Warning: MxM
Disclaimer: NOT MINE THIS BELONGS TO JK ROWLING
Note: This will be much more wholesome don't worry! (Still have smexy stuff though) Disclaimer applies to the whole story! Love you all~
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Chapter 1
The Great hall swelled with noise, the bright colors and mouth-watering smells invading the air. Students walked in and out of the hall, laughing. The term was starting the next day and it allowed people to relax a bit before classes started. However, none of that mattered to one Harry Potter, who was engrossed in his task.
Harry stared, even though he tried not to, his eyes constantly going back to the ghost that sat at the end of the seventh-year table. He felt something in his chest as he took in the mere shadow of a person who for years had always had his attention. This attention was vastly different however, the feelings fluttering in Harrys chest unfamiliar when it came to the Prince of Ice, Draco Malfoy.
Ever since the man had stepped foot back on Hogwarts soil everyone saw the drastic change that he had undergone in the few months he had been away in France. He drifted around like a ghost, unseeing and unhearing. He floated through the day, never speaking and never reacting. The people who had made it their mission to go after him stopped after only a few short days, not able to get even a sneer from the unusual statue like Slytherin. The hexes the blonde threw were also a good deterrent, the mask on his face never slipping as he took down anyone who tried to 'teach him a lesson'. Even now, only a day away from classes officially starting he didn't move from his lonely spot at the end of the seventh-year table, gaze unseeing.
Harry stared at the unmoving man; the blonde not even aware of the sharp gaze digging into the side of his face. He would have kept drinking in the sliver that once Malfoy, when he felt an elbow dig into his side. He whirled around, not even embarrassed at staring as he glared at the redhead beside him. "What?" He asked, irritated that his morning routine for the past few days has been interrupted.
"Mate, you gotta stop your creepy stalker tendency. Literally everyone has noticed." Ron shook his head, his flaming red hair swinging into his eyes. "I know it's messed up but there isn't anything you can do. Not even your stubbornness can strange the fact that Malfoy is a little worse for wear." He commented, keeping his voice low. "Just quit while you are ahead."
Harry frowned at that, his impulsive streak immediately flaring up as he glared at his friend. "Of course, there is something we can do. And if no one here will, then I will." With that he pushed himself up, ignoring the others around him as he gathered his things and started walking toward the still and silent blonde. He heard Ron hiss his name but he shrugged it off, even as the Seventh year table fell to murmurs around him at what the 'Golden Boy' was doing at 'that' end of the table. He frowned as he took a seat beside the ghost of the boy who had always enjoyed making him miserable, pulling his charms book to read as he waited for Draco to react. However even when the minutes stretched to almost an hour he never did, the silence between them vast and uncrossable.
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This kept up for several days, Harry now finding himself sitting next to the blonde Slytherin every chance he could get. However, as was the first time he did this, the blonde gave no indication that he even realized there was someone beside him. It frustrated Harry, causing him to draw on every ounce of patience he had not to grab the man and shake him lose from inside his own head. Now, going on day five of this Harry began to realize how truly alone Draco was. No one tried to initiated conversation or to even acknowledge that the blonde even existed. It was a sobering thought that made Harry want to break through the wall Draco hid himself behind even more so now than before. Harry also found out that because he was sat next to the Ice Prince, none of the fans that usually accosted him got to close for fear of the Slytherins wrath. It made his mornings so much more enjoyable, sitting beside the silent and still man and enjoying the absolute calm of just being able to read while he ate breakfast.
Ron and Hermione couldn't stop him from trying to get closer with Draco, but both found is almost amusing and a little sad when Draco did nothing but stare at his hands on the table. They both tried to get Harry to leave it alone, but it made the brash Gryffindor heated when they thought he would leave the boy that used to have so much life rot away at the end of the table. Even now as he passed them to take his now permanent seat they both hissed to sit down where they were.
Harry simply ignored them, setting a book down and sliding beside Draco. Their legs almost touched but Harry shrugged, knowing that the blonde wouldn't even notice. He quickly made himself a coffee and one for the Slytherin, knowing exactly how he liked it. Black with two sugars. He slid the coffee over, not expecting a reaction as he sipped from his mug and started reading.
Almost an hour passed this way, the silence between them loud as Harry got more comfortable as he read through how to make your hair different colors and lengths. The Gryffindor didn't notice when his leg pressed more firmly into Draco's, the heat leeching into the smaller mans frame as the seconds ticked by.
Harry, lost in reading, hummed quietly to himself and turned the page when he heard a choked gasp beside him. His head snapped up, eyes widening when he locked gazes with the man who suddenly seemed more aware of his surroundings. The Gryffindor stared, shocked.
"P-Potter? What-." Draco trailed off, glancing around as if seeing where he was for the first time. Panic seemed to lick at the edges of his eyes before he began to shut down, nearly disappearing before Harry.
Harry immediately reached forward, grabbing the Slytherins hand and holding it tight even when Draco tried to jerk away. "H-Hey, its fine." Harry stuttered, unsure at what to do now that Draco seemed to know he was there. "Here. This will help." He pushed the coffee he had made earlier toward the blonde, spelling it hot before releasing the man's hand. "Drink it. Its black with two sugars." He gestured lamely, shifting a bit farther away from Draco and glancing back down at his charm's textbook.
He heard nothing but silence, his cheeks starting to heat as he glanced at the blonde from the corner of his eye. Immediately he became nervous, the pensive expression on Draco's face not boding well for his bodily extremities. He opened his mouth to break the tension around them when the Slytherin looked up slowly, his eyes empty and face impassive.
"How did you know?" He asked, voice utterly toneless and void of life.
"Know what?" Harry answered dumbly, confused as Draco continued to stare at him. He shifted uncomfortably, fiddling with the edge of his textbook as Draco seemed to take a moment to collect his thoughts.
"My coffee." He said simply, reaching forward and bringing the coffee closer to himself. He took a deep breath, eyes sparking with life for a mere moment before he stood and walked away without a word. Harry stared after him before he slumped in his seat, the hot steam from the cup beside him wafting up his nose. With a sigh he spelled it all away and stood, making his way to class.
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The next day
Harry sighed and made his tired way into his first class, missing breakfast by how late he had slept in. All night he had tossed and turned, running yesterday morning over and over through his mind. The imagine of that little spark of life that he had briefly seen in Draco's eyes haunting him through the night. Even now as he walked into class and took the seat by the blonde, he hoped that the Slytherin would finally notice him. After several minutes of silence Harry sighed, putting yesterday down to a freak occurrence.
The Gryffindor dejectedly started reading for class, an entire hour passing by before he growled in frustration and put his head on the table. He was determined to ignore the silent blonde next to him and nap for the rest of class. The bell rang shortly after and he continued his day as normal, sitting beside Draco when he could and reveling in the silence that the menacing presence of the Slytherin brought to his day.
Lunch was the same, quiet and still. Harry sighed and drank from his coffee, flipping through another textbook. Halfway through lunch he finished and busied himself making a mug for the stone like man beside him. He pushed the cup between the man's hands, shrugging when he got no response and began cutting up a small apple to take with him for his next class.
He hummed to himself and wrapped the sliced pieces with a cloth, placing them into his bag. He turned toward the blonde to grab his textbook, freezing when he saw that Draco was cradling the coffee mug between his hands and staring with his cold grey eyes.
"H-Hello…." Harry muttered, sliding his book closer to him and waiting for the Slytherin to say something. When nothing was forthcoming, he turned nervously, placing the textbook into his bag. With that done he grabbed his own cup, sipping at it for something to do.
"You never did answer my question."
Harry started, in no way ready for the man to actually speak directly at him. "W-What? What question?" He stuttered, glancing at the blonde from the corner of his eye. His breath nearly stopped at the way the man's eyes seemed to pierce right through him, incredibly alert.
"My coffee." Draco stated, giving nothing more as he rubbed his fingers against the mug but didn't drink from it. "How?"
Harry shrugged lamely, clicking his nails against the ceramic cup. "Isn't it obvious?" He muttered before he rose his head and locked eyes with the Slytherin beside him. "I've been watching you for years. You didn't think I would figure out some of the things you like? You did the same. I bet a galleon that you know exactly how I take my coffee."
"Strong with a splash of some sort of cream and five raw sugars." Draco answer immediately, voice still monotone. He gently pushed his mug away from him and stood, standing beside Harry and nodding before sweeping away.
Harry stared after him, nearly dazed with the idea that Draco knew more about himself then the Gryffindor thought he did. Well, that was more progress then I have made so far. With that happy thought Harry smiled slightly and stood, following after the blonde boy.
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That next day
Harry sighed as he trudged up the stairs, heading toward the Astronomy tower. Silence seemed to seep from the stones around him, his footsteps growing slower as the darkness and stale quiet pressing down on his shoulders. Shadows loomed against the wall, taunting him from the corners of his eyes. Fear started to pound through his body as he walked, not allowing himself to stop as the light from the top of the stairs beckoned him closer.
A faint ringing started to echo in his ears, the darkness from behind suffocating as he made his slow way up. Cold fingers pressed against his back, sinking through his skin and wrapping chilled claws from spine to neck. However, his step never faltered; his breathing didn't catch and his resolve never wavered. All the way up fear clouded around him, but he moved through it steadily. Just as he felt panic lick up his body, he reached the top, the stars and moonlight washing him clean of the dark thoughts that resounded in his head every time he traveled up the tower.
Harry took a deep breath, allowing the warm air from outside to settle in his lungs he. He pulled his robe off, about to step up to the railing before he paused. A figure stood near the wall, standing very still as they looked out from the tower and toward the bright moon that hung overhead.
"Draco…" Harry whispered, taking slow steps forward and standing beside the Slytherin. Silence greeted him and he sighed, leaning against the railing and turning his head to stare. The blonde man didn't acknowledge him, lost in his thoughts as he stared at the sky with empty eyes. The blue light from above shone bright on his pale skin, the sheen otherworldly. Draco's pale hair burned bright like a halo, the golden strands messy and loose around his face. Eyes the color of dull diamonds looked on unblinkingly, the moon seeming to hang from the dark depths.
Harry lost himself in observing the blonde man, his chin in his hands. "I never knew you came up here…" Harry whispered, turning away and gazing at the bright sky above. "It seems we are both a little lost." He mused, voice cracking near the end as a strange quiet seemed to envelop them. They stood together for hours, neither moving and neither saying a word. Only later did Harry realize that the walk down the tower wasn't nearly as bad as he remembered it being.
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Next morning
Harry grumbled and shoved his bag onto the table, slumping forward and turning his head to blink at the unmoving man beside him. "You know, you were up there longer then me. How the hell do you not look like death?" Harry growled, not waiting for the reply that would never come as he prepared them both coffees. "Merlin, but the stars were so bright yesterday." He sighed, pushing the mug between the blondes fingers and pulling out his homework. "You know, your grades for potions is really good even though you are a walking statue. If only I was as good as you my potions wouldn't look like shite." Harry took a gulp from his coffee and grabbed a pen, hating quills to the point that he had ordered almost a hundred pens in the beginning of the year to use for school. "I swear, I got worse this year then last year." He waved a hand, talking aloud to fill the silence. He had started it today, not knowing if what he said would push through the barrier that the blonde man seemed to have erected around himself.
Harry huffed at the work he still had ahead of him, babbling on as the still man beside him refused to speak. "I wish we didn't have so much work. I would love to actually get a day of rest, thank you very much." Harry frowned at the passage he wrote, grabbing his potions book and flipping through it. "You wouldn't happen to know the seven different uses for dandelion, would you?" He muttered, tapping his pen against his lips.
"Of course, I do, Potter."
Harry whipped around, staring at Draco as the blonde took a dainty sip from his mug. "I-What?"
"I said of course I do. Its on page 234. Should give you some answers." Draco stared at the Gryffindor, a small spark of light burning in the dark depths. It startled Harry, the man merely staring back in shock before he flipped to the required page and started reading. He didn't speak for fear of ruining this moment, hastily writing down the required information before closing the book and reaching for his coffee mug.
"Sleep well?" Harry asked lamely, tip toeing around the conversation. He fidgeted with his fingers, squeezing and releasing them continuously as he waited for Draco to answer. Anxiety started to choke him up, the hot swelling feeling growing as the seconds of silence ticked by.
Draco stared at him, his gaze flickering down to the Gryffindors fingers to his flushed face. "You were there last night, so you know I didn't sleep much." He replied, glancing away and staring at his mug. Without warning he abruptly stood and walked away, his pace quick as he disappeared.
Harry sighed and slumped forward;-his forehead pressed against the table. "Well, that went well."
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That night
"Harry please, stop. You aren't gaining anything from this." Hermione begged, tugging Harry on the arm to stop him from leaving the seventh years common room. "People are starting to talk, even the teachers are noticing." She whispered, glancing around. "You shouldn't even be trying to get close to him. It won't be good for you."
Harry growled and ripped his arm free, staring at the other Gryffindor. "I can't believe you would care about that. After everything that has happened." He glared at Hermione, anger rising. "You also can't tell me what to do. I can befriend him if I want. You know, for being there for me all this time you suddenly seem to think you know what's best for me. Well, right now you don't. I want to know Draco better and you can't stop me." He brushed the girl off and walked out of the common room.
He stomped his way up to the tower, not noticing the dark deepening around him as he angrily growled to himself. Even now, after two weeks of trying to gain Draco's attention Hermione wouldn't leave him alone. After the first few days she kept quiet but now she seemed determined to stop him. Even Ron knew to leave him alone when he was to stubborn to listen.
"Always telling me what to do…." Harry snarled, his fists clenched at his sides as he stomped over to the towers railing and threw himself onto the ground. He wrapped his fingers around the cold metal and released a slow breath, trying to calm down his raging emotions. "Fuck…." He muttered, slumping forward over the railing and letting his eyes fall shut. He sat like that for long moments, running the day through his mind to distract himself. He cycled over and over the scene from the morning, just now realizing just what the blonde had implied when he had said "you were there…".
"He remembers?" Harry wondered, trying to understand how much the blonde actually saw in his constant, still deathlike state. The Gryffindor hummed quietly, his chin resting against his crossed arms when he heard a small noise behind him. He immediately whirled around, his wand sliding into his hand and a curse on his lips. He paused when he saw who it was, the man not stopping until he took a sit beside Harry and stared up at the sky. His gaze was blank, the beautiful blue clouded over with inattentiveness.
"Hello, Draco…" Harry sighed and flicked his wand back into his wand holster. "You have the most amazing timing." The Gryffindor turned back around and closed his eyes, reveling in the silence. "Merlin, I love how quiet it gets when you are around." He whispered; his shoulders slowly relaxing. "You know, after two weeks I am starting to see a pattern with you." Harry mused aloud, slumping against the banister. "Always showing up when I least expect you."
The Gryffindor sat for long moments, completely still. The night air seemed to press in, caressing with chilled fingers. Harry's skin slowly started to become colder, shivers wracking his frame the longer he sat. Without thought he slowly flicked his wand, the sudden warmth from his absentminded spell causing him to moan and slump.
He let his arms dangle down, the cold metal railing wedged in between his pits. Harry allowed his head to fall forward and closed his eyes, relishing in the silent atmosphere and the warm air around him. Just as he was dozing off when he heard a sharp gasp from beside him and he froze, not daring to move as he waited to see what the blonde would do now that he realized he was there.
"Potter?" Draco muttered; his voice low.
Harry felt a soft touch on his shoulder and he turned his head, locking eyes with the blonde man beside him. "How much did you hear me say?" Harry asked without preamble, leaning away from the banister and placing his elbows on the floor behind him. He watched as Draco paused in thought, the small flicker of light that seemed to glow in his eyes causing Harry's breath to catch.
"Not much." Draco admitted, tone dry and face expressionless. "I didn't hear anything worth mentioning." Draco's shoulders lifted the barest of inches as if to shrug. The both of them sat there for long moments before Harry leaned forward, pressing his fist against the Slytherins shoulder and grinning.
"Well, it wasn't important anyway." Harry sighed and pushed the blonde slightly, chuckling when Draco huffed at him. That was the most he had ever gotten out of the blonde and he felt a shiver of excitement, his grin widening. "Anyway, I have a question for you." He paused for dramatic effect, tapping his chin before snapping his fingers. "Did you do your homework? Guess I sure as hell haven't."
Draco stared at him before snorting, wrapping his fingers around the metal banister. "Of course, I have Potter." He looked out into the night, the warming charm around them causing his cheeks to go a light rose color. "Now, you best go do that before bed. It is due soon."
Harry paused, staring at the man's side profile before nodding. He knew a dismissal when he heard one. "I probably should." He sighed and stood, dusting his pants off before he placed his palm on Draco's shoulder. "I was nice talking to you. We should do this more often, alright?" He pressed down firm before leaving, whistling on the way down the stairs.
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Harry bolted up right mere hours after falling asleep, staring into space as the puzzle slowly fell into place. "Warmth….." He whispered, a grin blowing up on his face as he fell back and laughed. "Its warmth…." With that he rolled over and snuggled his pillow, plans for getting the blonde to notice him becoming more of a reality.
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Hello! I am back but with something a little more wholesome! Next week i should be done with something...that is not so wholesome. but meh. Also, would any of you like to see a sequel to Humanly impossible? I have been writing it for a while and wanted to see f anyone was interested in me posting it! Anyways, i love you guys i really do! See you for the next chapter!