Chapter-4

I accept

Ten minutes, later, they got down and Harry found himself thinking about Draco again. He had heard that all Malfoys had been sorted into Slytherin so Harry was sure that Draco would be as well. Harry wondered if Draco would speak to him after realizing that he was Harry Potter or will run away from him like everyone else.

Once inside the great hall, he sat down between Hermione and Ginny like always. Ginny had rarely ever spoken to Harry but had always sat beside him. Harry knew that she was Ronald's sister. What he did not know was that why she sat by him and yet never spoke to him or why she sometimes poured milk for him. He wondered but never asked her.

"Welcome back, my dear students. I am Albus Dumbledore, your headmaster and I hope you had nice holidays. Now to start with, we will sort the new students. Professor Mcgonagal will call you one by one and you will sit on this chair." Harry couldn't see the headmaster's smile but could feel it. Headmaster Dumbledore had always been a jolly kind of fellow and spoke to Harry sometimes. Nothing specific, just how he was doing and stuff.

One by one, new students were called and were sorted. Harry could feel eyes on him. He kept his eyes bowed on his table, choosing to ignore the stares and mutters and waited for Draco's name to be called.

Harry's eyes perked when he heard headmaster utter his next words. "This year we have a student who has been transferred from Durmstrang. Let's welcome him." Some students clapped and cheered but he heard muttered curses as well. Harry's heart beats quickened when headmaster continued, "Please come on the dais for your sorting Mr. Malfoy."

The great hall became silent all of a sudden and nothing could be heard except Draco's footsteps and Harry felt that his heart would burst apart from the sheer excitement of meeting Draco again. A few minutes later, he heard the hat call loudly, "Slytherin."

He heard Slytherin table cheer for him and wondered for the millionth time if Draco would talk to him. The thought that he would never be able to talk to him again depressed Harry a lot.

"Please do not venture in the Forbidden forest without permission of a teacher and that's all. DIG IN." The headmaster called cheerfully.

He tried to find his usual toast and milk and not for the first time wished that there was a way he could eat other things without spilling them everywhere. Hermione had tried to help him in the past but Harry had refused it. He did not want to be a burden on anyone.

He took a sip of milk and almost dropped the glass in shock when he heard a soft, "Hey." It was him and his heart beat furiously and his fingers trembled. He wished he could look at Draco. He wished he knew how Draco looked. He wished he was not blind. He remembered crying over his blindness as a child but as he grew up, he had become comfortable in his skin. But Draco Malfoy made him wish that he could see and could - could-. He did not understand this need to - to know this boy, this boy who had met him only once and he did not understand his fear that he would eventually lose Draco.

On realizing that Draco was waiting for his reply, he stopped the train of his thoughts and smiled at Draco after turning around.

XXXX

Draco was returning to Slytherin table after being sorted when he turned looked around the Great Hall and his eyes fell upon him.

"DRACO." Pansy screamed and cheered and so did Blaise, "Mate. I knew you would be sorted into Slytherin." but he ignored them and stared at the boy. He was sitting quietly and was looking at his plate.

Before Draco knew what was happening, his feet carried him towards the green eyed, messy haired boy blindly, ignoring the catcalls and muttered curses. In the matter of seconds he reached him and whispered, standing just behind him, "Hey."

The boy turned around after a few seconds and looked straight at him and Draco found himself wishing that his green eyes could see Draco. His eyes were bright when they fell upon Draco and then he smiled. That was the moment when Draco realized that he was lost.

Completely and Utterly Lost. The great hall had turned silent and Draco just stared at his smile and eyes. Why was he feeling this? This was the second time he had met the boy. What was this? Why did it feel that he could stare at that smile forever, that he couldn't stay away from this mesmerizing boy.

Someone held his shoulders and hissed in his ear, "Draco. What the hell is this? Come on" and then another voice whispered, "Mate. Come on with us." but as long as the green eyes would look at him, Draco couldn't leave. He couldn't look at anyone but them in the fear that he would lose them again. The thought of losing Harry frightened Draco.

"You never told me your name." Draco whispered, his voice soft and one could hear a faint tremor in his voice. The shoving and shaking stopped and he heard someone gasp and mutter, "Bloody weird. He is weird Mione. Doesn't behave like a Malfoy." and someone snap, "Shut up, Weasley."

The smile faltered and the eyes fell and the reply came in a sad voice. Something ached inside Draco. He couldn't bear to see this boy sad and he had never felt this for anyone.

Bloody hell what is this?

XXXX

"You won't talk to me if you knew my name." Harry whispered, his unseeing eyes still on Draco and Draco replied, "Try me."

"Harry Potter." Harry replied in a low voice, trying to decipher Draco's reaction and extended his hand towards Draco.

It was like everything had stopped. Harry couldn't hear even a bit of noise. The entire great hall was silent and it was like everyone was waiting for the Malfoy heir to reject his hand. Harry expected this as well and he started taking his hand back after a few seconds. That was when, he felt a hand grasp his fingers almost desperately.

"Nice to meet you. I am Draco Malfoy. I would like to be your friend" Draco's voice was hurried and just like last time, there was something childish and innocent in it that pulled Harry's heartstrings.

Gasps of shock could be heard all around the hall.

"Close your mouth Ronald." Mione mocked Ronald and he heard the boy whisper, "Malfoys have always hated Potters and Weasleys. I don't believe it. You know the rumour-"

"Shut up. Ron." Ginny hissed and Harry heard Ron sulk at his sister's rebuke. Harry's complete focus was on the hand that held his. He did not want to let it go and it frightened him because why would Draco be friends with a blind boy. He was too much work. People pitied him and helped him and then were frustrated because they needed to help him that is why he stayed away from people in general. But he couldn't stay away from Draco.

It was strange. He would never be able to see the boy. Why was the boy effecting him like this?

"It would be pleasure." Harry replied and smiled at Draco once again. Draco's hand tightened in his and he was silent for a few seconds. Harry wondered why.

XXXX

Draco was lost in his smile, in his voice, in his eyes and he was drowning and he knew that he would never be the same again.

"Draco." Pansy hissed and Harry blinked. Draco shook himself out of his stupor and his cheeks warmed when he realized that the entire great hall was staring at them. The professors were smiling knowingly at them and his godfather was watching him cautiously. Draco wondered why Severus had not told him about Harry's return to the wizarding world. He also wondered why he was expected to reject Harry's hand. He did not know anything about Harry or his parents. Were the Malfoys connected somehow? Had his father done something or his mother perhaps?

"Draco." Harry whispered and Draco shook himself again.

"yes." He replied and Harry continued, "Sit with me."

"Draco, you can't. Professor Snape will be disappointed." Blaise snapped at him and Pansy hissed, "Draco. Everyone is staring at us."

He sighed in annoyance and turned around, his hands in his robe pockets now, "Sod off. He is my godfather. I know him. Please do not worry about me."

They left, there faces irritated and Draco rolled his eyes before muttering, "Budge over. Harry."

A red headed girl who was sitting beside Harry gave a lopsided smile to him and Draco's eyebrows rose in surprise because she was a weasley and her brother was still scowling at Draco. The red headed girl shifted and Draco sat beside Harry to take his meal. He was starving.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Severus looking at him and decided to meet his godfather later.

Harry was finishing his meal and Draco saw that he had had nothing but toast and milk and stored it for later consideration. He served himself and started eating, ignoring the stares and scowls and mutters around him. It did not matter what they thought.

All that mattered was that he was seated beside Harry and that Harry's smile was brighter than it had been when Draco was not with him..

XXXX

Please review. Pretty please, with cherries on the top