It was the 31st of July.
The birds were chirping outside in the streets didn't know this. The sun which had not yet risen did not know this either. Not even the boy with the lighting scar on his head k new this for he was still prisoner to the clutches of sleep.
The dark haired boy slept alone in his bed and little did he know that he was now seventeen. Harry was an adult in the Wizarding world. This added to the miniscule of things he had in common with his boyfriend, Draco Malfoy.
However, Draco Malfoy was one person who knew what day it was. It plagued his unconsciousness. The 31st of July. Harry's birthday. And he could not be there.
It was a fact that Draco Malfoy did not sleep well. Harry often called him the "Insomniac Dragon". Harry laughed at Draco's scowl over the name however whilst he laughed Harry was concerned. He was concerned about the true reason of why Draco never slept well.
Draco always avoided talking about his family or in-depth feelings for that matter. But from what Harry had unearthed, Draco had had a horrible childhood. Harry could tell that Draco had never truly been shown love. Harry would never forget the first time Harry had told Draco that he loved him…
…Harry's eyes drank Draco's features as his eyes darted from his lips to his legs.
"Draco?" Harry whispered. Draco closed his eyes and inhaled deeply; using each other's first names was still both new and it had the most amazing effect.
"Hmm?"
Draco turned to face Harry and begun to slowly run his finger up Harry's thigh leaving a trail of goosebumps.
"I love you."
Harry had meant to say it quickly but it came out much slower than he had intended.
Draco's finger froze on Harry's hip.
The words clung in the air like a cloying scent.
As the silence continued Harry's heartbeat quickened. He felt nervous and scared about Draco's response.
Finally, breaking the silence and the tension Harry asked, "Was that the wrong thing to say?"
Draco's face was hard and his eyes gazed of into scene that wasn't there, "I don't know."
"What do you mean?" Harry frowned, not understanding.
Draco just gave a small shake of his head as if to shake off Harry's question.
"Hold on a second." said Harry as he positioned himself on top of Draco so that the blonde had no other choice but to look at him directly. "Has anyone ever actually told you that they loved you?"
"Let it go, Potter." Draco said firmly. Harry flinched a little at being back to second name basis but his eyes widened in shock.
"Oh and what?" Draco raised his eyebrows questioningly "The Muggles told you three times a day did they?"
Harry dropped the pretense "That's different and you know it."
"Is not." Draco said stubbornly.
"Stop being a stubborn bitch, Draco." Harry said tightly. His temper was beginning surface. "Your parents," Harry put emphasis on the word 'parents' just to reinstate his argument "never told you they loved you?"
Draco averted his eyes from Harry's and his lips formed a tight line.
"Never?" He asked in disbelief.
"Of course they have you idiot," Draco said, annoyance in his voice "just not like that."
"Well how then?" Harry exclaimed.
"You're such a nosey little git, Potter. I hope you know that." Draco informed Harry.
"Malfoy," Harry warned, he knew that Draco was trying to avoid the answer.
"Fine!" exclaimed Draco a little louder than he planned to. "My parents told me they loved me. Don't look me like that Potter, it's true." Draco chastised when Harry had raised his eyebrows skeptically "My parents always told me they loved me. But not in the way you did. It was always 'mother loves you Draco.' or 'Father and mother love dear.' It was always the third person. It felt…distant. But you," Draco looked at Harry above him "you told me."
Suddenly Draco looked around the room awkwardly and he looked, well…uncomfortable. And that was the first time Harry realised it.
"You don't open up much do you?" Harry asked softly.
Draco averted his eyes away from Harry's. He looked vulnerable. Technically Draco was naked, but now he looked exposed in an emotional sense now too. "I've never had a reason to." Draco said quietly.
"Well," Harry swallowed and brushed a stand of Draco's blond hair behind his ear "I guess I met Draco tonight. I prefer him over Malfoy."
Draco gave a small hollow laugh but then turned serious, "I've never really had a chance to be Draco."
Harry nodded. "I won't judge him." He leaned in closer and felt Draco's breath.
Draco's breathing quickened, "Why not?"
"Because," Harry murmured inching forward slowly "I have something to ask him and I want him not to judge me."
Draco swallowed and closed his eyes as he felt Harry's breath centimeters away from his lips.
"What's the question?"
"I love you." Harry said and his voice could have been made out of smoothest of silk.
Draco opened his eyes which were glazed over with want, "That's not a question."
Harry looked into the grey eyes of the Slytherin beneath him. "Yes it is."
The two boys were less than an inch apart. So all it took was for Draco to arch his back slightly and their lips met. The kiss was long and heated. It was slow but that intensified it even more. It left the two boys panting.
"I love you too." Draco whispered.
All Draco wanted to do was to be with Harry. But no. Instead he was stuck in the retreat room of the Mansion with Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zambini.
"So what do you think Draco?" asked Zambini looking at Draco cautiously.
"Hmm?" He hadn't been paying attention at all.
"What do you think?" Zambini repeated.
"About what?"
"Draco what's with you?" sighed Zambini "Your head's been with the hippogriffs since the end of last year."
Draco just shrugged and looked out the window; he had no intension of talking about anything that would lead to his relationship with Harry.
"What's her name?" Zambini asked with a smirk.
"What?" Pansy snapped "Draco's not seeing anyone." Her pug-like pace was screwed up with worry.
"She doesn't have a name." Draco retorted. It was true, he thought, he wasn't actually seeing a girl.
"See?" Pansy said triumphantly at Blaise. Draco fought the urge to vomit. He'd go out with the giant squid before he would Pansy. Pansy was one of Draco's closest friends but sometimes her obvious infatuation with him made it extremely uncomfortable. "Have you bought your things for Hogwarts Draco?" she asked.
"We've still got a whole month to go Pansy." Zambini pointed out with a roll of his eyes. He obviously found her need to talk to Draco very entertaining.
"Whatever," sneered Pansy.
"What about you Blaise?" asked Draco, trying to move the focus away from himself. "What girl are you seeing this week?" Zambini simply grinned broadly and made an action of locking lips and throwing away an invisible key.
"Blaise!" Pansy whined who was excited at the prospect of unearthing new gossip. "Don't be like that. Oh, tell us what her name is?"
Zambini held up both his hands, palms up, "I promised her I wouldn't tell anybody."
"Meaning: 'I've already told half of Slytherin house.'" guessed Draco.
"Actually, I really haven't told anyone." Zambini confessed to general astonishment.
"I don't know what she's doing, and I do not want to know, but it's keeping you quiet. Full marks to her." Draco congratulated.
"I'm so glad I have your blessing Draco," Zambini laughed "my life was depending on it, I can now continue living in happiness." He smiled teasingly and Draco who gave a little grin as well.
"At least tell us what house she's in." pansy complained as she pulled at Blaise's sleeve.
"If you must know," Blaise sighed in a defeated sort of way "Ravenclaw."
"If you like walking dictionaries." Snorted Pansy.
"You'd be surprised," Blaise grinned "the quiet ones with their heads in books always turn out to be the kinkiest."
"Ugh," Draco shuddered "Zambini, I don't share that part of my life with you so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't discuss yours with me."
Zambini laughed, "I'll spare you the details then." Then his face became serious and he asked, "What happened to you Draco? You used to have a line of girls that would stretch out for miles. You'd come back to the common room with a neck full of marks and your shirt on backwards." Pansy shuffled uncomfortably at the topic of Draco's previous girlfriends. Draco swallowed nervously.
"I just…" accepted who he was? Draco would have loved to boast about Harry; talk about how amazing he was in many different ways. It wasn't that Draco didn't enjoy the whole "forbidden love" factor but being open about it would have made it more official. Draco had realised that he went through girl after girl wondering why it meant nothing to him. After all 'making love' wasn't supposed to mean something? When he finally discovered that he wasn't attracted to females he realised that there wasn't anything wrong with him, that had come as a relief. But being honest would mean gambling with rejection and disproval and Draco just wasn't willing to risk that. So he simply shrugged, "…changed"
"Why?" inquired at wide-eyed Pansy. Jeez, and he thought Potter was a nosey bitch, Pansy bet him by a kilometer and a half. What was he supposed to say, 'Oh you know, it all came down to me liking guys.'? No, he couldn't tell his friends. Harry was right, for a change that was, Harry's friends and their bloody Gryffindor qualities were the kind of people to tell. Draco's friends on the other hand, were not.
Draco's eyes winded slightly as he surprised himself by actually thinking that. It wasn't that Slytherin's didn't trust each other, okay well maybe it was, but in Slytherin house you always watched your own back first.
"Just drop it you two." Draco hissed, using anger to cover his obvious discomfort.
Pansy's lip trembled slightly and she said with a minor whimper in her voice, "I'm sorry Draco." Footsteps came from the hall as Narcissa Malfoy entered the room, her long blonde hair swaying behind her. "I am very sorry to interrupt." she said politely to the trio.
"It's fine mother." Draco replied airily, glad for the distraction.
"Blaise, Pansy," she said looking at the two on the opposite couch to her son "will you both be staying for dinner tonight?"
Blaise spoke as Pansy's delight rendered her momentarily speechless, "That would be lovely Mrs. Malfoy, thank you."
Narcissa gave a small nod, "So I assume that you will both be staying for the night?" Draco's head snapped around to look at his mother, what?
"I'm sure Zambini and Pansy are busy mother," Draco said tightly in a take-a-hint tone. However, Pansy, who would be completely oblivious to a hint even if it was flashing bin neon lights beamed at the offer, "Oh no, I'm very available."
Zambini nudged Pansy playfully, "I wouldn't usually stay…" he looked over at Pansy and gave her a sugary smile which couldn't be a good sign "but, I simply couldn't leave Pansy on her own with Draco. Honestly," Zambini scolded himself feigningly "what sort of a friend would I be?" Pansy glared at Zambini who knew full well of her fixation of Draco.
"Very well," Narcissa said giving her tight version of a smile "I will send an owl to both your parents to notify them." Draco mentally groaned in frustration; now he would never get to Harry tonight.
Harry awoke to loud whispers coming from outside his door.
"I can't!" whispered Ron "I'm holding the cake!"
"Shush Ronald!" Hermione hissed "You'll wake him. Just…Oh, just give me the cake." There was more shuffling behind the door. Harry saw the door knob start to turn and he was tactful enough to close his eyes again and pretend to be asleep.
"He's asleep," Ron whispered to Hermione next to Harry's bed.
"Well obviously, Ron." Hermione sighed. "Wake him up."
Ron frowned, "How?" Harry didn't need his eyes open to know that Hermione was most likely rolling her eyes.
"How do you usually wake him up?"
"I don't," replied Ron "Harry usually wakes me up." Harry had to use all of his will to stop from laughing.
"Dear Godric, just nudge him gently." Harry felt a finger prod him. He gave an unwilling flinch at the contact as he was expecting it but it seemed to go unnoticed. To be honest, the two faces peering down at him made Harry feel like a potions experiment.
"Happy Birthday Harry!" smiled Hermione as she handed a large white frosted cake to Ron and bent down to hug him. Harry propped himself up.
"Happy Birthday, mate." Ron nodded as his hands were occupied with the cake.
"Uh, wow." Harry said in surprise as he had a proper look at the cake Ron as holding. "Thank you." He looked over at his clock and his eyes widened "It's midday, why didn't you wake me?"
"Well it's your birthday Harry, we thought we'd let you sl–" a loud tapping sound from the window interrupted Hermione. A big dark, chocolate coloured owl clawed at the window sill outside the room Harry was sleeping in. He knew who the owl belong to and quickly got up to open the window. But Ron got there first and the owl flew into the room and landed next to Harry on the bed.
"Hi Syren," Harry smiled at the bird while he stroked its feathers.
"Who does the bird belong to Harry?" Ron asked followed by Hermione who added, "Yes, she's gorgeous."
"He," Harry corrected automatically.
Hermione nodded thoughtfully, "Oh, sorry. Who does he belong to?"
Harry's heartbeat suddenly propelled faster, "Uh…I can't tell you." He said stupidly. Harry wanted to bury his head under his pillow; couldn't he have said something less suspicious? Trying to ignore his friends' questioning glances he to the letter from Syren's beak and, making sure to shield it from Hermione and Ron above him, he read it.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday. Congratulations on finally becoming an adult. I know that I had already given you an early birthday present however I did want to spend at least part of this day with you. That unfortunately is looking impossible. Mother invited Z and P for dinner and then, irritatingly, asked them to stay for the night. I am so, so sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you…
Love,
D.
Harry sighed. He felt sad and even a bit angry. It was his birthday after all; couldn't this have worked out for once? He knew that is he told Ron and Hermione that would have told him stop behaving like an eight year old; this wasn't Draco's fault. And yet Harry still felt that he needed someone to blame for this. He took a deep breath and decided that yes, he felt sad and disappointed, but this was no reason to feel unnecessary anger towards Draco. The next thing he felt was surprise – he really behaving like an adult. Happy birthday Harry, he thought.
He reapplied his façade – the one that hid his relationship and his secrets – and stepped out of bed to enjoy his birthday.
A/N: I just wanted to thank all the people who took the time to review this story. I apologize completely that I have taken so long to write this chapter however I have been extremely busy with school, as you full well know Alana (who keeps me on my toes with constant deadlines. Maybe now you will EF me :P )
I'm very shy when it comes to this story as many people I know read this. The response was amazing and very moving as a first time fanfic writer, thank you for all the support.
I also apologize to all my friends, I'm so sorry if I've scared you all off with my writing…but Drarry is my passion :)
Cyndi, I hope I haven't scarred you too much – Tilly and Rheanna, I know this makes you laugh – Ella, my precious little Ella, you can't say I didn't warn you – and Alana, I know that after you read this you'll pester me to complete chap. 4, good girl. Miki, I pray to Rowling you never read this…you parents would kill me :D
**ALSO, this is set during HBP even though their ages are 17. It kills me that I have altered JKR's storyline to that extent but 16 years old just seemed too young to do what Harry and Draco are doing. Plus they needed to use magic outside of Hogwarts.
**DISCLAIMERS – I don't own Harry Potter nor do I make any money out of it. I just love writing it as a fanfic and love sharing my love of Drarry with you all.
Please submit your thoughts, ideas and additions as it does help me to complete chapters faster and I like to know that I'm pleasing as many as possible.
-Alli97nomel xx