Author's Note: It's almost over. *dun dun dun* i think two more chapters (including this one) oughta do it.
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Whispers in the Rain
Chapter 21: The Rejection
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"You want to take me?" Harry asked Draco softly as they stood int he deserted corridor. Draco shifted uncomfortably as he quickly thought over his options. He could tell Harry the truth, but he wasn't so sure at that moment. He didn't really like the look on Harry's face at that moment.
"Maybe." Draco squeeked nervously. Harry let out a sigh. Draco cringed slightly, knowing this wasn't a good sign.
"Draco, I-"
"No!" Draco interupted. Harry gave him an odd look. "I mean... I dont' know. I guess it would be nice, but it's up to you, you know."
"Draco, I really dont' think it's a good idea." Harry said, speaking in a low voice. Draco's spirits sunk, and it showed in his face. Harry bit his lower lip and took a step toward him. "It's not that I dont' want to Draco, but it's the whole school!"
"Just 4th years and up." Draco whispered.
"Exactly." Harry stated, hoping his voice sounded a soothing as he meant it to. "I dont' know if I'm ready for all those people to know."
"Why not?" Draco asked.
"I... I dont' know. It would jsut be.. weird."
"Weird. You mean weird with me?" Draco asked defensively. Harry opened his mouth to protest. "Harry, if you dont' want to go with me just say so."
"No!" Harry exclaimed. "Draco, I just dont' think it's a good idea, is all."
"Why not?" Draco repeated. Harry looked at the floor for a moment.
"Draco, we haven't even told your family yet. The only people who know are my friends and Dumbledore-"
"And Snape." Draco interupted. "For all honestly, he was the only one I was worried about finding out anyway."
"Why?" Harry asked incredulously. Draco frowned at his reaction.
"Becuase Snape is the only one that actually cares about me." Draco admitted. Harry suddenly felt extremely bad for his remark. "He does. My father sees me as an hier, nothing more. My mom views me as someone to make her look good in public. Snape, when I came here, he actually spent time with me like my father never would. So, you say my family doesn't know, but I say they do."
"Draco, I'm sorry." Harry whispered.
"Harry, I just want to spend time with you!" Draco told him, closing the distance between them. Harry nodded, he felt the same. Yet, he was scared. Scared of how people would react. Scared of how it would effect their relationship. "Why can't we do it at the dance?"
"I want to spend time with you too. I'm just scared, Draco." Harry admitted, looking up into his steel eyes.
"Don't be." Draco said softly. He leaned down and kissed Harry lightly. "Please?"
"Draco..."
"Go to the dance with me?" Draco asked. He smiled encouragingly. "I really dont' want to spend another evening with Parkinson."
Silence filled the hall, as it seemed Harry was thinking it over. The kiss had nearly won him over. He did want to go, but his fear was so strong. He loved Draco, he really did, but he wasn't sure if he could handle this much preasure. Why was Draco so insistant on it? Harry's fear made him believe Draco wanted something. That he was after something. Harry looked up into the Slytherin's face.
Draco smiled softly. He tried to show a confident smile, but Harry's silence was innerving. It was driving him insane. Draco wanted nothing but to show the world that he didn't give a rat's ass what they thought. That he didn't care if they didn't approve of his relationships. That he wasn't worried about how his father would react when he found out his son enjoyed the company of The Boy Who Lived. He wanted to prove all this, while spending a glorious evening dancing with Harry.
"I can't."
Draco blinked and his mouth dropped open. Did he just hear correctly? Draco stared at the green eyed boy in front of him in shock. He was denied. He was just, of all things, rejected.
"I'm sorry." Harry said softly, before turning away and running down the hall and out of view. Draco stood there, not able figure out what just happened.
Harry walked into the Gryffindor common room with a sad look on his face. He hated doing that to Draco. He dispised the look he saw on the Slytherin's face. Harry, lost in thought, barely noticed his two friends walk over to him. Sitting down in the far corner, he stared at floor.
"Harry? You okay?" Ron asked cautiously.
"I told him no."
"You didnt!" Ron gasped, shocked. "But I thought you wanted to go with him. He is your boyfriend."
"I couldn't handle the idea." Harry whispered. "Everyone would see us, they would all stare."
"I've never seen you afraid of people staring at you." Ron told him, sitting across from Harry. "You've had people stare at you since you came to Hogwarts, and it's never really bothered you before. At least not enough to keep you from doing something you wanted to."
"He's right, Harry." Hermione agreed. "As much as I dislike Malfoy, I'm shocked to hear you reject him. Weren't you the one to persue him in the beginning?"
"Yes." Harry replied. "It's just... The secret part is wonderful. The spending time with each other, the kissing. I just dont' know if I want that to be public."
"Why not?" Ron asked, repeating the same question Draco had earlier. Harry frowned. He really didn't know how to describe it. He didn't want to talka bout this anymore, so he quickly changed the subject.
"So, who are you guys going as?" He asked. Hermione's eyes lit up.
"I'm going to be Madame Curry!" She announced. She slipped her arm through Ron's. "And Ron's going to be my husband."
"I dont' even know who they are." Ron admitted. Harry shrugged. Hermioen gave them both shocked looks.
"They were a couple. Scientists. They discovered Radon (a/n: i think...) together. Too bad they died from poisoning from it." Hermione let out a sigh. "But it's so romantic how they worked side by side."
"Umm, exactly." Ron agreed. "What about you, Harry?"
"I dont' know yet." Harry said. He shrugged. "I'm not even sure if I'm gonna go."
"You must!" Hermione demanded.
"I dont' know." Harry repeated. He mumbled something about being tired, and slipped up to the dorms. Hermione and Ron watched him leave and shared a worried expression.
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I know i'm gonna be beat silly for having them "fight" like this. But it's needed for the big romantic finale!! *grin* Dont' worry everyone! It's gonna be good... I hope... *eep*
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Whispers in the Rain
Chapter 21: The Rejection
________________________
"You want to take me?" Harry asked Draco softly as they stood int he deserted corridor. Draco shifted uncomfortably as he quickly thought over his options. He could tell Harry the truth, but he wasn't so sure at that moment. He didn't really like the look on Harry's face at that moment.
"Maybe." Draco squeeked nervously. Harry let out a sigh. Draco cringed slightly, knowing this wasn't a good sign.
"Draco, I-"
"No!" Draco interupted. Harry gave him an odd look. "I mean... I dont' know. I guess it would be nice, but it's up to you, you know."
"Draco, I really dont' think it's a good idea." Harry said, speaking in a low voice. Draco's spirits sunk, and it showed in his face. Harry bit his lower lip and took a step toward him. "It's not that I dont' want to Draco, but it's the whole school!"
"Just 4th years and up." Draco whispered.
"Exactly." Harry stated, hoping his voice sounded a soothing as he meant it to. "I dont' know if I'm ready for all those people to know."
"Why not?" Draco asked.
"I... I dont' know. It would jsut be.. weird."
"Weird. You mean weird with me?" Draco asked defensively. Harry opened his mouth to protest. "Harry, if you dont' want to go with me just say so."
"No!" Harry exclaimed. "Draco, I just dont' think it's a good idea, is all."
"Why not?" Draco repeated. Harry looked at the floor for a moment.
"Draco, we haven't even told your family yet. The only people who know are my friends and Dumbledore-"
"And Snape." Draco interupted. "For all honestly, he was the only one I was worried about finding out anyway."
"Why?" Harry asked incredulously. Draco frowned at his reaction.
"Becuase Snape is the only one that actually cares about me." Draco admitted. Harry suddenly felt extremely bad for his remark. "He does. My father sees me as an hier, nothing more. My mom views me as someone to make her look good in public. Snape, when I came here, he actually spent time with me like my father never would. So, you say my family doesn't know, but I say they do."
"Draco, I'm sorry." Harry whispered.
"Harry, I just want to spend time with you!" Draco told him, closing the distance between them. Harry nodded, he felt the same. Yet, he was scared. Scared of how people would react. Scared of how it would effect their relationship. "Why can't we do it at the dance?"
"I want to spend time with you too. I'm just scared, Draco." Harry admitted, looking up into his steel eyes.
"Don't be." Draco said softly. He leaned down and kissed Harry lightly. "Please?"
"Draco..."
"Go to the dance with me?" Draco asked. He smiled encouragingly. "I really dont' want to spend another evening with Parkinson."
Silence filled the hall, as it seemed Harry was thinking it over. The kiss had nearly won him over. He did want to go, but his fear was so strong. He loved Draco, he really did, but he wasn't sure if he could handle this much preasure. Why was Draco so insistant on it? Harry's fear made him believe Draco wanted something. That he was after something. Harry looked up into the Slytherin's face.
Draco smiled softly. He tried to show a confident smile, but Harry's silence was innerving. It was driving him insane. Draco wanted nothing but to show the world that he didn't give a rat's ass what they thought. That he didn't care if they didn't approve of his relationships. That he wasn't worried about how his father would react when he found out his son enjoyed the company of The Boy Who Lived. He wanted to prove all this, while spending a glorious evening dancing with Harry.
"I can't."
Draco blinked and his mouth dropped open. Did he just hear correctly? Draco stared at the green eyed boy in front of him in shock. He was denied. He was just, of all things, rejected.
"I'm sorry." Harry said softly, before turning away and running down the hall and out of view. Draco stood there, not able figure out what just happened.
Harry walked into the Gryffindor common room with a sad look on his face. He hated doing that to Draco. He dispised the look he saw on the Slytherin's face. Harry, lost in thought, barely noticed his two friends walk over to him. Sitting down in the far corner, he stared at floor.
"Harry? You okay?" Ron asked cautiously.
"I told him no."
"You didnt!" Ron gasped, shocked. "But I thought you wanted to go with him. He is your boyfriend."
"I couldn't handle the idea." Harry whispered. "Everyone would see us, they would all stare."
"I've never seen you afraid of people staring at you." Ron told him, sitting across from Harry. "You've had people stare at you since you came to Hogwarts, and it's never really bothered you before. At least not enough to keep you from doing something you wanted to."
"He's right, Harry." Hermione agreed. "As much as I dislike Malfoy, I'm shocked to hear you reject him. Weren't you the one to persue him in the beginning?"
"Yes." Harry replied. "It's just... The secret part is wonderful. The spending time with each other, the kissing. I just dont' know if I want that to be public."
"Why not?" Ron asked, repeating the same question Draco had earlier. Harry frowned. He really didn't know how to describe it. He didn't want to talka bout this anymore, so he quickly changed the subject.
"So, who are you guys going as?" He asked. Hermione's eyes lit up.
"I'm going to be Madame Curry!" She announced. She slipped her arm through Ron's. "And Ron's going to be my husband."
"I dont' even know who they are." Ron admitted. Harry shrugged. Hermioen gave them both shocked looks.
"They were a couple. Scientists. They discovered Radon (a/n: i think...) together. Too bad they died from poisoning from it." Hermione let out a sigh. "But it's so romantic how they worked side by side."
"Umm, exactly." Ron agreed. "What about you, Harry?"
"I dont' know yet." Harry said. He shrugged. "I'm not even sure if I'm gonna go."
"You must!" Hermione demanded.
"I dont' know." Harry repeated. He mumbled something about being tired, and slipped up to the dorms. Hermione and Ron watched him leave and shared a worried expression.
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I know i'm gonna be beat silly for having them "fight" like this. But it's needed for the big romantic finale!! *grin* Dont' worry everyone! It's gonna be good... I hope... *eep*
