I hope you enjoy! This one shot was a challenge for the Grand Battle Challenge on the Diagon Alley II forum. The words underlined are my prompts.
A Caged Dove
"You inspire my inner serial killer." Draco Malfoy heard Hermione Granger mutter to her cauldron. Her hair was as frizzy, as usual, and her robe sleeves were rolled up to her elbows. Draco would laugh at the pathetic sight of the mudblood, but his own Amortentia potion wasn't going to plan either.
Black fumes were rising up from his pewter cauldron, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. When Draco first heard that Slughorn was going to make them produce love potions for Valentines day, he was only slightly interested to see a Gryffindor, most likely Seamus Finnigan, make a fool of himself. But as the task dawned on him, he realised this was his chance. His chance to see whether he really did love Potter.
Potter. Where could he begin. He was arrogant for one, good at Quidditch, even though many of the Slytherins thought he was just an annoying Oliver Wood copy, and he was exceedingly annoying at saving the whole wizarding world. Draco was a Slytherin, Harry a Gryffindor, they were sworn enemies even without Voldemort. But that was the problem, Voldemort.
The Wizarding world was at the brink of war and Voldemort had 'kindly' given Draco a task. This task was supposed to return at least a few scraps of glory for the Malfoy name, to keep his mother safe and to secure a relatively safe future for himself. But the strain of the task was taking the toll and Draco kept seeing his and his parents graves in his dreams.
Potter seemed so content and calm, but you could tell that his mind was working at a hundred miles and hour. Draco wanted to shake him sometimes, snap him out of whatever trance he was in.
"What do you smell, Ron?" Potter called to his friend, dragging Draco out of his thoughts. He looked over his shoulder slightly so he could see the two Gryffindors.
"Well, I'm not even sure if I am even making the right Harry." The Weasley said, sniffing his potion.
"What about you Hermione?"
"What!" The mudblood snapped.
"What do you smell?"
"Well it isn't anything different from last time, fresh cut grass, new parchment and," turning a rosy red she hid her face in her bushy hair. "What do you smell anyway?"
"Not sure, sometimes I smell some flowery scent like roses I think, but then I smell an intense woody smell."
Draco sniffed his robes. He wondered what kind of wood smell Potter could smell.
"-and then he says but the nipple clamps are on!" Blaise Zabini exclaimed clutching his sides. Theodore Nott resorted in slapping the table with his hand. Blaise was holding a handful of colourful nipple clamps. Sometimes Draco wondered why he was friends the the jovial two.
"I need to come to your annual quidditch matches Blaise," Theodore said, "right Draco?"
"What?"
"Oi, are you okay? You seem to be a little...distant." Blaise said, the blond returning back to his cauldron.
"I just have more important stuff to worry about than nipple clamps." Draco said icily focusing his attention back at his black potion.
"Mr Malfoy." said a voice behind him. He turned and saw the round Professor Slughorn, eyebrows furrowed.
"What is wrong Professor?" Draco asked, ready for Slughorn's disappointment and comparison to Potter.
"It looks like you were in your own mind when brewing this potion, as you have been brewing the Elixir to induce Euphoria."
"What!" Draco exclaimed, causing the Gryffindors on the other side of the classroom to look at him. He grabbed his textbook to see and groaned in frustration. No wonder he couldn't smell anything!
Slughorn nodded. "Definitely the Elixir to induce Euphoria. Not a very good one though." Draco heard a few muffled giggles. He saw most of the Gryffindors were laughing into their robes, though the mud blood was still hunched over her cauldron. But Potter, he was staring right back at him. Draco was taken aback, but he masked his surprise with a scowl that seemed to be easily made. He made been making them since first year.
"Ten more minutes for your Amortentia," Slughorn said to the class, "sorry Draco but your potion has been disqualified." And with a swish of his wand, Slughorn vanished the contents of Draco's cauldron.
Fresh air. Yes, that's what Harry needed.
He had accidentally fell asleep in the common room while he, Hermione and Ron were finishing of a transfiguration essay. And he had one of his visions about...well whatever the dream was trying to show him and woke up in a cold sweat. Hermione, always so eagle eyed, suggested that Harry should get some cool air. It was past curfew, so Harry wrapped himself in his invisibility cloak and bid the two goodnight.
The corridors were silent, almost peaceful. Harry couldn't put his finger on it, but he had a feeling that something big was going to happen, sooner than later. Harry did come across some kissing couples, celebrating Valentine's day no doubt, occupying tower staircases. If he wanted to be cool, he need to be high and he wasn't on the mood for flying. The only tower he could think of was the Astronomy Tower, so he picked up his pace and headed to it.
The February winds had a chill to them. But he embraced them rather than desire the warmth of the Gryffindor common room. The skies were a navy blue, which naturally calmed Harry. He was always a night owl.
He was about to seek out in the open further when he hears the sound which can only be identified as crying. Harry, more cautious of the noise he could be creating, ventured around the curved tower. And he spots him leaning on the wall, face tear stained.
Harry didn't know what to think of Draco Malfoy. For the first few years of Hogwarts he was definate of what he thought of Malfoy: obnoxious, spoilt, bully and an all round jerk to anyone 'beneath' him. It was too black and white to Harry not to point out these traits. Malfoy was bad, he was good. That was all. Right?
The lines seemed to blur with every sight of Malfoy. He just seemed so...broken. It was a pity almost to see such a prominent figure, for better or for worse, crumble before Harry. It was sad.
"Orchideous!" Draco pointed his wand before him. Two beautiful, yellow lilies were conjured up. Draco smiled a sad smile. "Hmm, one for my lover and one for my sin."
"Sin?"
"Who's there?" Draco asked, his face hardened in a heartbeat. "Show yourself!" He was standing now, lilies discarded on the floor by his feet.
Harry had two options: turn right back around and go back to his safe, warm bed or take off his cloak and confront Draco about the dark mark he knew had poisoned his pale skin.
'It's me, Harry." Harry decided to speak to the Slytherin although he left his cloak on.
'Potter! Come out now, or...or I'll do something I won't regret!" But the words seem to hurt the blonde. If Harry looked hard enough, he would see Draco's eyes sparkling with tears.
"Just, calm down yeah. I mean...are you okay?" Draco scoffed.
"Oh shut up Potter! I don't need your pity." Draco spat, walking to the door. Harry could of let him walk pass, happy that the boy was leaving him in peace. But, Harry couldn't let him. He needed to speak to him.
Harry stuck out his foot, causing Malfoy to trip over him and smack right against the hard concrete wall.
Draco cursed, dark red blood streaming from his nose. His nose was crooked. Harry couldn't help but laugh, finally revealing himself from under his cloak.
"You're gonna pay for that Pot-"
"Episky!" There was a small click and Draco's nose was straight again. He reached for his nose, with a look of astonishment.
"Just to shut you up Malfoy, now are you leaving the tower, so I can sit in peace." Malfoy stared at Potter, slate meeting emerald. Draco was analysing him. He could feel it.
" No. I think I will just stay here to spite you." Draco drawled and he turned his back on Harry and sat down.
"Whatever." Harry replied, sitting on the other side of the tower. They sat in silence studying the constellations that surrounded them, both aware of each others presence.
Harry didn't really know how to approach the question, different ways whirled through his mind. He could tell that Draco was glowering at him from a distance, which made him smile for some reason.
Soon Harry became sleepy and dozed off at the top of the tower leaving Draco to gaze at him in peace. He looked calm while he was sleeping, like not even Voldemort could enter his mind. But he was wrong. Voldemort was coming for him, for everyone and not even Dumbledore could save him.
Draco stood up and made his way to the sleeping figure. He fought the urge to wake him up, not really because he shouldn't be sleeping on the astronomy tower, but because he wanted to see his brilliant emerald eyes.
"Oh, Harry," Draco whispered into the wind, "if only I was allowed to love you."
Thank you for reading. You can properly tell this was my first Drarry. Please review, I would love to hear you thoughts about this One-shot! Oh, and a big thank you to NovaArbella for the help on the prompts! Your awesome!