A/N: I've quite literally spent the last 30 odd hours reading Harry/Draco fanfiction and as I'm not sure for how long exactly I have access to the internet I'm going to write as much shameless fluff and angst as I can muster before I fall asleep, and then when I wake I'll write some more and post them like a mad beaver!
Summary: When Draco can't stand the emotions anymore he finally breaks down, and who should come to his rescue but his worst enemy and most secretly treasured love.
Secret Treasure
Draco had finally managed to steal himself away from the company of those annoying members of his house who called themselves his 'friends'. He'd made up some lame story about returning a library book and promptly ran from the Slytherin common room, upstairs and through half empty corridors, not caring who saw him. The very air around him seemed to be crushing in on him, filling his lungs with a hot, stifling gas that was thicker than air should have been.
Eventually he'd burst through the doors of the entrance hall and into the open space of the Hogwarts grounds. The fresh, cool air filled his lungs as if someone had forced breath into him unwillingly. He finally stopped running, realising only now that he could breathe just how out of breath he'd got, and rested his hands on his knees as a stitch ached into existence at his side.
The emotions that had been longing to be acknowledged by him had been manifesting dangerously close to the surface over the last few weeks and the longer he kept trying to push them away the harder it was to ignore them. They bubbled in his throat like bile and he swallowed dryly, willing them to leave him alone, but they just nagged at him more persistently.
He bit his lip forcing blood to the surface in an effort to distract himself, defiant until the end that he wouldn't let these emotions get the better of him. But he could already feel the tears stinging at his long eyelashes as he attempted to blink them furiously away.
He rose from his slightly slouched position pulling his hands from his knees and running them through his long, platinum blond locks as he slowly made his way towards the lake. The sun was setting causing the sky to appear the most brilliant shades of purple and blue Draco had seen in a long time, the beauty of the scene enhanced by the perfect reflection in the lakes water, that same spatter of purple and blue rippling slightly in the silky surface.
He stared extensively across the lake and out across the hills and mountains and tree tops that surrounded his school and spanned far off into the distance. He wanted to be swallowed by the scene before him, be sucked into that darkening mass that began at the horizon and slowly made its way closer to him as the sun set lower. He could feel the tears once again forcing their way to the edges of his eyelids, poised ready to fall in heavy droplets that threatened to drown him if he let them.
He brought his hands back to his face, hands that now trembled intermittently, and tried to force the tears back inside his eyes to no avail. The more he tried to deny them, the easier they fell, until tears flooded down his cheeks in thick torrents and he could no longer control himself. He let out a strangled cry, falling to his knees on the rough ground at the lakeside, his hands still pressed against his face as his whole body shuddered violently against his muffled sobs.
"...ight?" The voice that drew closer barely penetrated Draco's mind as he became ever lost within himself. "Hey," The voice was soft and soothing and began to pull Draco from his thoughts as it became dangerously close to him. "Are you al... right...?" The voice ended on a confused and slightly pained note and Draco realised slowly that the voice was familiar to him.
He gradually lifted his head from his palms and as he looked up through hazy, tear stained eyes to the figure that now stood beside him, he realised with a pang of self loathing and distain that it was none other than Harry Potter. Any facade of nonchalance that was left on his face evaporated and was instantly replaced with despair as he let out a mirthless, heart-wrenching laugh, shaking his head slightly and returning his gaze to the fading sunset before him.
"Go ahead," He croaked defeated, his body heavy and unresponsive, not that he tried to move. "Laugh, go fetch your friends and bring them here to torment me some more. Why not kick me while you're at it, I'm not in the mood to put up much of a fight." His words hung like daggers in the air as he counted by the seconds until he heard the cackle of laughter pierce his eardrums.
A dull thud and the push of a body against his own caused him to whip his head round with a crack to the boy now on the floor by his side. He got a brief glimpse of the pained, anxious, almost scared look on Harry's face before the black haired boy wound his arms almost snakelike around his waist and back and pulled him into a close almost, dare he think it, loving embrace, their bodies so close they threatened to merge together.
Draco, confused and slightly angry, could do nothing but rest his head dumbly in the nape of Harry's neck before he composed enough of himself to put his hands against Harry's chest and push against it without much conviction.
"What are you doing?" He whispered anxiously, his voice catching in his throat so he could muster no other words. But Harry's embrace only tightened as he tangled a thin hand through Draco's soft hair and pressed his own face to the side of Draco's, his lips millimetres from his ear.
"Why are you crying?" Harry's whisper broke on the last word and Draco couldn't shake the feeling that Harry was on the verge of tears himself. Draco stopped struggling against Harry's embrace, his hands relaxed against his captor's chest and he buried his face deeper into the boy's neck.
"What do you care?" He choked the words out between gritted teeth, surprising himself with the anger they held. Harry noticeably flinched at his comment, his grasp on the Slytherin loosening slightly, sadly.
"Don't say it like that." Harry's whisper was barely audible as he pulled himself far enough away to rest his forehead against Draco's own. Draco now saw the hot tears flooding from those piercing green eyes and cursed himself for upsetting the Gryffindor. "Of course I care." But again, Draco couldn't constrain the snort of sarcastic filled laughter that escaped his lips that he wished immediately he'd kept inside his head.
Fresh tears spilled down Harry's cheeks as he let his arms fall to his sides, lifting himself from the floor in one fluid, graceful movement. "Forget it." He choked as he began to move steadily away from Draco across the lawn. But the blond wrapped quick, slender fingers around the hem of Harry's robes stopping him from moving too far.
"Don't." Draco pleaded, pulling the fabric so Harry was forced to turn and face him. "Don't go." Without another word Harry once again thudded heavily to his knees beside Draco, the Slytherin still holding a tight grip on his robes, afraid to let go. Harry took Draco's free hand in his own and put the other hand to his face wiping away his tears, the blond closing his eyes and leaning into his touch.
"Why are you crying?" Harry repeated his earlier question just as softly, willing the truth from between Draco's lips. A sad smile crossed his lips, his eyes still closed against the touch of Harry's hand. It was rather poetic after all.
"Do you really want to know?" The sad smile lingered on his face as he refused to open his eyes and meet that green gaze that threatened to swallow him whole. He felt Harry nodding against him before he whispered a quiet 'yes'. He sighed tiredly, his head bowing slightly. "Because I'm deeply, maddeningly, in love with you, and until just five minutes ago I was sure, beyond a reason of a doubt, that you absolutely loathed me and I would be forever condemned to taunt and tease you at every opportunity I got because it was the only way I knew how to get you to look at me with those seductive, endless pools of green light you claim as eyes."
All at once the bile stopped rising in his throat, his breaths came easier and he felt a great, easing weight lift from him and whether Harry hit him, kicked him, cursed him, or simply walked away, he felt wholly better in himself that he no longer had to lie to the one person he so longed to tell all his deepest secrets.
It was the touch of warm, soft, wet salty lips against his own that finally resigned him to open his eyes enough to see Harry's face pressed gently against his own. The hand that had swept away his tears entwined itself in his blond hair pulling his mouth closer as his eyes slowly scanned the Gryffindor's face. Their lips moved silently against each other before Harry's tongue gently ran along hiss bottom lip. Obligingly Draco opened his mouth and they slipped their tongues into each other's mouths, the world around them falling away until nothing remained but their lips, their touch, their souls.
It may have been seconds, it may have been weeks that they stayed locked into one another until finally realising their need for oxygen they slowly parted, both green and grey eyes stayed closed remembering the moments they'd denied each other for so long for reasons they didn't remember anymore. Again Harry wound his arms tightly around Draco's waist and back, Draco now winding his own arms round Harry's neck.
"I love you." Draco whispered silkily into Harry's ear.
"I love you too." Harry whispered back sighing serenely. "I love you so much."