By Shore_Dove
Disclaimer: JKRowling should rule the world!! Ahem. . .anyway, I¡¯m sure you all know that I¡¯m poor and penniless and that I would never steal from my fav author, so there you go. Satisfied?
Draco Malfoy flipped back a strand of his pale blond hair and settled into his seat. The countryside rolled by like a constant metronome. Crabbe and Goyle were playing Exploding Snap ¨C for some reason, the cards singed them every time their grimy hands got near. Draco wasn¡¯t surprised.
It was his fifth year at Hogwarts ¨C well, too late to quit now and go to Durmstrang. His thoughts over the summer had become Harry Potter, Harry Potter, and more Harry Potter. For some annoying reason, he couldn¡¯t get Harry off his mind ¨C there must¡¯ve been something sly in those hexes he threw at him last time they were on the train. Draco would look in his mirror and find Harry in the mirror, which made him feel so irritated that he didn¡¯t look in the mirror again until a month later.
Harry Potter was his archrival, he mused. Of course he would have constant dreams about him ¨C dreams of slowly snapping off every one of the boy¡¯s limbs. He was touchy, though, about blood. And the dreams weren¡¯t about torturing the Boy Who Lived.
Oh no, of course not. Harry kissed him in every one.
He unconsciously touched his lips. How strange. . .he didn¡¯t feel disgusted at all. In fact, he desperately wanted to try it out sometime. . .Draco shuddered and shook his head. Don¡¯t go there, he thought to himself. It was only natural hormones.
They got off the Hogwarts Express ¨C Draco glancing around quickly hoping for a sneak peek of Harry ¨C and caught a site of Harry, the mud-blood Granger, and the Weasley who was in. . .new robes. He frowned and looked again. A Weasley in new robes! Now that was surprising news.
They got into the castle and through the sorting, in which there were a couple Slytherins. Rather dark-looking surly kids, he reflected. He and the other Slytherins clapped wildly while booing for the Gryffindors. Draco looked around again to the Gryffindor table. . .and saw Harry looking at Cho Chang, the pretty Ravenclaw. Draco scowled ¨C he felt a strange, foreign tingling sensation in heart. Why should Cho Chang be so lucky? She wasn¡¯t as good as he was at Quidditch. She wasn¡¯t as. . . ¡°oh no.¡±
He was jealous of Cho Chang.
He glanced around frantically to see that no one had seen him space out. They were all eating and exchanging gossip about how Voldemort had risen again and how Cedric died - ¡°never liked that boy anyhow¡±. . . ¡°wished Harry had died long with him. .¡±
Draco hesitantly began to eat. He didn¡¯t feel hungry ¨C the food tasted dull in his mouth. Over and over again the words chanted in his head - You like Harry Potter, you like Harry Potter. . . . ¡°Shut up!¡±
Everyone at his table froze. Crabbe poked him. ¡°Uh, Draco?¡±
Draco scowled. ¡°Just a headache.¡± Everyone laughed nervously and went back to eating.
After the feast, Draco bumped into Harry and co. on his way to the Common Room. Harry looked happy, talking and laughing with his friends. Their expressions changed when they saw him. Draco put on his traditional smirk. ¡°Well, Weasley, see you got a new robe. It¡¯s the news of the century.¡±
Crabbe and Goyle finally noticed it and started pointing.
Ron¡¯s face turned pink. ¡°None of your business, Draco. By the way, you looked wonderful lying on the floor with hexes all over your face the last time we met.¡±
Draco glared at him. ¡°I could report indecent use of magic to Professor Snape, you know.¡±
Harry cut it short. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s just get back to our rooms. It¡¯s late.¡± Ron looked about to speak up furiously, but Hermione started pulling his hand insistently.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay, Mud-blood. Did you see Viktor over the summer? Your love potion might not have lasted so long.¡±
Hermione whirled around angrily. ¡°What is up with you, Draco? You¡¯re acting even nastier than usual.¡±
Draco froze. His eyes suddenly focused on Harry for a second, and then slid out of focus. His voice turned impossibly icy. ¡°What¡¯s up with me is none of your business, Mud-Blood. Deal with your own issues ¨C you¡¯ve already got too many of them.¡±
Harry looked at him. His voice was soft so that no one but Draco could hear. ¡°Draco, is there something wrong at home?¡±
Draco staggered back slightly but glanced around quickly. His voice was heated now. ¡°Shut up, Potter.¡± It took him a few seconds to realize that Harry had called him Draco.
Harry looked sheepish and a bit adorably confused. ¡°I. . .I¡¯m sorry. Didn¡¯t mean to say that, really. . . .¡±
Draco turned on him. ¡°You know what, Potter?! I hope you fall down from the towers and die!¡± He stomped away, Crabbe and Goyle trailing after him, muttering ¡°ha, good one, boss¡±.
Harry stared forlornly after them for a second before running after Ron and Hermione who were looking expectantly at him down the hall. Ron caught up with him excitedly. ¡°Well, did you tell him off?¡±
¡°Er, yeah, sort of. . .¡± Hermione looked at him strangely, but said nothing.
And that was the end of the conversation.
A few days later, it was Quidditch practice. Draco still had a Nimbus 2000 ¨C annoying really, how did his father expect him to beat Potter when Harry had a better broom? In the other field, he saw the Gryffindors practicing. He stared at Harry breathlessly for a while ¨C the Seeker really did look good on a broom ¨C and had to admit that Harry was a bit ¨C a bit ¨C better than him.
And then to his utter surprise, Harry flew over. ¡°Hello, Malfoy.¡±
The smile on Draco¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°Hello, Potter. Come to spy on us?¡±
He looked hurt. ¡°No, I just wanted to improve our, er, strained relationship.¡± He chuckled nervously.
Draco whirled around on his broomstick. ¡°Like I said, Potter, go fall off a tower.¡±
It was night. In the distance, he could hear crickets chirping. He felt strangely hot, even in the cool night breeze. Leaning out of the tower, he opened the window to gaze out on the Forbidden Forest.
Harry was thinking about Draco, really. Lately, it had been nothing but Draco. He felt almost sorry for the cold boy ¨C Draco didn¡¯t have any real friends, really. So he wanted to be friends with him. . .well, maybe a bit more than friends. He winced, remembering his conversation with Draco. That wouldn¡¯t happen anytime soon.
This night he didn¡¯t want to sleep. He didn¡¯t want anymore annoying wet dreams. He just wanted time alone, from his companions. Time alone to think.
A soft whirring sound came from the east, and he turned. There was Draco, on his broomstick. He blinked ¨C what was Draco doing here?
Draco neared and saw who was leaning from the window. He froze slightly. ¡°Potter, what are you doing?!¡±
Potter shrugged. ¡°What are you doing?¡±
Draco had really just went for a ride on his broomstick to think for a while, but there was no way he was telling Harry that. ¡°I¡¯m practicing. Now leave off.¡± He went away, and as soon as he was sure Harry couldn¡¯t see, he turned back to see the figure in the window.
A figure in the window?!
There was someone behind Harry! Draco watched in horror as Harry turned around, and yelled. Almost loud enough for the school to hear.
It was a figure in a cloak.
Draco raced back to the tower, almost, but not quite, feeling the wind in his hair. Not fast enough. . .not fast enough. . why didn¡¯t he get a Firebolt?! And then the figure abruptly pushed Harry, and the boy yelled again, and fell through the window.
Draco couldn¡¯t help but freeze for a moment. He was watching everything in slow motion. Thirty feet. . .then twenty-five. . .And then he was moving, faster than any Quidditch match that he had played in. . .
And a few seconds later, Harry Potter was in his arms.
Everything came rushing back. He slowed down, a few feet from the walls. Harry opened his eyes and met Draco¡¯s. He was panting. ¡°Th-thanks.¡±
Draco blinked and shook himself. What had happened? He began to shake slightly, and went toward the ground, landing slowly. He had just rescued Harry. Harry Potter, the boy who had wished dead.
Harry jumped onto the ground and shook Draco urgently. ¡°Draco? Draco? Are you alright?¡±
Draco moaned softly and opened his eyes blearily. ¡°Man, I wish I could do that in Quidditch.¡±
Harry chuckled softly and gently laid Draco on the grass, like a mother tenderly laying a child in a cradle. ¡°Like I said, Draco, thank you.¡± He shifted slightly and looked into Draco¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± he whispered softly. ¡°Why, Draco? I thought you wanted me dead.¡±
Draco winced. ¡°I-I guess I liked you more than I thought. Besides, I need a rival anyway. Life wouldn¡¯t be fun.¡±
Harry looked disappointed. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±
Draco looked down. ¡°N-not really. I sort of. . .have a bit of a crush on you.¡± His face turned red. ¡°But I¡¯m not a fag!¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say you were a fag. And if you¡¯re one, then I guess I¡¯m one too.¡± Harry sat down and brushed the hair out of his eyes. ¡°I have a crush on you too.¡±
Draco leaped up. ¡°Really?!¡± he exploded. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±
¡°For the same reason you didn¡¯t tell me earlier.¡±
Draco glanced down. ¡°So, um, where do we go from here?¡±
Harry shrugged. ¡°Dunno. Ever tried a kiss before?¡±
Draco looked sheepish. He blushed even harder. ¡°You really want to go that far?¡±
Harry said nothing for a moment, and then pulled Draco into his arms. His lips enveloped the shorter boy¡¯s, and there was a pure, sweet silence for a moment as each swam in absolute bliss.
It was Draco who broke the kiss, panting for air. He sighed shakily. ¡°That felt. . .nice.¡±
Harry grinned slightly. ¡°Want to break the news to public?¡±
Draco jumped. ¡°What?! Are you crazy? Snape would never be nice to me again!¡± He winced later as he realized how stupid he sounded. ¡°Ooh, sorry, Potter.¡±
Harry shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal then. We¡¯ll slip notes when we want to meet. And you have to call me Harry.¡±
Draco smiled slightly. ¡°Fine, Harry.¡± He took the boy¡¯s hand and they walked back into the castle in silence, broken by the occasional kiss.
