Wow look at that I actually got my shit together and posted something! Not like it's been over a year since I wrote something or anything like that... anyway, enjoy!
"Is that what you're trying to do? Trying to make me hate you?"
"I thought you already did, Malfoy." Harry snapped back from across their shared cauldron, pausing his task of crushing Bicorn Horn to stare Malfoy down.
To his surprise, however, Malfoy wouldn't meet his gaze, and instead focused furiously on stirring their attempts at a Pepperup Potion with a hint of a blush creeping onto his cheeks.
"I never hated you, Potter. Not ever." He muttered, still not meeting Harry's now confused gaze.
Had Draco's heart not been pounding with his nervousness he would surely have laughed at the comical expression on Harry's face. He looked as if someone had just slapped him across the face with a raw fish.
"You- you never? What?" Harry spluttered out eventually, still looking incredibly perplexed by Draco's statement.
This time, Draco did giggle. Harry looked awkward as hell, he was stammering and a blush to match Draco's was emerging on his cheeks.
"You heard me, Potter. I never hated you. Quite the opposite, actually." Trying very hard to keep his voice from shaking; only doing so through a tremendous effort.
Before Harry could reply, Slughorn's voice echoed across the dungeon.
"Eighth-years if you could please set aside your potions to simmer overnight and I'll see you all here bright and early tomorrow morning" He beamed, and there was a stampede of teenage witches and wizards making their way to place their steaming cauldrons on the side of the classroom.
Harry placed his potion next to Ron and Hermione's, and turned to find Draco slipping out of the doors ahead of the entire class. He sprinted across the classroom, straight past a confused Ron and Hermione; grabbed his bag and began a hasty pursuit of Draco's retreating form.
He weaved in between students of all houses and years trying to spot Draco's unique wave of platinum hair amid the hordes of kids traipsing their way to class.
"Draco!" Harry shouted once he spotted Draco heading towards the Slytherin common room.
He turned around in shock, giving Harry enough time to catch up to him and drag him inside an unused classroom that still bore damage from the battle against Voldemort that seemed like a lifetime ago.
In reality it had been little over six months since Harry's triumph over Voldemort.
Draco whirled around, his old and familiar look of cool loathing now returned to his face.
"Is there something you need, Potter?" He snapped, making his way back towards the door.
Harry quickly stepped in front of him, blocking the exit and folding his arms across his chest.
"What did you mean you've never hated me? Are you having a laugh?" he asked, something like outrage and confusion in his voice.
"Just forget I ever said it, alright?" Draco muttered, once again trying to push past Harry and reach the door.
"How the hell am I supposed to forget something like that? It changes literally everything, not to mention the shitstorm that happened last year!" Harry stood his ground, he was trying not to shake now.
Breaking up with Ginny after the war had been hard on the both of them, but they had agreed that what they had felt for each other would never last. Their arguments had been constant, especially after the initial elation of winning the war had subsided. And besides… neither could cope with that on top of their grief.
Draco just looked at him, trying to communicate what he was feeling in any way other than having to admit it to Harry. The truth, something he had accepted long ago, was that Draco was head over heels for Harry, and had been for longer than he cared to admit.
But from the way Harry had always kept him at arm's length, he clearly did not feel the same way.
Draco had been so lost in trying to find the words to explain what he was feeling that he didn't notice Harry taking several steps towards him so that he ended up so close that Draco could feel him breathing.
He exhaled shallowly, and stepped even closer to Harry. So close, that he could easily kiss the man he had been taught to hate for so many years. He seriously considered it when Harry's had reached towards him and tilted his chin up so that he and Draco were face to face. His hand left Draco's chin, and rested instead on Draco's cheek.
I might kiss him Draco thought, meeting Harry's eyes and feeling as if he might melt at the sight of the emerald green.
I think I will kiss him. Just once. Draco decided; even if Harry officially hated him forever for doing it, at least he would know what it will feel like.
Just once.
But Draco was spared anymore frantic thought, as suddenly Harry was kissing him.
Harry bloody Potter was kissing him.
He was kissing Harry bloody Potter.
He froze and Harry pulled away looking worried.
"I'm so sorry… I thought…" Harry started to stammer again, a trait Draco found so incredibly endearing.
"Oh shut up." He barely breathed, grabbed Harry's cheeks and pulled his face down so that their lips met once again.
It felt so right. Like everything, every insult and argument and snide comment had been leading up to this moment. Like the intense rivalry they once felt had just melted away in the blink of an eye.
Harry pulled away, and smiled softly at Draco.
"For the record, Draco… I could never, ever hate you."