Draco Malfoy had a spring in his step as he entered the Great Hall for breakfast. Nothing was going to stop him. He looked towards the Gryffindor table. He stopped abruptly, causing two Ravenclaws girls to crash into him. As they passed him, each shot him a venomous look of annoyance. But Draco didn't notice. His eyes were glued to the Gryffindor table. There was the Weaselette, kissing his Potter. We technically Potter wasn't his yet, but he would be. Draco strode over to Potter and pulled the Weasley girl away. "Malfoy, what the hell are you doing?" she shouted as Draco roughly pulled her away from her boyfriend. "Ginny, stop. People are staring." Said Potter in a low voice. That was true. Many people in the Hall had turned to watch the scene, breakfasts quite forgotten.
"What do you want Malfoy?" Potter asked, looking annoyed.
"I want her to stop kissing you."
"Why?" The question came from Ginny. As before, Draco ignored her.
"Why, Malfoy?" This time from Potter.
"Well Potter, I want her to stop kissing you because I can tell you don't like it. I can tell you don't like her. I can tell you don't like it when girls kiss you." Draco paused for effect before continuing. "I wonder what your lips taste like?" Every eye in the hall was on the two boys at this point, all mouths agape at what they were witnessing. "Care to let me find out?"
Potter's face had gone bright red. "Shut up Malfoy. Leave me alone."
"Oh come on, Potter, we both know you're secretly gay-" From out of nowhere a punch to his nose sent Draco reeling backwards, before losing his balance and falling to the floor. He could tell his nose was broken, and could feel lines of blood running down his face and dripping onto the tiled floor. All eyes were still focused on the scene before them, brains working overtime to make sense of what they had just heard and seen.
From the front of the Hall, where all the teachers sat, Professor McGonagall came running over to where Draco was on the floor, Potter standing over him. As she got closer, Draco saw that even though she was shocked and quite angry, her mouth had formed a knowing smirk. So she knew about Potter's sexual orientation as well.
"Boys, stop fighting!" She bossed strictly. "Enough blood has been spilled in this Hall already. I'm ashamed of you, Mr Potter. And you, Mr Malfoy. 500 points from each of your houses, I think."
"But Professor, that'll put Gryffindor in second place! That means that Ravenclaw'll win the Cup!" from above Draco came Harry's voice, shaking with anger.
"And it'll be all your fault, Potter. You think I wanted to do that? Actions must have consequences."
"But Prof-"
"Enough! That's my decision and that is final! Detention for a month. For both of you! Maybe then you'll learn to stop fighting like little toddlers. Episkey." She pointed her wand at Draco's nose as she said the spell, which made Draco's nose feel hot, and he instantly felt the bones return to their original locations. "Mr Potter, you shall escort Mr Malfoy up to the Hospital Wing and explain to Madam Pomfrey what happened. Not another word, Mr Malfoy," as Draco had at that point opened his mouth to ask her if she'd gone mentally insane. "Now, off you pop." And so Draco hauled himself off the floor, looked at Potter, and walked out the Hall, with Potter trailing a pace behind him, leaving behind them a room full of whispers and debate about what had just happened.
The two were in the corridor leading up to the Hospital wing when Harry finally spoke. "Malfoy, I think you're an arrogant, evil, filthy, greasy-haired little snob."
"And why is that, Harry?" Both of them stopped walking and stared at each other.
"Why did you do that? Why did you pull Ginny off me, why did you call me gay?"
"Like I said, I could tell you didn't like being kissed by her, especially not in such a public place. And I was only telling the truth. You're gay, Potter, and I know it."
"How could you tell?"
"Your whole body language was screaming the obvious. You were drawn back, didn't respond to her kiss as you should have if you loved her. You didn't pull her back when I pulled her off. You didn't smile when she was kissing you." Draco quietened his voice. "You were just like my father when he kissed my mother. You don't love Ginny."
"Ok… How do you know I'm gay?"
"You don't like being kissed by girls, and you look uncomfortable in your own skin whenever anyone mentions the word. Don't deny it."
"Are you gay?"
"Why should I tell you? We're not close and personal, Potter. My sexuality is my own business." Draco could think of no good reason to tell Potter that Draco was in fact, gay.
"You are, aren't you?" A grin crept up Potter's face.
"So what if I am?" Draco tried to look careless as usual, but he did not succeed.
"How long have you known you were…?"
"How long have I known I was gay? Don't be so afraid of the word, Potter. Embrace it. It's a part of you now. I've known ever since…" ever since I met you, Harry. But he couldn't say that.
"Ever since?" pushed Potter.
"Ever since Pansy tried to get together with me and I realised I hated her and all other girls who had romantic feelings towards me."
"How many people have you been with?"
"None, I'm waiting for the right person. Now why are you asking all this?" snapped Draco, voicing his annoyance.
"Because. I have no one else to talk to who understands. I'm not used to it, I need help."
"I don't help people, Potter." Malfoy began walking again, heading towards the hospital wing.
"Please, Malfoy. I like you."
Had Potter gone insane? "You like me? Why did you punch me?"
"I punched you because you were being a snobby git and you deserved it."
"You never answered my first question."
"I do like you. I have for a while now. I didn't want to. It's you." Potter looked disgusted.
"Oi! You're very rude, Potter, you know that?"
"Kiss me." Potter's voice was quiet, but the words rang through the corridor, magnified by the stone.
"What?" Potter had moved closer to Draco, and was looking up at the fair-haired boy.
"I said, kiss me." Potter whispered and leaned forward.
"No thank you, you broke my nose, remember?" Draco pulled away.
"Sorry about that. Shouldn't have called me gay."
"But you are gay."
"I am, and I like you."
"Potter, you've no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that." And Draco pulled Potter back in.
And so, wrapped in each other, unaware of anything else around them, the two finally kissed. Slowly at first, but as they both got accustomed to the feel of the other's lips on theirs, their kiss got deeper, more and more passion flowing between them, creating a bond between them, a powerful, unbreakable bond. They broke the kiss, both needing air. "Wow."
"Impressed you, did I Potter?"
"Stop being cocky, Draco."
"We should get going, my nose feels weird."
"Really? Your nose feels weird?"
"Yes. Now come on." And so the two headed to the Hospital Wing, hand in hand.
All around the school, no one talked of anything other than the relationship between the infamous Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.
They all talked about how Harry had missed half of that day's lessons to be with Malfoy up in the Hospital Wing.
They talked about how Harry had escorted Draco to lessons, and the conversation that had gone on between them: "Will you be alright?"
"Harry I'll be fine, it was only my nose you broke, not my arm."
"Yeah, sorry about that… I just want to make sure you're alright."
"As long as I have you I'll be fine."
They talked about how they had seen the couple openly kiss.
There had also been lots of talk about the fact that the relationship between Potter and Malfoy had started changing the behaviour of the Slytherins and Gryffindors towards each other. Members of the two houses did not argue as much, were more civilised towards each other, taking an example from The Boy who Lived and The Silver Prince of Slytherin.
They talked also of how well Potter's friends had taken the news. "As long as Harry's happy." They had said.
And Harry was happy. It was clear to everyone the change that Draco had sparked in their saviour, for his eyes shone with a twinkle that had not been present before, and he was much more sociable now.
Some people talked about Ginny, who seemed to be stuck in the middle of this. But she had already moved on.
There had been lots of speculation about whether or not this was Professor McGonagall's plan, when she had sent the two of them to the Hospital Wing together. But whenever she was asked, all she would say, no matter how people pushed, was "I think it rather quite rude to discuss Mr Potter's love life without his consent. If you truly wish to find out more, I suggest you go and speak to him or Mr Malfoy. Now off to class!"
Breakfast at Hogwarts was a whole new affair now.
Slytherins were going to see people sat at the Gryffindor table, offering condolences for friends or family lost in the War, or asking about homework, with some confident Slytherins even going to the Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff tables, and often being spoken to, although by people with suspicion on their faces, and other houses were doing the same with the Slytherin table.
People looked to the Gryffindor table, over to where Harry and Draco sat side by side, often holding hands and laughing together. Next to them would be Ron and Hermione, the two of them very in love with each other as well, both rather accepting of the unusual pair seated next to them. Then people would let their eyes venture a little further up the Gryffindor table, where Ginny sat with Dean Thomas, the two of them seemingly happy enough, although those in Gryffindor knew that Ginny had not taken so well to the news that her boyfriend was gay with Draco Malfoy. Some people saw her shoot dirty looks at the blonde who had stolen her boyfriend whenever she wasn't making out with Dean.
Then people would look towards the teacher's table at the front of the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall sat, her thin lips in a sly smile, as if this is what she had wanted to achieve the day she sent Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy to the Hospital Wing together.
It would take some time, and some people would always be against it, but inside, the good Professor McGonagall knew that this could lead to the end of conflict between houses for good. And with that thought in her head, she smiled at all who stared and inconspicuously winked.