A/N: I've had this story written for a while, but for whatever reason I never posted it. But I stumbled across it again the other day, fixed some stuff, and decided I'd give it a shot! I hope you enjoy!
WARNINGS: Sexual content, lots of swearing.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything about Harry Potter. Anything you recognize is NOT mine. This is just for fun.
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Purely Physical
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Potter dragged Draco by the wrist into the first unused classroom they stumbled across. The door had barely closed behind them when Potter's strong hands grabbed Draco by his hips, slowly guiding him backwards until his back hit the cold stone wall. While the movements were gentle, the grip on Draco's hips was so tight that he was sure he'd come away from this encounter with finger-shaped bruises on his porcelain skin.
Fuck, how was it possible for Draco to be so turned on already? It really wasn't all that surprising, though. More recently, Potter seemed to have a special talent for turning Draco on in seconds. It was maddening, but in the best way.
Potter's insistent lips were suddenly on his, kissing him so deeply and so thoroughly that the only coherent thought he could form was this is bliss. He knew no one else could ever make him feel this good.
Try as he might, Draco couldn't deny that he had little to no self-control whenever he and Potter were together like this. The desire Draco felt for him was nearly overwhelming. He half-heartedly cursed himself for how pathetic that was. He then thought oh fuck it. What did it matter? So long as that sweet tongue kept doing all those wonderful things in his mouth. Draco could only bury his hands in Potter's dark mess of hair and let himself be ravished.
He let out an embarrassing whine in disappointment when those intoxicating lips abruptly abandoned his. But then those rough hands let go of his hips in favor of hastily unbuttoning and unzipping his trousers. The desperation in Potter's movements sent chills down Draco's spine. Both his trousers and pants were shoved down to pool around his ankles, and Potter sank to his knees.
Potter's lips surrounded just the head of Draco's already throbbing cock. His tongue slowly swirled over it once, causing Draco's toes to curl painfully. But Potter retreated immediately after the brief taste, making no move to do anything more. Draco knew he was being teased. This hesitation was merely an attempt to drive him to the brink of insanity before giving him what he wanted. And it nearly did drive him insane.
He held his breath, needing so badly for Potter to continue. He didn't want to be reduced to begging for it, but realistically he already knew it would come to that. He waited impatiently, his eyes falling tightly shut as he tried his hardest not to crack. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. A gruff, guttural sound escaped his throat.
"Please."
With that one word, Potter's warm, wet, wickedly talented mouth enveloped his cock. Draco gasped, and his eyes flew open. Yes, his reaction was mainly the result of the spectacular blow job he was now receiving. However, it also had to do with a horrifying realization that hit him like a ton of bricks in that moment.
He was in love with Potter.
Harry Potter. Savior of the Wizarding World. Vanquisher of the darkest wizard of all time. The personification of bravery, kindness, selflessness, and simply all things good.
Harry Potter, who was currently on his knees in front of Draco, shamelessly sucking his cock with both skill and enthusiasm that could have him coming in seconds, if not for his desire to make this experience last for as long as possible.
Harry Potter, who had fucked Draco more times in the last three months than he could count on his fingers and toes. And Merlin, if it wasn't brilliant every single time.
Harry Potter, who had taken to surreptitiously groping Draco's arse in public when no one was looking. He was far too reckless for his own good. But to Draco, that was part of his appeal.
Harry Potter, who tasted divine. His kisses were hot and needy and sinfully sweet. Draco couldn't get enough of them.
Most importantly, Harry Potter, who would never in a million years fall in love with Draco Malfoy.
Draco Malfoy, who would only ever be known as a Death Eater. There was no way anyone, let alone Harry bloody Potter, would be able to look past that.
This thing with him and Potter, it was just sex, right?
For Potter, yes. It was just sex.
For Draco, it was now something else entirely.
Why he had to have this revelation now of all bloody times, while he was in the middle of getting some excellent head from Potter, he didn't know. But fuck, he certainly couldn't let this continue now.
"Shit, Potter, wait."
Potter ignored the weakly mumbled request. His tongue teasingly traced random patters over every inch of Draco's shaft, as if he were taking his time to savor its taste and memorize its feel. Then, without warning, Potter sucked as much of his length as he possibly could into his mouth and hollowed his cheeks. Draco could do nothing but moan as he stared down at Potter, getting a thrill from the erotic sight of his cock slipping in and out of Potter's mouth between plump, red lips.
Draco had always known that Potter threw himself completely into everything he did. That apparently included getting Draco off, he had recently discovered, and it left him a mess every damn time.
Still, he was determined not to let this go any further. This had to stop now. Draco wasn't going to let himself continue this now that he was aware of the extent of his feelings for Potter. It wouldn't end well for anyone, especially himself. And he wasn't a Slytherin for nothing, he had to look out for himself first and foremost.
"Really, Potter," Draco tried again, but the words came out between breathy moans. Again, Potter ignored him. He reached around to grab Draco's arse with one hand, kneading it firmly. "Please, I…" Draco trailed off into another deep moan as Potter flattened his tongue and licked a stripe along the underside of his cock, starting at the base and ending at the tip.
Finally, Potter pulled back, but only for long enough to say teasingly, "Hmm… what was that Malfoy?" He then licked along the slit at the tip of Draco's cock, eliciting another moan from Draco.
"I… I…" But Draco couldn't finish his thought when once again Potter wrapped his lips securely around his cock and began bobbing his head at a fast, rhythmic pace. Draco wouldn't have thought it was possible for Potter to take him as deeply as he was, but he could feel the head of his cock hitting the back of Potter's throat with each bob of his head. After only a few seconds of this, Draco lost it.
He let out a short, choked scream and came down Potter's throat, his entire body shuttering from the intensity of his orgasm. His hands clung to Potter's mop of thick, dark hair, trying to keep himself steady. Draco both felt and heard Potter emit a low, drawn-out moan as he swallowed his release.
Potter leaned back, removing his mouth from Draco's softening cock, but he didn't stand up straight away. His hands stroked up and down Draco's thighs in slow, languid movements, and he tilted his head back so he could look up and lock eyes with Draco. Only once Draco loosened his grip on Potter's hair did the Gryffindor begin to rise.
Potter took out his wand and waved it over Draco, silently cleaning him up. Then, to Draco's surprise, he waved it over himself.
"Y-You didn't come, did you?" Draco asked incredulously as he pulled his pants and trousers back up.
Potter grinned unashamedly. "You bet your fine arse I did."
Draco gulped hard. "Really?"
"Believe it or not, that was extremely hot for me too," Potter said in a husky voice. "And lucky for me I have two hands, so..." He trailed off with a smirk.
Again, Draco gulped hard. Potter had gotten himself off while sucking his cock. If that wasn't hot, he didn't know what was.
He finished buttoning and zipping up his trousers. When he brought his attention back to Potter, he saw a small smile on that handsome face.
"What?" Draco asked warily.
In place of a verbal answer, Potter leaned in and kissed Draco soundly. Draco's lips parted almost instinctively, as did Potter's, and he could taste himself on Potter's tongue. With his newfound feelings for Potter, this kiss nearly shattered his heart. Draco couldn't let himself think it meant anything. He just couldn't. Their relationship was what it was, purely physical.
Potter eventually pulled back with a sigh. "We need to get going. You can't risk being late for class."
That was true, of course. They had unwisely chosen to get together at the tail end of lunch, just before Defense Against the Dark Arts. If Draco didn't hurry, he would be late. He was back at Hogwarts conditionally, not to mention on probation with the Ministry, so he couldn't afford to get into any sort of trouble. He nodded and slipped sideways out from where he was trapped between the wall and Potter's body.
Draco had just opened the door when Potter spoke again. "What were you trying to say before?"
He chanced a glance at Potter and thought for a moment about how he should answer. He decided that there was no need to explain himself. "Nothing, Potter. Nothing."
For one more second, he allowed himself to study Potter's bemused face. He had to force himself to look away and exit the room.
He couldn't let this happen again, he told himself firmly. This was the last time.
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The first time Draco and Potter hooked up was an accident, really.
They were both drunk following a party thrown in the eighth year common room to celebrate the new school year following the war. The two somehow found themselves wandering around the castle, alone, in the middle of the night, talking about subjects neither would have brought up had they not been inebriated (mainly things about their past).
As this went on, Draco began to realize that he genuinely enjoyed Potter's company. Potter wasn't at all the person Draco had always perceived him to be, and he liked this Potter he was getting to know.
After some more time spent with Potter, Draco found that he couldn't keep his eyes off the Savior. It eventually hit him that this was because Potter looked good. Maybe it was a result of the alcohol he had consumed, but suddenly all he could think about were Potter's hands and lips, and what it would feel like to have them roaming over his body. It soon became clear that Potter was thinking along the same lines.
Their previously serious conversation gradually turned into more casual talk. First, they both admitted that they were attracted to blokes. Next, Potter joked about needing a good shag. Finally, Draco agreed with him.
Next thing Draco knew, they were in some dark alcove with their trousers and pants pushed down to their knees. There was no kissing, no holding each other, no intimacy whatsoever. They simply took each other's cock in hand and hurriedly stroked until they both reached completion. It was dirty and shameful, but Draco loved every second of it.
The next morning, once he'd sobered up, Draco decided that the best course of action would be to avoid Potter. Not because he regretted what they had done, but because he was ashamed by how much he had enjoyed it. It had been nothing more than a basic hand job, yet it had somehow been nothing short of amazing.
Regardless, he knew he shouldn't be doing things like that with Harry Potter, no matter how drunk they had both been. There was too much shit between them. Sure, maybe their friendly conversation might have proved that they could potentially move on from their horrible past, but still. It just didn't make sense.
Avoiding Potter wasn't exactly easy, though. The castle was only so big, not to mention they were in almost all the same classes and they shared a dorm. Draco saw Potter constantly, which only served to confuse the hell out of him.
Draco figured Potter either didn't remember or didn't want to remember that night. He gave Draco no indication that it had even happened, to the point where Draco thought maybe he'd dreamed up the whole scenario in his head.
The second time Draco and Potter hooked up was no accident. In fact, Draco knew it was a well-executed plan on Potter's part.
About a week after the party, Draco was studying alone in the library. When Potter entered, he sat down at a table directly across from Draco and blatantly watched him. Draco was positive he wasn't imagining the smoldering, lustful look being sent his way from dark emerald eyes, and that intense look sent shivers down his spine.
He wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what Potter wanted. And in that moment, Draco realized that he wanted it too. Desperately. So, he shot his own meaningful look back at Potter before standing up. He then made his way to the last row of shelves at the very back of the library, under the pretense of needing another book. He wasn't at all surprised when Potter followed.
His and Potter's first kiss was mind-blowing. It felt like something straight out of a steamy romance novel. Draco hadn't even made it to the end of the row of bookshelves when hands grabbed his shoulders, spinning him around. Without a word, Potter crashed his lips onto Draco's with such passion and heat that Draco was left winded. To Draco's disappointment, Potter pulled away after only a short while.
"Follow me," Potter said huskily while shoving some sort of shimmering fabric into Draco's hands.
"What—?"
"Invisibility cloak. Now come on, I can't wait anymore."
Draco was amazed by the cloak, but even more amazed by the man who had given it to him. He threw it over himself and followed Potter until they reached to the Room of Requirement. Once inside the room, he saw that it contained a large, comfortable looking bed. He didn't mind one bit.
From then on, the two met whenever they could. It could be a rushed, yet no less incredible, tryst between classes, or it could be a long, drawn out night during which they did everything under the sun.
They always hooked up, that was a given. But when time was no issue, they would lie together afterwards, talking about nonsensical things and sharing chaste kisses. Draco knew that didn't mean much, though. It was very likely that Potter was just too polite to get up and leave immediately after sex. Still, Draco couldn't help but feel overly content whenever he shared those private moments with Potter.
Draco knew he was addicted to this, addicted to Potter. He hadn't given a flying fuck until he'd discovered that he had fallen hard for the Chosen One somewhere along the line. He wished they could continue as they had been because fuck was it great, but he knew they couldn't. These feelings changed everything for him. Who knew Draco Malfoy was a bloody romantic?
It might be difficult to suddenly stop seeing Potter altogether, but it would only get more difficult the longer he dragged this out. If he waited for Potter to end this, which he inevitably would, Draco could find himself hurt, or worse embarrassed. No, he would end this on his terms.
He knew it wouldn't be easy, but it was for the best. He had to get over Potter.
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Draco spent the next several days ditching and dodging Potter at all costs. He was the first to bed every evening and the first out of the dorm every morning. He would leave meals early and run out of classes as soon as they were dismissed. That could only work for so long, though, especially when the person you were trying to avoid was a hardheaded Gryffindor who wasn't likely to give up without a fight.
"It's been a while, Malfoy."
Draco froze in the middle of washing his hands. They were both supposed to be in Charms, but Draco had been excused to use the bathroom. He hadn't thought Potter would have the nerve to follow him in here.
"Five days is not a while," Draco answered stiffly.
"Fine, it feels like it's been a while," Potter replied. Draco didn't want to fully face him yet, but he did watch Potter through the mirror in front of him. He could see in the reflection that Potter's arms were crossed, and he wore a deep frown. He watched as Potter said, "With you, five minutes feels like a while to me. It feels like for-fucking-ever."
Draco knew his face was flushed, so he put his head down and busied himself with turning off the tap and drying his hands. Potter's words meant nothing, he reminded himself sternly. If they did mean anything, it was just that Potter was perpetually horny.
When Draco couldn't put it off any longer, he turned to face Potter. Potter was standing much closer now. With Draco's eyes on him, he boldly reached out a hand, placing it on the spot where Draco's neck met his shoulder.
"You've been avoiding me." It was a statement, not a question.
"I…" Draco couldn't even bring himself to try denying it.
Draco's breath hitched when suddenly Potter's lips were on his. He tried not to react. Really, he did. But he couldn't help it. He melted into Potter's familiar embrace, arms wrapping around his waist, tongue sliding into his mouth. Potter's hands settled on gently cradling Draco's jaw as he snogged him slowly and deeply.
It was too much. Draco felt shameful tears forming in his eyes. He couldn't do this. It was too good. It hurt knowing he was in so deep while this didn't mean a thing to Potter. He shoved Potter away.
"Potter, stop." He tried to keep his voice from quivering, but he didn't quite manage it.
Potter looked like he'd been slapped across the face. He studied Draco, surely taking note of his watery eyes and blotchy pink cheeks. "Did I—" His voice cracked, and he cut himself off. He cleared his throat and tried again. "What's wrong?"
Draco took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. "It's nothing."
"That's what you said the other day, then suddenly I'm being ignored," Potter snapped, now sounding frustrated. When Draco failed to respond, Potter practically growled, "Look at you, it's clearly not nothing."
"Just stop," Draco said meekly, despite his attempt to sound firm.
"Stop telling me to stop!" Potter was nearly yelling now. "I'm not going to stop until you talk to me."
"Potter, I can't do this anymore," Draco blurted out.
"And what does that mean?"
"You know exactly what that means," Draco said softly. "I can't."
"Why not?" Potter demanded, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides.
Suddenly, Draco was fuming. "Why does it matter?"
"It matters because the last thing I want is for this to stop." Potter voice was no longer raised. Now it was barely above a whisper. "I'm not going to let you do this without at least telling me why."
Draco's heart ached upon hearing those words spoken so softly and dejectedly. Potter stood half blocking the bathroom's exit, patiently waiting for Draco to respond. His stance made it clear that he wasn't going to let Draco leave without first giving him an answer.
For a brief moment, Draco entertained the idea that maybe Potter felt something more for him, something past their strictly physical relationship. His words and actions seemed to suggest that he might. But almost as soon as that ludicrous thought entered Draco's mind, he forced it out with a sharp shake of his head. He knew that was impossible.
Draco came to his senses and snapped bitterly, "I'm sure you feel this must end at some point, so why prolong it?"
"Who the hell said I feel that way?" Potter hissed angrily. "Did I not just say I don't want this to end?"
"I just know you feel that way!" Draco shouted. He knew he was acting crazy, but he had lost all control of his emotions. "And even if you don't feel that way right now, I know you will at some point! You and me? It's ridiculous! It means nothing! It's not going to go on forever!"
Potter gaped at that. "It doesn't mean n—"
Draco didn't wait for him to finish his sentence. "I don't even know why we're arguing about this. What's the point?"
Potter raked a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable. "The point is I don't want to lose you."
"Just stop!"
"Stop what?!"
"Stop thinking with your prick!"
"Draco, you don't think—"
Hearing his first name spilling so casually out of Potter's perfect mouth was the final straw for Draco. He exploded, shouting before he could even think about the words he was saying.
"No, Potter. You know what I don't think? I don't think I can do this any longer. I don't think I can handle you fucking me into a mattress or a wall or a desk every damn day now that I've figured out I'm in love with you, because I know for a fact you will never feel that way about me. I don't think I can deal with this going any further only to have it end a million times worse than this."
It took Draco a moment to realize all he'd just said, all he'd just admitted. He couldn't even begin to fathom what Potter was thinking, his face showed nothing. But Draco was sure he couldn't be thinking anything good. Draco felt about a million heart wrenching emotions all at once, and he knew he needed to get away now.
He quickly finished with, "And I don't think I can stand here and wait for you to have some sort of horrible reaction to all that. I don't think I can take it. Goodbye."
He pushed past Potter, nearly sprinting out of the bathroom and into the corridor. He heard Potter calling after him, but he didn't turn back. He kept running until he arrived at the Charms classroom. He was panting lightly as he entered and took his seat again.
He heard the door open again a few minutes later and knew it must be Potter. He didn't let himself look. But from the prickling he felt on the back of his neck, he knew Potter was watching him intently for the rest of class.
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Again, Draco avoided Potter like the plague. It had been a little over a week since their falling out, and he had been doing a damn good job of it. Or maybe Potter was letting Draco avoid him. He wasn't sure if he had frightened Potter off, if Potter was trying to give him space, of if Potter had just given up. Whatever it might be, Draco was glad for it. Although, the constant, uncomfortable aching in his chest had yet to disappear. Damn it all, he fucking missed Potter.
Despite it being a Saturday, Draco woke early, got ready, and was out of the eighth year boys' dormitory before anyone else. He made his way to the Great Hall feeling inexplicably peaceful. Perhaps with each passing day things were getting easier. Although, it was still with a conscious effort that he pushed all thoughts of Potter from his mind.
He took his seat at the Slytherin table (the eighth years shared a dormitory, but still sat at their respective house tables during meals) and waited for Blaise and Pansy to arrive.
"Morning, Draco!" Pansy said cheerfully as she and Blaise approached. Blaise could only make some sort of grunting noise in acknowledgement (he'd never been much of a morning person). Draco greeted his friends in return as they settled in their seats.
Draco glanced up as the post started to arrive. He always enjoyed watching the owls as they flew gracefully down to the tables, delivering letters and packages to the students. This morning, though, something unusual caught Draco's eye among the flock of owls. One of them had a distinguishable bright scarlet letter clamped in its beak.
He snorted. "Someone's getting a Howler."
Blaise and Pansy looked up at the owl Draco was pointing at.
"Excellent," Blaise cackled maliciously. Apparently, the prospect of someone's public humiliation was enough to properly wake him up. "Let's see who it's for."
They watched as the owl flew downward, heading in the direction of the Slytherin table. They perked up even more at that, wondering who among them was in for an unpleasant shock.
"Uh… Draco…" Pansy muttered as the large, tawny owl keyed in on their spot at the table.
The owl finally landed. Right in front of Draco.
"What the…?" He wasn't sure what to do.
The owl didn't wait for Draco to take the envelope. It deposited the Howler onto his plate before spreading its wings and taking off again.
"Come back you stupid bird!" he called after it. "This can't be for me!"
He could tell that Blaise was trying hard not to laugh as he pointed out, "Draco, it's got your name on it."
Sure enough, it did. Draco warily picked up the Howler to examine the handwriting more closely, but he didn't recognize it. The dark red envelope was starting to smoke around the edges while emitting a high-pitched whistling noise.
He knew it was a bad idea not to open it straight away, but he had no idea who it was from. It could be dangerous. He feared the Howler was from someone trying to hurt him, or at the very least humiliate him, for his former Death Eater status. He wouldn't be too surprised if that were the case, actually. He stared horrified for another moment.
"You should open that now, you know," a familiar voice called from across the hall. Draco tensed but didn't look up. "It will only be worse if you wait."
Potter. Why the hell was Potter choosing now to say something to him? This was none of his concern.
Draco refused to acknowledge Potter. He did, however, glance around the hall to find nearly all eyes on him and his volatile letter.
He sighed in defeat and turned the envelope over in his trembling hands. He went to open it, but he wasn't quick enough. The letter burst open on its own.
"DRACO MALFOY!"
Draco knew that voice. He now knew who had sent the Howler and what it must be about. In total shock, he let go of the envelope, letting it fall onto his plate as Potter's amplified voice continued to scream at him.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'D SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO ME THEN JUST STORM OFF AND KEEP ON IGNORING ME. YOU DIDN'T GIVE ME ONE BLOODY SECOND TO RESPOND."
Draco sank in his seat, trying to make himself as small and invisible as possible. This was a million times worse than if the letter had been from someone attacking him for being a Death Eater. He never would have thought that Potter would be so cruel as to reject him in such a public way. He could only hope that no one recognized Potter's voice and that nothing said in this Howler would make it obvious to all the curious listeners in the hall what was going on between him and Potter.
"I TRIED TELLING YOU HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU, BUT YOU WOULDN'T LISTEN," the Howler continued. "YOU RAN AWAY WITHOUT LETTING ME GET A WORD IN, AND I HAD SO MUCH TO SAY. NOW YOU'RE SHUTTING ME OUT AND IT'S NOT FAIR. I WANT MY SAY, BECAUSE YOU WERE WRONG. I NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS AS MEANINGLESS IN ANY WAY. IT MEANS MORE TO ME THAN YOU KNOW. YOU MEAN MORE TO ME THAN YOU KNOW, APPARENTLY. BECAUSE I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU TOO, YOU IDIOT."
There was a collective gasp around the hall. Draco was positive his normally pale cheeks were now a darker red than they had ever been in his life. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. But the Howler wasn't finished. While the hall erupted into excited whispers, Potter's voice became calmer and softer in his conclusion.
"I can't think of how else to get you to listen. Please come over here. Come talk to me. Please, Draco."
The Howler burst into flames, its ashes ruining Draco's breakfast.
For a few minutes, Draco showed no reaction. Thankfully, no one else seemed to know who the Howler was from, so they carried on with their breakfasts. Blaise and Pansy were giving him time to process, not immediately bombarding him with questions. He was very grateful for that.
He thought long and hard about everything Potter had said in his Howler, to the point that he was giving himself a headache. Eventually, he decided his next move.
"May I borrow that, Pansy?" he asked his friend, pointing at the still rolled up copy of The Daily Prophet in front of her that had been delivered sometime during the Howler fiasco.
"Um… of course, Draco darling." She eyed him skeptically. "May I ask what for?"
"Oh, you'll find out in a minute."
Blaise apparently couldn't hold his silence any longer. "So… that Howler…" Draco said nothing as he grabbed the newspaper and stood up. "Anything you want to tell us?"
"In a minute," Draco repeated, disregarding his friends' protests as he strutted away.
He knew Potter's eyes were on him. They had been since the Howler's arrival. Still, Draco did not look at Potter straight away, not even when it became obvious to everyone that he was heading to the Gryffindor table. A hush fell over the hall, and Draco's hand tightened its grip around the newspaper.
Finally, Draco was close enough that he allowed himself to meet Potter's gaze. The emotion he saw in those bright, emerald eyes had his heart beating wildly against his ribcage. He took the last few steps to stand directly in front of Potter.
Potter greeted him through a pleased smile. "Draco."
Draco didn't waste a second. He raised his arm and whacked Potter upside the head with the newspaper still clutched in his hand.
"Ouch!" Potter exclaimed, raising his hands up defensively. "What the hell?"
Draco didn't stop after one measly smack.
"You." Whack. "Bloody." Whack. "ARSE!" Whack.
"Draco, calm down—"
"No!" Draco shrieked, still flailing his arm to hit Potter with the newspaper repeatedly. "I will not calm down!"
Potter unsuccessfully attempted to dodge Draco's blows as he pleaded, "Please, let's just—"
"Harry Potter, how dare you tell me you love me in a fucking Howler!" Draco snarled.
Draco ignored the reactions around the room as everyone discovered that it had been Potter's voice screaming at him from an envelope just a few minutes earlier. He couldn't avoid seeing Weasley and Granger's reactions, though, since they were sitting with Potter. Weasley was slack jawed and clearly unsettled by what he was hearing. Granger looked smug. Draco figured, knowing her, she had guessed long ago that something was going on between her friend and his former enemy.
Potter crossed his arms defiantly. "I'm not sorry I did it."
Draco whacked him once more. "You should be sorry, you imbecile. Do you think that's how a person wants to be told 'I love you'?"
"Look, just hear me out."
Draco paused and lowered his arm to rest at his side. His breathing was heavy from the exertion it took to hit Potter so many times. He waited patiently for Potter to continue.
After a long moment of silence, a wide grin spread across Potter's face. "See?"
"See… what?"
Potter's shit-eating grin grew wider (if that was even possible). "You came to me. You're talking to me. You're not ignoring me. You're willing to listen to me. So, I'm not sorry I sent you that Howler."
"All the same, I do not appreciate—"
"I love you, Draco."
Draco inhaled sharply at that. He knew his eyes were at risk of falling out of his head, they were so wide. But he could only gaze at Potter in amazement.
"You may have heard me say it for the first time in that Howler, but believe me, if you let me, you'll hear it many more times from now on, and straight from my mouth."
And just like that, Draco was no longer angry. Quite the opposite, in fact. That promise had a genuine smile forming on his face for the first time in a long time.
"Wanker," Draco sighed affectionately, punctuating the insult with one last feeble whack at Potter's elbow with the newspaper.
"Mr. Malfoy!"
All heads turned to Professor McGonagall, who was half running from the staff table over to Draco and Potter. Draco's heart dropped, and fear flooded him. Fuck, the last thing he needed was to get in trouble for attacking The-Boy-Who-Lived-Twice.
She halted in front of them and stood with her arms akimbo, staring at Draco in shock and disappointment. "Explain yourself."
Draco wanted to explain himself, but he wasn't exactly sure how to do that. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't long before The Savior came to his rescue.
"Please, Headmistress," Potter said as he stood up from his seat. He walked over to Draco and wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him both protectively and possessively. Draco knew he was red in the face again when Potter continued, "It's okay."
"It most certainly is not okay, Mr. Potter," McGonagall replied. "There is no excuse for any student behaving the way Mr. Malfoy just did."
"Really, I don't care," Potter insisted. "He was justified."
"Regardless, violent behavior will not be tolerated."
"I understand that," Potter said, "However, just this once, please don't get Draco in trouble, here or with the Ministry. I'm the one he did that to, and I'm saying it's okay. You know how well he's been doing this year. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his opportunity to be here. And besides," Potter squeezed Draco's hip tightly, "we've clearly worked out our differences."
McGonagall didn't respond straight away. Her eyes seemed to be lingering on Potter's hand that was still on Draco's hip, holding him close. After a moment, much to Draco's surprise, a small smile formed on her face. Finally, she replied, "Fine. I will look past it this one time, if you are sure everything between the two of you is settled, Mr. Potter."
"I'm positive," Potter said without hesitation.
"However, if you ever behave like that again, Mr. Malfoy, action will have to be taken. Do you understand?"
"Yes, headmistress. It won't happen again," Draco promised.
She nodded and turned to go back to the staff table. Potter didn't relinquish his hold on Draco. He leaned in, lips brushing against Draco ear as he said, "Now, care to finish this elsewhere? I don't think we're quite done with our discussion."
"Yes," Draco breathed out. He would much rather be doing this in a more private setting. He stepped out of Potter's grip but grabbed his hand and began leading him out of the Great Hall.
They didn't say a word as they made their way up to the Room of Requirement. Potter let them into the room, which contained a bed as always, although this time there weren't rushing to get into it. Potter smiled as they sat down together on the edge of the bed.
"You're so silly, you know that?"
"Shut it," Draco snapped. "How was I supposed to know how you felt?"
Potter's smile turned into a small frown. "I guess you have a point. But there were definitely indicators."
"Oh yeah? What were they? Since, apparently, I missed them all."
Potter didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gently pushed Draco back to lie on the bed. He positioned himself lying on his side next to Draco, one hand resting on Draco's chest, fingers playing with the top button of his shirt.
"I know there's no way for you to have known this," Potter started, "but after the war, I couldn't sleep through the night."
Draco didn't know what to say to that, mostly because he didn't know what it had to do with him. He waited for Potter to continue, which he soon did.
"The summer was terrible," he said. "Then I came back to school and saw you again. It was weird, how glad I was that you were here. I couldn't figure out why I felt that way at first, but eventually it hit me. You'd been through just as much shit as I had. Different shit, yes. But still shit. Despite our history, it was nice knowing you were okay after everything." He paused briefly to chuckle. "Then there was that party our first weekend back. I don't know how I found the courage to talk to you, maybe it was the alcohol."
Draco had to interrupt. "You needed courage to talk to me? You're the Gryffindor poster child. I find that hard to believe."
Potter grimaced as he said, "Well, believe it because it's true. You're quite intimidating, I hope you know." Draco wanted to interrupt again to protest, but Potter quickly continued. "Whatever it was, I did talk to you. The sole reason for that being I didn't want any enemies anymore, not even you. At most, I was aiming for civility between us."
Draco snorted in amusement. "Well, you got a bit more than that, didn't you?"
"Shush, I'm not done yet," Potter said sternly, although there was laughter in his eyes. "Like I was saying, I was really just trying to play nice with you. At first, that is. My intentions changed pretty quickly once we really stated talking. The more time I spent with you, the more I liked you. And, Merlin, did you look amazing. Only a complete idiot would fail to notice how fucking gorgeous you are."
For what felt like the hundredth time that morning, Draco flushed deeply. Of course, he knew Potter had to find him attractive on some level, considering everything they had done. But hearing it so put so bluntly like that was rather flattering.
"Anyway, that night… wow." Potter was staring at Draco with a dreamy smile on his face. "It was incredible. You were incredible. I slept like a fucking log that night."
Draco was riveted by Potter's words. He still wasn't quite sure where Potter was going with all this, but he didn't mind hearing Potter's long-winded explanation.
"While that night with you was amazing, I tried to convince myself that I slept so well because of the alcohol. And that could've been true since my sleep went right back to being shitty after that night. I was a mess, really, but not just because of my sleep. After that night, I couldn't stop thinking about you. You were driving me crazy. It didn't take me long to realize how much I liked you, but I didn't know what to do about it because I couldn't bloody tell if you even remembered what happened between us."
"Oh, I remembered," Draco said through a smirk. "Vividly."
"Well, you gave me no indication that you did!" Potter exclaimed.
Draco snorted. "Like you made it so obvious that you were thinking about it too."
"That's beside the point now," Potter grumbled, but he was smiling. "Anyway, I tried to ignore how I felt about you, but I couldn't take it after a while. I wanted you so badly. So, I decided to try again."
"Which you did, successfully," Draco said through a small smile of his own.
Potter nodded. His hand, which was still idly fiddling with Draco's shirt, now pushed the top button through the hole, opening it and exposing a bit of Draco's skin.
"That's when I knew it wasn't the alcohol. It was you. I've never slept so well in my entire life as I do after being with you," Potter said as his hand slid under Draco's shirt to caress his collar bone.
Draco couldn't help but scoff indignantly. "So, all I am is an alternative to a Dreamless Sleep Potion?"
"Not at all," Potter replied immediately. "The sleep thing is just a perk. And an indicator, to me at least."
"Okay, but what were the indicators that I should have noticed?" Draco demanded.
Potter chuckled as he continued unbuttoning Draco's shirt. "I think the first indicator would be that we talk."
"We talk?" Draco asked in confusion.
Potter nodded. "If I just wanted to shag someone and nothing more, I wouldn't talk to them nearly as much as I talk to you."
"Okay, so we talk," Draco agreed, recognizing that, yes, they had many conversations, both publicly and privately, that had nothing to do with hooking up. "What else?"
Potter finished undoing the last button of Draco's shirt, pushing it open so he could splay his hand across Draco's bare chest. "I make sure I see you practically every day, and when we're together I never want to leave you. Again, I wouldn't be like that with someone who was just a meaningless shag."
Draco thought about that point. They did see each other almost every day, and for as long as they possibly could. Draco had never realized that Potter intentionally sought him out so frequently, or that he would purposefully drag out their meetings. But now that Potter had said it, Draco had no idea how he hadn't realized what was really going on.
"Okay, so maybe I should have picked up on that one," Draco admitted. "But I either didn't notice or didn't think it meant anything."
Potter brushed his thumb teasingly over one of Draco's nipples, to which Draco inhaled sharply and felt his cock beginning to stir. Potter shifted himself even closer and whispered seductively in Draco's ear, "Well it means a lot. I just can't get enough of you."
"What else?" Draco asked breathlessly, dying to hear more. Potter's last statement had left him incredibly turned on, his cock now achingly hard.
Draco gasped when Potter unexpectedly threw a leg over his hips, climbing on top of him. Potter's face was now so close that Draco could clearly see each of his dark eyelashes framing those beautiful emerald eyes. Potter lightly thrusted his hips downward, causing Draco to moan deeply. He could feel that Potter was just as aroused as he was.
Once he was settled, Potter answered Draco's question. "I think the biggest indicator is that I kiss you. I kiss you before," he pressed a kiss to Draco's forehead, "during," next, he kissed the tip of Draco's nose, "and after sex." He finished by tenderly planting his lips on Draco's.
Draco rolled his eyes at Potter's sappy behavior, but really, he didn't mind it at all. He sighed contentedly into Potter's mouth, lifting his head slightly so he could deepen the kiss. As things became more heated, Draco quickly realized that he desperately needed to get Potter's shirt off as well. He made quick work of unbuttoning it and pushing it over Potter's shoulders.
"Okay," Draco panted when their mouths eventually separated. "So, I'm stupid."
"You are not," Potter said firmly. "I never said anything that explicitly told how I feel. I was too chicken to. I guess I was just hoping you'd somehow know."
"Well, at least I know now." Draco murmured.
"Yes, you do." Potter beamed down at him. "And don't you ever forget it."
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I hope that was okay! Sooooo much fluff that even I want to vomit LOL. But I think I like it anyway. Thanks for reading :)