Okay, it'll probably be a while before I update again so savour this one.
Hannah
xoxo
Chapter Seven – Back to the real world.
Harry and Draco had been living in the rooms for two weeks now. They'd talked and their relationship was still fragile but Harry was more comfortable with Draco touching him, holding his hand, hugs, but no more than that. Although Draco wanted more he couldn't make Harry do anything that he didn't want to do, even if ever fibre of being wanted to just grab and make love to him right there on the kitchen floor. He just couldn't because he knew that if he did that Harry would never come back.
Today was the day that Harry and Draco had to go back to lessons and to say Harry was shitting himself was an understatement. He clutched onto Draco as they walked through the corridors and although he felt extremely silly for doing so but he also felt a million time better for it.They of course got few looks when they were walking together down the hallways but the students had all been informed of Harry and Draco's situation. The school was divided, some supported the couple, others didn't really care, and some were very opposed and thought that it was a trick or that Harry had gone dark. Draco thought that Harry would try and sit at the Gryffindor table, but he didn't. He instead made a beeline for the seats next to Draco's friends. The school looked on in shock as their golden boy sat with the snakes and they were even more shocked when none of the Gryffindors protested not even when more of their own left to sit with Draco and the other remaining Slytherins.
The first few lessons of the day went fine, Slytherins and Gryffindors had most of their classes together and Harry could sit with Draco and their friends. He didn't talk much and just got on with what he was asked to do. They were use to Harry's quietness though; he never seemed completely comfortable not even, as Draco had observed, when he thought he was alone. It wasn't until the last lesson of the day when things started to go pear-shaped. Draco and all the others bar Seamus and Dean had taken Runes while the remaining three had taken Divination. Trelawney wouldn't let the boys swap seats so Harry was stuck next to Ron while Seamus and Dean were seated on the other side of the room, to Harry it might as well have been the other side of the room.
"Harry?" Ron whispered and Harry felt hopeful that maybe his friends had changed their minds about Draco and himself.
"What?" he whispered back.
"Come back, Harry, dump the stupid ferret and come back to your loyal friends and loving girlfriend."
"Ron, I can't leave him. If you were really my friends you'd accept me and Ginny was never my girlfriend." The hope was gone as his former best crushed the last bit he had left for their relationship.
"What do you mean you can't leave him? Do you love him Harry? No matter what he says he'll never love you, Harry; he's a liar. We're your friends and we're the only ones who will ever love you," Ron hissed. They didn't talk for the rest of the lesson. Harry thought that maybe Ron was right, maybe Draco didn't love him but he also knew that Ron, Hermione and Ginny couldn't possibly love him either. Love is acceptance and they definitely weren't being very accepting.
In Runes, Draco was also having a problem but not the sort Harry was having. He couldn't get comfortable and he felt too hot. He knew it was because he was away from Harry but he didn't know what to do about it. His friends looked on, concerned, not knowing why their friend looked like he could pass out at any moment. Draco fidgeted and couldn't concentrate on anything other than getting to Harry. Half way through the lesson he could feel that Harry was unhappy and that made the itch get worse and his desire to see Harry greater. Needless to say when the bell rung Draco flew from the classroom and practically sprinted in the direction of the Divination classroom.
Harry saw Draco racing towards him and froze in shock when Draco flung his arms around him. Confused as to why Draco seemed to be in such a state Harry just allowed Draco to stand with his arms around him for as long as he wanted. When Draco pulled away he looked sheepishly towards the ground and mumbled an apology. Harry just smiled and pulled Draco in the direction of their rooms.
They settled in the living room, Harry on one sofa and Draco on the one opposite. "Harry? Can you come and sit next to me; I need to keep you close for a bit?" Draco looked at Harry and his eyes pleaded with Harry to comply.
"Of course." Harry moved over to where Draco was sitting and sat next to him but to Draco it still wasn't comfortable.
"Harry..." Draco didn't have to continue because Harry understood. Harry lent against Draco and allowed Draco to put his arms around him; he even smiled and moved in closer.
"Thank you."
"What are we going to do?" Ron asked Hermione and his younger sister.
"Well is obvious that Malfoy's up to something, there's no way he'd choose Harry. So all we have to do is make Harry realise that Draco's a faker and he'll come crawling back to us and we'll have him where we want him," Hermione spoke in her usual prim voice.
"What if we can't get him to believe us?"
Hermione glared at Ginny for even having the gall to question her plan.
"Who are his best friends? Who took him in when no one else would have him? Us. We have always been there for him and Draco used to make his life hell. Harry has never been hard to manipulate before, so why should it be so hard now?"
Ron nodded his head in agreement and Ginny looked skeptical but agreed all the same. She really wanted to be Mrs Harry Potter and if this was the way to do it, then so be it.
"Right so how are we going to do this. Harry won't even sit with us in lessons or at dinner." Ron pointed out an obvious problem. Harry was hurt by his 'friends'' rejection, how could they get close enough to talk to him and make him trust them again.
"Easy." Hermione spoke as if she were talking to infants. "We send him a note expressing how deeply we regret our actions and ask if he would join us for breakfast. At first we say nothing against Malfoy. We need to be subtle so whatever conclusions Harry will eventually come to, he'll think they're his own."
"Brilliant. Hermione, you're a genius."
It was all smiles in the Gryffindor common room but some of their fellow housemates had to wonder, why.
Harry,
We are so sorry for how we reacted to your news. We've had time to think and to calm down and we would like to talk to you. We realise we were wrong and we just want to be your friends again, even if that means accepting Draco. Please come eat with us tomorrow morning.
Your faithful friends,
Hermione, Ron and Ginny.
Harry didn't know what to do. On the one hand, this was great but on the other it seemed a little unbelievable. He wanted his friends back, of course he did, but could he put himself on the line again. What if they just ended up hurting him again? Was it worth the risk?
Draco saw Harry receive the letter and then continued to watched Harry battle with himself.
"Good news?"
"I don't know really. It's from Ron, Hermione and Ginny, they want to be friends again. They're sorry for what they did."
"And you don't know if you can trust them?" It was a question but they both knew Draco didn't need an answer.
"How can I after what they did? They made me feel like hell because I was willing to be with you. I wanted to give you a chance and they couldn't. What if they say they can give it a go but they can't? Why should I put not only myself but you through that?" Harry needed answers and there was only one answer that Draco could think of that could make Harry understand why he needed to do this.
"Because you love them."
Harry didn't know how to answer that. It was true he did love them, but did he love them enough to let them back into his life? Harry sighed.
"Fine I'll eat with them. Will you come with me?" The invitation clearly didn't ask for Draco to be there but Draco knew that Harry needed him and he couldn't refuse Harry.
"Of course I will."
They smiled at each other and said goodnight while leaving for their respective rooms. It was going to be hard to forgive the Gryffindors but with Draco by his side Harry felt he could do anything.
Please tell me if it was crap or awesome in a review.
