I know, I know...it's late. But I did write this well over a month ago, the reason it's taken so long is that my lovely old internet got lost...in Tescos. Well, maybe not, but still, I had no internet, and for that, I apologise. BUT I have a lovely note to add before the chapter starts. After weeks of searching, I've finally found a horse to buy, and she's a lovely mare named...Hermione! Oh how my life is just ruled by Harry Potter everywhere I go! Anyway, on with the story ^_^
Thank you as always to ItsAThinLine for beta-ing my clumsy mistakes.
Draco tried hard to ignore the constant buzz of chatter around him as he sat, eating lunch in the great hall. Everyone was making plans for the upcoming Hogsmede trip, and Draco, though he enjoyed his visits to the little town, was having a hard time deciding on whether or not he ought to go. On the one hand, he could look like a loser, and go by himself, forcing himself to walk between the hundreds of groups of chattering friends, or, on the other, he could look like a loser, and stay at Hogwarts, all by himself, with only the first and second years for company. And to think, he had once been one of the people who had mocked people like himself. Fate, it seemed, was not without a sense of irony.
"– and Honeydukes has these new flavour changing lollypop which George says are ace, and I need some more sugar quills, and –"
"Honestly Ron, do you ever stop thinking about your stomach?" Hermione scowled, "We need to visit Flourish and Blotts before anything else, ever since you ruined your copy of Advanced Potion Making at Christmas by setting it alight with that stupid test product of George's" Ron grinned sheepishly. "Harry, where would you like to go? … Harry? Harry?"
Harry jumped, his eyes snapping back to his friends, "Hmm? I don't mind, anywhere."
"You alright mate?" Ron asked cautiously, "You're acting weird, all jumpy, what do you keep looking at?" The red-head peered over Harry's shoulder, but saw only the Slytherin table, a very pale looking Malfoy sitting smack bang in the middle, his fellow students seeming to sit as far from him as possible. "Weird little git now, isn't he? Malfoy I mean. Bloke's probably scared stiff now that he can't cower behind his dad's name anymore. Still, don't suppose the Malfoy's would accept a little fag like him, would they?"
"Ronald!" Hermione shrieked angrily "Don't call him that, it's such a horrible word!"
"But it's what he is! Besides, it's weird…two blokes and all that" Ron shifted uncomfortably, then cracked a stupid grin "I'd watch myself if I were you mate, Malfoy's always been obsessed with you hasn't he?"
Harry felt himself turn red, but fortunately Ron didn't notice, as Hermione had just whacked him over the head, ranting on about living in modern times, and how close minded Ron was. Harry muttered something mundane about needing to work on his transfiguration theory and left Ron to be verbally berated by his furious girlfriend.
Draco jumped when he felt someone tap his shoulder, spinning round to find Potter – Harry? – grinning awkwardly at him.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, and Draco simply nodded, a small thrill running through him when Harry's – Potter's? – hand brushed his own as the Gryffindor sat down in the seat next to him. Draco knew he was acting like a first year Hufflepuff, but really, he couldn't find it in himself to care. He didn't even have to look to know that there were plenty of spare seats in the library, and yet Harry – Potter? Oh who cared! – had chosen to sit with him. Trying to hold back the smile that was threatening to spread across his face, Draco went back to his studies, although he knew he would most likely end up being totally distracted by the gorgeous golden boy, but again, he found he didn't mind. They sat in silence for a good twenty minutes, the seconds ticking by to the beat of Draco's heart, every moment filled with a slightly awkward tension which set Draco on edge. He soon realized that for the past five minutes, he had been reading the same paragraph over and over again, and yet had taken nothing in, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair, trying to force himself to focus on the text in front of him. Next to him, Harry yawned, stretching his arms above his head, causing his school shirt to ride up, revealing a tight, tanned stomach, toned from years of Quidditch practise. Draco knew he was staring, but really, he didn't care.
"You going to Hogsmede this weekend then?" Harry asked, breaking Draco out of his trance. It took his lust-dazed mind a few moments to register what Harry was asking him, and finally, he shook his head.
"No, I've got to study." he muttered, knowing the excuse sounded lame. Harry laughed, shaking his head
"All you ever do is study! Come on Draco, take a break, come down to Hogsmede with me."
"With you?" Draco's eyes widened in both shock and happiness, but Harry didn't seem to realize this, mistaking Draco's surprise for reluctance.
"Well I just meant, you know, if you wanted. I'm going down with Ron and Hermione and just…if you wanted to tag along…they're not that talkative since their lips seemed to have become glued together…you don't have to but I thought you might like a break and it'd be nice to have someone to talk to. I mean, if you wanted" Harry knew he was rambling, that his palms were sweaty and that he hadn't been nervous like this since he'd asked Cho Chang to the Yule Ball…but that didn't mean anything…right?
"I'm not sure that your friends would want me there." Draco sighed, picking another book up from the pile that sat next to him.
"They won't mind…well, Hermione won't, and Ron usually just does as she says now so…" Harry grinned stupidly, and Draco was unable to resist returning the toothy smile, "– and, you know, if you got bored, you could always just leave, and I'd understand if you'd want to. leave, but – "
"Alright, if it'll shut you up, I'll go." Draco could hardly repress the smile that wanted to burst across his face.
"– I just thought it'd be a good idea for you to get out and – … what? Really? You sure?"
Draco laughed at Harry's confusion, shaking his head "Honestly Potter, do you want me to come or not?"
"Well, yeah I just…wasn't expecting you to agree I guess." that stupid grin reappeared on Harry's face, and Draco smiled, loving the gleam that appeared in the other boy's eyes whenever he beamed like that.
"Well, I think it would be best if I went back to my common room, rather than risk losing any more study time. I'll see you later Potter." Draco nodded, picking up his books and striding away from the boy wonder, unable to fight back a grin…he had a date with Harry Potter.
"Why did you have to invite him?" Ron muttered for the millionth time, glaring moodily at the floor as the trio made their way to the courtyard, ready to join all the other students waiting to go to Hogsmede.
"Just give the bloke a chance Ron, he's been through enough over the past few months, and he's really not that bad once you get to know him."
"But it's Malfoy! I don't want to get to know him!" Ron whined, and Hermione and Harry rolled their eyes,
"Just behave Ronald, be nice to him, and try not to call him names just because he's gay." Hermione sighed, twining her fingers with his. After an awkward exchange of hellos, the four began trudging down to the village, Hermione and Harry stood in the middle, trying to keep Ron and Draco as far from each other as possible. Harry was well aware of the eyes on them as they walked, the questioning whispers, and the glares Draco received, but he tried his best to ignore them, desperately trying to think up a conversation topic to break the tense silence. Glancing at Draco, Harry realized with a start just how close the boy was to him, as if he was almost afraid to lose Harry, like a child would act with his mother. Silver eyes gazed questioningly at him, and Harry realized that he had been staring at the blonde for a while.
"Sorry, there was a bee…'s gone" Harry muttered lamely. "Where do you want to go?"
"This little shopping trip was your idea Potter, as long as I get a Firewhiskey at the end of it all, I don't care where we go." Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking worn out already. As the village came into sight Harry felt tension rise higher and higher, as did Hermione. Ron seemed on edge, and you could just feel a stupid question forming on his lips. He opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione got there before him, cutting him off, saying
"Ron, you need to get Pig more owl pellets. I don't suppose you want to come to the owl shop do you Harry?" her eyes softened when she glanced at him, and Harry shook his head fiercely,
"No, you two go…we'll…we'll go to Flourish and Blotts and meet you later on"
Hermione nodded, and dragged Ron off quickly, before the redhead could get a word in.
"What's wrong with the owl shop?" Draco asked curiously, as the two boys began making their way towards the old book shop.
"My owl…Hedwig…she died, I don't think I ever really got over losing her." Harry said thickly, his throat burning slightly as he fought off tears. People thought it stupid to mourn for an owl for so long, but Hedwig had been so much more than just an owl, she had been a connection to the Wizarding world during those long summers at the Dursley's , a secret friend in whom he could confide in, but now, just like so many others, she was gone.
"Shame." Draco shrugged, and shoved the door open, stepping into the warm little shop. After Flourish and Blotts, they visited Quality Quidditch supplies, Slug and Jigger's apothecary, Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, Honeydukes, Dervish and Bangs, and finally, ended up in the three broomsticks. Draco picked a quiet table near the back, with no chairs, but a long padded bench along it instead, and the two boys sat next to each other, slightly squashed, but comfy all the same.
"So Potter" Draco sighed, accepting his drink from the waitress with a small nod, "Why is it you brought me on your little shopping trip again?"
"Because, you've no idea how to have fun! You stayed cooped up by yourself all the time, and it's just no good for you" Harry smiled, enjoying the way Draco licked his lips oh-so-teasingly after taking a sip from his drink. "And I thought you'd like it"
"Your friends seemed to scurry off as soon as possible…can't really blame them though can I? Who'd want to hang around with the disgrace of Slytherin?" Draco gave a short, bitter bark of laughter, taking a long drink from his Firewhiskey.
"Will you stop talking about yourself like that? And slow down, that stuff'll go straight to your head!" Harry scolded, grabbing Draco's arm and lowering it. "Your fine Draco, Ron's just …well, he's a bit of a git sometimes, and Hermione didn't want anything to set off so she dragged him off to make sure he didn't start having a go at you."
"Oh lovely, now even Gryffindor's golden witch is trying to babysit me." Draco took another long gulp, his glass drained, and rolled his eyes. He signalled to the waitress for another, before looking back at Harry with slightly unsteady eyes. Firewhiskey was not for lightweights…it was very strong, and Harry himself could only ever manage a glass before the burning sensation got too much for him, and he became too dizzy to even walk straight.
"Draco, you're going to ruin yourself if you carry on acting like this. Your such a talented wizard, you've just been dealt a bad hand in life. Your father was a bastard to you, your mother was never there, you were always expected to be top of everything…you were put under all this stress, and I want to see you relax from time to time! I know you find this hard to believe, but I don't enjoy seeing you suffer! I…I care about you Draco." Harry mumbled the last bit awkwardly, knowing that he was blushing.
Draco nodded slowly, gulping down his Firewhiskey, and Harry was amazed that the boy hadn't fallen off the bench yet, as he was on side closest to the open bit of the bench, and had no wall to lean back on like Harry did. He was eyeing the Gryffindor, a bright fire burning in his eyes as he surveyed him.
"Draco? Are you – "
Harry's final words were cut off, as Draco lunged forward, and pressed his lips against Harry's in a desperate, needy, yet passionate kiss. Harry froze, wondering if he could be dreaming…Draco's hands moved up to grip Harry's arms, the taste of Firewhiskey filling Harry's mouth as Draco pressed his lips harder against his own. Harry's mind was a haze of lust and fear. He wanted to kiss back, but he couldn't…could he?
"Harry." Draco whispered, almost moaning the other boy's name, his hips thrusting forward as he pressed himself against Harry, and, with his heart hammering at a million miles an hour, his head screaming at him to stop, but his body urging him on, Harry slowly began to kiss him back, his eyes beginning to slip shut, falling into a kiss he knew he shouldn't want, but he found it so impossible to resist those oh-so-luscious lips…
"Harry!"
It took Harry a moment to realize that someone other than Draco had said his name, and another moment to realize that his two friends were standing by the table. Hermione and Ron were staring at the pair incredulously, and Harry heard the door to the pub slam shut. Out of the window, he saw Ginny's fiery red hair disappearing into the crowd.
"Shit."
Hope you lot all have a brilliant summer! You know what'll make mine? (Other than my lovely new mare Hermione of course) REVIEWS! You lot know what a review whore I am, and I don't plan on breaking the habbit (just don't tell mother!) Happy summer!