The Age of Innocence is Over
By Phoebe Halliwell
Chapter ten
Draco Malfoy had arrived in the training room an entire hour early for Harry, he needed to try and figure out how he was going to tell his potential boyfriend that his best friend of a number of years had an ulterior motive for wanting to be around him, just as Harry had expected from him.
He was pacing irritably when Harry finally made an appearance, after usual greeting's of 'hey' and 'hi' Draco restrained himself from jumping straight in and asked: "You asked to see me Professor, so that we could finish our conversation, you were asking for help."
"Yes" Harry said, slightly disappointed that Draco had brought up the business end of the meeting first. "Before I explain what with you have to swear that it will go no further than the two of us." Draco agreed and then watched as Harry locked the door with such complex locking spells that Draco hadn't even heard of them. Next came the silencing spells, again so complex that Draco doubted he could master them himself.
"What's with the high security, unless we're discussing the assassination of the muggle president I doubt that it's needed." Draco said, meaning it as a joke but Harry looked deadly serious.
"Well not assassination but something close and not the muggle president either, I want to overthrow Dumbledore from his comfortable seat of power, he's had it too long now and he's getting old now, he's making the wrong choices." Harry explained, "People are dying because he isn't acting fast enough, and I want to do something about it and I want to know if you'll help me."
"What about Ron and Hermione, aren't you going to enlist their help, I mean you always have before." Draco asked, he wanted to bring up the possibility of Hermione and her other plans without actually bringing it up and Harry had given him the perfect opportunity.
"I don't know" He said feeling slightly undecided, after all he had no real proof that Hermione was only with him due to her own ambition or that Ron was only his friend because he wanted to rise up in the world. "I don't think I will" Harry concluded, "I'm sick of them telling me what to do, dictating my actions, I'm not a child anymore and if I get them involved they'll be critical and try and stop me."
"So I win my default, gee, you really know how to flatter a guy." Draco said slightly hurt and also disappointed that he hadn't found his perfect opening after all.
"No, I didn't mean it like that, I want you to help because of that, yes but also because you're a Slytherin and also because I want you to get more involved with things that I do."
"So basically it's just an excuse to spend more time with me." Draco said smiling, he took a step closer and encircled his arms around Harry's waist before the other boy could protest about it.
"So what do you say?" Harry asked not really caring that their groins were now pressed together along with their stomachs, this was the moment that Harry had been waiting for. To hell with the fact that Draco could serve as a distraction, as long as he did what he normally did and also protected Draco with his life then he had nothing to worry about. He suppressed the nagging thought in the back of his mind that was reminding him of all the others he had sworn to protect and then watched die.
"I'd say that I agree." Draco said, he didn't know who made the first move but before either realised what was happening they were kissing, Harry had never before kissed anyone with such passion and intensity, it certainly paled in comparison to his first kiss with Cho Chang.
Harry pulled away and smiled, "We should get back" He said, "It's late and if anyone's discovered us missing then there will be a search party before too long." He had good reason for suggesting this, perhaps only Ron had remained a deep sleeper since the war had started and they did become ever so paranoid about where he was when he wasn't where he was supposed to be. However there was a reluctance to leave, he wanted to be here with Draco, pause the moment and live it forever, forgetting war and death and just consume himself with Draco and no one else but wasn't that counted as a distraction? Harry pushed it to the back of his mind and kissed Draco again.
Their kisses were sweet and yet were almost desperate as if it were either the first or the last kiss, it was something special each time, not perfection but something close. It felt like a strength that Harry had never had before, this was the love that Dumbledore had once spoke of, not the love between friends or even between a family but the love that exists between lovers. This meant nothing apart from the fact that Harry had finally figured it out, it didn't mean that he wasn't going to not remove Albus Dumbledore from head of the Order of the Phoenix at the very least.
"It's late" Draco finally said as they parted, both of their lungs screaming for air, Harry smiled sweetly at his new boyfriend and lovingly tucked a stray hair behind his ear.
"Your right, although that doesn't make it any easier," Came the reply, "But I suppose that your right." Harry unlocked the door and removed the silencing charm, along with any sign that they had even been there. The memory of the kiss still lingering with both as they exited the training room hand in hand.
It was an alien notion for Harry to have a Hogwarts sweetheart, to walk down the corridors hand in hand with someone else, and even if he had dreamed that it would one day happen he had never in his wildest dream thought that it could possibly be Malfoy, the one person, who for the first four years of his school education made his life hell.
They said nothing on the way back, they didn't need to, the silence was perfect, an unspoken understanding passed between them, they would not hide away, they would not conceal their relationship, Harry wanted normal and Draco was going to do anything in his power to give him that normal, and if everything went according to plan then in a few weeks time he was going to take Harry to meet his parents, who he hoped would be delighted.
They both halted outside of the portrait of the fat lady, it seemed surreal, in there were people that thought of Harry as their leader, their saviour but out here he had only an equal, someone who cared for him and not for his scar, Harry knew where he would prefer to be.
They shared one final kiss before they entered, the fat lady looked or rather watched them, ready to share the news with her friend Violet at the first opportunity, being woken up in the early hours of the morning wasn't so bad when in exchange she got a bit of juicy gossip to spread around the school, not that there was much of a school left, which probably only made the spreading easier.
Draco and Harry walked up stairs to their dormitory the silence this time necessary so not to disturb the others, it wouldn't do to have the entire of Gryffindor tower woken up at four in the morning, they'd probably be cursed into next week.
They climbed into their separate beds and turned to face each other, both wishing that they could hold the other but knew that if the others woke up to them asleep in the same bed they would assume the worst, best to do things gradually, to lessen the shock if nothing else.
"Goodnight Harry" Draco whispered into the darkness, he could only just make out the brilliant emerald eyes that belonged to Harry watching him from a few feet away, oh how he loved those eyes.
"Night Draco" Harry said stifling a yawn, his eyes beginning to droop before his mind and his body dragged him into sleep to get the rest that it craved.
Unfortunately Harry's dreams were not as pleasant as his day had been, well his evening, he dreamt of death, not visions but memories breaking free, the main feature of his dream was Cedric, he had been dead almost three years, three entire years since Tom had returned and yet the war still raged. Harry saw masked figures, his deatheaters, that night still mocked him, could he have done anything differently? He saw Cedric die again, he saw the light leave his eyes but as he fell to the ground the body began to morph into someone else, Cedric's features becoming smaller and more feminine, his hair turning a brilliant shade of auburn, a young girl no more than eight years old, her eyes wide open, lifeless, dead.
Harry sat bolt upright, drenched in sweat, looking around, the dormitory was empty and deadly silent, he got up and out of bed. Before he knew it a mutilation of a man came up behind him, his startling red eyes mocking as Harry's throat was slit. He screamed.
"Harry, wake up, your dreaming." A familiar voice said, it sounded friendly and reassuring but it was not the voice that he wanted to hear.
"Ron?" Harry said opening his eyes, sitting up and reaching for his glasses, sliding them on his friend came into focus. "What happened?"
"You were dreaming mate, you okay?" Harry nodded looking around for Draco. "We're all just heading down for breakfast, shall we wait for you?"
"Umm, no, I'll catch up, is Draco going with you?" Harry asked, Ron looked slightly taken aback but dismissed it instantly as something that his brain could handle this early in the morning.
"No, you know what he's like, as vain as anything; he's still in the shower room." Ron said rolling his eyes, Harry chuckled, "See you down their mate." Harry nodded and flung the covers off himself, he watched Ron leave and made sure the door was closed before he made to follow Draco through into the shower room.
"Hey" Harry said as he spotted his boyfriend combing his hair in the mirror, he would agree with Ron when he said that Draco was indeed extremely vain.
"Morning, sleep well?" Harry was still a little shaken from what he had saw but didn't think that Draco would want to hear the horrifying details but not telling Draco wasn't an option when the blonde added: "And don't lie to me I heard you scream."
"Then why did you ask?" Harry teased going up behind Draco and hugging him giving a quick kiss to the cheek.
"I was being polite" Draco responded, he turned his head and caught Harry's lips in a passionate kiss, his hair momentarily forgotten. "Yuck, you have morning breath." He said.
"Thanks Dray, anymore insults to add to that?" Harry asked as he removed his pyjama top so that he could get in the shower.
"Your hair's a mess but then again it always is and that's the way I like it, however I have absolutely no complaints about a half naked you and I'm certainly not going to complain about a completely naked you either." Draco said turning to watch his boyfriend undress.
Harry gave him a soft glare, not really meaning it, "Down boy" He teased, "We need to be quick, everyone else has gone down to breakfast, they expect us … well they expect me down there in a minute." Harry said removing his pyjama bottoms and stepping into the shower and drawing the curtain, obscuring Draco's view.
The blonde had been drooling at the sight before him, the shower curtain closing had snapped him out of his stupor and he had turned back to the mirror so that he could fix his hair.
By the time Draco had finished so had Harry, the latter stepped out of the shower dripping wet, hair all over the place and completely naked, it was all Draco could do not to throw the teen down and ravish him.
Realising how cruel he was being to Draco, Harry grabbed a towel and wrapped it round his waist before making his way threw to the bed room, Draco following him as he went.
"So what's the plan for today then?" Draco asked, his eyes fixed to Harry as he dressed, he had already come to terms with the fact that he was going to have to be a little uncomfortable for the entire day thanks to Harry and his god like body.
"Well its Hogsmead today right, I thought, if it's alright with you of course, that we'd make it our first official date, what do you think?" Harry asked as he pulled on his too big jeans and rummaged for a tee shirt that of course had once belonged to Dudley.
Draco made a face to say that he was unimpressed with the clothes that he was putting on, "That's a brilliant idea Har however can I suggest one small thing?" Harry nodded and motioned for him to go on and suggest it, "Can I lend you some of my clothes, your absolutely swimming in that thing."
Harry looked down at his off green shirt and fading blue jeans that had to be held up by a belt, even that was too big for him. "Sorry, I don't have much else, nothing that fits, my Aunt and Uncle never really bought me anything, I got my cousins cast offs." Harry explained, as Draco rummaged in his trunk for something for Harry to wear.
"Your cousin must be the size of an elephant" Draco said as he threw a pair of black jeans and a ice blue casual short sleeved shirt to Harry who caught them with expertise.
"He is," Harry agreed, "I know why you suggested this by the way." Harry added a smile gracing his face, Draco decided that he liked to see Harry smile.
"And what would my supposedly hidden motive be?"
"You just wanted to watch me change again."
"Ah, busted."
They were a little late for breakfast, the others obviously having given up had headed out without them, they were able to grab some cold toast before leaving, however both decided that they would get something more filling in the village.
"I know this really cute little coffee shop …" Draco began t suggest but Harry interrupted him at once remembering his trip there with Cho.
"Umm, I don't think so, bad memories, don't ask, how about we go somewhere else, anywhere else, just not there." Draco laughed and nodded.
"Alright, there is a sweet tea shop on the other end of Hogsmead, we'll go there, they do the most excellent pancakes." Draco said, Harry grinned and reached down to take Draco's hand in his own.
They passed some of the others in the village, no one said anything, they just seemed to stare as they passed, not exactly the most desired reaction but it was better than full frontal abuse for dating a Malfoy.
The couple were just discussing quidditch and other hobbies and interests that they shared when they came in contact with Ron, Hermione, Neville and Seamus as they came out of Zonko's joke shop. All six of them stopped, just looking at one another as if someone had cast the full body bind on the lot of them. Hermione's eyes shot straight to their adjoined hands. Everyone else soon followed suit, eyes went wide but still nothing was said.
It was Harry who finally decided that enough was enough, it was just getting ridiculous. "Hey guys, we were just going to grab something to eat, want to join us?" Harry didn't really want them to come along and when Draco went to protest Harry gave his hand a quick squeeze, he hadn't known what else to say.
"Are you two … going out?" Seamus asked as he looked between the two of them as if they had just admitted that they were switching sides and becoming deatheaters, Ron looked as if this would have been more plausible than them becoming boyfriends, he just couldn't process it.
"Yes, we are." Draco said smiling happily at Harry.
"Since when?" Hermione demanded, she was getting angrier by the minute, not only was Harry not listening to her advice but it looked as if they were both falling in love with each other. Things were not going according to plan and it was obvious that her perfect relationship with Harry was at great risk, she had to handle this carefully.
"Since last night, but I guess it's been on the cards for a while." Harry explained, he thought everything was going averagely okay, Hermione didn't look happy and poor Ron looked confused but the others seemed to except that it was his decision and if he wanted to date Draco Malfoy then it had nothing to do with them.
"I can't handle this now, I have to go." Hermione said and she left, going round Harry and Draco and heading for the book shop, her therapy Harry guessed, if anything ever went wrong then Hermione's solution could always be found in a book.
"We'll see you guys later then" Harry said eager to get away from the awkward silence, Hermione's departure had shocked Harry a little bit, not so much in the sense that he hadn't expected that reaction from her, he had, it had more shocked him that it was confirming that his thoughts could actually be fact.
Okay, two chapters in one day, how good am I? Don't forget to review.