Wrote this just because. Hope it's not a total piece of shite. XD
Harry Potter's love life had always been quite interesting. His first date was memorable for everyone in Hogwarts—only because it was such a failure. Madam Puddifoot's tea plus a depressed Cho Chang plus a desperate Harry Potter called for a date that had the whole school laughing at Harry for the rest of the year.
Then Harry dated Ginevra Weasley in his sixth year. Ginny wasn't a bad kisser, she was kind, but to Harry she was more like a sister. He only used Dumbledore's death and the war as an excuse to break up with her. Harry didn't want to confess the truth of why he didn't want to continue dating her.
After Voldemort's fall, Harry latched on to his best female friend—Hermione Granger. They went on a date or two, but Harry honestly couldn't see past the solid friendship they had. To his relief, Hermione thought the same thing and she suggested to just keep it going as friends.
Following all of Harry's failed dates with girls, he thought that dating a guy may be better for him. The first guy he dated was Seamus Finnegan. It was quite nice until one night they got too drunk and Harry had sex with Seamus in the public bar. Harry couldn't bear the shame and embarrassment that came with sobriety, so Harry had to break it off with an understanding Seamus. Harry vowed to never drink another ounce of Firewhiskey in his life.
With Dean Thomas, the next Gryffindor male Harry attempted to date, everything was just too…weird, per se. Neither of them felt the romantic vibe around the other, and Dean was too interested in ogling Ginny anyway. They mutually broke up after a few days.
Harry dated a cute Ravenclaw on the Quidditch team—Michael Corner. Michael wasn't a bad kisser, in fact quite the opposite. That was the only reason Harry kept the relationship going past the few days his relationships had been. After that, however, Harry couldn't deal with not knowing what in the hell Michael was talking about half of the time (it was mainly things Hermione would talk about after doing some "light reading"), so Harry broke up with him. Michael seemed okay afterward, which was Harry's main concern.
The relationship Harry regretted going into the most was the one with Ronald Weasley. Ron suggested it because of Harry's failed relationships previously. Albeit, after one date at the Three Broomsticks where they only sputtered a few awkward things out of their mouths, Harry told Ron that he appreciated the thought, but it just couldn't work out. Ron agreed with the conclusion in an instant, and they just remained being best friends after what they deemed the "romantic catastrophe."
A few weeks after the romantic catastrophe with Ron, Harry decided to go out with Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff who played Seeker. They mainly talked about Quidditch on the few dates they went on, and Harry had to admit that she wasn't the best kisser ever. One date they had was just a friendly Seeker's game, but with Harry's terrible luck, he managed to knock Hannah off her broom and fracture her shoulder. It wasn't too bad, but Harry still felt quite guilty after the incident and broke up with her after she was released from the hospital wing. Harry was lucky that no one seemed too depressed after the break ups.
Harry dated one of Hannah's Hufflepuff friends, Susan Bones. She was kind and sweet—the stereotypical Hufflepuff. Susan was very docile, which was quite a turn-off for Harry. He didn't want to break up with Susan for the fear of how badly she may react. Thankfully, she did the job for him, claiming that Harry was just a bit much for her to handle. That didn't give him much confidence after the fact, but it made Harry feel good that he didn't have to hurt the sweet Susan in any way.
Another stupid relationship Harry got into was one with Cormac McLaggen, a Gryffindor Chaser. Ironically, Cormac was too much for Harry. He would always walk the corridors with Harry as if Harry were some kind of grand prize, and Harry hated that. Cormac had never been rude about it, or to Harry, but it was just one of Harry's pet peeves with any relationship—romantic or not. After Ron and Hermione argued that Cormac wasn't the perfect boyfriend for him, Harry had to dump the poor guy. Luckily, Cormac just tossed it aside and they became rather close friends after that.
As Harry put more thought into it, he believed that Luna Lovegood could be a good girlfriend. He must've been insane around this time. Honestly, with everyone Harry'd dated, he must've been insane from the start. Luna was actually a very good girlfriend. They went on a few successful dates, but didn't kiss once. After a week, Luna admitted that it wasn't working out for her, as she preferred someone who wasn't as much like her. It wasn't reassuring in the slightest, but Harry appreciated her honesty and took her advice to date his next candidate—Neville Longbottom.
To be frank, Neville Longbottom was too shy and awkward around Harry. He'd definately grown out of his chubby, childish physique, but not out of his awkward personality. Well, Neville did gain a lot of confidence after killing Nagini, which showed when he finally confessed that he couldn't have Harry as a boyfriend. There was simply too much fame following Harry, and although Harry was a nice guy behind all of that, Neville wasn't too great with dealing with reporters and all. Harry just accepted that and suggested to date Luna. If the dates with her proved anything, it was that Luna could be someone for Neville.
Harry must've been bordering on insane when he accepted a date from the sly Blaise Zabini of Slytherin. Blaise wasn't the terrible, evil Slytherin Harry had always thought he was. He was actually quite protective and sweet to Harry, which was shocking. Blaise wasn't terrible with his tongue either. The sad thing was that as soon as Harry started to enjoy the company of Blaise, Ron had to fuck it up by insulting him under his breath one too many times. After a terrible incident between the two, Harry had to break up with Blaise, but promised to keep in touch because really Blaise wasn't a bad guy at all. Blaise agreed, and Harry was just happy that Blaise didn't hex him into next week for breaking it off.
The next Slytherin Harry dated after that was Pansy Parkinson. Merlin, was she annoying. All she would ever talk about was herself. It seemed that hanging around "Drakie" gave her some very unflattering qualities in return. Pansy seemed to hate Hermione and Ron with a passion, although she'd apologised for attempting to give Harry up to Voldemort during the war. Eventually, Harry just had to break it off with her, telling her the truth. Thankfully she didn't seem too upset, and was busy making out with Cormac the next day.
Harry thought it was a good idea to date Lavender Brown, for she didn't seem as bad as she was before. She had a scar on her face from Fenrir Greyback, and Harry was the first to give her confidence that the scars didn't mean anything. They got quite connected talking about the meaning of their scars, which was something Harry should've taken as a warning. Ironically, Harry felt more comfortable with Lavender talking about himself than with anyone else he dated. It was after Harry found out that Lavender was only going out with him to get close to Ron was when he broke up with her without regret. Lavender was genuine about their deep conversations, and that's all Harry needed to keep up a friendship with the girl.
Christmas break was lonely for Harry, who decided that no one was quite worth his time to date over break. After Lavender, there was only a few days left until break anyway. Harry continued his search for romance with Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Hufflepuff Beater. It was a fleeting attempt, for Justin wanted Harry to try Muggle cigarettes. Harry actually did, but then he ended up sick for a week. Justin apologised profusely, but Harry just couldn't see the sincerity. He broke up with Justin, and they still remained tentative friends after.
Zacharias Smith was Harry's next boyfriend. As a Hufflepuff, Harry gave Zacharias the benefit of the doubt, but he regretted it when Zacharais insulted him during a date at the Quidditch pitch. Harry got so angry that he punched Zacharias in the face without regret and vowed never to trust anyone—Hufflepuff or not—again.
Another Slytherin Harry dated was Millicent Bulstrode, who was a bit heavier than most, but not unattractively so. Harry noticed that Millicent was quite attractive in a Quidditch uniform at the next Slytherin/Gryffindor match. They had dated for a bit, and it wasn't too bad, but then she didn't show up for a date. Harry asked why, and she replied with a faint excuse. Harry let that one slide, but after a few more, he gave up and just broke up with Millicent. She didn't seem fazed, and the next day she was openly holding hands with Zacharias. Of course. Harry didn't let his anger get the best of him, so he moved onto his next date with a bit too much optimism.
Harry should've expected Romilda Vane to do something stupid, just maybe not at the first date. Harry should've listened to Hermione's logic and Ron's advice, but he didn't. Romilda slipped a bloody love potion in his butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. Who would've guessed? They got back to Hogwarts and had sex. Harry had to admit it was good, but then again it might've been the love potion that addled his brain. After the effects wore off and Harry found out what happened, Romilda recieved an angry Harry that broke up with her. She seemed upset that her plan didn't work, and stomped away. It was apparent that some people didn't change after the war.
One person that changed drastically after the war was Draco Malfoy. Harry agreed to go on a date with him—Merlin knew why—and it was ironically the best date Harry ever experienced. Draco was very affectionate, intelligent, funny, romantic, proper…everything Harry didn't expect. He was a better kisser than Blaise, which was saying a lot. They dated for three weeks—Harry's longest relationship since Ginny, which was sad in itself. On a walk around the lake, Harry accidentally slipped out that he was there when Draco lowered his wand before Dumbledore's death. Draco absolutely freaked knowing that Harry was there that night, and their surreal relationship ended with both of them shouting at each other. Harry didn't think he'd ever been so upset over a break up in his life.
In order to drown out his sorrows, Harry agreed to go out with Ernie Macmillan, a sexy Hufflepuff Chaser. Ernie introduced Harry to the world of Muggle 80's rock and roll. It was probably the only thing that Harry got out of the relationship besides a headache. All Ernie ever talked about besides music and Quidditch was how great Harry was. Although Harry was flattered, he knew that Ernie was just after the fame. Any time someone laid their eyes on the couple, Ernie had to point it out. Harry just got so annoyed that he lashed out at him one day and Ernie got upset and broke up with him. Harry told him it was good because he didn't like someone who wouldn't like him for himself, but his fame. Ernie got upset, and Harry left another relationship angry.
Harry thought that maybe someone calm like Padma Patil would be a good sedative after the bad relationships he had. That in itself was a joke. When could Harry Potter ever have something as normal as something to calm him? It was two weeks after they started dating that Harry caught Padma cheating on him with Susan. Yes, Susan, the docile Hufflepuff. Harry got so inflamed that something shattered and he snapped at the two girls, breaking up with Padma in the process. Harry listened to his logic, which was a stupid thing to do anyway, and thought that dating Padma's sister would be any better.
Parvati Patil just reminded Harry too much of Padma. She was a nice girl and everything. She was a good kisser too, unlike her sister, but there was just something in Harry's judgement that said she wasn't worth his time. After a mere few days, Harry broke up with her. Luck seemed to be on his side when she accepted it without a hassle. They remained friends afterward, and she was very sympathetic with Harry's next boyfriend.
Theodore Nott, the Slytherin Keeper, was an okay boyfriend. He was an okay kisser. In general, if Harry had to sum him up in one word, it would be "okay." After a few days, Theodore started to push for more…as in sex. Harry refused him, and when Theodore kept being so persistent, Harry had to shove him away rather roughly. He didn't explain what happened with Romilda, who practically raped him, but he yelled at Theodore for as long as his lungs would let him and ended it with a break up. Harry didn't regret it at all.
"Mate," Ron protests.
"No," Harry snaps. "Every one of my relationships was a failure, yet I feel like something is missing." He sighs and runs his hands through his messy ebony hair agitatedly.
"Maybe," Ron cautiously drawls, "you can make a list of each relationship. It makes me feel more organised when I make a list."
Harry closes his eyes in resignation and nods. "Maybe you're right, Ron. Get me some parchment and a quill, please?"
Ron smiles. "Anything for the Saviour," he mutters amiably under his breath. Harry chucks a pillow at his laughing redhead friend, who gives him the parchment and quill. Harry sighs.
"Start with Cho," Ron suggests.
Harry nods and writes Cho: Madam Puddifoot's recipe for disaster. Ron laughs, and it makes Harry feel better as he keeps writing.
Ginny: more as a sister, dating Dean
Hermione: more as a friend, in love with Ron
Ron blushes at this, but doesn't say anything.
Seamus: drunken sex
Dean: too busy ogling Ginny, now dating her
Michael: too smart
Ron: Merlin no
Ron laughs heartily and says, "add 'romantic catastrophe.'" Harry chuckles and adds the two words. After that, Ron helps figure out who he dated. Why Harry can't go out with them is left for Harry to decide.
Hannah: I broke her damn arm, enough said
Susan: her and Padma are fucking
Cormac: too pompous, dating Pansy
Luna: dating Neville
Neville: dating Luna
Blaise: hates Ron
Pansy: annoying bint, dating Cormac
Lavender: unrequited love for Ron
Justin: got me sick with bloody Muggle cigarettes
Zacharias: arsehole
Millicent: attended very few dates
Romilda: raped me with love potion
Draco: too many past issues
Ernie: only wanted fame
Padma: fucking Susan
Parvati: too much as a friend
Theodore: only wanted sex
Harry sighs as he sits back and contemplates his list. Ron does the same, and then asks "Who were you the happiest with?"
That's the ultimate question. Who was Harry most happy with? Harry goes through the list again and says people he was happy with while reading. Ron circles their names on the parchment. He then crosses off the people who are already dating someone now.
"You really didn't answer my question, though," Ron points out. "Who were you the happiest with?"
Harry sighs and rubs his forehead. "I think I should take my own advice for this. I seem to be the perfect matchmaker," he mutters. "Or maybe a drink. That sounds more appealing…"
"No, you don't," Ron says sternly. "Look, mate, I'll help you. What about…" Ron takes a deep breath. "What about Draco?" he practically whispers.
Harry looks up in shock. "What?" he snaps.
"I mean, this is just me, but I think he's the answer to my question now that I look at these results," Ron mutters.
Harry sighs and rubs his face. "It's complicated, Ron."
"But it's not, Harry," Ron whispers. Harry glares at him fiercely. "Don't you see? You were so happy with him."
"It doesn't matter," Harry snaps. "I realised that he'll just get angry over stupid things like he always has."
"No, Harry!" Ron shouts. "You haven't seen him," he says in a lower voice, no less fierce. "You haven't seen how bloody sad he looks every bloody day since you two broke up. Not many people can notice it, but I can. Over the weeks you dated him, I got to know him better, too."
Harry sighs again and looks out the window, huddling his knees against his chest. "What do you want me to bloody do about it, Ron? I can't just go up to him and make everything better with a kiss. It doesn't work that way with him."
"Then make it work, Harry," Ron says, standing up and stretching. "I don't want to see you moping around because you've dated basically everyone in Hogwarts. I'll see you around." With that, Ron leaves.
Harry sighs and pulls out the Marauder's Map, absently searching for the dot that says Draco Malfoy. It's at the lake, and Harry chuckles. Then he realises: it's his chance. Harry darts down to the lake as fast as he can and easily finds the blond hair in the moonlight. Now that Harry's down here, he doesn't know what to say.
Draco turns and looks at him. He's about fifty feet away. Harry smiles uncertainly and swallows the lump in his throat. He walks next to Draco and Draco observes him.
"Um, hi," Harry starts, sighing and looking out into the distance. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened. What I said…it just slipped out."
Draco sighs as well. "No, I should be the one to apologise." His voice sounds like heaven to Harry, who hasn't heard that silky voice in months. "I just overreacted, and it was foolish to do so."
They stare out into the distance until Harry breaks the silence. "It's alright. Look, I–" Harry turns his head to see Draco looking at the lake. "It's you, Draco." Draco snaps his head toward Harry, his shining silver eyes filled with confusion and a dash of hope.
"You're the best boyfriend I could've ever dreamt of having." Harry shyly looks back at the lake, feeling his confidence leaving him. "You… I don't want us to disappear because of a petty argument. It doesn't matter if I was there when Dumbledore died or not. The past is in the past. We just have to learn to let it go, I guess."
Harry sighs and looks down at his trainers. This is a dumb, irrational thing to do.
Draco's hand lightly pushes Harry's face toward him. "Harry James Potter, I think I just fell in love with you," Draco mutters sincerely.
Harry breaks out into a grin and kisses Draco with all of his might. Draco kisses back enthusiastically, and Harry can't feel any happier than he does now.
The next day, Harry and Draco walk in the Great Hall hand in hand. Harry notes a lot of his exes glaring, but doesn't care. Draco is the one for him, and no one else in the world can ever fill that place in Harry's heart.
