"There's something you need to know."
"What is it?" Harry asked, hoping Draco would explain what Ron and Hermione had been talking about.
"Your friends had a talk with me," Draco said.
"What did they say?"
"They threatened that if I hurt you, then they would make me wish that I had never been born," Draco told him. "I hope you never give them the idea that I am hurting you. It would be a lie even if you did, since I never want to hurt you and I never plan on doing so.
"I am so sorry Draco. I never thought that they would do something like that. They won't even talk to me," Harry said sadly. He thought now would be a great time to clear up Ron and Hermione's mess. "Draco I want to ask you something and I need you to be completely honest with me, ok?"
"Ok."
"Ron and Hermione told me they overheard you talking to your Slytherin buddies and they said you told them that our meeting tonight was some kind of trap. Is it true?"
"What?! You told the Mudblood and Weasel what happened between us down in the dungeons. I thought that was going to remain between the two of us for now," Draco said accusingly.
"Don't try to change the subject with me Draco. Besides, I didn't tell them everything that happened down in the dungeon. I only told them what they needed to know. All I said was that was you and I were going to become friends. I haven't told anyone what actually went on down there and I don't plan on it unless you want me to," Harry paused a moment before continuing. "So answer me Draco, why the hell did you tell your friends that tonight is a trap, unless of course it is? You know if it is I think I might just kick your ass now for doing this to me. After everything you said about giving you a second chance and getting to know you, how could you just lie right to my face."
"No Harry, it isn't a trap and I would never do anything to hurt you. I had to tell them something so that they wouldn't be suspicious tonight when I leave the common room to meet you. It is just that I didn't want them to go snooping around tonight and find out about us because they might tell their fathers and then that would start a whole lot of shit that doesn't need to be started. I am grateful you are giving me a another chance, but you have to remember that if my father finds out about us he might try and get me to use this relationship to his and Voldemort's advantage," Draco explained.
"No we wouldn't want that. I'm sorry Draco I just. . . I don't know, I just don't want to hurt you or get hurt myself. I have had so many bad things happen that I just don't want anymore."
"You don't have to worry about that Harry I promise that I will never hurt you."
Draco pushed Harry up against the wall and started kissing his neck, slowly moving up to his lips. They shared a heated kiss but Harry suddenly pulled away, afraid of what might happen if they were caught.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked looking confused and hurt from Harry's sudden rejection. Harry hadn't pulled away like that before. Why the sudden change now?
"Nothing. . . I just don't want us to get caught. People might suspect something if they notice that both of us are gone."
"True. Well then, I guess that I will see you tonight then." Draco leaned and kissed Harry quickly before walking towards the door. "Oh and Harry. . ." he paused at the door, "don't be late."
After sitting on a desk for a couple of minutes thinking about all that had happened, Harry made his way out the door and headed to dinner.
~*~*~*~
Hermione and Ron came up to him and sat down next to him in the Great Hall. As surprised as he was, Harry ignored them and continued to eat. He wasn't about to give in and talk to these two. Especially not after, they had threatened Draco.
"Harry we need to talk to you," Hermione said. "I'm sorry about the way that I acted the other day and if you and Malfoy want to be friends then we support that. Don't we Ron?" She looked over at him, signaling for him to say something.
"WHAT?! I never. . . OWW!" Ron yelped as Hermione's elbow made contact with his ribs. "Yes Harry we support your decision to befriend the umm. . . guy," Ron said clutching his ribs.
Harry still ignored their petty apologies and continued to eat as if he hadn't heard a thing of what they had just said. When in reality he just wanted to make up with them and be happy like he had been before all this had started.
"Harry! We know that you can hear us, now please say something!" Hermione yelled, hoping that she would get some kind of response out of him. Anything that would let her know that he was paying some sort of attention to what she was saying. And she got one; not exactly, the one she had been hoping for but one none the least.
"Why should I say something to you two if every time I tell you something important or make a decision you can't even support me in it without getting pissed off, especially when I want to be friends with someone other than the two of you. It gets hard when there are three of us. It's not exactly, as if we can pair off like the two of you seem to have already done. Why is it so hard for you to let me be friends with someone other than the two of you? And you two should think of it as a good thing because now you will at least have some time to yourselves," Harry screamed at them.
Harry's screaming caused several people in the Great Hall to turn around and see what all the yelling and shouting was for. Harry got up and left the other two sitting there with flushed faces.
"Go back to eating. There is nothing for you to see here!" Hermione yelled as she and Ron ran after Harry.
The chattering picked back up after the three were gone. There was nothing else to see at the moment so everyone figured there was no reason to be so silent anymore.
They caught up with him outside the Great Hall and Ron called after him, "Harry! Harry! Wait a minute."
"Why should I?" Harry spun around. "I am sick of all this twisted crap. If you want me to listen tell me one thing; if you want my friendship back and you support the fact that I want to be friends with Draco, then why did you say that shit about him?"
"Harry what are you talking about?" Hermione asked him.
"Don't play stupid with me, remember what you told me Draco?"
"Oh. That," Ron said.
"Harry what we told you was the truth. We overheard Malfoy telling Crabbe, Goyle, and some of the others that he had set up a trap to humiliate you tonight and we only wanted to make sure that the little bastard didn't go through with it," Hermione explained, then she had a sudden thought. "Why are you meeting him tonight in the Astronomy Tower? Isn't that where couples go to be alone?
"He isn't going to hurt me and we are meeting there so we can be alone to talk."
"Fine Harry, whatever you say. Where are you going by the way?" Ron asked.
"Back up to the common room to do my homework, is that ok with the two of you?" Harry turned around and headed up the stairs to the portrait hole. He didn't need to tell them everything, did he?
~**~**~
Back up in the common room, Harry tried to start on his homework but he wasn't getting much done. His mind and thoughts kept drifting back to Draco and their upcoming meeting. He didn't notice the person who had snuck up behind him and was now leaning over his shoulder watching him doodle on his notes.
"I see you are getting a lot of work done," Hermione said, startling Harry so that he knocked over his bottle of ink. Everything was instantly turned black before Harry could set the bottle upright.
"You do know you don't have to sneak up behind me and scare the living daylights out of me don't you?" Harry asked, still breathing heavily. "I mean, coming up and sitting down in a chair would have been just as effective, except then I wouldn't have all my stuff black.
He tried to move his books and homework before the ink got to it, but the ink continued to spread across the table even though the bottle was now sealed.
"This is just great! Now I am going to have to do all this over again and buy new books!"
"Sorry about that," Hermione apologized. She whipped out her wand and seconds later everything was as good as new, even the homework.
"Thanks, you saved me a lot of time. So what do you want, or did you come over here just so that you could scare me to death?" Harry questioned.
"Oh, I um, just wanted to see if you needed any help with anything," Hermione said with a worried look on her face.
"You can't fool me Hermione. Tell me what it is that you really want."
"Well there are two things I want to talk to you about."
"Ok then, ask away," Harry said.
I wanted to ask you what was really going on between you and Malfoy. Every time I see you two look at each other it reminds me of the way Ron and I do. You two are like a couple in love. Please tell me that I am wrong though. I want to hear it from you that you and Draco are nothing more than just friends."
"I don't want to disappoint you, but you're right. I wasn't sure how to tell you though. And I haven't told Ron because I know that he would definitely freak out on me. You haven't said anything to him have you? Please tell me that you haven't."
"Of course I haven't. I tell Ron almost everything, but that is one thing that not even I am going to tell him. If you want him to know then you can tell him yourself. So you really do like Draco don't you?"
"Of course I do, Hermione, didn't I just get through telling you that?" Harry asked.
" This is going to be harder than I thought it would be then. You might want to sit down," Hermione said.
"Hermione look at me, I am already sitting down," Harry said sarcastically.
"Brace yourself then, I have some bad news."
"What is it?" Harry asked, hoping Draco would explain what Ron and Hermione had been talking about.
"Your friends had a talk with me," Draco said.
"What did they say?"
"They threatened that if I hurt you, then they would make me wish that I had never been born," Draco told him. "I hope you never give them the idea that I am hurting you. It would be a lie even if you did, since I never want to hurt you and I never plan on doing so.
"I am so sorry Draco. I never thought that they would do something like that. They won't even talk to me," Harry said sadly. He thought now would be a great time to clear up Ron and Hermione's mess. "Draco I want to ask you something and I need you to be completely honest with me, ok?"
"Ok."
"Ron and Hermione told me they overheard you talking to your Slytherin buddies and they said you told them that our meeting tonight was some kind of trap. Is it true?"
"What?! You told the Mudblood and Weasel what happened between us down in the dungeons. I thought that was going to remain between the two of us for now," Draco said accusingly.
"Don't try to change the subject with me Draco. Besides, I didn't tell them everything that happened down in the dungeon. I only told them what they needed to know. All I said was that was you and I were going to become friends. I haven't told anyone what actually went on down there and I don't plan on it unless you want me to," Harry paused a moment before continuing. "So answer me Draco, why the hell did you tell your friends that tonight is a trap, unless of course it is? You know if it is I think I might just kick your ass now for doing this to me. After everything you said about giving you a second chance and getting to know you, how could you just lie right to my face."
"No Harry, it isn't a trap and I would never do anything to hurt you. I had to tell them something so that they wouldn't be suspicious tonight when I leave the common room to meet you. It is just that I didn't want them to go snooping around tonight and find out about us because they might tell their fathers and then that would start a whole lot of shit that doesn't need to be started. I am grateful you are giving me a another chance, but you have to remember that if my father finds out about us he might try and get me to use this relationship to his and Voldemort's advantage," Draco explained.
"No we wouldn't want that. I'm sorry Draco I just. . . I don't know, I just don't want to hurt you or get hurt myself. I have had so many bad things happen that I just don't want anymore."
"You don't have to worry about that Harry I promise that I will never hurt you."
Draco pushed Harry up against the wall and started kissing his neck, slowly moving up to his lips. They shared a heated kiss but Harry suddenly pulled away, afraid of what might happen if they were caught.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked looking confused and hurt from Harry's sudden rejection. Harry hadn't pulled away like that before. Why the sudden change now?
"Nothing. . . I just don't want us to get caught. People might suspect something if they notice that both of us are gone."
"True. Well then, I guess that I will see you tonight then." Draco leaned and kissed Harry quickly before walking towards the door. "Oh and Harry. . ." he paused at the door, "don't be late."
After sitting on a desk for a couple of minutes thinking about all that had happened, Harry made his way out the door and headed to dinner.
~*~*~*~
Hermione and Ron came up to him and sat down next to him in the Great Hall. As surprised as he was, Harry ignored them and continued to eat. He wasn't about to give in and talk to these two. Especially not after, they had threatened Draco.
"Harry we need to talk to you," Hermione said. "I'm sorry about the way that I acted the other day and if you and Malfoy want to be friends then we support that. Don't we Ron?" She looked over at him, signaling for him to say something.
"WHAT?! I never. . . OWW!" Ron yelped as Hermione's elbow made contact with his ribs. "Yes Harry we support your decision to befriend the umm. . . guy," Ron said clutching his ribs.
Harry still ignored their petty apologies and continued to eat as if he hadn't heard a thing of what they had just said. When in reality he just wanted to make up with them and be happy like he had been before all this had started.
"Harry! We know that you can hear us, now please say something!" Hermione yelled, hoping that she would get some kind of response out of him. Anything that would let her know that he was paying some sort of attention to what she was saying. And she got one; not exactly, the one she had been hoping for but one none the least.
"Why should I say something to you two if every time I tell you something important or make a decision you can't even support me in it without getting pissed off, especially when I want to be friends with someone other than the two of you. It gets hard when there are three of us. It's not exactly, as if we can pair off like the two of you seem to have already done. Why is it so hard for you to let me be friends with someone other than the two of you? And you two should think of it as a good thing because now you will at least have some time to yourselves," Harry screamed at them.
Harry's screaming caused several people in the Great Hall to turn around and see what all the yelling and shouting was for. Harry got up and left the other two sitting there with flushed faces.
"Go back to eating. There is nothing for you to see here!" Hermione yelled as she and Ron ran after Harry.
The chattering picked back up after the three were gone. There was nothing else to see at the moment so everyone figured there was no reason to be so silent anymore.
They caught up with him outside the Great Hall and Ron called after him, "Harry! Harry! Wait a minute."
"Why should I?" Harry spun around. "I am sick of all this twisted crap. If you want me to listen tell me one thing; if you want my friendship back and you support the fact that I want to be friends with Draco, then why did you say that shit about him?"
"Harry what are you talking about?" Hermione asked him.
"Don't play stupid with me, remember what you told me Draco?"
"Oh. That," Ron said.
"Harry what we told you was the truth. We overheard Malfoy telling Crabbe, Goyle, and some of the others that he had set up a trap to humiliate you tonight and we only wanted to make sure that the little bastard didn't go through with it," Hermione explained, then she had a sudden thought. "Why are you meeting him tonight in the Astronomy Tower? Isn't that where couples go to be alone?
"He isn't going to hurt me and we are meeting there so we can be alone to talk."
"Fine Harry, whatever you say. Where are you going by the way?" Ron asked.
"Back up to the common room to do my homework, is that ok with the two of you?" Harry turned around and headed up the stairs to the portrait hole. He didn't need to tell them everything, did he?
~**~**~
Back up in the common room, Harry tried to start on his homework but he wasn't getting much done. His mind and thoughts kept drifting back to Draco and their upcoming meeting. He didn't notice the person who had snuck up behind him and was now leaning over his shoulder watching him doodle on his notes.
"I see you are getting a lot of work done," Hermione said, startling Harry so that he knocked over his bottle of ink. Everything was instantly turned black before Harry could set the bottle upright.
"You do know you don't have to sneak up behind me and scare the living daylights out of me don't you?" Harry asked, still breathing heavily. "I mean, coming up and sitting down in a chair would have been just as effective, except then I wouldn't have all my stuff black.
He tried to move his books and homework before the ink got to it, but the ink continued to spread across the table even though the bottle was now sealed.
"This is just great! Now I am going to have to do all this over again and buy new books!"
"Sorry about that," Hermione apologized. She whipped out her wand and seconds later everything was as good as new, even the homework.
"Thanks, you saved me a lot of time. So what do you want, or did you come over here just so that you could scare me to death?" Harry questioned.
"Oh, I um, just wanted to see if you needed any help with anything," Hermione said with a worried look on her face.
"You can't fool me Hermione. Tell me what it is that you really want."
"Well there are two things I want to talk to you about."
"Ok then, ask away," Harry said.
I wanted to ask you what was really going on between you and Malfoy. Every time I see you two look at each other it reminds me of the way Ron and I do. You two are like a couple in love. Please tell me that I am wrong though. I want to hear it from you that you and Draco are nothing more than just friends."
"I don't want to disappoint you, but you're right. I wasn't sure how to tell you though. And I haven't told Ron because I know that he would definitely freak out on me. You haven't said anything to him have you? Please tell me that you haven't."
"Of course I haven't. I tell Ron almost everything, but that is one thing that not even I am going to tell him. If you want him to know then you can tell him yourself. So you really do like Draco don't you?"
"Of course I do, Hermione, didn't I just get through telling you that?" Harry asked.
" This is going to be harder than I thought it would be then. You might want to sit down," Hermione said.
"Hermione look at me, I am already sitting down," Harry said sarcastically.
"Brace yourself then, I have some bad news."