Chapter 9: The Right Question Comes Easier than Expected
"What am I doing?" Harry suddenly cried out, as he reached the dead end passage was that was the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. "Why am I doing this?" and then his thoughts aligned and he answered himself smartly. "For love," he muttered softly. But is a person, particularly a Gryffindor, in love or not, smart enough to wander into the Slytherin Common Room unprotected? Harry had just realized this, and cursed himself for his lack of thought. Why hadn't he thought of it before? But oh well, he took a deep breath, he would have to do it anyways.
"Slither," he breathed leaning close to the door for no particular reason. The panel slid back and over, and Harry closed his eyes expecting there to be an angry shout come from inside. But it was empty. Harry took a cautious step inside, fearing that the whole gang of Slytherins might jump out from behind one of the many leather couchs and attack him. But nothing happened. It appeared that the few Slytherins who had stayed (which was,as Harry had noted before, more than usual) were actually taking advantage of the mild Christmas weather.
Now Harry was faced with a new problem. There were seven years, and a dormitory a piece per year for the girls and the boys. That was 14 dormitories! How was he supposed to find Draco in all of these?
After doing a quickie enie-menie-minie-moe, he picked one of the farthest dormitories on the left. Sucking in a deep breath, he opened the door slowly and then snapped it shut again, just as quietly. No, that wasn't Draco's dormitory, unless the Slytherin's had coed dorms. So he decided to try the dorms on the other side as this appeared to be the girls side. Picking a door, he reached for was about to grasp the handle and open it when he heard voices from inside.
"Just leave me alone Pansy! I want to sort things out!" came a voice that was undoubtedly Draco's.
"What? So you can decide to leave me for that little fag boy Harry?" followed a startled cry that had to be Pansy's.
Suddenly there was a very load smack and a shriek and the flung open, giving Harry only enough time to fling himself behind an armchair when Pansy came flying out, clutching the side of her face, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I hate you Draco Malfoy! I hate you!" she cried and ran to a dormitory on the other side of the room.
Harry hesitated. Pansy had left the door open. It was now or never. If he crept up but didn't go in, Draco would see him. He just had to go in.
He straightened, gathering all the courage he never thought he would have needed to face Draco, and then he reminded himself that this wasn't just a normal matter that he was dealing with. His pace quickened as he approached the door and much sooner than he had hoped Harry had entered the dungeon dormitory.
It was much different than the Gryffindor dormitories: much gloomier (owing to the fact that it was a dungeon, there were no windows, therefore less light), and less comfortable looking. Five beds were situated against the opposite wall and Draco sat on the last one, his eyes glued on the wall, as if determined not to cry. He looked like someone close to a mental break down. He was muttering something under his breath, but Harry couldn't hear what it was, so running on courage that you only have when you have gone so far you have nothing to lose, he crept closer, until he standing right behind Draco.
"Cursed Potter," he muttered, "has to ruin my life. Now Pansy's leaving me. Father's going to be so pissed, he's gonna kill me. after all the arrangements. oh dear Dark Lord!"
Harry raised his eyebrow at the last exclaimation, but still didn't reveal his presence.
"Cursed Potter! Why did you have to fall in love with me?!"
"I couldn't help it." Harry breathed softly, right behind him.
Draco startled horribly and spun around.
"Potter, what the hell?!" he screeched, but Harry clamped a hand over his mouth before he could shout anymore.
"Please, I need to talk, I need to know the truth. Please." Draco raised his fine eyebrows in confusion. "Please," Harry said, just above a sigh.
Draco, knowing that Potter wasn't going to let him go if he didn't agree, slowly nodded.
"Now, do you really mean that, or as soon as I pull my hand down are you going to start screaming again?"
Draco's silver grey eyes widened and stared into Harry's emerald ones, and Harry could have swooned on the spot if the time were right. but it wasn't. Also, Harry noticed, almost uncomfortably, Draco's lips were incredibly soft under his rough, Quidditch Practice worn hand.
'Pull yourself together Harry' Harry told him, and deciding, slowly slid his hand away from Draco's mouth, most reluctantly.
Draco, didn't scream, but he did talk. "Listen Potter, I don't love you."
"How do you know that?" asked Harry seriously.
"Potter I think I can be trusted to know my own feelings -- "
"But do you? I talked to your cousin. She's told me some things about your life, and how you are -- "
Draco's face paled slightly and he convulsively grabbed his left forearm. She wouldn't tell! "W-What kind of things did she tell you about me Potter?" he spat.
"That you have Lucius to live up to. that you're more being him, than you are yourself. Have you ever really thought about what you really wanted?"
"Oh," some color returned to Draco's face, "yes, I have what I want Potter, and I love what I have so if you're suggesting that its my father that's keeping me from liking you, then you have another thing to think about!" His voice raised sharply, and he let go of his forearm. "I would never in a thousand years -- "
"Yes, but what about the time after the thousand years eh Draco? What about then? Do you think your missenterpretating mind will understand then?"
"Understand what Potter?" Draco spat.
"That we're meant to be together!"
Draco snorted agitatedly. "Even a thousand years wouldn't do it Potter!"
"That's because you've never thought about it truthfully Draco. You have to think, ever since you first met me, you wanted to be my friend, why do you think that is Draco?"
"I - I had my reasons!" Draco spat, his hand almost going to his forearm again, but Harry took no notice of this movement, he was too far into his argument. "Besides I don't want to think about it! That's not how I am!"
"Then you won't have any objection about taking this now will you?" Harry held up the tiny bottle of off clear potion.
Draco gasped, his eyes narrowed. "I thought Snape was just teasing you about trying to sneak it out, but I wouldn't have even expected from you -- "
"That's because I didn't take it. Shadow made it!"
"Shadow?! I'll kill her! Why?"
"She seems to have a good understanding of whats going on, much better seemingly than you do. Just take the potion Draco."
"That's Malfoy to you!" Draco's voice sailed to a pubescent pitch, though that period in his life well over. "And besides how do I know that you haven't jinxed that potion - just - just like you jinxed that hat! To lie! To make me lie! How do I know if that's even Truthfulness Potion?"
"You'll just have to trust me, I guess," Harry said softly.
Draco snorted again. "Trust you Potter? What reason have I ever had to trust you? You've always had it in for me!"
Harry thought it best not to respond to this but instead held out the tiny bottle until it was practically under Draco's nose. "Drink it, please, I need to know."
Draco finally sighed resignedly. He snatched the bottle from Harry and and glared at it. "Fine, I'll take it, you can ask your one question then you have to leave. Agreed?"
Harry nodded. "It'll be your decision though."
Draco ignored this comment and after taking a slight sniff of it, took down the whole tiny bit in a mouthful. He made a horrid face as if went down, then shook his head. "That was horrible -- "
But Harry wasted no time "Draco Malfoy do you love me?"
"What am I doing?" Harry suddenly cried out, as he reached the dead end passage was that was the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. "Why am I doing this?" and then his thoughts aligned and he answered himself smartly. "For love," he muttered softly. But is a person, particularly a Gryffindor, in love or not, smart enough to wander into the Slytherin Common Room unprotected? Harry had just realized this, and cursed himself for his lack of thought. Why hadn't he thought of it before? But oh well, he took a deep breath, he would have to do it anyways.
"Slither," he breathed leaning close to the door for no particular reason. The panel slid back and over, and Harry closed his eyes expecting there to be an angry shout come from inside. But it was empty. Harry took a cautious step inside, fearing that the whole gang of Slytherins might jump out from behind one of the many leather couchs and attack him. But nothing happened. It appeared that the few Slytherins who had stayed (which was,as Harry had noted before, more than usual) were actually taking advantage of the mild Christmas weather.
Now Harry was faced with a new problem. There were seven years, and a dormitory a piece per year for the girls and the boys. That was 14 dormitories! How was he supposed to find Draco in all of these?
After doing a quickie enie-menie-minie-moe, he picked one of the farthest dormitories on the left. Sucking in a deep breath, he opened the door slowly and then snapped it shut again, just as quietly. No, that wasn't Draco's dormitory, unless the Slytherin's had coed dorms. So he decided to try the dorms on the other side as this appeared to be the girls side. Picking a door, he reached for was about to grasp the handle and open it when he heard voices from inside.
"Just leave me alone Pansy! I want to sort things out!" came a voice that was undoubtedly Draco's.
"What? So you can decide to leave me for that little fag boy Harry?" followed a startled cry that had to be Pansy's.
Suddenly there was a very load smack and a shriek and the flung open, giving Harry only enough time to fling himself behind an armchair when Pansy came flying out, clutching the side of her face, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I hate you Draco Malfoy! I hate you!" she cried and ran to a dormitory on the other side of the room.
Harry hesitated. Pansy had left the door open. It was now or never. If he crept up but didn't go in, Draco would see him. He just had to go in.
He straightened, gathering all the courage he never thought he would have needed to face Draco, and then he reminded himself that this wasn't just a normal matter that he was dealing with. His pace quickened as he approached the door and much sooner than he had hoped Harry had entered the dungeon dormitory.
It was much different than the Gryffindor dormitories: much gloomier (owing to the fact that it was a dungeon, there were no windows, therefore less light), and less comfortable looking. Five beds were situated against the opposite wall and Draco sat on the last one, his eyes glued on the wall, as if determined not to cry. He looked like someone close to a mental break down. He was muttering something under his breath, but Harry couldn't hear what it was, so running on courage that you only have when you have gone so far you have nothing to lose, he crept closer, until he standing right behind Draco.
"Cursed Potter," he muttered, "has to ruin my life. Now Pansy's leaving me. Father's going to be so pissed, he's gonna kill me. after all the arrangements. oh dear Dark Lord!"
Harry raised his eyebrow at the last exclaimation, but still didn't reveal his presence.
"Cursed Potter! Why did you have to fall in love with me?!"
"I couldn't help it." Harry breathed softly, right behind him.
Draco startled horribly and spun around.
"Potter, what the hell?!" he screeched, but Harry clamped a hand over his mouth before he could shout anymore.
"Please, I need to talk, I need to know the truth. Please." Draco raised his fine eyebrows in confusion. "Please," Harry said, just above a sigh.
Draco, knowing that Potter wasn't going to let him go if he didn't agree, slowly nodded.
"Now, do you really mean that, or as soon as I pull my hand down are you going to start screaming again?"
Draco's silver grey eyes widened and stared into Harry's emerald ones, and Harry could have swooned on the spot if the time were right. but it wasn't. Also, Harry noticed, almost uncomfortably, Draco's lips were incredibly soft under his rough, Quidditch Practice worn hand.
'Pull yourself together Harry' Harry told him, and deciding, slowly slid his hand away from Draco's mouth, most reluctantly.
Draco, didn't scream, but he did talk. "Listen Potter, I don't love you."
"How do you know that?" asked Harry seriously.
"Potter I think I can be trusted to know my own feelings -- "
"But do you? I talked to your cousin. She's told me some things about your life, and how you are -- "
Draco's face paled slightly and he convulsively grabbed his left forearm. She wouldn't tell! "W-What kind of things did she tell you about me Potter?" he spat.
"That you have Lucius to live up to. that you're more being him, than you are yourself. Have you ever really thought about what you really wanted?"
"Oh," some color returned to Draco's face, "yes, I have what I want Potter, and I love what I have so if you're suggesting that its my father that's keeping me from liking you, then you have another thing to think about!" His voice raised sharply, and he let go of his forearm. "I would never in a thousand years -- "
"Yes, but what about the time after the thousand years eh Draco? What about then? Do you think your missenterpretating mind will understand then?"
"Understand what Potter?" Draco spat.
"That we're meant to be together!"
Draco snorted agitatedly. "Even a thousand years wouldn't do it Potter!"
"That's because you've never thought about it truthfully Draco. You have to think, ever since you first met me, you wanted to be my friend, why do you think that is Draco?"
"I - I had my reasons!" Draco spat, his hand almost going to his forearm again, but Harry took no notice of this movement, he was too far into his argument. "Besides I don't want to think about it! That's not how I am!"
"Then you won't have any objection about taking this now will you?" Harry held up the tiny bottle of off clear potion.
Draco gasped, his eyes narrowed. "I thought Snape was just teasing you about trying to sneak it out, but I wouldn't have even expected from you -- "
"That's because I didn't take it. Shadow made it!"
"Shadow?! I'll kill her! Why?"
"She seems to have a good understanding of whats going on, much better seemingly than you do. Just take the potion Draco."
"That's Malfoy to you!" Draco's voice sailed to a pubescent pitch, though that period in his life well over. "And besides how do I know that you haven't jinxed that potion - just - just like you jinxed that hat! To lie! To make me lie! How do I know if that's even Truthfulness Potion?"
"You'll just have to trust me, I guess," Harry said softly.
Draco snorted again. "Trust you Potter? What reason have I ever had to trust you? You've always had it in for me!"
Harry thought it best not to respond to this but instead held out the tiny bottle until it was practically under Draco's nose. "Drink it, please, I need to know."
Draco finally sighed resignedly. He snatched the bottle from Harry and and glared at it. "Fine, I'll take it, you can ask your one question then you have to leave. Agreed?"
Harry nodded. "It'll be your decision though."
Draco ignored this comment and after taking a slight sniff of it, took down the whole tiny bit in a mouthful. He made a horrid face as if went down, then shook his head. "That was horrible -- "
But Harry wasted no time "Draco Malfoy do you love me?"