Chapter Six
One Solved Mystery


Harry held fast to the pale wrist in his fingers. He knew he couldn't let Draco go. What could he be thinking? He can't just leave me alone to wonder what the hell is going on in his mind…


Harry looked away from the pale skin he had in his hand, and up to the gray eyes of the boy he had loved for so long. The gray was almost overpowered by the blood red. Harry gasped.


"Draco, what's wrong?" whispered Harry concernedly.


Gray-and-red eyes narrowed to near-slits. "What do you care?" sneered Draco.


Harry was taken aback. What do I care? What does he mean by that? Harry stepped closer to the blonde, still not setting his wriggling wrist free. "What do I care? You must be joking. Of course I care…" Green eyes searched gray. "What's wrong?"


Draco finally wrenched himself free from Harry's tight grasp. "Nothing, Potter."


Harry flinched at the use of his surname. What happened to the boy that declared his love for me? Where did Draco go, and when did Malfoy return? Harry frowned at the cold blonde before him. "Where did the man go that confessed his love for me? Hmm? What happened to him?"


Draco's eyes narrowed. "You did, Potter. Your little show of walking away told me exactly what I needed to know."


"Oh really, Draco. And what did my taking a step back to compose myself tell you, exactly?" Harry crossed his arms over his chest and stared into stormy eyes. He refused to back-track and revert to the use of surnames.


Draco broke the gaze after a couple seconds. He took a deep breath and Harry thought he looked like a broken man. Harry took a step forward, and Draco retreated. Draco raised his eyes again to reconnect with Harry's. "It told me that you really had no intention of being with me. Therefore, why should I stay and get my heart ripped out?"


Harry gave a short, sarcastic laugh. "You must be joking." One look into the pained eyes told Harry he was not. He stepped forward again, and this time Draco held his ground, glaring. Harry put a hand out, and touched Draco's arm lightly. The blonde shook it off.


"Draco, I-." Harry stared down at his feet for a moment to collect his thoughts before he spoke. He looked back up at Draco. Here was the one person he had loved for so long. And he had actually expressed his love for Harry. Suddenly, all the words Harry had planned for this moment flew from his mind. He had no idea what to say.


"Yes?" asked Draco, the Malfoy sneer residing solidly on his lips.


Harry took a steadying breath. He looked directly into Draco's eyes, and finally spoke.


"Draco, I have always hated Valentine's Day. It's a wretched holiday. Full of silly romance and a stupid celebration of 'love.' " Harry shook his head and groaned. "Then I realized why I hated Valentine's so much."


Draco raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And why is that, pray tell?"


Harry stepped closer to Draco and two pairs of eyes locked. One set red-rimmed and scornful, the other clear and desperate. "I hated Valentine's Day so much because I have never been on the receiving end of any kind of love. At least none that I can remember. I suppose my mum and dad loved me, but I never got the chance to know. My sodding aunt and uncle and their prat of a son never cared a lick about me. And then when I turned eleven, I got thrown into this world I have never known where everyone worships me."


Draco snorted derisively. "And how is being worshipped bad?"


"Because, Draco, I am never sure if anyone truly cares about me. I always have to second-guess myself, and everyone around me. So instead of being loved for who I am, I have to wonder if whoever it is declaring their love and loyalty to me is doing it just because of this celebrity thing." Harry growled out the last words of that statement. He took a moment so his anger could fade slightly. He smiled a small smile then.


"But you know what?" asked Harry.


Draco raised an eyebrow again. "What?"


"You've changed things."


A second pale eyebrow rose to meet its mirror image. "I changed things?"


Harry nodded. "You did. Tonight, I came here to meet some guy that I figured had a little crush on me. I figured that even though the letters sounded sincere, whoever this 'Delectable Mystery' guy was, he was just going to be after my body or something stupid like that. So I came, expecting some lame attempt to get in my knickers.


"And then you spoke. And the things you said… My God, Draco. You knew who I really was. You knew things about me that almost no one knows. And you sounded totally genuine. As I listened to you, I could feel myself falling in love." Harry smiled at Draco.

"I knew that whoever this masked man was, I would love him for the rest of my life because he cared about me for who I was and nothing else. But there was a sinking feeling in my heart. I knew that I would always love my 'Delectable Mystery' man, but there would still be a part of me that loved someone else."

Draco's dark look brightened a bit, but it did not reach his eyes. There was still jealousy and pain residing there. "So you've fallen in love with me, but you'll always love someone else. There's a marvelous thought."

His lips spread into a blinding smile and he placed a hand on the smooth silk of Draco's cheek. "No, Draco. That's not it." Harry shook his head. "I asked your identity, so I could know who I would be with for the rest of my life. And the concealing spell was removed and the hood was lowered. And there you were. From then on, I knew that I would never have to split my affections."

"But you just said-."

"Yes, I said a piece of my heart would always be with someone." Harry's smile managed to brighten somehow. "See, I have been in love with you for so long, I've lost track. I knew that I would love whoever it was under that hood, but I knew that a piece of me would always be for you and you alone."

"Really?" asked Draco skeptically.

Harry nodded. "Really. And then your face appeared from under that mask. I was so happy. God, my heart soared. I didn't have to worry about not being with you. Because you were the one I was falling in love with all the time."

Draco let out a choked sob mixed with a laugh. "You mean, you're in love with me? Me and only me?"

Harry nodded again. His free hand came up and met with Draco's vacant cheek. The two teens stood in the cold February air, staring at each other and ignoring the freezing wind licking at their robes. A single tear tried to make a break for it over Draco's cheek. Harry caught it easily and wiped away its existence.

They stood just watching each other, taking in every detail of the other's visiage. Harry's thumbs gently stroked the creamy silk beneath them. After a long while, Harry finally broke the silence.

"Draco?"

"Hmm?"

Harry smiled again. "I love you."

Draco smiled back. A true smile. It even reached his eyes. "I love you too."

The two gazed at each other for another long moment. Then Harry leaned in. Silk met satin in a soft kiss. Hands left cheeks, and four arms wrapped around new bodies, wanting to explore. The new beaus stood there, discovering each other.

And there, in that kiss, two souls entwined to become one.

~*~TBC~*~