Disclaimer: Not mine.
Warnings: Slash is here in this chapter. There is a lot more violence than usual in this chapter, but not scary or gross violence. Uh... semi- infrequent cussing.
Chapter Ten: Resolved Feelings
Hermione was in the library studying. There was nothing new about that, but if someone looked very closely they would realize that her eyes weren't skimming the text. They were fixed on one word- swish. It wasn't as if this word was very important that made her gaze linger there. Actually, the word itself was pretty stupid. It wasn't as if you went around saying things like "Swish you" or "Holy Swish". Your probably wouldn't even use that word unless you were reviewing charms (which she was).
She was lost in thoughts. Thoughts of Harry, thoughts of Draco, thoughts of Harry and Draco together and kissing. All of her thought were tied in an intricate knot. An almost impossible knot to sort out with many different tangles and loopholes.
She shook her head and continued reading. After another five minutes she was stuck on another word. Irreversible. All of her actions were irreversible unless she went back in time. Harry and Draco kissing in the Astronomy tower, Harry and Draco being on speaking terms with each other, Harry and Draco working together. All of that was her fault. All of that was irreversible. Every moment of time was stuck on what happened. Everything she had ever done was recorded in a moment of time. Everything was irreversible.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the table she was studying at. She jumped, not expecting the unwelcome interruption.
"Distracted, Hermione?" She looked up at Harry's smirking face.
"Of course not. Are you daft? The N.E.W.T.S. are just around the corner. I'm studying!"
"Sure you are, and I'm a hippogriff. I've been watching you a while, and you haven't even turned any pages. Actually, your eyes haven't even been moving." Harry smirked again. That look wasn't meant for his face. He was too innocent and kind to smirk like that. It was another irreversible thing, Harry's smirk. It had been recorded my time, and would always be there. It was her fault that he was smirking. If he and Draco hadn't been around each other, he wouldn't be using that look. It just wasn't meant for his face. Hermione's brows furrowed. Harry took notice.
"Herm, are you in one of those moods?"
"What on Earth are you talking about?"
"Sometimes after you have been studying a while, you get really sulky."
"I do not!" Harry raised an eyebrow. Hermione sighed. He was right.
"Oh, by the way, I came to tell you that it is time for dinner." He started towards the doors.
"Harry, wait. I have something that I have been meaning to tell you. Ron and I are going to Hogsmeade tomorrow on a date. Draco offered to keep you company, and he seemed quite enthused about it." Harry turned around and smiled. "Will you take up his offer, or will you be going with us."
"Oh, I'll stay. I wouldn't want to interfere. Besides, Draco needs company, too. I'll send him an owl as soon as dinner is finished."
~~~
Draco's room was cluttered with N.E.W.T.S. review papers, books, and incomplete essays. Although he was usually very aware of how tidy he was, his nerves (as of late) had been too frazzled for him to care. He was juggling schoolwork, Quidditch, Harry, experiments with the mist, and future career options all at the same time. It was a miracle that all of those were pretty stable (excluding, Harry). Harry would probably always be an unsure part of his life. Just as he was beginning to fantasize about Harry's lips moving against his own, a snowy white owl started to peck at the small and only available window to Slytherin. He let the bird in and it dropped a letter gracefully into his hands. He opened it and read.
After he was finished there was a big and radiant smile on his face. He'd get to stay with Harry! This was his opportunity. There would be no mudblood to interfere this time. All of a sudden, there was a knock on his door. He tried to control his grinning face and clean up his room a bit, but before he was done, the door flew open to reveal Pansy.
"Hello, Malfoy." Her tone was cold, and her eyes were narrowed into slits. She slowly and calculatingly walked towards Draco (who would never admit it, but was scared). After she was about a foot away from him, she stopped. He could see every color in her eyes and every bit of red that was splotched on her cheeks. Damn, she was angry.
"I know that you had something to do with Monday." It was a whisper, but still sounded threatening.
"Really? What gave you that idea?" Pansy growled, and a few more splashes of red appeared onto her face. It wasn't very flattering at all.
"Malfoy, you bastard, I know you had something to do with it. People don't normally lose control of what they say!"
"Maybe you should see Madame Pomphrey about it. Like you said, people don't normally lose control of what they say." There was a smirk on his face. He loved to annoy Pug-face. Speaking of her, Pansy was now beet-red. She was grinding her teeth and growling. Malfoy's gaze roamed over her features.
"You would make the perfect pug, if only you had a little bit more hair. You've got the growling down, you look like one, and you're already a bitch." Pansy got even angrier. Nobody was supposed to mess with her like this imbecile had! Before Draco could react, Pansy slapped him right on the cheek. He stood there, shocked. Taking advantage of this, she scratched both of his cheeks before turning on her heels. Her robes billowed out behind her as she left. Draco was still standing with his hands on his face. He wasn't smirking anymore.
~~~
Harry watched as Hermione and Ron stepped into the carriage that was going to Hogsmeade. After seeing that it pulled off successfully, he started to head back towards the school, back towards Draco. He smiled at the thought of his former rival. He could picture him clearly in his mind. From the whitish-blond wisps of hair all of the way down to the polished tips of his expensive Italian leather shoes. It was a funny thought; he had never seen Draco barefoot.
~~~
Draco was waiting nervously in the extra-credit potions room for Harry to arrive. He had decided to forego the normal school robes since it was a Saturday. He also wanted to look his best for Harry, who would hopefully become his boyfriend. The mere thought of Harry as his boyfriend made Draco's lips tingle and his cheeks flush.
In an effort to cool off his pink face, he placed his cold hands on each cheek. Once they were placed on there, Draco winced. The cuts from Pansy's fingernails were still there. He hadn't wanted to explain anything to Madame Pomphrey last night. But if his cheeks scarred, he would have to ask Severus about a healing potion. Scars were absolutely not permitted on this Malfoy's face. They were pretty unattractive.
Lost in his thoughts, Draco jumped when the door slowly creaked open. He smiled when he saw Harry.
"Hi, Potter."
~~~
"Hi, Potter," was the only greeting that Harry received when he walked into the room. It had a different tone than what usually came from the blonde's mouth. It had a soft and tender edge to it, rather than a harsh and sharp one. Harry liked the way that Draco said it.
"Hello, Malfoy." This was accompanied by a small smile. He then looked around the room, uncomfortable with the stifling heat that had suddenly appeared.
"Are we going to stay here the whole day?" To be honest Harry didn't want to be here. He was sick of the potions research.
"Oh, I don't think so. We could go to the Slytherin dorms or something, that is, if you want to." There was a long pause. Both boys were looking at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact.
Slowly, Harry said, "How exactly can I be in Slytherin territory, especially the common room and dorms? In case you haven't noticed, I'm the person that brought down the Slytherin idol." Draco glared. That was crossing the line.
"For your information, not all Slytherins idolized him. You could have just said a polite no thanks instead of insulting my house!"
"Well then, no thanks. I don't want to go there. What would all of the little first years think?" Harry smiled, still looking at the ground. The thought of going to the Slytherin dorms filled his head with all sorts of inappropriate things that Draco might want to do. He could picture a pale hand gliding across his torso going lower and lower... but right now wasn't the time to think about such things.
"That's a lot better. I guess we could just go to the Astronomy tower. I'm sure that all of the snogging couples have temporarily relocated to Hogsmeade today."
"That sounds great."
~~~
Hermione smiled when she saw Ron sitting next to her. She was doing a lot of smiling around him today, even though he had a strained look on his face. When he caught her staring, she gazed down towards their hands and blushed. Their hands were interesting. His hands were big and nice. Hers were petite and feminine. Their hands were so close together. Maybe she should try to hold hands; that is, if she didn't die of embarrassment beforehand.
She looked back up at Ron and caught him staring. He quickly looked away. Hermione could see the tips of his ears turn a cute shade of red. She looked back down at their hands, and gently placed hers on top of his. She looked back up and saw into his clear blue eyes. She smiled again. Needless to say, they walked hand in hand on their way to Madame Puddifoot's coffee shop.
When they entered they were greeted by a great deal of whispers from the other students. Their hands hadn't gone unnoticed. Most of the students were lamenting that they had lost the bet, but some were expressing their approval (or disapproval) of the pair. Both Hermione and Ron blushed at the scrutiny that they were receiving. They quickly made their way towards a cozy table located in the back of the restaurant, away from prying eyes. A lady in casual dress walked over towards their table as they sat down.
"Welcome to Madame Puddifoot's. My name is Mary, and I'll be your waitress today. I hope that you enjoy your refreshments. Here is the menu. The special today is hot chocolate for two with complimentary biscotti" Hermione and Ron blushed at the implication of the server's statement. The waitress continued as if she didn't notice their slight discomfort. "I'm sure that you two would really enjoy that selection... " She turned and headed back towards the kitchen, throwing a not-so-discreet wink towards the couple. The sickly sweet smell of her perfume lingered in the air for a few seconds.
"Do you want to get that?" Ron had a strained look on his face, and he made a subtle coughing noise. Hermione noticed this. He obviously didn't want that.
"Oh, Ron, we don't have to get it. We could just get separate coffee or hot chocolates. You can choose." Hermione offered him a smile, and squeezed his hand reassuringly underneath the table. It was his choice; after all, it was him who had asked her on the date.
"That would be great, Herm." Ron seemed a bit relieved. After a few minutes of amiable conversation, Mary came back to the table asking. "Have you decided what you would like to order yet?"
"Yes we have. We'll have two separate hot chocolates and two slices of your chocolate cake." Mary headed back towards the kitchens again. This was a cue to start another conversation.
"What did Harry think when you told him about us?"
"He was happy. Dra- erm- other people I told were happy for us, too."
"That's good." There was a comfortable silence, broken only when Mary returned with their order. The conversation started up again.
"So, what's Harry doing today, anyways? He didn't come to Hogsmeade with us." Ron took a sip of his drink.
"He's just staying at the castle. He didn't mind us leaving him there. I'm pretty sure he can keep himself entertained."
"That's great. I can do some things much more easily without him around." Ron gave her a quick kiss. "Just like that." Throughout the date, Ron had become more relaxed. After half of an hour, Ron paid one sickle and four nuts. The two lovebirds left the shop hand in hand, just like they came.
~~~
After arriving in the tower, Draco summoned a deck of exploding snap. After all, he needed something to do with Harry. After the fifth game lost, Draco decided to do something else that involved more use of your brain, rather than your luck. He could surely beat Harry at something like that.
"I'm going to find something else to do." He got out his wand, ready to summon a chess set, but before he could mutter any sort of spell, Harry interrupted him.
"You just don't want to play anymore because you keep losing. I bet you can't win." Draco put down his wand and huffed. Harry had an overly smug look on his face. Even though he got along with Malfoy now, it was still fun to insult him.
"Actually, I don't get much pleasure out of playing this game. It is rather boring."
"Ha, you can't admit it. You just don't like to lose at anything."
"The game is pointless and it has no strategy at all. I don't like it. Who enjoys things exploding in their face?"
"That is what makes the game so much fun, Malfoy. You are just a sore loser." Draco flushed a pale pink. He was infuriated.
"Excuse me, but I graciously accept it when I have lost a game."
"Really... then explain all of your Quidditch games against me, these recent games of Exploding Snap, and all of those other times you have been beaten by me at something." Draco's nostril's flared, and his cheeks turned even darker.
"That's it, Potter! You have crossed the line!" Draco pounced on him in a flash, trying to wring his ugly neck. The nerve of Potter to say such things about him!
The boys tumbled and rolled around the floor, panting and frustrated. Draco had the upper hand and he was trying to bring out Harry's knees. While Draco was in action, Harry tried to knee Draco in the stomach, but Draco punched him before he could do anything. It was a straight hit. While Harry was on his back writhing in pain, Draco straddled his hips and Harry was efficiently pinned to the cold floor. He was about to give a nasty blow to Harry's face when he stopped.
Harry's eyes were squeezed shut, anticipating the waves of pain that were sure to come. They never did, and the only thing he could feel was Draco pinning him to the floor, although that wasn't such a bad feeling anymore. He opened his eyes a crack and saw Draco with an indefinable expression on his face. Before he could say anything, soft lips were lowered onto his. It was delicious, and he never wanted it to stop. He nudged his lips slowly against the Slytherin's; all of his anger had dissipated. Harry moved his hands to Draco's cheeks and felt something wet. He broke the kiss and looked into Draco's eyes before switching his gaze to the rest of his face. There were a lot of scratches with blood trickling out of the corners. Had he done that?
"Draco, did I do this?" Draco closed his eyes when Harry gently brushed his fingertips over the scratches.
"Oh, no you didn't. It was Pansy yesterday. I guess they opened up a bit during our little scuffle." Harry looked at them again before showering butterfly kisses on every scratch.
"I'll kiss them better." Harry smiled softly before he placed his lips on Draco's again. His arms snaked around Draco's neck, and he began to kiss him with more intensity. Both of their eyes were closed in rapture. When they ran out of breath Draco lifted his head. Before they started kissing again he opened his sliver eyes. Harry's were still closed.
"Harry?"
"Hmm?"
"I need to tell you something."
"Mmmhmm."
"I like you a lot, and I wanted to know if you could possibly like me back." Green eyes snapped open, and were filled with many different emotions. Instead of an answer, Draco got a kiss bursting with love; a kiss that made him tingle all over. If he thought the kisses before were good, this would have to be paradise.
~~~
Ron and Hermione decided to walk back to Hogwarts so that they could enjoy the snow-covered grounds and the crisp winter air. Sometimes carriages just didn't provide enough privacy. In the town, they kept public displays of affection to a minimum, only holding their hands, but after they had gotten out of the outskirts, they decided they could finally kiss.
After a few minutes of kissing, the couple broke apart with a happy sigh. They didn't want to stop kissing, but it was a bit chilly outside. The warming spells cast throughout the castle looked very inviting at the moment. When they finally reached the Great Hall, Ron pulled Hermione towards the staircase leading to the common room, but Hermione had other plans. They were seventh years, after all. The younger students looked up to them.
"Ron, we shouldn't go to the common room. The first and second years will see us. We can't set bad examples for the younger students!" Ron rolled his eyes, but after a small kiss he acquiesced to Hermione's suggestion. When they reached the steps leading up to the Astronomy Tower, they started to kiss again. About halfway up the staircase, the two were frustrated with trying to snog and climb the stairs at the same time; Ron picked up his girlfriend and continued. When he reached the top he opened the door as well as he could with Hermione in his arms. After the door was fully ajar, he slowed the kiss and looked into Hermione's chocolaty brown eyes, but then movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. When he saw what it was, he dropped Hermione on the floor.
"Holy Shit." Ron wasn't sure if it was Harry or Malfoy that said this. Ron looked between the two boys a few times (both were flushed and guilty looking) before he promptly passed out. Hermione offered the two boys a stern look.
"Those kisses better have been an experiment for the mists."
~~~
Author's Note: I am really sorry that this took so long for me to 'publish.' I now it's going to sound like I'm making excuses, but I have been on vacation, then I had camp, and I had to finish up my summer assignment. I didn't have ANY free weeks this summer. :( I'm sorry.
I also am really sorry about the fact that this story is going to be coming to an end soon. It can't go on forever. There will probably be one or two more chapters. I'll take suggestions on how they should go.
Thanks soo much to the people that reviewed last chapter. I really appreciate it, and in all honesty, this is really the first story that I have ever written that got a lot of response from the readers. I still get excited when I get reviews.
Also, the whole Pansy and Draco confrontation was bound to happen. It's not like she's just accept that Draco placed a hex on her... or at least I don't THINK she would accept it.
Please review. :O) I'll be forever indebted.
Warnings: Slash is here in this chapter. There is a lot more violence than usual in this chapter, but not scary or gross violence. Uh... semi- infrequent cussing.
Chapter Ten: Resolved Feelings
Hermione was in the library studying. There was nothing new about that, but if someone looked very closely they would realize that her eyes weren't skimming the text. They were fixed on one word- swish. It wasn't as if this word was very important that made her gaze linger there. Actually, the word itself was pretty stupid. It wasn't as if you went around saying things like "Swish you" or "Holy Swish". Your probably wouldn't even use that word unless you were reviewing charms (which she was).
She was lost in thoughts. Thoughts of Harry, thoughts of Draco, thoughts of Harry and Draco together and kissing. All of her thought were tied in an intricate knot. An almost impossible knot to sort out with many different tangles and loopholes.
She shook her head and continued reading. After another five minutes she was stuck on another word. Irreversible. All of her actions were irreversible unless she went back in time. Harry and Draco kissing in the Astronomy tower, Harry and Draco being on speaking terms with each other, Harry and Draco working together. All of that was her fault. All of that was irreversible. Every moment of time was stuck on what happened. Everything she had ever done was recorded in a moment of time. Everything was irreversible.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the table she was studying at. She jumped, not expecting the unwelcome interruption.
"Distracted, Hermione?" She looked up at Harry's smirking face.
"Of course not. Are you daft? The N.E.W.T.S. are just around the corner. I'm studying!"
"Sure you are, and I'm a hippogriff. I've been watching you a while, and you haven't even turned any pages. Actually, your eyes haven't even been moving." Harry smirked again. That look wasn't meant for his face. He was too innocent and kind to smirk like that. It was another irreversible thing, Harry's smirk. It had been recorded my time, and would always be there. It was her fault that he was smirking. If he and Draco hadn't been around each other, he wouldn't be using that look. It just wasn't meant for his face. Hermione's brows furrowed. Harry took notice.
"Herm, are you in one of those moods?"
"What on Earth are you talking about?"
"Sometimes after you have been studying a while, you get really sulky."
"I do not!" Harry raised an eyebrow. Hermione sighed. He was right.
"Oh, by the way, I came to tell you that it is time for dinner." He started towards the doors.
"Harry, wait. I have something that I have been meaning to tell you. Ron and I are going to Hogsmeade tomorrow on a date. Draco offered to keep you company, and he seemed quite enthused about it." Harry turned around and smiled. "Will you take up his offer, or will you be going with us."
"Oh, I'll stay. I wouldn't want to interfere. Besides, Draco needs company, too. I'll send him an owl as soon as dinner is finished."
~~~
Draco's room was cluttered with N.E.W.T.S. review papers, books, and incomplete essays. Although he was usually very aware of how tidy he was, his nerves (as of late) had been too frazzled for him to care. He was juggling schoolwork, Quidditch, Harry, experiments with the mist, and future career options all at the same time. It was a miracle that all of those were pretty stable (excluding, Harry). Harry would probably always be an unsure part of his life. Just as he was beginning to fantasize about Harry's lips moving against his own, a snowy white owl started to peck at the small and only available window to Slytherin. He let the bird in and it dropped a letter gracefully into his hands. He opened it and read.
After he was finished there was a big and radiant smile on his face. He'd get to stay with Harry! This was his opportunity. There would be no mudblood to interfere this time. All of a sudden, there was a knock on his door. He tried to control his grinning face and clean up his room a bit, but before he was done, the door flew open to reveal Pansy.
"Hello, Malfoy." Her tone was cold, and her eyes were narrowed into slits. She slowly and calculatingly walked towards Draco (who would never admit it, but was scared). After she was about a foot away from him, she stopped. He could see every color in her eyes and every bit of red that was splotched on her cheeks. Damn, she was angry.
"I know that you had something to do with Monday." It was a whisper, but still sounded threatening.
"Really? What gave you that idea?" Pansy growled, and a few more splashes of red appeared onto her face. It wasn't very flattering at all.
"Malfoy, you bastard, I know you had something to do with it. People don't normally lose control of what they say!"
"Maybe you should see Madame Pomphrey about it. Like you said, people don't normally lose control of what they say." There was a smirk on his face. He loved to annoy Pug-face. Speaking of her, Pansy was now beet-red. She was grinding her teeth and growling. Malfoy's gaze roamed over her features.
"You would make the perfect pug, if only you had a little bit more hair. You've got the growling down, you look like one, and you're already a bitch." Pansy got even angrier. Nobody was supposed to mess with her like this imbecile had! Before Draco could react, Pansy slapped him right on the cheek. He stood there, shocked. Taking advantage of this, she scratched both of his cheeks before turning on her heels. Her robes billowed out behind her as she left. Draco was still standing with his hands on his face. He wasn't smirking anymore.
~~~
Harry watched as Hermione and Ron stepped into the carriage that was going to Hogsmeade. After seeing that it pulled off successfully, he started to head back towards the school, back towards Draco. He smiled at the thought of his former rival. He could picture him clearly in his mind. From the whitish-blond wisps of hair all of the way down to the polished tips of his expensive Italian leather shoes. It was a funny thought; he had never seen Draco barefoot.
~~~
Draco was waiting nervously in the extra-credit potions room for Harry to arrive. He had decided to forego the normal school robes since it was a Saturday. He also wanted to look his best for Harry, who would hopefully become his boyfriend. The mere thought of Harry as his boyfriend made Draco's lips tingle and his cheeks flush.
In an effort to cool off his pink face, he placed his cold hands on each cheek. Once they were placed on there, Draco winced. The cuts from Pansy's fingernails were still there. He hadn't wanted to explain anything to Madame Pomphrey last night. But if his cheeks scarred, he would have to ask Severus about a healing potion. Scars were absolutely not permitted on this Malfoy's face. They were pretty unattractive.
Lost in his thoughts, Draco jumped when the door slowly creaked open. He smiled when he saw Harry.
"Hi, Potter."
~~~
"Hi, Potter," was the only greeting that Harry received when he walked into the room. It had a different tone than what usually came from the blonde's mouth. It had a soft and tender edge to it, rather than a harsh and sharp one. Harry liked the way that Draco said it.
"Hello, Malfoy." This was accompanied by a small smile. He then looked around the room, uncomfortable with the stifling heat that had suddenly appeared.
"Are we going to stay here the whole day?" To be honest Harry didn't want to be here. He was sick of the potions research.
"Oh, I don't think so. We could go to the Slytherin dorms or something, that is, if you want to." There was a long pause. Both boys were looking at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact.
Slowly, Harry said, "How exactly can I be in Slytherin territory, especially the common room and dorms? In case you haven't noticed, I'm the person that brought down the Slytherin idol." Draco glared. That was crossing the line.
"For your information, not all Slytherins idolized him. You could have just said a polite no thanks instead of insulting my house!"
"Well then, no thanks. I don't want to go there. What would all of the little first years think?" Harry smiled, still looking at the ground. The thought of going to the Slytherin dorms filled his head with all sorts of inappropriate things that Draco might want to do. He could picture a pale hand gliding across his torso going lower and lower... but right now wasn't the time to think about such things.
"That's a lot better. I guess we could just go to the Astronomy tower. I'm sure that all of the snogging couples have temporarily relocated to Hogsmeade today."
"That sounds great."
~~~
Hermione smiled when she saw Ron sitting next to her. She was doing a lot of smiling around him today, even though he had a strained look on his face. When he caught her staring, she gazed down towards their hands and blushed. Their hands were interesting. His hands were big and nice. Hers were petite and feminine. Their hands were so close together. Maybe she should try to hold hands; that is, if she didn't die of embarrassment beforehand.
She looked back up at Ron and caught him staring. He quickly looked away. Hermione could see the tips of his ears turn a cute shade of red. She looked back down at their hands, and gently placed hers on top of his. She looked back up and saw into his clear blue eyes. She smiled again. Needless to say, they walked hand in hand on their way to Madame Puddifoot's coffee shop.
When they entered they were greeted by a great deal of whispers from the other students. Their hands hadn't gone unnoticed. Most of the students were lamenting that they had lost the bet, but some were expressing their approval (or disapproval) of the pair. Both Hermione and Ron blushed at the scrutiny that they were receiving. They quickly made their way towards a cozy table located in the back of the restaurant, away from prying eyes. A lady in casual dress walked over towards their table as they sat down.
"Welcome to Madame Puddifoot's. My name is Mary, and I'll be your waitress today. I hope that you enjoy your refreshments. Here is the menu. The special today is hot chocolate for two with complimentary biscotti" Hermione and Ron blushed at the implication of the server's statement. The waitress continued as if she didn't notice their slight discomfort. "I'm sure that you two would really enjoy that selection... " She turned and headed back towards the kitchen, throwing a not-so-discreet wink towards the couple. The sickly sweet smell of her perfume lingered in the air for a few seconds.
"Do you want to get that?" Ron had a strained look on his face, and he made a subtle coughing noise. Hermione noticed this. He obviously didn't want that.
"Oh, Ron, we don't have to get it. We could just get separate coffee or hot chocolates. You can choose." Hermione offered him a smile, and squeezed his hand reassuringly underneath the table. It was his choice; after all, it was him who had asked her on the date.
"That would be great, Herm." Ron seemed a bit relieved. After a few minutes of amiable conversation, Mary came back to the table asking. "Have you decided what you would like to order yet?"
"Yes we have. We'll have two separate hot chocolates and two slices of your chocolate cake." Mary headed back towards the kitchens again. This was a cue to start another conversation.
"What did Harry think when you told him about us?"
"He was happy. Dra- erm- other people I told were happy for us, too."
"That's good." There was a comfortable silence, broken only when Mary returned with their order. The conversation started up again.
"So, what's Harry doing today, anyways? He didn't come to Hogsmeade with us." Ron took a sip of his drink.
"He's just staying at the castle. He didn't mind us leaving him there. I'm pretty sure he can keep himself entertained."
"That's great. I can do some things much more easily without him around." Ron gave her a quick kiss. "Just like that." Throughout the date, Ron had become more relaxed. After half of an hour, Ron paid one sickle and four nuts. The two lovebirds left the shop hand in hand, just like they came.
~~~
After arriving in the tower, Draco summoned a deck of exploding snap. After all, he needed something to do with Harry. After the fifth game lost, Draco decided to do something else that involved more use of your brain, rather than your luck. He could surely beat Harry at something like that.
"I'm going to find something else to do." He got out his wand, ready to summon a chess set, but before he could mutter any sort of spell, Harry interrupted him.
"You just don't want to play anymore because you keep losing. I bet you can't win." Draco put down his wand and huffed. Harry had an overly smug look on his face. Even though he got along with Malfoy now, it was still fun to insult him.
"Actually, I don't get much pleasure out of playing this game. It is rather boring."
"Ha, you can't admit it. You just don't like to lose at anything."
"The game is pointless and it has no strategy at all. I don't like it. Who enjoys things exploding in their face?"
"That is what makes the game so much fun, Malfoy. You are just a sore loser." Draco flushed a pale pink. He was infuriated.
"Excuse me, but I graciously accept it when I have lost a game."
"Really... then explain all of your Quidditch games against me, these recent games of Exploding Snap, and all of those other times you have been beaten by me at something." Draco's nostril's flared, and his cheeks turned even darker.
"That's it, Potter! You have crossed the line!" Draco pounced on him in a flash, trying to wring his ugly neck. The nerve of Potter to say such things about him!
The boys tumbled and rolled around the floor, panting and frustrated. Draco had the upper hand and he was trying to bring out Harry's knees. While Draco was in action, Harry tried to knee Draco in the stomach, but Draco punched him before he could do anything. It was a straight hit. While Harry was on his back writhing in pain, Draco straddled his hips and Harry was efficiently pinned to the cold floor. He was about to give a nasty blow to Harry's face when he stopped.
Harry's eyes were squeezed shut, anticipating the waves of pain that were sure to come. They never did, and the only thing he could feel was Draco pinning him to the floor, although that wasn't such a bad feeling anymore. He opened his eyes a crack and saw Draco with an indefinable expression on his face. Before he could say anything, soft lips were lowered onto his. It was delicious, and he never wanted it to stop. He nudged his lips slowly against the Slytherin's; all of his anger had dissipated. Harry moved his hands to Draco's cheeks and felt something wet. He broke the kiss and looked into Draco's eyes before switching his gaze to the rest of his face. There were a lot of scratches with blood trickling out of the corners. Had he done that?
"Draco, did I do this?" Draco closed his eyes when Harry gently brushed his fingertips over the scratches.
"Oh, no you didn't. It was Pansy yesterday. I guess they opened up a bit during our little scuffle." Harry looked at them again before showering butterfly kisses on every scratch.
"I'll kiss them better." Harry smiled softly before he placed his lips on Draco's again. His arms snaked around Draco's neck, and he began to kiss him with more intensity. Both of their eyes were closed in rapture. When they ran out of breath Draco lifted his head. Before they started kissing again he opened his sliver eyes. Harry's were still closed.
"Harry?"
"Hmm?"
"I need to tell you something."
"Mmmhmm."
"I like you a lot, and I wanted to know if you could possibly like me back." Green eyes snapped open, and were filled with many different emotions. Instead of an answer, Draco got a kiss bursting with love; a kiss that made him tingle all over. If he thought the kisses before were good, this would have to be paradise.
~~~
Ron and Hermione decided to walk back to Hogwarts so that they could enjoy the snow-covered grounds and the crisp winter air. Sometimes carriages just didn't provide enough privacy. In the town, they kept public displays of affection to a minimum, only holding their hands, but after they had gotten out of the outskirts, they decided they could finally kiss.
After a few minutes of kissing, the couple broke apart with a happy sigh. They didn't want to stop kissing, but it was a bit chilly outside. The warming spells cast throughout the castle looked very inviting at the moment. When they finally reached the Great Hall, Ron pulled Hermione towards the staircase leading to the common room, but Hermione had other plans. They were seventh years, after all. The younger students looked up to them.
"Ron, we shouldn't go to the common room. The first and second years will see us. We can't set bad examples for the younger students!" Ron rolled his eyes, but after a small kiss he acquiesced to Hermione's suggestion. When they reached the steps leading up to the Astronomy Tower, they started to kiss again. About halfway up the staircase, the two were frustrated with trying to snog and climb the stairs at the same time; Ron picked up his girlfriend and continued. When he reached the top he opened the door as well as he could with Hermione in his arms. After the door was fully ajar, he slowed the kiss and looked into Hermione's chocolaty brown eyes, but then movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. When he saw what it was, he dropped Hermione on the floor.
"Holy Shit." Ron wasn't sure if it was Harry or Malfoy that said this. Ron looked between the two boys a few times (both were flushed and guilty looking) before he promptly passed out. Hermione offered the two boys a stern look.
"Those kisses better have been an experiment for the mists."
~~~
Author's Note: I am really sorry that this took so long for me to 'publish.' I now it's going to sound like I'm making excuses, but I have been on vacation, then I had camp, and I had to finish up my summer assignment. I didn't have ANY free weeks this summer. :( I'm sorry.
I also am really sorry about the fact that this story is going to be coming to an end soon. It can't go on forever. There will probably be one or two more chapters. I'll take suggestions on how they should go.
Thanks soo much to the people that reviewed last chapter. I really appreciate it, and in all honesty, this is really the first story that I have ever written that got a lot of response from the readers. I still get excited when I get reviews.
Also, the whole Pansy and Draco confrontation was bound to happen. It's not like she's just accept that Draco placed a hex on her... or at least I don't THINK she would accept it.
Please review. :O) I'll be forever indebted.
