Author's note: Perhaps only one chapter and an epilogue left, ducks!
So you finally got up the nerve to go after him.
Shut up, you practically ordered me to. What's up with that, by the way?
You would have never thought past your inexplicably low self esteem and amazing ability to reason your way out of things to see that Draco wanted you as well.
How could you possibly know that?
As an uninvolved third party, his affectionate feelings toward you were obvious. He has displayed actions and emotions kin to what I have noticed in other couples at Hogwarts. You were too close to the situation to realize it, and I thought I would point it out to you.
Harry quirked an eyebrow down at Pockets, who was resting on Harry's chest in a tight, orderly coil. Harry had been resting under a tree down by the lake, his eyes closed against the bright chinks of sunlight flashing through the leaves. The breeze tossed the yellow heads of the daffodils around merrily, and the gentle lap of water against the shore had lulled him into a contented daydream.
Looks like it's my time to leave. Pockets said after a few quiet moments.
Hmmm? Harry cracked an eye open as he felt Pockets' weight slip off of his chest to see Draco smiling down at him, hair backlit by the sun.
"Hey Draco," Harry said.
"Care if I join you?" Harry patted the grass next to him in encouragement, and Draco laid himself out so the sides of their bodies touched. He settled in, using one arm as a pillow and tossing one under Harry's head as well.
"Hello," Harry said again, and let his eyes slide shut in the peaceful quiet. He was almost asleep before Draco broke the silence again.
"Harry?"
"Mmm…"
"I just want to say that I am glad Finnegan chose to leave Hogwarts instead of taking Dumbledore's offer. You do know that the other people who sympathized with him didn't… only went along because the idea was there, right? They didn't mean any real harm." Harry rolled onto his side and wrapped his arm around Draco, eyes still closed, with a smile curving his lips. Draco pulled him in further, letting Harry rest his head against his chest just under his chin.
"I know. They've already apologized, and I believed them."
"And Ginerva?" Draco sighed when Harry stayed quiet.
"She'll come around. No one can resist you for long."
"Oh?" Harry said playfully, and lifted his head to kiss Draco. This little nook under Dragon's neck is quickly becoming my favorite place in the world, Harry thought as he returned to it. Harry knew things might be awkward visiting the burrow in the future, but they had been awkward when she had been a fangirl as well. Harry wasn't really worried about it at the moment. Draco rubbed his hand gently up and down Harry's back, pulling him from his melancholy thoughts, as the wind rustled the leaves overhead and turned the world into a kaleidoscope.
oOoOoOoOo
"Bloody HELL Harry, way to just toss that out there!" Ron said after choking heartily on a spoonful of pudding at dinner in the Great Hall. His face was red from asphyxiation and embarrassment, most likely.
"Good for you, Harry. I'm glad you've found someone."
"Could've waited 'till I'd swallowed, tosser, couldn't have waited for a few more moments before coming out…"
"Who is he?" Hermione asked, determinedly ignoring Ron's griping and smiling over her boyfriend's head. Harry admired 'Mione's determination to make everyone feel accepted and cared for; he wondered briefly if she had read a book on it. The warm glow of the floating candles made the Hall seem cozier than any space large enough for echoes had any right to, and the murmur of other students and the chink of silverware against china filled the room.
"I'm dating Draco." Harry stifled a smile as Ron's coughing fit started up again with a vengeance; thankfully, he hadn't had anything in his mouth this time. Even Hermione paused in her endless stream of encouragement for a noticeable pause, absorbing this.
"You're dating the ferret?" Ron whispered, apparently incapable of anything else. His eyes were wide, incredulous, and his hand held his spoon motionless in midair.
"Yup."
"…Oh. Well then. Okay. The ferret. Malfoy. All right."
"Congratulations." Hermione's voice lilted up at the end of her sentence, making her statement sound more like a question.
"Thanks, guys." Harry knew better than to hope for full acceptance from Ron right away. He'll come around. He turned back to his dinner, grinning to himself as his friends goggled at him.
"Bloody hell. Malfoy. Harry's got a boyfriend. Well, okay then."
oOoOoOoOo
Harry and Draco were sitting in one of the squishy couches in the library, each reading their respective books. Every so often, one of them would readjust so they were an inch closer, tilted a bit more towards the other. The library was quiet and still, the turning of pages and scratch of quills the only sounds.
After one such shuffle minutely closer by Draco, Harry muttered 'Screw it," and scooted the remaining space to close the gap between him and his boyfriend. He tucked himself against his warm body and the couch, settling in to read with his head on his Dragon's shoulder. Draco let out a sigh, smiling and settling closer.
The normal library sounds changed tempo when the thump of footsteps approached the couch. Draco looked up first, drawing Harry's attention when his relaxed body tensed.
"Ginny." Harry said, not moving away from Draco. Draco stayed quiet, no doubt waiting to see how this would play out.
"Hey, Harry… I just wanted to tell you something, okay?" She shuffled back and forth, obviously uncomfortable standing there.
"Sure." Harry'd never been hurt by opinions he didn't share.
"I wanted to say I'm sorry, for what I did before Seamus left. I was being stupid, and gullible, and I'm sorry. You would have thought I'd learned, after the diary…" Ginny said, attempting a smile at the end. "Anyway, I'll just go, but I wanted you to know that I feel so awful about what I said and did. I'm sorry, Harry. I hope you can forgive me." She stood there for a minute more, a little lost looking, then turned to go. Harry uncurled himself from Draco and stood, the only reaction he'd given to Ginny through her whole speech.
"Just don't do it again, yeah?" He said, looking into Ginny's eyes as she looked back around hopefully. He remembered a time when he thought Ginny would be the perfect bird for him. He could have a family, stay close to the Weasleys, be happy. But now, looking back on those feelings with Draco waiting for him to return to the couch behind him, Harry realized he was only in love with the idea of being in love. And he knew he didn't need an excuse to be around the Weasleys- Fred and George swore that Molly had something cooking at all times just in case Harry dropped by.
"Yeah," Ginny said with a wry smile, and Harry hugged her before dropping back onto the couch next to Draco. She looked at the pair then walked away, her steps considerably lighter.
"Told you. You're irresistible." Draco murmured, his lips brushing Harry's ear. Harry reached over and flipped Draco's book closed, thinking of the other places Draco's lips could be.
oOoOoOoOo
"You owe me."
"Excuse me?"
"I bet that you'd be smitten within the month. And here we are, darling. You've got Harry Potter hanging on your arm. Pay up."
"Pansy, I refuse to pay you."
"Draco, I know."
Author's note: I have a secret, but I don't know if I'm gonna let you in on it. Pockets might miss his relative obscurity…