'Did I just say that?' Harry thought as he waited for Draco to say something, move...anything. 'I just told Draco that I love him...and all I feel is...gladness. No fear. Can it be...?'
Draco didn't turn around. "I heard you say something, but I'm sure that I heard it wrong. Could you repeat that for me?"
"I love you, Draco." There was nothing dramatic behind this sentence. Just a simple statement of fact. Its simplicity was the most compelling thing about Harry's words.
Draco did turn around then, expression unreadable, but his eyes glowing. "Do you, Harry? Do you really?" He started back towards Harry, slowly, cautiously.
"I...I do, Draco. I didn't think I did, but...you were walking away, and I knew that I couldn't let you go...because I love you." Every time he said the words, they became easier to say.
Draco stopped in front of Harry, within reach but not touching him. "No fear, Harry?"
"I'm still afraid," Harry admitted softly. "I'm afraid that you've changed your mind, that you don't love me anymore. I'm afraid that you'll just turn away from me, as maybe you should." Harry looked at the ground. "I do fear, Draco, but not my own heart anymore."
"Harry." Draco's voice was filled with joy, yet choked with tears. "How could you think that I don't love you anymore?"
"Well...you haven't let on. It's like you only think of me as a friend now. Maybe you realized that I'm too damaged, I don't know, but-"
Draco placed a finger over Harry's lips, halting his flow of words. "But nothing," he said, eyes shining with emotion. "I haven't said anything because I meant what I had told you-I didn't want to pressure you in any way. I thought it would be easier for you if I kept my affections to myself. But I still love you, Harry, very much so. In fact, I fall even more in love with you every day. You're not damaged, just hurting, as you have every right to. I could never forsake you. *Never*."
"Draco...you have no idea how much hearing that means to me...." Harry reached out and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. Responding to the touch, Draco drew him into an embrace. They stood there holding each other for quite some time before Draco brought his face to Harry's, aiming for a kiss. Before their lips could make contact, though, Harry pulled back and blushed shyly.
"Harry?" Draco was instantly concerned. "Is something wrong?"
"Please...don't take this the wrong way, Draco, but I'm not ready for that, not yet. I can tell you that I love you, and that is all. I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Draco looked into Harry's eyes. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again now-I'll wait for you, Harry. I'll wait forever if need be. Already, I've gotten so much more than I had ever hoped for. Knowing you love me is more than enough for me, as is knowing that you *can* feel love again." He saw the look on Harry's face. "Now don't argue with me. I mean it. I accept and am glad for what you can give me. I will willingly wait for anything more."
Draco pulled Harry into an embrace again and stood there as the woods came back to life around them.
**********
They told Remus that night, over dinner. Harry blushed the whole way through, but he was able to say the words, and one look into Harry's eyes convinced Remus that he meant them with all of his heart.
"Harry." He hugged the boy. "I can't tell you how happy I am. I was afraid that you were shutting yourself off forever."
"I was afraid too, Remus," Harry replied, voice muffled by Remus' shoulder. "But I was afraid of losing Draco more."
Remus drew back from Harry and nodded. "I'm happy," he repeated. Then a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eye. "Should I be giving you that talk now?"
"Remus!" Harry looked away, horribly embarrassed. "I hardly think that's necessary."
"That's kind of you, Remus, but we're not ready for anything like that," Draco put in sincerely. "We're not going to jump into anything."
"That makes me feel even better," Remus said, nodding. "You show good judgement, boys."
The conversation around the table fell silent for a bit as everyone attended to their food. Finally, Remus broke the silence. "So, what's happening with the Weasleys?"
The conversation continued. Draco didn't want to let Harry go by himself, but Harry reiterated his points from earlier, backed up by Remus. Faced with such a united front, Draco conceded, but only if he could have regular contact with Harry. Harry readily agreed to the idea, so within half an hour, the details were hammered out. Harry would be leaving the next morning. "So I don't get cold feet and back out," Harry said when Draco would have protested the leaving date.
Later that night, Draco and Harry were in their room, trying to sleep, though sleep wasn't coming easy for either of them. "Harry?" Draco whispered into the silence.
"Yes, Draco?"
"Please be careful. Take care of your body...and your heart."
"I will. Try not to worry about me too much, Draco."
"I can't help it," came the whispered response. "I love you too much."
"I love you too, and for that reason I will be taking care. Now, we need to get some sleep."
"I suppose you're right." Draco sighed. "Good night, Harry."
"Good night, Draco."
**********
Draco didn't turn around. "I heard you say something, but I'm sure that I heard it wrong. Could you repeat that for me?"
"I love you, Draco." There was nothing dramatic behind this sentence. Just a simple statement of fact. Its simplicity was the most compelling thing about Harry's words.
Draco did turn around then, expression unreadable, but his eyes glowing. "Do you, Harry? Do you really?" He started back towards Harry, slowly, cautiously.
"I...I do, Draco. I didn't think I did, but...you were walking away, and I knew that I couldn't let you go...because I love you." Every time he said the words, they became easier to say.
Draco stopped in front of Harry, within reach but not touching him. "No fear, Harry?"
"I'm still afraid," Harry admitted softly. "I'm afraid that you've changed your mind, that you don't love me anymore. I'm afraid that you'll just turn away from me, as maybe you should." Harry looked at the ground. "I do fear, Draco, but not my own heart anymore."
"Harry." Draco's voice was filled with joy, yet choked with tears. "How could you think that I don't love you anymore?"
"Well...you haven't let on. It's like you only think of me as a friend now. Maybe you realized that I'm too damaged, I don't know, but-"
Draco placed a finger over Harry's lips, halting his flow of words. "But nothing," he said, eyes shining with emotion. "I haven't said anything because I meant what I had told you-I didn't want to pressure you in any way. I thought it would be easier for you if I kept my affections to myself. But I still love you, Harry, very much so. In fact, I fall even more in love with you every day. You're not damaged, just hurting, as you have every right to. I could never forsake you. *Never*."
"Draco...you have no idea how much hearing that means to me...." Harry reached out and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. Responding to the touch, Draco drew him into an embrace. They stood there holding each other for quite some time before Draco brought his face to Harry's, aiming for a kiss. Before their lips could make contact, though, Harry pulled back and blushed shyly.
"Harry?" Draco was instantly concerned. "Is something wrong?"
"Please...don't take this the wrong way, Draco, but I'm not ready for that, not yet. I can tell you that I love you, and that is all. I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Draco looked into Harry's eyes. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again now-I'll wait for you, Harry. I'll wait forever if need be. Already, I've gotten so much more than I had ever hoped for. Knowing you love me is more than enough for me, as is knowing that you *can* feel love again." He saw the look on Harry's face. "Now don't argue with me. I mean it. I accept and am glad for what you can give me. I will willingly wait for anything more."
Draco pulled Harry into an embrace again and stood there as the woods came back to life around them.
**********
They told Remus that night, over dinner. Harry blushed the whole way through, but he was able to say the words, and one look into Harry's eyes convinced Remus that he meant them with all of his heart.
"Harry." He hugged the boy. "I can't tell you how happy I am. I was afraid that you were shutting yourself off forever."
"I was afraid too, Remus," Harry replied, voice muffled by Remus' shoulder. "But I was afraid of losing Draco more."
Remus drew back from Harry and nodded. "I'm happy," he repeated. Then a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eye. "Should I be giving you that talk now?"
"Remus!" Harry looked away, horribly embarrassed. "I hardly think that's necessary."
"That's kind of you, Remus, but we're not ready for anything like that," Draco put in sincerely. "We're not going to jump into anything."
"That makes me feel even better," Remus said, nodding. "You show good judgement, boys."
The conversation around the table fell silent for a bit as everyone attended to their food. Finally, Remus broke the silence. "So, what's happening with the Weasleys?"
The conversation continued. Draco didn't want to let Harry go by himself, but Harry reiterated his points from earlier, backed up by Remus. Faced with such a united front, Draco conceded, but only if he could have regular contact with Harry. Harry readily agreed to the idea, so within half an hour, the details were hammered out. Harry would be leaving the next morning. "So I don't get cold feet and back out," Harry said when Draco would have protested the leaving date.
Later that night, Draco and Harry were in their room, trying to sleep, though sleep wasn't coming easy for either of them. "Harry?" Draco whispered into the silence.
"Yes, Draco?"
"Please be careful. Take care of your body...and your heart."
"I will. Try not to worry about me too much, Draco."
"I can't help it," came the whispered response. "I love you too much."
"I love you too, and for that reason I will be taking care. Now, we need to get some sleep."
"I suppose you're right." Draco sighed. "Good night, Harry."
"Good night, Draco."
**********