Author's Notes: -none… just 'it's so hot in here… I'm hungry… I want Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton…' *evil*-
Disclaimer: No money, No own, No right, No sue.
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Tarantella
Chapter 7 – Will You Dance With Me?
He felt someone's hand brushing his face. It was a soft, caressing touch. Light and tender, it grazed his skin. He struggled to open his eyes. The stars were still barely visible, but they were there. It was the only thing he could see, though vaguely, because it seems that his glasses weren't in his face, and all was blurry. He could still feel the cold wind play with his skin. The trees lulled him, but he fought the urge to fall asleep. He turned to the owner of the touch.
"Draco?"
The boy smiled at him. It was a small, but sweet smile. Full of emotions. Draco's inner self was there for him to see, and he knew that this smile… It was genuine.
He was half expecting a happy feeling come over him. Any good feeling, actually, but he could feel none. He was confused, but then he remembered, it was only an effect of the potion. The upshot of their seatwork had gone. He was saddened at the thought, because now that he and Draco were having some kind of 'understanding', he wanted to share the pain Draco feels. He thought that maybe, if Draco knew that Harry could really understand how he felt, he could ease the pain…. even just a little…
He looked straight at the gray eyes that gave him their full attention. It was bright enough for him to see Draco, even if vaguely, as he didn't know where his glasses were.
He looked around, and the sudden movement startled Draco a bit, but as if reading Harry's thoughts, he took the spectacles from his robe's pocket and handed them to Harry.
Harry took it from him and shivered slightly as their skins touched. It was a wonder that Draco had this effect on him…
He muttered a small 'thanks' and wore the glasses. Soon, he could see clearly and he turned to Draco, smiling.
"How long have you been up?", asked Harry.
"Not very long. About half an hour or so…"
"Oh… Sorry. I must've bored you…"
"No! I… I found something to do, anyway."
Harry though about Draco's last answer. He looked at him, questioningly but amused.
Draco looked back at him and laughed a bit. Harry still couldn't catch on, but he felt like laughing himself. The look in Draco's eyes, it was so full of energy. It was a different side. Draco's softer side.
"I was watching you sleep."
Harry had to blush to this. He didn't expect Draco to be… well, doing that! He wondered at how he must've looked.
'I must've looked funny…'
Harry blushed even more, and Draco laughed at the sight. He laughed heartily, and it sounded like he had no care of the world.
"Ah, well, I have to admit, you look really cute when you sleep."
The two boys stared at each other for a while and soon, Harry felt his cheeks grow hotter than it was. And suddenly, he grew interested with the crimson blanket that covered the two of them.
Draco laughed even more, much to his surprise. Then, he felt Draco's arms encircle him. The blonde's forehead was placed in his shoulder once again, and he said, "Really! No point denying it, you know. I've seen it."
Draco pulled away and just stared at Harry, who shook his head. Harry looked so innocent, with the blush that tinted his cheeks. Then, he turned to Draco and said with a grin, "Well, you're perky today. You look great when you smile."
It was the truth. Draco was exactly how he'd picture an angel when he smiled. All he needed was the wings, then Harry could've sworn, Draco wasn't human.
"Well, Harry, you think I don't know that?" replied Draco, jokingly. Harry elbowed Draco lightly and soon, they were struggling for air as they laughed at full volume, their mirth spreading through the Hogwarts grounds.
Soon, they both caught their breaths and Draco half-heartedly said, "Well, as much as I hate to say this, I think we need to get back to our dormitory now. Your housemates will go ballistic if they find that you're out of bed. I think today's such a good day for them to be drilling you with questions."
Harry agreed with Draco. He shook his head as he said, "Yeah. Sometimes, they're just too nosy."
"And the Gryffindor speaks…"
"Yeah, yeah, Draco."
---
Harry slipped quietly into their dorm room. He crept over to his things, took some clothes and got into the shower. He knew he wasn't going to be able to fall into a nap. Not after what happened with him and Draco.
He stepped in and cold water started to wet his skin. He closed his eyes and his senses started to sharpen. He felt the sliding of water droplets in his back… and it made him remember the kiss he and Draco shared last night.
He tried to remember the feeling of Draco's lips pressed to his. It wasn't his first kiss. He's kissed other girls before, but their kiss… it was definitely different with the others.
He started asking himself, though, 'What was it to Draco?' He knew Draco's played with other girls and guys before. Did Draco think that this kiss was different, too?
He then took his mind out of it, reasoning that it must've because… well, they weren't just kissing. There was more to it than lust. They didn't even go anywhere. It was just a kiss, but the feeling they felt was far from a just-a-kiss feeling. He knew because he could still feel Draco's feelings then.
He touched his lips, trying his best to remake the kiss by himself, but it wasn't the same. It was empty, not to mention it wasn't even a kiss. So he just stopped and laughed inwardly at himself. His mind switched to another question. 'How do I really feel about Draco?' It wasn't simple friendship. No, it was more complicated than that. He didn't pity Draco. Well, maybe a little. But it was… different. There was a mix of that thing he couldn't explain and something he felt for Draco in the past 6 years.
And it struck him. 'Could I have been in love with Draco in the past?'
He thought briefly, thinking back at the memories of their encounters. Their brawls, their word fights.
But wait. 'Did I just say in love?', he asked himself.
'Am I in love with Draco Malfoy?'
He looked up and let the rushing waters flow to his neck.
---
Draco was already done washing up, so he sat in their common room, thinking. What's going to happen now? Where do they go?
He gave this some thought as he was showering, and he was positive. It wasn't just a 'one-time' thing. He admitted to himself that he's never felt anything like this before.
Nobody understood him in the past. Not one of the people he's had relationships with. It was just pure lust, the feeling created to sate their sexual needs. And being that he was Draco Malfoy, he's not one for doing it by himself. He preferred doing it with someone, and as he made more comparisons, when it came to Harry, he didn't even think about any of those green thoughts when they kissed. Usually, he'd get all aroused and such, but then, why didn't he last night?
And as absurd as it may seem, there he knew that it was different with the jade-eyed boy. Very, very different.
He pondered more, about how he felt for Harry in the past. True, he was jealous and all, but something from before made his feelings now stronger. Could it have stemmed from their constant fighting?
Could he have loved Harry in the past?
He thought more and more until his head ached. Some of his housemates were up already; some reading, some playing wizard's chess.
Then it hit him.
---
The Gryffindor trio entered the Great Hall for breakfast. Hermione could sense Harry's friskiness and he asked him what made him like that. Harry just smiled and Ron answered the question.
"Must've had wet dreams…"
"Oh Ron, you are such a git!"
Ron was about to retort when Seamus Finnigan entered the scene. Of course, he was expected.
"Did I just hear 'wet dreams'?"
Hermione sighed and said, "Seamus! Things aren't always about sex."
The Irish boy suddenly grew quiet. He scratched his head as if thinking and said, "It isn't?"
Harry and Ron just chuckled as they walked over to their table at the far right. As soon as they were seated, Seamus stood up and loomed half way over the table. Then he said in a low voice, "I. Am. So. Sexy."
The people he said it to, which was Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dean, Lavender and Parvati all laughed. Their laughter echoed loudly in the hall that some of the Ravenclaws started to look over to their table, wondering what they were laughing about.
Harry, still recovering from his laughter, knew that Seamus has grown to be a sexy person. It was the truth. But his attitude and devotion for anything that relates to 'sex' was making him less desirable. Sure, Seamus wasn't a match for Draco, but his looks was comparable to Blaise Zabini's, Justin Finch-Fletchley's and others. Then again, Draco was wanted by all girls in Hogwarts, even some guys, and even Hermione agreed that Draco was desirable, though his attitude surely made him a bastard.
Smirking, Seamus continued, "Well, if you must know, I think Zabini's checking me out."
They were all about to laugh again when Hermione quickly said, also in a low voice, "But Blaise Zabini's an insensitive sex-maniac! He plays with girls and guys alike, and as much as I admit that you are attractive, you're no different when it comes to Zabini!"
Seamus replied, "Ah, but I still have a chance, right? Man! His walk, his voice, his sense of humor… not to mention the great ass! He's perfect!"
Dean took a sip from his juice and said, "He's got it bad. No use convincing him. I think he knows what you mean already, and I'm positive. The guy doesn't care at all if Zabini trashes him."
Harry thought about Seamus' situation. A relationship between a Slytherin and Gryffindor isn't impossible. Not that Draco and he had a relationship… did they? Anyway, he just knew that there could be and understanding between two students of the two houses. Seamus had a chance. With his looks, body and persistence… Well, what do they know? One day they could just catch the two snogging. Much scarier, catch Zabini chasing Seamus in the grounds screaming 'I love you' like there's no tomorrow!
After a few more debates, the subject moved on and Harry mentally cut himself off from the group. He needed to think and now seemed like a good time as slowly, voices toned down and people concentrated on their food more than the conversations.
Then, Harry heard the familiar sound of flapping wings. The mail was coming. He saw the owls slowly approach different tables and to his surprise, a swift owl dropped him a folded piece of parchment. He wondered who could send him a letter and opened it. He was quickly answered when he smelled the familiar scent of… Draco. He excitedly opened the letter and saw Draco's writing in green ink. The letters were neat, long and thin that it could've been the design of the parchment itself.
Harry,
I was thinking about last night… Well, about this morning too.
I thought a lot, really, and I think… no, wait, I know. I know that (this
I'm sure will be a shock for you… I think…)… that I'm in
love with you.
I know it's very sudden. But if you look back, the change
in me, our sudden understanding. They were all sudden.
I'm confused and I think you are, too. I don't know how
you'd react, as I also don't
know what to do. But I need to know what you think. If you think that this is
all wrong
and that you don't have feelings for me, then just ignore it. I'll understand.
But if you
at least consider it, then please, show me even just a little smile. A smirk if
you will.
I just need to know what you think. That's all I ask.
It doesn't matter to me if it stemmed from the past,
whatever. I don't care
if it's sudden. I don't care how it started. All I know is that I love you and
that my feelings
are true. I love you. I just hope you feel the same way…
~D.M.
Harry's heart instantly swelled and much to his dismay and surprise, he felt tears well up in his eyes. It wasn't like him to cry so fast… This is just a letter. A simple letter and yet it felt like his eyes were going to pop out of it's sockets if he stopped his tears longer.
He knew Draco was watching and he didn't dare look up. His face was hidden, still looking down on the parchment that was now stained with his tears.
He didn't want anyone to see him like that. He wasn't sad. He was just… overwhelmed with so many emotions. So much that he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
Harry smiled inwardly and looked up, not caring if anyone would see the tears. Fortunately, everyone was so into the breakfast (consisted of cheesecake, pie and other sweets that Dumbledore loved) that nobody noticed. His eyes traveled to the other side of the Great Hall and caught Draco's eyes. Draco's expression was hard, yet again, but he knew that fear of rejection was there.
He just looked at Draco, and Draco returned the stare. In what seemed like an hour, Harry finally smiled. Then he felt himself let loose and then, he was practically chuckling and blushing at the same time. He wiped the tears forming in the corner of his eyes, threatening to fall and pull more of the liquid expressions of emotion and looked back again at Draco.
This time, Draco's face was of questioning. With one pretty eyebrow raised, he telepathically asked Harry what the sudden outburst meant. In truth, Draco was terrified. He feared rejection the most and with Harry laughing like that, restrained but present, he couldn't tell if Harry was accepting his feelings or rejecting them… laughing at it.
Harry could sense the tension. He bit his lip and looked down at the letter once more, rereading some parts. Swallowing the words, making sure if they were real. He felt the rough parchment and he knew that this… this letter. It was real. He felt a sense of contentment and remembering that Draco still needed his answer, he smiled as he looked up to meet Draco again. This time, the smile was subtler. It was a thin smile, a lot less hearty than before. His face was serious, the smile still there, but it said everything, clear as glass.
No words were said. The smile itself was enough for Draco.
Draco didn't know what to do. As his gaze lingered in the thin, pinkish red lips Harry possessed to the deep, green eyes that scanned his own face, he felt himself drown in the moment. He held on to the moment as hard as he can. It wasn't everyday you get caught in incidents like this. Thumbs down, this is irreplaceable.
They just stared at each other. It seemed like time stopped and the world was suddenly perfect.
Then Draco broke their locked eyes and propped his head with his hand, his chin touching the soft skin of his knuckles. His façade left him and he returned to Harry's gaze and smiled, himself.
He mouthed, 'I love you', which surprised Harry and feeling that it was just right that he replied, he mouthed back, 'I know'.
All those times, nobody even realized the bewildering event happening right under their noses.
Well, almost nobody. Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling the whole time.
---
Author's Notes: Let me explain that the rapid succession of the story is still part of the plot. Tarantella is a very fast moving dance with a time signature of 6/8. Being that this fic is inspired by the dance (actually, the piano sheet music, but… ehhe!), the sudden decisions of the characters, the change of atmospheres and the like are all meant to be like that. In truth, this was supposed to be a 5-chapter fic, but… well, 5 chapters weren't enough! But that's okay because Tarantella is quite long. Anyway, I hope that clears up the 'sudden'-ess of the story! I do hope you still enjoyed it! Some said that it wasn't rushed… well, that's also good. Great actually!
Well, the chapters are starting to get tougher to write. Forgive the quality of this chapter. I know, I know…! Anyway, gawd! It's an inferno in my room! I'm positive, it must be 35*C here! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm going to need a long bath! Or… maybe I'll write a little part of the 8th chapter… or maybe not… I donnow. I didn't expect that I'd be able to finish the 7th chapter today. I haven't posted the 6th even if I've finished it even a few hours after I uploaded chapter 5… hehe. Evil me! *snicker*
MORE recent a/n's: well, 2 weeks after the 7th chapter was done, I've almost finished the 8th chapter. It's pretty long… hehe! Thanks to ROWAN ARKENSON for the *sniff* pep talk looking review. My heart swells… *sigh*… Sankyu! :P
REVIEW!!! - ehhe…
ys
