Chapter 5: Valentine's Dates and Punches Galore

Harry, afraid to turn around and see Draco behind him, ran as fast as possible to the Gryffindor dorms, wiping tears of regret out of his eyes. He hurried past Ron and Hermione, startling them out of a competitive game of chess, and went straight up to his room. There he found Seamus and Dean going over Quidditch plays for the next game (they were both on the team; Beaters). They looked up and grinned when they noticed Harry's flushed face and panted breathing.

"Just come from a snog-fest with Malfoy, eh, Harry?" Dean asked devilishly.

"Just the opposite," the handsome Quidditch captain replied, flopping onto his bed, face-up. "It's over." Dean and Seamus lost their giddy smiles immediately.

"WHAT?!" they both cried, jumping up from their position on Seamus' bed.

"What d'you mean, it's over?" Seamus asked. "You two were so close the other day."

"I know, I know," Harry answered. "We had a...a fight today. He couldn't seem to understand exactly why I didn't-and can't-tell Ron and Hermione."

"Tell Ron and Hermione...what?" a voice asked from behind them. The three Gryffindor boys whirled around to face a certain suspicious redhead. Harry, Dean, and Seamus exchanged apprehensive glances before answering. "Nothing, Ron, nothing," Harry finally said, running his hands through his hair. "I'm going to go out flying. I really need to think."

"Harry, it's pouring rain out," Ron told him, pointing to the window. Harry turned and saw sheets of rain lashing at the castle and grounds. He smiled grimly.

"It matches my mood," was what Ron received as an answer. "And Ron, please don't follow me. Hermione either, because I know she's listening right next to the door."

Hermione slid into view, a meek look on her face. Harry gave her a pointed look before grabbing his Firebolt and disappearing down the hall. Ron, Seamus, Hermione, and Dean stood there in awkward silence for several minutes before Ron spoke.

"I'm following him."

"Ron, no!" Hermione cried, throwing her arm across her boyfriend's chest. "Just let him be."



As soon as Harry stepped outside, he was soaked to the skin. Shivering slightly, he pulled out his wand and, through chattering teeth, tapped his glasses and muttered, "Impervius." Magically, they were free of water. He pocketed his wand and looked back at the castle, saying, "Thanks for showing me that one, Mione."

Harry walked quickly towards the pitch, trying to ignore the steadily worsening downpour of rain. When he reached the Quidditch field, he felt a sudden burst of energy shoot through him. He mounted his broom and flew up into the sky.

He circled the pitch several times before doing a nose-dive. He pulled up just in time and shot straight back up into the air. He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and felt little droplets of rain leave his head just to gather back seconds later. He kept circling, trying to go over the jumbles of feelings he had. Several minutes later, he saw, through a huge flash of lightening, a mop of white-blonde hair staring up at him from the sidelines.

"Draco."

Harry flew down to the ground to meet his possibly ex-boyfriend. For the longest time, they simply stood there, staring into each other's eyes. Finally, Draco brought his hand up to Harry's face to brush the wet raven- black hair out of his eyes. Harry flinched as he felt Draco's soft touch and, sadly, the Slytherin withdrew his hand.

"Harry-" Draco started. Harry interrupted him before he could go any further.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Harry demanded softly, averting his gaze from Draco's face as Harry stood there shivering slightly. Draco recoiled from Harry as though he had been struck; he had never heard Harry spit out his name with so much hatred in over a year.

"I-never mind," Draco replied, sighing, defeated. He turned to leave.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked forcefully, grabbing the blonde's arm.

"Nothing," was the reply.

"Tell me," Harry commanded, keeping his viselike grip on Draco's forearm. "Draco!" Harry exclaimed, exasperated, when he received no answer.

"I came to make amends with you," Draco burst out finally. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry you could never possibly comprehend it," he apologized, tears flowing unchecked down his face. Harry stood there for a moment, staring into the honest eyes of the saddened young man before fiercely wrapping his arms around him.

"Oh, Drac, I'm so sorry," Harry whispered, his tears slipping into the Slytherin's hair. He kissed Draco's head, his cheek, and his lips intensely before leading him to a stone bench beneath a leafy tree. "How did you find me?"

"Thomas and Finnigan came and found me in the Great Hall," Draco replied quietly as Harry brushed stray tears from his eyes. "They told me how upset you were over earlier today and told me you were down here."

"Can always count on them, can't I?" Harry joked, his teeth chattering. Draco let out a sort of hiccup/laugh. He stood up, taking the blanket he had wrapped around him to keep him warm and threw it around his shivering boyfriend's shoulders. Harry grinned and pulled Draco onto his lap, enfolding both himself and the Slytherin in the thick blanket. Then, several minutes later, he grew serious. "Drac? I'm-I'm going to tell them."

Draco looked up at Harry with astonishment and respect reflecting in his eyes.

"What?"

"I'm-I'm going to.tell them. Ron and Hermione. About.us," Harry replied. For a moment, Draco just stared at Harry. Then, he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him fervently.

"Thank you," Draco whispered.

"But," Harry told him, placing a finger on his boyfriend's lips, his eyes glinting mischievously, "I'm going to need your help with telling them."

"What can I do?" Draco asked, startled. He drew away slightly and his eyes narrowed. "Harry, you've got that mischievous look in your eyes. That's never very good." Harry grinned as he leaned in and whispered his evil plan to Draco. The Slytherin's eyes widened as he listened and at the end his jaw dropped open in shock.

"Harry!"



Harry walked back up to his dorms an hour later and found Seamus and Dean anxiously awaiting him. When they saw him, they jumped up and started talking at the same time.

"Harry, look, if you're mad-"

"We're really sorry for sending Malfoy-"

"We're soooo sorry; we thought it might help-"

"To find you; we thought it might help-"

"Seamus, Dean, both of you, SHUT UP!" Harry yelled finally quieting the two Gryffindor boys in front of him. "I'm not mad. In fact, I'm very, very grateful. Thank you!" He gave huge hugs to Seamus and Dean.

"So, does that mean.?" Dean asked warily.

"Yep, Draco and me are back together," Harry announced. Seamus and Dean started dancing and whooping.

"Yessssss!!!"

"Hello? Guy with love problems over here!" Harry shouted. Dean and Seamus stopped dancing long enough to listen to him. "Listen, I'm gonna tell Ron and Hermione but I needed Draco's help. This is what we're gonna do."

Seamus and Dean's expressions and reactions were identical to Draco's.



The next week was the 14th of February, Valentine's Day. Harry had overheard that there was going to be a special Valentine's Day dance for people with dates. That's the only way you could come, with dates. He suggested that, to tell Hermione and Ron and the rest of the school, they come with each other.

An hour before the dance, Harry was having some doubts. What if Ron and Hermione were furious and without forgiveness? He voiced these concerns to Dean and Seamus, who responded with a lame, "Hermione's not the kind to do that and Ron'll understand."

Harry and Draco had agreed on what they were going to wear beforehand. Harry would be wearing a deep emerald-green robe and Draco would be wearing a robe of midnight blue. They were going to meet right inside the door at 7:00 and would from then on be nearly inseparable.

At 6:45, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dean and Seamus headed downstairs, Harry being the only one date-less. Ron and Hermione kept demanding who Harry's date was. Harry would respond with a mysterious, "You'll see," and exchange a Look with Dean and Seamus. Hermione and Ron would then attack them in order to know who Harry's date was.

The closer they got to the Great Hall, the more anxious Harry became. He just knew that Ron and Hermione could hear his heart thumping inside his ribcage. Hermione must have realized what was going on in his head, because a moment later she spoke up.

"Harry, no matter who your date is, it won't change how we feel or look at you," she reassured, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Mione, just.hold on to that feeling, okay?" Harry asked her, his smile strained. She smiled briefly before turning to Ron with and alarmed, yet slightly confused, look on her pretty face.

They reached the doors to the Hall and by this time, Harry was a nervous wreck. Dean and Seamus gave his reassuring hugs before entering the hall. Hermione and Ron seemed determined to stay by Harry's side until his date arrived.

"You two can go into the Hall, you know," Harry had pointed out.

"Nope. We're gonna wait with you 'til your date shows up," Ron said. "I want to see who she is and whet she looks like.

"Ron! Please, just.you and Hermione head into the Hall," Harry insisted. "My date and I will come in when we're ready. And go inside. You know, all the way!!!"

Defeated, Hermione and Ron linked arms and went into the Hall. On the way, Hermione leaned into Ron and whispered, "It seems as though he's hiding something."

Harry stood there anxiously, waiting until Draco arrived. He was starting to think that Draco had backed out and wasn't going to come when a strong pair of arms wrapped around Harry's chest. Immediately, Harry's worries melted and he relaxed against the warm, loving body behind him. He felt the one he loved and lived for press kisses down his jaw line. He turned around to face Draco and kissed him hungrily.

"I missed you," Harry whispered. Draco grinned and laughed.

"What are you going to do when the summer holidays come?" he asked.

"I haven't thought that far ahead, don't make me," Harry replied teasingly, pressing a kiss against Draco's waiting lips. Then a bit shyly, "I have something for you." Draco looked a bit surprised as Harry drew a gorgeous deep purple rose from behind his back and pinned it onto the Slytherin's robe. Draco grinned.

"Hmmm, it seems we think alike," he told Harry, also producing a deep purple rose and pinning it onto Harry's lapel.

"Shall we?" Harry asked, offering his arm to his boyfriend after receiving and giving a quick kiss for the roses' sake.

"Let's," Draco replied, giving a genuine, charming smile as he took Harry's arm.

They both took a deep, calming breath as they entered the Hall. As soon as people saw the two former archenemies with linked arms, they fell silent, most with mouths dropped open. The only people that seemed even slightly able to keep their mouths shut were the teachers. When Dean and Seamus saw them, they both started grinning and gave Harry and Draco the thumbs-up sign. Harry grinned back.

"I'd like you to meet Draco Malfoy, my boyfriend," Harry announced.

When Ron and Hermione saw the two boys, however, they shoved their way to the front of the group and Ron just near went ballistic.

"Ron, Ron, please calm down," Harry cried vainly, his arm dropping from its previous position and allowing his hand to fall comfortably into Draco's hand.

"Calm down?! I'm sorry, you want me to bloody calm down?!" Ron roared, enraged. "You had us going on all week, thinking your date was the most perfect person in the world and now! Now you walk in here with Draco fucking Malfoy on your arm and you act like it's an everyday occurrence! And I'm sorry, professors, for my language, but you have no clue how this is affecting me!"

"Ron, sweetie, please, calm down," Hermione whispered. This was the first time she had said something since Harry and Draco had come into the Hall. Until then, she had just been searching Harry's eyes, looking for something. Dean came over and clasped his hand on the visibly infuriated young man's arm. Hermione gave Ron a quick kiss before walking over to Harry and Draco. She stood there for a moment staring at both of them before turning to face Draco and doing something so unexpected, the entire Hall gasped as if one.

Hermione Granger put out her hand to Draco Malfoy to shake.

"Hello, Draco. It's nice to meet you," she introduced herself smoothly, shaking a completely bewildered Draco's hand. "My name's Hermione."

Ron was beside himself.

"Hermione!!!" he shouted. "What the bloody hell are you doing?! That's Malfoy!!!"

"No, it's not, Ron," Hermione replied, turning to face her boyfriend. "That person you're referring to no longer exists." Turning back to Draco, she added, "I can see it in his eyes."

Ron appeared to calm down at her words and he assured Dean he was okay. Suddenly, without warning, he let out a terrifying snarl and leapt on top of Draco, shoving Hermione and Harry out of the way and Draco to the ground. This made the rest of the school go wild. He began throwing punches at Draco's face, chest, and stomach.

After a minute, Harry managed to get up and hurl himself at Ron, throwing him off Draco. Harry shakily got up and helped Draco to his feet. The blonde Slytherin seemed a little disoriented. Harry placed his arm around him and kissed Draco's temple. Just then, McGonagall burst through the crowd. (A/N: Please don't ask me why it took so long for a teacher to reach them. I needed it to be that way. Pretend that the students were crowding so close to see what was going on, no one could get through. Pretty please? *smiles sweetly*)

"Mr. Weasley!" she exploded, her hat askew. "I have never seen a Gryffindor student conduct him-or-herself in such a manner! Fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor and you will do a week's worth of detention!" Ron hung his head in shame, then turned to Draco, his furious look fast returning.



A/N: Please tell me what you think!!!!!!!!!