A/N: Gosh it's been so long since I last updated this, but at last here is the moment we've all been waiting for.

Chapter Ten

Harry had no idea what to do. He couldn't even think, he daren't breathe; he was rooted to the spot where he lay. The material of Draco's trousers was the only thing his eyes could reach, he could feel the soft cotton on his face and tried desperate to think about how he had gotten in the situation he was in, his heart suddenly struck with fear. Had Draco drugged him? Put a spell on him? Harry was up for games but something this weird was not giving him any sort of pleasure. He remembered getting drowsy, too comfy, and to the point where he had tried to stop himself falling asleep but could not. But he also remembered being on the chair, and now he was evidently on a bed, he could feel the cool silk sheets below him, soft against his hand. He was just about to try and move when a soft sound made him freeze.

Draco was asleep. He was stirring, his leg twitching into a new position. Harry took his chance and sat up, immediately looking at the boy.

Slytherin boy's always looked the same; they stood tall and proud and never let their guard down, no matter what was happening. However on this night Harry Potter witnessed what nobody at Hogwarts had ever seen before... not even Pansy Parkinson. The soft blonde hair fell harshly across Draco's face, hiding his charming features; his lips could just be seen: slightly parted, softly breathing and deeply relaxed in his dreaming state. The boy's collar was open wide, when it was usually so precisely folded and neat it looked like a brand new, too-stiff shirt every day. The sleeves were rolled up and the pale forearms seemed so much more elegant and long when relaxed. Harry could not help but swallow hard and study Draco, terrified but thrilled in case the boy awoke to his bewitched gaze. The white skin contrasted against the deep ebony bedding Draco was lay on, he seemed angelic in his soft and subtle beauty. Harry thought about the difference between Draco and Blaise, the Italian boy was rugged and handsome but Draco was somewhat other-worldly in his looks, if Harry had not known different he would have guessed that his ex-nemesis was a Veela, or at least part of the species.

It was a few seconds after Harry had settled into thoughtless gazing that Draco's eyelids fluttered upon suddenly, he sat bolt upright and started to apologise frantically to his companion.

"Oh lord I fell asleep. What the ruddy hell did I do that for? I knew I shouldn't have sat down, I'm sorry Harry you should have been in your dorm hours ago" The boy slowed down, breathing heavy and his eyes wide, he looked at Harry, then to the window where the stars netted their way from one side to the other. "What time is it Harry?"

The Gryffindor sat bewildered for a second and Draco's outburst of apologies, before looking down at his watch. His stomach grew sick. He had never thought to bring his invisibility cloak. "It's two am"

"Shit." Was the only replied Harry received. Draco ran his fingers through his hair in thought, his face was pink and his eyes looked weary once he got up and stepped in to the light of the fire, which had looked so warm and inviting during the evening but now against the black of the sky, seemed too harsh and bright.

Draco looked out of the window for a few seconds, resting his forehead upon the glass. "Harry, you don't by any chance want to join me for a stroll outside?"

Harry pondered for a moment; he wondered why Draco wanted to go for a walk. He also wondered if his emotions would get the better of him if he accepted the offer. Would the cover of the darkness make him feel too safe, make him let his guard down and spill his thoughts to Draco. Harry at this point in time had nothing to lose, he could not figure out his feelings towards Draco, perhaps Draco could help him do this...

"I wouldn't mind at all"

Draco seemed to relax, and a short smile spread across his lips. He walked over to the wardrobe and tossed a cape to Harry, it had a comfortable soft fur inside that made Harry want to sleep in it. "This is nice" the young Gryffindor stated, his words sounding stupid once they left his lips.

Draco and Harry kept to the remote corridors in the castle where they would not be spotted by Filch or Mrs Norris, it took them twice the time it would have if they had gone the normal route, but to be caught out of bed at this hour Harry suspected they would gain double the time in detention. Once they were outside Harry felt fully awake, he awkwardly fidgeted in Draco's cloak, walking beside the taller boy, in silence, he daren't say a word. He did not want to interrupt Draco's obviously deep thoughts. They walked a fair while to the edge of the lake, the night sky reflected in it, making it seem as though it were a mirror that – if jumped into – would lead to another world. An alternate universe where Harry could open himself, without fear, without rejection and where perhaps Draco Malfoy would turn around and say "I've been feeling exactly the same way". Harry turned off the thoughts in his head before they went much further, he had images of Draco gazing at him as he had after their detention, their faces so close together they could almost...

"Harry, I need to tell you something"

Harry jumped, guiltily he looked at Draco and waited for the blond to speak.

"I know what you're going to think, I can even take a good guess at what you're going to sa-" Draco was interrupted by Harry. The raven haired boy had decided to get his feelings out before Draco spoke another word.

"Look, Draco, I'm sorry. I understand you must be completely confused and you must think I'm some sort of moron, I never know how to act around you. I say stupid things, I do stupid things. I am stupid, only when you're around but it's nothing to do with you. Well, it is, to an extent, but more so to do with me. I don't really know what I'm saying right now, and I can't even begin to word this but..." He trailed off, he was right; he didn't know what to say. How did he tell a boy he had hated for so long that he thought he was beautiful? That he had imagined kissing him. That, in the privacy of his own bed, he had imagined even more than that. How could Harry even begin to put into words how he thought there was no beauty in the whole of Hogwarts that matched Draco's, or that when he gazed at him he was in awe, stunned and reduced to a blithering mess before him.

Draco sat by the lake, his eyes dark and looking down. He slowly took off his shoes, his socks and dipped his feet cautiously into the black water. The sudden ripples disturbed the twinned sky, the stars scattering around his ankles in uneven correlations. Once he got used to the cold he lay back, kicking his feet slightly in the water. He covered his eyes with one arm and spoke again. "I know you must not trust me, especially after before. I killed somebody. I used an unforgivable curse and I would understand if you would not want to speak to me again. But, I'd like to say this to you: I'm not a death eater, I don't have the mark, I may have the abilities of one but I don't have the heart of one. I may seem a monster now but if you took the time to know me, you'd see that I'm not what I always seem, if you understand what I mean?" He took his arm from his face and looked at Harry. "I can't ever take back everything I've ever done or said Harry, but I always try to make right what I've done wrong."

He was speechless. Draco had misunderstood completely, the fact that he knew what the rest of Voldemort's followers knew actually made Harry feel safe. He couldn't let Draco go on like this, he had to tell him. He sat down next to the boy, dipping his own feet in the lake. He flinched, it was cold and distracting but he had to go on.

"Draco, I don't think any less of you because of what you know, or because of what you nearly became. We're on the same side; if we weren't then I wouldn't be here now. I would be like Ron and I'd be stupidly ignoring your existence. I think more of you than you could ever know" Harry felt he wanted to cry, he felt all of a sudden small and stupid, he felt like the first year that Draco had teased and tormented. Unfortunately, Draco didn't quite understand, he looked up at Harry, the expression in his eyes quizzed the boy next to him, and Harry felt his eyes stinging and his cheeks burning, an uneasy anger rose up inside him and he began to wonder why he was there in the first place. As the next few words came out of his mouth he felt something hot burn down his cheeks, he looked away embarrassed, he didn't even know why he was crying. He must have looked pathetic in Draco's eyes.

"I want to be your friend Draco; I think you're great, not just great, much more than great. And sometimes I want to be something else to you. Recently, I've not seen you in the same light at all, I feel I do know a little about you and what I know I like. When I'm around you I'm scared and happy at the same time, and I think, that perhaps –One day -I want to be more than your friend. And well, I guess, I would understand if that meant you didn't want to talk to me. Ever again." Harry wiped his face on his sleeve and decided to study the lake, he dared not to even glance at Draco, he felt the things he had just admitted would haunt him forever.

Draco sat up after what seemed like hours to Harry. He looked at his Gryffindor companion and opened his mouth as if to speak before closing it. He swallowed, pushed his out of his face and scratched the back of his neck. Harry's stomached flipped and he felt like he wanted to throw up on the spot, which is exactly how Draco looked. The blond seemed to regain composure before looking at Harry, he took a deep breath and gave the boy a faint smile.

"Harry," Draco looked as though he might cry, "I don't know what to say. I think, well I'm pretty sure." He sighed and looked Harry in the eye, "Well, ever since...I..." Draco was breathing hard and fumbling with his hands frantically, he looked down and then back up. "I need to think about this."

It seemed as though only a few moments had passed but a good few minutes later Harry was left wondering what had just happened. Tears flowed hot and fast down his cheek, he felt like he could not comprehend what had just happened. A restless panic took over his limbs until he threw himself onto the hard ground he was sat on; his hands covered his face as he succumbed to his own sobs. Somewhat aware of the unattractive contortions of his face, he tried to stop himself from crying for a few moments. He eventually looked up into the sky he had always found so magical and for the first time at Hogwarts, Harry felt broken and out of place. It was as if watching Draco get up and walk away had made him realise how much his feelings had grown out of his control. It was no longer a game to Harry. His emotions had taken him by surprise.

Once back in the safety of his room, Draco went over every single thing Harry had said in his head. Nobody had opened themselves to him that much, not ever. Pansy had told him she loved him; that she even wanted to marry him. But Harry had done so much more. He had told Draco how he felt around him. That meant something, something real and strong. It overwhelmed Draco. He walked over to the window where he had stood not too long ago and strained his eyes trying to see if Harry was still sat by the water edge. He felt like running out, but he didn't know what he would do when he got to Harry. The idea of being with another man never crossed Draco's mind before, and now he pictured it he was not revolted, nor did he feel uncomfortable with it. He enjoyed Harry's company. What made him think more deeply into it was that Harry had spurred every extreme out of Draco, when Harry had denied his friendship it had stung for years, and when Harry had accepted it Draco felt elated and like he had to make up for lost time before they went on different paths. Harry didn't want them to be on different paths, and the Slytherin boy wasn't too sure whether he was starting to feel the same.

When Draco climbed into bed, the sky was getting light. He felt obscurely calm, like Harry's words had awoken a long awaited serenity inside of him. He fell asleep with a small smile on his lips. Content and unaware of the reaction his companion had outside. ..

A/N: I seriously need reviews guys, I'm feeling guilty about leaving for so long But I think my writing skills have improved in the time I've been away.