The hush that fell over the library was glaringly obvious, but neither of us indulged the stares. What was I ever worried about? Being with him is as natural as breathing.
Once we were both confident that our project was ready for presentation, we packed up our things and left the library. We were still much earlier than the rest of the class, and we decided to descend to the courtyard to relax before Charms.
It was a beautiful Autumn day, and the courtyard was all but empty as we reclined on a bench.
"Your friends don't think I'm stealing you from them, do you?" I chuckled at this.
"Honestly, they might. But you're not forcing my hand or anything, I'm hanging out with you so much because I want to."
Draco blushed down at his hands before quietly responding.
"Good."
"Were you…?" I felt an intrigued expression spread across my face as I shifted to face him more directly. "Worried you'd come between my friends and I?"
He glanced up at me guiltily. The muscles in my face softened.
"Draco, sweetheart…" His ears pinked at this term, and I took note. "I've been through more with them than anything you could possibly throw at us. Honestly, I think my Gryffindor arrogance is rubbing off on you!"
This earned a chuckle from him, and I grinned.
"Merlin forbid," he teased as I pulled him into me, resting his head on my shoulder with my arm around him. "So you're… Really not worried what everyone thinks?"
"Nah, I've been living up to expectations my whole life. It's fun flipping the script on everyone. N-not that that's why I'm doing this! Hell, this might just be the first thing I've ever done because I wanted to."
Draco hummed and wrapped an arm around my waist, tucking his head further under my chin. My heart squeezed as I laid my other arm over his. We sat there contently until the clock tower tolled the end of class. Draco jumped in my arms and suddenly withdrew.
"S-sorry," he apologized with a flush, which earned a chuckle from me.
"Don't apologize. Let's go to class."
Word had seemed to spread like wildfire, because, as we walked hand-in-hand to Charms, the whispers followed us like an Oppugno charm. I found it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would've, though. And it wasn't just because the hand in mine happened to vanquish the Dark Lord, but because it was Harry. In my nightmares, having the Chosen One by my side was a comfort, but here, amidst the scrutiny and judgment of our peers, it was having Harry by my side.
We filed into Flitwick's classroom just as everyone else was arriving, and found two desks beside each other against the far left wall of the room. The others purposefully avoided sitting too near us, but I found the whole situation rather hilarious.
Gryffindor arrogance indeed. Am I really enough to tarnish Harry's reputation?
The thought sent me cackling quietly to myself, and Harry cast me a suspicious glance. I offered a dismissive gesture as we settled into our seats. Flitwick's lecture began, and we both somehow strove to pay attention. Memories from last night playing behind my eyelids threatened to distract me, but I persevered. Predictably, though, our note-passing Horcrux slid onto my desk eventually.
'I can always tell now when you're thinking about fucking me'
I smirked down at the message laid before me, but felt a flush warm my cheeks.
'Blimey, even your transparency is rubbing off on me'
'We should sneak out tonight'
I cast a curious glance over at Harry before writing back.
'And go where?'
Harry's sly grin made my stomach lurch as he scribbled a barely legible message back to me.
'The room of requirement can meet numerous requirements at once'
My eyebrow raised at him as his words vanished.
'And what requirements might we require?' My quill seemed to elongate and exaggerate the 'require' in this note on its own before I slid it back to him.
'Maybe a bigger bed? More pillows? Some mood lighting?' As soon as my eyes scanned his shitty handwriting, he was writing more. 'And if anyone casts a location charm on us, we'll appear to be right where we're meant to be.'
'You've really thought this through I see' Harry's darkening cheeks spread pleasure throughout my nervous system. Before sending the note back to him, though, I continued. 'And you call ME insatiable'
Harry gaped at my words for a moment, and I had to stifle a laugh. When he finally ripped the page back onto his own desk, it was with aggression.
'YOU'RE the one constantly thinking about it. I can see it on your face' My hands clapped onto my cheeks at this notion, loud enough that a few classmates closest to us cast suspicious glances back at us. Which, of course, only made my face hotter. Harry, however, continued. 'You're like an open book'
Now, it was my turn to snatch the page back urgently.
'Not as open as you' My eyes glanced over to see his absorb my reply, quickly followed by the darkening of his cheeks. Flitwick suddenly distracted us by assigning us reading in our textbooks, and we both jotted down the page numbers he indicated. As soon as my quill lifted from my notes, the journal page we'd been passing disappeared from my desk.
'Tonight then?'
'Tonight it is'
The rest of Charms passed uneventfully, and then we were off to lunch. The crowds in the hallway still parted before us, but Draco and I were too distracted to care.
"I'm just saying, if you even just showed up at tryouts tonight, you'd have your old position back, one hundred percent guarantee."
"And I'm saying that wouldn't be fair. I don't want special treatment, I'd want to earn my spot on the team."
He rolled his eyes.
"You literally already have. The only game you lost was because you were attacked by a Dementor. They don't make the regular team members tryout again every year."
"No, but what if there's someone new who's really good? It wouldn't be fair to them if Hooch just handed me Seeker."
"What if there's no one else to fill the role? What if no one else wants it?"
"Right," I snorted. "Like all of Gryffindor isn't gonna be lining up to join this year."
"And you really think," we continued as we dropped onto the Gryffindor bench in the Great Hall. "There's someone out here who'd make a better Seeker than you?"
"'S possible," I shrugged, earning another eye roll from Draco.
"Ah, you thinking about doing Quidditch again this year?" Seamus asked as he picked up on the context of our conversation.
"Yeah… Maybe."
"Well, that wouldn't be fair," Hermione commented, and I shot Draco a look that said 'I told you so.'
"Exactly. And I don't want Hooch to just give me my old spot back, I haven't exactly played in years. I'd want to be given a fair shot, but Draco thinks-"
"He's already proven himself a million times over! How many wins has he brought Gryffindor already?"
A few assenting hums sounded around the table as we started eating.
"Right, I'm going to talk to Hooch after lunch and ask her to hold me to the same bar as everyone else. She'll have to then, right?"
"Dunno, Harry, she might say she will but will've already made up her mind as soon as she knows you're interested." Ron suggested, and I sighed.
"Well, I'll just have to try. What about you, Draco? Any interest in extra-curriculars?"
"Er… Have you met me? When have I ever willingly participated in social activities?"
"Fair point," I conceded. "What about you, Ron? Care to be a Keeper again?"
He snorted.
"Not bloody likely. 'Mione's got me doing all sorts of studying after school, I'd never have the time."
Sure, they're 'studying.' Still, he makes a valid argument. With Quidditch practice thrice a week, that'll mean that much less time I'll get to spend with Draco…
We'd both finished our meals at this point, and I decided I had to speak with him in private.
"Come to mention it, can I talk to you?" I stood, tugging Draco's sleeve. "See you in the tower later, guys."
The rest of the table didn't even raise an eyebrow as I pulled Draco along with me out toward the courtyard.
"What is it?"
"If I do play Quidditch again this year, then…" A pang of sorrow twisted my heart as I pictured Draco alone while I practiced, and he must've perceived.
"It's fine, Harry, really. If it's something you enjoy, I want you to do it."
"You're something I enjoy, too."
His answering smirk was closer to a smile at my implied, 'I want to do you, too.'
"There'll be plenty of time for both." He pulled my face close enough to kiss my forehead, right on my scar. "That is, unless you don't think you could go a few hours without seeing me every week…"
A short laugh crossed my lips as my cheeks warmed slightly.
"It's so strange… In a matter of a few days, I've stopped being able to picture my life without you in it."
Draco's smirk softened as that look took over his features. His hands were still on my cheeks as I leaned forward to kiss that damnably snoggable face. The hands on my face pressed our lips together more tightly, and I thought I'd pass out so fast was my heart thudding in my ribs.
"Go talk to Hooch. I'm… I'm going to write my mother a letter."