whilst building snowmen and making snow angels. He actually hadn't had a clue what a snow angel was; the Dursleys hadn't let him play in the snow or with other kids his age when he was little. Harry had explained this to Hermione. She was more than happy to tell him how it worked but he was yet to actually try it. Hermione had actually be completely flabbergasted when he had told her this but calmed once she found out he reason why, going as far as to say the Dursleys where 'pigs and needed to be brought down'. Not that harry didn't agree with her but he didn't want to bring any attention to his childhood.
That was why, the following morning, Harry had been much upset to find he was…
"Sick? Since when?" Draco demanded as he sat himself down in a conjured armchair by Harry's bed.
"Just this morning." Harry croaked out. His throat was sore, he had stomach pains and he just wanted to sleep. "I want to go to bed now stop talking." Harry demanded, his voice a hoarse whisper.
Draco begrudgingly obliged, shifting in his seat so he could better see Harry. He leaned over and stroked jet-black hair from his sweaty brow, tracing his much hated lightning bolt scar. Harry was already falling into a fitful slumber.
HPDM
Harry was forcefully ejected from a deep sleep when his stomach lurched and he rushed into the bathroom to vomit up what little food he had consumed the previous day.
Ron was there, asking if he would rather have Malfoy help him or if he was okay. Ron didn't mean this in any sort of spiteful way; he was just trying to help his best mate.
Harry was about to reply but was cut off by another round of nausea. Puking heavily into the toilet, Ron rubbed his back tentatively, unsure of what to do.
Harry finished throwing up his guts and wiped his mouth on someone's towel, probably Neville's. Shakily standing, he walked to the sink to brush his teeth, almost tripping as he did so.
Ron surged forward to support him. He really was an extremely loyal friend, Harry thought as Ron aided him back to the warmth of his red comforter and the soft squishiness of his four-poster. Harry snuggled back into the cosiness that was his bed in Gryffindor Tower.
"Hey, mate, would you like me to tell Mal-Draco that you've gotten worse?" Ron asked and Harry's heart swelled when he heard Ron calling Draco by his given name as opposed to Malfoy. Harry did manage to croak out a positive. He needed to make sure Draco knew, as little as he wanted him to.
Harry never had liked any kind of liking towards attention. He preferred to stay away from the limelight; sit in the shadows and observe everything around him. Harry was sure it had something to do with the fact that the Dursleys always told him he was unworthy of attention; he was a freak to them and he almost believed it as well, if Hogwarts hadn't come along he didn't know where he'd be. Probably sitting lonely in his cupboard with some new injury he guessed. Harry shivered at the reminder of his cupboard and his muscles tensed. Ron misinterpreted this as him being cold and hurriedly snatched the blanket off his own bed, draping it over Harry's pale, far-too-skinny form. Harry smiled slightly at the gesture, already falling into the waiting arms of Morpheus.
HPDM
As it transpired, Harry's 'illness' was a simple twenty-four-hour stomach bug, cured within an hour of taking a dose of Poppy's Pepper Up potion. The matron had nearly managed to get harry to stay in the Hospital Wing but Harry had shot down her argument by saying her was only going to be fine in a half hour. Soon, Harry was able to build snowmen and declare snowball fights with the others. For the first time in a long time, Harry felt truly at peace.
Residing quietly in a worn red armchair by the fire, Harry reminisced of the fun he had had in the snow. The best part had come when he saw a Slytherin asking for help with their snow fort from a Hufflepuff and when a Ravenclaw was seen openly kissing that same Slytherin behind a pine tree on the edge of the forest.
Ron and Hermione where sitting on a sofa watching the fire and talking quietly to each other, relaxing in the warm embrace offered by the glowing embers.
Swiftly, the portrait hole opened up to admit someone not clad in red or gold but green and silver. Draco had figured out the password from a couple of first-year Gryffindors when they entered their common room a few moments ago.
Reaching the armchair in which Harry was sitting, Draco leaned over and kissed the top of Harry's head, causing him to break out into a huge grin when he realised who it was.
"Come on. Let's go for a walk." Draco lifted Harry to his feet and together, they exited the common room, stares from all present directed at their retreating forms. But neither saw nor cared.