Draco woke up the next morning with an angry, growling stomach, protesting at having skipped dinner the night before. He wasn't ready to face Theo after their argument. He didn't understand. Had he overreacted? Was post-sex a perfectly reasonable time to ask someone to be one's boyfriend? He hadn't thought so, but Theo clearly had. What if they wanted different things? Did Theo only want him for sex? He said he hadn't, but Draco couldn't be sure, when he'd asked as soon as they'd had sex.

He rolled over in bed and stretched, yawning loudly. Breakfast was unavoidable today. Even if he wasn't hungry, Pansy would scold him for slacking on his efforts to get better. He didn't want that.

Greg and Blaise got ready unusually quickly. Draco supposed it was probably their completely, blatantly unsubtle attempt at giving Theo and him a moment alone, which he absolutely did not want.

Sure enough, his theory proved to be correct when Greg and Blaise hurriedly gathered their books and departed the room. Draco trained his eyes on his own reflection as he combed his hair, determined not to spark up a conversation with the other boy. However, he could not help but steal a glance toward Theo, who was buttoning up his dress shirt.

They made eye contact. Brown bore into grey. Theo frowned.

"You can't avoid me forever, y'know."

"Watch me."

Draco returned to vehemently combing his messy hair. A whole night of thrashing from nightmares hadn't treated his locks too kindly. He didn't wince from the pain of the knots; he welcomed it. However, with a particularly hard tug came a particularly biting flash of pain. Growling frustratedly, he tugged at the comb, which had gotten stuck in his hair.

"Hey, stop that." Theo all too quickly was behind him, and had placed his hands on top of Draco's. Draco trembled from the feeling that spread through his hands. Theo grasped onto Draco's hands and carefully removed them from the comb. Draco, stunned, let him.

"You'll make it worse if you do that."

Theo gently set Draco's hands down at his sides. They tingled from the contact. Then he reached back up and placed one hand on the stuck comb.

"Here, let me."

Theo began slowly, carefully attempting to wrench the comb free. Draco winced in pain. Somehow, at someone else's touch, his head grew ten times more sensitive. He cursed himself for appearing so weak in front of the other.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked quietly as he continued to wriggle the comb. "Your hair's in a right state."

"No," Draco answered coldly.

Theo sighed. He continued working on the comb, and with a particularly hard tug Draco hissed.

"Almost there."

Draco felt Theo place a steadying hand on his shoulder. He hated that the other's touch had such an effect on him. Theo could feel the rapid rise and fall of his shoulders, sense the electricity in his touch, their closeness, he could feel everything. Draco couldn't stand being a part of such an intimate moment after the way things had played out between them. If he was right, and Theo only wanted him for cheap pleasure, then he had absolutely no business messing with Draco's hair.

The way Theo had kissed him, held him, praised him had felt real. But what if it wasn't? What if he said that to all his partners? Draco realized with a pang in his chest he had no idea who he was to Theo at all.

"Theo-"

"It's coming out," Theo assured him, misconstruing the name call. "Just a little bit more." He continued pulling on the comb, murmuring apologies under his breath.

"How'd you manage to get it like this, Draco?" he asked.

"I dunno."

With one last yank, Theo pulled the comb out of his hair at last. Then, to Draco's horror, he began combing his hair.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Fixing your hair. What's it look like I'm doing?"

"Why?"

"Because it needs fixing, silly."

Draco said nothing, only stared in shock as Theo slowly smoothed out the knots in his locks. The hand on his shoulder rubbed the muscle and bone softly, applying a slight pressure. Draco exhaled shakily.

"We're going to have to talk about this eventually, Draco."

"No, we don't."

Theo stilled his motions with the comb. "So, that's it, then? We shag a couple times and it's over?"

Draco swallowed.

"I never saw you as just a shag," said Theo.

Draco's eyes widened. He tensed up, shrugging off Theo's hand and spinning around to face him.

"Oh, yeah? Then tell me, why did you ask me to be your boyfriend right after we shagged? Doesn't send the best message, if you ask me."

Theo frowned. "I was under the impression our shagging was connecting us, bringing us closer together. Clearly, we saw it differently."

It was Draco's turn to frown. "I never said it didn't make me feel connected to you."

"But you aren't acting like it. Draco, how am I supposed to know what you want if you don't tell me?"

That one hurt his feelings. He thought he was being perfectly receptive to Theo's physical touches and kind words, but maybe he wasn't.

"I did tell you. I looked you in the eye and told you I wanted you. How much clearer can it get?"

"Saying it and acting it are two different things."

"I held your hand, I let you shag me. Multiple times. Theo, I gave you my virginity. I wouldn't do that with just anybody. And you're going to stand there and say it wasn't special to me?"

Theo's lips parted slightly. Draco wasn't done.

"No, I don't think immediately asking me to be your boyfriend after sex was the best move, but that doesn't mean I don't want you. You never let me finish. You jumped to the conclusion I didn't want you period, when that wasn't it at all."

"Shagging doesn't even feel like the right word for what we did, Draco, Merlin . . . Feeling you come apart in my arms like that was . . . It was . . . It was the best feeling I've ever had."

Draco's eyebrows raised. His expression softened. He noticed Theo's grip tighten on the comb.

"You mean that?"

"Every word," Theo answered without hesitation.

Draco cautiously took a step closer to the other boy. He saw Theo tremble.

"You know I'm not good at expressing my feelings," Draco began carefully. Theo nodded. "But you . . . You bring something out in me, a new side of myself, that I've never seen before. I want to explore it more."

Theo's lips curled upwards in a small smile. "I like seeing that side of you. I want to see more of it. If you'll let me."

Bringing up a shaking hand, Draco cupped Theo's jaw. Theo bit his lip, eyes wide. When Draco softly thumbed at the skin, Theo shuddered and closed his eyes.

"I will."

Those two words, spoken softly with such conviction, were all the consent he needed. Theo surged forward and captured Draco's lips in a simmering kiss. Draco gasped into his mouth, hands gripping Theo's face tightly. Theo's arms circled his waist and drew him close until their chests were flush.

Dizzy, Draco pulled back after a few moments of heated snogging and panted for air. Theo looked at him with such adoration in his eyes that Draco wanted to melt right there on the floor. Theo placed the comb on the dresser.

"Draco," he said breathlessly, almost in awe. His hands reached up and cupped Draco's cheeks. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you properly."

"It's okay," said Draco, and he meant it. It was hard to be angry at Theo for anything after having been kissed like that.

"You mean more to me than the way I came across."

His heart clenched. "I know."

Theo didn't look convinced. "And I don't want you to think so little of yourself. You're so much more than just a shag. Always have been."

Theo kept his hands on Draco's face.

Draco was sure he was shaking, and was even surer Theo noticed.

"I know," he said thickly.

"Alright. I'll keep reminding you, then."

Theo planted a kiss on his forehead. His lips lingered there for several seconds. Draco shuddered, stifling a gasp. This moment felt so intimate, that he didn't quite know what to do with himself.

"Be my boyfriend," Theo murmured against the skin.

Draco's eyes widened. Tendrils of uncertainty crept up his spine. Putting a label on their relationship would legitimize everything they'd done. Was he ready for that?

Theo's lips left his forehead and he looked Draco deep in the eye. Draco detected a glint of fear.

"I want you to be mine, so bad," Theo said quietly, barely above a whisper.

Against all his fears and apprehensions, Draco found himself nodding. He felt as though he had just jumped off a very high cliff, and now he was free falling.

Theo's eyes sparkled with excitement. His smile widened.

"Yes?" he breathed.

Draco nodded more, unable to form words.

"Yes?"

"Yes."

A choked sort of laugh escaped Theo's lips, and he pulled Draco into a tight hug, squeezing the air straight out of his lungs.

"You said yes. You said yes."

Theo began peppering his forehead with a thousand tiny kisses. Draco felt a swell of affection bubble up inside his chest.

"Boyfriend. Boy. Friend," Theo sounded out. "Boyfriend. You're my boyfriend. The word feels kind of weird to say once you've said it over and over, don't you think?" He giggled.

Draco chuckled fondly, cupping Theo's jaw, looking at the man with adoration.

"I can't believe this is real," Draco said quietly.

"Me neither."

Theo leaned in and planted an utterly gentle kiss on his lips. So gentle that Draco shook in his grip and swallowed thickly, hand sliding off Theo's jaw and unsteadily gripping his shoulder.

Theo broke away, and ran a tentative hand through Draco's freshly combed hair. "Hey," he said softly. "Look at me."

Draco looked into his eyes, so full of adoration.

"I promise I'll treat you exactly the way you deserve. You deserve the world and nothing less, Draco."

Draco couldn't help the gasp that escaped his mouth. He felt himself smile.

"I don't want to see you skipping meals again, though. When you didn't show to dinner last night I was so worried."

Draco felt his chest clench uncomfortably. He really didn't want this to be their first conversation of their officiated relationship.

"Please, can we not do this right now?" he asked softly.

Theo's eyebrows pinched inward like they did when he was worried. "I don't ever want you to think that just because we aren't getting along means you can't eat, I mean Merlin, Draco . . ."

"It wasn't like that." But the truth was, Draco didn't know what it was like.

"You must be starving."

"Actually, I am."

Theo extended his hand to him. "Care to accompany me to breakfast, then? Our first meal as a couple."

Draco smiled in spite of himself. Theo was attempting to make amends for bringing up the touchy subject, and Draco appreciated the effort.

"Alright."

They gathered their things and set off for the Great Hall together. Hand in hand, they walked through the common room. It was mostly vacant. Everyone had already gone off to breakfast.

When they reached the Slytherin table, they took a seat next to Greg, who sat across from Pansy and Blaise.

Pansy's eyes widened at the sight of them. She smirked, nudging Blaise.

"Looks like the lovebirds made up."

"None of that," Draco scolded her, though he didn't mind as much as he was letting on. He just didn't want Pansy to know that.

Pansy frowned. "You're no fun."

Draco fixed her with a pointed look. "And you know why."

Pansy shrunk into herself.

Greg clapped Theo on the shoulder. "Knew you could fix things, mate."

Draco frowned. Had Theo told them? How much did they know? Greg he didn't mind, but he was still treading on unsteady ice with Pansy and Blaise.

Theo must've sensed Draco's apprehension, for he squeezed his hand a little bit tighter and whispered in his ear.

"They forced it out of me. I'm sorry, love."

Draco felt heat immediately creep into his cheeks. Love.

He squeezed Theo's hand back, a silent reassurance that it was okay, that it wasn't his fault.

"It's okay," Draco whispered back.

"Hey, no secrets," said Blaise. "What are you two whispering about?"

"Nothing of your concern," Draco said freshly. Blaise frowned.

"No need to be a prick about it."

"I think I've reserved the right to be a prick as much as I want for a while where you and Pansy are concerned."

Blaise sighed. "I understand you're upset, Draco, but that doesn't mean-"

"Upset?" Draco exclaimed. "Upset? I'm upset."

"You seem it, mate."

"You haven't earned that title back with me yet."

Blaise frowned at him. "How long should I plan on waiting around, then?"

Draco really didn't appreciate Blaise's sass. He tensed up, and Theo squeezed his hand, thumb rubbing soothing circles.

"As long as it takes," he replied smoothly. Greg snorted.

"You don't have to be such an arse, you know," said Pansy. "We're trying, here. You could at least pretend to do the same."

The soothing circles continued. Draco took a steadying breath.

"You really hurt me, Pansy."

Pansy averted her gaze to the floor. "I know."

"We were supposed to be best friends. And you just . . . you just . . ." Draco gestured with his free hand, unable to verbally express his anguish. To his utter dismay, hot tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. He rapidly blinked them away.

"I thought you were using him," Pansy said.

"That wasn't for you to assume."

"I know, and I've told you how sorry I am, and I'll keep saying it-"

"That isn't enough, Pans." The nickname slipped out. He couldn't help it. "You've got to show me that you care."

"What do you want me to do, Draco?" Pansy asked brokenly. "There's been a you-shaped hole in my life since the moment I uninvited you from lunch that day. I want you back."

"Trust takes time, Pansy," Theo said gently. "Draco will trust you again. It's just going to take some time."

Pansy wiped her eyes furiously. Had she been crying?

"I don't want to wait. I want my best friend back. I want to hear everything about you guys. Are you officially together yet? Would be about time."

"As a matter of fact, we are," said Draco. "That I feel comfortable sharing."

Blaise's expression softened into kindness. "Congratulations, you two. That's fantastic."

Theo never stopped rubbing the circles. Draco relaxed from the intimate contact.

"Draco, I'm so happy for you," Pansy gushed, blinking quickly. Her eyes were damp. Draco politely didn't comment on it. "You too, Nott."

"I asked him only this morning," said Theo, smiling dopily. "Still fresh to us, too."

"I want to reach over the table and give you a bone-crushing hug, but I know we aren't there yet," said Pansy.

"Not quite," agreed Draco.

And with that the group began to eat. Food came easier to Draco this meal. He supposed his newly official relationship with Theo had everything to do with it. He hated how receptive his appetite was to his state of mind, how if he were in a sour mood he wouldn't want to eat a thing, but there wasn't a thing he could do to stop it. Unless he wanted to seek professional help, which definitely wasn't happening.

So he'd take the good mood for now and hoped it would last.

"I've been doing some thinking, Harry."

Ginny toyed with a strand of her fire-red hair. The flames flickered with life in the hearth. Harry studied her closely. He missed their intimacy, their closeness. They'd kept to their word and stayed friends, but there was still something missing between them. And unless he worked out whatever was going on with himself, there always would be.

"Hmm?"

"And I've decided that we should break up. For good."

Harry froze.

"What?"

"Harry-"

"It's been a month, and you haven't gotten any closer to figuring out why you can't be intimate with me, have you?"

Harry couldn't lie. He could never lie to Ginny. "No."

"Believe me, this hurts me to say as much as I'm sure it hurts you to hear it, but I think it's for the best."

"Ginny . . . I'm still in love with you."

"Harry." She sighed, deflating in her chair. "I'm not sure I believe you. Even when we made love, something wasn't quite right. With us."

"What do you mean?" Now Harry was nervous. Had he made Ginny uncomfortable in some way during their lovemaking?

Ginny worried her bottom lip before answering. "Don't go running away with that thought, you never did anything wrong, it's just . . . the passion wasn't there."

Oh.

Harry could have handled it if Ginny had told him he was bad in bed; there was always room for improvement, which only came through open and honest communication. This, however, jostled him far more turbulently.

It wasn't something he was even aware of.

"I thought I was passionate."

"Oh, Harry." The ginger sighed again. "You were tender, and gentle, and sweet. You treated me like I was made of glass. You never . . . er, got rough with me or anything."

"I didn't know that was something you wanted. All you had to do was ask, Gin."

Ginny frowned at him. "That's just it, Harry. I shouldn't have to."

"Ginny, how am I supposed to know what you want if you don't communicate it to me?"

"Because it should be instinctual, Harry. You can't honestly sit there and tell me truthfully that something wasn't missing from our sex life."

She was right. Something had been missing. Harry had just never been able to lay a finger on it because he was so enamored with Ginny. To him, tender and gentle was all he'd needed to do because he saw Ginny as this delicate, perfect creature who he would never lay a harming finger on in a thousand years. He never stopped to consider that maybe that was an issue.

Harry sighed. "I understand where you're coming from, but I stand by my statement that if you want something, you should communicate it. I'm not a mind reader."

"Harry, how thick are you? I just finished telling you that this isn't something I should ever have to ask for. Passionate, rough, fast love making just happens. It isn't forced or negotiated."

"I'm sorry I couldn't cater to all your needs," he spat, suddenly feeling very cross. Here he was being dumped because he couldn't cater to his girlfriend's needs in bed. How humiliating. Instead of giving him a chance to improve, she was severing the connection completely.

Ginny's expression softened. "Harry, it isn't like that-"

"Oh, really? Because that sounds like exactly what it's like."

He stood up, unwilling to take anymore.

"Harry, wait." She stood up.

"What?"

"I . . . I still want us to be friends. I care for you very deeply, and whatever's going on, whether it's that you find you're actually into blokes or I just wasn't the one for you, I hope you can find the strength to figure it out. It's important because it's a part of who you are, whether you like it or not."

"Into blokes?" Harry exclaimed, feeling a fierce blush coat his cheeks. "Where did that come from?"

"Honestly, Harry, I've literally thrown myself at you before and you've flat out denied me. For no conceivable reason."

"I'm sorry I'm not a sex machine, Ginny."

"As usual, you have completely missed my point." Ginny swung her messenger bag over her shoulders. "If you'd like to have a rational conversation once you've calmed down, I'd be happy to cater. Otherwise, I think some space is in order."

She briskly walked away, leaving a most stunned Harry to stew in his thoughts.