My editing was supremely rushed for the last chapter and I am so grateful none of you called me out for it, but I have to grind myself. I normally catch those things pretty quickly but I lapsed due to lack of sleep. I'm really sorry! I have slept and then edited this chapter as best as I could. Enjoy!
The next morning Draco rolled over quickly, tightening up his blankets after glimpsing the bright sun blazing in through his window. He had never been much of a morning person. Also, since he had once lived in the Slytherin dormitories, he wasn't used to the sun practically blinding him.
"Make it go away!" Draco groaned and tried to reach for his wand on the night stand keeping his whole self inside the blankets. After fumbling Draco finally grabbed hold of his wand and flicked it in the direction of the window. The drapes closed themselves, and Draco sat up reluctantly.
It has been a long night for the blonde boy. So many dreams of him and Harry together. Granted some of them were cliche, but they had been nice. Some hand in hand walks along the lake, kissing over butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks, him and Harry tangled up in his- .
No. Draco tried to stop the thought before it formulated otherwise he'd never make it to his first class. He stood up to stretch then heard a knock on the door.
"Draco? We're all heading down to breakfast. Would you like us to wait for you?" It was Hermione speaking.
It was very much out of the ordinary to be treated nicely, like a friend almost, by Hermione and the others. Draco thought maybe he could get used to that.
"I'm just waking up. I'll be a while. I'll see you all downstairs." Draco said loudly enough.
"If you don't make it in time we'll save you something then." Hermione's voice started to fade off.
"Unless I eat it all, of course." Draco could hear Weasley's voice fading off behind Grangers. He assumed that Harry must have went down to breakfast too.
Draco sighed. It was going to be a long day. Harry was mad at him, not that Draco wasn't used to it. Harry had always been upset with Draco in one way shape or form for years now, but this time it bothered Draco.
Not that Draco understood how the object of his affection could be mad at him. After the door slammed shut behind him last night Draco wanted nothing more than to barge right back into Harry's room and demand to know why the raven haired boy was so mad.
But that's how the old Draco would have handled the problem.
The new Draco, the second chance better version of Draco didn't do things like that. He was going to turn things around he thought to himself. Hopefully starting with why Harry was so mad, so that Draco could apologize.
Not looking forward to being late Draco ran his fingers through his hair, dressed, grabbed up his bag and wand, and exited his room only to stop short outside his door.
Harry hadn't gone down to breakfast after all. He was perched on the edge of a chaise lounger. Harry looked up at Draco as soon as the blonde came out of his room. It was clear Draco hadn't expected Harry to be in the common area.
"I thought you went down to breakfast." Draco's voice trailed off and he looked down at his feet.
"I wanted to wait for you, if that's okay?" Harry tried to catch Draco's eye but the blonde looked down and away.
"It's fine. Do as you like." Draco spoke as though he were a beaten man, too tired to continue even having a conversation.
"Any reason why you're not looking at me?" Harry asked.
"Didn't think you'd want to see me or talk to me." Draco mumbled. "You seemed mad at me last night. I still can't figure out why though." Draco said glancing up. Harry looked a little taken aback.
"You were the one mad at me though. Like you were ashamed of me for something. You jumped back pretty fast from me when 'Mione came knocking." Harry started to get angry so the tone in his voice had started to go up.
"I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if you would have wanted anyone to know. I don't even know if I want anyone to know. This is all new to me, and you too. It's nothing wrong a bloke liking another bloke, especially in the wizarding community. But you're the chosen golden boy and I'm the son of a death eater and things look complicated from this standing point. There's a lot to think about and discuss. " Draco rushed out near on every thought he had from last night when he had gone to bed. It's what kept him up most of the night.
"I'm a complication?" Harry finally asked after a moment's silence.
"Merlin! That's what you got from all of that?" Draco grabbed at his hair and tugged. "You're not a complication. I am. I'm the problem. Have been a problem. My feelings for you... " Draco trailed off.
"Are you rethinking them?" Harry asked standing up and taking a hesitant step towards Draco.
Draco looked up fully this time. Harry had sounded hurt and Draco felt his gut wrench. Harry was standing so close. Another step or two and they'd be within grabbing distance. Draco wanted nothing more than to get rid of the pain in Harry's voice that he put there. Draco could imagine in his minds eye pulling Harry closer and melding their lips together like they had last night.
Instead Draco took a small step away from Harry. "I'm not rethinking my feelings. They're adamant and aren't going to change. I just want to work through the rest. I want us to take things slow. If that's alright." Draco looked down again at his feet ashamed to admit and ask for what it was he really wanted.
Harry could see Draco was distressed and struggling with whatever thoughts or feelings were floating around the blonde boys head.
"I can understand that. Wanting to take things slow. After all we've been through... Slow sounds good." Harry said. Although in the back of Harry's mind, he didn't want to take things slow with Draco. Hadn't time been taken so much from them already? Harry wanted things to progress a little faster. But he understood the need of others more so than his own, and if he wanted to have any sort of relationship with the beautiful boy before him, Harry had to take it slow.
Yes, slow. Harry could do slow.
Draco looked at Harry with hopeful eyes. He never thought that Harry would ever go for his request. After all that Draco had put Harry through, Harry was willing to be patient for him. In that single moment, that span of time where Harry looked at Draco and Draco looked back, giving each other some hope; Draco decided he would do anything for Harry.
Draco nodded, probably just to reassure himself, or maybe confirm his agreement to take things slow, he didn't know. Either way, Draco took his own step towards Harry and raised a hand to the others cheek. It was small caress. It was soft, and gentle, and hesitant. It felt so nice to feel Draco's hand on his cheek, that Harry couldn't help but close the gap between them and press his lips to Draco's just as softly as the hand on his cheek touched him.
The blonde accepted the kiss. It was amazing. Like a shock to his system. It made Draco feel hot all over. He contained himself from taking the kiss any further than that though. After all, they were taking it slow.
"We should head down to breakfast now. We'll talk some more later about everything. And I do mean everything." Harry whispered as his and Draco's foreheads pressed together.
"Alright." Draco said and then kissed Harry's forehead, ignoring the prominent scar. There was more to Harry than that scar and Draco was finally given a chance to find it all out.
Harry stepped back and sighed. "Would it be too much, too soon, if I could maybe hold your hand?"
Draco bit his lip. Would it be too much too soon? There was a long pause while Harry let Draco think.
"Maybe just until we reach the Great Hall would be alright." Draco finally said.
Harry smiled. "I could live with that." Harry held out his hand to the blonde. "Let's go."
"Let's go." Harry's smile was contagious.
Together they left the common room behind and stepped past the threshold and tapestry into a new year, and a new budding...
What are we to one another now? Draco thought as he was led down the moving staircase to breakfast by the smiling raven haired boy.
I paid extra close attention to my editing this time around. Feel free to call me out of I missed anything. Favorite the story if you enjoyed it and all comments, good or bad, are welcomed. Hope you are enjoying the story so far.