Waiting hurt like hell.
For the rest of Saturday, Harry paced the corridors of the castle, muttering under his breath, trying to convince himself that his friends would eventually take his side. He did his best to avoid other students, which became more difficult once it began to rain. Voices, footsteps, and drips upon the flagstones echoed throughout the castle. Harry found sanctuary in the Owlery, listening to the flapping wings and feeling the drops splash his face like tears. He stayed there for hours, watching night descend, until curfew when he slipped into the dark dormitory. Ron's emerald hangings had been drawn tight around his bed - Harry avoided looking in his direction and undressed quietly.
Though he felt exhausted from the day's trials, Harry stayed awake long after midnight, replaying the failed conversation in his mind, wondering what he could have done differently. In the eternally long silence, Harry tried to get angry at Ron and Hermione, wanted to curse them for abandoning him so quickly over the pretext of pretending to care about his safety…but he found that he couldn't. That was the issue with unconditional love, Harry thought, he couldn't stop feeling it for them no matter how illogical it was. Still, their betrayal pained him to no end - it coursed through his veins like slow-acting snake venom, squeezing tears from his eyes, and making his stomach twist in anxiety. Why couldn't they just accept Draco for the fact that he made Harry happy?
That question and others tumbled around in his mind for a long time that night. To distract himself, Harry strained his ears against the dull roar of the rained-upon lake for a creak of the floorboards, a sigh, anything that would signal Draco's return. But he never did, and Harry fell into a brief, fitful slumber, dreading the next morning.
On Sunday, Harry recounted his conversation with Ron and Hermione in the Gryffindor common room, to an attentive audience of two. Luna patted Harry's shoulder, offering him soft words of comfort. Ginny pursed her lips and grew a bit miffed that Harry had outed her to Ron, and soon left the room, girlfriend at her side, leaving Harry feeling more alone than ever.
Waiting for Draco hurt like hell, but the pain faded immediately when Harry saw him. Poised and postured as usual, though the shadows beneath his eyes and slightly mussed hair implied he hadn't been sleeping well. Draco caught his boyfriend's attention from across the hallway before Defense class, his silver eyes gleaming, wearing a meaningful look that made it clear he had much to talk about.
The effort gave Harry a headache, but he treated Draco with the barest geniality during class, talking to him only if he was required to. He hoped it would appease Ron and Hermione slightly, but they still avoided him like dragon pox, not sparing Harry nor Draco a single malicious glare. Draco himself seemed to know that Harry's chilliness was a fake front and kept up the unfriendly classmate charade with acting skills and patience that Harry was envious of.
During the last class of the day, Harry opened his textbook as McGonagall lectured about Featuristic Transfiguration. As he flipped through the pages, a loose bit of parchment sticking out from behind the front cover caught his notice. Harry placed the scrap onto his notes, immediately recognizing the cramped cursive: Room of Requirement. Resisting the urge to turn around and face Draco, who dutifully took notes a few seats away, Harry folded the parchment and slipped it back between the pages. He tried to squash his grin as he copied the diagram for transfigurative wrist movements.
One good thing about Ron and Hermione ignoring him, Harry reflected, shoving his books into his bag as the bell rang, they wouldn't ask where he rushed off to. He climbed up six flights of stairs in quite a hurry, leaving him panting slightly once he reached the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy demonstrating a pirouette to a group of trolls.
I need a place to talk to Draco Malfoy in private. Harry repeated the phrase in his head while he paced back and forth with his eyes closed. On the third recitation, he opened his eyes to a polished wooden door set in the cobblestone.
The Room of Requirement's magic had not diminished since the last time Harry had visited. The room was small but cozy, with a fire flickering in one corner to drive away the castle's chill. A simple, woven rug warmed the cold stone floor. Directly opposite the door was a window seat, covered in red and green cushions, set in an alcove. The view from the tall window would have been impressive, displaying the grounds, but persistent rain clouded the glass.
Harry shed his outer robes and vest in the warmth of the fire. He'd dropped his unneeded clothes and schoolbag to the floor when the door opened. He turned to see Draco, who, despite his tired appearance, looked content. "Hey," Harry greeted as his boyfriend strode across the carpet, "I'm so glad - mph!"
Abruptly, and perhaps with a bit more force than necessary, Draco pressed his lips to Harry's. His cold hands gently caressed Harry's face. Once Harry got over his surprise, his arms encircled Draco's waist, and he felt his pain melt like snow in the summer, his worries about Ron and Hermione pushed resolutely from his mind.
The couple broke apart. After a few breathless moments, each remembered they had something to say. "We need to talk," Harry blurted, and at the same time, Draco announced, "I have news."
"Er, you first," Harry said quickly, hoping Draco's news was more positive than his own.
"Perhaps we'd better sit down." Draco nodded to the window seat. A bit reluctantly, Harry left his arms and settled upon the cushions as Draco placed his satchel on the floor.
Perched upon the seat, Draco began to tell Harry of his visit to St. Mungo's. Harry could tell by the way Draco glanced down at his hands every so often that he kept some details hidden, but Harry didn't pressure him for them. He understood the gist: Narcissa was okay, Lucius not in his right mind, and the Malfoys' future uncertain.
"It's frustrating, not knowing what's going to happen to them," Draco concluded. "I have to 'wait and see', apparently." He sounded so bitter that Harry almost wanted to say sorry, but he knew Draco wouldn't appreciate that. "But there is something that might help them," Draco continued, and he recounted the odd visit to the Head of the Auror Office.
"They let me off the hook for being a Death Eater since I was so young," Draco explained. "But my - um, other crimes my family committed hadn't been properly penalized." Again, Harry got the feeling that Draco was hiding something, but he didn't dare ask what. "But the Commander offered me a way to pay off the 'debt,' per se, that the Malfoys owe, via a type of…" He paused delicately, searching for the right words, "Indentured employment. If I work as an Auror for twenty years, they might let my parents and me go free. She wasn't clear on what would happen to them in the interim, but-"
"Wait," Harry interrupted, brow furrowing, "Indentured employment? For twenty years? You're saying the Ministry will control your future."
"In essence, yes."
"But that's…" Harry shuddered, flooded with memories from his own life as the Boy Who Lived. Held captive to a prophecy, unable to live as an average child, raised precisely to sacrifice himself for the greater good. In hindsight, even the salvation of the world didn't stop him wishing that he didn't have the responsibility forced upon his shoulders at all. "That's awful."
Draco looked surprised at Harry's reaction for a moment, but his pale face took on an expression of resignation. "I don't mind doing it, Potter. Well, I do mind, but it's worth it."
"But what about your potions?" Harry insisted, "Your experiments? I thought you liked doing those, maybe even for a living."
A shadow of regret passed over Draco's face. "Yes, well…That's not really an option anymore. I can't lose my parents to Azkaban; I don't have anyone else. Besides," He continued, "I thought you'd be thrilled! We'd be working together, wouldn't we?"
Harry felt lighter, though he still wasn't okay with Draco's choice being taken away. "I hadn't thought of that."
"Apparently not," Draco said, rolling his eyes, "So, no need to get - oh!"
Something gray and feathery thunked against the window, then vanished. Harry and Draco squinted through the rain, which was still steady enough to obscure the atmosphere. The shape shot up once more, and Harry could see it was an owl clutching a letter in its beak, drenched and dazed from hitting the window.
"Does the window open?" Harry wondered aloud, and as he said it, a handle appeared next to his hand. He pulled it, and the pane swung open, letting in a considerable amount of wind and water, plus the owl, which was swept unceremoniously onto the rug.
Tugging the window closed took considerably more effort than opening it, and Harry's button-down was thoroughly soaked by the time he managed it. He noticed Draco glancing at his chest through the semi-transparent fabric and cleared his throat pointedly. Draco looked away, but he didn't bother to hide his smirk, and Harry blushed.
"I'll take care of the owl," Draco said airily, and he knelt by the poor, sprawled creature. Harry busied himself as well, hastily drying his shirt and glasses with his wand.
The bedraggled owl hooted feebly as Draco retrieved the letter, tossed it aside, and drew his wand. "Sicali," He uttered, and the bird's dark gray feathers dried to a fluffy texture. The owl straightened to a standing position and fluttered its wings, apparently pleased. "How'd you get all the way up here, little one?" Draco cooed, stroking the animal's downy head. "You must be tired."
Harry smiled at his boyfriend's uncharacteristic softness and knelt by him, picking up the dropped letter. The envelope was soaked through, and Harry tried but failed to make out the smudged address.
"Here," Draco leaned over and muttered the same spell he used for the owl, and the letter became instantly dry.
"Thanks." Harry grinned as he read the good-as-new ink; the letter was from Hagrid.
Dear Harry,
I've been back from Romania since Sunday and I'll be here for the week. Ron and Hermione came down, but they clammed up when I asked where you were. I'm guessing you know why? Drop by for some tea whenever you can!
Your friend, Hagrid
"Hagrid's back!" Harry exclaimed gleefully. He'd been keeping in touch with the former gamekeeper ever since he'd left to work with Charlie Weasley and his dragons, but Harry hadn't known when he'd be returning.
Draco frowned, not sharing his enthusiasm. "Hagrid, that o…verly enthusiastic professor with the hippogriffs?" He said, switching attitudes midsentence at the nettled look on Harry's face.
"I know you don't like him very much," Harry acknowledged, "But he's a close friend of mine."
Draco looked pained. "A friend whose bird attacked me! I could have died!"
"Buckbeak scratched your arm," Harry said bluntly.
"I was twelve. I could have died, Potter," Draco repeated, widening his eyes appealingly, but Harry wasn't swayed.
"Thirteen, and definitely not," Harry said firmly, and Draco huffed. "Come on, why don't we both visit him this evening?"
"Don't make me," Draco groaned.
"It'll mean a lot to me," Harry implored. He tried giving Draco the same pleading look, but the Slytherin had deliberately turned his attention to the owl again. Harry added, "If I tell him about us…"
"You wouldn't!"
"He'll take it much better than anyone else," Harry said, and somehow, he felt sure about that. "And I can tell him what happened when I told Ron and Hermione. You want to know what happened, don't you?" He asked slyly.
"Blackmail, Potter," Draco huffed, but Harry could tell he wasn't actually angry. "He'd better have good tea," Draco muttered as he scooped up the owl, nestling the bird in his arms.
• • •
Harry started to regret his decision five meters away from the castle. The wind whistled gaily in their ears, hurling marble-sized drops of rain onto their faces and clothes. Draco had placed anti-moisture charms on their hooded traveling cloaks before leaving, but the deluge somehow trickled in through the gaps, and both students were soaked halfway to their destination.
Draco stuck close to his boyfriend as they picked their way down the slope. Even though he'd put an Impervius Charm on his glasses, Harry still had to squint to see Hagrid's hut. The lights from within glowed a golden yellow that was barely visible through the downpour.
"Athena's getting wet again," Draco fretted, peeking into his robes at the owl loosely wrapped inside, hooting pitifully.
"You named it?" They were nearly halfway. Harry could make out the outlines of the pumpkins in Hagrid's garden, normal-sized, vines wild in his absence.
"Was I not supposed to?" Draco replied brazenly. "She likes it, I think."
As they neared the hut, the sod turned to steppingstones, slippery in the rain. Harry stumbled on one, but Draco caught him by the arm before he fell.
"Careful there, sweetheart," Draco muttered as his boyfriend steadied himself, and though Harry knew the endearment was said sarcastically, he smiled beneath his hood.
The pair arrived at Hagrid's doorstep, standing close to the building to shield themselves from the rain. Harry pounded twice on the door, hoping Hagrid would hear him over the storm.
"It's Harry and a friend!" He shouted, "I got your letter!"
The door swung open, and a pair of enormous hands waved for them to come in. "In, yeh lot," said a familiar voice, "Catch your cold out there."
A blast of warmth hit Draco and Harry as they sidled hurriedly into the hut, door slamming behind them. A fire roared cheerily beneath a copper kettle that emitted a white plume of steam. A couple of pheasants hung from the ceiling. The ominous scent of burning flour and raisins meant that Hagrid was baking his infamous rock cakes. His dog, Fang, was nowhere to be seen, but Harry noticed a terrarium in the corner that housed a small, hedgehog-like creature that appeared to be sleeping; a knarl, Harry guessed.
Hagrid's black eyes twinkled, and he beamed at Harry from behind his bushy, dark beard. He towered over both students, and Harry could feel Draco tense next to him as Hagrid spoke in his booming voice. "Don' be a stranger, eh, Harry? Been months since I've seen yeh!"
"It's good to have you back, Hagrid," Harry replied, giving his friend a hug. Hagrid patted him on the head with so much force Harry's knees almost buckled. Draco let out a quiet whimper of alarm.
"That Ron or Hermione with yeh?" Hagrid asked, and Draco removed the cloak's hood. His silver eyes were wide and anxious, reflecting the flickering firelight. Hagrid frowned as he recognized the former Death Eater. "An' what've we got here? Malfoy spawn…Come ter drive me out, is that it? On'y been here two days."
"N-no," Draco stammered under Hagrid's glare, and it occurred to Harry that he might actually be scared of their old professor. "I'm Potter's, er, friend. We brought your owl back," He added, unwrapping the damp bird from his cloak. The owl hooted gratefully and fluttered over to the table, where she began pecking at the remnants of Hagrid's lunch.
"It's alright, Hagrid," Harry said quickly, stepping between them as Hagrid continued to glower. "I trust him."
Hagrid seemed to soften. "If you trust him, Harry, I might as well. I see a lot has changed since I left. Make yerselves comfortable, I'll brew us a cuppa." He lumbered towards the cupboard, retrieving three floral-patterned mugs as Harry and Draco draped their wet cloaks over the kitchen chairs. "An' she's not mine," Hagrid added as he rummaged for tea leaves, "Found her in the Forbidden Forest, little creature seemed lost. She's young, for an owl."
"I named her Athena," Draco said, eyeing Hagrid warily.
Hagrid grunted approvingly as he put on a lumpy oven mitt, grabbed the kettle, and poured hot water. "Suits her. One of you can keep her if you like."
"Oh…Thanks," Draco managed a faint smile as he watched Athena nibble at a stale slice of bread.
Hagrid set out the steaming, mint-scented tea and a plate of hot rock cakes, which Harry wisely ignored. Draco followed his example and reached for a mug. "So, the Chosen One and an ex-Death Eater are friends," Hagrid remarked as he sat in a chair half as tall as Harry. "How on Earth did that happen?"
"That's a…long and complicated story," Harry said, exchanging a look with Draco. "It all started when he wrote to me during the summer. I guess I gave him a second chance, and we finally managed to get along. It's been weird, but…interesting. In a good way."
"That's accurate," Draco agreed.
"But a few months ago…" Harry continued, and he looked over at Draco again, who hesitated, then nodded encouragingly. "Our friendship, er, grew into something more. We're dating now," He finished awkwardly.
Hagrid was eerily quiet for a few moments, and all they could hear was the rustle of Athena's feathers, the crackling fire, and the pounding of the rain. Hagrid's face was unusually hard to read, and he regarded his tea thoughtfully.
"Malfoy's your boyfriend? Like Ron is ter Hermione?" He asked.
Harry swallowed. "Yes."
"That's interestin'," Hagrid murmured, seemingly to himself. "That's real interestin'. Not 'xactly what I expected, but not surprising, considerin' all…" He trailed off.
"Excuse me," Draco interrupted, grey eyes narrowing in confusion, "Did you say you're not surprised?"
"Maybe I am, a bit," Hagrid amended, "Never occurred ter me, boys bein' together, but it's not hard ter wrap me head around. I mean, look at what I had fer parents! But that's not the interestin' part. See," He began, and Harry felt they were in for a bit of a ramble, "Ever since you were kids, Harry wouldn't stop blatherin' about you ter me, Malfoy. Ron an' 'Mione did it, too, but Harry was the worst. Kid was obsessed."
Draco's mouth fell open, and he looked incredulously at Harry, who felt his face warming from more than just the fire.
"So, I think to meself, 'Ah, that's just normal school rivalry, boys bein' boys.' An' I guess it was, ter summat degree. I even heard about Harry and couple o' other kids jinxin' yeh a few times. But when You-Know-Who came back," Hagrid sighed heavily into his cup, "That's when everythin' changed. I didn't see you much meself, Malfoy, but teachers talk, you know. Sixth year was the worst for you. Yeh didn't eat much, couldn't focus. Harry here noticed somethin' was off, too. Ron an' Hermione told me how yeh wouldn't stop talkin' about Malfoy," Hagrid addressed Harry, "What he could be up to, an' yeh thought he was a Death Eater."
"He wasn't wrong, though," Draco interrupted softly.
Hagrid fell into a troubled silence then, scowling into his mug. Seeking to hurry past the sticky moment, Harry asked, "If you thought I hated him, why is it not surprising that we're together?"
"Well, if yeh look at all the facts," Hagrid said, spreading his enormous hands in a sweeping gesture, and Harry grabbed his mug to keep it from being knocked over, "It makes sense, don't it? Yer the kindest, most forgivin' person I ever met, Harry. 'Cept maybe your mum." Hagrid sighed heavily, and Harry felt the familiar twinge of sadness that always appeared whenever someone mentioned Lily. "An' Malfoy…I don' think kids lined up to be friends with ya after all that's happened."
Draco inclined his head. "Not really, no."
"So, what better person for yeh ter be with than Harry? I can't think of anyone else who'd accept yeh and befriend yeh like he has." Satisfied with his reasoning, Hagrid reached for a rock cake.
Harry tilted his mug to one side, formulating a reply. "There's still give and take, though," He said finally.
"There's what?" Hagrid grunted, and at the same time, Draco asked, "What do you mean?" Flustered at having spoken in unison with a half-giant, Draco promptly busied himself with gulping down tea.
"I mean," Harry rushed on, "You're making it sound like he's dependent on me. Like I'm the only one with standards low enough to like him."
"Er…" Hagrid scratched his beard, "Tha's not how I meant ter sound…"
"It's fine. I'm just saying," Harry glanced over at Draco, who had drained his mug and listened attentively, "I'm not dating him because I feel sorry for him. Maybe, deep down, that's why I let him approach me, but that's definitely not the case anymore. I genuinely like you, Draco," He continued, speaking now directly to his boyfriend, "For lots of reasons. It'd take me all day to list them all. I hope you don't think I'm with you just because I feel obliged to."
"No, I didn't get that impression," Draco said softly, though he wore a small smile, and his silver eyes were shining with relief.
A bit bemused, Hagrid looked back and forth between them a few times before breaking the silence. "Well…nice to see that yeh get along."
"Getting along is putting it lightly," Harry said with a grin, catching Draco's eye, and his pale cheeks flushed.
Nearby, Athena hooted in a satisfied sort of way. She fluttered from the food-speckled table to the rafters, perching and preening her ruffled, damp feathers. Hagrid offered the two students refills on tea, and they accepted. Once all three cups steamed, Draco seemed keen to move the conversation along.
"So, Potter. Aren't you going to tell us what happened with Ron and Hermione?"
"Right…" Harry filled Hagrid in, "I told them over the weekend that Draco and I are together. And it did not go well." Harry took a deep breath before he launched into an explanation of Saturday's epic row, Draco and Hagrid listening intently. At particular points, Hagrid shook his head in concern. Draco grew steadily paler, clasping his hands like Harry knew he did every time he felt anxious. By the time Harry had finished, Hagrid's mouth set into a frown, Draco looked like he was going to be sick, and Athena had fallen asleep.
"That…is not good," Draco said, rubbing his temples; he evidently didn't take well to being accused of deliberate seduction.
"Er, I don't suppose there's any possibility of Malfoy actually doin' such a thing?" Hagrid asked, more to Harry than Draco.
"No!" Both of them cried unanimously, and Draco scowled.
"I dunno yeh that well," Hagrid said apologetically, but Draco only made a displeased noise and crossed his arms. "That's unlike Ron and Hermione, don't yeh think?" He asked Harry. "They normally have your back."
"Yeah, well…" Harry shrugged despondently. "Not this time, I guess. Maybe they're trying to protect me."
"From what, me?" Draco let out a short, sarcastic laugh. "Terrible job they're doing so far, then, if they're just ignoring us."
"I can't tell what Hermione and Ron are thinking," Harry said honestly. "I'm giving them time to process, for now."
"How do you know if …" Draco's words faded off into a mutter, but Harry could read his lips well enough to deduce what he'd said: How do you know if they'll come back in the end?
Outside, a particularly loud crack of thunder startled all three men and caused the hut to shake slightly. Athena woke for a moment, clicking her beak worriedly for a few seconds before tucking her head back down.
"Before yeh go back," Hagrid began, eyeing the flashes of lightning outside, "I should warn you both. People will come after ya, for as long as you're together, for bein' different. They're goin' ter say, 'a half-blood shouldn't be with a pureblood,' 'the Chosen One shouldn't be with Death Eater scum…' Uh, sorry," He said to Draco, who made a face but didn't interrupt. "An' I haven't heard of many, er, what do ya call 'ems…With two boys or two girls?"
"Gay," Harry offered.
"Gay couples, 'specially not in wizarding families. You'll have the whole world after yeh."
"That's not comforting," Draco mumbled, gripping his mug so tightly that his fingers turned snow-white.
"It's not supposed ter be. 'S not fair either, if you ask me. People oughta be able ter love who they want," Hagrid's expression hardened, and Harry wondered if he was talking about someone else. "Point is, you got ter get used to it. Toughen up, rely on your friends."
Harry grimaced. "But Ron and Hermione-"
"If they don't accept yeh soon enough, find new friends," Hagrid said shortly. "Yer gonna need all the help you can get. Because out there," He waved a dustbin-sized hand towards the rain-slicked window, "Not many people will be on your side."
There was a tinkling of breaking ceramic as Draco accidentally knocked his mug over and onto the floor. His hands were shaking as they reached into his robes for his wand to fix the damage.
"Let me," Harry said instantly, retrieving his own wand. "Reparo. Scourgify." With a scraping noise, the mug flew back onto the table, undamaged, and the spilled liquid vanished from the rough wooden planks.
"Thanks," Draco muttered through a clenched jaw, but Harry knew he wasn't angry. Nervous and scared, maybe. Harry could relate.
Another boom of thunder echoed throughout the Hogwarts grounds, the rain pounding mercilessly against the windowpanes. Across the room, the knarl had woken up, its tiny mouth opening in a yawn as it paced restlessly in its terrarium. "Maybe yeh ought to wait out the storm," Hagrid offered.
"No, we're okay," Harry declined when he saw the alarm on Draco's face. "We should be heading back. Could you let Athena stay the night, though?" At the sound of her name, the owl abruptly rose from her light slumber and swooped down upon them. On instinct, Harry lifted his arm, and Athena landed on it, talons gripping him firmly. She fixed her yellow eyes upon him and resolutely settled her wings. "Guess she'll come with us again," Harry decided, and Athena allowed him to drape a section of his cloak over her as a shelter from the rain.
"Well, it's been nice catchin' up with yeh." Hagrid stood, his chair making an almighty scraping noise. "Drop in anytime, Harry, I'll be here all week. You too, Malfoy," He added gruffly, and Draco nodded shortly. "An' keep writin' to me, yeh hear? I want ter know what happens with Ron an' Hermione."
"I will," Harry gave his friend another hug before he and Draco pulled up the hoods of their cloaks. "'Bye, Hagrid."
The walk back to the castle was even more treacherous than the previous journey; the storm refused to abate. Draco and Harry slipped more than once on the wet grass, Athena squawking uneasily when they did so. Lightning crackled in bright fissures against the darkening sky, thick with clouds. The students kept their heads bowed against the downpour, not pausing to talk until they'd reached the castle entrance.
Athena, feeling that three times in the rain was plenty for one evening, hooted insistently to be let out. Harry released her from his cloak and opened the door only a crack before the owl shot off into the castle, leaving behind a couple gray feathers in her hurry.
"Does she know where the Owlery is?" Harry wondered aloud.
Draco ignored this question, pushing back his hood. The rain had turned his hair a darker blond, the damp locks slightly wavier than usual. "Do you think they'll accept us?" He said abruptly, and it took Harry a minute to realize who he was talking about.
"Ron and Hermione? I don't know," Harry sighed, uncovering his head as well. "I want to believe that they will. For my sake, at least. But you…"
"I'm me," Draco concluded morosely. "They'd forgive you instantly if you broke up with me, you know."
He was right, but Harry didn't want to admit it out loud. Saying it would make everything disappear: the secret hand-holding, the nights spent in front of the Black Lake window, traded smiles hidden in the haze of the vapor-filled dungeon. Harry knew his friends wouldn't mind if he dropped Draco Malfoy in a heartbeat, ignored him, excluded him, and let things go back to normal. But Harry didn't want to go back. "I won't."
Draco's mouth quirked. "Never?"
"I don't know about never," Harry said hastily. "But definitely not anytime soon. Unless I find out something really awful about you, I guess."
"Hm, really?" Draco stepped closer. Harry could see every tiny drop clinging to his pale lashes. "Something awful? Like…that I used to be a Death Eater?"
"What?" Harry's jaw dropped, his eyes widening. "No way. I can't believe this!" He ran both hands through his messy hair in mock-distress. Draco arched an eyebrow, trying to look stern, but the unconcealable grin ruined the effect. "You? A Death Eater? I'm shocked."
Draco snickered and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist, bending his head until their mouths were scarce inches apart. "All right, I get it, Potter."
The inexplicable scent of dewy gardenias nearly made Harry forget what he was going to say next. He put his arms around Draco's neck and unswervingly met his gaze. "No, I'm serious! We should talk about this," He said teasingly.
"Oh, hush," Draco whispered, and kissed him, just as Harry had hoped for. Time turned to honey, and the ruckus of the lightning-embroidered tempest faded to background noise. For a moment, Harry could imagine that it was just the two of them, living in their own bubble of happiness while the world raged futilely outside.