The boys spent the day revisiting and exploring the old cracks and crevices of the castle, there were a few places and subjects that Harry had to practically drag a depressed Draco away from, but in the end, the lion was still sad to part with the snake.
Harry smiled his way back to the common room once classes were over, unfortunately, when he got there he found a furious Hermione tapping her foot and glaring daggers until everyone else including Ron vacated the premises.
"Harry Potter." She started, Harry swore she sounded like a howler, he had to resist the urge to cover his ears, "You had better have a BLOODY good excuse." Hermione had clearly been spending too much time with Ron lately, she was even more scary with bad language.
"I was with Dr- er Malfoy..." Harry admitted quietly, preparing for an explosion.
"WELL, at least you had a good reason but HONESTLY Harry class is a vital part of life, you should feel lucky to get-"
"Wait, what?" Harry was shocked at her response, "Why is being with Malfoy a 'good' reason? I thought you'd be furious... well, more furious anyway."
Hermione hesitated considering the best way to phrase her message in a way that could make Harry understand best. After a moment she asked: "How long did you talk?"
"Well, we didn't really stop," he told her, "until we had to come back to the dorms."
"And you don't find that odd?" she asked pointedly, "School started back months ago Harry.. no one could get close to him." When she paused Harry knew it was to make a point and didn't dare interrupt, in fact, it served its purpose as Harry did start to realize that neither Draco nor himself had held a good conversation with really anyone since the war, but neither seemed to want to say goodbye after hours of talking. "And then you have ONE conversation with him and he unfolds in a minute?"
"Okay Hermione, what are you getting at?" Nervousness seemed to be growing in the Gryffindor's normally 'lion' heart as the punch line seemed to be growing closer.
The clever girl must have been able to tell because her barrage of clues came to an end and she let her brown eyes lower to the floor releasing their intimidation, she stepped closer and put a soft hand on her friend's shoulder before looking back into his eyes. "Harry, let me know how it goes okay?" with that her thick brown hair was moving past the confused young man and she was headed up the stairs to the girl's room.
"What? Hermione wait, I thought you were going to help! What are you talking about?" harry squeaked out but Hermione's slender figure and brilliant mind were already up the winding stairs, clearly avoiding the questions.
After standing in an upsetting silence for several minutes Harry had no choice but to head to bed as well, Draco would already be in his dormitory, where Harry couldn't get to him, there was nothing he could do.
As Harry lay in his bed his head swam, much like the lake thoughts of Draco Malfoy stagnated unwavering in his mind only interrupted with ripples of what Hermione said, the meaning of which was growing more and more clear by the minute. He'd never sleep at this rate, he kept bouncing between a nervous blush and an idiotic smile as the pureblood's smile bounced around his head endlessly.
Tired and anxious from never ending thought Harry sat up and slipped on his hoodie and shoes, maybe the lake could calm his mind, so he slipped out into the halls and headed down.
The night air was a bit too cold for Harry's taste, he was beginning to miss the fall before it had even ended. As he got closer to the lake his mind began to refocus on what was in front of him, but he was still tired after all.. maybe he was imagining the figure by the lake who's hair gleamed a silver white color under the stars. As Harry walked closer and closer he could see the green and silver tie wrapped loosely around the collar of a white uniform shirt. Cheekbones sharp as diamond came clear along with the boy's snowy complexion but Harry was only fully captured when sparkling eyes turned to Harry like two warm blizzards.
A smile crept across Harry's face without his knowledge as he kept walking, eager to speak to his old enemy but once he got near enough the words didn't seem to come.. until a thin grin washed over Draco's face lighting his eyes like stars stopping Harry's swirling mind.
"You're beautiful.." Harry whispered breathlessly, he suddenly couldn't understand how he had never seen it before. Even in the dark of the night, Draco's blush was clear on his ivory toned skin, when his eyes dropped in embarrassment and surprise he instantly lifted them again, not wanting to look away from Harry's starlit emerald eyes under his fading lightning scar.
Draco cautiously stepped closer to the gorgeous dark haired man in front of him, lifting his hands slowly and sliding Harry's wire glasses gracefully from his nose and placing them in his own back pocket.
"I don't think 'beautiful' suits me," Draco said in a hushed voice smiling sweetly, when he felt Harry's arms rise as he stepped closer yet he tried to stop his chest from filling with anxiety but he wasn't the same anymore, his eyes closed tightly as he breathed away the stress but when warm hands landed gently on Draco's back and Harry's voice whispered inches from his face: "trust me, it does." the fear melted away and the closed of boy let himself fall against Harry. When he opened his pale eyes again Harry was smiling a broad smile, "I told you I was blind.." he cooed into Draco's ear.
"And I told you I wanted you.." hissed the Slytherin boy before he pushed his lips firmly against Precious Potters, Harry's hands curled into the soft fabric of Draco's thin shirt, his fingertips pushing into the lean muscle beneath as the two held each other as tight as they could.